Compositions for the treatment and prevention of migraine or stress headaches wherein there is supplied a combination of potassium, magnesium and pyridoxine optionally in association with other nutrients and/or simple analgesics.

At the onset of the stress reaction the pituitary gland (triggered by the hypothalamus) initiates protective action by secreting the adrenocorticotropic hormone ACTH.
This hormone is transported in the blood to the adrenal glands, which immediately respond to deal with this stress emergency signal, by producing cortisol and aldosterone.
Under non-stress conditions the adrenal glands utilise certain vitamins and minerals in order to function. In order to respond to stress they need an increased supply of vitamins and minerals. These additional supplies are rapidly used up in the stress response reaction. Therefore the adrenal glands ability to resist stress is dependent upon the supply of these "activator" nutrients. If stress is prolonged, or chronic, ultimately the adrenal glands will exhaust themselves through the lack of readily available activator nutrients. Some nutrients are particularly susceptible to depletion.
Vitamin B.sub.6 (pyridoxine) is needed by the adrenals and in protein synthesis and in manufacture of vitamin B.sub.3. If used in quantity to manufacture B.sub.3 to counteract stress, less is available to the adrenals or for protein synthesis. Additional supplies of vitamin B.sub.6 are "stolen" from any available sources to answer stress demands. As another part of the stress response mechanism, intracellular potassium, lost from the body in the urine in response to aldosterone, is replaced by potassium held in store within the muscle tissues and bones. There is an overall potassium depletion. Cortisol, produced with aldosterone during the stress reaction, requires a range of nutrients to exert its effects, but particularly vitamin B.sub.6 and potassium. Histamine may be produced as a consequence of the stress response. Histamine production can be one of the features of a migraine attack.
As a result of sustained stress, the blood sugar level rises markedly to meet the immediate need but then may drop significantly as a condition of adrenal exhaustion is precipitated. At this point cortisol ceases to rapidly stimulate conversion of protein into sugar and cannot keep pace with the stress induced sugar demands. This may result in hypoglycaemia which also may be a feature of migraine attacks.
As a further stress response, aldosterone is also secreted by the adrenal glands in abnormally large amounts. This immediately triggers the kidneys to retain salt and water while losing potassium.
Consequences of this process may be an elevation of the blood pressure and the expulsion of intracellular potassium. This loss of potassium from cells may cause many adverse consequences since all tissues of the body, especially muscles and nerves, require a normal cellular potassium balance. The sodium retention and potassium loss may cause elevation of blood pressure and acidosis which also can be features of a migraine attack. The potassium loss may be particularly important.
The body relies upon vitamins and minerals for the efficient functioning of the nervous system. Many act in a synergistic mode and cannot function fully without the help of other contributory elements. A lack of one affects all.
A number of vitamins and minerals play multiple roles in the stress response and act in concert to deal with stress. For example, vitamin B.sub.5 and vitamin C which may be used to help counteract stress, are also prime activators of the adrenal glands. Vitamin B.sub.6 is vital for the nervous system, and essential to the adrenal glands. The B vitamins are synergistic and all may need to be given in order to be fully functional. Vitamin C requires bioflavonoids for optimum efficiency.
Furthermore, in order to exert many of its functions, vitamin B.sub.6 requires the presence of the mineral magnesium. Magnesium is also essential to normal adrenal gland function. Magnesium can be an anti-stress nutrient, capable of reducing aldosterone production, thereby preventing the kidneys from retaining salt and water and continuing to drive out potassium.
Migraine is a reaction to stress which occurs in some people and which can be triggered in all stages of the stress response cycle. Many of the biochemical conditions which are induced by stress may cause certain symptoms which are considered to be intrinsic to a migraine attack. The stress and migraine responses appear to progress in a similar way.
Migraine attacks may be the results of stresses upon the body. The stress can be emotional, hormonal, an allergic reaction (including food allergy), poisoning from toxic substances such as tobacco and alcohol, paint fumes and chemical gases (e.g. combustion engine exhaust emissions, gas and coal burning boiler fumes), a response to irregular meals or exercise, or a response to changes in the weather. Temperature sensitivity can also trigger migraine. In some cases, the stress is physical, resulting from physical abnormalities in the body's muscular or skeletal structure, often caused by accident or injury or excessive use.
In a migraine attack, most but not all sufferers first experience early warning symptoms which signal the commencement of a full blown migraine attack. All the senses are affected, but all sufferers do not experience all forms of sensory deviation. This phase is thought to occur as the blood supply to the brain is restricted. There is sometimes a reduction in urine flow.
Vision
A very common phenomenon is the visual corona which registers upon the retina, often taking the form of a sparkling coloured zigzag "halo" which distorts the vision. Another visual signal can be patches of distortion within the field of vision (somewhat akin to looking through a rain spattered pane of glass). Some people develop acute sensitivity to light, or other less common visual symptoms.
Taste
Some sufferers experience a "sweet taste" upon their palate when no sugar is present, or some other taste distortion.
Hearing
Some sufferers experience tinnitus (ringing of the ears) or a certain loss of sound definition. Sometimes there is acute sensitivity to sound.
Touch
Some experience"tingling" sensations often in the face and extremities, some lose feeling altogether (parasthesia--temporary paralysis).
Other Symptoms
Dizziness, loss of balance, nausea, vomiting, sugar craving, stomach pain, sudden fatigue or sudden irritability with no apparent cause, are also premonition symptoms.
Whatever form of early warning occurs, there follows a second stage of the attach. It may follow on immediately or after a hiatus period when no symptoms of any kind are experienced until the second stage commences. This "rest period" usually lasts from 10 minutes up to an hour but can last up to 24 hours.
Once the attack enters the second stage, all of the early warning symptoms can develop further, almost always accompanied by extreme head pain. Some people have to lie in a darkened room, excluding all light and any movement to quell pain and vomiting.
This second stage can have a duration of a few hours or several days.
While the sensory disorientation experienced by migraine sufferers appears to be a direct effect of impaired blood supply to the relevant receptors within the brain, other migraine symptoms correlate with the stages of stress response. I therefore conclude that the migraine cycle and the stress response are closely related.
One medical response to migraine is to attempt to eliminate the cause of migraine (if this is known). This is most easily ascertained if the cause is a definite food allergy such as cheese, wine or chocolate but this approach is not often successful.
If elimination proves unsuccessful then the only medical alternative is pain control or drug therapy to try to block the occurrence of migraine by drugs which act on neurotransmitters associated with stress such as serotonin and catecholamines or by analgesics. The pain of migraine is very difficult to eradicate. The strongest drugs commonly prescribed for migraine have to be given at near toxic levels to be at all efficacious. Most drugs, administered in "safe" doses are unable to completely relieve head pain. Even with the best of modern therapy many patients obtain only partial relief from their attacks.
The Invention
The invention is set out in the claims herein but simply stated the inventor has devised a method of treating migraine which involves the supply of three key ingredients, potassium, magnesium and pyridoxine. These three ingredients are effective alone but optionally may be combined with other nutrients and/or simple analgesics. Whether or not the theory on which the formulation is based is correct, the inventor has found this approach to be effective in treating migraine.
the present invention thus in one aspect provides a composition for use in combating by preventing or treating the effects of migraine, said composition comprising potassium, Vitamin B.sub.6 and magnesium, as essential ingredients. Optionally these three essentials may be combined with other nutrients and/or simple analgesics.
The term "composition" is used herein to include separate formulations which are intended for co-administration, either sequentially or simultaneously. It is generally more convenient however for the composition to be in a single admixture formulation.
In one embodiment, the composition comprises the active ingredients in amounts as follows, provided in the form of any appropriate salt or other derivative as well known to those skilled in the art:
______________________________________ Potassium 10 mg to 5000 mg, preferably 100 mg to 1000 mg and very preferably 300 mg to 600 mg. Vitamin B.sub.6 0.1 to 200 mg, preferably 1 mg to 100 mg and very preferably from 4 mg or 5 mg up to 30 mg. and Magnesium 1.0 to 1000 mg, preferably 10 mg to 500 mg, very preferably 20 mg to 300 mg. ______________________________________
The composition may provide the three primary active ingredients alone or may provide these three together with other minerals and vitamins important in the stress response including calcium, phosphorus, iron, iodine and the water soluble vitamins vitamin B.sub.1, vitamin B.sub.2, vitamin B.sub.3, vitamin B.sub.5, vitamin B.sub.12, folic acid, biotin, bioflavonoids and vitamin C. Optionally said composition may further comprise therapeutically effective amounts of copper, manganese and/or zinc. Tryptophan, which is a precursor of serotonin, which may be depleted in a migraine attack may also be included, preferably without other amino acids.
The formulation preferably does not contain any fats or fat soluble vitamins and it omits carbohydrates other than excipients and sweeteners; it is certainly not in any sense nutritionally complete and is thus not intended as a supplement for nutritional purposes.
Simple analgesics which may be included in the formulation includes aspirin (10-2000 mg), paracetamol (acetaminophen) (10-2000 mg), ibuprofen (10-2000 mg) or any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
The compositions according to the invention may be administered in any convenient form known to those skilled in the art. These forms include capsules of various types, powders, effervescent formulations, tablets, solutions, suspensions, emulsions and also aerosol sprays. The compositions may be administered orally, enterally, parenterally or transdermally using appropriate technology known to those skilled in the art.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides the use of a vitamin and mineral combination, or the use of any one or two of the components of the combination when for co-administration with the other(s) whether sequentially or simultaneously, in the manufacture of a medicament to combat migraine, said combination comprising therapeutically effective amounts of potassium, vitamin B.sub.6 and magnesium. Further ingredients may be optionally included as described above, for example the composition may include an analgesic.
In a yet further aspect, the present invention provides a method of combating migraine, in a person subject to the same, said method comprising administering to said person a composition as described above, the components being given sequentially or simultaneously.
The active ingredients of the composition may be present in combination with any pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and may be in any assimilable form as well known to those skilled in the art for any particular ingredient. One possible carrier is water and in a preferred embodiment the composition is in the form of a tablet which effervesces when placed into water to produce aqueous solution which is then swallowed by the patient. Emulsions and flavoured solutions or suspensions are also possible formulations.
This formula has been tested in volunteer migraine sufferers. When the formula is taken as soon as any premonition symptoms are experienced, many sufferers do not develop the full scale migraine attack they are expecting.
These studies also have demonstrated that the formula, even when it contains no analgesics whatsoever, has a beneficial effect, even if taken after the stage of migraine pain is reached. In some cases, it removed all symptoms, with the exception of a "mild" headache, or greatly reduced the expected severity. For others it completely cleared all symptoms.
The study to date has demonstrated that 70% of the volunteers experienced full relief from debilitating migraine symptoms. A further 20% experienced partial relief, i.e. a reduction of all symptoms except for a mild headache, and for 10% the remedy appeared to have no effect. A number of the volunteers in the 20% partial success category appear to suffer from migraine in the form in which it has few if any premonition symptoms. As a result they were unable to determine when an attach was imminent and could not take the remedy at the optimum time, i.e. before head pain commenced. for those who experience this type of attack, called "common migraine", it is considered that the addition of a simple analgesic would be particularly beneficial.

Compositions for the treatment of migraine, containing potassium, magnesium and pyridoxine


A phase change ink carrier composition comprising at least one anhydride/amino alcohol based adduct which is a reaction product of at least one anhydride and at least one amino alcohol, wherein the reaction product is an ester material or an amide material, but not an ester-amide material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to selected phase change ink carrier compositions and phase change ink compositions containing those carrier compositions. In particular, the present claimed invention relates to phase change ink compositions containing a phase change ink carrier composition and at least one compatible colorant, wherein the phase change ink carrier composition contains selected anhydride/amino alcohol-based adducts.
2. Brief Description of Art
Phase change inks in digital printing applications (also sometimes called solid inks or hot melt inks) have in the past decade gained significant consumer acceptance as an alternative to more traditional printing systems such as offset printing, flexographic printing, gravure printing, or letter press printing. Phase change inks are especially desirable for the peripheral printing devices associated with computer technology, as well as being suitable for use in other printing technologies such as gravure printing applications as referenced in U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,879 and German Patent Publications DE 4205636AL and DE 4205713AL assigned to Siegwerk Farbenfabrik Keller, Dr. Rung and Co.
In general, phase change inks are in the solid phase at ambient temperature, but exist in the liquid phase at the elevated operating temperature of an ink jet printing device. At the jet operating temperature, droplets of liquid ink are ejected from the printing device and, when the ink droplets contact the surface of the printing media or an intermediate transfer surface, they quickly solidify to form a predetermined pattern of solidified ink drops.
They are easy to use and safe. They can be easily loaded into the printer by the user, generally in the form of solid sticks of yellow, magenta, cyan and black ink having a consistency similar to children""s crayons. Inside the printer, these inks are melted at an elevated temperature in a print head having a number of orifices, through which the melted ink will be ejected onto the desired media substrate such as paper or an overhead transparency film. Alternatively, the melted ink may be transferred to a rotating drum and then transferred to the substrate. As the ink cools on the substrate, it re-solidifies to form the predetermined image. This resolidification process, or phase change, is instantaneous and a printed, dry image is thus made upon leaving the printer, and is available immediately to the user.
These phase change inks contain no solvents or diluents that can lead to undesired emissions. In all, the use and specific design of the phase change ink addresses many of the limitations of more traditional ink and printing processes.
Furthermore, because the ink is in a cool, solid form at any time when the user can actually come in contact with the ink, and the ink is in a molten state only inside the printer (inaccessible to the user), it is generally safe to use. These inks also have long-term stability for shipping and storage.
The phase change inks generally comprise a phase change ink carrier composition, which is combined with at least one compatible phase change ink colorant. The carrier composition has been generally composed of resins, fatty acid amides and resin derived materials. Also, plasticizers, waxes, antioxidants and the like have been added to the carrier composition. Generally the resins used must be water-insoluble and the carrier composition may contain no ingredients that are volatile at the jetting temperatures employed. Also, these carrier ingredients should be chemically stable so as not to lose their chemical identity over time and/or under elevated temperature conditions.
Preferably, a colored phase change ink will be formed by combining the above described ink carrier composition with compatible colorant materials, preferably subtractive primary colorants. The subtractive primary colored phase change inks comprise four dye components, namely, cyan, magenta, yellow and black. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,889,560 and 5,372,852 teach the preferred subtractive primary colorants employed and typically comprise dyes from the classes of Color Index (C.I.) Solvent Dyes, C.I. Disperse Dyes, modified C.I. Acid and Direct Dyes, as well as a limited number of C.I. Basic Dyes. Also suitable as colorants are appropriate polymeric dyes, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,022 available from Milliken and Company as Milliken Ink Yellow 869, Milliken Ink Blue 92, Milliken Ink Red 357, Milliken Ink Yellow 1800, Milliken Ink Black 8915-67, uncut Reactint Orange X-38, uncut Reactint Blue X-17, and uncut Reactint Violet X-80, or those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,135. Colored resin reaction products, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,780,528 which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, are also suitable colorants.
The specific choice of ingredients, as well as their relative amounts, is of critical importance in achieving the desired application performance properties of the phase change inks. Specific physical and chemical properties sought in these inks include viscosity, surface tension, flexibility, durability, and thermal stability, as well as the ability to deliver color.
In particular, two desired properties of phase change inks are (1) durability of printed images and (2) jettability of the ink to produce images on a substrate.
The following U.S. Patents teach specific phase change ink compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,560 teaches a phase change ink carrier composition that comprises a fatty amide-containing material which is a mixture of a tetra-amide compound and a mono-amide compound and wherein the phase change ink composition containing this carrier composition has a high degree of lightness and chroma and thin films of uniform thickness of such inks are rectilinearly light transmissive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,761 teaches a method for producing a light-transmissive phase change ink printed substrate wherein a predetermined pattern of a light-transmissive phase change ink which initially transmits light in a non-rectilinear path is printed on at least one surface of a substrate; the pattern of solidified phase change ink is then reoriented to form an ink layer of substantially uniform thickness which, in turn, produces an image that will transmit light in a substantially rectilinear path.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,852 teaches that the selective phase change ink composition that contains a phase change carrier composition comprises a fatty amide-containing material (either a tetra-amide compound or mono-amide or mixtures thereof). This patent further teaches the preferred tetra-amide compounds are made by reacting a fatty acid, a diamine (ethylene diamine) and a dimer acid. The preferred fatty acid is stearic acid and the preferred dimer acid is a hydrogenated oleic acid dimer product known as EMPOL 1008 Dimer Acid, manufactured by the Emery Division of Henkel Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio. The preferred mono-amides are taught to be secondary mono-amides such as behenyl behenamide and stearyl stearamide, products made under the KEMAMIDE trademark by Witco Chemical Company.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,750,604; 5,780,528; 5,782,966; 5,783,658; 5,827,918; and 5,830,942, all assigned to the assignee of the present patent application, disclose a number of urethane, urea and mixed urethane/urea resins appropriate for use in phase change ink compositions.
While the phase change ink compositions described by the above-noted U.S. Patents have met with great commercial success, there is always a need to improve those inks for more demanding processing conditions and different applications. Besides their performance on the printed substrates, inks and individual ink components that go into the inks also must be measured by their cost and ease of manufacturing as well as how they work in a particular printer. The ideal phase change ink for a plain paper printer is one that encompasses the best qualities from all printing technologies, such as bright, vivid color with the ability to print on plain paper or overhead transparencies and produce durable images.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,312 describes a hot melt ink composition with an imide or bisimide and U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,128 describes another hot melt ink composition that is the reaction product of a mono-anhydride and a di-, tri- or tetramine or mixtures thereof.
Finally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,176,745 and 5,310,887 teach the reaction of colorants with alkenyl succinic anhydride for use in aqueous inks.
There still remains the need for alternative hot melt or solid ink formulations that permit the tailoring of components to produce the desired range of physical and chemical properties in the resulting inks and carrier compositions for use in specific printing applications. This need is addressed in the present invention by forming reaction products with the desired range of physical and chemical properties from the reaction of amino alcohols with anhydrides.
The present invention is based on the discovery of a class of components useful in phase change carrier compositions and phase change inks that can be easily tailored to provide a wide range of physical and chemical properties in such carrier and ink compositions and thus make such carrier and ink compositions particularly suitable for specific printing applications. Additionally, the components of the present invention could be used by themselves as the sole components of phase change ink carrier compositions or could be employed in conjunction with conventional phase change ink carrier components (e.g., amides, waxes, resinous components, tackifiers, toughening agents, hardeners, adhesion promoters and the like).
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is directed to a phase change ink carrier composition comprising at least one anhydride/amino alcohol-based adduct.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed to phase change inks that contain a phase change ink carrier composition and at least one compatible colorant wherein said ink carrier composition comprises at least one anhydride/alcohol-based adduct.
Preferably, the anhydride/amino alcohol-based adduct components used in the carrier compositions and ink compositions of the present invention are the reaction products of anhydrides with amino alcohols or amino alcohols mixed with other nucleophiles.
It is a feature of the present invention that the reaction products may contain combinations of ester, amide or imide functionalities.
It is another feature of the present invention that the reaction products are formed from the reaction of at least one anhydride and at least one amino alcohol.
It is yet another feature of the present invention that one or more of the traditional phase change ink carrier composition components can be replaced by anhydride/amino alcohol-based reaction products.
It is still another feature of the present invention that the reaction products can include carboxylic acid/ester, carboxylic acid/ester/amide, di- or multi-ester, mixed ester/amide, mixed ester/amide/imide and mixed carboxylic acid/amide/imide/ester products.
It is an advantage of the present invention that these anhydride/amino alcohol inclusive reaction products can be tailored to achieve desired properties in a resultant phase change ink and are compatible with other conventional phase change ink carrier components and conventional phase change ink colorant materials.
These and other aspects, features, and advantages are provided in the present invention by the material resulting from the reaction between at least one anhydride and at least one amino alcohol, as well as the phase change ink carrier composition that includes such material.
The term xe2x80x9cnucleophilexe2x80x9d in the present specification and claims is used as defined on page 179 of xe2x80x9cAdvanced Organic Chemistryxe2x80x9d, 3rd Edition by Jerry March, (copyright) 1985 by John Wiley and Sons, to describe a reagent that brings an electron pair to a reaction to form a new bond. The preferred nucleophiles of this invention possess the amino functionality of the amino alcohols, but it is understood that other nucleophilic functional groups that are capable of reacting with the anhydride moiety could also be used with these amino alcohols.
The expression anhydride/amino alcohol inclusive reaction products as used in the present specification and claims refers to any reaction product of at least one anhydride and at least one amino alcohol. This expression also includes reaction products of at least one anhydride with mixtures of amino alcohols or by sequential reactions with amino alcohol.
This expression further includes subsequent reaction products of such anhydride/amino alcohol inclusive reaction products with other materials, such as nucleophiles or nucleophiles containing colorants. These other nucleophiles typically can include alcohols, amino alcohols, or colorants containing alcohol or amine functionalities.
The expression anhydride-based ester adducts as used in the present specification and claims refers to any reaction product of at least one anhydride with at least one alcohol functional group of the amino alcohol wherein the reaction product contains at least one ester moiety.
The expression anhydride-based diester adducts refers to any reaction products of at least one anhydride with sufficient alcohol functionality provided by the amino alcohol wherein the reaction product contains at least two ester moieties.
The expressions xe2x80x9canhydride-based amide adductsxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9canhydride-based imide adductsxe2x80x9d refer to any reaction products of at least one anhydride with the amine functional groups in the amino alcohol reactant wherein the reaction product contains one or more amide or imide moieties.
Preferred anhydrides to react with amino alcohol to make the anhydride/amino alcohols inclusive reaction products Of the present invention include monoanhydrides and di-anhydrides and synthetic equivalents thereof, such as a diacid, a diacid halide, or a diester. Suitable aromatic anhydrides include phenylmaleic anhydride; 2,3-diphenylmaleic anhydride; 2-phenylglutaric anhydride; homophthalic anhydride; isatoic anhydride; n-methylisatoic anhydride; 5-chloroisatoic anhydride; phthalic anhydride; 3,3xe2x80x2, 4,4xe2x80x2-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride; 4-methylphthalic anhydride; 4,4xe2x80x2-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)-diphthalic anhydride; 3,6-difluorophthalic anhydride; 3,6-dichlorophthalic anhydride; 4,5-dichlorophthalic anhydride; tetrafluorophthalic anhydride; tetrachlorophthalic anhydride; tetrabromophthalic anhydride; 3-hydroxyphthalic anhydride; 1,2,4-benzenetricarboxylic anhydride; 3-nitrophthalic anhydride; 4-nitrophthalic anhydride; 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic dianhydride; diphenic anhydride; 1,8-naphthalic anhydride; 4-chloro-1,8-naphthalic anhydride; 4-bromo-1,8-naphthalic anhydride; 4-amino-1,8-naphthalic anhydride; 3-nitro-1,8-naphthalic anhydride; 4-nitro-1,8-naphthalic anhydride; 4-amino-3,6xe2x80x2disulfo-1,6-disulfo-1,8-napthalic anhydride, dipotassium salt; 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride; and 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhdydride. Suitable non-aromatic anhydrides include cis-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride; cis-5-norbornene-endo-2,3dicarboxylic anhydride; endo-bicylco[2,2,2]oct-5-ene-2,3dicarboxylic anhydride; cantharidin; methyl-5-norbomene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride; exo-3, 6,epoxy-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride; S-acetylmercaptosuccinic anhydride, (+)-diacetyl-L-tartaric anhydride; bicyclo[2,2,2]octo-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic dianhydride; maleic anhydride; citraconic anhydride; 2,3-dimethylmaleic anhydride; 1-cyclopentene-1,2-dicarboxylic anhydride; 3,4,5,6-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride; bromomaleic anhydride; dichloromaleic anhydride; 1,4,6,7,7-hexachloro-5-norbomene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride; cis-aconitic anhydride; glutaric anhydride; 3-methylglutaric anhydride; 2,2-dimethylglutaric anhydride; 3,3-dimethylglutaric anhydride; 3-ethyl-3-methylglutaric anhydride; 3,3-tetramethyleneglutaric anhydride; hexafluoroglutaric anhydride; 3,5,-diacetyltetrahydropyran-2,4,6-trione; ethylenediaminetetraacetic dianhydride; diethylenetriaminepentaacetic dianhydride; diglycolic anhydride;succinic anhydride; methylsuccinic anhydride; 2,2-dimethylsuccinic anhydride; isobutenylsuccinic anhydride; (+/xe2x88x92)-2-octen-1-ylsuccinic anhydride; octadecenylsuccinic anhydride; 3-oxabicyclo[3,1,0]hexane-2,4-dione; cis-1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic anhydride; trans-1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic anhydride; hexahydro-4-methylphthalic anhydride; itaconic anhydride; and 2-dodecen-1-ylsuccinic anhydride.
Suitable polymers containing anhydride functionalities and synthetic equivalents to anhydride functionalities that can be reacted with amino alcohol and be used in the present invention include poly(methyl vinyl ether-maleic acid); poly(acrylic acid-co-maleic acid); poly(vinyl chloride-co-vinyl-acetateco-maleic acid); poly(ethylene-maleic anhydride); poly(maleic anhydride-1-octadecene); poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride); poly(methyl vinyl ether-maleic anhydride); poly(ethylene-co-ethyl acrylate-co-maleic anhydride); poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)-graft-maleic anhydride; polyethylene-graft-maleic anhydride; and polypropylene-graft-maleic anhydride.
These anhydride/amino alcohol-based adducts are most preferably made from cyclic anhydrides. Suitable cylic anhydrides include trimellitic anhydride and maleic anhydride. Alkenylsuccinic anhydrides (ASAs) are the preferred class of monoanhydrides. Benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride is the preferred dianhydride. Other possible cyclic anhydrides include alkylsuccinic anhydride, succinic anhydride, and phthalic anhydride.
The amino alcohol precursors include any compound that contains at least alcohol functional group and at least one amine functional group. The preferred classes of amino alcohols are monoalkanol amines and dialkanol amines and can include trialkanol amines and combinations thereof However, the selection of a particular amino alcohol will yield differentiated products wherein the reaction can produce esters, amides, imides, bisamides, bisimides, organic salts and cross-linked materials. This range of product functionality can be used to tailor different physical properties as needed by selection of stoichiometry and reaction conditions. Examples of amino alcohols include ethanolamine; 3-amino-1,2-propanediol; serinol; 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol; tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane; 1-amino-1-deoxy-D-sorbitol; diethanol amine; diisopropanolamine; N-methyl-N,N-diethanol anmine; triethanol amine; and N,N,Nxe2x80x2,Nxe2x80x2-tetrakis (2-hydroxypropyl) ethylenediamine and combinations thereof.
The anhydride/amino alcohol inclusive reaction products may be made by any conventional reaction conditions that will produce the desired proportions of the different reaction products available from the starting amino alcohols. After this reaction, the desired anhydride/amino alcohol inclusive reaction product may be recovered from the reaction mixture by any conventional reaction product recovery procedure. The preferred reaction method is to run the reaction solventless at an elevated temperature with reduced pressure to remove volatile reaction products such as water to obtain the final product in a pure, molten form.
Preferably, this invention comprises selective phase change ink compositions for use in a process by which such compositions are indirectly applied via an intermediate transfer surface to a final receiving surface or substrate. These preferred phase change ink compositions of the instant invention comprise a specific phase change ink colorant and a specific phase change ink carrier composition that contain at least one anhydride amino alcohol inclusive reaction product. The specific phase change ink carrier composition is formulated so that it produces a selective ink composition having predetermined fluidics and mechanical properties which meet the parameters required for the indirect application via an intermediate transfer surface of the ink composition to a final receiving substrate as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,958 issued Feb. 14, 1995.
The colorant employed either as a reactant or in the phase change ink compositions of the present invention may be any subtractive primary colorant compatible with the particular phase change ink carrier composition employed. The subtractive primary colored phase change inks of this invention generally comprise dyes providing primary component colors, namely, cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The dyes employed as subtractive primary colorants may be dyes from the following dye classes: Color Index (C.I.) dyes; solvent dyes; disperse dyes; modified acid and direct dyes; basic dyes. Besides these classes of dyes, the ink compositions of the present invention preferably also include selected polymeric dyes as one or more colorants.
Polymeric dye colorants are available from Milliken and Company. Examples include Milliken Ink Blue 92, Milliken Ink Red 357, Milliken Ink Yellow 1800, and Milliken Ink Black 8915-67, certain of which contain a class of chromophores containing polyoxyalkylene substitution and reactive hydroxyl functionality. Other yellow, cyan, magenta and black polymeric dyes are within the scope of this invention and may be utilized. These polymeric dyes may be used alone or in combination with conventional colorants disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,852 to make individual phase change inks of each primary color. In addition, phase change inks that contain polymeric dyes may be used in an ink jet printer with phase change inks that contain conventional powdered dyes.
Various modifying agents may preferably be added to a phase change ink carrier composition along with the anhydride amino alcohol inclusive reaction product.
These include fatty acid amide-containing materials such as tetra-amide compounds, hydroxyl-functional tetra-amide compounds, mono-amides and hydroxyl-functional mono-amides, and mixtures thereof. The preferred tetra-amides and mono-amides are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,560, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Other preferred modifying agents include certain tackifiers. The preferred tackifiers encompass those that are compatible with fatty amide-containing materials. These include, for example, KE-311 or KE-100 resins (glycerol esters of hydrogenatediabietic [rosin] acid made by Arakawa Chemical Industries, Ltd.), Foral 85 (a glycerol ester of hydrogenated abietic [rosin] acid, Foral 105 (a pentaerythritol ester of hydroabietic [rosin] acid), Cellolyn 21 (a hydroabietic [rosin] alcohol ester of phthalic acid), all manufactured and sold under the listed tradenames by Hercules Chemical Company, Nevtac 2300 and Nevtac 80 (synthetic polyterpene resins) manufactured and sold under the listed tradenames by Neville Chemical Company, and Wingtack 86 (a modified synthetic polyterpene resin) manufactured and sold under the listed tradename by Goodyear Chemical Company. The most preferred tackifier, however, is KE-311.
Certain plasticizers are another of the preferred modifying agents that can be added to the formulation. For instance, many of the phthalate ester plasticizers sold by Monsanto under the tradename xe2x80x9cSANTICIZERxe2x80x9d are suitable for this purpose. However, the preferred plasticizer is SANTICIZER 278, which is the mixed di-ester of phthalic acid with benzyl alcohol and 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol mono(2-methylpropanoate) sold under the tradename xe2x80x9cTEXANOLxe2x80x9d.
Other additives may be combined with the phase change ink carrier composition. In a typical phase change ink chemical composition antioxidants are added for preventing discoloration of the carrier composition. The preferred antioxidant materials can include IRGANOX 1010 manufactured and sold under the listed tradename by Ciba Geigy; and NAUGARD 76, NAUGARD 445, NAUGARD 512, and NAUGARD 524 manufactured and sold under the listed tradenames by Uniroyal Chemical Company. However, the most preferred antioxidant is NAUGARD 445.
Viscosity reducing agents may also be employed in the ink compositions of the present invention. Use of a viscosity reducing agent allows the viscosity of the ink composition to be adjusted to a desired value. Suitable viscosity reducing agents for use in ink compositions of the present invention include stearyl stearylamide, stearyl monoethanolamide stearate, and ethylene glycol distearate (EGDS). One preferred viscosity reducing agent is KEMAMIDE S-180 stearyl stearylamide made by Witco Chemical Co. The viscosity reducing agent may be present in an amount of from about 0 to about 50% by weight of the ink composition. The specific amount of viscosity reducing agent used in a given ink composition depends on the viscosity desired by the user.
While the modifying agents mentioned above may be used for the certain preferred embodiments of this invention, other materials with similar properties can be combined with or used to produce different phase change ink compositions with mechanical and fluidics properties similar to those outlined above. These other materials can include paraffins, microcrystalline waxes, polyethylene waxes, ester waxes, oligomers or low molecular weight polymers and copolymers such as ethylene/vinyl acetate (EVA), ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers, EVA/acrylic acid copolymers, ionomers, copolymers of acrylic acid with polyamides, and the like.
The phase change ink carrier composition may contain an anhydride/amino alcohol-based adduct, a tetra-amide and a mono-amide compound and at least one further modifying agent, such as a tackifier, a plasticizer, and an antioxidant. The phase change ink carrier composition can also include isocyanate-derived resins, such as urethane and/or mixed urethane/urea resins in combination with or in place of the aforementioned components. Preferred compositional ranges of a phase change ink carrier composition are as follows: from 10 to about 50 weight percent of an anhydride-based adduct, from about 1 to about 80 weight percent each of a tetra-amide compound and a mono-amide compound, from about 0 to about 40 weight percent of a tackifier, from about 0 to about 30 weight percent of a plasticizer and about 0 to about 2 percent of an antioxidant.
Thin films of uniform thickness of the phase change ink composition on the final receiving substrate when cooled to the ambient temperature must be ductile and retain sufficient flexibility so the image will not fracture upon bending, while possessing a high degree of lightness, chroma, transparency and thermal stability.
It has been determined that a phase change ink composition must have certain fluidic and mechanical properties in order to produce a printed substrate of high quality in an offset printing process employing an intermediate transfer surface. These desirable properties of the phase change ink compositions of this invention in the solid state are specified and measured by using several analytical techniques. One such technique is dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA). DMA is a technique capable of measuring the viscoelastic properties of a material and identifying the material""s elastic and viscous components.
The phase change ink compositions as finally applied to the substrate make a finished print exhibiting excellent color properties. Thin films of uniform thickness of the phase change ink composition are rectilinearly light transmissive and exhibit exemplary C*ab and L*values.
Another important property of phase change inks is viscosity. The viscosity of the molten ink must be matched to the requirements of the ink jet device and optimized versus other physical properties of the ink. It is preferred that the viscosity of the phase change ink carrier composition at 140xc2x0 C., and in turn the ink composition of this invention, is from about is 5 to about 30 centipoise, more preferably from about 10 to about 20 centipoise, and most preferably from about 11 to about 15 centipoise.
As previously indicated, the subject phase change ink formed from the phase change ink carrier composition exhibits excellent physical properties. For example, the subject phase change ink exhibits a high level of lightness, chroma, and rectilinear light transmissivity when utilized in a thin film of substantially uniform thickness, so that color images can be conveyed using overhead projection techniques. Furthermore, the preferred phase change ink compositions exhibit the preferred mechanical and fluidics properties mentioned above when measured by DMA, compressive yield testing and viscometry, and more importantly, work well when used in the indirect printing process described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,958 issued Feb. 14, 1995, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. This patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The ink utilized in the process and system of the instant invention is preferably initially in solid form and is then changed to a molten state by the application of heat energy to raise the temperature from about 85xc2x0 C. to about 150xc2x0 C. The molten ink is then applied in raster fashion from the ink jets in the printhead to the exposed surface of the liquid layer forming the intermediate transfer surface, where it is cooled to an intermediate temperature and solidifies to a malleable state in which it is transferred to the final receiving surface via a contact transfer by entering the nip between the pressure and fusing roller and the liquid layer forring the intermediate transfer surface on the support surface or drum. This intermediate temperature where the solidified ink is maintained in its malleable state is between about 30xc2x0 C. to about 80xc2x0 C.
Once the solid malleable ink image enters the nip, it is deformed to its final image conformation and adheres or is fixed to the final receiving substrate either by the pressure exerted against the ink image on the final receiving substrate by the pressure and fusing roller alone, or by the combination of the pressure and heat supplied by appropriate heating apparatus. Additional heating apparatus could optionally be employed to supply heat to facilitate the process at this point. The pressure must be sufficient to have the ink image adhere to the final receiving substrate and be sufficiently deformed to ensure that light is transmitted through the ink image rectilinearly or without significant deviation in its path from the inlet to the outlet, in those instances when the final receiving substrate is a transparency. Once adhered to the final receiving substrate, the ink image is cooled to ambient temperature of about 20xc2x0 C. to about 25xc2x0 C. The ink comprising the ink image must be ductile, or be able to yield or experience plastic deformation without fracture when kept above the glass transition temperature. Below the glass transition temperature the ink is brittle. The temperature of the ink image in the ductile state is between about xe2x88x9210xc2x0 C. and to about the melting point, or less than about 85xc2x0 C.
The following Examples are illustrative of the phase change ink formulations that may be employed both with and without a liquid intermediate transfer surface, without any intent to limit the invention to the specific materials, process or structure employed. All parts and percentages are by weight unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Phase change ink carrier compositions containing anhydride/amino alcohol-based adducts


A method of creating an electric signal that describes the motion of a down-hole, fluid-driven percussive tool is disclosed. The signal is obtained by attaching an electromagnetic transducer to the percussive tool, the member impacted by it, or the drill string. The rebound characteristics of the tool yield a measurement of the physical characteristics of the subterranean formation being penetrated. The tool""s position over time is useful for diagnosing and regulating the operation of the tool. The transducer can also be configured to generate a signal large enough to be used as a power source.

None
This invention relates to an apparatus for detecting the relevant properties of subterranean formations while drilling wells for oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy. More specifically, the invention relates to the measurement of the linear rebound position, velocity, and acceleration of a down-hole fluid-driven percussive piston which impacts a drill bit, thus penetrating the subterranean formations. Such pistons are referred to in the industry as xe2x80x9cdown-hole hammers,xe2x80x9d examples of which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,396,965, 5,488,998, and 5,497,839. U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,965 discusses in detail the principles involved in the operation of a down-hole hammer actuated by drilling mud. These patents are incorporated herein. Drilling mud is only one of a number of different fluids used to drive down-hole hammers; any gas or liquid such as air, water, brine, or a foam combination could drive the mechanism upon which this invention is based.
The materials to be penetrated by such a drill vary by the type, depth, and location of the well. Knowledge of the lithology being drilled assists the drilling crew in the selection of drilling parameters and indicates when a xe2x80x9cpay zonexe2x80x9d is near. Thus, it would be very useful to obtain information about the physical characteristics of the formations being drilled. Specifically, it is helpful to know the hardness of the formations, their approximate composition, and whether or not they are part of a subterranean fracture. This would allow the surface team to steer the bit towards places where the type of energy being sought can be efficiently acquired. In the drilling process, it is also advantageous to optimize the drilling rate to minimize labor and tool replacement costs. The optimum set of conditions such as frequency of hammer impact, force of impact, presence of pulsed jet action, and rotational speed of the drill bit, varies by the hardness, depth, and composition of the formations being drilled. For example, impact-resistant diamond cutters that have a long life in medium hardness rock will tend to decompose and wear away under the high temperatures generated by drilling through hard, abrasive formations. If real-time data on the characteristics of the subterranean formations being penetrated could be acquired, a control system could be implemented to adapt the drilling conditions to the type of rock encountered.
When two objects collide, the energy with which they rebound depends upon the elasticity and hardness of both. Thus, an analysis of the rebound characteristics (position, velocity, and acceleration over time) of the hammer will also reveal the hardness and general makeup of the formations in contact with the bit. The harsh environment in which the hammer operates makes conventional measurement methods impractical; potentiometers, interferometers, and other instruments that measure displacement will not function well in the presence of high-pressure abrasive fluids, vibrations, and impact forces. There is a need for some novel method of discovering the hammer""s position, velocity, and acceleration during the short period of time after it strikes the drill bit.
Additional utility would attend such a method if it could measure the position, velocity, or acceleration of the hammer at other points in its reciprocating motion as well. For example, simple knowledge of the impact velocity or frequency of the hammer may be used to help detect wear or malfunction of the hammer. As a second example, knowledge of the position of the hammer may enable the use of more flexible electromechanical valves to control hammer motion. In typical hammer mechanisms, such as those described in the patents above, the only variables that can be altered during drilling are the pressure or flow rate of fluid entering the drill string. This allows the drilling team to control only the frequency and force of impact, both of which must simultaneously increase or decrease. Optimization of the drilling process requires more control over the motion of the hammer, some of which can be attained through the use of computer-controlled valves. These would allow the drilling crew to dynamically modify the stroke of the hammer, thus, for example, increasing the hammer frequency while decreasing the force of imp act, etc. This type of control system would need data describing the hammer""s displacement over its full range of motion.
Several different types of transducers exist; they are based upon principles such as variable resistance, optical interference, acoustic rebound, piezoelectric excitation, and magnetic flux variance. The following are examples of some that could be configured to measure the motion of the piston.
One means of optical measurement is the interferometer. It functions by focusing a beam of coherent light through a beam splitter. One part of the beam bounces off of a stationary mirror while the other bounces off of a moveable mirror; when the two returning beams are simultaneously visible, differences in the observed wavelengths indicate the displacement of the moveable mirror. In hammer machines that run on transparent fluids such as air, this can be used to determine the location of the piston over time.
Acoustic rebound transducers utilize sonic or ultrasonic waves and measure the speed of a passing object by utilizing such phenomena as the xe2x80x9cDoppler effect.xe2x80x9d
Variable resistance transducers include potentiometers, which measure the displacement of an electrical contact along a coil of wire. The wire of the coils is of a known resistivity; when the contact closes the circuit with a known voltage source by touching one of the coils, the resulting output voltage is proportional to the length of wire the current must travel through. Thus, the voltage is a measure of the relative displacement of the contact and the coil.
Piezoelectric transducers function based on the unique tendency of some materials, such as single crystal quartz, to develop a charge when subjected to a mechanical strain. The charge generated is proportional to the force on the crystal; thus, the piezoelectric load cell can be used to measure force. This, in turn, yields a measurement of the acceleration when the load cell is attached to a moving object such as the piston; the weight of the cell will press on the crystal to produce a measurable charge in proportion to the magnitude of the acceleration. Since they measure changes in force, piezoelectric crystals can also readily be configured to measure pressure changes in fluids. Such a pressure transducer mounted in the fluid cavity above the piston or likewise on the drill string closer to the point of impact would yield data that generally describes the motion of the hammer, as derived from the cyclical fluid pressure variations.
There are also other types of transducers that operate based on measurement of changes in magnetic flux. Linear variable displacement transducers, or LVDT""s, have one coil wrapped around a magnetically permeable core. When the core moves between two other concentric coils, the ac voltage through the first coil will excite a voltage output in the other two in proportion to the core""s proximity to them. Thus, the LVDT measures the location, or displacement, of the core.
When the piston strikes the impact mass, there are two components to its motion: the transient response and the steady response. The transient response is the portion of the waveform induced as a direct result of the impact; its amplitude upon impact is significant but drops to zero before the end of the cycle. The steady response is the normal, near-sinusoidal waveform of the piston""s motion resulting from the fluid pressures that actuate it. The transient response yields information regarding the impact and consequently the physical makeup of the formations being impacted. The steady response describes the piston""s general motion and therefore provides data that can be used to deduce the piston""s frequency, stroke length, and impact force.
For the analysis of subterranean features as well as diagnostic testing of the hammer""s operation, the displacement, velocity, and acceleration of the piston are all useful quantities. If one is known, the other two can be determined from it by integration or differentiation. However, since the piston does not always strike the impact mass or reach the same point at the top of its stroke, there may be a need for a position datum if displacement is not the variable being directly measured. In other words, it might be necessary to know at which point in time the piston reaches a certain position once each cycle because inaccuracies in the integration over time may build up and yield an inexact measurement of the position of the piston. The sensor could be a simplified version of any of the displacement transducers discussed above, as it only needs to provide a simple signal to indicate that the piston has reached the predetermined position.
For the invention, the magnetic flux-based transducer was chosen as the most viable for down-hole applications. Lateral vibrations in the piston""s movement, abrasive down-hole conditions, and high velocities make it difficult to use any transducer in which the moving and stationary parts must be in contact with each other, such as the potentiometer. It is similarly impractical to extend any wires from the piston to a stationary part of the drill string because the piston""s motion will tend to break the wires in fatigue while the abrasive effects of the drilling fluid will rapidly wear away exposed electrical conductors. For these reasons, it is desirable to use a transducer in which the only communication between moving and stationary parts does not require contact between the piston and the drill string. A magnetic coupling accomplishes this criterion and provides a particular advantage for down-hole applications, since such a coupling may operate in typically opaque drilling mud. Although either permanent or electrically activated magnets can be used, permanent magnets are preferable for mounting in a hammer piston because they reduce the number of electrical contacts required.
Yet further functionality of the above-mentioned measurement method is apparent when one considers that an electrical signal generated by this method may be useable as an electrical power source. Data acquisition, data transmission, and control systems, as described above, require a steady source of power down-hole. Due to the time and expense required to retrieve the drill from the borehole, it is critical to find a power system that will operate for as long as possible without the need for maintenance or replacement. A down-hole power system should be designed to operate for at least 100 hours.
Several methods of providing electricity down-hole have been tested with limited success. New lithium technology currently being implemented in batteries cannot provide a long enough life to be useful for powering complex systems down-hole. The abrasive environment makes turbines and other bladed rotary generators particularly short lived. The motion of the down-hole hammer, however, may be used to provide the needed means of down-hole electricity generation.
The present invention is a method of measuring the motion characteristics of the hammer through the use of a transducer mounted on the piston, drill bit, or drill string. A transducer is a device that converts one form of energy to another. Thus, in this invention, a portion of the energy resident in the hammer is converted into electrical energy. The present invention thus becomes not only a motion sensor, but also an electrical generator.
The preferred embodiment of the transducer consists of a series of coils and magnetic flanges mounted inside the hammer. In this embodiment, the transducer will provide valuable information on the transient and steady motion of the hammer in the form of an electric signal strong enough to constitute a power source.
The present invention constitutes a method for satisfying three functional needs in implementing down-hole control, measurement, and telemetry systems. This device provides a means of measuring the hammer""s impact characteristics, a means of determining its general displacement profile over time, and a means of generating electrical power for use in down-hole systems.
Combining existing technologies solves these problems. First of all, fluid-driven hammers, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,396,965, 5,488,998, and 5,497,839 are used to convert hydraulic pressure to linear kinetic energy. Linear alternators, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,454,426, 4,602,174, 5,180,939, and 5,389,844 convert linear kinetic energy to electrical energy. These patents are incorporated herein. The amplitude of the electric waveform produced is in proportion to the velocity of the linear reciprocator.
The basic principles are as follows. When a magnetic field passing through a coil changes in strength or orientation, a voltage is induced in proportion to the change in the field divided by the time required for the change to occur. This principle is commonly used to convert between mechanical and electrical forms of energy. The relative motions of the magnets and the coils can be rotational or linear. Linear reciprocating elements have been used as components for linear motors and alternators, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,454,426 and 4,602,174, as well as measurement devices such as linear variable displacement transducers (LVDT""s). A coil and magnet system is used to measure the location of a compressor piston with respect to the cylinder head in U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,176, incorporated herein by this reference.
The preferred embodiment of this invention utilizes permanent magnets mounted on a stationary member in the hammer housing. Coils are also mounted on a stationary member and the motion of the hammer (a mass of magnetic material) past the permanent magnets causes a changing flux field. This changing flux field induces a current in the coils, which can be measured and used to feed electrical devices. In a second embodiment of this invention, the magnets may be mounted on the hammer, which reciprocate with respect to coils mounted on a stationary member in the hammer housing. Similarly, the measurement device can be mounted on the drill bit, which will display a similar rebound characteristic. The hammer""s position and acceleration can also be obtained by integration and differentiation, respectively. This yields the desired information concerning the rebound and general motion of the hammer.
The voltage induced by such a configuration produces an alternating current waveform. If the magnetic field is strong and there are a large number of coils, the amplitude of the waveform will be large enough to constitute a signal useful as a power source. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,738, incorporated herein, for an example of a machine that generates small amounts of electricity down-hole independent of a hammer.

Means for detecting subterranean formations and monitoring the operation of a down-hole fluid driven percussive piston


A method and apparatus for obtaining a desired nip pressure distribution profile in the cross direction of a paper web. The paper web passes through a nip, the latter defined by at least one elastomer covered roll, the covered roll having polarizable particles or magnetic particles embedded therein. A plurality of spaced plates or spaced coils each generate a local field (respectively electric or magnetic) which acts upon individual spaced zones or regions along the covered roll. The field may thus be an electric field or a magnetic filed. The effect of the field is to change the effective modulus of the elastomer by acting on the particles. In turn, this action varies the nip pressure pulse as to exert a desired pressure at each of a plurality of spaced zones or regions on the paper web, to thus create or process a more uniform product in the nip. The method and apparatus can be used, for example, to improve web moisture profiles in the press section of paper machines.

This invention relates to papermaking and more particularly to a method and apparatus for reducing streaking in a paper web during its manufacture. In the papermaking field, the term xe2x80x9cstreakingxe2x80x9d refers to non-uniformity of a paper web across its width, the latter often referred to as the cross direction and denoted as CD. One of the most troublesome CD streaking effects is due to variations of moisture content.
Uniformity of moisture, caliper, smoothness and weight profiles across the width of a paper web are critical to efficient production. In many instances, the product is treated or processed in some manner to a greater and undesirable degree than ideal, as a simple result of cross-machine direction (CD) moisture profile variability.
A familiar example is over-drying the web in the main dryer section of a paper machine to a very low moisture content at the size press in order to reduce the magnitude of moisture peaks that would otherwise occur. Such moisture peaks may originate in the forming process, press section or dryer section for any number of reasons. Over-drying, i.e., drying product to an average moisture content below what is considered ideal, can be accomplished by operating the machine at a slower speed, which significantly reduces productivity and value of the operation. Alternatively, over-drying can be accomplished by adding additional heat to the web during its drying stage, which adds considerably to the manufacturing costs.
The low productivity and/or increased energy costs discussed above are consequences of dealing with excessive CD moisture variation. In addition, moisture variability has a negative impact on product quality. For example, the development of web compaction, wet and dry web strength, sizing efficiency, surface smoothness and stress concentrations in the web are all functions of web moisture, thereby producing similar variability in web properties across the width of the web. Eliminating or reducing the moisture variability early in the papermaking process would be extremely valuable to the paper industry.
While these methods for reducing moisture variability are in common use throughout the industry, they can be considered as treating the symptoms and not the root cause of the problem. In many cases, the root cause is moisture streaks originating in the press section. Such streaks may result from roll cover wear profiles, shower pluggage, or non-uniform development of felt compaction, felt void volume, web release properties, and the like. In addition to streaking due to unevenness in the apparatus and elements which contact the paper web during its manufacture, it may also be caused by naturally occurring zones of unevenness of caliper across the web width, or other naturally occurring anisotropies in the paper, as the web is progressively formed. As an example, if the paper web is formed with one or more width-wise zones thicker than all of the remaining width-wise zones of the web, then upon the web passing through the nip of two rolls, those thicker zones will be squeezed more than all of the other zones, and hence will exhibit different moisture contents. Hence even if the nip of two given rolls were to exert a perfectly uniform pressure on a web of perfectly uniform caliper (thickness), those same two rolls squeezing a paper web of non-uniform thickness, weight, or moisture content would yield a web of non-uniform moisture, thickness, smoothness, or other web property in the cross direction (CD), and streaking would result.
Existing methods for improving moisture uniformity in the press section include crowning of press roll covers, use of profiling steam boxes (or profiling infrared energy), control-crowned rolls and various conditioning treatments to the press section clothing (localized chemical or mechanical cleaning of press felts). All of these have proven useful to various degrees, but have severe limitations. Crowning of the press roll covers, for example, is useful for generating a level nip loading across the width of the machine, but cannot be used to influence moisture at a certain CD location. In addition, a fixed cover crown is appropriate for only one loading level and cannot be changed without removing the roll from the machine. Controlled-crown rolls have been used for many years with some success and can be useful for altering nip load distribution, but only in a very broad sense. This is because control crown rolls operate by applying internal pressure to the metal roll shell, which is quite thick and necessarily very stiff. They are not useful for addressing local moisture problems, since CD nip loading cannot be controlled over short distances.
The most effective moisture profiling strategy in the press section is probably the use of steam boxes or infrared preheat ahead of the press nip. These devices facilitate nip dewatering by lowering the viscosity of water in the web. Different amounts of sensible heat are added to the wet web across its width, in a manner corresponding with measured CD moisture profiles at a downstream location. In general, profiling steam boxes have been successful, as measured by elevated size press moistures, increased machine speeds and reduced CD moisture variability.
The main shortcomings of steam box use are three. First is the increase in web density as the web is pressed at a higher temperature. Densification in the nip increases with increasing temperature, making this an unacceptable strategy for many bulk-sensitive grades. Second is the practical limitation on CD control width segments in the steam box. Typically, one to four foot wide control zones are employed. In many instances, it would be desirable to obtain a finer degree of CD control. Thirdly, steam boxes positioned above the web are prone to drip condensate onto the moving web, thereby compromising product quality.
As used herein, the term roll cover refers to a nonmetallic covering, 0.1 to 2.0 inches thick, of a cylindrical shaft or solid cylinder. Common roll cover materials include, but are not limited to, rubber and polyurethane compounds and variations thereof.
Roll covers can be characterized by their modulus of elasticity, which is a ratio of incremental stress to the resulting incremental strain. This property is dependent on the composition of the material in question, among other things. Changes in the modulus of elasticity of a roll cover affect the shape and magnitude of machine direction pressure profile in a rolling nip. The term effective modulus as used in this invention is intended to designate any cover property which, when changed, can similarly affect the pressure profile in a rolling nip. Changes in cover density, thickness, firmness, hardness, compressibility, position relative to the roll shaft, and the like are hereby referred to as equivalent to changes in the effective modulus of the cover.
Previous attempts to control the stiffness, hardness, or resiliency of a roll cover which are related to the present invention can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,928,593 (Ruckl) and 5,634,606 (Roder). These inventions rely on an inflatable elastic bag (xe2x80x2593) or annular gas filled cells (xe2x80x2606), located under the subject roll cover, which can be pressurized to various levels. In the third embodiment of Roder""s press-on roller (xe2x80x2606), a plurality of annular gas-filled cells spaced along the width of the roll, each cell equipped with a dedicated pressure valve, is proposed for CD profiling of the nip pressure. However, the press-on roller in xe2x80x2606 would not be suitable for use in the paper machine.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of existing technologies for improving CD moisture uniformity in the press section. The basis for this invention is that intrinsic, or effective, properties in the roll cover itself are controlled in a fashion that makes possible much higher CD control resolution. Further, the present invention provides means for globally changing the hardness of the roll cover across its entire width, thereby allowing different cover hardnesses to be used as situations dictate. For example, in some press positions, softer roll covers may be better suited for heavier weight grades of paper in order to extend nip dwell time, while harder covers may be preferred for lighter weight grades which require less dwell time but greater nip pressure. Changing cover properties across the full roll width also provides the papermaker a tool with which to eliminate certain quality or production problems, including poor water removal efficiency, crushing in the first nip, felt marking, excessive densification on bulk sensitive grades, and the like.
In the present invention, roll cover properties are altered and controlled in a manner such that the shape and magnitude of the pressure pulse in a nip formed by two rolls, a roll and a blade, or a roll and a rod, is controlled to a desired level. This is accomplished by incorporationg an electorheological or magnetorheological elastomer into the roll cover and using an electric field or a magnetic field to stimulate the elastomer such that its physical properties are effectively changed.
As used herein, the term electrorheological elastomer refers to any of various elastomeric compounds, including but not limited to rubber and polyurethane, which contain or are in close proximity to polarizable particles which can be acted upon by an external electric field. The particles can be located in any of a variety of configurations relative to the elastomeric compound. For example, discrete droplets of electrorheological fluid (ERF) can be dispersed throughout the cover material during the cover""s manufacture, such that there will always be a reserve of active particles during the life of the roll cover. The cover, which serves as a carrier for the particles, should be non-conductive. As another example, one may suspend the polarizable particles not in viscous fluid pockets or droplets, but rather in the form of a viscoelastic solid or electrorheological gel (ERG) as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,607,996 (Nichols et al) and 5,364,565 (Li et al). Such material is described as an electrorheological solid (ERS). Viscoelastic properties such as loss factor and shear modulus for these materials are controlled by the electric field used.
Similarly, the term magnetorheological elastomer is used as the magnetic analog of the electrorheological elastomer discussed above. While several methods exist for introducing the magnetizable particles in or close to the roll cover elastomer, the method discussed by Watson (U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,353) which relates to a magnetoviscoelastic solid is of special interest.
The present invention is not limited to press section roll covers for improved CD moisture profile. The concept can be applied to size press and coater backing rolls for more uniform coat-weight application and coating distribution across the web thickness. It can also be applied to the covered rolls in virtually any type of calender (gloss, hot-soft, super, extended nip, etc.), depending on temperature limitations. The invention is useful in improving smoothness, gloss, and caliper profiles when used in a calendering process. One method of altering the intrinsic or effective roll cover properties over short distances involves the use of electrorheological (ER) materials or magnetorheological (MR) materials imbedded within the cover or directly under the cover.
Numerous technical articles on electrorheological (ER) fluids have been written. For example, the Journal of Rheology, Vol. 42, issue 3, May/June 1998, contains the following articles: (1) Kanu, R., and Shaw, M., xe2x80x9cEnhanced Electrorheological Fluids Using Anisotropic Particles,xe2x80x9d pp. 657-670; (2) Rankin, P., and Klingenberg, D., xe2x80x9cThe Electrorheology of Barium Titanate Suspensions,xe2x80x9d pp. 639-656; and (3) Yao, N., and Jamieson, A., xe2x80x9cElectrorheological Creep Response of Tumbling Nematics,xe2x80x9d pp. 603-619. Each of these articles cites numerous references themselves. Potential uses of ER fluids, as mentioned by Rankin and Klingenberg, include shock absorbers, engine mounts, clutches, brakes, artificial joints, among others.
One example of the use of an electrorheological (ER) fluid for changing the effective hardness of a hollow elastomer member is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,974 issued to Theodorakakos. A number of plates are positioned within the hollow member and when the plates are charged, the stiffness of the elastomer increases. A similar result is achieved, using an elastomer impregnated with a fine powder, the powder polarizing when subjected to an electric field and changing the viscoelasticity of the elastomer, by the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,821 issued to Sakurai et al. Another example of the use of an electric field to change the stiffness of an elastomer containing polarizable particles is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,996 issued to Nichols et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,353 issued to Watson discloses an elastomer suspension for an automobile bushing, the bushing having embedded therein a plurality of iron particles, the latter suspended in a carrier of low magnetic permeability. The magnetic field from a contiguous coil acts upon the iron particles to thus vary the elastomer stiffness. Hence the worker in this art may use either embedded polarizable particles or embedded magnetic particles, to vary the stiffness of an elastomer member. Each of the above literature references and patents is hereby incorporated by reference.
According to the practice of this invention the intrinsic mechanical properties of a roll cover are altered by using an external stimulus such that nip pressure (for example, on a paper web) can be controlled in 20 inches wide or less zones across the width of the nip. Such roll cover alterations may take place in the press section, the size press and coater, and in the calender (hot-soft, gloss, super-calender, and the like).
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling nip dynamics across the width of a nip created between two rolls or a roll and a blade. This is accomplished by controlling the intrinsic or effective properties of the cover of at least one roll. In one embodiment of the invention, the roll cover is impregnated with small droplets, particles or other foreign material which alter either the density or the effective modulus of the cover when exposed to an external or internal stimulus such as an electric or magnetic field. The stimulus itself is controlled in the cross-machine direction in a manner resulting in CD control of the cover properties. If the stimulus is an electromagnetic field, it may be located within the interior of the roll, such as under the cover in circumferential strips of complete angular extent (360xc2x0), or external to the roll cover, depending on the time constant and the response of the foreign material which changes the modulus of the roll cover.
The foreign material is introduced during manufacture of the roll cover material. One foreign material which may be employed is an electrorheological fluid existing in the form of droplets distributed in discrete pockets throughout the cover. Droplet distribution can be uniform throughout the thickness of the roll cover, or can be non-uniform. Various technologies exist for ensuring an adequately controlled distribution of such droplets, as evidenced by commercialization of Fuji pressure-sensitive film.
The preferred external stimulus depends on the type of foreign material (magnetic particles, polarizable dipoles, infrared scatterers and absorbers, chemically reactive agents) impregnated into the roll cover. Stimuli may include electric and magnetic fields, heat, ultrasound and nuclear radiation. One combination is the use of an electromagnetic field as a stimulus which acts upon small droplets of electrorheological material (e.g., liquid or gel) embedded within the cover. Depending on the field strength, the rheology of the foreign material changes, thereby changing the effective modulus or stiffness/hardness of the cover.
Kanu and Shaw (cited above) report that dynamic modulus of an ER fluid can increase one or more orders of magnitude, depending on particle aspect ratio. In CD locations where the applied field creates a higher effective modulus, the machine direction pressure profile in the nip would change shape, creating higher peak pressures at mid-nip. Nip dewatering efficiency would change, the direction of which would depend on product and process parameters. In many instances, nip dewatering would increase in this area.
As a result of controlling press roll cover properties across the roll width (CD), those locations corresponding to high moisture areas in the paper may be varied to increase dewatering, thereby creating a more uniform CD moisture profile. Using this invention on a calender roll cover, locations corresponding to higher sheet roughness, excessive caliper, or lower sheet gloss, may be controlled to provide higher nip pressure, thereby producing a more uniform paper web.
The concept of controlling nip dynamics in the papermaking art, by directly controlling the intrinsic properties of a roll cover, has not previously been attempted. By this invention, significantly higher CD resolution can be achieved than possible with control-crown rolls, the former allowing selective treatment of both high and low moisture areas in the web. This results in more level moisture profiles. Within the scope of this invention, the profile of the nip through which the moisture containing paper web passes may be deliberately made non-uniform, so as to yield any desired moisture profile, as well the usually desired uniform moisture profile.
In carrying out the invention, known moisture profile sensing apparatus is positioned downstream of the elastomer rolls, and the web moisture profile determined, either continuously or intermittently. Then, energy is applied to selected electric field producing plates or magnetic field generating coils to vary the effective modulus of the elastomer, which changes the nip pressure pulse and nip dwell time, thereby locally affecting water removal. The specific plates or coils energized may be controlled by known feedback techniques and apparatus. An example of downstream measuring of paper web moisture content, with feedback to control (upstream) forces on the roll ends only, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,359 issued to Keyes. U.S. Pat. No. 3,666,621 issued to Adams and U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,968 issued to Bialkowski also disclose the monitoring of web moisture of a paper web.
The purpose of the electric or magnetic fields is to control the effective modulus of the roll cover in each width-wise zone. The baseline electric or magnetic field strength may be either zero or some positive value. For a zero baseline field strength, the effective modulus of the cover at any particular width-wise location will be changed only by adding energy to that zone which generates the required field strength. For a positive baseline field strength, the effective modulus at any widthwise zone can be changed by either increasing or decreasing that zone""s field strength, depending on the desired end result. This allows the user the ability to make the roll cover either harder or softer relative to its nominal (baseline) hardness.


A continuously variable transmission may have a first set of rollers and a second set of rollers that act upon skewed driving and driven surfaces of discs. The input to output ratio of the continuously variable transmission may be changed by pushing either one of the first and second sets of rollers closer to a rotating shaft. To maintain symmetrical loading within the continuously variable transmission, an idler disc assembly may have a strain compensator that deflects to compensate for deflection of outer discs due to elasticity of the main shaft.

The present invention relates to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
An example of a continuously variable transmission is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,560 ('560 patent), issued to Terry Buelna on Jan. 13, 2004. The continuously variable transmission has many potential applications such as an automotive transmission, an industrial drive or a wind turbine drive train. One of the benefits of the continuously variable transmission is that the drive ratio from input to output is infinitely variable throughout its range. The drive ratio is limited only by the relative sizes of the drive components.
As discussed in the '560 patent, the drive ratio from input to output is varied by pushing a first set of rollers closer to a main shaft. This has the effect of traversing a second set of rollers further away from the main shaft. The relative positions of the first and second sets of rollers determine the drive ratio. Since the first and second sets of rollers are frictionally engaged to a plurality of discs, the first and second sets of rollers may be positioned at any distance from the main shaft. Hence, the drive ratio may be fine tuned based on the requirements of the overall device in which the continuously variable transmission is used.
During operation of the continuously variable transmission, the drive ratio from input to output is varied. When either the first or second sets of rollers is pushed toward the main shaft, the forces imposed on the rollers and discs may be imbalanced thereby causing various issues (e.g., efficiencies, misalignment, etc.) in the continuously variable transmission. As such, there is a need in the art for an improved continuously variable transmission.

Compensator for continuously variable transmission


A pillow (or several pillows depending upon need/size configuration) having unique shapes for placing between an individual""s back, head, backside, legs, arms (or any combination thereof) and the floor, ground, bed, table or other surface to provide anatomical support as opposed to simply providing cushioning between the body on the underlying surface. When the individual is lying on his or her back, the pillow provides for proper alignment of the body to relieve pressure on joints, nerves, muscles and skin. Its unique posturing permits the body to relax and rest more comfortably and also potentially increase blood flow and nerve transmission throughout the body or through specific areas of the body. It is beneficial to those who suffer from a variety of shoulder, neck, back, hip, and other problems, arthritis and sports related injuries and fatigue in addition to those who are convalescent, bedridden, computer operators (or other jobs with periodic sitting), overhead throwers, data entry personnel and anyone who uses their shoulder, back, neck, hips and arms for an extended period of time.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pillow used for therapeutic purposes and, more particularly to a pillow that is placed under the body of an individual lying supine to provide support with the intention of maintaining the individual""s body in proper alignment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Previous attempts have been made and patented in regard to devices and, in particular, to pillows used to provide support and align various parts of an individual""s body. Generally, prior patents disclose pillows which are of such type that they are utilized all along the body of the user without the specific support at each area of the body that this concept provides with the concave impressions specifically made to fit between the base of the head and the lower extremities of the user.
Examples of prior patents are as follows: U.S. Pat. No. 2,056,767 issued on Oct. 15, 1935 to William H. Blath discloses a back pad attachable to the body of a user so that it will be held in position whether the patient is lying in bed of sitting, and which will permit freedom of movement for the spinal column in either position of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,522,120 issued on Sep. 12, 1950 to Louis and Mary Kaskey discloses a pillow used to support the head while in a train or automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,503 issued to Bernard Watkin on Feb. 15, 1977 discloses a pillow to place under the head and neck while sleeping.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,768 issued to Amanda Schlechter on Feb. 13, 2001 discloses a cushion where a woman lies prone. This device is only designed for female patients lying prone. It provides no contours, but does eliminate any pressure on the breast portion of a woman due to a complete lack of foam in that area.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,018 issued on Mar. 5, 1974 to Charley H. Broaded discloses an adjustable bed having a surface with supports of varying heights whereby the head, shoulders and legs are propped.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,048 issued on Nov. 6, 1979 to John A. Varaney discloses a pillow configuration having a central head supporting portion forming the top of the pillow and two extension portions positioned substantially perpendicularly to the central portion and extending substantially vertically downwardly therefrom, thus resulting in a pillow construction which provides sleeping comfort for the head and shoulders of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,730 issued on Apr. 29, 1986 to Eva Rajan discloses a device for stabilizing the pelvis by supporting the lumbar region of an individual. Additional attachments support the individual""s hipbones.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,021 issued on Nov. 25, 1986 to Jean A. Hofstetter discloses a cushion-like support with a neck extending from the shoulder area to the pelvis to bolster the torso of the user, thereby allowing the pressure points in the lower extremities of the user to be relieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,510 issued on Jul. 5, 1988 to Harry A. King discloses a body pillow for enhancing sleep or rest which is constructed and arranged to cushion and encapsulate the entire length of the body while providing a comfortable cushioned separation of the arms and legs of the user.
None of these patents, either taken singly or in combination, disclose the unique construction of the instant invention.
Accordingly, it is an object, advantage, and feature of the invention to provide a pillow, having distinct concave and convex impressions mimicking the reverse of the head, and/or torso, and/or buttocks and/or legs of an individual to provide total support in a three-dimensional scope, not just a planar support as is found with a typical mattress or cushion.
It is another object, advantage, and feature of the invention to provide increased blood flow throughout the entire body decreasing the possibility of bed sores and other deleterious effects of ischemia and pressure to regions of the body including the head, shoulders, neck, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, gluteal, thighs, calves, feet, arms and hands.
It is another object, advantage, and feature of the invention to provide a suspensory feeling to the body caused by the device""s ability to distribute the weight and pressure in all areas of the body, spread out over the entire region instead of specific pressure points.
It is another object, advantage, and feature of the invention to provide stress relief and relaxation akin to taking an extensive nap or sleep in a relatively short (15-30 minute) time frame.
It is another object, advantage, and feature of the invention to provide relief to the bed-ridden and others who must spend a large part of their day in a supine position to assist in repositioning the joints, distributing stress and pressure, alleviating excess ischemia to pressure points by redistributing the suffocating pressure by spreading it out over a larger portion of the body region.
It is another object, advantage, and feature of the invention to provide this support in any number of combinations. It could be accomplished as one, solid device, two (or more) pillows/cushions that could fold away for storage or easy transportation and parts of the support structure (just the head/neck portion, just the lumbar region or just the leg portion or combinations thereof) could be used with or without the other portions.
It is another object, advantage, and feature of the invention to provide a stretching to the spine while placing the body in an xe2x80x9copen-packedxe2x80x9d position. This is accomplished by the positioning of the body segments into a joint-neutral position (positional release therapy, I call it) permitting the antagonistic muscles to relax thereby permitting increased blood flow, nerve conduction and general joint relaxation to the region. As this occurs xe2x80x98upstreamxe2x80x99 (for instance, the shoulder is upstream of the hand and forearm), this will have an overall increase of relaxation, blood flow, and nerve conduction resulting in reduction in repetitive stress disorder-type injuries in the extremities, an increase in the ability (intensity and duration) of work and play and a decrease in pain and discomfort. This is a benefit to computer operators, video game enthusiasts, machine operators, laborers, artisans, crafts-workers, athletes, yoga practitioners, office workers, travelers and others.
It is another object, advantage, and feature of the invention to provide a stretch to the spine by supporting specifically the spine in a neutral position relieving the supporting, intrinsic musculature of its need to protect the spine for a few minutes. This permits these muscles to relax for possibly the only time of the day, rejuvenating them and providing them the opportunity to heal from any damage caused by poor posture.
It is another object, advantage, and feature of the invention to provide athletes and others (including military personnel) the ability to reposition their spine post-exercise or post-trauma into a joint-neutral position. This accelerates post-exercise/trauma recovery time and enhances the ability to participate in the activity much sooner than normal.
It is another object, advantage, and feature of the invention to provide a slight posterior tilt of the cervical/head region increasing the stretch on the cervical spine and relieving these specific muscles of the weight of the head. This increases the feeling of relaxation to the whole body by also assisting (by postural placement) the user to breath more easily.
It is another object, advantage, and feature of the invention to provide a stretching of the torso and rib cage that facilitates the ease of use of the lungs. This also helps in permitting the heart and lungs to operate with less pressure from a tightened rib cage, decreasing the force needed for them to function fully.
It is another object, advantage, and feature of the invention to provide assistance to those experiencing degenerative disc problems, muscle tears, strains and injuries, arthritis, stress and tension headaches and bedsores. Also for those needing post-surgery recovery, pre-surgery prevention, pre-exercise relaxation and visualization, post-exercise recovery and relaxation, naps, general sleep (pre-sleep routine and relaxation permitting a deep sleep), stress/tension relief, shoulder, back, neck and other stress release.
It is another object, advantage, and feature of the invention to provide support to many different individuals with the several sizes of the device, and if desired, can be exactly fitted to the exact specifications of an individual""s own body dimensions. This is not necessary in most instances due to the similar size of the spine (skull to sacrum) region on most individuals.
It is another object, advantage, and feature of the invention to provide portability by creating the device in sizes small enough to fit in a carry-on piece of luggage (or smaller) and large enough to fit over the largest bed, depending upon the needs of the individual user.
These, and other object, advantages, and features of the invention determination will become apparent from the following description, drawings and claims.