An intensifier cylinder including a body structure defining a first bore, a first piston structure including a piston mounted in the first bore and a piston rod secured to the piston and extending at its forward end through an end wall of the body structure, a second bore defined in the body structure, a second piston structure including a second piston mounted in the second bore and a second piston rod secured by the second piston and movable at its forward end into the first bore upon stroking of the second piston in response to the introduction of pressurized gas into the second bore to seal off and act upon hydraulic fluid in the first bore to produce an intensified force on the first piston structure. The first piston structure includes a ram member including an end wall secured to the forward end of the first piston rod and an annular sleeve secured to the ram member end wall and extending rearwardly in surrounding relation to the second piston rod to define an annular space between the first piston rod and the ram sleeve, and the body structure defines an annular bore surrounding the first bore and slidably receiving the annular sleeve of the ram member.

This invention relates to pressure cylinders and more particularly to pressure cylinders including means to intensify the pressure produced by the cylinders.
Pressure cylinders have been available for many years and have been employed in a multitude of work applications to perform a multitude of work operations such, for example, as piercing, punching, shape forming and resistance welding. In an effort to increase the amount of power or pressure produced by the output member of the pressure cylinder, intensifier systems have been designed for pressure cylinders in which the free end of the piston rod of a pneumatic cylinder acts against the trapped hydraulic fluid in the pressure cylinder to amplify or intensify the power produced by the output member of the pressure cylinder. Pressure cylinders of this type are shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,875,365 and 4,099,436.
Whereas these intensifier type pressure cylinders are effective to increase the power output of the cylinder, they continue to embody certain disadvantages inherent in the basic power cylinder design. For example, they require specific anti-rotation means to preclude inadvertent rotation of the piston rod; they are in general unable to handle offset loading of the piston rod because of the limited sliding interface between the piston rod and the bore of the cylinder housing with the result that a complex and expensive guide rod mechanism is necessary to allow offset loading; the rod seal at the interface of the piston rod and the forward end wall of the cylinder experiences heavy loading and as a result requires frequent replacement; the useful life of the rod seal is further limited by debris that is introduced into the seal by the reciprocal movement of the piston rod; in situations where the piston rod is used to raise a load, the raised load must be propped up by auxiliary support means since the surface area of the piston rod is inadequate to provide a stable support platform for the raised load; and, in situations requiring a large tool mounting area on the free end of the piston, a separate mounting platform must be positioned on the free end of the piston.


A zoom optical system includes, in order from the object side, a first lens unit with positive refracting power, a second lens unit with negative refracting power, a third lens unit with positive refracting power, and a fourth lens unit with positive refracting power. An aperture stop is interposed between the second lens unit and the fourth lens unit. Upon zooming, at least, the first lens unit, the second lens unit, and the third lens unit are moved so that spacings between these lens units are varied. The first lens unit is constructed with at most two lens elements. The second lens unit includes, in order from the object side, a first negative lens in which the image-side surface is greater in curvature than the object-side surface, an air spacing, a second negative lens in which the image-side surface is greater in curvature than the object-side surface, an air spacing, and a positive lens in which the object-side surface is greater in curvature than the image-side surface. The second negative lens is constructed to satisfy the following condition:−0.7<f2/r23<0.05 where r23 is the radius of curvature of the object-side surface of the second negative lens and f2 is the focal length of the second lens unit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a zoom optical system suitable for forming an image of an object on an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or C-MOS, and to an imaging apparatus using the zoom optical system.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, in an electronic still camera using the electronic image sensor, such as the CCD or C-MOS, it has been required to further improve its wide angle, high variable magnification ratio, and high image quality. In particular, the demand on the high image quality has been increased with respect to a movie camera.
In the case of a lens suitable for the electronic image sensor such as the CCD or C-MOS, it is required that the exit pupil is relatively spaced away from the image plane.
This requirement does not generally constitute an obstacle even though other elements corresponding to image sensors (for example, a silver-halide film and the like) are used.
Such problems have been discussed by proposals such as those disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Kokai Nos. 2001-242379, 2003-315676, 2002-72087, and 2002-62478.

Zoom optical system and imaging apparatus using the same


A transmission frame comprises a locking row, synchronization bits and data bits, the synchronization bit being placed immediately after the locking row. The frame terminates with a synchronization bit. A transmitter and a receiver are linked by a transmission channel carrying these frames.

Description of the Prior Art
In a system of synchronous communication between data processing equipments one of the most widely used methods for sending messages consists in defining a frame structure characterized by:
a synchronization flag,
special coding of the data to be transmitted so that the synchronization flag cannot be recognized in the middle of the data stream transmitted.
One of the best known ways to implement this method is to choose a flag which is a constant stream of P binary zeros followed by a binary 1. The data is then coded simply by inserting a binary 1 each time that a series of (P-1) binary 0 has been transmitted. For example, if the flag is `00001`, the message `0010 0000 10` is transmitted in the form: `00001 0010 00100 10`. The six underlined digits represent the synchronization flag and the inserted binary 1 (the spaces are included only to facilitate reading).
This method has a drawback: the time to transmit a message depends on its contents, which is a serious problem if a fixed routing time is required.
The known solution to this problem is to insert a binary 1 every (P-1) data bits transmitted: it is then certain that P consecutive binary zeros will never be encountered and the transmission time is always the same, regardless of the data transmitted. A well-known example of this method is the use of V.110 frames as defined by the CCITT (Comite Consultatif International du Telephone et du Telegraphe). These frames comprise a flag made up of eight binary zeros followed by a binary 1, a binary 1 being then inserted every seven bits to form a frame of 80 bits, 17 bits used for synchronization and 63 bits for the data.
A frame can be represented by a table with P columns and L rows. The first row, known as the locking row, includes P binary zeros and subsequent rows, known as data rows, each comprise a synchronization bit of binary 1 followed by (P-1) data bits.
When data is transmitted by means of such frames the transmission channel often has a data signaling rate which is greater than that required to convey the frames produced by an equipment.
To economize on transmission channels it is natural to use multiplexing whereby the channels are divided into subchannels so that the data signaling rate of one subchannel conveys the data from one equipment.
Patent application EP-A-0 222 544 proposes a fixed format frame divided into a plurality of subchannels at the same data signaling rate, a specific subchannel being used for synchronization. This solution is restricted to the transmission of subchannels at a specific data signaling rate. It can be necessary to use the same frame to transmit different data signaling rates. The method described in this document can be simplified to define a frame as the succession of a synchronization channel and two subchannels called half-rate subchannels. Also, it is assumed that the combination of the two half-rate subchannels constitutes a full-rate channel.
Provision can therefore be made to use this frame either to transmit data from one equipment requiring a full-rate channel or to transmit data from two separate equipments each requiring a half-rate subchannel.
However, on receiving a frame of this kind it is impossible to tell which of these two situations applies.
Furthermore, this solution cannot be applied if the two half-rate subchannels are not identically synchronized, as there is only one synchronization subchannel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,391 describes a frame capable of conveying channels at different data signaling rates and means for determining the nature of these channels. Here again, however, the system is a synchronized system and all the channels are referred to the same clock.
Thus a serious problem arises in transmitting channels whose time synchronization is unknown.
One obvious solution to this problem is to use a V.110 type frame for a full-rate channel and to use a similar but shortened frame for each half-rate subchannel, two subchannels being transmitted by multiplexing two shortened frames.
In a conventional solution this multiplexing is carried out in such a way that the bits of the channel correspond to the alternating sequence of bits from each of the two subchannels. Thus the odd-numbered bits of the channel come from a first subchannel and the even-numbered bits from a second subchannel.
One channel can be used in this way to convey two subchannels, but this rules out the interchangeable use of two half-rate subchannels or a full-rate channel, because the simultaneous reception of two subchannels can be interpreted as the reception of a single full-rate channel.
This ambiguity results from the fact that if the two subchannels simultaneously transmit a number of binary 0 at least equal to P/2 (where P is the length of the locking row for a full-rate channel), the stream of bits resulting from multiplexing of the two subchannels includes at least P consecutive binary 0 and can therefore be wrongly interpreted as a locking row of a full-rate channel.
Two situations can arise.
In the first situation the locking row used for the subchannels comprises P' binary 0, P' being such that 2.multidot.(P'-1) is greater than or equal to P. Ambiguity arises whenever two rows of data which comprise a series of (P'-1) binary 0 are sent with a time difference less than (P'-INT(P/2+1)+1), INT(x) denoting the integer part of x. After multiplexing of these two rows of data there will be at least P consecutive binary 0.
With P=16 and P'=11, for example, there will be at least 16 consecutive binary 0 in all configurations for which the time difference is less than or equal to the maximal time difference. The two configurations corresponding to this maximum time difference, the initial configuration and the final configuration, are shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in which:
the first line represents a first half-rate subchannel,
the second line represents a second half-rate subchannel,
the pattern inside the bold line frame represents the full-rate locking row resulting from regarding the two half-rate subchannels as a single full-rate channel.
In a second situation, ambiguity can arise in circumstances additional to those described above. If the subchannel locking row comprises P' binary 0 where P' is such that 2.multidot.(2.multidot.P'-1) is greater than or equal to P, the end of a frame can include (P'-1) consecutive binary 0. The next frame beginning with a locking row will include P' binary 0 and there will be (2.multidot.P'-1) consecutive binary 0 which will be wrongly interpreted as the locking row of a full-rate frame if the same phenomenon occurs at the same time on both the half-rate subchannels.
FIG. 2 shows on example of a configuration of this type with P=16 and P'=5. The drawing conventions are the same as for FIG. 1 and the separation of two consecutive frames is shown by a vertical line.
It can therefore be seen that the choice of the number P' of binary 0 in the locking row of frames sent on the half-rate subchannels greatly influences the risk of confusion with a locking row of the frame sent on the full-rate channels. The ambiguity can be avoided by reducing sufficiently the number P'.
However, reducing the length of the locking row is achieved to the detriment of transmission efficiency.
The raw data signaling rate is usually defined as the number of bits of the frame transmitted per unit time and is therefore proportional to P'.multidot.L', where L' represents the number of rows of the half-rate frame. The usable data signaling rate is defined as the number of data bits of the frame transmitted during the same unit time and is therefore proportional to (P'-1).multidot.(L'-1). The transmission efficiency is the ratio of the usable data signaling rate to the raw data signaling rate, that is: EQU (P'-1).multidot.(L'-1)/P'.multidot.L'
The closer together the values of P' and L', the greater the efficiency. Thus if a low value is chosen for P', a low value should also be chosen for L'. On the other hand, the longer the frame, i.e. the greater the product of the number of columns by the number of rows (P'.multidot.L'), the higher the transmission efficiency. It is therefore not desirable to reduce the length of the locking row too much.
Consideration could be given to coding a specific field of the half-rate frame so that after multiplexing it is impossible to encounter the value of this field in a full-rate channel.
Although in practise it may be a relatively simple matter to solve this problem if there are very few ambiguous configurations (one only, for example), the problem becomes virtually insoluble with a greater number of cases of ambiguity. It can even be more beneficial to reduce the value of P' because of the number of bits to be added to the half-rate frames to resolve the ambiguity.
An object of the present invention is thus to reduce the number of ambiguous configurations of transmission frames regardless of the length of the locking row, or even to eliminate such ambiguous configurations entirely.

Transmitter, receiver and frame for transmitting data with reduced ambiguity


A snowboard boot that is provided with a downwardly projecting ratchet bar (30) at its rear. A boot binding (18) on a snowboard (10) includes a toe strap (50) for receiving the toe region of the boot (28). The snowboard rider steps into the boot holder (18) by inserting the toe region of his/her boot (28) through the toe strap (50) when it is a loosened condition. Then the rider steps down to move the ratchet bar (30) into and through a receptor (38) that is secured to a heel region member (24) of the boot holder (18). Downward movement of the ratchet bar (30) moves ratchet teeth (22) relatively past a tooth engaging portion of a catch (36). When the boot has bottomed out, the tooth engaging portion of the catch (36) engages a tooth (32) of the ratchet bar (30) and secures the heel region of the boot (28) to the snowboard (10). Then, the rider reaches down and tightens the toe strap (50).

U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,088, granted Oct. 11, 1994, to Dennis A. Vetter and Eric L. Eaton discusses snowboards, their use on ski slopes, the need for the snowboard rider to have one leg free for use to push himself/herself forward on the snowboard, and the problems encountered when mounting and dismounting a chair on a chair lift. The invention of U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,088 provides a step-in/step-out rear foot mount for a snowboard. Such invention is characterized by a detachable connection between a snowboard boot holder and the snowboard. The present invention provides a step-in/step-out mount between the snowboard boot and the snowboard boot holder.
Application Ser. No. 08/609,287, filed Mar. 1, 1996, by Eric L. Eaton and John C. Bitow, relates to front foot mounts for snowboards which allow the rider to rotate or pivot his/her front foot in position on the snowboard. It also relates to such snowboards which are provided with a step-in/step-out type rear foot mount. The present invention is usable with such a snowboard. The step-in/step-out foot mount of the present invention can be used with the rotatable or pivotal front foot mount in Ser. No. 08/609,287. It can be used with such a mount for both the front foot and the rear foot. Accordingly, Application Ser. No. 08/609,287 is hereby incorporated into this application by this specific reference.
The step-in/step-out snowboard boot holder of the present invention could also be used with the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,088 for adjusting the angular position of a boot mount on the snowboard.

Step-in/step-out boot mounts for snowboards


A power multiplier system for an amplifier comprises a power multiplier control stage, an amplifier stage and a first switching stage connectable to the power multiplier control stage. The amplifier stage is connectable to the power multiplier control stage. The power multiplier system has a first output terminal and a second output terminal, the amplifier stage is connectable to the second output terminal for driving a load connectable between the first and second output terminals. The first switching stage is connectable to the first output terminal to apply a switchable DC voltage level to the first output terminal.

Currently, the typical maximum output power that can be derived from a conventional Class D digital amplifier is about 100 Watts to 200 Watts into a 4 Ohms load. There is a limitation on this maximum output power due to the semiconductors used in the amplifiers. It is desirable to keep the size of the integrated circuits used to make the amplifiers small to facilitate compact product design, but at the same time, there is also demand for higher output power, which is especially desirable for Class D digital amplifiers due to their high efficiency.

Abstract: There is also disclosed a method of amplifying the power output of an amplifier system.


The invention relates to an adsorptive filtering material endowed with integrated particle- and/or aerosol-protection and with protective performance with regard to biological and/or chemical noxiants, in particular biological and/or chemical warfare agents, the adsorptive filtering material having a multilayered construction comprising a support layer, an adsorptive layer associated to and preferably fixed to the support layer, and optionally a covering layer disposed on that side of the adsorptive layer that is remote from the support layer, wherein the adsorptive filtering material is additionally equipped with a particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer. The adsorptive filtering material is particularly useful in NBC protective materials of any kind (as in protective apparel for example) and for producing filters.

The present invention relates to an adsorptive filtering material with integrated particle and/or aerosol protection and with protective performance with regard to biological and/or chemical noxiants, in particular biological and/or chemical warfare agents, as classified in the preamble of claim 1 and to its use, in particular for producing protective materials of any kind, in particular NBC protective apparel, and also filters and filtering materials of any kind. The present invention further relates to the protective materials, in particular protective apparel (for example NBC protective garments), and also filters and filtering materials themselves that are produced using the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention.
There are a number of entities which are absorbed by the skin and lead to serious physical noxae. Examples include the vesicatory Hd (also known as Yellow Cross and mustard gas) and the nerve gas sarin. People liable to come into contact with such poisons have to wear a suitable protective suit, or be protected against these poisons by suitable protective materials.
There are in principle three types of protective suits: the air and water vapor impervious protective suits, which are equipped with a rubber layer which is impervious to biological and chemical poisons, and very rapidly lead to a heat build-up for the wearer; protective suits equipped with a membrane which transmits water vapor but not biological and chemical poisons; and air and water vapor pervious protective suits, which offer the highest wear comfort.
NBC protective apparel is thus traditionally produced either from impermeable systems (for example suits from butyl rubber or suits with membrane) or permeable, air pervious adsorptive filtering systems in particular based on activated carbon (for example pulverulent carbon, activated carbon fiber materials or spherocarbon, etc.).
Whereas the air impervious membrane suits lead on the one hand to relatively good protection against chemical and biological poisons such as warfare agents or the like, and on the other, owing to the air imperviousness or impermeability of the membrane, also offer protective performance with regard to aerosols and noxiant particles, the permeable, air pervious adsorptive protective suits do offer very good protection in relation to chemical poisons, but often only inadequate protection in relation to aerosols and noxiant particles.
To improve biological protection, the permeable, adsorptive filtering systems, in particular based on activated carbon, are often endowed with a catalytically active component, or a catalyst, by impregnating the activated carbon with a biocidal or biostatic catalyst, in particular based on metals or metal compounds. However, this does not solve the problem of poor protective performance with regard to noxiant aerosols (for example finely dispersed chemical noxiants, in particular warfare agents) or noxiant particles (for example noxiant microorganisms or microorganisms fixed on carrier particles, for example viruses or bacteria used as biological warfare agents).
The present invention therefore has for its object to provide an adsorptive filtering material, or a protective material, that at least substantially avoids or else at least ameliorates the above-described disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, such an adsorptive filtering or protective material should be suitable in particular for the production of NBC protective materials of any kind, for example NBC protective apparel and the like, and also of filter and filtering materials.
The present invention further has for its object to provide a permeable, in particular gas or air pervious adsorptive filtering or protective material which provides protection not only in relation to chemical and/or biological poisons or noxiants, in particular chemical warfare agents, but also with regard to noxiant particles and/or aerosols.
The problem described above is solved in the realm of the present invention by an adsorptive filtering material according to claim 1. Further, advantageous embodiments of the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention form the subject matter of the respective subclaims.
The present invention further provides for the use of the adsorptive filtering material according to the present invention for producing protective materials of any kind, in particular protective apparel, in particular for the civil or military sector, such as protective suits, protective gloves, protective shoewear, protective socks, head protective apparel and the like, and of protective coverings of any kind, preferably for NBC deployment, and also to the thus produced protective materials of the aforementioned kind themselves.
The present invention finally provides for the use of the adsorptive filtering material according to the present invention for producing filters and filtering materials of any kind, in particular for removing noxiant, odorant and toxicant entities of any kind, in particular from air and/or gas streams, such as NBC respirator filters, odor filters, sheet filters, air filters, in particular filters for indoor air cleaning, adsorption-capable support structures and filters for the medical sector and also the thus produced filter and filtering materials of the aforementioned kind themselves.
The present invention accordingly provides—in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention—an adsorptive filtering material with integrated particle and/or aerosol protection (i.e. with integrated particle and/or aerosol filtering function) and with protective performance with regard to biological and/or chemical noxiants, in particular biological and/or chemical warfare agents, the adsorptive filtering material having a multilayered construction, the multilayered construction comprising                a support layer (i.e. a carrier layer),        an adsorptive layer associated to and preferably fixed to the support layer, and        optionally, a covering layer disposed on that side of the adsorptive layer that is remote from the support layer,wherein the adsorptive filtering material is additionally equipped with a particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer, preferably a particle- and aerosol-filtering layer.
It is thus a fundamental idea of the present invention to equip adsorptive filtering materials of multilayered construction with an additional particle and/or aerosol protective function integrated in the adsorptive filtering material by including or incorporating in the adsorptive filtering material a particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer, preferably particle and aerosol filtering layer, which itself is a constituent of the adsorptive filtering material as such.
In general, the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer is disposed between the adsorptive layer and the covering layer (i.e. the layer which in the use state is the outer or outside layer, for example an outerwear fabric), i.e. the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer is generally disposed on that side of the adsorptive layer that is remote from the support (carrier) layer. In the use state of the adsorptive filtering material according to the present invention, the covering layer is the outside layer (for example outerwear fabric) which faces the noxiant side, so that the noxiant-containing stream of, for example, biological and/or chemical warfare agents which is to be decontaminated first passes through the covering layer and then impinges upon the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer, whereby particles and/or aerosols are retained, and then the chemical and/or biological noxiants, in particular warfare agents, still remaining in the stream impinge on the subsequent adsorptive layer whereby they are then adsorbed and rendered harmless.
In principle, the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer, preferably combined particle and aerosol filtering layer, disposed between the adsorptive layer and the covering layer can either be laminated to the inside surface of the covering layer, or else be disposed loosely and unconnectedly between the covering layer and the adsorptive layer. In accordance with a further alternative, the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer is fixed on the adsorptive layer, for example by preferably discontinuous adhering.
Owing to the aforementioned multilayered construction, the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention combines in a single material not only an efficient particle and/or aerosol protection but also an efficient protection with regard to biological and/or chemical noxiants, in particular biological and/or chemical warfare agents.
The protective performance offered by the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention with regard to particles and aerosols is comparable to conventional membrane systems; but the gas perviousness, in particular air perviousness, or permeability, of the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention means that the wear comfort of NBC protective suits made thereof is distinctly enhanced compared with membrane suits.
The particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer is generally constructed as a textile fabric, preferably an air pervious textile material. Examples of textile fabrics useful as particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer are woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, laid fabrics and bonded fabrics, in particular nonwovens. Particular preference is given to nonwovens or nonwoven fabrics.
The term nonwovens or nonwoven fabrics herein refers in particular to the flexible, porous fabrics classified as bonded fabrics in that they are not produced by the classic methods of interweaving of warp and weft or by interlooping, but by intertanglement and/or cohesive and/or adhesive interbonding of textile fibers. Nonwovens are generally looser materials composed of staple fibers or filaments, in particular synthetic (manufactured) fibers (for example polypropylene, polyester, viscose, etc.) whose coherency is generally due to the fibers' autoadhesion. The individual fibers can have a preferential direction (so-called oriented or crosslaid nonwovens) or else be undirected (so-called random nonwovens). Nonwovens can be mechanically consolidated by needling, intermeshing or by entangling using sharp jets of water (so-called spunlaced nonwovens). Nonwovens particularly useful for the purposes of the present invention can be produced for example by spunbonding, meltblow processes and preferably by electrospinning (cf. for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,641,773 B2). Adhesively consolidated nonwovens are formed by interadhering the fibers with liquid binders (for example acrylate polymers, SBR/NBA, polyvinyl esters or polyurethane dispersions) or by melting or dissolving so-called binder fibers mixed to the nonwoven in the course of its production. In cohesive consolidation, fiber surfaces are solubilized by suitable chemicals and conjoined by pressure or welded together at elevated temperature. Spunbonded nonwovens are fabrics formed by spinning and subsequent laying down, blowing or alluviating onto a transport belt. Nonwovens containing additional threads, wovens or formed-loop knits are deemed reinforced nonwovens. Owing to the multiplicity of available raw materials, possible combinations and techniques of improvement, nonwovens or nonwoven fabrics can be produced in a specific manner to have any desired properties specific to a particular purpose. Like all textiles, nonwoven fabrics or nonwovens can be subjected to the operations of textile dyeing and finishing. For further details concerning the concept of nonwovens and nonwoven fabrics reference may be made for example to Römpp Chemielexikon, 10th edition, Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart/New York, Volume 6, 1999, pages 4889/4890, headword: "Vliesstoffe", whose entire disclosure content, including the references cited therein, is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The areal weight of the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer used in accordance with the present invention can vary within wide limits. The areal weight of the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer used in accordance with the present invention is generally in the range from 1 to 100 g/m2 and in particular in the range from 5 to 50 g/m2. More particularly, the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer should have an areal weight of not more than 100 g/m2 and in particular of not more than 50 g/m2. However, it may be preferable or necessary depending on a particular planned use or an individual case to deviate from the aforementioned values without leaving the realm of the present invention.
Particularly good particle and/or aerosol collection rates are achieved when the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer used is a textile fabric, preferably nonwoven, consisting of textile fibers having an average diameter of not more than 50 μm, in particular not more than 30 μm, preferably not more than 20 μm, more preferably not more than 10 μm, even more preferably not more than 5 μm and most preferably not more than 2 μm. In general, the diameter of the textile fibers of which the textile fabric forming the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer consists should be in the range from 0.05 to 50 μm, in particular 0.1 to 50 μm, preferably 0.2 to 30 μm, more preferably 0.2 to 20 μm and most preferably 0.5 to 10 μm. Suitable textile fabrics, in particular nonwovens, having the aforementioned textile fiber diameters are obtainable for example in the meltblow or preferably in the electrospinning process.
In particular, the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer is constructed as a textile fabric consisting of textile fibers and having pores or meshes bounded by the textile fibers. The individual textile fibers thus bound the meshes (in the case of wovens for example) or pores (in the case of nonwovens for example). The textile fabric should have an average pore size or mesh size—depending on the nature of the textile fabric—of not more than 200 μm, in particular not more than 100 μm, preferably not more than 75 μm, more preferably not more than 50 μm and most preferably not more than 40 μm. This provides a particularly good collection rate in relation to particles and/or aerosols to be rendered harmless.
As Applicant has surprisingly found, the performance capability of the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer when the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer is a textile fabric of the aforementioned kind as consists of textile fibers and has pores or meshes bounded by textile fibers is decisively dependent also on the ratio of the average pore or mesh size to the average diameter of the textile fibers. In general, the ratio of the average pore or mesh size to the average diameter of the textile fibers should be in the range from 0.1 to 2000, in particular in the range from 1 to 500, preferably in the range from 5 to 350, more preferably in the range from 10 to 300 and most preferably in the range from 25 to 250. In particular, the ratio of the average pore or mesh size to the average diameter of the textile fibers should be not more than 2000, in particular not more than 500, preferably not more than 350, more preferably not more than 300 and most preferably not more than 250. However, the ratio of the average pore or mesh size to the average diameter of the textile fibers should be at least 0.1, in particular at least 1, preferably at least 5, more preferably at least 10, even more preferably at least 25 and yet even more preferably at least 40. This provides particularly efficient collection rates in relation to the particles and aerosols that are to be rendered harmless.
As observed above, the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer is generally a textile fabric consisting of textile fibers and preferably is a nonwoven. The textile fibers used may comprise natural and/or synthetic fibers, preferably synthetic fibers (also referred to by the synonym of manufactured fibers). Textile fibers which are suitable in accordance with the present invention and of which the textile fabric forming the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer consists are for example selected from the group of polyesters (PES); polyolefins, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (CLF); polyvinylidene chloride (CLF); acetate (CA); triacetate (CTA); polyacrylic (PAN), polyamide (PA); polyvinyl alcohol (PVAL); polyurethanes; polyvinyl esters; (meth)acrylates; and also mixtures thereof. The aforementioned codes for the textile fibers come from German Standard Specification DIN 60001-4 (August 1991).
For further details concerning the concept of textile fibers, reference may be made for example to Römpp Chemielexikon, loc. cit., pages 4477 to 4479, headword: "Textilfasern", whose entire disclosure content, including the references cited therein, is hereby incorporated herein by reference. In particular, the term textile fibers is herein to be understood as a collective designation for all fibers capable of being subjected to textile processing; a feature common to textile fibers is a considerable length in relation to their cross section, and also sufficient strength and flexibility, although textile fibers can be assigned to different groups according to origin or material constitution.
To achieve an efficient collection rate in relation to the particles and/or aerosols to be rendered harmless, the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer should have a DIN EN 779 (July 1993) mean natural dust efficiency Em of at least 40%, in particular at least 50%, preferably at least 70%, more preferably at least 90% and most preferably at least 95%. Furthermore, the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer should have for this purpose a DIN EN 779 (July 1993) mean synthetic dust efficiency Am of at least 50%, in particular at least 70%, preferably at least 90%, more preferably at least 95% and most preferably at least 99%.
The DIN EN 779 standard of July 1993 concerns the requirements, testing and labelling of particle air filters for general indoor air technology. According to this prescription, the mean synthetic dust efficiency Am is determined by a gravimetric test method involving repeated dusting of the specimen with a known amount of a standardized artificial test dust in flowing air up to a maximum final pressure drop of 250 Pa, the efficiency being determined in each case from the mass ratios, by weighing a suspended matter filter downstream of the specimen, the mean synthetic dust efficiency Am, calculated from all individual measurements, being applicable; for further details in this regard reference may be made to the text of DIN EN 779. The mean natural dust efficiency Em, by contrast, is measured according to DIN 779 by means of a discoloration test method by repeated measurement of the efficiency with regard to natural atmospheric dust in the air, the specimen having been subjected to a first measurement in the virgin state being loaded with a known amount of standardized artificial test dust in accordance with DIN EN 779 and, thereafter, the efficiency being determined again until a final pressure drop of 450 Pa is reached, the measurement of the efficiency being based on the comparison of those test air volumes which have to be sucked, up- and down-stream the specimen, through a white suspended matter filter paper each until these are equally discoloured or cloudy, the mean natural dust efficiency Em, calculated from all individual measurements, being applicable; for further details in this regard reference may be made to the text of DIN EN 779.
To achieve good particle and aerosol collection, moreover, the DIN EN 1822 (April 1989; DEHS aerosol, MPPS=0.1 to 0.3 μm) cumulative initial transmissivity Di of the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer should be not more than 50%, in particular not more than 40%, preferably not more than 30%, more preferably not more than 20% and most preferably not more than 10%. The test method of DIN EN 1822 is carried out on uncontaminated specimens with a liquid test aerosol (DEHS=diethylhexyl sebacate), based on measurements for a particle diameter which in each case corresponds to the most penetrating particle size MPPS, here: 0.1 to 0.3 μm). In a first step of the investigation, MPPS is determined on flat samples of the filtering medium, the subsequent evaluation and classification of the filters only being done on the basis of the MPPS. In a second step, the integral permeance Di is then determined, via the blowout area, for the MPPS and the pressure drop of the filter, both in the nominal volume stream. For further details in this regard reference may be made to the text of DIN EN 1822.
Advantageously, the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer is constructed such that it has a mean collection rate of at least 80%, in particular at least 90%, preferably at least 95% with regard to particles and/or aerosols having diameters in the range from 0.1 to 0.3 μm at an inflow speed of 0.1 μm/s.
Furthermore, the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer should have a mean collection rate of at least 95%, in particular at least 98%, preferably at least 99% with regard to particles and/or aerosols having diameters ≧2 μm and in particular ≧1.5 μm at an inflow speed of 0.1 m/s.
The thickness of the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer should be in the range from 0.001 to 10 mm, in particular in the range from 0.1 to 5 mm and preferably in the range from 0.01 to 1 mm.
In a particular embodiment, the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer can be constructed as a high efficiency penetration or particulate air (HEPA) filter or as an ultra low penetration or particulate air (ULPA) filter.
To ensure good gas perviousness, in particular air perviousness, for the present invention's adsorptive filtering material as a whole and thus a high wear comfort on processing into NBC protective suits, the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer should have a good gas perviousness, in particular air perviousness. In general, the gas perviousness, in particular air perviousness, of the particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer should be at least 10 l·m−2·s−1, in particular at least 30 l·m−2·s−1, preferably at least 50 l·m−2·s−1, more preferably at least 100 l·m−2·s−1 and most preferably at least 400 l·m−2·s−1 or more at a flow resistance of 127 Pa.
The adsorptive layer envisaged according to the present invention may be constructed in principle of any desired adsorption-capable material suitable in the realm of the present invention's adsorptive filtering material.
In an embodiment preferred according to the present invention, the adsorptive layer is constructed on the basis of activated carbon, i.e. the adsorption-capable layer comprises or consists of activated carbon. The activated carbon may be present in the form of activated carbon particles and/or activated carbon fibers.
For example, the adsorptive layer may comprise or consist of discrete particles of activated carbon, preferably in granule form ("granulocarbon") or spherical form ("spherocarbon"). In particular, in this case, the average diameter of the activated carbon particles is <1.0 mm, preferably <0.8 mm and more preferably <0.6 mm. The average diameter of the activated carbon particles is in particular at least 0.1 mm. In this embodiment, the activated carbon particles can be used in an amount (i.e. loading or add-on amount) of 10 to 500 g/m2, in particular 25 to 400 g/m2, preferably 50 to 300 g/m2, more preferably 75 to 250 g/m2 and even more preferably 80 to 200 g/m2. In particular, such activated carbon particles are used that have a bursting pressure of 5 newtons, in particular at least 10 newtons, and/or up to 20 newtons, based on an individual particle of activated carbon, in particular activated carbon granule or spherule.
Alternatively, however, the adsorptive layer may also be formed of activated carbon fibers, in particular in the form of an activated carbon fabric, or comprise activated carbon fibers. This embodiment utilizes in particular activated carbon fabrics having areal weights in the range from 10 to 300 g/m2, in particular in the range from 20 to 200 g/m2 and preferably in the range from 30 to 150 g/m2. Useful activated carbon fiber fabrics for the purposes of the present invention include for example woven, loop-formingly knitted, laid or bonded activated carbon fiber fabrics, in particular on the basis of carbonized and activated cellulose and/or on the basis of carbonized and activated acrylonitrile.
It is similarly possible to form the adsorptive layer by combining activated carbon particles on the one hand and activated carbon fibers on the other.
It is preferable according to the present invention when the activated carbon used for forming the adsorptive layer (i.e. the particles or fibers of activated carbon) have an internal surface area (BET) of at least 800 m2/g, in particular of at least 900 m2/g, preferably of at least 1000 m2/g and more preferably in the range from 800 to 2500 m2/g.
To enhance the adsorptive efficiency and adsorptive performance, in particular to obtain an enhanced or improved protective performance also with regard to biological noxiants, in particular biological warfare agents, it is possible for the adsorptive layer, in particular the activated carbon particles and/or the activated carbon fibers, to be impregnated with at least one catalyst. Useful catalysts for the purposes of the present invention include for example enzymes and/or metals, preferably metals, in particular from the group of copper, silver, cadmium, platinum, palladium, rhodium, zinc, mercury, titanium, zirconium and/or aluminium, preferably in the form of the corresponding metal ions. The amount of catalyst can vary within wide limits; in general, it is in the range from 0.05% to 12% by weight, preferably in the range from 1% to 10% by weight and more preferably in the range from 2% to 8% by weight, based on the weight of the adsorptive layer. Any biological noxiants which have permeated through the aerosol and/or particle filtering layer can thereby be rendered harmless in an effective manner.
As written above, the adsorptive layer is fixed or secured to the support layer. In general, the securing of the adsorptive layer to the support layer is effected by means of an adhesive, which is advantageously applied atop the support layer only discontinuously or in point form in order that good gas perviousness, in particular air perviousness, may be retained for the support layer and thereby for the adsorptive filtering material as a whole. The adhesive should be applied in an add-on of 10 to 80 g/m2, in particular 20 to 60 g/m2 and preferably 30 to 50 g/m2. Advantageously, the adhesive is applied such that advantageously not more than 50% of the surface of the support layer, preferably not more than 40% of the surface of the support layer, more preferably not more than 30% of the surface of the support layer and most preferably not more than 25% of the surface of the support layer is covered with adhesive. In general, the adhesive is applied atop, or printed onto, the support layer in the form of a regular or irregular grid in the form of points of adhesive, and subsequently the adsorptive layer (discrete particles of activated carbon for example) are then made to bond at the points of adhesive.
The support layer can in principle be any textile fabric, preferably any air pervious textile material. Preference is given to textile wovens, knits, laids or bondeds, in particular nonwovens. In general, the support layer has an areal weight of 20 to 200 g/m2, in particular 30 to 150 g/m2 and preferably 40 to 120 g/m2.
The covering layer optionally envisaged according to the present invention is generally similarly constructed as a textile fabric, preferably an air pervious textile material, for example as a woven, knitted, laid or bonded fabric, in particular a nonwoven. In general, the support layer has an areal weight of 50 to 300 g/m2, in particular 75 to 275 g/m2, preferably 100 to 250 g/m2 and more preferably 120 to 250 g/m2.
To improve aerosol protection in particular, the covering layer can be, in particular on its outside surface, oleophobicized and/or hydrophobicized, preferably oleophobicized and hydrophobicized, preferably by an appropriate impregnation. In the event that comparatively large drops of noxiant and toxicant agents land on the covering layer, the oleophobicization and/or hydrophobicization of the surface of the covering layer can cause them to become distributed over the surface of the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention. Oleo- and hydrophobicizing agents suitable for this purpose will be well known to one skilled in the art (for example fluoropolymers, such as fluorocarbon resins etc.).
To improve in particular the aerosol protection and the protection with regard to biological noxiants, the covering layer and/or the support layer, preferably the support layer, may be provided with a biocidal and/or biostatic finish based on a catalytically active component (cf. commonly assigned German Patent Application DE 10 2005 056 537 and German Utility Model Application DE 20 2005 018 547, whose entire disclosure content in this regard is hereby incorporated herein by reference); especially finishing the support layer which serves as a support (carrier) for the adsorptive layer and in the flow direction follows on the covering layer and the aerosol/particle filtering layer, with a biocidally or biostatically effective catalytically active component provides an effective way of rendering harmless any biological noxiants that have succeeded in permeating through the advantageously oleophobicized and/or hydrophobicized covering layer and the, in the flow direction, subsequent aerosol and/or particle filtering layer. The biocidally or biostatically effective catalytically active component may be in particular incorporated in the covering and/or support layers, each preferably constructed as a textile fabric, preferably only in the support layer, in particular in the fibers, threads, yarns, filaments or the like that form the fabric, examples of the incorporating being spinning, extruding, impregnating, chemical and plasmachemical treating processes or the like. Useful biocidally or biostatically effective catalytically active components include in particular metals or metal compounds, in particular from the group of copper, silver, cadmium, platinum, palladium, rhodium, zinc, mercury, titanium, zirconium and/or aluminium and also their ions and/or salts, preferably copper and silver and also their ions and/or salts, more preferably from the group of Ag, Ag2O, Cu, Cu2O and CuO and also mixtures thereof. The amount of catalytically active component, based on the overall layer, can vary in the range from 0.001% to 20% by weight, in particular in the range from 0.005% to 10% by weight and preferably in the range from 0.01% to 5% by weight. Textile fabrics useful for the purposes of the present invention as having a catalytically active component with a biostatic or biocidal action applied to them are commercially available, for example from Cupron Corporation, New York (USA), Foss Manufacturing Company Inc., Hampton, N.H. (USA) or Noble Fiber Technologies, Clarks Summit, Pa. (USA).
The covering layer may further be rendered flame retardant (by means of phosphoric ester impregnation for example). The covering layer may also be rendered antistatic. In a further embodiment, the covering layer may also have infrared (IR) reflective properties. Finally, the covering layer may also be provided with a camouflage print, in particular when used to produce NBC protective suits, on its noxiant-remote side (i.e. on the outside surface in the use state).
In general, the support layer and/or the covering layer may be a textile fabric consisting of natural and/or synthetic fibers, preferably of synthetic (manufactured) fibers. Synthetic (manufactured) fibers useful for forming the covering layer and/or support layer are for example selected from the group of polyamides, polyesters, polyolefins (for example polyethylenes or polypropylenes), polyurethanes, polyvinyl and/or polyacrylic.
As well as the aforementioned layers, the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention may contain still other layers, in particular textile plies. These can be disposed above, below or between the aforementioned layers.
As written above, the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention is gas pervious, in particular air pervious, and/or water pervious and/or water vapor pervious. This provides excellent wear comfort on processing into NBC protective suits.
In general, the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention has a gas or air transmission rate of at least 10 l·m−2·s−1, in particular at least 30 l·m−2·s−1, preferably at least 50 l·m−2·s−1, more preferably at least 100 l·m−2·s−1 and most preferably at least 400 l·m−2·s−1, and/or up to 10 000 l·m−2·s−1 at a flow resistance of 127 Pa. Since the gas or air perviousness of the adsorptive filtering material according to the present invention is at least essentially determined or restricted by the aerosol and/or particle filtering layer, the gas or air perviousness of the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention as a whole corresponds essentially to the gas or air perviousness of the aerosol and/or particle filtering layer.
In general, the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention has an overall areal weight in the range from 200 to 1000 g/m2, in particular in the range from 225 to 800 g/m2, preferably in the range from 250 to 600 g/m2 and more preferably in the range from 300 to 500 g/m2, in particular when coupled with an overall cross-sectional thickness of 0.1 to 10 mm, in particular 0.2 to 5 mm and preferably 0.5 to 3.0 mm for the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention.
To enhance the wear comfort on processing of the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention into NBC protective apparel, the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention should have a water vapor transmission rate of at least 5 l/m2 per 24 h, in particular at least 10 l/m2 per 24 h, preferably at least 15 l/m2 per 24 h, more preferably at least 20 l/m2 per 24 h and most preferably at least 25 l/m2 per 24 h. The water vapor transmission rate can be measured by the inverted cup method of ASTM E 96 and at 25° C. For further details concerning the measurement of the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) reference is made to McCullough et al. "A Comparison of Standard Methods for Measuring Water Vapor Permeability of Fabrics" in Meas. Sci. Technol. [Measurements Science and Technology], 14, 1402-1408, August 2003. This ensures good wear comfort.
To ensure a good protective effect with regard to chemical warfare agents, the adsorptive filtering material of the present invention generally has a barrier effect with regard to chemical warfare agents, in particular bis[2-chloroethyl]sulphide (also known as mustard gas, Hd or Yellow Cross), determined by method 2.2 of CRDEC-SP-84010, permitting permeation of not more than 4 μg/cm2 per 24 h, in particular not more than 3.5 μg/cm2 per 24 h, preferably not more than 3.0 μg/cm2 per 24 h and more preferably not more than 2.5 μg/cm2 per 24 h.
Further advantages, properties, aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of an illustrative embodiment depicted in the figures.

Adsorptive filtering material with integrated particle-and/or aerosol-filtering function and use thereof


A magnetic memory and a method of operating the memory are described. The memory includes memory cells that may each include a magnetoresistive bit. The memory cells may each be coupled to a current driver. Each current driver may be inhibited so that it does not output a current. Inhibiting the output current prevents the memory from being written. By inhibiting some current drivers and not inhibiting other current drivers, the memory may be partitioned into read only and random access portions.

The discovery of the giant magnetoresistive (GMR) effect has led to the development of a number of spin-based electronic devices. The GMR effect is observed in certain thin-film devices that are made up of alternating ferromagnetic and nonmagnetic layers. In a typical device, the relative orientations of magnetic directions of the ferromagnetic layers define a binary state of the device. The resistance across a device is generally lowest when the magnetic directions of the ferromagnetic layers are in a parallel orientation and highest when the magnetic directions are in an antiparallel orientation.
One type of GMR device is commonly referred to as a "spin valve." GMR devices, including spin valves, can be used as data storage elements in magnetic random access memory (MRAM) devices. In this regard, exemplary MRAM applications of GMR devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,147,922; 6,175,525; 6,178,111; 6,493,258, and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2005/0226064, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
A spin valve typically includes two or more ferromagnetic layers that are separated by a thin layer of a non-magnetic metal (often copper) and also includes an antiferromagnetic layer that "pins" the magnetization direction of one of the ferromagnetic layers. FIG. 1A illustrates (in a simplified form) the layers in a typical spin valve 10 as seen from a side view. As shown in FIG. 1A, the spin valve 10 includes ferromagnetic layers 12 and 14 separated by a nonmagnetic layer 16. In a typical arrangement, one of the magnetic layers is configured to be a fixed layer 14. The fixed layer 14 is adjacent to an anti-ferromagnetic layer 18, such that the magnetization direction of the fixed layer 14 is "pinned" in a particular orientation. The arrow in the fixed layer 14 indicates an exemplary pinned orientation, though, in general, the orientation could be pinned in either direction. Thus, the magnetization direction of the fixed layer 14 remains relatively fixed when operational magnetic fields are applied to spin valve 10. A second magnetic layer 12 is termed a free layer 12. In contrast with the fixed layer 14, the magnetization direction of the free layer 12 is free to switch between parallel and antiparallel orientations, as indicated by the double-arrow symbol in the free layer 12. By applying an appropriate magnetic field to the spin valve 10, the magnetization direction of the free layer 12 can be inverted while the magnetization direction of the fixed layer 14 remains the same.
FIG. 1B shows a three-dimensional view of the spin valve 10 of FIG. 1A. As shown, the spin valve 10 has a hard-axis (short-axis) and an easy-axis (long-axis). In the absence of an applied magnetic field, the magnetization directions of both the free layer 12 and the fixed layer 14 run substantially parallel to the easy-axis.
Typically, an MRAM comprises memory cells that include at least one GMR, or magnetoresistive, based device. In many instances, memory cells that contain magnetoresistive based devices are laid out in a similar fashion to conventional, more volatile, memories such as static random access memories (SRAMs) or dynamic random access memories (DRAMs), for example. Because magnetoresistive based devices have a high degree of non-volatility, MRAMs, in comparison to SRAMs or DRAMSs, may provide an increased measure of protection from losing a data state. For instance, magnetoresistive based devices do not store a charge, so there is a decreased likelihood of misappropriated charge or charge dissipation causing an upset of a memory.
Although magnetoresistive based devices are inherently non-volatile, MRAMs, and other magnetic based memories still use volatile-charge-storage-based circuit elements (e.g., field effect transistors) to control at least some functionality. It is desirable therefore, to provide an increased measure of protection from volatility in a magnetic memory.

Partitioned random access and read only memory


A voltage generating circuit, which generates tri-state logic output in accordance with high, low or floating of the input node, is proposed. The present voltage generating circuit includes: a pulse generating circuit for generating a plurality of pulses; a voltage selecting circuit having a pair of NMOS transistors coupled in common source, each drain of the NMOS transistors is coupled to a current source respectively, both gates of the NMOS transistors are coupled to an input node, and the paired drain of the NMOS transistors generate a pair of voltage output; a plurality of flip-flops, which couple to drains of the NMOS transistors to lock the voltage output of the NMOS transistors in accordance with the pulses; an inner voltage-generating unit couples to the input node for providing a floating voltage level; and a plurality of switches controlled by the pulses for controlling the normal operation of the voltage selecting circuit and the conduction between the inner-voltage generating unit with the input node.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a voltage generating circuit, and more particularly relates to a voltage generating circuit for generating tri-state output logic by one input control.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In electronic circuits, stable power supply deeply concerns the performance of an electronic device. Unstable power supply may cause operation errors in the electronic device, or further damage the electronic device and decrease its working life. Referring to FIG. 1, the voltage generating circuit 10 provides output voltage 102 to the voltage monitoring circuit 14. Voltage monitoring circuit 14 detects the output voltage 102 and then compares it with a voltage reference 106. When output voltage 102 is smaller than the reference voltage 106, the voltage monitoring circuit 14 generates an alarm signal 108 to processor 12 for triggering the protection mechanism of the processor 12.
Generally, the output voltage 102 of the voltage generating circuit 10 is not fixed but has various selecting voltage levels to fit each kind of applications. An exemplary voltage generating circuit could be a voltage divider, which generates two outputs (with two selecting voltage levels) in accordance with a binary signal inputted via a programmable pin. In other words, one input generates two outputs. Therefore, there are at most 2N combinations of output voltage levels when having N programmable pins for receiving N inputted setting voltages. For another example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2004/0085053 "Programmable voltage supervisory circuit and method with minimum programming pins and low quiescent current" discloses a voltage monitoring circuit, herein provides a voltage generating circuit that capable of generating tri-state output logic by one input control.
It's well known that how to decrease power consumption is one important issue to many electronic devices. The voltage monitoring circuit of the aforementioned U.S. patent application utilizes a sample-and-hold method to save power consumption. In order to reduce the whole power consumption of an electronic device (referring to the system shown in the FIG. 1), however, to reduce the power consumption of the voltage generating circuit is the most straightforward. According to this motivation, a voltage generating circuit, which generates tri-state output by one input control and has very low quiescent current, is provided.

Tri-state output logic with zero quiescent current by one input control


A pressure capsule for a spray can includes a housing with a chamber disposed therein and a valve mounted within a wall of the housing, the valve is capable of being moved into an open and a closed position such that the valve is moved into the closed position when (1) the pressure capsule is placed in an atmospheric environment and (2) the pressure capsule is placed in a spray can and subjected to a pressure equal to or greater than the operating pressure of the spray can.

This invention relates to a pressure capsule as well as a spray can which utilizes such pressure capsule.
The present invention more especially relates to a pressure capsule which prior to or during the filling of a spray can or similar is installed in the latter and offers the possibility of possibly making use of, either compressed air, or an inert gas as means of propulsion for such spray can, all of which such that a spray can is obtained which has no detrimental effect on the environment and which furthermore has the possibility and the simplicity of operation which at this moment are only to be found with spray cans with the known harmful propellants.
1. Field of the Invention
From the Belgian Pat. No. 8801131 of applicant a pressure capsule is already known which principally consists of at least two chambers of which the first is intended to be filled with a fluid under relatively high pressure and of which the second is intended to be filled with a fluid up to a pressure almost equal to the over pressure which normally exists in a spray can and which is necessary for expelling a liquid; in the wall of the first chamber a valve; in the wall of the second chamber a membrane that can command the aforementioned valve; and a removable element that in its unremoved position holds the valve closed.
With this known pressure capsule the aforementioned removable element can directly or indirectly act on the valve in order to hold this closed and preferably consists of a material meltable by little heat, all of which such that, after the aforementioned removable element is removed, the aforementioned valve is so regulated by the membrane that fluid is released from the first chamber as long as the pressure in the vicinity of the pressure capsule decreases or at least is notably lower than the pressure in the second chamber of the pressure capsule.
Although this known pressure capsule works very efficiently the present invention relates to a pressure capsule which still shows considerable additional advantages.

Pressure capsule for spray can and spray can which utilizes such pressure capsule


Disclosed herein is a bed mattress and a method of manufacturing the same, in which a permeable reinforcing member is provided at an upper portion and a lower portion of a spring assembly which is one of frame constituents of the bed mattress, and a foaming material is disposed on the permeable reinforcing member so as to be foamed, so that the spring assembly and the foaming material are integrally formed while the foaming material is expanded through fine holes and/or foam expansion holes of the permeable reinforcing member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bed mattress using a permeable reinforcing member and a foaming material, and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly to such a bed mattress and a method of manufacturing the same, in which a permeable reinforcing member is provided at an upper portion and a lower portion of a spring assembly which is one of frame constituents of the bed mattress, and a foaming material is disposed on the permeable reinforcing member so as to be foamed, so that the spring assembly and the foaming material are integrally formed while the foaming material is expanded through fine holes and/or foam expansion holes of the permeable reinforcing member.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, a bed mattress is mounted on a bed frame and is used as means adapted to provide a cushion force and buffering force. The bed mattress basically includes a spring assembly, an intermediate member laminatedly attached on the upper and lower surfaces of the spring assembly, an edge foamer fittingly attached to the lateral surface of the spring assembly, and a cover member for protecting the surfaces of the intermediate member and the edge former.
Herein, a process for manufacturing a conventional bed mattress will be hereinafter described in brief with reference to FIG. 14.
Referring to FIG. 14, first, a spring assembly 10 is fabricated, which includes coil springs 12 arranged along row and column directions over the entire area of the bed mattress in such a fashion as to be spaced apart from one another at regular intervals, and a helical coil 14 for securely engaging the coil springs 12 with one another.
Subsequently, an edge foamer 30 as a support means is fittingly attached to the lateral surface of the spring assembly 10.
Thereafter, a multi-layered cushion means including a felt and a non-woven fabric as an intermediate member 32 is continuously laminated on the upper and lower surfaces of the spring assembly 10.
Finally, the upper and lower surfaces and the circumferential edge surface of the intermediate member 32 as well as the outer surface of the edge foamer 30 are covered with a cover member 28, and then a seam portion of the cover member 28 is hermetically sealed with a sealing means.
Therefore, when a user sleeps a sleep, a load exerted to the bed mattress is absorbed and buffered by means of a cushion force of the intermediate member and a buffering force of the spring so that he or she can feels convenience and comfort.
However, this conventional structure of the bed mattress has shortcomings in that the manufacturing process thereof is complicated and various processes are required, which leads to an increase in the manufacturing cost and a decrease in workability.
That is, since the conventional bed mattress manufactured by the above-mentioned process is manufactured through various processes like a process in which a multi-layered intermediate member such as a felt and a non-woven fabric is laminatedly attached on the upper and lower surfaces of the spring assembly, etc., the manufacturing cost and the labor cost are increased and the manufacturing speed is lowered to thereby deteriorate unit productivity.
Particularly, for the conventional bed mattress, there occurs a problem in that a noise (for example, a noise due to the contact between the springs or a creaking sound due to compression of the springs) is generated by means of a load exerted to the bed mattress during its use or an aging and wearing of the springs according to the long-term use of the mattress.

Bed mattress using permeable reinforcing member and foaming material, and method of manufacturing the same


A switching system of the present invention is formed of two identical units. e.g. printed circuit board, the primary and the backup units W & P. Each unit has a switching circuit 1 such that upon receiving a first alarm signal generated due to a malfunction taking place in a main circuit 6(W) of the primary unit W, the switching circuit 1W of the primary unit transmits a second alarm signal S.sub.4 (W) to switching circuit 1P of the standby unit P, then the switching circuit 1P of the standby circuit 1P enables an output of main circuit 6(P) on the standby unit as well as transmits a control signal S.sub.9 (P) to disable an output of main circuit 6(W) of the primary unit. A plurality of the units may form a group so that two groups are in the relation of the primary and the backup. A first unit in the group collects the alarm in the own group and communicates with the first unit of the other group, so that the switching are carried out by the whole group. The switching circuit 1 may be further provided with a manual switching circuit, a switch-upon-extraction circuit which detects an extraction of the printed circuit board from the upper system, and/or a compulsive switching circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic selection system of two electronic circuits, a primary unit and a standby unit, initiated by a malfunction-alarming signal from one of them.
2. Description of the Related Arts
In a prior art switching system between its primary circuit and standby circuit, a control circuit is provided independently from the two circuits so as to transmit a switching instruction to both of the circuits upon receiving an alarm signal generated by one of the circuits. Recently in the control circuit a small data processor called a micro processor unit (MPU) is preferably employed to judge the alarm signal and then transmit the switching instruction to the two circuits.
In the prior art control circuit employing MPU is advantageous in that the conditions in judging the alarm and in the switching instruction can be easily modified by the program set in the MPU. However, there is a problem in that the MPU collecting various data takes them a considerably long time, for example 50 ms, to process them. Accordingly, the delay in switching the circuits causes loss of the data or discontinuation of clock signals.

Electronic system switchable between its primary circuit and standby circuit


A co-planar system for determining the shape and dimensions of a surface of an object includes a projector for projecting in a selected plane onto the object a spatially coded pattern of radiation, e.g., light. The system also includes a receiving device capable of imaging the reflected pattern in the selected plane, and a discriminator for determining which portion of the reflected pattern corresponds to which portion of the projected pattern. By this means, a received signal representing less than the complete reflection from the projected pattern can be correlated with a discrete portion of the scanned object. The object is moved relative to the selected plane and the procedure repeated to obtain enough reliable data to generate a reasonably reliable surface profile. The resulting set of received signals and correlations are used to calculate the shape and dimensions of the object.

This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for the measurement of the dimensions of an object, and more particularly to a non-contact system to generate measurement data representative of planar sections of an object and contour maps of an object (which data may be used as an input to suitable process control apparatus), and to a spatially coded pattern for use with such system. The invention will be described primarily in connection with using electromagnetic radiation to obtain measurement data representing planar sections (profiles) of the external surfaces of logs so as to compute the three-dimensional surface profile of each individual log for the purpose of adjusting sawing equipment in saw mills (for example, to optimize the quantity or value of the lumber produced). However, the invention is also applicable to measurement of other objects, particularly where rapid and accurate shape determination is necessary. Such measurements may be made both as to objects' external surfaces and also as to internal interfaces (e.g. imaging and measurement of internal organs for medical purposes), the latter when suitable penetrating radiation is reflected from such internal interfaces and detectable (as reflected) by a suitable receiver. Further, the invention, while described as using electromagnetic radiation, is applicable to measurements using other forms of radiation, such as sound or particles, so long as reflection occurs from either an external or internal interface, and so long as a pattern divisible into distinguishable pattern elements as herein described may be applied to such radiation and detected by a suitable receiver.
The simplest non-contact automatic method commonly used to determine the shapes of logs is known in the prior art as shadow scanning. The log moves past a row of beams of light and the cross-sectional width of the log is determined by measuring the shadow cast by the log on an array of sensors on the other side of the log, which sensors are lined up with the projected light beams. Beams of light must be applied from several directions and sensed by a corresponding set of sensor arrays to obtain even a rough profile. The shadow method cannot measure or even detect concave features such as hole in the log. It measures the outer envelope of the profile of the log.
Other methods known in the prior art for determining the shape of an object without contact depend on the principle of triangulation, which has been known historically prior to the present century. The application of this principle can be illustrated by considering a single beam of light transmitted in a known direction in space from a known location at an object being measured. Some suitably selected form of receiving system positioned so as to view the object from a direction different from the direction at which the light was transmitted detects the direction from the receiving system at which the reflection from the projected light spot appears on the object being measured. The distance between the transmitter and the receiver is known and fixed. Hence two angles (determined from the transmitting and receiving directions) and one side of a triangle (the distance between the transmitter and the receiver) are determined, and thus the location of the spot on the object relative to the measuring apparatus is easily calculated.
To use triangulation to measure the shape of an object (rather than merely to measure the coordinates of a single point), many spots in a raster pattern or the like would have to be determined. This could be done by projecting a pattern of beams simultaneously, by sweeping one beam over the surface of the object in a suitable scanning pattern in a continuous motion, or by projecting a sequence of beams, one at a time, at different points on the object being measured (this technique is often referred to as "time multiplexing"). Simultaneous projection, as taught by the prior art, is not able to reliably measure irregular surfaces because identification of a particular spot with a particular transmitted beam becomes uncertain or ambiguous if any spots are obscured. In some cases, the ambiguity or uncertainty could be overcome by the use of a reference spot whose coordinates are known, thereby enabling the operator to establish a correspondence between at least one transmitted beam and one detected spot. However, ambiguity or uncertainty would remain a problem for other spots in the pattern, even if the reference spot were located unambiguously, as identification of spots other than the reference spot depends on the assumption that no spots between the reference spot and the spots to be identified are obscured. While beam sweeping and time multiplexing do not entail the foregoing ambiguity problem, both are subject to the problem that the accurate instantaneous measurement of the profile of an object such as a log moving rapidly is difficult, by reason of the need for adequate computing time required to determine each profile. For example, in a typical saw mill, logs move at 500 feet per minute, so that to obtain profiles of, say, 1" apart (axially) on the log requires that each scan take less than 10 milliseconds.
An alternative surface profile measurement apparatus taught in Leong, U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,445, granted on Jun. 26, 1990, that is alleged to achieve unique identification of detected spots with transmitted beams, uses a small number of beams, so that within a limited depth of range, the spot from each beam will be observed within a limited region on the imaging device. However, this implies that increasing the number of beams to increase resolution of surface features decreases the range of depths that can be measured. Further, accurate knowledge of the direction of each beam in the Leong technique is critical, making frequent calibration necessary.
An alternative taught in Corby, U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,325, granted on Aug. 18, 1987, is to project onto the scanned object a time-separated series of different complete-scan patterns of beams so that identification of the pattern of spots on the scanned object can be used to identify beams uniquely with detected spots. Triangulation is used to obtain the spatial coordinates of the spots. Corby requires the sequential projection of a series of mutually differing patterns of beams, and so suffers from the same problem from which beam sweeping and time multiplexing suffer, namely the inability to determine the instantaneous profile of a rapidly moving object. Furthermore, complexity arises in Corby from the need to transmit a plurality of different patterns in time sequence.
For the foregoing reasons, it can be readily understood that the problem of measuring at a distance the surface profiles of irregular objects moving rapidly along a production line (say) is not solved satisfactorily by the known art. A satisfactory measuring apparatus should:
(a) have either (i) the capability to make very fast (snapshot) measurements of the profile of the object so that as the object moves past the measuring apparatus, the surface contour of the entire object can be built up as a series of profiles; or (ii) the capability to make a measurement of the entire surface contour of the object at one time; PA1 (b) have the ability to cope with failure to receive portions of the transmitted pattern (due to irregularity of surface features of the object or to the occlusion of portions of the object by intervening spurious objects); PA1 (c) be compact and rugged with a minimum of moving parts; PA1 (d) be relatively immune to interference from ambient lighting; PA1 (e) require only a narrow space in the environment surrounding production line apparatus to obtain sufficient view of the object being measured to accurately measure the object; PA1 (f) not require frequent calibration; and PA1 (e) have sufficient resolution and depth of field to measure accurately irregular objects such as logs.
The prior art teaches that a multiplicity of discrete beams (a pattern) projected simultaneously onto the object to be measured from different angles is needed to satisfy the requirements set out above for the rapid measurement of the complete surface profile of the object. However, the beam patterns taught in the prior art are not satisfactory as they do not enable reliable measurements to be made in situations that can occur in a sawmill and in other scanning situations, namely that the received signal may not represent the entirety of the transmitted scanning beam. There are various reasons why this may happen. The log may be smaller than the transmitted scanning beam. Irregularities on the surface of the object being scanned (e.g., bumps on the log) may occlude a portion of the log's surface such that the scanning beam does not reach the surface in question, or the bump may occlude the light reflected from the portion in question. Further, a log is carried by a conveyor, and sometimes the scan intersects a portion of the conveyor instead of the log, the log's surface being occluded by such conveyor portion. Consequently, the reflected light signal may be unreliable; portions of it may have to be rejected. Furthermore, if only a portion of the total scanned beam is received reliably by the detector, it may not readily be possible (within the teaching of the prior art) to correlate the received portion with any particular part of the log or other object being scanned. If the received signal cannot reliably be correlated with a particular portion of the object being scanned, then the received signal may be useless to the purpose at hand.

Co-planar electromagnetic profile scanner


In a processing method of a fine structure according to the present invention, an opposed platen (211) is moved from a retreat position to a molding/processing position, so that a film (1) is pressed against a mold (5) and processed. Thereafter a second block (211b) is separated from a first block (211a). Thus, improvement of the cooling rate for the opposed platen (211) can be attained by reducing the total thermal capacity of the opposed platen (211) by reducing the volume of the opposed platen (211) in cooling and physically discharging heat stored in the opposed platen (211). Thus, cooling efficiency for the opposed platen (211) is improved, and the heat cycle of the opposed platen (211) can be reduced.

A semiconductor integrated circuit, various recording mediums, a biochip and the like are stationarily in the process of refinement and integration, and mask patterns or the like employed for manufacturing the same are also increasingly refined and integrated. After electron pattern exposure means has partially substituted for optical means, this tendency has been further strengthened, and the importance of a processing method of a fine structure is continuously increased. Following the aforementioned upsurge in refinement and integration, the number of steps, the time and materials required for processing the aforementioned fine structure are also increased, to result in remarkable increase of the cost.
In order to process the aforementioned fine structure, a step of transferring a fine pattern by stamping a stamper (mold) formed with the fine pattern on resin (molded material) of a temperature rise state with a prescribed molding pressure and thereafter unmolding the fine structure after the resin is cooled is inevitable. It is extremely effective to reduce a cycle of heating and cooling the aforementioned resin for reducing the cost for processing the aforementioned fine structure. Therefore, a printing equipment attaining an adiabatic structure by reducing the sectional area of a holding part holding a pressurizing surface of the stamper below the sectional area of the pressurizing surface of the aforementioned stamper in order to reduce the heating and cooling cycle is proposed (Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-288784 (Patent Literature 1)). According to the aforementioned printing equipment, the thermal capacity of the holding part is reduced as compared with that of a printer precedent thereto, whereby the heating and cooling cycle can be reduced.
Patent Literature: Japanese Patent Laying-Open 2004-288784

Processing method of fine structure and processing equipment for fine structure


A time-based buffering system buffers data based upon how long the data should be held in order to comply with a traffic shaping policy. The data's source or destination need not be considered in determining where to buffer the data. The time-based buffering system includes a collection of time-based queues, each of which has a different time to dequeue. The system controlling traffic shaping determines how long a particular piece of data should be buffered (a “traffic shaping delay”) until it can be put on the network. Then, based upon that length of time, the system chooses one of the time-based of queues in which to buffer the data. That chosen queue has a dequeuing time that matches the traffic shaping delay. After the chosen queue dequeues its contents (at the specified time), it assumes a new dequeing time and is free to buffer new data that must be delayed by a time matching the new dequeuing time.

This invention relates to systems and methods for controlling traffic to particular destinations ("data flows") on a network. The invention accomplishes this using a time-based queuing system comprising a series of queues, each of which buffers packets for a defined length of time.
Traffic shaping involves limiting the rate at which data is transmitted to particular locations on a network (e.g., to network interfaces or network destinations). This may be employed to prevent congestion on a particular network segment or to limit a network entity to the amount of bandwidth that it has paid for. A network employs a "policing" algorithm to determine when traffic to or from a particular network user should be limited.
If a policing algorithm determines that the network interface is at a maximum usage rate, it may limit the flow of network traffic accordingly. Typically, traffic flow is limited by simply discarding or dropping packets to or from a network interface. This means that the discarded packets must be retransmitted at a later time when the network flow is not at the maximum level allowed by the policing algorithm. Administration of the retransmissions is handled by TCP or other relatively high level network protocol. Putting this burden on TCP often places too much responsibility on the protocol (which plays many other roles in administering network traffic) and thereby greatly reduces the network performance. This may be manifest by short periods of very bursty traffic followed by extended quiet periods.
One potential solution to this difficulty employs separate queues for each individual interface or destination that requires flow control. Unfortunately, this solution does not scale well for systems having many destinations. Each new network destination requires a new and separate queue. And each new separate queue requires its own additional memory and its own additional CPU resources (overhead to identify the appropriate queue, etc.). If a system needs to service 5000 destinations, then it also needs to provide and service 5000 distinct queues.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved technique for traffic shaping on a per-destination basis. The technique should not unnecessarily discard packets when a maximum flow rate is exceeded and should not rely on a single queue for each destination under consideration.

Network traffic shaping using time-based queues


A battery capacity display device for an electronic apparatus, includes: a nonvolatile storage unit that stores information related to a remaining capacity in a rechargeable battery output from a battery module having the rechargeable battery and an arithmetic operation unit that calculates the information related to the remaining capacity in the rechargeable battery based upon a value of an electrical current flowing to the rechargeable battery; a display unit that displays the remaining capacity in the rechargeable battery based upon the information related to the remaining capacity; and a display control unit that controls the display unit so as to display the remaining capacity based upon the information related to the remaining capacity stored at the storage unit at least until the information related to the remaining capacity is output from the battery module following a startup of the electronic apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery capacity display device for an electronic apparatus driven on battery power and a camera.
2. Description of Related Art
In an electronic apparatus driven on battery power, the extent to which the battery has become depleted is checked by detecting the battery voltage (see Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. H 9-236852). The battery power available in the electronic apparatus needs to be checked by detecting of the battery voltage while a predetermined load current is flowing from the battery.
Also, there are electronic still cameras in the known art that first store data of an image having been photographed into a storage buffer and then transfer and record the data in the storage buffer into a recording medium such as a memory card. If the remaining capacity in the battery becomes lower than a predetermined level while the image data in the storage buffer are being recorded into the recording medium in such a camera, the image data in the storage buffer can no longer be recorded into the recording medium and furthermore, the data in the storage buffer are lost. Accordingly, Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. H 11-355700 discloses an electronic camera that supplies backup power in order to hold the data in the storage buffer.

Battery capacity display device and camera


A nacelle assembly of a gas turbine engine includes an annular structure defining a central axis, and having a radially inward surface and a radially outward surface, the radially inward surface at least partially defining a bypass duct. An aft portion of the radially inward surface at least partially defines an axially extending convergent-divergent exit nozzle. A secondary nozzle flap is radially spaced from the aft portion of the radially inward surface. The secondary nozzle flap and the aft portion of the radially inward surface define a secondary bypass duct therebetween. The secondary nozzle flap is operably connected to the annular structure such that the secondary nozzle flap is selectably movable relative to the aft portion of the radially inward surface, thereby changing a cross-sectional area of a secondary bypass duct exit.

The present disclosure relates generally to bypass duct exhaust nozzles for a gas turbine engine, and more specifically to a convergent divergent exit nozzle for the same.
Turbofan engines, such as those used in commercial aircraft, include a fan driven by a shaft. The fan draws air into a compressor portion and a bypass duct. The compressor portion compresses the air and provides the compressed air to a combustor. The air is mixed with fuel and combusted within the combustor. The resultant combustion gasses are expelled from the combustor into a turbine, and expand through the turbine driving the turbine to rotate. At least a portion of the turbine is connected with the shaft and provides rotational force driving the fan to rotate. The air drawn into the bypass duct bypasses the compressor, combustor, and turbine and is expelled from the bypass duct at a bypass duct convergent-divergent exit nozzle.

High bypass ratio engine bypass duct nozzle with controlled nozzle area