An integrated, modular computer program system provides for the encryption and decryption of files utilizing conventional encryption algorithms and a relational key generated by the system. The computer program system also generates a series of labels that are encrypted and appended as a trailer to the encrypted message. The encrypted labels provide a history behind the particular encryption and they can be individually selected, separated, and decrypted from the total file. A rule based expert system is utilized as an intelligent label selection system to minimize message sensitivity. An access control module permits a user with a preassigned passphrase to have access to the encryption or decryption portion of the program by comparing a generated vector or key with a partially decrypted version of a second vector or key stored on a portable storage medium such as a floppy disk. If successful, the access control module creates a main key that is then used throughout the remainder of the program to encrypt or decrypt the labels. Part of the encryption or decryption process utilizes an internal, reproducible, but not reversible scrambling subroutine in which the bytes of an initializing vector are successively Exclusive ORed with one another and then the result concatenated to the initializing vector until all of the bytes have been so treated, and then the process repeated an integral number of times depending upon an input variable called a spinup number.

Commercial privacy systems utilize cryptographic algorithms to protect information and limit access thereto. A standard cryptographic algorithm is the Data Encryption Standard ("DES"). As such, cryptographic privacy systems permit individuals within an organization to encode plain text information into "cipher text" using a cryptographic key. Cipher text is mixed up and unreadable. In an encrypted computer system, cipher text characters may be any of the standard ASCII characters that are used in modern computer systems.
A cryptographic process which produces cipher text is reversible and through the use of the appropriate key which was used to encrypt the plain text, can be regenerated by a person having that key into the original plain text form. Except for being unreadable, cipher text can be stored and transferred and manipulated just like any other file or data. By keeping the key and the identity of the cryptographic algorithm a secret, the ciphered text is kept from being unscrambled.
In addition to the difficulties of encrypting and decrypting plain text, there is also the problem of designating which ones of a number of organizations and divisions within those organizations, as well as the particular people in those divisions, who can have controlled, controllable access to written information and on-line communications. Obviously, a unique key can be used for each particular text and each particular use of that text. However, this gives rise to a tracking process that must be applied in order to keep track of the unique keys. This function or role is called key management. It can be manually intensive and it certainly affects organizational performance. Thus, key management is often the most costly part of an organizational security system.
The value of the performance of a key management system is the value of important organizational information reaching the right people at the right time in the right way. When there are a number of large groups of people communicating private or sensitive information that needs to be protected, tracking which of each of the unique keys that is used, by whom used, and the rationale for the use of a particular key is a difficult part of the key management process.
As a result of the complex array of keys necessary for such a large number of people divided into different, often overlapping, and often changing groups, who communicate for divergent reasons through many dynamic multi-media methods, key management is made extremely difficult if not nearly impossible. Additionally, the tracking of the key represented a simple assignment process of assigning a particular key to a project or to a particular station with no verification of the justification of the creation, generation or use of that key. In other words, once a key is generated, the reasons for its generation are often lost. It is just this independent tracking of keys which makes the conventional key management systems extremely difficult to maintain.
Thus, there is a need for a key management system which will not only keep track of the keys which are used with a particular message, but will also maintain the justification for the use of that key and the justification for the different categories of personnel access and the criteria used for selecting the communications system.
The principle problems with the use of traditional cryptographic systems today concerns their use that is associated with the context, intent and sensitivity of the information being distributed and stored using modern desktop multi-media methods. However, because the skill of the user of the information is usually non-technical, a very simplified, computerized system is needed to accomplish these purposes. The data or information being transmitted may have a substantial representation of rationality, but is incomplete because it can only convey self-referenced and internal information. The data may also not be complex enough to provide external references necessary for communicating the inferential components that provide the reason for the data and communication. There is thus also the need for a means to apply external rationalization for the purposes and use of the data or information.
In today's communication environment, a desktop multi-media system generates a very large amount of information, much of which may be sensitive, and all of which needs to be passed through inter-organizational networks and intra-organizational subnetworks. To some degree, all organizations require the compartmentalization of different types of information. The organizations have requirements for multi-level access to some or all of the sensitive information and the concept of that access usually involves a consideration of the need and capability of an individual to access the particular information. On the other hand, any information access limiting system cannot be so cumbersome or difficult to use that as a minimum discourages the use or access of the information and at the maximum prevents its access and utilization.
There is thus the need for an object oriented key management philosophy in which the data or information carries with it its reason for being and the rationale for access to it. This is sometimes called the need for a secured signature of the rational link between the key used in the algorithm and the cipher text product or its use.
Standard cryptographic privacy systems are traditionally based on manually indexed associations between an irrational key and often some narrow reason for its use. Keys are chosen from essentially random numbers and are used to initialize pointers in a cryptographic algorithm. Often, such keys are generated by a random number generator and are not known to the user, but are instead buried in the particular computer program which that user is using. Obviously, this type of system has the disadvantage in that the key is integral to the system which is generating or transmitting the data or information. By using an irrational key, that is a key comprised of characters which together have no meaning, it is very difficult to keep track of the reason for the existence of that key. With time, associated with situational conditions, the association between the reasons for the generation of the key and the data degenerates.
Furthermore, cryptographic keys are usually managed under systems that generally provide only a static distribution means. Keys are reused for significant periods of time for many reasons and for many types of messages. Traditional privacy systems are periodically secured, but not transactionally secured. This results in the privacy keys remaining the same for each message passed through a communications node during a defined period of time. Sometimes, keys are expected to be used from 180 days to years, during which time all messages stored or moved use the same key. During this period windows of opportunities exist to exploit "protected" traffic, if one obtains the correct key(s).
Closely associated with the concept of keys is the concept of passwords, passphrases, and labels. Whereas many cryptographic systems utilize irrational numbers for keys, other systems use as an input a password or passphrase which is then encoded, manipulated, or translated into a key. Passwords and phrases are usually in the form of words or a number of words which have a rational meaning and thus are easy to remember. In addition, because they can be longer strings of characters, they have a cryptographic advantage because there are more characters to work with. For example, a passphrase can be simply "The rain in Spain" which is concatenated to be "THERAININSPAIN." On the other hand, a password could just be the word "Spain" or "rain". Because passwords and passphrases have meaning, as indicated above, they are called or defined at least herein as being "rational." On the other hand, bank accountant numbers and a group of numbers and letters randomly generated (e.g. OX342PN17) are called or defined at least herein as being "irrational" because they have no internal meaning.
The prior art is replete with cryptographic data management systems which attempt to address one or more of the foregoing problems. Generally however, none of these references totally satisfies the requirements of modern communications with a large number of messages, a large number of senders and receivers, a large number of places to which the messages are sent, and an efficient and easy to use tracking system. Furthermore, these references also generally do not address the problem of regulating user access to the data in an efficient, yet secure way. Example of such prior art references are mentioned below and are incorporated herein by reference. Such references also disclose background information relevant to the present invention.
The United States Pond et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,616 discloses a method of cryptographically labelling electronically stored data in which a plurality of key streams are utilized. An encryption and decryption method utilizes reproducible mathematical functions such as an EXCLUSIVE OR mathematical methodology and incorporates a label that contains encrypting and decrypting information which is added to the header of the file. The label is also used for controlling access to the file and verifying the integrity of the file. The patent also discloses encrypting and decrypting the labels separately from the file itself.
A similar cryptographic system is disclosed in the Preston et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,040. This patent discloses a system and method of utilizing a plurality of labels that includes the configuration that the file was created on, the owner of the file, the machine that it was created on, and any special algorithms that may be used on the files. The label also contains a plurality of unique I.D.'s for each of the users that has access to the file. Obviously, such a system would have limitations where there was a large number of users. As in the Pond et al patent mentioned above, the method and system of the Preston et al patent encrypts the label information.
There are many methods that are available for reversibly altering a key or label. A common method is to use the EXCLUSIVE OR function, sometimes referred to simply as the XOR function. The Smith, Sr., et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,698 discloses putting a key into multiple parts which are XORed of a key part with a proper control vector.
The United States Patents to Greenberg U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,606 and to Matyas et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,069 disclose cryptographic techniques which utilize control vectors or labels for use with encoding keys or for controlling access to the system.
A recently issued United States patent to the present inventor U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,707 discloses a somewhat different key management rational that utilizes a separately encrypted header which in turn contains routing information about the message. The header is also used to generate a key used in the encryption-decryption process.

Cryptographic access and labeling system


Solid gas generant compositions produce low particulates (e.g., condensed ash) when ignited. The solid gas generant compositions most preferably include a nitramine, at least one oxidizer selected from nitrates of strontium or cerium, in admixture with or without potassium perchlorate, and a binder. Graphite may optionally be employed. The gas generant compositions are usefully employed in inflatable vehicle occupant passive restraint systems (e.g., air bag systems).

The present invention relates generally to gas generant compositions, especially gas generant compositions employed in the inflation of vehicle occupant passive restraint systems.
Various inflators for inflating vehicle occupant passive restraint systems (known colloquially in the art as xe2x80x9cair bagsxe2x80x9d) are known. Among the various types of inflators is one that utilizes a quantity of stored compressed gas which is selectively released to inflate the air bag. A related type of inflator generates a gas source from a combustible gas-generating material which, upon ignition, provides a quantity of gas sufficient to inflate the air bag. In still another type (known as a hybrid inflator), the air bag inflating gas is provided by the combination of a stored compressed gas and the combustion products of the gas generating material.
Inflators which depend entirely or partially on the generation of gases by virtue of combustion of combustible materials have several disadvantages. For example, the burning of the propellant and the initiator materials in such inflators results in the production or undesired particulate matter. Thus, using inflators that are particulate-containing or which generate particulates upon combustion as part of a passive restraint system in a vehicle might result in undesirable particulates being released into the occupant zone of the vehicles and thereby inhaled by the occupants. In particular, asthmatic reactions may be caused by inhalation of particulate matter, creating a health risk for the occupants. For this reason, automobile manufacturers limit the quantity and type of particulates released by the inflator system. Insoluble particulates are preferred over soluble particulates, as the latter are believed to cause greater reaction.
Particulates may arise from any energetic component, including gas generants and ignition systems, as well as through secondary combustion of inert inflator components. Reduction in the contribution of particulates from one or more of these components will generate a beneficial reduction in particulates for the whole inflator assembly.
One prior inflator is disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,141 to Sides et al (the entire content of which is expressly incorporated hereinto by reference). In the Sides et al ""141 patent, the composition of the inflator comprises conducting ignition in the presence of an ammonium nitrate oxidizer and using a suitable propellant, e.g., aminoguanidine nitrate or a nitramine, such as cyclotrimethylenenitramine (RDX) and/or cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX), and in the presence of argon and a molecular oxygen-containing gas. The ratio of the oxygen-containing gas to argon is variably selected so as to provide only non-toxic reaction products in the exhaust gas.
Theory predicts that a successful ignition material for an inflator will give off hot particles or gases that will subsequently condense onto the cooler surface of the material being ignited and thereby transfer heat and produce xe2x80x9chot spotsxe2x80x9d which, in turn, lead to ignition. However, high levels of condensed species in the exhaust products of air bag inflators is undesirable due to respiratory effects on the automobile occupants s noted previously. Therefore a balanced ignition material is essential which contains minimal, but effective, levels of hot particles of condensed species. Furthermore, condensed species are preferred to be insoluble in water as these are considered to have less impact on occupants with respiratory ailments, such as asthma.
Broadly, the present invention is embodied in solid gas generant and ignition compositions which produce low particulates of the slightly-soluble or insoluble type when combusted. More specifically the present invention is embodied in solid gas generants and/or ignition compositions comprised of a nitramine, at least one oxidizer selected from the nitrate salts of strontium, copper, or cerium and/or complex nitrate salts of copper or cerium, in admixture with or without potassium perchlorate, and a binder. The gas generant and/or ignition compositions are usefully employed in inflatable passive vehicle occupant restraint systems (e.g., air bag systems). In contrast to many other igniter-booster formulations, these compositions burn readily at low temperature and pressure, and effectively ignite AN-based gas generants which are notoriously difficult to rapidly ignite under cold/low pressure conditions.
These and other aspects and advantages will become more clear from the following detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiments thereof.
The gas generant and igniter compositions of this invention necessarily include a nitramine fuel which contributes clean, particulate-free gas, and high flame temperatures to the composition. The preferred nitramines are those that contain a high percentage of oxygen. As will be discussed below, they enable the composition to be formulated with low amounts of the preferred oxidizers, the importance of which will be described in more detail below. The preferred nitramines burn readily at atmospheric pressures, an important attribute for ignition systems in inflator applications. Most preferably, the nitramine that is employed in the present invention is cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) and/or cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX), but could also include CL-20, 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (HNIW). The nitramine is employed in amounts between about 45 to about 90 wt. % and more preferably between about 45 to about 60 wt. % based on the total composition weight. The particle size of the nitramine affects the ballistic properties and compressive strength of pressed charges in the present invention. Fluid-energy-mill (FEM) ground nitramine produced higher compressive strength but did not burn as rapidly as coarser (i.e., Class I) particle sizes. In the present invention, the particle size of the selected nitramines will be tailored to meet the specific ballistic requirements of individual inflator designs.
The most preferred nitramine is HMX. In the present invention HMX was found to produce stronger pressed charges than RDX (tested under compression to the first stress-relief crack formed), and was found to have better stability under thermal cycling conditions (200 cycles over the temperature range of xe2x88x9240 to +107 C.). Further, in the present invention, HMX was found to provide lower pressure exponents over the pressure range of 1000 to 4000 psi which lead to more stable burning rates at high pressures in compressed charges (i.e, pellets or tablets). Typical properties are shown in Table B. This is an important attribute since ballistic reproducibility is linked closely to low pressure exponents and stable burning properties. RDX is less pure than HMX, is commercially easier to produce, and is obtained at lower cost, so the present invention may require use of RDX in part or in total to keep the cost of the invention low.
The gas generant and ignitor compositions of this invention will also necessarily include an oxidizer selected from at least one of the nitrate salts of strontium, copper, and/or cerium, or the complex nitrate salts of cerium and/or copper. These oxidizers, alone or in combination are the primary source of condensed species in the combustion process. These condensed species are typically one or more of the group which includes the parent metal, its oxides, hydroxides, and/or carbonates, all of which are of the desired form which is either slightly soluble or insoluble in water. Further, these oxidizers produce condensed particulates which plate-out or adhere readily to internal surfaces of the combustion chamber. This is an important attribute of the invention, as the particulates from these oxidizers tend to remain in the combustion chamber rather than exiting into the external environment of the inflator (i.e, automobile interior). For igniter applications, modest amounts of these condensed species are necessary to effect the desired sympathetic ignition of the primary gas generant. For gas generant applications, the lowest possible level of particulates in the combustion products are desired to satisy automotive requirements.
The oxidizer will be present in amounts between about 10 wt % to about 60 wt %, and most preferrably between about 25 wt % to about 45 wt. %. According to the present invention, the preferred oxidizer is a nitrate salt of strontium, copper, or cerium, including complex nitrate salts of either copper or cerium. Specific examples of complex salts of copper and cerium include copper-amine-nitrate complexes (e.g. Cu(NH3)4NO3)2), basic copper nitrate (e.g., Cu(NO3)2.3[CL(OH)2]), cerium ammonium nitrate (e.g., Ce(NH4)2(NO3)6) and the like. Strontium nitrate and/or cerium ammonium nitrate are preferred. Potassium perchlorate (KP) may also be used either alone or in combination with the aforementioned oxidizers in order to modify the ballistics (burning rate and pressure exponent) of the invention, in which case the combined weight of KP and the other oxidizers remains in the range of 10 to 60 wt. %. Use of the preferred oxidizers in conjunction with the hot, clean nitramines described above provide a new class of clean-burning compositions suitable for use as either ignition material or as a gas generant.
The compositions of this invention may be used in the form of powders, granules, or compression-molded pellets and the like. The compositions are most preferably used in the form of a solid compression-molded mixture of the above components. It is important that the form of the invention have sufficient strength to withstand forces due to initiator shock or long term thermal aging and/or thermal cycling without loss of physical integrity. In this regard, the compositions will therefore most preferably include a highly oxygenated polymeric binder in an amount sufficient to bind the components into a more durable, stronger solid form (e.g., pellet).
Highly oxygenated binders are needed to achieve the low levels of solid combustion products required by new automotive specifications. Great emphasis is placed on airborne or suspended solids which may initiate asthmatic reactions, particularly in the water-soluble forms. Higher oxygen contents in the binder affects the quantity of solid ash produced by decreasing the amount of oxidizer required to maintain the necessary oxidizer:fuel ratio (O:F). O:F ratio is defined as the amount of oxygen present in the composition to the amount of oxygen required to fully combust all carbon and hydrogen to CO2 and H2O, and all other elements to their corresponding steady-state oxidized form. Balanced O:F ratios in the range of about 0.8 to 1.0 are needed to maintain non-toxic levels of CO and NOx in the combustion products. In the present invention, the oxidizer is the only major source of solid ash so that by minimizing oxidizer contents, the amount of solid ash is held to a minimum. For instance, the oxidizer strontium nitrate in the present invention yields strontium oxide, strontium hydroxide, and/or strontium carbonate solid ash. The ash is only slightly soluble or insoluble in water. In contrast, potassium perchlorate produces water-soluble potassium chloride as a combustion product. Both oxidizers yield effective ignition properties in the present invention, however only the strontium nitrate ash is of the preferred insoluble form. As the oxygen content of the binder is increased, the amount of oxidizer is reduced and thus the amount of solid ash is reduced.
In the application where the present invention is used as an ignition or booster for a secondary gas generant, the presence of moderate contents of hot, condensed (liquid or solid) combustion products are desired to obtain good ignition and flame spreading response in the secondary gas generant. This desired attribute is contrary to the goals of the automotive industry to limit solid combustion products in the combustion products for health reasons. The present invention combines highly oxygenated binders and nitramine fuels with the preferred oxidizers to enable both good ignition properties and non-toxic, acceptable levels of solid combustion products.
The binder will typically be present in an amount based upon the total composition weight, of between 1 and 15 percent, and preferably between about 3 and 7 percent. The preferred binders are highly oxygenated and include polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA with about 32 wt. % oxygen), polyvinyl alcohols (PVA with about 36 wt. % oxygen), and/or poly alkylene carbonates. Examples of polyalkylene carbonates that may be employed in this invention are those that are commercially available from PAC Polymers, Inc. as poly(propylene carbonate) copolymer (QPAC-40 with about 47 wt. % oxygen) and poly(ethylene carbonate) copolymer (QPAC-25 with about 54 wt. % oxygen).
The compositions of this invention may also include an ignition accelerator/augmentor in the form of a graphite powder. The preferred graphite powder has an average particle size of about 40 microns. One particularly preferred graphite powder is Microfyne Graphite commercially available from Joseph Dixon Crucible Company of Jersey City, N.J. When used, the graphite accelerator/augmentor is present in the compositions of this invention in an amount between about 0.1 wt.% to about 2.0 wt.%, and more preferably between about 0.25 wt.% to about 0.5 wt.%.
One particularly preferred composition in accordance with the present invention is as follows:

Low ash gas generant and ignition compositions for vehicle occupant passive restraint systems


A perfume composition which gives good deposition and/or substantially improved deodorant effectiveness on textiles incorporating spandex(copyright) fibres. The perfume comprises a mixture of fragrance materials in which at least 60% by weight of the composition comprises fragrance materials drawn from categories I and II.

This invention relates to perfumes, to laundry compositions containing such perfumes, and the use of these compositions to deposit perfume on fabrics.
The use of perfumes in laundry products has been established for many years. Perfume is used to cover base odour and to provide fragrance notes which are attractive or pleasing to the consumer. Generally, it is important that a perfume be able to perform well olfactively at a number of stages, for example, from product xe2x80x98in the packxe2x80x99, during product use, on damp cloth after laundering and on dry cloth (i.e. after drying the damp cloth). Certain perfumes have the ability to provide deodorant action against body odour, either when directly applied to human skin, or when included in a laundry product. Such perfumes are described in EP-B-3172, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,304,679, 4,278,658, 4,134,838, 4,288,341 and 4,289,641, 5,482,635 and 5,554,588.
It is important that sufficient fragrance should be transferred onto the fabric to be perceptible after laundering or (if the perfume has deodorant properties) to yield the deodorant effect.
A number of techniques have been proposed for increasing perfume delivery (to) and/or perfume longevity (on) substrates such as skin, hair, fabric and hard surfaces. This includes the use of fixative materials in the perfume to depress perfume ingredient partial pressures (eg GB 1534231) thereby reducing evaporative loss, and the use of carriers (eg EP 332259) or microcapsules (eg EP 376385) to deliver perfume to fabric. These technologies may increase perfume presence on dry cloth but involve further processing steps and/or material costs.
Compositions aiming to improve retention of xe2x80x9cnon-volatilexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cenduringxe2x80x9d perfume ingredients, respectively, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,138 and WO-A-97/31097.
At the present time, many garments are made from fabric which contains a mixture of fibres, a proportion of which are elastic, so that the fabric has the ability to stretch and to recover from stretch. Spandex fibres are commonly used for this purpose. The term xe2x80x9cspandexxe2x80x9d has been adopted as a generic term by the United States Federal Trade Commission to denote a manufactured fibre in which the fibre-forming substance is a long chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% of a segmented polyurethane. A discussion of such fibres can be found in xe2x80x9cHistory of Spandex Elastomeric Fibresxe2x80x9d by A. J. Ultee, which is a chapter starting at page 278 in Man-Made Fibres: Their Origin and Development, edited by R. V. Seymour and R. S. porter, Elsevier 1993. Spandex fibres are also referred to as xe2x80x9celastanexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9celasthanexe2x80x9d fibres.
Another discussion of such fibres is found under the heading xe2x80x9cSegmented Polyurethanesxe2x80x9d at page 613 of Handbook of Textile Fibres by J. Gordon Cook, 5th Ed. Merrow Publishing Company 1984. Further description of elastanes and their applications can be found in xe2x80x9cSynthesefasern: Grundlagen, Technologie, Verarbeitung und Anwendungxe2x80x9d, B von Falkei (editor) Verlag Chemie (1991). Commercially available elastanes are well known, in particular as sold under the name LYCRA(copyright), a registered trade mark of Dupont de Nemours and Company. Patents relating to such fibres include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,000,899, 5,288,779 and 5,362,432.
We have now discovered certain perfumes which give good deposition and/or substantially improved deodorant effectiveness on textiles incorporating spandex fibres.
Broadly, the present invention provides a perfume composition comprising a mixture of fragrance materials in which at least 60% by weight of the composition comprises fragrance materials drawn from the two categories below:
Category I
hydroxylic materials which are alcohols, phenols or salicylates, with an octanol/water partition coefficient (P) whose common logarithm (log10 P) is 2.5 or greater, and a gas chromatographic Kovats index (as determined on polydimethylsiloxane as non-polar stationary phase) lying within the range 1050 to 1600.
Category II
esters, ethers, ketones or aldehydes, with an octanol/water partition coefficient (P) whose common logarithm (log10 P) is 2.5 or greater, and a gas chromatographic Kovats index (as determined on polydimethylsiloxane as non-polar stationary phase) lying within the range 1300 to 1600.
Particularly preferred are category I materials with a partition coefficient whose common logarithm is 3.0 or greater and a Kovats index of 1100 up to 1600, and category II materials which are ethers, esters, or ketones with a Kovats index of 1350 up to 1600, and possessing one or more rings in their molecular structures.
It is envisaged that the perfumes of this invention will be incorporated into a laundry or other composition for treatment of fabrics. This may be a detergent composition or presoak composition for washing the fabrics or a softening composition for softening the washed fabrics during rinsing and drying.
We have also discovered that the perfume may be incorporated into a composition used for treatment of yarn or new fabric, to provide a perfume benefit on new garments.
The benefit from the perfume compositions may be good deposition or retention of fragrance materials on the fabric. We have observed good deposition of a range of fragrance materials, especially fragrance materials which are of mid-range volatility (i.e. intermediate between the volatile perfume materials used as xe2x80x9ctop-notesxe2x80x9d and the materials of low volatility which are customarily used as base notes in perfumes). These materials of mid-range volatility are often not perceptible on other fabrics such as cotton, polyamide and polyester after washing and drying.
Preferably, the perfume is a deodorant perfume giving a Malodour Reduction Value on cotton of at least 0.25, preferably at least 0.5, in the Malodour Reduction Value test described below and which is generally as given in EP-A-147191 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,068.
With such perfumes we have observed that there is an enhanced deodorant benefit when the fabrics incorporate spandex fibres, compared to conventional fabrics such as cotton, polyamide and polyester without spandex. This can be measured using the Malodour Reduction Value test, modified by varying the test fabric instead of varying the perfume.
The Malodour Reduction Value Test
In this test, the Malodour Reduction Value of a deodorant perfume is measured by assessing its effectiveness, when applied to fabric, in reducing body malodour when the fabric so treated is placed in contact with the axillae (armpits) of a panel of human subjects, and held there for a standard period of is time. From subsequent olfactory evaluation by trained assessors, a Malodour Reduction Value can be calculated so giving a measure of the effectiveness as a deodorant of the perfume under test.
Stage 1 is preparation of the perfume treated fabric.
A fabric is selected for the test and cut into 20 cmxc3x9720 cm squares. A control fabric is likewise cut into squares. Both fabrics are then washed in a front-loading drum-type washing machine with a standard unperfumed washing powder containing the following ingredients:
The washed pieces of fabric are then rinsed with cold water and finally dried. The fabric squares so obtained represent xe2x80x9cuntreatedxe2x80x9d fabric, that is fabric devoid of perfume, other deodorant materials, dressing and other water-soluble substances that subsequently might adversely affect the Malodour Reduction Value Test.
The untreated pieces of fabric are divided into two batches, one of which may receive no further washing treatment and then represents the control fabric in the test. The other batch of fabric pieces is re-washed in the washing machine with the same standard fabric washing powder to which has been added 0.2% by weight of the perfume under test. The perfume treated pieces of fabric are then rinsed with cold water and dried again. The fabric squares so obtained represent xe2x80x9ctestxe2x80x9d fabric, that is fabric onto which the test perfume has been delivered.
When the intention is to test perfume properties, the control and test fabrics are the same, e.g. polyester or cotton shirt fabric and the xe2x80x9cuntreatedxe2x80x9d fabric serves as control without further washing. To test deposition on different cloths, the test fabric can differ from the control fabric, and both may be washed with the perfumed washing powder.
Stage 2 is the carrying out of the test. A team of three Caucasian female assessors of age within the range of 20 to 40 years is selected for olfactory evaluation on the basis that each is able to rank correctly the odour levels of the series of standard aqueous solutions of isovaleric acid listed below, and is each is able to assign a numerical score, corresponding to the odour intensity of one of these solutions, to the body malodour of a shirt insert after has been worn in the axillary region by a male subject for a standard period of time.
A panel of 40 human subjects for use in the test is assembled from Caucasian male subjects of age within the range of from 20 to 55 years. By screening, subjects are chosen who develop axillary body malodour that is not unusually strong and who do not develop a stronger body malodour in one axilla compared with the other. Subjects who develop unusually strong body malodour, for example due to a diet including curry or garlic, are not selected for the panel.
For two weeks before the start of the test, the panel subjects are assigned an unperfumed, non-deodorant soap bar for exclusive use when washing and are denied the use of any other type of deodorant or antiperspirant. At the end of this period, the 40 subjects are randomly divided into two groups of 20.
The xe2x80x9ctestxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccontrolxe2x80x9d fabric pieces are then tacked into 40 clean cotton or polyester-cotton shirts in the underarm region in such a manner that in 20 shirts, the control fabric pieces are attached inside the left underarm region, and the test fabric pieces are attached in the right underarm region. For the remaining 20 shirts, the placing of control and test pieces of fabric is reversed.
The shirts carrying the tacked-in fabric inserts are then worn by the 40 panel members for a period of 5 hours, during which time each panellist performs his normal work function without unnecessary exercise.
After this five hour period, the shirts are removed and the inserts detached and placed in polyethylene pouches prior to assessment by the trained panel of assessors.
The malodour intensity of each fabric insert is evaluated by all three assessors who, operating without knowledge of which inserts are xe2x80x9ctestxe2x80x9d and which are xe2x80x9ccontrolxe2x80x9d and, without knowing the scores assigned by their fellow assessors, sniff each fabric piece and assign to it a score corresponding to the strength of the odour on a scale from 0 to 5, with 0 representing no odour and 5 representing very strong odour.
Standard aqueous solutions of isovaleric acid which correspond to each of the scores 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are provided for reference to assist the assessors in the malodour evaluation. These are shown below:
The scores recorded by each assessor for each fabric piece are averaged. The average score of the xe2x80x9ctestxe2x80x9d fabric pieces is deducted from the average score of the xe2x80x9cuntreatedxe2x80x9d control fabric pieces to give a Malodour Reduction Value.
As a check that the selection of panel subjects is satisfactory for operation of the test, the average score with untreated fabric pieces should be between 2.5 and 3.0.
Preferred deodorant perfumes are those which have a Malodour Reduction Value of at least 0.50, or 0.70, or 1.00. The higher the minimum value, the more effective is the perfume as a deodorant as recorded by the assessors in the Malodour Reduction Value Test. It has also been noted that consumers, who are not trained assessors, can detect by self-assessment a noticeable reduction in malodour on soiled fabric such as shirts and underclothes where the Malodour Reduction Value is at least 0.30, so the higher the Malodour Reduction Value above this figure, the more noticeable is the deodorant effect.
Perfume Materials and Preferences
As mentioned above, the perfumes of this invention must contain a number of fragrance materials specified by the presence of chemical structural groups, octanol/water partition coefficient (P) and Kovats index.
The octanol-water partition coefficient (or its common logarithm xe2x80x98log Pxe2x80x99) is well known in the literature as an indicator of hydrophobicity and water solubility (see Hansch and Leo, Chemical Reviews, 526 to 616, (1971), 71; Hansch, Quinlan and Lawrence, J. Organic Chemistry, 347 to 350 (1968), 33). Where such values are not available in the literature they may be measured directly, or approximately estimated using mathematical algorithms. Software providing such estimations are available commercially, for example xe2x80x98Log Pxe2x80x99 from Advanced Chemistry Design Inc.
A requirement for log10 P of 2.5 or more calls for materials which are somewhat hydrophobic.
Kovats indices are calculated from the retention time in a gas chromatographic measurement referenced to the retention time for alkanes [see Kovats, Helv.Chim.Acta 41, 1915 (1958)]. Indices based on the use of a non-polar stationary phase have been used in the perfumery industry for some years as a descriptor relating to the molecular size and boiling point of ingredients. A review of Kovats indices in the perfume industry is given by T Shibamoto in xe2x80x9cCapillary Gas Chromatography in Essential Oil Analysisxe2x80x9d, P Sandra and C Bicchi (editors), Huethig (1987), pages 259 to 274. A common non-polar phase which is suitable is 100% dimethyl polysiloxane, as supplied for example under a variety of tradenames such as HP-1 (Hewlett-Packard) CP Sil 5 CB (chrompack), OV-1 (Ohio Valley) and Rtx-1 (Restek).
The perfume materials fall into two sets referred to as categories I and II, differing in their minimum values of Kovats index.
Category I includes alcohols of general formula ROH where the hydroxyl group may be primary, secondary or tertiary, and the R group is an alkyl or alkenyl group, optionally branched or substituted, cyclic or acyclic, Such that ROH has partition coefficient and Kovats properties as defined above. Typically this group comprises monofunctional alkyl or arylalkyl alcohols with molecular weight falling within the rage 150 to 230.
Category I also includes phenols of general formula ArOH, where the Ar group denotes a benzene ring which may be substituted with one or more alkyl or alkenyl groups, or with an ester grouping xe2x80x94CO2A, where A is a hydrocarbon radical. As at the ortho position relative to the hydroxy group, the compound is a salicylate. ArOH has partition coefficient and Kovats index as defined above. Typically this group comprises monohydroxylic phenols with molecular weight falling within the range 150 to 210.
Ingredients which are particularly preferred are those with a partition coefficient of 1000 or more, i.e. log10 P of 3 or more, and a Kovats parameter of 1100 up to 1600.
Some examples of hydroxylic ingredients which fulfil the above criteria for category I are listed as a table below. Materials which are in the preferred sub-set are marked with an asterisk. Semitrivial names are those used in standard texts known within the perfume industry, particularly: Common Fragrance and Flavor Materials by Bauer, Garbe and Surburg, VCH Publ., 2nd edition (1990), and Perfume and Flavour Materials, Steffen Arctander, published in two volumes by the author (1969).
Category II is esters, ketones, nitriles, aldehydes or ethers which have an octanol-water partition coefficient whose common logarithm (log10 P) is at least 2.5, and a Kovats index of 1300 up to 1600 (non-polar phase).
Ingredients of Category II are of general formula RX, where X may be in a primary, secondary or tertiary position and is one of the following groups: xe2x80x94COA, xe2x80x94OA, xe2x80x94CO2A, xe2x80x94CN or xe2x80x94CHO. R and A are hydrocarbon residues, cyclic or non-cyclic and optionally substituted. In some forms of this invention, category II excludes any material with a free hydroxy group, so that where a hydroxyl group is present, the material should be considered only for Category I membership. Typically, the materials of Category II are monofunctional compounds with molecular weights in the range 160 to 230.
Ingredients which are particularly preferred are those with a Kovats parameter falling within the range 1350 up to 1600, and possessing a molecular structure containing a ring, such as phenyl or cycloalkyl.
A number of fragrance materials which fulfil the above criteria for category II are listed in the table below. Materials which are in the preferred sub-set are marked with an asterisk.
Selection of a combination of fragrance materials to give a deodorant effect is explained in patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,679 referred to earlier. Further systems of selection are given in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,482,635 and 5,554,588 also mentioned above.
Such selections can be carried out using materials with preferred values of partition coefficient and Kovats index as discussed above.
The perfume compositions of this invention can deliver fragrance or, with appropriate perfume a deodorant benefit, to a range of fabrics, but the benefit is particularly pronounced on fabrics containing spandex fibres.
The polymer which is spun into spandex fibres is a segmented polyurethane, that is a copolymer incorporating polyurethane linkages. The polymer generally contains so-called soft (i.e. lower melting) segments which may be polyalkylene ethers or polyesters and so-called hard (i.e. higher melting) segments which are portions derived from the reaction of an isocyanate and a chain extender which is typically a diamine.
The soft segments may be poly(tetramethylene)ethers, possibly containing substituted tetramethylene glycol residues as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,699. Organic diisocyanates which may be used include conventional diisocyanates, such as diphenylmethane-4,4xe2x80x2-diisocyanate, also known as methylene-bis(4-phenylisocyanate) or xe2x80x9cMDIxe2x80x9d, 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate, methylene-bis(4-cyclohexylisocyanate), isophorone diisocyanate, tetramethylene-p-xylylene diisocyanate, and the like. MDI is preferred.
Chain extenders used in producing the hard segment of the fibres preferably include one or more of ethylenediamine (EDA), 1,3-propylenediamine, 1,4-cyclohexanediamine, hydrogenated m-phenylenediamine (HPMD), 2-methylpentamethylene diamine (MPMD) and 1,2-propylene diamine. More preferably, the chain extender is one or more of ethylenediamine, 1,3-propylenediamine, and 1,4-cyclohexanediamine, optionally mixed with HPMD, MPMD and/or 1,2-propylenediamine.
Spandex fibres with poly(tatramethylene)ethers as the soft segments are marketed by Dupont de Nemours International S.A. under the registered trade mark LYCRA(copyright) of Dupont de Nemours and Company.
Spandex fibres are generally mixed with other fibres such as cotton, polyamide, wool, polyester and acrylics and made into yarn which is then made into fabric. The contents of spandex fibres is usually in a range from 0.5% by weight of the yarn or fabric up to 50%, more usually from 1% to 30% by weight of the yarn or fabric.
A wide range of garments may contain spandex fibres in the fabric, including active sports wear, intimate apparel, hosiery and a variety of ready to wear casual clothing.
Fabric Treatment Compositions
Perfume compositions of the invention may be incorporated into fabric treatment products for use in washing, rinsing drying or other treatment of fabrics. Such a product may be any of:
a detergent composition for fabric washing,
a pretreatment composition for application to selected areas of a garment prior to washing,
a pretreatment composition used in the soaking of entire garments prior to washing,
a rinse conditioner composition for softening washed fabrics during a rinsing step,
an additive composition for use jointly with any of the above,
a fabric conditioning article intended to be placed with fabrics during drying, or
a spray for application directly to dry garments.
Such products can take a variety of forms including powders, bars, sticks, tablets, mousses, gels, liquids, sprays, and also fabric conditioning sheets to be placed with fabrics in a tumble dryer. The amount of perfume in such products may lie in a range from 0.1% to 10% by weight of thereof. The incorporation of perfume into products of these types is known, and existing techniques may be used for incorporating perfume for this invention. It may be possible to incorporate perfume directly into a product, but another possibility is, to absorb the perfume on a carrier material and then admix the perfume-plus-carrier-mixture into the fabric treatment product. This approach may notably be used with a solid fabric treatment product and an inert particulate carrier.
A detergent composition to be perfumed with a perfume composition according to this invention will normally contain a detersive surfactant in an amount from 2% to 50%, preferably 5 to 40% by weight of the composition, and a detergency builder in an amount from 5% to 80% by weight of the composition. The balance of the composition, if any, may include various ingredients known for inclusion in fabric washing detergents, including bleaching materials. Surfactants may be one or more soap or non-soap anionic, nonionic, cationic, amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactants, or combinations of these. Preferred surfactants which can be used are soaps and synthetic non-soap anionic and nonionic compounds. Mixtures of surfactants, for example mixed anionic or mixed anionic and nonionic compounds, are frequently used in detergent compositions.
Detergency builders are materials which function to soften hard water by solubilisation or other removal of calcium and to a lesser extent magnesium salts responsible for water hardness. The commonest water soluble inorganic builder is sodium tripolyphosphate. A further water soluble inorganic builder compound is sodium carbonate which is generally used in conjunction with a seed crystal to accelerate the precipitation of calcium carbonate. Common insoluble inorganic detergency builders are zeolites and layered silicates. Organic detergency-builders such as sodium citrate and polyacrylate can also be used.
Some detergent compositions, usually liquids, are formulated to contain from 5 to 50 wt % surfactant but little or no detergency builder.
Other ingredients which are customarily included in a detergent composition, although not necessarily all together, include alkaline silicate, peroxygen or chlorine bleaches, soil release agents, heavy metal sequestrants, anti-redeposition agents such as sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, enzymes enzyme stabilisers, fabric softening agents including softening clays, fluorescent brighteners, antifoam agents or conversely foam boosters and filler such as sodium sulphate.
Pretreatment compositions for soaking of soiled fabrics prior to the main washing step may contain 5 to 80 wt % by weight detergency builder with little or no surfactant. Such compositions frequently include enzymes.
The amount of perfume in a detergent composition or a presoak composition is likely to lie in a range from 0.1 to 2% by weight of the composition.
A fabric conditioning composition may contain from 1% to 40% by weight of a fabric conditioning agent which may be a fabric softening agent, but may contain higher levels in a very concentrated product. Fabric softening agents are frequently nonionic or cationic organic compounds incorporating at least one alkyl, alkenyl or acyl group of 8 or more carbon atoms. These include, but are not limited to:
(i) quaternary ammonium and imidazolinium compounds and corresponding tertiary amines and imidazolines incorporating at least one, preferably two, C8 to C30 alkyl or alkenyl groups; also including alkyl groups containing, ether, ester, carbonate or amide linkages, ethoxylated derivatives and analogues of such compounds and also including compounds with more than one tertiary or quaternary nitrogen atom,
(ii) aliphatic alcohols, esters, amines or carboxylic acids incorporating a C8 to C30 alkyl, alkenyl or acyl group, including esters of sorbitan and of polyhydric alcohols,
(iii) silicones, mineral oils and polyols such as polyethylene glycol.
A number of fabric conditioning compounds are set out in U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,180, and EP-A-239910.
Fabric conditioning compositions for addition to a rinse liquid are frequently in the form of aqueous dispersions of the conditioning agent. They can also be made in the form of powders.
The amount of perfume in such conditioning liquids and powders is usually 0.1% to 2% by weight. Preferred levels can vary depending on the concentration of softening agent and requirements of the market.
The amount of perfume in very concentrated fabric conditioners may lie in the broader range 0.1% to 10% by weight, preferably 2% to 8% by weight.
A fabric conditioning sheet is intended to be placed with damp, rinsed, laundry in a tumble dryer. Such a product contains a fabric conditioner, which may be a nonionic compound as mentioned above, soap and/or fatty acid, and which melts at temperatures encountered in a tumble dryer. This is carried on a porous sheet Silicone oil may be included. The amount of perfume incorporated in such a product is usually from 2% to 10% of the product and frequently from 2% or 4% to 7% or 8% by weight of the product.
Another form of product for the treatment of fabrics is a carrier liquid containing perfume and packaged in an applicator which delivers the composition as a spray. Such a spray may be marketed as a xe2x80x9crefreshing sprayxe2x80x9d for garments. In such a product, the content of perfume will generally lie in a range from 0.1% to 10% by weight of the liquid composition.
A further possibility is that the perfume is used in the treatment of yarn, or in the xe2x80x9cfinishingxe2x80x9d of new fabric. This is a step in the wet processing of fabrics to improve hand or surface appearance of fabric. The fabric will typically be treated in an aqueous treatment bath containing fabric softener to deposit at a level of up to 3% by weight of the fabric. Perfume according to this invention may be included in the bath to deposit at a level of 0.001% to 1% by weight of the fabric.


An LCD includes a plurality of electro-optical switches (pixels), each electro-optical switch includes a plurality of liquid crystal molecules, wherein each molecule has a first portion with a first long axis (a motional axis) and a second portion with a second long axis (a control axis). Each molecule may further include a third (shorter) axis. The first axis and the second axis cross each other and each axis is orthogonal to the other two axes. The first portion of each liquid crystal molecule has a positive dielectric anisotropy while the second portion of each liquid crystal molecule may have either a positive or negative dielectric anisotropy. The LCD may further include a first panel, a second panel that is opposite to the first panel, two field-generating electrodes that are included for each pixel in at least one of the two panels, and the plurality of liquid crystal molecules are interposed between the first panel and the second panel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD), and more particularly to LCDs comprising a plurality of electro-optical switches (pixels) comprising a plurality of liquid crystal molecules having more than one axis.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) have been the most widely used among flat panel display devices. Generally, an LCD includes a pair of opposing panels one of which has a plurality of pixel-controlling electrodes on it inner surface, and the other having a common electrode, with a dielectric anisotropy liquid crystal (LC) layer interposed between the panels.
In an LCD, a variation of the voltage difference applied between the field generating electrodes, i.e., a variation in the strength of an electric field generated by the electrodes, changes the transmittance of light passing through the LCD, and thus desired images are obtained by controlling the voltage difference between the electrodes at each pixel.
Liquid crystals are partly ordered materials, somewhere between their solid and liquid phases. Their molecules are often shaped like rods or plates. Depending on the kind of technique used to align LC molecules in the LC layer, LCDs are categorized into three types: twisted nematic (TN) mode, in-plane switching (IPS) mode, and vertical alignment (VA) mode LCDs. Of the three types, a nematic LC material is most commonly used. Each of the liquid crystal pixel cells in a LCD acts as an electro-optical switch that controls the light transmission from the back light in response to an electrical signal applied to a signal electrode of a TFT.
The LCDs using the nematic LC material can obtain a wider viewing angle by appropriately designing the form of the electrodes and by controlling a field direction, but they still have limitations in response speed and visibility.

Liquid crystal display including a liquid crystal molecule having two or more axes


The present invention is an imaging element which includes a support, at least one imaging layer superposed on the support and a protective topcoat superposed farthest from the support. The topcoat includes a binder and lubricant droplets. The lubricant droplets are composed of a lubricant and a water soluble polymer containing heterocyclic aromatic nitrogen groups wherein the droplets are surrounded by a particulate stabilizer. The present invention is also directed to the lubricant droplets.

This invention relates in general to imaging and in particular to a novel imaging element that is especially useful in photographic film and paper. More specifically, this invention relates to a photographic element having at least one light-sensitive layer and a protective topcoat, the topcoat being farthest from the support and containing lubricant droplets and a water soluble polymer containing heterocyclic aromatic nitrogen groups.
Various lubricants have been employed in photographic film and papers products, especially in the outermost layer or layers of the element.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,891, droplets of lubricant having a size relationship with respect to the thickness of the layer of a photographic element in which the droplets reside are disclosed. It is desired that the lubricating droplets have a narrow particle size distribution.
Because of the nature of liquid lubricant droplets, it is extremely difficult to obtain droplets that are stable over any length of time. Thus, it is readily apparent that it is difficult to provide uniformly sized, stable lubricant droplets. U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,048 describes a process for making stable lubricant droplets capable of being applied from a coating composition to form layers of uniformly sized lubricant droplets in a binder and photographic elements having at least one layer containing uniformly sized and dispersed lubricant droplets. Combining these lubricant droplets with a hydrophilic binder such as gelatin is not straightforward and requires a surfactant to prevent destabilization or aggregation of the lubricant droplets. Additionally, in making the lubricant droplets, a solvent, either volatile or permanent is necessary in order to increase the surface energy of the droplet and facilitate the partitioning of the particulate suspension stabilizing agent onto the surface of the lubricant droplets from the water medium.
It is toward the objective of overcoming the aforesaid problems and limitation of the prior art that the present invention is directed.
The present invention is an imaging element which includes a support, at least one imaging layer superposed on the support and a protective topcoat superposed farthest from the support. The topcoat includes a binder and lubricant droplets. The lubricant droplets are composed of a lubricant and a water soluble polymer containing heterocyclic aromatic nitrogen groups wherein the droplets are surrounded by a particulate stabilizer. The present invention is also directed to the lubricant droplets.
The imaging elements of this invention can be of many different types depending on the particular use for which they are intended. Such elements include, for example, photographic, electrophotographic, electrostatographic, photothermographic, migration, electrothermographic, ink-jet receiving paper, dielectric recording and thermal-dye-transfer imaging elements. Photographic elements can comprise various polymeric films, papers, glass, and the like. The thickness of the support is not critical. Support thickness of 2 to 15 mils (0.05 to 0.40 millimeters) can be used. The supports typically employ an undercoat or subbing layer well known in the art or are treated with a corona discharge to improve adhesion.
In accordance with this invention a novel imaging element that is especially useful in photographic film and paper includes a photographic element having at least one light-sensitive layer and a protective topcoat, the topcoat being farthest from the support and containing lubricant droplets and a water soluble polymer containing heterocyclic aromatic nitrogen groups.
The water soluble polymer containing heterocyclic aromatic nitrogen groups is very effective in enhancing the adsorption of the particulate suspension stabilizing agent at the interface between the low surface energy lubricant droplet and water. This polymer aids in keeping the particles well dispersed in water thereby prolonging the shelf life of an aqueous colloidal dispersion of the oil droplets. Additionally, the water soluble pyridine containing polymer enhances the dispersibility of the droplets in hydrophilic colloids such as gelatin without the need for an added surfactant.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lubricant layer utilizes silicone oil droplets particularly DC200 (polydimethyl siloxane) made by Dow Coming as the lubricant. The preparation of such size stable lubricant droplets involves forming a discontinuous phase of lubricant droplets in a continuous aqueous phase containing a particulate suspension stabilizing agent. The lubricant droplets are reduced in size and prevented from coalescing by action of the particulate suspension stabilizing agent as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,541048. In the preparation of photographic elements containing a layer having therein lubricant droplets, it has been found that the size of the lubricant droplets and the uniformity of the droplets size is an important parameter with regard to the quality of the photographic image, and the scratch resistance of the photographic element when it comes in contact with other parts of the apparatus in which it is employed, such as, cameras, photo processes apparatus, and the like. A particular embodiment of this is set forth in previously mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,891.
The lubricant droplets as described herein are prepared by forming a discontinuous phase of lubricant droplets in a continuous aqueous phase containing a particulate suspension stabilizing agent, reducing the size of the lubricant droplets and limiting the coalescence of the droplets by the action of the particulate suspension stabilizing agent on the surface of the droplets.
In one embodiment the particular lubricant employed is mixed with either a volatile solvent or with a permanent solvent and then dispersed in an aqueous medium containing the particulate suspension stabilizing agent and the promoter, the purpose of which is to drive the particulate suspension stabilizing agent to the interface between the lubricant droplet and the water medium. The dispersion of lubricant droplets in the aqueous medium is then vigorously mixed by any suitable device including high speed agitation, ultrasonic devices, homogenizers, and the like in order to reduce the particle size of the lubricant droplets to less than that ultimately desired. The presence of the particulate suspension stabilizer then controls the level of coalescence that takes place until an equilibrium is reached and the particle size does not grow any farther. The primary role of the solvents is to lower the viscosity of the oil phase if necessary and sometimes to enhance the surface energy of the oil droplets and promote adsorption of the particulate stabilizer at the interface. In another embodiment where no solvent is used, the viscosity of the oil phase is lowered by raising the temperature of the system. Any of these methods give narrow particle size distributions with the mean particle size of the droplets being controlled by the amount of the particulate suspension stabilizing agent employed in the preparation of the dispersion. In the preparation including the volatile solvent, the solvent can then be driven off by raising the temperature to above the volatilization temperature of the solvent. The droplets are further employed in the preparation of a coating composition for use in the preparation of an imaging element. In the case using a permanent solvent and where no solvent is used, the droplets including the permanent solvent are employed directly in the preparation of the coating composition.
In order to provide suitable formulations for applying a layer containing the lubricant droplets in accordance with this invention for use in a photographic element, the dispersions prepared by the methods described above, are combined with a hydrophilic colloid, gelatin being the preferred material.
There is no limitation on the types of lubricants for the practice of the present invention as long as they are liquid or can be dissolved or suspended in an appropriate liquid phase. Typical lubricants include (1) silicone based materials disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,489,567, 3,080,317, 3,042,522, 4,004,927, 4,047,958, and in British Patent Nos. 955,061 and 1,143,118; (2) higher fatty acids and derivatives, higher alcohols and derivatives, metal salts of higher fatty acids, higher fatty acid esters, higher fatty acid amides, polyhydric alcohol esters of higher fatty acids, etc., disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,454,043, 2,732,305, 2,976,148, 3,206,311, 3,933,516, 2,588,765, 3,121,060, 3,502,473, 3,042,222 and 4,427,964, in British Patent Nos. 1,263,722, 1,198,387, 1,430,997, 1,466,304, 1,320,757, 1,320,565, and 1,320,756, and in German Patent Nos. 1,284,295 and 1,284,294; (3) liquid paraffin and paraffin or wax like materials such as carnauba wax, natural and synthetic waxes, petroleum waxes, mineral waxes and the like; (4) perfluoro- or fluoro- or fluorochloro-containing materials, which include poly(tetrafluoroethylene), poly(trifluorochloroethylene), poly(vinylidene fluoride, poly(trifluorochloroethylene-co-vinyl chloride), poly(meth)acrylates or poly(meth)acrylamides containing perfluoroalkyl side groups, and the like. Lubricants useful in the present invention are also described in further detail in Research Disclosure No. 308, December 1989, page 1006, all of the above incorporated herein by reference.
The above lubricants also may contain reactive functional groups such as hydroxyl, thiol, carboxyl, carbodiimide, epoxy, aziridine, vinyl sulfone, sulfinic acid, active methylene, amino, and amide. Typical examples of compounds useful for the present invention are shown below, but the present invention is not limited by these compounds:
Carnauba Wax, Michelube 160 [Michelman Inc.]
Paraffin Wax 112/118 AMP, m.p.=46.1xc2x0 C. [Frank B. Ross Inc.]
Paraffin Wax 125/130 AMP, m.p.=53.3xc2x0 C. [Frank B. Ross Inc.]
Paraffin Wax 140/145 AMP, m.p.=61.1xc2x0 C. [Frank B. Ross Inc.]
Ross Wax 140, m.p.=137.8xc2x0 C. [Frank B. Ross Inc.]
GP-218 silicone polyol copolymer [Genesee Polymers Co.]
GP-4 silicone fluid, amine functionalized [Genesee Polymers Co.]
GP-7100 amine functional paintable silicone fluid [Genesee Polymers Co.]
GP-7200 silicone fluid, mercapto functionalized [Genesee Polymers Co.]
EXP-58 silicone wax [Genesee Polymers Co.]
EXP-61 silicone wax, amine functionalized [Genese Polymers Co.]
EXP-77 silicone wax, mercapto functionalized [Genesee Polymers Co.]
GP-7101 silicone copolymer [Genesee Polymers Co.]
BYK-331, polyether modified di-methylpolysiloxane copolymer [BYK Chemie]
BYK-371, reactive silicone additive, an acrylic functional, polyester-modified dimethylpolysiloxane [BYK Chemie]
DC-200 silicone fluid [Dow Corning Inc.]
PS099 dimethylsiloxane-bisphenol A carbonate block copolymer [Petrarch Inc.]
PS 130 polymethyloctadecylsiloxane [Petrarch Inc.]
PS 135 poly(methylhexadecyl siloxane) [Petrarch Inc.]
PS464 polydimethylsiloxane, vinylphenylmethyl terminated [Petrarch Inc.]
Ethylene glycol distearate
Ethylene glycol monostearate
Lubracal 60, Calcium stearate
Glyceryl monostearate
Silicone oils are the preferred lubricant for practicing this invention. Polydimethyl siloxane, particularly DC200 made by Dow Corning, is most preferred.
As for the suspension stabilizing agents that surround the lubricating properties and which serve in the process of this invention to prevent the coalescence of the lubricant droplets, any suitable colloidal stabilizing agent known in the art of forming polymeric particles by the limited coalescence technique can be employed such as, for example, inorganic materials such as, metal salt or hydroxides or oxides or clays, organic materials such as starches, sulfonated crosslinked organic homopolymers and resinous polymers as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,932,629; silica as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,060; copolymers such as copoly(styrene-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-methacrylic acid-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,131, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Silica is the preferred suspension stabilizing agent for use in accordance with this invention.
In order to provide suitable coating compositions for applying a layer containing the lubricant droplets in accordance with this invention to a photographic element, such as, a protective layer being the outermost layer over the light-sensitive emulsion layers of a photographic element, the dispersion of the lubricant droplets in water is mixed with a suitable hydrophilic colloid in suitable proportions to achieve the coverage of lubricant droplets desired. The coating composition is then applied to the surface of the element to achieve a layer containing the coated lubricant droplets in the hydrophilic colloid. Other additional compounds may be added to the coating composition, including surfactants, emulsifiers, coating aids, matte particles, rheology modifiers, crosslinking agents, inorganic fillers such as conductive and nonconductive metal oxide particles, pigments, magnetic particles, biocide, and the like.
Suitable hydrophilic binders include both naturally occurring substances such as proteins, protein derivatives, cellulose derivatives (e.g. cellulose esters), gelatins and gelatin derivatives, polysaccaharides, casein, and the like, and synthetic water permeable colloids such as poly(vinyl lactams), acrylamide polymers, poly(vinyl alcohol) and its derivatives, hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetates, polymers of alkyl and sulfoalkyl acrylates and methacrylates, polyamides, polyvinyl pyridine, acrylic acid polymers, maleic anhydride copolymers, polyalkylene oxide, methacrylamide copolymers, polyvinyl oxazolidinones, maleic acid copolymers, vinyl amine copolymers, methacrylic acid copolymers, acryloyloxyalkyl acrylate and methacrylates, vinyl imidazole copolymers, vinyl sulfide copolymers, homopolymer or copolymers containing styrene sulfonic acid, and the like. Gelatin is preferred.
The hydrophilic colloid of the lubricant layer can cause coalescence of the oil droplets or more specifically aggregation of the droplets. To prevent this destabilization, suitable anionic surfactants have to be included in the mixing step to prepare the coating composition such as polyisopropyl naphthalene-sodium sulfonate. Suitable surfactants used for this purpose are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,048. Such surfactant additions make the process more complicated and limit the utility of the system. We have found that the promoter used in making the oil droplets play a significant role in controlling the subsequent dispersibility of the droplets in gelatin and other hydrophilic colloids. The presence of a water soluble polymer containing heterocyclic aromatic nitrogen groups prevents aggregation of the droplets and facilitates the dispersion of the droplets in hydrophilic colloids, typically gelatin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,048 describes many suitable promoters that can be used to drive the suspension stabilizing agent to the interface of the lubricant droplets. However there is no mention in the prior art of the role of the promoter in aiding subsequent dispersibility in gelatin. The water-soluble polymer of the invention containing heterocyclic aromatic nitrogen groups, while driving the suspension stabilizing agent to the interface of the lubricant droplets also enhances dispersibility of the oil droplets in hydrophilic colloids such as gelatin in the absence of added surfactant. Such promoters also improve the shelf life of the dispersion of oil droplets in water in terms of its colloidal stability. While, water-soluble complex resinous amine condensation products of diethanol amine and adipic acid, such as poly[oxyethylene(N-methylimino)adipoyl], water-soluble condensation products of ethylene oxide, urea and formaldehyde, and polyethyleneimine, are mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,048, there is no mention of the heterocyclic aromatic nitrogen-based copolymer. Further, the patent adipate, poly[oxyethylene(N-methylimino)adipoyl], does not enable the limited coalescence process of lubricant droplets and the preferred promoter ""048 patent does not promote their dispersibility in gelatin without the aid of an added surfactant, neither does it enable the limited coalescence process without the presence of an added solvent to the oil phase. The promoters of the present invention overcome these limitations.
The promoters of the invention contain heterocyclic aromatic nitrogen functionalities including single or condensed ring systems such as quinolines, pyridines, imidazoles, carbazoles, pyrroles, indoles, pyrazoles, pyrimidines and purines. The preferred promoters of the invention contain aromatic pyridine functionalities. The heterocyclic aromatic nitrogen derived monomer content of the promoter is preferably from about 0.5 to about 50 mole percent and most preferably from 2.5 to 10 mole percent based upon the total monomer stoichiometry of the polymer. The degree of polymerization is 1 to 25, most preferably 1 to 10. The promoter is present in the lubricant layer in amounts resulting in a dry coverage of from 0.01 to 10 percent of the lubricant. The preferred promoter for use in accordance with the invention is poly[oxyethylene(N-methylimino)adipoyl-co-oxyethylene(N-methylimino)carbonylpyridine-2,6-diylycarbonyl](90/10).
The protective layer useful in the practice of the invention can be applied in any of a number of well-known techniques, such as dip coating, rod coating, blade coating, air knife coating, gravure coating and reverse roll coating, extrusion coating, slide coating, curtain coating, and the like. The lubricant particles and the binder are preferably mixed together in a liquid medium to form a coating composition. The liquid medium may be a medium such as water or other aqueous solution in which the hydrophilic colloid is dispersed with or without the presence of surfactants.
Photographic elements in which the droplets of the invention can be utilized generally comprise at least one light-sensitive layer, such as silver halide emulsion layer. This layer may be sensitized to a particular spectrum of radiation with, for example, a sensitizing dye, as is known in the art. Additional light-sensitive layers may be sensitized to other portions of the spectrum. The light-sensitive layers may contain or have associated therewith dye-forming compounds or couplers. For example, a red-sensitive emulsion would generally have a cyan coupler associated therewith, a green-sensitive emulsion would be associated with a magenta coupler, and a blue-sensitive emulsion would be associated with a yellow coupler. Other layers and addenda, such as antistatic compositions, subbing layers, surfactants, filter dyes, protective layers, barrier layers, development inhibiting releasing compounds, and the like can be present in photographic elements of the invention, as is well-known in the art. Detailed description of photographic elements and their various layers and addenda can be found in Research Disclosure September 1996, Item 38957 and in James, The Theory of the Photographic Process, 4th, 1977.
Photographic elements suitable for use in combination with the protective layer containing lubricant droplets in accordance with this invention are disclosed in Research Disclosure 38957, September 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference. Further, the light-sensitive elements disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,267 fully incorporated herein by reference are particularly applicable to protection by the overcoat layers in accordance with this invention.
The present invention is also directed to a single use camera having incorporated therein a photographic element as described above. Single use cameras are known in the art under various names: film with lens, photosensitive material package unit, box camera and photographic film package. Other names are also used, but regardless of the name, each shares a number of common characteristics. Each is essentially a photographic product (camera) provided with an exposure function and preloaded with a photographic material. The photographic product comprises an inner camera shell loaded with the photographic material, a lens opening and lens, and an outer wrapping(s) of some sort. The photographic materials are exposed in camera, and then the product is sent to the developer who removes the photographic material and develops it. Return of the product to the consumer does not normally occur.
Single use camera and their methods of manufacture and use are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,801,957; 4,901,097; 4,866,459; 4,849,325; 4,751,536; 4,827,298; European Patent Applications 460,400; 533,785; 537,225; all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The photographic processing steps to which the raw film may be subject may include, but are not limited to the following:
1.) color developingxe2x86x92bleachxe2x86x92fixingxe2x86x92washing/stabilizing;
2.) color developingxe2x86x92bleachingxe2x86x92fixingxe2x86x92washing/stabilizing;
3.) color developingxe2x86x92bleachingxe2x86x92bleachxe2x86x92fixingxe2x86x92/washing/stabilizing;
4.) color developingxe2x86x92stoppingxe2x86x92washingxe2x86x92bleachingxe2x86x92washingxe2x86x92fixingxe2x86x92washing/stabilizing;
5.) color developingxe2x86x92bleachxe2x86x92fixingxe2x86x92fixingxe2x86x92washing/stabilizing;
6.) color developingxe2x86x92bleachingxe2x86x92bleachxe2x86x92fixingxe2x86x92fixingxe2x86x92washing/stabilizing;
Among the processing steps indicated above, the steps 1), 2), 3), and 4) are preferably applied. Additionally, each of the steps indicated can be used with multistage applications as described in Hahm, U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,173, with co-current, counter-current, and contraco arrangements for replenishment and operation of the multistage processor.
Any photographic processor known to the art can be used to process the photosensitive materials described herein. For instance, large volume processors, and so-called minilab and microlab processors may be used. Particularly advantageous would be the use of Low Volume Thin Tank processors as described in the following references: WO 92/10790; WO 92/17819; WO 93/04404; WO 92/17370; WO 91/19226; WO 91/12567; WO 92/07302; WO 93/00612; WO 92/07301; WO 02/09932; U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,956; EP 559,027; U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,404; EP 559,025; U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,762; EP 559,026; U.S. 5,313,243; U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,131.
The present invention is also directed to photographic systems where the processed element may be re-introduced into the cassette. These systems allow for compact and clean storage of the processed element until such time when it may be removed for additional prints or to interface with display equipment. Storage in the roll is preferred to facilitate location of the desired exposed frame and to minimize contact with the negative. U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,739 discloses a cassette designed to thrust the photographic element from the cassette, eliminating the need to contact the film with mechanical or manual means. Published European Patent Application 0 476 535 A1 describes how the developed film may be stored in such a cassette.
It is, at times, desirable to include in the layer containing the lubricant droplets, in accordance with this invention, an amount of polymeric emulsion polymerized latex particles to improve adhesion during processing. Suitable polymeric latex particles have a diameter of from about 0.01 to 0.5 xcexcm, preferably from about 0.02 to about 0.1 xcexcm and are employed in an amount of from about 10 to about 75 weight percent, preferably from about 25 to about 50 percent by weight based on the weight of the gelatin present in the layer. Suitable monomers for use in the preparation of latex homopolymers or copolymers include, for example, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, 2-acrylamide-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid, styrene, butyl methacrylate, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl-1-sulfonic acid-sodium salt, vinylidene chloride, itaconic acid, acrylonitrile, acrylic acid, n-butyl acrylate, 2-[N,N,N-trimethyl ammonium] ethyl methacrylate methosulfate and the like. Particularly, suitable copolymers include polymethyl acrylate-co-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (96:4), styrene-co-butylmethacrylate-co-2-methacryloyloxy-ethyl-1-sulfonic acid-sodium salt, methyl acrylate-co-vinylidene chloride-co-itaconic acid, acrylonitrile-co-vinylidene chloride-co-acrylic acid, n-butyl acrylate-co-methylmethacrylate, acrylonitrile-co-vinylidene chloride-co-2[N,N,N,-bimethyl ammonium] ethyl methacrylate methosulfate and the like.
The following examples are intended to illustrate the present invention but not to limit it in scope in any way. The percentages provided are by weight. The promoters used in the examples are described in Table 1.
Triethylphenyl ammonium hydroxide (P2) was obtained commercially. The promoter variants P1, A, B, and C were all prepared by means of melt phase polycondensation techniques without the use of catalyst. These techniques are familiar to those skilled in the art and are documented in Sorensen and Campbell xe2x80x9cPreparative methods of polymer chemistryxe2x80x9d, pp. 57-148, Interscience Publishers, Inc., NY (1961). The extent of reaction and therefore the degree of polymerization were controlled by monitoring the amount of distillate produced. This technique allows for control of both the degree of polymerization and the composition.
Control Promoter P1; poly (N-methylaminoethylene adipate): 75.11 grams (1.0 moles) of N-methylaminoethanol were added to a 500 ml, three neck round bottom flask equipped with a stirrer, water-cooled condenser, Argon inlet, thermometer, and a Dean-Stark trap. The contents were heated to 80xc2x0 C., and 146 grams (1.0 moles) of adipic acid were added with stirring to obtain a white dispersion. The resulting dispersion was then heated to 150xc2x0 C. which resulted in a clear melt and the evolution of distillate. The reaction was continued until 20.0 milliliters of water was collected. The viscous melt was then poured into a collection vessel and cooled to room temperature. The product obtained was a viscous, pale yellow oil at room temperature. Size exclusion chromatography employing a small pore column set showed a polystyrene equivalent molecular weight of 450.
Promoter A; poly [oxyethylne(N-methylimino)adipoyl-co-oxyethylene(N-methylimino)carbonylpyridine-2,6-diylcarbonyl] (90/10): Promoter variant A was prepared in the same fashion as Control Promoter P1 except the 14.6 grams of adipic acid were replaced with 19.52 grams (0.10 moles) of pylidine 2,6-dimethyldicarboxylate and 4.0 grams (0.22 moles) of water. The resulting pale amber, viscous oil at room temperature had a polystyrene equivalent molecular weight of 465.
Promoter B; poly[oxyethylene(N-methylimino)adipoyl-co-oxyethylene(N-methylimino)carbonylpyridine-2,6-diylcarbonyl] (95/5): Promoter B was prepared in the same fashion as Control Promoter P1 except that 7.3 grams (0.05 moles) of adipic acid were replaced with 9.76 grams (0.05 moles) pyridine 2,6-dimethyldicarboxylate and 2.15 grams (0.12 moles) of water. The resulting pale amber, viscous oil at room temperature had a polystyrene equivalent molecular weight of 435.
Promoter C; poly[imino(2-methylpentane)1,5-diyliminoadipoyl-co-imino(2-methylpentane)1,5-diyliminocarbonylpyridine-2,6-dicarbonyl] (90/10): Promoter C was prepared in the same fashion as Control Promoter P1 except that all of the N-methylaminoethanol was replaced with 116 grams of 2-methylpentamethylenediamine and 14.6 grams of adipic acid were replaced with 19.5 grams (0.10 moles) of pyzidine 2,6-dimethyldicarboxylate and 20 grams (0.22 moles) of water. The resulting promoter polymer had a polystyrene equivalent molecular weight of 560.

Lubricating layer in photographic elements


An improved structure of speaker cabinet comprising a housing opened on one side thereof, and comprising a front panel, wherein, a plurality of intermediate speakers can be held firm and get increased connecting strength when the front panel is integrally connected with the housing to thereby offset the frontward and rearward thrusts of the speakers. Moreover, a plurality of hollow posts located at the positions in correspondence with those of the connecting areas of the speakers to the cabinet can be filled therein with vibration absorbing material in order to reduce vibration at the earliest time. Such a design not only can reduce volume and weight of the cabinet, but also can improve sound quality and provide a hidden port to improve beauty and waterproofing effect of the cabinet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to improvement of a speaker cabinet, and especially to improvement of a speaker cabinet which can increase connecting strength of the cabinet, improve quality of sound and beauty as well as water-proofing by providing a hidden port.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A speaker cabinet is a terminal equipment for sound outputting, in addition to being used for sound outputting, it can be used to decorate and to make outstanding of the entire modeling of the speaker cabinet, the appearance of it can be various to elevate the style of a hi-fi set. A conventional speaker cabinet structurally is comprised basically of a rear cabinet, a panel, a front barrier and inner speakers. The panel is provided with speakers which are connected with the speaker cabinet, and is provided with connecting points or a frame to movably connect with the front barrier in order to obscure the speakers against exposing, and the appearance and color of the front barrier can be variant to obtain different modeling. Quality of sound of a speaker cabinet can not only be determined by the fineness of out put signal curves of the inner horn, but can also be largely determined by the way of combination structure of the entire speaker cabinet. Hence it is a subject of study and development done positively in the art to get both good quality of sound and good modeling, and there have been a lot of such structures for a long time.
Conventional speaker cabinets have their improvements; they have disadvantages in sound quality and apparent modeling though. One of the conventional speaker cabinets, for example, comprises mainly an integrally formed housing, the surface of a sound outlet of the housing is provided thereon with a plurality of excavated holes of irregular shapes, under them there is a concave curved surface being added thereon with a protecting netted lid having an integrally formed excavated hood covered with a surface downy cloth and a plurality of tenons for engaging with the excavated holes. Wherein, the integrally formed housing provided with the excavated holes has already an effect of protecting the speakers and dust-proofness as well as beauty when being used solely; it obtains a goal of fast changing in modeling by engagement and detachment between the excavated holes and the protecting netted lid, however, it still has the disadvantages stated below.
The disadvantages of conventional speaker cabinets are as follows:
1. The front panel is composed of a plurality of elements, e.g. front barrier, and the front barrier is mounted externally on the front panel. Accordingly, they will be inevitably loosened to create noise to affect the sound quality put out.
2. When a front cover and a rear cabinet are connected with each other, the intermediate connecting posts are only used for locking of speakers rather than offsetting the vibrating thrust in practice.
3. The bass reflex hole of a conventional speaker cabinet is provided in an open way and a vertical arrangement on the rear or the front panel of the cabinet, the requirement of providing a simple hole communicating the interior with the exterior of the cabinet is inevitable for the design for sound putting out, however, the hole does not have an effect of hiding and thereby will destruct the whole esthetic appearance of the cabinet, besides, water-proofness thereof is inferior.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a front panel, a plurality of speakers which can tightly and integrally connected with a housing of a cabinet to strengthen the structure of the cabinet and can synchronically offset the frontward and rearward thrusts of the speakers to thereby provide an improved structure of speaker cabinet which can reduce vibration and elevate sound quality.
The secondary object of the present invention is to provide an improved structure of speaker cabinet having a kind of post which can directly get close to the speakers, the hollow space in the post can be filled therein with vibration absorbing material in order to generate an effect of vibration absorbing at the earliest time to reduce adverse vibration and noise.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved structure of speaker cabinet of which a rear reflex hole is provided as a hidden port just for being fittingly mounted therein an output line, in this way, the whole esthetic appearance can be improved and water-proofness of the speaker cabinet can be obtained.
To achieve the above stated objects, the improved structure of speaker cabinet of the present invention comprises mainly a housing opened on one side thereof and a front panel, wherein, the housing of the cabinet has a plurality of hollow posts located at the positions in correspondence with those of the connecting areas of a plurality of speakers, locking holes with reduced diameters are provided in front of the posts to abut on the front panel for locking. The housing of the cabinet has on the bottom thereof an integrally connected parallel passage of which the upper portion is communicated with the interior of the cabinet, and the lower portion is connected with the housing to form a hidden port communicating with the outside. The front panel is integrally provided with a front barrier, a plurality of speakers are provided on the front panel which has a plurality of locking holes thereon for alignment, hence the intermediate speakers can be held firm and get increased connecting strength when the front panel is integrally connected with the housing of the cabinet, and can offset the frontward and rearward thrusts of the speakers. And the hollow space in the posts can be filled therein with vibration absorbing material in order to reduce vibration at the earliest time. Such a design not only can reduce volume and weight of the cabinet, but also can improve sound quality and provide a hidden port to improve beauty as well as waterproofing effect of the cabinet.
The present invention will be apparent in its particular structural combination and functional characteristics in operation after reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof in reference to the accompanying drawings.

12F-2, No. 376, Tun HWA South Road, Sec. 1.