Cast and bandage protector that avoids use of a separate sealing ring and therefore can be folded over upon itself, has suitability for convenient packaging and at the same time still provides an effective waterproof sealing arrangement.

Casts have been used for well over a hundred years to protect set, broken bones. There are two basis types of casts: plaster of paris and more recently, fiberglass. Although more expensive, fiberglass has certain advantages over plaster, such as lighter in weight, generally longer wearing and often more durable.
Regardless of whether a cast is plaster or fiberglass, they typically have cotton padding in their interior facing the patient's skin surface in order to protect the skin and underlying bones from direct contact or pressure caused by the cast. It is important that neither the cast nor the cotton padding get wet. For example, the cast must be kept dry when bathing or showering. Although a fiberglass cast is impervious to water damage, if the cotton lining becomes wet it may cause skin irritation and possible skin breakdown. Also, moisture will cause the skin to become itchy, and the warm moisture may increase the susceptibility to infection. As a result of the above issues, flexible elastic sleeves have been developed which are used to enshroud either the fiberglass or plaster cast. These elastic sleeves are generally known and commonly sold.
One such prior art sleeve is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,945 to Betz issued Feb. 3, 1987. Betz provides an elongated flexible plastic sleeve that uses a gasket-like arrangement formed within a surrounding sealing ring. The problem, however, with such sealing ring gasket configurations is that the ring is usually made of semi-rigid waterproof material, which both increases manufacturing expense and prohibits neat and snug folding within a compact package.
This latter point can be significant since store shelf packaging space is important in getting medical device dispensing stores to shelve a product. Put another way, high manufacturing expense and bulky packaging will prevent general store acceptance for shelf display.
Yet another problem with cast protectors for consumer acceptance is that the sleeve must be configured such that it can be easily put on and taken off, and the sleeve must be able to accommodate casts for the arm, for example, that are just simply forearm casts or for the entire arm that need to accommodate the possibility of a 90° bend, for example, at the elbow. This similar situation exists for the leg, ankle and knee. That is to say that one cast protector needs to be available for the entirety of the arm, whether only a forearm cast or a complete arm cast; and similarly one cast protector size needs to be available for the leg in this same way. The number of variations that need to be manufactured can therefore be lessened, even further decreasing manufacturing expense.
Generally, in order to provide patient movement, the tubular material from which a cast protector is made, must be flexible. However, integrity must not be sacrificed for flexibility, since the protector in combination with the opening seal, must protect against entry of moisture. This can be difficult, since the opening seal or diaphragm must be a highly stretchable diaphragm material to allow it to be pulled over casts of a wide variety of diameters. As a result, the diaphragm must be more stretchable, than the flexible cast cover. Such a difference in stretch properties often results in a tear at the point of sealing of the diaphragm and cast cover.
This invention has as one object the making of a cast cover which has a diaphragm that stretches easily over a cast without tearing away at the attachment point to the actual cast cover.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a waterproof shield or sleeve for bandages or casts that can easily be applied and effectively seal the limb in order to prevent water accessing the cast or bandage, during, for example, bathing or showering.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide the above advantages and objectives with a system which is economical to make, and which eliminates the high expense of a separate sealing ring.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide the above advantages with a cast and bandage protector which can be folded over upon itself for easy, efficient packaging, and conserved shelf space.
An even further objective of the present invention is to provide a cast protector which is a flexible sleeve design to allow easy pull on and take off and which has sufficient flexibility, i.e., a widened area to accommodate up to a 90° bends at covered joints, such as elbows, ankles and knees to allow freedom of movement inside the cast cover.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the description of a preferred embodiment which follows in conjunction with the below described drawings.

Cast protector without an inflexible sealing ring


A checkout stand assembly for use with a counter-top or conveyor belt point-of-sale checkout station. The checkout stand assembly includes a podium that can support a cash drawer, printer, keyboard, and other such peripheral equipment. The podium can then be mounted onto a floor, counter, railing, or other object, and is positioned between the cashier and the customer. The podium positions the cash drawer and all point-of-sale equipment in an area close to or above the bar code scanner.

The present invention relates to retail store checkout stands, and more specifically, to checkout stands having a podium for any peripheral equipment and including the cash drawer, the podium being positioned in close proximity to a barcode scanner.
Anyone who has been in a retail store is familiar with the checkout stand; the checkout stand is where one pays for the selected items. Checkout stands, also commonly referred to as checkstands, can be arranged in a broad variety of configurations. Many checkout stands, such as conveyor belt checkout stations, typically have the cash drawer and keyboard mounted perpendicular to the conveyor belts; that is, the drawer of the cash drawer moves parallel to the conveyor belts. This allows the cashier to see the customers waiting in line and to view the items as they progress down the conveyor belt toward the bar code scanner. Although this position may be convenient to see the progressing items, in order to scan the items, the cashier must at least partially turn to pass the items in front of the scanner. Additionally, in order to see the customer whose order is being scanned, who has now moved farther down the lane or downstream, and is typically standing close to the scanner, the cashier must turn their entire body farther, or else turn their neck, creating the possibility of straining their neck or back. Once the scanning is completed, the cashier must either rotate their body 90 degrees, or reach in an uncomfortable and non-ergonomical fashion to reach the cash drawer and keyboard. Some cashiers stand facing the customer. However, this position still requires rotating their body 90 degrees to reach the cash drawer and keyboard.
Attempts have been made to provide a checkout station that has checkout equipment or peripherals, such as the register keyboard and credit card swipe and pin pad machine, positioned above, or at least aligned with, the scanner. This minimizes, and preferably eliminates, the twisting and turning of the cashier to access the keyboard, typically a multitude of times during the scanning process. Because of the size limitations and adequate support structure needed to accommodate the weight of and movement of the cash drawer, the cash drawer has heretofore defied being located above the scanner, totally accessible to the customer-facing cashier.
One attempt to solve this is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,764 Kerber), which has a check writing area positioned opposite a keyboard stand area.
What is desired is a compact arrangement that allows accessibility to peripheral equipment and provides a configuration that is friendly and convenient to both the customer and cashier.
The present invention is directed to a store checkout stand and podium for use therewith. The present invention can be used with a conveyor belt system of one to three belts, or with a checkout station that simply uses a counter. The assembly of the present invention provides the cash drawer, register keyboard, printer, and other point-of-sale or peripheral equipment located on the podium above the barcode scanner. This podium can be mounted onto a counter, floor, or onto a siderail or sidewall of the counter housing the conveyor belt system.
In one aspect, the invention is to a podium for a store checkout stand, the podium having a top (or topper) for mounting checkout equipment thereon and a support structure. The support structure has a leg and a top support structure, with the leg extending from a mounting surface to the topper, and the leg having a passage therethrough. The top support structure is connected to the leg and provides support for the topper or top. Peripheral checkout equipment, such as a cash drawer, keyboard, printer, and the like is positioned on the topper.
In another aspect, the invention is to a podium assembly for a store checkout stand, the podium assembly including a podium for supporting point-of-sale checkout equipment, including a cash drawer, and a cable management system. The podium and cash drawer each has a passage therethrough, the passages being aligned when the cash drawer is operably positioned on the podium. The assembly further has a cable manifold system, positioned proximate the cash drawer, on the side opposite the stand. Together, the passages and cable manifold form a cable management system for accepting lengths of cables or wires therethrough.
The podium is mounted between the cashier and the customer, above or in close proximity to the bar code scanner. By positioning the podium in a location in front of the cashier when the cashier is facing the customer, twisting and turning of the cashier is minimized and the cashier""s movements are better optimized. The checkout process is more efficient. Additionally, having the cash drawer on the podium in front of the cashier increases the security of the cash drawer.
Other podium constructions, checkout stands incorporating the podium, and other features, are disclosed.

Retail store checkout assembly, point-of-sale equipment stand, and arrangements


The system for peeling a fresh commodity includes barbs for piercing the peel in a plurality of spaced-apart locations. A vacuum infuser is used to infuse the pierced commodity with an aqueous solution to loosen the peel. A peeling device supports a fresh commodity in a first position. The commodity is impelled toward a structure having cutting elements for scoring the peel to a predetermined depth. Preferably the scores are made along generally circumferential lines having substantially common endpoints. Peel grippers hold the peel between the scores and release the peeled commodity, such that the peel is retained on the gripping means. A thruster is positioned and adapted to force the commodity along a path to engage the cutting and peel-gripping elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for peeling fresh commodities and, more particularly, to such systems and methods for peeling generally ellipsoidal fruits and vegetables, such as fresh citrus fruit and onions.
2. Description of Related Art
Consumer demand for fresh cut produce has stimulated a renewed interest in developing and improving automated fresh commodity peeling methods. Traditional techniques for citrus peeling, for example, typically have consisted of hand or mechanical peeling facilitated by steam treatment to loosen the peel and/or chemical digestion to remove peel remnants. However, since these techniques often damage the flesh, an enzymatic peeling process was developed to produce fruit more suitable for the fresh market (Bruemmer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,651; Kirk, U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,222; Elliott et al, U.S. Pat. No 5,200,217). This process of enzymatic peeling comprises scoring or perforating the fruit peel, submerging the fruit into solution containing an enzyme (pectinase and/or pectinase and cellulase), and forcing the solution into the peel with the use of a vacuum. Another method comprises using pressure pulses (Adams and Kirk, U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,967). The enzyme solution partially digests the pectin-rich albedo (the inner part of the peel) and the regions of the intersegment membranes and thus facilitates the separation of fruit from peel and sectioning of the fruit while leaving the flesh nearly intact.
Vacuum and pressure-pulse infusion are usually effective in imbuing the peel with solution. When the fruit surface is not sterilized and thoroughly cleaned, however, microbiological contaminants and chemical residues on the surface may desorb into solution while the fruit is submerged and contact the flesh during infusion. The likelihood of contamination increases if the infusion solution is reused in order to conserve water or enzyme.
Commercially available enzymatically peeled citrus fruit exhibit juice leakage and softening during storage in spite of apparent preservation of the integrity of segment membranes and juice vesicles. Although the quality of these fruit may be extended by low temperature and controlled-atmosphere storage and incorporation of chemicals such as calcium lactate, it was suspected that the observed loss of quality is caused in part by an inadvertent infusion of the enzyme(s) into the fruit and a subsequent catabolism of the flesh throughout the storage period.
A composition for washing and peeling citrus fruit has been disclosed by Askienazy et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,762). A device for peeling mandarin oranges has been disclosed in a Japanese patent issued to Yamato Seikan Co., Ltd. (Jap. Pat. No. 45-31354). Fruit peelers have also been disclosed by Polk (U.S. Pat. No. 2,277,003), Singer (U.S. Pat. No. 2,396,444), Vincent et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,017), Black (U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,782), Hatch (U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,299), Berube et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,195), Nagaoka (U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,466), le Grand et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,411), Foxcroft et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,734), Del Ser Gonzalez (U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,250), and Kirk (U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,921).
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device, system, and method for peeling a fresh commodity.
It is an additional object to provide such an invention that does not introduce any foreign substances into the commodity to facilitate peeling.
It is a further object to provide such an invention useful for peeling citrus fruit.
It is another object to provide an invention that also produces a citrus peel having superior properties for use in food products.
It is yet an additional object to provide a device useful for peeling onions.
It is yet a further object to provide a commodity peeling system and method that is substantially fully automated.
Citrus fruit in general comprises an inner body comprising a plurality of radial adjacent fruit segments surrounded by a peel that consists of a flavedo (outer, colored peel portion) and an albedo (inner, white peel portion). Different varieties of citrus are more or less difficult to peel, and have more or less albedo, which should be removed for effective peeling. The device, system, and method presented herein address both of these problems by providing a system and method for preparing citrus fruit for peeling and a device and method for removing the peel. Although not intended to be limiting, the device, system, and method may be used on a variety of citrus fruit. In addition, the device and method may be used on other fresh commodities having a peel, particularly onions.
In U.S. Patent Nos. 5,560,951 and 5,817,360, which are commonly owned with the present application, and the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, a method has been disclosed that comprises the steps of forming plural openings in the peel and infusing an aqueous solution between the cuticle and the fruit segments through the openings. A pressure differential is applied to the infusing water relative to the pressure exterior of the fruit sufficient to radially expand the peel and to separate the peel from the body of the fruit. The aqueous solution comprises water that is essentially free of any enzymes or other active ingredients in sufficient amounts to chemically attack or react with the cuticle, albedo, or fruit segments.
While this method has been found extremely effective as a pretreatment to facilitate peel removal, it is also desired to provide a device to peel the pretreated fruit and a system that will enable substantially complete automation of the process.
The system of the present invention, which broadly is for peeling a fresh commodity, comprises means for piercing a peel of the fresh commodity in a plurality of spaced-apart locations. Means for vacuum infusing the pierced commodity with an aqueous solution to loosen the peel are also provided, as well as means for making a plurality of scores in the infused commodity to a predetermined depth. Preferably, the scores are made along generally circumferential lines having substantially common endpoints.
Means for gripping the peel between the scores are next employed. The scoring and gripping means are engaged by a means for forcing the commodity into sequential communication therewith. The peel-gripping means is adapted to hold the peel to permit a release of a peeled commodity.
The peeling device in a particular embodiment comprises means for supporting the fresh commodity in a first position. The support means is movable between a position for retaining the commodity in the first position and a releasing position for permitting the commodity to leave the support means. The support means is biased to the retaining position.
Means are provided for impelling the commodity in a direction adapted to move the support means from the retaining position to the releasing position. Means are also provided for receiving the released commodity into a second position and for making a plurality of scores in the commodity to a predetermined depth with the commodity moving from the first to the second position. Preferably the scores are made along generally circumferential lines having substantially common endpoints.
Means are included for releasing the scored commodity from the second position and for receiving the scored commodity into a third position.
Means are provided for gripping the peel between the scores with the commodity moving from the second to the third position and for releasing the peeled commodity from the third position, such that the peel retained on the gripping means.
The features that characterize the invention, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description used in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. It is to be expressly understood that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration and description and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. These and other objects attained, and advantages offered, by the present invention will become more fully apparent as the description that now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Fresh commodity peeling system and method


A silicon-on-insulator (SOI) transistor device includes a buried insulator layer formed over a bulk substrate; an SOI layer formed on the buried insulator layer; and a pair of silicon containing epitaxial regions disposed adjacent opposing sides of a gate conductor, the epitaxial regions corresponding to source and drain regions of the transistor device; wherein portions of the epitaxial regions are embedded in the buried insulator and are in contact with both vertical and bottom surfaces of the SOI layer corresponding to source and drain extension regions at opposing ends of a channel region of the transistor device.

The present invention relates generally to semiconductor device manufacturing and, more particularly, to silicon-on-insulator (SOI) transistors having improved extension resistance and channel strain characteristics.
Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) field effect transistors (FETs) are employed in almost every electronic circuit application including, for example, signal processing, computing, and wireless communications. SOI transistors are those devices in which the active device area (including the FET channel) is formed in a relatively thin layer of silicon (or other semiconducting material) disposed over a buried insulating layer (such as an oxide, in which case the buried insulating layer is called a BOX). The buried insulating layer is in turn formed over a bulk (e.g., silicon) substrate. An advantage of SOI devices is the reduction of cross talk with other transistor devices, as well as the reduction of parasitic capacitance.
As transistor devices continue to scale, a reduction in FET gate size has also led to a decrease in the thickness of the SOI layer in order to control short channel effects. In fact, the so-called extremely thin SOI or ETSOI devices can have SOI thicknesses on the order of about 10 nanometers (nm) or less. On the other hand, such thin SOI devices lead to higher source/drain extension resistances, which may be mitigated to a certain extent by forming raised source/drain regions.
However, another obstacle to maintaining lower source/drain extension resistances in ETSOI devices is the loss of dopants due to diffusion through the ETSOI and into the BOX with conventional dopant activation processes. Moreover, there is also the problem of maintaining desirable channel strain properties in ETSOI devices, as it is well known that a tensile stress applied to a channel of an NFET device and a compressive stress applied to a channel of a PFET device increases the respective carrier mobilities thereof.

SOI transistors having an embedded extension region to improve extension resistance and channel strain characteristics

International Business Machines Corporation


A cross-laminate web is formed of two oriented films, the films being arranged so that the main direction of orientation of the first film (A) generally follows the longitudinal direction (D) of the web and the main direction of the second film (B) is perpendicular (F) to that direction. The coefficient of elasticity of the material of the first film, in an unoriented state, is at least 115% lower than that of the material of the second film, and the heat shrinkability of the first film is greater than that of the second film. Bags formed from the cross-laminate have heat seals with improved shock peel strength.

Webformed cross-laminates consisting of two or more mutually bonded films, which are unuaxially oriented or unbalanced biaxially oriented, have been commercially available since 1968, but have always presented problems in heatsealing.
These first cross-laminates have been produced with the compositions, structure and method described in GB-A-0,792,976 of Apr. 9, 1958 and GB-A-0,816,607 of Jul. 15, 1959. A tubular film of polyethylene (normally HDPE) or polypropylene has been strongly uniaxially oriented in its longitudinal direction by stretching at a relatively low temperature, then helically cut to a web with its orientation on bias, and two or more such webs have then been laminated, usually by extrusion lamination, with criss-crossing directions of orientation. When such cross-laminates are heatsealed, e.g. by impulse sealing, to form a xe2x80x9cpeel-typexe2x80x9d heatseal, the impact peel strength of the seal has turned out to be exceptionally low (except if the seal is improved by additional material, e.g. by overtaping).
By xe2x80x9cpeel-typexe2x80x9d heatseal is understood a heatseal adapted to withstand peeling forces concentrated in a lineary very narrow zone, as opposed to an xe2x80x9coverlap typexe2x80x9d heatseal made to withstand the shearing forces, which are distributed over the entire width of the seal.
Impact- or shock-peel strength is particularly needed in heatsealed bags to withstand the shock action when the bag is dropped on one of its edges perpendicular to the linearly extending heatseal.
The poor peeling strength of the seal is due to the fact that the heatsealing ruins the orientation, not only in the bonded part of the sealxe2x80x94where loss of orientation does not matterxe2x80x94but also in immediately adjacent narrow xe2x80x9clinesxe2x80x9d of unbonded cross-laminate. Upon shock-peeling these xe2x80x9clinesxe2x80x9d appear weak and tend to rupture. (At lower velocities of peeling, when the material in these lines has time to elongate and orient, the seals may give a satisfactory peel-strength).
The shock-peel strength can be improved, but not sufficiently, by coextruding thin lower melting surface layers (xe2x80x9cheatseal layersxe2x80x9d) on the films used for manufacture of the cross-laminate. However, when the heatsealing takes place at a temperature at which the orientation in the main layers is maintained, another phenomenon occurs, namely that the two cross-laminates separate from each other since the peeling force is concentrated in the thin bonding layers. To avoid such separation, the films in and immediately adjacent to the bonded zone must be allowed to shrink and thereby grow in thickness, by which the tensions created by the peeling will be reduced.
As described in GB-A-1,526,722 improvements in shock-peel-strength of heatseals (and certain other strength advantages) has been obtained by a different method of producing cross-laminates. In the usual way of practising this method (which has been commercial since 1978) there is first coextruded a tubular film with a generally uniaxial, longitudinal orientation, and with minor surface layers for facilitating the subsequent lamination process (xe2x80x9clamination layersxe2x80x9d), and for improving the surface characteristics of the final cross-laminate, especially its heatsealing properties (xe2x80x9cheatseal layersxe2x80x9d). This tubular film is then helically cut to form a web with melt orientation on bias, and several such webs are continuously cross-xe2x80x9csandwichedxe2x80x9d and further oriented by transverse stretching between grooved rollers andxe2x80x94before or after this operationxe2x80x94subjected to conventional longitudinal stretching between ordinary smooth rollers which rotate at different circumferential velocities. The grooved rollers stretching is usually repeated several times, and the longitudinal stretching may also be repeated. For obtaining maximum energy-absorbing properties, also with a view to the shock-peel strength of the heatseal, the longitudinal and transverse stretching steps after bringing the helically cut films together to a xe2x80x9csandwichxe2x80x9d is normally carried out at temperatures very much below the melting ranges of the films, and may even be carried out at normal ambient temperature. U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,525 discloses a subsequent heat-stabilization process. I have also suggested arranging the films of such laminates such that one has a main direction of orientation generally following the longitudinal direction of the cross-laminate and the other has a main direction of orientation substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
There is normally achieved a significant bonding between the cross-xe2x80x9csandwichedxe2x80x9d films, so that they will form a laminate, already by the stretching between grooved rollers, and this bonding is increased by the heat-stabilization process. However, a really strong overall bonding is always avoided since this will ruin the tear-propagation resistance, which is a particularly remarkable feature of these cross-laminates.
Improved evenness of the transverse stretching between grooved rollers, and possibilities for higher throughputs, heavier and stiffer cross-laminates is achieved by a method disclosed in EP-B-0,276,100, in which a set of grooved rollers fit extremely fine to each other and act under a high rollers pressure to perform a combined transverse pulling and transverse squeezing. (The example in this present specification makes use of this). The said method is further developed in EP-A-0,624,126.
Practical ways of carrying out the helical cutting are disclosed in EP-B-0,426,702. This patent also explains how a big angle of melt orientation, even 90xc2x0 to the longitudinal direction of the film, can be achieved by first extruding a tubular film with a xe2x80x9cscrewedxe2x80x9d melt orientation (relative rotation between the extrusion die and the haul-off means) and in a second process helically cutting this tube in a direction which increases the angle of orientation.
Returning to the problem of shock-peel-strength in a heatseal, cross-laminates made according to the method of the above mentioned GB-A-1,526,722 or the above mentioned improvements on this, have since 1978 been used in the manufacture of open-mouth industrial bags sealed in top and/or bottom by a xe2x80x9cpeel-typexe2x80x9d heatseal, and are still used so on a relatively large scale. This includes the use in xe2x80x9cform-fill-and-sealxe2x80x9d in which the conversion of film to bag takes place in conjunction with the filling operation. However, with the existing need for downgauging the film material for bag making, further improvements are strongly needed. It is hereby important to achieve the improvement in heatseal properties without reducing other important strength properties, in particular the yield tension. The latter is important in connection with stacking of the industrial bags filled with powdered or granular material, since the lower layers of bags in a stack often come under a very high static load.
According to the invention claimed in EP-B-0,338,747 which is developed with a special view to industrial bags made from such cross-laminates, the heatseal is protected by an adjacent row of embossments, which is adapted to act shock absorbing and/or force controlling.
Furthermore according to the invention described in WO-A-98/23434 there is provided a heatseal methodxe2x80x94also with a special view to the cross-laminatesxe2x80x94which allows a particular high shrinkage of the polymer film, not only in the bonded zone of the heatseal but also in the immediately adjacent, unbonded zones of the film, at the side of the seal which is or is predetermined to come in contact with the contents of the bag. By this high shrinkage the film grows thick in-the said zones, and this compensates for the loss of orientation in these zones. (As mentioned at the beginning of this description the problems in heatsealing of cross-laminates are caused by the loss of orientation in the unbonded zones adjacent to the bonded zone). The invention involves a pivoting of one of the sealing bars.
However, in spite of the proven positive results of these two inventions, the one to protect the seal by means of embossments and the other concerning the special heatseal method, neither of these has met acceptance in the marketplace. The reason is that both inventions require special machinery installed by the user which convert the cross-laminate to bags and/or fill and close the bags. Consequently there is a strong need to improve the heatseal properties of the cross-laminate itself without negatively affecting the other strength properties, in particular the yield tension.
The cross-laminate according to the present invention is characterised as follows: A webformed cross-laminate consisting of two or more mutually bonded films or film assemblies, each of which is uniaxially oriented or unbalanced biaxially oriented, characterised in that said laminate comprises (A) on one side of the cross-laminate either a) a film in which the main direction of orientation generally follows the longitudinal direction of the web, or b) an assembly of films, the resultant main direction of which generally follows the said direction, and (B) on the other side of the cross-laminate either a) a film in which the main direction of orientation is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the web, or b) an assembly of films, the resultant main direction of which is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the web, and in that the coefficient of elasticity (E) of the material A in unoriented state is at least 15% lower than the coefficient of elasticity of the material B in unoriented state and in that upon heating the cross laminate A and B exhibit differential shrinkability along the said longitudinal direction. A being more shrinkable.
The preferred method of manufacturing it is as follows: A method of manufacturing a cross-laminate in which there is formed a sandwich-web of different films, each exhibiting a main direction of orientation, and wherein these directions cross each other, and subsequently the sandwiched films are further oriented below their melting range by being stretched together in the longitudinal direction of the web, and before or after this longitudinal stretching, also in the transverse direction of the web, this transverse stretching being carried out between grooved rollers, and the films in the sandwich are bonded to form a laminate before, during or after said longitudinal and transverse stretching operations, characterised in that said sandwich-web consists of two films or assemblies of films (Axe2x80x2) and (Bxe2x80x2) respectively, (Axe2x80x2) on the one and (Bxe2x80x2) on the other side of the sandwich-web, whereby (Axe2x80x2) is either a) a film in which the main direction of orientation generally follows the longitudinal direction of the sandwich-web, or b) an assembly of films, in which the resultant main direction of orientation generally follows the said direction, and said orientation or resultant orientation is strongerxe2x80x94as measured by shrink testing before (Axe2x80x2) and (Bxe2x80x2) have been brought together to a sandwichxe2x80x94than said orientation or resultant orientation in (Bxe2x80x2) in the same direction, and further (Bxe2x80x2) is either a) a film in which the main direction of orientation is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the web, or b) an assembly of films, in which the resultant main direction of orientation is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the web, in which the coefficient of elasticity (E) of (Axe2x80x2) in unoriented state is at least 15% lower than the coefficient of elasticity of (Bxe2x80x2) in unoriented state and said orientation or resultant orientation is strongerxe2x80x94referring to shrink testing before Axe2x80x2 and Bxe2x80x2 have been brought together in a sandwichxe2x80x94than the orientation in (Axe2x80x2) in the said perpendicular direction.
The differences in shrinkability just referred to are preferably at least 10% and more preferably 15%, 20% or even higher.
The coefficient of elasticity (E) of the material from which A is formed in unoriented state is at least 15% lower than the similar property of the material from which B is formed. The objective of this precaution is to make the forces during peeling less concentrated, while making the cross-laminate, seen as a whole, as stiff as possible.
The unoriented state to which E here refers, can be obtained by melting and resolidifying of A after this has been separated from B, and likewise for B. A suitable technique for delaminating A and B is described in more detail below in the example.
When the cross-laminate according to the invention is used to make a bag with a heatseal perpendicular to the main direction of orientation in (A), and the bag filled with particulate product is accidentally dropped, the higher E in the A-material will tend to give the bag highest elongation in the direction perpendicular to the seam, and the shock-absorbtion resulting from the elongation particularly in this direction enhances the impact strength of the seal.
With a view to the geometry of a stack of filled bags and especially the maintenance of a regular geometry of the stack, any extensibility of the bags has negative effect, but in this respect it is the average between the extensibility in the longitudinal and the transverse directions of the bags which counts, and therefore a high extensibility in the main direction of the (A)-material of the cross-laminate can be offset by a correspondingly low extensibility in the main direction of the (B)-material.
Each of the films here referred to may either be co-extruded or be mono-extruded, i.e. they may each consist of several or of only one layer. Furthermore each of the said films may either be truly uniaxially oriented (referring to molecular orientation), or may be biaxially oriented in unbalanced manner, so that in any case they exhibit a main direction of orientation.
The side of the laminates on which the film or group of films designated as A is located is the side predetermined to become bonded by the heatsealing (usually heatsealing to a similar cross-laminate), namely so that the heatseal extends generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the cross-laminated web. It can be expected that the cross-laminate mainly will be traded in tube form, with a longitudinal overlap seam, which tube may be a gusseted tube, ready for use in form-fill-and seal. In this embodiment the A-surface must be the inner surface of the tube.
Alternatively the cross-laminate may be folded-over without making it a tube, for the purpose of making bags in which the fold forms the bottom and the side-edges are heatsealed. Also in this case the inner surface of the folded-over construction must be the A-surface.
The relatively high shrinkability of A or Axe2x80x2, which is preferably at least 30% and more preferably 35%, 40% or even higher in a direction which is predetermined to become perpendicular to the heatseal, produces a suitably strong contraction and thereby increase of thickness. The heating which inevitably takes place in the neighbourhood of the seal produces differential shrinkage of A and B with a particularly interesting and useful effectxe2x80x94see the photo micrographs FIGS. 8b, c and dxe2x80x94provided the surface regions of the sealing bars are tapered, bent or rounded at the boundaries, as they normally are in order to avoid xe2x80x9cscarsxe2x80x9d in the sealed material.
This differential shrinkage which is based on the claimed properties of the cross-laminate, makes the latter bend in the direction which makes it""s A-side concavexe2x80x94as seen on the photo micrographs at some distance from the bonded zone. However, immediately adjacent the bonded zone where the material is molten and soft, there is compensated for this bending by a bending in the opposite direction so that the A-side here becomes convex. This last bending which indirectly is a result of the differential shrinkage, acts as a kind of peeling in molten state and reinforces the seal. Furthermore, the differential shrinkage has the effect that the laminate is pushed towards the sealing bars also at their tapered, bent or rounded edges, where there is no sealing pressure, and this helps to make the material grow thick in the zone which during shock-peeling is critical.
For the sake of good order it must however be mentioned that the seals shown in the photo micrographs have been made by the special sealing method described in WO-A-98/23434, and thereby the above mentioned effects become further accentuated. (More about the conditions under which the heatsealing was carried out is stated in the example).
A feature stated in the description of the method above is the difference between the shrinkage of A and shrinkage of B, when the two films or assemblies of films have been separated from one another. In fact cross-laminates are usually, with a view to the influence of bonding on tear-propagation resistance, made with a relatively low bonding between the individual films (this has already been mentioned) and therefore such separation will normally be easy even at room temperature.
The separated films may be tested for their shrinkability in any desired direction, for instance in the longitudinal direction with respect to the web, or in the direction perpendicular to that direction, when heated to a predetermined suitable temperature. This temperature is, for instance, close to but below the mechanically determined melting point of A or B, whichever exhibits the lower melting point. In the invention it is preferred that the shrinkability expressed in percentage terms of the A film or film assembly is at least 10 units higher (preferably more) than that of the B film or film assembly, in the longitudinal direction of the web, when the shrinkabilities are measured at the same predetermined temperature which is close to but below the mechanically determined melting point of A or B, whichever exhibits the lower melting temperature. The predetermined temperature may be, for instance, 5xc2x0 C. below the mechanically determined melting point. A convenient measurement temperature when the cross-laminate consists of polyethylene based films is a value in the range 115 to 120xc2x0 C.
In this connection, the mechanically determined melting point is the temperature at which the film or film assembly, as the case may be, most pronouncedly loses its mechanical stability with temperature increase (maximum differential change) and can conveniently be determined directly on the film or (film assembly) by dynamic spectrometry. The melting point may alternatively be determined from the change in tensile properties with temperature.
The shrink properties of Axe2x80x2 and Bxe2x80x2 before cross-xe2x80x9csandwichxe2x80x9d are determined in a similar manner. However if Axe2x80x2 and/or Bxe2x80x2 each consists of more than one film, the determination must take place after bonding of the assembly Axe2x80x3 and/or Bxe2x80x3 without changing the properties, e. g. by means of a soft bicomponent glue.
In the invention advantageously the bonding between A and B can be made weaker than the mutual bonding between the films in the A assembly or the B assemblies when A and/or B consists of more than one film. The advantage of this concerns the general strength properties of the cross-laminate. Suitable values of the bonding strength measured by slow peeling, are between about 0.1 and 0.5 Ncm1, taken as an average between peeling of longitudinally and transversely cut strips. (This indication is not meant to limit the scope of the invention.)
The bonding is preferably facilitated and controlled by coextruded xe2x80x9clamination layersxe2x80x9d on each film used for the cross-laminate, and preferably there are also coextruded xe2x80x9cheatseal layersxe2x80x9d to help two cross-laminates stick together during the heatsealing and/or for other improvements of the surface properties of the laminate.
Normally there will occur some differential shrinkage effect in the cross-laminate of the invention even at ambient temperature, i. e. there will be a tendency to curling around the transverse direction of the web, unless precautions against this are taken. This can be a disadvantage for the handling of the web or of bags made from the cross-laminate. To overcome this problem the cross-section of the web can have a waved shape with stabilized waves, preferably so that the wavelength measured from wave-top to wave-top on one surface of the web is less than 5 mm. However, this waving should preferably be very shallow. In itself it is known to make cross-laminates with such stabilized, shallow waving, see the already mentioned EP A-0, 624,126. The methods here disclosed are directly applicable in connection with the present invention. While such waving of the cross-section of the web totally can eliminate the tendency to curling at ambient temperature, it does not essentially reduce the inventive effects of the differential shrinkage during heat-sealing, since the stabilized waving disappears by transverse shrinkage, when the laminate is heated to temperatures near the melting range.
As it appears from the statement of the method above, the way the sandwiched web is transversely stretched is preferably between grooved rollers, and it is also longitudinally stretched and is bonded to a laminate. There should normally be several steps of grooved rollers stretching, and may also be several steps of longitudinal stretching and of bonding. These processes can be carried out in various sequences, and in this connection the disclosures in the above mentioned GB-A-1,526,722, EP-B-0,276,100 and EP-A-0,624,126 directly apply.
The film or films, which constitute Axe2x80x2, is/are preferablyxe2x80x94prior to the sandwiching with the film or films which constitute Bxe2x80x2xe2x80x94longitudinally oriented by pulling over a frictionally with-holding roller or bar; in other words they are subjected to conventional longitudinal stretching below the melting range, e. g. by being passed over a number of smooth rollers, rotating at different circumferential velocities. It may advantageously be a stretching at temperatures significantly lower than the melting range, e. g. between 20-60xc2x0 C. If spiral cutting of a tubular extruded Axe2x80x2-film is used in making an Axe2x80x2-film, this spiral cutting should take place prior to said longitudinal pulling.
Axe2x80x2 and Bxe2x80x2 may each be one film, optionally a coextruded multi-layer film (see FIG. 1 and the flow sheet FIG. 4) which is simplest, especially when very low gauges of the cross-laminate are wanted. However, with a view to the general strength properties of the cross-laminate, Bxe2x80x2 and/or Axe2x80x2 are/is preferably composed of at least 2 films as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and the flow sheets FIGS. 5 and 6. (The angles of +/xe2x88x9260xc2x0 and +/xe2x88x9230xc2x0 indicated in the drawings and in the boxes of the flow sheets are of course examples). Thus, B can be a generally symmetrical arrangement composed of at least 2 films, each with a main direction of orientation forming an angle higher than 50xc2x0 and lower than 90xc2x0 to the longitudinal direction of the web while A can be generally symmetrical arrangement composed of at least 2 films, each with a main direction of orientation forming an angle higher than 0xc2x0 and lower than 35xc2x0 to the longitudinal direction of the web. Axe2x80x2 can be formed of two films which are produced each with a main direction of orientation at an angle higher than zero and lower than 45xc2x0 to its longitudinal direction, either by spiral cutting of a mainly longitudinal oriented tubular film, or by cutting of a mainly longitudinal oriented tubular film, or by twisting a tubular film while it is hauled off from an extrusion die and is in bubble form, the two films subsequently being assembled to form a generally symmetrical sandwich of the two films and this sandwich being subjected to pulling against a frictionally withholding roller or bar.
Instead of using for Axe2x80x2 two films which have been produced by helical cutting under a relatively small angle, it is more practical to use one film with 2 melt-oriented layers formed under use of counter-rotating dieparts as shown in flow sheet FIG. 7. Thus, an Axe2x80x2 assembly can be produced by forming a first cross-laminate of 2 melt-oriented layers by means of counter-rotating dieparts, the lamination taking place immediately before, during or immediately after these layers have left the die, preferably with a minor coextruded layer between which is adapted to reduce the bonding, the melt-orientation in each of the 2 layers forming an angle less than 45xc2x0 to the longitudinal direction of this first cross-laminate, and subsequently subjecting the assembly to pulling against a frictionally withholding roller or bar.
For extrusion of such film and construction of the coextrusion die with counter-rotating dieparts, reference is made to the above mentioned GB-A-1,526,722.

Cross-laminate of films and method of manufacturing


A method is described for detecting moving and/or stationary objects in the path of a vehicle, where the distance and velocity of the reflecting object are determined by using a radar sensor, where the frequency of the signal transmitted is modulated in the shape of a ramp according to a multi-ramp method, and some ramps have a lower slope in the frequency curve. The higher spectral components of the mixed signals from the ramps having the lower slope, which are to be assigned to a distance range of the reflecting object which is greater than the distance range belonging to the ramps having the greater slope, are used to determine the distance, speed and angle of objects.

The present invention relates to a method of detecting moving and/or stationary objects in the path of a vehicle, e.g., for predicting the roadway course or for being able to assign vehicles in front to certain lanes.
For example, it is known from German Published Patent Application No. 42 42 700, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,242, that a radar sensor may be mounted on a vehicle for detecting objects located or moving ahead. This radar sensor maybe, for example, a component of an adaptive cruise control (ACC), where information is constantly being processed regarding the distance and speed of the vehicle relative to other vehicles and to the conditions of the road. For example, an FMCW radar (frequency modulated continuous wave radar) such as that known from German Published Patent Application No. 195 30 065, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,894, is mounted on the outside in the front area of the motor vehicle and has both transmission technology with an antenna system to generate radar beams and a receiver with an electronic analyzer. According to German Published Patent Application No. 195 30 065, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,894, a lateral position determination of objects can also be performed by a multi-beam method, e.g., in the case of motor vehicles turning a curve.
The arrangements mentioned above make use of the Doppler shift which occurs when a reflecting object moves relative to the object to be measured. In order to determine both the distance and speed of the reflecting object, the frequency of the signal emitted is modulated in the shape of a ramp, with the emitted and received signals being mixed during a rise and a fall in the frequency of the signal emitted. The resulting signals are analyzed spectrally, and the distance and speed of the reflecting objects, which are in a distance range that is predetermined by the respective modulation deviation, are determined from the frequencies of the spectral lines.
To rule out the measurement of illusory objects which is possible here, a multi-ramp method is used in the related art mentioned above, e.g., a four-ramp method, where the rising and falling ramps have a lower slope, i.e., ramps three and four have a different slope in comparison with ramps one and two, preferably amounting to half the frequency deviation. The additional analysis of these reflected signals permits an unambiguous determination of the location of objects in the manner described in German Published Patent Application No. 42 42 700.
The course of the roadway can be detected, i.e., the track or course of the vehicles in front can be predicted from the behavior of objects detected by the radar sensor, namely motor vehicles in the present case. However, with the known methods mentioned above, the only targets that can be used are those which are already in a distance range that is predetermined on the basis of the modulation deviation of ramps one and two (approx. 0-120 m in the case of a modulation deviation of approx. 200 kHz). Such a method is described in German Patent No. 197 22 947, for example.
In addition, it is known that a track or course can be predicted with the help of various sensors in the vehicle itself. For example, the yaw rate, i.e., the angular velocity of the vehicle about its vertical axis, which is determined by a suitable sensor, can be analyzed. However, a curve is detected only when the vehicle itself is in the curve, which is too late to make an appropriate prediction of the path. In particular, it is also necessary to prevent regulation with respect to vehicles traveling in neighboring lanes when entering a curve.
A method of detecting moving and/or stationary objects in the path of a motor vehicle, where the distance and the speed of the reflecting object are determined in a multi-ramp method using a radar sensor in the manner mentioned above, is improved in an advantageous manner by analyzing the higher spectral components of a signal from the ramps having a lower slope, e.g., ramps three and four, in the manner according to the present invention. Thus, the upper halves of the spectra, which have not been previously analyzed, from modulation ramps three and four, which detect a distance range from 120 to 240 m, for example, are used for the course prediction with an ACC radar sensor as mentioned above. This permits detection of curves in the course of the roadway before the objects at the beginning of the curve become relevant for the ACC control.
The signals from ramps three and four are to be assigned to a distance range of the reflecting object which is greater than the distance range assigned to ramps one and two because of the lower slope of the ramp, and thus they can also be used extremely advantageously for determining the distance, speed and angle of objects at a greater distance. This information is then available to a suitable vehicle control system at a very early point in time, thus permitting an early decision regarding the relevance of radar targets.
In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the respective object angle is determined from the signal peaks obtained from the higher spectral components of the signals of ramps three and four, the signal peaks resulting from the radar beams reflected from an object at a greater distance. Thus, the course of the roadway can be deduced from the time characteristic of the respective object angle, and the track or course can be predicted. The respective object angle can be calculated by way of a multi-beam radar known from German Published Patent Application No. 195 30 065.
When using the method according to the present invention, it is also advantageous to be able to perform a certain discrimination of objects according to their distance and relative velocity. By analogy with the four-ramp analysis method, it is therefore proposed that the points of intersection of two lines in a velocity-distance diagram be calculated in a known manner from the frequencies of the signal peaks of ramps three and four. By permutation of all frequencies from ramp three with all frequencies from ramp four, N2 points of intersection are obtained in the case of N detections, of which N2xe2x88x92N represent illusory targets. To reduce the number of illusory targets, two methods are possible.
First, in correlating the peaks, the respective amplitudes may be used as a criterion. This makes use of the fact that the same target supplies approximately the same levels in two successive ramps following one another at an interval of a few milliseconds. Secondly, the angles for the peaks can be calculated before forming the point of intersection. Peaks belonging to one object have approximately the same angle.
Subsequently, the points of intersection of two lines can be assigned to certain object classes (stationary targets, trucks, passenger vehicles) according to their inherent speeds. Likewise, the variation over time of the centers of gravity of all the lateral distances thus obtained can also be determined by low-pass filtering in an advantageous manner from the radial distance and angle of each object detected, this variation being a measure of the curvature of the roadway for the vehicle.

Method of detecting moving and/or stationary objects in the path of a vehicle


Hydropyridine analogs, dihydropyridine analogs, trihydropyridine analogs, hydropurine analogs, dihydropurine analogs, trihydropurine analogs, N,N,N,'-trimethyl- N'-(2-hydroxy-3-methyl-1,3-propanediamone analogs, 1-methyl-3-[N-(4-iodophenyl)- carbamoyl]-1,4-dihydropyridine analogs, that are lipid-soluble with the specific electron charge density and therefore useful for the administration of several compounds that need to penetrate the blood-brain capillary barrier. Once inside the brain these compounds undergo NAD-NADH reduction thereby providing for a brain serum retention. These compounds having been modified herein to deliver various compounds, some of which are those that are progressively absent during the course of a disease called Alzheimer's Disease.

I have found that the deterioration of specific regions of the brain that is commonly called Alzheimer's Disease, is a factor of the result of the reduction in the levels of acetylcholine being produced. Due to the physiological changes beginning with the reduction of the tidal oxygen supply, the metabolic pathways that produce acetylcholine are disrupted. This, along with the reduction of brain activity is indicated by the reduction of the homo-oxygen utilization. In addition the utilization of Glycogen--(Glucose) metabolics are disrupted. Therefore the bonding of Actylcholine and these other compounds with suitable transport compounds discribed herein to produce an effective regulating means by which the degeneration, associated with Alzheimer's Disease, seen as neurofibrillatory tangles can be halted.
The hypoxia breakdown of cell membrane functions can be best illustrated by considering the human brain, one of the most hypoxia-sensitive organs in the mammalian body, for which events during various kinds of energy perturbations are well defined. In complete cerebral ischemia, the electroencephalograph (EEG) becomes isoelectric within 15 to 20 seconds. This electrically silent period precedes a massive outflux of K+ from the neurons and a flux of Na+ into the neurons, attributable to energy insufficiency and thus to the failure of membrane ion pumps, (at regional cerebral blood flow of about 10 percent of normal). When the potassium concentration (K+) in the extracellular fluid (ECF) drops to about 12 to 13 mM, changes in membrane potential apparently become large enough to activate voltage-dependent Ca+ channels and develop a largely uncontrollable influx of Ca+ a cation which at abnormally high cytosolic concentration acts as a cellular toxin.
Although high cytosolic cations (Ca2+) are what disrupt various intercellular functions, its activations of phospholipases A1, A2 and C, are considered to be the most damaging under hypoxic conditions to the cell membrane. Therefore increasing the brain serum concentrations of lysophosphatidylcholine, (lysoPC) and the other free fatty acids soon after ischemia are indicative of catalysis by phospholipases of the A class. For phospholigase A2, this catalysis can become cytotoxic. Uncontrolled, this reaction leads to membrane phospholipid hydrolysis, to the release of fatty acids (such as arachidonic acid), and to the further potentiation of ion redistributions. Therefore since long chain fatty acids have only a limited ability to cross the inner membrane as CoA thioesters, their entry is greatly stimulated by carnitine acyltransferase, which catalyzes transfer of the fatty acyl group from its thioester linkage with CoA to an oxygen-ester linkage with the hydroxyl group of carnitine. Since the standard-free energy change of this reaction is quite small, the acyl carnitine linkage represents a high energy bond. The O-acyl carnitine ester so formed then passes through the inner membrane into the matrix, via this specific transport system.
In the last stage of the entry process the acyl group is transferred from carnitine to intramitochondrial CoA by the action of a second type of carnitine acyltransferase located on the inner surface of the inner membrane. This complex entry system has the effect of keeping the extramitochondrial and intramitochondial pools of CoA and fatty acids separated. The intramitochondrial fatty acyl-CoA now becomes the substrate of the fatty acid oxidation system, which is situated in the inner matrix compartment.
Therefore the overall impact of Glycogen limitation to the brain as summarized herein is similar in other tissues as well, although it may not be as rapid or extensive in more hypoxia-tolerant tissues. In myocardial ischemia, for example engery difficiencies and membrane failures are indicated by intracellular and extracellular changes in (Na+) and (K+), as well by a large influx of Ca2+, a loss of sarcolemmal Ca+, and a disruption of mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis. Analogous membrane failure with associated translocation of Ca2+ and other ions between intracellular and extracellular pools is found in the liver under Oxygen-limiting conditions and in acute renal failure in mammals and can be observed to occur generally in hypoxia-sensitive mammalian organs and tissues during a massive reduction of oxygen.
Such ion-flux-initiated, self-reinforcing cascades also can be facilitated by the action of phospholipase C, whose continued catalytic function under oxygen limiting conditions is indicated by increasing levels of stearoyl and arachidonoyl diacylgycerols coincident with decreasing levels of phosphatidylinositol (PI). The diacylgycerols are the main inhibitors during the secondary metabolic process under which acetylcholine is being produced. Since the metabolic process for diacylgycerol reduces the availability of acyl-ions, the metabolic process for acetylcholine is then found lacking.
Also the major metabolic pathways responsible for the formation and degradation of (PI) are illustrated herein. Phosphatidylinositol is phosphorylated at the 4-position of its inositol head group by a specific kinase to form phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate, [PII(4)P]; this is in turn further phosphorylated at the 5-position to give PI(4,5)P2, which is one of the inositol lipids located in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. The steady-state concentration of PI(4,5)P2 is determined by the balance between the activities of these kinases and phosphomonesterases, which convert PI(4,5)P2 back to (PI), that is, by the operation of two linked metabolic cycles in which phosphates are constantly being added to and removed from the 4 and 5 positions of the inositol head group.
In response to various Ca2+-mobilizing hormones, these two metabolic cycles are broken in a controlled way by preferential phospholipase C action on PI(4,5) P2, releasing diacylglycerol plus water-soluble inositol triphosphate (IP3) as a second messenger that signals release of Ca2+ from intracellular pools. In severe or prolonged hypoxia, in contrast, these cycles are broken in an apparently uncontrolled way, leading to the same end products. Inositol triphosphate released in the process as a secondary signal for opening Ca+ channels and releasing sarcoplasmic Ca+, increases cytosolic Ca2+ availability, a cascade that again is self-potentiating (increasing Ca2+ availability favoring phospholipase C catalysis). Under normal circumstances, diacylglycerol is phosphorlated to phosphatidic acid which is then converted back to PI.
However, diacylglycerol accumulates in hypoxia-sensitive tissues during diminished oxygen levels and can increase Na+-H+, exchange, thus effectively slowing down Na+ exchange-based Ca2+ efflux, which in turn inhibits the synthesis of acetylcholine, (ACh) by reducing the influx of choline and diverting the availability of acyl ions.
In hypoxia-sensitive tissues, as soon as continuous and high rates of ATP generation are reduced, intracellular and extracellular ion concentration gradients are rapidly lost and neuronal tissue viability is at risk In contrast, ionic concentration gradients do not fall to their thermodynamic equilibrium in homologous tissues of ectothermic anaerobes during hypoxia, being that they have mechanisms that can proctect them, to a greater degree than human beings.
In addition, 7-phosphonoheptanoic acid being an N-Methyl-D-Aspartate, (NMDA) Antagonist. It has been shown that 7-phosphonoheptanoic acid, (7AP) can reduce the damage by as much as 90% during reversible, insulin-induced, hypoglycemic coma. Neuronal necrosis due to hypoglycemic conditions is induced by agonists acting on the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the caudate nucleau, one of the first areas affected by Alzheimer's Disease.
Therefore hypoglycemic brain damage is mediated by excitotoxins. First, at the onset of isoelectric EEG, the extracellular levels of aspartate and glutamate are markedly increased. Second, unilateral ablation of the motor cortex, transecting the corticostriatal projections and decreasing the ipsilateral striatal content of glutamate by ten percent, protects the subjacent caudate nucleus against neuronal necrosis after 30 minutes of hypoglycemic coma. This indicates that synaptic events are important for the induction of this secondary neuronal necrosis. Futhermore, in view of an electron microscope investigation, the dentate gyrus granule cell which is vulnerable to severe hypoglycemia as revealed in a dendro-somatic, axon-sparing lesion, that is similar to the ultrastructural characteristics as observed in the secondary excitotoxin-induced neuronal damage, which due to the limited supply of oxygen is not a major factor in the progression of the Alzheimer's Disease.
As in severe hypoglycemia, cerebral ischemia leads to extenstive engery deprivation, membrane depolarization, and an increase in extracellular levels of excitatory amino acids, since AP7 ameliorates the acute morphological changes in the hippocampus induced by ischemia.
Similar pathogenic mechanisms do prevail in the two disorders. However, the distribution of neuronal necrosis after ischemia is different from that after hypoglycemia. This that the NMDA receptor agonists released from their origin, and their regional extracellular concentrations are related.
In experiments with the uptake of choline into synaptosomes under high affinity conditions (0.5 micro molar choline) the transport of choline depends on the presence of Na+ ions. When Na+ ions are replaced with Li+ or sucrose, the rate of the high affinity uptake is diminished by 97% or 95% respectively; low affinity is lowered by 61% or 46% respectively. The choline influx in accordance with its own electrochemical gradient operates without an expenditure of energy transport Na+. Ca2+ in a co-, transportation across the neuro-membrane, is dependent upon the concentrations of choline. Ca2+ and Mg2+ can support the influx of choline better than Na+, which is different from the influx of glucose or other amino acids into the presymatic neurons. Optimum concentration of K+ ions in the range of 0.35-4.8 mM reduces the uptake by almost 50% and more than 90% in the presence of 62 mM K+. These results indicate that the reduction of the high affinity by K+ induced depolarization due to the membrane depolarization, is the driving force of choline uptake. This can also be supported by the fact that the absence of Ca2+ ions increases in a near linear progression the efflux of choline from neurons and glia in culture. The effects of metabolic inhibitors change the resting membrane potential. The availability of the compounds used for metabolic transformations of choline in the cells (ATP, acetyl-CoA), is affected by ionophores in accord with changes in transmembrane electric potentials. Therefore the high affinity transport of choline is closely associated with the synthesis of acetylcholine and therefore with cholinergic neurons. This is supported by the similarities between the regional distribution of the high affinity transport and ChAT parallel changes of the high affinity transport and ChAT during ontogeny and after lesions of the neural tracts. This is also supported by the process of stimulating the high affinity transport by evoking the release of ACh, the high degree to which the choline that is transported by the high-affinity mechanism is then converted to ACh, the inhibition of the synthesis of ACh by factors inhibiting the high affinity carrier (hemicholinium-3, lack of Na+) and by our many other laboratory observations. Evidence has been obtained indicating that, within the cholinergic neurons, the high-affinity carriers are localized in the nerve terminals (where the synthesis of ACh mainly occurs), whereas the membrane of neuronal perikara is equipped with the low affinity carriers. The rates of the influx and efflux of choline into and from the erythrocytes and synaptosomes depend on the concentration of choline on the opposite side of the membrane. The rate of transport in either direction can be increased by increasing (within limits) the concentration of choline in the compartment into which it is transported. In the synaptosomes the maximal influx and efflux were equal at saturating concentrations of choline in the trans position. The carrier mediates transport in both directions and its binding site translocates faster when it is loaded with choline or a related compound than when it is unloaded. The increase in the efflux of labelled choline from brain cell cultures occurring when the cells are exposed to a higher concentration of choline in the medium represents an example of the trans-activation of choline efflux. The uptake of choline into presynaptic nerve endings is enhanced by increased impulse activity or by conditions simulating it such as high K+ or veratridine. The uptake of choline is dependent on the presence of Ca2+ ions in transmitter release. Therefore the depolarization-induced stimulation of choline uptake is a consequence of ACh release during preincubation. The choline used for the synthesis of ACh in the nerve terminals mainly originates from the pool of free choline in the extracellular fluid surrounding the terminals. Choline is supplied to the sites of synthesis by carriers in the terminal membranes. The brain choline in the extracellular fluid is derived from phospholipids and glycerylphosphorylcholine in neurons and glia from choline in the blood and from ACh, released by nerve impulses and hydrolysed in synaptic clefts, are present in quantities such that the loss of acyl ions is the problem during the metabolic process of ACh formation. Therefore the transportation of choline into the presymatic neurons involves a close association in specific locations of the carrier for choline with enzymes metabolizing choline, like ChAT and or choline kinase, in addition to the specific transport quantities found in the presymatic neuron cell membrane .


Reactive diluents are formed by reaction of a compound having at least two glycidyl ester groups and a compound having at least one hydroxyl and/or carboxyl group. The diluents are useful in coating compositions together with crosslinking agents and optional other vehicle components.

The present invention is directed to organic reactive diluents and their use in crosslinkable coating compositions. More specifically, the invention discloses methods of preparing organic reactive diluents and crosslinkable coating compositions.
Most coating compositions contain one or more film-forming resins and polymers and organic solvents. Even waterborne (or water-based) coating compositions usually include a portion of an organic solvent or cosolvent. The organic solvent serves a number of functions. First, particularly for solventborne (or solvent-based) compositions, the organic solvent reduces the viscosity of the coating composition to facilitate its application to a substrate. The solvent is volatile and evaporates from the coating during and after application. In addition, a portion of the solvent is generally slower to evaporate so that it remains in the applied coating to enhance film formation and flow of the coating. In waterborne coatings, for which water is the principal viscosity reducer, organic cosolvents may also be used to help stabilize the dispersed film-forming materials.
The presence of the volatile organic solvents is of concern, however, because they form the bulk of the regulated emissions produced during application and curing of the coating composition. While waterborne coating compositions offer lower emissions, waterborne coating also require more elaborate application methods and tend to produce coatings that are more water-sensitive. Another avenue for reducing regulated emissions has been to include so-called reactive diluents, low molecular weight functional compounds that reduce the viscosity of the coating composition and aid in leveling and film formation like solvents, but are reactive with the film forming resin and/or crosslinking agent so as to become a part of the film when the coating composition cures.
Birkmeyer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,918 describes coating compositions having a vehicle portion that essentially consists of: (a) from 35 to 55 wt % of a cross-linking agent; (b) from 15% to 50% of a curable polyol resin; and (c) from 15% to 50% of a reactive diluent. The reactive diluent is synthesized by reacting from 0.25 to 4 moles of a glycidyl ester with one mole of a functional material having a molecular weight of less than 1000, a hydroxy equivalent weight of from 30 to 1000, a carboxyl equivalent weight of from 50 to 1000, and a total hydroxyl and carboxyl functionality of at least 2.0. The Birkmeyer patent does not disclose methods for producing reactive diluents from polyepoxide compounds.
Henry et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,203, discloses a hydroxy-functional oligoether similar to the reactive diluent of the Birkmeyer patent. The oligoether of the Henry patent is prepared by reacting a polyol free of carboxyl groups and having three or four hydroxyl groups with a mono-glycidyl ester of a branched carboxylic acid, containing from 5 to 13 carbon atoms.
Swarup et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,087,464, Jones et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,072,and Yezrielev et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,906 disclose coating compositions including a phenolic ester alcohol made by reacting hydroxybenzoic acid and an epoxide-functional compound, or a phenolic ester urethane compound prepared by reacting the phenolic ester alcohol with a diisocyanate compound. These patents do not disclose aliphatic reactive diluents or methods for producing aliphatic reactive diluents. Aromatic materials such as those of the Swarup, Jones, and Yezrielev patents, however, are unsuitable for exterior automotive topcoat coatings because they tend to yellow from outdoor exposure.
It would, therefore, be desirable to prepare reactive diluent materials that could be included in automotive topcoat coatings in substantial amounts. It would also be desirable to prepare such reactive diluents by using aliphatic polyepoxide compounds.
A method of forming a reactive diluent comprises a step of reacting together
(a) a compound with a molecular weight of up to about 1000 having at least two glycidyl groups and
(b) a compound with a molecular weight of up to about 1000, having one hydroxyl or carboxyl group, or having one carboxyl group and one or more hydroxyl groups.
From about 0.95 to about 1.05 moles of compound (b) is reacted for each equivalent of glycidyl groups of the compound (a).
By molecular weight, we mean the actual molecular weight of a compound, or, if the compound is a polydisperse oligomeric or polymeric material, we mean the weight average molecular weight of the material.
The reactive diluent is included in a coating composition in an amount from about 5% to about 50% by weight, based on the total nonvolatile weight of the vehicle. The vehicle is understood as the resinous or polymeric material of the coating composition.
The reactive diluent is prepared by reacting together a polyglycidyl compound having a molecular weight of up to about 1000 and a hydroxyl- and/or carboxyl-functional compound with a molecular weight of up to about 1000.
The polyglycidyl compound is preferably aliphatic, more preferably cycloaliphatic. The polyglycidyl compound preferably has from 2 to about 4 glycidyl groups, and more preferably 2 glycidyl groups. The polyglycidyl compounds are glycidyl esters, particularly diglycidyl esters. In particular, the polyglycidyl compound may be selected from hexahydrophthalic acid diglycidyl ester, succinic acid diglycidyl ester, and combinations of these.
The polyglycidyl compound preferably has a molecular weight of from about 200 to about 500, more preferably from about 300 to about 400.
The polyglycidyl compound is reacted with a compound that has an hydroxyl and/or carboxylic acid group. The hydroxyl and/or carboxylic acid group is preferably bound to an aliphatic carbon atom. Particularly preferably, the compound that has the hydroxyl and/or carboxylic acid group is aliphatic. When the compound has a carboxylic acid group, the compound may have from one to about 4 hydroxyl groups. It is possible in that case to avoid polymerization because the acid group reacts at a faster rate than the hydroxyl group or groups. Particular examples of suitable compounds that are reacted with the polyglycidyl compound include, without limitation, monoalcohols such as octanol, and cyclohexanol; monocarboxylic acids such as octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, stearic acid, and cyclohexanoic acid; and hydroxycarboxylic acids such as dimethylolpropionic acid; as well as combinations of these compounds.
The hydroxyl- and/or carboxyl-functional compound has a molecular weight of up to about 1000, preferably from about 60 to about 500, and more preferably from 100 to about 300.
The reaction is carried out with a ratio of from about 0.95 to about 1.05 moles the hydroxyl- and/or carboxyl-functional compound for each equivalent of glycidyl groups of the polyglycidyl compound. Thus, on average, only about one carboxyl or hydroxyl group of each compound reacts with a glycidyl group. A catalyst for the reaction may be employed, for example tertiary amines such as triethylamine. Reaction conditions typical for such reactions and esterification reactions may be used. The reaction may be carried out in an organic solvent medium, but preferably the reaction is carried out neat, i.e., in a reactor containing only the reactants and any catalyst used. When a solvent is used, it is generally used in an amount of from about 1 to about 15 percent by weight of the reactive diluent solution product. Typical solvents include, without limitation, esters such as ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, and propyl propionate; ketones, such a methyl ethyl ketone, methyl propyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, and ethyl butyl ether; glycol ether esters, such as ethylene glycol monopropyl ether acetate and propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate; non-oxygenated solvents, such as toluene and xylene; and combinations of these.
The reactive diluent formed preferably has a molecular weight of from about 200 to about 1000, more preferably from about 300 to about 900, and even more preferably from about 400 to about 800.
The reactive diluent formed has secondary hydroxyl groups as a result of the ring-opening of the glycidyl group. The reactive diluent may have other hydroxyl groups and/or carboxylic acid groups as well if a polyfunctional compound is used as the hydroxyl- and/or carboxyl-functional compound because the reaction ratio provides for reaction of only one functional group of the hydroxyl- and/or carboxyl-functional compound, on average.
The coating composition preferably includes from about 5% to about 70% by weight of the reactive diluent, more preferably from about 10% to about 60% by weight of the reactive diluent, and even more preferably from about 15% to about 50% by weight of the reactive diluent, based on the total nonvolatile weight of the vehicle portion of the coating composition. A preferred range of reactive diluent for those compositions containing no further vehicle components reactive with the crosslinker is about 30% to about 70% while for those compositions containing an additional vehicle component reactive with the crosslinker it is about 15% to about 50%.
The coating composition preferably further includes a crosslinker material reactive with the reactive diluent and, optionally, with other material in the coating composition to form a curable coating composition. The crosslinker includes at least two, and preferably more than two, groups that are reactive with the hydroxyl groups of the reactive diluent. The coating composition preferably includes from about 10% to about 80% by weight crosslinker, more preferably from about 15% to about 70% by weight crosslinker, and even more preferably from about 20% to about 55% by weight crosslinker, based on the total nonvolatile weight of the vehicle portion of the coating composition. Illustrative examples of crosslinkers include, without limitation, aminoplast resins or phenol/formaldehyde adducts, as well as other materials having active methylol or methylalkoxy groups, unblocked polyisocyanates, blocked polyisocyanates, compounds having silane groups, polyepoxide materials, and compounds having anhydride groups; and mixtures thereof. Among preferred curing agent compounds are melamine formaldehyde resin (including monomeric or polymeric melamine resin and partially or fully alkylated melamine resin), blocked or unblocked polyisocyanates, urea resins (e.g., methylol ureas such as urea formaldehyde resin, alkoxy ureas such as butylated urea formaldehyde resin), polyanhydrides (e.g., polysuccinic anhydride), and combinations of these. In the case of crosslinkers such as the unblocked polyisocyanates that do not have long-term stability at room temperatures when mixed with the reactive diluent (and any other reactive component of the coating composition), the coating is formulated as a two-component coating composition, also known as two-pack or 2K coating composition, with the crosslinker being segregated in a container separate from the components with which it is reacts.
Examples of suitable polyisocyanates include, without limitation, alkylene polyisocyanates such as hexamethylene diisocyanate, 2,2,4- and/or 2,4,4-trimethylhexamethylene diisocyanate, dodecamethylene diisocyanate, 1,4-diisocyanatocyclohexane, 1-isocyanato-3,3,5-trimethyl-5-isocyanatomethylcyclohexane (IPDI), 2,4xe2x80x2- and/or 4,4xe2x80x2-diisocyanatodicyclohexylmethane, 3-isocyanato-methyl-3,5,5-trimethyl cyclohexyl isocyanate, aromatic polyisocyanates such as 2,4xe2x80x2- and/or 4,4xe2x80x2-diisocyanatodiphenylmethane, 2,4- and/or 2,6-diisocyanatotoluene, naphthylene diisocyanate, and mixtures of these polyisocyanates. It is preferred to use the known derivatives or adducts of those monomeric polyisocyanates. Examples include biuret-group-containing polyisocyanates, such as those described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,124,605 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,201,372 or DE-OS 1,101,394; isocyanurate-group-containing polyisocyanates, such as those described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,001,973, DE-PS 1,022,789, 1,222,067 and 1,027,394 and in DE-OS 1,929,034 and 2,004,048; urethane-group-containing polyisocyanates, such as those described, for example, in DE-OS 953,012, BE-PS 752,261 or U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,164 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,644,457; carbodiimide group-containing polyisocyanates, such as those described in DE-PS 1,092,007, U.S. Pat. No. 3,152,162 and DE-OS 2,504,400, 2,537,685 and 2,552,350; allophanate group-containing polyisocyanates, such as those described, for example, in GB-PS 994,890, BE-PS 761,626 and NL-OS 7,102,524; and uretdione group-containing polyisocyanates, such as those described in EP-A 0,377,177, each reference being incorporated herein by reference. Examples of blocking agents include, without limitation, phenols, thiols, oximes, caprolactams, and secondary aromatic amines.
Aminoplast resins include melamine/formaldehyde resins that are partially or fully alkylated with lower alcohols, such as methylated, butylated, isobutylated, and mixed alkylated monomeric and polymeric melamine resins. Phenoplast resins suitable as crosslinkers include the condensation product of an aldehyde with a phenol. Formaldehyde is a preferred aldehyde. Various phenols can be used, e.g., phenol per se, cresol, para-phenylphenol, para-tertiaryphenol, para-tertiaryamylphenol and cyclopentylphenol.
The coating composition may further include, as part of the vehicle, one or more curable resins (by which term we specifically include compounds as well as oligomeric and polymeric materials) reactive with the crosslinker. The coating composition preferably includes up to about 75% by weight of curable resin, more preferably from about 15% to about 70% by weight of curable resin, and even more preferably from about 20% to about 60% by weight of curable resin, based on the total nonvolatile weight of the vehicle portion of the coating composition.
While many suitable materials may be selected as the curable resin, particular mention is made of polyesters, polyurethanes, polyurea polymers, and acrylic polymers. Other reactive diluents, including aspartic acid derviative compounds as described in Zwiener et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,126,170, 5,236,741, 5,412,056, and 5,623,045, each of which is incorporated herein by reference, and aldimine-functional reactive diluents.
Polyesters are formed by reaction of polyols with polycarboxylic acids or acid anhydrides. Suitable examples of polyols for making the polyesters include alkylene glycols, such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol and neopentyl glycol, and other glycols such as hydrogenated bisphenol A, cyclohexanedimethanol, caprolactone-diol reaction products, hydroxyalkylated bisphenols, polyether glycols, e.g., poly (oxytetramethylene) glycol, and similar type compounds. Other diols of various types and polyols of higher functionality can also be used. Such higher polyols include trimethylolpropane, trimethylolethane, pentaerythritol and higher molecular weight polyols, such as obtained by the reaction product of ethylene oxide and trimethylolpropane and various hydrolyzed epoxide resins. Suitable carboxylic acids used in the reaction with the above-described polyols include phthalic, isophthalic, terephthalic, tetrahydrophthalic, hexahydrophthalic, adipic, azelaic, sebacic, maleic, glutaric, chlorendic, tetrachlorophthalic, maleic, fumaric, itaconic, malonic, suberic, 2-methylsuccinic, 3,3-diethylglutaric, 2,2-dimethylsuccininc acid and trimellitic acid. Anhydrides of these acids where they exist can also be employed and are encompassed by the term xe2x80x9ccarboxylic acid.xe2x80x9d Monocarboxylic acids such as benzoic acid and hexanoic acid can also be used, provided the average functionality of the polyol is above about 2.0. Saturated acids (including those aromatic acids where the only unsaturation is in the aromatic ring) are preferred.
There are also polyol-containing acrylics which are useful as the film-forming component. An important class of thermosetting acrylic resins that are used comprises the crosslinking carboxyl-containing polymers. The thermosetting carboxyl polymers that are used herein consist generally of acrylic resins or modified acrylic resins containing from about 3 to about 40 percent by weight of ethylenically unsaturated acid.
Acrylic polymers may be polymerized from one or more monomers having groups reactive with the crosslinker or groups that can later be derivatized to provide groups reactive with the crosslinker, preferably along with one or more comonomers. Examples of such monomers and comonomers include, without limitation, xcex1,xcex2-ethylenically unsaturated monocarboxylic acids containing 3 to 5 carbon atoms such as acrylic, methacrylic, and crotonic acids and the esters of those acids; xcex1,xcex2-ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids containing 4 to 6 carbon atoms and the anhydrides, monoesters, and diesters of those acids; vinyl esters, vinyl ethers, vinyl ketones, and aromatic or heterocyclic aliphatic vinyl compounds. Representative examples of suitable esters of acrylic, methacrylic, and crotonic acids include, without limitation, those esters from reaction with saturated aliphatic and cycloaliphatic alcohols containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, 2-ethylhexyl, lauryl, stearyl, cyclohexyl, trimethylcyclohexyl, tetrahydrofurfuryl, stearyl, sulfoethyl, and isobornyl acrylates, methacrylates, and crotonates; hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, hydroxybutyl acrylate, and hydroxybutyl methacrylate; and polyalkylene glycol acrylates and methacrylates. Representative examples of other ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable monomers include, without limitation, such compounds as fumaric, maleic, and itaconic anhydrides, monoesters, and diesters with alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, isobutanol, and tert-butanol. Representative examples of polymerization vinyl monomers include, without limitation, such compounds as vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl ethers such as vinyl ethyl ether, vinyl and vinylidene halides, and vinyl ethyl ketone. Representative examples of aromatic or heterocyclic aliphatic vinyl compounds include, without limitation, such compounds as styrene, xcex1-methyl styrene, vinyl toluene, tert-butyl styrene, and 2-vinyl pyrrolidone. The comonomers may be used in any combination. Carbamate-functional acrylic polymers may be prepared as described, for example, by McGee et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,554, incorporated herein by reference.
The coating compositions may further include one or more pigments and one or more conventional additives, such as fillers, catalysts, surfactants, hindered amine light stabilizers, UV absorbers, antioxidants, dispersing agents, rheology control agents, adhesion promoters, and so on are included in the compositions for their known functions. The pigment may be any organic or inorganic compounds or colored material, metallic or other inorganic flake materials such as mica or aluminum flake, and other materials of kind that the art normally includes in such coatings. Pigments and other insoluble particulate compounds such as fillers are usually used in the composition in an amount of 1% to 100%, based on the total solid weight of binder components (i.e., a pigment-to-binder ratio of 0.1 to 1).
Organic solvents and conventional additives can be included in the coating compositions. The preferred compositions contain less than about 60% by weight, more preferably less than 50% by weight, based on the total coating composition weight, of a volatile organic solvent that are included for regulatory purposes in the category of VOCs.
Coating compositions can be coated on the article by any of a number of techniques well-known in the art. These include, for example, spray coating, dip coating, roll coating, curtain coating, and the like. For automotive body panels, spray coating is preferred. In one embodiment, the reactive diluent is included in one component of a multi-component refinish automotive coating composition. The multi-component refinish coating composition has at least one second component, which includes a crosslinker reactive with the reactive diluent under conditions appropriate of refinish coatings.

Coating composition containing alcoholic reactive diluents


A portable partition panel is provided for open office plans, and the like, and includes a panel frame and removable cover panels that removably attach thereto. Clips on the cover panels releasably engage side frame segments of the panel frame, and hooks on the bottom of the panel frame releasingly engage mating apertures on the cover panel to form a detachable interconnection therebetween. A top cap includes a catch which pulls the cover panels against the panel frame as the cap is installed to assist in securely, yet removably attaching the cover panels to the panel frame. Connectors on the cover panels can be removed and reinstalled, so that the cover panels can be installed in a second orientation to hide mars upholstery tears, and the like. Also, the panel frame includes an upwardly open channel for receiving articles such as wires in a raceway. The upper segment of the panel frame further includes a reduced cross-section that allows cables to be routed from the utility channel into the interior of the partition panel. Also, the side clips have a unique design which causes them to remain on the cover panel during removal and also controls the releasing motion of the panels.

The present invention relates to furnishings for open offices, and the like and in particular to movable room divider panels or partitions of the type having frame and removable cover panels.
Room divider systems are particularly popular in modern offices, since they allow large areas to be aesthetically and economically subdivided for maximum worker productivity. However, despite their flexibility, further improvements are desired. For example, most existing panel systems do not allow the exterior surfaces of the panels to be removed and replaced without significant effort and several tools. Some attempts have been made to solve this problem through the use of removable cover panels. However, in such systems, the removable cover panels are typically difficult to remove and/or securely reinstall. Also, present retention systems for holding the removable cover panels on their associated frame are not as positive as desired, thus leading to loose and misaligned cover panels. Further, clips and attachment brackets are often lost or damaged, aggravating the problem of inadequate attachment. Still further, dirty or damaged panels with exposed but only localized damage must be removed and replaced in order to satisfactorily refurbish an office layout.
Recently, room divider systems have been adapted to include raceways and the like for routing electrical power and telecommunication cables therethrough. Improvements in this aspect of portable partition panels is also desired. For one, the raceways provided for laying in cables are difficult to access, and often require some disassembly of panels. Other systems require that the cables be strung or threaded into the raceways. Further, in most systems, it is difficult to separate high voltage lines such as for dispensing electrical power from low voltage lines such as for telecommunication. This leads to mixed lines resulting in electrical interference therebetween. This potentially also creates maintenance hazards where the wires are poorly identified.
Thus, a panel system offering increased flexibility in panel placement, attachment, repair, and refurbishing is desired. Further, a system is needed in which high voltage lines are readily accessible and separatable from low voltage lines, while simultaneously also offering maximum flexibility in cable routing and placement.


A new device incorporated in an arrow causes the arrow to spin as it leaves the bow. The arrow spin device comprises a screw shaft which is cylindrical at the leading and trailing ends thereof and inserted in the posterior end of the arrow shaft. A rotary spin is imparted to the arrow shaft about its longitudinal axis at initial bow string release by engagement of the screw shaft with a guide integral with the arrow shaft. As the screw shaft becomes fully inserted into the arrow shaft in response to the bow string""s force, the arrow shaft becomes free to rotate about anterior and posterior cylindrical surfaces on the screw shaft. Upon release from the bow string, the arrow shaft is rotating and the arrow will travel faster and with less deviation by virtue of the ballistic spin imparted. This spin allows the arrow to avoid the need for external fletching.

The field of the invention pertains to arrows for archery and, in particular, to improvements to speed, accuracy, and delivered power of an archery arrow.
The standard archery arrow is a suitable length shaft with vanes or fletching affixed at the posterior end. When propelled by a bow, the arrow""s flight is stabilized by virtue of the fletching""s drag against air resistance. While this construction does achieve a relatively straight line of flight (except for the effect of gravity on the flight), it does so at the cost of energy loss in direct proportion to distance of flight as the air resistance is a substantially constant function of arrow flight speed.
If rotation can be imparted to the arrow, the arrow will be stabilized in a manner similar to a bullet shot from a rifled barrel firearm. Some attempts have been made to provide rotation to an arrow. U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,875 discloses a slot which drives against circumferentially arranged dimples. However, this device makes no provision for a disengagement mechanism that will allow for rotation of the arrow while the arrow is engaged in the bow string prior to release. A frequent result is the failure of the arrow at the nock and bow string interface. As shown in this patent, a form of external fletching is required to achieve rotation of the arrow upon release from the bow string.
By eliminating the fletching, there will be an increase in arrow speed and delivered energy. The increase in arrow speed will result in a straighter trajectory and enhanced accuracy.
The new arrow spin device comprises a screw shaft which is cylindrical at the leading and trailing ends thereof and inserted in the posterior end of the arrow shaft. A rotary spin is imparted to an arrow shaft about its longitudinal axis at initial bow string release by engagement of the screw shaft with a guide integral with the arrow shaft.
As the screw shaft becomes fully inserted into the arrow shaft in response to the bow strings""s force, the arrow shaft becomes free to rotate about anterior and posterior cylindrical surfaces on the screw shaft. Upon release from the bow string, the arrow shaft is rotating and the arrow will travel faster and with less deviation by virtue of the ballistic spin imparted. This spin allows the arrow to avoid the need for external fletching.