The heat exchange apparatus and method is provided with an indirect evaporative heat exchange section and a direct evaporative heat exchange section. An evaporative liquid is sprayed downwardly into the direct evaporative section to directly exchange heat from the evaporative liquid flowing across fill sheets. The evaporative liquid is then collected in a re-spray tray. The collected evaporative liquid is then sprayed onto an indirect evaporative heat exchange section to indirectly exchange sensible heat from a fluid stream flowing within a series of enclosed circuits comprising the indirect evaporative heat exchange section.

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger and a method of exchanging heat and, more particularly, to an evaporative heat transfer apparatus comprising a direct evaporative heat exchange section and an indirect evaporative heat exchange section.
Evaporative heat transfer units comprising both direct and indirect heat transfer sections are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,382. This patent discloses a design that allows the collection of the evaporative liquid from the direct evaporative section and then pumping it upwardly to redistribute it over the indirect evaporative section. Two limitations exist with the prior art described in this patent. First, the evaporative fluid must be pumped upwardly from the collection basin located below the direct evaporative section for distribution over the indirect evaporative section. This means the indirect evaporative section must be located in the upper section of the heat exchange apparatus. While this arrangement provides benefits for accessibility of the indirect section after installation, it puts additional requirements on the apparatus structure to support the mass of the indirect section at higher elevations. Secondly, when desiring to maximize the thermal capability per apparatus plan area, the plan area occupied by the indirect heat transfer section subtracts from the plan area of the apparatus available for the vertical flow of the hot discharge air. The total apparatus airflow must then pass through this remaining smaller net discharge plan area. The air moving device size may also be smaller than optimum due to the reduced size of the net discharge plan area. Due to the need for both the indirect heat transfer section plan area and the net discharge plan area to occupy separate portions of the total apparatus plan area, neither area can be made as large as desired.
A combined direct and indirect heat exchange apparatus is disclosed with the direct section located above the indirect section in U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,828. However, there still exists a problem with maintaining consistent and uniform spray water flow over the indirect section. No provision is made to account for the pull in of the evaporative liquid due to the horizontal flow of the inlet air stream. As the air moves into the unit, it pulls the outer edges of the evaporative liquid falling from the bottom of the direct section inwardly causing the effective wetted plan area available for the indirect section to be smaller than the plan area of the direct section overhead. Additionally, since the falling water is not pulled in uniformly over the entire plan area nor is the pull in consistent with varying fan power levels, the resulting water spray over the indirect section is not uniform. This distracts from the optimum performance that could be achieved with uniform distribution of the evaporative liquid over the entire indirect heat transfer section.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,862 discloses a combined indirect and direct heat exchange apparatus wherein the indirect section is of smaller plan area than the direct evaporative section located above it. This application teaches that higher performance is achieved by not allowing any airflow through the indirect section and discounts the additive performance effect of this additional evaporative surface. This limits the size and capacity of the indirect section that can be used in a given plan area. As with other prior art designs, performance also suffers due to the inconsistent and non-uniform spray water loading at the top of the indirect evaporative section. Furthermore, this design teaches to accelerate the velocity of the falling evaporative liquid to at least 9.5 feet per second and up to 15 feet per second. The claimed purpose of these higher velocities is to improve the heat transfer coefficient of the falling evaporative liquid film over the outside surface of the coil. What impact, if any, this higher velocity liquid may have is limited to the top surface of the coil only. Once the liquid hits the top surface, the flow energy is dissipated and the flow through the rest of the coil is the same as it would be if the evaporative liquid had an initial velocity of zero.


The present invention relates to a method for automatically generating HDL code, a code generator and a product for generating the code for the purpose of its implementation in programmable logic, based on a graphical representation for coding a state machine. With the method according to the invention, state transitions are executed on the basis of a modified query structure in that, starting from a target state, all the preconditions are derived which must be fulfilled in order to reach said target state.

State machines (or finite state machines, as they are also called) can be defined as self-contained systems having a set of "states" and certain "transitions" between these states. They are often used in the design of digital circuits. There are a number of development tools on the market for implementing state machines in programmable logic (such as e.g. PLDs, CPLDs or FGPAs). State machines can be divided into two classes according to the type of result or, as the case may be, output they yield. On the one hand there are Moore state machines, whose output is simply a function of the current state. Mealy state machines, on the other hand, are characterized in that one or more outputs is/are a function of the current state and one or more inputs.
The usual approach in contemporary hardware design is, in a first step, to generate a VHDL code or a code in another hardware description language in order then, in a second step, to convert said code into a logic circuit using a synthesis tool. There are basically two options for generating the VHDL code: Firstly, it is possible to write the VHDL code by hand using a text editor for example. Secondly, it is possible to use a tool, specifically a graphical model with predefined syntax, which simplifies and automates the description of state machines and in addition results in a unique and syntactically error-free code. When using the aforementioned graphical input it is, however, necessary to use an additional code generator which converts the graphical model (or, as the case may be, the graphic) into VHDL code by interpreting the graphic.
If the first of the aforementioned possibilities is chosen and the VHDL code is programmed manually, this is more problematical, more complicated and time-consuming, and less convenient, and has the disadvantages that the VHDL code may not be unique and possibly not free of syntactical errors.
In order to avoid the aforementioned disadvantages and in the interests of improved clarity, the most common practice is therefore to use a graphic, in other words to opt for the second of the aforementioned possibilities.
A problem with the previous code generation based on a graphical input mode is to be seen in the fact that the generated code exhibits a lack of efficiency, since often unnecessarily many gates or, as the case may be, cells are generated and the clock frequency is low.
In order to overcome these disadvantages it is known in the prior art to use what is referred to as "one-hot coding". With one-hot coding, each state is described by an individual bit in the state vector. Although in this type of coding a greater number of bits are used for coding the respective states, usually only the relevant bit in each case must be realized in code during the subsequent decoding. In practice, however, it has been found that nonetheless, in the customary method of describing state machines, all bits of the state vector must be realized in code (and not just the relevant bit in each case, as the one-hot coding approach actually proposes).
The existing prior art solutions therefore reveal themselves as deficient.

Code generator for finite state machines


A heat exchanger including a temperature control assembly and a heat exchange assembly is disclosed. A heat exchange channel is formed within the heat exchange assembly. A branch channel arranged in parallel with the heat exchange channel is provided within the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet. The temperature control assembly includes a valve body. A valve cavity in communication with the liquid inlet is provided in the valve body. A gap and a second valve port are provided at a peripheral wall of the valve body. An annular protrusion is provided on an inner wall of the valve cavity. The valve body is provided with a valve core and a drive component therein.

When the vehicle is travelling normally, the temperature of the gearbox lubricating oil is generally not too high, and the lubricating performance thereof can be maintained well; In a case that the vehicle is overloaded or the vehicle is travelling in a snowfield or off-road in a four-wheel driving mode, the vehicle actually travels under an excessive slippage condition of a hydraulic torque converter, which may cause the temperature of the gearbox lubricating oil to be too high, and finally causes the failure of the lubricating oil.
Therefore, a cooling system composed of a heat exchange loop is further provided in the interior of the vehicle, and the heat exchange loop can cool the gearbox lubricating oil to ensure the performance of the lubricating oil.
The heat exchange loop generally includes a thermostatic valve, a heat exchanger and pipelines connected therebetween. In use, the lubricating oil flows through the thermostatic valve first; if the temperature of the lubricating oil is within a normal range, the lubricating oil can then directly be led to parts to be lubricated; and, if the temperature is too high, the thermostatic valve can control the lubricating oil to flow into the heat exchanger for cooling, and then the lubricating oil is led to the parts to be lubricated, so that the temperature of the lubricating oil can be always kept within a certain temperature range.
However, with the continuous development of the vehicle technology, requirements of users and various major vehicle manufacturers for lightweight and high integration of the vehicle body are getting higher and higher. The heat exchange loop including the thermostatic valve, the heat exchanger and the multiple pipelines has a too complex structure, which not only occupies a large space in the vehicle, but also affects the miniaturization of other parts in the vehicle, and is difficult to meet the development requirements of the times.
Therefore, a technical problem to be solved urgently by those skilled in the art is how to provide a heat exchange loop with a simple structure and small space occupation.

Heat exchanger with internal thermal valve

Zhejiang Sanhua Automotive Components Co., Ltd.


A vehicle hood closure control and release system including a hood release mounted to a vehicle frame. The hood release may include a pivotally mounted hood release handle pivotable for unlatching a vehicle hood having a grille mounted thereon. A bumper may be integrally mounted to the hood release for resiliently contacting the grille and preventing slamming of the grille when the vehicle hood is moved from an open to a closed position.

a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to grilles for motor vehicles and the like, and, more particularly to devices for facilitating opening of a hood having a grille attached thereto and for preventing slamming of the grille into other components during closing of the hood.
b. Description of Related Art
As is known in the art, motor vehicle grilles are generally mounted to a hood or to a vehicle body or bumper for providing a source of ventilation for the radiator and the engine compartment, as well as for serving as a protective barrier for preventing contaminants from entering into the engine compartment. Compared to cars, trucks generally have significantly larger grilles that are often attached to the upper edge of the hood for aesthetic or other operational purposes. For example, attachment of the grille to the hood as opposed to the bumper may be necessitated by assembly feasibility and/or government crash regulations for automobile bumpers.
For trucks including a hood having a grille attached thereto, the hood structure is therefore significantly longer than that of cars. When a truck hood is closed, the grille can vibrate or contact a closure restraint with excessive force. Alternatively, when the truck is in motion, the grille can be a source of vibration.
It would therefore be of benefit to provide a structure for minimizing grille vibrations during movement of a truck, as well as for minimizing grille impact forces during closing of the hood.
Yet further, in order to comply with government regulations, a hood release generally includes a two-stage release process. First the hood may be partially release by pulling a release lever from the inside of a vehicle, and secondly, the hood may be fully released by activating a secondary release lever provided adjacent the hood front edge. For trucks, due to the integration of the grille at the front edge of the hood, this release function further requires modification and optimal design of the general secondary release to accommodate for the grille.
Because of the limited space in today's modern vehicles, the mechanism for providing the aforementioned hood release operation and its associated wiring, as well as the mechanism for controlling hood vibrations during vehicle movement and during hood closing must be adequately designed.
Exemplary structures for facilitating release of vehicle hoods and for controlling hood vibrations are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,496 and Japanese Patent No. 05-033537.
While the respective mechanisms disclosed in the aforementioned patents provide vibration control and hood release functions, it would nevertheless be of benefit to provide an improved hood release and vibration control mechanism operable with trucks and the like having a grille mounted to the front edge of the hood. It would also be of benefit to provide a mechanism which is simple to manufacture and assemble onto existing vehicles having hood/grille combinations without requiring significant redesign of the hood, grille or adjacent areas.

Grille overslam bumper integrated with secondary release handle


The present invention intends to improve communication efficiency between two communication apparatuses each engaged in the communication by full duplex communication method by using a surplus band of the one to transmission band of the other. A first bandwidth required by a first communication apparatus (A) at data transmission and a second bandwidth required by a second communication apparatus (B) at data transmission are presumed. Next, the first bandwidth presumed as mentioned is compared to a first bandwidth used which the first communication apparatus (A) currently uses and at the same time, the second bandwidth presumed as mentioned is compared to a second bandwidth used which the second communication apparatus (B) currently uses. The first bandwidth and the second bandwidth are then adjusted, and a third bandwidth which the first communication apparatus (A) uses at data transmission and a fourth bandwidth which the second communication apparatus (B) uses are determined.

As a method for performing transmission and reception of data simultaneously between two communication apparatuses, a full duplex communication method is known. With the full duplex communication method, circuits (transmission circuit and reception circuit) between two communication apparatuses should exist without interfering each other. For this reason, full duplex communication method employs FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) method in which frequency bands used for transmission and reception are made different between two communication apparatuses.
Frequency bands to be used for transmission and reception are normally fixed at the time of designing and guard band is normally provided between two frequency bands so as to prevent interference between transmission frequency band to be used for transmission and reception frequency band to be used for reception
In addition, although different from the above-mentioned FDD method, as a communication method for performing simultaneous transmission and reception with simulated manner between two communication apparatuses, TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) communication method is available.
Meanwhile, Patent Document 1 discloses such a method that in TDMA communication between a base station and a subscriber station (mobile station), the number of time slots of an uplink and a downlink is changed depending on an amount of data transmitted from the base station to the subscriber station and an amount of data transmitted from subscriber station to the base station.
With TDMA communication method using the same frequency, it is not possible to transmit a data simultaneously in both directions, and therefore, time for data transmission (time slot) should be made different by each of the stations. Namely, since direction of communication is shifted utilizing time slot as a unit, full duplex communication is not possible with TDMA communication method.
Patent Document Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-274446

Band control method and communication apparatus


A temperature to frequency converter includes two temperature detectors having an electrical characteristic, such as resistance, that varies proportionally with sensed temperature. These devices are connected into an oscillator circuit that provides an electrical signal output having a frequency inversely proportional to sensed temperature. An amplitude control feedback loop connected to the oscillator circuit maintains the amplitude of the output signal constant.

This invention relates generally to a temperature to frequency converter and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to such a converter that provides a constant amplitude output signal having a frequency inversely proportional to sensed temperature.
Downhole static and circulating temperatures at various depths are typically important characteristics to know when drilling or completing an oil or gas well. For example, an operator can use knowledge of these temperatures to help determine retarder requirement for cement designed to be used in the well. That is, a cement composition designed for the right temperature will help minimize problems associated with the setting time of the cement. For example, a cement designed more accurately for thickening time and compressive strength development will help improve cement bonding and drillout times and minimize gas migration. Measurements of such temperatures can also be useful for stimulation purposes, for example.
I am aware of a downhole tool that can measure downhole static and circulating temperatures. This tool has a temperature to frequency converter that converts sensed temperature to an electrical signal having a frequency directly proportional to the sensed temperature (i.e., as temperature increases, frequency increases; and as temperature decreases, frequency decreases). The temperature sensitive element is a crystal cut so that an electrical characteristic (namely, resonance) of the crystal changes in response to temperature. Change of this characteristic changes the output frequency of an oscillator circuit in which the crystal is connected. Although this converter is functional, it has shortcomings.
One shortcoming of the crystal-based temperature to frequency converter of the aforementioned downhole tool is that the crystal is relatively fragile and is therefore susceptible to being broken in the rough environment of an oil or gas well. Another drawback of this type of converter is that the electrical conductors, or leads, connecting the crystal into the oscillator circuit have to be electrically and mechanically stabilized so that there is no capacitance change. That is, the leads between the temperature sensitive crystal and the oscillator circuit can affect the frequency response of the oscillator. Without stabilization, the output of this type of temperature to frequency converter would not be reliable. Still another shortcoming of this type of converter is that the crystal is relatively large; therefore, this size must be accommodated in the downhole tool where space is typically limited. The crystal of this type of converter also is typically limited to sensing temperatures up to about 150.degree. C.
In view of the shortcomings of the crystal-based temperature to frequency converter, there is the need for an improved converter which does not have these shortcomings and yet can be used in an otherwise conventional downhole tool to measure static and circulating temperatures. Such an improved temperature to frequency converter should also be useful in order tools and other applications.


The technology relates in part to methods and compositions for analyzing nucleic acid. In some aspects, the technology relates to methods and compositions for preparing a nucleic acid library. In some aspects, the technology relates to methods and compositions for analyzing ends of nucleic acid fragments.

Genetic information of living organisms (e.g., animals, plants and microorganisms) and other forms of replicating genetic information (e.g., viruses) is encoded in nucleic acid (i.e., deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA)). Genetic information is a succession of nucleotides or modified nucleotides representing the primary structure of chemical or hypothetical nucleic acids.
A variety of high-throughput sequencing platforms are used for analyzing nucleic acid. The Illumina platform, for example, involves clonal amplification of adaptor-ligated DNA fragments. Another platform is nanopore-based sequencing, which relies on the transition of nucleic acid molecules or individual nucleotides through a small channel. Library preparation for certain sequencing platforms often includes fragmentation of DNA, modification of fragment ends, and ligation of adapters, and may include amplification of nucleic acid fragments (e.g., PCR amplification).
The selection of an appropriate sequencing platform for particular types of nucleic acid analysis requires a detailed understanding of the technologies available, including sources of error, error rate, as well as the speed and cost of sequencing. While sequencing costs have decreased, the throughput and costs of library preparation can be a limiting factor. One aspect of library preparation includes modification of the ends of nucleic acid fragments such that they are suitable for a particular sequencing platform. Nucleic acid ends may contain useful information. Accordingly, methods that modify nucleic acid ends (e.g., for library preparation) while preserving the information contained in the nucleic acid ends would be useful for processing and analyzing nucleic acid.

Methods and compositions for analyzing nucleic acid


A valve body or a throttle valve is disclosed that is capable of changing the amount of intake air into an engine according to a gradient angle of a valve body rotatably supported in an intake air passage. The valve body includes at least one first end surface and at least one second end surface formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof. Air eddies occurring from air flow contact with the first and second end surfaces are shifted to each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a throttle valve capable of changing the amount of intake air into an engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional throttle valve, as shown in FIG. 23, an air eddy of turbulent airflow which occurs downstream of a valve body is controlled to become small, so that airflow noises are suppressed, by two or more straightening vanes which straighten the intake air on the downstream side surface of the valve body. These straightening vanes are fan-shaped in a cross sectional view and disposed in parallel at an equal interval in a rotational axis extending direction, wherein the vanes are disposed on the valve body so as to be perpendicular to the rotational axis. For a further description of the straightening vanes, refer to, for example, Japanese Laid Open Patent No. 2000-204975.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, these straightening vanes serve as airflow resistance to the intake air, which is a factor of lowering the maximum output of the engine and of worsening the gas mileage.


A golf ball stamper which securely holds a golf ball while the golf ball is stamped. The golf ball stamper comprises a handle, a stamping element coupled to the handle, and a golf ball receptacle sized to hold a golf ball. When the handle is pushed, the stamping element applies a stamp to the golf ball. The golf ball receptacle stabilizes and holds the golf ball while it is stamped to ensure a legible stamp is applied.

A round of golf often involves several people playing the game together. Each person playing in a group plays with their own ball. Most golf balls are white, and are very similar in appearance, often varying only in the brand name stamped on the ball. Because golf balls look so similar, it is common for the players to get confused as to whose ball is whose. In some instances, more than one person uses the same brand of golf ball, making it even more difficult for the players to distinguish their golf balls.
To alleviate this problem, it is common for one or more players to mark their golf ball with a distinguishing mark to be able to tell it apart from the others. For instance, it is possible to simply carry a marker in ones golf bag and use it to mark the golf ball. Some markers are specifically available in a miniature size so that they are convenient to carry in a golf bag.
Other more sophisticated methods of marking golf balls also exist. For instance, the G-STAMP, sold by Golf Projects International, is a stamp system for marking a golf ball. The G-STAMP is complicated to use, and requires removal of a protective cap and release of a locking mechanism that keeps the stamp closed. In addition, the user must dial in a letter combination on the GSTAMP. Once the letters are set, the ink pad must be opened, and the GSTAMP must be pressed down a few times to put ink on the letters. Finally, a golf ball is inserted into the GSTAMP and the user presses the GSTAMP to stamp the golf ball. If not enough ink has been applied to the ink pad, the GSTAMP may not successfully mark the ball, and the user must remove the golf ball, reapply ink to the ink pad, prime the stamp mechanism by pressing down several times, and then try again to mark the golf ball. In addition to shortcomings due to the inking method, the device is large, which makes it inconvenient to carry around in a golf bag. Finally, it is relatively complicated to use.
Other golf ball stamping devices also exist. A smaller, simpler method of stamping a golf ball is to apply a simple stamp to the surface of a golf ball. An example of such a stamp system is the "One Stroke" golf ball stamp available from Superior Rubber Stamp & Seal, of Wichita, Kans. A similar device, simply called a "golf ball stamp" is available from Innovative Stamps of Moraga, Calif. While the "One Stroke" golf ball stamper requires that you apply ink to the stamp before applying the stamp to a golf ball, the "golf ball stamp" is self-inking.
Both devices suffer from the same shortcoming in attempting to mark a golf ball. Because the "One Stroke" golf ball stamper and the "golf ball stamp" have a small, flat stamp area, and because a golf ball has a curved surface, it is often difficult to hold the stamp surface against the golf ball in such a way as to apply a legible stamp to the golf ball. Instead, when applying the pressure to cause the stamp to mark a golf ball, the stamp will often slide across the curved surface of the golf ball, leaving a smeared mark. Thus, there is a need in the art for a golf ball stamp that is easy to use and that reliably applies a legible stamp to a golf ball.


A rifle holder device for supporting a rifle in a position that is easy to grab for taking a shot is described. The holder device lets a hunter or shooting enthusiast carry a rifle with its weight supported on either his right or left hip. Rifles are rather heavy weapons. Should the hunter or shooting enthusiast carry one in his hands or arms for an extended period of time, his muscles can get fatigued. This makes it more difficult to get off an accurate shot in a timely manner. However, the present holder device puts most of the rifle's weight on the hunter's hip, thereby freeing his hands and arms from having to carry the rifle until it's time to take a shoot. Further, the present holder device is adjustable for carrying rifles of many different sizes.

The present invention generally relates to a device for helping a hunter or shooting enthusiast carry a rifle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a holder device that can be worn on either the right or the left hip for cradling a rifle in a horizontal carrying position. Then, when the hunter or shooting enthusiast wants to shoot at a target, he can easily reach the rifle and remove it from the holder device for taking aim.


An apparatus comprising means for: simultaneously controlling content rendered by a hand portable device and content rendered by a spatial audio device; and providing for rendering to a user, in response to an action by the user, of a first part, not a second part, of a spatial audio content via the hand portable device not the spatial audio device.

When mediated reality is rendered to a user the user experiences, for example visually and/or or aurally, a fully or partially artificial environment as a virtual scene at least partially rendered by an apparatus to a user. The virtual scene is determined by a point of view of a virtual user within a virtual space.
Augmented reality is a form of mediated reality in which a user experiences a partially artificial environment as a virtual scene comprising a real scene, for example a real visual scene and/or real sound scene, of a physical real environment supplemented by one or more visual or audio elements rendered by an apparatus to a user. The term augmented reality implies a mixed reality or hybrid reality. Virtual reality is a form of mediated reality in which a user experiences a fully artificial environment as a virtual scene rendered by an apparatus to a user.
First person perspective-mediated, as applied to mediated reality means that the user's real point of view (location and/or orientation) determines the point of view (location and/or orientation) within the virtual space of a virtual user.
When mediated reality is rendered to a user as a sound scene, a three-dimensional sound field may be created.

Apparatus, method, computer program for enabling access to mediated reality content by a remote user


A method of operating an electronic device is provided. The method includes transmitting, by the electronic device, a control signal for controlling a microphone sensitivity of a hearing aid, to the hearing aid, and transmitting a reception signal from a counterpart electronic device to the hearing aid.

As people age there is an increased suffering from geriatric diseases. Specifically, due to the misuse of portable electronic devices, as the population ages there has been an increased loss of hearing. Hearing aids can fix problems resulting from poor hearing of hard-of-hearing patients. For example, the hearing aid is installed in an ear of the hard-of-hearing patient, and amplifies a sound introduced through a microphone adaptively to a characteristic of a hearing sense of the hard-of-hearing patient and outputs the amplified sound through a speaker (or a receiver), thereby being able to correct the poor hearing of the hard-of-hearing patient.
As the hearing aid is miniaturized for easy installation in the ear of the hard-of-hearing patient, a distance between the microphone and the speaker becomes short and thus, a feedback phenomenon can take place in which a sound signal outputted from the speaker or a sound signal reflected from an external auditory canal is fed back to the microphone and is again amplified in the microphone. In accordance to this, the hearing aid requires a way for decreasing a feedback phenomenon.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.

Apparatus and method for canceling feedback in hearing aid


An apparatus for cooling a workpiece, especially a continuous rolled non-flat workpiece includes a cooling passage having an inlet for receiving the workpiece and an outlet for discharging the workpiece, the cooling passage having a central axis and further including an inlet for introducing a cooling medium to the cooling passage, and an outlet for removing the cooling medium from the cooling passage, the cooling medium inlet being arranged relative to the central axis of the cooling passage so as to induce a substantially helical flow of cooling medium around the central axis from the cooling medium inlet to the cooling medium outlet, the cooling medium outlet including a chamber having an expanded flow area, whereby pressure and velocity of the cooling medium in the cooling passage are controlled so as to provide accelerated cooling of the workpiece. Further according to the invention, the cooling medium inlet includes a first cooling medium inlet and a second cooling medium inlet, the chamber being disposed between two segments of the cooling passage between the first and second cooling medium inlet, the first cooling medium inlet being arranged so as to induce a first substantially helical flow of cooling medium around the central axis toward the chamber, and the second cooling medium inlet being arranged so as to induce a second substantially helical flow of cooling medium around the central axis toward the chamber.

The invention relates to the field of steelmaking and, particularly, to a method and apparatus for in line cooling of a workpiece, especially a continuous rolled non-flat workpiece.
Steelmaking requires cooling systems for the proper treatment of articles being fabricated. Proper cooling can improve the characteristics of the end product, especially the strength and ductility of the product.
Conventional cooling systems utilize spray systems to spray cooling medium such as water over the surface of fabricated articles. Typical examples of such spray-cooling systems are included in U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,925 to Dutzler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,906 to Bachner and U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,429 to Schoffmann.
Spray cooling systems, however, require large volumes of water. Further, the cooling rate achieved by such spray cooling systems is not suitable for "in-line" use. That is, when the article is to be cooled while being conveyed from one treatment station to another, too much space is required to obtain the proper amount of cooling with a spray cooling system. Steel rolling mills, however, typically produce rolled articles at relatively high rolling speeds. Thus, conventional spray cooling is particularly unsatisfactory for use in rolling mills.
It is desirable, accordingly, to provide a cooling system which does not use excessive amounts of water and which provides the desired amount of cooling without requiring excessive amounts of space.
It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for cooling workpieces which provides accelerated cooling.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a method and apparatus which does not require excessive amounts of water.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a method and apparatus which allows control of the velocity and pressure of the cooling medium.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a method and apparatus which are well suited to "in-line" use in a rolling mill.
Other objects and advantages will appear hereinbelow.

Method and apparatus for cooling workpieces


A device for controlling the flow of electric current is provided. The device comprises a first conductor as thin film form; a second conductor switchably coupled to the first conductor to alternate between an electrically connected state with the first conductor and an electrically disconnected state with the first conductor. At least one conductor further comprises an electrical contact, the electrical contact comprising a solid matrix comprising a plurality of pores; and a filler material disposed within at least a portion of the plurality of pores. The filler material has a melting point of less than about 575 K. A method to make an electrical contact is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate; providing a plurality of pores on the substrate; and disposing a filler material within at least a portion of the plurality of pores. The filler material has a melting point of less than about 575 K.

The present disclosure is related to an electrical contact material. More particularly, the present disclosure is related to a contact material for low force actuators and a method for making the same.
With the recent advances in the miniaturization of electronic devices, there is a huge demand for microswitches that have small geometries, are capable of microsecond switch timing, and have low power consumption. Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switches are ideally suited for such applications because of their small geometries, minimal switch mass and momentum, for their low power consumption, and the possibility of fabricating using standard MEMS and semiconductor fabrication techniques. Critical performance criteria for MEMS switches are low contact resistance, microsecond switch operation, voltage standoff, and high reliability. The small mass of a MEMS switch enables rapid switch timing, but sacrifices contact force and hence contact resistance. The low actuation force leads to a large resistance of the order of ohms. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for contact materials and contact structures that significantly reduce the contact resistance while maintaining the contact structural stability that enables long life of millions to billions of operation cycles.

Contact material, device including contact material, and method of making


A substantially constant pressure injection molding method and machine that forms molded parts by injecting molten thermoplastic material into a mold cavity at a substantially constant pressures. As a result, the mold cavity is filled with molten thermoplastic material by advancing a continuous flow front of thermoplastic material from a gate to an end of the mold cavity.

Injection molding is a technology commonly used for high-volume manufacturing of parts made of meltable material, most commonly of parts made of thermoplastic polymers. During a repetitive injection molding process, a plastic resin, most often in the form of small beads or pellets, is introduced to an injection molding machine that melts the resin beads under heat, pressure, and shear. The now molten resin is forcefully injected into a mold cavity having a particular cavity shape. The injected plastic is held under pressure in the mold cavity, cooled, and then removed as a solidified part having a shape that essentially duplicates the cavity shape of the mold. The mold itself may have a single cavity or multiple cavities. Each cavity may be connected to a flow channel by a gate, which directs the flow of the molten resin into the cavity. A molded part may have one or more gates. It is common for large parts to have two, three, or more gates to reduce the flow distance the polymer must travel to fill the molded part. The one or multiple gates per cavity may be located anywhere on the part geometry, and possess any cross-section shape such as being essentially circular or be shaped with an aspect ratio of 1.1 or greater. Thus, a typical injection molding procedure comprises four basic operations: (1) heating the plastic in the injection molding machine to allow it to flow under pressure; (2) injecting the melted plastic into a mold cavity or cavities defined between two mold halves that have been closed; (3) allowing the plastic to cool and harden in the cavity or cavities while under pressure; and (4) opening the mold halves to cause the part to be ejected from the mold.
During the injection molding process, the molten plastic resin is injected into the mold cavity and the plastic resin is forcibly injected into the cavity by the injection molding machine until the plastic resin reaches the location in the cavity furthest from the gate. Thereafter, the plastic resin fills the cavity from the end back towards the gate. The resulting length and wall thickness of the part is a result of the shape of the mold cavity.
In some cases, it may be desirous to reduce the wall thickness of injected molded parts to reduce the plastic content, and thus cost, of the final part. Reducing wall thickness using a conventional high variable pressure injection molding process can be an expensive and a non-trivial task. In fact, conventional high variable pressure injection molding machines (e.g. machines injecting molten plastic resin between about 8,000 psi and about 20,000 psi) have a practical limit as to how thin walls of a part may be molded. Generally speaking, conventional high variable pressure injection molding machines cannot mold parts having a thinwall ratio (as defined by an L/T ratio set forth below) of greater than about 200. Furthermore, molding thinwall parts with thinwall ratios of more than 100 requires pressures at the high end of current capability and thus, presses that are capable of handling these high pressures.
When filling a thinwall part, the current industry practice is to fill the mold cavity at the highest possible rate the molding machine can achieve. This approach ensures that the mold cavity is filled before the polymer "freezes off" in the mold, and provides the lowest possible cycle time since the polymer is exposed to the cooled mold cavity as quickly as possible. This approach has two drawbacks. The first is that to achieve very high filling velocities requires very high power loads, and this requires very expensive molding equipment. Further, most electric presses are unable to provide sufficient power to achieve these high filling rates, or require very complicated and expensive drive systems that substantially increase the cost of the molding equipment making them impractical economically.
The second drawback is that the high filling rates result in very high pressures. These high pressures result in the need for very high clamping forces to hold the mold closed during filling, and these high clamping forces result in very expensive molding equipment. The high pressures also require very high strength injection molds, typically made from hardened tool steels. These high strength molds are also very expensive, and can be impractical economically for many molded components. Even with these substantial drawbacks, the need for thinwall injection molded components remains high, since these components use less polymer material to construct the molded part resulting in savings that more than offset the higher equipment costs. Further, some molded components require very thin design elements to perform properly, such as design elements that need to flex, or design elements that must mate with very small features.
As a liquid plastic resin is introduced into an injection mold in a conventional high variable pressure injection molding process the material adjacent to the walls of the cavity, immediately begins to "freeze," or solidify, or cure, and in the case or crystalline polymers the plastic resin begins to crystallize, because the liquid plastic resin cools to a temperature below the material's no flow temperature and portions of the liquid plastic become stationary. This frozen material adjacent to the walls of the mold narrows the flow path the thermoplastic travels as it progresses to the end of the mold cavity. The thickness of the frozen material layer adjacent to the walls of the mold increases as the filling of the mold cavity progresses, this causes a progressive reduction in the cross sectional area the polymer must flow through to continue to fill the mold cavity. As material freezes, it also shrinks, pulling away from the mold cavity walls, which reduces effective cooling of the material by the mold cavity walls. As a result, conventional high variable pressure injection molding machines fill the mold cavity with plastic very quickly and then maintain a packing pressure to force the material outward against the sides of the mold cavity to enhance cooling and to maintain the correct shape of the molded part. Conventional high variable pressure injection molding machines typically have cycle times made up of about 10% injection time, about 50% packing time, and about 40% cooling time.
As plastic freezes in the mold cavity, conventional high variable pressure injection molding machines increase injection pressure (to maintain a substantially constant volumetric flow rate due to the smaller cross-sectional flow area). Increasing the pressure, however, has both cost and performance downsides. As the pressure required to mold the component increases, the molding equipment must be strong enough to withstand the additional pressure, which generally equates to being more expensive. A manufacturer may have to purchase new equipment to accommodate these increased pressures. Thus, a decrease in the wall thickness of a given part can result in significant capital expenses to accomplish the manufacturing via conventional injection molding techniques.
In an effort to avoid some of the drawbacks mentioned above, many conventional injection molding operations use shear-thinning plastic material to improve flow characteristics of the plastic material into the mold cavity. As the shear-thinning plastic material is injected into the mold cavity, shear forces generated between the plastic material and the mold cavity walls tend to reduce viscosity of the plastic material, thereby allowing the plastic material to flow more freely and easily into the mold cavity. As a result, it is possible to fill thinwall parts fast enough to avoid the material completely freezing off before the mold is completely filled.
Reduction in viscosity is directly related to the magnitude of shear forces generated between the plastic material and the feed system, and between the plastic material and the mold cavity wall. Thus, manufacturers of these shear-thinning materials and operators of injection molding systems have been driving injection molding pressures higher in an effort to increase shear, thus reducing viscosity. Typically, high output injection molding systems (e.g., class 101 and 30 systems) inject the plastic material in to the mold cavity at melt pressures of typically 15,000 psi or more. Manufacturers of shear-thinning plastic material teach injection molding operators to inject the plastic material into the mold cavities above a minimum melt pressure. For example, polypropylene resin is typically processed at pressures greater than 6,000 psi (the recommended range from the polypropylene resin manufacturers, is typically from greater than 6,000 psi to about 15,000 psi). Press manufacturers and processing engineers typically recommend processing shear thinning polymers at the top end of the range, or significantly higher, to achieve maximum potential shear thinning, which is typically greater than 15,000 psi, to extract maximum thinning and better flow properties from the plastic material. Shear thinning thermoplastic polymers generally are processed in the range of over 6,000 psi to about 30,000 psi. Even with the use of shear thinning plastics, a practical limit exists for high variable pressure injection molding of thin walled parts. This limit is currently in the range of thinwall parts having a thinwall ratio of 200 or more. Moreover, even parts having a thinwall ratio of between 100 and 200 may become cost prohibitive as these parts generally require injection pressures between about 15,000 psi and about 20,000 psi.
High production injection molding machines (i.e., class 101 and class 30 molding machines) that produce thinwalled consumer products exclusively use molds having a majority of the mold made from high hardness materials. High production injection molding machines typically produce 500,000 cycles per year or more. Industrial quality production molds must be designed to withstand at least 500,000 cycles per year, preferably more than 1,000,000 cycles per year, more preferably more than 5,000,000 cycles per year, and even more preferably more than 10,000,000 cycles per year. These machines have multi cavity molds and complex cooling systems to increase production rates. The high hardness materials are more capable of withstanding the repeated high pressure clamping operations than lower hardness materials. However, high hardness materials, such as most tool steels, have relatively low thermal conductivities, generally less than 20 BTU/HR FT ° F., which leads to long cooling times as heat is transferred through from the molten plastic material through the high hardness material.
Even with the ever increasing injection pressure ranges of existing high variable pressure injection molding machines, a practical limit remains of about 200 (L/T ratio) for molding thinwalled parts in conventional high (e.g., 20,000 psi) variable pressure injection molding machines and thinwall parts having a thinwall ratio of between about 100 and about 200 may be cost prohibitive for many manufacturers.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for substantially constant pressure injection molding of thinwall parts


Improved centrifugal decanters with a screw conveyor for the continuous separation of solids-liquid mixtures are disclosed wherein the conveyor is provided with a feed arrangement for reducing the magnitude of mechanical vibrations of the centrifuge comprising a coaxially mounted feed distributor, generally trunco-conical in form, adapted to distribute into the conveyor, a solids-liquid feed stream falling into the distributor from a short stationary feed tube. The invention includes processes which use such improved centrifuge apparatus for continuous separation of solids-liquid mixtures into separate components by centrifugal action.

Centrifuge decanters are well known. Such apparatus typically comprises an elongated bowl mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis, with a helical screw conveyor coaxially mounted within the bowl, adapted to rotate at a speed slightly different than the rotational speed of the bowl. The bowl is tapered or trunco-conical near its solids discharge end. The screw conveyor is formed of one or more helically arranged blades which sweep the surface of the bowl of the apparatus while propelling the centrifugally sedimented solids toward the solids discharge port. The inner layer of light liquid is discharged from the liquid pool through overflow ports in the bowl end, opposite the solids discharge ports.
In operation of a centrifuge decanter with a screw conveyor, a solids-liquid feed is introduced into a middle portion of the bowl, where, due to centrifugal force effected by rotation of the bowl, the feed separates into its component parts with the heavier part, typically solids, being moved outward from the other feed components in a pool of liquid and adjacent to the inner surface of the bowl. Since the bowl and screw conveyor are rotated at predetermined different speeds, solids sedimented against the inner surface of the bowl are conveyed by the distal edge of the conveyor's blade along the bowl surface until separated from the pool of liquid and discharged from one or more ports at the tapered end of the bowl.
O'Conor in U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,015 described horizontal type continuous centrifugal separators including stationary pipes extending axially into the rotating element of the conveyor assembly for discharging feeds therein. Other horizontal centrifuge apparatus with extended stationary feed pipes are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,228,594 to Amero; 3,447,742 to Eriksson et al.; 3,795,361 to Lee; 3,971,509 to Johnsen; 4,313,559 to Ostkamp et al.; 4,496,340 to Redeker et al.; 4,654,022 to Shapiro, 4,731,182 to High; and 5,182,020 to Grimwood.
Commercially important uses of centrifuge decanters include separation of solid crystalline chemical compounds from liquids under process conditions which do not degrade quality such as chemical purity of a desired crystalline product. Crystallization, as a commercial process, is significant because of the great variety of materials that are marketed in the crystalline form. Its wide use is due basically to the fact that a crystal forming from an impure solution is itself generally pure. Thus, crystallization affords a practical method of obtaining concentrated chemical substances in a form both pure and attractive, and in suitable condition for packaging, handling, and storing.
Solid particulate or crystalline products are handled and marketed more conveniently and economically than products in solution. Separations of a particulate solid or crystalline phase from a liquid phase by cooling, evaporation, or both, are well known. For example, separation of salt from sea water by solar-evaporation may be prehistoric.
Crystallization is also important in the preparation of a pure product since a crystal usually separates out as a substance of definite composition from a solution of varying composition. Impurities in the mother liquor are carried in the crystalline product only to the extent that they adhere to the surface or are occluded within crystals which may have grown together during crystallization.
Many organic compounds are formed by chemical reactions in a liquid phase, or are at least sparingly soluble in liquid solvents. To purify such compounds by means involving treating solutions of them and/or recovering solid product from a liquid phase requires some means of crystallization. Aromatic dicarboxylic acids are, for example, well known starting materials for making polyester resins, which polyester resins are used widely as principal polymers for polyester fibers, polyester films, and resins for bottles and like containers. For a polyester resin to have properties required in many of these uses, the polyester resin must be made from a polymer grade or "purified" aromatic acid. Polymer grade or purified terephthalic acid and isophthalic acid are the starting materials for polyethylene terephthalates and isophthalates, respectively, which are the principal polymers employed in the manufacture of polyester fibers, polyester films, and resins for bottles and like containers. Similarly, polymer grade or "purified" naphthalene dicarboxylic acids, especially 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, are the starting materials for polyethylene naphthalates, which can also be employed in the manufacture of fibers, films and resins.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,552 to Olsen discloses that purification of impure organic compounds sparingly soluble in a liquid such as water can be accomplished by continuous crystallization in a plurality of series-connected cooling stages using dilutions by cooled solvent of feed at each stage.
A purified terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid or naphthalene dicarboxylic acid can be derived from a relatively less pure, technical grade or "crude" terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid or "crude" naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, respectively, by purification of the crude acid utilizing hydrogen and a noble metal catalyst as described for terephthalic acid in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,584,039 to Meyer. In the purification process of Meyer, impure terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid or naphthalene dicarboxylic acid is dissolved in water or other suitable solvent or solvent mixture at an elevated temperature, and the resulting solution is hydrogenated, preferably in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst, which conventionally is palladium on a carbon support, as described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,915 to Pohlmann. This hydrogenation step converts the various color bodies present in the relatively impure phthalic acid or naphthalene dicarboxylic acid to colorless products. Another related purification-by-hydrogenation process for aromatic polycarboxylic acids produced by liquid phase catalyst oxidation of polyalkyl aromatic hydrocarbons is described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,809 to Stech et al.
Aromatic carboxylic acids are useful chemical compounds and are raw materials for a wide variety of manufactured articles. For example, terephthalic acid is manufactured on a world-wide basis in amounts exceeding 10 billion pounds per year. A single manufacturing plant can produce 100,000 to more than 750,000 metric tons of terephthalic acid per year. Terephthalic acid is used, for example, to prepare polyethylene terephthalate, a raw material for manufacturing polyester fibers for textile applications and polyester film for packaging and container applications. Terephthalic acid can be produced by the high pressure, exothermic oxidation of a suitable aromatic feedstock compound, such as para-xylene, in a liquid-phase reaction using air or other source of dioxygen (molecular oxygen) as the oxidant and catalyzed by one or more heavy metal compounds and one or more promoter compounds.
Methods for oxidizing para-xylene and other aromatic compounds using such liquid-phase oxidations are well known in the art. For example, Saffer in U.S. Pat. No. 2,833,816 discloses a method for oxidizing aromatic feedstock compounds to their corresponding aromatic carboxylic acids. Other processes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,870,754; 4,933,491; 4,950,786; and 5,292,934. A particularly preferred method for oxidizing 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene to 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,933. Central to these processes for preparing aromatic carboxylic acids is employment of an oxidation catalyst comprising a heavy metal component and a source of bromine in a liquid-phase reaction mixture, including a low molecular weight monocarboxylic acid such as acetic acid, as part of the reaction solvent. A certain amount of water is also present in the oxidation reaction solvent, and water is also formed as a result of the oxidation reaction.
Although petroleum, more particularly reformate fractions produced in petroleum refining, provides a valuable source of para-xylene, separation of the para-xylene from associated, close boiling hydrocarbons presents a difficult commercial problem. Some areas of the chemical market require a para-xylene of at least 98% purity, which means it cannot be recovered by fractional distillation or simple crystallization in reasonable enough yield for economic feasibility. There have been a number of approaches to the problem, using fractional crystallization, for example, but the high cost of the available processes in terms of equipment and operational expense makes further simplification highly desirable. Any improvement in ultimate yield improves the economic attractiveness of the process and reduces the unit cost.
Methods for separation of para-xylene from other aromatic compounds by crystallization are well known in the art. For example, G. C. Lammers in U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,265 discloses a particularly efficient method for recovering para-xylene by crystallization from a C8 or mixed xylene feed which utilizes a two-stage crystallization process with centrifugal separation following each stage. By use of this method 98+% para-xylene product is obtainable. It has been further found that stepwise cooling in the first stage facilitates crystal growth which enhances ease of separation of the mother liquor from crystal cake. Other processes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,462,509 to Dresser et al.; 3,720,647 to Gleb et al.; 3,723,558 to Kramer; 4,721,825 to Oda et al.; 5,448,005 and 5,498,822 to Eccli et al.
Extraction of high purity para-xylene crystals from a feed of mixed xylenes and impurities has included the steps of cooling a feed of mixed xylenes and impurities in a crystallization stage to crystallize out para-xylene, separating the liquid component comprising ortho-xylene and meta-xylene and impurities from the solid crystal para-xylene in a centrifuge to obtain high purity para-xylene, supplying the mixed liquid (xylenes and impurities) filtrate, including para-xylene melted due to centrifuge work input and heat from the environment, to a holding drum, supplying the all liquid filtrate to an isomerization stage where the filtrate is reacted over a catalyst bed, separating para-xylene and mixed xylenes from impurities in a distillation stage and recycling the mixed xylenes to the crystallization stage.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,860 issued Aug. 2, 1991 to John S. Hansen and William A. Waranius discloses a filter system which is coupled to a crystallizer in a liquid crystal separation unit and a method for using the same for extracting liquid from a liquid crystal slurry to enhance solid crystal recovery. More specifically, the patent relates to a filter system comprising porous metal tubes having very small porosity which are utilized in a closed feedback loop of liquid-crystal slurry for extracting liquid filtrate from the slurry and returning the higher crystal concentration slurry back to a crystallizer in a process for the extraction of para-xylene crystals from a mother liquor feed including mixed xylenes and impurities in liquid and crystal form.
Because it is usually preferred that fairly dry solids and clear liquid be separately discharged from opposite ends of the centrifuge bowl, the solids-liquid feed must be introduced into the pool of liquid at the middle portion of the bowl rather than near either end. Therefore, the solids-liquid feed is usually delivered into the conveyor from the distal end of a small stationary feed tube extended into the centrifuge along its rotational axis. Problems which persist with an extended stationary feed tube supported only near one end of the bowl include deflections and vibration of the cantilevered tube.
Due to changes in solids content of the feed during operation, variations in the weight of feed loading an extended stationary feed tube can cause significant deflections and vibrations of the tube and rotating parts of the centrifuge. Typically, even brief contact between, for example, the distal end of a small stationary tube and any rotating parts of the centrifuge is likely to be catastrophic to an extended stationary feed tube.
Solid deposits from the feed can form incrustations on an extended stationary feed tube to cause significant deflections, vibrations, and can even cause an avalanche of solids onto the conveyor or into the liquid pool which are rotating at high speeds. Such an avalanche is likely to cause a rapid increase in power required to drive the centrifuge which may subsequently be taken out of service for mechanical inspection and/or maintenance.
There remains, therefore, a current need for centrifugal apparatus which provides improved means for feeding solids-liquid mixtures which is effective in reducing the magnitude of mechanical vibration, reducing feed tube failures, and thereby avoiding interruptions in service.
Advantageously, such improved means of feeding solids-liquid mixtures would assist in acceleration of the mixtures up to rotating speed with decreased damage of the solid crystals, improving their recovery.

Continuous centrifugal separator with tapered internal feed distributor


A transplanar liquid transport tester for fabrics, comprising a liquid reservoir; a liquid-permeable support member having a first surface for supporting a fabric test sample, and a second surface for interfacing with liquid in the liquid reservoir; and means for maintaining a constant hydrostatic pressure in the liquid reservoir at the second surface of the support member for replenishing liquid through the support member to the first surface during testing.

The transmission of water or moisture through fabric or clothing assemblies is an important property—significant to the thermal comfort of clothing.
There are numerous standard test methods for determining both moisture transmission and liquid water transport through fabrics or clothing. The most commonly used methods for evaluating the moisture transmission rate or moisture vapour resistance through fabrics or clothing assemblies are the upright cup method (ASTM E96-80-Procedure B) and the Sweating Hotplate Method (ISO 11092). The former determines the water loss from a dish covered with a fabric sample over a specific period of time. Test results are normally reported in g/m2/24 hrs. The latter method determines evaporative heat loss over a gradient of water vapour pressure and reports the results as water vapour resistance in m2 Pa/W.
There are four general test method types for measuring the wicking or water transport properties through fabrics—namely: longitudinal wicking "strip" tests; transverse (or Transplanar) wicking "plate" tests; aerial wicking "spot" tests; and Syphon tests [1].
Two longitudinal wicking "strip" tests are established as industrial standards—namely: BS3424 Method 21 (1973)—Determination of Resistance to Wicking; and DIN 53924 (1978)—Determination of the Rate of Absorption of Water by Textile Materials (Height of Rise Method). Both of these methods use a preconditioned strip of test fabric suspended vertically with its lower end immersed in a reservoir of distilled water to which a die of a type known not to affect the wicking behaviour may be added for visually tracking the movement of the water. After a fixed period of time, the height reached by the water in the fabric above the water level in the reservoir is measured. The BS3424 Method 21 specifies a very long time period (24 hours) and is intended for coated fabrics with very slow wicking, whereas DIN 53924 specifies a much shorter time for the test (5 minutes maximum) and is appropriate for relatively rapid-wicking fabrics. Since water transport in clothing is generally transplanar (across the fabric plane), the measurement of a fabric's wickability in the fabric plane as measured by longitudinal wicking "strip" tests has limited implications to the measurement of clothing comfort.
Insofar as transverse (or transplanar) wicking "plate" tests are concerned, no published standards exist to date. An apparatus for this test was first implemented by Barus et al [2] and consisted of a horizontal sintered glass plate fed from below with water from a horizontal capillary tube, the level of which is set so that the upper surface of the plate is kept damp, as a simulation of a sweating skin surface. A disc of test fabric is placed on the plate and held in contact therewith under a defined pressure applied by placing weights upon it. The position of the meniscus along the capillary tube is recorded at various time intervals as water is wicked through the fabric layer. Given the diameter of the capillary tube, the recorded position of the meniscus can be used to calculate the mass transfer rate of water into the fabric. A disadvantage of this method is that the resistance to flow imposed by the capillary tube decreases and the hydrostatic head decreases during the course of the test as water wicks up through the fabric sample.
Hussain and Tremblay-Lutter [3] also described a test for measuring the transplanar uptake of liquids by fibrous materials is in contact with a liquid. An instrument adopting a DAMT (Dynamic Absorbency Measurement Technique) had a liquid reservoir which continuously supplied liquid to sample cells via pipes. The changing weight of the reservoir was measured by an electronic balance to measure the rate of liquid uptake by the textile material in the sample. A disadvantage in this technique is that the control of the liquid level is dependent on the sensitivity and accuracy of the elastic properties of the mechanical spring which is supporting the liquid reservoir.
There are two published aerial wicking "spot" test standards of measurement, namely: BS3554 (1970), Determination of Wettability of Textile Fabrics; and AATCC Method 39-1977—Evaluation of Wettability. In these standard tests, a drop of liquid (either distilled water, or for highly wettable fabrics—a 50% sugar solution) is delivered from a height of approximately 6 millimetres onto a horizontal fabric test specimen. The elapsed time between the drop reaching the fabric surface and the disappearance of a reflection from the liquid surface is taken as a measure of how quickly the liquid has spread over and wetted the fabric surface. The disadvantage of this method is that the supply water is not continuous as is the case during sweating.
Another aerial wicking "spot" test method is known as Moisture Management of Textiles (MMT) [4]. Moisture management indexes are determined by MMT for a textile sandwiched between two electrically conductive plates by measuring changes in electrical resistance across the plates. These measurements indicate changes in water content. A quantity of liquid is poured upon the upper surface of the fabric. The liquid is then transported three-dimensionally through the fabric. Based on the measurement of electrical resistance between the upper and lower plates via the surfaces of the fabric, moisture management indexes (which included accumulated liquid absorption of the upper and lower surfaces of the fabric; maximum difference between the water content of the upper and lower surfaces; and initial absorption speeds and drying rates at the upper and lower surfaces) can be calculated.
Tanner [2] and Lennox-Kerr [5] report syphon tests. A rectangular strip of test fabric is used as a syphon with one end immersed in a reservoir of water or saline solution and the other end placed at a lower level in a collection beaker. The amount of liquid transferred during successive time intervals can be determined by weighing the collection beaker. This is a simple test, but does not simulate the transport of liquid through clothing during sweating.
In each of the methods described above, there are two fundamental disadvantages. Firstly, the water level in a reservoir (cup, beaker, or tube etc) reduces as water vapour is transmitted through the fabric or as liquid water is absorbed and transported through the fabric. The reduction in water level results in an increase in the air-exposed surface area of the sample and a change in water pressure between the fabric and the water surface, which results in inconsistent test results. Secondly, in many of the tests described, it is not possible to measure water loss (transmitted in vapour form or transported in the form of water) continuously in real-time.

Characterization of liquid, water and/or moisture transport properties of fabrics


An approach for determining a combination of terms that represents subject matter of a natural language sentence is provided. Numbers of words from a beginning of the sentence to terms in the sentence that match terms in the combination of terms are determined. The sentence is divided into natural language phrases including a complex phrase and first and second simple phrases extracted from the complex phrase. Based in part on (a) the numbers of words from the beginning of the sentence to the terms in the sentence that match terms in the combination of terms, (b) whether all terms of the combination are contained in the first and/or second simple phrases, and (c) whether all terms of the combination are contained in the complex phrase but not contained in the first and/or second simple phrases, how well the combination of terms represents the subject matter is determined.

Natural language processing (NLP) identifies entities or objects in unstructured text of a document and determines relationships between the entities. An NLP engine identifies the entities or objects and variations of the entities or objects by matching tokens or words in the unstructured text to entries in a dictionary containing key terms and variations of the key terms. The corresponding dictionary entries represent the entities or objects in the unstructured text. A person makes a limited, inflexible Boolean decision as to whether an annotation or concept based on the matched entries should be applied to the tokens or words.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,332,434 to Salkeld et al. teaches a system to map a set of words to a set of ontology terms. A term set corresponding to a set of words in an ontology context is determined for different starting points of ontology contexts. The term sets acquired from each of the starting points are ranked using a goodness function considering both consistency and popularity. A term which has a very high term rank is degraded or discarded if its ontology has a trivial correlation with the starting point ontology.

Ontology-driven annotation confidence levels for natural language processing

International Business Machines Corporation


A thermal head includes a head substrate having a plurality of heating resistors which generate heat by electrical dissipation, a common electrode connected to one end of each heating resistor, and a plurality of individual electrodes connected to the other ends of the respective heating resistors. The head substrate is disposed on a heat-dissipation plate. A wide-gap stepped portion is disposed in correspondence with at least a location of the head substrate directly below the heating resistors, and increases an interval between an adhesion surface of the head substrate and an adhesion surface of the heat-dissipation plate. A resilient adhesive capable of absorbing thermal strain is interposed between the adhesion surface of the heat-dissipation plate and the adhesion surface of the head substrate in an adhesion plane where the wide-gap stepped portion is disposed.

A thermal head comprises a plurality of resistors heated by electrical dissipation, and performs a printing operation by applying heat energy generated by the heating resistors to a print medium. Conventionally, a head substrate and a printed circuit board are separately provided, and an aluminum heat-dissipation plate is adhered to the lower surface of the head substrate and the lower surface of the printed circuit board. The head substrate has the plurality of heating resistors, a common electrode connected in common to one end of the plurality of heating resistors, and a plurality of individual electrodes connected to the other end of the respective heating resistors. The printed circuit board has a plurality of drive elements which control the heating of the heating resistors via the individual electrodes at the head substrate. In order to achieve high-speed printing, it is necessary to increase the thermal response of the heating resistors by discharging excess heat via the aluminum heat-dissipation plate. Structures of thermal heads comprising heat-dissipation plates are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 1-190467 and 11-28829 and Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 1-131538 (microfilm).
In recent years, a reduction in the size of a thermal head has caused a reduction in the size of a head substrate. However, when the size of the head substrate is reduced, the heating effect of heating resistors does not change, whereas the contact area of the head substrate and a heat-dissipation plate is reduced. Therefore, the quantity of heat transmitted to the heat-dissipation plate from the head substrate via an adhesive layer when printing is carried out is relatively increased. This excess heat expands the length of the heat-dissipation plate, as a result of which the adhesive layer may become peeled depending upon the conditions. The amount of increase in the length is particularly large at the ends of the heat-dissipation plate. As shown in FIG. 7, this results in a reduction in shear strength of the adhesive, and the adhesive layer tends to become peeled. In FIG. 7, the measuring points are distributed over the length of the head substrate. The tendency to peel becomes more noticeable as the heating temperature increases. Air tends to enter peeled areas of the adhesive layer, and such areas act as heat accumulators, causing the temperature of the heating resistors to increase. Therefore, the print density of the heating resistors disposed at the ends increases, thereby resulting in inconsistencies in the print density as a whole.
In addition, when the size of the head substrate is reduced, the head substrate becomes less resistant to bending. For example, when an attempt is made to adhere a printed circuit board and the head substrate to the heat-dissipation plate after wire bonding and sealing individual electrodes and drive elements, a large warping occurs in a plane direction of the head substrate by thermal contraction of a sealing resin, thereby deteriorating print quality such as by causing print fading. Conventionally, the area of the head substrate is at least 6 mm2. Therefore, even if the sealing resin undergoes thermal contraction, the head substrate does not tend to bend. Consequently, even if warping occurs in a plane of the head substrate, the warping is restricted within a range not affecting the print quality.
Warping in a plane direction of the head substrate may be restricted by previously adhering the head substrate and the printed circuit board to the heat-dissipation plate, and, while an adhesive prevents the head substrate from bending, by wire-bonding and sealing the individual electrodes and drive elements. Conventionally, the individual electrodes, formed of aluminum (Al) to reduce costs, and the drive elements are connected with a gold (Au) joining wire. The Al—Au wire bonding is carried out in an atmosphere of approximately 150° C. in order to form an Al—Au alloy layer by breaking surface oxidation layers of the individual electrodes by ultrasonic vibration. Therefore, the adhesive layer may become peeled as a result of the expansion of the heat-dissipation plate in this high-temperature atmosphere. As described above, the peeled areas of the adhesive layer act as heat-accumulation layers due to air entering the peeled areas. Therefore, there are inconsistencies in the print density.

Thermal head having adhesive interposed between adhesion surface of heat-dissipation plate and adhesion surface of head substrate and method for producing the same


A software based wireless infrastructure system is provided. The system has a driver that communicates with the network stack and a network interface card (NIC), a station server in communication with the station driver and an 802.1X supplicant or an 802.1X authenticator. Each NIC provides station and/or access point functionality support. The driver drops packets that have been received if the packet has not been authenticated and associated. Packets that have been fragmented or encrypted are unfragmented and decrypted. An association manager is used in conjunction with a configuration table manager to associate stations and access points via management packets. A manager receives 802.1X data packets from the packet processor and sends them up to a station server that communicates with user mode applications and an 802.1X supplicant or an 802.1X authenticator that are used to authenticate and deauthenticate stations and access points. APIs are provided to enable communication between the components.

Most businesses have recognized the substantial benefits gained by operating in a networked computing environment. By establishing local area networks (LAN), businesses allow their employees to share network resources, such as printers, file servers, modem banks, e-mail servers, etc., while maintaining the distributed computing power of having a plurality of individual work station computers. Indeed, the benefits of networked computing are now available for home computing environments as more and more households begin having more than one computer. Now, as with at the office, network resources (e.g., a printer) may be shared among the members of the household.
Unfortunately, despite all the benefits that the networks provide, their hardwired architecture presents several problems that tend to limit the users ability to compute in a flexible manner. For example, many networked computer users are now provided the flexibility to take their computers with them wherever they go by utilizing laptop and notebook sized computers. Unfortunately, however, the physical wired architecture often does not accommodate multiple users in a particular location (e.g., in a meeting room) due to the limit of network connection port outlets that are physically installed at that particular location. Therefore, while a user has the theoretical ability to connect to the network from any location wherein a network port outlet is provided, the physical realities of the wiring installation often limit this. Additionally, even if a sufficient number of outlet ports were provided, the requirement for each user to carry around network cabling of lengths sufficient to couple to a network outlet is undesirable from a user standpoint. Likewise, the cost and difficulty of installing network cabling within a household to provide connectivity for each room of the house often limits the actual cable installed to only those fixed locations where computers and network resources are currently located. Therefore, such hardwired systems essentially preclude the mobile computing that has been enabled by the portable computing devices currently on the market.
In recognition of the significant limitations that a wired LAN architecture places on the mobility and flexibility of modern computing, many industry leaders have developed and are now implementing wireless networks. These wireless networks allow for substantially increased flexibility by enabling truly nomadic computing from any location within the business enterprise covered by the wireless LAN. No longer do users need to carry network connection cables and restrict themselves to computing only in physical locations where network connection outlets are provided. This wireless networking technology also has significant advantages for the home computer user who may now have full home network accessibility from any location within the house that is convenient.
Recognizing the tremendous benefits provided by wireless networking, their deployment in airports, hotels, schools, etc., is becoming much more widespread. Further, with the increasing popularity of handheld computing devices, the deployment of such wireless networks in shopping malls, grocery stores, and the like is envisioned. Further, wireless wide area network computing having coverage areas similar to that currently in widespread use for wireless telephone systems enable true nomadic computing regardless of a user's physical location. In this way, nomadic computer users are able to access their network resources and remain productive while waiting on a plane, commuting on a train, etc.
Recognizing that compatibility among the various network service providers who may deploy these wireless networks is of paramount importance to ensure the continued growth and acceptance of such technology, various industry standards have been developed. One such standard developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is designated by IEEE 802.11. Under this wireless standard, nomadic computer users may form their own network in an ad hoc mode, or may connect to an established network in an infrastructure mode. In the ad hoc mode, there is no structure to the network, and each member is typically able to communicate with every other member. These ad hoc networks may be formed whenever a group of users wish to communicate among themselves to share information such as during a meeting. An example of such an ad hoc formed network under IEEE 802.11 is illustrated in FIG. 8. As may be seen from this simplified Figure, multiple users 802, 804, 806 communicate with one another in their own loosely formed network 800, all without the requirement of being coupled together by hard wires.
The second type of network structure of IEEE 802.11 is known as an infrastructure network and is illustrated in simplified form in FIG. 9. As may be seen, this architecture utilizes at least one fixed network access point (AP) 900 through which a mobile computer user 902, 904, 906 can communicate with the network members 908, 910 and resources 912, 914. These network access points 900 may be connected to hardwired LAN lines to broaden the wireless network's capability by bridging these wireless nodes to other wired nodes on the established network 916 and the architecture is limited to a single layer deep access point.
With the development and deployment of wireless networking devices and infrastructures, consumers and businesses are increasingly being able to realize the benefits of true mobile computing, collaboration, and information exchange. No longer are business travelers required to carry an assortment of cables and search endlessly for an available data port simply to connect to a network to retrieve email messages, download files, or exchange information. No longer are companies and home consumers restrained in where they may access their networks by the location of the Ethernet jacks on the wall. Meeting participants and groups of friends may now form their own ad hoc networks without connecting cables between themselves or logging in to some preexisting network.
Unfortunately, despite the significant advantages and flexibility that wireless networking brings to the computing environment, the hardware to implement these networks is quite complex and expensive. For example, the wireless network interface card (NIC) that provides the means for computers to communicate wirelessly must support most, if not all, of the functions specified in the 802.11 specification. Once a user has installed a wireless NIC, the wireless NIC must be either reconfigured or replaced when a wireless standard changes. The current user experience in configuring and updating the wireless NIC is still quite complex.
Further detracting from the user experience is the limitation of current wireless networks and mobile computing devices in providing the capability to form a wireless network using multiple layer deep access points. FIG. 10 illustrates the limitation of available systems. A conventional access point 1000 connected to a wired network 1002 has the limited capability to communicate with device 1014 that is connected to access point 1006. Devices 1006-1012 in communication with the wire access points 1004, 1014 can route packets to wired access point 1000 and get connectivity to the wired network 1002.

Native Wi-Fi architecture for 802.11 networks


Methods and apparatus are disclosed for using gap packets to create a bandwidth buffer over which packets can be sent to reduce or eliminate overflow conditions. One implementation sends a series of packets from a first device to a second device, the series of packets including interspersed information packets and gap packets. The first device determines when to insert the gap packets into the series of packets, and the gap packets received by the second device are dropped. The determination of when to insert one of the gap packets into the series of packets may be based on an occupancy level of a buffer, such as, but not limited to comparing it to a predetermined or variable threshold value. Also, the rate of sending gap packets and/or the size of the gap packets may be varied to adjust the size of bandwidth buffer created by the gap packets.

The communications industry is rapidly changing to adjust to emerging technologies and ever increasing customer demand. This customer demand for new applications and increased performance of existing applications is driving communications network and system providers to employ networks and systems having greater speed and capacity (e.g., greater bandwidth). In trying to achieve these goals, a common approach taken by many communications providers is to use packet switching technology. Increasingly, public and private communications networks are being built and expanded using various packet technologies, such as Internet Protocol (1P).
Spatial Reuse Protocol (SRP) is one type of networking protocol for communicating packet traffic over a bi-directional ring, and provides a technique for more efficient ring usage as compared to regular packet over SONET. SRP is described in "The Cisco SRP MAC Layer Protocol," RFC 2892, IETF (August 2000), which is hereby incorporated by reference. Using SRP, only traffic which is destine for the current node is processed by its layer 3 and up protocol processing mechanisms. All other traffic transits further on the ring until it reaches its destination. Because the each node needs to be able to insert its own traffic on the ring, each node includes a transit buffer (TB) which holds transit traffic (e.g., those packets received which are not destined for itself) for a short duration, allowing a node to insert traffic on the ring. SRP provides fair distribution of low priority traffic; however the high priority traffic is not controlled by fairness algorithm. This means that a high priority transit buffer can be overflowed. For example, if the previous node sends one hundred percent high priority traffic which is transit for current node and the media speed of previous node is higher than a speed of a current node. For example, the speed of a SONET link may vary of +/−20 ppm. If the a node is transmitting out a −20 ppm link and is receiving one hundred percent high priority traffic from a previous node at a rate of +20 ppm, then the high priority transit buffer fills at a rate of +40 ppm of the SONET clock and eventually the buffer will overflow.
A known prior attempt at solving this overflow problem was to periodically stall or stop traffic from being taken from the transit buffer of a node that sent traffic over a faster link. In this manner, a time gap was induced by the transit buffer circuitry. However, buffering is typically used by the link transmission components, which removed or reduced such time gap, and thus, the overflow condition still could be created. New methods and apparatus are desired which may reduce or eliminate the overflow condition.

Methods and apparatus for using gap packets to create a bandwidth buffer over which packets can be sent to reduce or eliminate overflow conditions


A device for blocking and for releasing an adjusting mechanism having at least two parts which are movable relative to each other is disclosed. The device comprises a blocker configured to be brought at least into a blocking position and a release position relative to the adjusting mechanism. The device further comprises an actuator for changing the position of the blocker between the blocking position and the release position.

German laid-open specification DE 198 51 456 discloses a device and a method for adjusting movable parts, in which a motor having a method of operation is provided for adjusting the movable parts. The motor is provided both for adjusting the movable parts and for providing pneumatic energy.
A disadvantage of this known device and the known method is that a mechanical adjustment of the movable parts is entirely taken over by the motor, which makes the device expensive and complex.

Device for an adjusting mechanism, said adjusting mechanism and method


A method buffering packets in a packet switching network (FIG. 5) includes receiving a packet from the network; splitting the packet into a plurality of PDUs; stripping at least some of the PDUs over a plurality of memory banks; (18) retrieving the PDUs from the memory banks: and at least temporarily storing the retrieved PDUs in the sequence they are to be transmitted. An apparatus for implementing the method is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to memory control and the use of memories, especially in packet switched telecommunications networks and at nodes in such networks.
2. State of the Art
During scheduling of data transfer of a packet switched network a traffic manager needs to buffer quite a large amount of data to allow scheduling in case of heavy traffic and to equalize bursty traffic. Failure to do this can lead to dropping packets. Also, packets do not necessarily leave a node in the same order they arrive which also requires buffering.
The large amount of buffering needed at a packet switched network node can be solved by the use of cost-effective off-chip DRAM-based technology. Use of DRAM is associated with access latency. Regardless of technologies used to increase the bandwidth per pin (such as Double Data Rate (DDR) SDRAM or RAMBUS DRAM (RDRAM)), a main bottleneck in any DRAM implementation is the large bank turnaround time, which is currently around 60 ns. The bank turnaround time limits the frequency of accessing different (random) rows within a single bank, and therefore limits the data bus utilization drastically. For this reason, DRAM chips have multiple banks (typically 2 or 4) to increase the best-case bus usage, but this does not on its own change the worst-case bus usage.
A DRAM channel is defined as a single logical set of address (+ control) and data lines. A single channel has a particular width, which is the number of data lines and can be implemented using multiple DRAM components. A DRAM access cycle is defined as the sequence of operations performed on the address and data lines to do a particular random read or write request. The DRAM access cycle turnaround for a given amount of data is the time it takes between the start of either a random read or write request for that amount of data and the start of the next possible random read or write request. A DRAM bank is defined as a subset of a DRAM channel that has an independent access cycle. For example, if a channel has 4 banks, then up to 4 access cycles can be performed simultaneously. However, all banks within a particular channel share all address, control and data lines.
It is an object of the present invention to provide improved performance of a memory which is subject to access latency.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a memory structure having improved performance and for use in packet switched networks, especially in nodes of such a network.

Overcoming access latency inefficiency in memories for packet switched networks


The present invention relates to an auxiliary supporting unit for a boarding bridge, a boarding bridge with the same and method for improving stability of boarding bridge. The auxiliary supporting unit includes a leg support which can be driven to extend and retract; and a foot portion attached to one end of the leg support, wherein the foot portion can be supported on the ground when the leg support being extended and can leave the ground when the leg support being retracted.

The passenger boarding bridge is used in airports and is very popular due to its convenience and security. The boarding bridge assists a passenger when the passenger is boarding an airplane directly from a terminal building. At present, many kinds of passenger boarding bridges are disclosed, such as in Chinese patent No. ZL95226673.3, ZL00258374.7 and American U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,035. Conventionally, there are two manners for supporting a beam of a boarding bridge, which is respectively named a single-point supporting and a double-point supporting. With reference to FIG. 1, a passenger boarding bridge 100 in so-called single-point supporting manner is disclosed in Chinese Patent ZL00258374.7, which comprises a rotunda connected to a terminal (not shown), a tunnel 101 which can be retracted or extended to change its length, elevation system used for adjusting the height of the tunnel 101, and a wheel mechanism 102 for supporting the tunnel 101 through the elevation system etc. The wheel mechanism 102 is provided with two wheels attached respectively to both ends of a beam. A bearing plate is substantially located in the center of the beam and used for supporting the elevation system. However, the bridge 100 has poor stability, as the tunnel 101 often wobbles when it carries passengers or when the wheel mechanism 102 is driven to move or turn around the bearing plate. Chinese patent ZL95226673.3, as shown in FIG. 2, discloses another bridge 200 with a wheel mechanism 201 for supporting an elevation system 203 which can adjust or control a tunnel 202 to change its height. Now referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, specially, two sets of wheel assembly 204 are attached to both ends of a beam 301 to improve the stability of the bridge 200, each set of which further comprises a revolving base 302 used for supporting, a hinge support 303 and a hinge shaft 304, and two wheels 305. Importantly, for this kind of bridge 200 in so-called double-supporting manner, a synchronous steering mechanism 307 is necessary in order to drive the wheel assembly 204 at two ends of the beam 301 to move and rotate, or a control system is alternatively utilized to drive the wheel 305 in order to accomplish synchronous moving and/or rotation of the wheel 305. In fact, the conventional boarding bridge 200 according to the double-supporting manner is more stable than before, while it has a complex structure and a low safety, and the control system for synchronous operation of the wheels are even more complicated and expensive. Furthermore, the reliability of the bridge is deduced accordingly as it is unavoidable for the control system to break down.

Auxiliary supporting unit, boarding bridge with the same and method for improving stability of the boarding bridge by using the same

China International Marine Containers (Group), Co., Ltd.