The invention provides a bellows-shaped article made of fiber reinforced plastics.

The present invention relates to articles made in the form of bellows.
More particularly, the invention provides such an article using a fiber reinforced plastic. The invention is not concerned with light duty applications such as are found for example in noise-making toys.
A bellows article, usually of round cross-section, is a hollow cylinder or cone having corrugated walls which allow the length of the article to be changed in response to the application of a moderate axial force. Bellows articles have a small wall thickness to diameter ratio to allow wall bending without causing high material strain.
Known materials used for the construction of bellows are leather, plastics, particularly neoprene-coated nylon fabric, elastomers and metals. Each material has an appropriate field of application and each has its limitations. Leather cracks at low temperatures. Plastics which are flexible enough for use in bellows often have low strength. Elastomers are a very varied group of materials which each have their own characteristics and limitations. Fatigue resistant steel is expensive.
It is one of the objects of the present invention to obviate the disadvantages of prior art bellows-like articles and to provide such an article having improved strength to weight ratio and fatigue life, thus permitting use of bellows for existing and novel products.
The present invention achieves the above object by providing a bellows-shaped article made of fiber reinforced plastics, commonly designated composite materials or composites in short.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a bellows-shaped article having continuous corrugations arranged along helical lines.
In a specially preferred embodiment, helical lines of the corrugations are selected from the group consisting of a single helical line, double helical lines and triple helical lines.
In a most preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a bellows-shaped article wherein the reinforcing fibers consist of S-glass fibers, E-glass fibers, carbon fibers, graphite fibers, aramid fibers, or mixtures thereof and the plastic is an epoxide resin, a phenolic resin, a polyester resin or a mixture thereof.
As is known, bellows can have discrete parallel corrugations, these being parallel to the transversal plane, i.e. to a plane perpendicular to the axis.
In the prior art there are known light duty bellows wherein the corrugations follow a helical line.
A first example of such a helical bellows is found in hoses of vacuum cleaners made of homogeneous thermoplastic material, wherein the special helical bellows properties are used to make the hoses flexible in bending. They are considered here as light duty, due to the insignificant pressure differential, when in use, between inside and outside the hose.
Another example of helical bellows is an evacuation air duct of a laundry dryer. These have a composite structure of a helical steel wire, maintaining the ducts"" circular cross section, with a very thin sheet wall made of plastic or similar material, ensuring air tightness. Such air ducts, beyond their flexibility in bending, are collapsible in the axial direction so that their transportation and storage demand relatively small volume.
Both of said applications are considered as light duty bellows and said bellows do not possess a wall strength suitable for medium or heavy duty use.
Medium duty bellows are, for example, metallic exhaust gas ducts of gas boilers, where the walls have to withstand relatively high temperatures, beyond the endurance of plastic materials.
Heavy duty, prior art, steel bellows are used to accommodate length differential due to heating of two proximate components, which have significantly different thermal expansion coefficients.
The novel material composition of the present invention is intended to provide the invented articles with medium and heavy duty properties.
High strength is derived from the fibers while the resin provides stability of form.
The present invention is intended to provide new applications for bellows-like articles. Such applications have not hitherto employed bellows-like components, either due to inadequate physical properties of the materials, or due to prohibitive cost.
An example of such novel application is the use of bellows-like articles as a heavy duty elastic spring.
Another example is employing a bellows-like article as a component of a heavy duty pump.
In one embodiment of the present invention the crest line of a corrugation of the bellows is parallel to a transversal plane (in case of composite bellows only, see FIG. 1.)
In another embodiment the crest line is disposed along an endless helical line (irrespective of material) so that the bellows obtains a shape of a twist drill, in the case of a double helix, or, the shape of a screw thread, in the case of a single helix. See FIG. 2 for a double helix.
Throughout this specification the terms xe2x80x9cGroovexe2x80x9d will indicate the concavity between two adjacent crests of corrugations as seen from the outside. The term xe2x80x9cGroove Linexe2x80x9d will indicate the deepest line of the groove. For helical bellows, the term xe2x80x9cHelix Linexe2x80x9d will be taken as including any line on the helical surface that is parallel to the crest line (including the crest line itself and including the groove line).
In discrete parallel corrugations and in helical corrugations, a crest line is longer than any other line parallel to it. A groove line is the shortest of all lines parallel to a crest line and any line parallel to the crest and groove lines located between the two is of intermediate length.
Any line of intersection between the surface of a helix shaped body and a transversal plane, as defined above, is a closed line, where all such lines, irrespective of the particular transversal plane in which they are contained are identical in shape and in length. The only difference is that the said closed lines are rotated relative to one another about the axis of the cylinder enveloping the bellows.
Throughout this specification the term xe2x80x9cTransversal Surface Linexe2x80x9d will be taken as including any line on the helical surface that is formed by the intersection of that helical surface and a transversal plane.
It is obvious that all lines formed by an intersection of a longitudinal plane through the axis of a helix shaped body and the surface of that same body are identical in developed length, provided that the body is at least as long as one pitch of the helix. This is correct irrespective of the helix being a simple helix, a double helix, or a triple helix. It is also correct for discrete parallel corrugations.
Throughout this specification the term xe2x80x9cLongitudinal Surface Linexe2x80x9d will be taken as including any line on the bellows surface that is formed by the intersection of that surface and such a longitudinal plane.
As for bellows with discrete parallel corrugations, also for a helical body (the length of which is sufficiently large relative to the pitch of the helix) it is always possible to find a family of mutually parallel spatial lines on its surface, disposed at a non-zero angle to a longitudinal surface line where all the lines of that family are identical in length.
Throughout this specification the term xe2x80x9cSurface Linexe2x80x9d will be taken as including any line on the bellows surface pertaining to such a family of lines. Obviously, the helix lines as defined above, (and for parallel corrugations, any intersections of the surface with transversal planes) do not make a part of a surface line family, as defined above, since they vary in length between a minimum for the groove line and a maximum for the crest line.
On the other hand, for helical bellows, a transversal surface line is a particular case of a surface line family, disposed at right angles to the longitudinal surface lines. As already mentioned, a transversal surface line, unlike other surface lines, is a closed line.
In a composite material bellows according to the present invention, assume two families of surface lines as defined above are formed by two layers (or plies) of unidirectional fibers (unidirectional as opposed to randomly disposed fibers). The surface lines of each of the two families are of identical length, but the length of lines, that is the length of the fibers of one of the families is not necessarily equal the length of fibers of the other family.
A particular case of a helical bellows is where one of the families is formed by transversal surface lines and the other family is formed by longitudinal surface lines. Each family is composed of a ply of unidirectional material.
Alternatively, one of the embodiments of the present invention refers to composite material bellows including a single ply of woven fabric. The warp and the woof of the fabric as described are at an angle (different of zero or 90 degrees) to the crest lines.
Obviously all fibers of the warp or of the woof of said fabric, being parallel to one another and reaching from one edge of the fabric to the opposite edge, when wrapped around to form a cylinder, are of identical length.
Helix lines, as defined above, are not identical in length. Secondly, they are not perpendicular to the fabric fibers if disposed as described above. This implies, for composite material bellows according to the present invention, that the warp and woof of the fabric will not at all points of the surface be at right angles to one another.
To clarify the concept, consider a particular case of fabric composite material bellows. In this particular case let a helix line intermediate between the crest and groove lines meet the warp and woof at plus and minus 45 degrees. Consequently at that particular point the warp and woof are mutually perpendicular. The warp and woof form, therefore, small squares and one of the diagonals of any such square lines on the said particular helix line.
Moving conceptually from this helix line to an adjacent helix line, the squares become lozenges or diamond shaped. As one approaches the crest line the lozenge diagonals lying on the helix lines become longer and longer and as one approaches the groove line the lozenge diagonals lying on the helix lines become shorter and shorter. Meanwhile, the sides of the lozenges remain equal to those of said squares. This results from the crest line being the longest of all helix lines and the trough line being the shortest of all helix lines, as the fibers of the fabric cannot be stretched or crimped.
In the course of manufacturing composite bellows, according the present invention, as long as the lay-up is not cured, it is possible to force the fabric to follow the surface of the helix. Such forcing involves shear forces in the plane of the fabric. The length of the warp and woof is not affected by the shear force. Only the matrix is affected, and before curing the matrix does not offer high resistance to the shear force.
After curing, the matrix becomes stiff and the shape of the composite bellows becomes stable. Additional deformation can result only from subjecting the bellows to axial or fluid pressure loads.
In the particular case (of helical bellows) where the warp and woof are initially disposed on transversal and longitudinal surface lines, forcing the fabric to the helical shape makes the warp and the woof oscillate about the initial transversal and longitudinal surface lines.
The statements in the former paragraphs are correct irrespective of the technology used to manufacture the bellows, whether by wet lay-up technology or by pre-impregnated fiber (xe2x80x9cprepregxe2x80x9d) technology.
However it is not possible to dispose the warp or the woof along helix lines, or at very small angles thereto, since forcing the fabric to conform to the lengths of the helical surface would involve stretching and crimping the yarns, which is not possible before the resin is cured.
Consider composite bellows with discrete parallel corrugations, wherein at a certain point approximately half way between a crest line and the adjacent groove line, two families of surface lines are formed by two plies of unidirectional fibers mutually perpendicular at that point and at plus and minus 45 degrees to transversal (or a longitudinal) surface line. Reasoning as above indicates the possibility of using fabric also for such bellows.
The general case of composite bellows according to the present invention is where the fibers, whether unidirectional or making part of fabric, are disposed at an arbitrary, but not too small, angle to the helix lines (or the crest line).
The selected angles are intended to facilitate manufacturing, or to determine the mode of deflection of the bellows under load, or for any other purpose.
Compressing or stretching of bellows requires that the thickness of the skin be very small relative to the other dimensions of the bellows. Thus surface lines on the outer surface are, for all practical purposes, identical in length to those surface lines on the inner surface which are parallel to the first.
Besides material composition and the number of fiber directions, as will be mentioned below, the particular mechanical properties of the bellows depend on the diameter, the depth and form of the corrugations and the thickness of the material.
In some applications of composite bellows according to the present invention, the bellows are subjected to internal or external pressure and are designed to withstand such pressure. For this purpose at least two distinct directions of fibers are required and it is also required that the edges of the wrapped around fiber plies overlap so as to transmit by shear stresses the tensile or compressive loads which exist along the fibers where they do not overlap.
Also preferred is an arrangement wherein a plurality of first ends of fibers of overlap a plurality of second ends of said same fibers.
For any given pressure, skin tensile stress is proportional to the diameter of the bellows and inversely proportional to the thickness of the material. At large diameters a corresponding larger thickness is needed to prevent actual stress exceeding allowed material stress. This is achieved by constructing the bellows of multiple plies of fabric or unidirectional fibers, or a composition thereof.
Generally, composite bellows made according to the present invention are intended to be subjected to axial tensile or compressive loads and to react to these loads by flexure of the corrugations. Such bellows are not intended to be subjected to twisting moments and consequently it is not necessary or desirable to stiffen the bellows against shear loads in the plane of the fabric, or, in practice, to add a third or fourth direction of fibers. This means that even in the case of multiple plies there will generally be only two distinct fiber directions.
However there are particular applications of bellows made according to the present invention where the bellows are intended to resist twisting, in which case a third direction of fibers is essential.
For example, the fibers can meet a certain helix line at minus 45, plus 45 and 90 degrees.
In this case also it is essential that the ends of the wrapped-around fibers overlap so as to transmit by inter-laminar shear forces the normal loads which exist along the fibers where they do not overlap.
Where the bellows are used as simple elastic springs, an overlap is not essential and any number of fiber directions is acceptable, two directions being a minimum.
In the general case composite material bellows made according to the present invention will have a double helix shape. This shape bestows axial symmetry upon the bellows, i.e., each point of the bellows has another point diametrically disposed thereto that is identical to the first in any respect of form and mechanical properties. In the tangential direction, axial symmetry means clockwise in both points or else anti-clockwise in both points.
This means also that by subjecting the bellows to axial loads no preferred direction of deformation exists besides the axial direction. Under axial load the bellows axis remains straight. Bellow twisting is nevertheless possible.
However, if advantageous for mechanical properties, manufacturing or cost considerations, the helical shape can be single. A single helix is not axially symmetrical, and thus does not have the advantages of such symmetry.
It is a common practice to limit the design of composite laminates to balanced (orthotropic) and symmetric construction. The symmetry is about mid-thickness. If not balanced, the composite material twists during curing. In the case of the axial symmetry of the structure, as in the present invention, any such twist can only be about the cylinder axis and does not constitute a drawback. This obviates the necessity to balance the lay-up.
The envelope of the above described shapes and compositions of bellows is essentially cylindrical. However, in the case of helical bellows a slightly tapered envelope offers the advantage of easy release of the product from its manufacturing tool by screwing one off the other. Another advantage is the easy possibility of blocking the ends of the bellows by suitable plugs, helical and slightly tapered as well, so as to form closed volumes.
Further embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter.
It will thus be realized that the bellows-like article of the present invention makes possible the use of thin walls, which reduces strain during bending, yet wall strength is high due to the fiber reinforcement, thus making possible new applications such as extending the allowed internal pressure of such an article.
The invention will now be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments with reference to the following illustrative figures so that it may be more fully understood.
With specific reference now to the figures in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.


An assembled water reservoir includes plural boards. Each board is provided side by side on side walls of a tank unit. The water reservoir also includes plural connection members and each connection member is used to connect two neighboring boards, allowing an included angle to be formed between the two neighboring boards, so as to construct a water pool. Therefore, through providing the plural boards and the plural connection members in the closed tank unit to construct the water reservoir, the reservoir can be provided with an effect of isolating temperature, a power source, ambient moisture and water.

a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a quickly assembled water reservoir and more particularly to a water reservoir which is dismantled and installed conveniently and can be assembled to a tank unit.
b) Description of the Prior Art
In general, an existing water reservoir, bathing pool or swimming pool is constituted primarily by a tank unit into which water is filled.
However, for these water pool structures, as the tank unit is made by cement and some water pools are even provided with stone bricks paved on the cement, they will not only waste time, but also have a relatively high cost.
Moreover, as the tank unit is made by the cement, when the water is filled into the tank unit, the water will directly contact cement walls. As being easily affected by weather, the cement walls will be sometimes cold and sometimes hot, depending upon the weather change. In addition, the cement temperature can be easily transferred to the water, thereby affecting the water temperature of the pools.
On the other hand, as the cement walls are even easier to be affected by construction to cause water permeation or water leak. If these pools are located at a roof top of a house, the water can be easily permeated into the house below, causing the water to leak into the house at a top floor. Moreover, as the roof top is equipped with the water pool, the top house can be very humid by excessive moisture, thereby affecting a living quality of the house.
In addition, as the water is directly in touch with the cement walls, there will be even leak of electricity, which will affect safety of the water pool.


The invention provides a process for the fine division of pigments which comprises spraying a coarsely crystalline crude pigment and/or a poorly dispersible prepigment in suspension form through nozzles to a point of conjoint collision in a reactor chamber enclosed by a housing in a microjet reactor, a gas or an evaporating liquid being passed into the reactor chamber through an opening in the housing for the purpose of maintaining a gas atmosphere in the reactor chamber, and the resulting pigment suspension and the gas or the evaporated liquid being removed from the reactor through a further opening in the housing by means of overpressure on the gas entry side or underpressure on the product and gas exit side.

The present invention describes an environment-friendly and economic process for fine division of organic pigments.
Organic pigments have been known for a long time and have acquired great industrial importance for pigmenting high molecular mass organic materials such as paints, plastics or printing inks. At the synthesis stage, the pigments are often obtained in the form of coarsely crystalline crude pigments which at that stage do not meet the technical requirements. They must first be subjected to a process of fine division which brings about a reduction in particle size. This is commonly followed by a heat treatment, in order to obtain pigments meeting the technical requirements, as described for example in DE-A-27 42 575, or pigmentary dispersants or other additives are used in order to achieve specific effects, as described for example in EP-A-0 666 288 or in EP-A0 574 790.
In order to convert a crude pigment into the pigment or prepigment form, a variety of fine division processes are known, examples being acid pasting (reprecipitation from solvents, particularly acids), salt kneading, dry grinding, and wet grinding processes. Combinations of these techniques are also described. U.S. Pat. No. 3,607,336 describes an acid pasting process for fine division, in which the pigment is dissolved in sulfuric acid and precipitated in turbulent flow. The process is accompanied by the production of large amounts of dilute acid, which must either be emitted into the wastewater or regenerated at expense.
DE-A-27 42 575 describes a process of fine division by dry grinding without salt; as in the case of any dry grinding process, the environment is burdened by the dust and noise produced. Mill vibrations have to be damped by means of complex constructional measures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,299 describes a combination of dry grinding in the presence of salt with subsequent acid swelling. The described advantage of the reduced amount of salt at the dry grinding stage necessitates the second step of acid swelling, in the course of which large amounts of acid are produced, which together with the still considerable amounts of salt must be emitted into the wastewater or recovered at expense, and so make the process uneconomic.
EP-A-0 678 559 describes a fine division process without the use of salt. This advantage comes, however, at the expense of a two-stage process, namely a combination of dry and wet grinding. As a result, the process becomes time-consuming, cost-intensive and hence uneconomic. In the case of the wet grinding process, the use of grinding media leads inevitably to abrasion and thus to the incorporation of extraneous substances into the product.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,126 describes a salt kneading process in the presence of fatty acids. In the course of the salt kneading, large amounts of salt and solvents are obtained which either burden the environment or have to be recovered, at expense.
With the mechanical fine division processes known to date, the largest part of the energy is converted into heat and only a fraction of the energy introduced is used effectively for grinding. When grinding media such as beads are used, abrasion occurs and thus the product is contaminated by extraneous substances. The scaleup of new products from the laboratory to the industrial scale is often complicated and may cause difficulties, since the introduction of the mechanical energy, the transmission of the energy for effective grinding, the energy lost through heat production, and the necessary heat dissipation, for example, depend greatly on the geometries and sizes of the apparatus, and so are also factors codetermining the economics of the process at the industrial scale.
It was an object of the present invention to develop a universally applicable, cost-effective, technically reliable, and economic process for fine division of organic pigments, said process being combinable if desired with the measures known in connection with the preparation of pigments, such as the use of solvents, pigmentary and nonpigmentary dispersants, or other auxiliaries; permitting unproblematic scaleup; and removing the possibility of contamination by extraneous substances.
It has been found that the object of the invention may be achieved, surprisingly, through the use of a microjet reactor.
The present invention provides a process for the fine division of pigments which comprises spraying a coarsely crystalline crude pigment and/or a poorly dispersible prepigment in suspension form through nozzles to a point of conjoint collision in a reactor chamber enclosed by a housing in a microjet reactor, appropriately via one or more pumps, preferably high-pressure pumps, a gas or an evaporating liquid being passed into the reactor chamber through an opening in the housing for the purpose of maintaining a gas atmosphere in the reactor chamber, especially at the point of collision of the suspension jets, and where appropriate of effecting cooling as well, and the resulting pigment suspension and the gas or the evaporated liquid being removed from the reactor through a further opening in the housing by means of overpressure on the gas entry side or underpressure on the product and gas exit side.
Pigment fine division in accordance with the invention requires a high grinding and dispersing action. This is brought about by spraying the suspensions used into the reactor chamber under a pressure of at least 50 bar, preferably at least 500 bar, in particular from 500 to 5000 bar.
In order to prevent material wear on the inner surfaces of the housing, the collision point is shifted into the material-remote gas space. By xe2x80x9cmaterial-remotexe2x80x9d here is meant that, in the vicinity of the collision point of the jets, a gas atmosphere is maintained by means of the introduced gas or evaporating liquid. This means that the collision point at which the jets impinge on one another is not sited on a vessel wall or on a pipe wall. This prevents the material wear that would occur at the point where cavitation takes place on material walls. Cavitation occurs particularly when using high pressures, especially at pressures above 3000 bar. Moreover, the colliding jets are not braked by the gas atmosphere prior to their collision, as would be the case, for example, if they had to pass through a liquid.
The material of the nozzles should be as hard and thus low-wearing as possible; examples of suitable materials include ceramics, such as oxides, carbides, nitrides or mixed compounds thereof, with preference being given to the use of aluminum oxide, particularly in the form of sapphire or ruby, although diamond is also particularly suitable. Suitable hard substances also include metals, especially hardened metals. The bores of the nozzles have diameters of less than 2 mm, preferably less than 0.5 mm and in particular less than 0.4 mm.
The microjet reactor may in principle be configured as a two-jet, three-jet or multijet reactor, preference being given to a two-jet configuration. In the case of an arrangement with two jets, the jets preferably strike one another frontally (180xc2x0 angle between the jets); in the case of a three-jet arrangement, an angle of 120xc2x0 between the jets is appropriate. The jets advantageously may be mounted in a device which can be adjusted to the point of conjoint collision.
In one particularly preferred embodiment of the process of the invention, the suspension jets are sprayed against one another frontally through two opposed nozzles by means of a high-pressure pump.
The temperatures of the supplied suspensions are situated appropriately in the range from xe2x88x9250 to +250xc2x0 C., preferably between 0 and 180xc2x0 C., particularly from 0 to 100xc2x0 C., especially between 10 and 80xc2x0 C. It is also possible to operate under pressure at above the boiling point of the liquid medium.
Where necessary, the introduced gas or the evaporating liquid that is used to maintain the gas atmosphere in the inside of the housing may be used for cooling. Additionally, an evaporating cooling liquid or a cooling gas may be introduced into the reactor chamber by way of an additional bore in the housing. The aggregate state of the cooling medium may be conditioned by temperature and/or pressure. The medium in question may comprise, for example, air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide or other, inert gases or liquids having an appropriate boiling point under increased pressure. It is possible here for the transition of the cooling medium from the liquid to the gaseous state to take place in the reactor itself by virtue of the fact that heat released in the course of grinding brings about the change in aggregate state. It is also possible for the evaporative cooling of an expanding gas to be utilized for cooling.
The housing enclosing the reactor chamber may also be constructed in such a way that it is thermostatable and may be used for cooling; or else the product may be cooled after it has exited the housing. The pressure in the reactor chamber may, for example, be set and maintained by means of a pressure maintenance valve, so that the gas used is present in the liquid or supercritical or subcritical state. Thus it is possible, for example, to utilize the evaporative cooling of a gas.
If operation is to take place at elevated temperature, the energy required for heating may be supplied prior to the emergence from the nozzles of the suspensionxe2x80x94for example, in the supply linesxe2x80x94or by way of the thermostatable housing or the introduced gas. In principle, owing to the high pressures in the high-pressure lances, the chosen temperature may also be situated a considerable way above the boiling point of the liquid medium. Suitable liquid media therefore include those which, at the temperature of grinding in the interior of the housing under atmospheric pressure, are present as gases.
If the intensity of grinding is too low, the desired fine division is not achieved. If desired, therefore, the suspension may also be pumped through the microjet reactor in more than one pass. Grinding may also take place in circulation. The number of passes, or the duration of grinding in the case of circulation grinding, is dependent on the fineness requirements for the respective application field. Normally from 1 to 10, preferably from 1 to 7, in particular from 1 to 5, passes are sufficient.
The suspension consists of crude pigment or prepigment, the liquid medium, and auxiliaries where appropriate.
For grinding it is appropriate to use the coarsely crystalline crude pigments obtained in the course of their synthesis or their purification, mixtures of these crude pigments, pigment preparations of these crude pigments, surface-treated crude pigments or coarsely crystalline mixed-crystal crude pigments.
Examples of suitable prepigments and crude pigments include perylene, perinone, quinacridone, quinacridonequinone, anthraquinone, anthanthrone, benzimidazolone, disazo condensation, azo, indanthrone, phthalocyanine, triarylcarbonium, dioxazine, e.g., triphendioxazines, aminoanthraquinone, diketopyrrolopyrrole, indigo, thioindigo, thiazineindigo, isoindoline, isoindolinone, pyranthrone, isoviolanthrone, flavanthrone, anthrapyrimidine or carbon black pigments; mixed crystals or mixtures thereof, especially coarsely crystalline crude quinacridone pigments of the xcex2 or xcex3( phase, coarsely crystalline crude quinacridone mixed-crystal pigments, coarsely crystalline crude copper phthalocyanine pigments of the xcex1 or xcex2 phase, coarsely crystalline chlorinated copper phthalocyanines, coarsely crystalline crude dioxazine, perylene, indanthrone, perinone, quinacridonequinone, anthraquinone, aminoanthraquinone, and anthanthrone pigments.
Coarsely crystalline crude pigments are crude pigments which are only suitable for pigmenting organic materials after their particles have been reduced in size. In the majority of cases, these crude pigments have an average particle size D50 of more than 1 xcexcm.
It is also possible to use prepigments which have already undergone fine division but are highly agglomerated and therefore poorly dispersible, mixtures or pigment formulations of prepigments, mixed-crystal prepigments, or else mixtures of coarsely crystalline crude pigments and prepigments.
The liquid medium of the (crude-pigment/prepigment) suspension may be water, an organic solvent, or a mixture thereof.
Grinding may be conducted in arbitrary pH ranges, preferably in the alkaline or neutral range.
Examples of the liquid medium used include water, alcohols having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, examples being methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, butanols, such as n-butanol, sec-butanol, and tert-butanol, pentanols, such as n-pentanol and 2-methyl-2-butanol, hexanols, such as 2-methyl-2-pentanol and 3-methyl-3-pentanol, 2-methyl-2-hexanol, 3-ethyl-3-pentanol, octanols, such as 2,4,4-trimethyl-2-pentanol, and cyclohexanol; or glycols, such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, or glycerol; polyglycols, such as polyethylene glycols or polypropylene glycols; ethers, such as methyl isobutyl ether, tetrahydrofuran or dimethoxyethane; glycol ethers, such as monomethyl or monoethyl ethers of ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, butyl glycols or methoxybutanol; ketones, such as acetone, diethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, methyl ethyl ketone or cyclohexanone; aliphatic acid amides, such as formamide, dimethylformamide, N-methylacetamide or N,N-dimethylacetamide; urea derivatives, such as tetramethylurea; or cyclic carboxamides, such as N-methylpyrrolidone, valerolactam or caprolactam; esters, such as carboxylic acid C1-C6 alkyl esters, such as butyl formate, ethyl acetate or propyl propionate; or carboxylic acid C1-C6 glycol esters; or glycol ether acetates, such as 1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate; or phthalic or benzoic acid C1-C6 alkyl esters, such as ethyl benzoate; cyclic esters, such as caprolactone; nitriles, such as acetonitrile or benzonitrile; aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons, such as cyclohexane or benzene; or alkyl-, alkoxy-, nitro- or halo-substituted benzene, such as toluene, xylenes, ethylbenzene, anisole, nitrobenzene, chlorobenzene, o-dichlorobenzene, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene or bromobenzene; or other substituted aromatics, such as benzoic acid or phenol; aromatic heterocycles, such as pyridine, morpholine, picoline or quinoline; and also hexamethylphosphoramide, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, dimethyl sulfoxide, and sulfolane. Said solvents may also be used as mixtures.
Preferred organic solvents are alcohols of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, especially ethanol, propanols, butanols, pentanols; aliphatic carboxamides, particularly dimethylformamide or N,N-dimethylacetamide; cyclic carboxamides, particularly N-methylpyrrolidone; aromatic hydrocarbons, particularly toluene, xylenes or ethylbenzene; chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons, particularly chlorobenzene and o-dichlorobenzene; and dimethyl sulfoxide.
Preference is also given to using water-miscible solvents as mixtures with water.
The pigment concentration in the suspension is dependent on the suspension rheology and should be situated at or below 30% by weight, generally from 3 to 25% by weight, preferably between 5 and 20% by weight. The only critical factor is that the suspension is still conveyable.
In addition to the liquid phase and the crude pigment or prepigment, the suspension may further comprise auxiliaries, such as surfactants, nonpigmentary and pigmentary dispersants, fillers, standardizers, resins, waxes, defoamers, antidust agents, extenders, shading colorants, preservatives, drying retardants, rheology control additives, wetting agents, antioxidants, UV absorbers, light stabilizers, or a combination thereof.
The auxiliaries may be added at any point in time before, during or after grinding, all at once or in several portions. An auxiliary may, for example, be added by means of a separate jet, by injection into the collision point.
The overall amount of the added auxiliaries may amount to from 0 to 40% by weight, preferably from 1 to 30% by weight, with particular preference from 2.5 to 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the crude pigment and/or prepigment.
Suitable surfactants include anionic or anion-active, cationic or cation-active, and nonionic substances or mixtures of these agents. Preference is given to those surfactants or surfactant mixtures which do not foam in the course of grinding. Examples of suitable anion-active substances include fatty acid taurides, fatty acid N-methyltaurides, fatty acid isethionates, alkylphenylsulfonates, alkylnaphthalinesulfonates, alkylphenol polyglycol ether sulfates, fatty alcohol polyglycol ether sulfates, fatty acid amide polyglycol ether sulfates, alkyl sulfosuccinamates, alkenylsuccinic monoesters, fatty alcohol polyglycol ether sulfosuccinates, alkanesulfonates, fatty acid glutamates, alkyl sulfosuccinates, fatty acid sarcosides; fatty acids, such as palmitic, stearic, and oleic acid; soaps, such as alkali metal salts of fatty acids, naphthenic acids and resin acids, such as abietic acid; alkali-soluble resins, examples being rosin-modified maleate resins, and condensation products based on cyanuric chloride, taurine, N,Nxe2x80x2-diethylaminopropylamine, and p-phenylenediamine. Particular preference is given to resin soaps, i.e., alkali metal salts of resin acids.
Examples of suitable cation-active substances include quaternary ammonium salts, fatty amine alkoxylates, alkoxylated polyamines, fatty amine polyglycol ethers, fatty amines, diamines and polyamines derived from fatty amines or fatty alcohols, and their alkoxylates, imidazolines derived from fatty acids, and salts of these cation-active substances, such as acetates, for example.
Examples of suitable nonionic substances include amine oxides, fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers, fatty acid polyglycol esters, betaines, such as fatty acid amide N-propyl betaines, phosphoric esters of aliphatic and aromatic alcohols, fatty alcohols or fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers; fatty acid amide ethoxylates, fatty alcohol-alkylene oxide adducts, and alkylphenol polyglycol ethers.
By nonpigmentary dispersants are meant substances which structurally are not derived by chemical modification from organic pigments. They are added as dispersants either during the actual preparation of pigments, or else often during the incorporation of the pigments into the application media to be colored; for example, in the preparation of paints or printing inks, by dispersion of the pigments into the corresponding binders. They may be polymeric substances, examples being polyolefins, polyesters, polyethers, polyamides, polyimines, polyacrylates, polyisocyanates, block copolymers thereof, copolymers of the corresponding monomers; or polymers of one class modified with a few monomers from another class. These polymeric substances carry polar anchor groups such as hydroxyl, amino, imino, and ammonium groups, for example, carboxylic acid groups and carboxylate groups, sulfonic acid groups and sulfonate groups, or phosphonic acid groups and phosphonate groups, and may also be modified with aromatic, nonpigmentary substances. Nonpigmentary dispersants may also, furthermore, be aromatic substances chemically modified with functional groups and not derived from organic pigments. Nonpigmentary dispersants of this kind are known to the skilled worker, and some are available commercially (e.g., Solsperse(copyright), Avecia; Disperbyk(copyright), Byk, Efka(copyright), Efka). Although several types will be mentioned below to give a representation, it is possible in principle to employ any other substances described, examples being condensation products of isocyanates and alcohols, diols or polyols, amino alcohols or diamines or polyamines, polymers of hydroxycarboxylic acids, copolymers of olefin monomers or vinyl monomers and ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids or carboxylic esters, urethane-containing polymers of ethylenically unsaturated monomers, urethane-modified polyesters, condensation products based on cyanuric halides, polymers containing nitroxyl compounds, polyester amides, modified polyamides, modified acrylic polymers, comb dispersants comprising polyesters-and acrylic polymers, phosphoric esters, triazine-derived polymers, modified polyethers, or dispersants derived from aromatic nonpigmentary substances. These parent structures are in many cases modified further, by means for example of chemical reaction with further substances carrying functional groups or by salt formation.
By pigmentary dispersants are meant pigment dispersants which are derived from an organic pigment as the parent structure and are prepared by chemically modifying this parent structure; examples include saccharin-containing pigment dispersants, piperidyl-containing pigment dispersants, naphthalene- or perylene-derived pigment dispersants, pigment dispersants containing functional groups linked to the pigment parent structure via a methylene group, pigment parent structures chemically modified with polymers, pigment dispersants containing sulfo acid groups, pigment dispersants containing sulfonamide groups, pigment dispersants containing ether groups, or pigment dispersants containing carboxylic acid, carboxylic ester or carboxamide groups.
The pigment is preferably isolated directly following grinding. However, it is also possible to conduct an aftertreatment (finish) with water and/or an organic solvent, at temperatures for example from 20 to 250xc2x0 C., with or without the addition of auxiliaries.
It is also possible to evaporate or spray-dry the pigment suspensions present following grinding; in that case, no filtration is necessary.
The preparation of the pigments in accordance with the process of the invention takes place substantially without waste products. The few chemicals may be processed further or completely regenerated.
It was surprising and was not foreseeable that the environmentally unproblematic fine division of pigments would be possible in this simple and technically uncomplicated way through the collision of jets in a microjet reactor, since in accordance with the known processes the fine division of pigments is accomplished only in multistage processes, with considerable environmental or economic burdens, with the production of large amounts of waste products such as salt or dilute acid, and/or with the introduction of unwanted substances into the product as a result of abrasion.
The pigments obtainable in accordance with the present invention are notable for outstanding coloristic and rheological properties; in particular, high flocculation stability, ease of dispersion, good gloss characteristics, and high color strength.
Inventively prepared pigments are suitable for pigmenting natural or synthetic organic materials of high molecular mass, such as cellulose ethers and cellulose esters, such as ethylcellulose, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate or cellulose butyrate, for example, natural resins or synthetic resins, such as addition-polymerization resins or condensation resins, examples being amino resins, especially urea- and melamine-formaldehyde resins, alkyd resins, acrylic resins, phenolic resins, polycarbonates, polyolefins, such as polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyacrylonitrile, and polyacrylates, polyamides, polyurethanes or polyesters, rubber, latices, casein, silicones, and silicone resins, individually or in mixtures.
In this context it is unimportant whether the high molecular mass organic compounds mentioned are in the form of plastically deformable masses, casting resins, pastes, melts or spinning solutions, paints, stains, foams, drawing inks, writing inks, mordants, coating materials, emulsion paints or printing inks. Depending on the intended use it proves advantageous to utilize the pigments obtained in accordance with the invention as blends or in the form of preparations or dispersions. Based on the high molecular mass organic material to be pigmented, the pigments prepared in accordance with the invention are employed in an amount of preferably from 0.05 to 30% by weight, more preferably from 0.1 to 15% by weight.
The pigments prepared by the process of the invention may be used to pigment the industrially commonplace baking varnishes from the class of alkyd-melamine resin varnishes, acrylic-melamine resin varnishes, polyester varnishes, high-solids acrylic resin varnishes, aqueous, polyurethane-based varnishes, and also two-component varnishes based on polyisocyanate-crosslinkable acrylic resins, and especially automotive metallic varnishes.
The pigments prepared in accordance with the invention are also suitable for use as colorants in electrophotographic toners and developers, such as one- or two-component powder toners (also called one- or two-component developers), magnetic toners, liquid toners, addition-polymerization toners, and also specialty toners. Typical toner binders are addition-polymerization, polyaddition, and polycondensation resins, such as styrene, styrene-acrylate, styrene-butadiene, acrylate, polyester, and phenol-epoxy resins, polysulfones, polyurethanes, individually or in combination, and also polyethylene and polypropylene, which may contain further ingredients, such as charge control agents, waxes or flow aids, or may be subsequently modified with these additives.
Moreover, the pigments prepared in accordance with the invention are suitable for use as colorants in powders and powder coating materials, especially in triboelectrically or electrokinetically sprayable powder coating materials that are used to coat the surfaces of articles made, for example, of metal, wood, plastic, glass, ceramic, concrete, textile material, paper or rubber.
Typical powder coating resins employed are epoxy resins, carboxyl- and hydroxyl-containing polyester resins, polyurethane resins and acrylic resins, together with customary curing agents. Combinations of resins are also used. For example, epoxy resins are frequently used in combination with carboxyl- and hydroxyl-containing polyester resins. Typical curing components (depending on the resin system) are, for example, acid anhydrides, imidazoles, and also dicyandiamide and its derivatives, blocked isocyanates, bisacylurethanes, phenolic and melamine resins, triglycidyl isocyanurates, oxazolines, and dicarboxylic acids.
Moreover, the pigments prepared in accordance with the invention are suitable for use as colorants in inkjet inks on an aqueous and nonaqueous basis, and also in those inks which operate in accordance with the hotmelt process.
Furthermore, the pigments prepared in accordance with the invention are also suitable as colorants for color filters, both for subtractive and for additive color generation.

Process for fine division of organic pigments


A screw 12 for an extruder 10 rotatably supported on the cylinder of the extruder and carrying roll-heated rubber material supplied from a hopper port 13s provided at the rear part of the cylinder 11, wherein the height of the portion of the flight portion 12z of the screw 12 located below the hopper port 13s is set lower than the height of the flight portion 12a on the downstream side of the screw 12, whereby the pulsation of extruded matter can be reduced while maintaining a high discharge rate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a screw for use in extruders and, particularly, to the structure of a screw for reducing the pulsation of an extruded product and a production process therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, to manufacture a rubber member which requires a predetermined sectional form, such as a tire tread or a side wall, an extruder comprising a screw is generally used. For instance, in the step of extruding a tire tread, a kneaded and blended rubber material for treads is heated with a warming mill to be softened, supplied to the hopper 51 of an extruder 50 shown in FIG. 3, carried to the end of a cylinder 53 and extruded from the nozzle 55 of a head 54 attached to the end of the cylinder 53 by a screw 52 to be molded into a predetermined sectional form, cooled and cut to a required length.
However, as the above extruder 50 generally has a short length (L/D), the shape of the rubber material to be molded is easily affected by the revolution of the screw 52. Therefore, when the extrusion rate (delivery rate) is increased by changing the structure of the screw, pulsation caused by delivery becomes large.
For example, when a high-delivery type screw 62 having a double-thread structure as a whole and a single-thread structure only on the hopper port 51s side is used as shown in FIG. 4, the delivery rate becomes higher than in the prior art. However, as all the rubber material supplied by the above single-thread structure portion is forced into the cylinder 53, a change in pressure applied from the rubber material to the flight portion 62F of the screw 62 become large in the vicinity of the hopper port 51s. Therefore, the pulsation of the delivered extruded product A becomes large, thereby increasing a gauge fluctuation.
Particularly when the extruded product is a tread, the above gauge fluctuation exerts a bad influence upon the uniformity and balance of tires. Therefore, the development of a screw capable of suppressing pulsation even when the extrusion rate is increased is desired.
It is an object of the present invention which has been made in view of the above problem of the prior art to provide a screw for extruders capable of reducing the pulsation of an extruded product while a high delivery rate is maintained.

Screw for extruder and method of manufacturing the extruder, and rubber member for tire and method of manufacturing the rubber member


The present invention electricity pod controller device includes:

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to conservation of electrical energy consumption by commercial, industrial, residential and all other energy consumers using retrofitted control devices which are attached at the incoming breakers to a facility and operate to increase efficiencies in a three stage process.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following references are examples of the prior art relating to control of electrical energy consumption:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,218 relates to an electronic control system for controlling the operation of a plurality of electrical devices which are energized from AC power lines which includes a single, central unit connected to the power lines, which further includes a central transceiver means for transmitting an encoded oscillating signal of one frequency onto the power lines, a central encoding means for encoding the oscillating signal with an encoded signal in synchronization with the frequency of the AC power for selective control of electrical devices, and a central control means connected to the encoding means for selecting the electrical device to be controlled and its desired state. The invention further includes unitary switch units respectively interconnected between power lines and each electrical device being operative for both local and centralized control of the electrical device with the local control and the centralized control placing the electrical device in respective opposite states from each other, each switch unit including a switch transceiver means for receiving the encoded oscillating signal from the power lines, a switch decoding means coupled to the switch transceiver means for detecting the encoded signal, a switch control means connected to the switch decoding means for setting the selected electrical devices to the desired state, and a local control means for selectively locally operating the electrical device independently of the central unit and placing the electrical device in a state opposite from that which it was placed by the central unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,580 describes a spike elimination circuit for A.C. and D.C. power sources which comprises two gas tube and/or two semiconductor voltage limiting devices before a Bandpass Filter. The Bandpass Filter consists of 2 capacitors to ground an inductor in series with the line. The spike eliminator can be portable, mobile, or hard wired for the protection of home controls and electronics, telecommunications, commercial and industrial controls and the computer field and others.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,528 describes a surge suppressor which comprises a first series circuit having a first inductance and a first alternating voltage limiter, including at least a first capacitance and a bidirectionally conductive rectifying circuit for charging the first capacitance, coupled between first and second input terminals for limiting surge currents and voltage excursions coupled to first and second load output terminals. The first alternating voltage limiter further comprises a sensing circuit for sensing at least one of the charging current supplied to and the voltage developed across the first capacitance. An auxiliary energy storage circuit and a normally open switching device responsive to the sensing circuit are provided for coupling the auxiliary energy storage circuit across the first capacitance during high energy surge conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,327 describes a power conditioner for AC power lines which has a choke and capacitor coupled in series across the power lines. The choke comprises a coil terminating in a line, with the line looped back through the coil. The power lines are thereby balanced to provide greater operating efficiency. Capacitors and transient suppressors (e.g., varistors) are used for transient suppression and power factor correction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,741 relates to an arrangement for obtaining flux rate information in a magnetic circuit including passive means connected across a flux rate sensor for implementing control of said flux rate. The passive means being a tuned magnetic flux rate feedback sensing and control arrangement wherein impedance is tuned and the energy loss characteristic is adjustable. The selection of inductance and capacitance values provides tuning and the selection of resistance affects the energy loss characteristics.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,710 is directed to an energy supply system for supplying, in system interconnection, power at a power receiving equipment from a power plant and power generated by a fuel cell to a power consuming installation, and supplying heat generated by the fuel cell to a heat consuming installation. This system includes an operation amount computing device for computing an amount of operation of the fuel cell to minimize an equation y=aXL+bXM+cXN, in response to an energy demand of the power consuming installation and heat consuming installation. A control device controls the fuel cell to satisfy the amount of the operation computed. The system supplies energy in optimal conditions with respect to the cost borne by an energy consumer, consumption of primary energy, and release of environmental pollutants. Energy is effectively used from the standpoint of the energy consumer and a national point of view.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,513 relates to an information handling system which is described as having a power supply and having a switching circuit that switches a plurality of energy sources between series and parallel couplings. Associated with the switching circuit is a voltage level detecting circuit for monitoring the voltage level of the energy sources. A processor for controlling the information handling system responds to the voltage level detecting circuit and in the event of a low voltage condition, the processor activates the switching circuit to switch the energy sources and from a series to a parallel coupling. Alternatively, the processor responds to other inputs or conditions for actuating the switching circuit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,459 is directed to an algorithm for implementation in a meter register and a reading device. In the one embodiment, the invention enables selecting a display table to be read from the register, updating the billing read date and time in the register, reversing the order in which load profile data is transmitted from the register to the reader, specifying the number of load profile intervals to be read from the register, and specifying the number of intervals to skip when reading from the register.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,225 relates to an apparatus and method for controlling energy supplied to a space conditioning load and for overriding a load control operation in response to measuring certain space temperatures within a closed environment. The load control apparatus includes a control device connected to an electrical distribution network and to a space/conditioning load and a temperature sensing device connected to the control device. The control device conducts a load shedding operation to control distribution of electrical energy to the space conditioning load in response to command signals supplied by a remote command center. The temperature sensing device operates to override the load shedding operation by outputting a control override signal to the control device in response to sensing certain space temperatures within the closed environment. If the temperature control device is connected to an air conditioning system, the temperature sensing device causes the control device to terminate the load shedding operation prior to expiration of a selected time period in response to measuring a space temperature that exceeds a maximum space temperature limit. In contrast, if the temperature control device is connected to a forced air heating system, the temperature sensing device causes the control device to terminate the load shedding operation when a measured space temperature drops below a minimum space temperature limit. The maximum space temperature limit is greater than the control temperature setpoint of a thermostat that controls the space conditioning operations, whereas the minimum space temperature limit is less than the control temperature setpoint.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,672 relates to a communication system, where a communication unit may conserve source energy when it is inactive in the following manner. The control channel is partitioned into a predetermined number of windows and a system window which are transmitted on the control channel in a round robin manner. When the communication unit registers with the communication system, it is assigned to a window group. The communication unit then monitors only the system window to determine whether the window group that its been assigned to is also assigned to one of the predetermined number of windows. When the window that has been assigned to the window group is being transmitted to the control channel, the communication unit activates to monitor that window. Once the window is no longer being transmitted, the communication unit deactivates until the system window is being transmitted or the window assigned to the window group is being transmitted.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,129 relates to an electronic device for multiplexing several loads to the terminals of a source of alternating electrical energy. The source of alternating electrical energy is coupled by electromagnetic flux to the loads by using primary excitation windings and connects to the terminals of the source of alternating electrical energy and secondary windings respectively corresponding to the number of loads. The secondary windings are at least partially coupled to the primary winding and are each connected to the terminals of a load. The coupling is inhibited by auxiliary winding which are each totally coupled with the secondary winding. The inhibition function is controlled in order to inhibit all the magnetic couplings except for one and this particular one changes as a function of the respective load to be coupled to the source of alternating electrical energy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,831 relates to a system for testing electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices includes means for sensing the current from the storage device and varying the load across the storage device in response to the current sensed. The system is equally adaptable to batteries and fuel cells. Means is also provided to sense system parameters from a plurality of locations within the system. Certain parameters are then stored in digital form for archive purposes and certain other parameters are used to develop control signals in a host processor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,188 is directed to a programmable identification apparatus, and associated method, includes a transceiver and a transponder. The transponder is powered by the energy of a transceiver transmit signal generated by the transceiver and includes a programmable memory element. A coded sequence which uniquely identifies the transponder is stored in the programmable memory element and, when the transponder is powered, the transponder generates a transponder signal which includes the coded sequence stored in the programmable memory element, once modulated by circuitry of the transponder. When the transceiver transmit signal generated by the transceiver circuitry is of certain signal characteristics, the coded sequence stored in the programmable element is erased, and a substitute coded sequence, which also forms a portion of the transceiver transmit signal, is stored in the programmable memory element. Storage of the coded sequence in the programmable memory element is, hence, effectuated merely by application of a transceiver transmit signal of certain characteristics to the transponder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,123 measures the total line current in a power cord which is used to energize both a power factor corrected system and non-power factor corrected AC loads. The power factor control loop of the power factor corrected system is then driven to correct the power factor of total line current in the power cord ideally to approach unity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,314 relates to a symmetrical ac power system which provides a balanced ac output, whose maximum voltage with respect to a reference ground potential is one-half the ac output voltage, and which is derived from a single phase ac source through the use of an isolation transformer having a center-tapped secondary winding. The center tap is connected to the output power load circuit as a ground reference potential with respect to the symmetrical ac output so as to constitute the reference ground potential for the power supply and load. Since symmetrical ac power is applied to the load by the system, reactive load currents, other power artifacts, EMI and RFI emissions and other interference and noise components ordinarily resulting from the application of conventional ac power to the load are reduced or eliminated by appearing as equal inversely phased signal elements which cancel one another. In order to maximize the performance of the symmetrical power system, the isolation transformer has a bifilar-wound secondary winding.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,646,458 describes a UPS (uninterruptible power system) which includes an UPS power conditioning unit that provides conditioned AC power to a critical load. The UPS power conditioning unit includes a variable speed drive that operates in response to AC utility power or to a standby DC input by providing a motor drive signal. The UPS power conditioning unit further includes a motor-generator that operates in response to the motor drive output by providing the conditioned AC power to the critical load. In response to an outage in the utility AC power, standby DC power is provided by a standby DC power source that includes a variable speed drive and a flywheel motor-generator connected to the variable speed drive. Both the UPS power conditioning unit and the standby DC power source are initially operated in response to the utility AC power, the flywheel motor-generator storing kinetic energy in a rotating flywheel. When an outage occurs, the rotating flywheel continues to operate the flywheel motor-generator of the standby DC power source, causing the production of AC power which is rectified and provided as standby DC power to operate the variable speed drive of the UPS power conditioning unit until either the utility AC power outage is over or a standby emergency generator is brought on line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,677 relates to a system that monitors and controls electrical power consumption that will be retrofitted to a typical consumer electrical power arrangement (typical arrangement-electrical feed line from a provider, a meter, a circuit breaker and individual input wiring to a plurality of electrical devices, appliances and outlets). The system includes a control unit which receives information from an electromagnetic pickup device from which real time electrical consumption is determined over very short periods of time. The control unit has a main data processing and storage processor for retaining information and it may include a communication microprocessor for sending signals to corresponding modules. The electromagnetic pickup device uniquely measures the electromagnetic flux emanating at each output wire from each of the individual circuit breakers in a breaker box. The modules have filters which release electrical power to the individual electrical devices, appliances and outlets at a controlled, economic rate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,892,667 describes a symmetrical ac power system which provides a balanced ac output, whose maximum voltage with respect. to a reference ground potential is one-half the ac output voltage, and which is derived from a single phase ac source through the use of an isolation transformer having a center-tapped secondary winding. The center tap is connected to the output power load circuit as a ground reference potential with respect to the symmetrical ac output so as to constitute the reference ground potential for the power supply and load. Since symmetrical ac power is applied to the load by the system, reactive load currents, other power artifacts, EMI and RFI emissions and other interference ad noise components ordinarily resulting from the application of conventional ac power to the load are reduced or eliminated by appearing as equal inversely phased signal elements which cancel one another. In order to maximize the performance of the symmetrical power system, the isolation transformer has a bifilar-wound secondary winding.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,004 discloses a new single-phase passive harmonic filter for one or more nonlinear loads. The filter improves the total system performance by drastically reducing the line side current harmonics generated by nonlinear loads. The filter includes two inductive portions across one of which is connected a tuning capacitor. The parallel combination of one inductive portion with the tuning capacitor forms a series tuned filter configuration while the second inductive portion is used for harmonic attenuation. A shunt capacitor is employed for shunting higher order harmonic components. A single-phase passive voltage regulator provides the needed voltage bucking to prevent over voltage at the load terminals of the filter. The filter provides an alternate path for the harmonic currents generated by nonlinear loads. The over voltage caused by the increased capacitive reactance is controlled by either capacitor switching or by the use of the passive voltage regulator or a combination of the two. Capacitor switching is dependent upon load conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,017 describes a method and an apparatus for power factor correction for a non-ideal load, which is supplied from a mains power supply, by a compensation device which is electrically connected in parallel with the load and has a pulse converter with at least one capacitive store. A transfer function space vector is calculated as a function of a determined mains power supply voltage space vector, a mains power supply current space vector, a compensator current space vector and of an intermediate circuit voltage which is present on the capacitive store. As a result of which the pulse converter generates a compensator voltage space vector on the mains power supply side as a function of the intermediate circuit voltage. A compensator current space vector, that keeps the undesirable reactive current elements away from the mains power supply, is thus obtained via a coupling filter that is represented as a compensator inductance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,035 describes a method wherein after starting the input of a switching signal to a booster circuit whose boosting rate is changeable in accordance with the duty ratio of the inputted switching signal and calculating the output power of an invertor circuit, which is connected to the subsequent stage of the booster circuit, from the output current of the invertor circuit, the target voltage after boosting by the booster circuit is obtained based on the output power. If the actual output voltage of the booster circuit is lower than the target voltage, the duty ratio of the above switching signal is increased, and if higher, the duty ratio of the above switching signal is decreased.
Notwithstanding the above prior art, there are, no teachings or suggestions that would render the present invention anticipated or obvious.
The present invention is an electricity pod controller device, which includes connection for connecting the device in parallel with an incoming power supply to a facility, i.e. a home, factory, office, institution, etc.; a first stage component, a second state component and a third stage component. The first stage is adapted to recognize electromagnetic interference, and to respond thereto by suppressing line transient voltage surges, and thus includes at least one line transient voltage surge suppressor (TVSS). The TVSS may be one or more metal oxide varistors and is preferably a plurality of in-parallel metal oxide varistors.
The second stage component includes at least one variable inductor to regulate the total harmonics distortion (THD) and thus enhance power factor correction. This would include chokes (transformers) and storage. The third stage component includes hardware to provide power to maintain phase regulation to incoming power, thus, to maintain true phase relationship between voltage and current at times of increased power demands. The third stage component includes at least one power storage and discharge element.
In some embodiments, the present invention is arranged so that the first stage component, second stage component and third stage component operate in a single phase. In other embodiments, there are at least two sets of components, each set having a first stage component, a second stage component and a third stage component, such that the device operates as a two phase device. In yet other embodiments, the electricity pod controller device of the present invention has three sets of components, each set having a first stage component, a second stage component and a third stage component, wherein the device operates as a three phase device.
More specifically, preferred embodiments of the present invention electricity pod controller device include:
(a) connecting means for connection to an incoming power supply of a facility, for connection in parallel, including a hot line and a neutral line, and at least one ground, and has a number of important components connected between said hot line and said neutral line. They are connected in the following order travelling in a direction away from the connections;
(b) at least one front metal oxide varistor line transient voltage surge suppressor having a predetermined capability to suppress undesired power spikes (xe2x80x9cfrontxe2x80x9d is used to mean closer to the connection and xe2x80x9cbackxe2x80x9d is used to mean further away from the connection);
(c) at least one capacitor of predetermined capacitance;
(d) at least two chokes in the form of inductor/metal oxide varistor transformers;
(e) at least a second capacitor of its own predetermined capacitance;
(f) at least one back metal oxide varistor having a predetermined capability. In preferred embodiments, the front metal oxide varistor is a plurality of varistors in parallel. It has been discovered that a plurality of smaller varistors having the same total capability as one larger varistor responds more quickly than one large varistor. For similar reasons, it is preferred that the back metal oxide varistor be a plurality of varistors in parallel. However, single large varistors may be used without exceeding the scope of the present invention
In some embodiments, the components (b) through (f) above are arranged for operation as a single phase device, while in other embodiments, the components (b) through (d) are duplicated therein to form two connected sets thereof and are arranged for operation as a two phase device. In yet other embodiments, at least a portion of component (e) is duplicated.
In those embodiments where three phase operation is desired, the electricity pod controller device components (b) through (d) are at least triplicated therein and (e) and (f) are at least duplicated therein to form three connected sets thereof and are thus arranged for operation as a three phase device.
The electricity pod controller device of the present invention may further include at least one indicator lamp connection and lamp wired so as to illuminate when the device is functional and to not illuminate when the device is non-functional.

Abstract: (a) in-parallel connection to an incoming power supply of a facility including a hot line and a neutral line, and at least one ground. There are components connected between the hot line and the neutral line in the following order;

Abstract: (b) at least one front metal oxide varistor line transient voltage surge suppressor having a predetermined capability to suppress undesired power spikes;

Abstract: (f) at least one back metal oxide varistor having a predetermined capability. In preferred embodiments, the metal oxide varistor may be a plurality of varistors in parallel.

Township of Lower Smithfield, County of Monroe


This invention deals with crystalline, nitrogen copolyester lubricant coating devices comprising sutures, wherein said lubricant comprises a triaxial copolyester chain with a central nitrogenous base or a copolyester with more than one carboxylic group ionically linked to a basic amino acid.

This invention relates to crystalline, low melting, xcex5-caprolactone polymers bearing basic amine functionalities which are linked to the ester chain ionically or covalently to induce catalyzed hydrolysis. The ester components can be derived from xcex5-caprolactone with or without small amounts of glycolide, and/or or similar lactones. Such polymers with accelerated absorption profiles are especially adapted for use as transient coatings for absorbable multifilament surgical sutures (and other medical implants).
Multifilament surgical sutures such as Dexon(copyright) polyglycolide multifilament suture typically require a surface coating to improve their handling and knotting characteristics. Capitalizing on the desirable low melting temperature, crystallinity, and rheological properties of polycaprolactone and its copolymers as coating materials, several compositions based on this polymer were investigated as coatings for surgical sutures. Recognizing the fact that the xcex5-caprolactone homopolymer is essentially non-absorbable led to the development of copolymers of xcex5-caprolactone with variable amounts of more absorbable monomers to improve the coating absorbability. U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,256 discloses a suture coating copolymer of at least 90 percent xcex5-caprolactone and a biodegradable monomer and optionally a lubricating agent. Examples of monomers for the biodegradable polymers disclosed include glycolic acid and glycolide, as well as well-known monomers typically used to prepare absorbable polymer fibers or coatings for multifilament sutures. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,788,979 and 4,791,929 disclose a bioabsorbable coating of a copolymer of at least 50 percent xcex5-caprolactone and glycolide. Sutures coated with such polymers are reported to be less stiff than sutures coated with other materials and the physical properties of the coated suture are also reported to be acceptable. U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,074 discloses copolymers of a predominant amount of xcex5-caprolactone, the balance being glycolide and glycolic acid. The use of glycolic acid as a comonomer into the copolymers of this invention was reported to increase the rate of absorption of the copolymer when used as a coating for multifilament surgical sutures.
Unfortunately, the problem of adequate bioabsorbability of xcex5-caprolactone-based polymers without detrimental effects on their desirable properties as coatings still remains. Specifically, the use of sufficient amounts of glycolide to achieve sufficient absorbability of the copolymeric coating can compromise its crystallinity and melting characteristics, for it may become amorphous or liquid near room temperature. On the other hand, the strategy of using glycolic acid to achieve the reported results in coating absorbability does limit the ability to produce sufficiently long chain molecules to achieve optimum frictional properties, due to glycolic acid""s known properties as both a ring-opening initiator chain terminator. Thus, a totally new approach to modifying the absorbability of polycaprolactone and its copolymers without affecting their desirable properties as suture coatings (or coatings for surgical devices) would be a more desirable goal.
The present invention provides a bioabsorbable, crystalline, nitrogenous copolyester lubricant coating for surgical devices, wherein the lactone derived component of the chain sequences are based on 90 percent to 98 percent xcex5-caprolactone-based units and 2 percent to 10 percent of glycolide-based units, having improved absorbability, as measured by rate or duration of sustained autocatalytic. In one embodiment of the present invention, improved absobabilility is provided the central location of the nitrogen of a tertiary amine, to which the polymer chains are covalently linked. The central, highly basic amine provides the maximum continued, sustained autocatalytic effect for the hydrolytic degradation of the copolyester chain. This embodiment of the invention is made using triethanolaine (TEA) as an initiator for the ring-opening polymerization of a mixture of cyclic monomers containing more than 85% xcex5-caprolactone.
In another embodiment of the present invention, improved absorbability is achieved by a copolyester polymer having two or more carboxylic groups per chain to which is ionically or covalently bound a basic amino acid. The increased number of basic amino acid groups per chain produces the improved absorbability. This structure highly absorbable structure is made using di- or tri- hydroxy acids as initiators. Use of these initiators doubles or triples the the carboxylic content of the polymeric chain over chains of comparable molecular weight made using glycolic acid.
The polymer molecular weight is less than 20 kDa. The coating may be advantageously applied to a variety of surgical devices, such as surgical sutures and staples, or facia fasteners as well as other surgical closure devices, and endovascular stents. In addition, the polyesters bearing the amine-functionalities which are the subject of this invention, and coatings derived therefrom, can be used alone or as carriers or matrices for viable cells and vaccines, or as a coating containing bioactive agents such as growth factors, antimicrobials and antibiotics.
Polyesters comprising predominantly xcex5-caprolactone polymer sequences generally refers to polymers with xcex5-caprolactone-based sequences of greater than 80 mole percent, the monomer compositions from which the polymers of this invention are derived. xcex5-Caprolactone is the predominant component of the polyester because of its low melting, exceptionally low glass transition temperature (Tg) and its ability to enhance the surface physical properties of coated multifilament sutures. Preferably, the amount of xcex5-caprolactone used in the synthesis of the polyester ranges from 90 to 99, more preferably, 96 to 99 mole percent. For copolyesters, of this invention, the remaining comonomers are preferably glycolide and/or glycolic acid. Other lactones such as lactide and p-dioxanone and/or their corresponding hydroxy acids can be used. The hydroxy acids can be used, specifically as chain initiators to control the polyester molecular weight, as determined in terms of their inherent viscosities (I.V.) as approximately 0.1 dl/g solutions in chloroform, and/or to provide chains with a carboxylic end group. The basic nitrogenous polyesters that are the subject of this invention, are to have I.V. or 0.05 to 0.35 dl/g and, preferably, 0.05 to 0.25 and, more preferably 0.10 to 0.20 dl/g.
The present invention deals with two definite improvements over the prior art disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,320. The first improvement deals with use of di- or tri-carboxylic hydroxy acids as initiators for the ring-opening polymerization of a mixture of cyclic monomers containing more than 85% xcex5-caprolactone. Using di- or tri-carboxylic hydroxy acids as initiators, results in doubling or tripling the carboxylic content of the polymeric chain of comparable molecular weight made under similar conditions using glycolic acid. This, in turn, allows for including higher amounts of the basic amino acid per chain as counter ions of the carboxylate anions and hence, increases the rate of autocatalytic hydrolysis of the copolyester. The second improvement deals with the use of triethanolamine (TEA) as an initiator for the ring-opening polymerization of a mixture of cyclic monomers containing more than 85% xcex5-caprolactone. Using TEA as an initiator yields a nitrogenous copolyester with (1) symmetrically branched structure; and (2) a central 3xc2x0 amine group. This, in turn, increases the degree of toughness of the crystalline coating and minimizes its tendency to delaminate, particularly when used as a coating for braided sutures. Having a central, highly basic amine insures the availability of the amine group through most of the life of the copolyester and hence maximizes the continued sustained autocatalytic effect for hydrolytic degradation of the copolyester chain.
The coating can be applied to the braided suture as a low viscosity melt at temperatures between 70xc2x0 C. and 100xc2x0 C. and, preferably, 70xc2x0 C. and 90xc2x0 C. Excess coating can be removed by passing through a pad of non-woven fabric, e.g., polypropylene or a sizing die. More traditional methods of coating application can entail the use of 1 to 15 percent solution and, preferably, 2 to 10 percent in an organic solvent such as toluene at room temperature or between 25xc2x0 C. and 50xc2x0 C. Other solvents or mixture of solvents can be used as substitutes for toluene or acetone. The coated suture can be further treated thermally to insure even distribution of the coating on the braid components. Typical sutures which can be coated with the compositions which are the subject of this invention include those made of polyglycolide and polyethylene terephthalate. Depending on the suture size, the percent add-on of the coating can be varied between 1 and 10 percent and, preferably, 1.5 to 4.5 percent as the suture decreases from about size #1 to about size #6-0. At such level of coating, the suture handling and tie-down characteristics are improved substantially without compromising other properties such as pliability, surface appearance, and knot strength and security.
The coatings which are the subject of this invention can be used to coat synthetic multifilament yarn constructed for use as a dental floss using a similar application protocol to those used for suture coating. For dental floss, a higher coating add-on than those used for suture is preferred in certain constructions and sizes.
The absorption profile of the coating is such that it will not affect that of an absorbable suture to any discernable extent. Typically, when representative coatings subject of this invention are used on polyethylene terephthalate sutures incubated in a phosphate buffer at 37xc2x0 C. and pH of 7.25 lose 50 to 100 percent of their original mass in two to six months.
The following examples illustrate the claimed invention and are in no way intended to limit its scope.