The present invention discloses a method for precisely measuring the weight of mass material and a nucleonic weigher employing this method. It is characterized in that the coefficient K in the nucleonic weigher""s weighing formula F=KLn(Ui/U0) is dynamically modified, based on the variations of the parameters including the flowrate, the position on the conveying device, and the piled shape of the weighed mass material and the scattering of gamma radiation, thus improving the measuring precision. The nucleonic weigher manufactured with a completely enclosed framework has the merits of high measuring precision, wide application, good stability, reliable safety, small maintenance, and low cost.

The invention refers to a method for measuring mass material""s weight especially refers to the use of nuclear radiation high precision measuring of mass material""s weight with high precision nucleonic weigher (nucleon scale) to apply this method.
Nucleonic weigher (nucleon scale) is manufactured on the research basis of material""s absorption principle to gamma ray.
The existing nucleon scale""s operation principle is shown in FIG. 1. In this diagram, the nucleon scale includes a gamma radiation source (1), a gamma ray detector (2), a gamma ray radiation area (3), a speed measuring device (4), a Data Processing Unit (DPU) (5), a scale frame and protecting case (6), a conveyer belt and mass meterial (7). On the top of nucleon scale""s frame there sets the gamma radiation source and underneath the frame there sets gamma ray detector. Conveyer belt with bulk mass material go through the frame. Gamma ray radiation source steadily emits gamma ray with constant intensity. When the belt carries no material the gamma ray received by the gamma ray detector is also a constant and at same time the gamma ray detector""s output voltage is U0 and when the belt carries material a part of gamma ray emitted by the radiation source is absorbed by mass material and the rest part penetrating mass material is received by the gamma ray detector and at same time the gamma ray detector""s output voltage is Ui. According to material""s absorption law to gamma ray it is known that U0, Ui and the mass material have the following relations:
Ui=U0exe2x88x92xcexcxcfx81xcfx81dxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
where xcexcxcfx81xe2x80x94material""s mass absorption coefficient to gamma ray
xcfx81xe2x80x94material""s density
dxe2x80x94material""s thickness
to move line and also to multiply S/S on the exponent so we get                                           U            i                                U            0                          =                  ⅇ                                    -                              μ                ρ                                                                ρdS              /              S                                                          (        2        )                                W        =                  ρ                                xe2x80x83                              ds                                    xe2x80x83                                                      U            i                                U            0                          =                  ⅇ                                    -                              μ                ρ                                                                W              /              S                                                          xe2x80x83
where Sxe2x80x94material""s area on the belt to apply logarithm on both sides of formula (2) and let W/S=F, K=xe2x88x921/xcexcxcfx81 so we get                     F        =                  K          xc3x97          Ln                                              U              i                                      U              0                                                          (        3        )
where Fxe2x80x94material""s load;
Kxe2x80x94material""s rating coefficient;
The conveyer belt""s speed V can be measured by the speed sensor so material flow P on the belt is: P=FV
The accumulative mass material Wh moved in a period of time is:                               W          h                =                              ∑                          i              =              1                        n                                                        F              i                                                  V              i                                                          (        4        )
The existing scale takes K as a constant in formula (3) but actually K is not a constant and it varies with the change of belt load. The main cause is the existing nucleon scale makes 2 approximations while applying absorption law to gamma ray by material and they are:
1) to assume scattering factor=1 is to ignore the gamma ray scattering influence. In fact, the more density and thickness as mass material has, the bigger influence as scattering gets.
2) the absorption law of gamma ray by mass material requires gamma ray in parallel, but actually the existing nucleon scale is to use spot source which produces fan beamed gamma ray as shown in FIG. 2. When material is on position A the absorbed gamma ray situates on plane a-b and when material is on position B the absorbed gamma ray situates on plane c-d. Obviously c-d is greater than a-b.
Therefore, change of material load, piling shape with difference of positions plus the influence of scattering factor is the main cause to restrict measuring precision of the existing nucleon scale.
At present nucleon scales available at home and abroad all adopt mass material total weight to rate coefficient K, such as Chinese Patent ZL95106808.3 (Announced Patent No.CN1039160C). Using this method to rate coefficient K the nucleon scale records only material""s weight but not the change of material""s load so the rated coefficient K is of no relation with belt""s material load and does not meet the actual situation. Evidently the existing nucleon scale can not proceed instantaneous correction to coefficient K according to belt load variation so it has rather big measuring error with less precision.
An aim of this invention is to solve the above mentioned problem. It provides a dynamic high precision measuring method to reduce and eliminate influence to measuring accuracy in respect of change of material load, piling shape with difference of positions plus the influence of scattering factor and also to proceed dynamic correction. The high precision nucleon scale is manufactured to apply this method. In order to realize above mentioned aim the invention adopts following technique schemes:
A method for measuring mass material""s weight with high precision is to include following steps:
(1) installing multiple gamma radiation sources with corresponding gamma ray detectors and in between them to install the mass material conveyer device;
(2) measuring the gamma ray detector""s output voltages U0 with no material and Ui with material to input to DPU which is connected to gamma ray detector;
(3) using the speed sensor to measure moving speed Vi of the conveyer device to input to DPU (PLC or industrial control machine) which is connected to speed sensor;
(4) the DPU calculates the accumulative weight W transmitted in a period of time according to formula:   W  =            ∑              i        =        1            n                          KLn                          (                                    U              i                        /                          U              0                                )                                  V        i
The material rated coefficient K in the formula is dynamically corrected to follow the change of mass material""s load and influence of gamma ray scattering. The above mentioned material rated coefficient K to follow the change of material load is determined by object""s rated method with following steps:
(1) to use a standard scale to read out material""s weight WaB. The conveyer device steadily transmits mass material""s load to nucleon scale for measurement;
(2) from instantaneously collected parameters of gamma ray detector""s output voltage Ui, speed sensor""s moving speed Vi, and transmission time ti to calculate formulae:       F    Ba    =                              W          B                                      ∑                          i              =              1                        n                                                        V              i                                                  t              i                                                        xe2x80x83                                    (                      L                                      xe2x80x83                                    n                                                      u                i                                            u                0                                              )                aAVG              =                            ∑                      i            =            1                    n                                  L                                xe2x80x83                              n                                              U              i                                      U              0                                          n
Set up a coordinate system with FB as ordinate and LnUi/U0 as abscissa. According to the calculated FBa and (LnUi/U0)aAvG to determine point a in the coordinate system to get K which is the sloping rate of 0a;
(3) Corresponding to different material weights WbB, WeB, WdB . . . to adopt same method as above we can determine points b, c, d . . . in the coordinate system. Hence we get Kb, Kc, Kd . . . and functional relation of FB=f(LnUi/U0) as shown in FIG. 3.
Using multi-section""s linear relation of F=bj+kjLn(Ui/U0) to replace function FB=f(LnUi/U0) where j is linear section numbers we have following steps:
(1) to connect 0a, ab, bc, cd . . . to get each linear section;
(2) to utilize 0, a, b, c, d . . . each point""s coords value to separately get each linear section""s b and k ; or to use multi-items method to joint FB=f(LnUI/U0). For a, b, c, d . . . each point coordinates to use minimum 2 multiplication method to get coefficients a0, a1, a2 . . . aK from multi-items formula: F=a0+a1(LnUi/U0)+a2(LnUi/U0)2+ . . . +ak(LnUi/U0)k where k=0, 1, 2, 3 . . . k.
It is another object of this invention to provide a nucleon scale with high measuring precision, wide application ,good stability, small maintenance and low cost.
A nucleon scale applying above mentioned method is to include:
1-N gamma radiation sources where N=2-10.
Gamma ray detector corresponds to gamma radiation source which transfers gamma ray intensity into voltage parameter. The mass material""s conveyer device is installed between the detectors and radiation sources.
Speed sensor can measure moving speed of the mass material""s conveyer device.
Micro-computer or DPU (PLC) connected to gamma ray detector and speed sensor can calculate mass material""s accurate weight according to said method.
The forenamed gamma radiation sources can be selected from 137CS, 6Co, 241Am according to the mass material to be measured. The number of sources is determined by width of mass material""s conveyer device with optimum 2-7.
The forenamed gamma radiation sources and gamma ray detectors can be fixed on counter positions in a completely enclosed scale frame.
When using multi-section""s linear relation to joint function FB=f(LnUi/U0) the above mentioned nucleon scale is to operate according to broken line position""s process prediction scheme as shown in FIG. 4.
This invention covers following advantages:
The dynamic high precision measuring method eliminates the influence to measuring accuracy from change of mass material""s load, piling shape with difference of material positions plus the influence of gamma ray scattering factor therefore, it greatly improves measuring precision. The nucleon scale applying this method has high measuring precision to suit for wide range of material""s flow with broad field of application covering good stability and wider range of application of radiation source therefore, it is either cost effective or highly accurate, safe and reliable.

Method for precisely measuring the weight of mass material and nucleonic weigher employing this method

Rm.402/5,2F., Zhongli Baiwanzhuang Dajie


A differential pressure regulating valve is disclosed which improves sealing performance when the valve closes. The differential pressure regulating valve has a diaphragm and a guide. The guide limits the moving direction of a retainer. A projecting part and an engaging hole engage with one another and reduce deformation of the diaphragm by tolerating a relative movement between the diaphragm and the retainer. A liquid shut-off valve device is also disclosed which incorporates the differential pressure regulating valve and has stable operating characteristics.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid shut-off valve device provided for, for example, a fuel tank of vehicle or the like and a differential pressure regulating valve provided for this liquid shut-off valve device, and relates to a technology for improving a sealing performance of the differential pressure regulating valve.
2. Related Art
As this kind of a liquid shut-off valve device, there has been, for example such one mounted on a fuel tank 101 of a vehicle as shown in FIG. 4.
Namely, this liquid shut-off valve 102 is arranged on an upper part of the fuel tank 101, and makes air and fuel vapor G101 in the fuel tank 101 flow into a canister 104, etc. absorbing fuel component of the fuel vapor 101 through an exhaust line 103 at a time of fueling, and prevents the fuel vapor G101 from being made to flow back to a filler port and exhausted therefrom into the atmosphere.
Moreover, when a liquid level of the fuel L101 is raised by, for example, fueling or swinging of a vehicle or when the vehicle is tilted or overturned, this liquid shut-off valve device 102 has a liquid shut-off function to prevent the fuel L101 from leaking out of the exhaust line 103.
FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) are a cross-sectional configuration views for illustrating the constitution and its function of the liquid shut-off valve device. FIG. 5(a) shows a state allowing the fuel vapor G101 to be exhausted without exerting the liquid shut-off function, and FIG. 5(b) shows a state in which the level of the fuel L101 is raised and the liquid shutoff valve device 102 closes the valve by operating the liquid shut-off function.
In both Figures, reference mark 110 is a case member, of which an inner part is a float chamber 110a for housing a float 111. The float 111 generates a buoyant force by the fuel L101 made to flow into the float chamber 110a from a communicative hole 112a of a cap 112 mounted on a lower end of the case member 110, and is moved upward in the state of these figures.
A ring form of a sealing valve body 111a exerting a sealing performance is provided on a top portion of the float 111, and a valve seat part 110b corresponding to the valve body 111a is provided on a top portion of the float chamber 110a. Here, a valve constituted by the valve body 111a and the valve seat part 110b is defined as a float valve 105.
Moreover, reference mark 113 is a spring performing a function as an biasing means for adjusting the buoyant force of the float 111. This spring 113 is always biasing the float by a weight smaller than own weight of the float 111 and does not push up the float to shut the float valve 105 at the time there is no buoyant force in the normal condition.
The valve seat part 110b is arranged at one end of a vent part 110c, and a valve seat part 110d, to which a differential pressure regulating valve 120 is to be abutted, is open at the other end of the vent part 110c.
Therefore, an exhaust path is configured, for exhausting the fuel vapor G101 from the valve seat part 110b to the vent part 110c, and further to the exhaust line 103 via the differential pressure regulating valve 120.
Since the differential pressure regulating valve 120 is opened by an inner pressure of the fuel tank 101, in order to introduce a pressure equivalent to the atmospheric pressure (or a negative pressure) into an operating chamber R101, and operating chamber 101 is provided with a filler port 106 which is connected to a filler tube 107 (fuel filling part) via a filler line 108 (refer to FIG. 4).
And, in a state in which a differential pressure is small between a pressure in the fuel tank 101 and that in the operating chamber R101, since the differential pressure regulating valve 120 is biased by the spring 121 in the direction of opening the valve, it closes the valve seat part 110d, and when the differential pressure becomes a predetermined value or higher at a time of fueling and the like, the valve is opened to make the fuel vapor G101 flow out into the exhaust line 103.
The differential pressure regulating valve 120 has a diaphragm 120a of a rubber like elastic body, a retainer 120b being abutted to the diaphragm 120a for holding the form, and an orifice plug 122.
The diaphragm 120a and the retainer 120b are tightly fixed to each other by such a way as a projecting part 120c formed in the center part of the diaphragm 120a is engaged in an engaging hole 120d of the retainer 120b.
The orifice plug 122 has an orifice allowing a small flowing flow to communicate between the inside of the fuel tank 101 and the operating chamber R101, and is attached so as to hold the diaphragm 120 with the retainer 120b.
And, the orifice eliminates a differential pressure between those of the operating chamber R101 and the inside of the fuel tank 101 in a predetermined time to maintain a closing valve characteristic of the differential pressure regulating valve 120, or permits to exhaust the fuel to the side of the fuel tank 101 by a small amount when the fuel L101 is made to flow into the operating chamber R101.
Here, the reason for the connection between the operating chamber R101 and the filler tube 107 is to make the fuel vapor G101, which passes through the orifice 122 and the pressure film of the differential pressure regulating valve 120 (the fuel vapor G101 sometimes passes through the pressure film in a case, etc. that the pressure film is configured of a thin film comprising of a rubber elastic body), to be not directly discharged into the atmosphere, and to generate a differential pressure between the operating chamber R101 and the inside of the fuel tank 101 by making use of a negative pressure generated in the filler tub 107 at the time of fueling.
Moreover, a filler port which is an opening end of the filler tube 107 is normally closed with a cap, and the fuel vapor G101 is made resistant to be discharged out of the filler port by Venturi effect of the fuel L101 filled up at the time of fueling.
Therefore, FIG. 5 (a) shows a state in which the float 111 is stationed at a lower position due to no buoyant force exerted thereon, and when the inner pressure of the fuel tank 101 is raised by fueling, etc., the fuel vapor G101 flows into the vent part 110c from the valve body 111a in an open state and the valve seat 110b and is allowed to flow out into the exhaust line 103 by opening the differential pressure regulating valve 120 due to the differential pressure.
FIG. 5(b) shows such a state in which the liquid level L101a rises due to fueling, etc. and the fuel 101 flows into the float chamber 110a, and the float 111 is floated up to close the float valve 105 and shut off the exhaust line 103.
Then, as the liquid level L101a of the fuel L101 in the float chamber 110a drops, the float 111 also falls and resets the exhaust line 103 and the fuel tank to the normal state in which they are communicating with each other, to open the float valve 105 (the state shown in FIG. 5(a)).
FIG. 6 shows an enlarged view of the differential pressure regulating valve 120. In such a liquid shut-off valve device 102, the differential pressure regulating valve 120 is comprised of the three members of a diaphragm 120a, a retainer 120b, and an orifice plug 122 as described above.
However, since the diaphragm 120a is tightly fixed to the retainer 120b at the two points of the projecting part 120c and the orifice plug 122, a misalignment between them slightly brings wrinkles or deformations on a bead part 120e of the diaphragm 120a, leading to a decrease in its flatness and sealing performance at a time of closing the differential pressure regulating valve.
This is because the differential pressure between the operating chamber R102 and the inside of the fuel tank 101 to be set for opening the differential pressure regulating valve 120 of the liquid shut-off valve 102 is set to a small differential pressure (about 30 mmAq), therefore, a biasing force by the spring 121 is also set to be low, so it is difficult to correct the wrinkles and deformations by the load (a biasing force) of the spring 121 at a time of closing the valve and this fact makes it impossible to bring the bead part into an intimate contact state with the valve seat part 110d, influencing the sealing performance.
FIG. 7 shows a cross sectional view of an another type of conventional differential pressure regulating valve device without orifice plug. FIG. 8 shows a cross sectional view of the valve part of differential pressure regulating valve which is used in the device of FIG. 7. The diaphragm 130a has a projecting part 130c, which is placed on the center of the diaphragm, with a top bulge 130f formed on the projecting part 130c as shown in FIG. 8(a). The projecting part is inserted and fixed in an engaging hole 130d of a retainer 138b. When interference between the projecting part and the engaging hole is large, small wrinkles tend to appear in a bead part 130e of a sealing portion of the diaphragm, leading to a decrease in its flatness and sealing performance at a time of closing the differential pressure regulating valve. On the other hand, when interference between the projecting part and the engaging hole 130d is small, negative pressure on the canister side causes a tendency of a coming out of the projecting part 130c from the hole of the retainer, and the thus coming out projecting part 130c can not come back easily into the engaging hole because the projecting part can not re-enter into the engaging hole easily due to the difference between in the diameter of the bulge part 130f and in the diameter of the hole (the diameter of the bulge part 130f is larger than the diameter of the engaging hole 130d), as shown in FIG. 8(b). This phenomenon causes wrinkles or deformation on or around the bead part 130e of a sealing portion, leading to a decrease in sealing performance at a time of closing the differential pressure regulating valve.
Biasing force by the spring 131 is set to be low, so it is also difficult to correct the wrinkles and deformations by the load (an biasing force) of the spring 131 at a time of closing the valve and this makes it impossible to bring the bead part into an intimate contact state with the valve seat part 130g, causing a decrease in sealing performance, as mentioned above.

Differential pressure regulating valve and liquid shut-off valve device


A turbine blade with a plurality of near wall cooling channels on both the pressure side wall and suction side wall of the blade, and a plurality of tip cooling channels that open into a concave impingement cavity formed on the upstream side wall of a squealer tip rail that extends from the trailing edge and along the suction side wall of the blade, around the leading edge and ends on the pressure side wall just past the leading edge. The tip cooling channels provide cooling for the blade tip and inject the spent cooling air into the concave impingement cavity which then redirects the spent cooling air toward the oncoming hot gas flow leakage to produce a cushion against the hot gas flow to push the flow up and over the tip. Cooling air from a root supply cavity flows up through the plurality of suction side cooling channels to provide near wall cooling for the blade, then discharges into a cooling air collector cavity formed between the pressure and suction side walls. The cooling air then migrates toward the platform and then flows into the pressure side wall cooling channels to provide near wall cooling, and then into the tip cooling channels before discharging into the concave tip cavity that extends along the tip rail.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fluid reaction surfaces, and more specifically to turbine airfoils with cooling circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
In a gas turbine engine, especially in an industrial gas turbine engine, a hot gas flow generated in a combustor is passed through a series of rows or stages of turbine stator vanes and rotor blades to convert the thermal energy of the flow into mechanical energy by driving the rotor shaft. The efficiency of the engine can be increased by passing a higher hot gas flow through the turbine. However, the maximum temperature is dependent upon the material properties of the turbine airfoils, especially the first stage vanes and blades because these are exposed to the hottest temperature.
Turbine airfoils can be exposed to higher temperatures than the material properties would allow by passing pressurized cooling air through the airfoils to produce convection cooling, impingement cooling and film cooling of the airfoils. Maximizing the amount of airfoil cooling while minimizing the amount of cooling air used would provide the maximum efficiency for the engine. The rotor blades also are exposed to high gas flow temperatures at the blade tip because of leakage flow. High temperature turbine blade tip section heat load is a function of the blade tip leakage flow. A high leakage flow will induce high heat load onto the blade tip section and therefore the blade tip section sealing and cooling have to be addressed as a single problem. A prior art turbine blade tip includes a squealer tip rail which extends around the perimeter of the airfoil flush with the airfoil wall and forms an inner squealer pocket. FIG. 3 shows a prior art turbine blade with this type of squealer tip design. The main purpose for incorporating a squealer tip in the blade design is to reduce the blade tip leakage and also to provide a rubbing capability for the blade. The squealer tip rail is thin compared to a solid blade tip and therefore rubbing causes less damage to the tip or the shroud surface.
FIG. 2 shows a prior art blade with a squealer tip cooling design. Film cooling holes are built in along the airfoil pressure side tip section. Also, convective cooling holes are positioned along the tip rail at the inner portion of the squealer pocket to provide additional cooling for the squealer tip rail. Secondary hot gas flow migration around the blade tip section is shown by the arrows in FIG. 2.
FIG. 3 shows a prior art blade tip with cooling design for the blade suction side tip rail. The suction side blade tip rail is subject to heating from three exposed sides, and cooling of the suction side squealer tip rail by means of a discharge row of film cooling holes along the pressure side peripheral and at the bottom of the squealer floor becomes insufficient. This is primarily due to the combination of tip rail geometry and the interaction of hot gas secondary flow mixing; the effectiveness induced by the pressure side film cooling and tip section convective cooling holes is very limited.
Turbine blade cooling not only allows for a higher gas flow temperature exposed to the airfoil, but also reduces the occurrence of hot spots around the blade that leads to erosion and spallation, thus shortening the life of the blade.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for a turbine blade with a near wall cooling circuit and a squealer tip cooling design that can be used in a blade cooling design in addition to a passive clearance control system, especially for the blade design with a single suction side tip rail.


A method for controlling an internal combustion engine in which in each case the lambda value is ascertained by evaluating a measuring signal of a lambda probe. In this context, two combustion periods of the internal combustion engine are compared to each other. In the two combustion periods, in a single cylinder the lambda value is induced once in the direction of a lambda increase and once in the direction of a lambda decrease.

Methods are known for controlling internal combustion engines having several cylinders, in which a lambda signal of a lambda probe in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine is ascertained. This signal is used to induce (influence) the ratio of air to fuel in such a way that a predefined setpoint lambda value is achieved.

Method for controlling an internal combustion engine


A multi-point door lock assembly has a central lock and an extension bolt for securing the door to a door frame. The assembly has an actuator positioned at the central lock and moveable between a first and second position along an axis. The assembly further has an elongated extension bolt residing along a bolt axis. The actuator and the bolt are secured in a configuration that displaces the axis of the bolt in spaced relationship from the axis of the actuator by an adaptor having a body length. The adaptor has a first end connected to the actuator and a second end connected to the extension bolt, and an intermediate portion between the first and second ends configured to displace the bolt axis for the bolt to pass through an interior portion of an associated door member.

Multi-point door lock systems used in connection with door assemblies are generally known in the art. Conventional multi-point lock systems are generally used in sliding door, swinging door and/or french door assemblies. Typical multi-point door lock systems include latch or bolt assemblies that extend from the lock unit to engage the door frame, thus enabling the door to be securely locked to the frame. Plural latches or bolts are used to provide added security by locking the door to the frame at a plurality of locations. For example, typical multi-point locking door assemblies include a central lock mechanism that controls a central latch, as well as at least one bolt mechanism that engages the door frame above or below the door. The bolt mechanism of such multi-point door locks has an elongated body that extends from the central lock mechanism to the door frame, typically in the form of an elongated extension bolt. For added security, most of such multi-point locking doors have extension bolts extending from the central lock to both the top frame, and the floor threshold or bottom frame member. The extension bolts of such devices are positioned along an edge of the door, or are located in a channel or other passageway within the door.
Example of these types of prior art assemblies are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows a door with a multi-point locking system that has an extension bolt extending from the central lock unit and exposed along an edge of the door member of the assembly. The edge faces outwardly towards the frame. This type of multi-point locking assembly, thereby has extension bolts passing along the outer edge of the door, usually along the edge that first separates from the doorjamb during opening of the door. In the embodiment, the door edge may be slightly recessed to accommodate flush installation of the extension bolts. FIG. 2 depicts an example of an alternative structure of a typical multi-point lock assembly. FIG. 2 shows a multi-point lock assembly in which the extension bolts extend through an internal channel of the door, to engage the door frame at the top and/or bottom of the door. This type of door lock assembly, with an extension bolt passing through the body of the door, provides a locking bolt structure that is spaced inward of the door edge and is thereby concealed within the door. Depending on the specific application, this arrangement may provide added security by preventing tampering; and it provides a cleaner appearance with less exposed mechanical parts.
Each of these types of multi-point lock assemblies offer benefits that may make one preferred for use in a given situation. For example, there may be applications in which added security would be achieved by providing extension bolts that pass through the body of the door, rather than being exposed along an edge. Alternatively, it may be preferable to have the extension bolts located along the edge of the door, such as may be desired for ease of installation or replacement of an existing type of assembly and to mate with existing recesses in the door frame. It is understood that the central lock units of the lock assemblies of FIGS. 1 and 2 have different structural configurations to accommodate the different structural configurations of the extension bolts. Each central lock unit is specific for its particular extension bolt configuration. Because of such needs, it would be beneficial to have available a lock assembly that may be adapted for use, capable of modification to accommodate either structure of an extension bolt.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a multi-point locking assembly capable of such adaptation by a user, and that is suitable for alternate positioning the passage of extension bolts, or similar extension bolt members, relative the central locking mechanism. Further, it is desirable to provide an adaptable extension bolt assembly that is capable of being mounted to a central lock device configured for an extension bolt such as is shown in FIG. 1, and yet with an altered alignment to permit passage of the bolts inside the door such as is shown in FIG. 2. The present invention is provided to solve these as well as other needs.

Multi-point door lock and offset extension bolt assembly


A fiber sealing apparatus in which a seal about an outer fiber optic cable may be formed relatively independently of a seal about an inner fiber optic line. The fiber optic sealing apparatus may comprise a housing containing a central passageway there through. The housing may further comprise a fiber seal and a seal energizer configured to interact with the fiber seal. An intermediate cap may be coupled with an end of the housing and configured to apply a load to the seal energizer. An end cap may be coupled with an end of the intermediate cap and configured to seal against an inserted fiber optic cable. Applying the load to the seal energizer may result in a barrier forming around an inserted fiber optic line.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention pertains to sealing devices for use in a downhole environment, specifically, for sealing against a fiber optic cable.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
In many well related operations, fiber optic control lines are used to establish communication with and to control downhole components. For example, fiber optic distributed temperature sensors may be used to measure the temperature along the entire length of a wellbore as well as communicate the temperature data to the surface of the well. However, sealing the fiber optic line portion of the fiber optic cable against severe well pressures and environmental conditions can be challenging. A repeatable balance must be established between providing a seal against the fiber optic line without applying so much force that the fiber optic line is subsequently damaged.
In conventional applications, an end cap may be secured to a housing in order to provide a compressive force on a cable or control line passing there through. The compressive force may be controlled though precise control of the torque applied to the end cap and/or accurate predictions of the occupying space of the cable seal when the end cap is fully tightened. However, most metal or shielded cables and control lines are tolerant of a wide range of compressive pressures. Accordingly, cables and control lines may be rapidly sealed through the use of less precisely controlled processes without risk of a subsequent increase in the potential for damaging cables and control lines.
On the other hand, fiber optic cables are much more susceptible to damage resulting from the application of too large of a compressive force. The fragile nature and the miniature size of the fiber optic line requires more control than typically used in sealing a control line. In the field, precisely controlling the torque so as to avoid compressive damage to a fiber optic cable may be costly and time consuming. In addition, in order to accurately determine the shape and quantity of the sealing material and housing so as to provide a sufficient compressive force while still allowing for a securing torque for the end cap requires extensive modeling and/or testing of various configurations for a range of operating conditions. In some cases, fiber optic lines are sealed using epoxy between the fiber and the barrier.


The invention is directed to LDCAM as a purified and isolated protein, the DNA encoding the LDCAM, host cells transfected with cDNAs encoding LDCAM, processes for preparing LDCAM polypeptides and compositions and methods for treating utilizing LDCAM polypeptides.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to new molecules, designated LDCAM, capable of modulating or altering T cell function. More particularly, the present invention involves novel polypeptides that interact with T cell surface molecules to alter signaling, bind to themselves and bind to another novel polypeptide, designated B7L-1, and generate increases in natural killer cell populations. The invention includes LDCAM molecules, DNA encoding LDCAM molecules, processes for production of recombinant LDCAM polypeptides, and pharmaceutical compositions containing such LDCAM polypeptides.
2. Description of Related Art
Adhesion molecules play important roles in cell signaling within the immune system and other cellular systems. In addition to the antigen specific signals delivered by the T cell receptor complex, the shape and type of immune response by T cells depend upon costimulatory signals mediated by adhesion molecules on antigen (presenting cells (APC). One such costimulatory signaling involves the adhesion molecules B7-1 (CD80) and B7-2 (CD86) which send important signals through their T cell surface receptors, CD28 and CTLA4 (CD152). B7-1 interacts with CD28 to signal cytokine production, cell proliferation, and the generation of effector and memory T cells. If the signal through CD28 is blocked, T cell anergy or immune deviation can occur, resulting in severely depressed or altered immune responses.
B7-1 also interacts with the T cell CTLA4 receptor. Its signaling is complex, but one component provides a negative feedback signal, causing the T cell to attenuate the CD28 signal. In the absence of this signal, rampant T cell proliferation and effector cell activation continues. When this feedback regulation malfunctions, autoimmune diseases and lymphoproliferation can result. For example, when the CD28 and B7-1 (and B7-2) interaction is blocked with an anti-CTLA4 antibody, increased tumor immunity and lymphoproliferation have been observed.
B7-2, which is expressed on different cells and at different stages of APC activation from that of B7-1, also delivers its costimulatory signal to T cells through CD28 and CTLA4. The B7-2 signal can lead to immune responses that are identical to, or different from the immune responses resulting from B7-1 signaling. The nature of the B7-2 signaling depends upon the cellular context and the timing of the costimulation.
Even though they bind to the same cellular receptors, B7-1 and B7-2 are only weakly related at the amino acid level. Both, however, are members of the extended immunoglobulin domain containing superfamily and much of their shared sequence homology is due to the particular residues shared by their common Ig domains, which are characteristic of the Ig-domain subfamily.
There is evidence to suggest that other adhesion molecules are important in T cell response to antigens. For example, T cell proliferation and cytokine production that occurs in response to engagement of a T cell receptor by an antigen can occur in the absence of CD28 in certain diseases. Proliferation and cytokine production also occurs in the absence of CD28 in memory responses, and in systems in which CD28 has been genetically removed. In some cases, T cell proliferation depends upon an interaction within the CD48 or the ICAM/LFA systems. Furthermore, the adhesion molecule known as ALCAM interacts with its T cell ligand CD6 to modulate the CD3 signal.
Clearly, signaling through T cell surface receptors plays an important role in maintaining balance in the immune system. Systems with a predominance of activatory signals, such as the costimulatory signaling between CD28 and B7-1, can lead to autoimmunity and inflammation. Immune systems with a predominance of inhibitory signals, such as the costimulatory signaling between CTLA4 and are less able to challenge infected cells or cancer cells. Isolating new molecules involved in T cell signaling is highly desirable for studying the biological signal(s) transduced via their receptors. Additionally, identifying such molecules provides a means of regulating and treating diseased states associated with autoimmunity, inflammation and infection.


An adhesive-backed printed pressure sensitive cut label assembly with easy temporary removability is disclosed, wherein the portion of the label forming the label stock may be printed on the back- or reverse-side of the label face stock and whereby the printed surface is applied with a hot melt or acrylic adhesive that ensures easy short-term removability from a container surface and reapplication thereto. The label stock is laminated to a base stock comprising a paper or polymeric release liner coated with silicone or other adhesive release coating. During manufacturing of the label assembly, the label stock and base stock are simultaneously fed to laminating rollers following a die-cutting process, whereby the two are joined.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,852,191 discloses a method and apparatus for making an adhesive-backed label whereby glassine paper stock is unwound from a roll, coated with photo-cationic silicone and cured using ultraviolet light to form a silicone coated release paper. The means of applying silicone comprises a closed chambered doctor blade. Adhesive is applied over the cured silicone layer of the coated glassine paper, cooled using a first cooling roller, then fed with a face stock to a laminator and cooled with a second cooling roller.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,608,161 discloses a method and apparatus for making adhesive-backed labels whereby glassine paper stock is unwound from a roll and coated with photo-cationic silicone and exposed to a wavelength-controlled illumination to cure. Hot melt adhesive is applied over the silicone. Simultaneously, label stock is fed with the coated glassine paper to laminating rollers where the two are joined, and the label stock is cooled using a first cooling roller and then a second cooling roller downstream. Illumination to cure the silicone is provided by a dichroic reflector.
US 2005/0089662 discloses a method and apparatus for making adhesive-backed labels whereby glassine coated paper is coated with silicone, the silicone is cured, and a hot melt adhesive is applied over the silicone layer. The glassine coated paper is then laminated to a label face stock.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,556,708 discloses a method and apparatus that forms a cut label on a liner by feeding a web of lined label material to a cutting station (either a laser cutter or anvil roller and hammer die head cutter) to cut the label material, forming a matrix around the cut label and stabilizing the label edge without vacuum, stripping the cut label from the label material and applying labels to a substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,815,761 discloses a method for forming a cut label on a liner by feeding a web of unlined label material having an adhesive face to a cutting station comprised of a chilled rotating die head with multiple raised cutting edges, cutting the label material to provide a matrix around the label and stabilizing the label material with respect to the matrix without vacuum and feeding a web of liner to a set of rollers against the adhesive face of the label material.
US 2011/0036504 discloses a chilled rotating die head for cutting or perforating pressure-sensitive labels.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,163,365 (the "'365 Patent") teaches a method of forming a sheet of label material for placement on a paper object, such as a newspaper, and then subsequent removal of the label from the paper object without damaging the object. The method includes coating a water-based, pressure-sensitive adhesive on the face of a paper substrate using a gravure coater to form a repetitive dot pattern of adhesive areas. The repetitive dots assure a uniform, discontinuous coating of adhesive that allows repositioning of the label and prevents tearing of or damage to the paper surface when the label is removed, and that maintains sufficient adhesion to adhere to difficult substrates such as textured surfaces. A further embodiment of the '365 Patent includes adhesive coating a release liner with the repetitive dotted pattern, providing removability of the paper label from the liner. The labels are surface printed with ink on the surface of the label opposite to which the adhesive is applied. The printed surface is further coated with a protective laminate release coating and then label shapes are die cut. The present invention improves upon the '365 patent by enabling a removable, repositionable pressure-sensitive label that can be adhered to several surfaces, including glass and plastic containers.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,076,004 (the "'004 Patent") teaches a flexible substrate, such as a paper or nonwoven substrate used for gift wrap or envelope, that is coated with a release material to enable the temporary repositioning of an adhesive applied over or on the release material. Over time, the adhesion between the release material and the applied adhesive builds so that the adhesive cannot be removed from the release material without damaging the underlying sheet material. The release material is dispersed on the flexible substrate and allows for repositioning when contacted with a pressure sensitive adhesive for at least 1 minute and not more than 10 minutes. In applications such as gift wrapping or sealing envelopes, an indefinite ability to remove the adhesive from the sheet material is not desired. Accordingly, the '004 patent permits the adhesive to bond after a short period to prevent exposing the contents of the wrapped package or envelope. The release material is selected from the group consisting of polysiloxane-acrylic block or graft polymers or polysiloxane-urea copolymers.
It is generally known in the art that printed labels with a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing are applied to plastic or glass containers for food products, health and beauty products, liquids, soaps, vitamins and other similar end-use products, among many others. The labels are made so as to require the removal of a liner, generally known as a "release liner." A "release liner" may be made from coated or uncoated papers or polymeric films, and is typically coated with a silicone layer that enables the liner to release from the label before it is applied to a container. Removal of the release liner exposes the pressure-sensitive adhesive, permitting the label to adhere and be applied to the container with the application of slight pressure to create a strong adhesive bond between the label and container. Once applied, the conventional pressure sensitive label is not meant to be easily removed but is strongly adhered to the container surface.
The term "pressure-sensitive adhesive," as used herein, refers to an adhesive which adheres to a surface as a result of slight application of pressure, through any known means, as opposed to thermal activation, evaporation, or absorption of a solvent to form a solid bond.
Pressure-sensitive labels can be provided in many different formats, with the most significant being a format of label face stock made from a natural or synthetic fiber paper, polymeric film, metal foil or combinations of these materials, a pressure-sensitive adhesive, and a release liner in contact with the adhesive. These three components—label face stock, pressure-sensitive adhesive and release liner—are referred to herein as "label stock material." Labels are made using label stock material and cutting the label face stock by cutting or micro-perforating the shape of the label, by known means, e.g., a laser cutter, an anvil roller and die head cutter or other cutting method, into the label stock material, leaving a remainder portion of the label material around the cut label shape known as the matrix. The matrix is removed, leaving the labels attached to the release liner and rolled in multiple label widths into a web, then moved to a separate operation and slit into single label width webs.
The most typical format of a pressure-sensitive label comprises a laminated combination of a printed face stock that is printed on the top surface (opposite the surface to which adhesive is applied) and covered with an over-print varnish or with a laminated film layer to prevent ink rub-off; a pressure-sensitive adhesive on the back or reverse side of the face stock; and a silicone layer and backing paper liner to which the silicone layer is relatively strongly adhered. The face stock can be transparent or opaque. Opaque face stock (typically a paper face stock) can be pre-printed on the top and back sides, for instance, when a label is applied to a transparent container such as a plastic or glass bottle and is filled with a relatively transparent liquid, such as detergent or soap. The printing on the back- or reverse-side of the label face stock can then be read through the container and the product contained therein. Transparent film face stock usually is printed only on the front- or surface-side of the label, with the ink covered by a layer of protective varnish or an additional layer of transparent film. The present invention, which allows reverse-printing of the label face stock, obviates the need for overlamination of the front label surface using a varnish or additional layer of transparent film.
The conventional adhesive used in a pressure-sensitive label is water-based, requiring a relatively long air drying time. The release liner most typically used is a glassine paper coated with silicone to produce a suitable release effect between the label face stock and the release liner when the label is applied to a container or other surface. The prior art method of manufacturing such pressure-sensitive labels with silicone-coated release liner involves numerous steps and has many drawbacks. First, the roll of glassine paper has to be hung and unwound to apply silicone. The curing process involves relatively large equipment with controlled humidity and temperatures. Second, the cured release paper is then rewound and hung on a second lamination machine where adhesive is applied to the paper, laminated at another station to a printable face stock and hung in a lengthy 200-foot air drying structure to adequately cure. Following this manufacturing process, a printer unwinds the roll of label stock material to print the label face stock.
This label manufacturing process is cumbersome, involves multiple steps, large equipment, and numerous lamination steps followed by a final printing step. Moreover, this prior art makes it impossible to print on the back or reverse side of the label face stock to which the adhesive is strongly bonded. In the event of a label stock material that is desired to be printed on the back side of the label face stock, the prior art makes it necessary to strip the label face stock from the liner, print on the backside of the label face stock, and then re-laminate the face stock to the liner. The prior art in such reverse-side label printing is cumbersome and involves multiple re-lamination, printing, and de-lamination steps. Further, the prior art results in a label that makes rework or short-term removability following label application difficult to nearly impossible because of the adherence of ink to the adhesive and the container surface to which the label was initially applied. Moreover, when reverse-side printing is desired, the label face stock must be de-laminated from the release liner and printing is typically done over the adhesive. The result is blurry printing and limited graphics in order to avoid deadening of the adhesive.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,852,191 (the '191 Patent) and U.S. Pat. No. 7,608,161 (the '161 Patent) (collectively the "Bayzelon Patents") attempt to improve upon the prior art manufacturing process by eliminating the need for multiple lamination passes, long silicone and adhesive curing times, and the associated unwinding and rewinding processes. The Bayzelon Patents disclose a method of manufacturing pressure-sensitive adhesive label stocks with back-side printing whereby glassine paper release stock is unwound from a roll, coated with a fast-curing, photo-cationic silicone, and exposed to wavelength-controlled ultra-violet illumination to cure. Illumination is provided by a dichroic reflector. A hot melt adhesive is applied over the silicone layer on the release paper and cooled using a cooling roller. Simultaneously, label stock is fed with the coated glassine paper to laminating rollers where the two are joined and the label stock material is further cooled using a second downstream cooling roller. An advantage of the Bayzelon Patents is that the label face stock can be reverse printed on the back side before the label face stock and release paper are laminated, eliminating the need for a subsequent de-lamination and re-lamination of the label face stock from and to the liner downstream in the overall process. Because printing is not done over the adhesive, the Bayzelon Patents eliminate the likelihood of blurred printing on the reverse side of the label face stock. Further, the Bayzelon Patents obviate the need for lengthy equipment to cure the silicone release liner and provide an apparatus that essentially produces a web of labels in multiple label widths married to a release liner in a single pass.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,556,708 (the '708 Patent) discloses a method of forming a cut label on a liner by feeding completed label stock material (a label face stock laminated to a release liner) into a station that de-laminates the face stock from the release liner, cuts label material, and then re-laminates the label face stock to the release liner, forming a web of multiple widths of cut labels. The '708 Patent process also enables the manufacturing of liner-less labels to be used in liner-less label application equipment by re-laminating the label face stock to a temporary, or carrier, liner that is easily removed by such application equipment. This de-lamination and relamination process is cumbersome, time-consuming and inefficient with respect to the process used to manufacture the present invention. Further the '708 Patent does not teach a method enabling reverse printing on the back side of the label face stock.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,815,761 (the '761 Patent) teaches a method of creating liner-less labels by using a temporary, or carrier liner, or labels with thin liners. The '761 Patent eliminates the de-lamination and re-lamination steps in the label cutting process of the '708 Patent by disclosing a cutting method that involves a rotating chilled die cutting head to cut the completed label stock material (face stock laminated to release liner) to provide a matrix around the label shape. The '761 Patent process uses a chilled die cutting roller that is chilled to a temperature at or below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the adhesive (which reduces or eliminates the tackiness of the adhesive) that adheres the label face stock to the liner. The chilled die cutting method cuts through the label face stock easily without slicing through to the liner. The '761 Patent also discloses the preferred embodiment of the die cutting of liner-less labels with an exposed adhesive surface by use of the chilled die cutting roller chilled to the Tg of the adhesive. The liner-less labels are laminated to a temporary, or carrier or sacrificial liner so that they can be used in conventional label application equipment. The '761 Patent also teaches a method where a carrier or sacrificial liner is used prior to die cutting, a vacuum is used to remove or de-laminate the carrier or sacrificial liner, and then the face stock is laminated to a final liner after die cutting, enabling the use of thinner liners. Temporary, sacrificial or carrier liners may be re-used a limited number of times. After cutting the label shapes in accordance with the '761 Patent process, the label is stabilized with respect to the matrix without the use of vacuum. The avoidance of vacuum securement is advantageous with the use of thinner liners which may be more readily deformed than would thicker, heavier release liners. US 2011/0036504 describes an improved cooled die head over that taught in the '761 Patent for cutting or perforating label materials.
Like the '708 Patent, the '761 Patent does not teach a method that enables reverse printing of the label face stock. The present invention is a reverse-printed pressure sensitive label assembly that is manufactured in a way so as to ensure easy short-term removability once a label is applied to the surface of a container for purposes of rework or repositioning. The unique feature of the present invention is that upon short-term removal and repositioning of the label face stock on a container, no ink adheres to the surface of the container as is typical of other prior art labels.

Temporarily removable reverse-printed label assembly


A method for aligning molecular orientations of liquid crystals and/or polymeric materials into spatially variant patterns uses metamasks. When non-polarized or circularly polarized light is transmitted through or reflected by the metamasks, spatially varied polarization direction and intensity patterns of light can be generated. By projecting the optical patterns of the metamasks onto substrates coated with photoalignment materials, spatially variant molecular orientations encoded in the polarization and intensity patterns are induced in the photoalignment materials, and transfer into the liquid crystals. Possible designs for the metamask use nanostructures of metallic materials (e.g., rectangular nanocuboids of metallic materials arrayed on a transparent substrate).

The present disclosure relates to methods for aligning liquid crystal molecules.
Liquid crystal materials exhibit properties between those of conventional liquids and solids. In particular, liquid crystal molecules tend to point along a common axis, called the director. In contrast, molecules in the liquid phase exhibit little or no intrinsic order and solid phase molecules exhibit little or no translational freedom.
Liquid crystal materials are widely used in various devices and applications. Typically, a liquid crystal device (e.g., a liquid crystal display) includes electrodes that form an electric field upon receiving a voltage, and a layer or layers of liquid crystal materials that are controlled by the electric field. More specifically, the dielectric anisotropy of the liquid crystal molecules makes it possible to change the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules by controlling the electric field.
Controlling molecular orientations is important to the functionalities of liquid crystal and polymeric materials and devices (e.g., gratings, tunable lenses, liquid crystal displays, stimuli-responsive liquid crystal sensors, and actuators). Thus, there is a large demand for systems and methods for aligning liquid crystal molecules in spatially varying director fields for various device manufacturing processes.
Capabilities to define spatially variant molecular orientations are needed to enable new materials and devices. Well-designed molecular orientations are needed for functional liquid crystal devices such as tunable Pancharatnam prisms and gratings, q-plates, and liquid crystalline light emitting diodes. With pre-designed director fields, the stimulus-responsive deformations of liquid crystal elastomers can be preprogrammed, enabling a variety of origami-inspired metamaterials and devices. Freedom in defining director fields also allows for engineering the nonlinear electrokinetic flows in liquid crystals that are currently obtained through the director fields induced by embedded colloidal particles. Molecular director fields can also serve as templates for directing colloidal assembly. While surface alignment of liquid crystal molecules has been a topic of extensive studies, only a few techniques allow for designer, non-uniform director fields. One relies on nano-grooves created by rubbing polymer films with atomic force microscope tips or by photolithography. The other is through pixel-by-pixel direct laser writing or based on a dynamic mask exposure of photoalignment materials. These techniques are based on serial fabrication processes and thus face limitations when high resolution and scalability are considered for large-scale micro-device manufacturing.
The technique of this disclosure overcomes the limitations of these prior techniques and makes photopatterning of molecular orientations a repeatable and scalable process for manufacturing. Regarding scalability, the concepts, systems, and methods of the present disclosure may be compatible with commercial stepper systems, low cost (limitless use), and repeatable (single mask).
A traditional photomask is a plate with transparent and opaque areas. Shining light through the photomask generates intensity patterns. The photomasks are commonly used in photolithography, where the light intensity is primarily used to cause photochemical reactions in photoactive materials.

Photopatterning of molecular orientations


This invention provides a compound having the formula LnSi.sub.3 N.sub.5 wherein Ln is selected from the group consisting of scandium, yttrium, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium. In addition, there is provided a method for making the compound Ln'Si.sub.3 N.sub.5 wherein Ln' is a radical selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, scandium, yttrium, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium, comprising the step of reacting SiO.sub.z, Ln'.sub.x O.sub.y in a nitrogen atmosphere in the presence of carbon at a temperature of from 1200.degree. C. to about 2000.degree. C. for at least 2 hrs., x being an integer equal to or greater than 2, y being an integer equal to or greater than 3, and z being an integer selected from 1 and 2, with the proviso that x and y are selected to result in a stable compound of Ln'.sub.x O.sub.y.

The present invention is in the field of ceramics; more particularly the invention relates to ternary silicon-rare earth nitrides and a process for their preparation.
Lanthanum silicon nitride, LaSi.sub.3 N.sub.5, has been disclosed in Inoue et al., "A Crystallographic Study of a New Compound of Lanthanum Silicon Nitride, LaSi.sub.3 N.sub.5 ", J. of Mat. Sci., Vol. 15, pg. 2915, Chapman & Hall Ltd., (1980). The compound has been indicated to be prepared by a reaction between Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 and La.sub.2 O.sub.3 under a 50 atmosphere nitrogen pressure at 2000.degree. C. for 2 hrs. in a pressure furnace. Inoue et al. presents a crystallographic study of this lanthanum silicon nitride compound. Inoue recognizes that other compounds from the same column of the periodic table have been known. However, these compounds contain oxygen. One such compound disclosed is yttrium silicon oxynitride.
In another paper, "A New Role for Nitrogen and Silicon Nitride and Related Ceramics", J. of Mat. Sci. Letters, Vol. 4, pg. 656, Chapman & Hall Ltd., (1985), Inoue addresses silicon nitride and related ceramics and their structure.
Holcombe et al., "Advanced Ceramic Materials for Hydrogen Fluorine Environments", Am. Ceramic Soc. Bull., Vol. 60, pp. 546-548, (1981), disclosed that 10 lanthanum containing compounds or composites were investigated in a controlled F.sub.2 /H.sub.2 flame. Included in the evaluation was LaN.Si.sub.3 N.sub.4. This article concluded that all the materials studied exhibited maximum use temperature greater than that for nickel. The lanthanum hexaboride composites were found to be the best materials.
Carbothermal reduction syntheses of single metal nitrides such as Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 and AlN are well known. This process has also been used for the synthesis of beta-sialons (Si--Al--O--N compounds) using mixtures of SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and carbon. However, the use of carbothermal reduction for the preparation of ternary metal nitride compounds which do not contain oxygen (except as an impurity) has not been reported.
Although the chemistry of the Ln--Si--O--N system has been previously studied, the carbothermal reduction of mixtures of rare earth oxides with silicon dioxide has not been reported. Wills et al. (J. Mat. Sci., Vol. 11, (1979) pp. 749-759) have, for example, shown that the reaction of rare earth oxides with silicon nitride leads to the formation of rare earth silicon oxynitrides. Similar compounds have been claimed to form during the densification of silicon nitride using rare earth oxides as sintering aids. Thus, the carbothermal reduction process is unique in allowing the synthesis of ternary metal nitrides rather than the formation of oxynitrides.
Non-oxide compounds such as silicon nitride are generally difficult to densify in the absence of sintering additives. These additives, usually metal oxides, promote sintering by formation of liquid phase with a liquidus temperature below the processing temperature. However, the residual intergranular phase leads to reduction in the high temperature strength and renders the material susceptible to creep damage.

Ternary silicon-rare earth nitrides and process for their preparation


An ink-jet recording apparatus includes: a conveyance section which conveys a recording medium; a plurality of recording heads each aligned along a conveyance direction of the recording medium, which ejects the same kind of photo-curing type ink onto the recording medium conveyed by the conveyance section; and a plurality of light irradiating sections each aligned along the conveyance direction of the recording medium, which irradiates light onto the recording medium to which the photo-curing type ink has been ejected from each of the plurality of recording heads.

The present invention relates to an ink-jet recording apparatus.
In the past, an ink-jet recording apparatus which ejects ink onto a recording medium, such as a sheet or a thin plastic plate, and records predetermined images, has been brought forth, and is now in practical use. Particularly, in recent years, greatly developed has been an ink-jet recording apparatus employing photo-curing type ink to record images onto an ink-non-absorbent recording medium, after which light rays irradiate the photo-curing type ink droplets deposited onto the recording medium, and forms the images. As such an ink-jet recording apparatus, developed is an ink-jet recording apparatus in which cation polymerizable photo-curing ink is used, and large amounts of light rays are irradiated at one time (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 2004-203025, and 2004-255818).
In this ink-jet recording apparatus, for example, a single recording head for ejecting each color ink of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan) and K (black) is provided, and light irradiating sections are mounted downstream of each color recording head, with respect to conveyance direction of the recording medium. That is, after each color ink is deposited onto the recording medium, the light rays are irradiated onto each color ink from the light irradiating sections, and thereby, each ink is individually cured so that the images are recorded.
Further, in recent years, even when high resolution images are rapidly printed, in order to reduce a driving load of the recording head, an ink-jet recording apparatus using an interleave method has been developed, which records the images after thinned-out images are superimposed, (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-167812).
Meanwhile, in the ink-jet recording apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-167812, plural recording heads for each color are provided, but as described above, due to the structure in which after each ink is deposited, the light irradiating sections irradiate light rays onto each ink, and each ink is individually cured, the problem is that each ink is separately deposited onto the recording medium, and the same colored ink droplets adjacent to each other pull at each other before curing. If such bleeding is generated, it may be impossible to obtain the desired quality images.
Further, since convex images are requested for the use of welfare or art, a "superposed ejection" method is used, in which the same colored ink droplets are repeatedly ejected to create the images. However, when the superposed ejection of the same color ink droplets is operated in the ink-jet recording apparatus, the deposited ink droplets expand widely, and the predetermined image quality cannot be obtained.


Devices and methods of detecting gas and volatile organic compounds from skin are disclosed. One system for detecting emissions through skin includes a sensing device having a housing having a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion having a concave-shaped bottom surface creating a cavity region, the at least one light source arranged to emit a spectral range of wavelengths of light into the cavity region, and at least one sensor disposed to receive light emitted by the at least one sensor after the light propagates through at least a portion of the cavity region, the at least one sensor configured to generate a signal based on the received light. The sensing device may also include a communication module configured wirelessly transmit the spectral information to a mobile device for determining a characteristic, for example, a blood glucose level.

Traditionally methods of blood glucose monitoring employ a blood glucose meter (BGM), an electronic device configured to measure and display a blood glucose level captured on a disposable test strip, and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), in which glucose levels are determined continuously (generally every few minutes). BGM devices, offer cost advantages, but the information provided by such devices is limited by the frequency at which a user measures their blood glucose level. BGM devices also require a user to obtain blood, typically through the use of a lancet that penetrates a skin surface, which may prove painful and uncomfortable to a user. CGM devices currently on the market are invasive or insufficient in accuracy of measurement. While CGM devices may provide a more accurate depiction of a user's glucose levels than BGM devices, invasive CGM devices may also be uncomfortable and burdensome to a user.
To compensate for these issues, previous non-invasive glucose detection systems have focused on attempting to detect glucose via light radiating through the skin and the measurement of glucose by analyzing a user's breath. Detection of glucose levels by radiating light through the skin can be inaccurate, and such techniques may be made even less effective based on the melanin levels of a user. In other words, the darker the pigmentation the more difficult and inaccurate current devices are. It can also be difficult to detect glucose in breath driven systems due to outer environmental factors and the need for isolating the reading for accuracy, which would require a device to cover the mouth or nose for a 24-hour period, a configuration that carries inherent awkwardness and difficulty.

Human gas sensing glucose monitoring and ketone fluctuation detection device


A container for storing multiple saw blades includes: a base, a cover and a plurality of positioning units. The cover has one side pivotally fixed to the base, another side clasped to the base by a clasp, and a covering portion between the two sides of the cover. The covering portion is smaller than the base. The positioning units each include a stop piece and a central positioning block which are disposed on the base in a spaced manner. The stop pieces are located at different distances from the peripheral wall and have different heights with respect to the bottom of the base, the heights of the saw blades are proportional to the distances of the stop pieces to the peripheral wall of the base, and the central positioning blocks are disposed on the covering portion or the base.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container, and more particularly to a container for storing multiple saw blades.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Saw blades are normally held in an ordinary tool box, and an ordinary tool box is not provided with any structure to hold the saw blades, therefore, saw blades cannot be positioned firmly in an ordinary tool box. In addition to the fact that the user is likely to get cut when reaching for the saw blades in the box, the saw blades are also likely to get damaged by randomly hitting against the tool box during transpiration, since they are not firmly fixed. Therefore, a saw blade container which is only capable of holding a single saw blade is developed, however, the storage capacity of this saw blade container is too small.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

Container for storing multiple saw blades


The present invention comprises a method for separating hydrocarbons from catalyst fines in a slurry oil/catalyst fines/diluent mixture (SCDM) comprising the steps of removing SCDM from a slurry oil storage tank and combining the SCDM with crude oil entering a desalter in order to separate the slurry oil from the catalyst fines, whereby the desalter causes the hydrocarbon content of the SCDM to exit the desalter with dehydrated hydrocarbon from the crude oil while catalyst fines exit the desalter with basic sediment and water removed from the crude oil.

Slurry Oil/Catalyst Fines Tank Bottoms Recovery & Processing
The problems presented by catalyst attrition from fluid catalytic cracking units (FCCU) have plagued the refining industry since the advent of fluid catalytic cracking in the first half of the 20th century. Over time, FCCU catalyst deteriorates in size. The size deteriorated catalyst is commonly referred to as catalyst fines.
In the FCCU process, cracked product stream vapor and some catalyst (typically of less than 20 microns in diameter) leave the reactor and enter the main fractionator near its base. On most units the bottom stream from the fractionator is called heavy cycle oil (HCO) or slurry oil. HCO has a typical gravity of from about −4.0 API to about 3 API. For purposes of the present invention, it is sufficient to know that catalyst fines of about 20 microns in diameter or less, make their way to the slurry oil product storage tank. Slurry oil is a saleable product of FCCU processing. Once in the storage tank, the catalyst fines settle to the bottom, albeit very slowly.
The existence of catalyst fines in the slurry tank presents a variety of problems to the refiner. The immediate and obvious problem has to do with product contamination. Slurry oil has proven to be an ideal feedstock for carbon black manufacture. Utilization as carbon black feedstock maximizes the value of slurry oil product. However, the presence of catalyst fines above a specified percentage in the slurry oil product results in an "ash content" specification in excess of that which is acceptable for use of the slurry oil as a carbon black feedstock. Even when the slurry oil product is utilized as a fuel source, a "price penalty" is, effectively, rendered by the market place as a result of ash content, in the form of the inorganic catalyst fines.
Firms within the specialty chemical industry, which service the petroleum refining industry, have built proprietary product lines that serve to enhance settling of the catalyst fines. In recently or relatively recently cleaned storage tanks this procedure is typically successful in enabling the stored slurry oil product to meet even the rigorous specifications of carbon black manufacturers. As the accumulation of catalyst fines continues in the storage tank, a time comes when no amount of settling enhancement will permit the stored product to "meet specifications" of carbon black manufacturers or even fuel products.
When accumulation of catalyst fines in the slurry oil storage tank becomes intolerable, in terms of meeting product specification, refinery management schedules a clean-out. The clean-out is conducted under one of two typical scenarios. One type of clean-out calls for the removal of the catalyst fines without human entry. In this instance, enough of the catalyst fine sediment is removed to make the bottoms manageable once again. The second type of clean-out entails a complete removal of all catalyst fine sediment, subsequent human entry for complete clean up, a so-called mop-up, all followed by inspection, repairs and return-to-service.
The low API/high density of the slurry oil, coupled with the entrained catalyst fines, contributes to recovery and handling problems that are reputed to be some of the toughest in the tank cleaning industry. The tank cleaning industry has devised a number of procedures for catalyst fine removal from slurry oil storage tanks. These include the injection of diluent at high pressure either via side ports or from the roof, the cutting of "door sheets" using a water torch and various probe insertion devices. One such insertion device was co-invented by the present inventor and is called the SWEEPBER and is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,160, which serves the purpose of recovering catalyst fines from the bottom of slurry oil storage vessels. A diluent is required to enhance ease of handling of the catalyst fine bottoms in all instances known to this inventor. The observed diluent of choice is Light Cycle Oil or LCO, a side-cut of the FCCU fractionator.
The overwhelming preponderance of catalyst fine projects are then conducted in a manner described as follows: As removal from the tank is carried out the typical procedure calls for transfer of the slurry oil/catalyst fines/diluent mixture (hereinafter "SCDM") to a mobile mix tank, such as that supplied by Baker Tanks Inc., of approximately 22,000 gallons (approximately 500 barrels) capacity. The mix tank has the capability of heating the contents. A heated catalyst fine suspension of pre-specified temperature and concentration is then prepared, in the mix tank, as feed for centrifuge processing.
The heated feed is charged to the centrifuge and processed at a typical rate of 35 gallons per minute to 42 gallons per minute. Two streams result from the centrifuge process. One stream is referred to as recovered oil; the second stream is referred to as "filter cake". The recovered oil is utilized per refinery management discretion. A typical option is to blend the recovered oil into heavy fuel oil products.
Pursuant to current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, the filter cake is considered a hazardous waste. The cost of hazardous waste disposal has risen by ten fold in the last decade and is expected to continue rising. The principal specification that governs the acceptability of filter cake for disposal to a hazardous waste landfill is the "paint filter test". This test requires the absence of free flowing oil through a standard filter. However, despite the absence of free-flowing oil within the filter cake, a substantial amount of hydrocarbon content remains within the filter cake and, thus, goes unutilized.
It is not unusual to find that the true hydrocarbon content of post-centrifuged filter cake is greater than 50%. It has been observed that filter cake of high melting point hydrocarbons, such as slurry oil, may contain as much as 83% hydrocarbon. The determination of true hydrocarbon content may be found by conducting a standard ASTM procedure for oil and grease or a true distillation.
There is a currently-used, second method of disposal for filter cake that renders the cake non-hazardous under EPA guidelines. The method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,717 to Robert M. Scalliet, et al. entitled "Recycle of Waste Streams".
The Refinery Desalting Process
On the front line of defense in preventing refinery, process-side corrosion and processing unit contamination is the crude unit desalter. Despite the name, the desalter serves two principal functions: A) to minimize the chloride contamination and contamination by other water soluble, deleterious chemistries, found in raw crude oil, by precluding their introduction into the crude unit and downstream processes and B) to minimize and/or preclude the introduction of so-called "Basic Sediment and Water" (BS&W) into the crude unit and downstream processes.
The desalting process takes place in the desalter vessel. The desalter may be likened to a crude oil washing machine. Simply described, the desalting process consists of adding wash water to raw crude oil and then mixing the wash water with the raw crude such that the water makes contact with both soluble chemical contaminants and insoluble sediments. The wash water extracts the inorganic salts and other water-soluble chemistries. Further, under ideal conditions, the wash water serves to "water wet" insoluble sediments rendering them hydrophilic.
The objective to desalting optimization is to bring about a resolution of the oil water emulsion that has been purposely created by injecting a water wash into the crude charge prior to the mix valve. Two of the principal contributors to dehydration of the emulsified raw crude oil, not necessarily in order of importance, are A) the application of a treatment additive, commonly referred to as a demulsifier, that serves to promote coalescence of the water and B) the passing of the crude oil emulsion through an electric field, created within the desalter, that serves to enhance an electrostatic coalescing process.
The two factors previously referenced, the treatment additive and the electrostatic coalescing field, are by no means the only contributors to desalter opt optimization. Additional parameters that contribute to desalter optimization are referenced in the section herein below entitled: Translating Bench Model Results To Commercial Scale Practice. When all variables are set satisfactorily, dehydration of the crude emulsion will occur with a simultaneous migration of the cat' fine component of the SCDM into the water phase of the desalting process. The mechanism for dehydration is suggested by a coalescence of water droplets, which settle according to Stokes Law. As settling of the water occurs, both soluble contaminants and water-wetted sediments are carried downward, out of the hydrocarbon phase and into the lower water layer, which is maintained in the desalter. In the desalter, this process takes place on a continuous basis with dehydrated hydrocarbon rising upward and out of the top of the desalter vessel while, simultaneously, water settles downward and is pumped out of the desalter and through piping at the desalter bottom. The so-called desalter effluent water carries with it both the soluble chemical contaminants and the water-wetted, insoluble sediment in the form of the original crude oil inorganic contaminants and cat' fines introduced by the SCDM.
Prior to being charged into the desalter, a water wash is injected into the crude stream. The wash water is mixed into the crude by means of a special piece of hardware termed a mix valve. The mix valve is designed to create a repeatable mixing shear such that the wash water and raw crude oil may be mixed in a predictable manner that can be duplicated and repeated. The determination of the precise mix valve setting is paramount to the achievement of desalter optimization as is the amount and source of the water wash. The previous description of the desalting process, which is essentially a deliberate emulsification followed by a dehydration process, is widely held to be as much an art as a science by those professionals who specialize in the craft of optimizing desalter operation.

FCC-CFD cat' fine desalting: a method and system for separating hydrocarbons and extracting catalyst fines from a slurry oil/catalyst fines/diluent mixture


Methods and systems for developing, modifying, and distributing software applications for enterprise systems are described herein. A software component, such as a native mobile application or a template application, may be modified into a managed mobile application, and metadata associated with the managed mobile application may be generated. The managed application and associated metadata may be provided to one or more application stores, such as public application stores and/or enterprise application stores. Managed applications and/or associated metadata may be retrieved by computing devices from public application stores and/or enterprise application stores, and may be executed as managed applications in an enterprise system.

Mobile devices, such as smart phones, personal digital assistants, tablet computers, other types of mobile computing devices, are becoming increasingly popular. Mobile devices are used in personal and business settings for a variety of purposes. Users of mobile devices may want their devices to be personal and interactive, and suitable both as personal consumer devices and as business devices, and will often customize their mobile devices by installing various mobile software applications suitable to their purposes. Mobile software applications are developed and distributed from a variety of different sources, such as companies developing mobile business applications for their employees, or independent software vendors (ISVs) developing mobile consumer applications for public consumers. Software applications may be published and distributed through application stores, such as public application stores or non-public enterprise application stores.

Application wrapping for application management framework


A method for a treatment of hyperplasia caused by papilloma virus, such as for treating Condyloma acuminata which comprises administering tea catechin. Tea catechins do not involve the risk of side-effects and may be easily applied to or inserted in the infected area by the patients themselves.

Papilloma viruses comprise a DNA virus which infects epithelial cells of mammals and which causes uncontrolled cell replication. There are many types of papilloma virus which infect human and animal species, but they all can infect the basal epithelial cells and persist in an episome or as DNA integrated into the host genome. The mechanism by which they cause tissue growth may be related to the E4 and E5 proteins they all produce in related forms, which appear to interact with p54 and other host proteins which control the cell cycle. The effects of papilloma virus which have been described include genital warts or Condylomata acuminata, common warts, plantar warts, bovine papillomas, and cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia in women.
The detection of human papilloma virus ("HPV") in Condyloma acuminata involve a method of taking a tissue sample or a smear from the infected area and determining the DNA of the virus. According to this method, the detection rate is almost 100%.
Types HPV6 and 11 of the virus are the ones most commonly detected and because HPV16 has been detected in malignant squamous cell carcinoma from cancer of the penis, cancer of the cervix and Condyloma acuminata, there is a strong possibility that HPV16 is related to the malignancy of Condyloma acuminata.
Means for the treatment of Condyloma acuminata caused by human papilloma virus which have been tried include physical means such as surgical excision, electrocauterization, cryosurgery, laser therapy, etc., and medications such as applications of Podophyllin, 5-Fluorouracil, Bleomycin, Interferon, Imiquimod, etc., which are presently available. However, surgical treatment is distressing for the patient, considering the site of infection, and with topical applications there is the concern of side-effects. The aforesaid medications work either by cytotoxic tissue destruction or by enhancing the cellular immune response by causing local inflammation. Accordingly, a conclusive treatment has heretofore not been available.
Condyloma acuminata has a high rate of recurrence, and a complete cure is difficult unless treated constantly. Therefore, treatment which has a high degree of safety and is convenient strongly desired.
A treatment of Condyloma acuminata or other diseases caused by papilloma virus is desired which would be easy for the patient to take. For example, it would desirable to have a medication which can be applied to the affected area by the patients themselves and which would provide good results after a relatively short period of use and have no side-effects.

Cancer Institute (Hospital), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences


A technique manages access to a limited number of computerized sessions. The technique involves receiving, from a waiting user, a session request for a computerized session, and queuing the session request in a wait queue in response to all of the limited number of computerized sessions being currently assigned to other users. The technique further involves, while the session request is queued in the wait queue, providing permission to the waiting user to un-assign a computerized session which is currently assigned to another user. With such a technique, the user has the option of simply waiting until a computerized session has been relinquished (i.e., if the user is willing to be patient) or un-assigning a computerized session currently assigned to another user (e.g., in order to speed up access to a computerized session).

Situations exist in which people must wait to obtain access to a limited resource. One example is a conventional telephone call handling system for a customer service department. In this example, there may be a limited number of customer service representatives available to take telephone calls from customers.
If there are fewer calling customers than customer service representatives, all of the calling customers may receive immediate attention. However, if there are more calling customers than customer service representatives, some of the customer calls may be put on hold by the telephone call handling system.
While a customer waits on hold to speak to a customer service representative, the telephone call handling system may play music. Additionally, some telephone call handling systems may play a human voice recording which explains that telephone calls will be handled in the order received. Furthermore, some telephone call handling systems may provide an estimate to each caller regarding the amount of time it may take for the caller to speak to an actual customer service representative.

Managing access to a limited number of computerized sessions