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<SOH> BACKGROUND ART <EOH>FIG. 5 shows a general constitution of a conventional measurement system. In the conventional measurement system 100 , a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 112 , a ROM (Read Only Memory) 114 , a RAM (Random Access Memory) 116 , and a measurement module 120 are connected to each other via a bus 130 . The CPU 112 reads a program and data from the ROM 114 and the RAM 116 via the bus 130 , and according to them, transmits a synchronization clock signal and a control instruction to the measurement module 120 . The measurement module 120 transmits measurement data representing a result of measurement to the CPU 112 via the bus 130 . The CPU 112 writes the measurement data and the like to the RAM 116 via the bus 130 . In this way, not only the measurement data but also the synchronization clock signal, the control instruction, the program, and the data are passed to the individual units such as the CPU 112 via the bus 130 . However, the control instruction and the like passed to the individual units via the bus 130 act as a noise for the measurement data passed from the measurement module 120 and the like via the bus 130 . In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to reduce the noise in the measurement data passed from the measurement module. |
<SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS <EOH>FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the constitution of a measurement control apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware constitution, wherein the measurement control unit 10 is constituted by software and hardware. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the constitution of a measurement control apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the constitution of a measurement control apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows a general constitution of a conventional measurement system. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"? |
Casting installation that is intended, in particular for the production of electrodes and the method used in one such installation |
A moulding plant, notably intended for the production of electrodes, includes a hopper, at least a first mould and a second mould, two compression devices, each device including a working table and a pressing form. The plant is characterized in that there is fixed intermediate laying plane, interspaced between the compression devices, and vertical to the hopper, and there is a displacement device to position each either at a working tabled, or at the intermediate laying plane. |
1. A moulding plant, notably intended for the production of electrodes, comprising a hopper, at least a first and a second moulds, two compression devices each comprising a working tabled and a pressing form, wherein said moulding plant further comprises a fixed intermediate laying plane, interspaced between said compression devices, and vertical to said hopper, and displacement means to position each mould either at a working table, or at said intermediate laying plane. 2. A moulding plant, according to claim 1, wherein said displacement means position alternately each mould at said intermediate laying plane. 3. A moulding plant, according to claim 1, wherein said working tables are fixed and comprised of vibrating tables. 4. A moulding plant, according to claim 1, further comprising evacuation means drawing and ejecting the moulded product contained in the mould at said intermediate laying plane. 5. A moulding plant, according to claim 1, wherein said hopper is a fixed weighing hopper. 6. A moulding plant according to claim 1, wherein lifting means are provided at the working tables enabling to free said moulds from said displacement means. 7. A moulding process, notably for the production of electrodes, implemented in the plant, according to claim 1, wherein said process comprises for each mould: a filling step of the mould, a loading step of the mould onto said corresponding working table, a working step, and an unloading step of the mould from said corresponding working table enabling to replace said mould vertical to said hopper. 8. A process, according to claim 7, further comprising a drawing step and an ejection step at said intermediate laying plane, after said unloading step from said mould. 9. A process, according to, claim 8 wherein the drawing step of the first mould is realized, at least partially, during the working step for the second mould and reciprocally. 10. A process, according to, claim 7 wherein the filling step of the first mould is realized, at least partially, during the working step for the second mould and reciprocally. 11. A process, according to claim 7, wherein the loading step of the first mould onto said corresponding working table is realized simultaneously to the unloading step of the second mould and reciprocally. 12. A moulded product, realized from the process implemented according to claim 7. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In moulding plants, it is advantageous in some cases, when the paste which is cast into the mould shows a certain viscosity and/or granulometry, to perform compression operations in order to obtain the correct characteristics of the worked product and to proceed to or to perfect the implementation of said product. Currently, there are different types of plants known enabling, after filling the mould, to perform these compression operations. To this end, a first type of plant known is composed of a paste feeder, a mobile hopper, two compression devices each comprising a table, whereon seats a mould, and a pressing form. The plant operates by moving tho mobile hopper, substantially horizontally, from a position where it is fed with paste and two paste unloading positions, positions wherein said hopper hangs over either of the moulds. In this plant, it can be foreseen to work the product in a mould while the hopper is fed with paste or pours the paste into the second mould. This type of plant exhibits various shortcomings, and notably this plant forces the displacement of an active member, i.e. the hopper, which provides notably the transfer link plant for flexible energies. Moreover, this type of plant calls for the creation of two drawing and ejection stations, i.e. a station per mould, which increases the cost of the plant. A second type of plant known is composed of a paste feeder, two fixed weighing hoppers and two mobile compression devices comprising two mould support mobile vibrating tables. This plant exhibits the same shortcoming as the previous one, i.e. it calls for the displacement of active members, in this instance the tables, which complicates the realization taking into account the magnitude of the mass displaced and of the active members displaced. Indeed, each table is moved between two positions corresponding to a filling position of the mould, said table being then vertical to its hopper, and a working position corresponding to a position of the table vertical to the pressing form. Such a plant also exhibits the shortcoming of using two hoppers, which increases the price of the plant accordingly. Finally, a third type of plant known provides a plant composed of a paste feeder, a fixed hopper, three moulds, and of a compression device, as well as a carrousel enabling the displacement of the moulds successively under the hopper, then at the compression device, then again at a drawing zone. This plant requires however the production and the installation of the carrousel, it also requires the use of three moulds. |
<SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The purpose of the invention is to provide a moulding plant, notably intended for the production of electrodes, which remedies the shortcomings aforementioned and enables to provide a plant wherein no active member is moved. Another purpose of this invention is to provide a moulding plant, notably intended for the production of electrodes, which enables the use of a single drawing and ejection station of the product. Another purpose of this invention is to provide a moulding plant, notably intended for the production of electrodes, which enables easy access to each of the active members to facilitate the handling operations. Another purpose of this invention is to provide a method implemented in the plant aforementioned which enables to obtain high throughput rate, and a preparation and/or drawing working in masked time. Other purposes and advantages of this invention will appear during the following description which is given only for illustrative reasons and which does not intend to limit said invention. According to the invention, the moulding plant, notably intended for the production of electrodes, comprises a hopper, at least a first mould and a second mould, two compression devices each comprising a working table and a pressing form, characterized in that said moulding plant comprises moreover: a fixed intermediate laying plane, interspaced between said compression devices, and vertical to said hopper, and displacement means to position each mould either at a working table, or at said laying plane. The invention also concerns a method implemented in the plant as aforementioned, a method wherein the following steps are carried out for each mould: a mould filling step, a mould loading step on said corresponding working table, a working step, and a mould drawing step from said corresponding working table enabling to replace said mould vertical to said hopper. |
Wheat plants having increased resistance to imidazolinone herbicides |
The present invention is directed to wheat plants having increased resistance to an imidazolinone herbicide. More particularly, the present invention includes wheat plants containing one or more IMI nucleic acids such as a Gunner IMI 205, Gunner IMI 208 and Madsen IMI cultivar. The present invention also includes seeds produced by these wheat plants and methods of controlling weeds in the vicinity of these wheat plants. |
1. A wheat plant comprising multiple IMI nucleic acids, wherein the nucleic acids are from different genomes and wherein the wheat plant has increased resistance to an imidazolinone herbicide as compared to a wild-type variety of the plant. 2. The wheat plant of claim 1, wherein the multiple IMI nucleic acids are selected from the group consisting of an Imi1 nucleic acid, an Imi2 nucleic acid and an Imi3 nucleic acid. 3. The wheat plant of claim 1, wherein the multiple IMI nucleic acids encode proteins comprising a mutation in a conserved amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of a Domain A, a Domain B, a Domain C, a Domain D and a Domain E. 4. The wheat plant of claim 3, wherein the conserved amino acid sequence is a Domain E. 5. The wheat plant of claim 4, wherein the mutation results in a serine to asparagine substitution in the IMI protein as compared to a wild-type AHAS protein. 6. The wheat plant of claim 1, wherein the multiple nucleic acids are selected from the group consisting of: a) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:1; b) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:3; c) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:5; d) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:2; e) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:4; f) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:6; g) a polynucleotide comprising at least 60 consecutive nucleotides of any of a) through f); and h) a polynucleotide complementary to the polynucleotide of any of a) through g). 7. The wheat plant of claim 1, wherein one of the IMI nucleic acids comprises a polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1. 8. The wheat plant of claim 1, wherein one of the IMI nucleic acids comprises a polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:3. 9. The wheat plant of claim 1, wherein one of the IMI nucleic acids comprises a polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:5. 10. The wheat plant of claim 1, comprising two IMI nucleic acids. 11. The wheat plant of claim 10, comprising an Imi1 nucleic acid and an Imi2 nucleic acid. 12. The wheat plant of claim 1, comprising three IMI nucleic acids. 13. The wheat plant of any of claims 1-5, wherein the plant is transgenic. 14. The wheat plant of any of claims 1-5, wherein the plant is not transgenic. 15. The wheat plant of claim 14, wherein the plant has an ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4213, PTA-4214 or PTA-4255; or is a recombinant or genetically engineered derivative of the plant with ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4213, PTA-4214 or PTA-4255; or of any progeny of the plant with ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4213, PTA-4214 or PTA-4255; or is a plant that is a progeny of any of these plants. 16. The wheat plant of claim 14, wherein the plant has an ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4213, PTA-4214 or PTA-4255, or is a progeny of the plant with ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4213, PTA-4214 or PTA-4255. 17. The wheat plant of claim 14, wherein the plant has the herbicide resistance characteristics of the plant with ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4213, PTA-4214 or PTA-4255. 18. The wheat plant of claim 14, wherein the wheat plant has an ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4213, PTA-4214 or PTA-4255. 19. The wheat plant of claim 1, wherein the imidazolinone herbicide is selected from the group consisting of 2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidiazolin-2-yl)-nicotinic acid, 2-(4-isopropyl)-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid, 5-ethyl-2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-nicotinic acid, 2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-5-(methoxymethyl)-nicotinic acid, 2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-5-methylnicotinic acid, and a mixture of methyl 6-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-m-toluate and methyl 2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-p-toluate. 20. The wheat plant of claim 1, wherein the imidazolinone herbicide is 5-ethyl-2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-nicotinic acid. 21. The wheat plant of claim 1, wherein the imidazolinone herbicide is 2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-5-(methoxymethyl)-nicotinic acid. 22. A plant part of the wheat plant of claim 1. 23. A plant cell of the wheat plant of claim 1. 24. A seed produced by the wheat plant of claim 1. 25. The seed of claim 24, wherein the seed is true breeding for an increased resistance to an imidazolinone herbicide as compared to a wild type variety of the wheat plant seed. 26. A wheat plant comprising an IMI nucleic acid, wherein the nucleic acid is a non-Imi1 nucleic acid and wherein the wheat plant has increased resistance to an imidazolinone herbicide as compared to a wild-type variety of the plant. 27. The wheat plant of claim 26, wherein the IMI nucleic acid is an Imi2 nucleic acid. 28. The wheat plant of claim 26, wherein the IMI nucleic acid comprises a polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:3. 29. The wheat plant of claim 26, wherein the IMI nucleic acid comprises a polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5. 30. The wheat plant of claim 26, wherein the imidazolinone herbicide is selected from the group consisting of 2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidiazolin-2-yl)-nicotinic acid, 2-(4-isopropyl)-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid, 5-ethyl-2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazoln-2-yl)-nicotinic acid, 2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-5-(methoxymethyl)-nicotinic acid, 2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-5-methylnicotinic acid, and a mixture of methyl 6-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-m-toluate and methyl 2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-p-toluate. 31. The wheat plant of claim 26, wherein the imidazolinone herbicide is 5-ethyl-2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-nicotinic acid. 32. The wheat plant of claim 26, wherein the imidazolinone herbicide is 2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-5-(methoxymethyl)-nicotinic acid. 33. A plant part of the wheat plant of claim 26. 34. A plant cell of the wheat plant of claim 26. 35. A seed produced by the wheat plant of claim 26. 36. The seed of claim 35, wherein the seed is true breeding for an increased resistance to an imidazolinone herbicide as compared to a wild type variety of the wheat plant seed. 37. The wheat plant of claim 26, wherein the plant is transgenic. 38. The wheat plant of claim 26, wherein the plant is not transgenic. 39. The wheat plant of claim 38, wherein the plant has an ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4214 or PTA-4255; or is a recombinant or genetically engineered derivative of the plant with ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4214 or PTA-4255; or of any progeny of the plant with ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4214 or PTA-4255; or is a plant that is a progeny of any of these plants. 40. The wheat plant of claim 38, wherein the plant has an ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4214 or PTA-4255 or is a progeny of the plant with ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4214 or PTA-4255. 41. The wheat plant of claim 38, wherein the plant has the herbicide resistance characteristics of the plant with ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4214 or PTA-4255. 42. The wheat plant of claim 38, wherein the wheat plant has an ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4214 or PTA-4255. 43. An isolated IMI nucleic acid, wherein the nucleic acid comprises a polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of: a) a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:1; b) a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:3; c) a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:5; d) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:2; e) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:4; f) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:6; g) a polynucleotide comprising at least 60 consecutive nucleotides of any of a) through f); and h) a polynucleotide complementary to the polynucleotide of any of a) through g). 44. The isolated IMI nucleic acid of claim 43, wherein the nucleic acid comprises a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:1. 45. The isolated IMI nucleic acid of claim 43, wherein the nucleic acid comprises a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:3. 46. The isolated IMI nucleic acid of claim 43, wherein the nucleic acid comprises a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:5. 47. A method of controlling weeds within the vicinity of a wheat plant, comprising applying an imidazolinone herbicide to the weeds and the wheat plant, wherein the wheat plant has increased resistance to the imidazolinone herbicide as compared to a wild type variety of the wheat plant, wherein the plant comprises multiple IMI nucleic acids, and wherein the nucleic acids are from different genomes. 48. The method of claim 47, wherein the multiple IMI nucleic acids are selected from the group consisting of an Imi1 nucleic acid, an Imi2 nucleic acid and an Imi3 nucleic acid. 49. The method of claim 47, wherein the plant comprises an Imi1 nucleic acid and an Imi2 nucleic acid. 50. The method of claim 47, wherein the multiple nucleic acids are selected from the group consisting of: a) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:1; b) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:3; c) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:5; d) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:2; e) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:4; f) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:6; g) a polynucleotide comprising at least 60 consecutive nucleotides of any of a) through f); and h) a polynucleotide complementary to the polynucleotide of any of a) through g). 51. A method of controlling weeds within the vicinity of a wheat plant, comprising applying an imidazolinone herbicide to the weeds and to the wheat plant, wherein the wheat plant has increased resistance to the imidazolinone herbicide as compared to a wild type variety of the wheat plant, and wherein the plant comprises an IMI nucleic acid that is a non-Imi1 nucleic acid. 52. The method of claim 51, wherein the IMI nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of an Imi2 nucleic acid and an Imi3 nucleic acid. 53. The method of claim 51, wherein IMI nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of: a) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:3; b) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:5; c) a polynucleotide comprising at least 60 consecutive nucleotides of any of a) through b); and d) a polynucleotide complementary to the polynucleotide of any of a) through c). 54. A method of modifying a plant's tolerance to an imidazolinone herbicide comprising modifying the expression of multiple IMI nucleic acids, wherein the nucleic acids are from different genomes. 55. The method of claim 54, wherein the multiple IMI nucleic acids are selected from the group consisting of an Imi1 nucleic acid, an Imi2 nucleic acid and an Imi3 nucleic acid. 56. The method of claim 54, wherein the plant comprises an Imi1 nucleic acid and an Imi2 nucleic acid. 57. The method of claim 54, wherein the multiple nucleic acids are selected from the group consisting of: a) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:1; b) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:3; c) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:5; d) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:2; e) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:4; f) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ D NO:6; g) a polynucleotide comprising at least 60 consecutive nucleotides of any of a) through f); and h) a polynucleotide complementary to the polynucleotide of any of a) through g). 58. A method of modifying a plant's tolerance to an imidazolinone herbicide comprising modifying the expression of an IMI nucleic acid, wherein the nucleic acid is a non-Imi1 nucleic acid. 59. The method of claim 58, wherein the IMI nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of an Imi2 nucleic acid and an Imi3 nucleic acid. 60. The method of claim 58, wherein the IMI nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of: a) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:3; b) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:5; c) a polynucleotide comprising at least 60 consecutive nucleotides of any of a) through b); and d) a polynucleotide complementary to the polynucleotide of any of a) through c). 61. A method of producing a transgenic plant having increased resistance to an imidazolinone herbicide comprising, a) transforming a plant cell with one or more expression vectors comprising multiple IMI nucleic acids, wherein the nucleic acids are derived from different genomes; and b) generating from the plant cell a transgenic plant with an increased resistance to an imidazolinone herbicide as compared to a wild type variety of the plant. 62. The method of claim 61, wherein the multiple IMI nucleic acids are selected from the group consisting of an Imi1 nucleic acid, an Imi2 nucleic acid and an Imi3 nucleic acid. 63. The method of claim 61, wherein the plant comprises an Imi1 nucleic acid and an Imi2 nucleic acid. 64. The method of claim 61, wherein the multiple nucleic acids are selected from the group consisting of: a) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:1; b) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:3; c) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:5; d) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:2; e) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:4; f) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:6; g) a polynucleotide comprising at least 60 consecutive nucleotides of any of a) through f); and h) a polynucleotide complementary to the polynucleotide of any of a) through g). 65. A method of producing a transgenic plant having increased resistance to an imidazolinone herbicide comprising, a) transforming a plant cell with an expression vector comprising an IMI nucleic acid, wherein the nucleic acid is a non-Imi1 nucleic acid; and b) generating from the plant cell a transgenic plant with an increased resistance to an imidazolinone herbicide as compared to a wild type variety of the plant. 66. The method of claim 65, wherein the IMI nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of an Imi2 nucleic acid and an Imi3 nucleic acid. 67. The method of claim 65, wherein the IMI nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of: a) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:3; b) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:5; c) a polynucleotide comprising at least 60 consecutive nucleotides of any of a) through b); and d) a polynucleotide complementary to the polynucleotide of any of a) through c). |
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS; EC 4.1.3.18) is the first enzyme that catalyzes the biochemical synthesis of the branched chain amino acids valine, leucine and isoleucine (Singh B. K., 1999 Biosynthesis of valine, leucine and isoleucine in: Singh B. K. (Ed) Plant amino acids. Marcel Dekker Inc. New York, N.Y. Pg 227-247). AHAS is the site of action of four structurally diverse herbicide families including the sulfonylureas (LaRossa R A and Falco S C, 1984 Trends Biotechnol 2:158-161), the imidazolinones (Shaner et al., 1984 Plant Physiol 76:545-546), the triazolopyrimidines (Subramanian and Gerwick, 1989 Inhibition of acetolactate synthase by triazolopyrimidines in (ed) Whitaker J R, Sonnet P E Biocatalysis in agricultural biotechnology. ACS Symposium Series, American Chemical Society. Washington, D.C. Pg 277-288), and the pyrimidyloxybenzoates (Subramanian et al., 1990 Plant Physiol 94: 239-244. Imidazolinone and sulfonylurea herbicides are widely used in modern agriculture due to their effectiveness at very low application rates and relative non-toxicity in animals. By inhibiting AHAS activity, these families of herbicides prevent further growth and development of susceptible plants including many weed species. Several examples of commercially available imidazolinone herbicides are PURSUIT® (imazethapyr), SCEPTER® (imazaquin) and ARSENALS (imazapyr). Examples of sulfonylurea herbicides are chlorsulfuron, metsulfuron methyl, sulfometuron methyl, chlorimuron ethyl, thifensulfuron methyl, tribenuron methyl, bensulfuron methyl, nicosulfuron, ethametsulfuron methyl, rimsulfuron, triflusulfuron methyl, triasulfuron, primisulfuron methyl, cinosulfuron, amidosulfuron, fluzasulfuron, imazosulfuron, pyrazosulfuron ethyl and halosulfuron. Due to their high effectiveness and low-toxicity, imidazolinone herbicides are favored for application by spraying over the top of a wide area of vegetation. The ability to spray an herbicide over the top of a wide range of vegetation decreases the costs associated with plantation establishment and maintenance and decreases the need for site preparation prior to use of such chemicals. Spraying over the top of a desired tolerant species also results in the ability to achieve maximum yield potential of the desired species due to the absence of competitive species. However, the ability to use such spray-over techniques is dependent upon the presence of imidazolinone resistant species of the desired vegetation in the spray over area. Among the major agricultural crops, some leguminous species such as soybean are naturally resistant to imidazolinone herbicides due to their ability to rapidly metabolize the herbicide compounds (Shaner and Robinson, 1985 Weed Sci. 33:469-471). Other crops such as corn (Newhouse et al., 1992 Plant Physiol. 100:882-886) and rice (Barrette et al., 1989 Crop Safeners for Herbicides, Academic Press New York, pp. 195-220) are somewhat susceptible to imidazolinone herbicides. The differential sensitivity to the imidazolinone herbicides is dependent on the chemical nature of the particular herbicide and differential metabolism of the compound from a toxic to a non-toxic form in each plant (Shaner et al., 1984 Plant Physiol. 76:545-546; Brown et al., 1987 Pestic. Biochm. Physiol. 27:24-29). Other plant physiological differences such as absorption and translocation also play an important role in sensitivity (Shaner and Robinson, 1985 Weed Sci. 33:469-471). Crop cultivars resistant to imidazolinones, sulfonylureas and triazolopyrimidines have been successfully produced using seed, microspore, pollen, and callus mutagenesis in Zea mays, Arabidopsis thaliana, Brassica napus, Glycine max , and Nicotiana tabacum (Sebastian et al., 1989 Crop Sci. 29:1403-1408; Swanson et al., 1989 Theor. Appl. Genet. 78:525-530; Newhouse et al., 1991 Theor. Appl. Genet. 83:65-70; Sathasivan et al., 1991 Plant Physiol. 97:1044-1050; Mourand et al., 1993 J. Heredity 84:91-96). In all cases, a single, partially dominant nuclear gene conferred resistance. Four imidazolinone resistant wheat plants were also previously isolated following seed mutagenesis of Triticum aestivum L. cv Fidel (Newhouse et al., 1992 Plant Physiol. 100:882-886). Inheritance studies confirmed that a single, partially dominant gene conferred resistance. Based on allelic studies, the authors concluded that the mutations in the four identified lines were located at the same locus. One of the Fidel cultivar resistance genes was designated FS-4 (Newhouse et al., 1992 Plant Physiol. 100:882-886). Computer-based modeling of the three dimensional conformation of the AHAS-inhibitor complex predicts several amino acids in the proposed inhibitor binding pocket as sites where induced mutations would likely confer selective resistance to imidazolinones (Ott et al., 1996 J. Mol. Biol. 263:359-368) Wheat plants produced with some of these rationally designed mutations in the proposed binding sites of the AHAS enzyme have in fact exhibited specific resistance to a single class of herbicides (Ott et al., 1996 J. Mol. Biol. 263:359-368). Plant resistance to imidazolinone herbicides has also been reported in a number of patents. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,761,373, 5,331,107, 5,304,732, 6,211,438, 6,211,439 and 6,222,100 generally describe the use of an altered AHAS gene to elicit herbicide resistance in plants, and specifically discloses certain imidazolinone resistant corn lines. U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,659 discloses plants exhibiting herbicide resistance possessing mutations in at least one amino acid in one or more conserved regions. The mutations described therein encode either cross-resistance for imidazolinones and sulfonylureas or sulfonylurea-specific resistance, but imidazolinone-specific resistance is not described. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,180 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,361 discuss an isolated gene having a single amino acid substitution in a wild-type monocot AHAS amino acid sequence that results in imidazolinone-specific resistance. To date, the prior art has not described imidazolinone resistant wheat plants containing more than one altered AHAS gene. Nor has the prior art described imidazolinone resistant wheat plants containing mutations on genomes other than the genome from which the FS-4 gene is derived. Therefore, what is needed in the art is the identification of imidazolinone resistance genes from additional genomes. What are also needed in the art are wheat plants having increased resistance to herbicides such as imidazolinone and containing more than one altered AHAS gene. Also needed are methods for controlling weed growth in the vicinity of such wheat plants. These compositions and methods would allow for the use of spray over techniques when applying herbicides to areas containing wheat plants. |
<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention provides wheat plants comprising IMI nucleic acids, wherein the wheat plant has increased resistance to an imidazolinone herbicide as compared to a wild-type variety of the plant. The wheat plants can contain one, two, three or more IMI nucleic acids. In one embodiment, the wheat plant comprises multiple IMI nucleic acids located on different genomes. Preferably, the IMI nucleic acids encode proteins comprising a mutation in a conserved amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of a Domain A, a Domain B, a Domain C, a Domain D and a Domain E. More preferably, the mutation is in a conserved Domain E or a conserved Domain C. Also provided are plant parts and plant seeds derived from the wheat plants described herein. In another embodiment, the wheat plant comprises an IMI nucleic acid that is not an Imi1 nucleic acid. The IMI nucleic acid can be an Imi2 or Imi3 nucleic acid, for example. The IMI nucleic acids of the present invention can comprise a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:1; a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:3; a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:5; a polynucleotide comprising at least 60 consecutive nucleotides of any of the aforementioned polynucleotides; and a polynucleotide complementary to any of the aforementioned polynucleotides. The plants of the present invention can be transgenic or non-transgenic. Examples of non-transgenic wheat plants having increased resistance to imidazolinone herbicides include a wheat plant having an ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4213, PTA-4214 or PTA-4255; or a mutant, recombinant, or genetically engineered derivative of the plant with ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4213, PTA-4214 or PTA-4255; or of any progeny of the plant with ATCC Patent Deposit Designation Number PTA-4213, PTA-4214 or PTA-4255; or a plant that is a progeny of any of these plants. In addition to the compositions of the present invention, several methods are provided. Described herein are methods of modifying a plant's tolerance to an imidazolinone herbicide comprising modifying the expression of an IMI nucleic acid in the plant. Also described are methods of producing a transgenic plant having increased tolerance to an imidazolinone herbicide comprising, transforming a plant cell with an expression vector comprising one or more IMI nucleic acids and generating the plant from the plant cell. The invention further includes a method of controlling weeds within the vicinity of a wheat plant, comprising applying an imidazolinone herbicide to the weeds and to the wheat plant, wherein the wheat plant has increased resistance to the imidazolinone herbicide as compared to a wild type variety of the wheat plant and wherein the plant comprises one or more IMI nucleic acids. In some preferred embodiments of these methods, the plants comprise multiple IMI nucleic acids that are located on different wheat genomes. |
Optical Modulator |
The present invention provides an optical modulator for modulating an optical carrier by an electrical signal. The modulator comprises a first and a second waveguide for guiding the optical carrier, each waveguide is formed from, or being juxtaposed with respect to, an electro-optic material. The modulator also comprises a series of cavities associated with the first waveguide and the second waveguide and means for applying the electrical signal having a predetermined bandwidth to the cavities. The cavities have a resonant frequency within the predetermined bandwidth. The present invention also provides a device for optical single sideband with carrier (OSSB+C) transmission. The device has parallel-coupled cavities. |
1. An optical modulator for modulating an optical carrier by an electrical signal, the modulator comprising: a first and a second waveguide for guiding the optical carrier, each waveguide being formed from, or being juxtaposed with respect to, an electro-optic material, at least one series of cavities associated with the waveguides, means for applying the electrical signal having a predetermined bandwidth to the cavities; the cavities having a resonant frequency within the predetermined bandwidth. 2. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cavities are series-coupled. 3. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 1 wherein a first series of cavities is associated with the first waveguide and a second series of cavities is associated with the second waveguide. 4. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 3 wherein the cavities of the first series are series-coupled and the cavities of the second series are series-coupled. 5. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 3 wherein each cavity of the first series of cavities is parallel-coupled with a respective cavity of the second series of cavities. 6. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 5 wherein parallel-coupling of the cavities is affected in a manner so to induce standing waves in the cavities. 7. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 6 wherein the cavities are disposed in a relationship to each other such that a predetermined phase difference is established for the modulation of a branched optical carrier guided in the first and the second waveguide. 8. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 5 wherein the cavities of the first series are disposed in a relationship to the cavities of the second series in a manner such that a phase difference of substantially 90° for the modulation of the optical carriers guided in the first and the second waveguides is established. 9. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the cavities comprises an elongate live electrode and an elongate ground electrode. 10. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 9 wherein respective live and ground electrodes are electrically connected by inductors and/or capacitors. 11. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 9 wherein respective live and ground electrodes are electronically connected by transmission line equivalents of inductors and/or capacitors. 12. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 10 wherein the inductances and/or capacitances of each series of cavities have values which result in an overall modulation response of each series of cavities that approaches linearity within the predetermined bandwidth. 13. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 11 wherein the transmission line equivalents of each series of cavities have values which result in an overall modulation response of each series of cavities that approaches linearity within the predetermined bandwidth. 14. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 5 wherein parallel-coupling is effected by electrically connecting the live electrodes of the cavities of the first series with the live electrodes of respective cavies of the second series at positions between the ends of each cavity. 15. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 14 wherein electrical connections between cavities are positioned at positions along the live electrodes which approximately correspond to maximum electric fields of the standing waves. 16. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 15 wherein the electrical connections between the cavities are positioned at positions along the live electrodes which approximately correspond to maximum electric fields of the standing waves. 17. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the period of the electrical signal P is selected to approximate tp/2 or n×tp where tp is the propagation time of the carrier along a length l of the first and/or the second waveguide, where l approximates the length of the cavities and n is an integer. 18. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the cavities has a slightly different resonant frequency within the predetermined bandwidth. 19. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 1 wherein live and ground electrodes of each cavity are spaced apart and are substantially parallel to one another. 20. The optical modulator as claimed claim 19 wherein the first and the second waveguides form a pair of waveguides arranged substantially parallel to and intermediate the live and ground electrodes of the associated cavities. 21. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 20 wherein each of the ground electrode is one of a pair of spaced-apart ground electrodes. 22. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 21 wherein the pair of waveguides is positioned between the pair of ground electrodes and each of the live electrodes is positioned between the pair of waveguides. 23. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and the second waveguides are arms of a Mach-Zehner-type interferometer device. 24. An optical modulator for modulating an optical carrier by an electrical signal, the modulator comprising: a first and a second waveguide for guiding the carrier, each waveguide being formed from or being juxtaposed with respect to an electro-optic material, a first cavity associated with the first waveguide and a second cavity associated with the second waveguide, means for applying the electrical signal having a predetermined bandwidth to the cavities; the cavities having a resonant frequency within the predetermined bandwidth and being parallel-coupled such that, in use, a phase difference for the modulation of the carrier guided in the first and the second waveguide is effected. 25. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 24 wherein the phase difference is substantially 90°. 26. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the waveguides and the cavities and fabricated on a common substrate. 27. The optical modulator as claimed in claim 24 wherein the waveguides and the cavities and fabricated on a common substrate. 28. A device for optical single sideband with carrier (OSSB+C) transmission including the optical modulator as claimed in claim 1. 29. A device for optical single sideband with carrier (OSSB+C) transmission including the optical modulator as claimed in claim 24. 30. A device for optical single sideband with carrier (OSSB+C) transmission comprising: a first and a second waveguide for guiding the carrier, each waveguide being formed from, or being juxtaposed with respect to, an electro-optic material, at least one cavity associated with the first waveguide and at least one cavity associated with the second waveguide, means for applying an electrical signal having a predetermined bandwidth to the cavities; the cavities being parallel-coupled and having a resonant frequency within the predetermined bandwidth. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Optical fibre communication provides a range of advantages compared with conventional “copper-wire” communication, including higher transmission speed and wider bandwidth. The transfer of information is often achieved by superimposing (modulating) the information onto an optical carrier using an electro-optic modulator. Mach-Zehnder type interferometric intensity modulators (MZM) are used for broadband communication links and MZM devices with very large bandwidths in excess of 40 GHz have been demonstrated. A standard broadband electro-optic modulator comprises a travelling wave electrode which is located adjacent to an electro-optic waveguide. The electric field carried by the travelling wave electrode alters locally the optical properties of the electro-optic waveguide which in turn influences the propagation of the optical carrier and thus transfers the electrical signal information onto the optical carrier. Such broadband modulators tend to be fairly inefficient, with only modest electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency, which limits their application. Wireless communications typically do not require the extended bandwidth of which MZM devices are capable. For example, the Personal Communication Systems (PCS) standards requires only 60 MHz bandwidth around a centre frequency of 1.9 GHz, allowing great potential for the optimisation of modulation efficiency through resonant enhancement. Future broadband wireless systems designed to operate at millimetre-wave frequencies may require only 1-2 GHz bandwidth centred around operating frequencies in the range of 5-66 GHz. The electro-optic modulation of an optical carrier by an electrical signal does not involve a transfer of power; instead the optical modulation achieved is proportional to the field strength across the active region of the device, whether this field is a power carrying propagating wave, or a standing wave. It is thus possible to utilise electrodes to generate resonant standing wave structures to greatly increase the field strength at the cavity and hence enhance the modulation efficiency at that resonance. Several demonstrations of resonantly enhanced MZM devices have been reported with significant improvements in efficiency being achieved. For example, a resonantly enhanced modulator which incorporated two electrical terminals that form single a Fabry-Perot type cavity over the active region, had a reported enhancement in link performance of 10 dB at resonance frequency. Although the development of a single cavity electrode structure at higher radio frequencies should offer many benefits, several shortcomings have also been identified. Across the resonance, the phase response will vary rapidly with frequency. For electrical signals close to the resonant frequency, this variation should be fairly linear, however, it is expected that electrical signals on the edges of the bandwidth may be significantly distorted. In addition, the effectiveness of a single cavity is limited. The length of a standing wave cavity usually corresponds to a half wavelength of the applied electrical signal which is short compared with the typical length of an arm of a MZM device. Longer cavities, with a length corresponding to an integer multiple of the radio frequency wavelength, are not necessarily associated with a higher effectiveness as the strength of the electric field, which results in the modulation of the optical carrier decaying exponentially along the electrode length. Frequently it is also required to modulate two or more optical carriers, which are guided in separate waveguides, by the same electrical signal. For particular applications, it may be required to achieve a particular phase offset between the modulated signals. One of such examples includes a device which will eliminate one side band and therefore allow for optical single sideband with carrier (OSSB+C) transmission. OSSB+C transmission has the capacity to mitigate the transmission impairment induced by the chromatic dispersion of the transmission optical fibre. Generation of OSSB+C formatted signals can be made possible by applying two identical modulating electrical signals which have a relative phase offset of 900 onto a modulator with two different electrodes corresponding to two different arms of the MZM interferometer. Inside the optical modulator, an optical signal is split into two optical carriers which are then modulated by those applied electrical signals with a 90° phase shift. If, also, the optical carriers travelling in both arms of the modulator have a relative phase offset of 90° between them, the subsequent optical addition of both modulated carriers results in the cancellation of one sideband. A device for this purpose may typically comprises a Mach-Zehnder type modulator with two optical arms, two electrical inputs and a separate 90° radio frequency hybrid coupler. Previous publications have shown that it is critical to maintain a phase difference of the electrical signals applied through the hybrid coupler to the arms of the modulator to within a maximum error of ±5• in order to maximise the suppression of one sideband. In this configuration, however, achieving 90°±5• phase shift over a very wide frequency band of the electrical signals, which are typically in the GHz range, can be very difficult. A typical electrical signal may be a radio frequency signal having a wavelength of the order of 4 mm and the required mechanical accuracy would correspond to approximately 50 μm, which is difficult to achieve with external connectors. It is therefore desirable to provide a device which has increased effectiveness (i.e. modulation depth) and/or which allows for the synchronised modulation of the optical carrier in branched waveguides. |
<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention provides in a first aspect an optical modulator for modulating an optical carrier by an electrical signal, the modulator comprising: a first and a second waveguide for guiding the optical carrier, each waveguide being formed from, or being juxtaposed with respect to, an electro-optic material, at least one series of cavities associated with the waveguides, means for applying the electrical signal having a predetermined bandwidth to the cavities; the cavities having a resonant frequency within the predetermined bandwidth. The electric field component of the applied electrical signal penetrates the electro-optic material and the electro-optic effect results in a phase modulation of the carrier guided in the waveguides. As a plurality of cavities is involved, a relatively large depth of modulation is achieved. The cavities typically are series-coupled. The optical modulator typically comprises a first series of cavities associated with the first waveguide and a second series of cavities associated with the second waveguide. The cavities of the first series may be series-coupled and also the cavities of the second series may be series-coupled. The first and the second waveguides typically are arms of a Mach-Zehner-type interferometer device. Each of the cavities may comprise an elongated live electrode and an elongate ground electrode. The live and ground electrodes may be electrically connected by inductors and/or capacitors or transmission line equivalents. The inductances and/or capacitances of the or each series of cavities typically have values which result in an overall modulation response of the one or each series of cavities that approaches linearity within the predetermined bandwidth. In a specific embodiment of the invention each cavity of the first series is parallel-coupled with a respective cavity of the second series. The parallel-coupling typically is affected in a manner so to induce standing waves in the cavities, the cavities being disposed in a relationship to each other such that a predetermined phase difference is established for the modulation of the branched optical carrier guided in the respective waveguides. Electrical connections of live electrodes of the cavities typically are positioned intermediate the ends of the respective cavities. The electrical connections between the cavities associated with the first waveguide and the second waveguide equalise locally their electric fields. By choosing i) dedicated positions for the connections along the live electrodes of respective cavities and ii) dedicated positions for cavities along the optical pathways of the associated waveguide portions, the relative phase difference between the modulated branched carrier can be controlled. The live electrodes of the cavities of the first series and the live electrodes of the cavities of the second series may be parallel-connected at positions along the live electrodes which approximately correspond to maximum electric fields of the standing waves. The cavities of the first and the second series of cavities may be disposed in a relationship to each other in a manner such that a phase difference of 90° for the modulation of the optical carriers guided in the first waveguide and in the second waveguide is established. The optical modulator may form a part of a device for optical single sideband with carrier (OSSB+C) transmission. The period of the electrical signal P typically is selected to approximate n/2×t p where t p is the propagation time of the carrier along a length l of the waveguide, where l approximates the length of the cavities and n is an integer. Each of the cavities may have a slightly different resonant frequency within the predetermined bandwidth. The live and the ground electrodes of each cavity typically are spaced apart and are substantially parallel to one another. The first and second waveguides typically are arranged substantially parallel to and intermediate the live and ground electrodes of the associated cavities. Each of the ground electrodes may be one of a pair of spaced-apart ground electrodes. The first and the second waveguides may form a pair of waveguides positioned between a pair of ground electrodes and each of the live electrodes may be positioned between the pair of waveguides. The present invention provides in a second aspect an optical modulator for modulating an optical carrier by an electrical signal, the modulator comprising: a first and a second waveguide for guiding the carrier, each waveguide being formed from, or being juxtaposed with respect to, an electro-optic material, a first cavity associated with the first waveguide and a second cavity associated with the second waveguide, means for applying the electrical signal having a predetermined bandwidth to the cavities; the cavities having a resonant frequency within the predetermined bandwidth and being parallel-coupled and arranged such that, in use, a phase difference for the modulation of the carrier guided in the first and the second waveguide is effected. The phase difference typically is 90°. The waveguides and the cavities may be fabricated on a common substrate such as a wafer. The present invention provides in a third aspect a device for optical single sideband with carrier (OSSB+C) transmission comprising: a first and second a waveguide for guiding the carrier, each waveguide being formed from, or being juxtaposed with respect to, an electro-optic material, at least one cavity associated with the first waveguide and at least one cavity associated with the second waveguide, means for applying an electrical signal having a predetermined bandwidth to the cavities; the cavities being parallel-coupled and having a resonant frequency within the predetermined bandwidth. Specific embodiments of the optical device will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. |
Novel benzo-fused heterocycles as endothelin antagonisits |
The invention relates to novel benzo-fused heterocycles and their use as active ingredients in the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions. The invention also concerns related aspects including processes for the preparation of the compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing one or more of those compounds and especially their use as endothelin receptor antagonists. |
1. Compounds of the General Formula 1, wherein X represents —CH2—CH2—CH2—; —NR9—C(═O)—CH2—; —NR10—CH2—CH2—; —C(═O)—CH2—CH2—; —CH2—C(═O)—CH2—; —O—CH2—CH2—; —S—CH2—CH2; —SO2—CH2—CH2—; —NR9—C(═O)—CH2—CH2—; —NR10—CH2—CH2—CH2—; —O—CH2—CH2—CH2—; Y represents O; S; NH; NCH3 or CH2; R1, R2, R3, R4 represent hydrogen; or one or two of R1, R2, R3, R4 independently represent halogen; hydroxy; lower alkyl; lower alkyloxy; lower alkyloxycarbonyl; hydroxy carbonyl; amino; lower alkylamino; di-(lower alkyl)-amino; lower alkylcarbonylamino; trifluoromethyl; and the others are hydrogen; R5 represents hydrogen; lower alkyl; phenyl; mono-, di-, or tri-substituted phenyl, substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, lower aikylthio; mono-, di-substituted phenyl, substituted with trifluoromethyl; pyridyl; benzyl or mono- or disubstituted benzyl, substituted at the phenyl ring with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, trifluoromethyl, lower alkylthio; R6 represents phenyl; mono-, di-, or tri-substituted phenyl, substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, lower alkylthio, alkylene-dioxy, ethylenoxy; mono-, di-substituted phenyl, substituted with trifluoromethyl; pyridyl; mono- or di-substituted pyridyl, substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, trifluoromethyl, lower alkylthio; pyrimidinyl; mono- or di-substituted pyrimidinyl, substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, lower alkylthio; mono-substituted pyrimidinyl, substituted with trifluoromethyl; R7 represents hydrogen; lower alkyl; cycloalkyl; lower alkylcarbonyl; benzyl; optionally substituted benzyl, substituted at the phenyl ring with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, trifluoromethyl, lower alkylthio, alkylene-dioxy, ethylenoxy; R8 represents hydrogen; lower alkyl; lower alkylcarbonyloxy-lower alkyl; R9 represents hydrogen; lower alkyl; lower alkenyl; lower alkynyl; hydroxycarbonyl-lower alkyl whereby lower alkyl can be substituted with phenyl; lower alkyloxycarbonyl-lower alkyl whereby lower alkyl can be substituted with phenyl; tetrazol-5-yl-lower alkyl; 2,5-dihydro-5-oxo-4H-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl-lower alkyl; 2,5-dihydro-5-oxo-4H-1,2,4-thiadiazol-3-yl-lower alkyl; 2,5-dihydro-5-thioxo-4H-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl-lower alkyl; 2-oxo-3H-1,2,3,5-oxathiadiazol-4-yl-lower alkyl; amino-lower alkyl; lower alkylamino-lower alkyl; di-(lower alkyl)-amino-lower alkyl; aminocarbonyl-lower alkyl; lower alkylamino carbonyl-lower alkyl; di-(lower alkyl)-aminocarbonyl-lower alkyl; hydroxy-lower alkyl; lower alkyloxy-lower alkyl; benzyl; mono- or di-substituted benzyl substituted at the phenyl ring with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, trifluoromethyl, lower alkylthio, alkylene-dioxy, ethylenoxy; R10 represents hydrogen; lower alkyl; lower alkenyl; lower alkynyl; hydroxycarbonyl-lower alkyl whereby lower alkyl can be substituted with phenyl; lower alkyloxycarbonyl-lower alkyl whereby lower alkyl can be substituted with phenyl; tetrazol-5-yl-lower alkyl; 2,5-dihydro-5-oxo-4H-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl-lower alkyl; 2,5-dihydro-5-oxo-4H-1,2,4-thiadiazol-3-yl-lower alkyl; 2,5-dihydro-5-thioxo-4H-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl-lower alkyl; 2-oxo-3H-1,2,3,5-oxathiadiazol-4-yl-lower alkyl; amino-lower alkyl; lower alkylamino-lower alkyl; di-(lower alkyl)-amino-lower alkyl; aminocarbonyl-lower alkyl; hydroxy-lower alkyl; lower alkyloxy-lower alkyl; benzyl; mono-or di-substituted benzyl substituted at the phenyl ring with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, trifluoromethyl, lower alkylthio, alkylene-dioxy, ethylenoxy; benzylcarbonyl; mono- or di-substituted benzylcarbonyl substituted at the phenyl ring with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, trifluoromethyl, lower alkylthio, alkylene-dioxy, ethylenoxy; lower alkylcarbonyl; phenylcarbonyl; mono- or di-substituted phenylcarbonyl substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, trifluoromethyl, lower alkylthio, alkylene-dioxy, ethylenoxy; lower alkylcarbonyl; lower alkyloxy-lower alkylcarbonyl; hydroxycarbonyl-lower alkylcarbonyl; R11 represents hydrogen; lower alkyl; cycloalkyl; lower alkyloxy-lower alkyl; lower alkyloxycarbonyl; hydroxycarbonyl; lower alkyloxycarbonyl-lower alkyl; hydroxycarbonyl-lower alkyl; phenyl; mono-or di-substituted phenyl substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, trifluoromethyl, lower alkylthio; benzyl; mono- or di-substituted benzyl substituted at the phenyl ring with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, lower alkylthio; R12 represents hydrogen; lower alkyl; cycloalkyl; lower alkyloxy-lower alkyl; phenyl; mono- or di-substituted phenyl substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, trifluoromethyl, lower alkylthio; R13 represents hydrogen; lower alkyl; cycloalkyl; lower alkyloxy-lower alkyl; R14 represents hydrogen; lower alkyl; cycloalkyl; lower alkyloxy-lower alkyl; phenyl; mono- or di-substituted phenyl substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, trifluoromethyl, lower alkylthio; benzyl; mono- or di-substituted benzyl substituted at the phenyl ring with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, lower alkylthio; lower alkyloxycarbonyl; hydroxycarbonyl; lower alkyloxycarbonyl-lower alkyl; hydroxycarbonyl-lower alkyl lower; aminocarbonyl; alkylaminocarbonyl; di-(lower alkyl)-aminocarbonyl; R15 represents hydrogen; lower alkyl; cycloalkyl; lower alkyloxy-lower alkyl; lower alkyloxycarbonyl; hydroxycarbonyl; lower alkyloxycarbonyl-lower alkyl; hydroxycarbonyl-lower alkyl; aminocarbonyl; lower alkylaminocarbonyl; di-(lower alkyl)-aminocarbonyl; and optically pure enantiomers, mixtures of enantiomers such as racemates, pure diastereomers, mixtures of diastereomers, diastereomeric racemates, mixtures of diastereomeric racemates and the meso-forms and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 2. Compounds of claim 1, wherein R6 represents pyrimidinyl; mono- or di-substituted pyrimidinyl, substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, lower alkylthio; mono-substituted pyrimidinyl, substituted with trifluoromethyl and Y represents oxygen, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 3. Compounds of claim 1, wherein R5 represents phenyl; mono-, di-, or tri-substituted phenyl, substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, lower alkylthio; mono-, di-substituted phenyl, substituted with trifluoromethyl and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 4. Compounds of claim 1, wherein X represents —NR9—C(═O)—CH2— and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 5. Compounds of claim 1, wherein R2 represents hydrogen and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 6. Compounds of claim 1, wherein R1 represents hydrogen and R2 represents hydrogen and R4 represents hydrogen and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 7. Compounds of claim 1, wherein R1 represents hydrogen and R2 represents hydrogen and R3 represents hydrogen or halogen and R4 represents hydrogen and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 8. Compounds of claim 1, wherein R1 represents hydrogen and R2 represents hydrogen and R3 represents hydrogen or halogen and R4 represents hydrogen and R5 represents phenyl; mono-, di-, or tri-substituted phenyl, substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, lower alkylthio; mono-, di-substituted phenyl, substituted with trifluoromethyl and R6 represents pyrimidinyl; mono- or di-substituted pyrimidinyl, substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, lower alkylthio; mono-substituted pyrimidinyl, substituted with trifluoromethyl and R7 represents hydrogen and R8 represents hydrogen and R9 represents lower alkyl; lower alkenyl; lower alkynyl; hydroxycarbonyl-lower alkyl whereby lower alkyl can be substituted with phenyl; lower alkyloxycarbonyl-lower alkyl whereby lower alkyl can be substituted with phenyl; hydroxy-lower alkyl; lower alkyloxy-lower alkyl; tetrazol-5-yl-lower alkyl; 2,5-dihydro-5-oxo-4H-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl-lower alkyl; 2,5-dihydro-5-oxo-4H-1,2,4-thiadiazol-3-yl-lower alkyl; 2,5-dihydro-5-thioxo-4H-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl-lower alkyl; 2-oxo-3H-1,2,3,5-oxathiadiazol-4-yl-lower alkyl; benzyl; mono- or di-substituted benzyl substituted at the phenyl ring with lower alkyl, lower alkyloxy, halogen, amino, lower alkylamino, di-(lower alkyl)-amino, trifluoromethyl, lower alkylthio, alkylene-dioxy, ethylenoxy, and X represents —NR9—C(═O)—CH2— and Y represents oxygen and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 9. A Compound selected from the group consisting of: (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-((6S*)-1-methyl-6-phenyl-5,6-dihydro-4H-2,3,5,10b-tetraaza-benzo[e]azulen-6-yl)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-((6S*)-6-phenyl-5,6-dihydro-4H-2,3,5,10b-tetraaza-benzo[c]azulen-6-yl)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-((5S*)-7-chloro-1-methyl-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl)-(4,6-dimethoxy-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-1-(3,5-dimethoxy-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethoxy-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-4-{(5S*)-5-[(S*)-Carboxy-(4,6-dimethoxy-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-methyl]-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-1-ylmethyl}-benzoic acid methyl ester; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethoxy-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-5-phenyl-1-(2,4,6-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetra-hydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-((5S*)-1-methyl-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-((5S*)-1-Carboxymethyl-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-1-(3,5-Dimethoxy-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetra-hydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-Dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-1-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-1-(1H-tetrazol-5-ylmethyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-4-{(5S*)-5-[(S*)-Carboxy-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-methyl]-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-1-ylmethyl}-benzoic acid methyl ester; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-1-(4-methoxy-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-1-(4-trifluoromethyl-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-1-(3-chloro-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-1-(3,5-bis-trifluoromethyl-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-{(5S*)-1-[2-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-ethyl]-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl}-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-1-(2-chloro-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-(5S*)-2-oxo-1-phenethyl-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl)-acetic acid; ‘(±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-1-(4-trifluoromethoxy-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-1-(2,6-difluoro-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-{(5S*)-1-[2-(2-methoxy-ethoxy)-ethyl]-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl}-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S *)-1-(2,4-difluoro-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-1-(2,3,6-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-1-(2,4,6-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-1-(2,4,6-trimethyl-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-1-(2,3,4-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-1-(4-butyl-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-1-(2,6-dichloro-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-((5S*)-2-oxo-1,5-diphenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl)-acetic acid; (±)-4-{(5S*)-5-[(S*)-carboxy-(4,6-diethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-methyl]-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-1-ylmethyl}-benzoic acid methyl ester; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-diethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-1-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-diethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-1-(3,5-dimethoxy-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-diethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-1-(2,4,6-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-4-methyl-2-oxo-5-phenyl-1-(2,4,6-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-7-chloro-1-(3,5-dimethoxy-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(3,5-dimethoxy-phenoxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(1S*)-((5S*)-7-chloro-1-methyl-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl)-(4,6-dimethoxy-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(1S*)-[(5S*)-7-chloro-1-(3,5-dimethoxy-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethoxy-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(1S*)-((5S*)-7-chloro-1-methyl-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetra-hydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-7-chloro-1-(4-methoxy-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-1-(4-butylbenzyl)-7chloro-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-7-chloro-2-oxo-5-phenyl-1-(2,4,6-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-7-chloro-1-(2,6-dichloro-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-((5S*)-7-chloro-1-methyl-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl)-(4,6-diethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-1-(4-methoxy-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-m-tolyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-5-(3-ethyl-phenyl)-1-(4-methoxy-benzyl)-2-oxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-5-(3-ethyl-phenyl)-2-oxo-1-(2,4,6-trimethyl-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-5-(3-ethyl-phenyl)-2-oxo-1-(2,3,4-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-5-(3-ethyl-phenyl)-2-oxo-1-(2,4,6-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-1-(4-methoxy-benzyl)-5-(3-methoxy-phenyl)-2-oxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-5-(3-methoxy-phenyl)-2-oxo-1-(2,4,6-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-1-carboxymethyl-5-(3-methoxy-phenyl)-2-oxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-5-(3-methoxy-phenyl)-2-oxo-1-(2,3,6-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-5-biphenyl-3-yl-1-(4-methoxy-benzyl)-2-oxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-((5S*)-5-biphenyl-3-yl-2-oxo-1-(2,4,6-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-((5S*)-5-biphenyl-3-yl-carboxymethyl-2-oxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-5-biphenyl-3-yl-2-oxo-1-(2,3,6-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-5-(4-fluoro-3-methyl-phenyl)-1-(4-methoxy-benzyl)-2-oxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-5-butyl-1-(4-methoxy-benzyl)-2-oxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(R*)-[(5S*)-7-chloro-1-(4-methoxy-benzyl)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-1-(4-butyl-benzyl)-5-(3-butyl-phenyl)-2-oxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-5-(3-butyl-phenyl)-2-oxo-1-(2,4,6-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-[(5S*)-5-(3-Butyl-phenyl)-1-(2,6-dichloro-benzyl)-2-oxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-acetic acid; (±)-(S*)-(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidin-2-yloxy)-[(5S*)-2-oxo-5-phenyl-1-(2,4,6-trifluoro-benzyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-5-yl]-acetic acid dimethylcarbamoylmethyl ester; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 10. A Pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound of any one of claims 1 to 9 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and/or an adjuvant. 11. (canceled) 12. (canceled) 13. (canceled) 14. (canceled) 15. A process for the manufacture of compounds as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, which process comprises a) In case Y represents CH2 and R6 represents phenyl, substituted phenyl, pyridinyl, substituted pyridinyl, pyrimidinyl or substituted pyrimidinyl in Formula I, reacting a compound of Formula IV with an ester of compound of Formula V in the presence of a strong base, b) in case Y represents N—CH3 and R6 represents phenyl or substituted phenyl in Formula I, reacting a compound of Formula IV with an ester of compound of Formula V in the presence of a strong base, c) in case Y represents O or S and R6 represents phenyl or substituted phenyl in Formula I, reacting a compound of Formula IV with a compound of Formula V in the presence of a base and an activating agent, d) in case Y represents NH and R6 represents phenyl or substituted phenyl in Formula I, reacting a compound of Formula IV with a compound of Formula V, wherein NH is previously derivatized with a protective group, in the presence of a base and an activating agent and subsequently deprotecting the amine, e) in case Y represents O, S, NH or N—CH3 and R6 represents a pyridinyl, a substituted pyridinyl, a pyrimidinyl or a substituted pyrimidinyl group in Formula I, reacting a compound of Formula VIII with a compound of Formula VII, wherein G1 represents a reactive group, in the presence of a base, f) cleaving the protecting group P2 in compounds of Formula IX which are prepared by reacting a compound of Formula IV with a compound of Formula X, g) reacting a compound of the Formula III with water or an alcohol R8—OH in the presence of either a base or an acid in the presence or absence of additional solvents at temperatures between zero and 100° C., h) in case R7 in Formula I does not represent a hydrogen atom, reacting a compound of Formula II with an alkylating or acylating agent R7—G1, wherein G1 represents a reactive group, in order to obtain a compound of Formula I, wherein R7 does not represent a hydrogen atom and wherein R8 represents a lower alkyl group, or i) reacting a compound of formula II, wherein R8 represents a lower alkyl group, in water in the presence of a base or an acid in the presence or absence of additional solvents to obtain compound of Formula I, wherein R7 does not represent a hydrogen atom and wherein R8 represents a hydrogen atom. 16. (canceled) 17. (canceled) 18. (canceled) 19. (canceled) 20. (canceled) 21. (canceled) 22. (canceled) 23. (canceled) 24. (canceled) 25. (canceled) 26. (canceled) 27. (canceled) 28. (canceled) 29. A process for manufacturing the pharmaceutical composition according to claim 10, comprising mixing one or more of the compounds with a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. 30. A method for preventing or treating a disorder which is associated with a role of endothelin comprising administering a prophylactically or therapeutically effective amount of the compound of any one of claims 1 to 9. 31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the disorder is a circulatory, inflammatory, or proliferative disorder. 32. The method according to claim 30, wherein the disorder is hypertension, coronary disease, cardiac insufficiency, renal and myocardial ischemia, renal failure, cerebral ischemia, dementia, migraine, subarachnoidal hemorrhage, Raynaud's syndrome, portal hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, atherosclerosis, restenosis after balloon or stent angioplasty, inflammation, pulmonary fibrosis, connective tissue diseases, stomach and duodenal ulcer, digital ulcer, cancer, prostatic hypertrophy, erectile dysfunction, hearing loss, amaurosis, chronic bronchitis, asthma, gram negative septicemia, shock, sickle cell anemia, glomerulonephritis, renal colic, glaucoma, diabetic complications, complications of vascular or cardiac surgery or after organ transplantation, and complications of cyclosporin. 33. A method for preventing or treating a disorder which is associated with a role of endothelin comprising blocking both ETA and ETB with the compound of any one of claims 1 to 9. 34. A method for preventing or treating a disorder which is associated with a role of endothelin comprising blocking selectively either ETA or ETB with the compound of any one of claims 1 to 9. 35. A method for preventing or treating a disorder which is associated with a role of endothelin comprising administering a prophylactically or therapeutically effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition of claim 10. |
Method for producing a monocrystalline component, having a complex moulded structure |
The invention relates to a method for producing a monocrystalline component, having a complex moulded structure with different structure parts, from a molten metal. According to the method, said molten metal is located in a negative mould, corresponding to the moulding structure and said negative mould moves with the formation of a solidification front on a temperature drop, which is adapted to the crystallization speed of the molten metal and which includes the melting point. Said method is characterized in that at least one of the structure parts of the moulded structure experiences an individual temperature drop. If the solidification front has to grow through a structure part, which is inappropriately oriented in relation to the solidification front, said structure part or zone can experience an individual temperature drop. This enables monocrystalline components, having a complex moulded structure, to be produced in a reliable and economic manner. |
1. A process for producing a single-crystal structural component with a complex shape, comprising: melting a metal; introducing the metal melt into a mold which correlates with the shape of the component; moving the mold through a temperature gradient matched to the crystallization rate of the metal melt and including the melting point of the metal; and forming a solidification front on the metal melt, wherein an individual temperature gradient is generated for a plurality of structural portions of the component. 2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of temperature gradients form a plurality of solidification fronts. 3. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein different individual temperature gradients are advanced at different speeds. 4. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein individual temperature gradients of different portions of the components have individual orientations with respect to a crystal growth direction of the metal melt. 5. The process as claimed in claim 4, wherein the different crystal growth directions of the different structural parts substantially follow a main crystal growth direction. 6. The process as claimed in claim 4, wherein the different crystal growth directions deviate by no more than 20° from the main crystal growth direction. 7. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual temperature gradient is formed by an independently actuable heating element. 8. The process as claimed in claim 7, wherein an induction coil and/or a radiator is used as the heating element. 9. The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein the temperature gradient is influenced by an insulation body. 10. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the component is a turbine vane. 11. The process as claimed in claim 7, wherein the temperature gradient is a negative temperature gradient. 12. A single-crystal turbine component, comprising: a first structural portion having a first crystal growth direction; and a second structural portion having a second crystal growth direction, the second crystal growth direction being different from the first crystal growth direction. 13. A single-crystal turbine component as claimed in claim 12, wherein the turbine component is a blade or a vane. 14. A single-crystal turbine component as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first portion is an airfoil. 15. A single-crystal turbine component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second portion is a root. 16. A single-crystal turbine component as claimed in claim 12, wherein an angle between the main crystal growth direction of the first structural portion and the main crystal growth direction of the second structural portion is less than 20 degrees. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF INVENTION <EOH>The production of single-crystal components is becoming increasingly important in order to allow ever further increases in performance to be achieved, in particular in the field of turbines. Blades and vanes of turbines, such as aircraft engine turbines or gas turbines for generating energy in power plants, are exposed to high loads. As the performance, efficiency and emissions of gas turbines continue to improve, the thermal and therefore mechanical boundary conditions imposed on turbine guide vanes in the first stage(s) are becoming increasingly extreme. Particular loads occur, for example, as a result of the platforms being made increasingly thin, as a result of a changing working medium and as a result of reduced external cooling on account of cooling leaps in the passage edge region of the gas turbine. A further improvement in the performance in terms of materials properties is required, since to reduce the consumption of cooling air in the gas turbine, the number of vanes in the ring needs to be reduced in favor of larger-sized vanes. To make it possible to cope with these boundary conditions, it is desirable to change material or to change material structure towards single crystals, as in part already being attempted in the rotor blade area of gas turbines. Components which are formed from single crystals only have grain boundaries which do not cause any significant weak points in the material compared to the material as a whole as temperatures rise. The production of single-crystal components has already been known for many years. To do this, first of all molten material is poured into a casting mold. The casting mold has the negative shape structure of the component which is to be produced and is therefore also referred to as a negative mold. When the molten material solidifies in the negative mold, it acquires the desired shape structure of the component. The shape structure generally comprises a plurality of regions, known as structural parts. The casting mold holding the molten material is located inside a furnace, so that the molten material is heated further and remains liquid. To produce single crystals, the negative mold is slowly moved out of the furnace, so that the solidification process begins outside the furnace and the solidification front follows the negative temperature gradient. To provide the single crystal with the desired orientation, a cochleate tip of the casting mold, filled with molten material, is initially solidified from the outermost tip. The cochleate tip is referred to as the selection helix. The helix is used to select the crystal growth direction. The single crystal therefore forms the incipient solidification front and in the desired case continues to grow through the entire negative mold. The negative mold has to be passed through the negative temperature gradient at a speed which is matched to the crystallization rate of the metal. If the molten material is passed through the negative temperature gradient more quickly than the crystal growth rate, new creation occurs and additional crystals which have a different orientation than the desired single crystal are formed. If this occurs, the component is faulty and can no longer be used. In particular the production of single crystal turbine guide vanes with greatly overhanging platforms is very difficult. The turbine guide vanes comprise a plurality of structural parts which form the shape structure of the component. A particular problem is the transition from a platform to a profiled-section part and vice versa. The platform forms the region of the guide vane which in the turbine lies parallel to and flush with the inner radial surface of the guide vane carrier, while the profiled-section parts are firstly the main vane section and secondly the connecting element between the guide vane carrier and the guide vane. A problem with this arrangement is that the plane normal to the platform is virtually perpendicular to the plane normal to the profile. The growth direction of the single crystal is generally selected in such a way that it runs substantially along a longitudinal axis of the profile-section part and parallel to the plane normal to the platform. The planes are almost substantially perpendicular to one another and extend in different directions. Accordingly, it is necessary to realize a virtually instantaneous change in the solidification front surface from the small surface of the profiled-section part to the substantially wider surface of the platform. In this region, it is necessary to respond with a drop in the rate at which the casting mold in the furnace is lowered from the heated region into the unheated region, or to provide a corresponding number of grain-maintaining means in the form of a diversion from the profiled-section part into the outer platform regions. The effects of both options are very difficult to predict and moreover are subject to fluctuations in the process, so that the discharge rate or productivity drops. Hitherto, it has been attempted to solve this problem by searching for an optimum orientation with respect to the negative temperature gradient for the platform. By tilting the casting mold in the furnace in order to optimize the orientation of the platform with respect to the negative temperature gradient, the problem is improved in one direction, since the solidification front then fans open along a ramp into the platform, so that the change in cross-section is attenuated. Despite this, a right-angled connection still remains. A further problem is that of bringing the single crystal which has fanned out in the platform back together into a narrower structural part of the guide vane, which once again presents the problem of the right-angled connection with a spontaneous change in the surface of the solidification front. These and similar problems also manifest themselves in numerous instances for other components of other shape structures. |
<SOH> SUMMARY OF INVENTION <EOH>Therefore, the invention is based on the object of providing a process which allows single crystal components with a complex shape structure to be produced on a reliable and economic footing. To achieve this object, it is proposed to produce an individual negative temperature gradient for at least one of the structural parts of the shape structure. A further advantageous feature of the invention provides for an individual solidification front to be formed with an individual negative temperature gradient. In this way, the negative mold is passed through the negative temperature gradient in the customary way. When the solidification front finally has to continue to grow through a structural part which is oriented unfavorably with respect to the solidification front, a dedicated negative temperature gradient can be generated for this structural part or region. This negative temperature gradient can be optimally matched to the requirements of the particular structural part, independently of the main negative temperature gradient. For example, in the case of the turbine guide vane, the magnetic field and therefore the negative temperature gradient of the induction furnace can be varied in such a way that a shaped solidification front is formed instead of a planar solidification front. Accordingly, on the one hand a negative temperature gradient which forms a planar solidification front perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the profiled-section part is formed in the region of the latter, and on the other hand a negative temperature gradient which causes the solidification front to bend into the platform is produced, and the solidification front progresses through the platform over its height rather than over its width, as has hitherto been the case. A further advantage of this configuration is that if the solidification front bends off toward the sides and grows into the edge regions of the platform, it can also end there and does not have to be guided back toward the profiled-section part. Hitherto, it has always been necessary for the solidification front which has fanned out into the width of the platform to be guided back into the profiled section on reaching the end of the solidification front. As a result, the problems of difficult transitions in cross-section and of multiple grains being formed are eliminated. In this way, structural parts can be cooled or heated in completely different ways. It is fundamentally possible for each structural part to be assigned an individual negative temperature gradient in order thereby for extremely complex components to be produced as single crystals. The invention is advantageously configured in such a manner that different individual negative temperature gradients advance at different speeds. A process of this type enables certain structural parts to be passed through the negative temperature gradient less quickly than others. By way of example, if a plurality of heating elements are used, the heating elements can be moved along the negative mold independently of one another. In this way, the negative temperature gradient is advanced at different speeds in the different structural elements. In the case of production of a turbine guide vane, for example, it may be necessary for the solidification front which is bent into the platform to be allowed to advance slightly more slowly than the solidification front which is simultaneously advancing inside the profiled-section part. This makes it possible to ensure optimum single crystal formation in the platform and to achieve the maximum possible speed of advancing solidification in the profiled-section part. There is no longer any need to compromise between individual regions. Each region or structural part is given its own individual compromise between solidification rate and reliability of formation of the single crystal. According to a further advantageous configuration of the invention, individual negative temperature gradients of different structural parts have individual orientations with respect to the crystal growth direction. This allows the solidification front to be oriented in any desired way with respect to the growth direction and with respect to the corresponding structural part. In the example of the production of a turbine guide vane, accordingly, although the growth starting from the transition to the profiled-section part will grow into the width, the solidification front is not oriented perpendicular to the growth direction. The solidification front therefore has an angle of inclination of less than 90° with respect to the growth direction. The invention is particularly advantageous on account of the fact that the different crystal growth directions of the different structural parts substantially follow a main crystal growth direction. The term main crystal growth direction is to be understood as meaning the direction which is substantially followed by the crystal growth. In the prior art, the entire crystal growth has taken place in one direction, specifically the opposite direction to that in which the negative mold is guided out of the furnace. With the invention, it is possible to achieve numerous different growth directions by creating different growth directions in different negative temperature gradients. For example, it would be possible for a star-shaped, single-crystal component to be allowed to grow outward in a star shape from the center. An individual negative temperature gradient which progresses toward the tips of the arms of the star could be produced for each star arm of the component. A main crystal growth direction cannot be defined for a component of this type. The advantage of a main crystal growth direction resides in the high degree of certainty that no additional grains will be formed; the risk of this occurring increases when the difference between the crystal growth directions in the transition from one structural part to another increases beyond a certain angle. Therefore, according to the invention it is proposed for the different crystal growth directions to deviate by no more than 20° from the main crystal growth direction. However, the angle given here is not to be considered as a specific restriction. Larger angles can also be realized given sufficiently sensitive process control. According to the invention, it is advantageously proposed for the individual negative temperature gradient to be formed by a heating element which can be actuated independently. The negative temperature gradient for the main crystal growth direction can most easily be produced by means of a correspondingly high-powered heating element, whereas the individual negative temperature gradient for the different structural parts can be generated using smaller heating elements. The term actuable heating elements is to be understood as encompassing both heating elements which can be physically displaced and/or heating elements whose output of heat can be regulated. It is particularly advantageous for an induction coil and/or a radiator to be used as heating element. For example, a suitable heat source can be selected according to the specific requirements. According to a further advantageous configuration of the invention, the negative temperature gradient is influenced by an insulation body. This means that not only is it possible to influence the negative temperature gradient by means of heating bodies, but also by means of insulation bodies. Even stronger negative temperature gradients can be produced with the aid of insulation bodies than if heating elements alone are used. The process is particularly advantageously such that it is used to produce a turbine guide vane. |
Blade for a turbine engine and method for production of said blade |
The invention relates to a blade for a turbine engine with a base body, made from a titanium alloy, with a first and a second component piece, which are connected in the connection region by means of a bonding process. A groove with a groove wall runs through the connection region, to prevent local concentration of tension, such that the above borders directly on the second component piece and forms therewith a connection angle greater than 70 degrees. |
1. A blade or vane of a turbomachine having a blade or vane profile made from a titanium alloy, comprising: a first shell-like titanium alloy component piece delimited by a first contact surface and a second shell-like titanium alloy component piece delimited by a second contact surface, the first piece bonded to the second piece by a high-pressure and high-temperature join, to form a joining region between the first and second component pieces; a groove that runs in a longitudinal direction of the blade or vane and is arranged at the joining region between a first inner side of the first component piece and the first contact surface, such that the groove on one side of the first component piece adjoins the first contact surface and on the other side of the second component piece adjoins the first inner side, and only the first contact surface is bonded to the second component piece; and a joining angle of greater than 70° formed between the groove and the first and second contact surfaces. 2. The blade or vane as claimed in claim 1, wherein an opposite groove with an opposite groove wall, which lies longitudinally opposite the groove and runs in the longitudinal direction of the blade or vane, is arranged at the joining region between the second inner side of the second component piece and the second contact surface such a that the opposite groove wall and the groove wall adjoin one another flush at the joining region and form a joining angle of more than 120°. 3. The blade or vane as claimed in claim 2, wherein the joining angle is more than 150°. 4. The blade or vane as claimed in of claims 1, wherein the titanium alloy is titanium aluminide. 5. The blade or vane as claimed in claims 1, wherein the groove runs along the entire joining region. 6. The blade or vane as claimed in claim 5, wherein the groove has a groove depth which varies along the groove direction. 7. The blade or vane as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first component piece and the second component piece, in the joining region, form a common wall thickness which varies along the joining region, the groove depth becoming deeper as the wall thickness increases. 8. The blade or vane as claimed in claim 7, wherein the groove is oval or semicircular in cross section. 9. The blade or vane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first component piece forms a suction side of the blade or vane and the second component piece, respectively, forms a pressure side of the blade or vane. 10. The blade or vane 3 as claimed in claims 1, wherein the blade or vane is used in a final stage of a gas turbine. 11. The blade or vane as claimed in claims 1, wherein the blade or vane length is greater than 60 cm. 12. A process for producing a blade or vane of a turbomachine having a blade or vane profile made from a titanium alloy, comprising: forming a joining region from a first shell-like titanium alloy component piece and a second shell-like titanium alloy component piece, the component pieces each being delimited by contact surfaces are bonded to one another by a high-pressure and high-temperature join; forming such that a cavity surrounded by an inner sides of the first component pieces and an inner side of the second component piece and located between the component pieces; arranging a groove running in the longitudinal direction of the blade or vane in the joining region between the first inner side of the first shell-like component piece and the contact surface of the first component piece; and bonding the groove such that on one side of the groove adjoins the first contact surface of the first component piece and on the other side of the groove adjoins the first inner side of the first component piece, and wherein only the first contact surface is bonded to the second component piece, and in that the groove wall has a joining angle of greater than 70° with the contact surface. 13. A turbomachine blade made from a titanium alloy, comprising: a first titanium based component piece having a first leading edge, a first trailing edge, a first inner surface, a first outer surface, a first leading edge contact face extending between the first inner and first outer surfaces towards the leading edge, a first trailing edge contact face extending between the first inner and first outer surfaces towards the trailing edge, a first leading edge arc defined by a first end point located along the first leading edge contact face and a second end point located along the first inner surface, and a first trailing edge arc defined by a first end point located along the first trailing edge contact face and a second endpoint located along the first inner surface; a second titanium based component piece having a second leading edge, a second trailing edge, a second inner surface, a second outer surface, a second leading edge contact face extending between the second inner and second outer surfaces towards the leading edge, a second trailing edge contact face extending between the second inner and second outer surfaces towards the trailing edge, a second leading edge arc defined by a first end point located along the second leading contact face and a second end point located along the second inner surface, and a second trailing edge arc defined by a first end point located along the second trailing edge contact face and a second endpoint located along the second inner surface; a leading edge bond adapted to adhere the first leading edge contact face with the second leading edge contact face such that at least a portion of the first leading edge arc and at least a portion of the second leading edge arc form a continuous arc; and a trailing edge bond adapted to adhere the first trailing edge contact face with the second trailing edge contact face such that at least a portion of the first trailing edge arc and at least a portion of the second trailing edge arc region form a continuous arc. 14. The blade as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first leading edge arc, the second leading edge arc, the first trailing edge arc, and the second trailing edge arc, each have a radius of curvature that is not constant. 15. The blade as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first leading edge arc, the second leading edge arc, the first trailing edge arc, and the second trailing edge arc, each have an arc that is concave. 16. The blade as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first leading edge arc, the second leading edge arc, the first trailing edge arc, and the second trailing edge arc, each have an arc that forms a semicircle. 17. The blade as claimed in claim 13, wherein the continuous arc formed by the first leading edge arc and the second leading edge arc, and the continuous arc formed by the first trailing edge arc and the second trailing edge arc, each have a plurality of radii of curvature. 18. The blade as claimed in claim 17, wherein the continuous arc formed by the first leading edge arc and the second leading edge arc, and the continuous arc formed by the first trailing edge arc and the second trailing edge arc, each have a radius of curvature that forms an ellipse. 19. The blade as claimed in claim 13, wherein a hollow region is formed between the first inner surface and the second inner surface. 20. The blade as claimed in claim 19, wherein the continuous arc formed by the first leading edge arc, the second leading edge arc, the first trailing edge arc, and the second trailing edge arc, each are located on a periphery of the hollow region. 21. The blade as claimed in claim 13, wherein the blade has a length greater than 60 centimeters. 22. The blade as claimed in claim 13, wherein a joining angle formed between the first leading edge arc and the second leading edge arc, and the joining angle formed between the first trailing edge arc and the second trailing edge arc, is greater than 70°. 23. The blade as claimed in claim 13, wherein the entire length of the first leading edge arc is arcuate, the entire length of the first trailing edge arc is arcuate, the entire length of the first trailing edge arc is arcuate, and the entire length of the first trailing edge arc is arcuate. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF INVENTION <EOH>A rotor blade of a compressor made from a titanium alloy is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,662. Blades and vanes which are based on titanium offer the advantage of a considerable weight saving compared, for example, to blades or vanes made from steel. However, titanium alloys are almost impossible to cast. A forged blade or vane cannot be of hollow design, which means that the weight saving is wiped out again. One possible way of producing a blade or vane of this type is to bond together two halves. In this case, the halves are joined to one another at a high pressure and a high temperature. Then, the blade or vane is twisted. To maintain its shape, a gas is fed to the hollow interior of the blade or vane under a high pressure. The way in which a gas feed line is introduced into the blade or vane root of a titanium blade or vane forms the subject matter of U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,829. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,593 reveals a titanium turbine blade or vane produced from two halves by means of a diffusion bonding process. Opposite grooves running in the longitudinal extent of the blades or vanes are provided in the region of the leading edge and trailing edge on the contact surfaces of the two halves which are in contact with one another. During the bonding process, the cavities formed by the grooves serve as a yielding space for the excess material which would otherwise lead to buckling at the flow surface of the turbine blades or vanes. |
<SOH> SUMMARY OF INVENTION <EOH>The invention is based on the object of providing a blade or vane of a turbomachine in which the strength of a bonded joining region is improved. Furthermore, it is intended to provide a particularly suitable process for producing a blade or vane of this type. In terms of the blade or vane, according to the invention the object is achieved by the features of claim 1 . For this purpose, the blade or vane has a blade or vane profile made from a titanium alloy with a first shell-like component piece and a second shell-like component piece, the component pieces each being delimited by contact surfaces which are bonded to one another by means of a high-pressure and high-temperature join, so as to form a joining region, such that a cavity, which is surrounded by the inner sides of the component pieces is formed between the component pieces, wherein a groove is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the blade or vane, at the joining region between the first inner side of the first shell-like component piece and the first contact surface, wherein the groove on one side adjoins the first contact surface of the first component piece and on the other side adjoins the first inner side of the first component piece, and wherein only the first contact surface is bonded to the second component piece, and the wall of the groove forms a joining angle of greater than 70 degrees with the contact surfaces. The invention consequently provides a blade or vane in which there is no join between the first inner side and the second component piece, i.e. the first inner side is not bonded to the second component piece. If this is not the case, i.e. if the first inner side is also bonded to the second component piece, the effect which is deliberately produced by the invention, namely a reduction in the material stresses in the joining region, is cancelled out. Therefore, a join there would have adverse effects and the join would not withstand the loads which occur. The invention is based on the discovery that the join using a bonding process can lead to strength problems in a blade or vane when acute angles are involved. Particularly when bonding a blade or vane comprising two halves which are joined to one another at the leading edge and at the trailing edge, acute angles of this nature are produced. This locally leads to very high concentrations of stresses, which can cause the join to tear open. The groove arranged in the joining region alters the acute angle at which the first and second component pieces would normally meet to a value of greater than 70 degrees. As a result, the local concentration of stresses in the joining region is reduced to such an extent that there is no longer any risk of the join between the first and second component pieces tearing open. In a further advantageous configuration, an opposite groove with an opposite-groove wall, lying opposite the groove and running in the longitudinal direction of the blade or vane, runs at the joining region between the inner side of the second component piece and the second contact surface, in such a manner that the opposite-groove wall and the groove wall adjoin one another flush at the joining region and form the joining angle. In this configuration, the joining angle can in a simple way be increased even to over 90 degrees. The joining angle may amount to more than 120 degrees, in particular more than 150 degrees. A joining angle of approximately 180 degrees, with the groove wall and the opposite-groove wall being oriented at right angles to the surface of the first and second component pieces directly at the edges of the grooves, is particularly advantageous. The titanium alloy preferably comprises titanium aluminide. Titanium aluminide has particularly favorable properties in terms of its ability to with-stand high temperatures. However, with titanium aluminide there is likewise a need for bonding during production of the blade or vane. The improvement in the joining strength in the bonding region produced by the groove means that titanium aluminide will now be available even for applications with high strength demands. In an advantageous configuration, the groove runs along the entire joining region. Although it is conceivable for the groove to be formed partially in, for example, regions which are subject to particularly high mechanical loads, and also for a plurality of grooves to be provided, in manufacturing technology terms it is particularly simple to provide a single groove which extends along the entire joining region. The groove expediently has a groove depth which varies along the groove direction. In this case, the first component piece and the second component piece, in the joining region, form a common wall thickness which varies along the joining region, with the groove depth becoming deeper as the wall thickness increases. In this configuration, the size of the groove is matched to the wall thickness. With a greater wall thickness, the local distribution of stresses in the joining region makes it necessary for the groove to be designed to be deeper, in order to produce a sufficient shift in the forces which are active in the joining region toward angles of greater than 70 degrees. In this case, the groove depth should vary continuously with the wall thickness. If the groove is oval or semicircular in cross section, it expediently forms an annular groove together with an opposite groove which is likewise semicircular. The diameter of this annular groove varies according to the wall thickness in the joining region. The diameter increases as the wall thicknesses become greater. The first or second component piece may form the suction side, and in this case the second or first component piece, respectively, then forms the pressure side. The blade or vane is designed in particular for a final stage of a gas turbine, as a gas turbine rotor blade. There are particularly high demands on the ability of a gas turbine blade or vane to withstand high temperatures. The gas turbine blade or vane in this case particularly preferably is more than 60 cm long. Such large blades or vanes lead to very high centrifugal force loads. A weight saving is particularly advantageous especially in such applications, and it is therefore especially advantageous to use a titanium alloy for the base body. Once again, however, the particularly high mechanical loads mean that a conventional bonding process is not sufficient to reliably join component pieces to one another. Only by forming the groove running in the joining region does it become possible to produce the join with sufficient reliability. With regard to the method, the object is achieved, according to the invention, by the features of claim 12 . In this method, a first shell-like component piece and a second shell-like component piece of a blade or vane profile made from a titanium alloy which comprises a first shell-like component piece, with the component pieces in each case being delimited by contact surfaces, which are bonded to one another by a high-pressure and high-temperature join so as to form a joining region, so that a cavity is formed between the component pieces, this cavity being surrounded by the inner sides of the component pieces, wherein prior to the bonding a groove, which runs in the longitudinal direction of the blade or vane and the groove wall of which forms a joining angle of greater than 70 degrees with the contact surface, is introduced in at least one component piece in the joining region between the inner side of the component piece and the contact surface. |
Antigen binding domains |
A process for the production of an antigen specific antigen binding domain using a transformed host containing an expressible DNA sequence encoding the antigen specific antigen binding domain, wherein the antigen specific antigen binding domain is derived from a variable region of the immunoglobulin isotype NAR found in fish. |
1. A process for the production of an antigen specific antigen binding domain using a transformed host containing an expressible DNA sequence encoding the antigen specific antigen binding domain, wherein the antigen specific antigen binding domain is derived from a variable region of the immunoglobulin isotype NAR found in a species of Elasmobranchii subclass. 2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the transformed host is a prokaryote or a lower eukaryote. 3. A process according to claim 2 wherein the prokaryote host is Escherichia coli. 4. A process according to claim 1 wherein the expressible DNA sequence is in the form of a phagemid vector. 5. A process according to claim 1 wherein the species of Elasmobranchii subclass is a shark or a dog fish. 6. A process according to claim 5 wherein the shark is a nurse shark. 7. A process according to claim 1 wherein the antigen specific antigen binding domain has a specific specificity. 8. A process according to claim 1 wherein the antigen specific antigen binding domain is monoclonal. 9. A process according to claim 7 wherein the specificity of the antigen specific antigen binding domain is determined by an antigen which is introduced into the chosen fish. 10. A process for the production of an antigen specific antigen binding domain comprising the steps of: a) immunising a member of the Elasmobranchii subclass with an antigen; b) isolating lymphocytes from the member; c) isolating RNA from the lymphocytes; d) amplifying DNA sequences encoding the antigen specific antigen binding domain by PCR; e) cloning the amplified DNA into a display vector; f) transforming a host to produce a library; g) selecting the desired clones from the library; h) isolating and purifying the antigen specific antigen binding domain from these clones; i) cloning the DNA sequences encoding the antigen specific antigen binding domain into an expression vector; j) transforming a host to allow expression of the expression vector. 11. A process according to claim 10 wherein before step d) the cDNA of the antigen specific antigen binding domain is generated. 12. A process according to claim 10 wherein restriction enzymes are used to digest the amplified DNA sequences encoding the antigen specific antigen binding domain. 13. A process according to claim 12 wherein the restriction enzymes are NcoI and NotI. 14. A process according to claim 10 wherein the display vector is any phagemid vector. 15. A process according to claim 14 wherein the display vector is pHEN2. 16. A process according to claim 10 wherein the expression vector is a soluble expression vector. 17. A process according to claim 16 wherein the soluble expression vector is pIMS100. 18. An antigen specific antigen binding domain produced by the process in claim 1. 19. A composition for the inhibition of protein activity comprising antigen specific antigen binding domains derived from a variable region of the immunoglobulin isotype NAR found in a species of Elasmobranchii subclass. 20. A composition according to claim 19, wherein the antigen specific antigen binding domain is produced by the process in claim 1. 21. A composition according to claim 19 whereby inhibition of protein activity is in a concentration dependent manner. 22. A composition according to claim 19, contained in a pharmaceutical carrier or diluent therefor. 23. An antigen specific antigen binding domain produced from a variable region of NAR. |
Image detecting apparatus, image detecting method, and image detecting program |
An image detecting apparatus has an edit function with good operability and compatibility. When a chapter mark key on a remote control is pressed while an image reproducing system including an MPEG video decoder, a video signal post-processing circuit, a combining circuit, and an NTSC encoder is reproducing image data recorded on a recording medium, a CPU obtains information for identifying the image being reproduced and displayed, and then records the information on the recording medium. With reference to the image provided with a chapter mark, a still image generating circuit displays reduced still images, for example, so that a target image can be specified. Reproduction and editing can be performed with reference to the specified image. |
1. An image detecting apparatus, comprising: extracting means for extracting one or more frame images from a plurality of frame images forming a moving image; display controlling means for controlling the display of a group of frame images consisting of said extracted frame image and a predetermined number of frame images temporally preceding and succeeding said extracted frame image; and specifying means for selecting and specifying a desired frame image from among said group of frame images. 2. An image detecting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of frame images in said group of frame images is proportional to a display speed of said moving image. 3. An image detecting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid extracting means extracts said one or more frame images on the basis of a predetermined pattern. 4. An image detecting apparatus as claimed in claim 3, whereinsaid pattern corresponds to positional information of a frame image specified previously by said specifying means. 5. An image detecting apparatus, comprising: first extracting means for extracting a predetermined number of frame images from among a plurality of frame images forming a moving image; first display controlling means for controlling the display of a predetermined number of moving images and said predetermined number of frame images as initial images; first specifying means for selecting and specifying a desired moving image from among said predetermined number of moving images; second extracting means for extracting an arbitrary frame image from said desired moving image; second display controlling means for controlling the display of a group of frame images consisting of said arbitrary frame image and a predetermined number of frame images temporally preceding and succeeding said arbitrary frame image; and second specifying means for selecting and specifying a desired frame image from among said group of frame images. 6. An image detecting apparatus claimed in claim 5, wherein said predetermined number of frame images is proportional to a display speed of said predetermined number of moving images. 7. An image detecting apparatus as claimed in claim 5, whereinsaid first display controlling means effects control such that at least one of said predetermined number of moving images is displayed at a different display speed than a remainder of said predetermined number of moving images. 8. An image detecting apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second display controlling means controls the display of said group of frame imageswhen a position of said arbitrary frame image coincides with a position of a frame image forming at least one moving image of said predetermined number of moving images. 9. An image detecting apparatus as claimed in claim 5, whereinsaid first extracting means extracts said predetermined number of frame images on the basis of a predetermined pattern. 10. An image detecting apparatus as claimed in claim 9, whereinsaid pattern corresponds to positional information of a frame image specified previously by said second specifying means. 11. An image detecting method, comprising: extracting one or more frame images from a plurality of frame images forming a moving image; controlling the display of a group of frame images consisting of the extracted frame image and a predetermined number of frame images temporally preceding and succeeding the extracted frame image; and selecting and specifying a desired frame image from among the group of frame images. 12. An image detecting method as claimed in claim 11, wherein a number of frame images in the group of frame images is proportional to a display speed of the moving image. 13. An image detecting method as claimed in claim 11, whereinsaid extracting step includes extracting the one or more frame images on the basis of a predetermined pattern. 14. An image detecting method as claimed in claim 13, whereinthe pattern corresponds to positional information of a frame image specified previously in said selecting and specifying step. 15. An image detecting method, comprising: extracting a predetermined number of frame images from among a plurality of frame images forming a moving image; controlling the display of a predetermined number of moving images and the predetermined number of frame images as initial images; selecting and specifying a desired moving image from among the predetermined number of moving images; extracting an arbitrary frame image from the desired moving image; controlling the display of a group of frame images consisting of the arbitrary frame image and a predetermined number of frame images temporally preceding and succeeding the arbitrary frame image; and selecting and specifying a desired frame image from among the group offrame images. 16. An image detecting method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the predetermined number of frame images is proportional to a display speed of the predetermined number of moving images. 17. An image detecting method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the display of the predetermined number of moving images is controlledsuch that at least one of the predetermined number of moving images is displayed at a different display speed than a remainder of the predetermined number of moving images. 18. An image detecting method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the group of frame images is displayed when a position of the arbitrary frame image coincides with a position of a frame image forming at least one moving image of the predetermined number of moving images. 19. An image detecting method as claimed in claim 15, whereinsaid step of extracting the predetermined number of frame images includes extracting the predetermined number of frame images on the basis of a predetermined pattern. 20. An image detecting method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the pattern corresponds to positional information of a frame image specified previously in said step of specifying and selecting said desired frame image. 21. A recording medium recorded with an image detecting program executable by a computer, said image detecting program comprising: extracting one or more frame images from a plurality of frame images forming a moving image; controlling the display of a group of frame images consisting of the extracted frame image and a predetermined number of frame images temporally preceding and succeeding the extracted frame image; and receiving a selection and specification of a desired frame image from among the group of frame images. 22. A recording medium as claimed in claim 21, wherein a number of frame images in the group of frame images is proportional to a display speed of the moving image. 23. A recording medium as claimed in claim 21, wherein said extracting step includes extracting the one or more frame images on the basis of a predetermined pattern. 24. A recording medium as claimed in claim 23, whereinthe pattern corresponds to positional information of a frame image specified previously in said receiving step. 25. A recording medium recorded with an image detecting program executable by a computer, said image detecting program comprising: extracting a predetermined number of frame images from among a plurality of frame images forming a moving image; controlling the display of a predetermined number of moving images and the predetermined number of frame images as initial images; receiving a selection and specification of a desired moving image from among the predetermined number of moving images; extracting an arbitrary frame image from the desired moving image; controlling the display of a group of frame images consisting of the arbitrary frame image and a predetermined number of frame images temporally preceding and succeeding the arbitrary frame image; and receiving a selection and specification of a desired frame image from among the group of frame images. 26. A recording medium as claimed in claim 25, wherein the predetermined number of frame images is proportional to a display speed of the predetermined number of moving images. 27. A recording medium as claimed in claim 25, wherein the display of the predetermined number of moving images is controlled such that at least one of the predetermined number of moving images is displayed at a different display speed than a remainder of the predetermined number of moving images. 28. A recording medium as claimed in claim 25, wherein the group of frame image is displayed when a position of the arbitrary frame image coincides with a position of a frame image forming at least one moving image of the predetermined number of moving images. 29. A recording medium as claimed in claim 25, whereinsaid step of extracting the predetermined number of frame images includes extracting the predetermined number of frame images on the basis of a predetermined pattern. 30. A recording medium as claimed in claim 29, wherein thepattern corresponds to positional information of a frame image specified previously in said step of receiving the selection and specification of the desired frame image. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention relates to an image detecting apparatus included in a digital recorder, for example, for detecting a target image from image information recorded on a recording medium, an image detecting method and an image detecting program applied to the image detecting apparatus. Some existing digital recorders for home use include an edit function. When a digital recorder for home use including an edit function performs an editing operation, such as deleting an unnecessary scene or extracting only a necessary scene from a recorded television program, for example, the editing operation is performed by changing the digital recorder to an edit mode. Specifically, a user of the digital recorder for home use first changes the digital recorder to the edit mode, and then reproduces the recorded television program to be edited. While checking the reproduced image, the user searches for an edit point of a target scene by operating a “reproducing key,” a “fast forward key,” a “fast reverse key,” a “stop key,” a “pause key,” and the like provided on a remote control of the digital recorder . Then, a desired editing operation is performed by operating editing operation keys such as a “chapter division key,” a “start point specifying key,” an “end point specifying key,” a “deleting key,” an “extracting key,” and the like provided on the same remote control. Incidentally, when the user is to specify an edit point as accurately as possible, the user searches for a frame image considered most appropriate as the edit point by making full use of a “slow reproduction key” and a “frame advance key.” Incidentally, by enabling operation of the editing operation keys used only at a time of editing, such as the “chapter division key,” the “start point specifying key,” the “end point specifying key,” the “deleting key,” the “extracting key,” and the like, after changing to the edit mode, erroneous operation of these editing operation keys can be prevented. In editing recorded data as described above by the conventional digital recorder for home use having an edit function as described above, since the remote control receiving instruction inputs from the user is provided with many operating keys, the user may have to check the positions of the operating keys on the remote control at hand frequently. Therefore, the user may miss a scene in which a target edit point is present while checking the positions of the operating keys on the remote control, or the user may erroneously operate the remote control while checking the reproduced image. In addition, when searching for an edit point, the user cannot specify an image in a specifiable unit, for example, a frame unit. Therefore, a target edit point cannot be specified accurately and easily, so that trouble and time may be required before specifying the target edit point. Furthermore, while editing operations on the recorded data are enabled after changing to the edit mode, as described above, some users may not know the operation for changing to the edit mode and thus take time before editing the recorded data. Further, with the increase in capacity of recording media, the recording time during which moving images recordable on recording media are recorded is also increased. When setting an edit point in a program recorded for a long time, for example, it takes a considerable time to find the edit point by reproducing the program from the start. Even if the program is reproduced from the middle, a skipped portion may include a desired edit point, so that the appropriate edit point may not be detected. Thus, there is a desire for a means to enable a target scene to be detected quickly and accurately from image information having a long reproduction time reaching several hours. In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above problems, realize an image detecting apparatus with good operability and compatibility that makes it possible to quickly and accurately detect target image information from recorded image information, and provide an image detecting method and an image detecting program for use in the image detecting apparatus. |
<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In order to solve the above problems, there is provided an image detecting apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , the image detecting apparatus including: extracting means for extracting one or more frame images from a plurality of frame images forming a moving image; display controlling means for controlling display of the frame image extracted and a predetermined number of frame images temporally preceding and succeeding the frame image; and specifying means for selecting and specifying a desired frame image from the plurality of frame images whose display is controlled by the display controlling means. With the image detecting apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , the extracting means extracts a frame image specified by a user, for example, from a plurality of frame images forming a moving image, and the display controlling means controls display such that the extracted frame image and a predetermined number of frame images preceding and succeeding the frame image are displayed simultaneously. The specifying means then specifies a target frame image from the plurality of frame images displayed by the display controlling means. Thus, edit points such as a start point and an end point of a target scene and the like can be detected quickly, accurately, and easily from the plurality of frame images forming the moving image. Further, there is provided an image detecting apparatus according to an invention as set forth in claim 5 , the image detecting apparatus including: first extracting means for extracting a predetermined number of frame images from a plurality of frame images forming a moving image; first display controlling means for controlling display of a predetermined number of moving images with the predetermined number of frame images extracted by the first extracting means as initial images; first specifying means for selecting and specifying a desired moving image from the predetermined number of moving images whose display is controlled by the first display controlling means; second extracting means for extracting an arbitrary frame image from the moving image specified by the first specifying means; second display controlling means for controlling display of the frame image extracted by the second extracting means and a predetermined number of frame images temporally preceding and succeeding the frame image; and second specifying means for selecting and specifying a desired frame image from the frame images whose display is controlled by the second display controlling means. With the image detecting apparatus as set forth in claim 5 , the first extracting means extracts frame images specified by a user, for example, from a plurality of frame images forming a moving image, and the first display controlling means controls display such that a predetermined number of moving images are displayed simultaneously with the extracted frame images as initial images. The first specifying means then specifies a desired moving image from the plurality of moving images displayed by the first display controlling means. The second extracting means thereafter extracts an arbitrary frame image from the specified moving image. The second display controlling means displays the frame image extracted by the second extracting means and frame images preceding and succeeding the frame image. Of the displayed images, a desired frame image can be specified via the second specifying means. Thus, edit points such as a start point and an end point of a target scene and the like can be detected quickly, accurately, and easily from the plurality of frame images forming the moving image. |
Balloon occlusion device |
The invention relates to a balloon occlusion device that comprises a cannula (1) and an occlusion device (3) to which a dialation liquid is fed. A core base (6) is disposed in the interior of the cannula (1) and reduces the volume in the interior of the cannula (1) and the mechanical flexibility of the cannula (1), thereby requiring less dilatation liquid and making the device easier to handle. |
1. A balloon occlusion device comprising: a. a flexible cannula having through holes at a distal end thereof; b. an occlusion device attached at the distal end of the cannula in an area of the through holes; c. a connecting means for a supply means for supplying a dilation liquid which can be supplied via the cannula and the through holes into the inside of the occlusion device; and d. a core body arranged inside the cannula, the core body being constructed and arranged on the one hand to reduce a volume inside the cannula and on the other hand to reduce mechanical flexibility of the cannula. 2. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, wherein the core body essentially extends along the entire length of the cannula. 3. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, wherein the core body has a circular, rectangular, square, polygonal or cross-shaped cross-section. 4. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, wherein the core body occupies at least 50% of the cross-sectional area of the cannula. 5. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, wherein the core body is fixed at the distal end of the cannula. 6. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing means that is provided at a distal end of the core body. 7. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 6, wherein the fixing means is configured as a fixing ring and wherein the core body includes a groove in which the fixing ring is arranged. 8. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 6, wherein the fixing means seals the cannula at the distal end of the cannula. 9. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, wherein the core body includes at least one core body lumen. 10. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 9, wherein the core body has connecting openings between the core body lumen and at least one of the cannula lumen and the through holes of the cannula. 11. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, wherein the core body is configured so as to be solid. 12. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, wherein the core body is configured as a fibre bundle. 13. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, wherein the core body is made of a porous material. 14. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, wherein the core body is made of a formable material, which can resume its initial shape. 15. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, further comprising a sealing means that is provided at the distal end of the cannula. 16. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 15, wherein the sealing means includes a stopper arranged in the distal end of the cannula. 17. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 15, wherein the core body includes a sealing area at a distal end thereof. 18. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 17, wherein the sealing area of the core body adheres to the cannula. 19. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 17, wherein the core body includes a section which protrudes from the distal end of the cannula. 20. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 19, wherein the section of the core body is pointed in a bevelled manner or rounded. 21. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 19, wherein the core body includes a wall element on the section, the wall element extending on the outside of the cannula from the distal end thereof in the direction of the proximal end of the cannula. 22. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 21, wherein the wall element of the core body is constructed and arranged to surround the core body. 23. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 21, wherein the wall element of the core body includes a rounded area facing the proximal end. 24. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 21, further comprising a fixing ring provided at the distal end of the core body, wherein the wall element extends into an area proximate the fixing ring. 25. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, wherein the core body includes markings configured and arranged to facilitate positioning of the cannula. 26. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor means for physiological parameters, the at least one sensor means being provided in or on the core body. 27. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 25, further comprising connector cables for the at least one sensor means, the connector cables being provided in or on the core body. 28. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, wherein the occlusion device includes a flexible balloon. 29. The balloon occlusion device according to claim 1, further comprising a safety valve that is provided at a proximal end of the cannula, the safety valve being constructed and arranged to prevent pressure inside the cannula from increasing to above a predetermined limiting pressure. |
Pusher-type display system |
A display device has a spring-biased pusher (20) carried on an elongate track (24). A sample carrier may be located at a front end of the track. A number of such tracks and pushers may be arrayed side-by-side with one or more pitch(es) corresponding to the products (500) being displayed in a number of columns or lanes (510-A-510-N) associated with each track and pusher. The sample carrier may include a principal portion (220) unitarily formed with the track and one or more additional portions (250;272) securable thereto to retain the sample (236). |
1. A display device comprising: an elongate track extending from back to front ends; a pusher carried on the track for reciprocal sliding movement between rearward and forward positions; a spring biasing the pusher forward; and a sample carrier at the track front end. 2. A combination of a plurality of devices of claim 1 wherein: each such device is positioned in a side-by-side array on an upper surface of a common shelf; and there are a plurality of product-carrying lanes, each lane associated with one said pusher so that the pusher presses forward on a column of products in such lane to bias such column against a stop surface proximate the sample carrier. 3. The combination of claim 2 further comprising an end member at the extreme first end of the array and cooperating with the adjacent device to define the extreme first end lane. 4. The device of claim 1 wherein the spring is a negator spring. 5. The device of claim 4 wherein an outer end of the spring is secured to a forward portion of the track and a coiling portion is carried by the pusher. 6. The device of claim 1 wherein the carrier includes: a base, unitarily formed with at least a major portion of the track; a cover having first surfaces positioned to engage with mating surfaces of the base when installed thereon; and a sample-holding insert installable to the cover via a sliding translation prior to installation of the cover to the base but not nondestructively removable while the cover is in an installed condition. 7. The device of claim 6 wherein the insert carries a sample of hair or a hair simulant. 8. The device of claim 7 wherein the sample is permanently adhered to the insert. 9. The device of claim 8 wherein: the cover comprises a single piece of molded plastic; the insert comprises a single piece of molded plastic; the cover is at least for a partial area transparent; and the track member has a plurality of predefined relieved areas permitting predetermined rearward portions of the track to be broken off to shorten the track to accommodate a shelf having a particular depth onto which the track is placed. 10. The device of claim 1 including said sample and wherein the carrier comprises: a base portion unitarily molded with a portion of the track; and means for mounting the sample to the base portion. 11. A device comprising: a hair or hair stimulant sample; and a molded sample holder to which the sample is secured having: means for slidably guiding insertion of the sample holder into a mating cover member. 12. A display device comprising: an elongate track extending from back to front ends; a pusher carried on the track for reciprocal sliding movement between rearward and forward positions; a first spring biasing the pusher forward; and a second spring biasing the pusher rearward in at least a first condition. 13. The device of claim 12 wherein the second spring is nondestructively disengageable by a user to place the display in a second condition wherein the second spring does not bias the pusher rearward. 14. The device of claim 12 wherein: the first and second springs are negator springs, each having a coiling portion carried by the pusher and a distal end portion secured to the track. 15. The device of claim 12 wherein: the first spring exerts a bias force of between 120% and 300% of a bias force exerted by the second spring at least along a majority of a distance between said rearward and forward positions. 16. A display device comprising: an elongate track member extending from back to front ends; a pusher carried on the track for reciprocal sliding movement between rearward and forward positions; and a first spring biasing the pusher forwardly, wherein the pusher has first and second conditions presenting relatively narrow and wide contact spans for articles being displayed. 17. The device of claim 16 wherein said pusher has a face plate portion rotatable between first and seconds orientations about a front-to-back axis in said first and second conditions, respectively, to present said relatively narrow and wide contact spans. 18. A display device comprising: an elongate track member extending from back to front ends; a pusher carried on the track for reciprocal sliding movement between rearward and forward positions; a first spring biasing the pusher forwardly; and a mounting element having depending mounting prongs for engaging mounting holes of a shelf supporting the device and held relative to the track for transverse movement governed by a detent mechanism. 19. The device of claim 18 wherein: said mounting element comprises a single molded piece with said prongs depending from an underside of a body plate; and said detent mechanism comprises a plurality of transversely arrayed detents on an upper surface of said body plate and a flexible catch engaged thereto. 20. The device of claim 18 wherein said detent mechanism has a detent pitch of 0.125 inch (3.2 mm) or less. 21. The device of claim 18 in combination with a support shelf, the mounting holes of which are at a first pitch and wherein said detent mechanism has a detent pitch less than the first pitch. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>(1) Field of the Invention This invention relates to display systems, and more particularly to pusher-type shelf displays. (2) Description of the Related Art Myriad pusher-type shelf displays exist. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,201 (the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein) shows an exemplary system. In many such systems, a plurality of pushers are respectively slidingly mounted on tracks for longitudinal reciprocation and spring urged into a forward position such as by a negator spring. When installed in a retail environment, each pusher can drive a longitudinal column of product toward a stop member at the front of the shelf. As the leading product in the column is removed, the pusher increments the remainder one step forward. One particular field in which pusher-type displays may be utilized is the sale of hair coloring products. In such a use, each column of products may represent a different color of colorant. When used in that field, samples of colored hair may be located on the shelf, stop member, or other location near the front of the column to readily identify the contents of that column. |
<SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In one aspect, a display device has an elongate track extending from back to front ends. A pusher is carried on the track for reciprocal sliding movement between rearward and forward positions. A spring biases the pusher forward. A sample carrier is positioned at the track front end. A number of such devices may be combined. Each such device may be positioned in a side-by-side array on an upper surface of a common shelf There may be a number of product-carrying lanes, each lane associated with one of the pusher so that such pusher presses forward on a column of products in such lane so as to bias such column against a stop surface proximate the sample carrier. The combination may include an end member at the extreme first end of the array and cooperating with the adjacent device to define the extreme first end lane. The springs may be negator springs wherein an outer end of the spring is secured to a forward portion of the track and a coiling portion of the spring is carried by the pusher. The sample carrier may include a base, unitarily formed with a major portion of the track. A cover may have first surfaces positioned to engage with mating surfaces of the base when installed thereon. A sample-holding insert may be installed to the cover via a sliding translation prior to installation of the cover to the base. The insert may be formed so as to not be nondestructively removable while the cover is installed to the base. The cover may comprise a single piece of molded plastic. The insert may also comprise a single piece of molded plastic. The cover may be, at least for a partial area, transparent. The track member may have a number of predefined relieved areas permitting predetermined rear portions of the track to be broken off to shorten the track to accommodate a shelf having a particular depth onto which the track is placed. Other aspects may involve features of the sample holder. For example, the holder may have a hair (e.g., human hair) or hair stimulant (e.g., plant or artificial fiber) sample secured thereto, may have means, such as rails, for slidably guiding insertion of the sample holder into a mating environmental cover member. Another aspect involves a pusher-type display device in which an elongate track extends from back to front ends. The pusher is carried on the track for reciprocal sliding movement between rearward and forward positions. A first spring biases the pusher forward and a second spring biases the pusher rearward at least in a first condition. The second spring may be nondestructively disengaged by a user to place the display in a second condition wherein the second spring does not bias the pusher rearward. Advantageously, the first spring may exert a bias force of between 120% and 300% of a bias force exerted by the second spring at least along a majority of a distance between the rearward and forward positions. Another aspect involves a pusher which has first and second conditions respectively presenting relatively narrow and wide contact spans for articles being displayed. The pusher may have a face plate portion rotatable between first and second orientations about a front-to-back axis to present the narrow and wide contact spans in the first and second conditions. Another aspect involves the pusher display device mounting mechanism. The mechanism includes a mounting element with depending prongs for engaging mounting holes of a shelf. The mounting element is held relative to the track for transverse movement governed by a detent mechanism. The mounting element may comprise a single molded piece with the prongs depending from an underside of a body plate. The detent mechanism may include a number of transversely-arrayed detents on an upper surface of the body plate and a flexible catch on the track engaged thereto. The detent mechanism may advantageously have a detent pitch of 0.125 inch (3.2 mm) or less. Such pitch is advantageously less than a pitch of the mounting holes. The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. |
Wind energy installation |
The present invention concerns a wind power installation, in particular a wind power installation having an apparatus for the dehumidification of a gaseous medium in a substantially closed space within the wind power installation. In order to keep down the personnel and logistical expenditure for attaining proper operability of the apparatus, to simplify the structure and to permit very substantially maintenance-free operation, the apparatus includes a first air exposed element and a cooling device for cooling the first element to a temperature below the ambient temperature. |
1. A wind power installation comprising a pylon and a machine housing arranged at the top of the pylon, having a generator, optionally a transformer and a rectifier coupled to the transformer, wherein provided in the proximity of the generator or the transformer and/or the rectifier and/or in the region of the base of a pylon of the wind power installation is a device for dehumidifying the air, wherein the dehumidification device has a first air exposed element and a cooling device coupled thereto for cooling the first element to a temperature below the temperature in the proximity of the generator or the transformer and/or the rectifier and/or in the region of the base of the tower. 2. The wind power installation according to claim 1 characterised in that the dehumidification device is characterised by a first air exposed element and a cooling device coupled thereto for cooling the first element to a temperature below ambient temperature, wherein the air humidification device is arranged substantially in the interior of the wind power installation. 3. The wind power installation according to claim 1 characterised in that a second element is connected to a wall or is formed by the wall. 4. The wind power installation according to claim 3 characterised in that the cooling device is arranged between the first element and the second element and preferably connects them. 5. The wind power installation according to claim 1 characterised by a cooling device which utilises the Peltier effect. 6. The wind power installation according to claim 1 characterised in that there is provided a catch unit and/or a duct for removal of the liquid extracted from the gaseous medium. 7. The wind power installation according to claim 6 characterised in that the liquid caught with the first surface element is passed out of the space by way of a suitable device, preferably the duct. 8. The wind power installation according to claim 7 characterised in that the duct is arranged in the region, near the ground, of the space, in the base region of the pylon in the case of a wind power installation. 9. The wind power installation according to claim 6 characterised in that provided for catching the liquid extracted from the gaseous medium is a catch space in which the liquid is collected. 10. The wind power installation according to claim 1 characterised in that there are provided a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the first element and a second temperature sensor for detecting the ambient temperature, that the temperatures are preferably detected and processed by a control device, and the control device sets the temperature of the first element by variations in the cooling power of the cooling device. 11. The wind power installation according to claim 10 characterised in that the control device is controlled in such a way that the temperature of the first element is a predeterminable amount below the ambient temperature and/or does not exceed a predeterminable temperature. 12. The wind power installation comprising a pylon and a machine housing arranged at the top of the pylon for accommodating various machine assemblies of the wind power installation, characterised in that arranged in the pylon and/or the machine housing is a device according to one of the preceding claims. 13. The wind power installation according to claim 12 characterised in that the device is arranged approximately in the region of the base of the pylon of the wind power installation. 14. The wind power installation according to claim 1 characterised in that a plurality of air dehumidification devices in accordance with one of the preceding claims are arranged in the wind power installation. 15. The wind power installation according to claim 6 characterised in that in the range of approximately one to ten litres of water and per day are extracted from the air with each air dehumidification device and the total electrical power of the air humidification device is approximately in the range between 50 and 500 W. 16. A device for dehumidifying a gaseous medium, preferably air, in a substantially closed space, preferably the interior of a wind power installation, characterised by a first air exposed element and a cooling device coupled thereto for cooling the first element to a temperature below ambient temperature, and by a second element for cooling the heat which is extracted from the first element and which is preferably added into the space, and that the second element is connected to a pylon wall of a wind power installation or is formed by the pylon wall. 17. A device comprising: a generator having rotor blades attached thereto exposure to the wind to generate electric power from the wind; a pylon coupled to and supporting the generator, the pylon having an internal open space; electrical equipment that receives the electrical power generated by the generator, the electrical equipment being located inside the internal space of the pylon; a dehumidifier positioned within the. internal space of the pylon, the dehumidifier being positioned adjacent to the electrical equipment to provide ambient air around the electrical equipment that has a reduced water content below that of air external to the pylon. 18. The device according to claim 17 wherein the dehumidifer comprises: a first element positioned inside the pylon, within the internal open space; a heat transfer element coupled to the first element and removing heat from the first element; a second element coupled to the heat transfer element that receives the heat removed from the first element. 19. The device according to claim 18 wherein the heat transfer element is a Peltier element. 20. The device according to claim 18 wherein the second element includes a main wall of the pylon that supports the generator. 21. The device according to claim 17 wherein in the electrical equipment includes a rectifier. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention concerns a wind power installation, in particular a wind power installation having an apparatus for dehumidifying a gaseous medium in a substantially closed space within the wind power installation. 2. Description of the Related Art A dehumidifying apparatus operating on a chemical basis has long been known. In that known apparatus moisture is removed from the ambient air chemically and the moisture is collected in a catch container. That known apparatus however suffers from the disadvantage that the chemical has to be replaced at certain time intervals in order to maintain proper operability of the apparatus. In relation to a large number of apparatuses which are to be centrally monitored and maintained, that requires additional expenditure in terms of personnel and logistics. Dehumidifiers are also known, in which an enclosed space is cooled on the basis of the operative principle of a refrigerator by way of a compressor/evaporator unit by means of a coolant specifically provided for that purpose, in order in that way to remove moisture from the air contained in that space. With those apparatuses however the structure is complicated and expensive and in addition it is necessary for the cooling fluid to be collected separately upon disposal. |
<SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Therefore the object of the present invention is to develop a wind power installation and in particular to design a wind power installation in such a way that moisture problems within the wind power installation can be eliminated in a simple manner. That object is attained by a wind power installation having the features of claim 1 . Advantageous developments are set forth in the appendant claims. In the wind power installation according to the invention the object is attained by a first flat or air exposed element and a cooling device for cooling the element to a temperature below the ambient temperature (room temperature). At that ambient temperature a part of the moisture contained in the air condenses at the surface of the first element. That moisture is removed from the ambient air in that way and can be drained off. In order to permit maintenance-free long-term operation the cooling device is preferably a Peltier element or a group of Peltier elements which withdraw heat from the first element and thereby cool that element. The heat which is withdrawn from the first element is discharged to the ambient atmosphere again by way of a second element. In order to achieve a particularly good effect the second element can be connected to a wall delimiting the space to be dehumidified or can even be formed by that wall. The condensate water can be discharged into the open through a duct and a wall opening. In that case the wall opening can preferably be provided in the region of the ground in order to avoid traces of dripping water on outside walls. In order to prevent the condensate water from uncontrolledly dripping down within the space in the event of a blockage of the duct for draining off the condensate water, it is possible to provide a container which catches those drips. Thus the container can be emptied in the context of an inspection procedure or after signalling from a sensor suitably arranged in the container. At the same time the closure of the duct can be removed so that the condensate water is again automatically removed from the space. In a particularly preferred development of the invention there is provided a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the first element and a second temperature sensor for detecting the ambient temperature. The apparatus according. to the invention can be controlled by means of those sensors and a control device connected on the output side thereof, in such a way that the first element is always at a predeterminable temperature difference with respect to the ambient temperature. A constant dehumidification output can be achieved in that way. Advantageous embodiments are recited in the appendant claims. Room air dehumidifiers are already known from DE-U-92 10 970.5, DE 44 23 851, German patent specification No 1 189 250, EP 0 758 730 A2 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,027. The use of such room air dehumidifiers within wind power installations has hitherto not been proposed. |
Nut and method for the production thereof |
The present invention relates to a nut (1) having a nut body (10) with a widened collar (15) and a rotary disc (20) which is fitted in a rotatable and captive manner on the nut body, the rotary disc being pushed onto the nut body (10) and retained in a captive manner by an arresting means. According to the invention, it is provided that the arresting means is designed as at least two segment-like beads (26; 26′) provided on the nut body (10), such that the rotary disc (20) is fitted between the widened collar (15) and the segment-like beads (26; 26′). The invention also relates to a method of producing such a nut, in the case of which the nut body (10) and the rotary disc (20) are produced by massive forming and, before or after the rotary disc (20) has been pushed on, the segment-like beads (26, 26′) are pressed into the nut body (10) by upsetting, or that, during production of the nut body (10), the segment-like beads (26; 26 ′) are integrally formed in the nut body, with the result that the rotary disc (20) is positioned between the widened collar (15) and the segment-like beads (26; 26′). |
1. A nut (1) having a nut body (10) with a widened collar (15) and a rotary disc (20) which is fitted in a captive manner on the nut body (10), the rotary disc (20) being pushed onto the nut body (10) and retained in a captive manner by an arresting means, characterized in that the arresting means is designed as at least two segment-like beads (26, 26′) provided on the nut body (10), such that the rotary disc (20) is arranged between the widened collar (15) and the segment-like beads (26, 26′). 2. The nut as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that two segment-like beads (26, 26′) are arranged diametrically opposite one another on the nut body (10). 3. The nut as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that three or more segment-like beads (26, 26′) are distributed uniformly around the circumference of the nut body (10). 4. The nut as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the length of the segment-like beads (26) and the spacing between adjacent segment-like beads (26) in the circumferential direction are of equal dimensions. 5. The nut as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the spacings between the segment-like beads (26) are dimensioned to be smaller or greater than the length of the segment-like beads (26). 6. The nut as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the segment-like beads (26) are designed as protuberances (26′). 7. The nut as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the nut body (10) has a basic body (11) and a neck extension (17) and the rotary plate (20) is fitted on the neck extension (17). 8. The nut as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that a conical surface (18) terminates the neck extension (17). 9. The nut as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the segment-like beads (26, 26′) are formed at the transition from the conical surface (18) to the neck extension (17). 10. The nut as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that an indent (27) is pressed into the conical surface (18) and/or the neck extension (17), this indent being bounded, on its edge which is directed towards the rotary disc (20), by the segment-like beads (26). 11. The nut as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the widened collar (15), on its side which is directed toward the neck extension (17), has a conical underside (16) and the rotary disc (20), along its inner surface (22), has a conical surface region (24), which is in contact with the conical underside (16) of the widened collar (15). 12. The nut as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the rotary disc (20), along its inner surface (22), has a cylindrical (23) or slightly conical (23′) surface region which butts against the neck extension (17). 13. The nut as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the rotary disc (20) is approximately trapezoidal in cross section. 14. The nut as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the basic body (11) has a cap (12). 15. The nut as claimed in claim 1, namely a wheel nut for motor vehicles. 16. A method of producing a nut having a nut body (10) and a rotary disc (20) which is fitted in a rotatable and captive manner on the nut body (10), the nut body (10) and the rotary disc (20) being produced by massive forming and the rotary disc (20) being pushed onto the nut body (10) and retained in a captive manner by an arresting means, characterized in that, before or after the rotary disc (20) has been pushed on, at least two segment-like beads (26, 26′) are pressed into the nut body (10), or in that, during production of the nut body (10), at least two segment-like beads (26, 26′) are integrally formed in the nut body (10), with the result that the rotary disc (20) is positioned between the widened collar (15) and the segment-like beads (26, 26′). 17. The method as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that, during the pressing operation of the nut body (10), a material overhang (28) is incorporated, and this is later pressed to form the segment-like beads (26, 26′). 18. The method as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that an indent (27) is pressed into the nut body (10), this indent being bounded, on its edge which is directed toward the rotary disc (20), by the segment-like beads (26, 26′). 19. The method as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the nut body (10) has a basic body (11) and a neck extension (17) and the rotary disc (20) is fitted onto the neck extension (17). 20. The method as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that the segment-like beads (26, 26′) are formed on the neck extension (17). 21. The method as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the indent (27) is pressed into the conical surface (18) and/or the neck extension (17). 22. The method as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that the material overhang (28) is formed on the transition between the conical surfaced (8) and neck extension (17). |
Preparation of microparticles |
A method for producing microparticles of a particle-forming material comprises the steps of: a) forming a suspension of the particle-forming material; and b) spray-drying said suspension. The formation of a suspension of the particle-forming material is preferably carried out by first dissolving the particle-forming material in a solvent, and then adding to the solution so formed a non-solvent for the particle-forming material, so as to bring about precipitation of the particle-forming material. The microparticles produced in accordance with the invention may be useful in therapeutic applications or in diagnostic imaging. |
1. A method for producing microparticles of a particle-forming material, which method comprises the steps of a) forming a suspension of a particle-forming material; and b) spray-drying said suspension to form microparticles of the particle-forming material. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step a), the formation of a suspension of the particle-forming material, is carried out by first dissolving the particle-forming material in a solvent, and then adding to the solution so formed a non-solvent for the particle-forming material, so as to bring about precipitation of the particle-forming material. 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the volume of non-solvent added to the solvent is greater than the volume of the solution of the particle-forming material in the solvent. 4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the solvent/non-solvent mixture that is spray-dried in step b) comprises in excess of 60% v/v of non-solvent. 5. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the solvent is water. 6. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the non-solvent is ethanol. 7. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the solvent is an organic solvent. 8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spray-drying in step b) is carried out by spraying the suspension into a chamber containing a heated gas. 9. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: subjecting the suspension to homogenization prior to said spray-drying in step b. 10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the particle-forming material is proteinaceous. 11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the proteinaceous material is albumin. 12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the albumin is human serum albumin. 13. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein step a) is carried out by addition to a solution of the particle-forming material of a non-solvent for the particle-forming material, at a pH which is removed from the isoelectric point. 14. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suspension contains from 0.1 to 50% w/v of particle-forming material. 15. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suspension contains from 1 to 20% w/v of particle-forming material. 16. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suspension contains from 2 to 10% w/v of particle-forming material. 17. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the particle-forming material is a therapeutically active agent. 18. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the particle-forming material is a pharmaceutical excipient. 19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the pharmaceutical excipient is cholesterol. 20. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the particle-forming material is an imaging contrast enhancing agent. 21. A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the imaging contrast enhancing agent is an X-ray imaging contrast agent. 22. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the contrast agent is Iopamidol. |
Printer, printing method, program, storage medium and computer system |
A printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed includes an ink ejection section for intermittently ejecting ink while moving, wherein the printing apparatus detects a distance from the ink ejection section to the medium to be printed, and controls a timing of intermittent ejection of the ink from the ink ejection section based on the distance that has been detected. With such a printing apparatus, the timing at which ink is ejected can be controlled taking into account the distance from the ink ejection section to the medium to be printed. |
1. A printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed, comprising an ink ejection section for intermittently ejecting ink while moving, wherein said printing apparatus: detects a distance from said ink ejection section to said medium to be printed; and controls a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section based on said distance that has been detected. 2. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: when a velocity at which said ink ejection section moves is slower than a velocity serving as a reference, said ink is ejected at a timing that is delayed compared to the timing of ejection of said ink for when said ink ejection section is moving at said velocity serving as the reference. 3. A printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: the slower the velocity at which said ink ejection section moves, the more said timing at which the ink is ejected is delayed. 4. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the smaller said distance is, the more said timing at which the ink is ejected is delayed. 5. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said distance is detected based on information about a type of the medium to be printed or on information about a tray accommodating the medium to be printed. 6. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said distance is detected based on information about said medium to be printed that is input by a user. 7. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said distance is detected based on a result of a measurement of the distance to the medium to be printed. 8. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the detection of said distance is performed at a plurality of positions in a direction in which said ink ejection section moves; and said timing of ejection of said ink is controlled for each area provided in a scanning direction. 9. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: a plurality of the ink ejection sections are provided in a direction in which said medium to be printed is carried; the detection of said distance is performed at a plurality of positions in the direction in which said medium to be printed is carried; and said timing of ejection of said ink is controlled for each of said ink ejection sections. 10. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: a velocity of said ink that is ejected is detected; and said timing of ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section is controlled based on the velocity of said ink that has been detected and said distance that has been detected. 11. A printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: the velocity of said ink is detected based on an amount of said ink that is ejected. 12. A printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: the velocity of said ink is detected based on a temperature. 13. A printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: the velocity of said ink is detected based on a print mode. 14. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the faster the velocity of said ink that is ejected is, the more said timing at which the ink is ejected is delayed. 15. A printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed, comprising an ink ejection section for intermittently ejecting ink while moving, wherein said printing apparatus: detects a distance from said ink ejection section to said medium to be printed based on information about a type of said medium to be printed or on information about a tray accommodating said medium to be printed; detects a velocity of said ink that is ejected based on an amount of said ink that is ejected; controls a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section based on the velocity of said ink that has been detected and said distance that has been detected; and when a velocity at which said ink ejection section moves is slower than a velocity serving as a reference, ejects said ink at a timing that is delayed compared to the timing of ejection of said ink for when said ink ejection section is moving at said velocity serving as the reference. 16. A printing method for printing on a medium to be printed, comprising: detecting a distance from an ink ejection section to said medium to be printed; controlling a timing of intermittent ejection of ink from said ink ejection section based on said distance that has been detected; and intermittently ejecting ink from said ink ejection section as it moves. 17. A program for causing a printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed by intermittently ejecting ink from a movable ink ejection section to realize: a function of detecting a distance from said ink ejection section to said medium to be printed; and a function of controlling a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ejection section based on said distance that has been detected. 18. A storage medium comprising a memory for storing a program, wherein said program causes a printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed by intermittently ejecting ink from a movable ink ejection section to realize: a function of detecting a distance from said ink ejection section to said medium to be printed; and a function of controlling a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ejection section based on said distance that has been detected. 19. A computer system comprising: a computer; and a printing apparatus connected to said computer, wherein said printing apparatus: is a printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed by intermittently ejecting ink from a movable ink ejection section; detects a distance from said ink ejection section to said medium to be printed; and controls a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section based on said distance that has been detected. 20. A printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed, comprising an ink ejection section for ejecting ink while moving, wherein said printing apparatus: sets a maximum value of a target velocity of said ink ejection section slower than a reference velocity; moves said ink ejection section according to said target velocity; and when a timing of ejection of ink for when said ink ejection section moves at said reference velocity is regarded as a reference timing, ejects said ink at a timing that is delayed from said reference timing based on a moving velocity of said ink ejection section and said reference velocity. 21. A printing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein: said reference velocity is set based on a period at which said ink ejection section can eject ink. 22. A printing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein: said reference velocity is set based on a spacing between dots formed on said medium to be printed. 23. A printing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein: the slower the moving velocity of said ink ejection section is, the more said timing at which the ink is ejected is delayed. 24. A printing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein: the moving velocity of said ink ejection section is detected by an encoder. 25. A printing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein: control of said timing based on the moving velocity of said ink ejection section and said reference velocity is performed when said ink ejection section is moving with acceleration or deceleration. 26. A printing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein: said reference velocity is 4 to 6% faster than the maximum value of said target velocity. 27. A printing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein: ink is ejected at said reference timing when the moving velocity of said ink ejection section is faster than said reference velocity. 28. A printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed, comprising an ink ejection section for ejecting ink while moving, wherein said printing apparatus: sets a reference velocity to be 4 to 6% faster than a maximum value of a target velocity of said ink ejection section; moves said ink ejection section according to said target velocity; when a timing of ejection of ink for when said ink ejection section moves at said reference velocity is regarded as a reference timing, ejects said ink at a timing that is delayed from said reference timing based on a moving velocity of said ink ejection section and said reference velocity; sets said reference velocity based on a period at which said ink ejection section can eject ink; sets said reference velocity based on a spacing between dots formed on said medium to be printed; sets said timing at which the ink is ejected to be more delayed the slower the moving velocity of said ink ejection section is; detects the moving velocity of said ink ejection section by an encoder; controls said timing based on the moving velocity of said ink ejection section and said reference velocity when said ink ejection section is moving with acceleration or deceleration; and ejects ink at said reference timing when the moving velocity of said ink ejection section is faster than said reference velocity. 29. A printing method for printing on a medium to be printed, comprising: setting a maximum value of a target velocity of an ink ejection section slower than a reference velocity; moving said ink ejection section according to said target velocity; and when a timing of ejection of ink for when said ink ejection section moves at said reference velocity is regarded as a reference timing, ejecting said ink at a timing that is delayed from said reference timing based on a moving velocity of said ink ejection section and said reference velocity. 30. A program for causing a printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed to realize: a function of setting a maximum value of a target velocity of an ink ejection section slower than a reference velocity; a function of moving said ink ejection section according to said target velocity; and when a timing of ejection of ink for when said ink ejection section moves at said reference velocity is regarded as a reference timing, a function of ejecting said ink at a timing that is delayed from said reference timing based on a moving velocity of said ink ejection section and said predetermined velocity. 31. A storage medium comprising a memory for storing a program, wherein said program causes a printing apparatus to realize: a function of setting a maximum value of a target velocity of an ink ejection section slower than a reference velocity; a function of moving said ink ejection section according to said target velocity; and when a timing of ejection of ink for when said ink ejection section moves at said reference velocity is regarded as a reference timing, a function of ejecting said ink at a timing that is delayed from said reference timing based on a moving velocity of said ink ejection section and said predetermined velocity. 32. A computer system comprising: a computer; and a printing apparatus connected to said computer, wherein said printing apparatus: comprises an ink ejection section for ejecting ink while moving; sets a maximum value of a target velocity of said ink ejection section slower than a reference velocity; moves said ink ejection section according to said target velocity; and when a timing of ejection of ink for when said ink ejection section moves at said reference velocity is regarded as a reference timing, ejects said ink at a timing that is delayed from said reference timing based on a moving velocity of said ink ejection section and said reference velocity. 33. A printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed, comprising an ink ejection section for intermittently ejecting ink while moving, wherein said printing apparatus controls a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section according to an acceleration of said ink ejection section that moves. 34. A printing apparatus according to claim 33, further comprising a position detection section for detecting a position of said ink ejection section; and wherein a period of the timing of intermittent ejection of said ink is shorter than a period of detecting the position with said position detection section. 35. A printing apparatus according to claim 33, wherein: if said acceleration of said ink ejection section that moves is positive, then a period of the timing of intermittent ejection of said ink becomes short; and if said acceleration of said ink ejection section that moves is negative, then the period of the timing of intermittent ejection of said ink becomes long. 36. A printing apparatus according to claim 33, wherein: said printing apparatus calculates a future velocity of said ink ejection section based on said acceleration of said ink ejection section that moves; and said timing is controlled based on said velocity of said ink ejection section that has been calculated. 37. A printing apparatus according to claim 36, wherein: said printing apparatus detects a velocity of said ink ejection section; and said printing apparatus calculates said future velocity of said ink ejection section based on the velocity that has been detected. 38. A printing apparatus according to claim 36, wherein: when said velocity of said ink ejection section that has been calculated is slower than a velocity serving as a reference, said ink ejection section ejects said ink at a timing that is delayed compared to the timing of ejection of said ink for when said ink ejection section is moving at said velocity serving as the reference. 39. A printing apparatus according to claim 38, wherein: the slower the velocity at which said ink ejection section moves, the more said timing at which the ink is ejected is delayed. 40. A printing apparatus according to claim 36, wherein: said printing apparatus calculates a delay amount of ink ejection based on said velocity of said ink ejection section that has been calculated; and said ink ejection section ejects ink at a timing delayed by said delay amount from a signal that serves as a reference for the timing at which the ink is ejected. 41. A printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed, comprising: an ink ejection section for intermittently ejecting ink while moving; and a position detection section for detecting a position of said ink ejection section, wherein: said printing apparatus controls a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section according to an acceleration of said ink ejection section that moves; a period of the timing of intermittent ejection of said ink is shorter than a period of detecting the position with said position detection section; if said acceleration of said ink ejection section that moves is positive, then a period of the timing of intermittent ejection of said ink becomes short, and if said acceleration of said ink ejection section that moves is negative, then the period of the timing of intermittent ejection of said ink becomes long; said printing apparatus calculates a future velocity of said ink ejection section based on said acceleration of said ink ejection section that moves; said timing is controlled based on said velocity of said ink ejection section that has been calculated; said printing apparatus detects a velocity of said ink ejection section; said printing apparatus calculates said future velocity of said ink ejection section based on the velocity that has been detected; when said velocity of said ink ejection section that has been calculated is slower than a velocity serving as a reference, said ink ejection section ejects said ink at a timing that is delayed compared to the timing of ejection of said ink for when said ink ejection section is moving at said velocity serving as the reference; the slower the velocity at which said ink ejection section moves, the more said timing at which the ink is ejected is delayed; said printing apparatus calculates a delay amount of ink ejection based on said velocity of said ink ejection section that has been calculated; and said ink ejection section ejects ink at a timing delayed by said delay amount from a signal that serves as a reference for the timing at which the ink is ejected. 42. A printing method for printing on a medium to be printed, comprising: controlling a timing of ejection of ink from a movable ink ejection section according to an acceleration of said ink ejection section; and performing printing on a medium to be printed by intermittently ejecting ink from said movable ink ejection section. 43. A program for causing a printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed by intermittently ejecting ink from a movable ink ejection section to realize: a function of controlling a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section according to an acceleration of said movable ink ejection section. 44. A storage medium comprising a memory for storing a program, wherein said program causes a printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed by intermittently ejecting ink from a movable ink ejection section to realize: a function of controlling a timing of ejection of ink from said ink ejection section according to an acceleration of said movable ink ejection section. 45. A computer system comprising: a computer; and a printing apparatus connected to said computer, wherein said printing apparatus: performs printing on a medium to be printed by intermittently ejecting ink from a movable ink ejection section; and controls a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section according to an acceleration of said movable ink ejection section. 46. A printing apparatus comprising a signal generator for generating a signal that serves as a reference for a timing at which ink is ejected, wherein ink is ejected from an ink ejection section taking said signal as the reference, and wherein said signal is generated according to an acceleration of said ink ejection section. 47. A printing apparatus according to claim 46, wherein: said ink ejection section ejects ink at a timing that is delayed according to the acceleration of said ink ejection section, taking said signal as the reference. 48. A printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed, comprising an ink ejection section for intermittently ejecting ink while moving, wherein said printing apparatus: sequentially detects a velocity at which said ink ejection section moves; and controls a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section based on a plurality of velocities that have been detected. 49. A printing apparatus according to claim 48, wherein: said printing apparatus: calculates an average velocity based on said plurality of velocities that have been detected; and controls the timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section based on said average velocity that has been calculated. 50. A printing apparatus according to claim 49, wherein: when said average velocity that has been calculated is slower than a velocity serving as a reference, said ink is ejected at a timing that is delayed compared to the timing of ejection of said ink for when said ink ejection section is moving at said velocity serving as the reference. 51. A printing apparatus according to claim 49, wherein: the slower said average velocity that has been calculated is, the more said timing at which the ink is ejected is delayed. 52. A printing apparatus according to claim 49, wherein: a delay amount of ink ejection is calculated based on said average velocity that has been calculated; and said ink ejection section ejects ink at a timing delayed by said delay amount from a signal that serves as a reference for the timing at which the ink is ejected. 53. A printing apparatus according to claim 48, wherein: an acceleration of said ink ejection section is calculated based on said plurality of velocities that have been detected; and the timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section is controlled based on the acceleration that has been calculated. 54. A printing apparatus according to claim 48, further comprising a memory for storing said velocities that have been detected. 55. A printing apparatus according to claim 48, wherein: said velocity at which said ink ejection section moves is detected by an encoder. 56. A printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed, comprising: an ink ejection section for intermittently ejecting ink while moving; an encoder for detecting a velocity at which said ink ejection section moves; and a memory for storing velocities that are detected, wherein said printing apparatus: sequentially detects said velocity at which said ink ejection section moves; calculates an average velocity based on a plurality of velocities that have been detected; controls a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section based on said average velocity that has been calculated; when said average velocity that has been calculated is slower than a velocity serving as a reference, ejects said ink at a timing that is delayed compared to the timing of ejection of said ink for when said ink ejection section is moving at said velocity serving as the reference; sets said timing at which the ink is ejected to be more delayed the slower said average velocity that has been calculated is; calculates a delay amount of ink ejection based on said average velocity that has been calculated; makes said ink ejection section eject ink at a timing delayed by said delay amount from a signal that serves as a reference for the timing at which the ink is ejected; calculates an acceleration of said ink ejection section based on said plurality of velocities that have been detected; and controls the timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section based on the acceleration that has been calculated. 57. A printing method for printing on a medium to be printed, comprising: sequentially detecting a velocity at which an ink ejection section that intermittently ejects ink moves; and controlling a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section based on a plurality of velocities that have been detected. 58. A program for causing a printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed by intermittently ejecting ink from a movable ink ejection section to realize: a function of sequentially detecting a velocity at which said ink ejection section moves; and a function of controlling a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section based on a plurality of velocities that have been detected. 59. A storage medium comprising a memory for storing a program, wherein said program causes a printing apparatus for printing on a medium to be printed by intermittently ejecting ink from a movable ink ejection section to realize: a function of sequentially detecting a velocity at which said ink ejection section moves; and a function of controlling a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section based on a plurality of velocities that have been detected. 60. A computer system comprising: a computer; and a printing apparatus connectable to said computer system, wherein said printing apparatus: sequentially detects a velocity at which an ink ejection section that intermittently ejects ink moves; controls a timing of intermittent ejection of said ink from said ink ejection section based on a plurality of velocities that have been detected; and performs printing on a medium to be printed by intermittently ejecting ink from said ink ejection section that moves. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND ART <EOH>Inkjet printers that perform printing by intermittently ejecting ink are known as printing apparatuses for printing images onto various types of media to be printed, including paper, cloth, and film. With inkjet printers, ink is ejected as nozzles for ejecting ink are moved. For that reason, due to the law of inertia, the droplets of ink that are ejected travel from the nozzles to the medium to be printed as they move in the moving direction of the nozzles at the moving velocity of the nozzles. Consequently, the ink droplets land on the paper at positions that are shifted in the moving direction of the nozzles from the positions of the nozzles when the ink droplets are ejected. Accordingly, with conventional inkjet printers, printing is carried out taking into account the shift in landing positions based on the moving velocity of the nozzle. (1) The shift in the landing position caused by movement of the nozzles, however, is related not only to the moving velocity of the nozzles but also to the distance from the nozzles to the medium to be printed. For that reason, the amount that the landing position is shifted due to the movement of the nozzles also changes when the distance from the nozzles to the medium to be printed changes due to the thickness of the paper or curvature in the paper, for example. Accordingly, to make the ink droplets land in correct positions, it is an object of a first invention to control the timing at which ink droplets are ejected, taking into account the distance from the nozzles to the medium to be printed. (2) Also, if the timing of ink ejection were to be set at an earlier timing or a delayed timing with respect to a reference timing for ink ejection in accordance with the velocity at which the nozzles are moved, then calculations would become complicated. Furthermore, when the timing of ink ejection is at a fast timing that exceeds the performance of the head, printing can no longer be carried out accurately. Accordingly, to make the ink droplets land correctly, a second invention makes the maximum velocity of the target moving velocity slower than a predetermined reference velocity. (3) Also, a temporal lag between when the moving velocity of the nozzles is detected and the ink is ejected may result in a difference between the detected moving velocity of the nozzles and the moving velocity of the nozzles when ejecting ink. Consequently, even if variation in the landing positions is taken into account based on the detected moving velocity of the nozzles, ink does not land in correct positions when the moving velocity of the nozzles when ejecting ink is different from the detected moving velocity of the nozzles. For example, if printing is carried out when the nozzles are accelerating or decelerating, then when there is a temporal lag between when the moving velocity of the nozzles is detected and when the ink is ejected, there would be a difference between the detected moving velocity of the nozzles and the moving velocity of the nozzles when ink is ejected. Thus, the ink will not land at correct positions when the nozzles are accelerating or decelerating simply by controlling the timing at which ink is ejected based on the detected moving velocity of nozzles, as is the case with conventional inkjet printers. Accordingly, to make the ink land at correct positions, it is an object of a third invention to control the timing at which the ink droplets are ejected in accordance with the degree of acceleration of the nozzles. (4) Also, when the detected moving velocity of the nozzles includes error, then the ink will land on the medium to be printed at positions shifted from the correct positions if the shift in the position where the ink droplets land is calculated based on that moving velocity including error. In particular, when the moving velocity of the nozzles is detected based on the output of an encoder, the velocity is detected in a stepwise manner if the encoder has low resolution, and thus there is large error in the detected velocity. Moreover, if consideration to the shift in landing position of the ink droplets is given based on the detected moving velocity including large detection error, the ink will land on the medium to be printed shifted from the correct positions. Accordingly, to make the ink land in correct positions, it is an object of a fourth invention to control the timing at which the ink droplets are ejected based on the results of a plurality of detections. |
<SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS <EOH>FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the overall configuration of an inkjet printer of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram that schematically shows the carriage area of the inkjet printer of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows the carry unit area of the inkjet printer of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the linear encoder. FIG. 5A is a timing chart of the waveform of the output signal when the CR motor 42 is rotating forward, and FIG. 5B is a timing chart of the waveform of the output signal when the CR motor 42 is rotating in reverse. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of a gap sensor. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing how the distance PG is detected at a plurality of positions in the scanning direction. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing how the distance PG is detected at a plurality of positions in the paper feed direction. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the change over time of the moving velocity of the carriage. FIG. 10A to FIG. 10C are explanatory diagrams on the trajectory of ink droplets when ink is ejected from the nozzles. FIG. 11A shows the waveform of the output signal of the linear encoder 51 . FIG. 11B and FIG. 11C are explanatory diagrams showing waveforms of head drive signals. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a waveform of the head drive signal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the change over time of the target moving velocity of the carriage and the moving velocity of the carriage. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of the velocity Vc of the carriage that is used to calculate the delay amount m. FIG. 15 is the waveform of the output signal of the encoder when the carriage is moving. FIG. 16 is the waveform of the output signal of the encoder when the carriage is accelerating. FIG. 17A shows the waveform of the output signal that is anticipated in the section A to X of FIG. 16 , FIG. 17B shows the waveform of the reference signal in a case where the pulse period T0 has not been divided, and FIG. 17C shows the waveform of the reference signal in a case where the pulse period T0 has been divided into four segments. FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing the external configuration of the computer system. FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the computer system. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"? |
Nucleic and amplification methods |
Methods of amplifying a target nucleic acid whereby the target nucleic acid in a sample is highly sensitively and specifically amplified; and compositions and kits to be used in these methods. |
1. A method for amplifying a nucleic acid, the method comprising: (a) preparing a reaction mixture by mixing a nucleic acid as a template, a deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate, a DNA polymerase having a strand displacement activity, at least one chimeric oligonucleotide primer, at least one upstream block oligonucleotide and an RNase H, wherein the chimeric oligonucleotide primer is a chimeric oligonucleotide primer that is substantially complementary to the nucleotide sequence of the nucleic acid as the template and contains a ribonucleotide as well as at least one selected from the group consisting of a deoxyribonucleotide and a nucleotide analog, the ribonucleotide being positioned at the 3′ terminus or on the 3′-terminal side of the primer, and wherein the upstream block oligonucleotide is substantially complementary to a nucleotide sequence 3′ to a region in the nucleic acid as the template that is substantially complementary to the chimeric oligonucleotide primer, and the nucleotide at the 3′ terminus of the upstream block oligonucleotide is modified such that a reaction of complementary strand extension by the action of the DNA polymerase does not take place; and (b) incubating the reaction mixture for a sufficient time to generate a reaction product. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reaction mixture further contains a second chimeric oligonucleotide primer having a sequence substantially homologous to the nucleotide sequence of the nucleic acid as the template. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the reaction mixture further contains an upstream block oligonucleotide that has a sequence substantially homologous to a nucleotide sequence 5′ to a region in the nucleic acid as the template that has a sequence substantially homologous to the nucleotide sequence of the second chimeric oligonucleotide primer, and the nucleotide at the 3′ terminus of the upstream block oligonucleotide is modified such that a reaction of complementary strand extension by the action of the DNA polymerase does not take place. 4. A composition for the method for amplifying a nucleic acid defined by claim 1, which contains at least one chimeric oligonucleotide primer and at least one upstream block oligonucleotide. 5. A kit for the method for amplifying a nucleic acid defined by claim 1, which contains at least one chimeric oligonucleotide primer and at least one upstream block oligonucleotide. 6. A method for detecting a target nucleic acid, the method comprising: (a) amplifying a target nucleic acid by the method for amplifying a nucleic acid defined by claim 1; and (b) detecting a target nucleic acid amplified in the previous step. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND ART <EOH>DNA synthesis is used for various purposes in studies in a field of genetic engineering. Most of the DNA synthesis with the exception of that of a short-chain DNA (e.g., an oligonucleotide) is carried out using an enzymatic method in which a DNA polymerase is utilized. An exemplary method is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,195, 4,683,202 and 4,800,159 in detail. Another example is the reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) method, which is a combination of the PCR and a reverse transcriptase reaction, as described in Trends in Biotechnology, 10:146-152 (1992). The development of the above-mentioned methods has enabled the amplification of a region of interest from a DNA or an RNA. The above-mentioned DNA synthesis methods are conducted, for example, using a reaction that consists of three steps. The three steps are a step of dissociating (denaturing) a double-stranded DNA as a template into single-stranded DNAs, a step of annealing a primer to the single-stranded DNA and a step of synthesizing (extending) a complementary strand from the primer in order to amplify a region of a DNA of interest. Alternatively, they are conducted using a reaction designated as “the shuttle PCR” (“PCR hou saizensen” (Recent advances in PCR methodology), Tanpakushitsu Kakusan Kouso, Bessatsu, (Protein, Nucleic Acid and Enzyme, Supplement), 41(5):425-428 (1996)) in which two of the three steps, that is, the step of annealing the primer and the step of extending are carried out at the same temperature. Alternatively, the ligase chain reaction (LCR) method as described in EP 320,308 published on Jun. 14, 1989 or the transcription-based amplification system (TAS) method as described in PCR Protocols, Academic Press Inc., 1990, pp. 245-252 may be used. The four methods as mentioned above require repeating a reaction at a high temperature and that at a low temperature several times in order to regenerate a single-stranded target molecule for the next amplification cycle. The reaction system should be conducted using discontinuous phases or cycles because the reaction is restricted by the temperatures as described above. Thus, the methods require the use of an expensive thermal cycler that can strictly adjust a wide range of temperatures over time. Furthermore, the reaction requires time for adjusting the temperature to the two or three predetermined ones. The loss of time increases in proportion to the cycle number. Nucleic acid amplification methods that can be carried out isothermally have been developed in order to solve the problems. Examples thereof include the strand displacement amplification (SDA) method as described in JP-B 7-114718, the self-sustained sequence replication (3SR) method, the nucleic acid sequence based amplification (NASBA) method as described in Japanese Patent No. 2650159, the transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) method, the Qβ replicase method as described in Japanese Patent No. 2710159 and the various modified SDA methods as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,517, WO 99/09211, WO 95/25180 and WO 99/49081. A method of isothermal enzymatic synthesis of an oligonucleotide is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,777. Extension from a primer and/or annealing of a primer to a single-stranded extension product (or to an original target sequence) followed by extension from the primer take place in parallel in a reaction mixture incubated at a constant temperature in the reaction of such a method of isothermal nucleic acid amplification or oligonucleotide synthesis. Among the isothermal nucleic acid amplification methods, the SDA method is an example of systems in which a DNA is finally amplified. The SDA method is a method for amplifying a target nucleic acid sequence (and a complementary strand thereof) in a sample by displacement of double strands using a DNA polymerase and a restriction endonuclease. The method requires four primers used for the amplification, two of which should be designed to contain a recognition site for the restriction endonuclease. The method requires the use of a modified deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate as a substrate for DNA synthesis in large quantities. An example of the modified deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates is an (α-S) deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate in which the oxygen atom of the phosphate group at the α-position is replaced by a sulfur atom (S). The problem of running cost associated with the use of the modified deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate becomes serious if the reaction is routinely conducted, for example, for genetic test. Furthermore, the incorporation of the modified nucleotide (e.g., the (α-S) deoxyribonucleotide) into the amplified DNA fragment in the method may abolish the cleavability of the amplified DNA fragment with a restriction enzyme, for example, when it is subjected to a restriction enzyme fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. The modified SDA method as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,517 is a DNA amplification method that uses a chimeric primer that is composed of an RNA and a DNA and has, as an essential element, a structure in which DNA is positioned at least at the 3′ terminus. The modified SDA method as described in WO 99/09211 requires the use of a restriction enzyme that generates a 3′-protruding end. The modified SDA method as described in WO 95/25180 requires the use of at least two pairs of primers. The modified SDA method as described in WO 99/49081 requires the use of at least two pairs of primers and at least one modified deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate. On the other hand, the method for synthesizing an oligonucleotide as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,777 comprises synthesizing a DNA using a primer having a ribonucleotide at the 3′ terminus, completing a reaction using the primer, introducing a nick between the primer and an extended strand in an primer-extended strand with an endonuclease to separate them from each other, digesting a template and recovering the primer to reuse it. It is required to isolate the primer from the reaction system and then anneal it to the template again in order to reuse the primer in the method. Additionally, the Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) method as described in WO 00/28082 requires four primers for amplification and the products amplified using the method are DNAs having varying size in which the target regions for the amplification are repeated. Furthermore, an isothermal nucleic acid amplification method using a chimeric oligonucleotide primer, Isothermal and Chimeric primer-initiated Amplification of Nucleic acids (ICAN) method, as described in WO 00/56877 or WO 02/16639 is known. However, the conventional isothermal nucleic acid amplification methods still have various problems. Thus, a method for amplifying a nucleic acid at low running cost by which a DNA fragment that can be further genetically engineered is obtained has been desired. |
<SOH> SUMMARY OF INVENTION <EOH>As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that an efficiency of target nucleic acid amplification is increased and a detection sensitivity is improved by using a combination of a chimeric oligonucleotide primer and an upstream block oligonucleotide that anneals to a portion 3′ to a portion in a nucleic acid as a template to which the primer anneals in the ICAN method as described in WO. 00/56877 or WO 02/16639. Thus, the present invention has been completed. The first aspect of the present invention relates to a method for amplifying a nucleic acid, the method comprising: (a) preparing a reaction mixture by mixing a nucleic acid as a template, a deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate, a DNA polymerase having a strand displacement activity, at least one chimeric oligonucleotide primer, at least one upstream block oligonucleotide and an RNase H, wherein the chimeric oligonucleotide primer is a chimeric oligonucleotide primer that is substantially complementary to the nucleotide sequence of the nucleic acid as the template and contains a ribonucleotide as well as at least one selected from the group consisting of a deoxyribonucleotide and a nucleotide analog, the ribonucleotide being positioned at the 3′ terminus or on the 3′-terminal side of the primer, and wherein the upstream block oligonucleotide is substantially complementary to a nucleotide sequence 3′ to a region in the nucleic acid as the template that is substantially complementary to the chimeric oligonucleotide primer, and the nucleotide at the 3′ terminus of the upstream block oligonucleotide is modified such that a reaction of complementary strand extension by the action of the DNA polymerase does not take place; and (b) incubating the reaction mixture for a sufficient time to generate a reaction product. According to the first aspect, the reaction mixture may further contain a second chimeric oligonucleotide primer having a sequence substantially homologous to the nucleotide sequence of the nucleic acid as the template. The reaction mixture may further contain an upstream block oligonucleotide that has a sequence substantially homologous to a nucleotide sequence 5′ to a region in the nucleic acid as the template that has a sequence substantially homologous to the nucleotide sequence of the second chimeric oligonucleotide primer, and the nucleotide at the 3′ terminus of the upstream block oligonucleotide is modified such that a reaction of complementary strand extension by the action of the DNA polymerase does not take place. The second aspect of the present invention relates to a composition for the method for amplifying a nucleic acid of the first aspect, which contains at least one chimeric oligonucleotide primer and at least one upstream block oligonucleotide. The third aspect of the present invention relates to a kit for the method for amplifying a nucleic acid of the first aspect, which contains at least one chimeric oligonucleotide primer and at least one upstream block oligonucleotide. The fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a method for detecting a target nucleic acid, the method comprising: (a) amplifying a target nucleic acid by the method for amplifying a nucleic acid of the first aspect; and (b) detecting a target nucleic acid amplified in the previous step. |
Process for the manufacturing of a sputter target |
The invention relates to a process for manufacturing a sputter target. The process comprises the steps of—providing a target holder (12);—applying an intermediate layer (14) on said target holder;—applying a top layer (16) on top of said intermediate layer; said top layer comprising a material having a melting point which is substantially higher than the melting point of said target material;—heating the target holder coated with said intermediate layer and said top layer. |
1. A process for manufacturing a sputter target, said process comprising the steps of providing a target holder; applying an intermediate layer on said target holder; applying a top layer on top of said intermediate layer; said top layer comprising a material having a melting point which is substantially higher than the melting point of said intermediate layer; heating the target holder coated with said intermediate layer and said top layer. 2. A process according to claim 1, whereby said process further comprises the step of applying a release layer between said intermediate layer and said top layer. 3. A process according to claim 1, whereby said process further comprises the step of removing the top layer. 4. A process according to claim 1, whereby said target holder is a plate. 5. A process according to claim 1, whereby said target holder is a tube. 6. A process according to claim 5, whereby said target holder is a stainless steel tube. 7. A process according to claim 1, whereby said intermediate layer comprises a metal, a metal alloy or a metal oxide. 8. A process according to claim 1, whereby said intermediate layer is applied by spraying or dipping. 9. A process according to claim 1, whereby said intermediate layer is applied by coiling at least one wire, strip or foil around said target holder or by applying segments on said target holder. 10. A process according to claim 1, whereby said intermediate layer comprises sprayed zinc or a sprayed zinc alloy. 11. A process according to claim 1, whereby said material of the top layer comprises a metal, a metal alloy or a metal oxide. 12. A process according to claim 1, whereby said top layer is applied by spraying or dipping. 13. A process according to claim 1, whereby said top layer is a stainless steel layer which is sprayed on top of the intermediate layer. 14. A process according to claim 2, whereby said release layer comprises a metal oxide. 15. A process according to claim 1, whereby the heating comprises heating to a temperature which is equal or higher than the melting point of at least one component of the intermediate layer. 16. A process according to claim 1, whereby the heating comprises heating to a temperature that allows to obtain a diffusion between two or more components of the intermediate layer. 17. A process according to claim 1, whereby the heating comprises induction heating. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>A target assembly conventionally comprises a target holder, such as a plate or tube, carrying a layer of a target material applied to its outer surface. Thermal spraying techniques are often employed to apply the target material onto the target holder. In some other cases, the metal target material is cast on a target holder. Sprayed targets as for example zinc targets show the disadvantage of forming highly porous structures. Zinc targets obtained by casting techniques are characterised by a somewhat higher density, but they have the disadvantage that the bonding between individual grains may be poor. |
<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for the manufacturing of sputter targets. It is another object to provide a process with a lot of flexibility for example with respect to the starting material used as target material or with respect to the technique used for the application of this target material. It is a further object of the invention to provide a process which produces targets characterised by a high density. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a process which produces targets characterised by a good bonding between the target holder and the target material and between the individual particles of the target material. The process can also be used to refine or purify the target material to a high degree of purity. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process of applying a target material on a target holder at low temperatures and/or at low pressure. According to a first aspect of the present invention a process for the manufacturing of a sputter target is provided. The process comprises the steps of: providing a target holder; applying an intermediate layer on said target holder; applying a top layer on top of said intermediate layer; said top layer comprising a material having a melting point which is substantially higher than the melting point of said intermediate layer; heating the target holder coated with the intermediate layer and the top layer. The process may further comprise the step of removing the top layer. The top layer is holding the intermediate layer on the target holder during the heating, thereby preventing that the intermediate layer is flowing away from the target holder. Therefore, the target is heated to a temperature lower than the melting point of the top layer. Furthermore, the top layer may function as a protective layer of the intermediate layer avoiding for example oxidation of the intermediate layer or avoiding contamination of the intermediate layer. In case the top layer is functioning as a protective layer, it can be preferred that the top layer is only removed shortly before the sputter target is used in the sputter process, for example at the customer's place. Possibly, the process further comprises the application of a release layer between the application of the intermediate layer and the top layer. The function of such a release layer is to facilitate the removal of the top layer and/or to avoid diffusion between the intermediate layer and the top layer. Either the intermediate layer or the top layer may function as target material. The target holder serves for supporting and cooling the sputter target. It can be a plate or tube. In a preferred embodiment, the target holder comprises a stainless steel tube. The intermediate layer may comprise any material as for example a metal, a metal alloy or a metal oxide. The intermediate layer comprises for example zinc or a zinc alloy, such as zinc-tin alloy; titanium oxide; indium or indium oxide, such as indium tin oxide (ITO). The intermediate layer may function as target material. Alternatively, the intermediate layer forms an adhesion layer between the target holder and the top layer, functioning as target material. The intermediate layer can be applied on the target holder by different techniques, as for example by spraying such as thermal spraying or dipping. Alternatively, the target material can be coiled around the target holder. The material to be coiled comprises for example one or more metal foils, one or more metal strips or one or more metal wires. The coiling of a combination of metal foils, metal strips and/or metal wires is also possible. Also bunch winding of wires is a suitable technique to apply the intermediate layer. By bunch winding wires with the same or with a different composition can be coiled around the target holder. It can be preferred that the wires have a flat or rectangular cross-section. For a person skilled in the art it is clear that bunch winding can be combined with the coiling of other material such as foils, strips or wires or can be combined with the application of powder. As wires also hollow wires can be used. These wires may be filled with another material such as metal powder. The metal powder may for example comprise one or more doping elements. A further method to apply the intermediate layer on the target holder is by applying segments such as tiles, rings, connecting pieces or surfaces on the target holder. Preferably, the segments have an appropriate geometry so that the different segments fit well on the target holder and/or on the adjacent segments. The application of foils, strips, wires or segments is for example very suitable in case expensive materials are applied because the loss of material is reduced to a minimum by this application technique. The intermediate layer may comprise a single layer or a multiplicity of layers. In case a multiplicity of layers is applied, the successive layers may comprise the same material, i.e. the same metal, metal alloy or metal oxide. Alternatively, successive layers may comprise different materials. Successive layers can be applied by different techniques, for example a first layer may be applied by spraying, while a second layer may be applied by coiling foil or wire around the target holder on which the first layer is applied. The top layer may comprise any material that has a relatively high melting point. The top layer comprises for example a metal, a metal alloy or a metal oxide. Preferably, the melting point of the top layer is substantially higher than the melting point of the intermediate layer. More preferably, the difference in melting point between the intermediate layer and the top layer is at least 100° C. Most preferably, the difference in melting point between the intermediate layer and the top layer is at least 200° C. Another requirement of the top layer is that it forms a closed layer which covers the intermediate layer completely and which protects the intermediate layer from the surroundings. In a preferred embodiment, the top layer is a stainless steel layer which is sprayed on top of the intermediate layer. Other suitable top layers comprise high melting metals or metal alloys such as Mo or W or alloys thereof. In principle the top layer can be applied by any technique known in the art which forms a closed layer. Preferred techniques comprise spraying, such as thermal spraying, or dipping. For the heating step in principle every heating technique whereby the target assembly is heated to the desired temperature is suitable. The top layer prevents the target material of flowing away from the target holder and/or may form a protective layer for the target material. A preferred heating technique comprises induction heating. Also resistance heating, conduction heating, electrical discharge heating and radiation heating can be considered. Preferably, the target is only heated locally for example by using a zone heating method. In such a zone heating method, an induction heating coil surrounds the target assembly in an annular fashion and is moved relative to the target assembly in the axial direction thereof. Alternatively, the target assembly is moved relative to a fixed heating coil. It is preferred that the target assembly is rotated during the heating. The target can be placed either horizontally or vertically during the heating step. In most cases, a vertical position is preferred. A horizontal position of the target may favour the homogeneous mixing of the intermediate layer or of the different components of the intermediate layer during the heating step; a vertical position of the target may be preferred in case a slow solidifying is desired or in case the heating step is applied to purify the intermediate layer as described below in more detail. It can be preferred that the position of the target is horizontal during a first heating step and that the target is placed in a vertical position during the subsequent heating step or steps. During or after the heating step, the target assembly can be cooled for example by means of circulating water. The target assembly may be cooled from the inside, from the outside or from the inside and the outside of the target assembly. According to a first aspect it can be the object of the heating step to melt at least one component of the intermediate layer. In this case, the target assembly is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the intermediate layer or to a temperature higher than the melting point of at least one component of the intermediate layer. Preferably, the target assembly is heated to a temperature lower than the melting point of the top layer. After the heating step, the target assembly can be cooled to obtain the desired properties of the intermediate layer. In case the target is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of one component but lower than the melting point of one or more other components of the intermediate layer, a mechanical embedding of the one component in the other component or components can be obtained. This is for example the case if an intermediate layer comprising zinc and titanium oxide, such as titanium dioxide or sub-stoichiometric titanium dioxide, is heated to a temperature higher than the melting point of zinc. Due to the heating and the subsequent cooling, a recrystallization of the material of the intermediate layer can be obtained. By recrystallization substantially uniform grains can be obtained. The way of heating and the way of cooling have a direct influence on the melted and recrystallized material, as for example on the lattice structure, the grain properties such as grain size, grain orientation and grain distribution. The orientation of the grains may be varied from perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the target holder to longitudinal or substantially longitudinal to the longitudinal axis of the target holder. By performing the heating and/or the subsequent cooling longitudinally, the grains are oriented longitudinal or substantially longitudinal with the longitudinal axis of the target holder. As described below, the heating step could be repeated for example by traversing a heating coil more than once over the length of the target assembly. In such case grains oriented perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the target holder can be obtained. The density of the material of the intermediate layer may be increased after the heating and cooling step is performed. Preferably, the intermediate layer has a relative density higher than 92%, more preferably the relative density is higher than 95% or even higher than 98%, for example 99%. The relative density is defined as follows: Relative density ( % ) = ( Bulk density True density ) * 100 The bulk density (g/cm 3 ) is the experimental density calculated from the size and the weight of an actually prepared material, and the true density is the theoretical density of the material. According to a second aspect it can be the object to obtain a diffusion between two or more components or between two or more layers. In such cases it is not necessary or not desired to melt the intermediate layer. To realise this object, the target is heated to a temperature that allows to obtain such diffusion. Generally, this temperature is lower than the melting point of the intermediate layer and/or lower than the melting point of the top layer. A diffusion can for example be obtained between two different materials or components, or between two different layers, for example between the target holder and the intermediate layer and/or between the intermediate layer and the top layer. Also a diffusion between the target holder, the intermediate layer and the top layer can be obtained. A diffusion between two different materials may for example be obtained in an embodiment where two different types of wires, foils or strips coiled around the target holder and where the target assembly is heated to a temperature that allows a diffusion between the different wires, foils or strips. A preferred embodiment comprises a zinc-tin target obtained by diffusion of zinc wires and tin wires or by diffusion of zinc tiles and tin tiles. In this way tin can be added to the target material to an amount that can not be reached by another method of applying zinc-tin as target material. Also a distribution of zinc and tin that could normally not be reached can be obtained, as for example zinc particles embedded in tin. A major advantage of the process of manufacturing metal targets according to the present invention is that it concerns a process with a lot of flexibility for example with respect to the starting material used as intermediate layer (sprayed material, powder, wires, foils, segments, . . . ) or with respect to the technique used for the application of the intermediate layer (spraying, dipping, coiling, . . . ). Another advantage of the process according to the present invention is the flexibility of the process to influence the properties of the target material, for example by varying the heating and cooling step and/or by the application technique of the intermediate layer and/or the top layer. It is clear, that the crystal lattice, the grain properties such as grain size, grain distribution and grain orientation and the density of the target material are determined by the heating and/or the cooling step and/or by the application technique of the intermediate layer and/or the top layer. The heating step may be tuned in temperature, time, location and/or profile in order to obtain the desired characteristics. Still a further advantage of the process of manufacturing a target according to the present invention is that the target material can be applied on the target holder at low temperatures and/or at low pressure. A target manufactured by the process according to the present invention is furthermore characterised by a good bonding between the individual grains. Due to the heating, a diffusion layer may be created between the target holder and the intermediate layer. The method of heating can also be used to refine or purify the material of the intermediate layer. During the heating, a melting zone, produced by means of an induction heating coil, traverses the entire length of the target assembly as the coil moves from the bottom to the top of the target assembly. Gases and impurities are dissolved in the melting zone and are moving up together with the moving of the melting zone. The purity of the target material can further be improved by vibrating the target assembly during the heating and/or cooling step or by applying ultrasonic waves on the target assembly. If desired, the heating step could be repeated by traversing the induction heating coil more than once over the length of the target assembly. After the heating step is performed, the top layer is preferably removed for example by a mechanical operation, such as a machining operation. Preferably, after the top layer is removed, the surface of the target material is subjected to a polishing operation. In order to facilitate the removal of the top layer, it can be preferred that a release layer is applied between the intermediate layer and the top layer. A release layer comprises for example a paint or a metal oxide or combinations thereof. Suitable metal oxides are zirconium oxide or aluminium oxide. The release layer may for example avoid that a diffusion layer is formed between the intermediate layer and the top layer or may facilitate the removal of the top layer shortly before the sputter process for example at the customer's place. The targets manufactured by the process disclosed by this invention are suitable in any sputter process as for example metallic sputter processes or reactive sputter processes. The metal atoms sputtered from the target react thereby with reactive gases such as oxygen or mixtures of oxygen with other gases such as nitrogen, argon or helium, to form for example a metal oxide that is deposited on a particular substrate. Targets according to the present invention can be easily recycled and/or reused. For this purpose, the profile of the used target is measured and in a next step, new target material is applied to compensate for the regional losses from consumption. The targets according to the present invention are therefore economically advantageous. |
Rapid prototyping method and device using v-cad data |
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