To minimize harmful effects on operation due to scale adhesion while accommodating increase in the amount of generated chlorine bypass dust and suppress facility cost and running cost including medical agent cost low when incineration ash and dust contained in extracted cement kiln combustion gas are subject to water treatment.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a system for washing incineration ash generated when urban garbage and the like is burned and dust contained in combustion gas extracted from a kiln exhaust gas passage, which runs from an inlet end of a cement kiln to a bottom cyclone.
2. Description of the Related Art
In view of risk on the exhaustion of final disposal sites, incineration ash generated at the burning of urban garbage and the like is recycled for a cement raw material in recent years. Fly ash that is included in the urban garbage incineration ash and is transported together with gas and recovered by a dust collector contains chlorine component from 10 to 20 percent, which necessitates removal of chlorine component before recycled for a cement raw material. Then, the incineration fly ash is utilized for a cement raw material after soluble chloride compound included in the ash is removed through washing in a washing and desalting facility such as a belt filter.
Meanwhile, it is noticed that chlorine, sulfur, alkali and the like cause troubles such as preheater clogging in cement manufacturing facilities, and especially chlorine has the most harmful effect, so that a chlorine bypass system is used in order to remove chlorine by extracting a part of combustion gas from a kiln exhaust gas passage, which runs from an inlet end of a cement kiln to a bottom cyclone.
In this chlorine bypass system, for example, as described in the patent document 1, more chlorine is distributed on fine powder side of the dust, which is generated by cooling the extracted exhaust gas, so that the dust is separated into coarse powder and fine powder by a classifier, the coarse powder is returned to a cement kiln system, and the fine powder (chlorine bypass dust) containing separated potassium chloride and the like are recovered, and are added to a cement grinding mill system.
However, in recent years, recycling of waste including the incineration ash through conversion to cement raw material or fuel has been promoted and the quantity of the treated waste increases, which increases the quantity of volatile component such as chlorine brought to cement kilns. As a result, the quantity of the generated chlorine bypass dust increases also. Therefore, all of the chlorine bypass dust cannot be utilized in cement grinding process, so that the chlorine bypass dust also has been treated by washing.
In addition, the quantity of heavy metals brought to cement kilns increases as the quantity of the treated waste at cement manufacturing facilities increases, which may cause heavy metals to exceed allowable concentrations in cement. Therefore, for example, in a treatment for converting into cement raw material described in the patent document 2, desalting chlorine bypass dust and the like, which was washed in the past; adding water to waste including chlorine to allow chlorine in the waste to elute; filtrating the slurry to utilize obtained desalted cake as a cement raw material; removing heavy metals such as copper and lead by purifying the filtrate to promote effective utilization of chlorine bypass dust without causing environmental pollution.
Meanwhile, into the cement manufacturing processes are brought selenium (Se) and thallium (Ti) in addition to copper, lead and the like described above. For example, pulverized coal supplied to cement kilns and calciners contains approximately 1 ppm of thallium, and waste tires supplied thereto contains approximately 8 ppm of thallium. Since the thallium has a low boiling point and volatilizes between a kiln and a preheater of a cement burning device and most of the thallium concentrates at the preheater, as a result, the thallium is included, for instance, in a wastewater after chlorine bypass dust is treated.
As described above, conventionally, to recycle urban garbage incineration ash and the like as cement raw material, it might be necessary to remove chlorine component from fly ash and chlorine bypass dust and to remove heavy metals such as thallium, lead, selenium and the like from a filtrate obtained by washing the chlorine bypass dust, so that it is necessary to install a plurality of treatment facilities and to place workers to each treatment facility, which causes drastic rises of facility cost and running cost.
In this regard, in the patent document 3 is described a method for suppressing facility cost and running cost low when the urban garbage incineration ash and the like are recycled as a cement raw material by simultaneously performing washing incineration ash and chlorine bypass dust, and removing one or more selected from thallium, lead and selenium eluting in a filtrate obtained after the washing by adding sulfurizing agent and/or reducing agent to the filtrate.
Patent document 1: World Patent Publication WO97/21638 pamphlet
Patent document 2: Japanese Patent Publication 2000-281398 gazette
Patent document 3: Japanese Patent Publication 2007-268398 gazette
However, the quantity of the generated chlorine bypass dust has recently been increasing with further increase of the quantity of the treated waste including incineration ash described above. Thus, in case that incineration ash and chlorine bypass dust are simultaneously washed with the incineration ash treating method described in the patent document 3, medical agents for removing selenium and thallium, which are included in the chlorine bypass dust but are not included in the incineration ash, disperse allover the filtrate after the washing, so that a plenty of medical agent is consumed, resulting in drastic rise of medical cost. In addition, when mixing the filtrate after washing the incineration ash, which has high calcium concentration, and the filtrate after washing the chlorine bypass dust, which has high SO4 concentration, with each other, calcium sulfate (CaSO4) is generated, which prevents stable operation of a filtering device and a downstream wastewater treatment process due to scale adhering thereto. On the other hand, when independent washing facilities for separately washing the incineration ash and the chlorine bypass dust are installed, this causes facility cost and running cost to double.

Method for washing incineration ash and dust contained in extracted cement kiln combustion gas

Abstract: [Means for Solving Problems] A water treatment system 1 comprising: a dissolution tank 32 for dissolving a fly ash A in a water W; a dissolution tank 22 for dissolving a dust D contained in combustion gas extracted from a kiln exhaust gas passage running from an inlet end of a cement kiln to a bottom cyclone in a water W; and a vertical filter press 11 for separately filtering a slurry S2 fed from the dissolution tank 32 and a slurry S1 fed from the dissolution tank 22 from each other. It is possible to install water treatment facilities 33-35 for a filtrate L3 of the slurry containing fly ash discharged from the vertical filter press, and water treatment facilities 23-27 for a filtrate L1 of the slurry containing ash discharged from the filtering device.


Motor vehicle roof with a roof opening, a movable closing element to selectively close or at least partially clear the roof opening, a wind deflector in a front edge area of the roof opening and which is movable between lowered and fully raised positions, and a positioning device for setting intermediate positions of the wind deflector which has a holder which engages the wind deflector and a driven displacement mechanism for vertically displacing the wind deflector into the intermediate positions. The adjustment mechanism has a guide element which is driven by the drive into motion along the wind deflector with an inclined guideway along which an engagement element which is connected to the holder is movably guided. The engagement element is supported on a body-mounted carrier such that it can be moved with respect to the carrier only normal to the direction of motion of the guide element.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a motor vehicle roof with a roof opening and a wind deflector, a closing element which can be displaced to selectively close or at least partially clear the roof opening, in which the wind deflector is located in the area of the front edge of the roof opening and can be moved between a lowered and a fully raised position, and a positioning device for setting intermediate positions of the wind deflector which has a holder which engages the wind deflector and an movement mechanism which is driven by a drive which displaces the holder to dictate the intermediate positions of the wind deflector.
2. Description of Related Art
Generic motor vehicle roofs are known in which the wind deflector is mounted to be able to pivot around a roof-mounted axle which runs in the transverse direction of the roof and is elastically pretensioned in the direction of the completely raised position, the wind deflector being lowered against the pretensioning force when the closing element or the cover is being closed by means of the cover drive, and the holder which engages the wind deflector acting as a hold-down in the intermediate positions.
This generic motor vehicle roof is described, for example, in published German Patent Application DE 199 58 742 A1 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,823, the positioning device being located in the area of the front edge of the roof opening and being provided with a lever mechanism which has two mirror-symmetrical positioning rockers, one end of which forms a stop for the wind deflector and the other end of which is coupled to a control lever which sits on the driven shaft of the actuator. The comparatively large installation space required is the disadvantage in this approach.
Published German Patent Application DE 101 42 047 A1 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,486 discloses a similar construction, the stop for the wind deflector being determined by a wire of a shape memory alloy. Published French Patent Application FR 2 810 592 A1 describes a motor vehicle roof in which the wind deflector position can be set via a sheathed cable which engages the wind deflector. Published German Patent Application DE 101 46 285 A1 discloses a motor vehicle roof in which the stop for the raising of the wind deflector takes place via lateral control levers which are actuated by the cover. A similar motor vehicle roof is also described in published German Patent Application DE 198 09 943 A1.
Published European Patent Application EP 0 931 683 A2 discloses a motor vehicle roof in which the movement of the wind deflector takes place via a wind deflector servomotor which drives a pinion which is connected to the wind deflector via a drive cable.
Published German Patent Application DE 197 01 479 A1 describes a motor vehicle roof in which the wind deflector is displaced via a lateral control cam which is driven by the servomotor to be able to move in the lengthwise direction of the roof and which is made as a guide band, for example, in the form of a vertically arranged toothed belt.
Published German Patent Application DE 197 14 492 A1 describes a motor vehicle roof in which the wind deflector can be pivoted around a pivot axis which runs on its front end in the transverse direction of the roof, a guide element which is provided with a inclined guide path being permanently connected to the wind deflector and a guide pin which is driven into displacement motion in the transverse direction of the roof being engaged in the guide path such that, during the displacement motion of the guide pin in the transverse direction of the roof, pivoting of the guide element and thus of the wind deflector takes place.
Published German Patent Application DE 102 10 617 A1 describes a motor vehicle roof in which the stop for the raising motion of the wind deflector can be adjusted by means of one end of a control lever which is made as a rocker and the other end of which is controlled via a separate motor by a guide slot which runs in the lengthwise direction of the roof.
Published German Patent Application DE 39 13 567 A1 describes a motor vehicle roof in which a wind deflector is provided in the area of its top edge with additional elements which are supported on the wind deflector such that, if necessary, they can be pushed up over the top edge of the wind deflector, this taking place by a respective guide pin which is driven by a drive in the transverse direction of the roof fitting into an inclined guide path on the respective additional element by sliding.
The aforementioned motor vehicle roofs have different disadvantages. In part they do not allow any actuation of the wind deflector independent of the cover and the positioning device of the wind deflector requires a large amount of installation space or does not ensure reliable control of the wind deflector or requires relatively many components.

Motor vehicle roof with a roof opening and a wind deflector


An electric machine, such as a generator, providing for the generation of electricity and includes a rotor generating a magnetic field and a stator having stator windings. The interaction of the magnetic field with the stator windings generates current in the windings. The generator may provide the generated current to a power output of the generator, where it may be further transmitted to an electrical load to power the load.

Electric machines, such as generators, provide for the generation of electricity from a mechanical force. The generation of the electricity occurs due to the interaction of a rotating magnetic field in relation to a set of conductive windings. In one generator example, a rotor rotated by a mechanical force may generate the rotating magnetic field relative to a stationary stator having a set of conductive windings. The interaction generates a current in the stator windings, which may be provided to the power output of the generator, where it may be further transmitted to power an electrical load.

Method of making a heat transfer element for an electric machine


A flow rate-measuring apparatus comprises a housing having a passage for supplying a liquid thereto, and a pair of detecting sections provided at both ends of the housing, and which contain sonic wave transmitter/receiver sections capable of transmitting and receiving sonic wave signals. Cover members are installed on each of the detecting sections, wherein the cover members face the passage in the housing. Curved surfaces, which expand toward the passage, are provided respectively on ends of the cover members.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flow rate-measuring apparatus for detecting the flow rate of a liquid on the basis of a difference in propagation velocity obtained when sonic waves are propagated via the liquid.
2. Description of the Related Art
A flow rate-measuring apparatus has been hitherto known, which comprises, for example, a pair of transmitter/receiver units arranged on upstream and downstream sides of a conduit through which a fluid flows, wherein ultrasonic waves transmitted from one transmitter/receiver unit are reflected by an inner wall surface of the conduit and the ultrasonic waves are received by the other transmitter/receiver unit in order to measure a flow velocity or flow rate of the fluid, on the basis of a difference in propagation velocity of the ultrasonic waves.
As shown in FIG. 7, such a flow rate-measuring apparatus 1 comprises a measuring conduit 4, which includes a supply conduit 2 for supplying the liquid and a discharge conduit 3 for discharging the liquid. A first measuring head 5 is provided at one end of the measuring conduit 4, and a second measuring head 6 is provided at the other end of the measuring conduit 4. The first and second measuring heads 5, 6 have transducers therein, which function as a sonic wave transmitter or a sonic wave receiver. For example, a pulsed sonic wave signal is transmitted from the first measuring head 5, wherein the second measuring head 6, which serves as the sonic wave receiver, receives the sonic wave signal. Subsequently, the first measuring head 5 is switched so as to function as a receiver, to receive a sonic wave signal transmitted from the second measuring head 6 (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-83715).
In the case of the conventional technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-83715, when bubbles are contained in the liquid, such bubbles adhere to the inner wall surface of the measuring conduit 4, which is disposed in opposition to the first and second measuring heads 5, 6. The bubbles 7 inhibit propagation of the sonic wave signals, making it impossible for the first and second measuring heads 5, 6 to accurately receive the sonic wave signals. As a result, it is difficult to correctly measure the flow rate of the liquid on the basis of sonic wave signals.


A hardware and/or software facility facilitates search string entry and refinement on a mobile device. A user enters a search string on a mobile device via one or more input methods. The facility searches the user's device and/or one or more remote data areas and returns search results that match the entered search string. Search results include, for example, information, links, files, and other results that correspond to the search string. Before and/or after the search is performed, the facility applies one or more filters that produce refined search results. Filters may relate to location, category, synonyms, data type, social-network, and other groupings—including user-defined groupings—that may refine the search results. Filters may be applied automatically and/or in response to user selection of a filter.

As mobile devices continue to become more prevalent, and as the amount of information that may be accessed by mobile devices increases, it can be challenging for mobile device users to locate relevant information quickly. Searching for information on a mobile device is different than searching for information on a traditional computer system in several ways. First, a mobile device display screen is considerably smaller than a traditional computer monitor, which limits the screen space that is available for a search interface and the display of search results. Second, mobile devices are subject to a greater time lag during a search than a personal computer. A search string is sent from the mobile device to a remote server, processed, and search results returned to the mobile device. Third, the search results that will be most relevant for a user of a mobile device may differ from those that are most relevant for a user of a personal computer. A mobile device user is typically looking for information that relates to something the user is doing at the moment, such as searching for information about a particular location or answering a specific question. Mobile device users are not typically performing extensive research, accessing large or numerous files, or other activities for which a traditional computer is usually used. Finally, communication by voice is much more common on a mobile device than on a personal computer.
A search interface that allows mobile device users to locate relevant information in a timely manner, while taking advantage of the unique mobile device environment, is therefore desired.

Method and system for search string entry and refinement on a mobile device


A Ca2+ dependent recombinant antibody that specifically binds to a specific twelve peptide sequence (E D Q V D P R L I D G K) in the activation region of the Protein C has been constructed. The antibody does not bind to Activated Protein C and can be used to inhibit activation of Protein C by thrombin-thrombomodulin, in purification of Protein C, and in treatment of tumors.

This invention is generally in the area of antibodies to plasma proteins, specifically Protein C, and methods for use thereof.
Protein C is a vitamin K-dependent plasma protein zymogen to a serine protease. Upon activation it becomes a potent anticoagulant. Activated protein C acts through the specific proteolysis of the procoagulant cofactors, factor VIIIa and factor Va. This activity requires the presence of another vitamin K-dependent protein, protein S, calcium and a phospholipid (presumably cellular) surface. As described in Hemostasis and Thrombosis: Basic Principles and Clinical Practice 2nd Ed., Colman, R. W., et al., p. 263 (J.B.Lippincott, Philadelphia, Pa. 1987), protein C circulates in a two-chain form, with the larger, heavy chain bound to the smaller light chain through a single disulfide link. A small proportion of the protein also circulates in a single chain form, where a Lys-Arg dipeptide in the molecule connects the light chain directly to the heavy chain.
Protein C is activated to activated protein C (APC). Thrombin is capable of activating protein C by the specific cleavage of the Arg12-Leu13 bond in the heavy chain. In vivo, in the presence of physiological concentrations of calcium, the rate of this activation is enhanced dramatically when thrombin is bound to the endothelial cell cofactor, thrombomodulin. Matschiner, et al., Current Advances in Vitamin K Research, pp. 135–140, John W. Suttie, ed. (Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc. 1988) have further reviewed the role of the Vitamin K dependent proteins in coagulation.
Protein C has been shown to have major importance in vivo. Patients deficient in protein C, or its cofactor, protein S, show pronounced thrombotic tendencies. Babies born totally deficient in protein C exhibit massive disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and a necrotic syndrome which leads to death within the first few weeks of life if untreated. Activated protein C has also been shown to protect animals against the coagulopathic and lethal effects of endotoxin shock, as described by Taylor, et al., in J. Clin. Invest. 79, 918–925 (1987).
As first reported by Kisiel, in J. Clin. Invest. 64, 761–769 (1979), Protein C was originally isolated in semi-pure form from plasma using classic protein purification techniques, including barium citrate adsorption and elution, ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, dextran sulfate agarose chromatography, and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This procedure was vastly improved and facilitated by the discovery of a unique antibody to Protein C, designated HPC-4, described by Stearns, et al., in J. Biol. Chem. 263(2), 826–832 (1988). As detailed by Esmon, et al., at the Joint IABS/CSL Symposium on Standardization in Blood Fractionation including Coagulation Factors, Melbourne, Australia 1986 (reported in Develop. Biol. Standard., 67, 51–57 (S. Karger, Basel, 1987), Protein C can be isolated from human plasma by batch adsorption of diluted heparinized plasma on QAE Sephadex, washing with buffered 0.15 M NaCl and eluting with 0.5 M NaCl, recalcifying and batch adsorbing with HPC-4, then washing with a Ca2+ containing buffer and eluting the Protein C with an EDTA containing buffer. HPC-4 is a calcium-dependent monoclonal antibody to human protein C. The epitope recognized by the antibody has been identified and corresponds to the stretch of amino acids in the zymogen of protein C which spans the thrombin cleavage site. Activated protein C is not recognized by HPC-4. HPC-4 is disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,253 to Esmon, et al.
Several antibodies to human protein C have been reported, for example, by Laurell, et al., FEBS Letts. 191(1), 75–81 (1985); Wakabayashi, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 261, 11097–11105 (1986); Sugo, et al., Thromb. Hemost. Abstrs., Brussells, 229 (1987); and Ohlin, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 262, 13798–13804 (1988). Some of these are calcium dependent, for example, one of the antibodies reported by Laurell, et al. However, as far as can be determined in the published reports, this dependence is due to the requirement for calcium binding to the light chain of protein C and the antibodies recognize epitopes on the light chain. Other antibodies recognize the region around the thrombin cleavage site on the heavy chain, but these are not calcium dependent. The HPC-4 antibody of Ohlin, et al., is Ca2+ dependent but is not directed against the activation region, and is therefore different from the antibody described in Stearns, et al., and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,253 to Esmon, et al.
All of the other antibodies that bind to the Ca2+ stabilized regions of Protein C recognize both Protein C and the activated form of Protein C. Situations may arise in which the protein uncontaminated by its active form is desirable. This is particularly the case with reference to therapeutic uses of the antibody to inhibit Protein C activation.
Blockage of the natural anticoagulant pathways, in particular the protein C pathway, uses the natural procoagulant properties of the tumor to target the tumor capillaries for microvascular thrombosis, leading to hemorrhagic necrosis of the tumor, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,638 to Esmon, et al. HPC-4 is a preferred antibody for use in this method for the treatment of solid tumors, either alone or in conjunction with biological response modifiers, chemotherapy or radiation treatments.
Tumors contain proteins which predispose to the formation of blood clots in the vessels in the tumor bed. Tumors also contain other proteins and cellular elements which prevent thrombosis of tumor blood vessels. Tumor necrosis results from altering the hemostatic balance between procoagulant and anticoagulant mechanisms to favor thrombosis of the tumor microvasculature. The hemostatic balance of the tumor can be altered by blocking the conversion of protein C to its active form (activated protein C). The procoagulant mechanisms present in the tumor bed will then function without opposition and cause thrombosis of the tumor vessels. The epitope for the HPC-4 antibody spans the activation site in protein C and as a result blocks protein C activation. As an experimental tool it is important to note that the antibody cross-reacts with protein C from canine, porcine and at least two primate plasmas, baboon and marmoset. It does not cross-react with bovine or mouse protein C. The inhibitory effect can be reversed instantly by administration of activated protein C to which the antibody does not bind. The antibody therefore provides a means to selectively inhibit the protein C pathway in vivo and to reverse the process if thrombotic complications ensue at sites other than the tumor. The Protein C blocking agent is preferably administered in combination with a cytokine that stimulates natural killer and lymphokine-activated killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity, activates macrophages, stimulates Fc receptor expression on mononuclear cells and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, enhances HLA class II antigen expression, and/or stimulates procoagulant activity, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-2 (IL-2), gamma interferon (gamma-IFN), or granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GMCSF). Alternatively, an agent such as endotoxin, or the purified liposaccharide (LPS) from a gram negative bacteria such as E. coli, can be used to elicit production of cytokines such as TNF.
HPC-4, despite its wonderful properties, is a murine antibody. It would be advantageous to be able to provide a humanized form of the antibody which is non-immunogenic or less immunogenic. In order to construct a humanized form of HPC-4 it is essential to know the sequence of the hypervariable regions of this antibody. Then using conventional mutagenesis methods developed in molecular biology it is possible to replace the sequence of hypervariable regions of an unrelated human antibody with the sequences of HPC-4 hypervariable regions. Such an approach has been successfully used in the humanization of other antibodies. Furthermore by knowing the sequence of the hypervariable region it may be possible to synthesize short peptides corresponding to the hypervariable regions of the HPC-4 antibody which could mimic HPC-4 and bind to the same region on protein C and prevent activation of protein C by thrombin-thrombomodulin complex. Such peptides could be very effective in disease states where promoting of the clotting is desired.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a recombinant Ca2+ dependent antibody which binds to the activation region of Protein C like HPC-4.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a DNA sequence encoding the hypervariable region of an antibody like HPC-4.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method and means for using this Ca2+ dependent antibody for therapeutic purposes.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide this Ca2+ dependent antibody, antibodies, peptide derivatives and conjugates thereof, for diagnostic purposes.

Calcium binding recombinant antibody against protein C


A vehicle slider assembly has a frame, upon which a fixed panel and an upper and a lower track are attached, and a slider panel assembly that moves in the tracks. The frame defines a window opening that the moving slider panel assembly opens and closes. The interior surfaces of the frame provide constant sealing surfaces for seals attached to the outwardly directed slider panel surfaces. The lower horizontal portion of the frame is adjacent to the lower track and has drain holes through it. The lower track has a reservoir channel defined in it, such that, moisture that is interior to the vehicle slider assembly accumulates in the reservoir channel and flows through the drain holes to the exterior of the vehicle slider assembly. An appliqué may be disposed over the exterior of the lower frame portion so that the flow of the moisture is hidden in an unencumbered and aesthetically pleasing manner.

It is known that pickup trucks and other related vehicles have a rear window, or backlite, that is mounted in the vehicle body opening, often immediately behind seats in the vehicle passenger compartment. Typically, such backlites are supplied to vehicle manufacturers as a one piece or as a stand-alone frame assembly for installation in new vehicles being manufactured on an assembly line.
In some of these vehicles, the backlite is provided with a sliding panel mechanism and a seal system (commonly known as a slider), which opens and closes over an opening in the backlite, so as to allow, for example, outside air to enter the vehicle compartment and to allow for passing of objects through the backlite opening. Sliders, in which a sliding panel moves in either a horizontal direction or a vertical direction, typically comprise at least one sliding panel that utilizes, for example, frame channels, rails, or tracks to facilitate sliding motion. In addition, a frame, with an attached seal(s), acts to seal out moisture and noise from entering the vehicle compartment at the periphery of the backlite.
It is common for the stand-alone backlite assembly to be molded and subsequently mounted into the vehicle body opening in the vehicle body frame, where the backlite assembly is secured to the vehicle body opening with adhesives and/or mechanical fastening devices, for example, studs. A urethane adhesive is frequently used in backlite applications, such adhesive being applied to a mounting surface of the vehicle body opening and/or the backlite assembly, prior to the moment at which these two structures are brought into bonding contact.
In addition to the slider panel, some of the vertical slider assemblies have two fixed panels (hence, they are known as partial sliders), which typically are positioned on either side of the backlite opening. Each fixed panel has a substantially vertically oriented panel edge, on which a vertical track and/or division post are often disposed.
Typically, for the horizontal sliders, the backlite opening is further defined by an upper header member and a lower beltline support member. In addition, for the horizontal sliders, the slider panel is typically moved in a horizontal direction behind one or both of the fixed panels that span the vehicle opening (along horizontal tracks that are commonly disposed on or near the fixed panels) and then, is moved to cover the backlite opening. These movements of the sliding panel may be provided by manual or electromechanical means.
Some slider assemblies are further designated as being flush where the sliding panel is in the plane of the fixed panel(s) when the sliding panel completely closes the backlite opening, or the complete window assembly may be in the plane of a vehicle body panel. Various ways to achieve flush orientation to fixed panels are, for example, by utilizing guide pins, ramps, and cams to move the sliding panel into the backlite opening.
Further, it is common for most slider assemblies to allow moisture to enter a vehicle compartment, but, on the other hand, it is difficult to remove the moisture from within the passenger compartment near the lower interior portion of the slider assembly, below the backlite opening. This accumulated moisture may be the result of evaporation and/or thawing of water/frost/ice on the interior of the window panels, or moisture may enter the vehicle compartment through the backlite opening by seeping between the panels when the sliding panel completely covers the backlite opening or when the slider panel is partially opened over the backlite opening. Thus, it is best to remove such accumulated moisture in order to prevent corrosion or other moisture-related damage in the interior of the passenger compartment.
However, for a variety of reasons, the necessary removal of moisture has not always been handled in a systematic and an aesthetically pleasing manner. Hence, a better means of moisture removal for a vehicle slider is sought that provides reliable, unencumbered drainage of moisture from a vehicle near the lower interior of the slider assembly at the backlite opening, to the exterior of the vehicle. In addition, the drainage of moisture should be accomplished in a systematic and an aesthetically pleasing manner.


A therapeutic back support device including a back support portion that automatically and repeatedly moves forward to maintain engagement with a user's back as the user moves forward with respect to a chair seat. The back support portion substantially resists backward motion and provides substantially continuous therapeutic support to the user's spine pending a release signal.

It is widely acknowledged that the level and nature of physical activity experienced by individuals in and out of the workplace is changing. In particular, the rapid expansion of knowledge work and automation in the workplace has resulted in changes in the physical and physiological demands of many jobs. In like fashion, leisure activities and avocations increasingly involve, for example, operating the user interface of a computer or other equipment. While it is widely understood that these changes in the nature of a portion of such human activities have an affect on physiology and health, understanding remains, in some ways, rudimentary. Consequently, despite vigorous efforts by skilled practitioners to improve worker support technology, including seating technology, significant limitations of that technology remain.
One type of conventional chair includes a seat, a backrest, a base, and armrests. An occupant of the conventional chair sits on an upper surface of the seat. The seat is supported by the base. The occupant typically rests his or her back against the backrest.
The backrest is typically utilized to provide back support to the occupant of a chair. The backrest allows the occupant of the chair to rest his or her back against the backrest, thereby alleviating excess strain.
With some conventional chairs, a user is able to modify the horizontal position of the backrest by adjusting a knob or another similar controller.
With other conventional chairs, the chair has a reclining (i.e., tilting) backrest that is configured to tilt back when an occupant leans against the backrest and to tilt forward to an upright position when an occupant leans forward.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Therapeutic back support and stabilization


A mobile communication and localization device cooperating with a plurality of mobile network devices includes a processing unit; a data structure containing a plurality of entries, each entry containing information about a corresponding mobile network device and a corresponding time stamp; a unit for sending data packets at respective transmission instants, each data packet containing position data indicating the position of corresponding mobile network devices; a unit for receiving data packets sent by sender mobile devices belonging to the plurality of mobile network devices; and a unit for determining the relative position of corresponding mobile network devices based on position data contained in the data packets.

As known, many private telecommunications systems are currently available which are generally referred to as Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) systems, i.e. mobile radio systems for professional users, such as police corps, building staff, rescue services, etc.
Current PMR systems typically comprise one or more repeaters (base stations) and a plurality of mobile devices, also referred to as mobile terminals, which can communicate with one another and with the base stations within the VHF (Very High Frequency) or UHF (Ultra High Frequency) bands.
As far as performance is concerned, the PMR systems currently in use allow their users, equipped with respective mobile devices, to communicate with one another even when they are many kilometers apart, i.e. they allow to obtain wide coverage areas.
Communication takes place when the mobile devices gain access to a radio channel shared by the mobile devices themselves. For security reasons, this access is granted to enabled mobile devices only, so that closed groups of users of corresponding PMR systems are formed; the management of said groups, i.e. the administration of user permissions, may also take place dynamically.
Unlike cellular networks, wherein communications are of the point-to-point type, i.e. the data is sent by a first mobile device and received by a second mobile device only, in PMR systems communications are generally of the point-multipoint type, i.e. the data is sent by a first mobile device and received by all other mobile devices belonging to the same group. Moreover, communications are typically of the "push to talk, release to listen" (PTT) type, i.e. a mobile device gains access to the radio channel when the user presses a push-button available on the mobile device itself.
Within the frame of the above-mentioned PMR systems, communications among different mobile devices occur in compliance with communication standards such as, for example, the Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) standard, the Project 25 standard and the MPT1327 standard (first generation trunked radio standard).
The TETRA standard requires a network infrastructure, also known as Switching and Management Infrastructure (SwMI), comprising a network of base stations (BS) and configured for arbitrating the communications among the various mobile devices by allocating corresponding radio resources.
According to the TETRA standard, different radio interface types, i.e. different communication modes (protocols), may be used, among which: a direct mode (Direct Mode Operation, DMO), wherein mobile devices establish communications directly between each other; an infrastructural or trunked mode (Trunked Mode Operation, TMO), wherein mobile devices communicate exclusively through the network infrastructure SwMI; a repeater mode, wherein a mobile device acts as a repeater of signals emitted by mobile devices operating in DMO mode, thus widening the network coverage; and a gateway mode (Gateway Mode Operation, GMO), wherein a mobile device acts as an intermediary between a group of mobile devices operating in DMO mode and a group of mobile devices operating in TMO mode. There are also TETRA radio interfaces optimized for voice and data traffic (voice plus data, V+D) and for data packet traffic (packet data optimized, PDO); in particular, in the case of a mobile device implementing a V+D radio interface, the mobile device will operate in "trunking" mode, i.e. it will use and release the radio channel in a dynamical manner, thereby allowing the radio channel to be effectively shared by different user groups.
Thanks to the presence of a network infrastructure, PMR systems compliant with the TETRA standard typically offer the following services to their users: group voice calls in half-duplex and PTT mode, emergency calls, dynamic group management, hierarchical communication management by means of priority mechanisms, and digital data transmission, though at low bit rates. In particular, the TETRA standard allows compliant mobile devices to operate as cellular telephones, i.e. terminals connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) through the SwMI network infrastructure, as well as to make group calls through the election of a "dispatcher", i.e. a mobile device adapted to distribute the signals emitted by the single mobile devices to other mobile devices belonging to the same group.
The Project 25 communication standard, commonly used in North America, is similar to the TETRA standard and comprises eight different communication interfaces. Mobile devices compliant with the Project 25 standard can communicate with traditional radio equipment in analog mode and with one another both digitally and analogically. In particular, communications among mobile devices take place by default through the mediation of a repeater, although the Project 25 standard also includes a mode called "talk around" according to which mobile devices can communicate directly without requiring the mediation of a network infrastructure.
Finally, the MPT1327 standard is a communication standard for industrial PMR systems. In addition to mobile devices, it also requires the presence of a system controller (trunking system controller) and a network infrastructure. In more detail, PMR systems compliant with the MPT 1327 standard comprise multiple radio channels, one of which is defined as a control channel (CC), whereas the remaining channels are defined as traffic channels (TC). Communications between mobile devices and network infrastructure take place over the control channel, while communications between mobile devices take place over traffic channels, thus allowing for both point-to-point calls and group calls.
The above-mentioned communication standards provide group communications over large geographical areas, but they offer no support for localizing the mobile devices, nor they allow for digital communications at high bit rates.
In order to overcome these drawbacks, and in particular to increase the speed of transmission of digital data, enhanced communication systems have been proposed which integrate mobile devices of the aforementioned type together with broadband devices, i.e. devices capable of providing digital communications at high bit rates, e.g. devices supporting the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technologies.
So-called Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANET) have also been developed, which are networks of mobile devices, commonly referred to as nodes, that implement a coordination algorithm in a distributed or centralized manner so as to carry out those functions traditionally performed by a network infrastructure, e.g. data routing. Said networks of mobile devices can also operate in the absence of any external infrastructure, but they provide no information to the users about the position of the other users, and therefore they do not provide mutual localization of the mobile devices, thus being unsuitable for professional use, which requires a prompt localization of users possibly in trouble.
On the other hand, mobile radio communication devices are known which comprise localization apparatuses such as, for example, the Global Positioning System (GPS) or simpler Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) labels. Mobile radio communication devices are also known which are integrated into GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) systems, and which allow to estimate the position of a cellular telephone based on the identifier of the cell in which the cellular telephone is located.
For example, patent application U.S. Pat. No. 6,373,430 describes a portable GPS/radio unit communicating through a wireless network with at least one second unit which sends radio signals indicating its own position. The GPS/radio unit comprises a GPS receiver configured for receiving satellite signals from a plurality of satellites, a radio receiver configured for receiving radio signals sent by the second unit, a processor configured for calculating the position of the unit depending on the incoming satellite signals and for identifying the position of the second unit on the basis of the incoming radio signals, and a screen configured for showing the position of the second unit.
Similarly, patent application EP1162474 describes a portable apparatus comprising a GPS-type positioning device capable of communicating its own current position to another portable apparatus. The apparatus also comprises a device adapted to acquire a geographical map and a screen adapted to show the current position of another portable apparatus with reference to said geographical map.
Instead, patent application EP1576386 describes a cartographic localization device fitted with a screen, a keyboard, wireless communication means and GPS localization means. Known mobile devices, also including therefore the devices described in EP1576386, EP1162474 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,373,430, as well as the corresponding systems consisting of mobile devices and a network infrastructure, suffer from several drawbacks. In particular, in the case of mobile devices using the GPS system, localization is very accurate due to the utilization of GPS receivers, which however require adequate visibility of the sky vault in order to be able to receive and correlate the signals coming from the satellite constellation. Vice versa, in the case of low-cost mobile devices using RFID labels, localization is only possible over small areas, since RFID labels draw little power and the emitted signals cannot reach distances longer than a few meters. Finally, localization systems based on GSM networks are often affected by considerable inaccuracy, which makes them unsuitable for professional use; furthermore, they can only be implemented by telephone companies, since the mapping of the cells of a GSM network is not of public knowledge.
Also, the mobile devices known in the art can only determine their own and other mobile devices' geographical positions in the presence of a localization system, whether satellite or terrestrial type. For this reason, communication and localization systems comprising mobile devices like those described above are not generally suitable for use within closed spaces or where there is no network coverage. Moreover, the close dependence of the systems described above on the presence of network coverage makes them unsuitable for use in emergency situations, wherein no service provision uncertainty due to possible network coverage interruptions is admissible.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a mobile communication and localization device which at least partly overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.
The present invention discloses a mobile communication and localization device as set out in claim 1.

Mobile communication and localization device


A ball screw integrated type linear movement guiding unit including a guide rail, a male-threaded screw shaft, a nut having a female-threaded screw hole formed therein and end caps fastened to the opposite end surface of the nut, wherein a plurality of first through holes are drilled through the nut in the axial direction for building a linear movement guiding system in cooperation with ball rolling grooves on the guide rail and the nut, a plurality of second through holes are drilled through the nut in the axial direction in parallel with the first through holes for building a ball screw system in cooperation with ball screw grooves in the screw shaft and the ball screw grooves on the screw shaft, a plurality of first curved passages are formed in each of the end caps while building the linear movement guiding system in cooperation with the first through holes, and a plurality of second curved passages are formed in each of the end caps while building the ball screw system in cooperation with the second through holes. Each of the first and second curved passages is built by forming a semicircular recess having a large diameter and a semicylindrical recess having a small diameter in each of the end plates and then fitting a semicylindrical return guide to the semicylindrical recess.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a ball screw integrated type linear movement guiding unit preferably employable for, e.g., an actuating arm of a robot, a X-Y coordinate table or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a ball screw integrated type linear movement guiding unit which assures operation at a high speed, position determination with high accuracy and reduction of the number of components required for constructing the guiding unit.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A typical conventional ball screw integrated type linear movement guiding unit is disclosed in a Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Hei. 2-12554.
This conventional guiding unit includes a male-threaded screw shaft having a spirally extending ball screw groove formed around the outer surface thereof and a guide rail of which opposite side walls have an axially extending ball rolling groove formed on the inside wall surface, respectively, while the screw shaft is interposed between both the side walls of the guide rail. A nut is threadably engaged with the screw shaft via a number oddballs rolling through the ball screw groove. In addition, ball rolling grooves are formed on the opposite surfaces of the nut corresponding to the ball rolling grooves on both the side walls of the guide rail so that the nut linearly axially moves in the forward/rearward direction via a number of balls rolling through the aforementioned ball rolling grooves.
With the conventional guiding unit constructed in the above-described manner, however, since a ball recirculating section in a ball screw system for recirculating balls through the ball screw groove on the screw shaft and the ball screw groove in the nut is constructed in a so-called U-shaped ball recirculating tube type so as to allow it to be fitted to the upper part of the nut, it is practically difficult that the screw shaft is designed to have a long lead. Thus, there arises a problem that it is difficult to satisfy requests raised from users for operation at a higher speed and position determination, with higher accuracy.
On the other hand, a ball recirculating section in a linear movement guiding system for recirculating balls through the ball rolling grooves on the guide rail and the nut is designed in the form of an U-shaped curved passage to be individually attached to the opposite end surface of the nut. Thus, there arises another problem that the number of components required for constructing the guiding unit is unavoidably increased, and moreover, an assembling operation is performed only with many manhours.

Ball screw integrated type linear movement guiding unit


An inventive mold is adapted to adhere skin materials having a boundary portion and a resin to each other, and is provided with a resin blocking member which is so embedded as to extend substantially along the boundary portion of the skin materials placed in the mold, and a movable member for projecting the resin blocking member from a molding surface. If such a mold is used, a flow of the resin supplied into the mold can be controlled by projecting the resin blocking member to thereby control an arrival timing of the resin at the boundary portion. Thus, displacement of the boundary portion and wrinkling can be securely prevented from occurring.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mold effectively used for producing a multilayer molded article in which skin materials are adhered to a base member made of a thermoplastic resin, and a method for producing a multilayer molded article.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multilayer molded article in which skin materials are adhered to the outer surface of a base member made of a thermoplastic resin is excellent in aspect of production costs, lightweight property and shape-imparting property and is frequently used in a wide range of fields including interior parts (e.g. door trims, instrument panels) of automotive vehicles and interior and exterior parts of household appliances.
Molded objects having a plurality of design surfaces formed on the outer surfaces thereof (hereinafter may also be referred to as "multifaced molded objects") are known as the above multilayer molded articles. For example, if a plurality design surfaces having different patterns or materials are formed, the outer surfaces of a base member can be effectively decorated. Molded objects in which one skin material having a plurality of design surfaces is adhered to the base member and molded objects in which a plurality of skin materials are adhered to the base member are known as the above multifaced molded objects. A molded object having a plurality of skin materials adhered thereto is produced, for example, by producing a multilayer molded article according to a molding method for supplying a molten resin to the rear surfaces of a skin material and adhering the skin material and the resin (injection molding method, compression molding method, etc.), then by producing a plurality of multilayer molded articles by the same way, and then by joining these multilayer molded articles on the same plane by, e.g. heat sealing (fusing). The multifaced molded object is also produced by producing a resin base member by an injection molding method, a press molding method (compression molding method) or the like, and adhering a plurality of skin materials to the outer surface of the base member. However, joint portions of the base members may lack strength according to the former method, whereas the skin materials may come off according to the latter method.
As a method for solving these problems, a method is known according to which, for example, a mold comprised of a pair of male and female mold parts are used, two skin materials are inserted into the mold parts with the rear surfaces thereof faced toward the male mold part after being adhered adjacent to each other on the same plane, a molten resin is supplied from the male mold part to adhere the skin materials and the resin. FIG. 1 is a schematic top plan view of a multifaced molded object (planned) sought to be produced by the above producing method, FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the multifaced molded object (planned) when viewed from front, FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic sectional view used for the explanation of the producing method, and FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the multifaced molded object actually produced by the producing method. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the planned (aimed) multifaced molded object is such that two skin materials (first skin material 1, second skin material 2) are adhered adjacent to each other on the outer surface of a base member 4 made of a thermoplastic resin. A boundary portion (boundary line) 3 between the skin materials 1 and 2 forms a straight line. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a joined skin material in which the first and second skin materials 1, 2 are joined at the boundary portion 3 is inserted into a mold comprised of a male mold part 14 and a female mold part 15 in the case of producing the multifaced molded object. The joined skin material is inserted with the rear surfaces thereof faced toward the male mold part 14 and the front surfaces thereof held in contact with the female mold part 15. A first gate 11 for supplying a molten resin to the rear surface of the first skin material 1 and a second gate 12 for supplying a molten resin to the rear surface of the second skin material 2 are formed in a molding surface (mold surface) of the male mold part 14, and the molten resin is supplied from these gates 11, 12 (see FIG. 3). Then, the female mold part 15 is moved toward the male mold part 14 to mold the resin while pressing it (see FIG. 4). However, according to such a method, the resin coming out from one gate (resin 21 coming out from the first gate 11 in this example) may reach the boundary portion (joined portion) 3 earlier than the resin coming out from the other gate (resin 22 coming out from the second gate 12 in this example), resulting in displacement of the boundary portion 3. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, the boundary portion 3 between the first and second skin material 1 and 2 meanders, making it difficult to form a straight line (planned line).
In view of the above, a method for molding a resin while fixing a boundary portion 3 has been proposed (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-175111). FIGS. 6 and 7 are schematic sectional views used for the explanation of this method. This example differs from the one shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 in that a boundary portion 3 between skin materials 1 and 2 is held by a fixing jig 50 embedded in a male mold part 14 (see FIG. 6). However, even if the boundary portion 3 is fixed, an unfixed portion of the boundary portion 3 may be strongly pushed as shown in FIG. 7 if one resin 21 reaches the boundary portion (joined portion) 3 earlier than the other resin 22, resulting in a large displacement of the boundary portion 3. Therefore, similar to the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the boundary portion 3 may meander in this example as well.
In the above examples, the two skin materials are used. However, even in the case of using one skin material, the position of the boundary portion may be displaced if a plurality of design surfaces is formed on its outer surface.
Regardless of whether two skin materials are used or one skin material is used, arrival timings of the resins at the boundary portion may largely differ if the design surfaces have largely different areas, if the molded object has a complicated projected and recessed shape, or if the number of the gates increased due to the large size of the molded object. Such largely different arrival timings are likely to degrade the appearance of the molded object due to a displacement of the boundary portion and wrinkling near the boundary portion.

Mold for producing a multilayer molded article and a method for producing a multilayer molded article


A voltage booster circuit including an input for receiving a supply voltage, a plurality of stages for producing an output voltage from the supply voltage by the transfer of charges between at least two of the plurality of stages, and circuit for coupling and decoupling stages to vary the number of stages operatively connected together. A method for producing an output voltage from a supply voltage by using a voltage booster circuit, the circuit includes an input for receiving the supply voltage, a plurality of stages, and a selection switch for the selective isolation of the stages or for the selective connection of the stage. The method includes the following steps: starting the circuit; comparing the value of the output voltage with a decrementation threshold; and decreasing the number of stages which are connected if the decrementation threshold is reached by the value of the output voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a charge pump type of voltage booster circuit with a controlled number of stages. It is useful in any integrated circuit in which it is sought to produce a DC voltage of high value from a supply voltage. The invention is useful for example in the field of circuits comprising an electrically programmable memory.
A charge pump type of voltage booster circuit is used to produce a voltage within a circuit from a supply voltage received from outside, by transferring charges between consecutive capacitors so that the voltage produced (positive or negative) is greater in terms of absolute value than the supply voltage.
This type of circuit is used chiefly to supply capacitive circuits. For example, circuits of this kind are used in the field of electrically programmable volatile memories using metal-oxide-semiconductor ("MOS") type floating-gate transistors as storage cells, to produce programming and/or erasure voltages. The programming and erasure of these memories indeed requires voltage levels (of about 10 to 20 volts for example) far greater than that of the supply voltage generally used in integrated circuits (typically in the range of 3 to 5 volts).
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 shows a known circuit, of the charge pump type (hereinafter called a charge pump) used to supply a capacitive type of circuit with a positive output voltage Vout produced from a supply voltage VCC. A circuit of this kind is described in the European patent 0 591 022 B1 owned by SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics S.A.
The schematic diagram of the pump is shown in FIG. 1. It has a set of n (with n as an integer) elementary stages C1 to Cn whose structure is illustrated in FIG. 2. The stages are series-connected between an input E and an output S and receive driving signals FX, FBX, FN, FBN called phases (illustrated in the timing diagrams 3a to 3d). The capacitive circuit is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1 by means of an equivalent capacitance Cout connected to the output S of the pump. It will be noted that the capacitance Cout could be the capacitance of an output capacitor that is physically present and integrated with the charge pump. The input E receives the voltage VCC.
An elementary stage 1, as shown in FIG. 2, comprises:
a first input 2 and a second input 3, PA1 a first output 4 and a second output 5, PA1 two synchronization inputs 6 and 7 to receive two clock signals CKL1 and CKL2, PA1 a first capacitor 8 connected between the inputs 2 and 6, PA1 a second capacitor 9 connected between the inputs 3 and 7, PA1 a first N channel MOS type transistor 10, its drain being connected to the input 2, its source being connected to the input 3 and its control gate being connected to the output 5, and PA1 a second N channel MOS type transistor 11, its drain being connected to the output 4, its source being connected to the input 2 and its control gate being connected to the input 3.
In the charge pump shown in FIG. 1, the stages C2 to Cn have their inputs 2 and 3 connected respectively to the outputs 4 and 5 of the previous stages C1 to Cn-1. The input 2 of the first stage C1 is connected to the input E by means of an N channel MOS type transistor TD1 mounted as a diode and an N channel MOS type transistor TE. The control gate of the transistor TE receives one of the phases (FBX in the example shown) and makes it possible for VCC to be supplied directly to the input 2 of the stage C1. The input 3 of the first stage C1 is not connected. The output 4 of the last stage Cn is connected to the output S. Its output 5 is connected to its output 4 by means of a N channel MOS type transistor TD2 mounted as a diode. This output 5 is connected furthermore to the first pole of a capacitor OC whose second pole receives one of the phases (FBN in the example shown).
The charge pump illustrated in FIG. 1 is driven by two pairs of phases: FN and FX on the one hand switching between two voltage levels, 0 volts and VCC, these phases being complementary but not overlapping in the high stage; FBN and FBX on the other hand respectively synchronized with the phase FN and FX but switching between two different voltage levels, 0 volts and Vb, where Vb is a voltage level greater by at least Vt (Vt being the threshold voltage, in taking account of the substrate effect, of the transistors 11 of the stages) than the voltage that must be let through by the transistors 11 of the stages of the charge pump.
The stages receive the phases FN and FBN or the phases FX and FBX at their inputs 6 and 7, two consecutive stages receiving two distinct pairs of phases. The transistor TE (and respectively the second pole of the capacitor OC) receives the phase FBX or the phase FBN depending on whether the first stage (and the last stage respectively) receives the phase FBN or the phase FBX.
With n series-connected stages, it is possible in theory to produce an output voltage Vout=(n+1)*VCC available at the output 4 of the last stage Cn by successive transfers of charges into the stages.
In practice, the value of (n+1)*VCC is reached only asymptotically at the output of the charge pump, i.e., the output voltage Vout increases at a constantly lower speed as and when charges are transferred from one stage to the other. It therefore often becomes necessary, in order to reduce the build-up time of the output voltage produced, to use a number of stages greater than the theoretically sufficient number. As it is generally preferred to produce an output voltage whose value is fixed, it becomes necessary to limit the voltage produced at the output of the pump to this value. This limiting can be done by stopping the transfer of the charges once the desired value is achieved, for example by dictating a constant potential at the level of the phases. It may also be done through the consumption, at the output of the charge pump, of the surplus charges produced. Typically, this consumption is obtained by means of a highly resistive arm whose conduction threshold (which of course corresponds to the desired value) is determined by the sum of the threshold voltages of series-connected diodes. This approach is generally not used as it induces a greater consumption of current. Indeed, the charge pump then works continuously.
Furthermore, it would be valuable to use a large number of stages if we consider the maximum current that can be given at the output of the pump for a given value of output voltage.
Let us consider for example the circuit of FIG. 4. It sets up a charge pump model supplying a resistive load RL. The voltage at the terminals of the load RL is Vout and it is crossed by a current IL. The charge pump is represented by a voltage source giving a no-load voltage Vlim and having an output resistance Rout. For a charge pump with n stages, we have Vlim=(n+1)*VCC. It can be shown that the current IL given is proportional to the operating frequency of the charge pump and to the value of the pumping capacitors.
FIG. 5 illustrates the value of the output voltage Vout as a function of the current IL for two pumps with a different number of stages. The output voltage of a charge pump with p stages is referenced V(p) and the output voltage of a charge pump with q stages is referenced V(q) assuming that q<p. With q stages, we have Vlim=Vlq=(q+1)*VCC and with p stages we have Vlim=Vlp=(p+1)*VCC>Vlq.
If we assume a voltage level Vs smaller than Vlq, it is observed that the current Imp given by the charge pump with p stages is greater than the maximum current lmq given by the charge pump with q stages, and that this is so inasmuch as Vout is greater than VCC If it is desired to supply a major current, it is therefore necessary to use a large number of stages. On the contrary, it is noted that for a given variation in current, the voltage drop for the charge pump with q stages is smaller than the voltage drop for the charge pump with p stages. In other words, in dynamic operating mode, it is useful to use a smaller number of stages. Indeed, it can be shown that the build-up time of the output voltage is proportional to the square of the number of pumping stages.
A present trend is to produce circuits working for wide ranges of supply voltage (which can be supplied for example without distinction with 3 volts or 5 volts). Now, if a circuit of this kind necessitates the use of a charge pump, the value of the output voltage to be produced is generally dictated by the physical parameters of the circuit; namely independently of the value of the supply voltage. In such a case, it is necessary to provide for a number of stages corresponding to the least favorable scenario; namely in practice a number of stages that is sufficient if the value of the supply voltage is the minimum. By placing a regulation circuit (also commonly known as a regulating circuit or a regulator circuit) at the output of the charge pump, the value of the voltage produced is limited if the supply voltage is greater than the minimum value. This limit makes it possible not to have any excessive variation of the voltage produced, especially an excessive output voltage when the supply voltage is high, which could give rise to premature aging or malfunctioning in the circuits supplied by the charge pump.
The definition of a charge pump capable of working for a wide range of supply voltages has drawbacks related to the need to set the number of stages as a function of the minimum supply voltage.
The output impedance of the pump is substantially constant whatever the supply voltage. In practice, this impedance is conversely proportional to the value of the capacitances of the stages and to the working frequency (namely, to the frequency of the phases), and proportional to the number of stages. Now it may be sought to minimize this output impedance. As stated, charge pumps are generally used to supply voltage to the capacitive circuits. The ability to reach the desired output voltage swiftly is therefore of vital importance. A penalty is therefore suffered in the favorable cases (with high supply voltage) where it would be sufficient to have a small number of stages, since the time constant at the output of the charge pump increases with the number of stages. One approach is to provide for a low working frequency. However, in this case, the maximum current diminishes and the build-up time of the output voltage increases. It is also possible to plan to reduce the value of the pumping capacitors. In this case, the maximum current available is also reduced. In practice, it becomes necessary to make choices with respect to the application envisaged, and it is not easy to set the size of a charge pump as the number of parameters to be taken into account is great and the impact of the modifications of a parameter induces effects that are both positive and negative depending on the characteristic studied. Accordingly, there is a need for a voltage booster circuit which overcomes these problems.

Voltage booster circuit with controlled number of stages


The end piece for a roll of wiping material comprises a cylindrical bearing surface tightly fitted into a core that supports the roll, a transverse flange that protrudes from the cylindrical bearing surface and rests against an opposite-facing surface of the core and the roll, and an axially extending neck that has a head with an internal hole and a hollowed-out section forming a guide groove. The hollowed-out section is located between the head and the cylindrical bearing surface. The head and part of the hollowed-out section are deformable and internally provided with a hole that creates deliberate fragility facilitating, by crushing, their deformation as the core and the end piece are extracted from an accommodating side plate. After the core and end piece have been extracted, the head of the end piece is, in its final state, permanently deformed and cannot be reused.

The invention relates to the technical field of apparatus for dispensing basewad papers with automatic or non-automatic cutting. These dispensing apparatuses can have different applications such as hand wipes, toilet paper or similar applications.
The Applicant has developed numerous apparatuses for dispensing wiping material which comprise a housing (1) with a protective cover (2) inside which there is, mounted on support side plates (3), a drum (5) that accommodates an internal cutting device (not shown) which is actuated by the strip of material being pulled by the user from a roll of material (6). The latter may be suspended from the side plates or rest directly on the drum. The roll of wiping material which is mounted on the support side plates (4) is tightly wound around a core (7). The latter accommodates, on at least one of its ends, an end piece (8) capable of positioning itself on the opposite side plate (4) of the housing, the other end of the core positioning itself on the opposite side plate which is designed with an accommodating bearing surface (9) that is shaped during moulding or located on a flexible tab (10) that is articulated relative to its support side plate (4). These end pieces are generally made in cylindrical form with a protruding transverse flange that presses against the opposite-facing surface of the core and the roll, an internal cylindrical part being tightly fitted into the core, the end piece also having forwardly an axially extending neck which fits into an indentation of the support side plate in question.
Depending on the developed versions operated by the Applicant's licensees, the end piece has a simple straight neck or it may have, along the length of said neck, a head at its end and a cylindrical bearing surface adjacent to the flange. It may also comprise a hollowed-out area forming a groove and guide path as shown in FIG. 2. In this case, said end piece is made to cooperate with an articulated guide (11) separately mounted on support plate (4) which supports the roll and facilitates insertion of the roll of wiping material and its retention by movement of the guide in opposition to an elastic return means which is not shown. The support guide has projections (11a) formed internally on the walls of its opening through which the end piece passes and is inserted. Such an arrangement is described in the Applicant's PCT Patent WO 2005/094652.
This document also describes the possibility of designing the guide with opposite-facing recesses either side of the guide path forming a groove. In this embodiment, the core accommodates a single end piece at one end and cooperating with above-mentioned support side plate, whereas the other end of the core centres itself on a bearing surface provided on the opposite-facing side plate. The arrangement of opposite-facing recesses, as stated above, enables downward swiveling of the core when the roll of material is exhausted. In this case, the core and the end piece fitted on its end can be recovered and may or may not be reused or disposed of without there being any modification to the appearance and characteristics of the core and the end pieces.
The problem to be solved is that of end pieces possibly being reused by persons or competitors who may recondition them on cores with rolls of wiping material that do not originate from the original firm that laid down the specifications for the apparatuses for dispensing wiping materials in question.
In an attempt to deal with this situation, the Applicant has developed improvements of the parts that accommodate the end piece in the apparatus, i.e. on the side plates of the housing or on a swiveling support guide described in the Applicant's Patent PCT 2005/094652. Another technical solution is described in French Patent No. 2879090, for a locked end piece described and devised by the Applicant. This is a device for locking the end piece which prevents it being removed by simply withdrawing it.
In practice, this solution is expensive to implement and requires an additional number of parts in order to obtain the above-mentioned function. In addition, it does not solve the problem of possible reuse of the end piece which remains intact in terms of its shape and structure.
End pieces for rolls of wiping materials as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,466, and German Patent 19723076, are also known. These end pieces are not at all suitable for solving the Applicant's problem and their head part has a rigid configuration despite the presence of an internal hole because their function is unconnected with the problem in question.

Disposable end piece for a roll of wiping material and apparatus for dispensing wiping material using one such end piece


A device that is suitable for filtering odd-numbered harmonic signal components out of a periodic signal which is generated from the scanning of a periodic scale graduation using the scanning plate. The scanning plate includes a periodic sequence of individual filter elements in the measuring direction for the resulting periodicity P of the filter elements, the condition P=N.cndot.d.sub.A applies, and N is an odd-numbered integer greater than 1, and d.sub.A is a period of a scanning graduation of a scanning plate without filtering action. In the filter elements, there is a symmetrical arrangement of structural elements such that inside each filter element two complementary halves of structural elements are each provided.

In known incremental position measuring instruments, typically a periodic scale graduation is scanned with a likewise periodic scanning structure, and the resultant signal is further used elsewhere as a measurement signal. In the ideal scanning situation, as exactly sinusoidal a signal as possible would be available. In such a situation, further signal subdivision can be done by known interpolation methods. However, for several reasons, usually the output signal shape departs from the ideal sinusoidal shape. For example, the division ratios of the scale graduation and scanning graduation may deviate from ideal. Also edge fuzziness in the scale graduation bars corrupts the resultant signal. As a general rule, the signals to be evaluated thus have harmonic components. In order to have exact positional determinations in incremental position measuring instruments, however, the most harmonic-free scanning signals as possible are necessary.
A number of proposals have been disclosed to attempt to obtain the most harmonic-free measurement signals in incremental angle and length measuring systems. One proposal involves filtering the harmonic components of the measurement signal. The filtering technique always involves the use of a specially designed scanning plate to create the most optimized possible superposition of various signal components, phase-displaced from one another. In a number of applications, only certain harmonics are eliminated since filtering out all the existing harmonic components would greatly impair the degree of modulation of the fundamental. The phase-displaced signal components required to eliminate harmonic components are generated at various scanning sites on the sides of the scanning plate.
The necessary extent or length of the scanning area for the desired filtration is called the filter length. In the normal situation, it extends in the measuring direction, or in other words in the direction in which a relative displacement takes place between a scale graduation and a scanning graduation.
European Patent Disclosure No. EP 157 177 describes a so-called adiabatic filter arrangement in which inside the scanning area of the scanning plate a "slow change" in the center position of the bars over the complete scanning field is designed in accordance with a predetermined function. The complete filter length is typically an order of magnitude of 10 to 100 graduation periods of the scale graduation or scanning graduation.
European Patent Disclosure No. EP 645 607 describes a mixed filter arrangement. Here the sequence of bar displacements of an adiabatic filter, ordered normally in accordance with the above-explained function, are mixed by a deterministic or random method. The resultant effective filter length is approximately 3 to 10 graduation periods.
European Patent Disclosure No. EP 541 828 describes a short-period filter arrangement. This includes a period arrangement of a group with only a few bars, with the center positions of the bars and/or the widths of the bars being varied within the group such that a filtration of certain harmonic filter components is attained, typically odd-numbered harmonics. In this filter arrangement, the filter length is identical with the period of the intended group of lines and is approximately 3 to 5 graduation periods, depending on the filter version chosen.
Filters with more than one bar per graduation period are also known, for example from European Patent Application No. EP 95 109 701.3, not yet published, which is assigned to the present assignee. In the case of large or coarse graduation periods, a cosine transmission function of the scanning plate, which is required for optimal filtration of harmonics, is approximated by a plurality of fine bars within one graduation period. The resultant filter length accordingly amounts to one division.
With the aid of the scanning plate designed by these principles, the harmonic content of a periodic pattern of stripes, which is generated by a periodic scale graduation on the scanning plate, is filtered. However, because of given structural features, the scanning plate must be positioned in the beam path of the position measuring instrument upstream of the scale graduation; that is, the beams emitted by a light source with appropriate optics in front of it first pass through the scanning plate and only after that reach the scale graduation. In such arrangements, the term inverse scanning order will be used. Such inverse scanning arrangements also occur in incident-light position measuring instruments, for example, in which once again the corresponding beams pass first through the scanning plate and then project an intensity pattern onto the scale graduation. Scanning arrangements are also known in which a displaceable scale graduation is projected by a scanning graduation onto a second scanning graduation; that is, two scanning graduations are provided.
In the case where there are very small scanning distances between the scale graduation and the scanning graduation and in which an intensity distribution on the scale or a further scanning grating is determined solely by the shadow cast by the scanning plate, each of the aforementioned filter arrangements can in principle also be used in other scanning arrangements, for example in the aforementioned inverse scanning arrangements. However, if the scanning distances increase, then the intensity distribution on the scale is caused not only by the resultant cast shadow, on the contrary, diffraction phenomena are also involved, which impair or eliminate the filtering action of the filter arrangements known thus far. The reason for this is the phase displacements that the beams of light undergo in propagation between the various gratings, so that different phase displacements result for the various orders of diffraction. Accordingly, the maximum allowable scanning distance is directly dependent on the filter length chosen. The greater the filter length is, the greater the allowable or tolerable scanning distance range. Of the filter arrangements discussed above, it is therefore only the adiabatic filter arrangements that are usable for most average scanning distances. Long filter lengths, on the other hand, have still other disadvantages, since local soiling and/or local discontinuities of the scale graduation each cause a major phase displacement of the scanning signals, which is dependent on the scale position. This is because the superposition and hence the balance of the phase-displaced signal components of the fundamental are interfered with. As a consequence, there are major errors in the ensuing interpolation of the output signals.
In most known position measuring instruments, it is necessary merely to filter out certain harmonic signal components. The odd-numbered harmonic signal components (n=3, 5, 7, . . . ) have an especially disturbing effect on the output signals. The even-numbered harmonic signal components (n=2, 4, 6, . . . ) can normally be largely suppressed by known differential switching of push-pull signals. Moreover, suppression of the even-numbered harmonic signal components results in a known manner because of the embodiment of the scale or scale graduation, if the scale or the scale graduation has a line width that is on the order of magnitude of half the graduation period.
It is thus desirable to provide a device for filtering odd-numbered harmonic signal components in an incremental position measuring instrument that has the shortest possible filter length and which can be used in various scanning arrangements, for example, the aforementioned inverse scanning arrangements in which the light arriving from a light source first passes through the scanning plate and only then reaches a scale graduation. In addition, the desired filtering action should be independent of the scanning distance.

Device for filtering odd-numbered harmonic signal components


A multi-point video conference system includes a plurality of CODECs which are set at multiple points and participate in a conference, and a multi-point control unit for transmitting/receiving voice signals and video signals between the CODECs. The multi-point control unit includes level measuring circuits, level adjusting circuits, an audio mixer, and a video signal processing circuit. The level measuring circuits measure the levels of voice signals input from the CODECs. The level adjusting circuits adjust the levels of the voice signals input from the CODECs to substantially the same level on the basis of the measurement results obtained by the level measuring circuits. The audio mixer adds the voice signals output from level adjusting circuits, and outputs a sum voice signal, from which the voice signal corresponding to each of the CODECs at transmission destinations is removed, to each of the CODECs. The video signal processing circuit performs signal processing for video signals input from the CODECs, and outputs the video signal from a talk CODEC to which a last talker belongs to all the CODECs.

The present invention relates to a multi-point video conference system for holding a video conference by linking multiple points and, more particularly, to a multi-point video conference system in which the voice levels of the respective entrant CODECs as participants in a video conference are adjusted.
With the use of a video conference system, each participant in a video conference can see pictures of other participants through a television set even if the participants are in different places. A great deal of attention has therefore been given to a video conference system as an effective means for realizing smooth communication between people in remote places. In a video conference system designed to hold a video conference between two points, smooth communication can be realized when each participant transmits video and voice data from the home station to the distant station. In a multi-point video conference system designed to hold a video conference among three or more points, a video conference is generally performed by using an MCU (Multi-point Control Unit) with the respective entrant CODECs being connected to the MCU in the form of a star connection configuration.
In this case, the MCU is an apparatus for collecting video and voice data from entrant CODECs and distributing the video and voice data to the respective entrant CODEC such that the respective participants can feel as if they were in the same conference room. In many cases, a picture from the CODEC to which the last talker belongs (to be referred to as the last talk CODEC hereinafter) is transmitted to the remaining entrant CODECs. As for voice data, voice data from talk CODECs are mixed and distributed to the respective entrant CODECs. In this case, if the mixed voice data are returned to all the entrant CODECs without any change, the voice data from each talk CODEC is output from its own speaker and input to its own microphone. As a result, howling occurs.
In such a conventional multi-point video conference system, to prevent howling, the following processing is performed. After mixing voice data from talk CODECs to obtain a mixed voice signal to be transmitted to each entrant CODEC, the MCU extracts a voice signal received from a CODEC as a transmission destination from the mixed voice signal, and transmits the resultant signal. That is, the MCU removes a voice signal received from a given talk CODEC from a mixed voice signal, and transmits the resultant signal to the talk CODEC. In this manner, each entrant CODEC receives the mixed voice signal obtained by removing its own voice data from the mixed voice signal obtained by mixing the voice data from the remaining entrant CODECs. For example, such a multi-point video conference system is disclosed in "Multi-point Control Unit", NEC technical report, Vol. 44, No. 6/1991, pp. 32-38 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-94572.
The levels of voice data transmitted from the respective entrant CODECs to the MCU vary greatly depending on the magnitudes of the voices of the respective talkers at the talk CODECs, the distances from the talkers and the microphones, or system environments including the amount of amplification of the voice signals and the like. If, therefore, voice data from a given talk CODEC is mixed with voice data from the remaining entrant CODECs, and the mixed data is returned to the talk CODEC, the voice output level of the talk CODEC can be adjusted by comparing its voice level with the voice levels of the remaining entrant CODECs.
In the conventional multi-point video conference system, voice data from each talk CODEC is not returned thereto in consideration of howling. Voice signals input from the respective talk CODECs to the MCU vary considerably in level.
To switch pictures, the MCU specifies the last talk CODEC of a plurality of talk CODECs. Assume that an entrant CODEC A talked first, and an entrant CODEC B then talked in response to the talk given by the entrant CODEC A. In this case, the entrant CODEC B is the last talk CODEC. This last talk CODEC is specified by specifying a talk CODEC that outputs the maximum voice level at each time point, and detecting that the specified talk CODEC is replaced. As described above, however, voice data input from talk CODECs to the MCU may vary considerably in level.
If, therefore, a talk CODEC with a low voice level talks when a talk CODEC with a high voice level stops talking, the MCU may not recognize the replacement of the talk CODEC. As a result, the MCU may erroneously recognize the last talk CODEC to be specified. In this case, a picture of the participant at the entrant CODEC with a high voice level may be erroneously displayed as a picture of the participant at the current talk CODEC in spite of the fact that this talk CODEC is not the last talk CODEC.


Chalcogenide waveguides with high width-to-height aspect ratios and a smooth exposed surfaces can serve as mid-infrared evanescent-absorption-based sensors for detecting and identifying volatile organic compounds and/or determining their concentration, optionally in real-time. The waveguide sensors may be manufactured using a modified sputtering process in which the sputtering target and waveguide substrate are titled and/or laterally offset relative to each other and the substrate is continuously rotated.

VOCs are organic (i.e., carbon-based) chemical compounds that have a high vapor pressure at room temperature, resulting in a low boiling point, which causes large numbers of molecules to evaporate or sublime from the liquid or solid form of the compound and enter into the surrounding air. Although VOCs exist widely throughout our surroundings, they can be damaging to the environment and harmful or even fatal to humans. Exposure to high concentrations of VOCs can, for instance, cause throat irritation, headaches, and internal organ damage, and continuous low-level exposure can have long-term adverse health effects. On the other hand, some VOCs are biomarkers for various diseases and, as such, have been utilized to monitor health conditions. Acetone, for example, is widely used as a biomarker for diabetes since it is found in the exhaled breath of diabetes patients, its concentration being indicative of the patient's glucose level. Accordingly, the detection of VOCs is relevant to human health monitoring as well as tracing environmental toxins.
Currently, the most prevalent method for organic compounds analysis is gas chromatography mass spectrometry. This method uses bulky and expensive instrumentation, and is time-consuming because gas chromatography can take several minutes to separate different gases, which poses a challenge for instantaneous VOC measurements. Another method widely applied in VOC detection relies on electrical resistance changes in metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) sensors in the presence of VOCs due to charge transfer between the sensor surface and the chemisorption oxygen. MOS-based sensors have shown high sensitivity. However, they provide poor selectivity because different VOCs, as well as background gases such as ozone or water, affect the resistance similarly. An alternative, small-scale sensing platform that can achieve real-time VOC detection while retaining high specificity and accuracy is desirable.

Mid-infrared waveguide sensors for volatile organic compounds


Embodiments relate to systems and methods for touch-based two-stage text input. An electronic device (102), such as a wearable wireless device, can be configured with a two-stage input interface (116) on a display (104). A first stage can include a seek area (120), which displays a subset of letters or other symbols to represent the full range of symbolic elements that are available, in a compressed form. The user can identify an intended target range (128) by touching an area at or around the letter or other symbol of interest. That input triggers the display of a second stage of the interface in a separate selection area (122), in which all letters or other symbols in the target range are expanded and displayed. The user can then touch and lift off the letter or other symbol they wish to choose, for example, to insert in a message or application.

In the field of portable communication services, manufacturers have built ever-more capable wireless devices into increasingly compact form factors. Some wireless devices include a liquid crystal display (LCD) touch screen or other interactive display devices that occupy a comparatively small area. For example the MOTOACTV™ fitness tracker has a touch screen size of 1.6 inches (40.64 mm) with a resolution of 176×220 pixels. One of the challenges in bringing a high-function, small-screen electronic device, such as a watch or other wearable electronic device, to market is the fact that the limited screen area makes it difficult to display a full range of typed characters or other symbolic information in the available touch screen space.
Instead of using a touch screen, some devices use up/down buttons to scroll through an alphabet and select characters for text entry. When a desired letter is displayed, an enter button can be used to select that letter. Of course, a touch screen can be used to implement virtual scroll and select buttons in a similar fashion. This type of text entry mechanism, however, may be cumbersome and frustrating to the user, because it can potentially require very long scrolling actions to arrive at a letter or other symbol the user wishes to enter into a messaging, dialing, or other program.

Systems and methods for touch-based two-stage text input