text
stringlengths 2
806k
| meta
dict |
|---|---|
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a superconducting device having a cryosystem with a cryogenic medium cooled by a refrigeration installation. The superconductors of at least one superconducting appliance and the superconducting switching path, which is electrically connected to these superconductors, of a superconducting switch are thermally coupled. The superconducting switching path has associated heating means for controlled changing of the superconducting material of the switching path to the normally conductive state.
2. Description of the Related Art
EP 0 074 030 A2 discloses a corresponding superconducting device having a cryosystem of the relevant type.
In the case of superconducting switches, the physical effect of the controllable change from the superconducting state to the normally conductive state can be used to provide a switching function, in particular in those situations in which there is no need for potential isolation directly with the actual switching process. Corresponding switches are used in particular in the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for medical diagnosis as so-called continuous current or short-circuiting switches for superconducting magnets. In order to allow current to be applied to the superconducting magnet windings of such appliances/magnets, the superconducting switching path of the short-circuiting switch which bridges them must be opened. In this case, the superconducting state can be overcome by increasing the temperature above the critical temperature, by increasing the electrical current density and/or by increasing the magnetic field on the switching path. Corresponding switching paths, which can be controlled thermally, in superconducting switches have been known for a long time (see EP 0 074 030 A2, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,255,335 or 4,602,231).
The superconducting switch is normally located within a cryosystem having a cryogenic medium which is also used to cool the superconductors of a superconducting appliance, such as magnet winding (see the EP-A2 Document mentioned initially). This means that, when the switch is in the warm, normally conductive state, it introduces a considerable amount of heat into the cryogenic medium of the cryosystem. This amount of heat may be up to several watts in a liquid-helium (LHe) bath of an MRI magnet. In many cases, introduction of heat such as this is unacceptable. This relates in particular to recondensing, closed cryosystems, in which the refrigeration power is provided by a cold head of a refrigeration installation, for example in the form of a so-called cryocooler. Cryocoolers such as these are, in particular, of the Gifford McMahon or Stirling type, or are in the form of so called pulse-tube coolers. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to radomes and more specifically to aircraft radomes having localized areas with different radio signal attenuation properties.
Related Technology
A radome is a structural, weather proof enclosure that protects a radar or radio antenna. Radomes protect antenna surfaces from weather and/or conceal antenna electronic equipment from view. Radomes also protect personnel from being injured from moving parts of the antenna. Radomes also improve the aerodynamic profile of an aircraft in the vicinity of the radome.
Radomes may have different shapes, such as spherical, geodesic, planar, etc., based on the intended use. Radomes are often made from fiberglass, PTFE coated fabrics, plastics, or other low weight, but structurally strong materials.
Fixed wing aircraft often use radomes to protect radar or radio antennas that are disposed on the aircraft body. For example, many aircraft include radomes that take the form of a nose cone on the forward end of the aircraft body to protect forward looking radar antennas, such as weather radar antennas. Radomes may also be found on the top, bottom, or aft parts of the aircraft body when the radome is protecting a radio communications antenna (e.g., a satellite communications antenna), or on the bottom of aircraft when protecting radio antennas for ground based communication. In these cases, the radomes may look like blisters or small domes on the aircraft body.
Generally, radomes must be large enough to allow free movement of the radar or radio antenna parts. For example, most weather radar antennas are gimbaled for movement about multiple axes. As a result, the weather radar antenna can be pointed in virtually any direction to look for weather in the vicinity of the aircraft. Thus, the radome must have uniform signal transmission and reception properties in all directions so that the radar antenna may be properly calibrated. Additionally, it may be desirable to produce radomes having structural properties that allow them to maintain their shape (so as not to change aerodynamic characteristics of the airframe) even when hit by foreign objects (such as birds) during flight. Because the radome must have uniform signal transmission and reception properties combined with structural strength aircraft radomes the signal transmission and reception properties are often compromised to ensure that the strength requirements are met. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. Over the course of the growth, functional density of the semiconductor devices has increased with the decrease of device feature size or geometry. The scaling down process generally provides benefits by increasing production efficiency, reducing costs, and/or improving device performance, but increases complexity of the IC manufacturing processes.
To address the increase of manufacturing complexity, similar advances in IC processing and manufacturing are necessary. For example, a three dimensional transistor, such as a fin-like field-effect transistor (Fin-FET), has been introduced to replace a planar transistor. In the manufacturing process of the Fin-FET devices, further improvements are constantly necessary to satisfy the performance requirement in the scaling down process. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuitry for transferring data and method for the same, as well as to a circuitry that uses clock pulses and method for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data transfer is commonly carried out using digital signals. However, in recent years, it has been attempted to perform data transfer using multi-value analog signals (see, for example, JPA07-193605, JPA2000-47768, JPA2001-285388 and JPA2002-152029). Furthermore, in order to reduce power consumption in a computer system, a technology is used that makes the power supply voltage supplied to the various circuit in the system variable (JPA08-44465).
However, in the device using variable power supply voltage, the problem arises that it is difficult to consistently convert the multi-value analog signals into multi-value digital signals because the power supply voltage changes.
Incidentally, it is well known that in most devices using electronic signals and optical signals, individual circuits operate synchronously with clock pulses (see JPA2006-259753, for example).
However, when high-frequency clock pulses are transmitted to a large number of circuits in such devices, high-harmonic noise can easily occur and the pulse waveform tends to easily deteriorate. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to an insulation system and method for insulating marine vessels. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to vessels that are adapted to transport cryogenic liquids. Examples of such liquids include liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied propane gas (LPG) or liquefied ethylene gas (LEG).
The invention can also be applied to other applications where insulation is required.
International agreements determine the type and construction of marine vessels/ships which may be used to transport cryogenic liquids. Specifically, the regulations define how the cryogenic liquid is safely contained on the ship and importantly how the liquid can be contained should a hold fail.
Cryogenic transport ships are designed according to regulations that require the containment holds to have very high integrity. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) sets these regulations. Holds must be constructed such that the holds do not fail and allow liquid to be released. These designs require high integrity welding and thick hold walls, such as IMO type C and B holds. They are extremely safe but inherently expensive to manufacture and maintain.
As the use of cryogenic liquids increases there is a growing need for transport systems that allow these liquids to be safely transported in varying quantities and at competitive prices. The cost of constructing and operating conventional cryogenic transport ships is a barrier preventing the fuels being more widely distributed and utilised.
The inventor of the present technology has devised a system which allows cryogenic transport ships to be constructed at vastly reduced costs whilst maintaining very high safety standards. Furthermore, the technology can be applied to existing ship designs and easily and efficiently incorporated in a ship's structure. The technology may even be retro-fitted to existing ships. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Many parents are concerned that sitting too close to a television screen may affect their children's vision. Various devices have been proposed to address the problem.
One prior art approach involves installing a controller in the television receiver itself. The controller uses a proximity sensor to detect whether an object is proximate to the receiver's screen, and generates an audible or visual warning signal through the speakers or screen of the television receiver itself. Such systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,614 to Ryu, U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,448 to Park, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,180 to Back. A significant shortcoming is that the controller is built into the television receiver and does not lend itself to retrofitting an existing receiver.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,664 to Cuadrado describes a viewing distance controller that is entirely external to a television receiver. The television receiver is plugged into a power socket associated with the controller. The controller has a distance sensor that detects the proximity of an object to the screen, and a timing circuit that switches power to the socket and thus the television receiver in response to distance violations. The controller can be readily used with various television receivers but shutting off power to a contemporary television receiver has the undesirable effect of clearing all settings preprogrammed by a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,270 to Hensliegh et al describes another system for controlling viewing distance. An acoustic proximity'sensor is used to detect whether a child is too close to a television receiver. An interference generator then radiates high energy pulses into the circuitry of the television receiver to disrupt the screen image. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to instrument panels for automotive vehicles and more particularly to an instrument pad arrangement in an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An example of a prior art instrument pad arrangement in an automotive vehicle is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Referring to the figures, the instrument pad arrangement is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and shown as including an instrument panel 12 and an instrument pad 14. The instrument pad 14 is adapted to cover the outer surface of the instrument panel 12 with a view to preventing a vehicle passenger from being injured by the instrument panel 12 upon a head-on collision or the like. The instrument panel 12 has a glove box section 16 in front of an assistant driver's seat. The glove box section 16 has a top wall 16a and a depending wall 16b depending from the forward end of the top wall 16a to form therewith an L-like section. An opening 18 is provided to the glove box section 16 in such a manner as to extend from the rearward part of the top wall 16a to the lower end of the depending wall 16b. The opening 18 is closed by a glove box reinforcement 20 in the form of an L-like section and having a top wall 20a and a depending wall 20b depending from the forward end of the top wall 20a. The reinforcement 20 is secured at the depending wall 20b to a vehicle body by way of an instrument stay 22, etc. and is also secured at the forward end of the top wall 20a to the top wall 16a of the glove box section 16 by means of screws 24. The instrument pad 14 consists of a shock absorbing body 14a such as a foamed plastic material and a core 14b embedded in the shock abosrbing body 14a. A plurality of clips 26 are secured to the core 14b in such a manner as to project from the inner surface of the shock absorbing body 14a. The clips 26 are inserted into the corresponding openings 28 formed in the instrument panel 12 so as to secure the instrument pad 14 to the instrument panel 12. A glove box lid 30 is installed on the glove box section 16 by means of a hinge 32.
A disadvantage of the prior art instrument pad arrangement is that the clips 26 are liable to be damaged or broken by shocks and vibrations applied to the instrument panel 12, resulting in undesirable play or, in the extreme case, rattling of the instrument pad 14. Further, upon a head-on collision or the like, the instrument pad 14 may possibly be detached or disconnected from the instrument panel 12. This is quite undesirable from a safety point of view. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Hydrocracking is a well established process in the petroleum refining industry and is conventionally employed either for fuels (distillate) production or for producing lubricants from poor or marginal quality crude sources. In both types of hydrocracking operation, the feed, usually a high boiling material such as a vacuum gas oil (VGO) or a catalytically cracked fraction such as light cycle oil (LCO) or heavy cycle oil (HCO) is contacted with a bifunctional catalyst in the presence of hydrogen under elevated temperatures and pressures. The catalyst has an acidic function which is typically provided by an amorphous support such as alumina or silica-alumina or by a large pore size crystalline zeolite such as zeolite X or zeolite Y. Large pore size materials of this type are used in hydrocracking operations in order that the bulky, polycyclic aromatic components in the typical feedstocks may obtain access into the internal pore structure of the catalyst where the characteristic hydrocracking reactions mostly take place. The metal function is provided in order to promote the hydrogenation reactions which occur and is usually provided by means of a base metal of Group VIA or VIIIA of the Periodic Table (IUPAC Table) such as nickel, cobalt, tungsten or molybdenum or, in some cases, by a noble metal such as platinum or palladium. Combinations of base metals from both Groups VIA and VIIIA are preferred, for example, nickel-tungsten, cobalt-molybdenum have been found to provide superior results. Other metals may be present to promote or suppress certain hydrogenative type functions, for example, tin may be present as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,227. Temperatures in hydrocracking are typically at least about 500.degree. F. (about 260.degree. C.) and are typically in the range of 650.degree.-850.degree. F. (about 345-455.degree. C.) with higher temperatures being disfavored for thermodynamic reasons. Hydrogen pressures are typically at least about 400 psig (about 2860 kPa abs.) and depending upon the mode of operation are frequently in the range of about 1000 to 2500 psig (about 7000 to 17,340 kPa abs.). Hydrogen circulation rates are typically at least about 1000 to 5000 SCF/Bbl (about 180 to 890 n.l.l.). Space velocities are typically about 0.5 to 5, more commonly 0.5 to 2 LHSV (hr..sup.-1).
As described above, hydrocracking conventionally employs a support material having acidic functionality such as amorphous alumina, silica-alumina or a crystalline support such as the large pore size zeolites e.g. zeolite X or zeolite Y. Recently, the use of zeolite beta for this purpose has been proposed and it has been found to possess a number of significant advantages for the hydrocracking process. It has been shown that zeolite beta, unlike typical large pore size hydrocracking catalyst supports such as zeolite X and zeolite Y, is paraffin-selective in the presence of aromatics and tends to convert paraffins in the feed in preference to the aromatics with a preferential mode of attack towards the relatively high boiling paraffins. Moreover, zeolite beta possesses a marked propensity to isomerize the higher molecular weight paraffins so that not only is it able to effect a bulk conversion of the feed by cracking to lower boiling range products but, in addition, is able to isomerize waxy paraffins which are present in the feed to less waxy isoparaffins so that a marked reduction of product pour point is noted, especially in the bottoms fraction (usually 650.degree. F.+, 345.degree. C.+). By contrast, conventional zeolite and amorphous hydrocracking catalysts are generally aromatic selective so that aromatics in the feed are converted in preference to paraffins. This behavior is illustrated in European Patent Application Publication No. 94827 which compares the results of hydrocracking using a zeolite beta based catalyst and a catalyst based on zeolite Y. The use of the conventional zeolite Y based catalyst results in a significant net increase in the proportion of paraffins in the high boiling fraction with a major reduction in the proportion of aromatics. By contrast, the zeolite beta based catalyst effects a significantly smaller increase in paraffins and a smaller decrease in aromatic content. At the same time, the pour point of the high boiling fraction is significantly reduced by the use of zeolite beta while remaining essentially unchanged with the conventional hydrocracking catalyst (see Examples 3 and 4 of EP No. 94827).
Other hydroprocessing applications exploiting the properties of zeolite beta have been described in the patent literature. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,554,065, 4,568,655, 4,501,926, 4,518,485 and EP No. 163,449.
In conventional hydrocracking operations, a hydrotreater usually preceeds the hydrocracking reactor in order to effect a preliminary saturation of aromatics present in the feed and, in addition, to convert organic nitrogen and sulfur to inorganic forms (ammonia, hydrogen sulfide) which may optionally be removed in an interstage separation prior to entering the hydrocracking reactor or reactors in which the conversion to lower boiling products takes place. In a typical fuels hydrocracking operation where the objective is to maximize naphtha and distillate production, the unconverted fraction may be recycled to extinction, either in a second stage reactor or by recycle to the first stage hydrocracking reactor. Operation with two hydrocracking reactors is frequently preferred in order to extend catalyst cycle life, with the total conversion being split between the two hydrocracking reactors. In a lube hydrocracking operation, the high boiling lube product is preserved although lower boiling materials including naphtha and distillate are removed for separate disposition. In this case, however, the objective of the process is to effect a conversion of aromatics to materials which are relatively more paraffinic and which have better properties as lubricants. This is effected both by a process of ring saturation to naphthenic type materials as well as to saturation followed by ring opening reactions to form paraffinic chains which may, however, remain attached to aromatic moieties.
As described above, fuels hydrocracking generally operates with extinction recycle to convert the feed to lower boiling materials, typically to 650.degree. F.- (about 345.degree. C.-) products, usually with major amounts of naphtha. To do this, the recycle conventionally enters between the hydrotreater and the hydrocracker, either upstream or downstream of the interstage separator. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Non-volatile data storage devices, such as embedded memory devices (e.g., embedded MultiMedia Card (eMMC) devices) and removable memory devices (e.g., removable universal serial bus (USB) flash memory devices and other removable storage cards), have allowed for increased portability of data and software applications. Users of non-volatile data storage devices increasingly rely on the non-volatile storage devices to store and provide rapid access to a large amount of data.
A data storage device (e.g., a non-volatile data storage device) may be coupled to a host device. The data storage device and the host device may each have a corresponding volatile memory, such as a random access memory (RAM), for temporary storage. However, a size of a host RAM is typically larger than a size of a data storage device RAM (e.g., a RAM of a controller of the non-volatile data storage device). When the host device and the data storage device are configured to communicate using dual channel communication (e.g., both devices may issue and receive commands from the other device), the host device and the data storage device may utilize a unified memory architecture (UMA) to enable the data storage device to use the host RAM as a working memory (e.g., a level two physical table cache, a write buffer, etc.) of the data storage device. For example, one or more protocols may enable the data storage device to utilize (e.g., control) a portion of the host RAM designated for use by the data storage device.
However, when the host device and the data storage device use single channel communication, such as when the host device and the data storage device are in a master-slave configuration (e.g., the host device is a master device and the data storage device is a slave device), the data storage device may not be able to issue commands to the host device. Accordingly, when in the master-slave configuration (e.g., a master-slave environment) the data storage device may not be able to control and/or access the host RAM. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Wireless communication systems are being broadly developed in order to provide various types of communication services, such as voice or data services. Generally, a wireless communication system corresponds to a multiple access system that may support communication with multiple users by sharing an available system source (bandwidth, transmission power, and so on). Examples of a multiple access system include a CDMA (code division multiple access) system, an FDMA (frequency division multiple access) system, a TDMA (time division multiple access) system, an OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access) system, an SC-FDMA (single carrier frequency division multiple access) system, and so on. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a seal for a fluid filter and, more particularly, to a seal for a spin-on type oil filter.
2. Summary of Related Art
Spin-on oil filters are well known devices often used in the lubrication system of internal combustion engines. These filters generally include an outer container and an end cover enclosing a hollow cylindrical filter element. An annular gasket is utilized for effecting a seal between the end cover of the filter and an engine block or adapter plate or the like on which the filter is used. Generally, a rectangular lathe cut gasket is disposed within an annular recess formed in the end cover. One or both sidewalls of the recess is then crimped to retain the gasket therein.
Such sealing gaskets are disadvantageous in that the gasket is prevented from rotating relative to the end cover. Once the gasket has made contact with the sealing base, the gasket is subjected to a shearing strain as the filter is rotated into final, operative position, despite the fact that the gasket is typically lubricated prior to installation. The development of such internal shear in the gasket may result in the gasket becoming dislodged and the failure of the seal.
In filters utilizing such sealing gaskets, there is also a tendency for air to become trapped between the gasket and the end cover upon installation. The trapped acts like a spring, so that once the air escapes, the effective torque applied to the gasket is reduced. This allows the filter to loosen due to vibration, and may even result in the filter becoming disengaged from the mount.
Some more recently developed filters have utilized a substantially round sealing gasket having a lip extending radially inwardly and tangentially therefrom. The gasket is retained by a portion of the end cover which is crimped to loosely engage the lip. The gasket is thereby capable of rotation relative to the end cover, limiting the internal shear experienced by the gasket during installation.
These sealing gaskets, however, cannot be used with conventional spin-on filter end covers. Additionally, such gaskets are difficult to automatically install in the end cover, and require proper face orientation prior to installation. Should such a gasket become dislodged, it is also difficult to reinstall by hand. Finally, the extended lip formed on these gaskets appears to be susceptible to cuts and tears, especially if not properly seated. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to a portable lamp and more particularly to advantageous construction and features in a portable lamp.
Portable battery-powered lamps are generally known in the art and are useful in that they provide a self-contained light source. They are useful in many situations, such as outdoors for camping, boating, etc. and indoors during power outages and the like.
Known portable lamps generally comprise a base adapted to sit on a flat surface, the base enclosing a battery. The base includes a bulb socket mounting a bulb, wiring and a switch for controlling operation of the bulb. Known portable lamps further include a shade bail detachably mounted to the base and supporting a shade surrounding the bulb, and vertical height adjustment of the shade bail is usually provided. Several features of the prior art portable lamps make them expensive to manufacture. The bases are manufactured of a plurality of molded plastic parts which are assembled with screws, wherein each screw must be inserted and tightened individually in the manufacturing process. A metal bulb socket must also be placed and secured in position, which not only increases manufacturing costs but also has a potential for rust and corrosion. The bulb socket, switch and battery are electrically connected by insulated wire, requiring connections made by soldering, riveting or the like, as desired, all of which are relatively expensive manufacturing techniques. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The laws of conservation of kinetic energy and momentum explain why a hard bouncing ball hitting a line of similar balls stops completely along with the other balls except the one at the far end, which moves away after the collision with substantially all the kinetic energy.
Similarly, the laws of conservation of kinetic energy and angular momentum explain the following: Suppose there is a bar of length 2R, with its center rotatably secured to a shaft of fixed position. Immediately in front of one end of the bar lies a ball of mass M. Now someone throws another ball of the same kind at the other end of the bar. If at the instant of collision, the inertia of the bar and each ball are the same relative to the shaft, i.e., if MR.sup.2 equals the inertia of the bar, then the incoming ball stops completely with the bar, and only the other ball is returned. If the bar is of a certain shape so that the other ball bounces back at a 45.degree. C. elevation, then it can travel high and far despite energy losses during the collision. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to aminoanthraquinones containing at least one cationic group chosen from aliphatic chains containing at least one cationic charge delocalized on a 5-membered unsaturated polynitrogen-containing ring, their use as a direct dye in applications for dyeing keratinous materials, such as human keratinous fibers, for example hair, and dyeing compositions containing them.
It is known to dye keratinous fibers, and in particular hair, with dyeing compositions containing direct dyes. Direct dyes are dye molecules having an affinity for keratinous fibers. The dyeing method that uses them is a so-called direct dyeing method which comprises allowing the direct dyes to act on the fibers, and subsequently rinsing the fibers.
The colors resulting therefrom are temporary or semipermanent colors, because the nature of the interactions which link the direct dyes to the keratinous fiber, and their desorption from the surface and/or the core of the fiber are responsible for their weak dyeing power and their poor resistance to washings and perspiration.
Cationic aminoanthraquinones whose charge is localized on the nitrogen atom have already been described among the known direct dyes. Such aminoanthraquinones are described, for example, in French Patent No. 1,422,016 and its addition No. 87,902, No. 1,391,675, No. 1,401,163, No. 1,379,649, No. 1,430,089, No. 1,584,965, No. 2,050,397, and No. 2,548,895, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,169,403, 5,314,505, 5,486,629, and 5,520,707, and European Patent Nos. 818,193 and 852,136.
However, in hair dyeing, direct dyes are being continually sought which exhibit increasingly better characteristics.
It is thus after major research studies carried out on this subject that the inventors have discovered new cationic aminoanthraquinones in which at least one cationic charge is delocalized on a five-membered unsaturated polynitrogen-containing heterocycle and contain at least one cationic group Z, Z being chosen from quaternized aliphatic chains, aliphatic chains containing at least one quaternized saturated ring, and aliphatic chains containing at least one quaternized unsaturated ring.
This new family of dyes can exhibit the very advantageous, characteristic feature of greater solubility in the dyeing media. These new dyes can also generate colors, by direct dyeing, having an intensity and a resistance to various attacks to which the hair may be subjected: light, adverse weather conditions, shampoos, and perspiration, which is substantially improved compared with that of the colors produced with known prior art cationic aminoanthraquinones.
This discovery forms the basis of the present invention.
A subject of the present invention is thus aminoanthraquinones of the formula (I):
in which formula:
R1, R2, R3 and R4, which may be identical or different, are chosen from a hydrogen atom; a halogen atom; a group Z defined below; a (C1-C6)alkyl radical; a monohydroxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a polyhydroxy(C2-C6 alkyl) radical; a cyano radical; a nitro radical; a carboxyl radical; a carbamyl radical; a sulpho radical; an unsubstituted amino radical; a substituted amino radical of formula NHRxe2x80x25, wherein Rxe2x80x25 has the same meaning as R5 defined below, and wherein Rxe2x80x25 may be identical to or different from R5; and an OR6 and an SR6 group, wherein R6 is defined below;
R5 is chosen from a hydrogen atom; a group Z defined below; a C1-C6 alkyl radical; a monohydroxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a polyhydroxy(C2-C6 alkyl) radical; a (C1-C6)alkoxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an aryl radical; a benzyl radical; a cyano(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a carbamyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an N-(C1-C6)alkylcarbamyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an N,N-di(C1-C6)alkylcarbamyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a thiocarbamyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a trifluoro(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a sulpho(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a (C1-C6)alkylcarboxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a (C1-C6)alkylsulphinyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an aminosulphonyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an N-Z-aminosulphonyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an N-(C1-C6)alkylaminosulphonyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an N,N-di(C1-C6)alkylaminosulphonyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a (C1-C6)alkylcarbonyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an amino(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, wherein the alkyl portion is unsubstituted or substituted with at least one hydroxyl radical; an amino(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, wherein the alkyl is substituted with at least one hydroxyl radical and wherein the amine is substituted with one or two radicals, wherein each amine radical is identical or different, and is chosen from C1-C6 alkyl, monohydroxy(C1-C6 alkyl), polyhydroxy(C2-C6 alkyl), (C1-C6)alkylcarbonyl, carbamyl, N-(C1-C6)alkylcarbamyl, N,N-di(C1-C6)-alkylcarbamyl, (C1-C6)alkylsulphonyl, formyl, trifluoro(C1-C6)alkylcarbonyl, (C1-C6)alkylcarboxyl, thiocarbamyl, and the group Z defined below, or may form, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, a 5- or 6-membered ring containing carbon or containing at least one heteroatom;
R6 is chosen from a hydrogen atom; a C1-C6 alkyl radical; a monohydroxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a polyhydroxy(C2-C6 alkyl) radical; a group Z defined below; a (C1-C6)alkoxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an aryl radical; a benzyl radical; a carboxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a (C1-C6)alkylcarboxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a cyano(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a carbamyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an N-(C1-C6)alkylcarbamyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an N,N-di(C1-C6)alkylcarbamyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a trifluoro(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an aminosulphonyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an N-Z-aminosulphonyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an N-(C1-C6)alkylaminosulphonyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an N,N-di(C1-C6)alkylaminosulphonyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a (C1-C6)alkylsulphinyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a (C1-C6)alkylsulphonyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a (C1-C6)alkylcarbonyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an amino(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, wherein the alkyl is unsubstituted or substituted with at least one hydroxyl radical; an amino(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, wherein the alkyl is substituted with at least one hydroxyl radical and wherein the amine is substituted with one or two radicals, which radicals are identical or different, and are chosen from C1-C6 alkyl, monohydroxy(C1-C6 alkyl), polyhydroxy(C2-C6 alkyl), (C1-C6)alkylcarbonyl, formyl, trifluoro(C1-C6)alkylcarbonyl, (C1-C6)alkylcarboxyl, carbamyl, N-(C1-C6)alkylcarbamyl, N,N-di(C1-C6)alkylcarbamyl, thiocarbamyl, and (C1-C6)alkylsulphonyl radicals, and from the group Z defined below, or which may form, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, a 5- or 6-membered ring containing carbon or containing at least one heteroatom;
Z is chosen from the unsaturated cationic groups of formulae (II) and (III), and the saturated cationic groups of formula (IV):
in which:
D is a linking arm chosen from linear and branched alkyl chains, which may be interrupted by at least one heteroatom such as oxygen, sulphur or nitrogen, and which may be substituted with at least one radical chosen from hydroxyl and C1-C6 alkoxy, and which may carry at least one ketone function; in one embodiment of the invention, the alkyl chains contain from 1 to 14 carbon atoms;
the members E, G, J, L and M, which are identical or different, are chosen from carbon, oxygen, sulphur and nitrogen atoms;
n is an integer ranging from 0 to 4;
m is an integer ranging from 0 to 5;
the radicals R, which are identical or different, are chosen from a group Zxe2x80x2, which has the same definition as the group Z, and which definition is identical to or different from the group Z; a halogen atom; a hydroxyl radical; a C1-C6 alkyl radical; a monohydroxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a polyhydroxy(C2-C6 alkyl) radical; a nitro radical; a cyano radical; a cyano(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a C1-C6 alkoxy radical; a tri(C1-C6)alkylsilane(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an amido radical; an aldehydo radical; a carboxyl radical; a C1-C6 alkylcarbonyl radical; a thio radical; a thio(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a (C1-C6)alkylthio radical; an amino radical; an amino radical protected with a radical chosen from (C1-C6)alkylcarbonyl, carbamyl, and (C1-C6)alkylsulphonyl; a group NHRxe2x80x3 and a group NRxe2x80x3Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3, wherein Rxe2x80x3 and Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3, which are identical or different, are chosen from a C1-C6 alkyl radical, a monohydroxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, and a polyhydroxy(C2-C6 alkyl) radical;
R7 is chosen from a C1-C6 alkyl radical, a monohydroxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, a polyhydroxy(C2-C6 alkyl) radical, a cyano(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, a tri(C1-C6)alkylsilane(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, a (C1-C6)alkoxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, a carbamyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, a (C1-C6)alkylcarboxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, a benzyl radical, and a group Zxe2x80x2, having the same definition as the group Z, and which definition is identical to or different from the group Z;
R8, R9 and R10, which are identical or different, are chosen from a C1-C6 alkyl radical; a monohydroxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a polyhydroxy(C2-C6 alkyl) radical; a (C1-C6)alkoxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a cyano(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an aryl radical; a benzyl radical; an amido(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a tri(C1-C6)alkylsilane(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; and an amino(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, wherein the amine is protected with a radical chosen from (C1-C6)alkylcarbonyl, carbamyl, and (C1-C6)alkylsulphonyl; two of the radicals R8, R9 and R10 may also form, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, a saturated 5- or 6-membered ring containing carbon or capable of containing at least one heteroatom such as, for example, a pyrrolidine ring, a piperidine ring, a piperazine ring or a morpholine ring, it being possible for the ring to be unsubstituted or substituted with a substituent chosen from a halogen atom, a hydroxyl radical, a C1-C6 alkyl radical, a monohydroxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, a polyhydroxy(C2-C6 alkyl) radical, a nitro radical, a cyano radical, a cyano(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, a C1-C6 alkoxy radical, a tri(C1-C6)alkylsilane(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, an amido radical, an aldehydo radical, a carboxyl radical, a keto(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, a thio radical, a thio(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, a (C1-C6)alkylthio radical, an amino radical, or an amino radical protected with a radical chosen from (C1-C6)alkylcarbonyl, carbamyl, and (C1-C6)alkylsulphonyl; one of the radicals R8, R9 and R10 may also be chosen from the group Zxe2x80x2, having the same definition as the group Z, and which definition is identical or different from the group Z;
R11 is chosen from a C1-C6 alkyl radical; a monohydroxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a polyhydroxy(C2-C6 alkyl) radical; an aryl radical; a benzyl radical; an amino(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, an amino(C1-C6 alkyl) radical, wherein the amine is protected with a radical chosen from a (C1-C6)alkylcarbonyl, a carbamyl, and a (C1-C6)alkylsulphonyl; a carboxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a cyano(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a carbamyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a trifluoro(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a tri(C1-C6)alkylsilane(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a sulphonamido(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a (C1-C6)alkylcarboxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a (C1-C6)alkylsulphinyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a (C1-C6)alkylsulphonyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; a (C1-C6)alkylketo(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; an N-(C1-C6)alkylcarbamyl(C1-C6 alkyl) radical; and an N-(C1-C6)alkylsulphonamido(C1-C6 alkyl) radical;
x and y are the integers 0 or 1, with the following conditions:
in the unsaturated cationic groups of formula (II):
when x is 0, the linking arm D is attached to the nitrogen atom;
when x is 1, the linking arm D is attached to one of the members E, G, J or L;
y is 1:
1) when the members E, G, J and L are simultaneously a carbon atom, and R7 is carried by the nitrogen atom of the unsaturated ring; or
2) when at least one of the members E, G, J and L is a nitrogen atom onto which the radical R7 is attached; in the unsaturated cationic groups of formula (III):
when x is 0, the linking arm D is attached to the nitrogen atom;
when x is 1, the linking arm D is attached to one of the members E, G, J, L or M;
y is 1 when at least one of the members E, G, J, L and M is a divalent atom, and R7 is carried by the nitrogen atom of the unsaturated ring;
in the cationic groups of formula (IV):
if x is 0, then the linking arm D is attached to the nitrogen atom carrying the radicals R8 to R10;
if x is 1, then two of the radicals R8 to R10 conjointly form, with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, a saturated 5- or 6-membered ring as defined above; and the linking arm D is carried by a carbon atom of the said saturated ring;
Xxe2x88x92 is chosen from monovalent and divalent anions; in one embodiment of the invention, Xxe2x88x92 is chosen from: (i) a halogen atom such as chlorine, bromine, fluorine, and iodine, (ii) a hydroxide, (iii) a hydrogen sulphate, and (iv) a (C1-C6)alkylsulphate such as, for example, methyl sulphates and ethyl sulphates;
it being understood that the number of unsaturated cationic groups Z of formula (II), in which at least one of the members E, G, J and L is a nitrogen atom, is at least equal to 1.
The compounds of formula (I) may be optionally salified with strong inorganic acids such as HCl, HBr, and H2SO4, or organic acids such as acetic, lactic, tartaric, citric, and succinic acids.
The alkyl and alkoxy radicals cited above in the formulae (I), (II), (III) and (IV) may be linear or branched.
Examples of rings of the unsaturated groups Z of formula (II) above, include the pyrrole, imidazole, pyrazole, oxazole, thiazole, and triazole rings.
The rings of the unsaturated groups Z of formula (III), above, may be, for example, pyridine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, oxazine, and triazine rings.
In one embodiment of the invention, the compounds of formula (I) are chosen from:
1-[2-(9,10-Dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1-ylamino)ethyl]-3-methyl-3H-imidazol-1-ium bromide,
1-Methyl-3-[3-(4-methylamino-9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1-ylamino)propyl]-3H-imidazol-1-ium hydrogen sulphate,
1-[2-(4-Hydroxy-9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1-ylamino)ethyl]-3-methyl-3H-imidazol-1-ium bromide,
1-[3-(9,10-Dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1-ylamino)propyl]-3-methyl-3H-imidazol-1-ium methosulphate,
1-[3-(4-Hydroxy-9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1-ylamino)propyl]-3-methyl-3H-imidazol-1-ium methosulphate,
1-{3-[4-(2-Hydroxyethylamino)-9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1-ylamino]propyl}-3-methyl-3H-imidazol-1-ium methosulphate,
1-{3-[4-(2,3-Dihydroxypropylamino)-9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1-ylamino]propyl}-3-methyl-3H-imidazol-1-ium methosulphate,
1,4-bis[3-(9,10-Dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1,4-diylamino)propyl]-3-methyl-3H-imidazol-1-ium dimethosulphate,
1-[2-(9,10-Dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-2-ylamino)ethyl]-3-methyl-3H-imidazol-1-ium bromide,
1-[2-(9,10-Dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-2-ylamino)ethyl]-2-methyl-3H-pyrazol-1-ium bromide,
1-[2-(9,10-Dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1-ylamino)ethyl]-2-methyl-3H-pyrazol-1-ium bromide,
1,5-bis[3-(9,10-Dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1,5-diylamino)propyl]-3-methyl-3H-imidazol-1-ium dimethosulphate,
1,8-bis[3-(9,10-Dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1,8-diylamino)propyl]-3-methyl-3H-imidazol-1-ium dimethosulphate,
1-[2-(5,8-Diamino-9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1-ylamino)ethyl]-3-methyl-3H-imidazol-1-ium bromide, and
1-[3-(5,8-Diamino-9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1-ylamino)propyl]-3-methyl-3H-imidazol-1-ium methosulphate.
The compounds of formula (I) in accordance with the invention may be easily obtained, according to methods well known in the state of the art for the production of quaternized amines, for example:
in a single step, by condensation of an anthraquinone containing a haloalkyl radical with a compound carrying a tertiary amine radical, or by condensation of an anthraquinone containing a tertiary amine radical with a compound carrying a haloalkyl radical; or
in two steps, by condensation of an anthraquinone containing a haloalkyl radical with a compound carrying a secondary amine, or by condensation of a halogenated or hydroxylated anthraquinone with an amino(disubstituted)alkylamine, followed by quaternization with an alkylating agent.
The quaternization step is generally, for the sake of convenience, the last step in the synthesis, but may occur earlier in the sequence of reactions leading to the preparation of the compounds of formula (I).
A subject of the invention is also dyeing compositions for keratinous materials, comprising, in a medium appropriate for dyeing, an effective quantity for dyeing keratinous materials of at least one cationic aminoanthraquinone of formula (I) defined above.
Another subject of the invention is direct dyeing compositions for human keratinous fibers, and in particular hair, comprising, in a medium appropriate for dyeing, an effective quantity for dyeing keratinous materials of at least one cationic aminoanthraquinone as defined above by formula (I).
Another subject of the invention is the use of the cationic aminoanthraquinones of formula (I), as direct dyes, in, or for the preparation of, dyeing compositions for keratinous materials, in particular for human keratinous fibers such as hair.
However other characteristics, aspects and advantages of the invention will emerge even more clearly on reading the description which follows, as well as the various concrete, but not at all limiting, examples intended to illustrate it.
In one embodiment of the dyeing composition in accordance with the invention, the amount of the at least one cationic aminoanthraquinone of formula (I) in the dyeing composition ranges from about 0.005 to about 12%, relative to the total weight of the dyeing composition. In another embodiment, the amount of the at least one cationic aminoanthraquinone ranges from about 0.05 to about 6% by weight, relative to the total weight of the composition.
In order to obtain a variety of colors, the dyeing composition according to the invention may also contain, in addition to the cationic aminoanthraquinones of formula (I), at least one additional direct dye that is conventionally used in the art. Examples of the at least one additional direct dye include:
nitrobenzene dyes, such as nitrophenylenediamines, nitrodiphenylamines, nitroanilines, nitrophenol ethers, nitrophenols, and nitropyridines;
anthraquinone dyes other than those of formula (I);
mono- and diazo, triarylmethane, azine, acridine and xanthene dyes; and
metal-containing dyes.
The total amount of all these other direct addition dyes in the dye composition according to the present invention may range from about 0.05 to about 10% by weight relative to the total weight of the dyeing composition.
The cationic aminoanthraquinones of formula (I) may also be incorporated into dyeing compositions for oxidation dyeing which contains oxidation bases and optionally couplers, to increase the shimmer of the shades obtained with the oxidation dyes.
The medium (or carrier) appropriate for dyeing is generally water or a mixture of water and at least one organic solvent for solubilizing the compounds which would not be sufficiently soluble in water. Examples of organic solvents include lower C1-C4 alkanols, such as ethanol and isopropanol; glycerol; glycols and glycol ethers, such as 2-butoxyethanol, propylene glycol, propylene glycol monomethyl ether; aromatic alcohols, such as benzyl alcohol or phenoxyethanol; and similar products and mixtures thereof.
In one embodiment of the invention, the solvents may be present in an amount ranging from approximately 1 to approximately 40% by weight relative to the total weight of the dyeing composition. In another embodiment of the invention, the amount of solvents ranges from approximately 5 to approximately 30% by weight, relative to the weight of the composition.
It is also possible to add to the composition according to the invention fatty amides such as mono- and diethanolamides of acids derived from copra, lauric acid and oleic acid, in amounts ranging from about 0.05 to about 10% by weight, relative to the weight of the composition.
It is also possible to add to the composition according to the invention well-known state of the art surfactants of the anionic, cationic, nonionic, amphoteric or zwitterionic type or mixtures thereof. In one embodiment of the invention, these surfactants can be present in the composition in an amount ranging from about 0.1 to about 50% by weight, relative to the total weight of the composition. In another embodiment of the invention, the amount of these surfactants ranges from about 1 to about 20% by weight, relative to the total weight of the composition.
It is also possible to use thickening agents in an amount ranging from about 0.2 to about 5% by weight, relative to the total weight of the composition.
The dyeing composition according to the invention may contain, in addition, various customary adjuvants, such as antioxidants, perfumes, sequestering agents, dispersing agents, hair conditioners, preservatives, and opacifying agents, as well as any other adjuvant normally used in dyeing keratinous materials.
Of course persons skilled in the art will be careful to choose the optional additional compounds mentioned above such that the advantageous properties intrinsically attached to the dyeing composition according to the invention are not, or not substantially adversely modified by the addition(s) envisaged.
The dyeing composition according to the invention may be formulated at acidic, neutral or alkaline pH, it being possible for the pH to vary, for example, from approximately 3 to approximately 12. In one embodiment of the invention, the pH varies from approximately 5 to approximately 11. The pH can be adjusted by means of previously well-known alkalinizing agents or acidifying agents or buffers.
Suitable alkalinizing agents include ammonium hydroxide, alkali metal carbonates, alkanolamines such as mono-, di- and triethanolamines as well as their derivatives, sodium and potassium hydroxides and the compounds of formula:
in which W is a propylene residue optionally substituted with a group chosen from a hydroxyl group and a C1-C4 alkyl radical; R12, R13, R14 and R15, simultaneously or independently of each other, are chosen from a hydrogen atom, a C1-C6 alkyl radical, and a hydroxy(C1-C6 alkyl) radical.
The acidifying agents are conventionally inorganic or organic acids such as, for example, hydrochloric, tartaric, citric and phosphoric acids. An example of a buffer is potassium dihydrogen phosphate/sodium hydroxide.
The composition applied to the hair may be provided in various forms, such as in liquid, cream or gel form, or in any other form appropriate for dyeing keratinous fibers. In particular, it can be packaged under pressure in an aerosol can in the presence of a propellant and can form a foam.
Another subject of the present invention relates to a method of dyeing keratinous fibers, in particular human keratinous fibers such as hair, by direct dyeing, comprising allowing a dyeing composition containing at least one cationic aminoanthraquinone of formula (I) to act on dry or wet keratinous fibers. It is possible to use the composition according to the invention as a leave-in composition, that is to say that after applying the composition to the fibers, they are dried without intermediate rinsing.
In one embodiment, the process comprises allowing the composition to act on the fibers for an exposure time ranging from 3 to 60 minutes approximately, rinsing the fibers, optionally washing the fibers, and rinsing the fibers again and drying the fibers. In another embodiment of the invention, the process is similar to that just described, except that the exposure time ranges 5 to 45 minutes approximately.
Concrete and nonlimiting examples illustrating the invention will now be given. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The invention relates generally to free weight exercise equipment, and more particularly to an improved self-spotting bench press system.
The use the barbells for conditioning and enhancement of the body's muscular tone is widely practiced by a variety of people. Most common weight training is executed with a spotter, that is, someone who can assist the lifter when they become fatigued, are having difficulty, or are about to drop the weight. Style, communication, consistency and reaction time are all factors that vary depending on the spotter being used at any given time. Bench pressing, however, without a spotter can be dangerous. Without someone to grab the barbell and prevent the barbell from dropping on the weightlifter there is a significant danger of serious injury due to fatigue or improper technique. This danger exists in a wide variety of situations, from private to professional weightlifting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,726 is directed to a safety device for use in conjunction with bench press exercise equipment, wherein a pair of arms controllable by the exerciser may be elevated into engagement with a barbell to raise it clear of the exerciser before the barbell can seriously injuring him should he be unable, due to fatigue, to raise the barbell to its normal support panel off the bench. The elevating mechanism may be a power operated jack or counterweights normally controlled by a jack. This invention enables the user by activation of an electric switch to raise and lower the structure which acts as a safety support for the barbells. A pair of limit switches may be engaged by an adjustable stop assembly to stop the arm once a predetermined elevation is reached. The adjustable stop assembly also acts as a ratchet to prevent inadvertent lowering of the arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,072 is directed to a free weightlifting apparatus adapted for return of a free-weight barbell to a stationary barbell support rack without other ancillary assistance for a lone exerciser participating in a variety of free weightlifting exercises. The frame is raised and lowered by a hydraulic cylinder which is powered by an electrically driven pump. Electrical switches on the support rack are activated when the free-weight barbell depresses the sleeves, and the electrical switches are deactivated when the barbell automatically rolls off the sleeve and repositions itself on the support rack.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,506 is directed to a weightlifting station including a pair of guideposts for guiding a barbell assembly in a vertical direction. The barbell assembly includes a weight bar, a sleeve telescoped over the weight bar and stops attached to the sleeve with catch pins to restrain the stops in any one of three conditions of orientation. In one condition, the catch pins lock the stops in engagement with apertures in the posts, thereby preventing vertical movement of the bar from a selected vertical position. In another condition, the catch pins lock the stops in a position disengaged and remote from the apertures permitting the barbell assembly to slide vertically on the guide posts. In the third condition, a user may manually rotate the sleeve, throughout a small range limited by the catch pins from a position where the stops are fully engaged with the apertures, to a position where the stops are withdrawn from the apertures, thereby providing the user with a self stopping capability. In this invention there is no mechanism to pull up a support rack automatically to a fixed position to hold the barbells.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,746,379 is directed to a self stopping safety bench press comprising an adjustable bench and up-rights located on either side of the bench adjacent the lifters upper body. Lifting arms extend from the uprights into the barbells pathway and have the ability to slide up and down to contact the barbell and decrease the weight exerted on the exerciser. Hydraulic cylinders provide force to each lifting arm, which is depressed below the barbells path before use. When assistance is needed, the exerciser releases a hydraulic restrictor valve causing the arms to ascend removing a user determined amount of weight from the barbell while permitting the user to continue performing repetitions. A second restrictor valve can allow only upward movement should the exerciser fail. A third flow restrictor valve adjusts the rate of arm travel. An air charged hydraulic accumulator provides the hydraulic pressure to the cylinders. This invention provides no mechanism to lock the lifting arm in a position to hold the barbells in a predetermined fixed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,027 is directed to an automatic spotting weight machine used to support a weight bar and create an escape opening after a failed bench press lift. In one of the embodiments, a foot release mechanism and mechanical knuckle work in conjunction to drop the head end of the weight bench so that the weights are resting on a pair of support bars. In one embodiment, there is a disclosed means of controlling the drop of the bench portion of the weight machine so that it is lowered gently.
It would therefore be desirable for an self-spotting safety bench press that assists in lifting barbells and automatically hold them in place without user assistance and without the use of electrical or hydraulic motor means. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mosaic ink recorders operated by piezoelectric drive elements, and in particular to a screen for such a recorder which renders the recorder substantially less sensitive to disturbances which would otherwise result in ink flow in the channels at undesired times.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A mosaic ink recorder having a recording head containing a number of ink channels which communicate an ink reservoir with a nozzle plate provided with a like number of outlet nozzles in registry with the ink channels, and having a piezoelectric drive element associated with each channel which is actuated to discharge ink from the respective channel is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,847. The piezoelectric drive elements are tubular transducers which surround a portion of the ink channels. The ink channels are connected to an ink reservoir via a distributor and by selected operation of the piezoelectric elements a surge wave is produced in respective ink channels so that a droplet of ink is ejected from the respective outlet opening. During a suction phase of operation, ink is absorbed from the ink reservoir and at the same time a negative ink meniscus is produced at the outlet opening of the channel. Air is sucked in through the outlet opening as a result of the capillary action of the extremely small outlet opening. This blocking effect is desireable in that the ink which is trapped thereby in the ink channel blocks further flow of ink from the channel until the piezoelectric element is again actuated.
This blocking effect may be impaired, however, if the ink recorder is exposed to heavy vibration or other types of mechanical disturbances. Under these circumstances, air may be sucked in via the outlet opening and will considerably impair the printing process and may even render the process impossible.
Such an undesired effect may occur in ink recorders operating in accordance with the so-called under pressure process, either during a rest state or during pauses in the printing process. In such situations, that is, when ink is not being ejected through the nozzles, the ink remaining in the respective channels forms a negative meniscus in each of the outlet openings of the nozzle plate, and in the event of additional unchecked motion of the recording head this meniscus may extend inwards into the channel to such an extent that the blocking action of the outlet opening is overcome and unwanted ink flow occurs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to the field of software application installation automation. More specifically, it relates to the field of automated generation of installation instructions and installation documentation for software application interfaces.
Software applications are typically designed to execute within an environment created by an operating system. Numerous methods have been proposed and implemented to automate the installation of software applications into those environments, including documenting the install process. Although numerous methods and systems have been proposed in the prior art to automate many of the stages of software application development such as testing or library version maintenance, creation of the installation instructions for an executable software application, usually a final step in software application creation, has been largely underdeveloped.
Creation of software application installation documentation such as for a software interface application is not a simple task. Care must be taken to include documentation of all files associated with the software application, their respective expected or required installation destination, e.g. directory or folder, and the like. Software tools of the prior art may address creation of portions of the installation process but focus on packaging the software itself for the install, e.g. by supplying a “laundry list” of what goes where when the software is installed.
The prior art also requires an initial authoring of documentation including installation documentation followed by manual technical edits, one or more processes to include the edited documentation in a larger overall manual, distribution of the documentation, and ongoing maintenance and support. In times of updates to the software application, revision of installation documentation can be costly and involve a significant investment in labor and time.
As used herein, an “integration engine” is a software environment, as that term is understood by those of ordinary skill in the software programming arts, that allows integration and/or interoperability of disparate applications, e.g. a patient tracking application that can coexist with a separate billing application. These disparate applications may be executable in an identical operating system environment or in different operating system environments and may have compatible or incompatible data file formats.
As further used herein, an “interface” comprises software applications that provide a set of integration engine capabilities. By way of example and not limitation, one or more interfaces executing in an integration engine may provide two other software applications that could otherwise not operate cooperatively with the ability to operate cooperatively, including in real-time, and pass data between those systems, including providing for protocol translations and data mapping between the application systems.
In a typical prior art software application installation, an installation interface is created to help users install the software application both accurately and easily. Creation of such an installation interface typically comprises creating an installation “wizard” as that term is understood by those of ordinary skill in the software programming arts, such as by using a wizard-making facility within the MICROSOFT® VISUAL STUDIO environment. Creation of the wizard typically further comprises creation of installation prompts a software application installer must answer to set up environment specific values, by way of example and not limitation including a name of an environment being connected to, TCP/IP addresses, file locations, and the like.
A further typical component of making an installation interface is the creation and distribution of end-user installation documentation. However, creating such user documentation for installing interfaces on an integration engine is a typically manual process, e.g. a developer must document the steps that an installer must follow to successfully install an interface. Moreover, a manual update of installation documentation occurs every time a change is introduced to an interface where the install procedures are changed. This process is time consuming and lends itself to having documentation and the software being out of sync. This process is also prone to error because often a plurality of people write it, usually over time, and the documentation is based on each person's interpretation of the software, whether or not it is accurate or agrees with the prior interpretations.
There is therefore a need to automatically generate the documentation necessary for a software application installation, e.g. scripts, once a software application is completed or updated where the processes do not focus on packaging the software for the install and supplying a “laundry list.” There is also a need to reduce manual technical edits as well as reduce processes to include the edited documentation in a larger overall manual, distribution of the documentation, and ongoing support.
Accordingly, there is a need for an automated installation instructions generation tool that provides an installer with installation considerations based on configuration information that are resolved before going forward with the install. There is also a need for an automated installation instructions generation tool that documents prompts that will be asked of the installer the install progresses. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
While the present invention is often described herein with reference to a digital video disc distribution system, an application to which the present invention is advantageously suited, it will be readily apparent that the present invention is not limited to that application and can be employed in vending systems used to distribute a wide variety of vending products.
Currently, brick-and-mortar digital video disc (“DVD”) stores dominate the movie video and video game rental landscape in the U.S. One element repeatedly cited for success of certain brick-and-mortar store video rental franchises is perceived high availability of new video releases. Consumers want their entertainment on demand, and through stocking multiple units of each new release, successful brick-and-mortar companies deliver as promised.
Pay-per-view video services, mail-based video rental services and Internet-based video rental services are also known. Internet based video rental services have been plagued by their inability to meet the demands of consumers for new video releases during peak viewing times, leading to increased customer dissatisfaction. Pay-per-view video services offer only limited selections to viewers during any time period, resulting in significantly less rentals per any given period of time.
The foregoing indicates that there is a tremendous market potential for aligning regular routines of consumers (e.g., shopping, getting coffee or gas or going to a convenience store) with their DVD movie video and video game rental activities.
The present invention can function as a DVD dispensing machine-based distribution system that recognizes the consumer demand recognized of traditional video rental stores by having multiple units of each new release per video dispensing machine. The dispensing machines can stock up to two thousand DVDs (movies and/or games), making them competitive with existing brick-and-mortar video rental superstores.
The present invention distinguishes itself from such stores by offering major benefits not conventionally offered by such stores, including additional cross-marketing programs (e.g., promotional rentals for a certain amount of dollars spent at the hosting store) and convenience (e.g., open always).
The present invention yields a competitive advantage in the DVD rental marketplace by offering consumers cross-marketing/promotional programs, convenience of selection (e.g., computer-based searches for movies and recommendations based on consumer profiles), and extended hours. The present invention employs a more cost effective, convenient platform than brick-and-mortar stores. In addition, with the present invention, DVD dispensing machines can be situated in hosting locations having high foot traffic, such as at a popular hosting location and/or a high foot traffic area at a hosting location.
The present invention can be operated at a substantial savings over the costs associated with traditional brick-and-mortar video rental stores. For example, the present invention does not require hourly employees at the dispensing machines or restocking them with inventories, due to the ability of article transport storage units delivered to/picked up from host locations by third-party delivery services, such as overnight courier services.
Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, the present invention does not require an on-site store manager because all operational decisions can be made at a centralized location by a management team office remote from the hosting locations. Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, the present invention does not require a great deal of physical space. Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, the present invention has low operating costs because no heating or air conditioning is required for the dispensing machines and they consume a relatively low level of electrical energy. In addition, the present invention has low maintenance costs and downtime.
The present invention addresses all of these shortcomings of traditional brick-and-mortar stores in a convenient and cost effective delivery vehicle having the added bonus of serving as an effective promotional platform that drives incremental sales to hosting locations. In addition, the present invention overcomes these disadvantages by offering more new releases and older selections for any given time period, lower cost per viewing, and more convenience than internet-based and pay-per-view services.
Dispensing machines are known. Dispensing machines have been traditionally used to distribute a wide variety of goods, including, among other things, snack foods. Conventional dispensing machines used in article dispensing systems must be restocked with inventory manually. In the conventional machines, the inventory articles are uploaded to the machines and offloaded from the machines by dedicated route servicemen, who are provided access to the storage space. Route servicemen conventionally are employed to control inventory of a plurality of dispensing machines situated at a plurality of hosting locations. In order to stock the machines with inventory, a serviceman typically first removes the articles of inventory designated for offloading one by one prior to uploading new articles of inventory one by one. An alternative manner of removing inventory designated for offloading from a dispensing machine is by removal of all inventory in the machine by removing a drawer containing all articles of inventory. This latter approach of removing inventory articles is particularly suitable for dispensing machines that are either directly connected or in close proximity to manned dispensing locations.
Most dispensing machines must be serviced by a serviceman to upload new dispensable articles of inventory into the machines in multiple quantities. Conventional drawers used to stock dispensing machines with inventory and remove articles designated for offloading from dispensing machines require a dedicated service man for carrying out the stocking and removal tasks. In addition, conventional drawers do not permit automated access to the article dispensing machines. Such conventional drawers allow the servicemen to have access to the articles of inventory being stocked into the dispensing machine and the articles of inventory being removed from the dispensing machine. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages associated with traditional methods of providing merchandise to dispensing machines.
The present invention is provided to solve the problems discussed above and other problems, and to provide advantages and aspects not provided by prior systems and methods of this type. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Embodiments of the inventive concept relate to a system-on-chip (SoC), and more particularly, to a SoC with a capability for controlling the power consumption of intellectual property cores, (IP cores) therewithin, and a method of operating the same.
A SoC is semiconductor technology of integrating complicated components having different functions into a single system. It includes a processor controlling the entire system and various IP cores controlled by the processor. Here, an IP core is defined to be a reusable unit of circuitry, logic, cell, or a combination thereof, which embodies the intellectual party of one entity or group of entities, and which may be integrated in the SoC. Software code may be stored in the circuitry or the logic of an IP core.
Mobile systems with a SoC including various IP cores are usually driven by a battery, and therefore, low-power design is very important. The IP cores may be in a normal operation or idle state according to their function. The SoC supplies power to the IP cores in dynamic response to circumstances.
In order to control power consumption of each IP core, conventionally the SoC performs an operation corresponding to a state which the SoC enters according to a preset program. At this time, additional consumption of power occurs for adjustment and process for the operation. In this case, there is a limit to reducing power consumption using a processor like a central processing unit (CPU). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golf balls. Specifically, the present invention relates to multi-piece golf balls that include a center, an envelope layer, a mid layer, and a cover.
2. Description of the Related Art
Golf players' foremost requirement for golf balls is flight performance. Golf players place importance on flight performance upon shots with a driver and a long iron. Flight performance correlates with the resilience performance of a golf ball. When a golf ball with excellent resilience performance is hit, the golf ball flies at a high speed, thereby achieving a large flight distance.
An appropriate trajectory height is required in order to achieve a large flight distance. A trajectory height depends on a spin rate and a launch angle. In a golf ball that achieves a high trajectory by a high spin rate, a flight distance is insufficient. In a golf ball that achieves a high trajectory by a high launch angle, a large flight distance is obtained. Use of a core having an outer-hard/inner-soft structure can achieve a low spin rate and a high launch angle.
In light of achieving various performance characteristics, golf balls each having a multilayer structure have been proposed. JPH9-56848 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,442) discloses a golf ball that includes a core, an inner cover, and an outer cover. The core consists of an inner sphere and an envelope layer.
JPH10-328326 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,468,169) discloses a golf ball that includes a core, an envelope layer, an inner cover, and an outer cover.
JP2001-17575 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,271,296) discloses a golf ball that includes a core, an envelope layer, a mid layer, and a cover.
JP2002-272880 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,913,547) discloses a golf ball that includes a core and a cover. The core consists of a center and an outer core layer. The cover consists of an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer.
JP2003-205052 (US 2003/0166422) discloses a golf ball that includes a center, a mid layer, and a cover.
JP2004-130072 (US 2004/0029648) discloses a golf ball that includes a core and a cover. The core has a three-layer structure.
JP2006-289065 (US 2006/0229143 and US 2007/0155541) discloses a golf ball that includes a core and a cover. The core consists of an inner layer and an outer layer.
A shot with a middle iron is mainly intended to carry a golf ball onto a putting green. Even for a shot with a middle iron, a golf ball having a large flight distance is advantageous similarly to shots with a driver and a long iron.
The loft angle of a middle iron is greater than that of a long iron. Upon a shot with a middle iron, the spin rate is high as compared to that upon a shot with a long iron. The trajectory upon a shot with a middle iron is high. The trajectory upon a shot with a middle iron is likely to be influenced by wind. In particular, when a headwind blows, a flight distance is considerably impaired. A golf ball that is unlikely to be influenced by wind upon a shot with a middle iron is desired.
Golf players also place importance on spin performance of golf balls. When a backspin rate is high, the run is short. It is easy for golf players to cause a golf ball, to which backspin is easily provided, to stop at a target point. When a sidespin rate is high, the golf ball tends to curve. It is easy for golf players to intentionally cause a golf ball, to which sidespin is easily provided, to curve. A golf ball to which spin is easily provided has excellent controllability. In particular, advanced golf players place importance on controllability upon a shot with a short iron.
An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball having excellent flight performance when being hit with a middle iron. Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball having excellent controllability when being hit with a short iron. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a trench MOS structure and a method for forming a MOS trench structure. In particular, the present invention generally relates to a trench MOS structure with a much stronger surrounding electric field.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A trench gate MOS is one of the MOS structures used in semiconductor devices. For increasing the electrical field around the device, the trench gate is usually designed as a circular type.
At a given voltage, a trench gate MOS usually has better performance at a higher current. Accordingly, it is still needed to provide a trench MOS structure with less electrical resistance between the source and the drain. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a display device and an electronic apparatus, and particularly to a display device and an electronic apparatus that have a stop period of stopping display between display periods.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent years have seen increasing demands for display devices for use in mobile devices, such as mobile phones and electronic paper devices. Some of such display devices (such as one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 7-134278) include a display area arranged with pixels in a matrix and switching elements provided for each pixel, and are driven by an active matrix method.
Some of the display devices driven by the active matrix method alternately repeat a display period of performing a display operation to display an image and a stop period of stopping the display operation. Such display devices may generate streak defects or unevenness in the image caused by the display operation in the display period immediately after the stop period.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a display device and an electronic apparatus that can suppress generation of streak defects or unevenness. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Hydraulic fracturing is commonly used to stimulate the production rate from subterranean wells. Fractures formed from fluid injection into the wells extend in a direction determined by stresses in the earth around the well. The fractures propagate in a direction normal to the minimum stress. At sufficient depth in the earth, the stress in the vertical direction is great enough to cause the fractures formed around wells by hydraulic pressure to be formed in a vertical direction in the earth.
The limit to vertical growth of such fractures is normally determined by an increase in horizontal stress or a change in mechanical properties in some strata in the earth. There is no known method to insure that a vertical fracture will not extend over a greater vertical interval than the subterranean zone which is to be stimulated in production rate by hydraulic fracturing, although some design variables can be selected to minimize the likelihood of "fracturing out of zone" in a hydraulic fracturing treatment. Models to predict the growth of vertical fractures are discussed at length in Recent Advances in Hydraulic Fracturing, SPE Monograph Vol. 12, Soc. of Pet. Engrs., Richardson, Tex., 1989, Chaps. 3, 4 and 5.
It is not unusual for multiple zones or beds penetrated by one well to be hydraulically fractured. The separate zones may be fractured simultaneously by having access from the wellbore, or they may be fractured sequentially by "stages," each stage isolating one segment of the wellbore and injecting fluids in the normal method. The separate stages are normally applied sequentially from the deeper to the shallower depths in a well. There is a question in such wells as to the vertical extent of the fracture formed in each stage. If the fracture from a stage applied deeper in the well influences a fracture formed in a shallower stage, the length of the fracture formed in the shallower stage is likely to be much shorter than expected. This may be caused by the much larger area for leak-off of fluid from the fracture and the possibility that zones having lower earth stress are contacted by the existing fracture.
Techniques have been developed in recent years to recover coal bed hydrocarbon gas from coal deposits. The gas, primarily methane, is produced by drilling wells and decreasing pressure in the coal to cause the methane to flow from the coal. Hydraulic fracturing has proven very helpful in increasing the production rate of the coal bed gas. Special techniques have been disclosed for forming and propping the fractures. U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,491 pertains to a method of injecting a range of sizes of proppant particles in a fracture in a coal bed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,990 discloses a method of alternating injection of fracturing fluid containing fine proppants and acidizing solution to fracture a subsurface coal formation.
There is a need for a method to increase the effectiveness of fractures when the initial fracture in a zone is improperly placed. Improper placement could be caused by stress not accounted for in the initial design or the influence of stimulations in other zones in the wellbore. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Ever since Spanish Patent ES 150519, for example, a counterweight sash window has been known, which window incorporates a mechanism comprising cables, pulleys and weights, intended to assist the vertical movement of the sashes. In the closed position, the window sashes are arranged one after the other, forming a single vertical plane; nevertheless both sashes are guided, the inner sash in lateral guides in the casing that drive its vertical and horizontal path to the outside, and the outer sash in lateral guides that drive it in its vertical path. The horizontal movement of the inner sash to the outside situates the sash in the same vertical plane as that occupied by the outer sash, thus permitting the setting and adjustment of the ruled surfaces of the bottom edge of the outer sash over the top edge of the inner sash. The invention describes the presence of joint covers and weather stripping that clearly do not guarantee the sealing of the window.
A counterweight vertical-movement mechanism that includes a counterbalanced spring for counterweighting suspended elements has been already disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,922,370, which describes a rotatable supported shaft over a support, a pair of opposing pulleys secured to the shaft in such a way that they rotate together with said shaft, a pair of support cords, one end of which is secured to the suspended element while the other end is secured to the respective pulley, in which each of the pulleys includes a circular groove in which the respective cords can be wound in order to move the suspended element, and in which said shaft is connected by one end to an elastic element whose opposite end is secured to a friction disc. The use of this mechanism facilitates the movements initiated by the user to vertically move the suspended element, as said movements are counterweighted at any point of the movements. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention is related to Japanese patent application No. 2000-10155, filed Jan. 14, 2000; the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to an air passage switching device, and more particularly to an air passage switching device for switching air passages with a film-type sliding door.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H.8-258538, the present inventors have previously proposed an air passage switching device for switching air passages with a film-type sliding door. Based on this related art, the present inventors are developing the air passage switching device shown in FIG. 16. In this device under development, a substantially flat plate-shaped sliding door 27 is disposed slidably in the direction of arrow B in a case 12a, facing an opening face of an air passage 22 (23). This sliding door 27 includes a door plate 28 in which is formed an opening 28a and a film member 29 fixed to opposite ends of this door plate 28.
Here, slot-shaped anchoring holes (not shown) are provided in anchor tabs 29b at opposite ends of the film member 29. By fitting these slot-shaped anchoring holes over anchor pins 28c, provided integrally with side faces of the door plate 28, the ends of the film member 29 are anchored to the side faces of the door plate 28 so they can displace in the vertical direction of FIG. 16 within the range of the slot length dimension of the anchoring holes.
Then, when from the arrow A direction an air current blows against the inner face of the film member 29 through the opening 28a, a draft pressure causes the film member 29 to press against edge seal faces 22a (23a) of the air passage 22 (23) and seal the air passage 22 (23). And by the sliding door 27 sliding in the direction of arrow B along an inside face of the case 12a, the film member 29 opens and closes the air passage 22 (23) and thus switches the air passage. Also, an elastic member 30 made of a spongelike porous resin foam material or the like is disposed between the door plate 28 and the film member 29.
In this device under development, a disagreeable extraneous noise (a flapping noise) arises when the film member 29 is employed. And when the present inventors investigated the causes of this extraneous noise through experiment, it was found that the extraneous noise arises for the following reasons. Specifically, when either of the anchor tabs 29b at the ends of the film member 29 is positioned in an air current, the air current strongly strikes both the inner face and the outer face of this anchor tab 29b. Furthermore, because the flow passage between the inner side of the anchor tab 29b and the side face 28e of the door plate 28 is small and irregular in sectional shape, when air flows here, it promotes fluctuations in pressure difference across the inner and outer faces of the film member 29.
These fluctuations in pressure difference across the inner and outer faces of the film member 29 and reactions of the film member. 29 itself cause the film member 29 to undergo self-excited vibration. That is, because the anchor tabs 29b at the ends of the film member 29 are allowed by the slot-shaped anchoring holes to displace with respect to the side faces 28e of the door plate 28, the above-mentioned pressure difference fluctuations and film reactions cause the anchor tabs 29b at the ends of the film member 29 to repeat small displacements and undergo self-excited vibration. And as a result, the anchor tabs 29b at the ends of the film member 29 repeatedly interfere with the side faces 28e of the door plate 28 and produce extraneous noise.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to suppress the production of extraneous noise caused by self-excited vibration of anchor tabs at the ends of a film member in an air passage switching device using a film-type sliding door.
To achieve this and other objects, in a first aspect, the present invention provides an air passage switching device wherein anchor tabs at either end of a film member are anchored to side faces of a door plate. The door plate is provided with draft deflectors that prevent the inflow of air to between the anchor tabs and the side faces.
Accordingly, the inflow of air to between the anchor tabs of the film member and the side faces of the door plate is prevented by the draft deflectors of the door plate. Consequently, fluctuations in pressure difference between inside and outside the anchor tabs at the ends of the film member are suppressed and the production of extraneous noise caused by self-excited vibration of the anchor tabs at the ends of the film member is suppressed.
According to a second aspect, the draft deflectors are formed as flat plates positioned on upstream sides of the anchor tab ends.
In a third aspect, the draft deflectors are positioned on the upstream sides of the ends of the anchor tabs and are formed as gutters for receiving the ends of the anchor tabs. Here, both the inner and outer sides of the anchor tabs of the film member are covered by the gutter-shaped draft deflectors, and a main current of an air flow is prevented from directly striking the inner and outer sides of the anchor tabs. Consequently, the effect of suppressing self-excited vibration of the anchor tabs of the door plate is further increased.
In another aspect, the anchor tabs are anchored to the side faces of the door plate at a plurality of locations in the width direction of the film member. Also, an anchor span which is the spacing between the anchored parts of the anchor tabs at said plurality of locations is not more than 100 mm.
Experimental studies carried out by the present inventors have confirmed that making the anchor span 100 mm or less raises the constraining effect on the anchor tabs of the film member and increases suppression of the self-excited vibration of the anchor tabs.
In a fifth aspect, the sliding door comprises a flexible film member that presses against edge seal faces of the air passages. The member closes the air passages and a door plate having openings for allowing a draft pressure to act on the film member. The film member is provided at both ends, in a direction orthogonal to the sliding direction of the sliding door, with anchor tabs. These anchor tabs are anchored to side faces of the door plate. The case has concavities formed in inner walls for receiving the anchor tabs. The inflow of air to between the anchor tabs and the side faces is prevented by these concavities.
In this case, the inflow of air to between the anchor tabs and the side faces of the door plate is prevented by the concavities on the case side and the self-excited vibration of the anchor tabs is suppressed.
In a sixth provision, the door plate is provided on the side faces with guide pins slidably supported by the case and the anchor tabs are anchored to the side faces by means of these guide pins and are sandwiched between the side faces and inner wall faces of the case.
In this way, the guide pins can act as parts for the film member for anchoring, and the construction of the device is thus simplified. Furthermore, by the anchor tabs being sandwiched between the side faces and the inner walls of the case, the anchor tabs are prevented from slipping off the guide pins. As a result, the guide pins can be simple cylindrical pins, and there is no need for enlarged retaining portions to be formed at the tips of the guide pins this eases assembly of film member to the side faces of the door plate.
In another aspect, anchor tabs at opposite ends of the film member are bent toward side faces of the door plate. Grooves into which the ends of the anchor tabs can be inserted are provided in the side faces of the door plate. As a result of the ends of the anchor tabs being inserted into the grooves, the inflow of air to between the anchor tabs and the side faces is prevented by the bent shape of the anchor tabs. In this case, the self-excited vibration of the anchor tabs is suppressed by an extremely simple construction using a bent shape of the anchor tabs.
In an eighth provision, anchor tabs at opposite ends of the film member are anchored to side faces of the door plate at a plurality of locations in the width direction of the film member. Cutaways are formed in the anchor tabs between the locations at which the anchor tabs are anchored to the side faces.
In this case, because air can pass freely through the cutaways in the anchor tabs, fluctuations in pressure difference between inside and outside the anchor tabs are suppressed and consequently self-excited vibration of the anchor tabs is suppressed.
In another aspect, the film member comprises a seal face for pressing on edge seal faces of the air passages and anchor tabs bent from opposite ends of the seal face toward side faces of the door plate and anchored to the side faces. The bend angle of the anchor tabs with respect to the seal face is smaller than 90xc2x0.
In this case, because the anchor tabs have an acute bend angle, the ends of the anchor tabs come nearer to the side faces of the door plate and the gaps between the anchor tabs and the side faces of the door plate are narrowed. Consequently, it is less easy for air to flow into these gaps. As a result, self-excited vibration of the anchor tabs is suppressed.
In another aspect, the bend angle xcex8 is preferably in the range 80xc2x0 to 89xc2x0. When the bend angle xcex8 is made small, the ends of the anchor tabs directly contact the side faces of the door plate and cause a change in the shape of the seal face of the film member. This degrades sealing. Therefore, the bend angle xcex8 is given a lower limit of 80xc2x0. And the upper limit on the bend angle xcex8 is 89xc2x0, to obtain an acute bend shape angle.
In another aspect, the invention provides a vehicle air-conditioner wherein the sliding door opens and closes air passages through which air flows into a passenger compartment. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Energy for use in heating and cooling buildings has become expensive to consume as well as environmentally difficult to generate. Whether occupants rely on gas, electric, or even solid fuel to heat and/or cool their buildings, the cost of these energy sources is not decreasing, and utilizing each of these sources has environmental impacts unique to each source. For example, electricity is manufactured utilizing coal in most cases or via hydro turbines. The burning of the coal can adversely impact the atmosphere, and the hydro turbines have been recognized to adversely impact fish populations. It would be beneficial to require less energy from these sources to maintain a building at a comfortable temperature during both cold winter months and hot summer months as well. The present disclosure provides both heating and cooling systems. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) is a new standard that has been proposed by the EPA that effects diesel fuel sold for use on-road. This new regulation pertains to diesel fuel, additives and distillate fuels such as kerosene. The previous low diesel sulfur content was 500 p.p.m. (parts per million). The USLD contains only 15 p.p.m., which is about a 97 percent reduction from the 500 p.p.m. level.
The EPA requires that by Dec. 1, 2010, all highway diesel fuel sold will be ULSD. The use of ULSD will decrease emissions of sulfur compounds, which has been linked to acid rain. The decrease in sulfur content (15 p.p.m.) will reduce the replacement of particulate filters, which are being plugged up at the higher sulfur content of 500 p.p.m. The EPA hopes that the new standard will reduce the nitrogen oxide emissions by 2.6 million tons and particulate matter by 110,000 tons per year. Additionally, ULSD is required to be used in the new diesel engines or the warranty of the engines will be voided.
There are currently bench size testers that are implemented with a computer that are expensive to purchase and use. The bench size testers are not mobile and thus field inspections cannot be readily be done either at the refineries or the fueling stations. Additionally, the bench size testers require that the samples be sent to its location for analysis and that increases the time in which the results can be made available. The inspections include determining whether there has been sulfur contamination in the fuel refining system or if the fuel is over the legal limit. When sulfur reacts with oxygen it forms SO2, which can be used to test the amount of sulfur in the fuel.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus and method to test diesel fuel in the field that is cost effective and the results can be determined in the field. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In related art, a configuration in which a projector is installed, then, the projector is moved, and thereby, the orientation of the optical axis of the projection light can be changed is known (for example, see PTL 1). In the projector described in PTL 1, horizontal rotation and vertical rotation of the projector can be performed for directing the optical axis of the projection light to an object to be irradiated. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Gas turbine engine designers continuously work to improve engine efficiency, to reduce operating costs of the engine, and to reduce specific exhaust gas emissions such as NOx, CO2, CO, unburned hydrocarbons, and particulate matter. The specific fuel consumption (SFC) of an engine is inversely proportional to the overall thermal efficiency of the engine, thus, as the SFC decreases the fuel efficiency of the engine increases. The thermal efficiency of a turbofan engine is a function of component efficiencies, cycle pressure ratio, and turbine inlet temperature. As temperatures increase in the gas turbine system, augmented cooling of certain components can be required. Gas turbine power systems remain an area of interest for technology improvement. Some existing gas turbine power systems have various shortcomings, drawbacks, and disadvantages relative to certain applications. Accordingly, there remains a need for further contributions in this area of technology. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to an liquor-included body of ice and the process of producing the same. It is necessary to prepare some ice and mineral water, besides liquor, when making a glass of liquor with water or on the rocks.
However, for example, when one wants to enjoy a couple of glasses of whisky with water, he has to carry with him such as a miniature bottle of whisky, tasty transparent ice lump, mineral water and a glass. All of them could be prepared at once by a drink service in such as a train, but they can not easily be prepared at once in town.
It is not easy to make one or two glasses of favorite liquor with tasty water or rocks in town especially while traveling. A lot of liquor, water or ice have to be wasted if one buys a regular bottle of liquor, mineral water, pure ice and a glass to make only one or two drinks.
The object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a ice enclosed liquor and the process of the same, with which one can easily make a good tasting of a glass of liquor with water or rocks anywhere in town or while traveling. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to support systems for building structures and, more particularly, to a support system for absorbing the movement of building foundations as might be caused by expanding soil or freezing and thawing of liquids in the soil.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Expanding and contracting soils have presented problems in the support of building structures for many years. By way of example, many building structures are built on expanding clays, such as bentonite, which is known to absorb water or other liquids and expand in such a manner that it will lift foundation walls, thus causing the building structure which is supported by the foundation wall to crack. Similar problems are caused by the freezing and thawing of the water content of soils which causes the foundation walls to rise and fall depending upon the ambient temperature fluctuations.
Accordingly, the use of support systems for building structures which are capable of absorbing such soil movements have been considered and studied for many years. An example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,496, issued to Becker, wherein large, airtight bags are filled with a gas under pressure so that the bags can support slabs of material on which the building structure is supported. The bags are designed so that gas can be directed into or removed from the bag as required to maintain a level floor condition.
Another system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,379 issued to Aguilar is designed to eliminate friction between the foundation of a building structure and the surrounding soil by providing flexible, fluid-filled chambers mounted between the sides of foundation walls and the surrounding soil so that relative movements between the foundation wall and the soil can be absorbed by the chambers. This system is designed primarily to absorb seismic shocks, and therefore is not particularly concerned with expansion and contraction of soils as of the type which might cause a lifting or lowering of the foundation walls.
Another system for absorbing seismic shocks is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,232,015, issued to Latham, but Latham concerns itself more with absorbing shock than in absorbing the movement of expanding or contracting soil. The particular system disclosed in the Latham patent is for use in the support of large radar antennas or the like and basically utilizes the concept of supporting the antenna in a body of water to isolate the antenna from seismic shocks transmitted through the earth at the location where the antenna is mounted.
A different system for supporting a building structure so as to render the structure safe from earthquakes or the like is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,778 of Nicolai, but this system utilizes rollers and springs rather than fluid to support the building structure, and therefore operates on a different principle from the fluid support systems.
None of the prior art systems known to Applicant provides a liquid bed for separating a building structure from its foundation wall, and such a system, to Applicant's knowledge, is highly desirable, as it is the pressure which is applied directly to the foundation wall which causes poritons of the building structure to lift and crack. Accordingly, a system for absorbing vertical movements of foundation walls before the movement is transferred directly to the building structure would be highly desirable.
Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a system for separating a foundation wall from its supported building structure in a manner such that vertical movement of the foundation wall caused by expanding or contracting soils can be absorbed to prevent transmittal of such movement into the building structure. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improvement in lockable gelatine capsules and a method and apparatus for roller shaping a locking groove in the forming pin for the cap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Self locking gelatine capsules are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. A common type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,803 entitled "Self-Locking Medicament Capsule" and assigned to Parke Davis and Company, Detroit, Michigan. A corresponding Canadian Patent No. 805,125 entitled "Self-Locking Gelatine Capsule" issued on Jan. 28, 1969. Both patents describe a gelatine capsule cap having a circumferential annular beveled ridge which extends inward from the cap sidewall. Optionally, the capsule body may have a complimentary circumferential groove to mate with the inwardly projecting circumferential ridge on the cap body. The inwardly directed circumferential ridge on the gelatine cap friction looks with the gelatine body or mates with the circumferential grooves in the gelatine body of the capsule, if such a mating groove is present on the capsule body. The beveled ridge on the capsule cap has a triangular contour including leading and trailing sidewall faces having a bevel angle up to about 10.degree. and an optional flat surface between the two beveled sidewalls.
Silimar capsule structures are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,508,678 and 3,664,495. Canadian Pat. No. 930,674 issued on Jul. 24, 1973 and entitled "Locking Capsule" is the foreign counterpart to U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,495. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,508,678 and 3,664,495 disclose alternative embodiments for self-locking capsules having locking grooves and ridges in the body and caps of the capsule respectively. In addition, both patents further describe the use of indents to provide additional locking security. The indents, known as "prelocks", provide a mechanical fit as distinguished from the friction fit between the inwardly facing locking ridge of the capsule cap and the optional locking groove of the capsule body. Pre-locking indents are now a common feature of modern gelatine capsules.
Additional efforts have been made to improve the locking characteristics of self-locking gelatine capsules. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,584,759 entitled "Separation-Resistant Capsule" describes a gelatine capsule in which the cap and body portions each increase in diameter from their domed end towards their open-end so that they mate tightly with each other. The capsule includes a sealing zone where the actual mating of the cap and body takes place. U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,006 describes another technique in which the open end of the body portion of the capsule has a slightly reduced diameter at its open end so as to improve its mating characteristics with respect to the cap portion of the capsule.
The prior art described above lends to have a number of disadvantages. First, the locking ridge and complimentary groove structure of the capsules tends to have angular, i.e. sharp profiles. Note, for example, the "triangular" contour of the locking ridge described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,803. The sharp angle of the locking ridge defines a smaller area of locking contact and therefore a weaker frictional mate with the capsule body. Second, the angular nature of the looking ridge also tends to weaken the sidewall of the gelatine cap. Therefore, it is not uncommon to find that a substantial number of capsules are ultimately broken in the cap region due to the relative weakness in the vicinity of the locking ridge. Third, prior art forming pins tend to wear out quickly. In contrast, the capsule pins formed by the method described in this disclosure tend to have a significantly longer life. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Voltage regulators, such as DC to DC converters, are used to provide stable voltage sources for electronic systems, particularly electronic systems that include integrated circuits. Efficient DC to DC converters are particularly needed for battery management in low power devices, such as laptop notebooks and cellular phones, but are also needed for higher power demand products, e.g., desktop computers or servers. Switching voltage regulators (or more simply “switching regulators”) are known to be an efficient type of DC to DC converter. A switching regulator generates an output voltage by converting an input DC voltage into a high frequency voltage, and filtering the high frequency voltage to generate the output DC voltage. Typically, the switching regulator includes a switch for alternately coupling and de-coupling an unregulated input DC voltage source, such as a battery, to a load, such as an integrated circuit. An output filter, typically including an inductor and a capacitor, is coupled between the input voltage source and the load to filter the output of the switch and thus provide the output DC voltage. A controller measures an electrical characteristic of the circuit, e.g., the voltage or current passing through the load, and sets the duty cycle of the switch in order to maintain the output DC voltage at a substantially uniform level. Current-mode control is one way of controlling the switching behavior of the switching components. Current-mode control measures the current across the load and attempts to maintain a specific current over the load.
Voltage regulators for microprocessors are subject to ever more stringent performance requirements. One trend is to operate at ever lower voltage and at higher currents. Another trend is to turn on or off different parts of the microprocessor in each cycle in order to conserve power. This requires that the voltage regulator react very quickly to changes in the load, e.g., several nanoseconds to shift from the minimum to the maximum load, and to have a fast transient response, e.g., to quickly stabilize without significant voltage or current ripple.
Still another trend is to place the voltage regulator close to the microprocessor in order to reduce parasitic capacitance, resistance and/or inductance in the connecting lines and thereby avoid power losses. However, in order to place the voltage regulator close to the microprocessor, the voltage regulator needs to be small and have a convenient form factor. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The control of sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus elongatus) infestations in commercial salmon farming operations is still largely dependent on the use of chemical treatments (Roth M., Richards R. and Sommerville C. (1993) xe2x80x9cCurrent Practices In The Chemotherapeutic Control of Sea Lice Infestations: A Reviewxe2x80x9d Journal of Fish Diseases (16(1): 1-26). Outbreaks of these ectoparasitic copepods are currently treated by immersion bath treatments, with the organophosphates dichlorvos (Aquagard(copyright) Novartis) and Azamethiphos (Salmosan(copyright) Novartis), or hydrogen peroxide (Salartect(copyright) Brenntag, Paramove(copyright) Solvay-Interox) or the synthetic pyrethoids, cypermethrin (Excis(copyright) Vericore) and deltamethrin (Alphamax(copyright) Alpharma). Bath procedures are very labor intensive, costly and cause considerable stress to fish. Further, such treatments may not be feasible on exposed sites and during adverse weather conditions.
With the exception of cypermethrin, (Jakobsen P. J. and Holm J. C. (1990) xe2x80x9cPromising Test With New Compound Against Salmon Licexe2x80x9d Norsk Fiskeoppdrett. January, 16-18), bath treatments are only effective against pre-adult and adult stages of sea lice, allowing chalimus stages to survive and continue the cycle of infestation. Treatments are therefore indicated only when populations reach the pre-adult and adult phases, and thus must be repeated frequently for effective control. Resistance to the organophosphate dichlorvos has been identified in some populations of sea lice (Jones M. W., Sommerville C. S. and Wootten, R. (1992) xe2x80x9cReduced Sensitivity of the Salmon Louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, to the Organophosphate Dichlorvosxe2x80x9d Journal of Fish Diseases 15:197-202). Hydrogen peroxide may cause damage to the gills and its use is restricted in summer owing to its toxicity at higher water temperatures (Thomassen J. M. (1993) xe2x80x9cHydrogen peroxide as a Delousing Agent for Atlantic Salmonxe2x80x9d In: Pathogens of Wild and Farmed Salmon: Sea Lice (ed. by G. Boxshall and D. Defaye) Ellis Horwood Ltd. London).
A treatment that is effective against all parasitic stages of sea lice and other parasites which could be administered in feed, to avoid the disadvantages associated with bath applications, would be beneficial to the salmon industry. In-feed treatment allows medication during adverse weather conditions and on exposed sites and will permit simultaneous medication of all cages on a site and all sites in a loch system or single bay, thus reducing any cross infestation that may occur during the several days necessary to apply bath treatments to all cages on a site. The in-feed treatments currently available are the insect growth regulators, diflubenzuron (Lepsidon(copyright) Ewos) and teflubenzuron (Calicide(copyright) Nutreco) (Erdal J. I. (1997) xe2x80x9cNew Drug Treatment Hits Sea Lice When They are Most Vulnerablexe2x80x9d. Fish Farming International vol.24, No.2). Their mode of action is the inhibition of chitin synthesis (Horst M. N. and Walker A. N. (1996) xe2x80x9cBiochemical Effects of Diflubenzuron on Chitin Synthesis in the Post-molt blue crabxe2x80x9d (Callinectes sapidus) Journal of Crustacean Biology. 15: 401-408) and activity is therefore restricted to the moulting stages of sea lice.
The avermectins, produced by the culture of Streptomyces avermilitis, have highly potent anthelmintic and insecticidal properties. A chemically modified derivative, ivermectin (22,23-dihydroavermectin B1) was developed as a broad spectrum anti-parasitic for cattle, sheep, horses and pigs (Sutherland I. H. (1990) xe2x80x9cVeterinary Use of Ivermectinxe2x80x9d Acta Leidensia 59: 211-216) and has been marketed world-wide since 1981. Ivermectin has also been extensively used in the treatment of several human parasitoses (Ottesen E. A. and Campbell W. C. (1994) xe2x80x9cIvermectin in Human Medicinexe2x80x9d Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 34(2): 195-203). Following the recognition of organophosphate resistance in sea lice (Jones M. W., Sommerville C. S. and Wootten, R. (1992) xe2x80x9cReduced Sensitivity of the Salmon Louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, to the Organophosphate Dichlorvosxe2x80x9d Journal of Fish Diseases 15:197-202), ivermectin was considered as an alternative therapy. In addition to its novel mode of action, a further advantage lay in its application as an in-feed medication. Although ivermectin has not received regulatory approval for use in salmon, it may be prescribed in the United Kingdom by veterinarians under the cascade procedure (Anonymous (1998) Amelia No.8 Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Woodham Lane, Newhaw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB), where authorised products fail to provide effective control of sea lice infestations. The use of ivermectin over several years has indicated that it exercises some control at the commonly adopted dose rate of 25 xcexcg kgxe2x88x921 biomass twice weekly (Rae G. H. (1996) xe2x80x9cGuidelines for the Use of Ivermectin Pre-Mix for Pigs to Treat Farmed Salmon For Sea Licexe2x80x9d Scottish Salmon Growers Association pamphlet). However, ivermectin has been found to be toxic at levels greater than 25 xcexcg kgxe2x88x921 biomass twice weekly (S. C. Johnson, et al., xe2x80x9cToxicity and Pathological Effects of Orally Administered Ivermectin In Atlantic, Chinook, and Coho Salmon and Steelhead Trout,xe2x80x9d Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. Vol. 17: 107-112 (1993).
Emamectin (4xe2x80x3-deoxy-4xe2x80x3 epimethylaminoavermectin B,) has been recently used for treating edible plant crops (Leibee G. L., Jansson, R. K., Nuessly, G and Taylor J. L. (1995) xe2x80x9cEfficacy of Emamectin Benzoate and Bacillus thuringensis at Controlling Diamondback Moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) Populations On Cabbage in Floridaxe2x80x9d Florida Entomologist. 78(1): 82-96).
This invention provides a method of eliminating, reducing, or preventing parasites in a fish population, comprising feeding emamectin or a salt thereof to said fish population at a daily dose of 25 xcexcg to 400 xcexcg per kg of fish biomass per day for a period of 3-14 days.
In a further aspect, a kit for preparing a medicated fish feed for eliminating, reducing or preventing parasites in a fish population is provided, comprising a supply of emamectin or a salt thereof and printed instructions for feeding the emamectin or emamectin salt at a daily dose of 25 xcexcg to 400 xcexcg per kg of fish biomass per day for a period of 3-14 days. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to switching type power supplies, and more particularly to power supplies capable of operating from two input voltage ranges and automatically converting a power supply rectifier circuit to operate from either of those ranges. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Advancements in network technologies have increased the number and types of services provided over networks. Many network-based services provide guaranteed levels of service that generally stipulate a need for monitoring network performance in order to maintain or verify the guaranteed service levels. Consequently, performance monitoring technologies have been developed to measure network performance. Unfortunately, many performance monitoring technologies are proprietary to vendors and unavoidably force network service providers to rely on a specific vendor. Moreover, existing technologies dedicated to monitoring network performance are typically resource hungry. That is, the existing technologies typically impose high loads on network resources.
Other existing performance monitoring technologies require use of a control protocol to establish test sessions between network endpoints. Unfortunately, the required use of a control protocol adds overhead costs to each test session, especially when the control protocol requires in-band messages to be exchanged between network elements. Moreover, the levels of control and monitoring provided by in-band control sessions are generally limited. For example, an in-band control session is generally unable to provide information about a test session failure because the in-band control session is usually affected by the same failure. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
One method and system for operating a fuel lift pump is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,833. This patent describes a method for operating a lift pump in an intermittent manner. Specifically, the method describes shutting of the lift pump off as a way to avoid having a fuel return line. The fuel pump output is routed to an accumulator. The accumulator holds a volume of fuel and releases fuel to the fuel injectors as the injectors release fuel to engine cylinder ports. The lift pump is operated in this arrangement when pressure in the accumulator falls below a predetermined amount. Consequently, fuel pressure at the fuel injectors rises and falls as the fuel pump is operated and as fuel is injected to the engine. An engine controller adjusts fuel injection timing in an effort to compensate for the varying fuel pressure.
The above-mentioned system can also have several disadvantages. For example, while the system may improve fuel efficiency while producing fuel rail pressures used in port injection applications, it may provide little or no fuel efficiency benefit if the fuel pump is required to generate pressures necessary for direct injection applications because the fuel pump may have to be operated continuously to develop higher pressures. Further, the system can cause air-fuel errors when the engine controller makes adjustments to fuel injection timing related to pressure changes in the fuel rail.
The inventors herein have recognized the above-mentioned disadvantages and have developed a system and method that offers substantial improvements. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reciprocating compressor, and more particularly to a reciprocating compressor for increasing volumetric efficiency and compression efficiency of a compressor and for reducing fatigue phenomenon of the compressor by decreasing re-expansion of high pressure refrigerant by exhausting high pressure refrigerant gas existing in an allowance space of a cylinder. High pressure refrigerant is also exhausted when liquid refrigerant exists in the cylinder to prevent over pressure at an initial operation of the compressor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally speaking, a reciprocating compressor, as illustrated in FIG. 1, has a construction disposed with a driving unit 1 and a compression unit 2 within an airtight vessel 100, where the driving unit 1 comprises a motor.
The motor comprises a rotor 120 and a stator 130, where the rotor has a rotating shaft 110.
The compressing unit 2 comprises: an eccentric shaft 212 coupled eccentrically to a lower end of the rotating shaft 110, a connecting rod 214 rotatively coupled to the eccentric shaft 212; a piston 210 rotatively coupled to the connecting rod 214; a circular cylindrical cylinder 200 containing the reciprocating piston 210; and a valve plate 230 and a head cover 220 coupled to one side of the cylinder 200.
The reciprocating compressor thus constructed is commonly installed on a refrigerator, air conditioner and the like to suck in circulating refrigerant gas, and discharge the gas in a high pressure and high temperature state.
When the motor comprising the rotor 120 and the stator 130 is input with electric power, the rotor 120 is rotated to rotate the rotating shaft 110.
When the rotating shaft 110 is rotated, the eccentric shaft 212 is rotated, and when the eccentric shaft 212 is rotated, the crank shaft 214 reciprocates.
When the crank shaft 214 reciprocates, the piston 210 reciprocates linearly within the cylinder 200.
When the piston 200 reciprocates within the cylinder 200, the refrigerant gas circulating in the vessel 100 is sucked into the cylinder 200 to thereby be compressed to a high pressure and high temperature state, and be discharged to the outside of the cylinder 200.
FIG. 2 is a sectional drawing for illustrating an enlarged construction of the compression unit 2 in the reciprocating compressor thus described.
The compressing unit 2 comprises: the eccentric shaft 212 coupled eccentrically to the lower end of the rotating shaft 110; the connecting rod 214 rotatively coupled to the eccentric shaft 212; the piston 210 rotatively coupled to the connecting rod 214; the cylindrical cylinder 200 for reciprocating the piston 210; the valve plate 230 coupled to one side of the cylinder 200; and the head cover 220.
Meanwhile, the cylinder has a circular cylindrical shape open on both sides, and the piston 210 can be inserted into one side of the cylinder 200 and the valve plate 230 and head cover 220 are coupled to the other side of the cylinder 200.
The head cover 220 is partitioned into a suction chamber 221 and a discharge chamber 222 by a bulkhead 223, and the valve plate 230 is disposed with a suction port 231 penetrating the cylinder 200 and the suction chamber 221, and a discharge port 232 and the cylinder 200 penetrating the discharge chamber 222.
The suction port 231 and the discharge port 232 are disposed with a suction valve 232 and a discharge valve 234 respectively.
In the conventional compressor thus constructed, as illustrated in FIG. 2a, the eccentric shaft 212 of the compressor 2 rotates to retract the piston 210 according as the rotating shaft of the motor rotates.
According as the suction value 233 is opened and the discharge valve 234 is closed, the refrigerant gas (in low temperature and low pressure state) in the suction chamber 221 is flowed into the cylinder 200.
Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 2b, when the piston 210 is advanced, the suction valve 233 is closed, and when the discharge valve 234 is opened, the refrigerant gas in the cylinder 200 is compressed to the high pressure and high temperature state, and the compressed refrigerant gas is discharged to the discharge chamber 222 through the discharge port 232.
Even though the refrigerant gas is compressed by the maximum advancement of the piston into the cylinder 200 in the above-indentified process, there still remains an allowance space for the compressed refrigerant gas in the cylinder 200 between the piston 210 and the valve plate 230, which is called an allowance volume V.
The allowance volume V is generated to give an allowance niche between a front of the piston 210 and the valve plate 230 in order to prevent the front of the piston 210 from colliding with the valve plate 23 of the cylinder 200 or to prevent the over-compression from occurring.
Furthermore, the allowance volume V can also be determined by the volume or the like occupied by the discharge port 232 disposed on the valve plate 230.
However, because the suction and discharge processes of the refrigerant gas occur in an instant, and the refrigerant gas remaining in the allowance volume V is re-expanded in a partial discharge state during the suction process right after the discharge of the refrigerant gas, the effective volume within the cylinder 200 is reduced that much to thereby decrease the refrigerant gas volume which is sucked in.
In the aforesaid description, volume loss resulting from the reexpansion of the refrigerant gas which has remained in the allowance volume V is represented by region between points "V1'- V1" in FIG. 6.
In FIG. 6, the region between points "V2 - V1" denotes theoretical effective volume in case of no reexpansion, while "V2 - V1" denotes an effective volume in case of the reexpansion for an actual cycle.
Accordingly, the suction volume of the refrigerant gas is reduced to relatively decrease the discharged volume thereupon, so that compression efficiency of the compressor goes down.
Furthermore, if residual refrigerant in a liquid state remains in the cylinder 200 at the initial operation of the compressor, the over pressure is generated. In the absence of preventive measures, there arises a problem in that the fatigue phenomenon resulting from the over pressure gets worse.
For example in Japanese laid open utility model Publication No. 2-76181 entitled, "Reciprocating Compressor, a technique is disclosed wherein an orifice always interconnecting an interior of a cylinder and a low pressure side of an exterior of the cylinder in a reciprocating compressor, the compressor being similar to that described above, wherein gas is sucked into the cylinder by the reciprocating motion of a piston disposed within the cylinder, and simultaneously the gas is compressed to thereby be discharged.
According to the Japanese laid open utility model Publication No. 2-76181 the reexpansion of refrigerant compressed at high pressure, or the generation of over pressure of the refrigerant at the initial operational stage caused by residual liquid refrigerant can be prevented.
However, the Japanese laid open utility model application No. Hei 2 - 76181 involves a problem in that the compression efficiency can be markedly decreased because an interior of the cylinder and an exterior of the cylinder are always open therebetween.
Furthermore, in a Japanese laid open utility model application No. Hei 2 (1990) - 3082 entitled "piston device of compressor," there is described a compressor comprising a cylinder; a piston reciprocating within the cylinder; and a piston ring contacting an inner wall of the cylinder fitted into a ring groove disposed on an outer side of the piston. Also described therein is a technique where a piercing port for communicating with the ring groove and a cylinder inner socket is disposed at a rear end side of the piston ring, and a hole is formed within the ring groove on a side thereof where the piston ring is contacted.
According to the Japanese laid open utility model application No. Hei 2 - 3082, it seems that the refrigerant gas infused into the ring groove is discharged toward a low pressure side through the hole during a compression stroke to thereby prevent to a degree over compression caused by the liquid refrigerant infused into the cylinder during the initial operation. However, there remains a problem in that a decrease of compression efficiency cannot be avoided that is caused by the reexpansion of the compressed refrigerant gas still remaining in the allowance space. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to leakage current protection devices, and more particularly relates to improved ground-fault circuit interrupters with a reverse wiring protection function.
2. Description of the Related Art
A receptacle type ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) device with reverse wiring protection is described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,009,473, issued Mar. 7, 2006, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. This device provides both leakage current protection and reverse wiring protection that protects against incorrect wiring during installation. Such a GFCI receptacle has a pair of input terminals for connecting to power lines, a pair of output terminals for connecting to a load, and one or more insertion outlets on a faceplate of the receptacle each for receiving the prongs of a plug. When installing the GFCI receptacle in the wall, if the power lines from the wall are incorrectly connected to the output (load) side of the receptacle, the GFCI device effectively cuts off power output at the input side of the receptacle. An improved receptacle type GFCI device with reverse wiring protection is described in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/484,506, filed Jul. 10, 2006, now pending, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In this improved GFCI device, if the power lines are incorrectly connected to the load side of the receptacle during installation, power output to both the input side of the receptacle and the insertion outlets on the faceplate is prevented. The GFCI receptacle includes two stationary terminals on two first output conductors electrically connected to the insertion outlet, two stationary terminals on two second output conductors adapted for electrically connecting to the load, and four moveable terminal on two moveable connector arm adapted for electrically connecting to the power lines. The four moveable terminals correspond in position to the four stationary terminals, respectively, and operate to electrical connect or disconnect the power lines to and from the load and the insertion outlet in a manner controlled by a disconnecting mechanism assembly and a reverse wiring protection mechanism. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Offshore drilling platforms are typically supported on legs which extend downward to the sea floor. On many platforms tubular legs are employed wherein an external cylindrical jacket surrounds an internal piling. The piles extend through the jackets and are driven into the sea floor for stabilization of the platform at a desired site. Annular spaces between the pilings and jackets are usually filled with grout to cement the pilings in place and provide additional stiffness.
When it is desired to relocate a drilling platform, the common practice heretofore has been to sever the legs of the platform at the sea floor by means of explosives. This approach, however, damages the legs which damages are both costly and time consuming to repair but must be done before the platform can be installed at another site. Oftentimes it has been necessary first to tow the platform to shore and then position it on land for performance of the necessary repairs. It will thus be readily appreciated that this approach to platform relocation involves manifold difficulties.
More recently, efforts have been directed toward developing a technique whereby installed pilings can be removed from the legs of offshore platforms while leaving the external jackets intact. To do so, the grout must be broken to break the bond between the jacket and the pile, after which the pile is removed without damaging the surrounding jackets. In view of the extended length of such pilings, it is desirable that any such means be capable of remote releasable connection to the piling to facilitate removal.
A need thus exists for a piling removal apparatus adapted for segmenting and lifting sections of piling from the jacket legs of offshore platforms. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a polishing pad for use in chemical mechanical planarization applications. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of joining sections of polishing pad for use in the chemical mechanical planarization or polishing of semiconductor wafers.
Semiconductor wafers are typically fabricated with multiple copies of a desired integrated circuit design that will later be separated and made into individual integrated circuit chips. A common technique for forming the circuitry on a semiconductor is photolithography. Part of the photolithography process requires that a special camera focus on the wafer to project an image of the circuit on the wafer. The ability of the camera to focus on the surface of the wafer is often adversely affected by inconsistencies or unevenness in the wafer surface. The need for a precise image projection is accentuated with the current drive toward smaller, more complex integrated circuit designs. Semiconductor wafers are also commonly constructed in layers, where a portion of a circuit is etched on a first level and conductive vias are made to connect up to the next level of the circuit. After each layer of the circuit is etched on the wafer, an oxide layer is put down that allows the vias to pass through the oxide layer while covering the rest of the previous circuit level. Each layer of the circuit can create or add unevenness to the wafer as it is constructed. These imperfections are preferably smoothed out before generating the next circuit layer.
Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) techniques are used to planarize the raw wafer and each layer of material added thereafter. Available CMP systems, commonly called wafer polishers, often use a rotating wafer holder that brings the wafer into contact with a polishing pad that is moving in the plane of the wafer surface to be planarized. A polishing fluid, such as a chemical polishing agent or slurry containing microabrasives, is applied to the polishing pad to polish the wafer. The wafer holder then presses the wafer against the rotating polishing pad and is rotated to polish and planarize the wafer.
The polishing pads commonly used in this process include belt-type pads and rotary-type pads. A belt-type pad typically consists of one or more sections of material that are formed into a belt by laminating or bonding the sections to each other and/or to a support structure. The joining of multiple sections of material requires the formation of joints where the sections meet. In a typical joint, there is a small space left between the two sections. These joints are subject to stresses that can cause the sections to delaminate. Delamination of the sections can result in a complete failure of the joint. The failure rate of the joints is increased as the slurry used with the pad seeps into the space between the sections.
A rotary-type pad typically consists of one or more sections of material that are joined together to form a pad. The pad is attached to a rotary machine that rotates the pad to polish a wafer. The joints in this type of pad are also formed by laminating or bonding the sections to each other and/or to a support structure and also subject to the same failure as the belt type pad. A polishing pad that overcomes these deficiencies is needed.
According to one aspect of the invention, a first section of polishing pad is welded to a second section of polishing pad to form a joint that is not susceptible to infiltration of a slurry and is resistant to delamination failure. The first section of polishing pad preferably overlaps the second portion of polishing pad to further increase the integrity of the joint. The combination of overlapping and welding the sections effectively seals the joint and prevents slurry from penetrating the joint. According to other aspects of the invention the sections of polishing pad can be welded in configurations where they are butted to or interlocked with one another. These configurations also effectively seal the joint and prevent slurry from penetrating the joint. Also, the sections of the polishing pad can comprise one or more portions materials or cushioning materials. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Semiconductor memory devices can store data and output the stored data on command. Semiconductor memory devices may be roughly categorized into random access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM) devices. A RAM device is typically a volatile memory device that loses its stored data at power-off, although some types of RAM devices are non-volatile. Examples of RAM devices include dynamic RAM, static RAM, and the like. The ROM device is a non-volatile memory device that can retain its stored data even at power-off. Examples of ROM devices include programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), flash memory, and the like. Flash memories can be further classified into NAND-type flash memory and NOR-type flash memory depending on the kinds of logic gates used to implement the memory.
In general, a NAND flash memory may include a cell array, which includes a plurality of memory blocks. Each of the memory blocks may include a plurality of pages. A memory block is typically used as the basic unit for an erase operation, and a page is typically used as the basic unit for a read/write operation.
NAND flash memory devices have been successfully utilized in mobile communication terminals, portable media players, digital cameras, portable storage devices, and the like. In order to use a NAND flash memory device as a storage medium, it may be desirable to secure the integrity of data stored in the NAND flash memory device. However, a NAND flash memory can experience bit failures due to its physical characteristics. Thus, some NAND flash memory devices are configured to be able to detect and/or correct bits that have failed (i.e., “failed bits”). In order to detect/correct failed bits, an error correction code (ECC) circuit may be provided in the NAND flash memory device.
An ECC algorithm may be loaded onto the ECC circuit of the NAND flash memory. This may enable the NAND flash memory device to correct failed bits that may be generated during a read/write operation. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the reliability of a NAND flash memory through the use of error detection/correction circuitry.
In general, a number of packaged memory devices may be tested simultaneously to reduce the time required for testing. Since a test apparatus configured to simultaneously test packaged memory devices may have an error capture RAM that has a limited memory capacity, a compressed and/or summarized test result may be stored in the error capture RAM. According to this test scheme, although a memory block of a packaged memory device may have only one failed bit, the memory block will be considered to be a bad block. In this case, it may not be possible to detect the number of failed bits (i.e. a “failed bit number”) of a memory block that has been determined to be a bad block.
A software technique for individually counting failed bits at a test stage may be used to determine the number of failed bits. For example, it is possible to precisely measure a failed bit number for each memory device by storing test results corresponding to all memory cells in an error capture RAM. However, since the storage capacity of the error capture RAM may be limited, the number of memory devices to be tested at the same time may also be limited. This means that the time required to perform the test may be increased.
In methods of counting failed bits in a conventional NAND flash memory, a failed bit number can be detected by inputting expected data through input/output terminals and comparing the expected data with data read from a page of the flash memory. Such a method of generating a failed bit count is disclosed in U.S. patent publication No. 2002-0069381.
In a conventional method of counting failed bits, it may be possible to detect both the existence of a failed bit and the number of failed bits. However, it may not be possible to detect the position of the failed bits (i.e. a “failed bit position”) in the memory. In order to correct failed bits, the position of the failed bits must be determined by a tester. Further, since the sample data from a tester is input in predetermined units (e.g., byte or word units), a long time may be required to test failed bits. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates generally to the field of sound devices. In particular, embodiments of the present invention relate to sound devices that prevent sound quality from decreasing when an external sound device is connected to the sound device.
A sound device that converts analog signals to digital signals and processes them has been traditionally known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,689 has published the technology to (1) convert electronic signals that were input to digital signals with an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, (2) process signals with digital signal processing (the DSP), (3) add various sound effects, (4) convert processed signal data to analog signals with digital-to-analog (D/A) converter, and (5) generate sound with speaker that is connected with the D/A converter.
When the device, however, is connected with an external sound device that converts analog signals to digital signals for processing, the A/D converter and D/A converter that are mounted on the external sound device create a delay, and a time difference between sound that is generated from a speaker connected with the sound device and sound that is generated from a speaker connected with the external sound device. As a result, sound that is generated from each speaker would interfere with each other and will change sound quality and, eventually, decrease the sound quality. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention pertains to language model architecture. More specifically, the present invention pertains to an architectural design wherein a single language model component is shared by multiple applications.
Language models are implemented by a variety of applications including, but not limited to, applications that facilitate recognition of natural language, speech and handwriting inputs. Typically, a language model provides a probability of seeing a particular sequence of words. Language models can be modeled strictly from data, as is the case with n-grams, or modeled using heuristics, as with a parser.
It is not uncommon for language models to be large in size. Some language models consist of tens of millions of word combinations. This being the case, it is not uncommon for separate language models to be loaded for different applications. Such an organization scheme requires a significant investment of machine resources. For example loading multiple language model components for multiple applications requires a significant consumption of RAM resources. Further, the process of maintaining and updating multiple language models can be relatively redundant. Still further, it is not uncommon for the development and deployment of new applications to require incorporation of a devoted language model component. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Operating methods of electromechanical pixels are known from spatial light modulators (SLM) for projection displays. Prior art SLMs for projection displays comprise an array of micro-mirrors constructed on a semiconductor backplane. In prior art SLMs, each electromechanical pixel comprises a micro-mirror that is mounted on a pair of hinges above a semiconductor substrate, and a pair of address electrodes with associated drive electronics constructed on the semiconductor substrate.
In operation the SLM is scanned and address voltages are supplied to the address electrodes by the drive electronics. To modulate light, micro-mirrors are selectively reset to first or second deflected positions based on address voltages.
Large area flat panel displays based on electromechanical pixels have been proposed by present inventors and others. The prior art operating methods of SLMs require electromechanical pixels with complex mechanical structures and tight mechanical tolerances. Current manufacturing technology for large area flat panel displays that use glass substrates cannot meet these requirements.
Also, prior art operating methods extensively use mechanical force of micro-mirror hinges which changes with operating time and temperature.
The use of mechanical force, especially for selective positioning of micro-mirrors, causes problems such as resetting micro-mirrors to a wrong position. It also requires selection of operating voltages during the display production, and construction of very uniform hinges.
Flat panel displays usually have larger electromechanical pixels than SLMs for projection displays and need greater electrostatic actuation voltages to operate. In order to display motion images and meet the required addressing speeds, the flat panel displays need greater ratio between the actuation voltages and the address voltages than the prior art operating methods can provide. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Conventional methods for image processing for object recognition generally utilize “deep learning” neural network approaches. Neural networks simulate real neural networks, such as the human brain, through simple simulated neurons (also referred to as nodes) connected through a series of layers. Such neural networks “learn” through the feedback of the correct responses provided to the neural networks. This process is also referred to as “training.” In the context of neural networks, the term “deep” refers to the number of layers within a neural network where a deep network has more layers than a shallow network.
A neural network specifically designed for image processing is referred to as a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The convolutional layers in such neural networks filter part of the image looking for certain visual attributes. For example, one convolution might look for narrow vertical bars. CNNs have been utilized for visual object recognition. In some instances, CNNs approximate and improve upon human object recognition performance.
With respect to wearable item image analysis, a number of neural network approaches have been proposed. As an example, one available neural network approach takes a user-submitted image, recognizes a wearable item included in the image, and identifies the same or similar wearable item in an inventory. That neural network approach applies to a broad range of products in addition to wearable items. While the neural network approach described above may have some merits, there are two recognized issues with the neural network approach: (1) the significant amount of resources and (2) lack of explainability.
With respect to the first issue, the neural network approach requires a significant amount of data and computational resources to train a neural network model. As an example, a million images may be considered a typical number of images used for training a neural network model. Furthermore, such images must be pre-labeled with correct responses. For example, images of wearable items used for training must also include the correct style characteristics. For specialized uses, such as wearable item style analysis, data sets with correct style characteristics are difficult to find and/or are expensive. Moreover, the hardware (e.g., graphics processing units “GPUs” or tensor processing units “TPUs”) used to train neural network models at any level of efficiency is specifically designed for neural network modeling, and is expensive to buy or rent. For example, typical third party cloud services rent GPUs for 1 to 24 dollars per hour, and a typical training run may last several days.
With respect to the second issue, while the results provided by the neural network approach may be accurate, it is difficult to explain how the neural network models reached such results. Most of the processing for neural network models is conducted in “hidden” layers between an input (e.g., an image) and an output (e.g., results). This lack of transparency makes it difficult to explain how the results were achieved, therefore making it difficult to perform an act at a functional level (e.g., providing recommendations to merchandising) based on the results provided by the neural network model.
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art, or suggestions of the prior art, by inclusion in this section. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Graptopetalum paraguayense (GP) is a Chinese traditional herb and possesses several health benefits. According to its archaic Chinese prescription, GP is considered to have potentially beneficial effects by alleviating hepatic disorders, lowering blood pressure, whitening skin, relieving pain and infections, inhibiting inflammation, and improving brain function.
It was shown in the studies that the leaf extracts of GP could inhibit tyrosinase and angiotensin-converting enzyme activities and scavenge free radicals in vitro (Chen, S-J et al., Studies on the inhibitory effect of Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther extracts on the angiotensin converting enzyme. Food Chemistry 100:1032-1036, 2007; Chung, Y-C et al., Studies on the antioxidative activity of Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther. Food Chemistry 91:419-424, 2005; and Huang, K-F et al., Studies on the inhibitory effect of Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther extracts on mushroom tyrosinase. Food Chemistry 89:583-587, 2005.) It was found that the water and 50% ethanolic and 95% ethanolic stem extracts of GP has antioxidant activity, which were assayed for inhibitory effects on the proliferation of a human HCC cell line (HepG2) (Chen, S J et al., In vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative activity of the stem extracts from Graptopetalum paraguayense. Am J Chin Med 36:369-383, 2008). An in vivo research study demonstrated that the leaf extracts of GP inhibited microglia activation, oxidative stress, and iNOS expression to reduce ischemic brain injury (Kao, T K et al., Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther leaf extracts protect against brain injury in ischemic rats. Am J Chin Med 38:495-516, 2010.).
It was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,364,758 filed in 2004 by Hsu and granted in 2008 that the ethanolic extract from Graptopetalum had anti-liver fibrosis and anti-inflammatory effects in vivo and in vitro. Then, its continuation-in-part application, U.S. Pat. No. 7,588,776, was filed in 2008 and granted in 2009 indicating that the water-soluble fraction of Graptopetalum was effective in treating a liver disease or condition, such as inflammation, steatosis, and fibrosis. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an organic electroluminescent device having excellent light emitting properties.
2. Description of the Related Art
An organic electroluminescent device (which will hereinafter be called xe2x80x9corganic EL devicexe2x80x9d) is a light emitting device which makes use of the principle that when an electric field is applied, a fluorescent material emits light in response to the charge recombination of holes injected from an anode and electrons injected from a cathode. Since C. W. Tang et al. of Eastman Kodak Company made a report on a low-voltage-driven organic EL device using a double layered structure (C. W. Tang, S. A. Vanslyke, Applied Physics Letters, 51, 913(1987) and the like), studies on an organic EL device and materials have been briskly carried out.
Tang et al. applied tris(8-hydroxyquinolinol)-aluminum to a light emitting layer and a triphenylamine derivative to a hole transport layer. The laminate structure is accompanied with such advantages as an improvement in the injection efficiency of holes into a light emitting layer; blocking of electrons injected from a cathode, which increases the efficiency of exciton production from charge recombination; and confine of the excitons into the light emitting layer. As an organic EL device structure, a double layered device composed of a hole injecting and transport layer and an electron transporting and light emitting layer or a triple layered device composed of a hole injecting and transporting layer, a light emitting layer and an electron injecting and transporting layer are well known. In order to increase the recombination efficiency of injected holes and electrons, various improvements in the device structure or fabrication process have been introduced to such a multi-layered device.
As the hole transport material, triphenylamine derivatives such as 4,4xe2x80x2,4xe2x80x3-tris(3-methylphenylphenylamino) triphenylamine known as a starburst molecule and aromatic diamine derivatives such as N,Nxe2x80x2-diphenyl-N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(3-methylphenyl)-[1,1xe2x80x2-biphenyl]-4,4xe2x80x2-diamine are well known (ex. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 20771/1996, 40995/1996, 40997/1996, 543397/1996 and 87122/1996).
As the electron transporting material, oxadiazole derivatives and triazole derivatives and the like are well known.
As the light emitting material, known are chelate compounds such as tris(8-quinolinolate)aluminum complex, coumarin derivatives, tetraphenylbutadiene derivatives, bisstyrylarylene derivatives, oxadiazole derivatives and the like. Since the various color luminescent materials from blue to red region are reported, there increased expectation for industrialization of a full color organic EL display (ex. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 239655/1996, 138561/1995, 200289/1991 and the like).
In recent days, an organic EL device with high brightness and long life has been disclosed or reported, but it is not always sufficient for manufacturing actual devices yet. Accordingly, there is a strong demand for the development of materials exhibiting high performance.
An object of the present invention is to provide an organic EL device including a material represented by the formula (I), which potentially has high brightness and long life.
The present inventors have carried out an extensive investigation with a view to dissolving the above-described problem. As a result, it has been found that compared with the conventional device, an organic EL device fabricated using a compound represented by the formula (I) as a light emitting material performs higher brightness and has a longer life when continuously driven. It has also been found that the above-described material has high carrier transporting properties and compared with the conventional device, an organic EL device fabricated using the material as a hole transport material or electron transport material or an organic EL device fabricated using a mixed thin-film of the material and another hole or electron transport material performs higher brightness and has a longer life when continuously driven, leading to the completion of the invention.
In the present invention, there are thus provided an organic electroluminescent device comprising an anode, a cathode and, between said anode and cathode, one or more than one organic thin-film layers including a light emitting layer, wherein at least one of said layers contains, either singly or as a mixture, a material represented by the following formula (I):
wherein R1 to R4 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an amino group, a hydroxyl group, a cyano group, a nitro group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy group; or R1 to R4 may be coupled together to form a ring; and the above-described organic electroluminescent device having a hole transport layer or electron transport layer as one of the organic thin-film layers, wherein said hole transport layer or electron transport layer contains the compound of the above-described formula (I) singly or as a mixture.
The use of the compound according to the present invention as a component material of an organic EL device makes it possible to provide light emission with higher brightness compared with the conventional device. Thus, the present invention brings about marked effects. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging device that is equipped with a solid state imaging element containing a plurality of pixels that have a photoelectric converting element, which has a pair of electrodes stacked over a semiconductor substrate and a photoelectric converting layer put between the electrodes, respectively.
2. Description of the Related Art
In JP-A-2005-268477, the solid state imaging element equipped with a semiconductor substrate on a signal reading circuit composed of MOS transistor circuits is formed, a photoelectric converting film stacked on the semiconductor substrate to generate charges in response to a quantity of incident light, a connecting portion which is provided on a surface of the semiconductor substrate and to which a wiring for guiding the charges to the surface of the semiconductor substrate is connected, a potential barrier unit provided in vicinity of the connecting portion and acting as a predetermined potential barrier against the charges, and a charge accumulating portion provided in vicinity of the potential barrier unit and connected to a gate of an output transistor constituting the signal reading circuit is disclosed.
According to this structure, the charges generated by a photoelectric converting film can be flown smoothly to the gate of the output transistor. Therefore, an effective electrostatic capacity of a portion in which the charges are accumulated can be decreased when viewed from the gate of the output transistor, a signal voltage can be increased and thus an output signal of high sensitivity can be obtained.
FIG. 10 is a view explaining an operation of the solid state imaging element disclosed in JP-A-2005-268477, and is a view showing a sectional potential in the semiconductor substrate.
In order to acquire a signal from one pixel of the solid state imaging element, first the charges accumulated in the charge accumulating portion are discharged to the reset drain and the reset operation is executed (time T0). At this time, as shown in FIG. 10, a reset noise N1 as noise charges generated due to the reset operation is accumulated in the charge accumulating portion. After the reset is completed, the exposure of the photoelectric converting film is started, and then the charges Q generated by this exposure are accumulated in the charge accumulating portion from the connecting portion through a potential barrier (time T1). Then, a signal responding to a quantity of charge accumulated in the charge accumulating portion during this exposure period is output from the signal reading circuit. After this signal output, the reset operation is executed again at a time T2, and a reset noise N2 is accumulated in the charge accumulating portion. Then, the next exposure is started in this state.
In the signal processing circuit for processing the signal output from the solid state imaging element, the correlated double sampling (CDS) circuit for applying a correlated double sampling process to the signal is contained. In this CDS circuit, sampling of both a signal responding to the reset noise and a signal responding to the charges in which the reset noise is contained are executed, and then the reset noise is removed by calculating a difference between both signals.
The reset noise can be removed completely by subtracting the signal responding to the reset noise N1 acquired at a time T0 from the imaging signal acquired at a time T1. In order to make such process, in the CDS circuit, the signal being output from the solid state imaging element must be sampled at a time T0 (sampling SP1), then the signal being output from the solid state imaging element must be sampled at a time T1 (sampling SP2), and then a difference between both resultant signals must be calculated. In this case, a time period from the sampling SP1 to the sampling SP2 is equal to an exposure period, and the CDS circuit has to process sequentially the signals from all pixels. Therefore, if the samplings of signals are executed at such time interval, the process cannot catch up with the signals that are being output from the solid state imaging element sequentially.
For this reason, in the prior art, removal of the reset noise (a part of reset noise can be removed, although such noise cannot be perfectly removed) is executed by subtracting the signal that is sampled at a time T2 (sampling SP3) from the signal that is sampled at a time T1. Since a time interval between the sampling SP2 and the sampling SP3 is sufficiently short in contrast to the exposure period, the CDS process can be applied to the signals from all pixels without any trouble.
The charges that decide a potential of the connecting portion always flow out from the connecting portion to the charge accumulating portion due to thermal diffusion. In the meanwhile, members such as wirings, photoelectric converting film, and the like are connected to the connecting portion. Thus, the charges generated in the photoelectric converting film flow into the connecting portion via the members, and the charges generated in a joined portion between the connecting portion and the substrate flow into the connecting portion. Therefore, an outflow of the charges from the connecting portion due to the thermal diffusion stops apparently when a quantity of charges per unit time that flow out from the connecting portion due to the thermal diffusion becomes equal to a quantity of charges per unit time that flow into the connecting portion via the wiring, etc. (this moment is called an equilibrium state).
A total quantity ΔQ of charges that are diffused from the connecting portion to peripheral areas due to thermal excitation until a time t (<time teq at which the charges reach an equilibrium state) is given by following Expression (1).ΔQ∝ln(1+αt) (1)
Where α is a proportionality factor.
As shown at a time T0 in FIG. 10, such a situation is ideal that, as the result of this equilibrium state, the potential barrier and the connecting portion are set to the same potential. The pixels that are in the ideal equilibrium state exist, and also the pixels in which a potential of the connecting portion is higher than a potential of the potential barrier in the equilibrium state exist. FIG. 11 shows the potential of such pixel. As shown in FIG. 11, the charges that decide a potential of the connecting portion is decreased by ΔQ, and a potential of the connecting portion becomes higher than a potential of the potential barrier.
When the exposure is started in a state shown in FIG. 11, a part of the charges Q generated by the photoelectric converting film remains in the connecting portion. Therefore, a quantity of charges that move to the charge accumulating portion, i.e., a quantity of signals that are read out to the outside, is decreased by ΔQ, which causes a lag.
Further, the signal output characteristic with respect to a quantity of incident light depends on a potential of the connecting portion, i.e., a depth of a potential well of the connecting portion, a depth of the potential well depends on an amount of thermal diffusion of charges in the connecting portion, an amount of thermal diffusion depends on a quantity of current that flows into the connecting portion, a quantity of current that flows into the connecting portion depends on a quantity of current that flows into the connecting portion from the photoelectric converting film, and a depth of the potential well is varied along with the time. As a result, a signal output is not decided uniquely in response to a quantity of incident light, and thus it is impossible to execute a linearity correction simply based on the correction information that are held in advance. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
(a) Field of Disclosure
The present disclosure of invention relates to display devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) capable of displaying images at different viewing angles by using light transmittance through a polarizing liquid crystal material layer.
(b) Description of Related Technology
A typical liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal panel displaying images by using light provided from a backlighting assembly disposed under the liquid crystal panel where the provided light is polarized in one direction when provided from underneath toward and through the liquid crystal panel and where the liquid crystal panel can modify the polarization of the light and thereby modulate the passed through luminance.
The liquid crystal panel includes a first substrate having a plurality of thin film transistors (TFT's) each coupled to a respective pixel electrode, a second substrate spaced apart from but facing the first substrate and having a common electrode thereon, and a light-polarizing liquid crystal material layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.
The liquid crystals in the liquid crystal layer may be structured to operate in a vertical alignment mode (VAM). Their light polarizing effects may be modulated by use of an electric field formed between a given pixel electrode (of a given pixel) and the correspondingly spaced apart portion of the common electrode. For example, if an electric field is not generated between the pixel electrode and the common electrode (a zero field magnitude), the VAM liquid crystal location may appear as a black image (maximally darkened pixel) due to the way that polarized light is processed by various layers of the LCD panel including by the VAM liquid crystal layer. On the other hand, when an electric field of nonzero and varying magnitude is generated between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, images of several corresponding grays may be presented to a viewer who is facing the screen square on (so that viewed light rays leave the screen at right angles to the screen surface).
When increasing magnitudes of electric field intensity are generated between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, corresponding images that are gradually brighter and brighter are realized. This occurs because the VAM liquid crystals in the liquid crystal layer are becoming aligned to be more parallel to the substrates and their VA mode of operation then lets more and more light through (due to polarization effects) as the angles of the crystals with respect to the pixel electrode or the common electrode shift further and further away from the fully relaxed 90 degrees. On the other hand, when the VAM liquid crystals are arranged in the vertical direction (to be relaxed at 90 degrees relative to the substrate surfaces), an excellent black image having relatively low luminance is displayed to a person viewing the front side of the liquid crystal panel head on (so that viewed light rays emerge from the panel at 90 degree angles relative to the substrate surfaces). However, for a person viewing the front side of the liquid crystal panel at an angle (from a side of the display rather than head on), the pixels which are supposed to have a maximally black imagery instead appear with undesirably higher luminances (e.g., gray rather than black). This happens because the light rays progressing towards the side view direction of the liquid crystal panel pass obliquely rather than square on through the liquid crystal material layer and these obliquely passing through light rays experience a larger phase retardation effect (R, which may be measured in nanometers) resulting from the greater thickness of, and the differently tilted relative angles of the liquid crystals the light rays pass through as compared to the light rays that progress normally in the head-on, front direction of the panel through the liquid crystal material layer.
As described above, in the liquid crystal panel that is operated in the conventional vertical alignment mode (VAM) and having no compensation for oblique light rays, the side-viewed luminances of pixels that are supposed to be fully black image are observed to be higher than desired and the brightness contrast ratio is thus decreased for persons viewing the panel from a side angle rather than head-on.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background and of the technology of what is disclosed here and therefore the Background information it may contain information that does not form part of the prior art that is already known to persons of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to winches for watercraft, particularly sailboats. The invention has particular, but not exclusive, applicability to winches that are powered by a motor and capable of being wound by operation of the motor in the forwards direction and in the reverse direction.
2. Related Art
Winches are well known for use in manoeuvring the sails on a sailboat by controlling the tension on the boat's running and rigging lines. These lines for example may be sail sheets and sail halyards, which are referred to collectively in this disclosure as “ropes”. Each rope can be considered to have a loaded end (connected to a sail) and an unloaded end (the “tail” of the rope, which may be collected in a cockpit of the boat).
A typical winch includes a rotatable drum mounted with respect to a deck of the boat. The loaded end of the rope is drawn onto the drum by rotation of the drum. Hauling the loaded end of the rope onto the drum in this way is referred to in this disclosure as “forward winding” of the winch. This rotation is typically clockwise rotation, although this is not essential. Rotation of the drum may be achieved by hand-cranking of the winch using a winch handle inserted into a drive socket at the upper end of the winch. Additionally or alternatively, the winch may be rotated by operation of an electric or hydraulic motor. Reduction gearing is provided in order to improve mechanical advantage and allow the rope to be drawn onto the drum even under heavy loads. Particularly for hand-cranking operation of the winch, there may be provided at least two (and sometimes three or four) reduction gear ratios. In the case of two gear ratios, the relevant gear is typically selected simply by the user driving the winch handle in either the clockwise or anticlockwise direction.
There are typically three or four turns of rope held on the winch drum. The diameter of the winch drum typically enlarges slightly from the axial lower end of the drum towards the axial upper end of the drum. This encourages the loaded end of the rope to be located at the axial lower end of the drum. The three or four turns of rope on the drum typically provide a great deal of frictional hold on the rope. The unloaded end of the rope may therefore be simply held in a cleat in order to retain the rope on the winch and retain the load on the loaded end of the rope. However, it is common to incorporate a cleat onto the winch in the form of a self-tailing arrangement, described in more detail below.
The self-tailing arrangement is typically located at the upper end of the winch. The self-tailing arrangement has a pair of opposed rope lock rings with optional gripping features. The rope lock rings are typically spring biased towards each other to allow a range of rope diameters to fit into the channel defined between the rope lock rings and be gripped by the rope lock rings. The rope lock rings rotate with the drum. A feeder arm is provided in order to guide rope from the upper end of the drum into the channel between the rope lock rings. The feeder arm is fixed with respect to the winch, so that the feeder arm does not rotate with the winch drum or the rope lock rings. The rope then passes along the channel between the rope lock rings for nearly a full turn around the winch, the rope exiting the channel at an unloaded end of the rope adjacent the feeder arm, optionally guided out of the channel between the rope lock rings by a suitable guide feature typically known as a stripper. Forward winding of the winch therefore draws loaded rope onto the lower end of the drum, thereby reducing the length of rope that is loaded between the winch and the sail. An amount of rope corresponding to the amount drawn onto the winch drum is guided into the self-tailing unit by the feeder arm. A corresponding amount of rope is paid out the self-tailing unit via the stripper and into, e.g. the cockpit of the boat, thereby to increase the length of rope that is unloaded. The rope is gripped (cleated) in the self-tailing arrangement by the rope lock rings.
As well as hauling rope in, it is also required to pay rope out from the winch, in order to manoeuvre the sails to an optimum position as determined by the skipper of the boat. With self-tailing winches of the type described above, rope is typically paid out manually. The operator takes the unloaded rope adjacent the self tailing arrangement and pulls the rope radially out of the channel defined by the rope lock rings. The operator applies some tension to the rope in order to replace the gripping force provided by the self-tailing arrangement. The operator may let off one or two turns of rope from the winch drum. The operator must then carefully pay out the rope, to allow it to slide around the remaining turns on the winch drum. As will be understood, this operation is potentially hazardous, given the high loads experienced by the ropes on typical sailboats. There is risk of injury to the operator, risk of damage to the sailboat and a likelihood of (at least temporary) loss of control of at least some aspect of the sailboat if the rope is accidentally let out in an uncontrolled manner.
It is known to address this problem using a winch which is capable of powered reverse winding. In the present disclosure, “reverse winding” relates to controlled rotation of the winch drum in the opposite direction to forward winding, reverse winding thereby increasing the length of loaded rope and decreasing the length of unloaded rope. However, providing a winch with powered reverse winding capability is relatively complex since typically the additional capability of the winch must not compromise the primary function of the winch to haul in loaded rope as efficiently as possible.
There are known powered reverse winding winches. GB-A-2276137 discloses a powered winch which has an electric motor capable of driving the winch in the forward direction with different gear ratios. Reverse winding of the winch is made possible by the inclusion of a sun and planetary gear mechanism controlled by the motor. This arrangement is complex and would be difficult to manufacture and assemble.
Operation of electrically powered winches is typically carried out by activation of suitable switches in order to supply power to the electric motor. For some known powered winches, it is necessary to provide several controls, in order to for the user to select the gear ratio to be used by the winch and in order for the user to activate power to the winch. For example, a control (which may be mechanical or electrical) may be provided in order to select one of a several modes of operation e.g. “forward wind only, different speeds” or “forward/reverse wind”. One or more further controls (typically one or more switches) must then be activated in order to deliver power to the electric motor, allowing the user to select, for example “fast forward wind”, “slow forward wind” or “reverse wind”, but only after operation and/or inspection of at least two controls. Such a non-intuitive control system can be difficult for the user to operate in challenging sailing conditions.
Another known winch is disclosed in WO2011/005172. The winch is disclosed as being capable of powered forward winding and powered reverse winding, however it is not explained in WO2011/005172 how gearing may be arranged in the winch in order to allow powered reverse winding. WO2011/005172 discloses a self-tailing arrangement having an upper rope lock ring and a lower rope lock ring, both lock rings being rotatable with the winch drum. The lower rope lock ring is held in a fixed axial position (but is rotatable as previously mentioned) and the upper rope lock ring is skew spring-mounted. During rotation of the winch drum, the upper rope lock ring is subjected to a dynamic asymmetric motion pattern so that the channel between the rope lock rings is at its widest adjacent the self-tailing arm and at its narrowest diametrically opposite the self-tailing arm. This dynamic asymmetric motion pattern is provided by a forcing means inserted into the channel between the rope lock rings forcing the rope lock rings apart against the force of the springs acting on the upper rope lock ring. The rope lock rings additionally have a bulge of uniform height formed around the self-tailing arrangement. The effect of this, combined with the motion pattern of the rope lock rings, is that the rope is firmly held in the channel between the rope lock rings at the position diametrically opposite the self-tailing arm, and yet the rope can be fed into and fed out of the self-tailing arrangement, past the bulge, at a position adjacent the self-tailing arm due to the forcing-open of the rope lock rings. This is stated to allow the unloaded rope to be more easily and automatically fed into the self-tailing arrangement during reverse winding. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Typically, when a remote node 152 uses a service provider to establish a remote connection with a separate network, the remote node 152 will dial into the service provider's local Network Access Server (NAS) 154. As shown in FIG. 1, the NAS 154 usually includes several port interfaces. Each remote node dials into the NAS 154 through a separate port interface. Data received through interfaces may in turn be multiplexed over one synchronized line 156 providing a connection to a Wide Area Network (WAN) access device 260.
The data is usually transmitted between the remote nodes and the NAS 154 over an asynchronous line (e.g. telephone line). Therefore, the NAS typically needs to frame the packets of data received from the remote node into data-link control protocol frames (e.g. High-level Data Link Control (HDLC)) in order to transmit the packets over the synchronous line 156. (References herein to the data-link layer and the network layer are references to the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model developed by the International Standardization Organization).
As shown in FIG. 1, the synchronous line 156 between the NAS 154 and the WAN access device 160 is usually a point-to-point connection. That is, a connection with out any intervening nodes or switches.
As a result of the point-to-point nature of the connection, the address field of the data-link frame is not used because the frame has only one possible destination once it is transmitted. Usually, the address field of a data-link frame is used to indicate the physical destination of the frame so that any switches between a frame's source and destination will be able to read the frame's address field and know where to forward the frame. However, when it is known that there will be no intervening switches between the frame's source and destination (e.g. point-to-point connection) no address is necessary. In fact, the RFC 1662 states that for point-to-point connections, the address field of the HDLC frame should contain 0.times.FF.
When the NAS 154 receives responses from the WAN access device 160, the NAS 154 usually performs a routing function to determine where the response is to be forwarded. That is, the NAS 154 will strip the response packet from its data-link frame and read the packet's address information, which is usually provided at the network layer (e.g. the Internet Protocol (IP) address). The routing procedures, however, slow down the transmission of the responses and usually only work if the node to which a response is being delivered, has been given a network address.
In the case of a user dialing into a NAS 154 from a unit that does not have a network address (e.g. a terminal), the NAS will usually assign a network address to each packet received from that unit. The assigned network addresses will in turn will be used by the NAS to forward responses using the routing procedures described above. Assigning network addresses, however, has the disadvantage of preallocating several network addresses, when in fact, some of these addresses may not be used.
Therefore, what is needed is a way for an access server to forward data-link frames received from a point-to-point connection without having to perform routing operations. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
A serial bus system is known from IEEE standard 1394 [1], in which a plurality of terminals (nodes) are connected either via a 4-6-strand cable or an optical fiber. At least one node may be designed so that it is able to assume additional administrative functions for the network (bus management).
In addition to the above standard, there is the bus-independent expansion specification known as HAVi (Home Audio Video interoperability) [2]. The HAVi specification describes remote control of devices using a resource manager which seizes a resource (device) on request and also releases it again.
The HAVi specification describes a distributed model in which devices are controlled by control modules, also known as device control modules (DCM). DCMs run as software elements on the device which is to perform control functions on another device. A DCM is specific for a certain device or a class of devices.
The HAVi standard offers the possibility of allocating two different security levels to one software element. A software element is classified as “trusted” if it has been adequately tested by the manufacturer. In the case of software elements which must be dynamically loaded into the system, the authenticity of the software element must be verified by a digital signature. All DCMs must have a “trusted” status. Software elements designated as “untrusted” are all of those not marked as “trusted” by the manufacturer. On the basis of this classification, the recipient of a request decides whether to trust the sending software element, i.e., even an “untrusted” software element may send requests, but it is not certain whether its request will be met. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In known video conference arrangements addition or deletion of locations to or from an ongoing conference tended to cause disruptions in the video and audio information being transmitted to the conference locations. Additionally, there was no monitoring of the video or audio information of the locations to be added to the conference or of any of the conference locations except that provided by human viewers or the conferees themselves. Consequently, if the location to be added or a location already connected in the conference has unsatisfactory audio or video signals, undesirable disruptions in the conference can occur.
Moreover, when adding or deleting one or more locations to or from, respectively, an ongoing conference, disruptions could still occur in prior arrangements because the existing transmission connections usually needed to be physically reconfigured. The resulting disruptions can be of a momentary nature or for long periods of time. Indeed, the location having unsatisfactory audio or video signals causing the disruptions would usually require physical removal from the conference. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In the field of immunology, tests are generally carried out with a microtitration plate containing 96 reaction supports or vessels divided into 12 columns of 8 vessels. It is well known that the various stages of an immunological test on a microtitration plate may be carried out either manually or by means of automatic devices, but currently known devices only render automatic one portion of the various stages. For example, there currently exist devices which automate handlings of liquids, such as serum and reagents, but these devices neither manage the incubation times nor ensure the washing of the vessels and the readings at the end of reactions. One of the drawbacks relating to the carrying out of tests manually or by means of these devices resides in the difference in incubation times between the various vessels thus bringing about errors concerning the results. Another drawback is the use of a single technician, either to carry out manual operations or to transfer the plates from one device to another, for example, transferring liquids from an automatic manipulator to an incubator, then to a plate washer, then again to an automatic liquid manipulator, then to an incubator and finally to a 96 vessel plate reader.
European Patent application No. 0 351 988 discloses a device which automates the various stages of immunological tests, but this device ensures management per plate of 96 vessels and not per vessel. The main drawback of this device is not being able to mix on the plate various immunological tests having different incubation times between the stages.
Lack of flexibility, speed and accuracy, as well as risk of errors occurring due to handlings, has led us to produce a fully automatic device conforming to the invention.
There is also a large number of automatic devices for carrying out the stages of an immunological test on reaction supports specific to the device and not on the generally used supports, such as the vessel of a microtitration plate. The disadvantage is having to use only the reaction supports specific to the device. Moreover, with these devices, the user can carry out only one type of analysis at the same time per sample and must manually transfer the samples contained in their tube to the reaction supports specific to the device.
More specifically, the purpose of the invention is to resolve these drawbacks.
To this effect, the invention concerns a device for automatically analyzing samples, wherein it comprises:
at least one head (1) comprising at least one subunit (23 to 26) for sampling and distributing liquids; PA1 a working surface (2) on which the samples to be analyzed (7,8), the reagents and the reaction supports or vessels (53) are disposed; PA1 a mechanical system (55 to 70) to move the head (1) inside a horizontal plane above the working surface (2); PA1 at least one washing bowl (37) to wash the subunit for sampling and distributing liquids; PA1 at least one reading system (38 to 45b, 72) for assessing the result of the analysis, and PA1 means (3, 4, 34, 73 to 80) for controlling, checking and coordinating the various analysis stages.
This type of device makes it possible to identify the samples, the reagents, the reaction vessels, to accurately handle the liquids, distribute reagents, mix them together, add them to a sample at the same time or at different times, to wash the reaction vessels so as to carry out readings by optical absorption or by measuring light emission or by reading a malfunction or by analyzing images. Preferably, the device comprises data processing means to control the various stages of an analysis for each reaction support, manage the reagent volumes, manage preservation of the reagents, extrapolate the results from calibration curves or threshold values, communicate with an external computer and memorize and store the analysis records and the results. Advantageously, it also comprises means to control its good working order and allow preventive maintenance to be carried out. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to laser shock peening and, more particularly, to methods of simultaneously laser shock peening opposite sides of an article using offset laser beams at oblique angles to the surfaces and to articles having simultaneously laser shock peened spots with offset centers on opposite sides of an article.
2. Background Art
Laser shock peening or laser shock processing, as it is also referred to, is a process for producing a region of deep compressive residual stresses imparted by laser shock peening a surface area of an article. Laser shock peening typically uses one or more radiation pulses from high power pulsed lasers to produce an intense shock wave at the surface of an article similar to methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,850,698 entitled xe2x80x9cAltering Material Propertiesxe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,477 entitled xe2x80x9cLaser Shock Processingxe2x80x9d; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,957 entitled xe2x80x9cMaterial Propertiesxe2x80x9d. Laser shock peening, as understood in the art and as used herein, means utilizing a pulsed laser beam from a laser beam source to produce a strong localized compressive force on a portion of a surface by producing an explosive force at the impingement point of the laser beam by an instantaneous ablation or vaporization of a thin layer of that surface or of a coating (such as tape or paint) on that surface which forms a plasma.
Laser shock peening is being developed for many applications in the gas turbine engine field, some of which are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. No.: 5,756,965 entitled xe2x80x9cOn The Fly Laser Shock Peeningxe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,009 entitled xe2x80x9cLaser shock peened gas turbine engine fan blade edgesxe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,570 entitled xe2x80x9cDistortion control for laser shock peened gas turbine engine compressor blade edgesxe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,447 entitled xe2x80x9cLaser shock peened rotor components for turbomachineryxe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,329 entitled xe2x80x9cAdhesive tape covered laser shock peeningxe2x80x9d; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,328 entitled xe2x80x9cDry tape covered laser shock peeningxe2x80x9d, all of which are assigned to the present Assignee.
Laser peening has been utilized to create a compressively stressed protective layer at the outer surface of an article which is known to considerably increase the resistance of the article to fatigue failure as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,421 entitled xe2x80x9cLaser Peening System and Methodxe2x80x9d. These methods typically employ a curtain of water flowed over the article or some other method to provide a plasma confining medium. This medium enables the plasma to rapidly achieve shockwave pressures that produce the plastic deformation and associated residual stress patterns that constitute the LSP effect. The curtain of water provides a confining medium, to confine and redirect the process generated shock waves into the bulk of the material of a component being LSP""D, to create the beneficial compressive residual stresses.
The pressure pulse from the rapidly expanding plasma imparts a traveling shock wave into the component. This compressive shock wave caused by the laser pulse results in deep plastic compressive strains in the component. These plastic strains produce residual stresses consistent with the dynamic modules of the material. Dual sided simultaneous laser shock peening includes simultaneously striking both sides of an article by two laser beams in order to increase the compressive residual stress in the material. The laser beams are typically balanced in order to minimize material distortion. The initial compressive waves pass through the material from each of the sides and are reflected back from the interface of the two initial compressive waves. The reflected waves turn into a tension wave. The combined tensile stress of the reflected waves, when the reflected tension waves from the both sides meet at mid-point in the same axial direction, can be greater than the strength that the material can handle and a crack can be initiated at the mid-plane where the two shock waves meet.
Another characteristic of LSP that limits its engineering effectiveness is the formation of deleterious release waves that create tensile strains. The released waves may form spontaneously following the compressive front or may result from reflection at a surface with impedance mismatch such as at the outer surface of a component being laser shock peened. When multiple release waves are simultaneously propagating in a component, they may add in a manner termed superposition. This superposition of tensile waves may reduce the effectiveness of the beneficial compressive strains or may even cause tensile fracture within the component. This superposition of the two spatially concentric waves thus reduces the beneficial effects which may be measured by HCF testing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,447 discloses laser shock peening an interior annular region by orbiting a laser beam at an oblique angle to the interior surface of the interior annular region. U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,890 teaches controlling the incident angle of the laser beam applied to the workpiece and controlling the shape of the beam with lenses, polarizers, and particular transparent overlay geometries. The apparatus and methods disclosed includes use of structure for controlling the position and incident angle of the laser beam and controlling the polarization and/or the shape of the incident impact area, based on such incident angle. The patent teaches that an oblique incident angle laser beam having a circular cross-section causes the shape of the impact spot to be elliptical and that the consequences of such a change of the incident spot shape necessarily changes the energy density applied to the workpiece. The patent further teaches that the energy density per unit area compared to other areas on the same surface creates a possibility of non-uniformly working the material, thereby, possibly losing some of the benefits of laser shock peening. This non-uniformity of energy application to a workpiece may cause severe problems, particularly, when hitting a workpiece from opposite sides at the same time, as used with a split beam laser system. Such opposing hits are sometimes needed on workpieces of thin cross-section, such as disks, blades, and other workpieces of different geometries. In conventional split beam processing, there is a possible effect of not having the laser processed portions on the opposite sides of the workpiece worked identically, and at the same time when elliptical spots are utilized. Such non-uniform working of the workpiece may cause over or under working of the material or distortion of the workpieces, thereby, not achieving the goals of laser shock processing. Furthermore, based upon the oblique angle along with the particular transparent overlay material utilized, polarization issues regarding the reflection of the laser beam from the surface of the transparent overlay layer can possibly degrade and reduce the energy applied to the workpiece. Thus, in general, the patent concludes not to use elliptical laser spots but rather a more complicated apparatus and method to significantly reduce the non-uniformity of the applied energy to a workpiece by modifying the shape of the applied laser energy pulse. The patent teaches to pass the pulse of energy through a lens to reform the shape of the incident area on the workpiece, to counteract geometric effects created by the workpiece surface orientation on the incident area shape. Oblique laser beams are very useful for laser shock peening blades edges of an integrally formed bladed rotor sections of what is often referred to as an integrally bladed rotor (IBR) or an integrally bladed disk (BLISK) having two or more spaced apart rows of blades integrally mounted or formed on a drum rotor or disk.
Thus, it is highly desirable to have a process for and to produce an article that is simultaneously laser shock peened on two opposite sides using oblique laser beams and eliminate the mid-plane cracks by lowering the combined tensile stress of the reflected waves just below the maximum or allowable tensile stress of the material. It is also highly desirable to be able to eliminate or reduce loss of HCF benefits or effectiveness of the beneficial compressive strains from laser shock peening caused by the superposition of tensile waves.
The invention is a method for laser shock peening first and second surfaces on opposite first and second sides respectively of an article by simultaneously firing first and second laser beams at first and second oblique angles with respect to the first and second surfaces so as to form overlapping adjacent laser spots on the surfaces. The first and second laser beams are fired such that first and second centerlines of the first and second laser beams impinge the first and second surfaces at first and second laser beam centerpoints through which pass first and second axes that are substantially normal to the first and second surfaces at the first and second laser beam centerpoints, respectfully. The first and second axes are offset and the laser beams are fired with sufficient energy to form regions having compressive residual stresses imparted by the laser shock peening extending into the article from the surfaces. In another embodiment, the first and second laser beams are fired such that first and second centerlines of the first and second laser beams impinge the first and second surfaces at first and second laser beam centerpoints that are longitudinally spaced apart and transversely offset from each other. The first and second spots may be substantially parallel. The laser beams may be aimed and fired in a manner to produce first and second patterns on the first and second surfaces of the article having overlapping adjacent rows of overlapping adjacent ones of the first and second spots, respectively. The first and second patterns may be formed by continuously moving the article while holding stationary and continuously firing the laser beams with repeatable pulses with relatively constant periods between the pulses wherein the first and second surfaces are laser shock peened using sequences wherein each sequence comprises continuously moving the article while continuously firing the stationary laser beams on the surfaces such that on each of the surface portions adjacent ones of the laser shock peened spots are hit in different ones of the sequences in the set. The method may include coating the surface portions with an ablative coating before and in between the sequences in the set. Offset first and second laser beam centerpoints that are longitudinally spaced apart and transversely offset from each other is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/438,513 and oblique laser beams are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/771,856 filed Jan. 29, 2001 both of which are assigned to the present assignee of this patent.
In a first exemplary embodiment of the invention, the invention is used for laser shock peening leading or trailing edges of gas turbine engine blades mounted on a rotor element by simultaneously laser shock peening pressure and suction side surfaces along one of the edges of the blade with circular cross-section oblique laser beams, firing the laser beams at oblique angles with respect to the surfaces so as to form elliptical shaped laser spots on the surfaces, overlapping adjacent elliptical shaped laser spots, and firing the laser beams with sufficient energy to form regions having compressive residual stresses imparted by the laser shock peening extending into the blade from the surfaces. The elliptical shaped laser spots have major axis extending away from the edge and over the surfaces and transverse minor axis and, in a more particular embodiment of the invention, the elliptical shaped laser spots overlap by about 50% and the laser spots extend over the edge. Relative movement between the laser beams and the surfaces is effected while the laser beams are being fired.
A second exemplary embodiment of the invention is a method of laser shock peening leading or trailing edges of gas turbine engine blades mounted on a rotor element circumscribed about an axis of rotation and having an annular space between adjacent axially spaced apart forward and aft and rows of blades. This method laser shock peens leading or trailing edges that border the space by simultaneously laser shock peening pressure and suction side surfaces along one of the edges of the blades in one of the rows with circular cross-section laser beams, firing the laser beams at a first oblique angle with respect to the surfaces so as to form elliptical shaped laser spots on the surfaces and at a second oblique angle with respect to the axis wherein the second oblique angle is sufficient to clear blades in the adjacent row of blades, and overlapping adjacent elliptical shaped laser spots and firing the laser beams with sufficient energy to form regions having compressive residual stresses imparted by the laser shock peening extending into the blade from the surfaces.
A third exemplary embodiment of the invention is a method of laser shock peening leading or trailing edges of gas turbine engine blades mounted on a rotor element by simultaneously laser shock peening pressure and suction side surfaces along one of the edges of the blade with circular cross-section first and second laser beams respectively, firing the first laser beam at an oblique angle with respect to the pressure side surface so as to form elliptical shaped laser spots on the pressure side surface, firing the second first laser beam at about a normal angle with respect to the suction side surface so as to form circular shaped laser spots on the suction side surface, and overlapping adjacent elliptical shaped laser spots and circular shaped laser spots respectively and firing the laser beams with sufficient energy to form regions having compressive residual stresses imparted by the laser shock peening extending into the blade from the surfaces.
A fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention is a method of laser shock peening leading or trailing edges of gas turbine engine blades mounted on a rotor element circumscribed about an axis of rotation and having an annular space between adjacent axially spaced apart forward and aft rows of blades, wherein the edges being laser shock peened border the space. This method laser shock peens leading or trailing edges that border the space by simultaneously laser shock peening pressure and suction side surfaces along one of the edges of the blades in one of the rows with circular cross-section laser beams, firing the first laser beam at a first oblique angle with respect to the pressure side surface so as to form elliptical shaped laser spots on the pressure side surface and at a second oblique angle with respect to the axis wherein the second oblique angle is sufficient to clear blades in the adjacent row of blades, firing the second first laser beam at about a normal angle with respect to the suction side surface so as to form circular shaped laser spots on the suction side surface and at a second oblique angle with respect to the axis wherein the second oblique angle is sufficient to clear blades in the adjacent row of blades, and overlapping adjacent elliptical shaped laser spots and firing the laser beams with sufficient energy to form regions having compressive residual stresses imparted by the laser shock peening extending into the blade from the surfaces. Low energy laser beams, on the order of 3-10 joules or perhaps even in a range of 1-10 joules may be used. The use of low energy laser beams of this order of magnitude is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,120, entitled xe2x80x9cLaser Shock Peening Using Low Energy Laserxe2x80x9d, which issued Aug. 3, 1999 and is assigned to the present assignee of this patent and is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention may lower the cost, time, man power and complexity of performing laser shock peening by allowing crack free dual sided simultaneous laser shock peening. The present invention provides a dual sided simultaneous laser shock peening method which is able to reduce or eliminate mid-plane cracks by lowering the combined tensile stress of the reflected waves below the maximum or allowable tensile stress of the material. The invention provides a simultaneously dual sided laser shock peened article with fewer or no mid-plane cracks. The invention can be used to eliminate or reduce loss of HCF benefits or effectiveness of the beneficial compressive strains from laser shock peening caused by the superposition of tensile waves. The invention has been found useful to provide a positive effect on HCF capability of laser shock peened articles and, in particular, laser shock peened leading edges of airfoils gas turbine engine blades and vanes.
The present invention is a faster and more cost efficient method to laser shock peen surfaces of articles such as leading and trailing edges gas turbine engine blades mounted on rotor sections or elements using oblique laser beams. An integrally formed bladed rotor section is also referred to as an integrally bladed rotor (IBR) or integrally bladed disk (BLISK) having two or more spaced apart rows of blades integrally mounted or formed on a drum rotor or disk respectively. The blades are designed to operate in high tensile and vibratory stress fields and laser shock peening enables the blades to better withstand fatigue failure due to nicks and tears in the leading and trailing edges of the blades and, therefore, have an increased life over conventionally constructed blades.
The use of low energy lasers allows a laser shock peening production line to be set up and operated less expensively compared to those suggested in the prior art, due to lower capital outlay. The line could be less complex to develop, design, and construct because the method for the present invention uses direct laser beams without intervening lenses for laser beam shaping. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to electronic bartering systems that allow users to trade or redeem reward points, such as those already accumulated in airline frequent flyer programs, into an account for redeeming products and services offered over the Internet. This would allow users to use their frequent flyer (or frequent car rental, frequent dining, etc.) points for products or services other than those typically offered by the point sponsor. The points would be sold back to the airline (or other type of issuing entity). The system would also allow for purchase by users of points traded in by other users, such that points are redistributed without incurring a transaction directly with the airline or other issuing entity. The system also allows for manufacturers and producers of goods to put overstocked or discontinued, end of run products into a liquidation process that can be exchanged for points.
In order to attract and retain business customers, airlines, hotels, car rental companies, chain retailers, telecom providers, etc. have historically introduced frequent use programs that offer awards of “frequent flyer miles” or other such incentives schemes based on the distance traveled or use by that customer. Competition has forced airlines to modify the manner in which mileage was acquired to include travel related purchases by consumers. For example, the dollar-based cost of a ticket purchased may be awarded as mileage to a client account. Within the past several years, credit card companies or other retailers and etailers have co-branded credit cards in the name of the airlines and the credit card company where each dollar spent using the card is recorded as a mile of travel or point in the award program. These cards may additionally award bonus miles in coordination with user purchases of preferred products or flights during preferred times.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,870, FULLY INTEGRATED, ON-LINE INTERACTIVE FREQUENCY AND AWARD REDEMPTION PROGRAM, issued to Netcentives, Inc. on Jun. 30, 1998. The '870 patent provides a system whereby the user can make purchase of products over the Internet and receive award points, which are stored in an associated database. The user can subsequently view an award catalog to determine which awards he may be able to redeem based on the number of points in his account. This patent does not teach, however, the ability of a user to trade-in his points accumulated in a pre-existing frequent flyer account in order to make purchases of products from the award catalog or allow the points to be pooled with other programs in order to gain further purchasing power.
The ClickRewards program site appears to operate in the same fashion as that described in the '870 patent; i.e. it allows users to gain points (called “ClickMiles”) for making an online purchase of a product through an associated web site. For example, ClickMiles may be awarded for a purchase of Gap products at the Gap web site. The ClickMiles can ultimately be redeemed for frequent flyer miles, for example at one of several major airlines. Another web site, www.webflyer.com, is associated with ClickRewards and provides ClickMiles for purchasing frequent flyer-related goods, such as guidebooks.
The ClickMiles Reward Catalog allows the user to redeem the ClickMiles for merchandise in the alternative to frequent flyer miles. For example, a CD can be obtained from CDNow by redeeming 900 ClickMiles.
Although the ClickRewards program allows a user to redeem accumulated points for obtaining merchandise over the Internet, it does not allow for the redemption of frequent flyer miles from a pre-existing account to be traded for reward points.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,210, ATTENTION BROKERAGE, issued on Aug. 11, 1998 to CyberGold, Inc. The '210 patent describes a system that makes immediate payment to a user for paying attention to an advertisement or other “negatively priced” information distributed over the Internet. A special icon or other symbol displayed on a computer screen may represent compensation and allow users to choose whether they will view an ad or other negatively priced information and receive associated compensation. The points accumulated can then be used to purchase “positively priced information” or products.
The CyberGold web site, www.cybergold.com, describes an “earn and spend” community in which users earn “cash” online, for example by visiting a portal site. The earnings can then be used to make online purchases, such as software.
Again, although the '210 patent and the CyberGold web site describe an incentive system that allows users to purchase products or services over the Internet, neither teaches the ability of the redeeming frequent flyer miles from a pre-existing account for reward points.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,372, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADMINISTRATION OF INCENTIVE AWARD PROGRAM THROUGH USE OF CREDIT, issued on Jun. 18, 1991 to Meridian Enterprises, Inc. The '372 patent describes an incentive award program in which credit is awarded to participants based on the participant meeting a designated level of performance under the system. This patent does not teach the ability to increase the reward points in a user's account by redeeming points from a pre-existing account such as a frequent flyer mileage program.
With regard to FIG. 1, a model of the frequent flyer systems of the prior art is presented. Two different airlines servers are shown surrounded by their related marketing partners, the first grouping labeled Airline 1 100 and the second independently operated but functionally similar grouping labeled Airline 2 200. In order to lure more business travelers, the airlines 100, 200 have established marketing agreements with travel related companies to provide the business traveler with a more robust way to generate rewards in the form or frequent flyer miles. These marketing arrangements or associations have typically involved credit card companies, phone companies, hotel chains and car rental companies. Any purchases made through these “co-branded” partners were then awarded to the user periodically. Bonus miles or points may additionally be accumulated based on the user's actions in response to offers made by the airline or in coordination with the partner company. For example, phone companies offer bonus miles to users based on the user's agreement to change phone service. These points are obtained by the partner companies by purchasing them from the issuing entity for redistribution as an incentive to utilize their particular goods and/or services. FIG. 2 shows some sample co-branded cards that are representative of marketing agreements between TWA, Sprint, and Mastercard. In order to receive these benefits, the user must sign up with each of the partner companies separately and provide the frequent flyer account number that is to receive the credited miles. A user either making phone calls or purchases in accordance with the agreements made with each of these partners will first accumulate a value on the partner's system which in turn is periodically updated on the airline server to reflect the value earned during that period. FIG. 3 is representative of a typical user account that shows various earnings in the system transferred in from any of the co-branded partners. The records of the table in FIG. 3 identify the source of the rewards, the dates they were recorded and the number of miles associated with that transaction. The user can view the accumulated miles by accessing the airline server or by tracking the individual value reported to the user through the various bills the user receives from each of the co-branded partners.
The prior art does not provide for a consumer to utilize relatively small amounts of reward points in any manner. In addition, a consumer often can only redeem points in an airline-related manner (i.e. to obtain a free ticket or upgrade from coach to first class). This prior art does not recognize the need for a consumer to exchange reward points for non-travel related goods, and in particular renders relatively small numbers of points useless. For example, a consumer that does not travel often may have 500 points in United Airlines, 700 points in USAir, and 1000 points in TWA, each of which is relatively useless in the prior art.
What is desired therefore, is a system where users may submit frequent flyer awards or credits accumulated for other types of transactions for redemption or translation into a form readily acceptable by a participating merchant. An exchange rate will be established for the relative consideration received by the companies involved in the transaction. A user should be able to pool the various earned rewards that may exist in currently separate server systems where the resulting combined value may be used by a user of the system to acquire items of equivalent value. In another embodiment, the award program looking to reduce frequent flyer liabilities may contact users and arrange for a transfer of the reward miles into a value (which may be predetermined) to be credited to the trading system reward. Alternatively, the points may be bid for in an auction environment where points may be used to bid for certain awards. A user who has earned frequent flyer miles or rewards on several sites insufficient to receive any direct value for their mileage may be able to pool the miles acquired from several different air carriers to transfer the awards accumulated to the system of this invention. The user may have the selected items delivered to the user by performing a purchase request by various means such as over the Internet, dialing a toll free number for placing an order, or any other means of placing an order that will accept payment from this system. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to toothbrushes. More particularly, the invention relates to a toothbrush having a generally circular brush at one end of a handle and a massaging device at the other end of the handle. Preferably, both the brush and the massaging device are replaceable. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In mining processes an explosive blast is conducted to fracture an orebody to enable recovery of the broken rock to obtain its associated minerals. Explosive material and a detonator for initiating the explosion are placed into a series of pre-drilled narrow elongate holes (blast holes) in the orebody, the area is cleared of people and equipment, and an explosion is set off.
The optimisation of an explosive blast involves crying to obtain certain physical results from the explosion at minimum cost of explosive, which is a significant expense in many mining operations. The specific positioning of sufficient explosive to achieve a successful blast is a complex task. This task is complicated by a need to: avoid over-fragmentation of the rock; heave (or move) as much ore as possible into an accessible position; avoid over-vibration of the ground, around the area being mined; and to protect the working face (high wall of the orebody) and nearby floor of the area from collapse.
In general the desired physical outcomes of an explosive blast are determined by the initiation time between adjacent blast holes, and by matching the initiation time to the response time of the particular rock. The rock response time is related to the speed which cracks are generated around a blast hole by the stress/strain waves created by initiation of an explosion therein. Very hard rock usually has a fast response time (typically 1.5 milliseconds/metre of rock away from the hole), whereas very soft rock usually has a very slow response time (soft sandstone could be 6 milliseconds/metre of rock away from the hole). Blasting at above or below the actual response time can result in a less than optimal physical rock breakage performance.
Pyrotechnic detonators are typically used to initiate an explosion and can have a scatter (or error) of approximately 5% of the initiation time. More recently electronic detonators have been developed and have a scatter of approximately 0.1% so enable a much more optimal performance. Electronic detonators have a programmable microchip which replaces the traditional pyrotechnic delay element. As well as total timing accuracy, electronic detonators can be timed to initiate at intervals of typically anywhere from 0 to 20,000 ms in 1 ms steps. Such flexibility has provided blast design engineers with the ability to create complex blast timing designs.
In order to optimise the physical results of an explosive blast, blasting engineers usually create blast timing designs based on an assumed position of drill holes and a desired blast outcome. This design is typically done prior to drilling of any blast holes, and, out of necessity, assumes certain characteristics of the rock. Detonators are then programmed to go off at a fixed time and in a set sequence. However during drilling of blast, holes, complications can arise and a hole may not be able to be drilled in a pre-determined location because of varying ground conditions. Thus the pre-determined or designed blast hole pattern and the actual blast hole pattern may be very different. Production constraints mean that operators are under pressure to load, set and fire a blast as quickly as possible. Changes from the original blast design may cause major changes to the timing design, which can be very difficult for operators to implement at the time of blasting. The operators sometimes need to make new timing estimates (milliseconds/metre of rock away from the hole), and replace a pre-timed detonator, but an incorrect new estimate by an operator can result in poor physical rock breakage performance. The alternative method is for an accurate off-site redesign of the timing plan by the blast, engineer, however modifications to the blast once the detonators have been programmed may require several hours for redesigning and reprogramming, which is typically not available in a production situation. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a semiconductor laser apparatus.
Recently, a semiconductor laser apparatus which irradiates the surface of an optical disk with a laser beam is widely used in a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) system and the like. FIGS. 4A to 4C illustrate the arrangement of a conventional semiconductor laser apparatus. FIG. 4A is a plan view showing the apparatus. FIG. 4B is a longitudinal sectional view taken along a line C—C in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4C is a left side view.
A semiconductor laser element 103 is mounted on a substrate 105 which is made of silicon or the like and on which a semiconductor laser element mounting bed and a light receiving element 104 are formed. This semiconductor laser element 103 emits a main laser beam 108 forward (to the left in FIG. 4A), and emits a monitoring beam 109 backward. The light receiving element 104 formed in the surface of the substrate 105 receives this monitoring beam 109.
The semiconductor laser element 103 is connected to a lead frame 101 by a bonding wire 107a. The light receiving element 104 is connected to a lead 101a separated from the lead frame 101 by a bonding wire 107b. The substrate 105 is connected to a lead 101b by a bonding wire 107c.
In addition, an enclosure 102 made of a material such as resin is formed on the lead frame 101 so as to surround the rear portion and two side portions of the semiconductor laser element 103. An enclosure 102a is formed on the lower surface of the lead frame 101.
This semiconductor laser apparatus is installed in a hole formed in a holder of a pickup head (not shown). In this installation, a front section 201 of the lead frame 101 functions as a reference surface for positioning in the forward or backward direction of the main laser beam 108 (in the horizontal direction in FIG. 4A), and side sections 202 function as reference surfaces for positioning in the lateral direction (in the vertical direction in FIG. 4A).
Unfortunately, the above apparatus has the following problem. When the semiconductor laser apparatus is installed in the holder of the pickup head, the relative positional relationship between the semiconductor laser element 103 and the holder is important. That is, the front section 201 as the reference in the forward or backward direction of the main laser beam 108 and the semiconductor laser element 103 are in substantially the same position as shown in FIG. 4A. Therefore, the relative positional relationship between them is unconditionally determined, so the degree of freedom of design is very low. This degree of freedom of design may be increased by moving the semiconductor laser element 103 backward (to the right in FIG. 4A) as needed. However, this increases the dimension in the forward or backward direction of the entire apparatus and hence increases the size of the apparatus, so it is undesirable to use this method. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Related Applications
This Patent Application is related to co-pending patent application Ser. No. 07/999,387, filed Dec. 31, 1992, entitled "Apparatus for Transferring Information Between an Interrupt Producer and an Interrupt Service Environment", of James W. Alexander, which is assigned to Intel Corporation, the Assignee of the present application, and which is incorporated by reference herein.
2. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to integrated circuits such as microprocessors and microcontrollers and in particular to microprocessors and microcontrollers provided with a test control capability.
3. Description of Related Art
Microprocessor and microcontroller devices are commonly provided with interchip testing capability. One example is a test system adapted to the IEEE Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) test protocols identified as IEEE standard 1149.1. In such a system, a JTAG test device is connected to a pair of integrated chips or to a single chip. The JTAG device generates test commands for testing the chips. Input and output of JTAG test commands is achieved through a set of JTAG-dedicated pins provided on each chip to be tested. Typically, the JTAG test device is employed to perform a "boundary-scan test". The JTAG test commands are typically drawn from a fairly limited set of commands particularly adapted for testing the interconnections of integrated chips and are not typically well suited for testing or monitoring the internal logic of a chip. General information regarding boundary-scan test strategies and implementations may be found in "Boundary-Scan Test, A Practical Approach", by Harry Bleeker, Peter Van Den Eijnden and Frans de Jong, Kluwer Academic publishers 1993.
Many integrated chips are additionally provided with an on-chip test device adapted for providing test visibility onto the internal logic and functions of the chip. For example, the Intel family of microprocessor chips typically include an in-circuit emulator (ICE) for use in testing, debugging and monitoring the microprocessor chip. The ICE duplicates and imitates behavior of the chip by using programming techniques and special machine features which permit the ICE to execute microcode and assembly language written for the chip. An ICE monitor external to the chip generates ICE test input signals and receives and evaluates responsive test output signals. Initially, the ICE was employed only during development and debugging of the chip and was retained in the final commercial chip only to avoid the need to provide a second die for creating a chip having the ICE. Although initially retained solely as an artifact of the design and debugging process, more recently the ICE has been employed for performing in-circuit testing of the chip after fabrication. Access to the ICE is typically achieved with a set of ICE-dedicated pins provided on the microprocessor chip. The ICE-dedicated pins are unused during normal processor execution.
The provision of both boundary-scan type JTAG testing and in-circuit ICE testing allows for a fairly comprehensive set of test commands for testing and monitoring the microprocessor chip. However, the need to provide separate pins for JTAG access and for ICE access is undesirable, particularly for microprocessor chips having a large set of required pins wherein the additional pins for both ICE and JTAG testing cannot easily be accommodated. Moreover, there is some redundancy in on-chip circuitry required for processing both JTAG commands and ICE commands.
It would be desirable to provide a mechanism which reduces the number of separate JTAG and ICE pins and any redundant circuitry. However, ICE test commands are synchronized to a chip core clock signal, which may be clocked at 50-150 MHz or more. The JTAG test commands are generated at, and synchronized to, a JTAG clock rate, which is typically 12 MHz. As such, merging of the JTAG and ICE command functions is not straight-forward. Indeed, even if the JTAG commands were to be generated at the same frequency as the ICE commands, the JTAG commands would still not be synchronized with the chip clock signals. Indeed, the IEEE standard defining JTAG protocol specifically states that the JTAG clock may not be specified with respect to any other clock, especially a core clock. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sealing gasket arrangements and more particularly to sealing between the porthole in a manhole riser and a horizontally extending pipe fitted thereinto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art patents bearing some similarity to the present invention include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,406,988; 3,656,771; 3,700,265; 3,759,280; 3,866,925; and 3,958,280. These patents variously relate to the provision of annular elastomeric gaskets which sealingly fit between the end of a pipe and the hole in another member for preventing leakage between the hole and the exterior of the pipe. In particular, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,406,988; 3,759,280 and 3,958,313 disclose the use of sleeve-like gaskets having the exteriors at one end sealed to the wall of the hole and the opposite end sealed to either the interior or exterior of a joined pipe. The sealing of the one end to the wall of the hole is also variously achieved, one technique being to cast a radial flange on the sleeve into the concrete of the body containing the hole, and another being to seal this flange against the exterior of the wall containing the hole by means of a steel or the like clamping ring. Still another arrangement involves inserting the gasket loosely into a hole followed by inserting an expandible split ring inside the gasket and then radially forcing the ring to an enlarged, expanded size for radially compressing the gasket against the wall of the hole. A still further arrangement is to drive a tapered tubular wedge into the gasket loosely installed in the hole for radially compressing the gasket against the wall of the hole.
In the application entitled "Gasket Apparatus and Method", Harry W. Skinner and Alan D. Burdick, joint inventors, Ser. No. 936,122 and filed on Aug. 23, 1978, there is disclosed a sleeve-like gasket composed of a tubular body portion and a reflexly turned flange. A rigid clamping ring is fitted to the interior of the flange and the assembly then inserted into a porthole in the wall of a manhole riser. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to detecting and characterizing fractures in a subterranean wellbore. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device and method that uses a radiation source for inspecting a subterranean formation and a radiation detector for detecting or identifying the presence of fractures in a formation adjacent the tubular.
2. Description of Prior Art
Subterranean wellbores used for producing hydrocarbons typically are lined with a casing string that is cemented to the formation intersected by the wellbore. The casing and the surrounding formation are then perforated to provide fluid communication between the formation and interior of the casing. Fluid produced from the well flows through the perforations, to within the casing, and to the surface within production tubing that is inserted inside the inner casing string.
Some hydrocarbon bearing formations can have low permeability due to the presence of shale, or very tight formation rock (such as in limestone formations); which in turn can limit hydrocarbon production. However, natural or man-made fractures in these formations can increase formation permeability thereby increasing hydrocarbon production. Identifying the location and size of these fractures are of considerable importance in determining which part of the borehole to perforate and produce. Often, a layer of shale is on top of a formation that contains hydrocarbons. Generally, it is more stable to drill in the layer of shale than the hydrocarbon bearing formation. In these situations, a wellbore is drilled through the shale with the hopes of intersecting a fracture in the shale that extends into the reservoir having the hydrocarbons, as fractures increase permeability of a subterranean formation. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Prior art downlink orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing multiple input multiple output (DL OFDM MIMO) transmission strategies includes quantized precoding schemes, antenna selection, antenna cycling (with or without rank control), and different space-time coding and spatial multiplexing transmission scheme.
Precoding and beamforming also have been considered in prior art where, generally, beamforming corresponds to one stream transmission (rank one) and precoding corresponds to multiple stream transmission (rank two and higher). The prior methods are complex and do not provide sufficient throughput.
Accordingly, a new method of applying successive multi-rank beamforming strategy (e.g., successive precoding strategy) for the design of precoders over a set of parallel channels is desired. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In the wafer-sort stage of the manufacturing of semiconductor devices, devices are tested while still in wafer form. In this stage a critical component called a probe card is used. The probe card interfaces a tester to the semiconductor device.
The probe card, depicted in FIG. 1, typically consists of a printed circuit board with probe pins mounted in an epoxy ring, configured such that the tester can be connected to the probe card and have continuity to pads on the semiconductor device via the probe pins touching the pads. The probe pins are generally made of hard, thin, tapered wire, each bent specifically to contact just one pad without contacting neighboring pins or pads.
Because the semiconductor device under test is typically very small, the probe pins are correspondingly small and very close together. In the present application, a typical probe pin diameter might be 1.5 mils at the tip, tapered to 10 mils at the base, and a pad can be 2-4 mils wide, 1-2 mils between it and the next pad. Generally, dozens of pins are required to access all pads on a device. In order for the probe card to properly contact the pads, the tips should be positioned within a 1 mil range in planarity (vertical or z positioning, perpendicular to the card) and 0.1 mil in alignment (horizontal or x-y positioning). 1 mil planarity means that as the probe pins descend on the pads, all tips must contact the pads within 1 mil of descent from the point that a first tip contacts a pad. 0.1 mil alignment means that each probe tip must contact its pad in the center, not varying more than 0.1 mil in any direction. The scale of this can be appreciated when one realizes that a human hair is roughly 4 mils wide (see FIGS. 1 and 2).
Aligning these pins to such tolerances is challenging because they are so small and because they are generally made of a hard material such as tungsten. A probe card is mounted underneath a microscope and each pin is individually, manually worked until it comes within tolerance. This process can take hours.
Precision manipulating hand tools are not available for this work, so the technician constructs his own by bending a sharp tweezer tip into a tiny hook. The hook is then used to pull and stroke the pin this way or that, until the pin is bent to proper alignment. A disadvantage to the hook is that it does not push very well, which can make the process awkward. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to a monochrome or color printing method and an apparatus for realizing the same and in particular to a scanning recording type printing method and an apparatus for improving the image quality in a high precision fine image recording apparatus.
As a method for varying the recording area of each pixel in order to express light and shade of the image in a scanning recording type printing apparatus, there is known a method, by which image recording pulse signals are modulated in pulse width by means of data representing the tone. Apparatuses described in Japanese Patent Application un-examined publications (Kokais) Nos. 82-57679 and 82-99866 are examples of this type of system.
In such a printing recording apparatus it is necessary to reduce each cell in size and increase the pixel density in order to be able to record an image with high precision and high fineness. The scanning direction and the size of each pixel in the scanning recording are determined by the scanning speed and the production period of the image recording pulse signal. Consequently, in order to make each pixel smaller, the production period of the image recording pulse signal must be shortened and the rate of the intermission must be increased. However, when the rate of the intermission of the image recording pulse signal is increased, the image quality has a tendency to be lowered.
The reason will be explained as follows taking an electro-graphic laser beam printer as an example.
In FIG. 2, a memory device 1 stores tone data of each of the pixels in image signals coming from an image read-out device or a computer (not shown in the figure) for one scanning line. The tone data are sent to a latch 2 in the form of pixel tone data DA for every pixel, depending on the position of recording scanning by a pixel clock signal PCLK1 given by a timing treatment circuit 4, which will be described later. Supposing that the pixel tone is represented by 16 degrees from xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d (white) to xe2x80x9c15xe2x80x9d (black), the pixel tone data DA are 4 bit data. In a pixel recording pulse signal generation circuit 9 the latch 2 holds (latches) the pixel tone data DA by a pixel clock signal PCLK2 given by the timing treatment circuit 4 and its holding period of time is equal to a period of time during which one pixel domain is scanned for recording. These pixel tone data DA held by the latch 2 are given to a comparator 5. A counter 3 which is a cyclic 4 bit binary counter, counts clock signals CLK1 coming from a clock generator 10 under the control by a recording scanning signal LINE1 from the timing treatment circuit 4. 16 clock signals CLK1 are outputted for a period of time during which one pixel domain is scanned for recording. The counter 3 counts up from xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d (white) to xe2x80x9c15xe2x80x9d (black) and gives the content of the count as comparison data DB to the comparator 5. At the same time it gives a carry signal as pixel clock signal PCLK3 to the timing treatment circuit 4. The timing treatment circuit 4 generates the pixel clock signals PCLK1 and PCLK2, referring to the pixel clock signal PCLK3 and at the same time uses a detection signal LINE2 coming from a laser beam detector 8 as a recording scanning start synchronization signal for every scanning line.
The comparator 5 compares the pixel tone data DA with the comparison data DB and generates a 2-value pixel recording pulse signal S, corresponding to
xe2x80x9cblackxe2x80x9d, if DA greater than DB
xe2x80x9cwhitexe2x80x9d, if DAxe2x89xa6DB,
which is given to a semiconductor laser circuit 6. A laser beam outputted by the semiconductor laser circuit 6 is deflected in a region of an angle xcex8 so as to scan and illuminate an electro-graphic photo-sensitive drum 7. In this way an electro-static latent image is formed thereon and transferred to a recording paper, after having being developed with toner. After that, it is further fixed so as to be a record.
FIGS. 1(A) to 1(C) indicate a timing chart representing the working mode of the pixel recording pulse signal and the pixel recording in such a laser beam printer. (A) indicates the pixel number and the pixel tone data DA. The abscissa t in (B) represents the time, in which T denotes the period of time necessary for scanning to record one pixel. The ordinate represents digital values corresponding to pixel tones, in which xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d indicates xe2x80x9cwhitexe2x80x9d; xe2x80x9c15xe2x80x9d indicates xe2x80x9cblackxe2x80x9d; DA shows the pixel tone data; and DB shows the comparison data. The abscissa x in (C) represents the position of the recording scanning of the laser beam and the hatched regions show the recorded area for each of the pixels.
In such a recording method, since the laser beam outputted by the semiconductor laser circuit 6 has a certain spread in the scanning direction, when this laser beam is interrupted by the pixel recording pulse signal S in the course of the scanning, the light quantity at both the border portions of the recorded dots in the main scanning direction on the pixel recording surface is inconveniently in an intermediate region between white and black and thus the tone of the record at these portions is unstable, which is a factor lowering the image quality. This is produced by the fact that the laser beam has a certain spread. Consequently, when, in order to record a finer image with a high precision, pixels are made smaller and the number of interruptions of the laser beam is increased, the proportion of such unstable regions increases, which decreases the image quality.
Such phenomena are not limited to the laser beam printer, but is produced in photo-sensitive recording apparatuses, in which recording energy given to a recording medium is interrupted and controlled in the course of scanning, stylus electro-static recording apparatuses, and scanning recording type recording apparatuses such as scanning illumination type electrographic printers using liquid crystal light switches and light emitting diodes.
In addition, in color printing by off-set printing, it is difficult to position dots to be printed with a high precision. For example, in the case of a multi-color printing with 4 colors of cyan, yellow, magenta and India ink, when it is tried to superpose corresponding dots of different colors on each other, slight misalignment produces Moire fringes (interference fringes). Therefore, in practice, the screen angles of dots of different colors are intentionally varied appreciably so that the dots of different colors are superposed at random, in order to prevent the production of low frequency moire fringes. However, by this method, superposition of dots of different colors is irregular, which prevents the effect of theoretical color correction.
In contrast, in a digital printer such as a laser beam printer, etc., since it is possible to position dots fairly precisely when it is tried to superpose corresponding dots of different colors on each other, there are produced no Moire fringes.
An article by SAYANAGI published in Denshi-Shashin Gakkaishi (Journal of the Electro-Graphic Society) 23, No. 3 (1984) (in Japanese) has disclosed a xe2x80x9cconcentric solution modelxe2x80x9d, by which the dots are printed by a digital printer so that their centers are superposed on each other (cf. FIG. 3(A)) and reported that 100% under color removal (UCR) is possible by this method (cf. FIG. 3(B)). If this concentric solution model could be realized ideally, a perfect UCR (100% UCR) and other various color correction theories would be efficacious. However, this concentric solution model has not taken the following points into consideration.
(1) Although the dots formed by printing are, in general ideally printed at the central portion, they are not precisely printed at the peripheral portion because of scattering of ink or unevenness of printing. According to the concentric solution model since the net points other than the dot of the ink, which is at the top, exhibit their color by their peripheral portion, it is difficult to reproduce the precise color.
(2) When the UCR is effected according to the concentric solution model, since a color dot by an Indian ink color is at the top, other inks printed under the black dot come to nothing and in addition, the dot is apt to be transferred inperfectly because of the superposition of useless inks.
(3) Even by a digital printer, the net points of different colors deviate more or less from each other because of expansion or contraction of the paper, etc. The concentric solution model is poor at this position divergence and the risk that Moire fringes are produced is high.
The object of this invention is to provide a scanning recording type printing method and an apparatus for increasing the image quality in a high precision fine image recording by controlling the location of dots of at least one color printed within a pixel.
According to this invention, in a scanning recording type print recording apparatus, in which tone data of each of the pixels in the image signal are transformed into an image recording pulse signal having a time width proportional to the tone for each of the pixels and production of recording energy is controlled so as to be interrupted by this image recording pulse signal, decreases in the image quality are reduced by reducing the proportion of the area of unstable regions. That is, this invention is characterized in that, by producing the rear end of the recording pulse signal of the preceding recording side pixel in a pair of pixels adjacent to an arbitrarily selected pixel in the recording scanning direction in accordance with the rear end of the relevant pixel and the front end of the recording pulse signal of the succeeding recording side pixel in accordance with the front end of the relevant pixel, so that the production of the recording energy between this pair of pixels is continuous and by making the region where the recording tone is unstable, smaller, decreases in the image quality are reduced.
The xe2x80x9cpixelxe2x80x9d is the smallest unit of spatial resolving power, when an original analogue image is quantized (digitalized) and in general it is defined so as to be sufficiently small. In a digital printer, however, many dots are formed in this pixel and wherever the dots are written in this pixel the differences therebetween cannot be recognized by the human eye. In other words, within a pixel, wherever the dots are moved, the movement itself doesn""t lower the resolving power. For example, in the case where a pixel is large, the Bayer method is adopted, by which one pixel is represented by many small dots, or a dot is formed at a position deviated from the center of the pixel in order to have a screen angle. Also according to this invention attention is paid to this point and in full color printing by multi-color printing, the dots of each of the colors formed within one pixel are not concentrated to one point, which is the center of the pixel, in contrast to those in the concentric solution model, but are instead suitably arranged within the pixel for every color. In this way superposition of the dots of different colors can be controlled and as a result a high quality full color printing can be effected.
That is, this invention is characterized in that, when an intermediate chrominance a color which is not represented by one of the inks used in the system is printed by effecting area-modulation depending on a plurality of colored inks within a pixel, an area-modulation is effected by arranging a first colored ink of at least one color at a first position within the pertinent pixel and another area-modulation is effected by arranging a second colored ink of at least one color, which is different from the first colored ink, at a second position within the pertinent pixel, which is different from the first position.
In a preferred embodiment according to this invention, the first colored ink mentioned above is arranged from a first end within the pixel towards the center of the pixel and the second colored ink mentioned above is arranged from a second end within the pixel towards the center of the pixel.
In another preferred embodiment according to this invention, the first and second ends are in the main scanning direction within the pixel.
In still another preferred embodiment according to this invention, the first colored ink stated above is constituted by a multi-layer structure consisting of yellow ink, magenta ink and cyan ink and the second colored ink stated above is constituted by black ink.
In still another preferred embodiment according to this invention, in an arbitrarily selected pixel the first colored ink mentioned above is arranged from a first end within the pixel towards the center of the pixel and the second colored ink mentioned above is arranged from a second end within the pixel towards the center of the pixel, and further, in pixels adjacent to the arbitrarily selected pixel mentioned above, the first colored ink is arranged from the second end within the pixel towards the center of the pixel and the second colored ink is arranged from the first end within the pixel towards the center of the pixel. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to peptide-based compounds having light-emitting moieties. Peptides may be chemically linked with detectable xe2x80x9clabelsxe2x80x9d and used, for example, to monitor peptide, cytokine, drug, and hormone receptors at the cellular level. Typically, the labeled peptide is placed in contact with a tissue or cell culture where it binds to an available receptor. Once bound, the label is detected, allowing properties such as receptor distribution or receptor binding kinetics to be monitored.
Peptides are typically labeled with radioactive elements such as 125I or 3H. In this case, emission of high-energy radioactive particles is monitored using standard xcex3-ray detectors, thereby allowing detection of the label. While detection techniques for 125I and 3H are well-known, radioactive compounds by nature have limited half lives, and are often both toxic and expensive. Moreover, current detection technology makes it difficult or impossible to detect radioactive probes in real-time, thereby precluding study of kinetic processes.
Substance P is a particularly desirable peptide to label and use to monitor cell receptors, as this compound exhibits multiple biological roles including stimulation of visceral smooth muscle in the intestine and uterus. Substance P is an eleven amino acid peptide, first isolated in the brain and intestine, and has been identified as a major afferent neurotransmitter in pain transmission in the spinal chord (Kuraishi et al, Neuroscience 30:241 (1989)). Substance P is responsible for the release of endogenous substances, including the release of histimine from mast cells (Regoli et al. Pharmacological Reviews 46(4):551 (1994)).
The present invention provides a compound containing a substance P peptide and a light-emitting moiety that is both biologically active and optically detectable. The peptide is chemically attached to the light-emitting moiety at an amino acid position that is not involved in binding to the peptide receptor. In this way, the peptide""s affinity for the binding site is not significantly decreased, and the compound retains high biological activity and can be easily detected using standard optical means.
In general, in one aspect, the invention provides a biologically active compound of the formula:
where R1 is a light-emitting moiety and R2 is a substance P-based peptide and fragment, derivative or analog thereof. The peptide is linked at a first amino acid position to (Cxe2x80x94X) which, in turn, is selected from the group including Cxe2x95x90O, Cxe2x95x90S, CH(OH), Cxe2x95x90Cxe2x95x90O, Cxe2x95x90NH, CH2, CH(OR), CH(NR), CH(R), CR3R4, and C(OR3)OR4 where R, R3, and R4 are alkyl moieties or substituted alkyl moieties. Preferably, the compound exhibits substantial biological activity in the presence of receptors having affinities for substance P-based peptides. The compound may also be in the form of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or complex thereof. Preferably, the first amino acid position bound to (Cxe2x80x94X) is included in the N-terminus amino acid of the substance P-based peptide.
In other preferred embodiments, the substance P-based peptide includes the amino acid sequence Arg-Pro-Lys-Pro-Gln-Gln-Phe-Phe-Gly-Leu-Met (SEQ ID NO:1) and the Arg-residue is attached to the (Cxe2x80x94X) moiety. The arginine residue preferably is chemically bound to the (Cxe2x80x94X) moiety through the N-terminus amine group. In still other preferred embodiments, the (Cxe2x80x94X) bond is either Cxe2x95x90O or Cxe2x95x90S. In another preferred embodiment, the peptide may be amidated at the C-terminus.
In other preferred embodiments, the light-emitting moiety (R1) is selected from the group including 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a-diaza-s-indacene, fluorescein, FTC, Texas red, phycoerythrin, rhodamine, carboxytetramethylrhodamine, 4xe2x80x26-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), indopyras dyes, Cascade blue, coumarins, nitrobenzo-2-oxa-diazole (NBD), Lucifer Yellow, propidium iodide, CY3, CY5, CY9, dinitrophenol (DNP), lanthanide cryptates, lanthanide chelates, non-fluorescent dialdehydes (OPA, NDA, ADA, ATTOTAG reagents from Molecular Probes) which react with primary amines (N-term lys) in the presence of a nucleophile (i.e. CNxe2x88x92) to form fluorescent isoindoles, dansyl dyes fluorescamine and dabcyl chloride, 5-((((2-iodoacetyl)amino)ethyl)amino)naphthalene-1-sulfonic acid, long lifetime dyes comprised of metal-ligand complexes (MLC) which consist of a metal center (Ru, Re, Os) and organic or inorganic ligands complexed to the metal such as [Ru(bpy)3]2+ and [Ru(bpy)2(dcbpy)], and the like and derivatives thereof. The light-emitting moiety can be attached to the peptide by reaction of a reactive side group (of the light-emitting moiety) with the N-terminus amino acid of substance P. Suitable linking moieties include, by way of example only, indoacetamide, maleimide, isothiocyanate, succinimidyl ester, sulfonyl halide, aldehydes, glyoxal, hydrazine and derivatives thereof.
By xe2x80x9csubstance P-based compoundxe2x80x9d is meant a peptide which includes substance P, fragments of substance P, derivatives or analogs thereof. Substance P-based peptides may be peptides whose sequences differ from substance P""s wild-type sequence by only conservative amino acid substitutions. For example, one amino acid may be substituted for another with similar characteristics (e.g., valine for glycine, arginine for lysine, etc.) or by one or more non-conservative amino acid substitutions, deletions, or insertions which do not abolish the peptide""s biological activity. Other useful modifications include those which increase substance P""s stability. The peptide may contain, for example, one or more non-peptide bonds (which replace a corresponding peptide bond) or D-amino acids in the peptide sequence. Additionally, the C-terminus carboxylic acid group may be modified to increase peptide stability. For example, as described above, the C-terminus may be amidated or otherwise derivatized to reduce the peptide susceptibility to degradation.
In all cases, by xe2x80x9csubstantially biologically activexe2x80x9d is meant the compound binds to a receptor having an affinity IC50 value for the compound which is no more than 15 times, more preferably no more than 10 times and most preferably equal to or less than that of the corresponding unlabeled peptide. Receptor affinity in this case can be determined using known methods, such as methods involving competitive binding of radioactively labeled peptides or by using known methods of fluorescence polarization or other known fluorescence technique for measuring the Kd for the receptor/peptide interaction.
By xe2x80x9clowxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cnoxe2x80x9d biological activity or xe2x80x9cbiologically inactivexe2x80x9d is meant biological activities less than 1.0% of the biological activity of R2xe2x80x94H in the presence of a receptor having affinity for substance P.
The above-identified compound is useful in the labeling of cell receptor sites, cell sorting, flow cytometry and performing fluoroimmunoassays. In another aspect, the invention provides a method for labeling a receptor having an affinity for a substance P-based peptide by contacting the receptor with one or more of the compounds described above. Cell receptor sites, can be imaged by contacting candidate cell receptor sites with the compound of the invention, and then detecting the bound compounds as an indication of the cell receptor sites. Cell sorting can be performed by contacting a population of cells with compound and isolating cells bound to the compound. Flow cytometry can be performed by contacting a population of cells with the compound and detecting cells bearing receptors on their surfaces by detecting cells bound to the compound.
The invention has many advantages. In a general sense, peptide-containing compounds which retain their biological activity after being labeled with light-emitting moieties have a wide variety of biological applications. Such compounds can be used to identify, visualize, quantify, target and select receptors on cells and tissues both in vitro and in vivo. These compounds may be used in place of more conventional labeled peptides, such a 125I radiolabeled peptides. Radiolabeled compounds are often toxic, environmentally hazardous, chemically unstable and have, by the nature of the radioactive decay rate, relatively short lifetimes. In contrast, fluorescently-labeled substance P is relatively safe and non-toxic, thereby allowing it to be synthesized and used without employing special laboratory procedures. Similarly, following use, fluorescent substance P may be easily disposed, whereas disposal of radioactive compounds is both time-consuming and costly. In addition, fluorescent markers for substance P receptors are stable. and may be stored for extensive periods of time without undergoing extensive degradation.
Use of substance P in the labeled compound is also advantageous. As described above, substance P exhibits biological activity in organs such as intestine and uterus, and is involved in pain transmission in the spinal cord and in the release of histimines in mast cells, and can therefore be used as a probe to investigate a large number of different cell types. In addition, this peptide has a relatively simple structure (11 amino acids) and can be synthesized and isolated with standard, well-known techniques.
During typical experiments, fluorescent markers for substance P receptors emit optical signals, and thus may be monitored by eye or with the aid of external optical detectors. In this way, the fluorescent peptides obviate the need for secondary detection steps sometimes used for radiolabeled compounds or incubation with secondary labeled compounds. Detection of optical radiation is, in general, relatively simple and cost-effective compared to detection of radioactive particles (e.g., xcex1-particles); conventional charge-coupled device (CCDs) or light-sensitive cameras can therefore be used without modification for this application.
In addition, because of their high optical emission rates and well-characterized emission cross sections, fluorescent markers attached to substance P receptors can be used for real-time, quantified imaging of a number of dynamic biological phenomena, such as kinetics associated with receptor binding. The compounds can also be used for static processes, such as monitoring peptide distribution within a cell. Substance P receptors marked with fluorescent peptides may also be used in flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, fluorescence polarization spectroscopy, and any other techniques exploiting the optical detection of fluorescence or photoluminescence.
Other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, and from the claims. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Some energy conversion processes, such as heat pumps, operate on a thermal head of only a few degrees so that the availability of large quantities of low grade heat in cold regions would provide a practical solution to many heating problems. In one conventional technique, a source of low-grade heat is created in a lake by using vertically disposed floating curtains defining a closed, segregated region in the lake, and by covering the region with floating insulation blocks. By directing the discharge of condenser water from a nuclear or conventional power station, for example, into the upper portion of the segregated region, relatively warm water deposited therein throughout the summertime will collect within the curtain and beneath the insulation blocks providing a large volume of hot water which can be maintained through the winter in northern countries such as Sweden, the insulating blocks serving to reduce conductive and radiant heat loss to the ambient environment.
A basic deficiency in the this approach, in addition to constructional and material problems, is the need to establish a segregated heat storage region in a body of water at a location adjacent a man-made source of low-grade heat. This is not always practical; and for this reason, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of and means for seasonally storing heat in a body of water without erecting a segregated region in a body of water and without requiring a segregated region covered by floating insulating blocks to protect the heated water. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Use of a diffractive optical element in a microscope optical system provides advantages in chromatic aberration correction, and the like, over the prior art, and makes if possible to design a low-cost microscope objective lens with high optical performance. However, when a diffractive optical element is used in a microscope optical system, not only the order of diffracted light contributing to the image formation but also the other orders of diffracted light (hereinafter referred to as “unnecessary-order diffracted light”) pass through the microscope objective lens, and hence flare is caused. It is known that, in order to obscure the flare caused by the unnecessary-order diffracted light exited from the diffractive optical element, it is only necessary to increase the size of the spot, which is formed on the image surface by the unnecessary-order diffracted light (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Clotting of blood is an essential part of the hemostatic response and depends on a very delicate balance between a number of interrelated factors. Blood clotting consists of a series of biochemical reactions, commonly referred to as the clotting cascade. Each product of these reactions is an enzyme which catalyzes the next reaction in the sequence.
The clotting cascade is triggered by the activation of Hageman factor, also known as clotting factor XII. Activation of factor XII occurs when it comes into contact with negatively charged surfaces such as those that appear on exposed collagen fibers and on reacting platelet membranes. These conditions occur when blood vessels are punctured or attacked. Active Hageman factor (XIIa) then converts inactive plasma thromboplastin antecedent ("PTA") (factor XI) into its active form (XIa). XIa then convents plasma thromboplastin component ("PTC") (IX) to active plasma thromboplastin component (IXa), which, in turn converts Stuart-Prower factor (X) to its active form (Xa). Active Stuart-Prower factor converts the inactive form of prothrombin to the active enzyme, thrombin, which rapidly catalyzes the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin which polymerizes to form a network of insoluble threads at the site of the injury.
Clotting (thrombosis) is the ultimate mechanism responsible for most blood vessel blockage, which in turn results in interrupted blood flow to the organ that the blood vessel perfuses. Strokes, heart attacks, and gangrene result from clotting on the arterial side of the circulation. Clotting on the venous side of the circulation is called phlebothrombosis and is also responsible for a number of substantial problems, such as thrombophlebitis, venous insufficiency, venous ulceration, and pulmonary embolism. (The latter can occur when a clot in an extremity dislodges and travels to the lung).
Clotting is also a major concern in surgical procedures which involve the grafting of blood vessels. Such clotting often occurs in the immediate post-operative period, within the first several hours after successful surgery has apparently been accomplished. During this time the endothelium (the inner most layer of blood vessel and the layer which is in contact with the blood), which has been disrupted or damaged by the surgical procedure, releases a variety of compounds, including cytokines, and activated white blood cells to cause tissue factor expression that stimulates clotting. Two common surgical procedures which can result in endothelium damage are coronary artery (major blood vessels feeding the heart musculature) bypass grafting surgery and creation of arteriovenous fistulas either by direct artery to vein anastomosis or by insertion of a graft of man made material (such as GORETEX.TM., a highly microporous poly tetrafluoroethylene, available from W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc., Newark, Del.) between an artery and a vein. More than 300,000 heart bypass procedures are performed in the United States each year to re-establish circulation to the heart. Creation of either an arteriovenous fistula or graft is an essential part of the preparation needed for the approximately 150,000 patients who are receiving regular hemodialysis to treat their end stage kidney disease. Endothelium damage and, consequently, the danger of post-procedure clotting, can also result from non-surgical procedures, such as angioplasty. Each year, more than 300,000 angioplasty procedures are performed to dilate narrowed segments of the coronary arteries. Unfortunately, because of the endothelial damage that can result from these procedures, recurrence of the narrowing (restenosis) or complete occlusion of the blood vessel can occur. Indeed the rate of restenosis of the coronary blood vessel following this balloon angioplasty is 40% within the first six months following the procedure. There are also an ever increasing number of angioplasty procedures being employed to dilate arteries that perfuse peripheral vascular beds, such as those of the legs, and restenosis remains a problem with these vessels as well.
To prevent the occurrence or reoccurrence of clotting, patients are frequently given anticoagulants after operations undertaken to repair blood vessels. Anticoagulants are also commonly used post-surgery to prevent venous clotting in patients with decreased motion. They are also used to prevent stroke and heart attack in patients who are proven to have, or suspected of having, abnormal blood vessels.
A variety of agents are presently used to control clotting. Urokinase, streptokinase, and (recombinant) tissue plasminogen activator ("rt-PA") are chemicals that cause clots to dissolve. These clot dissolving agents are generally used in emergency situations, such as a heart attack, where they lyse clots which have formed in the coronary arteries. Typically, these agents are injected into the blood stream or organ close to where the clot is suspected of having been formed. Although they will interrupt clotting anywhere that they reach an effective concentration in the blood stream, these agents are not used as prophylaxis against additional clotting because they have a high side-effect profile and, secondarily, because they are moderately (Streptokinase) or very (rt-PA) expensive. A recent study which evaluated the combined effects of angioplasty and thrombolytics in the treatment of arterial occlusive disease of peripheral vessels revealed a greater than 40% rate of bleeding (hemorrhagic) complications. Both urokinase and rt-PA also must be given intravenously posing another limitation on treatment. Further, patients may develop antibodies to these compounds which can restrict their repeated use.
Heparin and coumadin are two chemicals commonly used for prophylaxis to prevent clot formation. Heparin consists of sulfated simple chain polysaccharides of variable length and inhibits clotting by combining with antithrombin III, forming a complex capable of directly inhibiting the generation of thrombin as well as accelerating thrombin's decay. It is usually administered intravenously in a hospital setting. Even when administered subcutaneously, heparin is seldom used outside the hospital setting because changes in dose are frequently necessary (although low molecular weight heparin may be useful when administered subcutaneously to outpatients). Coumadin inhibits certain liver-made factors which are critical to the clotting process. Coumadin is relatively inexpensive, and is often prescribed as part of a long-term treatment regimen, lasting months or years. It is specifically used for prevention of recurrent heart attacks, strokes, thrombosis of artificial heart valves, and in a variety of other clinical circumstances.
Both heparin and coumadin act systemically rather than locally. Because of the systemic nature of treatment using these anticoagulants, careful monitoring of their levels in the blood is required. Anticoagulant levels within the therapeutic range, that is, between excessive anticoagulant (in which case the patient may experience undesirable bleeding elsewhere, such as from a cut, a bruise, or an ulcer) and insufficient anticoagulant, are often difficult to establish and maintain. Furthermore, even when blood levels are within the therapeutic range, there is a substantial increase in the incidence of bleeding. Patients who have an ulcer or other bleeding disorder are especially difficult to treat with these systemic anticoagulants.
Recently, aspirin has found wide use as a clot inhibitor, particularly with respect to clots on the arterial side of circulation. Aspirin inhibits the aggregation of platelets, which is often the first stage in clot development. Aspirin's effect is, therefore, also systemic and, consequently, use of this compound suffers some of the drawbacks associated with coumadin and heparin. In addition, aspirin's effect on platelets is long term, lasting a generation of platelets or about 7-10 days. Consequently, the ability of a patient's blood to coagulate, once impaired by aspirin, cannot be re-established without delay by simply discontinuing use of the aspirin.
It is apparent from the above discussion that a need exists for better ways to prevent clotting.
Ultrasonography is a noninvasive procedure utilizing reflection of high frequency sound waves from organs of the body to derive images. The imaging results from the variable reflection or absorption of wave energy by the different materials from which tissues and organs are comprised. The safety of the procedure is reflected by its extensive use as a tool to monitor the development of the fetus during gestation.
Ultrasound has also been used clinically to measure the flow of blood through blood vessels, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,407 to Drost. The device described therein measures the flow of fluid through a conduit by comparing the time of travel of ultrasound from an upstream ultrasound source to a downstream ultrasound detector with the time of travel from a downstream ultrasound source to an upstream ultrasound detector. The device and method are applicable generally to any fluid in any conduit and, specifically, to the measurement of blood flow through a blood vessel.
Ultrasound has also found clinical application in mechanically disrupting masses, such as gall stones and kidney stones, as well as in diathermy. Ultrasound is also being explored in the treatment of thrombotic vascular disease using two approaches: non-enzymatic and enzymatic (Siegel et al., "Clinical demonstration that catheter-delivered ultrasound energy reverses arterial vasoconstriction," J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 20:732-735 (1992) and Francis et al., "Enhancement of fibrinolysis in vitro by ultrasound," J. Clin. Invest. 90:2063-2068 (1992)). Non-enzymatic treatment utilizes low-frequency (20-25 kHz), high-power (ca. 20 W) ultrasound to mechanically disrupt clots and atherosclerotic plaque, the debris from which is trapped distally (Ernst et al., "Ability of high-intensity ultrasound to ablate human atherosclerotic plaques and minimize debris size," Am. J. Cardiol. 68:242-246 (1991)). Complications arising from the intensity of the ultrasound used include heating of the blood, perforation of the vessel wall, and vessel wall damage (Ernst et al., "Ability of high-intensity ultrasound to ablate human atherosclerotic plaques and minimize debris size," Am. J. Cardiol. 68:242-246 (1991) and Gillebert et al., "Intracavitary ultrasound impairs left ventricular performance: presumed role of endocardial endothelium," Am. J. Physiol. 263:H857-H865 (1992)). Low-intensity, high-frequency ultrasound has been found to accelerate fibrinolysis catalyzed by enzymatic clot dissolving agents, such as rt-PA and Urokinase. By using such agents in combination with ultrasound, the intensity of the ultrasound necessary to dissolve clots is reduced to 1-3 W/cm.sup.2, thereby avoiding the damaging effects of non-enzymatic ultrasound treatment.
Thus, the currently published information regarding the possible application of ultrasound to treat clotting disorders suggests that this modality is useful only for dissolution of established blood clots. Further, the energy levels of the sound waves that are effective to dissolve established clots can damage the blood vessel walls where the clots have formed or lodged. Treatment with lower levels of ultrasound energy is possible, but only when used to supplement chemical anticoagulants which may have systemic effects.
For the foregoing reasons, there remains a need for a method for preventing in vivo clot formation without the deleterious side effects or systemic impact of the chemicals presently used. Specifically, there remains a need for a method of preventing clot formation in a selected segment of a blood vessel. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Producing photorealistic images or cartoon images from a 3D scene model requires computing the light transport through a scene, which requires estimation of a complex multidimensional integral of the light scene function at every pixel of the image. For example, generating effects like depth of field and motion blur requires integrating over domains such as lens/viewpoint position and time. Monte Carlo (MC) rendering systems approximate this integral by tracing light rays (samples) in the multidimensional space to evaluate the scene function. Although an approximation to this integral can be quickly evaluated with just a few samples, the error of this estimate relative to the true value appears as unacceptable noise in the resulting image. Since the variance of the MC estimator decreases linearly with the number of samples, many samples are required to get a reliable estimate of the integral. The high cost of computing additional rays results in lengthy render times that negatively affect the applicability of MC renderers in modern film production.
One way to mitigate this problem is to quickly render a noisy image with a few samples and then filter it as a post-process to generate an acceptable, denoised result. This approach has been the subject of extensive research in recent years. Successful methods typically use feature-based filters (e.g., cross-bilateral or cross non-local means filters) to leverage additional scene features, such as world position, that help guide the filtering process. Since these features are highly correlated with scene detail, using them in the filtering process greatly improves the quality of the results.
Some approaches have used this information to handle specific distributed effects such as global illumination and depth of field. However, a major challenge is how to exploit this additional information to denoise distributed effects, which requires setting the filter parameters for all features so that noise is removed while scene detail is preserved. To do this, some have proposed to use the functional dependencies between scene features and random parameters calculated using mutual information, a process that removes noise but was slow. Several other algorithms build upon this by using error estimation metrics to select the best filter parameters from a discrete set. The main drawback of these methods is that their error metrics are usually noisy at low sampling rates, reducing the accuracy of filter selection. Furthermore, they choose the filter parameters from a preselected, discrete set that may not contain the optimum. As a result, these methods produce images with over/under blurred regions.
Since the introduction of distributed ray tracing by Cook et al., (Cook et al., “Distributed Ray Tracing” Computer Graphics (Proceeding of SIGGRAPH 84) 18, 3 (1984), 137-144) researchers have proposed a variety of algorithms to address the noise in Monte Carlo (MC) rendering. Some of these include variance reduction techniques, low-discrepancy sampling patterns, new Monte Carlo formulations with faster convergence, and methods that exploit specific properties of the multidimensional integrand position or reuse samples based on the shape of the multidimensional integrand.
Filtering approaches render a noisy image with a few samples and then denoise images through a filtering process. Some methods adaptively sample as well, further improving the results. Some previous work on MC filtering use only sample color during filtering and others use additional scene information.
Color-based filter methods are inspired by traditional image denoising techniques and use only pixel color information from the rendering system to remove MC noise. Early work by Lee and Redner used nonlinear filters (median and alpha-trimmed mean filters) to remove spikes while preserving edges. See, Lee & Redner, “A note on the use of nonlinear filtering in computer graphics,” IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications 10, 3 (May 1990), 23-29. Rushmeier and Ward proposed to spread the energy of input samples through variable width filter kernels. See, Rushmeier and Ward, “Energy preserving non-linear filters,” ACMSIGGRAPH '94 (New York, N.Y., USA, 1994), pp. 131-138. To reduce the noise in path-traced images, Jensen and Christensen separated illumination into direct and indirect components, filtered the indirect portion, and then added the components back together. See, Jensen and Christensen, “Optimizing path tracing using noise reduction filters,” Winter School of Computer Graphics (WSCG) 1995 (1995), pp. 134-142. Bala et al. exploited an edge image to facilitate the filtering process. See, Bala et al., “Combining edges and points for interactive high-quality rendering,” ACM Trans. Graph. 22 (July 2003), 631-640. Xu and Pattanaik used a bilateral filter to remove MC noise. See, Xu and Pattanaik, “A novel Monte Carlo noise reduction operator,” IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications 25 (2005), 31-35. Egan et al. used frequency analysis to shear a filter for specific distributed effects such as motion blur and occlusion/shadowing. See, Egan et al., “Practical filtering for efficient ray-traced directional occlusion,” ACM Trans. Graph. 30, 6 (December 2011), 180:1-180:10; Egan et al., “Frequency analysis and sheared reconstruction for rendering motion blur,” ACM Trans. Graph. 28, 875 3, 1-13 (2009); Egan et al., “Frequency analysis and sheared filtering for shadow light fields of complex occluders,” ACM Trans. Graph. 30, 2 (April), 882 9:1-9:13 (2011). Mehta et al. used related analysis to derive simple formulas that set the variance of a screen-space Gaussian filter to target noise from specific effects. See, Mehta et al., “Axis aligned filtering for interactive sampled soft shadows,” ACM Trans. Graph. 31, 6 (November), 163:1-163:10 (2012); Mehta et al., “Axis-aligned filtering for interactive physically-based diffuse indirect lighting,” ACM Trans. Graph. 32, 4 (July), 96:1-933 96:12 (2013); Mehta et al., “Factored axis-aligned filtering for rendering multiple distribution effects,” ACMTrans. Graph. 33, 4 (July), 57:1-57:12 (2014). Some of these approaches use the analysis to adaptively position samples as well as conducting filtering and denoising operations.
Other filters use information in addition to or other than color. The additional information can include scene features (e.g., world positions, shading normals, texture values, etc.) which are computed by the MC renderer. Thus, they tend to generate higher-quality results compared to the color-based approaches described above. For example, McCool removed MC noise by using depths and normals to create a coherence map for an anisotropic diffusion filter. See, McCool, M. D., “Anisotropic diffusion for Monte Carlo noise reduction,” ACM Trans. Graph. 18, 2 (1999), 171-194. To efficiently render scenes with global illumination, Segovia et al. and Laine et al. used a geometry buffer. See, e.g., Segovia et al., “Non-interleaved Deferred Shading of Interleaved Sample Patterns,” Proceedings of the 21st ACM SIGGRAPH/EUROGRAPHICS Symposium on Graphics Hardware ACM, New York, N.Y., USA, GH '06, 53-60 (2006); Laine et al., “Incremental instant radiosity for real-time indirect illumination,” Proceedings of the 18th Eurographics Conference on Rendering Techniques, Eurographics Association, Aire-la-Ville, Switzerland, Switzerland, EGSR '07, 277-908 286 (2007). Meanwhile, to reduce global illumination noise, Dammertz et al. incorporated wavelet information into the bilateral filter. See, Dammertz et al., “Edge-avoiding A-trous wavelet transform for fast global illumination filtering,” Proceedings of High Performance Graphics 2010 (2010), pp. 67-75. Bauszat et al. used guided image filtering. See, Bauszat et al., “Guided image filtering for interactive high-quality global illumination,” Computer Graphics Forum (Proc. of Eurographics Symposium on Rendering (EGSR)) 30, 4 (June 2011), 1361-1368. Shirley et al. used a depth buffer to handle depth of field and motion blur effects. See, Shirley et al., “A local image reconstruction algorithm for stochastic rendering,” Symposium on Interactive 3D Graphics and Games, ACM, New York, N.Y., 984 USA, I3D '11, 9-14 (2011). Chen et al. combined a depth map with sample variance to filter the noise from depth of field. See, Chen et al., “Efficient depth-of-field rendering with adaptive sampling and multiscale reconstruction,” Computer Graphics Forum 30, 6 (2011), 1667-1680. These methods are directed to a fixed set of distributed effects and are not applicable to general Monte Carlo rendering noise.
Hachisuka et al. performed adaptive sampling and reconstruction based on discontinuities in the multidimensional space. See, Hachisuka et al., “Multidimensional Adaptive Sampling and Reconstruction for Ray Tracing,” ACM Transactions on Graphics, Vol. 27, No. 3, Article 33, August 2008. Although this method handles general distributed effects, it suffers from the curse of dimensionality when a scene contains multiple effects.
To handle general MC noise using additional scene features, Sen and Darabi observed the need to vary a filter's feature weights across the image. See, Sen & Darabi, “On Filtering the Noise from the Random Parameters in Monte Carlo Rendering,” ACM Transactions on Graphics, Vol. 31, No. 3, March 2011. Specifically, they proposed to compute these weights using mutual information to approximate the functional dependencies between scene features and the random parameters. Li et al. used Stein's unbiased risk estimator (SURE) to estimate the appropriate spatial filter parameters in a cross-bilateral filter, while hard coding the weights of the remaining cross terms. See, Li et al, “SURE-based Optimization for Adaptive Sampling and Reconstruction,” ACM Transactions on Graphics, Vol. 31, No. 6, Article 194, November 2012. Rousselle et al. significantly improved upon this by using the SURE metric to select between three candidate cross non-local means filters that each weight color and features differently. See, Rousselle et al., “Robust denoising using feature and color information,” Computer Graphics Forum 32, 7, 121-130 (2013). Moon et al. compute a weighted local regression on a reduced feature space and evaluate the error for a discrete set of filter weights to select the best one. See, Moon et. al., “Adaptive Rendering Based on Weighted Local Regression,” ACM Transactions on Graphics (TOG) Volume 33 Issue 5, August 2014.
A significant drawback to the above approaches, which constitute the state of the art, is that they weight each filter term through either heuristic rules and/or an error metric which is quite noisy at low sampling rates. Thus, they are not able to robustly estimate the appropriate filter weights in challenging cases.
Neural networks have been used in computer graphics processing. Grzeszczuk used neural networks to create physically realistic animation. See, Grzeszczuk et al., “NeuroAnimator: Fast Neural Network Emulation and Control of Physics-Based Models,” Proceedings of the 25th Annual Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, 887 ACM, New York, N.Y., USA, SIGGRAPH '98, 9-20 (1998). Nowrouzezahrai et al. used neural networks to predict per vertex visibility. See, Nowrouzezahrai et al. “Shadowing dynamic scenes with arbitrary BRDFs,” Computer Graphics Forum 28, 2, 249-258 (2009). Dachsbacher classified different visibility configurations using neural networks. See, Dachsbacher, C., “Analyzing Visibility Configurations,” IEEE Trans. Vis. And Comp. Graphics 17, 4, 475-476, 2011. Ren et al. used a neural network to model the radiance regression function to render indirect illumination of a fixed scene in real time. See, Ren et al., “Global Illumination with Radiance Regression Functions,” ACM Transactions on Graphics, Vol. 32, No. 4, Article 130, July 2013. Neural networks have also been directly trained on a set of noisy and clean patches and used to denoise natural images. However, methods applied to natural images are not applicable for rendered images, since they assume a single noise level for the entire image.
Jakob et al. have a method that, while not utilizing neural networks, performs learning through expectation maximization to find the appropriate parameters of a Gaussian mixture model to denoise photon maps. See, Jakob et al., “Progressive Expectation-Maximization for Hierarchical Volumetric Photon Mapping,” Eurographics Symposium and Rendering, Vol. 20, No. 4, 2011. Photon mapping has been applied to density estimation. Photon mapping is unrelated to Monte Carlo denoising, especially since no filtering is applied in the photon mapping. The Gaussian mixture models in this approach do not translate to Monte Carlo denoising. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermoelectric device configured in a manner that heat-absorbing-side electrodes are attached onto heat-absorbing surfaces of a plurality of thermoelectric elements, heat-radiating-side electrodes are attached onto heat-radiating surfaces of the respective thermoelectric elements, and all of the thermoelectric elements are connected electrically in series and thermally in parallel. Particularly, the present invention relates to a thermoelectric device having good manufacturability and excellent joint reliability.
2. Description of the Related Art
A thermoelectric device is composed by combining thermoelectric elements utilizing thermoelectric effects such as the Thomson effect, the Peltier effect and the Seebeck effect, and has already been in high-volume production as a temperature regulation unit which converts electricity into heat. Moreover, also as a generator, researches and developments of the thermoelectric device have been progressed.
In a thermoelectric device as the generator, a plurality of thermoelectric elements are arrayed in a state of being sandwiched between insulating boards having electrodes, and are connected electrically in series and thermally in parallel.
In order to make power generation efficiency of the thermoelectric device approximate to power generation efficiency of the thermoelectric elements themselves, it is necessary that heat supply to one ends of the thermoelectric elements and heat radiation from the other ends of the thermoelectric elements be performed smoothly. For this reason, for the boards constituting the thermoelectric device, ceramic boards excellent in thermal conductivity are used. Furthermore, the electrodes arranged on the ends of the thermoelectric elements are composed of a material having low electric resistance.
The thermoelectric device operates by being heated, and during the operation, the respective constituent members are thermally expanded as compared with those at normal temperature. In this case, due to a difference in coefficient of linear expansion between the respective constituent members and a temperature difference between the heat-absorbing side and the heat-radiating side, deformation amounts of the respective members differ from one another. Because of such a difference in thermal deformation, in some cases, joint parts of the thermoelectric elements and the thermoelectric elements themselves have become prone to be damaged. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Various vehicle covers have existed over the years designed for a variety of purposes including the protection of vehicle interiors from the elements of nature. Certain automobile covers such as that to Altschul in U.S. Pat. No. 2,733,747, have been constructed from plastic material and have been designed so as to fairly conform with the vehicle and when placed over its top completely cover the vehicle. This type of cover allows for complete enclosure of the vehicle and thus works well in protecting it from the elements particularly where the vehicle remains idle.
Other types of covers were further developed which acted to protect selected portions of a vehicle. For example, the vehicle protector discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,999 to Miller, is directed to a vehicle protector which utilizes a plurality of plastic sheets, each having one surface thereof covered with a soft resilient material. This cover allows for the protection of the outermost surface of the front fenders, the front door panels, and the remaining side panels of the motor vehicle. Both elastic members as well as snap fasteners attach the cover to the vehicle. Thus, the structure and method of fabrication of this particular protector utilizes a plurality of flexible sheet members which cover selected portions of a body of a motor vehicle and are removably effected thereto by the snap fasteners and/or elastic members. Therefore, as can clearly be seen, prior vehicle covers for protecting a vehicle from the natural elements conformed to the exterior of the vehicle and protected the exterior from the natural elements.
Various boat covers have also been designed for protecting sea-going vessels from not only the natural elements of wind and rain, but also from the elements of the ocean when at sea. Attempts were made to utilize hard rigid glass panels on the bridge of a boat to allow the driver of a boat high visibility while still protecting the interior of the boat from the various elements of rain and seawater. However, in utilizing such an inflexible material such as glass, these types of covers were prone to cracking and breaking. If the boat were to move, the rigid panels of glass could not absorb the shock between the boat and the water. Further, though attempts were made to attach the glass to the exterior of the boat, this proved a difficult task. Attachments had to be made to secure the glass to the boat, while also attempting not to crack the glass.
Most boats of today have abandoned glass covers for protecting, for example, the bridge and aft of the boat. The generally used cover of today is comprised of a single clear vinyl sheet which attached to the exterior of the boat and utilized for protecting the interior of the boat from the natural elements of rain, and further, for protecting the interior of the boat while the boat is moving.
However, the use of clear vinyl boat covers has several drawbacks. One primary drawback in the utilization of clear vinyl covers is that clear vinyl wrinkles. Though initially smooth, the vinyl, being a flexible material, tends to wrinkle and thus develop lumps. These lumps make it difficult to clean the vinyl, and subsequently, over time, the visibility through the clear vinyl decreases. With decreased visibility, it is very difficult to utilize the vinyl covers while the boat is moving. The person driving the boat cannot see through these vinyl covers and thus must remove the cover and thereby remove his protection. The lumps and wrinkles in the vinyl also make it difficult to clean and subsequently, upon attempting to clean the vinyl, the vinyl scratches and deteriorates over time and actually loses visibility upon each attempt to clean.
The size of a vinyl cover also varies with temperature. When exposed to heat, vinyl expands and as it cools the vinyl contracts. This further makes vinyl more difficult to use when initially measuring a specific boat to be covered because it is very difficult to get the correct size of vinyl which is necessary to provide a cover for a particular portion of the boat. Also, for storage purposes, the vinyl must be folded each time the cover is taken off. Upon folding of the vinyl, it develops more wrinkles and creases and subsequently the visibility through the vinyl is further decreased.
Finally, one other drawback of vinyl boat covers exists in that normally, one continuous cover is utilized, for example, to cover the bridge of the boat. Therefore, if visibility is decreased for the driver, viewing from the interior of the boat out to the exterior of the boat, he must remove the entire cover in order to see. Therefore, the entire bridge of the boat is thus exposed to the natural elements due to the driver's inability to see out of the front of the boat. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
An instant messaging (“IM”) system generally includes a plurality of client devices coupled to a server or servers of a data network. The client devices typically provide the ability to track and display the presence status of other users connected to the server of the data network. Presence status about other users is organized into contact lists or buddy lists. Each entry in the contact list corresponds to a user of the IM system, or more specifically the user's client device, and includes presence status associated with each entry. Users of the client devices desire up-to-date presence status about the members of their contact list. Although presence information may be passed on a client device, more typically the presence information is associated with a predetermined presence status, such as online or off-line, that is passed on to the client device.
IM systems are designed to handle real-time communications between client devices and do not typically provide features for dealing with users who are off-line or otherwise unavailable for interactive communication. IM users are expected to contact users on their contact lists who are online and available to communicate while ignoring other users who are not available. Thus, IM systems generally are not designed to provide automatic replies to incoming messages sent to unavailable users.
E-mail systems are known to send e-mail replies automatically to incoming e-mail messages, whether or not the target users are available. For example, the Microsoft® Outlook® application by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., includes an “Out of Office Assistant” feature that sends an e-mail reply automatically in response to an incoming e-mail message. The e-mail reply is typically customized, in advanced, by the user of the Outlook application based on information contained within the incoming e-mail message. Thus, such e-mail servers and applications are limited since their replies are based only on information contained within each incoming e-mail message.
Accordingly, there is a need for a more informative system for communicating among users and their client devices. More particularly, there is a need for a messaging system that provides replies automatically about a target device that are customized for an originating device based on additional configuration data, particularly information about the originating and/or target device, such as presence and location information, as well as the incoming messages themselves. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to anti-malware technology, and more particularly, to a method and system for a hardware accelerator for malware emulation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Over the past decade malware components and viruses have become more sophisticated. An ability to emulate an execution of a malware component on a computer system is critical in terms of providing security and maintaining integrity of a computer system data. Emulation is typically used for anti-virus and malware detection procedures. In order to analyze a behavior of malware components, such as viruses, and to collect statistics, a computer system is emulated and the viruses are run on the emulated computer system as shown in FIG. 1.
A computer system 100 has a host Operating System (OS) 110. The host OS 110 has an emulator 120 implemented within it. The emulator 120 is isolated from the host OS 110 and all processes launched within the emulator 120 do not have access to the host OS 110 file system. Thus, a potentially malicious process executed within the emulator 120 cannot cause any harm to the host OS 110 and the computer system 100.
The emulator 120 emulates an operating system (which may be the same as the host OS 110, or may be a different OS). It has an emulated CPU 140 and an emulated operating memory 150. When an executable component is emulated, a process 130 is launched within the emulator 120. The process 130 uses computation resources of the emulator 120 for execution of its instructions. Since the CPU 140 is emulated, the process executes much slower than if it were executed on the real CPU of the computer system 100. Modern viruses can often involve a large number of executed instructions, and, therefore, speed of execution of emulated code becomes important.
Furthermore, many malware components are programmed in such a way, that when executed on a computer system, they first run a large number of processes that are non-malicious by nature. The sole purpose of these processes is to tie down the emulator and use up its resources to the point where it cannot effectively emulate the malicious processes that follow.
These “useless” processes are often referred to as “dummy processes” or “dummy loops.” The dummy loops can perform millions of senseless operations that slow down the emulation process from a several seconds up to several minutes, which is a significant amount of time in terms of malware detection. Also, some processes such as unpacking can also take a significant amount of time. Also, some processes inherently involve a large number of instructions. For example, the calculation of the value of pi to a large precision is calculation-intensive (and may be entirely irrelevant to the purpose of the program, but solely intended to load the CPU and therefore “trick” the emulator). The remainder of this description primarily mentions dummy loops, however, it is understood that the concepts described herein are applicable to other calculation-intensive processes, such as unpacking, decryption, etc. For effective malware detection, the emulation should take not much longer than a few seconds or even one or two seconds. Thus, the emulator will emulate only the dummy loops (or only some of them) and will finish its work, since no malicious actions are detected over this period of time.
Thus, the emulation of the malware component stops before it gets to the “real” malicious code. This presents a serious problem for malware detection, as some malware components will be undetected due to the dummy loops contained in them. Conventional emulators lack sufficient processing speed and need to work faster in order to detect malware containing dummy loops.
Accordingly, a system and method for accelerating the malware emulators is desired. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Opioids, also known as opioid agonists, are a group of drugs that exhibit opium or morphine-like properties. The opioids are employed primarily as moderate to strong analgesics, but have many other pharmacological effects as well, including drowsiness, respiratory depression, changes in mood and mental clouding without a resulting loss of consciousness. Opioids act as agonists, interacting with stereospecific and saturable binding sites in the brain and other tissues. Endogenous opioid-like peptides are present particularly in areas of the central nervous system that are presumed to be related to the perception of pain; to movement, mood and behavior, and to the regulation of neuroendocrinological functions. Opium contains more than twenty distinct alkaloids. Morphine, codeine and papaverine are included in this group.
By the middle of the nineteenth century, the use of pure alkaloids such as morphine rather than crude opium preparations began to spread throughout the medical world. Parenteral use of morphine tended to produce a more severe variety of compulsive drug use than crude opium preparations. The problem of addiction to opioids stimulated a search for potent analgesics that would be free of the potential to produce addiction. By 1967, researchers had concluded that the complex interactions among morphine-like drugs, antagonists, and what was then called “mixed agonist-antagonist” could best be explained by postulating the existence of more than one type of receptor for opioids and related drugs. With the advent of new totally synthetic entities with postulating the existence of more than one type of receptor for opioids and related drugs. With the advent of new totally synthetic entities with morphine-like actions, the term “opioid” was generally retained as a generic designation for all exogenous substances that bind stereo-specifically to any of several subspecies of opioid receptors and produce agonist actions. While this greater understanding advanced the science of pharmacology, it did not result in the development of an analgesic opioid free of abuse potential.
The potential for the development of tolerance and physical dependence with repeated opioid use is a characteristic feature of all the opioid drugs, and the possibility of developing psychological dependence (i.e., addiction) is one of the major concerns in the use of the treatment of pain with opioids, even though iatrogenic addiction is rare. Another major concern associated with the use of opioids is the diversion of these drugs from the patient in pain to another (non-patient) for illicit purposes, e.g., to an addict.
The overall abuse potential of an opioid is not established by any one single factor. Instead, there is a composite of factors, including, the capacity of the drug to produce the kind of physical dependence in which drug withdrawal causes sufficient distress to bring about drug-seeking behavior; the ability to suppress withdrawal symptoms caused by withdrawal from other agents; the degree to which it induces euphoria similar to that produced by morphine and other opioids; the patterns of toxicity that occur when the drug is dosed above its normal therapeutic range; and physical characteristics of the drugs such as water solubility. Such physical characteristics may determine whether the drug is likely to be abused by the parenteral route.
In the United States, the effort to control the compulsive drug user includes efforts to control drug availability by placing restrictions on the use of opioids in the treatment of pain of compulsive drug users. In practice, the physician is often faced with a choice of administering potent opioid analgesics even to persons who seem predisposed to develop psychological dependence, i.e., addiction, on such drugs. In view of this problem, it has been recommended that these patients should not be given an opioid when another drug without a potential for abuse will suffice; and further that these patients should not be provided with a dosage form which may be parenterally abused and should only be given a few days' supply at any one time.
At least three basic patterns of opioid use and dependence have been identified. The first involves individuals whose drug use begins in the context of medical treatment and who obtain their initial supplies through legitimate sources, e.g., physicians. Another pattern begins with experimental or “recreational” drug use and progresses to more intensive use. A third pattern involves users who begin in one or another of the preceding patterns, but later switch to oral opioids such as methadone, obtained from licensed addiction treatment programs.
Tolerance refers to the need to increase the dose of opioid over a period of time in order to achieve the same level of analgesia or euphoria, or the observation that repeated administration of the same dose results in decreased analgesia, euphoria, or other opioid effects. It has been found that a remarkable degree of tolerance develops to the respiratory depressant, analgesic, sedative, emetic and euphorigenic effects of opioids. However, the rate at which this tolerance may develop in either an addict or in a patient requiring treatment of pain depends on the pattern of use. If the opioid is used frequently, it may be necessary to increase the dose. Tolerance does not develop equally or at the same rate to all the effects of opioids, and even users who are highly tolerant to respiratory depressant effects continue to exhibit miosis and constipation. Tolerance to opioids largely disappears when the withdrawal syndrome has been completed.
Physical dependence may develop upon repeated administrations or extended use of opioids. Physical dependence is gradually manifested after stopping opioid use or is precipitously manifested (e.g., within a few minutes) after administration of a narcotic antagonist (referred to “precipitated withdrawal”. Depending upon the drug to which dependence has been established and the duration of use and dose, symptoms of withdrawal vary in number and kind, duration and severity. The most common symptoms of the withdrawal syndrome include anorexia, weight loss, pupillary dilation, chills alternating with excessive sweating, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, muscle spasms, hyperirritability, lacrimation, rhinorrhea, goose flesh and increased heart rate. Natural abstinence syndromes typically begin to occur 24-48 hours after the last dose, reach maximum intensity about the third day and may not begin to decrease until the third week. Precipitated abstinence syndromes produced by administration of an opioid antagonist vary in intensity and duration with the dose and the specific antagonist, but generally vary from a few minutes to several hours in length.
Psychological dependence (i.e., addiction) on opioids is characterized by drug-seeking behavior directed toward achieving euphoria and escape from, e.g., psychosocioeconomic pressures. An addict will continue to administer opioids for non-medicinal purposes and in the face of self-harm.
There have previously been attempts in the art to control the abuse potential associated with opioid analgesics. For example, the combination of pentazocine and naloxone has been utilized in tablets available in the United States, commercially available as Talwin® Nx from Sanofi-Winthrop. Talwin® Nx contains pentazocine hydrochloride equivalent to 50 mg base and naloxone hydrochloride equivalent to 0.5 mg base. Talwin® Nx is indicated for the relief of moderate to severe pain. The amount of naloxone present in this combination has low activity when taken orally, and minimally interferes with the pharmacologic action of pentazocine. However, this amount of naloxone given parenterally has profound antagonistic action to narcotic analgesics. Thus, the inclusion of naloxone is intended to curb a form of misuse of oral pentazocine which occurs when the dosage form is solubilized and injected. Therefore, this dosage has lower potential for parenteral misuse than previous oral pentazocine formulations. However, it is still subject to patient misuse and abuse by the oral route, for example, by the patient taking multiple doses at once. A fixed combination therapy comprising tilidine (50 mg) and naloxone (4 mg) has been available in Germany for the management of severe pain since 1978 (Valoron® N, Goedecke). The rationale for the combination of these drugs is effective pain relief and the prevention of tilidine addiction through naloxone-induced antagonisms at the morphine receptor. A fixed combination of buprenorphine and naloxone was introduced in 1991 in New Zealand (Temgesic® Nx, Reckitt & Colman) for the treatment of pain. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Steamed noodles or instant noodles are produced in large amounts at high speeds. In a method of producing steamed noodles or instant noodles, generally, raw materials such as flour, buckwheat flour and starch are added, kneading water (prepared by dissolving salt, brine, thickening polysaccharides, etc.) is supplied, and kneading is performed to prepare a noodle paste known as a dough. Also, the prepared noodle paste (dough) is aged, prepared into a noodle sheet by a rolling mill, and then compounded. The noodle sheet after composition is rolled by a plurality of rolling mills, and the noodle sheet after rolling is cut out by a cutting blade roll, laminated on a conveyer, and transported.
Then, the bunch of noodle strings laminated on the conveyer passes through a tunnel type of steaming device to be steamed while being transported. The bunch of noodle strings after steaming is called steamed noodles. The steamed noodles are wrapped and distributed in a market. Further, the steamed noodles are subjected to seasoning or the like, and then moved to a drying process in which the steamed noodles are dried with oil heat or hot air, resulting in the instant noodle mass.
Here, in the process of steaming the raw noodles, a large amount of bunch of noodle strings may often be continuously processed using a tunnel type of steamer. In this process, a large amount of steam is necessary since it is necessary to steam bunch of noodle strings continuously at a high speed. Further, when the steam is insufficient in this steaming process, the steamed noodles themselves may taste undercooked. Further, even when the instant noodle mass is then completed by oil heat drying and hot air drying, the so-called undercooked taste remains when the instant noodle mass is cooked by pouring hot water and eaten. Thus, the steaming process has been a very important process in producing the steamed noodles or the instant noodles.
Therefore, an amount of steam used has been large, and much energy has been consumed in generation of this steam. Therefore, in the present steaming process, if the amount of used steam can be reduced by further increasing steaming efficiency and the energy can be used more efficiently, this can reduce a production cost and can be more friendly to the environment.
Generally, various prior application technologies are disclosed as methods of increasing steaming efficiency of noodles or the like in a tunnel type of steaming device. For example, the technologies include Patent Literatures 1 and 2 below. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a cylindrical electrophotographic photoconductor having a photosensitive drum including a photosensitive layer and a flange for supporting a center shaft, in which the flange is interfitted through an adhesive to an opening end portion of the photosensitive drum. The invention also relates to a method of detecting the adhesive at the opening end portion of the photoconductor.
In the electrophotographic apparatuses that employ an electrophotographic photoconductor, copiers, to which the photoconductors first were applied, were mainly used practically in the early time. In addition to the copiers, laser printers and facsimile machines have now been widely spread as major applications due to the excellent characteristics including high image quality, high quality, and low noise, and the application range is rapidly expanding.
An electrophotographic photoconductor applied to such an electrophotographic apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, in which a photosensitive layer containing a photoconductive material is formed on an outer surface of a cylindrical conductive substrate or a drum, and a flange that supports a center shaft and is interfitted to the opening end portion of the photosensitive drum to transmit rotational driving force from the apparatus to the photosensitive drum.
For the conductive substrate or a drum, aluminum or aluminum alloy with a cylindrical shape, or a cylindrical resin provided with certain conductivity is used.
The photosensitive layer containing photoconductive material formed on the outer surface of the drum was generally composed of a vapor deposited film of photoconductive inorganic material, such as selenium or selenium alloy in the early period. Because the selenium material was considered about its toxicity, for preventing such a fear and from the view point of pursuit of diversity in characteristics and functions, searching for variety of substances, and aiming at reduction of cost, organic photoconductive materials have been rigorously researched.
From the researches, many kinds of photoconductive organic materials have been found including bisazo compounds, phthalocyanine compounds, hydrazone compounds and amine compounds.
From those materials, a material meeting the required characteristic is selected, and while combining with a resin material, dispersed or dissolved in a solvent to obtain a coating liquid. The coating liquid is dip-coated on the outer surface of the above-described drum to form a single-layer or laminated-layer coating film. Such a coating film has become widely employed for an organic photosensitive layer.
The photosensitive drum having such an organic photosensitive layer is mounted on an electrophotographic apparatus, such as a copier or a printer, with a mechanism that allows turning by receiving rotational driving force from the side of the apparatus. On the side of the photosensitive drum, a flange fitted to the opening end portion of the drum serves a function to transmit the rotational driving force to the drum. Accordingly, the flange has a gear on the periphery thereof and a center hole supporting a center shaft.
For assuring this mechanism of transmitting the rotational driving force served by the flange, it is important for the flange and for the photosensitive drum to turn without slip therebetween and to be connected securely together for a long time. Consequently, the flange and the photosensitive drum are usually joined with an adhesive to secure the connection surviving for a long period.
FIG. 2 is an illustration of a photosensitive drum having a photosensitive layer 1xe2x80x941. An adhesive 3 is applied to an opening end portion 2 of the photosensitive drum 1 by providing the adhesive to the predetermined region with a height or thickness from the tip of an adhesive dispenser 4.
Because the photosensitive drums of the electrophotographic photoconductors have various diameters or lengths, and the flanges also have various shapes depending on the types of the photoconductors, the position and the applied configuration of the adhesive must be adjusted according to the dimensions of the photoconductors. Consequently, the discharge from the dispenser is controlled for each of the photosensitive drums so that the depth from the end of the drum and application length in the circumferential direction are adjusted to proper values. The adhesive application in the circumferential direction is effectively performed by turning the photosensitive drum. The circumferential adhesive application to the inside of the opening end portion by discharging from the dispenser is not conducted to the complete perimeter since a grounding plate is required to be conductively contacted to the substrate as described later. The circumferential length of the adhesive is usually xc2xd or ⅓ of the perimeter according to requirement.
FIG. 3 is an illustration showing a flange attached to an electrophotographic photoconductor in an embodiment of the present invention. The main part of the flange 5 is made of a resin material and formed by injection molding to have a gear 6 on the periphery and a center hole 7 in the center for supporting a center shaft 9.
Rotational driving force is transmitted from the side of the apparatus through the gear 6 to the photosensitive drum. A grounding plate 8 made of an elastic metal material is attached to the flange 5. The grounding plate 8 makes the photosensitive drum electrically contacting the center shaft 9 made of a rigid metal, such as stainless steel, and functions to ground the charge carriers generated on the side of the photosensitive drum to the side of the apparatus. The flange 5 is fitted into the photosensitive drum with the side of the grounding plate 8 facing the drum. At that time, if the position on the side of the photosensitive drum corresponding to the position of the contact point 12 of the grounding plate 8 is applied with adhesive, then it often causes defective electrical conductivity. Therefore, an area without adhesive application is necessary to be conserved on the inside of the opening end portion 2 of the photosensitive drum.
However, when the adhesive is applied to the inside of the opening end portion of the photosensitive drum, it is unavoidable to have some abnormal state of departing from the designed shape of the adhesive, such as unapplied region, ununiformity, blur, and deviated position of the applied adhesive. If the photoconductor is manufactured in such an abnormal adhesion state between the photosensitive drum and the flange, and is mounted on an electrophotographic apparatus to operate the apparatus, the joint strength between the flange and the photosensitive drum can occasionally not withstand the rotational driving force received by the drum, and the joint may break resulting in failure of apparatus"" function. When the adhesive used in the joint is transparent, in particular, like a commercially available instant adhesive, a detection method that takes advantage of difference in reflectivity between the substrate and the adhesive surface using an optical fiber sensor with a red LED, can not exactly detect the adhesive, thus, visual observation of the applied condition is indispensable. The visual observation is made periodically, not continuous from the viewpoint of production cost.
Here, the abnormal state of the applied adhesive slowly develops in usual, so the periodical visual observation is liable to delay notice of the abnormal state. When the abnormal state is found, the products often have already proceeded to the next fitting step. In such a case, it is necessary to go back the production steps and to conduct destructive inspection for selecting defective products. This kind of detection method is inferior in operating performance and in economy, and adversely affected productivity of a photoconductor.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem, and an object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a cylindrical electrophotographic photoconductor, wherein the method allows to detect, indicate and judge the applied condition of an adhesive including a transparent adhesive without contact, with high accuracy and high speed, and also to confirm measured records. By making sure the selection of the product that is defective in applied condition of the adhesive, the detachment of the flange from the electrophotographic photoconductor in use is prevented for a long period.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of detecting an adhesive at the opening end portion of a cylindrical electrophotographic photoconductor.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
In a method of manufacturing a cylindrical electrophotographic photoconductor having a photosensitive drum and a flange that supports a center shaft and is fitted to the inside of an opening end portion of the photosensitive drum, the object of the invention is accomplished by the method comprising a step of detecting the adhesive using a CCD laser displacement sensor after applying the adhesive to the opening end portion and before fitting the drum with the flange.
Advantageously, the height of the adhesive is measured with the displacement sensor in the step of detecting the adhesive of the manufacturing method.
Advantageously, the measurement of the height of the adhesive is conducted by scanning the displacement sensor in an axial direction in the step of detecting the adhesive of the manufacturing method.
Advantageously, in the step of detecting the adhesive of the manufacturing method, a shape of the applied adhesive is detected by using the CCD laser displacement sensor after applying the adhesive to the opening end portion and before fitting the drum with the flange.
Advantageously, in the step of detecting the adhesive of the manufacturing method, detecting the shape of the applied adhesive is conducted by turning the photosensitive drum while scanning the displacement sensor in the axial direction.
Advantageously, the adhesive applied to the opening end portion is a transparent adhesive in the method of manufacturing the cylindrical electrophotographic photoconductor.
Further, a method for detecting an adhesive at an opening end portion of the present invention, in a step for detecting the adhesive using a CCD laser displacement sensor after applying the adhesive to the opening end portion and before fitting the drum with the flange, comprises a process of judging the presence or absence of the adhesive by taking the region without the adhesive as a base for a height measurement and making a height higher than the base by a certain value to be a threshold level.
The detection of the adhesive using the CCD displacement sensor in the present invention is conducted by determining the basic height at the base position and by measuring the adhesive height every moment while moving the sensor in the axial direction of the photosensitive drum or simultaneously turning the drum, to obtain a chart plotted in two dimensions or three dimensions with the abscissa being the axial position in the drum and the ordinate being the height or thickness of the adhesive. Here, for accurate judgement of the presence or absence of the adhesive, it is preferable to take the difference between the base position and the height of the internal surface of the drum at the interior side with respect to the applied adhesive as a threshold value in order to compensate for slant of the drum axis from the horizontal axis. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention pertains in general to computer programming and more specifically to a code profiler for collecting performance metrics about a process executing on a symmetric multiprocessor computer system.
Modern computer systems often have multiple central processing units (xe2x80x9cCPUsxe2x80x9d) that can execute different, or the same, parts of a process simultaneously. Such computers are called symmetric multiprocessor (xe2x80x9cSMPxe2x80x9d) systems. A single process executing on such a computer can have multiple threads of control simultaneously executing on different CPUs.
When designing for or porting software to SMP systems, it is advantageous to optimize the code such that it can take full advantage of the system. For example, a programmer wants to optimize the code such that process computations are balanced among the threads. Similarly, a programmer seeks to maximize the number of CPUs that actively work during particular code regions.
To achieve these ends, a programmer uses a code xe2x80x9cprofilerxe2x80x9d to analyze the behavior of a process and remove performance bottlenecks. Such profilers typically work by determining the number of CPUs and CPU time used by a process, along with other performance information, for particular code regions. The programmer then uses the profiler""s results to revise the process"" structure and operation.
For example, a programmer can use a profiler to compare the CPU time with the real-world, or wall-clock, time used to execute a process. Ideally, the concurrency ratio, the ratio of CPU time to wall-clock time, is equal to the number of CPUs available to the process. If the ratio is less than the number of CPUs, then system overhead or performance bottlenecks are slowing the process and its threads.
Some prior art profilers, however, do not provide programmers with insight into the behavior of the process on a thread-by-thread basis. For example, an extremely naive approach of determining CPU usage followed by some profilers is to use a CPU""s on board timer to sample the time before and after a code region. This approach determines the amount of time the process spent on that code region. This approach, however, fails to account for the amount of work performed by threads symmetrically executing on different CPUs. That is, the profiler will report that amount of wall-clock time spent on the task, but not the CPU time used by threads executing on other processors. Therefore, the information returned by the naive approach does not enable a programmer to determine which parts of a process are truly occupying the majority of the computer system""s time.
Some modern profilers attempt to measure process performance on a thread-by-thread basis. However, such profilers possess different problems. Some profilers require large amounts of data space to hold performance information for each concurrent thread. Others require extreme synchronization to ensure that they produce accurate results. Still other profilers simply do not scale well to systems with many processors. These types of profilers are discussed in more detail in connection with the detailed description of the preferred embodiment.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a profiler that provides a programmer with a complete analysis of CPU time and other performance metrics of a multithreaded process executing on a SMP computer system. More specifically, there is a need for a profiler that accurately determines performance metrics at the process and thread levels during a single run of the profiled process.
The above and other needs are met by a profiler that accurately measures performance metrics for all threads executing a process on a SMP computer system. The profiler uses dynamic instrumentation to cause threads to sample performance metrics before and after certain code regions. In addition, the profiler uses extensions to a parallel support layer to register a parent thread with its child threads. Each thread stores the measured performance metric, or delta, in a memory cell or cells corresponding to its region and its parent region. When the process is complete, the profiler scans through the memory storage areas and sums the deltas for each particular level of code. Then, the results may be analyzed at the thread or process level. In this manner, the profiler can be adapted to work with any process executing on the computer system.
A technical advantage of the present invention is a way to profile code on symmetric multiprocessor computer systems that accounts for all performance metrics within a code region on a thread-by-thread level.
Another technical advantage of the present invention is a way to profile code that yields concurrency ratios from 0 to xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99 threads.
Yet another technical advantage of the present invention is that it provides a summation of performance metrics for the entire process after a single run of the process.
Yet another technical advantage of the present invention is a way to profile code that minimizes synchronization and data exchange amongst threads.
Yet another technical advantage of the present invention is a way to profile code that works with read-only timers/counters that are maintained or accessed on a thread basis and does not require synchronization amongst threads.
Yet another technical advantage of the present invention is a way to profile code that scales well with an increasing number of threads and processors.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method of proposing bending sequences and bending tools for a metal plate part.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various inventions have been proposed to determine which bending sequence and which bending tool should be used for each bending line of a metal plate part having a complex shape.
For example, in the method disclosed in International Patent Publication Number WO96/15481, bending sequences and bending tools used in each bending operation are automatically determined in accordance with constraints (restrictions) or cost by a cost computation program or heuristic program.
However, in this type of method, the bending sequence believed to be the optimum choice and the bending tools used for each bending operation in such bending sequence are determined in just one way by a computer. As a result, even though this determined bending sequence and the bending tools in such bending sequence may be the optimum bending sequence or bending tools as long as the computer recognizes, there are many cases where such solution is not necessarily compatible with the jobsite of the bending factory or an optimum choice therefor.
It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus and method which make it possible to determine the bending sequences and bending tools for a metal plate part (having bent portions) that will be compatible with the jobsite at the bending factory, or that will be optimum for the jobsite by incorporating information on the actual conditions of the jobsite.
To achieve the above object, the apparatus of proposing bending sequences and bending tools for a metal plate part according to the present invention includes a system for storing a development plan of the metal plate part; a system for detecting a plurality of bending sequence proposals which make it possible to manufacture the metal plate part based on the development plan, and bending tool proposals used in each bending process of each bending sequence proposal; and a system for displaying the plurality of bending sequence proposals, wherein such display includes information showing the stage numbers in each bending sequence proposal.
Further, to achieve the above object, the method of proposing bending sequences and bending tools for a metal plate part according to the present invention includes the steps of receiving a development plan for the metal plate part; detecting a plurality of bending sequence proposals which make it possible to manufacture the metal plate part based on the development plan, and bending tool proposals used in each bending process of each bending sequence proposal; and displaying the plurality of bending sequence proposals, wherein such display includes information showing the stage numbers in each bending sequence proposal.
Preferably, the method of the present invention includes a step of storing retained tools.
Further, the method preferably includes a step of inputting a selection priority order of application tools.
Further, the method preferably includes a step of storing at least one priority item chosen from the minimum number of stages, the minimum number of turnovers, and the minimum number of rotations.
Further, the detection of the bending sequence proposals and the bending tool proposals is preferably carried out based on retained tool information or application tool selection priority order information.
Preferably, the bending sequence proposal display includes at least one information item from the information showing the setup number (the number of required setup operations), the number of turnovers, or the number of rotations in each bending sequence proposal, and information showing the total rotation angle in each bending sequence proposal.
Further, the bending sequence proposals are preferably displayed in an order starting from the minimum number of stages, the minimum number of turnovers, or the minimum number of rotations. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for combined fluid (hydrotherapy) and manipulative treatment of a patient in a tank or other container wherein the therapist can be positioned within the tank enclosure without getting wet. In particular, the present invention relates to a rigid tank with segments removed in the ends or sides and sides so that the therapist can be positioned within the enclosure of the tank with a thin, flexible, inner liner for the tank around the therapist so that he or she does not get wet and is comfortable during the therapy.
(2) Prior Art
The prior art has shown many types of hydrotherapy units. Representative are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,514,848 to Davis, 3,719,960 to Russel and 3,864,762 to Finch. None of these patents show segments of the tank or tub which can be removed to allow the therapist to move into the enclosure of the tank.
There is a need for combined manipulative and fluid treatment of a patient by a therapist, particularly in the osteopathic treatment of injuries by cranial manipulation. The principal motive for this invention is to combine the art of cranial therapy pioneered by Sutherland (Craniosacral Therapy, Upledger, et al, pages 5-13 (Eastland Press, 1983)) with the art of floatation in high specific gravity (1.3) pioneered by Lilly. The problem has been that the therapist must bend over the sides of the tank, usually in a standing position which is awkward and tiring for the therapist and thus reduces the duration and effectiveness of such treatments. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Evaporable foam casting, or lost foam casting, is employed to cast metal parts, and has particular use in casting parts having a complex configuration. In the typical evaporable foam casting process, a polymeric foam pattern is formed having a contour identical to the part to be cast. The pattern is positioned in a molten flask and the space around the pattern, as well as any cavities in the pattern, are filled with an unbonded flowable material, such as sand. When the molten metal contacts the polymeric pattern, the pattern will vaporize and the vapor will be entrapped within the interstices of the sand, while the molten metal occupies the void created by vaporization of the foam. The result is a cast metal part that is identical in configuration to the foam pattern. The evaporable foam casting process also has an advantage in that it uses unbonded sand which is easily recyclable and is considered environmentally friendly.
In the typical process for producing the polymeric foam patterns, a pair of aluminum dies are mounted within a mold and define a die cavity. Beads of the polymeric material, such as polystyrene or polymethylmethacrylate, are fed into the die cavity in an air stream and are heated in the die cavity by an external steam chest to thereby expand and fuse the beads and provide the foam pattern.
When casting articles of complex configuration, such as the engine block of an internal combustion engine, the polymeric foam pattern may consist of several pattern sections which are glued together along parting lines to form the pattern. Each pattern section is separately produced using a pair of aluminum dies and the aluminum dies are formed by machining a billet of aluminum to provide the contoured working surface of the die. In addition, the outer surface of the die is also machined to achieve a substantially uniform thickness for the die to provide uniform heat transfer. Because of the extensive machining operations that are required, the time and cost for producing the dies is substantial.
Various types of layered rapid profiling have been used in the past to produce three-dimensional models or images. In a typical laminated object manufacturing (LOM) system, a paper sheet coated with a heat sensitive binder, such as wax, on its undersurface is fed to a working area, where a laser beam operated by a CAD program is utilized to cut a desired configuration or pattern in the sheet. In addition, certain portions of the sheet between the cut pattern and the margin of the sheet are cross-hatched by the laser beam to permit subsequently removal. A second sheet of the wax coated paper is then applied over the first sheet and bonded to the first sheet through the use of a heated roller. The laser beam is then operated to cut to the depth of one layer of the sheet material and create the desired pattern in the second sheet. This process is repeated until the desired thickness is obtained and after removal of the cross-hatched areas a three-dimensional model is obtained. Models of this type have been used primarily to facilitate visual analysis of objects of complex configuration. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention is concerned with a process for the production of 3-hydroxypropionitrile, which is an important intermediate in the process for the manufacture of panthenol. The end product, especially its d(+) isomer, is a valuable agent for the treatment of dermatoses, burns and infectious ulcers, as well as a valuable additive in shampoos and other cosmetics.
Various methods for the production of 3-hydroxypropionitrile are known from the literature. For example, the reaction of 2-chloroethanol with an alkali cyanide to yield 3-hydroxypropionitrile (also known as xe2x80x9cethylene cyanohydrinxe2x80x9d) was described in Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie 128, 1 (1863). Later publications, such as, for example, Org. Synth. 3, 57 (1923), J. Soc. Chem. Ind. 67, 458 (1948) and Britton et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,311,636, concern the optimization of this basic production method. Despite the high yields allegedly achieved, the process is uninteresting commercially because of the relatively high purchase price of the 2-chloroethanol starting material, as well as the difficulty in controlling the exothermic reaction. Moreover, not only is there contamination with salt but there is also great expense involved in isolating and purifying the product of the process.
The successful production of 3-hydroxypropionitrile by the addition of hydrocyanic acid to ethylene oxide was reported around 1930 in various German patents, namely in German Patents Nos. 561,397, 570,031 and 577,686. The optimization of this addition process was described in Luskin, U.S. Pat. No. 2,653,162, in which a carboxylic acid sodium salt resin is used as the weak base, water is used as the solvent, and the reaction is effected at 45-50xc2x0 C. Still later disclosures of the production of 3-hydroxypropionitrile by the addition of hydrocyanic acid to ethylene oxide appear in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 4,304,002 as well as in Merger et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,499. However, the two starting materials are very problematical with respect to toxicity and handling. Therefore, these processes would no longer be considered in developing an up-to-date production process for 3-hydroxypropionitrile.
The production of the known 1:1 addition product of water and acrylonitrile (i.e. of 3-hydroxypropionitrile) in the presence of a basic catalyst gives rise to certain difficulties since the product reacts with further acrylonitrile to give the condensation product bis(cyanoethyl)ether, NC(CH2)2O(CH2)2CN, as described in Howk et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,579,580. Howsmon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,024,267 and Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 196,850/1984 disclose that somewhat better yields of the desired 3-hydroxypropionitrile are achieved when the reaction is carried out in a large excess of water (i.e. at high dilution) or according to J. Org. Chem. USSR 1987, 1087, in the presence of a large amount of base. However, these measures are uneconomical, especially because of the unavoidably complicated working up, the evaporation of water, and the contamination with salt. Moreover, at such high dilution, small to medium amounts of bis(cyanoethyl)ether are also formed.
The reaction of aqueous formaldehyde with acrylonitrile in the presence of strongly basic Amberlyst(copyright) IRA-400, OHxe2x88x92 form, at about 40xc2x0 C. is proposed in German Patent No. 2,655,794 as a possible solution to the above problems. However, the indicated yield of 3-hydroxypropionitrile, 75%, is moderate in this case, too.
Thus, the processes outlined above for the direct production of 3-hydroxypropionitrile have evident disadvantages.
Japanese Patent Publications (Kokai; JP) Nos. 160,949/1989, 90,160/1989, and 185,550/1983 disclose that bis(cyanoethyl)ether can be produced from acrylonitrile and water in the presence of a strong basic ion exchanger, and that the product can subsequently be pyrolyzed by means of a basic catalyst to yield the desired 3-hydroxypropionitrile and acrylonitrile. The base-catalyzed production of bis(cyanoethyl)ether from acrylonitrile and water is also known from earlier references, such as, for example, Org. Reactions 5, 79 (1945) (review article), J.A.C.S. 65, 23 (1943), J.A.C.S. 67, 1996 (1945), Ind. Eng. Chem. 44, 1388 (1952), German Patents Nos. 731,708 and 1,189,975 as well as U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,382,036, 2,448,979 and 2,816,130 to Bruson, Hopff et al., and Selcer et al., respectively. As the catalyst for this 2:1 addition reaction, a strong base (e.g. sodium hydroxide) is generally used, although a strongly basic Amberlyst(copyright) catalyst, such as Amberlyst(copyright) IRA-400, OHxe2x88x92 form, can also be used. At least small amounts of 3-hydroxypropionitrile are formed irrespective of the acrylonitrile:water ratio, the reaction temperature, or the respective strong base that is used. Based on these documents, yields of up to about 77% could be achieved using strongly basic catalysts (e.g. Amberlyst(copyright) IRA-400, OHxe2x88x92 form). The cleavage of the bis(cyanoethyl)ether described in the aforementioned Japanese patent publications is effected using a basic catalyst, especially aqueous or aqueous-methanolic potassium hydroxide/dipotassium phosphate at 72-100xc2x0 C./5 mm Hg, with about 85% yield (JP 160,949/1989, JP 90,160/1989) or tetraethylammonium acetate at 100-105xc2x0 C./10 mm Hg, with about 86% yield (JP 185,550/1983).
One aspect of the claimed invention is a process for the production of 3-hydroxypropionitrile that includes the reaction of water with acrylonitrile to give a mixture of the desired product and the bis(cyanoethyl)ether condensation product, and then the pyrolysis of this product mixture to additional 3-hydroxypropionitrile, whereby not only the mentioned reaction, but also the pyrolysis, are carried out under specific base-catalyzed and other conditions. Another aspect of this process is that, if desired, unreacted reactants, especially acrylonitrile and the water containing the catalyst, can be conducted back into the reaction system for re-use. This overall multi-stage process provides for the altogether surprisingly economical production of 3-hydroxypropionitrile, particularly because this product is formed only to some extent during the first step of the process, yet is obtained in high yield after the penultimate (pyrolysis) step.
The claimed process includes (a) reacting acrylonitrile with water at a defined molar ratio in the presence of a weak base under specific temperature and pressure conditions until a conversion in the range of about 40% to about 80% has been achieved; (b) after cooling the mixture obtained in (a), separating off its aqueous phase; (c) distilling off the acrylonitrile from the organic phase remaining after (b); (d) subjecting the mixture obtained in (c) to pyrolysis at specific temperature and pressure conditions in the presence of a basic catalyst to obtain a mixture consisting mainly of 3-hydroxypropionitrile and acrylonitrile; and (e) isolating the desired 3-hydroxypropionitrile by fractional distillation from the mixture obtained in (d). Such a process in which the basic aqueous phase and the acrylonitrile that has been distilled off are recycled represents a preferred embodiment.
One embodiment of the invention is a process for producing 3-hydroxypropionitrile. This process includes (a) reacting acrylonitrile with water at a molar ratio of about 1:0.5 to about 1:20 in the presence of a weak base at a temperature of about 80xc2x0 C. to about 150xc2x0 C. and at a pressure of about 1 bar (0.1 MPa) to about S bar (0.5 MPa) to form a two-phase organic-aqueous mixture and until a conversion of the acrylonitrile and water to 3-hydroxypropionitrile of about 40% to about 80% is achieved, wherein the organic phase consists essentially of bis(cyanoethyl)ether, 3-hydroxypropionitrile and unreacted acrylonitrile, and the aqueous phase consists essentially of an aqueous solution of the weak base; (b) cooling the mixture obtained in (a) and separating the aqueous phase from the organic phase; (c) distilling off the acrylonitrile from the organic phase remaining after (b) to obtain a mixture consisting essentially of bis(cyanoethyl)ether and 3-hydroxypropionitrile; (d) heating the mixture obtained in (c) to a temperature of about 120xc2x0 C. to about 160xc2x0 C. at a pressure of about 5 mbar (0.5 kPa) to about 500 mbar (50 kPa) in the presence of a basic catalyst selected from the group consisting of calcium, magnesium, strontium, titanium, iron and zinc oxides, alkali metal acetates, alkali metal formates, alkali metal and barium carbonates, alkali metal bicarbonates, calcium and copper hydroxides, di- and trisodium phosphates, sodium fluoride, sodium silicate and high boiling trialkylamines, to form a mixture consisting essentially of 3-hydroxypropionitrile and acrylonitrile; and (e) isolating the 3-hydroxypropionitrile by fractional distillation from the mixture obtained in (d).
Another embodiment of the invention is a process for the production of 3-hydroxypropionitrile. This process includes (axe2x80x2) reacting acrylonitrile with water at a molar ratio of about 1:0.5 to about 1:20 in the presence of a weak base at a temperature of about 80xc2x0 C. to about 150xc2x0 C. and at a pressure of about 1 bar (0.1 MPa) to about 5 bar (0.5 MPa) to form a two-phase organic-aqueous mixture and until a conversion of the acrylonitrile and water to 3-hydroxypropionitrile of about 40% to about 80% is achieved, wherein the organic phase consists essentially of bis(cyanoethyl)ether, 3-hydroxypropionitrile, and unreacted acrylonitrile, and the aqueous phase consists essentially of an aqueous solution of the weak base; (bxe2x80x2) cooling the mixture obtained in (axe2x80x2) and neutralizing the weak base by adding a weak acid to the cooled mixture; (cxe2x80x2) distilling off the acrylonitrile and the water from the mixture obtained in (bxe2x80x2) to obtain a mixture consisting essentially of bis(cyanoethyl)ether, 3-hydroxypropionitrile, and a base formed by the neutralization; (dxe2x80x2) heating the mixture obtained in (cxe2x80x2) to a temperature of about 120xc2x0 C. to about 160xc2x0 C. at a pressure of about 5 mbar (0.5 kPa) to about 500 mbar (50 kPa) in the presence of a base formed by the neutralization in step (bxe2x80x2) to obtain a mixture consisting essentially of 3-hydroxypropionitrile and acrylonitrile; and (exe2x80x2) isolating the desired 3-hydroxypropionitrile by fractional distillation from the mixture obtained in (dxe2x80x2).
The process in accordance with the invention for the production of 3-hydroxypropionitrile is a process that starts from acrylonitrile and water, and includes (a) reacting acrylonitrile with water in a molar ratio of about 1:0.5 to about 1:20 in the presence of a weak base in a temperature range of about 80xc2x0 C. to about 150xc2x0 C. and at a pressure of about 1 bar (0.1 MPa) to about 5 bar (0.5 MPa) until a conversion in the range of about 40% to about 80% has been achieved, such that a two-phase organic-aqueous mixture is obtained, wherein the organic phase consists essentially of bis(cyanoethyl)ether, 3-hydroxypropionitrile and unreacted acrylonitrile, and the aqueous phase consists essentially of an aqueous solution of the weak base; (b) cooling the mixture obtained in (a) and separating off its aqueous phase; (c) distilling off the acrylonitrile from the organic phase remaining after (b) in order to obtain a mixture consisting essentially of bis(cyanoethyl)ether and 3-hydroxypropionitrile; (d) subjecting the mixture obtained in (c) to pyrolysis at a temperature range of about 120xc2x0 C. to about 160xc2x0 C. and at a reduced pressure of about 5 mbar (0.5 kPa) to about 500 mbar (50 kPa) in the presence of a basic catalyst selected from calcium, magnesium, strontium, titanium, iron and zinc oxides, alkali metal acetates, alkali metal formates, alkali metal and barium carbonates, alkali metal bicarbonates, calcium and copper hydroxides, di- and trisodium phosphates, sodium fluoride, sodium silicate and high boiling trialkylamines in order to obtain a mixture consisting essentially of 3-hydroxypropionitrile and acrylonitrile; and (e) isolating the desired 3-hydroxypropionitrile by fractional distillation from the mixture obtained in (d).
If desired, and even preferably, the aqueous phase separated in process step (b), which contains the majority of the base used in step (a), is conducted back into step (a) of a continuously operated overall process in order to react at step (a) with further acrylonitrile. Likewise, if desired and preferably, the acrylonitrile distilled off in process step (c) and/or in process step (e) is conducted back into step (a) of such process. A process of this kind, which features such recyclization of the basic aqueous phase, as well as of the distilled-off acrylonitrile, is presented schematically as follows:
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cweak basexe2x80x9d in process step (a) denotes an inorganic or organic base, the pKa value of which is about 8 to about 12. The inorganic base is preferably an alkali metal carbonate (e.g. sodium or potassium carbonate), an alkali metal bicarbonate, (e.g. sodium or potassium bicarbonate), or a mixture of two or more of these inorganic bases, (e.g. a mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate), and the organic base is preferably a lower trialkylamine or a 4-dialkylaminopyridine. Not only in the case of xe2x80x9clower trialkylaminexe2x80x9d, but also in the case of xe2x80x9c4-dialkylamino-pyridinexe2x80x9d, the term xe2x80x9calkylxe2x80x9d denotes preferably a C1-6-alkyl group. Examples of lower trialkylamines and 4-dialkylamino-pyridines are triethylamine and ethyldiisopropylamine, and 4-dimethylamino-pyridine, respectively. Sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, a mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate or a mixture of potassium carbonate and potassium bicarbonate is preferably used as the weak base.
The amount of weak base employed is conveniently about 0.1 to about 5 mol. %, preferably about 0.5 to about 2 mol. %, based on the amount of acrylonitrile employed. The reaction of the acrylonitrile with the water is effected in process step (a) generally at a temperature of about 80xc2x0 C. to about 150xc2x0 C., preferably at temperatures in the range of about 100xc2x0 C. to about 130xc2x0 C., and generally at a pressure of about 1 bar (0.1 MPa) to about 5 bar (0.5 MPa), preferably at about 1 bar (0.1 MPa) to about 3 bar (0.3 MPa).
The acrylonitrile:water molar ratio is generally about 1:0.5 to about 1:20, preferably about 1:3 to about 1:8, particularly about 1:2 to about 1:4.
The expression xe2x80x9cwherein the organic phase consists essentially of bis(cyanoethyl)ether, 3-hydroxypropionitrile and unreacted acrylonitrilexe2x80x9d occurring in the definition of process step (a) means that the three mentioned components amount to at least 90% by weight of the organic phase. The further expression xe2x80x9cthe aqueous phase consists essentially of an aqueous solution of the weak basexe2x80x9d means that the weak base and the water in which it is dissolved amount to at least 70% by weight of the aqueous phase.
The reaction (condensation) of acrylonitrile with water in the presence of the weak base is conveniently effected on an industrial scale by combining the acrylonitrile with a solution of the base in water at room temperature in an autoclave, and heating the two-phase mixture while stirring. Pressure, which amounts to about 1 to 5 bar (0.1 to 0.5 MPa) depending on the temperature (80xc2x0 C. to 150xc2x0 C.), thereby develops in the closed autoclave.
In process step (a), the conversion is intentionally limited to the range of about 40% to about 80%, because a too high conversion leads to excessive production of undesired polymeric byproducts, as well as an increase of undesired acrylamide byproduct. The fact that unreacted acrylonitrile is present in the product is not problematical, because this starting material can be readily recovered in process step (c) and recycled, especially in step (a). Moreover, it is irrelevant whether the ratio of the products bis(cyanoethyl)ether: 3-hydroxypropionitrile in the condensation is large or small because the former product can be readily converted in process step (d) into the desired 3-hydroxypropionitrile, and the latter product is stable under the process conditions in accordance with the invention, especially the pyrolysis conditions of step (d), so that the mixture consisting mainly of the two named products can be subjected directly to pyrolysis.
Limiting the conversion necessitates the control and measurement of conversion, which can be effected conveniently by gas chromatography.
As a rule, process step (a) is completed after about 1 to 2 hours.
The advantage, in the case of step (a), of the overall process in accordance with the invention is, inter alia, the considerable suppression of the formation of undesired polymeric byproducts as well as of the likewise undesired byproduct acrylamide.
In process step (b), the separation of the aqueous phase from the two-phase organic-aqueous mixture obtained in process step (a) is accomplished. Prior to the separation, this mixture is conveniently cooled to a temperature in the range of room temperature to about +10xc2x0 C., which is effected either without active cooling or by cooling with cold water, for example water at about +5xc2x0 C. The two phases separate very readily in this temperature range.
The aqueous phase, which contains the major part of the weak base used as the catalyst, can subsequently be separated, which is conveniently effected according to methods known per se.
Preferably, the thus-separated aqueous phase, after possible replenishment with weak base, is subsequently conducted back into step (a) for reaction with additional acrylonitrile, which can also be partially recycled in a second or further cycle of process step (a).
The organic phase, which consists mainly of bis(cyanoethyl)ether, 3-hydroxypropionitrile and unreacted acrylonitrile, remaining after process step (b) has been effected, is then distilled in process step (c) in order to separate the acrylonitrile from the bis(cyanoethyl)ether and 3-hydroxypropionitrile. This is conveniently carried out by distilling off the acrylonitrile, still containing, to some extent, dissolved water, over a distillation column (e.g. a mirrored packed column), at temperatures in the range of about 60xc2x0 C. to about 100xc2x0 C. and at a pressure of about 200 mbar (20 kPa) to about 10 mbar (1 kPa). Thereby, the acrylonitrile that is distilled off is collected continuously in a suitable cooled receiver. The mixture obtained in process step (c) is a mixture consisting essentially of bis(cyanoethyl)ether and 3-hydroxypropionitril. The expression xe2x80x9cessentiallyxe2x80x9d in this context means that the two mentioned components amount to at least 80% by weight of the mixture.
The thus-separated acrylonitrile, after possible replenishment with additional acrylonitrile is preferably conducted back into step (a) for reaction with water in the presence of a weak base in a second or further cycle of process step (a).
The mixture of (essentially) bis(cyanoethyl)ether and 3-hydroxypropionitrile remaining after process step (c) has been effected is subsequently pyrolyzed in step (d), in which the bis(cyanoethyl)ether is cleaved under basic catalysis into 3-hydroxypropionitrile and acrylonitrile. This reaction occurs without the 3-hydroxypropionitrile, that is likewise present in the mixture itself, reacting. Thus, it is a surprising advantage of the process in accordance with the invention that the desired product remains unchanged under these pyrolysis conditions.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9calkali metalxe2x80x9d in process step (d), signifies in each case lithium, sodium or potassium. When a high boiling trialkylamine is used as the basic catalyst, this refers to a trialkylamine with a boiling point at normal pressure that is higher than about 150xc2x0 C.; examples are trioctylamine and tridodecylamine.
Calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, the alkali metal acetates, the alkali metal formates, the alkali metal carbonates, barium carbonate, the alkali metal bicarbonates, calcium hydroxide, trisodium phosphate as well as sodium fluoride are preferred among the basic catalysts that can be used. Calcium oxide, sodium acetate and potassium acetate are especially preferred basic catalysts.
The amount of basic catalyst employed, which is based on the total amount of the mixture of bis(cyanoethyl)ether and 3-hydroxypropionitrile obtained in process step (c) and used in process step (d), is conveniently about 0.05 to about 10 weight percent, preferably about 0.1 to about 3 weight percent.
The pyrolysis of process step (d) is effected generally in the temperature range of about 120xc2x0 C. to about 160xc2x0 C., preferably at temperatures in the range of about 130xc2x0 C. to about 150xc2x0 C., and generally at a reduced pressure of about 5 mbar (0.5 kPa) to about 500 mbar (50 kPa), preferably at about 10 mbar (1 kPa) to about 400 mbar (40 kPa).
A mixture consisting essentially of 3-hydroxypropionitrile and acrylonitrile in the molar ratio of about 1:1 results from the pyrolysis. The duration of the pyrolysis by which such a mixture is obtained depends on the batch size and, as a rule, amounts to at least one hour. Thereby, only very small amounts of acrylamide and polymeric products are produced as byproducts, which is a further advantage of the process in accordance with the invention.
The expression xe2x80x9cmixture consisting essentially of 3-hydroxypropionitrile and acrylonitrilexe2x80x9d occurring in the previous paragraph and in the definition of process step (d) means that the two mentioned components amount to at least 90% by weight of the mixture.
The pyrolysis can be effected on an industrial scale by continuously distilling off the 3-hydroxypropionitrile and acrylonitrile products formed using a distillation column and collecting them in a cooled receiver simultaneously with pyrolysis. Alternatively, the distillation effected simultaneously with the pyrolysis can be carried out selectively by condensing the two products individually, first the 3-hydroxypropionitrile and then the acrylonitrile, by suitable cooling. In this manner, the fractional distillation of process step (e) is effectively advanced by a combination of process steps (d) and (e). This represents a modification of the process in accordance with the invention.
When the mixture of 3-hydroxypropionitrile and acrylonitrile has been obtained in process step (d), the desired 3-hydroxypropionitrile is isolated by fractional distillation in the last process step, (e). If desired, and preferably, the acrylonitrile which is thereby obtained is conducted back into step (a), and re-used analogously to the situation which is described above in connection with the performance of the earlier step (c).
The fractional distillation in accordance with process step (e) is conveniently effected initially at a bath temperature of about 50xc2x0 C. to about 120xc2x0 C. and a pressure of about 180 mbar (18 kPa) to about 10 mbar (1 kPa), whereby the majority of the acrylonitrile is distilled off, and thereafter at a bath temperature of about 120xc2x0 C. to about 150xc2x0 C. and a pressure of about 110 mbar (1 kPa) and below, whereby the majority of the desired 3-hydroxypropionitrile [boiling point about 99-102xc2x0 C./10 mbar (1 kPa)] is obtained. A mirrored packed column can be used, for example, as the distillation column.
In this manner 3-hydroxypropionitrile is obtained in very good purity and in a yield which normally amounts to more than 85%, under optimal conditions more than 90%, based on the amount of the original acrylonitrile [in process step (a)] consumed.
A further aspect of the present invention includes, after achieving the about 40% to 80% conversion in process step (a), neutralizing the weak base by the addition of a weak acid in order to obtain a two-phase organic-aqueous mixture, which instead of the original weak base contains, inter alia, the base formed by the neutralization. This base constitutes the basic catalyst used in the later process step (d), so that the addition of a basic catalyst for process step (d) is avoided.
The overall process in accordance with this aspect of the present invention includes:
(axe2x80x2) reacting acrylonitrile with water at a molar ratio of about 1:0.5 to about 1:20, in the presence of a weak base, at a temperature of about 80xc2x0 C. to about 150xc2x0 C. and at a pressure of about 1 bar (0.1 MPa) to about 5 bar (0.5 MPa), until a conversion in the range of about 40% to about 80% has been achieved in order to obtain a two-phase organic-aqueous mixture, the organic phase of which consists essentially of bis(cyanoethyl)ether, 3-hydroxypropionitrile and unreacted acrylonitrile, and the aqueous phase of which consists essentially of an aqueous solution of the weak base; (bxe2x80x2) cooling the mixture obtained in (axe2x80x2) and neutralizing the weak base by the addition of a weak acid; (cxe2x80x2) distilling off the acrylonitrile and the water from the mixture obtained in (bxe2x80x2) in order to obtain a mixture consisting essentially of bis(cyanoethyl)ether, 3-hydroxypropionitrile and the base formed by the neutralization; (dxe2x80x2) subjecting the mixture obtained in (cxe2x80x2) to pyrolysis at a temperature of about 120xc2x0 C. to about 160xc2x0 C. and at a reduced pressure of about 5 mbar (0.5 kPa) to about 500 mbar (50 kPa) in the presence of the already present base, formed by neutralization, in order to obtain a mixture consisting essentially of 3-hydroxypropionitrile and acrylonitrile; and (exe2x80x2) isolating the desired 3-hydroxypropionitrile by, for example, fractional distillation, from the mixture obtained in (dxe2x80x2).
Also in this process, if desired, and even preferably, the acrylonitrile distilled off in process step (cxe2x80x2) and/or in process step (exe2x80x2) is conducted back into step (axe2x80x2) of a continuously operated overall process in accordance with this aspect of the invention.
The conditions of process steps (axe2x80x2), (cxe2x80x2), (dxe2x80x2) and (exe2x80x2) correspond in general to those conditions which are described above in connection with process steps (a), (c), (d) and (e), respectively. This also applies to process step (cxe2x80x2) vis-à-vis process step (c), although in the former step not only acrylonitrile but also water are distilled off, and also to process step (dxe2x80x2) vis-à-vis process step (d), although in the former step the base which serves as the basic catalyst is already present in the mixture of bis(cyanoethyl)ether and acrylonitrile after carrying out process step (cxe2x80x2). Furthermore, the expressions xe2x80x9cconsists essentially ofxe2x80x9d occurring in the above definition of process step (axe2x80x2), xe2x80x9cconsisting essentially ofxe2x80x9d occurring in the above definition of process step (cxe2x80x2), and xe2x80x9cconsisting essentially ofxe2x80x9d occurring in the above definition of process step (dxe2x80x2) have the same meanings as given hereinabove in relation to the process steps (a), (c) and (d) of the first mentioned embodiment or aspect of the present invention, i.e. at least 90%, at least 70%, at least 80% and at least 90%, in each case by weight, respectively.
As the weak acid, which is used for the neutralization of the weak base in process step (bxe2x80x2), there is especially used a lower (C1-3) carboxylic acid, (e.g. formic acid, acetic acid or propionic acid). For example, when sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate is used as the weak base and acetic acid is used as the weak acid, the base sodium acetate is formed by the neutralization. Preferably, a mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate is used as the weak base and acetic acid is used as the weak acid in the process in accordance with this aspect of the present invention.
If desired, the 3-hydroxypropionitrile obtained can be subjected to a hydrogenation to give 3-aminopropanol. Methods known per se can be used for this purpose, for example, using Raney nickel as the catalyst in methanol or ethanol and in the presence of anhydrous ammonia, as described in, for example, Swiss Patent No. 244,837, and J. Chem. Soc. 1946, 94, as well as JP Kokai No. 9963/1989. Ammonia prevents to a large extent the formation of secondary amines. The hydrogenation is conveniently effected at temperatures of about 100xc2x0 C. and at pressures of about 25 to about 100 bar H2 (about 2.5 to about 10.0 MPa).
The following examples are provided to further illustrate the process of the present invention. These examples are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates generally to draft inducers for hot water heaters. More particularly, the present invention relates to a blower design for expelling flue gases emanating from conventional hot water heaters.
Water heaters have been around for many years to provide a supply of heated water for both commercial and consumer usage. To generate the requisite thermal energy needed to increase the temperature of the water therein, a gas or oil fired burner is commonly employed. The burner produces hot combustion gases or flue gases, which need to be expelled from the water heater.
To minimize heat losses and maximize the overall efficiency of the water heater, it is desirable to have the heated flue gases flow through the water heater via the most rigorous path possible. Essentially, the more rigorous the path is, the more heat (energy) can be recovered from the flue gases and transferred to the water.
Presently, the vast majority of commercial water heaters rely on the chimney effect to draw flue gases up the center flue and out the chimney. Because the chimney effect relies on natural ventilation, water heaters must be designed to incorporate a less rigorous path through the flue, which sacrifices efficiency.
In some instances, centrifigal blowers have been engineered into the hot water heating system to move the gases through the water heater. The use of a blower allowed the most rigorous path possible for the flue, which in turn increased the amount of heat transferred from the flue gases to the water. However, the addition of a centrifugal blower significantly increased the overall cost and complexity of the water heating system through the use of intricate plumbing layouts and multiple piece blower housings. Furthermore, these blowers introduced dilution air into the system, which required a more powerful motor, thereby reducing the overall savings realized by recovering more heat from the flue gases.
Another problem with these blower/water heater systems was that exhaust fumes could potentially make contact with the blower motor, thereby causing the blower motor to overheat, which affected the longevity of the motor and overall efficiency of the blower unit. Also, exhaust gases contacting the motor were able to leak into the ambient environment, thereby creating various health risks due to the toxicity of the exhaust fumes.
The present invention solves many of the problems regarding the plumbing of the hot exhaust gases inside of and outside of the water heater. Additionally, the instant invention reduces production and maintenance costs while increasing the overall safety, efficiency and durability of the water heater heating system.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a water heater blower unit that is cost effective to manufacture, assemble and maintain.
An additional object of the present invention is to increase the overall efficiency of a conventional hot water heater by allowing for the implementation of a more rigorous flue path to maximize the amount of heat that can be recovered from the heated gases traveling therein.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a blower motor assembly that seals on the full circumference of its mounting base and easily mounts atop a conventional hot water heater to facilitate and maximize the potential to draw exhaust gases through and away from the water heater while minimizing the amount of motor power required to drive the system.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to keep exhaust gases from making contact with the blower motor and leaking into the surrounding atmosphere.
The present invention achieves the objectives set forth above by providing an improved motor blower assembly as described herein. The motor blower assembly of the present invention includes a scroll-shaped blower housing that mounts and seals atop a conventional hot water heater and is sized to fit between the heater""s inlet and outlet water pipes. The blower housing is not vented, in order to maximize the amount of negative pressure needed to draw flue gases out of the water heater.
The one-piece blower housing has three apertures on its top surface to receive bolts to secure a conventional motor to the blower housing, and one radially centered aperture to receive a motor shaft. The blower housing has portions defining an upper chamber for receiving an impeller. The impeller is fixed to a motor shaft attached to the rotor of the motor. Additionally, the housing has portions which define a vertical outlet that is in fluid communication with the upper chamber. The outlet provides egress for exhaust gases emanating from a hot water heater to which the blower is designed to be attached.
A blower inlet plate is provided which is positioned internal within the blower housing at an intermediate location along a sidewall of the housing. The inlet plate includes an inlet aperture that creates a vertical inlet through which exhaust gases exiting the hot water heater enter the upper chamber. The combination of the inlet plate, the lower sidewall of the blower housing and the top of the water heater form a lower chamber within which a flue pipe of the hot water heater is confined. The lower chamber is in fluid communication with the upper chamber of the blower housing via the inlet aperture of the blower inlet plate.
When the impeller is rotated, a negative pressure is created in the upper chamber of the blower housing. This negative pressure draws exhaust gases through and out of the hot water heater and into the lower chamber. The gases are then drawn into the upper chamber through the inlet aperture of the inlet plate, where they are forced through the vertical outlet of the blower housing.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Many advanced image processing applications call for an object tracking module that can track one or more feature points on an object reliably and rapidly. One such application is hand gesture recognition, which is an advanced man-machine interface technology whereby a user can command and control a computing device to perform certain operation without even touching the device. The user will wave one or both of his/her hands in a certain pattern and the computing device will rely on the object tracking module to detect and track the hand movements. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a relief valve and, more specifically, to a pressure relief valve with a singular body.
2. Discussion of the Related At
A relief valve is a type of valve used to control an amount of fluid pressure in a system. When pressure in the system rises to a predetermined level, the relief valve will open to allow the pressurized fluid to flow from an auxiliary passage out of the system. By releasing the pressurized fluid when the predetermined pressure is reached or exceeded, the system may be protected against excessive pressure. Accordingly, relief valves may be used to ensure that system pressure does not exceed design limits.
A relief valve may include a spring bearing against a poppet. The spring provides a closing force on the poppet to maintain the valve in the closed position. Once the predetermined pressure level is achieved, the poppet is unseated and opens to create a passage through which the pressurized fluid can escape from the system. The unseating of the poppet compresses the spring. When the fluid pressure is sufficiently reduced, the spring pushes the poppet back into the closed position closing off the fluid's passage of escape.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conventional relief valve. The relief valve 10 may include a fluid inlet 11 within a body portion 12. Fluid in the inlet 11 presses against a poppet 13, which when in the closed position, may be at least partially within the body 12. The fluid presses against the poppet 13 with a pressure equal to the system pressure. A spring 14 provides a closing force against the poppet 13 such that the poppet 13 will remain in the closed position as long as the system pressure does not exceed the closing force of the spring 14. The spring 14 may push against a stationary shim 18. The poppet 13 is contained within a seat 15 and the seat 15 may allow the fluid to escape through an outlet 16 when the poppet 13 is in the open position. The spring 14 may be within a housing 17. The poppet 13 may at least partially enter the housing 17 when in an open position.
The body 12, the seat 15 and the housing 17 together form a body structure that confines the pressurized fluid. The seat 15 may be welded to both the body 12 and the housing 17 to confine the fluid. The welding may be performed using a brazing process. Alternatively, the seat 15 may be welded to the body 12 by an electron beam welding process and the seat 15 may be welded to the housing 17 by a laser tack welding process.
While modern welding techniques may be quite effective, the possibility still exists that leakage may occur at the welding points. This may be especially true for relief valves operating in high-pressure systems. Moreover, welding can add significantly to the complexity and cost of relief valve manufacture. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetoresistive element using a magnetoresistive film in which a sense current is flowed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the film surface, a magnetoresistive head using the particular magnetoresistive element, and a magnetic reproducing apparatus having the magnetoresistive head installed therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a certain type of a ferromagnetic material, it is known that the electrical resistance is changed in accordance with the intensity of an external magnetic field. This particular phenomenon is called the magnetoresistive effect and can be used for detecting an external magnetic field. A field-sensing element utilizing the magnetoresistive effect is called a magnetoresistive element, hereinafter referred to as an “MR element” in some cases.
The MR element is utilized in a magnetic head for reading information stored on a magnetic recording medium in a magnetic reproducing apparatus utilizing a magnetic recording medium such as a hard disk or a magnetic tape, and the particular magnetic head is called an MR head.
In recent years, magnetic recording density is being made higher in the magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus utilizing the MR head, particularly, in a hard disk apparatus, with the result that the size of one bit is being made smaller and the leakage magnetic flux from the bit, i.e., the signal magnetic field, is being made lower. Such being the situation, an MR element of high sensitivity and a high signal-to-noise ratio, which is capable of providing a high magnetoresistive ratio even under a lower magnetic field, is required for reading information written on a magnetic recording medium with a high density.
Under the circumstances, a giant magnetoresistive element (GMR element), i.e., a so-called “spin-valve film”, that permits to provide a high MR ratio is generally used nowadays as the MR element included in the hard disk MR head.
The spin-valve film has a stacked structure comprising a ferromagnetic layer F, a non-magnetic layer S, a ferromagnetic layer P, and an antiferromagnetic layer, which are stacked in the order mentioned. The ferromagnetic layer P and the ferromagnetic layer F are in a magnetically non-coupled state with the nonmagnetic layer S interposed therebetween. The magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer P is pinned by the exchange bias with the antiferromagnetic material, and the magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer F can be easily rotated by, for example, an external magnetic field (e.g., an signal magnetic field). It is possible to obtain a high magnetoresistive effect by allowing the magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer F alone to be rotated by the external magnetic field so as to change the relative angle made between the magnetization directions of the two ferromagnetic layers.
The ferromagnetic layer F may be referred to as a free layer, a field-sensing layer or a magnetization free layer. The ferromagnetic layer P may be referred to as a pinned layer or a magnetization pinned layer. The nonmagnetic layer S may be referred to as a spacer layer, an interface regulating intermediate layer or an intermediate layer.
In the GMR head widely used nowadays, employed in general is a system in which a sense current is flowed in a direction parallel to the film surface to measure the resistance in the direction parallel to the film surface. This system is generally called a current-in-plane (CIP) system. In the case of the CIP system, it is possible to obtain an MR ratio of about 10 to 20%. However, it is expected that an even higher MR ratio be required in order to achieve reproduction at a high recording density exceeding 200 Gbit/inch2. On the other hand, it is difficult to obtain an MR ratio exceeding 20% when it comes to the CIP spin-valve film available nowadays. As a result, the situation as to how much the MR ratio can be increased is a serious problem that must be solved for further improving the recording density.
Under the circumstances, a current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) GMR film, which is generally said to exhibit an MR ratio higher than that of the CIP-GMR film, is attracting attention. In the CPP system, a sense current is flowed in a direction perpendicular to the film surface. However, in the CPP-GMR film, the resistance of the portion corresponding to the thickness of the GMR film is to be measured and, thus, the unit-area resistance is made very low. As a result, the output as the resistance of the element is very low so as to give rise to a problem that it is impossible to obtain a high signal-to-noise ratio.
In order to overcome the aforementioned problems of the low resistance and the low MR ratio, a CPP-GMR element provided with a resistance adjustment layer having a current confining effect is proposed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,348,274. In this prior art, however, the interlayer coupling (Hin) between the free layer and the pinned layer is made prominent so as to give rise to a problem that the breakdown voltage is lowered. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
For many years, rocking chairs have been popular furniture pieces in the home. The repetitive rocking motion of the chair can be quite relaxing and comforting to a seated occupant. In addition, the appearance of the rocking chair is such that it can be used with a variety of furniture styles, particularly traditional styles with a heavy emphasis on visible wood.
In recent years, furniture designers have looked for alternatives to rocking chairs that can provide a similarly relaxing repetitive motion. One alternative has been the gliding chair, or "glider", which includes structure that enables the seat portion of the chair to "glide" forwardly and rearwardly relative to its base to mimic generally the rocking motion of a rocking chair. Often the gliding structure comprises a set of swing links that are pivotally attached at their upper ends to the base and extend downwardly therefrom to attach to a structure, such as a mounting bracket, that is attached to the seat. In this configuration, the seat is suspended from the base and is free to swing forwardly and rearwardly in a double pendulum-type motion in response to a forwardly or rearwardly-directed force applied by a seated occupant. The gliding path of the chair is controlled by the configuration and mounting of the swing links. These chairs can be constructed to resemble traditional rocking chairs and thus are quite popular.
Another type of seating unit that has become popular is the recliner chair. Recliners typically include some type of mechanism that, when actuated, causes the seat and backrest of the recliner to pivot relative to the base in order to place an occupant of the seating unit in a reclined position. Also, many recliners include an extendable footrest, or "ottoman," that extends forwardly of the seat and retracts beneath the seat as desired.
Reclining capability has been combined with gliding capability in a single unit to provide a chair that both reclines and glides. This chair includes a mechanism that enables it to move between upright and reclined positions, and further includes the aforementioned swing links attached between the base and the seat, armrests, or mechanism itself to enable the chair to glide. Examples of such chairs are illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,536,029 and 4,544,201, both to Rogers, Jr., and in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/957,409, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In particular, the inclusion of an extendable ottoman can provide a comfortable seating unit.
Despite the advances described above, the gliding chairs with extendable footrests designed heretofore have some significant shortcomings and limitations. One of the more important limitations is the permissible size of the mechanism that extends the ottoman. The ottoman-extending mechanism must fit within the volume bounded by peripheries of the seat and the base, and must be positioned above the underlying surface a sufficient distance that the chair has adequate space to glide. This has been accomplished in large, bulky chairs such as those illustrated in the Rogers patents cited hereinabove, but many prior art mechanisms have been too large to use with a traditionally-sized rocking chair or glider, which typically have a cavity only about 8 to 10 inches in height and 16 to 18 inches in length available for a mechanism. Because of the space limitations, mechanisms that conserve space beneath the chair are desirable.
An additional design consideration for chairs having extendable ottomans is how the ottoman is stabilized in its retracted and extended positions. Commonly, the ottoman is moved from the retracted to the extended position via a handle or other releasing device, then is returned to the retracted position either through the use of the handle or by the occupant exerting a downwardly-directed force with his legs on the extended ottoman. If (as is often preferred) the chair relies on the occupant supplying the force to retract the ottoman, care should be taken in the design of the chair to ensure that the ottoman maintains its extended position and does not retract except when desired.
In addition, some prior chairs with extendable ottomans have suffered from instability problems. Unless some stabilizing mechanism is incorporated into the chair, the seat is free to glide relative to the base irrespective of whether the chair is in the upright position, a reclined position, or an intermediate position between the upright and reclined positions. As such, the occupant typically keeps his feet on the underlying surface for stability when the chair is in the upright position. Of course, when the chair moves from the upright position to one in which the ottoman is extended, the occupant moves his feet out of the way of the extending ottoman. As the occupant moves his feet from the floor, typically the chair reacts with a forward gliding movement. This gliding motion of the chair (along with the posture of the occupant) can give the occupant the feeling that he is being "pitched" forward during extension of the ottoman. Accordingly, it is desirable that a gliding unit having an extendable ottoman be configured to address this problem. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Elevators having elevator car are type of transportation where the elevator car travels vertically or approximately vertically to a landing within a hoistway. The elevator car is typically travelling upon car guide rails and serves stations, landing or floors along way of the car vertical travelling.
Automatic elevators are referred to as elevator cars that respond automatically by momentary pressing a button that calls the elevator car to a designated floor and without stopping between floors.
Non automatic elevators are referred to as elevators that the button that calls the elevator car to the designated stop must be pressed until the elevator car reaches to the designated floor.
A conventional elevator typically includes, elevator control panel, elevator car which is used to lift and lowering a load such as but not limited to people. The elevator car is designed to lift predetermine maximum load. A counterweight is used for balancing the elevator car, usually the counterweight weights 50% from the maximum allowed weight in the elevator car. The elevator further includes cables or ropes that are connected between the counterweight and the elevator car. The elevator further includes a lifting machine that is used as a driving force for lifting and lowering the elevator car load. The elevator car further includes a safety braking or catching mechanism such as but not limited to guide rail braking safety system which is a mechanical catching device that is used to break or lock the elevator car on the elevator guide rails, for example in case where there is a free falling of the elevator car. The mechanical catching device can be operated mechanically or operated by an electrical command.
The lifting mechanism typically includes an electric motor which is used for driving directly or with transmission arrangement of friction wheels. Upon the friction wheels hanged the cables that are connected between the elevator car and the counterweight. The friction between the cables and the friction wheels allows travel movement of the elevator car and the counterweight which are driving by the lifting machine. The elevator further includes a flywheel or any other means that is typically connected directly or indirectly to the electric motor shaft which helps to stop/brake the lifting machine. On the lifting machine typically installed one or more braking(s) devices that are used to prevent from the lifting machine travelling of the elevator car when the electric motor of the lifting machine doesn't receive electrical current. The braking(s) device(s) and the electrical motor receive electric power from the same source. When the braking(s) device(s) receives electric power they are held open electrically allowing the motor rotation. A power failure will cause the brake to engage with the flywheel and prevent the elevator from moving. The braking(s) device(s) typically include one or more shoes or pad drop. The braking(s) device(s) further includes one or more adjustable braking springs and one or more electromagnets. When the electric motor receives electric power, this brake is electrically lifted or “picked” against the adjustable tensioned or compressed springs. When the electric motor doesn't receives electric power the electrical power is also removed from the braking(s) device(s), these springs ensure the immediately drops back against the flyingwheel, bringing the car to a safe stop. When the braking(s) device(s) are not energized they will securely hold in place the elevator and the counterweight. When the elevator car travelling movement is desired the electromagnet is energized thereby a force is applied on the shoes or pads causing them to depart slightly from the flywheel and thus the flywheel can rotate freely. Some of the braking devices include adjusting means such as an adjusting screw that is used for adjusting the distance between the brake shoes and the flywheel and also for adjusting the pressure that brake spring(s) apply on the flywheel when the electromagnet is not energized.
The braking force is determined according to the weight of the elevator because the counterweight is heavier than the weight of the elevator car and the weight is roughly equal to the weight of the elevator car with approximately half of the load permitted to carry in the elevator car due to an imbalance between the elevator car weight and the counterweight. The brake is considered a safety device that without the braking device the elevator car will move freely due to the imbalance between the elevator car weight and the counterweight.
During normal working hours of the elevator there is a friction reduction, the brake shoes are worn away and the braking force of the brakes is reduced. This friction reduction of the brake shoes is reduced even more as a result of an electrical fault. In this case the brake shoes are not open when the motor receives voltage and manages to rotate the flywheel even when the brake shoes are in a closed position. Another known fault is when the braking shoes remains open even though the electromagnet is not receiving voltage. In each of these cases described above, the elevator car will move freely and without control, even when the elevator car doors and hoistway doors are open.
In such cases, the elevator control panel does not receives electrical signals that notifies that the elevator car is moving in the hoistway and therefore will not do anything to prevent this action. What is needed in this scenario is activation of the emergency brake that locks for example the elevator car on the elevator guide rails and prevents elevator car movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,505 describes an arrangement for detecting elevator car position relative to a floor landing includes an optical potentiometer associated with both the elevator car and the interior of an elevator hoistway. One portion of the potentiometer is attached to the elevator car, while the other portion of the potentiometer is fixed within the hoistway. Car position is ascertained by illuminating portions of a fluorescent fiber optical cable and then reading electrical signals outputted by photodetectors at either end of the cable. The difference between the electrical signals corresponds to the distance of the elevator car from the landing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,618 describes a floor selector comprising a tracing means moved with the elevator movement, but on a reduced scale, and a preceding means driven ahead of the tracing means simultaneously with start of the elevator cage at a higher speed than the tracing means; wherein molded oscillators are installed on the tracing means, molded receivers are provided on the preceding means, and the outputs of the receiver are combined logically whereby various signals for controlling the elevator operation are obtained.
US 20130025973A1 describe An elevator control device includes a control device body controlling operation of one or more elevators operated between plural floors of a building, and carries out emergency evacuation operation for evacuating people by using an elevator when the building suffers from fire, earthquake, or the like. The elevator control device includes a damage detector that detects damage due to disaster at each floor and outputs the detected damage as damage information of each floor; and a person detector that detects the number and positions of persons present at each floor and outputs these data as person number and position information, and in the emergency evacuation operation, the elevator control device body develops an elevator evacuation operation plan based on the position of the elevator car, the damage information, and the person number and position information, and controls the operation of elevator based on the developed evacuation operation plan.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,721 describe a U-shaped channel is mounted on the elevator car. A solid vane is mounted on the shaft wall near each floor. As the car approaches each floor the vane passes between the walls of the U-shaped column. A plurality of photo transmitter-receivers are mounted on the channel. The receivers on one wall and the transmitters on the opposite wall. As the vane passes between the walls, it obscures or occludes the light from the transmitters and the receivers are successively turned on and off in an arrangement indicative of the distance to the floor level.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,584,812 describes a brake monitor for monitoring a brake system of an elevator system that includes a drive and a drive controller checks for a travel signal generated by the elevator system. If a brake-release signal is not received within a time-window after the occurrence of the travel signal, the brake monitor activates a relay circuit for interrupting a safety circuit of the elevator system or for interrupting a control voltage of the drive controller so that the elevator system can be stopped.
CA2731667C describe brake monitor for monitoring a brake system of an elevator system that includes a drive and a drive controller in addition to the brake system. The brake monitor includes a first brake signal input for electrically connecting the brake monitor to a first brake contact of the brake system. The brake monitor further comprises a driving signal input for connecting the brake monitor to a first electrical driving signal line of the drive controller. Also provided are a power supply, a microprocessor and a relay circuit. The relay circuit is configured such that it can be activated for interrupting a safety circuit of the elevator system or for interrupting a control voltage of the drive controller so that the elevator system can be stopped.
US2011011682 describes an elevator drive has a brake device with compression springs to actuate brake levers, and brake linings on a brake drum creating a braking force. A sensor is provided to detect the movement of a brake magnet armature tappet. A bracket is attached to the brake magnet tappet on one end and a distance piece carrying the sensor housing is arranged on the other end. A restoring lug is attached to the existing mechanical indicator. A monitor evaluates the sensor signal and turns off the elevator drive in the event of dangerous operational states via a safety circuit. The system allows the state of the brake device to be monitored. The more the brake linings wear off due to abrasion, the smaller the distance between the armature and the brake magnet housing. If the armature is in contact with the brake magnet housing, the braking ability of the brake linings is completely void.
The problem with this solutions is that normally with existing elevators there are many types of elevator motors and brakes, thus there is a need to match for each motor and brake the right sensitive electric switches and sensors that will fit and there is a need to customize the way the switches are connected or grabbed with the motor/brake.
In addition every type of elevator typically have different control panel and when installing additional switches for monitoring the brakes there is a need to do changes in the elevator control panel. Changes in the elevator control panel require authority's approval. In addition the installation time of the sensitive switches is long and expensive.
Furthermore, the efficiency of such a switches system is not very high, first, it requires very sensitive switches with a small crawl space of about 1 mm which are installed in an unclean environment and therefore their reliability over the years is reduced. An additional disadvantage of the methods known in the art is that it checks if the brake does not open or the does not close which is based on the state of the switches. In this method the elevator system cannot recognize for example the state of the brake shoes and the grade erosion of the brake shoes that may cause the elevator car moving freely when the electric motor doesn't receive power. In this case, the switches system shows that brake shoes are in closed state while elevator car moving freely because there isn't friction or small friction between the flywheel and the brake shoes.
The solutions which are known in the art are, monitoring the status of the brakes by adding one or more switches which are sensitive on the brake shoes that change their state according to a gap between the flywheel and the brake shoes. If for some reason the brake is not open when the electric motor receives electric power or the brake is not in closed position when the electric motor doesn't receive electric power, the control panel of the elevator will stop the power to the electric motor.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide elevator brake monitoring system and method that monitor also the erosion of the brake shoes.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide elevator brake monitoring system and method that monitor the erosion of the brake shoes which is not dependent with the switching system that was described above.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide elevator brake monitoring system and method which is based on monitoring of the state of the electric power to the brake(s) and the elevator car position. By these monitoring, a decision is made to decide if whether to activate the elevator emergency brake or not.
Another object of the present invention is to provide elevator brake monitoring/controlling system and method which is simple to install and use and can fit for all types of elevators that moves with cables/ropes and lifting machine is equipped with brake(s).
Another object of the present invention is to ensure that the emergency brake will not be activated whenever the car stops between floors intentionally or unintentionally during normal operation. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Prognosis in clinical cancer is an area of great concern and interest. It is important to know the aggressiveness of the malignant cells and the likelihood of tumor recurrence in order to plan the most effective therapy. Breast cancer, for example, is managed by several alternative strategies. In some cases local-regional and systemic radiation therapy is utilized while in other cases mastectomy and chemotherapy or mastectomy and radiation therapy are employed. Current treatment decisions for individual breast cancer patients are frequently based on (1) the number of axillary lymph nodes involved with disease, (2) estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status, (3) the size of the primary tumor, and (4) stage of disease at diagnosis (Clark et al. (1983) N. Engl. J. Med. 309: 1343). It has also been reported that DNA aneuploidy and proliferative rate (percent S-phase) can help in predicting the course of disease (Dressler et al. (1988) Cancer 61: 420); and Clark et al. (1989 N. Engl. J. Med. 320: 627). However, even with these additional factors, the course of disease for all breast cancer patients cannot generally be predicted.
Similarly, in the case of colorectal carcinoma, although approximately 70% of the patients with primary disease may undergo an apparently curative resection, 40% will develop recurrent disease within 5 years (McArdle et al. (1990) Br. J. Surg. 77: 280-282). Liver metastases are the major determinant of reduced survival (Finley and McArdle (1983) Gastroenterology 85: 596-599), however, it is still difficult to predict patients at risk.
Follow-up regimens after removal of primary cancers, in general, consist of interval history, physical examinations and surveillance (e.g., endoscopy, mammography, detection of molecular markers, etc.). While the surveillance of molecular markers offers a relatively convenient, non-invasive follow-up regimen, the prognostic value of a number of known markers is unresolved. For example, in the case of colorectal cancer, the utility of analysing consecutive serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels has been questioned (Kievit and Van der Velde (1990) Cancer 65: 2580-2587; Virgo et al. (1995) JAMA 23: 1837-1841). Nevertheless, CEA is still used as an eventual predictor of residual disease or metastases (Lucha et al. (1997) Dis. Colon Rectum 40: 145-149).
In practice, however, identification of reliable markers for cancer detection and in particular for cancer prognosis has proved to be a difficult task. Certain released fragments and molecules may be rapidly cleared from circulation by the lymph nodes, liver and phagocytosis. Further, certain molecules are present in several different connective tissues, thus making correlation to metabolism in a particular tissue based on circulating levels of the molecule uncertain. Even where levels of a particular molecule can be traced to metabolism in the tissue of interest, the molecules may decline to undetectable levels or be biochemically altered in structure during particular stages of a disease.
Not surprisingly, therefore, attempts to develop assays, especially those utilizing serum, that correlate levels of certain proteins to cancer prognosis have met with mixed success. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Recently, a quadruped robot apparatus which behaves in response to an instruction given by the user of the robot apparatus and adaptively to the surrounding environment and the like has been developed by the Applicant of the present invention, and commercially available. Such a robot apparatus has installed therein a CCD (charge coupled device) camera and microphone. Assessing the environmental condition and determining whether or not an instruction has been given by the user, based on an environment captured by the CCD camera, and a command voice from the user or an ambient sound, picked up by the microphone, the robot apparatus autonomously decides how to behave, and does the behavior, based on the results of assessment and determination.
However, since the robot apparatuses of the above type are normally used in the ordinary dwellings in which there exist many obstacles to the robot apparatus such as doorsills, power cords and the like, some measures have to be worked out to prevent the robot apparatus from easily tumbling while walking in such an environment. To this end, some solutions have been proposed. One of such solutions is a quadruped robot apparatus which controls its own behavior by detecting an obstacle based on image signals from the CCD camera and causing itself to detour around the obstacle based on the result of detection. Another solution is to provide a special force sensor in each of leg blocks of the robot apparatus, and detect, based on an output from the sensor, whether the robot apparatus has collided with any obstacle.
In the robot apparatus using the CCD camera, however, detecting an obstacle based on the image signals from the CCD camera takes a long time and it is not possible to recognize an obstacle, if any, at any high success rate. Also, the sensors provided in the leg blocks add to the number of parts of the robot apparatus whose construction will thus be complicated and production cost and weight will be increased.
Further, in case such a robot apparatus is provided with a plurality of sensors in predetermined positions, it will be able to detect an obstacle and behave as specified (sitting down, for example) correspondingly to a pressed one of the sensors. Therefore, provision of more sensors on the robot apparatus will permit the user of the robot apparatus to enjoy higher-level interactions with his or her robot apparatus.
However, in case such touch sensors are provided in predetermined positions on the robot apparatus, touch can only be detected in the limited positions and thus the interaction of the robot apparatus with its user will be limited. For example, use of advanced sensors for detection of a direction in which a force has been applied to the robot apparatus will also lead to a complicated construction, and an increased production cost and weight, of the robot apparatus. Also, such sensors cannot be provided at all portions of the robot apparatus. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising doravirine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and lamivudine. These compositions are useful for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
Specifically, this invention relates to single tablet fixed-dose combinations of doravirine, lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. A fixed-dose combination is desired and useful for the treatment of HIV infection from both compliance and convenience standpoints.
The novel pharmaceutical compositions of the instant invention address the need for incorporation of high doses of doravirine, lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate into a compact, single-unit dosage form while still maintaining comparable bioperformance to those of co-dosed doravirine, lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate single entity formulations. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention is generally directed to nanoscale computing and memory circuits, and, more particularly, to the formation of nanowires for device applications.
With the constantly decreasing feature sizes of integrated-circuit devices, the need for increasingly fine, lithographically-defined patterning is limiting further advances of the technology. Consequently, a growing amount of effort is being devoted to self-assembly techniques to form nanoscale switching elements; see, e.g., C. P. Collier et al, xe2x80x9cElectronically Configurable Molecular-Based Logic Gatesxe2x80x9d, Science, Vol. 285, pp. 391-394 (Jul. 16, 1999). The self-assembled switching elements may be integrated on top of a Si integrated circuit so that they can be driven by conventional Si electronics in the underlying substrate. To address the switching elements, nanoscale interconnections or wires, with widths less than 10 nm and lengths exceeding 1 xcexcm, are needed. The self-assembled wires connecting the conventional electronics to the self-assembled switching elements should be anchored at locations defined by the underlying circuitry and should be composed of materials compatible with Si integrated-circuit processing.
Recent reports have shown that catalytic decomposition of a Si-containing gas by a metal, such as Au or Fe, can form long xe2x80x9cnanowiresxe2x80x9d; see, e.g., J. Westwater et al, xe2x80x9cGrowth of silicon nanowires via gold/silane vapor-liquid-solid reactionxe2x80x9d, Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B, Vol. 15, pp. 554-557 (May/June 1997) and A. M. Morales et al, xe2x80x9cA Laser Ablation Method for the Synthesis of Crystalline Semiconductor Nanowiresxe2x80x9d, Science, Vol. 279, pp. 208-211 (Jan. 9, 1998). These studies were based an earlier-developed technique frequently called the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. A liquid alloy droplet containing the metal and Si is located at the tip of the wire and moves along with the growing end of the wire. The wires may either be formed in the gas phase or anchored at one end on a substrate; see, e.g., J. L. Liu et al, xe2x80x9cGas-source MBE growth of freestanding Si nano-wires on Au/Si substratexe2x80x9d, Superlattices and Microstructures, Vol. 25, No. xc2xd, pp. 477-479 (1999). However, Au and Fe migrate into Si rapidly and create deep levels, which can degrade devices, such as addressing circuitry and other portions of the system formed by conventional Si integrated-circuit technology.
Titanium and TiSi2 are compatible with integrated-circuit technology and are frequently used in Si circuits to reduce resistance of silicon and polycrystalline-silicon conducting regions. Although Ti forms deep levels in Si, its solubility and diffusion coefficient in Si are low, and the deep levels are not at mid-gap. With suitable handling, Ti is generally accepted in integrated-circuit facilities.
Long, thin xe2x80x9cnanowiresxe2x80x9d of silicon or other materials, such as carbon, can be formed by catalyst-enhanced reaction of gaseous precursors; see, e.g., the above-mentioned patent application Ser. No. 09/280,048. The catalysts are often metal-containing nanoparticles either on the surface of a substrate or suspended in the reactor ambient. The nanowires may be useful in electronic or other devices as either connections to an electronic element such as a switch or as electronic elements themselves; see, e.g., the above-mentioned patent applications Ser. Nos. 09/280,225, 09/280,045, 09/280,189, and 09/280,188. However, it is difficult to control the placement of these free-standing wires, and therefore it is difficult to use these nanowires in real integrated circuits.
The fabrication of nanowires is important for device applications, such as logic circuits, crossbar memories, etc. Two lithographic fabrication approaches that have been used on larger scale devices include electron beams and X-rays. The typical size of an electron beam is about 20 nm, and would require rastering the beam over a surface. The typical size of an X-ray beam is about 50 nm, and there are no lenses available to focus an X-ray beam. Also, the use of X-rays requires a synchrotron, and thus is very expensive. Neither approach permits generation and use of a beam on the order of 10 nm, which is required for nanowire fabrication.
In either event, it is not presently possible to achieve critical dimensions in patterning down to 10 nm. The present invention solves this problem, enabling the fabrication of nanowires with widths below 10 nm and with lengths extending into microscale dimensions, thereby avoiding the difficulties of rastering and the cost of a synchrotron, while permitting more accurate control of the placement of the nanowires.
In accordance with the present invention, a method is provided for forming a platen useful for forming nanoscale wires for device applications. The method comprises:
(a) providing a substrate having a major surface;
(b) forming a plurality of alternating layers of two dissimilar materials on the substrate to form a stack having a major surface parallel to that of the substrate;
(c) cleaving the stack normal to the major surface to expose the plurality of alternating layers; and
(d) etching the exposed plurality of alternating layers to a chosen depth using an etchant that etches one material at a different rate than the other material to thereby provide the surface with extensive strips of indentations and form the platen useful for molding masters for nano-imprinting technology.
The pattern of the platen is then transferred into a substrate comprising a softer material to form a negative of the pattern, which is then used in further processing.
Also in accordance with the present invention. a nano-imprinting device, or platen, comprises a plurality of alternating layers of the two dissimilar materials, with the layers of one material etched relative the layers of the other material to form indentations of the one material. Each material independently has a thickness within a range of about 0.4 nm to several hundred nm. The device is then oriented such that the indentations are perpendicular to a surface to be imprinted and the pattern created by the indentations is into the surface.
The fabrication of nanowires disclosed and claimed herein avoids most, if not all, of the problems of the prior art. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Urethral catheter stabilizing devices are required to perform two (2) primary functions. First, the device must hold the catheter tube positionally stabilized relative to the device itself. Second, the device itself must be held positionally stabilized relative to the body of the patient. Prior art urethral catheter holding devices generally fail to satisfactorily perform one or both of these functions. For example, some devices require conventional adhesive tape to be secured to the patient's skin; such tape, as a general rule, does not hold in place for any considerable period of time and is often time-consuming and bothersome to employ. Other devices utilize stretch rubber strips with VELCRO fastening devices wherein the strips encircle the patient's thigh; these are unsatisfactory because, in order to prevent the device from slipping along the thigh, the strips must be wrapped so tightly as to constrict blood circulation. Other devices hold the tube by means of some snap-fit engagement; such devices are subject to displacement of the catheter tube from the device and to movements which inadvertently remove the tube from the snap-fit. Still other devices require that the tube be tied, taped, or similarly engaged to the device; such arrangements tend to restrict the flow through the catheter tube. Finally, there are other devices which require special configurations of catheter tubes to engage the tube properly; such custom tubing requirements are clearly undesirable since it will not be useful for the majority of commercially available catheters. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Cables supporting or suspending structures such as antennas and bridges often vibrate due to wind and rain. In the case of cables for bridges, the traffic passing the bridge also contributes to the vibrations however 95 percent of the vibrations are caused by wind and rain. These vibrations are undesirable as they may result in damage on the cables and fatigue.
It is known to try to reduce these vibrations by introducing viscous or frictional dampers to bridge cables and stays. However, such means do not prevent rain-wind induced rivulets. Such rivulets change the aerodynamic profile of the cable which causes the cable to vibrate. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
K-Ras is the most frequently mutated oncogene in human cancer. However, past attempts to directly target this enzyme with reversible inhibitors have been almost entirely unsuccessful.
Ras proteins are small guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that act as molecular switches by cycling between active GTP-bound and inactive GDP-bound conformations. Ras signaling is regulated through a balance between activation by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), most commonly son of sevenless (SOS), and inactivation by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) such as neurofibromin or p120GAP (see FIG. 1). The Ras proteins play a critical role in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Dysregulation of the Ras signaling pathway is almost invariably associated with disease. Hyper-activating somatic mutations in Ras are among the most common lesions found in human cancer. Most of these mutations have been shown to decrease the sensitivity of Ras to GAP stimulation and decrease its intrinsic GTPase activity, leading to an increase in the active GTP-bound population. Although mutation of any one of the three Ras isoforms (K-Ras, N-Ras, or H-Ras) has been shown to lead to oncogenic transformation, K-Ras mutations are by far the most common in human cancer. For example, K-Ras mutations are known to be often associated with pancreatic, colorectal and non-small-cell lung carcinomas. Similarly, H-Ras mutations are common in cancers such as papillary thyroid cancer, lung cancers and skin cancers. Finally, N-Ras mutations occur frequently in hepatocellular carcinoma.
The structural basis for the Ras cycle and Ras hyperactivation are well understood. Over 40 crystal structures of H-Ras have been solved, including both wild-type and mutants bound to GDP or analogs of GTP. Likewise, the structures of H-Ras in complex with many of its binding partners are known. The nucleotide-binding pocket is bordered by four main regions: the phosphate-binding loop (P-loop, residues 10-17), Switch 1 (residues 30-40), Switch 2 (residues 60-76), and the base-binding loops (residues 116-120 and 145-147), (Hall et al. PNAS, 2002, 19, 12138-12142 and Vetter 2001 Science). The Switch regions govern interactions between Ras and its binding partners by adopting different conformations when bound to GTP or GDP. Threonine-35 and glycine-60 make key hydrogen bonds with the γ-phosphate of GTP, holding the Switch 1 and Switch 2 regions in the active conformation, respectively. Upon hydrolysis of GTP and release of phosphate, these two regions are free to relax into the inactive GDP conformation.
The regions bordering the nucleotide pocket also contain the most common sites of Ras mutation in cancer. The vast majority of oncogenic mutations occur at residues 12 or 13 in the P-loop, or residue 61 in Switch 2. Structural data suggest that mutation of glycine-12 or glycine-13 would sterically occlude the critical arginine residue of the GAP and thus prohibit inactivation of Ras signaling. Mutation of glutamine-61 similarly impairs GAP-mediated Ras inactivation.
Thus, there is a need in the art for effective Ras inhibitors and anticancer compounds. The present invention provides solutions to these and other problems in the art. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Multicarrier technology has been applied or tested in many different fields of communications, ranging from terrestrial uses to satellite communications, and from home networking to broadcast television transmission. Potential advantages of such technology include increased throughput and greater bandwidth utilization. One spectrally efficient form of multicarrier technology—orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)—is already in common use in such varied applications as digital audio broadcasting (DAB), digital terrestrial television broadcasting (DVB-T or ISDB-T), digital television broadcasting for handheld devices (DVB-H), terrestrial and handheld digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB-T/H), digital subscriber line (DSL) for high-bit-rate digital subscriber services on twisted pair channels, and wireless networking under such standards as IEEE 802.11 and 802.16.
A multicarrier system design may be selected from among several different configurations. For example, a single-input, single-output (SISO) system transmits one multicarrier signal, while a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) system transmits multiple multicarrier signals over the same band and includes antenna arrays at the transmitter and receiver. The modulation scheme to be applied may also be selected from among many different design options. Typically a phase-shift keying (PSK) scheme is used, such as quadrature PSK (QPSK), quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), or offset QAM (OQAM). Typical QAM schemes include 4-, 16-, 64-, 256-, and 1024-QAM.
One example of an OFDM application, Terrestrial Digital Video Broadcast or “DVB-T,” is specified in the European Telecommunications Standards Institute document EN 300 744. The DVB-T specification provides for a 2K mode (with 1705 subcarriers spaced about 4.5 kHz apart) and an 8K mode (with 6817 subcarriers spaced about 1.1 kHz apart), with the multicarrier signal being transmitted over a bandwidth of 6, 7, or 8 MHz. The related handheld specification (DVB-H) also provides for a 4K mode (with 3409 subcarriers). Modulation schemes used in a DVB system may include QPSK, 16-QAM, and/or 64-QAM.
Accurate channel estimation is an important factor in obtaining a low bit-error rate for a multicarrier system. Channel estimation becomes especially important in situations where the channel may be time-varying, such as mobile applications. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
A social-networking system, which may include a social-networking website, may enable its users (such as persons or organizations) to interact with it and with each other through it. The social-networking system may, with input from a user, create and store in the social-networking system a user profile associated with the user. The user profile may include demographic information, communication-channel information, and information on personal interests of the user. The social-networking system may also, with input from a user, create and store a record of relationships of the user with other users of the social-networking system, as well as provide services (e.g., wall posts, photo-sharing, event organization, messaging, games, or advertisements) to facilitate social interaction between or among users.
The social-networking system may send over one or more networks content or messages related to its services to a mobile or other computing device of a user. A user may also install software applications on a mobile or other computing device of the user for accessing a user profile of the user and other data within the social-networking system. The social-networking system may generate a personalized set of content objects to display to a user, such as a newsfeed of aggregated stories of other users connected to the user.
A mobile computing device—such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or laptop computer—may include functionality for determining its location, direction, or orientation, such as a GPS receiver, compass, gyroscope, or accelerometer. Such a device may also include functionality for wireless communication, such as BLUETOOTH (“BT”) communication, near-field communication (NFC), or infrared (IR) communication or communication with wireless local area networks (WLANs) or cellular-telephone network. Such a device may also include one or more cameras, scanners, touchscreens, microphones, or speakers. Mobile computing devices may also execute software applications, such as games, web browsers, or social-networking applications. With social-networking applications, users may connect, communicate, and share information with other users in their social networks. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nonaqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a nonaqueous electrolyte, and more particularly to a nonaqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery using molybdenum oxide for positive electrode material.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently available rechargeable lithium batteries use lithium cobaltate (LiCoO2) or lithium manganate (LiMn2O4) for the positive electrode material and carbon materials for the negative electrode material. However, applications such as portable equipment demand rechargeable batteries capable of longer operation and thus having increased capacities and energy densities. Also, there has been a need in the art for alternative materials to lithium cobaltate which is a rare and expensive resource while being the most popular positive electrode material currently used.
Molybdenum oxide is considered to be a possible alternative to lithium cobaltate. In lithium cobaltate, an oxidation number of cobalt changes from trivalent to tetra-valent. An oxidation number of molybdenum, on the other hand, is changeable between tetravalent and hexavalent in molybdenum oxide. Accordingly, the use of molybdenum oxide in place of lithium cobaltate is expected to increase both capacities and energy densities of rechargeable batteries.
However, in the current state of the art, rechargeable lithium batteries using molybdenum oxide in place of lithium cobaltate only present the discharge capacity lower than the theoretical capacity. Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. Hei 11-250907 and Hei 3-88269 propose the use of molybdenum oxide in the amorphous form. However, resulting capacity and energy density have been still insufficient.
Also, it is known that when Li ions are inserted into molybdenum oxide, such Li ions move into spaces between layers composed of Mo and O and further into interiors of those layers to destruct them (See, for example, T. Tsumura and M. Inagaki, Solid State Ionics, vol.104 (1997), pp 183-189). This is considered due to the weak bond of Mo and O and has caused a problem of capacity decline with cycling for nonaqueous electrolyte rechargeable batteries using conventional molybdenum oxide for the positive electrode material. Since such a declining capacity with cycling is attributed basically to the weak bond between Mo and O the use of molybdenum oxide having an amorphous or other non-laminar crystal structure has also resulted in the capacity reduction with cycling.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery which uses molybdenum metal oxide for its positive electrode material, which has improved capacity and energy density and which exhibits excellent cycle performance characteristics.
The present invention provides a nonaqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery having a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a nonaqueous electrolyte. Characteristically, the positive electrode comprises molybdenum metal oxide deposited, in the form of a thin film, on an aluminum-containing substrate and represented by the formula Mo1xe2x88x92xMxO2+y (where M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, Cu, Al, Mg, W, Sc, Ti, Zn, Ga, Ge, Nb, Rh, Pd and Sn, x satisfies the relationship 0.005xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa60.5, and y satisfies the relationship 0.6xe2x89xa6yxe2x89xa61.2).
The molybdenum metal oxide used, in the form of a thin film, for the positive electrode in accordance with the present invention is represented by the formula Mo1xe2x88x92xMxO2+y, i.e., the molybdenum metal oxide derived via partial substitution of a metal element for Mo in molybdenum oxide. The substituting metal element M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, Cu, Al, Mg, W, Sc, Ti, Zn, Ga, Ge, Nb, Rh, Pd and Sn. The partial substitution of metal element M for Mo increases a bond strength between the metal element and oxygen to thereby improve cycle characteristics. Preferably, the substituting element M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, Al, Mg, W and Ti.
In the above-specified formula, x is a stoichiometric value of the substituting element M and satisfies the relationship 0.005xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa60.5, preferably 0.01xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa60.3. If the value of x falls outside the specified range, the sufficient improvement in cycle characteristics, which is an effect of the present invention, may not be obtained.
In the above-specified formula, y indicates a variation in stoichiometry of oxygen and satisfies the relationship 0.6xe2x89xa6yxe2x89xa61.2. If y is maintained at a value within this range, nonaqueous electrolyte rechargeable batteries result having improved capacities and energy densities.
A substrate surface over which the molybdenum metal oxide thin film is to be deposited contains aluminum and specifically comprises an aluminum metal or aluminum alloy. Preferably, the thin film may be deposited on the substrate by using a thin film-forming technique such as a CVD, sputtering, vacuum deposition, spraying process or the like.
In the present invention, the substrate preferably serves as a current collector for an electrode. Also, the substrate surface over which the molybdenum metal oxide thin film is to be deposited preferably has a surface roughness Ra in the range of 0.001-1 xcexcm. If the substrate having such a surface roughness Ra is used, the substrate serving as a current collector can maintain good adhesion to the molybdenum metal oxide thin film even during its expansion or shrinkage on charge-discharge cycling and thus collect current efficiently. The surface roughness Ra is defined by Japan Industrial Standards (JIS B 0601-1994) and can be determined as by a surface roughness meter.
In the present invention, the surface roughness Ra of the substrate preferably satisfies the relationship Raxe2x89xa6t, where t is a thickness of the molybdenum metal oxide thin film.
Also in the present invention, the surface roughness Ra of the substrate preferably satisfies the relationship Sxe2x89xa6100Ra, where S is an average interval of peaks in surface irregularities. The average peak interval S is also defined by Japan Industrial Standards (JIS B 0601-1994) and can also be determined as by a surface roughness meter.
In the present invention, the surface roughness Ra of the substrate is more preferably in the range of 0.0105 xcexcm and greater, still more preferably in the range of 0.011-0.1 xcexcm, still more preferably in the range of 0.012-0.09 xcexcm. The use of the substrate having a surface roughness Ra within the above-specified range enables structural control of the molybdenum metal oxide thin film deposited thereon, resulting in the formation of an electrode which exhibits improved cycle characteristics. That is, by depositing the molybdenum metal oxide thin film on the substrate roughened at its surface to the specified surface roughness Ra, the structure of the molybdenum metal oxide thin film can be rendered into such a form that enhances its adhesion to the substrate as a current collector. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Media content is frequently time-shifted so that a viewer is able to watch the content at a time that is convenient for that viewer. Instead of watching a sporting event or a new television show live, the viewer is instead able to delay playback to a more convenient time. However, when a viewer decides to postpone event playback, the viewer runs the risk of learning about the event outcome before the viewer experiences the time-shifted event firsthand. This can spoil the event, thus decreasing the viewer's overall enjoyment. Furthermore, when watching a time-shifted event, a viewer may miss out on complimentary activities (social interaction, polls and trivia challenges, etc.) that happen in real-time from associated media such as web-sites. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.