A method and a device for improved freezing of biological containing living cells is disclosed. Directional cooling coupled with agitation, preferably rotation, of the vessel containing the biological sample allows for the freezing of large volume samples at much greater rates than before. Whether a sample is large or not, the greater thermal homogeneity during the freezing process as well as the resulting crystal morphology yield a frozen sample which is exceptionally suited for lyophilization.

There is often a need to store viable cells for extended periods of time. It is most preferred that the cells be held in a state of suspended animation, a state wherein cell metabolism is entirely stopped. When needed, the cells are reanimated and used. Cells such as spermatozoa, blood and blood products are amongst the cell types for which long term storage is desired.
A generally accepted way of storing cells in a state of suspended animation is cryopreservation. Most simply, a sample containing viable cells is quickly cooled, for example by immersion in liquid nitrogen, to freeze the sample. When thawed under carefully controlled conditions acceptable levels of post-thaw cell viability are achieved.
The greatest practical disadvantage of cryopreservation of cells involves the difficulties in maintaining the frozen state. Refrigeration at cryogenic temperatures of 198 K is necessarily expensive (excepting in the Antarctic) and not a perfect solution as biological activity does not cease until about 143 K. The bulk of the required refrigeration systems renders cryopreserved cells not easily transportable.
An additional method for storing cells in a state of suspended animation involves removing a significant proportion of water from the cells (drying). The greatest advantage of drying cells is that dry cells can potentially be stored at close to room temperatures without requiring bulky and expensive storage devices. Typically, cells are air-dried: the cells in solution are spread out in a thin layer and water allowed to evaporate. Although clearly there is no danger of ice crystal formation damaging the cells, the fact that the drying process occurs at a temperature of at least above. 273 K where cell metabolism is active is a great disadvantage. Further, air drying has not been shown to be a practical method for the preservation of large-volume samples. Post-rehydration viability of air-dried cells is incidental at best. Apparently, either the air-drying process or the rehydration process causes cytolysis.
A number of researchers have found methods of improving post-rehydration viability of air-dried cells by the addition of cell membrane stabilizers. Such stabilizers added to a buffered cell-containing solution improve post-rehydration viability.
Another approach for drying cells involves freeze-drying. The simplest methods involve lyophilization of a frozen sample. Post-rehydration viability is poor.
It has been found that an effective methods of increasing post-thaw or post-rehydration viability of frozen or freeze-dried cells, respectively, is the addition of cryoprotectants, substances that protect cell membranes from the effects of freezing.
One group of cryoprotectants, termed permeating cryoprotectants are antifreeze molecules and includes dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), glycerol and related polyhydril alcohols (e.g. propylene or ethylene glycol).
Another group of cryoprotectants termed non-permeating or extracellular cryoprotectants, bind to membrane lipids. The membrane lipids are stabilized, thus preserving cell-structure integrity. Such cryoprotectants include proline and sugars (e.g. glucose). Crowe (in U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,319) has taught that trehalose is an exceptionally good cryoprotectant.
The disadvantages of using cryoprotectants are manifold. Different cell types require different cryoprotectants at different concentrations. Thus the use of cryoprotectants is not a general method but rather requires a complex and time-consuming optimization step. Second, rehydration and thawing must be very carefully due to the effect of osmotic pressure resulting from the presence of cryoprotectants in solution. Lastly, upon rehydration or thawing, the cells are found in an "unnatural" solution which must be purified or modified before being used.
Kusakabe et al. ("Maintenance of genetic integrity in frozen and freeze-dried mouse spermatozoa" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A. Nov. 20, 2001, 98(24), 13501-13506) has convincingly demonstrated that freeze-drying is a potentially successful strategy for the long term storage of cells. Mouse spermatozoa in a buffered solution without cryoprotectants were freeze dried by immersion in liquid nitrogen followed by 4 hours lyophilization. The freeze dried samples were stored at 277 K for up to 56 days. The results indicate a high level of DNA integrity after rehydration. However, the usefulness of the teachings of Kusakabe et al. is limited by the fact that the cells were lyophilized in 0.1 ml portions. One skilled in the art would remain unconvinced of the potential of this method for the preservation of cells on a larger scale.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,254. which is incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein, is described an innovative method for the freezing of biological samples by directional cooling. Schematically depicted in FIG. 1 is a device 10 used to realize the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 5,873.254. In FIG. 1A, a vessel 12 holding a biological sample 14 lays on a track 16. Track 16 leads from the surroundings into a cooling device 18. Cooling device 18 is substantially a block of a thermally conductive material having a tunnel 20 through which vessel 12 can pass when guided along track 16. In cooling device 18 is maintained a temperature gradient by the use of a plurality of cooling elements 22a, 22b and 22c. The temperature gradient is oriented so that there is a temperature gradient parallel to tunnel 20. The temperature of cooling device 18 at entrance 24 of tunnel 20 is typically roughly the temperature of sample 14 at the beginning of the freezing process. Exit 26 of tunnel 20 is cooler than entrance 24. A toothed rod 28, a gear 30, configured to engage rod 28, and an electrical motor 32, configured to rotate gear 30, are all elements of a mechanism configured to push vessel 12 into and through tunnel 20 at a controlled rate.
When it is desired to freeze biological sample 14, motor 32 is activated causing rod 28 to push vessel 12 into cooling device 18 through tunnel 20, FIG. 1B. Throughout the travel of biological sample 14 through tunnel 20, each portion of biological sample is cooled at a similar rate, but at any given moment the temperature of biological sample near the leading end 34 of vessel 12 is lower then that of biological sample near the following end 36 of vessel 12. A cooling front is formed inside biological sample 14, the cooling front traveling from leading end 34 towards following end 36, in parallel to the motion of vessel 12 along track 16. Biological sample 14 found in a given cross-section perpendicular to the motion of vessel 12 along track 16 is substantially homogenous in temperature. Through biological sample 14 is a temperature gradient parallel to track 16, the temperature gradient substantially mirroring the temperature gradient found along track 16.
Practically, it has been found that to prevent supercooling of biological sample 14 (and the concomitant uncontrolled and inhomogeneous freezing rate, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,254) it is necessary to "seed" biological sample near leading end 34 before entering tunnel 20. Seeding is done, for example, by applying liquid nitrogen to leading end 34.
An important parameter when applying the method of U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,254 is the cooling rate. The cooling rate C (in units of ° C./min) is determined by the temperature gradient G (in units of ° C./mm) alone track 16 and the rate of advancement of the cooling front P (in units of mm/sec) through biological sample 14, determined by the speed which vessel 12 travels through tunnel 20.
Cells in cryoprotectant-containing samples have exceptional post-thaw viability when frozen according to the method of U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,254, for example by using a device such as device 10. It is important to note that when a biological sample is lyophilized subsequent to freezing according to the method of U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,254, post-rehydration cell viability is insufficient.
A practical disadvantage of the method of U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,254 arises from the relatively limited amounts of sample that can be frozen at any one time. Experimentally it has been found that post-rehydration viability decreases when large volumes (generally greater than 1 ml) are frozen.
It would be highly advantageous to have a method of freezing large volume samples containing living cells. It would be exceptionally advantageous if such a method froze the sample in a way as to allow high post-rehydration post-lyophilization viability. It would be advantageous if such a method did not require the use of cryoprotectants.


A crab trap is provided having an open configuration prior to trapping a crab and into which a crab can crawl to retrieve bait placed therein, the trap also having a closed configuration for trapping a crab therein. The trap has a generally rectangular frame assembly comprising a base frame having two hollow bottom side connecting tubes and two hollow bottom end connecting tubes connected at their corners by corner elbow connectors. A plurality of hollow vertical corner posts is inserted in the corner elbow connectors and is three dimensionally perpendicular to the rectangular frame. The vertical corner posts each have a longitudinal opening extending from the lower end of the vertical corner post to the approximate center point of the vertical corner post along the length of the vertical corner post. The bottom side connecting tubes, bottom end connecting tubes and vertical corner posts all contain a plurality of openings to permit water to flow through. A mesh covering covers the frame on the top, sides and ends and is attached to the frame at strategic locations by suitable retainers. The bottom mesh rests on the base frame. A plurality of draw cords, one end of each draw cord being tied to one side or corner of the bottom mesh is threaded through the openings in the vertical corner posts and exits at the upper ends of the vertical corner posts, the plurality of draw cords being joined together at a common point above the frame into a single draw cord which extends to the water surface.

This invention relates to a crab trap which is both easy to set and pull out. Further, the trap is self-righting because its frame members are constructed of PVC or CPVC piping such as plumber's piping which is water balanced. The trap is stable in the water due to the tubular members being water filled. In a preferred embodiment, the trap is lightweight, weighing less than 1.68 pounds (767 grams). The trap may be held together with common household items such as cable ties, bag ties, cotter pins, bolts, wire, string or hitch pins. The mesh of the trap is preferably galvanized steel. Though the wire mesh may eventually rust, the frame will always remain and can be re-used and the mesh can be easily replaced.
The trap ca be baited at both the top and the bottom and the crab can not see anything move. The bottom of the trap meets the upper part of the trap and no opening exists for the crabs to escape, as can occur with a previous type of four sided trap. The trap is self draining and does not need wrapping to hold doors closed. When storing, the trap of this invention according to one embodiment has compact doors which will not tangle and break.
Numerous apparatuses have been provided in the prior art for the trapping of crabs. For example, Fox U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,493 and Stuart U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,088 provide for traps with folding doors which close to trap the crab. The devices in Petrella U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,226, Ponzo U. U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,182 and Ponzo U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,758 all require portions of the trap to be buoyant for them to operate. Springs are required by the devices in Jakimas U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,579 and Downing U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,409.


A method and system that enables users to generate and manage forecasts through an integrated software tool. Forecast administrators are enabled to create forecast series data that define a forecast's structure and provide search criteria that is used in generating forecasts. These data also define who may participate in creating forecasts, and their relative position in an organization's hierarchy. Users are also enabled to enter a variety of forecast data that are stored by the system. Various forecast data are then retrieved corresponding to the user, applicable subordinates, and parameters defined by the forecast series. Users may then fine-tune their forecasts and submit their forecasts to their managers. The managers are enabled to adjust and roll up their subordinate's forecasts to produce their own forecasts. This process may be recursively applied while moving up through various layers of management defined by the organization's hierarchy.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sales e-business tools in general, and, in more particular, a forecasting and revenue management e-business software tool that enables users to generate and view forecasts in an integrated environment.
2. Background Information
An important part of the work performed by many sales organizations concerns forecasting sales and revenue. An accurate forecast helps companies predict cash flows and product inventory, which drive many important business decisions, such as purchasing levels and schedules. Forecasts are also valuable for many other purposes, including obtaining capital resources, human resource needs, infrastructure needs, supplier forecasts, etc.
Currently, there are e-business application tools that assist in helping organizations forecast sales and revenues. However, these tools are limited, both in how they aggregate forecast data, how they enable revenue data to be defined and manipulated, and how the revenue data are displayed to users. Furthermore, these tools provided limited facilities for generating forecast information for various management levels in an organization. For example, forecast information for a national sales manager may comprise an aggregation of forecast data provided by all of the members of a sales team organization who are subordinate to the national sales manager, wherein the forecast information for each individual member of the team can be included in the manager's forecast when relevant or automatically summarized otherwise.

Method for forecasting and revenue management


An ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) solution is introduced into a tower vessel (1) from a first inlet (2) provided at an upper portion of the tower vessel (1). Water vapor is introduced into the tower vessel (1) from a second inlet (3) provided at a lower portion of the vessel (1). The EVOH solution moves downward in the vessel (1), while the water vapor moves upward. The EVOH solution is kept in counter-flow contact with the water vapor. Water is supplied from a water supplying portion (5) located between the first inlet (2) and a tower top (4), whereby a water layer is formed above the first inlet (2). A water/methanol vapor mixture is extracted from the tower top (4) and condensed in a condenser (6) to be thereby recovered in the form of a methanol aqueous solution. Droplets of the EVOH solution contained in the water/methanol vapor mixture are trapped in the water layer formed above the first inlet (2) and, therefore, are less liable to be introduced into the condenser (6). This suppresses extraction of the droplets of the EVOH solution together with the vapor to the outside of the tower vessel (1) during replacement of the EVOH solution with water in the tower vessel (1).

An EVOH having an excellent oxygen gas barrier property is widely used as a material for a variety of packages and bottles. The EVOH is produced by copolymerizing vinyl acetate and ethylene and saponifying the resulting ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer in the presence of an alkaline catalyst with the use of methanol as a solvent. The EVOH resulting from the saponification is provided in the form of a methanol solution under heating and pressure. A part of methanol in the EVOH methanol solution is replaced with water. The resulting EVOH water/methanol solution can be stably handled under ordinary temperature and ordinary pressure conditions.
The replacement of the EVOH solution with water is industrially continuously carried out in a tower vessel. Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example, disclose methods in which an EVOH methanol solution supplied from an upper portion of a plate tower or a packed tower is kept in counter-flow contact with water vapor supplied from a lower portion of the tower for the replacement of a part of methanol in the solution with water. In the methods disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, an excess portion of the water vapor and methanol vapor resulting from the replacement with water are extracted from a tower top of the tower vessel to be introduced into a condenser, and liquefied in the condenser.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2002-121216
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2002-121290

Method of producing hydrous ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer composition

The Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.


An orthopedic implant has a porous surface with a plurality of pores, some of which are provided with a pores-within-a-pore structure. The pores-within-a-pore structure has a pore opening ranging in size between 10 and 800 microns. The present invention also discloses a process for making an orthopedic implant which is provided in the surface thereof with a pores-within-a-pore porous structure.

The present invention relates to an orthopedic implant having a porous surface and a method for making such an orthopedic implant.
The porous surface of the orthopedic implant is generally provided with a plurality of pores ranging in diameter between 10 and 500 microns. The bone tissues are thus capable of growing in the pores so as to unite the implant with the bone tissues. The conventional methods for making the implant with a porous surface include the plasma spray process, the sintering process, and the diffusion bonding process. The pores formed by the plasma spray process are not in communication with the outside, as shown in xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d, pores of FIG. 1. As a result, the bone tissues can not grow into them. On the other hand, they tend to form boundaries which are susceptible to breakage. The boundaries refer to the interfaces between the pores and the bone tissues. Similarly, the pores formed by the sintering process are not in communication with the outside and are susceptible to poor fatigue strength. As a result, the plasma spray process and the sintering process (either sintered beads or sintered fiber metal) can not be used to make the main structure of the orthopedic implant (Richard J. Friedman, et al., entitled xe2x80x9cCurrent Concepts in Orthopaedic Biomaterials and Implant Fixationxe2x80x9d, The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol. 75-A, No. 7, July 1993). The diffusion bonding process, such as vapor deposition techniques for making the porous tantalum structure, can be used to make pores free from the drawbacks as described above [J. Dennis Bobyn, Michael Tanzer, and Jo E. Miller: Fundamental Principles of Biologic Fixation. In Morrey BF (ed): Reconstructive Surgery of The Joints. Churchill Livingstone, 1996, pp 75-94]. However, such porous structure has a relatively poor bending strength and is therefore vulnerable to deformation or damage by a bending force exerting thereon. Moreover, the porous titanium structure is not cost-effective.
It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide an orthopedic implant having a porous surface.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide an orthopedic implant having a pores-within-a-pore porous surface structure.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide an orthopedic implant having a pores-within-a-pore porous surface structure, with a pore opening ranging in size between 10 and 800 microns.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a method for making an orthopedic implant having a porous surface.
The present invention provides an electrochemical technique employing a large electric current density and/or an intermediate electric current density for forming a pores-within-a-pore porous structure on a metal surface such that the porous structure is in communication with the outside, and that the porous structure is circumvented by a metal substrate. As a result, the porous structure is not vulnerable to boundary severance, poor fatigue strength and/or-bending.

Orthopedic implant having a porous surface and method of making same


A delivery sheath for an intravascular emboli capturing filter including an elongate tube having a distal region having a reduced thickness distal wall region. The delivery sheath, according to the present invention, can have a thinner, softer, distal most portion for superior and more benign interaction with vessel interior walls. The present invention includes an intravascular emboli filter system including an elongate shaft having a distal region, an expandable emboli filter operably coupled to the elongate shaft distal region, and an elongate sheath having a lumen therethrough disposed over the elongate shaft. The elongate sheath can have a distally decreasing outside diameter taper or reduced wall thickness region having improved atraumatic characteristics.

Blood vessels can become occluded in several ways. In one situation, a stenosis may be formed of an atheroma which can include a calcified material formed on the lumen walls of the blood vessel. In another situation, a stenosis can be formed of a thrombosis material which is typically softer than the calcified material, but can cause sudden and unpredictable blood flow reduction in a blood vessel lumen.
Different procedures have been developed to treat a stenotic lesion or stenosis in the vasculature. One method includes deforming the stenosis to reduce the restriction within the lumen of the blood vessel. This type of deformation is typically performed using balloon angioplasty. Another method includes the attempted removal of the stenosis or part of the stenosis. Removal of the stenotic lesion can be attempted through use of atherectomy, which can include mechanical ablation, radio frequency energy removal, and laser removal. In these methods, the stenosis can be mechanically cut or ablated from the vessel.
Problems may be encountered by the treating physician during thrombectomy and atherectomy. Stenotic debris, which may be separated from the stenosis, may be freed within the lumen of the vessel. If the debris flows distally, it can occlude distal vasculature and cause problems. If it flows proximally, it can enter the circulatory system which is also undesirable.
One technique for dealing with such debris includes filtering or otherwise removing the debris from within the vessel using an intravascular capture device. In one such method, a filtering device may be disposed distal of the stenosis during an atherectomy to catch the emboli or pieces of stenosis as they are released. These pieces or emboli may be removed using the capture device when the atherectomy procedure is complete. One such capture device includes a distal expandable filter member which can be placed distal of the stenosis to capture stenosis fragments. Expandable devices may be delivered through a delivery sheath and/or guide catheter to the treatment site. The delivery sheath and/or guide catheter may be retracted proximally prior to deploying the filter. After use, the filter may be retracted into the delivery sheath or guide catheter for removal.
What would be desirable are improved delivery sheaths for delivering distal protection devices to the treatment site. In particular, more benign delivery sheaths with distal ends that are easier to steer would be desirable.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Variable wall thickness for delivery sheath housing


The present invention relates to a process for producing an optically active 1-alkyl-substituted 2,2,2-trifluoroethylamine, which is an important intermediate of medicines and agricultural chemicals, and which is represented by the formula [3] [in the formula R represents a lower alkyl group of a carbon and * represents an asymmetric carbon], or its salt by subjecting an optically active imine represented by the formula [1] to an asymmetric reduction under hydrogen atmosphere using a metal catalyst of Group VIII to convert it into an optically active secondary amine represented by the formula [2] and then by subjecting the secondary amine or its salt to hydrogenolysis.

Optically active 1-alkyl-substituted 2,2,2-trifluoroethylamine, which is the target of the present invention, is an important intermediate of medicines and agricultural chemicals.
As processes for producing optically active 1-alkyl-substituted 2,2,2-trifluoroethylamine, there are reports of (1) a process (Patent Publication 1 and Non-patent Publication 1) in which (S)—N-(1-alkyl-2,2,2-trifluoroethylidene)-1-phenylethylamine is subjected to a [1,3]-proton shift reaction in the presence of a base, followed by hydrolysis; (2) a process (Patent Publication 2) in which a racemic mixture of 1-methyl-2,2,2-trifluoroethylamine is subjected to optical resolution with D-tartaric acid; (3) a process (Patent Publication 3) in which a carboxylic acid of L-alanine is fluorinated by SF4; and (4) a process (Non-patent Publication 2) in which (R)-sulfinylimine is subjected to an asymmetric trifluoromethylation by trimethyl(trifluoromethyl)silane (TMSCF3), followed by hydrolysis.
Patent Publication 1: Japanese Patent 3005669
Patent Publication 2: United States Patent specification 6204269
Patent Publication 3: European Patent Laid-open specification 0323637
Non-patent Publication 1: J. Org. Chem., (US), 1997, Vol. 62, No. 10, p. 3030-3031
Non-patent Publication 2: Angewandte Chemie, International Edition, (Germany), 2001, Vol. 40, No. 3, p 589-590
In the processes of Patent Publication 1 and Patent Publication 2, it was necessary to use 1 mol or more of expensive DBU (1,8-diazabicyclo[5,4,0]undec-7-ene) relative to 1 mol of the reaction substrate in order to obtain high chirality induction, and a purification by silica gel column chromatography was necessary to remove it.
In the process of Patent Publication 2, non-natural type tartaric acid as a resolving agent was expensive, and it was difficult to recover and reuse the same due to its water solubility. The theoretical yield was not greater than 50% due to optical resolution, and a complicated operation was necessary for racemization of an unnecessary isomer. In the process of Patent Publication 3, it was necessary to use dangerous SF4, and the yield was not so high. In the process of Non-patent Publication 2, it was necessary to use optically active sulfinylimine that is difficult in industrial availability, and trimethyl(trifluoromethyl)silane (TMSCF3) was a very expensive reagent.
Thus, there was a strong demand for a process that is capable of industrially producing optically active 1-alkyl-substituted 2,2,2-trifluoroethylamine.

Process for producing optically active 1-alkyl-substituted 2,2,2-trifluoroethylamine

Abstract: [Chem. 23]


The invention is directed to a frozen concentrated liquid whole egg product and a process for making the frozen concentrated product. The product has from about 33 to about 49 weight solids, from about 51 to about 67 weight percent water and a viscosity at 40° F. of from about 1,000 to about 5,000 cps before or after thawing. The process includes heating liquid whole egg for a time and temperature which are effective for not coagulating the egg.

Supplying, shipping and using large volumes of liquid egg products with extended shelf lives creates problems for both user and supplier. A supplier desires a product which is not only resistant to spoilage, but is cheaper to ship, uses less packaging than liquid whole egg, and uses less space for storage when stored by the supplier and/or user. Prior to the invention, no one has addressed the problem of not only reducing the volume of liquid whole egg being shipped to commercial users of egg products such as restaurants, but also maintaining and/or increasing the shelf life of eggs being used and shipped to large-volume users of liquid egg products. Heretofore, prior workers have cooked eggs and frozen them or have separately frozen whites and yolks. These products do not address or help those who desire to freshly cook eggs and those who do not desire to mix eggs and whites prior to cooking.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,340 to deFigueiredo et al. describes placing egg yolks and whites in separate containers for heating which will cause evaporation of water, but the heating when complete causes coagulation of the yolks and whites. Thereafter the yolks and whites are rapidly frozen. See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,973 to deFigueiredo et al. which also describes heating to coagulation and thereafter freezing. U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,035 to Sterns et al. describes a method of manufacturing an "omelette-type" egg product where the egg whites and yolks have water added to adjust the level of water in the egg, such that the mix has from about 75–85 percent water by weight. The patent notes that whole eggs have a moisture level of about 75 weight percent and additional moisture is added to the mix. The egg product is heated to "set the egg product in the shape of a pan." The "set product" then is frozen. U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,638 to Ziegler et al. describes adding water and gum with other ingredients to egg, pasteurizing the egg, and then freezing same. U.S. Pat. No. 3,364,037 to Mink et al. describes treating egg whites with peroxide and thereafter freezing the egg whites. See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,338 to Cascione et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,249 to Forkner describes separating yolks from whites, pasteurizing the yolk and whites, freezing the yolk (see FIG. 2 at 29), and freezing the whites. U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,974 to Aref et al., together with U.K. patent 1 376 972, and Canadian Patent No. 964921 describe the fast freezing egg white, egg yolk, or egg white and yolk.

Frozen concentrated liquid whole egg and method of making same


A passive magnetic latch is disclosed. The latch includes, according to various embodiments, a magnetically-actuated switch and a hard, non-linear biasing magnet. The switch may include components that, when polarized, cause the switch to transition from a first state to a second state. The biasing magnet is positioned proximate to the switch such that when the magnetization of the biasing magnet is changed by an external effect to thereby induce a modified magnetic field from the biasing magnet, the modified magnetic field polarizes the components of the switch such that the switch transitions from the first state to the second state and remains in the second state after the external effect is removed. A second external effect may be used to again change the magnetization of the biasing magnet such that the components of the switch depolarize and the switch transitions back the first state. As such, the magnetic latch may act like a remote ON/OFF switch.

The present invention generally concerns latching devices (i.e., latches) and, more particularly, magnetic latches.
The most common element designed to provide ON/OFF switching action when activated magnetically is a reed switch. As shown in FIG. 1, a normally-open reed switch 28 generally consists of two beams 30 disposed in a hermetically sealed glass cover 33. The beams 30 are made of magnetically permeable (i.e., soft) metal placed in close proximity to each other with a small gap between the ends (or contacts) 32 of the beams 30. When magnetic field of proper configuration is applied to the device, the beams 30 polarize magnetically such that they attract and form a mechanical and electrical contact. When the field is removed, the beams return to the initial state such that there is no electrical contact between the beams.
In order to polarize the beams in magnetically opposite states (to cause attraction between the beams), the field around the beams should be highly non-uniform. This is usually achieved by placing a magnetically hard dipole magnet in the proximity of the switch. The hardness of the magnet is defined as its resistance to re-magnetization (high coercive force, Hc, and high remnant magnetization, Mr). The beams of the switch are, in turn, very soft magnetically, i.e. they have very low Hc and very low Mr. This condition insures consistent and linear mechanical action, and prevents self-latching.
Magnetic latching devices (or "magnetic relays") commonly include a reed switch. Such latching devices also typically include secondary solenoids which provide a field sufficient to retain the beams of the reed switch in the closed position, but insufficient to close the beams without an external field. Because the solenoids, however, require non-zero electrical current (or power), in circumstances when no such current can be provided, or it proves to be an excessive drain on a power supply, such magnetic latches are not practical for many applications. Accordingly, there exists a need for a passive magnetic latch.


A calendar mechanism-equipped timepiece having a compactly constructed drive mechanism for driving first and second date indicators is offered. A timepiece equipped with a calendar mechanism has a drive mechanism, time display wheels, a first date indicator for displaying the ones digit of the date, a second date indicator for displaying the tens digit of the date, and a program wheel capable of intermittently rotating the first date indicator and the second date indicator based on the operation of the drive mechanism. The center axis of rotation of the time display wheels is located within the center hole of the program wheel under the condition where the time display wheels are rotatable. The first and second date indicators are placed in position adjacently to each other. Information about the date can be displayed from a window in the dial by one of the first date characters on the first date indicator and one of the second date characters on the second date indicator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a timepiece equipped with a calendar mechanism including a first date indicator for displaying the ones digit of the date and a second date indicator for displaying the tens digit of the date. More particularly, the present invention relates to a timepiece equipped with a calendar mechanism and designed such that the center axis of rotation of the time display wheels is located inside the center hole in a program gear.
2. Description of the Prior Art
(1) Description of Terminology
Generally, the mechanical body of a timepiece including the driver portion is referred to as the "movement". A dial and hands are attached to the movement and put into a timepiece case, forming a completed product. This state is referred to as the "completed" state of the timepiece. A bottom plate or movement plate forms the base plate of the timepiece. The side of the bottom plate which faces the timepiece case glass or on the side of the dial is referred to as the "rear side", "glass side", or "dial side" of the movement. The other side of the bottom plate which faces the rear cover of the timepiece case (i.e., which faces away from the dial) is referred to as the "front side" or "rear cover side" of the movement. A train wheel incorporated on the "front side" of the movement is referred to as the "front train wheel". A train wheel incorporated on the "rear side" of the movement is referred to as the "rear train wheel". Generally, "12 o'clock side" indicates a side of an analog timepiece on which a scale mark corresponding to the 12 o'clock on a dial is disposed. "12 o'clock direction" indicates a direction directed toward the "12 o'clock side" of an analog timepiece from the center of rotation of hands or fingers. "3 o'clock side" indicates a side of an analog timepiece on which a scale mark corresponding to the 3 o'clock on the dial is disposed. "3 o'clock direction" indicates a direction directed from the center of rotation of fingers or hands of an analog timepiece toward the "3 o'clock side". Furthermore, "6 o'clock side" indicates a side of an analog timepiece on which a scale mark corresponding to the 6 o'clock on the dial is disposed. "6 o'clock direction" indicates a direction directed from the center of rotation of fingers or hands of an analog timepiece toward the "6 o'clock side". In addition, "9 o'clock side" indicates a side of an analog timepiece on which a scale mark corresponding to the 9 o'clock on the dial is disposed. "9 o'clock direction" indicates a direction directed from the center of rotation of fingers or hands of an analog timepiece toward the "9 o'clock side". Additionally, sides on which other scale marks on the dial such as "2 o'clock direction" and "2 o'clock side" are disposed may be indicated.
(2) Prior Art Timepieces with Calendar Mechanism
The structure of the prior art timepiece equipped with a calendar mechanism including a first date indicator for displaying the ones digit of the date and a second date indicator for displaying the tens digit of the date is described below.
(2-1) Calendar Mechanism-Equipped Timepiece of the Prior Art First Type
Referring to FIG. 25, a calendar mechanism-equipped timepiece of the prior art first type has two date indicators 822 and 824 which overlap each other at least partially. The first date indicator 822 provides a display of the ones digit of the date, while the second date indicator 824 provides a display of the tens digit of the date. A drive mechanism includes a 24-hour wheel 820 rotated once every 24 hours by rotation of an hour wheel 816, an operating lever 844 operated by rotation of the 24-hour wheel 820, other gears for control and the like. A program wheel 850 is rotated by operation of the operating lever 844. A first date indicator driving wheel 852 rotates the first date indicator 822. A second date indicator driving wheel 854 rotates the second date indicator 824. Rotation of the first date indicator 822 is corrected or regulated by a first date indicator jumper 862. Rotation of the second date indicator 824 is corrected or regulated by a second date indicator jumper 864 (for example, see EP 1,070,996 A1).
(2-2) Calendar Mechanism-Equipped Timepiece of the Prior Art Second Type
Referring to FIG. 26, a calendar mechanism-equipped timepiece of the prior art second type has an ones disc 932 for displaying the "ones" digit of the date and a tens disc 931 for displaying the "tens" digit of the date. An ones pinion 933 is fixedly mounted to the ones disc 932. An ones jumper 936 maintains the angular position of the ones pinion 933. A tens pinion 934 is fixedly mounted to the tens disc 931. A tens jumper 940 maintains the angular position of the tens pinion 934. The ones pinion 933 is in mesh with the upper half of the tooth row of a date gear 908. The hooks of a drive device 906 are in mesh with the tooth row of the date gear 908, thus advancing the teeth of the date gear 908 one pitch each day. The tens pinion 934 is driven one pitch at a time by an intermediate movable part 937. The intermediate movable part 937 is driven one pitch at a time by the date gear 908 via an idle gear 938 (for example, see JP-A-2000-147148).
In the timepiece equipped with the prior art calendar mechanism of the first type, the drive mechanism for driving the first date indicator 822 and the second date indicator 824 includes the 24-hour wheel 820, the operating lever 844, other controlling gears, and so on. Therefore, the drive mechanism is complex in structure. There is the problem that the drive mechanism occupies a large area. Furthermore, in the timepiece equipped with the prior art calendar mechanism of the second type, the tens pinion 934 is driven by the date gear 908 via the intermediate movable part 937 and idle gear 938 and, therefore, the drive mechanism for driving the tens disc 931 is complex in structure. There is the problem that the drive mechanism occupies a large area. Furthermore, timepieces with the prior art calendar mechanism have problems that the drive mechanism is complex and that wide latitude is not offered in designing the calendar correction mechanism.

Timepiece equipped with calendar mechanism including first and second date indicators


A hydraulic unit for a braking system of a vehicle includes a body with actuator-side and brake-side ports. Inlet and outlet valves are positioned in the body and operable to selectively supply and relieve hydraulic fluid to/from the wheel cylinder of a brake via the brake-side port. A damper is positioned in the body for damping pressure pulsations in the hydraulic fluid. The damper is selectively operable in a first state having a first damping characteristic, and in a second state having a second damping characteristic different from the first damping characteristic.

The present invention relates to braking system hydraulic units for vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to hydraulic unit dampers.
Conventional braking system hydraulic units typically include one or more dampers for damping pressure pulsations in the hydraulic fluid. Damping the pressure pulsations by reducing the pulsation's amplitude or modifying its frequency dissipates energy that may otherwise lead to noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) issues. These dampers often include a large damping chamber that provides a constant damping characteristic to reduce noise and vibration in the hydraulic system.


An aromatic solvent together with methods for its preparation are described. A composition includes a paraffin fraction in an amount of from approximately 9 LV % to approximately 15 LV %; a naphthene fraction in an amount of from approximately 35 LV % to approximately 55 LV %; and an alkylbenzene fraction in an amount of from approximately 8 LV % to approximately 16 LV %. The solvent provides advantages in that the high solvency that is typical of an aromatic solvent is combined with a narrow distillation range, a high flash point and higher boiling range that is typical of an aliphatic solvent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of organic solvents. More particularly, the present invention relates to aromatic solvents having aliphatic solvent properties. Specifically, a preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to a naphthenic solvent with high solvency having the aliphatic solvent properties of high boiling range, narrow distillation range, and high flash point. The present invention thus relates to aromatic solvents of the type that can be termed aliphatic-like.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Historically, it was known in the prior art to prepare both aromatic and aliphatic organic solvents from petroleum feedstocks. Aromatic solvents are nonsaturated cyclic compounds and have an odor. Compositions that contain more than approximately 50% aromatic compounds usually have a strong odor. Conventional aromatic solvents typically have a narrow boiling range, a low flash point and high solvency.
In contrast to aromatic solvents, aliphatic solvents are acyclic, (i.e., open-chain carbon compounds) and have some odor. Compositions that contain predominantly aliphatic compounds usually have a mild odor. Conventional aliphatic solvents typically have a wide boiling range, a high flash point and limited solvency.
A previously recognized problem has been that the desirable aromatic solvent characteristic of high solvency and narrow boiling range, on the one hand, and the desirable aliphatic solvent characteristics of higher boiling ranges and high flash point, on the other hand, are mutually exclusive. Heretofore, no composition having all these characteristics has been known. Such a solvent could act as a powerful solute vehicle across a relatively wide range of temperatures and without decomposing, except at high temperatures. What is needed therefore is a composition that combines the high solvency and narrow distillation range that is typical of aromatic solvents with the higher boiling ranges and high flash point that are typical of aliphatic solvents.
As is known to those skilled in the art, various petroleum refining by-products for which no high value added use is currently known are simply mixed with fuel oil and burned to obtain some economic value from them. However, merely burning these petroleum refining by-products is a relatively inefficient use of petroleum fractions that have undergone capital and energy intensive processing. Thus, another previously recognized problem has been that burning petroleum refining by-products as fuel is not an efficient use of these fractions. Needless to say, it is desirable to provide a refining process having higher over-all efficiency.

Aromatic solvents having aliphatic properties and methods of preparation thereof


The thickness of a DI island structure is reduced and the performance of bipolar and JFET structures enhanced by shaping the bottom of the DI island during anisotropic etching to define isolated islands, so that the resulting structure contains one or more projections whose separation from the topside diffusion predefines operational characteristics of the device. If the projection is directly beneath the bottom of a gate diffusion, pinch-off voltage of a JFET device is reduced without substantially affecting channel resistance. When the projection is positioned so that its inclined surface extends alongside the curvilinear PN junction formed between the gate diffusion and the island, channel thickness and sensitivity of channel thickness to viriations in island thickness are reduced. To enhance BVCEO in DI structures, the inverted V-shaped projection extends alongside, but is spaced-apart from, a deep base diffusion, so that the base-collector PN junction is spaced-apart from the projection, such that that portion of the island layer between the base-collector PN junction and the projection becomes completely depleted of carriers prior to the magnitude of the electric field required for collector-emitter breakdown being reached in the course of an increase in collector-to-emitter voltage. The resistance of an island resistance device can be increased by forming one or more projections across the bottom of the island layer, which effectively increases the resistance at those portions of the island layer between the vertex of each projection and the top surface of the island layer.

Due to their complementary functionality, bipolar transistors and junction field effect transistors (JFETs) are often formed as part of the same integrated circuit. When the support architecture employs dielectrically isolated islands for device separation, it is common practice to form a JFET in the manner diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1, by using an island layer 11, which is dielectrically isolated from a surrounding substrate 13 by means of an insulator layer (e.g. oxide) 12, as a channel region 16, and a diffusion region 17 as a topside junction gate. High impurity concentration regions 18 and 20 form respective source and drain contacts for the island. The bottom 21 of channel region 16 is bounded by isolation oxide 12, with substrate 13 therebeneath acting as a bottom gate. If complete saturation of the drain characteristic or pinch-off is desired, substrate 13 must be biased at a voltage such that the topside junction gate region 17 is able to control the entire channel charge. Unfortunately, the structure of FIG. 1 suffers from several problems.
More particularly, in order to keep the pinch-off voltage V.sub.p low, it is necessary that the space or separation x.sub.d between the bottom of junction gate 17 and the bottom boundary 21 of the channel island 11 be kept small. Using a one-sided step junction model to define the pinch-off voltage, then EQU V.sub.P =x.sub.d.sup.2 qN.sub.c /2k . . . (1)
where:
N.sub.c =channel doping concentration PA1 q=channel charge, and PA1 k=dielectric constant of the semiconductor of the island.
Normally, the thickness required to achieve the desired pinch-off voltage is less than that required beneath a diffusion region of other operational purposes. Two conventional mechanisms for dealing with this problem involve the use of a special deep diffused region for the gate and the formation of special thinner islands by means of masked backside etching during the dielectric isolation fabrication process. However, each of these techniques requires an additional masking operation as well as other extra process steps, thus increasing manufacturing complexity and cost.
A second problem with the structure of FIG. 1 is the fact that channel thickness x.sub.d will vary as island thickness varies as a result of dielectric isolation fabrication process tolerances. This variation in channel thickness, in turn, leads to a large variation in pinch-off voltage, which is undesirable for most JFET circuit applications.
A third problem with the configuration of FIG. 1, which becomes especially severe when a high breakdown voltage is required, relates to control of the channel at the ends of the gate region adjacent to the dielectric sidewall boundaries of the island. As at the bottom of the channel, at the ends of the gate region there is an associated pinch-off voltage similarly defined by equation (1) above. To keep this pinch-off voltage n higher than the pinch-off voltage at the bottom of the channel, the sidewall spacing at the ends of the gate must be smaller than the bottom separation x.sub.d. Control of this spacing differential is made difficult due to the variation in location of the island edge and the fact that there must be at least one mask alignment tolerance between the gate and the island edge.
One conventional solution to this problem is to use a gate that has a closed configuration with either the drain or the source contact contained within it, which necessitates running the conductor to the enclosed region over the gate junction. As a consequence, at a high voltage the conductor acts as a field plate, thereby reducing the breakdown voltage of the junction which it crosses.

Semiconductor structure within DI islands having bottom projection for controlling device characteristics


A clamp structure for a cord that improves workability during clamping a cord with using a strip band. The clamp structure includes a polarity board 1, and a connector portion 2 projectingly provided on a side surface of the polarity board 1. A corner 3 is formed by the polarity board 1 and the connector portion 2. A cord 4 is provided for transmitting a signal from a rotary switch portion 5a, and a cover 8 is provided for covering a circuit board 7 and the polarity board 1. A strip band 9 formed of resin in a strip form is provided having a lock portion 9a at one end. An engaging portion 10 is formed integral with a side surface of the connector portion 2, which is engaged with the inserted strip band 9. The cover 8 has a guide portion 11 triangular in section provided at a location adjacent to the engaging portion 10 so that the tip end of the strip band 9 inserted through the engaging portion 10 is guided along the guide surface 11 to an outside of the polarity board 1.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a clamp structure for a cord that is drawn from a switch, such as a lever switch or the like, in a combination switch for an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional clamp structure is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Examined Publication No. Hei 2-44437. In this known structure, the cord extending from a lever end and the cord extending from a polarity board are held by a metallic cord clamper screwed on the polarity board so that, when connecting a connector at a tip end of the cord to another device, the cord even if pulled will not be drawn out of a portion soldered to a switch contact.
In the above conventional structure, there is no problem if there is a space to provide a cord clamper on the polarity board. However, when it is attached to a narrow location, for example in a periphery of a steering column like a combination switch for an automotive vehicle, it becomes impossible to install a cord clamper due to the relations to other parts. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5, the cord 4 has to be held at a narrow corner 3. In such a case, fixing is done by using a strip band 9 on a side surface of a case 1. However, there has been a problem that, when passing the strip band 9 to an engaging portion 14, the tip end of the strip band is placed into abutment against an opposed wall with respect to an inserting direction, and it cannot be drawn to an outside, thereby substantially worsening the workability.


An electrical connector comprises an insulating housing having a mating body and a plurality of passageways defined in the mating body; a plurality of conductive contacts received in the plurality of passageways; and detection means received in the mating body for detecting engagement of an external mating connector. The detection means comprises a main plate for inserting into a slot of a housing for an electrical connector and a pair of contact leg extending rearward from edges of the main plate for engaging conductive contacts of a mating connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connector having detection means and detection means for such an electrical connector.
2. The Prior Art
With the prevailing of the computer network systems, more and more attentions are cast onto the reliability of network systems and a series of electrical connection testings will be performed before normal use of the network systems. In conventional network systems, electrical connection testings are performed after all the mechanical connections of the systems are carried out. Since a network system may involve many peripherals, once a malfunction is found after the mechanical connections are completed, the system builder has to sequentially inspect each of the mechanical connections between the network system and the peripherals to locate the error causing the malfunction. This trouble-shooting process is very tedious and time-consuming. Hence, there is a need for an electrical connector having detection means for real-timely detecting the electrical connection between a network system and a peripheral to overcome the above-mentioned problem.

Electrical connector having detection means


A device of novel design employed as a support and guide during the installation of horizontally-disposed building siding, said device comprising principally a shelf-like component and a means incorporating a camming action for clamping the shelf-like component onto an installed length of siding. When two or more of the devices are clamped vertically at spaced intervals onto the uppermost length of installed siding, the shelf-like components provide a horizontal base on which the siding to be installed at the next higher level can be supported during installation, thereby enabling an installer to work alone. The shelf-like components further function to correctly position the siding to be installed relative to the siding already in place without the need for constant measuring and leveling. The device operates in a quick, easy and trouble-free manner, and it assures efficient, accurate and uniform siding installation.

The present invention relates to a device of novel design for use in the installation of horizontally-disposed siding to the exterior surface of structures, two or more of the devices functioning to support and precisely position a length of siding during installation. Without the aid of such tools, the procedure for the installation of horizontally-disposed siding requires much careful measuring, leveling, marking and monitoring to assure that the individual lengths of siding are properly and uniformly positioned relative to the rest. Not only is said procedure time and labor inefficient, but it also provides abundant opportunities for human error. What the present invention provides is a quick, easy and virtually foolproof approach to the installation of horizontally-disposed siding.

Support/guide device for use in the installation of horizontally-disposed siding


A converged IP messaging client transmits a session establishment request for interactive message communication. When a converged IP messaging server receives the request, it determines whether a target client of the interactive message communication uses a converged IP messaging service. If not, the converged IP messaging server transmits the session establishment request to an IWF. If it is determined that the target client is an SM client, the IWF generates an interactive message communication request by transforming a format of the session establishment request into an SMS format and transmits the interactive message communication request to the SM client. If the IWF receives an acceptance response from the SM client in response to the interactive message communication request within an effective response time, a session for the interactive message communication can be established between the converged IP messaging client and the SM client.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a messaging service, and in particular, to a method and system for establishing a session for message communication between a converged Internet Protocol (IP) messaging service client and a short messaging service client.
2. Description of the Related Art
Messaging services are for providing communication between a user and a user terminal using a memory device having an accumulated transmission electronic mail box and message processing function as a type of interactive service, and includes such services as Instant Messaging (IM), Short Messaging Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) and a Push to Talk Over Cellular (PoC) service.
The IM service indicates a service of converging chatting and file transmitting/receiving functions using a specific program in an Internet environment. Recently, the development of mobile communication services allows personal mobile communication terminals, such as a cellular phone, to provide the IM service for real-time communication, which is provided by a Personal Computer (PC) via the Internet. In the PoC service, a half-duplex communication method is applied to a mobile communication service. The IM service and the PoC service are Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based messaging services, wherein message communication is performed by transmitting and receiving a message after establishing a session between a sending client terminal and a receiving client terminal.
For example, a process of establishing a session between two IM clients performing message communication according to the IM service will now be described. A client attempting to start message communication, i.e. an IM client A attempting to open a session, transmits an SIP INVITE message to an IM client B. The IM client B, which has received the SIP INVITE message, transmits a 200 OK message to the IM client A in response. The IM client A, which has received the 200 OK message, transmits an ACKnowledgement (ACK) message to the IM client B in response.
The SMS allows subscribers to send and receive short messages and to perform message communication without establishing a separate session. A SM client stores text input by a user in a user data portion of an SMS-SUBMIT message and transmits the SMS-SUBMIT message to an SM server. The SM server converts the SMS-SUBMIT message to an SMS-DELIVER message and transmits the SMS-DELIVER message to an SM client corresponding to a reception address. The SM client, which has received the SMS-DELIVER message, notifies of a message reception state by transmitting an SMS-DELIVERY-REPORT message to the SM server in response. Even if the SMS-SUBMIT message is converted to the SMS-DELIVER message, the text input by the user is not changed.
As described above, the messaging services use different protocols according to service types. Thus, the messaging services cannot be compatible with each other, and accordingly, a user must begin message communication only after determining whether a type of the message communication is accepted by a target client terminal. Moreover, if messaging service types supported by respective client terminals are different, it is difficult to perform message communication. For example, the IM service in which message communication begins after establishing a session cannot be compatible with the SMS in which message communication begins without establishing a session, and therefore, an IM transmitted from an IM client cannot be received by an SM client.
Thus, a new converged messaging service for converging the messaging services, such as IM, SMS, MMS and PoC services, is needed. Since a user of the converged messaging service must be able to communicate with users of the converged messaging service and users of the existing messaging services without limitation, interworking with the services such as IM, SMS, MMS and PoC must be performed. Furthermore, interworking between a messaging service in which communication is performed by establishing a session and a messaging service in which communication is performed without establishing a session must be performed.

Method and system for establishing session for message communication between converged IP messaging service client and short messaging service client


Device (1) for determining process data for a cosmetic treatment process for treating hair on the head of a person, with a microprocessor (3), at least one storage (4) containing at least one application program (5), a data input device (6), a data evaluation device (7), at least one process data output device (8), and a display device (9), wherein the device (1) is provided as a battery-operated hand-held device (2), the storage or storages (4) being contained in at least one optionally exchangeable module (10, 10.1); the application program (5) contains at least one data table (11) and application texts (12) which communicate with the data input device (6), the data evaluation device (7), the process data output device (8) and the display device (9), a dialog menu management being provided via the display device (9) as a data input device (6) through use of a menu program (13), and in that data is entered through use of a cursor function.

The invention is directed to a device for determining process data for a cosmetic process for treating hair on the head of a person.
The object of the invention is to provide a device for determining process data for a cosmetic process for treating hair on the head of a person which is particularly simple to handle, operate and apply.
This object is met according to the features of claim 1. Further advantageous developments of the invention are contained in the subclaims.

Device for determining method data of a method for cosmetically treating hair on a person""s head


A method of zero configuration for a virtual distributed device in a distributed network is disclosed. A plurality of peer devices are added as virtual devices to a network device. Configuration information is imported to the network device. A peer group comprising the plurality of peer devices, and corresponding topology of the peer group, are established in the network device. A connection between the network device and one of the plurality of peer devices is established via an uplink switch, the plurality of peer devices being connected to one another by virtual links. The network device distributes the configuration information to the plurality of peer devices in accordance with the established topology via the peer device connected to the uplink switch.

The present disclosure relates to communication technology. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a method and a network device for realising zero configuration of a virtual distributed device.
CWMP (Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) WAN Management Protocol) is a technical specification initiated and developed by the DSL (Digital Subscriber's Line) forum, with a serial number of TR069, therefore also referred to as the TR069 protocol. It provides a general purpose framework, information specification, management method and data module for implementing the management and configuration of home network devices in the next generation network.
CWMP is mainly used in the DSL access network environment. In a DSL access network, due to the large number of client devices, their deployment being distributed, and often deployed on the user side, management and maintenance of these devices are often challenging. CWMP proposes remote centralised control of CPEs through an ACS (Auto-Configuration Server), in order to overcome management difficulties of CPEs, save maintenance cost and improve problem-solving efficiency.
Zero configuration is often used when deploying large-scale devices or when the distribution of the devices to be deployed is dispersed, which allows the automatic deployment of the corresponding configuration information by a network administrator upon power-on of the devices. Therefore deployment efficiency can be improve, and deployment costs and the probability of error in manual configuration can be reduced.
However, applying zero configuration deployment in software virtualisation technology to a virtual distributed device is different from the zero configuration deployment of a common single device. It involves the complexity of virtual uplink networking as well as methods for detecting deployment results, which create many problems for the zero configuration deployment of virtual distributed devices.
One such software virtualisation technology is VSS (Virtual Switching Systems). Another example is IRF (Intelligent Resilient Framework). The core concept of IRF is to connect multiple peer network devices via IRF physical ports, perform the necessary configurations, and virtualise the multiple peer devices into a single "distributed device". Through the use of such virtualisation technology, it is possible to integrate hardware resources and software processing capability of multiple devices, thus realising collaborative operation, unified management and uninterrupted maintenance of multiple peer devices.

Zero configuration of a virtual distributed device


A leadscrew assembly includes a leadscrew having a leadscrew thread wire helically wound about a leadscrew axis in a plurality of cylindrical leadscrew-thread turns and having a leadscrew-thread pitch. A leadscrew wire nut assembly includes a nut-assembly wire helically wound about the leadscrew axis in a plurality of cylindrical nut-assembly turns and having a nut-assembly-thread pitch. The nut-assembly-thread pitch is substantially the same as the leadscrew-thread pitch, the nut-assembly turns overlie and mesh with the leadscrew-thread turns, and the nut-assembly wire has a permanent deformation therein. A wire-nut-assembly housing overlies and is bonded to at least some of the nut-assembly turns.

Electric motors commonly produce a rotational output, but many mechanisms require that a linear movement be driven by the motor. A leadscrew assembly is one approach for translating the rotational movement of the motor to the required linear movement. In the conventional leadscrew assembly, the thread of an externally threaded leadscrew engages a recirculating ball nut structure, which in turn is engaged to the structure to be driven linearly. As the leadscrew turns, the ball nut structure and the driven structure move linearly.
This conventional leadscrew assembly is relatively expensive to produce due to the precision machining required. It is also limited to relatively large-size devices and coarse thread pitches because of the size of the balls used in the recirculating ball nut structure. The conventional leadscrew assembly may be subject to excessive wear of the threads, particularly if there is any misalignment in the assembly. The conventional leadscrew assembly also requires careful alignment between the motor, the leadscrew, and the driven structure because of the mechanical engagements at each end of the leadscrew.
An advance in overcoming some of these disadvantages is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,549, whose disclosure is incorporated by reference. The '549 patent discloses a leadscrew in which the thread structure is defined by a wire wound helically around a cylindrical shaft. A leadscrew-nut assembly is also disclosed for engaging the leadscrew to the linear slide assembly.
The approach of the '549 patent is operable for many applications but is not optimal for other applications such as those requiring medium-duty operation where there is a concern with possible misalignment. There is a need for realizing the advantages of the basic approach disclosed in the '549 patent, but in a form more suitable to these other applications, and which reduces the concern with alignment of the elements. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.

Wire-wound leadscrew assembly with a preloaded leadscrew wire nut, and its fabrication


A power sequencing method may use a state machine in a programmable sequencer to program relative timing of signals to activate different power rails attached to an integrated circuit. Input lines may specify the sequencing program. Alternatively, the programmable sequencer may use an EEPROM or other computer-readable medium to program itself with a particular image of the sequencing program. The programmable sequencer may be implemented by a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to provision of power to a line card.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hardware-based line cards used in networking applications often include a variety of different Integrated Circuits (ICs), each of which receive power from one or more power lines known as power rails. As line cards increase in complexity, the number of ICs on each card is also increasing. To further complicate matters, each IC often has different power and control sequencing requirements. For example, each IC may be required to ramp up in a particular pattern with respect to other rails. Latch-up failures or excessive current draw could occur if sequencing goes awry.
Another significant design factor is the fact that these ICs often have sequencing requirements on certain control signals. For example, a first power rail might need to be stable before the second power rail. As another example, a first power rail and all clocks might need to be stable before a second power rail is activated. As another example, a reset signal may need to be asserted for a fixed amount of time after a certain power rail is stable.
Hardware engineers must often manually implement discrete circuits to meet the sequencing requirements. This is not only a time-consuming process, but results in significant inefficiencies, as the hardware engineer must redesign a new circuit whenever the components of the line card change. As a result of these inefficiencies, the current process for addressing power requirements of line cards is very expensive.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method that enable efficient implementation of power rail sequencing. There is a further need for an inexpensive, programmable sequencer that dynamically responds to various power rail environments.

Intelligent embedded power rail and control signal sequencer


An item of seating furniture having a seat and a backrest which are supported in an articulated manner on a frame, and having an operating mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the seat and the backrest. The backrest has a catch member and, when the backrest is inclined from a front position into an inclined rear position, the catch member comes into operative contact with the seat as of a specific angle of inclination of the backrest in such a manner that further inclination of the backrest brings about a simultaneous adjustment of the seat. The backrest is adjustable independently of the seat from the front position up to the specific angle of inclination at which the catch member comes into operative contact with the seat.

Items of seating furniture, especially armchairs, that permit motor-aided adjustment of the backrest and the seat are known from practice. By means of a control system, the user can adjust the item of seating furniture continuously between a relatively upright position and a reclined position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,454 discloses an office chair with tiltable seat and back. A lever, swingably mounted to the chair, responds to the specific weight of the user to carry the chair's back forwardly to comfortably support the back of the user without any required adjustment. The seat and the back move simultaneously but in different directions, because the lower arm of the lever pushes the seat upwardly as the chair back is tilted rearwardly.
The operating mechanism usually has an electrical motor which brings about the adjustment of the seat and the backrest by way of a linkage. The user finds it more pleasant when the angle between the seat and the backrest in the reclined position is larger than in the sitting position. In order to bring about this sequence of movement with a single drive motor, relatively complex linkages are provided between the motor, the seat and the backrest in the items of seating furniture known from practice. Those linkages are relatively complex both in terms of manufacture and in terms of assembly. In addition, they require a relatively large amount of installation space, so that such items of seating furniture often appear relatively bulky and unattractive. Although a correspondingly thinner upholstery material could be used, that would lead to an undesirable loss of comfort.


A solvent mixture of 8 to 30 weight percent of n-propyl acetate 1-methoxy-2-propanol or cyclohexane, 50 to 55 weight percent of acetone and the balance methanol is employed in a coating composition for applying a polymeric antistatic layer.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,189 relates to antistatic compositions comprising a highly cross-linked vinylbenzyl quaternary ammonium polymer and a hydrophobic binder. This patent suggests that since the solvent for applying the coating must both disperse the antistatic polymer and dissolve the binder, mixtures of solvents may be desirable. The preferred solvent combination disclosed is acetone/methanol and methanol/propylene chloride/2-methoxyethanol. Subsequently, it has been found that a mixture of acetone, methanol, and methyl chloroform gave particularly good results with regard to coating latitude and to the elimination of an imperfection known as "bloom" which appears as a haze under specular lighting.
Because of environmental reasons, solvents utilizing halogenated hydrocarbons in any degree are suspect. Therefore, in order to avoid any question of environmental degradation, it is desired to replace the methyl chloroform used in the solvent mixture without an accompanying degradation to the photographic films. This is not a simple task because the methyl chloroform in conjunction with the mixture of solvents indicated above gives particularly good results for a variety of reasons as expressed. Thus, one cannot simply remove the methyl chloroform from the solvent formulation or substitute any known solvent in its place and expect to achieve substantially the same results.

Coating compositions for antistatic layers for photographic elements


The repair method includes removing eroded or damaged trailing edge portions of partitions in the diaphragm of a turbine, over 50% of the length of the partitions being removed commencing at the trailing edge. A coupon which is a precise replication of a portion of an originally specified partition is welded to the remaining or extant partition portion by a seal weld along the radial length of the coupon on the suction side of the repaired partition and two full penetration welds at the ends of the coupon to secure it to the inner and outer rings or side walls of the diaphragm. The repaired partition is thus substantially identically contoured as the original partition.

Partitions used in the diaphragms of turbines, particularly steam turbines, erode over time due to extended use. The erosion occurs principally along trailing edge portions of the partitions and causes loss of performance. It has been the practice in the industry to repair the partitions rather than to effect their replacement or to replace the entire diaphragm. A prior method of repairing steam turbine diaphragms included grinding back the eroded partition, i.e., grinding away trailing edge portions of the partitions, then applying weld material over a copper chill and hand-contouring the weld material by grinding with die grinders. Particularly, the eroded or damaged partition was cut back or ground along the trailing edge until a good parent material became available. The cutback of the original material was typically on the order of 15-25% of the length of the partition from the trailing edge, e.g., as measured along the chord of the partition from its trailing edge to its leading edge. It will be appreciated that the cutbacks or material ground from each partition varied from partition to partition. A thin piece of copper was used as a chill and placed under the area to be welded. Weld material, for example, stainless steel, was then applied to the existing partition. Following the welding, the partitions were ground by hand using burrs and power files to contour each partition by hand back to an approximation of the contours of the original partition. Contouring the pressure side of each partition was a particular problem because of the small entrance opening between adjacent partitions limiting access to the pressure side. Consequently, a small burr grinder was typically used to grind the high spots on the pressure side. However, the pressure side could not be ground precisely to the contour of the original partition but only to a rough approximation thereof, while the suction side could be ground more accurately to the contour of the original partition. Moreover, because the grinding and contouring was performed manually, variations from partition to partition existed even after the repair was complete. It will also be appreciated that this method was time consuming, highly labor intensive because the welds were manually applied and contoured by hand grinding, and oftentimes did not elevate the performance of the diaphragm to its original designed performance.
Subsequently, a method of installing a "similar to" trailing edge section of the partition was adopted. In this method, the partitions were ground back similarly as previously discussed and oftentimes slightly further along the chord, i.e., about 30%. "Coupons" were provided which were similar to the removed trailing edge portions. That is, the coupons were provided in a number of different styles or sizes and frequently did not fit a particular partition perfectly. Problems were encountered with the fit of the coupon to the parent partition because the coupon was not an exact contour of the parent partition and the coupon was often angularly misaligned relative to the parent partition. The coupon required a full penetration weld along its radial length and, following the welding, the partition was hand contoured and stress relieved. Again, however, the hand contouring did not exactly replicate the contour of the original partition.
Later, a further method using an exactly contoured partial partition, i.e., coupon, was installed. Here, the coupon was a precise replication of the trailing edge portion of the original partition up to about 20-30% of the length of the partition, e.g., along its chord. Fit up problems, however, remained similarly as with prior coupons. A full penetration weld was believed necessary to secure the exactly contoured coupon to the remaining portion of the original partition. Because of this, distortion of the trailing edge coupon was encountered and which was a result of the high heat input required by the full penetration weld performed along the radial joint between the coupon and original partition portion. That is, the exactly contoured trailing edge coupon absorbed sufficient heat during application of the full penetration weld along its forward radius such that it would twist and distort during setting necessitating subsequent further grinding and, in large part, defeating the purpose of a trailing edge coupon contoured precisely according to a portion of the original partition.

Method for repairing partitions of a turbine diaphragm


A reconfigurable context-based operation instruction set processor for use in a processing system capable of executing a first instruction set. The reconfigurable context-based operation instruction set processor comprises: 1) a reconfigurable data path comprising a plurality of reconfigurable functional blocks; and 2) a programmable finite state machine capable of controlling the reconfigurable data path. The programmable finite state machine is capable of executing a first plurality of context-related instructions that are a first subset of the first instruction set.

Data processors are used in nearly every type of modern electronic device, including consumer electronics, industrial machinery, scientific apparatuses and communication networks. However, the performance and degree of complexity of the data processors (or microprocessors) used in different applications may vary widely. The speed and power requirements of a particular application are important in determining the type of data processor used.
The type of data processor used is particularly important in software-defined radio (SDR) implementations. An SDR device uses reconfigurable hardware that may be programmed over the air to operate under different wireless protocols. For example, an SDR transceiver in a wireless laptop computer may be configured by a first software load to operate in an IEEE-802.11x wireless network and may be reconfigured by a second software load to operate in a CDMA2000 wireless network.
There are six main types of data processors in common use: 1) digital signal processors, 2) reduced instruction set computers, 3) complex instruction set computers, 4) field programmable gate arrays, 5) application specific integrated circuits, and 6) application specific instruction set processors. Each of these types of data processors has particular advantages and particular disadvantages.
A digital signal processor (DSP) is a general-purpose processor optimized to efficiently execute digital signal processing operations, such as a Multiply-Accumulate operation for finite impulse response (FIR) filtering and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) operations. A DSP implements many sophisticated addressing modes to cover many of the DSP calculation requirements, such as bit reverse addressing mode for FFT, index addressing for FIFO devices, and the like. Examples of DSPs include: 1) the MOTOROLA 56000, 56300, SC81xx, and MRC6011 processors; 2) the TEXAS INSTRUMENTS (TI) C55, C6203, C6416, and C67xx processors; 3) the ADI SHARC and TIGERSHARC processors; and 4) the MORPHO MS1-64 Reconfigurable DSP.
A reduced instruction set computer (RISC) is a general purpose processor (GPP) that mainly targets control applications, such as media access control (MAC) applications. The main advantage of the RISC machine is its simplicity. As its name, a RISC processor has small instruction set, which provides more code density as well as faster change-of-flow reaction. Examples of RISC devices include: 1) ARM processors (e.g., ARM926, ARM1136J); 2) MIPS processors (e.g., MIPS32, MIPS64); 3) the IBM POWERPC 405 and 750FX processor; and 4) the MOTOROLA POWERPC 603 processor.
A complex instruction set computer (CISC) device is a general purpose processor (GPP) targeted to the general purpose applications ranging from multimedia applications to PC applications. Examples of CISC processors include: 1) the INTEL PENTIUM processor; and 2) the MOTOROLA 68000 processor.
The field programmable gate array (FPGA) is a reconfigurable hardware device based on an array of hardware cells connected through long busses and local busses. FPGA devices are quite commonly used in wireless network base station applications and prototypes. Examples of FPGA devices include: 1) the XILINX VIRTEX IV device; and 2) the ALTERNA STRATIX II device.
An application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is a hardware device specially designed for a specific application. An ASIC is usually very power efficient. ASIC devices are used in many wireless devices (i.e., cell phones, etc.). An application specific instruction set processor (ASIP) is an enhanced version of an ASIC device that adds more programmability to the ASIC hardware.
Each of the above-described processors has certain advantages and suffers from particular disadvantages. Digital signal processors are the most flexible type of processor, from a software point of view, in order to meet software-defined radio (SDR) requirements. However, DSP devices do not have enough MIPS performance and bit manipulation architecture to meet 3G and 4G bit-rate processing requirements. RISC processors target control applications, but are inadequate beyond baseband applications for wireless network implementations. CISC processors may have the flexibility and the MIPS performance to process baseband applications, but their poor power efficiency makes them unsuitable for handset power restrictions. FPGA devices, like CISC processors, may meet the required MIPS performance, but their poor power efficiency makes them unsuitable for handset designs.
ASIC devices are well matched to the power and cost restrictions of handset designs. However, their flexibility is too limited to make them suitable for SDR implementations. ASIP devices achieve greater flexibility than ASIC devices by adding more programmability to the application specific hardware and by introducing instruction-set processors to the hardware. However, since ASIPs are general-purpose devices, their processor core efficiency depends on the application being processed. The more control code in the application, the less efficient the ASIP will be. This results in poor performance and higher power consumption.
Additional disadvantages of the prior art processors are scalability and modularity. The software-defined radio (SDR) approach was created in order to minimize cost (design time, TTM) and power consumption and to maximize flexibility. The prior art processor implementations fail to provide an optimized combination of scalability and modularity.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved data processor design for use in a wide variety of applications. In particular, there is a need for an improved data processor design for use in software-defined radio (SDR) wireless devices.

Context-based operation reconfigurable instruction set processor and method of operation


An absorber for a microwave module and method of fabrication thereof wherein an ink is provided from a mixture of powdered iron and a resin. The ink is then screen printed or mask printed onto the interior surface of the lid of the microwave module in a predetermined pattern to lower the Q of the cavities within the module. The lowered Q suppresses the electromagnetic resonance and thereby minimizes the EMI problems. Furthermore, the absorber material reduces EMI between sections of the module at frequencies where no cavity resonances occur.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to microwave modules and, more specifically, to a method and material for use in conjunction with the lids of microwave modules to lower the Q of the cavities within the module to suppress electromagnetic resonance therein and reduce electromagnetic crosstalk between sections of the module, even for frequencies where there is an absence of resonance.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In microwave circuitry, it is known that there can be electromagnetic resonance within the cavities of the microwave module containing the circuitry therein. This resonance causes undesirable EMI problems. It is also known that these EMI problems can be minimized by lowering the Q of the cavities within the module. The lowered Q suppresses the electromagnetic resonance and thereby minimizes the EMI problems. Even for frequencies where there is an absence of resonance, EMI crosstalk between different areas of the module can be reduced by the presence of microwave absorbing material.
In the prior art, EMI within the module has been reduced by producing a sheet of absorber material, such as, for example elastomer filled with iron powder, cutting out a pattern from the sheet of absorber material to fit around the components within the module, this pattern generally being very complex in shape, and then bonding the absorber to the module lid with an adhesive. The positioning of the absorber material on the lid has to be precise and of sufficient accuracy so that the pattern is positioned to fit around walls and components within the module without interference with components and module case features. This prior art procedure has provided the desirable result of EMI reduction, but only at great relative expense due to the precision shaping and positioning required of the sheet of absorber material.

Screen printed of mask printed microwave absorbing material on module lids to suppress EMI


An apparatus for detecting a leak in a gas cooled generator is provided. The apparatus includes a subsystem for introducing a non-corrosive second gas having an infrared absorption spectrum into the generator. The apparatus also includes an imaging component adapted to detect radiation at the infrared absorption spectrum of the non-corrosive second gas. The imaging component is provided with a filter that filters wavelengths in a range encompassing the infrared absorption spectrum of the non-corrosive second gas. The imaging component displays an image of the tracer gas leaking from the generator on the imaging component.

Large turbine generators are typically cooled with a light density gas. Hydrogen (H2) has been widely used as a coolant due to its desirable thermophysical properties including low windage friction, high heat dissipation capability and high resistance to corona discharge when compared to other cooling gas options. Additionally, H2 has the advantage of being readily accessible and inexpensive.
Leakage of H2 may prevent the turbine generator from operating efficiently, and in some cases may create power generation outages. Among possible areas of H2 leakage around a turbine generator, are leaky spots at the wave stator casing including high voltage bushings and joints. Leaks may also occur around the interfaces of the cooler, welds, bolt heads and endshield. The bearing enclosure in the outer end shields, the rotor terminal packing, as well as drill holes made for instrumentation plug-ins may also be susceptible to leaks. Other air-tight transitions and welding joints may be sources of leaks, as well as the seal oil drain system, gas piping, and hydrogen cabinet. If the generator is a water cooled generator the stator liquid cooled windings also may be a source of leaks.
H2 leaks are difficult to detect because H2 is colorless and odorless, and because of its low density it dissipates quickly when it leaks into the atmosphere. The technical challenges in monitoring and detecting a potential H2 leak lie in identifying the exact location of H2 leaking in a turbine generator, especially in inaccessible and space limited areas.
Conventional turbine generator leak detection methods require the purging of the turbine generator with air and thereafter bringing it up to normal operating pressure. Then a long check list of areas to be examined and algorithm of step-by-step elimination are used. Each cycle of the testing requires monitoring for at least 24 hours. Standard formulae for volume, temperature and pressure are used to calculate loss of air over each period, and then a conversion is made to determine the equivalent H2 loss. If the leakage is higher than recommended a variety of methods of leak detection have been used.
For example, a bubble test may be performed using soapy water or a similar detergent solution applied over all the accessible areas of possible leaks. If the leakage is inward in the stator liquid cooled windings, a flammable gas detector may even be used at the vent. The leak rate is determined by a "bag" test method. The process is time consuming because each time a leak is located in those accessible areas and repaired, another air test is required to confirm that the H2 system is at an acceptable leakage rate. Each test cycle adds 24 hours to the outage.
Another approach is to use a halogen leak detector designed for detecting leaks in a pressurized system where halogen compound gases (such as Freon 12) are used as a tracer gas to check for leaks. The exterior of the system is then scanned with a sniffer probe sensitive to traces of the halogen-bearing gas. The principle is based on the increased positive ions (K or Na) emission because of sudden halide composition presence.
Yet another approach is to use a flammable gas detector designed to display a reading based on a percentage of the lower explosive limit of a hydrogen-air mixture (4% hydrogen in 100% air—therefore a 100% scale reading indicates a 4% or greater concentration of hydrogen in air).
Yet another approach is to use an ultrasonic leak detector that utilizes the ultrasonic energy generated by molecular collisions as gas escapes from or enters a small orifice. Pressurized gas proceeds from the leak locale and are detected with a sensitive microphone (typically about 40 000 Hz).
Multiple gas detectors have also been used. This type of leak detector is sensitive to a wide range of different gases in air. It detects inert gases (such as helium), flammable gases (hydrogen), corrosive gases (ammonia, chlorine), halogens (Freon) and also carbon dioxide.
Another approach has been to add odorants indicate the general area of the leak, after which the leak may be traced to its source by one of the foregoing methods.
All conventional methods of leak detection require the detector to be in close proximity to the source of the leak and take considerable time to implement. Most of the conventional methods use close or near contact "sniffer" technology and probes. These methods are painstakingly time consuming and in some cases miss the gas leaks. If the inaccessible H2 sealing system or constrained space is the source of a possible leak, considerable effort to disassemble the turbine generator may be needed, commonly resulting in delaying the schedule several more days. Values approaching $1 MM loss of operating revenue per day have been reported by power producers when a turbine generator is off-line.
Long wave gas detection cameras (detector response of 10-11 μm) have been used in the electrical distribution industry to detect leakage of Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) from high voltage switchgear and transformers. It has also been proposed to use SF6 as a tracer gas in finding H2 leaks in power plant generators in combination with backscatter/absorption technology. The backscatter/absorption leak detection process uses an active scanning laser to provide a directed energy source to irradiate a target area. The laser beam is reflected back to the source camera tuned to a specific frequency band. SF6 has high affinity to absorb this frequency of energy and appear as a dark cloud on the camera monitor. The camera monitor provides a direct indication of how serious the leaks are by the size and darkness of the tracer gas cloud.
The major issues associated with the use of SF6 as a tracer gas relate to environmental, health, and safety concerns and the potential deterioration of turbine generator insulation systems and retaining rings. SF6 is a potent greenhouse gas with a 'global warming potential' (GWP) of 23,900 and an atmospheric lifetime of 3,200 years. The release of 1 kg of SF6 into the atmosphere has the same impact as a release of 23,900 kg of CO2. Release of SF6 to the environment after detection, or the remaining residue at ppm (parts per million) level is of environmental, health, and safety concern. Additionally, in the presence of potential corona activities and thermal stress during turbine generator operations, SF6 can decompose into harmful byproducts. These byproducts include HF, SF4, SO2, and SO2F2 which are toxic gases. In the presence of moisture, the primary and secondary decomposition products of SF6 form corrosive electrolytes which may cause damage and operational failure to an H2 cooled turbine generator. For example, SF6 and its degradation byproduct have known corrosion effects on generator field retaining ring material whose main composition is 18Cr-18C stainless steel.
Existing methods do not provide a remote, sensitive, accurate, safe, fast and non-corrosive detection capability adaptable to being integrated with an on-line control system.

Detecting coolant leaks in turbine generators