A locomotive includes an engine (12), an intercooler (16), and an oil cooler (28), each having respective cooling passages formed therein. The locomotive also includes a cooling system (10) in selective communication with the respective cooling passages for selectively providing a first coolant (56) and a second coolant (52) at a higher temperature than the first coolant to the cooling passages. A method of operating the cooling system includes providing, in a first mode, a first coolant flow (26) to the intercooler and a second coolant flow (30) to the oil cooler at a first temperature different than the first coolant flow to achieve preferential cooling of the intercooler. The method also includes providing, in a second mode, the first coolant flow to the intercooler and the second coolant flow to the oil cooler at a second temperature different than the first coolant flow to achieve preferential cooling of the oil cooler.

Internal combustion engines, such as the turbocharged diesel engines used for rail locomotives, require cooling systems to limit the temperatures of various engine components. Internal combustion engines are known to be designed with internal cooling passages for the circulation of coolant to remove heat energy from the engine components. Lubricating oil which is circulated throughout the engine to reduce friction will also absorb heat and, therefore, will also require cooling to avoid reaching temperatures that would detrimentally affect its lubricity. Diesel engines often utilize turbochargers to increase power by compressing the intake combustion air to a higher density. Such compression results in the heating of the combustion air, which must then be cooled prior to its use to enable the engine to have high volumetric efficiency and low emissions of exhaust pollutants. For mobile applications such as rail locomotives, the only readily available heat sink is the surrounding ambient air. It is known to utilize a pumped cooling medium, such as water, to transport heat to finned radiator tubes. The radiator tubes then transfer the heat to the ambient air, often using forced convection provided by fans.
It is often desirable to maintain an internal combustion engine and its associated intake combustion air at multiple different temperatures in order to optimize the performance of the engine. Consequently, coolant at one temperature may be provided to the cylinder jackets of a turbocharged diesel engine and coolant at a lower temperature may be provided to an intercooler for cooling the compressed combustion air. Such a system may use a single pump, heat exchanger, and temperature control valve to accomplish the dual cooling objectives.
Other turbocharged diesel engine cooling schemes may use a subcooler in addition to a radiator. The subcooler is typically located upstream of the radiator in a flow of cooling ambient air. For locomotive applications, ambient air flowing through the radiators is normally provided by a multi-speed fan, since the radiators are positioned on the roof of the locomotive. The use of a subcooler provides a greater temperature difference capability between the temperature of the engine and the temperature of the combustion air.

Integrated engine control and cooling system for diesel engines


A system for disinfecting a water sample includes a pipe having an inlet for engaging a source of the water sample, a storage reservoir connected to an outlet of the pipe for holding the water sample, an array of photovoltaic cells coupled to the pipe for converting solar radiation into a current, and an array of light emitting diodes coupled to the pipe and powered by the current, wherein the array of light emitting diodes emits a germicidal wavelength of radiation. A method for disinfecting a fluent water sample includes generating a current using an array of photovoltaic cells, using the current to power an array of light emitting diodes, wherein the array of light emitting diodes emits a germicidal wavelength of radiation, and exposing the fluent water sample to the radiation while transporting the fluent water sample from a source to a storage reservoir.

Recent studies by the World Health Organization indicate that as many as one billion people lack access to a source of improved drinking water. Consequently, more than two million people die per year of waterborne disease, and more still are afflicted with non-fatal waterborne diseases. Most of these people live in developing countries, refugee camps, or disaster relief shelters, where conventional water treatment systems may be cost-prohibitive (or the resources required to power such systems—e.g., electricity, fuel, etc.—may not be readily available).
Conventional approaches to electricity-less water disinfection include of ultraviolet (UV) germicidal irradiation, which typically uses a mercury vapor lamp to deliver germicidal UV radiation. Although such systems compare favorably with other water disinfection systems, they also introduce environmental hazards that other systems do not. For instance, a full-spectrum mercury vapor lamp will produce ozone at certain wavelengths. Moreover, exposure to germicidal wavelengths of UV radiation can be harmful to humans (e.g., resulting in sunburn, skin cancer, or vision impairment).

Large-scale electricity-less disinfection of fluent water

International Business Machines Corporation


1,3-Substituted cycloalkenes and cycloalkanes are described, as well as methods for the preparation and pharmaceutical composition of same, which are useful as central nervous system agents and are particularly useful as dopaminergic, antipsychotic, and antihypertensive agents as well as for treating hyperprolactinaemia-related conditions and central nervous system disorders.

The present invention relates to novel substituted 1,3-cycloalkenes and cycloalkanes useful as pharmaceutical agents, to methods for their production, to pharmaceutical compositions which include these compounds and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, and to pharmaceutical methods of treatment. The novel compounds of the present invention are central nervous system agents. More particularly, the novel compounds of the present invention are dopaminergic agents.
A series of substituted cyclohexenes represented by the Formula I ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is aryl, 2-, 3-, or 4-pyridinyl or 2-, 3-or 4-pyridinyl substituted by lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, or halogen, 2-, 4-, or 5-pyrimidinyl or 2-, 4-, or 5-pyrimidinyl substituted by lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, or halogen, 2-pyrazinyl or 2-pyrazinyl substituted by lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, or halogen, 2- or 3- thienyl or 2- or 3-thienyl substituted by lower alkyl or halogen, 2- or 3- furanyl or 2- or 3-furanyl substituted by lower alkyl or halogen, 2-, 4-, or 5-thiazolyl or 2-, 4-, or 5-thiazolyl substituted by lower alkyl or halogen;
m is zero or an integer from one to two; R.sup.2 is ##STR2## wherein R.sup.1 is as defined above; n is zero or an integer from one to four; and PA1 corresponding optical isomers thereof; or a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt thereof, useful as dopaminergic agents, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,445. PA1 A is 5-7C cycloalkyl or cycloalkenyl, or --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --CHR.sup.5 --; PA1 n is 1, 2, or 3; PA1 R.sup.5 is R.sup.1 ; PA1 R.sup.6, R.sup.7 is H or Me; or PA1 R.sup.4 +R.sup.7 is a methylene bridge or a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt useful in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and panic disorders is disclosed in European Patent Application EP-345,808A. PA1 Z is ##STR4## wherein R is aryl, 2-, 3-, or 4-pyridinyl or 2-, 3-, or 4-pyridinyl substituted by lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, hydroxy, or halogen, 2-, 4-, or 5-pyrimidinyl or 2-, 4-, or 5-pyrimidinyl substituted by lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, hydroxy, or halogen, 2-pyrazinyl or 2-pyrazinyl substituted by lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, hydroxy, or halogen, 2- or 3-thienyl or 2- or 3-thienyl substituted by lower alkyl or halogen, 2- or 3-furanyl or 2- or 3-furanyl substituted by lower alkyl or halogen, 2-, 4-, or 5-thiazolyl, or 2-, 4-, or 5-thiazolyl substituted by lower alkyl or halogen, 3-indolyl, 2-, 3-, or 4-quinolinyl, and PA1 m is an integer of 1, 2, or 3, ##STR5## wherein R and m are as defined above, ##STR6## wherein R and m are as defined above, or ##STR7## wherein R is as defined above; Y is ##STR8## wherein R is as defined above or ##STR9## wherein R is as defined above; and corresponding isomers thereof; or a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt thereof. PA1 Z.sup.a is ##STR22## wherein R is aryl, 2-, 3-, or 4-pyridinyl or 2-, 3-, or 4-pyridinyl substituted by lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, hydroxy, or halogen, 2-, 3-, or 5-pyrimidinyl or 2-, 4-, or 5-pyrimidinyl substituted by lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, hydroxy, or halogen, 2-pyrazinyl or 2-pyrazinyl substituted by lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, hydroxy, or halogen, 2-, or 3-thienyl or 2- or 3-thienyl substituted by lower alkyl or halogen, 2- or 3-furanyl or 2- or 3-furanyl substituted by lower alkyl or halogen, 2-, 4-, or 5-thiazolyl, or 2-, 4-, or 5-thiazolyl substituted by lower alkyl or halogen, 3-indolyl, 2-, 3-, or 4-quinolinyl, and m is an integer of 1, 2, or 3, and ##STR23## wherein R and m are as defined above; Y is ##STR24## wherein R is as defined above or ##STR25## wherein R is as defined above; and corresponding isomers thereof; or a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt thereof may be prepared by reacting a compound of Formula II ##STR26## wherein m and Y are as defined above with a compound of Formula III EQU R-M III PA1 Z.sup.b is ##STR27## wherein R and m are as defined above; Y.sup.a is ##STR28## wherein R is as defined above; and corresponding isomers thereof; or a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt thereof may be prepared by reacting a compound of Formula Ic EQU Z.sup.a --CH.sub.2 --Y.sup.a Ic PA1 wherein Z.sup.a and Y.sup.a are as defined above with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst such as, for example, palladium on carbon and the like in a solvent such as, for example, methanol and the like to afford a compound of Formula Ib. Preferably, the reaction is carried out with palladium on carbon in methanol.
A series of 1-indolylalkyl-4-substituted pyridinyl piperazines represented by Formula I ##STR3## R.sup.1, R.sup.2 is H or 1-4C alkyl; R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.8, R.sup.9 is H, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, carbamide, halo, CF.sub.3, or thio-lower alkyl; provided that R.sup.9 and R.sup.9 are not both H;
However, the compounds disclosed in the aforementioned references do not disclose or suggest the combination of structural variations of the compounds of the present invention described hereinafter.

1,3-substituted cycloalkenes and cycloalkanes as central nervous system agents


Multiple light emitting device modules can be configured to illuminate in multiple different directions, while avoiding deterioration of radiation efficiency by use of fins. In a lighting fixture, multiple light emitting device modules can each have fins for radiating heat generated by the light emitting device. The multiple light emitting device modules can be arranged in such a manner that a main optical axis line of one light emitting device module and main optical axis lines of any other light emitting device modules form an angle larger than zero degrees, or are in a skewed position, and the fins can be arranged in such a manner that all the fins are parallel with respect to a vertical plane and roots of the fins are positioned at the same level as or lower than tips of the fins.

1. Technical Field
The disclosed subject matter relates to a lighting fixture in which multiple light emitting device modules are provided, each having fins for radiating heat generated by a light emitting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A lighting fixture described in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2004-55229, for example, is equipped with multiple light emitting device modules (LED light-source modules) each having fins for radiating heat generated by a light emitting device (LED).
In this lighting fixture, the light emitting device (LED) is placed on the same surface as the surface where the fins are placed, among all the surfaces of a bridging part (base) for bridging roots of adjacent fins, and a housing of the lighting fixture is made to abut against the surface opposite to the surface where the fins are arranged. As a result, the heat generated from the light emitting device (LED) is radiated from the fins via the bridging part (base), and the heat is also conducted to the housing of the lighting fixture via the bridging part (base).
In the lighting fixture described in FIG. 9 of Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2004-55229, multiple light emitting device modules (LED light source modules) are provided, and those multiple light emitting device modules are arranged in such a manner that a main optical axis line of one light emitting device module is parallel to the main optical axis of other light emitting device modules. Therefore, the light from the multiple light emitting device modules does not illuminate in multiple different directions.
If the direction of the main optical axis line of the multiple light emitting device modules is changed in order to make the multiple light emitting device modules illuminate in multiple different directions, however, an ascending air current which receives heat from the fins may be obstructed, and thereby an efficiency of the heat radiation by the fins may be reduced.


An ophthalmic laser treatment apparatus which irradiates a laser beam to a patient's eye to be treated is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a first optical fiber which delivers a first laser beam emitted from a first laser source; a first light delivery optical system which forms an image of an emission end surface of the first optical fiber on the affected part of the eye in a predetermined first spot size being in a range of 50 μm to 1000 μm; a second optical fiber which delivers a second laser beam emitted from a second laser source; and a second light delivery optical system which forms an image of an emission end surface of the second optical fiber on the affected part of the eye in a predetermined second spot size in a range of 500 μm to 7000 μm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ophthalmic laser treatment apparatus which is used to treat a patient's eye by irradiating the eye with a laser beam.
2. Description of Related Art
Photocoagulation or the like of the tissue of fundus is generally performed as ophthalmic laser treatment. As a recent treatment method for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), attention is being given to Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and Transpupillary Thermotherapy (TTT).
The PDT is a treatment method to treat choroidal neovascularization by intravenously injecting a photosensitive material (a pharmaceutical drug) having the property of selectively accumulating in atypical tissue such as choroidal neovascularization into a patient's arm, and irradiating an affected part of the fundus with a laser beam with a specific absorption wavelength to the drug, so that the affected part is cured by the active oxygen having cytotoxicity produced by the action of the drug. In the photocoagulation, thermal action spreads from a local point of a focus to an ambient region thereof. This would pose a limit to the treatment for choroidal neovascularization in central fovea or a contiguous region thereto. However, the PDT allows the treatment for choroidal neovascularization without causing damage to visual cells even in the central fovea.
On the other hand, the TTT is a noninvasive thermotherapy utilizing slow-acting atrophy or hypofunction of tissue cells by the heat induced by a laser beam from a laser diode or the like. The histologic fragile structure such as the choroidal neovascularization is of high sensitivity. Applying only a small temperature rise to the structure can necrotize the tissue thereof.
To perform the above photocoagulation, PDT, and TTT, heretofore, a hospital's ophthalmology division or the like needs to have some apparatuses (special purpose apparatuses) each having a delivery unit specifically designed for each type of treatment.
However, preparation of the special purpose apparatuses adapted for respective treatments would cause a problem that a wide space is needed for installation of those apparatuses. In addition, the preparation of the specially designed apparatuses would place a burden in cost on the ophthalmology division or the like.


A system and method for wagering and for evaluating responses to broadcast programs, such as television programs, includes an instructional signal modulated onto a signal transmitted concurrently with the television program, or time-multiplexed with a television. At each of a plurality of remote receiving stations, one or more members of a remote audience has the opportunity to respond to a situation presented in the television program by entering a response on a keyboard. The system includes, at each remote receiving station, a memory responsive to the instructional signal for storing acceptable responses, a comparison circuit for comparing responses entered at the keyboard with those stored in the memory, circuitry for scoring responses in accordance with commands from the instructional signal, and a recording device for providing a permanent record of the audience score at the remote station. For playing a lottery, numbers are entered at the remote stations and are stored at a central facility for verification upon presentation of lottery tickets. The tickets having both a played number(s) and a winning number(s) are printed at the remote stations. The program may be presented live conducted by a host at a central station, or by a prerecorded message accessible by telephone from a remote station with regulation from a central station.

This invention relates to transmission by electronic media including radio and television broadcasting programs, as well as recordings of such programs, to listeners and viewers of the programs and, more particularly, to the provision of signals designating questions or tasks including a wagering situation, to the provision of response criteria for evaluating responses of the listeners and viewers of the broadcast or prerecorded programs, and to the dispensing of awards to individual listeners and viewers having provided answers meeting the response criteria and/or placed a wager.
The invention also particularly relates to the transmission of signals conveying scenarios of events about to take place or taking place and to outcome criteria for evaluating predictions of listeners and viewers of the broadcasts of such events and to the dispensing of awards to individual listeners and viewers having provided predictions meeting the outcome criteria. An example of a situation involving a prediction is a wagering situation in which a player designates a wager applied to a possible outcome of a given scenario.
A common form of program transmitted by the broadcast media is the quiz program. Typically, in such a program, a panel of people provide answers to questions arising from the subject matter of the quiz. Often, the answers are indicated by use of a keyboard with electronic circuitry. The answers may be provided in response to questions which are asked directly, or in response to a situation such as a chess game, or task presented by the program such as in the solving of a puzzle. Other situations such as in sports, call for predictions of outcomes of events.
A characteristic of such quiz programs is the fact that the responses to the questions are limited to participants in the studio audience. The much larger external audience, namely the listeners of radio and viewers of television, are generally excluded from participation except for those few people who, on occasion, may have the opportunity to call in a response via telephone to a situation arising in the program. Letter writing has also been employed as a means of response to questions and other matters raised by the program.
Thus, it is apparent that a problem exists in that a large percentage of the external audience is essentially excluded from active participation in the broadcast programs. In view of the fact that the studio audiences can provide their responses electronically, it is clear that personal involvement, such as conversation among participants, is not necessarily required. It is, therefore, apparent that such programs should be open to participation by the larger external audience in addition to the studio audience; yet, no system providing for such participation has been available.
It is noted that this problem is not limited to quiz programs only, but that other forms of programs in the areas of education and research might also be conducted in a fashion allowing active public participation if a suitable system were available to make such public participation possible. A desirable feature of such a system would be the capability for evaluating and recording the responses, a feature that would be very useful in the case of educational programs because such a feature would permit a teacher to grade examinations dispensed to students by the broadcast media. Such a system would also be useful in commercial ventures wherein a prize is to be given to a participant providing an acceptable answer. In such a case, the participant would bring the recorded answer, which might be in the form of a coded credit card, to a store or other establishment for receipt of the prize. This would be a great convenience in the implementation of a sales and advertising program. Responses by the listening or viewing audience can also be used in conducting a survey of public opinion. However, in spite of the advantages which would be provided by such a system, for including the listening and viewing audience, no practical system has yet been available.
It would be advantageous also if the equipment of the system could be employed in the conduct of wagering, whether a simple lottery or a more complex situation involving wagering based on responses to a quiz game, educational game or a situation relating to the advertising of a product. It would be advantageous furthermore if such wagering could be conducted electronically so as to inhibit forgery and to reduce the number of inconvenient trips which a better must travel to a lottery agent. Such a system and method of wagering is not available at the present time.

System and method of communication with authenticated wagering participation


The present invention relates generally to the field of dental implant systems. More specifically, the invention relates to implant anchors with an internal screw portion and an exterior body with threaded and non-threaded portions. Even more specifically, the invention relates to an implant anchor with novel features to prevent leakage between components and vent liquids, compressed air, and biological materials, the implant anchor having a compatibility with a line of implant components.

It is well known in the dental field that for a multi-piece dental implant system to provide exemplary benefits to patients, such a dental implant system must be designed so that its constituent elements interact in a secure and stable manner. Past dental implants systems generally use an initial implant anchors that may take many forms, including blades, subperiosteal, endosseous root-forms, or transitional/ongoing implants. Larger dental implant anchors, generally those 3 mm or more, may require a substantive drilling procedure into the jawbone of a patient. The implant anchors may be designed to work as a foundation for affixing and stabilizing a patient's final prosthetic appliance. Dental implant components may include those that have "press fit," threaded, cylindrical, polygonal fittings and various other types of configurations that are adapted to be mounted to the dental implant anchors. Implant anchors in this particular field encounter issues with long term success, the prevailing indicators of success being stability and reliability.
In past dental implant systems, the relationship between typical sealing interfaces of the implant anchor and the implant component is substantially parallel. That is, regardless of the angle or orientation that the two elements assume relative to a horizontal surface, their relationship to each other is even, or parallel. Theoretically, in the past systems most or all of the interfacing surface area between the implant anchor and implant components makes contact simultaneously. Though the two surfaces may be substantially parallel, on a microscopic level the surfaces can make random initial contact interior of the outer interface perimeter during the seating or assembling process. The past approach of sealing interfaces in a parallel and uniform relationship can have many deleterious effects. First, by initially sealing the interface at non-uniform points interior of the interface perimeter, these past systems may allow gaps or cracks at the outer interface perimeters and throughout the entire interface perimeter as it continues to seal. A non-uniform seal can invite micro-leakage that may cause infectious contamination within the healing portions of the implant site. Next, a non-uniform seal that seals over an entire interface can also create frictional forces that may hinder a practitioner in easily seating the implant component into internal threads of an implant anchor. Finally, the sealing interface of many of the past multi-pieced implant systems is parallel to a plane of the threading motion used to mate implant components to an implant anchor. During a seating process, when the interface seals in a rotational manner in a parallel plane relative to the threading motion of an implant component into an implant anchor, an outside force that affects the plane of the interface seal also affects the security of the implant component that threadably screws into the implant anchor. This arrangement may cause issues with threading security and component stability.
Some multi-piece implant systems have attempted to provide anchor/component interfacing planes that are not parallel to the plane of component threading. For example, interior Morse taper and similar friction-fit configurations have been employed as the interfacing plane between the implant anchor and implant component. An implant anchor/implant component interface using an interior Morse taper, while addressing the issue of a parallel relationship between the plane of interfacing and the plane of threading motion. Some inventions in the art, attempting the address the issues raised herein, envision an abutment with recesses that helps seal against a spherical coronal end of an implant anchor while maintaining s more natural structure of a tooth.
As can be seen, there is a need for a cost effective dental implant reconstruction system. There is a further need for the implant system to prevent the loosening of screwing components and micro-leakage between the implant anchor and the implant component.


A method for conducting a call between a caller and an interactive voice response (IVR) system, the caller using a device to conduct the call, the device configured to execute a virtual assistant, the method comprising using the virtual assistant to conduct the call at least in part by influencing the style of information provided to the caller during the call and/or the content of information passed between the device and the IVR system during the call.

Virtual assistants provide a type of user interface that enables a person to interact with a computing device (e.g., a smart phone or other computing device). A virtual assistant may be configured to simulate a person, in some respects, so that the person interacting with the computing device with the help of a virtual assistant may have an experience similar to interacting with another person rather than a machine. For example, the virtual assistant may allow the person to interact with the computing device by speaking to provide voice input to the virtual assistant. A conventional virtual assistant may interpret the voice input provided by the user, perform one or more actions based on the user's input, and "talk" back to the user by using a voice interface.

Systems and methods for providing a virtual assistant


A thin film transistor is equipped with a silicon substrate, a channel layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode. The channel layer, the source electrode and the drain electrode are arranged on the main surface of the silicon substrate. The channel layer is composed of multiple carbon nanowall thin films, wherein the multiple carbon nanowall thin films are arranged in parallel to each other between the source electrode and the drain electrode, one end of each of the multiple carbon nanowall thin films is in contact with the source electrode, and the other end of each of the multiple carbon nanowall thin films is in contact with the drain electrode. An insulating film and a gate electrode are arranged on the rear surface side of the silicon substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor and a method for producing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vertical current driven devices using carbon nanowalls have been known (Patent Literature 1).
FIG. 50 is a schematic view of a conventional vertical current driven device. Referring to FIG. 50, a conventional vertical current driven device 500 includes a carbon nanowall 501, a source electrode 502, a drain electrode 503 and a gate electrode 504.
The carbon nanowall 501 is formed of a structure in which a plurality of graphene sheets are laminated.
The source electrode 502 is disposed at one end of the carbon nanowall 501, and the drain electrode 503 is disposed so as to contact the outermost surface or the lowermost surface of the carbon nanowall 501 at the top portion of the carbon nanowall 501. The gate electrode 504 is disposed so as to contact the outermost surface of the carbon nanowall 501.

Thin film transistor and method for producing same

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY


A preload library partitions certain files into segments and transforms the data of the files on a segment by segment basis, each independently of the other. The transformed segments are then stored as part of a transformed file, with each segment corresponding to a bag containing a chunk (of transformed data) and a gap which permits the chunks to grow when data of the segment is modified during a write operation. The bags are followed by a chunk map which contains metadata defining the compressed version of each segment. The preload library intercepts system calls from applications to the OC specifying access to specific segments of a transformed file. The preload library identifies the chunks corresponding to the specified segments, retrieves and reverses the transform on those chunks and passes the data to the application requesting it. For a system call to write data to certain segments, the data is modified and re-transformed by the library before being written back to disk. A preload library provides improved random access into transformed (e.g. compressed, encrypted, etc.) files.

There is an exponentially increasing disparity between CPU (central processing unit) speeds and disk bandwidth Moore's law predicts a doubling of processor speed every 18 months, whereas disk bandwidth has been doubling only every 2.2 years. The result is an I/O (input/output) bottleneck that undermines many of the advances in processing speed and memory capacity. The process of simply getting data into and out of core memory takes too long. In cases where data does not even fit in main memory, paradigms like external memory and streaming algorithms have been explored as alternatives to the RAM model for designing algorithms. Often, though, increases in memory capacity obviate the need to favor I/O over RAM complexity. Still, simply getting the input from disk to algorithm comprises a significant portion of the time spent by an application.
Lossless compression has long been used to reduce storage requirements and network transmission costs. Compressing data can help reduce the amount of data that must be accessed from main memory and therefore may be useful in mitigating the I/O bottleneck. Consider transferring b bytes from disk to memory. If the nominal disk bandwidth is d bytes/second, it requires b/d time to effectuate the transfer. If the data can be compressed by some compressor with compression ratio r (the ratio of the size of the compressed data to that of the original) however, and the uncompression speed is ur bytes/second (compression and uncompression speeds typically depend on the resulting compression ratio, which tends to be similar for different files from the same domain or source), then it takes r(b/d)+r (b/ur) time to read and uncompress the compressed data. Storing the compressed data therefore speeds data transfer whenever rb(1/d+1/ur)<b/d, or equivalently wheneverur>d(r/(1−r)  (1)
Equation (1) yields several useful observations. First, the benefit of compression is independent of the amount of data being transferred when assuming sufficient data is available to realize the assumed compression ratio. Second, for any fixed compression ratio, the benefit of compression increases proportionately to CPU speed, assuming that uncompression is CPU bound, as it is for compression schemes like Huffman, Lempel-Ziv, and Burrows-Wheeler. This mitigates the I/O bottleneck because increasing CPU speed directly speeds the transfer of data to applications when data is compressed. Third, for a given CPU, the benefit of compression depends on the compression ratio r. As r improves (i.e. gets smaller), so does r/(1−r), in that for compression to be worthwhile in terms of overall data transfer, the demand on uncompression speed relative to the disk bandwidth becomes less onerous.
Compression schemes used in practice (e.g., Huffman coding used in pack, Lempel-Ziv coding used in compress, gzip, and zlib, and the Burrows-Wheeler transform used in bzip) all share the characteristic that uncompression must start from the beginning of the compressed data. That is, to retrieve any byte requires uncompressing the entire text up to the desired access point. This complicates any application that requires arbitrary access into the data While some theoretical advances have been made in the area of string matching in compressed data, general-purpose computation over compressed data remains elusive.
This access problem may be generalized to situations having the following characteristics. First, data is stored after being transformed in some manner (e.g. compression, encryption, etc.). Second, upon retrieving the data the transformation must be reversed (e.g. uncompression, decryption, etc.) before an application can act on the retrieved data Third, after retrieving the data and reversing the transform, if the data is then altered, the data must be re-transformed (e.g. compressed, encrypted, etc.) prior to writing the data back to some form of slow memory, such as a disk drive, tape, CD ROM, DVD or the like. Given the existing disparity between CPU speed and I/O bandwidth, it would be preferable when retrieving data not to have to reverse the transformation from the beginning of the file all the way to the point for which access is desired. Further, when writing altered data back to slow memory, it would be preferable not to have to re-transform the entire file from the beginning all the way up to the portion of the file that is being altered by the writing process. Rather, it would be more advantageous to be able to read and write access randomly to any point within the transformed file.
Some attempts have been made in the past to provide more random access to transformed data stored in slow memory. Typically, the file is partitioned into smaller components, and these components are individually transformed/untransformed (e.g. compressed/uncompressed, encrypted/decrypted, etc.) such that access can be made to a smaller component containing the requested data rather than having to transform and/or untransform the entire file up to the requested data Although these techniques have provided improved random access to a transformed file, they don't necessarily provide a means by which the segmentized components of the transformed file can be indexed and manipulated without significantly burdening the improved performance sought through random access.
One such technique as applied to compression of files partitions the original file into segments, then compresses each compressed segment individually and stores each compressed segment starting in the exact location in slow memory (usually disk memory) in which the original uncompressed segment was stored. Thus, while a more random access into the transformed file is facilitated without the need for additional indexing, the disk space is fragmented, disk space is wasted and access to disk is less than optimal. Another approach partitions the file into segments and then applies the transform (e.g. compression, encryption, etc.) to each segment. The resulting "chunks" (i.e. transformed segments) are then stored contiguously and packed tightly to avoid wasting space. However, if a particular segment is written to and data within that segment is thereby altered, its resulting chunk may increase in size as a result. In this case, the entire layout of the compressed file must be rearranged to accommodate the larger chunk. While it has been proposed to instead store a chunk that has grown larger than its original size at the end of the file (i.e. out-of-order), this solution will impact the efficiency of disk access where optimal access requires that files be in-order.
The foregoing techniques have been implemented as part of operating system (OS) file systems. As a result, every file stored on the system is treated in the same manner, regardless of whether the data is truly benefited by the transform. For example, random data does not compress well, and segmenting it for purposes of compression may actually degrade access time to these files. Because the segmenting process is inaccessible to the user of the computer system when it is performed as part of a file system, there is no way to easily disable the segmenting process as to files that do not benefit from the transform Nor is there any way to fine tune the segmenting process to optimize the performance advantages with respect to the files on the system. The segmenting process is fixed and applied to all files in the same manner, and the parameters of the process are inaccessible by a user at the file system level.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A lifting cable winding mechanism of a solar radiation shielding device capable of uniformly winding lifting cables for lifting solar radiation shielding materials on the peripheral surfaces of winding drums and minimizing the extra lengths of the lifting cables remaining in a head rail when the solar radiation shielding materials are lowered to a lower limit, wherein a case (2) is fixed in the head rail (1), the winding drums (4) are fitted to a drive shaft (3) axially passed through the inside of the head rail (1) so as to be rotated integrally with each other, slits (6) are provided at the bottom part of the case (2), rings (7) are fitted to the winding drums (4) so as to be rotated integrally with each other and slidably moved in axial direction, guides (11) suspended from the bottom part openings (10) of the head rail (1) are formed at one end parts of the case (2), and the tips of the lifting cables (5) inserted from the slits (6) into the case (2) through the guide (11) are fixed to the rings (7).

Conventionally, a solar-radiation shielding device lifts and lowers a single solar-radiation shielding member by means of a plurality of lifting-cord winding mechanisms. The lifting-cord winding mechanism winds, around a winding drum, a lifting-cord that lifts and lowers the solar-radiation shielding member, where the winding drum is fitted to a drive shaft so that the winding drum is rotatable integrally with a drive shaft disposed in a head rail along the axial direction of the head rail. With the drive shaft rotating in one direction, the lifting-cord is wound onto the winding drum, which lifts the solar-radiation shielding member. With the drive shaft rotating in the opposite direction, the lifting-cord is reeled out of the winding drum, which lowers the solar-radiation shielding member.
According to a lifting-cord winding mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Gazette No. 05-248156, the mechanism functions such that a lifting-cord is inserted through an entrance hole of a case fixed to a head rail having a bottom opening, with the tip of the lifting-cord fixed to a driving shaft directly or via a ring, and a winding drum is formed so as to have a larger diameter on one side thereof where the entrance hole is located, thereby preventing the lifting-cord from unaligned winding and partially overlapped winding. Since this prior art example enables the lifting-cord, wound around the external circumferential surface of the winding drum, to be wound uniformly, the solar-radiation shielding member is not likely to be lowered unevenly even when a plurality of lifting-cord winding mechanisms are used. This example however has a problem in that, since the position where the tip of the lifting-cord is attached on the winding drum is distant from the entrance hole, much surplus length of the lifting-cord remains in the head rail when the solar-radiation shielding member is lowered to a lower limit, thereby increasing the cost.
According to a lifting-cord winding mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Gazette No. 11-206552, the mechanism functions such that a lifting-cord is inserted through a slit on the bottom of a case fixed to a head rail, with the tip of the lifting-cord attached to a ring fitted around a winding drum so that the ring is rotatable integrally with the winding drum but is slidable axially along the winding drum, and the ring is pushed along by the lifting-cord wound around the winding drum, thereby causing the wound lifting-cord to be well aligned on the circumferential surface of the winding drum. Little surplus length of the lifting-cord remains in the head rail when the solar-radiation shielding member is lowered to a lower limit. This example however has a problem in that, the lifting-cord, wound around the external circumferential surface of the winding drum, is likely to cause unaligned winding and partially overlapped winding, and is unable to be wound uniformly, whereby the solar-radiation shielding member is likely to be lowered unevenly when a plurality of lifting-cord winding mechanisms are used, thereby deteriorating the functionality and designing of the lifting-cord winding device.
Furthermore, with both the prior art examples, the winding drum restricts the hanging position of the lifting-cord, whereby the lifting-cord is unable to hang at an arbitrary position.
The present invention is made to solve the problems described above. Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a lifting-cord winding mechanism of a solar-radiation shielding device wherein a lifting-cord for lifting a solar-radiation shielding member is enabled to be uniformly wound around a winding drum, the surplus length of the lifting-cord is made minimum that remains in a head rail when the solar-radiation shielding member is lowered to a lower limit, and the lifting-cord is enable to hang at an arbitrary position.

Lifting-cord winding mechanism of solar-radiation shielding device


Methods and apparatus facilitating radial profiling of formation mobility are disclosed. Radial profiling of formation mobility aids in an optimal completion of a well for enhanced production. Some aspects of the present invention provide a technique for radial profiling of formation mobility based on inverting differences between a Stoneley radial profile of horizontal shear slowness and a dipole radial profile of vertical shear slowness for a reservoir interval.

A well completion engineer needs a variety of information in order to optimally complete a well. Two of the most important pieces of information relative to well completion include the ratio of near field permeability to far field permeability, and the radial depth of the wellbore damage zone. If known, these two factors may enable a completion engineer to enhance production. Permeability is sometimes expressed in terms of fluid viscosity (i.e. a ratio of permeability to viscosity). The ratio of permeability to viscosity is generally referred to as "mobility." The radial depth of the wellbore damage zone may be determined by generating horizontal and vertical shear slowness profiles. Many logging tools and procedures have been developed over the years to aid with the formation evaluation process, including estimates of formation mobility.
One example of a logging device that has been used to obtain and analyze sonic logging measurements of formations surrounding an earth borehole is Schlumberger's Modular Sonic Imaging Platform (MSIP) tool. According to conventional use of the MSIP logging tool, one can present compressional slowness, Δtc, shear slowness, Δts, and Stoneley slowness, Δtst, each as a function of depth, z (slowness corresponds to the interval transit time typically measured by sonic logging tools).
An acoustic source in a fluid-filled borehole generates headwaves, as well as relatively stronger borehole-guided modes. A standard sonic measurement system includes a piezoelectric source and hydrophone receivers inside a fluid-filled borehole. The piezoelectric source may be either a monopole or a dipole source. The source bandwidth typically ranges from a 0.5 to 20 kHz. A monopole source primarily generates the lowest-order axisymmetric mode, also referred to as the Stoneley mode, along with compressional and shear headwaves. In contrast, a dipole source primarily excites the lowest-order flexural borehole mode together with compressional and shear headwaves. The headwaves are caused by the coupling of the transmitted acoustic energy to plane waves in the formation that propagate along the borehole axis. An incident compressional wave in the borehole fluid produces critically refracted compressional waves in the formation. The waves refracted along the borehole surface are known as compressional headwaves. The critical incidence angle is represented as θi=sin−1(Vf/Vc), where Vf is the compressional wave speed through the borehole fluid and Vc is the compressional wave speed through the formation. As a compressional headwave travels along an interface, it radiates energy back into the fluid that can be detected by the hydrophone receivers placed in the fluid-filled borehole. In relatively fast formations, the shear headwave can be similarly excited by a compressional wave at the critical incidence angle θi=sin−1(Vf/Vs), where Vs is the shear wave speed through the formation. It is also worth noting that headwaves are excited only when the wavelength of the incident wave is smaller than the borehole diameter so that the boundary can be effectively treated as a planar interface. In a homogeneous and isotropic model of fast formations, as above noted, compressional and shear headwaves can be generated by a monopole source placed in a fluid-filled borehole to determine the formation compressional and shear wave speeds. However, refracted shear headwaves cannot be detected for slow formations (where the shear wave velocity is less than the borehole-fluid compressional wave velocity) with receivers placed in the borehole fluid. Therefore, formation shear velocities are obtained from the low-frequency asymptote of flexural dispersion for slow formations. There are standard processing techniques for the estimation of formation shear velocities in either fast or slow formations from an array of recorded dipole waveforms.
In a recently issued patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,611,761 for "Sonic Well Logging for Radial Profiling," hereby incorporated by this reference) a technique is described for obtaining radial profiles of fast and slow shear slownesses using measured dipole dispersions in the two orthogonal directions that are characterized by the shear moduli c44 and c55 for a borehole parallel to the X3-axis 102 (FIG. 1, the X3-axis is a borehole 100 axis). The meanings of shear moduli c44 and c55 are generally known to those of skill in the art and are also defined below.
Another U.S. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,714,480 entitled "Determination of Anisotropic Moduli of Earth Formations" hereby incorporated by this reference) describes a technique for estimating the horizontal shear modulus c66 (c66 is generally known to those of skill in the art and is also defined below) of a TIV (transverse isotropy with a vertical axis of symmetry) formation using the zero frequency intercept of the Stoneley dispersion that yields the tube wave velocity. This technique assumes that the borehole Stoneley dispersion is insignificantly affected by the presence of the sonic tool structure or any possible near-wellbore alteration, such as super-charging in permeable formation, and shale swelling in overburden shales. However, recent observations reveal that in fast formations and boreholes with small diameters, both the sonic tool effect and near-wellbore alteration can have significant effects on the measured Stoneley dispersion.
To overcome these limitations in the estimation of horizontal shear modulus c66 in the far-field of a TIV-formation with the TI-symmetry X3-axis parallel to the borehole, principles described below provide procedures for obtaining radial profiles of horizontal shear slowness and estimates of the horizontal shear modulus c66 outside any near-wellbore altered annulus. The far-field shear modulus c66 may then be appropriately used to characterize formation TIV-anisotropy for subsequent application in the AVO (amplitude verses offset) analysis.
According to the prior art, formation mobility is estimated from an increase in Stoneley slowness (and or attenuation) over a certain bandwidth as the Stoneley wave propagates through a permeable interval. FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of the deformation of the fluid-filled borehole 100 caused by the lowest-order axi-symmetric wave propagating along the borehole 100. The Stoneley mobility indicator is based on the difference between measured Stoneley slowness and theoretical Stoneley slowness for a non-permeable interval (S—Se). Chang et al., Low-frequency tube waves in permeable rocks, GEOPHYSICS, Vol. 53 No. 4, pp. 519-527 (April 1988).
However, there are a number of drawbacks associated with using this Stoneley mobility indicator to estimate permeability (or, equivalently, mobility). The primary disadvantage of using the Stoneley mobility indicator is misinterpretation of permeability zones. Changes in formation shear modulus caused by formation stresses or varying amounts of clay content can be misinterpreted as zones of higher permeability. This technique assumes that the hear modulus c66 derived from the Stoneley data and the shear modulus (c44 or c55) derived from the dipole data are identical in the absence of formation mobility (as would be the case in an isotropic formation). FIG. 1B illustrates theoretical Stoneley and flexural dispersions for a range of formation slownesses. The illustrated results represent an isotropic and homogeneous formation in the absence of any tool effects. Consequently, radial profiles of horizontal shear slowness from the Stoneley dispersion data and vertical shear slowness from the dipole dispersion data would essentially overlay in the absence of any formation mobility. Any observed separation between these profiles in the far-field is taken as the Stoneley mobility indicator.
The general expression yielding the Stoneley slowness in this low-frequency limit is (Chang et al. (1988); Liu et al., Effects of an Elastic Membrane on Tube Waves in Permeable Formations, J. ACOUST. SOC. AM., Vol. 101 No. 6, pp. 3322-3329 (June 1997)):
                              S          2                =                              ρ            m                                          (                                                                                1                                          K                      m                                                        +                                      1                    G                                                  ︸                            +                                                2                                      a                                                              (                                                                        W                          o                                                +                                                  W                          mc                                                                    )                                                                      ︸                                      )                                              (        1        )
Elastic Frequency and Biot Effects
where
                                          W            0                    =                                    -                              μ                k                                                                C              D                                                  k                              c                2                                                                                H                  0                                      (                    l                    )                                                                                (                                                            k                                              c                                                                                2                                                                                a                                    )                                                                              H                  1                                      (                    1                    )                                                                                (                                                            k                                              c                                                                                2                                                                                a                                    )                                                                                and                            (        2        )                                          k                      c            2                          =                              i                                                                                ω              /                              C                D                                                                        (        3        )            with                S Measured Stoneley slowness        k Matrix Permeability        η Pore fluid viscosity        ρm Mud or borehole fluid density        Km Mud or borehole fluid bulk modulus        G Isotropic Formation shear modulus where c44=c55=c66        a Borehole radius        ω Angular frequency (2πf)        kc2 The Biot slow-wave wavenumber        CD Slow wave diffusivity        Wo Acoustic fluid mobility effects        Wmc Acoustic mud cake membrane stiffness        Hj(1)(x) (outgoing) Hankel functions, j=0,1The slowness, S, is complex-valued and frequency dependent; the real part of S is the conventional phase slowness and the imaginary part is simply related to the attenuation. The term
      2        ρ        a              (                        W          o                +                  W          mc                    )      represents the contribution of fluid mobility effects to the Stoneley slowness. The quantity W0, which is a function of frequency, describes the permeability dependence. The membrane stiffness parameter, Wmc, describes how hard it is to force fluid in through the borehole wall, past the mudcake, which is assumed to flex in and out under the effect of an oscillating pressure. Large values of Wmc imply that the mudcake seals the borehole. Intuitively, in such cases, the slowness and attenuation are not sensitive to permeability, and the low-frequency formula bears this out. No mudcake corresponds to Wmc=0, which maximizes the sensitivity of the Stoneley to permeability effects. However, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a permeable interval 104 affects Stoneley waves. The permeable interval 104 increases Stoneley slownesses at all frequencies and introduces attenuation of the Stoneley wave amplitude.
The S—Se technique derives from the approximation proposed by White. White, J. E., Underground Sound—Application of Seismic Waves, Chapter 5—Waves Along Cylindrical Boreholes, ELSEVIER, New York (1983), pp. 139-191. The general low-frequency equation can be written as:
                              S          2                =                              S            e            2                    +                                    2                                            ρ                m                                                    a                                            (                                                      W                    o                                    +                                      W                    mc                                                  )                                                                        (        4        )            FIG. 3 shows a correlation between (S—Se) and formation mobility for a few different values of mud compressional slowness. This type of correlation shows that one can infer formation mobility from the estimated (S—Se) within the framework of low-frequency approximation as discussed by Chang et al., 1988.
It would be useful to have accurate and quantitative radial profiles of the three shear slownesses characterized by the shear moduli c44, c55, and c66 in the three orthogonal coordinate planes that can be employed in the evaluation of formations for the presence near-wellbore permeability impairment and/or producibility of hydrocarbons. Therefore, principles of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for radial profiling of formation mobility, and radial profiles of formation mobility aid in the optimal design of a well completion.

Radial profiling of formation mobility using horizontal and vertical shear slowness profiles


An information exhibition system includes an exhibition cabinet and a least one information display device. The exhibition cabinet is used to exhibit at least one object. The information display device is positioned on the exhibition cabinet. The information display device includes a display panel and an illumination module. The display panel includes a front surface and a back surface opposite to the front surface. The front surface shows information. The illumination module is positioned on the back surface of the display panel, so that the light can be emitted into the display panel through the back surface and also illuminate the object on the backside of the display panel.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an information exhibition system.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical commodity exhibition cabinet includes a plurality of shelf boards. Commodities can be exhibited on each shelf board. In order to make the viewer to receive the information of the commodity, some manufacturers install a display in front of the shelf board to show the commodity information. Further, some manufacturers install a lamp or other illumination devices to emitting a light to the commodity, so that the viewer can see the commodity more clearly. However, the display and the illumination device both require electricity. When the commodity exhibition cabinet includes both the display and the illumination device, the power consumption is considerably high.


A lens barrel permits easier switching of an extending operation between a setup operating region, which begins at a collapsed position where the lens frame of the lens barrel is retracted, and a zooming region, and accordingly provides a simpler mechanism. In the setup operation, a setting gear is driven to extend a setting frame, a float key, and a moving frame so as to extend a first group zoom frame retained on a cam frame and a second lens holding frame from a collapsed position to a photographing standby position. In the zooming operation, a zoom gear is driven to rotationally drive the moving frame so as to adjust the first group zoom frame and the second lens holding frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanism for extending a lens barrel in an optical system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional a multi-stage zoom lens barrel structure proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-27963, a zoom lens barrel has a three-stage extending mechanism, and a fixed barrel cylinder is disposed on the outermost circumference; an inner frame is moved by a gear from a collapsed position to a wide angle position through a telephoto angle position, which are photographing standby positions, thereby to perform zooming.
According to another structure disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-313788, a feed screw connected to a driving system is used to move the lens barrel from the collapsed position to a setup position which enables photographing, then a rotary frame that has a gear on the outer periphery thereof is turned to carry out zooming, the gear being connected to the driving system.
The structure disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-27963 has a shortcoming in that, since the lens frame is moved from the collapsed position to the wide angle position through the telephoto angle position by a single cam, the lead angle of the cam increases as the extending amount is increased and the load becomes heavier.
The structure disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-313788 is disadvantageous in that switching between the drive of the setup feed screw and the drive for zooming must be performed using an electromagnet according to the detection output indicative of the position of the lens frame given by a position detecting sensor so as to avoid a timing problem. This has resulted in a complicated switching system and a longer switching time. Furthermore, preventive measures must be provided against the leakage of light rays at the time of setup.


A cluster mill housing applicable to 20-high and 12-high cluster mills. The mill housing is similar in size and form to a comparable monobloc housing but is made of four distinct parts. The first part is a floor portion having a central lower roll cavity containing part terminating in end members and having a vertical column at each of its four corners. The second part comprises a roof portion having a central upper roll cavity containing part terminating at each of its ends in ears. The third and fourth parts comprise substantially identical bridge members overlying the roof portion ears and having downturned ends affixed to the tops of the columns. Each of the bridge members contain adjustment screws which bear against the adjacent roof portion ear. A synchronized drive assembly rotates the four adjustment screws equally and in the same direction to adjust the vertical position of the roof portion with respect to the floor portion. Hydraulic counterbalance assemblies are affixed to the bridge members and are connected to the roof portion to support the weight of the roof portion and to maintain the roof portion against the four adjustment screws.

The majority of cluster mills for cold rolling metal strip have been provided with monobloc housings of the type shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,169,711; 2,187,250 and 2,776,586 or the improved type taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,401 and also illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b herein.
The advantage of the monobloc housing over any other housing type is great rigidity which is required in order to roll strip having the greatest uniformity in thickness. It will be noted by one skilled in the art that, as time progresses, requirements for gauge accuracy (i.e. thickness uniformity) are becoming increasingly stringent.
However, there are some disadvantages with respect to the monobloc housing, which, for some applications, can cause serious difficulties. These disadvantages can be summarized as follows:
Firstly, if a mill wreck occurs, i.e. the strip breaks and then accumulates in a tangled mass of scrap inside the housing, it sometimes takes several hours to remove the tangled strip, to enable rolling to recommence, and so significant lost production occurs. It would be advantageous in such cases to be able to separate upper and lower halves of the housing to provide more room for removal of scrap strip. This is particularly important for high speed mills.
Secondly, for some applications, it would be advantageous to be able to roll with a larger range of work roll diameters than can be achieved with a monobloc housing.
Thirdly, the ability to separate upper and lower halves of the housing would facilitate threading of the strip.
Fourthly, the ability to mount force measuring devices between upper and lower halves of the housing would enable more accurate measurement of roll separating force, which could be useful for purposes of data logging and improving accuracy of automatic gauge control systems.
Prior art alternative housing designs have overcome all of the difficulties, but paid the penalty of a great reduction in mill rigidity. Some examples of such prior art are shown in FIGS. 2, 3a and 3b of U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,899.
These housings are discussed in the above-noted co-pending application. The above-noted co-pending application, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a housing that, although overcoming all of the difficulties mentioned above, includes both screws and prestressing cylinders and so would be too expensive for some applications.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a housing for a cluster mill having all the advantages of prior art split housings, while maintaining a housing stiffness almost as high as that of a monobloc housing, and without requiring the use of costly prestressing elements.


A frictional engagement structure includes a first drum arranged at the inner periphery of a transmission casing, a second drum arranged at the inner periphery of the first drum, first friction plates splined to the casing or the first drum, second friction plates splined to the second drum, the first and second friction plates being arranged alternately in the direction of an axis of rotation of the drums, a piston for pressing the first friction plates through a disk spring and ensuring coupling between the first friction plates and the second friction plates to frictionally engage the casing or the first drum with the second drum, and a spring bearing member arranged between the first friction plates and the disk spring and including a plate portion substantially parallel to the first friction plates and the outer peripheral portion arranged substantially perpendicular to the first friction plates and interposed between the disk spring and the first drum or the casing.

The present invention relates to a multiple disk clutch in a frictional engagement structure using multiple disks, and more particularly, to a cushioning disk spring and spring bearing member arranged between a clutch plate and a piston.
With a multiple disk clutch in the related-art frictional engagement structure using multiple disks, driven plates and drive plates are splined to respective drums that produce relative rotation. When pressed by a piston, the driven plates and drive plates are frictionally engaged with each other to cause unitary rotation of the two drums. With such a frictional engagement structure, a cushioning disk spring is arranged between the piston and the drive plates so as to prevent abrupt change in the engagement force of the driven plates and drive plates, achieving smooth engagement of the clutch. In this connection, refer to Japanese document P2002-213581A.
With the above multiple disk clutch, however, the disk spring is typically formed of steel that is a material harder than that of the drums. Thus, during non-engagement of the clutch, the free disk spring rotates with respect to the outer-periphery-side drum due to rotational variations, and makes slide contact with the inner peripheral wall of the drum, causing wear of the drum. Such wear can be prevented by hardening the drum through heat treatment, which causes, however, not only an increase in the number of working processes and in manufacturing cost, but also difficult achievement of sufficient strength even through execution of heat treatment, which is a case that the material is aluminum, for example. Alternatively, drum wear can be prevented by providing claws to the disk spring for its engagement and fixing to the drum. With this alternative, however, the claws make contact with splines of the drum to transfer thereto torque in the direction of rotation, leading to possibility of causing damage to the splines.

Frictional engagement structure using multiple disks


Mineral additive blend compositions and a method for operating a furnace are provided in order to avoid combustion problems such as agglomeration, deposition, corrosion and reducing emissions. A method for operating a furnace, such as a fluidized-bed reactor, pulverized-fuel combustor, and grate combustor, includes introducing fuel and a mineral additive blend including a clay and a functional mineral into the furnace.

Combustion processes may be used in power plant furnaces to generate heat for operating a boiler or steam generator, which generates electric power. The fuel used for such processes may include coal, petroleum coke, biofuel derived from biomass and/or solid wastes. The fuel may include inorganic volatiles, such as alkalis, alkaline earths, chlorine, fluorine, sulfur and metals.
Fossil fuel fired thermal power plants, such as coal burning facilities used by electrical utilities operate by combusting fuel in a furnace. Heat from the furnace is then used to boil water for steam to provide heat, or to turn turbines that eventually result in the production of electricity. In a typical fossil fuel fired power plant, coal is fed into the furnace and burned in the presence of oxygen at a combustion temperature ranging from about 850° C. to about 1700° C. The combustion gases (flue gas) contain carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and may contain other various undesirable inorganic volatile components including alkali, alkaline earths, sulfur, chlorine, fluorine and metals such as, iron, zinc, antimonium, vanadium, arsenic, cadmium, barium, lead, nickel, chromium, cobalt and mercury. In addition, the combustion gases also typically include entrained ash which may necessitate the use of particulate removal systems and scrubbers.
In order to increase efficiency, the hot combustion gases are typically also passed through a heat exchanger to cool the gases to on the order of about 150° C. before being emitted from a stack. In atypical heat exchanger, the hot combustion gases are passed through a bundle of tubes containing a heat transfer fluid (typically water) which remove a portion of the heat from the gases. The heat exchanger tubes can be cool enough to allow for the deposition of alkali salts, alkali and alkaline earth sulphates, and chlorides such as iron chloride from the combustion gases followed by deposition of silica-rich ash particles, which can result in fouling of the heat exchanger tubes.
Some power plants may include systems that operate using, for example, a process sometimes referred to as a "fluidized-bed combustion" process. One example of such a process is a circulating fluidized-bed combustion process, which may be used for electric power generation. Some examples of circulating fluidized-bed reactors may include gasifiers, combustors, and steam generators, and typically, circulating fluidized-bed reactors have an upright furnace or boiler.
During operation, fuel, for example, particulate fuel, is introduced into a lower part of a furnace, and primary and secondary gases, for example, air, may be supplied through a bottom and/or sidewalls of the furnace. Combustion of the fuel takes place in a bed of fuel particles and other solid particles, such as, for example, calcium carbonate, which may be included for sulfur dioxide capture, and/or inert material. For example, the fluidized-bed reactor (i.e., furnace) may be configured to suspend the bed of fuel particles and other materials on upward-blowing jets of the primary and/or secondary gases during the combustion process. The upward-blowing jets facilitate mixing of the fluid particles and other materials, which serves to improve combustion by, for example, reducing undesirable emissions and increasing combustion and heat transfer efficiency.
Some power plants may include systems that operate using pulverized-fuel combustion, in which fuels are injected in the combustion chamber as fine powder. In pulverized-fuel combustion a higher temperature profile in the combustion chamber is obtained compared to other combustion technologies. The fine particles are injected through burners in the lower part of the combustion chamber together with gases, for example, air, and due to the fine fuel particle size and the high oxygen concentration a high temperature flame is produced.
Some power plants may include systems operating a grate furnace, with a stationary or movable grate (traveling, vibrating, oscillating, rotary, etc). The fuels may be introduced in the combustion chamber either continuously or intermittently where they undergo combustion on a supporting grate. Air may be supplied to the combustion chamber from underneath and from the sides of the grate to promote an efficient combustion. Some power plants may include gasifiers that apply the gasification process. Gasification can be used to produce clean gas fuel from less pure solid fuels or wastes. In the gasification process, a fuel is heated to temperatures of about 400 to 900° C., or even higher. At these temperatures complex organic molecules are broken into lower molecular weight chains.
Exhaust gas and/or solid particles entrained in the bed or in the flue gas may leave the furnace via an exhaust port in, for example, an upper part of the furnace and may be passed to a particle separator. In the particle separator, most or substantially all of the solid particles may be separated from the exhaust gas. Typically, one or more cyclones, which use tangential forces to separate particles from exhaust gas, are coupled with the furnace. During normal operation, cyclones may be capable of separating about 99.9% of the particles from the exhaust gas.
The exhaust gas and any remaining solid particles, or fly ash, may then be passed through additional processing units before ultimately being released into the atmosphere. For example, in an atmospheric circulating fluidized-bed system, the exhaust gas flows through a boiler and past its boiler tubes containing a supply of water, providing heat to convert the water to steam. The steam may then be used to drive a steam turbine, generating electricity. The exhaust gas may be passed through a heat exchanger to recover at least a portion of the heat generated during the combustion process, and the exhaust gas may be passed through environmental processing units to reduce levels of undesirable emissions, such as pollutants, for example, nitrogen oxides ("NOx"), sulfur oxides ("SOx"), and/or particulate matter ("PM").
Combustion of the fuel particles and/or heating of other materials (e.g., calcium carbonate) may result in heating of alkali-containing materials, such that alkali compounds contained therein are released. The released alkali compounds may react with ash or other inorganic components present in the fuel, such as, for example, sulfur, chlorine, and/or silica, which may result in undesirable deposits, ash accumulation, and/or corrosion occurring on exposed surface areas of the combustor components, for example, on furnace walls and/or boiler tubes. Such deposits and corrosion may lead to less efficient operation and/or lost production due to increased maintenance-related down time. Without being limited by theory, the alkali compounds may be released in a liquid or vapor form, which may be entrained in the exhaust gas. The alkali compounds may cause ash particles to stick together, leading to an undesirable ash accumulation (e.g., on boiler tubes) and fouling of the reactor system surfaces. Without being limited by theory, the alkali components combined with other inorganic components of the ash may form a eutectic mixture that form crystalline/amorphous deposits on the reactor surfaces.
As a result, it may be desirable to remove at least a portion of the alkali compounds and other undesirable inorganic volatiles, such as sulfur, chlorine, fluorine and metals, from the furnace before they react with the ash and/or other inorganic components, for example, to reduce or prevent undesirable deposits and/or corrosion.
Additionally, it may be desirable to increase the refractoriness of the ash formed, increasing its crystallization ability, crystalline fraction and its viscosity and, consequently, rendering ash less sticky and less prone to undergo deposition and densification on the exposed surfaces of the combustor components.

Mineral additive blend compositions and methods of use thereof


A jet shower sprayer includes three or more tubular distribution members connected together end to end forming an endless fluid path therein. Each tubular distribution member includes a plurality of nozzle openings. A water supply port is connected to and in fluid communication with the tubular distribution members.

It is known in the art relating to showers to provide a shower head or sprayer that typically includes a circular nozzle that produces a spray of water over a shower occupant's head. The shower head may be fixed in place on a wall of the shower or may include a handheld sprayer connected to a flexible supply line to allow a user to optionally move and hold the sprayer at any of a number of various positions. The shower head also may include an adjustable sprayer that can be selectively operated in a plurality of spray modes/patterns.
However, typical shower heads and sprayers use an excessive amount of water. Also, typical shower heads/sprayers are not designed to be used both by average adults as well as children, the elderly, and the handicapped. In fact, a need exists for a shower head/sprayer that is accessible to and operable by the elderly and handicapped while also being useful to the average adult.


An injection device having an elongated body, including a container with medicament, elements for connecting a needle to the container, actuating elements capable of injecting a dose of medicament upon activation, activating elements capable of activating the actuating elements, a needle shield arranged to the body and slidable between an extended and a retracted position in relation to the body. The needle shield is designed and arranged such that, upon penetration of the needle into a patient, when moved to its retracted position, acts on the activating elements, which in turn activates the actuating elements and injects a dose.

Injectors are used more and more for delivery of medication to patients, and they are particularly useful when they are handled by the patients themselves. In order to facilitate the handling the injectors should be easy to handle with a certain degree of automatic functions, they should be reliable and obvious to the user in order to avoid erroneous use. The injectors should further be provided with safety means to prevent accidental needle sticks from used needles due to the contamination hazards.
One type of injector on the market is the so called pen injector, a rather slim fountain pen-like injector. It is either designed so that the needle is penetrated into the skin manually by the user and subsequently the user presses a button, usually on top of the injector in order to inject the medicament, or that the needle is penetrated automatically and the medicament is injected when the button is pressed.
A drawback with the latter type of injector is that the mechanism becomes rather complicated in order to obtain that degree of automation, and therefore rather costly and also that it becomes difficult to obtain a really pen-like size. On the other hand, a drawback with the first type of injector is that there might be a problem handling the injector in that the needle first has to be pushed into the body, whereby this category of patients tends to hold the injector in a sort of stabbing manner. Subsequently, for injecting the medicament, they have to change grip in order to reach and depress the activating button, which may lead to erroneous or even no injection and certainly a degree of discomfort because of bending/moving the needle during the change of grip and/or that the patient needs to use both hands in order to operate the device.
In the field of injectors there is more and more a need for the possibility of delivering a plurality of doses of medicament. Many new drugs are to be delivered in very small quantities, and these small quantities are difficult to package in one-dose containers and inject from the containers. A few solutions to this has been presented where a larger container is emptied in steps. In order to have a reasonable accuracy as regards the repetitive and accurate quantity of the delivered doses, rather complex mechanisms have been developed. In order to repeat the dose, many injectors require their power supplier to be reloaded, which requires additional handling steps that require force by the user.
A further problem associated with injecting devices capable of delivering multiple doses is how to handle the last dose. There is often a problem if a last dose remaining in the medicament container is smaller than the dose quantity required or set.


An ice hockey goalie stick and method for making same is disclosed. The ice hockey goalie stick includes a shaft having an outer surface and extending along a longitudinal axis between a first end and an opposed second end. A paddle is mounted to the shaft at the second end, the paddle extending along the longitudinal axis and terminating in a blade. A dampening element is disposed over the shaft along at least a partial length of the second end thereof, the dampening element being made of a vibration-dampening material.

Ice hockey sticks provide a player with the means to control the puck and to direct it along a particular direction. Some ice hockey sticks, such as those used by goaltenders, serve a more defensive role whereby their primary purpose is to block or deflect the hockey puck.
The impact of the puck against the goalie stick may cause the player, in this case the goaltender (or "goalie"), to experience vibrations. The goalie absorbs vibrations through the hand gripping the goalie stick. Absorbing vibrations may cause discomfort. Furthermore, after repeated impacts over the course of multiple periods, the goalie's hand may become fatigued from absorbing the vibrations, causing her/him to potentially lose control of the goalie stick or to less effectively re-direct shots directed toward the stick.
Many ice hockey players, including goalies, now use hockey sticks made completely of a polymer composite. While such polymer composite goalie sticks are generally lighter than more traditional wooden sticks, they are more responsive to vibration than wood or wood-composite goalie sticks and therefore are particularly susceptible to the phenomenon of vibration transition through the stick to the hand of the goalie.
An improved goalie stick for use in ice hockey is therefore sought.

Ice hockey goalie stick and method for making same


A waveguide circulator for an electro-magnetic field having a wavelength is provided. The waveguide circulator includes: N waveguide arms, where N is a positive integer; a ferrite element having N segments protruding into the N respective waveguide arms; at most (N−1) quarter-wave dielectric transformers attached to respective ends of at most (N−1) other segments; a first quarter-wave dielectric transformer attached to an end of the first segment; and a coaxial-coupling component. The N waveguide arms include a first-waveguide arm and (N−1) other-waveguide arms. The N segments include a first segment protruding into the first-waveguide arm and (N−1) other segments protruding into respective (N−1) other-waveguide arms. The coaxial-coupling component is positioned within a quarter wavelength of the electro-magnetic field from the first quarter-wave dielectric transformer positioned in the first-waveguide arm.

Circulators have a wide variety of uses in commercial, military, space, terrestrial, and low power applications, and high power applications. A waveguide circulator may be implemented in a variety of applications, including, but not limited to, low noise amplifier (LNA) redundancy switches, T/R modules, isolators for high power sources, and switch matrices Such waveguide circulators are important in space applications (for example, in satellites) where reliability is essential and where reducing size and weight is important.
Moving parts wear down over time and have a negative impact on long term reliability. Circulators made from a ferrite material have high reliability due to their lack of moving parts. Thus, the highly reliable ferrite circulators are desirable for space applications.
Waveguides may be the best electro-magnetic transmission media for the circulator in order to provide low insertion loss or to allow for a switchable direction of circulation. However, the waveguide circulator may need to directly interface to components in other transmission media, such as coaxial or microstrip line. An example of one such component is an LNA. LNAs are implemented on microstrip transmission line, and may have microstrip or coaxial interfaces. Therefore, a transition from a waveguide to a microstrip or to a coaxial line is required between the waveguide circulator and each LNA.

Waveguide circulator with improved transition to other transmission line media


An engine cover with integrated ignition system components that provides a protective enclosure for ignition coils in a distributorless ignition system of an internal combustion engine. The cover serves as a cylinder head cover for sealing over the valve assembly of the engine and for that purpose includes a plastic housing having an upper wall and side walls that extend downwardly to a perimeter mounting surface of the housing. The housing includes a unitary compartment that is located above the upper wall. The ignition coils are mounted within the compartment and are electrically connected via terminals to high voltage leads that are embedded in the upper wall and that extend laterally to a corresponding second group of terminals located at the lower surface of the upper wall. These terminals are positioned so as to electrically connect to the engine spark plugs when the cover is installed on the engine.

This invention relates to engine fluid compartment covers and ignition systems for spark ignition internal combustion engines.
Spark ignition internal combustion engines such as are used in automobiles have traditionally employed mechanical or electronic distributors to route high voltage spark energy from an ignition coil to the engine spark plugs. More recently, distributorless ignition systems have been employed in which a separate ignition coil is provided for every one or two spark plugs. In some instances, the coils are installed directly above or into the spark plug. In other instances they are integrated together into a common housing or assembly for installation above the spark plugs as a single unit, and this integrated approach has been proposed for both distributor-based and distributorless systems.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,443 to Oetting et al. discloses an integrated ignition system in which a cylinder head cover mates with the engine to define a first enclosed cover space for the valve assembly overhead cam and a second enclosed space for the spark plugs. The cover can include a distributor and ignition coil with leads that route the high voltage to annular contact rings electrically connected to the spark plugs. U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,235 to Lueder discloses an air intake manifold having a distributor and molded-in high voltage wires that lead to external lugs where they are then connected to each spark plug via spark plug wires.
In distributorless systems, a number of different approaches have been proposed for incorporating the ignition coils into a common assembly. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,850 to Okada discloses different embodiments of a cylinder head cover that includes for each spark plug an ignition coil mounted either under the cover or in an exposed location on the top of the cover. The cover includes either a printed circuit or embedded conductors that provide power to the coil primary from a connector on the cover. Although this design involves a fairly direct connection of the coil""s high voltage secondary to the spark plugs, it is also known in distributorless systems to route the high voltage from the coil to the spark plugs using molded-in high voltage conductors. This is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,639 to Boyer et al. In that patent, the ignition module includes a plastic housing that includes the ignition coils in a central location with conductors embedded in a lower wall of the housing to carry the high voltage from the coils to terminals located on the bottom side of the lower wall. The terminals are electrically connected to the spark plugs via a spring or conductive material. The housing includes a metal cover which partially extends over a pair of separate dual-overhead cam covers.
Various other approaches to an integrated ignition system have been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,675 to Huntzinger et al. discloses an integrated ignition system which includes a primary winding module that comprises a horizontal support portion and a plurality of downwardly-extending spaced tubular extensions, each of which has a primary winding coil open at its lower end so that it can fit directly onto its associated spark plug. Each spark plug includes a high voltage secondary so that when the primary winding module is installed with each of the tubular extensions fitted over its associated spark plug, the primary windings in the tubular extensions surround and magnetically couple to the secondary windings in the spark plug to thereby transfer spark energy to the secondaries. See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,828 to Tagami et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,274 to Maekawa; U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,936 to Pritz et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,648 to Yanase.
Although these prior art systems provide integration of various portions of the ignition system, they typically provide only limited integration or otherwise involve a tradeoff of modularity and ease of servicing for increased integration. For example, in the Boyer et al. patent, the housing and cover of the ignition module is separate from the cam covers. In the Oetting et al. patent, the distributor and ignition coil appear as an integral part of the cylinder head and apparently not separately replaceable. The Okada cylinder head cover involves locating the ignition coils either under the cover, where they are not easily accessible, or on top of the cover, where they are completely exposed and not protected. In either case, the coils are located directly above their associated spark plug and no provision is made for allowing them to be located in a laterally-spaced position on the cylinder cover.
The present invention is directed to an engine cover such as can be used for sealing engine oil or some other engine fluid within a compartment on a spark ignition internal combustion engine. The cover can be, for example, a rocker cover or, more generally, an overhead valve assembly cover. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the cover comprises an engine fluid compartment cover that includes a housing, a first group of high voltage terminals, a second group of high voltage terminals, and a plurality of high voltage leads electrically connecting each terminal from the first group with at least one of the terminals from the second group to thereby permit high voltage spark energy to be transmitted through said housing. The housing has an upper wall and at least one side wall extending down from the upper wall to a mounting surface of the housing. The mounting surface has a conformation that mates with an associated surface of an engine fluid compartment on the engine such that, when the housing is mounted to the engine with the mounting surface in contact with its associated surface on the engine fluid compartment, the upper and side walls together enclose the engine fluid within an interior region below the upper wall. The first group of terminals are located at the outer surface of the upper wall and the second group of terminals are located at the inner surface of the wall. In this way, ignition coils or other ignition system components can be located on the outside of the cover in contact with the first group of terminals and the high voltage spark energy can then be routed through the housing by the high voltage leads to the second group of terminals that can be electrically connected to the individual spark plugs.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the cover can include a housing as described above, but with a separate compartment located above the upper wall to provide a protective enclosure for the ignition coils and/or other components. The first group of terminals can then each be located within the compartment, and a removable cover can be provided over the compartment. This serves the dual purpose of maintaining the high voltage portion of the ignition system within and underneath the housing while providing easy access to the ignition coils for servicing.

Engine cover with integrated ignition system


A head protection system includes an elastomeric cap configured to be held in a position relative to a crown of the head of the wearer. A torus-shaped cushioning chamber is positioned between an outer surface of the elastomeric cap and the head of the wearer. A plurality of cage slats extend from the elastomeric cap between the elastomeric cap in a position relative to the crown of the head of the wearer and protect the head of the wearer from impact.

The present disclosure is related to the field of protective headgear. More specifically, the present disclosure is related to protection of the head and neck from injury due to forcible impacts.
Standard components of existing shoulder pad systems include padding and exterior impact panels and methods to secure the shoulder pad systems to the wearer. These components are flexibly connected to allow articulation of a wearer's body parts. Such a wearer may be a participant in a sporting contest that includes a risk for collisions or impacts. However, such protective components may also be used in the context of industrial or military uses which may also carry risks of collision or impact.
Head protection is an ongoing, problem in various fields, two examples of which include military combat and professional and amateur sports. Popular professional or amateur sports include American football, ice hockey, martial arts, lacrosse, field hockey, motor sports, etc. which all have the same rising incidences of concussions among players. Similar concerns of head and neck protection are present in military, industrial, and construction work settings.
Recent innovations have focused on expanding the space between the inside of a helmet shell and the head of the wearer, improving helmet surface collision effect, looser helmet fit, improved materials, soft exterior helmet layers, and brain circulation modifications directed for absorbing and dissipating impacts to the head. Despite these innovations, head and neck injuries continue in the aforementioned environments raising public and wearer awareness of head injury consequences with each new publicized injury associated with behavior problems and increased suicide rates, which can degrade willingness to serve for national security, and to engage in otherwise healthful sports which threaten the traditions and economic vitality of long standing and popular entertainment industries.