A single-piece vent baffle and method of installing a vent baffle. The vent baffle includes a main body portion and a tail portion and a first face and a second face. The main body portion includes at least one spacer extending from the first face. The vent baffle may be installed to an underside of a roof and to a wall plate by positioning the spacer adjacent the underside of the roof to create an air flow channel between the underside of the roof and the first face. The vent baffle blocks an opening between the roof and the wall plate while allowing ventilating air to flow through the air flow channel.

The invention is in the field of building construction materials and particularly relates to attic vent baffles commonly used in residential building structures to allow ventilation flow through eave soffit vents into an attic space.
It is known in the prior art to provide attic ventilation systems to properly ventilate the attic space often found in residential buildings. Ventilation of the attic space is desirable to help prevent formation of condensation along the interior surface of the roof, which can damage attic insulation and the building structure itself. Proper ventilation also helps to prevent premature melting of snow accumulated on a building roof. Such premature melting can lead to the formation of ice on the roof. Such ice formations can be both a safety hazard and can also lead to roof damage.
Known attic ventilation systems typically comprise a plurality of vents located in the underside, or soffit, of eaves extending from the building roof. Typically, air travels through the soffit vents into the attic space via an opening (herein referred to as the "roof-wall plate opening") between the underside of the roof deck and the top of the exterior wall of the building (the so-called "wall plate") and subsequently through an air flow channel formed by a vent baffle disposed adjacent the underside of the roof deck. Ventilation flow typically exits from the air flow channel into the attic space. The attic space may be provided with a separate roof vent to facilitate flow of air from the attic space to the outdoors.
An attic ventilation system directs and controls the ventilation air flow, as otherwise uncontrolled air currents can be sufficiently strong to disturb placement of attic insulation, blowing the insulation about to create areas which are not properly insulated. Uncontrolled air currents circulating in the attic space can also negatively affect performance of the attic insulation by promoting increased convective heat transfer along the top surface of the insulation.
An attic ventilation system also accommodates installation of attic insulation over the entire ceiling, as nearly as possible up to the roof-wall plate opening. To do this, ventilation systems preferably make some provision to block intrusion of insulation into the interior space of the eaves (such intrusion could lead to blockage of the soffit vents) while also providing an air flow channel to permit and control air flow through the soffit vents into the attic space.
Known attic ventilation systems include that described by U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,185 (Obermeyer et al.). Obermeyer et al. discloses a rafter air infiltration block used in conjunction with a conventional roof vent board. The block of Obermeyer et al. is a generally rectangular sheet of material having a plurality of tabs connected to a remainder of the sheet by a plurality of fold lines. The block of Obermeyer et al. serves to prevent intrusion of insulation disposed proximate the roof-wall plate opening into the eave interior space, while the roof vent board provides an air flow channel to allow and control air flow from the soffit vents into the attic space. Installation of a roof ventilation system in accordance with the invention of Obermeyer et al. requires installation of a roof vent board, as well as separate installation of the separate block component. Installation of the block component of Obermeyer et al. requires that the installer fold the block component along multiple fold lines. The installation process is thereby complicated by the need to install two separate components and also by the need to fold the block component along multiple fold lines.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,040 (Best) discloses a ventilation panel comprising a rectangular sheet divided by a plurality of fold lines into a rectangular central portion, a pair of side edge portions and an end portion. When the side edge portions and end portions are folded into place, the ventilation panel of Best forms both an airflow channel and a roof-wall plate opening block. In order to install the ventilation panel of Best, it is necessary that the sheet be cut and folded at multiple locations, thus necessitating a relatively complicated and time-consuming installation process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,861 (Eury) discloses a baffle board having side tabs and an end tab, each of the tabs being connected to a remainder of the baffle board by either perforated lines or score lines along which the tabs are bent relative to the remainder of the baffle board. Similar to the ventilation panel of Best, when the baffle board of Eury is folded into an installation configuration, the baffle board forms both an air flow channel and a roof-wall plate opening block. In order to install the baffle board of Eury, it is thus necessary to fold the board along multiple lines. It is further necessary for the installer to exercise judgment regarding the proper positioning of the baffle board (compare FIGS. 4 and 5 of Eury, which illustrate that an installer would be required to judge both the proper spacing of the baffle board from the underside of the roof deck and the proper angle of the baffle board relative to the roof).
There is a need for a vent baffle that is inexpensively manufactured, effectively provides ventilation and insulation baffling, is quickly and easily installed, and that may be installed in a wide range of building configurations. The present invention satisfies this need.


An automotive engine has a turbocharger, a wastegate valve for controlling flow rate of exhaust gas applied to a turbine of the turbocharger, and an actuator for controlling the wastegate valve. A standard supercharging pressure is determined dependent on characteristics of the wastegate valve, and a desired supercharging pressure is set in accordance with engine operating conditions. A difference between the desired supercharging pressure and the standard supercharging pressure is calculated, and a ratio of the difference to a detected actual supercharging pressure is calculated. From the calculated ratio, a control value applied to the actuator is calculated.

The present invention relates to a method for controlling supercharging pressure in an automotive engine with a turbocharger, and more particularly to a method for controlling the supercharging pressure in dependency on engine operating conditions. The various types of the turbocharger are developed and practically used at present. The supercharging pressure is controlled by a control system which is designed in accordance with the various types of turbochargers.
FIG. 8 shows the turbocharger in the automotive engine having a wastegate valve with an actuator for actuating thereof.
A reference numeral 18 generally designates the turbocharger. The turbocharger 18 includes a turbine 18a having a turbine wheel installed in a turbine chamber 18b communicated with an exhaust pipe 10 and a compressor 18d having an impeller installed in an impeller chamber 18e communicated with an intake pipe 6. An outlet port of the chamber 18e is communicated with a cylinder of the engine. The impeller of the compressor 18d is mounted on a turbine shaft 18c connected to the turbine wheel of the turbine 18a. When the turbine 18a is operated by exhaust gas energy from the engine through the exhaust pipe 10, the impeller is rotated by the turbine 18d for compressing the intake air. Thus, the compressed intake air is supplied to the engine cylinder.
A wastegate valve 19 is provided in an inlet port of the housing 18b and operated by a diaphragm actuator 20. Namely, the wastegate valve 19 is operatively connected to a rod 20c of the diaphragm actuator 20. The rod 20c is connected to a diaphragm 20a. The diaphragm 20a is urged by a spring 20b to close the wastegate valve 19 through the rod 19. A chamber 20d of the diaphragm actuator 20 is communicated with the intake pipe 6 through a passage 6a. An intake pressure P at the downstream of the compressor 18d is applied to the chamber 20d of the actuator 20 through the passage 6a as an actuator operating pressure Pa (in this state P=Pa). The diaphragm 20a is deflected in accordance with the balance of an actuator pressure Pa of the chamber 20d and the spring force of the spring 20b for operating the wastegate valve 19, so that an opening area A of the wastegate valve 19 is set for controlling the pressure P to a standard supercharging pressure Po. The standard supercharging pressure Po is determined based on a force of the spring 20b.
In the control system of the turbocharger 18, mechanical characteristics of the diaphragm 20a, the spring 20b and the wastegate valve 19 are set in order to stably control the pressure P to the standard pressure Po with a good response.
Namely, as shown in FIG. 9, if the pressure P rises by .DELTA.P from the standard pressure Po, the inner pressure of the actuator 20 is accordingly increased to push the rod 20c against the spring 20b so as to increase the opening area A of the wastegate valve 19 by .DELTA.A from a reference opening area Ao so that the speed of the turbine 18a is reduced. Thus, the pressure P is controlled to the standard pressure Po. This is represented by a following equation. EQU .DELTA.A=G.multidot..DELTA.P (1)
G: constant.
Here, assuming that a mechanical response characteristic Go is an optimal value for the system, if G<Go, the response of the system reduces. If G>Go, the response is too sensitive, causing hunting in operation. Consequently, the mechanical characteristic G should be set to G=Go.
As a further example, there is a supercharging pressure control system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2-115526. FIG. 10 shows the system. The system has a solenoid valve 21 for operating the actuator 20, and an intake pressure sensor 36 for detecting an actual intake pressure P. The solenoid valve 21 is provided around the compressor 18d. The valve 21 is communicated with the chamber 20d of the actuator 20 through a passage 21c. The intake pressure sensor 36 is provided in the intake pipe 6 downstream of the compressor 18d.
The solenoid valve 21 has a solenoid 21a and a valve body 21b. Upon energization of the solenoid 21a in response to a duty signal applied from an electronic control unit, the valve body 21b is moved to control the pressure applied to the chamber 20d of the actuator 20. Thus, the wastegate valve 19 is controlled so as to control the pressure P to a standard supercharging pressure in the range of P.gtoreq.Po.
The solenoid valve 21 operates to produce an actuator pressure Pa by mixing the pressure P in the intake pipe downstream of the housing 18e and the atmospheric pressure in the intake pipe upstream of the housing 18e at a duty ratio r of the duty signal. The actuator pressure Pa is applied to the chamber 20d of the actuator 20.
If the actuator pressure Pa is represented at a ratio to the atmospheric pressure, EQU Pa=(1-r).multidot.P (2) EQU 0.ltoreq.r.ltoreq.1.0
As is understood from FIG. 9, the actuator pressure Pa is a value approximate to the standard pressure Po. Therefore, in a steady state, the pressure P is represented as follows. EQU P={1/(1-r)}.multidot.Po (3)
However, in a transient state, as shown in FIGS. 11a, 11b and 11c, if a throttle valve is quickly opened to a wide opening WOT and if the duty ratio r is fixed, .DELTA.A is represented as follows. ##EQU1## This means that the operation of the wastegate valve 19 delays with respect to the change of the supercharging pressure P due to the mechanical characteristics G. Namely there is a problem in response characteristics in the transient state. If the duty ratio r is fixed to 0.5, A is ##EQU2## Accordingly, the wastegate valve further delays as shown in FIGS. 12a, 12b and 12c.
In order to improve the response characteristics of the wastegate valve, there is proposed a system employed with a theory of a proportional control. In the system, the duty ratio r is controlled in accordance with the pressure P detected by the pressure sensor 36 as shown in FIG. 13. The duty ratio r is represented as follows. EQU r=.alpha..multidot.(PT-P) (6)
Thus, the opening area A is EQU A={1-.alpha.(PT-P)}.multidot.Go.multidot.P EQU A+.DELTA.A={1-.alpha.(PT-P-.alpha.P)}.multidot.Go.multidot.(P+.DELTA.P) EQU .thrfore..DELTA.A={1-.alpha.(PT-2P-.DELTA.P)}.multidot.Go.multidot..DELTA.P (7)
In the theory, the gain of the system varies in accordance with the .alpha., PT and .DELTA.P, so that the response and stability are deteriorated. Moreover, it is difficult to solve such a problem.

Method for controlling supercharging pressure in an automotive engine


An apparatus and method for molding a component onto a stretched blank. The apparatus includes a stretching assembly mounted adjacent to a first mold part. The stretching assembly includes a plurality of clamp assemblies that grasp the peripheral edge of the blank and a plurality of slide assemblies that move the clamp assemblies away from one another to apply a stretch to the fabric. The apparatus further includes a press for closing a second mold part onto the first mold part while the fabric is held in a stretched condition by the stretching assembly. In one embodiment, the stretching assembly may include a float plate that is movable with respect to the first mold part between a stretch position and a mold position. The apparatus may include a robot with tooling for moving the fabric onto the stretching assembly. The tooling may include a plurality of shot pins that push the fabric off of the tooling onto corresponding fabric pins in the stretching machine.

The present invention relates to molding apparatus and methods, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for molding onto a loaded, elastic blank.
The development of high tech fabrics has permitted the incorporation of fabric into a wide variety of applications not previously consider appropriate for fabrics. For example, certain high tech fabrics have been developed that include a weave of multifilament yarns and elastomeric monofilaments. These fabrics provide remarkable load bearing characteristics, while at the same time providing appropriate elasticity to be comfortable as a load bearing fabric in seating applications. More specifically, these fabrics are now widely used to form the seats and backs of office chairs and other seating structures. To enable attachment of the fabric to a chair seat or other support structure, it is known to mold a mounting component directly onto the fabric. The mounting component is typically molded about the periphery of the fabric to provide a structure that can be mounted to a frame or other support structure. In many applications, it is desirable to mount the fabric to the chair in a stretched (or loaded) condition primarily because the stretched fabric provides more desirable comfort characteristics. The desire to have a loaded fabric complicates the manufacturing process—at least with respect to the process of molding the mounting component onto the fabric.
One current process for manufacturing chair components with a loaded fabric is to stretch the fabric before it is placed in the mold for forming the mounting component. In one known embodiment of this process, the fabric is stretched prior to molding using a stretching machine that is located remotely from the mold. An operator loads a section of fabric into the stretching machine. The stretching machine clamps the fabric around its periphery and stretches the fabric to the desired tension. Once stretched, the fabric is shuttled to a loom station. At this station, a loom is closed onto the fabric to hold it in the stretched condition. The loom is then moved to the mold and positioned so that the fabric is properly oriented with respect to the mold surfaces. The mold is closed about the fabric while it continues to be held in the stretched position by the loom. Once the molding process is complete, the loom carrying the fabric and attached mounting component are removed from the mold and returned to the loom station. The loom is removed at the loom station and the fabric and attached mounting component are returned to the operator. The assembly is finished, for example, by trimming the excess fabric from the assembly. Although effective, this process and the associated apparatus suffer from various disadvantages. For example, the apparatus is relatively expensive because it requires a stretching machine, a loom and a mold that are specially configured to interact with one another. Also, this process results a relatively large amount of waste fabric, which can be a significant problem because of the high cost of high tech fabrics. With this process, the fabric must include a significant peripheral marginal portion that can be gripped and held during the stretching, looming and molding steps. This marginal portion must be large enough not only to extend outside of the mold to the loom but also outside of the loom to the stretching machine. After molding, this peripheral marginal portion serves no function and is trimmed away and discarded as waste. Further, once the fabric is stretched, it begins to decay at the locations where it is attached to the stretching machine or loom due to the focused stress. The decay continues until such time as the mounting component is formed to distribute the stretching forces over a greater portion of the fabric. This apparatus also requires a relatively large amount of floor space to accommodate the separate stretching machine, loom machine and mold. Additionally, the apparatus presents quality control concerns. The apparatus utilizes strain gauges in the stretching machine to apply the desired stretch to the fabric. In operation, the stretching machine monitors the amount of resistance provided by the stretched fabric. Once the predetermined resistance is reached, the stretching device stops stretching the fabric and the loom is closed onto the fabric. Once the loom is closed on the fabric, the system no longer knows anything about the state or condition of the fabric. This can present problems because the fabric is under a significant load and may partially separate from the loom in one location or another. Any separation or other defects that arise after the loom is installed will go unnoticed by the system. This may result in defective parts.
A number of methods have been developed that overcome some of the disadvantages of this apparatus. In one alternative, the fabric is stretched by the closing action of the mold. In this alternative, the edges of the fabric are held and the mold parts are specially shaped so that movement of the mold parts together causes the fabric to stretch. This process requires a specific amount of stretch to be built into the mold and does not provide the ability to adjust the stretch. In another alternative, hydraulic components are included in the mold. The hydraulic components are moved after the fabric has been closed in the mold to apply the desired amount of stretch. Although providing some benefits, these alternative methods continue to suffer from a variety of problems ranging from high cost to product quality issues.

Apparatus and method for molding onto a stretched blank


A data compression system for use in thermal imaging systems. The data compression system includes a memory (74) for receiving an input video signal. Hardware loader (100) loads the video signal into the memory (74). A system processor (84) controls loading of the input video signal by the hardware loader (100) into the memory (74). A histogram chip (80) determines useful data contained in the video signal input into the memory (74). The processor (84) reads information from the histogram chip (80) and compresses the video signal as a function of information read from the histogram chip.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to thermal imaging systems, and in particular to a high speed hardware implemented loader for loading video signal data to a look-up table for video signal data compression without having to first load the data into the system processor, thereby freeing the processor for other functions and speeding up processing of the subject video signal data.
2. Discussion
Scanning thermal imaging systems are used in a variety of applications, including surveillance systems and target detection/recognition systems. Such systems typically incorporate a telescopic lens assembly coupled to a scanner. The scanner scans energy from a scene through an imager lens assembly onto a detector array having a plurality of photoelectrically responsive detector elements perpendicular to the scan direction. Each of these detector elements provides an electric signal proportional to the flux of infrared light on the particular detector element. Electric signals generated from the detector elements are subsequently processed by system sensor electronics to create an image that is displayed on a system output device. To improve sensitivity, some of these systems incorporate detectors parallel to the scan direction. The output of these detectors are delayed in time from each other such that, ideally, the scanned image is output simultaneously on all of the parallel detectors. The delayed outputs are then summed (integrated). This process is referred to as time delay and integrate (TDI).
In the above-mentioned thermal imaging systems, the system electronics must typically compress an input video signal from 15 bits typically down to as few as 8 bits for further video signal processing or display. This data compression is conventionally done directly through the system processor. The processor loads video signal data directly into a static RAM memory on an address by address basis. Subsequent to the processor reading data accumulated by means such as a histogram chip, the video data is compressed by the processor through a video compression function loaded into a look-up table. The processor programs the look-up table with video compression mapping data.
In conventional thermal imaging systems, the above-mentioned data compression approach was inherently slow, as the video signal data was loaded directly by the processor into the look-up table on an address by address basis. The data compression function, when combined with other competing demands on the processor, subsequently caused inherent loop delays and thus slowed overall system processing.
Thus, what is needed is a data compression system for a thermal imaging unit that bypasses the system processor in large part, thereby freeing up the system processor for other functions and thus speeding up data compression and overall system speed.

High speed hardware loader for look-up table


The present invention describes methods to image amyloid beta in the retina of the eye in such a way as to diagnose and potentially treat Alzheimer's disease. The preferred apparatus to perform the image and treatment is described. The basic idea is to use an imaging method to characterize the depth location of amyloid beta (hereafter referred to as Aβ) in the retina, to classify and characterize the type of deposit, to quantify the amount present and thereby to diagnose Alzheimer's disease and stage the disease. The methods describe herein include image guided treatment of Aβ deposits in the retina.

Current methods for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease are primarily via clinical evaluation of symptoms. Proposed methods are invasive, including assessment of amyloid beta (Aβ) and other substances in the cerebral spinal fluid, the blood or genetic markers, among others. Other methods of scanning the brain are expensive and not widely available, including brain scans via MRI and PET scanning, using molecules which bind to Aβ, tagged with radionucleotide markers. The presence of Aβ in neural tissue is recognized as indicative of Alzheimer's disease. There is a need for a readily available, objective, relatively inexpensive diagnostic for Alzheimer's disease with the potential to allow longitudinal quantification of disease progression, which is sensitive and specific and would enable earlier and more accurate diagnosis. Differential detection of Aβ in the neural tissue of the retina provides such a diagnostic.
Optical imaging is advantageous because it is relatively noninvasive and without the risk of radiation exposure. In diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, optical imaging of the brain has been proposed but this is most suitable for imaging through the thinner skull of rodent models of the disease, rather than through the human skull.
It would be advantageous to provide an optical method of imaging in the eye which would provide a differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Optical imaging in the eye has the advantage of scattering much less light than the brain with an optical window through the front of the eye, transparent to wavelengths in the visible and infrared. This allows the neural tissue at the rear of the eye, the neural retina, to be imaged. There is also an ongoing need to image the induction, the progression and the results of treatment of the disease in animal models of Alzheimer's disease, including but not limited to rodent models of Alzheimer's disease.

Method and system for imaging amyloid beta in the retina of the eye in association with alzheimer's disease


A sliding material including a resinous porous article having an interconnected hole porosity of not less than 30% and a lubricating oil which impregnates the resinous porous article is disclosed. The resinous porous article has an interconnected hole formed by molding a resin mixed with a pore-forming substance into said resin, and extracting said pore-forming substance from said molded article with a solvent which dissolves said pore-forming substance and does not dissolve said resin. A sliding bearing composed of a sliding material having a sliding surface which slides on a mating member and a lubricating oil supply layer which supports the sliding material and supplies the sliding surface with the lubricating oil.

(1) Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a sliding material for forming a sliding member and to a sliding bearing composed of the sliding material, and relates to a sliding material for forming a sliding member that is used in a clean atmosphere and a low-pressure atmosphere such as under vacuum, and the like, and a sliding bearing which can be suitably used for a mating member made of a soft material or a sliding bearing demanded to have a high rotational accuracy.
(2) Description of Related Art
Including information disclosed under 37 CFR1.97 and 1.98
The sliding member obtained by molding the sliding material such as a resin composition having lubricating property is severely demanded to have higher function year by year, and is strongly demanded to have a low friction and low wear in an initial state and maintain an initial sliding property thereof for a long time. When a resinous material containing the lubricating oil is used as the above-described sliding material, improvement of the sliding property thereof has been aimed by adjusting the affinity of lubricating oil for resin serving as a base material, mixing a filler serving as a conductive path of the lubricating oil with the resin, and adjusting a mixing condition. In recent years, there is disclosed a sliding material whose sliding property has been improved by using the resinous material (patent document 1) mixed with the porous silica impregnated with the lubricating oil.
In a sliding material which is used in a closed clean atmosphere such as in semiconductor-manufacturing equipment and particularly in a sliding material which is used in a low-pressure clean atmosphere such as under vacuum, vapor generated from a lubricant and scattered fine particles may adversely affect the performance of precision parts. Thus the sliding material is demanded to have a very low out particle performance in addition to the above-described demanded properties. As a filler for use in the sliding material, a liquid lubricant having a low vapor pressure; a solid lubricant such as polytetrafluoroethylene, molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, and the like; and a soft metal such as gold, silver, and the like are used.
To prevent the lubricating oil from being decomposed when the conventional sliding material containing the lubricating oil is molded into the sliding member, it is necessary to select a lubricating oil heat-resistant to a molding temperature of resin. Thus "super engineering plastics" having a high molding temperature cannot be used as the resin.
When the sliding material is used for a member to be used in a vacuum condition, the conventional sliding material has a problem that even when the vapor pressure of the lubricating oil used therefor is low to such an extent that it is capable of withstanding a vacuum condition, the sliding material cannot be used when the decomposition temperature of the lubricating oil is low.
In improving the mechanical strength of the resinous material by mixing a reinforcing material made of fiber or the like with resin, the wetting property of the fiber with the resin is important. It is difficult to sufficiently improve the strength of the resinous material owing to the influence of the lubricating oil mixed with the resin. To secure a predetermined supply amount of the resinous material without slipping the resin on a screw in an injection molding time, the amount of the lubricating oil which can be mixed with the resin is up to a maximum of about 10 vol %. In dependence on a use condition, the amount of the lubricating oil may be short.
In the resinous material (patent document 1) mixed with the porous silica impregnated with the lubricating oil, the mixing amount of the lubricating oil is allowed to be larger than that of the conventional resinous material. Even in this resinous material, the mixing amount of the lubricating oil is up to a maximum of 30 vol %. In environment where a member composed of the resinous material is used in a severe condition, there is a possibility that the lubricating oil is short. Further, the problem of selecting the resin and the lubricating oil remains unsolved. Thus it is difficult to use the resinous material in environment where the resinous material is required to be heat-resistant.
It cannot be said that the sliding material for a solid body-lubricating method used in the above-described clean atmosphere and low-pressure atmosphere such as in the semiconductor-manufacturing equipment has a sufficient sliding performance in a severe use condition, for example, a high load and a high speed. For example, because the polytetrafluoroethylene melts and wears owing to heat generated thereby in a high speed condition, the polytetrafluoroethylene has a low wear resistance. The molybdenum disulfide is used mainly as a coating material. In a high load condition, a thin coating film is liable to peel off.
As an application example of the oil-containing sliding material, sliding bearings such as an oil-containing bearing composed of a sintered metal and an oil-containing bearing composed of a resin are known. The oil-containing bearing composed of the sintered metal has an advantage that it does not wrap around a mating shaft and can be processed with a high accuracy, but has a disadvantage that it wears the mating shaft made of a soft metal. The oil-containing bearing composed of the resin has an advantage that it has self-lubricating property by dispersing the lubricating oil in a resin molding and does not attack a mating member made of a soft material, but is composed of a resinous material having a larger coefficient of linear thermal expansion and a larger coefficient of water absorption than a metal material. Thus when a service temperature has a wide region, the bearing wraps around the shaft owing to a contraction of the resin at a low temperature. Further at a high temperature, the expansion of the volume thereof is restrained by an outer-diameter side housing and hence shifts toward an inner-diameter side of the bearing. Thereby the inner diameter thereof becomes small, and the sliding bearing wraps around the shaft.
Therefore the development of a sliding bearing has been made by utilizing the advantages of both bearings and covering up the disadvantages thereof. For example, as an application to a field demanded to have a high rotational accuracy, a sliding bearing having a plurality of layers composed of the metal material layer and the coating layer of resin, having a thickness of about 20 μm, which is applied to the surface of the metal material layer is disclosed. Also disclosed is a sliding bearing having a high dimensional accuracy and not wearing the mating member made of a soft material. The sliding bearing has the porous resin layer formed as the sliding surface which slides on a shaft, and the sintered metal layer, disposed at the outer-diameter side of the sliding bearing, which serves as the lubricating oil supply layer (patent document 2).
In recent years, the sliding bearing for use in office appliances are severely demanded year by year to have a higher extent in the rotational accuracy and durability thereof. Thus even in the sliding bearing having a plurality of layers, when the solid lubricant becomes ineffective, the coating film peels off the surface of the metal material, and thus the metal material disposed below the coating film is exposed. Thus the sliding bearing is inferior in its durability. Even in the case where the sliding surface consists of the porous resin layer, the sliding bearing is incapable of obtaining the sliding property satisfying the above-described demanded performance in dependence on an interconnected hole porosity of the porous resin layer.
Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.2002-129183
Patent document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.2002-364647
A sliding material of the present invention includes a resinous porous article having an interconnected hole porosity of not less than 30% and a lubricating oil which impregnates the resinous porous article. The resinous porous article has an interconnected hole formed by molding a resin mixed with a pore-forming substance into said resin, and extracting said pore-forming substance from said molded article with a solvent which dissolves said pore-forming substance and does not dissolve said resin.
It is an object of the present invention to allow a sliding material containing a lubricating oil to have a high mechanical strength and contain the lubricating oil at a high ratio and combine the sliding material and the lubricating oil with each other at a desired ratio in dependence on a use and a specification.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sliding material in which a gas is not generated from the lubricating oil, even when the sliding material is used under vacuum and which is low out particle.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a sliding bearing composed of the above-described sliding material and particularly a sliding bearing which can be suitably used for a mating member made of a soft material or a sliding bearing demanded to have a high rotational accuracy.


The wall thickness and ovality of a tubular are simultaneously determined. The theoretical radius of a pipe is computed from a measurement of its circumference. An ultrasonic device conventionally used to measure the wall thickness of tubulars is adapted to also measure the maximum and minimum diameters and ovality by equipping or utilizing existing ultrasound inspection device with contact surfaces which contact the tubular at a fixed distance apart and at a known distance from the surface of the ultrasonic transducer. The contact surfaces define a chord of known length on the tubular under test. The mean radius of the tubular may be computed from multiple water path measurements around the circumference relative to a known fixture. The maximum and minimum diameter and ovality are calculated from the measured differences in distance from the surface of the tubular to the ultrasonic transducer and the theoretical circle. Wall thickness and ovality may be correlated relative to position by using the same apparatus for both measurements.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods and devices for measuring the dimensions and mechanical properties of pipes, tubes and the like. More particularly, it relates to an ultrasonic device which measures the wall thickness and the maximum and minimum diameter using an ultrasonic probe, instrumentation and a triangulated fixture. It includes subsequent calculations of the wall thickness eccentricity and the associated ovality [roundness] of the pipe and tube relative to position.
2. Description of the Related Art
A perfect circle is the most desirable cross section for tubulars. It provides the greatest strength—i.e., resistance to both internal and external pressure—of any known shape. Moreover, a perfectly [or near perfect] circular cross section facilitates the joining of tubulars to fittings, additional sections of tubular material and the like.
Wall thickness and wall integrity are also important parameters of tubular materials. In general, thicker walls and walls that are free from defects in the material forming the wall provide greater strength and hence greater safety. The combination of the wall thickness and associated ovality data along the length of the tubular is necessary calculations to determine collapse and burst pressures.
In the past, wall thickness and ovality have been measured separately, using two different measuring devices. Most commonly, wall thickness has been measured using an ultrasonic instrument with a transducer coupled to the tubular under test with a liquid [water] interface. The time for the ultrasonic waves to reflect from both the external and internal surfaces of the tubular is converted into distance (wall thickness) using the measured the time and the known velocity of the sound wave in the material.
Diameter is presently measured using a mechanical device such as a micrometer, an optical device such as a laser or camera or multiple ultrasound transducers or an array mounted to a known diameter fixture reference which surrounds the tubular.
An oval may be considered a flattened circle or an ellipse. An ellipse is a closed plane curve generated by a point moving in such a way that the sums of its distances from two fixed points (foci) is a constant. The length from one side of an ellipse to the other which passes through both foci may be considered its major diameter. A line perpendicular to the major diameter and passing through the ellipse at its widest part may be considered its minor diameter. Ovality may be defined as being the major diameter minus minor diameter. A perfect circle has an ovality of zero. Alternatively, pipe ovality may be expressed as a percentage:% Pipe Ovality=100×(Max. Diameter−Min. Diameter)/Mean Diameter
There are many useful applications for applying diameter, ovality, wall thickness and eccentricity determinations to pipe and tubes. Engineers use the combination of pipe wall thickness and ovality for their burst and collapse calculations The process of bending straight pipe to make it into a coil distorts its original, circular cross-section into an oval and leaves it with a permanent curvature. Codes prohibit installing pipe that is more than 5% oval. The diameter and ovality (shape) of pipe ends can greatly complicate aligning the ends for butt-welding the pipes together. Drill pipe is subjected to both outside and inside wear due to the environment Codes govern the dimensional properties of drill pipe.

Method and apparatus for measuring wall thickness, ovality of tubular materials


The invention relates to a device for connecting an item of equipment and two cables, one of which carries electrical data and the other of which carries pneumatic data. The device comprises an electrical socket and a pneumatic socket, both mounted on an item of equipment, an electrical plug secured to a cable, the electrical plug being intended to be connected to the electrical socket, and a pneumatic plug secured to a cable, the pneumatic plug being intended to be connected to the pneumatic socket. According to the invention, when the pneumatic plug is in a connected but unlocked position, the electrical plug cannot be plugged in.

The invention relates to a device for connecting an item of equipment and two cables one of which carries electrical data and the other of which carries pneumatic data. The invention finds a particular use in connecting an anemometric/barometric probe mounted on the skin of an aircraft. This type of probe takes pressure measurements from the air surrounding the aircraft using pressure tappings situated on the probe and sensors situated inside the aircraft. In order to connect the pressure tappings to the sensors, the probe has a pneumatic socket into which is plugged a pneumatic plug connected to the sensors via a lead. Furthermore, high-altitude aircraft flight entails the need to heat the probe, for example, by means of a resistive heating element embedded in the probe. The supply of electricity to the resistive element is provided, at the probe end, by an electrical socket and, at the aircraft end, by a lead ending in an electrical plug connected to the electrical socket.
Hitherto, the two plugs, the electrical plug and the pneumatic plug, have been connected independently. It is a relatively simple matter to detect a poor electrical connection. It is, for example, possible to measure the resistance of an electrical component, in this instance the resistive heating element, situated in the probe, via the electric lead.
Checking that the pneumatic plug has been correctly connected to its socket is far more difficult to do. A pneumatic measurement will not provide assurance that the pneumatic plug is correctly connected. Another option is to check the electrical continuity of the body of the pneumatic plug with respect to the body of its socket. This option is generally incompatible with aeronautical standards which dictate that pneumatic connectors must be electrically insulated.

Electrical and pneumatic connection device


A vehicle upper structure includes a roof side rail, a first roof R/F, and a gusset. The roof side rail extends in a vehicle front-rear direction. The first roof R/F has a first bulging portion and a first flange portion, and extends farther toward an inside of a vehicle cabin in a vehicle width direction than the roof side rail. The gusset is arranged extending between the roof side rail and an end portion of the first roof R/F in the vehicle width direction, and has a second bulging portion and a second flange portion on an inner end portion on the inside in the vehicle width direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle upper structure.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 61-007473 (JP 61-007473 U) describes a vehicle upper structure that includes a roof center reinforcement upper, a roof center reinforcement lower, and an upper bracket. With this vehicle upper structure, the roof center reinforcement upper is connected to an upper surface of the roof center reinforcement lower in a vehicle up and down direction, and the upper bracket is connected to a lower surface of the roof center reinforcement lower in the vehicle up and down direction. In other words, the vehicle upper structure is one in which only a bottom portion of the roof reinforcement is connected to a gusset.
However, with the related art described above, a collision load applied to a roof side rail is transmitted only at edge lines of a ventral surface when there is a collision with a vehicle side surface (i.e., when there is a side collision), so the gusset may easily deform and the sectional shape of the gusset may end up not being effectively utilized to the full extent. Thus, there is room for improvement in terms of inhibiting deformation of a vehicle upper portion.


The subject of this invention is a novel polymeric composition useful in membrane technology such as microfiltration, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and gas separation. The composition is formed by taking a known condensation polymer such as polyether sulfone, polysulfone or a polyarylether sulfone and modifying it to change the molecular weight distribution. The useful polymers of the invention will have an unmodified number average molecular weight of about 63,000 or less and weight fraction of molecules with a molecular weight of 50,000 or less in the range of 30 to 35%. Utilizing fractional precipitation or other known techniques for concentrating a high molecular weight fraction of a polymer the polymers are modified to have a number average molecular weight of a least 59,000 or a weight fraction of molecules with a molecular weight of 50,000 or less of not more than 19%. Superior resistance to cracking and other forms of membrane degradation results from using the polymer compositions of the present invention in filtration applications.

This invention relates generally to semipermeable membranes and, more particularly, to a membrane made from a condensation polymer which has a molecular weight distribution that provides for enhanced physical properties and is particularly suited for use as an ultrafiltration membrane.
The term "ultrafiltration" as used in this application is intended to encompass microfiltration, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and gas separation. Ultrafiltration may be performed using a variety of physical layouts which are well known to those skilled in the art and include both spiral wound and tubular modules.
Many applications of ultrafiltration technology involve food processing where sanitary conditions must be maintained at all times. This necessitates periodic cleaning with relatively harsh chemicals such as (by way of example only) chlorine containing compounds, other oxidizing agents, acids, alkalies and surfactants. These chemicals tend to degrade the membrane material and the ability of the membrane to withstand these chemicals is, in many cases, the determining factor in the useful life of the membrane.
Known materials for use in forming ultrafiltration membranes include many commercially available polymers such as polyether sulfone, polysulfone, polyarylether sulfones, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinyl chloride, polyketones, polyether ketones, polytetrafluoro ethylene, polypropylene and polyamides. The foregoing polymers differ widely in their physical properties and the particular material selected is based upon the properties necessary to support a particular use. While the higher molecular weight "chain" polymers such as polyvinyl chloride and polytetrafluoro ethylene exhibit superior resistance to degradation from cleaning chemicals, they also have undesirable attributes which eliminate them from consideration as membrane materials for certain applications. On the other hand, the lower molecular weight "condensation" polymers which exhibit certain desirable properties particularly suited for ultrafiltration applications are not as durable and have a short and unpredictable service life when exposed to the types of chemicals aforementioned.

Durable filtration membrane having optimized molecular weight


A sensor device for use in a medical fluid delivery system, or an infusion pump device, comprises a fluidic chamber with a deformable cover closing at least an area of the chamber and an optical detection system comprising at least one light emitter for emitting one or more incident light beams and a sensor unit for monitoring one or more reflected light beams is presented. In a pressurized state of the fluidic chamber, the deformable cover is deformed such that it forms an inflexion point area within the deformed cover. The one or more incident light beams emitted by the light emitter are directed on the cover such that the one or more incident light beams are reflected essentially in the inflexion point area.

The present disclosure generally relates to a sensor device for use in a medical fluid delivery system and, in particular, to an infusion pumps device, like an insulin infusion pump device, to monitor a fluidic pressure and/or detecting occlusions in a fluidic system of such system and device.
Medical fluid delivery systems for the administration of, for example, liquid medical fluids, such as infusion pump devices, are often used with patients who have a continuous, and in the course of the day varying, need of a medicine that can be administered, for example, by subcutaneous infusion. Specific applications are, for example, certain pain therapies and the treatment of diabetes. In such cases, computer controlled automated infusion pump devices are used, which can be carried by the patient on the body, and which contain a certain amount of liquid medicine in a medicine reservoir. The liquid medicine is supplied to the patient's body from the medicine reservoir through a fluidic system to an infusion cannula or an injection needle. Mostly such medical fluid delivery systems comprise a reusable unit including an actuation mechanism, a dosing mechanism, electronics for controlling the mechanisms, and the like and a disposable unit including, for example, a fluid reservoir, which is discarded after emptying the reservoir.
The liquid medicine can be obtained by a downstream pump from a flexible container. Flexible containers have the advantage of a smaller volume surplus of the container in relation to its content reducing the manufacturing costs and enabling design of infusion pump devices of smaller overall dimensions. Thus, the device cannot be seen through clothing and can be carried as comfortably as possible.
In the context of liquid medicine administration via an infusion pump device, sensor devices are used for controlling the dosing, monitoring the correct operation of the system, and for fast detection of faults and hazards, such as occluded infusion lines or cannulae, empty containers, or malfunctioning pump systems. A pressure sensor device may be in a fluid path downstream of a pump device and upstream of an infusion cannula.
Such pressure sensor devices typically comprise a micro-fluidic chamber filled with liquid and fluidly connected to the fluidic system. The chamber is covered by a flexible, resilient membrane such that a pressure difference between the fluidic pressure inside the sensor chamber and the outside (such as atmospheric) pressure will temporarily deform the membrane. The resulting deflection of the membrane can then be measured in order to determine the internal pressure of the fluidic system.
A suitable approach to measure the deformation of the membrane is optical detection of a light beam reflected on the membrane. The pressure sensor device includes a micro-fluidic chamber connected to a fluidic system comprising a rigid bottom substrate and a flexible, resilient top cover, for example, a membrane. An optical detection system measures a deformation of the cover membrane by determining the interaction of a light beam with the cover membrane. For that purpose, a light emitting device, such as, a laser diode, directs a light beam at a certain angle onto the surface of the cover membrane where it is reflected. The pressure difference between the inner volume of the micro-fluidic chamber and the outer environment acts on the cover membrane and deforms it to a certain extent depending on the pressure difference. As a result, the angle of the reflected light beam changes and the beam is transversely shifted. By monitoring the position of the reflected light beam, the deformation of the cover membrane can be measured and based on the obtained results a pressure difference value can be determined.
In one example, an insulin pump comprises a reusable unit with drive, dosing and controlling systems and a disposable unit with a flow path and a catheter tube. The flow path can be connected to the driving and dosing mechanism such that a liquid system runs from a liquid reservoir to the catheter tube. A resilient membrane is in the flow path and covers a fluidic chamber. The membrane is impinged directly by the liquid in the flow path such that it is deflected towards the reusable unit in case of a pressure increase, for example, due to an occlusion of the liquid system. The reusable unit comprises a light emitter in form of a laser diode and a photosensitive x-y sensor connected to the controlling system. The light beam of the laser diode can be directed on a rigid reflector arranged on the membrane. Alternatively, the light beam can be directed directly on the membrane surface. In this case, a small area on the surface of the membrane is metal-coated to provide good reflecting properties of the membrane. The incident light beam is focused on an area of the membrane at a distance to the center of the membrane. That means in a deflected state of the membrane the reflecting area is inclined and rounded with respect to the non-deflected state. Therefore, a reflected light beam changes direction and shape, which can be detected by the x-y sensor and is an indication for a pressure change within the liquid system.
Another infusion pump system comprises an occlusion sensor that can be used to detect when an occlusion exists in the fluid path between a medicine reservoir and the infusion site. The occlusion sensor includes a flexible membrane which can be deflected by rising pressure in the fluid path such that it touches a wall of an air cavity. The incident measurement light beam is guided through a light transmissive member to the air cavity. In a non-deflected state, the incident beam is totally reflected at the air cavity. In a deflected state, when the membrane touches the air cavity, reduced reflection occurs. The reduction of the intensity of the reflected light beam is a measurement for the pressure in the fluid path.
Since some of the parts of the pressure sensor device are in the disposable unit and other parts are in the reusable unit, the orientation of disposable and reusable part towards each other can be a critical parameter of reliable measuring results. In the known systems, the tolerances between these units must be as small as possible. For monitoring the reflected light beam in a pressure sensor according to the prior art, a detector in the optical detection system often is designed to be movable, or a multiplicity of detectors at different positions and at different angles are included in the device. Both of these aspects make such sensor devices expensive and difficult to make. A wide range of directions of reflected light beams due to the large variety or diffuse reflection angles on a membrane also requires a complex sensor array in the pressure sensor device.
Therefore, there is a need to provide an improved sensor device for use in a medical fluid delivery system, such as an infusion pump device for liquid medicines, like insulin, for monitoring pressure variations in a medical fluid delivery system, which is easy to install and indicates pressure changes or fluid path occlusion in a simple manner and overcome the drawbacks of prior art devices.

Sensor device for use in a medical fluid delivery system


Frequency converting circuits each correspond to one satellite and convert frequency bands of two types of polarization signals received from the corresponding satellite into two intermediate frequency bands that do not overlap with each other. Signal couplers each correspond to one satellite and perform frequency-multiplexing of the two types of polarization signals from the corresponding satellite having their frequency bands converted, to generate a first combined signal. A signal rearranging circuit selects any two first combined signals from the two first combined signals allowing duplicate selection, and takes out any one polarization signal from each of the selected first combined signals, and performs frequency-multiplexing of the taken out two polarization signals to generate a second combined signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a low-noise block down-converter (hereinafter referred to as an LNB) and a satellite broadcasting receiving apparatus, and specifically, to an LNB and a satellite broadcasting receiving apparatus suitable for receiving a plurality of types of polarization signals transmitted from each of a plurality of satellites.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, an LNB for receiving two polarization signals transmitted from a satellite and converting the polarization signals into intermediate frequencies has been developed.
For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 5-315989 discloses an LNB that receives two polarization signals and converts the frequency of one polarization signal into a normal frequency, and converts the frequency of the other polarization signal into a frequency shifted by a certain amount from the normal frequency. Then, the LNB performs frequency-multiplexing of these frequency-converted signals to be output as one signal.
Thus, two polarization signals transmitted from one satellite can be output to a tuner through one cable.
Currently, at west longitude 101°, 110° and 119° in the sky of the United States, digital broadcasting satellites (DBSs) are launched. EchoStar (EchoStar is a trademark of EchoStar Communications Corporation, USA), one of service providers of DBS broadcastings in the United States, has obtained broadcasting rights of the satellites at west longitude 110° and 119°, and has been providing satellite broadcastings. Therefore, an LNB that receives polarization signals from such two satellites and converts these polarization signals into intermediate frequencies is required.
FIG. 9 shows a configuration of an LNB in which the LNB disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 5-315989 is expanded to be capable of receiving polarization signals transmitted from two satellites. Referring to FIG. 9, LNB 500 includes low-noise amplifiers 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B, image-remove filtering circuits 5A, 5B, 6A, and 6B, local oscillators 13 and 14, frequency converting circuit 30A and 30B, signal couplers 11A and 11B, a 2×2 switching circuit 15, a microcomputer 46, intermediate frequency amplifiers 17A and 17B, capacitors 18A and 18B, output terminals 20A and 20B, and power source circuit 22.
To LNB 500, a left-hand polarization signal transmitted from the satellite at west longitude 119° (hereinafter referred to as "119° left-hand polarization signal" and "119° satellite", respectively), a right-hand polarization signal transmitted from 119° satellite (hereinafter referred to as "119° right-hand polarization signal"), a left-hand polarization signal transmitted from the satellite at west longitude 110° (hereinafter referred to as "110° left-hand polarization signal" and "110° satellite", respectively), and a right-hand polarization signal transmitted from 110° satellite (hereinafter referred to as "110° right-hand polarization signal") are input. The frequencies of these input signals are included in the 0th frequency band (12.2 GHz–12.7 GHz).
Low-noise amplifier 3A receives 119° left-hand polarization signal and performs low-noise amplification thereof. Low-noise amplifier 4A receives 119° right-hand polarization signal and performs low-noise amplification thereof. Low-noise amplifier 4B receives 110° right-hand polarization signal and performs low-noise amplification thereof. Low-noise amplifier 3B receives 110° left-hand polarization signal and performs low-noise amplification thereof.
Image-remove filtering circuits 5A, 6A, 6B, and 5B remove image signals from low-noise amplified 119° left-hand polarization signal, low-noise amplified 119° right-hand polarization signal, low-noise amplified 110° right-hand polarization signal, and low-noise amplified 110° left-hand polarization signal, respectively.
Local oscillators 13 and 14 generate sine-wave signals (local oscillator signals) of 11.25 GHz, 14.35 GHz, respectively.
Frequency converting circuit 30A corresponds to 119° satellite, and includes mixers 7A and 8A, a high pass filter 9A and a low pass filter 10A, and converts the frequency bands of 119° left-hand polarization signal and 119° right-hand polarization signal into two intermediate frequency (IF) bands that do not overlap with each other.
Mixer 7A mixes 119° left-hand polarization signal, of which frequency is included in the 0th frequency band (12.2–12.7 GHz) and which has been low-noise amplified and removed of image signals, and a local oscillator signal of 14.35 GHz, to output 119° left-hand polarization signal of which frequency is included in a first IF frequency band (frequency 1650 MHz–2150 MHz, hereinafter also referred to as "high band").
Mixer 8A mixes 119° right-hand polarization signal, of which frequency is included in the 0th frequency band (12.2–12.7 GHz) and which has been low-noise amplified and removed of image signals, and a local oscillator signal of 11.25 GHz, to output 119° right-hand polarization signal of which frequency is included in a second IF frequency band (frequency 950 MHz–1450 MHz, hereinafter also referred to as "low band").
High pass filter 9A passes 119° left-hand polarization signal, of which frequency is included in the first IF frequency band, and which is output from mixer 7A.
Low pass filter 10A passes 119° right-hand polarization signal, of which frequency is included in the second IF frequency band, and which is output from mixer 8A.
Frequency converting circuit 30B corresponds to 110° satellite, and includes mixers 7B and 8B, a high pass filter 9B and a low pass filter 10B, and converts the frequency bands of 110° left-hand polarization signal and 110° right-hand polarization signal into two intermediate frequency (IF) bands that do not overlap with each other.
Mixer 8B mixes 110° right-hand polarization signal, of which frequency is included in the 0th frequency band (12.2–12.7 GHz) and which has been low-noise amplified and removed of image signals, and a local oscillator signal of 11.25 GHz, to output 110° right-hand polarization signal of which frequency is included in the second IF frequency band.
Mixer 7B mixes 110° left-hand polarization signal, of which frequency is included in the 0th frequency band (12.2–12.7 GHz) and which has been low-noise amplified and removed of image signals, and a local oscillator signal of 14.35 GHz, to output 110° left-hand polarization signal of which frequency is included in a first IF frequency band.
High pass filter 9B passes 110° left-hand polarization signal of which frequency is included in the first IF frequency band, and which is output from mixer 7B.
Low pass filter 10B passes 110° right-hand polarization signal of which frequency is included in the second IF frequency band, and which is output from mixer 8B.
Signal coupler 11A corresponds to 119° satellite, and performs frequency-multiplexing of 119° left-hand polarization signal that has passed high pass filter 9A and 119° right-hand polarization signal that has passed low pass filter 10A, to output a combined 119° signal. Accordingly, combined 119° signal is a signal in which 119° left-hand polarization signal is arranged on high-band side, and 119° right-hand polarization signal is arranged on low-band side.
Signal coupler 11B corresponds to 110° satellite, and performs frequency-multiplexing of 110° right-hand polarization signal that has passed low pass filter 10B and 110° left-hand polarization signal that has passed high pass filter 9B, to output a combined 110° signal. Accordingly, combined 110° signal is a signal in which 110° left-hand polarization signal is arranged on high-band side, and 110° right-hand polarization signal is arranged on low-band side.
2×2 switching circuit 15 operates at IF frequency band (frequency 950 MHz∫2150 MHz). 2×2 switching circuit 15 receives combined 119° signal and combined 110° signal at terminals I1 and I2, respectively. 2×2 switching circuit 15 follows the instruction of microcomputer 46 and outputs combined 119° signal or combined 110° signal to each of terminals O1 and O2.
Intermediate frequency amplifiers 17A and 17B amplify output signals of terminals O1 and O2, respectively.
Capacitors 18A and 18B remove low-frequency noise of output signals of intermediate frequency amplifiers 17A and 17B, respectively.
Power source circuit 22 supplies power to components of LNB 500.
Output terminal 20A outputs an output signal of terminal O1 that has been amplified and removed of low-frequency noise (i.e., combined 119° signal or combined 110° signal) to tuner 1. Output terminal 20B outputs an output signal of terminal O2 that has been amplified and removed of low-frequency noise (i.e., combined 119° signal or combined 110° signal) to tuner 2.
FIG. 10 shows combinations of signals that can be output simultaneously through one cable by LNB 500. As shown in FIG. 10, combinations of signals that can be output are two, since LNB 500 outputs combined 110° signal (110° right-hand polarization signal on low-band side and 110° left-hand polarization signal on high-band side), or combined 119° signal (119° right-hand polarization signal on low-band side and 119° left-hand polarization signal on high-band side).
As described above, by LNB 500, combined 119° signal in which 119° right-hand polarization signal and 119° left-hand polarization signal are combined, or combined 110° signal in which 110° right-hand polarization signal and 110° left-hand polarization signal are combined can be output to tuners 1 and 2.
However, with LNB 500 as described above, what is simultaneously transmitted to a tuner through one cable are 119° right-hand polarization signal and 119° left-hand polarization signal, or 110° right-hand polarization signal an 110° left-hand polarization signal.
Specifically, with one cable, polarization signals of either 119° satellite or 110° satellite only can be transmitted simultaneously, and polarization signals from two satellites, such as 119° right-hand polarization signal and 110° left-hand polarization signal can not be output simultaneously.

Low-noise block down-converter and satellite broadcasting receiving apparatus


A system for the inspection of and a process for the correction of defects in a microreplicated optical display film manufacturing process. The process steps of manufacturing a master, a plurality of shims from the master, and a multiplicity of display films from each shim are integrated with a systemic defect identification and correction process. Each primary manufacturing step has its own inspection system and correction process where defect information for that step of the process is fed back and analyzed; and from that analysis the subprocess is adjusted to eliminate or reduce the detected defect. The systemic defect is identified as to its source and then fed back and analyzed in the correction step of the respective subprocess in order to cure the root of the defect.

The invention relates generally to systems and methods for the inspection of manufacturing processes and, more particularly, is directed to an integrated inspection system and defect correction process for micro-replicated display film manufacture.
In backlight computer displays or other display systems, optical films are often used to direct light. For example, in backlight displays, light management films use prismatic structures (often referred to as microstructure) to direct light along a viewing axis (i.e., an axis substantially normal to the display). Directing the light enhances the brightness of the display viewed by a user and allows the system to consume less power in creating a desired level of on-axis illumination. Films for turning or directing light can also be used in a wide range of other optical designs, such as projection displays, traffic signals, and illuminated signs. The prismatic structures are generally formed in a display film by replicating a metal tool, mold, or electroform having prismatic structures disposed thereon, via processes such as stamping, molding, embossing, or UV-curing. It is generally desirable for the display film and the mold to be free from defects so as to facilitate a uniform luminance of light. Because such structures serve to strongly enhance the brightness of a display, any defects, even if they are small (on the order of 10 microns), can result in either a very bright or very dark spot on the display, which is undesirable. The mold and the display films are therefore inspected to eliminate defects.
Molds, for example, electroforms are generally used for manufacturing light management films, such as prism sheets, for use in liquid crystalline displays. In general, such light management films have at least one microstructured surface that refracts light in a specific way to enhance the light output of the display. Since these films serve an optical function, the surface features must be of high quality with no roughness or other defects. This microstructure is first generated on a master, which may be a silicon wafer, glass plate, metal drum, or such; and is created by one of a variety of processes such as photolithography, etching, ruling, diamond turning, or others. Since this master tends to be expensive to produce and fragile in nature, tooling or molds are typically reproduced off of this master, which in turn serve as the molds from which plastic microstructured films are mass-produced. These tools can be metal copies grown via electroforming processes, or plastic copies formed via molding-type processes. Tools copied directly from the master are called 1st-generation, copies of these tools are called 2nd-generation, etc. In general, multiple copies can be made of every tool made at any generation, leading to a geometric growth in number of tools with each generation—i.e. a "tooling tree" is produced. Each generation is an inverted image of the previous generation. If the desired final product is a "positive" geometry, then any generation of tooling that is a negative can be used as a mass-production replication tool. If the master is manufactured as a negative, then any even-generation mold can be used for mass-production.
One difficulty always present when a manufacturing process, such as the optical display film manufacturing process, uses a component or subprocess in a subsequent step of the process is the systemic defect. If a major component, such as a shim tool or a master tool, is defective, then every subsequent mold and film replicated from those components will be defective. In prior attempts to alleviate this problem, the optical display film manufacturing process has been separated into three semi-independent manufacturing processes, the master tool, the shim tool and the display film manufacturing processes. Each primary manufacturing process has had an independent inspection and defect correction process that identifies a defective component or product at that particular step in the process and then removes it from the process chain. These processes are intended to prevent a defective master tool from being made into a defective shim tool, a defective shim tool from being made into defective film samples, and defective film samples from being sold.
However, not all the defects that will eventually make defective film are found in the inspection and defect correction processes of the master tool and the shim tool manufacture. Also the master and the shim tools eventually wear out and have to be replaced and some defective or questionably defective display film may enter the production chain before the defect is identified and corrective action taken. Most notably, in the step of the process at which systemic defects are best identified, the film inspection process, it is very difficult to collect sufficient and relevant data with human inspectors and prohibitive to fully inspect every product unit.
Therefore, there is a need to be able to better identify systemic defects in the manufacturing process for optical display films and to advantageously use such systemic defect information to correct the process in earlier steps so as identify the root cause of those defects. Such integration of the systemic defect information with corrective actions in one or all of the primary process steps will assist in eliminating or reducing the possibility of such defects in the future.
Further, the prior inspection systems and defect correction processes of the manufacturing process for microreplicated films have some disadvantages that need to be overcome. Industry practice presently involves intensive human visual inspection in order to control the quality of microreplicated optical display films. Human inspectors are very good at determining the classification of a defect, even across a complex decision matrix of defects that are objectionable within an LCD display. They, however, are not very fast at scanning and identifying many possible defects across large numbers of products for later classification and decision.
Moreover, there tends to be at the possible defect identification stage more of a subjective determination with many human inspectors collecting a large amount of data. One of the more important data for defect correction in the microreplicated optical film process is the location of a defect, as many defects across the products in a similar or the same location would tend to show a systemic defect such as a defective master or shim tool. Reliance on human inspectors makes data collection of defect position information difficult because such details require extra time in an already costly inspection process.
Because the primary useful characteristics, and thus defects, of the display film are optical, the inspection processes of these products tend to lend themselves to automated or machine vision systems. However, the use of machine vision systems have not generally been accepted in the LCD backlight industry as a superior method for quality control due to its limited flexibility in detecting the wide range of optical defects that are objectionable in an LCD display film. Machine vision systems are very efficient at making initial inspections and identifying many possible defects over many products by rapidly scanning and storing data about such defects including their location. These automated inspections can also be made by a machine vision system that has the advantage of operating without stopping production.
Therefore, there is a need to coordinate and integrate the machine vision systems and human inspections in the manufacturing of optical display film in order to use their individual strengths to advantage. This would produce a synergistic effect and provide an improved quality control process for the optical display manufacturing process whereby large numbers of product can be easily and quickly scanned to identify defects and then have actual defects classified visually in an accurate manner.
With recent improvements to machine vision systems, including multiple resolution systems where rapid scans at low resolutions can be made to locate possible areas of interest and then slower scans of the identified areas at higher resolution can be made to classify such areas, these tools should become even more practical in optical display film inspection process. There is, however, substantial difficulty in setting the machine vision system operating parameters in any given manufacturing process, particularly for an optimum scan speed and resolution. Each manufacturing process has its own particular set of defects that it is trying to capture and there is always a trade off between manufacturing efficiency and quality.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a method for more accurately controlling the operating parameters and classification rules of a machine vision system in the display film manufacturing process to reduce the number of false positive defects for efficiency sake while accurately classifying most or all of actual defects for quality sake.

Integrated inspection system and defect correction method


An overmolded electronic device includes a pre-mold assembly having a positioning pin that extends upward through a mold material into contact with an inner cavity of a mold. The positioning pin is disposed within a containment area that is defined by sets of ribs configured in and conformed on the pre-mold assembly. The positioning pin thereby is sealed within the containment area that is in turn sealed from the remainder of the electronic device that prevents the intrusion of moisture or other contaminants into undesirable locations of the electronic device.

This invention generally relates to features for controlling contaminant intrusion into an overmolded product.
Electronics and other sensitive devices that are utilized in exposed environments are typically overmolded with plastic or other settable materials to protect against moisture and other contaminants that could possibly cause damage. The protective overmold is formed by first inserting and positioning the devices within a mold cavity, and filling that cavity with molten plastic around the device. The device is held in place during the overmolding operations to prevent undesirable shifting caused by the pressures experienced during injection of plastic into the cavity. Conventional overmolded devices will include a positioning pin that contacts the surface of the mold cavity to maintain a desired position of the device during the molding process. The positioning pin is often part of a pre-mold formed over a portion of the electronic device.
Disadvantageously, the positioning pin necessarily extends through the overmold creating a seam between the positioning pin and overmold that creates a path that could allow intrusion of moisture or other contaminants. It is known to create tortuous paths through complex shaped positioning pins. However, such shapes increase cost and restrict the placement of the positioning pin.
Accordingly, it is desirable to design and develop a device and process for holding an overmolded item in place that effectively seals any potential leak paths and provides greater placement options.

Plastic positioning pin for overmolded product


In a hinge mechanism, a first hinge portion and a second hinge portion are urged toward predetermined angular relationships relative to one another. A force, directed outwardly from the first hinge portion, is applied by an axle pivotally connecting the first and second hinge portions and having a V-shaped tip against a V-shaped groove in the second hinge portion, urging the V-shaped tip and groove to engage. In addition to being urged toward predetermined angular relationships, the first and second hinge portions are kept in predetermined angular relationships until a torsional force is applied to one of the hinge portions to overcome forces keeping the V-shaped tip and groove in engagement.

This invention relates to a hinge mechanism for holding hinge portions in predetermined positions relative to one another, and more particularly to a hinge mechanism capable of urging hinge portions toward predetermined positions when the hinge portions are in intermediate positions between the predetermined positions.
Typical hinge mechanisms consist of a pair of hinge portions, each formed with some structure for receiving an axle, such as a bore, a recess, or an eyelet, and an axle passing through the axle receiving structures of the hinge portions and permitting the hinge portions to rotate relative to one another about the axis formed by the axle. In certain applications, it has been found desirable to use hinge mechanisms having hinge portions capable of being held in particular, predetermined angular relationships relative to one another. It has also been found desirable to use hinge mechanisms having hinge portions that are urged to assume particular, predetermined angular relationships relative to one another when the hinge portions are not already being held in those angular relationships. Such applications include spring loaded, automatically closing refrigerator doors, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,003,274 to Celander, gravity hinges of the type occasionally used in so-called "cafe doors," such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,327 to Edeus, and multiple position hinges, such as described in the mounting frame of U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,656 to Kristofich.
In hinge mechanisms of the type with which the present invention is concerned, first and second hinge portions are urged toward predetermined angular relationships relative to one another and held in those relationships by male and female engaging members associated with first and second hinge portions. Often, the male engaging member is a rod having V-shaped tips and the female engaging member is a V-shaped groove. As shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,460,190 to MacDonald, the male engaging member may be adapted to be axially movable and non-rotatable within one hinge portion, and axially movable and rotatable relative to, and engageable with, the female engaging member on the other hinge portion. In such hinge mechanisms, the female engaging member is non-rotatable and not axially movable relative to the other hinge portion. A spring is provided to urge the male engaging member against the female engaging member such that, when the male and female engaging members are aligned, the hinge portions are held at predetermined angular relationships relative to one another.
Typically, male and female engaging members are arranged on hinge portions such that alignment of the male and female engaging members occurs when the hinge portions are in an angular relationship relative to each other that corresponds to a door closed, a door fully open, or any other desired condition. When V-shaped male and female engaging member are used, there will generally be two hinge portion positions, separated by 180.degree., wherein the engaging members are aligned with one another.
When the male and female engaging members are not aligned, it is possible to cause them to tend toward alignment by providing a spring of sufficient force to overcome frictional forces between the unaligned male and female engaging members. The tendency toward alignment of male and female engaging members can be further enhanced by the selection of particular profiles for the male and female engaging members. It is known, for instance, to use U-shapes, V-shapes, and various other cam profiles for male and female engaging members. Further, the tendency toward alignment will be a function of such factors as the depth of the female engaging member and the height of the corresponding male engaging member, and the use, if any, of lubricant.
Known hinge mechanisms of the type having hinge portions that are capable of being urged toward predetermined angular relationships relative to one another or of being held in predetermined angular relationships relative to one another are generally characterized by their use of numerous parts requiring special machining or forming operations. In the above-cited U.S. Pat. No. to MacDonald, for instance, a door hinge with means for urging hinge portions toward a predetermined position requires a hinge pin to keep the hinge portions aligned over the entire range of motion of the hinge. Further, machining or forming operations to accommodate members for urging hinge portions toward a predetermined position as well as separate machining or forming operations to accommodate the hinge pin passing through each element of the hinge are necessary.


A cleaning solution is provided. The cleaning solution contains denatured alcohol, deionized water, and an organic surfactant mixture consisting of water, 2-butoxyethanol, sodium citrate, ethoxylated alcohol, and tetrapotassium pyrophosphate. The present invention is intended for use with granite, marble, or other shiny surfaces. The solution utilizes a minimal amount of surfactants and highly distilled alcohols that can safely clean and sterilize these surfaces, without leaving unpleasant residues behind.

Conventional cleaning products contain abrasive chemicals that can be difficult to wipe from granite and marble surfaces after use. This creates three main issues. First, if these abrasive chemicals linger on the granite or marble surface, they can cause damage to the surface. Second, if the surface is used for food preparation then the chemicals remaining on the surface can be transferred to the food products. Lastly, these products typically leave a cloudy, streaky, or oily residue that is unattractive and unpleasant. This unpleasant residue can also be a result of hard water within the cleaning solution, which can leave both visible and non-visible residues. Therefore, there is a need in the prior art for a cleaning solution that utilizes deionized water and biodegradable organic surfactants.


An optical transmitter generates two modulated optical signals by modulating two optical carriers respectively with two binary bit sequences by on-off keying and generates an orthogonal polarization multiplexed optical signal from the two modulated optical signals. The two optical carriers respectively have peak frequency components spaced apart from each other by a predetermined frequency difference and located such that a central frequency of a WDM channel of a WDM grid falls between the peak frequency components. An optical receiver separates the orthogonal polarization multiplexed optical signal into two signals in which components of the two modulated optical signals are combined with different combination ratios, by means of a 1-input, 2-output asymmetric filter whose two optical transmittances intersect at the WDM grid and each have a free spectral range equal to or twice the channel spacing of the WDM grid, and restores the two modulated optical signals from the separated two signals using a DSP.

With the rapid increase in traffic at datacenters, standardization of 100 GbE and development of optical modules for 100 GbE are in progress. The mainstream of the 100 GbE optical modules is composed of different 4 wavelength optical signals×25-Gbit/s intensity-modulation direct-detection (IM-DD) transceivers. Development of small-size and power-saving modules, which may be used as an optical interface of optical transceivers or the like in a datacenter, is in progress. Examples of such a module include Centum gigabit Form factor Pluggable (CFP) 4 and Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP) 28.
On the other hand, for the purpose of directly connecting datacenters, development of optical modules for outputting an optical signal for a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) grid is in progress. For example, small size modules serving as optical transceivers compliant with 10 Gigabit Small Form Factor Pluggable (XFP) or Small Form-Factor Pluggable Plus (SFP+), which are standards for 10G, have begun to be marketed. It is possible to construct a low-cost WDM system by using these optical modules.

Optical transmitter, optical receiver, and optical transmission system

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


A cobalt ferrite magnetic powder includes magnetic particles that have a uniaxial crystal magnetic anisotropy and contain cobalt ferrite. A peak top 2θ of a (3, 1, 1) plane determined by powder X-ray diffractometry using a CoKα ray is 41.3° or more and 41.5° or less. Some Cos contained in the magnetic particles are substituted with at least one selected from the group consisting of Zn, Ge, and a transition metal element other than Fe.

In recent years, a cobalt ferrite magnetic powder is expected as a coating-type magnetic powder for high-density magnetic recording medium. As a method of producing the cobalt ferrite magnetic powder, a method of introducing an additive into a magnetic powder and a method of introducing a lattice defect into a magnetic powder by mechanical milling have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).

Cobalt ferrite magnetic powder, method of producing the same, and magnetic recording medium


A vibration source probe system for detecting the surface waves of vibration coming over the ground or the floor of a building and specifying and displaying a vibration source at a factory or on a road.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vibration source probe system for specifying and displaying the source of a vibration which is generated on a road or at a factory.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Low-frequency vibrations are generated from machine tools and the like installed at a factory together with noises. These vibrations are perceived as vibrations from the ground or the floor of a building. On a road or in a house near an intersection where there is heavy traffic, vibrations coming from the above road together with noises generated by the passage of trucks cause a problem.
In general, as the source of a vibration is identical to the source of a noise in most cases, the method of estimating the source of a vibration by sampling a noise from the above machine tool or truck to specify the source of the noise is effective. However, when many machine tools are installed near walls and surrounded by partitions or when there is a wall or building between a place where the source of a vibration passes, such as an intersection and a place where a vibration is perceived, a noise is reflected by the above reflector complicatedly, thereby making it difficult to specify the source of the noise itself. Since a sound generated together with a vibration when a truck or the like runs over a depression or manhole in a road has a very low frequency, it is difficult to locate the source of the sound.
Meanwhile, there is known a method of specifying a seismic center as means of specifying the source of a vibration. This method is to calculate the distances between a plurality of measurement points and the seismic center from a difference (initial fine movement time) between the arrival times of the P wave (vertical wave) and S wave (horizontal wave) of seismic waves measured by a seismograph at the plurality of measurement points so as to obtain the seismic center from the above calculated distances from the measurement points. It is possible to obtain the coordinates of the seismic center if there are at least three measurement points.
However, a vibration from a vibration source at the factory or on the road, such as the above machine tool or truck is generally a continuous vibration (surface wave) which is different from the P wave or S wave corresponding to the main vibration of the seismic waves. In addition, the vibration to be detected is mixed with vibrations from a plurality of vibration sources, thereby making it impossible to specify the starting point of the vibration from a specific vibration source. Therefore, even if the above method of obtaining the seismic center is directly employed, it is difficult to specify the above vibration source.

Abstract: The position of a vibration source is estimated from a phase difference or arrival time difference between vibrations of surface waves detected by the vibration sensors which are separated from each other by a predetermined distance, an image near the estimated position of the vibration source is picked up by a camera, and the estimated position of the vibration source is displayed on the image displayed on the display screen of a personal computer.


The present invention provides an improved magnetic levitation system for the stable or rigid levitation of a body. The object to be levitated is maintained in an equilibrium position above a flat guideway or a plurality of continuous guideways. The rigidity of the levitation is at least in part achieved by the orientation of the axis through the poles of the magnet in a direction perpendicular to the direction of relative motion between the magnet and the conductor.

2. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a magnetic levitation system and, more particularly, is concerned with a magnetic levitation system for the stable levitation of a body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electromotive force is produced in a conductor when there is a change in magnetic flux through a conductor. Thus relative motion between a conductor and a magnetic field will cause a conductor to cut the flux of the magnetic field producing an induced electromotive force across the conductor. Currents set-up in a substance by variation of an applied magnetic field are called eddy currents. Energy is dissipated by eddy currents usually in the form of heat. Eddy currents in a moving conductor also react with the magnetic field to produce retardation of the motion and thus have a damping effect on the motion. The induced currents produce a magnetic field above the conductor which opposes the original magnetic field.
Magnetic levitation of an object has been achieved in various forms in the past. This technology is currently being developed for application in magnetically levitated trains.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,265 to Geuns et al describes a magnet which is levitated above a superconducting material where two apertures are cut in the superconducting material to cause the magnet to align in a certain direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,300 to Wipf discloses a magnetic suspension system where a propelled magnet is levitated by repulsion from eddy currents that are induced in a continuous conductor. In this invention the axis through the poles of the magnet extends in the same direction as the continuous conductor. Stabilization of the levitation is achieved by constructing the conductor with short bars or legs to produce restoring forces created by the eddy currents induced in the short bars or legs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,185 to Guderjahn discloses an improved magnetic suspension system where the guideway is formed from a combination of non-ferromagnetic material and ferromagnetic material. The guideway is formed in the shape of a channel having top, bottom and side portions to provide a more rigid suspension and one more resistant to oscillations. Any displacement of the magnet from the middle of the channel will result in restoring forces which tend to move the magnet back to an equilibrium position.
U.S Pat. No. 4,797,386 to Gyorgy et al discloses the use of superconducting elements to induce lateral stabilization in a magnet created either by a permanent magnet or a magnetic field created by a flowing current. Gyorgy et al state that through the use of a superconducting material, lateral stabilization can be achieved above a superconducting element which is planar, or an inverted cup shape.
All of the above prior practices address the topic of rigid or stable levitation which is the attempt to maintain the levitated body in an equilibrium position. The inventions of Wipf and Guderjahn require that the guideway be designed with a more complex geometric configuration, such as a surface with more than one side to achieve lateral stable levitation. Geuns et al and Gyorgy et al require superconducting materials to achieve stable levitation. None of the prior practices recognize the importance of the orientation of the magnet with respect to the direction of relative motion between the magnet and the conductor in achieving rigid levitation.
A need therefore exists for a magnetic levitation system which achieves rigid levitation above a flat guideway without the use of superconducting materials or sidewalls for stabilization. Such a guideway could be constructed at a much lower cost and would be useful in applications such as magnetic levitation of trains and studies of aerodynamic flow around bodies.