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1. Field of the Invention
The technical scope of the invention is that of devices enabling a projectile fuse to be programmed.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fuse is an electronic or electromechanical device that enables the ignition of the projectile's explosive load to be activated.
Fuses may be of the time or proximate type or else may control the functioning upon impact on a target. They are sometimes multi-mode and in this case enable the projectile to be doted with functioning upon impact or time functioning, according to the user's choice.
Multi-mode or time fuses must be programmed before firing. Such programming is, for example, the selection of the functioning mode (multi-mode fuse) and/or the time between firing and detonation (timing information).
Today, such fuse programming is made more often than not by induction using programming coils.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,733 discloses an induction coil to program medium caliber projectile fuse during the rotation of the projectile in the feed star of a weapon.
This device comprises two coils: one coil to detect an approaching projectile and one coil to program the fuse. When a projectile is detected by the first coil, the second coil is activated and emits the programming signal for the fuse.
Such a device thus implements a single programming coil which has a profile selected such that part of the coil is always facing the fuse during part of the forward movement of the projectile in the weapon's feed corridor.
Such a solution is, however, extremely disadvantageous from the industrial point of view, since the energy level implemented by this single coil leads to control electronics being designed that are oversized with respect to needs. Such electronics are not highly compatible with the power networks available in the turret of a weapon system.
Furthermore, the electromagnetic losses in the weapon structure and the induced radiation are very high.
Because of integration constraints it may be necessary to ensure the programming of the fuse during a phase in which the projectile is translating along its axis. Such a displacement occurs in particular when the projectile is being introduced into the weapon chamber.
The device proposed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,733 is not adapted to the programming of a fuse having such a translational movement. Indeed, in the structure described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,733, the path followed by the projectile carrying the fuse is circular and the fuse is thus always facing the programming coil during this path with optimal coil/fuse coupling since the fuse's receiver coil is substantially facing the median zone of the programming coil where the flux is at its highest.
If such a coil is positioned in the arc of a circle along part of a rectilinear corridor, coupling is acceptable but because of the translational movement of the projectile, the projectile rapidly moves away from this coil.
The implementation of U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,733 would thus require coils of substantial size to be made that cover the length of the corridor. Such coils would consume a lot of energy. It would then be necessary for several coils to be arranged in the arc of a circle (analogous to those described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,733) and parallel to one another for the fuse to be constantly facing one of these coils as it translates in front of the coils.
However, this solution presents other problems.
Firstly, such coils are complicated in structure. The winding of flat wires and the assembly of ferrites tightly encircled by the loops is difficult to produce.
Then, the coils arranged side by side leave zones between the coils in which the magnetic field is reduced, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the programming and the energizing of the fuse.
Lastly, the energy needed to simultaneously power all the coils is substantial, once again leading to the definition of oversized control electronics with respect to the need. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink tank holding member that holds an ink tank used for an ink jet recording apparatus. The invention also relates to an ink jet cartridge having such holding member provided therefor, which discharges ink for recording as well.
2. Related Background Art
FIG. 7 is a perspective view which illustrates an ink jet cartridge used for the conventional ink jet recording apparatus generally in use.
In FIG. 7 a reference numeral 1 designates an ink discharge unit provided with a plurality of ink discharge ports 14 for discharging ink, and 2, an ink discharge unit holding member that holds the ink discharge unit. When the ink discharge unit holding member 2 is coupled with the ink tank holding member (ink tank holder) 3 that holds an ink tank, ink in the ink tank installed inside the ink tank holder 3 is supplied to the ink discharge unit 1 held by the ink discharge unit holding member 2.
The ink tank installed on the ink tank holder is detachably mountable on the ink tank holder, and depending on the kind of an ink jet recording apparatus, there is the one having a plurality of ink tanks mounted on one ink jet cartridge. Then, the structure is arranged to make the ink jet cartridge detachably mountable on the recording apparatus in consideration of the case where recording head units should be replaced for the recording apparatus for some reasons.
In recent years, when recording is performed by use of an ink jet recording apparatus, there is often encountered the case where a single recording apparatus should operate for a number of different uses, such as, recording mainly characters to produce a business document or recording photographic images, among some others.
For such a recording apparatus, ink of different kinds are used depending on the intended way of uses. Then, ink jet cartridges each with the ink tank that contains ink should be replaced in some cases to make each of them optimally usable for the purpose.
Here, it is desirable to configure the outer shape the same for each of the ink jet cartridges which is optimized for the respective usages in order to simplify the mechanism of the installation unit for the ink jet cartridge of a recording apparatus. On the other hand, however, the shape should be made different for each of the ink tanks to be housed by the respective cartridges because of the amount of ink to be used, respectively, for the cartridge that mounts a plurality of ink tanks in particular.
As a cartridge of the kind, the inventors hereof have produced the cartridges shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B which serves as the background art for the present invention, respectively.
FIG. 6A shows a regular ink jet cartridge 12 which is used for printing usual documents and graphics, and which is used for forming images by ink of four colors using a pigment black ink tank 4, a dyestuff cyan ink tank 5, a dyestuff magenta ink tank 6, and a dyestuff yellow ink tank 7. As the pigment black ink tank 4 is often used for printing usual characters, its size is made larger than the other color ink tank so as to contain ink in a large amount. FIG. 6B shows a photo-ink jet cartridge 13 which is mainly used for highly precise printing such as to produce photographic images, and which is used for the formation of images by ink of four colors using a dyestuff black ink tank 8, a dyestuff cyan ink tank 9, a dyestuff magenta ink tank 10, and a dyestuff yellow ink tank 7. The dyestuff black ink tank 8 is not often used for printing characters. Therefore, the size of ink tank used for it here is the same as the usual size adopted for the other ink tanks.
In FIGS. 6A and 6B, the size of ink tank is made different is only for the pigment black ink tank 4 and the dyestuff black in k tank 8. Therefore, with a space for the pigment black in tank 4 is made available for the ink tank holder 3, th dyestuff black ink tank 8 is readily mountable on such space with excessive spaces on both side thereof, because it is smaller than the other. In this way, the ink discharge unit 1, the holding member 2, and the ink tank holder 3 can be shared by the regular ink jet cartridge 12 and the photo-ink jet cartridge 13 for use, although the kinds of ink tanks are different, hence making it possible to attempt common use of parts, and manufacturing process as well.
Nevertheless, in accordance with the aforesaid background art, the gap should be made on either side of the dyestuff black ink tank 8 for the photo-ink jet cartridge 13, which makes it difficult to position the ink tank 8. There is particularly a tendency that it is inclined sideways. Here, for the connection of ink flow paths of the ink tank 8 and the ink tank holder 3, it is arrange to press an ink absorbent provided for the ink tank 8, and the mesh filter provided for the ink tank holder 3 side to be in contact with each other. However, if the ink tank is inclined, a problem is encountered that the reliability of the connected portion of the ink tank becomes unfavorable. Also, the shape of the dyestuff black ink tank 8 is different from that of the pigment black ink tank 4, but there is still a possibility that these tanks are inserted erroneously. Particularly when the pigment black ink tank 4 should be inserted erroneously into the photo-ink jet cartridge 13, there is a fear that the original performance of the photo-ink jet cartridge 13 cannot be regained even if it is replaced with the dyestuff black ink tank 8 again as intended, because the properties of ink materials thereof are largely different.
The present invention is designed in consideration of the problems discussed above. It is an object of the invention to provide an ink tank holding member capable of enhancing the reliability of ink connecting portions by stabilizing the installing positions of ink tanks with a simple structure, as well as capable of preventing the erroneous insertion of ink tanks that may cause the degradation of the performance, and also to provide an ink jet cartridge provided with such ink tank holding member.
In order to achieve the objectives described above, the ink tank holding member of the invention for holding ink tanks containing ink is made freely attachable and detachable, at the same time, having ink lead-out members for leading out ink from ink supply ports provided for the ink tanks. For this ink tank holding member, gap complementary members are made mountable to complement the difference in shapes of ink tanks to be installed on the holding member.
With the structure thus arranged, it becomes possible to use the ink tank holding member for each of the cartridges commonly, hence attempting the common use of parts, as the same time, preventing effectively the ink tanks from being inclined by the provision of the gap complementary members. As a result, the reliability of ink supply portion is enhanced, and also, the degradation of performance that may be caused by erroneous insertion of ink tanks can be prevented.
Particularly, with the provision of plural coupling holes for the holding member to hold the ink tanks, and the gap complementary members configured to be symmetrical to the line that connects the plural coupling holes, it becomes possible to prevent the ink tanks from being inclined more effectively.
Also, the gap complementary members are provided with coupling nails, and at the same time, the holding member is provided with coupling holes corresponding to these coupling nails to make it possible, as an advantage, among others, to effectuate assembling easily by use of an automatic system, as well as to make adjustment thereof with ease.
Also, an ink jet cartridge of the present invention is provided with the aforesaid ink tank holding member, and arranged to receive ink from the ink lead-out members of the ink tank holding member, at the same time, having ink discharge ports for discharge ink. | {
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1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a front end water box with an automatic on-line rubber ball cleaning function in a condenser, which is particularly applicable to a tubular condenser of a 2-pass water cooled chiller, and at the same time applicable to a 2-pass tubular flooded evaporator thereof as well as a 2-pass water cooled tubular heat exchanger with cooling water through tube pass at a temperature not exceeding 80° C.
2. Related Art
Existing automatic on-line rubber ball cleaning devices in a condenser of a water cooled chiller are categorized into the following two types. One type is an independent cleaning system device, which is connected to the inlet and outlet of the condenser through pipelines. A ball sending device sends rubber balls into the inlet pipeline of cooling water. The rubber balls flow into the condenser with the cooling water, flow out of the outlet of cooling water after cleaning, flow into a ball capturing device, and then enter the ball sending device again. Such a cleaning device has the following defects: 1. the cleaning device needs on-site installation and construction, which requires a high work load, so that the cleaning device is unable to be delivered with the chiller; 2. as it is required to send balls at a high speed, great dynamic power is configured for sending the balls, for example, a water pump, an air compressor, or a water flow with a large pressure difference is needed. The other type is to set four-way flow reversing devices at the inlet and outlet of the condenser, and cleaning elements are installed inside the heat exchange tube of the condenser. Inner walls of the heat exchange tubes are cleaned through the reciprocating movement of the cleaning elements as the flow direction changes. Referring to Chinese Patent Publication No. CN101451297A, such an automatic cleaning device through flow direction changes has the following two defects: 1. during the direction change, high temperature water enters the condenser, instantaneously a great change occurs to the condensing temperature of refrigerant inside the condenser of a chiller, and instantaneous efficiency of the chiller is greatly fluctuated, posing great impact to the operation of the chiller and even causing side effects such as surges in the chiller; 2, as the water flow speed in each heat exchange tube is different due to distribution of the water flow field on the tube plate of the condenser, after operation for a period of time, some cleaning elements are stuck in blocking elements and cannot make reciprocating cleaning movement. | {
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The function of a 3D graphics processing pipeline for a computer is to represent a 3-dimensional scene on a 2-dimensional computer display screen. In order to change view-point within the 3-dimensional scene, the graphics processing pipeline must redraw the scene according to the new view-point; this can affect perspective, lighting, reflections, the obscuring or revealing of objects and so forth. This requires a large amount of calculation.
Consider the polygon shown in FIG. 1a. The symbols a, b, c, and d represent the vertices of the polygon. The characteristics of each vertex include such information as its position in 3-dimensional space (x, y, z Cartesian co-ordinates), its color, its transparency, and its texture.
When drawing a scene, the 3D graphics processor works with flat surfaces. The most complex surface that is guaranteed to be flat is a triangle. Therefore, part of the process of displaying the polygon abcd involves tessellating it into triangles. This process is shown in FIG. 1b. The polygon abcd is now represented by the two triangles abc and adc. For more complex shapes, tessellation can lead to the introduction of new vertices, as shown in the tessellation of FIG. 1c.
The task of drawing the polygon is now replaced by the task of drawing the two triangles abc and adc. One way of representing the task to the 3D graphics pipeline is to produce a sequence of triplets representing the vertices to be drawn: abcadc. Each identifier a, b, c, and d must uniquely define a particular vertex within a scene, but a vertex can be shared with several triangles. In addition, the identifier allows the characteristics of the vertex (the position, color, transparency, etc.) to be retrieved from storage elsewhere in the system.
Part of the functions performed by a 3D-graphics processor are shown in FIG. 2. The sequence of triplets is passed to data producer 20. Producer 20 is responsible for translating a vertex identifier “a” into the vertex characteristics “A”. “a” represents a relatively small data item (for example, an 8-bit value) while “A” represents a number of relatively large data items (for example, 16, 32-bit values). The translation process is costly in terms of time and occupied system resources; for example, it might require a number of memory accesses and data conversion operations.
The vertex characteristics “A” are processed by a processor and the processed vertex “A″” is passed to the consumer (the next stage in the pipeline). The processing performed by the processor is costly in terms of time.
The vertices “a” and “c” are each processed twice for polygon abcd—once for triangle abc and once for triangle acd. The result of processing a given vertex is identical, irrespective of the triangle it is being processed for. It wastes resources to translate the vertex identifier and process the vertex multiple times, so performance would be improved by maintaining a cache of transformed vertices.
The rate at which producer 20, processor 21 and consumer 22 handle data is different and may vary on a triangle-by-triangle or vertex-by-vertex basis. With the system shown in FIG. 2, the slowest unit determines the rate at any time, and faster units are stalled. This is an inefficient use of resources.
One way to more efficiently utilize the resources of a 3D-graphics pipeline is by using the cache as shown in FIG. 3. Producer 30 translates a vertex identifier “a” and writes the translated vertex data “A” to data FIFO 31. Data FIFO 31 is a first in first out queue. Data is sent from producer 30 to data FIFO 31 where processor 32 can access it when ready. When producer 30 translates a vertex faster than processor 32 processes a vertex, multiple data units can be stored in data FIFO 31. Similarly, when processor 32 begins to processes data units at a faster rate than producer 30 translates vertices, processor 32, rather than stalling immediately, continues to read translated vertices from data FIFO 31 until it is empty.
Processor 32 maintains a cache tag storage 36 with tags containing the minimum amount of information A′, B′, C′, D′ required to uniquely identify a data unit incoming to processor 32, i.e. data A, B, C, D. The minimum amount of information required to uniquely identify a data unit that is stored in cache tag storage 36 can be the data unit itself, a shortened form of the data unit, or an identifier derived from the data unit. For each element A′, B′, C′, D′ of tag storage, there is a corresponding element of processed data A″, B″, C″, D″ stored in cache data storage 37. Thus, cache data storage 37 contains processed data A″, B″, C″, D″ corresponding to input data A, B, C, D previously processed by processor 32. The tags A′, B′, C′, D′ must be stored as well as the data A″, B″, C″, D″, so that the tags can be compared to the incoming data units before they are processed so the processor 32 can determine if there is cached data A″, B″, C″, D″ corresponding to incoming data A, B, C, D. When processor 32 removes a data unit from data FIFO 31, it checks to see whether the data unit has a corresponding tag A′, B′, C′, D′ currently in cache tag storage 36. If there is no corresponding tag in cache data storage 36, that is, processor 32 gets a cache “miss,” processor 32 stores a tag for the incoming data unit from FIFO 31 in cache tag storage 36 by using a currently unused storage location or reallocating a location that currently holds an old tag in cache tag storage 36. Processor 32 also processes the incoming data unit and stores the newly processed data unit as cache data in the corresponding location in cache data storage 37. The processed data is also passed through multiplexor 33 under control of processor 32 to a FIFO 34 for processed data and from there to a data consumer 35. If processor 32 finds a cache tag in tag storage 36, that is, it gets a cache “hit,” then processor 32 operates multiplexor 33 and cache data storage 37 so that the cache data, corresponding to the cache tag for which there was a “hit,” is passed through FIFO 34 to consumer 35. Consumer 35 can then take each processed data unit from data FIFO 34 in the correct order. For a 3D graphics processing pipeline, processor 32 might transform vertex data “A” according to the point of view for which the scene is to be rendered and according to the way in which the scene is lit to produce processed data A″.
There are, however, still some problems with the method discussed above. While a cache “hit” saves the latency associated with processor 32 having to reprocess previously processed data, it does not save the time taken by producer 30 to generate the stream ABCD from incoming data stream abcd or the time taken by processor 32 to check for cache hits and misses. In addition, the values A′B′C′D′ are likely to be larger than abcd requiring greater storage capacity in cache tag storage 36.
Thus, there exists a desire and need for a system and method for more efficiently performing cache functions. | {
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In recent years, functional proteins and functional peptides have gained attention as materials for pharmaceutical products, food and beverage products, and cosmetic products. In particular, collagen, which has effects of alleviating symptoms associated with bone and joint disorders, effects of making the skin beautiful, effects of osteogenesis, and other effects, as well as collagen peptide, which is a degradation product thereof, have been noted as representative examples of such functional proteins or functional peptides. Major raw materials for collagen or collagen peptide are, for example, the skin, the bones, and the tendons of fish, cows, pigs, and chicken, and jellyfish is one such raw materials. A method comprising subjecting a jellyfish to a treatment process, such as freezing, thawing, low temperature storage, and agitation so as to efficiently recover undenatured collagen from such jellyfish has been proposed (e.g., Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).
The recent jellyfish outbreaks in coastal areas of Japan are serious social problems and have caused tremendous damage to the fishery industry. In addition, the removal and disposal of jellyfish gathered around the water intakes of factories and power generation plants are cost-consuming. Accordingly, it is desirable that jellyfish be effectively used as a collagen raw material as described above. To date, a major type of jellyfish used as a collagen raw material has been Aurelia aurita because of its small size and liquescent properties, but a jellyfish that is large and has large water-insoluble protein content, such as Rhopilema esculenta, has not yet been effectively used.
In general, water-insoluble proteins are solubilized and the molecular weight thereof is reduced via heating treatment, acid or alkali treatment, treatment with a protease, or other means. However, some proteins that have been subjected to heating treatment may become thermally denatured, disadvantageously. When acid or alkali treatment is employed, amino acid may become destroyed, and disposal after the treatment is also cost-consuming and laborious. In addition, protease treatment requires adequate determination and regulation of temperature and pH level, so as to provide optimal conditions for an enzyme to be used. When an enzyme remains in the treated product, inactivation and removal of such enzyme become necessary.
A method of protein hydrolysis involving the use of a solid acid catalyst is known (Patent Document 3), and such method has been employed for the production of jellyfish collagen peptide (Patent Document 4). In these examples, however, soluble proteins are targeted, and water-insoluble proteins are not subjected to solubilization or molecular weight reduction.
Meanwhile, a technique for degrading a lignocellulose constituted by cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin has been studied as a means for effective use of ligneous biomass resources, although such technique suffers from similar problems as those occurring in the case of the water-insoluble proteins described above. For example, acid saccharification and enzymatic saccharification are techniques available for lignocellulose degradation. Acid saccharification, which involves the use of sulfuric acid, is advantageous in terms of high reaction speed; however, this technique is problematic in terms of hyperdegradation of a certain product (a monosaccharide), and waste acid solution disposal is problematic in terms of environmental burdens. While enzymatic saccharification involving the use of a cellulase enzyme is advantageous in that it imposes lighter environmental burdens, cellulose has a water-insoluble, strong crystalline structure in which β-glucose molecules are polymerized via a 1,4-glucoside bond and the resulting polymers are bound to each other via a hydrogen bond. Thus, the contact area between such cellulose and cellulase enzyme is small, and the reaction speed is low, disadvantageously. | {
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This invention relates to a process and apparatus for treating workpieces with a treating medium in the vapour phase. The invention, in one embodiment, is more specifically directed toward a process and apparatus for treating workpieces in a subatmospheric environment with a treating medium in the vapour phase. Preferably, the treating medium is in an unsaturated vapour phase. In another embodiment, the invention is more specifically directed toward a process and apparatus for treating workpieces with a treating medium in an unsaturated vapour phase.
The invention is particularly useful in the soldering of components to printed circuit boards and more specifically to reflowing pre-deposited solder cream to solder the components to the boards, and the invention will be described in connection with this usage. However the invention may also be used in connection with other applications such as, for example, the curing of thick film materials; the curing of epoxies; the melting of preforms; or the cleaning of printed circuit boards with solvents.
Reflow soldering has become an important way of soldering leadless, surface mounted components to printed circuit boards. Reflow soldering refers to the process of remelting solder cream deposited on the circuit board in order to achieve the solder connection between the metal traces of the printed circuit board and the leadless components which have been placed on top of the solder cream. The heat required to remelt the solder cream can be applied in various ways. One of the preferred ways is by vapour phase treatment of the printed circuit boards. In vapour phase treatment, the heat is provided by the latent heat of condensation given off by a vapour as it condenses. The vapour is formed by boiling a stable, generally inert liquid such as one of the fluorinated liquids. Examples of such liquids are perfluorotrianylamine (known under the tradename "FC-70" and sold by 3M) or perfluoropolyether (known under the tradename "Galden" and sold by Montedison/Montefluos. The liquid is boiled in a sump at the bottom of a treatment tank. The vapour produced by boiling the liquid has a clearly defined temperature which must be higher than the melting temperature of the solder. The vapour collects in the tank over the boiling liquid and the printed circuit board is passed into the tank, through the vapour, and out of the tank by suitable conveyor means. The temperature difference between the board which is usually at room temperature, and the vapour, which is at the boiling point of the liquid, causes the vapour to condense on the board, giving up heat as it does so which melts the solder. The heating of the solder is uniform and quick, usually taking between fifteen and forty-five seconds. The soldering process employing the vapour is called vapour phase soldering.
The liquids employed to provide the vapours are generally inert so as not to react with the materials in and on the circuit boards. They have a high enough boiling point to melt most solders used in the electronics industry. They are generally safe to work with and are stable. They are also expensive.
Processes at present used in vapour phase soldering are costly because some of the liquid used to produce the vapour is always being lost and must be replaced. Some of the liquid is lost through accidental spills, and by being captured in filters used on the apparatus. Some liquid is also lost by being carried out of the apparatus by the conveyor and the workpieces such as circuit boards. Most of the vapour that condenses on the circuit boards, and on the conveyor, drains off within the apparatus but some residue liquid remains on the circuit boards and the conveyor and is carried out of the apparatus. It is known to upwardly incline the conveyor toward the exit of the treatment tank to facilitate draining of the liquid. However the problem of losing liquid by the residue liquid being carried out of the apparatus on the circuit boards and conveyor remains.
Liquid is also lost from known apparatus by evaporation. As the liquid boils, the molecules gain kinetic energy and may escape from the liquid. These molecules may then escape from the tank through entrance and exit openings in the tank. The loss of liquid in this manner can be considerable. To try to prevent this loss, apparatus has been designed to provide a substantial distance between the surface of the boiling liquid and the entrance and exit openings. However, such apparatus is quite large. Apparatus has also been designed to employ condensing means within or adjacent the entrance and exit openings to cool and condense the escaping molecules and return them to the liquid. The condensing means are however expensive. Apparatus has also been designed to employ a less costly secondary liquid to produce a lighter, secondary vapour that overlies the primary vapour, blanketing it to prevent loss by evaporation. The use of a secondary vapour reduces the loss of the primary vapour. However the secondary vapour loss is still substantial. In addition, because the primary liquid has a higher boiling point than the secondary liquid, the secondary liquid tends to decompose at the interface between the liquids producing chemically active products which attack the printed circuit boards and also producing toxic products.
Liquid is also lost from known apparatus through aerosol formation. Some of the vapour condenses onto dust particles or ions within the treatment tank. These particles are not affected by any condensation means employed by the apparatus and can be carried out by the apparatus through the exit opening by convection currents. The convection currents can be formed by temperature differences, and aided by mechanical movement of the circuit boards and conveyor.
Another problem associated with known processes in vapour phase soldering is the time required for the actual soldering within the apparatus. The longer the soldering time required, the thicker the formation of the intermetallic layer in the solder joint, and therefore the weaker the joint. It is therefore desirable to keep the intermetallic layer as thin as possible, particularly when forming small solder joints, by speeding up the soldering process. This can be accomplished by using liquids with higher boiling points. However such liquids are more expensive making the operation more costly.
A further problem with known processes is the formation of hot spots on the heating surface used to boil the liquid. The localized hot spots can be caused by using improperly sized heaters or more commonly, by flux residues falling off the circuit boards and onto the heater surface and carbonizing. The hot spots can cause overheating of the liquid causing it to decompose and break down into chemically active and toxic products. Specific heating means for boiling the liquid have been designed to try to avoid the hot spot problem. While successful, they add further to the cost of the machines. | {
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I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an array type connector and, more specifically, to a board to board array type connector that connects a lower PCB and a upper board, the structure and fastening method is simple, the pins on he connector have evenly stress for better connectivity, the pins also have very good shield effect of electro-magnetic interference (EMI).
II. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, it is known that the fastening structure of an array type connector, as shown in FIG. 3 is an example, a microprocessor (a) connects to a lower PCB (c) through an array type connector (b); the fastening method is to have a heat sink (d) stick to top of the microprocessor (c), then have four screws (e) pass through heat sink (d) and array type connector (b) and fasten with the fastening board (f) beneath the lower PCB (c).
Based on above known structure, this method needs four screws (e) to lock, the process is tedious and consumes manpower, when the locking strength of four screws are different, the pressure on different area of the connector (b) will be different, such might causes bad connection condition or even causes twist on the surface of lower PCB that further introduces circuitry and component damage and/or short situation. | {
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The invention is related to methods and apparatus for separating a fluid into components, and for washing or deglycerolizing a material. The invention is particularly useful for separating whole blood into components and for washing or deglycerolizing separated red blood cells.
Most existing devices for separating a fluid into components utilize a centrifuge to separate heavier components from lighter ones. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,645 to Shiraki et al., the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes a blood separation method utilizing a centrifuge. In this system, whole blood is collected in a flexible bag, and the bag is then subjected to a centrifuging operation that causes the heavier blood components (such as red blood cells) to settle at the bottom of the bag. After centrifuging, the lighter blood components, such as plasma and platelets, are drawn off the top of the bag and conducted to a separate container, and the heavier components are left behind in the bag.
Existing systems for separating components of whole blood require multiple separate centrifuging steps. Typically, whole blood in a first container is inserted in a centrifuge and separated into red blood cells and platelet rich plasma in a first centrifuging operation. The centrifuge is then stopped, the first container is removed from the centrifuge, and the platelet rich plasma is separated from the red blood cells and placed in a second container. The second container, and the platelet rich plasma, are then placed in the centrifuge and subjected to a second centrifuging operation that separates the platelets from platelet poor plasma. The centrifuge is again stopped, the second container is removed from the centrifuge, and the platelet poor plasma is separated from the platelets and placed in a third container. These existing methods of separating whole blood are labor intensive and time consuming. As a result, the separation procedures are relatively expensive to perform.
It is also desirable to wash separated red blood cells to fully remove plasma and platelets prior to storage of the red blood cells. Washed red blood cells can be stored at refrigeration temperatures for much longer periods of time than un-washed red blood cells. Unfortunately, the cost of performing a washing procedure using conventional apparatus is relatively high. As a result, washing of red blood cells is not typically performed.
In addition, in a similar procedure, thawed red blood cells that have been stored in a cryoprotective glycerol solution must be washed to remove the glycerol prior to transfusing the red blood cells into a subject. The cost of performing the deglycerolization procedure is an obstacle to use of thawed red blood cells.
In one type of red blood cell washing/deglycerolizing device, a wash solution is introduced into a container holding the red blood cells, and the solution is mixed with the red blood cells to accomplish washing. The container is then subjected to a centrifuging operation to cause the red blood cells to collect on the bottom of the container. The used wash/deglycerolization solution is drawn off the top of the container, leaving washed/deglycerolized red blood cells on the bottom of the container.
Other washing/deglycerolizing devices user a cylindrical chamber that is rotated to force washed red blood cells against the exterior walls of the cylindrical chamber. The wash/deglycerolization solution can then be drained from the cylinder along the axis of rotation. Such red blood cell washing devices incorporate rotating seals that permit introduction and removal of the wash solution. As a result, such systems are relatively complex and expensive, and can be costly to operate because the rotating seals must be replaced after each use.
Another type of red blood cell washing device under investigation utilizes cross-flow filtration. These devices, however, are even more expensive to operate than the centrifuging apparatus described above. | {
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An organic LED (Light Emitting Diode) element has been widely used for displays, backlights, lighting applications, and the like.
A common organic LED element has a first electrode (anode) placed on a substrate, a second electrode (cathode) and an organic layer placed between the electrodes. When a voltage is applied between the electrodes, holes and electrons are injected from respective electrodes to the organic layer. When the holes and the electrons are recombined in the organic layer, binding energy is generated and an organic light-emitting material in the organic layer is excited by the binding energy. Since light is emitted at the time when the excited light-emitting material is returned to a ground state, a light emitting (LED) element is obtained by utilizing the light emission.
Usually, for the first electrode, i.e., anode, a transparent thin film such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is used and, for the second electrode, i.e., cathode, a metal thin film such as aluminum or silver is used.
Recently, it has been proposed to place a resin-made light scattering layer having scattering materials between an ITO electrode and a substrate (for example, Patent Document 1). In such a constitution, since a part of emitted light generated in the organic layer is scattered by the scattering materials in the light scattering layer, a quantity of light confined in the ITO electrode and substrate (a quantity of totally reflected light) decreases and thus a light extraction efficiency of the organic LED element can be enhanced. | {
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During the drilling, testing, and completion of oil and gas wells numerous downhole tools are used that utilize radially protruding members (blades) that contact the well bore wall to center, position, stabilize, and/or steer the tool in the well bore. For example, in directional drilling applications, which are commonly used to more fully exploit hydrocarbon reservoirs, drill assemblies are typically utilized that include a plurality of independently operable blades to apply force on the well bore wall during drilling to maintain the drill bit along a prescribed path and to alter the drilling direction. Such blades are typically disposed on the outer periphery of the drilling assembly body or on a non-rotating sleeve disposed around a rotating drive shaft. One or more of the blades may be moved in a radial direction, e.g., using electrical or hydraulic devices, to apply force on the well bore wall in order to steer the drill bit outward from the central axis of the well bore.
Prior art downhole tools, such as the Autotrak® steering tool (available from Baker Hughes Incorporated, Houston, Tex.), typically utilize blades that are coupled to the tool body at a hinge. Alternatively, such as in the steering tool disclosed by Webster (U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,386), the blades are not directly coupled to the tool body, but rather to one or more actuators that are in turn mounted on the tool body.
Downhole tools that include blades typically are further capable of retracting the members inward towards the tool body. Such retraction may be required, for example, at the end of an operation, such as a drilling or survey operation, to allow the tool to be withdrawn from the well bore without becoming lodged therein or damaging the blades. One drawback with the above described prior art downhole tools, is that they tend to require complex mechanical and/or pneumatic/hydraulic devices for extending and retracting the blades. Such mechanisms for extending and retracting typically have a number of interoperable moving parts, whose complexity tends to inherently reduce the reliability of the downhole tool. Moreover, such mechanisms are not always suitable for smaller diameter tools.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,232 to Moody et al., which is commonly assigned with the present application and is hereinafter referred to as the Moody patent, discloses a downhole steering tool including one or more elastically spring biased blades. The blades each include a moveable end that is free to move relative to the tool body and that may be extended outwards from the tool via an actuation module. Upon de-actuation, the elastically spring biased blades retract. The blades also include a fixed end, which is mechanically connected to or integral with the tool body. While the use of such elastically spring biased blades may be serviceable for some applications, there is room for yet further improvement. For example, such blades may be prone to lateral translation or tilting in response to stress build-up in the blade.
Therefore, there exists a need for downhole steering tools including an improved mechanism for extending and retracting the blades, in particular one that is suitable for small diameter tools. The also exists a need for improved blade controllability and stability for such tools. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The use of free-standing potty chairs by young children is well known. Potty chairs provide a portable, and conveniently-sized toilet means for young children, and serve as preparatory appartuses in teaching young children to use conventional toilets.
Another device used in the teaching process is a toilet trainer which is designed to be supportably positioned on top of and cooperate with the water closet and/or seat of a conventional toilet. Such toilet trainers are provided with seats having apertures small enough to prevent young children from slipping through. Additionally, toilet trainers are available which include a step and, in some devices, hand grips to help young children position themselves on top of the toilet trainer seat.
Free-standing potty chairs and toilet trainers are most generally available as separate units. As a result, parents have incurred the expense and inconvenience of having both types of devices on hand. In the past, unitary, convertible potty chair and toilet trainer devices which have been made available have proven to be inadequate primarily from a stability and ease-of-use standpoint. Specifically, such convertible devices have not provided for a toilet trainer arrangement wherein the training device, when positioned upon the water closet and/or seat of a conventional toilet, is adequately stabilized on and about the water closet and/or seat. Additionally, known convertible devices have failed to provide a step means for children to use when positioning themselves upon a toilet trainer seat that is resting on top of the water closet and/or seat of a conventional toilet. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention is related to the field of data storage systems.
Data storage systems may utilize a file-based representation of block-oriented storage objects that are exposed to external users, such as host computers accessing the data storage system via a network. For example, a logical unit of storage or LUN is a block-oriented storage object visible as a block-oriented storage device to a host computer. Internally, however, the storage system may map the LUN into a file of an internal file system, and then manage access and other aspects of the LUN by corresponding operations on the mapped file. This organization can help enhance efficiency of processing storage operations. Additionally, in current systems employing virtual computing technology, units of virtualized storage for virtual machines may be represented as files of a distributed file system used by a host computer and one or more network-attached storage (NAS) systems. Within a host, accessing a virtualized storage unit requires a mapping to a file of the distributed file system, and within the storage system the file is mapped to underlying physical storage that contains the data of the virtualized storage unit. This mapping may be a multi-level mapping that may include use of a separate internal file system. Both the distributed file system and the internal file system may be described as “hosting” the virtualized storage units. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Cetyl myristoleate (CMO) is the common name for hexadecyl cis-9-myristoleate. CMO is the ester of cis-9-tetradecenoic acid (myristoleic acid) and 1-hexadecanol (cetyl alcohol). Cetyl myristoleate is well known for its anti arthritis properties. Hexadecyl cis-9-tetradecenoate was found only in very selective number of species of animals including cows, whales, beavers and mice. Cetyl myristoleate was isolated from mice in 1972 by Harry W. Diehl, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health (Diehl H W, May E L. J Pharm Sci 1994; 83:296-9). Cetyl myristoleate has been used for immunizing against inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis in mammals (Diehl, U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,824, Levin, WO 01/41783), treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (Diehl, U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,881) and osteoarthritis (Diehl, U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,676). Vegetable butter-based cetyl myristoleate was also used for treating osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal disease conditions and injuries (Leonard, US 20030181521). Nutraceuticals containing CMO are widely used for reducing pain inflammation, and with the exception of a report suggesting a positive clinical effect of cerasomol-CMO in patients with fibromyalgia (Edwards A M. J. Nutr. Environ. Med. 2001; 11:105-11). As Swiss Albino Mice is the only natural source for CMO, Kenneth et al, synthesized pure hexadecyl cis-9-tetradecenoate by esterifying cis-9-tetradecenoic acid (purchased from commercial source) with 1-hexadecanol by chemically and confirmed its anti arthritic properties in a collagen-induced arthritis model in DBA/1 Lac J mice (Kenneth W. Hunter, Jr., Ruth A. Gault, Jeffrey S. Stehouwer, Suk-Wah Tam-Chang. Pharmacological Research 2003; 47:43-47). cis-9-Myristoleic acid is naturally available as a mixture of fatty acids along with other fatty acids in beef tallow fat with cis-9-myristoleic acid content of 8% (Lord G, WO 00/64436) and seed fat of Pycnanthus Komb with 20-30% of cis-9-myristoleic acid (Leonard, US 20030181521). Literature search revealed that there is no synthetic route reported for the preparation of cis-9-myristoleic acid. Since the natural availability of cis-9-myristoleic acid is scarce, the present invention reported synthetic route for the first time from methyl oleate. As it is difficult to isolate pure oleic acid from any vegetable oil source, the present invention reported the synthesis of a new isomer cis-10-myristoleic acid for the first time from commercially available raw material namely, undecenoic acid. Cetyl myristoleate was then prepared by transesterifying both methyl cis-10-myristoleate and cis-9-myristoleate separately with cetyl alcohol and evaluated for anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritis activity. The anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritis properties of the new isomer i.e. cetyl cis-10-myristoleate was compared with that of known CMO containing cis-9-myristoleic acid prepared as described above.
The first step of the synthetic route is preparation of cis-9-myristoleic acid from oleic acid. Oleic acid is not available in pure form, and has to be prepared from oleic acid-rich oils like olive oil by employing methodologies like urea adducts or fractional distillation. As the isolation of pure oleic acid from natural sources is very expensive, the cost of cetyl myristoleate based on cis-9 myristoleic acid will also be very high. Hence, there is a need for the identification of an alternate source of myristoleic acid for the preparation of CMO. Surprisingly, not much work was reported in this direction either for the chemical synthesis of cis-9 myristoleic acid or any other alternate raw material for the preparation of CMO. Keeping these points in view, the present invention explored the possibility of synthesis of alternative isomers of myristoleic acid, for the preparation of cetyl myristoleate. An attractive substrate in this direction is 10-undecenoic acid for the preparation of cis-10 myristoleic acid. 10-Undecenoic acid is a pyrolysis product of castor oil fatty acid methyl esters (methyl ricinoleate) and is commercially available in bulk in pure form. In the present invention, both the isomers of methyl esters of cis-9 and cis-10 myristoleic acids (3 and 7) were prepared from oleic and undecenoic acid methyl esters and further transesterified with cetyl alcohol to obtain hexadecyl cis-9-tetradecenoate, 4 and hexadecyl cis-10-tetradecenoate, 8. Both hexadecyl cis-9-tetradecenoate, 4 and hexadecyl cis-10-tetradecenoate, 8 were evaluated for anti-arthritis properties and found that hexadecyl cis-10-tetradecenoate, 8 is comparable with that of hexadecyl cis-9-tetradecenoate, 4 in inhibiting inflammation and effective in adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Hand-held power tools are widely used both in industries and at homes. Commonly known hand-held power tools include chain saws, hedge trimmers, drills (e.g., electric or pneumatic), power wrench (e.g., electric or pneumatic), saws and the like.
Such hand-held power tools are usually quite heavy and typically comprise a handle for holding the power tool at an operating level which is above the ground. When a power tool is held in a normal operating which is above the ground, a power coupled movable part, for example, a cutting blade or a drill bit, will protrude away from a user for engaging with an object distal from a user. The vertical operating levels of a power tool can vary significantly according to specific or instantaneous modes of applications. For example, a power tool may need to be held near the ground level or to be held well above the head of a user for overhead applications, for example, for trimming tall trees or for drilling holes on high walls.
A power tool is usually quite heavy and is usually ergonomically designed for use at a particular operation level above the ground level. A user always finds it very uncomfortable, and sometimes even awkward, to use a power tool at an operating level away from the operating level for which the power tool is ergonomically designed. Typically, such a level is usually very high or very low relative to the height of a user. The discomfort would become especially apparent and unbearable when a user has to operate the power tool for a more extended period of time, for example, for more than 20-30 minutes or even hours. Therefore, it will be highly desirable if there can be provided power tools which would mitigate the discomfort due to conventional designs of power tools as mentioned above. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to an arrangement for arresting and releasing an intermediate buffer coupling, especially for rail vehicles. More particularly, it relates to an arrangement for arresting and releasing of an intermediate buffer coupling in which a guide is provided at a rear end of a coupling rod. The guide follows horizontal swinging movements of this rod and cooperates with parts mounted on the vehicle, via a roller.
Arrangements for arresting and releasing an intermediate buffer coupling, of the above-mentioned general type are known in the art. In a known arrangement, a guide formed as a cylindrical surface is connected with a coupling rod of an intermediate buffer coupling for joint rotation therewith, the cylindrical surface having an arresting recess. A housing which is held on the vehicle, has a pressure spring cooperating with a slide displaceably mounted in this housing and movable parallel by means of a rod. This slide carries a roller at its front end, the roller cooperating with the arresting recess of the cylindrical surface of the coupling rod in the sense of central arresting of the intermediate buffer coupling (Austrian Pat. No. 307,492). The slide and its guide require, for satisfactorily performing their functions, high structural expenditures and special maintenance. In addition to this, the given central arresting, in the case of movement of a second coupled vehicle, must be completely overcome, which leads to an increased wear of the arrangement and undesirably affects driving characteristics of the vehicle, for example, in that the rim pressure is increased. | {
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U.S. Pat. No. 5,840,002 discloses a bag having gusseted side panels defined by longitudinal folds and a longitudinal center gusset fold. A scoring apparatus is disclosed to create the longitudinal folds. Diagonal fold lines create a flat bottom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,550 discloses a scoring apparatus for folding a gusseted bag. The bag has folded corner tucks that are unfolded when the bag is expanded. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an anti-tamper system, i.e. a system that makes it difficult for a hacker to modify a piece of software. The system employs a unique automated analysis in order to achieve a system of high performance and security with little user configuration or intervention
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of computer software applications is ubiquitous in modern life. They can provide fun and enjoyment to those using them, and can automate complicated procedures allowing us to do things we could not otherwise do. They can enable communication, and can aid in the dissemination and visualisation of complex information. In all of these capacities, good software is a valuable commodity for which consumers are willing to pay.
In turn, the burgeoning software industry has invested, and continues to invest, heavily in the development of such products to meet this market demand.
To protect this investment, developers and publishers insert protections into the software to ensure that only authorised persons are able to use it and that others cannot gain a competitive advantage by analysing it to obtain secrets, or by modifying it to change its behaviour.
However, there are a number of individuals (hackers) who are skilful at reverse-engineering and modifying such software. Their goals are to circumvent the inserted protections in order to, for example, remove “trial” limitations, access secret cryptographic information, and cheat in online competitions. These “hacked” versions are then distributed, usually on the internet, to potentially many thousands of users, with obvious impact on the revenues of software companies.
It is the goal of an “anti-tamper” system to prevent or at least make it very difficult for hackers to modify a piece of protected commercial software.
The methods employed by anti-tamper systems broadly fall into two main areas.
First, the code can be obfuscated. An obvious precursor to modifying a piece of software is understanding how it works—sometimes to a limited extent. A number of patents describe methods to obfuscate application code, in order to make this process of understanding difficult. It is important to note that the obfuscated code may be run in its obfuscated state or it may have to be de-obfuscated before being run, as is the case when code encryption is used. Both cases have the problem that, if a hacker can understand the obfuscation process, the protection is rendered ineffective. Determining the difficulty that the hacker has, and hence the strength of the protection system, is not easy.
The second method, and the one used in the present invention, is to verify that the application has not been tampered with, where tampering includes code and/or data modifications, changes to the execution environment, or any other measure which ultimately changes the behavior of the application. We call these points of verification ‘integrity checks’.
For example, during its normal running, an application might check the integrity of its own code. A particular area of the application code might use a check summing algorithm to verify that another (target) area of code has not been modified. Through extrapolation of such a checking approach, an interconnected web of checks (a topology) can be constructed. The intention being that any modification to the application code will be detected and defensive action can be taken. These code integrity checks can be injected into an existing program either manually or automatically.
Chris Crawford released a paper into the public domain that described using checksums to empower a self-checking system to prevent hacking. He had previously employed this system in 1990 to protect Patton Strikes Back, and may have used earlier to protect Trust and Betrayal in 1988. Although the original paper is difficult to find, Crawford describes the self-checking system used in Patton Strikes Back in his 2003 book, “Chris Crawford on Game Design”, which makes explicit mention of checks which check each other to form a large “web of checks”, a core concept used by all self-checking protection systems since then. Crawford also describes the use of variance to disguise checks and any responses.
There have been a number of published variants of this basic approach.
Another form of integrity check involves using techniques which can reveal the presence of debugging/hacking tools, or even frustrate their use such that a hacker cannot easily deploy such tools against a protected program. This type of integrity check is typically called an anti-debug measure. These can also be injected into an existing program either manually or automatically.
There are significant problems in such approaches which we address with our approach by the introduction of a new paradigm and technology.
Since the integrity checking is being performed at run-time, there are possible performance penalties for the protected application: checks run at an inappropriate time can lead to a poor user experience. To minimise this risk, developers tend to add a small number of such checks. In turn, this leads to less protective strength; it is easier for hackers to discover, understand, and remove all the checks. Furthermore, no code self-checking scheme devised so far addresses the problem of when checks are performed compared to when the checked code is executed. If this is left to chance, it may be extremely easy for a hacker to modify the code he/she desires, have it execute, and then return it to its original state.
Balancing the related aspects of number of checks, their runtime performance, and the resulting protection strength is therefore key to a successful application of an integrity verifying protection scheme particularly if little user intervention is required. Furthermore, it is essential that the scheme take into account the runtime sequence of application code execution. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Technical Field: Multi-fold doors for enclosed railcars.
The transportation of trucks, buses, large tractors and other large mobile freight by rail has created a demand for enclosed super size railcars, as most existing railcars do not have the appropriate internal dimensions to accommodate such large freight or are otherwise not able to enclose such freight. An enclosed railcar is preferred for transport because it minimizes exposure to the elements, vandalism and other general damage to the freight. Large enclosed railcars are presently used to transport automobiles and light trucks, several of which may be “stacked” vertically in the same multi-level railcar. The art discloses numerous ways of accomplishing the stacking of vehicles in a railcar by incorporating multiple decks, creating numerous levels so that the vehicles occupy space along the entire height of the car. The presence of intermediate decks in such large railcars, commonly called auto racks, obstructs the vertical height and horizontal width of the railcar interior so that individual, larger dimensioned vehicles, such as semi truck tractors, cannot fit or otherwise take advantage of these larger cars. Single level superstructure construction has been hindered by the need for alternate structural support, previously provided by intermediate decks or levels stabilizing the railcar to sufficiently sustain the bending load.
Construction of single level enclosed superstructure railcars has included manufacturing the entire railcar from scratch or alternatively converting an existing multi level super size railcar or other railcar by retrofitting it with a single level superstructure or shell, resulting in increased usable vertical height compared to that of the pre conversion railcar. Such conversion has often been limited, however, to applications of superstructures to existing multi level railcars or to railcar superstructures having widths commensurate with the width of the pre-conversion railcar.
Manufacturing single level enclosed railcars, like manufacturing most railcars, is very expensive and can be cost prohibitive. Construction or modification of a railcar must meet industry standards which dictate exterior dimensions and clearance, including the external width of the railcar relative to the length. There is a need in the industry to be able to economically manufacture an enclosed single level superstructure railcar having substantial unobstructed internal dimensions, both vertically and horizontally, while retaining structural stability. | {
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Various methods, and filtration installations that operate according to those methods, are known for filtering liquid products, such as drinks, including beer.
A known way to filter drinks is the conventional precoat filtration method. In this method, the unfiltrate comprises the product to be filtered and a filtration aid. The filter structure consists essentially of a filter sheet formed by the filtration aid or of a filter cake.
Another known method involves filtering with a membrane filter structure. This method requires no filtration aid. Such membrane filtration systems or filtration installations offer fundamental advantages including ease of automation, as a result of its underlying simplicity, low operation costs, provided the product or filtration material is easily filterable, the ability to filter in continuous mode, powder-free and dust-free operation, arising from avoidance of filtration aids such as kieselguhr, polymer filtration aids, etc., and avoiding the need for filter sludge disposal.
Membrane filtration systems/installations also have disadvantages, including high investment costs, lengthy regeneration times for the filtration installation concerned, inability to adapt to fluctuating unfiltrate qualities, because there is no filtration aid to proportion, relatively high operating costs if the product has poor filterability, and poor plant availability if frequent regeneration of the filter structure or filter elements and their membranes is necessary.
It is also often the case that filtration using membrane filter structures or membrane filters is not economical if, because of the unfiltrate quality, the permeability of the filter structure rapidly decreases as the membranes become clogged with unfiltrate residues or with lees. In these cases, at least backwashing with product, filtrate, or water will be necessary. This entails a loss of time and product. It is also frequently unsuccessful. As a result, the entire filtration installation must be shut down and regenerated with a cleaning or flushing agent.
A further disadvantage is that the physical and chemical strain on the filter elements and/or on their membranes during the regeneration process is many times greater than it is during the filtration process. During actual filtration, the filter elements and their membranes are exposed only to minimal strain. This is because the filtration material flows slowly. The opposite is true during regeneration. Consequently the service life of the filter elements is determined not by the number of production hours but primarily by the number of regeneration cycles. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Social networking is a concept that an individual's personal network of friends, family colleagues, coworkers, and the subsequent connections within those networks, can be utilized to find more relevant connections for dating, job networking, service referrals, activity partners, and the like.
A social network typically comprises a person's set of direct and indirect personal relationships. Direct personal relationships usually include relationships with family members, friends, colleagues, coworkers, and other people with which the person has had some form of direct contact, such as contact in person, by telephone, by email, by instant message, by letter, and the like. These direct personal relationships are sometimes referred to as first-degree relationships. First-degree relationships can have varying degrees of closeness, trust, and other characteristics. These relationships can also be unidirectional or bidirectional. A unidirectional relationship typically means that a first person is willing and able to interact with a second person, but the second person may not be willing or able to interact with the first person. Conversely, a bidirectional relationship typically means that both people are willing and able to interact with each other.
Indirect personal relationships typically include relationships through first-degree relationships to people with whom a person has not had some form of direct contact. For example, a friend of a friend represents an indirect personal relationship. A more extended, indirect relationship might be a friend of a friend of a friend. These indirect relationships are sometimes characterized by a degree of separation between the people. For instance, a friend of a friend can be characterized as a second-degree relationship.
The above personal relationships, and others, can be utilized to find and develop relevant connections for a variety of objectives. Finding and developing relevant connections can be accelerated with online services. Such online social networking can be used to mine personal and/or interest relationships in a way that is often more difficult and/or time-consuming to do offline. Thus, it is with respect to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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With the proliferation of voice input devices, such as vehicle-mounted hands-free phones or mobile phones, that can be used in various environments, voice communication and voice recognition have come to be conducted more than ever before in noisy environments inside vehicles or in outdoor locations. In such noisy environments, the intelligibility of the speaker's voice being heard at the remote end or the accuracy of voice recognition may drop because of background noise, such as noise from running vehicles, that is gathered by a microphone together with the speaker's voice. To address this, voice processing techniques are used which analyze the frequency of the captured voice signal, estimate the noise components contained in the voice signal, and eliminate or reduce the noise components contained in the voice signal. According to such voice processing techniques, the voice signal is divided into overlapping frames and, after multiplying each frame by a windowing function such as a Hanning window, an orthogonal transform is applied to the frame to obtain the frequency spectrum. Then, by applying signal processing such as noise elimination to the frequency spectrum, a corrected frequency spectrum is obtained. Subsequently, an inverse orthogonal transform is applied to the corrected frequency spectrum to obtain a frame-by-frame corrected voice signal and, by sequentially adding up the frames of the thus corrected voice signals in overlapping fashion, a final corrected voice signal is obtained.
However, in the case of the corrected voice signal obtained by applying an inverse orthogonal transform to the corrected frequency spectrum obtained as a result of the frame-by-frame signal processing, the signal value may not be zero at the frame end, and the corrected voice signal may be discontinuous when the successive frames are added up. If this happens, periodic noise proportional to the frame length will be superimposed on the corrected voice signal. This can result in a degradation of voice communication quality or a degradation of the accuracy of voice recognition. To address this problem, a technique in which, each time the amount of overlap between successive frames is increased, the degree of similarity between the signal subjected to filtering and an arbitrary signal is computed, and the amount of overlap is set based on the degree of similarity has been proposed (for example, refer to Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2013-117639). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field
This document relates to methods and materials involved in detecting neurochemical signals, electrophysiological signals, ions, or combinations thereof within brain tissue. For example, the document relates to methods and materials for using probes to detect neurochemical signals (e.g., neurotransmitter concentrations), electrical signals, ions, or combinations thereof during deep brain stimulation or during physiologic activity.
2. Background Information
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery is a state-of-the-art neurosurgical intervention procedure currently used to treat single or multiple disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD), tremor, dystonia, depression, and chronic pain. Although this procedure has gained rapid popularity for tremor and related dysfunctions and its remarkable therapeutic efficacy, the precise mechanism of action remains unknown. Several theories have been proposed to account for the therapeutic action of DBS, some of which are based on the stimulation evoked release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, glutamate, GABA, and adenosine from proximal and distal brain nuclei. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hydrophobicizing, water-redispersible additive based on fatty acids and their derivatives and, where appropriate, organosilicon compounds, to a process for their preparation, and to their use.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lime- or cement-bound construction materials, such as renders, trowelling compounds and construction adhesives need protection from the effects of weathering. Rain or snow causes wetting throughout the construction materials, for example the external render, as a result of capillary action, and this can lead to irreversible damage to the building. Hydrophobicization of the construction materials is a familiar and longstanding method of preventing this.
DE-A 2341085, EP-A 342609 and EP-A 717016 disclose that fatty acid esters may be added as hydrophobicizing agents to lime- or cement-bound renders. A frequent disadvantage here is specifically the hydrophobicizing character of these additives. If dry renders in which these hydrophobicizing agents are present are mixed with water the result is then poor wetting of the materials, and therefore markedly impaired processability.
Water-redispersible powders based on homo- or copolymers of ethylenically unsaturated monomers are used in the construction sector as binders, in combination with hydraulically setting binders, such as cement. By way of example, these are used in construction adhesives, renders, mortars, and paints to improve mechanical strength and adhesion. WO-A 95/20627, WO-A 02/31036 and DE-A 10233933 disclose that additives with hydrophobicizing action, such as organosilicon compounds and fatty acid esters, may be used as a constituent of redispersion powders in dry mortars. The problems of poor wettability and processability are thus circumvented. However, the hydrophobicizing effect is dependent on the proportion of the hydrophobicizing agent in the redispersion powder and cannot therefore be varied as desired.
EP-A 1193287 recommends powder compositions with at least one fatty acid ester for hydrophobicizing construction material compositions. To this end, the fatty acid ester is applied as described immediately above as a constituent of a redispersible polymer powder, with precisely the disadvantages described. Another embodiment proposes using the hydrophobicizing agent as dry substance, applied to an inert, inorganic carrier material, such as silica. A disadvantage here is that an inert substance is therefore introduced into the construction material composition, and this can have an adverse effect on its mechanical strength. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of an electrochemical system comprising a solid polymer electrolyte or comprising a gelled electrolyte.
Electrochemical systems for energy storage, for example batteries or supercapacitors, which operate with high cell voltages, require electrolytes which have a broad stability range. Such electrolytes are obtained by dissolution of one or more ionic compounds in a polar liquid solvent, a solvating polymer, or their mixtures. Electrochemical systems in which the electrolyte comprises a lithium salt and a polymer solvent of the polyether type are particularly advantageous. Such systems, which operate by circulation of lithium ions through an electrolyte between an anode and a cathode, can be composed of two electrodes in the form of films between which the electrolyte, also in the film form, is confined, the multilayer assembly thus formed being rolled up. However, the preparation of such a device presents problems. First, the lithium salts are generally hygroscopic and the preparation of the polyether material/lithium salt has to be carried out in an anhydrous atmosphere. Secondly, a polyether is a weakly crystalline polymer which, blended with a lithium salt, forms a complex constituting a sticky material. For this reason, it is difficult to prepare a polyether material/lithium salt film by extrusion. To overcome this disadvantage, the proposal has been made to use backing films in order to prevent the polyether/lithium salt film from sticking to itself. However, when it is desired to remove the backing film, the strong adhesion between the backing film and the electrolytic film causes splits which render the electrolyte unusable. | {
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A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains or may contain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device, and more particularly to a gaming device with a bonus round, wherein the gaming device randomly generates the outcome each time the player enters the bonus round.
Gaming machines currently exist with bonus schemes in which a player has one or more opportunities to choose masked bonus awards from a group of symbols arranged in a pattern and displayed to the player. When the player chooses a masked symbol from the pattern, the bonus scheme removes the mask and either displays a bonus value or a bonus round terminator, which terminates the bonus round. The controller of the gaming machine randomly places a predetermined number of bonus rounds awards and bonus terminators in the pattern at the beginning of the bonus round and maintains the positioning until the bonus round terminates. The outcome depends upon whether the player selects an award or terminator.
European Patent Application No. EP 0 945 837 A2 which is assigned on its face to WMS Gaming, Inc. discloses a bonus scheme of this type. In this type of scheme, each time the player enters the bonus round, the player has the same diminishing chance to select an award instead of a terminator. For example, the WMS Gaming, Inc. application discloses a bonus scheme that has 30 possible selections, 24 bonus awards and 6 bonus round terminators. Each time the player enters the bonus round, the player has a 100% chance of having a first pick, an 80% chance of having a second pick, a 63% chance of having a third pick, a 50% chance of having a fourth pick and so on. On average, this bonus round will continue for four selections.
It is desirable to provide players with new bonus schemes that have multiple layers, multiple variables, and multiple schemes that determine the player""s success in a bonus round. In a bonus round having multiple layers or schemes, it is desirable to have a method or tool whereby the gaming device or controller randomly determines the bonus outcome, as opposed to or in addition to the player determining the outcome. One useful aspect of such a method is to have an instantaneous random outcome, rather than requiring time consuming player interface. Another such aspect is to add a layer of random generation to the one that the player creates when the player randomly selects one of a plurality of masked symbols. That is, upon the player""s random selection of a symbol, the game randomly generates an outcome. The outcome is not predetermined.
It is also desirable to create a random generation scheme in which an implementor predetermines the probability of an outcome. For example, an implementor may desire that there be two possible outcomes for a particular selection, X and Y. The implementor may also desire that there exist a probability that the game will award either X or Y. For example, the implementor may desire there to be a 40% chance that the game selects the outcome X and a 60% chance that the game selects the outcome Y. It is desirable to have a method which enables the game to choose one of a plurality of outcomes based upon a set of predetermined probabilities.
The present invention provides a gaming device having a bonus scheme or method for randomly generating a bonus round outcome. It should be appreciated that the method of the present invention can be employed as a component of a multi-layered bonus scheme or method, in a bonus game within a master game having a plurality of bonus games, or in any combination thereof.
The present invention contains a plurality of awards each having a value associated therewith, a plurality of activators associated therewith, a plurality of deactivators associated therewith, and a set of indicators associated therewith from which the activators and deactivators are chosen. The activators, deactivators and indicators are preferably numbers. The controller of the gaming device randomly selects one of the indicators. If the plurality of activators includes the selected indicator, the player receives the value of an award. Conversely, if the plurality of deactivators includes the selected indicator, the player does not receive the value of an award. If the plurality of activators or deactivators is sequential or a range, e.g. 1 through 5, the plurality of activators and deactivators can include a selected integer, for example 3, or a non-integer, for example 3.5.
The implementor of the gaming device may predetermine the activators and deactivators or may add another layer of random generation, wherein the present invention randomly selects the activators and deactivators from the set of indicators. In either case, the implementor can set the probability of success for each award to be any probability, 0 through 100%.
If the activators and deactivators are randomly selected and not predetermined, the method randomly selects them by first maintaining or storing a predetermined activation probability and deactivation probability for or associated with each award. Second, the present invention also maintains the indicator set described above. When the time comes for randomly generating the activators and deactivators for an award, the controller of the present invention recalls the stored probabilities and indicator set from memory. The controller then uses the recalled items in a mathematical equation to determine the number of activators and the number of deactivators. That is, the controller multiplies the probabilities by the number of indicators and determines a number of activators and deactivators.
Knowing the number of activators and deactivators, the present invention randomly selects the respective plurality of activators and deactivators from the indicator set. At this point the present invention proceeds in the same manner as before, wherein the activators and deactivators are predetermined. That is, the gaming device randomly selects an indicator and determines the player""s outcome by identifying whether the plurality of activators or the plurality of deactivators contain the selected indicator. This embodiment contains two layers of random determination.
After selecting an indicator from the indicator set for each award, and determining, for each award, whether the player receives the award""s value, the gaming device employing the present method accrues all the rewards that the player receives to form a total value. The total value can be a multiplier, which the gaming device multiplies by the player""s bet, or a number of credits, which the gaming device adds to the player""s credit total. The present invention contemplates setting a threshold level that the total value must exceed before the bonus round can end, so that the player receives more than lower limit, for example, a 2xc3x97multiplier or 5 credits.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the gaming device contains a display showing a simulated slot machine and a number of coins. The number of coins equals the number of awards, and a number on each coin represents the value of the award. The indicators could be the set of numbers 0 though 9 for each award or coin. Upon a bonus round triggering event, the controller selects an indicator for each award. If the activators (predetermined or otherwise) include the indicator, the player receives the award displayed on the respective coin. Alternatively, If the deactivators (predetermined or otherwise) include the indicator, the player does not receive the award displayed on the respective coin. After selecting an indicator for and determining if the player receives the value of each coin, the gaming device displays the player""s total win or value for the round (sum of the coin values, which preferably are multipliers), the player""s bet (in credits) and the round""s total award (value times the bet equaling a number of credits).
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gaming device that has a method for randomly generating a bonus round outcome.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for randomly generating a bonus round outcome that enables the implementor of the gaming device to predetermine the probability that a player will achieve a particular bonus outcome.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes. | {
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The present invention relates to a hydraulic tree trimmer and more particularly to a high reach hydraulic tree trimmer which has dual self centering blades operated by a hydraulic cylinder.
There are several different types, designs, makes and manufacturers of hydraulic tree trimmers, clippers or shears. Generally each of the different types or design of trimmers, or shears have a specific purpose. Each of the different styles, designs or type have certain advantages or disadvantages depending on the particular application. One type may work there another Will not work.
There are several types of hand held trimmers and shears. These can range from small one hand operated shears to larger two hand operated trimmers. There are also hand operated power shears of several different designs. The hand held power operated trimmers and shears may be powered electrically, by gas engine, hydraulically (by hand operated pumps or external pumps controlled by the operator), or even pneumatically. Each type or design have certain advantages and disadvantages for specific purposes.
The blade designs of the shears and trimmers also have a number of different designs. There are blades which are long and narrow and some in a hook shaped design which operate in a scissors type action. This may include designs which have different type of actions. There are some designs having a single fixed blade and one pivotal blade, and there are designs in which the blades pivot independent of each other. There are curved blades, straight blades, rounded blades, serrated blades, single edge blades and double edge blades.
In addition to hand held trimmers and shears, there are larger varieties which attach to heavy equipment, such as bulldozers, tractors, high boys, or other self propelled vehicles. There are also all sizes in between. There are even designs which are suspended from a helicopter or crane which can operate under water.
The invention described herein relates to the heavy duty trimmers which can be mounted on a tractor, backhoe, high boy or the like. Although there are several designs known in the art, most are not designed to be readily attached and removed. Most are also designed for specific attachment to specific equipment and have limited application. It is also common that in these larger varieties the object being cut must be specifically located in respect to the blades or blade. If not located within the predefined area between the cutting surfaces, either the equipment will shift during the cutting action, the blades will not perform as designed or an equipment failure could occur.
As indicated above, there are designs having a fixed blade and a single pivoting blade and there are designs having dual pivotal blades. Some operate in a scissor type action and others operate in a specific action in accordance with the design. Each of these designs have specific means of operations, but most of the heavy duty types are hydraulically operated with a single or with multiple hydraulic cylinders.
There are heavy duty type of trimmers designed to cut trees at the trunk and are attached to the vehicle at a low level. Then there are other types that are attached to an arm, or the like, for cutting the tree at the trunk and trimming branches higher in the tree.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an Hydraulic Tree Trimmer that is adapted to provide for a tree trimmer which is easily attached to and removed from a Wide Variety of different vehicles. With the Hydraulic Tree Trimmer of this invention it has been found that it will mount easily to most tractors, if not all, and other vehicles that have some sort of lifting means and a hydraulic system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic tree trimmer that is constructed to provide a high reaching tree trimmer which can be used to cut, trim or prune branches and limbs from trees without the need of ladders, chainsaws, and climbing of the tree. The hydraulic tree trimmer of this invention is preferably mounted on a lifting means on a vehicle to provide for cutting at a range of cutting heights from the ground level to an elevated height, limited by the lifting means and means of attachment.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an hydraulic tree trimmer that is adapted to be self centering about the object to be cut. This feature eliminates the need for near perfect alignment of the blades with the object which is necessary to prevent damage or unneeded stresses on the equipment, thereby substantially reducing the time spent cutting trees or branches and reducing equipment failure and breakage.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic tree trimmer that can be used to cut trees at ground level, branches and limbs high in a tree or to cut brush, without the need to change any equipment.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic tree trimmer that is simple to construct, easy to operate and affordable to the persons needing such a tree trimmer. | {
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The present invention relates generally to folding bed frame structures and, more particularly, to folding bed frames of the type specially adapted for opening and folding articulation from and into the enclosure of a sofa frame or the like.
Convertible sofa beds having widely varying folding bed frame structures are in common use. Characteristically, the folding bed frames of such sofa beds are provided with a plurality of bed sections pivotally connected in end-to-end relation and operatively associated with a linkage arrangement for mounting within the rectangular enclosure of a sofa bed frame defined by its side frame members, which normally comprise the sofa armrests, its sofa back and a front rail, to be articulable between a folded or retracted condition stored within the sofa frame enclosure and a horizontally extended condition disposed and extending outwardly from the enclosure over and beyond the front rail of the sofa frame.
Over the years, substantial activity has been devoted to the improvement of folding bed frame structures of this type, generally toward the common objective of providing a simple linkage arrangement which is compactly foldable and which requires a minimal amount of space for articulating the bed sections into and out of the enclosure of the sofa frame. While contemporary sofa bed frame structures substantially satisfy these objectives, there remain certain disadvantages which are common to most conventional bed frame structures. One such disadvantage is the dangerous tendency of a sofa bed frame structure, when fully extended for sleeping, to tilt upwardly at its foot end section whenever the weight of a person or persons supported on the bed frame structure is concentrated at the opposite head end section, thereby posing a potential risk of injury. An additional disadvantage of conventional sofa bed frame structures is the provision of a transverse mattress support bar extending across the width of the intermediate primary load-bearing section of the structure. While such mattress support bar is generally considered necessary or desirable to provide load bearing support for the mattress, this bar in most conventional sofa bed frame structures is noticeably felt by users sleeping on the sofa bed in its extended position and thereby interferes with the comfortability of the sofa bed. | {
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The present invention relates to an improved method for cutting, and more particularly to the production of structures by laser cutting layers, or members of film or thin film structures.
Many different structures often require the use of a laser to cut through a membrane, layer, or film, to form a desired formation. One example field that requires the precision and other features of a laser for cutting and forming these formations is the field of microelectromechanical or microelectronic devices. Such devices often require cutting and transporting a delicate thin film structure from a source substrate to a new position on a target substrate. As such, a number of different procedures have been developed for cutting and transporting the thin film formations. For example, low tack adhesives or methods utilizing electrostatic forces have been developed to enable the formation and transportation of the thin film formations.
One known method for machining and attaching a thin film formation is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,514 to Cheung et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. The process of separating a thin film formation from the layer from which it has been cut, or from an adhesive transportation layer, can often deform, alter, stress, or destroy the thin film structure undesirably. Defects ranging from slight deformation or improper positioning, to major tears or structural deficiencies, can ultimately lead to the failure of the microelectromechanical device into which the thin film formations are placed.
The method of machining an attachment as described in the ""514 patent can be summarized as follows. A thin film is affixed to a low tack polymeric membrane. While positioned on the polymeric membrane, the thin film is machined to define a thin film structure. This thin film structure (or array of thin film structures) is then separated from the polymeric membrane in a mostly deformation-free state. In this manner, various target substrates, including glass, silicon, or printed circuit boards, can be equipped with mostly stress-free thin film structures suitable for use in a wide variety of microelectromechanical or microelectronic devices.
However, structures that are cut through the low tack polymeric membrane still have significant stresses induced by edge contamination resulting from the molten polymeric material, as well as from plastic deformations that arise during delamination of the low tack polymeric membrane from the thin film structure. In addition, a collection of dust results when the laser cuts through the low tack polymeric membrane. This laser cutting dust is a source of additional contamination for the thin film and the microelectromechanical device into which the thin film ultimately mounts. The collection of dust on the thin film can have adverse affects on the functionality of the microelectromechanical or microelectronic devices. Further, once the laser cuts the low tack polymeric membrane during the manufacture of the thin film formation, it is not possible to reuse the low tack polymeric membrane to cut additional thin film structures to form like formations. Reusability would promote reduced costs and improved efficiency.
There is a need in the art for an improved laser cutting method and corresponding apparatus, for manufacturing structures such as thin formations that require laser cutting precision. The present invention is directed toward further solutions to address this need.
In accordance with one example embodiment of the present invention, a method of cutting a member with a laser begins with the step of providing the member. A template is then provided, and adhered to the member. The laser then projects through the template, without intersecting with the template, to cut the member and manufacture the desired formation. The laser does not intersect with, and therefore does not cut, the template structure and cause excess laser cutting dust.
A member, according to one aspect of the present invention, can be in the form of a film having multiple layers. One layer can be a metal layer and another layer can be a polymer layer. For example, the metal layer can be formed of aluminum and the polymer layer can be formed of polyester.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the step of adhering the member to the template can include removably attaching the template having low tack properties to a surface of the member through compression.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the step of projecting the laser through the template includes directing the laser to pass through the template, without cutting the template, to cut through the member in a pattern corresponding to the template.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes the step of transferring the member formations to a removed location. The invention can further include the step of removing the template from the member in a manner such that the template is reusable.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, a method of cutting a member with a laser is provided. The method includes providing the member, a template, and a base. The member is sandwiched between the base and the template. A laser then projects through the template, without intersecting the template, to cut the member and form one or more member formations.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, an assemblage includes a member and a template removably adhering to the member. The template is suitable for accommodating a laser in cutting the member.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the member is a film. The film can be formed of multiple layers, such as a metal layer and a polymer layer. The metal layer can be aluminum and the polymer layer can be polyester.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the template can include a layer having a predefined cut out section suitable for accommodating the cutting of the member by the laser.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the template can have low tack properties and be removably attached to a surface of the member through compression. The template can further be reusable after being removed from the member. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing high purity silica powder which can be fused to form transparent, bubble-free particles. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of recovering such fusible high purity silica powder from an unsaturated solution of ammonium fluosilicate.
2. Description of Related Art
Silica powder typically is produced in a number of ways to serve a variety of purposes. For example, silica can be produced by hydrolysis of a silicon tetrahalide or other silicon-containing compounds, such as tetraethylorthosilicate. These methods typically are not completely satisfactory. Hydrolysis of silicon tetrachloride, for example, can require days to form a gel, while tetraethylorthosilicate is a very expensive raw material.
Silica products produced by these methods typically are suitable only for selected uses. As an example, silica made by ammoniation of ammonium fluosilicate, for example, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 1,903,187, is useful as adsorbent, but cannot readily be fused to form transparent, bubble-free particles suitable for use in encapsulation of electronic parts or other high-purity, high-density uses described below. According to this patent, ammonium fluosilicate produced during recovery of metals from silicates is ammoniated to produce silica acid precipitate.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,768,063 also discloses a method for producing silica by ammoniating ammonium fluosilicate solution. Ammonium fluosilicate solution which has been filtered to remove insoluble matter is introduced into an excess of aqueous ammonium solution and finely divided amorphous silica is precipitated. The silica is washed and utilized as the "frosting" for the inside of light bulbs. The patent indicates that the temperature of both solutions should be between about 25.degree. and 37.degree. C., and it is important to add the ammonium fluosilicate solution to the ammonium solution. Adding the ammonium solution into the ammonium fluosilicate solution is said to produce too much gel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,271,107 discloses a process for producing a silica used in pigments by reacting fluosilicic acid with ammonium hydroxide in two stages. Fluosilicic acid is a by product of, e.g., phosphoric acid manufacture, and is produced when silicon tetrafluoride liberated during concentration of phosphoric acid is absorbed in water. Other fluosilicic acid sources are known to those skilled in the art. In the first stage, a less-than-stoichiometric quantity of ammonium hydroxide is added to fluosilicic acid with high agitation to produce a slurry having a pH of between 6.0 and 8.0 containing minute silica particles. The unreacted fluosilicic acid in this slurry then is reacted with sufficient ammonium hydroxide to provide a final pH between about 8.3 and 9.0. Pigment quality silica precipitate then is separated from the slurry.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,021,194 discloses a process for producing ammonium bifluoride from fluosilicic acid and ammonium fluoride without undue loss of ammonia or fluorine. Concentrated fluosilicic acid is reacted with ammonium fluoride, or a mixture of ammonium fluoride and sodium or potassium fluoride, to produce aqueous ammonium acid fluoride (ammonium bifluoride) solution and solid alkali fluosilicate, including ammonium fluosilicate. After separating the solution from the solid alkali fluosilicates, solid ammonium bifluoride is recovered by evaporatively concentrating the solution. Alkali metal fluosilicates can be recovered and sold, or can be converted to alkali fluorides by reaction with additional ammonia. Ammonium fluoride is produced and hydrated silica is precipitated by this ammoniation. The silica is indicated for use as a filler, a flatting agent, or as an insecticide provided it contains some sodium fluoride.
Certain uses of silica require very high purity material. For example, silica used in the encapsulation or packaging of electronic computer chips must have extremely low levels of metal impurities. Typical of these uses is very large scale integrated (VLSI) microchip applications, where chip manufacturers require silica having extremely low concentrations of certain radioactive elements. For example, uranium and thorium concentrations must be on the order of less than 1 part per billion (ppb). The maximum acceptable level of ionic impurities, including cations such as boron, calcium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, nickel, vanadium, and zinc, and anions containing phosphorus and sulphur, is less than 10 parts per million (ppm), and often is below 1 part per million. The concentration of halogens also should be minimized to reduce chip corrosion and increase chip life.
Other uses for high purity silica material include precision laser optics, fiber optics, and advanced ceramics. These requirements now are satisfied predominantly by natural silica sources such as quartz. Although natural quartz is a crystalline form of silica, such quartz can be made amorphous by fusion techniques known to those skilled in the art. Thus, modified quartz, often called "fused quartz," suitably is used when amorphous silica is required. Unfortunately, prior art processes for recovering silica from contaminated fluosilicic acid starting materials, such as by-product fluosilicic acid recovered from phosphate rock acidulation, have not been satisfactory for producing a product satisfying these stringent purity requirements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,657, for example, discloses a process for producing a purified silica from impure fluosilicic acid which basically uses the procedure of the earlier U.S. Pat. No. 3,271,107. Fluosilicic acid is reacted in a first step with a less--than--stoichiometric quantity of ammonium hydroxide to convert some of the acid to ammonium fluoride and silica. The silica precipitate thus produced removes metal ion impurities, presumably at least in part by adsorption, from the residual fluosilicic acid solution. The silica precipitate is separated, and the remaining solution having a lower level of impurities then is reacted in a second stage with additional ammonium hydroxide to produce a purified silica precipitate. Optionally, the residual fluosilicic acid solution from the first precipitation stage may be treated with an ion exchange or chelating agent to purify the solution further prior to formation of the silica precipitate in the second precipitation stage.
A particular drawback of this procedure is that from 40 to 75 percent of the available silica in the fluosilicic acid is used as the vehicle for removing impurities. Thus, only 25 to 60 percent of the silica values of the fluosilicic acid actually can be recovered in a purified form. Moreover, there is a tacit admission that the two step process does not produce a satisfactory product since it is preferred to treat the solution from the first step process with an ion exchange or chelating agent prior to the second precipitation step.
European Patent Application 0,113,137 attempts to avoid the loss in yield of U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,657 by adding a chelating agent directly to the impure fluosilicate acid solution. Purportedly, the chelating agent improves the purity of the first silica precipitate by sequestering or chelating multivalent metal ions in the solution before ammoniation. Ion exchange also has been used for the same purpose. However, these techniques tend to introduce other impurities, such as alkali metal ions, into the precipitated silica. Additionally, these prior art purification processes rely upon cationic exchangers and metal chelating agents and thus cannot satisfactorily remove the phosphorus and sulphur impurities generally present as anionic species (SO.sub.4.sup.-2 and PO.sub.4.sup.-3) in the fluosilicic acid by-product solutions typically recovered from the acidulation of phosphate rock. Nor can anionic exchange agents be used because the anionic exchange agents significantly decrease the recovery of silica.
Silica produced in accordance with these methods is not satisfactory for use in producing high purity, transparent, bubble-free particles because the silica product contains too many impurities. With respect to silica produced by ammoniating ammonium fluosilicate, the subsequently fused particles are not transparent and bubble-free. Methods known in the art for producing fusible silica are complex and difficult to carry out. One alternative, natural quartz, is very expensive and reserves are limited. Further, natural quartz typically is not acceptable for high purity fused product unless it is purified.
Japanese Patent 85(60)/42218 teaches a method of producing high purity silica suitable for electronic uses, for use as a filter for plastic resin, for use in adhesives, and the like. An aqueous solution of an alkali silicate is ultrafiltered to remove colloidal-sized particles. The filtered solution then is purified first with an acidic cation exchange resin, and then with an OH-type anion exchange resin, to obtain a purified silica sol. The purified silica sol is contacted with a precipitant such as ammonium chloride, ammonium nitrate, or ammonium carbonate to cause silica to precipitate. Precipitated silica is collected, then heated.
Soviet Union Patent 776,994 discloses a method for producing transparent, bubble-free quartz glass. Carbon dioxide is bubbled through a sodium metasilicate solution. A precipitate is formed which is washed, and then treated in acid at 130.degree.-200.degree. C. for at least about four hours. Treated precipitate subsequently is filtered, washed, briquetted, fired, and ground. The ground particles are vibro-sorted to segregate a fraction having a density between 1.4 and 1.6 g/cm.sup.3, and then are fused to obtain quartz glass. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to manifold controls. More particularly, the invention relates to a manifold control assembly using valves to precisely control the fluid pressure of the fluid sent through the manifold.
2. Description of the Related Art
Manifolds have valves and other equipment mounted thereto which are used to control and move a plurality of parts or elements of a machine or apparatus. Fluid, such as compressed air, is gathered at a set pressure and sent through an inner channel in the manifold to various valve inlet ports where the compressed air can supply the mounted valves and equipment. Valves at each valve inlet port determine through which of the valve inlet ports the compressed air is to pass.
A mechanical regulator is typically used to regulate the pressure of the supplied compressed air as it is sent through the manifold. An example of a regulator in combination with a manifold is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,215 issued to Gonner on Mar. 4, 1980. The pressure regulator is connected between the inlet port and the manifold.
Two problems associated with using a mechanical regulator are both its size and its cost. A mechanical regulator requires a relatively large space to be precise. This proportional relationship places demands on space which is generally a commodity in the industrial settings. The precision mechanical regulator is also an expensive piece of equipment requiring additional assembly cost to the valve manifold. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method for controlling a print head operating according to the thermotransfer principle with a number of printing elements, of the type wherein an energy quantity is fed to a printing element in a feed step in order to transfer ink from an ink carrier device associated with the print head to a substrate associated with the ink carrier device to generate an image point of a barcode. The invention furthermore concerns a printer that is suitable for implementation of the inventive method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The machine-readability of barcodes, particularly two-dimensional barcodes, depends heavily on the print quality. This is particularly true for two-dimensional barcodes with very small module sizes. For example, for the franking imprints accepted by the Canadian Post a two-dimensional barcode is required that is composed of 48×48 modules (printed or non-printed rectangular fields) on an area of 1 inch×1 inch, such that an edge length of the respective module of approximately 0.5 mm results.
Basic criteria for the print quality (and therewith the machine-readability) of such a barcode are a uniform size of the modules in both directions and a uniform coverage over the area of the entire barcode.
In order to obtain a qualitatively high-grade barcode in such thermotransfer printers as they are known from DE 40 26 896 A1, for example, the respective printing elements of the print head must be supplied with a relatively precisely dosed energy amount for each image point to be printed in order to reliably melt the ink particles in the desired quantity to achieve the desired spatial expansion of the carrier material of the ink ribbon. Depending on the current temperature of the respective printing element, more or less energy must be supplied in order to achieve an optimal melting temperature.
Furthermore, from DE 10 2004 063 756 A1 it is known in connection with franking imprints to use different printing parameter sets for different regions of a franking imprint with different print image types (clear text/graphics, one-dimensional barcode, two-dimensional barcode) in order to satisfy the different requirements of these print image types.
As in the printer known from DE 40 26 896 A1, the calculation of the energy quantity to be introduced into the appertaining printing element for the respective image point to be printed is undertaken for the region of a barcode to be printed dependent on the total energy input into the printing element, this energy input occurring as a result of the heat conduction from adjacent printing elements that were previously activated for printing, as well as the residual energy that still exists due to previous printings by the current printing element.
A relatively precise control of the printing elements is thereby possible, but a disadvantage is that a relatively complicated calculation is required for each image point to be printed, which reduces the processing speed for a print image and thus the throughput, of the printer also is reduced. In known printers this can be counteracted by providing more processing capability, thus requiring a more complicated and more expensive processor. | {
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Fluorescent materials comprising silicate, phosphate, aluminate, or sulfide as a host material and containing a transition metal or rare earth metal as a luminescent center are widely known.
Meanwhile, white light-emitting diodes (white LEDs) that emit visible light when excited by a high-energy excitation source such as ultraviolet or blue light have attracted attention, and their development is underway.
However, the above-mentioned conventional fluorescent materials have a problem that their brightness decreases when they are exposed to the excitation source.
As fluorescent materials unsusceptible to decrease in brightness, nitride and oxynitride fluorescent materials, which have stable crystallographic structure and allow shifting the excitation or emission light toward the longer wavelength side, are receiving attention.
As a nitride or oxynitride fluorescent material, an α-Sialon doped with a specific rare earth element is known to have useful fluorescent property, hence its application to a white LED is being investigated (see Patent References 1 to 5 and Nonpatent Reference 1.)
In addition, Ca2(Si, Al)5N8, CaSiAlN3, and β-Sialon doped with a rare earth element, have been found to have similar fluorescent property (see Patent References 6 to 8 and Nonpatent References 2 and 3.)
Other fluorescent materials proposed include those that use nitrides or oxynitrides, such as aluminum nitride, magnesium silicon nitride, calcium silicon nitride, barium silicon nitride, gallium nitride, and zinc silicon nitride, as a host material.
A β-Sialon is a solid solution of β silicon nitride in which Si and N sites are substituted with Al and O dissolving in solid solution, respectively. Since there are two formula weight atoms in a unit cell, Si6-zAlzOzN8-z is used for a general formula of the β-Sialon. Composition Z in this formula falls within the 0 to 4.2 range, implying a wide solution range, whereas the (Si, Al)/(N, O) molar ratio must be maintained at 3/4. Consequently, silicon oxide and aluminum nitride, or aluminum oxide and aluminum nitride, are generally used, in addition to silicon nitride, as raw materials, and heated to obtain a β-Sialon.
When Eu ions are dissolved thoroughly into a β-Sialon crystal structure, they are excited by ultraviolet or blue light, and emits green or yellow light having wavelengths of 500 to 550 nm.
Unlike monochromatic light, white light of a white LED is produced based on multiple color combinations. As disclosed in Patent References 9 and 10, conventional white LEDs use combinations of an ultraviolet or blue LED and a fluorescent material that generates visible light using the light from that LED as an excitation source. Consequently, if the intensity of light emitted from the fluorescent material is low, that of the white light emitted from the LED also decreases.
Unlike colored light used for signal light or identification lamps, white light is generally used for illuminating objects. Consequently, when a white LED is used as a backlight of display device such a liquid crystal display device or various general illuminators for indoor and outdoor application, obtaining white light having sufficient intensity is essential.
Patent Reference 1: Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. JP2002-363554A
Patent Reference 2: Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. JP2003-336059A
Patent Reference 3: Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. JP2003-124527A
Patent Reference 4: Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. JP2003-206481A
Patent Reference 5: Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. JP2004-186278A
Patent Reference 6: Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. JP2004-244560A
Patent Reference 7: Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. JP2005-255895A
Nonpatent Reference 1: J. W. H. van Krebel, “On new rare earth doped M-Si—Al—O—N materials,” TU Eindhoven, The Netherlands, p. 145-161 (1998)
Nonpatent Reference 2: Extended Abstracts of the 65th Meeting, Japan Society of Applied Physics, (September 2004, Tohoku Gakuin University), No. 3, pp. 1282-1284
Nonpatent Reference 3: Extended Abstracts of the 52nd Meeting, Japan Society of Applied Physics and Related Societies, (March 2005, Saitama University) No. 3, p. 1615
Patent Reference 8: Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. JP2005-255895A
Patent Reference 9: Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. JP1993-152609A
Patent Reference 10: Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. JP1995-99345A
Patent Reference 11: Japanese Patent 2927279 | {
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This invention relates to programmable logic device integrated circuits (“PLDs”), and more particularly to circuitry on PLDs that is variable to facilitate connecting the PLD to various external signal sources.
PLDs are typically intended to be relatively general-purpose devices. The market for a PLD product tends to be larger if the number of different applications in which that product can be successfully employed is greater. A PLD typically interacts with other devices in a system. The wider the range of different signals the PLD can successfully accept from such other system components, the greater the range of possible uses of the PLD, and therefore the greater the potential market for the PLD. By “different signals” in the preceding sentence, it is meant that these different signals have different characteristics or specifications. Examples of such different characteristics are (1) a difference in ground voltage level between the signal source and the PLD, or (2) a difference in common mode voltage level between the signal source and the PLD. Such signals may be data signals (e.g., high-speed serial data signals) or clock signals. High-performance analog receiver or clock buffers on a PLD tend to be optimized to work for a small range of common mode voltages. This range may be limited due to concerns about oxide overstress or keeping transistors in the proper operating range. Again, because a PLD should preferably meet the needs of a wide-range customer base, it would be desirable to be able to either move the commode mode of the incoming signal at a point prior to the PLD's analog receiver or clock buffer, or to limit that incoming signal's output swing to not overstress the receiver or buffer. Among other possible features, the present invention may allow the PLD to change the corner frequency of input signal interface circuitry, for example, in a programmable manner (e.g., using programmable configuration random access memory (“CRAM”) bits on the PLD), or in a dynamic manner. This can help the PLD support different applications where the frequency of interest (i.e., of a received signal) is different. | {
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Mirrors for motor vehicles, especially outside mirrors, are continually incorporating more electronic components, which serve, for example, for the control of positioning motors, for control display devices, and for sensors and the like. DE 199 04 778 A1 discloses, for example, an outside mirror for commercial vehicles, which, during driving in a curve, automatically compensates its position, so that a dead angle in such cases is avoided. The associated electronic components for this action are enclosed within the mirror housing.
Since the outside mirror is exposed to wind and weather, it is especially vital that these electronic components be protected against dampness within the housing. Accordingly, the electronic components in question and their wiring are advantageously encapsulated in a waterproof material; i.e., they are placed in a hermetically sealed encasement. If the individual components of the mirror need to be examined for maintenance purposes, it becomes necessary to reset the electronic components and their wiring to certain operational positions or states of circuitry. For this purpose, it is necessary to access the electronic components, which, in the present example, can only be done with considerable disassembly and/or demounting operations.
Electronic control apparatuses have been offered, for instance, in anti-locking systems, which are placed in the engine compartment or motor space apart from the outside mirror. These apparatuses exhibit a diagnostic window with a magnetically sensitive circuit. If a magnet is introduced in this area, then a reset is activated. The area of the diagnostic window in which the magnet sensitive circuit is to be found is designated with the legend “RESET”. | {
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The invention relates to an upholstered seat insert for transportation seating that is resistant to cutting or damage from vandalism.
Seating used in public transportation vehicles can either be upholstered or unupholstered. Upholstered seating is more desirable, because it is generally considered to be more comfortable. Upholstered seating is usually padded with a foam padding and includes a fabric cover that gives the seat a warm, less slippery feel than a hard metal or fiberglass seating surface.
On the other hand, upholstered seats are susceptible to vandalism, which is a particularly significant factor in buses or transportation vehicles used for intra-city transportation. Padded seats formed of foam rubber or the like, which are covered by a fabric or simulated leather upholstery, are easily cut. Such cuts are readily visible and expose the interior portion of the seat for additional vandalism. Seats that have been vandalized in this manner have to be replaced at considerable expense.
A common construction for intra-city seating comprises a metal interior frame, a fiberglass or toher molded plastic shell mounted over the frame, and seat inserts mounted in recesses in the seat shell. Seat inserts also can fit on a seat structure and when so used are sometimes called seat "onserts". The term "seat inserts", as used herein, refers to both kinds of products. The seat inserts typically form the seat portion and back rest portion of the seat, with the shell forming the peripheral supports for the seat inserts. Typically, the shell forms a bench-type seat and seat inserts are located at each seating position. Seat inserts can be bolted or otherwise fastened to the shell.
The seat inserts typically are contoured to conform with the shape of a passenger seated on the seat. The seat inserts can be formed of fiberglass or other molded plastic, steel or other hard material. The insert can be unupholstered or can be covered with a simulated leather or woven cloth fabric. In the past, such constructions have been quite susceptible to vandalism by cutting or slashing.
Prior attempts have been made to develop vandal resistant upholstery. Attempts have been made to render padded upholstery vandal resistant by incorporating slash-resistant materials, such as metal fibers or a metal mesh into the covering material or into the upholstery padding. These have meet with less than satisfactory results.
As an alternative to a padded seat, upholstered seat inserts have been constructed without padding by fastening a conventional woven fabric directly to the hard substrate material by the use of a high strength adhesive. This structure provides some of the attributes of a traditionally upholstered seat, but the structure is not satisfactorily vandal resistant. Cuts by razor blades are visible, and this makes the threads of a woven fabric visible and accessible. Thus, the threads can be unravelled, and incisions can be opened. Further, the glue or adhesive must be applied lightly to one side of the fabric or it will "bleed" through the fabric to the exposed outer surface, changing the appearance and texture of the fabric. However, a less than thorough saturation of the fabric makes it possible to peel the fabric or at least some of the threads from the seat substrate.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved upholstered seat insert that camouflages cuts and slashes and is quite resistant to peeling or separation of the upholstery fabric from the substrate. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electronic package and more particularly to a chip package with multiple chips and a fabrication method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
As demand for electronic or optoelectronic products, such as digital cameras, camera phones, bar code readers, and monitors, increase, semiconductor technology for products made therefrom must develop rapidly, as product trends require miniaturization of the semiconductor chip size and increased and complex functionality of the semiconductor chip.
Therefore, more than one semiconductor chip is typically placed in a sealed package, due to performance demands, for operational stability. However, since more input/output conductive pads are required for multiple semiconductor chips compared to a single semiconductor chip, the semiconductor packaging process is made more difficult, thus reducing manufacturing yields.
Accordingly, there is a need to develop a novel package structure without the above problems. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible disposition apparatus, and more particularly to a convenient, portable, flexible disposition apparatus applied for charging electricity or expanding functions of an electronic product.
2. Description of the Related Art
With reference to FIG. 1 for a wireless network card disposition base as disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. No. M360391, the wireless network card disposition base 1 comprises a support portion 11 formed at the bottom of the disposition base 1 for supporting a wireless network card, an opening 11 formed on a side of the support portion 11 for passing a transmission line, a stop portion 12 extended from both sides of the disposition base 1 separately, and an attaching element 13 installed on another surface of the disposition base 1, wherein the attaching element 13 is a suction disk.
If a user wants to use the disposition base 1 to dispose the wireless network card, the attaching element 13 is provided for the user to fix the disposition base 1 to a better signal receiving position freely to achieve the effect of fixing the wireless network card at a better signal receiving position conveniently.
However, the disposition base 1 and the attaching element 13 are formed separately first, and then assembled and fixed with each other, and thus the overall manufacturing process is relatively complicated. Furthermore, the attaching element 13 may fall off easily, and the disposition base is in a form of fixed shape and size, such that it can fit objects with a specific shape or size only. In addition, the disposition base 1 generally comes with a design including two stop portions 12 extended from both sides of the disposition base 1 respectively for fixing the wireless network card without affecting its signal transmission, and an open space defined between the two stop portions 12, such that the wireless network card is not covered completely. When the wireless network card disposition base is installed to another electronic product, the electronic product installed at the open space 14 of the disposition base may be affected by external electromagnetic interferences easily, so that the normal operation of the electronic product may be affected. | {
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Input devices including proximity sensor devices (also commonly called touchpads or touch sensor devices) are widely used in a variety of electronic systems. A proximity sensor device typically includes a sensing region, often demarked by a surface, in which the proximity sensor device determines the presence, location and/or motion of one or more input objects. Proximity sensor devices may be used to provide interfaces for the electronic system. For example, proximity sensor devices are often used as input devices for larger computing systems (such as opaque touchpads integrated in, or peripheral to, notebook or desktop computers). Proximity sensor devices are also often used in smaller computing systems (such as touch/proximity screens integrated in cellular phones, tablet computers, wearable devices (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.) and other electronic systems). Such touch/proximity screen input devices are often superimposed upon or otherwise collocated with a display of the computing system. | {
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Conventionally, a flash memory is known for having a block that serves as a minimum unit of data erasure, and a plurality of such blocks are provided in one flash memory. Further, a control apparatus for controlling such flash memory performs, as a control of data reading/writing operation, data erasure in one block to use that block as a new data recording destination block for recording data, and copies, as required data, a part of data in a previous data recording destination block to a current destination block. Thereafter, upon having a new data writing request, data is written to the new data recording destination block of the flash memory.
Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-216293 (JP '293) discloses a technique that, if recording of data to the current destination block results in failure, the current destination block is considered as “broken”. In such technique, a block next to the current destination block is used as a new destination of data recording after data erasure, which then serves as the current destination block for subsequent data recording. Then, such technique copies a part of the data in the previous destination block to the current destination block as the required data, and avoids the use of the now “previous” destination block, which has already been determined as broken.
However, in the above-described technique of (JP '293), a broken block will not be detected until the data writing to a certain block results in failure. Therefore, the number of times data is copied from one block to the other is increased. For example, assume that a block A capable of recording about 1000 pieces of data has trouble and writing of the 100th data fails. In such a case, the block A of the flash memory will not be detected as broken until the data writing of the 100th data fails that comes after the writing of the first data to the 99th data, and required data is copied from the block A to the next block, which may be a block B. As a result, data copy is performed earlier than expected at a time of data writing of the 100th data, that is, earlier than at a time of data writing of the 1000th data. That is, the number of times of an inter-block copy operation, or a data copy frequency, is increased, which results in the increase of the process load of the control apparatus. | {
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The prior art, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,838,831, 2,879,588, 2,949,666 and 3,116,544, contains a number of methods and apparatus for installing sliders on slide fastener chains, either manually or automatically. Flush cut or gapped chain sections are gripped and guided into either the slider throat or slider mouth openings to install the sliders on the slide fastener chains. When sliders are installed by guiding separated slide fastener stringers into the respective converging slider throat openings, it is difficult to insert the inner coupling portions of the ends of the separated stringers into the slider throat openings, particularly where the slider chain has relatively large coupling elements such as large spiral coil coupling elements or where the slider contains projections for retarding opening movement of the slider. | {
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Foamed polymeric materials are well known, and typically are produced by introducing a physical blowing agent into a molten polymeric stream, mixing the blowing agent with the polymer, and extruding the mixture into the atmosphere while shaping the mixture. Exposure to atmospheric conditions causes the blowing agent to gasify, thereby forming cells in the polymer. Under some conditions the cells can be made to remain isolated, and a closed-cell foamed material results. Under other, typically more violent foaming conditions, the cells rupture or become interconnected and an open-cell material results. As an alternative to a physical blowing agent, a chemical blowing agent can be used which undergoes chemical decomposition in the polymer material causing formation of a gas.
Foamed polyolefins are known. Of these, polyethylene is preferred because of ease of foaming control. While foams including polypropylene components are known, in most cases such foams include significant proportion of additives that add controlability to the foaming process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,736 (Alteeping) describes a foamed product made by foaming a composition including a major proportion of a low viscosity polypropylene having a melt viscosity of less than 2.times.10.sup.3 poise and a minor proportion of a high viscosity polypropylene having a melt viscosity of greater than 2.5.times.10.sup.3 poise. Alteeping mentions that previously-proposed procedures for foaming polypropylene had suffered from severe disadvantages limiting their commercial application, noting specifically the following: U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,892 (Firma Carl Freudenberg), which discloses foaming a composition including crystalline polypropylene and a further component selected from polybutadiene, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, and ethylene-propylene terpolymer rubbers; U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,232 (Firma Carl Freudenberg) which discloses foams comprising crystalline polypropylene and polybutadiene that are cross-linked; U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,706 (Karengafuchi Dagaku Koguyo KK) which discloses foams of compositions comprising of polypropylene and polybutadiene kneaded together; U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,349 (Sumitomo Chemical Co.) which describes foam produced from a three-component mixture of crystalline polypropylene, non-crystalline propylene, and low density polyethylene; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,607,796 (Grunzweig and Hartmann AG) which describes a process for producing foam from a composition comprising high and low molecular weight polypropylene.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,751 (Park) describe polypropylene foam made of polypropylene resins having a z-average molecular weight above 1.times.10.sup.6 and a z-average molecular weight/weight average molecular weight ratio above 3.0. Park states that unacceptable foam sheets show a unimodal molecular weight distribution, while resins which yield acceptable foam sheets show a bimodal molecular weight distribution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,770 (Nojiri) describes a method of manufacturing a foamed polypropylene resin from a mixture of 80 to 20 weight percent of a crystalline polypropylene-ethylene block copolymer containing 20 weight percent or less of ethylene and having a melt index of two or less and 20 to 80 weight percent of a crystalline polypropylene-ethylene block or random copolymer containing 5 weight percent or less of ethylene and having a melt index of 6 to 20 or a polypropylene homopolymer having a melt index of 6 to 20.
One class polymer foams that can offer a variety of advantageous characteristics such as uniform cell size and structure, the appearance of solid plastic, etc. are microcellular foams. U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,665 (Martini-Vvedensky, et al.; Sep. 25, 1984) describes a process for making foamed polymer having cells less than about 100 microns in diameter. In the technique of Martini-Vvedensky, et al., a material precursor is saturated with a blowing agent, the material is placed under high pressure, and the pressure is rapidly dropped to nucleate the blowing agent and to allow the formation of cells. The material then is frozen rapidly to maintain a desired distribution of microcells.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,986 (Cha, et al.; Oct. 27, 1992) describes formation of microcellular polymeric material using a supercritical fluid as a blowing agent. In a batch process of Cha, et al., a plastic article is submerged at pressure in supercritical fluid for a period of time, and then quickly returned to ambient conditions creating a solubility change and nucleation. In a continuous process, a polymeric sheet is extruded, then run through rollers in a container of supercritical fluid at high pressure, and then exposed quickly to ambient conditions. In another continuous process, a supercritical fluid-saturated molten polymeric stream is established. The stream is rapidly heated, and the resulting thermodynamic instability (solubility change) creates sites of nucleation, while the system is maintained under pressure preventing significant growth of cells. The material then is injected into a mold cavity where pressure is reduced and cells are allowed to grow.
While polymer foams containing polypropylene exist, it would be advantageous, in terms of added simplicity and reduced cost, to be able to produce high-quality foams including polypropylene without the need for significant amounts of foam-controlability additives or other co-polymerized or blended polymer components. It is an object of the present invention to provide such articles. | {
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The present invention relates to a probe adapted to be used with a pulse oximeter which enables measurement of oxygen saturation of arterial blood (SpO2) while being attached to a finger of a hand or a toe of a foot of a subject.
For measurement of the oxygen saturation of arterial blood of a subject, there has hitherto been used a probe adapted to be used with a pulse oximeter. In the pulse oximeter, a light emitting element and a light receiving element, which pair up with each other, are disposed opposite each other with a piece of tissue of a living body interposed therebetween, and oxygen saturation of arterial blood is determined by measuring the intensity of the light having passed through the tissue of the living body.
A probe, which has hitherto been known as a probe for a pulse oximeter of this type, has housings to which, e.g., a light emitting element and a light receiving element are mounted so as to oppose each other, and the housings are opened and closed while being pivoted around a joint shaft in the manner of a clothespin (see U.S. Pat, No. 4,685,464). With a spring (a clip), the light emitting element and the light receiving element are impelled so as to come close to each other. This probe is used for fingers of a hand, and the housings are attached to the finger of the subject in a pinching manner. That is, the subject's finger is sandwiched between the housings.
However, the two mutually-opposing housings are actuated around the joint shaft to thus open, or close. Hence, when variations exist among individuals in terms of thickness or size, as in the case of a finger, difficulty is encountered in causing a single probe to conform to all subjects. The probe cannot be appropriately attached to a finger which is greater than a predetermined thickness, and encounters difficulties of being displaced from a measurement site or becoming readily detached from the same. Since the spring force used for opening and closing the housings is specified, pain is inflicted when the probe is continuously attached over a long period of time. For this reason, the probe is inconvenient for use in, e.g., screening inspection of SAS (Sleep Apnea Syndrome), which requires attachment of a probe overnight.
In contrast with the probe adapted to be used with a pulse oximeter of such a spring (clip) type, there is also proposed another probe (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,059). The probe comprises a first casing section having a light receiving element, and a second casing section having a light emitting element, the casing sections being connected so as to be V-shaped. An adhesive member is provided at least on an interior surface of the first casing section. A nail of a finger or a toe of the subject is sandwiched between the first and second casing sections, to thus measure oxygen saturation of arterial blood. In order to fix this probe to the measurement site of the subject, providing the adhesive member to the interior surface of the casing section is indispensable.
The thus-configured probe is configured such that the first and second casing sections are connected so as to possess some degree of resilience. However, in order to cause the probe to be appropriately fixed to all fingers or the like, which vary in thickness or size among individuals, providing the adhesive member is indispensable. When dust, or the like, adheres to the adhesive member and this probe is reused, the accuracy of measurement is adversely affected, and a problem of sanitary administration is also raised.
Moreover, a disposable probe of an adhesive sheet structure has also been proposed as a probe which differs from the above-described probes in terms of structure (see Japanese Utility Model No. 2547840). However, when screening inspection of SAS is performed at home, the subject must wear this probe by himself/herself. In such a case, no limitations are imposed on a location where the probe is to be attached. However, attaching the probe to an appropriate measurement site requires knowledge or a technique. Further, the subject encounters difficulty in attaching the probe by himself or herself.
As mentioned previously, a required technique is required when the probe for a pulse oximeter is appropriately attached to a measurement site, and difficulty is encountered in the subject wearing the probe. Further, when the subject has attached the probe by himself/herself, the quality of measurement is often dependent on the state of attachment. For this reason, in order to accurately measure oxygen saturation of arterial blood, operation performed by a specialized engineer or by nursing personnel is required. There may be a case where long-duration attachment of the probe results in an increase in a sense of discomfort created by the living tissue in the measurement site, so that the subject takes the probe off consciously or subconsciously the probe for reasons of aches. Attaching the probe over a long period of time results in an increase in the chance of occurrence of a pressure mark, caused by localized pressure of the measurement site, and occurrence of blisters. Hence, the point where the probe is to be attached needs to be changed frequently, which in turn results in an increase in the burden imposed on the operator who performs measurement. | {
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To interact with a computer application or search the Internet, users may type in terms using a physical keyboard or on-screen keyboard. This may not be possible if a physical or on-screen keyboard is not available, or if the keyboard is inside a virtual display that cannot be touched physically. Additionally, physical or on-screen keyboards may pose difficulties for users that cannot type because of a medical condition. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to an optical sheet and a method of manufacturing the optical sheet. More particularly, example embodiments of the present invention relate to an optical sheet having enhanced optical characteristics and a method of manufacturing the optical sheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel of an LCD device includes two substrates facing each other, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the substrates. The LCD panel controls the light transmittance of the liquid crystal layer to display an image.
LCD devices have characteristics such as thinness, light weight, low driving voltage and low power consumption compared to those of other display devices, and thus the LCD devices have been used in many industrial fields and have been widely used for portable computers, communication devices, television sets, etc. However, since the LCD panel of an LCD device is a non-light-emitting device that is not capable of emitting light on its own, a backlight assembly for supplying light to the LCD panel is required in the LCD device.
The backlight assembly includes a light source and an optical sheet enhancing optical characteristics of light generated by the light source. The optical sheet includes a prism sheet, a diffusion sheet, a light guide plate, etc.
When the optical sheet includes various optical sheets, optical characteristics of a backlight assembly may be enhanced. However, when the number of the optical sheets is increased, assembly properties may be decreased and manufacturing costs may be increased.
In addition, defects due to scratches may be generated in an area where the optical sheets contact each other.
In addition, the viewing angle of an LCD device may be limited due to the thickness of the liquid crystal layer. | {
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Today's high speed optical network systems use optical fiber connectors to connect optical fiber ends together. These connectors have highly polished endfaces that are required to meet certain industry standards for performance and intermateability. One standard, Telcordia GR326-CORE issue 3, states that optical fiber connectors must meet defined specifications for the following three parameters of endface geometry: radius of curvature, fiber undercut, and apex offset. Consistent endface geometry creates an optimal core-to-core alignment during the mating process of two connectors.
Orbital polishers are known that repeat a spiral pattern around a central drive axis, such as the pattern shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows orbital rotation about a rotational axis A of the polishing disk, which is also referred to herein as a polishing wheel, plate and/or platen, together with rotation about another drive axis B that creates a circular-spiral pattern between the polishing surface and a fiber end held in contact with the polishing surface of the orbital polisher. A polishing disk may refer to a replaceable single unit or may be comprised of a plurality of components, such as a durable platen and a disposable disk having a polishing surface. Orbital polishers are known to create wear of the polishing surface along circular paths. Thus, polishing disks must often be replaced due to wear or build-up of foreign particles locally in a high-wear area on the disk. Also, the orbital pattern of such polishers is not as efficient as the pattern that may be applied by a highly skilled human polishing a fiber end by hand. Also, series of polishing media and pressures are used to achieve polished fiber ends that meet industry standards, but this process either requires multiple polishing disks or time consuming replacement of polishing surfaces between one polishing medium and the next in the series. These shortcomings increase costs and reduce portability of polishing stations. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,334 discloses an orbital polishing apparatus having a polishing disc rotating about its own axis with the entire disc rotating about another drive axis.
State of the art polishing methods require multiple steps, such as five separate steps, requiring five minutes of polishing to meet industry standards for optical fiber end face geometry. For example, polishing may require epoxy removal (30 seconds), radius forming (90 seconds), rough polishing (60 seconds), final polishing (60 seconds), and finishing polishing (60 seconds), this is an inefficient and impractical process when applied in the field and outside of a controlled plant environment.
Optical fiber polishers using the current optical fiber polishing technology have the additional problem of having to apply varying amounts of pressure between the connector end and the polishing surface for each of the five polishing steps. These pressures are complex to set up and to maintain throughout the polishing process. Applying too much or too little pressure during a polishing step may adversely affect the quality of the polished connector end surface. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,154 discloses an optical fiber polishing apparatus that reduces burdens on operators for adjusting polishing pressure between steps of polishing, but fails to eliminate the need for adjusting polishing pressure between polishing steps.
While previous inventions provided orbital patterns and improved adjustability of the apparatus, an improved polishing pattern that provides for an apparatus capable of a one-step process for fiber end polishing would be a compelling improvement over the state of the art orbital polishers. If such a polisher were portable and capable of long use on a single charge of a battery, then it would be more readily adapted for use in the field than systems requiring mounting in a van and comparatively high power consumption. | {
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Generally, the light sources of conventional luminaires usually can be sorted into two categories, which are point sources such as incandescent bulb and energy-saving fluorescent bulb, and line source such as fluorescent tube. These two types of light source are all capable of discharging light beams in a radiation manner. However, as the sizes of these two light sources are considered too large while comparing with that of light emitting diode (LED), LED has been intensely studied and becoming the main trend of future luminaires as the luminous efficiency of LEDs is enhancing continuously and unceasingly. Since LED is considered to be a flat light source as it can only discharge light beams through the light emitting surface thereof, it can only provide a limited angle of light and thus most LED luminaires are adopting either bottom-lighting module or reflective module. In addition, as the brightness of a single LED currently available is still not sufficient to be used as the sole and only light source of modern luminaires, a plurality of LEDs are clustered into a lighting module for proving sufficient luminance.
Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a bottom-lighting LED luminaire disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,956, entitled “Light emitting diode lamp with individual LED lenses”. Although the bottom-lighting LED luminaire of FIG. 1 has a plurality of LEDs 14 arranged on a printed circuit board (PCB) 10 that the luminance is enhanced, it is prone to cause severe glare causing discomfort to viewers. Furthermore, if any individual LED or portion of the plural LEDs is damaged, the damaged LEDs are visible and apparent.
Please refer to FIG. 2, which is an illumination system for use with machine vision systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,871,993, entitled “Integrating LED illumination system for machine vision systems”. The illumination system is specifically adapted to be used in optical and barcode scanning systems for focusing light on a line or area in which a machine vision system collects image data. As seen in FIG. 2, the illumination system comprises a reflector 12 and an LED array 14. The reflector 12 includes a focusing reflective surface 13 that is concave in shape. An elliptical cross-sectional shape is preferred, but other shapes, such as parabolic and hyperbolic could be used, for example. The LED array 14 comprises a substrate 26 and a plurality of LEDs 16 mounted on the substrate 26. Each of the plurality of LEDs is positioned in the focal region of the reflector 12 while enabling the same to emit light toward the focusing reflective surface 13. As the primary objective of thus illumination system is to focus light emitted from the plural LEDs 16 toward the illumination area, that it is suitable to be applied in barcode scanning system, but not suitable to be used as luminaire.
Please refer to FIG. 3, which is an illuminating device for use as a headlamp disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,483, entitled “Illuminating device”. The illuminating device of FIG. 3 is comprised of: a reflecting screen 16; a plurality of LEDs, being fitted flatly onto the circumferential edge of the reflecting screen 16; and a plurality of heat dissipating fins 19; wherein the light emitting from each LED 14 is reflected by the inwardly concave reflecting screen 16 and thus being discharged out of the illuminating device parallelly. As each of the plural LEDs 14 is arranged flatly on the circumferential edge of the reflecting screen 16, only a portion of light emitted therefrom within a specific angle can be reflected by the reflecting screen 16 and discharged out of the illuminating device parallelly, while some other light emitted therefrom not within such specific angle are reflected and discharged in a scattering manner and even some other light emitted therefrom not within such specific angle are reflected inside the reflecting screen 16 repetitively without being discharged. As the result, not only the luminance of the illuminating device is adversely affected, but also no highly collimated parallel light beams can be discharged out of the illuminating device. Although the forgoing shortcomings can be overcome by improving the design of the reflecting screen 16, it is highly difficult to implement and, in particular, would introduce not much improvement.
Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a lamp disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,247, entitled “Solid state lighting system”. The lamp 40 of FIG. 4 is comprised of: an inclined array of LEDs 12; and a reflector 44 inclined at a complementary angle A. It will be understood that the array may be the inverse, i.e. convergently inclined; and conical or pyrimidal. The angle of convergence or divergence may vary, with the angle of the reflector 44 correspondingly selected to achieve the desired direction and type (e.g. focussed or diffused) of light output, and thus to direct the light parallel to the polar axis 36 of lamp 40. Nevertheless, the lamp 40 is still short in that as the reflector 44 is a planar surface which can not match perfectly with the light emitting angles of those LEDs 12, not all the light reflected by the reflector 44 can be discharged parallel to the polar axis 36. Furthermore, since the reflector 44 is inclined, a comparatively large amount of LEDs 12 are required for illuminating similar luminance so that not only the lamp 40 is costly and not power-saving, but also it is bulky and has no surprising appearance. | {
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The subject matter of the present invention is an applicator for applying an oxidative hair dye to human head hair. This applicator comprises two compartments including a first compartment for a hair dye composition and a second compartment for an oxidizing agent and a product-dispensing area or spot for dispensing both the dye composition and the oxidizing agent.
These types of applicators are known as a two-component container in the most different forms. A peroxide solution is used as oxidizing agent. The dye composition and the oxidizing agent are present in the applicator, but are both separate from each other. Shortly before using the applicator both components are mixed by-pushing one of the stoppers separating the compartments out and are thus activated. A reactive hair dye results from the mixture, which is dispensed through the product-dispensing opening of the applicator on the hair to be dyed. One type of applicator of this sort is described in DE 198 12 660 A1.
The known applicator has the disadvantage that after activation of the applicator the entire amount of the reactive dye must be consumed within a certain comparatively short time. After that short time it is no longer usable. Removal of only a portion of the hair dye is not possible in the case of the conventional applicator. These conventional applicators are little suited to the case in which only a small amount of dye is required, e.g. for hair strand dyeing. | {
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The invention relates to a self-adhesively coated bandage for stabilizing and fixing joints and extremities.
For fractures of joints or extremities it is conventional to use a plaster cast in order to ensure the stabilization and/or fixing of the affected body part. The plaster cast restricts mobility to such an extent that the bone tissue is able to grow together again.
Plaster casts may also be used for ruptured ligaments in joints. In this case too, the dressing is intended to prevent any stress and/or movement.
Plaster casts of this kind may consist of plaster-of-Paris bandages or synthetic plaster bandages based on reactive resin. With both systems, curing is carried out by wetting with water. By means of curing, strength is achieved in conjunction with the reinforcing materials that are incorporated into the bandages.
These methods are known. However, they also have disadvantages for the patient and for the person applying the cast. Natural plaster bandages are relatively inexpensive but are heavy and of only limited durability. Synthetic plaster bandages have to be applied using gloves. Curing of the dressings takes up to 30 minutes. The synthetic plaster bandages must be packaged with great care since they cure on contact with atmospheric moisture.
Injuries to ligaments in joints can also be treated using the functional dressing technique, known as taping. The dressing technique is also a treatment method for the prophylaxis of injuries, diseases and disorders of the locomotor system. The aim of taping is to mimic the capsular ligament structures and so achieve selective support and stabilization. However, immobilization of the kind which is the aim of using plaster casts is not achieved by this means.
The actual tape dressing is applied in a strip formation comprising preferably non-elastic self-adhesive bands, known as straps, or in conjunction with self-adhesive bands having short-pull elasticity. It protects, supports and relieves threatened, damaged or disrupted parts of a functional unit. It permits functional loading within the pain-free sphere of movement but prevents extreme or painful movements.
Carrier materials which have proved useful are, in particular, nonwovens, wovens or knits coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive. Even when two or more plies are applied, these bandages remain substantially flexible.
A bandage suitable for resting a body part is described in EP 0 352 095 B. The bandage consists of a substrate whose surfaces are impregnated with a curable liquid compound. The surfaces also have coverings which are permeable to water. The coverings preferably comprise a woven or nonwoven carrier comprising, inter alia, a fluorine compound or a silicone.
The object of the invention is to provide a bandage which on the basis of its configuration, material and properties is suitable for stabilizing and fixing joints and extremities.
This object is achieved by a bandage as defined in the main claim. The subclaims relate to advantageous developments of the bandage.
Accordingly, the self-adhesive bandage of the invention consists of a flexible carrier with a self-adhesive coating applied on one side, the carrier being provided with a large number of apertures, thus giving rise to individual segments linked by way of connecting bridges.
A film made of olefins or a foam made of polyurethane is preferably used as the carrier.
In one preferred embodiment the segments are convex in form. This ensures that, when a dressing is produced from the bandage, there is improved contact between the segments in the individual plies of the dressing.
In another preferred embodiment, the segments have a regularly shaped contour, and, in particular, are in the form of hexagons. In one preferred embodiment the hexagons have a width of 7 mm and are applied on the carrier at a spacing of 0.5 mm.
To save on weight, furthermore, the segments may also have recesses, which are preferably circular. In addition, the segments may consist of foamed material and/or may be blended with hollow beads or fibres.
The segments have a thickness, for example, of from 0.5 to 2 mm, in particular 1.5 mm.
Starting materials chosen for the segments are preferably plastics such as PET, PP, PE and other polymers, and also PVC if desired. Alternatively, PU (foamed/unfoamed) is possible, as are chitin and/or chitosan. Also suitable, finally, are multi-ply laminates: for example, a laminate comprising card/fibreboard/paper to which amino resins have been added.
Chitin (from the Greek "khgr"xcex7"igr"xcfx84oxcexd (chiton)=armour) comprises a polysaccharide which contains amino sugars and is isolated, in particular, from animal organisms, having the general formula (C8H13NO5)x, MW approximately 400,000. Chitin consists of chains of xcex2-1,4-glycosidically linked N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (NAG) residues.
In water, organic solvents and dilute alkalis and acids, chitin is insoluble. Strong acids cleave chitin into D-glucosamine (chitosamine) and acetic acid; cleavage by alkalis produces acetates and the weakly basic, deacetylated and partially depolymerized, crystallizable chitosan, which is soluble in dilute acids (except for sulphuric acid), aqueous methanol and glycerol and is also gel-forming and film-forming (in this respect see also Rxc3x6mpp Lexikon Chemie, 10th edition, under xe2x80x9cChitinxe2x80x9d, Stuttgart/New York: Georg Thieme Verlag, 1997).
The segments can be manufactured by being punched or cut from extruded films. Alternatively, they can be prepared by printing in the appropriate thickness.
The segments can also have the form of a pyramid or of a truncated cone, and also of further three-dimensional structures joined to one another by way of appropriate connecting bridges thus giving rise to a coherent carrier.
It has been found advantageous for the carrier then to have a thickness of from 0.3 to 1 mm, in particular 0.5 mm.
Manufacturing can be carried out by shaping the segments and the connecting bridges from a single extruded layer: for example, by cutting by means of rotating blades or by means of a water jet. Hot pressing is a further possibility.
On the side which is placed against the skin, the bandage is coated with one of the known, readily adhering self-adhesive compositions based on rubber or on synthetic polymers. The compositions advantageously have further properties, such as good skin compatibility or permeability to air and water vapour.
It has also been found particularly advantageous for the self-adhesive coating on the carrier to be a hotmelt adhesive composition having an activation temperature of less than 70xc2x0 C., in particular from 50 to 60xc2x0 C.
The self-adhesive coating has thicknesses, in particular, of about 50 xcexcm.
In addition, an adhesion promoter can also be applied beneath the adhesive coating.
In another preferred embodiment the width of the bandage lies between 4 and 15 cm. The thickness of the bandage should preferably be within a range from 1 to 3 mm.
Before the bandage is used, the adhesive layer can be covered with a sheet material that has been given an anti-adhesive finish, such as, for example, siliconized paper or plastic film.
In a further preferred embodiment the self-adhesive bandage consists of a flexible carrier with a self-adhesive coating applied on both sides, the carrier being provided with a large number of apertures thus giving rise to individual segments linked by way of connecting bridges and the carrier being covered on one side with an auxiliary carrier.
In the case of this embodiment, the connecting bridges may also be entirely absent.
The auxiliary carrier consists preferably of a woven or knit based, in particular, on cotton, which is non-elastic in the lengthwise direction but may, if desired, have a slight transverse elasticity.
Overall, the result is a bandage which is non-elastic in the lengthwise direction but may be flexible in the transverse direction.
In one advantageous application of the bandage of the invention for stabilizing and fixing joints and extremities, rails, compressible cushions and/or wovens or nonwovens are placed on the skin below the bandage which is wound around the joints and/or extremities.
The advantages of the bandage over those known to date are that the bandage can be used to form a solid dressing having properties comparable to those of the known plaster casts.
Winding of the bandage in a plurality of plies produces a very strong dressing which greatly restricts the mobility of the joint or extremity affected.
On winding, the segments come to lie over one another in the manner of fish scales and are bonded to one another. Owing to the narrow connecting bridges, the bandage is readily shapable since the segments of one ply are able to shift relative to one another. It is certainly possible and in some cases desirable for bridges to break in the course of winding, thereby achieving further flexibility. The fish-scale-like structure, following winding and bonding of the individual plies, achieves a high stability although the resulting dressing is very much lighter than conventional natural plaster.
Especially when the bandage and/or the segments is or are coated with a hotmelt self-adhesive composition, it is possible to increase the effect considerably, since brief heating of the dressing, and thus of the segments, results in bonding of the segments to the underlying ply of the bandage, thus giving rise to an absolutely inflexible multi-ply dressing.
The aim is to achieve the required hardness of the dressing in approximately 15 minutes, this hardness being between 50 and 90% of the final hardness.
This strength also extends over a period of several weeks, as is required for the healing of common injuries.
Finally, through the choice of appropriate starting materials, the bandage also poses no barrier to X-rays.
Finally, the bandage can also be used again after it has been removed from the affected body part. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the fabrication of a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) write head whose main pole is coupled to a synthetic magnetic super-lattice (SAFS) which will enhance the magnetization components perpendicular to the ABS that lie along the film plane of the SAFS. The enhancement of this in-plane magnetization component can increase the write field.
2. Description of the Related Art
The increasing need for high recording area densities (up to 1 Tb/in2) is making the perpendicular magnetic recording head (PMR head) a replacement of choice for the longitudinal magnetic recording head (LMR head).
By means of fringing magnetic fields that extend between two emerging pole pieces, longitudinal recording heads form small magnetic domains within the surface plane of the magnetic medium (hard disk). As recorded area densities are required to increase, these domains must correspondingly decrease in size, eventually permitting destabilizing thermal effects to become stronger than the magnetic interactions that tend to stabilize the domain formations. This occurrence is the so-called superparamagnetic limit. Recording media that accept perpendicular magnetic recording, allow domain structures to be formed within a magnetic layer, perpendicular to the disk surface, while a soft magnetic underlayer (SUL) formed beneath the magnetic layer acts as a stabilizing influence on these perpendicular domain structures. Thus, a magnetic recording head that produces a field capable of forming domains perpendicular to a disk surface, when used in conjunction with such perpendicular recording media, is able to produce a stable recording with a much higher area density than is possible using standard longitudinal recording.
Since their first use, the PMR head has evolved through several generations. Initially, the PMR head was a monopole, but that design was replaced by a shielded head design with a trailing edge shield (TS), which, due to its negative field, provides a high field gradient in the down-track direction to facilitate recording at high linear densities.
Side shields (SS) then began to be used in conjunction with the trailing edge shields, because it was necessary to eliminate the fringing side fields in order to increase writing density still further. Unfortunately, despite the benefits they provided, the presence of these shields inevitably reduces the field produced by the main pole because the basis of their operation is the removal of portions of the flux of that field. Therefore, as long as design functionalities can be achieved, it is important to reduce any additional flux shunting by the shields from the main pole. This is a particularly important consideration for future PMR writer designs which utilize increasingly small pole tips. In addition, in order to address the problem of wide area track erasure (WATE), it is desirable to increase the throat height of the trailing shield by making it thick. This additional thickness shunts additional flux away from the pole itself.
In today's quest for very high density magnetic recording it is essential to improve the bit error rate (BER). This requires an increase in the recorded bits per inch (BPI) As the data rate for writing increasing rapidly to the GHz range, it is also important to increase the data rate capability of the writer without losing the BER. At today's state-of-the-art rate of 750 Gb/in2 areal density, the physical width of the writer is reduced to only ≈50 nm (nanometers), with a write gap reduced to sub-30 nm dimensions. The reduction of writer dimensions poses a significant challenge to maintain the write field strength and field gradient for OW, BER and adequate frequency response, since most of the writing flux will be shunted from the main pole to the trailing shield without an adequate magnetization component along the direction that is vertical to the ABS plane. The critical aspect of writer design to achieve the high writing field, high field gradient and frequency response is to engineer the magnetization configuration and response of the main pole and trailing shield region.
Referring first to schematic FIG. 1, there is shown a side cross-sectional view of components of a prior art PMR write head, with its ABS end (dashed line (60)) positioned over a perpendicular recording type magnetic medium (100) having a magnetically soft underlayer (SUL) (150). There is shown a lead shield (80), a main pole (20), a trailing shield (40), a write gap (65) between the main pole and the trailing shield and a yoke (90). Note that these components generally project backwards (away from the ABS) so that the yoke and main pole have a closed configuration, but that extended view is not shown here. The trailing shield (40) is grown on a high magnetic moment (high Ms) seed layer (45). The medium (100) is moving from the lead shield towards the trailing shield.
During writing, magnetic flux (10) emerges from the main pole (20) and takes two paths. A first path (30) is directly shunted to the trailing shield (40) through the write gap (65), which drives the magnetization of the trailing shield (50) to be parallel to the ABS (60) of the writer. Since the medium is responsive to a vertical field, this flux component is not useful for writing and it should be reduced. Another flux path (35) emerges from the pole tip, passes through the soft magnetic under layer (SUL) (150) at the bottom of the magnetic medium and returns to the trailing shield (40). This component of the flux is the one actually doing the writing on the medium. For good write performance the flux emerging from the main pole and entering the medium needs to have a strong vertical (perpendicular to the ABS) component and it should have some vertical component relative to its re-entrance into the ABS of the trailing shield to efficiently close the flux loop. Therefore, it is advantageous to increase the vertical magnetization of both the main pole and the trailing shield adjacent to the write gap.
The effects of the write field of a prior art configuration such as that shown in FIG. 1 can be obtained from the graph shown in FIG. 2. The graph of FIG. 2 is a micromagnetic modeling result showing the magnitude profile of a down-track write field, as a function of elapsed time after write-current switching. The magnitude, Heff is measured in Oe along the graph ordinate and the down-track position is measured along the abscissa in microns (μm) down track from the pole tip. Five measurement times are superimposed, from 0.5 ns (nanoseconds) to 2.5 ns after the field is shut off.
Two conclusions can be drawn from the graph.
1) the trailing shield magnetization response is lagging behind the main pole field and,
2) the maximum field gradient depends on the positive and negative peak values of Heff and their spacing.
In this modeling experiment, the magnetization of the trailing shield has a component in the same direction as that of the main pole, from times of 0.5 to 1.5 ns, as evidenced by the same polarity of the writing field under the trailing shield. Beginning at 2 ns, however, this trailing shield flux polarity switches direction, providing some anti-parallel component to the main pole magnetization and, thereby, generating a negative dip in the field profile which produces a high field gradient. This effect is greatest at 2 ns and 2.5 ns where the switch in polarity of the field from an Heff of approximately 17 kOe to an Heff of approximately −5 kOe (opposite direction) is due to some component of the trailing shield flux which is anti-parallel to the flux emerging from the pole tip.
These results imply that it will be advantageous to have a writer design which enhances the flux component vertical to the ABS between the main pole and the trailing shield and thereby enhances the write field strength and the field gradient. We shall use the approach of antiferromagnetically coupled superlattices (SAFS), described fully below, to achieve the desired design properties.
S. Parkin, et al., in “Oscillations in Exchange Coupling and Magnetoresistance in Metallic Superlattice Structures,” Phys. Rev. Lett., 64, pp. 2304, 1990, describes the properties of a {[Co20A/Ru3A]×20} superlattice. Superlattices have also been discussed in the prior arts in applications to writers as well as magnetic media and magnetic oscillators by others than Parkin et al. cited above. Additional examples can be found in Kief et al. (US Patent Appl. 2010/0214692), Rou et al. (US Patent Appl. 2008/0055777), Zhu et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,616,412), Kawato et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,813,079), and Ikeda et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,468,670). None of these prior arts teach the method to be described in detail below. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains in general to computer security and in particular to assessing risks presented by computer files and/or other entities that can potentially compromise a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a wide variety of malicious software (malware) that can attack modern computers. Malware threats include computer viruses, worms, Trojan horse programs, spyware, adware, crimeware, and phishing web sites. Modern malware is often designed to provide financial gain to the attacker. For example, malware can surreptitiously capture important information such as logins, passwords, bank account identifiers, and credit card numbers. Similarly, the malware can provide hidden interfaces that allow the attacker to access and control the compromised computer.
While classical malware was usually mass-distributed to many computers, modern malware is often targeted and delivered to only a relative handful of computers. A Trojan horse program can be designed to target computers in a particular department of a particular enterprise. Likewise, a false email can include a phishing attack that is directed to only customers of a certain bank or other electronic commerce site.
Mass-distributed malware can often be detected and disabled by conventional security software. The security software uses techniques such as signature scanning and behavior monitoring heuristics to detect the malware. However, these techniques are less effective for detecting targeted threats since there are fewer instances of the same malware, and the security software might not be configured to recognize it.
Moreover, even mass-distributed malware is becoming harder to detect. A malicious web site might automatically generate new malicious code for every few visitors. As a result, the malware is widely-distributed but only a small number of users have the exact same code, and it becomes impractical to generate signatures (and use signature scanning-based techniques) to detect it. Sometimes, the different versions of the malware perform different functions, which also makes the malware difficult to detect through heuristics and other techniques. Therefore, there is a need in the art for new ways to detect malware. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf club having an improved connection for interchanging a shaft with a golf club head.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to improve their game, golfers often customize their equipment to fit their particular swing. Golf equipment manufacturers have responded by increasing the variety of clubs available to golfers. For example, a particular model of a driver-type golf club may be offered in several different loft angles and lie angles to suit a particular golfer's needs. In addition, golfers can choose shafts, whether metal or graphite, and adjust the length of the shaft to suit their swing. Golf clubs that allow shaft and club head components to be easily interchanged facilitate this customization process.
One example is Wheeler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,524,646 for a Golf Club Assembly. The Wheeler patent discloses a putter having a grip and a putter head, both of which are detachable from a shaft. Fastening members, provided on the upper and lower ends of the shaft, have internal threads, which engage the external threads provided on both the lower end of the grip and the upper end of the putter head shank to secure these components to the shaft. The lower portion of the shaft further includes a flange, which contacts the upper end of the putter head shank, when the putter head is coupled to the shaft.
Another example is Walker, U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,442 for Golf Clubs with Quick Release Heads. The Walker patent discloses a golf club in which the club head is secured to the shaft by a coupling rod and a quick release pin. The upper end of the coupling rod has external threads that and engage the internal threads formed in the lower portion of the shaft. The lower end of the coupling rod, which is inserted into the hosel of the club head, has diametric apertures that align with diametric apertures in the hosel to receive the quick release pin.
Still another example is Roark, U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,673 for an Interchangeable Golf Club Head and Adjustable Handle System. The Roark patent discloses a golf club with a quick release for detaching a club head from a shaft. The quick release is a two-piece connector including a lower connector, which is secured in the hosel of the club head, and an upper connector, which is secured in the lower portion of the shaft. The upper connector has a pin and a ball catch that protrude radially outward from the lower end of the upper connector. The upper end of the lower connector has a slot formed therein for receiving the upper connector pin, and a separate hole for receiving the ball catch. When the shaft is coupled to the club head, the lower connector hole retains the ball catch to secure the shaft to the club head.
Two further examples are published applications to Burrows, U.S. Pub. Nos. 2004/0018886 and 2004/0018887, both of which are for a Temporary Golf Club Shaft-Component Connection. The Burrows applications disclose a temporary connection that includes an adapter insert, a socket member, and a mechanical fastener. The adapter insert, which is mounted on a shaft, includes a thrust flange. The socket member, which is mounted on the other golf club component (e.g., a club head), includes a thrust seat for seated reception of the thrust flange. The mechanical fastener (e.g., a compression nut or a lock bolt) removably interconnects the adapter insert and the socket member.
The prior art temporary head-shaft connections have several disadvantages. First, they require that the golf club head have a conventional hosel for attachment. Second, these connections add excessive weight to the club head, thereby minimizing the amount of discretionary mass that may be distributed in the club head to optimize mass properties. | {
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(a) Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display is a type of flat panel display. A liquid crystal display includes two display panels on which field-generating electrodes, including a pixel electrode and common electrode, are disposed and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the display panels. In the liquid crystal display, a voltage is applied to the field-generating electrodes to generate an electric field across the liquid crystal layer, thereby controlling an alignment of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer with the electric field. Accordingly, a polarization of incident light can be controlled, and an image displayed.
The liquid crystal display further includes a switching element electrically connected to the pixel electrode, and a plurality of signal lines, including a gate line and a data line, for applying a voltage to the pixel electrode by controlling the switching elements.
In a vertical alignment (VA) mode liquid crystal display, in which a director of the liquid crystal molecules stands vertically relative to a surface of the display panels when an electric field is not applied thereto, it is desirable to have a high contrast ratio and a wide reference viewing angle. A wide viewing angle is a viewing angle with a contrast ratio of 1:10, or an intergray luminance inversion limitation angle.
In the vertical alignment (VA) mode liquid crystal display, it can be desirable to make a lateral visibility approximate a frontal visibility. In order to make the lateral visibility approximate the frontal visibility, it has been proposed that one pixel be bisected into two sub-pixels, while different voltages are applied thereto to differentiate a light transmittance thereof from each other.
For example, bisected sub-pixels can be capacitor-combined with each other, and a voltage applied directly to one sub-pixel while a voltage drop induced by the capacitor combination reduces the voltage to the other sub-pixel, thereby differentiating the voltages applied to the two sub-pixels from each other so as to select a different light transmittance thereto. However, such a method may involve a loss in overall light transmittance because the voltages applied to each of the two sub-pixels are lowered. Alternatively, a number of the gate lines or the data lines may be increased to thereby apply a different voltage to each of the two sub-pixels. However, as the number of the gate lines or the data lines increases, an aperture ratio of the liquid crystal display is reduced.
Several attempts have been made to improve motion picture display quality in a liquid crystal display, including the development of high speed driving, for example. High speed driving can consume significant power because of the rapid frame speed, and hence a column inversion driving mode has been introduced to reduce power consumption.
However, with the column inversion driving mode, when a relatively high gray box is displayed on a relatively low gray ground screen, vertical crosstalk may occur at the top and the bottom of the box with a different gray from that of the ground screen. Furthermore, when data voltages with the same polarity are applied in a vertical direction, and pixel voltages with positive and negative polarities differ from each other, flicker may be generated.
Accordingly, a liquid crystal display with improved lateral visibility, improved display quality, and high speed driving would be desirable. | {
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The present invention relates to a hydrodynamic brake and particularly to a brake which moves fluid rapidly into and out of the brake.
Auxiliary brakes are principally used in heavy vehicles, such as lorries and buses, in order to avoid wear of the ordinary brakes of the vehicle, such as the service brakes, for example at braking on long downhill slopes. An example of such an auxiliary brake is a hydrodynamic retarder, which generates a braking moment by means of any suitable oil between a stator and a rotor. The stator and the rotor constitute together a toroid-shaped space, which is called torus. The stator as well as the rotor is provided with a plurality of vanes and the oil is guided during the rotation of the rotor by the vanes within the toroid-shaped space. During the braking process, the kinetic energy of the oil is transformed to heat energy. The oil has to be cooled after it has left the toroid-shaped space. Thereafter the oil may again be supplied to the toroid-shaped space. The retarder is connected to the power train of the vehicle, for example, at the propeller shaft in connection to the gearbox of the vehicle for allowing braking of the driving wheels of the vehicle. The retarder may be provided directly on the propeller shaft or be connected to that shaft via a gear unit. At a low number of revolutions of the propeller shaft and when the space between the stator and the rotor, i.e. the toroid-shaped space, is filled with oil, the braking effect of the retarder increases with the rate of rotation of the propeller shaft, and the output braking moment of the retarder is substantially proportional to the number of revolutions of the propeller shaft. Consequently, at a certain number of revolutions of the propeller shaft, a certain maximum output braking moment may be obtained. At higher number of revolutions of the propeller shaft, the output braking moment depends on the coefficient of fullness of oil in the toroid-shaped space. Consequently, by controlling the pressure in the space, the output braking moment may be adjusted. Before the retarder begins to produce an output braking moment, the space between the stator and the rotor has to be filled with oil. Previously, the retarder has comprised a pump and an oil reservoir. The lower the speed of the propeller shaft of the vehicle is, the longer time it take to fill the space around the stator and the rotor. In order to speed up this operation, an oil accumulator is often used in connection with the oil reservoir.
The working medium of a hydrodynamic retarder is any suitable oil. As mentioned above, the kinetic energy of the oil is transformed to heat energy during a braking process. In order to avoid overheating of the oil, it is important that the oil flow through the toroid-shaped space be high. With a high oil flow, one may obtain an effective cooling of the oil. In order to obtain a high flow of oil, the pressure differences, which are created when the rotor rotates in a certain direction of rotation, are used. After the oil has left the toroid-shaped space, the oil is guided to a cooling system/heat exchanger of the vehicle, such as a cooling water circuit in the vehicle. Thereafter, the oil may be returned to the toroid-shaped space. The cooled oil may be used for cooling the retarder. As a consequence of that, a great quantity of heat is produced by the retarder during a braking process. Furthermore, the working life of the oil is influenced by high temperatures, wherein the time which pass between the exchange intervals decreases if the temperature of the oil is kept down.
FIG. 1 shows parts of a known retarder for a heavy vehicle, such as a lorry. The known retarder comprises a double rotor 1 and two stators 2, 3, which surrounds a shaft 4 to form two toroid-shaped spaces 5. The inner diameter of the respective toroid-shaped space is used as an inlet 6 and the outer diameter as an outlet 7. By having the inlet 6 in connection to the inner diameter of the torus, a delivering channel 8 has to be provided between the shaft 4 and the inlet 6. Hereby, this retarder construction takes up a great deal of space. Furthermore, it ought to be noted that when the rotor rotates, the pressure difference, which is created between the area where the inlets 6 are located and the area where the outlets 7 are located is relatively small. Consequently, no higher flow of the working medium may be obtained by this construction. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The emergence of cloud-computing resource providers and management tools for private virtualization clusters has allowed virtualized applications to be deployed on resources that may be changed or re-provisioned on an as-needed basis. For example, a developer who knows that his or her deployed application will receive only modest workloads may choose to run the application on an instance having allocated only a modest amount of resources. As time goes on, however, the developer may discover that the application is now receiving larger workloads and may consequently decide to upgrade larger instance and/or create a cluster of a plurality of small instances behind a load balancer. Should demand fall in the future, the developer may downgrade back to the single, small instance. The ability to provision and re-provision compute resources is thus a fundamental benefit of cloud computing and of virtualization in general; it allows one to ‘right-scale’ an application so that the resources upon which it is deployed match the computational demands it experiences and thus avoid paying for un-needed resources.
The task of right-scaling a virtualized application is, however, difficult in practice. For example, scaling an application based on instantaneous demand (sometimes called autoscaling) is often an inappropriate resource-allocation scheme; amongst other things, such scaling does not allow the advance provision of resources, and it is necessarily blind to long-term usage patterns. Consequently, it is desirable to have a resource-provisioning plan having a longer horizon. The task of forecasting an application's usage patterns, however, even when restricted to simply extending performance-metric time series (e.g., percent CPU utilization over time, disk IO over time, etc.), may be a labor-intensive process. Furthermore, even if performance metrics could be predicted in advance, one still faces the problem of translating this knowledge into intelligent decisions to upgrade or downgrade a deployment. For example, suppose someone has an application running on three small instances, and that he or she knows with certainty that over the next month, these instances will respectively run constantly at 20%, 60%, and 80% CPU utilization. If, say, the application is instead deployed on two medium instances, these CPU utilization numbers would change unpredictably. In other words, it may be difficult to determine how performance metrics on one deployment will translate into performance metrics on another deployment of the same application on a different resource set.
This problem may be exacerbated by the fact that performance patterns are often application-specific. For example, suppose there are two applications, A and B, and two resource deployment patterns (e.g. three small instances or two medium instances), X and Y. Suppose that on the resource pattern X, application A's memory utilization fluctuates between 70% and 80% and that on resource pattern Y, it fluctuates between 40% and 50%. Suppose further that application B's memory utilization on resource pattern X also fluctuates between 70% and 80%. Given this information, it cannot be determined with certainty that application B's utilization on Y will also be between 40% and 50%, even though application A behaved that way, because of potential differences between the needs of applications A and B. The way that an application performs on a resource is often very specific to that application, making it extremely difficult to predict how other applications will perform when deployed on different resource types. A need therefore exists for a more efficient way to scale resource allocations for applications. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to fuel control valves for diesel engines. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention is directed to three-dimensional polymeric adhesive materials and methods for producing such materials.
During the past quarter century, the rapid growth of the electronic circuits industry has resulted in the development of higher performance construction materials. However, the development of high performance adhesive materials and systems to bond the construction materials together has not kept pace. This lack of higher performance adhesive materials is particularly felt in the assembly of electronic components for use in severe environmental conditions, such as under-the-hood automotive and military applications. Adhesive materials and systems that are currently available meet some of the requirements for such properties as peel strength, chemical resistance, moisture resistance, high temperature stability, dimensional stability, especially in the Z-axis direction, and ease of processing. However, these materials and systems typically fail to meet one or more of these requirements. Therefore, a need exists for an adhesive material that meets all of the requirements for use under severe environmental conditions while retaining ease of application. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Creating an application in a general-purpose programming language that maps to a relational database for data storage traditionally involves substantial manual effort by a human developer. For example, conventional techniques for creating a database for use with regard to an application typically involve the human developer explicitly setting up the database and manually ensuring mapping of the database with regard to the application and other configuration of the database. For instance, the human developer may explicitly draft code to map relational schema that is associated with the database to constructs of the programming language. Accordingly, these conventional techniques may place a substantial burden on the human developer to understand the mapping and configuration to be used for creating the database, to make appropriate choices with respect to creating the database, and/or to be capable of implementing the mapping and configuration so that the database functions as intended. | {
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The field of this invention is "oral compositions" which term is used herein to designate products which in the ordinary course of usage are retained in the oral cavity for a time and in a manner sufficient to contact substantially all of the dental surfaces, but are not intentionally ingested. Such products include, for example, dentifrices, mouthwashes, prophylaxis pastes and topical solutions.
Safe and effective oral compositions for calculus inhibition have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,154 of James S. Widder and William W. Briner for "ORAL COMPOSITIONS FOR CALCULUS RETARDATION", issued July 18, 1972, and in a series of applications by William W. Briner and James S. Widder as follows: Ser. No. 828,842, filed Oct. 21, 1970; Ser. No. 89,069, filed Nov. 12, 1970 and Ser. No. 89,070, filed Nov. 12, 1970; all of said applications being for "ORAL COMPOSITIONS FOR CALCULUS RETARDATION", and all of said applications being abandoned. All of said applications and said patent are incorporated herein by reference. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Abiotic stress is the primary cause of crop loss worldwide, causing average yield losses of more than 50% for major crops (Boyer, J. S. (1982) Science 218:443-448; Bray, E. A. et al. (2000) In Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants, Edited by Buchannan, B. B. et al., Amer. Soc. Plant Biol., pp. 1158-1249). Among the various abiotic stresses, drought is the major factor that limits crop productivity worldwide. Exposure of plants to a water-limiting environment during various developmental stages appears to activate various physiological and developmental changes. Understanding of the basic biochemical and molecular mechanism for drought stress perception, transduction and tolerance is a major challenge in biology. Reviews on the molecular mechanisms of abiotic stress responses and the genetic regulatory networks of drought stress tolerance have been published (Valliyodan, B., and Nguyen, H. T., (2006) Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 9:189-195; Wang, W., et al. (2003) Planta 218:1-14); Vinocur, B., and Altman, A. (2005) Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 16:123-132; Chaves, M. M., and Oliveira, M. M. (2004) J. Exp. Bot. 55:2365-2384; Shinozaki, K., et al. (2003) Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 6:410-417; Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, K., and Shinozaki, K. (2005) Trends Plant Sci. 10:88-94).
It is well known that responses to abiotic stress vary significantly among plant species and among varieties and cultivars within a plant species. Certain species, varieties or cultivars are more tolerant to abiotic stress such as drought than others. The genotypes of such plants are attractive sources of genes involved in unique responses to abiotic stress. Identification of stress response genes and expression of them in transgenic plants have been tried quite extensively to date. However, stress response genes introduced into plants are often not expressed very well. Reasons for the poor expression may include inappropriate choice of promoters and/or other regulatory elements and destruction of exon-intron structure. Introduction of a plant genomic segment, which retains the native promoter, entire coding region and intact exon-intron structure, into plants may be an effective approach for good expression of a foreign stress responsive gene. For example, it was reported that an enzyme involved in photosynthesis was expressed much higher from a genomic clone than from a corresponding cDNA clone in rice (Ku et al. Nature Biotechnol. 17:76-80, 1999).
Recently, a method for efficient screening of genomic DNA fragments capable of providing plants with an agriculturally advantageous phenotypic variation was developed (U.S. Patent Publication No. US2008/0301832A1). In this method, plants are transformed with genomic fragments from a genomic library constructed from a higher plant, and the resultant transgenic plants are screened for an agriculturally advantageous phenotypic variation. The resultant plants could be screened for a unique response to abiotic stress, such as drought tolerance, and eventually, a genomic fragment, which may carry a stress responsive gene readily expressible in plants, may be identified. In order to identify a unique stress responsive gene and utilize this gene in transgenic plants, considerable experimentation is required. Among the many factors to consider include the following: choice of a plant from which a genomic library is constructed; how the transgenic plants are screened; how the genomic fragments are examined; and how the a stress responsive gene is pinpointed, characterized and used. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to monopole/slot antennas, and more particularly such antennas where the height of the monopole is reduced by the addition of compensating features.
By way of background, monopole/slot antennas (also referred to herein as full height monopole/slot antennas) are well known in the art. Such antennas are characterized as including a radiating slot fed by a stripline and backed by a cavity. The cavity is formed by upper and lower ground planes with conductive fasteners, posts, or the like around its perimeter. the fasteners act as shorting pins, forming the cavity walls, and preventing the parallel wave guide mode of radiation from the edges of the ground planes. Thus, the ground planes and shorting pins define the cavity. The upper ground plane has a slot therein, and a stripline is located midway between the ground planes. A monopole extends from the stripline and through the center of the radiating slot, orthogonal to the upper ground plane. The monopole is excited by directly contacting the stripline feed. Typically, suitable terminals are provided with such antennas to excite one end of the stripline and load the other.
With monopole/slot antennas of this type, the resonant frequency is determined by the monopole and slot dimensions. Because it is desirable to eliminate cavity influence on the antenna, the cavity dimensions typically are chosen so its lowest resonant frequency is considerably above the antenna operating range. The characteristic impedance of the antenna is determined in part by the width of the stripline and the thickness of the cavity.
the design of such monopole/slot antennas is well known in the art. Thus, for a given desired frequency range, resonant frequency, and characteristic impedance, the dimensions of the cavity, stripline width, slot, and monopole may be easily determined from known handbooks or known calculations.
Monopole/slot antennas of this type have several desirable operating characteristics. Because the monopole and slot are representative of reciprocal structures (electric dipole versus magnetic monopole), complementary tuning effects result that broaden the overall impedance bandwidth. The monopole/slot antenna develops a highly directive cardioid radiation pattern in the antenna ground plane with a deep null maintained over a wide bandwidth and occuring in the direction of the loaded end of the stripline. This cardioid pattern results from the superposition of the monopole and slot patterns. The monopole radiates a uniform pattern with constant phase in the ground plane direction. The slot radiates a figure 8 pattern with a 180.degree. phase shift between lobes. The deepest null occurs when the monopole and slot are excited equally. Because the radiation patterns of the monopole and slot element do not change appreciably as they become "electrically short", the combined monopole/slot antenna maintains a good cardioid radiation pattern over a wide frequency range.
While the monopole/slot antenna has many advantages, it has a principle disadvantage. The monopole protrudes above the antenna body. Its height is nearly one quarter wave length at the antenna's center frequency, which is nearly 3 inches (7.62 cm) at one GHz. Moreover, the monopole is a wire or rod, and must be protected by a radome in most installations. However, in some applications, no protrusions from the mounting surface can be tolerated, and therefore in those applications the full height monopole/slot antenna cannnot be used.
A known modification of the full height monopole/slot antenna is known as the hybrid slot antenna. Such an antenna is described in a technical paper entitled "The Hybrid Slot, a Versatile Low-Profile Radiator With Small Reflection Coefficient" by Mayes and Cwik, Electrical Engineering Department, University of Illinois, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference. A discussion of monopole/slot antennas may be found in the technical paper entitled, "The Monopole-Slot: A Small Broad Band Unidirectional Antenna", by Mayes, Warren, and Wiesenmeyer, IEEE Trans., AP-20 No. 4, pages 489-493, July, 1972, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference. With the hybrid slot antenna, the height of the monopole is reduced by top loading. This top loading is accomplished by providing a disk or "top hat" at the top of the monopole such that the larger the disk, the greater the loading. While the advantage of top hat loading is to reduce the height of the monopole, thus overcoming the chief disadvantage of the full height monopole/slot antenna, such top loading produces certain undesirable characteristics by sacrificing electrical performance when the monopole height is reduced. Specifically, with the hybrid slot antenna, there is a sacrifice in impedance bandwidth and radiation pattern performance.
The present invention substantially overcomes the disadvantages of the full height monopole/slot antenna without significant sacrifice in impedance, bandwidth, and radiation patterns. Thus, with the present invention the height of the monopole is substantially reduced while maintaining the impedance and cardioid radiation characteristics over a wide bandwidth. This is accomplished by offsetting the stripline toward the slotted ground plane, and capacitively loading the slot. The reduced height monopole/slot antenna of the present invention is a wide bandwidth antenna that develops a highly directive cardioid radiation pattern. It has low volume, excellent form factor, and easy producibility. The wide bandwidth occurs as a low input VSWR over an extremely wide frequency range, and a cardioid pattern in the antenna ground plane with a deep null is maintained over a wide bandwidth. The monopole element of the present invention, which protrudes above the antenna in the full height monopole/slot antenna, is significantly reduced in height by electrical loading. Therefore, for many applications, the antenna of the present invention can be flush mounted with no protrusions above the mounting surface. Like the monopole/slot antenna, the reduced height antenna of the present invention eliminates the problem of changing element impedances as frequency changes. It has a very wide bandwidth of nearly constant input impedance.
Thus, with the antenna of the present invention, the height of the monopole is greatly reduced. Moreover, through the other modifications, it retains the excellent electrical characteristics of the full height monopole/slot antenna with the added advantages of a low profile. These modifications give the antenna performance that is considerably improved for many applications over those previously known. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Social networks, or social utilities that track and enable connections between users (including people, businesses, and other entities), have become prevalent in recent years. In particular, social networking websites allow users to share and consume information more efficiently and in real-time. A social networking website may also allow users to associate themselves with other users, thus creating a web of connections among the users of the social networking website. These connections among the users can be leveraged by the website to offer more relevant information to each user in view of the users' shared information. Recognition of faces in images can be performed by any of a number of conventional methods. Such conventional methods for face recognition typically do not take advantage of the wealth of additional information available via social networks. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Clients frequently rely on servers to process data requests such as data processing requests and/or data retrieval requests. Receiving responses to such data processing requests in a timely and reliable manner is desirable. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Whether used for transportation or recreation, tricycles may be used for riders of different sizes and capabilities. Some tricycles are configured to be propelled and steered by the rider. In some instances, tricycles are configured to be pushed from behind, by an individual, such as an adult pushing a child. Typically, when the tricycle is propelled by the rider, the rider uses the pedals attached to the front wheel and steers the tricycle using a handle which is typically connected to the front wheel. Tricycles configured to be pushed from behind sometimes include a mechanical steering mechanism to permit an adult walking behind the tricycle to mechanically turn the front wheel. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to clock and data recovery circuits, and more particularly to clock and data recovery circuits operating at high speeds and having reduced phase errors.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In high-speed data communications, serial data transfers have more advantages compared with parallel data transfers; for example, serial data transfers require fewer channels and induce less interference between signals. In the case of transferring serial data signal at high speeds, a frequency clock for recovering serial data is generally recovered from the serial data signal. In order to accurately recover the serial data included in the serial data signal, the phase of the received serial data signal and the phase of the recovered frequency clock need to be synchronized. A circuit that recovers the frequency clock to be synchronized with the data signal is referred to as a clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,279 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,336, CDR methods using phase interpolators are disclosed. The methods according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,279 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,336, however, are difficult to adapt to spread spectrum clocking (SSC).
Because a clock signal typically has a single frequency, energy distribution of the clock signal is concentrated in a narrow frequency band, and the energy distribution has a large peak value. In the case of the clock signal having a high frequency (e.g., several GHz), a length of a circuit wire becomes similar to a wavelength of the clock signal, and some wires may even operate as an antennas the wavelength is shortened. Thus, electromagnetic radiation of a corresponding frequency and its harmonics may easily occur. In addition, an error between adjacent circuits may be increased because of electromagnetic interference (EMI). Therefore, there exist limits as to how much a clock frequency can be increased.
Accordingly, the SSC technique was introduced for reducing an EMI effect. The SSC technique includes lowering a peak value by spreading the energy distribution concentrated in a narrow frequency band over a large frequency band, thereby reducing the EMI effect at substantially the same energy levels. More specifically, the SSC technique modulates the clock frequency according to a modulation profile having a predetermined rate of change, thereby preventing the EMI effect and increasing a maximum clock frequency, that is, a nominal frequency.
In transferring high-speed serial data with the SSC technique, the serial data signal has a relatively high frequency that constantly changes within a predetermined frequency band. Thus, a CDR circuit capable of constantly keeping up with clock changes and operating at high speeds is required. In a data transfer standard of the Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), a capability of keeping up with a frequency variation of more than about 0.5%, that is, 5,000 ppm, is required. To satisfy the above condition, a phase detector and a loop filter need to have very high speeds. It is difficult, however, to increase the operating speed and the frequency variation to more than 300 MHz and 2,000 ppm, respectively, in the phase detector and loop filter of a generic digital logic circuit. The limit to the frequency variation may be overcome by adapting a source-coupled logic (SCL) capable of implementing a high-speed logic circuit and by increasing pipeline steps; however, the chip size or power consumption may be considerably increased.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional CDR circuit. The conventional CDR circuit of FIG. 1 converts high-speed serial data into low-speed parallel data, and then detects a phase difference of the converted parallel data.
Referring to FIG. 1, the CDR circuit includes a sampler 11, a deserializer (serial-parallel converter) 12, a phase detection logic 13, a loop filter 14, a phase interpolation controller 15, a phase interpolator 16, a frequency divider 17, and a phase-locked loop 18.
The phase-locked loop 18 generates four reference clock signals that respectively have a frequency of f/2 Hz and a phase difference of about 90° between each other. The phase interpolator 16 receives the reference clock signals and adjusts the phases, to generate four recovery clock signals that respectively have a frequency of f/2 Hz and a phase difference of about 90° between each other. The phase interpolator 16 provides the recovery clock signals to the sampler 11.
The frequency divider 17 lowers an inputted frequency by 1/n, and outputs the lowered frequency. That is, the frequency divider 17 transforms the inputted f/2 Hz clock signal into an f/2n Hz clock signal, and then provides the f/2n Hz clock signal as an operating clock of the deserializer 12, the phase detection logic 13, the loop filter 14 and the phase interpolation controller 15.
The sampler 11 samples serial data INPUT having f bps, and provides a sampled signal to the deserializer 12. The deserializer 12 transforms the sampled signal into two n-bit parallel data IDATA and QDATA. At least one of the transformed n-bit parallel data IDATA and QDATA may be provided to the exterior as recovery data DATA.
The phase detection logic 13 generates one of a pulse signal UP and a pulse signal DOWN corresponding to the respective n-bit parallel data IDATA and QDATA. The pulse signals UP/DOWN are used for changing a phase of the operating clock.
The pulse signals UP/DOWN are inputted to the loop filter 14. The loop filter 14 is a kind of digital filter that transforms a high-frequency pulse into low-frequency edges. An output of the loop filter 14 is provided to the phase interpolation controller 15, and then transformed into a phase control signal CTL. The control signal CTL is provided to the phase interpolator 16. The phase interpolator 16 changes phases of the four reference clock signals in response to the phase control signal CTL. The phase interpolator 16 generates the four recovery clock signals, the phases of which are compensated, and provides the four recovery clock signals to the sampler 11.
In the circuit of FIG. 1, because the phase is detected based on the parallel data, the speed burden on the phase detector and the loop filter may be reduced. For example, in case that n is 20, phases of respective 20-bit parallel data are detected, and thus phase control signals are respectively generated. In the case that the SSC technique is applied, however, the phase interpolator adjusts a phase at a relatively slow speed compared to the high speed of the input data. Therefore, the phase interpolator cannot keep up with a frequency variation of the input data, or a phase margin is greatly reduced. | {
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Mass spectrometers are commonly used for the determination of the mass of analyte molecules. In these instruments, ionized molecules are typically either created or introduced into a high vacuum chamber and accelerated to a known kenetic energy. Magnetic fields and electric fields are then used in various methods and fashions for mass selection, mass filtering, and thereby mass determination of the ionized molecules. Among the various types of mass spectrometers commercially available today, there are included magnetic sector, time-of-flight (TOF), ion trap, quadrupole, and ion cyclotron resonance instruments. There are also available instruments that are combinations of the various techniques of mass analysis.
In a typical sector mass spectrometer, a magnetic field (magnetic sector) mass analyzer is scanned over a mass range of interest causing an ion beam output spectrum of mass versus magnetic field intensity. There is commonly also an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) either before or after the magnetic sector, so as to select only ions of a narrow energy distribution, thereby improving resolution, a measure of the selectivity of the mass analysis. Scanning of the magnetic fields and electric fields is a relatively slow process resulting in low efficiency as the ionization is typically, although not always, a continuous process.
By contrast, in a typical time-of-flight mass spectrometer, the entire mass range is analyzed in a single experiment, limited in time only by the mass dependant flight time of the ions in the vacuum chamber, a period measured in microseconds. Time-of-flight instruments have a significant duty cycle advantage over scanning instruments which require a much longer time period to scan the selected mass range.
In mass spectrometry, it is desirable not only to investigate the mass of the intact analyte molecules, but to also be able to dissociate selected analyte molecules (precursor ions) and investigate the mass of the dissociated product ions (fragment ions), and thereby investigate the structure of the precursor analyte molecules. In a typical mass spectrometer designed for MS/MS experiments, there is an MS1 mass analyzer wherein the analyte precursor molecule is mass analyzed and selected, a dissociation region wherein the mass selected precursor ion is collided with a gas, photons, or a surface, thereby causing dissociation of the precursor ions, and an MS2 mass analyzer wherein the resulting product ions are mass analyzed. This is commonly referred to as MS/MS spectrometry or tandem mass spectrometry. Tandem mass spectrometry plays an essential role in the structural analysis of a wide variety of compounds including biomolecules, such as peptides, proteins, and oligonucleotides.
In Collision Induced Dissociation (CID), the mass selected precursor ions from MS1 are passed through a region of relatively high pressure, causing the precursor ions to collide with a target gas molecule. The energy imparted to the precursor ion in such a collision will frequently lead to dissociation of the precursor ion. The efficiency of the CID process is determined in great part on the choice of target gas and the density of the target gas in the collision cell and is proportional to the kenetic energy (KE) of the precursor ion.
The most common MS/MS instruments have until recently been high performance tandem sector instruments. These instruments tend to be large and expensive, and, due to the scanning nature of sector instruments, the product ion collection efficiency has been very low.
An alternative solution is the use of a TOF analyzer as a second stage (MS2) for a sector instrument. Clayton and Bateman (Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry (RCM) 6 (1992) 719) proposed such an instrument that employed orthogonal extraction into a TOF analyzer. However, to perform high energy CID experiments, only an xe2x80x9cin-linexe2x80x9d arrangement can be considered. An in-line arrangement also provides higher CID ion collection efficiency.
An in-line tandem TOF system was proposed by Davis and Evans in U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,914. In their system, a quadrupole field, pulsed, ion storage device was used to decelerate and mass analyze ions in a TOF MS1. The ions then passed through a dissociation region of a few millimeters where a timed laser pulse was applied (Photo Dissociation Spectrometry), after which the fragment ions (as well as the remaining parent ions) entered a TOF MS2 where the product ions were mass analyzed using a quadrupole field reflectron.
A reflectron (or ion mirror) as disclosed, for example, in Mamyrin et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,862, is an electric field device that reflects ions backwards so as to increase the ion flight times and thereby increase the temporal resolution of the spectral results. Ion mirrors have the ability to correct the kinetic energy (KE) differences of ions of the same mass, thereby improving the quality of the mass spectrum. A true parabolic field reflectron is known to be energy independent for ions of the same mass over a very large mass range (Davis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,472), and has a single spatial focus point for ions irregardless of mass. This type of reflectron can correct for very large KE differences in the temporal focusing of ions. A disadvantage in using a parabolic field reflectron is that the spatial focal point of such a reflectron is located exactly at the entrance to the reflectron. In this invention, an offset parabolic field reflectron is introduced. Use of an offset parabolic field moves the reflectron spatial focal point beyond the entrance of the reflectron, thereby providing for field free regions to exist between the reflectron and its focal point.
Two groups have proposed in-line sector and TOF combinations: Derrick et al. (Int. J. Mass Spec. Ion Proc.) constructed a system based on some of the principles of the tandem TOF design of the Davis and Evans patent. In their implementation, a linear field two-plate ion buncher and a quadratic field planar symmetry reflectron were indicated. A parabolic curve of the shape V=Kd2 is independent of energy variations, however, there is no field free drift region allowed prior to the focus. In a parabolic field reflectron, the spatial focal point of the reflectron will be located exactly at the entrance to the reflectron.
Cotter, Cornish, and Musselman (RCM 8 (1994) 339) proposed the use of a curved field reflectron in a tandem sector/TOF instrument, however, a method of selection and focusing of the analyte precursor ions was not considered. In a curved field reflectron, field free regions may be defined in front of the reflectron. In TOF systems, these field free regions are commonly referred to as L1 and L2. In a curved field reflectron, ion flight times for a given mass are not completely energy independent. In an offset parabolic field reflectron, above a low energy threshold determined by the offset value, ion flight times of a given mass are completely energy independent, an important feature of this invention. In this invention, an offset parabolic field reflectron is used to achieve very high mass accuracy and resolution over the entire MS2 product ion mass range, above a low energy threshold determined by the offset value.
It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that other types of mass spectrometers, e.g., MALDI-TOF (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption), or ESI-TOF (Electro Spray Ionization) instruments could, and have been, substituted for the sector instrument as MS1. The invention described herein has application in these other types of mass spectrometers, as well as the traditional sector instruments.
Briefly, according to this invention, there is provided a tandem mass spectrometry method with collision induced dissociation (CID) comprising the steps for: a) using a first mass spectrometer to select precursor ions of a selected mass, b) forming a packet of precursor ions, c) assigning a focusing energy to each packet of precursor ions in the ion buncher so as to bring the ions into temporal focus at some point in space, d) fragmenting the selected precursor ions near the spatial focus point to form product ions, e) passing the precursor and product ions into an offset parabolic field ion mirror (reflectron) for providing TOF dispersion among product ions of differing mass-to-charge ratios while maintaining near zero flight time dispersion (at the focal point) among product ions of the same mass-to-charge ratios but having large energy differences, and f) detecting the arrival times of the precursor and product ions. Preferably, the precursor and product ions pass through a field free region.
Preferably, the packets of precursor ions are formed by assigning a focusing energy pulse to eject ions from an ion source region in MS1 or gating a pulse of near mono-energetic precursor ions to an ion buncher.
Also, according to this invention, there is provided a tandem mass spectrometry apparatus comprising: a) a first mass spectrometer for selecting precursor ions of a predefined mass, b) apparatus for forming ion packets, preferably, a device for assigning a focusing energy pulse in the ion source, or an ion gate for forming a packet of precursor ions, alternatively, an ion buncher for applying a focusing pulse, c) a collision chamber for fragmenting the bunched precursor ions near the spatial focus point so as to form product ions, d) an ion mirror (reflectron) for providing TOF dispersion among product ions of differing mass-to-charge ratios while maintaining near zero flight time dispersion at the detector among product ions of the same mass-to-charge ratio and having large energy differences, and e) a detector for detecting the arrival times of, the precursor and product ions.
Preferably, an ion buncher is provided for spatially focusing a mono-energetic pulse of precursor ions. Preferably, a field free region is provided through which the precursor and product ions pass. Preferably, the bunching device is capable of precisely focusing relatively long ion beam pulses or clusters, thereby increasing the duty cycle, and therefore sensitivity, of a measured signal. This requires special means for providing velocity compensation across the ion path region. This type of buncher is referred to herein as a long buncher.
Preferably, the ion mirror is provided with a uniquely-shaped voltage distribution which permits significant flight time dispersion between product ions of differing mass-to-charge ratios while maintaining near zero flight time dispersion among fragments of the same mass-to-charge ratios having large energy differences. This energy independence is necessary due to the large energy distribution imparted by the focusing pulse to the precursor ions. The voltage distribution in the ion mirror that provides this property, and a focus point in a field free region outside of the ion mirror, is a parabolic function that is offset from the origin. The voltage can be described by the following equation: V=V0+K(dxe2x88x92d0)2.
Ions generated in an ESI-TOF or MALDI-TOF source may be analyzed in a similar fashion without the use of a an ion buncher where the focusing voltage pulse is applied to the precursor ions in the source. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spring steel to be made into springs as automotive parts in engines, clutches, fuel injectors, suspension systems, etc. The present invention relates also to a process for producing steel wire rods for springs from said spring steel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wires for springs in various uses as mentioned above are produced by drawing which usually follows shaving (to remove surface defects, such as flaws and decarburized layer, of rolled wire rods) and refining by lead patenting.
In pursuit of higher productivity, attempts are being made to increase the drawing speed. However, drawing at high speeds excessively increases loads on the shaving tool or chipper to damage it and results in incomplete shaving because of inadequate chip removal. There is a demand for a high-strength spring steel which does not present such drawbacks at the time of shaving.
One way to address the problem is by low temperature annealing which is intended to reduce the strength of steel. However, the problem still remains unsolved. Solutions to the problem need knowledge about the metallurgical structure and mechanical properties of the steel to be shaved. Such knowledge has never been sought, however. Meanwhile, in the case where very high fatigue strength is not required, rolled wire rods are drawn into wires directly without being shaved. (Drawing in this way is referred to as green drawing.) Wire rods for this purpose are produced by any of several ways disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Nos. 116727/19982, 118013/19985, and 79719/1991.
New technologies for spring production have been proposed which supersede lead patenting that follows shaving. They include (A) heating at 450-750xc2x0 C. for a short time just enough to soften the hard surface layer, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 188745/1995, and (B) heating in a gas phase at a temperature (T) of 823-973 K for a prescribed period of time (t minutes) such that Txc3x97t=6700-12000 (Kxc2x7minxc2xd), as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 311547/1996. Heat treatment in these manners leaves the as-rolled structure almost intact. Under these circumstances, spring steels are required to have good shaving properties as well as ability for green drawing from wire rods having the as-rolled structure.
Such technical requirements force wire producers to be ready for drawing regardless of whether shaving is carried out or not. Conventional technologies do not provide spring steels capable of both shaving and green drawing, and no attention has been paid to such products.
The present invention was completed in order to tackle the above-mentioned problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a spring steel which has both good shaving properties and capability of green drawing, which are important in the production of springs. It is another object of the present invention to provide a process for producing wire rods for good springs from said spring steel.
The gist of the present invention resides in a spring steel having the following mechanical properties in its as-rolled state before shaving, said spring steel being optionally softened under the following conditions after rolling.
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (maximum)xe2x89xa61200 MPa
30% (minimum)xe2x89xa6reduction of areaxe2x89xa670% (maximum)
Low Temperature Annealing Conditions
Heating in a gas phase at a temperature (T) of 873-1023 K for a prescribed period of time (t minutes) such that Txc3x97t=7300xcx9c15000 (Kminxc2xd).
In addition, the spring steel according to the present invention should preferably meet the following conditions.
(1) It is composed of pearlite alone or ferrite and pearlite together and has a structure such that the fraction of supercooled structure is less than 10%.
(2) It has a Vickers hardness in the plane of its cross-section whose standard deviation ("sgr") is smaller than 20.
(3) It has a Vickers hardness in the plane of its cross-section which is smaller than 380.
The gist of the present invention resides also in a process for producing wire rods for springs from said spring steel, said process comprising drawing, shaving, and oil tempering, which are carried out sequentially, or comprising drawing, shaving, any of the following treatments (a) to (c), and oil tempering, which are carried out sequentially.
(a) Lead patenting treatment.
(b) Heat treatment in a gas phase at a temperature (T) of 823-973 K for a period (t minutes) such that Txc3x97t=6700xcx9c12000 (Kxc2x7minxc2xd).
(c) Heat treatment at 450-750xc2x0 C. for a short time just enough to soften the surface hard layer. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Surgical sutures made from polypropylene monofilaments have been successfully used by the medical profession for more than ten years. The advantages exhibited by polypropylene sutures include the following:
(a) They pass easily through tissue;
(b) They resist breakdown and do not promote infection;
(c) They have minimal reaction with tissue;
(d) They have high tensile strength; and
(e) They maintain their in vivo tensile strength over extended periods.
The preferred polypropylene suture used in the medical profession today is described by Listner in U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,205.
As good as the current polypropylene sutures are, there is room for improvement. In particular, it would be desirable to increase the compliance, limpness, or felxibility of polypropylene sutures, especially with the larger suture sizes, in order to make them easier to handle and to improve their knot security. The problem is that previous efforts to accomplish this have occasioned a concomitant undesirable decrease in strength properties.
One approach to the provision of sutures having the desirable properties of polypropylene sutures, with the added feature of being more compliant, has been to employ random ethylene-propylene copolymers containing a small amount of polymerized ethylene, as is disclosed by Menezes et al. in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 432,487, filed Oct. 4, 1982, entitled "Ethylene-Propylene Copolymer Sutures", and assigned to the same assignee as this application, and abandoned Nov. 28, 1984.
The extrusion of polymers into monofilaments is well established technology, as is illustrated by the Listner patent cited above. The typical procedure is to extrude the monofilament and pass it to a first station such as a godet. The monofilament is quenched, either by air or by a liquid quench bath, between the extruder and the first station. The monofilament may be "drawn down" slightly between the extruder and the first station, but the draw down ratio or "jet stretch" (i.e., ratio of speed of take up at the first station to extrusion speed) will rarely exceed about 4X. After the first station, the monofilament is oriented by drawing. In order to achieve uniform orientation, the degree of draw achieved between the first station and the next station should be the "natural draw ratio". The natural draw ratio is defined as the ratio of take-up speed to let-off speed at which an undrawn filament will spontaneously draw via a "neck" formation when subjected to an axial extension above the filament's yield point. The natural draw ratio is a moderately narrow range of draw ratios that is dependent, in part, upon factors such as nature of polymer, molecular weight, drawing conditions, especially temperature, and the like. If the draw ratio used is less than the natural draw ratio, undrawn areas of monofilament will be present, and if the draw used in a single drawing step is above the natural draw ratio, microscopic inhomogeneities such as voids and fibrils will be formed.
This invention is directed to the provision of improved polypropylene surgical monofilaments that are significantly more compliant than prior polypropylene surgical monofilaments (as is evidenced by significantly lower Young's Modulus values), but which retain, at least to a large degree, the excellent properties of prior polypropylene surgical monofilaments, and to a method for producing the improved sutures. The process for producing the surgical monofilaments of this invention involves additional orientation in one or more added drawing stages beyond that achieved by the initial draw that is carried out at the natural draw ratio, followed by a heat relaxation step with annealing.
This invention is based upon the discovery that an increase in the draw ratio during orientation increases the tensile strength more than the modulus of the filament, and that an increase in the shrinkage allowed during annealing decreases the modulus more than the tensile strength. Thus, an increase in both the draw ratio and the allowed shrinkage during annealing results in a filament of lower modulus at a given level of tensile strength. | {
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Along with development and increasingly wide application of integrated circuit technology, the design of integrate circuits has to take into account requirements for high reliability, excellent performance and low costs. There is a growing demand for functions and precision in respect of IC CAD software statistical variation tolerance analysis, optimized design, yield rate, cost analysis and prediction of reliability. However, in IC CAD software, device model of MOSFET is a critical link that links IC design and IC product function and performance. As sizes of integrated devices become smaller and smaller, the integration scale becomes increasingly large, and processing of integrated circuits becomes more and more complicated, all of these require greater precision for device models. Today, how to provide a MOSFET model with precision has without doubt become a problem for IC CAD designers to solve urgently; it is also an important and hot research topic across the world. Currently, the mainstream MOSFET device modeling in the industry is BSIM modeling, while correspondingly SOI MOSFET device modeling is BSIMSOI modeling.
The devices corresponding to BSIMSOI is devices having source-drain injection reaching the bottom. However, in the practice of circuit designing, MOSFET usually makes use of device structures having source-drain injection not reaching the bottom in order to facilitate the implementing of body leads along the direction of channel length. This would increase the source body junction bottom capacitance and the drain body junction bottom capacitance, but the traditional BSIM SOI modeling is incapable of accommodating effects of this. | {
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The present invention relates generally to smart cards. Particularly, the present invention relates to voice annotation and storage in smart cards.
A larger percentage of consumer spending is accomplished with credit cards and debit cards. Credit and debit cards offer the convenience of receiving a single statement every month no matter how many transactions were performed.
Smart credit/debit cards have been gaining popularity lately. These cards provide the convenience of a normal credit/debit card but with a higher level of security for both the bank and the consumer. The card cannot be used if a password is not entered properly. Additionally, since the card can store and track account balances, the consumer must recharge the card in order to continue using it.
A typical smart credit/debit card is comprised of a microprocessor and memory. Connectors on the exterior of the card couple the smart card circuitry to a merchant""s card reader. Through the connectors, the card reader can read the contents of the memory in order to verify the consumer""s identity and/or debit the account balance.
Whenever a credit/debit card or a smart card is used, the bank records the merchant, date of purchase, and the amount of purchase for later use by the consumer. The consumer may then use this data in a personal finance management program (e.g., Quicken, MS Money) to track his spending.
One problem with credit/debit card transactions is that the bank does not record the actual item purchased. Since the bank""s statement may take up to a month to arrive, the consumer may have forgotten what was purchased from a particular merchant or why the purchase was made. There is a resulting need for a consistent and easy method of recording the content of purchases or other transactions involving a smart card.
The present invention encompasses a smart card that has the capability to store a voice annotation along with a transaction, such as a financial transaction. Before or after a consumer performs a transaction with the smart card, the consumer uses a microphone to produce a voice annotation signal. The voice annotation signal, in the preferred embodiment, is related to the transaction data (e.g., price, date, account balance) generated from the transaction.
The smart card has memory that stores the voice annotation signal with its respective transaction data. The voice annotation signal may be stored consecutive with the transaction data or in another location in memory with an address pointer to the linked transaction data.
A controller or processor is coupled to the microphone and the memory. The controller controls the smart card operations. The operations include user authorization, storage of the voice annotation signal, and storage of the respective transaction data.
An input/output (I/O) connector, coupled to the controller, provides the controller with the transaction data. The I/O connector couples the smart card to a merchant""s card reader or to the consumer""s card reader coupled to a printer and/or computer. | {
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Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to a continuous form, fill, seal and separate packaging machine. The packaging machine of this invention is uniquely characterized not only by its continuous operation, but also by the means for supplying to the packaging machine an essentially uninterrupted source of web material with which to form and seal the package receptacles.
Description of the Prior Art.
Prior art publications, and particularly issued U.S. Letters Patent, teach a rather large variety of devices for forming, filling and sealing packages. However, as a review of the prior art literature clearly demonstrates, most such packaging machines are of an intermittent operation. That is to say, the web from which the packages are formed generally must stop at each of the work stations of the machine where the forming, filling and sealing operations are accomplished. While the periods of stop, or dwell, are admittedly brief, they nevertheless impose significant limits upon the capacity of such machines for any given period of time.
No doubt in recognition of such limitations, varieties of continuous form, fill and seal devices have been developed and are taught in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,772 discloses an apparatus for continuously forming, filling and sealing containers. According to the disclosure of this patent, continuous movement of the web through the machine is accomplished by providing movable forming, filling and sealing stations. This patent also suggest that filled and sealed containers may be separated from the moving web stop by a similarly movable separating station. Of course, as this patent notes, the movable work stations should preferably be adjusted to operate in push-pull, or out of phase, relationship in which the acceleration of one moving work station in a first direction is offset by the acceleration of another moving work station in a second, opposite direction. Nevertheless, even with an apparatus such as that described in this U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,772, a significant capacity limitation remains in that the total operation of the apparatus must be secured when the web supply is exhausted in order to load the apparatus with a new supply of web stock.
It must, of course, be admitted that prior art means are known for providing a continuous supply of rolled web stock according to various "fly-splicing" devices and methods. Exemplar devices and methods are taught, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,886,030; 3,915,399; and 4,363,695. However, all such prior art devices are relatively complex, and require substantial effort to replenish the secondary web stock once it has been spliced onto the exhausted primary stock.
It is therefore clear that there is a great need in the art of packaging machines not only for improved continuous forming, filling, sealing and separating of packages, but also for increasing the efficiency, reliability, and use of operation of the fly-splicing apparatus in order to provide a truly continuous source of web stock material to the packaging machine. These and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical overvoltage surge protectors, used to protect telephone transmission lines against voltage surges, and more particularly, relates to spark gap protectors providing auxiliary or backup protection in case of failure of a main gas arrester device.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Surge arresters or station protector devices generally include an insulated housing and contain a pair of spaced apart terminals with provision for maintaining a protector cartridge between the terminals. The protector cartridge may contain a pair of spaced apart carbon electrodes or a gas tube that defines an arc or a discharge gap therebetween in order to pass to ground excessive line voltages or currents in order to protect both the equipment connected to the line and the line itself. With repeated overvoltage conditions such as lightning strikes and transients, the carbon gap loses its effectiveness and the gas tube, although much more reliable, may also fail with continued use. Failure of a gas tube may be the result of the hermetic seals used to seal the gas within the tube becoming porous, thus allowing the gas to escape. This changes the breakover voltage of the protective gas tube arrester to a value which is greater than that desired for the line. Some of these protective devices include solder discs or fusing links which melt because of the excessive heat incurred during an overvoltage transient, causing the line terminal to short to the ground terminal. Many attempts have been made to make the backup or auxiliary protective spark gap survive multiple overvoltage transients without becoming completely shorted. This enables the line to be protected and in service, although tolerating a higher breakover voltage than is normally desired. Typical of a device which provides auxiliary air gap protection is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,869 issued to Gilberts on June 19, 1979. The device disclosed therein provides a pair of electrodes axially aligned with the gas tube and separated by an insulating spacer to provide an air gap therebetween. The air gap is maintained at a predetermined spacing such that that the breakdown voltage thereof is greater than the rated breakdown voltage across the arc gap of the gas tube, but less than the breakdown voltage across the arc gap should the gas tube fail open as by being vented to the atmosphere.
A similar device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,915 which issued to Wilms on Jan. 2, 1979. The arrangement disclosed therein permits a cage finger to grasp a conducting ring spaced from a shorting contact member by a thin insulating spacer defining the auxiliary gap thereacross. Here again, the air gap is directly through the insulating material.
All of these devices operate in a similar manner and each device has a common shortcoming. Once the auxiliary arc gap has experienced an overvoltage, it provides a carbonized path which shorts out the two electrodes and therefore shorts the line it is protecting to ground, requiring a service technician to remove the protective device and replace it with a new one. It would be more advantageous to provide an auxiliary arc gap device such as for example a creepage path, which is capable of sustaining a plurality of overvoltage surges, thereby keeping the line open until a service technician is available to replace the defective arrester.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive device for providing an auxiliary breakdown path in order to protect telephone or other communication lines from overvoltage surges when the gas tube arrester has failed in the open condition.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary spark gap or a gas tube arrester that is capable of surviving a plurality of overvoltages surges.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a reliable backup creepage path device which is easy to install and is in parallel with a gas tube arrester and is readily replaceable therewith.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary creepage path for use with a gas tube arrester which will not hamper other failsafe devices. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In the storage or transmission of digital information, the bits or symbols of the user data are actually transmitted or stored via a physical media or mechanism whose responses are essentially analog in nature. The analog write or transmit signal going into the storage/transmission media or channel is typically modulated by channel bits (typically run-length limited or RLL bits) that are an encoded version of the original user-data bits (non-return-to-zero or NRZ bits). The analog read or receive signal coming from the media is demodulated to detect or extract estimated channel bits, which are then decoded into estimated user-data bits. Ideally, the estimated user-data bits would be an identical copy of the original user-data bits. In practice, they can be corrupted by distortion, timing variations, noise and flaws in the media and in the write/transmit and read/receive channels.
The process of demodulating the analog read signal into a stream of estimated user-data bits can be implemented digitally. Digital demodulation in magnetic mass storage systems requires that the analog read signal be sampled at a rate that is on the order of the channel-bit rate. Maximum-likelihood (ML) demodulation is a process of constructing a best estimate of the channel bits that were written based on digitized samples captured from the analog read signal.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary read signal 100, which is a positive-going pulse generated by an inductive read head, for example, from a single media transition such as transition 103 from North-South to South-North magnetization of track 104 on a rotating disk. Typically, the write signal modulates a transition in the state of the media to write a channel bit of 1 and modulates the absence of a media transition to write a 0 channel bit. Thus, transition 103 corresponds to a single channel bit of value 1 in a stream of 0's.
It is common to use run-length-limited (RLL) encoding of the original user data bits, which are arbitrary or unconstrained, into an RLL-encoded stream of channel bits. It may be desirable that there be no less than d zeroes between ones; that is, that the media transitions be spaced by at least d+1 channel bit times. This constraint can help keep to a manageable level the interference effects among the pulses in the analog read signal. On the other hand, because media transitions provide timing information that must be extracted from the read signal to ensure synchronization of the demodulator with the pulses in the read signal, it may be desirable that there be no more than k zeroes between ones; that is, that there be a media transition at least every k'th channel bit time. An RLL(d,k) code is a code that can encode an arbitrary stream of original user-data bits into a stream of channel bits such that the encoded channel bit stream satisfies these two constraints. An RLL code has a theoretical capacity which limits the number of user bits which can be represented in a given number of RLL bits. The capacity is a function of the d and k constraints with d=0 and k=infinite being the limiting (unconstrained) case with a capacity of exactly one. The capacity of an RLL (1,7) code for example is just slightly greater than 2/3 and is exactly 2/3 for any practical implementation, meaning that every pair of user bits will map to exactly three RLL bits.
In FIG. 1, sample set 101 shows the values of four samples in the case of side sampling of read signal 100; i.e. 0.333, 1.0, 1.0, and 0.333. Sample set 101 is equivalent to the set 1, 3, 3, 1; that is, only the ratios among samples are significant. A signal model gives rise to an expected sample sequence for a single or isolated transition in media state. Typically, only a few samples of an isolated media transition are non-zero; in this case, four are non-zero. In a side-sampled signal model such as 1, 3, 3, 1, timing circuitry in the demodulator attempts to maintain a lock on the incoming signal such that two adjacent samples on opposite sides of the peak of an isolated pulse have equal amplitudes and samples are taken at roughly equal time intervals, each a single channel bit time. Synchronization of the samples with the spacing of the bits written on the media is maintained by a timing recovery loop which is in essence a phase-locked loop. Other sample timing arrangements may be useful. In center sampling, the timing circuitry tries to lock the sample times to the read signal pulses such that one sample occurs at the peak of each pulse. Sample set 102 shows the values of four samples in the case of center sampling of a similar read signal 104; i.e., 0.5, 1.0, 0.5, and 0.0 (or 1.0, 2.0, 1.0 and 0.0 depending on the arbitrary normalization used). An expected sample sequence of 1, 2, 1, 0 corresponds to the signal model known in the prior art as Extended Partial-Response Class IV (EPR4). Such sample sequences are samples of a continuous-time analog read-signal waveform such as may be produced in the readback circuitry of a magnetic storage device. For a system that is bandwidth limited to 1/(2T), where T is the sample spacing in time, the sampling theorem declares that the continuous time waveform must be superposition of sinc functions (sinc(x) is defined as sin(x)/x for x<>0, and as 1 for x=0), with one sinc function centered at each sample point and of amplitude equal to that sample value and with zero crossings at all other sample points. As an example, in saturation magnetic recording, the current in an inductive write head takes on values of +1 and -1. The basic excitation applied to the recording channel is a step in current from +1 to -1, vice versa, in the analog write signal. This step in write current produces a transition in the magnetization state of the media as it moves past the head. When an inductive read head is passed over this magnetic media transition, a voltage pulse is induced by the bandwidth limited differentiating interaction of the head with the magnetization of the media. By suitable filtering or equalization, the sequence of samples on an isolated transition response pulse can be made to {. . . , 0, 0, 1, 2, 1, 0, 0, . . . }, in which case the recording or transmission channel matches the EPR4 signal model. Another sample sequence well known in the prior art is the Partial Response Class IV signal model (PR4), which corresponds to an expected sample sequence of 0, 1, 1, 0. Further, as one is designing or taking measurements on a write/media/read channel, it may be desirable to take into account the exact response, noise and distortion characteristics of the channel in selecting the signal model to be implemented in the demodulator. Thus, there is a need for a demodulator that is programmable as to the signal model, or expected sequence of sample values for an isolated media transition. In situations such as mass information storage in magnetic media, significant storage-system speed and capacity gains can be realized if the information bits can be closer together in position/time on the media. Further, as media transitions are more closely positioned, the writing and reading processes become more sensitive to the distortion, timing variations and noise that are inevitably introduced in the processes of writing, storing, and reading. Also, as the transitions become closer, the ability of the media to fully transition from, say, North-South magnetization to South-North magnetization may be taxed. Also, as the media transitions become closer, interference effects increase among adjacent or nearby transitions. FIG. 2 shows how positive-going pulse 200 from first media transition 201 combines with negative-going pulse 202 from second transition 203 to produce analog read signal 204, which can be viewed as the interference of the two pulses. Adjacent media transitions always give rise to read pulses of opposite polarities because they always are created by transitions of opposite types, for example North-South changes to South-North in transition 201, so adjacent transition 202 must be South-North changing back to North-South. Read signal 204 might give rise to a sequence of samples such as 0.333, 1.0, 0.667, -0.667, -1.0, 0.333. To the extent that the read process is linear (and it may not be entirely linear), the voltage waveform induced in the read head will be the superposition of a sequence of pulses, where each pulse is the response to an isolated magnetic transition on the media. Clearly, engineering a high-performance read channel is a complex challenge given the combined effects of the limited sampling rate in a digital demodulator, possibly incomplete transitions in the media, interference among read-signal responses to media transitions, and distortion, timing variations, noise and flaws in the media and in the write and read channels. The prior art uses a method known as partial-response signaling to increase media transition rates. Partial-response signaling is described in the book "Digital Transmission of Information", by Richard E. Blahut, 1990, pp. 139-158 and 249-255. This method allows the analog response of the storage/transmission media and of the write/transmit and read/receive circuitry to a media transition to overlap with the response to adjacent transitions associated with subsequent information bits. If properly implemented, this method can achieve higher information bit rates/densities than the alternative of requiring the media transitions to be spaced such that the read signal responses do not overlap. Such a method requires a sequence detector which can make its decisions not on a bit-by-bit basis but by examining the context of the surrounding read signal.
In a magnetic disk drive, the surface of the magnetic media is logically divided into concentric rings called tracks. The distance around the track varies as a function of the radius at which the track lies. Since it is desirable to keep the rate of revolution of the disk constant to avoid mechanical delays in accelerating and decelerating the disk, it is necessary to either store an amount of data on each track which is proportional to the length of the track (this requires a different data transfer rate for each track) or to vary the physical transition spacing on the media so that pulses are widely separated at the outside diameter and crowded very close at the inner diameter of the recording surface (this is wasteful of the magnetic media which is only sparsely used at the outer diameter). A practice known as zoned recording is a popular compromise between these two extremes. In zoned recording, a group of tracks (a zone) is established in which every track in the zone holds the same amount of data. Thus each zone requires a different data transfer rate, but the number of data transfer rates which need be supported is reduced (more coarsely quantized). This still leaves a variation in the physical spacing of transitions between the inside and outside diameters of each zone resulting in a variation in pulse shape.
Partial-response signaling has just recently been incorporated into mass storage devices and then in a limited form. One prior-art magnetic disk drive using partial-response signaling only supports PR4 (pulses with the samples of . . . , 0, 1, 1, 0, . . . ). PR4 signaling has only very limited inter-symbol interference evidenced by only two non-zero samples in the pulse. To increase the capacity of the media, the user of a PR4 read channel must increase the equalization of the pulses (slim the pulses) in order to limit the inter-symbol interference of adjacent pulses so that any pulse only affects two read signal samples. The increased equalization also enhances the noise accompanying the signal, making the detection task more difficult and errors more likely. U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,538 by Patel covers a similar situation but with EPR4 signaling and an RLL(1,7) code. This improves the allowed amount of inter-symbol interference, increasing it to three non-zero samples of (. . . , 0, 1/2, 1, 1/2, 0, . . . ). Both of these techniques will allow an increase in capacity but are limited in the variety of pulse shapes which can be detected and therefore limited by how much equalization (pulse slimming) may be performed before the effect of equalizing the noise (noise enhancement) becomes intolerable.
Thus, there is a need for a flexible read channel which can accommodate a wide variety of pulse shapes as will be seen in each zone. There is also a need to allow larger amounts of controlled inter-symbol interference between pulses (pulses with more than two or three non-zero pulses) in order to continue increasing the capacity of the recording media. | {
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The present invention relates generally to biological safety cabinets.
Biological safety cabinets are laboratory containment devices equipped with High Energy Particulate Air (HEPA) filters. These cabinets are used in microbiological laboratories and provide a work area with safe environment in which a variety of experiments and studies can be performed. Rather than providing only a hood above a working surface, these cabinets provide a more protective working environment. The safety cabinet has a frame that surrounds the work area on all but one side. The remaining open side is enclosed by a moveable sash. The sash may be moved upwardly to provide access to the work area, so that work can be performed. The sash may be moved downwardly to partially or completely close the work area. A blower unit is provided in the cabinet above the work area. The blower is used to circulate air downwardly through the safety cabinet. A portion of this downward air flow forms an air curtain at the front of the cabinet work area and passes beneath the floor of the work area and a portion is directed to the back of the cabinet where it is drawn upwardly through a plenum chamber. This air may be contaminated by materials being used within the working environment. Therefore, prior to being exhausted into the room or a fume system, the air is first passed through a HEPA exhaust filter.
The blower is operated so there is sufficient air flow through the work area to insure that any harmful materials are contained and eventually passed to a filter area rather than escaping into the room or exhausted into the atmosphere. To this end some air is drawn into the safety cabinet about the open perimeter formed when the sash is in an open or partially open position.
The prior art safety cabinets are typically provided with a sash grill located below the bottom of the sash. This sash grill forms the lower-most surface of the opening into the work area. Typically, the sash grill is provided with a number of perforations, through which air can flow. Air flows downwardly from the blower along the back of the sash and into these perforations. Air is also drawn inwardly from the exterior of the cabinet along the surface of the sash grill and into the perforations. The air flowing through the sash grill flows under the work surface and upwardly through the plenum at the back of the cabinet to be recirculated or exhausted.
Safety cabinets have heretofore utilized a sash grill having a generally flat surface which gives rise to a number of disadvantages. The flat surface may be used by those operating the safety cabinet as a surface on which to place a variety of labware. This is undesirable because objects located on the sash grill present a source of possible contamination of the room, and may be inadvertently broken if bumped or knocked onto the floor. Moreover, by placing an object on the sash grill, a portion of the perforations therein may be blocked, which can adversely affect the air flow of the safety cabinet. The flat surface of the sash grill also results in a large portion of the perforations therein becoming blocked by a user""s arm as the user performs work within the safety cabinet. As the user""s arm blocks the perforations in this fashion, it is difficult to properly maintain the negative pressure environment about the user""s arm, thereby risking possible contamination. The flat sash grills of the prior art also present a right angle with the work surface which projects far enough above the work surface that labware is sometimes broken when it bumps against the projecting vertical face. It is thus desirable to provide a sash grill which does not provide a flat surface and does not present a right angle corner at the entrance to the work area opening.
Another drawback of prior art sash grills is attributable to the fact that the grills are formed with a front face that is at a right angle to the flat top of the grill. This orthogonal relationship results in an air flow that is less than desirable. When air is drawn inwardly and through the perforations in the sash foil, it may cause a turbulence in the air flowing downwardly along the back of the sash and through the working environment. This turbulence is increased by the right angle relationship, as the air encountering the front face of the grill will be partially directed upwardly over the front face before being drawn through the perforations in the flat top of the grill. Therefore, a biological safety cabinet is needed with a sash grill that improves the air flow and safety of the cabinet.
Similarly, air may be drawn into the opening of the safety cabinet along the sides of the cabinet adjacent the opening when the sash is in an open or partially open position. In prior art safety cabinets, the front sides of the cabinet are oriented at right angles relative to the interior side walls. When air is drawn into the cabinet along these sides, it will initially be directed away from the interior surface of the interior walls. However, it is much more desirable to cleanly xe2x80x9csweepxe2x80x9d the interior walls of the cabinet, to ensure the best possible containment of any harmful materials. A biological safety cabinet having a construction that draws air inwardly to cleanly sweep the interior side walls is needed.
After the safety cabinets have been used for a certain period of time, they must be decontaminated. One method for performing this decontamination involves sealing the front of the safety cabinet with a plastic sheet. When the prior art safety cabinets are being decontaminated, it is often necessary to first remove the sash to insure proper decontamination. This is attributable to the location of the sash within a U-shaped channel where contaminants may accumulate. This procedure is time consuming and risks damage to the sash. If the sash is dropped it may shatter, and contaminate an entire room. Thus, a biological safety cabinet which can be decontaminated without removal of the sash is needed.
Another drawback of prior art safety cabinets involves the lower edge or handle of the moveable sash. When the sash is in an open or partially open position, two bodies of air are coming together adjacent the handle of the sash. One body of air is flowing from the exterior of the cabinet into the interior thereof. The second body of air is flowing downwardly from the blower unit of the safety cabinet along the back of the sash. In prior art cabinets, the sash handle has transitioned from the front face to the bottom face at a right angle. This results in the inwardly flowing air meeting the downwardly flowing air at a right angle, causing turbulence. As noted above, turbulent air flow adjacent the opening of the cabinet is undesirable. A sash handle that reduces turbulence would represent an improvement over the prior art.
As stated above, the biological safety cabinet is operated with the benefit of a blower which provides an air flow so that harmful materials are contained within the cabinet. The cabinets are constructed with the blower above the working environment, and the working environment is subject to a continual flow of air to contain contaminants and then move them to a filter area. Above the working environment and beneath the blower, is a supply filter and a positive pressure plenum. The pressure plenum receives air from the blower and directs it through the supply filter.
To monitor the pressure within the cabinet, prior art safety units have used a pressure gauge mounted on the exterior of the cabinet, with the pressure being monitored in the positive pressure environment of the pressure plenum immediately below the blower. Monitoring the positive pressure allows a more meaningful pressure reading to be obtained and used by the laboratory personnel. However, the air within the pressure plenum immediately below the blower has not yet been filtered. As such, the air may contain harmful materials from the working environment below. If the gauge on the exterior of the cabinet were to leak, contaminated air would be allowed into the room. In some instances this concern has been addressed by placing a HEPA filter in the pressure line to the readout gauge. This of course results in additional expense both initially and for ongoing maintenance. Another method of addressing the potential problem of contamination through the pressure gauge has been to monitor the air pressure in a negative pressure environment (relative to the atmosphere surrounding the cabinet) thus eliminating the possibility of contamination as a result of leakage through the gauge into the room. Monitoring and displaying a negative pressure, however, is more difficult to translate into meaningful and usable numbers by laboratory personnel. A monitoring apparatus is therefore needed which does not require any additional filters and allows the monitoring and display of a positive pressure, while eliminating the risk of possible contamination of the room environment.
It has been found that it is desirable to equip the safety cabinet with a xe2x80x9ctowel catchxe2x80x9d to catch or filter out large objects from the returning air flow prior to being recirculated through the blower. This towel catch removes such things as paper towels and small laboratory items from the returning air stream. Prior art safety cabinets have located this towel catch in the plenum formed by the rear wall of the work area and the rear wall of the safety cabinet. While this location is effective in removal of the desired items, it is impossible to visually inspect without taking the cabinet apart. One method typically utilized for inspecting these prior art towel catchers is to reach up within the plenum and feel the towel catch to determine if any paper towels or other objects are lodged within or against the towel catcher. This method can be uncomfortable and dangerous to the extent that pieces of broken laboratory glass and other sharp objects may be lodged within the towel catch. The towel catch itself is normally formed from metal with sharp edges which presents a safety hazard in and of itself if it is placed in a traditional location where it is not visible to a worker cleaning it. Therefore, a towel catch that is readily accessible and can be visually inspected is needed.
Another drawback of prior art safety cabinets involves the construction of the sash. The sash of the safety cabinet is moveable upwardly and downwardly, to allow better access to the working environment when needed and to more fully enclose the working environment when access is no longer needed. In prior art safety cabinets, the rear of the sash is provided with a seal to prevent any contaminated air from escaping the working environment. The seal wipes the back of the sash as the sash is raised. This arrangement is disadvantageous in that the wiping action may create an aerosol containing contaminants from the rear of the sash. While in other prior art constructions holes communicating with the exhaust system have been utilized in place of seals, such constructions have not been particularly effective, largely because there has been no means for insuring a uniform negative pressure across the exhaust holes. Thus, an arrangement is needed for a biological safety cabinet that eliminates the need for a wiping seal at the rear of the sash and instead provides for a uniform negative pressure which will insure removal of any contaminated air from the back side of the sash.
Yet another drawback of existing prior art safety cabinets involves the design of the positive pressure plenum box. This box is located in the area below the blower and above the work area. More specifically, in prior art cabinets, air leaving the blower is directed to a perforated plate and then through a supply filter prior to be recirculated downwardly through the work area. The perforated plate is used to more evenly distribute the air flow over and through the supply filter. The perforated plate creates an undesirable increased load on the blower and can interfere with the function of the supply filter. Moreover, this prior art construction does not distribute air across the supply filter as evenly as desired. Therefore, a structure is needed that both evenly distributes the flow over and across the supply filter while not overly increasing the load on the blower or interfering with the function of the supply filter.
Prior art safety cabinets are typically equipped with exhaust control systems. As contaminated air passes through the blower of the safety cabinet, some of the air is recirculated through the supply filter as described above and some of the air is routed through an exhaust filter. This exhaust air is either discharged into the room, or is passed to an exhaust system associated with the safety cabinet which moves the air out of the building. In cabinets routing the exhaust air directly back into the room, the prior art cabinets have merely routed the air directly upwardly. Prior art units routing the air into a building exhaust system direct typically employ duct work coupling the safety cabinet exhaust to the building exhaust system. Both prior art embodiments require a certain amount of additional space above the ceiling of the safety cabinet to allow for the exhaust control systems. This need for space can place limitations on the rooms in which the safety cabinets can be used.
In addition to routing the exhaust air, the exhaust control systems of the safety cabinets are used to balance the air flow through the safety cabinet. Prior art exhaust control systems use a guillotine damper to allow more or less air to be exhausted, as needed to balance the air flow through the safety cabinet and achieve the proper pressure within the cabinet. This damper places some additional load on the blower by restricting air flow to the filter. Furthermore, a damper is not aerodynamically efficient and interferes with the uniform flow of air. Such dampers are normally not readily accessible for making adjustments. The use of such a damper also tends to cause air to flow unevenly through the filter thus not effectively using the entire filter surface area. Therefore, a more efficient exhaust control system is needed for a biological safety cabinet that reduces undesired blower loading, makes better utilization of available filter surface area and is readily accessible.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a biological safety cabinet having a novel sash grill that more effectively prevents contaminated air from leaving the cabinet, and more effectively draws air into the cabinet.
It is another object of this invention to provide a sash grill for a biological safety cabinet that prevents objects from being placed thereon.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a biological safety cabinet having exterior front side panels that allow incoming air to more effectively sweep the sides of the cabinet and that allow the cabinet to more easily be decontaminated.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a handle for the sash of a biological safety cabinet that allows air to more effectively flow thereover.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a biological safety cabinet in which the pressure gauge measures a positive pressure environment while being contained within the safety cabinet so that any risk of contamination through the gauge is reduced while also eliminating the need for a separate HEPA filter for the gauge.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a towel catch for a biological safety cabinet that is visible to the user thereof and that can be easily removed without disassembling the safety cabinet.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a biological safety cabinet that eliminates the need to wipe the back of the sash with a seal so that still another risk of contamination is reduced.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a biological safety cabinet with a plenum box that evenly distributes the air flow across a supply filter without increasing the load on the blower of the cabinet.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a biological safety cabinet with a low profile, externally adjustable exhaust control that does not require decontamination before adjusting and provides for more uniform distribution of air across the exhaust filter.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a plenum chamber seal and tensioning device for the exhaust filter of a biological safety cabinet that allows the supply filter and exhaust filter to be simultaneously sealed.
According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are attained by a biological safety cabinet that includes a frame that defines a protected working environment and encloses the working environment on all but one side. A sash is coupled to the frame that at least partially encloses the side that is not enclosed by the frame. A blower is coupled to the frame generally above the working environment. The blower is adapted to circulate air through the working area so that harmful materials are confined. A sash grill is coupled to the frame generally below the sash and has a curved top surface. The curved sash grill provides a superior and less turbulent air-flow into the working environment, thereby better containing any harmful materials. The curved sash grill is perforated, and the curvature and perforations of the sash grill compensate for partial blockage by the user""s arms and other objects. The curvature of the sash grill also presents a surface on which objects cannot be easily placed, thereby avoiding a safety hazard. The curved grill also eliminates a protruding right angle corner at the cabinet opening which has been known to cause breakage of labware being placed inside the cabinet.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned from practice of the invention. | {
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Pipes or duct work in dwellings, commercial buildings and industrial plants are used for heating or air conditioning purposes and therefore carry fluids, such as heated or cooled air, or steam. In industrial applications, pipes or duct work also may carry chemicals or petroleum products or the like. Such pipes our duct work and associated heating or air conditioning units typically are covered with an exterior layer of insulation. The duct work typically is formed of aluminum or steel, while the pipes may be formed of any suitable material, such as copper, steel, aluminum, plastic, rubber or other like materials.
The insulation used to cover such pipes or duct work and associated heating and air conditioning units often includes fiberglass or mineral wool, foamed cellular glass or a rigid foam, covered by a jacket of foil or a layer of paper, such as kraft paper. Other layers of materials may be included in the insulation jacket, such as a layer of foil, a scrim, or a layer of polyester. Duct board is often used to cover duct work.
When such pipes or duct work are in a location exposed to weather or when they are in other environments where the exterior insulation surface is subject to degradation by moisture or the like, it is common to cover the insulation with a facing. This is particularly true for insulation having an exterior layer of paper or for duct board, (whether or not the surface is a metalized layer or a paper layer) to protect the insulation from moisture, sun, wind or other weather elements.
In one existing example, sheet metal cladding is applied to the exterior surface of the insulation. Such cladding typically is formed of aluminum, stainless steel, galvanized steel, or another like metal. This cladding has certain drawbacks including the fact that such cladding is very expensive and time consuming to install. In addition, metal cladding is not water or vapor tight or weatherproof because of joints, any repairs can be quite costly, prefabrication of the cladding is required off site, and metal cladding is very heavy and therefore difficult to handle.
Another existing solution is to cover the insulation with butyl rubber. However, this solution also has drawbacks including the fact that the butyl rubber does not perform well and tends to delaminate, particularly in extreme weather conditions. Butyl rubber also is very difficult to apply because it is messy to cut and form, and it is very heavy. Moreover, butyl rubber has been known to cause delamination of the outer surface of the insulation from the fiberglass or the wool disposed in the interior because of its weight and because of its lack of strength at elevated temperatures. A butyl rubber covering tends to have a poor appearance, and does not perform well at temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit or above 120° Fahrenheit and therefore should not be used in extreme weather environments where such exterior coverings are most desired and are often necessary. Butyl rubber also tends to creep, has a poor fire and smoke rating, and therefore is not UL listed. Finally, solvents are required to activate butyl rubber at temperatures below 45° F.
It is also known to cover insulation with thin layers of aluminum foil using a butyl rubber adhesive. However, such coverings have little or no puncture resistance and the adhesive layer has the same drawbacks noted above, including a tendency to run or ooze at elevated temperatures.
Scrim and mastics are also used to cover insulation. However, the use of such materials often is very labor intensive and requires a multiple step process. These products can only be applied during certain weather conditions, and it is very difficult to regulate the thickness of mastic to make it uniform. Consequently, such products have very limited applications, and generate a poor appearance.
Another known product is bitumen felt and netting. This product is very labor intensive to apply and is not recommended for exterior use. It also has a very poor fire rating, and is unsightly. Thus, its use is very limited.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need for a material or facing for covering insulation, particularly exterior insulation, that is relatively inexpensive, easy to apply, provides a good appearance and provides the desired vapor and weather seal. There also is a need for a product which is fire resistant, has low maintenance costs and can be used in extreme temperature conditions. | {
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Cooling plates of the above type (see Andonyev S. M. et al., Okhlazhdenie domennykh pechei, Moscow, "Metallurgia", 1972, s.216-220) are manufactured by pouring cast iron around steel cooling pipes so as to embed them in said cast iron, which forms a body of the plate. Such plates are cast either flat or provided with supporting projections. Said pipes are also used for cooling the projection, for which end these pipes are bent so as to enter the projection body. Cooling of said projections may also be effected through separate cooling pipes.
The cooling plates of the above type have portions which are located between the cooling pipes and at the elbows thereof, in which portions there exist a non-uniform thermal field and a low rate of heat removal. The non-uniform thermal field produces thermal stresses within the plate and pipes. The thermal stresses are also caused by the fact that cast iron and steel have different coefficients of thermal expansion. Furthermore, in the zone of outlet portions of the pipes there exist residual stresses formed during the process of pouring cast iron around the steel pipes. In the process of manufacturing the cooling plates the steel pipes may be carburized and, consequently loose plasticity in spite of application of protective coatings, e.g. marshalite ones. The above disadvantages result in a shorter service life of the cooling plates.
In the operation of the prior art cooling plates, in the case of burning-through of the cooling pipes there arise problems of finding and disconnecting the burnt pipes, and in particular the pipes of the supporting projections, which pipes are damaged first of all.
The object of the invention is to provide a more stable cooling plate of the above type due to a more uniform and intensive cooling thereof.
The object set forth is attained in the provision of a cooling plate of the above type for metallurgical furnaces, wherein according to the invention a duct for a cooling medium is constructed as an upwardly extending channel closed with cover plates at the rear and end sides thereof, said channel being cast into the plate metal so that the rear cover plate is not embedded in metal, branch pipes for feeding a cooling medium into the duct and for discharging the same from said duct being provided on the rear cover plate.
The cooling plate of such a design ensures a more uniform and reliable cooling due to the elimination of non-cooled angular portions. Since the duct for the cooling medium, constructed in the form of a channel, can cover a large area of the plate, so that the problem of interpipe distances is completely solved. The provision of the branch pipes for feeding and discharging the cooling medium on the rear side of the cover plate which is not embedded in metal, eliminates the problem of residual stresses in the plate and the pipes, said stresses being caused by jamming of the discharge portions of the pipes and by different coefficients of elongation of cast iron and steel, if these materials are utilized. Besides, a large mass of the channels as compared with that of the cooling pipes in the prior art cooling plates ensures a more intensive solidification of cast iron used for cooling plates, thereby resulting in the decrease in carburization of the ducts for the cooling medium.
It is preferred to introduce the cooling pipe of the projection, forming an enclosed loop of circulation of the cooling medium, into the duct for the cooling medium. Such an arrangement makes it possible to eliminate labour-consuming operations of finding and disconnecting the burnt pipes of the bearing projection, since the above pipes are not directly connected with an external system for feeding the cooling medium, water in particular. In this case, uncontrolled entrance of water into the furnace is eliminated.
To increase the reliability of cooling it is expedient that the duct for the cooling medium be extending over the whole height of the plate. | {
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Support hangers (also known as joist hangers) are commonly used to provide a fixed structural connection between a joist and a fixed structural assembly. | {
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It is well known in the art that compatibility of metallic or inorganic fillers with organic polymers may be improved by surface treatment of the former with organosilanes or surfactants. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,284 teaches pretreating coal ash fly with organotitanates, organosilanes and the like.
U. S. Pat. No. 4,724,167 similarly teaches the art of procreating silicon with organopolysiloxanes, U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,265 concerns readily dispersible pigments coated with organo-silicone polymer.
U. S. Pat. No. 4,162,245 teaches the method of pretreating inorganic fillers with certain silanes which process advantageously reduces the viscosity of the composition on mixing with an organic polymer resin that can then be heat-cured. Four silanes were found to be useful in that process: (CH.sub.3 O).sub.3 SiCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 Cl; (CH.sub.3 O).sub.3 SiCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CF.sub.3 ; (HCl) (CH.sub.3 CH.sub.2).sub.2 NCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.3 SiC.sub.18 H.sub.37 and (CH.sub.3 O).sub.3 SiCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCOC(CH.sub.3).dbd.CH.sub.2. Other silanes were tried but found not useful. The silanes were used to pretreat filler materials in an acidic environment. The isolated filler material was then combined with the organic resin. The content of treated filler material in the final formulation was from 50 to 75 wt %, equivalent to a range of about 34 to about 62 volume percent.
Inspection of such earlier methods and compositions reveals significant drawbacks especially when high density metallic or ceramic parts are desired. Requirements for getting such a high density metallic or ceramic part include: (1) the presence of large amounts (greater than 63 volume percent) of metallic or inorganic filler in the molding composition, and (2) the filler being present often in finely divided state with an optimal particle size distribution. If one attempts to prepare such molding compositions with high loading of filler (greater than 63 volume percent) by using prior art methods, poor particle dispersion occurs, and it becomes difficult to achieve uniform mixing and fine powder dispersion, leading to high mixing torques, high mixing energies, long mixing times and difficult mixing operation, and may yield dry, friable, agglomerated compositions. This also precludes processability in conventional mixing and molding equipment.
Accordingly, it is a general objective of the present invention to provide novel molding compositions containing finely divided metallic or inorganic fillers in excess of 63 volume percent dispersed in organic binder matrix resins.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of surface treatment for such filler particles that increases their dispersibility and reduces mixing torques upon mixing with organic binder components at high concentrations.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide improved injection moldable compositions, that are capable of being processed by conventional mixing and molding equipment while employing low mixing torques and energies.
These and other objects, as well as the scope, nature and utilization of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims. | {
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With increasing postal costs and rates, printers and publishers are looking for ways to mail printed products more cost effectively. Combining two or more titles into one mail stream is one way to achieve postal savings. However, the combination of two or more mail streams in a production setting has proven complex and difficult. | {
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Generally, there has been an increasing need for effective separation, alignment, and manipulations of colloidal and cellular suspensions or droplets and other particles based on the increasing number of systems utilizing microscale transport properties. These types of systems have significant parallelization and high throughput. Examples of applications for these systems include genetic analysis, molecular separations, sensors, imaging, printing, and surface patterning.
In one example, manipulation and positioning of the colloidal and cellular suspensions or droplets, and other particles is useful if imaging of the particles is desired. For example, the use of fluorescence detection is a ubiquitous practice in microbiology and biochemistry as well as colloidal science, biophysics and several other disciplines. Labeling cells, cellular components or individual biomolecules, or particles with molecular or colloidal fluorescent probes has enabled the visualization of several cellular metabolic and bio-molecular assembly processes. As such, methods involving fluorescent tagging, excitation, and detection may rely on methods of aligning, sorting, and manipulations.
An example of a known separation system is a fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) system that sorts and manipulates cells in continuous microfluidic flows. Fluorescence labeling of cells combined with traditional macroscopic FACS systems allow for the identification and separation of rare cells from concentrated suspensions, the sequestration of cells displaying desired physiological properties or metabolic states, and the parsing of large combinatorial libraries for specific information. A FACS system, however, can be complex and cumbersome. Furthermore, FACS, as well as other known alignment and sorting methods, may be improved by simplifying signal acquisition and interpretation to allow for closer to real-time feedback. | {
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The identification and selection of a solid form of a pharmaceutical compound is complex, given that a change in a solid form may affect a variety of physical and chemical properties, which may provide benefits or drawbacks in processing, formulation, stability and bioavailability, among other important pharmaceutical characteristics. Potential pharmaceutical solids include crystalline solids and amorphous solids. Amorphous solids are characterized by a lack of long-range structural order, whereas crystalline solids are characterized by structural periodicity. The desired class of pharmaceutical solid depends upon the specific application; amorphous solids are sometimes selected on the basis of, e.g., an enhanced dissolution profile, while crystalline solids may be desirable for properties such as, e.g., physical or chemical stability (see, e.g., S. R. Vippagunta et al., Adv. Drug. Deliv. Rev., (2001) 48:3-26; L. Yu, Adv. Drug. Deliv. Rev., (2001) 48:27-42).
Whether crystalline or amorphous, potential solid forms of a pharmaceutical compound include single-component and multiple-component solids. Single-component solids consist essentially of the pharmaceutical compound in the absence of other compounds. Variety among single-component crystalline materials may potentially arise from the phenomenon of polymorphism, wherein multiple three-dimensional arrangements exist for a particular pharmaceutical compound (see, e.g., S. R. Byrn et al., Solid State Chemistry of Drugs, (1999) SSCI, West Lafayette). The importance of discovering polymorphs was underscored by the case of Ritonavir, an HIV protease inhibitor that was formulated as soft gelatin capsules. About two years after the product was launched, the unanticipated precipitation of a new, less soluble polymorph in the formulation necessitated the withdrawal of the product from the market until a more consistent formulation could be developed (see S. R. Chemburkar et al., Org. Process Res. Dev., (2000) 4:413-417).
Additional diversity among the potential solid forms of a pharmaceutical compound may arise from the possibility of multiple-component solids. Crystalline solids comprising two or more ionic species are termed salts (see, e.g., Handbook of Pharmaceutical Salts: Properties, Selection and Use, P. H. Stahl and C. G. Wermuth, Eds., (2002), Wiley, Weinheim). Additional types of multiple-component solids that may potentially offer other property improvements for a pharmaceutical compound or salt thereof include, e.g., hydrates, solvates, cocrystals and clathrates, among others (see, e.g., S. R. Byrn et al., Solid State Chemistry of Drugs, (1999) SSCI, West Lafayette). Moreover, multiple-component crystal forms may potentially be susceptible to polymorphism, wherein a given multiple-component composition may exist in more than one three-dimensional crystalline arrangement. The discovery of solid forms is of great importance in the development of a safe, effective, stable and marketable pharmaceutical compound.
Notably, it is not possible to predict a priori if crystalline forms of a compound even exist, let alone how to successfully prepare them (see, e.g., Braga and Grepioni, 2005, “Making crystals from crystals: a green route to crystal engineering and polymorphism,” Chem. Commun.: 3635-3645 (with respect to crystal engineering, if instructions are not very precise and/or if other external factors affect the process, the result can be unpredictable); Jones et al., 2006, Pharmaceutical Cocrystals: An Emerging Approach to Physical Property Enhancement,” MRS Bulletin 31:875-879 (At present it is not generally possible to computationally predict the number of observable polymorphs of even the simplest molecules); Price, 2004, “The computational prediction of pharmaceutical crystal structures and polymorphism,” Advanced Drug Deliver Reviews 56:301-319 (“Price”); and Bernstein, 2004, “Crystal Structure Prediction and Polymorphism,” ACA Transactions 39:14-23 (a great deal still needs to be learned and done before one can state with any degree of confidence the ability to predict a crystal structure, much less polymorphic forms)).
Cocrystals are crystalline molecular complexes of two or more non-volatile compounds bound together in a crystal lattice by non-ionic interactions. Pharmaceutical cocrystals are cocrystals of a therapeutic compound, e.g., an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), and one or more non-volatile compound(s) (referred to herein as coformer). A coformer in a pharmaceutical cocrystal is typically selected from non-toxic pharmaceutically acceptable molecules, such as, for example, food additives, preservatives, pharmaceutical excipients, or other APIs. In recent years, pharmaceutical cocrystals have emerged as a possible alternative approach to enhance physicochemical properties of drug products. The variety of possible solid forms creates potential diversity in physical and chemical properties for a given pharmaceutical compound.
The compound chemically named 1-ethyl-7-(2-methyl-6-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)pyridin-3-yl)-3,4-dihydropyrazino[2,3-b]pyrazin-2(1H)-one and tautomers thereof (collectively referred to herein as “Compound 1”) are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,110,578, issued on Feb. 7, 2012, and International Pub. No. WO 2010/062571, the entireties of each of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Citation or identification of any reference in Section 2 of this application is not to be construed as an admission that the reference is prior art to the present application. | {
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In a display device such as a liquid crystal display device, a first substrate which is provided with a switching element such as a thin film transistor, and a second substrate which is provided with a color filter, etc., are attached to each other such that the first substrate and the second substrate are opposed to each other. The first substrate and the second substrate are glass substrates, for example, and since the first substrate and the second substrate are easily breakable at edges thereof, the strength needs to be improved at the edges. | {
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Mammography has long been used to screen for breast cancer and other abnormalities. Traditionally, mammograms have been formed on x-ray film. More recently, flat panel digital imagers have been introduced that acquire a mammogram in digital form, and thereby facilitate analysis and storage of the acquired images, and provide other benefits as well. Further, substantial attention and technological development has been dedicated towards obtaining three-dimensional images of the breast, using methods such as breast tomosynthesis. In contrast to the 2D images generated by legacy mammography systems, breast tomosynthesis systems construct a 3D image volume from a series of 2D projection images, each projection image obtained at a different angular displacement of an x-ray source relative to the image detector as the x-ray source is scanned over the detector. The constructed 3D image volume is typically presented as a plurality of slices of image data, the slices being geometrically reconstructed on planes parallel to the imaging detector. The reconstructed tomosynthesis slices reduce or eliminate the problems caused by tissue overlap and structure noise present in single slice, two-dimensional mammography imaging, by permitting a medical professional (e.g., a radiologist) to scroll through the image slices to view underlying structures.
Tomosynthesis systems have recently been developed for breast cancer screening and diagnosis. In particular, Hologic, Inc. (www.hologic.com), has developed a fused, multimode mammography/tomosynthesis system that acquires one or both types of mammogram and tomosynthesis images, either while the breast remains immobilized or in different compressions of the breast. Other companies have proposed the introduction of systems which are dedicated to tomosynthesis imaging; i.e., which do not include the ability to also acquire a mammogram.
However, systems restricted to tomosynthesis acquisition and image display may present an obstacle to acceptance of the tomosynthesis imaging technology, as medical professionals have grown accustomed to screening and analysis of conventional 2D mammogram images. In particular, mammograms provide good visualization of micro-calcifications, and can offer higher spatial resolution when compared with tomosynthesis images. While tomosynthesis images provided by dedicated breast tomosynthesis systems have other desirable characteristics, e.g., better isolation and visualization of structures in the breast, such systems do not leverage the existing interpretation expertise of medical professionals.
Examples of systems and methods that leverage existing medical expertise in order to facilitate the transition to tomosynthesis technology are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,760,924, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 7,760,924 describes a method of generating a synthesized 2D image, which may be displayed along with tomosynthesis projection or reconstructed images, in order to assist in screening and diagnosis. | {
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Protective surface coatings are organic compositions applied to substrates to form continuous films which are cured or otherwise hardened to provide protection as well as a decorative appearance to the substrate. Protective surface coatings ordinarily comprise an organic polymeric binder, pigments, inert fillers and other additives, where the polymeric binder acts as a fluid vehicle for the pigments and imparts rheological properties to the fluid paint coating. Upon curing, the polymeric binder hardens and functions as a binder for the pigments and provides adhesion of the dried paint film to the substrate. The pigments may be organic or inorganic and functionally contribute to opacity and color in addition to durability and hardness, although some paint coatings contain little or no opacifying pigments and are described as clear coatings. The manufacture of paint coatings involves the preparation of a polymeric binder, mixing of component materials, grinding of pigments in the polymeric binder, and thinning to commercial standards.
Epoxy resins are particularly desirable for use in surface coating materials as a vehicle or polymeric binder to advantageously provide toughness, flexibility, adhesion, and chemical resistance to the applied coating film. Hence, water-dispersed coating compositions containing epoxy resins are highly desirable for can coating compositions. Coatings for soft drink and beer cans, for instance, are critical due to taste sensitivity and must not alter the taste of canned beverages. Taste problems can occur in a variety of ways such as by leaching of coating components into the beverage, or by adsorption of flavor by the coating, or sometimes by chemical reaction, or by some combination thereof.
In commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,781, a process is disclosed for modifying epoxy resin by reacting the epoxy resin with addition polymerizable ethylenic monomer in the presence of at least 3% by weight of benzoyl peroxide (or the free radical initiating equivalent thereof) based on monomer at a suitable reaction temperature to produce a reaction mixture comprising an epoxy-acrylic copolymer mixture containing epoxy resin, graft epoxy-acrylic polymer, and associatively-formed ungrafted addition polymer. The in-situ polymerized monomers include acid functional monomers to provide acid functionality in the reaction mixture sufficiently high to effect stable dispersion of the resulting reaction product in a basic aqueous medium. Similarly, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,961 pertains to a mixture of polymers comprising a self-curing emulsion polymer (latex), an epoxy-acrylic graft copolymer, and preferably a phosphate additive. Related commonly assigned patents are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,285,847 and 4,399,241, and 5,212,241. Most prior art water-dispersed epoxy coatings utilize relatively high levels of organic solvent to assist processing of the epoxy resin. Although epoxy containing coatings have long been the standard of excellence in beverage can liners, such coatings cannot be prepared without significant amounts of solvent, where typically 50% to 100% volatile organic solvent is required based on solids (about 2.5 to 4 lb./gal.). Recent environmental concerns and legislative pressure have created the need for a zero or near zero VOC can coating.
It now has been found that high quality aqueous dispersed epoxy coatings can be produced with no organic solvent by esterifying low molecular weight epoxy resin with low molecular weight carboxyl functional polyester to produce a carboxyl functional low molecular weight epoxy-ester, mixing the epoxy ester with ethylenic monomers and dispersing the mixture within water, and then copolymerizing the ethylenically unsaturated monomers to produce an emulsion polymer useful as a polymeric binder. In particular, it has been found that aqueous emulsion dispersions of the epoxy-ester addition copolymer can be prepared and maintained dispersed in water without conventional surfactants and by ammonia neutralization of the epoxy-ester carboxyl groups without the need for any volatile organic solvents. Copolymerization of the ethylenic monomers produces a stable small particle size polymeric dispersion.
It has been found that low molecular weight epoxy resins are easily processable at lower temperatures and viscosities while low molecular weight oligomer carboxyl functional polyesters lower the overall viscosity of the mixture and provides considerably improved processability. Temperature control during the formation of the epoxy ester advantageously avoids unwanted molecular weight advancement while the liquid ethylenic monomers serve as a temporary solvent for the epoxy-ester which in turn facilitates the simple dispersion of the organic mixture into water. Once epoxy resin is reacted with a low molecular weight, acid functional polyester oligomer in accordance with the invention, the resultant epoxy ester can be dissolved in acrylic monomer and dispersed into water with very low levels of ammonia. The epoxy-ester is water dispersed and becomes addition grafted (crosslinked) with the copolymerized ethylenic monomers to form a very small particle microgel stably dispersed in water. Grafting of the epoxy-ester with ethylenic monomers in water produces very small size crosslinked microgel particles, a physical property particularly useful for producing tough but resilient and flexible coatings.
This invention incorporates the advantages of epoxy chemistry providing good barrier properties and excellent resistance to flavor absorption along with a synthesis technique that eliminates the need for organic solvents, organic amines, and surfactants. Baked paint films utilizing the resulting polymeric binder are clear, glossy, solvent resistance, and water resistant. These and other advantages of this invention will become more apparent by referring to the detailed description of the invention and the illustrative examples. | {
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The present invention relates in general to working vehicles, and more particularly, to cooling systems in working vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,149 discloses a combine having a rotating drum-type screen or air filter 84. The screen 84 is rotated slowly via a belt 98. The screen 84 is positioned in front of a fan 50. An L-shaped vacuum chamber 132 is mounted adjacent to the screen. A conduit 144 extends from a leg 136 of the chamber 132 to a fan shroud 46 so as to create a partial vacuum in the vacuum chamber 132. The screen 84 is located outside of an engine enclosure 22. However, material removed from the screen and moved through the vacuum chamber is believed to pass into the engine compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,189 discloses a self-cleaning device for filtering air in a harvester comprising a rotary screen 76 and an air housing structure 100. The structure 100 is connected to a source of positive air pressure. The housing structure 100 provides a differential pressure across the screen 76 for removing lint and the like from the screen. | {
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The present invention relates to a vane compressor, especially a cooling medium-compressor to be utilized in a vehicle climate-control arrangement.
Vane compressors of the foregoing type have been known in the art. Such vane compressors are disclosed, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,809,511; 3,834,846; 3,852,003; 3,989,490 and 4,103,506.
German patent publication DE-OS No. 2349651 discloses a vane compressor in which outlet bores arranged on generatrix of the inner surface of the wall of the housing, forming working chambers with the outer surface of the rotor, open into the bottoms of cylindrical depressions formed in that wall. The valve members of the valves are arranged at the discharge ends of individual outlet bores to close the latter. In this construction residual gas volume is held very insignificantly in the interiors of the valves. The disadvantage of this known construction is that it is very expensive because its manufacture involves a number of machining operations. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to slide projectors and, in particular, to slide projectors having a rotary tray for retaining slides during the projection operation. The invention also provides a projector using a fixed, semicircular tray to hold slides.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Following the invention of the positive transparency, there have been a multitude of various systems proposed to view the image on the positive transparency. Positive transparencies are known more popularly as slides. In fact, at present, slides are among the most popular forms of amateur photography. Along with this popularity, there are numerous systems commercially available to project the image of the positive transparency onto a screen, or the like, for viewing.
While certain of the presently available slide projectors employ the force of gravity to perform a portion of the slide transfer operation, none of these slide projectors can transfer a slide form a slide magazine to a projection lens and back to the magazine using only the forces of gravity. Moreover, in any mechanical system requiring an electrically-driven linkage to move elements, which are as small as a photographic slide, and having loose mechanical manufacturing tolerances, binding of the linkage and/or the slide is almost certain to occur. In fact, this is a significant problem in many slide projectors, i.e., that the slides tend to hang up in the magazine or in the changing mechanism, and jamming is a frequent occurrence. | {
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Semiconductor materials such as silicon and gallium-arsenide are commonly used to manufacture integrated circuits for use in electronics. These integrated circuits typically have many transistors that are used as building blocks for larger circuits such as amplifiers. A commonly used performance measure for amplifiers is the “gain-bandwidth product.” The gain-bandwidth product describes an inverse relationship between gain and bandwidth above a certain operating frequency. In other words, amplifiers with a large gain-bandwidth product can amplify signals at higher frequencies than amplifiers with a small gain-bandwidth product.
The gain-bandwidth product of amplifiers is influenced by many factors, including the underlying semiconductor manufacturing process. For example, an amplifier circuit manufactured using one process may have a higher gain-bandwidth product than the same amplifier circuit manufactured using a different process. This may be problematic in situations where an amplifier designed using a process that supports a high gain-bandwidth product is shared with designers that desire the same amplifier performance, but use a process that does not support such a high gain-bandwidth product.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for alternate amplifiers. | {
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Vehicle or automobile insurance exists to provide financial protection against physical damage and/or bodily injury resulting from traffic accidents and against liability that could arise therefrom. Typically, a customer purchases a vehicle insurance policy for a policy rate having a specified term. In exchange for payments from the insured customer, the insurer pays for damages to the insured which are caused by covered perils, acts, or events as specified by the language of the insurance policy. The payments from the insured are generally referred to as “premiums,” and typically are paid on behalf of the insured over time at periodic intervals. An insurance policy may remain “in-force” while premium payments are made during the term or length of coverage of the policy as indicated in the policy. An insurance policy may “lapse” (or have a status or state of “lapsed”), for example, when premium payments are not being paid or if the insured or the insurer cancels the policy.
Premiums may be typically determined based upon a selected level of insurance coverage, location of vehicle operation, vehicle model, and characteristics or demographics of the vehicle operator. The characteristics of a vehicle operator that affect premiums may include age, years operating vehicles of the same class, prior incidents involving vehicle operation, and losses reported by the vehicle operator to the insurer or a previous insurer. Past and current premium determination methods do not, however, account for use of autonomous vehicle operating features. The present embodiments may, inter alia, alleviate this and/or other drawbacks associated with conventional techniques. | {
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1. Field
The present invention relates to an image sensor and an image processing apparatus including the same, for example, to an image sensor for converting a signal output from a filter array having a different structure than a red-green-blue (RGB) Bayer and outputting an RGB Bayer signal and an image processing apparatus including the same.
2. Description of Related Art
With the high integration of charge-coupled devices (CCDs) and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices and the rapid development of image processing technology, the digital camera market has rapidly expanded and it has become usual that mobile devices such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) are provided with a digital camera function.
An image processing apparatus captures an image of an object using an image sensor such as a CCD or a CMOS device. Image sensors usually use a pixel array in an RGB Bayer pattern as illustrated in FIG. 1. Image sensors include a plurality of unit pixels converting a light signal corresponding to an object into an electrical signal. Each of the unit pixels included in a typical image sensor using the pixel array illustrated in FIG. 1 detects one value among a red (R) value, a green (G) value, and a blue (B) value. The R, G, or B value detected by each unit pixel is converted into a digital signal by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) included in the image sensor and the digital signal is input to an image signal processor (ISP).
The real color of an object can be represented by combining R, G, and B. Data detected by each unit pixel of the image sensor, however, contains information about only one of R, G, and B (such digital data is referred to as RGB Bayer data). Accordingly, the ISP performs color interpolation using R, G, and B data detected by the unit pixels so that a single unit pixel contains all R, G, and B information. Consequently, the ISP processes RGB Bayer data output from the image sensor to provide a signal based on which a display device, e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), can display an image.
Recently, there have been introduced pixel arrays having different patterns from the RGB Bayer pattern illustrated in FIG. 1. When an image sensor uses a pixel array having a pattern different from the RGB Bayer pattern, there occurs a problem in that the image sensor is not compatible with a universal ISP which receives and processes RGB Bayer data. | {
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The invention is based on a friction brake for braking a vehicle equipped with at least one friction brake as described hereinafter.
Such a friction brake in the form of a disk brake is already known (German DE 40 21 572 A1), in which an electric motor acts as the drive source for the clamping device. Its motor shaft is connected by a non-shiftable coupling to a worm of a worm gear whose worm wheel is seated on a recirculating ball screw that indirectly engages the piston of the clamping device. The clamping power for this friction brake must therefore be provided solely by the electric motor. Because limited space is available for it inside the wheel rim of the vehicle wheel, only a relatively small electric motor can be used. For a motor with limited capacity to generate the necessary clamping power, the worm gear must have a high transmission ratio. As a consequence, the brake reacts relatively sluggishly to braking signals. Although it would be possible to increase the dynamics of the friction brake by putting a higher load on the electric motor, this would result in negative repercussions on the electrical system of the vehicle. Moreover, a considerable disadvantage is the self-locking action of the worm gear, so that an electric motor is also required to release the brake. A non-self-releasing brake, however, represents a potentially serious danger.
It is further known (EP 0 177 767 A1) to provide vehicles with a hydraulic deceleration device triggered by the driver in the form of a service brake. In this case, a positive displacement pump is used that is disposed in a wheel hub, on the delivery side of which a device for generating a counterpressure is positioned, and a cooling device is downstream of the device. The pump can have an adjustable volumetric displacement and be triggered by a servo motor. Such a brake has limited dynamics. Moreover, the hydraulic deceleration device is also subject to losses in the non-braking state. In addition, the cooling device requires a great deal of space. | {
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Many medical deficiencies and diseases result from the inability of cells to produce normal biologically active compounds. Many of these deficiencies can be remedied by implanting a source of the needed biologically active compounds and/or pharmaceutical agents into the individual having the deficiency. A well known disease that can be remedied by implanting biological material and/or a pharmacological agent is Type I diabetes mellitus, wherein the production of insulin by pancreatic Langerhans islet cells is substantially deficient, impaired, or nonexistent.
Type I or insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is a major, expensive public health problem causing renal and vascular disease, heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, major disability, and premature death. One treatment approach is the transplantation of insulin producing pancreatic islet cells (9,000 to 12,000 islets/kg), which can return blood sugar levels to normal and free patients from the need to take exogenous insulin. If blood sugars, insulin, and C-peptide levels can be normalized at an early stage of the disease, the complications of diabetes can be avoided. Major barriers to the clinical application of islet cell transplantation have been the problems of graft rejection, the scarcity of human organs, and the expense of their procurement. The medications used to prevent rejection are costly, increase the risk of infection, and can, themselves, induce hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and renal dysfunction, although progress is being made towards less toxic drug regimens.
Injection of islet cells is appealing because it is less invasive than whole organ pancreatic grafts and entails a lower morbidity rate. Transplanted human islets (allografts) have been shown to survive in the liver after administration of immunosuppressive drugs, but reliable long term function has been difficult to achieve. Injection into the liver is usually accompanied by heparinization to avoid thrombosis, which can increase the risk of ocular complications. Furthermore, human islets are a scarce and expensive cell type. Therefore, many researchers have suggested using animal cells (xenografts), particularly porcine islets. Pigs are plentiful, although porcine islets are relatively difficult to isolate and are fragile.
Unfortunately, the immunologic barriers to the successful transplantation of xenografts are even more difficult to surmount than those for the transplantation of allografts. Humans have natural pre-formed antibodies that can react with a saccharide, Gal alpha 1,3Gal(Gal), expressed on the cells of lower mammals to trigger hyperacute rejection. In addition, the complement regulatory proteins (decay accelerating factor, membrane cofactor protein, CD59) that normally help to control damage induced by complement activation cannot function because they are species specific.
In light of the above hypothesis the immunoisolation of living allogeneic or xenogeneic insulin-producing islet cells by semi-permeable membranes may provide a means for correcting diabetes mellitus. In order to avoid hyperacute rejection, the recipient's antibodies should be prevented from “seeing” the foreign proteins and activating complement. The encapsulating material should also reliably safeguard the patient from infectious processes (e.g., bacteria) unwittingly transferred with the animal cells. Materials used for immunoisolation should allow insulin, glucose, oxygen, and carbon dioxide to pass freely. These molecules have diameters less than 35 Angstroms (3.5 nm). Studies suggest that pore diameters of 30 nm can exclude the immigration of immunoglobulins, complement, and cytokines (e.g., tumor necrosis factor) providing immunoisolation. Unless immune tolerance can be established, such membranes should also prevent the out-migration of xeno-antigens into the host where they can activate the indirect pathway resulting in T helper cell activation. Immune graft rejection by direct cytotoxicity appears to be a major cause for loss of transplanted cells since donor cell viability is better in immune-compromised (CD4+ T cell depleted) mice. In addition, CD4+ cells secrete interferon-[gamma] that attracts and activates macrophages and NK cells. Macrophages, in turn, recruit T-cell help and initiate rejection. B-cell humeral mediated immunity also plays a role in xenograft rejection. There is, however, ample evidence that the immune response is not the sole source of xenograft failure.
Researchers, working with ovarian cell xenografts microencapsulated in HEMA (hydroxyethyl methacrylate-methyl methacrylate), found that cells began to lose function before the antibody response occurred. Other causes of graft failure include an inflammatory response to the chemistry of the encapsulating material, nutrient deficiency, accumulation of waste products and free radicals within the encapsulating material, and inadequate oxygen delivery.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for improved methods and/or implantable devices for providing insulin to treat and/or cure diabetes. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle tracking system and a vehicle tracking method, and more particularly to a vehicle tracking system and method used for tracking a vehicle at nighttime.
2. Description of the Related Art
Present existing vehicle detection technologies include the methods of using the properties of edges, moving profiles, background convergence or corners to extract the characteristics of the appearance of a vehicle. However, the light at nighttime or a dark place is relatively non-uniform, so that the aforementioned methods cannot be applied in the environment of roads at night time effectively. With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 for schematic views of a conventional way of detecting vehicles, the result of the edge detection can be observed in the image, and the detected objects on a road surface include automobile lamps, road surface glares, road markings and signs, etc. FIG. 1 shows typical nighttime traffic scenes from an urban road and highway under different environmental illumination conditions. These figures depict that, in typical nighttime traffic scenes, there are moving cars and motorbikes on the road, and under poorly or brightly environmental illuminated conditions, vehicle lights are the only valid salient features. In addition, lamps, traffic lights, and signs are also visible sources of illumination in the image sequences of nighttime traffic scenes. In FIG. 2, the difference between two successive images is used for obtaining a moving profile, and the moving profile is still primarily based on the lamp. In FIG. 3, the background of an image can be obtained by background convergence, and the difference between the original image and the background is used for detecting a foreground object, wherein an image with a higher setting minus the threshold value is used to extract the characteristics of an object which is basically a lamp. In summary, a lamp is a major characteristic of the road environment at nights, regardless of which method is used for extracting the object. Therefore, it is very important to provide a vehicle tracking system that uses a lamp as a basis to overcome the technical issue of the conventional vehicle detection technology that cannot be operated effectively at night time. | {
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1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a stanchion, and more particularly to an adjustable cattle stanchion having a frame with at least one stanchion opening and a pivotal bar positioned in the stanchion opening and pivotally mounted to the frame. The invention further relates to a method of using an adjustable stanchion.
2) Description of the Related Art
Stanchions suitable for holding the head of an animal are known in the art. Stanchions can be used to restrain horses or goats, but are typically used to restrain cattle. The stanchions are generally used to restrain one or more head of cattle for brief periods of time. By restraining cattle during feeding, consumption may be monitored to ensure that the animals are allocated an appropriate amount of food. Restraining the cattle also facilitates veterinary examination and treatment, protecting both the animal and the attendant or veterinarian from potential injury. In dairies, stanchions are often employed to hold the cattle during the milking process. Cattle stanchions may also be used to temporarily separate one or more head of cattle from the herd.
One type of cattle stanchion includes a frame with at least one opening for receiving the head of an animal and a latching mechanism for alternately restraining and releasing the animal. One example of this type of cattle stanchion is shown in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 34,232. The disclosed stanchion includes a pivotal restraining member mounted in the opening of the frame. The pivotal restraining member may be moved between a vertical position for holding the head of an animal and a diagonally-extending position when not in use. The disclosure also includes a latching mechanism which may be set by an attendant to either a latched or an unlatched position. When in the latched position, the latching mechanism will engage the pivot bar as it is pivoted to the vertical position, securing the animal's head with the stanchion. The animal may be released by moving the latching mechanism to the unlatched position. If desired, the attendant may leave the latching mechanism in the unlatched position so that the animals may freely insert their heads into the stanchion and remove their heads from the stanchion.
However, cattle not being the most intelligent of animals, tend not to feed through a stanchion if they have been raised in a pasture without prior exposure to stanchions. If these animals are moved from the pasture to a feeding area with stanchions, these animals may starve without human intervention.
Several designs of stanchions have been patented. Examples of a few are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,798, U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,815, U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,813, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,077,519. However none of these designs have included disclosure of an adjustable stanchion with a restraining bar for acclimating animals for feeding through a stanchion.
An adjustable stanchion with an adjustable substantially vertical extending side frame member is desirable. With an adjustable side frame member, the adjustable member can be moved to enlarge the stanchion opening so that cattle may feed through the stanchion without having to rotate the pivotal restraining bar. The adjustable side frame member can be moved to slowly close the stanchion opening to acclimate the cattle to the stanchion whereby the cattle would still be able to feed while becoming accustomed to the stanchion. Thus the adjustable member could be returned to its original position and the pasture cattle would be using the stanchion as other acclimated cattle. An adjustable stanchion would thereby provide an improved cattle stanchion by offering a single stanchion that can be used for both acclimated and pasture cattle and a method for acclimating cattle without excessive human involvement. An adjustable stanchion which contained a plurality of adjustable side frame members to accommodate several cattle is similarly desirable.
An adjustable cattle stanchion with a displacing assembly connected to a side frame member whereby the displacing assembly can controllably move the adjustable side frame member to several different sizes to increase or decrease the stanchion opening is also desired.
An adjustable cattle stanchion containing several stanchion openings with a displacing assembly connected to several adjustable side frame members which can move several side frame members concurrently is also desired. By utilizing a displacing assembly, several adjustable side frame members may be moved concurrently, thereby several stanchion openings could be enlarged at once, and thus several heads of cattle could acclimate at one time.
An adjustable cattle stanchion where the adjustable side frame member may be moved in several different orientations in relation to the stationary side member is another desire. The adjustable side frame member could be moved parallel to the stationary side frame member or be moved diagonally to the stationary frame side member whereby the upper end of the adjustable side frame member is pointing toward or away from the stationary side frame member. By allowing several different orientations for the adjustable side frame member, an owner can decide which orientation is best suited to acclimate their cattle to the stanchion. | {
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The present invention relates generally to a welding system, and more particularly to a resistance projection weld nut welding system and method.
It is a common manufacturing practice to secure nuts directly to sheet metal pieces through a welding process. In the manufacture of motor vehicles today, there are virtually hundreds of applications for such xe2x80x9cprojection weld nutsxe2x80x9d which form attachments for air bag supports, door hinges, motor and transmission mounts, safety belts, and many other industrial applications.
Conventional resistance projection welding techniques employ a method by which metal workpieces are joined together at one or more predetermined points such as projections, embossments, or intersections. Workpieces are held together at the predetermined points under force by one or more electrodes. The contacting points are heated by a pulse of high amperage welding current generated by contact with an electrode. The resistance to the flow of welding current through the workpieces produces a weld at the faying surface of the joint. The projections concentrate the welding current and force at the weld area. The high current generates sufficient heat so that the metal surfaces reach a plastic state. The force applied before, during, and after the current forges the heated parts together so that coalescence occurs at the faying surface.
Projection weld nuts are commonly attached to sheet metal, usually over an opening in the sheet to permit a screw or other fastener to extend through and into the internal threads of the nut. One of the two surfaces of each projection weld nut typically has small projections. These projections are consistently measurable to obtain an exact dimension from projection weld nut to projection weld nut. The other surface of the projection weld nut is flat and smooth. The projection weld nut may have a pilot ring extending out from the same surface having the projections for the purpose of properly locating the projection weld nut relative to the sheet. The pilot ring is also consistently measurable to obtain an exact dimension from projection nut to projection nut.
For proper projection welding, the surface of the projection weld nut having the projections must engage the sheet. When an electrode conducts electric welding current through the projection weld nut and the workpiece, the electric current travelling through the flat surface of the projection weld nut is a low density current. The current at this interface is low density because it is able to travel through a large contact area defined by the entire flat surface of the projection weld nut. The low density current converts into a high density current through the projections. Since the projections are the only paths making electrical contact with the workpiece, the internal resistance to electric current flow is relatively much greater than the flat, smooth surface. The high internal resistance causes intense heat to develop through the projections. The heat melts the sheet causing the projections to penetrate the metal surface when force is applied. After the current terminates, the projection weld nut is welded to the workpieces as a result of coalescence.
A problem arises when the projection weld nut is loaded onto the workpiece in an upside down or an inverted position. This problem can occur when using a vibrational nut feeder for supplying the projection weld nuts. As explained above, the flat surface provides a relatively low resistance path because all of its surface area is in contact with the workpiece. Consequently, the smooth surface of the projection weld nut inadequately penetrates the workpiece due to the lack of heat generated. These weakly welded projection nuts can easily escape detection during the projection welding process.
A primary disadvantage associated with existing resistance projection weld nut welding systems is the fact that it is unknown when a projection weld nut has been welded upside down or laterally out of position with respect to an aperture on the workpiece. This disadvantage exposes itself when a failure occurs during an attempt to screw a bolt into the welded projection nut or subsequently when the nut is loaded. Many times the required torque applied to secure the bolt to the threads of an inverted welded projection nut breaks the weak weld and the projection nut spins off the workpiece. If the projection nut was welded out of position, it is impossible to extend the bolt through the aperture on the workpiece. Therefore, it is extremely desirable to not apply electric power to either an inverted or misaligned projection weld nut or to at least terminate the power before the projection nut has been heated sufficiently to weld. Early detection allows for the projection weld nut to be easily removed while the workpiece has little or no damage and can be reused.
A second problem in resistance welding is in controlling the weld process satisfactorily in order to consistently produce good welds. Many different factors must be controlled, such as voltage, current, pressure, heat loss, shunting, water temperature and electrode wear, as well as the thickness and composition of the workpiece material. Many of these variables are difficult to consistently control because of contaminants at the faying surfaces such as dirt, grease, oil or paper. Improper welding conditions can cause defective welds due to expulsion and low or over penetration of the weld nut projections. Expulsion occurs when an excessive application of power blows out the projections at the faying surfaces. Over penetration results from the weld current being too strong or applied for too much time. Too little power causes low penetration. Defectively welded projection weld nuts have distinguishing features from good welds such as being weaker, being misaligned, weld expulsion bonded to its internal threads rendering the projection nut non-usable, and other defects.
Several attempts have been made to automatically control resistance projection welding processes. For example, some techniques have been designed to regulate the amount of energy used during the weld cycle. To this end, current sensors and voltage regulators have been incorporated into feedback systems to compare the detected levels with certain preset reference values. These feedback systems are disadvantageous because they do not directly detect physical characteristics of the weld itself, but instead rely upon detection of secondary parameters. This can lead to poor weld quality when uncontrolled parameters vary from nominal operating conditions.
A product that has weak welds can fail to perform under extreme stress, fail at some point during the course of normal operation or can break after other parts have been welded to it. A welded product such as a car seat, automobile engine cradle, or an automobile frame can easily have dozens or even hundreds of separate welds. Often the projection weld nuts welded to a workpiece are fabricated as a box section such as an automobile motor/transmission mount. Obviously, it is very expensive and impractical to repair or replace a bad weld after a unit has been welded together and assembled in a vehicle. Usually the entire assembly is removed and scrapped.
Many products such as an air bag support will perform only once under extreme stress conditions during its lifetime. If the air bag is supported by defective welds, it may not perform its intended function. Finally, if the incorrectly welded projection nut has enough strength to allow the required torque at assembly to hold, it can fail later while in use due to structural vibrations or other stresses transferred to this weak joint.
A further obstacle in resistance welding occurs when an electrode becomes fused to a welding surface after completion of a weld. This condition is known as a xe2x80x9cstuck gun conditionxe2x80x9d. If the welding system does not detect the stuck gun before attempting to move the electrodes from a closed welding position to an opened position, extensive damage to the electrodes, weld gun, a work cell, and even human weld operators may occur.
Another consideration in resistance welding is to ensure that the electrodes apply welding current to the projection weld nut once and only once. The strength of the weld between a projection weld nut presently welded to a workpiece is substantially weakened with the application of subsequent electric welding power. The subsequent welding power causes the projections to overheat, and thus become brittle.
It is an object of the present invention to determine whether the desired surface of a projection weld nut is in a proper fit up position with a workpiece prior to applying weld power.
Another object of the present invention is to ensure that a projection weld nut forms a strong weld with a workpiece, to monitor and to control the formation of the weld, and to analyze the quality of the weld.
A further object of the present invention is to determine whether a projection weld nut is properly aligned with a workpiece prior to applying weld power.
Still another object of the present invention is to check for a stuck gun condition before moving the electrodes from a closed welding position to an opened position.
Still yet a further object of the present invention is to prevent the shorting of the welding electrode by avoiding the application of electrical power to an electrode not engaged with a projection weld nut.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to prevent the subsequent application of electric power to a projection weld nut presently welded to a workpiece.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by a system and method for welding a projection weld nut to a workpiece made in accordance with the present invention. The system includes a weld power source for supplying power. A weld gun having a welding electrode is coupled to the weld power source. The welding electrode is moveable between a closed welding position forming an electrical welding contact through the projection weld nut and the workpiece, and a spaced apart opened position for receiving and removing the projection weld nut and the workpiece. A programmable logic controller (PLC) is coupled to the weld gun and to the weld power source. A displacement sensor is coupled to the weld gun for generating a signal that is responsive to an orientation of the welding electrode relative to the workpiece. A computer is coupled to the displacement sensor, the PLC, and the weld power source. The computer transmits a control signal to the PLC for controlling the power from the weld power source to the welding electrode as a function of the displacement sensor signal.
Initially, a nut feeder supplies a projection weld nut to the welding electrode in the opened position. The PLC then triggers the welding electrode to the closed position. The computer determines whether the orientation of the welding electrode relative to the workpiece is within or outside a specified acceptance region. The orientation is initially a function of which surface of the projection weld nut engages the welding electrode. If the orientation is within the acceptance region, the computer transmits a control signal to the PLC for initiating an application of electrical power from the weld power source to the welding electrode. If the orientation is outside the acceptance region, the computer transmits the control signal to the PLC for inhibiting the application of electrical power from the weld power source to the welding electrode.
While the electrical power is applied to the welding electrode, the computer monitors the electrode orientation. In response to the orientation moving during the welding procedure, the computer transmits the control signal to the PLC for varying the amount of power applied by the weld power source to the welding electrode. The computer varies the power in order for the orientation to substantially simulate a predetermined displacement. The computer terminates the electrical power if the orientation does not correspond to the predetermined displacement. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Radiation-curable adhesive compositions are employed in a variety of applications in which a durable, permanent bond or seal between parts is desired. The use of an adhesive provides a cost-effective alternative to mechanical mounts that imparts less stress on the parts being joined together. In many cases, it is possible to expose all portions of the curable adhesive composition to direct radiation, such as when the adhesive is positioned entirely within a gap between parts that are to be bonded together or sealed, or when at least one of the parts is transparent to radiation of the frequency (or wavelength) needed to cure (chemically harden) the adhesive composition. However, in many cases, it is not possible to directly expose all portions (i.e., the entire volume or mass) of the radiation-curable adhesive composition to radiation of a frequency (or wavelength) that will initiate curing of the adhesive composition (i.e., an actinic radiation), such as when at least a portion of the adhesive composition is disposed between parts comprised of a material that blocks the actinic radiation. Also, a light blocking coating may be applied over a surface of the optical element to obstruct or block radiation that would cause degradation of the adhesive. The unexposed portions of the adhesive composition may cure very slowly, resulting in unacceptably long fixing times. Accordingly, there has been a recognized need to provide structures and processes that facilitate rapid curing of those portions of a radiation-curable adhesive or sealant composition that cannot be exposed directly to the actinic radiation (e.g., along a straight line from the radiation source to the adhesive).
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0090402 A1 describes the use of a light-diffusing optical fiber that is coupled to an actinic light source and is at least partially disposed within a portion of a radiation-curable adhesive composition that is located in a region between parts (e.g., a holder and an optical element) that are to be joined together, which region is blocked from receiving radiation directly from an external source. While providing a workable solution to the problem of exposing a radiation-curable composition that is blocked from being irradiated by an external source to actinic radiation, this technique is relatively expensive due to the added steps of providing a light-diffusing optical fiber coupled to an actinic light source, and properly positioning the light-diffusing optical fiber within the adhesive composition to facilitate exposure of the composition to actinic radiation and rapid curing. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Several United States patents have issued to the applicant for drying coal in a fluidized bed reactor. These include U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,246 (“Process for processing coal”), U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,247(“Process for processing coal”), U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,035 (“Process for processing coal”), U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,741 (“Process for processing coal”), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,265 (“Process for processing coal”). The entire disclosure of each of these United States patents is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
With increasing energy demands, and increasing energy production costs, there is a need for efficient production methods for upgrading low rank or “wet” coal products to consumable energy products. Many researchers have devoted significant resources to developing these processes and technologies.
The coal industry has faced excessive transportation costs for these moisture-laden low-rank coal products. However, while drying coal to a low moisture content prior to shipment offers significant advantages in terms of reduced transportation costs, it renders the coal subject to spontaneous combustion during shipment and storage. Significant inflagration and explosion hazards are created, exposing workers and emergency responders to dangerous conditions.
The problem of spontaneous combustion of coal has been well known for more than half a century. Sub-bituminous, bituminous, lignite, brown coal and coal char can spontaneously combust by chemical reactions between the coal, moisture and oxygen present in the air. This reaction can occur when water combining with other components in the coal generate a sufficient amount of heat to raise the temperature of the coal to the ignition point. Additionally, noncarbonaceous or unsaturated carbon compound materials present in the coal may oxidize upon exposure to air, which in turn generates a sufficient amount of heat for the coal to reach ignition temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,456 (Inhibiting spontaneous combustion of coal char) explains that, “Spontaneous combustion occurs when the rate of heat generation from oxidation exceeds the rate of heat dissipation. Previous workers have found that the reason spontaneous combustion does not occur more often than it does is that the oxidation rate of coal char decreases with the increasing time of or extent of oxidation. Therefore, when coal char is exposed to oxygen, a race begins between the effects of high temperature coefficient of oxidation rate and the decreasing rate of oxidation as oxygen is consumed by the coal char. Depending on the winner, spontaneous combustion occurs or doesn't occur.” The entire disclosure of each of these United States patents is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
Commonly used drying processes utilize a hot combustion gas to drive moisture from the coal in a bed of coal, a fluidized bed, a kiln or a rotary device. Conventional drying methods often center around pyrolysis and result in a coal product which is active and subject to self-heating by the processes described above.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,432 (Pressure gradient passivation of carbonaceous material normally susceptible to spontaneous combustion) explains “Low-rank coals, such as sub-bituminous coal or lignite may contain more than about 10% moisture and typically 15-50 weight percent moisture. Some low-rank coals may contain as much as 60 weight percent moisture. Such wet low-rank coals cannot be shipped economically over great distances due to the cost of transporting a significant fraction of unusable material in the form of water. Further, these low-rank coals cannot be burned efficiently due to the energy required to vaporize the water. Due to the lowered heating value and high cost of shipping unusable material, it is advantageous to remove all or part of the water from the low-rank coals prior to shipment and/or storage. However, drying such fuels usually leads to activation of the low-rank coals or chars. The reactive coals or chars may be hazardous due to the potential for damage to property or life due to the reaction of the coal or char with atmospheric oxygen and moisture and consequential heating of the coal, which makes it subject to spontaneous ignition during either shipment or storage. Indicators of the propensity of coals or chars to spontaneously combust include the uptake of oxygen as measured in terms of torr of oxygen per gram of material. Methods for testing this indicator are listed in U.S. Bureau of Mines “Report of Investigation 9330” by Miron, Smith, and Lazzara. The terms “oxygen uptake” and “oxygen demand” refer to the test methods of the “Report of Investigation 9330” or related test methods when used in this document. In the past, wet low-rank coals such as those from the western United States have been dried by methods such as, but not limited to, thermal drying using process heat, waste heat, microwaves, pressurized water, steam, hot oil, molten metals, and other supplies of high temperatures. The heated coals release the free moisture trapped in the pores, water molecules associated with hydrated molecules or associated in other ways with the coal, producing dried coals or chars. Other methods of drying may include mechanical drying (such as centrifugal separation), the use of dry gases, or the use of desiccants or absorbents. Once dried, coals or chars can become more active and are known to spontaneously combust.” The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
Many researches have devoted significant resources to address this problem, some of which will be briefly described. None of the approaches, and in particular, those utilizing an oxygenated environment, have realized commercial success.
To reduce the potential for the spontaneous combustion of coal, approaches have focused on filming or coating the surface of the coal with deactivating fluids to seal it using oils, polymers, tars, waxes or other hydrocarbon materials. Reference is made, e.g., to U.S. Pat. No. 1,960,917 (Process for treating coal), U.S. Pat. No. 2,197,792 (Coal spraying chute), U.S. Pat. No. 2,204,781 (Art of protecting coal and like), U.S. Pat. No. 2,610,115 (Method for dehydrating lignite) and U.S. Pat. No. 2,811,427 (Lignite fuel). U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,914 (Process for treating coal to make it resistant to spontaneous combustion) disclosed a silicon dioxide film on the coal surface. The entire disclosure of each of these United States patents is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, applicants believe that favorable altering of the surface components reduces the reactivity and oxidation.
Other methods have used application of oxidizing agents or treatment with high temperature under pressure (U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,432 at column 2, lines 35-60). The entire disclosure of each of these United States patents is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification. Yet other processes use controlled drying in a manner that particle surface pores are self-sealed by hydrocarbon material evolved from the particles.
Other approaches include the prolonged exposure of the coal to air, the use of oxidizing agents sprayed on coal, and treating the coal with high-temperature water under pressure. The coatings perform their work by covering the pores and limiting the access of active components of the air to active sites on the dried coal. U.S. Pat. No. 3,723,079 (Stabilization of coal) explains: “For example, coal piles are often arranged in a particular manner to obtain safe storage; e.g., thin layers which are compacted with sloping sides at a maximum angle of 14°, smooth final surfaces, and top surface continually smoothed as coal is removed from the top only. Other approaches to prevent spontaneous combustion during storage involves chemical treatment of the coal, e.g., coating the coal with petroleum products and their emulsions, spraying with calcium bicarbonate or aqueous hydroquinone or amines. Such treatments, however, are either not completely effective or are excessively expensive for a low prices commodity such as coal.” The entire disclosure of such United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,516 (Coal drying and passivation process) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,517 (Coal passivation process) disclose mixing of coal in a fluidized bed with at least 0.5 weight percent of hydrocarbon material during the heating process. These coatings are effective in preventing reabsorption of moisture, however, such coatings are expensive due to the cost of the added hydrocarbon materials. The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,632,829 (Method of drying coal and the like) describes a process for drying wet coal by steam heating it. In the method described, steam disposed above the coal is maintained at high partial pressure to prevent escape of the moisture while the coal temperature elevates. Thereafter, the steam pressure is reduced, permitting the escape of moisture and rapid drying of the coal. The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,169 (Treatment of solid fuels) describes a process for upgrading lignitic coal by heating it in an autoclave at about 750° F. and pressures in excess of 1000 psig to effect thermal restructuring. Thereafter the coal is cooled and condensable organic material is deposited on the lignite, stabilizing it and render it non-hygroscopic and more resistant to weathering and oxidation during shipment and storage. It is believed that the use of high temperature water drives off carboxylic acid groups and rendering those sites inactive to future activity with the active components of the fluid. The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,875 (Coated coal piles) disclosed a coating composition to be applied to a pile of coal exposed to the weather in order to exclude rain and air by forming a continuous covering over the pile. The composition was normally thixotropic and included wax, tar or pitch or a polymer which provided a covering from one-quarter inch to one inch thick. It was necessary to break the covering in order to transfer or utilize the coal. The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
Berkowitz in Canadian patent 959783, described a method of treating low-rank coals which included heating the coal to a temperature (about 350° C.) by immersion in a liquid medium, causing pyrolytic material to diffuse from the interior to the surface of the coal particles and to plug to pores to prevent moisture reabsorption. The entire disclosure of said Canadian patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
Wong disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,624 (Beneficiation of low-rank coals by immersion in residuum) a process of immersing coal in residuum having a softening point of at least 80° C., at a temperature from about 240° C. to the decomposition temperature to boil off the moisture content and coat the coal particles within the immersion medium. This process has the disadvantages of providing a thick coating of treatment material on the coal particles which must be drained off of the particles.” The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,432 (Pressure Gradient Passivation of Carbonaceous Material Normally Susceptible to Spontaneous Combustion) describes a process for the passivation of a carbonaceous material by exposure to an oxygenated gas over a pressure gradient. The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,456 (Inhibiting spontaneous combustion of coal char) discloses a treatment with air and carbon dioxide at temperatures from 50° F. to 300° F. to deactivate the surface of the coal char. The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,650 (Process for drying and stabilizing coal) discloses a treatment that rehydrates the coal to a moisture level of 2-10 weight percent. The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,365 (Irreversible drying of carbonaceous fuels) discloses a method for drying coal in a mildly reducing lower alkane gaseous atmosphere at a temperature of 150° to 300° C., with or without agglomeration with small amounts of oil. The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,752 (Coal drying process) discloses a single-step process using in-situ generated thermal energy and causing partial combustion of the coal at atmospheric pressure in the presence of gas such as atmospheric air. The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,763 (stabilization of dried coal) discloses a process of combining completely or partially dried coal with as-mined coal in a weight ratio of 1:2 to 10:1. The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,723,079 (Stabilization of coal) discloses a process of treating dried coal with 0.5-8% oxygen by weight at a temperature of 175° C. to 225° C. and rehydrating the coal with water of from 1.5%-6% by weight of oxygen treated coal. The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,909 (Drying and passivating wet coals and lignite) discloses a staged process of heating under low partial pressure of moisture to 8-12% moisture content then heated to a lower differential vapor pressure to remove additional moisture. The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,557 (Process for drying and stabilizing coal) discloses a process of heating the coal in a fluidized combustion gas streat containing 7-9% by volume of oxygen to reduce moisture content to 8-12% by volume. The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
The novel process described in this patent application provides a process for reducing the predisposition of coal to self-heat in the presence of oxygen. This novel, cost-effective and efficient process for irreversible drying and passivation of coal combines the advantages of the coating technology with the exposure of the coal to an oxygenated environment.
While the process taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,432 requires a gradient of pressures, the novel process herein described can be done at atmospheric pressure and moderate temperatures in the range of 450-650 degrees Fahrenheit. U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,365 (Irreversible drying of carbonaceous fuels) teaches that processes involving high temperatures and pressures are economically undesirable, require substantial energy and capital investments and present inherent risks and dangers. The production costs are increased by specialized expensive equipment, apparatuses and facilities. The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,752 (Coal drying process) discloses advantages that are shared by the present invention through a new and novel process, “The process of the invention has the additional benefit that it is less costly because it uses the in-situ generated thermal energy for drying the added wet coal. This results from the fact that no capital investment is needed. Also, the system of the invention allows greater flexibility in the degree to which coal drying is made to occur because the coal stability is not critically sensitive to a particular moisture level and thus the product coal is very highly stable totally dry or with various moisture levels. Still further there is no need in the process of the invention for a rehydrating step which some prior art processes require to obtain a stabilized coal.” The entire disclosure of said United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Pressable touchsurfaces (touch surfaces which can be pressed) are widely used in a variety of input devices, including as the surfaces of keys or buttons for keypads or keyboards, and as the surfaces of touch pads or touch screens. It is desirable to improve the usability of these input systems.
FIG. 2 shows a graph 200 of an example tactile response curve associated with the “snapover” haptic response found in many keys enabled with metal snap domes or rubber domes. Specifically, graph 200 relates force applied to the user by a touchsurface of the key and the amount of key displacement (movement relative to its unpressed position). The force applied to the user may be a total force or the portion of the total force along a particular direction such as the positive or negative press direction. Similarly, the amount of key displacement may be a total amount of key travel or the portion along a particular direction such as the positive or negative press direction.
The force curve 210 shows four key press states 212, 214, 216, 218 symbolized with depictions of four rubber domes at varying amounts of key displacement. The key is in the “unpressed” state 212 when no press force is applied to the key and the key is in the unpressed position (i.e., “ready” position). In response to press input, the key initially responds with some key displacement and increasing reaction force applied to the user. The reaction force increases with the amount of key displacement until it reaches a local maximum “peak force” F1 in the “peak” state 214. In the peak state 214, the metal snap dome is about to snap or the rubber dome is about to collapse. The key is in the “contact” state 216 when the keycap, snap dome or rubber dome, or other key component moved with the keycap makes initial physical contact with the base of the key (or a component attached to the base) with the local minimum “contact force” F2. The key is in the “bottom” state 218 when the key has travelled past the “contact” state and is mechanically bottoming out, such as by compressing the rubber dome in keys enabled by rubber domes.
A snapover response is defined by the shape of the reaction force curve—affected by variables such as the rate of change, where it peaks and troughs, and the associated magnitudes. The difference between the peak force F1 and the contact force F2 can be termed the “snap.” The “snap ratio” can be determined as (F1−F2)/F1 (or as 100*(F1−F2)/F1, if a percent-type measure is desired).
Presently known keyboard systems for capacitively sensing keystroke position using a transmitter/receiver electrode pair underneath the key cap are limited in their ability to ability to accurately detect initial keystroke movement, inasmuch as the capacitive response is an inverse function of the square of the distance between the key cap and the electrode pair. Systems and methods are thus needed which overcome this limitation. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an advantageous door design and, more particularly, to a door design having particular utility for rack-related mounting, e.g., in connection with a cable raceway or other electronic equipment application(s). The advantageous door design of the present disclosure is structured so as to be simultaneously hinged at the left and at the right, and to permit easy opening from either the right or left, as well as complete removal of the door from its mounting structure.
2. Background of the Disclosure
Typical electronic cabinets include a frame structure that defines a plurality of shelves upon which electronic items may be positioned and/or stored. Electronic cabinets typically include openings at various locations, e.g., top and side locations, to facilitate wiring, heat dissipation, and/or ready access to power source(s). Generally, electronic cabinets include a door that permits the contents of the cabinet to be shielded from view and/or protected from damage. The door is typically mounted to the frame by a hinge that is located on one side of the door, and a latch is typically provided on the other side of the door so that the door may be opened, for example, from left to right. Many existing electronic cabinet designs allow the user to unfasten the hinge assembly from the cabinet to allow the door to be flipped over, remounted and subsequently opened in the opposite direction, for example, from right to left.
The patent literature discloses prior efforts directed to developing modified systems for mounting movable elements, e.g., windows and doors, relative to fixed frames. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,148 to Chang discloses a dual axle linkage mechanism for doors and casement windows. The dual axle linkage mechanism disclosed in the Chang '148 patent includes a rotary unit that utilizes a spindle, an upper guiding block, a lower guiding block, a holding device, a retaining device and a restoring spring. According to the Chang disclosure, the driving device is able to move a pair of spindles on one side up or down in the frame, thereby permitting either side a door or window to serve as a rotary axle, provided it has a spindle disposed therein.
Additional teachings in the patent literature include U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,518 to Ladisa, wherein a double-action door structure is provided that may be opened along either side edge and in either direction by pushing or pulling. The disclosed Ladisa '518 door structure includes spring-loaded balls that are movable upwardly and downwardly into engagement on the sides of the door by a push bar/cam mechanism. U.S. Pat. No. 3,403,473 to Navarro provides a mechanism for reversibly mounting a door on a cabinet frame so that the door may be opened from either side. The Navarro '473 mechanism includes a pivot pins on both sides of the door that are movable into and out of engagement with supports using toggle arrangements. U.S. Pat. No. 3,048,898 to Davis discloses a combination latch and hinge mechanism that permits a door to be opened relative to the left or right hand edge. Additional systems for mounting movable elements, e.g., windows and doors, relative to fixed frames are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 331,466 to Whitney; U.S. Pat. No. 1,560,537 to Cole; U.S. Pat. No. 1,550,205 to Cemazar; U.S. Pat. No. 2,195,991 to Lovett; U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,728 to Moriyoshi; U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,652 to Yamada; U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,828 to Hashemnia; U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,916 to Lee et al.; and commonly assigned U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0020379 to Larsen et al.
Despite efforts to date, a need remains for a door design with enhanced usability. More particularly, a need remains for a door that enables a user to easily and efficiently open from left to right and from right to left, or to completely remove the door from its mounting structure. Although such need extends across a wide variety of applications, particular interest for an enhanced door design in applications involving storage of, and access to, electronic equipment and associated cabling/wiring. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer, and more particularly, to a dust eliminator for eliminating dust and foreign substance adhering to a cooling fin, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a general computer, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the internal configuration of the computer. As shown in the figures, a computer 1 generally comprises a main body 3 and a display unit 5. In general, the display unit 5 is provided with a display screen 6 having a liquid crystal panel, and is connected to a rear portion of the main body 3 to be brought into contact with an upper surface of the man body 3 or unfolded with respect thereto. Like the main body 3, the display unit 5 is formed in the shape of a generally flat hexahedral plate.
The main body 3 is in the shape of a generally flat hexahedral plate, a key board section 7 is provided on the upper surface of the main body. A ventilating hole 9 is formed on one side of an outer surface of the main body 3 to exhaust heat generated in the main body to the outside. Air stream containing heat generated in the main body 3 passes through the ventilating hole 3.
As shown in FIG. 2, a main board 10 is installed in the main body 3. A plurality of heat-generating elements 11 are mounted on the main board 10. The heat-generating elements 11 include, for example, a microprocessor, a chipset, a graphic chip and the like.
In the meantime, a heat-radiating fan 20 is provided in the main body 3 to exhaust heat generated from the heat-generating components 11 to the outside. The heat-radiating fan 20 serves to form air stream directed toward the ventilating hole 9 in the main body 3.
A cooling fin 23 is provided between the ventilating hole 9 and the heat-radiating fan 20. A plurality of fin gaps through which air stream can pass are formed on the cooling fin 23. One ends of heat pipes 25 are in thermal contact with an upper surface of the cooling fin 23. The other ends of the hat pipes 25 are in thermal contact with the heat-generating components 11. The heat pipes 25 serve to transfer heat of the heat-generating components 11 to the cooling fin 23.
A process of cooling the computer constructed as described above will be described. Air stream to be exhausted to the outside via the ventilating hole 9 is formed by the driving of the heat-radiating fan 20. At this time, the air stream, which contains the heat transferred from the cooling fin 23 to the air stream while the air stream passes through the cooling fin 23, is exhausted to the outside.
However, the above related art has the following problems.
Due to the driving of the heat-radiating fan 20, fine dust and foreign substance are accumulated in the gaps of the cooling fin 23 that is passages of the air stream. In particular, the gaps of the cooling fin 23 are clogged with the fine dust accumulated for a long time, so that the air stream formed by the heat-radiating fan 20 cannot pass through the gaps. Consequently, it is impossible to radiate the heat generated in the computer.
In order to solve the problem, a filter is installed at a location adjacent to the cooling fin 23 for filtering dust. However, there is inconvenience in that a user should replace or wash the filter used. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Hydrocarbons sometimes exist in a formation but cannot flow readily into the well because the formation has very low permeability. Acidizing wells is a conventional process for increasing or restoring the permeability of subterranean formations so as to facilitate the flow of oil and gas from the formation into the well. This process involves treating the formation with an acid to dissolve fines and carbonate scale that are plugging or clogging the pores, thereby opening the pores and other flow channels and increasing the permeability of the formation. Continued pumping forces the acid into the formation, where it etches channels or wormholes. These channels provide ways for the formation hydrocarbons to enter the well bore.
Conventional acidizing fluids, such as hydrochloric acid or a mixture of hydrofluoric and hydrochloric acids, have high acid strength and quick reaction with fines and scale nearest the well bore, and have a tendency to corrode tubing, casing and downhole equipment, such as gravel pack screens and downhole pumps, especially at elevated temperatures. In addition, above 200° F. (92° C.), HCl is not recommended in some cases because of its destructive effect on the rock matrix. Due to the type of metallurgy, long acid contact times and high acid sensitivity of the formations, removal of the scale with hydrochloric acid and hydrochloric acid mixtures has been largely unsuccessful. However, there are other acid fluid systems to dissolve carbonate and/or scale and remove the source of the fines through acidizing the surrounding formation while not damaging the downhole hole equipment, particularly for high temperature wells. These acid systems include, but are not necessarily limited to mixtures of tricarboxylic acids, aminocarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids including, but not necessarily limited to, oxalic acid (ethanedioic acid), malonic acid (propanedioic acid), succinic acid (butanedioic acid), glutaric acid (pentanedioic acid), adipic acid (hexanedioic acid), pimelic acid (heptanedioic acid), and mixtures thereof. Further details about these acids may be had with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,198 assigned to Baker Hughes Incorporated, and it is incorporated herein by reference.
Other acids used to treat subterranean formations include, but are not necessarily limited to sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrofluoric acid, hydrobromic acid, fluoroboric acid, formic acid, acetic acid, glycolic acid, and mixtures of these and the forementioned acids.
It is also known to use emulsified fluids containing such acids to treat subterranean formations. Emulsified acids give reduced or retarded acid reaction rates because of the oil-external outer phase. Some of these acids mentioned above have reduced acid reaction rates with carbonate reservoirs that in turn allows deeper and narrower wormholes to form that may include secondary microfractures. The longer wormholes and/or secondary microfractures are needed in order to improve hydrocarbon production rates. However, a difficulty with some emulsified acids is that they are not thermally stable, that is the viscosity changes markedly over time at elevated temperature.
It would be desirable if a composition and method could be devised to overcome some of the problems in the conventional acidizing methods and fluids, particularly with respect to thermal stability. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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