This invention relates to the control of a machine for performing drilling or bolting operation, such as in an underground mine. In one aspect, the invention comprises a system including an input device for manually controlling at least one aspect of the drilling or bolting operation and a controller associated with at least one neutral switch. An actuator actuates the drilling or bolting operation and includes a valve associated with the input device and the neutral switch. The input device is operative for controlling the drilling or bolting operation only when the valve is in a neutral position according to the neutral switch. Related input devices and methods are also disclosed.

Drills using rotatable bits for penetrating into the earth are in widespread use. One application of such drills is in conjunction with a machine known in the vernacular as a "roof bolter" capable of both forming boreholes in the faces of the passageways of underground mines and then installing roof anchors or "bolts" in the boreholes. As is well-known in the art, the bolts once installed provide support for the adjacent portion of the mine face (typically the roof and ribs), thereby reducing the incidence of catastrophic cave-ins.
In the typical bolting operation, once the borehole is created using the drill, a resin cartridge is inserted. The drill head is then used to insert a roof bolt into the borehole to rupture the resin cartridge. Once ruptured, the bolt is rotated using the drill head to mix the resin, which is designed to quickly set and form a secure bond with the material surrounding the borehole.
Oftentimes, a manual operator input device, such as a joystick, is used to control the operation of the drill head, both during the drilling and bolting cycles of the operation. A single joystick may be associated with a manual control valve such that movement in a first direction (i.e., forward) results in drill head feed, rotation, or both. Alternatively, two independent joysticks may be used: one for controlling feed and the other, rotation. Using a manual control valve also allows the speed and direction of rotation or feed to be easily controlled by simply pivoting the joystick. However, electronic, solenoid-operated proportional control valves may also be used, if desired.
While an input device such as a joystick provides an intuitive and easy-to-use interface for controlling the drilling and bolt insertion operations, it has been discovered that the operator sometimes inadvertently moves the input device (joystick) for causing rotation when only feed is desired. Likewise, the operator may desire to rotate the chuck at a slow speed to assist in coupling the bolt head with a wrench or socket in a drill "pot," but inadvertently move the joystick to a position such that a higher rotational speed results. Both of these occurrences essentially require the operator to repeat the procedure and, consequently, decrease the efficiency of the operation.
Accordingly, a need is identified for a manual input device or system for use in controlling a drilling operation, such as during the forming boreholes in one or more faces of a passageway in an underground mine. The input device would be simple to operate using only one hand, yet would prevent inadvertent actuation of the drill head (feed, rotation, or both). The input device would provide failsafe operation and would be tamper-resistant to prevent operator override. The input device would also be easily retrofitted onto existing drilling machines. The use of a neutral switch to prevent movement (tramming) of a drilling machine on power up is also disclosed.

Drilling/bolting machine having a manual operator input device with enable switch and related methods


An auxiliary water projector system for use on jet propelled watercraft that only requires removal of the steering nozzle to be connected to the waterjet propulsion system. A thrust control valve is positioned adjacent the remounted steering nozzle. Using the thrust control valve and a flow control valve the operation of the watercraft and auxiliary water projector can be simultaneously controlled to include stationary, forward or reverse movement of the watercraft.

It is known that water used for jet propulsion of watercraft can also be diverted for spraying, including for use in fire fighting. Providing diverted water spraying capability to jet propelled watercraft has involved having necessary valving and piping systems included as the craft is being built or having these systems added later after making physical modifications to the jet propelled watercraft and its propulsion system, which can be expensive and time consuming.
Providing water borne fire fighting capability is important because boat fires are among the most difficult to combat and this situation includes boat fires at marinas. Compact parking of many boats and limited water space to maneuver are common situations at marinas. Access from land to marina docked boats is generally from dock systems that include docks, ramps and floating docks that can be small and over a hundred feet long. Typically dock systems are narrow and designed for light commercial use. Bringing hose-lines over long sections of dock systems can be extremely difficult. The hose-lines tend to fall into the water or catch on power posts, rope cleats, water faucets and other dock features. Further complicating fighting marina fires is the fact that mooring lines can burn through and a burning boat can float away from the dock to include floating into other distant docked boats.
An early known example of providing a high pressure water supply for auxiliary uses on jet propelled craft is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,276,193. Here a system for providing high pressure water on a watercraft is described as including an on board centrifugal fluid pump initially used for propulsion that also includes on board connections and on board valve controlled branches for supplying water under pressure to stand pipes. Plumbing connections for providing the high pressure lines from the centrifugal fluid pump would most conveniently be below deck to eliminate hazards from having to step over and around the centrifugal fluid pump and associated plumbing. For small craft that are not initially built with plumbing for providing auxiliary high pressure water lines there is commensurately limited space available for later installing necessary connections, piping and valving to provide auxiliary high pressure water lines that would be required for the described system.
A later example of providing high pressure water for auxiliary uses on water jet propelled craft is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,630. Here again a system for providing high pressure water on a watercraft is described as including an on board jet pump that includes on board connection, piping and an on board valve system for supplying water under pressure to an auxiliary high pressure line. The jet pump with associated plumbing would again for safety and convenience need to be enclosed or below decking. Unavoidably therefore in the case of small craft not initially built with auxiliary high pressure water lines, as described here, there would be commensurately limited space available for installing necessary connections, piping and valving to provide the auxiliary high pressure water supply.
A jet propulsion apparatus for watercraft that includes an auxiliary water service pipe having an off-take connection external to the hull is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,233,573. The auxiliary water service pipe is brought back into the hull through an aperture in the transom. Therefore, watercraft on which this system is used must originally be made with the aperture in the transom or the aperture must be cut in later before the system can be installed.
A jet propelled watercraft built for fire fighting that uses diverted water for spraying is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,516. Connection to a turbine pump also used for jet propulsion along with piping and valving to provide high pressure water for fire fighting are all installed within the hull. So again connections adjacent the turbine pump and substantial portions of piping and valving must be located below decks if the crew is to be able to conveniently and safely move about the craft.
An example of modifications made to a small watercraft that include a connection for a hose is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,139,060. Specifically, here modifications for a conventional outboard motor that can be mounted on a watercraft are described. The outboard motor is modified to simultaneously provide both waterjet propulsion and high pressure water from spray pipes that can direct streams of water mixed with chemicals for controlling growth of algae, aquatic weeds or the like. Described modifications are substantial, including installation of a centrifugal pump to the drive shaft for the outboard engine propeller. Specifically, the described modifications are identified as being intended to optimize use of a watercraft for spraying as opposed to fast jet propelled travel in combination with providing an auxiliary water supply.

Auxiliary water projector for jet propelled watercraft


The present invention relates to a method, a blank, and a box enabling packaging to be obtained that is fitted to the load to be packaged. According to the invention, a blank made of cut-out panels is wrapped around and is pressed against the load while the load is standing on one of the panels of the blank.

Methods are already known for obtaining a polygonal section box on a single manufacturing line by means of successive folding operations on a card blank, which operations are more particularly referred to as "wrap-around" operations.
For example, Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,020 teaches one such technical method that enables a box to be made from a card blank by means of a suitable machine fitted with a mandrel, the box also containing the object to be packaged, such as a bottle in this case, and the blank being wound around said mandrel. To this end, the blank includes a sequence of four panels connected to one another via parallel fold lines, and provided with lateral flaps that are connected to respective ones of said panels via fold lines perpendicular to the fold lines of said panels. In that document, the mandrel is hollow so as to receive the bottle to be packaged, and it is square in section. The four panels are then rectangular and identical and they are wound around the mandrel by folding so as to form the four faces of the lateral belt of the box, after which the lateral flaps situated at one end of the panels are folded to form the bottom of the box, and then, after the mandrel has been removed from the lateral belt of the box while leaving the bottle therein, the lateral flaps situated at the other end of said panels, are in turn folded to constitute the cover of the box containing said bottle.
Although that wrap-around type method gives results that are satisfactory since it makes it possible at the end of the manufacturing line, to obtain a box or packaging containing the object concerned and made from a blank, it nevertheless suffers from a certain number of drawbacks.
Firstly, in order to make the box, it is necessary to have a plurality of distinct workstations along the manufacturing line in order to form the lateral belt thereof, its bottom, and its cover on the basis of the panels and flaps of said blank.
Further, it appears difficult to package a group of objects, particularly if they are cylindrical. The danger is that they will not be held sufficiently tangentially in the desired position firstly against one another and secondly against the faces of the box constituted by said panels, e.g. when the mandrel is being removed, and as a result they may strike one another or be damaged during subsequent operations and handling of the boxes.
Furthermore, disposing an object, often such as a circular section bottle, in a box that is square in section does not cause the bottle to be effectively immobilized since it is in tangential contact only with no more than four lateral faces of the box. The four corners of the box constituted by two adjacent lateral faces of the box and defining 90.degree. angles are empty, such that the bottle can move inside the box.
Also, the four corners of a square section box run the risk of being damaged since they project, and they do not impart any increased compression strength to the box. Furthermore, the four projecting corners of the box represent a significant loss of card blank material. In addition, from the point of view solely of appearance, making a box that is purely in the form of a right parallelepiped is very ordinary and not very attractive, commercially.

Method and a blank for making a box around a load, and a box obtained in this way


Surgical instruments which have multiple functions used in performing endoscopic surgeries, including arthroscopic surgery. The surgical instrument includes a mechanical cutting portion, such as a rotary blade or burr, and an electronic cutting and/or cauterizing portion comprising an electronic surgical device which operates in bipolar mode. This solves the problem of having to constantly remove and insert various surgical instruments into the surgery site in order to remove different kinds of tissues and at different rates and in different manners. A rotary burr works best to remove hard tissues, such as bone, while the bipolar device can be used to cut or ablate soft tissues and/or cauterize tissue, including blood vessels. Alternatively, the mechanical cutting portion may include a rotary blade, which works best for removing soft tissues.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to endoscopic surgical instruments. Specifically, the present invention relates to surgical instruments that can selectively use both mechanical energy and electrical energy to remove tissue of a patient at an internally located surgical site. More specifically, the surgical instruments include a portion that operates in bipolar mode to cut, ablate, or cauterize tissues during an endoscopic procedure.
2. The Relevant Technology
Endoscopy is widely used in order to effect removal of unwanted or damaged tissues from a patient in a manner that is less invasive than completely opening up the tissue and using traditional cutting tools. The result is greatly shortened patient recovery, minimal scarring, reduced cost, elimination of typical pre-operative and post-operative hospital stays, and widespread use to correct a variety of injuries. A particular form of endoscopy, arthroscopy, is widely known and used to operate on joints, such as shoulders or knees.
An endoscope allows a doctor to look directly into a surgical site through a first incision, which allows for a minimally invasive procedure useful for both diagnosis and treatment. Typical endoscopes include a magnifying lens and coated glass fibers that beam an intense, cool light into the surgical site. The surgical field is viewed on a video monitor connected to an endoscopic video camera.
While viewing the surgical site in the manner described, the surgeon can perform any necessary repair and reconstruction using a separate surgical instrument inserted through a second incision at the surgical site. The surgical instrument can utilize a variety of mechanical cutting tools, such as rotating blades (straight or serrated) or burrs. Such mechanical cutting tools, or shavers, are well known in the art and require no further explanation. In general, rotating blades are generally used to excise unwanted or damaged soft tissues, while burrs are used on harder tissues such as bone.
The foregoing mechanical cutting or shaving tools are very useful for cutting and removing unwanted tissues in a less invasive and destructive manner compared to other surgical tools because they can be inserted through relatively small incisions that provide access to the surgical site. In this manner, they allow for a far less invasive and destructive surgery compared to typical surgical devices, which typically require far larger incisions and involve far higher destruction of perfectly healthy and normal tissues as the surgeon attempts to access the surgical site.
In addition to the aforementioned mechanical cutting tools, electronically powered cutting and cauterizing tools have been developed that also allow for less invasive surgical techniques than previous surgical tools. Such devices are known in the medical industry as either "monopolar" and "bipolar" devices. Both monopolar and bipolar devices have historically included a single positive, or lead, electrode that can be appropriately directed or situated to effect the cutting of soft tissues or cautery of bleeding vessels and tissues. Such devices have been referred to by some as "hot knives".
Whether a surgical electrode device is "monopolar" or "bipolar" depends on the location of the negative, or return, electrode. In a "monopolar" device, the return electrode is remotely connected somewhere else on the patient relative to the lead electrode. In this manner, the electrical current that is generated as a result of the application of a voltage potential to the lead electrode passes from the lead electrode through the tissue or blood vessel being cut or cauterized, through the intervening tissue of the patient's body, and to a grounding pad located remotely on the patient's body. Thus, a substantial portion of the pathway through which the current passes is the intervening tissue of the patient's body. However, since the current can be diffused over a relatively large area of tissue relative to the focused area where energy is applied by the lead electrode, the patient is not normally adversely affected by the passage of current through his or her body.
On the other hand, the return electrode in a "bipolar" device is located in the near vicinity of the lead electrode on the same surgical instrument. Typically, bipolar devices resemble tweezer-like structures comprising dual lead and return electrodes, although such devices are generally not used in endoscopic procedures. In practice, bipolar devices having a single positive lead have been used in a manner similar to monopolar devices in order to cauterize tissues.
Bipolar electrodes having multiple leads or positive electrodes have recently been developed that can be used to ablate or cauterize tissues soft tissues. Examples of multiple lead bipolar devices are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,998,933; 5,178,620; 5,366,443; and 5,419,767, all to Eggers et al. (hereinafter the "Eggers et al. patents"). In general, multiple lead bipolar devices works by passing varying levels of high frequency electrical energy through individually powered multiple leads and into the tissue to be ablated or cauterized. The current that is generated as a result of applying voltage potentials to the multiple leads completes a circuit by returning to a single return, or common, electrode located on the same surgical instrument and connected to a ground by means of an insulated ground wire.
Due to its ability to destroy soft tissues by ablation, the multiple electrode bipolar devices can be used in a manner similar to mechanical cutters for removing unwanted or target tissues during an endoscopic procedure. However, multiple electrode bipolar devices have been found to be less efficient compared to single electrode bipolar devices in cauterizing tissues. Moreover, both monopolar and bipolar devices are limited by their inability to remove bone and the fact that they are less efficient and relatively slow in cutting or removing soft tissues compared to mechanical cutting tools. Nevertheless, they have found some use in a variety of surgical applications, as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. For the ablative removal of relatively small amounts of soft tissues, multiple lead bipolar devices have proven useful.
Because both mechanical endoscopic surgical tools, such as rotary blades or burrs, and electronic devices, such as monopolar and bipolar devices, can be inserted through relatively small incisions to the surgical site, both mechanical and electrical devices can be used in succession and inserted through the same incision as the need arises to carry out a variety of desired surgical functions. For example, if the view of the surgical site has become obscured by excessive bleeding, sometimes caused by the mechanical cutting or shaving device, the surgeon can remove the mechanical cutting device from the incision and then insert through the same incision an electronic device in order to cauterize the bleeding tissue and blood vessels By removing the unwanted blood by known methods, vision to the surgical site can be restored or maintained.
Similarly, the surgeon might wish to utilize the various cutting or ablating features of the aforementioned monopolar and bipolar devices as needed as the surgery progresses in order to fine-tune the surgical process and remove the desired amount of damaged tissue in a desired manner.
While the various mechanical and electronic tools described above are useful in performing a variety of surgical functions, such as cutting, shaving, cautery, and ablating, their use requires the constant removal and insertion of at least two different tools, and possibly more, through the same incision. For example, if the surgeon wished to remove both hard and soft tissues from the same surgical site and/or cauterize and/or ablate tissues, the surgeon would have to insert and withdraw different surgical tools specially designed for performing the foregoing surgical functions. The constant insertion and removal of different surgical tools through the incision to the surgical site both complicates and lengthens the surgical procedure compared to if a single surgical instrument could be used.
In view of the foregoing, it would be an advancement in the art of the endoscopic surgery to provide a single surgical instrument that could simultaneously provide different surgical functions in order to eliminate or reduce the need to remove and insert different surgical instruments through the same incision.
It would be a further advancement in the art to provide a single surgical instrument that could be used to remove both hard and soft tissues at the surgical site as needed.
It would be an additional advancement in the art if the ability to remove both soft and hard tissues by a single surgical instrument could be performed selectively such that the means for removing hard tissue could be activated independently of the means for removing soft tissue.
It would yet be a further advancement in the art of surgery to provide a single surgical instrument that had the ability to more efficiently cauterize ruptured blood vessels or bleeding tissue in addition to removing either hard or soft tissues at the surgical site.
It would be an additional advancement in the art if the means for cauterizing tissue could be activated independently of either of the means for removing damaged or unwanted hard or soft tissues.
It would be a further advancement in the art of surgery to provide a single surgical instrument that provided the surgeon with the ability to electronically ablate soft tissues in addition to removing either hard or soft tissues by mechanical cutting or shaving.
It would be an additional advancement in the art if the means for ablating soft tissues could be activated independently of the means for removing damaged or unwanted hard or soft tissues by mechanical cutting or shaving.
Such multi-functional surgical instruments are described and claimed herein.

Endoscopic surgical instrument with ability to selectively remove different tissue with mechanical and electrical energy


The invention provides a method and system for dynamically estimating background noise. The system includes a portable communication device, a vocoder, and a voice activated detector. Based on information received by the portable communication device, the vocoder determines parameters related to incoming information including a voicing mode indicative of the periodicity of incoming information. The voice activated detector then compares the voicing mode to a threshold to determine whether a background noise estimate should be updated. The method includes the steps of: receiving a periodicity indicator and a current comfort noise level for an incoming voice frame; comparing the periodicity indicator with a predetermined threshold if the current comfort noise level is equal to a previous comfort noise level; and maintaining a background noise estimate if the periodicity indicator exceeds the predetermined threshold and revising a background noise estimate if the periodicity indicator does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

Speakerphones are used in many settings by both individuals and businesses to facilitate communication between multiple parties and to provide a hands-free setting. Speakerphones are frequently used in automobiles so that a user will not have to handle a receiver while operating the automobile. Many speakerphones are half duplex speakerphones, in which only one party can occupy a communication channel at a time. Once one party gets the channel, the other party must wait until the channel is free to proceed.
If a speakerphone is used in an environment in which the noise level increases suddenly, outbound audio may become temporarily muted. For example, automobile acceleration increases the overall noise level such as in a car, such that when an automobile starts moving, the outbound audio will become muted for a period of time that may encompass 8 to 10 seconds.
The muting is caused by an inbound voice activated detector (VAD) detecting the sudden increase in noise as near-end speech. Since the VAD detects speech rather than noise, it locks the inbound channel. It takes about 8 to 10 seconds for the VAD to revert back to its normal operation. The VAD is unable to adapt quickly enough to recognize the increase in the background noise level. This causes the noise level to break in and lock the channel. Accordingly, a technique is needed for more quickly detecting the increased noise level and releasing the channel for possible outbound use to avoid blocking outbound speech.

Method for fast dynamic estimation of background noise


An impedance-matching circuit assembly supplies a.c. power from an external a.c. source to Josephson devices. The assembly comprises resonant-line composed quarter-wave impedance conversion circuits, interconnected in a tree. The impedance-conversion circuits are assembled such that connected to the a.c. source is a circuit having a first-stage impedance, followed by two circuits having second-state impedances connected in parallel, to each of which are connected in parallel two circuits having third-stage impedances, each of which in turn is connected to supply input terminals of two of the Josephson devices.

The present invention relates to a power supply circuit and a circuit substrate, particularly to a circuit for supplying alternating-current power to a Josephson device, and to a circuit substrate which incorporates the a.c. power supply circuit, and which serves as a mount for a Josephson device.
Josephson devices, which effect ultra-high speed operation under superconductivity at very low temperatures, are immersed into a container of a coolant such as liquid helium. An alternating-current power supply circuit is provided for connecting the Josephson devices with an external a.c. source, located outside of the container.
Since there are a number of gates in the Josephson device, a larger supply current is required even though the gates individually consume less power. The diameter of an external feed cable must therefore be of sufficient magnitude to carry the larger current; however sealing problems can arise due to endothermic breakdown at the bond between the cable and the container, impairing airtightness therein. To overcome this, a feed cable having a smaller diameter can be employed, wherein power is supplied at higher voltage and lower current. Meanwhile, the Josephson device requires the larger current, such that it becomes necessary to convert the power into a lower voltage and a higher current.
Japanese Patent Gazette Publication No. 30208/1990 discloses an alternating-current power supply circuit including a superconducting thin film inductor, and a capacitor having electrodes formed of superconducting material, wherein the power is converted into a lower voltage and a higher current by resonant lines.
Therein, the a.c. power supply circuit must necessarily be manufactured of superconducting materials. Accordingly, wherein the power supply circuit is manufactured with the Josephson device-mounting circuit substrate, fabricated from an insulative substrate material, it must be formed onto the substrate by thin-film coating technique. The a.c. power supply circuit will consequently occupy a larger area on the substrate, requiring that the substrate itself be of corresponding size. Moreover, manufacture of the circuit substrate is quite difficult, owing to the complex structure of the superconducting-material formed a.c. power supply circuit.

Josephson device a.c. power supply circuit and circuit substrate for mounting same


DC—DC converters have high side and rectifier circuits, and output capacitor. High side circuit connects between input voltage and output voltage, and has primary winding and auxiliary section that operate transformer properly. Auxiliary may have switches or combination of switches and capacitors. High side circuit converts electrical into magnetic energy through transformer primary, which is then transferred to output through rectifier circuit. It also transfers energy directly to output voltage. Converters have high efficiency, fast dynamic response and high current output. Converters can have large duty cycle and large input voltage and output voltage conversion ratio. High side circuit can be half-bridge, full-bridge or forward converter. Rectifier uses inductors on either side of the secondary, and diodes or synchronous rectifiers, to rectify output voltage. Multi-phase interleaved circuits utilize shared switches to reduce size. High side circuit can utilize resonant tank to decrease switching losses in auxiliary.

Computers are widely used both in our personal life and in our work. The heart of the computer is the central processing unit (CPU), which performs all the numerical calculation needed for today's ever demanding operation. In order to increase the calculation speed of the CPU, and, thus the speed of the computer, the voltage required to power the CPU is becoming lower and lower. At the same time, the current that the CPU draws is becoming higher and higher. For example, the next generation CPU will require supply voltage of less than 1V and current of more than 100A. The current view is that the required CPU supply voltage is from 0.8V to 1.6V for the next generation CPU.
For the CPU in a high-end server, the type of computer used to direct our Internet traffic and data transfer, the CPU's current requirement is even larger. The current for a server CPU could be up to 500A.
As an example, in North America, power for a personal computer is typically drawn from a 120V AC wall outlet. This AC voltage is converted into a 12V DC voltage by an AC-to-DC converter. The 12V DC is distributed to a motherboard where the CPU is located. This 12V DC voltage cannot power the CPU directly. A DC—DC converter (often referred to as a voltage regulator module or VRM) is used to convert the 12V DC into the lower voltage required by the CPU. This power system architecture is currently preferred from a performance and cost point of view.
Another requirement of CPU powering is fast dynamic response. During a time when little calculation is required, the CPU will draw very low current. For the time when a lot of calculation is required, the CPU will draw large current. The transition between the low current and large current is very fast. The current change rate can be as high as 10,000A per microsecond. Therefore, the converter should have very fast dynamic response to meet this requirement.
If the response speed of the converter is not fast enough, the voltage across the CPU will have significant overshoot during the transition from large CPU current to low CPU current because an inductor is typically used in the converter. This voltage overshoot could cause damage to the CPU. Similarly, the voltage across the CPU will have significant undershoot during the transition from low CPU current to large CPU current. If the voltage is too low, the CPU may not operate properly.
In addition, the power loss for the converter should also be small in order to reduce the temperature rise of the semiconductors used to implement the converter.
Referring to FIG. 1, a Buck converter is typically used to convert incoming 12V into low output voltage such as 1.5V.
The output voltage of a Buck converter is calculated as:Vout=D*VinWhere Vout is the output voltage and Vin is the input voltage. D is the duty cycle and is defined as:D=Ton/TsWhere Ton is the time period during which the top switch Q1 is conducting, and Ts is the switching period of Q1.
In order to achieve Vin=12V to Vout=0.8V conversion, the required duty cycle for Buck converter is D=0.8/12=7%. It is noted that a small duty cycle such as 7% is not optimal for the design and operation of a Buck converter when the switching time of the MOSFET ("metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor") is considered. For example, for a typical MOSFET, the turn on time is around 50 ns and the turn off time is around 100 ns. This means that the MOSFET will be conducting for at least 150 ns regardless of the control signal. If we assume the switching frequency is 300 KHz, the switching period is 3.33 μs. The switching time of 150 ns is equivalent to 150 ns/3.33 μs=4.5%. This means that we only have control of about 2.5% (7%–4.5%) of conducting time of the MOSFET. Considering the delay time of the controller, it is very difficult to design an actual implementation. The compromise is to reduce the switching frequency to a lower level, such as 200 KHz. However, lower switching frequency will also lower the dynamic response, which is a very important performance measurement for DC—DC converters.
In addition, operating at a very small duty cycle has another detrimental impact to the dynamic response. During the transition from low CPU current to high CPU current, the inductor current should be ramped up. This can be done by increasing the duty cycle from 7% (take the above example) to 100% (maximum). The duty cycle has 93% change, which is very beneficial to handle this transition. However, during the transition from high CPU current to low CPU current, the inductor current should be ramped down. The only way to achieve this is to reduce the duty cycle. Nevertheless, the duty cycle can only be reduced from 7% to 0%. The duty cycle has only 7% change, which results in poor dynamic response.
To improve the dynamic response, it is desirable to select higher switching frequency for the converter. It is also desirable for the converter to operate at around 50% duty cycle.
Referring to FIG. 2, in order to improve the dynamic response an interleaved Buck converter can be used, such as a four-phase interleaved Buck converter. By interleaving, the equivalent ripple frequency is 4 times the switching frequency of each phase. For example, if the switching frequency of each Buck converter is 200 KHz, the equivalent switching frequency for four-phase interleaved Buck converter will be 800 KHz. Another benefit of interleaving is that the ripple current through the output capacitor and input capacitor is also significantly reduced. However, each Buck converter still operates at very small duty cycle, which is not desirable.

Non-isolated DC-DC converters with direct primary to load current


A spring tension assembly, which includes a support member for attaching an adjustment assembly to the loading arm. The adjustment assembly can be mounted adjacent the first end of the support member and preferably is configured for engaging the first end of the spring. The adjustment assembly preferably comprises at least two rotatable gears having an interlocked meshed arrangement. An arm assembly can be mounted adjacent the second end of the support member, and configured for engaging the second or other end of the spring. A link arm can have one end attached to the arm assembly and a second end attached to the loading arm.

Spring support assemblies are commonly used on devices such as swivel, or loading or unloading arms, that are used to assist in the transfer of various materials, both wet or dry, from a supply source to a container, tanker car or truck in which material are transported or shipped. Often, loading arms can be quite heavy and can be of considerable length. A spring support assembly generally provides a counterbalance force making it easier to move (e.g., vertically) the loading arm, and align it with the relatively small opening of a container. Since at times a loading arm needs to be handled by a single operator, it is preferable and desired to provide a counterbalance mechanism or assembly that will assist in rapid, easy and accurate placement of the end of the loading arm. Moreover, such counterbalance arrangements also need to be adjustable to properly install, set-up, adapt and/or maintain an arrangement in optimal condition for the particular situation.
One example of a prior spring balance assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,038,714 to Klaus, et al. The spring tension can therefore be adjusted (e.g., increased or decreased) by either counter-clockwise or clockwise rotational movement of a spring regulator. This design allows the coil spring to be either tightened or loosened to the degree necessary to sufficiently support or position a loading arm. Some of the prior spring assembly, such as illustrated and disclosed in Klaus, et al., have several shortcomings. For example, to adjust or readjust the spring tension, the loading arm must be supported independently, typically by a crane or other device in order to decouple the loading arm and relieve the spring of its load. Next, a spring keeper must be removed (e.g., manually) from engagement with the spring regulator so that it and the end of the spring can be rotatably adjusted. When the desired position is achieved, the spring keeper is manually inserted back into engagement with the spring regulator so that it does not move. Thereafter, the loading arm is released for normal operations.
In addition to being inconvenient and labor intensive, this complex process of spring tension adjustment can lead to further difficulties in adjusting the spring tension. For example, this apparatus is not reliable, and often requires many "trial and error" attempts to achieve the desired spring tension. Each time the spring tension needs to be adjusted, the above discussed procedures must be followed, which can be cumbersome, time consuming, and typically requires more than one person.
Another prior spring assembly unit, for example, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,233 to Vroonland, et al., had a protectively covered spring torsion unit with an assembly of a threaded adjustment screw and barrel nut. In use, the bolt theoretically could be rotated to adjust (e.g., increase or decrease) the spring tension, as the barrel nut moves laterally and alters its effective length along the bolt. As with other prior torsion spring units or assemblies, however, the unit in Vroonland nevertheless still practically requires either a structure for supporting the loading arm, or otherwise maintaining the loading arm in a substantially vertical position in order to relieve the spring coil of its load while the spring tension is being set or adjusted. Attempts to adjust the spring tension by rotating the bolt without supporting the loading arm could easily strip the threads of the adjustment screw, and cause the adjustment unit to fail. Furthermore, the barrel nut moves relative to and laterally along the bolt; and thus, the threaded screw assembly limits rotational movement of a spring regulator to a reduced radial distance.
Often over time, the complexity, difficulties and inconvenience involved in often retensioning the spring sometimes leads to foregoing of this retensioning procedure. As the spring can fatigue and lose its resiliency over time, and therefore the available counterbalancing spring tension is diminished, adjustment and retensioning can be important to maintaining desired optimal functional characteristics of a system. As a result of improperly tensioned arrangements, the loading arm can be inconvenient to utilize, and in some extreme situations, many end up resting on the ground between uses.
As can be appreciated, currently available torsion spring balancing units for counterbalancing a loading arm have a number of shortcomings that contribute to the complexity of the assemblies, difficulty in resetting or adjusting the spring tension, and overall reliability and usefulness of the loading arm equipment in general. There exists a continuing need in the industry for a torsion spring balancing unit that can be adjusted accurately and quickly without otherwise relieving the spring tension while the loading arm is in any position. It is also desirable to provide an improved adjustment assembly that eliminates many of the labor intensive steps currently involved in spring tension set up or adjustment.

Torsion spring balance assembly and adjustment method


In a stencil printer, when a print drum reaches a stand-by position where a new master produced by a master making operation should have its leading edge clamped on the drum, a master discharging operation under way for discharging a used master is interrupted. After the leading edge of the new master has been clamped on the print drum, the master discharging operation is resumed while a master feeding operation for wrapping the new master around the print drum is under way. A printing operation for printing a document image on a sheet is effected simultaneously with the resumption of the master discharging operation. Such a procedure is implemented as a high speed 1 control mode and executed by a main control unit.

The present invention relates to a printing method and a printer using the same and, more particularly, to a stencil printing method a printer using the same.
A printing method using a digital printer operable with a thermosensitive stencil is extensively used due to its simplicity. The digital printer using a thermosensitive stencil includes a master discharging operation for peeling a used master off a print drum and discarding it into a waste master box. In a master making operation, a stencil paid out from a stencil roll is conveyed by a platen roller while being selectively perforated, or cut, by a thermal head in accordance with an image signal representative of a document image. In a master feeding operation, the perforated stencil or master is wrapped around the print drum. Further, in a printing operation, ink is fed to the master wrapped around the drum in order to print the document image on a sheet. Such operations have customarily been independent of each other and sequentially effected one by one. This, however, increases a first print time (FPT hereinafter), i.e., the interval between the time when the operator presses a master make start switch or a start key and the time when the first printing is produced by the above procedure.
Printers using printing methods improved to reduce the FPT are disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 61-287781 and 7-257002. The printers taught in these documents each performs the master discharging operation and master making operation in parallel. A new master is temporarily accommodated in master stocking means. After the master discharging operation, the master is drawn out of the master stocking means and has its leading edge clamped by clamping means provided on a print drum. After the master has been fully wrapped around the print drum, a first printing or trial printing is produced. The printer proposed in the above Laid-Open Publication No. 7-257002 is capable of effecting the master feeding operation in parallel with the master making operation. Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-51421 proposes to make a master corresponding to a document while the printing operation using a master corresponding to the previous document is under way in order to increase the printing efficiency.
The printers disclosed in the above Laid-Open Publication Nos. 61-287781 and 7-257002 each is capable of making a master while discharging a used master, and feeding a sheet while making a master. However, such a printer is disadvantageous in that the master feeding operation cannot be effected until the master discharging operation ends, and that the printing operation cannot be effected until the master feeding operation ends. As a result, the print drum must make four full rotations during the interval between the time when the start key is pressed and the time when the print drum returns to its home position after the above sequence of steps. This printer therefore cannot operate rationally in such a way to reduce the FPT, i.e., needs a long FPT. Further, the scheme taught in the above Publication No. 6-51421 cannot perform the discharge of the used master corresponding to the preceding document and the making and feeding of the master corresponding to the following document and printing using it at the same time.

Stencil printing method and printer using the same


In a preferred embodiment, a vertical column for load lifting devices, which includes: a generally rectangular vertical outer shell; a generally rectilinear vertical inner shell; and the inner shell being joined to the outer shell so as to form four vertical interior rectangular tubes at the corners of the outer shell.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to load lifting devices generally and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a novel column for load lifting devices.
2. Background Art
Many load lifting devices, such as free standing vehicle lifts, for example, require vertical support members within, or upon, which a moving member rides.
Typically, such columns are formed of heavy steel stock of a single wall thickness, often fabricated by expensive roll forming. Thicknesses may range up to 3/8-inch or more. Such a construction "wastes" material in the sense that some portions of the column are thicker than the loads thereon require and the resulting columns are heavy in relation to the loads that they can handle.
Many manufacturers of such columns wish to provide a series of such columns with each column in the series sized to handle a given maximum load. Typically, each column in the series has its own design and it is not possible to make small adjustments to a basic design to increase the load handling capabilities thereof, particularly when the elements of the column are produced by the expensive method of roll forming because the roll forming machinery lacks flexibility.
A substantial disadvantage of columns for vehicle lifts having internal movable members is that the internal volume of the columns is almost entirely reserved for the movement therein of the movable members. Consequently, electrical cables, hydraulic lines, pneumatic lines, equalizing cables, and the like must be located on the outside of the column. Such exposed elements present a safety hazard to operators and present a risk of damage to the lift in a busy environment.
A further problem with having the moving member substantially fill the interior volume of the column is that workmen often drill holes through the wall of the column for the attachment thereto of cables, control panels, etc. When the lift is next operated, the moving member is damaged.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a column for load lifting devices that is lightweight, yet rigid, and has a high capacity to weight ratio.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a column to which relatively minor changes can by made to increase the load handling capability thereof.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide such a column in which operating lines and cables can be disposed.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.


A lubricating oil composition for internal combustion engines giving improved soot dispersancy. That lubricating oil composition has a mixture of borated and carbonated polyalkylene succinimides derived from different molecular weight polyalkylenes. The molecular weight of the polyalkylenes from which the carbonated polyalkylene succinimide is derived is at least 300 greater than the molecular weight of the polyalkylenes from which the borated polyalkylene succinimide is derived.

Lubricating oil compositions for internal combustion engines generally contain a variety of additives to reduce or control deposits, wear, corrosion, etc. The present invention is concerned with compositions useful as dispersants in lubricating oil compositions.
In lubricating oils, dispersants function to control sludge, carbon, and varnish produced primarily by the incomplete combustion of the fuel, or impurities in the fuel, or impurities in the base oil used in the lubricating oil composition. Dispersants also control viscosity increase due to the presence of soot in diesel engine lubricating oils.
One of the most effective classes of lubricating oil dispersants is polyalkylene succinimides. In some cases, the succinimides have also been found to provide fluid-modifying properties, or a so-called viscosity index credit, in lubricating oil compositions. That produces a reduction in the amount of viscosity index improver which would be otherwise have to be used.
Polyalkylene succinimides are generally prepared by the reaction of the corresponding polyalkylene succinic anhydride with a polyalkyl polyamine. Polyalkylene succinic anhydrides are generally prepared by a number of well-known processes. For example, there is a well-known thermal process (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,361,673), an equally well-known chlorination process (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,172,892), a combination of the thermal and chlorination processes (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,764), and free radical processes (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,286,799 and 5,319,030). Such compositions include one-to-one monomeric adducts (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,219,666 and 3,381,022), as well as "multiply adducted" products, adducts having alkenyl-derived substituents adducted with at least 1.3 succinic groups per alkenyl-derived substituent (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,435).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,361,673 and 3,018,250 describe the reaction of an alkenyl- or alkyl-substituted succinic anhydride with a polyamine to form alkenyl or alkyl succinimide lubricating oil dispersants and/or detergent additives.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,132 teaches that alkenyl or alkyl succinimides may be modified by reaction with a cyclic or linear carbonate or chloroformate such that one or more of the nitrogens of the polyamine moiety is substituted with a hydrocarbyl oxycarbonyl, a hydroxyhydrocarbyl oxycarbonyl, or a hydroxy poly(oxyalkylene) oxycarbonyl. These modified succinimides are described as exhibiting improved dispersancy and/or detergency in lubricating oils.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,965 discloses modified succinimides similar to those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,132, except that the modified succinimides are described as being derived from succinimides having an average of greater than 1.0 succinic groups per long chain alkenyl substituent.
An article by S. T. Roby, R. E. Kornbrekke, and J. A. Supp "Deposit Formulation in Gasoline Engines, Part 2, Dispersant Effects on Sequence VE Deposits" JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF TRIBOLOGISTS AND LUBRICATION ENGINEERS, Vol. 50, 12, 989-995 (December 1994) teaches that the length of the dispersant alkyl side chain influences deposit control performance, and that, at the same nitrogen level, the low molecular weight (side chain 1000 daltons) dispersants that were tested were poorer in controlling deposits than the tested high molecular weight (side chain 2000 daltons) succinimide dispersants. This teaching is also consistent with the prior observation comparing 950 Mn side chain succinimides with 2200 Mn side chain succinimides.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,435 teaches a preferred polyalkene-derived substituent group with a Mn in the range of 1500 to 3200. For polybutenes, an especially preferred Mn range is 1700 to 2400.
A variety of post-treatments for improving various properties of alkenyl succinimides are known to the art, a number of which are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,003.
Example 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,186 discloses the preparation of dispersants by reacting certain polyisobutenyl-succinic anhydride adducts (see footnote 2 of Table 2) with ethylenediamine, followed by reaction with a maleic anhydride/.alpha.-olefin copolymer. The patent teaches that, by functioning as an iron sulfide dispersant, the product is useful to inhibit sludge deposits in refinery processing equipment caused by the heat treatment of hydrocarbon feed stocks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,507 discloses a polymeric ladder type polymeric succinimide dispersant in which each side of the ladder is a long chain alkyl or alkenyl, generally having at least about 30 carbon atoms, preferably at least about 50 carbon atoms. The dispersant is described as having improved hydrolytic stability and shear stress stability, produced by the reaction of certain maleic anhydride-olefin copolymers with certain polyamines. The patent further teaches that the polymer may be post-treated with a variety of post-treatments, and describes procedures for post-treating the polymer with cyclic carbonates, linear mono- or polycarbonates; boron compounds (e.g., boric acid), and fluorophosphoric acid and ammonia salts thereof.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,334,321 and 5,356,552 disclose certain cyclic carbonate post-treated alkenyl or alkylsuccinimides having improved fluorocarbon elastomer compatibility, which are preferably prepared by the reaction of the corresponding substituted succinic anhydride with a polyamine having at least four nitrogen atoms per mole. Both of these patents disclose the possibility of borating certain cyclic carbonate post-treated alkenyl or alkylsuccinimides.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,321 discloses that higher molecular weight alkenyl or alkylsuccinimides give better detergency than the corresponding lower molecular weight alkenyl or alkylsuccinimides.
Mixtures of borated and carbonated polyalkylene succinimides have been derived from the same molecular weight polyalkylenes. The mixtures show inferior soot dispersancy to the individual borated and carbonated polyalkylene succinimides used alone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,912 discloses polyalkylene succinimides prepared by reacting, under reactive conditions, a mixture of a polybutene succinic acid derivative, an unsaturated acidic reagent copolymer of an unsaturated acidic reagent and an olefin, and a polyamine, then treating those succinimides with cyclic carbonates, linear mono- or polycarbonates or a boron compound.

Polyalkylene succinimide composition useful in internal combustion engines


According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates, a light-shielding member provided to define pixels, a liquid crystal layer located between the pair of substrates, and a spacer provided to form a gap for the liquid crystal layer. The light-shielding member includes first and second light-shielding members extending in a second direction, and a third light-shielding member extending in a first direction. The first light-shielding member includes a first end portion connected to the third light-shielding member. The second light-shielding member includes a second end portion connected to the third light-shielding member. The spacer is provided at a position overlapping the first end portion and the second end portion.

In a liquid crystal display device, a spacer is provided to hold a gap forming a liquid crystal layer. The spacer should be provided at an appropriate position to prevent gap abnormality.
In recent years, in the liquid crystal display device, the high definition of the display area has been developed. Although the pixel width and the pixel pitch have become narrow, the spacer needs to maintain a predetermined size. The layout of the spacer could more affect on the display quality than ever.


A method and an apparatus are for displaying an image. The image is broken down in accordance with a scheme, which can be predetermined, into sections, so-called chunks. The chunks are supplied to a pipeline for processing, on the basis of a scheme which can likewise be predetermined. The pipeline includes a large number of pipeline processors, which operate at a specific resolution level. The chunks are then combined again to form an image at the specific resolution level, and are displayed as an intermediate result. This process is repeated iteratively until the highest resolution level is reached.

From work with the Internet, it is known that the process of downloading pages or web contents with images is frequently very time-consuming.
However, even in the case of applications which are not based on the World Wide Web, the process of displaying image data, video data etc. on the screen leads to the disadvantage that the desired image is not produced until all of the image data has finally been processed. Prior to this, the user sees nothing. This leads to the further disadvantageous effect that the user is also not informed about the current processing stage, and is therefore forced to wait for an unpredictable time period before the image is formed completely.
Particularly in the case of medical applications, it is even in some cases sensible and sufficient to terminate an image construction process prematurely, if it is already evident that the image to be formed does not satisfy the current requirements. It is then possible to save the waiting time which would have been required to construct the image completely.
If, for example in the course of a consultation, the state of a patient with regard to his lung is intended to be discussed on the basis of X-ray records, then the corresponding images are loaded from an archive. However, if it is evident while an image is being loaded that this is not, for example, the record of a lung but of a leg, then the process of constructing the image can be terminated without this leading to unnecessary waiting times.

Pipeline processing of image data with a low-resolution display of intermediate results


A ceramic substrate comprises a ceramic body and a wiring pattern made of silver series selectively formed on the major face of the ceramic body. The ceramic body contains silver particles of 0.1 to 2.5 percents.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ceramic substrate, and more particularly, to a ceramic substrate for mounting thick-film hybrid ICs or high speed LSI elements.
2. Description of Related Art
According to the recent tendency of reducing size and weight of electronic devices such as communication equipment, home-use electric and electronic device, computer, etc., and of increasing number of functions, high-density and high-reliability of them, wiring technique for mutually connecting semiconductor chips has become more important in addition to high integration and high speed operation of these chips. As a substrate material, it can be roughly classified to an organic resin group, metal group and ceramic group. Among them, the ceramic group is frequently used in fields in which high quality, high reliability and long duration are required. Among ceramic materials, alumina has been widely used in views of its electric characteristics, its chemical stability, its mechanical characteristics and its cost. However, in order to use the green sheet multilayer method by which three dimensional wiring is possible and which is advantageous in realizing high density, conductor material of wiring layer is limited to metal such as tungsten or molybdenum whose specific resistance is relatively high since it must be heated to temperature as high as sintering temperature of alumina of 1500.degree. to 1600.degree. C.
In view of this, a low sintering temperature ceramic which is a composite material of glass and host ceramic has been developed. Since this composite material has a low melting point, metal material as wiring layer whose specific resistance is low and thus it can not be sintered simultaneously with sintering of ceramic material becomes usable. As such metal material as wiring layer, gold, silver and copper, etc., may be considered. However, gold and copper do not occupy large part of hybrid IC substrate market in views of high cost for gold and unstability against oxidation for copper and thus it can be said that silver or silver containing material is mainly used as wiring material. However, the wiring layer made of silver or of material containing silver has a migration problem, and to cope this problem a silver alloy with palladium or like has been used.
Although proportion of silver to palladium has been selected usually as 80:20 in views of anti-migration, solder-wettability, solder loss, adhesiveness and resistance value, it has been desired to use conductive material containing higher silver ratio in order to lower the resistance value and improve the solder wettability and aging characteristics. Solder loss, bad matching with cross over glass, degradation of solder wettability due to surface galvanization and silver migration can be avoided in various manners and thus it has high possibility of future development.
On the other hand, a multi-layered glass ceramic substrate in which wiring length can be reduced and high density wiring is possible is payed attention in multichip package which is used in a large, high speed computer and in which a large number of LSI chips are mounted on a single substrate. As wiring material in such multi-layered glass ceramic substrate, the above-mentioned silver or material containing silver is usually used. However, in order to further increase the mounting density, there is a tendency that the size of substrate becomes large. In order to sinter such large substrate in the same way as that of the conventional one, it is necessary to make the sintering time longer. However, this may enhance diffusion of silver of wiring into glass substrate during sintering process, resulting in a problem of remarkable degradation of various characteristics of the wiring of silver or material containing silver.

Ceramic substrate having wiring of silver series


A radio communication apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive information controlling a timing at which an access request for accessing an access destination over a network is to be executed. The radio communication apparatus also includes a control unit configured to control execution of the access request with a timing controlled based at least in part on the information. An associated method, medium and an information processing apparatus are also described.

The present technology relates to a radio communication apparatus, and more particularly, to a radio communication apparatus executing radio communication, an information processing apparatus, a communication system including the radio communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus, and a method of controlling the radio communication apparatus.
Hitherto, radio communication apparatuses accessed to a network such as a public radio network have come into wide use. In 2002, a 3G (3rd Generation) mobile phone service (which is called the 3rd generation service in Japan) started. The mobile phone service was a service that initially provided applications for small-capacity packets of voices, mails, or the like. However, as the HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) or the like has been introduced, users can download relatively large-capacity packets of music files or moving images to listen to music and view the moving images, so that use behaviors of the users have been changed.
It is supposed that the users are crowded in a specific area (base station) and download large-capacity packets and the traffics are thus concentrated locally. In this case, a problem may arise in that sufficient communication rates may not be obtained.
Accordingly, a delivery system has been suggested in which when a request to deliver a content item from a radio communication apparatus is executed, it is determined whether to deliver the content item depending on the reception environment of the radio communication apparatus (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-78020).

Radio communication apparatus, information processing apparatus, communication system, and method of controlling a radio communication apparatus according to user selection


An acoustically coupled frequency selective radio frequency (RF) device is provided. The device includes a piezoelectric substrate overlain by a plurality of electrodes. The device further includes a pair of RF input terminals at least one of which is electrically connected to at least one of the electrodes, and a pair of output RF terminals, at least one of which is electrically connected to at least one other of the electrodes. At least one of the electrodes is electromechanically reconfigurable between a state in which it is closer to a face of the piezoelectric substrate and at least one state in which it is farther from the face of the piezoelectric substrate.

Piezoelectric RF filters using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology are advantageous in communications and other RF applications because among other things they offer high quality-factor (Q-factor) values, are operable at frequencies well into the gigahertz range, and can handle relatively high power levels.
There remains a need, however, for an RF MEMS filter that is reconfigurable, so that it can be arbitrarily modified to accommodate radio frequency bands that are unspecified at the time of fabrication, and so that it can adapt to real-time signal environments.

Programmable electroacoustic filter apparatus and method for its manufacture


A crash attenuator for decelerating an impacting vehicle includes a first end that can be releasably secured to a vehicle, and a second end that is longitudinally spaced from the first end. The second end includes an impact member that is movable in the longitudinal direction from a pre-impact position to an impact position. At least a pair of deformable attenuator members are spaced laterally and extend longitudinally between the first and second ends. At least a portion of the attenuators are bent in a non-outboard direction when the impact member moves from the pre-impact position to the impact position.

The present invention generally relates to a crash attenuator capable of attenuating energy during a crash, and in particular, a crash attenuator coupled to a vehicle such as a truck.
Crash cushions, for example truck mounted attenuators (TMAs), are commonly used to protect utility vehicles and workers engaged in roadside construction or maintenance, as well as the occupants of cars traveling on the roadways, in the event of a collision. TMAs are designed to safely stop an errant vehicle from an otherwise dangerous and potentially fatal collision with the rear end of an unprotected utility vehicle. Typically, TMAs are secured to the rear of the utility vehicle and cantilevered away from the vehicle in a rearward direction. In other embodiments, TMAs are configured as towable trailers.
One criteria for measuring the effectiveness of a TMA is through the crash test specification outlined in the National Cooperative Highway Research Report 350 "Recommended Procedures of the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features," or NCHRP 350. Under the tests in this specification, an occupant of both light and heavy vehicles must experience less than a 12 m/s change in velocity (delta(Δ)V) upon contacting the vehicle interior and less than a 20 g deceleration after contact.
Unlike ground mounted crash cushions, TMAs cannot rely on tracks, cables, or rails to help stabilize energy absorbing materials acting in compression. In the event the energy absorbing material should become unstable, the TMA's ability to effectively absorb energy could be compromised. Many prior art systems have employed large bearing areas or collapsible frame linkages to prevent buckling of the energy absorbing materials as they are compressed during vehicle impact. However, collapsible frame linkages and the like can be complicated and expensive to manufacture.
Furthermore, many existing TMAs create sharp metal debris, as a result of the energy absorption process, that pose serious safety hazards to roadway workers in the vicinity of the TMA, as well as the driver and passengers of the impacting vehicle. Thus, a need presently exists for a crash attenuator that meets the NCHRP 350 standards, is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and prevents debris from producing a hazard to roadway workers in the vicinity of the TMA, or to the driver and passengers of the impacting vehicle.


A flexible ferromagnetic strip is used to induction-weld seams in polymer pipes. The strip is a blend of strontium ferrite, a surfactant, and an LDPE binder. A process to produce the profile is to mix the ingredients together followed by granulation and extrusion or calendering. The strip is used in conjunction with an induction coil sized to fit over a polymer pipe coupling containing the strip and separate segments of polymer pipe. The strip is heated by induction current induced by an electromagnetic field generated by the coil. The heated strip causes the polymer pipe segments to be thermoplastically welded together.

This invention relates to providing a system for improved thermoplastic induction-welding. More particularly, this invention relates to new compositions of matter that can be used to induction-weld seams in polymer pipes.
Since the earliest days of plumbing, water and drainage pipes have been made of metal and connected by welding or threading. Threaded pipes are difficult to assemble and manufacture, and welding requires substantial skill and risks causing fire or other property damage due to extreme heat and hazardous fumes. More recently, plastic pipes such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride), ABS (acrylonitrile butadience styrene), and PE (polyethylene) pipes have been implemented; however, these require volatile, messy, and toxic solvents in order to bond properly. Improvements in bonding methodology would be helpful to improve bond quality and to reduce installation hazards.


A method and apparatus for forming a seal over a hole in a structure. The apparatus comprises a washer, a sleeve, and a fastener. The washer has a first channel. The sleeve has a second channel and an expandable section. The sleeve is positioned inside the first channel in the washer. The fastener has an elongate portion positioned inside the second channel of the sleeve to cause at least a portion of the expandable section of the sleeve to form a first interference fit with the washer.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft and, in particular, to manufacturing aircraft. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for spark containment at a fastener installed in a structure for an aircraft.
2. Background
In manufacturing aircraft, different parts may be connected to each other to form aircraft structures. A number of fasteners are used to assemble these structures, join these structures, or both. Thousands of fasteners are used in a single aircraft.
Oftentimes, fasteners are installed to meet various industry requirements. For instance, to minimize corrosion, fasteners may be installed such that fluids do not pass into the interior of the aircraft structure. Fasteners also may have spark protection to prevent sparking within the interior of the aircraft structure.
Spark protection is particularly important in flammable areas of the aircraft. In some instances, spark protection may be achieved using a sleeved fastener having an interference fit with the aircraft structure. This interference fit between the sleeve and the aircraft structure electrically connects the fastener system to the structure, thus providing spark protection for the fastener.
While this interference fit provides a first level of protection from sparking, aircraft regulatory agencies require a fault tolerant design in flammable areas of the aircraft. In other words, the design must take into account possible manufacturing faults. Examples of manufacturing faults include oversized holes, contamination, angled holes, burrs, or other manufacturing inconsistencies.
The presence of one of these faults may generate a spark in the hole. This sparking may produce particles that lead to undesired conditions in the aircraft. As a result, a method of spark containment, or a second level of spark protection, is required to meet agency standards.
In some cases, a cap seal is applied over the head of the sleeved fastener to achieve fault tolerance. This cap seal must be precisely and consistently applied to ensure coverage over the entire head of the fastener, as well as any inconsistent portions of the hole.
The application of cap seals to each fastener may slow the installation process more than desired. Moreover, applying cap seals to thousands of fasteners consistently may be more difficult than desired. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that take into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.

Apparatus for fuel tank spark containment


A controller for a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor system and method for detecting mass deposition on a QCM sensor. The controller controls a QCM using temperature-, voltage- and current-regulating circuits, a microcontroller, an oscillator, heating and cooling devices and circuits, high voltage grids, digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital converters, data telemetry and uplink circuits, and a remote user. The remote user may be a person, computer, network or data logger. The remote user allows the controller to be reconfigurable during operation. The controller samples and reports data faster and is more reliable over extended periods of operation. Further, the controller is assembled using innovative techniques making it smaller and thus more transportable, easier to incorporate into existing facilities and less expensive to construct and operate. The apparatus may also be assembled in a modular fashion that allows for customization.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of electronic control circuits for microelectronic measuring devices. Specifically, the invention relates to software-driven microcontroller and electronic circuits for monitoring and controlling quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors, which are highly accurate devices for detecting minute quantities of mass deposited on the face of a crystal.
2. Description of the Related Art
QCM systems have been used for over two decades to measure minute quantities of mass. The principal components of a QCM system include a QCM sensor, an oscillator and control circuitry. In a QCM sensor there are typically two carefully matched quartz crystals as aligned parallel to each other and separated by a small gap. Only one of the crystals, however, is exposed to the outside environment. The difference in frequency between the two crystals is the beat frequency, which is a very sensitive indication of the mass being deposited on the exposed crystal surface. The beat frequency is proportional to the mass of contamination that has accumulated on the sensing area and is electronically recorded in a digital electronic counter. Because QCM systems can measure very small amounts of mass deposited, they are often used when precise control over a system or process is desired or to monitor an environment.
QCM sensors have been used in spacecraft, for example, to measure film deposition on sensitive surfaces such as optical mirrors, thermal radiators and solar arrays. They have also been used in gas detection systems to measure contaminant concentrations in an ambient or closed environment. Still other QCM sensors have been used in semiconductor processing to precisely control chemical deposition in vacuum chambers and to monitor clean room contamination.
Control circuits associated with QCM sensors have been used almost as long as QCMs have existed. Conventional controls include an assembly of circuitry and sensors which may or may not consist of a QCM sensor signal conditioner, a QCM sensor temperature monitor, a thermal-electric heat pump controller and a microcontroller for data acquisition and data formatting. These elements have been collectively referred to as QCM controllers, controllers, or control circuits.
Requirements for control circuits are as varied as the applications for the QCM sensor. For example, QCM sensors that are moved in and out of a liquid environment have been fitted with controllers adapted to measure the sensor""s resonant frequency over a wide range of impedance. Other QCM sensors that are used to measure the mass of a substantial drop of liquid or particulate matter have been designed to correct for significant viscous damping losses. Still other QCM sensors that are used to monitor chemical environments have been constructed with control circuits that trigger an alarm and warning system. These controllers are typically to constructed in large housing units with control panels and readout devices that impose significant weight and power resource requirements. As in most applications, the QCM sensor and controller are accessible; therefore, self-monitoring and wireless telemetry are not needed. Further, present controllers merely control the QCM sensor temperature. Additionally, conventional systems generally require a user to upload commands off-line or directly into the controller from a key-pad on the face of the controller box or from a key-board connected to a computer that is connected to the controller.
As QCM systems have found their way into spacecraft, missiles, and chemical applications, the need for small, lightweight, reliable, cost-effective, remotely-accessible systems capable of operation in extreme low temperatures has been observed. Further, in addition to determining mass, it is highly desirable to determine the electronic charge of particles and the molecular species of the material deposited on the QCM sensor""s quartz crystal. Current QCM systems do not include these desirable features.
It is an object of the invention to provide for the monitoring and control of a microelectronic sensor system.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus that self-monitors the health of one or more QCM sensors using a microcontroller with computer program instructions capable of controlling the QCM sensor temperature and monitoring the QCM temperature, beat frequency and controller operations, among other things.
It is another object of the invention to provide for a communications system using data telemetry and uplink circuits that allow a remote user to retrieve processed data and to send commands as needed to ensure proper operation of the QCM sensor system or allow the software-driven microcontroller to make adjustments.
It is still another object of the invention to provide for extended operations without taxing finite weight, energy and cost limits such as those imposed in space flight operations.
It is still another object of the invention to operate at extreme cold temperatures, such as those experienced in outer space.
It is still another object of the invention to capture electronic signals including, but not limited to QCM beat frequency, duty cycle, and amplitude and QCM sensor and controller temperature current, convert the signals to data records and then report the data quickly to a remote user to enhance the system""s capability and reliability over conventional systems.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a controller using innovative nano-connectors and miniature wiring to achieve a 100-fold reduction in size compared to conventional controllers thereby making the present invention portable and easy to incorporate into existing facilities that have limited space. This also provides for reduced construction and operating costs.
It is still another object of the invention to be assembled in modular units thereby being highly flexible.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a controller that is modifiable by a user so that it can be reconfigurable during operation.
These and other objects of the invention are described in the description, claims and accompanying drawings and are accomplished by a controller, for controlling an apparatus including a microelectronic sensor and for conditioning electronic signals having associated therewith electronic circuits and self-monitoring software. The controller includes a controller thermal monitor for detecting a temperature of the apparatus and outputting a controller temperature signal, a first temperature measuring circuit for detecting the controller temperature signal from the controller thermal monitor, a second temperature measuring circuit for detecting a temperature signal from the microelectronic sensor and outputting a current signal, a signal conditioning circuit for receiving and conditioning a beat frequency signal from the microelectronic circuit, a microcontroller, connected to the controller thermal monitor, the first and second temperature measuring circuits, and the signal conditioning circuit, for converting the controller temperature signal, the microelectronic sensor temperature signal, the current signal, an amplitude of the beat frequency signal, a voltage from the microelectronic sensor, and the beat frequency signal into data records and for manipulating the data records for transmission. The controller can also include a thermal-electric heat pump circuit, connected to the microelectronic sensor and the second temperature sensing circuit, for detecting the temperature signal from the second temperature sensing circuit and outputting an electric current and for heating and cooling the microelectronic sensor by switching the direction of the electric current, and a power switch for energizing the microelectronic sensor.
The present invention also includes an apparatus for controlling a microelectronic sensor and conditioning electronic signals having associated therewith electronic circuits and self-monitoring software, including a sensor circuit, for precisely detecting temperature and minute changes in mass deposition and outputting a temperature signal associated with a temperature and outputting a beat frequency signal proportional to said mass deposition and a controller circuit for monitoring the health of the sensor means and conditioning the beat frequency signal. The controller circuit can include a controller thermal monitor for detecting a temperature of the controller circuit and outputting a controller temperature signal, a first temperature measuring circuit for measuring the controller temperature signal from the controller thermal monitor, a second temperature measuring circuit for detecting the temperature signal from the sensor circuit, a thermal-electric heat pump circuit for receiving an electric current and for raising or lowering the temperature of the sensor circuit by switching direction of the electric current to the thermal-electric heat pump and for turning off the heat pump, a signal conditioning circuit for receiving and conditioning the beat frequency signal from the sensor circuit and a microcontroller, connected to the controller thermal monitor, the first and second temperature measuring circuits, the thermal-electric heat pump circuit, and the signal conditioning circuit, for converting the controller temperature signal, the sensor circuit temperature signal, the second temperature measuring circuit current, beat frequency and amplitude, microelectronic sensor voltage, and the beat frequency signal into data records and for manipulating said data records for transmission.
The sensor circuit can be any QCM.
The controller circuit can further include a remote user for providing commands remotely, a power switch for energizing power to the sensor circuit, an uplink circuit for receiving commands from the remote user and a telemetry circuit for capturing data records and transmitting data records to the remote user.
The thermal monitor can be a platinum resistive temperature device, a thermocouple, or other thermal monitor device.
The sensor circuit can further include a high voltage grid for attracting specific charged particles for mass measurement by switching a polarity of the high voltage grid to either positive or negative with reference to ground and an insulator for insulating the sensor circuit from the electric current from the high voltage grid and the sensor circuit.
The apparatus may be part of a system that is used in a chemical deposition process, space flight operations, to monitor for chemical contamination in an enclosed or ambient air environment, and/or for biological detection.
The apparatus may include a computerized method for controlling a QCM sensor, the method includes the steps of initializing system variables and establishing default and set-point values; energizing a potential across QCM sensor system terminals, thereby energizing QCM sensor quartz crystals, a thermal-electric heat pump, and a high voltage grid contained within the QCM sensor; detecting the voltage signal amplitude and voltage signal frequency of the QCM sensor system quartz crystals, the voltage amplitude of the QCM sensor system thermal monitor, and the current of the controller thermal monitor and QCM sensor power supply, and producing individual signals representative thereof; amplifying the quartz crystal voltage amplitude signal and calculating the duty cycle and waveform thereof; supplying the previous signals and the calculated duty cycle and waveform calculated above to a microcontroller for conversion into data records; comparing the data records to the default or set-point values; adding synchronization codes to the data records; transmitting the data records through a wired or wireless communications system to a remote computer or computer network; receiving incoming commands from the remote computer or computer network; and adjusting the voltage supply to the thermal-electric heat pump as a result of the incoming commands of the deviation from the default or set-point values. Moreover, the method may also include the steps of slowly heating the QCM sensor quartz crystals and detecting the voltage signal amplitude and voltage signal frequency of vibration of the QCM sensor system quartz crystals over time; calculating a sublimation and evaporation temperature corresponding to the material deposited on the QCM quartz crystal; and supplying the voltage signal amplitude and voltage signal frequency associated with the QCM sensor system quartz crystals and the sublimation and evaporation temperature corresponding to the material deposited to the microcontroller for conversion into data records.
These objects, together with other objects and advantages which will be subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully described and claimed hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout.

Self-monitoring controller for quartz crystal Microbalance sensors


A semiconductor optical waveguide device includes a substrate having a first area and a second area, and first, second, and semiconductor mesas on the substrate. The first semiconductor mesa includes a cladding layer and a first mesa portion on the second area, the first mesa portion including first and second portions. The second semiconductor mesa includes an intermediate layer, a first core layer, and first and second mesa portions on the first and second areas, respectively. The third semiconductor mesa includes a second core layer, and first and second mesa portions having a greater width than that of the second semiconductor mesa. The first portion of the first semiconductor mesa has a substantially same width as the second mesa portion of the second semiconductor mesa. The first core layer is optically coupled to the second core layer through the intermediate layer disposed between the first and second core layers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor optical waveguide device and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor optical waveguide device.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,995 discloses an optical waveguide device including a spot size converter.
III-V group compound semiconductors have a refractive index of 3 or more for light in a near-infrared wavelength band used in optical communication or optical information processing. In an optical waveguide formed of a III-V group compound semiconductor having such a high refractive index, optical propagation in a fundamental transverse mode through the optical waveguide requires an optical waveguide width of 2 or less. The half-width in a light distribution of a transverse mode confined in the optical waveguide is much less than 2 μm.
The optical waveguide device such as a semiconductor optical modulator is optically coupled to a single-mode optical waveguide (for example, an optical fiber). The half-width (mode field diameter (MFD)) of light distribution of a transverse mode propagating in the optical fiber ranges from 3 to 4 μm, for example. Thus, the half-width of light distribution of a transverse mode propagating in a semiconductor optical waveguide is significantly different from the half-width of light distribution of a transverse mode propagating in an optical fiber. This difference causes an optical coupling loss between the semiconductor optical waveguide and the optical fiber. In order to reduce the optical coupling loss, a structure for increasing the half-width of light distribution (increasing the spot size) in a transverse mode, for example, a spot size converter (SSC) is provided in an input/output portion of a semiconductor waveguide device.
In the spot size converter of the optical waveguide device described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,995, a plurality of optical waveguide structures are included in the stacking direction of a stacked semiconductor layer. The spot size converter performs transition of guided light from one of the optical waveguide structures to another optical waveguide structure in the stacking direction.

Semiconductor optical waveguide device and method for manufacturing the same


Apparatus for use in a dialysis system are disclosed including an apparatus for delivering saline during dialysis treatment, an apparatus for delivering saline to a patient after dialysis treatment has ended, and an apparatus for alerting a patient that dialysis treatment is about to end. In the apparatus for delivering saline during dialysis treatment, a controller is configured to automatically deliver saline in response to a request. In the apparatus for delivering saline to a patient after dialysis treatment has ended, a controller is configured to automatically deliver saline after dialysis treatment has concluded, but before the patient is disconnected in response to a request. In the apparatus for alerting a patient that dialysis treatment is about to end, a controller is configured to monitor a dialysis treatment and activate an alarm when treatment is about to end.

The purpose of kidney dialysis is to remove waste materials from blood that are normally removed by properly functioning kidneys. During dialysis, blood and dialysate are passed through a dialyzer on opposite sides of a membrane within the dialyzer. The dialysis system is maintained under specific pressure and flow conditions such that blood waste compounds pass through the membrane from the blood side to the dialysate side where they can be safely removed. Water molecules also can pass through the membrane during dialysis. The removal of some water from the blood can be beneficial to patients under certain circumstances. In other circumstances, however, it is desirable to replace water lost across the membrane during dialysis.

On demand and post-treatment delivery of saline to a dialysis patient