A smart earth leakage circuit breaker is installed on a distribution line through which an electric current flows. The breaker measures, by means of a CT, a leakage current flowing through the distribution line, and if the measured current exceeds a preset rated sensitivity current, cuts off electricity by means of trip operation. The smart earth leakage circuit breaker further comprises: a measurement unit tracking and measuring, based on measurement information of the CT, a value of the leakage current exceeding an alarm current value; the MPU setting conditionality and the alarm current value less than the rated sensitivity current and when the conditionality is satisfied based on information measured by the measurement unit, issuing a warning by means of an alarm unit; and the alarm unit operated and controlled by the MPU and warning of an abnormal symptom of the distribution line.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
In the smart earth leakage circuit breaker, a microprocessor issues a warning to the surrounding area by means of an alarm unit if set conditionality is satisfied based on detection information. The detection information tracks, by means of a measurement unit, a leakage current, which exceeds an alarm current value, based on measurement information of a current transformer (CT). Thus, the smart earth leakage circuit breaker may detect in advance an abnormal symptom of a distribution line through a leakage current less than a rated sensitivity current value generated on the distribution line and may manage and deal with the detected abnormal symptom.
In a generally known state of fire occurrence in Korea, 30,000 or more of fires occur every year, and electric fires are frequent so that 30% or more of fires are known as fires caused by electricity. Since the occurrence of these electric fires causes enormous property damage and human casualty, a fire prevention system has always been urgently required.
Meanwhile, until recently, the most active fire prevention measure in Korea was to install an earth leakage circuit breaker to prevent fires caused by short circuits or earth leakage, which is a main cause of electric fires. However, a conventional earth leakage circuit breaker blocks electricity by a trip operation only when an excessive current exceeding a predetermined rated sensitivity current (e.g., 30 mA) flows to prevent safety accidents caused by earth leakage. As a result, since the conventional earth leakage circuit breaker cannot detect in advance a phenomenon caused by a leakage current below the rated sensitivity current before the occurrence of safety accidents caused by earth leakage, there was a problem that it was not possible to effectively prevent safety accidents caused by earth leakage.


A method for processing a composite digital audio broadcasting signal including an analog modulated portion in a central frequency band and digitally modulated portions in upper and lower sidebands with respect to the central frequency band, the method comprises the steps of wideband filtering the composite digital audio broadcasting signal to produce a first intermediate frequency signal, narrowband filtering the composite digital audio broadcasting signal to produce a second intermediate frequency signal, simultaneously processing the first intermediate frequency signal to retrieve a digitally modulated version of program material from the first intermediate frequency signal, and processing the second intermediate frequency signal to retrieve an analog modulated version of the program material from the second intermediate frequency signal, making a determination of the quality of the digitally modulated version of the program material, and using the quality determination to select the analog modulated version of the program material, the digitally modulated version of the program material, or a combination of the analog modulated version of the program material and the digitally modulated version of the program material as an output signal. Receivers that process a digital audio broadcasting signal using the method are also disclosed.

Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) is a medium for providing digital quality audio, superior to existing analog broadcasting formats. FM In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) DAB can be transmitted in a hybrid format where the digitally modulated signal coexists with the currently broadcast analog FM signal, or in an all-digital format where the analog FM signal has been eliminated. IBOC requires no new spectral allocations because each DAB signal is transmitted within the spectral mask of an existing FM channel allocation. IBOC promotes economy of spectrum while enabling broadcasters to supply digital quality audio to their present base of listeners.
FM DAB systems have been the subject of several United States patents including Pat. Nos. 6,108,810; 5,949,796; 5,465,396; 5,315,583; 5,278,844 and 5,278,826. In an FM compatible digital audio broadcasting system, digitally encoded audio information is transmitted simultaneously with the existing analog FM signal channel. The advantages of digital transmission for audio include better signal quality with less noise and wider dynamic range than with existing FM radio channels. Initially the hybrid format would be used allowing existing receivers to continue to receive the analog FM signal while allowing new IBOC DAB receivers to also decode the digital signal. Some time in the future, when IBOC DAB receivers are abundant, broadcasters may elect to transmit the all-digital format. Hybrid IBOC DAB can provide virtual CD-quality stereo digital audio (plus data) while simultaneously transmitting the existing FM signal. All-digital IBOC DAB can provide virtual CD-quality stereo or multichannel audio along with an increased data channel.
One proposed FM IBOC DAB signal places orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) subcarriers in the region from about 129 kHz to 199 kHz away from the FM center frequency, both above and below the spectrum occupied by an analog modulated host FM carrier. Some IBOC options permit subcarriers starting as close as 100 kHz away from the center frequency. The bandwidth of the existing analog FM signal is significantly smaller than the bandwidth occupied by the OFDM subcarriers. One concern involves how to allow the larger bandwidth OFDM signal into the radio while still maintaining the existing analog performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,317, which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a system for mitigating intermittent interruptions in a digital audio broadcasting system. The system includes a receiver for receiving a primary radio signal and a delayed redundant radio signal, demodulating the primary radio signal to provide the audio signal to a first output, and demodulating the delayed redundant radio signal to provide a second output. The receiver further includes a circuit for detecting degradation of at least one of the received signal components and a blending circuit for combining the primary audio signal and the redundant audio signal to form a composite audio signal. Additionally, the receiver includes an audio output circuit coupled to the blending circuit for converting the composite audio signal to an audible signal.
There is a need for an IBOC DAB receiver that can process an IBOC DAB signal in a manner that permits the blending and/or selection of the analog and/or the digital signal, without adversely affecting the analog signal path, for example so that the receiver can receive analog signals from broadcasters that have not yet switched to digital audio broadcasting without any performance impairment. One approach would be to use two switchable radio frequency filters in the radio tuner. One wideband filter (500 kHz) would be used for the digitally modulated OFDM signal and another narrowband filter would be used for the analog (180 kHz) signal. However, switching between the two filters can degrade the analog path. Such degradation in the analog path is not acceptable.
Alternatively, the larger bandwidth digitally modulated signal could be used until the blend to analog command is received. At this time a narrowband filter would be switched in. This could improve the analog performance but would filter out most of the digitally modulated signal. The main problem here is that with the narrowband filter in place, the digitally modulated signal is so limited that there is no way to determine when the digitally modulated signal is good enough to transition back to digital mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,317 discloses a digital audio broadcasting receiver having a front end that delivers intermediate frequency signals to each of two demodulators. However, U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,317 does not disclose any details of how the intermediate frequency signals are obtained.
This invention seeks to provide a method and apparatus for receiving an IBOC DAB signal, but does not impact the analog performance.

Method and apparatus for receiving a digital audio broadcasting signal


A novel sampling system having a sampling device responsive to an analog input signal and a reference signal for providing corresponding charges. A switching circuit is provided to supply the input signal and the reference signal to the sampling device. The switching circuit is controlled to supply the input signal and the reference signal to the sampling device so as provide a substantially zero total charge taken by the sampling device from a source of the input signal. One application of the foregoing is in analog-to-digital conversion.

An exemplary but non-limiting application of the teachings presented herein is in signal sampling for A/D conversion. A typical analog-to digital converter samples an analog input signal in order to convert it into a corresponding digital signal. During this process, the converter loads the input signal and modifies it depending upon the impedance of the signal source. Such a modification directly influences the accuracy of the conversion process and the final result. For slower-speed and lower-resolution converters, errors caused by the input signal modification are insignificant and may be safely ignored.
On the other hand, recent developments in sensor technology, improvements in converter resolution and converter speed have made such errors quadratic factors limiting further increase in conversion accuracy. Moreover, the tendency to reduce power consumption and the expansion of portable applications has spread the use of a variety of sensors with relatively high source impedances. Examples of such sensors are high-value resistive bridges used to monitor weight and pressure.
At the same time, the development of the over-sampling converter technology has pushed the resolution of the analog-to-digital conversion to a 24-bit level and higher. Typical over-sampling converters use switched-capacitor front end circuits including one or more sampling capacitors to sample an analog input signal multiple times for each conversion cycle. During each sampling process, a certain amount of charge is transferred between the signal source and the converter front end capacitors resulting into an equivalent input current flow. As this input current passes through the signal source impedance, it causes a voltage change, modifying the original input value and creating a sampling error.
The value of the input current is directly proportional to the size of the sampling capacitors and to the sampling rate. Due to thermal noise limitations, an increase in the conversion resolution requires a quadratic increase in the size of the sampling capacitors resulting in the corresponding quadratic increase in the input current. At the same time, any increase in the overall conversion rate causes a proportional increase in the input signal sampling rate, resulting in the increased input current.
Two different strategies are typically used to deal with this problem. The first approach is to guarantee the complete settling (within the accuracy of the converter) of the front end sampling circuit including the input signal source impedance. This is a very difficult goal to achieve and it rapidly becomes impractical as the desired conversion accuracy and speed increase. The source impedance of a sensor imposes a theoretical limit on available ranges of conversion speed and resolution. Unavoidable parasitic capacitors and necessary signal filter capacitors involved in practical configurations further limit these ranges. An example of this approach is the LTC®2410 analog-to-digital converter developed by Linear Technology Corporation, assignee of the present subject matter.
The second approach uses isolation buffers and amplifiers interposed between the sensor and the converter. Such buffers can be external to the converter or may be integrated within the converter front end sampling circuits. Configurations using external buffers offer great flexibility but place an unacceptable heavy burden upon the user in order to maintain the global accuracy of the measurement chain. These configurations also demand supplemental power supply rails, critical power supply sequencing circuits and an additional physical space. Integrating the buffers within the converter front end sampling circuits partially resolves these issues. Nevertheless, the integrated buffers limit the analog-to-digital converter overall accuracy and dynamic range. An example of this approach is the LTC®2442 analog-to-digital converter developed by Linear Technology Corporation, assignee of the present subject matter.
Therefore, there is a need for a new sampling technique to reduce average input current taken from an input signal source.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Analog signal sampling system and method having reduced average differential input current


A resin composition for sealing an organic electroluminescent device, containing:                a drying agent, and        a curable component,wherein a surface roughness Ra of the shear failure surface after curing the resin composition is 0.5 μm or more; a production method thereof; an adhesive film and a gas-barrier formed of the resin composition; an organic electroluminescent device and an organic electroluminescent panel using the same.

As a luminescent electronic display, there is an electroluminescent display (ELD). The constituent element of the ELD includes an inorganic or organic electroluminescent device (hereinafter, referred to as an inorganic or organic EL device). The inorganic EL device has been used as a flat-shaped light source, but an alternating high-voltage is needed to drive a light-emitting device. The organic EL device has a constitution in which a light-emitting layer containing a light-emitting compound is sandwiched between a cathode and an anode. The organic EL device emits light using emission of light (fluorescence•phosphorescence) caused by deactivation of excitons that are generated by injecting electrons and positive holes into the light-emitting layer followed by making them recombine. The organic EL device is able to emit light at a voltage of from about several V to about several tens of V. Further, due to a self-luminescent type, the organic EL device has good viewing angle and a high level of visibility, and due to a thin-film type absolute solid-state device, the organic EL device has attracted attention from viewpoints of reduced space and portability.
The organic EL device is a polycrystalline semiconductor device and can emits a high-intensity luminescence with a low voltage. The organic EL device is therefore used for a backlight of the liquid crystal and the like and has been expected to be a thin-flat display device. However, the organic EL device has drawbacks such that due to a terrible susceptibility to moisture, the interface between a metal electrode and an organic EL layer breaks away under the influence of moisture, a metal is oxidized to become highly resistive, an organic component itself becomes modified by moisture, and given this situation, emission of light does not occur or luminance becomes lowered.
The organic EL device has a property such that light-emitting characteristics deteriorate upon exposure to moisture and the like contained in atmospheric air. Therefore, in order to bring the organic EL panel into operation stably for a long time, a sealing structure for blocking the organic EL device from atmospheric air is absolutely imperative. As the sealing structure of the organic EL panel, a structure (hollow sealing structure) in which a sealing member made from metal or glass and a substrate on which an organic EL device has been formed are stuck together to form a sealing space surrounding the organic EL device and further a drying agent is disposed in the sealing space, has been adopted in general. However, in consideration of making the panel more thinner and improving mechanical strength or the like, studies on a solid sealing structure in which the organic EL device is directly coated with a sealing material without a space has been conducted (refer to Patent Literature 1). Further, recently a method is proposed in which a drying agent is added to a sealing material and the resultant material is provided on the organic EL device in the form of lamination, thereby protecting the organic EL device from influence of moisture (refer to Patent Literatures 2 and 3).
However, even in the case of adding a drying agent to a resin as mentioned above, it is impossible to suppress movement of moisture in the resin in a sufficient degree, and it has not sufficiently achieved to improve deterioration due to display defects, so-called dark-spot, in which emission of light is not obtained at the non-luminous point and around the light-emitting face.

Resin composition for sealing organic electroluminescent device; method of producing the same; and adhesive film, gas-barrier film, organic electroluminescent device and organic electroluminescent panel using the resin composition


A method for the compression molding of a plastic part including a neck which is equipped with an orifice, in which a blank is created and compressed. The part is molded with a neck which is equipped with a top wall including a thin area with a notch, the contour of this thin area defining the orifice, and two zones which can withstand the mechanical stress necessary in order to break the top wall at the notch. One of the two zones is intended to transmit the mechanical stress and the other is used as a support. The section of the notch is slightly inclined in relation to the axis of the neck. After molding, mechanical stress is applied to one part of the top wall, other than the thin area, so that the top wall tears at the notch, thereby producing the dispensing orifice.

The invention relates to a compression moulding manufacturing method for plastic parts with a neck in which an orifice is formed. These parts are usually receptacles or part of receptacles. The invention is more particularly applicable to conditions for high production rate manufacturing of moulded objects, that usually have an axisymmetric neck delimiting an approximately circular orifice, for example heads of flexible plastic tubes comprising a neck provided with a dispensing orifice and a shoulder connecting the said neck to a cylindrical flexible skirt. We will use these flexible tube heads to illustrate this invention.
In general, a flexible tube is made by assembly of two parts made separately; a cylindrical flexible skirt with a given length (typically 3 to 5 times the diameter) and a head comprising a neck provided with a dispensing orifice and a shoulder connecting the said neck to the cylindrical skirt. The plastic head may be moulded separately and then welded onto one end of the skirt, but the head is advantageously moulded and welded autogenously to the skirt using either an injection moulding technique (FR 1 069 414) or a compression moulding technique for an extruded blank (FR 1 324 471).
In both of these two techniques, the skirt is fitted around a punch, one of the two ends projecting slightly beyond the end of the punch, the said end of the punch acting as a mould for making the inner surface of the tube head (inner surface of the shoulder and the neck). A die is used in these two techniques, that comes into contact with the end of the punch, the cavity of this die defining the outer surface of the shoulder and the neck. The main difference between these methods is that in the first case, these tools are firstly pushed firmly into contact with each other before injection of the plastic material, and in the second case compression of an extruded blank is triggered as they move towards each other.
In French application No. 0103706 deposited on 19 Mar. 2001, the applicant indicated that a significant increase in production rates (for example above 250-300 units per minute) could be achieved using the compression moulding technique. In the context of this French application No. 0103706, the applicant presented a workshop for making flexible tubes in which tube heads were made by compression moulding using continuously moved tools, which provided a means of obtaining significantly higher production rates under economically acceptable conditions.
In compression moulding, production of the blank and its placement in the moulding tool creates specific problems for which solutions have been described in a large number of patents. But these problems are exacerbated when it is envisaged to use tools that move continuously and solutions proposed in the past are not suitable for this new constraint.
French application FR 1 324 471 (Karl Mägerle) describes a compression moulding method for tube heads in which the lower mould is composed of the end of a mandrel and the end of a skirt that is fitted around this mandrel, the end of the said skirt projecting beyond the end of the said mandrel; the space delimited by the end of the mandrel and the projecting part of the skirt is fed by injecting plastic material through several uniformly distributed orifices within a nozzle; the plastic material is distributed around a counter punch formed at the end of the mandrel and used to mould the inner part of the neck. Once the necessary quantity of plastic material has been injected, the nozzle is removed, the parts of the top mould are brought towards each other by radial displacement, and the plastic material is then compressed by bringing the lower mould towards the upper mould. The jets are uniformly distributed around the circumference and the material thus poured is distributed approximately uniformly around the circumference before compression is applied. The result is then an approximately uniform thickness around the dispensing orifice.
Applications FR 2 460 772 (Karl Mägerle) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,405 (AISA) use the idea of compressing the plastic material when it is already distributed approximately regularly circumferentially. These applications propose a toroidal extruded blank, that is fitted around a central protuberance connected to one of the mobile parts of the tool. Fitting a toroidal blank around a protuberance authorises bringing the two parts of the moulding tool located at the dispensing orifice into contact with each other before the plastic material of the compressed blank reaches this zone. More precisely, the air gap between these two tool parts is so small that no viscous flow of the plastic material can occur. Thus, with a toroidal blank, it is easier and more direct to obtain a neck provided with an orifice with a clean edge.
In FR 2 460 772, the toroidal blank is extruded using an extruding machine with a ring die opened under the control of a valve. This valve may or may not close off the annular flow of the plastic material depending on its position, and its displacement controls the size of the toroidal blank thus obtained. The use of toroidal blanks obtained by discontinuous extrusion of plastic material controlled using a valve is therefore the only known way in prior art of efficiently and directly obtaining a neck with an orifice provided with a clean edge, directly by compression moulding. However, this type of technique is not very precise and it cannot give good reproducibility of the weight of a toroidal blank, which complicates compression moulding conditions, for example compression moulding does not have the same flexibility as injection moulding, for which all surplus material can easily be evacuated.
Moreover, the toroidal blank is cooled fairly quickly by conduction in the tooling. Since the contact surface is not uniformly distributed, cooling is heterogeneous and a large proportion of the advantage provided by the toroidal geometry of the blank, namely good distribution of the material before compression, is lost. Many solutions have been proposed like that proposed in WO96/09151 (Karl Mägerie Lizenz) to reduce the amplitude and heterogeneity of cooling of the blank before compression, but they require the introduction of additional tooling elements (for example the auxiliary support sliding around the central protuberance described in WO96/09151) and means of controlling their displacement. This type of sophistication makes this type of tool economically unattractive or even prohibitive if it is required to make the mobile parts of the tooling follow a continuous overall movement.
Finally, production of the toroidal blank and its placement in the air gap between the punch and the die introduce serious difficulties when the tools are moved with continuous dynamic movements, since extrusion and injection are not suitable for continuous movement of tools, and transfer means have to be provided capable of either displacing the extrusion means themselves so that the blank can be obtained, or the toroidal blank obtained "statically" has to be recovered and placed in the air gap of the compression tools that move continuously, without deforming it too seriously.
Application EP 0 841 258 describes a compression moulding manufacturing method for plastic inserts that are introduced in proportioning caps. These inserts are provided with a cylindrical dispensing spout and have a wall closing off the dispensing orifice, which seems to indicate that the blank used is not necessarily toroidal, that it can be solid making it easier to make, and there are fewer difficulties in depositing it in the air gap of the tooling. But this wall must be removed after the insert has been formed by cutting it out using a cutting tool. This cutting operation involves a series of additional steps, and although this is possible for fairly small inserts, it is difficult to transpose it to the use of compression moulding for shaping the tube head with autogenous welding of the head onto the skirt, since the tooling involved is larger and more complex. The problem becomes even more complicated if they are to move along a continuous overall movement.
Therefore, the applicant tried to find a method for the use of compression moulding for manufacturing plastic parts provided with a neck with an orifice, that is not affected by the problems mentioned above and that can consequently be done easily using continuously moving tools.

Method of producing a compression-moulded plastic part comprising a neck which is equipped with a dispensing orifice


A method and device for determining the occurrence of rotating stall in the turbine blade of a compressor, in which the blade pass frequency of at least one compressor stage and the associated vibration energy are monitored, the normal blade pass frequency being constituted by the operating speed of rotation of the compressor multiplied by the number of turbine blades in the stage, and in which incipient rotating stall in a compressor stage is indicated when, at the normal blade pass frequency of the compressor stage, the vibration energy falls below a predetermined first value at the same time as, at a blade pass frequency above the normal blade pass frequency, the vibration energy rises above a predetermined second value.

This invention relates to a method for determining when rotating stall occurs in a turbine blade of a compressor. More particularly, it concerns a method for determining when the turbine blade is subjected to an undesired operating state in the form of so-called "rotating stall", in which the blade pass frequency of at least one compressor stage and the associated vibration energy are monitored, the normal blade pass frequency being constituted by the operating speed of rotation of the compressor multiplied by the number of blades of the stage. Incipient rotating stall in a compressor stage is indicated when, at the normal blade pass frequency of the compressor stage, the vibration energy falls below a predetermined value at the same time as, at a blade pass frequency above the normal blade pass frequency, the vibration energy rises above a predetermined value. Rotating stall in a compressor stage is indicated when, at the blade pass frequency above the normal blade pass frequency in the compressor stage, the vibration energy falls below a predetermined value at the same time as, at a blade pass frequency below the normal blade pass frequency, the vibration energy rises above a predetermined value. The invention also relates to a device for the implementation of the invention.
By the operational state of a turbine blade is meant in this context the type of load that the turbine blade is subjected to. The operational state may be, for example, normal operation, rotating stall etc.
During the operation of an axial compressor the following unfavourable forms of flow may occur, among other things:
Incipient rotating stall which is an intermediate phase, in which some of the turbine blades are about to lose some lift because of excessive underpressure, which leads to a tendency towards instability in the airflow. The cause of incipient rotating stall may be that the air approaches the turbine blade at the wrong angle. This may cause the flow to separate at the boundary layer between the turbine blade and air (boundary separation), whereby a varying flow is generated at one or more locations along the periphery of the stage.Rotating stall occurs when a first turbine blade is subjected to the condition mentioned and the airflow is deflected towards an adjacent turbine blade which is overloaded while the other adjacent turbine blade is relieved. This causes the overloaded turbine blade to be subjected to stall, whereby the first turbine blade is relieved. Thus, a rotating stall propagates along the periphery of the stage at a speed of approximately half the speed of rotation of the turbine. In rotating stall a segment of the line of turbine blades in the compressor has too low pressure across the blades, but not all the turbine blades in the line of turbine blades lose their lift. This contributes to a great cyclical load on the blades, which entails great fatigue loading and, thereby an increased risk of rupture.
When so-called "stall" occurs, the segment of reduced air pressure has propagated to the entire line of turbine blades, which then loses the lift and thereby the ability to pump gas across the stage.
Surge occurs when one or more stages are in a state of stall and cannot transport gas from one stage to the other. Then a back and forward flow of air normally occurs in the compressor. This flow is caused by the turbine blades alternatingly establishing flow but losing it an instant later. As long as the air does not flow through the compressor and is not replaced, heat builds up in the air. The temperature quickly becomes very high, and will normally overheat affected components inside the compressor and at worst melt down turbine blades and seals.
For reasons of maintenance it is important to be able to estimate the remaining lifetime of the turbine blades. Early methods of estimation were based exclusively on operating time, the lifetime of a turbine blade, for example, being set to an operating time, during which, with reasonable certainty, satisfactory functioning could be expected regardless of the load the turbine blade was subjected to during the operating time.
Obviously, such relatively simple lifetime estimation led to excessively frequent maintenance intervals and consequently also replacement of turbine blades which had been subjected to relatively low strains during their operating time. Prior art now comprises lifetime estimation methods that are to some extent quite complicated, in which, in addition to operating time, parameters such as power loading, failures in both the component monitored and adjacent components, wear, and also faults in the measuring equipment used to measure the loads, are taken into account.
Rotating stall in a multi-stage axial compressor may result in overloading of the turbine blade with subsequent damage and compressor breakdown, without the condition being detectable by means of prior art equipment and methods.
According to the prior art a compressor is monitored by means of performance measurements. The measured values resulting from the measuring form part of the input values in a lifetime estimation computer program. The measurements are compared with anticipated values, the anticipated lifetime of the component in question or the entire turbine being affected by whether the measured value is greater or smaller than an anticipated value. However, this form of monitoring is not designed to allow determination of which compressor stage is being subjected to stall.
Norwegian patent application 20023609 discloses a method for detecting rotating stall. The method according to this application does not take into account new knowledge which has emerged during further development work.
Other methods for monitoring turbine blades are also known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,711 discloses a system for monitoring vibrations in covered turbine blades by means of eddy current induction in the covers of the turbine blades. The method is unsuitable for uncovered turbine blades.
EP 465696 describes a method of monitoring turbine blades by means of resonant frequencies. A differential Doppler signal is used, obtained by measuring at least at two different angular velocities.
GB 2318873 discloses a method for measuring vibrations in turbine blades, in which a pressure sensor is used on the inside of the turbine casing and a strain gauge which is mounted on the rotor blade 4. This method cannot be used in normal operation of a turbine, but only during testing, because the strain gauge and adjacent measuring equipment will not be able to resist the temperatures that may occur. Of these, only NO 20023609 addresses the discovery of rotating stall.

Method and device for determining the occurrence of rotating stall in a compressor's turbine blade II


A voice encoding device according to the present invention includes an encoder having a first quantizing block suitable for voice encoding and a second quantizing block suitable for non-voice encoding and compressively encoding input signals, a voice/non-voice signal identification unit for identifying whether an signal input to the encoder is a voice signal or a non-voice signal and outputting a determination result, and a multiplexer portion for multiplexing respective outputs from the first quantizing block and the second quantizing block in order to output to a transmission path. In this case, the encoder has a selector for selecting either one of the first quantizing block or the second quantizing in accordance with the determination result from the voice/non-voice signal identification unit, and the first quantizing block and the second quantizing block compressively encode signals by using a same quantization table.

The present invention relates to an voice encoder used in voice digital wired communication and radio communication, in particular to a method for improving an voice encoder for transmitting non-voice signal using an voice frequency band, such as dual tone multi frequency, DTMF, signals and push button, PB, signals.
The reduction of communication cost is the most important issue in the private (i.e., local) network. In order to achieve highly efficient transmission of voice signals occupying most part of communication traffics, cases where highly efficient voice encoder based on voice encoding and decoding is applied is increasing, which is exemplified by 8 kbit/s conjugate-structure algebraic-code-excited linear prediction, CS-ACELP, voice encoding method (ITU-T Recommendation G, 729 compliant).
The voice encoding algorithm where the transmission speed is 8 kbit/s has a structure where input signals are specific to voice signals in order to obtain high quality voice with less information amount. This will be described with reference to the 8 kbit/s CS-ACELP system. FIG. 9 shows a schematic block diagram of an encoder, and FIG. 10 shows a detail block diagram of the encoder.
This encoding method has an encoding algorithm where the human vocalizing mechanism is modeled. In other words, it is based on CELP method, which uses a composite filter 6 (linear filter corresponding to a voice spectral envelope) where human vocal tract information is modeled to drive time series signals (outputs of an adder 15) stored in a code book corresponding to the human vocal cords information.
The detailed description of the algorithm can be found in ITU-T Recommendation G. 729, xe2x80x9cCoding of Speech at 8 kbit/s using Conjugate-Structure Algebraic-Code Excited Linear Prediction (CS-ACELP)xe2x80x9d.
In the coding algorithm specific to voices, higher efficient transmission tends to deteriorate transmission characteristics of signals (such as DTMF signals, PB signals, No. 5 signaling, modem signals) other than voice: signals using the voice frequency band in a transmission path using the highly efficient voice encoder.
Of one example showing the condition, details of LSP quantizer portion will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 shows an LSP quantifier portion (309) within an encoder based on the CS-ACELP method shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 11 includes an MA prediction component calculator 308 for calculating Moving Average (MA) of an LSP, a multiplier 330, adders 331, 332, and 333, a quantized error weighting coefficient calculator portion 338 for calculating a weighting coefficient based on an input LSP coefficient, a least square error calculator 334 for calculating a square error between a quantized LSP vector calculated in the adder 332 and an LSP vector calculated based on an input voice signals and multiplying it by the weighting coefficient calculated in 334 to select a least square error among quantifier LSP vector candidates, the first stage LSP codebook 335, the second stage LSP codebook 336, and an MA prediction coefficient codebook 337 where a plurality kinds of sets of MA coefficients.
Since the LSP quantization method using this structure is described in detail in xe2x80x9cCS-ACELP no LSP to gain no ryoushikahouxe2x80x9d, Kataoka et al., NTT RandD, Vol. 45 No. 4, 1996, pp. 331-336. Thus, the description is omitted here. It is known that the LSP quantization method is used so that voice signal spectral envelop information can be quantized efficiently.
According to the CS-ACELP voice coding method, the quantization of LSP coefficients is achieved by following three processes. That is, the LSP quantizer portion 309 has three processing function blocks as shown below:
(1) an MA (Moving Average) prediction component calculator portion 308 for subtracting a predictable component between frames in order to achieve efficient quantization;
(2) the first stage LSP quantization code book 335 for using an adaptive code book learned from voices to achieve rough quantization; and
(3) the second stage LSP quantization code note 336 for finely adjusting random number series for an target LSP, which is quantized roughly in the first stage.
The MA (Moving Average) in (1) is used so that signals with few radical changes in frequency characteristics, that is, having strong correlation between frames can be quantized efficiently. Further, the adaptive code book of (2) is used so that a schematic form of a spectral envelope specific to audio signals can be expressed efficiently with a few information amounts. Furthermore, when the random code book of (3) is used in addition to the learned code book of (2) so that slight changes in spectral envelop can be followed flexibly. In consideration of the above-described reasons, it can be said that the LSP quantifier portion 309 is a well suitable method for coding characteristics of voice spectral envelope information efficiently. On the other hand, in order to code non-voice signals, especially DTMF signals, characteristics as described below must be considered:
Voice signals and DTMF signals differ significantly in spectral envelope;
radical changes in spectral characteristics are found between a signal continue time and a pause time. Gains also changes radically. However, a change amount in spectral characteristics and gains only for the duration of DTMF signals is extremely small;
Since quantization distortion of LSP is reflected on frequency distortion of DTMF as it is, the LSP quantization distortion must be small as much as possible; and
For the duration of the DTMF signals, the frequency characteristic is extremely stable.
In consideration of the above-described viewpoints, it cannot be said that the LSP quantizer portion 301 is an effective method for coding the spectral envelope of DTMF signals.
As described in the example above, the non-voice signals such as DTMF signals have different characteristics from those of voice signals in several viewpoints. Thus, when the non-voice signals are coded, it is not suitable to use a same method as one used for voice signals under the condition where the transmission bit rate is low and redundancy for coding is small.
By the way, in the private network, for the call set-up in the telephone communication, the in-channel signalling is performed by using DTMF signals instead of the common channel signalling. In this case, if an allocated transmission path uses the voice coding, it deteriorates transmission characteristics of the DTMF signals. As a result, the call set-up frequently cannot be achieved normally.
As the first solution for overcoming the problem, a device configuration in FIG. 12 as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-81199 may be adopted. This configuration includes a unit for, identifying a voice signal and a non-voice signal such as a DTMF signal on the transmission side and memories for storing patterns in which the DTMF signal is pre-decoded on the transmission side and a receiver side. When the identification unit identified a DTMF signal input, an index of a memory holding the coded patterns corresponding to a number of :DTMF to the receiver side, where the index was identified to generate a DTMF signal corresponding to the digit.
As the second solution for overcoming the problem, a device configuration in FIG. 13 may be adopted, for example. An encoder 101 includes one which is optimized for coding voice signals and one which is optimized for compressively coding non-voice signals (such as DTMF signal) with less distortion. The configuration includes a unit for identifying whether a signal to be transmitted is voice or non-voice and selecting one of the function blocks based on the determination result from the identification unit for coding processing. Further, the configuration includes a unit for folding the determination result into an encoder output so that transmission can be achieved without changing its transmission bit-rate and with least deterioration in voice quality. Furthermore, a searching unit corresponding to the encoder 101 is provided on a side of a decoder 201 also.
Next, operations of the voice coding and decoders will be described. On the transmission side in FIG. 13, a voice/non-voice signal identification unit 102 always monitors whether an input signal is a voice signal or a non-voice signal and determines an operation mode of the encoder 101 based on the determination result. If the voice/non-voice signal identification unit 102 determines it as xe2x80x9cvoicexe2x80x9d, switches 103 and 14 are turned to 103A and 104A sides, respectively. As a result, within the encoder 101, a coding processing function block 105 is selected so as to achieve an operation mode suitable for coding a voice signal efficiently (xe2x80x9cvoice modexe2x80x9d hereinafter).
Under this mode, the encoder 101 performs coding processing on the voice signal based on a coding algorithm and outputs a code corresponding to the input voice. On the other hand, if the voice/non-voice signal identification unit 102 determines it as xe2x80x9cnon-voicexe2x80x9d, the switches 103 and 14 are turned to 103B and 104B sides, respectively. As a result, within the encoder 101, the coding processing function block 106 is selected so as to achieve an operation mode suitable for compressively coding the non-voice signal, such as DTMF signal, with less distortion (xe2x80x9cnon-voice modexe2x80x9d hereinafter).
Under this mode, the encoder 101 performs coding processing on the non-voice signal, such as DTMF signal, based on a coding algorithm and outputs a code corresponding to the input non-voice signal. Further, a multiplexer portion 107 multiplexes one obtained by coding a voice signal or a non-voice signal (voice/non-voice code, hereinafter) and a result from identification of an input signal(voice signal or non-voice signal), which is output from the voice/non-voice signal identification unit 102 and send it to the transmission path.
On the receiver side in FIG. 13, first of all, the bit sequence received from the transmission path is separated into voice/non-voice codes and a determination result of the voice/non-voice identification unit 102 in a demultiplexer portion 202. If the determination results by the voice/non-voice signal identification unit 102 taken out of the signal array is xe2x80x9cvoicexe2x80x9d, switches 203 and 204 are turned to 203A and 204A sides, respectively. As a result, within the decoder 201, a decoding processing function block 205 is selected, which achieves in the decoder an operation mode corresponding to the voice mode in the encoder 101. Under this mode, the decoder 201 performs decoding processing based on a decoding algorithm in order to decode the voice signals. Here, since both encoding and decoding are performed under the voice mode, the decoded voice signals have quality in accordance with the original performance the coding algorithm has.
If the determination results by the voice/non-voice signal identification unit 102 taken out of the signal array in the demultiplexer portion 202 is xe2x80x9cnon-voicexe2x80x9d, switches 203 and 204 are turned to 203B and 204B sides, respectively. As a result, within the decoder 201, a decoding processing function block 206 is selected, which achieves in the decoder an operation mode corresponding to the non-voice mode in the encoder 101. Under this mode, the decoder 201 performs decoding processing based on a decoding algorithm in order to decode the non-voice signals. Here, since both encoding and decoding are performed under the non-voice mode, the decoded non-voice signals have even less distortion than those performed under the voice mode.
According to the conventional embodiment as described above, coding and decoding are performed based on;a method using a general voice coding/decoding algorithms more suitable for coding voices during voice signal transmission, or by switching a part of processing function block into a method more suitable for coding non-voice signals during non-voice signal, especially DTMF signal, transmission. Thus, during the non-voice signal transmission, high quality non-voice signals can be transmitted without an increase in transmission bit rate.
When a voice communication system based on the conventional example is established, it is required to have the non-voice mode in both encoder 101 and decoder 201. Only improvement in the transmission side (coding side) cannot allow the decoder side to address the non-voice mode. As a result, nothing can decode normal voice signals, which may cause undesirable phenomena for a caller, such occurrence of noises.
By the way, when enterprise communication system is established, for example, voice transmission equipments cannot be replaced concurrently on sender and receiver sides for various reasons. For example, it is assumed that a voice transmission device (such as multimedia multiplexer equipments) are established which have voice encoder and decode based on the CS-ACELP method conforming to conventional ITU-T Recommendation G. 729. In this case, even if the voice transmission device addressing the non-voice mode is replaced only the transmission side for the purpose of achieving DTMF in-channel transmission, mutual connections cannot be performed because the voice transmission device on the receiver side is still a conventional decoder. Thus, the voice transmission device must be replaced. However, it requires further expensive investment for the user of the voice transmission device, which makes the replacement difficult.
The present invention was made for overcoming the conventional problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a voice encoder for the improvement of transmission characteristics of non-voice signals such as DTMF signals by permitting mutual connections with a conventional decode and in-channel transmission of non-voice signals such as DTMF signals when highly efficient voice encoder and decoder are provided which maintain voice transmission quality a given coding algorithm originally has.
A voice encoding device according to the present invention includes an encoder having a first quantizing block suitable for voice encoding and a second quantizing block suitable for non-voice encoding and compressively encoding input signals, a voice/non-voice signal identification unit for identifying whether an input signal to the encoder is a voice signal or a non-voice signal and outputting a determination result, and a multiplexer portion for multiplexing respective outputs from the first quantizing block and the second quantizing block in order to output to a transmission path. In this case, the encoder has a selector for selecting either one of the first quantizing block or the second quantizing in accordance with the determination result from the voice/non-voice signal identification unit, and the first quantizing block and the second quantizing block compressively encode signals by using a same quantization table.
The first and second quantizing blocks are processing blocks for quantizing a line spectral pair (LSP) coefficient.
When the LSP coefficient is quantized, the first and second coefficient quantizing blocks have a different evaluation criteria to be used for determining an appropriate quantized value from each other.
Further, when the LSP coefficient is quantized, the evaluation criteria used for determining an appropriate quantized value is changed adaptively in accordance with a characteristic of an input voice signal in the first quantizing block, while the evaluation criteria is steady regardless of a characteristic of an input voice signal in the second quantizing block.
Also, the voice/non-voice signal identification unit has digit detector for detecting a digit of a DTMF signal; and inputs an LSP coefficient to the second quantizing block.
The voice/non-voice signal identification unit uses a closed loop searching method as a method for searching an LSP codebook.
The second quantizing block uses a linear prediction residual signal of an input voice signal as a parameter used for determining an appropriate quantized value.

Voice frequency-band encoder having separate quantizing units for voice and non-voice encoding


The present invention relates to a method for making contact with a multipole female strip connector for plug connections with coaxial connecting cables. In order to simplify the method and to save tools, a multi-row female strip connector is split into plastic disks, one side of the disk having insulation-piercing terminals which are arranged one behind the other and are connected to contact springs, and the other side having correspondingly formed, overmolded pressure pieces. The disks are held spaced apart in a pressing tool by means of corresponding press-in pins which have a force fit. Coaxial connecting cables, which are cut to length and at whose free ends the outer insulation and the shield mesh have been removed over a predetermined length, are pushed into these disks, which are preassembled spaced apart. When the disks are pressed together, the pressure pieces press the connecting wires into the insulation-piercing terminal.

In the case of the known female strip connectors, special coaxial connectors, which occupy a relatively large amount of space, are snapped in when high connective quality is required. A further disadvantage of these connectors is that they interfere with the standard connector geometry. In the case of less stringent quality requirements, the inner conductor is provided with a normal crimped spring, and the shield is clamped on the metallic housing. If it is intended to shield coaxial junctions using an intermediate grid size, the shield must be separated out, twisted to form a conductor, and likewise has a crimped spring attached. All the methods mentioned here are complex and expensive and demand complex special tools or manual activities.
The object of the present invention is to specify a method for making contact with a multipole female strip connector for plug connections with coaxial connecting wires, which method can be carried out easily and is not as complex as the known methods.

Multi-pole female strip connector and method for making contact with a multi-pole male strip connector


A nitride compound semiconductor light emitting element comprises a substrate, a nitride compound semiconductor n-type layer, a mask layer having a predetermined opening, a nitride compound semiconductor buffer layer epitaxially grown on said n-type layer exclusively at said opening. The buffer layer has a recess on its top face so that a thickness of said buffer layer is thinner above a central portion of the opening and thicker above edge portions of the opening. A nitride compound semiconductor active layer is selectively formed on the recess of the buffer layer to be thicker at the central portion of the recess and thinner at the edges of the recess. A nitride compound semiconductor burying layer overlays the mask layer and the active layer to cover the active layer. By selectively growing the buffer layer and the active layer in the opening of the mask layer formed on the substrate and by growing additional layers to bury the entire structure and to flatten the surface, a planar-type, stripe-buried structure is realized. The active layer has a distribution of refractive index due to the distribution of thickness resulting from the selective growth and can confine light with high efficiency. Additionally, by using an insulation film, highly efficient confinement of current is realized to provide a light emitting element for a shorter wavelength with a high luminous intensity and a low oscillation threshold value.

This invention relates to a nitride compound semiconductor light emitting element and its manufacturing method. More particularly, the invention relates to a nitride compound semiconductor light emitting element having a high confinement efficiency for light and carrier and suppressing leak current, and a method for manufacturing same.
Nitride compound semiconductors are of direct-transition type and are capable of highly efficient radiation recombination in almost all composition range. Their transition energy widely ranges from 1.89 to 6.2 eV, depending on the composition. Because of these advantageous characteristics, light emitting elements using nitride compound semiconductors are expected to be useful elements for intense emission especially in short wavelength range in various fields of application.
In the present application, the term "nitride compound semiconductor" pertains to any semiconductor which can be expressed by the chemical formula B.sub.x In.sub.y Al.sub.z Ga.sub.1-x-y-z N (0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1, 0.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.1, 0.ltoreq.z.ltoreq.1, x+y+z.ltoreq.1) with any values of the mole fractions x, y and z in their respective ranges. For example, InAlN (x=0, y=0.4, z=0.6) has been identified as one the of nitride compound semiconductors.
Conventional nitride semiconductor light emitting devices, in general, have a multi-layered structure made by sequentially growing flat layers of various nitride compound semiconductor crystals on a flat substrate of sapphire, or the like. For example, a double-heterostructure representative as a semiconductor light emitting element is made by sequentially stacking a cladding layer, active layer and cladding layer on a substrate via an appropriate buffer layer. Such a double-heterostructure can effectively confine injected carriers and light generated in the active layer, and is indispensable especially for fabricating a high-performance semiconductor laser.
A high-performance semiconductor laser cannot be realized only by using a double-heterostructure. It is also necessary to confine the current and light in the active layer with high efficiency. However, conventional light emitting elements using nitride compound semiconductors could not ensure such a high efficiency in confinement of current and light. Details about this problem are explained below.
For efficient confinement of current, the active layer stacked as a flat layer must be processed to form a structure for concentrating the current. The most popular process used for the purpose relies on processing the active layer into a narrow mesa configuration and burying it in a layer or layers made by subsequent crystal growth. In the case of forming light emitting devices with nitride compounds, if dry etching is used for processing the active layer into the form of a stripe in nitride light emitting elements, it often damages the etched surface and fails to realize good current characteristics. Wet etching is less harmful to the etched surface, but there has been no appropriate wet etching process suitable for nitride compound semiconductors.
Another problem with nitride compound semiconductors lies in the difficulty in growing layers for burying the mesa-shaped active layer. Even if the mesa-shaped active layer can be buried incompletely, it tends to result in irregular growth and to cause leakage of current.
Under circumstances it is difficult to effectively confine current in conventional light emitting elements using nitride compound semiconductors.
Additionally, confinement of light is also difficult in conventional light emitting element using nitride compound semiconductors. That is, the refractive index of the active layer must be as high as possible relative to the cladding layer to ensure efficient confinement of light in the active layer. To realize a high refractive index of a nitride compound semiconductor, the mole fraction of indium in the nitride compound semiconductor must be high. However, as the mole fraction of indium increases, the crystallographic quality of the semiconductor degrades unacceptably to maintain characteristics required for the active layer.
Moreover, in the case of metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) widely used for growth of nitride compound semiconductors, the temperature must be low during crystal growth to ensure a high mole fraction of indium. However, such a low growth temperature causes further deterioration in crystalline quality and degrades various characteristics of the resulting light emitting element. That is, conventional techniques cannot not realize highly efficient laser oscillation and emission of shorter wavelengths with nitride semiconductor light emitting devices by increasing the mole fraction of indium.

Nitride compound semiconductor light emitting element and its manufacturing method


A pressure bulkhead for an aerospace fuselage includes a bulkhead main portion having an approximately flat shape in unloaded state; and a frame supporting and connecting said bulkhead main portion to the fuselage; wherein said bulkhead main portion includes an airtight structure having a reticular component.

A pressure bulkhead belongs to the internal structures of an aircraft fuselage and is used for ensuring a pressure tight interior, e.g. in the tail section of said aircraft. The bulkhead consists generally of rigid shells, e.g. with a single or double curvature, made of metal or composite materials, often reinforced by so called stiffeners.
The main disadvantages of the existing solutions of a pressure bulkhead are the following: the weight increment of the structure necessary for the prevention of static instabilities; the difficult manufacturing processes for both the metal and the composite materials solutions; the use of expensive materials and/or processes; and the difficult maintenance of the structures next to the pressure bulkhead.
With regard to the weight increment the main structural problem is the static instability caused by shear and compression forces. These instabilities arise in correspondence of load states as the lateral maneuvers with high twisting moments (high shear stresses), and in correspondence of negative pressure gradients (high compression stresses), such as an eventual rapid loss of altitude of the aircraft. For these reasons, a thickness increase of the shell of a rigid pressure bulkhead is necessary and in order to save weight, the adoption of stiffeners in the radial direction as well as sometimes in the circumferential direction may be mandatory.
Regarding the difficult manufacturing due to the presence of the stiffeners and due to the double curvature of the above mentioned bulkheads, the manufacturing process results in a very complex and expensive task.
In case of use of expensive materials and/or processes, composite materials are often advantageous because of their ability to save weight and to fit a shape having a double curvature, avoiding the high number of rivets needed for a metal solution. Such materials are as well expensive as their manufacturing processes, especially in the case of composite sandwich stiffeners.
With regard to the difficult maintenance, due to the curvature adopted and the related space occupation, it results in a difficult access to the structure in the back of the pressure bulkhead and a difficult cleaning of the areas close to the attachment of the bulkhead to the correspondent frame.
Document EP 0 217 117 A1 describes a pressure bulkhead with a curvature provided with a safety support assembly made of a belt network. The belts are fastened to the bulkhead after having fastened the same.
There is a need to reduce the weight, manufacturing time, manufacturing costs and to provide easier maintenance of a pressure bulkhead.

Pressure bulkhead for an aerospace fuselage


A pneumatic runflat tire comprising a sidewall component comprising a rubber composition comprising at least one diene based elastomer and from about 1 to about 40 phr of glass bubbles having a crush strength of at least 10,000 psi as measured by ASTM D3102-78 in glycerol.

The desire for improved fuel efficiency in automobiles, trucks, aircraft and the like has led to the need for more fuel efficient tires. One way in which tires can be more fuel efficient is through reduced weight of the tires. It is therefore desirable to reduce the weight of tires while maintaining the physical properties and performance of the various tire components.

Runflat tire with sidewall component containing high strength glass bubbles


A method for stably and easily exhibiting a flat plate-like article such as a flat exhibited article so as to be easily observed and less turned over and the flat plate-like article stably and simply exhibitable so as to be easily observed and less turned over and manufacturable at low cost. The flat plate-like article comprises two or more flat plate-like members and one or more connection parts. The flat plate-like article is characterized in that (A) any first and second flat plate-like members are connected to each other through the connection part and positioned on the border line of these both members and projected backward from the border line so that they can be double-spread and (B) the flat plate-like article can be self-stood when the first and second flat plate-like members are brought into a double-spread state so that a state that the insides of the first and second flat plate-like members are positioned diagonally upward relative to a ground contact surface when at least a part of the bottom-side of the connection part, at least a part of the bottom-side of the first flat plate-like member, and at least a part of the bottom-side of the second flat plate-like member are used as the ground contact parts.

For exhibiting a flat exhibited article, such as a greeting card, which is folded in half and exhibited in a double-spread state, not by using a device or tool such as a frame, stand and so on, but by the article itself, the article is generally stood with the crease up, i.e., the crease positioned in parallel with a ground contact surface (e.g. a desktop and the like), or stood with the crease positioned dorsal and vertical relative to the ground contact surface. In the former case, a face exhibited and viewed (i.e., an exhibited surface) is located outside of the double-fold structure and stands by itself normally at an angle slightly diagonally upward than vertical or at an angle of about 95 to 110 degrees. In the latter case, however, an exhibited surface is located inside of the double-fold structure and stands substantially vertically, and thus the exhibited surface cannot be easily observed when exhibited on a desktop and the like.
The same applies not only to those articles basically having an exhibited surface or surfaces on one or both sides of a double-fold of a piece of paper, such as a greeting card, but also to those articles comprising many pages such as a pamphlet and a picture book. Those articles are set substantially vertically when exhibited by standing themselves. Therefore, the exhibited surface cannot be easily observed unless it is exhibited at nearly the same level as that of the eyes of a viewer. However, it is difficult to realize an easily-observable state for multiple people.
To avoid such a problem, there are methods of exhibiting an exhibited article by attaching a supporting member to the article itself, and methods of exhibiting the exhibited article by using a stand and the like which holds the article for exhibiting. These methods, however, require an additional member or device, and thus they are complicated and costly.
Patent document 1: Japanese Provisional Patent Publication (Kokai) Hei 7-148056
Patent document 2: Japanese Provisional Patent Publication (Kokai) Hei 10-236033
Patent document 3: Japanese Provisional Patent Publication (Kokai) 2000-327377
Patent document 4: Japanese Provisional Patent Publication (Kohyo) 2002-515983
Patent document 5: Japanese Provisional Patent Publication (Kokai) 2004-33662
Patent document 6: Japanese Provisional Patent Publication (Kokai) 2000-71662

Self-standing flat plate-like article and methods of exhibiting and manufacturing the same


A platinum complex is described to include a platinum(IV) metal center so positioned and oriented in the complex so as to complex in cis orientations with two hydride groups and with an alkyl group.

The present invention relates to a novel platinum(IV), herein also Pt(IV) or PtIV, complex and, more particularly, to a dihydroalkyl Pt(IV) complex, a method of producing same and a method of utilizing same in catalysis involving hydrocarbon activation and in reduction of organic molecules and of water to produce dihydrogen.
The direct, selective oxidation of alkanes has long been a major challenge in transition metal chemistry 1. The Shilov system, which employs chloroplatinum salts in aqueous media to catalytically functionalize methane, has been the subject of a number of mechanistic studies over the past few years 2. Unfortunately, unlike the classical Shilov system, most of the organometallic models used for these studies are extremely air- and moisture-sensitive. A key intermediate in this process was proposed to be an alkyl(hydrido)metal complex. Attempts to prepare such complexes under aqueous conditions resulted in platinum(IV)hydroxo complexes with concomitant release of hydrogen gas, probably via rapid hydrolysis of short-lived platinum(IV)hydrido intermediates 3,4. Consequently, most of the known hydrido(alkyl)platinum(IV) complexes were prepared and studied in the absence of oxygen and under anhydrous conditions. The dihydrido(alkyl)platinum(IV) complexes seemed to be more elusive than either the hydrido(alkyl)platinum(IV) or the dihydrido(dihalo)platinum(IV) complexes 5. Bercaw and coworkers, who studied extensively the individual steps of the catalytic oxidation of alkanes 6, have recently proposed a dihydrido(alkyl)platinum(IV) complex as a hypothetical intermediate in the low-temperature protonolysis of (PCy3)2Pt(H)R (R=CH3, Ph) which produced methane or benzene 7.
While reducing the present invention to practice a stable dihydrido(methyl)platinum(IV) complex, TpPtH2Me, 1 (Tp=hydridotris(Pyrazolyl)borate) was prepared via the reaction of TpPtMeCO, 2, with water. The resultant complex, 1, was unexpectedly found to be air- and moisture-stable and was found to contain not only two cis hydride ligands but also a cis methyl ligand.
A novel, air- and moisture-stable dihydrido(methyl)platinum(IV) complex, TpPtH2Me, 1 (Tp=hydridotris(pyrazolyl)borate) is formed as the sole product by the reaction of TpPMeCO, complex 2, with water. Complex 1 was structurally characterized by elemental analysis, 1H-NMR , 13C-NMR, and FTIR Without being bound to any specific theory, the proposed mechanism of the reaction of complex 2 and water involves an initial nucleophilic attack by a water molecule on the coordinated carbonyl in 2 with subsequent release of CO2 followed by protonation at the platinum center to produce complex 1. The resultant complex, 1, was unexpectedly found to be air- and moisture-stable and was found to contain not only two cis hydride ligands but also a cis methyl ligand.
Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a platinum complex comprising a platinum(IV) metal center so positioned and oriented in the complex so as to complex in cis orientations with two hydride groups and with an alkyl, e.g., methyl, group, which complex can be in a solid state, e.g., crystallized, or dissolved as a portion of a solution.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a solution comprising a solvent and a platinum complex therein in which a platinum(IV) metal center is complexed in cis orientations with two hydride groups and with an alkyl group.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of preparing a platinum complex including a platinum(IV) metal center so positioned and oriented so as to complex in cis orientations with two hydride groups and with an alkyl group, the method comprising the step of contacting a platinum complex including a platinum(II) metal center being complexed with a CO group and the alkyl group and with water to thereby obtain the platinum complex including the platinum(IV) metal center so positioned and oriented so as to complex in cis orientations with the two hydride groups and with the alkyl group.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below, the complex including said platinum(II) metal center complexed with the CO group and the alkyl group includes a nitrogen based polydentate ligand such as, but not limited to, hydridotris(pyrazolyl) borate, hydridotris(pyrazolyl) methane, aryltris(pyrazolyl) borate, aryltris(pyrazolyl) methane, heteroaryltris(pyrazolyl) borate, heteroaryltris(pyrazolyl) methane, alkyltris(pyrazolyl) borate and substitutes thereof, which serve as a complexing ligand (agent).
According to still another aspect of the present invention there is provided a process of activating a Cxe2x80x94C and/or a Cxe2x80x94H bond of a hydrocarbon, the process comprising the step of contacting the hydrocarbon with a platinum complex including a platinum(IV) metal center so positioned and oriented in the complex so as to complex in cis orientations with two hydride groups and with an alkyl group, thereby activating the Cxe2x80x94C and/or a Cxe2x80x94H bond of the hydrocarbon.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below, the platinum complex includes hydridotris(pyrazolyl) borate, hydridotris(pyrazolyl) methane, aryltris(pyrazolyl) borate, aryltris(pyrazolyl) methane, heteroaryltris(pyrazolyl) borate, heteroaryltris(pyrazolyl) methane, alkyltris(pyrazolyl) borate and substitutes thereof.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the hydrocarbon and the complex are in solution, the solution includes at least one substance selected from the group consisting of water, an alcohol, a ketone, aldehyde, an organic acid or any other organic molecule.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of an alkane, an alkene, an alkyne and an arene. Other hydrocarbons are also suitable, such as functionalized hydrocarbons.
The present invention successfully addresses the shortcomings of the presently known configurations by providing a novel platinum(IV) metal center complex characterized by cis orientated coordinative bonds with two hydride groups and with an alkyl group, which is both moisture and air stable and which can, therefore, be advantageously used for activating hydrocarbon Cxe2x80x94C and/or Cxe2x80x94H bonds and for reduction of organic molecules and of water to produce dihydrogen, for the production of a variety of useful chemicals

Stable dihydridoalkyl platinum(IV) complex, methods of producing same and utilizing same

Technion Research and Development Foundation Ltd.


Cell-based reagents and methods of using the reagents for detecting analytes are provided. The adsorbing of cells with signal-generating metabolic activity to solid supports has been found to improve the sensitivity of known cell based assays. Signal-generating cells adsorbed to a solid support are introduced to a test agent, and the measured decrease in metabolic signal provides a measure of the toxicity of the test agent.

The use of bacteria with a signal-generating metabolic activity as indicators of toxicity is well established. UK patent number GB 2005018 describes a method of assaying a liquid sample for toxic substances which involves contacting a suspension of bioluminescent microorganisms with a sample suspected of containing a toxic substance and observing the change in the light output of the bioluminescent organisms as a result of contact with the suspected toxic substance. Furthermore, a toxicity monitoring system embodying the same assay principle, which is manufactured and sold under the trademark Microtox®, is in routine use in both environmental laboratories and for a variety of industrial applications. A toxicity assay using bioluminescent bacteria which have been killed, as by radiation, is described in International Patent Application Number WO 95/10767.
Although the methods and reagents utilized previously in systems such as the aforementioned Microtox® system are sensitive and reliable indicators of the presence of toxic substances, there still exists a need to provide reagents and assays having even greater sensitivity than those used heretofore.

Cell-based assay for the detection of toxic analytes


The present invention involves a dispenser. The dispenser includes a main hollow housing with side walls, a base and a top which is at least partially open for dispensing material therethrough. A vertical support column is included within the hollow housing and it has horizontal ratchets thereon as well as a push plate located at its top. A trigger component is also contained within the housing and it is formed of plastic material with at least one flexible portion therein. It acts as a trigger, a ratcheting member and a spring, and is strategically positioned in a hinged manner such that a side wall cut out or other member holding the trigger component against the vertical support column ratchets may be rotated inwardly and released outwardly to cause the ratcheting mechanism to advance the support column. Thus the trigger component has a first position and a second position wherein, when it is moved from the first position to the second position, it advances the vertical support column upwardly and when it is released and moves from its second position back to its first position, it retreats to the next lower ratchet on the support column and is set for the next advance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to dispensers and, more specifically, to vertical ratchet dispensers which are utilized to advance liquids, creams, pastes, cakes, bars and the like to move dispensing material out of the dispenser at rates and times desired by the user. More specifically, the present invention is directed to such dispensers which involve vertical ratcheting by utilization of a unique ratcheting arrangement which functions in combination with a hinged trigger.
2. Prior Art Statement
Numerous ratcheting dispensers have been developed over the years and date back more then half a century. They have been developed for many purposes and have diverse mechanisms for operation. Additionally, various types of tubes and dispensers have been developed to advance cakes and pastes and bar materials such as underarm deodorant bars, lipstick bars, ski wax bars and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,086,462 issued to David E. Bost describes a dispenser for discharging wax or other dispensing material by use of a vertical ratchet mechanism which has a squeeze trigger type handle member and various springs and mechanisms interconnected, including a clamping member and at least three pins or shafts and about six or seven separate pieces for the ratchet advancing mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,872,034 describes a lipstick container which has a typical twist to advance mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,221,409 issued to Charles J. Thiel and Louis J. Michaels describes an amalgam dispenser which, again, utilizes a trigger type mechanism with spring, pins and a complex arrangement of components.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,574 describes a dispensing pipette actuator system. This system also utilizes a ratcheting mechanism in a vertical direction but requires at least two springs and six or seven components for the ratchet driving mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,499 issued to Joel A. Hamilton, describes a propulsion apparatus with a self contained handle for use with a removable cartridge. This involved movement of hinged, semi-flexible ratcheting members as well as a plurality of springs and pins.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,176 describes a manually operable ratchet type dispenser for comestibles which includes a vertical ratcheting mechanism with a handle. This requires at least three pins and four or five complex components.
Thus, notwithstanding the formidable prior art, there seems to be no teaching of the present invention which utilizes a single, semi-flexible component to perform the three functions of a trigger, of a ratcheting member to advance a ratchet column and of a return spring. Thus, separate from the advancing ratchet column itself, the present invention requires only two moving parts, no metal springs and no or minimal set pins.

Vertical ratchet dispenser with hinged trigger


In a toner production method, a volatile solvent gas is jetted into a dispersion of aggregated resin particles where at least resin particles dispersed in a continuous phase are aggregated. A form of the aggregated resin particles is controlled by jetting the volatile solvent gas into the dispersion of aggregated resin particles. The volatile solvent is removed from the form-controlled aggregated resin particles.

Heretofore, an emulsification and aggregation method is known as one example of toner production. The emulsification and aggregation method is for producing toner particles having a desired size by aggregating extremely fine resin particles in a solution (build-up production method), and this is excellent in that the toner particle size distribution can be sharp. Another advantage of the emulsification and aggregation method is that, since the resin viscosity of the aggregated resin particles can be controlled by utilizing the surface tension thereof, the form of the toner particles can be continuously controlled to any form of from an amorphous form to a spherical form (JP-A 8-179553).
For controlling the viscosity of the resin to be used as a toner binder herein, there are a method of utilizing heat and a method of using a solvent.
However, in the method of controlling the resin viscosity by utilizing the heat generated by heating the resin, the resin must be heated at a temperature not lower than the glass transition temperature (Tg) thereof when the resin particles are aggregated into spherical toner particles. Therefore, when a resin having a high melt viscosity is used, then it must be heated at an extremely high temperature, and in such a case, a specific apparatus such as a pressure apparatus is needed when the heating temperature therein is higher than the boiling point of water. This results in the increase in the production costs of the toner.
In the method of controlling the resin viscosity by using a resin, a diluted solvent must be added to the system and therefore a large-size reactor is needed, which, therefore reduces the toner production efficiency. When a solvent not diluted sufficiently is added, then the resin particles may mutually aggregate together and, after all, the form of the toner particles could not be controlled.

Toner production method, toner and toner production apparatus


In accordance with the present invention, ligands have been discovered which selectively bind retinoid X receptors. Such ligands can be used for the selective modulation of retinoid X receptor mediated processes. In a further aspect of the present invention, there are provided pharmaceutical compositions comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle containing at least one of the above-described selective ligands. Such compositions are useful, for example, for the treatment of a variety of retinoid X receptor mediated disease states.

A central focus of research in eukaryotic molecular biology continues to be the elucidation of molecules and mechanisms that mediate specific gene regulation in response to exogenous inducers such as hormones or growth factors. Indeed, a great deal of work has been done in efforts to identify exogenous inducers which are capable of mediating specific gene regulation.
Although much remains to be learned about the specifics of gene regulation, it is known that exogenous inducers modulate gene transcription by acting in concert with intracellular components, including intracellular receptors and discrete DNA sequences known as hormone response elements (HREs).
As additional members of the steroid/thyroid superfamily of receptors are identified, the search for exogenous inducers (i.e., naturally occurring (or synthetic) molecules) for such newly discovered receptors has become an important aspect of the ongoing effort to learn about the specifics of gene regulation.
The retinoid members of the steroid/thyroid superfamily of receptors, for example, are responsive to compounds referred to as retinoids, which include retinoic acid, retinol (vitamin A), and a series of natural and synthetic derivatives which have been found to exert profound effects on development and differentiation in a wide variety of systems.
Indeed, vitamin A metabolites (i.e. retinoids) have been determined to play essential roles in many aspects of development, metabolism and reproduction in vertebrates (see, for example, The Retinoids, Second Edition, Sporn et al. (Raven Press, New York, 1994)). There are two classes of retinoid receptors: the retinoic acid receptors (RARs), which bind to both all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) and 9-cis retinoic acid (9cRA), and the retinoid X receptors (RXRs), which bind only to 9cRA. These receptors modulate ligand-dependent gene expression by interacting as RXR/RAR heterodimers or RXR homodimers on specific target gene DNA sequences known as hormone response elements. In addition to their role in retinoid signalling, RXRs also serve as heterodimeric partners of nuclear receptors for vitamin D, thyroid hormone, and peroxisome proliferators (reviewed by Mangelsdorf et al., at pages 319-349 of The Retinoids, Second Edition, Sporn et al. (Raven Press, New York, 1994)).
The identification of additional compounds which interact with retinoid receptors, and thereby affect transcription of genes which are responsive to retinoic acid (or other metabolites of vitamin A), would be of significant value, e.g., for therapeutic applications.
Although both RAR and RXR respond to retinoic acid in vivo, the receptors differ in several important aspects. First, RAR and RXR are significantly divergent in primary structure (e.g., the ligand binding domains of RAR.alpha. and RXR.alpha. have only 27% amino acid identity). These structural differences are reflected in different relative degrees of responsiveness of RAR and RXR to various vitamin A metabolites and synthetic retinoids. In addition, distinctly different patterns of tissue distribution are seen for RAR and RXR. In contrast to the RARs, which are not expressed at high levels in the visceral tissues, RXR.alpha. mRNA has been shown to be most abundant in the liver, kidney, lung, muscle and intestine. Finally, response elements have recently been identified in the cellular retinol binding protein type II (CRBPII) and apolipoprotein AI genes which confer responsiveness to RXR, but not RAR. Indeed, RAR has also been recently shown to repress RXR-mediated activation through the CRBPII RXR response element. These data, in conjunction with the observation that both RAR and RXR can activate through the RAR response element of the RAR.beta. promoter, indicate that the two retinoic acid responsive pathways are not simply redundant, but instead manifest a complex interplay.
In view of the related, but clearly distinct nature of these receptors, the identification of ligands which are selective for retinoid X receptor(s), relative to retinoic acid receptor(s), would be of great value in selectively controlling processes mediated by one or both of these retinoid receptor types.

Selective modulation of processes mediated by retinoid X receptors, and compounds useful therefor

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies


Method of assaying hapten in a sample, in which said sample is placed in contact with antibodies capable of recognizing hapten and with a predetermined quantity of a reagent capable of competing with said hapten-fixing antibodies. The reagent is a conjugate formed by a single-stranded fragment of nucleic acid with a compound capable of being recognized by said hapten-recognizing antibodies. The fixed or unfixed reactant is detected by antibodies capable of recognizing the nucleic acid fragment of said conjugate. Detection of said reactant by anti-fragment antibodies of said nucleic acid enhances, in particular, the sensitivity of the assay.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a reagent for assaying haptens and its application.
Haptens are nonimmunogenic molecules, namely when they are alone they are incapable alone of triggering an immune reaction by antibody production, but are capable of being recognized by antibodies obtained by immunizing animals under known conditions, particularly by immunization with a hapten-protein conjugate.
2. Description of Related Art
Various techniques have been proposed for assaying haptens in a sample, including the so-called competition techniques. These techniques, described for the first time by Yalow and Berson (Nature, 184, p. 1648, 1959) for radioimmunoassay of plasma insulin, were applied to assaying haptens in the early 70s (Gharig H. et al. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 31, pp. 709-714, 1970; Abraham G. E., Acta Endocrinologica, suppl. 183, pp. 1-42, 1974).
According to these techniques, the hapten to be assayed is placed in competition, for binding to a given quantity of specific antibodies of said hapten, with a known, added quantity of the same, labeled, hapten. After a separation stage in which the free hapten (i.e. not linked to the antibodies) and the antibody-hapten complexes are separated, the quantity of labeled hapten, linked or free, is determined by the activity of the label. This measurement allows one to deduce the quantity of unlabeled hapten present at the outset. In this type of competition assay, the quantity of labeled hapten-antibody complex formed decreases as the quantity of unlabeled hapten is increased in the reaction medium.
According to a first embodiment of this type of competition assay, the hapten to be assayed and the labeled hapten react simultaneously with a predetermined quantity of specific antibodies of the hapten. After equilibrium, the free haptens are separated from the haptens bound to the antibodies. According to another embodiment, the reagents are added sequentially: in the first phase, the hapten to be assayed is added to a predetermined quantity of antibodies such that all the hapten to be assayed is bound. In the second phase, the labeled hapten is added in excess to saturate the antibody sites that have remained free and, after a sufficient incubation time, the unbound labeled hapten is separated.
Various methods for labeling haptens have been proposed. Radioactive labeling, although it offers the advantage of being sufficiently sensitive, has various drawbacks such as the instability of the label and the need for cumbersome equipment, and personnel protection and waste disposal measures, which are substantial constraints, particularly as far as automating the hapten assay test is concerned. Another option is to use an enzyme such as horseradish peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase, or beta-galactosidase as the label. Addition of the specific substrate of the enzyme reveals the quantity of free hapten or hapten bound to the antibody (Van Weemen B. K. and Schuurs A. H. W. M., FEBS Letters, 24(1), pp. 77-81, 1972 or Wisdom G. B., Clin. Chem., 22(8), pp. 1243-1255, 1976). This type of labeling has several advantages such as cost, ease of use, speed of enzyme reaction, absence of specific protective measures, and ability to automate the test.
It is known to specialists however that competition methods using an enzyme-labeled hapten are sometimes insensitive and may in some cases give results with low significance.

Hapten assay by a competition-based method


A corrugated waterproof roof covering has a plurality of adjacently positioned sections. Each section includes an intermediate series of separated, adjacently positioned ridges interconnected by identical U-shaped channels. An additional lowered ridge is located at a first end of the series of ridges and appends from them by an L-shaped channel. An outer edge of the lowered ridge appends to a shallow U-shaped channel. The sections are positioned in edgewise overlying relation. An end ridge at a second end of each section overlies and receives the lowered ridge of an adjacent section to create a passageway therebetween and to laterally interlock the sections. A protective layer is positioned atop the rides, and fasteners extend through the layer for termination in the passageway for concealing the fasteners from view.

Covering devices of this type which comprise a metal support plate, resting on appropriate bearing walls or purlins, this plate being associated on top and towards the outside of the premises thus covered, with a layer of insulating material having a suitable thickness and with a waterproof external lining in the form of sheets, covering the insulating layer, are already known. However, in the conventional solutions, in order to withstand the effects of compression or tearing which are exerted on the assembly, as a result of wind in particular, it is essential to join the metal plate and the external lining which trap the insulating layer between them, using mechanical connection means, such as screws, rivets, bolts or the like, which pass through the metal plate in order to interact with an appropriate fastening member such as nuts, washers, counter-rivets, clips or the like, ensuring a suitable and safe locking of the elements thus joined.
In general, these solutions require the sheet, usually made of a bituminous material forming the water-proofing lining, to be pierced for the passage of the fixing bolt or screw whose head rests on a metal washer bearing on the external surface of this lining, this screw then passing through the insulating layer and finally the support plate so as to ensure screwing on its protruding extremity. Notably, and in the most common way, these solutions do not require a tapping hole to be made for the passage of the fixing screws in the plate, these screws usually being of the "Parker" screw type, which are well known in the art.
However, it may then be desirable to cover the assembly with a second waterproofing sheet extending either over the whole surface of the lining, or only at the site of the screw heads, the lining sheet or sheets being applied over the insulating layer which, preferably, is formed of juxtaposed panels, resting against the supporting metal plate. As a variant, a first sheet of the insulating lining may be unrolled dry over the insulating panels and fixed to the plate by means of through screws as described above, and the external waterproof lining may then be adhesively bonded or welded, if need be while protecting the underlying insulating panels from the heat, or the fixing screws may also be installed at the location where the various sheet widths forming this lining overlap, the edge of each width being adhesively bonded or welded on the border of the edge of the adjacent width, covering the metal bearing washers of the screw heads.
In all cases, the fixing screws, rivets or bolts pass in principle through the plate and require the latter to be pierced, which constitutes a drawback. To overcome this, it is possible to envisage, either ensuring the essential mechanical connection by making anchoring grooves and ribs in the external face of the plate, which has for example a dovetail-shaped profile for bolt heads whose threaded end, which protrudes outwards after passing through the insulating layer, interacts with appropriate locking components, which constitutes a costly and impractical solution which complicates in particular the installation and assembly of the roof covering, or alternatively welding these bolts directly to the external face of the plate against which the insulating panels bear.
However, in either of these solutions, either as a result of the piercing of the plate, or because of the welding of the bolt or of the means for immobilizing the latter, the other face of the plate which constitutes the ceiling of the covered premises is impaired, the holes leaving unattractive markings, whereas the welding of the bolts introduces burn marks, which is unacceptable, particular if the corresponding surface of the plate has been prelacquered.
It is therefore essential to install an added false ceiling under the plate, which is once again a costly solution and requires considerable labour time for its installation and fixing.

Waterproof covering device for a roof or the like