An intrinsically safe, precise, and cost effective storage tank leak detection system. Embodiments include a highly precise quartz crystal type pressure transducer, secured in a vacuum and held at a constant temperature. Said transducer is used in combination with data correction and regression techniques to yield a storage tank leak detection system with an extremely low leak detection threshold. The storage tank leak detection system is thought to be most useful for detecting very small leaks in very large storage tanks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed towards a method and apparatus for providing a safe, precise, and cost-effective storage tank leak detection system and more particularly, to a method and apparatus wherein the containment integrity of a storage tank is determined by mass measurements of the stored product.
2. Background Information
Storage tanks play a vital role in today's economy. The economy, on a global scale, depends on the proper function of these tanks as they are prevalent in several industries and virtually every geographical region in the world. In light of the vital role these storage tanks play, the integrity of the tanks is placed at a premium. That is, storage tank owners are willing to invest huge sums of money in both the maintenance and inspection of such tanks.
These tanks come in all shapes and sizes, are found both below and above ground, and are used to store a wide range of materials. Storage tank capacities range from hundreds to millions of gallons and are used to store a staggering assortment of products; these storage tanks are commonly used to store hazardous material.
As one could imagine, there are a wide range of problems associated with maintaining storage tank integrity, particularly with above ground storage tanks. Given the enormous dimensions of above ground tanks, the corrosive products contained within the tanks, the incredible mass of the stored product, and the extreme weather conditions the tanks are subjected to, it is plain to see that above ground storage tank leaks are an all-to-common problem. Using the United States Environmental Protection Agency leak detection threshold criteria of 0.05 gallons per hour in a 10,000-gallon underground tank, that threshold would equate to a 15 gallon per hour detection level in an 80,000 barrel above ground tank. Given the limited number of systems capable of meeting the EPA's underground storage tank leak detection threshold and the added difficulties associated with above ground tanks, the difficulty in protecting against and detecting leaks is easily seen.
However, the recognized difficulty in preventing storage tank leaks does not mitigate the duties or liabilities imposed on responsible parties. Tremendous environmental and economic consequences and the threat of litigation and clean up costs associated with storage tank leaks force responsible parties to invest large sums of money in the maintenance and inspection of the tanks. Tank inspections are costly with respect to the amount of money spent, the danger presented to the inspectors and the environment, and production downtime. In fact, these inspections often remove a tank from service for more than one month. The threat of liability also forces responsible parties to spend money unnecessarily for the maintenance of these tanks. Moreover, liability does not end with litigation and clean-up costs.
Currently, responsible parties are, in some countries, being incarcerated as a direct result of storage tank leaks. These leaks have contaminated surrounding ground water, some of which serves as drinking water for local residents. As such, the facilities associated with such incidents have been shut down until compliance with emissions regulations can be established beyond reasonable doubt. Such proof, in turn, is dependent on proof of reliable and sufficiently accurate detection systems and methods for proving such compliance. Each day the shuttered facilities remain inoperative adds to an already tremendous amount of money lost.
Prior to the present invention (to be described in detail hereafter), there are simply no known systems or methods by which the leak detection requirements can be met. Presently available leak detection systems lack detection thresholds low enough to detect leaks down to permissible upper leakage limits for above ground storage tanks.
Clearly, for the reasons set forth above, there is a dire and immediate need for the ability to determine, with far more precision than presently possible through use of presently available systems and methods, the presence and degree of leakage from above ground storage tanks, at least to the extent of proving compliance with applicable storage tank leakage regulations or statutes.
Related Conventional Technologies and Distinctions from Present Invention
Storage tank leak detection systems are known in the art; however, these products are fraught with problems. The present systems are imprecise, or provide erroneous data for any or all of reasons including: the consistency of the
soil acting as the tank's foundation, the temperature stratification of the in-tank product, extraneous noise sources, thermal expansion of the tank's contents, water table level, previous soil contamination, and/or tank shell dynamics.
Further, some detection devices can only be used when the storage tank is empty, and no known system or method ensures a comprehensive inspection of the tank. The most common form of such a system is "vacuum box testing," however, this system is intended only for weld joints and is not usually applied to the entire tank bottom. Magnetic flux floor scanning is also used, but is not effective at examining the area of the floor surface close to the surface walls or where there are physical obstructions. Ultrasonic detection is used, but this is only effective for small areas of the surface. Gas detection is also used, but the types of materials stored in the tank can obstruct this method.
Other common leak detection systems employ a level sensor. However, even large volume changes produce only small level changes, as the cross-sectional area of the liquid surface in these tanks is very large. This, combined with differential expansion and temperature change of the stored liquid and its vapor, make this type of detection system inconsistent and very nearly worthless.
Finally, mass measurement detection systems are known in the art. However, the presently available systems and associated methods are not capable of the precision, which is indicated above as crucial at the present time (and which, as described below, is afforded by the systems and methods of the present invention). Present mass measurement leak detection systems in the art
are limited by tank shell variations resulting from temperature effects on tank shell plating. As such, known mass measurement detection systems are only sensitive enough to be used in smaller tanks, typically underground storage tanks. However, as will be seen in the specification to follow, the present invention overcomes tank shell variations and other shortcomings of presently known technology in this field through data collection and data correction apparatus, techniques and interpretation.
In light of the severe consequences of failing to detect significant storage tank leaks, presently not detectable through use of known systems or methods, there is a compelling need for a system and method by which one can detect very small leaks even in very large tanks, ideally in a safe and cost effective manner.
It would well serve those who are responsible for maintaining storage tank integrity to provide a safe, precise, and cost-effective detection system that does not depend on independent variables such as fluid temperature, fluid stratification, or tank stabilization, and may be used in an efficient manner thereby preserving industrial and environmental resources.
The system by its very nature is also a very effective means of accurately measuring the amount of fluid (product) added to or removed from a tank. Accordingly the system represents an attractive alternative to hand strapping and other volume based (through flow meter) product custody transfer measurement methods and apparatus. Where the accuracy of custody transfer measurements is of significance due to the quantities, commercial terms and value of the product this system can be directly employed to accurately measure the transfer amounts.

Method and apparatus for storage tank leak detection


A through-the-lens method and system for focusing a projected image onto an imaging surface employs a confocal process and apparatus. Electromagnetic radiation projected through a subresolution aperture of origin located in an object plane passes through a confocal imaging device which forms an image of the aperture in the image plane. The radiation strikes the surface and is reflected back through the confocal imaging device to the aperture. The power of reflected radiation passing through the aperture is detected/measured. The distance between the imaging surface and the imaging device is then adjusted to maximize the detected power.

The Problem
Each step in the process of fabrication of a semiconductor integrated circuit requires precision given the small size scale. Focusing, during projection lithography, of the image of a mask projected by a lens or other imaging device onto a photoresist layer located on top of a wafer, as with other steps, requires a high degree of accuracy. Although the surface of the photoresist layer is generally planar, enough significant variations in surface profile exist to create focusing problems.
Typically, the wafer has multiple locations at which fabrication of integrated circuits occurs. Present day technology and the unevenness of the photoresist layer on the wafer only allow exposure of one or two chip sites at a time, although many more integrated circuit locations exist on the wafer. Consequently, the wafer used in the process is normally moved to expose the photoresist layer at each location. The movement of the wafer during the fabrication process and the inherent unevenness of the photoresist surface necessitate the refocusing of the image of the mask on the photoresist surface with each move.

Confocal method and apparatus for focusing in projection lithography

International Business Machines Corporation


A sole is provided in a single-moulding made of non-rigid but elastic material having one or more vertical elements folded over each other in such a manner that the horizontal extension thereof mechanically adapts the width of the sole to the different width of the assembly lasts of the upper of a shoe. This also allows adapting the width of the sole to the variation of the conformation of the feet generated by the daily swellings thereof leaving the normal flexibility and comfort of the shoe unaltered. The user may stabilize the width of the sole to the possible deformation of the foot by injecting, from outside into the widened internal cavity, a foamed two-component fluid material which, upon solidification within a few minutes, blocks any widened part of the sole to the conformation or to the deformation of the feet of the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention regards the shoe industry and more specifically it concerns a sole provided in a single moulding made of non-rigid but elastic material having one or more vertical elements folded over each other in such a manner that the horizontal extension thereof mechanically adapts the width of the sole, to the different width of the assembly lasts of the upper of a shoe and also allowing adapting the width of the sole to the variation of the conformation of the feet, generated by the daily swellings thereof leaving the normal flexibility and comfort of the shoe unaltered with the possibility for the user to stabilize the width of the sole to the possible deformation of the foot by injecting—from outside into the widened internal cavity—a foamed two-component fluid material which, upon solidification within a few minutes, blocks any widened pan of the sole to the conformation or to the deformation of the feet of the user.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
Used in the construction of a shoe are assembly lasts having lengths for predetermined sizes with the general effect that the user can select—on the market—shoes that are suitable for the length of the feet thereof hut not always suitable to the transverse width of the same.
This leads to clear discomfort for the user even due to the known fact that the width of the human foot never has a clearly determined ratio with the length thereof and that the morphology of the right foot of a person is generally different from the left foot thereof, leading to the fact, that the shoe made using identical assembly lasts for both feet may perfectly adapt to the right foot but not to the left foot or vice versa.
It is known that the feet are subjected to daily swellings due to different reasons, hence the possibility of simultaneously adapting the upper and the sole to the variable conformation thereof makes the shoe much more comfortable.
Furthermore, there currently arises technical and aesthetic-needs which require assembly lasts of the shoe having, different lengths of the plantar arch of the sole and/or of the sole which require soles having the width of the gluing base compatible with those of the former, hence leading to the shoe makers making as many sole moulds as the various widths of the assembly lasts, with the ensuing increase of the costs of production of the shoe.
Currently, there are various patents providing for adapting the shoe to the conformation of the foot and to the possible deformations thereof.
The Italian patent under application No. BO2002A000816 dated Mar. 22, 2004, having the title "A method for producing shoes and a shoe obtained by this method", describes and claims a process for making a shoe adaptable—in width—to the conformation or deformation of the foot of the user, consisting in fixing the upper to the sole at some predetermined points and introducing—into the interspace left vacant—a transversely-extensible, elastic band when the shoe is fitted so as to adapt the upper to the conformation or deformation of the foot of the user.
The above mentioned patent reveals the drawback lying in the fact that the stabilization of the adaptation of the sole to the conformation of the foot as described and claimed therein requires a subsequent gluing of the unglued interpsaces of the upper to the sole and the milling of the initial greater width of the sole with respect to that of the upper to actually adapt it to the width of the foot of the user.
The patent under application No. PCT/FR/02/01366 dated Apr. 22, 2002 extended in the US under U.S. Pat. No. 7,155,845 B2 having the title "Sole with extensible structure footwear equipped with same and method for mounting same" describes and claims the structure of a sole whose transverse extension is obtained through insertion—by means of moulding or gluing—of a deformable insert into the sole base made of shape memory elastic material provided with—in the underlying part thereof—one or more lugs countersunk in corresponding openings of the base sole.
A similar solution was also applied by the patent under application No. PCT/ES/05/0000018 of the Jan. 14, 2005 on behalf of Hergar claiming the priority rights of the Spanish patent No. ES U 2004736 dated Mar. 25, 2004 having the title "Calcado e sola ergonomicos auto-ventildos" whose adaptation of the shoe and of the sole to the conformation of the foot of the user is determined by a series of parallel longitudinal grooves arranged staggered with respect to the others at the level of the sole so as to obtain a structure of the bellow type which allows a transverse elastic, deformation of the sole also facilitated by an elastic body inserted into an insole.
The US patent No. 2005/0210710 A1 having the title "Footwear system having a sole adaptable to different dimensions of shoes" describes and claims a system of two soles of different dimensions the second of which is adaptable to the dimensions of the first and it is provided with a hollow part so as to be able to adapt to the dimension of the second sole.
More recently, the problem regarding the adaptability of the shoe to the conformation or deformations of the foot of the user was addressed by the patent under application No. PCT/IT-2005/000071 having the title "Shoe having an inner adaptable surface on which the wearer's foot rests" wherein the adaptability of the shoe to the various conformations of the foot of the user was resolved by providing the sole with an insole provided in a first step-made of rubber material and provided in which is a perpendicular and truck-shaped groove introduced into which is the more elastic material which, in a second step, due to the pressure exerted by the foot, overflows from such trunk-shape leading to the adjustment of the shape of the shoe to the conformation of the foot of the user.
Another solution for the adaptability of the shoe to the conformation of the foot of the user was described and claimed in patent US 2007/0039208 A1 having the title "Adaptable shoe having art expandable sole assembly" which, besides providing for the insertion of elastic elements into the upper of the shoe to adapt it to the conformation of the foot, it describes and claims a system which also makes the sole extensible—in width—to adapt it to the width of the upper by using an intermediate sole made of soft material and housed in the external sole; said intermediate sole is provided with cavities on the front and central parts of the sole intended to house the elements which facilitate the transverse extension due to the pressure of the sole adapting it to the conformation of the foot of the user.
Said patent expressly refers [0055 page 5] to the solution described and claimed in patent WO 2006/087737 A1 having the title "Shoe-with adjustable sole" which describes and claims a sole inserted into which are stiff elements alternated with deformable elements which, selected by the user when buying the shoe according to the conformation to the feet thereof cause the widening of the sole and of the shoe to suit the needs thereof.
Though said system allows providing a shoe whose dimensions match the conformation of the foot of the user, they reveal the drawback lying in that the presence of stiff elements within the shoe make it not perfectly fitting and limit flexibility thereof with the ensuing effect of making it uncomfortable.
Another drawback of the solution subject of the application PCX WO 2006/087737 regards the need, of providing—for each pair of shoes—a plurality of innersoles having stiff elements of various shapes and dimensions to offer to the buyers, with the ensuing negative effect of increasing the cost of production of the shoe.
All the devices described above base the transverse adaptability effect of the upper or of the sole of a shoe on the insertion, of more or less stiff stabilising elements which have the drawback of limiting and reducing the flexibility of the shoe.
On the contrary, in the invention described and claimed with the present application, the adaptation of the width of the sole to the upper occurs mechanically in the gluing step thereof and subsequently automatically due to the pressure exerted onto the upper and onto the sole by the variation of the conformation or by the deformation of the foot, the term "mechanical" widening being used to indicate, the movement—in horizontal line—determined by the pressure of the step of gluing the sole to the upper inserted to the assembly last thereof; and the term "automatic" widening of the sole is used to indicate the movement—in horizontal line—caused by pressure and by the variation of the conformation of the foot following the swelling thereof or by the deformation thereof.
The injection of a foamed two-component fluid material into an internal cavity of the sole widened by extending the vertical folded elements is provide for should the user want to permanently stabilise the width of the sole to the shoe, with the aim of keeping the degree of flexibility of the shoe unaltered and improving comfort thereof.
The comfort of the shoe that shall adapt the sole subject of the present application is ensured by the further advantage lying in the fact that the user thereof has a shoe whose sole and upper automatically adapt to the daily variable swelling of the foot thereof.
Lastly the present invention differs from the above mentioned patents due to the feet that it meets the needs of shoe makers and of the end consumer in that, by allowing the shoe makers to use a sole adaptable to the different, widths of the assembly lasts, it determines economies of cost of the production process and provides the user with a more comfortable and flexible shoe with respect to those currently available in the market.

Sole for shoes having one or more vertical elements folded over each other, extensible and adaptable to the different width of the assembly last of the upper and to the variation of the conformation of the foot, even permanently


The air-powered rotary rake is an attachment for a leaf blower or the like, providing the user with air-powered rotary blades to dislodge or agitate debris which, ordinarily, could not be moved easily with air blowing alone. The air-powered rotary rake includes a housing defining an open interior region and having opposed open front and rear ends. The rear end is adapted for releasable attachment to the leaf blower. An internal wall is mounted within a front portion of the housing and divides the housing into an upper passage and a lower passage. A spindle is rotatably mounted within the upper passage and a plurality of vanes are mounted on the spindle. When the pressurized air is diverted into the upper passage, the pressurized air impinges upon the vanes mounted on the spindle, causing the spindle to rotate and driving rotation of a plurality of blades also annularly mounted thereto.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lawn care equipment, and particularly to an air-powered rotary rake that can be attached to a leaf blower or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well know in the art of lawn maintenance to use high volume pressurized air yard blowers to blow away grass clippings, shrubbery clippings, yard debris and the like. Such air yard blowers are commonly used for the purpose of gathering tree leaves. Under normal conditions, an air yard blower can be used to gather leaves easily by moving them with a stream of high-pressure air. Such blowers are particularly useful in the removal of freshly fallen leaves that are supported above the ground on underlying blades of grass. These leaves are easily lifted by the air exiting an air yard blower nozzle. However, under some conditions, air yard blowers suffer deficiencies in gathering leaves. The conventional air yard blower's efficiency suffers, at least in part, due to the absence of a mechanical means to free leaves that become entangled between blades of grass.
While large leaves are generally supported by underlying blades of grass, small or thin leaves settle between blades of grass. Even the stems of large leaves sometimes become entangled between blades of grass, thus making their removal with an air yard blower difficult. When the stem of a large leaf is entangled between blades of grass, the operator of an air yard blower may attempt to free the leaf by increasing the blower's airflow. Increasing the airflow, however, may cause the leaf to be pressed against the ground or to just spin about its entangled stem. In such situations, the leaves are incapable of being swept away by the air yard blower.
Typical air yard blowers are often inefficient in leaf removal in the further situation of leaves that have piled on top of one other. These leaves become heavy and have a tendency to stick together and also stick to the grass. This tendency to stick increases when there is moisture present from rain or dew and is further increased when moisture freezes. Often, when sticking occurs, the air stream from a blower will be incapable of moving the leaves.
Also, conventional blowers tend to be inefficient in removal of yard debris when rocks, bark, vegetation or flowering plants, bird droppings, sticks and other natural and foreign matter are present. Further, since many ground coverings include vegetation that has large leaves, it is easy for fallen leaves to become caught between them. Furthermore, shrubbery leaves are generally smaller than leaves from trees and often settle on ground covering during trimming. In such situations, and in the presence of material such as heavy sticks, tangled weeds, dried bird droppings and the like, it is often impossible to remove leaves and other yard debris with the pressurized air generated by the blower alone. It would be desirable to provide a mechanical removal means in combination with the pressurized air in order to aid in the removal of yard debris. Thus, an air-powered rotary rake solving the aforementioned problems is desired.


The invention provides a thermal and addition curable silicone release coating comprising a mixture of an epoxysilicone controlled release additive containing at least one tri- or quadri-functional siloxane unit, a vinyl-functional silicone base polymer, a temperature-dependent hydrosilation inhibitor and an effective hydrosilation catalyst.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an epoxy functional silicon resin used in an addition curable silicone release coating composition. More particularly, the invention relates to an epoxy functional silicone resin controlled release additive containing tri- or quadri-functional siloxane units, for use in a vinyl-functional base silicone release coating, thereby providing a thermal and addition curable, controlled release coating composition.
2. Technology Review
Silicone compositions have become widely accepted as release coatings, which are useful to provide a surface or material that is relatively non-adherent to other materials which would normally adhere closely thereto. Silicone release compositions are useful as coatings with release pressure sensitive adhesives for labels, decorative laminates, transfer tapes, etc. Silicone release coatings on paper, polyethylene, and other such substrates are also useful to provide non-stick surfaces for food handling and industrial packaging.
Silicone release coating compositions are well known in the art. Traditionally, non-functional and vinyl-functional silicone resins have been used as controlled release additives for silicone release coatings. In general, a resin and/or fluid mixture of vinyl-functional silicone and SiH-functional silicone cross-linking agent is cured in the presence of a precious metal catalyst by the well known hydrosilation addition reaction. By varying the amount of vinyl-functional silicone resin added to base silicone composition, a variety of release levels can be obtained from a given system.
Presently release coatings are of two basic types, heat cured and UV cured. Heat cured release coating compositions contain terminally and/or on-chain vinyl-substituted silicone polymer, SiH functional silicone cross-linking agent, hydrosilation addition reaction promoting catalyst and addition reaction inhibitor. Heat is employed to deactivate the inhibitor and allow the hydrosilation addition reaction to proceed.
There is a continuing need in the release coating industry to develop materials with "differential release" characteristics. In other words, there are wanted release coatings, the release of which may be adjusted to various levels as desired. With "differential release", premature release can be prevented while accounting for easy release when desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,815 discloses a heat Curable release coating composition crosslinked by addition reaction in the presence of platinum catalyst. There is no teaching as to a controlled release.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,999 discloses a UV radiation curable release coating composition crosslinked by addition reaction in the presence of platinum catalyst. Again, there is no teaching as to controlled release.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,431 discloses UV radiation curable epoxy-functional silicone further containing poly-functional epoxy monomers. The additional monomers provide quantitative variable release. In this case, heat cure to produce a release coating was not reported.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,670 discloses UV curable silicone terpolymers wherefrom differential release was achieved, but control of this differential release was not obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,657 discloses UV curable, phenol-modified epoxysilicones as controlled release compositions. It is disclosed that the greater the content of phenol-modified silicone resin, the greater the release value that is obtained.
Co-pending, commonly-assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 07/573,416, Aug. 24, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,991 disclosed UV-curable epoxysilicones for producing controlled release coatings. The utility of the incorporation of tri- and quadri-functional siloxane units with respect to the coating is not disclosed.
There may also be employed in release coating compositions additional silicones for their ordinary purpose which contain no siloxane units with a release modifying substitution. For example, an unmodified hydride-substituted silicone may be employed to perform the major part of the crosslinking function. Thus, it is not critical that each polymer of a release coating composition be modified. It is critical, however, that there be sufficient release modified organopolysiloxane with sufficient units having release modifying substitution to increase release in the cured composition.
There is thus a need for additional silicone release coating additives wherefrom stable controlled release can be obtained. In particular, there is a need for controlled release coatings which are economical, easy to manufacture from readily available materials, and which provide for greater levels of release than traditional vinyl-substituted additives, and be solventless to minimize dealing with solvents and solvent recovery. This resulting in a more environmentally sound product.

Epoxysilicone controlled release composition


A deflectable stylet or guidewire formed of an elongated tube having a coil mounted to its distal end and a movable tension or push wire mounted within the coil and the tube, mechanically coupled to the distal end of the coil. A backbone is located within the coil, mechanically coupled to the proximal and distal ends of the coil and extending along one side of the coil. The backbone may be provided with projections extending laterally between adjacent turns of the coil and may have a generally arcuate cross section having a width greater than its arc height. In some embodiments the backbone may be formed from a tube having a slot extending longitudinally along one side thereof. In some embodiments the backbone may be attached to the coil at points between the proximal and distal ends of the coil.

The present invention relates generally to implantable leads and catheters and more particularly to mechanisms for deflecting implantable leads and catheters to assist in guiding them through the vascular system.
Over the years, quite a number of mechanisms have been disclosed and employed to deflect catheters and implantable leads. These have taken the form of deflectable guidewires and deflectable stylets, typically operable from the proximal end of the lead or catheter, which controllably impart a curve to the distal portion of the lead or catheter. One group of devices comprise deflectable stylets or guidewires which employ a straight, tubular outer member with a curved inner member, the inner and outer members movable relative to one another. Examples of this type of deflection mechanism are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,703 issued to Wittkampf and U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,148 issued to Bostrom et al. Alternatively, deflection devices employing a curved outer member and a relatively straight inner member are also known to the art, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,249 issued to Arenas and U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,543 issued to Badera et al. In devices of both types, the relative position of the inner member with respect to the outer member determines the degree to which the curved member (inner or outer) is allowed to display its preset curvature.
A more commonly employed approach to providing controllable deflection employs a Generally straight outer member and a tension or push wire located within the outer member which on advancement or retraction causes the outer member to bend. Examples of such deflection mechanisms can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,478 issued to Buchbinder et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,062 issued to Hampton et al.
Particularly in the context of deflectable stylets intended for use in conjunction with implantable medical leads such as pacing and cardioversion leads, steerable stylets employing this third type of deflection mechanism are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,119 issued to Brennen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,787 issued to Lindegren and U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,906 issued to Fideler et al, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
While all of the mechanisms disclosed in the above cited prior art patents are at least to some degree workable, there is still a perceived need for a deflectable stylet or guidewire which has the capability to impart a controllable, relatively small radius curvature to the distal end of a cardiac pacing lead or catheter and which is sufficiently durable to allow for repeated use.
The present invention includes a variety of embodiments of deflectable stylets or guidewires all including an elongated tubular portion which may be fabricated of nitinol, stainless steel or other appropriate metal and which may take the form, for example, of a length of hypodermic tubing, preferably stainless steel, super-precision drawn, smooth-bore tubing. Located at the distal end of the tubing is a deflectable tip portion which in turn includes a coil, coupled to the distal tip of the tube; preferably fabricated of wire which is rectangular in cross-section and wound into a flat-wound coil such that the width of the wire is greater than the thickness of the wire measured radially. A longitudinally movable internal tension or push wire is located within the tube and extends through the coil to the distal end of the coil where it is mechanically coupled to the distal end of the coil. Also provided is a backbone member which may take one of several forms and which is configured to prevent longitudinal compression and/or expansion of the coil along one side thereof so that longitudinal movement of the wire within the tube and coil causes deflection of the coil. The coiled wire, tension/push wire and the backbone may be fabricated of stainless steel, nitinol, or other appropriate material. In particular, the coil and backbone are preferably formed of a wrought stainless steel, more preferably a precipitation hardened stainless steel such as PH 15-7 Mo or 17-7PH or similar alloys which, in their annealed condition are readily weldable and which may be shaped by precision stamping and coiling. The backbone member is also preferably configured to prevent out of plane twisting of the coil as a result of longitudinal movement of the internal wire, and more preferably is configured to provide a smooth and even bend by preventing relative movement of individual turns of the coil relative to one another, along one side of the coil.
In a first embodiment, the backbone takes the form of an elongated member provided with laterally extending projections which are sized to fit between adjacent turns of the coil along one side of the coil allowing compression or expansion of the coil only along the opposite side of the coil in response to longitudinal movement of the internal wire. The projections of the backbone also prevent relative longitudinal movement of individual turns of the coil along the side of the coil engaging the backbone, providing a smooth, continuous bend. The backbone is preferably coupled to the coil at its tip and may optionally be welded to the coil along its length, at some or all of the points at which the projections of the backbone contact individual turns of the coil. In this embodiment, the backbone preferably has a generally arcuate configuration in cross section, and has a width substantially greater than its arc height in order to provide a preferred bending axis and prevent out of plane twisting of the deflectable portion of the stylet or guidewire during longitudinal movement of the internal wire.
In a second embodiment, the backbone takes the form of a tube having external threads formed thereon which correspond to the spaces between the turns of the coil. In this embodiment, the tube is provided with a longitudinal slot or recess such that over a portion of the length of the tube, the tube engages the coil only along one side thereof, allowing compression or expansion of the coil only along the opposite side of the coil in response to longitudinal movement of the internal wire. In this embodiment, the backbone also has a generally arcuate configuration in cross section along the length of the slot, and along this length also has a width substantially greater than its arc height in order to provide a preferred bending axis and prevent out of plane twisting of the deflectable portion of the stylet or guidewire during longitudinal movement of the internal wire. The backbone is preferably coupled to the coil at its tip and may optionally be welded to the coil along its length, at the points at which the projections of the backbone contact individual turns of the coil.
A third embodiment of the invention employs a backbone taking the form of an elongated member having a generally arcuate configuration in cross section, but which does not include projections as set forth in conjunction with the first and second described embodiments. The backbone is instead welded to the coil at one or more locations between its proximal and distal end to prevent relative movement of the individual coils.
A final alternative embodiment to the present invention integrates the backbone with the coil itself. In this case, the coil is formed of a material such as the PH15-7 Mo or 17-7PH stainless steels referred to above which in a ductile (annealed) condition allows portions of the turns along one side of the coil to be compressed, in turn causing the material of the coil to form a projection which engages the next successive turn of the coil. The projections so formed may simply contact the next portion of the coil in which case the internal wire may only be used as a tension or pull wire, the individual projections extending from turns of the coil serving only to prevent relative movement of the individual turns of the coil toward one another. However, the tabs or projections so formed may alternatively be welded to the next successive coil member, also preventing relative movement of individual ones of the coils apart from one another, along the side of the coil in which the tabs or projections are formed. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the tabs or projections are formed such that their base width is greater than the arc height of the section of the coil across which the tabs extend, in order to provide increased resistance to out of plane twisting of the coil during longitudinal movement of the internal wire.
In all embodiments in which wrought stainless steels as discussed above or similar materials are employed for the coil and backbone, the coil and backbone are preferably fabricated from the metal in its annealed, relatively softer ductile condition, allowing winding of the coil without substantial spring-back and facilitating any required stamping or forming operations performed on the coil or backbone. The coil and backbone are then preferably welded to one another. Following assembly of the coil and backbone assembly and any welding of the components to one another, the assembly is preferably heat treated and stress relieved to temper the assembly and produce a desired final set of mechanical embodiments, properties (hardness, spring constant, tensile strength, etc.). In some the tubing making up the majority of the stylet body may also be formed of such alloys and welded to the coil and core, preferably prior to heat treatment.

Apparatus for deflecting a catheter or lead


Applications can be deployed concurrently across a network cluster by utilizing a phased approach to deployment. A preparation operation is invoked each node on which an application is to be deployed. The preparation operation can utilize two phases, in which the deployment descriptors for an application are analyzed and in which each node is initialized for deployment. For each node that is successfully initialized, an activation phase is started in which the node is informed that it should prepare for requests on the application. The deployed application is then started on each successful node. For each node on which the preparation operation was unsuccessful, the deployment can be rolled back or attempted again.

When deploying applications in many presently available systems, there are limitations on what a user can do with an application deployment model. In some instances, applications must be completely deployed on each individual system. Further, it may not be possible to deploy multiple applications at the same time. The deployment of applications also creates potential problems in areas such as managing files and events for these applications. This problem is exacerbated when different applications are being concurrently deployed across the system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods for application deployment


Test and measurement probes include a body, an adjustable member moveably coupled to the body and having a changeable position relative to the body, and a transducer subsystem structured to measure the position of the adjustable member and configured to output a position signal indicative of the position of the adjustable member. A change in the position of the adjustable member causes a change in an electrical characteristic of the probe. A position-dependent correction factor may be used to correct the change in the electrical characteristic. Methods of compensating for a change in a response of a test and measurement system include monitoring a position sensor output to detect a position change of a first part of a probe relative to a second part, determining that the position sensor output value has crossed a boundary value between a first and second range, and applying a compensation factor corresponding to the second range to modify the response of the system.

Users of a test and measurement instrument, such as an oscilloscope, often use a probe to connect a device-under-test (DUT), such as a circuit board, to an input of the test and measurement instrument in order to visualize, debug, and perform measurements of electrical signals occurring in the DUT. To measure an electrical signal in a DUT, a user typically needs to establish physical contact between the probe and one or more test points of interest in the DUT. Test points may be located in various places on a DUT circuit board and may be traces or vias, connector pins, or component pads or pins, such as the pins of an integrated circuit (IC). Physically probing a DUT test point can be challenging, especially when the electrical components are very small, or when there are a large number of components packed into a small area. In these cases, the test points of interest can be difficult to access since they may be obscured by other components, cables, or mechanical features of the DUT.
Furthermore, the signals that a probe user needs to measure and debug often operate at high frequencies and low signal levels. For example, high-speed serial busses such as DDR2, DDR4, and PCI Gen 4, among others, are very prevalent in contemporary DUTs. These types of bus signals can have fast rise times, small voltage swings, and high pulse frequencies. Therefore, the test and measurement instruments and probes that are used to measure these types of signals must be high performance, precision devices capable of high bandwidth signal acquisition and good signal fidelity. In particular, the probe should have specified electrical characteristics and performance, and should maintain that specified performance in all use cases.
Sometimes the probe user may need to make physical contact simultaneously with more than one point in a DUT circuit. For example, when measuring a single-ended signal, the user may need to contact the probe to both a test point, as well as to a ground point in the DUT. Or, if measuring a differential signal, the user may need to contact the probe to two test points, where the differential signal is the difference in voltages at the two test points over time. Such pairs of test points may have various amounts of space between them. In order to accommodate variable test point spacing, many probes have adjustment features which allow the distance between the test point contacts on the probe to be changed as necessary. Adjusting these types of probes typically includes adjusting the position of a part of the probe in which the measured signal is conveyed. When a part of the probe in the signal path changes positions, this generally tends to change an electrical characteristic of the probe, potentially to the extent that the probe no longer performs within its specifications. This in turn can lead to an inaccurate measurement of the signal in the DUT. However, conventional adjustable probes are not able to compensate for such electrical characteristic changes to return the performance of the probe to within specification.
Embodiments of the invention addresses these and other limitations of the prior art.

Position sensing in a probe to modify transfer characteristics in a system


A utility vehicle includes a rear suspension assembly which has a trailing arm generally extending longitudinally. Also, the rear suspension assembly includes an upper radius rod extending in a generally lateral direction relative to a centerline of the vehicle. Additionally, the rear suspension assembly includes a lower radius rod extending in a generally lateral direction relative to the centerline of the vehicle. The rear suspension assembly further includes a suspension member configured to control toe of the at least one rear ground-engaging member.

On-road and off-road vehicles include a rear suspension assembly. For example, in the context of off-road vehicles, various embodiments of a rear suspension assembly may include trailing arms which generally extend in a forward-aft direction and control arms or radius rods which generally extend in a lateral direction.
However, despite the inclusion of a trailing arm and/or radius rod, the rear wheel may toe in or toe out when the vehicle rebounds at full compression. In this way, the vehicle may not rebound with the rear wheels facing in longitudinal direction. As such, there is a need for a rear suspension assembly which decreases the toe change, especially when the vehicle rebounds and the rear suspension assembly is at a full compression position.


A composite article and method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a polyurethane-polyurea layer is disposed on a substrate. The polyurethane-polyurea layer includes a reaction product of an isocyanate component having from about 10% to about 90% of a toluene diisocyanate, by weight of the isocyanate component, and an isocyanate-reactive component having amine-terminated and/or hydroxyl-terminated compounds. The polyurethane-polyurea layer provides blast and fragment protection from explosive devices as well as ballistic mitigation.

Mitigation measures for explosive blast threats are applicable to combat theater operations, potential civilian terrorist targets, and potential sites of accidental explosions. Accordingly, blast mitigation measures are being utilized in military, government, business, and industrial applications to avoid casualties, reduce damage to infrastructure, and remain operational in the event of an explosion.
Existing mitigation measures for explosive threats include maximizing the stand-off distance between the target and potential explosives and hardening the target's envelope. However, often it is not possible to maximize the stand-off distance. This is particularly true with respect to military applications, such as combat vehicles, and civil applications, such as buildings in urban settings. Hence, there is a need for mitigation measures that harden a potential target's envelope and a greater need for such measures in instances where it is not possible to maximize the stand-off distance.

Composite article providing blast mitigation and method for manufacturing same


A light-emitting device in which a light-emitting element, such as an LED, and an electrostatic protection element for protecting the light-emitting element from electrostatic breakdown are connected in parallel. The light-emitting device is configured such that a connection wire member of the light-emitting element and a connection wire member of the electrostatic protection element are formed of the same material; and the connection wire member of the electrostatic protection element is smaller in diameter than the connection wire member of the light-emitting element. When the light-emitting element lapses into an open-circuit state, whereby an electric current which is originally intended to flow through the element unintentionally flows through the electrostatic protection element, the connection wire member is fused by an overcurrent. Consequently, occurrence of a failure of the electrostatic protection element in a short-circuit mode can be prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for a light-emitting device, which includes a light-emitting element and an electrostatic protection element for protecting the light-emitting element from electrostatic breakdown, as well as for a vehicle lamp including use of the light-emitting device. The technique enables reliable detection of a nonillumination state of the light-emitting device.
2. Background Art
In a light-emitting device employed as a light source of a lamp, an electrostatic protection element, such as a Zener diode or a capacitor, is disposed in parallel with a light-emitting chip of the light-emitting device as a measure against static electricity of the light-emitting chip. For instance, known configurations of a white light-emitting diode (LED) employing a nitride semiconductor material, or the like, for its LED chip, include that in which a Zener diode is connected in parallel with the LED chip, thereby packaging the Zener diode and the LED chip into a single package so as to prevent electrostatic breakdown of the element. More specifically, the Zener diode and the LED chip are disposed in a single package in a state where a cathode of the LED chip and an anode of the Zener diode are connected together, and an anode of the LED chip and a cathode of the Zener diode are connected together.
Electric connection between the LED chip and the Zener diode is established through bonding with use of gold wire having the same diameter.
In a configuration in which a plurality of light-emitting devices (or light-emitting modules), each device including a light-emitting element and an electrostatic protection element, are connected in parallel to thus serve as a light source, a lapse of even any one of the light-emitting elements into an illumination-disabled state problematically affects optical performance (degradation in light distribution performance, or the like, in the case of application to a light source for a vehicle). Therefore, nonillumination detection of the respective light-emitting devices is required. For instance, the following nonillumination detection method is applied to a configuration in which all the light-emitting elements are connected in series, and the light-emitting elements are driven through its constant current control.
(I) A method of monitoring current values of a light-emitting device group; and
(II) a method of monitoring voltage values across the respective light-emitting devices.
In these cases, since a generally assumed failure is that of the light-emitting element in an open-circuit mode, detection of a failure in a short-circuit mode may fail (that is, during a short-circuit mode of a light-emitting element or an electrostatic protection element, a nonillumination state may fail to be detected). Accordingly, possibility of occurrence of a nonillumination state of a light-emitting device resulting from a failure in a short-circuit mode must be minimized.


A wax and asphaltene solvation fluid for use in oil and gas wells is derived as a residual fluid from a feedstock that includes a greater mass percentage of trimethylbenzene than decane, and is preferably sour. Mass percentage of both aromatics and asphaltenes in the residual fluid is in the 30%-70% range, and a complex mixture of both is described.

The rocks that contain oil and gas in oil and gas reservoirs are porous and to remove the oil or gas from the reservoirs requires that the oil or gas move through the pores in the rock. If the pores are blocked, then it is difficult and it may even become impossible to remove the oil or gas from the reservoir, with consequent economic loss to the oil or gas well owner.
Two notorious contaminants that may block the pores are waxes and asphaltenes. A wax is normally defined as a hydrocarbon that is a solid at room temperature and has 20 carbon atoms or more. An asphaltene is an agglomerate of aromatic hydrocarbons, and may contain bound oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur atoms. The oil and gas in many, if not most, reservoirs contains both waxes and asphaltenes. These waxes and asphaltenes may be dissolved in the oil. In some cases, however, the waxes and asphaltenes may partially block the pores, or, as production continues, the very action of removing oil from a reservoir may cause waxes and asphaltenes to precipitate out of solution and block the pores.
Also, the waxes and asphaltenes may precipitate out of solution in the well bore itself, or in equipment used for the production of oil and gas and reduce or block the flow of oil from the well.
The economic damage from waxes and asphaltene precipitation can be very high, killing some wells entirely. Consequently, a great deal of attention has been devoted to developing cost effective ways of preventing waxes and asphaltenes from precipitating out of solution or of removing the waxes and asphaltenes from an oil reservoir or well bore.
One such attempt at a solution has been to apply to a well a mixture of a significant proportion of the aromatic xylene (about 45%) and a lesser proportion of the paraffinic hydrocarbon hexane (about 30%), together with about 25% methanol. This product is known by the name NP760 and is available from Wellchem of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The xylene is intended to solvate asphaltenes and the hexane is intended to solvate waxes. The xylene and hexane components of the composition are each derived from refining a feedstock and removing that particular component from the feedstock. The result is a product that has moderate success in solvating at least some waxes and asphaltenes, but because the fluid is made from a complex process, the fluid is relatively expensive.
One difficulty with the use of hexane or other alkanes is that they tend to cause asphaltenes to precipitate out of solution. This in turn is believed to increase the precipitation of waxes. How this is believed to occur is as follows. Waxes require nucleation sites in the oil formation or well bore to which they can attach. Any such site will become a nucleation site for the further accretion of waxes. In time, the waxes, mixed with asphaltenes, build outward and block the well bore or pores in the formation. In a typical oil formation water surrounds the rock in the formation and waxes will tend to slide off the water and not attach to the rock. However, if asphaltenes are present, they may attach to the rock surface since reservoir rock contains positively and negatively charged molecules (cations and anions) which attract the polar asphaltenes. The asphaltenes may then protrude beyond the water layer surrounding the rock particle and form a nucleation site for waxes. Hence a precondition for wax deposition is the precipitation of asphaltenes from the oil in the reservoir. It is the hexane that causes the precipitation of the asphaltenes and thus the formation of nucleation sites for waxes. The xylene is added to solvate the asphaltenes and prevent the formation of nucleation sites.
However, such a product, formed of an alkane (particularly pentane, hexane and heptane) and an aromatic, and similar products that are produced by the steps of: (a) refining a feedstock, (b) selectively removing hydrocarbons and (c) subsequently mixing the selected hydrocarbons, are not believed very effective in removing gummy layers of waxes and asphaltenes that are typically found in oil and gas reservoirs and well bores in relation to their cost. The waxy depositions in oil and gas formations are complex aggregations of molecules, with many layers and globules of different waxes and asphaltenes, which the inventors have found are not readily removed by simple compositions. Such products, requiring several processing steps, tend to be expensive. Also, in some wells such mixtures of an aromatic, alkane and alcohol or other polar substance may increase the precipitation of waxes and asphaltenes. Thus for example, in the general case, stabilized C.sub.5 + condensates tend to precipitate asphaltenes, with the future risk of wax contamination for the reasons just mentioned. That is to say, while it is possible to tailor a particular composition of alkanes and aromatics to a particular well formation, such a procedure is relatively expensive and may produce a product that is useful for one well formation but not for another. With the expense of the product and the risk of actually damaging the well, the application of such a product to a well is a venture not lightly undertaken.
The inventors have found a composition and a method for its use that helps to remove the uncertainty from applying wax solvating materials to wells, while at the same time significantly reducing the cost of making and using the composition. The composition is formed from a complex mixture of aromatics and alkanes (preferably C.sub.7 +). The complex mixture provides different components that solvate different waxes and asphaltenes. Rather than using a composition derived from selecting individual components during refining, the composition is the residue after lighter hydrocarbon components (preferably substantially all C.sub.1, C.sub.2, C.sub.3, C.sub.4 and C.sub.5 hydrocarbons) have been removed during refining. With the appropriate selection of the feedstock, an improved wax solvating and asphaltene solvating composition may be derived.
The feedstock should be selected to have a significant proportion of aromatics and alkanes. The inventors have found that if a feedstock has a mass percentage of trimethylbenzene higher than the mass percentage of n-decane as determined by gas chromatography then the feedstock will have a sufficiently complex mixture of aromatics and alkanes for the efficient solvating of asphaltenes and waxes, particularly after the lighter ends (C.sub.1, C.sub.2, C.sub.3, C.sub.4 and C.sub.5 hydrocarbons) have been removed by distillation from the feedstock. By a sufficiently complex mixture of aromatics is meant aromatics other than, but not necessarily excluding, the simple aromatics benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. These simple aromatics are the aromatics normally measured in gas chromatography since they usually yield well defined peaks. The inventors have found that it is necessary to have a good quantity of other aromatics, and the presence of these other aromatics is indicated by the quantity of trimethylbenzene.
Another indication that a feedstock contains a suitably complex blend of aromatics and alkanes to solvate complex gummy layers of waxes and asphaltenes is the presence of sulphur containing compounds in the feedstock. It is believed that sulphur is a catalyst for the conversion of alkanes to aromatics during the many years that the hydrocarbon deposit evolves underground. Hence, the more sulphur, the greater the conversion of alkanes to aromatics. Thus the presence of sulphur is an indication that the feedstock will have a suitable proportion of aromatics to alkanes.
Aromatic composition and alkane composition should be in the range 30% to 70% by mass percentage as determined by gas chromatography for a suitable composition. However, it is not believed that such a range of aromatics and alkanes is sufficient: the composition must be suitably complex as noted above. Further, it has been found desirable that the feedstock be clear or have a light colour such as amber. Dark colour indicates the presence of heavy ends (C.sub.16 +) that assist in the formation of waxes. The C.sub.16 + content of the fluid should preferably be below 2% by mass as determined by gas chromatography. If the feedstock contains greater than 2% C.sub.16 + content, then an additional cut may be taken to remove all or substantially all the higher ends.
Alternatively, the fluid may be formulated for pure asphaltene solvation. Pure asphaltene generally occurs in only two situations in the reservoir. In one case, pyrobitumen can be present in gas reservoirs. This is generally believed to have been deposited long ago when oil which had occupied the reservoir migrated out and left the pyrobitumen behind. This pyrobitumen can move during production and plug the formation or wellbore.
Another case is in tertiary recovery using hydrocarbon miscible solvents floods. Light hydrocarbons in the C.sub.2 to C.sub.5 hydrocarbons range are injected into the reservoir to push the oil to production wells. While these light hydrocarbons will solvate paraffinic molecules they act to precipitate asphaltenic molecules. Thus asphaltene will precipitate without heavy paraffinic molecules present.
The fluid is formulated for solvating pure asphaltenes by increasing the temperature of the cutpoint. This removes the C.sub.6 and C.sub.7 components which contain a lower percentage of aromatics than the bulk residue. The aromatics in this region are small and not as effective as the more complex aromatics in the remainder of the fluid.
Asphaltenes are normally colloidally suspended in crude oil by peptizing resins (maltenes). These peptizing resins are aromatic and polar at one end and paraffinic or neutral at the other end. The polar end is attracted to the asphaltene and the nonpolar end to the crude oil. When the solid asphaltene is completely surrounded by peptizing resins it becomes a colloidally suspended particle completely suspended in the crude oil.
Currently the main way of treating these precipitations is by injecting pure xylene down a well. Xylene is a simple aromatic with short paraffinic side chains. The more complex aromatics in the C.sub.8 + fluid described here with longer side chains provide superior emulation of the maltenes that originally suspended the asphaltene molecules than just pure xylene.

Oil and gas well operation fluid used for the solvation of waxes and asphaltenes, and method of use thereof


A disc-shaped tool includes a plurality of virtual regions formed such that it is surrounded by two radius lines extending from a rotation center of a disc-shaped base metal and two concentric circles on the base metal disposed around the rotation center. A central angle formed by the two radius lines is equal to or less than 90°, and the number of the virtual regions is 4 to 24. The concentric circle located in a center of an interval of the two concentric circles forming the virtual region is in a range of 0.6 r to 0.8 r with respect to the rotation center of the base metal when a maximum gullet bottom radius of the base metal is r. An overlapping of the virtual regions continuously adjoining each other is in a range of 0° to 12°. A minimum neighborhood distance between the adjoining slits is equal to or more than 0.05 r. A ratio of a length of an arc of the central concentric circle in each virtual region with respect to the interval of the two concentric circles in the virtual region is 3 to 6.

Conventionally, a variety of forms of slits, which are an elongated hole formed in a base metal of a circular saw blade, have been proposed for as this kind of the disc-shaped tool. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 46-21356, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 5-18010, European Patent No. 0640422A1, West Germany Patent No. 19648129A1 have disclosed this kind of the circular saw blades. It has been well known that providing with such a slit increases the critical revolution number of the circular saw blade and further filling the slit with resin makes noise and vibration, which affects the quality of a cut face adversely, unlikely to occur. The critical revolution number is a revolution number which generates buckling in a circular saw blade and generally the circular saw blade is used at a revolution number below the critical one. However, how the arrangement and the entire shape of the slit are related to the stiffness and the critical revolution number of the circular saw blade and how they affect the durability and suppression of vibration have not been clarified and therefore, it is not clear whether or not a slit having an appropriate shape is formed at an appropriate position.
The inventors analyzed in detail about how the arrangement and the entire shape of the slit formed in the disc-shaped tool affect the stiffness of the disc-shaped tool, the critical revolution number and vibration, confirmed its analysis result based on specific experiment results so as to investigate those results and then reached the present invention based on those results.
The present invention intends to solve the above-described problem and provide a disc-shaped tool which has a high stiffness and high critical revolution number and ensuring a high durability and is unlikely to generate a vibration accompanying a cutting work by specifying the arrangement position and condition of the slits.

Disk-shaped tool with vibration reduction


A method for sharing a resource among a plurality of clients is provided. A request is received by a client requesting access to a shared resource. A usage rate is determined for the client. The usage rate of clients are reduced by transmitting a request for a usage reduction to the clients. The request for the usage reduction is initiated independent of a receipt of a message from the clients whose usage rates are being reduced. If a requested usage reduction would reduce a client below a minimum usage rate, then the usage rate of the client is set to the minimum usage rate. The minimum usage rate can be established by the client or by configuration data. The usage rate of a non-real-time client is adjusted based on a uniform rate. If the uniform rate is higher than a maximum usage rate, then the usage rate of a non-real-time client is adjusted to the maximum usage rate. The maximum usage rate can be established by the client or by configuration data.

A client is any entity which receives data supplied by a server. Clients of a data server may include, for example, a process on the same node as the data server, a process on a different node than the data server, or a thread within a process. In a multi-process client/server computer system, a data server usually supplies data to multiple clients. The maximum rate at which a data server can supply data is known as the bandwidth of the server. The bandwidth of a server must be shared among the clients of the data server.
Clients of data servers can be classified as either real-time clients or non-real-time clients. In order to function properly, real-time clients require data at set times and at a relatively constant rate. Data that arrives late typically is useless to real time clients and can cause them to function improperly. For example, data for movie frames from a video server that arrives too late to be shown cannot be used and causes a visible momentary interruption of the movie. Timing is not so critical to non-real time clients. In order to function properly, non-real time clients do not require data at set times and may use data at varying rates.
Typically, the bandwidth of a data server is allocated in a manner that ensures that the constraints of real-time clients are met. Each real-time client is allocated a portion of the bandwidth to ensure that data is received at the constant rate required for the real-time client to function properly. The portion of bandwidth remaining after allocation to the real-time clients is shared among the non-real-time clients. The allocation to a non-real-time client is not constant because, unlike a real-time client, a non-real-time client can function properly while receiving data at varying rates.
To adapt to changes in the use of data from data servers by the clients of the data server, the allocations of bandwidth to the non-real-time clients is adjusted dynamically. One approach to changing allocations of bandwidth to clients is the client polling approach. In the client polling approach, at set time intervals a non-real-time client transmits messages to the data server seeking an adjustment to the amount of bandwidth allocated to the non-real-time client.
Transmitting messages between a client and server can require a lot of overhead, especially when a client resides on one node and the server resides on another node. One measure used to reduce the overhead incurred in transmitting messages is to increase the time between the time intervals at which a non-real-time client polls the server. Another measure is to limit the particular non-real-time clients that may poll a server to a subset of non-real-time-clients.
The client polling approach presents a few disadvantages. One disadvantage is that adjustments to bandwidth allocations are triggered by the passage of time, rather than by the events that create the need to re-adjust the bandwidth allocation. As a consequence, clients often poll servers, incurring the overhead of transmitting a message, when no adjustment of the allocation of the bandwidth is needed. Furthermore, when the need to adjust the allocation of bandwidth to a non-real-time client arises, the allocation can not be adjusted until the non-real-time client polls the server.
The delay caused by waiting for a non-real-time client to poll a server before adjusting the bandwidth allocation to that non-real-time client is especially disadvantageous when a new client requests access to a data server whose bandwidth has been fully allocated. To make bandwidth available to the new client, the bandwidth allocations to current non-real-time clients must be reduced. Consequently, the allocation to the new client is postponed until the necessary non-real-time clients poll the data server and have their allocated bandwidth reduced. This postponement can cause an unacceptably long delay in responding to the requests of new clients.
To avoid incurring this long delay, allocation of the full bandwidth of data server is avoided. The unallocated portion of the bandwidth serves as a reserve that is immediately available to new clients. When a portion of the bandwidth is allocated to a new client, the reserve is diminished. To replenish the reserve, the current allocation to each non-real-time client may be reduced if and when that non-real-time client next polls the server. If a client requests access when there is no reserve available, the request is denied. The risk of denial can be decreased by increasing the reserve.
Unfortunately, use of the reserve entails a tradeoff between reducing the risk of denying a new request by a new client for access to a data server and the throughput of the server, especially the throughput to non-real-time clients. To reduce the risk of denying a request for access by new clients, the portion of the bandwidth held in reserve may be increased. However, this increase in the reserve reduces bandwidth allocated to the non-real-time clients, thus decreasing throughput to them.
Based on the foregoing, it is clearly desirable to allocate a larger portion of the bandwidth to non-real-time clients without increasing the risk of denial of a request by a new client, and without increasing latency to an unacceptable level in responding to new requests. It is further desirable to avoid the overhead caused by a non-real-client periodically polling a data server for adjustments to the allocation of bandwidth to the non-real-time client.

Using callbacks to effectively manage resources


A switching voltage regulator includes, in part, N output stages, a loop ADC, a multiplexer, a current ADC, and an interrupt block. The loop analog-to-digital converter receives the N output voltages each of which is associated with one of N channels. The loop ADC is adapted to vary a duty cycle of N signals each applied to one of the N output stages that generate the N output voltages. The interrupt block is adapted to enable the multiplexer to couple an output stage to the current ADC if a difference between voltages sensed at an output stage during at least two sampling times exceeds a predefined threshold value. The interrupt block may also be adapted to enable the multiplexer to couple an output stage to the current ADC block if a difference between a voltage sensed at the output stage and a reference voltage exceeds a predefined threshold value.

The present invention relates to integrated circuits, and more particularly to protecting a switching voltage regulator from overshoot conditions.
Switching voltage regulator power supplies are well known and commonly used to generate a regulated output voltage from a higher DC supply voltage that is relatively unstable and noisy. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a step-down voltage regulator 100, as known in the prior art. Power stage 102 includes MOS transistors 104 and 106 that are alternately switched on and off thereby to generate a square wave signal filtered by the LC network 108. The output voltage signal Vout of LC network 108 is the regulated output voltage of voltage regulator 100.
The level of the output voltage Vout is controlled by varying the duty cycle of the signals applied to MOS transistors 104 and 106. To maintain voltage regulation, the output voltage Vout is fed back to analog-to-digital (ADC) control loop 112 where it is digitized and applied as an input signal to digital compensator 114. Digital compensator 112 is adapted to regulate the output voltage Vout by varying the duty cycle of the signals generated by pulse-width modulated generator block 114.
Switching voltage regulators often include over-current protection circuitry adapted to protect the output voltage during overload conditions which may cause the output current to overshoot. To protect against current overshoots, the output current Iout is sensed and delivered to an over-current protection circuitry. FIG. 1 shows a simplified current sensor 120 coupled to current sensing ADC 118. Under overload or short circuit condition, output current Iout increases beyond a predefined maximum level. Current sensing ADC 118 is adapted to detect if this predefined current level is exceeded and in response causes the duty cycle of the signals applied to power stage 102 to vary so as to limit output current Iout.
In order to prevent destructive overload, output current Iout is required to be limited very quickly. Under severe overload, such as a short circuit, output current increases quickly and can reach destructive levels in several switching cycles. For example, a buck regulator designed to deliver 10A of output current may produce as high as 30A of current during a few switching cycles. In order to prevent such destructions, a fast current limit circuit is required.
Conventional circuits are adapted to sense the output current once per switching cycle. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a number of blocks disposed in a conventional switching voltage regulator. These blocks include a power stage 202, a current ADC 204, an over-current protection block 206, a compensator 208, and a loop ADC 210. Loop ADC 210 is shown as sensing the output voltage Vout of the switching voltage regulator (hereinafter alternatively referred to as regulator). Current ADC 204 is shown as controlling over-current protection block 206 in response to the output current Iout sensed using power stage block 202. The output signals of both over current protection block 206 and Loop ADC 210 are applied to compensator 208.
In order to sense the output current, a sensor is used. The current may be sensed by measuring a voltage drop across a current sense transformer or a current sense resistor. Alternatively, the current can be sensed as a voltage drop across the MOS transistors disposed in the power stage or the inductor. Over-current protection block 206 is adapted to protect the MOS transistors (switches) disposed in power stage 202 by turning them off once the maximum allowable current is exceeded. It is desired to sample the output current level frequently in order to ensure quick reaction in response to an overload condition.
It is commonly desirable to provide multiple voltage supplies. To achieve this, a multi-channel regulator may be used. In a multi-channel regulator, each output current is sensed independently in order to protect the multitude of output stages. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the current sensing feedback circuitry 300 of a multi-channel regulator (not shown) adapted to protect against current over-shoots. Feedback circuitry 300 is shown as including N-channels, namely channels, 3021, 3022 . . . 301N with each channel including a current ADC 304i coupled to an associated power stage block 306i, where i is an index ranging from 1 to N. As is seen from FIG. 3, the output current of each channel 302i is sensed separately and digitized by an associated digital-to-analog converter 304i. A multi-channel regulator with a current feedback circuit such as that shown in FIG. 3 is not scalable. Since each channel has a dedicated current ADC, increasing the number of channels would require a corresponding increase in the number of ADCs.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the current sensing feedback circuitry 400 of a multi-channel regulator (not shown) adapted to protect against current over-shoots. Feedback circuitry 400 is shown as including an over current protection block 408, a current ADC 404 and a multiplexer 402 adapted to couple one of the power stages 406i to ADC 404. The output current in each channel is separately sensed and sequentially applied to ADC 404 using multiplexer 402. In other words, multiplexer 402 sequentially supplies the output current sensed from one of the output channels to ADC 404.
Since a multiplexer often has a much smaller physical size than an ADC, feedback circuit 400 of FIG. 4 overcomes the size limitations of feedback circuit 300 of FIG. 3. However in feedback circuit 400, the output signal is sampled once per switching cycle and each channel is digitized once every N cycles, where N is the total number of channels. This causes an N-cycle delay for each channel and is thus undesirable. One technique to overcome this problem is to include a relatively fast ADC adapted to digitize analog current signal in a fraction of the switching cycle period in order to be able to digitize the output currents from all the channels in one switching cycle. Including such an ADC would add to the complexity of the design, and increase the die size as well as the current consumption.

Interrupt based multiplexed current limit circuit


The invention relates to a belt height adjustment device for fixed connection to a bearing structure (1) of a vehicle seat, having a lever (2) and a belt deflection fitting (3) which is rotatably movable relative thereto. The lever (2) is pivotably connected to the bearing structure (1) to provide an axis of rotation. The lever (2) further includes a fixing device which can be fixed with respect to its pivotal movement relative to the bearing structure (1). The fixing device is configured to prevent the pivoting of the lever (2) relative to the bearing structure (1), and in particular, in the downward direction, and is configured to engage automatically in prespecified lever angle positions on an upward movement of the lever (2).

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a belt height adjustment device for fixed connection to a bearing structure of a vehicle seat for the seats of commercial vehicles having a lever and a belt deflection fitting which is rotatably movable relative thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
To increase the wearing comfort of a safety belt with vehicle seats having integrated belts, seats of this kind are known to have devices for making individual adjustments or changes to the position of the upper point of the belt. Here, the upper outlet point of the belt strap can be adjusted to the size and other physical features of the occupant. In the case of a large occupant, therefore, it is desirable for the upper outlet point to be higher than with a smaller occupant. In addition, it is also advantageous for the angle of the outlet slot relative to the horizontal to be individually adjustable to match the respective occupant. This problem is further intensified in the case of seats in commercial vehicles since these are regularly equipped with a pneumatic or mechanically elastic vibration system. The fixed attachment of the upper belt deflector to the B-pillar is undesirable for reasons of comfort so that for vehicle seats of this kind, in principle, the only belt systems considered are those attached to the vehicle seat.
With the known devices of this kind, there is a need to improve the handling for adjustment and operation.
A belt height adjustment device for fixed connection to a bearing structure of a vehicle seat is known from DE 20 2010 012 742 U1. The device has a lever and a belt outlet part which is movable relative thereto.
A disadvantage of the device in DE 20 2010 012 472 U1 is the operation of the height adjustment. To initiate the adjustment process, the user must first actively disable the latching mechanism. To do this, it is necessary to pull the corresponding lever against a spring force in order to move a latching pin out of an assigned latching recess. Only then can the actual adjusting process, in which the lever and hence the upper belt point arranged at its free end are rotated about a pivot point located in the region of the upper backrest of the vehicle seat, take place. In addition, the pulling force on the lever has to be maintained during the entire adjustment process. In particular, when the position of the upper belt point is to be changed by more than one latching step, this is not optimal with respect to comfort criteria.
Therefore, it is the object of the invention to present a belt height adjustment device which is simple to operate and which is also characterised by a simple technical design and a low number of parts.

Device for locking and unlocking a belt height adjustment device and vehicle seat


A fiber processing machine includes a sliver guiding device having first and second wall elements as well as first, second, third and fourth wall faces. The first and second wall faces which form part of the first and second wall elements, respectively, are oriented toward and spaced from one another to define a first gap. The third and fourth wall faces are oriented toward and spaced from one another to define a second gap. Some of the wall faces are convergent for densifying a sliver running through the first and second gaps. At least one of the first and second wall elements is stationary during operation. First and second cooperating withdrawing rolls immediately adjoin the first gap for pulling the sliver therethrough upon their rotation. The first and second withdrawing rolls define a bight into which the first and second wall faces extend. The first and second withdrawing rolls have respective first and second circumferential roll surface portions forming the bight. The first and second circumferential roll surface portions constitute, respectively, the third and fourth wall faces of the sliver guiding device.

This invention relates to a sliver guiding device for a fiber processing machine, particularly a card or a drawing frame and is of the type that has at least one immovable guide wall for guiding a sliver (single or multiple) running therethrough. The walls of the sliver guiding device converge (for example, conically) at least in part and are structured to gather the material of the sliver. At the downstream end of the sliver guiding device (as viewed in the direction of sliver run) a rotatable withdrawing roll pair having cylindrical surfaces is provided. The guide walls of the sliver guiding device project into the bight which is formed by the two rolls of the roll pair and which terminates in the nip of the roll pair.
At the outlet of a carding machine the gathered fiber web is introduced into a sliver forming web trumpet having conically converging inner wall faces and the thus-densified sliver is continuously pulled out of the web trumpet. At the outlet end of a drawing frame the drawn slivers too, are introduced into a sliver trumpet of conically converging inner walls and the sliver is pulled out as a densified sliver. In each instance the sliver trumpet is a one-piece component.
According to a known arrangement, at the input of a drawing frame a sliver guide for a plurality of slivers is provided, the outlet of which extends to the nip of the withdrawing rolls. Two walls of the sliver guide are conically converging. The sliver guide is a one-piece component and has two side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall. It is a disadvantage of this conventional arrangement that the sliver frictionally slides along all sides of the immovable wall faces. Because of the closed configuration of the sliver guide, a lateral yielding of the sliver is not possible. Also, a release of air which escapes from the running sliver as a result of its compression by the trumpet is possible only through the inlet and outlet of the trumpet. It is a further drawback that when the sliver number is changed, due to the rigid, immovable walls, an adaptation of the sliver guide is rendered more difficult. Also, threading of the slivers into and through the sliver guide is time-consuming and labor-intensive when practiced with conventional devices.

Sliver guiding device for a fiber processing machine


A tampon disposal system for efficiently and sanitarily removing and disposing of a soiled tampon. The tampon disposal system includes a housing having at least one wall, an inner cavity, a plurality of perforated edges and a cleansing wipe that is enclosed within the housing. Removal of the perforated edges from the housing creates an opening along each perforation thereby exposing the inner cavity of the housing and the cleansing wipe positioned therein. Upon removal of the cleansing wipe, the string attached to a soiled tampon is insertable through the openings of the housing whereby removal and disposal of the tampon can be achieved in a relatively sanitary and efficient manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to tampon disposal devices and more specifically it relates to a tampon disposal system for efficiently and sanitarily removing and disposing of a soiled tampon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Tampon disposal devices have been in use for years. Typically, removal of a soiled tampon requires a user to grasp the string of the tampon to remove it. This is an unsanitary procedure leading to the possibility of bacterial contaminations subsequent to tampon removal.
Another problem associated with tampon removal and disposal concerns the manner in which soiled tampons are disposed. Billions of tampons are discarded each year. Discarding tampons into a toilet causes the tampons to expand. Expansion of these tampons in sewer lines can cause clogged sewer lines and backed up sewer systems.


The present disclosure provides melon plants exhibiting tolerance to cucurbit yellow stunt disorder virus (CYSDV) and lacking negative traits associated with CYSDV tolerance such as increased fruit size and reduced fruit set. Such plants may comprise novel introgressed genomic regions associated with disease tolerance. In certain aspects, compositions, including novel polymorphic markers and methods for producing, breeding, identifying, and selecting plants or germplasm with a disease tolerance phenotype are provided.

Disease tolerance is an important trait in agriculture, particularly for the production of food crops. Although disease tolerance alleles have been identified in uncultivated melon lines, efforts to introduce these alleles into cultivated lines have been hindered by the introduction of deleterious traits together with the tolerance alleles. The use of marker-assisted selection (MAS) in plant breeding methods has made it possible to select plants based on genetic markers linked to traits of interest such as disease tolerance. However, accurate markers for identifying or tracking desirable traits in plants are frequently unavailable even if a gene associated with the trait has been characterized. These difficulties are further complicated by factors such as polygenic or quantitative inheritance, and an often incomplete understanding of the genetic background underlying expression of a desired phenotype. Therefore, in the absence of accurate and validated markers for use in MAS, it may not be feasible to produce new plant lines exhibiting certain disease tolerance phenotypes.

Melon plants with improved disease tolerance


A rocker arm assembly having a main body with side walls and a push rod contacting portion spaced away from a valve stem contacting portion is disclosed. The valve stem contacting portion further includes a spring clip mounted thereon. The arms of the spring clip cooperate to form a channel for providing lateral guidance between the rocker arm and a valve stem.

The present invention relates to a rocker arm having a valve guide to insure and operative connection between the valve guide and a valve pad of the valve guide, and more specifically, to a spring clip valve guide that permits relaxed manufacturing tolerances.
In automotive internal combustion piston engines of the overhead camshaft type, it is known to provide a rocker arm assembly that cooperates with a lash adjuster having a cylindrical plunger and a finger follower that is pivotable about a pivot point during engine operation. To insure proper engagement between a lash adjuster and rocker arm assembly, it is known to provide a double walled end section formed by integral parallel straps that are bent 180xc2x0 parallel to and in contact with a lower wall and welded thereto to provide two lateral seating surfaces. However, doubled walled end sections are disadvantageous because the double walled section results in a larger mass and consequently a greater amount of inertia for the lever. Moreover, additional manufacturing steps and increased production costs are required to fold and weld the straps to insure proper formation of the double walled sections.
It has also been known to provide a groove around a plunger for a lash adjuster to receive edges of a side-ways U-shaped retainer clip. A top portion of the side-ways U-shaped retainer clip engages an upwardly deformed rounded raised portion of the rocker arm with one arm curving around the upwardly deformed rounded raised portion. Another arm extends below a bottom surface of the rocker arm and engages the groove of the lash adjuster once the plunger is received in the upwardly deformed rounded raised portion of the rocker arm. However, while reducing weight, such arrangements are undesirable because the reduced diameter at the groove reduces the bending stiffness and strength of the plunger of the lash adjuster. Additional manufacturing costs are incurred for forming the upwardly deformed rounded raised portion. Moreover, tight tolerances must be maintained to insure that the spring clip properly engages both the lash adjuster and the upwardly deformed rounded raised portion.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a simplified construction for maintaining proper engagement between a lash adjuster and a rocker arm assembly that allows for an improved valve pad surface, relaxed tolerances for the valve tip and reduced reciprocating mass over the valve.
The present invention is directed to a rocker arm assembly pivotably mounted about a central roller that includes a main body section and first and second ends. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the first end includes a detent into which a lash adjuster extending from the bore of the cylinder head is slidingly received. The second end includes apertures into which a distal end of a wire spring clip may be retainingly engaged. A cross member of the wire clip engages an outwardly extending land portion in a snap-fit relationship. When engaged, the wire spring clip forms two downwardly extending parallel arms that are spaced away from the bottom surface of the rocker arm. In accordance with the invention, a valve stem from a valve member may be positioned between the downwardly extending arms.
The wire spring clip advantageously provides additional contact points for consistent contact between the rocker arm assembly and the valve stem. The consistent contact allows for reduced machine tolerances of both the contact portion of the rocker arm and the valve stem tip during manufacture without sacrificing performance. Additionally, the consistent contact also provides an improved valve pad surface by allowing a smaller chamfer on the valve tip. Moreover, because the wire clip is relatively lightweight, reduced reciprocating mass over the valve is also achieved.

Rocker arm assembly having a spring clip valve guide


A data structure defines a target profile for each ad which target profile specifies characteristics of a request to which the ad may be provided in response. An ad server delivers one or more of the plurality of payloads in response to a request from a target. A payload priority is assigned for each of the payloads as a function of a delivery goal of the payload and as a function of the number of times the payload has been delivered to a target. A particular payload is selected for delivery to the particular target as a function of the particular characteristics and as a function of the payload priorities.

In the past, ads have been delivered to clients on a somewhat random basis. When a request for an ad is received, the ad to be delivered is selected from an available list of ads. Each ad generally has a goal as to how many deliveries are desired so that the delivery of the ads is tracked to determine when an ad meets its goal. When the goal is met, the ad it taken off the list.
This approach is unable to compensate for high volumes and unable to implement varying goals for each ad. For these reasons, a system and method for delivering payloads according to individual goals for each of the payloads is desired to address one or more of these and other disadvantages.

System and method for delivering payloads such as ads


A DC-powered device (200) configured to receive DC power from an external power sourcing equipment (202) and to exchange operational data with the power sourcing equipment, the DC-powered device comprising an interface unit (206) comprising at least one connection unit (208) configured to receive the DC power from the power sourcing equipment and to exchange operational data with the power sourcing equipment, a data processing unit (214) connected to the interface unit and configured to compare the exchanged operational data with prestored allowed operational template data and to generate and store, in a storage unit (216), log data pertaining to unallowed operational data, the unallowed operational data being any exchanged operational data that does not correspond to the prestored allowed operational template data, and an operational unit (218), configured to execute operational instructions pertaining to that exchanged operational data corresponding to the prestored allowed operational template data.

The use of networks of DC-powered devices in facility management employing, for instance, a PoE technology or a similar technology for providing power and control to the DC-powered network devices opens a risk of vulnerability to computer-based attacks from outside. In buildings, huge networks of thousands of interconnected DC-powered lighting devices and sensors that at the same time form communication nodes of the network are employed.
EP 2819344A1 discloses a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) based lighting system.
WO 2014/088912A1 discloses a method for context aware network security monitoring. The monitoring is performed by generating a behavior profile for a user and comparing this to a baseline such that differences can be flagged.
WO 2015/110324A1 discloses an electrical arrangement in the form of a system for controlling distribution of power to DC-powered devices via network connections, e.g. in a local area network (LAN). DC-powered devices in the form of luminaires or other load elements can be provided with DC power provided by at least one power sourcing equipment via LAN connections, e.g. by power over Ethernet (PoE), without featuring an Internet Protocol (IP) node. This is attractive because with such a system the installation cost down benefits of PoE can be applied also to installations that do not require advanced controls. This means that to switch them on or off, the power supply on the LAN port of the switch must be enabled or disabled. When load elements and load controllers, e.g., lighting controllers or light switches are connected to the same switch, they are automatically paired to each other. This can be achieved through use of a network management protocol capability that some network switches have.

DC-powered device and electrical arrangement for monitoring unallowed operational data