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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an actuating device for executing a pre-set program, such as a television game, by operation of plural actuating units. More particularly, it relates to an actuating device enabling execution of a pre-set program such as game with good simulated presence feeling.
2. Description of Related Art
Heretofore, a game machine employing a television receiver includes a main body unit connected to a television receiver used as a display device and an actuating device connected via a connection cable to the main body unit of the game machine for controlling the display character displayed on a display screen of the television receiver.
The main body unit of the game machine has enclosed therein a disc driving unit for reproducing an optical disc as a recording medium having a game program recorded thereon and a picture processor for displaying a display character on the screen of the television receiver along with the background.
The actuating device connected to the main body unit of the game machine is provided with plural actuating buttons. The operator operates plural actuating buttons provided on the actuating device for entering the command information concerning the operation of a display character displayed on the screen of the television receiver to control the movement direction of the display character represented on the screen by way of executing the game.
The actuating device connected to this type of the game machine is used by being gripped with the hand or finger. Such an actuating device is in use in which a bearing indicating actuating unit having a cross-shaped or circular bearing indicating actuating button and a function setting executing unit having plural function setting executing buttons for setting the actuating functions of the display characters or executing the operations on one and the other sides of the main body unit, respectively. The bearing indicating actuating unit includes four switches, each having an operator which may be brought into or out of contact with a contact, arrayed at an angular interval of 90.degree. to one another. These switches are selectively turned on and off by the cross-shaped or circular bearing indicating actuating button for moving the display character. For example, the display character is digitally moved in the direction along which the one of the four switches that is turned on is arrayed. The function setting executing unit has switches arrayed in association with the plural function setting executing buttons, so that, by turning on the switches associated with the function setting executing buttons, the display characters allocated to the respective buttons are set, or the function owned by the display character is executed.
The above-described conventional actuating device executes the game by actuating the plural actuating buttons provided on the main body unit of the apparatus to command the operation of the display character displayed on the display screen. Simply the display character represented on the display screen is visually recognized, while the sound radiated from the speakers provided on the television receiver is aurally recognized to execute the game. That is, the actuating device actuated by the user with his or her hand or arm movements is actuated substantially by the hand or finger to enter the unidirectional command signal to the main body unit of the game machine.
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Generally, the performance and power efficiency of a mobile computing device degrade over time. Anti-virus companies (e.g., McAfee, Symantec, etc.) now sell mobile anti-virus, firewall, and encryption products that aim to slow this degradation. However, many of these solutions rely on the periodic execution of a computationally-intensive scanning engine on the mobile computing device, which may consume many of the mobile computing device's processing and battery resources, slow or render the mobile computing device useless for extended periods of time, and/or otherwise degrade the user experience. In addition, these solutions are typically limited to detecting known viruses and malware, and do not address the multiple complex factors and/or the interactions that often combine to contribute to a mobile computing device's degradation over time (e.g., when the performance degradation is not caused by viruses or malware). For these and other reasons, existing anti-virus, firewall, and encryption products do not provide adequate solutions for identifying the numerous factors that may contribute to a mobile computing device's degradation over time or for preventing mobile computing device degradation.
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Faced with mounting liability, rapidly escalating damage to consumers, and erosion of customer confidence in electronic payment systems, the Payment Card Industry (“PCI”) has developed a Data Security Standard (DSS) for businesses that store, process and/or transmit credit card data. Compliance requirements have been increasingly enforced and critical failures in maintaining compliance with the PCI DSS have resulted in significant penalties for both the processors and the merchants. Compliance with the PCI security standards is not optional for merchants that store, process and/or transmit sensitive credit card data. However, many merchants have found that achieving compliance with the PCI DSS in a distributed store environment to be complex and expensive.
As a result, credit card brands began focusing on the store system environment and point-of-sale (“POS”) systems as the entry point for most malicious attacks. These environments are vulnerable due to their remote locations, weakly defended networks, lack of local technical staff and often antiquated POS systems. Visa, the largest of the credit card associations, has recently focused on the store systems threat. Over 70% of the Data Security Alerts released on Visa's website from September 2006 to April 2009 address store systems vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, the introduction of PCI in the retail sector has been disruptive and meeting PCI requirements at the store systems level has proven challenging.
While individual stores may not represent a significant portion of a retailer's overall investment in Information Technology (IT) systems, the amount of credit card data processed there represents risk to both the merchant and the card association members. Some stores process fewer than 500 transactions per day but still qualify as the primary source of card processing risk for the merchant. Accordingly, the PCI data security requirements at the store environment may require a disproportionably high level investment in technical and physical controls when compared to existing measures of IT investment. However, such investment has become more appropriate due to the increased nature of the data risk and associated liability.
Traditional data security solutions for store environments typically require a “mini-data center” approach which involves multiple security devices and applications integrated in customized configurations. These security devices are expensive to deploy and difficult to manage in a widely distributed environment. Most stores do not maintain the skills to manage the operation of the devices and have little or no capability to prove effective ongoing operations required to meet audit requirements under the PCI standards.
The traditional approach for meeting the PCI standards will require both a large upfront capital and deployment cost, along with a large “total cost of ownership” associated with ongoing maintenance and operation of the solution. Moreover, reliability issues, which threaten retailers' ability to accept credit card transactions, are a significant concern at the store systems level. Most retailers can ill afford the time normally required to work out compatibility and configuration issues normally associated with integration efforts of custom systems.
As such, there is a need in the art for a cost effective system that protects cardholder data by protecting the devices that contain cardholder data, and a further need for devices and systems that can detect non-compliance with payment card industry standards.
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Multi-antenna techniques can significantly increase the data rates and reliability of a wireless communication system. The performance is particularly improved if both the transmitter and the receiver are equipped with multiple antennas, which results in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication channel. Such systems and/or related techniques are commonly referred to as MIMO.
The Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard is currently evolving with enhanced MIMO support. A component in LTE is the support of MIMO antenna deployments and MIMO related techniques. Currently LTE-Advanced supports an 8-layer spatial multiplexing mode for 8 transmit (Tx) antennas with channel dependent precoding. The spatial multiplexing mode is aimed for high data rates in favorable channel conditions. An illustration of the spatial multiplexing operation 100 is provided in FIG. 1, where there are NT antenna 110 ports and NT inverse fast Fourier transformers (IFFTs) 120.
As seen, the information carrying symbol vector s 130 is multiplied by an NT×r precoder matrix W 140, which serves to distribute the transmit energy in a subspace of the NT (corresponding to NT antenna ports) dimensional vector space. The precoder matrix W 140 is typically selected from a codebook of possible precoder matrices, and typically indicated by means of a precoder matrix indicator (PMI), which specifies a unique precoder matrix in the codebook for a given number of symbol streams. The r symbols in s 130 each correspond to a layer 150 and r is referred to as the transmission rank. In this way, spatial multiplexing is achieved since multiple symbols can be transmitted simultaneously over the same time/frequency resource element (TFRE). The number of symbols r is typically adapted to suit the current channel properties.
LTE uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) in the downlink (and Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) precoded OFDM in the uplink) and hence the received NR×1 vector yn for a certain TFRE on subcarrier n (or alternatively data TFRE number n) is thus modeled byyn=HnWsn+en Equation 1where en is a noise/interference vector obtained as realizations of a random process, and NR is the number of receive antennas. The precoder W can be a wideband precoder, which is constant over frequency, or frequency selective.
The precoder matrix W is often chosen to match the characteristics of the NR×NT MIMO channel matrix Hn, resulting in so-called channel dependent precoding. This is also commonly referred to as closed-loop precoding and essentially strives for focusing the transmit energy into a subspace which is strong in the sense of conveying much of the transmitted energy to the wireless device. In addition, the precoder matrix may also be selected to strive for orthogonalizing the channel, meaning that after proper linear equalization at the wireless device, the inter-layer interference is reduced.
One example method for a wireless device to select a precoder matrix W can be to select the Wk that maximizes the Frobenius norm of the hypothesized equivalent channel:
max k H ^ n W k F 2 Equation 2 Where Ĥn is a channel estimate, possibly derived from Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS) as described below; Wk is a hypothesized precoder matrix with index k; and ĤnWk is the hypothesized equivalent channel.
In closed-loop precoding for the LTE downlink, the wireless device transmits, based on channel measurements in the forward link (downlink), recommendations to the base station, e.g., eNodeB (eNB), of a suitable precoder to use. The base station configures the wireless device to provide feedback according to the wireless device's transmission mode, and may transmit CSI-RS and configure the wireless device to use measurements of CSI-RS to feedback recommended precoding matrices that the wireless device selects from a codebook. A single precoder that is supposed to cover a large bandwidth (wideband precoding) may be fed back. It may also be beneficial to match the frequency variations of the channel and instead feedback a frequency-selective precoding report, e.g., several precoders, one per subband. This is an example of the more general case of channel state information (CSI) feedback, which also encompasses feeding back other information than recommended precoders to assist the base station in subsequent transmissions to the wireless device. Such other information may include channel quality indicators (CQIs) as well as transmission rank indicator (RI).
Given the CSI feedback from the wireless device, the base station determines the transmission parameters it wishes to use to transmit to the wireless device, including the precoding matrix, transmission rank, and modulation and coding scheme (MCS). These transmission parameters may differ from the recommendations the wireless device makes. Therefore, a rank indicator and MCS may be signaled in downlink control information (DCI), and the precoding matrix can be signaled in DCI or the base station can transmit a demodulation reference signal from which the equivalent channel can be measured. The transmission rank, and thus the number of spatially multiplexed layers, is reflected in the number of columns of the precoder W. For efficient performance, it is important that a transmission rank that matches the channel properties is selected.
In LTE Release-10 (Rel-10), a new reference symbol sequence was introduced for the intent to estimate downlink channel state information, the CSI-RS. The CSI-RS provides several advantages over basing the CSI feedback on the common reference symbols (CRS) which were used, for that purpose, in previous releases. First, the CSI-RS is not used for demodulation of the data signal, and thus does not require the same density (i.e., the overhead of the CSI-RS is substantially less). Secondly, CSI-RS provides a much more flexible means to configure CSI feedback measurements (e.g., which CSI-RS resource to measure on can be configured in a wireless device specific manner).
By measuring a CSI-RS transmitted from the base station, a wireless device can estimate the effective channel the CSI-RS is traversing including the radio propagation channel and antenna gains. In more mathematical rigor, this implies that if a known CSI-RS signal x is transmitted, a wireless device can estimate the coupling between the transmitted signal and the received signal (i.e., the effective channel). Hence, if no virtualization is performed in the transmission, the received signal y can be expressed asY=Hx+e Equation 3and the wireless device can estimate the effective channel H
Up to eight CSI-RS ports can be configured in LTE Rel-10, that is, the wireless device can estimate the channel from up to eight transmit antennas.
Related to CSI-RS is the concept of zero-power CSI-RS resources (also known as a muted CSI-RS) that are configured just as regular CSI-RS resources, so that a wireless device knows that the data transmission is mapped around those resources. The intent of the zero-power CSI-RS resources is to enable the network to mute the transmission on the corresponding resources, in order to boost the Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) of a corresponding non-zero power CSI-RS, possibly transmitted in a neighbor cell/transmission point. For Release 11 (Rel-11) of LTE, a special zero-power CSI-RS was introduced that a wireless device is mandated to use for measuring interference plus noise. A wireless device can assume that the transmission points (TPs) of interest are not transmitting on the zero-power CSI-RS resource, and the received power can therefore be used as a measure of the interference plus noise.
Based on a specified CSI-RS resource and on an interference measurement configuration (e.g., a zero-power CSI-RS resource), the wireless device can estimate the effective channel and noise plus interference, and consequently also determine the rank, precoding matrix, and MCS to recommend to best match the particular channel.
Some installations are equipped with two dimensional antenna arrays and some of the presented embodiments use such antennas. Such antenna arrays may be (partly) described by the number of antenna columns corresponding to the horizontal dimension Nh, the number of antenna rows corresponding to the vertical dimension Nv and the number of dimensions corresponding to different polarizations Np. The total number of antennas is thus N=NhNvNp. It should be pointed out that the concept of an antenna is non-limiting in the sense that it can refer to any virtualization (e.g., linear mapping) of the physical antenna elements. For example, pairs of physical sub-elements could be fed the same signal, and hence share the same virtualized antenna port.
An example of a 4×4 array with cross-polarized antenna elements 200 is shown in FIG. 2, where the horizontal dimension “l” represents Nh and the vertical dimension “m” represents the Nv.
Precoding may be interpreted as multiplying the signal with different beamforming weights for each antenna prior to transmission. A typical approach is to tailor the precoder to the antenna form factor, i.e., taking into account Nh, Nv and Np when designing the precoder codebook.
A common type of precoding is to use a DFT-precoder, where the precoder vector used to precode a single-layer transmission using a single-polarized uniform linear array (ULA) with N antennas is defined as
w 1 D ( k ) = 1 N [ e j 2 π · 0 · k QN e j 2 π · 1 · k QN ⋮ e j 2 π · ( N - 1 ) · k QN ] ,
where k=0, 1, . . . QN−1 is the precoder index and Q is an integer oversampling factor. A corresponding precoder vector for a two-dimensional uniform planar array (UPA) can be created by taking the Kronecker product of two precoder vectors as w2D(k, l)=w1D(k)w1D(l). Extending the precoder for a dual-polarized UPA may then be done as
w 2 D , DP ( k , l , ϕ ) = [ 1 e j ϕ ] ⊗ w 2 D ( k , l ) = [ w 2 D ( k , l ) e j ϕ w 2 D ( k , l ) ] = [ w 2 D ( k , l ) 0 0 w 2 D ( k , l ) ] [ 1 e j ϕ ] , where ejϕ is a co-phasing factor that may for instance be selected from the QPSK alphabet
ϕ ∈ { 0 , π 2 , π , 3 π 2 } . A precoder matrix W2D,DP for multi-layer transmission may be created by appending columns of DFT precoder vectors asW2D,DP=[W2D,DP(k1,l1,ϕ1)w2D,DP(k2,l2,ϕ2) . . . w2D,DP(kR,lR,ϕR)],where R is the number of transmission layers, i.e., the transmission rank. In a common special case for a rank-2 DFT precoder, k1=k2=k and l1=l2=l, meaning that
W 2 D , DP = [ w 2 D , DP ( k , l , ϕ 1 ) w 2 D , DP ( k , l , ϕ 2 ) ] = [ w 2 D ( k , l ) 0 0 w 2 D ( k , l ) ] [ 1 1 e j ϕ 1 e j ϕ 2 ] .
With multi-user MIMO, two or more users in the same cell are co-scheduled on the same time-frequency resource. That is, two or more independent data streams are transmitted to different wireless devices at the same time, and the spatial domain is used to separate the respective streams. By transmitting several streams simultaneously, the capacity of the system can be increased. This however, comes at the cost of reducing the SINR per stream, as the power has to be shared between streams and the streams will cause interference to each-other.
When increasing the antenna array size, the increased beamforming gain will lead to higher SINR, however, as the user throughput depends only logarithmically on the SINR (for large SINRs), it is instead beneficial to trade the gains in SINR for a multiplexing gain, which increases linearly with the number of multiplexed users.
Accurate CSI is required in order to perform appropriate nullforming between co-scheduled users. In the current LTE Release 13 (Rel-13) standard, no special CSI mode for MU-MIMO exists and thus, MU-MIMO scheduling and precoder construction has to be based on the existing CSI reporting designed for single-user MIMO (that is, a PMI indicating a DFT-based precoder, a RI and a CQI). This may prove quite challenging for MU-MIMO, as the reported precoder only contains information about the strongest channel direction for a user and may thus not contain enough information to do proper nullforming, which may lead to a large amount of interference between co-scheduled users, reducing the benefit of MU-MIMO.
A multi-beam precoder may be defined as a linear combination of several DFT precoder vectors as
w MB = ∑ i c i · w 2 D , DP ( k i , l i , ϕ i ) where {ci} may be general complex coefficients. Such a multi-beam precoder may more accurately describe the wireless device's channel and may thus bring an additional performance benefit compared to a DFT precoder, especially for MU-MIMO where rich channel knowledge is desirable in order to perform nullforming between co-scheduled wireless devices.
Existing solutions for MU-MIMO based on implicit CSI reports with DFT-based precoders have problems with accurately estimating and reducing the interference between co-scheduled users, leading to poor MU-MIMO performance.
Multi-beam precoder schemes may lead to better MU-MIMO performance, but at the cost of increased CSI feedback overhead and wireless device precoder search complexity.
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1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to semiconductor devices, and, more particularly, to a test device of semiconductor memory devices.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Automatic test equipment (ATE) is used for testing semiconductor devices, and ATEs are required to have performance suitable for testing the semiconductor devices. As the performance expectations of the semiconductor devices become more and more enhanced and the operating speed of the semiconductor devices becomes faster and faster, a built-off test (BOT), where the test functionality is brought to the closest possible proximity of the device-under-test (DUT), e.g., to a load board, has been employed. However, the conventional BOT can have various problems, such as extended test times, particularly when the number of DUTs being tested increases.
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As a conventional displacement type fluid machine, a reciprocating fluid machine for moving a working fluid by repeating a reciprocation of a piston in a cylindrical cylinder, a rotary (rolling piston type) fluid machine for moving a working fluid by eccentrically rotating a cylindrical piston in a cylindrical cylinder, a scroll fluid machine for moving a working fluid by engaging a pair of fixed scroll and orbiting scroll, which have spiral wraps and stand up on end plates, with each other and by gyrating the orbiting scroll, are well known.
Since the reciprocating fluid machine is simply constructed, it is possible to prepare the machine easily and to be inexpensive. On the other hand, since the process from suction completion to discharge completion is short of the shaft angle of 180.degree. so that a flow velocity of the process for the discharge gets faster, there is a problem that the pressure loss is increased so that the performance is reduced. Further, since it is necessary to reciprocate the piston, so that a rotary shaft system can not be completely balanced, there is another problem that a vibration and a noise are larger.
Also, in case of the rotary fluid machine, since the process from suction completion to discharge completion has the shaft angle of 360.degree., there is less problem that the pressure loss during the discharge process is increased compared to the reciprocating fluid machine. However, since the working fluid is discharged once per one rotation of the shaft, the variation of a gas compression torque is relatively higher, accordingly, there is the same problem of the vibration and noise as the reciprocating fluid machine.
Further, in case of the scroll fluid machine, since the process from suction completion to discharge completion has the long shaft angle of 360.degree. or more (the scroll fluid machine practically used as an air conditioner has usually 900.degree.), so that the pressure loss during the process of discharge is low, a plurality of working chambers are formed generally, so that there is an advantage that the variation of the gas compression torque is low and the vibration and noise are less. When the wraps are engaged, it is necessary to manage the clearance between the spiral wraps and the clearance between the end plate and a wrap tip. Thus, the fluid machine must be worked with high accuracy, so that there is further problem that the expense of working is expensive. Further, since the process from suction completion to discharge completion has the long shaft angle of 360.degree. or more, it takes a long time for the compression process, so that there is further problem that the internal leakage is increased.
By the way, known is a displacement type fluid machine in which a displacer for moving a working fluid is not rotated relative to a cylinder in which the working fluid is suctioned, but is gyrated with an almost constant radius, that is, is gyrated to transmit the working fluid. This kind of displacement type fluid machines have been proposed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 55-23353 (Document 1), U.S. Pat. No. 2,112,890 (Document 2), Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 5-202869 (Document 3) and Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 6-280758 (Document 4). Such a displacement type fluid machine as proposed therein comprises a petal-shaped piston having a plurality of members (vanes) radially extending from the center and a cylinder having a hollow portion of almost the same shape as the piston, wherein the piston is gyrated in the cylinder so as to move the working fluid.
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1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an optical lens assembly for image taking, and more particularly, to an optical lens assembly for image taking having multiple lens elements.
2. Related Art
In recent years, with the rise of portable electronic device with photographing capability, the demand for compact imaging lens assembly has been increasing. The photo-sensing device of an ordinary photographing camera is none other than a CCD (charge coupled device) or a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor). Furthermore, as advances in semiconductor manufacturing technology have allowed the pixel size of sensors to be reduced, and the resolution of the compact imaging lens assembly has gradually increased, there is an increasing demand for the compact imaging lens assembly featuring better image quality. A three-lens structure is commonly adopted in a conventional compact photographing lens assembly of the portable electronic products. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,145,736, a photographing lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element with positive refractive power, a second lens element with negative refractive power and a third lens element with positive refractive power. With the advances of semiconductor manufacturing technology and the development of compact electronic devices, image quality of the compact imaging lens assembly is highly required but the conventional three-lens photographing lens assembly may not satisfy the demand for better image quality.
Moreover, the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 7,969,664 discloses a four-lens assembly. Although with the addition of a fourth lens element, the image quality is superior to the conventional three-lens photographing lens assembly. However, since the third lens element with positive refractive power is favorable for reducing the total track length of this four-lens assembly, the image quality may not satisfy the high-end imaging lens assembly for having larger aberration.
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Generally, in order to improve the grip capacity on uneven terrain road surfaces, it is effective to increase the amount of soil to be scraped off when cleats bite into and grip the road surface. Therefore, it is important to increase the projected area of the cleats on a plane that is orthogonal to the direction of the load on the cleats from the road surface when gripping the road surface. However, conventional techniques do not sufficiently take into consideration the direction of the load within the sole surface when running on a sloped road surface, particularly the direction of the load in the forefoot portion. Also, the importance of the medial edge and the lateral edge of the shoe sole contacting the ground is not sufficiently taken into consideration, and cleats have not been designed while sufficiently taking the grip capacity into consideration.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanism for locking the hub of a removable disk cartridge to the spindle motor of a disk drive upon spin-up of the motor to prevent separation of the hub and spindle motor during high speed rotation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Removable disk cartridges for storing digital electronic information typically comprise an outer casing or shell that houses one or more rotatable storage mediums, or disks, upon which electronic information can be stored. The cartridge shell often comprises upper and lower halves that are joined together to house the disk(s). The disk(s) is mounted on a hub assembly that rotates freely within the cartridge. The outer shell of the cartridge typically has some form of opening near its forward edge to provide the recording heads of the drive with access to the recording surfaces of the disk. A shutter or door mechanism is often provided to cover the opening when the cartridge is not in use to prevent dust or other contaminants from entering the cartridge and settling on the recording surface of the disk.
When the cartridge is inserted into a data storage device, i.e., disk drive, a spindle motor in the drive engages the hub assembly through an opening in the bottom shell of the disk cartridge in order to rotate the disk within the cartridge. In many prior art removable cartridge disk drive systems, a center spindle on the motor engages a through-hole in the hub assembly, and a chucking magnet in the spindle and/or hub assembly provides sufficient force to keep the hub assembly engaged on the spindle motor during rotation. Magnetic chucking provides sufficient engagement in most disk drives that operate at lower rotation speeds, as well as in most disk drive units that are internally mounted in a computer casing.
Applicant has discovered, however, that magnetic chucking is susceptible to failure in higher-speed, stand-alone disk drive units. In particular, Applicant has found that if a stand-alone, removable cartridge disk drive is somehow gyrated while the spindle motor is operating at full speed, such as might occur if a user lifts the disk drive unit off a table or desk and moves it to a different position, the gyroscopic forces that result from such movement can cause the hub assembly of a disk cartridge to separate from the spinning motor. Separation of the hub assembly from the spinning motor is likely to cause severe damage to both the storage medium in the disk cartridge and to the internal components of the disk drive.
Accordingly, there is a need for a mechanism that prevents separation of the hub assembly from the spindle motor in such situations. The present invention satisfies this need.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hairdressing scissor assembly and more particularly, to an improved structure of hairdressing scissor assembly, which improves the drawbacks of the hairdressing scissor assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 6,434,833 B1.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,434,833 B1, issued to the present inventor, discloses a pair of hairdressing scissors 1, which comprises two cutting members 10 and 20 pivotally connected together, as shown in FIG. 12. First engaging members 13 and 23 and second engaging members 15 and 25 are respectively provided at the handles of the two cutting members 10 and 20 at two opposite sides. Therefore, two pairs of hairdressing scissors 1 can be secured together by selectively engaging the second engaging members 15 and 25 at the handles of the two cutting members 10 and 20 of one first pair of the hairdressing scissors 1 into the first engaging members 13 and 23 at the at the handles of the two cutting members 10 and 20 of a second pair of the hairdressing scissors 1. This design of the pair of hairdressing scissors 1 is functional, however it still has drawbacks. According to this design, the first engaging members 13 and 23 are sleeves adapted to receive the second engaging members 15 and 25 of another pair of hairdressing scissors 1. During cutting operation, the second engaging members 15 and 25 may easily be forced away from the associating first engaging members 13 and 23, resulting in an operation obstacle. Further, the gap between the two pairs of hairdressing scissors 1 is not adjustable to fit different clients or different hairstyles required, i.e., the hairdressing scissor assembly is not practical for cutting the hair in multiple layers to show a stepped sense of beauty.
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Glaucoma is an ocular disorder associated with elevated ocular pressures which are too high for normal function and may result in irreversible loss of visual function. If untreated, glaucoma may eventually lead to blindness. Ocular hypertension, i.e., the condition of elevated intraocular pressure without optic nerve head damage or characteristic glaucomatous visual field defects, is now believed by many ophthalmologists to represent the earliest phase of glaucoma.
Many of the drugs formerly used to treat glaucoma proved not entirely satisfactory. Indeed, few advances were made in the treatment of glaucoma since pilocarpine and physostigmine were introduced. Only recently have clinicians noted that many .beta.-adrenergic blocking agents are effective in reducing intraocular pressure. While many of these agents are effective in reducing intraocular pressure, they also have other characteristics, e.g. membrane stabilizing activity, that are not acceptable for chronic ocular use.
(S)-1-tert-butylamino-3-[(4-morpholino-1,2,5-thiadiazol-3-yl)oxy]-2-propano l, a .beta.-adrenergic blocking agent, was found to reduce intraocular pressure and to be devoid of many unwanted side effects associated with pilocarpine and, in addition, to possess advantages over many other .beta.-adrenergic blocking agents, e.g. to be devoid of local anesthetic properties, to have a long duration of activity, and to display minimal tolerance.
Although pilocarpine, physostigmine and .beta.-blocking agents reduce intraocular pressure, none of these drugs manifests its action by inhibiting the enzyme carbonic anhydrase and, thereby, impeding the contribution made by the carbonic anhydrase pathway to aqueous humor formation.
Agents referred to as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, block or impede this inflow pathway by inhibiting the enzyme, carbonic anhydrase. While such carbonic anhydrase inhibitors are now used to treat intraocular pressure by oral, intravenous or other systemic routes, they thereby have the distinct disadvantage of inhibiting carbonic anhydrase throughout the entire body. Such a gross disruption of a basic enzyme system is justified only during an acute attack of alarmingly elevated intraocular pressure, or when no other agent is effective. Despite the desireability of directing the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor only to the desired ophthalmic target tissue, no topically effective carbonic anhydrase inhibitors are available for clinical use.
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This application claims priority to Japanese patent application no. 2001-392561 filed on Dec. 25, 2001.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a front face erasable microcapsule magnetophoretic display sheet, an erasing magnet and a writing magnet for the sheet, and particularly to a front face erasable microcapsule magnetophoretic display sheet, by which a magnetic record magnetically recorded on the front face of the sheet can be erased wholly or partially from the front face side thereof by a magnet, an erasing magnet which can erase a record from the front face side of a recorded sheet, and a writing magnet for the sheet.
2. Related Background Art
There has heretofore been known a magnetic recording system that a magnetic recording is conducted on the front face of a microcapsule magnetophoretic display sheet. This magnetic recording system is generally a system wherein an erasing magnet is slid across the whole rear face of the microcapsule magnetophoretic display sheet to make the front face thereof clean. Writing is then conducted on the front face with a writing magnet or magnet pen to obtain a magnetic record, and the magnetic record recorded thereon is optionally erased from the rear face side by sliding an erasing magnet across the whole rear face thereof. When such a magnetic record is erased, the erasing magnet is slid across the rear face of the microcapsule magnetophoretic display sheet, thereby erasing the record recorded on the front face of the magnetophoretic display sheet. According to an erasing method heretofore used, however, the magnetically recorded display recorded on the microcapsule magnetophoretic display sheet is erased entirely by the erasing magnet when the erasing is conducted from the rear face side. Therefore, erasing only a desired portion of the magnetically recorded display cannot be accomplished, which is very inconvenient. The uses thereof are thus limited.
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Plates having electromagnetic-wave shielding property and light transmission properties have been developed as front filters of equipment such as office automation equipment and communication equipment in order to shield electromagnetic wave produced from such equipment. Such plates have been also utilized as window sheets of places where a precision apparatus is installed, such as a hospital and a laboratory, in order to protect the precision apparatus from electromagnetic waves for example from cellular phones.
A conventional electromagnetic-wave shielding and light transmitting plate typically comprises a pair of transparent substrates such as acrylic boards and a conductive mesh member like a wire netting or a transparent conductive film and is formed by interposing the conductive mesh member or the transparent conductive film between the transparent substrates and uniting them.
A conductive mesh member employed in the conventional electromagnetic-wave shielding and light transmitting plate is a 5- to 500-mesh member having a wire diameter of from 10 to 500 μm and an open area ratio (open area percentage) of less than 75%. The open area ratio is calculated from the wire diameter of mesh and the number of wires existing within a width of 1 inch. The electromagnetic-wave shielding and light transmitting plate employing such a conductive mesh member has low light transmittance of 70% at the most.
Moreover, such a conventional conductive mesh member easily allows the occurrence of moiré phenomenon due to relations between its patterns and the pixel pitch of a luminescent panel to which the electromagnetic-wave shielding and light transmitting plate is attached.
As means for satisfying the light transmitting property and the electromagnetic-wave shielding property simultaneously, it is considered to use a transparent conductive film instead of the conductive mesh member. In case of the transparent conductive film, however, it is difficult to achieve electric conduction relative to a panel body.
In case of the conductive mesh member, by designing the conductive mesh member to have margins out of the peripheries of the transparent substrate and folding the margins, the electric conduction between the folded margins and the panel body is achieved. If the transparent conductive film is designed to have margins out of the transparent substrate and the margins are folded, the film may be torn at the folded portions.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an HFC (Hybrid Fiber and Coax) network and cable modem. More specifically, the present invention relates to a bidirectional amplifier, utilizing a pilot signal to detect signal levels, for the purpose of stabilizing signal transmission.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a general HFC network, which comprises a headend (100), that is, a transceiver, for transmitting signals to the transmission lines, and, in the case of a bidirectional system, receiving signals from the transmission lines; optic fibers, for transmitting optic signals to the ONU (Optical Network Unit); an ONU (101), for converting the optic signals, which are inputted from the headend through the optic fibers, into electrical signals; amplifiers (102) for amplifying the signals to a specified level; and an end-user terminal, for use by a user in conjunction with a cable modem.
In the prior art HFC network, when downstream signals are transmitted from the headend to the ONU, pilot signals having a frequency of 451.25 MHz are generated, and by using these signals, level changes which occur due to the length of cables can be reduced.
The headend usually utilizes the frequency band between 50xcx9c860 MHz when downstreaming the signals, though there are some differences among national standards.
The HFC network utilizes a plurality of intermediate amplifiers. However, the longer the distance over which the signals are transmitted, the greater the signal level varies during transmission. Therefore, the amplifiers (102) are utilized between the HFC network and the end-user terminals; the amplifiers (102) are capable of performing Automatic Gain Control (AGC).
Referring to FIG. 2, the prior art cable modem comprises a saw filter (200), a mixer and AGC (201), a LPF (Low Pass Filter) (202), a tuner (203), a gain controller (204), a downstream demodulator (205), a MAC (Media Access Controller) (206), a programmable attenuator (207), an upstream modulator (208), and a CPU.
The tuner (203) down-converts the upconverted downstream signals into IF (Intermediate Frequency) signals having constant frequency by utilizing RF (Radio Frequency) signals. In the North American specification, random RF signals having an input range of about 54xcx9c860 MHz are converted into IF signals having a single range of 43.75 MHz.
The gain controller (204) controls the level of the input signals so that the level of the input signals is kept constant.
The downstream demodulator (205) recovers the base band signals to the pre-modulated digital signals by demodulating the modulated signals.
The MAC (206), in relation to a media access, divides the demodulated signals into controlling signals and data signals, or transmits the data to the ethernet transceiver under the control of the CPU.
The upstream modulator (208) modulates the signals to be transmitted to the headend.
The mixer and AGC (201) converts the IF signals in the range of 43.75 MHz into the base band of 6 MHz, and controls the gain.
The LPF (202) passes only the low band (6 MHz) signals and removes the high band signals, among the signals generated from the mixer.
The CPU (209) controls the overall operation of the modem.
The programmable attenuator (207) controls the level of the modulated signals.
FIG. 3 shows the frequency band of the pilot signal of the downstream line of the prior art network. The pilot signal of 451.25 MHz is generally utilized so as to detect the level of the downstream signals. If necessary, another pilot signal of 73 MHz is utilized so as to reduce the changes of the low or high range.
Therefore, the prior art only performs one directional level control, that is, the prior art considers only the level changes of the downstream signals.
To minimize the level changes, the gain of the intermediate amplifiers are automatically controlled by utilizing the downstream pilot signal so that the output level from the amplifiers may be kept constant. Therefore, a constant signal level may be maintained in the end-user terminal. But, in the case of bidirectional service in the HFC network, not only the downstream but also the upstream signals are important. Currently, bidirectional services do not use a pilot signal to stabilize upstream transmission.
Because of the importance of the upstream signal, a constant signal level must be provided, in accordance with each of the national specifications. Furthermore, because the upstream signals are affected by conditions such as Ingress noise, stricter control is required.
It is an object of the present invention to provide bidirectional trunk amplifiers and a cable modem for HFC network utilizing an upstream pilot signal.
It is another object of the present invention to provide the upstream pilot signal by the cable modem and to automatically control the gain of the signal so that the headend receives a constant level upstream pilot signal from each terminal.
A cable modem for bidirectional services in the HFC network comprises a tuner for down-converting the up-converted downstream signals into IF (Intermediate Frequency) signals having constant frequency by utilizing RF (Radio Frequency) signals; a saw filter for filtering a specified band frequency received from the tuner; a mixerandAGC (Automatic Gain Controller) for converting the filtered IF signals into the base band signals, and controlling the gain; a LPF (Low Pass Filter) for passing only the low band signals and removing the high band signals among the signals generated from the mixer; a gain controller for controlling the level of the signals received from the mixerandAGC so that the signal level is kept constant; a downstream demodulator for recovering the base band signals from the LPF into the pre-modulated digital signals by demodulating the modulated signals; a MAC (Media Access Controller) for dividing the demodulated signals into control signals and data signals or transmitting the data to the transceiver under the control of the CPU; an upstream modulator for modulating the signals received from the MAC to be transmitted to the headend; a programmable attenuator for controlling the level of the modulated signals; a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for controlling the entire modem; a pilot signal generator for generating the pilot signal; and a switch connecting the tuner and the pilot signal generator under the control of the CPU.
The pilot signal generator comprises an oscillator which generates a radio frequency upstream pilot signal, a multiplier which multiplies the radio frequency upstream pilot signal to a desired frequency and outputs a multiplied upstream pilot signal, an AGC (automatic gain control) which outputs a level control signal, a level controller which controls the level of the multiplied upstream pilot signal in accordance with the level control signal to maintain the multiplied upstream pilot signal at a constant level, a radio frequency amplifier which amplifies the level controlled multiplied upstream pilot signal and outputs an amplified upstream pilot signal, and a BPF (band pass filter) which receives the output of the radio frequency amplifier and passes only the amplified upstream pilot signal.
The pilot signal generator is included in one of a plurality of terminals in the last cell of the tree structure. The pilot generator is generally turned off so as not to interfere with the signals. When the pilot signal is needed, the headend requests the pilot generator to generate the pilot signal The radio frequency amplifier performs the automatic gain control by utilizing the signal of the pilot generator. The pilot signal generator generates a constant pilot signal. The signal received by the headend always has a constant level.
A bidirectional trunk amplifier for bidirectional services in the HFC network comprises a directional filter (DF) for separating the upstream signal and the downstream signal; a pad, having characteristics similar to the frequency characteristics of the coaxial cable, for compensating the attenuated value of the coaxial cable and matching the input level; an equalizer for compensating the frequency deviation caused by the line; an amplifier for amplifying the input signal to a desired level; and a level controller for controlling the slope and the automatic gain.
The bidirectional trunk amplifier performs the AGC so as to provide a stable upstream signal. The level controller comprises a gain block for controlling the gain signal; a slope block for controlling the slope signal; an amplifier for amplifying the gain-controlled signal and the slope-controlled signal; a directional splitter for separating said signals into main and sub signals; and an Automatic Gain Controller and Automatic Slope Controller (AGCandASC) for controlling the gain block and the slope block.
The amplifier may be applied to trunk amplifiers and to each of the bidirectional amplifiers. The upstream pilot signals are used to stabilize the upstream transmission line. The upstream bidirectional amplifier is automatically gain controlled. The cable modem provides a constant pilot signal. The upstream pilot signal is selected from the upstream frequency band in order to provide a constant level of the signal to the terminal. The cable modem generates a pilot signal only if the headend requires it.
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All-wheel drive skid-steer loaders have gained in popularity due to their compact size and maneuverability. The conventional skid-steer loaders are configured so that a variety of separate attachments can be coupled thereto such as an excavator bucket, a scarifier, a dozer blade, etc.
Oftentimes when using a skid-steer loader with a bucket attachment, it is necessary to break-up hard ground. Thus, an operator is required to stop the operation of the loader and physically remove the bucket to put on a scarifier having teeth to break-up compacted or hard ground. Many operators find this to be a great loss in work time and often choose to just break-up the ground with the bucket, thus creating additional costs and loss of time to repair/replace the misused equipment.
There are conventional buckets having teeth that protrude from the lower front edge of the bucket. These buckets work well when digging and ground-breaking are needed but, because the teeth are permanently fixed to the front edge of the bucket, the teeth hinder the process of smoothing and packing soil because the points of the teeth leave lines in the ground during back-dragging of the bucket.
My U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,650 discloses a bucket including a retractable scarifier so that the bucket can be used without obstruction from the scarifier when the scarifier is not required, and so that the scarifier can be employed when needed to break-up hard ground. A hydraulic cylinder or actuator is mounted generally vertically with respect to the rear wall of the bucket to cause movement of the scarifier teeth. Although these type of bucket/scarifiers are effecting in operation, it has been determined that bucket/scarifiers with the vertically mounted cylinder may not be employed on certain skid steers having oversized tires since the cylinder may interfere with the tires.
There is a need to provide a bucket having a retractable scarifier with an improved actuator mounting so that the bucket can be used on any type of powered device without obstructing components of the device.
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Delta-sigma modulation is an example of a technique for generating a 1-bit pulse train representing an analog waveform.
The delta-sigma modulation is a kind of oversampling modulation. A delta-sigma modulator includes a loop filter and a quantizer. The quantizer is able to output a 1-bit pulse train as a quantized signal.
The 1-bit pulse train outputted from the delta-sigma modulator is restored to the original analog waveform by simply passing through an analog filter. That is, the 1-bit pulse train outputted from the delta-sigma modulator is a digital signal, but represents an analog waveform, and therefore has both the property as a digital signal and the property as an analog signal.
It is conceivable to transmit an analog signal as a digital signal by utilizing the 1-bit pulse train having the aforementioned properties. In this case, however, degradation in signal characteristics of the analog signal due to utilization of the 1-bit pulse train has become a problem.
The inventors of the present invention have discovered that, in the 1-bit pulse train also having the property as an analog signal, asymmetry between a pulse rising waveform and a pulse falling waveform causes degradation in signal characteristics as the analog signal (refer to Patent Literature 1).
That is, if a distortion component (asymmetric component) that is included in the waveform of the 1-bit pulse train and causes asymmetry between the pulse rising waveform and the pulse falling waveform is suppressed, degradation in signal characteristics as the analog signal represented by the 1-bit pulse train can be suppressed.
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1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to a new method of preparing aromatic acetamides from aryl methyl ketones.
2. Background Information And Description Of The Related Art
The following information is disclosed in accordance with the terms of 37 CFR 1.56, 1.97 and 1.98.
Aromatic acetamides are useful as intermediates in the production of various chemicals and pharmaceuticals. For example, 4-hydroxyphenylacetamide is an intermediate in the production of atenolol, a well-known beta-adrenergic blocker.
The Willgerodt reaction is known in the art as the reaction between an aryl alkyl ketone and aqueous yellow ammonium polysulfide to produce an aromatic amide having the same number of carbon atoms. For example, by means of this reaction, 4-hydroxyphenylacetamide may be produced from 4-hydroxyacetophenone.
In addition to aryl alkylketones, the reaction has been stated to be applicable to the production of amides from other compounds, such as dialkyl ketones, aliphatic mercaptans, secondary and tertiary alcohols, acetals, and aromatic hydrocarbons. It has also been stated that a mixture of sulfur and ammonia is equivalent to ammonium polysulfide in obtaining the reaction.
In the Kindler modification of the Willgerodt reaction, the aryl alkyl ketone or other reactant is reacted with an amine and sulfur in an anhydrous system. However, as described in the art, the product in this modification is not the amide but the thioamide.
Description of the foregoing reactions are exemplified in the following references.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,459,706 issued Jan. 18, 1949 to J. A. King, discloses the production of amides by subjecting aliphatic mercaptans or secondary or tertiary alcohols to a Willgerodt reaction with ammonium polysulfide, or sulfur and ammonia or an amine. In column 3, lines 5 to 7, the patentee states that "When substantially anhydrous conditions prevail, the carboxylic derivative resulting is a thioamide . . . . "
U.S. Pat. No. 2,572,809 issued Oct. 23, 1951 to C. F. Jelinek, discloses the Willgerodt reaction between acetals and ammonium polysulfide, or ammonium hydroxide and sulfur in an aqueous system, or a primary or secondary amine and sulfur in an anhydrous system, to produce amides. Example 5 in column 3 of the patent shows the reaction between dimethyl benzal, sulfur and morpholine to produce a thioamide, viz., 4-thiobenzoylmorpholide.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,610,980 issued Sept. 16, 1952 to M. A. Naylor, teaches the formation of amides by reacting aromatic hydrocarbons with ammonium polysulfide, or sulfur and ammonia in the presence of water or under anhydrous conditions. In column 5, lines 35 to 37, the patentee states, "When substantially anhydrous conditions prevail, the carboxylic acid derivative resulting is a thioamide."
U.S. Pat. No. 2,689,246 issued Sept. 14, 1954 to H. Feichtinger, discloses the Willgerodt reaction of unsaturated nitrocompounds with ammonium polysulfide, or ammonia or an amine and sulfur, in aqueous system to form a carboxylic acid amine, or in anhydrous system to form a corresponding thioamide.
German Patent No. 405,675, granted Nov. 4, 1924 to K. Kindler, discloses generally the preparation of thioamides by reacting aldehydes or ketones with ammonia or a primary or secondary amine, and sulfur. However, in the only specific example utilizing ammonia gas, benzaldehyde is reacted to form thiobenzamide.
E. V. Brown, "The Willgerodt Reaction" in Synthesis 1975, June 1975, 358-375, discloses the Willgerodt reaction of various aryl methyl ketones and other compounds with ammonium polysulfide, or sulfur and ammonium hydroxide in aqueous system to produce aryl acetamides, or with sulfur and an amine such as morpholine in a Willgerodt-Kindler reaction to produce thioamides.
M. Carmack and M. A. Spielman, "The Willgerodt Reaction", Chapter 2 of R. Adams, Editor, Organic Reactions, Vol. III, (New York: John Wiley, 1946), 83-107, disclose the Willgerodt reaction of several methyl aryl ketones with ammonium polysulfide, or sulfur and aqueous ammonia to produce aromatic acetamides, and also show examples of the Kindler modification involving the reaction of any of various methyl aryl ketones with sulfur and amines in anhydrous system to produce acetothioamides. This reference also states that anhydrous ammonia sometimes is used (page 85), citing German Patent No. 405,675 described previously.
A. C. Ott, et. al., J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 68 (1946): 2633-2634, discloses the preparation of p-hydroxyphenylacetamide by the Willgerodt reaction of p-hydroxyacetophenone and ammonium sulfide in aqueous system.
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The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of evergreen Rhododendron, botanically known as Rhododendron minus carolinianum.times.dauricum sempervirens and hereinafter referred to by the name `Amy Cotta`.
The new Rhododendron is a naturally-occurring mutation of the Rhododendron minus caroliniarum.times.Dauricum sempervirens cultivar PJM (not patented). The new Rhododendron was discovered and selected by the inventor as a single plant within a large population of plants of the parent cultivar, the Rhododendron minus carolinianum.times.dauricum sempervirens cultivar PJM, in a controlled environment in Portsmouth, R.I., in 1982. The selection of this plant was based on its smaller leaf size, denser growth habit and slower growth rate.
Asexual reproduction of the new Rhododendron by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Portsmouth, R.I., has shown that the unique features of this new Rhododendron are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
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Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Fisupnic Coral Ice.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Fisupnic Coral Icexe2x80x99.
The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany and Galder, Gran Canaria, Spain. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new vigorous Impatiens cultivars with medium flowering response and large rounded flowers with attractive coloration.
The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor during the spring of 1999 of a proprietary seedling selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number 98-4070-2, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Impatiens hawkeri Fisnics Scarlet Blush, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,227, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Fisupnic Coral Ice was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Galder, Gran Canaria, Spain in April, 2000.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in Galder, Gran Canaria, Spain, since July, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Fisupnic Coral Icexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Fisupnic Coral Icexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Impatiens cultivar:
1. Outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; tall growth habit.
2. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.
3. Medium green-colored foliage.
4. Large, rounded, light red-colored flowers with white-colored centers that are positioned just at, above or beyond the foliage.
Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Impatiens were larger and more vigorous than plants of the female parent selection.
2. Plants of the new Impatiens had darker green-colored leaves than plants of the female parent selection.
3. Plants of the new Impatiens and the female parent selection differed in flower coloration as plants of the female parent selection had white-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Fisnics Scarlet Blush. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar Fisnics Scarlet Blush in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Impatiens were larger and more vigorous than plants of the cultivar Fisnics Scarlet Blush.
2. Leaves of plants of the new Impatiens were lighter green in color than leaves of plants of the cultivar Fisnics Scarlet Blush.
3. Plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar Fisnics Scarlet Blush differed in flower coloration as plants of the cultivar Fisnics Scarlet Blush had red-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Impatiens can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Harmony Cherry Ice, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar Harmony Cherry Ice in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Impatiens were taller than plants of the cultivar Harmony Cherry Ice.
2. Leaves of plants of the new Impatiens were longer than leaves of plants of the cultivar Harmony Cherry Ice.
3. Plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar Harmony Cherry Ice differed in flower coloration as plants of the cultivar Harmony Cherry Ice had darker red-colored flowers.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to markers suitable for use in golf fairways, especially to indicate the distance of a particular position on the fairway to the green. The markers may also be used as distance markers for golf driving ranges, as markers for airport runways and taxiways or for soccer field corners, and as benchmarks in parks of public lands.
2. Prior Art
It is common for distance markers to be placed on golf fairways to help players estimate the distance of their ball to the green. Many of these markers are set flat into the ground and as such are hard to find.
Markers have also been used which project above the ground. However, such markers either have to be removed when the grass is being mowed, or have to be made very flexible so that they can be pushed flat by a mowing machine. The latter type of marker has two drawbacks. Firstly it is likely to become broken with repeated bending caused by frequent mowing operations. Secondly, it is not favoured by golfers since it interferes with the rolling of balls.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,171, which issued Jun. 15, 1993 to Kirby et al., proposes a golf fairway marker which collapses from a raised condition to a retracted, lowered condition when run over by a mowing machine. This includes a spring loaded central plunger and a series of trapezoidal leaves each having their narrower end held by the top of the plunger, and the wider end held by a surrounding support ring. This construction, in addition to being somewhat complex, has the drawback that the spring causes the plunger to rise as soon as the lead roller of a mower has passed over it, and so is subjected to repeated impacts by other parts of the mower.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,669, which issued Dec. 25, 1984 to Carman, shows a golf marker having a base and having an upper portion including a resilient dome which is depressed when a mower passes over it. There is nothing to delay recovery of the resilient dome to its normal position, so it would be expected that after a mower wheel or roller has run over it, the dome would spring back to its normal position where it could be cut by mower blades.
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Today, PS (presensitized) plates in which positive type photosensitive agents of which the principal components are a diazo compound and a phenolic resin, or negative type photosensitive agents of which the principal components are acrylic based monomers or prepolymers, are being used for lithographic offset printing plates. These plates have low sensitivity. Plate making is carried out by attaching thereto a pre-imagewise recorded film original and exposing the plate to light.
On the other hand, as a result of processing which has been made in computer graphics processing and large capacity data storage coupled with data transmission techniques, in recent years, electronic editing systems, in which everything from original input, correction, editing and layout to page compilation is handled by computer and can be sent out immediately to terminal plotters in distant locations by means of a high speed communication network or by satellite communication, have been placed into practical use. The need for electronic editing systems is especially great in the newspaper printing field where immediacy is essential. Furthermore, as a result of the development of ultralarge capacity memory devices, such as optical disks, consideration has been-given to the storage of originals as digital data on these recording media in fields where the original is stored as a master film and a plurality of printing plates are made, as required, on the basis of the stored original.
However, practical direct type basic printing plates from which a printing plate can be made directly from the output of a terminal plotter are not available Even when an electronic editing system has been used, the output is materiallized using a silver salt based photographic film in practice and the printing plate is produced indirectly on the basis of this film which is attached to a PS plate which is then exposed. One of the reasons for this is the difficulty involved in the development of direct type printing plates which have a sufficiently high speed to enable the printing plate to be made in a practical period of time using the light sources of output plotters (for example, He--Ne lasers and semiconductor lasers).
Electrophotographic photoreceptors are highly sensitive to light and could provide direct type printing plates. Many printing plates for electrophotographic type plate making of the type in which the photoconductive layer in the non-image parts is removed after forming a toner image are well known. Thus, printing plates for electrophotographic type plate making have been disclosed, for example, in JP-B-37-17162, JP-B-38-6961, JP-B-38-7758, JP-B-41-2426, JP-B-46-39405, JP-A-50-19509, JP-A-50-19510, JP-A-52-2437, JP-A-54-145538, JP-A-54-134632, JP-A-55-105254, JP-A-55-153948, JP-A-55-161250, JP-A-57-147656, and JP-A-57-161863. (The terms "JP-A" and "JP-B" as used herein mean "unexamined published Japanese patent application" and "examined Japanese patent publication" respectively.)
Because it is necessary to remove the non-image parts by etching to expose a hydrophilic surface in order to use an electrophotographic photoreceptor as a printing plate, binder resins which dissolve or swell in alkaline solvents and are then stripped away are often used as binder resins. Normally, these resins which dissolve or swell in alkaline solvents have poor compatibility with organic photoconductive compounds when compared to the polycarbonate resins which are widely used as binder resins for electrophotographic photoreceptors and, consequently, the amount of organic photoconductive compound which can be introduced into the electrophotographic photosensitive layer is limited. Even if sufficient amount of carriers for eliminating the surface potential is formed in the photoconductive layer, if the organic photoconductive compound content in the photoconductive layer is low, then the rate of migration of the carriers in the photoconductive layer is reduced and the rate at which the surface potential falls is low, which is to say the response rate is low. Consequently, after the completion of exposure, the time period from that the surface potential has been reduced sufficiently so that fogging does not occur to that toner development can commence is prolonged. The response time becomes longer as the exposure brightness is increased for a shortened exposure time in order to shorten the processing time as much as possible. Hence, the slowness of the response time greatly impedes any shortening of the overall processing time. Furthermore, other problems arise in cases where a scanning exposure is carried out using a high brightness light source such as laser light source. Thus, if the response rate is low, the rate of reduction of the surface potential differs in the parts where write-in starts and finishes, and so there is no fogging in the parts where write-in starts but fogged images are formed where write-in finishes and irregularity inevitably occur when a printing plate is made. Known binder resins which have been used in the past in printing plates for electrophotographic type plate making include styrene/maleic anhydride copolymers, vinyl acetate/crotonic acid copolymers, vinyl acetate/maleic anhydride copolymers and phenolic resins as disclosed, for example, in JP-B-41-2426, JP-B-37-17162, JP-B-38-6961, JP-A-52-2437, JP-A-54-19803, JP-A-54-134632, JP-A-55-105254, JP-A-50-19509 and JP-A-50-19510. However, various problems are known to arise when these are used in printing plates for electrophotographic plate making in which organic photoconductive compounds are used. Thus, the formed film is hard and cracking occurs when the printing plate is flexed in cases where a styrene/maleic anhydride copolymer has been used as a binder resin. Furthermore, film adhesion is poor and unable to withstand the printing of a large number of copies. The film which is formed is brittle and has poor printing durability when a phenolic resin has been used as a binder resin. Problems also arise with printing durability when a phenolic resin has been used as a binder resin. Problems also arise with printing durability when vinyl acetate/crotonic acid copolymers and vinyl acetate/maleic anhydride copolymers are used.
The use of copolymers of acrylic acid ester monomers or methacrylic acid monomers with monomers which contain a carboxylic acid has been suggested in JP-A-57-161863 and JP-A-58-76843 as a means of overcoming the various problems which result in poor printing durability, principally of the type described above. It is possible to use printing plates for electrophotographic type plate making if these resins are used, but the problems which have arisen in recent years due to the slow response rate, as mentioned earlier, have still not been resolved.
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There is a continuing need for lower attenuation optical fibers. Low attenuation is one of the most critical properties in optical fibers. Most optical fibers use germania (GeO2) doped silica for the core region and pure silica for the overclad region. However, the Raleigh scattering due to germania doping limits low fiber attenuation to about 0.18 dB/km for practical fibers due to Rayleigh scattering related to dopant concentration fluctuation. To reduce dopant concentration fluctuation, relatively high silica core fibers have been made which utilize a fluorine doped cladding. These fibers sometimes include small amounts of chlorine. However, these high silica content core optical fibers have high viscosity that increases the Rayleigh scattering due to high fictive temperature in the core. In addition, the fluorine (F) doped cladding has a much lower viscosity, which results in high draw induced stress in the core region. The high stress in the core region reduces the glass relaxation, which increases the Rayleigh scattering loss. In addition, the stress effect reduces the core refractive index through stress-optic effects, making it difficult to achieve the core refractive index change required for making a single mode fiber, therefore even higher amounts (˜2×) of fluorine doping in the cladding is required. This higher F-doping makes the silica core and F-doped cladding have even higher viscosity and stress differences, resulting in the fibers being drawn at slow speeds to achieve low attenuation.
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Wireless telephony continues to evolve, both in terms of the features of the mobile devices that connect to the wireless networks and the speed of the networks. Mobile devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, and “smartphones” are gaining greater functionality and in turn increasing their utility value beyond basic voice communications and SMS texting/messaging.
Mobile phones, for instance, often include a camera, a keypad for entering text and other commands, an operating system, user interfaces and software applications for surfing the Web and for sending and receiving email and text messages, and radio transceivers for providing wireless wide area mobile data, GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity among others. These mobile devices, sometimes referred to as “smartphones,” can also function as wireless cellular data access modems. Users are able to set their smart phones to act as cellular data access modems via Menu Settings on the handset which interface with the device software stack and device hardware to change the smartphone from communications device to access device. Ironically, when the smartphone is set as an access device, the voice communications and other networking functions of the handset are often disabled.
Current implementations involve tethering the smartphone via USB or BlueTooth to the Laptop. This limits the smartphone to act as a wireless data access modem for a single user laptop. However the new opportunities created by embedding WiFi radios in Smartphones will enable WiFi communications between the Smartphone and Laptop (given nearly 100% of laptops have WiFi chipsets embedded already). In addition to enabling WiFi communications between a smartphone and a hotspot, smartphones can also be used both as WiFi access points and as modems to provide Internet access to other devices.
Internet access via a mobile device is provided via a carrier's network. The technology used by the network will determine in large part the data rate the between the mobile device and the network to which it is connected. When another device (such as a computer, a laptop, a PDA or other mobile device) uses the mobile device to connect to the Internet, either as a modem (sometimes referred to as “tethering”) or as a Wi-Fi access point, the connection between the other device and the mobile device will also affect the overall data throughput as experienced by the other device.
Mobile devices, such as smartphones, used as modems and mobile devices used as access points may be configured to provide connectivity simultaneously to a number of other devices. The number of such devices that may be connected at any one time to a mobile device used as an access point may be limited by the capabilities of the processor of the mobile device-access point, the power available to the mobile-device access point, and the speed of the connection between the mobile device-access point and the carrier network. Hence, the mobile device-access point becomes a bottleneck for communications generated by the access devices. In addition, a single device may make a data transfer (up or down stream) that can significantly impact the throughput of other access devices.
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In wellbore drilling, a drill bit is attached to a drill string, lowered into a well, and rotated in contact with a formation. The rotation of the drill bit breaks and fractures the formation forming a wellbore. A drilling fluid (also known as drilling mud) is circulated down the drill string and through nozzles provided in the drill bit to the bottom of the wellbore, and then upward toward the surface through an annulus formed between the drill string and the wall of the wellbore. The drilling fluid serves many purposes including cooling the drill bit, supplying hydrostatic pressure upon the formation penetrated by the wellbore to prevent fluids from flowing into the wellbore, reducing torque and drag between the drill string and the wellbore, carrying the formation cuttings, i.e., the portions of the formation that are fractured by the rotating drill bit, to the surface, and other purposes.
One potential issue during wellbore drilling operations occurs when hydrocarbons from the formation being drilled are released into the wellbore before the well is set for production. The hydrocarbons in the formation, which can be at pressures greater than the drilling mud weight on the drill bit, can flow to the surface resulting in well blowout. Another potential issue during wellbore drilling occurs due to the aggregation of formation cuttings, either downhole or at other positions along the flow path of the drilling mud. Such aggregation can, among other issues, reduce a life of the drill bit, decrease penetration rate, and result in stuck pipe and/or lost circulation.
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This invention relates generally to ice cream sandwich machines and, more particularly, is directed to an ice cream sandwich machine of the type in which an index wheel having a plurality of pockets therein transfers the formed ice cream sandwiches to a conveyor assembly.
Ice cream sandwich machines for automatically and continuously producing completed ice cream sandwiches are well known in the art, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,794,404; 3,119,353; 3,316,860; and 3,834,119.
In such machines, ice cream is extruded through the end of a vertically-oriented nozzle. At the same time, wafers stacked on inclined trays on opposite sides of the nozzle are continuously supplied to form with the extruded ice cream, ice cream sandwiches. The ice cream sandwich consisting of two wafers with extruded ice cream therebetween is formed and carried to an output conveyor by means of an index wheel positioned below the nozzle and having a plurality of pockets therein which receive the wafers and ice cream in the form of a sandwich.
The index wheel is intermittently rotated to position the ice cream sandwiches adjacent a conveyor assembly which carries the finished ice cream sandwiches to an ice cream sandwich wrapping assembly of the machine. Generally, lugs are secured to the conveyor assembly and communicate with the index wheel to engage and eject the ice cream sandwiches from the pockets of the index wheel. The sandwichs are thus caused to fall onto an endless conveyor belt of the conveyor assembly which is positioned immediately adjacent the index wheel.
Ideally, each formed ice cream sandwich should be of an identical configuration; that is, the wafers should be even with each other with ice cream centered in the middle thereof. However, due to various misalignments and the like in the ice cream sandwich machine, defective ice cream sandwiches may be formed, particularly during start-up and initial alignment of the machine. For example, the wafers may be off center with each other and/or with respect to the ice cream therebetween, the ends of the sandwich may be smashed or the ends of a wafer may be broken off.
In the case of defective ice cream sandwiches, as enumerated above, it is desirable that these sandwiches be quickly and readily removed from the machine prior to entering the wrapping assembly.
Although various ejecting conveyor assemblies are known, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,340,992; 3,576,189; 3,655,025; 3,724,638; 3,880,751; 4,004,681 and 4,230,216, each of these mechanisms is relatively complex and cannot easily and readily be used to eject defective ice cream sandwiches in an ice cream sandwich machine.
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Muscarinic cholinergic receptors mediate the actions of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Muscarinic receptors play a critical role in the central nervous system mediating higher cognitive functions, as well as in the peripheral parasympathetic nervous system where they mediate cardiac, respiratory, digestive, and endocrine and exocrine responses. Five distinct muscarinic receptor subtypes have been identified, M1-M5. The muscarinic M1 receptor subtype is predominantly expressed in the cerebral cortex and is believed to be involved in the control of higher cognitive functions; the M2 receptor is the predominant subtype found in heart and is involved in the control of heart rate; the M3 receptor is widely expressed in many peripheral tissues and is believed to be involved in gastrointestinal and urinary tract stimulation as well as sweating and salivation; the M4 receptor is present in brain and may be involved in locomotion; the M5, receptor is present in the brain where its role is at present poorly defined. M1 and M4 have been particularly associated with the dopaminergic system.
Conditions associated with cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer's disease, are accompanied by a reduction of acetylcholine content in the brain. This is believed to be the result of degeneration of cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain, which widely innervate multiple areas of the brain, including the association cortices and hippocampus, that are critically involved in higher processes.
Efforts to increase acetylcholine levels have focused on increasing levels of choline, the precursor for acetylcholine synthesis, and on blocking acetylcholineesterase (AChE), the enzyme that metabolizes acetylcholine. Attempts to augment central cholinergic function through the administration of choline or phosphatidylcholine have not been successful. ACHE inhibitors have shown therapeutic efficacy, but have been found to have frequent cholinergic side effects due to peripheral acetylcholine stimulation, including abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. These gastrointestinal side effects have been observed in about a third of the patients treated. In addition, some AChE inhibitors, such as tacrine, have also been found to cause significant hepatotoxicity with elevated liver transaminases observed in about 30% of patients. The adverse effects of AChE inhibitors have severely limited their clinical utility.
The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia suggests that increased dopamine neurotransmission underlies the positive symptoms of the disease and is supported by the evidence that dopamine receptor blockade is effective in ameliorating such psychotic symptoms. Further, drugs that enhance dopamine neurotransmission in the brain cause psychotic-like episodes in man and exacerbate psychotic symptoms in schizophrenic patients. In animal studies, drugs that increase dopamine neurotransmission cause behavioural effects such as increased locomotion, climbing and deficits in prepulse inhibition. Known antipsychotics and dopamine receptor antagonists can block these behavioural effects. Unfortunately, dopamine receptor antagonists also cause severe extrapyramidal side effects in patients as predicted by induction of catalepsy in animal models. These extrapyramidal side effects include tremor, bradykinesia, akithesias, and tardive dyskinesias.
Due in part to these observations, the discovery of agents with M1 receptor agonist activity has been sought after for the treatment of dementia. However, existing agents lack specificity in their actions at the various muscarinic receptor subtypes. Known M1 muscarinic agonists such as arecoline have also been found to be weak agonists of M2 as well as M3 receptor subtypes and are ineffective in the treatment of cognitive impairment, due in large part to their dose-limiting M2 and M3 receptor mediated side effects.
Xanomeline (Shannon et al., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 1994, 269, 271; Shannon et al., Schizophrenia Res. 2000, 42, 249) is an M1/M4 preferring muscarinic receptor agonist with little or no affinity for dopamine receptors despite inhibiting A10 but not A9 dopamine cells. The thiadiazole derivative PTAC has been reported (Shannon et al., European Journal of Pharmacology, 1998, 356, 109) to have partial agonist effect at muscarinic M2 and M4 receptors and antagonist effect at muscarinic M1, M3, and M5 receptors as well as exhibiting functional dopamine antagonism.
Recently, muscarinic agonists including xanomeline have been shown to be active in animal models with similar profiles to known antipsychotic drugs, but without causing catalepsy (Bymaster et al., Eur. J. Pharmacol. 1998, 356, 109, Bymaster et al., Life Sci. 1999, 64, 527, Shannon et al., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 1999, 290, 901, Shannon et al., Schizophrenia Res. 2000, 42, 249). Further, xanomeline was shown to reduce psychotic behavioural symptoms such as delusions, suspiciousness, vocal outbursts, and hallucinations in Alzheimer's disease patients (Bodick et al., Arch. Neurol. 1997, 54, 465), however treatment induced side effects that severely limit the clinical utility of this compound.
Analogues of 1,2,5-thiadiazole have been reported (Sauerberg et al., J. Med. Chem. 1998, 41, 4378) to have high affinity and selectivity for central muscarinic receptors as well as exhibiting functional dopamine antagonism despite lack of affinity for dopamine receptors.
The present investigators have, in part, focussed their efforts on the development of molecules that simultaneously reduced the positive symptoms and improved the negative symptoms and the cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia as a novel treatment of mental disorders. It is the intent of the present investigators to demonstrate that muscarinic M1 and/or M4 agonists with combined D2 antagonist activity may possess superior antipsychotic efficacy without the side effects associated with high dose D2 antagonism alone. The D2 antagonist properties of some of the compounds of the present invention may contribute to a reduction in the positive symptoms of this disease.
Based on distribution of M1 and M4 receptors in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus (the areas involved in higher order cognitive functions), the M1 and/or M4 agonist properties of these compounds may reduce the cognitive dulling and perhaps ameliorate other negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia. (Friedman, Biol. Psychiatry, 1999, 45, 1; Rowley, J. Med. Chem. 2001, 44, 477; Felder, J. Med. Chem. 2000, 43, 4333). This unique combination of central nervous system activities in one molecule is unprecedented and may lead to the development of an entirely new class of antipsychotic drugs, ones with the superior clinical properties without the limiting side-effect profile.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,324,137 and . 3,365,457 describe N-[indolyl-lower-alkanoyl]-1,5-iminocycloalkanes and iminocycloalkanes not encompassed by the invention.
EP 0 584 487 describes 4,5-dihydo-4-oxo-pyrroles with linked to piperazine rings not encompassed by the invention.
Mokrosz et al (Pharmazie, 52, 1997, 6, p 423) describes N[3-(4-aryl)-1-piperazinyl)propyl] derivatives of indolin-2(1H)-one, quinolin-2-(1H)-one and isoquinolin-1-(2H)-one, which are not encompassed by the invention.
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Cancer is a significant health problem throughout the world. Although Cancer is a significant health problem throughout the world. Although advances have been made in detection and therapy of cancer, no vaccine or other universally successful method for prevention or treatment is currently available. Current therapies, which are generally based on a combination of chemotherapy or surgery and radiation, continue to prove inadequate in many patients.
Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among males, with an estimated incidence of 30% in men over the age of 50. Overwhelming clinical evidence shows that human prostate cancer has the propensity to metastasize to bone, and the disease appears to progress inevitably from androgen dependent to androgen refractory status, leading to increased patient mortality. This prevalent disease is currently the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the U.S.
In spite of considerable research into therapies for the disease, prostate cancer remains difficult to treat. Commonly, treatment is based on surgery and/or radiation therapy, but these methods are ineffective in a significant percentage of cases. Two previously identified prostate specific proteins—prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP)—have limited therapeutic and diagnostic potential. For example, PSA levels do not always correlate well with the presence of prostate cancer, being positive in a percentage of non-prostate cancer cases, including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Furthermore, PSA measurements correlate with prostate volume, and do not indicate the level of metastasis.
In spite of considerable research into therapies for these and other cancers, prostate cancer remains difficult to diagnose and treat effectively. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved methods for detecting and treating such cancers. The present invention fulfills these needs and further provides other related advantages.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminate film for electrophotography for easy production of an information recording medium using an image-recorded medium printed by an electrophotographic method, an information recording medium using the laminate film, and a manufacturing method of the information recording medium. More specifically, the present invention relates to a laminate film for electrophotography, an information recording medium using the same, and a method for manufacturing the information recording medium, which laminate film can be used for non-contact or contact type information recording media containing personal image information such as facial-photograph-containing cash cards, employee identification cards, student identification cards, individual membership cards, resident identification cards, various types of driver's licenses and various types of qualification certificates, RFID tags, image-recorded sheets for personal identification used in medical settings, image display boards, indication labels, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, image formation technology has developed, and means are known which can form images of the same quality in large quantities at low cost by various printing methods, such as intaglio printing, letterpress printing, planographic printing, gravure printing, and screen printing. Such printing methods are also widely used for manufacturing an information recording medium which can store predetermined information and communicate with an external device in a contact or non-contact manner, such as an IC card, a magnetic card, an optical card, and a card which is a combination thereof.
However, for example, the above-mentioned screen printing requires a lot of printing plates corresponding to the number of images to be printed. In the case of color printing, the required printing plates are further increased corresponding to the number of colors. Therefore, these printing methods are not suitable for individual pieces of personal identification information (including facial photographs, names, addresses, dates of birth, various licenses, and the like).
In response to the above-mentioned problem, the most dominant image formation means currently used is an image formation method based on a printer or the like which employs a sublimation-type or melting-type heat-transfer method using an ink ribbon, or the like. However, while such means can easily print personal identification information, they still have a problem in that increase in the printing speed lowers the resolution, and increase in the resolution leads to decrease in the printing speed.
In image formation (printing) by the electrophotographic method, the surface of an image carrier is electrically charged uniformly, and then subjected to light exposure according to image signals, to form an electrostatic latent image based on the difference in potential between the exposed portion and the unexposed portion. Thereafter, electrostatic development is conducted with a color powder (an image forming material) called toner with the opposite polarity to (or with the same polarity as) that of the charge of the image carrier, thereby forming a visible image (a toner image) on the surface of the image carrier. In the case of a color image, the color image is created by repetition of this process plural times or by processes conducted by plural image formation units disposed in parallel to form a color visible image wherein the color visible image is transferred to an image recording medium and fixed (immobilization, in other words, melting of the color powder mainly by heat followed by solidification thereof by cooling).
Since an electrophotographic method electrically forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of an image carrier by an image signal as mentioned above, not only can the method form the same image repeatedly but also can easily form a different image. Moreover, a toner image formed on the surface of an image carrier can be substantially completely transferred to the surface of an image recording medium, and the toner image slightly remaining on the surface of the image carrier can be easily removed by a resin blade, a brush or the like. Accordingly, printed materials can be easily prepared for limited production of a wide variety of goods.
In addition, the above-mentioned toner is generally formed by fusing and mixing a thermally fusible resin and a pigment, as well as optional additives such as a charge control agent, and then pulverizing and atomizing the kneaded substance. Further, the electrostatic latent image in the electrophotographic method has a considerably higher resolution compared with the above-mentioned atomized toner, and a sufficient resolution on par with the resolutions realized by the screen printing and the heat-transfer method using an ink ribbon can be expected.
Also, a color image can be obtained by using color toners of four primary colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black and then mixing the toner images of the respective colors. Theoretically, the same colors as realized in printing can be reproduced. In addition, in the above-mentioned color toner, the toner resin and the pigment can be relatively freely compounded, thereby enabling easy increase in the light shielding property of the image.
There have been almost no studies on the heat resistance and light resistance of information recording media intended to be used outdoors. Particularly when a driver's license or the like is left in a car and exposed to direct sunlight, fading occurs if the image is a heat-transferred image using a dye as a coloring material. However, when a color image is formed by the electrophotographic method, pigments corresponding to the respective colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black used in the color toner have excellent light resistance. Therefore, the light resistance of the images formed by the electrophotographic method is considered to be sufficiently high. Likewise, if a heat-resistant toner is selected, the heat resistance of the image formed on an information recording medium is considered to be high enough to allow the information recording medium to be used outdoors.
On the other hand, the most widely used substrates (cores) used for various types of cards are currently polyvinyl chloride sheets. This is because polyvinyl chloride (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “PVC”) sheets are excellent in printing characteristics in conventional printing machines, because they are also excellent in suitability for embossing (process to raise or lower characters and the like), and particularly because they are inexpensive compared with other alternate resins.
Although in recent years people have an environmentally negative image of PVC due to the release of dioxins by incineration treatment, it is thought today that the harmful gas release can be suppressed by proper incineration methods and the advancement of incinerators. The PVC resins to be raw materials comprise salts at a ratio of about 60%, and from the standpoint that the petroleum content thereof is low as compared with other resins, they are sometimes thought to be less harmful to the environment than other resins. Further, PVC resins are excellent in recyclability, and material recycling in the field of credit cards is advanced.
If embossing is not carried out in the manufacturing of cards, conventional films such as biaxially stretched PET (polyethylene terephthalate) films can be used. However, in order to retain the functions of conventional cards, embossing is often indispensable. Films currently used for embossing include: ABS resin films and polyolefin resin films, which soften at relatively low temperatures; a modified PET resin film called PETG; and integrally formed films of a modified PET resin film with a PET film, an amorphous PMT resin film, or a polycarbonate resin film.
As a method for producing conventional cards using substrates of the above-mentioned various types of cards, a production method including carrying out multi-imposition printing of card designs on large size substrates, layering the substrates so as to adjust the card thickness, sandwiching them with metal plates, piling more than ten of the layered products, heat pressing them at one time under atmospheric pressure followed by cooling, and punching the pressed products into a card size is generally employed.
This method takes several tens of minutes for the heat pressing so as to evenly transmit heat to the center part of the layered products and expel the air remaining between substrates, and takes approximately the same time for cooling.
On the other hand, examples of the above-mentioned various kinds of cards printed by using an electrophotographic apparatus are as follows.
To improve the fixation property and durability of images and prevent forgery and falsification, there is a method proposed (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 10-86562) which involves forming a hot sealing type adhesive layer of a polyester type on a transparent sheet containing polyethylene naphthalate or polyethylene terephthalate; printing image information for authentication and identification thereon as a mirror image; and sticking an acrylic substrate and the mirror image face to face in a contacting manner (the transparent sheet also works as a protection sheet).
However, with respect to the above-mentioned transparent sheet bearing the adhesive layer, although the fixation property and the transportability are taken into consideration for use in electrophotography, since the sheet is just an insulating sheet for which no particular consideration of the transfer property is taken, there are cases where this results in inferior image quality in an electrophotographic apparatus. Further, since no practical description of the speed and pressure of laminating means is given, even if an image is printed on the transparent sheet, air may possibly remain between the sheets, and the adverse effects of air bubbles sometimes result in inferior image quality.
As another example, to form good images and to prevent forgery, a method has been proposed (refer to JP-A No. 11-334265) which involves printing individual identification information on a light transmitting sheet as a mirror image; and sticking an adhesive layer on a substrate having an IC memory and the mirror image face to face in a contacting manner (the light transmitting sheet also works as a protection sheet).
However, with respect to the light transmitting laminate sheet (and the substrate), there is description that it is preferable to use a biaxial orientation polyester film or ABS or a polyester film/biaxial orientation polyester film for at least a portion of the sheet, and that it may be polyvinyl chloride, and since just a insulating sheet is used without any particular special device, transportation failure may possibly occur in an electrophotographic apparatus and the image quality may possibly become inferior. Also, since there is no practical description of the speed and pressure of laminating means, even if images can be printed on the light transmitting sheet, air may possibly remain between sheets at the time of laminating them, and the effect of the air bubbles remains to result in deterioration of the image quality.
Further, as another example, there is a method proposed (refer to JP-A No. 2001-92255) which involves printing an invisible bar code as well as various kinds of individual information on a 250 μm-thick polyvinyl chloride sheet or a 280 μm-thick polyester sheet by an electrophotographic method; overlaying a 250 μm-thick polyvinyl chloride over film or a 100 μm-thick polyester vinyl over film on the printed surface; and laminating by a heat press.
However, with respect to the above-mentioned polyvinyl chloride sheet or polyester sheet, since just an insulating sheet is used without any particular special device, transportation failure may possibly occur in an electrophotographic apparatus, and the image quality may possibly become inferior. Further, since there is no practical description of the temperature, pressure and time of the heat press apparatus, even if images can be printed on the sheet, air may possibly remain between the above-mentioned sheets and the over films and between the over films and a press member of the heat press apparatus at the time of laminating them, and the effect of the air bubbles remains to result in deterioration of the image quality and glossiness.
Further, as another example, to suppress glare of a non-laminate surface of a substrate, a laminate film for electrophotography has been proposed (refer to JP-A No. 2004-12575) which has a gloss control layer provided on the non-laminate surface, wherein the gloss control layer contains a binder (polyester resins or the like) and a filler (fine particles=mat agents) and has a thickness in a range of 0.01 to 20 μm (more preferably 0.1 to 5 μm), a volume average particle diameter of the filler is in a range of 0.1 to 10 μm (more preferably 1 to 5 μm), and the weight ratio of the filler and the binder (filler:binder) is in a range of (0.3: 1) to (3:1), as well as an image recording medium having a gloss control layer almost same as that of the laminate film for electrophotography and an image display body using the medium (refer to JP-A No. 2004-20950).
With respect to the above-mentioned laminate films for electrophotography, the non-laminate layers are previously subjected to mat treatment to control the surface gloss of the non-laminate surfaces after the laminate films for electrophotography and core substrates are laminated. However, at the time of laminating the laminate films for electrophotography and the core substrates, air may possibly remain between the laminate films for electrophotography and a press member of a heat press apparatus, and the effect of the air bubbles remains to result in deterioration of the gloss quality.
As described above, in the case of using conventional laminate films for electrophotography, air remains between the layered members to result in deterioration of the gloss and image quality.
However, these problems may be often solved if the layered products obtained by layering the substrates constituting the cards as described above are heat pressed slowly taking sufficient time of about several tens of minutes at the time of heat pressing. On the other hand, the heat pressing taking such a long time considerably lowers productivity. Therefore, in terms of productivity, the heat pressing is preferably completed within as short a time as possible.
Accordingly, it is thought that it is easy to improve the productivity in the case where a layered product has a thin thickness since heat can promptly be transmitted to the center part of the layered product. However, since the time taken to sufficiently expel air remaining between substrates is independent of the thickness of the layered product and thus not practically changed, the productivity cannot be improved even if heat pressing is carried out while the thickness of the layered product is made thin.
Further, if the heat press time is forcibly shortened, lamination is completed before the air remaining between substrates is sufficiently removed to leave air bubbles between the substrates. Dent traces (dimple patterns like the surface of a golf ball) of air remaining appear on the outermost surface of the substrate contacting a metal plate utilized for heat pressing to result, in particular, in considerable deterioration of the finished gloss quality of cards.
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Data storage libraries conventionally include a controller subject to the command of a host computer, a plurality of media elements, such as optical discs and magnetic tape cartridges, an array of slots for storing the media elements, a drive for performing read/write operations on the media elements, and a robotic transport for transporting the media elements between the slots and the drive. The library controller regulates the storage of the media elements, the transport of the media elements between the slots and the drive, and the read/write operations.
The robotic transport typically includes a so-called picker device or assembly designed to grasp the media element in a slot, transport the media element to the drive, insert the media element into a drive, and release and deposit the media element in the drive, as well as to perform a reverse process by which it grasps the media element within the drive, transports the media element to a slot, inserts the media element in the slot, and releases and deposits the media element in the slot.
The picker assemblies typically include a pair of arms or jaws moveable toward each other for the purpose of gripping, clasping, or clamping the media element and away from each other for the purpose releasing the media element. Typically both arms move under motor actuation and control.
Knowing the width of the media elements used within a data storage library, the motor actuating the movement of the picker arms may be controlled so as to move the arms to an open position to receive the media element and then to close the picker arms to a specified distance apart essentially equal to the width of the media element. Typically, a polyurethane pad or another type of resilient member is placed on the inwardly facing side of each arm and is adapted to abut the lateral sides of the media element to help absorb and distribute the compressive force of the arms with the media element clasped between the arms. Further, the resilient member may be provided with a non-slip or relatively frictional surface that is adapted to help maintain the media element in a compressively clamped condition between the arms. The resilient members on each arm may initially contact the media element, and then the arms are further squeezed together to provide a clamping force, thereby ensuring that the element will be maintained in a position between the jaws as the media element is moved and transported within the data storage library. Such an operation of squeezing the arms through the resilient members will create an initial resistive force and then an increase in resistive force until a predetermined gripping, clasping, or clamping force is attained.
The speed of operation of a data storage library is an important quality, and therefore increasing the speed of operation of a data storage library is a desirable objective. Thus, it is desirable to increase the speed of operation of the picker assembly in grasping and releasing media elements. The type of motor for actuation of the arms should act quickly and with precision. One such motor is a stepper motor. Some of the advantages of a stepper motor are that it is relatively inexpensive, it is capable of precise positioning and repeatability of movement, it possesses an excellent response to starting/stopping/reversing commands, it is very reliable and possesses a relatively long life, and it has a wide range of rotational speeds that can be realized. However, stepper motors also have potentially severe drawbacks. For example, stepper motors have a natural frequency of operation, a so-called self-resonant frequency. If the excitation frequency matches the self-resonant frequency, then a condition of ringing or vibration can become severe and can cause the motor to lose torque. Also, if the stepper motor experiences an increased load, the torque of the motor may slip, resulting in a loss of synchronization and even a reversal of rotation. These undesirable conditions can severely affect the operation of the stepper motor and can require a re-calibration of the stepper motor. The occurrence of these disadvantageous conditions of a stepper motor when operating a picker can shut down the operation of the data storage library.
The present invention reduces the possibility that such undesirable conditions will occur. A stepper motor as used to move picker arms may encounter unexpected loads. For example, sometimes the media elements are deposited in the slots in an angled or skewed orientation such that, when the arms move inwardly to clasp the media element the arms encounter a resistive force when the arms first contact the media element. The arms will experience a continued, usually increasing, resistive force as the arms continue to move together until the media element is operably oriented within and clasped between the arms. If a stepper motor is used to move the arms inward and the resistive force is encountered, the stepper motor will experience a sudden load which may cause slippage, especially if the stepper motor is being operated at a relatively high speed.
The present invention was developed in an attempt to utilize the advantages of a stepper motor, including its high speed operation, while at the same time reducing or eliminating any slippage due to the resistive force as the arms clamp the media element.
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About half of all grinding wheels made are vitrified bonded, and most of the rest are phenolic resin bonded. Wheels formulated with a liquid epoxy resin bond are the latest development. Liquid epoxy resin has superior physical characteristics as compared to phenolic resin. Among other aspects, it has higher tensile strength, less brittleness, more heat resistance, extra adhesion and better resistance to coolants. Powdered phenolic resin, however, is much easier to use in the production of wheels, and so is better suited for making a wide variety of wheel formulations.
The term "grinding wheels" refers to hard grinding elements including the standard wheel shape, cup wheel shape, mounted point shape, honing stone shape, etc. Grinding wheels are made of abrasive grains held together in a matrix by a binding material or ingredient.
The main binding ingredient is usually classified as being inorganic or organic. Inorganic binders include ceramic (vitrified) and oxychloride (magnesite). Organic binders include resins such as phenolic, shellac, epoxy, polyester and rubber. In some cases, the binder may be a combination, such as a phenolic resin and rubber. Different applications may require different binding materials.
In addition to the main binder material, other materials or fillers are often incorporated in a wheel formulation. These may be for the purpose of increased wheel strength, lubrication at the point of grind, prevention of steel chips welding to wheel face, or other such processing and operating benefits.
The major operations in the manufacturing of grinding wheels are: mixing the ingredients, molding them, firing them, and finishing them. Mixing is the operation of weighing raw materials, combining them in a mixing machine, screening them, and related steps prior to molding. Molding is the operation of placing the mix of raw materials in a steel form, and then leveling and pressing the mix to the desired thickness to form a "green" wheel which may be handled without falling apart. Firing or curing is the operation of applying heat in a kiln or oven to the molded "green" wheel in order to fuse an inorganic bond or polymerize an organic bond and producing a grinding wheel which is then cooled. Finishing is the operation of trimming the hardened wheel so as to remove material in excess of the desired final size.
The combined raw material mix for the grinding wheel generally can be classified as being dry, liquid (fluid or viscous), or a resilient solid. Most grinding wheels, whether inorganic or organic bonded, are produced from a dry mix. The abrasive grain is wetted thinly with a wetting agent--a solvent and/or resinous liquid--and then blended with a powdered binder. The binder is slightly dissolved by the wetting agent and adheres to each abrasive grain as a coating.
Inorganic or organic bonded wheels of a more specialized nature are produced from a liquid mix. The abrasive grain is coated with a mainly liquid binder.
Rubber bonded wheels are produced from slabs of resilient rubber impregnated with abrasive grain and fillers. This type of grinding wheel with a rubber mix is a minor one and has become more so in recent years.
The dry mix process of making grinding wheels generally is regarded as the most efficient and that is the reason for its predominance in the industry. It offers production and consistency advantages unmatched by the less used alternative liquid mix process.
The main production advantage of the dry mix process lies in its suitability for automation of mixing and molding. As a consequence, the labor content of the dry mix process is usually significantly lower than that with the liquid method. Large batches of powdered mix may be blended with ease in any of a number of common type industrial mixers. Because all ingredients, except for a small amount of wetting agent, are dry, the handling of them before and after mixing offers little difficulty. The equipment, including material pans, mixer blades, mixer chamber, chutes and the like, remains dry and relatively clean.
The liquid method, in most cases, does not lend itself to the same level of mixing automation, and requires more labor and complex equipment. Liquid epoxies, urethanes and some phenolics generally require the addition of curing agents, accelerators and the like. Precise proportions must be maintained. Most curing agents and accelerators are liquid, and they start resin advancement when added. Because of the viscosity, proportion sensitivity, and resin advancement, volume wheel production requires sophisticated component metering and mixing equipment. Even such equipment, however, cannot avoid many problems associated with mixing liquids with large quantities of sand-like abrasive grains. Accumulation of viscous materials, especially room temperature curing types, on equipment is a serious problem, and often requires removal by application of hazardous solvents. Wheels can be made by the liquid method by using less automated equipment but at a cost of extra labor and product inconsistency.
The dry molding operation offers labor savings over liquid methods. The dry method of molding is widely used and consists of pouring the free-flowing dry mix into a steel circular mold rotating on its vertical axis. After the proper amount of dry mix has been poured into the mold and leveled, the mold rotation is halted. A steel plate, similar to one already below the mix, is placed on top of the mix. The mold then is transferred into a hydraulic press, and the press is closed onto the mold assembly and exerts great compressive force on the wheel mix. When the mix has been compressed to the desired thickness it forms a "green" wheel, and the press ram retracts and the mold is moved onto a stripping mechanism. The stripper clamps the mold while pushing or stripping the "green" wheel upward from the mold. The mold then is moved back to its original location for the next cycle. This sequence of molding steps often is semi- or fully automatic and requires only a few moments to complete, depending on wheel size. The "green" wheel, after pressing, possesses sufficient "green" or uncured strength to withstand stripping and handling forces. It then is placed on a suitable plate or cart and transported into an oven.
Liquid molding does not have the advantage of using one mold for a rapid succession of wheels. Because the mix is wet or damp, once placed in a mold, it must stay until partly or fully cured. It has no "green" strength. Demolding may be delayed from several hours to over a day, depending on whether heat is applied. If heat is applied, extra time may be needed to cool the mold before cycling again. A number of molds are required even for modest production levels. Although a hydraulic press may not be necessary, other methods such as tamping or rolling are often used to fill the mold properly. Liquid mix must be poured into the mold carefully since trapped air bubbles can affect the quality of the finished wheel. Consistency of finished product is often a problem. If using a reactive mix, the last of the batch will have advanced somewhat by the time it is molded into a wheel. As a consequence, the last wheel of the batch may grind differently from the first.
An important feature of most grinding wheels is the porosity of the structure. Basically, a wheel is comprised of three entities: abrasive grains, a bond coating each grain and attaching it to its neighbor to form a matrix, and voids that exist between the grains of the matrix. The voids perform a useful function in the manufacturing and performance of a properly designed wheel. After curing, their similar size and frequency on all sides of the wheel indicates structure uniformity. Liquid bonded wheels can have the difficulty of the grains sinking to the bottom of the mold, leaving an excess of bonding material on top. The structure would not be considered uniform. During grinding, the voids provide space for metal chips from the object being ground to lodge temporarily. The larger the chips, the larger should be the designed voids. They also provide space for coolant to occupy, and allow the coolant to better reach the area of grind. The dry process naturally produces a porous structure. The liquid process does not, and must include special fillers that, upon burning away, leave voids in their place. The effectiveness of such fillers is often questionable.
A problem with all phenolic formulations, and most liquid epoxy formulations, is the presence of environmentally undesirable compounds. Phenolic resin bonds are based on the simultaneous use of phenolic resoles and phenolic novolacs. During a two-day curing operation at 175 degrees C., significant quantities of free phenol, formaldehyde and ammonia are released into the air. Epoxy resins generally are not an environmental problem but the curing agents can be hazardous. The most commonly used curing agents for liquid epoxies are aliphatic polyamines. These are classified as skin sensitizers, and can cause respiratory difficulties. Aromatic amines also are used for this type product and they are classified similarly as well as being a suspected carcinogen. Reactive diluents used for reducing liquid resin viscosity are sensitizing agents, and must be handled with care. Because of the nature of grinding wheel manufacturing, close physical and respiratory contact with materials in the process is nearly impossible to avoid.
Simply put, the dry process is the most effective method of designing and manufacturing grinding wheels. The resin with the best physical properties, however, is epoxy, which is a liquid in its commonly used form. Both phenolic and liquid epoxy bonds can be hazardous to workers and the environment.
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This invention relates to a new chemical process, and to new chemical compounds useful as intermediates in said process. More particularly, it relates to a new chemical process for the preparation of penicillanic acid 1,1-dioxide and esters thereof readily hydrolyzable in vivo. Said new chemical process comprises oxidation of a 6-halopenicillanic acid, or ester thereof readily hydrolyzable in vivo, to the corresponding 1,1-dioxide, followed by dehalogenation. Said new chemical compounds useful as intermediates are 6-alpha-halopenicillanic acid 1,1-dioxides and esters thereof readily hydrolyzable in vivo.
Penicillanic acid 1,1-dioxide and esters thereof readily hydrolyzable in vivo are useful as beta-lactamase inhibitors and as agents which enhance the effectiveness of certain beta-lactam antibiotics when the latter are used to treat bacterial infections in mammals, particularly humans. Previously, penicillanic acid 1,1-dioxide and esters thereof readily hydrolyzable in vivo have been prepared from 6-alpha-bromopenicillanic acid, or ester thereof readily hydrolyzable in vivo, by debromination to give penicillanic acid, or ester thereof readily hydrolyzable in vivo, followed by oxidation to the 1,1-dioxide. Although the process of the present invention starts with a 6-halopenicillanic acid, or ester thereof readily hydrolyzable in vivo, and involves the steps of dehalogenation and oxidation, surprisingly it is found that, if the oxidation step is performed before the dehalogenation step, a better yield of product is obtained. See British patent application No. 2,000,138A, published Jan. 4, 1979; Belgian Pat. No. 867,859, granted Dec. 6, 1978; and West German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,824,535, published Dec. 14, 1978 for details of methods of preparing penicillanic acid 1,1-dioxide and esters thereof readily hydrolyzable in vivo.
6-alpha-Halopenicillanic acids have been disclosed by Cignarella et al., Journal of Organic Chemistry, 27, 2668 (1962) and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,206,469; hydrogenolysis of 6-alpha-halopenicillanic acids to penicillanic acid is disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 1,072,108.
Harrison et al., Journal of the Chemical Society (London), Perkin I, 1772 (1976) disclose: (a) the oxidation of 6,6-dibromopenicillanic acid with 3-chloroperbenzoic acid, to give a mixture of the corresponding alpha- and beta-sulfoxides; (b) oxidation of methyl 6,6-dibromopenicillanate with 3-chloroperbenzoic acid to give a methyl 6,6-dibromopenicillanate 1,1-dioxide; (c) oxidation of methyl 6-alpha-chloropenicillanate with 3-chloroperbenzoic acid, to give a mixture of the corresponding alpha- and beta-sulfoxides; and (d) oxidation of methyl 6-alpha-bromopenicillanate with 3-chloroperbenzoic acid, to give a mixture of the corresponding alpha- and beta-sulfoxides.
Clayton, Journal of the Chemical Society (London), Part C, 2123 (1969) discloses inter alia: (a) 6-alpha-iodopenicillanic acid and its methyl ester; and (b) 6,6-diiodopenicillanic acid and its methyl ester.
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1. Related Applications
This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/875,770 having a filing date of 3 Sep. 2010 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/720,013 having a filing date of 19 Dec. 2012.
Please incorporate by reference all information in said patent applications into this continuation-in-part application.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to sports equipment and, more specifically, to a sports training apparatus comprising portable elastic members and/or plastic components or other attachments forming resistive member applied to a particular dynamic or fixed movement to enhance performance of said dynamic or fixed movement.
3. Description of the Prior Art
There are other training devices designed for sports. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 475,432 issued to Blades on May 24, 1892.
Another patent was issued to Gillespie on May 19, 1992 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,142. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,416 was issued to Smull et al. on Oct. 13, 1992 and still yet another was issued on Jan. 6, 1998 to Morse as U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,856.
Another patent was issued to Upshaw on Aug. 17, 1999 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,548. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,176 was issued to Martinez on Jul. 2, 2002. Another was issued to Kevin C. Burns on Feb. 4, 2003 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,163 and still yet another was issued on Aug. 10, 2004 to Gray as U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,366.
Another patent was issued to Gray on Jan. 10, 2006 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,984,184. Yet another U.S. Patent No. 2009/0098945 was issued to George on Apr. 16, 2009. Another was published to Davis on Dec. 1, 1927 as U.K. Patent No. GB281,171 and still yet another was published on Feb. 8, 1978 to Oppenheimer as U.K. Patent No. GB1500322.
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The present invention relates to apparatus for setting a horizontal plane, using a conventional level, particularly a spirit level having a housing, or if appropriate, a laser spirit level.
Leveling plates have been used for many years for leveling theodolites and other optical measuring instruments. They usually include upper and lower plates, which can be adjusted with respect to each other in two planes with the aid of adjustment screws, and leveling means in the form of a spirit level with which the horizontal alignment can be monitored. A leveling plate includes a further device, for example a threaded connection, for fastening the plate on a stand as well as securing means for fastening the actual measuring instrument to the plate.
Recently, there has been increasing use of so-called laser spirit levels. This is an optical measuring instrument with two leveling means oriented at right angles with respect to one another, and whose form and structure corresponds to that of a conventional spirit level. A laser and suitable optics are accommodated in the housing. The laser beam is adjusted to be exactly parallel to the measuring base of the spirit level body.
For fastening spirit levels, irrespective of whether they have a laser integrated in them, conventional leveling plates have special generally U-shaped clamping devices. The bearing surfaces of the devices have to be aligned with a high degree of precision so that they are at right angles with respect to the pivot axis of the leveling plate. This requires high machining costs. Fastening the spirit level in the clamping device also requires great accuracy by the user. Finally, conventional leveling plates are also equipped with complex mountings, in order that the optical measuring instrument might be adjusted, and particularly pivoted, precisely. These are costly because they should be free of play. Often, however, these mountings are not free of play, or over time become no longer free of play. Thus they have to be regularly readjusted. Moisture and dirt may also cause disruptions.
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The following description relates to an exchange infrastructure for collaborative business systems.
Companies face an increasing need for integration of and collaboration among their information and enterprise software systems. In most current system landscapes, many components are directly connected in a one-to-one relationship with other components, with the integration capabilities hardwired into the application components and individual mappings programs. Under these conditions, collaborative sharing of information or process control tends to be difficult if not impossible. Upgrades, changes, or extensions to an infrastructure of directly connected components are challenging and resource-intensive.
Electronic business collaboration, however, increasingly requires connectivity among all applications inside and outside of company boundaries. Networks such as the Internet provide opportunities for systems to communicate almost quickly and easily with other systems or individuals. Business processes that once were restricted to intranets and their users are now moving to the Internet to become an effective composition of Web services. A Web service is a programmable, self-contained, self-describing, modular application function that can be published, discovered or invoked through an open Internet standard.
While technical connectivity can be achieved using new open protocols and standards like the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) and extensible markup language (XML), the challenge of mapping different business semantics remains. To capture future rounds of efficiency gains, enterprises increasingly will be required to deploy a new breed of collaborative business processes that cross enterprises or functions within an enterprise. In addition, enterprises will increasingly need to process real-dme scenarios instead of performing batch processing. These collaborative processes will have significantly more sophisticated integration requirements than traditional processes.
One solution for technical connectivity includes receiving a message from a sender in the sender's native file format, converting the message to XML for integration processing and routing, and re-converting the XML message to a receiver's native format. Each process of converting the message includes identifying a recipient or group of recipients, determining a routing of the message to the recipient(s), and mapping the message to a new format.
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The present invention related to a frustrated total internal reflection/total internal reflection (FTIR/TIR) optical fiber switch.
Conventional frustrated total internal reflection/total internal reflection optical fiber switches operate by displacing at least one of the fibers to contact, or come within less than a micron from contact with, the other fiber (closed position) or to release contact with the other fiber (opened position). Generally, the optical fibers connect one another at ends which are formed transverse to the longitudinal axis of the fibers and coplanar to one another. In the closed position, input light is transmitted from one optical fiber to the other with little or no transmission loss. In the opened position, in which a gap exists of greater than one micron between the optical fibers, input light is reflected from one of the fibers, leading to complete or partial transmission loss. Complete transmission loss occurs during total internal reflection, when light approaches a dielectric interface at or above a critical angle and is thereby suppressed from being transmitted to the other optical fiber. When the angle is below the critical angle, or the distance between the optical fibers is sufficiently small, some input light may cross the gap between the optical fibers and thereby frustrate the total internal reflection. An example of such a conventional optical switch is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,390,266 and 4,176,908.
The invention provides an optical switch that includes first and second optical arrays separated by an interface, and a support structure upon which the optical arrays are mounted. The support structure includes an area which has a flexing profile that differs from the remainder of the support structure such that upon the operation of force on the support structure the optical arrays are optically coupled or decoupled.
The invention also provides an optical switch that includes first, second, third, fourth and fifth optical arrays and a support structure upon which the first, second and third optical arrays are mounted. The third optical array is interposed between the first and second optical arrays, the first and third optical arrays are separated by a first interface, and the second and third optical arrays are separated by a second interface. The support structure includes a pair of areas which each have a flexing profile that differs from the remainder of the support structure. The fourth optical array is positioned transverse to the first and third optical arrays in the vicinity of the first interface and the optical array is positioned transverse to the second and third optical arrays in the vicinity of the second interface.
The invention further provides a method for assembling an optical switch. The method includes aligning at least a first optical array and a second optical array relative to one another with an alignment tool, positioning the at least first and second optical arrays on a support structure, immobilizing the at least first and second optical arrays relative to the support structure, and removing the tool from the at least first and second optical arrays.
The foregoing and other advantages and features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the invention, which is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to dynamic logic circuits, and more particularly to a dynamic logical circuit having improved noise tolerance by reducing the swing of the pre-charge element control clock.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dynamic logic circuits are well known in field of digital circuits. Dynamic logic is used to decrease device count and increase speed in large-scale circuits such as very-large-scale-integration (VLSI) circuits. Dynamic logic includes pure cascaded dynamic logic referred to as “domino” logic circuits as well as static/dynamic hybrid forms of logic such as limited-switch dynamic logic (LSDL). Dynamic logic performs evaluation and storage functions in microprocessors, memories and other digital devices.
Dynamic logic circuits operate in a two-phase manner: clock signals are used to pre-charge nodes in the circuits to known values, typically at or near one of the power supply rails. Then, when the pre-charge clock changes state, an evaluation is performed by discharging the pre-charged nodes with ladders or “trees” of transistors connected in parallel-series arrangement to the opposite power supply rail. In a typical gate, with an inverter coupling a summing node to the output and N-channel transistor ladders used to pull down the summing node from a logical high level pre-charge state, each ladder combines its inputs in a logical AND function (as all transistors in a ladder must be on for the ladder to pull down the summing node), while the parallel connected ladders are combined in a logical OR function, as any activated ladder will pull down the summing node, resulting in a logical high level at the output of the dynamic logic gate.
In certain topologies and particular gate arrangements, static logic can be combined with dynamic logic to reduce circuit size, increase speed or provide other topological benefits. One such architecture is the above-mentioned LSDL logic, which reduces circuit area below that of other competitive logic types such as domino logic, while still providing the ability to generate complementary logic outputs, via one or more static stages that receive the dynamic evaluation node as an input.
However, as transistor size and power supply voltages have decreased, leakage at the dynamic node has necessitated the introduction of keeper devices in dynamic logic gates so that leakage does not cause false evaluation, especially when leakage is combined with noise present on the logic inputs and charge-sharing effects in the input logic tree. The keeper devices generally take the form of half-latches or complementary inverter pairs that are used to hold the state of the dynamic node of the circuit until a strong evaluation current or the pre-charge state of the clock causes a change in the dynamic node.
The keeper devices not only add additional device area to a dynamic gate, but also increase the capacitance at the evaluation node, leading to an increase in device size or corresponding decrease in channel length in order to provide the same evaluation speed at the dynamic node.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a keeper-less dynamic logic gate with decreased sensitivity to dynamic node leakage and noise/charge-sharing effects in the input logic tree.
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When a user travels to a geographic region, the user may want to use a mobile computing device, such as a smartphone or tablet, to access data about the geographic region. For instance, the user may want to use a mobile computing device to access a map of the geographic region. However, the mobile computing device may not be able to wirelessly retrieve such data when the mobile computing device is within the geographic region. For instance, a wireless data access plan associated with the mobile computing device may not allow the mobile computing device to send or receive data when the mobile computing device is in that particular geographic region.
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The present invention relates to a developing device and an electric energy supply part for applying a developing bias to a developer carrying member.
In a congressional apparatus for forming a multi-color image through an electrophotographic image formation process, a plurality of developing devices accommodating developers having different colors are provided on a rotary selecting mechanism; an electrophotographic photosensitive member(photosensitive drum) is electrically charged uniformly by a charging device and is selectively exposed to light so that electrostatic latent image is formed; and the selecting mechanism is operated so as to choose a developing roller as a developer carrying member (developing means) of a developing device accommodating a predetermined color developer (toner) to the photosensitive drum. The developing roller is rotated while being supplied with a developing bias so that electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum is developed into a toner image. The toner image is transferred onto a recording material, and the developing and transferring operations are repeated for the respective colors, thus providing a multi-color image.
Recently, a process cartridge containing as a unit process means such as the photosensitive drum, the developing means actable on the photosensitive drum, the charging means, cleaning means or the like has been made available.
As for a developing device or process cartridge, a proposal for a structure of an electric power supply contact of a developing bias to a developing roller (developing means) has been made wherein a flange member of an electroconductive member is provided at an end of a developing roller; an electrode in the form of a compression coil spring is mounted to the flange member for electrical conduction; an end of the compression coil spring is contacted to a contact member which is mounted to a housing of the developing device and which is electrically conducted to the electric energy supply member provided in the main assembly of the apparatus when the developing device is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus.
As another structure of the electric power supply contact for the developing bias to the developing roller (developing means), an elastic contact portion is provided in the contact member, and the elastic contact portion is contacted to the flange member of an electroconductive member provided a an end of the developing roller.
In the case of the electric power supply contact structure, the compression coil spring is rotated integrally with the developing roller, and slides relative to the coil spring, and therefore, in general, grease is applied to the sliding portion. In the latter case of the electric power supply contact structure, the flange member is rotated integrally with the developing roller, and slides relative to the elastic contact member, and therefore, in general, electroconductive grease is applied to the sliding portion.
In addition, in the latter electric power supply contact structure, in order to stabilize the contact pressure of the sliding contact portion to the flange member of the elastic contact member, the spring constant of the elastic contact member is desirably minimized to make the degree of deformation larger. In such a case, a space is required to assure the deformation of the elastic contact member between the developing roller and the supporting frame supporting the developing roller in the developing device or the process cartridge.
The present invention is concerned with a further development of the prior-art, and it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a developing device in which a space applied by the electric power supply contact mechanism for the developer carrying member is reduced with the improved reliability of the contact portion of the electric power supply contact.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electric energy supply part for supplying electric energy (developing bias voltage) to the developer carrying member with contact electric power supply contact for supplying electric power to the developing roller.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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The cleaning and maintenance industry always work following several cleaning codes and strict standards. One example would be a custodian assigned to an operation room that has to periodically replace the cleaning water after washing a mop to avoid contamination. There are other codes and standards that the cleaning industry needs to comply with in order to provide a secure and sterile service. Several companies providing cleaning services utilize a cleaning cart as its main piece of work. A lot of these companies usually have very messy and unorganized cleaning carts creating an awkward and unpleasant situation not only for the cleaning company but also for a contracting company or entity. This is a major problem in hospitals, airports, malls, or places where there are people constantly walking around the working or cleaning areas.
The present invention provides a solution for this problem by providing a cleaning cart that will expedite cleaning tasks in an organized manner, while providing a clean and covered cart.
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Normally, compressed air brake systems in commercial motor vehicles operate at a maximum system pressure of approximately 7 to 8 bar.
It has been found that the restricted amount of space which is necessary for accommodating the reservoirs and brake cylinder volumes in buses and other commercial vehicles, as well as increased usage of compressed air requirements for other ancillary equipment, are some of the reasons for developing brake systems that operate at higher pressures than previous braking systems.
Further, in the design of pneumatically-operable fully-lined disc brakes, it is necessary for the purpose of providing sufficient contact between the rotors and the brake discs. Further, it is advantageous to utilize a high pressure system since greater clamping forces can be exerted by the brake pads.
Aside from the advantages achieved through a high pressure brake system, such as smaller volume of the reservoirs, which results in quicker readiness for use due to shorter filling time, and greater braking clamping forces, there are several negative characteristics. For example, a considerable problem arises primarily due to the fact that the supply lines of a compressed air brake system act as a dead volume which totally escapes into the atmosphere after a braking application. Accordingly, in a high pressure brake system having an operating pressure of 20 bar, a considerably greater volume of unused air is vented into the atmosphere than is the case with a normal pressure brake system having an operating pressure of 7 bar.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermoplastic elastomer powder composition for powder molding, a powder molding method using the same, and a molded article thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A powder molded article of a polyvinyl chloride powder composition containing a plasticizer is used for interior decorative materials of automobiles, for example, as a covering material for an instrument panel, a console box, an arm rest, a head rest and a door rim.
The molded article, however, has drawbacks in that the polyvinyl chloride has a poor lightweight property and poor non-pollution properties, because acidic substances generated by the thermal disposal of a motor vehicle cassation induce air pollution and acid rain, etc., and further, has drawbacks in that the plasticizer causes a clouding of the internal surface of a front window of automobiles. These drawbacks render the use of the above-mentioned molded article unsatisfactory.
The present inventors have studied ways in which to alleviate the drawbacks of the above-mentioned polyvinyl chloride powder composition, and previously proposed an olefin type thermoplastic elastomer powder for powder molding (see Japanese Patent Application Nos. 3-199579 and 3-199589).
Thereafter, the present inventors continued their studies, and as a result, encountered a problem that, although the thermoplastic elastomer powder exhibits a good flowability immediately after the preparation by pulverization, an aggregation occurs among the powder particles when the powder is allowed to stand for a long time, and thus the powder no longer exhibits the flowability necessary for powder molding.
Further, when use is made of a powder slush molding method, which comprises bringing a powder into contact with a heated mold to heat-fuse powder particles to each other and returning powder particles not subjected to heat fusing to a powder feed box, the repeated use of the powder not subjected to heat fusing causes the powder to be gradually heated, and this heat is stored in the powder feed box. This gradually causes an aggregation between powder particles to occur, which deteriorates the flowability of the powder, so that a continuous operation for a long time gives rise to the production of molded articles having an underfill and pin holes.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a regulator, and particularly to a regulator that can rapidly recover an output voltage and a load current of the regulator when the regulator enters a heavy load mode from a light load mode.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Please refer to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating a regulator 100 according to the prior art, and FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating a load current Iload, a first driving current I1 and an output voltage Vout of the regulator 100 during operation of the regulator 100 in a heavy load mode and a light load mode. As shown in FIG. 1A, when the regulator 100 enters the light load mode (power saving mode), a first amplifier 102 and a first P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor 104 are turned off, resulting in the first driving current I1 flowing through the first P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor 104 being reduced to zero. Meanwhile, a second amplifier 106 and a second P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor 108 are still turned on, so a second driving current I2 flowing through the second P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor 108 is still supplied to a load 110 and a feedback circuit 112. As shown in FIG. 1B, when the regulator 100 enters the light load mode, the load current Iload is decreased and the first driving current I1 is reduced to zero. However, the output voltage Vout of the regulator 100 is still unchanged due to turning-on of the second amplifier 106 and the second P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor 108.
When the regulator 100 enters the heavy load mode from the light load mode, the first amplifier 102 and the first P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor 104 are turned on again. As shown in FIG. 1B, the load current Iload is increased rapidly, and the first driving current I1 is increased slowly because a voltage drop between a source terminal and a gate terminal of the first P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor 104 is increased more slowly. Meanwhile, because the load current Iload is increased rapidly, and the first driving current I1 is increased slowly, the output voltage Vout of the regulator 100 is decreased until the first driving current I1 is stable. Therefore, the regulator 100 temporarily cannot provide a stable voltage to the load 110 when the regulator 100 enters the heavy load mode from the light load mode.
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This invention relates to slip joint assemblies as utilized in drive lines. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for reducing radial slack due to tolerances between rotary driving and driven splined members.
Many prior art devices have been employed to aid the reduction of slack between splined rotary members. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,318,170 discloses a system of balls, springs and collars for minimizing or reducing lateral movements between annular members. U.S. Pat. No. 1,438,935 discloses a system of spaced projections 22 which reduce radial movement between annular rotary members. U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,882, on the other hand, discloses a system of fingers in a pair of splined concentric members, wherein the fingers operate to radially secure an inner member 15 relative to an outer member 14.
Although each of these devices performs in a satisfactory manner, the devices are cumbersome and expensive to manufacture, and are not particularly suitable in those instances where one of the concentric splined driving and driven members is coated with a bonded low-friction material. In the latter circumstances, the manufacture of the afore-noted devices would involve special considerations to insure protection of the coatings.
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The present disclosure relates to a system that is operable to pick individual pieces of particulate matter from a bin, weigh those individual pieces, and then sort the weighed individual pieces for further processing.
There exist a number of industrial applications where it becomes important for weight information to be collected with respect to individual pieces of particulate matter. In this context, “particulate matter” refers to objects having a uniform or non-uniform size and shape that generally possess a granular, pelletal or pill-like character having an average volume of between 5 and 500 cubic millimeters and/or an average weight of between 0.001 and 10 grams.
As a specific example, in the agricultural industry, and more specifically in the seed breeding industry, it is important for scientists to accurately know the weight of individual seeds (i.e., the species of “particulate matter” of interest). This information, in conjunction with other pieces of analytic data (such as trait data, molecular data, magnetic resonance data, color data, size data, shape data, and the like), assists the scientist/breeder in selectively choosing certain seeds (and families of seeds) for further breeding and/or analysis.
As another example, in the pharmaceutical industry, it may be important to deliver known quantities with certain weight characteristics to a certain process. In this way, the scientist/formulator can precisely control the amount of a certain component that is contributed in producing a given product. The same holds true in the chemical industry where the constituent parts of a chemical composition must be known and accurately delivered by weight.
The generally small size of individual pieces of particulate matter makes them quite difficult and inconvenient for human manipulation. For example, it is quite difficult for many humans to accurately select, grasp and handle a single piece of particulate matter (like a seed or pill or grain or particle) from a bin containing hundreds or thousands of other pieces for placement on, and removal from, a weighing scale. Picking, selecting and working with these individual pieces becomes a very tedious task that provides little job satisfaction. Although humans can and are often employed to perform the job, the foregoing and other factors (including, for example, exorbitant labor costs, concerns with employee turnover, and human errors) are driving a move towards increased, if not complete, automation of the handling process.
There is accordingly a need in the art for an automated solution to the problem of handling particulate matter in a number of contexts including, individually and collectively, operations for: selecting individual pieces from a storage bin; weighing individual pieces; and sorting individual pieces.
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The present invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus. One of the most common reasons for an acquired digital photograph to be discarded or spoiled is because one or more of the facial regions in the photograph suffer from photographic defects other than red-eye defects, even though red eye defects can be common in cameras not operating with the advantages of the techniques described, e.g., at U.S. Pat. No. 6,407,777, and at US published applications nos. 2005/0140801, 2005/0041121, 2006/0093212, and 2006/0204054, which are assigned to the same assignee and hereby incorporated by reference. Common examples occur when people move or shake their head; when someone closes their eyes or blinks or someone yawns. Where there are several faces in a photograph, it is sufficient for one face to be “defective” for the whole shot to be spoiled. Although digital cameras allow users to quickly shoot several pictures of the same scene. Typically, such cameras do not provide warnings of facial errors, nor provide a way to correct for such errors without repeating the composition stages (i.e. getting everyone together again in a group) of taking the photograph and re-shooting the scene. This type of problem is particularly difficult with children who are often photographed in unusual spontaneous poses which cannot be duplicated. When such a shot is spoiled because the child moved their head at the moment of acquisition, it is very disappointing for the photographer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,440, which is incorporated by reference, discloses an image acquisition device wherein the instant of exposure is controlled by image content. When a trigger is activated, the image proposed by the user is analysed and imaging parameters are altered to obtain optimum image quality before the device proceeds to take the image. For example, the device could postpone acquisition of the image until every person in the image is smiling.
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Increasingly, a focus of modern preventive medicine is weight reduction. Excessive weight is frequently cited in reports concerning the surge in cases of type 2 diabetes. Moreover, obesity is often mentioned in discussions of other modern diseases, such as heart disease.
For years a debate has raged as to which class of nutrients, fats or carbohydrates, are preferentially minimized to promote weight loss. Recently, much consumer attention has focussed on those who advocate reduction of carbohydrates and higher intakes of unsaturated fat and/or protein.
An increasingly popular form for ingestion of nutrients for those seeking to lose weight is the nutrition bar. The nutrition bar provides a convenient vehicle for replacing a meal or for supplementing meals as a snack. While consumers express a preference for snacks and other foods which are more healthful and which can assist them to achieve their weight loss goals, they show little inclination to sacrifice the organoleptic properties of their favorite foods. Therefore, the successful food formulator must improve the nutrient value of the food while maintaining desirable organoleptic properties. High protein levels are particularly difficult to incorporate into good tasting foods since popular proteins, such as soy, often have undesirable aftertastes.
Lanter et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,739 is directed to extruded animal feed nuggets comprising between about 90 and 99 wt % of at least one protein containing ingredient and between 1 and 6 wt % added fat. The nugget is prepared by plasticizing a blend of at least one protein-containing ingredient, added fat, sulfur (if present), and water, extruding the plasticized blend to form an animal feed nugget, and drying the extruded nugget to a water content of less than about 12 wt %. Protein sources mentioned include oil seed meals such as soybean meal and cottonseed meal, and animal byproduct meals such as meat meal, poultry meal, blood meal, feather meal, and fish meal, plant byproduct meal such as wheat middlings, soybean hulls, and corn byproducts and microbial protein such as torula yeast and brewer's yeast. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,540,932 and 5,120,565 also are directed to animal feed nuggets which contain, or may contain, protein.
Carr WO 02/096208 (New Zealand Dairy Board) is directed to a dried, enhanced solubility milk protein concentrate (MPC) containing at least one monovalent salt added prior to drying. Preferred salts are sodium and potassium salts. A method for preparing the MPC includes providing an MPC having at least 70% milk protein as dry matter in aqueous solution or suspension, adding at least one monovalent salt in an amount that confers enhanced solubility when dried, and drying the product. Preferably between the salt addition step and the drying step, a dewatering step, preferably by evaporation, or a concentration step by ultrafiltration and/or diafiltration, is undertaken. The MPC of the invention can be used in cheese manufacture. The ratio of casein to whey protein is essentially that of milk.
According to Carr, a problem with MPCs and MPI (milk protein isolates: >85% milk protein as dry matter) is that such products are generally very insoluble at cold temperatures. A problem is said to be that they are associated with the formation of nuggets in the cheese. The solubility properties of the products are said to make the dried MPCs and MPIs advantageous in the preparation of a variety of products, for example, beverages. Also the dried MCPs and MPIs can be used in cheese preparation to avoid nugget formation.
Bhaskar et al. WO 01/41578 is directed to dried milk protein concentrates and their use. The invention includes a process of cheese manufacture using dried MPC or MPI having at least 70% dry matter as milk protein.
Rizvi et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,120,559 and/or 5,417,992 disclose use of supercritical fluids, such as CO2 to extrude a food product.
WO 01/56402 discloses an alpha lipoic acid food supplement for increasing lean muscle mass and strength. A source of amino acids may be included. Whey protein is said to be a preferred source of amino acids. Whey protein isolates, whey peptides, whey protein concentrate or hydrolyzed whey protein may be used. Other proteins which may be used include casein, other milk proteins, and albumins. The food supplements can be in a variety of forms such as protein bars.
Portman U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,236 is directed to a nutritional composition in dry powder form for optimizing muscle performance during exercise. The compositions may be in the form of an energy bar. Proteins such as calcium caseinate, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, soy protein, casein hydrolysate, meat protein concentrate and yeast concentrate are mentioned.
Gilles et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,375 (Abbott Labs) discloses solid matrix materials designed for the person with diabetes. It includes a source of fructose in combination with at least one nonabsorbent carbohydrate. The two component carbohydrate system is said to blunt the postprandial carbohydrate response. One of the forms for administration mentioned is nutritional bars. Gilles et al. mention Ensure® Glucerna® Nutritional Bars as having 14% of total calories as protein in the form of soy protein, calcium caseinate, and corn protein. Choice dm® Bar is cited as a nutritional bar for people with diabetes and including 17.1% total calories as protein in the form of calcium caseinate, soy protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, toasted soybeans, soy nuggets (soy protein isolate, rice flour, malt, salt) and peanut butter. Gluc-O-Bar® is said to be a medical food designed for use in management of diabetes which includes up to 23% of total calories as protein in the form of soy protein isolate, non fat dry milk, and peanut flour.
Gilles et al. use protein which it is said can include any proteins suitable for human consumption, including casein, whey, milk protein, soy, pea, rice, corn, hydrolyzed protein and mixtures thereof. The typical amount of protein will be about 10% to about 25% of total calories, most preferably about 15 to about 20% of total calories. It is said that the solid matrix nutritional compositions may be made by cold extrusion techniques.
Proteint of St. Paul, Minn. makes a nugget having a whey protein level of 50%.
Nuvex of Blue Earth, Minn. makes a nugget having a whey protein level of 50%.
Various other foods have been described which mention nuggets which may include proteins. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,086,941, 6,010,738.
Anon, “Nutraceuticals-International,” 2000, Vol 5, p25 (from abstract number 548502) reports that a new milk-protein hydrolysate, Prodiet F200, which is claimed to help people cope with stress, has been marketed by a French company, Ingredia. It is said to be suitable for functional foods such as chocolate bars. Also, a product based on hydrolysed why protein, Proxime Alpha sold by Borculo Domo Ingredients, is said to have beneficial effects on stress.
Swartz, M L, “Milk proteins and hydrolysates in nutritional foods,” “Food Ingredients Europe: Conference Proceedings, London, October 1994, published in “Maarssen: Processs Press Europe,” 1994, 73–81 (from Abstract number 373368) is a review of recent developments in production of milk proteins and hydrolysates for nutritional products. Application of milk proteins in 3 specific types of nutritional products, including sports bars, are said to be discussed in detail.
Swartz, M L, “Food-Marketing-&-Technology”, vol 9, 4, 6, 9–10, 12, 20 (from abstract number 1995-08-P0036) is a review of the nutritional value, functional properties and applications of milk proteins and milk protein hydrolysates. Applications in functional foods such as food bars for athletes are considered.
Kaufman WO 01/33976 (Children's Research Hospital) is directed to a method for treating a type 2 diabetic to decrease hypoglycemic episodes and/or diminish fluctuations in blood glucose outside of the normal range, which comprises administering to the subject in an effective appetite suppressing amount a food composition, which can be a bar, which includes a slowly absorbed complex carbohydrate such as uncooked cornstarch. Soy protein, whey protein and casein hydrolysate are mentioned as possible protein sources.
Keating et al. EP 768 043 (Bristol Meyers-Squibb) is directed to a nutritional composition for use by diabetics containing a controlled absorbed carbohydrate component. The carbohydrate component contains a rapidly absorbed fraction such as glucose or sucrose, a moderately absorbed fraction such as certain cooked starches or fructose and a slowly absorbed fraction such as raw corn starch. Preferred protein sources are said to include whey protein, sodium caseinate, or calcium caseinate, optionally supplemented with amino acids. Other preferred protein sources include protein hydrolysates such as soy protein hydrolysate, casein hydrolysate, whey protein hydrolysate, other animal and vegetable protein hydrolysates and mixtures thereof. Among the forms mentioned which the invention can take are a nutritional bar or cookie. The nutritional bars and cookies are preferably baked. The bar is made by cold forming or extrusion. The granola bar of example 1 includes skim milk powder and peanuts.
EP 306 733 is directed to a sugar free binder for foods which contains sugar substitute and protein hydrolysate in a weight ratio of 3:1 to 1:3 in agglomerated form (as granules).
DeMichele et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,444,700 (Abbott Labs) is directed to immunonutritional products said to be useful in reducing the immunological suppression said to result from stress. Solid nutritional compositions such as bars are mentioned. Soy proteins are mentioned as possible ingredients for the solid compositions.
Despite the many previous efforts to formulate bars with proteins, there is still a need for a good tasting nutrition bar having elevated levels of protein.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-beam scanning apparatus, and more specifically relates to a multi-beam scanning apparatus capable of changing resolution.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Nos. 57-54914 and 58-68016, for example, disclose the art to change resolution in a multi-beam scanning apparatus that forms an image on a scanned surface via a plurality of laser beams.
In the multi-beam scanning apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 58-68016, resolution is switched by providing components to change the advance direction of the luminous flux in an optical path before laser beams are overlaid, and changing the beam spacing in a subscan direction on a scanned surface via said components. In the multi-beam scanning apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 57-54914, resolution is switched by providing an afocal anamorphic zoom lens system to change the image forming magnification in a subscan direction, and changing the beam spacing in a subscan direction on a scanned surface via said zoom lens system.
In the multi-beam scanning apparatus of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 58-68016, a mechanism is required to switch the resolution before the laser beams are overlaid on the optical path. Therefore, disadvantages arise inasmuch as the number of components is increased and the optical system before the laser beams are overlaid is more complex, and maintaining the relative position accuracy of the beams becomes more difficult due to the increase in relative displacement error of the beam positions resulting from said increased complexity. A further disadvantage arises in increased cost associated with, for example, the requirement for a relative position adjustment mechanism via feedback control.
Consider a method which uses a light source to generate a plurality of laser beams rather than overlaying laser beams to form a plurality of light sources as one method of realizing image formation via a plurality of laser beams. In this instance, the light emission point spacing must be on the order of several microns to have the convergence position spacing on the scanned surface of either 1 dot or several dots. Each laser beam must be quickly overlaid directly after the light source. Therefore, the art proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 58-68016 is not applicable to laser scanning apparatuses using a light source to emit a plurality of laser beams.
In the laser scanning apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 57-54914, a plurality of anamorphic lenses are required to construct the aforesaid afocal anamorphic zoom lens system, and this arrangement disadvantageously necessitates rotational adjustment around the optical axes of said lenses. A minimum of at least three lenses is required to accomplish variable magnification without defocusing, and since said lenses must be individually moved to maintain their respective optical axis, the construction is therefore disadvantageously complicated. Furthermore, the laser beam diameter must be changed to switch resolution, therefore requiring a separate mechanism to change said beam diameter in addition to a mechanism to change the relative position.
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Oxygen therapy is the administration of oxygen as a therapeutic modality. It is widely used for a variety of purposes in both chronic and acute patient care as it is essential for cell metabolism, and in turn, tissue oxygenation is essential for all physiological functions. Oxygen therapy should be used to benefit the patient by increasing the supply of oxygen to the lungs and thereby increasing the availability of oxygen to the body tissues, especially when the patient is suffering from hypoxia and/or hypoxemia. Oxygen therapy may be used both in applications in hospital or in home care. The main home care application of oxygen therapy is for patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Oxygen may be administered in a number of ways. A preferable way of oxygen administration is by using a so called on demand generation of oxygen. Referring to this, commercial solutions, so-called oxygen concentrators or separators, respectively, are widely known. These oxygen concentrators mostly separate oxygen from an oxygen comprising gas, so that the oxygen is provided on demand, i.e. directly before use.
A task of such oxygen concentrators, or oxygen separators, respectively, known in the art is to deal with the temperature dependency of the oxygen separation capacity of the respective oxygen separation sorbent.
Known from US 20060048644 A1 is a pressure swing adsorption system. Such a pressure swing adsorption system comprises an air supply; a compressor for receiving and compressing the air supply, providing a compressed air supply; and less than six molecular sieve chambers having molecular sieve material therewithin for separating the compressed air supply into a concentrated gas component; wherein the system has a recovery rate of the concentrated gas component of greater than approximately 30%. In order to deal with compressed air having a higher temperature than ambient air, the compressed air according to this document travels along the length of a multi-chamber canister which acts as a heat exchange for cooling compressed air prior to delivery to a respective molecular sieve.
There is, however, still the need for improving the oxygen separation performance of oxygen separation devices especially with respect to temperature influence and especially with regard to storing or using an oxygen separator at highly elevated temperatures.
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The present invention relates to adhesives adapted to bond optical elements and more particularly color mosaic filters over solid-state image sensors.
In order to cement optical lens elements to each other, two types of adhesives are used. One type is thermosetting adhesives such as balsam (the product of E. MERCK A.G.), epoxy adhesives, polyester adhesives, adhesives consisting of polyvinyl acetate, acryl sulfoamide and products of condensation of formalin and the like. The other type is photosetting or photo-curing type adhesives such as polyester adhesives (UV-69, 71, 74 and so on, the products of Summers Laboratories-Inc. USA), thiolic adhesives (NOA-61, 63, 65 and so on, the products of Norland), acrylic-epoxy adhesives and the like.
However, there has not been commercially available an adhesive having optimum properties such as curing characteristics and the like for bonding color mosaic filters to solid-state image sensors. In this regard, bonding of color mosaic filters to solid-state image sensors has many problems as will be described below.
It has been considered that the solid-state color image sensor will make considerable contributions to the reduction both in size and weight; that is, to the miniaturization of video cameras. When it is desired to use only one solid-state image sensor in each color camera, a three-color filter (comprising, for instance, red, green and cyane filter elements) must be bonded to the front surface of an array picture elements. At present organic filter elements; that is, three-color filter elements made of organic compounds are widely used and deposited or otherwise formed in a predetermined mosaic pattern over an optical glass sheet. A filter glass sheet thus obtained is bonded over a solid-state image sensor.
When thermosetting type resins which have been widely used in cementing optical lens elements are used, a higher degree of bond strength can be attained. However, the recent trend of the video camera is toward making it more compact in size and lighter in weight so that much efforts have been made in reducing the area of each of picture elements of the solid-state image sensor. In addition, in order to obtain a higher degree of resolution and also a higher degree of optical sensitivity, the spacing between the adjacent picture elements must be reduced as much as possible. As a consequence, various processes have been devised and demonstrated for registering a filter glass sheet with a solid-state image sensor in such a way that every color filter elements on the color filter glass sheet can be correctly aligned with every corresponding picture element on the solid-state image sensor in a one-to-one relationship with a higher degree of dimensional accuracy. However, it has been recently found that with the prior art thermosetting resins, exact registration cannot be attained. More specifically, when a color filter glass sheet and a solid-state image sensor, each having a bonding or contact area of 200 mm.sup.2, are bonded together with a layer of an adhesive of less than 10 .mu.m in thickness, the alignment accuracy; that is, a measurement for alignment between the pattern of picture elements on the solid-state image sensor and the mosaic pattern of color filter elements on the filter glass sheet, must be less than 2 .mu.m. To this end, the step for pressing the color filter glass sheet against the image sensor and the step for bonding them together must be carried out simultaneously and the filter sheet must be kept pressed against the image sensor even after the alignment between them has been accomplished until the adhesive is cured.
However, if the thickness of a layer of a thermocuring resin adhesive between the color filter glass sheet and the solid-state image sensor is less than 10 .mu.m during the alignment or registration step, there arise various problems as described below. First, if the curing time is shorter than the alignment time, curing of the adhesive proceeds gradually so that accurate alignment cannot be attained. If the curing time is considerably longer than the alignment time, the residence time will be increased so that a higher degree of productivity cannot be attained. In addition, the color filter glass sheet and the solid-state image sensor tend to be misaligned during the curing process. The misalignment between the filter and picture elements results in degradation in the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the color signal generated. In addition, flicker and color fringing are observed.
The above problems can be solved if an adhesive used will not be cured during the alignment step, but will be cured as fast as possible after the alignment step. Ultraviolet ray-curing type adhesives have such properties as described above, but the objects of the present invention cannot be accomplished by the mere use thereof.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to compositions which are particularly useful as cheese emulsifiers, processes for preparing cheese with such compositions and cheese formulations containing such compositions. More particularly, this invention relates to sodium aluminum phosphate compositions that provide optimum available alkalinity.
Many phosphate materials are known as cheese emulsifiers for process cheese, such as disodium orthophosphate, trisodium orthophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, and the like. However, these materials all have serious limitations as cheese emulsifiers and therefore are not used to the extent desired for cheese emulsification. For example, disodium orthophosphate is generally satisfactory as a cheese emulsifier below about 2.1 percent (based on the total weight of the cheese) but when used in greater amounts, crystals of disodium orthophosphate usually form which is, of course, highly objectionable.
More recently, sodium aluminum phosphate compositions have been suggested as cheese emulsifiers. These sodium aluminum phosphate compositions have been combined with other phosphates such as disodium orthophosphate to form useful compositions for emulsifying cheese when used in levels up to about 3 percent. Illustrative of such compositions are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,097,949, 3,244,535, 3,337,347, 3,554,921 and more recently U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,726,960 and 3,729,546.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Unfortunately, these known sodium aluminum phosphate compositions do not provide the optimum level of available alkalinity that a cheese manufacturer might desire in his cheese manufacturing operations. Furthermore, it has been found to be extremely difficult to obtain sodium aluminum phosphates that have reproducible available alkalinities in the heretofore known ratios of materials used to form these known sodium aluminum phosphate compositions.
The term "available alkalinity" as used herein means the alkalinity available from sodium aluminum phosphate compositions as determined by test procedures that simulate actual cheese emulsification conditions.
In actual cheese emulsification about 3 percent of the emulsifier is added to the cheese (giving about 7 percent by weight emulsifier concentration in the water phase) at 72.+-.2.degree.C. at an average pH of about 5.8. The The is mixed for about five minutes at this temperature. Loaf cheese is then removed and slowly cooled while undergoing further processing.
The test procedures utilized to determine "available alkalinity" herein are as follows: In as rapid a sequence as possible, 4.9 grams of sample material and about 20 ml. of water (at 80.degree.-90.degree.C.) are placed in a 150 ml. tared beaker which is equipped with a magnetic stirring bar. While maintaining the temperature at 70.+-.4.degree.C., about 35 ml. of 0.5 N HCl is added. The pH is maintained at 5.8 for 30 minutes by adding 0.5 N HCl as necessary. The time, slurry temperature, pH and ml. of HCl added are recorded. The concentration should be adjusted by adding water so that the final weight of the resulting mass is 70.0 grams and has a pH of 5.8 at 70.+-.4.degree.C. This provides a concentration of 7 percent by weight of the emulsifier at the final conditions. The "available alkalinity" (expressed as percent) can be obtained from the following equation: ##EQU1##
As discussed hereinafter it has been found that the optimum available alkalinity for many cheese manufacturing procedures is at about 15 percent.
It has now been found, in accordance with the present invention, that an entirely new and distinct class of sodium aluminum phosphate compositions having this desirable optimum available alkalinity, a property heretofore unrecognized, can be prepared. Furthermore, a highly unexpected and surprising characteristic of many of the sodium aluminum phosphate compositions of this invention is that they can be readily reproduced so that subsequently manufactured compositions vary only slightly from previous compositions in their available alkalinity. The new sodium aluminum phosphate compositions have, for use as cheese emulsifiers, the recognized advantages as previously described and, in addition provide both optimum available alkalinity and in most cases the reproducibility necessary to maintain consistent available alkalinities in subsequently manufactured compositions resulting in imparting useful and beneficial properties to cheese, all of which will be more fully discussed hereinafter.
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Electronic radar and communication devices are becoming more integrated in today's society. These radar and communication devices often rely on transceivers (i.e., transmitters and receivers) that enable a given device to take remote measurements or communicate with another device. Due to the increasing demand for more efficient radar and communication systems, improvements in transceivers are a valuable contribution to the marketplace.
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There are memory devices which use an element which takes a variable resistance as a memory cell.
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A non-volatile semiconductor memory device is under development, which includes three-dimensionally disposed memory cells. NAND-type semiconductor memory device, for example, has a memory cell part which includes a plurality of word lines stacked on a source layer and a semiconductor channel body extending therethrough. To enlarge the memory capacity of such a semiconductor memory device, it is effective to increase the number of the word lines stacked. However, it may be difficult to control a position of the bottom end of the semiconductor channel body, when increasing the number of the word lines stacked and providing the semiconductor channel body that extends through the word lines and reaches the source layer.
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The present invention can be understood by considering the limitations of techniques currently employed in locating and identifying concealed objects such as mines, ordnance, weapons, machinery, pipes, cables, tunnels, barrels, hazardous chemicals and pollutants, illicit materials, pests, biological disorders and anomalies, etc., when such concealed objects are located within an obscuring medium (i.e. a medium which is capable of scattering and absorbing radiation and/or distorting the propagation of radiation through variations or inhomogeneities in the local refractive index).
Variations in the refractive index of a medium are encountered in fields such as astronomy (ground based telescopes peering through atmospheric refractive turbulence (which has led to the development of an artificial laser-based guide star, a particular kind of reference object which approximates a point source of radiation)), geology (stratified layers of soil or sea bottom, pools of gas, oil, water, etc.), and medical imaging (ultrasound, optical, microwave). Implementations of this invention are preferably used with obscuring mediums such as snow and ice, gravel, sand, soil, mud, river bottom, lake bottom, ocean bottom, biological waste, sewage or sludge, and human tissue.
The obscuring medium may simply be referred to as the medium. See, Underground and Obscure Object Imaging and Detection, SPIE vol. 1942 (N. Del Grande, et. al., eds. 1993); and Aerial Surveillance Sensing Including Obscured and Underground Object Detection, SPIE vol. 2217 (I. Cindrich, et. al., eds., 1994). In the case of buried mines, chemical or biological sensors (typically sniffer dogs, laser spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, etc.) have been used with limited success. A number of imaging techniques have been implemented which employ acoustics (seismic studies), ionizing radiation (primarily gamma rays, x-rays, neutrons, and to a lesser extent charged particles), low-energy electromagnetic radiation (mainly covering UV, visible, infrared, microwave, and radar), magnetic fields (such as gradiometers), thermal radiation, etc. Low-energy electromagnetic radiation will be referred to as electromagnetic or optical radiation. Neutrons need not interact with materials solely through ionization to result in radiation (or byproducts) which can be detected. Neutron radiation used in this manner will still be included in the group referred to as ionizing radiation.
Current technologies that employ ionizing radiation may be unacceptable in some circumstances because they may require some type of accelerator (including x-ray tubes) with a heavily filtered output or an intense radioisotope source (since the source itself is self-attenuating, does not produce a directional beam, and radiation of a narrow bandwidth is desirable), and energy-sensitive receivers. In addition, current technologies require significant shielding. Technologies that employ x-ray tubes may suffer from very high power consumption, requiring specialized tubes or instead resulting in a reduction in operational lifetime. It will be shown that our invention will overcome the limitations of these old technologies by filtering and focusing ionizing radiation in order to increase beam intensity, improve beam directional and spectral properties, and/or enlarge the acceptable beam cross section which will, in turn, enable radioisotopes, x-ray tubes, neutron generators, neutron-emitting isotopes, etc., ionizing radiation sources for imaging objects within an obscuring medium.
A number of factors will limit the practical implementation of an imaging technique or system. Scattering, absorbing, and distorting properties of the obscuring medium and object materials typically impose limitations on the waveform and type of radiation. Coupling inefficiencies or losses can result from source and receiver limitations and interfere with the goal of delivering useful radiation from the source to the medium and collecting useful radiation exiting the medium. Additional inefficiencies or losses can result from radiation propagation problems experienced at the interfaces between mediums containing the source, receiver, and object due to discontinuities. Two other conditions, if present, will further degrade current imaging techniques: the presence of additional objects (in addition to any nonuniformity in the local refractive index) and a nonuniform interface (an irregular or rough surface) between the obscuring medium and the mediums containing the source and receiver. For example, an obscuring medium such as the ground can contain stones, roots, voids, etc., and vary in soil composition, moisture content, gases, biology, etc. The surface of the ground can be broken, rough, sloped, etc. These two conditions also complicate optical imaging in tissue such as breast tissue. The viability of a particular imaging technique can be increased if at least some of the effects of coupling inefficiency, a nonuniform surface, and an inhomogeneous medium can be reduced.
Adequate levels of (useful) radiation need to be coupled (focused and directed) efficiently from the source to the region of interest and from the region of interest to a detector. Discontinuities which result from physical properties of the mediums containing the source, concealed object, and detector as well as rough or irregular interfaces must be considered. In some cases external structures such as ground cover (vegetation, etc.) or the effects of wind, temperature, noise (man-made, etc.), and other environmental conditions can introduce additional levels of complexity. Furthermore, the concealed object, such as a land mine, often represents a hazard and is designed and placed to avoid detection via a particular technology. For example, non-magnetic land mines are widely used and many mines are of a shape and size that they are not easily detected using ground-penetrating radar.
The probability of detecting the concealed object can be improved by examining those aspects of the particular problem which we can reasonably hope to influence. The approach taken here is largely based on previous work by the present inventors, Nelson et. al., for medical imaging and specific non-destructive testing problems. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,453 (Jun. 26, 1990), U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,782 (Nov. 19, 1990), U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,368 (Sep. 18, 1990), U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,175 (Nov. 6, 1990), U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,275 (Mar. 10, 1987), U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,928 (Aug. 30, 1988), U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,184 (May 9, 1989), U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,974 (Aug. 14, 1990), U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/480,760, filed Jun. 6, 1995, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/597/447, filed Feb. 2, 1996, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. These earlier works describe not only a number of data acquisition and noise correction techniques, but also the advantages of creating an efficient imaging environment with predictable properties.
The identification and classification problems that the present invention addresses require improvements and new additions to the present state of the art. In addition, the various environments (sand, mud, snow, dirt, flooded fields, rough terrain, ground cover, ocean bottom, river bottom, lake bottom, etc.) in which specific implementations of the invention can be utilized imply that requirements such as survivability, low cost, and maintainability should be considered in the design of imaging systems for use in these environments. Survivability problems will be of reduced importance for implementations of the invention which may be employed in other environments (medical, non-destructive testing, etc.).
The ability of an imaging system to locate and identify a concealed object in an obscuring medium can be improved by incorporating enhancements which would: (1) optimize source/receiver parameters, source utilization, and the use of appropriate data acquisition and signal processing techniques and algorithms; (2) optimize radiation transport into, through, and out of the medium; and (3) exploit or modify properties of the object and medium.
Optimizing source/receiver parameters, source utilization, and the use of appropriate data acquisition and signal processing techniques and algorithms, may also involve a mix of imaging technologies (for example, optical and acoustic) and timely acquisition rates. High resolution imaging techniques might be very time consuming in comparison to techniques which are adequate for identifying the presence of potential objects of interest. In addition, the cost of a large area, high resolution detection system may be substantial relative to a small area, high resolution detection system. In many situations it may be more cost-effective to use adequate imaging resolution to detect the presence of potential objects of interest and then use high resolution imaging techniques to help identify the object. Searching a large area using a high resolution imaging method may simply be too time consuming, particularly if the density of potential objects is low.
The radiation field entering and leaving the obscuring medium can be severely modified by scattering, absorbing, and refractive effects. The surface of an obscuring medium such as soil is typically rough and irregular. Vegetation may also cover at least part of the surface. The volume of this medium is likely to be inhomogeneous. Non-invasive detection systems currently in use for applications such as buried mine detection (for example, radar) typically suffer from the radiation transport problems listed. Radiation transport problems may also reduce the incentives to acquire a more complete data set. Often only a single view of the medium is acquired (or at least the range of views is quite limited). Enhancing radiation transport into, through, and out of an obscuring medium such as soil may involve modifying the obscuring medium, its surface, or both. In addition, the likelihood of detecting a concealed object may be further improved by modifying the concealed object or its immediate environment.
New non-invasive and invasive devices and/or modes of imaging an object concealed in an obscuring medium using ionizing radiation, optical, acousto-optical, acoustic (including photo-acoustic) and/or mechanical imaging techniques are needed to improve image quality (including material characterization accuracy). Particular problems which need to be addressed are the need for improved radiation coupling into and out of the scattering medium as well as improved transmission through the medium, the need to enhance the information content of detected radiation (which can involve modifying the object and the medium), and the need to acquire a data set which is more complete (which frequently involves sampling the medium from more than one direction (multiple projections), more than one wavelength or energy, more than one waveform, etc.).
It is desirable to exploit various physical properties of the object and the medium such as reflectivity, scattering, absorption, frequency-dependence, polarization-dependence, material composition, density, internal and external structure, impedance, permitivity, conductivity, emissivity, inductance, dielectric constant, bulk modulus, radiation velocity, radiation cross section, characteristic radiation, resistance to penetration, etc. It is desirable to implement methods utilizing improvements such as increased source coupling efficiency (source utilization efficiency) to the region of interest and a radiation beam with well defined properties (angular distribution, energy distribution, polarization, pulse width, modulation frequency, etc.) to enhance imaging of a concealed object in an obscuring medium when ionizing radiation is employed. For example, it would be desirable to have methods using thermal energy or an acoustic field to modify the properties of a localized volume of the obscuring medium for optical radiation (under the appropriate conditions) also exploited for ionizing radiation.
However, prior devices and methods do not address these concerns.
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1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a digital driver for display devices. The invention further relates to a display device including the digital driver according to the invention. Further, as the display medium of the display device including the digital driver according to the invention, liquid crystal, organic EL or the like can be used.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the technique of fabricating a semiconductor device such as, e.g., thin-film transistors (TFT), constituted in such a manner that a semiconductor thin-film is formed on a cheap glass substrate has been rapidly developed. It is because the demand for active matrix semiconductor display devices (particularly, active matrix liquid crystal display devices) is growing.
An active matrix liquid crystal display device is constituted in such a manner that a TFT is disposed in each of several tens to several millions of picture element regions matrixwise disposed, and the electric charges entering and leaving each picture element electrode are controlled by the switching function of the TFT.
Among such active matrix liquid crystal display devices, a digital drive type active matrix liquid crystal display device which can be driven at high speed is attracting attention as display devices are becoming more and more fine and precise and their picture quality is more and more improved. The digital drive type active matrix liquid crystal display device includes a digital driver for processing digital data.
FIG. 15 shows a known digital drive type active matrix liquid crystal display device. This known digital drive type active matrix liquid crystal display device comprises a shift register 2001, data lines (a to d) 2002 to which digital data are inputted, latch circuits 1 (LAT1) 2003, latch circuits 2 (LAT2) 2004, a latch pulse line 2005, D/A converter circuits 2006, a gradation voltage lines 2007 for feeding a voltage to the D/A converter circuits 2006, source signal lines 2008, a shift register 2009 at the gate signal line side, gate signal lines (scanning lines) 2010, and picture element TFTs 2011. Here, a 4-bit digital drive type active matrix liquid crystal display device is shown by way of example. The latch circuits 1 and the latch circuits 2 (LAT1 and LAT2) are each shown in the state in which four latch circuits corresponding to the respective bits of the digital data are put together for convenience""sake.
In, e.g., Matsueda et al.: xe2x80x9cLow Temperature Poly-Si TFT-LCD with integrated 6-bit Digital Data Driversxe2x80x9d (SID 96 DIGEST pp. 21 to 24), known digital drive type active matrix liquid crystal display devices are described.
In case of the known digital drive type active matrix liquid crystal display device shown in FIG. 15, the digital signals (digital video data) fed to the data lines (a to d) 2002 are written into the group of latch circuits (LAT1) one after another in accordance with the timing signals from the shift register.
The time spent until the writing of the digital signal into the LAT1 group is completely terminated is called one line period. In other words, the time interval from the point of time when the writing of the digital signals into the leftmost LAT1 is started to the point of time when the writing of the digital signals into the rightmost LAT1 is completed is one line period.
After the writing of the digital signals into the LAT1 group, the digital signals thus written into the LAT1 group are simultaneously sent out and written into the LAT2 group, when a latch pulse flows to the latch pulse line, in tune with the operating timing of the shift register.
Into the LAT1 group which has completely sent out the digital signals to the LAT2 group, the writing of digital signals is successively carried out again in accordance with the signals from the shift register.
During this second one-line period, a voltage corresponding to the digital signals sent out to the LAT2 group in step with the start of the second one-line period is fed to a source signal line. The driver referred to here by way of example executes the conversion of the digital signals to a gradation voltage by selecting one of 16 gradation voltages by the D/A converter circuits.
The thus selected gradation voltage is fed to the corresponding source signal line during one line. By the scanning signal from the shift register at the gate signal line side, the corresponding TFT is switched, whereby the liquid crystal molecules are driven.
By repeating the above-mentioned operation by a number of times corresponding to the number of the scanning lines, one frame is formed. In general, in an active matrix liquid crystal display device, pictures of 60 frames are re-written for one second.
As shown in FIG. 15, in the known digital driver, the data lines (a to d) 2002 to which digital data fed must feed the digital data to all the latch circuits 1 (2003), and thus, the laid-around length of the wirings of the data lines in the digital driver is very large. As a result, the load (the parasitic capacitance and resistance) of the data lines 2002 becomes large, so that the delay of the digital data, so-called the extended transition time of the digital data is increased.
By the use of the known digital driver, the display of pictures cannot be executed on the basis of accurate digital data, due to the above-mentioned delay of the digital data and the extended transition time of the digital data in some cases, and thus, good display could not be made in some cases.
Thus, the present invention has been achieved in view of the above-mentioned problem; the invention thus provides a digital driver for display devices which can prevent the delay of the digital data and the extended transition time of the digital data to make good display and also provides a display device including the just-mentioned digital driver.
In the digital driver according to the invention, digital data are successively inputted to a shift register, whereby the digital data are shifted in the shift register, and the output thereof is sent out to latch circuits.
In the digital driver according to the invention, digital data are inputted directly to the shift register, so that the distance over which the data lines are laid around can be shortened; and thus, the increase in load due to the laying-around of the data lines which has so far been a problem can be prevented, and the delay of the digital data and the extended transition time of the digital data can be prevented.
The constitution of the invention will be described below.
According to a first aspect of the invention, a digital driver comprises
a shift register circuit including a plurality of register circuits, and
a latch circuit array including a plurality of latch circuits,
wherein digital data are inputted to the shift register circuit,
the digital data successively shift through the plurality of register circuits, and
to the plurality of latch circuits, the outputs of the digital data from the corresponding ones of the register circuits are inputted.
According to a second aspect of the invention, a digital driver comprises
a shift register circuit which has a register circuit at the first stage, a register circuit at the second stage, . . . , a register circuit at the (nxe2x88x921)th stage and a register circuit at the nth stage (wherein n stands for a natural number), and
a latch circuit array including a first latch circuit, a second latch circuit, . . . , an (nxe2x88x921)th latch circuit and an nth latch circuit, wherein first digital data, second digital data, . . . , an (nxe2x88x921)th digital data and an nth digital data are successively inputted to the register circuit at the first stage,
the output of the register circuit at the first stage, the output of the register circuit at the second stage, . . . , the output of the register circuit at the (nxe2x88x921)th stage and the output of the register circuit at the nth stage are respectively sent out to the first latch circuit, the second latch circuit, . . . , the (nxe2x88x921)th latch circuit and the nth latch circuit,
the instant the first digital data is inputted to the register circuit at the nth stage, the oscillation of a clock signal inputted to the shift register circuit stops, and the nth digital data, the (nxe2x88x921)th digital data, . . . , the second digital data and the first digital data which are respectively held in the register circuit at the first stage, the register circuit at the second stage, . . . , the register circuit at the (nxe2x88x921)th stage and the register circuit at the nth stage are respectively read into the first latch circuit, the second latch circuit, . . . , the (nxe2x88x921)th latch circuit and the nth latch circuit.
According to a third aspect of the invention, a display device comprises
TFTs disposed in a matrix shape,
a source driver, and
a gate driver,
wherein the source driver comprises a shift register circuit which includes a plurality of register circuits and a latch circuit array which includes a plurality of latch circuits,
to the shift register circuit, digital data are inputted,
the digital data successively shift through the plurality of register circuits, and,
to the plurality of latch circuits, the digital data outputs from the corresponding ones of the register circuits are inputted.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a display device comprises
TFTs disposed in a matrix shape,
a source driver, and
a gate driver,
wherein the source driver comprises a shift register circuit which includes a register circuit at the first stage, a register circuit at the second stage, . . . , a register circuit at the (nxe2x88x921)th stage and a register circuit at the nth stage (wherein n stands for a natural number) and a latch circuit array which includes a first latch circuit, a second latch circuit, . . . , an (nxe2x88x921)th latch circuit and an nth latch circuit,
first digital data, second digital data, . . . , (nxe2x88x921)th digital data and nth digital data are successively inputted to the register circuit at the first stage, the output of the register circuit at the first stage, the output of the register circuit at the second stage, . . . , the output of the register circuit at the (nxe2x88x921)th stage and the output of the register circuit at the nth stage are respectively sent out to the first latch circuit, the second latch circuit, . . . , the (nxe2x88x921)th latch circuit and the nth latch circuit, and
the instant the first digital data is inputted to the register circuit at the nth stage, the oscillation of a clock signal inputted to the shift register circuit stops, so that the nth digital data, the (nxe2x88x921)th digital data, . . . , the second digital data and the first digital data which are respectively held in the register circuit at the first stage, the register circuit at the second stage, . . . , the register circuit at the (nxe2x88x921)th stage and the register circuit at the nth stage are respectively taken into the first latch circuit, the second latch circuit, . . . , the (nxe2x88x921)th latch circuit and the nth latch circuit.
Here, description will be made on the mode for carrying out the invention.
FIG. 1 will be referred to. FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing the shift register circuit and the latch circuit array of the m-bit digital driver according to an embodiment of the invention. The shift register circuit and the latch circuit array shown in FIG. 1 process the first bit of m-bit digital data. Thus, the m-bit digital driver according to this embodiment comprises m such circuits as shown in FIG. 1.
The reference numeral 100 denotes a shift register circuit. The shift register circuit 100 includes n register circuits 101 (DFF1 to DFFn) (wherein n stands for a natural number) at a first stage to the nth stage. To the n register circuits (DFF1 to DFFn) in the shift register circuit, a clock signal line 102, a clock-back signal line 103 and a digital data line 104 are connected, so that, by the respective signal lines, a clock signal (CLK), a clock-back signal (CLKB) which is the inversion signal of the clock signal, and digital data (DIGITAL DATA) are inputted. Further, the digital data (DIGITAL DATA) fed to the shift register circuit 100 are inputted to the register circuit (DFF1) at the first stage.
Numeral 110 denotes a latch circuit array. The latch circuit array 110 includes first to nth latch circuits 111 (LATCH1 to LATCHn). To the latch circuits 111 (LATCH1 to LATCHn) of the latch circuit array 110, a latch signal line 112 and a latch-back signal line 113 are connected, and thus, by the respective signal lines, a latch signal (LAT) and a latch-back signal (LATB) which is the inversion signal of the latch signal are inputted.
Here, the operation of the digital driver according to the invention will be described, referring to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a timing chart pertaining to the shift register circuit and the latch circuit array of the source driver according to this embodiment.
To the register circuit DFF1 at the first stage of the source driver, there are inputted a lock signal (CLK), a clock-back signal (CLKB), and the digital data fed to the source driver. To the register circuit DFF1, the first digital data (1_1), the second digital data (2_1), the third digital data (3_1), . . . , the (nxe2x88x921)th digital data (nxe2x88x921_1) and the nth digital data (n_1) are successively inputted (DFF1 input shown in FIG. 2).
The DFF1 shifts and outputs the inputted data successively (DFF1 output and S1 shown in FIG. 2) on the basis of the clock signal (CLK) and the clock-back signal (CLKB), thus successively sending the digital data out to the register circuit DFF2 at the following stage. The reference symbol t1 stands for the pulse width of one-bit digital data.
To the register circuit DFF2 at the second stage, the digital data outputted from the DFF1 are inputted; and the register circuit DFF2 successively shifts and outputs the inputted digital data (DFF2 outputs and S2 shown in FIG. 2) on the basis of the clock signal (CLK) and the clock-back signal (CLKB), thus successively sending out the digital data to the register circuit DFF3 at the following stage.
As stated above, the digital data inputted to the register circuit DFF1 at the first stage are shifted through the register circuits one after another on the basis of the clock signal (CLK) and the clock-back signal (CLKB), finally becoming the output of the register circuit DFFn at the final stage (the nth stage) (the DFFn output and Sn shown in FIG. 2).
The period during which the digital data (1_1) inputted to the register circuit DFF1 at the first stage become the output of the register circuit DFFn at the final stage is called line period (TL). During this line period (TL), the clock signal (CLK) and the clock-back signal (CLKB) are continuously fed to all the register circuits (DFF1 to DFFn). Further, during the line period (TL), the latch signal (LAT) and the latch-back signal (LATB) are controlled so that new digital data may not be inputted to the latch circuits.
Further, between a line period (TL) and the next line period (TL), a horizontal retrace line period (THB) exists. During this horizontal retrace line period (THB), the oscillation of the clock signal (CLK) and the clock-back signal (CLKB) is stopped (See FIG. 2). By this measure, during the horizontal retrace line period (THB), the register circuits (DFF1 to DFFn) hold the outputs (S1 to Sn) of the digital data and thus output the digital data to corresponding ones of the first to nth latch circuits (LATCH1 to LATCHn) without fail.
As shown in FIG. 2, during this latch period (TLA), the output (nxe2x88x921) of the register circuit DFF1 at the first stage is inputted to the first latch circuit LATCH1, the output (nxe2x88x921_1) of the register circuits DFF1 at the second stage is inputted to the second latch circuit LATCH2, and the output (1_1) of the register circuit DFF1 at the nth stage is inputted to the nth latch circuit LATCHn. Further, the sum of the line period (THB) and the horizontal retrace line period (THB) is called horizontal period (TH).
During the horizontal retrace line period (THB), the latch signal (LAT) and the latch-back signal (LATB) are inputted within the latch period (TLA), and the respective latch circuits (LATCH1 to LATCHn) take in the digital data held in the register circuits.
In this way, the digital data (n_1 to 1_1) are taken into the all the first to nth latch circuits (LATCH1 to LATCHn), respectively. Thus, it can be understood that the digital data (n_1 to 1_1) are taken into the nth to first latch circuits (LATCHn to LATCH1) in the order of the digital data being inputted.
After the termination of the horizontal retrace line period (THB), a line period (TL) starts again, and the oscillation of the clock signal (CLK) and the clock-back signal (CLKB) is resumed. Then the digital data inputted to the resister circuits DFF1 at the first stage shift through the register circuits one after another on the basis of the clock signal (CLK) and the clock-back signal (CLKB).
By repeating the above-mentioned operation, the digital data inputted to the shift register circuit 100 can be outputted in parallel to the latch circuit array 110. In this specification, a driving method as according to the present invention will be called the data shift system in view of the fact that the digital data shift through the registers.
The digital data outputted to the latch circuit array 110 are converted into analog data by D/A converters and the like and outputted to the display portion of the display device.
In case of the data shift system according to the present invention, the data are inputted directly to the shift register circuit, and the data themselves shift one after another, so that, while the clock signal (CLK) and the clock-back signal (CLKB) are fed to the shift register circuit, the output digital data of the respective register circuits (DFF1 to DFFn) are rewritten successively. In order to obtain the digital data to be originally maintained as the outputs of the respective register circuits, it is necessary to ensure that the output digital data of the respective register circuits are not rewritten successively. In other words, in order to ensure that, when the digital data are established as the outputs of the respective register circuits, the oscillation of the clock signal (CLK) and the clock-back signal (CLKB) must be stopped so that the digital data can be held. Further, it is immediately after the termination of the line period that the output digital data of the respective register circuits are established, and, when the next line period starts, new digital data are inputted to the register circuits (DFF1) at the first stage. Thus, it follows that the period during which the oscillation of the clock signal (CLK) and the clock-back signal (CLKB) is to be stopped is the horizontal retrace line period (THB) between a line period (TL) and the next line period (TL).
In the digital driver according to the invention, the digital data are inputted directly to the shift registers, so that the laying-around distance of the data lines can be shortened; and thus, the increase in load due to the laying-around of the data lines which has so far been a problem to be overcome can be prevented, and thus, the delay of the digital data and the extended transition time of the digital data can be prevented.
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The present invention generally relates to a screen assembly and, more particularly, to a screen suspending and tilting mechanism for suspending the screen from above and also for tilting the screen relative to the direction of travel of image carrying rays of light from an optical projector.
The term "projector" hereinabove and hereinafter employed is to be understood as meaning an optical instrument including a slide projector, a motion picture projector, an overhead projector and any other image projecting device used for the purpose of reproducing an image, either still or motion, on the screen.
Various types of screen assemblies are now commercially available and a recent version of them is known to comprise a cylindrical casing, a four-sided sheet of predetermined size having at least one surface adapted to have an optical image projected thereon, a spindle coaxially rotatably housed within the cylindrical casing and to which one side portion of the screen sheet is secured while the side portion opposed to the one side portion of the screen sheet is situated outside the cylindrical casing, and a screen winder employed, for example, in the form of at least one coil spring. The coil spring has the opposite ends respectively secured to the cylindrical casing and the spindle and is arranged to operate in such a manner that, while the screen sheet is drawn out of the cylindrical casing by the application of an external pulling force against the coil spring which at this time accumulates a winding force, the screen sheet once drawn out of the cylindrical casing can automatically be drawn into the casing upon release of the external pulling force by the effect of the accumulated winding force of the coil spring.
With the conventional screen assembly, it has often been experienced that, when an optical image is projected on the screen surface with the optical axis of, for example, a slide projector directed at a certain angle relative to the screen surface, that is, when the screen surface receives the projected image at an angle of incidence more or less than 90.degree., the projected image is reproduced in perspective due to linear distortion. This linear distortion can readily be substantially corrected if the angle of incidence of rays of light carrying the projected image is adjusted or set to be substantially at right angles to the screen surface. Heretofore, this has been carried out by tilting the projector up or down or by lifting or lowering either the projector or the screen relative to the other.
However, depending upon the circumstances, the correction of the linear distortion occurring in the projected image or picture on the screen surface cannot be achieved whatever the method therefor may be, because each of the above described methods of distortion correction requires a complicated and time-consuming procedure and a lot of labor which, to the mind of on-lookers, appears to be exaggerated. described disadvantages and inconveniences, as disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Publication (Unexamined) No. 67577/1974 laid open to public inspection on Dec. 22, 1975, I have invented a screen suspending and tilting mechanism. My prior screen suspending and tilting mechanism disclosed in the aforesaid publication comprises a screen assembly of any known construction having a screen sheet wound around a spindle within a screen casing, means for connecting the screen casing to an overhead supporting structure, for example, a ceiling of a room or hall, for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the overhead supporting structure and also to the longitudinal axis of the screen casing, and a tiltable support bar of telescopically extendable construction having a straight tube and a straight extension inserted in said straight tube for axial movement between retracted and projected positions. The means for connecting the screen casing to the overhead supporting structure includes a L-shaped bracket having a first flat portion, rotatably connected to the overhead supporting structure, and a second flat portion supporting the sereen casing therebelow by means of a pair of suspending bars and to which one end of the straight tube remote from the straight extension is pivotally connected by way of an angle member. A free end of the straight extension remote from the straight tube has a fixture rigidly mounted thereon, to which fixture one side portion of the screen sheet situated outside the screen casing is, after the screen sheet has been drawn out of the casing, engaged in readiness for receiving the projected image or picture thereon. At this time, depending upon the size of the area of the screen sheet which is desired to have the picture projected thereon, the straight extension may be set either to the retracted position, or to the projected position or to a position intermediate the retracted and projected positions.
The tiltable support bar can be pivoted from a vertically oriented position selectively to any one of a plurality of tilted positions for adjustment of the angle of the screen sheet relative to the direction of travel of a beam of light from the projector. For this purpose, my prior screen suspending and tilting mechanism further comprises a tilt angle adjusting mechanism for selectively positioning the tiltable support bar to any one of the tilted positions. The tilt angle adjusting mechanism is constituted by an angular slot defined in the angle member and a stop which is in the form of a bolt and a nut, the bolt being inserted through the angular slot with the angle member situated between a head portion of the bolt and the nut fastened to said bolt. Since a portion adjacent the end of the straight tube, which is pivotally connected to the angle member and situated remote from the extension, of the tiltable support bar tending to assume a vertically downwardly oriented position under the influence of gravity force acting on said tiltable support bar, is engaged with the stop, adjustment of the position of the bolt relative to the angular slot results in positioning of the tiltable support bar to a selected one of the tilted positions and, consequently, the screen is swung backwards substantially around the screen casing.
My prior screen suspending and tilting mechanism of the construction described above has been developed on the basis of the fact, where the projector, for example, an overhead projector, cannot be tilted up or down and/or cannot be lifted or lowered relative to the screen during an attempt to correct the linear distortion occurring in the projected picture, the only way to correct it is to tilt the screen. With the above described screen suspending and tilting mechanism, tilting of the screen sheet can readily be achieved merely by positioning the tiltable support bar to any selected one of the tilted positions since that side portion of the screen sheet remote from the screen casing is engaged with the fixture on the tiltable support bar with said screen held in a position drawn out of the screen casing.
Although my prior screen suspending and tilting mechanism operates satisfactorily and conveniently, some disadvantages have been found which are attributable to the position and construction of the tilt angle adjusting mechanism. By way of example, since the bolt and the nut, which constitute the tilt angle adjusting mechanism, are positioned adjacent the overhead supporting structure and spaced a greater distance from the ground or floor than the largest possible height of the user of the screen assembly, frequent adjustment of the tilt angle of the screen sheet to suit to a particular situation in which the screen and the projector are placed is often hampered.
In addition thereto, after the screen sheet once drawn out of the screen casing has been retracted into the screen casing and even though the straight extension of the tiltable supporting bar is retracted into the straight tube, a substantial length of the straight tube remains suspended in the air within the room or hall, tending to provide an obstruction which would impair the appearance of the room or hall.
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The present invention relates to paper making processes and system for the processes. More particularly, the present invention relates to a paper making process and system using an enzyme and cationic coagulant combination to improve cellulosic pulp drainage and/or retention.
Conventional paper making processes generally include the following steps: (1) forming an aqueous suspension of cellulosic fibers, commonly known as pulp; (2) adding various processing and paper enhancing materials, such as strengthening, retention, drainage aid and/or sizing materials, or other functional additives; (3) sheeting and drying the fibers to form a desired cellulosic web; and (4) post-treating the web to provide various desired characteristics to the resulting paper, such as surface application of sizing materials, and the like. Some cellulase enzymes can be used to treat cellulosic fiber and improve the drainage of the fiber suspension slurry. However, enzyme usage has required an additional pretreatment process of heating the cellulosic pulp, such as preheating the pulp to approximately 50° C. for about 30-120 minutes before enzyme addition. Additional energy consumption and equipment installation is required for such preheating operations for enzyme usage. Further, enzymes can be costly, and enzyme application for papermaking would result in significant increases in production cost.
The present investigators have seen a need for additives useful in papermaking processing that can produce paper with improved cellulosic pulp drainage and retention in cost reduced manners.
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a C2/m-structured cathode material, and more particularly to a C2/m-structured cathode material for a lithium-ion battery. The invention also relates to a lithium-ion battery containing the C2/m-structured cathode material.
2. Description of the Related Art
A lithium-ion battery generally includes an anode containing LixC, a cathode containing metal oxide or phosphate, a polymeric separator for separating the anode from the cathode, and an organic electrolyte solution containing a lithium salt. Conventional cathode materials include a layered-type oxide of LixMO2 (M=Co or Ni), Spinel structured LixMn2O4, or Olivine structured LixFePOx. For the layered-type oxide of LixMO2, however, x is required to be equal to or larger than 0.5 in view of structural stability of the cathode material, and specific capacity of the layered-type oxide of LixMO2 is typically lower than 140 mAh/g.
WO 2008/137241 A2, which corresponds to US 2008/0280205, discloses a layer-structured cathode composition for a lithium-ion battery. The cathode composition has a formula of Li[LixMnaNibCOcM1dM2e]O2, wherein M1 and M2 are different metals and are not Mn, Ni, or Co; x+a+b+c+d+e=1; −0.5≦x≦0.2; 0≦a≦0.80; 0≦b≦0.75; 0≦c≦0.88; 0≦d+e≦0.30; and at least one of d and e is larger than 0. The cathode composition has a space group of R-3m, and is in a form of a single phase having a layered O3 crystal structure. The cathode composition has a stable interlayer structure and is not liable to collapse due to movement of lithium ions from and to the layer-structured cathode composition. Therefore, the structural stability and the specific capacity can be enhanced. However, the specific capacity of the layer-structured cathode composition is usually not greater than 180 mAh/g.
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Technologies using semi-conducting materials such as for example: hydrogenated amorphous silicon (aSiH), on insulating glass supports, CMOS on crystalline silicon substrate, charge-coupled circuits (CCD) on crystalline silicon substrate,make it possible to produce matrices of photosensitive points that are able to produce an image on the basis of visible or near-visible radiation. These matrices can nonetheless be used within the framework of the detection of radiological images. Accordingly, it suffices to interpose a scintillator screen between the X-ray radiation and the matrix so as to convert the X-ray radiation into luminous radiation in the band of wavelengths to which the photosensitive points are sensitive. The X-rays can also be converted directly into electrical charge by virtue of a photoconducting material (e.g.: a-Se, CdTe, PbO, PbI2, etc.). In this case, the photosensitive points each comprise a charge storage capacitor.
The photosensitive points which form these matrices generally comprise a photosensitive element associated with an element fulfilling an on/off switch function. The photosensitive point is mounted between a row conductor and a column conductor. According to requirements, the photosensitive device then comprises a plurality of photosensitive points disposed as a matrix or strip.
The photosensitive element commonly consists of a diode, mounted in series with the on/off switch element. The on/off switch element may be for example a so-called switching diode whose “passing” or “on” state corresponds to the bias which turns it on in the forward direction, and whose “blocked” or “off” state corresponds to the reverse bias thereof. The two diodes are mounted with opposite directions of conduction, in a so-called “head-to-tail” configuration. Such an arrangement is well known, notably from French patent application 86 14058 (Publication No. 2 605 166) in which are described a matrix of photosensitive points of the type with two diodes in “head-to-tail” configuration, a method for reading the photosensitive points and a way of producing a photosensitive device such as this.
The column conductors are linked to a reading circuit converting the charge accumulated in the photosensitive elements into signals and delivering these signals as output. More particularly, the reading circuit can comprise several stages. Among these stages, a first stage can convert the charge into analog signals; a second stage can amplify these signals; a third stage can multiplex the signals so as to deliver “in series” and row after row as output from the reading circuit, a multiplexed signal comprising the signals representative of the charge accumulated in the photosensitive elements; and a fourth stage can convert the analog multiplexed signal into a digital signal. Like any electronic device, the reading circuit introduces electronic noise that gets added to the signals representative of the accumulated charge and limits the signal-to-noise ratio. In this instance, noise is generated at each stage of the reading circuit, and possibly further on in the image acquisition chain. More generally, noise is introduced at each modification or transformation of an analog signal, until this signal is converted into a digital signal. The noise is particularly troublesome insofar as the signals arising from the first stage may have a very small amplitude for certain modes of image acquisition, in particular when the X-ray radiation exposure time is small. The signal-to-noise ratio is then very small, for example close to unity, and the so-called useful signal, that is to say that representative of the charge accumulated in the photosensitive elements, may be difficult to extract from the overall signal, that is to say from the signal comprising at one and the same time the useful signal and the noise.
The generation of noise by the image acquisition chain may be limited by the design of the photosensitive device. However, noise generation depends greatly on the mode of use of the photosensitive device, notably the time for which the photosensitive points are exposed, the speed of reading the charge and the amplification gain applied to the signals. Thus, during the design of the photosensitive device, a compromise must be made between the various possible modes of use.
A solution for decreasing the noise generated during the transfer of the charge accumulated in the various photosensitive points to a charge amplifier is known from the French patent application published under the number FR 2 625 593. This patent describes a method for reading passive photosensitive points where the following is performed N times successively: a transfer of the charge present on each column of the matrix to intermediate storage zones, a duplication of this charge, a column-wise averaging of the duplicated charge and a restoral to the columns of the original charge. The charge averages are thereafter transferred to the following stage. The noise introduced during each transfer to the intermediate storage zones is generally decorrelated from the other noise. The averaging therefore makes it possible to partially cancel said noise. However, though the solution described in this patent does indeed make it possible to globally reduce the noise introduced by the image acquisition chain, it is solely at the level of the transfer of charge between the photosensitive points and the charge amplifier. The noise introduced at all the other stages of the image acquisition chain is not reduced. Moreover, the solution described in this patent applies only to the reading of passive photosensitive points, that is to say photosensitive points where the charge is converted into voltages in the reading circuit and not directly in the photosensitive points, as is the case for active photosensitive points.
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The present disclosure relates to an optical switch, and more particularly to an optical switch including a plurality of optical waveguides.
With the development of technology, products used in the optical and semiconductor industries are becoming lower-priced, miniaturized, integrated, lower-powered, and ultra-fast. Accordance to the trend of such an industry, the integration of optical elements such as a light source, an optical detector, an optical modulator, or an optical switch based on a semiconductor or a dielectric waveguide structure into a single chip is actively researched and developed. In order to implement such a single chip integration, the performance of each optical element should be good and also its performance should be maintained even when integrated with other elements into a single chip.
The optical switch has an optical line switching function and is important as an optical communication exchanger. The method of using the optical waveguide and switching the overall path of light has the advantages of high reliability and high speed. A general polymer total reflection type optical switch is provided with a heater installed at a central portion of optical waveguides that intersect with each other. The polymer total reflection type optical switch heats a portion of an optical waveguide through a heater. In this case, it has a structure in which the refractive index of an optical waveguide material changes due to a temperature change of the optical waveguide, thereby generating a total reflection phenomenon.
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1. Field of Invention
This invention generally relates to a medical dye delivery system. More particularly, this invention relates to a system for delivering medical dye to a patient that minimizes the risk of introducing air into the dye delivery system. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a medical dye delivery system that can be incorporated into a container for the dye, or can be a separate attachment.
2. Description of Related Art
Medical dye delivery systems are used by medical personnel to inject dye into a patient. The dye serves as a contrast medium for various diagnostic procedures, such as angiography. A medical dye delivery system generally includes a medical dye container that is connected in flow communication through a series of conduits to a mechanism for introducing dye into the patient. The mechanism draws the dye from the container and then directs the dye through the system and into the patient.
When performing diagnostic tests on a patient using the medical dye delivery system, the operator generally focuses on a visual display of the patient on a monitor and not on the amount of dye in the dye delivery system. This can cause the operator to unknowingly deplete the dye container, thereby drawing air into the system. To purge this air requires a time consuming effort. If the air is not purged, it may enter the patient and cause an embolism or other harmful effects. Further, the entrance of air in the system often occurs at a critical time of the procedure when even minor delays can have undesirable consequences.
Typical angiography quire between 80 cc and 300 cc of medical dye. In addition, the me dye is typically sold in containers holding 50 cc, 100 cc, or 150 cc, with 100 cc bottles being the most common. Because two or more containers may be required for an angiography procedure, the operator must be quickly made aware of when one container has been depleted to quickly switch to another, full container.
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The present invention relates to a pressure sensitive sensor, an object-detecting device, attachment structure thereof and an opening and closing device. More particularly, the invention relates to a technique for improvement to reliably operate a sensor and a pressure sensitive sensor attachment structure and an opening and closing device which are suitably used for a power window device of a car which requires an object pinching preventing function.
Conventionally, there have been disclosed many examples in which a pressure sensitive sensor of such a type as to close a contact point by pressing or a piezoelectric sensor utilizing a piezoelectric element is used for a pressure sensitive sensor to be used for preventing an object from being pinched. When the piezoelectric sensor is deformed by the pressing of an object, a voltage pulse is output from the piezoelectric sensor and the presence of pinching of the object is detected based on the presence of the voltage pulse. In the case in which these pressure sensitive sensors are applied to prevent pinching in the power window device of a car, a pressure sensitive switch or a piezoelectric sensor is provided along the window frame of a door and is deformed by an object when the object is pinched between the window frame and a windowpane, for example. If the pressure sensitive switch is closed or a predetermined voltage pulse is output from the piezoelectric sensor when the windowpane is to be closed, it is assumed that the object is pinched and the direction of rotation of an electric motor is reversed to eliminate the pinching.
There has been proposed the pinching detecting device for the power window device of this type comprising a pressure sensitive sensor 210 having conductive contact wires 202, 203, 204 and 205 opposed on the inner circumference of a long string-shaped elastic cylinder 201 which is buried in elastic support means provided along the edge of a window frame as shown in FIGS. 22A and 22B (for example, see Japanese Patent Document JP-A-2001-153734).
The pressure sensitive sensor 210 serves to output a predetermined detection signal when conductive contact wires to be opposed to each other in the elastic cylinder 201 come in contact with each other as shown in FIG. 23B when the elastic cylinder 201 is crushed in a constant amount or more by pinching an object.
In the pinching detecting device using the pressure sensitive sensor 210, however, when the pressure sensitive sensor 210 is bent as shown in FIG. 23A corresponding to the corner section of a window frame in order to be provided along the corner section of the window frame in the front seat of a vehicle, for example, there is a possibility that the elastic cylinder 201 might be crushed in a bending position and the contact wires might thereby come in contact with each other, resulting in erroneous detection as shown in FIG. 23B. For this reason, the pressure sensitive sensor 210 has conventionally been provided independently for each of almost rectilinear sides constituting the window frame such that one pressure sensitive sensor 210 is not provided across the corner section of the window frame.
In such a pressure sensitive sensor attachment structure, however, there is a problem in that the number of the pressure sensitive sensors 210 to be used is increased and a great deal of time and labor is required for a processing of connecting a lead wire from each pressure sensitive sensor 210.
In the pressure sensitive sensor attachment structure, moreover, a pressure sensitive sensor is not present in the corner section itself of a window frame. For this reason, there is a possibility that the local pinching of an object in the corner section of the window frame might not be detected.
In the pressure sensitive sensor 210, furthermore, even if the section of the pressure sensitive sensor 210 is crushed due to the pinching of an object, the contact of the contact wires is not generated until the section is crushed in a constant amount or more. Consequently, the pinching is detected with a delay. As a result, there is a problem in that an operation for closing a windowpane is stopped with a delay.
In the case in which an inclined side is provided on the window frame as in an opening and closing door in the front seat of a vehicle, force acting in such a direction as to deform the section of the pressure sensitive sensor 210 is changed into a component of force which is smaller than force for lifting a windowpane pinching an object when the object is pinched in the pressure sensitive sensor 210 provided on the inclined side. As a result, the elastic cylinder 201 is not sufficiently deformed elastically. Finally, there is a possibility that the pinching of the object might not be detected quickly.
On the other hand, in the piezoelectric sensor, moreover, there is a problem in that the piezoelectric sensor is fixed to the window frame and is thus deformed with difficulty even if the object presses the piezoelectric sensor, and a voltage pulse having a sufficient magnitude for detection is not generated from the piezoelectric sensor when pinching is to be detected. For this reason, the voltage pulse having a sufficient magnitude is not output from the piezoelectric sensor. Therefore, a windowpane continuously carries out a closing operation until the voltage pulse has a detection threshold or more for the pinching. Consequently, there is a possibility that a load applied to the object might be increased to damage the object before the pinching is eliminated.
Therefore, there has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Document JP-A-2001-324393 a technique in which a pressure sensitive sensor utilizing a novel piezoelectric element formed like a flexible wire and serving to generate an output signal corresponding to the acceleration component of deformation is used to enhance a detection sensitivity, thereby producing great pinching prevention effects (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 4).
The pressure sensitive sensor for generating an output signal corresponding to an acceleration component is attached to a window frame 1 with a structure shown in FIG. 14. More specifically, a pressure sensitive sensor 4 comprises a flexible piezoelectric sensor 2 and support means 3, and the support means 3 has the piezoelectric sensor 2 provided in the vicinity of a lowermost portion and is formed of an elastic member such as rubber having a flexibility or a foamed resin member. Moreover, the thickness of the support means 3 provided around the piezoelectric sensor 2 is reduced such that the piezoelectric sensor 2 can easily be deformed. The support means 3 has a deformation increasing section including a hollow section 4 and a side wall section 5 which serves to increase the deformation of the piezoelectric sensor 2.
In the attachment structure, the deformation of the piezoelectric sensor 2 is mainly increased by the deformation of the deformation increasing section so that a high detection sensitivity can be realized. As a result of the vigorous investigations of the inventors, however, it could be known that a detection capability can be enhanced still more at a low cost by varying the signal processing of the piezoelectric sensor 2 or changing the shape of the support means 3.
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Conventionally ultra-pure water is used for diluting chemicals (for instance for diluting 98% sulfuric acid to a desired density) or for preparing chemicals (for instance dissolving sodium hydroxide to prepare a 1 N sodium hydroxide sodium), for washing vessels such as a beaker or a tank, or for removing a chemical solution or residue of a chemical solution from a surface of a silicon wafer steeped into a chemical solution. Also ultra pure water is used as a raw material for obtaining hydrogen or oxygen by means of electroanalysis. Thus, a range of use of ultra pure water is rather narrow.
On the other hand, modification of characteristics of a surface material formed on a metallic material (such as control of the composition of the surface material) is executed by controlling a gas element or a reaction temperature when the surface material is formed, or making the surface react with other gas after the surface material is formed.
FIG. 13 shows an XPS analysis diagram for a surface material in a case where composition control is executed by changing the gas after a reaction for generation of the surface material. FIG. 13A is an XPS analysis diagram for a case where SUS 316L is reacted to fluorine gas for 8 minutes under a temperature of 220.degree. C., and FIG. 13B shows a case where a thermal processing is executed, after the processing in FIG. 13A, for 24 hours in a nitrogen atmosphere under a temperature of 400.degree. C. In case of the surface shown in FIG. 13A, a ratio of Fe vs F is 1:2.27 indicating a non-stoichiometric structure, while the surface shown in FIG. 13B has an Fe Vs F ratio of 1:2.00 indicating a stoichiometric structure of FeF.sub.2.
FIG. 14 shows a result of comparison between a compound having a stoichiometric structure and that having a non-stoichlometric structure by exposing them to a fluorine gas and checking the barrier effect to the fluorine gas in terms of consumption pressure of a fluorine gas. As clearly shown in FIG. 14, in case of a surface having astoichiometric structure as indicated by the white circle, a pressure of fluorine is constant, and consumption of fluorine gas is not observed, however, in case of a non-stoichiometric structure as indicated by the black circle, a pressure of fluorine gas decreases in association of elapse of time, which indicates consumption of fluorine gas. Namely a surface not having a stoichiometric structure dose not have a barrier effect against a fluorine gas. Thus a surface having a stoichiometric structure is stable. However, in the conventional method, a long time processing under a high temperature is required.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of modifying a surface material and an apparatus for the same enabling easy modification of characteristics of a surface material (control of chemical composition of a surface material) and new application of ultra pure water.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates a system of rendering musical performances in non-traditional non-sound media specifically for an audience. The system is not a system of musical notation. The system has applications in the areas of art and entertainment, supplemental information for the profoundly hearing impared along the lines of video closed captioning, theme park amusement rides and aids to instruction in musical composition and theory.
2. Description of the Related Art
The assignment of colors to notes in musician's notation goes back more than 1000 years to the monasteries of France and Italy where Odo of Cluny first assigned a red line to indicate the note “F”, and a yellow line above it to represent “C”, according to Elson's Music Dictionary, by Louis C. Elson, 1905, Oliver Ditson Company, in recording sacred music.
There are some references which describe musical notation systems that allegedly “can be presented to an audience”, and that provide a simple visual representation of notes played or displayed on specific electronic inventions.
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Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer unprecedented opportunities to advance our understanding and treatment of childhood diseases. One such disease is cystic fibrosis (CF). In the U.S., approximately 2,500 infants are born each year with CF and 30,000 children currently live with the disease. Many patients do not live past the age of 40. CF is caused by mutations in the CFTR gene, an anion channel, important in regulating electrolyte and water flow across mucus producing epithelia most notably the lung, pancreas and intestine. CF causing mutations cause abnormally viscous mucus in the airways, infection, inflammation, and lung destruction. Further complicating the situation is the number of cftr mutations, almost 2,000 described to date, and the variable disease severity. Determinants of this heterogeneity include the type of cftr mutation and both genetic and environmental modifiers5. The discovery of ivacaftor for treating the subset of cf patients (approx. 7%) with a G551D mutation was a significant advance in the field and represented the first mutation-targeted therapy6.
For most CF patients, including those with the most common mutation (F508del), effective treatments are not yet available. More potent CFTR correctors are needed. A major question for the community is how an individual's response to cftr modulators can be predicted? Children with CF will benefit the most from early, effective treatment. Some children with less common and less well-characterized mutations might respond to currently approved therapies. Identifying those patients is a priority. Clinical trials in this patient population and with rare mutations are challenging. Current data suggest that the future of effective CF treatment will be individually tailored combination therapy targeting distinct aspects of CFTR dysfunction7. These observations highlight the need for better surrogate preclinical models for drug development but ultimately as part of the routine care of individuals with CF.
A number of cell-based models of CF exist. High-throughput screens (HTS) using Fischer rat thyroid (FRT) cells led to the identification of a number of CFTR modulators. However, this platform is a poor predictor of clinical efficacy in part because thyroid cells are phenotypically different from airway epithelium and this “off the shelf” cell line does not carry the genetic background of patients. As such, although FRT cells are amenable to a HTS approach, these cells are phenotypically different from airway epithelium and the do not represent the genetic background of human patients. Air-liquid interface (ALI) cultures of human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells8 more closely resemble the human airway epithelium. However, there are a number of disadvantages to using a HBE CF model: (1) an invasive procedure is required to obtain HBEs, (2) the cell numbers are limiting, (3) HBEs represent only one tissue-type and (4) HBEs are not well suited to genetic engineering (5) Using chamber and patch-clamp assays lack to capacity to measure large numbers of conditions simultaneously.
Intestinal organoid asssays22 have an established role in CF. The disadvantages to using intestinal organoids are (1) an intestinal or rectal biopsy is required, (2) although the cells can be cultured for long periods, they are not as well less suited to medium to high throughput approaches as iPSCs, and (3) they represent a different tissue (intestine) than the main tissue of interest in CF (lung).
Recent data suggests a promising role for iPSC in the study of CF9,10. iPSCs can be routinely and noninvasively generated from any patient, contain that individual's unique genetic background11. These cells can be expanded in culture to provide an inexhaustible supply of autologous cells. iPSCs are also suitable for gene-editing approaches10,12. Other groups have published modeling CF using iPSCs (9,18).
Directed differentiation of functional lung epithelial cell types from human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) holds promise for in vitro modeling of complex respiratory diseases and for future cell-based regenerative therapies. Recent studies have demonstrated that a heterogeneous mixture of diverse lung epithelia accompanied by contaminating non-lung lineages can be simultaneously “co-derived” from PSCs differentiated in vitro (Dye et al., 2015; Firth et al., 2014; Gotoh et al., 2014; Green et al., 2011; Huang et al., 2013; Konishi et al., 2016; Longmire et al., 2012; Mou et al., 2012; Wong et al., 2012; Hawkins et al., 2017 and McCauley et al., 2017). However, many pulmonary diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, have their primary effects within distinct regions of the lungs and their constituent cellular subtypes. The heterogeneity of current differentiation outcomes therefore significantly hampers attempts to apply these PSC-based models to recapitulate pulmonary disease and test therapies in vitro. While recent cell sorting methods have enabled the derivation of more homogenous populations of early or primordial lung epithelial progenitor cells from human PSCs (hPSCs), Hawkins et al., 2017), the consistent derivation of well-defined mature functional lineages from these progenitors for effective disease modeling has remained challenging. This is due in part to heterogeneous, stochastic, or chaotic subsequent differentiation of these progenitors in protocols that are often reliant on many weeks or months of cell culture.
One approach to realize the promise of hPSC model systems for studying diseases affecting specific cellular subtypes is to engineer in vitro methods that more closely mimic in vivo developmental cell fate decisions. In contrast to current prolonged in vitro approaches, in vivo lung development is a tightly controlled process, where chaotic heterogeneity is minimized by signaling cascades that act cyclically in a regiospecific manner during narrow stage-dependent windows of time to precisely and rapidly promote appropriate cell fates while suppressing alternate fate options (Perrimon et al., 2012). The patterning of early lung epithelial progenitors in vivo is a classic example of this phenomenon, since soon after lineage specification of primordial lung epithelial progenitors, indicated by emergence of Nkx2-1+ endoderm, their descendants located at advancing distal lung bud tips are iteratively faced with the fate option of either maintaining a distal phenotype or surrendering this fate to assume a proximal airway cell fate (Rawlins et al., 2009). Through these repeated fate decisions, the branching lung airways are patterned post-specification along a proximodistal axis, which is canonically defined by the expression of key transcription factors SOX2 in the proximal developing airway and tracheal epithelium and SOX9 in the budding distal tips(Liu and Hogan, 2002; Que et al., 2009)
Recreating this tightly controlled proximodistal patterning of lung cells during in vitro differentiation of iPSC-derived NKX2-1+ progenitors has been difficult in part due to the plethora of developmental signaling pathways that have been described in mouse models as being important to this process, including Wnt, FGF, BMP, TGFβ, RA, SHUT, and Notch signaling (Bellusci et al., 1997; Cardoso et al., 1997; Chen et al., 2010; 2007; Hashimoto et al., 2012; Hyatt et al., 2004; Mucenski et al., 2003; Sekine et al., 1999; Shu et al., 2005; Y. Wang et al., 2013; Weaver et al., 2000; 1999; Zemke et al., 2009; Zhou et al., 1996). In particular, it has been noted that these pathways exhibit high levels of temporal and regional specificity by which they each promote the migration, differentiation, and maturation of specific cell types at the expense of others.
Perturbations to airway epithelial cell fate are involved in the pathology of many common and incurable pulmonary diseases yet the pathways involved in normal lung cell fate specification remain poorly understood. There is therefore a critical need for studies of the mechanisms by which temporal and spatial control of cell signaling leads to the development of specific lung lineages. The directed differentiation of human lung progenitors from pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) is a potential source of transient developmental progenitors for these high-resolution studies. Importantly, there remains a critical lack of protocols for deriving airway progenitors from human pluripotent stem cells. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for a rapid, reliable and simple method for producing human airway epithelial cells from iPSC or human iPSCs that does not result in a heterogeneous population of cells.
Additionally, CF is the most common genetic lung disease and second only to sickle cell anemia as a life-shortening, genetic disease, and is caused by mutations in the CFTR gene. There is a pressing need for scalable, human platforms to predict an individual's response to existing CF therapies and to identify novel compounds.
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The present invention relates to a portable telephone, such as general portable telephone, PHS telephone or others, more specifically to a display device which is fashionable enough to meet young generation's tastes.
Recently prevalence of portable telephones including PHS has explosively increased as prices of the portable telephones and telephone services become inexpensive, and the generation of their users tend to shift from workers who have been users of the conventional portable telephones to students who belong to the young generation. In accordance with this tendency, portable telephones of various designs have been marketed by the portable telephone makers to meet a wide variety of young people's tastes.
As designs of the portable telephones become thus various, it is expected that one person will want to own a plurality of portable telephones of different designs to change the portable telephones in accordance with various scenes.
For one person to own a plurality of portable telephones, a purchasing money and a basic service fee are necessary for each portable telephone, and the costs are unrealistically too high to satisfy the above-described desire. In consideration of the almost saturated state of the telephone lines, it is not preferable for one person occupy a plurality of telephone lines.
In view of such actual state the present invention has been made, and an object of the present invention is to provide a portable telephone which can meet a wide variety of tastes of the young generation and can have a different design in accordance with a scene where it is used.
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{
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Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle visual recognition device in which a visual recognition section assists vision of a vehicle occupant.
Related Art
In an electric door mirror described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2013-67195, a mirror face angle adjustment unit and a turn lamp (turn signal lamp) unit are supported on an electric storing (housing) unit. A pair of harnesses are laid out penetrating through the electric storing unit, and are respectively electrically connected to the mirror face angle adjustment unit and the turn signal lamp unit.
In such an electric door mirror, generally, the harness connected to the mirror face angle adjustment unit is arranged (laid out) at an upper side of the electric storing unit, and the harness connected to the turn signal lamp unit is arranged at an upper side of the electric storing unit and the mirror face angle adjustment unit.
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Mobile networks have experienced continuous increases in data traffic due in part to the introduction of new mobile services and applications. Such traffic may be characterized by its high level of burstiness and/or small packet sizes. In Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS), mobile devices experiencing varying traffic demands may be maintained in non-fully connected states during periods of low activity, such as, but not limited to CELL_FACH or CELL_PCH. The non-fully connected states may help to provide a user experience that is closer to “always-on connectivity,” while maintaining low battery consumption.
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The present invention relates to a weather strip for a vehicle window, and more particularly, to an outside weather strip which prevents gap formation.
In general, the front doors and the rear doors of a car are provided with a movable window glass that ascends and descends along the door outer panel. A seal is formed by an outside weather strip, which is installed on the door outer panel. Typically, an end piece is installed at the end of the outside weather strip in such a manner that the end piece facially contacts a bent portion of the door outer panel, thereby forming the seal.
However, the conventional end piece is integrally injection-molded together with the outside weather strip, but cannot be precisely installed. This permits the formation of a gap between the end piece and door outer panel and thus the generation of noise caused by blowing wind.
Embodiments of the present invention provide an outside weather strip for a vehicle that prevents formation of a gap between the door outer panel and end piece coupled to the outside weather strip. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an outside weather strip comprises a movable end piece slidably fitted to an end of the outside weather strip in its lengthwise direction and a sliding means for connecting the movable end piece to the outside weather strip and for adjusting or fixing the sliding motions of the movable end piece relative to the outside weather strip.
In a further preferred embodiment, a weather strip body piece has a threaded connector formed on an end. A moveable end piece is slideably fit on the end of the body piece. The moveable end piece has an extending portion with a hole therethrough. A bolt passes through the hole and is received in the threaded connector to adjustably secure the moveable end piece to the weather strip. Preferably, the extending portion has guide plates extending therefrom towards the threaded connector. The guide plates are configured to guide the moveable end piece into alignment with the body piece. The bolt preferably includes a threaded portion and a head with the threaded portion spaced from the head a sufficient distance to permit free rotation in the hole in the movable end piece.
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The cloning and expression of a protease derived from Metarhizium anisopliae is disclosed by Steven E. Screen and Raymond J. St. Leger in The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 275, No. 9, 2000, pp 6689-6694. The nucleotide sequence, chy1, thereof is shown in the sequence listing as SEQ ID NO: 3, and the deduced amino acid sequence, CHY1, as SEQ ID NO: 4 (TREMBL:Q9Y843).
Proteases derived from Nocardiopsis sp. NRRL 18262 and Nocardiopsis dassonvillei NRRL 18133 are described in WO 88/03947. The DNA and amino acid sequences of the protease derived from Nocardiopsis sp. NRRL 18262 are shown in DK patent application no. 1996 00013. WO 01/58276 describes the use in animal feed of acid-stable proteases related to the protease derived from Nocardiopsis sp. NRRL no. 18262. JP 2255081 A describes a protease purified from Nocardiopsis sp. FERM P-1-508. GDR patent no. DD 2,004,328 discloses a protease derived from Nocardiopsis dassonvillei ZIMET 43647.
It is an object of the present invention to provide alternative proteases for various industrial uses, for example for use in animal feed and/or detergents.
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The development of fiber optics has created a need for high performance new nonlinear optical materials which can be used in optoelectronic devices for integrated optical systems. Input devices must be fabricated to allow the conversion of the photonic to electronic signal for telephones, TV's, VCR's and personal computers. The photonic input is generated by lasers which are already used in Supermarket Barcode Readers, Compact Disc Players, Fax machines, or Laser Printers. The photonic signal must be demultiplexed, split, switched and routed. The search is on for optical equivalents of electrical connectors, resistors, capacitors, transistors, dielectrics and transformers. Waveguides and optical switches are examples of such optical equivalents.
The unusual optical properties of certain polymers make them useful in the field of optical computing, or optoelectronics, which is aimed at replacing electronic microchips that operate using electricity with optoelectronic devices that would operate with pure light at much greater switching speeds. For example, a standard silicon microchip will work at a speed in the range of microseconds, while a gallium arsenide microchip has switching speeds on the order of nanoseconds, and optoelectronic materials made out of conductive polymers generally have a switching speed in the picosecond range.
Research and engineering personnel are testing conductive materials as optical switches, the optical counterparts of transistors. To date, polydiacetylene has appeared to create a device that allows switching on a picosecond time scale. A desired material would have an exceptionally high optical nonlinearity so that switching can be done with inexpensive, low-intensity die lasers. Most of the tested optical switches recently formed have required a much more intense light to function properly. Unfortunately, the above-mentioned polydiacetylene is a disadvantageous material for optical devices because it absorbs light as strongly as it distorts it. It is the distortion enabled by the chemical structure of the conductive polymers which interferes with the propagation of light through the material, thus forcing the speed of light to vary with the intensity of the light. A search is currently on to look for a conductive polymer which will combine high nonlinearity with good transparency.
Nonlinear optical devices are devices based on a class of optical effects that result from the interaction of electromagnetic radiation from lasers with nonlinear materials. Nonlinear means that the effect depends on the intensity of the light. Nonlinear effects are due to the nonlinear contribution to the polarization of the medium, which can be expressed as a power series expansion in the incident electric field E by the following equation EQU P=E.sub.0 (X.sup.(1) E+X.sup.(2) E.sup.2 +X.sup.(3) E.sup.3 +. . . )
wherein X.sup.(1) is the linear, and X.sup.(2) and X.sup.(3) are second- and third-order susceptibilities, respectively. X.sup.(2) has a nonzero value only in materials that do not possess inversion symmetry, but X.sup.(3) is usually nonzero in all materials. Four-wave mixing and phase conjugation are examples of third-order, X.sup.(3) nonlinear effects. Optical bistability, which can also be expressed as a X.sup.(3) mechanism, occurs when the nonlinearity is coupled with feedback.
Nonlinear optical devices can be classified roughly into two categories: (1) X.sup.(2) devices that generate light at new frequencies and (2) X.sup.(3) devices that process optical signals. The second category contains waveguides, four-wave-mixing beam deflectors, phase-conjugate mirrors, etalon switches and logic devices. Current emphasis is being placed on waveguide applications.
Four-wave-mixing beam deflectors have been found to be especially useful for optical techniques for intracomputer communications and have become increasingly popular because of the limit imposed by the electronic interconnections on the scale-downs of computer circuits. One method that has been assessed for optical interconnection is the use of holographic elements to diffract the light to the desired locations. Holographic arrays may someday replace the huge number of wires or buses that are used inside the computer to transfer information. However, conventional holograms are not programmable and would have to be replaced every time a different set of pixels was to be accessed.
Four-wave mixing is one of the avenues that has been investigated to perform real-time programmable holography. Dynamic gratings that are generated by four-wave mixing may be able to deflect light originating from a source on a very large-scale integrated circuit (VLSI) chip to a spot on the same chip or to another VLSI chip. If the light is desired to illuminate a different spot, the direction of the grating must be changed; this can be accomplished by changing the angle at which the two "write" beams intersect.
Nonlinear optics is a field of study concerned with the interaction of electromagnetic radiation and matter in which the matter responds in a nonlinear manner to the incident radiation fields. The nonlinear response can result in intensity-dependent variation of the propagation characteristics of the radiation fields or in the creation of radiation fields that propagate at new frequencies or in new directions. Nonlinear effects can take place in solids, liquids, gases, and plasmas, and may involve one or more electromagnetic fields as well as internal excitations of the medium. The wavelength range of interest generally coincides with the spectrum covered by lasers, extending from the far infrared to the vacuum ultravoilet, but some nonlinear interactions have been observed at wavelengths extending from the microwave to the x-ray ranges. Historically, nonlinear optics precedes the laser, but most of the work done in the field has made use of the high powers available from lasers.
Nonlinear effects of various types are observed at sufficiently high light intensities in all materials. It is convenient to characterize the response of the medium mathematically by expanding it in a power series, as described hereinabove, in the electric and magnetic fields of the incident optical waves. The linear terms in such an expansion give rise to the linear index of refraction, linear absorption, and the magnetic permeability of the medium, while the higher-order terms give rise to nonlinear effects.
Certain requirements for nonlinear optical materials have been promulgated which indicate the characteristics of an ideal nonlinear optical material are as follows:
1. large nonlinear optical response, PA1 2. low switching energy, PA1 3. rapid switching times, PA1 4. nondispersive, PA1 5. mechanically tough and formable, PA1 6. high damage thresholds, PA1 7. formable into thin films and coatings, PA1 8. easy to manufacture, PA1 9. useful at high and low temperatures, and PA1 10. immune to corrosive and oxidative environment.
Polymeric materials are currently being investigated for many different applications. Conductive polymers are currently being used for plastic batteries, anti-static coatings, and heat reflective coatings and electromagnetic shields. Conductive polymeric fiber clothing may be used by workers to ward off static during the production of semiconductors, complicated parts and during medical operations. It has been speculated that conductive polymeric paint may be used to coat computer cabinets or even entire buildings to keep electromagnetic radiation from leaking into the atmosphere. There have been many years of research which have been directed towards the optimization of polyacetylene as a conductive polymer. Plain polyacetylene does not conduct electricity very well unless it is doped to enhance the conductivity by several orders of magnitude.
Problems posed by conductive polymer materials include poor stability in air and a stubborn resistance to being processed due to their insolubility in common solvents. The stability problem arises in conductive polymers because the chain of carbon atoms are connected by alternating single and double bonds, which prove to be extremely weak conductors. When the materials are oxidized, their conductivity can rise by many orders of magnitude. However, therein lies the problem; the gaps left by the lost electrons provide a pathway for electronic charges to be conducted down the polymeric chain. At the same time, this same property makes the conductive polymer highly reactive with water, such as the humidity in air, which is increased at high temperatures. Generally, conductive polymers would be exposed to high temperatures during their operation, and this would increase the reactivity of the conductive polymer with the humidity in the air.
Furthermore, conductive polymeric materials exhibit a resistance to processing which stems from the fact that the polymers form rigid, tightly packed chains. While the tight packing of the chains is essential for electric charges to be able to jump from one molecule to the next as the current moves through the polymer, this also means that the polymer as a whole is a hard, insoluble mass because the polymer chains resist intermixing with solvent molecules. This tends to render the polymers unprocessible and essentially unformable into fibers, thin films and coatings.
As researchers gained knowledge about the conductive polymers during the 1980's, they solved the stability problem by incorporating less reactive atoms such as sulfur, nitrogen and oxygen into the polymeric backbone. For example, a particularly successful polymer is polypyrrole, a chain of five member rings, each of which contains a nitrogen atom. Several Japanese firms, including Nippon Electric, now sell high frequency capacitors containing polypyrrole as the solid electrolyte. Structurally analogous polypyrrole compounds having sulfur and oxygen atoms instead of the nitrogen, polythiophene and polyfuran, have also proved to be stable and conductive, although they were still presented with the processibility problem. Different side chains to the basic polymers were tested by trial and error to attack the processibility problem.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a conductive polymer which is stable in high temperatures, has a high molecular weight, and is easily processible to form fibers, thin films, coatings, or bulk materials so that articles of manufacture may be easily fabricated.
Traditionally, it had been reported by Luneva, et al. in 1968 that heating diphenyldiethynylsilane afforded a low molecular weight (about 2700 to 5000), red, soluble polymer which was claimed to have a straight chain structure containing diacetylenic groupings. Diphenyldiethynylsilane was heated at 180.degree. to 200.degree. to form a reddish-brown polymeric solid which was soluble in benzene or toluene. This conventional material experienced problems due to its low molecular weight.
Improved polymeric materials which increase the conjugation of the polyenes, such as polyacetylene and polydiacetylene were described by Kusumoto and Hiyama in 1988. Their materials were disclosed for conductivity applications. In spite of the promising conductive properties, the instability of the polymers to atmospheric oxygen severely limited their use. Substitution of the polymers endowed a remarkable stability at the total expense of the conductivity, however. Therefore, Kusumoto et al. attempted to synthesize a soluble, air-stable and conductive polymer by cyclopolymerization of monomers containing two ethynyldimethylsilyl groups. The polymerization was catalyzed with a WCl.sub.6 or MoCl.sub.5 catalyst which rendered polymer, soluble in common organic solvents. The polymers were doped to improve their conductivity. Their materials were of low molecular weights, from about 2800 to 3900, and colored yellow or red to brown. The results do not include a blue or violet polymer.
These examples of previous attempts to produce a stable, easily processible conductive polymer when doped, and to produce a high quality nonlinear optical polymeric material when left undoped are described above. As can be seen from their experimental data, they may have solved one or two of the problems, but they did not solve all of the problems.
Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a polymeric material in accordance with the present invention which produces a blue or violet polymer which exhibits highly enhanced nonlinear optical properties. This polymeric material should be easily processible, have a high molecular weight and should be stable in high temperatures.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a conductive polymeric material which exhibits an enhanced conductivity in the range of 10.sup.-2 to 10.sup.1 S/cm in a material which is easily processible, easy to dope and stable in air.
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The present invention relates to packing bags, and more specifically to an electric apparatus packing bag which allows the packed electric apparatus to be maintained with the packing bag intact when making an electrical test at the selling point.
When an electric apparatus is made, it must be well packed before delivery. When buying a small electric item, the consumer may require the salesman to test the performance of the electric item. Before making an electric test, the packing material must be detached. After the test, the packing material must be packed with the electric item again. Furthermore, when a paper box is used to pack a small electric item for example a decorative string, partition and positioning means shall be used to hold the bulbs and lead wires of the decorative string in place. However, it is complicated to arrange the partition and positioning means, the bulbs and lead wires properly in the packing box. This packing method consumes much labor.
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The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements and, more specifically, to a spring trip standard for tillage implements.
Spring trip standards typically include a mounting bracket attached to a rectangular toolbar and extending upwardly and rearwardly to a downwardly and forwardly directed spring abutment surface. A spring is compressed between the abutment surface and an upwardly directed spring abutment surface on a member pivotally connected to the lower portion of the bracket, and a tool supporting shank is fixed to the member. A tension link assembly extends from the shank supporting member through the spring and through an aperture in the spring abutment surface on the bracket to adjust the preloading of the spring and vary the vertical position of the tool connected to the shank. Such an assembly is shown by way of example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,039 entitled SPRING TRIP SHANK ASSEMBLY. This type of shank assembly provides good trip force characteristics but has numerous parts and is expensive and time-consuming to assemble and repair. Previously available assemblies, particularly those with numerous tension link or spring support components such as pins, straps, spacers and washers, typically require extensive instructions for assembly and disassembly.
In some shank assemblies, the tension link reduces forces on the pivot area in the at rest position, thereby introducing some looseness in the pivot joints which often is perceived as a quality disadvantage and which causes the tool to have some lateral shift during operation. Often the precompression of the spring when the tool is in the normal operating position is not sufficient to prevent some continual tripping action.
In commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,398 entitled SPRING TRIP STANDARD, a spring trip arrangement is described which does not require a tension link. In commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,548 entitled SPRING TRIP STANDARD HAVING REDUCED SPRING BUCKLING FORCES, spring seat structure is described for providing generally perpendicular alignment of the lowermost coil of the spring relative to the centerline of the coil spring in both the field-working and the tripped positions so that spring buckling and spring fatigue caused by buckling are reduced. Upstop limit for the shank is provided by the spring when the spring coils stack against each other. To prevent spring coils from slipping past one another and causing permanent spring deformation, a spring stop arrangement described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,397 is provided. The stop arrangement also includes a downstop limit which establishes the lowermost field-working position of the shank and pitch of the tool mounted on the shank. Although the above-described arrangement reduces cost and increases reliability compared to at least most previously available spring trip shank assemblies, the lowermost position of the shank and pitch of the tool cannot be easily adjusted. Therefore, setting up the shanks for proper depth and tool angle has been a continuing problem with the assemblies that do not have a tension link to adjust the lowermost position of the shank. The ability to make quick and accurate adjustments of a plurality of such assemblies across the width of an implement has heretofore been unavailable.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved spring trip assembly for an implement. It is a further object to provide such an assembly which overcomes most or all of the aforementioned problems.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved spring trip assembly which has fewer parts and is lower in cost than most previously available shank assemblies and yet which facilitates shank adjustment. It is another object to provide such an assembly wherein tool pitch can be quickly and easily adjusted. It is still another object to provide such an assembly which is simple and inexpensive in design and manufacture and which does not require a tension link.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an improved spring trip shank assembly having a positive downstop independent of any tension link but yet which has an adjustable lowermost position. It is another object to provide such an assembly which is adjustable and wherein a plurality of the assemblies can be quickly and easily adjusted relative to each other. It is yet another object to provide such an assembly including a visual indicator for determining shank settings.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a spring trip shank assembly which is simple and inexpensive in construction and which includes an eccentric mechanism strategically located to allow an operator to quickly and easily select from a variety of tool pitch positions. It is a further object to provide such an assembly which allows accurate adjustment of a plurality of assemblies across the width of an implement. It is still another object to provide such an assembly which includes a spring assembly without a tension link and which facilitates construction of the assembly with a one-piece shank support which includes a pivot area and fixed stop structure.
A spring trip standard for a tillage implement includes a coil spring compressed between an upper spring-abutting surface on the mounting bracket and a lower spring abutment surface on a casting which is connected by a transverse pivot to the mounting bracket. A tool-supporting shank is connected to the casting and biased downwardly into a ground working position by the spring. The casting includes a first integral stop extending forwardly from the pivot. The stop contacts the bottom of the bracket when the shank is in the ground working position so that a tension link between the bracket and casting is eliminated. The standard also includes a second stop to limit upward pivoting to a maximum tripped position wherein the spring is in or approaches a fully compressed condition but is not forced into an overly compressed condition wherein spring deformation occurs. Both the downstop and upstop functions are provided by a single casting.
To provide shank and tool pitch adjustment for the fixed downstop structure, the shank pivot area includes an eccentric mechanism with calibrated pitch positions for varying the location of the shank pivot relative to the downstop. The mechanism for varying pivot location includes a bushing with an eccentric bore inserted though the shank pivot area. A keyway in the bushing receives a threaded bolt with a mating key. The eccentric bore is aligned with holes in the standard mounting bracket, and the bolt and key are inserted through the bracket holes and the bore. A captive nut fastens the mechanism in position between the sides of the mounting bracket for the desired shank pitch. Multiple holes or elongated slots in the mounting bracket sides are not required for making the changes in shank pivot location.
To change pitch position, the nut is loosened and a wrench is positioned on the bolt to rotate the bolt and the bushing and thereby change the shank pivot location relative to the downstop. When the desired pitch is achieved, the nut is retightened. Incremental marks located on the mounting bracket and a notch on the bolt head which can be aligned with a selected one of the marks provide an easily readable indication of the selected pivot location so a plurality of the assemblies can be adjusted to the same pitch quickly and easily. The assembly is also inexpensive and simple in design and overcomes problems of adjusting a shank assembly with a fixed downstop.
A one-piece shank support structure which includes a pivot area and fixed stop may be used for reducing the number of parts and for ease of assembly while still retaining the pitch adjustment feature. The stop can contact a solid portion of the mounting bracket or implement frame adjacent the bracket since there is no need for an intermediate member to change downstop location. Adjustment structure that otherwise would be necessary and subject to looseness and wear at a high impact stop location is avoided.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description in view of the drawings.
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The present invention relates to bathroom or laundry rails. More particularly, although not exclusively, the invention relates to a telescopic rail that can be fixed at both ends to bathroom, laundry or kitchen wall tiles using suction cup fastening devices.
It is of course known to attach bathroom rails to bathroom walls using fixtures at each end of the rail. These fixtures are permanently attached to the bathroom wall by screws, tile adhesive and/or other known means. A problem exists in small bathrooms for example, where there is little room for handrails. It might be desirable for example to temporarily attach a rail to tiles above a bath tub and/or within a shower recess—say for the purpose of attaching clothes to hang and dry. A permanent fixture in such a location would be inconvenient for general use of the shower recess and/or bath tub.
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Conventional approaches to load balancing for systems involve the provision of a homogenous solution using a specific load balancing methods. For example, Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests received from a web browser can be load balanced by: redirecting to different servers using Domain Name Space (DNS) round robin or proxying. So, for load balancing with a conventional approach, all traffic may be load balanced using a chosen method handled by the web browser.
However, such an approach does not work when dealing with different types of client application (i.e., not just browsers) where one method does not work for all client applications used with video conference systems. For example, implementations of redirects for particular client applications are not functional and internal security measures (e.g., firewalls) do not permit redirects to unfamiliar servers (e.g., not on a list of approved resource addresses for a user). As such, an improved approach to load balancing with video conference systems is needed.
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Technical Field
The invention relates to instant messaging services across the Internet. More particularly, the invention relates to the secure transmission and reception of messages and files via an instant messaging service across the Internet.
Description of the Prior Art
Instant Messaging has changed a large population of Internet users' lives over the few years that such a service has been available. Users have the ability to conduct real-time conversations with other users. Friends and family keep in contact through group chatrooms and one-on-one chats. An entire culture has been created based upon Instant Messaging.
Users have the option to create lists of usernames that the user can monitor. The Instant Messaging programs notify the user when any of the users in the username lists are active and online.
Referring to FIG. 1, User 1 101 communicates to User 2 102 through the Internet 103. Messages sent between User 1 101 and user 2 102 are received and forwarded by the Instant Messaging Service 104. For example, the Instant Messaging Service 104 receives a message sent from User 1 101 and forwards the message to User 2 102 and vice versa. The Instant Messaging Service 104 also tells the users which users on their username lists are logged on.
With respect to FIG. 2, of the instant messaging services currently available from America Online, Incorporated, Microsoft Corporation, Hotmail, and Yahoo, Incorporated, America Online, Incorporated's AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) 201 service is the most popular and is on the forefront of instant messaging technology. AIM has been very successful in the home and consumer market, allowing people to communicate with friends and relatives immediately all over the United States and the world. AIM is so prolific that the phrases “buddy list” (a feature of AIM) and “I-M me” have become part of the current Pop culture.
Instant Messaging has operated in a unsecure environment. Typical consumers do not have any use for secure communications with other users. However, a growing number of people use AIM in the business environment to communicate with co-workers, and with people they do business with at other companies.
While business users find the convenience of AIM very useful for business purposes, they quite often have a nagging worry over the privacy of the information that is sent through this service. These “enterprise” users would like to have assurance that their data cannot be viewed by outside parties such as ISPs, network routers and the AIM service itself. America Online, Incorporated announced in May of 2002 that it would be providing a secure AIM service that would allow users to transmit and receive messages in a secure environment. A non-public Beta test program of the secure AIM product was conducted in May of 2002.
It would be advantageous to provide a secure instant messaging system that provides secure messaging and file transfer between users. It would further be advantageous to provide a secure instant messaging system that operates within the current instant messaging architecture.
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The invention relates to a motor that has a stator with different magnet poles and has a rotor with a matched number of permanent magnet poles, in which the air gap surfaces in the region between the stator and rotor are provided with fine gearings in order to reduce the torque between them.
A similar motor has been disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,961. In this instance, the electrically excited rotor, which is embodied as an internal rotor, has a uniform, meander-shaped fine gearing teeth on its circumference so that it is designed to be radially symmetrical in this direction. The poles of the stator are embodied as permanent magnets, but are not disposed uniformly in the circumference direction since they alternatingly assume an angle of less than and greater than 360xc2x0/xc3xa7, wherein xc3xa7 represents the number of poles. The deviation angle is then selected so that a more uniform magnetic field distribution is produced in the circumference direction between the rotor and the stator. This leads to the reduction of the torque between the rotor and stator. Without this offset of the permanent magnets, the numbers of poles would cause a number of non symetrical to be produced between the rotor and stator, which could be detected when manually spinning the rotor and could result in an unsteady and noise-encumbered operation of the motor.
This known reduction of the torque, however, requires a complex design of the stator which depends on the precise installation of the permanent magnets. Furthermore, this design of the motor more or less limits the reduction of the torque.
An object of the invention is to produce a motor with compensation of the torque, which is simple in design and operationally reliable and which offers a significantly improved potential for reduction and compensation of the torque.
The offsetting of the fine gearing teeth in the vicinity of the air gap surfaces of the stator produces a symmetrically designed permanent magnet rotor which is simple to manufacture and produces definite magnetic field ratios in the circumference direction that can be influenced in a number of ways via the fine gearing teeth disposed on the stator. In this connection, the stator can still be designed as essentially symmetrical. The compensation of the torque remains limited to the design of the fine gearing, teeth which can be produced together with the formation of the magnet poles by means of a simple stamping of a xe2x80x9csolid armaturexe2x80x9d. Therefore other improvements of the torque compensation can also be easily incorporated into the manufacturing process of the motor since only the stamping procedure needs to be correspondingly modified. Moreover, a power supply by means of sliding contacts is no longer necessary since this can take place by means of a simple electronic control circuit.
A particularly simple design of the motor is produced by virtue of the fact that the number of magnet poles of the stator corresponds to the number of permanent magnet poles of the rotor, wherein the provision is made in particular that the stator is embodied as an internal stator and the rotor is embodied as an external rotor.
According to one embodiment, the effective compensation of the torque is produced by the fact that the offset of the fine gearing of the pole pairs identically and preferably corresponds to half a spacing of the fine gearing teeth.
With regard to the design of the rotor, according to one embodiment, the provision can be made that the permanent magnet poles of the rotor are constituted by means of individual permanent magnets that are distributed uniformly over the circumference of the rotor and that have a polarity that alternates in the circumference direction, wherein the individual permanent magnets can also be magnetized in a single-pole fashion.
Another embodiment for the rotor can be produced by the fact that the permanent magnet poles of the rotor are constituted by a number of two-pole annular segment permanent magnets distributed uniformly over the circumference of the rotor, which are disposed with their poles in the same direction toward the circumference, wherein the permanent magnet poles can also be constituted by multi-pole annular segment permanent magnets.
The fine gearings are embodied as meander-shaped in a known fashion, where in the simplest case, the teeth and the tooth spaces of the fine gearing teeth have identical widths and depths.
An extensive compensation of torque is produced by the fact that the teeth and the tooth spaces of the stator have different widths, but have identical depths and are supplementary to each other in the pole pairs, or by virtue of the fact that the widths of the teeth of the one pole and the tooth spaces of the other pole of the pole pairs of the stator change in the same manner, at least in a partial region of the circumference. The number of the teeth and tooth spaces of the stator preferably is an integral multiple of the number of pole pairs formed.
The pole pair formation and the compensation of the torque can be embodied so that the teeth of the pole pairs of the stator, which are constituted by respectively adjacent or diametrically opposed magnet poles, are respectively offset in relation to one another and on the other hand, can be embodied so that the teeth of pole pairs of the stator, which are constituted by magnet poles respectively offset by two pole spacings, are respectively offset from one another. In both instances, the teeth of the pole pairs are offset in antiphase in the circumference direction. In the event of a fixed or continuous eccentricity of the rotor, however, the effectiveness of the compensation is limited.
In higher-poled motors, it is more favorable to dispose the teeth in antiphase by a double pole line, as the second embodiment demonstrates.
The influence of the rotor eccentricity is canceled out in these motors.
For the effectiveness of the compensation of the torque, the advantageous provision should be made that the depth of the teeth and the tooth spaces should be greater than or equal to the air gap width between the stator and the rotor.
The invention will be explained in detail in conjunction with exemplary embodiments depicted in the drawings.
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This invention relates to the field of automatic identification and data capture. In particular, this invention is drawn to visually distinctive bar code symbols.
Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) is a term frequently used to describe the identification of articles and collection of data into a processor controlled device without the use of a keyboard. AIDC technology is designed to increase efficiency in collection and identification by reducing errors and increasing the rate of identification and collection.
Bar code symbols and bar codes represent one type of AIDC technology. Bar codes have become ubiquitous parts of everyday commercial transactions. Merchandise carried by grocery stores, for example, is labeled with a barcode. A scanner is used to identify an item at the point of purchase by the consumer. The scanner uses the bar code information to look up the item""s price. The price is then provided to a cash register for tallying the customer""s bill.
Bar codes traditionally consist of a sequence of two element types: bars and spaces. The bars and spaces are arranged such that the bars are parallel and the spaces separate the bars. One encoding methodology varies the width and the sequence of the elements to encode alphanumeric data. The particular encoding methodology is referred to as a barcode symbology. An optical scanner is used to read the bar code symbol and decode the bar code to provide the original alphanumeric data.
The use of the data may vary depending upon the needs of the inquiring entity. A grocery store, for example, may need a unique identifier for a particular product in order to enable calculation of price at checkout or for managing inventory. A medical supplier, however, may need to identify manufacturing dates, lot numbers, expiration dates, and other information about the same product to enable better distribution control. The level of identification needed may vary depending upon the intended use.
Bar code symbologies are efficiently designed to support a specific industry need rather than a wide range of needs. A number of bar code symbologies are presently being used to track products throughout their life expectancy as they are manufactured, distributed, stored, sold, serviced, and disposed of. The bar code symbology designed for one application, however, may not suffice the needs of another application.
The article can be marked with multiple bar codes to address the needs of the various applications. One disadvantage of introducing multiple bar codes is that scanning efficiency may decrease. In particular, if the bar code symbols are based on the same bar code symbology but are otherwise not encoding identical values, the scanner may incorrectly interpret the encoded information if the wrong bar code is scanned.
Even if different bar code symbologies are used, the scanning efficiency will be reduced. The bar code symbol associated with a particular symbology may not be readily apparent to the average human operator of the scanner. The bar codes of different symbologies still appear as a sequence of parallel bars aligned in a rectangular shape. Thus the operator may attempt to scan the wrong bar code. After several retries, the operator may realize that the wrong bar code has been selected. Alternatively, the scanner itself may be capable of interpreting more than one bar code symbology which can create difficulties if the use of different symbologies is relied upon to distinguish the bar code uses. The number of bar code symbologies would unnecessarily proliferate to support new uses, if distinct symbologies are required when marking the article.
In view of limitations of known systems and methods, methods and apparatus utilizing visually distinctive bar code symbols are described.
A method includes the step of providing an article with a barcode symbol including a bar code. The bar code includes a sequence of first and second element types. At least one of the following features is used to render the bar code visually distinctive: a) at least one bar code element is not a single straight line segment; b) a contour of a bounding shape of the smallest area encompassing all the elements of a region of encoding of the bar code has at least two adjacent sides that are non-perpendicular; and c) a contour of a bounding shape of the smallest area encompassing the bar code has no side such that one end of all the bar code elements is touching that side. Curvilinear or polygonal bar code elements may be selected, for example.
Another method includes the step of scanning a bar code symbol to generate a decoded value. A resolver is selected for the bar code symbol. The resolver associates the bar code symbol with a resource. In one embodiment, the resolver accesses the resource with the decoded value.
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In semiconductor manufacturing technology, circuit designs, structure and layouts (generically referred to as “patterns”) are typically designed and stored in one or more data files. The data files are then provided to a “writer”. A writer is a device used to convert the data file to an image on a substrate, such as a mask (reticle) or a semiconductor wafer.
It is well known that in semiconductor manufacturing technology, patterns are becoming increasingly complex. This can be a result of various items, including a reduced critical-dimension (CD) for the images, larger image size, and more intricate patterns. As a result, the size of the corresponding data file(s) also increases. This leads to a longer data preparation cycle as node size decreases. This provides many different drawbacks, including increased delay, possibility for error, and computational requirements.
Therefore, a need exists for a method that reduces data preparation requirements. In this way, preparation of mask or wafer data files may be more efficient and less investment is needed.
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1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to the preparation of amorphous or semicrystalline semi-aromatic (co)polyamides from an acidic monomer comprising at least one aromatic dicarboxylic acid having from 8 to 18 carbon atoms and from an amino comonomer predominantly comprising an alkylpentamethylenediamine.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Polyamides prepared from aliphatic diamines and from aromatic dicarboxylic acids have long been known to this art. Depending on their composition, these polyamides are: either semicrystalline polymers which have a high glass transition temperature T.sub.g, generally above 120.degree. C., and a melting temperature T.sub.m well above 300.degree. C., which is not compatible with facile melt-processing; or amorphous polymers which combine a T.sub.g which frequently exhibits medium values of 100.degree. C. to 120.degree. C. with a processing temperature which is not excessively high, on the order of 200.degree. to 290.degree. C. The semicrystalline polyamides are advantageously employed when it is intended, for example, to manufacture shaped articles which exhibit an excellent dimensional stability and an excellent retention of mechanical properties at high temperatures, as a result of the high value of the T.sub.g of the polymer employed. The amorphous polyamides are advantageously employed in fields which require, for example, an excellent transparency in the case of the fabricated shaped articles.
Semicrystalline polyamides of particular interest are those prepared from 2-methyl-1,5-pentamethylenediamine and terephthalic acid (cf. JP-A-69/019,551) because of the possibility of providing a T.sub.g on the order of 142.degree. C., while having a T.sub.m which remains below 290.degree. C. This permits the polymer to be processed according to the usual techniques employed for the conversion of polyamide 66. Amorphous polyamides of particular interest are those also prepared from 2-methylpentamethylenediamine, but reacted with a mixture of terephthalic acid and of isophthalic acid (15 to 30 mol % in the mixture of the diacids) (cf. FR-A-2,325,673). These latter polymers offer the possibility of providing a T.sub.g value which is high for an amorphous polymer and which, here again, can be as high as 142.degree. C.
A convenient operating procedure for preparing these semi-aromatic polyamides of particular interest entails the conventional polycondensation process used to prepare nylon 66, carried out in liquid phase or in the melt. According to this process, the polycondensation is carried out starting with compositions which either contain stoichiometric or essentially stoichiometric amounts of diamine and of diacid, or contain their salt, the operation being carried out in a closed system of the autoclave type, optionally in the presence of water and wherein the following stages are conducted in sequence:
(a) Stage 1: in which, with the autoclave closed, the temperature of the starting composition is progressively increased up to a value ranging from 200.degree. C. to 240.degree. C.; then, at a constant pressure equal to the autogenous steam pressure obtained, which, for example, ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 MPa when the starting composition contains water, removing the water present in the reaction mass by steady distillation by simultaneously progressively increasing the temperature of the mass to a value in the range of from 245.degree. to 280.degree. C.;
(b) Stage 2: in which the pressure is progressively decreased from the value of the autogenous pressure to the value of the atmospheric pressure and, simultaneously, the temperature of the reaction mass is optionally increased to a value which is some ten to several tens of degrees centigrade higher than the temperature attained before decompression, while ensuring a steady distillation of water during this decompression period; and
(c) Stage 3: in which the polycondensation is completed by stirring the reaction mass for a certain period of time, the operation being carried out at atmospheric pressure and optionally (or) at a lower pressure with a mass temperature equal to or higher than the temperature attained at the end of Stage 2, until the point in time when the polyamide has attained the desired molecular and viscosity characteristics.
However, carrying out such a conventional polycondensation process is not free from disadvantages when the starting amino comonomer is an alkylpentamethylenediamine such as 2-methyl-1,5-pentamethylenediamine because of the development of interfering reactions involving this diamine. 2-Methyl-1,5-pentamethylenediamine is a compound which cyclizes readily; when involving the free diamine, this cyclization produces 3-methyl piperidine (a product designated hereinafter by the expression: "free cyclic amine") with a release of ammonia NH.sub.3 and, when it entails the diamine participating in the amidification reactions via only one of its functional groups, it serves as a chain-limiting mechanism, producing blocking groups of the formula: ##STR1## also with release of ammonia. The free cyclic amine formed is recovered during Stages 1 and 2 at the time when water is removed by distillation at constant pressure (Stage 1) and then during the decompression (Stage 2). Another interfering reaction includes the loss of the amino reactant (2-methylpentamethylenediamine) by entrainment, which takes place essentially completely during Stages 1 and 2 at the time of the removal of the water present by distillation at constant pressure (Stage 1) and then during the decompression (Stage 2). The result of these interfering reactions, therefore, presents two disadvantages:
(i) on the one hand, a high loss of total basicity, which is equal to at least 4.5%, involving, first, a departure from stoichiometry during the polycondensation between the primary amino groups and the carboxyl groups which react, consequently preventing the likelihood of readily increasing the molecular weight of the polyamide being formed and, secondly, an actual difficulty in reproducing the process on an industrial scale. The loss in total basicity described above is established in relation to the total amount of amino reactant introduced and is expressed by the equation: ##EQU1##
the expression "basicity lost" corresponds to the sum: number of NH.sub.2 equivalents of amino reactant which is lost during distillation+number of NH equivalents of free cyclic amine+number of NH.sub.2 equivalents of ammonia. This lost basicity is measured directly, using potentiometric determination, on the distillates, i.e., on all of the water condensed during the distillation stages at constant autogenous pressure and during the decompression. It is possible to measure the number of NH equivalents of free cyclic amine alone, again using a potentiometric determination, by performing the operation on the distillates, but after they have been treated such as to differentiate between the free cyclic amine and other basicities (amino reactant and ammonia);
the expression "basicity introduced" corresponds to the number of NH.sub.2 equivalents of the amino comonomer introduced. The expression "number of" primary or secondary amino "equivalents" of a compound connotes the number of primary or secondary amino groups present in one mole of said compound; for example, 1 mole of amino reactant consisting of 2-methylpentamethylenediamine contains 2 primary amino NH.sub.2 equivalents, whereas one mole of cyclic amine consisting of 3-methylpiperidine contains one secondary amino NH equivalent; and
(ii) on the other hand, the existence in the polycondensation mixture of a high proportion of end groups of the cyclic amine type, which serve as a chain-limiter and can restrict the access to high molecular masses. It should be noted that this second disadvantage is less awkward than the first, relating to the loss in total basicity.
Overall, the above disadvantages associated with the use of an amino reactant such as an alkylpentamethylenediamine, capable of being readily entrained by distillation and cyclized by a reaction that produces products which are useless in the polycondensation, make it impossible to carry out the conventional process used to prepare nylon 66.
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Differential amplifiers are used in a variety of circuit applications. For example, one application in which differential amplifiers are used is to produce a reference signal. In the idealized case, a differential amplifier that receives equivalent voltages at the positive input and the negative input generates a zero voltage at the output. Non-idealized, e.g., “real-world,” differential amplifiers, however, suffer from an imperfection referred to as “input offset voltage.” Real world differential amplifiers generate a voltage at the output despite receiving equivalent voltages at the positive and negative inputs due, for example, to various mismatches and/or imperfections in the constituent devices of the differential amplifier. The amount by which one input signal must be altered with respect to the other input signal to shift the output of the differential amplifier to zero volts is referred to as the input offset voltage.
The non-idealized behavior of a differential amplifier described above can be problematic in situations where a high degree of accuracy is desired. For example, in circuit applications where the output of the differential amplifier is used as a reference, unless the input offset voltage is accommodated in some fashion, the output of the amplifier will not be an accurate representation of the input. This inaccuracy in reproducing the input signal can introduce errors into any process relying on the amplifier for an accurate reference signal.
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There are known conventional image acquisition apparatuses provided with an illuminating means for radiating light of two wavelengths that have different absorption intensities in blood (for example, see PTLs 1 and 2).
According to such image acquisition apparatuses, an image in which the shapes of blood vessels are extracted by radiating narrow-band light having hemoglobin absorption wavelengths and an image that is acquired when narrow-band light in a wavelength band other than the hemoglobin absorption wavelengths is radiated are separately acquired, thus making it possible to observe a buildup of capillaries etc. in tissue, such as mucosa, without staining.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved method for the manufacture of sliders. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved method for producing a positive camber on the air bearing surface (ABS) of a slider.
2. Description of the Background Art
Digital magnetic recording devices for data storage generally comprise a thin film magnetic recording disk and a head or transducer which is moved along or above the surface of the rotating disk to electromagnetically read and write information on the disk. Advanced thin film magnetic recording disks generally comprise a rigid substrate, a magnetic layer such as a cobalt-based metal alloy, a protective amorphous carbon layer and a lubricant layer, such as a perfluoropolyether disposed on the carbon overcoat.
During operation of the disk drive system, an actuator mechanism moves the magnetic transducer to a desired radial position on the surface of the rotating disk where the head electromagnetically reads or writes data. Usually, the head is integrally mounted in a carrier or support referred to as a xe2x80x9csliderxe2x80x9d. A slider generally serves to mechanically support the head and any electrical connections between the head and the rest of the disk drive system. The slider is aerodynamically shaped to glide over moving air and, therefore, to maintain a uniform distance from the surface of the rotating disk, thereby preventing the head from undesirably contacting the disk.
Typically, a slider is formed with an aerodynamic pattern of protrusions on the ABS which enable the slider to fly at a constant height close to the disk during operation of the disk drive.
The recording density of a magnetic disk drive is limited by the distance between a transducer and the magnetic media. One goal of air bearing slider design is to xe2x80x9cflyxe2x80x9d a slider as closely as possible to a magnetic medium while avoiding physical impact with the medium. Smaller spacings, of xe2x80x9cfly heightsxe2x80x9d, are desired so that the transducer can distinguish between the magnetic fields emanating from closely spaced regions on the disk.
It has been found that two important characteristics of the slider necessary to achieve and maintain the desired flying characteristics for the slider are crown and camber. Crown is the deviation from a planar surface in the direction of air flow with a concave shape defined as negative crown and a convex shape defined as positive crown. Camber is the deviation from a planar surface in a direction normal to the direction of air flow. A concave shape is defined as negative camber and a convex shape is defined as positive camber. Neither negative crown nor negative camber of the ABS is desired for sliders since this not only leads to variation in the flying height but also makes it more likely that the edges of the slider will damage the recording medium should there be inadvertent contact with the recording medium.
In manufacturing such read/write heads, a large number of sliders are fabricated from a single wafer having rows of the magnetic transducers deposited simultaneously on the wafer surface using semiconductor-type process methods. In one process embodiment, after deposition of the heads is complete, the wafer is cut into four quadrants. Each quadrant is then bonded to a lapping fixture and grounded on a lapping plate to provide accurate head dimensions. After lapping, single row bars of sliders are cut from the wafer quadrant. These row bars can optionally be lapped again, and the ABS design is etched in each slider using art-known lithographic techniques. Lastly, the row bars are adhered to suitable tape; and each bar is diced, i.e., separated with a diamond-cut saw into individual sliders, each having a magnetic head terminating at the ABS. Each slider is then cleanly removed from the tape, inspected to insure operability of the magnetic head, and attached to an actuator for use in a magnetic disk drive.
Unfortunately, the lapping process produces stresses in the row bars, causing them to bow or bend. This can result in undesirable negative ABS camber in the finished individual sliders. Therefore, there still is a need in the art for a slider manufacturing process which results in heads with positive camber.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for the manufacturing of magnetic heads. Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following disclosure.
The present invention relates to a method for producing sliders having positive camber on the ABS. The method comprises (i) scribing the ABS along a line between individual sliders, (ii) lapping the ABS of the slider row on a flat lapping plate, and (iii) producing a pattern of stress relief on the back side of the slider opposite the air bearing surface to create positive camber and crown in each individual slider in the slider row.
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There are conditions under which even individuals with 20/20 vision need sight augmentation. Such conditions may be brought on by low light levels, low or no color differentiation between objects in the visual field, or the small size of the object viewed, to name but a few. Individuals with less than optimal vision or with other visual defects, such as retinopathies, also need augmentation to correct for their visual defects.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the eye. A portion of the retina responsible for fine detail vision is the macula. One form of visual defect is AMD, or age-related macular degeneration. In macular degeneration, which begins with the deposit of druesends in layers beneath the photoreceptors, the degenerative process affects mostly the macula and results in death of cells necessary for vision. In some patents, the result of macular degeneration is a central visual field blind-spot or scotoma. At this time there is no cure for AMD. Other diseases (such as, but not only, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, macular edema, optic nerve atrophy, etc.) can also result in significant losses in vision, sometimes macular, sometimes peripheral, to this region of high quality vision. Furthermore, the diseases' impact on vision is unique for each patient. What these vision losses have in common is the loss in quality of life due to the limited quality of vision.
There have been attempts to augment the quality of the perceived visual field using such items as image intensity amplifiers, or “night scopes”, or mechanical or electrical image magnifiers. These devices tend to be big, bulky, limited in their application and not appropriate for non-military or paramilitary uses.
What is needed then is a general device that is capable of augmenting an image to be viewed by an individual, whatever the source of the image, be it a computer display, a television or other image source, under the command of that individual, to aid the individual in poor viewing conditions or to overcome physiological and psychological visual defects in the individual. The present invention addresses this need.
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Indoor air pollution increasingly poses a greater health risk than outdoor air pollution. A growing body of evidence indicates that the air in homes and other buildings is more polluted than outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities. This is a major source of concern considering that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors.
People who are exposed to indoor air pollutants for the longest periods of time are often those most susceptible to the effects of indoor air pollution. Such groups include the young, the elderly, and the chronically ill, especially those suffering from respiratory or cardiovascular disease.
One way to address the problems associated with indoor air pollution is to clean or filter the air to reduce pollutant levels. There are many types and sizes of air filtration systems on the market, ranging from relatively inexpensive table-top models to sophisticated, expensive whole-home systems. The effectiveness of these systems varies widely. Some filtration systems are highly effective, while others, including most table-top models, are much less so.
The effectiveness of an air filtration system can be determined by how well it collects particulates from indoor air (expressed as a percentage efficiency rate) and how much air it draws through the cleaning or filtering element (expressed in cubic feet per minute). A system having an efficient filter with a low air-circulation rate will not be effective, nor will a system having a high air-circulation rate with an inefficient filter.
Conventional air filtration systems suffer from a number of problems, especially whole home air filtration systems that are part of a structure's heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. One problem is that there is often limited space for the air filtration system. This is especially a problem for high efficiency air filtration systems such as those that are rated at MERV 13 and higher. An example of such a system is the IQ Perfect 16.
High efficiency systems such as the IQ Perfect 16 often have unusual and non-standard shapes that are required to achieve high efficiency filtration but make them difficult to install in the limited space available for the HVAC system. Systems such as these must also be adapted to attach to conventional ductwork commonly used for HVAC systems, which requires significant time and labor.
Another problem with conventional air filtration systems is that they often have limited space for the filters. This is especially true for those systems that are sized the same or similarly to conventional ductwork used by the HVAC system. These systems can often only hold a single air filter or sometimes two. It would be desirable to have a system that holds more air filters and can be easily installed in conventional ductwork.
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The invention relates generally to container inspection apparatus and deals more particularly with an apparatus for testing the sealability of the mouth of a container.
Two types of sealing surface defects are dips and saddles. A dip is a narrow depression in the bottle mouth and a saddle is a wide depression.
A wide variety of finish leak detectors were previously known such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,496,761 and 4,490,800. These detectors inspect the sealing surface of a bottle which is fed by a conveyor or auger screw to an inspection site located beneath the detector. The detector of U.S. Pat. No. 3,496,761 includes a test fitting which is lowered into engagement with the mouth of the bottle at the inspection site and forms an air-tight seal if the bottle mouth is properly formed--smooth, flat and generally horizontal; otherwise, a leak results. The sealability of the bottle mouth by the test fitting mimics the sealability of the bottle mouth by a cap or other type of commercial seal.
In various leak detectors previously known, air is injected into the bottle and pressure is sensed according to a variety of schemes. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,496,761 a metered volume of air is injected into the container by a piston and cylinder assembly which forms a pump. At the conclusion of the discharge stroke of the piston and cylinder assembly, while the test fitting still closes the mouth of the container under test, the air pressure retained in the container is gauged to determine whether an excessive leakage takes place due to imperfections in the container mouth. While this system is effective in detecting flaws in the surface of a bottle mouth, it is limited in the rate at which it can inspect bottles. Moreover, this type of inspection system requires contact with the bottle and injection of air, and the fulfillment of each requirement may contaminate the bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,980 to Mathias discloses another type of finish leak detection apparatus. The apparatus illuminates the rim of a bottle with a beam of radiant energy which is polarized so that it has an electric vector perpendicular to the top surface of the container. The container is rotated relative to the beam during inspection. Certain types of defects reflect a portion of the beam upwardly into a sensor which has its line of vision forming Brewster's angle with the direction of the beam. Because of the polarization and the angular relation, a defect makes a substantial reduction in the amount of radiant energy transmitted into the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,750 to Butler discloses another optical apparatus for inspecting the sealing surface of a glass container in which a light source focuses a thin line of light across the rim. A light sensor receives a deflection of this light from the rim to provide a reference level. A defect in the rim causes a rise or fall in the received light.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,414 to Ellinger discloses another optical apparatus for testing the sealing surface of a container in which a light sensing head made up of a mosaic of 30-40 light sensors in the form of a circular ring is supported above a bottle being inspected. A light source provides a beam through the central aperture which floods the mouth of the bottle and light is reflected upwardly from the bottle rim to the various sensors.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a detector to sense the sealability of a container mouth which detector is reliable and accurate and provides a high throughput.
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A fuel supply system which supplies fuel to an engine is equipped with a high-pressure pump which pressurizes the fuel suctioned from a fuel tank. A high-pressure pump has a plunger which pressurizes the fuel introduced into a pump chamber through a fuel inlet and a fuel supply passage. The pressurized fuel is discharged through a fuel outlet.
JP-2001-304068A shows a high-pressure pump having a needle valve fixed to a movable core. The needle valve sits on or moves apart from a valve seat to close or open the fuel supply passage. The needle valve is supported by a needle guide which is arranged between a movable core chamber and the fuel supply passage. The needle guide has a communication hole which fluidly connects the movable core chamber and the fuel supply passage. Thereby, a movable core chamber functions as a damper chamber, so that a noise due to a collision between the needle valve and the valve seat can be reduced.
In the above high-pressure pump, as an opening sectional area of the communication hole is made larger, a flow resistance of the fuel flowing through the communication hole becomes smaller and the operation and a movement of the movable core become quicker.
Thus, in a suction stroke of the high-pressure pump, after the movable core and the needle valve collide with a stopper by a biasing force of a spring, it is likely that the movable core and the needle valve may bounce toward a fixed core. At this moment, when the movable core and the needle valve are magnetically attracted to the fixed core in a metering stroke, a valve-close time of the needle valve is made earlier, so that a discharging stroke starts earlier than an intended time. Even if an energization start time of a coil is made later, the fuel discharge quantity is increased. It may be difficult to control the fuel discharge quantity with high accuracy.
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This application relates generally to image processing. More specifically, the application relates to identifying image orientation. Yet more specifically, the application relates to identifying image orientation in medical and dental X-ray shadow-grams.
Images produced in conventional roll-film cameras, on film, are easy to orient correctly because the camera is constructed in such a way that the emulsion of the film always faces the lens. Because of the shapes of film cassettes and cameras, the film cannot be inserted in modern cameras with the emulsion facing away from the lens, so it is always known that the light, or other radiation recorded by the film, struck the film from the emulsion side. Thus, when orienting slides for projection, or film images for viewing on a light box, it is always known to put the emulsion toward the projection lens in the slide projector, or to put the film on the light box with the emulsion towards the viewer. When that is done, the image seen by the viewer, whether projected or viewed on the light box, will have a known defined correspondence with the orientation of the objects in the original scene. Moreover, even if orientation is lost, reorienting based on determining where the emulsion is will reestablish proper orientation.
Likewise, digital images produced using cameras with detectors such as charge-coupled devices (CCDs), complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), thin film transistor (TFT) and others that are sensitive to exposure from one side only are inherently unambiguous in their original form. The cameras used to produce such images are physically constructed and arranged with a lens or lens mount in a fixed position relative to the detector, so that the direction from which the exposing radiation strikes the detector is always known. CCD and CMOS sensors used in dental digital or direct radiography also are physically constructed and arranged to produce a diagnostic image only when exposed from the proper direction. Such CCD and CMOS sensors include a radiopaque element on the side away from the intended direction of exposure. Laterality of the images may however be reversed by the use of software used to process, display, and them.
The problem is somewhat more complicated for dental or medical diagnostic images produced on conventional film. One common type of dental or medical diagnostic image is a shadow-gram produced by placing a radiographic film on one side of the object to be imaged and a source of radiation to which the film is sensitive on a diametrically opposite side of the object to be imaged. The radiation, for example X-radiation, casts a shadow of the object to be imaged on the film, thus revealing density variations within the object whose shadow has been cast. When a standard orientation of the examined object is used, and the film is viewed from the same side as the radiation source exposing the emulsion, the laterality, i.e. right versus left, of the object is preserved, because the viewer can unambiguously discern right from left side by observing the image alone. However, medical or dental X-ray film can be exposed and viewed from either side because the film is transparent to both X-rays and visible light. To further complicate matters of orientation, an emulsion is often applied to both sides of the film in order to lower the dosage of radiation required to produce the diagnostic image, by increasing the sensitivity of the film. However, film thus constructed cannot be oriented on the basis of which side has an emulsion. Thus, it is desirable to identify from which side the film was exposed to radiation and so indicate the side from which it should be viewed.
Conventionally, and due in part to its high sensitivity to visible light, as well as to X-rays, radiographic film is usually held in an opaque cassette which not only prevents exposure to visible light, but also limits X-ray exposure to one side of the film, only. The side of the cassette through which large format film, such as that used for medical X-ray applications, is exposed often includes radiopaque labels indicating various patient information, including patient name, date of exposure, side of the patient (e.g., left or right arm), etc., for example, which provide a clear indication embedded in the image of the side of the film from which the exposure was made. If such labels are used, reversal of the image by viewing from the side opposite the side of exposing incident rays also causes the label characters to reverse, clearly indicating the reversed orientation of the diagnostic image. Systems also exist (e.g., Planmeca's pantomograph) which incorporate within the film cassette a mechanism which automatically optically imprints on the margin of the film, and therefore the image, pertinent patient, exposure, and orientation data during the exposure of the film. Often physical features, e.g., notches in the edge or corner of the film or keyways that orient the cassette itself to a cassette holder within the apparatus exposing the object, are used to further ensure that a consistent orientation of the film in the cassette and the exposure apparatus, and thus, the relative orientation of film and the image recorded on it to the object, is obtained and retrievable independently of the structure represented in the diagnostic image itself. The “back side” of the cassette is itself at least partially radiopaque over its entire surface, so as to prevent accidental exposure from the wrong side. The spatial orientation of the original form creating the shadow in the image is thus clearly and unambiguously defined. However, this clear and unambiguous outcome relies either upon the mechanical features noted above, or upon the X-ray radiology technician properly loading the cassette and placing the orienting labels, followed by exposing from the correct side. Otherwise, if the positioning of the film or the cassette is improper, the image produced visually reflects the improper orientation and the process and must be repeated.
Some conventional radiographic film cassettes are fitted on each side of the film with intensifying screens which are covered with a layer of fluorescent phosphor. These phosphors, when exposed to X-rays, fluoresce with visible light which is capable of exposing the film contained within the cassette thereby intensifying the X-ray image signal recorded in the emulsion. Since the emulsion is more sensitive to visible light than to X-ray irradiation, and since it is exposed to the fluorescent light from both sides of the film, the latent image recorded is primarily a result of this indirect exposure by visible light rather than by the X-ray photons that have traversed the imaged tissues.
Unlike the large format films described above, dental intraoral films are conventionally provided prepackaged in packets, which may be disposable and which are often flexible. Because intraoral films must be small enough to be positioned within the mouth, there is little room available for the types of labels described above. In the case of conventional silver halide dental intraoral films, proper orientation is identified by a raised or embossed bump on the film and packet that points away from a radiopaque backing in the packet that prevents or limits inadvertent exposure from the wrong side. The bump, which projects from the plane of the film in the direction from which the shadow is cast, is a permanent feature of the film and persists as marker of the orientation in the dimension perpendicular to the plane of the film, providing a method by which the viewer can identify the side of exposure. If an exposure is made from the wrong side, the resulting image is recognizably undiagnostic because of its degradation caused by the radiopaque backing contained within the packet. The radiopaque backing, typically a textured heavy metal foil, causes exposure from the wrong side to appear in the image as a textured pattern, while the embossed feature preserves and identifies the orientation information for the viewer. As with medical X-rays in which a proper outcome is assured by correct loading of the cassette, a proper outcome using intraoral dental films is assured only by correct assembly of the packet at the factory, followed by correct handling by the radiology technician. The degradation of the image evidencing improper exposure orientation of the film, which results in the reversal of the diagnostic image when the bump feature is used to orient the image, is, however, immediately obvious to the viewer, assuring that mistaken identification of features in the image is highly unlikely and traceable. This combination of an orientation feature and a feature preventing exposure from the wrong side is now conventional.
By convention, dental intraoral films are produced in a variety of generally rectangular standard sizes, with rounded corners. Also by convention, when prepared for viewing, they are grouped in an anatomical arrangement in a holder called a mount. Standard mounts hold films in one of two orientations only: with the longer dimension of the film in a horizontal orientation, henceforth in this application referred to as “landscape” orientation; and with the longer dimension of the film oriented vertically, henceforth referred to in this application as “portrait” orientation.
In keeping with conventions of viewing of radiographic images, on film or on a computer monitor, and for nonambiguity and clarity of the descriptions, the frame of reference for principal directions is based on the image plane, itself. Up shall be a direction generally from any point in the image toward a top of the edge of the image, while down is in an opposite direction. With the up direction oriented in a natural fashion for a viewer, left and right correspond to the viewer's left and right. Vertical corresponds to the direction of a line running up and down from any point in the image.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,325 describes a method which incorporates both conventional radiographic film and phosphor in the same process with radiopaque material. The device described patented therein includes a film packet, similar to the intraoral dental film packet described above. The device also incorporates a pocket for holding a plate which is inserted by the radiology technician prior to the exposure of the film. The plate, which is coated with a phosphor on the side facing the film and radiation source and which incorporates radiopaque material on the opposite side, is positioned adjacent to the film in the packet. The plate is an image amplifier similar to the intensifying screens used in cassettes described earlier. During the exposure, the film is exposed both by X-rays impinging directly on the film and by the phosphorescence emitted by the plate phosphor stimulated by the same X-rays. Those X-rays which have passed both the film and the phosphor are absorbed by the radiopaque backing, thereby limiting tissue exposure downstream of the recording surfaces. The packet, film and plate are held by a jig in a position such that the film and plate can only be exposed from one side. The phosphor only functions as an amplifier to provide improved signal-to-noise ratio and to lower the radiation dose per exposure. The phosphor film does not function as a storage phosphor holding a latent image, and is not scanned to produce a diagnostic digital image. Furthermore, no issues of image orientation ambiguity from a digital electronic image result from the process, because the image is recorded on conventional radiographic film, as before.
Conventional Phosphor Plate Technology
Radiosensitive phosphor storage plates, hereafter sometimes referred to in this application as PSPs, have recently started displacing conventional radiographic emulsion film for recording medical and dental images. Advantages including superior sensitivity, lack of dependence on toxic chemical processing fluids, relative insensitivity to ambient light, reusability, and the ease of digital data storage and transmission all stimulate the growth of this technology. The image orientation issues noted above with respect to conventional film; however, as well as new image orientation problems, for example resulting from the use of image processing software, manifest themselves in the use of PSPs. As discussed above, the orientation of the image produced by film technology was identified unambiguously by the presence of a three-dimensional object, namely the bump protruding from the film surface toward the object casting the shadow, providing a permanent and absolute reference in a dimension perpendicular to the plane of the film. The other two dimensions, superior-inferior and anterior-posterior are inferred from the anatomical structures in the image. Unlike the image incorporated into a three-dimensional physical object, i.e., the film with a bump, the images produced by existing PSP technologies are stored and displayed as two-dimensional views without a complete, definite, and permanent indicator of the direction of exposure or of viewing. Incomplete references or markers, as discussed below are incorporated into the existing systems; however, none of the systems are unambiguous, permanent, or complete by virtue of their design.
Although the radiosensitive PSPs are sensitive to a specific, diagnostic radiation type, e.g., X-rays, they are substantially insensitive to visible light for the purposes of registering an image. They can be handled in ordinary room light, absent the usual cassette until the time of the exposure. They are, for sanitary and other purposes such as reducing wear and tear on the phosphor, inserted into radiolucent plastic film sleeves before each use. The PSPs are also reusable to produce multiple images over a period of time. Erasure, by prolonged exposure to intense visible light, and repackaging in the disposable radiolucent plastic film sleeves is done by a radiology technician at the point of use, rather than at the point of manufacture.
A scanner, through laser illumination, stimulates the phosphor to emit light in an amount which depends on the amount of prior exposure to X-rays, and which in turn is registered as data signal. Currently, commercially available phosphor-based digital radiology systems use PSPs having a polymer sheet substrate supporting a pastel-colored phosphor layer applied to one surface of the substrate. The other surface of the substrate appears black. For the purpose of this application, the side of the plate which is intended by the manufacturer as the preferred side to be read, e.g., by the scanner, to produce the diagnostic image shall be referred to as the “front side”, while the opposite side of the plate and sensitive layer shall be referred to as the “back side” henceforth. For practical reasons related to the current technology, the side of the plate that is generally intended as the side to be scanned (“front side”) is also the side on which the sensitive layer is nearer the surface of the plate and is visible, thereby available for excitation by the scanning mechanism. “Front” and “back” should not, however, be taken to mean correct, incorrect, preferred or the like.
Even though the sensitive layer, e.g., phosphor, is available for scanning from one side, the “front side”, only, it can be exposed and register a latent image from either side, and in some commercial systems equally well. As a result of the possibility that the shadow recorded by the sensitive layer, e.g., phosphor, could have been cast from either side of the plane of the plate, the recorded latent image as well as the visible image resulting from its scan are ambiguous with respect to their laterality. Thus, when recording bilaterally symmetric structures, e.g., left or right jaw, mirror images result, which can be easily confused since they are not uniquely oriented. Therefore, the two sides of the body (or mouth) can be confused by the viewer of the image, resulting in erroneous diagnosis and/or treatment. As a result, current commercially available PSP systems for dental use, such as those produced by Air Techniques Inc. and Gendex™, provide on each plate detailed explicit instructions to package and expose PSPs in a specific orientation, so as to preserve image orientation.
Some dental PSP systems employ techniques analogous with technology used in conventional emulsion film. For example, Digora® (available from Soredex), system incorporate a slightly radiopaque layer on the “back side” of the plate, which reduces patient irradiation by rays that pass through the plate and into the patient. The radiopacity of the backing is featureless, but the backing degrades an image exposed by irradiation from the “back side.”
The conventional Digora® Optime PSP includes a “marker” that produces a visible mark in the image if the imaging plate is exposed “the wrong way around,” according to promotional material produced by the Digora® Optime maker, Soredex, GE Healthcare Finland Oy. Significantly, the mark produced in the image by the “marker” of this conventional technology only indicates that the image was produced by radiation rays that pass from the target to be imaged, to the plate, through the back side of the plate, which Soredex considers to be the “wrong” side of the plate. In such a case, if the user knows that the image has not been corrected, i.e. mirrored through a vertical line, then such mirroring can be performed in the viewing software; however, a corrected image that was exposed through the back of the plate is indistinguishable on the basis of the mark from an uncorrected image that was also exposed through the back of the plate. It is still possible for the user to confuse which structure is imaged in a particular image using this conventional system.
Systems such as Scan-X™ (available from Air Techniques Inc.) and Denoptics™ (available from Gendex) each feature a distinctive marker. The markers are distinctively shaped, either a lower case letter “a” opaquely printed over the “front side” of the phosphor or a small open circle evident as an absence of the phosphor in a localized area, respectively. These markers, referred to as front side markers, are incorporated at the time of fabrication of the PSPs by the manufacturer and are constructed in such a way as to always be read from the phosphor by the scanner in a constant fashion independent of any exposure variables. The result of the presence of a marker produced by either of the above variants, i.e. Scan-X and Denoptics, in fabrication is a diminution, or absence, of phosphorescence from the area of the plate so altered, during scanning. This relative lack of signal is reflected in the visible scan image as a distinct shape, i.e., mark, corresponding to the shape and the location of the marker on the PSP.
Any features of such a front side marker that are either asymmetric or placed asymmetrically with respect to a vertical axis of symmetry of the plate, or both, become represented by similarly asymmetric features of a front side mark in the image of the plate following a scan. Furthermore, this mark becomes detectably reversed with respect to its laterality either in respect to its asymmetric location or its internal asymmetry as a result of software horizontal reflection of the scanned image, or both when both exist. As the placement of the source of the radiation during the exposure has no influence over the appearance of the image of such a front side mark, this front side mark is well suited as an indicator of any reversal of laterality of the entire image following the completion of the scan.
For practical reasons, namely because the image produced by each of the commercially available PSP technology systems can be displayed and viewed in one of four orientations only, which orientations correspond to the conventional orientations for emulsion-based radiographic film mounts, and which orientations are separated by steps of ninety degree rotation relative one another, the rotational transformations of the image (and the plate position) in this application will also be confined to ninety degree steps, or multiples thereof. Thus the available set of orientations to consider for any image will be the two “landscape” and two “portrait” possibilities, i.e., one right side up and one up side down for each category.
The configuration shown in FIG. 1 illustrates generally how a dental X-ray plate can be used to produce images, X-ray shadowgrams, of a patient's lower jaw and teeth. The particular physiological structure is illustrative of the symmetry problem discussed above. However, the problem occurs in connection with many physiological structures as a result of the inherent symmetry present in most biological systems, particularly humans and animals. The configuration of FIG. 1 is now described as it relates to conventional dental X-ray PSPs. Later, in the DETAILED DESCRIPTION, the configuration of FIG. 1 is referenced as it relates to aspects of the invention, which may be practiced in this configuration, as well as other suitable configurations.
For purposes of illustration a human anatomical structure will be used as an example of the issues of laterality preservation in radiographic imaging of paired or bilaterally symmetric structures. The anatomical structure illustrated in FIG. 1 is a human lower jaw, i.e., a human mandible 101, having a set of teeth 102 set therein. Although not shown, for clarity, it may be assumed that the mandible 101 and teeth 102 are part of a living patient's body, covered with the soft tissues, etc. This particular patient has a diagnostically significant condition, e.g., an abscess, denoted by filled circle 103. A radiology technician, physician, dentist or other has placed a conventional dental PSP 104 in the patient's mouth in a position suitable for capturing a shadowgram of three of the patient's posterior teeth 105 on either side of the patient's mouth. Although in actual practice, the plate 104 would be placed close to the teeth whose shadowgram is being recorded, so as to produce a clear image, for the convenience of illustration the plate 104 is shown centered between the teeth of the left side and the teeth of the right side of the patient's mouth. Finally, two alternative locations for X-ray sources, SOURCE L and SOURCE R, are shown. X-ray source, SOURCE R, produces the images shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, while X-ray source, SOURCE L, produces the images shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are now described, with reference back to FIG. 1, as required.
FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 illustrate four images that can be produced using a conventional PSP exposed from each of two sides, using each of two differently located sources, e.g., positioned at SOURCE L and SOURCE R. Because the reference conventional commercial plate has an open circle mark on the “front side” of the plate, in one corner, an open circle 201 appears in each of the images. Images produced by source, SOURCE L, include images 205 of posterior teeth 105 and images produced by source, SOURCE R, include both images 205 of posterior teeth 105 and an image 203 of diagnostically significant condition 103. In conventional PSP usage, the open circle is present on the “front side” of the plate and is intended to direct the radiology technician, physician, dentist or other to face that side of the plate toward the exposure source. However, such a consistent usage is not guaranteed.
If the plate were to be consistently exposed from only one side (e.g., “front side”), then a front side mark produced by a front side marker would provide an absolute reference of laterality by eliminating confusion introduced by horizontally flipping of the image. Such reflection results in the displacement in the image of the open circle front side mark from the lower right or the upper left corners of the image to the lower left or the upper right in the images which are in “landscape” orientation. The displacement would be the reverse for “portrait” orientation. Although recommended, and consistent with best practice, such a consistent exposure of the intraoral plate from the sensitive side is not guaranteed either in the loading of the plate into the sleeve or in its placement during exposure itself. (Medical large format PSP systems generally use cassettes which not only hold the plate in desired orientation during exposure but also are loaded and unloaded by the scanner itself during the scanning process. This method of plate handling prevents inadvertent reversal of laterality prior to the creation of the viewable image.)
It should be noted that certain predictable rules of translocation govern a system composed of a radiographic plate, the image it holds, the long and the short axes of symmetry of the plate or its image, and a universe of combinations of two motions, a reflection through a vertical plane perpendicular to that of the image and a 90 degree rotation around an axis perpendicular to the plane of the plate at the intersection of its long and short axes of symmetry.
The reflection of the image within this system can occur through one of two modes. The first mode involves casting the shadow, i.e., registering the image, onto the sensitive layer, e.g., phosphor, from one side of the plate, e.g., “back side”, and reading it off the opposite aspect of the sensitive layer, e.g., “front side”. Only one instance of this mode may occur per image. This mode of reflection shall henceforth be referred to as “pre-exposure” reflection in this application. The second mode involves the use of an image processing software tool which reflects right-for-left any selected image. The number of instances of this mode of reflection is not theoretically limited. This mode of reflection shall henceforth be referred to as “software” or“post-exposure” reflection in this application.
Rotation has two distinct modes. The first mode is a physical rotation of the plate, together with its markers, relative to the object to be imaged prior to exposure involved in changing the orientation from “landscape” to “portrait”, and if continued, back to “landscape”. This mode of rotation shall be referred to henceforth in this application as the “pre-exposure” mode of rotation. The second mode of rotation can occur several ways. After exposure, the PSPs, being small, unattached objects are free to be moved and become randomized in orientation. These PSPs are later removed from their sleeves and arbitrarily rotated as to fit into a plate holder mechanism of the scanner, the constraint at this stage being that the “front side” must face the sensor. Once the images are produced on the computer screen, the operator uses the image processor to align the images in proper superior-inferior orientation by rotating them. This software-mediated rotation is limited to multiples of ninety degrees and is the mechanism through which correct “landscape” and “portrait” orientation as well as superior-inferior relationship is achieved as needed. All three of the rotations given above maintain the relationship between the location of the marker and the details of the shadow-gram. They also preserve laterality. The several mechanisms of rotation comprising the second mode of rotation occur after the sensitive layer is exposed and will henceforth in this application be referred to as “post-exposure” mode of rotation. When a “post-exposure” rotation results in a 180 degree rotation, the resulting transformation is equivalent to a reflection of the entire recorded image through a point located at the intersection of the long and the short axes of symmetry of the plate.
Although certain software-mediated manipulations, such as reflection through a line, are sometimes excluded by built-in restrictions within the radiographic software package, other radiographic software is not so limited. Conventionally, general-usage imaging software does allow such operations and also might be used with an image. Therefore, reflection through a line must be considered possible for any image. This type of “software” or“post-exposure” reflection is discussed below, also.
In order to better understand the discussion below in the DETAILED DESCRIPTION of how the structures according to aspects of the invention unambiguously identify correct and incorrect image orientation, first a discussion of possible transpositions of the image is given.
Within the context of this application, the two modes of reflection and two modes of rotation comprise the universe of orientation transformations allowed by the laws of physics and by the graphic functions included in the software of the image processors typically provided with digital radiography systems. For the purposes of this example, and in order to demonstrate the inability of only a conventional front side marker to differentiate various transformations, a marker 3811, as defined earlier, shall be placed in the lower right corner, as viewed from the “front side”, of a plate in a “landscape” orientation. In FIG. 38 the images 3801, 3802, 3803, 3804, 3805, 3806, 3807 and 3808 within the same row (e.g., 3801, 3802, 3803 and 3804; or 3805, 3806, 3807 and 3808) are related to their neighboring images by one ninety-degree “post-exposure” rotation for each step. On the other hand images within the same column (e.g., 3801 and 3805, etc.) are related by a “software”, or “post exposure”, reflection through a vertical line. As the images 3801, 3802, 3803 and 3804 and also the images 3805, 3806, 3807 and 3808 illustrate, rotation alone allows only two marker 3811 locations each for both the “portrait” and the “landscape” orientations of the image. That is to say that if the image is only rotated (i.e. they lie within the same row in FIG. 38), there are two allowed locations of the marker 3811 for the “landscape” orientation 3801 and 3803 or, the lower right and the upper left corner, and two allowed locations for the marker in the “portrait” orientation 3802 and 3804: lower left and upper right corner of the image. It is also evident from FIG. 38 that for both the “portrait” and for the “landscape” orientation a combination of rotation within the plane and reflection through a line manipulation, as described earlier, is sufficient to generate all the possible locations of the marker. It is also evident that all paths involving an odd number of reflections (i.e. one which generates a net shift of the image to a different row in FIG. 38) are qualitatively different from the paths involving an even number of reflections (i.e., no net shift of row generated in the process). Therefore, assuming an original position of the marker 3811 in the lower right corner in a “landscape” orientation as in image 3801, it is clear that relative to original image 3801, the laterality of image 3803 has not been reversed but that of image 3807 has been. Furthermore, without the knowledge of the original image 3809, 3810 it is possible to deduce its laterality by observation of the marker location and the “portrait” vs. “landscape” orientation of the plate. It should also be noted that teeth of the lower and the upper jaw are significantly enough different to allow their recognition in radiographic images thereby preserving orientation in the superior-inferior dimension. Likewise, anatomical structures elsewhere in the body do not possess another axis of bilateral symmetry than right-left, and can be readily oriented in the anterior-posterior or the superior-inferior dimensions. By analogy, if the long arrow 3810 is assumed to serve as a recognizable index for the superior direction, and the short arrow 3809, the forward direction, then only images 3801 and 3805 represent images properly oriented with respect to the superior-inferior dimension. Furthermore, of those two, only image 3801 has preserved the original laterality of the object casting the shadow. Further complicating the situation is that the plate could have been exposed from the “back side” and viewed from the “front side”, resulting in image 3805. This image must be reflected horizontally to be viewed in the “correct” orientation of image 3801.
Suppose, for the purpose of analyzing the images in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5, that the radiology technician, physician, dentist or other exposing this patient's phosphor plate 104 has oriented the “front side” defined above, carrying the open circle, and consequently the sensitive side of the plate 104, toward the X-ray source located at the position SOURCE L, and in the lower right corner of the plate 104 as viewed from the direction of the X-ray source located at the position SOURCE L. FIG. 3 is the image read from the “front side” of the plate 104, when the plate so oriented is exposed by an X-ray source at the location designated SOURCE R. If the viewer reading such an image is aware that the exposure has been made from the “wrong” side, i.e., the “back side”, of the plate, the viewer can use image processing software to reorient the image by horizontally flipping the image, as shown in FIG. 2. Mark 201 is transposed from the right to the left, side of the image. The same plate 104, oriented the same way, but exposed from an X-ray source at the location designated SOURCE L, when read from the sensitive side of the plate 104, produces the image shown in FIG. 5. The image of FIG. 4 can be inadvertently produced by manipulation of the image processing software to horizontally flip the image of FIG. 4. Since FIGS. 2 and 4, and FIGS. 3 and 5, are respectively indistinguishable without knowing from which side the plate 104 was exposed, there is no way to determine which side of the patient's jaw the condition 103, seen only in the images in FIGS. 2 and 3, is on. If condition 103 does not produce any externally observable symptoms, the X-ray image may be the only evidence upon which the clinician can rely for determining the location to treat. An ambiguity is introduced into the record that cannot be resolved without another exposure of the patient to radiation. Digital plate technology in its current form does not assure that the orientation of the image can be ascertained. Current technology instead relies on the statistical likelihood that the radiology technician will expose the film correctly vast majority of the time. However, no unambiguous marker of the exposure orientation exists within the image. Moreover, correctly exposed and mounted images do not include a clear, unambiguous mark indicative of that combination of facts, nor do incorrectly exposed and/or mounted images include a clear, unambiguous mark indicative of that combination of facts. Thus, mistakes or malicious mis-orientations are not likely to be recognized. The following four examples illustrate the problem of a lack of an internal reference: 1. If only one image is available for viewing independently of other patient information, the viewer will not be able to identify the correct orientation of the image, except by making an assumption that it was exposed from the “front side”. 2. If a radiology technician is consistently making the error of exposing the films from the “back side”, unknown to the viewer, the viewer will conclude when comparing images that images (in fact) exposed and oriented correctly are incorrectly oriented (which is not factually correct), thus compounding the problem. 3. A disgruntled or incompetent employee can wreak havoc with the records without anyone realizing it, or having a way of tracing the problem by using software to alter the apparent orientation of images in the records. 4. A person with fraudulent intent can expose the plate intentionally from the “back side” in order to make the image appear as though it depicts the opposite side of the body.
The analysis of FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 is similar to FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively, except for the initial orientation of the plate. These images are produced by a plate 104 oriented with an open circle, and consequently the sensitive side of the plate 104 oriented toward the X-ray source located at the position SOURCE L, but in the top left corner of the plate as viewed from the direction of the X-ray source located at the position SOURCE L.
FIGS. 10, 11, 12 and 13 represent images produced by a plate 104 oriented with an open circle, and consequently the sensitive side of the plate 104 oriented toward the X-ray source located at the position SOURCE R, but in the bottom right corner of the plate as viewed from the direction of the X-ray source located at the position SOURCE R.
FIG. 10 shows the image produced by SOURCE R, in which the open circle 201 is in the lower right corner. FIG. 11 can be inadvertently produced by a horizontal flip of the image of FIG. 10 using image processing software. FIG. 12 shows the result of exposing the plate using SOURCE L. In order to view the image in an orientation expected by the clinician, the image of FIG. 12 can be horizontally flipped to produce the image of FIG. 13. Similarly to the situation described above in connection with FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5, FIGS. 10 and 12 are inherently indistinguishable, as are FIGS. 11 and 13.
The analysis of FIGS. 14, 15, 16 and 17 is similar to FIGS. 10, 11, 12 and 13, respectively, except for the initial orientation of the plate. These images are produced by a plate 104 oriented with the open circle, and consequently the sensitive side of the plate 104 oriented toward the X-ray source located at the position SOURCE R, but in the top left corner of the plate as viewed from the direction of the X-ray source located at the position SOURCE R.
Direct Radiography or Digital Radiography
An alternate technology which is competing with PSPs to replace conventional film employs electronic sensors. These sensors may use CCD, CMOS, thin-film transistor (TFT), or the like, construction design and are similar to those used in digital cameras and camcorders. The image is recorded by capturing a shadow cast by the radiation which has been attenuated by passage through tissues under examination and then falling onto the sensor. The sensors are constructed in the shape of a parallelepiped with rounded corners for patient comfort and with two opposing roughly rectangular sides that correspond in size and shape to standard dental film. The thickness of the sensor is several millimeters. During use the sensors are typically connected to a computer or other data acquisition device through a direct cable or a wireless data transmission system. Because of the required electronic circuitry and other radiopaque elements, known sensors have only surface capable of recording an image.
Some of the manufacturers incorporate into their sensors features that produce marks within the image. These marks vary in shape but might be a small rectangle in a corner (Schick, Dexis) or the letters “RVG” along one of the edges in a corner (Trophy/Practiceworks/Kodak). After the image is processed and displayed, the marks, when present, appear as part of the image and behave in exactly the same ways as those marks produced by the front side marker in conventional PSPs. That is to say, manipulations such as rotations and reflections of the image change the location and orientation of the mark in precisely the same way as they would if it were a detail of the diagnostic image itself.
These characteristics of sensor-based radiography eliminate one source of orientation error from consideration, namely the pre-exposure mode or reflection of the image. This means that one can conclude unambiguously whether or not the image has been reversed through reflection if one knows which corner of the sensor has the marker. However, the portrait vs. landscape and rotations related to superior-inferior orientation of the image in the mount can still be disorienting and produce confusion regarding the laterality of the image. Such rotations might particularly affect the wireless sensors which do not require a wire fed out between the lips and to the acquisition device. The wired systems generally obey the following rules because of their direct connection and the stiffness of the wire: 1. the wire is anterior for posterior “landscape”-oriented sensor placement 2. the wire is superior for mandibular anterior “portrait”-oriented sensor placement 3. the wire is inferior for maxillary anterior “portrait”-oriented sensor placementAny other placement, e.g., vertical bitewing, need not follow any particular rule as a matter of wire placement convenience.
As a consequence of the above factors, the orientation issues presented by the sensor-based systems are varied. For example, laterality identification problems vary from absolute lack of orientation clues in images produced by systems without built-in markers, particularly in those situations where wire lead location is noncontributory (e.g., vertical bitewings) to less serious in other configurations. Those with an asymmetrically placed symmetric marker can be traced if one knows the location on the sensor of the marker which yielded the mark in the image, but without that knowledge laterality can be absolutely ambiguous. If the location of the marker producing the mark is absolutely known to lie in the, for sake of argument, lower right corner when in “landscape” orientation of the sensor, then the clues to laterality can be reduced to the following rules: 1. If the mark is in the lower right or the upper left in a “landscape” orientation of the image, the image laterality is correct, 2. If the mark is in the upper right or the lower left in a “portrait” orientation of the image, the image laterality is correct, 3. If the combination of the mark location and image orientation is different in any aspect then the image is reversed,
Similar rules apply, but with the “sensors” being opposite, as may be understood by the skilled artisan, if the marker were known to be in the upper left in “portrait” orientation of the sensor. The tracing of the marks and their indication of the laterality requires knowledge of details which are not naturally obvious, concentration, attention, an innate ability to manipulate objects in space, and time. In a clinical setting these might not be available when needed.
The marker which produces “RVG” logo mark in the corner of the image is significantly easier to use as an orientation clue to laterality because of the chirality of the mark produced by the “RVG” marker. Flipping of an image containing the mark will also flip the mark. When the letters are visible in their natural orientation, this reflection is easily recognized by an observer. However when the letters within the mark are either upside down or the mark is oriented vertically rather than horizontally, the reflected mark is not nearly as clearly recognizable as being reflected; therefore its value as a tool for detecting reversed laterality of the image is diminished.
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally related to buoyancy device. More particularly, the invention is directed to a high capacity buoyancy device capable of providing buoyancy to individuals and substantial amounts of equipment.
2. Description of Related Art
Buoyancy devices are well known in the prior art, particularly in the form of waist-mounted life belts or life preservers which are typically mounted around the wearer's neck and over their shoulders. These devices are inflated manually or by CO2 cartridges and provide buoyancy for an individual.
Numerous life belts exist. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,866 describes a personal flotation device which is filled using a single gas cartridge and worn in a waist belt and inflated as needed. U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,411 describes a device for providing fashionable flotation support by placing air chambers into a belt for inflation and individual buoyancy. U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,677 shows a belt for use in water activities which has a manually inflatable bladder and at least one waterproof storage pocket are built. U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,348 describes a flotation device worn around a belt having a nozzle with a geometric design which overcomes the problems introduced by using a gas cartridge and the cold gas vented from the cartridge. U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,556 describes a flotation belt with multiple bladders which can be independently inflated by gas cartridges. The bladders are integral with the belt and remain around the wearer's waist. U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,932 describes a belt mounted water rescue device having pockets to hold different water rescue aids such as an inflatable belt, rescue tow line and other rescue tools as desired. The bladder can be inflated manually or by gas cartridges. Other examples of belt-type buoyancy devices are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,279; U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,179; U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,623; U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,033; U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,254; U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,184; U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,512; U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,879; U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,562; U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,705; U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,351; U.S. Pat. No. 2,452,475; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,833,614;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,467 describes an airbag for swimmers. The device is intended to provide flotation for an individual and is filled by the wearer manually, an electrical pump or compressed gas. The air bag is worn around the waist or chest, under a swimsuit.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,689 describes a complex flotation device which provides buoyancy and rescue assistance. This device is specifically designed to support a person and a 35 lb pack. It includes an inflatable neck collar and a front positioned inflatable element. The device may also include body armor, a releasable inflatable raft, and/or a second bladder. The bladder(s) may be inflated by gas cartridges or manually.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,356 describes a flotation system. The system is a container which includes an inflatable flotation device. Opening the top flap of the container causes activation of a gas cartridge, inflation of the device and release of the device from the container. The container is connected to a wearer by a means such as a belt strap or the container can be connected to a boat or other water vehicle. In addition to the flotation device, the container may include water rescue devices such as an inflatable marker (also automatically inflated by opening the container flap) or other signal devices.
Therefore, there is need for a buoyancy device which is capable of providing buoyancy to individuals as well as the equipment they may need to carry, often substantial in weight. Further, there is a need for a compact, portable, lightweight, reusable device which includes redundant safety measures and which does not interfere with normal movement.
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1. Technical Field
This invention relates to ophthalmic implants and the manipulation of the intraocular pressure of the eye, and, more particularly, to a new and useful method and apparatus for lowering intraocular pressure by draining aqueous humor from the anterior chamber of the eye and by mechanically inhibiting wound healing at the surgical site.
2. Background
Throughout the United States, Europe and most of the first world countries, glaucoma is the most prevalent sight threatening disease and is, on a world wide basis, responsible for approximately ten percent of all blindness. Glaucoma is an ocular disease where ocular fluids build up in the eye and exert tremendous pressure on the optic nerve, slowly causing irreparable damage as a result of glaucomatous optic neuropathy.
Glaucoma is a significant healthcare problem with immediate and long term ramifications, both physical and financial. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States, where over 300,000 new cases are reported each year. In the U.S. more than 95,000 glaucoma patients lose some degree of sight each year due to the disease, with greater than 5,500 experiencing total blindness. As treatment costs on a per year basis are estimated to be $1.5 billion based upon more than two million annual office visits, the socio-economic impact of glaucoma is significant.
The causes of glaucoma are poorly understood; however, vasomotor and emotional instability, hyperopia, and especially heredity are among the recognized predisposing factors. Along with persons predisposed to glaucoma by virtue of family history, individuals at higher risk of developing glaucoma are those 35 years of age or older or those with diabetes or positive glucose tolerance tests. The disease also strikes African-Americans in disproportionate numbers. They are four to five times more likely to develop glaucoma and are up to six times more apt to suffer a complete loss of sight.
The increased intraocular pressure incident to glaucoma is related to an imbalance between production and outflow of aqueous humor, the watery fluid that fills the anterior and posterior chambers of the eye. Aqueous humor is secreted by the ciliary processes of the eye, and passes through the posterior chamber and the pupil into the anterior chamber where it is reabsorbed into the venous system at the iridocorneal angle by way of the sinus venosus, also called the canal of Schlemm. Obstruction of aqueous humor outflow appears to be mainly responsible for elevated intraocular pressures.
The aim of current glaucoma treatment is the prevention of optic nerve damage and vision loss by lowering intraocular pressure. The search for better treatment regimens has moved back and forth between pharmaceutical and surgical methods as the first line of treatment.
In the United States, pharmaceuticals have been traditionally utilized as an initial response. Common pharmaceutical treatments for glaucoma include the systemic use of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors or topical applications of pilocarpine, timolol maleate, betaxolol HCl, levobunolol, metipranolol, epinephrine, dipivefrin, demecarium bromide, and echothiophate iodide. But, as is the case with most significant chemical therapies, the side effects of these medications may be severe while the treatment's efficacy is variable. Some of the drugs have unwanted systemic effects on cardiovascular functions and blood pressure, result in headaches or nausea, or cause ocular burning and irritation. However, the most frequent and perhaps most serious drawback to drug therapy is that patients, especially the elderly, often fail to correctly self-medicate. They forget to take their medication at the appropriate times or else administer the eyedrops improperly, resulting in under or over dosing. Because the effects of glaucoma are irreversible, when patients dose improperly--allowing ocular concentrations to drop below the appropriate therapeutic level--further permanent damage to vision occurs.
In Europe, where for many years there has been a strong focus on cost containment, surgery is the preferred approach. This is also the case in the United States when medication fails to control intraocular pressure or visual fields show progressive defects. It has been reported that in 1993 over 1,152,000 operations for regulating intraocular pressure were performed in the U.S. alone.
Glaucoma filtration surgery historically has been the most widely practiced procedure used in severe glaucoma cases. The fundamental principle of this surgery is to create an opening, or fistula, at the limbal region of the eye to facilitate the drainage of the aqueous humor, bypassing the pathological blockage in the anterior chamber angle. There are two basic approaches currently in use. In a full-thickness filtration procedure, a full-thickness sclerostomy is made, connecting the anterior chamber directly to the subconjunctival space. The main advantage of this procedure is the significantly lower intraocular pressures achieved postoperatively. However, because of its complications, this surgery is less frequently used than the second type of surgery, the trabeculectomy. In the trabeculectomy, a sclerostomy is performed under a scleral flap. This flap is then sutured back to its original bed in an attempt to minimize aqueous outflow runoff. The advantage of the trabeculectomy under the scleral flap is the tamponate effect provided by the resutured sclera causing a subsequent reduction of aqueous flow-through. Unfortunately, although this procedure provides short-term postoperative stability, final intraocular pressure levels are usually higher than those seen after full-thickness filtration, and the long term success rate is lower.
A major problem with both these approaches, and glaucoma filtration surgery in general, is the body's natural healing process. Glaucoma filtration surgery differs from most surgical procedures in that inhibition of wound healing is desirable to achieve surgical success. When normal wound healing occurs, filtration rates decrease and intraocular pressures rise, making necessary the inhibition of the healing response. Surgical failures occur most frequently due to an overwhelming wound healing response and scarring at the filtration site. Histological studies of human and lab animal surgeries suggest that failure of glaucoma filtration surgery is associated with the presence of dense fibrovasular connective tissue around the surgical site. This prevents diffusion of the aqueous humor from the subconjunctival space.
Since the turn of the century many efforts have been made to facilitate aqueous outflow and defeat the healing process by the insertion of devices in the surgical fistula. These devices have varied widely in size, material composition and design, one of the first being the horse hair implant of Rabbett and Moreau in 1906. Over time, aqueous shunts have become an increasingly popular and effective means of lowering intraocular pressure. Among the more recent devices, translimbal equatorial shunts have proven most effective. Examples of such devices include those disclosed in United States patents granted to Molteno (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,457,757 and 4,750,901), Odrich (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,041,081 and 5,127.901), and Baerveldt et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,604). Molteno's devices generally consist of ridged plates having drainage tubes for insertion into the anterior chamber of the eye. Odrich's patents disclose two ophthalmic implants for relieving pressure in the anterior chamber, both having one-way flow resisting valves, and residing under the conjunctiva. Baerveldt's apparatus comprises an elastomeric plate having a drainage tube tunneled through Tenon's capsule and the cornea and inserted into the anterior chamber. Virtually all conventional glaucoma aqueous drainage implants are designed to allow aqueous flow around their surface or to conduct the aqueous through a hollow tube either directly into a vein or bleb or to a large episcleral plate that will deposit aqueous in the posterior conjunctiva between the muscles.
Conventional aqueous shunts, however, are plagued by several peculiarities, including foreign body reactions and inflammation, as well as obstruction and infection. A major disadvantage of current open tube aqueous drainage devices is excessive aqueous drainage in the immediate postoperative period resulting in a flat anterior chamber and potential choroidal detachment. Profound hypotony, possibly leading to phthisis bulbi, is also a substantial risk. Excessive postoperative aqueous flow also causes expansion of the fibrous capsule beneath the rectus muscles of the eye. This mass effect stretches and tightens the muscles inducing heterotropia and motility restriction into the quadrant of the implant.
A mass effect also may be exerted simply by the bulky presence of the device itself beneath the muscle causing restriction of eye movement, scleral erosion, changes in eye curvature, or damage to adjacent vasculature and tissue. This is particularly true of rigid plastic or metal implants having valves. They tend to be large and complex in design. Other problems involve friction and wear imparted to the scleral flap by implanted devices, irritation of the iris endothelium caused by placement of implants into the anterior chamber, and aggravation produced by chronic forward and backward movement of the implants. Some glaucoma filtration surgeries also require the performance of peripherial iridotomies, wherein a transverse division of some of the fibers of the iris is performed to create a communication between the anterior chamber and the posterior chamber.
In spite of these shortcomings, aqueous drainage devices have been successful in many cases, but the operative procedure remains challenging and significant complications are not unusual.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for lowering the intraocular pressure of an eye and mechanically inhibiting wound healing at the surgical site without producing a foreign body reaction, inflammation, obstruction, or infection.
Another object of the invention is to design and construct an intraocular implant that is pliable so as to fit the contours of the eye, that is soft enough to avoid scleral erosion, inducement of undesirable changes in eye curvature, or damage to adjacent vasculature and tissue, but that is resilient enough to maintain its shape and thickness. A like object is that the construction of the implant solves problems of friction and wear imparted to a scleral flap, irritation of the iris endothelium, and aggravation produced by implant movement.
A further object of the invention is to provide a device that naturally regulates the flow of aqueous humor by mimicking the trabecular meshwork, the device having a microstructure that allows drainage but never results in a post-surgical hypotony as seen with hollow tube devices.
Yet another object of the invention is to supply an intraocular implant that is small and simple, that has no valves, tubes or pressure sensing mechanisms, so as to avoid mechanical failure and allow for unobstructed eye movement.
A still further object of the invention is to furnish a method for surgically implanting an intraocular filtration device, which procedure is relatively simple and has few complications.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shock absorbers interposed between the binding of the boot and the ski for both alpine or cross-country.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
These apparatus are adapted to improve the comfort of the skier as well as the behavior and performance of the skis. Without shock absorbers, all the irregularities of the slopes, which are harder and harder as they become more and more compressed, subject the ski to shocks and vibrations which are transmitted directly to the skier whose skeleton, joints, muscles and tendons are very stressed, which results not only in a discomfort but also in a fatigue which can lead to accidents. Furthermore, the too rigid linkage between the skier and the ski detracts from good steering of the ski, particularly due to a too substantial gripping of the edges in the snow which causes undesirable braking.
A certain number of attempts have been made to resolve these problems. Thus, in German Document No. 27 13 325 there is proposed a leaf spring apparatus positioned between the upper planar surface of the ski and a heel binding base plate and fixed on it by a screw, a corner of rubber can where necessary be added. Besides the fact that only a vertical shock absorption can be obtained, this apparatus raises to a substantial extent the foot of the skier with respect to the ski, which has the substantial disadvantage of diminishing the mastery and stability of the skier during steering of the ski.
In German Document No. 2 363 562, a thin elastic blade is mounted between the upper planar surface of the ski and the base plate of the binding. This blade is adapted to allow for freer flexions of the ski to which the binding adds too much rigidity, and by virtue of its low thickness, would not provide sufficient shock absorption to the degree sought.
Another attempt is made in WIPO Document No. 83/03360. A shock absorber constituted by an elastomeric layer and at least one metallic layer is positioned between the upper planar surface of the ski and the bindings. Its construction is relatively complex and likewise lifts to a substantial extent the boot with respect to the ski.
Furthermore, in German Document No. 2 255 406 there is described an apparatus which facilitates turns by allowing for an inclination of the binding with respect to the ski around a fixed longitudinal axis against an elastic return element. Besides its mechanical complexity and mass, this apparatus, for which it is not in reality designed, would not act as one might otherwise think, to serve the role of shock absorber sought except to a very small degree for torsional biases around the longitudinal axis.
The apparatus which have just been described have at least one major disadvantage: they are not adapted to give the desired shock absorption affect, or, mounted above the upper surface of the ski, they lift the boot in a manner such that steering of the ski is substantially affected, and a lateral shock absorption is not obtained to other than a negligible degree. Furthermore, it should be noted that none of the systems is adapted to be mounted on a ski which does not have a transverse rectangular cross-section.
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{
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This invention relates generally to storage cubes or modules useful for home or office use to contain books or other items.
The storage cube has been specifically designed by the inventor for use with a corrugated fiberboard student desk on which a related U.S. Patent Application has been filed. However, the storage cube has been realized to have utility in and of itself.
It is known that there is a high sales demand for durable and attractive stackable storage cubes. Metal storage devices currently on the market are typically relatively expensive due to metal materials cost and the high shipping costs of heavier articles occupying a large shipping volume.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage cube kit made of light-weight, yet durable materials wherein the parts may be shipped in a flat position to reduce shipping volume.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a storage cube which may be easily and quickly assembled by the purchaser.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a storage cube having a unique design for trapping or locking a shelf or divider therein.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, and the features of novelty characterizing the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a preparation method for amorphous superlattice alloys applicable to a variety of fields such as materials with specific magnetic and chemical properties.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The formation of atomic lamellar structures in which each layer consists of different pure elements is known, and the method for preparation of amorphous alloys by sputtering is also known. However, a method of forming an amorphous superlattice based on the repetition of two amorphous layers of different compositions is not known.
The method of forming a superlattice by alternating sputtering of two kinds of metals or alloys is well known. Instead of alternating sputtering of two kinds of metals or alloys, preparation of the amorphous superlattice alloys by continuous conventional sputtering has not been performed. However, there has been a strong demand development of a new method to form new superlattice alloys, that is, preparation of the amorphous superlattice alloys by continuous conventional sputtering.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a magnetic tape medium for storing data, to write heads for writing a servo pattern to a magnetic tape medium, and to methods for writing a servo pattern to a magnetic tape medium.
Magnetic tape storage media typically comprise servo information prerecorded in one or more of dedicated servo bands that extend next to data tracks for storing data, which servo bands extend in a longitudinal direction along the tape medium. A servo band typically is read by a dedicated servo reader of a tape head of a tape drive, into which a cartridge containing the tape medium is inserted to. The read servo information allows for determining a lateral deviation of the tape medium from a lateral reference position, which lateral reference position is desired for correctly reading data from and writing data to the tape medium by dedicated read and write elements of the tape head. A position error signal supplied by the servo reader may be translated into a control signal for an actuator for controlling the lateral position of the tape head with respect to the tape medium.
Timing-based servo (TBS) is a technology developed specifically for linear tape drives in the late '90s. In TBS systems, recorded servo patterns comprise transitions with at least two different azimuthal slopes. The tape head lateral position is derived from the relative timing of pulses generated by a servo reader reading the servo pattern. TBS was adopted by the linear tape open (LTO) consortium, and a complete format for LTO tape drives of the first generation was standardized by the European Computer Manufacturers Association (ECMA) in 2001 as ECMA-319. The servo patterns in LTO are written on five dedicated servo bands that straddle four data bands.
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{
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An available bandwidth (also called “usable bandwidth”) of a communication line is an unused bandwidth obtained by subtracting other traffic (hereafter referred to as “cross traffic”) flowing in a network from a physical bandwidth of a bottleneck link in the communication line. For example, in the case where the physical bandwidth of the bottleneck link in the communication line is 100 Mbps and the cross traffic is 30 Mbps, the available bandwidth is 100−30=70 Mbps.
Estimating the current available bandwidth is important in video chat, video calling, video conferencing, and the like where communication is performed by two-way transmission of video between terminals. By limiting a transmission rate of video to not greater than the estimate of the available bandwidth, it is possible to keep the sum of the transmission rate of video and the cross traffic from exceeding the physical bandwidth of the bottleneck link in the communication line. This prevents packet loss, thus ensuring video quality.
Non Patent Literature (NPL) 1 proposes a method in which a transmitter terminal transmits a plurality of probe packets of a fixed size to a receiver terminal as one set (hereafter referred to as “packet train”), and the receiver terminal detects a change in reception interval of probe packets to estimate an available bandwidth. This method has a feature that, when the transmitter terminal transmits the packet train, the probe packets are transmitted at exponentially decreasing transmission intervals. Accordingly, in this method, a transmission rate of probe packets increases exponentially in the packet train.
In the case where the transmission rate of probe packets exceeds the available bandwidth of the network when the packet train travels through the network, probe packets are temporarily queued in a device such as a router or a switch in the network. This causes an increase in reception interval of probe packets in the receiver terminal relative to the transmission interval in the transmitter terminal. The available bandwidth is computed based on this property. In detail, the receiver terminal detects a point at which the reception interval of probe packets starts to increase relative to the transmission interval in the transmitter terminal, and divides the packet size of the probe packet by the transmission interval at the point, to compute the available bandwidth.
Patent Literature (PTL) 1 proposes a method in which a transmitter terminal transmits a plurality of probe packets of gradually increasing packet sizes to a receiver terminal as a packet train, and the receiver terminal detects a change in reception interval of probe packets to estimate an available bandwidth. This method has a feature that, when the transmitter terminal transmits the packet train, the probe packets are transmitted at regular transmission intervals. In this method, a transmission rate of probe packets increases linearly in the packet train. The receiver terminal computes the available bandwidth in the same way as the computation method proposed in NPL 1.
PTL 2 proposes a method in which a transmitter terminal repeatedly performs an operation of transmitting a packet train made up of a sequence of probe packets of a fixed size at regular transmission intervals to a receiver terminal a plurality of times, to estimate an available bandwidth. In this method, the available bandwidth is estimated through binary search by repeatedly performing the following operation: the transmitter terminal transmits the packet train at exponentially decreasing transmission intervals to the receiver terminal in the case where the reception interval tends to increase in the receiver terminal, and transmits the packet train at exponentially increasing transmission intervals to the receiver terminal in the case where the reception interval tends to decrease in the receiver terminal.
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{
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Computing systems may include a system board with a number of socket connectors to couple module boards to the system board. The module boards can be hot-pluggable transceiver modules used for network data communications. The system board may be behind a faceplate.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the collection, analysis, and management of system resource data in distributed or enterprise computer systems, and particularly to the more accurate monitoring of the state of a computer system and more accurate prediction of system performance.
2. Description of the Related Art
The data processing resources of business organizations are increasingly taking the form of a distributed computing environment in which data and processing are dispersed over a network comprising many interconnected, heterogeneous, geographically remote computers. Such a computing environment is commonly referred to as an enterprise computing environment, or simply an enterprise. Managers of the enterprise often employ software packages known as enterprise management systems to monitor, analyze, and manage the resources of the enterprise. Enterprise management systems may provide for the collection of measurements, or metrics, concerning the resources of individual systems. For example, an enterprise management system might include a software agent on an individual computer system for the monitoring of particular resources such as CPU usage or disk access. U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,081 discloses one example of an enterprise management system.
In a sophisticated enterprise management system, tools for the analysis, modeling, planning, and prediction of system resource utilization are useful for assuring the satisfactory performance of one or more computer systems in the enterprise. Examples of such analysis and modeling tools are the xe2x80x9cANALYZExe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cPREDICTxe2x80x9d components of xe2x80x9cBEST/1 FOR DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMSxe2x80x9d available from BMC Software, Inc. Such tools usually require the input of periodic measurements of the usage of resources such as central processing units (CPUs), memory, hard disks, network bandwidth, and the like. To ensure accurate analysis and modeling, therefore, the collection of accurate performance data is critical.
Many modern operating systems, including xe2x80x9cWINDOWS NTxe2x80x9d and UNIX, are capable of recording and maintaining an enormous amount of performance data and other data concerning the state of the hardware and software of a computer system. Such data collection is a key step for any system performance analysis and prediction. The operating system or system software collects raw performance data, usually at a high frequency, stores the data in a registry of metrics, and then periodically updates the data. In most cases, metric data is not used directly, but is instead sampled from the registry. Sampling at a high frequency, however, can consume substantial system resources such as CPU cycles, storage space, and I/O bandwidth. Therefore, it is impractical to sample the data at a high frequency. On the other hand, infrequent sampling cannot capture the complete system state: for example, significant short-lived events and/or processes can be missed altogether. Infrequent sampling may therefore distort a model of a system""s performance. The degree to which the sampled data reliably reflects the raw data determines the usefulness of the performance model for system capacity planning. The degree of reliability also determines the usefulness of the performance statistics presented to end-users by performance tools.
Sensitivity to sampling frequency varies among data types. Performance data can be classified into three categories: cumulative, transient, and constant. Cumulative data is data that accumulates over time. For example, a system CPU time counter may collect the total number of seconds that a processor has spent in system state since system boot. With transient data, old data is replaced by new data. For example, the amount of free memory is a transient metric which is updated periodically to reflect the amount of memory not in use. However, values such as the mean, variance, and standard deviation can be computed based on a sampling history of the transient metric. The third type of performance data, constant data, does not change over the measurement interval or lifetime of the event. For example, system configuration information, process ID, and process start time are generally constant values.
Of the three data types, transient performance metrics are the most sensitive to variations in the sample interval and are therefore the most likely to be characterized by uncertainty. For example, with infrequent sampling, some state changes may be missed completely. However, cumulative data may also be rendered uncertain by infrequent sampling, especially with regard to the variance of such a metric. Clearly, then, uncertainty of data caused by infrequent sampling can cause serious problems in performance modeling. Therefore, the goal is to use sampling to capture the essence of the system state with a sufficient degree of certainty. Nevertheless, frequent sampling is usually not a viable option because of the heavy resource usage involved.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for data collection and analysis tools and methods that accurately and efficiently reflect system resource usage at a lower sampling frequency.
The present invention is directed to a system and method that meet the needs for more accurate and efficient monitoring and prediction of computer system performance. In the preferred embodiment, the system and method are used in a distributed computing environment, i.e., an enterprise. The enterprise comprises a plurality of computer systems, or nodes, which are interconnected through a network. At least one of the computer systems is a monitor computer system from which a user may monitor the nodes of the enterprise. At least one of the computer systems is an agent computer system. An agent computer system includes agent software and/or system software that permits the collection of data relating to one or more metrics, i.e., measurements of system resources on the agent computer system. In the preferred embodiment, metric data is continually collected at a high frequency over the course of a measurement interval and placed into a registry of metrics. The metric data is not used directly but rather is routinely sampled at a constant sample interval from the registry of metrics. Because sampling uses substantial system resources, sampling is preferably performed at a lesser frequency than the frequency of collection.
Sampled metric data can be used to build performance models for analysis and capacity planning. However, less frequent sampling can result in inaccurate models and data uncertainty, especially regarding the duration of events or processes and the number of events or processes. The present invention is directed to reducing said uncertainty. Uncertainty arises from two primary sources: the unsampled segment of a seen process or event, and the unseen process or event. A seen process is a process that is sampled at least once; therefore, its existence and starting time are known. However, the residual time or utilization between the last sampling of the process or event and the death of the process or the termination of the event is unsampled and unknown. An unseen process is shorter than the sample interval and is not sampled at all, and therefore its entire utilization is unknown. Nevertheless, the total unsampled (i.e., residual) utilization and the total unseen utilization can be estimated with the system and method of the present invention.
In determining the total unsampled utilization, a quantity of process service time distributions are determined, and each of the seen processes are assigned respective process service time distributions. For each distribution, a mean residual time is calculated using equations provided by the system and method. The total unsampled utilization is the sum of the mean residual time multiplied by the number of seen processes for each distribution, all divided by the measurement interval.
In determining the total unseen utilization, first the total captured utilization is determined to be the sum of the sampled utilizations of all seen processes over the measurement interval. Next the total measured utilization, or the xe2x80x9cactualxe2x80x9d utilization over the measurement interval, is obtained from the system software or monitoring software. The difference between the total measured utilization and the total captured utilization is the uncertainty. Because the uncertainty is due to either unsampled segments or unseen events, the total unseen utilization is calculated to be the uncertainty (the total measured utilization minus the total captured utilization) minus the total unsampled utilization.
When the total measured utilization is not available, the total unseen utilization is estimated with an iterative bucket method. A matrix of buckets are created, wherein each row corresponds to the sample interval and each bucket to a gradation of the sample interval. Each process is placed into the appropriate bucket according to how many times it was sampled and when in the sample interval it began. Starting with the bucket with the longest process(es) and working iteratively back through the other buckets, the number of unseen processes are estimated for each length gradation of the sample interval. The iterative bucket method is also used to determine a length distribution of unseen processes.
In response to the determination of utilizations described above, the system and method are able to use this information in modeling and/or analyzing the enterprise. In various embodiments, the modeling and/or analyzing may further comprise one of more of the following: displaying the determinations to a user, predicting future performance, graphing a performance prediction, generating reports, asking a user for further data, permitting a user to modify a model of the enterprise, and altering a configuration of the enterprise in response to the determinations.
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Nexen Inc. (“Nexen”), the assignee, has natural gas shale deposits in northeast British Columbia. Efficient and cost effective production of the natural gas shale deposits in the area is dependent upon the availability of water for fracturing operations. The expected daily gas production in the area will require an estimated annual volume of at least 1.3 MM m3 of water with such water generally coming from natural above ground sources and/or pre-treated underground sources. In order to maximize the value of this natural gas reserve, a reliable supply of sufficient quantities of water for fracturing stimulation programs is necessary to enable the delivery of the projected production levels.
One of the opportunities for achieving value is to streamline the process for providing water for frac programs through the innovative use of non-potable water.
It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a method and process for fracturing a hydrocarbon reservoir utilizing water from an aquifer adjacent said reservoir. The suitable aquifer could also be nearby and be either shallower or deeper than the said reservoir.
It is another object of the invention to use the method and process when fracturing a natural gas reserve.
It is yet another object of the invention to avoid treating the aquifer water prior to using it for hydrocarbon fracturing.
It is a further object of the invention to use the Debolt aquifer as a source of water for the fracturing of a natural gas reserve.
It is another object of the invention to provide said fracturing pump with construction materials in alignment with the well known recommendations published for material performance criteria from for example NACE, ASTME or ANSI trim packaging or the like in view of the corrosive nature of the fluids being pumped).
Further and other objects of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art when considering the following summary of the invention and the more detailed description of the preferred embodiments described and illustrated herein along with the appended claims.
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{
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Conventionally, an apparatus configuration for forming parallel X-ray beams by arranging three slits is known as an apparatus for measuring X-ray small-angle scattering because of a need of irradiation of X-rays whose scattering angle is small in X-ray small-angle scattering measurement (Patent Document 1, Non-Patent Document 1). A slit is used to form thin beams, but when X-ray beams hit the end of the slit, parasitic scattering occurs and a tail is left in the scattering angle direction outside the generated beams. In the apparatus with three slits, parasitic scattering is removed by the second and third slits provided with a distance in between. However, in such an apparatus, it is necessary to provide a distance between the slits, and therefore, an apparatus with large dimensions is necessary.
On the other hand, the apparatus or the like is known that uses the Bonse-Hart method of detecting diffracted rays by a zero-dimensional detector while scanning a channel-cut monochromator crystal arranged on the beam-receiving side (Patent Documents 2 and 3, Non-Patent Document 2). FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an optical system that uses the conventional Bonse-Hart method. In the Bonse-Hart method, as shown in FIG. 7, a sample S0 is irradiated with X-rays generated by making X-rays reflected from the mirror enter a collimator 918 and the X-rays scattered by the sample are detected by reaching of the X-rays to an analyzer 919. In the apparatus configured by such an optical system, the scattered beams in the scattering angle direction are removed and thus measurement with a high resolution is made possible. However, it is not possible to simultaneously obtain anisotropic patterns by a one-dimensional detector or a two-dimensional detector.
In contrast to this, the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 cuts parasitic scattering of a pinhole collimator by the channel-cut monochromator crystal and performs detection with the two-dimensional detector. However, with such an apparatus, the nature of the X-ray to tend to diverge is left and the beams spread because the tail is not removed sufficiently. The reason is that the channel-cut monochromator crystals can be arranged only in arrangement of (+, −, +, −) and therefore, it is not possible to remove the tail caused by the spatial divergence.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bolt heater used for fastening and loosening bolts of a steam turbine casing, etc., applicable for a heating system for heating large size bolts of other various machines and for heating a narrow and long hole from the inside thereof, and usable where heating cannot be done from the outside such as a heat treatment within a narrow hole, heating of a boiler tube, heating of an inner tube of a double tube and improvement of stress in a welded section of a narrow hole.
2. Description of the Related Art
A bolt heater is used for fastening or loosening a large size bolt which is used for a steam turbine casing for example and which cannot be fastened by a wrench or spanner.
A case when a bolt heater is used for loosening a bolt will be explained referring to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 shows a pair of flanges (C) strongly fastened by a bolt (a) and nuts (b). When a bolt heater (d) is inserted to a center hole (f) bored at the center of the bolt (a) in the longitudinal direction thereof and the bolt (a) is heated by the bolt heater (d), the bolt (a) thermally expands in the axial direction by a length (1) as shown in FIG. 6. Thereby, the nut (b) can be rotated easily and be loosened.
In this case, it is only necessary to heat a parallel portion (e) of the bolt (a), and it is preferable to avoid heating the screw portions of the bolt and nut to the extent possible.
In fastening the bolt, the bolt (a) is similarly heated up to thermally expand in the axial direction thereof. When the bolt (a) is expanded, the nut (b) is rotated in the direction of fastening the bolt (a). Then the bolt (a) is cooled down to obtain a predetermined fastening force.
Conventionally, a bolt heater constituted by a resistance wire heating element is inserted into center holes of bolts for lateral joint faces or the like of a steam turbine casing for use on land or aboard ship, in order to fasten or loosen the bolts.
Referring now to FIG. 4, one example of a prior art heater constituted by a resistance wire will be explained. In the figure, resistance wire heating elements 21 are embedded in a heat resistant insulator 22. A jacket 23 is made of a heat resistant metal such as SUS. A handle 27 is attached to a terminal box 24. Terminals 25 and 25' connect the resistance wire heating elements 21 with a cable 26. The reference numerals 28 and 28' indicate cross sections of an object to be heated such as a bolt.
In FIG. 4, when power is supplied by connecting the cable 26 to a power supply which is not shown, the resistance wire heating elements 21 generate heat and the jacket 23 is heated up through the intermediary of the heat resistant insulator 22.
However, because the resistance wire heating elements 21 are embedded in the heat resistance insulator 22 within a narrow stainless tube in the conventional bolt heater shown in FIG. 4, a quantity of heat input is limited, and because the heating is carried out indirectly, it is inefficient. Due to that, it takes a long time to fasten or loosen the bolts and has been a bottleneck in the assembly process for a turbine. Further, because it takes a long time for heating, and the resistance wire heating element 21 is exposed in a high temperature state for a long time, it is deteriorated appreciably.
In addition, because the nut portion and flanges of the casing are also heated up and thermally expanded due to the long heating, an error is brought about in a necessary elongation length of the bolt, thereby complicating its management.
Because the temperature does not rise quickly, not only are a number of heaters required (also for bolts whose length differ), but also there is a danger that an operator may touch the hot nuts and casing flanges.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to eliminate the aforementioned problems by providing a high frequency bolt heater which can heat up the inside of a narrow hole much faster than the prior art bolt heater using the resistance wire heating element.
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