An optical fiber connecting device (100) and method of optically connecting two optical fibers (50, 50′) is described. The device (100) includes a housing (110), and first and second mechanical elements (130, 150) disposed within the housing (110). A first actuation cap (140) is disposed adjacent the first mechanical element (130) to secure a first optical fiber (50) within the first mechanical element (130) upon actuation, and a second actuation cap (160) disposed adjacent the second mechanical element (150) to secure a second optical fiber (50′) within the second mechanical element (150) upon actuation. The first and second optical fibers (50, 50′) can be positioned, secured and actuated in the connection device (100) at the same or at different times.

With the increasing use of mobile devices, the demand for high speed access to voice, video and data is rapidly growing, driving the need for more, higher speed optical communication lines and higher density connections between the optical communications network. Network providers will frequently install new optical communications parallel to existing copper communication lines to help handle the added bandwidth that customers are demanding. In order to streamline costs and maximize efficiency of the network infrastructure, the network providers will often retrofit the existing copper infrastructure to accommodate the new optical communication lines. This can be especially challenging in roadside cross connect cabinets which have a finite volume. Another issue facing network providers is the higher degree of skill and new installation tooling required for the field technician to join optical communication lines.
Additional issues can arise at data centers which serve as the nexus between the copper and optical communication networks. Large data centers may typically need to manage several thousand or tens of thousands of single fiber connections at the patch panel level on a single rack. The space and simplicity of use of these single fiber connections are the key needs in high count fiber datacenters. Currently, many data center customers are using traditional fusion splicing or factory made fiber termination solutions.
Conventional fusion splicing is commonly used to simultaneously connect two optical fibers together for fiber to the home installations. For example, a fiber from subscriber ONU pigtail can be directly connected to a fiber from Floor Distribution Unit (FDU) connection panel. Fusion splicing requires highly skilled technicians to have high quality optical fiber cleaver and a fusion splice machine in order to create the fusion splice inside of a heat shrinkable protective tube.
Conventional single fiber terminations commonly employed in data centers utilize two male connectors (e.g., SC or LC format optical fiber connectors), and a corresponding adapter, to interconnect a pair of optical fibers. Standard epoxy and ferrule based optical fiber connectors require several precision components (e.g., springs, ferrules, housings, shrouds, and the like) that may result in a higher cost termination solution because these connectors can require more tools, skill and time to install in the field. Additionally, epoxy connectors are more suitable for factory termination.
On the front side of a data center rack, patch cords are used to interconnect a pair of ports. Factory assembled patch cords are assembled in discrete lengths with a male optical fiber connector disposed on each end. Because the patch cords are pre-assembled, the patch cord length may be much longer than what is necessary for a given patching connection, potentially resulting in large amounts of excess cable that need to be managed and stored.
On the back side of a data center rack, multi-fiber input cables have to be spliced to connectorized pigtails. The need to accommodate splicing capacity on the rack requires the use of valuable real estate and reduces the patching capacity of the rack.
More recently, field terminated optical connectors having a factory prepared and installed fiber stub and a mechanical splice element have simplified installation procedures so that connectors are easier to use in the field. However, using a conventional field mountable connection termination solution still requires two optical connectors and an adapter, and one may desire to have a solution with fewer necessary components.
Thus, there is a need for a high density field connection system that has a minimal number of parts and that enables simplified installation and assembly.

Unitary connector for connecting two bare optical fibers

Corning Research & Development Corporation


A system for detecting and controlling gain and phase errors in a direct conversion receiver having a pair of signal channels carrying I and Q baseband signal components which are in quadrature and are a function of a phase angle .theta.. The system operates by generating I' and Q' signals which correspond to sin(2.theta.) and cos(2.theta.). These I' and Q' signals are then normalized with respect to signal amplitude and filtered to produce signals DC.sub.I and DC.sub.Q corresponding to their DC components. The resulting signals DC.sub.I and DC.sub.Q have been discovered to be separately correlated with the gain and phase errors, respectively, and are used in adjusting the original I and Q baseband signal components to correct for any such errors existing between them.

The present invention relates to radio communications technology and more particularly to direct conversion radio receivers.
At the present time the vast majority of radio receivers are of the superheterodyne type employing one or more intermediate frequency stages which allow for filtering and amplification at fixed frequencies. Alternatives have always existed to the superheterodyne architecture such as superregenerative and direct conversion designs. However, these alternative designs have been subject to serious flaws which have relegated radio receivers of these types to specialty roles within the radio communications world.
Despite the widespread adoption of the superheterodyne design, it has been widely recognized that the direct conversion architecture holds great promise for superior performance. For example, direct conversion receivers are not subject to image rejection problems and are not affected by cross-over spurious responses which are so often the cause of interference and related design difficulties in superheterodyne receivers. Further, direct conversion receivers feature simpler low-pass type filters operating at audio frequencies in contrast to the often bulky and expensive bandpass filters employed in superheterodyne receivers, require only a single injection signal at one frequency rather than multiple signals at different frequencies (multiple conversion sets), and provide a good potential for VLSI implementations since a majority of the receiver components consist of active audio and digital circuitry.
In a typical I/Q direct conversion receiver incoming RF communications signals are split into a pair of equal amplitude components which are in phase with each other. These RF components are then mixed with separate injection signals at approximately the same frequency as the communications signal but which are 90.degree. out-of-phase with each other. I and Q baseband signal components which are in quadrature are thereby generated. These signals are then independently filtered and amplified at audio frequencies on separate signal channels. The I and Q components formed as a result of the mixing process allow the signal to be conveniently demodulated upon being supplied to a suitable signal processing unit.
This architecture works well except that it is very difficult to achieve and maintain identical gain and exact phase quadrature between the signal channels and variations between the signal channels which commonly occur as a result of changes in temperature, frequency and other operational parameters result in gain and phase mismatches with produce distortion products in the output of the receiver. Gain mismatches of as little as 0.2 dB and phase mismatches of as little as 1.degree. can result in distortion products which can not ordinarily be reduced to less than 30-40 dB in practice and correspond to discrete tones which greatly limit the performance of the receiver.
Researchers investigating the design of direct conversion radio receivers have frequently recognized this limitation and a number of systems for correcting for errors between quadrature signal channels have been proposed. However, these systems have generally been specialized designs limited to the processing of signals of only a single modulation type. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,433 to Werner Reich entitled "Correction Circuit For A Digital Quadrature-Signal Pair" describes a correction system including an error-detecting stage for deriving amplitude, offset and phase errors from which correction signals are formed. However, error detection is limited to wideband FM signals characterized by quadrature signal pairs capable of forming an "elliptical locus" from which the errors can be determined by comparison with an ideal circle. In contrast, AM signals result in such a locus taking on irregular shapes from which proper error signals cannot be derived.
The publication by Bolliger and Vollenweider entitled "Some Experiments on Direct Conversion Receivers" in the proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Radio Receivers and Associated Systems held Jul. 24-26, 1990 at Oxford, England describes a useful method for reducing the gain and phase errors between signal channels in an I/Q direct conversion receiver. In accordance with this method, new signals I' and Q' are formed which are equal to Q.sup.1 -I.sup.2 and 2IQ where I and Q represent the original baseband components. If the expressions Q.sup.2 -I.sup.2 and 2IQ are mathematically expanded, phase and gain errors may be seen to be primarily resident in DC terms which can be removed from the signals in order to reduce distortion. Accordingly, the I' and Q' signals are highpass filtered to suppress their DC components in order to produce derivative signals for direct use in demodulation which are characterized by reduced levels of gain and above errors.
The rationale for forming these signals may be readily understood with reference to the basic trigonometric identities cos(2.theta.)=cos.sup.2 (.theta.) -sin.sup.2 (.theta.) and sin(2.theta.)=2 cos(.theta.) sin(.theta.). Since the signals I and Q are in quadrature, they may be seen to correspond to cos(.theta.) and sin(.theta.). Consequently, the expressions Q.sup.2 -I.sup.2 and 2IQ are related to 2.theta. which allows the original phase angle .theta. to be determined based on the signals I' and Q'.
This method of reducing distortion due to gain and phase errors between signal channels is highly useful but is limited to angle modulated signals since amplitude modulation would result in the DC terms being converted to low frequency AC components which would be resistant to filtering. Furthermore, this method does not provide for detection of the actual levels of the phase and gain errors and full and accurate correction for such errors on a continuing basis.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an I/Q direct conversion radio receiver having a pair of signal channels carrying I and Q baseband signal components which are in quadrature which is characterized by superior performance due to the absence of distortion products arising from gain and phase errors between the signal channels.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system of ruse in an I/Q direct conversion radio receiver which is adapted for processing signals of all modulation types and automatically detecting phase and gain errors resulting from mismatches between the signal channels within the receiver and fully correcting for such errors pursuant to a straightforward signal processing algorithm.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a new system for controlling phase and gain errors in an I/Q direct conversion radio receiver which does not require specially generated calibration signals, is economic to construct, provides superior performance and may be substantially implemented in VLSI.

System for controlling phase and gain errors in an I/Q direct conversion receiver


An electrostatic chuck for semiconductor wafers comprised of a multilayered ceramic, including a back-side-metal layer pattern adjacent the upper wafer receiving surface for generating an electrostatic force. Intermediate via layers connect the pattern to a back-side-metal layer at the bottom of the chuck to which power leads can be connected. A number of small passages, extending from the bottom of the chuck to its upper surface, allow helium heat transfer without the need for surface grooves.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electrostatic chuck for semiconductor wafers, and more particularly to an improved chuck that can operate over a broad range of temperatures and pressures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrostatic chuck technology is vital to the future of semiconductor plasma processing. Such chucks eliminate the need for mechanical clamping devices for holding the semiconductor wafer; devices which are clumsy and can introduce contamination into the processing chambers.
There have been a number of prior art proposals for electrostatic chuck designs, including the following:
Japanese Patent No. 62-264638 to Toto Ltd., discloses a conductor layer and an insulating film made of ceramics capable of plastic deformation that are successively piled on a ceramics green sheet to form a piled material. Then, this piled material is fired to obtain an electrostatic chucking substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,218 to Ooshio et al., discloses an electrostatic chuck with channels for passing a cooling medium through the body of the chuck.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,171 to Ohmi, discloses a wafer susceptor which has a first conductive electrode including a flat surface covered with a thin insulating film and a second conductive electrode which is electrically insulated from the first conductive electrode and is disposed so that a surface thereof is flush with the surface of the thin insulating film which covers the first conductive electrode
European Patent No. 0360529 to Toto Ltd., discloses an electrostatic chuck with at least two layers, each including an electrically insulating film and an electrode attached to a lower surface thereof and at least two layers being disposed as attractive layers on the base plate. A voltage applying assembly selectively applies a voltage to at least one of the electrodes to electrostatically attract the object to the insulating film of an uppermost one of the layers.
In general, prior art electrostatic chuck designs have not been altogether satisfactory in their operation, particularly when judged on their ability to operate over-broad temperature and pressure ranges extending down to cryogenic temperatures.

International Business Machines Corporation


This invention is to provide a novel quinizarin compound which has a quinizarin structure represented by a following formula (1) having one to four of the 5, 6, 7, and 8 positions and at least either the 6 or 7 position formed of at least one member selected from the class consisting of secondary amino groups, alkylthio groups, and optionally substituted phenylthio groups, and having the remaining positions thereof formed of at least one member selected from the class consisting of hydrogen atom, halogen atoms, amino group, hydroxy group, alkoxy groups, and optionally substituted phenoxy groups, a method for the production thereof, and a dye, an electrophotographic grade color toner composition, a thermal-transfer recording sheet, an optical recording medium, an ink jet grade ink composition and a color filter severally comprising the quinizarin compound. ##STR1##

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel quinizarin compound, a method for the production thereof, a dye formed of the compound, and an electrophotographic color toner composition, a thermal-transfer recording sheet, an optical recording medium, a color filter, and an ink jet grade ink composition severally containing the compound.
The novel quinizarin type compound of this invention exhibits absorption in an orange-red-blue-green-near infrared region of 480 nm to 850 nm in wavelength, manifests outstanding solubility, and excels in resistance to light or heat. In the field of optoelectronic data, the novel quinizarin type compound manifests an excellent effect as display materials or recording materials exhibiting absorption in the visible region or near infrared region when it is used in a thermal-transfer dye, an ink jet grade ink, a color separation filter for a camera tube, a liquid crystal display grade color filter, an optical color filter, a color toner, a bar code grade ink for preventing fake, a guest-host type liquid crystal display grade dichroic dye, a polarizer grade dichroic dye, an optical recording media suitable for compact disk, etc. The effect so manifested particularly gains in prominence when this compound is used in a magenta type or cyan type dye.
Further, as a high-quality coloring agent of excellent solubility and high fastness fit for the orange-red-blue-green region, the quinizarin type compound of this invention manifests an ideal effect when it is used in dyes for fibers, paints for automobiles, paints for building materials, coloring agents for printing plates, writing inks, coloring agents for glass flakes, and coloring agents for spectacle lenses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, the functionalities of the organic dye manifested in the field of optoelectronic data recording have been attracting attention of the industry as the trend of the field toward impartation of colors to the data display images or their hard copies has been gaining in impetus. As respects the display materials or recording materials suitable for this trend, the necessity for developing the so-called visible light absorption dye such as, for example, a thermal-transfer dye, an ink jet grade ink, a color separation filter for a camera tube, a liquid crystal display grade color filter, an optical color filter, a color toner, a bar code grade ink for preventing fake, a guest-host type liquid crystal display grade dichroic dye, and a polarizer grade dichroic dye which exhibit an absorption in the visible region has been finding growing recognition.
Particularly, in recent years, applications which handle electronic images including computer graphics have been suddenly increasing. As a result, the desirability of having such electronic images as TV images of video movies and electronic still cameras recorded as color hard copies has been finding growing recognition.
Among other methods which are available for the purpose of this recording, the so-called thermal-transfer recording method which comprises using a thermal transfer sheet formed by coating a substrate sheet with a thermal-transfer grade dye, heating selectively the sheet with a thermosensitive head, and transferring the molten dye onto a recording paper dyable with the molten dye has been attracting attention as an important recording method capable of producing a full-color image excellent in repeatability of gradient and color.
Generally, the primary colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan are used for these thermal transfer sheets. Very few of the dyes heretofore proposed, however, satisfy all the conditions necessary for the thermal-transfer recording, namely (1) color tone, (2) solubility in or compatibility with an ink solvent and an ink binder resin, (3) resistance to heat, (4) transferability, and (5) lightfastness. Thus, the appearance of a dye satisfying the optimum conditions for the operation of the thermal-transfer recording has been longed for.
Among other compounds, the anthraquinone type compounds which are inherently stable to resist against light, heat, and temperature and excellent in fastness have been being studied from numerous angles for the purpose of adapting them to be controlled to an absorption wavelength necessary for magenta dyes and cyan dyes and to be rendered soluble in a solvent or a resin as required by intended applications.
For example, JP-A-60-122, 192, JP-A-60-131,293, JP-A-60-159,091, JP-A-61-227,093, JP-A-60-253,595, JP-A-62-25,092, JP-A-62-97,886, JP-A-63-288,787, JP-A-63-288,788, JP-A-63-288,789, JP-A-01-174,490, JP-A-04-21,490, etc. disclose magenta dyes which result from introducing various functional groups at the 2 position into the 1-amino-4-hydroxy-anthraquinone compound. Though some of them possess solubility, they are invariably deficient in absorption wavelength or lightfastness.
Further, JP-A-59-227,948, JP-A-60-31,559, JP-A-60-53,563, JP-A-60-122,192, JP-A-60-131,292, JP-A-60-131,294, JP-A-60-151,097, JP-A-60-172,591, JP-A-61-57,391, JP-A-61-193,887, JP-A-61-255,897, JP-A-62-138,291, JP-A-01-178,495, JP-A-01-221,287, JP-A-01-255,594, JP-A-01-258,995, JP-A-01-258,996, JP-A-02-9,685, JP-A-02-43,093, JP-A-02-132,462, JP-A-02-175,293, JP-A-04-122,695, JP-A-04-270,689, etc. disclose anthraquinone type cyan dyes which have amino group, alkylamino group, allylamino group, and various functional groups introduced therein. Though some of these dyes possess solubility, they are invariably deficient in absorption wavelength or lightfastness.
The electrophotography generally produces a visible image by a procedure which comprises forming an electric latent image of static charge on a photoelectroconductive sensitive material by charging or exposure to light, then developing this electric latent image with a toner, optionally transferring the resultant toner image onto a transfer paper, and fixing the toner image by application of heat or application of pressure. For the visible image, generally the toner which is produced by dispersing a black coloring agent such as carbon black in a binder resin is mostly used. The sudden increase of the applications which deal with electronic images including computer graphics has been even urging the electromicrography to promote the impartation of colors to the electronic images. Thus, the practice of producing color toners having various dyes and/or pigments of yellow, magenta and cyan, dissolved or dispersed in a binder resin has been prevailing.
Generally, the full-color toner has been heretofore produced by melting a binder resin and a coloring agent, kneading the molten mixture, pulverizing the resultant mixture, and classifying the produced powder and separating a powder having a prescribed grain size distribution. In this case, a pigment is generally used as a coloring agent. The color imparted by the pigment is at a disadvantage in being deficient in transparency because the pigment as a coloring agent is merely dispersed in the binder resin. Particularly when an electronic image is to be formed as on a transparent sheet for use with an overhead projector, the projected image is dim and turbid. The problem of poor transparency may be solved to a certain extent by decreasing the grain size of the pigment particles to the order of sub-microns. The pulverization of the pigment to the order of sub-microns is difficult to attain. Further the pulverized pigment is required to be uniformly dispersed finely in the binder resin. This uniform dispersion is extremely difficult to attain.
Numerous studies have been being continued in search of a dye which exhibits solubility in a binder resin. The use of such a dye as a coloring agent, however, has the problem that it goes chiefly to degrade the lightfastness of the produced toner. Thus, numerous studies are now under way regarding the usability in the toner of a dye which exhibits high compatibility with a binder resin and abounds in lightfastness. For example, the anthraquinone type cyan dyes are disclosed in JP-A-01-237,667, JP-A-01-284,865, JP-A-02-47,668, JP-A-02-110,573, JP-A-02-132,462, JP-A-03-87,754, JP-A-05-107,812, etc. None of them, however, satisfies all the conditions of transparency, color tone, and lightfastness.
In recent years, such optical recording media as compact discs, laser discs, optical memory discs, and optical cards which use a semiconductor laser as a light source have been being developed actively. Particularly, CD, PHOTO-CD, and CD-ROM are now copiously utilized as digital recording media of high capacity and rapid access for the storage and regeneration of voices, images, and code data. These systems invariably are in need of so-called near infrared absorption dyes which are sensitive to the semiconductor laser. These dyes are desired to possess excellent characteristics.
The basic characteristics which are required of such a dye for use in an optical recording medium include, for example, (1) that the dye is controlled to an absorption wavelength which is required for an intended application, (2) that from the practical point of view, the dye is applicable to a surface by a method which converts the dye into a thin film without using such a complicated step as vacuum deposition or dispersion in a resin, namely a method resorting as to a spin coat and enjoying convenience and excelling in productivity, and is excellent in solubility in a solvent incapable of corroding a substrate, (3) that the dye possesses high reflectance, (4) that the dye excels in resistance to heat and to light, (5) that the dye exhibits high sensitivity, and (6) that the dye as a compound excels in economy in association with a process for production.
Optical recording media using organic dyes which have been developed in recent years with a view to satisfying these characteristics have been studied. In this respect, such organic dyes as phthalocyanine dyes, polymethine dyes, squalium dyes, and anthraquinone dyes have been proposed. None of the dyes heretofore proposed, however, satisfies all the characteristics mentioned above.
JP-A-58-169,152, JP-A-62-21,584, and JP-A-63-102,988, for example, disclose methods which use anthraquinone compounds as dyes. These compounds, however, cannot be used practically because they are particularly deficient in lightfastness.
The color filter is generally constructed by repeating sequential superposition of fine colored picture elements in the form of thin films tinted in a plurality of colors on a substrate such as glass, plastic, camera element, or thin-film transistor and optionally further depositing a protective film thereon. Various methods have been proposed for the formation of such colored picture elements as mentioned above. For example, photolithographic methods, printing methods, electrodeposition methods, and vacuum deposition methods have been developed and adopted for practical use.
The color filters which are produced as described above are broadly divided under those of the class using the three primary colors of red, green, and blue and those of the class using the complementary colors of cyan, yellow, and magenta or the combination of two of these complementary colors with a transparent layer. In either case, it goes without saying that the spectral characteristics of a given color filter discriminate between acceptability and rejectability of the repeatability of color of the color liquid crystal display and the color grade solid camera element. Attempts has been made to develop dyes, pigments, or the combinations thereof which permit production of color filters possessing excellent spectral characteristics.
The dyes, pigments, and combinations thereof which have been developed heretofore, however, are at a disadvantage in being deficient in transparency and lightfastness and incapable of producing desired color tones or manifesting ample repeatability.
The ink jet grade inks in many cases provide critical print characteristics. To be specific, water-based ink jet grade inks generally manifest no affinity for paper and exhibit only a poor ability to permeate in a paper or dry in a paper. On the contrary, oil-based inks exhibit affinity for paper and are nevertheless at a disadvantage in being deficient in surface tension and consequently liable to form unduly large ink dots and impair the print quality. In contrast thereto, solid or semi-solid type inks are characterized by being capable of producing prints of excellent contrast and have prospects of bright future. None of the dyes or pigments which are available for solid or semi-solid type inks, however, satisfies the two factors of lightfastness and color tone at the same time.
An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a novel quinizarin compound, a method for the production thereof, a dye formed of the compound, and an electrographic grade color toner composition, a thermal-transfer recording sheet, an optical recording medium, a color filter, and an ink jet grade ink composition severally containing the compound.
Another object of this invention is to provide a novel quinizarin type compound which is one species of anthraquinone type compounds and which constitutes a visible light absorption material permitting control to an absorption wavelength fit for an intended application within the range of absorption wavelength from 480 to 700 nm and excelling in solubility in a solvent of resin used in the intended application and in lightfastness as well.
A further object of this invention is to provide a method for producing the quinizarin type compound with high efficiency.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a dye formed of the compound mentioned above and used as for a visible light absorption material.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an electrophotographic grade color toner composition which, owing to the use of the dye possessing solubility in or miscibility with a binder resin, serves as a magenta and/or cyan color toner satisfying all the factors of transparency, color tone, and lightfastness.
Another object of this invention is to provide a dye satisfying all the conditions of (1) color tone, (2) solubility in or compatibility with an ink solvent and an ink grade binder resin, (3) resistance to heat, (4) transferability, and (5) lightfastness which are necessary for the magenta and/or cyan dye in a thermal-transfer recording sheet, and a thermal-transfer recording sheet containing the dye.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel optical recording medium, particularly a CD-oriented optical recording medium which uses a laser with a wavelength of 780 nm or 680 nm, which excels in absorption wavelength, sensitivity, reflectance, and lightfastness owing to the use of a novel anthraquinone compound permitting control to an absorption wavelength fit for an intended application within the range of absorption wavelength of from 600 to 850 nm, excelling in solubility in a solvent such as, for example, an alcoholic solvent fit for the intended application, and abounding in lightfastness and resistance to heat.
Another object of this invention is to provide a color filter exhibiting excellent lightfastness, showing no turbidity, diffusing sensation of transparency, and excelling further in terms of color tone.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an ink ideal contrast and production of recorded images excelling in lightfastness and in color tone as well.

Quinizarin compound, method for production thereof, and use therefor


A color separation microlens is fabricated to be a single micro-optical element made up of a color separation grating integrated with a refractive lens. The color separation microlens separates the spectrum into distinct color spots and focuses these spots to a common plane. The spots fall at the locations of the different diffraction orders of the grating. The color separation is done by the grating, and the focusing is done by the lens. The color separation microlens can be fabricated as a monolithically integrated element (an element in which the grating and the lens are combined to a single surface) and can also be fabricated as a dual-sided thin wafer (a wafer in which the grating is on one side and the lens is on the other).

This invention relates to a dispersive microlens.
This invention relates in particular to a color separation microlens which is a single micro-optical element made up of a color separation grating which disperses color by orders and which is integrated with a refractive lens.
The color separation microlens separates the spectrum into distinct color spots and focuses these spots to a common plane. The spots fall at the locations of the different diffraction orders. The color separation is done by the grating and the focusing is done by the lens.
The color separation microlens of the present invention is an improvement over a blazed dispersive microlens disclosed in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/904,316 filed Jun. 25, 1992, by George Gal, inventor, and entitled "Dispersive Microlens".
The blazed dispersive microlens disclosed in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/904,316 is a single micro-optical element made up of a blazed diffraction integrated onto the surface of a refractive lens.
The blazed dispersive microlens stretches the colors of the incoming light from blue to red in a single diffraction order and focuses the light down to a single diffraction spot.
The blazed dispersive microlens separates colors into a single diffraction order.
The color separation microlens of the present invention separates colors into distinct blur spots in different diffraction orders.
The blazed diffraction microlens performs a linear stretch of color from one end of the waveband to the other.
The color content of the blur spots of the color separation microlens contains contributions from all the wavelengths in the spectral band, with the weighting of the spectral content dependent on the diffraction order.

Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, Inc.


An adjustable belt guide and headrest apparatus for a vehicle seat. The apparatus includes a pair of first track members and a pair of second track members slidable longitudinally relative to the first track members. An upper end of the second track members includes a cantilevered headrest frame member and a shoulder belt guide, both of which move towards and away from a seat back portion of the vehicle seat when the second frame rails are moved slidably. A threaded drive rod is fixedly secured to the second frame rails. The threaded drive rod is driven by an operator controllable, reversible DC motor. Operation of the DC motor causes the threaded drive rod to be driven so as to cause the second track members to move up and down slidably relative to the seat back, thereby allowing the headrest and seat belt guide to be concurrently adjusted to suit the height of the driver with a single adjustment. In the preferred embodiment, a reinforcement member is affixed to a lateral side of the seat back portion and the first track members are mounted to the reinforcement member. This reinforced structure enables the present invention to exceed federal seat belt load standards.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to vehicle seats and more particularly to a vehicle seat having a motor driven and adjustable headrest portion which includes a seat belt guide for allowing the portion of the shoulder belt which fits over a shoulder of the seat occupant to be vertically adjusted concurrently with the headrest.
2. Discussion
The front seats of passenger vehicles, at present, are required to include some form of shoulder belt assembly which fits across the chest portion of an occupant of the seat for helping to restrain the occupant in the event of an accident. Such shoulder belt assemblies are typically secured, in four door vehicles, to the "B"-pillar of the vehicle's body. The B-pillars extend vertically between the front and rear doors on each of the passenger and driver sides of the vehicle. On two door passenger vehicles the shoulder belt guide is positioned on the portion of the vehicle body immediately behind the front doors of the vehicle. Accordingly, the shoulder belt guide is typically not adjustable vertically in accordance with the height of the seat occupant.
When drivers or passengers of significantly varying heights occupy the vehicle seat, the non-adjustably secured seat belt guide can often provide for an uncomfortable fit of the shoulder belt around the shoulder or neck portion of the occupant. For example, if the occupant is very short the shoulder belt may tend to not wrap comfortably over the shoulder portion of the person but, instead, may be positioned uncomfortably close to the neck or head of the occupant. Conversely, if a tall individual occupies the vehicle seat, the non-adjustably mounted seat belt guide may cause the shoulder belt to be positioned uncomfortably low on the shoulder, thus causing the shoulder belt to dig into the shoulder portion of the occupant. Therefore, adjustable positioning of the shoulder belt guide is highly desirable for providing a comfortable fit when used with persons of varying heights.
Prior attempts at providing some degree of limited adjustability to the shoulder belt have typically involved providing a position adjustable belt guide on the B-pillar which can be moved up and down along the B-pillar. Such systems, however, are not particularly convenient to use and are not useable in two-door vehicles which do not have B-pillars.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat having means for allowing an occupant to adjustably position a shoulder belt guide assembly to allow a shoulder belt operating in connection with the shoulder belt guide assembly to be comfortably, adjustably positioned about the shoulder portion of the seat occupant.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat having an operator adjustable headrest which includes a shoulder belt guide assembly, where the headrest and shoulder belt guide assembly may be adjusted in height by the operator simultaneously via a single switch or other like means.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat having a seat back portion and independent headrest which is coupled to a mechanism disposed substantially within the seat back portion for adjustably positioning the headrest and shoulder belt guide, simultaneously, relative to the seat back portion.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a reinforced vehicle seat which has mounted directly to the seat frame the seat belt assembly and wherein the mechanism for vertically adjusting the position of the headrest and shoulder belt guide is designed to satisfy the structural requirements necessary to withstand the severe belt loads encountered in an accident.


A method and an apparatus are disclosed for cutting rumble strips in the surface of a roadway. The apparatus is a self-propelled machine which includes a frame and a drive mechanism mounted to the frame and adapted for advancing the machine across the surface of the roadway. The machine also includes a generally cylindrical cutting drum that is mounted on the frame for rotation about an axis that is disposed generally parallel to the surface of the roadway. A plurality of cutting teeth are mounted on the outer surface of the drum in a predetermined pattern, and a mechanism is provided for rotating the cutting drum about its axis. The drum is maintained at a predetermined position with respect to the surface of the roadway so that the cutting teeth will cut into said surface a relatively constant, predetermined depth as the drum is rotated about its axis while the machine is advanced along the surface of the roadway. When the drum is rotated about its axis while being maintained at the predetermined position with respect to the surface of the roadway as the machine is advanced therealong, the cutting teeth will cut a series of spaced parallel rumble strips into the surface of the roadway. This improved machine is capable of smooth and uninterrupted cutting operation while advancing along the surface of the roadway at greater speeds and without the vibration that is characteristic of other known machines.

Rumble strips or sound noise alert patterns (SNAP) may be cut into the surface of a roadway in order to awaken or alert a driver of a vehicle that has strayed out of the lane of travel and is in danger of running off the road. As a vehicle's tires travel across the rumble strips in the surface of the roadway, a significant vibration is created which may be both felt and heard by the driver. Rumble strips are most commonly found along the edge or shoulder of roadways; however, they may also be found in the lane of travel itself where their intended function is to alert the driver of an impending change in conditions such as a construction area or a toll plaza just ahead.
Due to the advantage that rumble strips provide in awakening or alerting drivers and preventing potential accidents, it is desirable that roadways designed for high-speed travel include rumble strips in their shoulders. However, many roads and highways do not have rumble strips, and among the reasons for their limited use may be the time and expense required to cut them by conventional means. Many of the devices that are designed for the cutting of rumble strips include cutting assemblies, either cutting drums or one or more cutting disks, that must be raised after cutting of one rumble strip, to permit the device to move or be moved into position for cutting of the next rumble strip. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,071 of Mertes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,495 of Johnson and U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,547 of Thomas et al. describe pavement cutting devices that include a cutting assembly that is raised and lowered by a hydraulic lift mechanism. Other devices, such as those of U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,894 of Yenick and U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,228 of Thomas et al. include a rotating cam-shaped member that, by virtue of its shape, raises and lowers the cutting assembly as it rotates. When the assembly is raised, it clears the pavement, and when it is lowered by rotation of the cam, it cuts a rumble strip. In a similar arrangement described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,017 of Thomas et al., the cutting assembly is raised and lowered by rotation of an eccentrically mounted roller.
While some of these devices, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,894 of Yenick, U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,017 of Thomas et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,495 of Johnson and U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,228 of Thomas et al. may be operated to cut rumble strips while the machine is moving along the roadway, such devices can typically operate only at extremely limited speeds. In addition, some of the rumble strip machines that utilize rotating multi-faceted cams or eccentrically-mounted rollers to raise and lower the cutting head also utilize the cams or rollers as the wheels upon which the machine rolls along the surface of the roadway. In such an arrangement, the entire machine will be raised and lowered as the cams or eccentrically-mounted rollers rotate to raise and lower the cutting head with respect to the roadway. This significantly limits the speed at which the device may travel along the roadway, and it creates vertical motion that is uncomfortable for the operator and imposes significant stresses on the machine.
The present invention provides an alternative which allows for a self-propelled rumble strip cutter which may be operated while moving smoothly along the roadway at a steady pace and which is considerably quicker and more efficient than other known machines or those currently available.

Method and apparatus for cutting rumble strips in a roadway


A shear web for a wind turbine blade is described. The shear web comprises a panel and a web head. A longitudinal edge of the panel is received within a slot defined in the web head. A plurality of discrete spring features are attached to the longitudinal edge of the panel. The spring features are mutually spaced apart at intervals along the length of the longitudinal edge. The spring features compress against a base of the slot when the longitudinal edge region of the panel is inserted into the slot.

Modern wind turbine blades are typically constructed from two half shells: a windward shell and a leeward shell. The half shells are formed in separate mould halves of a mould assembly. After forming the half shells in their respective mould halves, adhesive is applied along leading and trailing edges of one or both half shells. One mould half is then lifted, turned and positioned on top of the other mould half. This is known as closing the mould, and results in the two half shells being positioned in contact along their respective leading and trailing edges. The adhesive between the two half shells is then cured, which results in the half shells being firmly bonded together to form the complete blade.
The wind turbine blade typically includes one or more shear webs located inside the blade and bonded between inner surfaces of the windward and leeward half shells. The shear webs are longitudinal structures, which when viewed in cross-section are substantially I-shaped or C-shaped and comprise a web having first and second flanges at its respective ends. The flanges are bonded respectively to the inner surfaces of the respective half shells and the web thereby forms a bridge between the half shells.
Prior to closing the mould to bond the half shells together, a longitudinal strip of adhesive is applied to the inner surface of one of the half shells and the shear web is positioned on top of the adhesive. The shear web is typically arranged vertically such that a lowermost flange of the shear web sits on top of the adhesive. A further strip of adhesive is applied along the uppermost flange of the shear web. If the blade has multiple shear webs then this process is repeated for each shear web. The mould is then closed. The adhesive between the flanges of the shear web(s) and the respective inner surfaces of the blade shells is compressed when the mould is closed and cures at the same time as the adhesive between the half shells.
It is important to ensure sufficient squeezing of adhesive between the shear webs and the respective half shells during mould closure in order to form consistent bond lines between the flanges of the shear webs and the inner surfaces of the respective half shells. One way of achieving this is described in the applicant's prior PCT application WO2008/104174, whereby the shear web incorporates a resilient member arranged to compress during mould closure and subsequently expand during curing of the adhesive. This results in the flanges of the shear web being forced towards the respective inner surfaces of the half shells such that they exert a compressive force on the adhesive during curing.
The shear web described in WO2008/104174 is illustrated in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, the shear web 10 is formed in multiple parts and comprises a web panel 12 and a web head 14 fitted over an upper longitudinal edge 16 of the panel 12. The web panel 12 is substantially L-shaped and defines a lower flange 18 of the shear web 10 for bonding to an inner surface of a first half shell of the blade. The web head 14 is substantially T-shaped in cross-section and defines an upper flange 20 for bonding to an inner surface of the second half shell of the blade.
The T-shaped web head 14 includes a longitudinal slot 22. A strip of foam 24 is provided at the base of the slot 22, and the slot 22 is filled with adhesive. The upper edge 16 of the panel 12 is then inserted into the slot 22 such that the strip of foam 24 is located between the upper edge 16 of the panel 12 and the base of the slot 22. When the mould is closed to bond the shell halves together, the strip of foam 24 is compressed initially and then subsequently expands slightly to force the web head 14 towards the inner surface of the half shell. Accordingly the foam 24 functions as a spring.
A number of drawbacks have been identified with the above solution. In particular, the strip of foam 24 does not perform particularly effectively as a spring, and hence squeezing of adhesive between the flanges 18, 20 of the shear web 10 and the inner surface of the blade shell is still sub optimal. Further, the strip of foam 24 occupies a critical region at the base of the slot 22 in the web head 14. As the strip of foam 24 extends along the entire length of the web head 14, it prevents adhesive from accumulating at the base of the slot 22. Accordingly, an adhesive void is effectively present at the base of the slot 22, which prevents the longitudinal edge 16 of the panel 12 bonding to the web head 14 at the base of the slot 22.
Another problem identified with the above solution in practice is that it can be difficult to ensure that the web panel 12 is inserted centrally into the slot 22 in the web head 14. Once the mould is closed, it is then not possible to inspect the position of the panel 12 inside the web head 14. If the web panel 12 is not inserted centrally in the slot 22, then it may wipe away adhesive from one side of the slot 22 during insertion. This can result in a sub-optimal bond forming between the web panel 12 and the web head 14 because the panel 12 may only then be bonded on one side of the slot 22.
The present invention aims to overcome one or all of the above problems.


Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose an antenna, and relate to the field of wireless communications. In the antenna, radiation parts of the antenna are disposed on at least two layers of circuit boards on a printed circuit board: a top layer circuit board and a first layer circuit board, so that lengths of the radiation parts of the antenna are reduced, and space occupied by a printed wire of the antenna on the PCB is reduced. Therefore, reducing a PCB size becomes possible, a size of a terminal using the reduced-size PCB may also be correspondingly reduced, and the terminal may be further miniaturized.

In a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) environment, a terminal such as a personal computer or a hand-held device (such as a palmtop computer or a mobile phone) may access the Internet in a wireless manner. In a general Wi-Fi environment, all terminals receive Wi-Fi signals and access the Internet by using Wi-Fi antennas that are disposed on the terminals.
In general, a Wi-Fi antenna includes a printed circuit board (PCB), a feeding point, and a radiation part. The radiation part is a planar strip structure, and the radiation part is printed on the PCB. The feeding point is disposed on an end of the radiation part, and the feeding point is connected to a signal cable on the PCB. The feeding point is used to receive a to-be-transmitted Wi-Fi signal that is input by using the signal cable, and transmit the to-be-transmitted Wi-Fi signal to the radiation part. The radiation part transmits the to-be-transmitted Wi-Fi signal in a form of an electromagnetic wave, receives an external Wi-Fi signal, and then transfers the Wi-Fi signal in a form of an electric current to the feeding point. The feeding point transfers the Wi-Fi signal to the signal cable on the PCB. To ensure that the Wi-Fi antenna works at an operating frequency, the radiation part is at least 16 millimeters in length, and at least 5 millimeters in width. Therefore, space occupied by the Wi-Fi antenna on the PCB is at least more than 80 square millimeters.
In a process of implementing the present disclosure, it is found that some approaches at least have the following problem:
In general, due to a relatively long radiation part of a Wi-Fi antenna, the Wi-Fi antenna occupies relatively large space on a PCB. As a result, a size of the PCB cannot be reduced, a size of a terminal using the PCB cannot be reduced either, and the terminal cannot be further miniaturized.


Methods are provided for large scale purification of neurotrophins, including mature NGF, suitable for clinical use. The methods provide means to separate neurotrophins from various less desirable misprocessed, misfolded, size, glycosylated, or charge forms. Compositions of neurotrophins, including mature NGF, substantially free of these variants are also provided.

The production of large quantities of relatively pure, biologically active polypeptides and proteins is important economically for the manufacture of human and animal pharmaceutical formulations, enzymes, and other specialty chemicals. For production of many proteins, recombinant DNA techniques have become the method of choice because large quantities of exogenous proteins can be expressed in mammalian host cells and, bacteria, and other host cells.
The primary structure of a mammalian NGF (mouse NGF) was first elucidated by Angeletti and Bradshaw, Proc. Natil. Acad. Sci. USA 68:2417 (1971). The primary structure of its precursor, pre-pro-NGF, has been deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the mouse NGF cDNA (Scott et al. Nature 302:538 (1983); Ullrich et al. Nature 303:821 (1983)).
The homologous human NGF (hNGF) gene has also been identified (Ullrich, Symp. on Quan. Biol., Cold Spring Harbor 48:435 (1983); U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,622, issued Feb. 22, 1994, which is incorporated herein by reference). Its homology to the mouse NGF is about 90% and 87%, on the amino acid and nucleotide sequence levels, respectively. Due to the scarcity of naturally-occurring human NGF, it has not been prepared from natural sources in quantities sufficient to biochemically characterize in fine detail.
Additional neurotrophic factors related to NGF have since been identified. These include brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (Leibrock, et al., Nature, 341:149-152 (1989)), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) (Kaisho, et al., FEBS Lett., 266:187 (1990); Maisonpierre, et al., Science, 247:1446 (1990); Rosenthal, et al., Neuron, 4:767 (1990)), and neurotrophin 4/5 (NT-4/5) (Berkmeier, et al., Neuron, 7:857-866 (1991)). GDNF, a distant member of the TGF-beta. super family, and neurturin ("NTN") are two, recently identified, structurally related, potent survival factors for sympathetic sensory and central nervous system neurons (Lin et al. Science 260:1130-1132 (1993); Henderson et al. Science 266:1062-1064 (1994); Buj-Bello et al., Neuron 15:821-828 (1995); Kotzbauer et al. Nature 384:467-470 (1996)).
Producing recombinant protein involves transfecting host cells with DNA encoding the protein and growing the cells under conditions favoring expression of the recombinant protein. The prokaryote E. coli is has been a favored host because it can be made to produce recombinant proteins in high yields at low cost. Numerous U.S. patents on general bacterial expression of DNA encoding proteins exist, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,785 on a recombinant DNA molecule comprising a bacterial gene for an extracellular or periplasmic carrier protein and non-bacterial gene; U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,641 on co-production of a foreign polypeptide with an aggregate-forming polypeptide; U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,921 on an expression vector with a trp promoter/operator and trp LE fusion with a polypeptide such as IGF-I; U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,706 on expression control sequences to include with a foreign protein; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,473 on specific circular DNA plasmids such as those encoding IGF-I.
Genetically engineered bio-pharmaceuticals are typically purified from a supernatant containing a variety of diverse host cell contaminants. NGF, in particular, has been reportedly purified to varying extent with varying degrees of effort and success using a number of different methods. See for example, Longo et al., IBRO Handbook, vol. 12, pp 3-30 (1989); U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,774, which discloses CHO cell production of NGF; Bruce and Heinrich (Neurobio. Aging 10:89-94 (1989)); Schmelzer et al. J Neurochem. 59:1675-1683(1992); Burton et al., J Neurochem. 59:1937-1945(1992)). These efforts have been primarily at laboratory scale.
However, preparative isolation of recombinant human NGF resulting in pharmaceutical purity and high yield, essentially free of variants, has eluded the art.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an efficient protocol for selectively separating neurotrophins, particularly NGF and NGF-family of neurotrophins, from their variants and other molecules, and from other polypeptides with high pI. The process of purifying neurotrophins at large scale should be applicable to starting material from varying sources, including fermentation broth, lysed bacterial or mammalian cells, to supply clinical needs. Furthermore, as the present inventors have discovered previously unknown, difficult-to-separate neurotrophin variants, for example NGF variants, the methods presented herein are particularly useful to provide commercially useful amounts of recombinant neurotrophins, including human NGF (rhNGF), rhNT-3, and rhNT-4/5 and desirable genetically engineered mutants thereof, that are substantially free of undesirable variants. These and other objects of the invention will now be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Isolation of neurotrophins from a mixture containing neurotrophin variants using hydrophobic interaction chromatography


A polyetherester block copolymer having enhanced compatibility of soft polyether segments with hard polyester segments thereof, excellent mechanical strength, a proper melt fluidity and enhanced resistance to chemicals, heat and light, which copolymer comprises (1) 50 to 95% by weight of polyester segments comprising a dicarboxylic acid component containing at least 50 molar percent of terephthalic acid and a diol component containing at least 50 molar percent of 1,4-butane diol and (2) 5 to 50% by weight of polyether segments comprising poly(tetramethylene oxide)glycol, which is characterized by a large number average molecular weight of from 1,500 to 2,500 and by a small variance of less than 1.70 in molecular weight distribution.

Conventional polyetherester block copolymers comprising hard polyester segments, mainly comprises polybutylene terephthalate, and which are block polycondensed with soft polyether segments, mainly comprises poly(tetramethylene oxide)glycol, have not only a high thermoplasticity but, also, a proper softness, rubber-like elasticity, mechanical strength, resistance to chemicals and oils and thermal resistance. Therefore, it is well known that the conventional polyetherester block copolymer can be processed in the same manner as that usually applied to other thermoplastic polymers. Due to thermoplastic property, the polyetherester block copolymers are useful in the rubber and soft plastic industry fields.
Usually, the soft polyether segments in the conventional polyetherester block copolymers which are now commercially available, consist essentially of a poly(tetramethyleneoxide)glycol having a number average molecular weight less than about 1,500, preferably, of about 1,000. This limitation in the number average molecular weight of the poly(tetramethylene oxide)glycol is due to the fact that the soft polyether segments consisting of the poly(tetramethylene oxide)glycol are believed to be compatible with the hard polyester segments only when the poly(tetramethylene oxide)glycol has a number average molecular weight less than 1,500. The conventional poly(tetramethylene oxide)glycol which are now commercially available and has a number average molecular weight of 1,500 or more, exhibits a large variance (.alpha.) in molecular weight distribution of more than 1.70. The term "variance in molecular weight distribution", used herein, will be clarified in detail hereinafter. For example, the comercially available poly(tetramethylene oxide)glycol having a number average molecular weight of about 2,000, usually exhibits a molecular weight distribution variance of from 1.9 to 2.5.
When the poly(tetramethylene oxide)glycol having a number average molecular weight of 1,500 or more is used for forming the soft polyether segments, the resultant polyetherester block copolymer has a disadvantage in that the soft polyether segments exhibit a poor compatibility with the hard polyester segments. Accordingly, the soft polyether segments constitute their own phase separated from the phase consisting of the hard polyester segments not only in a solid state but, also, in a melted state of the polyetherester block copolymer. The melted state of the above-mentioned type of polyetherester block copolymer is opaque and exhibits a milky white color and pearly shine due to the phase separation of the polyether segments from the polyester segments. This phase separation causes the polyetherester block copolymer in the melted state to exhibit a poor fluidity and shaping property and the solidified copolymer to exhibit a poor mechanical strength and elasticity.
It is known that, in general, the larger the number average molecular weight of the poly(tetramethylene oxide)glycol, the higher the thermal properties, for example, melting point, crystallizing property, the mechanical strength at an elevated temperature and the injection molding property of the resultant polyetherester block copolymer. However, it is also known from Japanese Patent Application Laying-open No. 49-31795(1974) that the large number average molecular weight of the poly(tetramethylene oxide)glycol causes the resultant polyetherester block copolymer to exhibit a large degree of phase separation of the soft polyether segments from the hard polyester segments. This large degree of phase separation results in a poor uniformity in quality of the polyetherester block copolymer. The above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laying-open No. 49-31795 also discloses that, in order to prevent the phase separation of the soft polyether segments consisting of poly(tetramethylene oxide)glycol having a number average molecular weight of about 2,000, from the hard polyester segments, the poly(tetramethylene oxide)glycol segments should be contained in a proportion of 50% or more by weight, for example, 60% in the block copolymer. The large proportion of the poly(tetramethylene oxide)glycol segments naturally causes the proportion of the polyester segments to be small. The small proportion of the polyester segments naturally causes the polyetherester block copolymer to exhibit a poor crystallinity, mechanical strength, processability, and resistance to each of chemicals, heat and light.
Under the above-mentioned circumstances, in order to obtain the polyetherester block copolymer having a proper processability, the poly(tetramethylene oxide)glycol having a small number average molecular weight of about 1000 or less is used. The resultant polyetherester block copolymer has a relatively high compatibility of the soft polyether segments thereof with the hard polyester segments, and a relatively low melting point, crystallizing property and mechanical strength.

Polyetherester block copolymer and process for producing the same


The invention relates to an I.sup.2 L circuit in which the transistors provided with current injectors are distributed between a number of groups which are connected in series as stages between the supply connections. For the logic signal connections between a higher and a lower stage, a current source is used which is controlled from the higher stage and which is connected to the base of a controlled transistor in the lower stage. According to the invention, the switching time of the controlled transistor is reduced by providing a conductive connection which comprises the collector-emitter path of an auxiliary transistor between the base of the controlled transistor and a suitable point of a reference potential.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to integrated circuits having transistors provided with current injectors, the transistors having bases and collectors, several of said transistors being connected to associated current injectors for supplying bias current. Each current injector has at least a first, a second and a third layer, which are successive layers separated from each other by rectifying junctions. Two connections for a supply source are present, so that the transistors with their associated current injectors are distributed among several groups which require approximately equal bias currents and which are connected in series between the two connections. A first of the groups forms a highest stage in the series arrangement. The first layer of the associated current injector(s) is connected to the one connection. Another one of the groups forms a lowest stage in the series arrangement. The second layer of the associated current injector(s) is connected to the second connection.
The remaining groups form intermediate stages. The higher stages in the series arrangement are present nearer to the highest stage than the lower ones, the second layer of the associated current injector(s) of the highest stage being connected to the first layer of the associated current injector(s) of the next lower stage, and electric signal connection being present between a collector of a controlling transistor situated in a higher stage and a base of a controlled transistor situated in a lower stage. The signal connection comprises at least an auxiliary transistor of a type complementary to that of the controlling and the controlled transistor, the collector of the complementary auxiliary transistor being connected to the base of the controlled transistor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such I.sup.2 L circuits are known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,385. The signal connection comprises a current source for activating the controlled transistor. When the auxiliary transistor is conductive, the base of the controlled transistor receives bias current so that the latter is also conductive. When the current through the auxiliary transistor is interrupted by means of the controlling transistor, the controlled transistor switches to the non-conductive state for lack of base current.
The disadvantage of this known I.sup.2 L circuit is that in certain circumstances the switching of the controlled transistor to the non-conductive state occurs relatively slowly. This switching time depends on the time which is necessary to dissipate the charge which is stored in the controlled transistor.
It is one of the objects of the present invention to shorten the switching time.

I.sup.2 L Circuit with auxiliary transistor


A pipe connection for connecting metal thin-walled pipeline. The pipeline has a shaped connecting segment that increases from the end of the connecting segment in the form of a frustum forming a circumferential sealing surface and a shoulder defining a stop surface adjacent to the sealing surface. The pipe connection also includes a connection stub having a connection thread and a connection bore, which decreases in size and defines a circumferential connection surface for contacting the sealing surface. A union threaded part includes a clamping thread and a passage opening, which has, on the inner circumference, a circumferential clamping surface for contacting the stop surface. The cone angle of the connecting segment in the region of the sealing surface and the cone angle of the connection bore in the region of the connection surface are in the range of about 38° to 50°.

Pipe connections as described above are used in hydraulic systems in machinery and vehicle engineering, for example.
A pipe connection of this type is generally known from DD 240 059 A1, for example. In this pipe connection use is made of a pipeline of which the cone angle of the sealing face of the connection portion of the pipeline and the cone angle of the connector bore in the region of the connector face of the connector port is up to 24°.
Pipe connections of this type are used for pipelines having pipe pressures of up to 800 bar. In order for the tightness of the pipe connection to be reliably ensured at these pipe pressures, sufficiently high axial tension forces have to be transmitted by the collar screw part to the connection portion of the pipeline, in particular to the locating face and the sealing face, and to the connector face of the connector port. The known pipe connections, which are manufactured by forming, have the disadvantage that internal incursions may arise on the sealing face during the forming process, in particular in the case of thin-walled pipelines. This means that the pipe wall during the forming process does not bear on the internal contour of the forming tool, but performs an internal incursion toward the pipe axis. These internal incursions compromise the sealing function of the pipe connection, since the sealing face of the pipeline in the fitted state no longer bears across the entire area on the connector face of the connector port.


An electrical connector assembly is provided for releasably connecting a first connector to a printed circuit board. The assembly includes a first connector including an elongated dielectric housing having a generally rigid locating post disposed at each opposite end of the housing and adapted to pass through the circuit board. A second connector is adapted for mounting to the opposite side of the circuit board and includes an elongated dielectric housing having an outwardly opening semi-cylindrical locating channel at each opposite end of the elongated housing of the second connector for receiving the locating posts and establishing a non-conductive interference fit therewith. A pair of boardlocks are disposed generally on opposite lateral sides of each of the locating channels and are adapted for insertion into appropriate boardlock holes in the circuit board. Terminals are mounted on the housing of the first connector and are adapted to extend into appropriate terminal-receiving holes in the printed circuit board.

It is known to provide an electrical connector assembly releasably connecting a connector to a printed circuit board. The assembly includes a first and second connector where the first connector has terminal means extending through terminal receiving holes in the circuit board and the connectors sandwiching the board therebetween. The connectors are held together by means of locating posts projecting from one of the connectors, and either creating an interference fit in a circuit board aperture or passing through the circuit board aperture and creating an interference fit in locating holes in the other connector. Typically, the other connector has a plurality of boardlocks projecting into holes in the printed circuit board.
More particularly, prior art connector assemblies of the character described above usually include elongated housings having terminal means mounted therein. The locating posts and the locating holes are disposed at opposite ends of the housings. The boardlocks then are disposed longitudinally outside the locating posts and holes. Providing all of these locating and mounting components at the opposite ends of the connector, longitudinally beyond the terminal means in the connector housing, greatly increases the lengths of the connectors. This causes problems in requiring excessively large and expensive connector housings. The unduly large connectors also take up valuable space or "real estate" on the printed circuit board. The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing an improved arrangement of locating means and boardlock means on the pair of interengageable electrical connectors.

Printed circuit board mounted electrical connector assembly


An apparatus includes an exhaust system, a cooling system, and two or more thermoacoustic devices. A first thermoacoustic device is configured to convert heat energy from the exhaust system to amplify an acoustic wave. A second thermoacoustic device configured to convert energy in the amplified acoustic wave to an input for the cooling system. The apparatus may be incorporated or in communication with an engine or a generator.

A generator or a genset, may include a drive system, such as an engine or a turbine, and an alternator or another device for generating electrical energy or power. One or more generators may provide power to a load through a generator bus and circuit breakers or other types of switches. A generator system including two or more generators may be connected to a generator bus and to other generators through circuit breakers. Each generator may include a local generator controller that manages the circuit breakers and paralleling operations with the other generators.
The input to the generator set is fuel and air. The primary output is electricity, and secondary outputs include exhaust gas and heat. The air and fuel combust to form heated exhaust gas including combustion byproducts such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. To maximize the efficiency of the generator set, the engine is cooled from a variety of techniques. However, the cooling system requires energy from another source. However, when cold water is not abundant, challenges remain in providing efficient and effective mechanisms for cooling the engine and generator.


A polarizing glass article, and a method of making the article, that exhibits a broad band of high contrast polarizing properties in the infrared region of the radiation spectrum, that is phase-separated by precipitating silver, copper, or copper-cadmium halide crystals in the glass within a size range of 200-5000 .ANG., and that contains elongated silver, copper, or copper-cadmium metal particles formed on or in the halide crystals, and having an elongated aspect ratio of at least 2:1, the article having a contrast ratio of at least 100,000 over a range of at least 300 nm.

A polarizing effect can be generated in glasses containing silver, copper, or copper-cadmium halide crystals. These crystals can be precipitated in aluminosilicate glasses having compositions containing suitable amounts of an indicated metal and a halogen other than fluorine.
The polarizing effect is generated in these crystal-containing glasses by stretching the glass, and then exposing its surface to a reducing atmosphere. The glass is placed under stress at a temperature above the glass annealing temperature. This elongates the glass, and thereby elongates and orients the crystals. The elongated article is then exposed to a reducing atmosphere at a temperature above 250.degree. C., but not over 25.degree. C. above the glass annealing point. This develops a surface layer in which at least a portion of the halide crystals are reduced to elemental silver or copper (hereafter "metal").
The production of a polarizing glass, then, involves, broadly, these four steps:
1. Melting a glass batch containing a source of silver, copper, or copper-cadmium and a halogen other than fluorine, and forming a body from the melt,
2. Heat treating the glass body at a temperature above the glass strain point to generate halide crystals having a size in the range of 200-5000 .ANG.,
3. Stressing the crystal-containing glass body at a temperature above the glass annealing point to elongate the body and thereby elongate and orient the crystals, and
4. Exposing the elongated body to a reducing atmosphere at a temperature above 250.degree. C. to develop a reduced surface layer on the body that contains metal particles with an aspect ratio of at least 2:1.
The growth of halide particles cannot occur at temperatures below the strain point of the glass because the viscosity of the glass is too high. Higher temperatures, above the annealing point, are preferred for crystal precipitation. Where physical support is provided for the glass body, temperatures up to 50.degree. C. above the softening point of the glass can be employed.
The production process is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,819 (Borrelli et al.). There it is pointed out that the halide crystals should have a diameter of at least about 200 .ANG. in order to assume, upon elongation, an aspect ratio of at least 5:1. When reduction to elemental metal particles occurs, the particles having an aspect ratio of at least 5:1 will display an aspect ratio greater than 2:1. This places the long wavelength peak at least near the edge of the infrared region of the radiation spectrum, while avoiding serious breakage problems during the subsequent elongation step. At the other extreme, if the diameter of the initial halide particles exceeds about 5000 .ANG., significant haze develops in the glass. This is accompanied by a decreased dichroic ratio resulting from radiation scattering.
The dichroic ratio is a measure of the polarizing capability of a glass. It is defined as the ratio existing between the absorption of radiation parallel to the direction of elongation and the absorption of radiation perpendicular to the direction of elongation. To attain an adequate ratio, the aspect ratio of the elongated halide crystals must be at least 5:1 so that the reduced metal particles have an aspect ratio of at least 2:1.
Crystals having a small diameter demand very high elongation stresses to develop a necessary aspect ratio. Also, the likelihood of glass body breakage during a stretching-type elongation process is directly proportional to the surface area of the body under stress. These are very practical limitations on the level of stress that can be applied to a glass sheet, or other body of significant mass. In general, a stress level of about five thousand psi has been deemed to be a practical limit.
The literature indicates that firing of the elongated body in a reducing atmosphere should be undertaken at temperatures above 250.degree. C., but no higher than 25.degree. C. above the annealing point of the glass. A reduction temperature as high as is compatible with the tendency for crystals to respheriodize is desirable. The time required decreases dramatically with increase in temperature. In particular, there is an abrupt change in the time required to achieve complete reduction above 400.degree. C., that is, above the melting temperature of the metal halide phase. It is thought, although not clearly proven, that the metal from the halide phase grows considerably faster when the halide phase is molten. This experimental fact means that, to carry out the reduction treatment in a practical time interval, requires a temperature above 400.degree. C., preferably above 415.degree. C. Looking at the phenomenon in another way, in order to produce, in a reasonable time, a depth of reduced layer necessary for a high contrast, the reduction treatment must be carried out at a high temperature.
One of the key measures of the effectiveness of a polarizing glass body is its contrast ratio, or, as referred to in the art, contrast. Contrast comprises the ratio of the amount of radiation transmitted with its plane of polarization perpendicular to the elongation axis to the amount of radiation transmitted with its plane of polarization parallel to the elongation axis. In general, the greater the contrast, the more useful, and valuable, the polarizing body.
Another important feature of a polarizing body is the bandwidth over which the body is effective. This property takes into consideration not only the degree of contrast, but the portion of the spectrum within which the contrast is sufficiently high to be useful. A contrast ratio of 100,000 has been taken as a point of reference for comparison purposes. Clearly, the lower the reference contrast, the broader the corresponding bandwidth. We have chosen 100,000 (50 db) because it represents a common high performance value specified for polarizer applications.
The peak contrast wavelength is determined by the aspect ratio of the elongated particle. The aspect ratio increases with the degree of stress applied to stretch the glass, and thereby the crystals. The wavelength at which the peak contrast occurs increases with the aspect ratio. Most applications in the infra-red require a peak in the wavelength range of 1300-1550 nm. However, other applications require contrast peaks outside this range, for example, as low as 600 nm.
Heretofore, it has been necessary to produce polarizing glass articles on an individual basis. Thus, it was necessary to design a separate set of processing conditions tailored to provide the peak contrast for each application wavelength. Then care had to be taken to control the process quite rigidly. The particle elongation is controlled by controlling the elongating stress applied.
The maximum bandwidth available heretofore has been about 300 nm, with a commercially practical figure being no more than 200 nm.
For example, an article might be designed having a center wavelength (CWL), that is, a contrast peak, at about 900 nm. The article would, however, have an optimum bandwidth of about 200 nm covering the range of 800-1000 run. As a result, the article would not be effective at wavelengths outside this range, e.g. 1240, 1310 and 1560 nm.
It would, of course, be highly desirable to provide a polarizing glass having a much broader bandwidth of contrast ratios above the practical use level that is now available. Ideally, this would extend from the visible into the infrared portions of the spectrum.
It is then a basic purpose of the present invention to meet this need. Another purpose is to provide a polarizing glass that is effective over a broad range of wavelengths. A further purpose is to provide a single polarizing glass article that is broadly useful in a variety of applications. A still further purpose is to provide a method of making such a polarizing glass article.


An abrasive device for a grinding tool. The abrasive device includes abrasive grains material-lockingly connected with one another by a bonding agent. The abrasive grains have an approximately spherical contour. The abrasive device further includes a porosity of at least 35 percent. The present disclosure also relates to a method for producing the abrasive device.

The present disclosure relates to abrasive wheels or abrasive devices, and more particularly to grinding tools. This particularly involves grinding tools where the abrasive wheels or devices are material-lockingly fixed on a carrier. The carriers may be flexible, and the respective grinding tools may be constructed, for example, in the shape of bands or pads.
Thus, from German Patent Document DE 26 08 273 A, a sheet-shaped or a band-shaped grinding tool is known as well as a method and a device for producing such grinding tools. In addition, it is pointed out that, in the case of such grinding tools, abrasive devices of a spherical shape are to be used which are interspersed with organic bonding agents along the entire diameter.
The production of such abrasive devices is to take place according to this known teaching in that, from a suspension made of abrasive grains and of an organic bonding agent matrix, spherical abrasive devices are formed within the suspension in a stirrer vessel from a plurality of abrasive grains and, in the process, are suspended by the stirring. In this case, the drop-shaped abrasive devices formed of a plurality of abrasive grains are bound in the suspension by the bonding agent. After the spherical abrasive devices have reached a sufficient firmness in the suspension, these are to be separated from the liquid constituents, for example, by decanting or other processes.
Subsequently, the spherical abrasive devices can be cleaned on the outside by a solvent and can then be dried. They will then be available for the production of grinding tools.
By introducing air or a blowing agent into the suspension, a slight porosity can be set at the spherical drops forming the abrasive devices. In each case, the porosity should form less than 35% closed pores, in which case a range of from 7 to 15% of the volume should be constructed as closed pores.
In the case of the teaching described in German Patent Document DE 26 08 273 A, abrasive devices can therefore be obtained which have an outside diameter potential considerably restricted in the downward direction. In addition, the thus obtained abrasive devices can also only be produced from relatively large abrasive grain fractions. Thus, explicitly, 200 μm are indicated as the smallest outside diameter for abrasive devices and 3 μm are indicated as the smallest median grain size of the abrasive grains.
However, by such grinding tools, which were produced with corresponding abrasive devices, a very fine grinding surface treatment on diverse workpieces cannot be carried out. Such a surface treatment is desirable particularly when machining or finishing decorative paint layers and particularly in the construction of vehicles.
In addition, the service life of such grinding tools is limited.
The present disclosure relates to abrasive devices of a grinding tool which are suitable for a very fine grinding machining of surfaces of workpieces.
According to the present disclosure, an abrasive device comprises abrasive grains material-lockingly connected with one another by a bonding agent. The abrasive grains include an approximately spherical contour. The bonding agent includes a synthetic resin. The synthetic resin includes at least one of a) phenolic resin, b) polyurethane, c) epoxy resin, and d) polyvinyl butyral. The abrasive device further comprises a porosity of at least 35 percent. Such an abrasive device can be produced by a method comprising the steps of: forming small drops from a suspension including a bonding agent, a solvent and abrasive grains, the bonding agent including a synthetic resin, the synthetic resin including at least one of a) phenolic resin, b) polyurethane, c) epoxy resin, and d) polyvinyl butyral; expelling the solvent from the drops; activating the bonding agent by at least one heat treatment to establish material-locking connections of adjacent abrasive grains obtained from a single drop. The abrasive device includes a porosity of at least 35 percent.
Abrasive devices for grinding tools according to the present disclosure are thus formed from abrasive grains mutually material-lockingly connected by a bonding agent. The abrasive devices have an at least approximately spherical outer contour and a porosity of at least 35%. A porosity of above 40% can also be achieved and maintained.
The abrasive devices may be formed of abrasive grains whose particle size is in the range of between 0.05 and 10 μm, and also between 0.1 to 3 μm.
By such small abrasive grains, abrasive devices can then be provided whose outside diameter is in the range of between 10 and 150 μm, and also between 25 and 80 μm.
For a use on grinding tools, a production or a separation can take place such that a narrowly restricted outside diameter range, virtually a constant graining of the abrasive devices, was maintained for the individual abrasive devices.
For the abrasive devices according to the present disclosure, a deviation of maximally 20% about an average value for the particle size of the abrasive grains used for an abrasive device should be maintained for a definable particle size.
The abrasive devices according to the present disclosure include a ball-shaped/spherical outer contour. Such abrasive devices can be used for grinding tools in which a homogeneous distribution of abrasive grains material-lockingly connected by a bonding agent was maintained. As a result, the porosity is almost constant over the entire volume of an abrasive device.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the abrasive devices constructed with a spherical outer contour may also be completely hollow on the inside and form a correspondingly porous shell around a cavity of mutually material-lockingly connected abrasive grains. In this case, a porosity of at least 35% can then also be maintained in the shell.
The binding agent used for the material-locking connection of abrasive grains should have ≦10% by mass in the case of a respective abrasive device. In such a case, bonding agent fractions of ≦5% by mass may also be sufficient.
The abrasive grains can be selected from SiC, Al2O3(corundum), BN, WC/CO, WC, diamond, zircon corundum, SG grain (abrasive grains as a result of the sol-gel or sintering process). Mixtures of these chemical compounds are usable for the production of the abrasive devices.
For example, different phenolic resins, polyurethane, epoxy resins, urea resins and PVB (polyvinyl butyral) can be used as bonding agents.
A plurality of abrasive devices can then be material-lockingly fixed on a carrier such as on band-shaped or sheet-shaped carriers. The material-locking fixing can be used also with a bonding agent, such as an organic bonding agent, which may be the same bonding agent by which the abrasive grains are also material-lockingly connected to form an abrasive device.
The abrasive devices may be fixed in the form of a single layer of an equidistant arrangement, which is as uniform as possible, on at least one surface of a carrier. However, it is also conceivable to fix abrasive devices in several layers on a carrier, or to apply abrasive devices as a heterogeneous bulk onto the carrier and fix them again in a material-locking manner.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, abrasive devices having at least approximately constant outside diameters may be mounted and fixed on a carrier for a grinding tool.
After their actual production, abrasive devices can be tempered again. This may take place in a temperature range of between 150 and 200° C., possibly at approximately 175° C. for a period of two hours.
However, such a tempering may also be carried out simultaneously with the material-locking fixing of the abrasive devices on the respective carrier together with the establishment of the material-locking fixing.
A UV curing of the abrasive devices after their actual production as well as a cold setting by suitable bonding agent systems is also conceivable.
The abrasive devices according to the present disclosure may be produced by a suspension formed of a bonding agent, of a solvent and of abrasive grains, in which suspension, as required, other additives may also be included.
In contrast to the state of the art, small drops, or agglomerates, are formed from and not in the suspension, from which the solvent is expelled after the drop formation, for example, by evaporation.
By a heat treatment, which can also be carried out additionally to the expelling of the solvent, the actual forming of the abrasive devices then takes place with the establishment of material-locking connections of respectively adjacent abrasive grains by a corresponding activation of the used bonding agent.
The drops, as mentioned above, should not be formed within the suspension but in a gas atmosphere, such as air or nitrogen.
This can be achieved, for example, by the spray drying, freeze drying or spray-freeze drying methods that are known.
However, other production possibilities are also conceivable, in which correspondingly small drops emerge from a suspension received in a receptacle into a gas atmosphere. Subsequently, as mentioned above, the solvent can be expelled and the material-locking joining of the abrasive grains of a drop can be carried out by a corresponding activation of the used bonding agent for the final formation of an abrasive device. As a result of the special spherical alignment of the individual abrasive grains on the surface of the forming abrasive devices, a high initial surface roughness is avoided.
The grinding tools constructed with the abrasive devices according to the present disclosure can now be used for a high-precision processing of workpiece surfaces, which, as noted herein, were provided with additional protective layers, such as paint coats. In such a case, resulting small outside diameters have an advantageous effect in connection with the small particle sizes of the abrasive grains used for the production of abrasive devices.
As a result of the relatively high porosity, which can be set to up to 70%, an extended usage duration of the grinding tools produced with the abrasive devices according to the present disclosure can also be achieved. That is because the correspondingly available open pore volume can absorb a relatively considerably greater abrasion fraction than in the case of the solutions known from the state of the art.
Generally, the individual abrasive grains of the individual abrasive devices are not wetted by the bonding agent over an entire surface at their respective surfaces. Therefore, for the material-locking joining of the individual adjacent abrasive grains, only small surface areas were wetted by the bonding agent, by which, in turn, the material-locking joining of the adjacent abrasive grains was established at the abrasive devices. Individual abrasive grains may become detached when the grinding tools are used and again expose free pores for a further absorption of abrasion during the grinding.
Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following descriptions when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


In an FFS method that improves spatial resolution by moving an X-ray focal spot to multiple positions to acquire projection data, in order to provide an X-ray CT apparatus and an image reconstruction method that enables to improve spatial resolution of the entire effective field of view without reducing a rotational speed, the X-ray focal spot in the X-ray tube device 101 is shifted to acquire focal shift projection data (FFS projection data), the virtual view generation unit 126 up-samples the FFS projection data (generates a virtual view) in the view direction, and the reconstruction computing unit 127 reconstructs an image using actual data of the FFS projection data in the central region 604 closer to the image center than a predetermined boundary and using the up-sampled projection data in the peripheral region 603 outside the boundary in an image reconstruction computing process.

An X-ray CT apparatus is an apparatus in which an X-ray tube device and an X-ray detector are oppositely disposed to rotate around an object, irradiates X-rays from a plurality of rotation angle directions (views) to detect the X-ray transmitted through the object for each view, and generate a tomographic image of the object based on the detected projection data. In the recent years, an FFS (Flying Focal Spot) X-ray tube device having a function to irradiate X-rays to a plurality of spots by shifting an X-ray focus has been developed. In the FFS X-ray tube device, an X-ray focal spot can be shifted to a plurality of positions by electromagnetically moving a position of an electronic beam entering the anode (target). Hence, a plurality of projection data whose X-ray irradiation paths are different can be acquired from the same rotation angle direction (view), which can improve spatial resolution of the X-ray CT apparatus (the FFS method).
By the way, there is a problem that spatial resolution around the center of the entire effective field of view is improved while the spatial resolution deteriorates in the peripheral portion other than the central portion in an image reconstructed using the conventional FFS method. On the contrary to this, a BFFS (Balanced Flying Focus Spot) method is suggested in the patent literature 1, which homogenizes and improves the spatial resolution of the peripheral portion by setting an optimal focal movement distance based on the number of views to be scanned during one rotation (an angle difference between adjacent views) and a distance between the X-ray tube device and the rotational center.

X-ray CT apparatus and image reconstruction method