Compositions and methods for treating textile substrates to obtain superior liquid repellent properties are disclosed. Durable microscopic surface structures imparted to the fibrous substrate allow liquids to bead up and roll off of its surface. Mechanical abrasion or sanding techniques may be used to create the microscopic surface structures on the surface of a fibrous textile substrate, without substantially breaking fibers, followed by a chemical treatment using, for example, fluorocarbon-containing repellent compositions. Particles may be employed in combination with repellent compositions to achieve superior repellent properties. A property of the roughened surface fibers, the Roughness Factor, is used to characterize the microscopic surface structures on the treated textile surface. Treated textile substrates are disclosed which achieve superior water and oil repellency, even after multiple abrasion or laundering cycles.

There has been great interest recently in the surface chemistry and textile field about so-called super-hydrophobic surfaces and their resulting "self-cleaning" properties. This self-cleaning effect of the super-hydrophobic surface is principally controlled by how a liquid (typically water) interacts with the surface of, for instance, a textile substrate. The interaction between a liquid, air and a flat solid surface is governed by Young's equation and is often described by a contact angle between a liquid droplet and a solid surface. The contact angle is determined by the interfacial tensions between the solid-liquid, solid-air, and liquid-air interfaces. The solid surface may be, for example, hydrophilic (having a strong affinity for or the ability to absorb water) or hydrophobic (lacking affinity for or the ability to absorb water). Typically, a surface having a high contact angle is more hydrophobic that a surface having a lower contact angle. Young's equation and a schematic illustration of the solid/liquid interface contact angle are shown in FIG. 1.
Young's equation is useful to determine the contact angle of a droplet (such as water) on a uniform flat surface. So far, the highest water contact angle on a flat solid surface is around 120 degrees for low surface energy fluorinated materials. To further improve the contact angle, surface structure modifications are needed. It is known that the contact angle can be substantially higher on a rough surface than on a flat surface with the same chemical nature. For highly roughened hydrophobic surfaces with relatively high aspect ratios, which allows a substantial amount of air to be trapped underneath a water droplet, the contact angle can be greater than 150 degrees (i.e., a super-hydrophobic surface). In both cases having roughened surfaces, Young's equation is modified, since the surface area in contact with the water droplet has changed. When a drop of water is put on such a super-hydrophobic surface, the water droplet beads up like a sphere and may roll off when the surface is tilted slightly. It is noted, however, to achieve a low roll off angle, which is defined as the minimum tilt angle at which a drop starts to roll, high contact angle alone is not sufficient. It also requires low contact angle hysteresis, which is defined as the difference between the advancing angle and receding angle. The advancing angle is the contact angle of a liquid that is observed while increasing the volume of a drop that is pinned to a surface by, for instance, a syringe. Decreasing the volume of the very same drop of liquid results in the receding angle. If a liquid drop has a high advancing contact angle, but has a substantially lower receding contact angle (i.e. with a substantial contact angle hysteresis), the drop may bead up but a higher roll off angle is required for the drop to roll. It may furthermore leave a trail of liquid behind it on the surface. On the other hand, if a liquid drop has both high advancing and receding contact angles without substantial hysteresis, the drop is able to bead up and roll off at a small tilt angle without leaving a significant trail of liquid behind it on the surface (i.e., a super liquid repellent surface). This beading and rolling action allows the liquid drop to roll off the surface and carry away loose dirt or dust with the drop, which leads to the "self-cleaning" property. On a smooth surface with lower contact angles, on the other hand, the liquid drop does not pick up the surface dirt. It typically will only redistribute the dirt. These scenarios are schematically illustrated in FIG. 2.
The super water repellent self-cleaning approach is found in nature in a water loving plant called the Lotus. The Lotus plant is a wetland species native to Asia, and it is revered as a symbol of purity because it maintains its cleanliness, although it grows out of muddy water. The Lotus plant's super water repellent self-cleaning properties come from a combination of rough physical surface structures and hydrophobic surface chemistries. Specifically, the surface of the Lotus leaf exhibits two levels of surface irregularity, as shown in FIG. 3. Each leaf surface (see also FIGS. 3A and 3B) is covered in an array of tiny bumps, about 5–10 μm high, and about 10–15 μm apart. A scale showing 20 microns is evident in all three of these Figures, enabling an estimation of the approximate size of the surface features. This set of uneven surface structures is also covered with much smaller waxy, hydrophobic crystals, measuring about 1 nm or less in diameter. It is believed that this "dual" level of structure on the Lotus leaf surface increases the overall surface roughness, which correspondingly boosts its effective hydrophobicity. The two-tier structure, with hydrophobic "valleys," reduces the likelihood of surface air spaces being invaded by water, for instance, from condensation, evaporation, or high impact rainstorms, since it is not energetically favorable for the water to fill the valley. Thus, it is believed that the physical surface structure of the Lotus leaf, coupled with its surface chemistry (hydrophobic wax crystals), allows the surface to act as a super water repellent, self-cleaning surface where water beads up and rolls off, carrying away loose dirt from the surface. This super water repellent self-cleaning action in the presence of water on surfaces is often known as the "Lotus-Effect".
In analogy to the Lotus plant, textile surfaces that repel fluids and demonstrate super liquid repellency and associated self-cleaning properties would be able to maintain their appearances more effectively. Thus, a textile surface having properties similar to the Lotus plant may be highly desirable. A textile substrate having Lotus properties might be used to make highly water repellent and/or fluid stain repellent fabrics for applications, such as, for example, raingear, boat covers, awnings, lawn furniture, apparel, etc. In providing fabrics that are water and/or fluid stain repellent, the fabrics may also be resistant to bacterial and mold growth, since water and/or other liquids would not tend to collect or wick into such surfaces to provide a breeding ground for the bacteria and mold.
Repellent textile substrates have been available in the market for some time. For example, fluorocarbon treatments are known to provide a repellent finish to such substrates. Many fluorocarbon-containing compositions are known to provide repellency to both water and oil when applied to a textile substrate. However, to obtain the high contact angles and low roll off angles required for a super water repellent surface, a surface structure similar to that of the Lotus leaf is typically required. There have been a variety of efforts by others to produce such Lotus-like surface structures, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,911 to Shouji et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0016433 to Keller et al.; and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2002/0150723, 2002/0150724, 2002/0150725, 2002/0150726, 2003/0013795, and 2003/0147932 to Creavis Gesellschaft Fuer Techn. Und Innovation MBH. These references disclose means to use particles to build rough structures on primarily smooth flat surfaces. Textile substrates treated according to these references generally do not provide durable repellency because they often lose most or all of their repellency when laundered or when abraded during normal use. Thus, textile substrates that retain advantageous superior liquid repellent properties, after laundering or exposure to abrasion from normal use, would be very desirable and novel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,642 to Saito is directed to an article having a water-repellent fluororesin surface. The article has a water-repellent fluororesin surface composed of an irregularly porous material which is formed by irregularly stacking fluororesin particles, with an average diameter of no more than 40 microns, over one another. Again, this patent is directed to substrates that have a flat surface, such as an aluminum sheet. Furthermore, it fails to demonstrate its applicability to complex structured textile substrates having irregular surfaces, and it fails to demonstrate durability of the treatment against laundering and abrasion for textile applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,266 to Gross et al. is directed to substrates such as glass or metal with a microstructured surface for easy-to-clean systems and methods to produce such substrates. The treatment is comprised of a composition that includes condensates of one or more hydrolysable compounds. At least some of these compounds contain both hydrolysable and non-hydrolysable groups with a ratio from 10:1 to 1:2. Inorganic nanoparticles are used to produce the microstructured surface before the coating composition is applied to the substrate. The microstructured surface may also be obtained by embossing the coating composition, before or during drying and/or curing, with an embossing die. The contact angle, with respect to water or hexadecane on such microstructured substrates, is at least 5 degrees higher than the contact angle of a corresponding smooth surface. While the methods taught in this patent may work well on flat surfaces, the teachings therein fail to demonstrate its applicability to complex-structured textile substrates and further, fail to demonstrate durability of the treatment against laundering and abrasion for typical textile applications.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0096083 to Morgan et al. relates to surfaces of objects, in particular containers for receiving liquid, comprising a surface which is extremely hydrophobic and to a method for producing such surface. According to the reference, a surface structure is created by fine blasting the surface with suitable blasting material and/or embossing with an appropriate embossing step or etching by means of a suitable etching material. This reference fails to teach how to treat complex structured textile substrates and fails to demonstrate durability of the treatment against laundering and abrasion for typical textile applications.
One publication, WO 01/75216, discloses a method for applying a finishing layer to a textile carrier material. According to the publication, a water repellent layer or an oil repellent layer is applied to a carrier material of a group of fibers, tissues and fabrics. The water or oil repellent finishing layer comprises at least two water or oil repellent components. A first component comprises at least one dispersing agent and a second component comprises at least one dispersed phase or a colloid. The dispersing agent and the dispersed phase are present in a gel state. The colloids of the dispersed phase are distributed in the dispersing agent in an anisotropic manner in such a way that the colloids are present in concentrated form in the region of the finishing surface, which forms a phase boundary layer between the finishing layer and the surrounding atmosphere. An essential feature of this approach is the use of a dispersion system as a "guest-host" system which allows spatial self organization of the finishing components. The "guest" component becomes phase separated from the "host" component and concentrated on top of the finishing layer with a columnar structured micro rough surface. This approach relies on the chemical mixtures to be inherently phase instable. Thus, the process is difficult to control and may cause problems during large-scale manufacturing.
Another publication, WO 02/084016, is directed to a flat textile structure with self-cleaning and water-repellent surfaces that are composed of (a) at least one synthetic and/or natural textile base material A and (b) one artificial and, at least partially, hydrophobic surface with elevations and depressions from particles that are firmly linked with the base material A without glues, resins or lacquers. The flat textile structures are obtained by treating the base material A with at least one solvent that contains the particles in an undissolved state and then removing the solvent so that at least a part of the particles are firmly linked with the surface of the base material A. However, this publication fails to demonstrate low dynamic rolling angles and durability of the treatment against laundering and abrasion.
Yet another publication, WO 02/084013, is directed to a polymer fiber which has a self-cleaning and water-repellent surface and which is comprised of: (a) at least one synthetic fiber material A and (b) a synthetic and, at least partially, hydrophobic surface with elevations and depressions made of particles that are joined to the fiber material A in a fixed manner without the use of adhesives, resins or varnishes. The polymer fiber is obtained by treating the fiber material A with at least one solvent that contains the particles in undissolved form and then removing the solvent so that at least a portion of the particles are joined to the surface of the synthetic fiber material A in a fixed manner. Again, this publication fails to demonstrate low dynamic rolling angles and durability of the treatment against laundering and abrasion.
The prior art systems that use hydrophobic particles and binders in solvent systems on film, metallic, or ceramic surfaces to achieve super-hydrophobic self-cleaning properties have significant drawbacks, such as poor durability, when applied to textile substrates. The coatings applied to the surfaces wear off easily during normal use. FIGS. 4 and 4A show a fiber from a woven textile substrate that have been treated with hydrophobic particles according to procedures described in U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0016433 A1 to Keller et al. These textile substrates may achieve some level of repellency, but the repellency is not durable against laundering of the fibers or the textile substrate. The hydrophobic particles are easily and undesirably removed from the surface.
In summary, most prior art systems that attempt to achieve the Lotus-Effect, as described herein, are directed to substrates that have a flat smooth surface, such as glass, ceramic, metal sheet, plastic film, etc. On such smooth surfaces, the rough structures required for super-hydrophobic self-cleaning properties may be achieved by using particles alone. On a typical textile substrate, such as a woven fabric, a complex surface topology already exists. For instance, millimeter scale structures are created by the weaving of yarns; 10 to 100 micrometer scale structures are created by fibers within the yarn. Furthermore, the textile substrates are mechanically flexible. On such complex structured flexible textile substrates, particles alone typically are not sufficient to build desired rough structures which exhibit the Lotus-Effect and that are durable against laundering and abrasion for textile applications.
Surface structures can be imparted to a textile substrate by other ways. For instance, mechanical means of treating surfaces of textiles are known. Desirable hand (or feel) or other properties may be provided to fabrics using treatments that involve techniques of abrasion, sanding, or napping the fabric. However, the usual goal of mechanically treating textile surfaces is to break fibers and produce broken-fiber "hairs" that make a surface feel softer. Therefore, the purpose of such conventional mechanical treatment is typically to modify the hand of a substrate rather than to roughen the surfaces of fibers without breaking the fibers. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,112,381; 5,815,896; 4,512,065; 4,316,928; and 4,468,844 describe various types of mechanical treatments for the surfaces of textile substrates. However, textile substrates that are mechanically treated by these types of processes are found to lack the desired roughness structures that are needed for the lotus-effect properties.
Thus, the need exists for a composition and/or a method of treating or coating textile substrates that results in a textile substrate having a super liquid repellent self-cleaning surface. A surface structure and method for treating a textile substrate that will afford surface properties exhibiting a high degree of repellency, as measured by low dynamic rolling angle (DRA), is very desirable. A surface structure and method for treating a textile substrate that will afford surface properties exhibiting a high degree of repellency, that is durable after multiple launderings and/or abrasions, is also desirable.
Surprisingly, we found that, on such complex structured textile substrates, superior liquid (e.g. water and oil) repellent properties can be obtained by mechanically roughening only a portion, for example 10% or more, of the fibrous textile substrate surface without substantially breaking fibers. Durability of the repellent properties may be enhanced by following mechanical treatment of the substrate with a chemical treatment using, for example, fluorocarbon-containing repellent compositions. Particles may be used in combination with the repellent chemical treatment. The mechanical roughening treatment of the present invention occurs in a treatment regime very different from that used in the prior art. The resulting treated textile substrates are believed to be durable against multiple cycles of laundering and/or abrasion experienced during normal use because the mechanically roughened structures on the surfaces of the fibers are part of the fibers themselves and are attached durably and directly to the fibers.

Treated textile substrate and method for making a textile substrate


A bobbin chuck for winding manmade threads can have a length of e.g. 1200 mm and can consist of a bearing portion and of a cantilevered portion supported by it. The cantilevered portion includes an extension (66) of a shaft (64) supported directly by the bearings and a tubular part (60) taking up the bobbin tubes which is connected at two locations (68, 70) to the shaft extension (66) and secured against rotation relative thereto. The shaft extension (66) as well as the tube (60) are free to perform oscillations according to their natural oscillation modes.

A bobbin chuck, or a spindle respectively, for winding man made threads normally is supported as a cantilevered structure in a support member (e.g. in a so-called revolver head). The (maximum permissible) rotational speed of the bobbin chuck is decisive for the (maximum attainable) winding speed, which winding speed as a rule is to be maintained as constant as possible during the winding process. Depending on the length of the bobbin chuck and on the maximum diameter of the thread package (or bobbin) to be produced, an applicable range of rotational speeds results for a given design of the bobbin chuck. This application range in practical use is limited by at least one critical (natural) rotational speed at which (due to vibrations) unstable behaviour of the bobbin chuck results, i.e. a behaviour impairing or endangering safe operation of the winding assembly.
Today it is common practice that the critical rotational speed limiting the range of applications is not the lowest ("first") critical rotational speed. It is the practice in the state of the art to operate at rotational speeds above the first critical rotational speed, the first critical speed range being traversed during the speed-up of the winder.
A first solution principle is discussed with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,051; U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,182; EP-A-167708 and EP-A-234844:
A design of a bobbin chuck, or of a spindle respectively, which is supposed to avoid vibrations is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,051. On a cantilevered shaft solidly connected to the machine frame, roller bearings are provided which in turn take up a cylindrical rotatable bobbin support element. Even if the patent document (column 2, lines 6 through 11) relates to the bobbin chuck drive as well as to the friction roll drive type, the arrangement shown evidently is conceived for the last-mentioned drive type.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,182 (DE-A-2261709) shows a bobbin chuck provided with a chuck drive arrangement laid out in such a manner that the "critical rotational speed" (column 3, lines 41 through 45) clearly lies below the range of operating speeds of the bobbin chuck (with or without a bobbin package). This bobbin chuck comprises a rotatable central shaft supported in roller bearings located in a cylindrical cantilevered structure fixedly mounted to the machine frame.
EP-A-167708 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,015) shows a further development concerning another problem (namely the supply of a pressurized medium through a longitudinal duct arranged in the central shaft of the bobbin chuck) in which the arrangement of the bearings as shown in DE-A-2261709 is maintained in principle. Finally EP-A-234844 describes a method of balancing a bobbin chuck according to EP-A-167708.
A second principle of a solution is discussed with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 3,030,039, DE-A-2356014 and EP-B-217276:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,030,039 concerns a design of a bobbin chuck laid out for simultaneously winding a plurality of threads, the vibration problems not being considered in particular. The chuck is conceived as a cantilevered rotatable element. The solution shown comprises a central shaft-type spindle supported rotatably in a support member, the spindle itself serving as a support for a member comprising a cylindrical part taking up bobbin tubes. The bobbin tube clamping system is to be mounted inside the latter part.
DE-A-2356014 deals with the problems of unbalance in such structures, in particular in connection with the bobbin tube clamping system. The explanations given are scanty, but they indicate that the bobbin chuck was composed of many parts which had to be "connected" (in any manner) with the central shaft.
According to EP-B-217276 a cylindrical part of the bobbin chuck supporting the bobbin tubes is formed by a part of the shaft directly supported by the bearings. All the smaller parts of the bobbin chuck are mounted within the cylindrical element in which they can be centered against, and be held back against, the centrifugal force by the inside wall of this element. The range of application of this chuck design, for chuck lengths in excess of 1000 mm, is limited to winding speeds of less than 4500 m/min, as otherwise the second critical rotational speed would fall into the range of applications.


A compressor includes an ejector oil pump which sucks the oil from an oil reservoir in the bottom part of a sealed container to an oil passage formed in a rotary shaft, and the ejector oil pump includes an oil suction pipe having one end connected to the oil passage and the other end which opens in the oil reservoir, and an ejector pipe having one end which communicates with the discharge side of a compressor mechanism portion and the other end inserted into the opening of the other end of the oil suction pipe to open. The inner diameter of the other end of the oil suction pipe is larger than the outer diameter of the other end of the ejector pipe, and the other end of the oil suction pipe is provided with first and second dowel portions which position the other end of the ejector pipe.

The present invention relates to a compressor which discharges, into a sealed container, a refrigerant compressed in a compression mechanism portion.
Heretofore, this type of compressor, for example, a horizontally disposed multistage compression type rotary compressor including a first compression element and a second compression element has been constituted of a driving element disposed in a laterally long cylindrical sealed container, and a compression mechanism portion extended in the horizontal direction of the driving element and including the first and second compression elements which are driven around the rotary shaft of the driving element. Then, a low-pressure refrigerant gas is sucked into the low pressure chamber side of a cylinder from the suction port of the first compression element, compressed by the operations of a roller and a vane to obtain an intermediate pressure, and discharged into the sealed container from a high pressure chamber side through a discharge port and a discharge sound absorbing chamber. The refrigerant gas having the intermediate pressure and discharged into the sealed container is sucked into the low pressure chamber side of the cylinder from the suction port of the second compression element. This refrigerant gas is secondarily compressed by the operations of the roller and the vane, and becomes a high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant gas. This gas is discharged from the compressor via the high pressure chamber side through a discharge port and a discharge sound absorbing chamber.
Moreover, the bottom part of the sealed container is constituted as an oil reservoir, and oil is sucked from the oil reservoir by an oil pump as oil supply means constituted on one end of the rotary shaft, and is supplied to the compression mechanism portion via an oil passage formed in the rotary shaft, to prevent wear on the compression mechanism portion, the sliding portion of the rotary shaft or the like.
In addition, as this type of compressor, a compressor has been developed in which an ejector oil pump is attached to one end of the rotary shaft to supply the oil to the sliding portion by use of an ejector effect produced by the ejector oil pump. That is, the ejector oil pump is constituted of an oil suction pipe having one end connected to the oil passage of the rotary shaft and the other end which opens in the oil reservoir, and an ejector pipe having one end connected to the discharge side of the first compression element and the other end inserted into the opening of the other end of the oil suction pipe. The inner diameter of the other end of the oil suction pipe is larger than the outer diameter of the other end of the ejector pipe so that a gap for oil suction is constituted between both the pipes. Then, the oil of the oil reservoir is sucked into the rotary shaft from the gap for oil suction owing to the ejector effect using the intermediate-pressure refrigerant discharged from the first compression element, and the oil is supplied to the compression mechanism portion via the oil passage in the rotary shaft.
Thus, in the compressor including the first compression element as the first stage and the second compression element as the second stage, a discharge gas amount and a flow rate are determined by the displacement capacity of the second compression element as the second stage. Therefore, the change of the volume of the gas to be discharged from the first compression element is small, so that the oil can stably be supplied to the sliding portion with the ejector oil pump by use of the refrigerant gas discharged from the first compression element (e.g., see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-36740).
The above conventional compressor has a constitution in which the ejector pipe is simply inserted into the oil suction pipe of the ejector oil pump, so that the dimension, inserting position and the like of the ejector pipe to be inserted into the oil suction pipe have not been defined. However, the gap for oil suction or the like becomes different in accordance with the dimension and position of the ejector pipe to be inserted into the oil suction pipe. In consequence, there has been a problem that the amount of the oil to be sucked by the ejector oil pump becomes remarkably different owing to the variable gap for oil suction or the like, the amount of the oil to be sucked by the ejector oil pump becomes unstable, and the oil cannot stably be supplied to the sliding portion.


A blade gap control system configured to move a blade ring of a turbine engine relative to a blade assembly to reduce the gaps between the tips of the blades and the blade rings to increase the efficiency of the turbine engine is provided. The blade rings can be at an acute angle with respect to the rotational axis of the blade assembly. The axial movement of the blade ring can be done by a pressure differential supplied across the blade ring, the thermal expansion and/or contraction of a linkage or by a piston.

Typically, gas turbine engines include a compressor for compressing air, a combustor for mixing the compressed air with fuel and igniting the mixture, and a blade assembly for producing power. Combustors often operate at high temperatures that may exceed 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Typical turbine combustor configurations expose blade assemblies to these high temperatures. As a result, blades must be made of materials capable of withstanding such high temperatures. Blades and other components often contain cooling systems for prolonging the life of the blades and reducing the likelihood of failure as a result of excessive temperatures.
Blades typically extend radially from a rotor assembly and terminate at a tip within close proximity of the blade rings (in the compressor section) or ring segments (in the turbine section). In the turbine section, the ring segments are mounted to the blade rings and may be exposed to the hot combustion gases and, similar to the blades, the ring segments often rely on internal cooling systems to reduce stress and increase the life cycle. The blade rings or ring segments are spaced radially from the blade tips to create a gap therebetween to prevent contact of the blade tips with the blade rings as a result of thermal expansion of the blades. During conventional startup processes in which a turbine engine is brought from a stopped condition to a steady state operating condition, blades and blade rings pass through a pinch point at which the gap between the blade tips and the blade rings is at a minimal distance due to thermal expansion. The blade tips of many conventional configurations contact or nearly contact the blade rings. Contact of the blade tips may cause damage to the blades. Furthermore, designing the gap between the blade tips and the blade rings for the pinch point often results in a gap at steady state conditions that is larger than desired because the gap and combustion gases flowing therethrough adversely affect performance and efficiency.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the compressor section 10 of a turbine engine is enclosed within an outer casing 12. The compressor can include a rotor (not shown) with a plurality of axially spaced discs 14. Each disc 14 can host a row of rotating airfoils, commonly referred to as blades 16. The rows of blades 16 alternate with rows of stationary airfoils or vanes 18. The vanes 18 can be provided as individual vanes, or they can be provided in groups such as in the form of a diaphragm. The vanes 18 can be mounted in the compressor section 10 in various ways. For example, one or more rows of vanes 18 can be attached to and extend radially inward from the compressor shell 12. In addition, one or more rows of vanes 18 can be hosted by a blade ring or vane carrier 20 and extend radially inward therefrom.
The compressor section 10 contains several areas in which there is a gap or clearance 22 between the rotating and stationary components. During engine operation, fluid leakage through clearances 22 in the compressor section 10 contributes to system losses, making the operational efficiency of a turbine engine less than the theoretical maximum. Small clearances are desired to keep air leakage to a minimum; however, it is critical to maintain a clearance between the rotating and stationary components at all times. Rubbing of any of the rotating and stationary components can lead to substantial component damage, performance degradation, and extended outages. The size of each of the compressor clearances can change during engine operation due to the difference in the thermal inertia of the rotor and discs 14 compared to the thermal inertia of the stationary structure, such as the outer casing 12 or the vane carrier 20. Because the thermal inertia of the vane carriers 20 are significantly less than the rotor, the vane carrier 20 has a faster thermal response time and responds (through expansion or contraction) more quickly to a change in temperature than the rotor.
Compressor clearance pinch point typically occurs during a hot restart which is a restart of the turbine engine within about thirty minutes after shut down. During the hot restart, the immediate inflow of cool ambient air makes the blade ring contract radially inward faster than the rotor thereby creating the pinch point.
Thus, there is a need for a clearance control system that reduces or minimizes leakage. There is a further need for such a system that avoids contact of the rotating and stationary components.

Blade clearance system for a turbine engine


An earth boring bit has a bearing pin with a sleeve mounted on it. The sleeve is fixed against rotation but able to float relative to the bearing pin. A cone fits over and forms a bearing surface with the sleeve. The sleeve and bearing pin are configured to have a clearance between them that has a forward portion that progressively decreases in a rearward direction. The clearance progressively decreases in a forward direction from the rearward end of the sleeve. The cone and the sleeve are able to tilt in unison with each other relative to the bearing pin when the bit is loaded.

A typical roller cone earth-boring bit has a bit body with three bit legs. A bearing pin extends from each bit leg, and a cone rotatably mounts on the bearing pin. The bearing surfaces between the cavity of the cone and the bearing pin are filled with lubricant. A seal is located between the cone and the bearing pin to seal lubricant within and keep drilling fluid from entering.
During operation, a high downward force is imposed on the drill bit from the weight of the drill string. The downward force transmits through the bit body and bearing pin to the cone. Even though the clearances between the bearing surfaces are quite small, slight misalignment of the cone bearing surface with the bearing pin tends to occur. This slight misalignment can result in uneven contact stress.
The seal between the cone and the bearing pin for sealing lubricant is also affected by the load imposed on the bit. Typically, the contact pressure will be greater on the lower side of the seal than on the upper side. Varying seal contact pressure can be caused by misalignment of the cone bearing surface and bearing pin. Changes in contact pressure can cause excessive heat in certain areas of the seal, shortening the life.

Bearing insert sleeve for roller cone bit


A grid composite for protecting men and longwall mining equipment during longwall shield recovery includes a regular polymer geogrid structure formed by biaxially drawing a continuous sheet of select polypropylene material which is heat bonded to a polyester fabric. The grid composite is secured over caving shields of longwall mining equipment during a longwall mining operation. The polymer grid composite is ideal for waste containment structures, backfill barriers, and silt barriers in construction and mining applications. In waste containment and backfill barriers, the grid composite is used to form a containment structure. It principle function is to contain waste material usually consisting of a liquid with some percentage of solids.

The recent development of polymer grids for the underground coal mining industry has created new alternatives for supplemental ground control practices. The grids utilize strong, lightweight polymers, usually special grades of polypropylene. High tensile strengths and resulting load support characteristics are achieved by molecular orientation of these polymers in the manufacturing process.
One of the most important applications of polymer grids as supplemental ground control is in longwall shield recovery. When shields are moved from one face to another, the determining factor in the success of the recovery is the ground control provided by roof support structures along the old face. Whereas primary support is usually provided by roof bolts and cables which run the full width of the panel, supplemental support is often provided by metallic meshes of welded wire or chain-link fence. Lightweight, high-strength polymer grids may replace these heavy, cumbersome metallic meshes, giving the operation increased productivity by decreasing installation time and reducing injury downtime.
However, use of polymer grids immediately over the shields during longwall shield recovery has produced potential dangers due to penetration through the polymer grid by large pieces of shale and sandstone of the gob, cutting through the polymer grid. Shield recovery is thereby hampered and mine workers are placed in danger.

Grid composite for backfill barriers and waste applications


A measurement apparatus comprises: a light source; a first optical system configured to reflect a certain component of a light beam emitted by the light source by a final surface thereof and transmit a remaining component of the light beam; a reflecting surface configured to reflect the remaining component; an optical member configured to generate a first shearing interference fringe formed by the certain component, and a second shearing interference fringe formed by the remaining component; an image sensing unit configured to simultaneously sense the first and second shearing interference fringes generated by the optical member; and an arithmetic unit configured to calculate, a wavefront aberration of the first optical system and a wavefront aberration of the first optical system and an optical system to be measured, using data on the first and second shearing interference fringes, thereby calculating a wavefront aberration of the optical system to be measured.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wavefront aberration measurement apparatus, an exposure apparatus, and a method of manufacturing a device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2005-183415 and 2004-271334 disclose measurement apparatuses which measure the aberration of an optical system to be measured (test optics) such as a projection optical system (projection optics). An exposure apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-183415 diffracts light transmitted through the optical system using a diffraction grating, extracts ±1st-order diffracted light beams using a mask member, and measures the wavefront aberration of the optical system based on shearing interference fringes generated by the extracted ±1st-order diffracted light beams. In contrast, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-271334 discloses a measurement apparatus which measures the wavefront aberration of the optical system by individually measuring the wavefront aberration of the optical system, including a wavefront aberration attributed to elements other than the optical system, and the wavefront aberration attributed to elements other than the optical system, and calculating the difference between these two wavefront aberrations. The wavefront aberration attributed to elements other than the optical system is generally referred to as system error.
Unfortunately, conventional measurement apparatuses which measure the wavefront aberration of the optical system cannot simultaneously measure both a wavefront aberration attributed to elements other than the optical system and the wavefront aberration of the optical system, including the wavefront aberration attributed to elements other than the optical system. Under such circumstances, the conventional measurement apparatuses suffer from a problem whereby it cannot correct errors associated with a situation in which the aberration attributed to elements other than the optical system changes with time during the measurements of the two wavefront aberrations. In another case, because the arrangement of a measurement system differs between when the wavefront aberration is attributed to elements other than the optical system and when the wavefront aberration is in the path including the optical system, the conventional measurement apparatuses suffer from other problems such that the influence of a change in aberration is attributed to differences in environment and this, in turn, lead to measurement errors.

Measurement apparatus to calculate wavefront aberration of optical system using shearing interference fringes, exposure apparatus, and method of manufacturing device


A projection-type display apparatus including an elliptical condenser mirror having a concave reflecting surface consisting of part of a substantially elliptical surface, a light source arranged near a first focal point of the elliptical surface, a collimator lens having a focal point near a second focal point of the elliptical surface, and an optical modulation element array having a lens array on the collimator lens side, in which optical modulation elements each having an area S are two-dimensionally arranged.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display apparatus for displaying an image on the basis of a video signal and, more particularly, to a projection-type display apparatus for displaying an image on a reflection- or transmission-type screen, and a light modulation element array for a projection-type display apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, plasma display panels or liquid crystal panels have received a great deal of attention as compact, light weight, flat panel display apparatuses replacing CRT display apparatuses. The flat panel display apparatuses can be classified into self-emission type apparatuses which emit light by itself in a display operation and transmittance control type apparatuses which control the transmittance of light incident from an independent light source in the display operation. A plasma display panel belongs to the self-emission type apparatuses while a liquid crystal panel belongs to the transmittance control type apparatuses. Particularly, a display apparatus of the transmittance control type represented by a liquid crystal panel is considered as a most promising next-generation display apparatus, and techniques for this apparatus have been developed in a variety of practical fields.
A general liquid crystal panel is characterized in that a light beam which is linearly polarized using a polarizing plate is caused to be incident on a liquid crystal layer exhibiting birefringence or rotatory polarization, as represented by a twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal described in the liquid crystal device handbook.
As shown in FIG. 1, a projection-type display apparatus 901 using such a liquid crystal panel comprises liquid crystal panels 911-R, 911-G, and 911-B respectively corresponding to red (R), green (G), and blue (B), a light source optical system having a light source 921 for irradiating light on the liquid crystal panels 911-R, 911-G, and 911-B and a parabolic condenser mirror 931 for collimating source light from the light source 921, and a projection optical system having a projection lens 941 for projecting the light selectively transmitted from the liquid crystal panels 911-R, 911-G, and 911-G onto a screen.
It is important for the projection-type display apparatus to improve brightness. From this viewpoint, attempts have been made such that a microlens array is arranged in the liquid crystal panel to increase the effective aperture ratio, or a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal which needs no polarizing plate is used.
In the projection-type display apparatus 901, source light is collimated using the parabolic condenser mirror and caused to be incident on the liquid crystal panels. In this case, the electrode portion and the like of the light source form a shade. This makes the angle distribution of light incident on the liquid crystal panels large, and a parallel light component is lost, as shown in FIG. 2. For this reason, the effect for increasing the effective aperture ratio cannot be sufficiently achieved even by arranging microlenses on the light incident axis side of the liquid crystal panel.


A solid oxide fuel cell system has a carbon monoxide generator using ash-free coal or graphite, which includes a carbon supply unit, a carbon dioxide supply unit, a carbon monoxide generating unit, and a fuel cell unit. The carbon monoxide generating unit supplies CO to the anode of the fuel cell unit, and CO2 discharged from the fuel cell unit is recycled to the carbon dioxide supply unit. Because ash-free coal or graphite is used, a separate reformer does not need to be used, and thus energy can be produced with high efficiency even at low costs. Because CO2 discharged from the solid oxide fuel cell, which uses carbon monoxide as a fuel, after a fuel cell reaction, is reused as reactant gas, carbon dioxide is not emitted into the atmosphere. Gasification can be smoothly achieved by the carbon monoxide generating unit including heating powder or a heating reaction chamber.

Currently, energy production in Korea heavily relies on fossil fuels that are almost all imported from foreign countries, but because of an increase in the use of fossil fuels and concern about the exhaustion thereof, raw material prices are increasing rapidly. The percentage of coal in the energy source for power generation in Korea in the year is 41.4%, which is higher than 33.2% for nuclear fuel and 19.2% for natural gas. Although domestic dependence on coal is high as described above, international coal prices are rising annually due to a global need for coal utilization together with rises in international oil prices, and thus the development of technology for efficient use of coal is needed. In addition, as the United Nations Convention on Climate Change receive global attention, coal power generation that can generate power in the most cost-effective manner receives as a main cause of carbon emissions, coal power generation technology has been studied in order to increase power generation efficiency while solving CO2 emission problems.
Meanwhile, fuel cells have received attention as energy conversion systems capable of substituting for internal combustion engines, and many studies thereon have been conducted. Among several kinds of fuel cells, a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is operated at a high temperature of 600-1000° C., and thus has the highest power conversion efficiency and enables heat recovery and co-generation using good-quality waste heat, thereby increasing the efficiency of the entire power generation system. In addition, SOFC has advantages in that it does not need to use a noble metal catalyst, because it has high electrode activity due to its high operating temperature, and in that it can use various fuels, including hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrocarbon fuels such as methane (CH4). Because of such advantages of high powder density and high efficiency, active studies on the use of SOFC for home power generation systems or distributed power generation systems have been conducted.
However, when methane or carbon monoxide is used as a fuel for SOFC, carbon is generated during its oxidation and decomposition. Particularly, when carbon monoxide alone is supplied as the fuel, carbon is deposited on the surface of a Ni-YSZ anode to reduce a space in which a reaction can occur. Therefore, a fuel cell having a new structure needs to be suggested which is capable of overcoming the problem associated with the reduction in fuel cell performance caused by this carbon deposition.
In addition, a coal gasification reaction is a reforming reaction consisting of a steam reforming reaction (C+H2O→CO+H2) and a carbon dioxide reforming reaction (C+CO2→2CO). This reforming reaction is an endothermic reaction that absorbs heat comparable to that absorbed by a combustion reaction (C+O2→CO2). Thus, in order to perform coal gasification (carbon reforming), a considerable amount of reaction heat should be provided. However, conventional coal gasifiers have shortcomings in that a coal reforming reaction is not satisfactorily achieved due to limited reaction temperature and in that the internal temperature of the coal gasifier is not uniformly maintained.

Solid oxide fuel cell system equipped with carbon monoxide generator using ultraclean coal or graphite

INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH & INDUSTRY COOPERATION PUSAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY


A logging tool capable of making different types of measurements is provided, and a plurality of measurements on a formation are obtained. Certain mineral properties of the formation are assumed and a mixed properties theorem for the formation is invoked. Upper and lower velocity limits for sonic waves traveling through the formation are determined using the above information. Biot's constant is also computed using the above information. LWD data on the formation is obtained and an effective stress is determined. A total stress is determined and, from that and the other information, a pore pressure is determined.

Logging tools have long been used in wellbores to make, for example, formation evaluation measurements to infer properties of the formations surrounding the borehole and the fluids in the formations. Common logging tools include electromagnetic tools, nuclear tools, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tools, though various other tool types are also used.
Early logging tools were run into a wellbore on a wireline cable, after the wellbore had been drilled. Modern versions of such wireline tools are still used extensively. However, the need for information while drilling the borehole gave rise to measurement-while-drilling (MWD) tools and logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools. By collecting and processing such information during the drilling process, the driller can modify or correct key steps of the operation to optimize performance.
MWD tools typically provide drilling parameter information such as weight on the bit, torque, temperature, pressure, direction, and inclination. LWD tools typically provide formation evaluation measurements such as resistivity, porosity, and NMR distributions. MWD and LWD tools often have components common to wireline tools (e.g., transmitting and receiving antennas), but MWD and LWD tools must be constructed to not only endure but to operate in the harsh environment of drilling. The terms MWD and LWD are often used interchangeably, and the use of either term in this disclosure will be understood to include both the collection of formation and wellbore information, as well as data on movement and placement of the drilling assembly.
Logging tools can also be used to image a wellbore. For example, measurements of resistivity, density, the photoelectric factor, natural gamma ray radiation, the dielectric constant, and acoustic impedance (e.g., ultrasonics) have been used to form wellbore images. Most, if not all, of those imaging methods are dependent on the type of drilling fluid ("mud") used.

Pore pressure from spectroscopy and sonic data


A high frequency variable gain amplification device 100 includes: a feedback circuit 103 capable of changing a feedback impedance to adjust the gain of an amplifier 101 in accordance with a control signal from a control device 200; and a current consumption adjustment circuit 102 capable of adjusting current consumption of the amplifier 101. The control device 200 controls the feedback impedance and the current consumption based on a desired signal power level and an undesired signal power level. If the desired signal power level exceeds a predetermined value, the control device 200 reduces the feedback impedance to increase the amount of a feedback signal, thereby allowing the amplifier 101 to operate with low gain so as to prevent the distortion characteristic from being reduced and to reduce the current consumption.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high frequency variable gain amplification device, a control device, a high frequency variable gain frequency-conversion device, and a communication device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a high frequency variable gain amplification device, a control device, a high frequency variable gain frequency-conversion device, and a communication device which are for use in preventing a distortion characteristic from being reduced during an operation with low gain.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a radio communication system including a receiver unit typified by a mobile telephone, in order for the receiver unit to receive a weak desired signal, a first stage amplifier is required to have a low noise characteristic and a high gain characteristic. Alternatively, in order for the receiver unit to receive a large desired signal, the first stage amplifier is required to have a low gain characteristic and a low distortion characteristic. Particularly, in recent mobile communication, field intensity at reception may vary considerably depending on a distance between a base station and a terminal device. Accordingly, the receiver unit is required to have a large dynamic range. Therefore, a low noise amplifier at a reception front end portion is required to have a gain control function.
In an amplification device having the gain control function, current consumption is increased/decreased so as to cause gain to vary (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-016462).
FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a structure of a conventional reception circuit 900 having a gain control function which is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-016462. As shown in FIG. 17, the conventional reception circuit 900 includes an amplification element 901, constant impedance elements 902 and 903, and a variable resistor 904 connected in parallel with the constant impedance element 902. If a level of a received signal is excessively high, the reception circuit 900 increases a resistance value of the variable resistor 904 to reduce current consumption, thereby reducing gain. This reduces an output power for the same input power, resulting in a reduction of third-order intermodulation distortion (IM3).
A similar conventional technique is disclosed in Japanese National Phase PCT Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-536859.
As described above, a conventional reception circuit reduces current consumption in order to reduce IM3. However, the reduction of current consumption reduces the gain of the reception circuit, so that gain of a desired signal is also reduced, resulting in a reduction of a distortion characteristic, e.g., third-order intercept point (IP3), which is obtained by relatively comparing IM3 with the desired signal.
FIGS. 18A and 18B are diagrams used for explaining how third-order output intercept point (OIP3) decreases with reduction of current consumption in a conventional reception circuit. As is shown by transition from point a to point b in FIG. 18A, in the conventional reception circuit, gain is reduced by reducing current consumption. However, as is shown by transition from point a to point b in FIG. 18B, mere reduction of the current consumption results in a reduction of OIP3. Accordingly, third-order distortion increases with an input power level, so that the third-order distortion becomes dominant. As described above, the conventional reception circuit has a problem that reduction of current consumption might reduce a distortion characteristic together with gain. Reducing current consumption is not compatible with preventing the distortion characteristic from being reduced.
A high frequency variable gain frequency-conversion device including an amplification element has a problem similar to the problem as described above.

High frequency variable gain amplification device, control device, high frequency variable gain frequency-conversion device, and communication device

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A portable electronic device includes a housing including an opening defined in a peripheral side surface thereof, a camera module mounted in the housing, and a light-reflecting member rotatably mounted at the opening. The camera module is aligned with and faces toward the opening. The light-reflecting member mounted at the opening and is configured for reflecting light into the camera module. The portable electronic device is capable of employing high resolution camera module while retaining thin thickness.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a portable electronic device, more specifically, relates to a portable electronic device including a camera module.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Camera modules are widely employed in various portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, smart phones, and personal digital assistants. Take mobile phones as an example, a camera module is generally installed on a rear cover of a mobile phone and an optical axis of the lens in the camera module is perpendicular to the rear side. A view captured by the camera module can be easily viewed from a screen installed on a front cover of the mobile phone.
With progress of technology, resolution and functions of camera modules have improved. In order to meet the increasing requirements of camera modules, more and more lenses are employed in a single camera module, which results in increasing dimensions of the camera module, which unfortunately means it is becoming more difficult to further miniaturize mobile phones using such camera modules.
Therefore, there is a desire to provide a thin portable electronic device including a high resolution camera module.


A car telephone system having a telephone module (3) which has a telephone transmitting and receiving unit (5), can be connected to a transmitting and receiving antenna (7), can be connected to a central control bus (1) of the vehicle and can be controlled by a central controller (2) via the control bus (1) enables telephone operation, via the telephone module (3), using user-specific data from a mobile telephone (9) by virtue of the fact that the telephone transmitting and receiving unit (5) is provided with a wireless data and signal transmission unit (6) which can be used to transmit user-specific data from a mobile telephone (9) to the telephone transmitting and receiving unit (5), and by virtue of the fact that the telephone transmitting and receiving unit (5) is also connected to a separate card reader (11) for a memory card which contains the user-specific data from the mobile telephone (9).

Car telephone systems whose operation and control are integrated in a central unit for also controlling a car radio, a navigation system, an onboard computer etc. are installed, in particular, in vehicles of higher quality. This central operating and control unit is regularly connected to the corresponding devices via an electronic control and communication bus of the vehicle. This control bus is also used to transmit vehicle-relevant and safety-relevant data, for example signals which reflect actuation of the accelerator pedal or brake pedal.
It is known practice to provide the telephone system with its own telephone which is connected to a vehicle antenna and to a microphone which is installed in the vehicle and to loudspeakers in order, in this manner, to make it possible to make a telephone call in the hands-free mode, i.e. without the need to hold the telephone. A system of this type is very complicated and regularly requires the car telephone to be registered as a further mobile telephone in addition to a portable mobile telephone which the car user generally already has with him. Some mobile radio providers make it possible for the installed car telephone to be used with a second card which belongs to the contract for the portable mobile telephone, so that the calls which are made using the car telephone can be invoiced using the contract which has been concluded for the portable mobile telephone.
It is known practice, in particular for car telephone systems which can be retrofitted, to install a telephone control box in the vehicle and to connect the latter to a holder into which a portable mobile telephone can be inserted. In this case, the holder may be designed in such a manner that it connects the mobile telephone to a vehicle antenna, so that the antenna on the mobile telephone can remain switched off when making a telephone call. The call is then handled using the mobile telephone which has been inserted into the holder. Since this uses a relatively large amount of power from the rechargeable battery of the mobile telephone, the holders are regularly provided with a charging device for the mobile telephone.
Use is increasingly being made of mobile telephones which have a transmitting and receiving device for data and audio signals, transmission generally being effected in accordance with a wireless communication standard, the BLUETOOTH® standard (BLUETOOTH® is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc.). If the control box which has been installed in the vehicle and the mobile telephone each have a transmitting and receiving device of this type, the function of the mobile telephone can be controlled by the control box or by the central operating device of the vehicle by virtue of the control signals being transmitted to the mobile telephone via the wireless connection. Conversely, audio signals are wirelessly transmitted from the mobile telephone and allow the telephone call to be made via the transmitting and receiving device of the mobile telephone but using the appropriate devices in the vehicle, for example a hands-free device or a headphone/microphone set. The audio signals are transmitted using the BLUETOOTH® wireless communication standard, thus with a HFP (Hands Free Profile) signal or a HSP (Head Set Profile) signal. This solution is convenient since there is no need to provide a holder for the mobile telephone and corresponding installation in the vehicle can be omitted. However, the disadvantage is that the transmitting and receiving device of the mobile telephone is used with the antenna of the mobile telephone, with the result that a certain intensity of the transmitted radiation occurs in the vehicle interior. It is also disadvantageous that the current loading on the mobile telephone is high in this mode, with the result that more attention must be paid to the state of charge of the mobile telephone which often does not occur in practice.


A camisole for use by medical patients includes front and rear segments with the front segment divided into two panels which may be selectively temporarily closed. The front panels are connected to the rear panels along side seams and the garment includes a yoke-like neck area and arm receiving openings. A loop is secured in each side seam below each arm opening for guarding drainage tubes and pockets are sewn into the side seams and lower hem for receiving drainage bulbs.

Subsequent to a mastectomy and prior to any permanent corrective surgery, such as an implant, mastectomy patients have a psychological need for at least a temporary replacement of the breast or breasts. Artificial breasts have been provided and used in the past and various garments of wearing apparel have been provided to accommodate the wearing of these items. Such garments are generally provided with pockets to receive the artificial breast or breasts so that the wearer, when wearing the garment will appear to the casual observer to be unaffected by the surgical process. Such garments are important to the mental wellbeing of the patient after undergoing such a traumatic operation.
Other difficulties encountered following such surgery involves the tubes which have been inserted into the chest area of the patient for drainage or other purposes. Drainage bulbs for receiving fluids are attached to these tubes. In order to do so with the existing garments, it necessary to pass the tubes through the neck opening, the arm openings or the bottom edge of the garment thereby substantially reducing the beneficial aesthetic benefits initially obtained from wearing the garment.


An ambient condition detector has a housing that carries a sensor of an airborne constituent such as a gas, and a condenser for minimizing an inflow of moisture into the sensor. A filter can be used to reduce fluid flow velocity prior to passing through or by the condenser.

Non-dispersive infra-red (NDIR) gas sensors take advantage of selective absorption of radiant energy by specific gases. Analysis of absorption of specific wavelength(s) by a fluid sample provides an indication of the concentration of one or more gases of interest in the sample. The reliability of this process is dependent on the removal or exclusion of water vapor from the sample, including prevention of condensation of water vapor in the sensor.
It has been known to use configurations formed of compressed steel balls in explosion proof gas detectors. The compressed steel balls prevent any gas ignition in the chamber from propagating out to an explosive environment. These types of configurations would inherently provide some dehumidification of gas entering the detector. The dehumidification performance of such a configuration is generally poor since ambient air velocities can provide an unrestricted supply of water vapor to this type of configuration. In these known detectors, gas passes through the configuration of steel balls and into a sensing chamber without first passing through a filter.
One alternate known solution to the problem has been to incorporate an electric heater in the sensor to eliminate condensation of water vapor in the sample. In addition to requiring inclusion of a heater in the sensor, heaters require electrical energy when operating. Heater electrical requirements can become a major problem in systems that include large numbers of dispersed sensors that are powered off of common power and data lines. The power requirements of heaters are also a problem in portable or wearable sensors.
There thus continues to be a need for water vapor excluding, condensation minimizing, sensors that do not require heaters. Preferably, such sensors could be implemented without substantially increasing manufacturing expense or complexity. It would also be preferable if such implementations were compatible with the low weight, low power, low cost requirements of wearable sensors.


A testing device for gas masks and breathing equipment has a head part, to which the gas mask and breathing equipment can be connected and which is connected to a testing unit simulating the respiratory activity. The testing device provides more accurate testing especially with respect to the pressure and flow conditions. Using a valve (11, 13), which interrupts the flow connection and is provided at the testing connection in close proximity, in terms of flow, of the respiration connection.

Such a device has become known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,144 (corresponding to West German Offenlegungsschrift No. DE-OS 30,16,684). Via a pneumatic part, the prior-art device generates gas flows with predeterminable pressure and flow values which can occur under normal load as well as increased load of the user of the equipment. The operating parameters of the testing device thus generated are transmitted to a head part which has a testing connection, via which the equipment to be tested is operated with the driving gas pressure and volume generated. By simulating the operating parameters, it is possible to test or even monitor a breathing equipment or a gas mask and breathing equipment or even a simple respiratory aid for function capability. Such a device can also be used for developing new gas masks and breathing equipment in order to test the effects of new components or completely new series of equipment on the expected subsequent case of operation. The test results obtained can be recorded and documented by corresponding measuring points in the head part or even in the equipment to be tested itself.
With the increasing refinement of the pneumatic regulating and control units of gas masks and breathing equipment and the increasing requirements imposed in terms of compact design of the equipment and the economical use of respiratory gas that is carried with the equipment, it is necessary to ensure that the smallest possible amount of respiratory gas will be wasted during the operation of gas masks and breathing equipment. Consequently, e.g., pressure-sensitive control components are able to respond to the pressure in the respiratory tract more readily, so that low pressures and weak respiration flows must increasingly be measured during testing, and permissible deviations from the desired value increasingly become smaller. The disturbances that distort the result of the measurement must be further reduced, so that especially dead space volumes, which are filled with compressible gas, are to be avoided, and the flow conditions for the respiratory gas are to be established such that they will not exart any unfavorable effects on the pressure conditions in the lines carrying respiratory gas.

Device for operating and testing gas masks and breathing equipment


A process for producing 4-methyl-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzyl alcohol including the following steps: (A): a step for fluorinating 2,3,5,6-tetrachloroterephthaloyl dichloride, (B): a step for reducing the product obtained in step (A), (C): a step for chlorinating the product obtained in step (B), and Step (D): a step for hydrogenating the product obtained in step (C).

It is described in US 2005/0054886 A that 4-methyl-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzyl alcohol is useful as a synthetic intermediate of pesticides, and as the process for producing it, a process comprising five steps of fluorination, hydrogenation, diazotization followed by decomposition, halogenation and hydrogenation, using 2,3,5,6-tetrachloroterephthalonitrile as a starting material is described therein.
Alternatively, in CN 1458137 A, a process for producing 4-methyl-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzyl alcohol comprising five steps of fluorination, esterification, reduction, bromination and hydrogenation, using 2,3,5,6-tetrachloroterephthaloyl dichloride as a starting material is described.

Process for producing 4-methyl-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzyl alcohol


An integrated circuit (IC) design method includes providing an IC layout contour based on an IC design layout of an IC device and IC manufacturing data; generating an effective rectangle layout to represent the IC layout contour; and simulating the IC device using the effective rectangular layout.

Semiconductor technologies are continually progressing to smaller feature sizes, such as 65 nanometers, 45 nanometers, and below. Integrated circuits (IC) design and fabrication technologies have been exploited to a limit and need more tuning in designing and also interactions between designing and manufacturing.
Accurate simulation of today's devices needs to account for real device geometry complexities after the lithography and etching processes, especially when the channel length shrinks to 65-nm and below. The device performance is believed to be quite different from what designers expect in the conventional IC design flow. The traditional design lacks consideration of the photolithography effects and pattern geometrical operations from the manufacturing side.
For the deep sub-micron circuit design, a purely rectangular shape is almost impossible to achieve in manufacturing. A potential risk is hence imposed on the linkage between design and manufacturing. However, there is no additional parameter in the current SPICE model card to describe the effect of shape distortions. For example, the corner rounding of the L-shape Active region near the poly-silicon gate will be different from that of the T-shaped Active region. The same issue arises in poly-silicon with a hammerhead near the gate area. Several works have attempted to model or characterize non-rectangular devices by slicing a transistor into small parallel devices, and then summing up the currents contributed from those small sliced transistors. This old approach is intuitive but lacks proper models to accurately describe the narrow width and short channel effects of sliced devices. In addition, the sliced devices might fall into the sub-ground region with dimensions less than the minimum of the binning boundary of the SPICE model.
In current digital IC design flow, there are several commercial tools utilized to do the physical checking of devices, such as the well-known DRC rules or further advanced DFM lithography hotspot check rules. Designers have to modify the layout once the layout violates the physical design rules. However, all the methods mentioned are rule-based approaches. There are no tools that can provide a real time electrical performance check for designers. Another disadvantage of the current approaches is that they cannot deal with complicated circuit layout environments. Moreover, there is a limitation on the grid resolution of the database libraries for current rule-based approaches.

Method for shape and timing equivalent dimension extraction

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


An apparatus for wrapping flexible elongate objects has a wrapping wheel arranged coaxially to a longitudinal axis of the objects and having a tape spool support movable therewith, drive mechanism with a roller drive for advancing the objects and arranged at one side of the wrapping wheel, and an electric program control for controlling a drive length by set point/control point comparison. The drive mechanism also includes a carriage movable parallel to an axis of rotation of the wrapping wheel and to the longitudinal axis of the objects, and includes a holding device on the wrapping wheel side for holding an end of an object for pulling the object through the wrapping wheel. The drive mechanism also includes two vertically displaceable rolls which for a start of the wrapping are positioned relative to one another so far that the holding device is movable between the rolls to the wrapping wheels. The rolls are arranged vertically one above the other and oriented with their axes of rotation transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the objects. One roll functions as a length data detector and the other roll functions as a drive, the carriage is synchronized at least in part with the drive so that for wrapping in the region of advancement of the carriage the holding device holds the end of an object, and for passing the region the rolls take over a further drive of the object and thereby the holding device opens for releasing the end of the object.

The invention relates to an apparatus for wrapping flexible elongate objects and comprising an arrangement for advancing the objects and a wrapping wheel arranged coaxially to the longitudinal axis of the objects and provided with a tape spool support displaceable with the wrapping wheel.
A known apparatus of this type comprises a device for advancing the objects, wherein this device comprises a circulating chain for advancing objects, and the chain is provided with uniformly arranged gripping clamps for the objects to be wrapped up. Corresponding slides are provided for programming wrapping steps. The selection of wrapping steps is limited by the finite spatial expansion of the slides. For this reason, it is not possible to automatically wrap up the objects from the very beginning of the front end.
The Dye U.S. Pat. No. 2,279,563 shows an apparatus in which, for holding the cable end a holding device 9 in form of a clamp is provided. For wrapping up the clamp 20 rotates thereby the cable or wire 21 entrained in rotation. Moreover, the maximum possible wrapping length is very limited, since it is determined by the length of the track way 6. Furthermore, the quality of the wrapping is not constant or in other words with increased wrapping length it is worse due to increasing torsion. The pulling tension of the band is thereby always weaker and the individual cable is additionally wrapped in a disadvantageous manner.
The Glassford U.S. Pat. No. 2,238,727 discloses an apparatus in which the maximum wrapping length is limited by the length of the chain 70. In Glassford the wheels or rollers 114,116 serve only as tension holding devices and do not have any drive. Moreover, the rollers 114, 116 are arranged before the wrapping wheel as considered in the pulling direction of the wire.
The Garner U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,692 discloses an apparatus which provides wrapping of wires with unlimited length of a caterpillar-type. This apparatus is however not suitable for short wrapping lengths and especially for cable trees.
The Pierce U.S. Pat. No. 3,000,167 discloses an apparatus which is similar to the apparatus of Garner. This apparatus is however not suitable for short wrapping lengths and especially for cable trees.
The Basso U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,519 shows a similar apparatus as Glassford. In the patent to Basso the maximum wrapping length is limited by the periphery of the drum 52 as shown in FIG. 1. An unlimited wrapping or in other words long wrapping length is not possible and is not suitable for wrapping of cable trees.
The Young U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,547 discloses an apparatus which is similar to the apparatus of Garner. This apparatus is also not suitable for short wrapping lengths and especially for cable trees.

Apparatus for wrapping flexible, elongate objects


A collapsible winding core for a filter element is provided. A fluted filter media is wound about the collapsible winding core having a cylindrical shape. Subsequently, the collapsible winding core is collapsed into a generally flat shape to from the filter element having a racetrack shape.

Filters of the type used for filtering particulate matter from engine intake air sometimes include one or more layers of a porous filter material that is formed into a convoluted pattern, often referred to in the industry as fluted filter media.
In one commonly utilized form of a filter element, the filter element defines a longitudinal axis in first and second axial ends of the filter element, with the filter element including a central core, and a length of fluted filter media wound about the central core, with the flutes of the media oriented substantially longitudinal, thereby providing filtration for a flow of fluid passing axially through the filter element. Such filter elements are typically installed within a housing, or duct, in such a manner that the filter element can periodically be removed for cleaning or replacement with a fresh filter element. A seal between the filter element and the housing is typically provided, in such a manner that none of the fluid flowing through the housing can bypass the filter element, thereby ensuring all fluid passing through the housing enter one axial end of the filter element and exit from the opposite axial end of the filter element.
Where possible, filter elements of the type described above are typically formed into a circular cylindrical shape, with the filter media being wound about a round central core. In some applications, however, it is necessary to form filter elements into non-cylindrical shapes, to fit space constraints of the particular application. For example, in a racetrack shaped element, the cross sectional shape of the filter element is racetrack shaped, having a pair of curved semi-circular ends joined by a pair of straight segments. In such racetrack shaped filter elements, and in filter elements having other non-circular cross sectional shapes, such as oval or rectangular, for example, the length of fluted filter material is wound about a non-circular central core. Such non-circular central cores may have cross sections that are substantially rectangular in shape.
One prior approach to provide a racetrack shaped filter element was disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,001,450; 6,746,518 and 6,547,857 to Gieseke et al., wherein a fluted filter media is coiled about a rectangular shaped center board. As is well known in the art, and stated in the patent to Gieseke et al., fluted filter media typically exhibits an inherent shape memory which can cause the media to bow outwardly, radially, away from the center board. In a filter element having a cylindrical central core, this inherent curvature memory is typically not problematic, in that the curvature of the media will not interfere with, and may actually assist in, pulling the media down onto the core, or onto a previously wound layer of the media.
Another prior approach to forming a racetrack shaped filter element is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,008,467 and 6,966,940 to Krisko et al. Krisko et al. uses a core construction including a racetrack shaped non-cylindrical wall member having opposing walls defining an open volume within the non-cylindrical member. In cross section, the non-cylindrical member has the appearance, generally, of a flattened cylindrical shaped tube having flat opposing side walls joined at opposite ends by curved walls, surrounding the open volume. The core construction of Krisko et al. further includes structural moldings and plugs located within the open volume, for providing strength, and axially closing off the open volume to ensure that fluid cannot leak through the open volume inside of the non-cylindrical member.
The center core construction of Krisko et al. is even more complex than the center board of Gieseke et al. as described above. The core construction of Krisko et al. also appears to include a substantial volume of axis material, making such a core construction undesirably expensive to produce and heavier then necessary. The core construction of Krisko et al. can result in a significant amount of extra material which must be disposed of or incinerated when the filter element is replaced.
Because the central core is essentially a non-operating part of the completed filter, it is desirable that the central core be fabricated at minimum cost, utilizing as little material as possible, and having a configuration which can be readily manufactured in a form that is also readily disposable or incinerable. It is also desirable, in some applications, that the central core be fabricated in a manner which is as light in weight as possible.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide an improved method and apparatus for manufacturing a fluid filter element having a non-cylindrical elongated shape such as a racetrack shape, in a manner which overcomes one or more of the problems discussed above, and/or provide improved utility over the prior art.


The present invention discloses a process and a method providing a high bulk tissue which is both strong and soft. Specifically, it has been discovered that certain low pressure printing technologies may be used to deliver a bonding material to the surface of a high bulk paper web such as an uncreped, through-dried web. The bonding material may be applied to the web either before, during or after the web is softened with a mechanical straining process which will decrease the web bulk by no more than 20% of the initial bulk in order to increase the web softness. The web may be softened by any of a variety of mechanical straining processes such as, for instance, microcreping, microstraining, rush transfer, or other low-compressive softening methods. The cured bonding material on the web may not only increase the bulk of the web when dry and wet, but also increase the wet resiliency and the wet strength of the web.

Products made from paper webs such as bath tissues, facial tissues, paper towels, industrial wipers, food service wipers, napkins, medical pads and other similar products are designed to include several important properties. For example, the product should have a relatively soft feel, should be strong, and, for most applications, should be highly absorbent. High bulk is also often preferred in such products. For example, three dimensional, high bulk paper products are often preferred over thinner, more two-dimensional products.
Several methods have been proposed in the past for producing a high bulk paper product which is both soft and strong. These methods still present difficulties to be overcome, however, due to the fact that the two desired characteristics tend to be mutually exclusive. For example, the cost of increasing product strength is often a decrease in product softness. The reverse is also true, processes which may increase softness, such as addition of debonding agents to the fiber slurry or creping, tend to decrease product strength. Similarly, processes which may increase web strength usually involve an increase in the number of interfiber bonds and are often accompanied with increase in web density. Such strengthening processes may not only decrease product softness but also decrease product bulk.
A creping method to make both a strong and soft towel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,257, issued to Gentile, et al., entitled "Absorbent Unitary Laminate-Like Fibrous Webs and Method for Producing Them." Gentile, et al. discloses a process of creping a base sheet, printing a bonding material on one side of the base sheet, creping the base sheet again, printing a bonding material on the other side of the base sheet, and then creping the base sheet a third time. In particular, the base sheet is printed while traveling through gravure nip rolls. During the process, referred to as the Double Recrepe (DRC) process, the gravure print process compresses the base sheet to less than 50% of its incoming caliper as it prints the bonding material onto the sheet. The DRC process provides a web possessing a good combination of strength and softness, but the process of having, successively, three pressings does not provide a particularly bulky sheet.
More recently, through-drying has become an alternate means of drying paper webs. Through-drying provides a relatively noncompressive method of removing water from the web by passing hot air through the web until it is dry. More specifically, a wet-laid web is transferred from a forming fabric to a coarse, highly permeable throughdrying fabric and retained on the throughdrying fabric until fairly dry. The resulting through-dried web is bulkier than a conventionally dried and creped sheet because the web is less compressed. Squeezing water from the wet web is eliminated, although the use of a pressure roll to subsequently transfer the web to a Yankee dryer for creping may still be used.
While there is a processing incentive to eliminate the Yankee dryer and make an uncreped throughdried product, uncreped throughdried sheets are typically stiff and rough to the touch, compared to their creped counterparts. This is partially due to the inherently high stiffness and strength of an uncreped sheet, but may also in part be due to the coarseness of the throughdrying fabric onto which the wet web is conformed and dried. Softening processes, such as calendering or creping, while increasing product softness, will also increase density of the through-dried sheet, and decrease desired product bulk.
Accordingly, there is a need for a paper product, or paper sheet, that is soft, absorbent and strong, and more particularly, which has higher bulk than those products made conventionally using an uncreped through-dried process or a double recreped process.


A battery connector assembly (100) includes a first connector (200) and a second connector (300). The first connector includes an insulating housing (1) defining an elongate end face (102) and a tongue portion (11) projecting forward from and extending along a longitudinal direction of the end face. A plurality of signal contacts (21) extends on the tongue portion and power contacts (22) of blade shape are projected from the end face and vertical to the longitudinal direction. The second connector is mated with the first connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery connector assembly, and more particularly to a connector assembly for a rechargeable battery used in portable electronic equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,255 discloses a battery assembly for a rechargeable battery including a female and a male connector. The female connector includes an insulating package 3, four battery cells 4 contained in the package and a row of four terminals 5, 6, 7, 8. The power terminals 5, 8 are used to connect with the positive and negative polarities of the battery cells 4. The data terminal 6 is for connection of electronic data to an electronic charging control circuit. The charging terminal 7 is for connection of a charging transformer controlled by a thermistor. As best shown in FIGS. 5-8 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,255, the four terminals are of two resilient arms configuration and received in the recesses 22 recessed from the end and bottom side of the package. The male connector 24 mated with the female connector is positioned in electronic equipment. The male connector comprises an insulating housing and contacts 36 of blade shape retained in and projected from the housing to electrically engage with corresponding terminals of the female connector.
The battery connector assembly is used for a supply of electrical voltage to the equipment, with a results that the power contacts transferring a larger current are blade form and larger in dimension. The remaining contacts transferring data or controlling signal are adapted for a smaller power current transmission. But, to provide enough retention of terminals and contacts when the female and male connectors engage with each other, the remaining contacts also are designed with blade shape and arranged in row with the power contacts.
But, the arrangement of the male contacts in row will increase size of the connector, especially when the number of the male contacts is larger.
Hence, an improved battery connector assembly is desired to overcome above problems.


In one illustrative embodiment, a computer implemented method using asymmetric memory management is provided. The computer implemented method receives a request, containing a search key, to access an array of records in the asymmetric memory, wherein the array has a sorted prefix portion and an unsorted append portion, the append portion alternatively comprising a linked-list, and responsive to a determination that the request is an insert request, inserts the record in the request in arrival order in the unsorted append portion to form a newly inserted record. Responsive to a determination that the newly inserted record completes the group of records, stores an index, in sorted order, for the group of records.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and, more specifically, to a computer implemented method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for using asymmetric memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
Solid state disks and other devices based on flash memory allow many more random input/output operations per second, up to two orders of magnitude more than conventional magnetic disks. Thus, they can, in principle, support workloads involving random input/output operations much more effectively.
However, flash memory cannot support general, in-place updates. Instead, a whole data page must be written to a new area of the device and the old page must be invalidated. Groups of contiguous pages form erase units and an invalidated page becomes writable again, only after the whole erase unit has been cleared. Erase times are relatively high, typically several milliseconds. Flash-based memory does, however, allow in-place changes of 1-bits to 0-bits without an erase cycle. Thus, it is possible to reserve a region of flash memory initialized to "all 1s" and incrementally use it in a write-once fashion.
When accounting for the costs of the various steps employed by an algorithm running on a flash memory, in addition to counting traditional algorithmic steps, one should count a page-write step whenever a write causes a 0 bit to change to a 1 bit. If an algorithm performs a group of local writes to a single page as one transactional step, the group is counted as a single page-write step. Even if only a few bytes are updated, a whole page must be written.
The true cost of a page-write step has several components. There is an immediate cost incurred because a full page must be copied to a new location, with the bits in question updated. If there are multiple updates to a single page from different transactional operations, the updates can be combined in random access memory and applied to the flash memory once. Care should be taken in such a scheme to guarantee data persistence, when that is an application requirement.
Also a deferred cost may be incurred because the flash device must eventually erase the erase unit containing the old page. The cost is deferred because the write itself does not have to wait for the erase to finish, and the erase can be performed asynchronously. Nevertheless, erase times are high and a device burdened by many erase operations may not be able to sustain good read and write performance. Further, in an input/output intensive workload, a steady state can be reached in which erasure cannot be performed fast enough, and writes have to wait for erased pages to become available.
An additional, longer-term cost of page erases in terms of device longevity is present. On current flash devices, an erase unit has a lifetime of about 105 erases. Thus, if special-purpose algorithms reduce the number of erases needed by a factor of f, the expected lifetime of the device can increased, in principle, by a factor of f.

International Business Machines Corporation