A universal electric energy saver to recuperate power losses comprised of a bank of condensers connected in parallel; a bank of resistors with some connected in parallel while others are connected in series; a transformer to step down the voltage to power up a small electronic circuit board which serves to absorb the lost power and protect the rest of the circuitry against overload; a line plugging into a power outlet to connect the universal electrical energy saver with the rest of the electrical circuit.

1. Field of the invention
This invention relates generally to electrical and electronic circuitry devices but more particularly to a device which reduces electrical energy consumption in an electrical circuit.
2. Background
Ever since the price of energy skyrocketed in the 1970s, inventors have been busy coming up with various ways to save energy. Since a lot of the electricity we use is produced by way of fossil fuel, the very same source of energy which has increased so much in cost, the cost of electrical energy production has followed the pattern. It is no surprise then that a number of inventions concern themselves with the economy of electricity.
There are many ways of saving electricity but this instant invention concerns itself not so much with making appliances more economical but rather with increasing the efficiency of the local electric grid, i.e. the electric circuit of a unit such as a house or building. A similar approach has been taken by some of the prior art studied, for example:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,123 by Hutchison discloses a power circuit for supplying electrical energy that comprises a power factor corrector, a current sensing transformer, a rectifier bridge, a capacitor and a power factor corrector control loop. The current sensor measures the total current drawn by both the DC power supply and the AC loads, and the power factor corrector corrects total line current drawn from the wall plug through the power cord so that it approaches a unity power factor, i.e. the current being sinusoidal and in phase with the line voltage. Only when equipment is plugged directly into one or more of the invention""s power outlets that energy savings occur.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,423 by Bangerter presents an electronic apparatus and methods for AC power regulation primarily intended for inductive loads (fluorescent lights, motors, etc.). The apparatus provides substantial reduction in power consumption while also providing a leading power factor, reduced harmonic distortion, and reduced noise. The system is self-adjusting for a wide range of loads and can reduce power consumption by 25% in lighting loads. The system utilizes a triac and parallel capacitor bank in series with the load. The capacitor absorbs the inductive turn-off voltage spike caused by the collapsing magnetic field in the ballast. This invention is ideal in a large manufacturing plant setting, a wharehouse or office building where a large amount of fluorescent ligths are used and where large electrical motors or transformers are used and is therefore not useful for residential housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,036 by Walker describes an apparatus and methods for AC power regulation for a wide range of complex capacitive and inductive loads which provide substantial reduction in power consumption while also providing a leading power factor. This patent seems to be an improvement over the previous patent. The apparatus includes a power measurement circuit, a current measurement circuit, a phase measurement circuit, and a capacitor bank. This system is used mainly for lighting, both fluorescent and incandescent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,454 by Chung exposes an alternating current power control device. The device having a constant voltage function for maintaining a constant output voltage although an input voltage is varied, if a desired voltage is set in respect to a load, thus providing a power saving effect, power stability and reliability. The device includes a single-winding transformer, a phase comparison controller, a variable resistor, a current comparator and a mutual induction reactor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,677 by Lestician discloses a system for monitoring and controlling electrical power consumption that can be retrofitted to a typical consumer power arrangement. The system includes a control unit which receives information from an electromagnetic pickup device from which real time electrical consumption is determined over short periods of time. The control unit can then send signals to diverse modules that have filters which release electrical power to the individual electrical devices, appliances and outlets at a controlled, economic rate. The modules are a combination of a circuit coupled with a series of electronic metal oxide varistors. The modules will save energy by reducing and filtering the naturally created harmonic noise in an electrical device. The harmonic noise is not only reduced, but the module also balances the electrical phases of the device it is controlling. The two functions can reduce the electrical consumption of most electrical devices by 15 to 35%. A module may include the following components: a microcomputer control chip, a relay switch, a conditioning circuit, a capacitor, an inductor, and a metal oxide varistor. Only appliances directly connected to one of the control units can benefit from the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,252,311 by West presents a load sensor and controller manager. The apparatus is well suited for managing numerous appliance loads commonly found in residential dwellings. When loads are delivered to certain appliances, loads to different other appliances are delayed. The invention provides a sensor/controller/manager module capable of detecting initial current flow across a load""s open/close switch. The invention can actually cut power to certain appliances in order to delay their start in order to eliminate power usage spikes.
The above cited prior art suffers from certain limitations such as the type of equipment from which energy saving can occur or the fact that the equipment has to be directly connected to the energy saving units or even the risk of delaying the start of certain appliances in order to control electrical flow.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a Universal Energy Saver (UES) system that is plugged in a single conventional electrical plug outlet.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a Universal Energy Saver (UES) that absorbs power losses from domestic electrical home appliances and lights.
A final object of the present invention is a Universal Energy Saver (UES) that acts as a voltage stabilizer for the normal flow of incoming electrical current supplied by the power utility company.
In order to do so, the present invention includes an electronic capacitance circuit board, a transformer, a protection circuit board and a resistor for electrical consumption load.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described, by way of examples. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.


Photographic elements are disclosed comprising a silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith a dye forming coupler and a compound of the following Formula I:

This invention relates to silver halide color photographic materials. More particularly, it relates to color photographic materials which contain dye-forming couplers in combination with non-imaging compounds which give rise to photographic images which have high stability towards fading by light.
In a silver halide photographic element, a color image is formed when the element is exposed to light and then subjected to color development with a primary aromatic amine developer. Color development results in imagewise reduction of silver halide and production of oxidized developer. Oxidized developer reacts with one or more incorporated dye-forming couplers to form an imagewise distribution of dye.
In any polychromatic chromogenic photographic material it is desirable that the dyes so formed should have certain properties. For instance, the dyes should be bright in color with very little secondary absorption so that good color reproducibility is obtained. The stability of image dyes generated on chromogenic development often does not meet performance expectations. These expectations include resistance to light fade and both humid and dry heat dark fade. The dyes that are formed by any color coupler during processing have a tendency to fade over times as a result of exposure to light, heat, humidity and oxygen resulting in a deterioration of the original recorded image. It is therefore highly desirable that the formed dyes should be resistant towards fading by heat, humidity and light.
Techniques are known in the art for providing resistance to light fade of photographic dyes. Compounds which have been disclosed as light stabilizers for yellow image dyes, e.g., include substituted phenolic and blocked phenolic compounds including; heterocyclic phosphorous materials (U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,645), phenolic thiane derivatives (EP 0 310 551), substituted and blocked bisphenols (UK 1,267,287, U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,011, DE 4,307,439, DE 4,307,439, DE 4,320,828, EP 0 508 398, EP 0 538 862, U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,530, U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,021, U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,855, U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,861, U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,569, U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,613, WO 91/008,515, U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,578, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,284,742, 5,091,294, EP 0 310 552, U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,773). In addition, yellow dyes may also be stabilized against fading by light with the use of thiomorpholine dioxide compounds as described in EP 1 116 99. However, it is desirable to improve on the light stabilization of yellow dyes beyond that afforded with use of the above stabilizers.
German patent application DE 1 96 32927 describes the use of cyclic imides, cyclic carbamates, and cyclic ureas as a means of improving the chromogenically developed color image dye stabilities. However, in particular, the amount of dye stabilization to light fade is only modest. U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,572 reports the use of a specific bis-urea compound in combination with malonamide yellow couplers. However, the bis-urea was not shown to be effective for other couplers and was specifically reported to be ineffective for beta-ketoamide yellow couplers.
An objective of this invention is to provide photographic elements which exhibit exceptional image dye stability. The present invention solves the problem of improving the chromogenically developed color image dye stabilities by employing a substituted dipiperidine additive. In accordance with the invention, a photographic element is disclosed comprising a silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith a dye forming coupler and a compound of the following Formula I:
wherein n=0-6 and each R is independently hydrogen, an aromatic, cyclic, linear or branched chain hydrocarbon group, NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3, or ORxe2x80x2, where Rxe2x80x2 is an aromatic, cyclic, linear or branched chain hydrocarbon group and Rxe2x80x3 is hydrogen or an aromatic, cyclic, linear or branched chain hydrocarbon group.
We have found that the objective of the invention of providing photographic elements which exhibit exceptional image dye stability for dyes formed from couplers can be achieved with through the use of dipiperidinediamide, dipiperidinedicarbamate or dipiperidinediurea compounds of Formula I as stabilizing addenda. In accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention, such compounds may be used in combination with yellow dye-forming couplers, particularly in combination with substituted phenolic and/or thiomorpholine dioxide stabilizers. In addition to stabilizing properties, compounds of Formula I have organic solvent properties, and accordingly may be advantageously used partly or totally in place of conventional high boiling permanent and/or auxiliary organic coupler solvents to disperse the dye-forming couplers. Photographic elements of the present invention upon exposure and photographic processing exhibit good activity and yield dye images that have unexpected and substantial improvements in the stability of the formed image dyes.
The photographic elements of this invention can be chromogenic black and white elements (for example, using yellow, magenta and cyan dye forming couplers), single color elements or multicolor elements. In accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention, the photographic elements comprise at least one yellow dye image forming layer, at least one cyan dye image forming layer and at least one magenta dye image forming layer. More particularly, multicolor photographic elements in accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention preferably comprise a support bearing light sensitive image dye forming layers sensitized to the blue (approx. 380-500 nm), green (approx. 500-600 nm), and red (approx. 600-760 nm) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the element comprises cyan, magenta and yellow dye forming silver halide emulsion hydrophilic colloid layer units sensitized to the red, green and blue regions of the spectrum. Each unit can comprise a single emulsion layer or multiple emulsion layers sensitive to a given region of the spectrum. The layers of the element, including the layers of the image forming units, can be arranged in various orders as known in the art. It is within the scope of this invention, however, for the light sensitive material to alternatively or additionally be sensitive to one or more regions of the electromagnetic spectrum outside the visible, such as the infrared region of the spectrum. In most color photographic systems, non-diffusing color-forming couplers are incorporated in the light-sensitive photographic emulsion layers so that during development, they are available in the emulsion layer to react with the color developing agent that is oxidized by silver halide image development. When the dye image formed is to be used in situ, couplers are selected which form non-diffusing dyes. Color photographic systems can also be used to produce black-and-white images from non-diffusing couplers as described, e.g., by Edwards, et al., in International Publication No. WO 93/012465.
Throughout this application a reference to any type of chemical xe2x80x9cgroupxe2x80x9d includes both the unsubstituted and substituted forms of the group described. Generally, unless otherwise specifically stated, substituent groups usable on molecules herein include any groups, whether substituted or unsubstituted, which do not destroy properties necessary for the photographic utility. It will also be understood throughout this application that reference to a compound of a particular general formula includes those compounds of other more specific formula which specific formula falls within the general formula definition. Examples of substituents on any of the mentioned groups can include known substituents, such as: halogen, for example, chloro, fluoro, bromo, iodo; alkoxy, particularly those with 1 to 6 carbon atoms (for example, methoxy, ethoxy); substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, particularly lower alkyl (for example, methyl, trifluoromethyl); alkenyl or thioalkyl (for example, methylthio or ethylthio), particularly either of those with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, substituted and unsubstituted aryl, particularly those having from 6 to 20 carbon atoms (for example, phenyl); and substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl, particularly those having a 5 or 6-membered ring containing 1 to 3 heteroatoms selected from N, O, or S (for example, pyridyl, thienyl, furyl, pyrrolyl), and others known in the art. Alkyl substituents may specifically include xe2x80x9clower alkylxe2x80x9d, that is having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, for example, methyl, ethyl, and the like. Further, with regard to any alkyl group, alkylene group or alkenyl group, it will be understood that these can be branched or unbranched and include ring structures.
Compounds of Formula I which are employed as dye image stabilizing compounds in photographic elements in combination with dye forming couplers in accordance with the present invention may be prepared according to synthetic methods known in the art. R, Rxe2x80x2 and Rxe2x80x3 may be linear, cyclic or branched chained hydrocarbon groups, which may be the same or different, preferably ranging from 1 to 22 carbon atoms, more preferably from 1 to 14 carbon atoms and most preferably from 1 to 10 carbon atoms. Where R is NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3, Rxe2x80x2 and Rxe2x80x3 may optionally combine together to form a ring with the associated nitrogen atom (such as piperidine or morpholine). Representative examples include: methyl, ethyl, propyl, iso-propyl, butyl, iso-butyl, pentyl, hexyl, ethylhexyl, octyl, nonyl, iso-nonyl, decyl, iso-decyl, undecyl, dodecyl, tridecyl, tetradecyl, myristyl, pentadecyl, cetyl, stearyl, arachidyl, behenyl, undecylenyl, palmitoleyl, oleyl, linoleyl, linolenyl, arachidonyl, erucyl, benzyl, cyclohexyl, phenoxyethyl and phenyl. This list is non exhaustive and may also include numerous other linear, branched chain, cyclic, or aromatic hydrocarbon groups.
Specific examples of compounds of Formula I include, but are not limited to, the following:
Syntheses of these compounds may use standard procedures as exemplified for the following synthesis of compound Ia: To a solution of 105.2 g of 4,4xe2x80x2-trimethylenedipiperidine dissolved in 800 mL of ethyl acetate was added a solution of 124.7 g of diethylcarbamyl chloride in 100 mL of ethyl acetate over 50 min. The resulting mixture was heated at reflux for one hour, then held at ambient temperature overnight. The reaction mixture was filtered and the solids were washed with ethyl acetate then heptane. The combined filtrates were washed four times with 2 N HCl, once with water, and concentrated in vacuo to provide an oil. Gas chromatography analysis determined the sample to be  greater than 96% pure. Combustion analysis for C23H44N4O2 (calcd, found): C (67.61, 67.44); H (10.84, 10.81); N (13.71, 13.63).
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the compounds of Formula I are used in combination with yellow, magenta, or cyan dye-forming couplers, and in particular acetanilide-based yellow dye forming coupler compounds. Such couplers are known compounds and can be prepared by techniques known to those skilled in the art. Individual yellow couplers may be used singly or in combinations. Couplers that form yellow dyes upon reaction with oxidized color developing agent and which are useful in elements of the invention are described, e.g., in such representative patents and publications as: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,875,057, 2,407,210; 3,265,506; 2,298,443; 3,048,194; 3,447,928 and xe2x80x9cFarbkupplerxe2x80x94Eine Literature Ubersicht,xe2x80x9d published in Agfa Mitteilungen, Band III, pp. 112-126 (1961). Such couplers are typically open chain ketomethylene compounds. Also preferred are yellow couplers such as described in, for example, European Patent Application Nos. 482,552; 510,535; 524,540; 543,367; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,803.
Typical preferred acetanilide-based yellow couplers are represented by the following formulas:
wherein R1, R2, Q1 and Q2 each represent a substituent; X is hydrogen or a coupling-off group; Y represents an aryl group or a heterocyclic group; Q3 represents an organic residue required to form a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group together with the illustrated nitrogen atom; and Q4 represents nonmetallic atoms necessary to form a 3- to 5-membered hydrocarbon ring or a 3- to 5-membered heterocyclic ring which contains at least one hetero atom selected from N, O, S, and P in the ring. Preferred couplers are of YELLOW-1 and YELLOW-4 wherein Q1 and Q2 each represent an alkyl group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group, and R2 represents an aryl or alkyl group, including cycloalkyl and bridged cycloalkyl groups, and more preferably a tertiary alkyl group. Particularly preferred yellow couplers for use in elements of the invention are represented by YELLOW-4, wherein R2 represents a tertiary alkyl group and Y represents an aryl group, and X represents an aryloxy or N-heterocyclic coupling-off group. The elements of the invention are particularly useful in combination with yellow couplers of the above formulas wherein X represents a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic coupling-off group.
Image dye forming couplers that form magenta dyes upon reaction with oxidized color developing agents may be included in elements of the invention, such as are described in representative patents and publications such as: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,600,788; 2,369,489; 2,343,703; 2,311,082; 2,908,573; 3,062,653; 3,152,896, 3,519,429 and xe2x80x9cFarbkupplerxe2x80x94Eine Literature Ubersicht,xe2x80x9d published in Agfa Mitteilungen, Band III, pp. 126-156 (1961). Preferably such couplers are pyrazolones, pyrazolotriazoles, or pyrazolobenzimidazoles that form magenta dyes upon reaction with oxidized color developing agents. Especially preferred couplers are 1H-pyrazolo [5,1-c]-1,2,4-triazole and 1H-pyrazolo [1,5-b]-1,2,4-triazole. Examples of 1H-pyrazolo [5,1-c]-1,2,4-triazole couplers are described in U.K. Patent Nos. 1,247,493; 1,252,418; 1,398,979; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,443,536; 4,514,490; 4,540,654; 4,590,153; 4,665,015; 4,822,730; 4,945,034, 5,017,465; and 5,023,170. Examples of 1H-pyrazolo [1,5-b]-1,2,4-triazoles can be found in European Patent Applications 176,804; 177,765; U.S. Pats. Nos. 4,659,652; 5,066,575; and 5,250,400.
Typical pyrazoloazole and pyrazolone couplers are represented by the following formulas:
wherein Ra and Rb independently represent H or a substituent; Rc is a substituent (preferably an aryl group); Rd is a substituent (preferably an anilino, carbonamido, ureido, carbamoyl, alkoxy, aryloxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, or N-heterocyclic group); X is hydrogen or a coupling-off group; and Za, Zb, and Zc are independently a substituted methine group,xe2x95x90Nxe2x80x94,xe2x95x90Cxe2x80x94, or xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94, provided that one of either the Zaxe2x80x94Zb bond or the Zbxe2x80x94Zc bond is a double bond and the other is a single bond, and when the Zbxe2x80x94Zc bond is a carbon-carbon double bond, it may form part of an aromatic ring, and at least one of Za, Zb, and Zc represents a methine group connected to the group Rb.
Image dye forming couplers that form cyan dyes upon reaction with oxidized color developing agents may be included in elements of the invention, such as are described in representative patents and publications such as: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,367,531; 2,423,730; 2,474,293; 2,772,162; 2,895,826; 3,002,836; 3,034,892; 3,041,236; 4,883,746 and xe2x80x9cFarbkupplerxe2x80x94Eine Literature Ubersicht,xe2x80x9d published in Agfa Mitteilungen, Band III, pp. 156-175 (1961). Preferably such couplers are phenols and naphthols that form cyan dyes on reaction with oxidized color developing agent. Also preferable are the cyan couplers described in, for instance, European Patent Application Nos. 544,322; 556,700; 556,777; 565,096; 570,006; and 574,948.
Typical cyan couplers are represented by the following formulas:
wherein R1 and R5 each represent a hydrogen or a substituent; R2 represents a substituent; R3 and R4 each represent an electron attractive group having a Hammett""s substituent constant "sgr"para of 0.2 or more and the sum of the "sgr"para values of R3 and R4 is 0.65 or more; R6 represents an electron attractive group having a Hammett""s substituent constant "sgr"para of 0.35 or more, X represents a hydrogen of or a coupling-off group; Z1 represents nonmetallic atoms necessary for forming a nitrogen-containing, six-membered, heterocyclic ring which has at least one dissociative group. A dissociative group has an acidic proton, e.g. xe2x80x94Nxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CH(R)xe2x80x94, etc., that preferably has a pKa value of from 3 to 12 in water. The values for Hammett""s substituent constants can be found or measured as is described in the literature. For example, see C. Hansch and A. J. Leo, J. Med. Chem., 16, 1207 (1973); J. Med. Chem., 20, 304 (1977); and J. A. Dean, Lange""s Handbook of Chemistry, 12th Ed. (1979) (McGraw-Hill).
More preferable are cyan couplers of the following formulas:
wherein R7 represents a substituent (preferably a carbamoyl, ureido, or carbonamido group); R8 represents a substituent (preferably individually selected from halogen, alkyl, and carbonamido groups); R9 represents a ballast substituent; R10 represents a hydrogen or a substituent (preferably a carbonamido or sulphonamido group); X represents a hydrogen or a coupling-off group; and m is from 1-3. Couplers of the structure CYAN-7 are most preferable for use in elements of the invention.
Representative couplers which may be used in the elements of the invention include the following yellow couplers YC1-YC21, magenta couplers MC1-MC17, and cyan couplers CC1-CC17:
Typically, couplers and the stabilizers with which they are associated are dispersed in the same layer of the photographic element in a permanent high boiling organic compound known in the art as a coupler solvent, either alone or with auxiliary low boiling or water miscible solvents which are removed after dispersion formation. Permanent high boiling solvents have a boiling point sufficiently high, generally above 150xc2x0 C. at atmospheric pressure, such that they are not evaporated under normal dispersion making and photographic layer coating procedures. Alternatively, the couplers and stabilizers may be dispersed without permanent high boiling solvents using only auxiliary solvent or precipitation techniques as is known in the art. The compounds may be co-dispersed, or may be dispersed separately and then combined. Representative conventional coupler solvents include phthalic acid alkyl esters such as diundecyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, bis-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, and dioctyl phthalate, phosphoric acid esters such as tricresyl phosphate, diphenyl phosphate, tris-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, and tris-3,5,5-trimethylhexyl phosphate, citric acid esters such as tributyl acetylcitrate, tributylcitrate and trihexylcitrate, 2-(2-Butoxyethoxy)ethyl acetate, and 1,4-Cyclohexyldimethylene bis(2-ethylhexanoate), benzoic acid esters such as octyl benzoate, aliphatic amides such as N,N-diethyl lauramide, N,N-Diethyldodecanamide, N,N-Dibutyldodecanamide, mono and polyvalent alcohols such as oleyl alcohol and glycerin monooleate, and alkyl phenols such as p-dodecyl phenol and 2,4-di-t-butyl or 2,4-di-t-pentyl phenol. Commonly used coupler solvents are the phthalate esters, which can be used alone or in combination with one another or with other coupler solvents. Selection of the particular coupler solvent has been found to have an influence on the activity of the coupler as well as the hue and stability of the dye formed on coupling. In accordance with certain embodiments, the compounds of Formula I may be advantageously used to partly or totally replace conventional high boiling solvents in dispersing the dye-forming couplers in the photographic elements of the invention.
Typically the amount of compound I used will range from about 0.05 to about 4.0 moles per mole of coupler, preferably from about 0.1 to 2.5 moles per mole of coupler. The coupler is typically coated in the element at a coverage of from 0.25 mmol/m2 to 2.0 mmol/m2, and preferably at a coverage of from 0.40 to 1.2 mmol/m2. When a conventional permanent coupler solvent is employed, it typically is present in an amount of 0.1 to 5.0 mg/mg coupler, and preferably in an amount of 0.25 to 2.0 mg/mg coupler.
To further enhance the stability of the dyes formed in photographic elements in accordance with the invention, additional conventional stabilizing compounds may also be included. In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment, the use of compounds of Formula I in combination with conventional substituted phenolic yellow dye stabilizers, and in particular substituted bisphenol based stabilizers, have been found to unexpectedly provide beneficial yellow formed dye light stability.
Substituted bisphenol light stabilizer compounds which may be used in accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention generally comprise bisphenol derivatives having two linked phenol rings wherein at least one of the phenol rings is substituted as described in the references cited above. Preferably, at least one of the phenolic hydroxy groups is also substituted with a blocking group. Such preferred blocked bisphenolic compounds are preferably of the following Formula II:
wherein A represents an alkyl (e.g., methyl, ethyl, propyl or butyl), cycloalkyl (e.g., cyclohexyl), alkenyl, aryl (e.g., phenyl), acyl (e.g., acetyl or benzoyl), alkylsulfonyl or arylsulfonyl substituent group, X represents a single bond or a bivalent linking group (e.g., an alkylidene group such as methyline, butylidine, or 3,3,5-trimethylhexylidene, or a heteroatom such as oxygen, sulfur, selenium, or tellurium, or a sulfonyl or phosphinyl group), and each R independently represents one or more alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, or aryl substituent group, such as described for A above, or in combination with the benzene ring to which it is attached represents the atoms necessary to complete a fused ring system. Each A, X and R substituent or linking group may be further substituted or unsubstituted. Specific examples of such blocked bisphenolic compounds, along with synthesis techniques, are disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,782,011 and 5,426,021, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Additional substituted phenolic stabilizers which may be advantageously used in combination with the invention include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,091,294, 5,284,742, 5,935,773 and EP 0 310 551 and EP 0 310 552. When used in combination with compounds of the Formula I, the substituted phenolic stabilizers may be used at similar concentrations. Preferably, the molar ratio of compound of Formula I to substituted phenolic light stabilizer compound is from 1:12 to 25:1. The compounds of Formula I may also be used in combination with thiomorpholine compounds as described in EP 1 116 997. While it is an advantage of the invention that improved light stability may obviate the need for polymeric latex materials as light stabilizers, they may also be incorporated if desired. Specifically, the polymer latex materials as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,159 may be employed.
To obtain a satisfactory color and tonal balance as photographic images fade on exposure to light, it is important to achieve a balanced rate of density loss from yellow, magenta and cyan dyes. It is particularly desirable to produce a balanced rate of yellow and magenta dye loss in order to maintain a pleasing reproduction of skin tones. In accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention, a balanced rate of fade can be achieved using a yellow dye-forming layer comprising a stabilizer combination in accordance with preferred embodiments of this invention in combination with a magenta dye-forming coupler layer comprising highly-stable pyrazolotriazole coupler.
The yellow, cyan and magenta dye forming couplers that may be used in the elements of the invention can be defined as being 4-equivalent or 2-equivalent depending on the number of atoms of Ag+ required to form one molecule of dye. A 4-equivalent coupler can generally be converted into a 2-equivalent coupler by replacing a hydrogen at the coupling site with a different coupling-off group. Coupling-off groups are well known in the art. Such groups can modify the reactivity of the coupler. Such groups can advantageously affect the layer in which the coupler is coated, or other layers in the photographic recording material, by performing, after release from the coupler, functions such as dye formation, dye hue adjustment, development acceleration or inhibition, bleach acceleration or inhibition, electron transfer facilitation, color correction and the like. Representative classes of such coupling-off groups include, for example, chloro, alkoxy, aryloxy, hetero-oxy, sulfonyloxy, acyloxy, acyl, heterocyclyl, sulfonamido, mercaptotetrazole, benzothiazole, alkylthio (such as mercaptopropionic acid), arylthio, phosphonyloxy and arylazo. These coupling-off groups are described in the art, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,455,169; 3,227,551; 3,432,521; 3,476,563; 3,617,291; 3,880,661; 4,052,212 and 4,134,766; and in U.K. Patents and published Application Nos. 1,466,728; 1,531,927; 1,533,039; 2,006,755A and 2,017,704A, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
To control the migration of various components coated in a photographic layer, including couplers, it may be desirable to include a high molecular weight hydrophobe or xe2x80x9cballastxe2x80x9d group in the component molecule. Representative ballast groups include substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl groups containing 8 to 40 carbon atoms. Representative substituents on such groups include alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkylthio, hydroxy, halogen, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxcarbonyl, carboxy, acyl, acyloxy, amino, anilino, carbonamido (also known as acylamino), carbamoyl, alkylsulfonyl, arysulfonyl, sulfonamido, and sulfamoyl groups wherein the substituents typically contain 1 to 40 carbon atoms. Such substituents can also be further substituted. Alternatively, the molecule can be made immobile by attachment to polymeric backbone.
Photographic elements of this invention can have the structures and components described in an article titled xe2x80x9cTypical and Preferred Color Paper, Color Negative, and Color Reversal Photographic Elements and Processing,xe2x80x9d published in Research Disclosure, February 1995, Item 37038, pages 79-114. Research Disclosure is published by Kenneth Mason Publications, Ltd., Dudley Annex, 12a North Street, Emsworth, Hampshire P010 7DQ, ENGLAND. A typical multicolor photographic element of this invention comprises a support bearing a cyan dye image-forming unit comprised of at least one red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith at least one cyan dye-forming coupler, a magenta dye image-forming unit comprising at least one green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith at least one magenta dye-forming coupler, and a yellow dye image-forming unit comprising at least one blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith at least one yellow dye-forming coupler. The element can contain additional layers, such as filter layers, interlayers, overcoat layers, subbing layers, and the like. All of these can be coated on a support which can be transparent or reflective. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is directed towards a photographic element that may be displayed for extended periods under illuminated conditions, such as a color paper photographic element which comprises photographic layers coated on a reflective support. Photographic elements of the present invention may also usefully include a magnetic recording material as described in Research Disclosure, Item 34390, November 1992, or a transparent magnetic recording layer such as a layer containing magnetic particles on the underside of a transparent support as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,945 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,523.
While the order of the color sensitive layers in a photographic element in accordance with various embodiments of the invention can be varied, they will normally be red-sensitive, green-sensitive and blue-sensitive, in that order on a transparent support, (that is, blue sensitive furthest from the support) and the reverse order on a reflective support being typical. The element typically will have a total thickness (excluding the support) of from 5 to 30 microns.
This invention also contemplates the use of photographic elements of the present invention in what are often referred to as single use cameras (or xe2x80x9cfilm with lensxe2x80x9d units). These cameras are sold with film preloaded in them and the entire camera is returned to a processor with the exposed film remaining inside the camera. Such cameras may have glass or plastic lenses through which the photographic element is exposed.
In the following discussion of suitable materials for use in elements of this invention, reference will be made to Research Disclosure, September 1994, Number 365, Item 36544, which will be identified hereafter by the term xe2x80x9cResearch Disclosure Ixe2x80x9d The Sections hereafter referred to are Sections of the Research Disclosure I.
The silver halide emulsions employed in the elements of this invention can be either negative-working, such as surface-sensitive emulsions or unfogged internal latent image forming emulsions, or direct positive emulsions of the unfogged, internal latent image forming type which are positive working when development is conducted with uniform light exposure or in the presence of a nucleating agent. Suitable emulsions and their preparation as well as methods of chemical and spectral sensitization are described in Sections I through V. Color materials and development modifiers are described in Sections V through XX. Vehicles which can be used in the elements of the present invention are described in Section II, and various additives such as brighteners, antifoggants, stabilizers, light absorbing and scattering materials, hardeners, coating aids, plasticizers, lubricants and matting agents are described, for example, in Sections VI through X and XI through XIV. Manufacturing methods are described in all of the sections, other layers and supports in Sections XI and XIV, processing methods and agents in Sections XIX and XX, and exposure alternatives in Section XVI.
With negative working silver halide a negative image can be formed. Optionally a positive (or reversal) image can be formed although a negative image is typically first formed.
The photographic elements of the present invention may also use colored couplers (e.g. to adjust levels of interlayer correction) and masking couplers such as those described in EP 213 490; Japanese Published Application 58-172,647; U.S. Pat. No. 2,983,608; German Application DE 2,706,117; U.K. Patent 1,530,272; Japanese Application A-1 13935; U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,191 and German Application DE 2,643,965. The masking couplers may be shifted or blocked.
The photographic elements may also contain materials that accelerate or otherwise modify the processing steps of bleaching or fixing to improve the quality of the image. Bleach accelerators described in EP 193 389; EP 301 477; U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,669; U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,956; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,784 are particularly useful. Also contemplated is the use of nucleating agents, development accelerators or their precursors (UK Patent 2,097,140; U.K. Patent 2,131,188); electron transfer agents (U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,578; U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,025); antifogging and anti color-mixing agents such as derivatives of hydroquinones, aminophenols, amines, gallic acid; catechol, ascorbic acid; hydrazides; sulfonamidophenols; and non color-forming couplers.
The elements may also contain filter dye layers comprising colloidal silver sol or yellow and/or magenta filter dyes and/or antihalation dyes (particularly in an undercoat beneath all light sensitive layers or in the side of the support opposite that on which all light sensitive layers are located) either as oil-in-water dispersions, latex dispersions or as solid particle dispersions. Additionally, they may be used with xe2x80x9csmearingxe2x80x9d couplers (e.g. as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,237; EP 096 570; U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,556; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,323.) Also, the couplers may be blocked or coated in protected form as described, for example, in Japanese Application 61/258,249 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,492.
The photographic elements may further contain other image-modifying compounds such as developer inhibitor releasing compounds (DIR""s).
The elements of the present invention may be employed to obtain reflection color prints as described in Research Disclosure, November 1979, Item 18716, incorporated herein by reference. The emulsions and materials to form elements of the present invention, may be coated on pH adjusted support as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,994; with epoxy solvents (EP 0 164 961); with additional stabilizers (as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,165, U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,653 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,559); with ballasted chelating agents such as those in U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,359 to reduce sensitivity to polyvalent cations such as calcium; and with stain reducing compounds such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,171 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,805. Other compounds useful in the elements of the invention are disclosed in Japanese Published Patent Applications 83/09,959; 83/62,586; 90/072,629, 90/072,630; 90/072,632; 90/072,633; 90/072,634; 90/077,822; 90/078,229; 90/078,230; 90/079,336; 90/079,338; 90/079,690; 90/079,691; 90/080,487; 90/080,489; 90/080,490; 90/080,491; 90/080,492; 90/080,494; 90/085,928; 90/086,669; 90/086,670; 90/087,361; 90/087,362; 90/087,363; 90/087,364; 90/088,096; 90/088,097; 90/093,662; 90/093,663; 90/093,664; 90/093,665; 90/093,666; 90/093,668; 90/094,055; 90/094,056; 90/101,937; 90/103,409; 90/151,577.
The silver halide emulsion grains to be used in the invention may be prepared according to methods known in the art, such as those described in Research Disclosure I and James, The Theory of the Photographic Process. These include methods such as ammoniacal emulsion making, neutral or acidic emulsion making, and others known in the art. These methods generally involve mixing a water soluble silver salt with a water soluble halide salt in the presence of a protective colloid, and controlling the temperature, pAg, pH values, etc, at suitable values during formation of the silver halide by precipitation.
The silver halide to be used in the invention may be advantageously subjected to chemical sensitization with noble metal (for example, gold) sensitizers, middle chalcogen (for example, sulfur) sensitizers, reduction sensitizers and others known in the art. Compounds and techniques useful for chemical sensitization of silver halide are known in the art and described in Research Disclosure I and the references cited therein.
The photographic elements of the present invention, as is typical, provide the silver halide in the form of an emulsion. Photographic emulsions generally include a vehicle for coating the emulsion as a layer of a photographic element. Useful vehicles include both naturally occurring substances such as proteins, protein derivatives, cellulose derivatives (e.g., cellulose esters), gelatin (e.g., alkali-treated gelatin such as cattle bone or hide gelatin, or acid treated gelatin such as pigskin gelatin), gelatin derivatives (e.g., acetylated gelatin, phthalated gelatin, and the like), and others as described in Research Disclosure I. Also useful as vehicles or vehicle extenders are hydrophilic water-permeable colloids. These include synthetic polymeric peptizers, carriers, and/or binders such as poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinyl lactams), acrylamide polymers, polyvinyl acetals, polymers of alkyl and sulfoalkyl acrylates and methacrylates, hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetates, polyamides, polyvinyl pyridine, methacrylamide copolymers, and the like, as described in Research Disclosure I. The vehicle can be present in the emulsion in any amount useful in photographic emulsions. The emulsion can also include any of the addenda known to be useful in photographic emulsions. These include chemical sensitizers, such as active gelatin, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, gold, platinum, palladium, iridium, osmium, rhenium, phosphorous, or combinations thereof. Chemical sensitization is generally carried out at pAg levels of from 5 to 10, pH levels of from 5 to 8, and temperatures of from 30 to 80xc2x0 C., as illustrated in Research Disclosure, June 1975, item 13452 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,031.
The silver halide may be sensitized by sensitizing dyes by any method known in the art, such as described in Research Disclosure I. The dye may be added to an emulsion of the silver halide grains and a hydrophilic colloid at any time prior to (e.g., during or after chemical sensitization) or simultaneous with the coating of the emulsion on a photographic element. The dye/silver halide emulsion may be mixed with a dispersion of color image-forming coupler immediately before coating or in advance of coating (for example, 2 hours).
Photographic elements of the present invention are preferably imagewise exposed using any of the known techniques, including those described in Research Disclosure I, section XVI. This typically involves exposure to light in the visible region of the spectrum, and typically such exposure is of a live image through a lens, although exposure can also be exposure to a stored image (such as a computer stored image) by means of light emitting devices (such as light emitting diodes, CRT and the like).
Photographic elements comprising the composition of the invention can be processed in any of a number of well-known photographic processes utilizing any of a number of well-known processing compositions, described, for example, in Research Disclosure I, or in T. H. James, editor, The Theory of the Photographic Process, 4th Edition, Macmillan, New York, 1977. In the case of processing a negative working element, the element is treated with a color developer (that is one which will form the colored image dyes with the color couplers), and then with a oxidizer and a solvent to remove silver and silver halide. In the case of processing a reversal color element, the element is first treated with a black and white developer (that is, a developer which does not form colored dyes with the coupler compounds) followed by a treatment to fog unexposed silver halide (usually chemical or light fogging), followed by treatment with a color developer. Preferred color developing agents are p-phenylenediamines. Especially preferred are: 4-amino-N,N-diethylaniline hydrochloride, 4-amino-3-methyl-N,N-diethylaniline hydrochloride, 4-amino-3-methyl-N-ethyl-N-(b-(methanesulfonamido) ethylaniline sesquisulfate hydrate, 4-amino-3-methyl-N-ethyl-N-(b-hydroxyethyl)aniline sulfate, 4-amino-3-b-(methanesulfonamido)ethyl-N,N-diethylaniline hydrochloride and 4-amino-N-ethyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl)-m-toluidine di-p-toluene sulfonic acid.
Development is followed by bleach-fixing, to remove silver or silver halide, washing and drying. Bleaching and fixing can be performed with any of the materials known to be used for that purpose. Bleach baths generally comprise an aqueous solution of an oxidizing agent such as water soluble salts and complexes of iron (III)(e.g., potassium ferricyanide, ferric chloride, ammonium or potassium salts of ferric ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), water-soluble persulfates (e.g., potassium, sodium, or ammonium persulfate), water-soluble dichromates (e.g., potassium, sodium, and lithium dichromate), and the like. Fixing baths generally comprise an aqueous solution of compounds that form soluble salts with silver ions, such as sodium thiosulfate, ammonium thiosulfate, potassium thiocyanate, sodium thiocyanate, thiourea, and the like.
The photographic elements comprising stabilizers in accordance with this invention may be processed in amplification processes that use developer/amplifier solutions described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,624, for example. When processed in this way, the low volume, thin tank processing system and apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,118 preferably is employed.

Photographic element with dye-forming coupler and image dye stabilizing compound

Abstract: wherein n=0-6 and each R is independently hydrogen, an aromatic, cyclic, linear or branched chain hydrocarbon group, NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3, or ORxe2x80x2; where Rxe2x80x2 is an aromatic, cyclic, linear or branched chain hydrocarbon group and Rxe2x80x3 is hydrogen or an aromatic, cyclic, linear or branched chain hydrocarbon group. Photographic elements of the present invention upon exposure and photographic processing exhibit good activity and yield dye images that have unexpected and substantial improvements in the stability of the formed image dyes.


A pressing tool (13) includes a fluid pump (4), a cylinder element (5) arranged connecting with this and a piston which can be slid forward in the cylinder element (5) by pressure fluid of the fluid pump (4) and reset by a return spring (20a). A piston rod (6) is passed out to the cylinder element (5) as an activation part. The pressing tool (13) is moreover outfitted with a position measuring device (12, 12a; 112, 212, 212a) which measures without contact which makes the piston position continuously detectable over a positioning range free of disturbance and with a presence sensor (52). The presence sensor (52) verifies the presence of a jointing clamp (51) and issues an indicator signal in the event that a jointing clamp (51) is missing or improperly fastened and shuts the pressing tool (13) off following a delay period to the extent that no orderly inserted jointing clamp (51) is yet available. The pressing tool (13) can also characterize the quality of the extrusion on the basis of the comparison of a detected maximal piston end position with a specified piston position range value.

The invention relates to a pressing tool for jointing clamps of various sizes.
Pressing tools for pressing casing-like press fittings home on pipe ends must guarantee that the jointing clamps always press the press fitting home properly. For the common press fitting diameters, appropriate jointing clamps are insertable in any given case into the pressing tool. Because great forces are required for pressing home, a hydraulic cylinder is used for actuating the jointing clamps in various known pressing tools. Embodiments are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,324 where an electric motor drives a hydraulic cylinder. The fluid acted upon by pressure is guided into a hollow cylinder to activate a piston which activates the pressing tool or the jointing clamp. A compact activation unit arises through the pump with electric motor arranged directly on the lifting cylinder. At the end of the pressing process, excessive pressure arises in the cylinder, which leads to opening the excess pressure valve and therewith to ending the pressing process. The piston is reset by a return spring while recirculating the liquid into a collection area. Monitoring complete pressing home takes place through the threshold pressure which is necessary for opening the excess pressure valve. Different forces of pressure are needed for optimal pressing home of various press fittings in any given case. With a pressing tool which generates a force which goes beyond the necessary pressing force due to a fixed threshold pressure for all pressing processes between the open dies, a large proportion of the force is absorbed by the open dies. These must correspondingly be constructed with excessive dimensions and are subject to increased abrasion. If the open dies jam, then the threshold pressure, and consequently the end of the pressing process, can be reached without the press fitting being pressed home correctly.
From DE 297 14 753 U1, a pressing tool with two interacting open dies is known where a spacing receiver is constructed between the open dies. Here a relocatably mounted plastic stop pin pressed from the outside by a spring from the first open die projects against a stop face of the second open die. If the open dies are moved toward one another, the pin is pressed into the first open die by the stop face. A metal casing fixed upon the pin is moved over the area of two sensors when the bolt is moved. The oscillating circuits of the sensors are detuned on the basis of an eddy current induction when a metal casing is placed significantly close. Three different fastening bolt position ranges can be recorded. In a first position range, the casing is only in the vicinity of the first sensor. In a second position range, casing segments are in the vicinity of both sensors. In a third position range, the casing is only in the proximity of the second sensor. The casing and the sensors are now dimensioned or set at a distance such that the first position range is allocated to bringing the open dies together before the pressing process. The second position range is allocated to the pressing process and reaching the third position range corresponds to the end of the pressing process.
This spacing receiver can consequently be used for ending the pressing process. Here, entering into a specified position range is recorded for ending the pressing process between the open dies. All usable jointing clamps must consequently have a spacing receiver. After inserting a jointing clamp, the spacing receiver must be connected with the control unit of the pressing tool. The advantage of a jointing clamp position recording is associated with the disadvantage of the expensive construction of the jointing clamp and the expense of a separate electrical connection of the jointing clamp to the pressing tool.
A crimping tool for pressing home electrical cables with connections is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,679 which supplies the activation pressure when two grips are pressed together with a pump cylinder. During extrusion, a tamping tool connected to the press plunger is moved against a crimp anvil by the press plunger In order to be able to measure the position of the stamping tool, an electrical resistor strip is provided on the crimping tool and contact elements which can be slid over it are provided on the press cylinder. Owing to contamination or oxidation of the resistor strips, false positional values can be recorded. With false positional values, even the quality of the pressure can be falsely indicated, which impairs an efficient operation with the crimping tool. Moreover, no casings can be pressed home.
Underlying the invention is the objective of finding a safely operating pressing tool. In addition, a pressing process with such a pressing tool should guarantee that the pressing can be safely implemented with all insertable jointing clamps.
In accomplishing the objective, it was recognized that with a contact-free or contactless measuring position measuring device which makes the piston position continuously recordable over a positioning range. The current piston position can be determined with certainty at least at one point in time. It thus does not need to be fixed in advance at which position a jointing clamp present check should be conducted by the positioning of a presence sensor. Any desired piston position can be recorded within the positioning range. Because the position recording takes place contact-free or without contacts, no disturbances can occur owing to contaminated sliding contacts. The at least one point in time in which the position should be measured depends upon the activation process. In extruding a press fitting, the piston position is preferably recorded when the threshold pressure is reached, directly before a return valve is opened, or forwarded to a control unit or comparison unit. This piston position is a measure for the quality of the extrusion because the maximal feed obtained is associated with most narrow open die position derivable from the open die shape or mounting or by the open die parameters. If the threshold pressure is reached before complete extrusion, then in this way a piston position is detected which does not correspond to a specified piston position range value, or which does not lie in a tolerance range around the piston position range value. On the basis of the comparison of the piston position recorded with at least one lower range threshold, the quality of the extrusion can be characterized.
With the preferred embodiment of the pressing tool, the result of the comparison is used to initiate a two-valued indication. With a complete extrusion, for example, a green signal is turned on and/or with an incomplete extrusion, for example, a red signal is turned on. It is obvious that, instead of an indication, a signal tone can also be provided. If attaining an effective open die position is being examined, errors which arise in connection with a pressure monitoring can be ruled out. The jointing clamps require no spacing receiver. Any number of standard jointing clamps can be used. The pressing process can be conducted independently of position monitoring whereby, however, position recording serves to monitor the quality of extrusion.
If need be, however, the position measuring device is connected with the control unit of the pressing tool. Then the drive of the fluid pump and/or at least one valve of the fluid conduit system can be controlled independently of a recorded piston position. Preferably, the pressing process is ended upon reaching a piston position necessary for complete extrusion. In this way, building up a standard threshold pressure can be dispensed with. In addition to process control on the basis of continuous monitoring to the piston position, and in particular current open die parameters, a magnitude derived from piston positions, such as piston speed or piston acceleration, can be used to influence the course of the process.
The pressing tools in accordance with the state of the art can be used with many different interchangeable jointing clamps. The various jointing clamps are constructed for pressing copper and steel fittings with diameters of 12, 15, 18, 22, 28, 35, and 54 mm, or for joining plastic pipes with diameters of 16, 20, 25, 32 mm. In addition to these standard magnitudes, special jointing clamps are also known for connections with diameters of 76.1, 88.9 and 108 mm. It is evident that the insertable jointing clamps can have any desired pressing diameter. In accordance with the respective guide of the open die motion and the connection to the piston rod, a coordination between the desired position of the open die in connection with complete extrusion and the piston position necessary for this for all jointing clamps is to be determined.
If the piston position required for the various jointing clamp sizes is different, then preferably a recording unit is provided which makes a jointing clamp coordination, preferably a piston end position or a range for it, inputtable or recordable. In this way, it should be guaranteed that the comparison of the recorded piston position always takes place with the correct position range value for the jointing clamps used. For this, the measuring unit is connected with the control or comparison unit.
If the operators must input the identification for the current jointing clamp on the recording unit, then a monitoring device can be provided which requires inputting the identification of the new jointing clamp when changing a jointing clamp or when inserting the fastening bolt. The recording unit is, however, preferably equipped with a sensor device and can therewith automatically identify or record the jointing clamp inserted, especially the piston end position allocated to it. The identification should take place free of contacts or without contacts because otherwise disturbances can occur due to contamination, oxidation or short circuit. A preferred solution provides that the sensor device includes at least one Hall sensor allocated to the pressing tool which identifies the jointing clamp or the corresponding piston end position on the basis of the magnetic field originating jointing clamp. Disturbances of jointing clamp coordination as a function of contamination or moisture can be ruled out by measuring of a magnetic field characteristic. In order to make 32 different jointing clamp coordinations possible with little expenditure, the possibility of installing a permanent magnet or coordination magnet is provided at about five positions on the jointing clamp. For this, blind bore holes are created. The positions for coordination magnets lie opposite appropriately arranged coordination Hall sensors when the jointing clamp is inserted so that the coordination Hall sensors make the presence of coordination magnets possible. A greater number of coordinations is made possible through a larger number of Hall sensors and positions for magnets.
If a jointing clamp characterization is used as a coordination, then the pressing tool must assign a piston position range value to each jointing clamp characterization in order to be able to compare the current piston position with this range value characterizing a complete extrusion at the end of the pressing process. With such a two-stage coordination, the problem emerges, however, that the tables of the pressing tool are supposed to be supplemented in connection with the appearance of new jointing clamp types. It has become apparent that the most efficient coordination possible does not emerge from recognizing the type of the jointing clamp, but rather directly from the recognition or coordination of the piston or the piston position range value. If thus the coordination classes described as above by means of five magnet positions 25, or 32, then 32 different piston position range values can be defined in the pressing tools. The jointing clamps to be recognized must then in any given case be attributed to one of these 32 classes. This assignment is possible for new types of jointing clamps and even for jointing clamps from other manufacturers as long as the piston end position required lies in a predefined range. Then it only needs to be guaranteed for the proper range value allocation that the jointing clamp is provided with magnets at the right places. It would also be possible, if need be, for the user of such pressing tools to be able to construct a coordination himself by applying blind bore holes and pressing in the magnets.
With a coordination of the piston position range value of this type, it is possible for jointing clamps of wholly different sizes to be characterized identically because the piston end position for these jointing clamps lies in the same range. Because the overall range in which the piston position range values of current jointing clamps only extends over ca. 20 mm, a coordination with 32 part ranges suffices. With a less fine distribution, fewer than five positions for magnets would suffice. With a larger overall range and/or more narrow part ranges, more than five positions could also be provided for coordination magnets. At the end of each pressing process, the current piston end position is compared with the piston end range value allocated to the jointing clamp. If the current position end value of the piston lies under the piston position range value or beneath the allocated tolerance range, then the jointing clamp was not completely closed, which is indicated preferably by a warning signal. If the current position end value lies above the piston position value range or above the allocated tolerance range, the jointing clamp is deformed or broken which once again is preferably indicated by means of a warning signal. This can also, if need be, lead to switching the pressing tool off.
The lifting cylinder device of the pressing tool is an activation module which makes great forces available in the piston feed direction, and makes any desired piston positions exactly measurable over the entire positioning range on the basis of the position measuring device. Because the cylinder element is arranged connecting directly to the fluid pump with drive, a compact construction results. The fluid conduits and at least one valve are arranged in the joining area of the pump and the cylinder element. The drive is preferably connected through a power transmission with the pump and can be adapted to the use in question. The drive motor of the pump is preferably an electric pump whose actuation is connected with the control unit of the lifting cylinder device. This control unit makes the triggering of a desired activation sequence through an actuation connection. A resetting element, especially a return spring, is arranged preferably in the cylinder element for resetting the piston. The piston rod is guided from the cylinder element as an activation part.
In order to use the cylinder space as optimally as possible with a hydraulically activated piston, a fluid receiving area is constructed on the side of the cylinder facing away from the activation pressure, thus in the region with the return spring. For this, the cylinder element is tightly closed off on both front faces. The piston rod is correspondingly passed through a seal.
The position measuring device which measures free of contacts or without contacts makes possible, preferably, a distance measurement between the cylinder element and the piston, whereby preferably a Hall sensor and a magnet or a position Hall sensor and a position magnet, if necessary a laser interference or laser diffusion distance sensor and a reflection surface are arranged or constructed on each one of the two elements. When using a Hall sensor, this is preferably fastened on the cylinder element in the region of the front face, especially on the front face with pressure fluid feed. The magnet or position magnet is arranged on the piston. The magnetic field strength in connection with the Hall sensor or position Hall sensor, which measures this, depends upon the piston position or on the position of the magnets. A piston position can now be allocated to each value of the Hall sensor by means of a calibrating curve. Care must be taken in connection with the placement of the Hall sensor and the magnets that an unambiguous coordination between the measured value of the Hall sensor and the piston position is guaranteed in the entire desired position range. The distance measurement with the Hall sensor can be conducted sufficiently accurately with economical and small components.
With laser interference measurement and laser diffusion measurement, the laser light reaches from one front face of the cylinder element over a reflection on the piston back to the front face again. The piston position is determined from the phase shift between the outgoing beam and the beam reflected on the piston with interference measurement. With laser diffusion measurement, the intensity of the light reflected on the piston is used as a measure for the piston position. In addition to distance measurements with light, analogous measurement devices with high frequency ultrasound are possible, whereby then, however, problems can arise due to pressure oscillations in the pressure fluid because the speed of sound propagation depends upon pressure. Moreover, the laser and ultrasound systems are still relatively expensive at this time, so that measurement with a Hall sensor is preferable.
In addition to effective distance measurement, the position measurement device with position readings, especially with an increment scanner, is very widespread and correspondingly beneficial. For this, a reading head must be movable along a scale. When measuring the piston position in the cylinder element, the reading head is fastened preferably on the cylinder element owing to the connecting cable. Correspondingly, the scale is fastened on the piston or on the piston rod, or is set in motion by this by a transmission of motion. Since the piston rod is guided through a seal in a preferred, compact construction of the lifting cylinder device, the scale must also be passed through this seal. The reading head is then arranged on one of the two sides of the seal. The scanning takes place optically or inductively. Since inductive scanning is possible without problems on a band with locally different magnetization, an inductive scanning is consequently preferred. Such magnetized measurement bands are robust and can perhaps be pressed into fitting depressions in the piston rod so that the piston rod can be sealed off.
A further aspect is that, in order to increase safety for operators as well as for the pressing tool, and to increase the quality of extrusion, a jointing clamp presence check is helpful. The pressing process is not conducted flawlessly when the jointing clamp is improperly inserted, and the forces arising can damage the pressing tool. Operating personnel can also be injured in this context. This jointing clamp presence monitor can be installed in pressing tools independently of the piston position measuring device.
The jointing clamp presence check prevents initiating a pressing process as long as no jointing clamp is inserted into the fork-shaped connection element. If no jointing clamp inserted in an orderly manner is available after a specified delay period and repeated jointing clamp monitoring, the pressing tool is returned to the initial state. Once the pressing process has been initiated, then the jointing clamp presence check leads to an interruption of the pressing process if the joint tool no longer sits correctly in its anchoring. With this jointing clamp presence monitoring, the same applies as with jointing clamp coordination. It should be a check which functions even with strong contamination and in a moist environment. Therefore a sensor which measures without contact, which makes a field property determinable, which is clearly distinguishable when the jointing clamp is present and absent [is required]. For this, for example, a presence magnet can be provided on the jointing clamp which is recordable by a presence Hall sensor of the pressing tool. Because even old jointing clamps or jointing clamps by other manufactures should be installable, it is, however, advantageous to install an inductive sensor for jointing clamp presence monitoring which makes the presence of any desired jointing clamp detectable. But other sensors or mechanical switches can also be installed which respond upon contact.
If the jointing clamp is present, it must in addition be assured that the fastening bolt which connects the jointing clamp with the pressing tool is properly installed. Since it was established that a pure bolt latching check guarantees no sufficient security against a partial insertion, or in the worst case with the fastening bolt sliding out, a bolt latching check is described with which a completely installed fastening bolt can be moved or rotated into a latching position which is monitorable. A sensor which measures without contact should be used which makes a field characteristic determinable which is clearly distinguishable in connection with the presence or absence of securing the fastening bolt. For this, a latching element of the fastening blot nay be provided with a latching magnet which in the latched state or in the latching position bounds upon a latching sensor in the pressing tool. If the latching sensor detects a magnet, then the fastening bolt is in the latching position. It is obvious that instead of the Hall sensor, for example an inductive sensor can also be used. Since the fastening bolt belongs to the pressing tool, one may proceed from the assumption that the pressing tool is always outfitted with a fastening bolt with latching magnets.
In order to be able to check with little expenditure whether the jointing clamp is properly or securely installed, the presence sensor and the latching sensor are arranged in a series or circuit. The pressing tool is preferably only activatable if the jointing clamp is installed and the fastening bolt is latched. If need be, however, the presence of the jointing clamp is provided for the activatability of the pressing tool, and fastening bolt which is not latched leads to an acoustic and/or optical warning signal. If, despite the warning signal, a pressing process is triggered, then the unbraked piston motion can lead to damage to the pressing tool. In order to retain the reason for such damage for guarantee or product liability questions, it is appropriate to store the activation without secured fastening bolt in a fault storage.
Since the possibility of insertion of a jointing clamp without fastening bolts is more difficult than installing a fastening bolt without jointing clamp, the jointing clamp presence check is more secure with relation to the jointing clamp as a condition for the ability to implement a pressing process than checking whether a fastening bolt is inserted or latched.
A pressing tool with a latching sensor which measures without contact, preferably with a Hall sensor, is also new and inventive independently of a position measuring device. The detection of the latching or a securing measure has the advantage in relation to the state of the art in accordance with European patent application No. 95810595.9-2306 that an undesired motion or falling out of the fastening bolt can be ruled out. Further advantageous embodiments arise in combination with a presence sensor which have already been described above on the basis of the pressing tool with the position measuring device. Here it should be considered that, in addition to the presence of the latching sensor and if need be the presence sensor, their usexe2x80x94as will be discussed by way of example belowxe2x80x94is also new and inventive in the pressing process, especially independently of the use of the piston position detection and/or jointing clamp coordination.
With the sensors described above for the jointing clamp presence check, the bolt latching monitoring and the coordination detection, a pressing process can be conducted in connection with which the extrusion is securely implementable with all installable jointing clamps. The pressing process includes initializing steps or tests after turning on the pressing tool. Before a pressing process is rendered capable of being triggered, a jointing clamp presence check takes place which detects whether a jointing clamp is installed or not. If no jointing clamp is present, an acoustic and/or optical indication signal is triggered and subsequently the jointing clamp presence check is conducted again. If still no jointing clamp is installed, or is defectively installed following a delay period, the pressing tool is returned to the initial state by a delay period facility. The pressing tool cannot be started. In order to initiate a pressing process again, a jointing clamp must be introduced into the pressing tool and fastened to the pressing tool by means of the fastening bolt. In the event that a jointing clamp was already present, care must be taken that the jointing clamp in correctly inserted into the connection element. If it is detected in the jointing clamp presence check that a jointing clamp is installed, then a coordination detection is conducted after a short delay time. Here a standard range or standard values are allocated in connection with defective coordination. As a further check prior to approval of the triggerability of a pressing process, a bolt latching check is conducted. For conducting the latching check, the pressing tool includes at least one sensor, especially one which measures without contact. If the fastening bolt is not latched, or in the securing position, this is detected by the latching sensor and indicated at least with an acoustic and/or optical warning signal. If need be, the bolt latching check is repeated until the fastening bolt is latched or secured. Following successful implementation of these surveillance steps, the pressing tool is ready for triggering a pressing process.
The pressing process is associated with further monitoring checks. For this, reaching a pressure valuexe2x80x94in particular, the time elapsed until a pressure value is reachedxe2x80x94is monitored in the lifting cylinder device. When this pressure value is reached, the current piston position is detected and a resetting procedure is conducted to reset the piston. A time control determines whether the time required to attain the pressure value lies above a specified threshold time. If this is the case, then an acoustic and/or optical warning signal is triggered and preferably an appropriate error code is stored. If the piston end position detected does not correspond to the piston position range value corresponding to the coordination detected or does not lie within the appropriate tolerance range, then an acoustic and/or optical warning signal is triggered and preferably an appropriate error code is stored.
Before a further pressing process is made triggerable, the sequence described above with a jointing clamp presence check, a coordination check and a bolt latching monitoring takes place again. In order to prevent the possibility of a jointing clamp being removed after these control operations and a pressing process being subsequently triggered, the monitoring steps are repeated at specified intervals of time or, if need be, in connection with the triggering activation for a pressing process. If during a specified maximal resting time no pressing process is triggered, then the pressing tool is shut off.

Pressing tool and pressing process for extruding press fittings


Conventional skipping ropes have a generally elongate handle swivellably mounted on each end of the rope which is held by the user between the fingers and palms. In accordance with the invention, the handle is shaped like a “T” with the vertical stroke of the T being, at one end, swivellably connected to the rope, and also being, at the other end, connected to the crosspiece, a.k.a. transverse portion, of the T. The handle may be held with the crosspiece of the T situated between fingers and palm and with the vertical “stroke”, a.k.a. elongate portion, extending between two fingers. The crosspiece a.k.a. transverse portion of the handle is asymmetric, and thereby adapted to fit to a hand which is holding the handle with the vertical a.k.a. elongate portion passing between two fingers other than the second (index) and third (middle) fingers. This gives a more comfortable and effective skipping position, which allows the transverse portion of the handle to be in contact with all the fingers and/or the full width of the palm.

Skipping or jumping ropes have been known for centuries and constitute both a children's activity plaything and a serious device for promoting health and fitness. The exercise of "skipping" (also known as "jumping rope") is one which can have substantial beneficial effects. It is particularly practiced by boxers in order to build up muscle strength and tone as well as sharpening reactions.
Conventional skipping ropes consist of a length of flexible material such as rope or a plastics substitute for rope with a handle at each end.
Generally speaking, the handle is an elongate member which, if held up by the rope, extends vertically. While not absolutely necessary, most skipping ropes enable the rope to swivel about the elongate axis of the handle in order that, as the loop of rope is turned around the body of the person skipping during that activity, it does not undergo twisting.
The conventional disposition of handles and swivel mechanisms is not ideal, particularly for serious skipping, for a number of reasons:
First the holding position of the handles is somewhat awkward; with the handles held extending across the palm of the hand, and held against that by the curled fingers and the thumb, in order to position the handle horizontally and with the end from which the rope extends remote from the skippers body, the arms must be turned outwards around their longitudinal axis, i.e. each hand must be supinated, in anatomical terms, such that the thumb is turned away from the body This is not particularly comfortable, compared with the relaxed position of the hands when the arms are simply allowed to hang at a person's sides, where the palms face inwards. This relaxed position, or "rest" position is, in anatomical terms, between the pronated position and supinated position. The rest position is characterized by the palms of each hand each facing inwards towards the body, with the thumbs being on the front side of the body.
Secondly, the swivel mechanism introduces friction and drag which, at high skipping speeds, can be substantial.
Also, at high skipping speeds it is easy for the handle to slip axially within the hand, or even, due to the high pull from the rotating rope, slip out from the hand entirely. If slippage is compensated by the skipper attempting to shift the handle inwards, this can easily lead to the handle being moved so far in that the rotating rope then starts to chafe at the knuckles of the thumb and first finger, which is naturally undesirable. Minimizing or preventing slippage with such a handle is not easy, and often requires the user to clench the grip more tightly.
An approach to address these concerns about conventional skipping ropes is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/774,376, filed 31 Jan. 2001, which discloses a skipping rope characterized by having a handle at each end which consists of an elongate portion attached to one end of the rope and a portion transverse thereto at its outer end. This provides a type of "T-bar" handle, with much improved grip.
When using such a skipping rope, the transverse portion can be held easily effectively in the palm of the hand with the elongate portion extending between two fingers. This gives a much more comfortable skipping position as well as a considerably more slip-proof one, even if the hand becomes sweaty. The transverse portion of the handle nestles within the curled up fingers (which are naturally characteristic of the hand at rest) while the elongate portion extends between two of the fingers. When held in the center of the hand, the elongate portion would pass between the second (middle) and third (ring) fingers. The effective grip, e.g. the ability to retain the handle and to resist the rope attempting to escape the users grip is much stronger, and the distribution of forces is better configured with the base of the fingers taking the strain rather than the forefinger and thumb doing so (as is the case in an ordinary handle which must be firmly gripped by the thumb and forefinger); thus, clenching is not needed, in contrast to the clenching often needed by the user of a conventional handle. This can be of particular importance if the skipper does not have a strong grip, for example due to arthritis, injury or even deformity in the hand or hands. The position is much more secure, being more in the nature of a mechanical interlock than a friction grip. The hands are also held at the sides without twisting the arms, i.e. with the backs (a.k.a. dorsal sides) of the hands facing outwards on opposite sides of the skipper's body; in anatomical terms, it may be said that the hands are held at the sides without requiring supination of the wrist, hand, or arm.
As mentioned above, and as particularly noticed in and disclosed in the aforementioned application Ser. No. 09/774,376, from which the present application is a continuation-in-part, it was found desirable for the elongate portion to extend between two of the fingers, and the transverse portion of the handle to be symmetric with respect to the position of the elongate portion. While such a configuration has many advantages, particularly (but not exclusively) when it is held so that the elongate portion passes between the second (middle) and third (ring) fingers, when the handle is held such that the elongate portion passes between the first (a.k.a. index) and second (a.k.a. middle) fingers the transverse portion is substantially, if not completely, in contact only with the index and middle fingers. Moreover, if that same handle is held such that the elongate portion passes between the third (a.k.a. ring) finger and fourth (a.k.a. little) finger, the transverse portion is substantially, if not completely, in contact only with the ring finger and the little finger. Thus, when the elongate portion of the handle is between the ring and little finger, or between the index finger and middle finger, the user of the handle disclosed in the parent application does not feel the transverse portion across all the fingers of his hand and may subjectively experience this as an uncomfortable feeling and/or a less-than-optimal grip; such a user may prefer feeling a handle with the transverse portion sized so as to be felt across all the fingers of his or her hand. (It should be understood that, with the handle of the above-cited parent application, such a feeling may be provided, if at all, only when the elongate portion is held between the second (middle) and third (ring) fingers of the hand.)

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.