A T-bolt hose clamp comprising an outer band portion for encircling a portion of the circumference of a hose; a T-bolt member and a bridge extending from a first end of the band portion to and opposing second end of the band portion, wherein an inward projecting rib is provided along at least a portion of the outer band portion, having at least a radially innermost portion in substantially the same cross-sectional plane as the inner surface of the bridge.

The present invention relates generally to a hose clamp, and particularly to a hose clamp of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d-bolt variety.
Hose clamps are conventionally employed to seal the connection between a hose or tubing and a cylindrical fitting or nipple. The clamps encircle at least a portion of the outer circumference of a hose disposed about a fitting, and are caused to constrict, i.e., to impart a radially inward directed compressive force to seal the hose to the fitting. Hose clamps of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d-bolt variety are also known, and examples thereof are described for instance in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,852,832 and 5,329,673. The utilization of T-bolt clamps presents many advantages over other types of hose clamp, including that of being generally adjustable over a range of hose diameters and of accommodating relatively higher loads than other clamp types, such as those employing worm-type or screw connections, or deformable ear type constricting members.
T-bolt clamps conventionally comprise an outer generally resilient thin band portion for encircling a greater portion of the outer circumference of a hose and having opposing ends bent radially outward and upon themselves to form opposing looped band ends, and a T-bolt extending between the opposed looped band ends through apertures therein, tightening of which forces the looped ends to draw toward one another thus reducing the band""s circumference to constrict the band about the outer circumference of the hose. The incorporation of a bridge member in T-bolt clamp constructions, comprising generally resilient thin shorter length strip for extending along the outer circumference of the hose between the outer band""s opposed band ends and radially inward of the T-bolt, is known. These bridge members have been employed in T-bolt clamp configurations for preventing or reducing the incidence of the formation of a bulge, or a portion of the hose wall from moving radially away from the underlying fitting in the region between the band""s looped ends as a consequence of the looped ends being drawn together during the clamp tightening process.
A step or ridge is generally formed along the inner circumference of T-bolt clamps incorporating a bridge member between the inner surface of the outer band and the inner surface of the bridge member at either end of the bridge, resulting in an interruption in the sealing pressure that the clamp imparts on the hose. In many instances this interruption does not pose a significant problem since a relatively lower modulus hose material can generally fill the gap formed by this step with tightening of the clamp. This is generally also the case where relatively thicker walled hose, of e.g., 0.25 inches in thickness or more is employed.
This step or ridge can be problematic however in applications involving relatively higher modulus hose materials, e.g., textile-reinforced hose, and/or relatively thin-walled hose, wherein the hose""s ability to fill the gap formed by the step is restricted. In such cases, this interruption in sealing pressure can lead to increased risk of leakage or hose damage. For example, where in the instance of a conventionally dimensioned T-bolt clamp the step between the inner surface of the band and the inner surface of the bridge is approximately 0.025 inches, but the relevant hose wall thickness is only 0.090 inches, a sufficient amount of hose material to fill the gap formed by the step with tightening of the clamp is not generally available.
Prior attempts at providing a T-bolt clamp capable of maintaining uniform radial compressive force around a hose circumference have involved the utilization of a flexible inner liner for circumscribing the hose in a position beneath the clamp""s outer band, and having a tongue portion at either end thereof for mating engagement with the tongue at the liner""s opposite end, such as described for example in aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 2,852,832. The utilization of an inner liner has certain disadvantages compared to the utilization of a bridge, including the added material costs and labor steps required with inner liners that must extend around the entire circumference of the hose. In addition, the increased length of the inner liner compared to the relatively short bridge member involves greater complexity in terms of assembly and maintenance to ensure proper alignment of the liner beneath the outer band.
The present invention provides a T-bolt hose clamp comprising a band member for encircling a portion of the outer circumference of an underlying hose, and comprising a radially outward facing surface and a radially inward facing surface, a length extending from a first band end to an opposing second band end, each end having a portion turned outward to form an opposing loop member, and a width extending from a first lateral band edge and an opposite second lateral band edge; a bolt member for extending between the loop members, and comprising a transverse portion and a shank portion; and a bridge member for extending from the band""s first end to its second end in a position radially inward of said bolt member, and comprising a radially inward facing surface and a radially outward facing surface, a first bridge end and an opposite second bridge end, wherein a portion of the bridge""s radially outward facing surface is in opposing relation to at least a portion of the inward facing surface of said band member; and wherein the band member possesses at least one radially inward projecting rib extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the band from the point at which the inner surface of the band meets each bridge end, and being formed such that in the clamp""s engaged position about the hose, at least a radially innermost portion of the rib is in substantially the same cross-sectional plane as the inner surface of the bridge.
In a further embodiment, the bridge of the clamp is provided with at least one aperture extending inward from at least one bridge end, which aperture is formed and arranged to slidingly receive the rib of the band as the clamp is tightened in place such that at least a portion of the rib extends within at least a portion of the aperture.
In yet another embodiment, the band is provided with two such longitudinally extending ribs, each such rib being located at an opposing band lateral edge, and the bridge is provided with two complementary apertures for slidingly receiving the ribs. In a further embodiment, the bridge is provided with a reduced width portion at least one bridge end, the lateral periphery of which defines in each case a boundary of one of two apertures so formed in the bridge member.


An optical fiber cable comprising a plurality of buffer tubes, binder wrapped around the buffer tubes, a ripcord disposed between the buffer tubes and the binder, and a protective outer jacket covering the buffer tubes. Upon application of a sufficient outwardly directed pulling force, the ripcord rips both the binder and the jacket thereby providing access the buffer tubes and optical fibers therein. The binder is formed of a material which melts or softens when the jacket is formed by an extrusion process so that the binder is thereby incorporated into the jacket. Alternatively, the binder is formed of a material which will adhere to the jacket when the jacket is formed by an extrusion process and is easily torn when the jacket is ripped by the ripcord.

The present invention relates to a loose tube cable having a binder which is easily removable when the cable is accessed. In particular, the present invention relates to a loose tube cable having ripcord disposed under a binder surrounding a plurality of buffer tubes for ripping a binder and an outer protective jacket. This invention also relates to a binder formed of a material which is weakened or melted by the application of heat when the loose tube cable is jacketed.
In conventional loose tube cables, buffer tubes are stranded (helically or reverse helically) around a central strength member to form a stranded core. The buffer tubes are utilized as the primary structure for protecting the thin optical fibers contained within. That is, the buffer tubes house an optical unit such one or more loose optical fibers or an optical fiber ribbon comprising a plurality of optical fibers which are held together in a planar array. The buffer tubes are generally filled with a water blocking component such as a thixotropic gel which prevents water ingress but allows for fiber movement during cable expansion or contraction, or contain a water swellable material which absorbs water. In addition to the buffer tubes, filler rods may be stranded around the central strength member in order to provide symmetry in design for fiber counts lower than that of a full fiber count cable.
After the buffer tubes (and filler rods) are stranded around the central strength member, one or more binders are wrapped around the buffer tubes in order to hold the buffer tubes in place prior to extrusion of a cable jacketing material about the stranded core. The binders are typically tape-like members or filaments made of polyester and aramide materials and may be helically or contra-helically applied. Next, the stranded core which is held together by the binder is wound on a reel at the end of the stranding line and moved to a jacket line where one or more ripcords (typically two ripcords which are 180 degrees apart) are disposed over the stranded core and a plastic material, e.g., polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethelene, polypropolyene, or copolymer thereof, is extruded to form a protective outer jacket around the ripcord and stranded core. Once the cable has been jacketed, the binders surrounding the buffer tubes are no longer necessary because the jacket now serves hold the loose tubes in place.
The ripcords disposed between the outer jacket and the stranded core are provided for ripping the outer jacket in order to access the buffer tubes in the loose tube cable. That is, when it is necessary to access the optical fibers in the loose tube cable, e.g., prepare the optical fibers for splicing, the ripcord is pulled with sufficient force to rip the outer jacket and the binders are removed from the buffer tubes using a cutting tool. However, the removal of the binders increases the time required for accessing the cable and may potentially damage the buffer tubes or other cable components.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,499 discloses a fiber optic cable which includes a cable core and a sheath section disposed over the cable core. The cable core includes a plurality of buffer tubes housing a plurality of optical fibers, a binder stranded around the cable core, and a ripcord disposed under the binder. The sheath section includes two ripcords, armor tape which surrounds the ripcords, and a jacket which surrounds the armor tape. When it is desired to access the fiber optic cable, the ripcords in the sheath section are pulled to rip the armor tape and the jacket to gain access to the cable core, and then the ripcord in the cable core is pulled to rip the binder to gain access to buffer tubes and the optical fibers therein. However, the additional ripcord in the cable core increases manufacturing costs and is a required step which must be performed in order to access the cable.
In view of the disadvantages of conventional loose tube cables which utilize binders which must be removed in order to access the buffer tubes and optical fibers therein, it is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to the problem of removing binders from fiber optic cables.
The present invention is adapted to achieve the foregoing objects. In accomplishing these objects, a first embodiment of the present invention provides an optical fiber cable comprising a plurality of buffer tubes, binder wrapped around the buffer tubes, a ripcord disposed between the buffer tubes and the binder, and a protective outer jacket covering the buffer tubes. Upon application of a sufficient outwardly directed pulling force, the ripcord rips both the binder and the jacket thereby providing access the buffer tubes and optical fibers therein.
According to a second embodiment of the present invention, there is provide a fiber optic cable comprising a plurality of buffer tubes, binder wrapped around the buffer tubes, a ripcord, and a protective outer jacket covering the buffer tubes, wherein the binder is formed of a material which melts or softens when the jacket is formed by an extrusion process so that the binder is thereby incorporated into the jacket.
According to a third embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a fiber optic cable comprising a plurality of buffer tubes, binder wrapped around the buffer tubes, a ripcord, and a protective outer jacket covering the buffer tubes, wherein the binder is formed of a material which will adhere to the jacket when the jacket is formed by an extrusion process and is easily torn when the jacket is ripped by the ripcord.
According to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a fiber optic cable comprising a plurality of buffer tubes, binder wrapped around the buffer tubes, a ripcord, and a protective outer jacket covering the buffer tubes, wherein the binder is formed of a material which will adhere to the jacket and has mechanical properties which will be reduced when the jacket is formed by an extrusion process, and is easily torn when the jacket is ripped by the ripcord.

Loose tube cable having an easily removable buffer tube binder for cable access


Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for reporting blindly configured carrier aggregation secondary cells. In one aspect there is provided a method. The method may include detecting, by the user equipment, a secondary cell configured for the user equipment to allow access for carrier aggregation, wherein the secondary cell is blindly configured by a network before the detecting by the user equipment; and sending, by the user equipment, a report representative of the detected secondary cell to notify the network of the detecting by the user equipment. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Carrier aggregation allows increased bandwidth and, as such, increased data rates to a user equipment by aggregating carriers. For example, a user equipment may be allocated a primary carrier serving a primary cell (PCell) and one or more secondary carriers serving corresponding secondary cells (SCells). These carriers may be continuous within the same frequency band, non-contiguous within a given frequency band, or non-contiguous among frequency bands.
Blind SCell configuration refers to a network configuring one or more SCells for a user equipment, without the user equipment first detecting and/or reporting the SCells to the network. As such, before the user equipment detects and/or reports a cell to the network, the network has blindly configured the cell as a SCell for the user equipment, so the SCell is available for the user equipment when the user equipment subsequently detects SCell and SCell is activated. Although the network knows when configuring a given SCell blindly that the user equipment has not yet detected the SCell, the network presumes the user equipment (given its current location based on for example a current serving PCell) will at some point detect the SCell and activate the SCell to enable data transmission through the SCell.

User equipment reporting of the detection of blindly configured secondary cell


A display element formed by two parallel glass plates each having opposed electrodes provided thereon and an optical medium disposed in the intermediate space therebetween, wherein a connection between at least one electrode of one plate and at least one electrode of another plate, and the interplate spacing is achieved by means of electrically conducting fibers each having the same constant diameter disposed between the plates around the periphery thereof, with the conductive fibers contacting the respective electrodes formed on the display plates and thereby electrically connecting the same. The spacing for the display element is derived by mixing the conductive fibers in an adhesive compound to form a cement ridge around the periphery of the plates and applying the compound containing the conductive fibers to at least one of the plates, and then pressing the plates together until the plates are separated by a distance corresponding to the diameter of the conductive fibers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a display element formed by a pair of parallel glass plates each having opposed electrodes formed thereon, and more particularly to a spacer for separating the plates by a predetermined distance and for making electrical connection between the parallel plates. The invention further relates to a method of producing a display element.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is known, both luminescent and non-luminescent display elements are used today for representing information. The basic structure of various such types of display elements which work in accordance with different principles, consists of two plates arranged parallel to one another at a certain distance and covered partially with electrically conductive electrodes which are matched functionally to the information to be displayed. The type of display elements mentioned includes liquid crystal displays of different types, i.e. electrochromatic, electrophoretic and ferroelectric display elements, these types of display elements being represented in greater detail in the book "Nonemissive Electrooptic Displays" by A. R. Kmetz and F. K. von Willisen, Plenum Press 1976, page 201 et seq. Another common characteristic of the different types of display elements mentioned, which may be noted, is that the electrodes of both plates are connected electrically to a voltage or current source by which the information to be represented is made visible by driving opposed electrodes of the display element in the appropriate manner.
All these display elements also have the common feature that the plates forming their boundaries, mostly glass plates, have to be held at a certain distance from one another which corresponds in an optimum manner to the function of the display. This distance can be a few micrometers up to several hundred micrometers.
The thickness of the intermediate space formed by the two plates is of decisive significance for the operation, but especially also for the optical and electric quality and the service life of a display unit. For this reason it is desirable that this thickness deviates as little as possible from the nominal thickness over the whole area of a display unit as well as from display unit to display unit within a production run. As is known, the intermediate space formed by the two plates is closed off hermetically to the outside by cementing the peripheral plate edges together with an electrically insulating cement, approximately according to Swiss Patent 584,949. Due to the previously stated reasons, this cement ridge must have a thickness which is as uniform as possible and equal to the nominal thickness of the intermediate space, and there are no indications to this effect in the state of the art mentioned.
A certain improvement in accuracy can be achieved according to German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,406,623 wherein mechanically stable particles, the diameter of which corresponds to the optimum distance between plates, is admixed to the cement or sealing compound. According to the process described in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,406,623, the plates are pressed together by suitable devices during the cementing process, the cement being in a liquid state, until they come to rest on the admixed particles and thus a minimum distance is guaranteed. This process has the disadvantage, however, that it is not possible to produce powders of an infinitely narrow particle size distribution resulting in a more or less wide spread in the plate spacing.
For this reason, as is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,035, methods have been developed in which the powder is replaced by short pieces of glass fibers. Glass fibers have an exactly defined diameter and are better suited for producing display elements with tight thickness tolerances. In addition they are mechanically more stable due to their relatively long support line. The problem of obtaining an adequately accurate and constant distance between the plates could be solved with glass fibers, but unfortunately they simultaneously stand in the way of the solution to the following, very important problem.
As has been mentioned before, for operating a display device both the front and the back electrode must be provided with electric contacts.
This could be managed by bringing the corresponding electrode tracks out laterally on externally accessible plate areas which, however, is firstly very cumbersome and costly and, secondly, not always possible.
Thus it is extremely desirable, if not a necessity with respect to the application, that all the contact connections of the display element are located in one plane, that is the contact connections of, for example, the back electrode must also be conducted via an electrically conductive bridge to the plane of the contact tracks of the front electrode.
This electrically conductive bridge between the two electrodes can be produced, as for example in the said Swiss Pat. No. 584,949 or in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,555,822, by applying one or several contact points of conductive silver, conductive epoxy or a glass containing silver in the case of plates with glass-to-glass seals. In addition, attempts have been made to mix conductive powders such as small metal beads, graphite powder or also semi-conductive silicon carbide in with the cement itself. None of these methods, however, have brought the desired success since these electrically conductive powders have the same disadvantages as the solid particles already known for limiting the plate spacing from German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,406,623. In addition, metallic powders in the appropriate fineness and selected diameters are very expensive.

Display element having improved spacing and through-connecting of plane-parallel electrode plates, and method of making


An automated solution for measuring the performance of one or more selected apps across a wireless network, from a given location. The device of the invention, which may be termed a ‘probe’, performs the automation and validation of a range of apps with their respective cloud services, the probe including a local interface for receiving from a remote controller the credentials intended for testing the target app service if applicable. The invention can be used to generate an alert when the performance of a particular app at the location fails to meet certain criteria. It can also be sued to generate a report relating to the app performance at the location.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to test techniques and test apparatus for remote autonomous validation of wireless app performance. More specifically, the subject matter relates to methods, systems, and apparatus for remote, autonomous testing and/or measuring of overall app service accessibility, availability and related performance.
2. Description of Related Art
Wireless network subscribers access online services using apps on their devices (smartphones, tablets, PCs) and network subscriber terminal equipment. This network subscriber terminal equipment includes cell sites and smaller wireless access points (APs), with related network routers and network switches that are further connected to an external backhaul transport mechanism such as copper line, microwave link, Wi-Fi, WiMax, cable, optical fiber or other transmission medium.
Various categories of app-based communication are possible through these packet-based networks, including data, video and voice. For example, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) apps such as Skype, enable voice to be carried over wireless networks using Internet protocol (IP) communications. Video streaming apps, such as YouTube, allow digitized video imagery to be transmitted using these same wireless networks. Social media networks, such as Twitter and Facebook, allow files, images and messages to be exchanged between groups of connected people. Additionally file transfer and backup apps, such as DropBox, allow further app specific wireless transmissions on this same basis.
It should be noted that the term 'app' as used herein refers to a piece of software (an 'application') designed to fulfill a particular purpose, as opposed to system software. Such a program may, for example, be downloaded by a user to a mobile device. However, the invention is not intended to be limited in regard to the type or nature of the app being tested, the type of device on which it may be executed by users, or the method of installation.
While wireless service providers strive to avoid problems that affect subscribers' app performance, problems still often arise. This can be a problem for organizations where performance problems affect app users at their site. For example, if guests experience difficulties in accessing or using popular apps such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter etc at a particular hotel, this may dissuade those app users from re-visiting that hotel in the future.
When app performance problems arise at a given location, the ability to remotely diagnose and validate those problems has been limited to date. Various centralized tools exist in the art for passive diagnosis and validation of subscriber performance by analyzing information from the network transmissions, or transmitted from the subscriber's own device, such as location and signal quality. A determination on how to proceed with correcting the issue may be made based on the list of diagnostic results that are available but, by their nature, these are only very general assessments of the actual app service delivery. Therefore, decisions and strategies for addressing the problem will be made using information that is not sufficiently detailed or focused, leading to ineffective solutions.
Additionally, many complaints are received from subscribers about quality issues relating to a specific app but these issues are not available or visible to the network operator from the packet-layer network information available.
Currently, in order to ensure that app service is accessible and performing from the subscriber perspective, it is considered best practice to send an engineer to visit a site or location with recurring sub-par app performance reports, validate whether or not a fault or faults actually exists and determine where the fault lies. This process is time-consuming and costly. In such cases, various RF test instruments such as spectrum analyzers, vector signal analyzers, vector signal generators and RF power meters are used to test these remote environments. Parameters of the test instruments and wireless network devices under test are manually set by operators so as to manually perform RF measurements and record network-layer data.
Furthermore, other aspects of the environment and set-up, such as network components and access lines must be further isolated and validated without the localized environmental element of the on-site equipment. Then, all of this data is analyzed manually to identify the root cause or causes of the degraded app performance to generate a service validation report—such a process is time-consuming, susceptible to errors and expensive. Additionally, app performance variations are transient by time-of-day or day-of-week or month or based on the number of users in a particular location at any one time and cannot be solved other than having an engineer on site 24×7 to determine such fluctuation in demand.
Therefore, there is a need to validate app performance visibility by locale for a network service, on an ongoing basis, so as to overcome the above-described drawbacks. Such an improved solution has now been devised.

System, device and method for testing app performance


Data files produced by one inventory scan are converted for use by a different inventory process so that multiple inventory scans to address multiple inventory processes are avoided. A subset of the categories of data from a first data file is extracted and included in a second data file. The second data file is provided with a different file type and format than the first data file. Additional information may be provided within the second data file such as data provided as user input and/or data that is looked-up from other sources. The second data file is uploaded to an inventory process such as by being sent to a file transfer protocol server where it is available for subsequent consideration by an inventory server.

Telecommunications equipment is inventoried for various reasons by telecommunications service providers. For example, the telecommunications equipment may be inventoried for financial reasons, such as to find capital for tax and financial services. The telecommunications equipment may also be inventoried for other reasons, such as to track part change notices to identify equipment such as plugs that have been recalled by the manufacturer. For each of these different purposes, different software may be implemented and thus may require a different file type, file format, file content and so forth.
The inventorying process is laborious. Each item to be inventoried must be manually scanned. Where inventorying is necessary for different purposes, a separate scan for each purpose is typically done with each scan producing a file type, file format, and file content that is suitable for the software that handles that purpose. Relatively large facilities such as central offices in large cities may have tens of thousands of items of equipment to be scanned. Thus, a single scan can take numerous worker-hours to complete. Therefore, scanning the inventory each time an inventory count for a different purpose is needed is a highly inefficient manner of handling the inventory tasks.

Conversion of data from a first file type to a second file type for use by a telecommunications equipment inventory system


A numerical data processing apparatus has: at least three loading apertures onto each of which a storage medium is loaded, said storage medium storing numerical data standing for a numerical value to be converted into an amount of money and having an equivalent value to a value of currency of the amount of money corresponding; a transfer path network connected to all of said at least three loading apertures for transferring the numerical data among the storage media loaded onto said at least three loading apertures; and a transfer control unit for providing such a control that a transfer source and a transfer destination of a data transfer by said transfer path network are identified, an amount of money is obtained in accordance with an operation, and numerical data of the obtained amount of money corresponding is transferred from the transfer source to the transfer destination.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a numerical data processing apparatus for transferring numerical data used on the same base as money and a gift certificate or the like, typically, for example, digital money data.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The above-mentioned numerical data is digital data. Such numerical data is convenient as compared with paper money and coins in the points that the numerical data is able to be transferred via a communication network and the like, and the numerical data is able to be stored in a small IC card. For this reason, recently, there are proposed various types of apparatus for utilizing the above-mentioned digital money data and the like as money and a gift certificate or the like. As one of those types of apparatus, there is known a numerical data processing apparatus for performing a transfer of digital money data and the like.
As a form of such a numerical data processing apparatus, there are proposed a portable type of one referred to as a so-called digital wallet, and forms of a terminal of a POS system and a cash register or the like. However, in any of types of those forms, they are one in which an act of transfer of money is simply replaced by a digital basis.
On the other hand, as an actual action of transfer of money in the practical transactions of money, in some cases, there is often conducted a complex transfer action of money such as an action in which a payment is performed by a plurality of persons splitting the cost, and an action in which a payment is performed in combination of a gift certificate and money. Further, in some cases, there is often conducted a complex transfer action of money such as an action in which a payment for a store is performed and in addition payments for tips for salesclerks and indirect taxes to be paid for a government are performed.
For this reason, according to the conventional type of numerical data processing apparatus, it is difficult to regenerate the an actual action of transfer of money in the practical transactions of money. Further, in the event that digital money data and the like associated with payments for stores and digital money data and the like associated with payments for tips are stored in a single IC card together, there is a need to discriminate the digital money data and the like. The discrimination- process is troublesome.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a numerical data processing apparatus capable of regenerating a complex transfer action of money and the like as mentioned above.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a first numerical data processing apparatus in which numerical data transmitted from an exterior is stored in a storage medium, said numerical data standing for a numerical value to be converted into an amount of money and having an equivalent value to a value of currency of the amount of money corresponding, said numerical data processing apparatus comprising:
a control unit for providing such a control that a first storage medium stores, of the numerical data transmitted from an exterior, numerical data associated with an amount of money of transactions, and a second storage medium stores numerical data associated with an accompanying amount of money involved in the transactions.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a method of numerical data processing in which numerical data transmitted from an exterior is stored in a storage medium, said numerical data standing for a numerical value to be converted into an amount of money and having an equivalent value to a value of currency of the amount of money corresponding, said method comprising:
a first processing step wherein a first storage medium stores, of the numerical data transmitted from an exterior, numerical data associated with an amount of money of transactions; and
a second processing step wherein a second storage medium stores numerical data associated with an accompanying amount of money involved in the transactions.
Here, the xe2x80x9caccompanying amount of moneyxe2x80x9d means an amount of money corresponds to a tip, an indirect tax and the like.
According to the first numerical data processing apparatus of the present invention and the method of numerical data processing of the present invention, the numerical data associated with sums of transactions and the numerical data associated with the accompanying amount of money are separately stored in the first and second storage media, respectively. Thus, there is no need to perform a distribution process after, and therefore it is possible for a store to implement a comfortable digital money transactions.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a second numerical data processing apparatus comprising:
at least three loading apertures onto each of which a storage medium is loaded, said storage medium storing numerical data standing for a numerical value to be converted into an amount of money and having an equivalent value to a value of currency of the amount of money corresponding;
a transfer path network connected to all of said at least three loading apertures for transferring the numerical data among the storage media loaded onto said at least three loading apertures; and
a transfer control unit for providing such a control that a transfer source and a transfer destination of a data transfer by said transfer path network are identified, an amount of money is obtained in accordance with an operation, and numerical data of the obtained amount of money corresponding is transferred from the transfer source to the transfer destination.
Here, meaning of xe2x80x9ca transfer source and a transfer destination of a data transfer are identifiedxe2x80x9d can be interpreted such that the loading apertures are previously set up as the transfer source or the transfer destination and the set up contents are recognized, or the transfer source and the transfer destination are designated by a handler and the like, or alternatively the storage media are previously set up as the transfer source or the transfer destination and it is recognized which one the storage media loaded onto the loading apertures are set up to.
According to the second numerical data processing apparatus of the present invention, the transfer path network for transferring the numerical data is connected to all of at least three loading apertures, and the data transfer is controlled by the transfer control unit. This feature makes it possible for a user of the numerical data processing apparatus to regenerate a complex transfer action of money and the like in the practical transactions of money.
In the second numerical data processing apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that said transfer control unit calculates a plurality of sums and transfers numerical data of each sum corresponding, in which as basic information for calculating the plurality of sums, a total sum for the plurality of sums and mutual ratios of the plurality of sums therebetween are generated in accordance with an operation.
In the second numerical data processing apparatus according to the present invention, it is also preferable that said transfer control unit calculates a plurality of sums and transfers numerical data of each sum corresponding, in which as basic information for calculating the plurality of sums, one of the plurality of sums and respective ratios of the plurality of sums to the one sum are generated in accordance with an operation.
According to the numerical data processing apparatus having those preferred structure, an individual payment amount by splitting expenses, the amount of tax based on a predetermined tax rate and a tip based on a predetermined ratio are automatically calculated. Thus, it is possible to implement a commercial transaction making the best use of digital money data and the like.
In the numerical data processing apparatus having those preferred structure, it is preferable that said numerical data processing apparatus further comprises a ratio storage unit for storing the ratios, and said transfer control unit reads the ratios from said ratio storage unit in accordance with an operation.
In payments of splitting expenses and tax, specific ratios are often used. Thus such specific ratios are stored in the ratio storage unit beforehand. This feature makes it possible to implement more simple commercial transactions. Incidentally, it is either acceptable that the ratio storage unit is of a read only type or a rewritable type.
In the second numerical data processing apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that said storage medium stores a plurality of sorts of numerical data having mutually different meanings, and said transfer control unit controls a data transfer for each of said plurality of sorts of numerical data.
Recently, a storage medium represented by an IC card permits to store a plurality of sorts of numerical data having mutually different meanings. According to the numerical data processing apparatus having those preferred structure, the transfer control unit controls a data transfer for each of said plurality of sorts of numerical data. Thus, it is possible to regenerate a payment form such as a payment, for example, of a gift certificate and moneys in their combination.
In the second numerical data processing apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that said numerical data processing apparatus further comprises a discrimination unit for discriminating a sort of the storage media loaded on said loading apertures, and said transfer control unit identifies the transfer source or said transfer destination in accordance with the sort discriminated by said discrimination unit.
According to the numerical data processing apparatus having those preferred structure, for example, an ID number and the like are utilized to identify a storage medium of a customer and a storage of a store, and these storage media are used as the transfer source and the transfer destination in accordance with a result of identification. Thus, it is possible to perform a normal data transfer even if the storage media are loaded onto any loading aperture.

Numerical data processing apparatus and numerical data processing method


A direct jet monitor illuminates the jet of a flow cytometer in a monitor wavelength band which is substantially separate from the substance wavelength band. When a laser is used to cause fluorescence of the substance, it may be appropriate to use an infrared source to illuminate the jet and thus optically monitor the conditions within the jet through a CCD camera or the like. This optical monitoring may be provided to some type of controller or feedback system which automatically changes either the horizontal location of the jet, the point at which droplet separation occurs, or some other condition within the jet in order to maintain optimum conditions. The direct jet monitor may be operated simultaneously with the substance property sensing and analysis system so that continuous monitoring may be achieved without interfering with the substance data gathering and may be configured so as to allow the front of the analysis or free fall area to be unobstructed during processing.

This invention relates to flow cytometers as are used in clinical and research applications. Specifically, the invention relates to systems which monitor the conditions of the jet emitted from a nozzle in a flow cytometer during the processing operation. The invention may be applied regardless of the type of processing involved and is particularly appropriate for sorting and analysis applications.
Flow cytometers have been in clinical and research use for many years. Basically, the systems act to position small amounts of a substance within a sheath fluid. This sheath fluid may either form droplets or may exist in a jet for optical analysis. Through hydrodynamic focusing and laminar flow, the substance is split into individual cells and the like and is surrounded by a sheath fluid. In many applications, the sheath fluid together with its entrained substance exits a nozzle in a jet and either free falls or is channeled in an optically transparent pathway for analysis. This analysis requires very precise and uniform conditions within the jet. Unfortunately, variations do still exist. Thus, there has been a need to monitor the conditions of the jet in order to assure accurate analysis. Two types of variations are of particular concern. First, the breakoff point at which droplet formation occurs tends to vary or drift. This exists as a result of changes in material, temperatures, the existence of air bubbles, and the like as those skilled in the art well know. Since the exact location of the droplet separation point is utilized for differentially charging various droplets and other aspects, such variations can destroy the ability to achieve the desired function of the flow cytometer.
The change in droplet separation point has been the subject of a number of inventions. As U.S. Pat. Nos. 4317520, 4318480, 4,318,481, 4,318,482, 4,318,483, and 4,325,483 explain, traditionally the approach has been to determine the droplet separation point through the use of a strobe light and microscopic analysis prior to the actual processing of the substance. The processing is then conducted based upon the location determined for the droplet separation point under the assumption that no drift or variation occurs. Obviously, this type of approach does not recognize the realities of actual processing and totally ignores the fact that variation in the location of the droplet separation point does, in fact, occur.
As U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,317,520, 4,318,480, 4,318,481, 4,318,482, 4,318,483, and 4,325,483 further explain, one approach taken has been to utilize the amount of scatter of the light emitted from a laser fluorescent source as an indirect indication of the location at which the surface tension "pinching" (and thus the droplet formation) is occurring. This approach has the significant advantage of affording the opportunity to actually monitor the conditions during processing, however, it does not provide a direct indication of the condition. While a great improvement over the traditional approach, the approach these related patents take still appears to provide only an indirect--and somewhat less accurate--indication of the exact location of the droplet separation point. Further, these references also suggest illumination of the sheath fluid at a wavelength where the sheath fluid is translucent. This can be unnecessary.
Similarly, related U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,691,829 and 4,487,320 suggest the use of scattered light as an indirect indication of the droplet separation point. These two references each explain that while a direct indication of the droplet separation point would be desirable, a physical limitation makes this impractical. Basically, they explain that the presence of undesired light destroys the ability to gather the data desired, namely, the emissions from the substance itself.
A second type of variation in the conditions within the jet which is of concern is the fact that the jet can tend to move horizontally. This is true even for systems in which the jet is channeled. While, naturally, the nozzle container is usually fixed, the same type of variations which cause change in the droplet separation point can also cause the jet to be directed to one side or the other. While this amount of variation can be relatively small, it still poses an unnecessary degradation in the signal sensed as it can change the focal point and otherwise destroy resolution accuracies. None of the references mentioned seem to have addressed this aspect.
One of the practical problems which has also been recognized is the fact that only a limited amount of space exits within which to conduct monitoring and sensing. As Japanese Patent 2024535 recognizes with respect to the sensing system alone, it is desirable to have an optical system which is as small as possible. The present invention achieves this as well as other goals.
As mentioned, there has been a long felt but unsatisfied need for a device which permits accurate and direct monitoring of the conditions within the jet of a flow cytometer during the processing operation. As the present invention shows, such a system is, indeed, possible and, in fact, can be implemented using arts and elements which had long been available. To some extent, apparently solutions had not been achieved because those skilled in the art seem to have taken a direction which was away from the technical direction pursued in the present invention. This may have been the result of the fact that those skilled in the art did not truly appreciate the nature of the problem or may have been the result of the fact that those skilled in the art were misled by some of the presumptions and assumptions with respect to the type of systems which could be considered. In this regard, it had been assumed that direct monitoring through the use of some illumination source or some optical source was not practical because of an inevitable interference with the sensing system. The present invention shows that this is not the case and that direct monitoring can be achieved without the interference. Not only in this regard but in other facets as well, the present invention demonstrates that although substantial attempts had been made by those skilled in the art in order to achieve a practical monitoring system, the direction of the present invention was not recognized. Until the present invention, a system which allowed direct monitoring of jet conditions was not practically achievable.


A piezo-mechanical scanner that provides independent and linear displacements in three orthogonal directions with high sensitivity in the normal z direction and high range in the lateral x and y directions. The independence of the directional displacements is ensured by physically dividing into four distinct sectors the piezoelectric tube chiefly responsible for the generation of the movements. Linearity of the movement is maintained by providing mechanical enhancement of the movements in the x-y plane.

Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) instruments such as the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM), the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), the Lateral Force Microscope (LFM) and the Friction Force Microscope (FFM), are research instruments that have been in use in universities and industrial R&D laboratories since the mid 1980's. These instruments allow for various imaging of surfaces as well as measurement of the intermolecular forces between two surfaces (or a small tip and a flat surface) in vapors or liquids. The distance resolution is typically on the order of 1 .ANG., which means that images can be obtained and forces measured at the atomic level. Over the years, SPM techniques have been improved and their scope extended so that it is now possible to image different types of surfaces and measure different surface properties and phenomena than historically possible.
SPM's operate by first bringing (positioning) the tip or `sensor` surface near the "sample" surface, and then moving the tip vertically (normal mode) or laterally (scanning mode) to obtain a mechanical or topographical "image" of the sample surface or to measure some other property, such as the deflection force, that is sensed by the tip or sensor surface. The generation of an image or the measurement of a force is accomplished by monitoring the deflection of a cantilever spring supporting the tip as it scans the surface.
To obtain reliable images or property measurements, it is essential that the user be able to move the tip precisely in the z direction (up and down) as well as in the x and y directions (across the surface). Ideally, any induced motion in the, for example, x-direction does not produce unwanted motions in the y or z directions. In addition, given that relatively large areas usually need to be scanned, it is imperative that these motions be linear, e.g., precisely proportional to the applied voltage across the piezo element. Moreover, displacements in the normal "sensing" direction are typically in the angstrom range while those in the lateral `scanning` directions are typically in the tens of microns range.
In most SPM and SFA applications the displacements of the `tip`, `sensor surface` or `sample surface` have different requirements in the lateral (x, y) and vertical (z) directions. Lateral motion is required for `scanning`, usually over large areas extending tens or hundreds of microns. In contrast, normal motion is generally required for topographical imaging or sensing some surface physical or chemical heterogeneity over distances in the nanometer range. These very different length scale requirements make it imperative to have a displacement transducer that separately optimizes and decouples the normal and lateral displacements.
However, the scanners used in existing SPM devices utilize a single piezoelectric tube to generate all of the available displacements, or they use multiple displacement generation elements that work against each other. Therefore, the normal and lateral motions generated are intimately coupled to each other in a way that makes it difficult to generate large lateral displacements and small normal displacements at the same time, while still maintaining the independence and linearity of the displacements.
The most common type of piezo element currently in use is the "sectored" piezo-electric tube in the style shown in FIGS. 1A-C (top and side views). The piezoelectric tube is sectored into four quadrants, labelled 1-4. The `sectoring` is achieved by removing the conducting metallic coatings from the outer and inner walls along the four strips 1-4, as shown. This process results in four electrically (but not mechanically) separate sections of the original tube.
Normal motion in the z-direction is produced by applying the same voltage differential, .DELTA.V.sub.1 =.DELTA.V.sub.2 =.DELTA.V.sub.3 =.DELTA.V.sub.4, across the inner and outer conducting walls of the four sectored quadrants of the piezoelectric tube. A positive voltage differential (.DELTA.V>0) produces expansion (.DELTA.z>0) and a negative voltage differential (.DELTA.V<0) produces contraction (.DELTA.z<0) of the tube.
Lateral motions in the x and y directions are produced by applying different voltages across the four sectors of the tube. For example, if .DELTA.V.sub.1 =-.DELTA.V.sub.3 and .DELTA.V.sub.2 =.DELTA.V.sub.4 =0, sector 1 will expand and sector 2 will contract. The net effect will be a bending of the end of the tube (which supports the tip) in the +x direction, as shown in FIG. 1C. At the same time, one may apply additional voltages across the other sectors so as to produce simultaneous motions along different directions, for example, in the y or z direction. In this way, any desired motion along any desired direction in space can, in principle, be induced by applying suitable voltage differences across the four sectors of the scanner piezoelectric tube.
However, the simultaneous requirements of high sensitivity in the z direction and high range in x and y directions are not attainable with current art designs. There are two reasons for this: first, the motions are not perfectly independent but coupled. Thus, when motion is generated in the x direction, the movement of the tip more closely approximates an arc of a circle as opposed to a straight line. This effect is illustrated in FIG. 1C. The resulting displacement in the x direction is therefore accompanied by a slight lifting of the tip in the z direction, as well as a slight rotation of the tip. These effects are negligible for small deflections, but become non-negligible when scanning over large lateral distances, which is often required.
Second, piezoelectric transducers become non-linear when high voltages are applied across them, i.e., the displacement is no longer proportional to the voltages applied across the different sectors. In addition, when operated in the non-linear region they tend to drift over time, i.e., their length changes with time because they are strained beyond their elastic limit. In most SPM applications, the piezo elements are subjected to voltages well above their linear range because of the need to have large scanning distances (typically>5 .mu.m) which is often well above the linear region.
These two problems make it difficult to unambiguously interpret many images and other types of surface measurements quantitatively and sometimes even qualitatively. To alleviate these problems, which are related (large non-linear displacements also produce larger coupling between motions in the x, y and z directions), software packages are now available that can "correct" these defects. See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,390, issued Jan. 14, 1992, to Ellings. The corrections are typically achieved by employing feedback sensors from the four sectors that allow the software to coordinate the voltages across them. Such software packages have limited success because piezoelectric elements are mechanically very complex. Their dimensions depend not only on the voltage across them but also on the load (force), the temperature, the time elapsed since the voltage has been applied, and the previous history. In addition, remedies that are based purely on a software program cannot overcome the inherent deficiencies in the basic mechanical design of the sectored piezoelectric tube illustrated in FIGS. 1A-C. For example, no amount of feedback can avoid the bending of the tube (and hence rotation of the tip) when producing motion in the x and y directions. Finally, the additional space and cost associated with the need to introduce feedback sensors, whether capacitance or light based, have made SPM scanners much more bulky, software intensive, and costly than is necessary for this essentially simple micro-mechanical device.
The above described deficiencies are becoming ever more serious because of the increasing demand for scanners that have a large lateral range of travel. It is not clear how or if software packages can solve the basic deficiencies inherent in conventional scanners.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a new design capable of producing inherently linear and uncoupled (i.e., independent) motions in three orthogonal directions in space, without requiring any feedback mechanisms.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a piezoelectric tube that includes four mechanically and electrically isolated sectors.

Extended-range xyz linear piezo-mechanical scanner for scanning-probe and surface force applications


To normally perform a preliminary ejection after a cleaning process. Provided is a recording apparatus including: a recording head that includes an ejection component that ejects a liquid; a circulation unit configured to perform a circulation operation of circulating the liquid in a circulation route including the recording head; a cleaning mechanism that performs a cleaning process with respect to the recording head; and a preliminary ejection unit configured to perform a preliminary ejection operation of preliminarily ejecting the liquid from the ejection component. The cleaning mechanism performs the cleaning process in a state in which circulation of the liquid is stopped, and at least one of the circulation operation by the circulation unit and the preliminary ejection operation by the preliminary ejection unit is performed after the cleaning process.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, a control method, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-24210 discloses a configuration in which preliminary ejection is performed after wiping an ejection port surface of a recording head of an inkjet recording apparatus.

Recording apparatus, control method, and storage medium


An electrical contact for attachment to an insulated wire includes an insulator crimp section (11) having a pair of insulation engaging arms (12a, 12b) which are offset from each in an axial direction of the wire. The insulation engaging arms include facing edges (38a, 38b) which are arranged to contact each other along a spiral track when the insulation engaging arms are press-bonded to the insulation of the wire. Inside beveled surfaces (18a, 18b) and outside beveled surfaces (28a, 28b) serve to guide the insulation engaging arms into position and to facilitate sliding contact between the facing edges (38a, 38b) during the press-bonding. The inside beveled surfaces (18a, 18b) also provide a gap (4B) which serves as a relief area for compressed insulation. As a result of the press-bonding, the insulation engaging arms (12a, 12b) are formed into an integral unit and are strongly fastened to the insulation of the electrical wire.

The present invention relates to an electrical contact and a method for press-bonding [this] electrical contact to an electrical wire.
Electrical contacts having wire retaining barrels engage and maintain an electrical wire therein are generally known in the art. One example of such an electrical contact, which is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Kokoku No. S45-33001, is shown in FIG. 7. This electrical contact 100 has a contact part 102 that electrically contacts a mating electrical contact (not shown in the figures), and a wire retention part 104 that is connected by bending the barrel around the outer circumference of an electrical wire (not shown in the figures). The wire retention part 104 is constructed from a pair of conductor barrels 104a, 104a which are bent about the core of the wire and frictionally engage the core wire, i.e., the conductor of the electrical wire. A pair of insulator barrels 104b, 104b are also provided and are bent about the outer covering of the wire and frictionally engage the outer covering, i.e., the insulation of the electrical wire. The conductor barrels 104a, 104a are formed so that their positions are offset relative to each other in the axial direction of the electrical contact 100. The insulator barrels 104b, 104b are also formed so that their positions are offset relative to each other in the axial direction of the electrical contact 100. The barrels are bent or press-bonded so that they envelop and frictionally engage the electrical wire from both sides of the electrical wire, thus pressing and fastening the outer covering of the electrical wire in place with the broadest possible area.
Furthermore, an electrical contact in which beveled surfaces are formed on the tip ends of the insulator barrels that are press-bonded or frictionally engaged to the outer covering of the electrical wire is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Kokai No. S56-119264.
The barrel parts 104b, 104b of the electrical contact 100 disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Utility Model Application Kokoku No. S45-33001 are separated from each other in the axial direction of the electrical contact 100 after the barrels have been bent; accordingly, these barrel parts 104b, 104b are wrapped around the circumference of the outer covering of the electrical wire without contacting each other. As a result, the electrical contact 100 can be used on wires of various diameters, and the total length of the electrical contact 100 can be made relatively short. However, the pair of barrel parts 104b, 104b have no structural integrity following bending or press-bonding; consequently, the barrel parts 104b, 104b tend to open, so that the frictional engagement with the wire is weak, thereby allowing the wire to be inadvertently removed causing electrical failure.
Furthermore, in the latter prior art example, there are limits on the diameter of the electrical wires that can be used. Moreover, there is a danger that the tip ends of the insulator barrel will strike each other and bite into the outer covering of the electrical wire creating the possibility of damage to the outer covering of the electrical wire.
The present invention was devised to solve the above referenced problems. Consequently, the invention provides a compact electrical contact which has a high press-bonding strength while facilitating a broad range of applicable electrical wire diameters.
The electrical contact of the present invention has an electrical contact part, a conductor barrel that is press-bonded to or in frictional engagement with the core wire of an electrical wire, and an insulator barrel that is press-bonded to or in frictional engagement with the insulating covering of the electrical wire. The insulator barrel is constructed from a pair of left and right press-bonding parts disposed in positions that are offset relative to each other in the axial direction of the electrical wire. The electrical contact is constructed so that when the press-bonding parts are press-bonded to the electrical wire, the facing edges of the press-bonding parts, which face each other in the axial direction, contact each other on the electrical wire.
Both surfaces of the facing edges of the press-bonding parts may be subjected to swage working. Alternatively, the entire circumferences of only the inside surfaces of the press-bonding parts may be subjected to swage working. Or the entire circumferences of the outside surfaces may be subjected to swage working in addition to the entire circumferences of the inside surfaces.
The term xe2x80x9cboth surfaces of the facing edgesxe2x80x9d refers to both the inside surfaces of the facing edge parts of the plate members that form the press-bonding parts, i.e., the surfaces that contact the outer covering of the electrical wire when press-bonding is performed, and the outside surfaces of the facing edge parts, i.e., the surfaces that can be seen from the outside following press-bonding.
The term xe2x80x9centire circumferencexe2x80x9d does not necessarily refer strictly to the entire circumference of each press-bonding part; this term also refers to cases in which the area in the vicinity of the fixed end of each press-bonding part is not included in this circumference.
The shapes of the tip end portions of the press-bonding parts and the shapes of the corresponding portions that face these tip end portions during the press-bonding of the press-bonding parts may be complementary shapes. In addition to cases in which the shapes of the entire tip end portions of the press-bonding parts and the shapes of the corresponding portions of the electrical contact are shapes that are complementary to each other, the term xe2x80x9ccomplementaryxe2x80x9d also includes cases in which the shapes of only portions of the tip end portions and the shapes of the corresponding portions are shapes that are complementary to each other.
The electrical wire press-bonding method using the electrical contact of the present invention is also described. When the electrical contact is press-bonded to the electrical wire, the pair of press-bonding parts make sliding contact with each other at the facing edges of said press-bonding parts, so that the respective tip ends of the press-bonding parts move while describing portions of a spiral track along the outer circumference of the aforementioned electrical wire.

Electrical contact for press-bonding to electrical wire


A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an imaging condition setting unit and an image data acquisition unit. The imaging condition setting unit sets an imaging condition applying first and second suppression pulses of which at least ones of types, center frequencies and frequency bands are different from each other. The first and the second suppression pulses frequency-selectively suppress at least one of fat and silicone. The image data acquisition unit acquires image data according to the imaging condition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) apparatus and a magnetic resonance imaging method which radio excites nuclear spins of an object magnetically with a RF (radio frequency) signal having the Larmor frequency and reconstructs an image based on a NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) signal generated due to the excitation, and more particularly, to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and a magnetic resonance imaging method which make it possible to image under a suppression method for suppressing a target signal from a material such as fat or silicone.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic Resonance Imaging is an imaging method which excites nuclear spins of an object set in a static magnetic field with a RF signal having the Larmor frequency magnetically and reconstructs an image based on a NMR signal generated due to the excitation.
In the field of magnetic resonance imaging, there is a fat saturation method to acquire signals while suppressing signals from fat (fat signals). Conventionally, fat saturation methods used widely in general include CHESS (chemical shift selective) method, SPIR (spectral presaturation with inversion recovery) method (called SPECIR as well) and STIR (short TI inversion recovery) method.
In fat saturation methods, the CHESS method is called a selective fat saturation method since the CHESS method is a method to suppress only fat signals frequency-selectively using 3.5 ppm difference in resonant frequencies between water protons and fat protons (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application (Laid-Open) No. 7-327960, Japanese Patent Application (Laid-Open) No. 9-182729 and Japanese Patent Application (Laid-Open) No. 11-299753)
FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining a method for suppressing fat signals under the conventional CHESS method.
In FIG. 1, the abscissa denotes a frequency and the ordinate denotes a signal intensity of NMR signal. In a frequency selective fat saturation method, a static magnetic field is uniformed by shimming previous to imaging. As shown in FIG. 1, respective protons of water and fat have 3.5 ppm difference in a resonant frequency, and therefore, a peak of frequencies of fat signals becomes sharp when the uniformity of a static magnetic field is obtained enough by shimming. Then, when a fat saturation RF pulse with a 90-degree flip angle (FA) and a frequency matching to a resonant frequency of fat, i.e., a CHESS pulse is applied to tilt only longitudinal magnetization of fat protons by 90-degree frequency-selectively, and subsequently, magnetization of fat protons substantially disappears by using a spoiler pulse previous to data acquisition, fat signals can be suppressed. As described above, the CHESS method is effective in fat saturation on a region with high uniformity with regard to a static magnetic field.
The SPIR method is also a selective fat saturation method that uses a difference in resonance frequencies between water protons and fat protons (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application (Laid-Open) No. 2006-149583).
FIG. 2 is a diagram explaining a method for suppressing fat signals under the conventional SPIR method. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a TI for applying a pulse for excitation after applying the SPIR pulse shown in FIG. 2.
In FIG. 2, the abscissa denotes a frequency and the ordinate denotes a signal intensity of MR signal. Further, in FIG. 3, the abscissa denotes an elapsed time after applying a SPIR pulse and the ordinate denotes a longitudinal magnetization z of a proton spin.
In the SPIR method, a SPIR pulse which is a frequency-selective inversion RF pulse having a frequency matching with a resonant frequency of fat signals is applied. A FA of a SPIR pulse is set from 90-degree to 180-degree. When a SPIR pulse is applied, the proton spins in fat magnetized by a static magnetic field tilt by the angle according to the FA and a longitudinal magnetization z of the proton spins in fat shows a minus value. Accordingly, the longitudinal magnetization z of proton spins increases with time to show a plus value by longitudinal relaxation (T1 relaxation). Then, with setting an inversion time (TI) to the timing which a longitudinal magnetization z in fat reaches the null point by T1 relaxation after applying a SPIR pulse, a RF pulse for excitation of water signals is applied. This allows only water signals to be excited selectively.
In the SPIR method, if an angle to tilt proton spins in fat, i.e., suppression effect is set largely like as the case that a FA of a SPIR pulse is set to 180-degree for example, to suppress fat signals is easy even in a fat region having a resonant frequency band with a broad base. Thus, since a FA of a SPIR pulse is larger than a FA of 90-degree pulse, a SPIR pulse has a larger frequency band to be able to suppress fat signals than that of a normal CHESS pulse. In the SPIR method, since there is a dead time TI till the application timing of an RF pulse for excitation after to an application of a SPIR pulse, the waveform of a SPIR pulse can be approximated to a rectangle better.
In the SPIR method, though it is necessary to acquire data after a TI which is the time till an intensity of fat signal (a longitudinal magnetization z of a proton) becomes the null point, the TI can be also shortened by reducing a FA of a SPIR pulse. Generally, a TI is approximately from 150 ms to 180 ms in a 1.5T MRI apparatus, and a TI is approximately from 200 ms to 250 ms in a 3T MRI apparatus.
On the other hand, the STIR method is a fat saturation method to use a difference in T1 relaxation times between fat and water signals and is a non-selective fat saturation method. Therefore, in the STIR method, shimming is unnecessary. In the STIR method, a region including a fat region and a water region is excited by a STIR pulse with 180-degree FA. As shown in FIG. 3, the T1 relaxation time of water shown with the dotted line is longer than the T1 relaxation time of fat. Then, the timing which a longitudinal magnetization z in fat protons becomes the null point is set to the TI and an RF pulse for excitation is applied. Then, after a lapse of the TI, a longitudinal magnetization z of water protons does not reach the null point yet and only water protons can be excited selectively.
However, since a CHESS pulse is an RF pulse with 90-degree FA, when uniformity of static magnetic fields in a water region and a fat region is not satisfactory, fat signals cannot be suppressed sufficiently.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example case of insufficiently suppressed fat signals in case of performing fat-saturation under the conventional CHESS method.
In FIG. 4, the abscissa denotes a frequency and the ordinate denotes a signal intensity of NMR signal. As shown in FIG. 4, when the uniformity of the static magnetic field does not become satisfactory even if shimming is performed, the base of a resonant frequency in fat becomes wide. Specifically, in a region showing a large susceptibility such as a breast and a jaw, there is a trend in which a band of fat signals extends in the frequency direction. Therefore, even if a CHESS pulse with 90-degree FA is applied, component of fat signals remains as indicated by arrows. Thus, the CHESS method has a disadvantage that it is difficult to suppress fat signals extending in a wide frequency band sufficiently in the case of an uneven static magnetic field.
FIG. 5 is a tomographic image of an object obtained with a nonuniform static magnetic field under the conventional CHESS method.
As shown in FIG. 5, in the case of an uneven static magnetic field, it is recognized that fat signals are not suppressed sufficiently and a fat region is depicted on a tomographic image of an object.
In the conventional SPIR method, when a longitudinal magnetization of fat protons does not become the null point with the result that the adjustments of a TI and a FA of fat saturation pulse are not appropriate, unsuppressed fat signals remain. Note that, whether or not fat signals show null changes depending on a T1 value of fat. Therefore, when it is assumed that a T1 of fat value and TI are fixed, adjusting for a FA of a fat saturation pulse allows fat signals to show null logically. However, practically, fat signals often remain by the factors such as nonuniformity of a magnetic field, nonuniformity of an RF power (FA) of a fat saturation pulse and a subtle difference in a T1 value of Fat within a living body.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example case of fat signals remaining due to an inadequately adjusted TI or FA of a fat-saturation pulse under the conventional SPIR method.
In FIG. 6, the abscissa denotes a frequency and the ordinate denotes a signal intensity of NMR signal. In the SPIR method, in the case that the adjustment of a TI and a power of a fat saturation pulse is incomplete or by the factors such as influence of nonuniformity of a magnetic field and an RF power (FA) of a fat saturation pulse and a subtle difference in a T1 value within a living body even if a TI and a power of a fat saturation pulse are adjusted, fat signals remain as shown in FIG. 6. Further, the SPIR method has the disadvantage to obtain sufficient fat saturation effect at only a region showing a high uniformity with regard to a static magnetic field like as the CHESS method.
FIG. 7 is a tomographic image of an object obtained with an inadequately adjusted FA of a fat-saturation pulse under the conventional SPIR method.
FIG. 7 shows an image obtained by setting a TI to be the shortest and adjusting a FA of a fat saturation pulse so that fat signals show null. As shown in FIG. 7, the fat saturation effect by the conventional SPIR method is better than that by the CHESS method. However, it is recognized that a fat region is depicted on the tomographic image of an object without suppressing fat signals sufficiently by the factors described above even if a WA of a fat saturation pulse is adjusted.
Although shimming is unnecessary since the STIR method is not a fat saturation method to suppress fat signals frequency-selectively, intensities of water signals to be acquired become low due to acquisition of the water signals subsequently to a lapse of a TI. Therefore, in the STIR method, there are problems that the SNR (noise to signal ratio) decreases and decrease of the SNR leads to extension of an imaging time.
As mentioned above, in the conventional frequency selective fat saturation method, when uniformity of a static magnetic field cannot be obtained satisfactory due to the influence of the shape of an imaging part like as the case of imaging a region such as a jaw part and a breast, it is difficult to suppress fat signals sufficiently. On the other hand, in the conventional non-frequency selective fat saturation method, the intensities of water signals to be acquired decrease and an imaging time becomes long.
In addition, in the conventional frequency selective fat saturation method, when a parenchymal part of an object is to be suppressed, plural excitation pulses are applied repeatedly under the condition that each frequency of excitation pulse is matched with a resonant frequency of water. However, in the case of a high-speed imaging, an application interval of an excitation pulse becomes long and signal recovery from an imaging target occurs due to the influence of a longitudinal magnetization. Consequently, the suppression effect in the frequency direction by an excitation pulse does not become constant and the suppression effect of signals cannot be obtained sufficiently depending on a set frequency of an excitation pulse.
That is, though the suppression effect of fat signals can be evaluated by a slice profile showing a signal intensity to a frequency variation of an excitation pulse, the profile changes according to an application interval of an excitation pulse. For example, in the case that data acquisition is performed using a sequence of FFE (fast field echo) type under the segment k-space method, if the number of segments is increased, the profile showing the suppression effect of fat signals is improved since an application interval of an excitation pulse becomes short, on the contrary, if the number of segments is decreased, a satisfactory profile cannot be obtained since an application interval of an excitation pulse becomes long.
Note that, the segmented k-space method is a data acquisition method which segments data in k-space into several areas (segmentalization) and retrieves data from every segment sequentially. Therefore, the number of segments is equivalent to a division of a phase encoding (PE) in k-space.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a profile representing a simulation result of the effect by conventional fat-saturation methods.
In FIG. 8, the abscissa denotes a frequency shift amount (ppm) of an excitation pulse from a resonance frequency of fat and the ordinate denotes a relative signal intensity of an echo signal in case of setting the maximum values as 1.
As shown in FIG. 8, it is confirmable that the profile in the case that the number of segments is two has more deteriorated stability of fat saturation effect in the frequency direction than the profile in the case that the number of segments is sixty-four since, an application interval of an excitation pulse in the case that the number of segments is two is longer than that in the case that the number of segments is sixty-four.
Therefore, adjusting a waveform of an excitation pulse is needed in order to improve a slice profile showing the fat saturation effect. For example, when an excitation pulse has a sinc waveform, a waveform control such as expansion and contraction of an excitation pulse wavelength and change of a sidelobe shape is necessary.
Though signals from an arbitrary matter such as water and silicone as well as signals from fat can be also suppressed, there is a problem as described above in the case that signals from a matter except fat are suppressed as well.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using SPIR and/or chess suppression pulses


A pipe fitting or coupling is used for connecting at least two pipes. The pipe fitting is basically formed of a coupling main body and a slit ring integrally formed together. The coupling main body is formed of an inner layer of good heat resisting property, an intermediate layer containing glass fibers, and an outer layer having large tensile elongation and impact strength. The slit ring is formed at an edge portion of the outer circumferential surface of the coupling main body.

The present invention relates to a pipe fitting or coupling for connecting pipes, such as water supply pipes, hot-water supply pipes and the like.
As a prior art, a pipe fitting or coupling for connecting pipes, such as water supply pipes and hot-water supply pipes, is formed of a cylindrical coupling main body and a slit ring provided on an outer circumferential surface of an edge portion of the coupling main body. The edge portion of the coupling main body is inserted into an interior of an edge portion of a pipe to be connected, and a nut, such as a cap nut, is screwed onto a screw portion provided on the slit ring to be tightened, thereby to hold and fix the edge portion of the pipe with the coupling main body and the slit ring.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication (KOKAI) No. 4-262189 discloses a pipe coupling formed of an inner layer for constituting an inner circumferential surface of a coupling main body, an outer layer for constituting an outer circumference surface of the coupling main body, and a slit ring. The inner layer is made of a thermoplastic resin having a heat distortion temperature of 95.degree. C. or higher, such as polyether ether ketone, cross-linking polyethylene and polyphenylene sulfide. The outer layer includes a screw portion on one edge thereof and is made of a thermoplastic resin having a screw torque strength of 300 kg/cm.sup.2 or higher, such as polyether imide, polyphenylene sulfide and polyether sulfone. The slit ring is made of a thermoplastic resin, such as nylon and polyethylene having ductility, so that when a nut is screwed onto the slit ring, the diameter of the slit ring is contracted. The inner layer and the outer layer of the coupling main body, and the slit ring are integrally formed.
However, the pipe coupling disclosed in the above publication is short of shear strength in the screw portion formed on the edge portion of the outer layer or a tip portion of the slit ring of the coupling main body, so that a thermoplastic resin to which reinforcing glass fibers are added has been often used.
Although a modulus of shear elasticity, i.e. shear strength in the screw portion, is improved by the thermoplastic resin containing the glass fibers, impact strength is decreased. Therefore, when pipes are connected, if a pipe coupling is dropped, or tools fall down onto the pipe coupling, the pipe coupling may crack or break. Also, depending on a installation condition of a pipe coupling, the pipe coupling is stepped by people or subjected to shocks after installation, so that the same accident or trouble as mentioned above may take place.
The present invention has been made to obviate the above drawbacks of the prior art.
Accordingly, one object of the invention is to provide a pipe fitting or coupling having excellent heat and chemical resisting properties as well as excellent pressure resisting strength, shear strength and impact strength in screw portions formed on an outer circumferential surface of a coupling main body and a slit ring.
Another object of the invention is to provide the pipe fitting or coupling as stated above, wherein the coupling main body and the slit ring are formed integrally so that the pipe coupling can be easily connected to a pipe and handled easily.
A further object of the invention is to provide the pipe fitting or coupling as stated above, wherein the pipe coupling can be easily and economically manufactured.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.


The individually detachable drink pack includes a plurality of beverage containers aligned in a substantially linear fashion. A tab is disposed about the periphery of the cap and/or base of each container and extends to the next container, attaching to the next container's base or cap to another tab. In this manner, the containers are attached end to end, or may be branched to start a side chain of containers, also linked end to end. Each tab is relatively thin and flexible, having sufficient strength to normally keep the containers connected, yet being frangible such that the tab may be broken by being bent or torn, thus allowing consecutive beverage containers to be separated and the contents thereof consumed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to beverage or other containers. In particular, the present invention relates to an individually detachable drink pack that has a plurality of continuously attached beverage containers that may be detached one at a time by removing a connecting tab.
2. Description of the Related Art
Beverage containers are well known to be available in a variety of shapes and sizes, as well as containing several ingredients. For example, it is common to purchase a twelve-ounce aluminum can of soda from a vending machine or a five-ounce plastic bottle of alcohol from a flight attendant. Beverage containers are typically sold individually or packaged in bulk, like a six-pack with plastic ring attachments or a case with twenty-four containers in a box, for example.
Although it is convenient to purchase and carry one beverage container, it is often more cost effective to purchase in bulk. When buying in bulk however, a consumer is left with packaging to dispose of, which generally creates more waste, some of which has been known to cause harm to wildlife. Furthermore, many bulk-packaging articles are less attractive than the designer-type individual containers the packaging houses. Thus, an individually detachable container pack solving the aforementioned problem is desired.


Alignment of a mask, such as a photolithographic mask, to a workpiece, such as a printed circuit board is improved using a frame having sides that are individually thermally expandable. The mask is fabricated to be undersized so that the distance between fiducials on the mask is less than a desired distance, which may be the distance between corresponding fiducials on the workpiece. The mask is mounted on the frame, whereafter at least one side of the frame is heated to expand the side and stretch the mask to achieve the desired interfiducial distance.

This invention relates to a method for sizing a mask, such as a photolithographic mask, for alignment to a substrate. More particularly, this invention relates to such method wherein the mask is mounted in a frame comprising a side that is individually heated to stretch the mask and thereby achieve accurate dimensions therein.
In the manufacturer of microelectronic components, such as integrated circuit die or printed circuit boards, it is common practice to utilize a mask to limit processing to selected regions. By way of a common example, a photolithographic mask is employed to selectively expose and develop a photoresist layer. The photolithographic mask is formed of a thin polymeric film and is affixed to a glass plate. Precise alignment of the mask and the workpiece is required, particularly in forming fine features having dimensions of a hundred microns or less. For this purpose, the mask typically comprises fiducials and is aligned so that the fiducials in the mask register with fiducials on the workpiece. In order to obtain precise registration, the dimensions between fiducials on the mask must precisely correspond to the dimensions between fiducials on the workpiece. Difficulty is experienced in forming the mask with such precise dimensions. Moreover, even though formed with precise dimensions, the polymeric film is susceptible to variations in the ambient conditions, including particularly temperature and humidity. Because of a microscopic precision, variations of one or two degrees Centigrade or three or less percent relative humidity are sufficient to significantly effect the dimensions of the mask. Still further, in processing a series of substrates, variations occur in the features between individual substrates, which requires compensation in order to achieve precise location of features subsequently formed on the workpiece. Therefore, there is a need for precisely adjusting the dimension of a mask after the mask is formed and while at the workstation to bring the dimensions of the mask into congruence with the substrate.

In-situ sizing of photolithographic mask or the like, and frame therefore


A self-commutated power converter of a voltage-impressing converter having n high-power modules is described. These high-power modules are joined phasewise to a phase heat sink, respectively, in a detachable manner, and joined, one over another, to a partition in such a manner that their cooling fins protrude through openings of this partition into a ventilation space and each run horizontally, an air-discharge duct being arranged in the ventilation space, the air-discharge duct being designed in such a manner that the cooling air of the ventilation space flows laterally, in each case on both sides of the phase heat sinks, between the cooling fins into the air-discharge duct. Thus, a self-commutated power converter of a voltage-impressing converter is obtained whose size, weight and cost are considerably reduced compared to a power converter having a conventional design, and whose high-power modules are each fully utilized in terms of capacity.

On the market, voltage-source converters are available for three-phase drives up to several MW whose self-commutated power converter has a plurality of high-power modules. When working with these amounts of power, the self-commutated power converter has two inverters which are electrically connected in parallel. FIG. 1 shows an equivalent circuit diagram of a self-commutated power converter 2 of that kind. The two parallel-connected inverters 4 and 6 have IGBT high-power modules T1 through T6 and T1' through T6', respectively, as converter valves. IGBT high-power modules T1 through T6 of inverter 4 are mounted on a heat sink 8 (FIG. 2). In the same way, IGBT high-power modules T1' through T6' of inverter 6 are mounted on a heat sink 10 (FIG. 2).
In FIG. 2, these heat sinks 8 and 10 are illustrated with the appertaining IGBT high-power modules T1 through T6 and T1' through T6'. It can be deduced from this representation that IGBT high-power modules T1 through T6 and T1' through T6', respectively, are arranged one over another in the direction of flow of the cooling air. The heat sink used is shown in e.g., FIG. 4 of European Patent 0 658 934.
A disadvantage of this design of the power section of inverters 4 and 6 is that at least uppermost modules T1 and T1' receive a heated cooling air. The cooling air flowing in it heat sinks 8 and 10, respectively, heats up from IGBT module to IGBT module. Consequently, the cooling air can dissipate significantly less power loss at uppermost modules T1 and T1' than the cooling air at lowest modules T6 and T6'. To prevent inverters 4 and 6 from failure due to overheating of uppermost modules T1 and T1', respectively, self-commutated power converter 2 is technically rated by uppermost modules T1 and T1', respectively. Because of this, a power reduction of 20% can occur for self-commutated power converter 2. This means that, possibly, two IGBT high-power modules electrically connected in series must be provided per converter valve for a self-commutated heavy-duty power converter. In this manner, the illustrated problem would further intensify when working with an arrangement shown in FIG. 2, as a result of which one would have to expect a further increase in the power reduction. This means that the efficiency would further decline.
Moreover, these additional IGBT modules influence the size, the weight and the cost of the self-commutated power converter and, consequently, of the voltage-impressing converter, as well. Furthermore, when connecting at least two modules in series within such a converter arm, slightest differences in the switching times can already lead to unsymmetrical voltage sharing. Voltage differences of that kind can be prevented by an additional measure in the control. This additional outlay can be prevented by dividing the supply capacitor voltage into two parts by a center tap so that, in addition to the two potentials plus and minus, a potential zero results. By connecting the zero potential via in each case two additional midpoint diodes of each pair of arms, a "three-point power converter" results which is self-commutated.
In a paper entitled "Transistorwechselrichter fur Nahverkehrstriebfahrzeuge [Transistor Inverters For Outer-Suburban Service Traction Vehicles]", published in German Periodical "eb - Elektrische Bahnen [Electric Railways]" No. 11, pages 341 through 347, such a three-point inverter is depicted as self-commutated power converter. A three-point inverter of that kind uses the same number of modules per inverter arm as a two-point inverter having two modules per converter valve, respectively, but has significant advantages, which are discussed in chapter 3.1 of this paper.
Commercial IGBT modules are supplied as encapsulated modules which contain the actual IGBT and an antiparallel free-wheeling diode. Because of the isolated design of the semiconductors inside the module, the IGBT modules of the three-point inverter can be mounted on a shared heat sink without further measures for electrical isolation. The cooling air brushes over the lower side of the heat sink and does not come into contact with the electric components on the upper side. In this arrangement, only three IGBT modules are arranged side by side along the direction of flow of the cooling air. This arrangement has the disadvantage that, in the case of a fault of an inverter phase, the outlay for replacing one or more modules is quite considerable.

Self-commutated power converter of a voltage-impressing converter with N high-power modules


The Universal User Variable Control Utility (UUVCU) is a method and system provided to allow users increased variable control over electronic communication. This invention allows users to vary (not limited) symbols; color, movement rate, and add text. With this invention a child can manually or automatically signal a parent when in danger, a senior citizen or a Veteran can alert loved ones or caregivers in life threatening times of need. UUVCU in helping people provides real world value accomplished through practical application.

While there are large amounts of communication over the Internet, there is little to no ability for users to vary input for fun or critical needs. Users can select emojis, background colors and type text. However, a user can not modify or vary these elements to a more personalized or specific need. The UUVCU allows users to modify communications.
This Non-Provisional Patent Application is for a utility that will revolutionize Internet communications (not limited). It is called the Universal User Variable Utility (UUVCU). Essentially, UUVCU allows user input to customize heretofore non-customizable communications. The benefit is that UUVCU makes the Internet even more engaging, personal and critically supportive.
Three example uses of the UUVCU.
1. Social Media becomes personal as users vary responses as never before. UUVCU will enhance social media through additional engagement. Users will be thrilled to engage in new levels of emotional/data exchange.
2. Imagine a war veteran, a senior citizen, or a child at school, wearing a watch, bracelet etc (not limited). that reads biometric info. like heart rate, temperature, and perhaps endorphins (not limited). Then it automatically translates that info. to, lets say an emoji or data stream. That emoji/data can then share those feelings, happy or distressed, etc. with loved ones. A response to this UUVCU could make a soldier, senior or students day. We may even contribute to the saving of lives, increase of comfort, lower depression and reduce bullying.3. A business person could be trapped in one more boring meeting. Then an emoji arrives indicating their significant other lovingly and anxiously awaits their presence. In this case, UUVCU can save us all from boredom. Meeting adjourned.
"Hugs from the Heart" (Hugs) is an example App developed to allow users to send an emoji (not limited), like a heart (not limited). What is unique is that the user can vary the color, speed of heartbeat and embed text (not limited). See attached screenshots.

Universal user variable control utility (UUVCU)