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vehicle washing apparatus having two suspended brushes rotatable about generally vertical axes which are forced apart during passage of the vehicle between the brushes wherein the brushes are initially inclined towards the vehicle and are swung into an oppositely - inclined position by pressure against the vehicle , whereby the front and rear surfaces of the vehicle are more efficiently cleaned .

both embodiments show a conveyor belt washing apparatus in which , therefore , the vehicle 8 is moved in the direction a and the washing apparatus is stationary . these constructions , however , also apply correspondingly to a gantry washing apparatus in which the vehicle is stationary and the washing apparatus is moved in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow a . the axes of rotation d of the two brushes 1 are each mounted in a housing 2 . a motor 3 is provided for driving each brush . provided on a frame 7 is a runway rail 4 extending transversely of the direction of movement a of the vehicle . two trolleys 6 can be moved along this runway rail 4 . the housings 2 are mounted on the trolleys 6 to swing about the axes 5 likewise extending transversely of the direction of movement of the vehicle . in the embodiment shown in fig1 to 4 , the pivot axis 5 is arranged outside the axis of rotation d , so that the brushes adopt the inclined attitudes shown in fig1 and 3 in their basic position . their axes of rotation d are then inclined at an acute angle α with respect to the vertical and in fact with their upper ends in the direction of movement a of the vehicle 8 . this inclined position of the axes of rotation d could if necessary also be achieved by means of a counterweight or else by spring force . in their basic position , the two brushes are arranged in the vicinity of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle , as can be seen in particular from fig3 . when the vehicle 8 , being continuously moved along , strikes against the brush with its front surface , the contact pressure of the brushes increases . via means known per se , for example an output meter of the motor 3 , a torque measurement or through contacts which are actuated in dependence upon the inclination of the brush when it is swung , a suitable driving device is set in action and moves the two brushes in opposite directions out of their basic position into their lateral position . pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders 9 , for example , may be provided for this purpose , but it is also possible to employ electric motors with a belt drive , or a suitable friction roller drive . while the brushes move outwardly into their lateral position , the vehicle moving on continuously pushes the brushes in front of it . in consequence , the inclined position of their axes of rotation changes from the position shown in fig1 to the position shown in fig2 in which the upper ends of the axes of rotation are inclined to the rear in the direction opposite to the direction of travel . in a position of this kind , the contact pressure of the brushes in the upper zone of the front surface gradually increases , whereas in the lower zone of the front surface there is only an inadequate bearing action . the brushes have also already approximately reached their lateral position . due to the position provided according to the invention for the axes of rotation , in which they are inclined by the angle α , the brushes can not only swing out as heretofore by the angle β during the washing of the front surface , but by an angle corresponding to the sum of α and β . in this way , a longer time is available for the washing of the front surface and the washing effect is improved . a further improvement of the washing effect occurs in particular in the lower zone of the front surface due to the inclined position of the brushes in accordance with the invention . moreover , the speed of the vehicle may also be increased in addition if necessary , since the brushes can be swung in a larger angular range while the vehicle is moving forward . after the brushes have reached their lateral position , they wash the side surfaces of the vehicle in this position . in this case , the contact pressure may be produced by means of springs ( not shown ). likewise , after the brushes have washed the side surfaces , they can be moved back again into their basic position by spring force and wash the rear surface of the vehicle in the process . if necessary , it is also possible to provide more brushes which serve specially for washing the rear surface . the embodiment shown in fig5 to 7 is particularly advantageous . with each brush 1 there is associated a brush 1a arranged behind it in the direction of movement a of the vehicle 8 . the two brushes 1 and 1a form a pair of brushes and their housings 2 and 2a are interconnected by a crosspiece 10 . the two brushes of a pair are suspended to swing from the trolley 6 by means of the common pivot axis 5 . the axes of rotation d and da of the brushes 1 , 1a of a pair have their upper ends inclined towards one another . they advantageously enclose an angle δ , which is twice as large as the angle α which the first brush 1 encloses in the basic position with respect to the vertical v , the pivot axis 5 being arranged on the bisector of the angle between the axes of rotation . with a similar design of the two brushes 1 and 1a and of their drives 3 and 3a , the two brushes are therefore in equilibrium in the inoperative or rest position , as shown in fig5 . operation as regards the washing of the front surface is the same as in the case of the first described embodiment . the front surface is washed only by the brushes 1 . in this instance , the contact pressure can also be adjusted in the desired manner by means of a counterweight 11 slidable and fixable on the rod 12 . after the front surface has been washed , both brushes wash the side surfaces . in so doing , they rotate with advantage in opposite directions . due to the opposite inclination of the axes of rotation d and da , the vehicle is washed at the side surfaces in two different intersecting directions and a particularly thorough washing effect is obtained in this way . after the side surfaces have been washed , the second brush 1a of each pair of brushes washes the rear surface of the vehicle , as shown in fig7 . it is advantageous to impart to the second brush 1a a rotary movement in the same direction with respect to the direction in which it is moved on on the surface of the vehicle , as can be seen in particular from fig1 . with this movement in the same direction the brush assists its moving on in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle . since it rolls on the surface of the vehicle similarly to a driven wheel , the brush &# 34 ; climbs &# 34 ; on the rear surface of the vehicle , so that the pair of brushes is swung rearwardly in addition in the direction c . as a result , during the forward movement of the vehicle , the pairs of brushes can then swing back in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow c into their position of equilibrium shown in dashed lines and consequently follow the vehicle . a particularly intensive washing of the rear is consequently obtained by means of the brushes 1a . in order to optimize the washing effect , it may be advantageous to reverse the rotary movement of the brushes several times . thus , as can be seen from fig8 the first brush 1 of each pair of brushes is advantageously first driven in the opposite direction in relation to the progressive movement of the brush with respect to the front surface during the washing of this surface . this oppposite movement exerts a braking force in relation to the moving on of the brush . as soon as the brushes approach the wings during their oppositely directed outward movement , it may be advantageous to reverse the direction of rotation into one in the same direction , as shown in fig9 . in this way , the two brushes 1 are given an onward driving movement and they &# 34 ; climb &# 34 ; over projecting body parts , such as , for example , forwardly extending wings , overriders , etc . during the washing of the side surface , the first brush is again driven in the opposite direction , while the second brush rotating in the opposite direction then performs a movement in the same direction , as can be seen from fig1 . this movement in the same direction is then retained during the washing of the rear surface ( fig1 and 12 ).

US-51153974-A

a method for operating a fluidic pipeline system including an active component generating a volume flow of a medium in the system is provided . a plurality of flow channels are connected in parallel with each other and supplied jointly with the volume flow of the medium by the active component . each flow channel has an individual volume flow requirement of the medium , the requirement is variable over time for at least part of the flow channels . the volume flow in each flow channel includes a time - variable volume flow requirement individually throttled as a function of a control variable associated with the flow channel . the volume flow generated by the active component is additionally regulated as a whole so that no individual throttling of the local volume flow is required in at least one of the flow channels .

fig1 provides a schematic overview of the layout of a fluidic pipeline system 1 according to the invention . said system 1 comprises by way of example an active component in the form of a pump 2 , a plurality of flow channels of specific function connected in parallel with one another , referred to here as loads 3 to 5 , and a plurality of pipelines 6 to 14 which connect the individual loads 3 to 5 to the pump 2 . typically , a real system has a plurality of pumps e . g . in a pump station , though in the following reference is made to just one pump for the sake of simplicity . the loads 3 to 5 can be coolers , for example . the illustrated number of three loads is meant purely by way of example and has no upper limit . the pipelines 9 , 10 and 11 in each case comprise the entire part of the pipeline system assigned to the respective load 3 , 4 or 5 alone and not just the section directly identified by the respective reference signs 9 , 10 and 11 . connected into each pipeline 9 to 11 upstream or downstream of each load 3 to 5 in the circuit is a throttle valve 15 to 17 , respectively , which is controlled by a respective controller 18 to 20 . the controllers 18 to 20 record respective control variables x 3 to x 5 at the loads 3 to 5 and based thereon output actuating signals y 3 to y 5 to the throttle valves 15 to 17 . in this case the type of the control variables x 3 to x 5 is dependent on the function of the loads 3 to 5 . if , for example , the loads are coolers , the control variables x 3 to x 5 are temperatures . at the same time the controllers 18 to 20 also output feedback signals z 3 to z 5 to a central controller 21 , in which feedback signals are included the settings of the throttle valves 15 to 17 and of the control variables x 3 to x 5 . the pump 2 is equipped with a controllable drive . in the case of an electric motor this means the control function is effected by means of a frequency converter having a variable rather than a fixed frequency . by this means the speed of the pump 2 can be varied and hence the volume flow of the overall system 1 can also be varied by the pump 2 . the drive of the pump 2 is controlled by the central controller 21 which for that purpose outputs an actuating signal n for the speed of the pump 2 . in addition both the pump 2 and the loads 3 to 5 are in each case equipped with a measuring device 22 and 23 to 25 , respectively , which measure the respective pressure differences across the pump and across the individual loads 3 to 5 and issue corresponding measurement signals δp e and δp 3 to δp 5 , respectively , to the central controller 21 . in a pipeline 6 through which the overall volume flow q flows , the pipeline system 1 additionally contains a compensation element 26 which compensates for the effect of the loads 3 to 5 in respect of the transport of energy and / or materials . if , for example , the loads 3 to 5 are heat exchangers by means of which the medium flowing in the pipeline system 1 absorbs heat capacity , then the compensation element 26 represents a heat exchanger by means of which the medium flowing in the pipeline system 1 dissipates heat capacity to the environment so that the temperature of the medium always remains within a predetermined range . if part of the medium flowing in the pipeline system 1 is materially consumed in the loads 3 to 5 , then the compensation element is a reservoir from which a corresponding amount of the medium is supplied in order to keep the amount of medium present in the pipeline system 1 approximately constant at all times . in order to aid an understanding of the principle of operation of the method according to the invention , the characteristic curves of a fluidic pipeline system 1 of the type considered here will now be examined briefly with reference to fig2 . fig2 shows the pressure , also referred to as the delivery height or head h , over the overall volume flow q of the system 1 , with in each case one family of characteristics ( the throttle curves of the pump ) being shown for the behavior of the pump 2 and one family of characteristics ( the system characteristic curves ) being shown for the behavior of the pipeline system 3 to 17 . the illustration of fig2 has purely qualitative character . the three characteristic curves ( throttle curves ) initially rising slightly from left to right and then dropping down to zero are pump characteristic curves for different speeds , i . e . different drive capacities of a pump 2 , wherein , as the speed increases , the pump characteristic curves are shifted toward a greater delivery head ( with the square of the speed change h 1 / h =( n 1 / n ) 2 ) and volume flow ( with the speed change q 1 / q = n 1 / n ). the power draw of the pump increases ( without consideration of bearing and seal losses ) with the cube of the speed change ( p 1 / p =( n 1 / n ) 3 ). the three characteristic curves ( system characteristic curves ) starting at zero on the left and progressively rising are characteristic curves of a pipeline system 3 to 17 connected to the pump 2 for different states of said system , i . e . for different settings of the throttle valves 15 to 17 . the greater the throttling effect , in other words the overall flow resistance of the pipeline system 3 to 17 , the more delivery head h is required in order to achieve a specific volume flow q and consequently the more drive capacity needs to be applied at the pump 2 . since the overall volume flow q flows through both the pump 2 and the pipeline system 3 to 17 , the operating point of the overall system 1 is yielded as the point of intersection of the respectively valid characteristic curve of the pump 2 with the respectively valid characteristic curve of the overall pipeline system 3 to 17 and , given sufficient knowledge of all the system parameters , can be calculated numerically . the conventional approach is to operate both at a constant pump capacity and at as constant a flow resistance as possible , in other words in a single , maximally constant operating point of the overall system 1 . accordingly the present invention pursues the objective of always selecting an operating point of the overall system 1 having a minimum possible flow resistance of the pipeline system 3 to 17 so that a volume flow q of given size required overall by the loads 3 , 4 and 5 is achieved with a minimum possible pump capacity . toward that end , given a time variability of the required volume flow q of individual loads , a time variability both of the flow resistance and of the pump capacity is allowed , with the result that the respectively valid characteristic curves of the pump 2 and of the pipeline system 3 to 17 constantly change and consequently the operating point resulting as the point of intersection of the two characteristic curves constantly shifts . at the time of startup of the fluidic pipeline system 1 according to fig1 , certain data are known : family of characteristics of the pump according to fig2 power draw of the pump at specific points of the family of characteristics flow resistance of the throttle valves 15 to 17 number and type of the loads 3 to 5 configuration of the pipeline network 3 to 17 knowledge of the volume flows q 3 to q 5 through the individual loads is required in order to control the system 1 in accordance with the inventive method . in order to enable said volume flows q 3 to q 5 to be measured across the pressure differences δp 3 to δp 5 , an initialization method , automated where appropriate , is performed prior to the startup of the system 1 , said initialization method being explained below with reference to the flowchart of fig3 . first , at step 30 , the throttle valves 15 to 17 of all the loads 3 to 5 are fully opened . the pump 2 is then brought to its nominal capacity and the pressure difference δp 2 across the pump 2 is measured . based on the known family of characteristics of the pump 2 , the result obtained herefrom is the minimum flow resistance of the overall pipeline system 3 to 17 . next , at step 31 , a new , i . e . so far not yet processed , load n is selected and the throttle valve assigned to said load is fully opened . in the first execution of step 31 after step 30 said valve is already open , though in later executions of step 31 it is no longer open . then , at step 32 , the throttle valves of all the other loads are fully closed . if , for example , the load 3 is selected and its throttle valve 15 opened at step 31 , then at step 32 the throttle valves 16 and 17 of the two other loads 4 and 5 are closed . what is achieved in this way is that the overall volume flow q of the system 1 is identical to the individual volume flow q n of the load n selected in each case . at step 33 , the throttle valve of the selected load n is now driven into different settings , in other words the actuating signal y n is varied , and in each setting the pressure difference δp n is measured across the selected load and the pressure difference δp 2 is measured across the pump 2 . in this way a characteristic curve of δp 2 is determined as a function of δp n . in this case the number of measuring points should be specified according to the desired regulating or control precision , since in the subsequent further use of the recorded characteristic curve it will be necessary to interpolate between the measuring points . because a volume flow q through the pump 2 is uniquely assigned via the known family of characteristics of the pump 2 at a given drive capacity to each value of the pressure difference δp 2 , the characteristic curve determined at step 33 can be readily converted at step 34 into a characteristic curve of the overall volume flow q as a function of the pressure difference δp n across the selected load n . owing to the enforced identity of the overall volume flow q with the individual volume flow q n of the selected load n , said characteristic curve obtained at step 34 is at the same time the characteristic curve of the individual volume flow qn of the selected load n as a function of the pressure difference δp n . at step 35 a check is made to determine whether all of the loads have been measured in the above - described way or not . if not , a return branch is made to step 31 and a new , so far not yet measured load is selected there . if the outcome of the check is yes , the initialization method is terminated . the described initialization method permits the individual volume flows of the loads 3 to 5 to be recorded across the respective pressure differences δp 3 to δp 5 during the subsequent routine operation of the system 1 and in this way the volume flow q requiring to be provided overall by the pump to be determined . the routine operation of the system 1 according to the invention is explained below with reference to the flowchart of fig4 . first , at step 36 , the pump 2 is set to its nominal capacity and the control loops of all loads 3 to 5 are activated . the controllers 18 to 20 thereupon set the throttle valves 15 to 17 by means of the actuating signals y 3 to y 5 such that the control variable x 3 to x 5 recorded at each load 3 to 5 approaches a respective setpoint value . at step 37 a check is then made to determine whether any throttle valve 15 to 17 is still not completely open . the central controller 21 receives this information from the controllers 18 to 20 via the feedback signals z 3 to z 5 . if this applies , the pump capacity is higher overall than would be necessary to supply all the loads 3 to 5 with adequate volume flows q 3 to q 5 . in this case , as the next step ( step 38 ) the overall volume flow q and the volume flows of the individual loads 3 to 5 are recorded across the pressure differences δp 2 to δp 5 . from the characteristic curves ( pressure difference as a function of the volume flow ) of the individual loads and the overall flow resistance , which were determined in the previously described initialization phase , it is then calculated , at step 39 , how far the capacity of the pump can be reduced until it is no longer necessary in the case of one of the loads 3 to 5 to throttle the volume flow through the associated throttle valve 15 to 17 . this minimum capacity is specified to the pump 2 by the central controller 21 via the speed n . at step 40 a check is made to determine whether the routine operation of the system is to be continued or not . if yes , a branch is made back to step 37 . otherwise routine operation terminates . how the system 1 is powered down in this event and reliably brought to the quiescent state is of no relevance here . if the result of the check performed at step 37 is that in the case of one of the loads 3 to 5 the associated throttle valve 15 to 17 is already completely open , a check is made at step 41 to determine whether said load does not require a greater volume flow than it can receive in the current state of the system 1 . the central controller 21 receives this information via one of the feedback signals z 3 to z 5 from that one of the controllers 18 to 20 which has already completely opened the throttle valve controlled by it . in the case of an already completely open throttle valve the controller in question determines this from the control difference between the setpoint value and the actual value of the respective control variable . if the load having a completely open throttle valve requires a greater volume flow than is currently available , then at step 42 the pump capacity is increased by a defined amount , wherein the extent of said increase can be dependent on the size of said control difference . otherwise step 42 is not executed . next , whatever the case , a return branch is made to step 37 . the result of this is that the loop leading via steps 37 , 41 and 42 is iteratively repeated , and consequently the pump capacity increased , until the load in question receives an at least adequate volume flow . in principle it is also possible that over the course of time the associated throttle valve 15 to 17 will be completely opened in the case of more than one of the loads 3 to 5 . in this event the check carried out at step 41 will be performed for all of the loads finding themselves in this state . it is evident that as a result of the above - described method , with the exception of an initial settling phase , any one of the loads 3 to 5 is operated almost constantly with a completely open throttle valve 15 to 17 during routine operation and that consequently the pump 2 is operated at a capacity which , averaged over time , lies significantly below the nominal capacity if it is assumed that the nominal capacity is dimensioned such that it can fulfill the highest possible volume flow requirement of the system 1 . it is to be understood that the controllers 18 to 20 assigned to the individual loads 3 to 5 can also be combined structurally with the central controller 21 . all that is essential is that a primary control loop is provided for the pump 2 and a plurality of secondary control loops are provided for the individual throttle valves 15 to 17 . determining the system parameters at the startup time of a thus equipped system can be automated . any time - consuming and costly adjustment of diaphragms that may be required , as is often necessary in the case of conventional systems , can be dispensed with . insofar as reference is made here to pipes or , as the case may be , to a pipeline system , it is to be understood that all that has been stated hereintofore applies equally to pipelines , flexible hose lines , flow channels with square - cut cross - sectional shape , as well as to pipeline systems which include sections consisting of a plurality of different types of closed , flow - conducting conduits . all such variants of pipeline systems shall be encompassed within the scope of protection conferred by the claims .

US-74597208-A

a microcontroller or state machine controls a light ballast utilizing a timer structure . the microcontroller can program the timer structure to generate pulses where the “ average ” frequency of a series of pulses can be varied with higher resolution than the frequency of a single pulse . this variation can occur without further microcontroller / state machine intervention . the pulses are used to control the on and / or off time of the light . the timer can be configured to modulate the outputs fast enough to ensure that the light does not appear to flicker to the human eye by limiting the number of pulses in a frame and by increasing the number of times the frequency shift occurs compared to the obvious implementation . the present invention relies on the fact that the human eye is not capable of detecting small frequency changes in high frequency signals and therefore uses pulses of two or more frequencies where the frequencies are close together . the average frequency can then be varied at much higher resolution than any single frequency .

the present invention relates generally to light ballasts and more particularly to a method and system for providing a high resolution dimmable light ballast . the following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements . various modifications to the preferred embodiment and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein . electronic dimmable ballasts are controlled by on / off pulses . varying the pulse lengths up and down controls the brightness of the light . a pulse is typically generated by dividing a frequency base through a series of fixed prescalers and / or programmable dividers . a designer of a ballast typically chooses to use a variable frequency with a fixed ratio of on time and off time ( frequency control ), or of a mixed frequency where the ratio of on time to off - time can be varied ( pwm control ). a fixture of the two where the frequency and the ratio can be varied is conceivable . a system and method in accordance with the present invention is applicable in all three variations , but will be explained using the frequency paradigm where the pulse length is varied by changing the frequency . 1 . to reduce the base frequency required achieving a certain resolution at a certain target frequency to a frequency lower than that required by a normal frequency divider . 2 . to use direct pwm / frequency control allowing integration of the functionality into an inexpensive microcontroller using a standard semiconductor process . 3 . to reduce the processing requirement to allow implementation using low cost 8 bit controllers . the invention relies on the fact that the human eye is not capable of detecting small frequency changes in high frequency signals and uses pulses of two or more frequencies . the average frequency can be varied at much higher resolution than any single frequency . a system and method in accordance with the present invention comprises a timer capable of generating a sequence of on - time and off - time pulses where the on and / or off - time pulse lengths can be programmed to continuously switch between at least two different values at a particular resolution within a time period short enough to avoid flickering in a dimmable ballast light system . to describe the features of the present invention in more detail refer now to the following discussion in conjunction with the accompanying figures . fig2 is a block diagram of a timer structure 140 in accordance with the present invention . the timer structure receives a clock signal that is fed into a first counter ( pwm ) 142 . in this embodiment , two reload registers 144 are utilized but a single register or more could be utilized and this would be within the spirit and scope of the present invention . each of the reload registers 144 may include a different pulse length value . in a preferred embodiment a security mechanism 153 is utilized to deassert on - time signals when error conditions are detected . during operation , the first counter 142 counts down until zero is reached and then it restarts by reloading from one of the reload registers . when the value in counter 142 is less than a predetermined value in a compare register 147 indicating that the resolution can not be changed the output from the comparator is provided directly to the output decision logic ( pwmout ) 152 of the pulse width modulator , which sets / clears the pwm signal and its inverse respecting requirements for non - stop . whenever the first counter 142 has reached a predetermined value indicating one cycle is completed ( i . e ., the counter 142 has reached zero ), a second counter 146 ( frame ) is remented . when the contents of the counter 142 are equal to the contents of the register 147 the contents of a “ dither ” register 148 via comparator 150 to determine the ratio of first counter 142 pulses that should be extended by one clock cycle for a particular resolution . for example if a frame is 4 bits wide , between 0 to 15 pulses can be extended in a 16 pulse me . if the comparison was performed normally only the first pulses would be extended i . e ., if 3 out of 16 pulses should be extended , pulses 0 . . . 2 would be extended and pulses 3 . 15 would not be extended ). however , to spread the pulses out , the counter 146 value is bit reversed before the comparison . an example of a normal comparison versus a bit reversed comparison is shown in table 1 . as is seen with the normal comparison , the first three pulses get a “ match ”. with the bit reversed comparison , the pulses 0 , 4 and 8 get a match . an optimal distribution is reached by using differential data synthesis ( dds ), where utilizing a frame size of 16 , 16 / n would be added to the number . accordingly , where n = 3 16 / 3 would be added to the number . the algorithm for implementing dds would require more logic and be relatively expensive utilizing present day technology . however , one of ordinary skill in the art recognizes that there may be a time that this type of algorithm may require significantly less die area and could be readily utilized in such an application . fig3 is a table 2 which illustrates the operation of the timer structure which includes an adder which increases or decreases by n for each increase or decrease in the light intensity of the light ballast . the system would operate in accordance with the following algorithm . x = 0 adder = n loop x = x + adder ; // result in column 1 , table 2 0 if ( x & gt ;- framesize ) then ; x = x = framesize // result in column 2 table t extend = 1 ; // result in column 2 , table 2 else extend = 0 ; end if end loop ; as is seen in column 3 , as the frequency increases , the number of pulses that should extended by one cycle increases in a distributed fashion . in a preferred implementation , the control mechanism allows the average pulse width over a sequence of pulses to be programmed without specifying a value for each and every pulse . in a preferred implementation , only two frequencies are used , the dividers only differ by one . f1 = f / n , f2 = f ( n − 1 ), allowing the control mechanism to choose between extending a pulse by one clock or not , instead or providing two unrelated values . in a preferred implementation , the number of cycles in a frame is fixed , and the number of cycles to be extended is programmable . in a less desirable implementation , the number of extended cycles is fixed , and the number of cycles in a frame is programmable . in a less desirable implementation , the number of extended cycles and the number of cycles per frame are both programmable . in a preferred implementation , the number of pulses to be extended in each frame is supplied as a number to the timer . in a preferred implementation , the pulse - width is in the upper parts of a register , while the number of pulses to be extended is in the lower part of the register . this treats the average value as a fractional number . in a less desirable implementation , the number of pulses to be extended is in the upper part of a register and the pulse - width is in the lower part of the register . this simplifies the silicon implementation allowing a timer with a long time period to be used in several modes without adding too much logic . in a less desirable implementation , the pulse width and the information regarding which pulses are to be extended is separated into two or more registers . it is to be noted , that when a register is wider than the data - width of the micro - controller it can take several memory cycles to access a register . in a less desirable implementation , there is a register or set of registers containing one or more bits for each pulse or for a group of pulses in the frame , which is used to determine whether a pulse should have a certain pulse length or another pulse length . in a preferred implementation , the timer maintains a frame - counter , which is updated with every pulse or group of pulses . it has a dual purpose , the first purpose is to introduce a mechanism to detect the end of a frame and start a new one , and the second purpose is to allow a mechanism to decide whether to extend a pulse or not . in a preferred implementation , the frame - counter counts up or down in a linear fashion . in a less desirable implementation , the frame - counter counts in a non - linear fashion . an example is a “ gray ” counter . in a less desirable implementation , the frame - counter directly is compared to the number of pulses to be extended , and if the frame - counter is lower or equal to the number of pulses , the current pulse is extended . in a preferred implementation , the frame - counter and / or the number of pulses are scrambled through bit reversal to binary distribute the number of pulses . in a less desirable implementation , dds ( digital differential synthesis ) algorithms are used to distribute the pulses . it will distribute the pulses more evenly , but will cost more logic . in a less desirable implementation , the pulses are distributed using a random fashion using a pseudo - random generator . the pulse - length functionality can be implemented using a down counter , an up counter or an up - down counter . the down - counter approach compares the counter with an end value , which is normally zero . when the end value is reached , the counter is reloaded from one of a set of reload registers . the up - counter approach compares the counter with a set of compare registers . when a compare match is detected , the timer can toggle an i / o pin , or start a new cycle and maybe generate an interrupt . the up - down counter approach counts up until a compare - match occurs , which may or may not be programmable . it then counts down until zero , before it restarts counting up . a compare register will determine if the counter is below , equal or above the compare register and a match can force the setting or resetting of a pin . compare registers can be attached to the counters , to force events in the middle of a counter cycle . in a preferred implementation , a pulse can be extended by stopping the counter temporarily or by manipulating a reload or a compare register value . the reload / compare values can contain the on time , the off time or a combination of both . the timer is normally connected to two outputs allowing direct control of the output pulses . the reload / compare values can contain times for either one or both outputs . either of the on / off - time cycles or both can be modulated . in a less desirable implementation , the timer block provides a single output which can be used by an external circuit to drive a half - bridge or full - bridge . in a preferred implementation there are two outputs with programmable “ dead - time ” between the on time of one output and the on time of the other output . in a preferred implementation , there are two outputs with inverted outputs , allowing direct drive of an inverting transistor between the part containing the invention and the power transistor ( typically a fet transistor ). in a preferred implementation , the micro - controller contains a fuse setting which sets the initial state of the output pin to a value , which disables any power transistors in the system . in a preferred implementation , external hardware ( i . e ., pullup / pulldown resistors ) set the initial state of the outputs . in a preferred implementation , the registers have shadow registers , which can be selected instead of the “ normal ” registers to handle error conditions . both normal and shadow registers can support pulse extension . in a preferred implementation , there are security mechanisms that can deassert the on - time signals when error conditions are detected . ( fig2 .) in a preferred implementation , the error circuitry may either interrupt the microcontroller , which can subsequently reprogram the timer block , and / or it may directly change the timer frequency before a possible interrupt using values in shadow registers . 1 . a system and method in accordance with the present invention uses direct control of a pulse width ( pwm ) , making it more cost effective / using less board space than previous indirect control solutions using analog pwm circuits for the high frequency . 2 . a system and method in accordance with invention implements a frequency generator using a relatively small base frequency , which can be implemented in low cost controllers . low frequency reduces the power consumption compared to a pure frequency divider , and is advantageous for other reasons including emi considerations . 3 . a system and method in accordance with the present invention combines low base frequency with high resolution , making it more attractive for dimmable ballasts . 4 . a system and method in accordance with the present invention can be implemented in a very small die area compared to timer complexes , dma driven timers or timers with multiple reload registers , making it possible to reduce the cost of a microcontroller for ballasts . although the present invention has been described in accordance with the embodiments shown , one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that there could be variations to the embodiments and those variations would be within the spirit and scope of the present invention . accordingly , many modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims . an example of such a modification is a mechanism to guarantee “ dead time ” between two different outputs which ensures that both fet transistors , in a half bridge and not turned on at the same time .

US-86564404-A

a mud saver valve for retaining drilling fluid in the kelly of a rotary drilling rig for insertion into a kelly sub with an enlarged opening inside having a valve and hollow piston closing the flow in a first position and having flow through when the hollow piston is moved by flow against a spring to an open position compressing a spring to stack height , the spring being magnetized to provide magnetic latching to assist in holding the hollow piston in the open position at flow rates lower than it would otherwise be held open .

referring now to fig1 , the mud valve assembly 10 , is contained within a section of drill pipe 11 which is normally called a kelly saver . the upper end of the kelly saver 12 has a female drill pipe thread 13 for connection to the kelly and the lower end 14 has a male drill pipe thread 15 for connection to the top of the string of drill pipe extending down into the well being drilled . a tapered shoulder 16 is in the upper end of the kelly saver 11 for supporting the mud saver valve 10 . the bore 17 of the kelly saver 11 is the normal thru bore which would exist in a sub of this type , and the bore 18 is an enlarged bore in the kelly saver machined out to accommodate the mud saver valve assembly 10 . mud saver valve 10 comprises tubular body 30 , spring 32 , piston 34 , valve 36 and stop body 38 . referring now to fig2 , valve 36 comprises a central member 40 , an outer ring 42 and radial arms 44 . referring now to fig3 , tubular body 30 includes an outer tapered shoulder portion 50 which lands on the tapered shoulder 16 . outer tapered shoulder 50 includes a seal groove 52 and a seal ring 54 which seal against the tapered shoulder 16 . tubular body 30 also includes a top shoulder 56 , an internal female thread 58 , a seal bore 60 , an internal shoulder 62 , a reduced bore 64 , a seal groove 66 , and a lower end 68 . piston 34 includes a long straight portion 70 and an enlarged portion 72 . the bore 74 of the piston 34 preferably matches the bore 17 of the kelly saver 11 . piston 34 further provides a seal surface 76 , an upper shoulder 78 , a first tapered surface 80 , and a second tapered surface 82 which will also be called the first seal surface 82 . spring 32 fits into the cavity 92 between the tubular body 30 and the piston 34 and pushes up against shoulder 94 on the piston 34 and reacts against the shoulder 62 on the tubular body 30 . the cavity 92 is a sealed cavity with the difference in the areas of the seal bore 60 and the reduced bore 64 acting as a piston area 77 subjected to the pressures within the drill pipe . under sufficient pressure , this piston area 77 will cause the piston to move against the spring loading and move down until a stop is encountered . in the case of the preferred embodiment , the spring 32 is made of a square wire and stops the movement of the piston 34 when it reaches stack height . in the present closed position , the square wire spring 32 has the individual coils separated by a gap 98 as would be expected in any spring which has not been compressed to stack height . stop body 38 provides a male thread 100 to engage the female thread 58 of the tubular body 30 , a lower tapered shoulder 102 , an upper tapered shoulder 104 , and internal profile 106 and an internal shoulder 108 . the lowered tapered shoulder 102 is engaged by the upper shoulder 78 ( fig3 ) of the piston 34 to act as the upper stop in the movement of the piston 34 . the internal profile 106 with the internal shoulder 108 is intended for removal of the mud saver valve assembly from the kelly saver 11 . valve 36 provides retrieval profile 110 , arms 44 , outer ring 42 , shoulder 112 , a first tapered surface 114 , and a second tapered surface 116 which will also be referred to as second sealing surface 116 . second seal surface 116 is contacting and sealing against seal surface 82 in the position as shown . in this case sealing refers to preventing of substantial flow and is not intended to require “ drop tight ” sealing . it is relevant to notice that when the connection 15 ( fig1 ) is unscrewed , all of the fluids inside the bottom of the valve are going to spill out . it is the additional gallons above the valve 36 in the kelly which this valve is intended to keep from spilling on the rig floor . as pressure is increased from the top , the combination of the valve 36 and the piston 36 will move down until the gap between the shoulders 104 and 112 is closed . at that time the valve 36 is prevented from moving down further . additional pressure will cause the piston 34 to move down against the spring force and therefore cause a separation in the seal surfaces 82 and 116 . as the combination of pressure and flow increase , the piston 34 will be moved fully down to its lower position and the valve will be fully open . referring now to fig4 , arrows 120 thru 128 indicate the flow path thru the assembly when under flowing conditions . the piston 34 has moved fully down and the spring 32 is at its stack height . arrow 120 is shown going thru the flow areas 46 and 48 between the arms 44 ( fig2 ) of the valve 36 . the tapers 114 and 116 and the tapers 80 and 82 are shown to be instrumental in providing a relatively smooth flow path thru the valve to minimize turbulence and thereby promote longer service life without erosion . the force of the flow plus the pressure against the piston area at the top of the piston 34 keep the piston in the fully opened position . when these forces diminish below a minimum level , the piston will return to the position as shown in the fig1 and 3 . the ability of the flow and pressure to keep the piston 34 in the lower position are directly proportionate to the values of the forces . it is desirable to have a force which will latch the piston 34 in the fully open position and fully release to allow quick closure of the piston 34 against the valve 36 . this can be done by magnetizing the square wire spring 32 . magnetism works generally according to the square of the distance of the parts which are magnetized , so when the parts are very close a high attraction will exist . with small amounts of separation , the force will be reduced substantially , giving the snapping action you observe when you bring magnets close to one another . by magnetizing the spring ( whether square wire or round wire ), the mud saver valve assembly will stay open for lower flow rate and pressure combinations , and when it starts to close , it will close quicker . referring now to fig5 , flow of fluids is shown to be coming up from the drill string into the kelly by arrows 130 to 138 . this flow has lifted the valve 36 up so that the second sealing surface 116 has been separated from the first sealing surface 82 and caused a gap between . the valve 36 will stay in this slightly elevated position as long as flow exists from the drill string . this is essential so that the drilling personnel on the rig floor can monitor the pressures within the well when the pumps are not pumping as in normal drilling . in like manner the valve 36 can be simply retrieved from the bore by tools readily available on the drilling rigs which will engage the retrieval profile 110 . the foregoing disclosure and description of this invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof , and various changes in the size , shape , and materials , as well as the details of the illustrated construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention .

US-82555707-A

a cryogenic circuit which comprises a tank for the liquid and vapor phase of the cryogen ; there being a flow control valve connected at opposite ends to the liquid and vapor sides of said tank with a check valve being interposed between said vapor side and said flow control valve . the flow control valve contains a single outlet orifice directly connected to the vapor inlet . a valve arrangement is interposed between the liquid inlet of the said flow control valve and its single outlet ; said valve arrangement comprising a ball valve with associated components between same and the liquid inlet to cause said valve to operate as a control valve and with a spring bearing against the upper side of said ball to adapt same for check valve usage when the associated control valve components are withdrawn under predetermined pressure conditions .

referring now by reference numerals to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention , a generally designates a circuit for delivery of a cryogen from a point of storage to a point of application , such as , for instance , an engine ( not shown ) for vehicular or other usage . the circuit incorporates a storage tank 1 for the selected cryogen c , which may be internally insulated in accordance with techniques well known in the art to conduce to maintenance of the contained cryogen in a liquid state . tank 1 is connected at its lower end by a conduit 2 to a liquid delivery pipe 3 which at one end is provided with a conventional fill valve 4 for connection to a source of supply of the cryogen when required , and with the other end of said pipe 3 being connected to an inlet port 5 provided in the lower portion of a flow control valve 6 , having a body 6 &# 39 ;. at its upper end said tank 1 is in communication by means of a conduit 7 which may be axially aligned with conduit 2 to a vapor outlet pipe 8 ; which latter at one end is engaged to the usual vent valve 9 ; the same , for purposes of exposition only , being shown as incorporating a spring - pressed ball valve 10 . in its opposite end portion said valve outlet pipe 8 is connected to one end of a check valve 11 which for purposes of illustration only incorporates a ball 12 urged against a seat 13 by a spring 14 engaging the ball on its side remote from the connection to pipe 8 . extending between check valve 11 and flow control valve 6 , is a conduit 15 , the outer or check valve remote end of which engages a port 16 in the upper portion of said valve control body 6 &# 39 ; which is shown in vertical alignment with the connection of pipe 3 . it will thus be seen that the liquid phase 1 of cryogen c will through gravity be disposed in the lower portion of tank 1 and be flowable within conduit 2 and pipe 3 , while the vapor phase v of cryogen c will be flowable through conduit 7 , pipe 8 , and conduit 15 . flow control valve body 6 &# 39 ; is of generally blocklike character being provided with an axial bore and a multiplicity of counterbores to provide the requisite internal configuration for accommodating the valve components in their peculiar operative arrangement to be described more fully hereinbelow . therefore , there is an upper chamber 17 through which opens a transverse passage 18 , the inner end of which is constituted of port 16 and the outer end of which comprises an outlet port 19 connected to a feed line 20 which is operatively connected to the remotely located zone of fuel expenditure ( not shown ), such as an engine , etc . chamber 17 at its upper end is in communication with a feed line 20 opening through the upper end of body 6 &# 39 ; for connection to one end of a conduit 21 , the other end of which opens into the bottom of a relief valve illustrated schematically at 22 and which latter is connected to the usual overboard vent 23 . downwardly of chamber 17 is a main compartment 24 of relatively increased cross section which in its lower end portion communicates with port 5 through a short passage 25 . the lower end of compartment 24 is defined by the diametrally enlarged annular base flange 26 of a bellows 27 , said base flange abutting against a downwardly directed shoulder 28 formed in body 6 &# 39 ;, and with the said flange 26 abutting tightly upon the annular upper face of a base closure 29 threadedly engaged within a bottom recess 30 formed in valve body 6 &# 39 ; by counterboring as above suggested . said closure 29 is centrally drilled and tapped , as at 31 , for receiving an adjustment screw 32 , the upper end of which projects into a central upwardly opening recess 33 formed in said closure 29 for reception of the upper end of said screw within a complementarily formed , downwardly opening recess or indentation 34 provided in a cap - like spring spring bearing 35 . said spring bearing 35 embodies a radial flange 36 against the upper face of which bears the lower end of a compression spring 37 extending upwardly within bellows 27 and abutting at its upper end against the under face of an end plate 38 provided at the upper end of bellows 27 ; there being integral with said plate 38 a central downward extension 39 for extension within the upper portion of spring 37 for directing purposes . extension 39 is bored to provide a socket 40 for receiving a tang 41 at the lower end of an upwardly extending valve stem 42 , said stem being rigid with plate 38 and , hence , bellows 27 , as by brazing , adhesives , etc . as may best be seen in fig5 valve stem 42 is of general cruciform in cross section having intersecting arms 43 , 44 for purposes presently appearing . at their upper ends arms 43 , 44 are downwardly inclined , as at 45 , at an angle suitable to provide a support for ball valve 46 . engaging the upper portion of ball valve 46 in urging same downwardly is a coil spring 47 , the upper end of which spring bears against a downwardly directed shoulder 48 formed in valve body 6 &# 39 ; as by suitable counterboring as above pointed out . surrounding the upper valve seat - forming end of stem 45 is an annulus 49 which on its upper surface abuts against a downwardly directed shoulder 50 provided in valve body 6 &# 39 ; and which annulus in its inner upwardly directed portion mounts a gasket or liner 51 of suitable wear - resistant material defining a seat for ball valve 46 . the under face of annulus 49 abuts the upper face of a guide or retainer 52 having a circular , externally threaded body 53 engaging internal threads formed on the confronting portion of the inner wall of main compartment 24 . centrally , guide 52 is provided with a bore 54 for receiving the adjacent portion of stem 42 having but a slightly greater diameter than the major cross section of said stem 42 to permit of relative movement therebetween resulting from extension or contraction of bellows 27 , as will be shown hereinbelow . however , said bore 54 cooperates with stem arms 44 , 43 to define four discrete flow passageways 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 ( see fig5 ) whereby flow of liquid therethrough may move past ball valve 46 when bellows 27 is fully extended by spring 37 , in which condition stem 42 will be projected upwardly of valve seat 51 whereby liquid may flow easily from chamber 24 through compartment 17 and out orifice 19 . said guide or retainer 52 incorporates a short depending sleeve portion 59 having the same inside diameter as bore 54 and being provided in its wall with four equi - spaced openings 60 each for communicating with passageways 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 . base closure 29 is provided in its bottom wall with an opening 61 which connects the atmosphere with the interior of bellows 27 through recess 33 . in operation , circuit a is designed to be primarily in the liquid phase operating mode , that is , with flow of liquid 1 from the lower portion of tank 1 through control valve 6 to feed line 20 for the particular intended purpose . the withdrawal of liquid from tank 1 is to be desirably effected at relatively low pressure , as for example , at or about 35 psi ; but with such obviously being a matter of choice . spring 37 acts upon bellows 27 for carrying stem 42 with ball valve 46 upwardly above its seat as developed by gasket 51 . the strength of spring 37 is , expectedly , determined by the desired pressure under which the associated valve structure acting as a control valve will be open so that the liquid will flow at or below the preselected pressure and with stem 42 and ball valve 46 being thus held in raised or open condition by expansion of bellows 27 . in the present instance , with the exemplary pressure of 35 psi spring 37 is unstressed and maintains stem 42 and valve 46 so that liquid may move through passage 25 , into compartment 24 through openings 60 and thence into passageways 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , past ball valve seat 51 , thence into chamber 17 , and outwardly through transverse passage 18 into feed line 20 . during the liquid phase flow control valve 6 is thus in fully open condition for such flow and any vapor phase flow during the liquid phase operating mode is prevented by operation of check valve 11 . said valve 11 which is illustrated as being of the spring - loaded type has a spring of such strength as to resist unseating of its ball 12 during liquid phase flow under the relatively low pressure indicated whereby liquid phase flow is the preferential flow in the operation of the present invention . however , the vapor pressure within tank 1 may during certain periods increase such as by means of vaporization of the liquid by normal heat reflux through the tank walls , so that with the developed vapor pressure spring 14 of check valve 11 is overcome whereby the related ball 12 is unseated and a vapor phase operating mode is developed with the vapor moving through conduit 15 and into transverse passage 18 of flow control valve 6 wherein it will cause to be applied sufficient pressure against ball valve 46 to drive same downwardly onto its gasket - forming seat 51 together with stem 42 , due to the compression of spring 37 with the engaged bellows 27 being in commensurately contracted condition as shown in fig3 . thus , in such state it is conceivable that the liquid pressure acting on spring 37 through bellows 27 may not be of sufficient strength to force further contraction of said bellows 27 . therefore , ball valve 46 will be held in closed condition inhibiting liquid phase flow during the vapor phase operating mode , such , of course , being conditioned upon the assumption that the pressure within the supply or feed line 20 is maintained at a sufficiently high level to prevent upward movement of ball valve 46 under the particular liquid pressure . nevertheless , it is to be understood that with the elevation of the vapor pressure there will obviously be relatively increased pressure against liquid 1 within tank 1 and which pressure will be transferred by the liquid to chamber 24 so that spring 37 together with bellows 27 will be forced into a contracted state thereby causing removal of stem 42 from engagement with ball valve 46 . in such condition it will , therefore , be apparent that ball valve 46 will take on the characteristics of a check valve since it is operated by the overlying spring 47 . normally the vapor phase operating mode will continue until the vapor pressure within tank 1 has dropped to that under which the liquid 1 is designed to flow . in this condition check valve 11 will return to closed state and spring 37 will be relieved of stress so as to effect an upward restoration of stem 42 above seat 51 to open ball valve 46 and thereby permit of a resumption of the liquid phase operating mode . from the foregoing it will be seen that the circuit of the present invention is fully pneumatic , operating in an automatic manner and with the components being thus relatively few in number and of simple construction as distinguished from cryogenic delivery circuits heretofore known which have involved a multiplicity of complex components such as solenoid valves , pressure switches , and the like . of extreme importance is the fact that the circuit of the present invention in addition to providing for independent liquid phase and vapor phase withdrawal from tank 1 , also uniquely permits of supplemental liquid phase flow during periods of high supply demand during the vapor phase operating mode . in such periods the feed or supply line pressure may drop below the storage tank pressure so that although the vapor pressure within tank 1 is of sufficient force to open check valve 11 and permit of vapor phase flow , the drop in the feed or supply line pressure is such as to create a marked differential between the pressure within passage 18 and that of compartment 24 which latter is caused by the expected relatively elevated liquid pressure so that such liquid pressure will overcome spring 47 and thereby force ball 46 upwardly to allow liquid to also move into passage 18 with the vapor . as suggested hereinbelow , in this particular state with stem 42 held downwardly under the increased liquid pressure ball valve 46 acts as a check valve and the same is opened through the pressure differential between that of the liquid and the relative reduction in the supply or feed line . accordingly , in this condition the present invention permits of a simultaneous flow of liquid and vapor and prevents the customary line starvation which occurs in current structures during the vapor phase operating mode . thus , the supplemental liquid assures of appropriate provision of fuel for the intended purpose and provides a safety factor heretofore unknown in the industry . from the foregoing it is thus apparent that control valve 6 has the capacity of , in effect , serving both as a control valve and a check valve . in passing , it might be stated that check valve 11 provides two critical functions ; one being the obvious restriction to vapor flow during the liquid phase operating mode as previously described , and the other being to prevent the flow of liquid therethrough and , hence , into flow control valve and with discharge through venting through vent valve 9 during filling rather than retention within the storage tank 1 .

US-65016676-A

a linerless closure which provides an effective seal against oxygen penetration and moisture evaporation includes a cap with an inner annular member defining an annular outwardly directed sealing edge which forms a line seal with the inner cylindrical surface of a container wall and an outer annular member defining an annular inwardly directed sealing edge which seals against the outer cylindrical surface of a container wall .

referring to fig1 and 1a , the closure 1 of the present invention is designed for use with a container 3 having a cylindrical container wall 5 which terminates in a rim 7 defining a container opening 9 . the cylindrical container wall has inner and outer sealing surfaces 11 and 13 below the rim 7 . a radius 15 is provided at the intersection of the rim 7 with the inner and outer surfaces 11 and 13 of the container wall . a thread 17 is provided on the outer surface of the container wall 5 spaced from the rim 7 below the outer sealing surface 13 . the container 3 is molded from a thermoplastic resin and is removed from the mold using a one piece core with air ejection so that the inner and outer diameters of the container wall 5 at the inner and outer sealing surfaces may be held to tight tolerances , preferably about 0 . 001 to 0 . 003 inches . the closure 1 constitutes a cap 19 having a circular end wall 21 and a cylindrical skirt 23 extending downward from the periphery of the end wall . the skirt 23 has internal threads 25 which engage the threads 17 on the container . the closure further includes an integral seal 27 formed by an inner annular member 29 and an outer annular member 31 . the inner annular member 29 is a flange which extends downwardly and outwardly from the end wall 21 . this flange 29 has an outer , downwardly and outwardly diverging frusto - conical surface 33 . a downwardly and inwardly diverging frusto - conical end face 35 intersects the outer frusto - conical surface 33 to form a sharp annular , outwardly directed sealing edge 37 . the outer annular member 31 is an inwardly directed flange having a downwardly and inwardly diverging frusto - conical upper surface 39 and a downwardly and outwardly diverging frusto - conical end face 41 which intersect to form an annular inwardly directed sealing edge 43 . the confronting sealing edges 37 and 43 are radially spaced apart by a gap g . an annular rib 45 , which is trapezoidal in cross section in the closure shown in fig1 a and 2 , is molded on the upper surface of the end wall . this rib 45 can engage a similarly dimensioned recess ( not shown ) in the bottom of the container 3 to facilitate stacking of the containers . this rib which is aligned with the gap g formed between the two annular members 29 and 31 also serves to stiffen the end wall and resist spreading of the annular members apart when the closure is applied to the container . the upper faces 33 and 39 of the inner annular flange 29 and the outer flange 31 , respectively , make an angle of about 60 ° with the horizontal , while the lower surfaces 47 and 49 , respectively , are at an angle of 45 ° with the horizontal so that the annular flange members taper toward the free ends . the end face 35 of the flange 29 forms a lead angle α 1 while the end face 41 of the flange 31 forms a lead angle α 2 . in the embodiment of the invention shown , the lead angles α 1 and α 2 are different and preferably α 1 is larger than α 2 . in the particular embodiment shown α 1 is about 38 °, while α 2 is about 30 °. with α 1 larger and α 2 , the rim 7 of the container makes contact with the end face 41 of the outer flange 31 before making contact with the end face 35 of the flange 29 . this reduces the initial force required to force the container wall into the gap g between the sealing edges 37 and 43 . fig2 illustrates the closure 1 applied to the container 3 . as the threads 25 on the cap 19 engage the thread 17 on the container 3 , the cylindrical wall 5 of the container is wedged between the annular flanges 29 and 31 . the gap g is dimensioned so that there is about 0 . 007 in . interference between the sealing edges 37 , 43 and the inner and outer cylindrical surfaces 11 and 13 , respectively , of the container wall 5 . as mentioned above , the rim 7 of the wall 5 engages the end face 41 of the flange 31 before engaging the end face 35 so that the additional force required to apply the cap is increased in steps rather than all at once . the wedging of the container wall into the gap g is resisted by the downwardly converging annular flanges 29 and 31 to force the sealing edges 37 and 43 into tight line contact with the inner surface 11 and outer surface 13 , respectively , of the cylindrical container wall 5 . the sharp sealing edges 37 and 43 pressed against the inner and outer surfaces of the container wall by the wedging action provide an airtight seal even when there are scratches , tool marks or other blemishes in the sealing surfaces 11 and 13 . fig3 illustrates another embodiment of the closure 101 which differs from the closure 1 of fig1 a and 2 in that the outer annular member 131 has a bottom surface 151 which extends radially outward from the lower end of the end face 41 to the skirt 23 . the remaining elements of the closure 101 are identical to those of the closure 1 of fig1 and 2 , and therefore are identified by like reference characters . fig4 illustrates yet another embodiment of the closure 201 in accordance with the invention in which the outer annular member 231 is formed on an inwardly stepped portion 253 of the skirt 223 . in addition , the outer sealing edge 243 is vertically displaced above the inwardly directing sealing edge 237 of the inner annular flange member 229 . the longer inner flange member 229 accommodates larger tolerances in the thickness t of the container wall 205 as illustrated in phantom in fig4 . the cap 219 of fig4 also incorporates a third seal formed by an annular rib 255 on the inner surface of the end wall 221 which seats against the rim 207 of the container wall 205 when the closure is fully screwed onto the container . this additional sealing rib can be provided in any of the embodiments of the invention . fig5 illustrates a modification to the embodiment of the closure shown in fig4 . in this closure 301 , the inner annular flange 329 is also elongated and is provided with a foot 357 which lengthens the end face 335 . this arrangement permits the closure 301 to be used with glass containers in which as is known , it is very difficult to control the inner dimension of the container wall 305 . fig6 illustrates still another embodiment of the invention suitable for sealing containers storing products under pressure . the end wall 421 has an annular raised section 459 which forms an annular downwardly facing groove 461 . the inner annular member 429 is formed on the inner wall 463 of the groove 461 while the outer annular member 431 is formed on the outer wall 465 . the confronting sealing edges 437 and 443 are vertically aligned within the vertical thickness of the end wall 421 . the closure 401 is molded with the center section 467 of the end wall 421 bulging convexly downward toward the container as shown in solid line in fig6 . when the closure 401 is applied to a container , and pressure builds up within the container , the downwardly convex section 467 is forced upward causing the center section to spread laterally thereby forcing the confronting sealing edges 443 and 437 toward each other to more tightly grip the inner and outer surfaces respectively of the container wall for a tighter seal . fig7 illustrates a modification of the closure of fig6 for use with products which are vacuum packed in a container . in this closure 501 , the center section 567 of the end wall 521 is molded convex upwardly away from the container . thus , the vacuum in the container will draw the bulging center section 567 downward causing it to expand laterally and force the sealing edges 537 and 543 more tightly against the surfaces of the container sidewall for a tighter vacuum seal . while specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure . accordingly , the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof .

US-83952392-A

an ethernet transceiver integrated circuit chip is disclosed including a plurality of transceivers for coupling to a corresponding plurality of physical channels . a channel switcher is coupled to the plurality of transceivers . during a first mode of operation , the channel switcher activates all of the plurality of transceivers to transceive data in accordance with a first aggregate data transfer rate . during a second mode of operation , the channel switcher activates less than all of the plurality of transceivers to transceive data in accordance with a second aggregate data rate that is less than the first aggregate data transfer rate .

the present invention relates generally to data communications , and more particularly to operating at a reduced data rate for power savings in data communication systems . the following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements . various modifications to implementations and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the implementations shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating a communications system 100 configured to switch data rates while maintaining convergence of adaptive components , according to one embodiment of the present invention . the communication system 100 includes network devices 110 a , b and a network manager 120 . the network devices 110 a , b and the network manager 120 are coupled in communication for data transmission over lines 102 , 104 , 106 . for example , the components can be directly or indirectly connected via the internet , a wide area network , a telephone network , any type of connection or connectionless network , and the like . one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the components of fig1 are just one implementation of the invention , and the various alternative embodiments are within the scope and spirit of the invention . for example , there can be more than two network devices 110 a , b , there can be more than one network manager 120 , and the like . additionally , in one embodiment , the functions of the network manager 120 can be decentralized by being performed with in the network devices 110 a , b . the network devices 110 a , b can be , for example , computers , switches , routers , hubs , gateways , and similar devices . in other embodiments , the network devices 110 a , b can be , for example , a mobile device , a cell phone , a network - ready device , or any other device capable of connecting to a network . the network devices 110 a , b negotiate a first data rate , such as 10 g . upon detecting a signal to switch data rates , the network devices 110 a , b operate in a synchronized manner when switching to a second data rate , such as 1 g . during operation at 1 g , the network devices 110 a , b maintain adaptive components , allowing a seamless switch back to 10 g , without the need to renegotiate or retrain . in one embodiment , a reduction in data rate results in a power savings for the network devices 110 a , b . the network devices 110 a , b further comprise phy integrated circuits 112 a , b , respectively . the phy integrated circuits 112 a , b can be implemented , for example , on a line card plugged into a chassis within the network devices 112 a , b , or on a mother board . in one embodiment , the phy integrated circuits 112 a , b are implemented on separate substrates . the phy integrated circuits 112 a , b can be implemented with hardware , software , and / or firmware . in one embodiment , the phy integrated circuits 112 a , b can be implemented with a programmable array or an asic . the phy integrated circuits 112 a , b can contain analog electronic components , digital electronic components , or a combination of both . the two phy integrated circuits 112 a , b need not be implemented in the same manner for synchronized operation . the network devices 110 a , b can also comprise other computing components such as a processor , memory , and a monitor . in operation , the phy integrated circuits 112 a , b provide a layer 1 osi model functionality , such as sending and receiving signals between a mac device or other layer 2 device and the line 106 . in one embodiment , the phy integrated circuits 112 a , b send and receive digital signals with from the mac device , while sending and receiving analog signals with the line 106 . the phy integrated circuits 11 a , b can be integrated with the mac device or other components , in some embodiments . the phy integrated circuits 112 a , b transmit data at varying data rates . in one embodiment , the phy integrated circuits 112 a , b are able to change data rates ( e . g ., drop down to a lower data rate ) while maintaining a state of convergence with respect to the line 106 . an implementation of the phy integrated circuits 112 a , b is described below in more detail . the network manager 120 determines data rates of the network devices 110 a , b . in one embodiment , an interface ( e . g ., a gui ) presented to a network administrator allows manual changes in the data rates . in another embodiment , the network manager 120 can automatically institute changes in the data rates . for example , the network manager 120 can observe bandwidth usage , and change in data rate responsive to underutilization or overutilization of the bandwidth . to change the data rate , the network manger 120 can signal the network devices 110 a , b at an application layer ( or another layer above layer 1 ) which , in turn , signals the phy integrated circuits 112 a , b . in some embodiments , the network manager 120 provides additional network administration functions . fig2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the line 106 in further detail , according to one embodiment of the present invention . the communication line 106 includes four twisted pairs of wires 202 - 208 that are connected to compensation units 210 - 224 including transceivers through corresponding connectors 242 - 256 . the twisted pairs 202 - 208 can be composed of copper , optical fiber , or any other suitable transmission medium . in one implementation , the transceivers are ieee 10gbase - t compliant . when operating at 10 g , each of the twisted pairs 202 - 208 operates at approximately 2 . 56 g , demanding lots of power from the transceivers and supporting circuitry . the power is wasted when the large 10 g bandwidth is underutilized . in one implementation , hybrid circuits 226 - 240 are used at the ends of each twisted pair of wires 202 - 208 to control access to a corresponding communication channel for full duplex bidirectional operation . a connection module 290 establishes communications with other devices in layer 1 communication with each other . in one embodiment , 3 steps are followed in establishing communication : 1 ) auto negotiation , 2 ) training sequence , and 3 ) connection . during auto negotiation , both network devices agree as to the rate of data transmission . many conditions which are implementations - specific can be asserted , such as current line conditions . the training sequence converges the equalizers prior to sending actual data . once a steady state is reached , the connection is cleared for communications of actual data , although the adaptive components continue to be dynamically tweaked . if a connection is broken , due to , for example , a link failure , a power down , a reboot , an exception , or the like , the connection module 290 can reestablish the connection by repeating the auto negotiation , the training sequence , and clearing the connection . the data rate controller 295 allows the communication rate to drop down to lower speeds for power savings . to do so , the data rate controller 295 uses an existing structure for 10gbase - t . rather than using , for example , all four twisted pairs with full duplex ( or bidirectional ) communications , the data rate controller can rotate usage of one of the twisted pairs with simplex ( or unidirectional ) communications . as a result , the adaptive components remain converged . the adaptive components , in one embodiment , include equalizers ( e . g ., fe and thp ), echo cancellers , cross talk cancellers ( e . g ., next filters , and fext filters ), timing recovery , and frame synchronization . in one embodiment , when the data rate is subsequently increased , the connection module 290 does not need to reestablish a connection at the new rate . fig3 is a block diagram illustrating a data rate controller 295 , according to one embodiment of the present invention . the data rate controller 295 comprises a rate change detector 310 , a channel switcher 320 , and a power controller 330 . the data rate controller 295 and related components can be implemented using hardware , software , and / or firmware . the rate change detector 310 is coupled to receive a signal . the signal is a request to change a current data rate . in one embodiment , the signal can be sent from the network manager 120 of fig1 , in response to certain conditions as discussed above . in response , the rate change detector 310 signals other components of the rate change . the rate be reduced from a first rate to a second rate . later , the rate can be increased from the second rate back to the first rate . examples of the data rate used 1 g , 100m , and 10m . in one embodiment , additional inputs can be used as conditions for determining when and what type of rate change is to occur . the channel switcher 320 keeps the filters converged with a timed use rotation across the pairs . in one embodiment , the channel switcher 320 reduces the data rate by switching from duplex communication on four twisted pairs to simplex communication on one twisted pair for transmitting signals , and simplex communication on another twisted pair for receiving signals . each twisted pair that is kept active can remain active at the same data rate so that the reduction in data rate is achieved by reducing the number of channels rather than changing the bandwidth on a particular channel . the frames at each data rate can be the same format . at the second data rate , the frames can be zero - stuffed . at 10 g , the bandwidth can be 800 mhz , or 1 . 25 nanoseconds per symbol . in 1 g operation , only a fraction of the transmission levels and transmission frame are used , resulting in a substantial power savings . for instance , running only 2 pairs in pam - 4 simplex , versus 4 pairs in pam - 16 duplex , but at the 10 g symbol rate , creates a bidirectional 1 . 6 gb / s channel which can be zero filled to achieve an net 1 g bidirectional rate . however , because the channel is simplex and the snr required to operate is so much lower , much of the equalization and error correction machinery can be turned off , and the required transmit power reduced . however , by actively cycling through all pair combinations , it is possible to maintain the adaptive components in the 10 g channel . in one embodiment , a round robin algorithm is used to cycle through the twisted pairs . in the alternative , there implementation - specific algorithms can be used . due to the switching , the adaptive components remain converged . for example , the equalizers are updated and the timing phases are kept current . as a result , switching can occur to a new line without having to renegotiate communication parameters . thus , the 2 to 5 second period of negotiation with another device is the network is avoided . the power controller 330 powers down unused components during a lower power mode . the power controller 330 determines which components to power down based on a current state of the channel switcher 320 . for example , there can be four states associated with a line with four twisted pairs . in a first state , while a first twisted pair is active to transmit , a second active pair is active to receive , and a third twisted pair and a fourth twisted pair are both inactive . in a second state , the second twisted pair is active to transmit , the third twisted pair is active to receive , and the fourth active pair and the first active pair are both inactive . the third and fourth states continue the rotation in a round robin manner . when a twisted pair is active , some components are inactive since the twisted pair is operating in simplex mode . additionally , when a twisted pair is inactive , some components are active since the characteristics of an adjacent inactive twisted pair can affect the active twisted pair . for example , a next or fext filter for the adjacent inactive twisted pair can remain active . examples of particular configurations for power down are described in more detail below . fig4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary implementation of a compensation unit 400 such as the compensation units 200 - 206 of fig2 . the compensation unit 212 includes adaptive components that remain converged while operating at low data rates . an analog compensation unit 310 comprises subtractors 455 , 456 , boost filter 402 , an anti - alias filter 404 , and a programmable gain amplifier ( pga ) 406 , each coupled in communication . the booster filter 402 applies a high - pass filter to the input signal within the frequency band . in one embodiment , the booster filter 402 is configured to compensate or amplify within the frequency band of the signal ( e . g ., below 400 mhz ). the anti - alias filter 404 attenuates portions of the signal that are out - of - band with the current signal . the pga 406 is configured to adjust an input signal in accordance with the dynamic range of the adc 420 . the pre - echo cancellation signal 487 is applied before any filtering at the subtractor 455 so that any pre - echo signal experiences the same filtering that the input signal experiences . specifically , the output signal tx 1 485 being transmitted from a driver 484 is replicated at a pre - echo filter 486 . also , the analog echo cancellation signal 491 is generated by an echo filter 492 for proper filter tap adaptation . the digital compensation unit 430 comprises a set of filters 460 , subtractors 462 , 482 , a feed forward equalizer ( ffe ) 464 , a clock / data recovery ( cdr ) 466 , a phase locked loop ( pll ) 468 , a delay adjuster 470 , and a bandgap 472 . the subtractor 462 receives the sampled input signal and a digital compensation signal . the digital compensation signal reduces interference associated with the signals and is generated by the subtractor 482 which combines line wander and echo data as inputs . the ffe 464 reduces other sources of interference such as intersymbol interference ( isi ). the delay adjuster 470 optimizes a sample point within the span of a symbol . table 1 details the power savings from adaptive components such as those of fig4 that are not used or not used as much while operating at a reduced data rate . when all four twisted pairs are active , each has an active ffe and thp . only one ffe and thp is required for a single active twisted pair . in one embodiment , when all four twisted pairs are active , a total of 12 next and fext filters are active because each twisted pair provides a filter for each of the other three twisted pairs . only one next and fext filter is required from each inactive twisted pair for a single active twisted pair . only one echo canceller is required for each active twisted pair . the ldpc can operate at an exponentially reduced power because less bandwidth is required , and power has an exponential relationship with bandwidth . the drivers can operate at pam - 4 ( pulse amplitude modulation with 4 symbols ) rather than pam - 16 with only one active twisted pair . the power savings is exponential because the voltage swing is reduced from , for example , from a range of + 2 v to − 2 v to a range of + 0 . 5 v to − 0 . 5 v , or from a range of + 1 v to − 1 v to a range of + 0 . 25 v to − 0 . 25 v . fig5 is a flow chart illustrating a method 500 for maintaining convergence of adaptive components to accommodate data rate changes , according to one embodiment of the present invention . a connection between network devices is established 510 . to do so , a data rate is negotiated , a training sequence is sent and received , and a connection is cleared . when implementation - specific conditions are reached ( e . g ., bandwidth underutilization ) a signal requesting a reduction in a data rate ( e . g ., from a first data rate to a second data rate ) is received 520 . in one embodiment , the first data rate operates at 10 g while the second data rate operates at 100m . data transmission is switched to a new frame structure based on the new data rate 530 . components that are inactive are powered down 540 . a usage rotation is initiated to maintain convergence on the adaptive components 550 . in one embodiment , a round robin usage rotation is employed . once conditions in bandwidth change , a signal requesting an increase in data rate ( e . g ., from the second data rate to the first data rate ) is received 560 . as a result , the data rate is increased without reestablishing a connection 570 . reference herein to “ one embodiment ”, “ an embodiment ”, or to “ one or more embodiments ” means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment of the invention . further , it is noted that instances of the phrase “ in one embodiment ” herein are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . certain aspects of the present invention include process steps and instructions described herein in the form of an algorithm . it should be noted that the process steps and instructions of the present invention can be embodied in software , firmware or hardware , and when embodied in software , can be downloaded to reside on and be operated from different platforms used by a variety of operating systems . the present invention also relates to an apparatus for performing the operations herein . this apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes , or it may comprise a general - purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer . such a computer program may be stored in a computer readable storage medium , such as , but is not limited to , any type of disk including floppy disks , optical disks , cd - roms , magnetic - optical disks , read - only memories ( roms ), random access memories ( rams ), eproms , eeproms , magnetic or optical cards , application specific integrated circuits ( asics ), or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions , and each coupled to a computer system bus . further , the computers referred to herein may include a single processor or may be architectures employing multiple processor designs for increased computing capability .

US-201113168251-A

a multilayer whole solid - type lithium ion rechargeable battery has hitherto been produced by stacking green sheets of a positive electrode layer , a solid electrolyte layer , and a negative electrode layer , which are formed of respective materials different from each other in coefficient of thermal expansion , and firing the layers at a time . this technique poses problems of delamination and nonlamination attributable to a difference in shrinkage . the problems can be solved by forming green sheets with the addition of a sintering aid to each starting material powder for the positive electrode layer , the solid electrolyte layer , and the negative electrode layer and performing control , by setting the additive rate of the sintering aid and the firing temperature , so that the shrinkages of the respective green sheets are substantially equal to each other . consequently , unfavorable phenomena such as delamination can be prevented .

the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described as follows . a solid - type lithium ion secondary battery is produced through the steps below . first , positive electrode material , solid - type electrolyte material , and negative electrode material , which are raw materials for each materials , are calcined , and then crushed into powder . next , the powder of each material is dissolved in binder and solvent to form paste of each material . after that , the paste of these materials are processed and sheeted to form green sheets . these green sheets are stacked , and then co - fired . finally , electrode terminals and protective layers are formed to complete a battery . in this process , sintering refers to thermal processing for sintering . sintering is a phenomenon of which powder is hardened to form dense material called the sintered body when a lump of solid powder is heated under a temperature lower than the melting point . sintering bonds powder grains together scattered over each sheet of positive electrode , solid - type electrolyte , and negative electrode to allow the powder grains to grow into large grains . through process , the contact area between grains increases ; distance between grains decreases . this condition where sintering sufficiently proceeds , and thus grain size increases and distance between grains decreases is a favorable condition for battery materials because the diffusion resistance of the lithium battery is low . as sintering sufficiently proceeds , distance between grains decreases . and this shrinks the whole sizes of a green sheet . due to such characteristics , the status of how sintering proceeds can be understood not only through the micro - level observation of cross sectional sizes of grains of each material but also the macro - level observation of the shrinkage factor of each material . fig1 shows graphs of shrinkage factors of positive electrode material , solid - type electrolyte material , and negative electrode material . the materials used for the positive electrode material , solid - type electrolyte material , and negative electrode material are limno 2 , li 7 psio 8 , and li 4 ti 5 o 12 , respectively . each material was ground with a ball mill , and then ground with pico mill ™. the materials are dissolved with binder and solvent , and the mixture was processed into pellets with 16 . 5 mm in diameter and 1 mm in thickness . after that , the pellets were sintered under four temperature conditions : 800 , 900 , 1000 , and 1050 degrees centigrade , and dimension changes in diameter direction and thickness direction were measured to calculate the shrinkage factor of each material . as shown in fig1 , when pellets were formed based on a conventional technique in which the positive electrode material and other raw materials were dissolved with binder and solvent , the shrinkage factors had not saturated even though sintering is made under relatively high temperatures from 800 to 1000 degrees centigrade , and shrinkage had advanced as temperature increased . these results indicate that sintering had not sufficiently advanced . in addition , a notable fact in fig1 is a large variation in shrinkage factors among the positive electrode material , solid - type electrolyte material , and negative electrode material . it is revealed , in the materials used for the evaluation test , that the positive electrode material has relatively small shrinkage factor , and the solid - type electrolyte material has relatively large shrinkage factor . this evaluation test clarified that the causes of the exfoliation in bonded interface are estimated to be different in shrinkage factors of the positive electrode layer , solid - type electrolyte layer , and negative electrode layer upon sintering , and deformation and stress within the battery after sintering . the inventors of the present invention studied how to control the shrinkage factor of each material that is subject to sintering . as a result , they revealed that the shrinkage factors of positive electrode material , solid - type electrolyte material , and negative electrode material became almost uniform by means of adjusting sintering aid additive amount for each material and controlling sintering temperature . moreover , it was found that sintering of each material proceeded at a relatively low temperature of about 700 degrees centigrade , and production of excellent batteries with lower ion diffusion resistance and internal impedance is possible . in addition , it was revealed that sintering proceeded at lower temperatures from 600 degrees centigrade to 700 degrees centigrade compared with the case without sintering aid . fig1 shows graphs of measurement results of the shrinkage factors of pellets used in this evaluation test that uses the pellets produced based on the production method related to the present invention . the evaluation test related to the present invention uses the same raw materials of positive electrode , solid - type electrolyte , and negative electrode as those of the evaluation test of fig1 . each material was ground with pico mill ™, and the processed powder was dipped into the sintered aid dissolved with ion exchange water , and was dried thereafter , and after drying , the powder was dissolved with binder and solvent . after these processes , these materials were processed into pellets with 16 . 5 mm in diameter and 1 . 0 mm in thickness . they are sintered under four temperature conditions : 700 , 800 , 900 , and 1000 degrees centigrade , and then changes in diameter direction and thickness direction were measured to calculate shrinkage factor of each material . boron oxide ( b 2 o 3 ) was used for sintering aid . the additive rates for the positive electrode material , solid - type electrolyte material , and negative electrode material were 0 . 8 , 1 . 0 , and 1 . 2 wt %, respectively . as shown in fig1 , it is found that , when sintering is performed at temperatures of 780 or 790 degrees centigrade or higher , doping of a sintered aid consisting of a boron compound resulted in uniform shrinkage factors for all materials . that is to say that shrinkage factors of positive electrode material , solid - type electrolyte material , and negative electrode material are within 15 ± 5 % in diameter direction and thickness direction . moreover , it is clarified that , even the temperature is increased , the shrinkage factor is saturated ; in other words , sintering has already proceeded . on the other hand , the shrinkage factors have not saturated under the condition of a temperature of 1050 degrees centigrade when the sintered aid of fig1 is not doped . unlike this fact , doping of the sintered aid greatly lowers the sintering temperature at which the sintering sufficiently proceeds . the structure of the multilayer all solid state lithium ion secondary battery related to the present invention employs a structure in which a stacked body is formed by alternately stacking positive electrode layers and negative electrode layers with a solid - type electrolyte layer sandwiched , and the positive electrode terminal , negative electrode terminal , and protective layer are attached to the stacked body . even in a battery whose structure is featured by parallel alignment of the collector layer along the positive electrode layer and / or the negative electrode layer , application of the technology related to the present invention leads to the effects of the prevention of delamination , and reduction in production cost and material cost . example of parallel alignment of the collector layer includes a structure in which the positive electrode layer , collector layer , and positive electrode layer are used for the positive electrode film , and the negative electrode layer , collector layer , and negative electrode layer are used for the negative electrode film , with the solid - type electrolyte layer sandwiched between the positive electrode film and negative electrode film , and the positive electrode terminal , negative electrode terminal , and protective layer are attached to the stacked body to which the positive electrode film and negative electrode film are stacked . in the specification of the present invention , the positive electrode film or negative electrode film with the collector are also called simply the positive electrode layer or negative electrode layer . from ( a ) to ( d ) of fig2 shows cross sectional views of stacked layer bodies forming the all solid state lithium ion secondary battery and structures of battery related to the present invention and their variants . fig2 ( a ) is a cross sectional view of the most basic structure of stacked layer body . positive layer 1 and negative layer 3 are alternately stacked with the solid - type electrolyte layer 2 between . as described in the production method of a battery hereinafter described , in a case where layer stacking is performed after a positive electrode sheet or negative electrode sheet are formed above a solid - type electrolyte sheet , the structure with the solid - type electrolyte layer at the lower surface and the electrode layer at the upper surface is the stacked layer body structure with the least number of work process as shown in fig2 ( a ). a stacked layer body in which the positive electrode layer and negative electrode layer are stacked with the solid - type electrolyte sandwiched between forms one single cell , which translates three battery cells stacked in fig2 ( a ). the technology introduced in the present invention of lithium ion rechargeable batteries is applied to the battery in which three layers cells are stacked as shown in the figure and a battery in which more than one and an arbitrary number of layers are stacked . also , this technology can be flexibly applied to the required capacity or current specification of a lithium ion battery . to fully exploit the advantages of the present invention , the cell count is preferably 2 to 500 pieces , more preferably 5 to 250 pieces . in fig2 ( a ), the positive electrode layer extends to the left - edge face of the stacked body and the negative electrode layer extends to the right - edge face of the stacked body . this arrangement is a suitable structure in a parallel - type or serial - type battery in which electrode terminals are provided at edge faces . the technology of the present invention of the lithium ion secondary battery is applied not only to parallel - type batteries as shown in the figure , but also to serial - type batteries and serial - parallel - type batteries . fig2 ( b ) illustrates a structure of which solid - type electrolyte layer 5 is placed above and below the stacked layer . fig2 ( c ) shows a structure of which a positive electrode layer is placed above the stacked layer and a negative electrode layer is placed below the stacked layer . fig2 ( d ) is a cross sectional view of a lithium ion secondary battery to which electrode terminals and protective layers are provided at the edges of the stacked body . the positive electrode terminal 15 is electrically connected to the positive electrode layer 10 on the left of the battery ; the negative electrode terminal 16 , to the negative electrode layer 12 on the right of the battery . protective layers 13 and 14 are formed as the outermost layers of the battery , which protect the battery electrically , physically , and chemically . environmentally safe material with isolation , durability , and water resistance , for example ceramics or resin should be preferably used for the material of the protective layer . material that effectively releases and absorbs lithium ions should be preferably used for the active substance forming electrode layers of the lithium ion secondary battery of the present invention . for example , transmission metal oxide or transmission metal complex oxide should be preferably used . it is preferable to use specifically lithium - manganese complex oxide , lithium - nickel complex oxide , lithium - cobalt complex oxide , lithium - vanadium complex oxide , lithium - titan complex oxide , manganese dioxide , titanium oxide , niobium oxide , vanadium oxide , and tungsten oxide . moreover , lithium - manganese complex oxide and lithium - titan complex oxide feature that their volume changes are specifically small when lithium ions are absorbed or released , and their electrodes does not easily fracture or exfoliate , which is suitable characteristics to active substance material . in this stage , there is no clear distinction between positive electrode active substance and negative electrode active substance . then , after the comparison of potential of two compounds , the chemical compound that exhibits higher potential can be used as the positive electrode active substance ; the chemical compound that exhibits lower potential , as the negative electrode active substance . it is preferable to use material with low electron conductivity and high lithium ion conductivity as solid - type electrolyte that forms the solid - type electrolyte layer of the lithium ion secondary battery of the present invention . moreover , the material should preferably be inorganic material that can be sintered at high temperature in the atmosphere . it is preferable that the material should be at least one material among lithium silicophosphate ( li 3 . 5 si 0 . 5 o 4 ), lithium - titan phosphate ( liti 2 ( po 4 ) 2 ), lithium - germanium phosphate ( lige 2 ( po 4 ) 3 ), li 2 o — sio 2 , li 2 o — v 2 o 5 — sio 2 , li 2 o — p 2 o 5 — b 2 o 3 , li 2 o — geo 2 . also , it is preferable to use material to which dissimilar element , li 3 po 4 , lipo 3 , li 4 sio 4 , li 2 sio 3 , or libo 2 is doped . the material for the solid - type electrolyte material can take any form among crystalline , noncrystalline , and glassy conditions . it is preferable that the sintered aid that is added to each material of the lithium ion secondary battery of the present invention and accelerates sintering is a chemical compound containing boron . the chemical compound may be one or mixture of two substances among b 2 o 3 , h 3 bo 3 , lithium borate , sodium borate , organoboron compound , or a decomposition product of these substances . the most preferable substance is b 2 o 3 . boric acid or boric acid compound changes to b 2 o 3 when they are heated to 300 degrees centigrade in the atmosphere . moreover , when organoboron compound is heated , organic functional groups are sintered , and b 2 o 3 is left in the material . when these substances , which change to b 2 o 3 by thermal decomposition or oxidation during the sintering process , are used for the sintered aid , higher effect of acceleration of sintering is observed as well as in the case where b 2 o 3 is used as the sintered aid . a stacked body of the multilayer all solid state lithium ion secondary battery of the present invention is produced through the steps of forming paste of materials of positive electrode , solid - type electrolyte , and negative electrode that form the stacked layer , and a given protective layer , forming green sheets of these materials , stacking these green sheets , and co - firing the stacked body produced . in this case , each material of positive electrode active substance , negative electrode active substance , and solid - type electrolyte can be calcined inorganic salt of each substance . the purpose of tentative sintering is promoting chemical reaction . to sufficiently fulfill the functions of the substances after the collective sintering , the tentative sintering temperature of the positive electrode active substance , negative active substance , solid - type electrolyte substance are 700 degrees centigrade or higher . from ( a ) to ( d ) of fig3 are cross sectional view of steps explaining how to dope the sintered aid related to the embodiment of the present invention . first , the sintered aid 21 such as powdered boron oxide is dissolved with ion exchange water 22 ( fig3 ( a )). next , the positive electrode material , solid - type electrolyte material , and negative electrode material , which are powdered after tentative sintering , are dipped into the solution 24 into which the sintered aid previously made is dissolved ( fig3 ( b )). the immersion time is preferably at least one minute and no longer than five hours . materials are dipped , and after they are left as this condition for a certain period of time , the materials are dried naturally or dried by evaporating the solution using a drying furnace ( fig3 ( c )). each material , to which the sintered aid is added , is processed into paste . the method of processing materials into paste is not limited . paste can be formed , for example , by mixing the powder of each material into vehicle . in this case , the vehicle refers to generic term of medium in liquid . the vehicle includes medium and binder . pastes for positive electrode layer , solid - type electrolyte layer , and negative electrode layer are made through the steps above . the pastes produced are coated on a substrate such as pet in desired order , and they are dried as necessary . after that , the substrate is peeled off to form green sheets ( fig3 ( d )). the method of paste coating is not limited , and any known method including screen printing , coating , decal transferring , and doctor blade method can be employed . the produced green sheets for the positive electrode layer , solid - type electrolyte layer , and negative electrode layer are stacked in a desired order and into desired number of stack layers . after the green sheets are stacked , alignment and cutting are made as needed in order to form the stacked body . to form parallel - type or serial - parallel - type battery , alignment and stacking is made so that the edge face of the positive electrode layer and the edge face of the negative electrode layer do not match . the produced stacked bodies are collectively pressed and bonded . the pressing and bonding are done under heated condition , and in this case , the temperature is from 40 to 80 degrees centigrade , for example . the pressed and bonded stack bodies are sintered in the atmosphere . the sintering temperature is preferably to be from 600 to 1100 degrees centigrade in the production process of the lithium secondary battery of the present invention . if the temperature is lower than 600 degrees centigrade , the sintering is not sufficient enough , and if the temperature is higher than 1100 degrees centigrade , problems such as meltdown of the sold - type electrolyte and structural changes in the positive electrode active substance and negative electrode active substance occur . more preferably , the temperature should be from 700 to 1100 degrees centigrade . this is because , more advantages are expected in terms of progress of sintering and production cost reduction . the sintering time should be from one hour to three hours , for example . this paragraph explains the production method from green sheet production to completion of a battery . the first specific example of production method is a production method of the multilayer all solid state lithium ion secondary battery including steps from ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) below . from ( a ) to ( e ) of fig4 are cross sectional views of steps of a specific example of the production of the lithium ion battery related to the embodiment of the present invention . the solid - type electrolyte paste is coated on the pet substrate 31 and is dried to form the solid - type electrolyte sheet 32 ( fig4 ( a )). hereinafter , the “ green sheet ” is called simply the “ sheet .” after that , the positive electrode paste is coated on the solid - type electrolyte sheet 31 and is dried to form the positive electrode sheet 35 ( fig4 ( b )). next , the negative electrode paste is coated on the solid - type electrolyte sheet 36 and is dried to form the negative electrode sheet 38 ( fig4 ( b )). a positive electrode unit to which the solid - type electrode sheet and positive electrode sheet are stacked is peeled off from the pet substrate . also , a negative electrode unit to which the solid - type electrode sheet and negative electrode sheet are stacked is peeled off from the pet substrate . next , the positive electrode units and negative electrode units are alternately stacked to form a stacked body in which the positive electrode layer sheet 43 and negative electrode sheet 44 are alternately stacked with the solid - type electrolyte sheet 42 sandwiched between . in this case , alignment of the positive electrode unit and negative electrode unit is made when stacking is made as necessary so that the negative sheet is not exposed at one edge of the stacked body and the positive electrode sheet is not exposed at the other edge of the stacked body ( fig4 ( c )). sintered stacked body is created after sintering of the stacked body ( fig4 ( d )). provide the positive electrode terminal 48 so that it contacts to the positive electrode layer 47 and the negative electrode terminal 49 so that it contact to the negative electrode layer 46 , at the sides of the stacked body . electrode terminals ( extraction electrodes ) are formed , for example , by sintering at temperatures from 500 to 900 degrees centigrade after the extraction electrode paste is coated at each side of the battery . protective layers 50 and 51 are provided at outermost areas of the stacked body as necessary to complete the battery ( fig4 ( e )). the second specific example of production method is a production method of the multilayer all solid state lithium ion secondary battery including steps from ( i ) to ( iii ) below . a stacked body consisting of green sheets , which are produced by coating and drying the positive electrode paste , solid - type electrolyte paste , negative electrode paste , and solid - type electroly paste , in this order . in this case , alignment of the positive electrode unit and negative electrode unit is made when stacking is made as necessary so that the negative sheet is not exposed at one edge of the stacked body and the positive electrode sheet is not exposed at the other edge of the stacked body . after the substrate used for green sheet production is peeled off as necessary , a sintered stacked body is created following stacked body sintering . provide the positive electrode terminal so that it contacts to the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode terminal so that it contacts to the negative electrode layer , at the sides of the stacked body . protective layers 50 and 51 are provided at outermost areas of the stacked body as necessary to complete the battery . this paragraph describes differences of the present invention from the prior arts in terms of the secondary battery that undergoes thermal processing using boron compound as a sintered aid or melting agent . patent reference 2 describes a technology about “ lithium ion secondary battery including lithium - manganese oxide containing compound between lithium layers as positive electrode active substance ,” and patent reference 3 explains a technology about “ lithium ion secondary battery including lithium oxide containing compound between lithium layers as positive electrode active substance .” patent reference 2 indicates that “ it is preferable to add a sintered aid to facilitate sintering , and the sintered aid to be used is preferably boron oxide , more preferably h 3 bo 3 ” ( paragraph 28 ). moreover , patent reference 3 states “ it is preferable to add a sintered aid to simplify sintering , and the sintered aid to be used is preferably boron oxide , more preferably h 3 bo 3 ” ( paragraph 41 ). patent references 2 and 3 state that it is preferable to add a sintered aid to the positive electrode active substance , and the effect of this is that sintering is facilitated or simplified . these statement does not clarify what specific effect can be made . no description on the control of shrinkage factor of material , which is an effect of the present invention , is provided . moreover , no detailed description on solid - type electrolyte material and negative electrode material , which are other constituents of a battery , is provided . also , any description on addition of a sintered aid to these material is not found . therefore , even though a description of addition of boron oxide as a preferable sintered aid is provided , it is impossible to conceive , from technologies in patent reference 2 and 3 only , of the technology of the present invention , in which problems including delamination is avoided by means of making shrinkage factor of each material uniform after a sintered aid is added to the positive electrode material , solid - type electrolyte material , and negative electrode material , and additive amount and sintering temperature are controlled . moreover , the sintering processes stated in patent references 2 and 3 differ from those of the present invention . patent reference 2 , for example , introduces use of li 2 co 3 and mn 3 o 4 as a starting material for synthesis of lithium - manganese complex compound when it is used as the positive electrode active substance . the sintering process , of which a sintered aid is added , in patent references 2 and 3 is a heating process when the starting material is mixed and heated to synthesize the positive electrode active substance , which differs from the heating process of the present invention , in which green sheets of the positive electrode material , solid - type electrolyte material , and negative electrode material are stacked , and grains of each material are grown to make the stacked body dense . the following flow clearly explains this process . starting constituents of material →( a )→( b ) heating ( synthesis of material )→ drying and grinding →( c )→ binder , dissolving into solvent , and paste creation → green sheet production → stacking →( d )→ collective heating in the flow above , a term “ sintering ” used in patent references 2 and 3 refers to process ( b ), and addition of a sintered aid added in process ( a ). however , in the present invention , process ( b ) is called tentative sintering , and process ( d ) is referred to as sintering . the sintered aid is doped in process ( c ). if the sintered aid is added in process ( a ) according to the technology disclosed by patent references 2 and 3 , significant effects cannot be made on control of shrinkage factors through heating in process ( d ) and facilitation of sintering . if the sintered aid added in process ( a ), sintering and crystal growth advances too much , thus posing a problem of troublesome in slightly powdering in the process of drying and powdering soon after process ( b ). therefore , the effects of the present invention &# 39 ; s technology , in which sintering is facilitated and performed in lower temperature cannot be realized based on the technologies in patent references 2 and 3 , and thus it is impossible to conceive the technology of the present invention from patent references 2 and 3 . patent reference 4 describes a technology about “ lithium ion secondary battery including lithium - manganese complex oxide as positive electrode active substance .” also , it states “ lithium manganese complex oxide is synthesized by allowing lithium compound and manganese compound to react under a condition where liquid boron compound is present . ( claim 1 ) through process , long - time high - temperature reaction is unnecessary . ( paragraph 0024 )” and “ preferable boron compound is b 2 o 3 , h 3 bo 3 , or lithium borate ( paragraph 0008 ).” first , the battery introduced in patent reference 4 is not a all solid state battery ; it uses liquid for electrolyte . for this reason , patent reference 4 does not consider the problem of bonding exfoliation due to shrinkage factor difference of material used in a all solid state battery . boron compound is added to only the positive electrode material , which differs from the technology of the present invention , in which additive amount of sintered aid doped into the positive electrode material , solid - type electrolyte material , and negative electrode material during the sintering process is adjusted and shrinkage factor is controlled . in patent reference 4 , as well as in patent references 2 and 3 , boron compound is added in the process before tentative sintering of the present invention ( process ( a ) in the flow above ). as described previously , this has different objective and effect from the present invention , in which the sintered aid is added in process ( c ) in the flow above . pellet samples of the lithium ion secondary battery are produced . on this occasion , a sintered aid is doped into the positive electrode material , solid - type electrolyte material , and negative electrode material . measurement of shrinkage factors of the pellet samples that are sintered is made , and the sem observation of fracture face is made . the samples used this time are the same samples as those used in the shrinkage factor evaluation test shown in fig1 . for how to make samples , detailed description is provided as follows . the positive electrode material is a substance expressed as limno 2 , which is synthesized from mnco 3 ( c2 - sp ) made by chuo denki kogyo co ., ltd . and li 2 co 3 made by nippon chemical industrial co ., ltd . through the process of two - hour tentative sintering at a temperature of 800 degrees centigrade . the solid - type electrolyte material is a substance expressed as li7psio 8 , which is synthesized from li 3 po 4 made by wako pure chemicals industries , ltd ., sio 2 made by kcm corporation , and li 2 co 3 made by nippon chemical industrial co ., ltd . through the process of two - hour tentative sintering at a temperature of 950 degrees centigrade . the negative electrode material is a substance expressed as li 4 ti 5 o 12 , which is synthesized from tio 2 ( ka - 10c ) made by titan kogyo , ltd . and li 2 co 3 made by nippon chemical industrial co ., ltd . through the process of two - hour tentative sintering at a temperature of 800 degrees centigrade . materials after tentative sintering are ground with ball mill , and after that the positive electrode material is ground with pico mill ™ at 60 pass grinding level ; solid - type electrolyte material and negative electrode material , 20 pass grinding level . next , a certain amount of sintered aid made of b 2 o 3 is dissolved into ion exchange water , and powdered material of each material is dipped into the water , and then dried . the materials were dissolved into solvent with binder , and then processed into pellet shape , and finally subject to sintering . the additive amount of boric oxide is set to four levels : 0 . 2 , 0 . 4 , 0 . 8 , and 1 . 6 wt % for positive electrode material , 0 . 25 , 0 . 5 , 1 . 0 , and 2 . 0 wt % for solid - type electrolyte material , and 0 . 15 , 0 . 3 , 0 . 6 , and 1 . 2 wt % for negative electrode material . sintering temperatures are set to four levels for each material : 700 , 800 , 900 , and 1000 degrees centigrade . the binder additive amount is 4 wt % for each material . sizes of diameter direction and thickness direction of pellets are measured before and after sintering , and then the shrinkage factor is calculated through the equation : fig5 shows a graph of sintered aid additive amount dependency of shrinkage factor for positive electrode material pellets . sintering was made in four levels of sintering temperature . the actually measured temperatures were 671 , 779 , 900 , and 970 degrees centigrade . fig5 reveals that the more additive amount of sintering aid , the larger the shrinkage factor , which denotes that sintering progresses . moreover , it is found that shrinkage factor is saturated when additive amount of the sintered aid is 1 % or more , and even the additive amount is increased , further increase in shrinkage factor cannot be observed . based on these facts , sufficiently effective sintering can be made by adding the sintered aid at 0 . 8 wt %, and sintering is made at a temperature of 780 degrees centigrade or higher . fig6 shows a graph of sintered aid additive amount dependency of shrinkage factor for the sold - type electrolyte pellets . sintering was made in four levels of sintering temperature . the actually measured temperatures were 669 , 774 , 905 , and 1016 degrees centigrade . fig6 reveals that the more additive amount of sintering aid , the larger the shrinkage factor , which denotes that sintering progresses in solid - type electrolyte material , too . moreover , it is found that shrinkage factor is saturated when additive amount of the sintered aid is 1 % or more , and even the additive amount is increased , further increase in shrinkage factor cannot be observed . based on these facts , sufficiently effective sintering can be made by adding the sintered aid at 0 . 8 wt %, and sintering is made at a temperature of 770 degrees centigrade or higher . fig7 shows a graph of sintered aid additive amount dependency of shrinkage factor for negative electrode material pellets . sintering was made in four levels of sintering temperature . the actually measured temperatures were 676 , 788 , 883 , and 1017 degrees centigrade . fig7 reveals that the more additive amount of sintering aid , the larger the shrinkage factor , which denotes that sintering progresses . moreover , it is found that shrinkage factor is saturated when additive amount of the sintered aid is 1 % or more , and even the additive amount is increased , further increase in shrinkage factor cannot be observed . based on these facts , sufficiently effective sintering can be made by adding the sintered aid at 0 . 8 wt %, and sintering is made at a temperature of 790 degrees centigrade or higher . as shown above , it is revealed that , when the sintered aid consisting of boric oxide is doped , shrinkage factor is saturated when additive amount of the sintered aid is 1 % or more , which denotes the sintering fully progresses , and shrinkage behavior can be effectively adjusted for any material of positive electrode , solid - type electrolyte , and negative electrode . for this reason , the additive amount is preferably 1 wt % in terms of shrinkage behavior control . the preferable additive range of sintered aid here were derived from evaluation of the case where boric oxide is used as a sintered aid . when boron compound other than boric oxide is used , higher effects in shrinkage adjustment and internal resistance reduction can be expected through the production of battery by adjusting additive amount of boron compound so that the additive amount of boron agrees that in a case of boric oxide doping . moreover , since sintering proceeds sufficiently at lower temperatures from 780 to 790 degrees centigrade , electricity cost of sintering furnace can be reduced . also , if a collector layer is allocated to the positive electrode layer and / or negative electrode layer in parallel , low - cost material such as silver with melting point of 962 degrees centigrade can be used without using high - cost material of silver - palladium alloy , which has an effect of reduction of material costs . fig8 shows sem pictures of fracture faces after sintering process of positive electrode material pellets . fig9 illustrates sem pictures of fracture faces after sintering process of solid - type electrolyte material pellets . fig1 introduces sem pictures of fracture faces after sintering process of negative electrode material pellets . as shown in fracture face pictures , grain sizes are large and sintering proceeds in the pictures of samples that are subject to sintering at 779 degrees centigrade or higher after b 2 o 3 is added at 0 . 15 to 0 . 25 wt % or higher . it is found that addition of b 2 o 3 and performing sintering enlarge diameters of grains of each material that forms a battery , that is grain boundary dissolution proceeds . in terms of internal resistance decrease due to grain boundary dissolution within material , higher effect can be made when additive amount is 0 . 15 wt % or more . thanks to these characteristics , diffusion resistance of lithium ion decreases , which makes production of high - performance batteries with lower internal resistance . the effects of addition of a sintered aid or melting agent are ( a ) shrinkage behavior adjustment upon material sintering , ( b ) promotion of lithium ion diffusion due to sintering of and grain boundary dissolution in positive electrode material , electrolyte material , and negative electrode material , ( c ) favorable bonding at the contact boundary face between a positive electrode material and electrolyte material , and a negative electrode material and electrolyte material . as described above , in terms of shrinkage behavior control , additive amount of sintering aid is preferably 1 wt % or more . in terms of promotion of grain boundary diffusion , promotion of lithium ion diffusion , battery performance increase due to favorable bonding , however , the favorable additive amount range of sintered aid is preferably to be 0 . 15 wt % or more without limited to 1 wt % or more . on the other hand , excessive addition of a sintered aid is not favorable as it leads to a decrease of contents of solid - type electrode in terms of battery performance . it is , therefore , favorable that batteries are produced using optimum conditions of content of sintered aid considering impacts on these several different effects as above explained , the present invention can prevent delamination and non - lamination that are caused by shrinkage factor difference of each material forming a battery . moreover , decrease in sintering temperature can lead to production cost reduction .

US-74472208-A

this invention relates to pyridinyloxazole - 2 - ones which are useful in the treatment of multi - drug resistant tumors . the pyridinyloxazole - 2 - ones act to prevent drug resistance and thus allow conventional chemotherapeutic agents to kill tumor cells as if drug resistance were not present .

this invention concerns the use of the compounds of formula i as agents effective in the treatment of multi - drug resistant tumors . specifically the compounds of formula i , when administered together with standard chemotherapeutic agents , can be used in the treatment of tumors which are intrinsically or extrinsically drug resistant . as used herein , the terms &# 34 ; c 1 - c 3 alkyl &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; c 1 - c 4 alkyl &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; c 1 - c 6 alkyl38 mean straight or branched chain alkyl groups having from one to three , from one to four , or from one to six carbon atoms respectively , and include such groups as methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , isopropyl , n - butyl , isobutyl , sec - butyl , tert - butyl , and the like , as well as vinyl , allyl , propynyl , butenyl , butadienyl , isopropenyl , and the like . the term &# 34 ; c 1 - c 4 alkoxy &# 34 ; means alkoxy groups having from one to four carbon atoms , and includes such groups as methoxy , ethoxy , n - propyoxy , propoxy , isopropoxy , n - butoxy , isobutoxy , sec - butoxy , tert - butoxy , and the like . when r or r 1 is &# 34 ; optionally substituted phenyl or c 1 - c 3 alkylphenyl &# 34 ;, the one , two or three substituent ( s ) can be located at any available position on the phenyl ring . the expression &# 34 ; a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt &# 34 ; is intended to apply to any non - toxic organic or inorganic acid addition salt of the base compounds . illustrative inorganic acids which form suitable salts include hydrochloric , hydrobromic , sulfuric , and phosphoric acids and acid metal salts such as sodium monohydrogen orthophosphate and potassium hydrogen sulfate . illustrative organic acids which form suitable salts include the mono , di , and tricarboxylic acids . illustrative of such acids are , for example , acetic , glycolic , lactic , pyruvic , malonic , succinic , glutaric , fumaric , malic , tartaric , citric , ascorbic , maleic , hydroxymaleic , benzoic , hydroxybenzoic , phenylacetic , cinnamic , salicylic , and 2 - phenoxybenzoic acids . other organic acids which form suitable salts are the sulfonic acids such as methane sulfonic acid and 2 - hydroxyethane sulfonic acid . these salts and the base compounds can exist in either a hydrated or a substantially anhydrous form . the acid salts are prepared by standard techniques such as by dissolving the free base in aqueous or aqueous - alcohol solution or other suitable solvent containing the appropriate acid and isolating by evaporating the solution , or by reacting the free base in an organic solvent in which case the salt separates directly or can be obtained by concentration of the solution . in general the acid addition salts of the compounds of this invention are crystalline materials which are soluble in water and various hydrophilic organic solvents and which in comparison to their free base forms , demonstrate higher melting points and an increased solubility . illustrative examples of the compounds of this invention include compounds of formula i wherein the r groups are designated as follows : ______________________________________r r . sup . 1 r . sup . 2______________________________________hydrogen hydrogen 2 -, 3 -, or 4 - pyridinylethyl hydrogen 2 -, 3 -, or 4 - pyridinylpropyl hydrogen 5 -, 6 -, 7 - or 8 - pyridinylmethyl benzyl 2 -, 3 - or 4 - pyridinylphenethyl hydrogen 2 -, 3 - or 4 - pyridinylphenyl hydrogen 2 -, 3 - or 4 - pyridinylpropyl hydrogen 2 -, 3 - or 4 -( 6 , 7 - dimethyl )- pyridinylpropyl hydrogen 2 -, 3 -, or 4 -( 6 - phenyl )- pyridinyl4 - methoxyphenethyl hydrogen 2 , 3 - or 4 - pyridinyl4 - methoxyphenyl hydrogen 2 , 3 - or 4 - pyridinylbenzyl benzyl 2 -, 3 - or 4 -( 7 - ethoxy )- pyridinylphenyl phenyl 2 -, 3 - or 4 -( 7 - ethoxy )- pyridinylphenyl phenyl 2 -, 3 -, or 4 -( 7 - phenyl )- pyridinylbutyl hydrogen 2 -, 3 - or 4 - pyridinyl3 , 5 - dichloro )- methyl 5 -, 6 -, 7 - or 8 - phenylpropyl pyridinyl3 , 5 - dichloro ) phenyl methyl 5 -, 6 -, 7 - or 8 - pyridinylpropyl methyl 2 -, 3 - or 4 - pyridinyl3 , 5 - dimethoxybenzyl ethyl 5 -, 6 -, 7 - or 8 - pyridinyl3 , 5 - dimethoxyphenyl ethyl 5 -, 6 -, 7 - or 8 - pyridinylmethyl propyl 2 -, 3 - or 4 -( 5 - ethoxy - 7 - methyl )- pyridinylbutyl butyl 5 -, 6 -, 7 - or 8 - pyridinylhydrogen phenethyl 2 -, 3 - or 4 -( 6 - trifluoromethyl )- pyridinylhydrogen phenethyl 2 -, 3 -, or 4 -( 6 - phenyl )- pyridinylmethyl 4 - methoxy - 2 -, 3 - or 4 - pyridinyl phenethyl______________________________________ as is true for most classes of therapeutically effective compounds , certain subclasses and certain species are especially effective and are preferred over others . in this instance , those compounds of formula i wherein r 2 is optionally substituted 2 -, 3 -, or 4 - pyridinyl are preferred . also preferred are compounds wherein r is hydrogen or a c 1 - c 6 alkyl . most preferred are the compounds wherein r2 is an unsubstituted 2 -, 3 -, or 4 - pyridinyl group , r is propyl and r 1 is hydrogen . the most preferred compound of this invention is 4 - propyl - 5 -( 4 - pyridinyl )- 2 ( 3h )- oxazolone . the preparation of the 2 -, 3 -, or 4 - pyridinyloxazole - 2 - ones of this invention is known in the art . see for example , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 698 , 353 . the preparation of those compounds not specifically taught in the art can be readily accomplished by the skilled artisan . in essence , the compounds of this invention can be prepared by reacting a compound of formula 2 ## str2 ## wherein r 1 and r 2 are as defined above with a cyanate in dmf to form the corresponding isocyanate which undergoes cyclization under the reaction conditions to yield the desired formula 1 product . ## str3 ## another procedure involves cyclizing a hydroxyketone of structure 4 ## str4 ## wherein r 1 and r 2 are as defined above by reaction with a cyanate or salt in the presence of an acid . the bromo - ketones of formula 2 are either known in the art or can be readily prepared by standard techniques . for example the des - bromo analog of a structure 2 compound can be treated with bromine . where the group adjacent to the carbon to be brominated is a hydrogen or a ( c 1 - c 5 ) alkyl group , a radical initiator can be used to promote the bromination . suitable initiators include iron metal and n - bromosuccinimide . the bromination can also be accomplished by the addition of centrated hydrobromic acid , typically 48 % aqueous hydrobromic acid , to a solution containing des - bromo compound . the structure ( 4 ) hydroxyketones can also be readily prepared in any suitable manner . for example , a structure 2 bromo - ketone can be allowed to react with an acetate salt , preferably potassium acetate , to form the corresponding acetoxyketone which upon treatment with an acid , such as hydrochloric acid , yields the desired structure ( 4 ) compound . the compounds wherein r is c 1 - c 6 alkyl or optionally substituted phenyl or c 1 - c 3 alkylphenyl are produced by subsequent reaction of the compound of formula 1 wherein r hydrogen with sodium hydride and the appropriate alkyl iodide or phenylalkyl iodide in tetrahydrofuran according to procedures well known in the art . the compounds of this invention are useful both in the free base form and as salts . the expression &# 34 ; pharmaceutically - acceptable salt &# 34 ; means any organic or inorganic addition salt of the base compounds of formula i which are relatively non - toxic and innocuous to a patient at concentrations consistent with effective activity so that the side effects ascribable to the salt do not vitiate the beneficial effects of the base compounds of formula i . these salts are included within the scope of this invention . such salts include alkali metal salts , such as sodium and potassium salts and alkaline earth metal salts , such as calcium and magnesium salts ; and the like . also salts with organic and inorganic acids can be prepared , such as , for example , those formed with the following acids : hydrochloric , hydrobromic , sulfonic , sulfuric , phosphoric , nitric , ascorbic , methanesulfonic , acetic , propionic , tartaric , citric , lactic , malic , mandelic , cinnamic , palmitic , itaconic , fumaric , benzenesulfonic and toluenesulfonic . the non - toxic , physiologically acceptable salts are preferred , although other salts are also useful , for example , in isolating or purifying the product . the salts can be formed by conventional means such as by reacting the free acid or free base forms of the product with one or more equivalents of the appropriate base or acid in a solvent or medium in which the salt is insoluble , or in a solvent such as water which is then removed in vacuo or by freeze - drying , or by exchanging the cations of an existing salt for another cation on a suitable ion exchange resin . the ability of the oxazolone derivatives of this invention to reverse drug resistance in multi - drug resistant tumors can be demonstrated by the ability of test compounds to reduce cell growth in a vinblastine ( vbl ) resistant tumor cell line . cho r cells were plated at a density of 1 × 10 5 / 35 mm dish and were allowed to grow overnight at 37 ° c . in a co 2 incubator . the medium was replaced with medium containing the compounds and vinblastine ( 0 . 2 μg / ml ). the cells were allowed to grow for further 72 hr and the cell number was determined by coulter counter after trypsinization . vlb alone at 0 . 2 μg / ml did not have any effect on cell growth . the results of such a study employing 4 - propyl - 5 -( 4 - pyridinyl )- 2 ( 3h )- oxazolone is tabulated in table 1 . table 1______________________________________reversal of multidrug resistance ( mdr ) incho . sup . r cells by 4 - propyl - 5 -( 4 - pyridinyl )- 2 ( 3h )- oxazoloneconcentration % inhibition of cell growth ( μg / ml ) compound only compound + vlb______________________________________10 55 821 0 220 . 1 0 6______________________________________ the term &# 34 ; patient &# 34 ; used herein is taken to mean mammals such as primates , including humans , sheep , horses , cattle , pigs , dogs , cats , rats and mice . the amount of the oxazolone derivative of formula 1 to be administered can vary widely according to the particular dosage unit employed , the period of treatment , the age and sex of the patient treated , the nature and extent of the drug resistance in the tumor to be treated , and the particular oxazolone derivative selected . the oxazolone derivative is used in conjunction with other chemotherapeutic agents known to be useful in the treatment of tumors . the amount of a oxazolone derivative of formula 1 effective to reverse drug resistance will generally range from about 15 mg / kg to 500 mg / kg . a unit dosage may contain from 25 to 500 mg of the oxazolone derivative , and can be taken one or more times per day . the oxazolone derivative can be administered with a pharmaceutical carrier using conventional dosage unit forms either orally or parenterally . treatment of tumors by the method of this invention requires that an anti - tumor effective amount of a chemotherapeutic agent be administered together with a compound of formula 1 . tumors which can be treated by the method of this invention include both benign and malignant tumors or neoplasms , and include melanomas , lymphomas , leukemias , and sarcomas . illustrative examples of tumors are cutaneous tumors , such as malignant melanomas and mycosis fungoides ; hematologic tumors such as leukemias , for example , acute lymphoblastic , acute myelocytic or chronic myelocytic leukemia ; lymphomas , such as hodgkin &# 39 ; s disease or malignant lymphoma ; gynecologic tumors , such as ovarian and uterine tumors ; urologic tumors , such as those of the prostate , bladder or testis ; soft tissue sarcomas , osseus or non - osseus sarcomas , breast tumors ; tumors of the pituitary , thyroid and adrenal cortex ; gastrointestinal tumors , such as those of the esophagus , stomach , intestine and colon ; pancreatic and hepatic tumors ; laryngeae papillomestasas and lung tumors . of course those tumors which typically are or become multi - drug resistant are most beneficially treated with the method of this invention . such tumors include colon tumors , lung tumors , stomach tumors , and liver tumors . the effective amount of chemotherapeutic agent used in the method of this invention varies widely and depends on factors such as the patient , the tumor tissue type and its size , and the particular chemotherapeutic agent selected . the amount is any effective amount and can be readily determined by those skilled in the art . in general , less chemotherpeutic agent will be required when administered with the oxazolones of formula 1 , primarily because the problem of drug resistance need not addressed by the addition of larger quantities of chemotherapeutic agent . of course mixtures of chemotherapeutic agents may be employed and surgical excission and radiation therapy may be useful adjuvents as in any tumor therapy . while the compound of formula 1 and the chemotherapeutic agent are said to be administered together , this does not necessarily mean that the compounds are formulated into the same dosage form or are administered concurrently . rather , the expression &# 34 ; together &# 34 ; means that a compound of formula 1 and the chemotherapeutic agent ( s ) are administered in a combined dosage form or separately during the course of therapy . the preferred route of administration is oral administration . for oral administration the oxazolone derivative can be formulated into solid or liquid preparations such as capsules , pills , tablets , troches , lozenges , melts , powders , solutions , suspensions , or emulsions . the solid unit dosage forms can be a capsule which can be of the ordinary hard - or soft - shelled gelatin type containing , for example , surfactants , lubricants , and inert fillers such as lactose , sucrose , calcium phosphate , and cornstarch . in another embodiment the compounds of this invention can be tableted with conventional tablet bases such as lactose , sucrose , and cornstarch in combination with binders such as acacia , cornstarch , or gelatin , disintegrating agents intended to assist the break - up and dissolution of the tablet following administration such as potato starch , alginic acid , corn starch , and guar gum , lubricants intended to improve the flow of tablet granulations and to prevent the adhesion of tablet material to the surfaces of the tablet dies and punches , for example , talc , stearic acid , or magnesium , calcium , or zinc stearate , dyes , coloring agents , and flavoring agents intended to enhance the aesthetic qualities of the tablets and make them more acceptable to the patient . suitable excipients for use in oral liquid dosage forms include diluents such as water and alcohols , for example , ethanol , benzyl alcohol , and the polyethylene alcohols , either with or without the addition of a pharmaceutically acceptably surfactant , suspending agent , or emulsifying agent . the oxazolone derivatives of this invention may also be administered parenterally , that is , subcutaneously , intravenously , intramuscularly , or interperitoneally , as injectable dosages of the compound in a physiologically acceptable diluent with a pharmaceutical carrier which can be a sterile liquid or mixture of liquids such as water , saline , aqueous dextrose and related sugar solutions , an alcohol such as ethanol , isopropanol , or hexadecyl alcohol , glycols such as propylene glycol or polyethylene glycol , glycerol ketals such as 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - dioxolane - 4 - methanol , ethers such as poly ( ethylene - glycol ) 400 , an oil , a fatty acid , a fatty acid ester or glyceride , or an acetylated fatty acid glyceride with or without the addition of a pharmaceutically acceptable surfactant such as a soap or a detergent , suspending agent such as pectin , carbomers , methylcellulose , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose , or carboxymethylcellulose , or emulsifying agent and other pharmaceutically adjuvants . illustrative of oils which can be used in the parenteral formulations of this invention are those of petroleum , animal , vegetable , or synthetic origin , for example , peanut oil , soybean oil , sesame oil , cottonseed oil , corn oil , olive oil , petrolatum , and mineral oil . suitable fatty acids include oleic acid , stearic acid , and isostearic acid . suitable fatty acid esters are , for example , ethyl oleate and isopropyl myristate . suitable soaps include fatty alkali metal , ammonium , and triethanolamine salts and suitable detergents include cationic detergents , for example , dimethyl dialkyl ammonium halides , alkyl pyridinium halides , and alkylamines acetates ; anionic detergents , for example , alkyl , aryl , and olefin sulfonates , alkyl , olefin , ether , and monoglyceride sulfates , and sulfosuccinates ; nonionic detergents , for example , fatty amine oxides , fatty acid alkanolamides , and polyoxyethylenepolypropylene copolymers ; and amphoteric detergents , for example , alkyl - beta - aminopropionates , and 2 - alkylimidazoline quarternary ammonium salts , as well as mixtures . the parenteral compositions of this invention will typically contain from about 0 . 5 to about 25 % by weight of the oxazolone derivative of formula 1 in solution . preservatives and buffers may also be used advantageously . in order to minimize or eliminate irritation at the site of injection , such compositions may contain a non - ionic surfactant having a hydrophile - lipophile balance ( hlb ) of from about 12 to about 17 . the quantity of surfactant in such formulations ranges from about 5 to about 15 % by weight . the surfactant can be a single component having the above hlb or can be a mixture of two or more components having the desired hlb . illustrative of surfactants used in parenteral formulations are the class of polyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters , for example , sorbitan monooleate and the high molecular weight adducts of ethylene oxide with a hydrophobic base , formed by the condensation of propylene oxide with propylene glycol . the following specific examples are presented to illustrate the synthesis of the compounds of this invention , but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this invention in any way . 1 - hydroxy - 2 -( 4 - pyridyl ) butan - 2 - one ( 26 . 4 g , 0 . 16 mol ) was dissolved in 350 ml of 2n hcl . potassium cyanate ( 38 . 9 g , 0 . 48 mol ) was added portionwise to this solution over a period of one hour with stirring . after the addition was complete , concentrated hydrochloric acid was added until the ph of the solution was one . after an additional hour the reaction mixture was made basic by addition of sodium bicarbonate solution and the resulting mixture was stirred overnight . the resulting solid precipitate was collected and recrystallized twice from 50 % aqueous ethanol to yield the title compound ( 14 . 4 g , 47 % of theoretical yield ), m . p . 287 °- 289 ° c . ( dec .). using the procedure above but using 1 -( hydroxy )- 1 -( 4 - pyridyl ) pentan - 2 - one or 1 -( hydroxy )- 1 -( 4 - pyridyl )- propan - 2 - one instead of 1 - hydroxy - 1 -( 4 - pyridyl ) butan - 2 - one results in 4 - propyl - 5 - pyridin - 4 - 2 ( 3h )- oxazolone , m . p . 257 °- 259 ° c . ( dec .) or 4 - methyl - 5 - pyridin - 4 - yl - 2 ( 3h )- oxazolone , m . p . & gt ; 310 ° c . potassium cyanate ( 35 . 4 g , 0 . 44 mol ) was added to a solution of 2 - hydroxy - 1 -( 2 - pyridyl ) butan - 1 - one ( 31 g , 0 . 15 mol ) in 250 ml of 2n hcl diluted with 300 ml of water . after 1 hour the acidity was adjusted ( ph = 1 ) with concentrated hydrochloric acid and then allowed to stir overnight . the mixture was made basic by addition of aqueous sodium bicarbonate . the resulting gummy precipitate was chromatographed on silca gel and recrystallized twice from 50 % aqueous ethanol to give the title compound , m . p . 196 °- 197 ° c . ( dec .). in a manner substantially similar to that of examples 1 and 2 , the compounds 4 - phenyl - 5 - pyridin - 4 - yl - 2 ( 3h ) oxazolone ( mp & gt ; 300 ° c .) and 4 - propyl - 5 -( 2 - phenylpyridin - 4 - yl )- 2 ( 3h )- oxazolone ( mp 202 °- 204 ° c .) were prepared . ______________________________________4 - phenyl - 5 -( 2 - pyridinyl ) 1 -( 3h )- oxazolone 400 mgtalc 40 mgsodium carboxymethyl cellulose 40 mgstarch 120 mg______________________________________ it should be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that changes and modifications can be made to this invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as it is set forth herein .

US-59052490-A

a method for fabricating read only memory , , devices , has been developed . the programmable cell of this rom device is comprised of a p / n diode , place in a n + buried bit line . the diode formation is accomplished using outdiffusion from a p + polysilicon wordline , that is in direct contact to a specific bit line region .

the method of fabricating rom devices , with the programmable cell created by use of a p / n diode , will now be covered in detail . this p / n diode , programmable cell , can be used as part of rom devices that are now currently manufactured in industry , therefore only specific areas unique to understanding this invention will be described in detail . a substrate , 1 , composed of p type single crystal silicon , with a & lt ; 100 & gt ; orientation , is used and shown in fig1 . a thick field oxide , ( fox ), for isolating specific areas of the device , is first formed surrounding the region where the device is to be built . briefly the method commonly practiced in the industry is the use of a thin silicon dioxide layer , ( pad oxide ), 2 , with an overlying silicon nitride layer , 3 , which serves as the oxidation mask . the desired field oxide regions are etched open in the silicon nitride -- silicon dioxide layer using conventional photolithographic and dry etching processing . after removal of the masking photoresist , and a wet chemical cleaning , a field oxide , 4 , is grown , typically to a thickness of between about 4000 to 6000 angstroms . after removal of the masking silicon nitride layer , via a heated solution of phosphoric acid , conventional photolithographic techniques are employed to define a desired region of the substrate , to be used for the bit line regions . this is shown schematically in fig2 . an ion implantation process , using photoresist shape , 5 , as a mask , is then performed to obtain the buried n + bit lines , 6 . the implantation procedure is accomplished using arsenic , at an energy between about 50 to 100 kev ., at a dose between about 1e14 to 1e16 atoms / cm2 , and phosphorous , at an energy between about 30 to 60 kev ., at a dose between about 1e14 to 1e16 atoms / cm2 . after photoresist removal , followed by specific organic and inorganic wet chemical cleans , an oxidation is next performed in wet o2 steam at a temperature between about 850 ° to 950 ° c . the oxidation results in a insulator layer , 7a , between about 800 to 2000 angstroms on the n + regions , while only between about 400 to 1000 angstroms of silicon dioxide layer , 7b , is formed on the p type areas , between the n + bit lines . this is illustrated in fig3 . the fabrication of the programmable cell is next addressed . photoresist shape , 8 , is used to expose regions , 9 , of specific bit lines . these regions are then subjected to a wet buffered hydrofluoric acid treatment , to remove the insulator from region 9 . this can be seen in fig4 . after photoresist removal , again followed by specific wet organic and inorganic cleans , a polysilicon layer is deposited , using low pressure chemical vapor deposition , ( lpcvd ). the polysilicon layer , 10 , shown in fig5 is grown at a temperature between about 550 ° to 750 ° c ., to a thickness between about 1200 to 1800 angstroms . an ion implantation procedure is next performed to the blanket polysilicon layer , using boron , at an energy between about 30 to 60 kev ., at a dose between about 1e14 to 1e16 atoms / cm2 . fig6 shows the result of an anneal process , performed in nitrogen , at a temperature between about 850 ° to 950 ° c ., for a time between about 30 to 60 min . this anneal allows the implanted boron , 11 , in polysilicon , 10 , to diffuse into the n + region 6 , creating a p / n diode , in specific bit regions . it should be noted that the level of performance of the p / n diode , and consequently that of the rom device , is a function of the contrast in doping levels of the p and n type regions . therefore if for resistance reasons , higher n + bit line concentrations are needed , appropriate increases in the p type emitter doping levels have to be made . photolithographic and reactive ion etching procedures are then used to pattern polysilicon layer , 10 , to create the desired word line configuration . fig7 illustrates a top view of the rom device , using a p / n diode , in specific regions of n + bit lines . fig8 schematically illustrates a metallized rom , using the p / n diode for the programmable cell . a layer of silicon oxide , 12 , is deposited to a thickness between about 6000 to 8000 angstroms . next photolithographic and reactive ion etching processing are used to open vias , 13 , to the polysilicon word line , 10 , and to the n + buried bit line , 6 , ( not shown ). deposition of al -- si -- cu is accomplished using sputtering to a thickness between about 8000 to 10000 angstroms . finally , photolithographic and reactive ion etching techniques are used to create metal contacts , 14 . this process , the creation of a rom device using a p / n diode for the programmable cell , can be applied to n type as well as to p type devices . it can also be used as part of complimentary metal oxide semiconductor , ( cmos ), and bipolar - cmos , ( bicmos ), structures . while this invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention .

US-59754296-A

pressure acting on the face of the poppet valve is opposed by a gas charge or a spring in the bellows . the valve controls evaporator pressure in an automotive air conditioning system . destructive response to pressure pulses from the compressor is prevented by the static friction obtained by having a leaf spring bear on opposed sides of a self - lubricating plastic sleeve carried on a shaft fixed on the valve . the various modifications show ways of minimizing the effect of temperature change through the valve and minimizing the differential of the valve .

in the illustrated automotive air conditioning system the compressor 10 delivers hot compressed refrigerant to the condenser 12 where it is cooled and becomes a liquid . refrigerant then flows through a drier - receiver 14 and then is supplied to the evaporator under control of thermostatic expansion valve ( txv ) 18 in accordance with temperature conditions at the evaporator outlet as sensed by the usual txv feeler bulb 20 connected to the txv by capillary tube 22 . under excess capacity conditions the txv cannot control the flow adequately and it becomes desirable to control the evaporator pressure / temperature ( they are related ) to prevent icing the evaporator . in this system the evaporator pressure regulator valve ( epr ) 24 is mounted in the return line to the compressor . it could be mounted in the compressor housing . the epr valve 24 includes a housing 26 having an internal shoulder 28 providing a seat for the yoke 30 . the yoke includes a circular end portion 32 which functions as a seat for poppet valve 34 , is apertured to provide the valve orifice , and has webs 36 supporting bushing 38 . the bushing 38 is staked to the central portion with spring 40 retained by the bushing . the diametrically opposed arms of the yoke are staked to end plate 42 which is generally in the form of a cross . two opposed arms 44 of the end plate are formed to bear against ring 45 threaded into the housing 26 to load arms 44 to retain the valve assembly firmly against seat 28 inside the housing . the valve is operated by a gas - charged bellows 46 soldered to end cap 48 staked to end plate 42 with the capillary charging tube 50 ending through the end plate . after charging the bellows , the tube is pinched , sealed and bent over as illustrated . the bellows is soldered to cap 48 at one end and to valve 34 at the other end . the mean effective area of the bellows is equal to the area of the valve orifice . therefore , in an air conditioning system in which the refrigerant passing the epr is gaseous , the pressure on the bellows side of the valve ( the downstream pressure ) does not affect valve operation . the valve 34 is provided with a shaft 51 . plastic ( self - lubricating ) sleeve 52 is mounted on the shaft with the sleeve end abutting the valve . nut 54 is threaded on shaft 51 inside the enlarged head 56 of the sleeve to retain the sleeve . the spring arms 58 bear against the head 56 with sufficient force to develop static friction resisting valve movement enough to damp response to pressure pulsations set up by the compressor . since the spring acts on opposed portions of the sleeve , the load is balanced and the shaft does not tend to misalign in the bushing . once the valve starts moving , the friction is reduced . it will be noted the shaft passing through the bushing guides the valve movement . the gas charge in the bellows holds the valve closed . as the pressure against the valve exceeds the force of the gas charge , the valve starts to open . maximum opening is determined by the shoulder 59 coming into contact with bushing 38 . without the damping obtained by the spring acting on the sleeve the bellows will respond to pressure pulsations and will fail in a short time . should the bellows fail , the gas charge leaks out and the valve fails in the open position , thus insuring flow to the compressor and preventing damage . any small leakage past the valve ( when closed ) or between end 32 and shoulder 28 will be quite small and is acceptable in that it lubricates and cools the compressor . if the automotive air conditioning system is the flooded type in which most of the refrigerant leaving the evaporator is liquid , the refrigerant will expand as it flows through the epr when the epr is throttling flow . the expansion will cool the bellows and lower the pressure ( force ) of the gas charge inside the bellows and will cause a reduction in the evaporator pressure . this is not desirable and the modifications of fig5 - 8 overcome this effect . in fig5 the yoke 60 is staked to plate 62 which has webs 64 between the valve orifices . the central portion of plate 62 supports bushing 66 and spring 68 which bears on the friction member 70 as in fig2 . the bellows assembly 72 is supported by the right end 74 of the yoke 60 with the end cap 76 staked to end 74 . the bellows 78 is soldered to the end cap 76 and to the valve end cap 80 with a compressed spring 82 captured therebetween . sleeve 84 supports ( centers ) the spring and is guided on spud 86 . opening of valve 88 is limited by contact of sleeve 84 with shoulder 90 on the end cap 76 . the capillary tube 92 is used to evacuate the bellows or to put in a low gas charge . with the arrangement of fig5 the evaporator pressure acting on the poppet valve is opposed by spring 82 and cooling of the bellows will have no effect . in fig6 no spring is used -- a gas charge is used as in fig2 but the area of the poppet valve is less than the effective area of the bellows . this is illustrated by showing the difference in effective radius of the valve ( r v ) and the bellows ( r b ). this works generally like fig2 but in a flooded system , expansion of the refrigerant through the partially closed valve causes the pressure ( temperature ) outside the bellows to drop as the pressure ( temperature ) inside the bellows drops . since the bellows area is larger in relation to the valve area ( of fig2 in which they are the same ) the reduction in closing force is compensated and the valve differential is maintained within a narrower range . fig6 also illustrates an o - ring seal at 94 retained by retainer 96 staked to the yoke 60 . this can be used in any of the modifications where the system requires a static seal at the periphery of the valve . fig7 illustrates what might be termed a combination of fig5 and 6 in that the spring 82 ( instead of a gas charge ) is used inside bellows 78 which has a larger area than the valve . now the bellows is relatively unaffected by temperature while a high downstream pressure ( around the bellows ) helps keep the valve open and a reduced pressure helps close the valve . this arrangement holds a very narrow differential on the evaporator pressure and is superior to either the form of fig5 or fig6 alone . the differential of the evaporator pressure can be reduced even more making the valve more sensitive to pressure change . thus in fig8 the yoke 60 is staked to an end cap 98 which provides an annular orifice 100 and carries the damping spring 102 acting on the sleeve 104 fixed on the bellows cap 106 by screw 108 . the poppet valve 110 carried by webs 112 is fixed on cap 106 . when the valve opens , flow can go inside and outside of the poppet ring 110 -- thus increasing flow for the same stroke of the bellows . this valve area exposed to downstream pressure remains the same . this construction can be used in combination with any of fig5 , and 7 to improve performance .

US-65446576-A

a pedometer apparatus with wireless data transmission function includes a transmitting member and a receiving member . the transmitting member includes a step counting means , a first microprocessor and an audio transmitter . the receiving member includes a microphone module , a second microprocessor and a data output means . the present invention is susceptible to low production costs , requires low power consumption and is easy and convenient to use .

the present invention is further described below with reference to but not limited to an embodiment and the accompanying drawings . as illustrated in fig1 , the pedometer apparatus of the present invention comprises a transmitting member 1 and a receiving member 2 . the transmitting member 1 comprises a step counting means 11 which senses motion of a user and calculates number of steps taken by the user , a first microprocessor 12 which is electrically connected to the step counting means 11 and encodes the number of steps calculated by the step counting means 11 to output corresponding electrical signals according to predetermined algorithm and thereafter drives an audio transmitter 13 which is electrically connected to the first microprocessor 12 to generate high frequency audio tones according to the electrical signals output by the first microprocessor 12 . the transmitting member 1 is also disposed with a switch 14 which is electrically connected to the first microprocessor 12 and controls operation of the first microprocessor 12 . the step counting means 11 in this embodiment comprises an accelerometer . in this embodiment , the high frequency audio tones are in range of 17 khz to 19 khz , and the present embodiment has a working distance of 1 cm to 30 cm between the transmitting member and the receiving member . the first microprocessor 12 encodes the number of steps in such a way that an audio tone of a specific frequency correspond to each digit of 0 to 9 ; more specifically , the audio tone of 17 khz is assigned for the digit 0 ; the audio tone of 17 . 2 khz is assigned for the digit 1 ; the audio tone of 17 . 4 khz is assigned for the digit 2 ; the audio tone of 17 . 6 khz is assigned for the digit 3 ; the audio tone of 17 . 8 khz is assigned for the digit 4 ; the audio tone of 18 khz is assigned for the digit 5 ; the audio tone of 18 . 2 khz is assigned for the digit 6 ; the audio tone of 18 . 4 khz is assigned for the digit 7 ; the audio tone of 18 . 6 khz is assigned for the digit 8 ; the audio tone of 18 . 8 khz is assigned for the digit 9 . the number of steps is represented by a sequence of digits and the sequence of digits is represented by a corresponding sequence of audio tones . for example , 100 steps would be represented by a sequence of digits 000000100 , and the sequence of digits 000000100 is represented by a corresponding sequence of audio tones which has the frequencies of 17 khz , 17 khz , 17 khz , 17 khz , 17 khz , 17 khz , 17 . 2 khz , 17 khz , 17 khz in sequence . the audio transmitter 13 is in form of a buzzer in the present embodiment , but may also be in form of a speaker or a transducer in other embodiments . the transmitting member 1 is housed within a compact casing in shape of a bracelet for wearing on the user &# 39 ; s wrist in this embodiment , but may also be housed within a casing with a clip for attaching to the user &# 39 ; s clothes in other embodiments . the receiving member 2 comprises a microphone module 21 for receiving audio input signals and converting the received audio input signals to output digital signals , a second microprocessor 22 which runs an application program to activate the microphone module 21 , process the digital signals output by the microphone module 21 , recognize the digital signals which correspond to the high frequency audio tones generated by the audio transmitter 13 , decode the recognized digital signals according to predetermined algorithm to output the number of steps taken by the user , and drive a data output means 23 to output the number of steps taken by the user . in this embodiment , the receiving member 2 is in form of a smartphone , and the data output means 23 is in form of a display screen . in this embodiment , the number of steps taken by the user accumulates in the step counting means 11 until a predetermined limit is reached , in this case , 999 , 999 , 999 . the receiving member 2 further comprises a memory 24 which is initially set to a value of 0 . the application program in the receiving member 2 is configured to calculate the number of steps taken by the user during a period of time by subtracting the number of steps stored in the memory 24 of the receiving member 2 from the number of steps accumulated in the step counting means 11 as transmitted from the transmitting member 1 ; the number of steps accumulated in the step counting means 11 as transmitted from the transmitting member 1 then replaces the value stored in the memory 24 of the receiving member 2 for calculating the number of steps taken by the user during a subsequent period of time . to operate the pedometer apparatus of the present embodiment , the user first activates the transmitting member 1 ( i . e . by placing batteries to the transmitting member 1 and thus providing the power required ) and carries the transmitting member 1 with him by wearing it on his wrist . the step counting means 11 of the transmitting member 1 then senses the motion of the user and calculates the number of steps taken by the user . if the user wishes to know the number of steps he has taken , the user presses the switch 14 to activate the first microprocessor 12 to encode the number of steps calculated by the step counting means 11 to output corresponding electrical signals according to predetermined algorithm and thereafter drives the audio transmitter 13 which is electrically connected to the first microprocessor 12 to generate high frequency audio tones according to the electrical signals output by the first microprocessor 12 . at the same time , the user runs the application program in the receiving member 2 so that the microphone module 21 is activated to receive audio input signals from the ambient environment and convert the received audio input signals to output digital signals ; the digital output signals output by the microphone module 21 are then processed by the second microprocessor 22 which then recognizes the digital signals which correspond to the high frequency audio tones generated by the audio transmitter 13 , decodes the recognized digital signals according to predetermined algorithm to output the number of steps taken by the user , and drives the data output means 23 to output the number of steps taken by the user . the number of steps accumulated in the step counting means 11 as transmitted from the transmitting member 1 then replaces the value stored in the memory 24 of the receiving member 2 , which is initially set to 0 , for calculating the number of steps taken by the user during a subsequent period of time . as the user continues to carry the transmitting member 1 , the step counting means 11 of the transmitting member 1 continues to sense the motion of the user , and the number of steps accumulates in the step counting means 1 until it reaches the predefined limit of 999 , 999 , 999 . after a period of time when the user wishes to know the number of steps he has taken during that period of time , the user presses the switch 14 again ; the number of steps accumulated in the step counting means 11 is transmitted from the transmitting member 1 to the receiving member 2 , and the application program in the receiving member 2 is configured to calculate the number of steps taken by the user during the period of time by subtracting the number of steps stored in the memory 24 of the receiving member 2 from the number of steps accumulated in the step counting means 11 as transmitted from the transmitting member 1 . the number of steps accumulated in the step counting means 11 as transmitted from the transmitting member 1 then replaces the value stored in the memory 24 of the receiving member 2 for calculating the number of steps taken by the user during a subsequent period of time . the above embodiment is a preferred form of the present invention . however , the present invention is not limited by the above embodiment . any substantive or fundamental changes , modifications , replacements , combinations or simplification within the spirit of the present invention are equivalent alternatives and they are all included in the scope of protection of the present invention .

US-201313965213-A

the present invention discloses a method and system for efficiently supporting data calls to wtrus in systems that also support telephony . various types of data is transmitted on a known schedule which is tightly synchronized to a predetermined time frame . the wtrus synchronize their wake - up periods to search for data at times when data may or will actually be transmitted to them .

according to the present invention , synchronization information is provided to wireless transmit / receive units ( wtrus ) to inform them of when they may be in a quiescent mode ( i . e . when they may be asleep ) and when they need to wake up and retrieve data . for purposes of describing the invention , a wtru may have a transmit - only , a receive - only or a transmit - and - receive capability . that is , a wtru may be any type of device capable of receiving and / or transmitting data in a wireless environment . referring now to fig1 , a representation of a network is shown wherein one or more base stations 21 communicate with a plurality of wtrus , such as wtru 22 which will be referred to when describing the invention . the wtru 22 , as explained , can be any of a number of devices supported by the network . examples include user equipment ( ue ), cellphone , pager , blackberry ™ device , computer with a modem connection or any other device that is capable of operating in a wireless environment . the base station 21 is controlled by a radio network controller ( rnc ) 25 which performs various network supervisory and communications functions . the base station 21 includes signal processing circuitry 31 and an rf stage 32 , which includes a transmit function . signals from the base station 21 are transmitted to the wtrus within its cell or transmission area , as represented by antennas 33 , 34 . the wtru 22 has an rf stage 37 and a signal processing stage 38 . a receive function is provided by the wtru &# 39 ; s rf stage 37 in order to receive signals transmitted by the base station 21 . in the case of two - way devices , the rf stages 32 and 37 have both transmit and receive functions , permitting the wtru 22 to transmit data in an uplink and receive data in a downlink . while transmitting requires significantly greater power than receiving , issues of quiescent operation primarily affect the downlink , so the receiver function of the wtru 22 is significant . in accordance with the present invention , the wtru 22 uses its signal processing circuitry 38 in order to control when the rf stage 37 is receiving signals from the base station 21 . this allows the operation of the receive function of the wtru 22 to be active primarily during times when signals are expected to include data intended for that particular wtru 22 . during at least some of the time when signals are not intended for that particular wtru 22 , the wtru goes quiescent , meaning that most reception and signal processing by the wtru 22 is turned off . regardless of the manner in which data is being transmitted from the network , the wtrus are preferably synchronized so that they may wake up and go sleep to maximize battery life and satisfy user preferences . the synchronization information provided to the wtrus is provided in accordance with the manner in which data is being delivered from the network . that is , regardless of the manner in which data is being transmitted from the network , synchronization information is provided to wtrus so that they are aware of when they need to be awake and when they may go to sleep . as known to those skilled in the art , data may be provided from the network to wtrus in a variety of ways , as desired . in one embodiment , data may be transmitted in the form of scheduled transmissions . in this case , the network transmits various types of broadcast or multicast data on a known schedule that is tightly synchronized to a time frame known by both the transmitting wtru and the receiving wtru ( s ). the wtrus can then synchronize their wake - ups to search occurrences when data may or will be transmitted . to implement this embodiment in 3 rd generation cellular networks , scheduling information can either be provided by a common control channel such as the broadcast common control channel ( bcch ) signaling or a dedicated control channel ( dcch ) signaling . where bcch signaling is used , scheduling ( i . e . synchronization ) information may be signaled for all broadcast and multicast services . if dcch signaling is used , only scheduling of services that are specific to a receiving wtru will be signaled . in another embodiment , data may be transmitted in the form of multiple network transmissions . that is , as mentioned , some users want information updated only occasionally in favor of longer battery life whereas others want data updated rapidly without regard for battery life . therefore , in this embodiment , data is transmitted ( even where there is no data change ) at a rate that is consistent with a user &# 39 ; s preference for the frequency of updates versus battery life . by transmitting data at a rapid by synchronized pace ( i . e . the highest available rate desired by a user ) and repeating the transmissions even when there is no data change , individual receiving wtrus can wake up and search for data at different time intervals , according to user preference . this satisfies the needs of both groups of users ( as well as those in between ) by providing an adjustable degree of settings . since the amount of delay that is acceptable varies according to the particular user application , it is likely that any tradeoff between delay and power consumption would have different optimums for different users . therefore latency ( i . e . delay time ) may be optimized based on usage , as low latency conflicts with low power consumption . this becomes particularly significant during times when the wtru is not in active use . to implement this embodiment in 3 rd generation cellular networks , once a receiving wtru is aware of scheduled broadcast or multicast transmissions , the receiving wtru can then acquire the service ( i . e . the scheduled broadcast or multicast transmissions ) transmitted on either the forward access channel ( fach ) or the downlink shared channel ( dsch ) on an as needed basis . the network will transmit the broadcast or multicast data in either radio link control transparent or unacknowledged mode , which allows the receiving wtru to determine if reception is needed autonomously without requiring interaction or causing errors to be perceived in the network . a modification to the embodiment where multiple network transmissions are provided is to transmit only until certain wtrus in the network &# 39 ; s range acknowledge receipt . this modification has the advantage of terminating the transmission when it is no longer necessary while also providing some robustness to the transmission of the information for appropriately enabled devices . this modification has the disadvantage of requiring uplink transmissions from wtrus and may not be suitable for a large number of wtrus . with respect to implementation in 3 rd generation cellular networks , there are several network acknowledgement alternatives . for example , where there is a single receiving wtru , radio link control acknowledged mode provides an automatic repeat request mechanism for assured delivery . when there are multiple receiving wtrus , layer 3 acknowledgements can either by provided by radio resource control signaling within the access stratum , or by transparent data transfer of non access stratum signaling . in another embodiment , the network simply transmits the fact that there is a message awaiting delivery . that is , rather then sending the message all the time , in some instances it is more efficient to just notify the wtrus that a message for them exists . in 3 rd generation cellular networks the availability of the message is identified by a common control channel , such as the bcch . those wtrus that want the message will then request its transmission from the network . the request for the message may either be for the particular message or registration with the multicast service for reception of one or more messages associated with that service . this approach is suitable when only a small number of wtrus are expected to request the actual message , while many wtrus may want the actual ability to do so . this situation may arise , for example , where there is only limited information in the initial transmission informing wtrus of a message &# 39 ; s existence . in 3 rd generation cellular networks , the receiving wtru will generate a request for the service with either layer access stratum or non access stratum signaling . the network will then either signal broadcast scheduling information or establish a dedicated radio bearer for transmission of the service . that is , the network with knowledge of the number of wtrus requesting the message or service of multiple messages determines the most efficient method of transmission . if there is a large number of recipients , scheduling of information will be signaled on a common control channel . this information will identify a common channel such as the fach or dsch , and the time of transmission for reception of the service . if there is a small number of wtrus requesting the message or service a dedicated channel will be established to each requesting or registered wtru associated with this message or service . referring now to fig2 , a signal frame diagram including a sequence of transmissions transmitted by a base station to multiple wtrus is shown . as mentioned , the delivery of transmissions is synchronized so that messages directed to a particular wtru or group of wtrus associated with that message or service is delivered when that particular wtru or group of wtrus associated with that message or service is awake looking for data . to accomplish this , in one embodiment , the transmissions are divided into frames 54 wherein seventy two ( 72 ) frames 54 make up a superframe , as shown in fig2 . for simplicity in describing the invention , portions of two superframes 51 , 52 are shown . it should be noted , however , that superframes 51 , 52 are part of a repeating series of superframes , each having seventy two ( 72 ) frames . it should also be noted that a superframe having 72 frames is provided purely by way of example , as other multiframe sequences are possible . the frames 54 are divided into time slots 56 , as shown in an expanded view 71 e of frame 71 . the time slots 56 within each frame , such as frame 71 , include transmission packets designated , for example , zero ( 0 ) through ( 14 ). each time slot 56 may include data intended for one or more devices . by way of example , slot 6 includes data for wtru 101 and slot 12 includes data for wtrus 102 and 103 . wtrus 101 through 103 preferably synchronize their reception so that they are able to receive data during their respective allocated time period . the use of fixed time periods for data reception means that , once a wtru is provided with its synchronization information ( i . e . information related to the particular time sequence of signals intended for that wtru ), the wtru may synchronize with that time sequence and remain asleep ( i . e . quiescent ) for a portion of a superframe . this results in reduced power consumption because a wtru in a quiescent state has most or all of its rf reception circuits turned off . the wtru , preferably , has most of its signal processing circuits turned off as well . in this embodiment , the reduction in power consumption approximately corresponds to the number of frames that are ignored . once synchronized , wtrus 101 through 103 wake up only in their respective slot , radio frame or multiframe associated with the particular interleaving period known as the transmission time interval ( tti ). from the network perspective , for each superframe , the network will wait for frame 71 , slot 6 before transmitting data to wtru 101 . it should be noted that wtrus may wake up at other times ( i . e . other than their designated slots ), if needed . for example , it may be necessary to wake up for certain common signals . additionally , the network and wtrus may be adapted so that a special “ wake up ” signal is transmitted from the network to a particular wtru or group of wtrus where it is necessary for the wtru ( s ) to wake up and receive data outside of their designated slot . it should be noted that the division of transmissions into superframes , frames , and slots may be varied as desired . for example , in the discussion above , it is assumed that a wtru will wake up at least every superframe and look for data in at least one slot of at least one frame . however , as mentioned , data transmissions may be provided to users as desired so as to satisfy user preferences for battery life and frequency of data renewal . therefore , the timing of a particular synchronization scheme may similarly be varied . by way of example , it is possible to create a synchronization schedule between network data delivery and a wtru &# 39 ; s receipt thereof wherein more than one superframe passes between wtru wake up periods within which a wtru wakes up and looks for a message at its assigned frame and slot . while the present invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiment , other variations which are within the scope of the invention as outlined in the claims below will be apparent to those skilled in the art .

US-201314104497-A

a laser projection system capable of irradiating a light beam for alignment is provided . the alignment laser projection system comprises a reflection unit , a moving reflection unit , irradiation units that irradiate light to the reflection unit and the moving reflection unit , a guide unit which drives the moving reflection unit , a housing which contains a driving unit , a control unit which controls the irradiation unit and the driving unit , and a display unit which displays control states . in irradiating a laser beam , the laser projection system resolves the problem of instable power supply and information transfer due to the damage in a cable apparatus caused by alternating movements of an irradiation unit such that it supplies stable alignment line in repetitive works .

fig3 through 5 are a diagram of the entire structure , a detailed sectional view , and a detailed plan view , respectively , of a first preferred embodiment of a laser projection system according to the present invention . the present invention basically comprises a housing 100 which contains a variety of apparatuses , a control unit 800 which controls the variety of apparatuses inside the housing 100 , a display 900 which displays a situation controlled by the control unit 800 . both sides of the housing 100 are open and on the bottom of the housing 100 , a permeation window 120 is formed in the length direction . the permeation window 120 may be formed as a slit of a recess shape , or the recess shape slit may be closed with a transparent material . if only light can permeate through the permeation window 120 , any shape or material can be used . preferably , the permeation window 120 is formed to be shorter than the entire length of the housing 100 as shown , but of course , it can be formed the same as the entire length of the housing 100 . meanwhile , preferably , the shape of the housing is formed in a cylinder shape , but not limited to this , and it is obvious that the shape of the housing 100 can be any one selected among rectangular and polygonal pillars . the reference numbers 150 , 160 , and 170 , which are not described yet , indicate insertion grooves in protrusions protruding toward the central axis line of the housing 100 from the inner side surfaces so that a first side holding plate , a second side holding plate , and a center holding plate that will be explained later can be inserted and fixed . to both the open sides of the housing , the first side surface holding plate 220 and the second side surface holding plate 240 are coupled and the center holding plate 260 is coupled to the internal center . on the first side holding plate 220 , an upper hole 222 , a center hole 224 , and a pair of bottom holes 226 are formed . the upper hole 222 and the center hole 224 are formed such that the central axis of each hole is the same as the central axis line in the length direction of the housing permeation window 120 . a pair of the bottom holes 226 are formed such that the central axis of each hole is in parallel with and level with the axis line in the length direction of the housing permeation window 120 , and the two axes of the holes are symmetrical about the axis line of the permeation window 120 . that is , when both side surfaces of the housing 100 are taken as a base and if the permeation window 120 is at the bottom of the housing 110 , the upper hole 222 and the center hole 224 are formed respectively on a diameter line drawn in the upper direction from the permeation window 120 , and a pair of the bottom holes 226 are formed on an even level and on the right hand side and on the left hand side of the diameter line . on the second side surface holding plate 240 , an upper hole 242 and a pair of bottom holes 246 corresponding to the upper hole 222 and a pair of the bottom holes 226 of the first side surface holding plate 220 are formed respectively . the center holding plate 260 comprises a first holding plate and a second holding plate , which are protruding from inside side surfaces of the housing 100 in the central axis line direction of the housing 100 to face each other . in each of the first and second holding plates , holes corresponding to the bottom holes 224 and 226 of the first and second side surface holding plates 220 and 240 are formed . preferably , the shape of each holding plate is a fan shape and the part adjacent to the permeation window 120 is formed to be concave . inside the housing 100 according to the present invention , disposed are a guide unit 400 , a guide block 430 which is coupled with the guide unit 400 , first and second irradiation units 720 and 740 , a driving unit 620 which drives the guide unit 400 , an encoder 660 which measures movement of the guide unit 400 , and a moving reflection unit 760 and a reflection unit 300 that reflect light irradiated by the first irradiation unit 720 . the guide unit 400 comprises a ball screw 424 and a guide rod 422 that are level with each other . the ball screw 424 has an operation structure by which the ball screw 424 can be extended or contracted in both directions ( the left hand side and right hand side in the figure ) from the center of the housing 100 where the center holding plate 260 is disposed , which is well known in the art and detailed explanation will be omitted . the guide rod 422 prevents the guide block 430 , which will be explained later , from rotating together according to the rotational movement of the ball screw 424 , and allows the guide block 430 to perform rectilinear movement along a predetermined straight line axis . meanwhile , the guide rod 422 and the ball screw 424 penetrate into and are coupled to a pair of holes formed in each of the first and second side surface holding plates 220 and 240 . a pair of penetration holes ( not shown ) are formed on both sides of the guide block 430 facing to each other so that the guide rod 422 and the ball screw 424 forming the guide unit 400 can penetrate into and be coupled to the holes . preferably , a pair or more of the guide blocks 430 facing each other on symmetrical locations about the center holding plate 170 are coupled to the guide unit 400 . in addition , it is desirable that by using a ball screw nut 434 as a medium , the guide block 430 and the ball screw 424 are coupled . this is because by the movement of a ball embedded in the ball screw nut 434 , the rotational movement of the ball screw 424 can be converted into the rectilinear movement of the guide block 430 , and in addition , the rectilinear movement of the guide block 430 can be implemented smoothly and precisely . together with this , it is desirable that for smooth movement of the guide rod 422 , a separate guide rod coupling member 432 is used as a medium also for coupling the guide block 430 and the guide rod 433 . the moving reflection unit 760 is to reflect light irradiated by the first irradiation unit 720 , which will be explained later , and is coupled to the upper part of the guide block 430 by a separate coupling member 762 . in a state where the center of the moving reflection unit 760 corresponds to the axis line center of the housing permeation window 120 in the length direction , the moving reflection unit 760 protrudes over the permeation window 120 . if only the moving reflection unit 760 can reflect light appropriately , it can be implemented not limited by any one type , but it is desirable that it is implemented by a prism . the protruding location may be either of the left hand side and the right hand side of the guide block 430 . of course , the kind of the coupling member 762 and the coupling method are not limited to any one and can be selected from a variety of types and methods . meanwhile , though only a pair of moving reflection units ( including the guide block ) on locations facing each other are shown in the figure , the number of moving reflection units can be changed in a variety of ways according to the conditions of a desired work field . accordingly , when necessary , one or more pairs of moving reflection units , or a plurality of moving reflection units with the number of moving reflection units in one direction bigger than the number of moving reflection units in other direction can be formed . the first irradiation unit 720 is a unit to irradiate light and an ordinary laser unit corresponds to this . the first irradiation unit 720 is inserted into and coupled to the center hole 224 of the first side surface holding plate 220 and is connected to the control unit 800 , which will be explained later , through a separate cable . the second irradiation unit 740 is a separate irradiation unit to irradiate light and in the present invention , instead of the second irradiation unit 740 , the moving reflection unit described above can also be used . when a separate irradiation unit is used as the second irradiation unit 740 , it will have the same structure and connection as the first irradiation unit 720 described above , and when the moving reflection unit is used as the second irradiation unit 740 , it will have the same structure as the moving reflection unit 760 described above . the driving unit 620 is coupled to one end of the ball screw 424 of the guide unit 400 to drive the ball screw 424 . preferably , a stepping motor is used as the driving unit 620 , but not limited to this and any ordinary motor can be used . the encoder 660 is coupled to the other end of the ball screw 424 of the guide unit 400 and is an apparatus to accurately detects such information as the rotation speed of the ball screw 424 , and to feed the information back to the control unit 800 . an ordinary optical encoder corresponds to this and is well known in the art . accordingly , the detailed explanation will be omitted . the reflection unit 300 reflects again light to the outside through the housing permeation window 120 , the light which is irradiated by the first irradiation unit 720 ( if the second irradiation unit is a separate irradiation unit , the second irradiation unit is also included ) and then reflected by the moving reflection unit . this re - reflection of light is conducted by a reflection plate ( not shown ) embedded in the reflection unit 300 . the material and shape of the reflection plate are not limited to specific ones if only with a high reflection rate it can reflect most of irradiated light . in addition , it is desirable that the reflection unit 300 is made with a photo conduct drum . the reflection unit 300 penetrates into and are coupled to each bottom hole 222 of the first and second side surface holding plates 220 and 240 . the control unit 800 controls the first and second irradiation units 720 and 740 ( when the second irradiation unit is formed as a moving reflection unit , the first irradiation unit ), the driving unit 620 , and the encoder 660 . an ordinary terminal with an embedded cpu corresponds to this . the display 900 displays the operational situation controlled by the control unit 800 . of course , a touch screen that can control through direct contact by a user to the screen , as well as an ordinary display corresponds to this . meanwhile , fig6 and 7 are a detailed sectional view and a detailed plan view , respectively , of an alignment laser projection system as a second preferred embodiment according to the present invention . focusing on only those parts of the structure , which are different from the first embodiment described above , the second embodiment will now be explained . on the first side surface holding plate 230 , an upper hole 232 , a center hole 234 , and a pair of bottom holes 236 are formed . the upper hole 232 and the center hole 234 are the same as in the first embodiment . a pair of the bottom holes 236 are formed in the vertical direction on one location selected between two locations where the central axis of a lower bottom hole of the pair 236 is in parallel with and level with the center of the axis line in the length direction of the housing permeation window 120 . that is , when both side surfaces of the housing 100 are taken as a base and if the permeation window 120 is at the bottom of the housing 110 , the two holes 236 are formed vertically on one location selected between the left hand side and right hand side from a diameter line drawn in the upper direction from the permeation window 120 . on the second side surface holding plate 250 , an upper hole 252 and a pair bottom holes 256 corresponding to the upper hole 232 and a pair of bottom holes 236 , respectively , of the first side surface holding plate 230 are formed . on the center holding plate 270 , holes corresponding to each of the bottom holes 236 and 256 , respectively , of the first and second side surface holding plates 230 and 250 are formed . a guide unit disposed inside the housing comprises a ball screw 524 on the top and a guide rail 522 at the bottom , and penetrates into and is coupled to each of the bottom holes 236 and 256 of the first and second side surface holding plates 230 and 250 . the ball screw 524 penetrates into and is coupled to the first guide block 560 , and the bottom part of the first guide block 560 is coupled with a second guide block 540 which slides along the top surface of the guide rail 522 . that is , with the first and second guide blocks 560 and 540 being coupled with each other , the first guide block 560 moves along the ball screw 524 and the second guide block 540 slides along the guide rail 522 . using a ball screw nut as a medium for coupling the first guide block 560 and the ball screw 524 is the same as in the first embodiment . of course , the coupling method of the first and second guide blocks 560 and 540 may be selected among a variety of ways . meanwhile , it is desirable to use an ordinary lm guide formed with an lm block and an lm rail for the second guide block 540 and the guide rail 522 , respectively , because it can reduce friction in sliding and at the same time guarantee precise movement . the remaining part of the structure of the second embodiment that is not described is the same as in the first embodiment and therefore the detailed description will be omitted . referring to the attached figures , the operation of the laser projection system according to the present invention having the structure described above will now be explained . first , when power from an external power supply unit is supplied to the first and second irradiation units 720 and 740 ( if the second irradiation unit is formed as a moving reflection unit , the first irradiation unit ) and light is irradiated , the light irradiated by the second irradiation unit 740 is directly incident on the reflection unit 300 , and the light irradiated by the first irradiation unit 720 is reflected by the moving reflection unit 760 ( if the second irradiation is formed as a moving reflection unit , the light irradiated by the first irradiation unit is all reflected on the moving reflection unit ) and with the changed irradiation direction , is incident on the reflection unit 300 . the light irradiated to the reflection unit 300 is reflected by the reflection plate embedded in the reflection unit 300 and its irradiation direction is changed ( the arrow direction in fig4 through 6 ) such that an alignment line is formed . if the light lines by the respective moving reflection units 760 do not match with a desired alignment line when the first irradiation unit 720 is taken as a base , the user can manipulate the control unit 800 so that the control unit 800 drives the driving unit 620 in one direction to rotate the ball screw 424 . then , the rotation movement of the ball screw 424 is converted into the rectilinear movement of the guide block 430 and the moving reflection unit 760 comes close to or goes away from the center holding plate 260 of the housing 100 . according to this , the alignment line can be again adjusted accurately . even if the alignment line by the respective moving reflection units 760 do not match with a desired line , the user can drive the driving unit 620 in the reverse direction such that the line is appropriately adjusted . meanwhile , the control unit 800 displays information on the strength of the light irradiated by each of the irradiation units , information on the operation of the driving unit 620 , and information analyzed by the encoder 660 on the display 900 connected to the control unit 800 . if a touch screen is used as the display , the operation situation of the entire system can be controlled more precisely by the user checking the situation with the user &# 39 ; s naked eye . optimum embodiments have been explained above and are shown . however , the present invention is not restricted to the above - described embodiments and many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention . the scope of the present invention is not determined by the above description but by the accompanying claims . according to the present invention , for irradiation of an alignment laser beam , an irradiation unit which moves in a predetermined distance is formed with moving reflection units and a reflection unit and the accompanying cables are removed such that instability of power supply and information transfer due to damages in the cables is removed and a stable alignment line can be provided in repetitive works . in addition , in the prior art a plurality of irradiation units disposed in the housing and directly irradiating lights should be used , but in the present invention , even when only one irradiation unit is used , a desired purpose can be well achieved such that the entire system is more economically constructed .

US-70198003-A

a sliding device , guided on the ceiling or under the floor of a cabinet with a rail element , which allows a sliding door to be synchronously pulled away from the closet in a parallel manner and then slid . in order to also guide the lower edge of the sliding door , the motion of the sliding door can be transmitted from the upper edge of the sliding door to the lower edge by a transmission shaft . no cavities or guide grooves have to be formed on the cabinet or the floor , ceiling , side walls , or partition wall thereof .

in fig1 , a cabinet 1 is shown with two side walls 3 , two partition walls 5 , a base 7 , and a top 9 , as well as a back wall 11 . all of the elements of the cabinet 1 are made from rectangular cut pieces . no modifications , such as cuts , grooves for guide rails , openings , etc . are required for installing a running gear arrangement according to the invention for sliding doors 15 . in fig2 , which shows the upper right half of the cabinet 1 , the right side wall 3 is extended upward past the top 9 as a side closure for the running gear arrangement . on the top side of the top 9 , a displacement device 13 is visible with a cover 17 . the latter is used as dust protection for the functional elements of the displacement device 13 lying underneath . in addition , the cover 17 also acts as an upper rotational bearing for a shaft 45 ( fig4 ), as well as for attachment of the sliding door 15 . the displacement device 13 is supported on a rail element 19 that extends across the entire width of the cabinet 1 and is attached to the top 9 or below the base 7 . the rail element 19 comprises on each side a lower roller track 21 for support rollers 23 that receive the mass of the sliding door 15 . the support rollers 23 are mounted so that they can rotate easily on horizontal shafts or shaft stubs . upper roller tracks 25 that are arranged parallel to the lower roller tracks 21 and at a distance from these tracks that is only slightly greater than the diameter of the support rollers 23 are formed above the lower roller tracks 21 . between the roller tracks 21 , 25 there are , at a constant distance from each other , two additional guide tracks 27 between paired vertical legs 29 . these are used for the lateral guidance of guide rollers 31 that are supported so that they can rotate about vertical axes and guide the displacement device 13 laterally and exactly . the distance of the two legs 29 of each guide track 27 is slightly greater , in turn , than the diameter of the guide rollers 31 , such that these are guided approximately without play , i . e ., when rolling , these are in contact only with one of the two legs 29 as a function of the forces acting on the displacement device 13 . the rail element 19 with the features listed above is advantageously manufactured as a continuous extrusion made from aluminum . obviously it could also be produced as a bent sheet - metal part made from steel . the displacement device 13 further comprises two cross beams 33 arranged at a distance from each other and connected to each other by the cover 17 . the four support rollers 23 are supported at the ends of these cross beams ( fig3 to 5 ). a guide channel 35 that is open at the top and has paired , opposing side walls 37 running parallel to each other is formed in the cross beams 33 . two rollers 39 supported so that they can rotate about a vertical axis and spaced apart from each other engage in this channel from above . the rollers 39 are attached to roller supports 41 . the rollers 39 lie with little play between the side walls 37 . the two roller supports 41 are connected with screws 40 to the cover 17 used as a bridge . on the roller supports 41 , an additional four support rollers 42 are supported so that they can rotate on horizontal axes . the support rollers 42 are guided at the top and bottom in a track 44 formed laterally on the roller support 41 ( fig4 a ). furthermore , a shaft 45 as a rotational bearing for a sleeve 43 is attached to the cover 17 . an operating lever 47 whose free end carries a support roller 55 is attached in a pivoting manner on the sleeve 43 . a curve roller 48 is arranged on the lower end of the shaft 45 . a laterally guided guide plate 51 is attached with a locking screw 59 on the base plate 49 of the rail element 19 connecting the two edges to the roller 21 and guide tracks 27 between the roller track 21 and one guide track 27 . on its surface , the guide plate 51 comprises a curved track 53 running over approximately 90 ° and in which the curve roller 48 is guided on both sides . the curve roller 48 is supported on the lower end of the shaft 45 so that it can rotate and projects into the curved track 53 . furthermore , on the guide plate 51 close to the roller track 27 there is a recess 57 that is open in the sliding direction and in which the support roller 55 travels when the displacement device 13 slides over the guide plate 51 when the sliding door 15 is being closed . the guide plate 51 is held in the vertical and horizontal directions by legs 29 of the roller track 27 . in the direction of travel of the sliding doors 15 , the guide plate 51 is held by the advantageously self - tapping screw 59 that can be screwed into the base plate 49 . the guide plate 51 is attached to the rail element 19 before or after the attachment of the rail element 19 on the cabinet 1 . the cover 17 on which the cross beams 33 are attached is pulled into the retracted position by at least one spring ( not shown ) according to fig4 . a spring 61 that is shown in fig5 and is connected to the end of the operating lever 47 and the cover 17 is used to hold the operating lever 47 in a position oriented at a right angle to the driving direction of the sliding doors 15 or to pull it into this position . a support rail 63 is attached to the back side of the sliding door 15 with screws in the region of its upper edge . holding pegs 65 with conical , peripheral grooves are arranged on the support rail 63 . the holding pegs 65 engage in closely dimensioned drill holes 67 on a holding bar 69 . fixing screws 70 are screwed into threaded holes at a right angle above the horizontal holes 67 in the holding bar 69 . the holding pegs 65 can be fixed without play in the holding bar 69 with these fixing screws . the holding bar 69 is held adjustable on the cover 17 with suitable means , such as screws 70 , both in the vertical and also horizontal directions , in order to be able to orient the sliding door 15 relative to the cabinet 1 . below the function of the displacement device 13 will be described in more detail . the sliding door 15 is pulled at a right angle away from the cabinet 1 from its closed position , i . e ., contacting the front edges of the walls of the cabinet 1 , at a not shown handle ( e . g ., shell grip ) or directly at a side or top edge of the sliding door 15 . here the curve roller 48 slides along the curved track 53 running initially at a right angle to the rail element 19 and then in an arc shape from the position according to fig4 into the position according to fig5 . the support roller 55 here remains in the recess 57 . therefore , at the beginning of the pulling movement , only a parallel displacement of the sliding door 15 away from the front side of the cabinet takes place . the operating lever 47 here rotates about the rotational axis of the support roller 55 remaining in the recess 57 . then the sliding door 15 can move to the left and releases the interior of the cabinet 1 . the sliding door 15 can now be pushed so far to the left until it essentially completely overlaps with the adjacent sliding door 15 . during the sliding movement , the support roller rolls on the legs 29 of the rear guide track 27 . if the sliding door 15 is closed , i . e ., pushed to the right , then at the end of the sliding movement the support roller 55 runs into the recess 57 . then the curve roller 48 slides into the curved track 53 and pulls the sliding door 15 in a translating movement relative to the cabinet 1 . through the straight , last section at the end of the curved track 53 , the sliding door 15 cannot open by itself , i . e ., move to the left , but instead opens only after being pulled forward manually or electrically by an electric drive . so that , on one hand , the lower area of the sliding door 15 is also lifted synchronously from the front of the cabinet 1 reliably in a translating motion and , on the other hand , a part of the mass of the sliding door 15 can be supported , a synchronization and support device 71 is attached to the partition wall 5 or only to a holder arranged there . this device comprises an attachment plate 73 on which a transmission shaft 83 is supported so that it can pivot and is held axially by a bracket 75 . at the lower end of the transmission shaft 83 , a pivot lever 85 is arranged locked in rotation on whose free end a roller support 77 is held so that it can pivot about a vertical axis 87 . on the roller support 77 , at the top two holding rollers 79 and at the bottom one guide roller 79 are supported so that they can rotate on horizontal axes . the holding rollers 79 lie on the upper edge and on the lower edge of a guide bar 81 attached to the inside of the sliding door 15 , wherein the upper holding rollers 79 have a recess , so that the rollers can partially surround the upper edge 81 ′ of the guide bar 81 . an identically constructed synchronization device 71 is also attached to the partition wall 5 in the area of the top 9 of the cabinet 1 and engages there in a guide bar 81 that is connected by screws to the sliding door 15 . with a first end , a tension spring 95 is attached to the attachment plates 73 . the second end of the tension spring 95 is connected to the roller support 77 . during the translating displacement of the sliding door 15 away from the cabinet 1 , the transmission shaft 83 rotates , because it is guided outward by the two roller supports 77 that are connected to the sliding door 15 by means of the guide bars 81 . in this way it is guaranteed that the upper edge and the lower edge of the sliding door 15 are likewise simultaneously , i . e ., synchronously , displaced in a translating motion . the synchronization device 71 consequently guarantees the parallelism of the translating displacement of the sliding door 15 . furthermore , the synchronization device 71 is also used to support the sliding door 15 on the edge away from the displacement device 13 . in each position of the sliding door 15 , the lower holding roller 79 supports the sliding door 15 by means of the guide bar 81 and thus prevents torque on the running gear arrangement . for very wide sliding doors , for better load distribution and for avoiding a large torque on the running gear arrangement , two running gear arrangements are arranged at a distance and next to each other . in the construction of the invention according to fig8 , instead of one single operating lever 47 , there is also another that synchronizes the pivoting movements of the two levers 47 by means of a synchronization element in the form of a toothed belt 97 . the toothed belt 97 meshes with two pinions 99 that are locked in rotation to the levers 47 . the pinions 99 sit on the end of the lever 47 that is pivoted by approximately 90 ° in the clockwise direction by the curved track 53 when the sliding door 15 is lifted . in the construction of the invention according to fig9 , instead of a toothed belt 97 there is an articulated rod 101 whose ends are connected in an articulated manner to the ends of the two operating levers 47 . as in the example according to fig8 , the articulated rod 101 causes an exact synchronization of the pivoting movements of the two operating levers 47 . for the pivoting movement of the operating levers 47 when the sliding door 15 is pulled away from the cabinet 1 , a curved track 53 is consequently sufficient that interacts with one of the two operating levers 47 . obviously two curved tracks 53 could also be formed . through these synchronous pivoting movements of the operating levers 47 it is guaranteed that the sliding door 15 performs an exact translating movement away from the cabinet 1 and can be displaced laterally into the extended position in a twist - proof manner . in order to prevent unintentional pivoting of the operating levers 47 during displacement of the sliding door 15 , these are held not exactly at a right angle to the rail elements 19 a and 19 b , but instead contact them — loaded by springs — somewhat past the dead center point in a stable position ( springs not shown ). in order to also guarantee a similarly secure and stable guidance of the lower edge of the sliding door 15 , as in the first construction of the invention according to fig7 on the back side of the sliding door 15 , there is a guide bar 81 on which the roller support 77 is guided . the roller support 77 is attached to the transmission shaft 83 , in turn , by means of the extension 85 . the transmission shaft 83 connects another roller support 77 that is constructed in the same way and attached to a rail 81 in the area of the upper edge of the sliding door . in order to guarantee an additional guidance of the sliding door 15 at each of its edges coming to lie in the area of the side walls 3 , a plate 103 with a guide groove 105 can be attached to the top 9 of the cabinet 1 . a guide lever 107 attached in an articulated manner to the sliding door 15 engages in the guide groove 105 . the guide groove 105 in the plate 103 is connected to a guide rail 109 running parallel to the front edge of the cabinet 1 . the guide lever 107 is hinged in an articulated manner to a support bracket 111 and supports , on its free end , a holding roller 113 that is guided in the guide rail 109 during the displacement of the sliding door and slides , at the end of the sliding movement , when the sliding door 15 moves from the extended into the retracted position , out from the guide rail 109 into the guide groove 105 and is held there by a spring on the guide lever in the retracted position or is forced by the spring into the retracted position . therefore the upper edge lies completely on the cabinet 1 also for use of the displacement device 13 on the bottom side of a cabinet , in particular , a sideboard . during the displacement of the sliding door , the guide lever 7 is used so that the sliding door 15 is always guided at a constant distance to the front edge of the cabinet , even if a person grabs and moves the door in the area of the sliding door edge ( fig1 and 13 ). the displacement devices 13 shown in fig1 - 11 are each mounted on the top 9 of the cabinet , i . e ., the sliding door 15 hangs on the displacement device 13 . to be able to also attach a displacement device 13 to a low cabinet , e . g ., a sideboard , so that it cannot be seen , the displacement device can be attached underneath the base 7 from below . the support rollers 23 then lie on the upper roller track 25 and support the sliding door 15 ( fig1 ).

US-201013514417-A

a beverage container having a bottom that has been deformed such that it has a fingerlike projection that extends upward over halfway into the center of the container , where the container also has a multi - sectional drinking straw that fits over and is held upright by the projection and a closing lid that snaps on the rim . the beverage container is substantially bifrustoconical in shape , and it can be secured to a tray or drink holder equipped with a vertical element that inserts into the hollow deformation in the bottom .

fig1 illustrates perspectively a bifrustoconical beverage container 1 having an external body member 2 with a rim 3 and a base 4 . the container 1 has an internal body member 5 , shown in relief in fig1 as dashed lines , which is also substantially frustoconical in shape . internal body member 5 emanates centrally and coaxially from the epicenter of the base 4 upwardly into the container , therein forming an inverted bottom . the uppermost extremity of the internal body member frustum is closed , terminating in a hemispherically shaped apices 6 , and the lowermost extremity is terminated with a flange 11 , which integrally joins the internal body member 5 with the base 4 of the external body member 2 , therein forming a bifrustoconical beverage container 1 . in the preferred embodiment the internal body member frustum 22 is substantially smaller than the external body member frustum 2 , and displaces only a relatively small portion of the apparent volume of the container . table 1 lists the dimensions and volumes of several bifrustoconical containers . the diameter of the larger frustum at the rim 7 , the diameter at the base 8 , and the height 12 define the apparent volume of the container per the external body member frustum 2 . the diameter of the smaller frustum at the apices 9 , the diameter at the flange 10 , and the height 13 define the displacement volume of the internal body member frustum 22 . their difference ( volume 2 - volume 22 ) equals the actual volume of the container . table 1__________________________________________________________________________frustum - larger frustum - smaller volume ( oz ) 12 7 8 ( in ) 13 9 10 ( in ) actual apexno . hgt . dia . dia . hgt . dia . dia . total above below__________________________________________________________________________1 4 . 25 3 . 50 2 . 64 2 . 65 1 . 20 1 . 50 16 . 0 7 . 9 8 . 12 4 . 25 3 . 50 2 . 64 2 . 50 0 . 62 1 . 00 17 . 4 8 . 5 8 . 83 5 . 00 3 . 00 2 . 64 2 . 95 1 . 20 1 . 50 15 . 6 7 . 8 7 . 84 5 . 00 3 . 00 2 . 64 2 . 95 0 . 62 1 . 50 17 . 1 7 . 8 9 . 35 7 . 50 8 . 00 5 . 00 6 . 00 1 . 60 2 . 00 132 . 2 38 . 9 93 . 36 7 . 50 8 . 00 5 . 00 8 . 50 1 . 60 2 . 00 128 . 6 0 . 0 128 . 67 3 . 75 2 . 80 1 . 80 2 . 40 0 . 60 1 . 00 8 . 1 4 . 1 4 . 08 3 . 75 2 . 80 1 . 80 2 . 79 0 . 60 1 . 00 8 . 0 3 . 0 5 . 09 4 . 25 3 . 50 2 . 65 2 . 90 1 . 00 1 . 60 16 . 0 6 . 7 9 . 310 4 . 25 3 . 50 2 . 65 4 . 25 0 . 94 1 . 20 16 . 0 0 . 0 16 . 011 4 . 25 3 . 50 2 . 64 0 . 00 0 . 00 0 . 00 18 . 1 -- -- 12 0 . 00 0 . 00 0 . 00 2 . 65 1 . 20 1 . 50 - 2 . 1 -- -- 13 3 . 75 2 . 80 1 . 80 0 . 00 0 . 00 0 . 00 8 . 8 -- -- 14 0 . 00 0 . 00 0 . 00 2 . 79 0 . 60 1 . 00 - 0 . 8 -- -- __________________________________________________________________________ in table 1 , no 1 - 10 list the dimensions and calculated actual volumes of several bifrustoconical containers . the height of the smaller frustum has been sized such that even when the container is full , more than half of the fluid volume would be located below the level of the apicies 6 of the internal body member . this choice of dimensions results in a container having a center of gravity , wherein a portion of the the bottom is actually located higher than the center of gravity of the container 1 . therefore , a container fastened at the apex would tend to be self righting with the larger fluid ballast located lower than the point of attachment . in table 1 , no 11 - 12 are volumetric breakdowns of container no . 1 , and no 13 - 14 are breakdowns of container no 8 . no 5 and 6 are gallon containers . fig2 is a perspective view of a bifrustoconical container 1 fitted with a multi - sectional straw 14 and a sealing lid 15 . the straw 14 has corrugated ribbing 16 that enables it to be bent without crimping . fig3 is a vertical sectional view of fig2 taken along sectional line 3 - 3 . multi - sectional straw 14 is superimposed on the frustum 22 of the internal body member 5 . the straw is comprised of three sections , the upper essentially tubular section 17 , the frustoconical section 19 , and the expander section 18 , which integrally joins section 17 and section 19 . the straw &# 39 ; s frustoconical section 19 is just slightly larger than the internal body member frustum 22 , and 19 extends to very near the flange 11 , which is the lowermost bottom of the container . there is a thin annular chamber 20 formed by the superimposed frustums , and , under the force of gentle suction , the fluid beverage is pulled into the straw through the gap 24 between the perimeter of lower extremity of the frustoconical section 19 of the straw and the flange 11 of the internal body member . the fluid is transported upward through the thin annular chamber 20 , into the expander section 18 of the straw and through the tubular section 17 , where it exits the top . the core 23 of the internal body member frustum 22 is hollow , and open from the underside of the container 1 . the core 23 serves as a fastening element for the container when an interpositioning vertical fastening element such as a peg or a pintle is inserted into the core . fig4 is a perspective view of the straw 14 sectionally shown in fig3 . the illustrated straw is not been bent , so that it may be pushed through the straw passage in the lid 15 . fig5 is a perspective view of a decorative version 34 of the multi - sectional straw 14 that has been constructed to look like a horn . the unique design of a multi - sectional straw has obvious novelty appeal , and , as such , lends itself to be fashioned into various toys and promotional paraphernalia to commercially utilize this novelty . fig6 is a vertical sectional view of a bifrustoconical beverage container 1 fitted with a decorative multi - sectional straw 34 having a transitionally less pronounced expander section 18 joining the tubular section 17 to the frustoconical section 19 . the inside wall of the frustoconical section of the straw has inwardly projecting point like protuberances 25 which hold the straw 34 away from from the internal body member frustum 22 , therein establishing the width of the annular chamber 20 . in order to accommodate the essentially conically shaped straw , the internal body member has a more nearly pure conical shape , and , in particular , the apicies 6 is substantially less rounded , and much more tapered . the bifrustoconical beverage container can be temporarily secured to a position on a food conveyance holder ( for instance a tray or a drink holder ) with a variety of fastening devices , all of which have a vertical fastening element in common . the vertical fastening element inserts through the bottom of the container into the open ended hollow core 23 of the internal body member . fig7 is a perspective view of a car door drink holder 27 with a singular vertical fastening element 26 . the top 28 of the &# 34 ; s &# 34 ; shaped holder 27 hooks into the window slot . the vertical fastening element 26 projects upward from a flat horizontal plate 29 comprising a lower portion of the holder 27 . fig8 sectionally shows a vertical fastening element 26 that has been molded into the body of the plate 29 of the car door drink holder 27 . the element 26 is sized so that it can be interpositioned essentially completely within the hollow core 23 of the internal body member frustum 22 . another holder device 32 used to secure a bifrustoconical beverage container 1 in a vertical is shown in fig9 . the vertical fastening element is mounted on a structural rectangular base 30 , the underside of which is adhesively coated for bonding the device 32 to a fixed planar surface , such as the dash board of a car or a window sill . another adaptation of food conveyance holders is shown in fig1 . the tray 33 is fitted with two vertical fastening elements 26 , one of which is obscured from view by the resting secured beverage container 1 . bifrustoconical beverage container 1 has a handle 36 to improve handleability . the body of the tray has two cylindrical depressions 35 into which can be fitted additional vertical fastening elements 26 , therein enabling very easy modification of the tray 33 to accommodate additional beverages . the tray has the advantage that with detachable vertical fastening elements , substantially all of its planar surface can be utilized to hold non - spillable foods or it can , alternatively , be adapted to hold multiple containers 1 . the detachable vertical fastening elements 26 are shown in fig1 . the length of the element has been extended to include a detachable means which interlocks with the cylindrical depressions 35 in the tray 33 .

US-35022689-A

a toilet flushing device is to be installed in a water supply tank and has a diverter valve which permits the supply of high pressure water to the rim flushing conduit of a toilet bowl when the toilet bowl is flushed . the diverter valve has a valve housing and a valve rod disposed movably in the valve housing in response to increase or decrease of the water level . a passage is formed longitudinally through the valve rod so as to direct high pressure water to the water supply tank , thereby preventing fouling formation in the passage of the valve rod .

referring to fig1 and 2 , the preferred embodiment of a toilet flushing device according to the present invention is shown to be installed in a toilet bowl assembly 10 . the toilet bowl assembly 10 includes a water supply tank 50 and a toilet bowl 53 having a rim flushing conduit 54 and a neck portion 55 . a water supplying pipe 21 extends into the water supply tank 50 and has a lower end connected to an external pressurized water source and an upper end provided with a conventional ball - cock valve 22 . a rod 25 connects the ball - cock valve 22 to a main float 252 . the water supply tank 50 is provided with a discharge outlet 56 . a flapper valve 52 normally closes the discharge outlet 56 , and has one end hinged to the water supply tank 50 . the other end of the flapper valve 52 is tied to an actuating arm of a conventional flush arm 51 , which is mounted on the exterior of the tank 50 by means of a chain or cable 58 . the flush handle 51 is operated so as to lift the flapper valve 52 to allow water in the tank 50 to flow through the discharge outlet 56 . a discharge pipe 57 directs water flowing through the discharge outlet 56 to the neck portion 55 of the toilet bowl 53 in a conventional manner . as the water level in the tank 50 drops , the main float 252 will be lowered , thereby opening the ball - cock valve 22 . water from the water supplying pipe 21 is directed to diverter valve means 30 of the toilet flushing device , which communicates fluidly the water supplying pipe 21 and the water supply tank 50 , so as to refill the tank 50 until the normal water level is reached , whereupon the main float 252 closes the ball - cock valve 22 . referring to fig1 , 4 , 5 and 6 , the diverter valve means 30 of the present invention includes a hollow valve housing 31 , a transverse inlet pipe ( 21b ) which receives water from the water supplying pipe 21 , and a transverse supply line 40 connected to and supplying water to the rim flushing rim conduit 54 . the valve housing 31 is substantially cylindrical in shape and has top and bottom walls 3101 , 3102 , a transverse partition wall 3103 between the top and bottom walls 3101 , 3102 , and upper and lower chambers ( 31a , 31b ) divided by the partition wall 3103 . the partition wall 3103 has an opening 311 and a first valve seat 3111 confining the opening 311 . the inlet pipe ( 21b ) and the supply line 40 are communicated respectively with the upper and lower chambers ( 31a , 31b ). the valve housing 31 further has communication means for interconnecting the upper chamber ( 31a ) and the water supply tank 50 , which will be described below . referring to fig3 and 5 , the diverter valve means 30 further has a valve rod 32 with upper and lower ends 321 , 322 , and a passage 3210 which extends longitudinally through the valve rod 32 and which serves as the communicating means . alternatively , the communicating means may be a hole formed in the top wall of the valve housing 31 when the valve rod 32 is formed as a solid rod . the upper end 321 of the valve rod 32 extends into the upper chamber ( 31a ) and is provided with a valve member 33 . the lower end 322 extends out of a bottom extension tube 312 of the valve housing 31 . the valve rod 32 passes through the opening 311 of the partition wall 3103 without sealing the opening 311 and extends sealingly through the extension tube 312 on the bottom wall 3102 . a threaded portion ( 321a ) is provided adjacent to the lower end 322 of the valve rod 32 . a nut 313 engages the threaded portion ( 321a ). the top wall 3101 of the valve housing 31 has a second valve seat 3104 formed therein . the valve rod 32 has a spring member 34 sleeved therearound between the valve member 33 and the bottom wall 3102 . the spring member 34 biases normally the valve rod 32 upward so as to move the valve member 33 away from the first valve seat 3111 and to seat the valve member 33 against the second valve seat 3104 . referring to fig3 and 5 , the diverter valve means 30 further has a float member 35 having a float body 351 sleeved on the water supplying pipe 21 , and a transverse plate 352 which extends from the float body 351 . the extension tube 312 and the valve rod 32 extend slidably through the transverse plate 352 . however , the float member 35 may be sleeved directly on the extension tube 312 and the valve rod 32 without using the aforementioned extension plate 352 . referring to fig2 and 7 , when the tank 50 is initially full , the float member 35 floats along the water line and does not exert any pulling force on the cable 58 . the valve member 33 abuts against the second valve seat 3104 due to the upward spring force of the spring member 34 . when the flush handle 51 is operated , the flapper valve 52 is lifted so as to allow water in the tank 50 to flow through the discharge outlet 56 and into the neck portion 55 of the toilet bowl 53 . as the water level in the tank 50 drops , the main float 252 and the float member 35 are lowered , thereby opening the ball - cock valve 22 . high pressure water from the water supplying pipe 21 enters the diverter valve means 30 and is directed to the supply line 40 . high pressure water thus enters the rim flushing conduit 54 , thereby effectively rinsing the inner wall of the toilet bowl 53 . referring to fig8 as the water level in the tank 50 continues to gradually decrease , the extension plate 352 of the float member 35 moves downward and eventually engages the nut 313 and pulls the valve rod 32 to move downward against the spring force of the spring member 34 so as to permit the valve member 33 to seat on the first valve seat 3111 , as best illustrated in fig9 . the water from the inlet pipe ( 21b ) then flows into the passage 3210 of the valve rod 32 so as to refill the tank 50 . preferably , a clearance ( not shown ) is formed between the valve member 33 and the first valve seat 3111 when the valve member 33 is seated on the first valve seat 3111 so that a large portion of water from the inlet pipe ( 21b ) flows into the tank 50 via the valve rod 32 while a small portion of water enters the supply line 40 via the clearance to refill the toilet bowl 53 . the length of time during which the valve rod 32 is pulled by the float member 35 can be adjusted by rotating the nut 313 on the threaded portion ( 321a ), thereby varying the distance between the extension plate 352 of the float member 35 and the nut 313 . more water flows into the supply line 40 when the nut 313 is moved upward to a higher position with respect to the lower end 322 of the valve rod 32 . accordingly , less water flows through the supply line 40 when the nut 313 is moved to a lower position with respect to the lower end 322 of the valve rod 32 . referring to fig1 , as the water level in the tank 50 rises , the main float 252 and the float member 35 gradually move upward . at this stage , the float member 35 disengages the nut 313 , and the valve member 33 remains seated on the first valve seat 3111 due to the high water pressure exerted on the valve member 33 . the valve rod 32 moves upward to permit the valve member 33 to abut against the second valve seat 3104 due to the restoring force of the spring member 34 when the main float 252 closes the cock - ball valve 22 , thereby interrupting the water flowing from the water supplying pipe 21 into the diverter valve means 30 . since the high pressure water flushes through the valve rod 32 as the water from the water supplying pipe 21 refills the tank 50 , fouling formation on the upper end 321 and in the passage 3210 can be avoided . while the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment , it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements .

US-97518497-A

an apparatus holds a door closed comprising : a top panel , a left wall and a right wall . a flap is attached to the left wall opposite the top panel and folded under the apparatus . a flap is attached to the right wall opposite the top panel and folded under the apparatus . the apparatus contains a front end , a back end and an opening at the front end that has a larger cross section than a cross section of the back end thereby providing for a tapered shape of the apparatus overall , such that the apparatus is configured to fit over two hinged arms of a door closing system , preventing the arms from articulating open to prevent the door from opening .

the following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention . the description is not to be taken in a limiting sense , but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention , since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims . various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features . broadly , embodiments of the present invention generally provide a door collar lock that can be easily installed over the rods of a pneumatic door mechanism to prevent entry . with reference to fig1 , a right front perspective view of a door collar lock 10 is shown according to one embodiment . in one embodiment , the door collar lock 10 may comprise a front end 8 , a back end 9 , a left wall 4 ( having an inner wall 2 ), and a right wall 3 ( having an inner wall 1 ). the front end 8 may comprise an opening 5 , which may have a planar area that may be smaller than the cross section of the front end 9 , providing for a tapered shape of the door collar lock 10 overall . the relative triangular shapes of a top panel 6 of the door collar lock 10 , and a bottom panel 7 illustrate the tapering from back to front of the door collar lock 10 , as also illustrated in the partial view of the inner wall 11 of the bottom panel 7 . with reference to fig2 , a top elevational view of the door collar lock 10 of fig1 is shown . the tapered shape of the door collar lock 10 is illustrated in fig2 , more specifically as illustrated by the shape of the top panel 6 . with reference to fig3 , a left perspective view of a door 30 with a pneumatic or spring actuated arm and rod configuration is shown , with the door collar lock 10 installed to prevent the door 30 from opening according to the embodiment of fig1 . the rod or elbow 22 a and 22 b may consist of two articulating elongated members 22 a and 22 b over which the door collar 10 may be fitted by insertion over the elongated members 22 a and 22 b . normally , the two elongated members 22 a and 22 b are free to articulate as allowed or caused by the pneumatic , hydraulic , or spring piston 20 . while the piston 20 may bias the elongated members 22 a and 22 b to push the door 30 into the closed position with respect to the door frame 32 , such a bias toward closing does not function as a lock . a person of average or low strength may still push the door open with little or no effort , as designed . however , in an emergency situation , it may be desirable to push the door collar lock 10 over the arms 22 a and 22 b . with reference to fig4 , a bottom right perspective view of the door collar lock 10 installed to prevent the rods 22 a and 22 b from scissoring outwardly to a more oblique angle α so as to prevent opening of the door 30 is shown . the rods 22 a and 22 b are shown in phantom for the portion covered by the door collar lock 10 , and the hinge 26 between the rods 22 a and 22 b is further illustrated in phantom . the door collar lock 10 functions to keep the rods 22 a and 22 b at a relatively more acute angle β rather than when the door 30 is in the open position with respect to the frame 32 . in one embodiment , the angle β comprises an angle by which the door 30 is substantially in a closed position with respect to the door frame 32 , so as to prevent entry by a potential wrong doer in an emergency . in one embodiment , the angle α comprises a wider angle than angle β , so as to prevent or deter a wrong doer from entry in an emergency . as shown in fig4 , the elongated design of the sides 3 and 4 of the door collar lock 10 functions to provide a distributed pressure along some or most of the length of the rods 22 a and 22 b when there is attempt to force the door 30 open . having this elongated length and pressure along the rods 22 a and 22 b , as opposed to just one small portion of the rods 22 a and 22 b , makes for a more rigid stoppage of the door 30 from opening . the larger area of distribution of the pressure along the sides 3 and 4 , and the planar surface areas of the top ( 6 in fig1 and 2 ) and bottom 7 of the door collar lock 10 further provides more rigidity . put another way , the left wall 3 and the wall 4 are configured at an angle with respect to each other so as to contact a relative substantial part of side surface areas of the arms 22 a and 22 b for increased distribution of force placed by the arms on the apparatus 10 as opening force is placed on the door 30 . in this respect , the top 6 and bottom 7 comprise solid substantially triangular plates so as to further distribute the force placed on the apparatus 10 by the arms 22 a and 22 b as opening force is placed on the door 30 . fig5 - 9 illustrate various embodiments that provide for various storage solutions for the door collar lock 10 . storage at or in the general area of the door collar lock 10 may prevent , for example , a teacher in a classroom , or manager in an office , from having to search for the door collar lock 10 in an extreme panic during an emergency . for example , with specific reference to fig5 , an alternative embodiment of the door collar lock 10 includes wheels 50 on small carriages configured to roll along a mount on the door frame 32 , on the side of one of the rods 22 a and 22 b , or on one of the rods 22 a itself . the door collar lock 10 can then be stored to the side of the rods 22 a and 22 b when not in use , but then rolled into position when the door 30 is closed , over both of the rods 22 a and 22 b , during an emergency when in use , as shown in position in fig5 . with reference to fig6 , yet another alternative embodiment of the door collar lock 10 is shown with one or more magnets 60 attached to the top 6 as a mounting mechanism . in this embodiment , the door collar lock 10 may be magnetically attached to a steal structure , such as the door 30 or door frame 32 when not in use , but remain easily accessible during an emergency . with reference to fig7 , yet another alternative embodiment of the door collar lock 10 is shown with one or more wall mounting holes 70 located in the top 6 as a mounting mechanism . as with the magnets 60 in fig6 , the wall mounting holes 70 allow the door collar lock 10 to be position mounted in proximity to the door 30 by means of one or more nails or mounting brackets in the door 30 or wall near the door . with reference to fig8 , yet another alternative embodiment of the door collar lock 10 is shown with a mounting hook 64 located in the top 6 as a mounting mechanism . the wall - mounting hook 64 allows the door collar lock 10 to be position mounted in proximity to the door 30 by means of a nail or mounting bracket in the door 30 or wall near the door . with reference to fig9 , yet another alternative embodiment of the door collar lock 10 is shown with a knob 66 to allow for more clearance for the hinge 26 within the device 10 when mounted on the elbows or arms 22 a and 22 b . with reference to fig1 , yet another alternative embodiment of the door collar lock 10 is shown with a bevel 70 that may allow the device 10 to be more easily tightened around smaller sized arms 22 a and 22 b . with reference to fig1 , yet another alternative embodiment of the door collar lock 10 is shown with an extension or insert 16 having a ridge configured to slide into the opening 5 of the device 10 to extend the length of the device 10 for adjustment for shorter or longer arms 22 a and 22 b . after the extension 16 is inserted into the opening 5 , the arms 22 a and 22 b are fit through the extension &# 39 ; s opening 15 . with reference to fig1 , a bottom , front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the door collar lock 10 is shown . the embodiment of fig1 may comprise an embodiment that eliminates any need for welding of the door collar lock 10 . instead of a having a solid bottom panel 7 as in the embodiments of fig1 - 11 , the embodiment of fig1 has a portion of the bottom panel cut out , with instead , two flaps 50 that extend from the sides 3 and 4 of the lock 10 , bent into the bottom of the lock 10 . with reference to fig1 , a bottom left perspective view of the embodiment of fig1 is shown . the top 9 of the door collar lock 10 may comprise an end cap 52 that is extended from the bottom panel 7 , and which may not be directly connected to the sides 3 and 4 of the lock 10 for ease of manufacturing , which may result in slits 60 down the sides of the end cap 54 between the sides 3 and 4 and the end cap 54 . optionally , the end cap 54 may be attached , welded , or glued to the sides 3 and 4 after shaping of the lock 10 during manufacturing . the embodiment of fig1 and 13 may allow the door collar lock 10 to be made by brake - pressing it . the whole pattern can be laid flat ( from one geometric shape ) and cut by a laser . next , a brake machine may make five brakes to fold the finished brake press lock 10 . there may be , for example , one brake for the end cap 54 , and another brake for each side 3 and 4 , and another two breaks to fold the flaps 52 that form the open channel on the bottom . this embodiment may cut down significantly on costs of manufacturing , without compromising strength . in this respect , in one embodiment , it may be advantageous to use a gauge of steel of sufficient thickness for the rigidity to cause toe creases or brakes in the lock 10 to remain substantially permanent during use to hold when the lock 10 is put under duress . with reference to fig1 , a left perspective view of a door with a pneumatic or spring actuated arm and rod configuration , with the embodiment of fig1 and 13 installed to prevent the door from opening is shown . as shown in fig1 , even in the absence of a solid bottom 7 as with the embodiment of fig3 , the flaps 52 still provide enough force over the arms 22 a and 22 b to prevent a person from pushing the door open when the embodiment of fig1 is installed over the arms 22 a and 22 b , functioning in the same way as the embodiment of fig3 . it should be understood , of course , that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims .

US-201414244091-A

a method of treating a mammal comprises administering to a mammal an effective amount to provide a reduction inflammation in the mammal of a compound selected from the group consisting of those having the formula : ## str1 ## pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof and mixtures thereof , wherein r 1 and r 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of h and alkyl radicals having 1 to 4 carbon atoms ; the r 2 s are independently selected from h or alkyl radicals having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or are , together , oxo ; the r 3 s are independently selected from h or alkyl radicals having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or are , together , oxo ; the 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino group may be in any of the 5 -, 6 , 7 - or 8 - positions of the quinoxaline nucleus ; and r 5 , r 6 and r 7 each is located in one of the remaining 5 -, 6 -, 7 - or 8 - positions of the quinoxaline nucleus and is independently selected from the group consisting of cl , br , h and alkyl radicals having 1 to 3 carbon atoms .

the present invention involves methods for treating mammals to provide one or more desired therapeutic effects in the mammal . the present methods comprise administering an effective amount to provide the desired therapeutic effect or effects in a mammal of at least one compound , as described herein , to the mammal . among the desired therapeutic effects are reduction in peripheral pain , anesthetization of the central nervous system , constriction of one or more blood vessels , reduction in or prevention of at least one effect of ischemia , decongestion of one or more nasal passages and reduction in at least one effect of an inflammatory disorder , for example , such disorders characterized by progressive joint and / or tissue deterioration . thus , for example , the presently useful compounds may be effective as one or more of the following : a peripheral pain killing agent , a general anesthetic , a vaso - constricting agent , an agent for the treatment of ischemia , a nasal decongestant , and an anti - inflammatory agent . one important feature of many of the present methods is that the desired therapeutic effect is achieved with reduced side effects , in particular with reduced effects on the blood pressure of the mammal to which the presently useful compound or compounds are administered . any suitable method of administering the presently useful compound or compounds to the mammal to be treated may be used . the particular method of administration chosen is preferably one which allows the presently useful compound or compounds to have the desired therapeutic effect in an effective manner , e . g ., low medication concentration and low incidence of side effects . in many applications , the presently useful compound or compounds are administered to a mammal in a manner substantially similar to that used to administer alpha agonists , in particular alpha 2 agonists , to obtain the same or similar therapeutic effect or effects . administration of the presently useful compounds for use in the methods of this invention can include , but are not limited to , oral , parenteral , topical , intra - articular and other modes of systemic administration . the compounds are administered in a therapeutically effective amount either alone or in combination with a suitable pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient . depending on the intended mode of administration , the presently useful compound or compounds may be incorporated in any pharmaceutically acceptable dosage form , such as , for example , tablets , suppositories , pills , capsules , powders , liquids , suspensions , emulsions , aerosols or the like , preferably in unit dosage forms suitable for single administration of precise dosages , or sustained release dosage forms for continuous controlled administration . preferably the dosage form will include a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient and the presently useful compound or compounds and , in addition , may contain other medicinal agents , pharmaceutical agents , carriers , adjutants , etc . for solid dosage forms , non - toxic solid carriers include , but are not limited to , pharmaceutical grades of mannitol , lactose , starch , magnesium stearate , sodium saccharin , the polyalkylene glycols , talcum , cellulose , glucose , sucrose and magnesium carbonate . an example of a solid dosage form for carrying out the invention is a suppository containing propylene glycol as the carrier . liquid pharmaceutically administrable dosage forms can , for example , comprise a solution or suspension of one or more of the presently useful compounds and optional pharmaceutical adjutants in a carrier , such as , for example , water , saline , aqueous dextrose , glycerol , ethanol and the like , to thereby form a solution or suspension . if desired , the pharmaceutical composition to be administered may also contain minor amounts of nontoxic auxiliary substances such as wetting or emulsifying agents , ph buffering agents and the like . typical examples of such auxiliary agents are sodium acetate , sorbitan monolaurate , triethanolamine , sodium acetate , triethanolamine oleate , etc . actual methods of preparing such dosage forms are known , or will be apparent , to those skilled in this art ; for example , see remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , mack publishing company , easton , pa ., 16th edition , 1980 . the composition of the formulation to be administered , in any event , contains a quantity of one or more of the presently useful compounds in an amount effective to provide the desired therapeutic effect . parenteral administration is generally characterized by injection , either subcutaneously , intramuscularly or intravenously . injectables can be prepared in conventional forms , either as liquid solutions or suspensions , solid forms suitable for solution or suspension in liquid prior to injection , or as emulsions . suitable excipients are , for example , water , saline , dextrose , glycerol , ethanol and the like . in addition , if desired , the injectable pharmaceutical compositions to be administered may also contain minor amounts of non - toxic auxiliary substances such as wetting or emulsifying agents , ph buffering agents and the like . the amount of the presently useful compound or compounds administered is , of course , dependent on the therapeutic effect or effects desired , on the specific mammal being treated , on the severity and nature of the mammal &# 39 ; s condition , on the manner of administration , on the potency and pharmacodynamics of the particular compound or compounds employed , and on the judgement of the prescribing physician . the therapeutically effective dosage of the presently useful compound or compounds is preferably in the range of about 0 . 5 or about 1 to about 100 mg / kg / day . the presently useful compounds are as described above . all stereoisomers , tautomers and mixtures thereof which comply with the constraints of one or more formulae of the presently useful compounds are included within the scope of the present invention . for example , both tautomers ## str4 ## are within the scope of the present invention . the presently useful compounds may be prepared in a manner analogous to the procedures described in danielewicz , et al u . s . pat . no . 3 , 890 , 319 for the production of the quinoxaline derivatives therein . this patent is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference herein . once a 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino quinoxaline intermediate corresponding to the compound described in danielewicz , et al u . s . pat . no . 3 , 890 , 319 is obtained , this 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino quinoxaline intermediate is hydrogenated to saturate any unsaturation at the 1 -, 2 -, 3 -, and 4 - positions of the quinoxaline nucleus . briefly , the 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino quinoxaline intermediates may be prepared by ( 1 ) reaction of the appropriate amino - quinoxaline with thiophosgene to form the corresponding isothiocyanate ; and ( 2 ) reacting this isothiocyanate with excess ethylene diamine to form the corresponding beta - aminoethyl - thioureidoquinoxaline , which is then cyclized to the corresponding intermediate . alternately , such intermediates can be prepared by ( 1 ) reacting the corresponding aminoquinoxaline with benzoyl isothiocyanate to form the corresponding n - benzoyl thioureido compound , followed by hydrolysis to the thioureido compound , or reaction of the aminoquinoxaline with ammonium thiocyanate to form the thioureido compound directly ; ( 2 ) methylation to form the s - methyl deviation of the thioureido compound ; and ( 3 ) reaction with ethylene diamine to form the intermediate . the 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino quinoxaline intermediate is then reacted to saturate any unsaturation at the 1 -, 2 -, 3 -, and 4 - positions of the quinoxaline nucleus . for compounds in which r 1 , the r 2 &# 39 ; s , the r 3 &# 39 ; s and r 4 are all to be h , the intermediate may be hydrogenated . this hydrogenation preferably occurs with the intermediate dissolved in a liquid , e . g ., a lower alcohol such as methanol , ethanol or the like . a catalyst effective to promote the hydrogenation is preferably present . examples of such catalysts include the platinum group metals , in particular platinum , platinum group metal compounds , such as platinum oxide , and mixtures thereof . hydrogen , e . g ., free molecular hydrogen , is present in an amount at least sufficient to provide the desired saturation , preferably in an amount in excess of that required to provide the desired saturation , of the intermediate . the temperature and pressure at which the hydrogenation occurs are preferably selected to maintain the intermediate and final product substantially in the liquid phase . temperatures in the range of about 10 ° c . to about 100 ° c . and pressures in the range of about 0 . 5 atmospheres to about 5 atmospheres often provide acceptable results . these conditions are maintained for a time sufficient to provide the desired hydrogenation reaction . this period of time is often in the range of about 1 minute to about 2 hours . the final 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino tetrahydroquinoxaline is separated from the hydrogenation reaction mixture and recovered , e . g ., using conventional techniques . for compounds in which r 1 , the r 2 &# 39 ; s , the r 3 &# 39 ; s and r 4 are all to be h and for compounds in which r 1 and r 4 are to be h and at least one of the r 2 s and / or at least one of the r 3 s are to be alkyl , the intermediate may be reacted with a suitable hydride reducing agent . this reaction preferably occurs with the intermediate and the hydride reducing agent dissolved in a liquid . any suitable hydride reducing agent may be employed . examples of useful hydride reducing agents include nabh 4 , nacnbh 4 , lialh 4 and the like . the amount of hydride reducing agent used should be sufficient to saturate all the unsaturation present at the 1 -, 2 -, 3 - and 4 - positions of the intermediate . excess hydride reducing agent may be employed provided that no deterioration of the final tetrahydroquinoxaline product results . the liquid employed should be such as to act as an effective solvent for the intermediate and the hydride reducing agent , and may also function to facilitate , e . g ., activate , the reaction between the intermediate and hydride reducing agent . examples of useful liquids include acetic acid , trifluoroacetic acid , tetrahydrofuran , diethyl ether and the like . the liquid employed is preferably selected so as to avoid excess hydride reducing agent reactivity . for example , where lialh 4 is used as the hydride reducing agent , the liquid is preferably tetrahydrofuran , diethyl ether and the like . one or more co - solvents , e . g ., lower alcohols , may also be used . the temperature and pressures at which the reaction occurs are preferably selected to maintain the intermediate and final product in the liquid phase . temperatures in the range of about 0 ° c . to about 50 ° c . and pressures in the range of about 0 . 5 atmospheres to about 2 atmospheres often provide acceptable results . reaction time is chosen to allow the desired reaction to occur , and is often in the range of about one minute to about one hour . the final 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino tetraquinoxaline is separated from the reactive mixture and recovered , e . g ., using conventional techniques , such as evaporation , deactivation of the excess hydride reducing agent , extraction and chromatographic separation . for compounds in which r 1 and / or r 4 are to be alkyl , the intermediate ( having no substituents corresponding to r 1 and r 4 ) may be reacted with a suitable hydride reducing agent in the presence of a selected aldehyde or aldehydes . the aldehyde or aldehydes used are selected based on the specific r 1 and / or r 4 alkyl group or groups desired . for example , if r 1 and / or r 4 is to be methyl , formaldehyde is used , if r 1 and / or r 4 is to be ethyl , acetaldehyde is used , etc . the reaction conditions used are similar to those described in the immediately preceding paragraph except that the reaction time is often in the range of about 1 hour to about 24 hours . the amount of aldehyde used may vary depending on the final compound desired . a mixture of final compounds , i . e ., a compound in which both r 1 and r 4 are alkyl mixed with compounds in which only one of r 1 or r 4 is alkyl , may be produced by the reaction . one or more individual tetrahydroquinoxalines useful in the present invention can be separated and recovered from this mixture , e . g ., using conventional techniques . the presently useful compounds may be prepared from available starting materials . for example , 4 - nitro - 1 , 2 - phenylenediamine may be reacted with an appropriate halide substituted carbonyl halide , in particular , a bromide substituted carbonyl bromide . this reaction , which provides for substitution of one of the amine groups on the phenylene ring by the carbonyl halide , is preferably conducted in a solvent and preferably at a temperature in the range of about 10 ° c . to about 50 ° c ., in particular about room temperature . reaction pressure is preferably such that the solvent is maintained substantially in the liquid phase . the reaction preferably occurs over a period of time in the range of about 2 hours to about 24 hours . examples of useful solvents include methylene chloride ( ch 2 cl 2 ), chloroform ( chcl 3 ), tetrahydrofuran and the like . a trialkyl amine , e . g ., triethylamine , may be used as part of the solvent and / or to promote or facilitate the substitution reaction . the resulting mixture of halo amide isomers are recovered preferably by conventional techniques , e . g ., extraction , washing , drying , concentration , chromatography and the like , from the substitution reaction mixture . the isomers are then cyclized . this cyclization is preferably effected at a temperature in the range of about 10 ° c . to about 50 ° c ., in particular at room temperature , by contacting the isomers , preferably dissolved in a solvent such as methylene chloride , with a cyclizing agent , such as agbf 4 , agno 3 and the like . reaction pressure is preferably such that the solvent is maintained substantially in the liquid phase . the reaction preferably occurs over a period of time in the range of about 1 hour to about 24 hours . conventional techniques , e . g ., such as noted above , can be used to recover the cyclized isomers . chromography can be used to separate the isomers and provide them in substantially pure form . the cyclized compound produced as described above , identified as a nitro - substituted quinoxalinone , is hydrogenated to convert the nitro group to an amino group . this hydrogenation preferably occurs with the nitro - substituted quinoxalinone dissolved in a liquid , e . g ., a lower alcohol such as methanol , ethanol or the like . a catalyst effective to promote the hydrogenation is preferably present . examples of such catalysts include the platinum group metals , in particular platinum or palladium , platinum group metal compounds , such as platinum oxide or palladium oxide , and mixtures thereof . hydrogen , e . g ., free molecular hydrogen , is present in an amount at least sufficient to provide the desired hydrogenation , preferably in an amount in excess of that required to provide the desired hydrogenation . the temperature and pressure at which the hydrogenation occurs are preferably selected to maintain the nitro - substituted quinoxalinone and hydrogenated product substantially in the liquid phase . temperatures in the range of about 10 ° c . to about 100 ° c . and pressures in the range of about 0 . 5 atmospheres to about 5 atmospheres often provide acceptable results . these conditions are maintained for a time sufficient to provide the desired hydrogenation reaction . this period of time is often in the range of about 1 hour to about 16 hours . the hydrogenated product is separated from the hydrogenation reaction mixture and recovered , e . g ., using conventional techniques . at this point , the hydrogenated product may be subjected to one or more reactions to include one or more groups in the compound , as desired . for example , in one embodiment , it is preferred that the final quinoxaline derivative of the present invention includes at least one halide group , in particular a bromo group , on the aromatic ring structure . in order to provide such a bromo group , the above - noted hydrogenated product is brominated . such bromination can occur by dissolving the hydrogenated product in a suitable solvent , e . g ., glacial acetic acid , trifluoroacetic acid and the like , and contacting this solution with bromine . the mixture is preferably maintained at a suitably low temperature , e . g ., in the range of about 10 ° c . to about 50 ° c ., so that the degree of bromination can be controlled . cooling or removing heat from the reaction mixture may be desirable . room temperature bromination provides satisfactory results . reaction pressure is preferably such that the solvent is maintained substantially in the liquid phase . the reaction preferably occurs over a period of time in the range of about 0 . 25 hours to about 6 hours . conventional techniques , e . g ., vacuum filtration , can be used to recover the brominated product , which may be a hydrobromide salt . the above - noted hydrogenated product or substituted hydrogenated product is reacted with 2 - imidazoline - 2 - sulfonic acid to produce a 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino quinoxaline derivative useful in the present invention . such derivatives include an oxo group . this reaction can occur by dissolving the reactants in an appropriate solvent , e . g ., an alcohol such as isobutanol , and heating this solution to reflux at atmospheric pressure . preferred reaction temperatures are in the range of about 70 ° c . to about 150 ° c . reaction pressure is preferably such that the solvent is refluxed or maintained substantially in the liquid phase . the reaction preferably occurs over a period of time in the range of about 1 hour to about 24 hours . conventional techniques , e . g ., concentration and chromatography , can be used to recover the desired quinoxaline derivative . the present quinoxaline derivatives which do not include an oxo group can be obtained by reacting the above - described oxo - containing quinoxaline derivatives to remove the oxo group . this can be accomplished by dissolving the oxo - containing material in an appropriate solvent , e . g ., tetrahydrofuran , acetic acid , trifluoroacetic acid , diethyl ether and the like , and subjecting this solution to a hydride reducing agent , such as lialh 4 , nabh 4 , nacnbh 3 and the like . reaction temperatures in the range of about 20 ° c . to about 100 ° c . can be used . conventional techniques , e . g ., cooling , concentration and chromatography , can be employed to provide the present quinoxaline derivative which do not include an oxo group . specific examples of compounds which are useful in the present invention include those which have the following formulas : ## str5 ## , pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof and mixtures thereof . compounds having formula ( i ), pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof and mixtures thereof are particularly useful . the present compound or compounds may be included in a medication composition together with one or more other components to provide a medication composition which can be effectively administered . such other components , e . g ., carriers , anti - oxidants , bulking agents and the like , may be chosen from those materials which are conventional and well known in the art , e . g ., as being included in medication compositions with alpha 2 agonists . the following non - limiting examples illustrate certain aspects of the present invention . to a suspension of 4 - nitrophenylenediamine ( aldrich , 10 g , 65 . 3 mmol ) in absolute ethanol ( 240 ml ) was added 600 mg of 10 % by weight palladium on charcoal catalyst . the container including the suspension was evacuated and filled with hydrogen three times and the suspension was hydrogenated at 18 psi until hydrogen uptake ceased . the reaction was slightly exothermic and one refill of hydrogen was required . the resulting light yellow solution , which darkens rapidly on contact with air , was filtered and concentrated to about 150 ml . concentrated hydrochloric acid ( 12 ml ) was added and the solid formed was filtered off . after drying in vacuo overnight , 12 g ( a yield of 93 %) of purple solid was obtained , m . p . 224 °- 225 ° c . using various analytical procedures , this solid was determined to be 1 , 2 , 4 - triaminobenzene dihydrochloride . glyoxal sodium bisulfite adduct ( aldrich , 14 . 3 g , 50 mmol ) was added in small portions to a solution of 1 , 2 , 4 - triaminobenzene dihydrochloride ( 9 . 8 g , 50 mmol ) in 200 ml of 10 % by weight sodium carbonate in water . the reaction mixture was heated to 100 ° c . for two hours and then cooled to 0 ° c . the crystals formed were filtered off and dried in vacuo to give a crude yield of 7 . 06 g ( a yield of 97 %) of brown crystals . recrystallization from benzene gave 6 . 32 g ( a yield of 87 %) yellow crystals , m . p . 157 °- 148 ° c . using various analytical procedures , these yellow crystals were determined to be 6 - aminoquinoxaline . 6 - aminoquinoxaline ( 2 . 08 g , 14 . 4 mmol ) was dissolved in 11 . 5 ml glacial acetic acid . the solution was cooled in water while a solution of bromine ( 0 . 74 ml , 2 . 3 g , 14 . 4 mmol ) in 1 . 5 ml glacial acetic acid was added slowly over 15 min . after stirring for an additional 30 min , the orange red solid formed was filtered off and washed thoroughly with dry ether . the solid was dried in vacuo overnight to yield 4 . 44 g crude product ( a yield of 100 %). the compound , 6 - amino - 5 - bromoquinoxaline hydrobromide , had no definite melting point . a phase change ( from fine powder to red crystals ) was noticed at about 220 ° c . decomposition was observed at about 245 ° c . it was used directly for the next step . the crude 6 - amino - 5 - bromoquinoxaline from above was dissolved in water and saturated sodium bisulfite solution was added until the resulting solution tested negative with starch - iodide paper . the solution was then basified with 2n sodium hydroxide and extracted thoroughly with ethyl acetate . the organic extract was dried over magnesium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure to give the free base . the crude product was recrystallized from boiling benzene to give yellow crystals , m . p . 155 °- 156 ° c . using various analytical procedures , the yellow crystals were determined to be 6 - amino - 5 - bromoquinoxaline . the yield was 82 %. the crude hydrobromide product previously noted ( 4 . 27 g , 14 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved in 60 ml of water and thiophosgene ( aldrich , 1 . 28 ml , 16 . 8 mmol ) was added in small portions with vigorous stirring . after 2 hours , the red color of the solution was discharged . the solid formed was filtered off and washed thoroughly with water . after drying in vacuo at 25 ° c ., 3 . 38 g ( a yield of 90 %) of brick red crystals was obtained , m . p . 157 °- 158 ° c . a portion of this material was further purified by column chromatography to give white crystals , m . p . 157 °- 158 ° c . using various analytical procedures , these crystals were determined to be 5 - bromo - 6 - isothiocyanatoquinoxaline . a solution of the isothiocyanate ( 3 . 25 g , 12 . 2 mmol ) in 145 ml benzene was added to a solution of ethylenediamine ( aldrich , 5 . 43 g , 90 . 0 mmol ) in 18 ml benzene at 25 ° c . over 2 hours . after stirring for a further 30 min ., the supernatant was poured off . the oil which remained was washed by swirling with dry ether three times and used directly for the next step . a portion of this product was further purified by column chromatography ( sio 2 , chcl 3 ) for characterization . a white solid was recovered which decomposed at 175 ° c . with gas evolution ( puffing ). this white solid was determined to be 5 - bromo - 6 (- n - 2 -( aminoethyl ) thioureido ) quinoxaline . the crude product from above was dissolved in 100 ml dry methanol and the brown solution was refluxed for 19 hours until hydrogen sulfide gas was no longer evolved . the mixture was cooled to room temperature and concentrated to about 50 ml . the yellow solid was filtered off and dried in vacuo ; weight 2 . 52 g ( a yield of 70 %), mp 242 °- 244 ° c . as the crude product was insoluble in most common organic solvents , initial purification was achieved by an acid - base extraction procedure . 23 g of the crude product was dissolved in 100 ml 0 . 5n hydrochloric acid . the turbid yellow solution was filtered to give a clear orange yellow solution which was extracted twice with ethyl acetate ( 2 × 10 ml ). the aqueous phase was cooled to 0 ° c . and basified with 6n sodium hydroxide , keeping the temperature of the solution below 15 ° c . at all times . the yellow solid which precipitated was filtered off and washed thoroughly with water until the washings were neutral to ph paper . the solid was dried overnight in vacuo to give 1 . 97 g yellow solid , m . p . 249 °- 250 ° c . the recovery was about 88 %. further purification was achieved by recrystallization as described below . the partially purified product from above was dissolved in n , n - dimethylformamide ( about 17 ml / g ) at 100 ° c . with vigorous stirring . the solution was filtered hot and set aside to cool overnight . the bright yellow crystals were collected by filtration , m . p . 252 °- 3 ° c . recovery was from 65 - 77 %. using various analytical procedures , the bright yellow solid was determined to be 5 - bromo - 6 -( 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino ) quinoxaline . a thick - waled parr hydrogenation flask was charged with 5 - bromo - 6 -( 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino ) quinoxaline ( 950 mg , 3 . 23 mmol ), platinum oxide ( 95 mg ) and 20 ml of methanol . the contents of the flask were contacted with hydrogen at 15 psi for 15 minutes . the resulting solution was filtered through acid washed silicon dioxide , followed by evaporation of solvent . the resulting tan solid was chromatographed ( sio 2 ; 80 / 20 chcl 3 / ch 3 oh saturated with nh 3 ( g )) to yield 820 mg ( a yield of 86 %) of an off white solid , mp 218 °- 220 ° c . using various analytical procedures , this off white solid was determined to be 5 - bromo - 6 -( 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydroquinoxaline . a solution of pyruvic aldehyde ( aldrich , 40 % solution in h 2 o , 11 . 8 g , 65 . 3 mmol ) was added dropwise to a solution of 4 - nitro - 1 , 2 - phenylenediamine ( aldrich , 10 g , 65 . 3 mmol ) in 150 ml of h 2 o . the reaction mixture was heated to 80 ° c . for four hours . the reaction was cooled to room temperature , diluted with h 2 o and extracted with chcl 3 . the organic extracts were dried over mgso 4 and evaporated to yield 10 . 7 g ( a yield of 87 %) of a brick red solid . using various analytical procedures , this solid was determined to be 2 - methyl - 6 nitroquinoxaline . a thick - walled parr hydrogenation flask was charged with 2 - methyl - 6 - nitroquinoxaline ( 10 . 0 g , 52 . 9 ) and ch 3 oh ( 200 ml ). the flask was flushed with a stream of n 2 and 10 % by weight palladium on charcoal ( 500 mg ) was added . the flask was pressurized with h 2 to 50 psi and maintained at this pressure for three hours . the reaction mixture was filtered through acid washed silicon dioxide and concentrated in vacuo to yield a tan solid . the crude material was chromatographed ( sio 2 ; 95 / 5 chcl 3 / ch 3 oh saturated with nh 3 ( g )) and recrystallized from benzene to yield 7 . 4 g ( a yield of 88 %) of a tan solid . using various analytical procedures , this tan solid was determined to be 2 - methyl - 6 - aminoquinoxaline . by a series of reaction steps analogous to the reaction steps described above in example 1 , the title compound ( mp . 260 ° c .) was prepared starting with 2 - methyl - 6 - aminoquinoxaline in place of 6 - aminoquinoxaline . a solution of 2 - methyl - 5 - bromo - 6 -( 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino ) quinoxaline ( 40 . 5 mg , 0 . 132 mmol ) in acetic acid was cooled to 10 ° c . and carefully treated with nabh 4 ( 5 . 0 mg , 0 . 132 mmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred for 15 minutes before the solvent was removed in vacuo . the residue was dissolved in h 2 o , treated with solid naoh to ph 13 and extracted with chcl 3 . the combined organic extracts were dried over mgso 4 and concentrated in vacuo to yield a yellow oil . the crude material was chromatographed ( sio 2 , 80 / 20 chcl 3 / ch 3 oh saturated with nh 3 ( g )) to yield 21 . 8 mg ( a yield of 53 %) of a tan solid , mp 203 °- 205 ° c . using various analytical procedures , this tan solid was determined to be (±) 2 - methyl - 5 - bromo -( 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydroquinoxaline . pyruvic aldehyde ( aldrich , 892 mg , 4 . 95 mmol , 40 % solution h 2 o ) was added dropwise to a stirred solution of 1 , 2 , 4 - triaminobenzene hydrochloride ( 1 . 0 g , 4 . 95 mmol ) dissolved in 10 % aqueous na 2 co 3 ( 15 ml ). the mixture was heated at 100 ° c . for two hours before cooling to room temperature . the mixture was extracted with chcl 3 . the combined organic extracts were dried over mgso 4 and concentrated in vacuo to yield a brown solid . the crude product was chromatographed ( sio 2 , 95 / 5 chcl 3 / ch 3 oh saturated with nh 3 ( g )) to yield 616 mg ( a yield of 75 %) of a yellow crystalline solid . an analytical sample was prepared by recrystallization from benzene , mp 170 °- 173 ° c . using various analytical procedures , the solid was determined to be 3 - methyl - 6 - aminoquinoxaline . by a series of reaction steps analogous to the reaction steps described above in example 2 , the title compound ( mp 250 °- 251 ° c .) was prepared starting with 3 - methyl - 6 - aminoquinoxaline in place of 2 - methyl - 6 - aminoquinoxaline . 5 - bromo - 6 -( 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino ) quinoxaline ( 291 mg , 1 mmol ) is suspended in ch 3 oh ( 2 ml ) and treated with glacial acetic acid ( 1 ml ). the reaction mixture is treated with nacnbh 3 ( 252 mg , 4 mmol ) and paraformaldehyde ( 450 mg , 5 mmol ) and stirred at room temperature for 4 - 8 hours . the reaction mixture is quenched with h 2 o ( 5 ml ), basified with solid naoh ( 3 g ) to ph & gt ; 12 and extracted with chcl 3 . the chcl 3 extracts are dried over mgso 4 , concentrated invacuo and chromatographed ( sio 2 , 80 / 20 chcl 3 / ch 3 oh saturated with nh 3 ( g )) to yield the individual title compounds . each of these title compounds is tested and is found to have one or more useful therapeutic effects which known alpha 2 agonists exhibit . the individual title compounds are prepared using the method illustrated in example 5 except that acetaldehyde ( 220 mg , 5 mmol ) is substituted for paraformaldehyde and the reaction time is 6 - 12 hours instead of 4 - 8 hours . each of these title compounds is tested and is found to have one or more useful therapeutic effects which known alpha 2 agonists exhibit . to a stirred solution of 4 - nitro - 1 , 2 - phenylenediamine ( aldrich , 5 . 0 g , 32 . 6 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 5 . 05 g , 50 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 50 ml ) is added 2 - bromo - 2 - methyl propionyl bromide ( aldrich 7 . 49 g , 32 . 6 mmol ) dropwise . the mixture is stirred at room temperature until the starting material ( 4 - nitro - 1 , 2 - phenylenediamine ) is consumed . the reaction is quenched with aqueous nh 4 cl and the organic material is extracted with ch 2 cl 2 . the organic extract is washed with h 2 o ( 20 ml ), dried over mgso 4 and concentrated in vacuo . the residue is chromatographed on silica gel with hexanes : ethyl acetate elution to yield a mixture of bromo amide isomers . this mixture is dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 ( 30 ml ) and treated with agbf 4 ( aldrich , 6 . 36 g , 32 . 6 mmol ) at room temperature to effect cyclization . after the starting bromo amide isomers are consumed , the reaction is quenched with aqueous nh 4 cl and the organic material is extracted with ch . sub . 2 cl 2 . the organic extract is washed with h 2 o ( 10 ml ), dried over mgso 4 and concentrated in vacuo . the residue is chromatographed on silica gel with hexanes : ethyl acetate elution to yield the title compounds in pure form . this chromatographing separates the title compounds and allows recovery of each of them individually . a solution of 1 , 2 - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethyl 6 - nitro 3 -( 4h )- quinoxalinone ( 663 mg , 3 mmol ) in ch 3 oh ( 10 ml ) is hydrogenated with 50 psi h 2 ( g ) at room temperature in the presence of a catalyst of 10 % by weight palladium on charcoal ( 50 mg ). after the starting material is consumed , the solution is filtered and concentrated in vacuo to yield 6 - amino - 1 , 2 - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 3 -( 4h )- quinoxalinone . a solution of 6 - amino - 1 , 2 - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 3 -( 4h )- quinoxalinone ( 250 mg , 1 . 31 mmol ) in glacial acetic acid ( 4 ml ) is cooled using a water bath . bromine ( 210 mg , 1 . 31 mmol ) in acetic acid ( 0 . 25 ml ) is added dropwise over a 5 minute period . the mixture is stirred at room temperature for 4 hours and the resulting precipitate is collected by vacuum filtration . the title compound is obtained in pure form after drying in vacuo . 2 - imidazolidinethione ( 66 . 3 g , 650 mmol ), na 2 moo 4 ( 5 g , 227 mmol ) and nacl ( 15 g . 256 mmol ) were added to 300 ml h 2 o . although some dissolution occurred , a solid residue remained in the liquid of the mixture . the mixture was cooled to - 10 ° c . using an immersion cooler . 500 ml of a 30 % ( w / v ) aqueous h 2 o 2 solution was placed in a jacketed controlled drip rate addition funnel and cooled to 0 ° c . using an ice / h 2 o bath . the aqueous h 2 o 2 solution was added to the mixture at a rate of 60 drops / minute . the mixture was stirred for 16 hours at - 10 ° c . during this time , the mixture changed from a white suspension to a dark blue solution to a light blue suspension . at the end of 16 hours , a solid was filtered from the suspension and dried in vacuo . no further purification was needed . 57 . 8 g ( a yield of 52 . 3 %) of the title compound as a white solid , which was characterized spectroscopically , was recovered . this solid was stable when stored in the dark at 0 ° c . for at least 6 months . a mixture of 6 - amino - 5 - bromo - 1 , 2 - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 3 -( 4h ) - quinoxalinone hydrobromide ( 479 mg , 1 mmol ) and 2 - imidazoline - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 224 mg , 1 . 5 mmol ) in isobutanol ( 5 ml ) is heated at reflux until the starting hydrobromide material is consumed . the solvent is removed in vacuo and the residue chromatographed on silica gel with chcl 3 : ch 3 oh saturated with nh 3 ( g ) elution to yield the title compound . a suspension of 5 - bromo - 1 , 2 - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 0 . 45 mmol ) and lialh 4 ( 17 mg , 0 . 45 mmol ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 3 ml ) is heated and maintained at a temperature of 50 °- 80 ° c . until the starting material is consumed . the mixture is cooled to 0 ° c ., 2 - 3 drops of h 2 o is added and the mixture is filtered . the solution is concentrated in vacuo to yield a residue which s chromatographed on silica gel with chcl 3 : ch 3 oh saturated with nh 3 ( g ) elution to produce the title compound . by a series of reaction steps analogous to the steps described above in examples 7 to 10 , the title compound is prepared starting with 3 , 4 - dihydro - 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 6 - nitro - 2 -( 1h )- quinoxalinone in place of 1 , 2 dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 6 - nitro - 3 -( 4h )- quinoxalinone . using the procedure illustrated in example 11 , the title compound is prepared starting with 5 - bromo - 3 , 4 - dihydro - 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 6 -( 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino )- 2 -( 1h )- quinozalinone in place of 5 - bromo - 1 , 2 - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 6 -( 2 - imidazolin - 2 - ylamino )- 3 -( 4h )- quinoxalinone . the quinoxaline derivatives produced in examples 10 to 13 are tested for activity using the following in vitro methods . new zealand white rabbits ( 2 - 3 kg ) are killed by co 2 inhalation and the vasa deferentia is removed . the prostatic ends of the vasa deferentia ( 2 - 3 cm lengths ) are mounted between platinum ring electrodes in 9 ml organ baths and bathed in krebs bicarbonate solution of the following composition ( millimolar ): nacl 118 . 0 ; kcl 4 . 7 ; cacl 2 2 . 5 ; mgso 4 1 . 2 ; kh 2 po 4 1 . 2 ; glucose 11 . 0 ; nahco 3 25 . 0 ; which solution is maintained at 35 ° c . and bubbled with 95 % o 2 and 5 % co 2 . the initial tension of the vas deferens is 0 . 5 g . the tissues are left to equilibrate for 30 minutes before stimulation is started . vasa are then field stimulated ( 0 . 1 hz , 2 ms pulse width at 90 ma ) using a square wave stimulator ( wpi a310 accupulser with a385 stimulus ). the contractions of the tissue are recorded isometrically using grass ft03 force - displacement transducers and displayed on a grass model 7d polygraph . a cumulative concentration - response relationship is obtained for the quinoxaline derivative being tested with a 4 minute contact time at each concentration . each of the quinoxaline derivatives of examples 10 to 13 is effective to reduce the response height . therefore , such compounds may be properly classified as alpha 2 agonists since they are also inhibited pharmacologically by treatment with rauwolscine . each of the quinoxaline derivatives produced in examples 10 to 13 is tested for renal and blood pressure effects using the following method . young male ( 20 - 24 weeks old ) sprague - dawley rats are used . under ketamine ( 60 mg / kg b . wt . i . m .) and pentobarbital ( i . p . to effect ) anesthesia , medical grade plastic tubes are implanted into the abdominal aorta and vena cava via the femoral vessels . in addition , a silastic - covered stainless steel cannula is sewn in the urinary bladder . after the surgery , the rats are housed individually and are allowed free access to food and water until the day of the experiment . for about 7 to 10 days before surgery and during recovery , the rats are accustomed to a restraining cage by placement in the cage for 2 to 3 hours every 2nd and 3rd day . the cage is designed for renal clearance studies ( a model g restrainer sold by braintree scientific , inc ., braintree , mass .). the animals &# 39 ; adjustment to the cage is judged by the stability of blood pressure and heart rate . for an experiment , a rat is placed in the restraining cage , and the arterial line is connected to a statham pressure transducer and a beckman dynograph r61 to monitor the mean arterial blood pressure , hereinafter referred to as map . the venous line is connected to an infusion pump system for infusion of replacement fluid . the quinoxaline derivative is administered intraduodenally by cannula . the bladder cannula was extended with a silastic tube to facilitate collection of urine in preweighed tubes . the volume of urine is measured gravimetrically . body weight is recorded before and after the experiment . throughout the experiments , 0 . 9 % nacl containing 10 % polyfructosan ( inutest ) and 1 % sodium pah is infused at a rate of 20 microliters / min . an equilibration period of 60 minutes is followed by two consecutive 30 minute control clearance periods . then , the quinoxaline derivative is administered for 90 minutes . urine collection is resumed 10 minutes after the start of quinoxaline derivative administration . by this time the washout of the bladder cannula dead space ( approximately 200 microliters ) is completed . three additional clearance measurements are made . blood samples ( 150 microliters ) are collected at the midpoint of urine collections . plasma is separated and saved for analyses , and the cells are resuspended in saline and returned to the animals . water and sodium loss is carefully replaced i . v . by a variable speed infusion pump . results of these tests indicate that the present quinoxaline derivatives produce renal effects , e . g ., increased renal fluid flow . the effect on blood pressure of such derivatives is limited relative to such renal effects . each of the quinoxaline derivative produced in examples 10 to 13 is tested for anti - diarrheal effects and blood pressure effects using the following method . cecectomies are performed in unfasted rats in a conventional manner . the cecectomized rats are put into individual wire - bottomed cages placed over sheets of clean paper , and deprived of food and water for the duration of the assay . the map is monitored , as described in examples 17 to 20 , throughout the assay . rats are given a 2 hour acclimatization period prior to the start of the assay in order to eliminate sporadic episodes of anxiety - induced defecation . during this period they are observed also for consistent occurrences of pelleted feces ; an animal producing other than a pelleted stool is disqualified from the study . diarrhea is induced with oral administration of 16 , 16 - dimethyl prostaglandin e 2 ( dmpge 2 ) in 3 . 5 % etoh . the quinoxaline derivative is administered by gavage after the onset of diarrheal episodes . the cage papers are removed and examined at 30 minute intervals for dmpge 2 - induced diarrhea . fecal output is recorded at each interval and fecal consistency is assigned a numerical score in each experimental group as follows : 1 = normal pelleted stool ; 2 = soft - formed stools ; 3 = water stool and / or diarrhea . the fecal output index ( foi ) is defined as the summation of the number of defecation episodes and their ranked consistency score within an observation period . results of these tests indicate that the quinoxaline derivatives produced in examples 10 to 13 provide substantial anti - diarrheal effects . further , such anti - diarrheal effects are produced with no or relatively limited effects on blood pressure . while this invention has been described with respect to various specific examples and embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that it can be variously practiced within the scope of the following claims .

US-1095493-A

the hydroelectric power generating system incorporates a man - made dam structure configured to completely enclose a body of water . the dam is preferably filled by pumping seawater into the reservoir defined by the encircling dam . a circumferential canal feeds water to one or more penstocks . each penstock has one or more hydroelectric turbine generators installed therealong . the penstocks feed an enclosed circumferential channel about the base of the dam . the channel delivers water to a pump that pumps the water back into the bottom of the reservoir . an auxiliary hydroelectric power generating system disposed within the dam utilizes the water exiting from the lower end of the penstocks for additional production of energy . while this system results in a net loss of energy , the system can make use of surplus power to drive the return pump during periods of low electrical demand in order to replenish the reservoir .

the hydroelectric power generating system greatly expands upon the availability of conventional hydroelectric power systems , using a relatively small man - made dam extending across a natural channel to form a reservoir enclosed by natural terrain . while such facilities are quite valuable for the power they produce , as well as for their recreational and flood control benefits , the number of such facilities is limited by the lack of availability of natural terrain permitting their construction and efficient operation . fig1 of the drawings provides a diagrammatic perspective view of an exemplary hydroelectric power generating system 10 according to the present invention . the system 10 incorporates a relatively large dam 12 or wall defining a dam that completely encircles or laterally encloses a reservoir 14 therein . the dam 12 may have a generally cylindrical configuration , as shown in fig1 , or may have any other desired external shape or configuration . the dam 12 includes at least one sluice gate 16 ( and preferably a plurality of sluice gates 16 ) extending through the upper portion 18 thereof . the sluice gates 16 permit the flow of water from the upper levels of the reservoir 14 through the dam 12 and into an externally disposed peripheral canal 20 that surrounds the upper portion 18 of the dam 12 . at least one penstock 22 ( preferably a plurality of penstocks 22 ) extends from the peripheral canal 20 downward through the interior 24 of the dam 12 to an internal collection channel 26 disposed within the base 28 of the dam 12 . the penstocks 22 do not descend vertically within the internal structure 24 of the dam 12 , but describe helical arcs as each of the penstocks 22 traverses a portion of the circumference of the dam 12 , generally as illustrated in fig1 and 2 of the drawings . each penstock 22 includes at least one ( and preferably a plurality of ) hydroelectric turbine generator 30 installed therealong . the installation of a plurality of generators 30 in each penstock 22 provides additional power recovery from the energy developed by the water as it continues to flow through the penstock from the uppermost generator 30 . water flows from the upper level of the reservoir 14 through the sluice gates 16 and into the peripheral upper canal 20 . water flow through the sluice gates 16 may be controlled by conventional gate valves or the like . the water then flows downward through the penstocks 22 to operate the generators 30 for electrical power generation . each of the penstocks 22 may also include a conventional gate valve or other water control or shutoff device . the water then flows from the lower ends of the penstocks 22 into the internal collection channel 26 within the interior 24 of the base 28 of the dam 12 . a return passage 32 extends from the collection channel 26 and the lower level of the reservoir 14 , as shown in fig2 . as water seeks its own level , it will be seen that there will be no net flow through the system when the water level in the reservoir volume 14 is equal to the water level in the peripheral canal 20 . however , a pump 34 is provided in or along the return passage 32 to deliver water from the collection channel 26 back into the reservoir volume 14 . while only a single return passage 32 and pump 34 are shown , it will be understood that a plurality of return passages and pumps may be provided , if desired . while the power required to operate the pump 34 is greater than the power generated by the hydroelectric turbine generators 30 , the pump 34 may be operated at times of low electrical power demand to enable the hydroelectric power generating system 10 to function . a powerhouse 36 is provided external to the base 28 of the dam 12 to control and distribute electrical power generated by the system , and to control and operate the pump 34 as well . the system 10 as described above is a closed system , i . e ., water is not permitted to escape the system , except by evaporation and / or leakage . this is because the water to be used in the system 10 is taken from the sea , i . e ., it is salt water unsuited for irrigation or potable consumption . the salt water is pumped from a suitable oceanic source through a seawater delivery line 38 that communicates with the reservoir 14 , as shown in fig1 , to fill the reservoir volume 14 initially . the use of seawater with the hydroelectric power generation system 10 may provide a number of benefits . the construction of a large number of very large systems on otherwise unusable land ( desert , etc .) could accept a small percentage of the water of the present oceans and seas of the planet , and thereby reduce the rising sea level trend that has developed , at least to some small extent . the recreational value of such installations when constructed near large population centers has been noted further above . some persons may find that swimming or bathing in the salt water may provide certain benefits , and the construction of such systems convenient to their homes serves to facilitate access . the relatively large volume of salt water contained by very large dams 12 , or by a series of such dams 12 , will provide support for a large number of fish and other marine animals . these fish and / or marine animals may be harvested for edible consumption , and / or the reservoir volumes may serve as habitats for endangered species . accordingly , the present hydroelectric power generating system provides a number of benefits in addition to potential power production . fig3 - 5 , 6 a , and 6 b of the drawings shows another embodiment of a hydroelectric power generating system 110 , which includes features that enhance the utilization of hydrodynamics to produce energy . referring to fig3 of the drawings , the hydroelectric power generating system 110 incorporates a relatively large dam 112 or wall defining a dam that completely encircles or laterally encloses a reservoir 114 therein , and an auxiliary power generating system 150 within said reservoir 114 . the dam 112 can have a generally cylindrical configuration , as shown in fig3 , or may have any other desired external shape or configuration . the dam 112 includes at least one sluice gate 116 ( and preferably a plurality of sluice gates 116 ) extending through the upper portion 118 thereof and an annular tunnel 140 within the interior 124 of the base 128 of the dam 112 , as generally illustrated in fig4 of the drawings . the sluice gates 116 permit the flow of water from the upper levels of the reservoir 114 through the upper portion 118 and into an externally disposed peripheral canal 120 that surrounds the upper portion 118 of the clam 112 . at least one penstock 122 ( preferably a plurality of penstocks 122 ) extend downward from the peripheral canal 120 through the interior 124 of the dam 112 . the penstocks 122 do not descend vertically within the internal structure 124 of the dam 112 , but are arranged in a step configuration and describe generally helical arcs as each of the penstocks 122 traverses a portion of the circumference of the dam 112 . as such , the step configuration follows a general spiral curve . each penstock 122 includes at least one ( and preferably a plurality of ) hydroelectric turbine generator 130 a installed therealong . the installation of a plurality of hydroelectric turbine generators 130 a in each penstock 122 provides additional power recovery from the energy developed by the water as it continues to flow downward through the penstock 122 from the uppermost hydroelectric turbine generator 130 a . the step configuration provides stable support and allows for greater variety in the arrangement and utilization of multiple hydroelectric turbine generators 130 a in each penstock 122 . depending on the amount of energy required , it is possible to increase the number of penstocks in the interior 124 of the dam 112 by widening the peripheral canal 120 . the hydroelectric turbine generation system 110 functions substantially similar to the previous embodiment in that water flows from the upper level of the reservoir 114 through the sluice gates 116 and into the peripheral canal 120 . water flow through the sluice gates 116 may be controlled by conventional gate valves or the like . the water then flows downward through the penstocks 122 to operate the hydroelectric turbine generators 130 a for electrical power generation . each of the penstocks 122 can also include a conventional gate valve or other water control or shutoff device . the water then flows from the lower end of the penstocks 122 into the annular tunnel 140 within the interior 124 of the base 128 of the dam 112 . the annular tunnel 140 is adapted to house an internal collection channel 126 and a return passage 132 . the return passage 132 defines a fluid conduit extending from the annular tunnel 140 to the auxiliary power generation system 150 . the annular tunnel 140 provides space for at least one additional hydroelectric turbine generator to increase power capacity . referring to fig4 , as the water flows downward through the penstocks 122 from the externally disposed peripheral canal 120 , the flowing water provides the hydrodynamic forces to operate the hydroelectric turbine generators 130 a in order to convert the same into useable energy . at the lower end of the dam 112 the flowing water enters the internal collection channel 126 located within the annular tunnel 140 where additional power can be generated by the additional hydroelectric turbine generator contained therein . the additional hydroelectric turbine generator can be the same as the hydroelectric turbine generator 130 a disposed in the stepped areas of the penstock 122 . however , there can be instances in which much of the pressure head can be lost or low . in order to compensate for this lost pressure , the annular tunnel 140 can be provided with another embodiment of a turbine , as illustrated in fig5 . the turbine 142 can be a very low head turbine , which includes a plurality of blades 144 radiating in a fan configuration . the blades 144 are desirably configured so that minimal hydrodynamic forces are required to rotate the same . it is to be noted that the turbine 142 can operate even when pressure loss is minimal . after the water flows through the annular tunnel 140 , the water is expelled through respective return passages 132 . a pump 134 is provided in or along the return passage 132 to deliver water from the internal collection channel 126 towards the auxiliary power generating system 150 when the pressure of the expelled water is not enough to propel the water from the internal collection channel 126 into the auxiliary power generation system 150 . while only a single annular tunnel 140 and pump 134 are shown , it will be understood that a plurality of these components can be provided , if desired . as in the first embodiment , while the power required to operate the pump 134 can be great , the pump 134 can be operated at times of low electrical power demand to enable the hydroelectric power generating system 110 to function . a powerhouse 136 is provided external to the base 128 of the dam 112 to control and distribute electrical power generated by the system , and to control and operate the pump 134 as well . unlike the previous of the hydroelectric power generator 10 , the hydroelectric power generator system 110 utilizes the water expelling from the lower portion of the penstocks 122 to generate additional power through the auxiliary power generation system 150 . the auxiliary power generating system 150 of the hydroelectric power generating system 110 includes an elongated column 152 extending from the bottom of the reservoir 114 toward the top of the reservoir 114 , as generally illustrated in fig3 of the drawings . due to the operating environment , the column 152 is provided with a relatively wide base 153 to provide a stable support . as shown , the base can be constructed as a substantially conical flute . it should be noted , however , other variants of the base can be provided for the base such as block support structures or any other desired shape that can provide stability . the column 152 can have a generally cylindrical configuration , as shown in fig3 , or can have any other desired external shape or configuration . the column 152 is in communication with at least one compressor unit 155 , such as an air compressor unit , that creates air current and includes at least one ( and preferably a plurality of ) hydroelectric turbine generator 130 b installed within the column 152 . the hydroelectric turbine generators 130 b can be arranged along the circumference of the inner wall of the column 152 , as generally illustrated in fig4 of the drawings , on at least one ( and preferably a plurality of ) horizontal support beam 156 within the column 152 , as generally illustrated in fig6 a of the drawings , on at least one ( and preferably a plurality of ) vertical support beam 158 within the column 152 , as generally illustrated in fig6 b of the drawings , or can be arranged in a combination of these configurations . referring to fig6 a and 6b , the water flowing out of the return passage 132 and into the auxiliary power generating system 150 , it is mixed with air from the compression unit 155 once in the column 152 . the water pressure at the exit is preferably high to move water up the column 152 . high pressure can be provided by several different mechanisms . for example , the return passage 132 can be construed so that is progressively constricts towards the outlet , a nozzle can be provided at the outlet , the pump 134 can be operated at high pressure , and the like . as the water is being introduced into the column 152 , it is aerated by the air blowing into the column 152 from the compressor unit 155 that provides air through at least one inlet 154 . the return passage 132 can be arranged so that the outlet thereof enters the column 152 at a substantial tangent so as to induce swirling and mixing of the water and air . the aerated water flows upward through the column 152 with sufficient velocity and momentum to operate the at least one hydroelectric turbine generator 130 b located within the column 152 for electrical power generation . after the water is propelled upward through the hydroelectric turbine generators 130 b , the aerated water expels back into the reservoir 114 as depicted by the arrows in fig6 a and 6b of the drawings . the embodiment auxiliary power generation system illustrated in fig6 b is substantially the same as that shown in fig6 a . however , the auxiliary power generation system 150 includes a plurality of vertical support beams 158 arranged in a circular pattern forming a substantially cylindrical cage . unlike fig6 a the substantially cylindrical cage does not have an outer wall , the vertical support beams 158 are free - standing from the base 153 . cross support can be provided by horizontal support beams , as illustrated by the horizontal support beams 156 b . the alternative embodiment of the hydroelectric power generating system 110 as generally illustrated in fig3 - 5 , 6 a , and 6 b of the drawings is a closed system , i . e ., water is not permitted to escape the system , except by evaporation and / or leakage . this is because the water to be used in the hydroelectric power generating system 110 is taken from the sea , i . e ., it is salt water unsuited for irrigation or potable consumption . the salt water is pumped from a suitable oceanic source through a seawater delivery line 138 that communicates with the reservoir 114 , as shown in fig3 , to fill the reservoir volume 114 initially . the use of seawater with the hydroelectric power generation system 110 may provide a number of benefits . the construction of a large number of very large systems on otherwise unusable land ( desert , etc .) could accept a small percentage of the water of the present oceans and seas of the planet , and thereby reduce the rising sea level trend that has developed , at least to some small extent . the recreational value of such installations when constructed near large population centers has been noted further above . some persons may find that swimming or bathing in the salt water may provide certain benefits , and the construction of such systems convenient to their homes serves to facilitate access . the relatively large volume of salt water contained by very large dams 112 , or by a series of such dams 112 , will provide support for a large number of fish and other marine animals . these fish and / or marine animals may be harvested for edible consumption , and / or the reservoir volumes may serve as habitats for endangered species . the hydroelectric power generating system can be adapted to include a filtration system to prevent any unwanted materials , such as trash , from entering the hydroelectric power generating system and obstructing the hydroelectric power generators . the filtration system can also be adapted to include a mechanism to control bacteria to protect the hydroelectric turbine generators from failing . accordingly , the present hydroelectric power generating system provides a number of benefits in addition to potential power production . it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above , but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims .

US-201414182237-A

the present invention relates to an image sensor comprising an amorphous silicon thin - film transistor optical sensor which functions as an image sensor used for an x - ray photography device , a fingerprint recognition apparatus , a scanner , etc ., and a method of manufacturing the image sensor . since the thin - film transistor optical sensor according to the present invention has a high - resistance silicon region by disposing an offset region in a channel region , a dark leakage current of the optical sensor remains in a low level even under a high voltage . therefore , it is possible to apply a high voltage to the thin - film transistor optical sensor according to the present invention so that the image senor can be sensitive to a weak light . in addition , since the storage capacitance in the image sensor is formed in a double structure , the image sensor has a high value of capacitance . furthermore , since a lower common electrode is electrically connected to an upper common electrode , the image sensor has a stable structure .

now , the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . referring to fig4 , the image sensor according to the present invention is operated as follows . an output terminal 18 of an optical sensor 17 is connected to a storage capacitor 16 and a switching thin - film transistor 15 . an output terminal 19 of the switching thin - film transistor 15 is connected to an external read - out ic 20 through a date bus line 13 . in addition , a power source voltage of the optical sensor 17 is applied to the optical sensor 17 through a power source bus line 14 . a gate electrode 22 b of the optical sensor is connected to a common electrode line 12 to remain in its voltage range of − 5v to − 10v so that a dark leakage current of the optical sensor can be minimized . when a positive voltage is applied to a gate electrode 11 of the switching thin - film transistor associated with a selected line , a light signal is converted into a light current 10 having a current amount corresponding to a degree of light intensity by the optical sensor , and the light current 10 is transferred to the read - out ic through the switching thin - film transistor . on the other hand , the switching thin - film transistor associated with a non - selected line prevents the current from flowing , and then , the signal of the optical sensor is not transferred externally . by doing so , it is possible to avoid the mixing of signals between the lines and store the light current generated from the optical sensor in the storage capacitor 16 without any loss of the light current . charges stored in the storage capacitor 16 are distributed into the data bus lines and the read - out ic when the switching thin transistor is turned on . in addition , the charges stored in the storage capacitor 16 are input to the input terminal 20 of the read - out ic as a corresponding voltage value . at that time , if reduction of a noise effect is intended by applying a high input voltage to the input terminal 20 of the read - out ic , a large amount of currents is needed . now , the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig5 is a cross - sectional view illustrating an image senor according to the first embodiment of the present invention on which offset regions are formed without any overlapping between a gate electrode and both - side electrodes of an optical sensor . herein , the ‘ both - side electrodes ’ are a pixel electrode 26 d and a power source electrode 26 e of the optical sensor . in the amorphous silicon thin - film transistor image sensor manufactured in accordance with the first embodiment , a gate electrode 22 a of a switching thin - film transistor , a lower common electrode 29 a , and a gate electrode 22 b are formed in parallel to be separated from each other on an insulating substrate 21 . the electrodes 22 a , 29 a , 22 b are formed by depositing a metal having a thickness of 100 nm to 300 nm above the insulating substrate 21 by a dc sputtering method or a radio frequency sputtering method , performing an patterning thereof , and performing an etching thereof . in addition , a gate insulating film 23 having a thickness of 50 nm to 500 nm is deposited above the first and second gate electrodes 22 a , 22 b and the lower common electrode 29 a . an intrinsic amorphous silicon layer 24 having a thickness of 100 nm to 500 nm is deposited above the gate insulating film 23 . an n type amorphous silicon layer 25 having a thickness of 20 nm to 100 nm is deposited above the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer 24 . the detailed formation procedures are as follows . at this time , the insulating film and the silicon layers are formed by the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition ( pecvd ) method at the temperature of 200 ° c . to 350 ° c . on the other hand , the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer 24 and the n type amorphous silicon layer 25 are patterned at the same time by a photolithography process . next , a drain electrode 26 a and a source electrode 26 b of the switching thin - film transistor , a connection portion 26 c , a pixel electrode 26 d and a power source electrode 26 e are formed above the gate insulating film 23 , at the side portions of the intrinsic silicon layer 24 , and above the n type amorphous silicon layer . the formation procedure is carried out by depositing a metal having a thickness of 100 nm to 500 nm by a sputtering method and then patterning thereof . on the other hand , in order to remove the n type amorphous silicon layer 25 which exists in channels of the switching thin - film transistor and the optical sensor , the n type amorphous silicon layer 25 is etched by using the drain electrode 26 a , the source electrode 26 b , the pixel electrode 26 d , the power source electrode 26 e as a mask . next , a protective insulating film 27 is formed above the electrodes 26 a , 26 b , 26 d , 26 e and the connection portion 26 c in order to protect the devices . the protective insulating film 27 is made up of a silicon nitride film having a thickness of 200 nm to 500 nm and formed by the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method . after the formation procedure of the protective insulating film , a via hole 32 is formed to pass through the protective insulating film by using the photolithography method . the via hole 32 also passes through the connection portion 26 c to be connected to the lower common electrode 29 a . the via hole 32 is formed in order to increase the storage capacitance and facilitate formation of a pad contact . in addition , a light shielding film 28 a , a pad cover ( not shown in the figure ), and an upper common electrode 28 d are formed by depositing a conductive metal having a thickness of 100 nm to 500 nm above the protective insulating film 27 and patterning thereof . next , the pad cover film is connected upwards and downwards to the pad ( not shown in the figure ) through the via hole 32 , and the light shielding film 28 a is disposed to be separated from the left side of the upper common electrode 28 b and the pad cover film . the light shielding film 28 a is used to block a light leakage current of the switching thin - film transistor , and the upper common electrode 28 b is used to increase the storage capacitance . the pad is a portion for connection to an external circuit , and the pad cover film is formed at the same time when the upper common electrode 28 d is formed . in the first embodiment , the offset regions 30 are formed between a line passing at a right end of the pixel electrode 26 d and a line passing at a left end of the second gate electrode 22 b and between a line passing at a left end of the power source electrode 26 e and a line passing at a right end of the second gate electrode 22 b , respectively . fig6 is a cross - sectional view illustrating an image senor according to the second embodiment of the present invention on which an offset region is formed to have an overlapping between an pixel electrode 26 d and a second gate electrode 22 b without any overlapping between a power source electrode 26 e and the second gate electrode 22 b . in the second embodiment , the offset region 30 is formed between a line passing at a left end of the power source electrode 26 e and a line passing at a right end of the second gate electrode 22 b . in order to form the overlapping between the pixel electrode 26 d and the second gate electrode 22 b , the gate electrode 22 b and the lower common electrode 29 a of the first embodiment are formed with a common metal . in other words , the second gate electrode is used as the lower common electrode . in addition , a via hole is formed to be connected to an upper common electrode 28 b , a connection portion 26 c , and the second gate electrode 22 b . the formation procedures except the above - mentioned processes are the same as those of the first embodiment , and therefore , the detailed description thereof is omitted herein . fig7 is a cross - sectional view illustrating an image senor according to the third embodiment of the present invention on which an offset region is formed without any overlapping between a pixel electrode 26 d and a second gate electrode 22 b and an overlapping between a power source electrode 26 e and the second gate electrode 22 b is formed . in the third embodiment , the offset regions 30 is formed between a line passing at a right end of the pixel electrode 26 d and a line passing at a left end of the second gate electrode 22 b . in the third embodiment , the formation procedure except that the second gate electrode 22 b is formed to be overlapped by the power source electrode laminated above the second gate electrode are the same as those of the first embodiment , and therefore , the detailed description thereof is omitted herein . fig8 is a cross - sectional view illustrating an image senor according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention on which an offset regions are formed and an overlapping between a pixel electrode 26 d and a second gate electrode 22 b and another overlapping between a power source electrode 26 e and the second gate electrode 22 b are formed . in the fourth embodiment , the offset regions 30 are formed between a line passing at a right end of the pixel electrode 26 d and a line passing at a left end of the second gate electrode 22 b and between a line passing at a left end of the power source electrode 26 e and a line passing at a right end of the second gate electrode 22 b , respectively . in the fourth embodiment , a first gate electrode 22 a , a first lower common electrode 29 a , the second gate electrode 22 b , and the second lower common electrode 29 b are formed to be separated from each other . in addition , the first lower common electrode 29 a is formed to be overlapped by the pixel electrode 26 d and the second lower common electrode 29 b is formed to be overlapped by the power source electrode 26 e . the formation procedures except the above - mentioned processes are the same as those of the first embodiment , and therefore , the detailed description thereof is omitted herein . on the other hand , the present invention may be adapted to an etching - stopper type thin - film transistor as well as a normal - staggered type thin - film transistor . the process of manufacturing the etching - stopper type thin - film transistor is as follows . the process before the deposition of the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer is the same as that of the inverse - staggered type thin - film transistor . after the deposition of the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer , an etching stopper which is made up of a silicon nitride film having a thickness of 20 nm to 100 nm is deposited , and then , channel regions are patterned by using a photolithography process . after that , an n type amorphous silicon layer , a drain electrode , a source electrode , a connection portion , and a pixel electrode and a power source electrode of the optical sensor are formed by deposition . the process is carried out by depositing a metal having a thickness of 100 nm to 500 nm by a sputtering method and patterning thereof . the formation procedures after the process are the same as those of the inverse - staggered type thin - film transistor . on the other hand , the image sensor is mainly divided into a switching thin - film transistor and an optical sensor in structure . the switching thin - film transistor comprises a gate electrode , an intrinsic amorphous silicon layer , an n type amorphous silicon layer , a drain electrode , a source electrode , a protective insulating film , a light shielding film , etc . the structure of the optical sensor is the same as that of the switching thin - film transistor except that the optical sensor has no light shielding . an upper common electrode is electrically connected to a lower common electrode through a via hole . in the source electrode 26 b and the pixel electrode 26 d between the common electrodes , storage capacitors are formed upwards and downwards from the source electrode 26 b and the pixel electrode 26 d . therefore , the storage capacitance in the image sensor of the present invention is twice as large as that of the conventional amorphous silicon thin - film transistor image sensor . fig9 is a schematic view illustrating a region in which holes are accumulated at the time that a negative voltage is applied to a gate electrode of a thin - film transistor optical sensor according to the first embodiment of the present invention . when the negative voltage is applied to the gate electrode 22 b of the optical sensor , the upper portion of the gate electrode 22 b in the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer 24 is converted into a portion having properties of a p type amorphous silicon 31 due to accumulation of holes , and the offset region 30 preserves properties of the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer 24 continuously . by doing so , an n - i - p - i - n contact is formed together with an n type amorphous silicon 25 . most of voltages are applied to the region , having properties of the intrinsic semiconductor , which is disposed between n type and p type layers . therefore , the strong electric field which has been formed in the n type and p type layers is reduced so that the dark leakage current can remain in a low level even under a high voltage . on the other hand , fig1 is a graph illustrating a relationship between a drain current and a dark leakage current at the time that light is incident on each of gate electrodes of the thin - film transistor optical sensors according to the embodiments of the present invention in case of the embodiments of the present invention , even though the power source voltage of the optical sensor is increasing up to the level of 100v under the gate voltage of the optical sensor of − 15v to − 5v , the dark leakage current of the optical sensor remains in a low level of about 10 − 12 a . therefore , even in the case that a high power source voltage is needed to obtain a high response speed , the dark leakage current of the optical sensor can remain in a low level so that it is possible to obtain high quality of image . as described above , the image sensor according to the present invention has an advantage that the dark leakage current can remain in a level of 10 − 12 a or less , and thus , the dynamic range can be wide . in addition , the image sensor according to the present invention has another advantage that , since the light current generated from the image sensor is the same as that of the conventional image sensor , the image sensor can be suitably used as an image sensor of a fingerprint recognition apparatus or an x - ray photography device . in addition , the image sensor according to the present invention has still another advantage that it is possible to obtain an effect of reducing the electrostatic impact by electrically connecting the lower common electrode and the upper common electrode . in addition , the image sensor according to the present invention has further still another advantage that , since the image sensor has an excellent electric strength and a low leakage current in comparison to any conventional image sensors , the image sensor can be widely adapted to scientific and commercial fields . on the other hand , although the present invention and its advantages have been described in details , it should be understood that the present invention is not limit to the aforementioned embodiment and the accompanying drawings and it should be understood that various changes , substitutions and alterations can be made herein by the skilled in the arts without departing from the sprit and the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims .

US-73232003-A

a protective coating for a reinforcement phase exposed to molten silicon or silicon alloy infiltrant comprises , an inner layer material resistant to reaction with the molten infiltrant , an interlayer of a reactive material that reacts with the infiltrant to form compounds having a melting temperature greater than the infiltrant , and an outer layer material resistant to reaction with the molten infiltrant . materials resistant to reaction with molten silicon are a metal carbide from the group consisting of carbides of titanium , hafnium , zirconium , and tantalum ; a metal nitride from the group consisting of nitrides of boron , silicon , aluminum , titanium , zirconium , hafnium , niobium , and tantalum ; a metal boride from the group consisting of borides of titanium , zirconium , hafnium , silicon , and aluminum , or combinations thereof . another inner layer material resistant to reaction with molten silicon is a metal oxide that is an oxide of aluminum , yttrium , titanium , zirconium , hafnium , beryllium , silicon , lanthanum , scandium , or the rare earths . another outer layer material is rhodium , iridium , metal that reacts with silicon to form a silicide , metal carbide , metal silicide , metal nitride , or metal boride . suitable metal silicides are silicides of chromium , molybdenum , tantalum , titanium , tungsten , or zirconium . materials reactive with the molten silicon are carbon , molybdenum , titanium , chromium , niobium , zirconium , iridium , and combinations thereof .

we have found that protective coatings that are resistant to molten silicon or silicon alloy infiltrant can contain imperfections such as porosity , pinholes , or thickness variations which permit localized reactions between the infiltrant and the reinforcement phase . we have discovered that by forming an interlayer in the coating of a material that reacts with the infiltrant , silicon diffusing or migrating through imperfections in the coating reacts with the interlayer , and forms silicon carbide so that further diffusion or migration through the protective coating is choked off . it is believed in the infiltration environment , both molten and vapor phase silicon can be present so that very fine imperfections in the protective coating can be penetrated by the infiltrant . an improved coating is formed on the reinforcement phase having a higher tolerance for coating imperfections . as a result , the improved coating minimizes interaction between silicon and the reinforcement phase to provide improved strength and toughness in the composite . reference herein to a fiber of silicon carbide includes known single crystal or polycrystalline fibers , fibers formed from organic precursors to produce silicon carbide containing fibers which may introduce a wide variety of elements into the fibers such as oxygen or nitrogen , or wherein silicon carbide envelops a core , and which generally are produced by chemical vapor deposition of silicon carbide on a core such as , for example , elemental carbon or tungsten . examples of known silicon carbide fibers are nicalon silicon carbide fibers , nippon carbon , japan , hpz and mpdz silicon carbide fibers , dow corning , and fibers having the trade name scs - 6 , or scs - 0 produced by textron , mass . additional information about silicon carbide fibers can be found in &# 34 ; boron and silicon carbide fibers ,&# 34 ; t . schoenberg , engineered materials handbook volume 1 composites , asm international , 1987 , pp 58 - 59 , incorporated herein by reference . reference herein to fibers of carbon include amorphous , single crystalline or polycrystalline carbon fibers such as derived from the pyrolysis of rayon , polyacrylonitrile or pitch . preferably , the fibers have at room temperature , i . e . about 22 ° c ., in air a minimum tensile strength of about 100 , 000 psi and a minimum tensile modules of about 25 million psi . additional information about carbon fibers can be found in , &# 34 ; carbon fibers ,&# 34 ; j . b . donnet , o . p . dahl , encyclopedia of physical science and technology , vol . 2 , 1987 , pp . 515 - 527 , incorporated herein by reference . the reinforcement phase is formed from fibers of carbon or silicon carbide , and can be continuous fibers or filaments , or discontinuous fibers which frequently have an aspect ratio of about 10 to 1000 . a suitable reinforcement phase can be formed from continuous fibers wound to form a cylindrical tube , or formed into sheets by placing long lengths of fiber next to and parallel to one another . such sheets can consist of single or multiple layers of filaments . continuous filaments can also be woven , braided , or otherwise arrayed into desired configurations . the inner layer material is formed on the reinforcement phase , the interlayer is formed on the inner layer , and the outer layer material is formed on the interlayer by deposition methods well known in the art that deposit a continuous coating while minimizing damage to the reinforcement phase . coating processes such as chemical vapor deposition , or physical vapor deposition processes such as sputtering are suitable . carbon can be deposited by known methods , for example , in the form of pyrolytic carbon . a continuous coating is deposited covering the entire surface of the reinforcement phase , the ends of the fiber may be exposed but such exposure is not considered significant . preferably , the coating is uniform and smooth to minimize mechanical interlocking between the coating and matrix . for example , the metal carbide or metal silicide coating can be directly deposited from the vapor thereof . alternatively , the metal carbide coating can be formed in situ by initially depositing carbon followed by depositing metal thereon under conditions which form the metal carbide . if desired , a metal silicide coating can be produced by initially depositing the metal followed by deposition of silicon under conditions which form the metal silicide . additional information about such coating processes can be found , for example , in &# 34 ; metallic & amp ; ceramic coatings : production , high temperature properties & amp ; applications ,&# 34 ; m . g . hocking , v . vasantasree , p . s . sidky , longman scientific & amp ; technical , essex england , 1989 , incorporated herein by reference . preferably , the inner layer , interlayer , and outer layer are formed to be continuous and free of significant porosity . the thickness of the inner and outer layers can range from about 0 . 1 micron to about 6 microns , preferably , about 2 microns for fibers about 100 to 200 microns in diameter . the thickness of the interlayer can range from about 0 . 02 micron to about 2 microns , preferably , about 0 . 1 microns . the particular thickness of the layers is determinable empirically , i . e ., the combined layers should be sufficient to prevent reaction , or prevent significant reaction , between the fibers and the molten infiltrant under the particular processing conditions used . during the infiltration process , the inner or outer layer can react with or dissolve in the molten infiltrant depending on time and temperature , i . e ., the coating will survive better at lower temperatures and for shorter times of infiltration . generally , the infiltration time increases with the size of the preform . therefore , larger - sized preforms may require thicker coatings on the fibers . the protective coating , more specifically the outer layer , can be coated with additional layers of materials that are resistant to reaction with the infiltrant , or promote wetting of the infiltrant to the coating on the reinforcement . for example , additional layers of carbon , metal that reacts with silicon to form a silicide such as chromium , molybdenum , tantalum , titanium and tungsten ; metal carbide such as a carbide of silicon , tantalum , titanium or tungsten ; metal silicide such as a silicide of chromium , molybdenum , tantalum , titanium , tungsten or zirconium ; metal nitride such as a nitride of silicon , aluminum , titanium , zirconium , hafnium , niobium , tantalum , or boron ; and metal diboride such as a diboride of titanium , zirconium , hafnium , or aluminum can be formed on the protective coating . the thickness of the additional layers can range from about 200 angstroms to about 3 microns , preferably , about 0 . 5 to 2 microns . the reinforcement phase is mixed with a carbonaceous material to form a porous preform . the porous carbonaceous preform can be formed from the carbonaceous material by known and conventional ceramic powder forming techniques that provide a homogenous distribution of the desired porosity and carbonaceous material in the preform , and minimize damage to the coating on the reinforcement . suitable methods of forming the carbonaceous material into the preforms are disclosed , for example , in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 889 , 686 , 4 , 944 , 904 , 4 , 981 , 822 , 5 , 015 , 540 , 5 , 021 , 367 , and 5 , 043 , 303 , all incorporated herein by reference . the porous carbonaceous preform has a porosity that can be determined empirically , or by means well known in the art for determining the packing density of the powder and fiber in the carbonaceous material used to form the preform . in addition , silicon powder can be used as a porosity component in forming the preform since any silicon in the preform will become molten at the infiltration temperature and become part of the infiltrant . the porous carbonaceous preform has an open porosity ranging from about 25 % by volume to about 90 % by volume of the preform , and the particular amount of such open porosity depends largely on the particular composite desired . preferably , the preform has an open porosity ranging from about 30 % to about 50 % by volume to minimize cracking , swelling , or retained porosity in the final infiltrated silicon carbide body . in preforms having less than about 30 volume percent porosity , premature reaction - choking can occur preventing complete infiltration of the preform . as preform porosity increases above about 50 percent the preform is made weaker , increasing the propensity for cracking or swelling during infiltration . by open porosity of the preform , it is meant herein pores , voids or channels which are open to the surface of the preform thereby making the interior surfaces accessible to the ambient atmosphere or the infiltrant . preferably , the preform has no closed porosity . by closed porosity it is meant herein closed pores or voids , i . e . pores not open to the surface of the preform and therefore not in contact with the ambient atmosphere . preferably , the pores in the preform are small , ranging from about 0 . 1 micron to about 50 microns , and are distributed uniformly through the preform thereby enabling the production of a composite wherein the matrix phase is uniformly distributed through the composite . the carbonaceous material is at least comprised of carbon , and may include a reactive metal component or a ceramic component . the carbonaceous material can be in the form of a carbon vapor infiltration formed coating , powder particles , or fibers . preferably , fibers in the carbonaceous material have an aspect ratio of about 5 to 50 , and a diameter of about 0 . 5 to 25 microns . preferably , powder particles in the carbonaceous material have an average particle size of less than 50 microns , more preferably about 0 . 5 to 25 microns . the composition of the carbonaceous material is determinable empirically and depends on the particular silicon carbide composite desired , i . e . the particular properties desired in the silicon carbide composite . however , the carbonaceous material is at least comprised of an amount of carbon that can react with the infiltrant , and bond the matrix of the composite with silicon carbide formed in situ . carbon can range from about 5 % by volume , or from 10 % or 20 % by volume , to about 100 % by volume , of the carbonaceous material . the carbonaceous material as well as any reaction product thereof produced in the infiltration process should not flow to any significant extent and preferably is solid in the infiltration process . as used herein , the term carbon includes amorphous , single crystal , or polycrystalline carbon , graphite , carbonized plant fibers , lamp black , finely divided coal , charcoal , and carbonized binders such as epoxy , plasticizers , polymer fibers or felt such as rayon , polyacrylonitrile , and polyacetylene . carbon powder serves as a source of carbon to react with the infiltrant and form silicon carbide , and as a binder to maintain the shape and integrity of the preform . the carbon powder particles can have a density of about 1 . 2 to 2 . 2 grams per milliliter . preferably , the carbon powder particles are a low density amorphous carbon having a density of about 1 . 2 to 1 . 95 grams per milliliter . a suitable carbon powder is a dylon aqueous graphite powder suspension , dylon industries , inc ., ohio . other sources for carbon powder are johnson matthey , mass ., and great lakes carbon , n . y . the amount and type of carbonaceous material depends largely on the particular composite desired and is determinable empirically . preferably , the carbonaceous material and resulting preform contain some fibrous carbon in the form of chopped fibers or whiskers . the whiskers promote infiltration by wicking molten silicon into the preform and are a source of carbon for reacting with the infiltrant to form silicon carbide . long whisker lengths are desirable to achieve good wicking , while short whisker lengths result in better packing and less porosity to fill in the preform . the whiskers also provide strength to the preform . chopped fibers or whiskers can be described by the aspect ratio of the fiber , i . e . fiber length to diameter . the whiskers have a density of about 1 . 2 to 2 . 2 grams per milliliter , preferably , about 1 . 2 to 1 . 6 grams per milliliter . low density furnace insulation type wdf carbon felt , available from union carbide , can be crushed and abraded against a wire mesh screen , for example about 40 mesh , to form suitable whiskers . low density carbon fiber can be formed by carbonizing naturally occurring cellulose fibers , including cotton , chitosan , and bamboo , and chopped or crushed to form the whiskers . the carbonaceous material also may include up to about 25 volume percent of a reactive metal which reacts with elemental silicon to form a silicide . reactive metals include molybdenum , chromium , tantalum , titanium , tungsten and zirconium . uniform distribution of the reactive metal in select amounts can minimize the elemental silicon remaining in the composite . additional information about carbonaceous materials comprised of reactive metals to minimize elemental silicon in the composite can be found in copending application ser . no . 07 / 709 , 051 , filed jun . 3 , 1991 , now abandoned , incorporated herein by reference . the carbonaceous material may also include a ceramic material , in an amount up to about 50 percent by volume of the carbonaceous material . the ceramic material may or may not react with silicon , and is a ceramic such as a ceramic carbide , a ceramic oxide , a ceramic nitride or a ceramic silicide . the ceramic can be selected to provide additional control of the swelling , the rate of the exothermic reactions occurring during infiltration , conductivity , thermal expansion , elastic modulus , or to reduce density in the composite . a suitable ceramic material is a ceramic carbide such as boron carbide , molybdenum carbide , niobium carbide , silicon carbide and titanium carbide ; a ceramic nitride such as boron nitride , aluminum nitride , niobium nitride , and silicon nitride , titanium nitride and zirconium nitride ; a ceramic oxide such as zirconia , alumina , yttria , silica , and mullite ; or a ceramic silicide such as chromium silicide , molybdenum silicide , tantalum silicide , titanium silicide , tungsten silicide , and zirconium silicide . the ceramic material can be a powder or fiber , preferably comparable in size to the other carbonaceous materials described above . however , the ceramic material can be continuous fiber lengths , e . g ., continuous lengths of reinforcement fibers such as high strength silicon carbide or carbon fibers . the carbonaceous material is mixed with the coated reinforcement in a manner that minimizes damage to the coating . the carbonaceous material can be formed into a molding composition , for example disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 320 , 079 , incorporated herein by reference . briefly described , the carbonaceous material can be mixed in a curable binder , e . g ., epoxy resin such as epon 828 , a product of shell chemical co ., with a hardener for the epoxy . a water based slurry molding composition can be formed from a mixture comprised of about 1 to 10 volume percent of a nonionic polyethylene oxide homopolymer ranging in weight average molecular weight from about 100 , 000 to 5 , 000 , 000 , up to about 50 volume percent furfural alcohol or tetrahydrofurfural alcohol , about 30 to 80 volume percent of the carbonaceous material , and the balance water . a suitable ethylene oxide polymer is polyox wsr - 205 or wsr coagulant , union carbide . the ethylene oxide polymer thickens the mixture and maintains the homogeneity in the mixture of carbonaceous material , so , for example , the higher density reactive powder does not separate out . the furfural alcohol or tetrahydrofurfural alcohol adds strength and plasticity to the preform to improve tape laminating and machining properties . the molding composition and coated fibers can be formed by conventional techniques to form the porous preform having a reinforcement phase . for example , the coated reinforcement can be positioned in a mold in a desired configuration , and the molding composition can be cast , injection molded , or slip cast to produce the preform of desired size and shape . reinforced preform tapes can be formed by conventional tape casting techniques such as the doctor blade method , and the tapes can be pressed to form laminated preforms . any lubricants , binders , plasticizers , dispersant , or similar materials used in forming the molding composition or shaping the preform are the type which decompose on heating at temperatures below the infiltration temperature , preferably below 500 ° c ., without leaving a residue that degrades the infiltration of the preform . it should be understood a suitable binder for the molding composition may leave a porous carbon deposit that does not degrade the infiltration of the preform . in a more specific example , a fiber reinforced tape preform is formed by aligning continuous fibers , coated with the protective coating , to be parallel in the length dimension of the tape . the water based slurry molding composition is cast to envelop the fibers and spread to form the fiber reinforced tape . liquid is allowed to evaporate in air , and the tape is heated to about 300 ° c . in air to decompose the binder . additional strength is provided to the preform by infiltrating furfural alcohol , or tetrahydrofurfural alcohol , for example , 931 graphite adhesive binder , cotronics , new york into the preform . alternatively , the furfural alcohol or tetrahydrofurfural alcohol is mixed into the molding composition prior to casting in amounts up to about 50 volume percent of the molding composition . the tape preform is dried in air , and heated to 100 ° c . to strengthen the preform . the tapes can be laminated by pressing at about 30 to 1000 psi . the tapes are heated to 300 ° c . in air to decompose the binder , and form the porous preform . additional information about tape casting with the water based slurry molding composition can be found in cofiled application rd - 21 , 823 , incorporated herein by reference . the preform is contacted with an infiltrating means whereby silicon is infiltrated into the preform to form a molten silicon infiltration formed silicon carbide matrix . the infiltrating means allow silicon to be infiltrated into the preform . for example , a structure or assembly is formed comprised of the preform in contact with means that are in contact with silicon and which permit infiltration of molten silicon into the preform . in one infiltration technique , the preform is placed on a woven cloth of elemental carbon , a piece of silicon is also placed on the cloth , and the resulting structure is heated to the infiltration temperature . at the infiltration temperature , the molten silicon migrates along the cloth and wicks into the preform . after infiltration , the wicking carbon cloth may be removed from the composite by diamond grinding . in another technique , the silicon infiltration procedure can be carried out as set forth in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 626 , 516 , incorporated herein by reference , which discloses an assembly that includes a mold with infiltration holes and a reservoir holding elemental silicon . the preform is placed within the mold and carbon wicks are provided in the infiltrating holes . the wicks are in contact with the preform and also with the silicon and at infiltration temperature the molten silicon migrates along the wicks into the preform . u . s . pat . no . 4 , 737 , 328 incorporated herein by reference , discloses another infiltration technique which comprises contacting the preform with a powder mixture composed of silicon and hexagonal boron nitride , heating the resulting structure to a temperature at which the silicon is fluid and infiltrating the fluid silicon into the preform . after infiltration , the resulting porous hexagonal boron nitride powder is brushed off the composite . preforms having a simple square or rectangular shape can be infiltrated by placing silicon directly on the preform , and heating to a temperature at which the silicon is fluid . the molten silicon wicks into and infiltrates the preform . the preform and infiltration structure or assembly are heated to the infiltration temperature in an inert atmosphere or partial vacuum . suitable inert atmospheres include argon , or reducing atmospheres such as hydrogen or carbon monoxide . atmospheres that react with molten silicon , such as oxygen or nitrogen , are avoided . the remaining atmosphere of the partial vacuum should be inert , such as argon , or reducing such as carbon monoxide . preferably , the partial vacuum is provided before heating is initiated . the partial vacuum is at least sufficient to avoid the entrapment of pockets of gas , and minimizes porosity in the infiltration formed composite . generally , such a partial vacuum ranges from about 0 . 01 torr to about 2 torr , and usually from about 0 . 01 torr to about 1 torr to remove gas evolving in the preform being infiltrated . preferably , the furnace used is a carbon furnace , i . e ., a furnace constructed essentially from elemental carbon . such a furnace reacts with oxygen in the furnace atmosphere to produce co or co 2 and thereby provides a nonoxidizing atmosphere so that reaction between the residual gas , preform , and infiltrant is minimized . infiltration cannot be carried out in air because the liquid silicon would oxidize to form a dense silica coating before any significant infusion by silicon occurred . when a carbon furnace is not used , it is preferable to have a material that reacts with oxygen , such as elemental carbon , present in the furnace chamber in order to provide a nonoxidizing atmosphere . alternatively , other nonoxidizing atmospheres inert to the infiltration process can be used at partial vacuums of about 10 - 2 torr to 2 torr . infiltration is performed at a temperature where the infiltrant is molten , but below the temperature where the infiltrant begins to damage the reinforcement phase or coating on the reinforcement phase . the melting point of the infiltrant can vary depending largely on the particular elements which may be present in the silicon alloy . the infiltration temperature ranges from about 1400 ° c . to about 1600 ° c ., and preferably from about 1425 ° c . to about 1450 ° c . the rate of penetration of the infiltrant into the preform depends on the wetting of the preform by the infiltrant , and the fluidity of the molten infiltrant . as the infiltration temperature increases , the ability of the molten infiltrant to wet the preform improves . sufficient infiltrant is infiltrated into the preform to react with the preform and produce the infiltration formed silicon carbide matrix . specifically , the molten infiltrant is mobile and highly reactive with elemental carbon , i . e . it has an affinity for elemental carbon , wetting it and reacting with it to form silicon carbide . the molten infiltrant also has an affinity for the metals with which it reacts to form silicides . in addition , sufficient infiltrant is infiltrated into the preform to fill pores or voids which may remain in the composite . the period of time required for infiltration by the silicon is determinable empirically and depends largely on the size of the preform and extent of infiltration required . generally , it is completed in less than about 20 minutes , and often in less than about 10 minutes . the resulting infiltrated body is cooled in an atmosphere and at a rate which minimizes oxidation , cracking , or other defect formation within the body . preferably , it is furnace cooled in the inert atmosphere or partial vacuum to about room temperature , and the resulting composite is recovered . the infiltration formed composite has a porosity of less than about 20 % by volume , preferably less than about 10 % or 5 % by volume , and more preferably less than about 1 % by volume , of the composite . most preferably , the composite is void or pore - free or has no significant or no detectable porosity . preferably , any voids or pores in the composite are small , preferably less than about 50 microns or less than about 10 microns , and are substantially uniformly distributed in the composite to minimize degradation of the mechanical properties of the composite . the composite of this invention is comprised of a coated reinforcement phase and a molten silicon infiltration formed silicon carbide matrix . the matrix is distributed through the coated reinforcement phase so that the matrix is space filling and interconnecting . preferably , the coated reinforcement phase is totally enveloped by the matrix . the reinforcement phase comprises about 5 to 75 volume percent of the composite . the matrix contains a silicon carbide phase formed in situ in an amount of about 5 to 90 volume percent , preferably about 45 to 75 volume percent of the composite . the matrix may contain residual infiltrant in an amount up to about 50 volume percent of the composite . the silicon carbide phase is distributed throughout the composite , and preferably , it is distributed uniformly . the infiltration formed matrix may contain a phase of a metal silicide of molybdenum , chromium , tantalum , titanium , tungsten , or zirconium up to about 30 percent by volume of the composite . the metal silicide is distributed throughout the composite , and preferably , it is distributed uniformly . the infiltration formed matrix may contain a phase of a metal which forms a silicide but which had not reacted with the infiltrating silicon . in such instance , it would be encapsulated by the metal silicide phase . such metal phase can range up to about 5 % by volume , of the composite . the metal is distributed throughout the composite , and preferably , it is distributed uniformly . the composite may contain a phase of a ceramic material from the group of ceramic carbide , ceramic nitride , or ceramic silicide discussed above . the ceramic material may comprise up to about 50 % by volume , or from about 1 % by volume to about 30 % by volume , of the composite . the ceramic material is distributed throughout the composite , and preferably , it is distributed uniformly . the infiltration formed silicon carbide matrix of the composite may contain a phase of carbon . for example , graphite is a less reactive type of carbon , which may not completely react with the infiltrating silicon . in such instance , the carbon is encapsulated by a phase of silicon carbide formed in situ . carbon can range up to about 20 % by volume of the composite . the carbon is distributed throughout the composite , and preferably , it is distributed uniformly . the composite is at least bonded by silicon carbide formed in situ . it may also be bonded by a metal silicide which formed in situ . it may also be bonded by elemental silicon or a bond formed in situ between silicon and a ceramic material . the coating on the reinforcement phase in the composite , i . e ., the combined thickness of the inner layer , outer layer , and interlayer can range from a detectable amount to about 14 microns , preferably from about 0 . 5 microns to about 6 microns . the reinforcement phase can range from about 5 to about 75 volume percent of the composite . the coated reinforcement phase is distributed throughout the composite , and most often , it is distributed uniformly throughout the composite . however , in some cases it is desirable to have higher packing fractions of the coated reinforcement phase in regions of the composite where higher local strength or stiffness may be desired . for example , in a structure having a long thin part , such as a valve stem , it is advantageous to strengthen the stem by increasing the volume fraction of the coated reinforcement phase in the stem region of the structure . the coated reinforcement phase in the composite imparts significant toughness to the composite . specifically , the coated reinforcement phase minimizes brittle fracture of the composite at room temperature , i . e . 25 ° c . by brittle fracture of a composite it is meant herein that the entire composite cracks apart at the plane of fracture . in contrast to a brittle fracture , the composite exhibits fiber pull - out on fracture at room temperature because the reinforcement phase coating provides a desirable debonding of the reinforcement phase from the matrix . specifically , as the composite cracks open , generally at least about 10 % by volume , frequently at least about 50 % by volume and preferably all of the coated reinforcement phase does not break at the plane of fracture , but instead pulls out of the matrix . in this way , a stress transmitted through the composite by a crack in the matrix is distributed along the length of fibers in the path of the crack . distribution of stress along the length of the fibers greatly diminishes the stress at the crack tip and reduces propagation of the crack through the matrix . one particular advantage of this invention is that the composite can be produced directly in a wide range of sizes and shapes . for example , the composite can be as short as about an inch or less , or as long as desired . it can be of simple , complex , or hollow geometry . for example , it can be produced in the form of a tube or a hollow cylinder , a ring , a sphere , or a bar having a sharp point at one end . since the composite can be produced in a predetermined configuration of predetermined dimensions , it requires little or no machining . the composite has a wide range of applications depending largely on its particular composition . it can be used , for example , as a wear resistant part , bearing or tool insert , acoustical part , or high - temperature structural component . additional features and advantages of the method of this invention are shown in the following examples where , unless otherwise stated , the following materials and equipment were used . the carbon fiber was wdf carbon felt about 1 . 45 g / ml in density obtained from union carbide , and abraded against a wire mesh screen to form fibers having an average aspect ratio of about 10 : 1 and an average fiber diameter of about 7 microns . the silicon carbide powder , lonza uf - 5 , had an average particle size of about 5 micrometers , lonza inc ., new jersey . the epoxy resin was epon 828 , shell chemical co ., texas ; the hardener for the epoxy was methylene dianiline , aldridge chemical co ,. wisconsin ; the binder was a polyvinyl butyral resin , butvar - 76 , monsanto , missouri ; the mibk solvent was methylisobutylketone ; the didg plasticizer was diisodecyl glutarate , c . p . hall co . ; and the pvo plasticizer was , plasticizer 2072 , pvo international , new jersey . the silicon carbide fibers were about 145 microns in diameter , trade name scs - 6 , obtained from textron , massachusetts . the silicon carbide fibers were produced by chemical vapor deposition of silicon carbide on a carbon core . the outside surface of the fibers consists of two layers of pyrolytic carbon and carbon - silicon having a thickness of about 3 microns . the fibers were cut into lengths of about 15 . 2 centimeters and coated with boron nitride by the low pressure chemical vapor deposition process utilizing the reaction of bcl 3 and ammonia . the fibers were placed on a molybdenum screen which was placed in a quartz tube positioned at about the mid point of the hot zone in a tube furnace . the fibers were heated in vacuum to about 900 ° c ., and a bn coating atmosphere comprised of nitrogen at about 400 milliliters per minute , bcl 3 at about 300 milliliters per minute , and ammonia at about 1000 milliliters per minute was passed through the quartz tube . the fibers were heated in the flowing atmosphere for about 2 hours to form a boron nitride coating about 4 microns thick . another group of fibers were coated with an inner layer of boron nitride , a carbon interlayer , and an outer layer of boron nitride . the fibers were heated in the bn coating atmosphere described above for about 75 minutes to form a two micron inner layer of boron nitride . the atmosphere was removed and purged with nitrogen . the furnace was then filled with acetylene for about 30 minutes to form a 500 angstrom coating of pyrolytic carbon . the acetylene was purged with nitrogen and the fibers were coated with an outer layer of about 2 microns of boron nitride as described above . the coated fibers were aligned on a device comprised of a copper sheet etched to have parallel grooves about 152 microns wide , about 63 microns deep , and about 250 microns apart , center - to - center . the fibers were placed on the device so that a fiber was positioned in each groove to form a layer of uniformly spaced coated filaments . adhesive tape was pressed onto the ends of the fiber layers forming layers about 15 . 2 by 15 . 2 centimeters of spaced fibers having a boron nitride coating , and layers of spaced fibers having a coating comprised of an inner layer of boron nitride , an interlayer of carbon , and an outer layer of boron nitride . in example 1 , a fiber reinforced silicon carbide composite was formed with boron nitride coated fibers . a mixture was formed in a 500 cc . nalgene jar comprised of about 72 grams carbon fiber , about 18 grams silicon carbide powder , about 1 . 13 grams binder , about 75 grams of a 3 : 1 mixture of toluene and mibk solvent , about 4 grams of a 1 : 1 solution by weight of epoxy resin and toluene , and about 0 . 6 grams of hardener . the mixture was vibration milled with about 700 grams of zirconia balls about 0 . 635 centimeter in diameter for about 5 minutes . about 3 . 48 grams of binder , about 0 . 375 grams didg plasticizer , about 3 grams of pvo plasticizer , and about 0 . 075 grams silicone oil were added to the mixture and subjected to 5 more minutes of vibrational milling . the mixture was roller milled for an additional 30 minutes , de - aired in a partial vacuum , and the mixing jar was back - filled with nitrogen . mylar tapes were positioned about 20 centimeters apart on a sheet of teflon , synthetic resin polymer , and the sheet was mounted on a glass plate . a number of layers of the boron nitride coated fibers were positioned on the sheet between the mylar tapes . an apparatus for forming tape by the conventional doctor blade tape casting method was positioned on the sheet , and the doctor blade adjusted to form tapes about 0 . 33 millimeter thick . the mixture was poured on the sheet , and the doctor blade was traversed across the sheet to spread the mixture between the mylar tapes , envelop the fibers , and form a green tape . tapes were also formed by the method described above without a layer of fibers therein . the green tapes were allowed to dry in air to form tapes without fibers about 0 . 2 millimeter thick , and tapes with fibers about 0 . 28 millimeter thick . the tapes had a first surface facing the teflon sheet , and a second oppositely facing surface . the tapes were removed from the sheet , cut into pieces about 15 . 2 by 15 . 2 centimeters , and coated with a solution comprised of about 10 grams of the binder in a solvent solution comprised of 50 grams of a first solution of a 1 : 1 mixture of toluene and epoxy , and 50 grams of a second solution of 39 grams toluene , 9 . 5 grams acetone , 39 grams xylene , and 9 . 5 grams ethanol . the coated pieces were stacked so that the fibers in each layer were extending in a direction normal to the adjacent layer to form a stack . in addition , two of the tapes formed without fibers were positioned at the bottom , and two at the top of the stack . this formed a stack having two layers without fibers at the top and bottom , five layers of tape with the fibers extending in a first direction , with each of the five separated by a layer of tape having the fibers extending normal to the first direction . the stack was hot - pressed at about 100 ° c ., and 50 psi between dyes covered with a teflon sheet for 10 minutes , 250 psi . for 15 minutes , and held at 15 psi . for about 3 hours to cure the epoxy and binder , and laminate the stack . bar preforms having a width of about 1 . 27 centimeters and a length of about 15 . 2 centimeters were cut from the stack . a rectangular hole about the size of the bar preform was cut in a carbon cloth . the bar preform was positioned in the hole and rectangular carbon blocks coated with boron nitride were positioned above and below the preform to form an infiltration assembly . a deposit about 2 . 7 times the weight of the preform and carbon cloth of a silicon alloy comprised of about 3 weight percent boron nitride was placed on the carbon cloth . the assembly was heated in a vacuum at about 50 ° c . per hour in a carbon furnace to about 550 ° c . to decompose the binder in the preform . the assembly was then heated at 180 ° c . per hour to 1425 ° c . and held for 15 minutes to infiltrate the preform , and react silicon with carbon to form a composite of coated silicon carbide fibers in a silicon carbide matrix . the composite was cooled at a rate of about 2 ° c . per minute to 1170 ° c . and furnace cooled to room temperature . the top and bottom surfaces of the composite were milled to leave a surface of silicon carbide of about 12 . 7 microns over the fiber layers adjacent the surfaces , leaving a final thickness of about 0 . 254 centimeters . a silicon carbide composite was formed as described above in example 1 , however , the fiber reinforcement was the silicon carbide fibers having a coating with an inner layer of boron nitride , an interlayer of carbon , and an outer layer of boron nitride . the composite bars formed in example 1 and example 2 were tested in tension , and a stress strain curve from the tension tests is shown in fig1 . fig1 is a graph showing the tensile stress in kips per square inch on the ordinate , and the tensile strain in percent on the abscissa . important tensile properties for composites are the amount of energy to fracture , i . e ., the area under the tensile stress strain curve , the ultimate strength , and the strain to maximum stress of the test specimen . fig1 shows that the strain to maximum stress has more than doubled for the composite bar formed in example 2 as compared to the composite bar from example 1 . in addition , the ultimate strength , and amount of energy to fracture the specimen are both substantially increased in the composite bar formed in example 2 . such improved properties for the composite formed in example 2 shows that the fiber coating used to form the composite substantially improved protection of the reinforcement fibers during infiltration of the preform . it should be noted that the matrix of the composites formed in example 1 and 2 were comprised of about 20 volume percent of residual infiltrant that remained to fill porosity in the reaction formed silicon carbide matrix . a composite component formed as in example 2 , having a reactive inter layer in the protective coating on the reinforcement , will continue to provide improved protection to the reinforcement fiber from reaction with the residual infiltrant during use of the component at high temperatures , e . g . of about 1300 ° c . to 1500 ° c .

US-86203492-A

certain octapeptides , which have structures characterized by being a six unit cyclic peptide ring with a dipeptide tail which lacks a glycine unit at position 9 , have potent vasopressin antagonist activity . the compounds here claimed are in general characterized by having an amino acid unit at position 4 which is other than valine . an important species of the group is - 2 -- 4 - α - aminobutyric acid - 8 - arginine - 9 - desglycine ] vasopressin .

the desgly 9 compounds of the invention are illustrated by the following structural formula : ## str1 ## in which : p is phe or phe ( 4 &# 39 ;- alk ); x is d - phe , d - val , d - nva , d - leu , d - ile , d - aile , d - pba , d - nle , d - cha , d - abu , d - met , d - chg , d or l - tyr or d or l - tyr ( alk ); a is val , ile , abu , ala , gly , lys , cha , nle , phe , leu , chg or nva ; n is 0 , 1 or 2 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt , ester prodrug or complex thereof . a subgeneric group of compounds of this invention comprises compounds of formula i in which x is d - tyr , d - cha , d - phe , d - ile , d - leu , d - val or d - tyr ( et ); p is phe or phe ( 4 &# 39 ;- et ), a is as defined above , y is nh 2 ; w is pro , z is arg and n is 1 . the compounds of formula i in which x is d - tyr ( et ) are particularly active adh antagonists as are the amide 8 congeners . individual compounds of interest are [ 1 -( β - mercapto - β , β - cyclopentamethylenepropionic acid )- 2 - d - tyrosine - 4 - valine - 8 - arginine - 9 - desglycine ] vasopressin , [ 1 -( β - mercapto - β , β - cyclopentamethylenepropionic acid )- 2 - d - tyrosine - 4 - valine - 8 - arginine - 9 - desglycinamide ] vasopressin and , especially , [ 1 -( β - mercapto - β , β - cyclopentamethylenepropionic acid )- 2 -( o - ethyl - d - tyrosine )- 4 - valine - 8 - arginine - 9 - desglycine ] vasopressin . also included in this invention are various derivatives of the compounds of formula i such as addition salts , prodrugs in ester or amide form and complexes . the addition salts may be either salts with pharmaceutically acceptable cations such as nh 4 . sup .⊕, ca . sup . ○+ + , k . sup .⊕ or na . sup .⊕ at the terminal acid group ( y = oh ) or with a pharmaceutically acceptable salt at a basic center of the peptide ( as in the arg units ). the acetate salt forms are especially useful although hydrochloride , hydrobromide and salts with other strong acids are useful . the compounds , also , form inner salts or zwitter ions as when y is oh . the ester prodrug forms are , for example , lower alkyl esters of the acids of formula i which have from 1 - 8 carbons in the alkyl radical or aralkyl esters such as various benzyl esters . other latentiated derivatives of the compounds of formula i will be obvious to those skilled in the art &# 34 ; complexes &# 34 ; include various solvates such as hydrates or alcoholates or those with supporting resins , such as a merrified resin . the compounds of formula i are prepared by cyclizing a linear octapeptide by means of the two mercapto groups , at the cysteine unit ( cys ) at position 6 and at the β - mercapto - β , β - cycloalkylenepropionic acid unit ( cap ) at position 1 . the cyclization reaction occurs readily in the presence of a mild oxidizing agent capable of oxidizing a mercaptan to a disulfide . the reaction is represented as follows : ## str2 ## in which : x , p , a and y are as defined for formula i , above ; z is as defined for formula i above or also may be a single bond whenever y is oh ; w is as defined for formula i above or also may be oh whenever z and y are absent ; and q 1 and q 2 are , each , hydrogen or a displaceable group . the intermediates of formula ii are new compounds and are a part of this invention . the compounds of formula iii in which either or both w and z are absent are also new compounds useful as intermediates as described below . the latter have vsp antagonist activity at a lower level than that of the octapeptides . the cyclization reaction of this reaction sequence is most usefully carried out by oxidation . any oxidizing agent known to the art to be capable of converting a dimercaptan to a disulfide may be used . exemplary of such agents are an alkali metal ferricyanide , especially potassium or sodium ferricyanide , oxygen gas , diiodomethane or iodine . as an example , potassium ferricyanide is added to the dimercaptan of formula ii dissolved in a suitable inert solvent , for example , water or aqueous methanol at temperatures of from 0 °- 40 °. often , oxidation is at a ph of 7 - 7 . 5 at ambient temperature in dilute solution gives good yields , 40 - 50 %, of the cyclic compound . the compounds of formula iii which are the cys ( oh ) 6 or pro ( oh ) 7 compounds are reacted with a dipeptide , a protected ( nh 2 )- wzy , or an amino acid , ( nh 2 )- z - y , respectively , as described hereafter . the linear mercaptan starting material may or may not have displaceable or protective groups common to the art ( q 1 and q 2 ) present at the various amino acid units . such protective groups include benzyl , p - methoxybenzyl , 1 - adamantyl , t - butyl , p - nitrobenzyl , trityl , benzylthiomethyl , ethylcarbamoyl or acetamidomethyl . benzyl , adamantyl or t - butyl are removed by mercuric ( halo ) acetate salts in aqueous methanol at 0 °- 80 °. the protective group is usually removed before cyclization such as during the hydrogen fluoride splitting of the peptide from the supporting resin . it may , however , be removed either during the cyclization or , in situ , before cyclization . the s - acetamidomethyl groups are especially useful . for example , s - acm - pmp - d - tyr ( et )- phe - val - asn - s - acm - cys - pro - obzl was treated with potassium carbonate in aqueous methanol to give the pro acid linear peptide in 78 - 84 % yield . this was , then , oxidatively cyclized using iodine in aqueous methanol to give the desired pro ( oh ) 7 product in 65 - 70 % yield . alternatively , the protected product was cyclized under the same conditions with initial iodine treatment followed by potassium carbonate removal of the protective ester radical . the pro 7 acid was , then , condensed with arg ( nh 2 ), using dcc and dmap in dmf at 0 °- 20 ° to give the ## str3 ## in 45 % yield . iodine , therefore , removes the s - protective group , especially the acm group , and cyclizes the intermediate . mercuric acetate or lead acetate also remove the acm group to yield a metal mercaptide . this is converted to the thiol in situ by treatment with hydrogen sulfide and , then , oxidized in a separate step . the desired cyclic octapeptide of formula i can be conveniently isolated by acidifying the aqueous oxidation mixture , such as using glacial acetic acid , and passing the reaction mixture over an ion - exchange chromatographic column , for example , over a weakly acid , acrylic resin column with acid elution , or by gel filtration over a bead - formed gel prepared by cross - linking dextran with epichlorohydrin . as an alternative to the cyclization of the linear intermediates of formula ii suggested above , the cyclized 6 - cys acids or 7 - pro acids ( those of formula i in which either both tail units , w and z , or only one tail unit , z , are absent ) are condensed with a protected dipeptide , w - z - y , or with an amino acid , z - y , respectively . the reaction of the cys acid or the pro acid with a suitably protected dipeptide or amino acid is carried out using any amide forming reaction common to the peptide art . usually , substantially equimolar quantities of the starting materials are reacted in the presence of a carbodiimide , such as dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , plus 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole or dimethylaminopyridine in an organic solvent at from 0 °- 35 °, preferably , from ice to room temperature . the protective groups are removed by a reaction which will not split the disulfide bond of the hexapeptide ring , for example , mild alkali . the important intermediates of formula ii are conveniently prepared using solid - phase methods of peptide synthesis as discussed in m . manning et al ., j . med . chem . 25 46 ( 1982 ). a commercial benzhydrylamine support resin ( bhr ) is used to prepare the end products of formula i in which y is nh 2 ( the des - glycines ) and a chloromethyl support resin ( cmr ) is used to prepare the compounds of formula i in which y is oh ( the des - glycinamides ). the peptide chain of the linear peptides of formula ii is build up , stepwise , proceeding from unit 8 working toward unit 1 . each unit is properly protected as known in the peptide art and as described below . alternatively , various oligopeptides may be built up using liquid or support reactions , then condensed as a last step in the reaction sequence for preparing the dimercapto intermediates . the preferred sequence of resin supported step reactions is conveniently carried out in a beckman 990b peptide synthesizer without isolation of each intermediate peptide . the details of the procedure are in the working examples presented hereinafter . solution or enzyme reaction conditions are applicable here as known to the art . the various amino acids , which are consecutively added to the resin supported chain are protected as known to the art . for example , the boc protecting group is used for an amino group especially at the α - position ; an optionally substituted benzyl , for the mercapto groups at the pmp and cys units ; tosyl , for the arg unit ; and an optionally substituted carbobenzoxy ( z ) for the tyr or lys units . the protective groups should , most conveniently , be those which are easily removed , that is , using acid treatment for the tert .- butyloxycarbonyl group , sodium - liquid ammonia or catalytic hydrogenation for the benzyl or carbobenzoxy groups where the removal reaction conditions are not conducive to reaction at other portions of the peptide such as the disulfide bond . as other examples of protecting groups , the amino group of an amino acid or oligopeptide is protected conventionally by an acyl group such as formyl , trifluoroacetyl , phthaloyl , p - toluenesulfonyl or o - nitrophenylsulfonyl group ; a benzyloxycarbonyl group such as benzyloxycarbonyl , o - bromobenzyloxycarbonyl , p - bromobenzyloxycarbonyl , o - or p - chlorobenzyloxycarbonyl , p - nitrobenzyloxycarbonyl or p - methoxybenzyloxycarbonyl , an aliphatic oxycarbonyl group such as trichloroethyloxycarbonyl , t - amyloxycarbonyl , t - butoxycarbonyl or diisopropylmethoxycarbonyl , or an aralkyloxycarbonyl group such as 2 - phenylisopropoxycarbonyl , 2 - tolylisopropoxycarbonyl or 2 - p - diphenylisopropoxycarbonyl . amino groups are also protected by forming enamines by reaction with a 1 , 3 - diketone such as benzoylacetone or acetylacetone . the carboxyl groups can be protected by amide formation , hydrazide formation or esterification . the amide group is substituted , if necessary , with a 3 , 4 - dimethoxybenzyl or bis -( p - methoxyphenyl )- methyl group . the hydrazide group is substituted with a benzyloxycarbonyl , trichloroethyloxycarbonyl , trifluoroacetyl , t - butoxycarbonyl , trityl or 2 - p - diphenyl - isopropoxycarbonyl group . the ester group is substituted with an alkanol such as methanol , ethanol , t - butanol or cyanomethylalcohol ; an aralkanol such as benzylalcohol , p - bromobenzylalcohol , p - chlorobenzylalcohol , p - methoxybenzylalcohol , p - nitrobenzylalcohol , 2 , 6 - dichlorobenzylalcohol , benzhydrylalcohol , benzoylmethylalcohol , p - bromobenzoylmethylalcohol or p - chlorobenzoylmethylalcohol ; a phenol such a 2 , 4 , 6 - trichlorophenol , 2 , 4 , 5 - trichlorophenol , pentachlorophenol , p - nitrophenol or 2 , 4 - dinitrophenol ; or a thiophenol such as thiophenol or p - nitrothiophenol . the hydroxy group in tyrosine is optionally protected by esterification or etherification . a group protected by esterification is , for example , an o - acetyl group ; a o - benzoyl group , o - benzyloxycarbonyl or o - ethyloxycarbonyl . a group protected by etherification is , for example , an o - benzyl , o - tetrahydropyranyl or o - t - butyl group . the amino group in the guanidino group in arginine can be protected by a salt forming , nitro , tosyl , benzyloxycarbonyl or mesitylene - 2 - sulfonyl group . however , it is not always necessary to protect the guanidino group . the protected linear peptide intermediate is split from the carrying resin matrix , for example , by using ammonia in an alcoholic solvent , and , then , is treated to remove the protective groups , such as by using sodium - liquid ammonia . this procedure gives the amide derivative of the linear octapeptide . more conveniently , the two steps are combined by treating the resin supported peptide with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride in the presence of a suitable cation scavenger as known to the art , such as anisole , to give the octapeptide intermediate of formula ii , in dimercaptan form , and in good yield . the compounds of this invention have potent vasopressin antagonist activity . vasopressin is known to contribute to the anti - diuretic mechanism of action within the kidney . when the action of these compounds antagonizes that of the natural anti - diuretic hormone ( adh ), the body excretes water due to an increased permeability of the terminal portions of the renal tubule . we believe the mechanism of action is at the vasopressin receptors ( v 2 - receptors ) located on the plasma membrane of certain renal epithelial cells . the most notable pharmocodynamic effect of the adh antagonists of the invention is that of a water diuretic rather than of a natriuretic such as a thiazide . any patient suffering from the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion ( siadh ) or from an undesirable edematous condition is a target for the claimed compounds . examples of clinical conditions indicated for the compounds of this invention include hypertension , hepatic cirrhosis , congestive heart failure or a component of any traumatic condition resulting from serious injury or disease in which the agonism of naturally occurring vasopressin at the vsp - mediated receptor sites is a contributing factor . the second group of vasopressin receptor sites are the vascular pressor sites ( v 1 - receptors ) located within the cardiovascular system itself . for example , compound 5 of table i below was tested in the dyckes protocol ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 367 , 255 ) for inhibition of vasopressin - induced vasoconstriction in the rat ; in vitro ( pa 2 8 . 40 ) and in vivo ( pa 2 7 . 71 ). antagonism at the v 2 receptor sites results in vasodilation with an end result of anti - hypertensive activity . treatment of dysmenorrhea is another utility for the compounds of this invention when administered intravenously or intranasally . the compounds of this invention , therefore , are used to treat edema or to expell water in patients in need of such treatment by administering parenterally or by insufflation a nontoxic but effective quantity of the chosen compound , preferably combined with a pharmaceutical carrier . dosage units of the active ingredient are selected from the range 0 . 01 to 10 mg / kg , preferably 0 . 01 to 5 mg / kg , based on a 70 kg patient . the dosage units are applied from 1 to 5 times daily . the pharmaceutical composition for inducing vasopressin antogonism contains an active ingredient of formula i in the form of a dosage unit as described above dissolved or suspended in a standard liquid carrier . a standard carrier is isotonic saline , contained in an ampoule or a multiple dose vial which is suitable for parenteral injection such as for intravenous , subcutaneous or intramuscular administration . a composition for insufflation is similar but is usually administered in a metered dose applicator or inhaler . pulverized powder compositions may , also , be used , along with oily preparations , gels , buffers for isotonic preparations , emulsions or aerosols , as standard composition forms . the compounds of this invention have been demonstrated to have unique antagonistic activity toward the natural antidiuretic hormone ( anti - adh activity ), in vitro , in the medullary tissue of hog or human kidney and , in vivo , in the hydropenic rat or the hydropenic monkey . details of the in vitro protocols are in f . l . stassen et al ., j . of pharm . exp . ther . 233 , 50 - 54 ( 1982 ) but the calculations of cyclase activity and binding potential at the receptor site are as follows : in each experiment the amount of 32 p / camp formed in the absence of medullary membrane is determined ( blank ). the blank value is subtracted from all experimental data . the compound is tested for its effect on basal adenylate cyclase activity and / or on vasopressin stimulated activity . each determination is carried out in triplicate . the ka value is derived from a lineweaver - burke plot . rel . v max =( v max drug / v max vasopressin )× 100 . k i = i /[( ka &# 39 ;/ ka )- 1 ] where i is the concentration of the antagonist , and ka &# 39 ; and ka are the concentrations of vasopressin required to give half - maximal activity of adenylate cyclase in the presence and absence of antagonist , respectively . in each experiment , the amount of 3 h - vasopressin bound in the absence and in the presence of an excess of vasopressin ( 7 . 5 × 10 - 6 m ) is measured in triplicate . these values represent total and non - specific binding , respectively . the k b of a compound is derived from the equation for competitive inhibition : k b = ic 50 /( 1 + l / k d ), where ic 50 is the concentration required for 50 % inhibition of specific 3 h - vasopressin binding , l is the concentration of the ligand , and k d is the dissociation constant of 3 h - vasopressin ( k d = 3 . 6 × 10 - 9 m ; 1 sd = 0 . 4 × 10 - 9 m ). this is the average k d value determined on 3 preparations of hog kidney membranes . food and water are removed from male rats approximately 18 hours prior to testing . animals are housed 4 per metabolism cage . at 0 hour , the test compound is administered intraperitoneally to the test group and an equivalent volume of vehicle is administered to both control groups ( fasted and non - fasted ). urine volume and osmolality are measured every hour for 4 hours . test values are recorded as ml of urine excreted ( cumulative ), meq / rat electrolyte excreted , mg / rat urea excreted , and osmolality in milli - osmoles / kg h 2 o . a tolerance test is used to determine significance . ed 300 is defined as the dose of compound ( μg / kg ) required to lower urine osmolality to 300 m - osmoles / kg . ed 500 is defined as the dose of compound ( μg / kg ) required to lower urine osmolality to 500 m - osmoles / kg . the hydropenic monkey protocol is similar . table i______________________________________ ## str4 ## anti - adh activity in vivo ( rat ) ed . sub . 300 in vitro ( pig ) x y a ( μg / kg )* ki ( nm ) k . sub . b ( um ) ______________________________________1 . d - tyr glynh . sub . 2 val 32 30 0 . 0822 . d - tyr nh . sub . 2 val 63 27 0 . 0653 . d - tyr oh val 156 160 0 . 354 . d - tyr ( et ) glynh . sub . 2 val 9 . 9 5 . 9 0 . 0115 . d - tyr ( et ) nh . sub . 2 val 5 . 8 3 . 0 0 . 00786 . d - tyr ( et ) nh . sub . 2 abu 13 7 . 6 0 . 018______________________________________ * estimated dose of peptide delivered ip stat ( μg / kg ) which results in reduction of u . sub . osm from hydropenic levels to 300 mosmoles / kg h . sub . 2 o . table i demonstrates , in the described protocols , the anti - vasopressin activity of selected representative compounds whose octapeptide structures have the desgly dipeptide tail which is characteristic of the compounds of this invention . presence of substantial antagonistic activity is unexpected because , in the agonist series , the des - gly - oxytocin has an opposite effect on blood prssure compared with oxytocin itself ( see b . berde et al ., loc . cit .) and shortening the linear tail of oxytocin and vasopressin result is known in the art to cause &# 34 ; a striking decrease of the typical biological activities of the substances &# 34 ; ( see t . barth et al ., loc . cit .). compound 5 of table i , furthermore , has proven to be a compound of exceptional antagonist activity across the various testing protocols in hog or human tissue in vitro tests as well as in hydropenic rat and monkey tests . its anti - adh activity , manifested as the dose required to decrease urine osmolality to 300m osm / kg water in the conscious hydropenic squirrel monkey test , is ed 300 = 8 . 6 nmoles / kg ( i . e .). that of compound 4 of table i is 33 . 1 nmoles / kg . the 2 - d - phe analog of the latter compound is 319 . 0 nmoles / kg . the following examples are intended solely to teach the preparation of the compounds of this invention . all temperaturs are in degrees centigrade . for the solid - phase synthesis of the titled resin supported peptide , boc - arg ( tos ) resin ( 3 mmol / 5 . 4 grams of resin ) was used as starting material . the appropriately protected amino acids were coupled sequentially onto the boc - arg ( tos ) resin , prepared by reacting boc - arg ( tos ) as the cesium salt with commercial merrifield resin ( cl - ch 2 resin ) as known to the art , by using a manual program as described in the following steps : 2 . prewashed with 33 % trifluoroacetic acid in methylene chloride with 1 % indole ( 1 time , 1 minute ). 3 . deprotection with 33 % trifluoroacetic acid in methylene chloride with 1 % indole ( 20 minutes ). 5 . prewashed with 10 % triethylamine in methylene chloride ( 1 time , 1 minute ). 8 . protected amino acid ( 10 mmol ) in triethylamine in methylene chloride and 0 . 5m n , n &# 39 ;- dicyclohexylcarbodiimide in methylene chloride ( 20 ml ) were added . in the case of the coupling of the asn moiety , 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole ( hbt , 10 mmol ) was added with boc - asn in dry dimethylformamide . dry dimethylformamide ( dmf ) was also used as solvent when pmp ( bzl ) was coupled onto the peptide resin , using 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 10 mm ). completion of each coupling reaction was monitored by the ninhydrin test . the 4 - methoxybenzyl group was used to protect the thiol group of cys and the 2 - bromo - carbobenzoxy group was employed to block the phenolic hydroxyl of d - tyr . the resulting protected pmp ( bzl )- d - tyr ( br - z )- phe - val - asn - cys ( ome - bzl )- pro - arg ( tos )- resin was washed well with methylene chloride and methanol , respectively . after drying in vacuo overnight , 8 . 4 grams of the titled protected resin intermediate was collected . ## str5 ## pmp ( bzl )- d - tyr -( p - bromocarbobenzoxy )- phe - val - asn - cys ( ome - bzl )- pro - arg ( tos ) resin ( 4 g , ca . 1 . 5 mmol ) was subjected to ammonolysis using saturated ammonia / methanol solution ( 200 ml ) in dry dimethylformamide ( 50 ml ) at room temperature for 48 hours . after evaporation to dryness , the residue was precipitated by ethyl acetate / n - hexane and filtered to give the protected octapeptide amide ( 1 . 54 g ). this crude peptide was dissolved in liquid ammonia ( 250 ml ) and treated with sodium / liquid ammonia solution to give pmp - d - tyr - phe - val - asn - cys - pro - arg - nh 2 which was , then , oxidized using 0 . 01m potassium ferricyanide solution in 4 l . of aqueous solution at ph 7 - 7 . 5 . after the completion of oxidation reaction , the ph of aqueous solution was adjusted to ph 4 . 5 by adding glacial acetic acid . this solution was passed through a weakly acid acrylic resin ( bio - rex 70 ) column ( 11 × 2 . 5 cm , h + form ) slowly . the column was eluted with 5 % and 50 % acetic acid solution , respectively . crude cyclized ## str6 ## was collected from 50 % acetic acid solution fractions ( 860 mg ). ______________________________________purification of ## str7 ## ______________________________________1 . counter - current distribution : sample : 860 mg crude , n - buoh / hoac / h . sub . 2 o ( 4 : 1 : 5 ) 250 transfers ( a ) fr . 186 - 204 , 436 mg ( b ) fr . 182 - 185 & amp ; 205 - 218 , 219 mg2 . partition chromatography : sample : 250 mg ( from 1 - a ), g - 25 fine ( 2 . 5 × 55 cm ), n - buoh / hoac / h . sub . 2 o ( 4 : 1 : 5 )( a ) fr . 32 - 46 222 mg3 . preparative hplc : sample : 40 mg ( from 2 - a ); alltech c18 , 3000 psig . flow rate : 3 . 0 ml / min . buffer a : 0 . 1 % tfa buffer b : 0 . 25 % tfa / ch . sub . 3 cn ( 4 : 6 ) 60 % b ; isocratic ; 235 nm ( 2 . 0 aufs ) injection : 10 mg / 0 . 5 ml . buffer a 17 mg of pure titled compound . 4 . ion - exchange chromatography : sample : 365 mg ( from 1 - a & amp ; 2 - a ); cmc ; 0 . 01m nh . sub . 4 oac to 0 . 1m nh . sub . 4 oac linear gradient ( a ) fr . 51 - 70 93 . 5 mg ( b ) fr . 71 - 89 86 . 5 mg ( c ) fr . 91 - 110 65mg ( d ) fr . 111 - 121 24 . 5 mg______________________________________ pmp ( bzl )- d - tyr ( br - z )- phe - val - asn - cys ( ome - bzl )- pro - arg ( tos )- resin ( 4 . 2 g , 1 . 5 mmol ) from example 1 , in 4 . 5 ml distilled anisole , was reacted with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride ( 40 ml ) at 0 ° for one hour . after treatment as described above and evaporation in vacuo to dryness , the residue was treated with anhydrous ether and filtered off to give 1 . 33 g crude peptide . the completion of removal of the bzl group from the pmp moiety was carried out using the sodium in liquid ammonia reaction as described in example 1 . the resulting unprotected octapeptide was cyclized using 0 . 01m potassium ferricyanide solution at ph 7 - 7 . 5 until color persisted for 30 minutes again as described above in the preparation of the amide . desglycinamide octapeptide ( 600 mg ) was collected after acidifying the oxidation solution with acetic acid to ph 4 . 5 and passing the reaction mixture over a bio - rex - 70 column with 1 l . of 5 % acetic acid as eluent . ______________________________________1 . counter - current distribution : sample : 600 mg from bio - rex 70 . n - buoh / hoac / h . sub . 2 o ( 4 : 1 : 5 ); 200 transfers ( a ) fr . 150 - 161 169 mg ( b ) fr . 133 - 149 & amp ; 162 - 1632 . preparative hplc : sample : 52 mg ( from 1 - a ); alltech c18 ( 25 cms 10 mm , 10 micron ); buffer a : 0 . 1 % tfa buffer b : 0 . 25 % tfa / ch . sub . 3 cn ( 4 : 6 ) 60 % b , isocratic ; 3000 psig ; 3 . 0 ml / min . injection : 10 mg / 0 . 6 ml in buffer a 235 nm ( 2 . 0 aufs ). ( a ) 24 mg ( b ) 7 . 3 mgcombine 2 - a and 2 - b , repurified on hplc to give 15 mgpure peptide . 3 . partition chromatography : sample : 117 mg ( from 1 - a ), g - 25 fine ( 2 . 5 × 55 cm ) n - buoh / hoac / h . sub . 2 o 4 : 1 ; 5 ( a ) fr . 32 - 36 83 mg of pure product______________________________________ the titled compound was prepared by the solid phase method on benzhydrylamine resin ( bha ). thus , 1 . 0 g bha resin ( 1 . 13 mmol nh 2 / g resin ) was reacted with 1 . 5 equivalents of boc - arg ( tos ), 1 . 5 equivalents of dcc and 3 . 0 equivalents of hbt which were made up in dimethylformamide to be 0 . 1m in boc - arg ( tos ). deblocking was performed with 50 % tfa / methylene chloride and neutralization with 5 % diea / methylene chloride . the peptide was elongated , stepwise , by coupling , using preformed boc aminoacyl symmetrical anhydrides in dmf ( 0 . 1m ). boc - asn , boc - d - tyr ( et ) and pmp ( mbz ) were successively coupled using dcc and hbt in dmf . completeness of coupling was monitored by the qualitative ninhydrin test and recoupling was performed as necessary . the completed pmp ( mbz )- d - tyr ( et )- phe - val - asn - cys ( mbz )- pro - arg ( tos )- bha resin was washed with methylene chloride and dried to constant weight , 2 . 34 g . the peptide was deblocked and cleaved from the resin by treatment with anhydrous liquid hydrogen fluoride ( 30 ml ) in the presence of anisole ( 4 ml ) at 0 ° for one hour . after evaporation to dryness under vacuum , the resin was washed with ethyl ether , air dried and , then , extracted with degassed dimethylformamide ( 3 × 20 ml ) and 20 % acetic acid ( 4 × 20 ml ). the dmf and acid extracts were added to 4 l of water ( ph 4 . 5 with acetic acid ). the ph was adjusted to 7 . 2 with ammoniium hydroxide and the solution was titrated with 0 . 01m potassium ferricyanide under argon with stirring until a yellow color persisted ( 85 ml ). the ph was brought to 4 . 8 with glacial acetic acid . the mixture was filtered and the filtrate passed over a bio - rex 70 column ( h . sup .⊕). after washing the column with water ( 200 ml ) the crude peptide was eluted with 300 ml of pyridine / acetic acid / water ( 30 : 4 : 66 v / v ). the eluant was evaporated under vacuum at 30 °. the residue was dissolved in 100 ml of 0 . 2n acetic acid , then , lyophilized , yielding 507 mg of the crude titled octapeptide . ______________________________________purification of ## str11 ## ______________________________________1 . counter - current distribution : sample : 607 mg crude , n - buoh : hoac : h . sub . 2 o , 4 : 1 : 5 , 240 transfers ( a ) fr . 154 - 170 & amp ; 190 - 192 71 mg ( b ) fr . 171 - 189 230 mg2 . gel filtrationsample : 123 mg of sample ( b ), g - 15 ( 2 . 5 × 55 cm ) using 0 . 2 n hoac , 25 ml / hr ( a ) fr . 46 - 50 ˜ 20 mg ( b ) fr . 51 - 77 60 mg pure peptide______________________________________ a mixture of 0 . 1 mmole of ( pmp 1 - d - leu 2 - val 4 - desglynh 2 ) avp , prepared as described above but using boc - d - leu at position 2 , and 0 . 1 mmole of n - propylamine in 20 ml of dmf was reacted with 23 mg ( 0 . 11 mmol ) of dcc and 14 mg ( 0 . 11 mmol ) of hbt at room temperature for 2 hours . the volatiles were evaporated to give an oily product residue . the product was purified as described above using : ( 1 ) gel filtration over g - 10 - sephadex eluted with 0 . 2n acetic acid ; ( 2 ) high pressure liquid chromatography using 0 . 05 % tfa in 39 % acetonitrile in water ; and , again , ( 3 ) gel filtration to give 20 mg of the pure octapeptide of the title . amino acid analysis : asp 0 . 88 , pro 0 . 93 , val 1 . 00 , leu 1 . 09 , phe 0 . 88 , arg 1 . 07 . hplc = 95 % major peak at 11 . 33 with 40 % aqueous acetonitrile with 0 . 05m kh 2 po 4 as buffer . k bind = 12 . 1 % inhibition at 10 - 5 m . using ( pmp 1 - d - tyr ( et ) 2 - val 4 - desglynh 2 )- avp prepared as in example 2 above and benzylamine gives ## str13 ## other n - alkylated derivatives are prepared similarly . for the solid phase synthesis of the titled resin - supported peptide , boc - arg ( tos ) bha resin ( 1 . 19 mmol / g of resin ) was used as a starting material . it was prepared by reaching boc - arg ( tos ), 3 mmol , with the benzhydrylamine resin , 1 . 0 mmol , in dimethylformamide for two hours . the benzhydrylamine resin as the hydrochloride salt was covered with methylene chloride overnight . it was , then , washed with methylene chloride ( 4 × 1 min ), neutralized with 7 % diisopropylethylamine in methylene chloride ( 2 × 2 min ), then , 6 × 1 min with methylene chloride alone and , finally , 2 × 1 min with predried dimethylformamide . the loading of boc - arg ( tos ) on the resin was carried out twice on the shaker using 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole ( hbt , 6 mmol ) and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( dcc , 3 mmol ). a quantitative ninhydrin test and amino acid analysis were performed routinely after loading to determine the percentage loading on the resin . loading in this particular run was 62 . 66 %, i . e . 0 . 74 mmol / g of resin was available . the subsequent amino acid , boc - pro , was coupled on the shaker using the following protocol . ( 2 ) prewashed with 50 % tfa in methylene chloride ( 1 time , 1 min ). ( 5 ) prewashed with 7 % diea in methylene chloride ( 1 time , 1 min ). ( 9 ) added protected amino acid ( 3 mmol ) and hbt , 6 mmol , in dmf , followed by the addition of dcc in methylene chloride , 3 mmol , and coupling for 2 hours . the subsequent amino acids were coupled sequentially using beckman peptide synthesizer 990 - b . the program used for each coupling except bocasn and pmp ( 4 - mebzl ) was as follows . ( 2 ) prewashed with 50 % tfa in methylene chloride ( 1 time , 1 min ). ( 5 ) prewashed with 7 % diea in methylene chloride ( 1 time , 1 min ). ( 6 ) neutralized with 7 % diea in methylene chloride ( 1 time , 10 min ). ( 8 ) protected amino acids ( 3 mmol ) in methylene chloride , followed by addition of dcc , 3 mmol , 10 ml of 0 . 3m in methylene chloride , and coupling for two hours . in case of coupling of asn moiety , 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole ( hbt , 6 mmol ) was used , 10 ml of 0 . 6m dimethylformamide . dry dimethylformamide was also used as solvent when pmp ( 4 - mebzl ) was coupled onto the peptide resin , using 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 3 mmol ). completion of each coupling reaction was monitored by the ninhydrin test . the 4 - methylbenzyl ( 4 - mebzl ) group was used to protect the thiol groups of the cys and pentamethylene mercaptopropionic acid ( pmp ) moieties . pmp ( 4 - mebzl )- d - tyr ( et )- phe - abu - asn - cys -( 4 - mebzl )- pro - arg ( tos ) bha - resin , 1 . 25 g , ( 0 . 37 mmol ) in 2 ml of anisole , was reacted with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride ( 20 ml at 0 ° for 50 min ). after evaporation of hf in vacuo , the residue was washed with anhydrous ether , 4 × 20 ml , and the crude peptide was extracted with dimethylformamide ( 50 ml ) and 33 % acetic acid ( 50 ml ) into 2 liter of degassed water previously adjusted to ph 4 . 5 . the aqueous diluted disulfhydryl octapeptide was cyclized using 0 . 01m potassium ferricyanide solution at ph 7 . 2 until the yellow color persisted for 30 minutes ( 50 ml ). the ph was adjusted to 4 . 5 using glacial acetic acid and the solution was passed through a weakly acid acrylic resin ( bio - rex - 70 ) column ( 2 . 5 × 12 , h . sup .⊕ form ), slowly . the column was eluted with pyridine - acetate buffer ( 30 : 4 : 66 ; pyridine / glacial acetic acid / water ). the pyridine acetate solution was removed by distillation in vacuo . the residue was lyophilized from 10 % acetic acid to give 300 mg ( 76 %) of crude titled peptide . ______________________________________1 . counter - current distribution : sample : 300 mg , n - buoh / hoac / h . sub . 2 o , 4 : 1 : 5 , 240 transfers . ( a ) fr . 176 - 186 , 99 . 6 mg of pure peptide ( b ) fr . 170 - 175 and 187 - 210 , 117 . 24 mg yield of purified material , 216 . 84 mg ( 55 %) 2 . molecular formula : c . sub . 50 h . sub . 72 n . sub . 12 o . sub . 10 s . sub . 2 molecular weight : 1064 . 53 amino acid analysis : asp ( 1 . 00 ), abu + cys ( 1 . 70 ), tyr ( 0 . 64 ), phe ( 0 . 98 ), arg ( 0 . 91 ) peptide content : 68 . 06 - 91 . 52 % from amino acid analysis 87 . 33 % from nitrogen analysis3 . chromatography data : solvent r . sub . f tlc n - buoh / hoac / h . sub . 2 o / etoac 0 . 56 ( 1 : 1 : 1 : 1 ) n - buoh / hoac / h . sub . 2 o / 0 . 42 ( 4 : 1 : 5 ) upper hplc c . sub . 18 - column k &# 39 ; isocratic h . sub . 2 o / ch . sub . 3 cn / tfa , 3 ( 60 : 40 : 0 . 25 ) 0 . 05 mkh . sub . 2 po . sub . 4 : 7 . 33 acetonitrile ( 60 : 40 ) gradient h . sub . 2 o / ch . sub . 3 cn / tfa , 8 . 82 80 : 20 : 0 . 25 to 50 : 50 : 0 . 25 fast atom bombard - m / z 1065 ( m + h ). sup .+ ; ment ( fab ): 1063 ( m - h ). sup .- ______________________________________ the tetrapeptide supported resin , boc - asn - cys ( 4 - mebzl )- pro - arg ( tos )- bha , 0 . 72 g ( 0 . 36 mmol ), was synthesized on beckman 990 - b peptide synthesizer , starting from the boc - arg ( tos ) benzhydrylamine resin ( 0 . 72 mmol / g ) using a protocol like that of example 5 . the subsequent amino acids were coupled sequentially on the shaker using hbt and dcc for 2 hours in a similar fashion . after coupling of the last residue , i . e , pmp ( 4 - mebzl ), the resin containing peptide was washed as usual , dried to give 0 . 88 g of the titled intermediate . ## str15 ## pmp ( 4 - mebzl )- d - tyr ( et )- phe - ala - asn - cys ( 4 - mebzl )- pro - arg ( tos )- bha - resin , in 2 ml of anisole , was reacted with anhydrous hf , 20 ml , at 0 ° for 50 minutes . the work up was done as usual and the uptake of k 3 fe ( cn ) 6 was 45 ml to give 230 mg ( 60 . 8 %) of crude titled peptide . ______________________________________1 . counter - current distribution : sample : 230 mg , n - buoh / hoac / h . sub . 2 o , 4 : 1 : 5 , 240 transfers ( a ) fr . 160 - 178 , 105 . 2 mg pure product ( b ) fr . 179 - 190 and 150 - 159 , 49 . 5 mg yield of purified material , 154 . 7 mg ( 41 %). 2 . molecular formula : c . sub . 49 h . sub . 70 n . sub . 70 o . sub . 10 s . sub . 2 molecular weight : 1050 . 449 amino acid analysis : asp ( 1 . 00 ), pro ( 1 . 03 ), ala ( 0 . 94 ), cys ( 0 . 46 ), tyr ( 0 . 65 ), phe ( 0 . 91 ), arg ( 0 . 92 ). peptide content : 59 . 18 - 81 . 77 % from two analyses . 3 . chromatography data : solvent r . sub . f tlc mbuoh / hoac / h . sub . 2 o / etoac 0 . 64 ( 1 : 1 : 1 : 1 ) hplc c . sub . 18 - column k &# 39 ; isocratic h . sub . 2 o / ch . sub . 3 cn / tfa , 2 . 18 60 : 40 : 0 . 1 gradient h . sub . 2 o / ch . sub . 3 cn / tfa , 6 . 47 60 : 40 : 0 . 1 to 50 : 50 : 0 . 1 fast atom bombard - m / z 1051 ( m + h ). sup .+ ; ment ( fab ): 1049 ( m - h ). sup .- ______________________________________ the titled resin - supported peptide was prepared from boc - arg ( tos ) bha resin ( 0 . 4 mmol / g ) on a shaker using a protocol used before i . e . deprotection - coupling using hbt and dcc for 2 hours , up to boc - val - asn - cys -( 4 - mebzl )- pro - arg ( tos )- bha resin . the next two amino acid residues were coupled using the beckman peptide synthesizer 990 - b . the pmp ( 4 - mebzl ) was coupled manually using dmap - dcc overnight . the resin - containing peptide was washed and dried as usual to give 2 . 00 g of the titled intermediate . ## str17 ## pmp -( 4 - mebzl )- d - tyr ( et )- phe ( 4 - et )- val - asn - cys - 4 - mebzl )- pro - arg ( tos )- bha resin , in 3 ml of anisole was reacte with 30 ml of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride at 0 ° for an hour . the work up was done as described above , with 38 ml of k 3 fe ( cn ) 6 taken up . about 50 mg of crude peptide was obtained from the bio - rex column and 139 mg was precipitated out of solution , total yield 189 mg ( 42 . 7 %) of titled peptide . ______________________________________purification : 1 . partition column chromatography , sephadex , g - 25 : sample : 50 mg , n - buoh / hoac / h . sub . 2 o , 4 : 1 : 5 ,( a ) fr . a , 23 . 86 mg ( b ) fr . b , 18 . 5 mgpreparative hplcsample : 43 mg ( from 1 , fr . a + fr . b ), altex ods , 10 mm × 25 cm , 5μ , flow rate 4 ml / min ., water / acetonitrile / tfa ( 50 : 50 : 0 . 25 ), isocratic , 229 nm ( 2 . 0 aufs ), injection 2 . 0 mg / 300 μl and 4 . 0 mg / 420 ml to give 30 . 0 mg of pure peptide . 2 . physical data : molecular formula : c . sub . 53 h . sub . 78 n . sub . 12 o . sub . 10 s . sub . 2molecular weight : 1106 . 47amino acid analysis : asp ( 1 . 00 ), pro ( 0 . 78 - 0 . 84 ), cys ( 0 . 45 ), val ( 1 . 02 ), tyr ( 0 . 63 ), phe ( p - et ) ( 1 . 50 ), arg ( 1 . 00 - 0 . 96 ) peptide content : 73 . 3 - 89 . 6 % 3 . chromatography data : tlc solvent r . sub . f nbuoh / hoac / h . sub . 2 o / etoac , 0 . 70 1 : 1 : 1 : 1 nbuoh / hoac / h . sub . 2 o , 0 . 299 4 : 1 : 5 upper hplc c . sub . 18 column k &# 39 ; isocratic h . sub . 2 o / ch . sub . 3 ch / tfa , 4 . 43 55 : 45 : 0 . 1 gradient h . sub . 2 o / ch . sub . 3 cn / tfa , 8 . 7 60 : 40 : 0 . 1 to 50 : 50 : 0 . 1 fab m / z 1107 ( m + h ). sup .+ ; 1105 ( m + h ). sup .- ______________________________________ one millimole of boc - asn - cys ( 4 - mebzl )- pro - arg ( tos )- bha resin was prepared using 1 mmole of boc - arg ( tos )- 4 - methylbenzhydrylamine ( mbha ) resin as starting material by coupling sequentially with the appropriate t - boc - protected amino acids in a beckman 990 - b peptide synthesizer , 990 - b . 1 . 83 grams of the protected peptide resin was obtained and was divided into two equal parts of 0 . 915 g each . ## str18 ## one part of the protected peptide resin from above was further sequentially coupled with 1 . 5 mmoles of the appropriate boc amino acids and β -( s - mebzl )- pmp - oh to give 1 . 16 g of the final protected peptide resin . pmp ( s - mebzl )- d - tyr ( et )- phe - gly - asn - cys ( 4mebzl )- pro - arg ( tos ) mbha resin was obtained and dried in vacuo . this protected resin was treated with 1 . 5 ml of anisole and 25 ml of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride at 0 ° for 1 hour . the deprotected peptide was treated with 0 . 01 mole of potassium ferricyanide solution at ph 7 . 2 in 2 liters of water . 53 ml of the oxidizing agent was used . the resulting solution was passed through a c 18 flash column . the column was eluted with 50 % of acetonitrile with 0 . 25 % trifluoroacetic acid in 20 ml per fraction . 325 mg crude product was isolated from the fractions . further purification of the product by ccd ( b / a / w , 4 : 1 : 5 ) to obtain 188 mg of 99 % pure titled product . ______________________________________amino acid analysis : ______________________________________peptide content 82 % asp 1 . 04 tyr 0 . 92pro 1 . 15 phe 1 . 01gly 1 . 00 arg 0 . 91cys 0 . 54______________________________________ fab / ms = m / z ( m + h ). sup .+ 1037 one part of the protected peptide resin from example 8 was further sequentially coupled with 1 . 5 mmoles of the appropriate boc amino acids and β -( s - 4 - mebzl )- pmp - oh to give 1 . 06 g of the final protected peptide resin , pmp ( s - 4 - mebzl )- d - tyr ( et )- phe - chg - asn - cys ( s - 4 - mebzl )- pro - arg ( tos ) mbha resin , obtained after drying in vacuo . this protected peptide resin was treated with 1 . 5 ml of anisole and 25 ml of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride . following the usual oxidation by potassium ferricyanide and isolation over a c 18 column , 165 mg crude titled product was obtained . further purification by ccd g - 15 and p - 2 gel filtration as described above gave 55 mg hplc pure titled product . 4 . 87 g ( 15 mmol ) of the boccys ( 4mebzl ) was dissolved in 30 ml of ethanol and 10 ml of water added . the ph was then adjusted to 7 . 1 with an aqueous solution of cesium bicarbonate . the mixture was concentrated and the residue evaporated three times from 50 ml of toluene . this residue was , then , placed under high vacuum at ambient temperature overnight . the salt was dissolved in 35 ml of dimethylformamide and 5 g of commercial chloromethylphenyl resin added . the mixture was stirred at 53 ° under argon overnight . the mixture was filtered and the resin washed with dimethylformamide ( 5 × 60 ml ), dmf / water , 9 : 1 , ( 5 × 60 ml ), dmf ( 5 × 60 ml ) and ethanol ( 6 × 60 ml ). it was , then , dried under high vacuum at ambient temperature over the weekend . the peptide chain was built up in a beckman synthesizer as described above using the boc derivatives of asn , val , phe , d - tyr ( et ) and the s -( 4 - mebzl ) pmp derivative . the resin was removed and placed in a manual shaker . 0 . 86 g of the peptide resin was treated with 1 . 5 ml of anisole and stirred for 60 min at 0 ° in 15 ml of hydrogen fluoride . the hydrogen fluoride was , then , removed under aspirator pressure at 0 °. the residue was then washed with 3 × 25 ml of ether ( discarded ) and the peptide eluted with dimethylformamide and 30 % acetic acid ( 4 × 10 ml ). this solution was added to 21 of degassed water and the ph adjusted to 7 . 0 with ammonium hydroxide . a 0 . 01m potassium ferricyanide solution was added slowly ( 35 ml ). the ph was then adjusted to 4 . 5 with acetic acid and the mixture stirred for 30 minutes with 25 g ( wet ) of a weakly basic ion exchange resin ( ag - 3 × 4 1r - 4s ). the suspension was filtered and the resin washed with 2 × 400 ml of 30 % acetic acid . the filtrate was , then , passed thru a c 18 flash column ( 7 × 16 mm ). the column was then washed with water ( 3 × 400 ml ) and the peptide eluted with acetonitrile / water / tfa , 50 : 50 : 0 . 25 ). fractions 30 → 36 were combined , concentrated and lyophilized to yield 25 mg of the titled free cys ( oh ) cyclic intermediate . fab mass spectrum in glycerol : 827 ( m + h ) + , 825 ( m - h ) - . the cys acid ( 20 mg ) is reacted with one equivalent of pro - arg ( nh 2 ) hcl ( prepared from the commercial dihydrochloride by treatment with 1 equivalent of triethylamine ) in the presence of dcc and hbt in dimethylformamide to produce the compound of example 3 . similarly , pro ( ome ) is attached to the cys acid , hydrolyzed with mild sodium hydroxide to give the pro acid which is , then , reacted with arg ( hcl )( ome ) to give the acid parent of the compound of example 3 after mild hydrolysis of the ester . this compound is isolated as the potassium salt if desired . see example 12 below . alternatively , the pro - arg ( nh 2 ) is used in the condensation directly . a mixture of 4 . 5 mg of pmp - d - tyr ( et )- phe - val - asn - cys - oh prepared as above and 1 ml of methanol was treated with ethereal diazomethane and purified by preparing hplc ( 50 % ch 3 cn / 50 % h 2 o / 0 . 1 % tfa ) to yield 4 . 3 mg of the methyl ester ( 94 %), fabms m / z 841 ( m + h ) + , homogeneous by hplc and tlc . bocpro - merrifield resin was made by coupling bocpro to merrifield resin using the cesium salt method to give boc - pro - och 2 - c 6 h 4 - resin which was used as the starting material for the synthesis . the synthesis was carried out on the beckman 990 - b peptide synthesizer using the following protocol . three equivalents of the amino acids were dissolved in their appropriate solvents [ the boc derivatives of 4mebzl - cys , val , phe in methylene chloride , asn in dimethylformamide , x such as d - tyr ( et ) or brbz - d - tyr in 1 : 1 methylene chloride / dimethylformamide and 4mebzl - pmp in methylene chloride ] and were coupled using an equimolar amount of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( dcc ) and 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole ( hobt ) except for the coupling of 4mebzl pmp where 1 . 0 equivalent of dimethylaminopyridine was used as catalyst . the extent of coupling was determined by qualitative ninhydrin analyses and couplings were repeated when necessary . the boc groups were removed using 1 : 1 trifluoroacetic acid / methylene chloride and after washing the free amine was generated using 5 % diisopropylethylamine / methylene chloride . the sequence of the peptide was checked using solid phase sequencing befor the coupling of the 4mebzl - pmp and its homogeneity confirmed . after the final coupling , the resin was dried to give 2 . 24 g of peptide resin in the case of the d - tyr ( et ) 2 - pro 7 compound . 1 . 1 g ( 0 . 5 mmole ) of the d - tyr ( et ) 2 peptide resin with 3 ml of anisole was stirred 60 min . at 0 ° ( ice bath ) in 25 ml of hydrogen fluoride ( hf ). the hf was , then , removed under reduced pressure at 0 °. the residue was washed with ethyl ether ( 4 × 20 ml , discarded ) and the peptide eluted with dimethylformamide 3 × 10 ml , 20 % acetic acid 3 × 10 ml and 0 . 3n ammonium hydroxide 3 × 10 ml . the filtrate was added to 2 l of degassed water and the ph adjusted to 7 . 1 with conc . ammonium hydroxide . a 0 . 01m solution of potassium ferricyanide was then added dropwise with stirring until a faint yellow color persisted ( 41 ml ). this solution was adjusted to ph = 4 . 7 with acetic acid and stored in the cold overnight . the solution was adjusted to ph = 7 with ammonia and stirred for 15 min with 30 g of ag - 3 × 4 bio - rad ion exchange resin ( wet , cl form ). this solution was then filtered slowly through an additional 30 g of resin . the resin was then washed with 4 × 200 ml of 20 % acetic acid and the filtrate stored in the cold overnight . the filtrate was then passed through a flash column ( 5 cm × 10 cm ) of a packing of silica gel coated with a c - 18 silane . the column was then , washed with 350 ml of water and the peptide eluted with 500 ml of 1 : 1 acetonitrile / water ( 0 . 25 % trifluoroacetic acid ) in 20 ml fractions . fractions 11 - 17 were combined and concentrated . the residue was dissolved in conc . acetic acid , diluted with water and lyophilized to yield 189 mg of the d - tyr ( et ) 2 , proline peptide , which was used without further purification for the synthesis of the tail modified peptides . ______________________________________identification of : ______________________________________ ## str22 ## amino acid analysis : peptide content 55 % asp , 1 . 00 ; pro , 1 . 23 ; cys , 0 . 35 ; val ; 1 . 04 , tyr ( et ), 1 . 43 ; phe , 1 . 51 . hplc : satisfactory . ## str23 ## amino acid analysis : peptide content 82 % asp , 0 . 97 ; pro , 1 . 10 ; cys , 0 . 39 ; val , 1 . 05 ; tyr , 0 . 99 ; phe , 0 . 99hplc : satisfactory , 30 % ch . sub . 3 cn / 70 % 0 . 05 m kh . sub . 2 po . sub . 4 , 2 ml / min , 5 uc - 18 , k &# 39 ; = 6 . 14 . ______________________________________ a mixture of 10 mg of the d - tyr ( et )- pro ( oh ) 7 prepared as above , and 1 ml of methanol was treated with ethereal diazomethane and , then , purified by preparing hplc ( 50 % ch 3 cn / 50 % h 2 o / 0 . 1 % tfa ) to yield 7 . 5 mg of the methyl ester ( 74 %), fabms m / z 938 ( m + h + ), homogeneous by hplc and tlc . to a solution of the d - tyr ( et ) 2 - proline heptapeptide , prepared as described above , ( 29 . 7 mg , 0 . 0331 mmol ), and arg ( nh 2 ) ( 0 . 0996 mmol ) in dimethylformamide ( 400 μl ), dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 10 . 3 mg , 0 . 05 mmol ) and dimethylaminopyridine ( 0 . 05 mmol ) were added and the reaction mixture was stirred at 0 °- 20 ° for 4 hours . the dimethylformamide was , then , removed under vacuum . the residue was treated as above in example 3 in 45 % yield to give the desired d - tyr ( et ) 2 - val 4 amide . the linear peptidyl resin , pmp ( s - mebzl )- d - tyr ( et )- phe - val - asn - cys ( s - mebzl )- pro - d - arg ( tos )- bha resin , was prepared by the solid phase method using the standard protocol described above . thus , 1 . 5 g benzhydrylamine resin corresponding to 1 . 0 mmol amine was coupled successively with the boc amino acid derivatives in threefold excess using dcc / hobt in methylene chloride / dmf , 1 : 1 . pmp ( s - mebzl ) was coupled with dcc / dmap . completeness of coupling was checked with the kaiser test or a quantitative ninhydrin test . recoupling was performed until the test was negative . the protected peptidyl resin was washed with successive portions of methylene chloride , methanol , ethyl acetate and methylene chloride , and , then , air dried . the peptide was cleaved from the resin with 15 ml of liquid hydrogen fluoride in the presence of 1 . 0 ml of anisole at 0 ° for one hour . after evaporation of the hydrogen fluoride and drying under high vacuum , the resin was washed with 3 × 20 ml of ether and , then , extracted with 2 × 50 ml of 50 % acetic acid , 50 ml of 10 % acetic acid , and 50 ml of water . the combined extracts were diluted to 4 l with water and the ph adjusted to 7 . 2 with 50 % sodium hydroxide solution . the solution was titrated with 0 . 01m k 3 fe ( cn ) 6 solution until a yellow color persisted ( 30 ml ). the ph was adjusted to 4 . 5 with glacial acetic acid and filtered . the filtrate was applied to a cation exchange ( biorex - 70 ) column ( h + form ), washed with water and then eluted with 100 ml of pyridine acetate buffer ( 30 ml of pyridine , 4 ml of acetic acid , 66 ml of water ). the eluant was evaporated to dryness . the residue was dissolved in a small amount of 10 % acetic acid and diluted with water to 1 % acetic acid , then lyophilized , yielding 650 mg of the crude titled peptide . the crude peptide was purified by counter current distribution in n - butanol / acetic acid / water ( b / a / w ) ( 4 : 1 : 5 ) yielding 33 mg partially purified peptide . this was further purified by gel filtration on a sephadex g - 15 column in 1 % acetic acid , yielding 24 . 5 mg pure peptide . amino acid analysis ( hydrolysis in hcl / tfa 2 : 1 , 0 . 005 % phenol for 1 hr .) asp 1 . 00 , pro 0 . 72 , cys 0 . 62 , val 0 . 99 , tyr 1 . 04 , phe 1 . 04 , arg 0 . 95 , 71 % peptide . hplc : ( 40 % acetonitrile / 60 % water / 0 . 1 % tfa ), one peak , k &# 39 ;= 5 . 2 ; ( 45 % acetonitrile / 55 % water / 0 . 1 % tfa ) k &# 39 ;= 3 . 6 ; ( gradient 20 % acetonitrile , 5 &# 39 ;; 20 - 50 % acetonitrile , 20 &# 39 ;; 50 % acetonitrile , 5 &# 39 ;) k &# 39 ;= 8 . 7 , 97 % pure . tlc : rf 0 . 32 ( b / a / w 1 : 1 : 1 ); 0 . 12 ( b / a / w 4 : 1 : 1 ); 0 . 50 ( n - butanol / pyridine / acetic acid / water ), 15 : 10 : 3 : 12 ). the extracted peptidyl resin still contained peptide by amino acid analysis , so it was extracted with 3 × 50 ml of dmf . the dmf was evaporated to dryness and the residue dissolved in 10 % hoac , diluted to 1 % acetic acid and lyophilized , yielding an additional 260 mg of peptide . fab mass spectrometry of this material gave a m / z 1079 which corresponds to m + h for the desired cyclic peptide . substituting a stoichiometric quantity of boc - d - phe for boc - d - tyr ( br - z ) at the 2 unit of the peptide synthesis of example 1 gives ## str25 ## substituting boc - d - val at the same position using the splitting - oxidation reactions of example 2 gives ## str26 ## substituting β - mercapto - β , β - cyclotetramethylenepropionic acid ( tmp ) for pmp in example 5 gives ## str28 ## β - mercapto - β , β - cyclohexamethylenepropionic acid gives the hmp 1 derivative . substituting in example 1 boc - d - nle at the 2 unit and d - arg ( tos ) at the 8 unit gives ## str29 ## substituting in example 1 boc - α - aminophenylbutyric acid ( pba ) at the 2 unit gives ## str31 ## substituting boc - lys ( clz ) in example 3 for the protected arg gives ## str32 ## other representative compounds which are prepared in like manner are : ## str33 ## a preparation which contains 0 . 5 mg of the cyclic octapeptide of examples 1 or 3 as a sterile dry powder for parenteral injection is prepared as follows : 0 . 5 mg of peptide amide is dissolved in 1 ml of an aqueous solution of 20 mg of mannitol . the solution is filtered under sterile conditions into a 2 ml ampoule and lyophylized . the powder is reconstituted before either intramuscular or intravenous injection to a subject suffering from edema susceptible to anti - adh mechanism of action . the injection is repeated as necessary , from 1 - 5 times daily or in continuous i . v . drug injection . other octapeptides of this invention are made up and used in like manner . 30 mg of finely ground octapeptide of this invention such as the product of example 2 is suspended in a mixture of 75 mg of benzyl alcohol and 1 . 395 g of a suspending agent such as a commercial mixture of semisynthetic glycerides of higher fatty acids . the suspension is placed in an aerosol 10 ml container which is closed with a metering valve and charged with aerosol propellants . the contents comprise 100 unit doses which are administered intranasally to an edematous subject from 1 - 6 times a day .

US-73452285-A

a method for fastening an in particular tub - shaped floor panel to an in particular frame - like vehicle structure is provided . the method includes applying an adhesive to a contact surface of the floor panel and / or of the vehicle structure , and joining the floor panel and the vehicle structure . the method includes expanding and / or activating the adhesive by heating the joint vehicle structure - floor panel composite .

the following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure or the application and uses of the present disclosure . furthermore , there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or the following detailed description . in a cross section , fig1 shows a frame - like vehicle structure having two parallel side members 20 , 22 and two cross members that are perpendicular thereto , of which in the section of fig1 only one cross member 21 is visible . the four members are substantially identical and each embodied as two - piece sheet metal construction , wherein in the section of fig1 the two halves 20 . 1 , 20 . 2 and 22 . 1 , 22 . 2 of the side members 20 , 22 are visible . in a modification which is not shown , one or a plurality of members are designed unitarily , in one example , as extruded profile . it is evident that the members each have a lower flange 20 . 3 and 22 . 3 respectively facing the member located opposite . on the vehicle structure 20 - 22 , a tub - like floor panel 10 with a u - shaped cross section that is visible in fig1 is fastened . the floor panel 10 has a lower floor area and walls that are substantially perpendicular thereto , which continue on the side located opposite the floor area into a circumferential flange 11 facing away from the floor area that is parallel to the latter . the floor panel 10 is cast or formed from plastic . on the flange 11 , a depression is defined by two webs 11 . 1 relative to the web margins . in these , as is shown in fig2 a , an adhesive 30 ′ is initially applied so that it does not protrude over the web margins . this can take place away from the assembly line . following this , the floor panel 10 with applied adhesive 30 ′ is delivered to the assembly line . there , as shown in fig2 b , floor panel 10 and vehicle structure 20 - 22 are positively and non - positively joined . to this end , an elastically deformable fixing means in the form of an at least partially circumferential clip or a plurality of individual clips 12 is provided on the floor panel 10 . the floor panel 10 is pushed into the frame - like vehicle structure 20 - 22 from above . in the process , the clip or clips 12 are elastically deformed and following the passing through the opening of the frame - like vehicle structure 20 - 22 , press against the flanges 20 . 3 , 22 . 3 of said vehicle structure from below . in this manner , the flanges 20 . 3 , 22 . 3 are braced between a contact surface and the fixing means 12 . the joined vehicle structure - floor panel composite is now guided onwards on the assembly line . in a drying oven of a painting facility ( not shown ), the vehicle structure - floor panel composite is heated as shown in fig1 . in the process , the adhesive 30 expands so that it moves beyond the margins of the webs 11 . 1 , contacts the flanges 20 . 3 , 22 . 3 where it adheres , while additionally increasing the bracing of said flanges with the clips 12 . through the heating , the adhesive 30 is activated at the same time so that it develops of increases its adhesive action . having passed through the drying oven , the adhesive cools down and hardens in the process . in this manner , a glued bond of the floor panel 10 to the vehicle structure 20 - 22 can be realized in an existing assembly line without additional gluing stations . while at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description , it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist . it should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples , and are not intended to limit the scope , applicability , or configuration of the present disclosure in any way . rather , the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment , it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents .

US-201213672920-A

nmr probe coils designed to operate at two different frequencies , producing a strong and homogenous magnetic field at both the frequencies . this single coil , placed close to the sample , provides a method to optimize the nmr detection sensitivity of two different channels . in addition , the present invention describes a coil that generates a magnetic field that is parallel to the substrate of the coil as opposed to perpendicular as seen in the prior art . the present invention isolates coils from each other even when placed in close proximity to each other . a method to reduce the presence of electric field within the sample region is also considered . further , the invention describes a method to adjust the radio - frequency tuning and coupling of the mar probe coils .

in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments , reference is made to the accompanying drawings , which form a part thereof , and within which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments by which the invention may be practiced . it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention . in an embodiment , the current invention is an nmr re probe coil that includes two nmr sample coils on a single substrate to allow better sensitivity for the second channel . each re coil is formed of conductive material patterned on a single dielectric substrate . the two sets of coils form a sample region between them for positioning the nmr sample . the coils can be used in existing nmr rf probes . these probes are used for chemical identification and structural analysis of molecules . using this nmr rf probe coil , two nmr coils can be placed in proximity to the nmr sample instead of one as in the conventional art . in an embodiment , the nmr rf probe coil includes superconductive oxide coils patterned on a flat dielectric substrate . sensitivity and other performance aspects are improved for the second coil , which can be used for a second nuclear isotope . for example , the two nuclear isotopes can be 1 h and 13 c analyzed simultaneously . the novel arrangement and coil structures produce a uniform magnetic field over the sample space and resonate at the required radiofrequencies . the probe coil is structured reduces the space required for the coils , allowing for larger samples in standard nmr magnets . this structure would permit function of a standard 4 - resonance probe ( 1 h , 13 c , 2 h , 15 n ) for a standard 5 - mm diameter sample tube in a standard diameter magnet . contrastingly , the conventional art has taught that high sensitivity superconductive probes are limited to smaller samples or fewer channels . with two coils on a single substrate , the number of coils in each probe is reduced by 50 %, reducing complexity and cost . in a contemplated arrangement of the probe coil , each coil set at one of the two resonance frequencies are exclusive of the current - carrying elements at the other frequency . the coils can be placed on the dielectric substrate in a variety of configurations . one configuration includes the coils placed on opposite sides of one dielectric substrate . another configuration includes the coils patterned on two separate dielectric substrates that are fastened together . another configuration includes the coils placed on the same side of one dielectric substrate , where one coil is placed within the other coil . in an alternative arrangement of the probe coil , the current - carrying elements are not exclusive of each other at the two resonance frequencies . capacitive coupling can be achieved between the two coils across the substrate at one or both of the two frequencies . in an alternative arrangement of the probe coil , the nmr probe can comprise the current - carrying elements of each coil set at two frequencies that are the same . two resonances can then be produced due to differences in the distribution of current density at the two frequencies . in certain embodiments , the current invention further contemplates a method of using two rf coils in close proximity to one another with very little interaction . the two coils are positioned such that the net magnetic flux generated by one coil and flowing through the other coil is zero ( 0 ). as a result of this structure and positioning , the magnetic field produced by one coil at its operating frequency is orthogonal to the magnetic field produced by the other coil . the nmr probe coil includes conductive elements patterned on a dielectric substrate for a resonant device . the current in the coil at the resonance frequency flows through a central conductor , and flows back in the reverse direction through distal conductors . this creates a magnetic field within a sample region that is parallel to the dielectric substrate . the central conductor may be wide near the middle of its structure and tapered along the ends along the longitudinal axis of the coil . this structure can help improve the homogeneity of the magnetic field of the nmr probe coil . a single fixed loop can be used to couple electrical energy into and out of the hts nmr coils . the loop is terminated by a network of trimmer capacitors that are adjusted to vary both the coupling and the resonant frequency of the nmr coil . this single fixed loop replaces two loops used in the prior art . in order to allow for adjustments to tuning and matching , the single loop is in an over coupled condition to the nmr coil . this means that the impedance at the loop terminals looking toward the coil at the coil resonance frequency is less than the characteristic impedance of the transmission line . the amount of coupling needed can be predetermined and preset based on the inductance and quality factor of the nmr coil , the tuning range needed , and the anticipated loss in the nmr sample itself . further , electrical loss should be minimized in the fixed coupling loop . this electrical loss can occur as a function of two processes . first , there may be electrical loss due to the desired currents induced along the length of the coupling loop needed for coupling and tuning . these loops increase proportionally with the series resistance of the wire . in the typical limit for rf circuits , where the wire thickness is much greater than the skin depth , the series resistance varies inversely with the wire radius . this transport loss is then inversely proportional to wire radius , so it would be desirable to use a wire of large radius . however , magnetic flux perpendicular to the finite surface area of the wire induces so - called eddy currents in the wire , also contributing to electrical loss . a wire of larger radius would be subject to greater eddy current loss . as such , there is an optimal wire radius which can be determined for each case . the location and shape of the fixed coupling loop can also be adjusted to maximize coupling while minimizing eddy current loss . because the loop is fixed , the wire would remain in the configuration of minimum loss at all times . in certain embodiments , the current invention teaches doubly resonant coils that generate strong and homogenous magnetic field at two resonance frequencies . the current distribution in these two resonance modes is such that the magnetic fields within the sample region are orthogonal to each other . in an embodiment , a set of two coils whose magnetic fields are orthogonal to each other within the sample region is used to excite and detect the two resonance frequencies , thereby allowing for independent design optimization with almost negligible interaction between the two coils . in another embodiment , quadrature detection of nmr signal at one frequency may be achieved by positioning two coils that operate at the same frequency . conventional nmr probe coils , such as those seen in fig1 a - 1c known in the prior art and operating at their fundamental resonance frequency , generate a magnetic field perpendicular to the substrate of the coil . the pair of coils straddling the sample on either side forms a helmholtz pair , and the magnetic field homogeneity is determined by the helmholtz condition . fig1 b illustrates the arrangement of a single channel fits probe : a pair of self - resonant hts coils mounted on a coldhead , an inductive loop for coupling the rf energy from the coil , and another loop for frequency fine - tuning . each additional channel requires the use of another set of coils and loops . the most useful configuration of nmr probe is known as ‘ triple resonance ’ because it includes channels for three of the most biologically significant elements : hydrogen , carbon and nitrogen . a fourth channel ( deuterium ) is included to regulate the magnetic field . an hts probe of this nature requires the use of four pairs of coils as shown in fig1 c , along with the associated tuning and coupling loops . contrastingly , the current invention is a double - resonance probe coil that produces a strong and homogenous magnetic field at two frequencies simultaneously . the double - resonance coils provide optimum nmr detection sensitivity of both carbon and hydrogen as shown in fig2 c . they are superior to single - resonance designs because they allow ideal sensitivity of two channels simultaneously . also , they reduce the expense and the complexity by reducing the number of coil pairs required . in an embodiment , the present invention is an nmr coil that generates a magnetic field parallel to the substrate of the coil . the pair of coils on either side of the sample carries currents in counter directions , in order that the magnetic fields from both coils are additive . the homogeneity of the magnetic field can be optimized by adjusting the width and shape of the central conducting strip . the presence of electric field within the sample region can be a source of loss in nmr experiments . in the design of nmr probes , it may be desirable that the coils have the lowest possible electric field in the sample region , so as to achieve high sensitivity . various means of reducing the electric field are known in the art . in an embodiment of the invention , the coil used to generate the magnetic field at one of the frequencies can be used as a mechanism to shield the electric field at the other frequency . in a further embodiment , dedicated electric field shields are used to reduce the electric field penetrating the sample region . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a number of variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention . the scope of the invention should not be limited by the specific examples given , but by the appended claims . fig2 a and 2b illustrate an embodiment of the current invention , a 13 c - 1 h coil generally denoted by the reference numeral 11 , where coil structures 10 , 14 are placed on opposite sides of one dielectric substrate . exemplary coil 11 would be appropriate to use as the inner coil pair in an nmr probe designed for detection of both 13 c and 11 h isotopes . in this embodiment , a dielectric substrate ( not shown ) separates two superconductive films patterned into self - resonant coil structures 10 , 14 . two such films are disposed around a cylindrical sample as in the prior art to produce a uniform rf magnetic field across the sample . the long axis of coil 11 would be oriented along the field axis of the solenoidal nmr magnet . the aspect of coil 11 distal to the sample can be seen in fig2 a and is patterned into spiral coil structure 10 . spiral coil structure 10 produces a field that is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the dielectric substrate . spiral coil structure 10 is well suited to achieving low resonance frequencies associated with 13 c , 15 n and other nuclei , excluding 1 h and 19 f . however , the electric field of spiral coil structure 10 fringes away from the dielectric substrate and into the sample under analysis . the conductivity and dielectric loss of the sample are often enough to reduce the q - factor of the coil and to contribute to the noise of the nmr measurement . thus , to improve sensitivity on the 13 c channel , coil 11 includes faraday shield 12 on the aspect of coil 11 proximal to the sample as described in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 446 , 534 , which is incorporated herein by reference . shield 12 includes thin , closely spaced wires that do not greatly affect the magnetic field produced by spiral coil structure 10 . the high frequency ( typically 1 h ) resonator is patterned on the “ front ” side of each dielectric substrate , facing the sample , as seen in fig2 b . the building block for the 1 h coil is the “ racetrack ” resonator as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 565 , 778 , which is incorporated herein by reference . two racetrack resonators 14 are patterned adjacent to each other . the resulting structure resembles the figure - 8 coil described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 973 , 908 , which also is incorporated herein by reference . racetrack resonators 14 produce an rf magnetic field that is substantially parallel to the dielectric substrate and orthogonal to the electric field produced by spiral coil structure 10 on the rear side of the substrate . racetrack resonator 14 can be readily tuned to the higher frequency of the 1 h isotope . when broken with several gaps 16 , in this case with four ( 4 ) gaps , racetrack resonator 14 has a low fringing electric field and is suitable for use close to a biomolecular sample . both spiral coil structure 10 and racetrack resonator 14 should be patterned into thin parallel wires as taught in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 565 , 778 patent to reduce distortions of the polarizing magnetic field . therefore , in areas where spiral coil structure 10 and gaps 16 overlap , where it is not possible to continue faraday shield 12 , racetrack resonator 14 itself serves as a faraday shield for spiral coil structure 10 and does not greatly affect the magnetic field of spiral coil structure 10 . in nmr spectroscopy , it is important to produce a uniform rf magnetic field over the sample . the field of the figure - 8 coil formed by adjacent racetrack resonators 14 is not as uniform , in general , as that of the pair of rectangular resonators . however , the uniformity can be improved by widening the central region of center portion 18 of the figure - 8 coil . it may be advantageous for rf homogeneity to taper center portion 18 at the ends as shown in fig2 b . fig3 illustrates another embodiment of the current invention , a 15 n - 2 h coil generally denoted by the reference numeral 21 , where the coil structures 22 , 24 are positioned on the same side of one dielectric substrate and one coil is placed within the other coil . exemplary coil 21 would be appropriate to use as the outer coil pair in an nmr probe designed for decoupling on the 15 n channel and for engaging a 2 h field frequency lock . in this embodiment , both self - resonant coil structures 22 , 24 are patterned on the same side of the dielectric substrate , thereby eliminating the two - sided patterning of the hts coils . the longitudinal axis of coil 21 would be oriented along the field axis of the solenoidal nmr magnet . coil 21 includes figure - 8 coil structure 22 tuned to the 2 h frequency and spiral coil structure 24 tuned to the 15 n frequency . the magnetic field in the sample region at the spiral coil structure resonance frequency is substantially perpendicular to the dielectric substrate , whereas the magnetic field in the sample region at the resonance frequency of coil structure 22 is substantially parallel to the dielectric substrate . the central region of the center portion 18 of figure - 8 coil structure 22 is widened to provide better rf homogeneity . fig4 illustrates a mechanism according to an embodiment of the current invention for coupling electrical energy into and out of the self - resonant rf coils or hts nmr coils . single fixed loop 30 is positioned in the probe such that it is inductively coupled to the rf coils . loop 30 would be positioned in proximity to the resonant coil . single fixed loop 30 replaces the moving tuning and coupling loops for a coil pair in the conventional art . thus , a network of trimmer capacitors 32 , 34 are included to terminate loop 30 . trimmer capacitors 32 , 34 are adjusted to vary both the coupling and the resonant frequency of the nmr coil . adjusting trimmer capacitors 32 , 34 does not affect the resolution of the probe , requiring re - shimming each time the tuning and coupling are adjusted . the parallel capacitor 32 can be varied to tune the frequency of the self - resonant coil . the series capacitor 34 can be adjusted to match the coil impedance to the impedance of the transmission line 36 . tuning rods ( not seen ) can be added to access the variable capacitors . in order to allow for adjustments to tuning and matching , single loop 30 is in an over coupled condition to the nmr coil . this means that the impedance at the terminals of loop 30 looking toward the coil at the coil resonance frequency is less than the characteristic impedance of the transmission line . the amount of coupling needed can be predetermined and preset based on the inductance and quality factor of the nmr coil , the tuning range needed , and the anticipated loss in the nmr sample itself . further , electrical loss should be minimized in fixed coupling loop 30 . this electrical loss can occur as a function of two processes . first , there may be electrical loss due to the desired currents induced along the length of coupling loop 30 needed for coupling and tuning . these loops increase proportionally with the series resistance of the wire . in the typical limit for re circuits , where the wire thickness is much greater than the skin depth , the series resistance varies inversely with the wire radius . this transport loss is then inversely proportional to wire radius , so it would be desirable to use a wire of large radius . however , magnetic flux perpendicular to the finite surface area of the wire induces so - called eddy currents in the wire , also contributing to electrical loss . a wire of larger radius would be subject to greater eddy current loss . as such , there is an optimal wire radius which can be determined for each case . the location and shape of the fixed coupling loop can also be adjusted to maximize coupling while minimizing eddy current loss . because loop 30 is fixed , the wire would remain in the configuration of minimum loss at all times . all referenced publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety . furthermore , where a definition or use of a term in a reference , which is incorporated by reference herein , is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein , the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply . the advantages set forth above , and those made apparent from the foregoing description , are efficiently attained . since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . it is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described , and all statements of the scope of the invention that , as a matter of language , might be said to fall therebetween , capacitance : this term is used herein to refer to the ability of a body to store an electrical charge capacitive coupling : this term is used herein to refer to the transfer of energy within an electric network by means of capacitance between circuit nodes . central conductor : this term is used herein to refer to an object or substance that allows heat , electricity , light or sound to pass along it or through it . central means it is in or towards the center of the body . current - carrying elements : this term is used herein to refer to an aspect of an nmr rf coil that is structured for the flow of a current . dieletric substrate : this term is used herein to refer to electrical insulators , such as silicon , ceramic quartz , etc . it is selected with dielectric strength , dielectric constant and loss tailored fir specific circuit application in order to serve as a base for another material . generally , it is a nonconductor of electricity with electrical conductivity of less than a millionth ( 10 − 6 ) of a siemens . magnetic flux : this term is used herein to refer to the component of the magnetic b field that passes through a surface . a lower magnetic flux corresponds to a lower interaction between magnetic fields generated by separate coils ( i . e ., the magnetic field generated by a coil is not passing through the surface of another coil ). nuclear magnetic resonance : this term is used herein to refer to a physical phenomenon in which magnetic nuclei in a magnetic field absorb and re - emit electromagnetic radiation . the energy that is re - emitted is at a specific resonance frequency which depends on the strength of the magnetic field and magnetic properties of the isotope of the atoms . nuclear magnetic resonance probe : this term is used herein to refer to the portion of an nmr spectrometer responsible for a significant portion of the work . the probe is placed in the center of the magnetic field , and the sample is inserted into the center of the probe . the probe contains radiofrequency coils ( rf ) tuned at specific frequencies for specific nuclei . orthogonal : this term is used herein to refer to objects being perpendicular , non - overlapping , varying independently , or uncorrelated . parallel : this term is used herein to refer to two or more straight coplanar lines that do not intersect . perpendicular : this term is used herein to refer to two structures or aspects intersecting or forming a 90 degree ( right ) angle . radiofrequency coil : this term is used herein to refer to coils contained within the probe tuned at specific frequencies for specific nuclei . resonance : this term is used herein to refer to the tendency of a system to oscillate at varying amplitude at some frequency . the level of amplitude is greater at some frequencies than others .

US-201314069686-A

a device consisting of a container which is partially submerged in the sea which may be buoyant and connected to the seabed with cables or mounted on a platform and whose interior is connected to its exterior via pipes where in response to the passing of waves is filled and emptied through these pipes . the force of the water flowing through the pipes causes turbines to rotate thus generating electricity which may be transmitted to land . these turbines may be turbines which rotate in different directions depending on the direction of water flow or turbines which maintain the same direction of rotation irrespective of the direction of water flow .

the owec ( fig1 ) essentially consists of a container ( 1 ) which in operation is partially submersed to a specific height from the seabed ( 2 ) such that the waterline ( 3 ) varies in height with the passing of waves . the device is connected to the seabed ( 4 ) using cables or supports ( 5 ). the device may be erected on a platform supported on the seabed or buoy ( 6 ). in fig2 and 3 , the container is fitted with one or a number of pipes ( 8 or 9 ) that facilitate the inflow and outflow of seawater between the container &# 39 ; s interior and the sea . as waves pass the container it is filled and emptied through these pipes . this is due to a differential created between the water on the inside of the device and the water on the outside of the device due to the device &# 39 ; s buoyancy , that it is connected by cables to the seabed or that it is erected on a platform . different pipes ( 8 ) could be used for the inflow and outflow ( fig2 ) or the same pipe ( 9 ) could facilitate both the inflow and outflow ( fig3 ), the arrows denoting the direction of flow . due to the characteristics of ocean waves and that maximum differential is desirable , the pipes will primarily be located in the base of the container . pipes may also be located in the devices sides which are more perpendicular to the plane of the sea . the pipe or pipes are fitted with a turbine or turbines . each turbine rotates about a central axis as seawater flows through it . the flow of seawater could be regulated by valves . the rotation induces an electric current . the electricity may then be transmitted to land via cables ( 7 ). the emptying or filling of the container may be regulated using valves to allow a build up of head to drive the turbines , though regulation of flow is not necessary for all operation as a natural head may be created by the waterline variation and restriction of water flow as it passes through the pipes . the creation of a head by regulating flow to power the turbines may be considered as a four step process and may be considered to illustrate the general process by which the owec functions . in fig4 - 7 the arrow denotes the horizontal movement of a wave over time . in fig4 , the owec ( 10 ) is in a closed state with a lower amount of water ( 11 ) in its base . a head ( 12 ) is building up between the base of the container and the wave ( 3 ). at the optimum moment water is allowed to flow into the container . in fig5 , the water ( 13 ) has filled the container , it is then retained in there . in fig6 , a head ( 14 ) has been generated by the continuation of the wave past the container . at the optimum moment this water is released resulting in the situation in fig7 . the cycle then starts again . the flow into and out of the device is converted into electrical energy using turbines . these turbines may be of the propeller variety . there are four arrangements of turbines possible . in fig2 , separate pipes may be used for the inflow and outflow of water and these pipes may be fitted with turbines which are designed for flow in only one direction . the disadvantage of this arrangement is that each turbine is only in operation for either the inflow or outflow of seawater . in fig8 , the same pipe may be used for both the inflow and outflow of water and may be fitted with a turbine that changes rotation direction dependent on the direction of water flow ( 15 ). this gives a greater surface area for the water to flow through , however , the disadvantage of this arrangement is that much of the energy of the water flow is used to change the direction of rotation of the propeller . in fig9 , the same pipe is used for inflow and outflow and uses a turbine whose blades switch orientation , by changing angle , dependent on flow direction ( 16 ). this also allows the turbine to maintain the same direction of rotation regardless of the direction of water flow . this type of turbine will be known as a switching alternating flow turbine or saft . in fig1 an example of a saft is shown where the turbine consists of blades ( 18 ) arranged about a central axis ( 19 ): fig1 illustrates the blade orientation ( 20 ) during the inflow stage , whilst fig1 illustrates the blade orientation ( 21 ) during the outflow stage . this allows the maximum surface area for the flow to pass through . as the orientation of blades is opposing dependent on the direction of flow , the inflow of water through the blades in one orientation and the outflow of water through the blades in another orientation results in rotation about the same axis , in the same direction . in fig1 , the same pipe for both inflow and outflow and is fitted with a particular type of turbine that maintains the same direction of spin regardless of the direction of water flow ( 17 ). this consists of two sets of opposing blades arranged about a common axis . an example of this is shown in fig1 - 16 . this type of turbine will be known as the alternating flow turbine or aft . in this case the aft consists of concentric bands of alternately opposing blades ( 22 and 23 ) about a single axis ( 24 ). however , sets of opposing blades may be arranged in any configuration . the flow through each set of blades is regulated by using valves . these valves may have an open and closed position . as water flows in one direction it is allowed to flow past one set of blades , the other set being closed . as water flows in the other direction it is allowed to flow past the opposing set of blades , the first set of blades being closed . in stages in which a build up of head is required , both sets of blades may be closed . as the orientation of each set of blades is opposing , the inflow of water through one set and the outflow of water through the other set results in rotation about the same axis , in the same direction . only half the total flow is possible with the aft than with the saft turbine these rotations can be used to generate electricity . any number of pipes and / or combinations of turbines may be fitted as to allow flow into and out of the container and result in electricity generation . alternatively a single turbine ( 25 ) may be fitted in the base of the cylinder which is composed of a circular section ( 26 ) ( fig1 ). in this case , in operation , the entire device may rotate about a central axis ( 27 ). this subclass of owec is to be known as the spinning owec or sowec . in order for the owec to work at maximum efficiency its height in the waterline must be carefully regulated . the owec must have sufficient buoyancy to reduce the variation in the height the device sits in the waterline as a result of emptying or filling with water . as the device would normally be erected in deep water it may not be possible to erect it on top of a platform supported on the seabed . in these cases the container ( 1 ) will either use its own buoyancy ( fig1 ) or be erected using a support ( 28 ) on top of a buoy ( 6 ) ( fig1 ), whilst using a tense cable ( 5 ) connected to the seabed ( 4 ) to allow the device to remain at an optimal , approximately constant distance to the seabed ( 2 ). the tension in the cable or the height of the support may be varied to attain the required height from the seabed . a platform or buoy may be used to house electrical generation and transmission equipment . horizontal forces from passing waves and wind as well as underwater currents may also effect the height that the device sits in the water . in fig2 - 24 these forces are denoted by an arrow . if horizontal forces are significant and / or variable such that they may effect the height of the owec in the water the device may be erected on a buoy ( 6 ) ( fig2 ) which has sufficient buoyancy to counter much if these horizontal forces and the buoyancy of the container and tension in the cable ( 5 ) may by used to retain the desired height . if the device is erected on a buoy or platform a support ( 29 ) at an angle ( 30 ) to the normal ( fig2 ) may be employed and height from the seabed regulated by varying this angle . the use of a keel ( 31 ) may be employed the keep the device upright ( fig2 - 24 ). in operation many owecs may be erected on a single buoy or platform ( 32 ) ( fig2 ). the use of remote sensing of wave characteristics may allow more efficient regulation of wave inflow and outflow from an owec .

US-99758805-A

the invention is addressed to the problem of providing a method whereby a mixing of bulk material containing fibers and plastic granules for the plasticate extrusion of long fiber reinforced thermoplastics will be possible during the melting process with high production outputs and with minimized material content in the extruder system and minimized fiber damage , and to the problem of creating an apparatus with an extruder for the practice of the method , which will have an extruder housing of modified geometry as to the feed opening and the corresponding screw elements , so that the disadvantages described above are avoided .

fig1 shows the apparatus for the practice of the method , comprising the plasticizing extruder 1 and the plastic - melting extruder 30 . in fig1 to 5 , the plasticizing extruder 1 according to the invention can be seen as a dual screw extruder with a length l . as fig1 shows , the length of the plasticizing extruder 1 is divided into two working areas and configured accordingly , namely into a feed and impregnating section m and an output and transport section n . for the shaping discharge of the product 24 ( a fiber - reinforced plastic composition ) a discharge nozzle 8 is provided at the end . fig2 shows section a — a of fig1 the fiber material 10 in bulk form being drawn into the infeed opening 18 . the plasticizing extruder 1 includes furthermore the housing 25 with the housing bores 2 and 3 as well as the extruder axes 6 and 7 for the feed screw 5 and the tandem screw 4 in the feed and impregnation section m , the housing 26 with the bores 2 ′ and 3 ′ for the extruder screws 4 ′ and 5 ′ of the discharge and transport section n . in fig1 there is shown the plastic melting extruder 30 for the preparation of the plastic from the hopper 19 for the feeding and transfer mechanism 29 , and drive 20 ′. the plastic transfer mechanism 29 passes the prepared plastic film 11 through the plastic introducing funnel 28 and into the discharge nozzle 13 . the drive 20 serves to drive the extruder screws 4 / 5 and 4 ′/ 5 ′. in the manufacturing operation the fiber material 10 is driven by the feed movement into the feed passage 27 and from there toward the product discharge by the screw units of the plasticizing extruder 1 through the screw land 9 and the screw root 22 . the fiber material 10 with the molten plastic is driven by the screw extruder 1 , with its two screws rotating in the same sense , from the feed screw 5 to the tandem screw 4 and vice versa in the discharge direction . that means that the fiber material 10 is driven in a kind of wrap - around , depending on the infeed width b , with more or less of an overlap , in the direction of the discharge nozzle 8 . during this sliding movement the molten plastic film 11 carried with the fiber material is worked into the fiber material and the individual fibers . as it further can be seen from fig1 to 5 , the fiber material 10 is drawn into the feed slot of the feed opening 18 of the plasticizing extruder 1 with its width b parallel to the extruder axes 6 and 7 and approximately tangentially onto the feed screw 5 , with a ¼ to ¾ wrap - around corresponding to wrap - around angle u around the housing bore 3 , which in some cases is eccentric , and has the diameter d plus 2 to 20 millimeters . the application of the fluid plastic film 11 directly onto the inwardly falling fiber material 10 takes place in the feed opening 18 where the fiber material is pressed into the fluid plastic film 11 applied to the feed screw 5 from the dispensing nozzle 13 . within the feed and impregnation section m all sides of the fiber material 10 thus become wetted or impregnated by kneading on the extruder screws 4 and 5 with the fluid plastic film 11 . then the individual fibers of the fiber material 10 , thoroughly impregnated or imbibed are carried from the feed and impregnation section m into the discharge and outfeed section n , the complete fusion coating and fiber distribution taking place in the case of rodlet granules . depending on the thickness of the fiber material and the matching consistency of the molten plastic it may be desirable for the fiber material 10 to be forced into the grooves and onto the lands 23 of the feed screw 5 by means of a stripping edge 12 or stripper bar 21 . in a preferred embodiment , the feeding of the fiber material 10 is achieved by a feed roll 15 disposed in the feed opening 18 , as shown in fig4 although this is not necessary to practice the present invention . in another preferred embodiment , the drawing of the fiber material 10 into the feed opening 18 is likewise improved by conically flaring the feed area . in yet a further improved embodiment , trouble - free guidance of the fiber material 10 in the feed opening 18 is achieved , according to fig5 in providing a removable feed jaw 16 . this aspect also provides for a simplified cleaning process . this feed jaw 16 can be optionally thermally insulated from the housing 25 and , being heated or cooled by means of a bore 17 , is adjustable to a temperature that is slightly below the tackiness temperature of the fiber material . it is furthermore envisioned that equipping the feed jaw 16 with an oscillatory drive will yield advantageous results . additionally , it is envisioned that the diameter reduction d of the feed screw 5 downstream from the feed opening 18 can terminate spirally in the direction of rotation . in another preferred embodiment , feed area 14 may be expanded conically onto the feed screw . in another preferred embodiment , the invention comprises a plastic melting extruder heating apparatus adapted to heat the fiber material in a transport line to the plasticizing extruder . in yet a further embodiment of the present invention , there is a method for the production of fiber - reinforced plastic compositions using a plasticizing extruder in which cold or preheated concentrate rodlets , recyclate chips , bulk fibers or other granular materials as fiber material are drawn through a guiding gate and a preheating device into the infeed opening of the plasticizing extruder , preferably parallel to the extruder axes and approximately tangentially onto an extruder screw and wound drivingly around the extruder screws and drawn into the cylinder bores of the screw cylinders , at the same time the application of a fluid plastic film to the extruder screw lands takes place and the drawing - in / pressing - in of the fiber material into the fluid plastic film , then the fiber material is wetted or imbibed on all sides with the liquid plastic within a drawing - in and impregnation section with the individual fibers on the extruder screws and carried into a output and transport section and discharged as a fiber - reinforced plastic composition ( plasticate ) susceptible of further processing , characterized in that , in a first extruder , the plastic granules are melted to a preferably higher temperature than the necessary plasticate temperature , in the entrance opening of a second extruder the plasticizing extruder , the molten plastic and the fiber material are combined , and within the feed and impregnating section of the plasticizing extruder the fiber material is largely uniformly embedded in the molten plastic and brought completely to the plasticate temperature in the discharge and transport section , the fiber material being preferably preheated before combination to such an extent that it can still be fed without problems , and without sticking , into the infeed opening , and that the fiber material with the plastic fused onto it is fed into a cylinder bore of the feed screw with a wrap - around of ¼ to ¾ from the point of contact with the fiber material , which has a preferably eccentrically disposed diameter d enlarged by 2 to 20 mm . in yet another embodiment of the present invention , there is an apparatus for the production of fiber - reinforced plastic compositions from fiber material and a melted plastic with a plasticizing extruder and a plastic melting extruder heating apparatus heating the fiber material in the transport line to the plasticizing extruder , an impregnating apparatus in the plasticizing extruder for the introduction of the fiber material and for mixing a plasticizing extruder consisting of a housing with two bores and axes of two extruder screws driven in rotation , a feed opening for the introduction of the fiber material into the bores being provided in the housing , for the practice of the methods , characterized in that , as plasticizing extruder ( 1 ), a parallel double screw extruder with preferably mop - up screw elements of great pitch is provided , which has a slot - like feed opening ( 18 ) above a feed screw ( 5 ), while , beginning from the feed opening ( 18 ) and in the range of the feed screw ( 5 ), the cylinder bore of the feed screw ( 5 ) is made with a ¼ to ¾ wrap - around ( u ) of diameter ( d ) enlarged by 2 to 20 mm , preferably eccentric , and a stripper bar ( 12 ) is disposed at the end , and thereafter the housing bore ( 3 ) of the feed screw ( 5 ) is reduced to the screw diameter ( d ). the foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed , and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto , and their equivalents . the foreign priority document , here german patent application no . de 100 59 525 . 1 , filed nov . 30 , 2000 , including the specification , the drawings , the claims , and the abstract , is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . additionally , u . s . patent application , ser . no . 09 / 997 , 246 ( claiming priority from german patent application no . de 100 59 461 . 1 , filed nov . 30 , 2000 ), including the specification , the drawings , the claims and the abstract , is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety .

US-99725301-A

provided is a handle assembly for carry - on luggage . the inverted u - shaped handle assembly comprises two handle units each comprising a handle rod comprising a fixed bottom support tube and a plurality of sliding tubes arranged telescopically about a tube therebelow ; a locking device in the tubes ; and a resilient device under of the support tube . pressing the push button will unlock the handle units and resiliently move the handle rods upward a predetermined small distance prior to being able to fully extend the handle rods .

referring to fig1 to 3 , there is shown a retractable handle mountable in a carry - on luggage in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention . the inverted u - shaped handle comprises two handle rods 20 , a top handle grip 10 having both ends connected to the handle rods 20 , two locking devices 30 each in the handle rod 20 , and two resilient devices 40 each in the handle rod 20 . each component is discussed in detailed below . the handle grip 10 comprises a base 11 , two tubes 111 extended downward from both ends of the base 11 , an oval recess 112 defined by the base 11 , and a mounting member 113 in the recess 112 for mounting a spring 12 , a push button 13 , and two levers 14 at both ends of the push button 13 . the lever 14 comprises a longitudinal hole 141 with a bottom pin 151 of a cover 15 inserted through . the cover 15 further comprises a central opening 152 with the push button 13 slidably received therein . two rigid connecting rods 16 each has one end passed the tube 111 to pivotably connect to one end of the lever 14 and the other end extended through the handle rod 20 . the handle rod 20 comprises a bottom support tube 24 , a top first sliding tube 21 , an upper second sliding tube 22 , and a lower third sliding tube 23 in which the support tube 24 is fixed connected to either socket of a support at bottom of luggage , the first sliding tube 21 has a top end fixedly connected to the tube 111 , and the first , second , and third sliding tubes 21 , 22 , and 23 each is arranged telescopically about its lower member . also , each of the second sliding tube 22 , third sliding tube 23 , and support tube 24 has a releasable sleeve 221 , 231 , 241 fitted on its respective top portion . further , there are apertures and positioning holes formed on each of the second sliding - tube 22 , third sliding tube 23 , and the support tube 24 as detailed later . the locking device 30 comprises an upright locking mechanism 31 comprising a locking block 32 including a longitudinal tunnel 321 , a small upper member 322 , and a large lower member 323 , and a sliding block 33 . a pin 51 is inserted through a lower aperture 211 of the first sliding tube 21 into the upper member 322 . bottom of the first sliding tube 21 is rested upon the lower member 323 . a lateral recessed portion 324 is formed in the lower member 323 for receiving a locking member 325 and a spring 326 . the sliding block 33 is provided in the tunnel 321 and has its top end fixedly connected to a lower end of the connecting rod 16 . the sliding block 33 comprises a lower slope 331 and the locking member 325 comprises an inner slope 3251 matingly engaged with the slope 331 such that the spring 326 is adapted to push the locking member 325 into a lower positioning hole 222 of the second sliding tube 22 for locking . the locking device 30 further comprises a sliding locking unit 34 comprising an upper first block 35 , a lower second block 36 , and a sliding rod 37 . the first block 35 comprises a longitudinal channel 351 , a small upper member 352 , and a large lower member 353 . a pin 52 is inserted through a lower aperture 223 of the second sliding tube 22 into the upper member 352 . bottom of the second sliding tube 22 is rested upon the lower member 353 . the lower member 353 comprises a first lateral recessed portion 354 for receiving a locking member 356 and a spring 357 , and a second lateral recessed portion 355 for receiving a locking member 358 and a spring 359 . the locking member 356 comprises a v - shaped projection 3561 at one side and the locking member 358 comprises a v - shaped projection 3581 at one side . the locking member 358 is pushed into a lower positioning hole 232 of the third sliding tube 23 by the spring 359 for locking . the second block 36 is secured to the positioning hole 233 of the third sliding tube 23 by a pin 53 and comprises an upper socket 361 and a lateral recessed portion 362 for receiving a hollow member 363 , a locking member 364 , and a spring 365 . the hollow member 363 comprises an inner slope 366 . the locking member 364 is pushed into a positioning hole 242 of the support tube 24 for locking . the sliding rod 37 is provided in the channel 351 of the first block 35 with a spring 375 slip - on an upper portion thereof and comprises an oval transverse tunnel 371 with the pin 52 further inserted through the aperture 223 of the second sliding tube 22 into the tunnel 371 , a lower first slope 372 matingly engaged with the v - shaped projection 3561 of the locking member 356 , an upper second slope 373 matingly engaged with the v - shaped projection 3581 of the locking member 358 , and a bottom slope 374 matingly engaged with the inner slope 366 of the hollow member 363 . the resilient device 40 is provided under of the support tube 24 and comprises a hollow base 41 , a spring 42 provided in the base 41 , and a t - shaped member 43 having bottom rested upon top of the spring 42 and top urged against bottom of the second block 36 by the spring 42 . referring to fig3 and 4 , an operative position of the handle will now be described in detail . first , press the push button 13 to pivot the levers 14 to pull both the connecting rods 16 and the sliding block 33 upward . the locking member 325 of the locking mechanism 31 is pushed inward by the lower slope 331 of the sliding block 33 . as such , the locking member 325 clears the positioning hole 222 of the second sliding tube 22 . thus , the sliding rod 37 is unlocked by the locking block 32 . the hollow member 363 is pushed by the expanding spring 365 of the second block 36 to cause the locking member 364 to clear the positioning hole 242 of the support tube 24 . the spring 42 of the resilient device 40 expands to push both the t - shaped member 43 and the second block 36 upward . as a result , the handle is unlocked and suddenly resiliently moves upward automatically a small distance as shown in fig4 . referring to fig5 , a user may then grasps the handle grip 10 and pull up same until the handle is fully extended . in this position , the locking member 325 of the locking mechanism 31 is pushed by the spring 326 to enter an upper positioning hole 224 of the second sliding tube 22 for locking . the locking member 356 of the first block 35 is pushed by the spring 357 together with an aid of the spring 375 slip - on the sliding rod 37 to enter an upper positioning hole 234 of the third sliding tube 23 for locking . the hollow member 363 of the second block 36 is pushed by the spring 365 to enter an intermediate positioning hole 243 of the support tube 24 for locking . referring to fig6 , it shows a second preferred embodiment of retractable handle mounted in a carry - on luggage according to the invention . the second preferred embodiment substantially has same structure as the first preferred embodiment . the difference between the first and the second preferred embodiments , i . e ., the characteristic of the second preferred embodiment is detailed below . the second embodiment has two sliding tubes 21 , 22 and a support tube 24 . it means that the sliding tube 23 , the upper first block 35 , the sliding rod 37 , and the sleeve 231 as mentioned above are all omitted . while the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments , numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims .

US-10358205-A

a novel process is disclosed for preparing hydrocarbon mixtures from methanol or trimethyl phosphate . the process comprises heating the methanol or trimethyl phosphate with phosphorus pentoxide , polyphosphoric acid or a species of polyphosphoric acid intermediate between the two reagents at a temperature of circa . 185 ° c . to 300 ° c . the hydrocarbon mixtures obtained are useful fuel and lubricant compositions .

the starting materials employed in the process of the invention are essentially phosphorus pentoxide , methanol and / or trimethyl phosphate . the preferred source of phosphorus pentoxide for use in the process of the invention is polyphosphoric acid and in a preferred embodiment of the invention the methanol or trimethyl phosphate is admixed with polyphosphoric acid containing from about 78 % to about 84 % by weight of phosphorus pentoxide , under the conditions of the process of the invention . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , additional phosphorus pentoxide may be added to the polyphosphoric acid . the chemical reaction which occurs upon admixture of methanol with the phosphorus pentoxide or polyphosphoric acid is not completely understood . it is believed however that an intermediate in the ultimate conversion to hydrocarbons may be monomethyl , dimethyl or trimethyl phosphate or mono - or dimethyl polyphosphates since the process of the invention proceeds equally well when trimethyl phosphate is used in the absence of methanol . the process of the invention may be carried out by first admixing the phosphorus pentoxide or polyphosphoric acid with the methanol or trimethyl phosphate using conventional techniques and apparatus . the admixture of methanol with phosphorus pentoxide or polyphosphoric acid results in an exothermic reaction . preferably admixture of methanol with the phosphorus pentoxide is over a period of time so as to maintain the reaction mixture at a temperature of less than circa 60 ° c . to 70 ° c . alternatively , the reaction mixture may be cooled using conventional cooling means while admixture of methanol proceeds . alternatively , the phosphorus pentoxide of polyphosphoric acid is heated to a temperature less than the maximum desired process temperature , and the methanol or trimethyl phosphate added by conventional means . the proportions of phosphorus pentoxide and methanol or trimethyl phosphate admixed are within the ratio of from about 1 : 1 to about 1 : 2 . 2 . if higher proportions of methanol or trimethyl phosphate are employed , the product obtained is dimethyl ether rather than the desired hydrocarbons . there is no advantage in employing higher proportions of phosphorus pentoxide . the process of the invention is carried out by heating the mixture of phosphorus pentoxide and methanol or trimethyl phosphate at a temperature of from about 185 ° c . to about 300 ° c ., preferably from about 190 ° c . to about 220 ° c . and most preferably at about 200 ° c . at the lower temperature , reaction is slow while at the higher temperature carbonization increases and yield decreases . at 200 ° c ., the most advantageous reaction times , yields and avoidance of carbonization occur . the process of the invention proceeds satisfactorily at atmospheric pressures . super - atmospheric pressures may be employed , but any advantage is mediated by the increased hazards and expense of high - pressure apparatus . the conversion of the methanol or trimethyl phosphate to hydrocarbons is generally complete in from about 1 to about 8 hours , depending on the temperature employed in the process . the process is completed more rapidly at the higher temperatures . at the preferred temperature range , the reaction is substantially complete in from about 4 to about 8 hours . completion of the conversion may be observed visually since the hydrocarbon mixture product separates from the reaction mixture as a colorless liquid . completion of the reaction is indicated when no more product separates . the product may be separated as formed by distillation technique or allowed to accumulate as a gently refluxing supernatent layer . upon completion of the reaction , the supernatent hydrocarbon mixture may then be separated by decantation . if desired , the constituency of the product hydrocarbon mixture obtained as a supernatent layer in the reaction mixture can be altered by continued refluxing of the reaction mixture after the conversion of methanol or trimethyl phosphate is complete . by continued refluxing of the hydrocarbon product with the reaction mixture , lower molecular weight hydrocarbons in the product mixture are converted to higher molecular weight hydrocarbons . this is desirable when a heavy hydrocarbon oil is desired . the following examples describe the manner and process of making and using the invention and set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out the invention but are not to be construed as limiting . an appropriate vessel is charged with 100 gms . of polyphosphoric acid ( circa 84 percent by weight phosphorus pentoxide ). to the charge there is added with stirring 72 ml . of trimethyl phosphate . the resulting mixture is heated to a temperature of 190 ° c . and refluxed at that temperature for about 4 hours with continued stirring . at the end of this period , the reaction mixture is in two phases , the upper , supernatent layer being a colorless oily layer which gently refluxes . the mixture is cooled in a solid carbon dioxide bath and the clear upper layer decanted to obtain 9 gms ( 36 percent yield based on starting trimethyl phosphate ) of a mixture of hydrocarbons . about 200 different compounds are found in the mixture . gas - liquid chromatography indicates a hydrocarbon distribution as follows : c 4 compounds , 4 . 2 percent ; c 5 compounds , 11 . 8 percent ; c 6 compounds , 21 . 5 percent ; c 7 compounds , 27 . 3 percent ; c 8 compounds , 15 . 5 percent ; c 9 + compounds , 19 . 7 percent . the largest fraction , i . e . ; c 7 compounds contain 2 - methylhexane ( 6 . 9 percent ); 2 , 3 - dimethylpentane ( 5 . 1 percent ); 3 - methylhexane ( 6 . 8 percent ); heptane ( 0 . 4 percent ) and substituted cyclopentanes . the c 9 + fraction contains compounds of empirical formulae c n h 2n - 4 up to c n h 2n - 10 . the monoaromatic compounds c n h 2n - 6 are all highly substituted and maximal at c 12 . almost all fractions contain small amounts of alkenes , e . g . circa 0 . 6 percent of methylcyclohexene in the c 7 fraction . the hydrocarbon mixture so obtained is combustible and may be employed , for example , as a heating fuel by combustion in an appropriate heating apparatus . the transverse portion of a 3 / 4 &# 34 ; &# 34 ; u &# 34 ; tube ( 7 inches between vertical portions ) is filled with phosphorus pentoxide and immersed in a pan of wood &# 39 ; s metal heated to a temperature of 300 ° c . by drop - wise addition , 60 ml . of methanol is charged to one vertical end of the tube and carried through the bed of phosphorus pentoxide by a stream of nitrogen gas . the opposite vertical portion of the tube discharges into a collection vessel cooled in dry ice . after 65 minutes , addition of methanol is complete and there is collected in the collection vessel 25 ml . of a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons . gas - liquid chromatography carried out on an aliquot of the product obtained gives a spectra as shown in fig1 . the transverse portion of a 3 / 4 inch &# 34 ; u &# 34 ; tube ( 7 inches between vertical portions ) is filled with phosphorus pentoxide and immersed in a pan of wood &# 39 ; s metal heated to a temperature of 260 ° c . by drop - wise addition , 100 ml . of methanol is charged to one vertical end of the tube and carried through the bed of phosphorus pentoxide by a stream of nitrogen gas . the opposite vertical end discharges into a collection vessel cooled in dry ice . after about one hour addition of methanol is complete and about 30 ml . of a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons is collected in the collection vessel . to an appropriate vessel there is charged 350 ml . of phosphoric acid ( 85 %). the charge is heated until 160 ml . of water distills off . the residue is a heavy liquid which is polyphosphoric acid ( circa 78 % by weight phosphorus pentoxide ). the residue is heated to a temperature of about 260 ° c . and to the hot residue there is added drop - wise a mixture of 60 gms of methanol dissolved in commercially available polyphosphoric acid . during the drop - wise addition , the reaction mixture darkens and foams . a liquid hydrocarbon mixture is isolated by steam distillation .

US-57764375-A

a power stealing system having a switch and a circuit that takes power from equipment to operate control electronics . the system may be such that power stealing occurs while the equipment is not powered to avoid disruption or false signals in the electronics or equipment . the circuit may convey taken power to a storage device . the electronics may be powered by the storage device . the storage device may have a capacitor , a rechargeable battery , a non - chargeable battery , a solar cell , fuel cell , line power , and / or the like .

a control device having a power stealing mechanism is shown in fig1 . power may be picked off of a supply for a thermostatic load 16 . control of power may involve a switch 13 which may consist of a relay , fet , triac , or the like . the switch 13 may be controlled by a controller 14 which may be a microcontroller . the switch 13 may permit a power - stealing circuit 11 to take power for the control device , such as thermostatic electronics , from power for the thermostatic load 16 . then power from circuit 11 may be conveyed to a storage / power device 12 . device 12 may have a capacitor , rechargeable battery , non - chargeable battery , solar cell , fuel cell , and / or the like . some of the stored power may be provided to the controller 14 to sustain operation of it , and to switch 1 3 and circuit 11 . line power may be available . a circuit diagram of the power stealing electronics for a control device is shown in fig2 , 4 and 5 . the circuit diagrams in these figures reveal illustrative examples of implementing the present invention . with a switch 13 in a first position , line 21 is not connected to a line or terminal 23 . with switch 13 in a second position , then line 23 is connected to line 21 . switch 13 may be instead some solid state device such as a fet , triac , or the like . switch 13 in fig2 , 4 and 5 may be , for example , a relay , a latching relay , or solid state device . the switch or relay 13 in fig2 may have solenoid 26 that is connected by a driver 33 to ground , since the end of the solenoid is connected to v switch , and pull a contact arm 27 down to short terminals 21 and 23 to call or connect the load 16 to its power . upon release or the grounding of the terminal of solenoid 26 to ground , the contact arm 27 may return to a normal position having a contact with line 22 . then there may be an ac voltage across terminals 21 and 23 which are connected to rectifier 24 for rectification of the input to a dc output at terminals 35 and 36 . the voltage at terminals 21 and 23 may instead be dc and the rectifier 24 might not be needed . the device in fig3 may have two solenoids 25 and 26 which can move a contact arm 27 from terminal 22 to terminal 23 or vice versa . each solenoid may have a lead connected to a switch voltage v switch 28 . solenoids 25 and 26 also may have leads 31 and 32 connected to a driver 33 which may activate solenoid 25 or solenoid 26 by connecting lead 31 or 32 to a device ground 36 , respectively . only one lead 31 or 32 should be grounded at one time . however , when arm 27 is moved to terminal 22 or to 23 , with an activation of solenoid 25 or 26 , respectively ; the lead , 31 or 32 , need not be constantly grounded to maintain arm 21 in its last moved - to position . also , if the switch voltage 28 is non - existent , then arm 27 may remain in its last position with neither solenoid activated . the grounding of lines 31 and 32 need be only temporary to change the position of relay arm 27 . thus , no energy is needed to maintain either position of arm 27 . because of this characteristic , the switch may be regarded as a latching relay . driver 33 may change the position of the relay with a signal ( or multiple signals ) on line 34 from controller 14 . controller 14 may be , for example , an eight bit microcontroller which has a part number atmega48v - 10 , possibly available from a vendor such as atmel corporation . when a voltage from a load 16 and its power supply with a load ground 40 ( noted in fig3 and 5 ) is across the input lines 21 and 23 of rectifier 24 , then there may be a dc voltage at the output of rectifier 24 on line 35 relative to a device ground 36 . the rectifier output voltage on line 35 may go to the power stealing circuit 11 . line 35 may be connected to an emitter of pnp transistor 37 . transistor 37 may be , for example , a part number mmbt2907a , possibly available from a vendor such as diodes inc . resistors 38 and 39 may have one end connected to line 35 . resistors 38 and 39 may be about 10 megohms and 20 k ohms , respectively . the other end of resistor 39 may be connected to the base of transistor 37 and one end of a resistor 41 . resistor 41 may be about 100 k ohms . the other end of resistor 41 may be connected to a collector of an npn transistor 42 . transistor 42 may be , for example , a part number mmbta05lt1 , such as an “ on semiconductor ™” device . the other end of resistor 38 may be connected to the base of transistor 42 and to one end of a resistor 43 of about 20 k ohms . the other end of resistor 43 may be a power - steal control line 47 that is connected to controller 14 . the collector of transistor 37 may be connected to one end of a resistor 44 of about 20 k ohms . the other end of resistor 44 may provide a power - steal output voltage ( v ps ) line 46 of circuit 11 . the emitter of transistor 42 and an anode of a zener diode 45 may be connected to device ground 36 . the cathode end of diode 45 may be connected to line 46 . diode 45 may be a 5 . 1 volt zener diode having , for example , a part number mmsz4689 , possibly available from fairchild semiconductor corporation . resistor 44 may be a current limiting resistor . the output line v ps 46 of circuit 11 may go to a storage / power device 12 . line 46 may be connected to an anode of a diode 48 . the cathode of diode 48 may be connected to the cathode of diode 49 . diodes 48 and 49 may be a pair of schottky diodes having a part number bas70 - 05 , which possibly is available from general semiconductor , inc ., in melville , n . y . a capacitor 51 may at the same time be a storage device for power stealing by circuit 11 provided at v ps terminal or line 46 . capacitor 51 could be replaced by a rechargeable battery . the cathodes of diodes 48 and 49 may be connected to one end of the storage capacitor 51 which may be about 47 millifarads . this end of capacitor 51 may be regarded as a voltage terminal ( v cc ) 52 . v cc 52 may be connected to the controller 14 . connected between v cc 52 and device ground 36 may be at least one 0 . 1 microfarad capacitor 53 . the other end of storage capacitor 51 may be connected to device ground 36 . a resistor 54 of about 274 ohms may have one end connected to v cc terminal 52 and the other end connected to the v switch terminal 28 . a capacitor 55 of about 1000 microfarads may be connected between v switch terminal 28 and device ground 36 . a resistor 56 of about 274 ohms may have one end connected to the anode of diode 49 and another end connected to a battery voltage ( v batt ) terminal 57 . terminal 57 may be connected to a positive terminal of a battery 58 . the negative terminal of battery 58 may be connected to the device ground 36 . battery 58 may be an externally or internally chargeable storage battery , a non - chargeable battery , or a back - up voltage source at terminal 57 . the battery 58 may provide power to controller 14 and other components of the system electronics as may be needed . this battery 58 may be a primary source or secondary backup source , and in that place it may be a non - chargeable or chargeable battery , fuel cell , solar cell , or the like . the v ps terminal 46 may be connected to the cathode of a diode 61 . the anode of diode 61 may be connected to the cathode of a diode 62 . the anode of diode 62 may be connected to device ground 36 . diodes 61 and 62 may have , for example , a part number bav199 and be possibly available from a vendor such as diodes incorporated . the common connection between diodes 61 and 62 may be connected via a line 59 to the controller 14 . line 59 may provide to controller 14 a status signal of line 23 to rectifier 24 via a resistor 63 of about 1 . 2 megohms . there may be a pull - down resistor 64 of about 1 . 2 megohms connected between line 21 of rectifier 24 and the device ground 36 . fig4 is similar to fig3 except it may have a single coil 30 latching switch 13 that uses different polarities in application of electrical power to the coil or actuator 30 to move and latch the switch contact 27 one way or the other , respectively . fig5 is similar to fig2 and 4 except that fig5 may incorporate a solid state switch as device 13 . the switch may of a latching topology or a non - latching topology . the switch may instead be another kind of device that accomplishes the appropriate circuit connections for the invention . in the present specification , some of the matter may be of a hypothetical or prophetic nature although stated in another manner or tense . although the invention has been described with respect to at least one illustrative example , many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the present specification . it is therefore the intention that the appended claims be interpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to include all such variations and modifications .

US-16446405-A

a composition containing ubidecarenone , a glycerol mono - fatty acid ester and / or a propylene glycol mono - fatty acid ester , and a liquid oil . oral administration of the composition provides a promoted absorption of ubidecarenone which is used for improving a coronary function .

in a composition according to the present invention , a glycerol mono - fatty acid ester and / or a propylene glycol mono - fatty acid ester are / is requisite component ( s ). such a glycerol mono - fatty acid ester includes those available , specifically such as mgo ( under the trade name and from nikko chemicals , co . in japan ), and glycerol mono - oleic acid ester is most preferred . as the other component , a propylene glycol mono - fatty acid ester includes those available , specifically such as pmo ( under the trade name and from nikko chemicals , co . in japan ), and propylene glycol mono - oleic acid ester is most preferred . it is to be understood that the glycerol mono - fatty acid ester and the propylene glycol mono - fatty acid ester are usually employed alone , respectively , but may be , of course , employed in combination with each other . the employment of them in combination is included in the scope of the present invention . a liquid oil is also another requisite component in a composition according to the present invention . the liquid oils includes vegetable and synthetic oils . illustrative of such preferred vegetable oils are cotton seed oil , peanut oil , sesame oil , and olive oil . illustrative of such preferred synthetic oils are synthetic esters of glycerol and fatty acids and diesters of propylene glycol and fatty acids such as caproic , caprylic , capric and lauric acids , or odo and the like . a glycerol mono - fatty acid ester and / or a propylene glycol mono - fatty acid ester and a liquid oil may be combined with ubidecarenone in any proportions . particularly desirable effect is obtained , when the glycerol mono - fatty acid ester and / or the propylene glycol mono - fatty acid ester are / is used in an amount of 0 . 1 to 25 parts by weight , preferably 0 . 2 to 2 . 5 parts by weight , while the liquid oil is used in an amount of 1 to 30 parts by weight , per 1 part by weight of ubidecarenone . other additives may be optionally selected and added into the composition according to the present invention , and include stabilizers for a suspension such as silicic anhydride , aluminum stearate , magnesium stearate , etc ., excipients for shaping the composition and the like , but it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited by such additives . the composition according to the present invention is basically in the form of a solution or suspension in an oil . however , the composition according to the present invention may be used in the form of a powder obtained by adsorbing such an oily liquid in another powder and forming the resulting material into a powder , or a granule , tablet , syrup or sugar - coated pill , hard capsule and the like which are produced from the further treatment of such a powder . in addition , a capsule resulting from the direct encapsulation of the above oily liquid is a suitable form for the composition of the present invention . accordingly , the composition of the present invention means those in the basic form of a liquid in an oil and a series of pharmaceutical compositions in the forms produced from such liquid in an oil . the composition of the present invention may be prepared in a normal manner depending on the intended pharmaceutical form . for example , a composition in the form of a liquid in an oil may be prepared by blending a glycerol mono - fatty acid ester and / or a propylene glycol mono - fatty acid ester with a liquid oil , and then adding ubidecarenone thereto and vigorously stirring them in an emulsifier to form an oily liquid . a composition in the form of a powder may be prepared by covering the thus - obtained oily liquid to form a suitable powder . a composition in another form may be prepared by properly treating the above oily liquid used as a starting material . the present invention will be more particularly described by way of examples given below , but it should be noted that the invention is not limited to those examples . five grams of ubidecarenone was added to the mixture of 10 g of glycerol / oleic monoester and 15 g of propylene glycol / caprylic diester , and the resulting mixture was vigorously stirred using an emulsifier under an ice - cooled condition to provide a suspension . five grams of ubidecarenone was added to the mixture of 4 g of glycerol / oleic monoester and 15 g of propylene glycol / caprylic diester , and the resulting mixture was vigorously stirred using an emulsifier to provide a suspension . five grams of ubidecarenone was added to the mixture of 7 g of glycerol / oleic monoester and 15 g of propylene glycol / caprylic diester , and the resulting mixture was vigorously stirred using an emulsifier under an ice - cooled condition to provide a suspension . five grams of ubidecarenone was added to the mixture of 3 g of glycerol / oleic monoester and 17 g of peanut oil , and the resulting mixture was vigorously stirred using an emulsifier to provide a suspension . five grams of ubidecarenone and 0 . 3 g of silicic anhydride were added to the mixture of 1 g of glycerol / oleic monoester and 21 g of propylene glycol / caprylic diester , and the resulting mixture was vigorously stirred using an emulsifier under an ice - cooled condition to provide a suspension . five grams of ubidecarenone was added to the mixture of 7 g of propylene glycol / oleic monoester and 15 g of caprylic acid / propylene glycol diester , and the resulting mixture was vigorously stirred using an emulsifier under an ice - cooled condition to provide a suspension . five grams of ubidecarenone and 1 g of silicic anhydride were added to the mixture of 4 g of propylene glycol / oleic monoester and 11 g of caprylic acid / propylene glycol diester , and the resulting mixture was vigorously stirred using an emulsifier to provide a suspension . five grams of ubidecarenone was added to the mixture of 15 g of propylene glycol / oleic monoester and 5 g of sesame oil , and the resulting mixture was vigorously stirred using an emulsifier to provide a suspension . five grams of ubidecarenone was added to the mixture of 0 . 5 g of glycerol / oleic monoester and 30 g of odo , and the resulting mixture was vigorously stirred using an emulsifier to provide a suspension . one gram of ubidecarenone was added to the mixture of 25 g of propylene glycol / oleic monoester and 5 g of caprylic acid / propylene glycol diester , and the resulting mixture was vigorously stirred using an emulsifier to provide a suspension . one gram of ubidecarenone was added to the mixture of 2 g of glycerol / oleic monoester and 30 g of cotton seed oil , and the resulting mixture was vigorously stirred using an emulsifier under an ice - cooled condition to provide a suspension . 265 grams of ubidecarenone and 132 . 5 g of silicic anhydride were added to the mixture of 371 g of glycerol / oleic mono - ester and 795 g of caprylic acid / propylene glycol diester , and the resulting mixture was vigorously stirred using an emulsifier to provide a suspension . this suspension was encapsulated using a soft encapsulator to give an elliptic soft capsule having a content weight of 270 mg and a gross weight of 560 mg . example 1 was repeated to provide a suspension , except that 10 g of glycerol / oleic monoester were replaced by 5 g of glycerol / oleic monoester and 5 g of propylene glycol / oleic monoester . description will be made of the effect of the present invention in experimental examples . the suspensions prepared in the above examples 1 to 7 were used as subject samples 1 to 7 , respectively . in addition , a solution obtained by dissolving 1 g of ubidecarenone in 19 g of propylene glycol / caprylic diester was provided as a control sample a , and a suspension prepared by suspending 1 g of ubidecarenone in 4 g of glycerol / oleic monoester was provided as a control sample b . male sd - type rats fasted for 16 hours were subjected to a lymph collecting operation by an improved technique of bollman method ( j . l . bollman et . al ., j . lab . clin . med ., 33 1349 ( 1966 )). after the operation , the rats were allowed to freely eat a feed , and the lymph flooding conditions of them were observed for 2 days . only the rats having a good lymph flooding condition were used . each sample in an amount corresponding to a ubidecarenone content of 1 mg was encapsulated into a small - sized capsule for animals and administered using an oral sound , following which 1 ml of water was immediately supplied to the rats . the rats were allowed to be fasted for 12 hours after the administration . the lymph was collected for every two hours up to the lapse of 12 hours and then for every three hours , and the ubidecarenone content in the lymph was determined by means of a high speed liquid chromatography ( abe , et . al ., vitamins 53 385 ( 1979 )). fig1 is a graph illustrating the variation in the ubidecarenone contents appearing in the lymph of the rats with the passage of time when the subject sample 1 or control sample a was administered . in fig1 the mark designates the result for the subject sample 1 , and the mark denotes the result for the control sample a . fig2 is a graph illustrating the total contents of ubidecarenone appearing in the lymph of the rats up to the lapse of 10 hours after the administration when the control samples a and b and the subject samples 1 to 7 were administered , respectively . it is to be noted that in fig2 the contents of ubidecarenone is given as index numbers based on a total amount of 100 for the control sample a . in addition , the characters a and b and the numerals 1 , 2 -- in fig2 designate each sample , respectively . it becomes apparent from fig1 and 2 that the composition of the present invention results in considerable promotion of absorption of ubidecarenone in oral administration .

US-84402586-A

the present invention is a fixture primarily for use with a machining center . the fixture has a plurality of face plates mounted on an interior casing and moveable jaws exposed on the face plates . parts to be machined can be placed between the jaws and gripped by the jaws for easy and quick setup of various machining operations . assemblies for actuating the jaws are described .

referring now to the drawings , there is illustrated a horizontal machining center 10 having a positioning fixture of the present invention , generally indicated at 12 , for use therewith . various parts which are to be machined are secured to the fixture cube 12 then the fixture 12 may be moved along an axis 14 until it reaches the cutting tool 16 . the machining center 10 may be automated to enable tool 16 to be automatically exchanged for other tools 18 , 20 , 22 . the fixture 12 is secured to a base 24 . the base 24 is secured to an indexing member 26 which can rotate to expose each face 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 of the fixture 12 to the cutting tool 16 . in a preferred embodiment , as shown in fig2 the fixture cube 12 includes a casing 13 having four inside steel plates or side walls 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 welded together . four steel face plates 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 at ninety degrees to each other are bolted to the inside plates 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 respectively so that the face plates 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 fit flush against the inside plates 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 . the cube 12 may then be secured to a base member 44 which will be used to secure the cube 12 on the machining center 10 . along each face plate 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 three sets of jaws 46 may be provided for gripping parts to be machined . also shown in fig2 are the through holes 48 at the center of each set of jaws 46 that provide clearance for shaft type parts . the through holes 48 pass from the face plates 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 through the inside plates 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 and may be aligned in such a way that allows a shaft to pass all the way through from one face plate , such as face plate 28 , through the inside of the cube 12 and out the other side of face plate 32 . not every part would need this feature , but it is a benefit which may be useful from time to time . in one embodiment the jaws 46 may be actuated by the operator through tool insert holes 50 . one tool insert hole 50 is provided for each set of jaws 46 . the actuation for the jaws 46 will be described more thoroughly hereinafter . lastly , in fig2 eye bolts 52 may be secured to the top portion of the fixture 12 to assist in the lifting of the fixture 12 on to the machine center 10 . due to the construction of the fixture 12 of the present invention , the weight of the fixture 12 may be very heavy which may require some type of mechanical assistance to lift the fixture 12 onto the machine 10 . chains or straps could be passed through the eye bolts 52 and used in conjunction with a mechanical lifting mechanism . referring now to fig3 a typical face plate 28 , is shown for the fixture block 12 of the present invention . for easier understanding , only one side of the fixture 12 will be explained . referring to the three sets of jaws 46 , they will now be explained in greater detail . each set of jaws 46 is comprised of at least three chuck master jaws 45 having a serrated face 54 and a t - slot 56 . positioned within the slots 56 of the master jaws 45 are two or more t - nuts 58 . work jaws 47 are positioned on the serrated face 54 of the master jaws 45 and secured by bolts passing through the work jaw 47 and down into the t - nuts 58 . the t - nuts 58 can slide inside the slot 56 so that the work jaw 47 can be arranged on the master jaw 45 in various distances from the through hole 48 . before further describing the present invention , it is important to note that many variations of the invention could be incorporated . for example , more or less than three sets of jaws 46 could be in place on each face plate 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 . secondly , the fixture block 12 does not necessarily have to be a cube shape . it could have three sides , four , five , six sides or more . each set of jaws 46 could include more than three master jaws 45 . the four inside plates , 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 could also be formed from one block of steel or casting which would eliminate the need for welding individual inside plates . referring now to fig4 , and 6 , there is shown the inner workings to actuate the master jaws 45 . inside the tool inserts 50 , there is a worm drive passageway 60 which houses a worm gear 62 . as a tool is inserted into the tool insert 50 and engages the worm drive gear 62 , the worm drive gear 62 will turn within the passageway 60 . the worm drive gear 62 makes contact with a worm track 64 on a worm wheel 66 . the worm wheel 66 is connected to a scroll plate 68 by dowel pins through dowel pin holes 70 in the scroll plate 68 and worm wheel 66 . bolts passing through bolt holes 72 in the scroll plate 68 and the worm wheel 66 will tightly secure the two together . therefore , as the worm wheel 66 turns , the scroll plate 68 will turn with it . a bearing sleeve 74 is provided in the through holes 48 which pass through both the scroll plate 68 and the worm wheel 66 . 0 - ring seals 76 may be provided around the bearing sleeve 74 for sealing out foreign material from passing through any small openings between the outer face plate 28 and the inside plate 36 . the scroll plate 68 may have three somewhat elliptical shaped slots 78 formed in a side thereof . the exact number and shape of the slots 78 could vary somewhat and still fall within the scope of this invention . in one preferred embodiment there is an equal number of slots 78 to go with jaws 45 . each slot 78 begins at one end 80 , a particular distance from the perimeter 82 of the scroll plate 68 . the slots 78 descend toward the center of the scroll plate 68 in such a manner that another end 84 of the slots 78 are a further distance away from the perimeter 82 . in a preferred embodiment , the difference between the distances from one end 80 to the perimeter 82 , and the other end 84 and the perimeter 82 , may be one quarter inch . of course , this difference can be more or less than one quarter inch depending on how much jaw movement is preferred . inside each slot 78 is a roller bushing 86 and one end of a pin 88 which may be made of hardened steel . as the scroll plate 68 turns , the pins 88 and roller bushings 86 will move within the slots 78 . while one end of the pins 88 resides in the slots 78 of the scroll plate 68 , the other end of the pins 88 is secured within a portion 90 of master jaws 45 . as the scroll plate 68 turns , the scroll pin 88 will move in or out , with respect to the center of the through hole 48 , depending upon the direction of rotation of the scroll plate 68 . as the pin 88 moves in or out with respect to the through hole 48 , the pin 88 will force the master jaw 45 to move within a slot 92 of face plate 28 . work jaw 47 will be secured to master jaw 45 by bolts threaded into teenuts 58 and as the scroll plate 68 is turned by the worm wheel 66 the work jaws 47 will either tighten around the part to be machined or the work jaws 47 will loosen from the part so that it may be removed from the fixture cube 12 . referring to fig7 a typical inside plate 36 is shown . center holes 94 house the scroll plates 68 and worm wheels 66 . a plurality of bolt holes 96 are located around each center hole 94 for securing inside plate 36 to face plate 28 . alignment holes 98 are provided to locate the position of the face plate 28 with respect to the inside plate 36 to maintain accuracy and the concentricity of the jaws 45 with respect to each chuck centerline . the face plate 28 will have matching alignment holes 100 so that dowel pins may be inserted through these holes 98 , 100 to align the face plate 28 with the inside plate 36 before bolts secure the two plates 28 , 36 , together . the work jaws 47 are commercially available from many sources known to those of ordinary skill in the art . in one embodiment described above , the master jaws 45 are actuated manually by a tool to turn the worm gear drive 62 . in another embodiment , the jaws 45 could also be actuated by electrical or hydraulic means . in fig8 a typical inside plate 36 , is shown in conjunction with another embodiment for the fixture block 12 of the present invention . this embodiment comprises a hydraulic system 110 and works the same as that described above and shown in fig3 except for the manner in which the scroll plate 68 is turned . instead of having a worm wheel 66 , there is a spur gear 102 secured to the scroll plate 68 . and , instead of a worm gear 62 , there is a rack drive gear 104 inside a hollowed out section 106 of inside plate 36 . the rack drive gear 104 has a floating piston 108 , 112 at each end thereof . hydraulic lines 114 , 116 supply fluid into the hollowed out section 106 to apply pressure against either one of the pistons 108 , 112 to move the rack 104 linearly in either direction . the hydraulic lines may be connected to a valve 118 that controls which hydraulic line 114 , 116 is pressurized with fluid . a fluid compartment 120 in fluid communication with a fluid reservoir 122 along with a pressure pump 124 control pressure in the hydraulic lines 114 , 116 . the valve 118 can be electronically controlled at a control box 126 which may have a manual override feature . the control box 126 has a wire 128 to the valve 118 and sends a signal to switch the valve 118 to allow fluid to flow into a selected hydraulic line 114 , 116 . each set of jaws 46 could have such an arrangement and all valves 118 could be controlled at one control box 126 by an operator . while it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments of the invention disclosed are well calculated to provide the advantages and features above stated , it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification , variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims .

US-48758990-A

automatic annotation of data recorded by a device . a portion of an event may be recorded as an image , movie , sound byte , audio recording , etc ., and contemporaneous to the recording , a time value is determined . the time value is looked up on a calendar , and a description of the event is read from the calendar and used to automatically annotate the recording .

fig1 illustrates an exemplary system incorporating the invention . illustrated are an audio and / or visual transceiver 100 , such as a cellular telephone configured to transmit audio and / or visual data , a digital camera 102 , a video camera 104 , an audio recorder 106 . it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the illustrated devices 100 - 104 are exemplary devices , and that other devices may be utilized . associated with each of these devices are timers 108 , 110 , 112 , 114 . the timers may be integral to the devices 100 - 104 as illustrated , or they may represent timing functionality or circuitry that receives timing data from an external source . for example , the digital camera 102 may have a receiver capable of receiving timing data originating from an external source , such as the united states naval observatory &# 39 ; s master clock ( usno ), the time and frequency division of the national institute of standards and technology ( nist ), or another clock source . to allow coordination of activity between devices 100 - 104 , devices 100 - 104 may be configured to use the same timing source . in one embodiment , calendar date values may be determined from timing values . for example , a timing value may represent the number of seconds since a particular date . also illustrated are machines 116 , 118 , and 120 , which may be personal computers , personal digital assistants , or other machines . each of the machines 116 - 120 are configured to operate a calendar application 122 , 124 , 126 ( or other application associating events and times ), and a data transfer application 128 , 130 , 132 such as electronic mail ( e - mail ) program , instant messaging system or other data transfer ability . the audio and / or visual transceiver , digital camera , video camera and audio recorder are assumed to have a wired and / or wireless communication link 134 to some or all of the machines 116 , 118 , and 120 , by way of a network or other communication technology . as will be described further with respect to fig2 , when a device 100 - 106 records data , a time stamp from an appropriate timing device 108 - 114 is associated with the recording . this associated time stamp is then compared against one or more calendars 122 - 126 to identify a context for the recording . in one embodiment , if a calendar indicates one or more related entities , e . g ., persons listed in a calendar entry , or based on some other cross - reference , then related entities may be provided with a copy of the recording by way of the data transfer application 128 - 132 . fig2 is a flowchart according to one embodiment of the invention for recording 200 a part ( or portion ) of an event , such as with a audio and / or visual transceiver ( e . g ., a cellular telephone , video phone , etc . ), video camera , or other device configured to record into local or remote storage , and providing the recording to other event attendees . a time stamp is acquired 202 , such as from an internal clock , or external reference source . the time stamp information is sent 204 to a calendar system along with at least an identifier of the user of the recording device . the calendar system may be any conventional or proprietary calendar , e . g ., personal , corporate , general , etc . calendar , such as the outlook calendar program provided by microsoft corporation of redmond wash ., database application , or other application program that may associate time stamps with events ( hereafter generally “ calendar ”). the user &# 39 ; s identifier may be pre - associated with the user , temporarily associated , or prompted for during the recording process . it is assumed that an appropriate communication protocol or application programming interface ( api ) is known to the recording device , thus allowing the recording device to communicate with the calendar irrespective of the particular characteristics or nature of the calendar . in response to sending the time stamp information , the calendar inspects 206 the user &# 39 ; s calendar to see what is on the calendar for the given time stamp information . if 208 an event is on the calendar for the time stamp information , the calendar sends 210 back to the recording device a description of an event . for example , the identified user may have a calendar entry indicating that the user is attending a social gathering for the user &# 39 ; s work group . this description of the get together is sent 210 back to the recording device . the recording device can associate 212 the description with the recorded 200 part of the event , and store 214 the description and recorded part of the event in a data storage communicatively coupled to the recording device , e . g ., in a local attached storage , wirelessly accessible remote storage , or the like . if 208 no entry is found , then an error handler 222 may be invoked , or a default description used for the event . in one embodiment , the description is embedded within the recorded part of the event . for example , the event may be recorded with an exchangeable image file ( exif ) format , which is a standard format for storing information within digital photography image files using jpeg compression , in the dig35 , promulgated by the digital imaging consortium ( see http :// www - digitalimaging - org ), in the graphics interchange format ( gif ), or other data format providing for embedding data within the recorded part of the event . ( to prevent inadvertent hyperlinks , the periods in the preceding uniform resource locator ( url ) were replaced with hyphens .) in one embodiment , data may be associated with the recorded part of the event to facilitate archiving , indexing , cataloging , cross - referencing , reviewing , and retrieving recordings . in one embodiment , the recording device sends 216 the recorded part of the event , and associated description received from the calendar system , to a data transfer application program such as an e - mail program . in this embodiment , the calendar system also sends 218 the data transfer application program a list of other event attendees . it will be appreciated that various techniques may be used to identify event attendees . in one embodiment , the calendar sends a list of expected attendees , e . g ., invitees , and it is later determined which attendees actually attended the event . for example , the calendar for the user of the recording device may directly reference other attendees , such as by way of a meeting request that was used to schedule the event . all invited attendees , or perhaps just a subset , such as those meeting some criteria , are used to define the list of other event attendees . for example , the list of event attendees might only include those attendees that accepted the meeting request , or those attendees that have a special status indicating they should be included in the list irrespective of having accepted the invitation . in one embodiment , if the calendar does not identify other event attendees , other calendars , perhaps based on a social or business structure , may be searched to determine whether a user corresponding to the searched calendar should be in the list of attendees . for example , all calendars for people in the user &# 39 ; s work group might be searched for corresponding entries for the event . it will be appreciated that matching algorithms may be employed to compensate for manually written calendar entries for the event . the data transfer program , having received the recorded part of the event , associated description , and the list of other event attendees , sends 220 each attendee a copy of the recorded part of the event . in one embodiment in which the data transfer program is an e - mail program , the subject and / or message body of the e - mail message sent to attendees comprises the associated description . the subject of the e - mail message , or message body , may also comprise statements reflecting the status of the attendee . for example , if a recipient did not attend the event , a standard message body might state “ sorry you could not make it to the event , but here is a recording of the event !” similarly , other messages or graphics may be sent within a message for attendees that accepted but did not go , did not accept but went anyway , etc . in one embodiment , categories and / or user preferences may alter distribution of data to attendees . for example , for certain events , such as holiday gatherings or birthdays , everyone in a work group , social group , etc . may automatically receive the recording of the event irrespective of whether they attended the event . however , user preferences may be used to override sending such messages . fig3 illustrates a flowchart according to another embodiment of the invention . in this embodiment , as with fig2 , a recording device records 300 part of the event . a time stamp is acquired 302 , sent 304 to a calendar system along with an identifier of the user of the recording device , and in response the calendar system sends 306 back to the recording device a description of an event , if any . however , in this embodiment , and in contrast with fig2 , the calendar system also sends 308 the recording device a list of event attendees . as discussed above for fig2 , the list of attendees may be determined in various ways , e . g ., based on attendees expected ( invitees ), attendees actually attending the event , based on status of attendee , etc . the recording device can then store 310 the recorded 300 part of the event along with the description of the event , and the list of event attendees in a data storage communicatively coupled to the recording device , as well as send 312 the recorded part of the event , description , and list attendees to a data transfer program for distribution to event attendees . thus , in this embodiment , the data transfer program need only communicate with the recording device in order to transfer event recordings to attendees . it will be appreciated that other communication configurations may be used , such as using a central repository for recorded parts of events and associated event attendees , where the transfer program retrieves recording and attendees from the central repository . fig4 and the following discussion are intended to provide a brief , general description of a suitable computing environment in which certain aspects of the illustrated invention may be implemented . an exemplary system for embodying , for example , the digital camera 102 or machines 116 , 118 , and 120 of fig1 , includes a machine 400 having system bus 402 for coupling various machine components . typically , attached to the bus are processors 404 , a memory 406 ( e . g ., ram , rom ), storage devices 408 , a video interface 410 , and input / output interface ports 412 . the system may also include embedded controllers , such as generic or programmable logic devices or arrays ( pld , pla , gal , pal ), field - programmable gate arrays ( fpga ), application specific integrated circuits ( asic ), single - chip computers , smart cards , or the like , and the system is expected to operate in a networked environment using physical and / or logical connections to one or more remote systems 414 , 416 through a network interface 418 , modem 420 , or other pathway . systems may be interconnected by way of a wired or wireless network 422 , including an intranet , the internet , local area networks , wide area networks , cellular , cable , laser , satellite , microwave , “ blue tooth ” type networks , optical , infrared , or other carrier . the invention may be described by reference to program modules for performing tasks or implementing abstract data types , e . g ., procedures , functions , data structures , application programs , etc ., that may be stored in memory 406 and / or storage devices 408 and associated storage media , e . g ., hard - drives , floppy - disks , optical storage , magnetic cassettes , tapes , flash memory cards , memory sticks , digital video disks , biological storage , as well as transmission environments such as network 422 over which program modules may be delivered in the form of packets , serial data , parallel data , or other transmission format . illustrated methods and corresponding written descriptions are intended to illustrate machine - accessible media storing directives , or the like , which may be incorporated into single and multi - processor machines , portable computers , such as handheld devices including personal digital assistants ( pdas ), cellular telephones , etc . an artisan will recognize that program modules may be high - level programming language constructs , or low - level hardware instructions and / or contexts , that may be utilized in a compressed or encrypted format , and may be used in a distributed network environment and stored in local and / or remote memory . thus , for example , with respect to the illustrated embodiments , assuming machine 400 operates as a recording device for an event , then remote devices 414 , 416 may respectively be a machine operating a calendar for a user of the recording device , and an a remote clock source to identify when the recording device was operating . it will be appreciated that remote machines 414 , 416 may be configured like machine 400 , and therefore include many or all of the elements discussed for machine . it should also be appreciated that machines 400 , 414 , 416 may be embodied within a single device , or separate communicatively - coupled components . having described and illustrated the principles of the invention with reference to illustrated embodiments , it will be recognized that the illustrated embodiments can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . and , even though the foregoing discussion has focused on particular embodiments , it is understood other configurations are contemplated . in particular , even though expressions such as “ in one embodiment ,” “ in another embodiment ,” or the like are used herein , these phrases are meant to generally reference embodiment possibilities , and are not intended to limit the invention to particular embodiment configurations . as used herein , these terms may reference the same or different embodiments , and unless indicated otherwise , embodiments are combinable into other embodiments . consequently , in view of the wide variety of permutations to the above - described embodiments , the detailed description is intended to be illustrative only , and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention . what is claimed as the invention , therefore , is all such modifications as may come within the scope and spirit of the following claims and equivalents thereto .

US-34653108-A

the invention relates to the industrial production of 2 - octyl acrylate of very high purity and with a high yield , using a continuous transesterification process . the method of the invention uses ethyl titanate in solution in 2 - octanol or 2 - octyl titanate as a transesterification catalyst , and employs a purification train comprising two distillation columns .

one of the objectives of the invention is to use starting materials of natural and renewable origin , that is to say biosourced . the 2 - octanol used in the process according to the invention is an alcohol of renewable origin ; in particular , it can be obtained by alkaline treatment of ricinoleic acid derived from castor oil . the light alcohol acrylate employed as starting material in the process according to the invention is obtained by direct esterification of acrylic acid , essentially produced industrially from propylene , with a light alcohol , generally methanol or ethanol . independently of the use of 2 - octanol of renewable origin , the invention extends to the use of a light alcohol acrylate derived from acrylic acid of renewable origin , which can in particular be obtained from glycerol , according to a process comprising a first stage of dehydration of the glycerol to give acrolein , followed by a stage of gas - phase oxidation of the acrolein thus obtained , or obtained by dehydration of 2 - hydroxy - propionic acid ( lactic acid ) or 3 - hydroxypropionic acid and their esters . the invention also extends to the use of a light alcohol acrylate derived from a biosourced alcohol , such as bioethanol . generally , the transesterification reaction is carried out in a stirred reactor ( a ), heated by an external exchanger and surmounted by a distillation column , with a light alcohol acrylate / 2 - octanol molar ratio which can range from 1 to 3 , preferably between 1 . 3 and 1 . 8 . use is made , as light alcohol acrylate , of methyl acrylate , ethyl acrylate or butyl acrylate , preferably ethyl acrylate . the transesterification catalyst is ethyl titanate in solution in 2 - octanol , for example a 90 % solution of ethyl titanate in 2 - octanol , or 2 - octyl titanate , obtained beforehand by reaction of ethyl titanate with 2 - octanol at 100 ° c ., preferably 2 - octyl titanate . the catalyst is used in a proportion of 5 × 10 − 4 to 5 × 10 − 2 mol per mole of 2 - octanol , preferably in a proportion of 10 − 3 to 10 − 2 mol per mole of 2 - octanol . the transesterification reaction is generally carried out in the reactor ( a ) at a pressure of between 500 mmhg ( 0 . 67 × 10 5 pa ) and atmospheric pressure and at a temperature ranging from 90 ° c . to 130 ° c ., preferably from 100 ° c . to 120 ° c . the reaction is carried out in the presence of one or more polymerization inhibitors which are introduced into the reactor , in a proportion of 1000 to 5000 ppm with respect to the crude reaction mixture . mention may be made , as polymerization inhibitors which can be used , for example , of phenothiazine , hydroquinone , hydroquinone monomethyl ether , di ( tert - butyl )- para - cresol ( bht ), tempo ( 2 , 2 , 6 , 6 - tetramethyl - 1 - piperidinyloxy ), di ( tert - butyl ) catechol or tempo derivatives , such as 4 - hydroxy - tempo ( 4 - oh - tempo ), alone or their mixtures in all proportions . a further addition of polymerization inhibitor is generally carried out in the subsequent purification treatment , in particular in each of the distillation columns . the light alcohol formed by the transesterification reaction is continuously entrained by distillation into the column surmounting the reactor in the form of an azeotropic mixture with the light alcohol acrylate . this mixture is advantageously recycled to the unit for the synthesis of the light acrylate . after reaction with a residence time in the reactor generally of between 3 and 6 hours , the crude reaction mixture ( 5 ) comprises the desired 2 - octyl acrylate with , as light products , the unreacted 2 - octanol and light alcohol acrylate and , as heavy products , the catalyst , the polymerization inhibitor or inhibitors and also heavy reaction byproducts . the reaction mixture is subjected to a purification treatment comprising two distillation columns ( b ) and ( c ), in order to obtain , on the one hand , the pure 2 - octyl acrylate and , on the other hand , the unreacted 2 - octanol and light alcohol acrylate compounds intended to be recycled , and also the catalyst intended to be recycled . the first distillation column ( b ) generally operates under a pressure ranging from 20 to 50 mmhg ( 0 . 027 × 10 5 pa to 0 . 067 × 10 5 pa ) at a bottom temperature ranging from 120 ° c . to 150 ° c . the top stream ( 7 ) from column ( b ) is mainly composed of the unreacted light products ( light alcohol acrylate and 2 - octanol ), with a minor fraction of 2 - octyl acrylate product . this stream ( 7 ) can advantageously be recycled to the transesterification reaction in the reactor ( a ). the bottom stream ( 6 ) from column ( b ) is mainly composed of 2 - octyl acrylate with the catalyst , the polymerization inhibitors and the heavy byproducts and can comprise residual traces of light compounds . this stream ( 6 ) is subjected to a distillation in a second column ( c ) which generally operates under a pressure of 20 to 50 mmhg ( 0 . 027 × 10 5 pa to 0 . 067 × 10 5 pa ) and a temperature ranging from 120 ° c . to 150 ° c . the column ( c ) makes it possible to recover , at the top ( 8 ), the purified 2 - octyl acrylate . at the bottom of the column ( c ), the catalyst , the heavy byproducts , the polymerization inhibitors and 2 - octyl acrylate are separated in a stream ( 9 ). a portion ( 10 ) of this stream ( 9 ) is advantageously recycled to the reaction in the reactor ( a ), the remainder ( stream 11 ) being sent for destruction . the pure 2 - octyl acrylate ( 8 ) recovered at the top of the column ( c ) exhibits a purity of greater than 99 . 3 %, indeed even of greater than or equal to 99 . 6 %. the following examples illustrate the present invention without , however , limiting the scope thereof . in the examples , the percentages are shown by weight , unless otherwise indicated , and the following abbreviations have been used : a mixture comprising the ethyl acrylate and 2 - octanol reactants , ethyl titanate as a 90 % solution in 2 - octanol as catalyst with ptz as inhibitor , in the proportions by weight 53 . 8 / 45 . 6 / 0 . 6 , is charged to a perfectly stirred reactor a heated by an external exchanger and surmounted by a packed distillation column having 12 theoretical plates . the reactor is heated , while bubbling with air , and , as soon as the temperature reaches 115 ° c . under 500 mmhg ( 0 . 67 × 10 5 pa ), ea ( 3 ) stabilized with 2500 ppm of ptz , 2 - octanol ( 1 ) and a mixture ( 2 ) of ethyl titanate in solution in 2 - octanol ( 90 % mixture ), in proportions by weight 53 . 8 / 45 . 6 / 0 . 6 , are continuously introduced . at the column top , the ea / ethanol azeotrope ( 4 ), with a composition by weight of 35 / 55 , is continuously withdrawn . this mixture ( 4 ) is recycled directly to the plant for manufacturing ea . the crude reaction product ( 5 ) comprises the 2 octa formed , unreacted ea , unreacted 2 - octanol and a mixture comprising the catalyst with the polymerization inhibitors and heavy derivatives , in proportions by weight 73 / 20 , 1 / 6 , 3 / 0 . 6 . the crude reaction product ( 5 ) is sent continuously to a first distillation column b having 15 theoretical plates which operates under reduced pressure and which is heated by an external exchanger . at the column b top , a mixture comprising 2500 ppm of ptz in ea is introduced . the column b separates , at the top , a mixture ( 7 ) comprising the unreacted reactants . ea and 2 - octanol , with a minor fraction of 2 octa , with a composition by weight of 67 / 21 / 13 , which is sent to the reaction stage . at the bottom of the column b , a mixture ( 6 ) enriched in 2 octa and comprising the polymerization inhibitors , the catalyst and the heavy derivatives is recovered : this mixture has the composition by weight : 2 octa : 97 . 8 % ea : 100 ppm 2 - octanol : 500 ppm heavy derivatives + inhibitors + catalyst : 2 . 1 %. this mixture ( 6 ) is sent to a second distillation column c . at the top of column c , a mixture comprising 2500 ppm of hqme in 2 octa is introduced . the column c separates , at the top , the purified 2 octa ( 8 ) and , at the bottom , a stream ( 9 ) predominantly comprising the catalyst , the heavy derivatives , the polymerization inhibitors and 2 - octyl acrylate . this stream ( 9 ) is largely ( of the order of 90 % by weight ) recycled to the reactor a ( stream 10 ), the remaining part ( 11 ) being sent for destruction . the same synthesis as in example 1 was carried out but using , as catalyst , butyl titanate as replacement for ethyl titanate . in this case , the stream ( 7 ) distilled at the top of the column b comprises , in addition to the unreacted reactants with a minor fraction of 2 octa , 15 % of butyl acrylate originating from the reaction of the catalyst with the ea . this stream ( 7 ), intended to be recycled to the reaction stage , required a preliminary purification by distillation on an additional column to remove the butyl acrylate , in order to limit the accumulation over time of butyl acrylate in the plant and the risk of contamination of the purified 2 octa . the same synthesis as in example 1 was carried out but using , as catalyst , 2 - ethylhexyl titanate as replacement for ethyl titanate . in this case , 2 octa ( 9 ) with a purity of 97 . 3 % was obtained at the top of the column c due to the presence of 2 % of 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate in the purified product . the 2 - octyl acrylate thus obtained does not offer the same performance in pressure - sensitive adhesives as a 2 octa having a purity of 99 . 5 %.

US-201314370228-A

a blank and carton and method of carton construction for packaging ice cream or the like . the blank includes a front , bottom , rear , cover and closure flap hingedly connected in the order named . each front bottom rear cover and closure flap includes right and left end flaps hingedly connected to its respective panel . membrane flaps are hingedly connected to the right and left end flaps of the bottom panel for forming a lip when the carton is constructed to prevent the accidental escape of liquid from the interior of the carton .

the specific nomenclature assigned to each component and subcomponent comprising the carton blank a refers to its orientation when fully erected as viewed in fig8 . referring now to the drawings and more specifically to fig1 a carton blank a is shown having a closure flap b , a cover panel c , a rear panel d , a bottom panel e and a front panel f . closure flap b includes a top edge 2 , and bottom edge 4 , a left edge 6 , and a right edge 8 . left and right cover or glue tabs 10 and 12 are hingedly connected to left and right edges 6 and 8 , respectively . vertically extending hinge lines 14 and 16 are formed therebetween . a tear strip 18 is formed in closure flap b for detaching the cover panel c from the front panel f . tear strip 18 includes spaced weakness lines 20 and 22 . weakness lines 20 and 22 divide closure flap b into a glue panel or segment 24 and a skirt or resealable flap 26 . glue panel 24 will remain adhered to the exterior of front panel f when tear strip 18 is removed by a consumer . a tear tab 28 is formed in tear strip 18 , preferably along left edge 6 . tear tab 28 enables a consumer to grasp and remove tear strip 18 to gain access to the contents of the carton a . it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that various other types of tear tabs may be used . cover panel c is hingedly connected at its front edge 30 to top edge 4 of closure flap b forming a horizontally extending hinge line 32 . cover panel c further includes rear edge 34 , left edge 36 and right edge 38 . end flaps 40 and 42 are hingedly connected to left and right edges 36 and 38 , respectively of cover panel c and form vertically extending hinge lines 44 and 46 . cover panel end flaps 40 and 42 include front , rear , top , and bottom edges 48 , 50 , 52 and 54 respectively . left flap 40 and right flap 42 each include ears 56 extending from the bottom edges 54 . ears 56 provide enlarged areas for glue tabs 10 and 12 to adhere to left flap 40 and right flap 42 , respectively . rear panel d is hingedly connected at its top edge 58 to rear edge 34 of cover panel c forming a horizontally extending hinge line 60 therebetween . rear panel d also includes bottom , left and right edges 62 , 64 and 66 , respectively . rear panel end flaps 68 and 70 are hingedly connected at their edges 72 and 74 to left and right edges 64 and 66 of rear panel d , respectively forming vertically extending hinge lines 76 and 78 , respectively . rear panel end flaps 68 and 70 are defined by angled top edges 80 and side edges 82 which form the edges of corner flaps 84 . each corner flap 84 is separable from its respective side flap 68 or 70 by tearing along weakness line 86 as the cover panel c is opened to gain access to the carton contents as best shown in fig6 . weakness line 86 is formed by a series of serrations to cause easy separation of corner flap 84 from its respective end flap 68 or 70 . the shape of the serrations is very important in providing the required amount of tear resistance so that the flap 84 will not be disengaged from the end flap 68 or 70 prematurely , such as during shipping yet be torn readily to access the contents of the carton k . the preferred shape of the serrations is a stretched l - shaped cut identified by the l in fig8 followed by a pair of stretched z - shaped denoted by z cuts followed by a straight cut denoted by s . the central portions of the z cuts are aligned with each other and the longer portion of the l cut . end flaps 68 and 70 also include extensions 88 having a vertical side edge 90 and inclined top edge 92 and inclined bottom edges 94 . each right and left end flap 68 and 70 have a horizontal base edge 96 connected to the inclined bottom edge 94 of extensions 88 by an inclined side edge 98 . bottom panel e is hingedly connected at its rear edge 100 to bottom edge 62 of rear panel d forming a horizontally extending hinge line 102 . bottom panel e further includes front edge 104 , left edge 106 and right edge 108 . end flaps 110 and 112 are hingedly connected at their bottom edges 114 and 116 to the left and right edges 106 and 108 of the bottom panel e , respectively forming hinge lines 118 and 120 therebetween . hinge lines 118 and 120 are inwardly off - set from hinge lines 76 and 78 , respectively . left and right flaps 110 and 112 include front edges 121 and rear edges 122 . rear edges 122 are substantially collinear with rear edge 100 when the blank is positioned as shown in fig1 . front edges 121 are substantially collinear with edge 104 . preferably front edges 121 and rear edges 122 are slightly tapered inwardly from bottom panel e to side edge 124 . left and right flaps 110 and 112 have side edges 124 . collinear with side edge 124 is a hinge line 126 along which a membrane flap 128 is hingedly connected to each of left and right flaps 110 and 112 . the hinge line 126 adjusts for the thickness of membrane 128 so that when membrane 128 is folded substantially 90 ° from flaps 110 and 112 , membrane flap 128 is aligned with side edge 124 to form a smooth cover flap engagement surface . membrane flap 128 includes inclined front and rear edges 130 and 132 respectively and a substantially straight side edge 134 . membrane flap 128 as shown in fig1 extends , only partially along side edge 124 . as shown in fig2 the reason for this is to conserve paper stock yet retain a large adhesion surface on ears 56 . membrane flap 128 could be extended across the entire top edge 124 of bottom flaps 110 and 112 . each left and right flap 110 and 112 includes an embossment 136 thereon to provide a better adhesive surface when the exterior side flaps 68 and 70 are adhered thereto . the preferred shape of the embossed area will be discussed during the carton erecting sequence . front panel f includes a bottom edge 138 which is connected to front edge 104 of bottom panel e along hinge line 140 extending horizontally therebetween . front panel f further includes a top edge 142 , a left edge 144 and a right edge 146 . end flaps 148 and 150 are hingedly connected to left and right edges - 52 and 154 of front panel f , respectively , forming vertically extending hinge lines 156 and 158 . each left flap 148 and right flap 150 includes a horizontal bottom edge 160 , a horizontal top edge 162 and a vertical side edge 164 . side edge 164 includes an inclined edge 166 extending downwardly to inwardly off - set portion 168 . an upwardly inclined edge 170 extends from a sharply inclined edge 172 adjacent bottom flap edge 160 and extends outwardly to inwardly offset edge 168 . front panel f includes a membrane flap 174 hingedly connected to top edge 142 of front panel f forming therebetween a horizontally extending hinge line 176 . front panel membrane 174 is defined by a front edge 178 , a rear edge 180 , a left edge 182 and a right edge 184 . hinge line 176 includes a plurality of slits 186 that extend completely through the thickness of the carton blank a . the function of slits 186 will be more fully discussed below . left and right edges 182 and 184 extend inwardly from hinge line 176 and each forms an angle of 135 ° therewith . the angle of 135 ° corresponds with the front inclined edges 130 of membrane flap 128 which are angled from hinge line 126 an angle of 135 °. although edges 130 and 182 and 184 are cut at angles of 45 ° from their respective hinge lines , it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that these edges could be cut along any pair of complimentary angles such as 60 ° and 30 °. an adhesive h in the form of a strip or other well known form is applied to glue segment 24 of closure flap b . referring to fig2 a pair of blanks are illustrated as oriented during the blanking operation . as is evident from the drawing , the end flaps have been designed to reduce the amount of scrap stock produced during the blanking operation and to create an efficient layout by nesting adjacent blanks . the specific steps taken to assemble the blank a will now be described . initially , the front panel f is folded about hinge line 140 so that it lies on a portion of bottom panel e . cover panel c and closure flap b are folded about hinge line 34 so that cover panel c overlies rear panel d , a portion of bottom panel e and front panel membrane flap 174 . closure flap b overlies front panel f so that the closure flap b extends a distance there along greater than one - half the height of the front panel f . the front edges 48 of cover end flaps 40 and 42 overlie a portion of end flaps 148 and 150 , respectively . to seal closure flap b to front panel f , pressure is applied to the exterior of closure flap b so that glue strip 24 engages front panel f to securely fasten closure flap b to front panel f . next , carton a can be erected to form a tube t as shown in fig3 . forming the tube t is commonly known as &# 34 ; squaring &# 34 ; the carton k . this means that the corners form 90 ° angles . the formed carton k generally remains oblong . at this stage in the assembly process , the blank a is placed into the hopper of a cartoner , i . e . a mechanical machine for erecting carton blanks . the hopper of the cartoner ( not shown ) is designed to hold about 250 blanks oriented in such a manner that the cover , rear , bottom and front panels are vertically positioned . individual blanks are removed from the hopper , opened and squared into the configuration shown in fig3 . as the cartoner prepares blank a for filling , the right end flaps 12 , 42 , 112 , and 150 are folded and adhesive is applied to seal the right end flaps and the carton is set upon the right end as shown in fig4 . referring now to the left end shown in fig4 - 7 , membrane flap 128 is folded perpendicularly to left end flap 110 and as panel 110 is itself folded perpendicularly to panel e , membrane flap 128 becomes parallel to bottom panel e and top edge 124 of left end flap 110 becomes flush with and beneath left edge 36 of cover panel c . edge 130 of membrane flap 128 complementarily abuts edge 182 of membrane flap 174 . next , left end flap 148 is folded along hinge line 158 to become parallel with left end flap 110 and perpendicular to front panel f . a strip of adhesive 188 is applied to exterior 190 of left bottom panel flap 110 . next , cover panel and end flap 40 is folded along hinge line 44 to overlie the exterior of end flaps 110 and 148 . embossment 136 bulges outwardly from exterior 190 of bottom panel end flaps 110 and 112 forming an engagement surface for rear panel end flaps 68 and 70 . the shape of the embossment edge 192 conforms to edges 164 , 166 and 168 of end flaps 148 and 150 so that flaps 148 and 150 do not cover the embossments 136 . glue strip 188 extends vertically crossing embossment 136 , and end flaps 148 and 40 . embossment 136 prevent flaps 68 and 70 from being flexed when glued in position , thus allowing a secure attachment of the end flaps to form a integral closure . left end flap 68 and glue tab 10 may be folded over simultaneously . ear 56 will have adhesive applied to their exterior surface 194 thereof prior to glue tab 10 being folded in an overlying relationship with the exterior surface 194 of ears 56 . subsequent to folding along hinge line 76 left rear end flap 68 will overlie a portion of left cover panel end flap 40 as well as the embossed area 136 of left bottom panel end flap 110 and a portion of left front panel end flap 148 . fig8 shows the carton k in the fully formed and sealed orientation . closure flap b extends downwardly over the front panel f and the cover c seals the top of the carton k . the left side of the carton as shown having glue tab 10 adhered to the ear portion 56 of cover panel end flap 40 . corner flap 84 of rear panel end flap 68 is also adhered to cover panel end flap 40 . rear end flap 68 and cover panel end flap 40 both overlap front panel end flap 148 . a portion of bottom panel end flap 110 can be seen below the inclined bottom edges 94 and 170 of end flaps 68 and 148 , respectively . inclined bottom edges 94 and 170 illustrate an important feature in carton construction . the edges 94 and 170 are offset from the edge 106 of the bottom panel to prevent inadvertent tearing or breaking of the end seal during shipping and handling of the carton . the steps necessary to obtain access to the contents of carton k will now be explained with reference to fig8 and 9 . to detach cover panel c from front panel f , tear tab 28 is grasped and pulled outwardly from front panel f which will cause tear strip 18 to separate from closure flap b . then the consumer can bend the cover panel c backwards about hinge line 60 which will cause corner flaps 84 to separate from rear end flaps 68 and 70 along weakness line 86 to access the contents of the carton k . corner flaps 84 will remain with cover panel end flaps 40 and 42 after opening . glue panel 24 will remain adhered to front panel f . upon closing the cover panel c , skirt 26 will engage the top edge 142 of front panel f frictionally to maintain the cover panel c in the closed position after opening . fig1 shows a second embodiment of the carton blank a &# 39 ; having right and left bottom panel end flaps 200 . each bottom panel end flap includes a front edge 202 and a rear edge 204 and each end flap 200 is hinged to the bottom panel 205 along hinge lines 206 . the top edges 208 of the end flaps 200 have membrane flaps 210 hingedly connected thereto along fold lines 212 . fold lines 212 are spaced closer to hinge lines 206 than are top edges 208 . a notch 214 is provided in each end flap 200 at the rear ed 216 of each membrane flap 210 which allows the membrane flap 210 to fold perpendicularly to top edge 208 so that a uniform surface is formed along the top edge 208 of the end flap 200 to provide a more effective sealing engagement with cover panel 218 when the carton is filled . fig1 and 12 show modified carton blank 220 having a modified closure flap 222 . the blank 220 is similar in all other respects to blank a of fig1 . when ice cream cartons are manufactured in smaller sizes , for example one quart or one pint sizes , all of the flaps and panels are correspondingly reduced proportionally in size . in order to maintain the integrity of the sealed container , it is necessary that certain modifications be made . as shown in fig1 and 12 , closure flap 222 includes a bottom edge 224 , a top edge 226 , a left edge 228 and a right edge 230 . a tear strip 232 is formed in the closure flap 222 between a lower line of weakness 234 and an upper line of weakness 236 . a resealable flap 238 is formed between upper line of weakness 236 and top edge 226 . at the side edges 228 and 230 of the closure flap 222 and adjoining the resealable flap portion 238 are a pair of modified glue tabs 240 and 242 . glue tabs 240 and 242 are joined to resealable flap 238 along their front edges 244 and 246 at hinge lines 248 and 250 . top edges 252 of glue tabs 240 and 242 are inclined downwardly from top edge 226 . edges 254 are vertical and extend from inclined edge 252 downwardly past upper line of weakness 236 . bottom edge 256 of glue tabs 240 and 242 extends horizontally from edge 254 about half the length of edge of 254 and then forms an inclined edge 258 and joins another horizontal edge portion 260 which joins edges 244 and 246 at the intersection with upper line of weakness 236 . the above - described structural design provides enlarged glue tabs 240 and 242 for an enlarged engagement surface with cover flap end panels 262 of cover flap 264 and edge portions 256 and 258 correspond and shape to edge portions 266 and 268 respectively of cover panel end flap 262 . while this invention has been described as having a preferred design it is understood that it is capable of further modifications , uses and / or adaptations of the invention following in general the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains , and as may be applied to the central features hereinbefore set forth , and fall within the scope of the invention and the limits of the appended claims .

US-59998290-A

an epoxy resin composition used as a matrix for a fiber - reinforced composite is disclosed , which comprises the following components : a bifunctional epoxy resin ; at least one of a trifunctional epoxy resin and a tetrafunctional epoxy resin ; a dihydroxybiphenyl compound represented by the following general formula : ## str1 ## wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 , which may be the same or different , each represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms ; and an aromatic amine , wherein said components , , and are used in amounts satisfying the following conditions : 1 / 0 . 1 ≧ a / b ≧ 1 / 1 . 2 10 / 1 ≧/ c ≧ 1 / 1 1 / 0 . 8 ≧/ d ≧ 1 / 1 . 5 wherein a represents the molar number of epoxy groups in component , b represents the molar number of epoxy groups in component , c represents the molar number of phenolic oh groups in component and d represents the molar number of nh groups in component .

examples of the bifunctional epoxy resin of component ( a ) used in the present invention include a bisphenol epoxy type resin such as a bisphenol a epoxy resin , a bisphenol f epoxy resin , brominated products thereof , and a bisphenol s epoxy resin . for example , bisphenol epoxy type resin is represented by the following general formula : ## str3 ## for providing improved toughness , a bisphenol a epoxy resin or a bisphenol f epoxy resin is desirably used as a major component . the ratio of epoxy groups in the epoxy resin ( a ) to those in the trifunctional and / or tetrafunctional epoxy resin ( b ) is in the range of 1 / 0 . 1 to 1 / 1 . 2 , preferably 1 / 0 . 2 to 1 / 1 . 0 , when expressed by a / b . if the ratio is greater than 1 / 0 . 1 , the resistance of the final resin composition to hot water and chemicals is reduced . if the ratio is smaller than 1 / 1 . 2 , toughness is so much reduced as to cause a decrease not only in the efficiency of the use of reinforcing materials but also in the compressive strength of the final resin composition after impact . component ( b ) of the resin composition of the present invention is a trifunctional or tetrafunctional epoxy resin which may be used either on their own or as an admixture . illustrative trifunctional epoxy resins include n , n , o - triglycidyl - p - aminophenol , n n , o - triglycidyl - m - aminophenol , n , n , o - triglycidyl - 4 - amino - m - cresol , n , n , o - triglycidyl - 5 - amino - o - cresol , and 1 , 1 , 1 -( triglycidyl - oxyphenyl ) methane . among these , n , n , o - triglycidyl compounds are particularly preferred to provide improved solvent resistance . examples of the tetrafunctional epoxy resin that can be used as component ( b ) include n , n , n &# 39 ;, n &# 39 ;- tetraglycidyldiaminodiphenylmethane , n , n , n &# 39 ;, n &# 39 ;- tetraglycidyl - 4 , 4 &# 39 ;-( 4 - aminophenyl )- p - diisopropylbenzene and 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 -( tetraglycidyloxyphenyl ) ethane . examples of the 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dihydroxybiphenyl compound to be used as component ( c ) in the present invention include 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dihydroxybiphenyl and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dihydroxy - 3 , 3 &# 39 ;, 5 , 5 &# 39 ;- tetratert - butylbiphenyl . the amount of use of component ( c ) is determined in such a way that the proportions of components ( a ), ( b ) and ( c ) satisfy the condition : wherein a , b and c are defined above . if the ratio defined above exceeds 10 / 1 , it sometimes occurs that the final resin composition does not have satisfactory wet heat resistance or toughness . if the ratio is smaller than 1 / 1 , heat and solvent resistance is reduced to an undesirably low level . the preferred range is from 10 / 1 to 1 . 5 / 1 . examples of the aromatic amine used as component ( d ) in the present invention include 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenyl sulfone , 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenyl sulfone , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylether and trimethylene - bis ( 4 - aminobenzoate ). among these , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenyl sulfone and 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenyl sulfone are particularly preferred . depending on the purpose of use , a cure accelerator may be used in combination with component ( d ). specific examples of the cure accelerator include boron trifluoride amine complexes such as boron trifluoride monoethylamine complex , imidazoles , etc . the amount of use of the component ( d ) is determined in such a way that the proportions of components ( a )-( d ) satisfy the condition : wherein a , b , c and d are defined as above . a particularly preferred range is from 1 / 0 . 9 to 1 / 1 . 2 . if the ratio defined above is greater than 1 / 0 . 8 , the resin composition will cure insufficiently to provide satisfactory solvent and heat resistance . if the ratio is less than 1 / 1 . 5 , water and solvent resistance will decrease to an undesirably low level . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , component ( c ) ( dihydroxybiphenyl compound ) is allowed to react preliminary with all or part of component ( a ) ( bifunctional epoxy resin ) and all of component ( b ) ( trifunctional and / or tetrafunctional epoxy resin ) under such conditions that at least 80 %, preferably at least 90 %, of the phenolic oh groups in component ( c ) react with the epoxy groups in components ( a ) and ( b ). if less than 80 % of the phenolic oh groups reacts with the epoxy groups , the preliminary reaction will offer no benefit . the molar ratio between epoxy groups in components ( a ) and ( b ) to be used in the preliminary reaction is within the range of from 1 / 0 . 3 to 1 / 3 . 0 , preferably from 1 / 0 . 5 to 1 / 2 . 0 . if the ratio is greater than 1 / 0 . 3 , it sometimes occurs that the final resin composition does not have satisfactory resistance to hot water and solvents . if the ratio is smaller than 1 / 3 . 0 , gelation can occur during the preliminary reaction . the amount of component ( c ) to be used in the preliminary reaction is determined in such a way that the proportions of components ( a ), ( b ) and ( c ) to be used in the preliminary reaction satisfy the condition : wherein a , b and c are defined above . if the ratio defined above is greater than 5 / 1 , satisfactory wet heat resistance cannot be attained . if the ratio is smaller than 0 . 9 / 1 , the preliminary reaction will not proceed efficiently on account of increased viscosity . the epoxy resin composition of the present invention permits the use of another epoxy resin as component ( e ) in an amount that will not upset the overall balance between various physical properties of the composition . a typical example of such additional epoxy resin is a novolak epoxy resin . the amount of component ( e ), if used at all , preferably does not exceed 20 % of the total weight of the epoxy resin components ( a ), ( b ) and ( e ). if component ( e ) is to be used , the proportions of components ( a ), ( b ), ( c ), ( d ) and ( e ) must satisfy the following conditions : wherein a , b , c and d are defined above and e is the molar number of epoxy groups in component ( e ). the resin composition of the present invention may optionally contain an elastomeric component such as a butadiene - acrylonitrile copolymer terminated with a carboxyl group at both ends , or a thermoplastic resin component such as polyether sulfone , polysulfone , polyether ether ketone , polyether imide or polyvinyl butyrate . the amounts in which these optional components are used may be appropriately determined within the range that will not upset the overall balance between various properties of the final resin composition . the resin composition of the present invention may also contain inorganic compounds as required and illustrative inorganic compounds that can be incorporated in the resin composition include silica powders , aerosils , micro - baloons and antimony trioxide . the resin composition of the present invention serves as an excellent matrix resin for composite materials , thus providing composite materials having improved properties such as high resistance to heat , water and impact . the composite materials produced may be reinforced with carbon fibers , glass fibers , aramid fibers , boron fibers , silicon carbide fibers , etc . these reinforcing fibers may be used in various forms such as milled fibers , chopped fibers , continuous fibers and textiles . the following examples are provided for the purpose of further illustrating the present invention but are in no way to be taken as limiting . in the examples , all &# 34 ; parts &# 34 ; are on a weight basis and the &# 34 ; molar ratio &# 34 ; refers to that of functional groups . a hundred parts of epikote 807 ( the trade name of yuka - shell epoxy co ., ltd . for bisphenol f epoxy resin ; epoxy equivalent , 170 ), 16 . 6 parts of n , n , o - triglycidyl - p - aminophenol ( epoxy equivalent , 94 ), 14 . 2 parts of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dihydroxybiphenyl , and 37 . 9 parts of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenyl sulfone were mixed well in a kneader at 60 ° c . to form a resin composition ( i ). this composition was sandwiched between glass sheets and cured at 180 ° c . for 2 hours to prepare a resin sheet . the flexural strength , elastic modulus , elongation and tg ( according to thermomechanical analysis ( tma ) method ) of the resin sheet were evaluated in accordance with jis k6911 . the results are shown in table 1 . the symbols a , b , c and d used in table 1 have the same meanings as already defined . as is seen from the results of table 1 , examples of the present invention show high tg and high elongation , while comparative examples show low tg ( comparative examples 1 , 4 , 5 and 6 ) and / or low elongation ( comparative examples 2 , 3 , 5 and 6 ). table 1__________________________________________________________________________ flexural flexural flexural elasticexample tg elongation strength modulusno . a / b ( a + b )/ c ( a + b - c )/ d (° c .) (%) ( kg / mm . sup . 2 ) ( kg / mm . sup . 2 ) __________________________________________________________________________example1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 148 16 . 8 23 . 5 3202 1 / 0 . 8 5 / 1 1 / 1 155 14 . 3 24 . 7 3253 1 / 0 . 3 2 / 1 1 / 1 143 17 . 0 23 . 5 3194 1 / 0 . 8 2 / 1 1 / 1 152 14 . 9 24 . 1 3225 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 . 2 146 18 . 0 23 . 7 3216 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 0 . 8 145 16 . 6 23 . 8 320comparativeexample1 1 / 0 . 05 5 / 1 1 / 1 119 17 . 0 22 . 5 3102 1 / 1 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 156 9 . 2 23 . 2 3403 1 / 0 . 3 20 / 1 1 / 1 151 8 . 8 20 . 5 3314 1 / 0 . 3 0 . 8 / 1 1 / 1 125 15 . 5 19 . 8 3195 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 0 . 3 101 7 . 9 16 . 5 2996 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 . 6 105 8 . 5 17 . 0 302__________________________________________________________________________ a resin composition and a resin sheet were prepared as in example 1 except that the compounds shown in table 2 as components ( a )-( d ). the resin sheet was subjected to the same tests as conducted in example 1 . the results are also shown in table 2 . the symbols used in table 2 have the following meanings . a - 2 : 2 : 1 ( by mole ) mixture of epikote 807 and epikote 828 which is the trade name of yuka - shell epoxy co ., ltd . for a bisphenol a diglycidyl ether type epoxy resin ; epoxy equivalent , 188 ) table 2__________________________________________________________________________ flexural flexural flexural elasticexamplecomponent tg elongation strength modulusno . ( a ) ( b ) ( c ) ( d ) a / b ( a + b )/ c ( a + b - c )/ d (° c .) (%) ( kg / mm . sup . 2 ) ( kg / mm . sup . 2 ) __________________________________________________________________________example 7 a - 2 b - 1 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 6 4 / 1 1 / 1 149 16 . 6 23 . 8 324 8 a - 1 b - 2 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 147 17 . 0 24 . 2 326 9 a - 1 b - 3 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 148 17 . 5 24 . 7 32210 a - 1 b - 4 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 146 16 . 4 23 . 9 32411 a - 1 b - 5 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 145 16 . 5 24 . 1 32112 a - 1 b - 1 c - 2 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 143 16 . 0 24 . 6 36013 a - 1 b - 3 c - 2 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 144 16 . 2 24 . 3 36514 a - 1 b - 1 c - 1 d - 2 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 150 16 . 6 23 . 6 32515 a - 1 b - 1 / c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 152 15 . 8 23 . 9 340 b - 6 = 2 / 1__________________________________________________________________________ thirty parts of epikote 807 ( component ( a )), 16 . 6 parts of n , n , o - triglycidyl - p - aminophenol ( component ( b )) and 14 . 2 parts of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dihydroxybiphehyl ( component ( c )) were subjected to a preliminary reaction for 2 hours at 130 ° c . and thereafter cooled to 60 ° c . the remaining 70 parts of epikote 807 ( component ( a &# 39 ;)) and 37 . 9 parts of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenyl sulfone ( component ( d )) were added to the cooled mixture and the ingredients were mixed well in a kneader ( held at 60 ° c .) to prepare a resin composition ( ii ). this resin composition was tested as in example 1 . the results are shown in table 3 . tests were conducted on the samples that were prepared as in example 16 except that the proportions of the respective components used in the preliminary reaction and the degree of this reaction ( conversion of phenolic oh groups ) were changed as shown in table 3 . the results are also shown in table 3 , wherein the symbol a &# 39 ; denotes the molar number of epoxy groups in component ( a &# 39 ;) and the other symbols used have the same meanings as already defined . table 3__________________________________________________________________________ preliminary reaction reaction flexural conditions overall flexural flexural elastic ( degree of ( a + a &# 39 ; + ( a + a &# 39 ; + tg elongation strength modulusexample no . a / b ( a + b )/ c reaction )* ( a + a &# 39 ;)/ b b )/ c b - c )/ d (° c .) (%) ( kg / mm . sup . 2 ) ( kg / mm . sup . 2 ) __________________________________________________________________________example 16 1 / 1 2 . 33 / 1 130 ° c . × 2 h 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 149 17 . 0 23 . 4 317 ( 95 %) example 17 1 / 1 1 . 15 / 1 130 ° c . × 2 h 1 / 0 . 3 2 . 5 / 1 1 / 1 145 17 . 2 23 . 2 318 ( 95 %) example 18 1 / 2 1 . 79 / 1 130 ° c . × 2 h 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 150 17 . 5 23 . 5 320 ( 95 %) example 19 1 / 0 . 5 3 . 45 / 1 130 ° c . × 2 h 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 147 17 . 0 23 . 1 318 ( 95 %) example 20 1 / 1 3 . 70 / 1 130 ° c . × 2 h 1 / 0 . 6 5 / 1 1 / 1 144 16 . 8 23 . 2 321 ( 95 %) example 21 1 / 1 1 . 89 / 1 130 ° c . × 2 h 1 / 0 . 6 2 . 5 / 1 1 / 1 148 16 . 9 23 . 5 320 ( 95 %) example 22 1 / 1 2 . 33 / 1 120 ° c . × 2 h 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 144 16 . 3 22 . 9 315 ( 80 %) example 23 1 / 1 2 . 33 / 1 130 ° c . × 4 h 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 149 17 . 9 23 . 3 318 ( 98 %) __________________________________________________________________________ * degree of the reaction of the phenolic oh groups in component ( c ) with the epoxy groups in components ( a ) and ( b ) tests were conducted on the samples that were prepared as in example 1 except that component b was replaced by n , n , n &# 39 ;, n &# 39 ;- tetraglycidyldiaminodiphenylmethane ( tetrafunctional epoxy resin with an epoxy equivalent of 120 ) and that the proportions of components a , b , c and d were changed to those indicated in table 4 . the results are shown in table 4 . as is seen from the results of table 4 , examples of the present invention show high tg as well as high elongation , while comparative examples show low tg ( comparative examples 7 , 10 , 11 and 12 ) and / or low elongation ( comparative examples 8 , 9 , 11 and 12 ). table 4__________________________________________________________________________ flexural flexural flexural elasticexample component tg elongation strength modulusno . ( a ) ( b ) ( c ) ( d ) a / b ( a + b )/ c ( a + b - c )/ d (° c .) (%) ( kg / mm . sup . 2 ) ( kg / mm . sup . 2 ) __________________________________________________________________________example24 a - 1 b - 6 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 147 16 . 5 23 . 3 32125 a - 1 b - 6 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 8 5 / 1 1 / 1 153 14 . 2 24 . 5 32426 a - 1 b - 6 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 2 / 1 1 / 1 143 17 . 1 23 . 2 32027 a - 1 b - 6 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 8 2 / 1 1 / 1 149 15 . 0 24 . 0 32128 a - 1 b - 6 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 . 2 144 18 . 0 23 . 5 32229 a - 1 b - 6 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 0 . 8 145 16 . 5 23 . 7 319comparativeexample 7 a - 1 b - 6 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 05 5 / 1 1 / 1 118 16 . 8 22 . 3 309 8 a - 1 b - 6 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 1 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 155 9 . 0 23 . 3 335 9 a - 1 b - 6 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 20 / 1 1 / 1 152 8 . 5 20 . 4 33210 a - 1 b - 6 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 0 . 8 / 1 1 / 1 121 15 . 2 19 . 9 32011 a - 1 b - 6 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 0 . 3 98 7 . 7 16 . 3 29312 a - 1 b - 6 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 0 . 6 103 8 . 3 16 . 8 300__________________________________________________________________________ tests were conducted on the samples that were prepared as in example 1 except that components a , b , c and d were changed to those shown in table 5 . the results are shown in table 5 , in which b - 7 denotes n , n , n &# 39 ;, n &# 39 ;- tetraglycidyl - 4 , 4 &# 39 ;-( 4 - aminophenyl )- p - diisopropylbenzene , and the other symbols used have the same meanings as already defined above . table 5__________________________________________________________________________ flexural flexural flexural elasticexample component tg elongation strength modulusno . ( a ) ( b ) ( c ) ( d ) a / b ( a + b )/ c ( a + b - c )/ d (° c .) (%) ( kg / mm . sup . 2 ) ( kg / mm . sup . 2 ) __________________________________________________________________________example30 a - 2 b - 6 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 6 4 / 1 1 / 1 147 16 . 7 23 . 9 32031 a - 1 b - 7 c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 144 16 . 2 24 . 0 32332 a - 1 b - 6 c - 2 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 143 15 . 9 24 . 2 35533 a - 2 b - 6 c - 2 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 145 16 . 4 24 . 1 36134 a - 1 b - 6 c - 1 d - 2 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 149 16 . 3 23 . 7 33035 a - 1 b - 6 / c - 1 d - 1 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 150 15 . 6 23 . 7 337 b - 1 = 2 / 1__________________________________________________________________________ tests were conducted on the samples that were prepared as in example 16 except that n , n , n &# 39 ;, n &# 39 ;- tetraglycidyldiaminodiphenylmethane was used as component ( b ) and that the proportions of components a , b , c and d were changed to those shown in table 6 . the results are shown in table 6 . table 6__________________________________________________________________________ preliminary reaction reaction flexural conditions overall flexural flexural elastic ( degree of ( a + a &# 39 ; + ( a + a &# 39 ; + tg elongation strength modulusexample no . a / b ( a + b )/ c reaction )* ( a + a &# 39 ;)/ b b )/ c b - c )/ d (° c .) (%) ( kg / mm . sup . 2 ) ( kg / mm . sup . 2 ) __________________________________________________________________________example 36 1 / 1 2 . 33 / 1 130 ° c . × 2 h 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 148 17 . 1 24 . 2 319 ( 95 %) example 37 1 / 1 1 . 15 / 1 130 ° c . × 2 h 1 / 0 . 3 2 . 5 / 1 1 / 1 143 17 . 3 23 . 1 317 ( 95 %) example 38 1 / 2 1 . 79 / 1 130 ° c . × 2 h 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 148 17 . 4 23 . 4 321 ( 95 %) example 39 1 / 0 . 5 3 . 45 / 1 130 ° c . × 2 h 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 145 17 . 1 23 . 3 318 ( 95 %) example 40 1 / 1 3 . 70 / 1 130 ° c . × 2 h 1 / 0 . 6 5 / 1 1 / 1 146 16 . 8 23 . 4 319 ( 95 %) example 41 1 / 1 1 . 89 / 1 130 ° c . × 2 h 1 / 0 . 6 2 . 5 / 1 1 / 1 149 17 . 0 23 . 6 321 ( 95 %) example 42 1 / 1 2 . 33 / 1 120 ° c . × 2 h 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 145 16 . 2 22 . 7 315 ( 80 %) example 43 1 / 1 2 . 33 / 1 130 ° c . × 4 h 1 / 0 . 3 5 / 1 1 / 1 147 16 . 8 23 . 4 317 ( 98 %) __________________________________________________________________________ * degree of the reaction of the phenolic oh groups in component ( c ) with the epoxy groups in components ( a ) and ( b ) the resin composition ( i ) prepared in example 1 was impregnated in unidirectionally collimated carbon fibers ( pyrofil ® m - 1 of mitsubishi rayon co ., ltd .) by a hot - melt process to prepare a unidirectional prepreg having a fiber areal weight of 145 g / m 2 and a resin content of 35 wt %. sheets of this prepreg were laid up to unidirectional laminate ( 0 °) 16 and quasi - isotropical laminate [+ 45 °/ 0 °/- 45 °/+ 90 °] 4s , and cured at 180 ° c . for 2 hours to prepare a composite material . the characteristics of the composite material ( i . e ., 0 ° compressive strength at 82 ° c . after water absorption , and compressive strength at room temperature after impact ) were evaluated by the following methods . the test results were normalized for a fiber volume fraction of 60 %. a ( 0 °) 16 laminated composite was submerged in hot water at 71 ° c . for 14 days and thereafter subjected to a compression test in the direction of 0 ° at 82 ° c . in accordance with astm d - 695 . in accordance with nasa rp 1092 , a panel ( 4 × 6 × 0 . 18 in .) was fixed on a table with a hole ( 3 × 5 in . ); a weight of 4 . 9 kg with a 1 / 2 inch radius nose was dropped on the center of the panel to give an impact of 1 , 500 lbs . per inch of panel thickness , and the panel was thereafter subjected to a compression test . the results of these evaluations are shown in table 7 . tests were conducted on the samples that were prepared as in example 44 except that the resin compositions to be used were changed to those shown in table 7 . the results are shown in table 7 . resin composition ( iii ) was prepared as in example 1 except that 15 . 0 parts of powdered polyether sulfone was further mixed with the components described in example 1 . tests were conducted on the sample that was prepared as in example 44 except that resin composition ( iii ) was used in place of resin composition ( i ). the results are shown in table 7 . resin composition ( iv ) was prepared as in example 1 except that 15 . 0 parts of powdered polyether sulfone was further mixed with the components described in example 24 . tests were conducted on the samples that were prepared as in example 44 except that resin composition ( iv ) was used in place of resin composition ( i ). the results are shown in table 7 . table 7______________________________________ 0 ° compressive compressive strength at strength at 82 ° c . after water r . t . afterexample resin absorption impactno . composition ( kg / mm . sup . 2 ) ( kg / mm . sup . 2 ) ______________________________________44 as prepared in 116 32 example 145 as prepared in 123 33 example 946 as prepared in 110 36 example 1247 as prepared in 122 29 example 1448 as prepared in 117 34 example 1649 as prepared in 114 33 example 2450 as prepared in 118 33 example 3251 as prepared in 123 31 example 3452 as prepared in 121 34 example 3553 as prepared in 118 33 example 3654 resin 116 35 composition ( iii ) 55 resin 115 34 composition ( iv ) ______________________________________ r . t . : room temperature

US-75965291-A

a moisture sensor having an oscillator circuit with its output frequency directly proportional to moisture percentage present in the substance of interest . the oscillator circuit includes two spaced plates in the substance and functioning as a capacitor . the frequency of the oscillations changes as the capacitance between the plates changes due to the moisture present between the plates . the sensor is particularly adapted for use as a soil moisture detector and provides indications of wet or dry conditions .

before describing the invention in detail , it is appropriate to make certain observations that are pertinent . the dielectric constant of air is one , while the dielectric constant of water is 80 . this is a key to the invention , because soil between two capacitor plates will have a relatively low dielectric constant , closer to that of air . the amount of water between the plates directly affects the possible capacitance between them . depending on the percentage of the space between the plates that is moist , their capacitance is significantly increased . with reference now to the drawing , and more particularly to fig1 there is shown a base member 11 from which extend parallel plates 12 and 13 . the base member houses the circuitry of the invention shown in fig2 including the oscillator and timing circuitry , while plates 12 and 13 comprise the sensing capacitor . the circuitry is preferably potted by a suitable epoxy within base member 11 to prevent moisture from entering the circuit area . cable 14 extends from the base and is connected to the circuitry therein , the distal end of the wire being connected to the preexisting watering system including the solenoid and the ac power source . the specific structure of plates 12 and 13 as envisioned comprise a typical printed circuit board base with one or both sides coated with copper and then a rubber or epoxy coating over that . alternatively , plates 12 and 13 may be rolled steel or other suitable material to function as capacitor plates . in the schematic diagram of fig2 the oscillator is referred to by reference numeral 15 and comprises unijunction transistor 16 having base 17 connected to ground through resistor 21 . base 22 is connected to emitter terminal 23 through resistors 24 and 25 . the frequency of operation of oscillator 15 is governed by the capacitance between plates 12 and 13 . capacitor 26 is in parallel with the main capacitor and functions to provide a base , or dry operating frequency . buffer 27 is connected to oscillator 15 through resistor 31 . the base of buffer transistor 32 is coupled to ground through resistor 33 and the emitter is grounded . timing circuit 34 comprises retriggerable monostable multivibrators 35 and 36 . the circuit is calibrated by means of variable resistor 41 connected to resistor 42 and capacitor 43 comprising the rc network controlling the timing of multivibrator 35 . the other end of variable resistor 41 , together with resistor 44 connected to multivibrator 36 and resistor 45 connected to the collector of transistor 32 , are all connected to a 6 - volt power supply terminal 46 . resistors 24 and 25 are also connected in parallel to this power supply . solenoid 61 is the control solenoid for the lawn watering system and 24 - volt ac power supply 62 is the power supply for the lawn watering system . the output of the moisture sensor of fig2 is applied to triac 63 through resistor 64 , the control signal being applied to gate 65 of the triac . the portion of the circuitry which controls the time of operation of solenoid 61 is comprised of retriggerable monostable multivibrators 35 and 36 , typically physically contained on a single integrated circuit element . this timing means functions as a pulse period comparator as will become evident hereinbelow . the time - out period of multivibrator 35 , governed by resistor 42 , variable resistor 41 and capacitor 43 , is in the general range of the period of the oscillator output frequency . the frequency of the oscillator , being variable , will at times have a period which is greater than the time - out period of multivibrator 35 and at times its period will be less than the time - out period of the multivibrator . the time - out period of multivibrator 36 is governed by resistor 44 and capacitor 47 . these elements typically have a much higher value than do the corresponding elements of multivibrator 35 so that the time - out period of this second multivibrator is substantially longer , even as much as a second order of magnitude longer , than that of the first multivibrator . the timing of the circuit when the sensed material is dry and wet is shown respectively in the waveforms of fig3 and 4 . when the lawn is dry , the capacitance between plates 12 and 13 decreases and the frequency of oscillator 15 is relatively high . the pulsed output of the oscillator is shown by curve 71 in fig3 . buffer 27 converts the relatively small negative pulses from the oscillator to larger positive going pulses 72 . the time - out period of multivibrator 35 is shown by dotted lines 74 to be somewhat longer than the period between the oscillator output pulses . because the multivibrator is of the monostable , retriggerable type , as soon as the first output pulse 72 from buffer 27 is applied to the multivibrator , it is triggered to the on state as indicated by curves 73 and 75 , and is continually retriggered by pulses 72 so that it stays in the on state . assuming the time - out period from each trigger pulse to be as shown by dotted lines 74 , each succeeding time - out of multivibrator 35 fails to materialize because there has been a pulse from the buffer which retriggers the multivibrator . the output terminal 66 of multivibrator 36 is normally coupled to gate 65 of the triac through normally closed switch 67 and resistor 64 . when multivibrator 35 is triggered on as indicated by positive going curve 75 coincident with the first pulse 72 , multivibrator 36 is unaffected , as indicated by zero voltage level line 81 . multivibrator 36 requires a negative going input to trigger . therefore , it remains inactive under the conditions of fig3 and the output at pin 66 remains high , maintaining the triac in an on condition . while the output of terminal 66 remains in a high or on state as indicated by line 81 , the triac is turned on , solenoid 61 is energized and the watering system continues to function . when the water in the soil reaches a higher level at the location of plates 12 and 13 , the output frequency of oscillator 15 will eventually reach a point where the period between pulses is greater than the time - out period of multivibrator 35 . this is indicated in fig4 where oscillator pulses 82 and corresponding buffer pulses 83 have a period greater than the time - out period of multivibrator 35 as indicated by negative going pulses 84 . thus when the frequency reaches this lower level , multivibrator 35 effectively has a pulsing output on terminal 68 which is coupled to multivibrator 36 . as indicated by negative going curve 85 , as soon as multivibrator 35 is triggered to emit negative going pulse 84 , multivibrator 36 is triggered to provide a negative output on terminal 66 . because multivibrator 36 is retriggerable , each pulse 84 of multivibrator 35 will retrigger multivibrator 36 thereby maintaining the negative output at terminal 66 as indicated by a line 86 of multivibrator 36 . this negative output ensures that triac 63 is turned off and the water applied to the soil ceases or stays off . the circuit of fig2 has a fail - safe feature in that if the circuit fails , the output at terminal 66 of multivibrator 36 , since the multivibrator is not being triggered , will remain high as shown in fig3 . this ensures that the water flow will commence and remain on until someone realizes there is a failure or a malfunction and takes the necessary corrective action . it has been determined that this fail - safe mode is better than if the system failed off . in the latter case there would be nothing to call attention to the failure until the lawn was very dry and possibly badly damaged . excess running water on the other hand , is more visible , and too wet is normally a better situation than too dry . the lower portion of the circuit of fig2 provides an alternative timing circuit to that of the combination of multivibrators 35 and 36 . it is the purpose of the circuit with multivibrators 51 and 52 to alternate periods of watering with periods of non - watering . the purpose is for additional water conservation . if , for example , the soil with which the moisture sensor of this invention is working is less permeable than ideal , it is possible that watering until the sensor detects that the soil is adequately moist could result in undesired runoff and substantial waste of water . by specific example , the timing provided by multivibrators 51 and 52 , when the soil is dry , provides two minutes of watering followed by five minutes where the watering system is turned off . the cycle is repeated until the sensor determines that there is adequate moisture . of course the actual as well as the relative timing of these multivibrators is arbitrary and can be set as desired . note that the input to multivibrator 35 and the output from multivibrator 36 are connectable through switches 58 and 59 to the chip containing the two multivibrators 51 and 52 . the connection of terminals 91 and 92 by means of line 93 makes multivibrator 51 non - retriggerable . since multivibrator 51 is not retriggerable , when a pulse from buffer 27 is applied to terminal 94 , the multivibrator is set and stays set until it times out , for example , five minutes . the timing out is determined by resistor 53 and capacitor 54 as described with respect to the other multivibrators . because there is always a train of pulses coming from buffer 27 due to the action of oscillator 15 , multivibrator 51 is continuously being triggered , whether the soil is wet or dry . as soon as a five minute period has been timed out , the multivibrator is again triggered by the next pulse from the buffer and remains on for another five - minute period . if the soil is relatively dry , the output from multivibrator 36 through terminal 66 is high as indicated by line 81 in fig3 . this signal is applied to terminal 98 thereby enabling multivibrator 52 to function in its normal manner . when the output from terminal 95 of multivibrator 51 drops so that multivibrator times out , multivibrator 52 is turned on . the output from terminal 96 of multivibrator 52 is coupled to gate 65 of the triac through switch 101 . when terminal 96 is high , terminal 99 is low , and vice versa . at this time triac 63 and solenoid 61 are enabled and the low output from terminal 99 is coupled to terminal 97 of multivibrator 51 to disable that element . assuming the time - out period of the second multivibrator to be two minutes , after two minutes , multivibrator 52 times out and releases multivibrator 51 to be triggered again by the next pulse from buffer 27 . when multivibrator 51 is again triggered , the output from terminal 95 disables multivibrator 52 until the first multivibrator is again timed out and a negative going pulse at terminal 95 enables the second multivibrator . when the soil is wet , the low output from multivibrator 36 through terminal 66 is applied to terminal 98 of multivibrator 52 , effectively locking out that multivibrator , thereby preventing the triac from firing . even though multivibrator 51 is being timed out at five minute intervals , as long as multivibrator 52 is locked out , there is no signal applied to gate 65 of the triac to turn on solenoid 61 . only one of these two multivibrators can ever be on at a time . stated another way , multivibrator 51 starts multivibrator 52 , while multivibrator 52 disables multivibrator 51 until multivibrator 52 is timed out . thus as long as the sensor determines that the lawn needs water , the relatively high frequency of oscillator 15 will continue to operate the watering system through solenoid 61 in cycles of two minutes on , spaced by five minutes off . because of this on / off relationship between these two multivibrators , element 52 need not be specifically configured as retriggerable or non - retriggerable . the timing circuitry of multivibrators 51 and 52 is shown as an addition and alternative to the system using only multivibrators 35 and 36 . the latter two multivibrators are not removed from the system when elements 51 and 52 are employed . as presently envisioned , the system would either be permanently constructed with multivibrators 51 and 52 included , or they would not be in the circuit at all . however , the concept of switching one operation to the other could be employed , using electronic switches , if desired . as stated previously , variable resistor 41 is used for calibrating purposes and sets the trip point of the system . if the resistance is set larger , the frequency for turning off the watering system goes lower because multivibrator 35 has a longer time - out period and therefore the off signal will occur when the moisture is at a higher level . if the resistance of resistor 41 is made smaller , the moisture sensor will turn the watering system off at a lower moisture content in the soil . note that the set point determined by resistor 41 provides the same moisture level to turn the system off as to turn it on . the reason that the system is not constantly going on and off is that the plates 12 and 13 of the sensor are buried approximately six inches deep in the soil . as the soil surface starts to dry out , it takes some time for that relative dryness to creep down to the vicinity of the plates so that the frequency of oscillator 15 can increase sufficiently to trip the solenoid to commence watering . in this way , the depth that the moisture sensor is buried effectively controls the amount of moisture in the soil . if it is determined that the system is running too dry , the sensor can be buried deeper . conversely , if the lawn tends to be too wet , the sensor should be buried more shallowly so that it can more quickly detect moisture in the soil before it becomes too wet . the circuit represented by reference numeral 102 is the circuit power supply . as indicated previously , standard watering systems are provided with 24 - volt ac power . the system of this invention needs something other than 24 volts ac , that being 6 volts dc . of course , the actual dc voltage value employed by the moisture sensor is not critical and a different set of components could result in a different voltage level being needed . diode 103 is a rectifier providing dc pulses and capacitor 104 functions as a filter . voltage regulator 105 provides a constant 6 volts at output terminal 106 , substantially independently of input . while the system described above has been discussed as a moisture sensor for soil and soil watering systems , the principles of the invention could be employed in many situations where moisture content is an important characteristic . if the moisture sensor of this invention is used specifically for trees as opposed to lawns , it could be buried substantially deeper so that the moisture will penetrate to the deeper roots before the system turns off the watering function . completely unrelated to providing water for plants , the system could be modified to detect some aspect of the moisture content in a human body . many other possibilities exist , including the sensing of moisture content in concrete such as foundations or other structures , large storage containers , such as grain silos or other food stuff stored in bulk . it should also be evident that the principles of this invention could be adapted to power supplies other than 24 volts ac , and to watering or other controlled systems employing something other than a solenoid . further , the sensor of this invention need not actuate something equivalent to a watering system . it could only actuate an indicator of the wet or dry condition being detected . in any event , the output of the system functions to indicate the moisture content condition , whether it controls a watering system , some other event , or provides only a visual indication having no other function . further , while two plates of equal size are shown in confronting parallel arrangement , other physical arrangements for the capacitor could be employed . it is envisioned that a sufficient amount of the material of interest ( soil ) must be present between the capacitor plates for an exemplary sampling of ambient moisture content . for this reason , the capacitor plates are preferably about 11 / 2 inches ( 3 . 8 cm ) apart but could be closer or spaced farther as desired . in view of the above description it is likely that modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art which are within the scope of the accompanying claims .

US-64664184-A

a method for fracture stimulation of a subterranean formation includes providing a thermoset polymer nanocomposite particle precursor composition comprising a polymer precursor mixture , dispersed within a liquid medium , containing at least one of an initiator ; at least one of a monomer , an oligomer or combinations thereof , said monomer and oligomer having three or more reactive functionalities capable of creating crosslinks between polymer chains ; at least one of an impact modifier ; and nanofiller particles substantially dispersed within the liquid medium ; subjecting the nanocomposite particle precursor composition to suspension polymerizing conditions ; subjecting the resulting nanocomposite particles to heat treatment ; forming a slurry comprising a fluid and a proppant that includes the heat - treated nanocomposite particles ; injecting the slurry into a wellbore ; and emplacing the proppant within a fracture network in the formation .

details will now be provided on the currently preferred embodiments of the invention . these details will be provided without reducing the generality of the invention . persons skilled in the art can readily imagine many additional embodiments that fall within the full scope of the invention as taught in the summary of the invention section . the fracture stimulation method of the invention is preferably implemented by placing the ultralightweight thermoset polymer nanocomposite particles in the fracture as a partial monolayer . we have found , under standard laboratory test conditions , that the use of particles of narrow size distribution such as 14 / 16 u . s . mesh size (( diameters in the range of 1 . 19 to 1 . 41 millimeters ) is more effective than the use of broad particle size distributions . we have also found , under standard laboratory test conditions , that 0 . 02 lb / ft 2 is an especially preferred level of coverage of the fracture area with a partial mono layer of thermoset nanocomposite particles of sufficient stiffness and strength that possess an absolute density of 1 . 054 . however , real - life downhole conditions in an oilfield may differ significantly from those used under laboratory test conditions . consequently , in the practical application of the fracture stimulation method of the invention , the use of other particle size distributions , other coverage levels , or combinations thereof , may be more appropriate , depending on the conditions prevailing in the specific downhole environment where the fracture stimulation method of the invention will be applied . the thermoset polymer matrix consists of a terpolymer of styrene ( s ), ethyvinylbenzene ( evb ) and divinylbenzene ( dvb ). the current preference for the use of such terpolymers instead of copolymers of s and dvb is a result of economic considerations related to monomer costs . dvb , which functions as a crosslinker , is present in an amount ranging from 3 % to 35 % by weight of the reactive monomer mixture of the preferred embodiments . carbon black , possessing a length that is less than 0 . 5 microns in at least one principal axis direction , is used as the nanofiller at an amount ranging from 0 . 1 % to 15 % of the total particle by volume . an impact modifier that has one or more reactive functionalities capable of causing the impact modifier to become grafted onto the thermoset polymer matrix is preferred . the impact modifier is incorporated in an amount ranging from 3 to 35 percent by weight in the mixture of the impact modifier , plus the s , evb and dvb monomers that react to form the matrix polymer . a polymer additive grade of polybutadiene , sold as a solid , is dissolved in the organic phase of the suspension used in the suspension polymerization process , and becomes grafted onto the thermoset polymer matrix as a rubbery phase when polymerization forms the s - evb - dvb terpolymer matrix . a block copolymer may also be used in some embodiments , usually mainly serving as a compatibilizer between the styrenic matrix and the polybutadiene - rich rubbery domains but sometimes also providing additional impact modification of its own . suspension polymerization in its “ rapid rate polymerization ” mode is performed to prepare the particles . the most important additional formulation ingredient ( besides the reactive monomers and the impact modifier ) that is used during polymerization is the initiator . the initiator may consist of one type molecule or a mixture of two or more types of molecules that have the ability to function as initiators . we have found with experience that the “ dual initiator ” approach , involving the use of two initiators which begin to manifest significant activity at different temperatures , often provides the best results . additional formulation ingredients , such as catalysts , inhibitors , dispersants , stabilizers , rheology modifiers , buffers , antioxidants , defoamers , plasticizers , pigments , flame retardants , smoke retardants , or mixtures thereof , may also be used when needed . some of the additional formulation ingredient ( s ) may become either partially or completely incorporated into the particles in some embodiments of the invention . the suspension polymerization conditions are selected such that the particles to be used in the fracture stimulation method of the invention are selectively manufactured to have the vast majority of them fall within the 14 / 40 u . s . mesh size range ( diameters in the range of 0 . 42 to 1 . 41 millimeters ). the particles are sometimes separated into fractions having narrower diameter ranges for use in an optimal manner in proppant partial mono layers . post - polymerization heat treatment in an unreactive gas environment is performed as a manufacturing process step to further advance the curing of the thermoset polymer matrix . this approach works especially well ( without adverse effects such as degradation that could occur if an oxidative gaseous environment such as air were used and / or swelling that could occur if a liquid environment were used ) in enhancing the curing of the particles . the particles undergo a total exposure to temperatures in the range of 150 ° c . to 200 ° c . for a duration of 10 minutes to 90 minutes , inclusive , in an unreactive gas environment . the specific selection of an optimum temperature and duration of heat treatment within these ranges depends on the formulation from which the particles were prepared . nitrogen is used as the unreactive gas environment . some theoretical examples of preferred embodiments of the fracture stimulation method of the invention will now be given , without reducing the generality of the invention , to provide a better understanding of some of the ways in which the invention may be practiced . workers skilled in the art can readily imagine many other embodiments of the invention with the benefit of this disclosure . some comparative examples will also be given of embodiments that do not meet a key requirement of the invention and hence are not expected to perform adequately . the fracture stimulation method of the invention is applied in a situation where it will provide the maximum possible benefit as compared with prior fracture stimulation methods . the downhole environment is one where the use of a proppant partial monolayer would be very effective in the extraction of hydrocarbons from a reservoir but has not been practical previously because of the unavailability of proppant particles of near neutral buoyancy in water along with sufficient stiffness , strength and environmental resistance . the ultralightweight thermoset polymer nanocomposite particles used in implementing the fracture stimulation method of the invention overcome this difficulty . detailed consideration of the downhole environment results in the determination that 14 / 16 u . s . mesh size particles would be optimal . particles in this size range are placed into the fracture as a partial monolayer by using slickwater as the carrier fluid . the thermoset polymer matrix of the nanocomposite particles used in this example consists of a terpolymer of styrene ( s ), ethyvinylbenzene ( evb ) and divinylbenzene ( dvb ). the quantities of these three monomers in the reactive monomer mixture are 68 . 73 % s , 11 . 27 % evb and 20 % dvb by weight . however , the complete polymer also contains 10 % of an “ impact modifier ” grade of polybutadiene by weight in the mixture of the total amount of impact modifier and styrenic monomers . relative to this total amount , the quantities of the main ingredients of the polymer are 61 . 86 % s , 10 . 14 % evb , 18 % dvb and 10 % polybutadiene . in addition , the particle contains 1 % by volume of carbon black as a nanofiller . the particles are prepared by rapid rate suspension polymerization . they are then postcured in a nitrogen environment for 20 minutes at a temperature of 185 ° c . the same types of particles are used as in example 1 . however , detailed consideration of the downhole environment shows that an the use of the full available 14 / 40 u . s . mesh size range of the particles will be optimal . particles in this size range are placed into the fracture by using slickwater as the carrier fluid . it is determined , by detailed consideration of the downhole environment , that the use of particles in the 16 / 30 u . s . mesh size and the transport of these particles into the fracture by using slickwater as the carrier fluid will be optimal . it is also determined that , since this particular hydrocarbon reservoir is deeper than the one considered in example 1 , the proppant pack will need to be able to withstand both a significantly higher closure stress and a significantly higher temperature than in example 1 . these factors result in the need to use thermoset polymer nanocomposite particles prepared from a formulation containing both a larger amount of crosslinker and a larger amount of nanofiller . the use of a larger total amount of impact modifier , including a compatibilizer , overcomes the increased tendency towards embrittlement resulting from the use of larger quantities of crosslinker and nanofiller . the post - polymerization heat treatment is also applied in a more vigorous manner in order to approach full cure with the formulation used in these particles . more specifically , the quantities of the three monomers in the reactive monomer mixture are 53 . 09 % s , 16 . 91 % evb and 30 % dvb by weight . however , the complete polymer also contains 10 % of an “ impact modifier ” grade of polybutadiene plus 3 % of a styrene - butadiene diblock copolymer by weight in the mixture of the total amount of impact modifier and the styrenic monomers . the total of the two components of the impact modifier thus amounts to 13 % of the total amount of impact modifier and styrenic monomers . relative to this total amount , the quantities of the main ingredients of the polymer are 46 . 19 % s , 14 . 71 % evb , 26 . 10 % dvb , 10 % polybutadiene , and 3 % styrene - butadiene diblock copolymer . in addition , the particle contains 1 . 5 % by volume of carbon black as a nanofiller . the particles are prepared by rapid rate suspension polymerization . they are then postcured in a nitrogen environment for 30 minutes at a temperature of 195 ° c . as in example 1 , except that an impact modifier is not included . the particles are stiff and strong , but brittle . their brittleness causes them to be inadequate for use in a proppant pack in the implementation of the fracture stimulation method of the invention . as in example 3 , except that an impact modifier is not included . the particles are stiff and strong , but brittle . their brittleness causes them to be inadequate for use in a proppant pack in the implementation of the fracture stimulation method of the invention . finally , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof . it is understood , therefore , that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed , but is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims .

US-201213603277-A

a server system for multi - level vending of any electronically transferable product through a communications network directly to a customer &# 39 ; s computer . this server system integrates the collection of a payment via the network and the automatic distribution of the product with the calculation of commissions using a multi - level marketing commission structure and the distribution of commissions and fees via the network . the preferred configuration includes a client application which runs as a plug - in to a network browser on the customer &# 39 ; s computer and which provides a purchase request and registration data to a sales support server and performs the installation of the product on the customer &# 39 ; s computer . the sales support server acquires the payment , transfers the product , calculates and pays the commissions , and adds the purchaser &# 39 ; s registration information to the multi - level sales database for the product . the usefulness of this invention includes physical product distribution through a shipping and handling system .

the sales support server is a general purpose computer network server which has the capability to handle commercial transactions and which has the following data structures and functionality . on the sales support server there is one payee selection list , and there are as many product data records as there are products that the sales support server vends . a product reference id designates a product data record . a product reference id may be implied in a sales support server which vends only one product . there is one seller registration data record for each seller of each product . a seller can be any person or organization that registers with the sales support server to sell one of the products the server vends . the seller registration data contain a next level seller reference id . a seller reference id is the reference to a seller registration data record . these next level seller reference ids form a tree for each product which eventually connect back to the developer &# 39 ; s seller registration data . there is also one seller registration data record for each person or organization that is to be paid a fee based on a sale . payee registration data is identical to seller registration but does not contain information in its product reference id or next level seller reference id . these file records have at least the follow information : the sale data is originally produced by the product loader from data supplied by the “ upload product ” connection response of the sales support server or by the sale app from data supplied by the “ registration ” connection response of the sales support server . in either case the seller will place his personal version of the sale data in a catalog description page , and a customer operated sales app will access this data from the catalog description page and use the information to contact the sales support server and to make the purchase request . the purchase request is comprised of two sets of communication records which could be transferred from the sales app to the sales support server separately , but they must both be provided for the “ sale ” connection . the method of payment information is entered once by a purchaser into the sales app which saves the information locally . there is one purchase request transferred from the sales app to the sales support server for each sale . the seller registration is comprised of three sets of communication records which could be transferred from the sales app to the sales support server separately , but they must all be provided for the “ registration ” connection . the personal identification data and method of pay information are entered once by a purchaser into the sales app which saves the information locally . one seller registration is transferred from the sales app to the sales support server for each seller of each product . the same data is used for a payee registration which is provided directly by the sales support server operator or is transfered from the product loader . payee registration is accompanied by fee information . the sales support server provides the “ preset new product ” function for the local operator . this function allows the sales support server provider to assign payee information so that the provider designated fees get paid automatically with each sale . it also allows the provider to set up the sales support server for new products as needed . the sales support server provides the “ product upload ” connection response for interaction with the product loader which is operated by the developer . the combination of the “ preset new product ” function and the “ product upload ” connection response provide all the functionality needed to prepare the sales support server to sell a product . when the sales support server has an operator execute a “ preset new product ” function , it performs the following actions ( see fig2 a ): when entry of new payee data is complete , display selection list of personal identification data using payee selection list , store payee reference id and associated fee in the new product data record , when the sales support server receives a “ product upload ” connection , it performs the following actions ( see fig2 b ): store uploaded product data and payee registration data with the payee registration data entered by the sales support server provider , ( payee registration data includes developer &# 39 ; s seller registration data .) the sales support server provides the “ sale ” connection response and “ registration ” connection response for direct interaction with the sales app . the “ sale ” connection response is executed when a customer uses a sales app to purchase a product . the “ registration ” connection response is executed when a prospective seller uses a sales app to register to sell a specific product . when a “ registration ” connection response occurs in direct conjunction to a “ sale ” connection response , the original sale data can be carried over . in response to a “ sale ” connection the sales support server performs the following actions ( see fig2 c ): using the file names in the product data record , download the product files to the sales app , upon receiving the signal that the installation has completed , acquire the payment using the method of payment , if a connection change to a “ registration ” connection is requested , change connection and give sale data , if a connection is closed , call “ calculate commissions ” function giving the product reference id , the seller reference id , and the amount paid . in response to a “ registration ” connection , the sales support server performs the following actions ( see fig2 d ): validate that product and seller identified in sale data are registered , set a temporary next level seller reference id from the original sale data , if this connection began as a continuation of a “ sale ” connection , when connection is closed , call “ calculate commissions ” function giving the product reference id , the original seller reference id , and the amount paid . the sales support server provides the “ calculate commissions ” function which is called internally . in the preferred embodiment , this function is called immediately after closing a connection that involved a sale , but with the addition of pending calculations data it could be called less frequently ( e . g . once a day ). with the addition of a summation of all commission payments and fees for each seller and payee in a given period prior to dispersement , the number of transactions could be reduced slightly or even altered to a monthly paycheck style of pay . the sales support server calls on its own “ calculate commissions ” function which performs the following actions ( see fig2 e ): use the payee registration data record to get the personal identification data and method of pay , disperse the determined amount to the payee &# 39 ; s account designated by the method of pay . use the seller registration data record to get the personal identification data and method of pay , disperse the determined amount to the seller &# 39 ; s account designated by the method of pay . use the next level seller reference id to find the next seller registration data , if the developer &# 39 ; s seller registration data is reached the remaining commissions are assigned to the developer . use the developer &# 39 ; s reference id to find the developer &# 39 ; s seller registration data , use the seller registration data record to get the personal identification data and method of pay , disperse the remaining amount to the developer &# 39 ; s account designated by the method of pay . the sales app is a plug - in to a network browser which has the capability to transfer files and some form of credit or electronic cash and which has the following data structures and functionality . the sales app maintains a local file , the sales app local records . the purchase history has a registration status which identifies either that the sale data contains the original seller reference id or that the sale data contains a personal seller reference id . the original seller reference id is used to register as a seller for the product , and the personal seller reference id is used to establish a catalog description page for the product . the communications records used by the sales app , sale data , purchase request , and seller registration , are described in the detailed description of the sales support server above . the sales app provides the “ purchase item ” request and the “ register seller ” request for direct interaction with the sales support server . the “ purchase item ” request is used by a customer to purchase a product . the “ register seller ” request is used by a prospective seller to register to sell a specific product . the “ purchase item ” request and the “ register seller ” request can either be executed sequentially or seperately . in response to the “ purchase item ” request , the sales app performs the following actions ( see fig2 c ): if a catalog description page is available , use catalog description page for sale data , if a catalog description page not is available , prompt purchaser for sale data , abort sale if sales support server does not have a product and seller that match sale data , upon receiving the signal that the payment was received , issue a receipt to the purchaser , assemble and store the sale data in the sales app local records , in response to the “ register seller ” request the sales app performs the following actions ( see fig2 d ): establish ( or change to ) a “ registration ” connection with the sales support server , display sale data with new seller reference id for a catalog description page , store the new sale data and set product registration status to indicate the seller is registered for this product , the product loader is an application method that runs on a general purpose computer which has a network connection , ftp capabilities , and the product files . the product loader has the following data structures and functionality . the communications records used by the product loader , the product data and the seller registration data , are described in the detailed description of the sales support server above . the product loader runs the “ execute ” function for the developer . this function allows the product loader to upload product files and product data information to the sales support server . when the “ execute ” function is run , the product loader performs the following actions ( see fig2 b ): prompt for the other product data and any additional payee registration data , upload the product data and additional payee registration data to the sales support server , request and acquire the developer &# 39 ; s seller reference id from the sales support server , the preceeding descriptions of the invention and the several variations mentioned above are illustrative and do not restrict the invention . for example different embodiments of this invention could include variations such as but not restricted to : the separation and / or reorganization of data in file records and / or communication records , the addition of other kinds of data to file records and / or communication records , altering terms used in the data structure ( eg . calling the “ next ” seller the “ prior ” seller in the tree of sellers .) the association of a single product with a specific sales support server whereby the product reference id is implied by the sales support server . the addition of other methods to the sales support server , the sales app , and / or the product loader , the separation of the steps of a method into sub methods or separate methods which in combination perform the same function , the substitution of payment handling methods which acquire a delayed ( credit ) payment or make a delayed payment of a fee or commission , the delegation of accounting methods for acquiring a payment or paying a fee or commission to a separate system , or the vending of the physical parts of a product by delegating the distribution of those parts to a separate automatic shipping system . all such variations and combinations of such variations are within the spirit of this invention .

US-81672601-A

in a silicon layer formed on an insulator layer , a lattice defect region is formed to be adjacent to a channel region and source / drain regions , and the lower part of the channel region functions as a high - concentration channel region . the holes of hole - electron pairs generated in the channel region are eliminated by recombination in the lattice defect region , thereby suppressing the bipolar operation resulting from the accumulation of holes and increasing the source / drain breakdown voltage . the threshold value of a parasitic transistor is increased by the high - concentration channel region so as to reduce the leakage current in the off state . alternatively , the holes may be moved to the source region to disappear therein by providing , instead of the lattice defect region , a high - concentration diffusion layer constituting and operating as a pn diode between the channel and source regions . thus , it is possible to provide an soi transistor causing no decrease in the source / drain breakdown voltage resulting from substrate floating effects and causing little off leakage current because of the activation of the parasitic transistor .

fig1 is a cross - sectional view of a semiconductor device of the first embodiment . as shown in fig1 an insulator layer 102 of an oxide film having a thickness of 80 nm is formed on a p - type single crystalline silicon substrate 101 . a silicon layer 103 having a thickness of 100 nm and functioning as an active region for a transistor is formed on the insulator layer 102 . a locos film 104 having a thickness of 280 nm is formed to isolate the respective active regions of the silicon layer 103 from each other just like islands . a gate oxide film 105 having a thickness of 7 nm is selectively formed on each of the island - shaped , isolated regions of the silicon layer 103 , and a gate electrode 107 of polysilicon having a thickness of 200 nm is formed on the gate oxide film 105 . sidewalls 108 having a bottom width of 100 nm are formed on both side faces of the gate electrode 107 . the silicon layer 103 includes : a p − - type channel region 114 formed under the gate electrode 107 ; and source / drain regions 109 , 110 , formed of an n + diffusion layer , sandwiching the channel region 114 therebetween . an interlevel insulator film 111 having a thickness of 1000 nm is formed over the locos film 104 , the gate electrode 107 , the source region 109 and the drain region 110 . contact holes 112 having a diameter of 0 . 5 μm and reaching the source / drain regions 109 , 110 are formed through the interlevel insulator film 111 . furthermore , a metal interconnection layer 113 of aluminum , having a thickness of 700 nm and functioning both as a filling layer for filling up the contact holes 112 and as an electrode , is formed . this embodiment is characterized by a lattice defect region 115 formed at the bottom of the silicon layer 103 to be in contact with the channel region 114 and the source region 109 by introducing thereto lattice defects as the center of recombination . in addition , in this embodiment , the lower part of the channel region 114 functions as a high - concentration channel region 116 having an impurity concentration higher than that of the upper part thereof . although the lattice defect region 115 is in contact with the source region 109 in this embodiment , the lattice defect region 115 may be in contact with either the source region 109 or the drain region 110 . according to this embodiment , in the hole - electron pairs generated in the channel region 114 during the operation of the soi transistor , electrons flow into the drain region 110 in the same manner as in a conventional transistor . on the other hand , holes move through the channel region 114 towards the source region 109 . however , since the lattice defect region 115 is formed between the source region 109 and the channel region 114 and functions as the center of recombination , the holes are eliminated in the lattice defect region 115 because of the recombination . consequently , unlike a conventional transistor , holes are not accumulated at the end of the channel region closer to the source region , and therefore , it is possible to effectively prevent a bipolar operation from resulting from the accumulation of holes . that is to say , decrease in source / drain breakdown voltage can be prevented with certainty . moreover , since the high - concentration channel region 116 is provided in the lower part of the channel region 114 , an impurity having a concentration higher than that of the impurity for controlling the threshold value is introduced into the region below the locos film 104 . in other words , the impurity concentration in the lower part of the locos film 104 to be the channel of a parasitic transistor ( edge transistor ) becomes higher than that of the channel region 114 of the original transistor . thus , since the threshold value of the parasitic transistor becomes higher than that of the original transistor , the original transistor first reaches the threshold value thereof even when the gate voltage is continuously increased . as a result , the influence of the parasitic transistors , i . e ., the generation of hump phenomenon in the sub - threshold characteristics resulting from the operation of the edge transistor as shown in fig1 , can be eliminated with certainty . thus , the increase of the off leakage current resulting from the parasitic transistor can be suppressed . the illustration of a method for fabricating the semiconductor device of this embodiment is omitted in the drawings . this is because the local lattice defect region 115 can be formed easily , for example , by performing ion implantation using a mask member having an opening only in the vicinity of the boundary between the source and channel regions . fig2 is a cross - sectional view of a semiconductor device in the second embodiment . as shown in fig2 an insulator layer 202 of an oxide film having a thickness of 80 nm is formed on a p - type single crystalline silicon substrate 201 . a silicon layer 203 having a thickness of 100 nm and functioning as an active region for a transistor is formed on the insulator layer 202 . a locos film 204 having a thickness of 280 nm is formed to isolate the respective regions of the silicon layer 203 from each other just like islands . a gate oxide film 205 having a thickness of 7 nm is selectively formed on each of the island - shaped , isolated regions of the silicon layer 203 , and a gate electrode 207 of polysilicon having a thickness of 200 nm is formed on the gate oxide film 205 . sidewalls 208 having a bottom width of 100 nm are formed on both side faces of the gate electrode 207 . the silicon layer 203 includes : a p − - type channel region 214 under the gate electrode 207 ; and source / drain regions 209 , 210 formed of an n + diffusion layer , the source / drain regions 209 , 210 sandwiching the channel region 214 therebetween . an interlevel insulator film 211 having a thickness of 1000 nm is formed over the locos film 204 , the gate electrode 207 , the source region 209 and the drain region 210 . contact holes 212 having a diameter of 0 . 5 μm and reaching the source / drain regions 209 , 210 are formed through the interlevel insulator film 211 . furthermore , a metal interconnection layer 213 of aluminum , having a thickness of 700 nm and functioning as an electrode , is formed to fill up the contact holes 212 . this embodiment is characterized by lattice defect regions 215 formed at the bottom of the silicon layer 103 in the region between the channel region 114 and the source region 109 and in the region between the channel region 214 and the drain region 210 by introducing thereto lattice defects as the center of recombination . in addition , in this embodiment , the lower part of the channel region 114 functions as a high - concentration channel region 116 having an impurity concentration higher than that of the upper part thereof . the semiconductor device of this embodiment can also attain the same effects as those attained by the semiconductor device of the first embodiment . in particular , in this embodiment , even when the potential in either the source region 209 or the drain region 210 reaches a high level , an advantage can be obtained in that it is possible to prevent with certainty a bipolar operation from resulting from the accumulation of holes . the illustration of a method for fabricating the semiconductor device of this embodiment is omitted in the drawings . this is because the local lattice defect regions 215 can be formed easily , for example , by performing ion implantation using a mask member having an opening only in the vicinity of the boundary between the source and channel regions and in the vicinity of the boundary between the drain and channel regions . fig3 is a cross - sectional view of a semiconductor device in the third embodiment . as shown in fig3 an insulator layer 302 of an oxide film having a thickness of 80 nm is formed on a p - type single crystalline silicon substrate 201 . a silicon layer 303 having a thickness of 100 nm and functioning as an active region for a transistor is formed on the insulator layer 302 . a locos film 304 having a thickness of 280 nm is formed to isolate the respective regions of the silicon layer 303 from each other just like islands . a gate oxide film 305 having a thickness of 7 nm is selectively formed on each of the island - shaped , isolated regions of the silicon layer 303 , and a gate electrode 307 of polysilicon having a thickness of 200 nm is formed on the gate oxide film 305 . sidewalls 308 having a bottom width of 100 nm are formed on both side faces of the gate electrode 307 . the silicon layer 303 includes : a p − - type channel region 314 under the gate electrode 307 ; and source / drain regions 309 , 310 formed of an n + diffusion layer , the source / drain regions 309 , 310 sandwiching the channel region 314 therebetween . an interlevel insulator film 311 having a thickness of 1000 nm is formed over the locos film 304 , the gate electrode 307 , the source region 309 and the drain region 310 . contact holes 312 having a diameter of 0 . 5 μm and reaching the source / drain regions 309 , 310 are formed through the interlevel insulator film 311 . furthermore , a metal interconnection layer 313 of aluminum , having a thickness of 700 nm and functioning as an electrode , is formed to fill up the contact holes 312 . this embodiment is characterized by a lattice defect region 315 formed to entirely cover the lower part of the silicon layer 303 by introducing lattice defects to be the center of recombination into the regions between the channel region 314 , the source region 309 and the drain region 310 , and the insulator layer 302 . in addition , in this embodiment , the lower part of the channel region 314 functions as a high - concentration channel region 316 having an impurity concentration higher than that of the upper part thereof . the semiconductor device of this embodiment can also attain the same effects as those attained by the first and second embodiments . in particular , in this embodiment , since the lattice defect region 315 is formed to entirely cover the lower part of the silicon layer 303 , the recombination action of the holes generated during the operation of the transistor is greatly enhanced . a method for fabricating the semiconductor device of the third embodiment will be described as the fourth embodiment . fig4 a to 4 e are cross - sectional views illustrating exemplary process steps for fabricating the semiconductor device in this embodiment . first , as shown in fig4 a , an insulator layer 302 of an oxide film having a thickness of 80 nm is formed on a p - type single crystalline silicon substrate 301 , thereby forming an soi substrate . after a silicon layer 303 having a thickness of 100 nm is formed on the soi substrate , a mask consisting of a pad oxide film 321 having a thickness of 10 nm and a nitride film 322 having a thickness of 160 nm is formed on the silicon layer 303 . by using the mask , a locos film 304 having a thickness of 280 nm is formed by selective oxidation technique , and the locos film 304 is used to isolate the respective regions of the silicon layer 303 from each other just like islands . next , as shown in fig4 b , after removing the pad oxide film 321 and the nitride film 322 , a p - type impurity , such as indium , having a larger atomic weight than that of silicon is introduced by ion implantation technique such that the concentration of the silicon layer reaches a maximum in a region neighboring the interface between the silicon layer 303 and the insulator layer 302 in order to control the threshold value . in the silicon layer 303 , lattice defects are introduced by the introduction of the impurity having a large atomic radius , and as a result , a lattice defect region 315 is formed over the insulator layer 302 . on the lattice defect region 315 , a high - concentration channel region 316 , not containing so many lattice defects but having a higher impurity concentration , is formed . furthermore , a channel region 314 is formed thereon as a result of the introduction of an impurity at the threshold control level . fig5 is a graph showing the distribution of impurity concentration in the depth direction of the substrate over the channel region 314 , the high - concentration channel region 316 and the lattice defect region 315 . then , as shown in fig4 c , a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 7 nm is formed on the surface of the silicon layer 303 by thermal oxidation , and a polysilicon film having a thickness of 200 nm is deposited on the silicon oxide film by cvd process . thereafter , the silicon oxide film and the polysilicon film are patterned , thereby forming the gate oxide film 305 and the gate electrode 307 . then , after a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 100 nm is deposited over the entire surface of the substrate , anisotropic etching is conducted to form sidewalls 308 having a bottom width of 100 nm on both side faces of the gate electrode 307 . subsequently , as shown in fig4 d , n - type impurity ions are implanted by using the gate electrode 307 and the sidewall 308 as a mask , thereby forming the source region 309 and the drain region 310 to be self - aligned with the gate electrode 307 . in the silicon layer 303 , the region under the gate electrode 307 , i . e ., the region between the source / drain regions , becomes the channel region 314 . then , heat treatment is conducted at 950 ° c . to 1050 ° c . for 10 to 60 seconds , thereby activating the impurity . next , as shown in fig4 e , after the interlevel insulator film 311 is deposited , contact holes 312 reaching the source / drain regions 309 , 310 are formed and then a metal interconnection layer 313 is formed . by performing these process steps , the semiconductor device having the structure shown in fig3 can be obtained . according to the fabrication method of this embodiment , in the process step shown in fig4 b , the introduction of the impurity for controlling the threshold value of the soi transistor and the formation of the lattice defect region 315 and the high - concentration channel region 316 are accomplished by performing ion implantation only once ( see fig5 ). consequently , it is possible to form an soi transistor exhibiting excellent characteristics , in which the source / drain breakdown voltage is not decreased because of a bipolar transistor operation and the threshold voltage is not decreased because of the operation of a parasitic transistor , by performing an extremely small number of process steps . next , a method for fabricating a semiconductor device according to the fifth embodiment will be described . this embodiment is a method for fabricating the semiconductor device of the third embodiment in a different way than the method of the fourth embodiment . fig6 a to 6 e are cross - sectional views illustrating exemplary process steps for fabricating the semiconductor device in this embodiment . first , as shown in fig6 a , an insulator layer 302 of an oxide film having a thickness of 80 nm is formed on a p - type single crystalline silicon substrate 301 , thereby forming an soi substrate . after a silicon layer 303 having a thickness of 100 nm is formed on the soi substrate , a mask consisting of a pad oxide film 321 having a thickness of 10 nm and a nitride film 322 having a thickness of 160 nm is formed on the silicon layer 303 . then , by using the mask , a locos film 304 having a thickness of 280 nm is formed by selective oxidation technique , and the locos film 304 is used to isolate the respective regions of the silicon layer 303 from each other just like islands . next , as shown in fig6 b , after removing the pad oxide film 321 and the nitride film 322 , a p - type impurity , such as boron is implanted such that the concentration of the silicon layer reaches a maximum in a region neighboring the interface between the silicon layer 303 and the insulator layer 302 in order to control the threshold value , thereby forming the channel region 314 and the high - concentration channel region 316 . subsequently , as shown in fig6 b , ions of a group 4 b element ( e . g ., silicon ) or ions of a group 0 element ( e . g ., argon ) are further implanted with high energy , thereby forming a lattice defect region 315 between the high - concentration channel region 316 and the insulator layer 302 . thereafter , as shown in fig6 c , a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 7 nm is formed on the surface of the silicon layer 303 by thermal oxidation , and a polysilicon film having a thickness of 200 nm is deposited on the silicon oxide film by cvd process . then , the silicon oxide film and the polysilicon film are patterned , thereby forming the gate oxide film 305 and the gate electrode 307 . next , after a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 100 nm is deposited over the entire surface of the substrate , anisotropic etching is conducted to form sidewalls 308 having a bottom width of 100 nm on both side faces of the gate electrode 307 . subsequently , as shown in fig6 d , n - type impurity ions are implanted by using the gate electrode 307 and the sidewall 308 as a mask , thereby forming the source region 309 and the drain region 310 to be self - aligned with the gate electrode 307 . in the silicon layer 303 , the region under the gate electrode 307 , i . e ., the region between the source / drain regions , becomes the channel region 314 . then , heat treatment is conducted at 950 ° c . to 1050 ° c . for 10 to 60 seconds , thereby activating the impurity . next , as shown in fig6 e , after the interlevel insulator film 311 is deposited , contact holes 312 reaching the source / drain regions 309 , 310 are formed and then a metal interconnection layer 313 is formed . by performing these process steps , the semiconductor device having the structure shown in fig3 can be obtained . next , the sixth embodiment will be described . this embodiment is different from the first and second embodiments in that no sidewalls are provided . hereinafter , a process for locally forming lattice defect regions between the source / drain regions and the channel region will be described . fig7 a to 7 e are cross - sectional views illustrating exemplary process steps for fabricating the semiconductor device of this embodiment . first , as shown in fig7 a , an insulator layer 402 of an oxide film having a thickness of 80 nm is formed on a p - type single crystalline silicon substrate 401 , thereby forming an soi substrate . after a silicon layer 403 having a thickness of 100 nm is formed on the soi substrate , a mask consisting of a pad oxide film 421 having a thickness of 10 nm and a nitride film 422 having a thickness of 160 nm is formed on the silicon layer 403 . then , by using the mask , a locos film 404 having a thickness of 280 nm is formed by selective oxidation technique , and the locos film 404 is used to isolate the respective regions of the silicon layer 403 from each other just like islands . next , as shown in fig7 b , after removing the pad oxide film 421 and the nitride film 422 , a p - type impurity , such as boron is implanted such that the concentration of the silicon layer reaches a maximum in a region neighboring the interface between the silicon layer 403 and the insulator layer 402 in order to control the threshold value , thereby forming the channel region 414 and the high - concentration channel region 416 . thereafter , as shown - in fig7 c , a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 7 nm is formed on the surface of the silicon layer 403 by thermal oxidation , and a polysilicon film having a thickness of 200 nm is deposited on the silicon oxide film by cvd process . then , the silicon oxide film and the polysilicon film are patterned , thereby forming the gate oxide film 405 and the gate electrode 407 . next , after a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 100 nm is deposited over the entire surface of the substrate , anisotropic etching is conducted to form sidewalls 408 having a bottom width of 100 nm on both side faces of the gate electrode 407 . subsequently , n - type impurity ions are implanted by using the gate electrode 407 and the sidewall 408 as a mask , thereby forming the source region 409 and the drain region 410 to be self - aligned with the gate electrode 407 . in the silicon layer 403 , the region under the gate electrode 407 , i . e ., the region between the source / drain regions , becomes the channel region 414 . then , heat treatment is conducted at 950 ° c . to 1050 ° c . for 10 to 60 seconds , thereby activating the impurity . next , as shown in fig7 d , after a refractory metal film ( such as titanium film ) is deposited over the entire surface of the substrate , the refractory metal is reacted with silicon exposed on the substrate , thereby forming an on - gate silicide film 431 a on the gate electrode 407 and an on - substrate silicide films 431 b on the source / drain regions 409 , 410 , respectively . then , as shown in fig7 e , ions of a group 4 b element ( e . g ., silicon ) or ions of a group 0 element ( e . g ., argon ) are implanted with high energy by using the silicide films 431 a , 431 b as a mask , thereby forming lattice defect regions 415 in the contact regions among the high - concentration channel region 416 , the insulator layer 402 , and the source / drain regions 409 , 410 . thereafter , low - concentration n - type impurity ions are implanted , thereby forming a low - concentration source region 432 between the channel region 414 and the source region 409 and a low - concentration drain region 433 between the channel region 414 and the drain region 410 , respectively . the illustration of the subsequent process steps is omitted in the drawings . briefly describing , an interlevel insulator film is deposited over the entire surface of the substrate , contact holes reaching the on - substrate silicide films 431 b are formed through the interlevel insulator film and then a metal interconnection layer is formed . by performing these process steps , a semiconductor device obtained by removing the sidewalls from and adding low - concentration source / drain regions to the structure of the semiconductor device shown in fig2 can be formed . in this embodiment , since the silicide films 431 a , 431 b are provided , a semiconductor device , having reduced gate and / or contact resistance and attaining the effects of the second embodiment , can be formed easily . hereinafter , the types of impurities to be introduced for forming the lattice defect regions in the first to sixth embodiments will be described . lattice defects include point defects such as interstitial atoms or holes , line defects such as dislocation and plane defects such as twin crystal or stacking faults . if those defects cause some crystal disorder , an interlevel to be the center of recombination is generated between the conduction band and the valence band , and functions as the center of recombination . thus , if atoms having a larger atomic radius are introduced out of the impurities having fundamentally the same concentration , then the distortion inside the crystal becomes larger , and a greater number of lattice defects are generated . in particular , if atoms having a larger atomic radius than that of the atoms of the semiconductor composing the semiconductor layer are introduced , then the surrounding regions are largely distorted , no matter whether the atoms exist as interstitial atoms or they are substituted for semiconductor atoms . thus , the atoms are very likely to cause lattice defects . if ions of an element having a large atomic radius are implanted , a relatively abrupt concentration profile is realized . thus , a lattice defect region can be easily formed locally so as to reach a predetermined depth . however , it is preferable to introduce atoms not adversely affecting the properties of the semiconductor . as the elements satisfying these requirements , group 4 b elements not adversely affecting the properties of the semiconductor can be cited . the group 4 b elements include carbon , silicon and germanium , which are especially preferable as impurities for forming a lattice defect region because these elements do not provide conductivity . also , the group 0 elements ( inert gas ) have no harmful influence on the semiconductor properties , either . of the group 0 elements , argon , krypton and xenon , which have a larger atomic weight than that of silicon , are especially preferable . at present , decrease in the source / drain breakdown voltage resulting from the accumulation of holes in an soi transistor is especially remarkable in an n - channel type mos transistor . therefore , even when the p - type impurity to be introduced into a channel region of an n - channel type mos transistor , that is , the atoms of a group 3 b element are introduced into a lattice defect region , the characteristics of the transistor are not adversely affected . as in the fourth embodiment , introducing the same impurity into the lattice defect region and the high - concentration channel region at different concentrations bring about an advantage of reducing the number of fabrication process steps . of the group 3 b elements , gallium , indium , thallium and the like , which have a larger atomic weight than that of silicon , are especially preferable . it is possible to form a lattice defect region by local heating without introducing any impurity . in the first to fifth embodiments , sidewalls are provided on both side faces of the gate electrode . however , the sidewalls do not always have to be provided . in the case of providing the sidewalls , an mos transistor having a so - called ldd structure similar to that of the six embodiment may be formed by conducting ion implantation for forming the low - concentration source / drain regions by using a gate electrode as a mask prior to the formation of the sidewalls , and then conducting ion implantation again for forming high - concentration source / drain regions posterior to the formation of the sidewalls . the locations where lattice defect regions are formed are not limited to those exemplified in the foregoing embodiments . for example , the lattice defect region may be formed only in the entire lower part of the high - concentration channel region . in such a case , a reversed one of the mask for forming a gate electrode may be used as a mask for ion implantation . although the introduction of an impurity into the transistor is conducted by ion implantation in all of the foregoing embodiments , an impurity diffusion layer , except for the lattice defect region , is not necessarily formed by ion implantation , but may be formed by thermal diffusion technique such as a pocl 3 diffusion . in this embodiment , a high - concentration diffusion layer for constructing a pn diode with the source region is provided instead of the lattice defect regions of the first to sixth embodiments . fig8 is a cross - sectional view of a semiconductor device in the seventh embodiment . as shown in fig8 the semiconductor device of this embodiment has a similar structure to that of the semiconductor device of the second embodiment shown in fig2 . specifically , an insulator layer 202 of an oxide film having a thickness of 80 nm is formed on a p - type single crystalline silicon substrate 201 . a silicon layer 253 having a thickness of 100 nm and functioning as an active region for a transistor is formed on the insulator layer 202 . a locos film 204 having a thickness of 280 nm is formed to isolate the respective regions of the silicon layer 253 from each other just like islands . a gate oxide film 205 having a thickness of 7 nm is selectively formed on each of the island - shaped , isolated regions of the silicon layer 253 , and a gate electrode 207 of polysilicon having a thickness of 200 nm is formed on the gate oxide film 205 . sidewalls 208 having a bottom width of 100 nm are formed on both side faces of the gate electrode 207 . the silicon layer 253 includes : a p − - type channel region 214 under the gate electrode 207 ; and source / drain regions 209 , 210 formed of an n + diffusion layer , the source / drain regions 209 , 210 sandwiching the channel region 214 therebetween . an interlevel insulator film 211 having a thickness of 1000 nm is formed over the locos film 204 , the gate electrode 207 , the source region 209 and the drain region 210 . contact holes 212 having a diameter of 0 . 5 μm and reaching the source / drain regions 209 , 210 are formed through the interlevel insulator film 211 . furthermore , a metal interconnection layer 213 of aluminum , having a thickness of 700 nm and functioning as an electrode , is formed to fill up the contact holes 212 . in this embodiment , unlike the semiconductor device of the second embodiment , the silicon layer 253 includes high - concentration diffusion layers 255 formed by introducing a high - concentration p - type impurity into a region between a bottom edge of the channel region 214 and the source region 209 and a region between another bottom edge of the channel region 214 and the drain region 210 . furthermore , in the silicon layer 253 , the high - concentration channel region 216 is not provided in the lower part of the channel region 214 . in the semiconductor device of this embodiment , when hole - electron pairs are generated in the channel region 214 during the operation of the semiconductor device , the holes gather in a bottom edge of the silicon layer 253 in the vicinity of the boundary between the channel region 214 and the source region 209 . however , since a pn diode is formed between the p + - type high - concentration diffusion layer 255 and the n + - type source region 209 , the holes flow into the source region 209 via the pn diode . consequently , the bipolar operation resulting from the accumulation of holes can be prevented effectively . in the semiconductor device of this embodiment , the high - concentration diffusion layer 255 is also provided in another bottom edge of the silicon layer 253 in contact with the drain region 210 . consequently , even if the potential in either the source region 209 or the drain region 210 becomes high , the bipolar operation resulting from the accumulation of holes can be prevented with certainty . in this embodiment , sidewalls are provided on both side faces of the gate electrode . however , the sidewalls do not always have to be provided . in the case of providing the sidewalls , an mos transistor having a so - called ldd structure similar to that of the fourth embodiment may be formed by conducting ion implantation for forming the low - concentration source / drain regions by using a gate electrode as a mask prior to the formation of the sidewalls , and then conducting ion implantation again for forming high - concentration source / drain regions posterior to the formation of the sidewalls . fig9 is a cross - sectional view of a semiconductor device in the eighth embodiment . as shown in fig9 the semiconductor device of this embodiment has a similar structure to that of the semiconductor device formed by performing the fabrication process of the sixth embodiment . specifically , an insulator layer 402 of an oxide film having a thickness of 80 nm is formed on a p - type single crystalline silicon substrate 401 . a silicon layer 453 having a thickness of 100 nm and functioning as an active region for a transistor is formed on the insulator layer 402 . a locos film 404 having a thickness of 280 nm is formed to isolate the respective regions of the silicon layer 453 from each other just like islands . a gate oxide film 405 having a thickness of 7 nm is selectively formed on each of the island - shaped , isolated regions of the silicon layer 453 , and a gate electrode 407 of polysilicon having a thickness of 200 nm is formed on the gate oxide film 405 . the silicon layer 453 includes : a p − - type channel region 414 under the gate electrode 407 ; and source / drain regions 409 , 410 formed of an n + diffusion layer , the source / drain regions 409 , 410 sandwiching the channel region 414 therebetween . an interlevel insulator film 411 having a thickness of 1000 nm is formed over the locos film 404 , the gate electrode 407 , the source region 409 and the drain region 410 . contact holes 412 having a diameter of 0 . 5 μm and reaching the source / drain regions 409 , 410 are formed through the interlevel insulator film 411 . furthermore , a metal interconnection layer 413 of aluminum , having a thickness of 700 nm and functioning as an electrode , is formed to fill up the contact holes 412 . in this embodiment , unlike the semiconductor device of the sixth embodiment , the silicon layer 453 includes high - concentration diffusion layers 455 formed by introducing a high - concentration p - type impurity into a region between a bottom edge of the channel region 414 and the source region 409 and a region between another bottom edge of the channel region 414 and the drain region 410 . furthermore , in the silicon layer 453 , the high - concentration channel region 416 is not provided in the lower part of the channel region 414 . fig1 a to 10 e are cross - sectional views illustrating the process steps for fabricating the semiconductor device of this embodiment . first , as shown in fig1 a , an insulator layer 402 of an oxide film having a thickness of 80 nm is formed on a p - type single crystalline silicon substrate 401 , thereby forming an soi substrate . after a silicon layer 453 having a thickness of 100 nm is formed on the soi substrate , a mask consisting of a pad oxide film 421 having a thickness of 10 nm and a nitride film 422 having a thickness of 160 nm is formed on the silicon layer 453 . then , by using the mask , a locos film 404 having a thickness of 280 nm is formed by selective oxidation technique , and the locos film 404 is used to isolate the respective regions of the silicon layer 453 from each other just like islands . next , as shown in fig1 b , after removing the pad oxide film 421 and the nitride film 422 , a p - type impurity , such as boron is implanted in order to control the threshold value . thereafter , as shown in fig1 c , a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 7 nm is formed on the surface of the silicon layer 453 by thermal oxidation , and a polysilicon film having a thickness of 200 nm is deposited on the silicon oxide film by cvd process . then , the silicon oxide film and the polysilicon film are patterned , thereby forming the gate oxide film 405 and the gate electrode 407 . next , after a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 100 nm is deposited over the entire surface of the substrate , anisotropic etching is conducted to form sidewalls 408 having a bottom width of 100 nm on both side faces of the gate electrode 407 . subsequently , n - type impurity ions are implanted by using the gate electrode 407 and the sidewall 408 as a mask , thereby forming the source region 409 and the drain region 410 to be self - aligned with the gate electrode 407 . in the silicon layer 453 , the region under the gate electrode 407 , i . e ., the region between the source / drain regions , becomes the channel region 414 . then , heat treatment is conducted at 950 ° c . to 1050 ° c . for 10 to 60 seconds , thereby activating the impurity . next , as shown in fig1 d , after a refractory metal film ( such as titanium film ) is deposited over the entire surface of the substrate , the refractory metal is reacted with silicon exposed on the substrate , thereby forming an on - gate silicide film 431 a on the gate electrode 407 and an on - substrate silicide films 431 b on the source / drain regions 409 , 410 , respectively . then , as shown in fig1 e , p - type impurity ions are implanted at a dose of about 5 × 10 14 / cm 2 by using the silicide films 431 a , 431 b as a mask , thereby forming high - concentration diffusion layers 455 between the insulator layer 402 and the source / drain regions 409 , 410 . the illustration of the subsequent process steps is omitted in the drawings . briefly describing , an interlevel insulator film is deposited over the entire surface of the substrate , contact holes reaching the on - substrate silicide films 431 b are formed through the interlevel insulator film and then a metal interconnection layer is formed . by performing these process steps , a semiconductor device having the structure shown in fig9 can be formed . in this embodiment , since pn diodes are formed between the high - concentration diffusion layers 455 and the source / drain regions 409 , 410 , the same effects as those of the seventh embodiment can be attained . in addition , since the silicide films 431 a , 431 b are formed , a semiconductor device having reduced gate and / or contact resistance can be obtained . moreover , since the high - concentration diffusion layers 455 are formed in extremely narrow areas by the implantation of an impurity through the gaps between the silicide films 431 a , 431 b and the gate electrode 407 , the properties of the source / drain regions 409 , 410 are not adversely affected . in other words , in order to form pn diodes between the high - concentration diffusion layers 455 and the source / drain regions 409 , 410 , carriers having the opposite conductivity type to that of the carriers inside the source / drain regions 409 , 410 should be implanted into the high - concentration diffusion layers 455 . therefore , if ion implantation for forming the high - concentration diffusion layers 455 is conducted by using only the gate electrode 407 as a mask , the carrier density in the source / drain regions 409 , 410 is largely reduced by counter doping . as a result , the desired characteristics may not be realized for the semiconductor device . by contrast , according to the method of this embodiment , since the high - concentration diffusion layers 455 can be formed only in the vicinity of the bottom edges of the channel region 414 , no inconvenience results from the decrease in carrier density of the source / drain regions 409 , 410 . in this embodiment , as in the sixth embodiment , low - concentration source / drain regions may be provided between the source / drain regions 409 , 410 and the channel region 414 in the vicinity of the surface of the substrate by implanting low - concentration n - type impurity ions with low energy in the process step shown in fig1 e .

US-2880301-A

the invention provides a method for stimulating skeletal growth in normal poultry as evidenced by increased metatarsal length of treated poultry comprising administering a growth stimulating amount of prolactin to said poultry .

in accordance with the present invention it is now also possible to administer both prolactin and growth hormone to said poultry either by , e . g ., first administering prolactin to young poultry for several days and then subsequently administering growth hormone or by jointly administering prolactin and growth hormone to said poultry . similarly prolactin and growth hormone could be administered to fertile eggs . the administration of prl and gh in combination can thus be used to cause a preferred ratio between leg length and the size of other parts of the skeleton . formulations or methods in accordance with the invention are believed to offer potential in : ( a ) accelerating the attainment of full growth of poultry thereby increasing feed conversion efficiency and reducing investment and labour costs by advancement of marketing ; ( c ) providing animals with physical conformation ( s ) designed to meet market and consumer preferences , changing from time to time . in all cases , it is believed that the use of formulations and / or methods in accordance with the invention may offer significant cost saving advantages . furthermore , administration of a prl identical to the endogenous hormone , with or without chicken gh , could obtain advantageous growth without the possibly harmful residues from some other growth stimulants . while the invention will now be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments in the following examples so that aspects thereof may be more fully understood and appreciated , it is not intended to limit the invention to these particular embodiments . on the contrary , it is intended to cover all alternatives , modifications and equivalents as may be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . thus , the following examples which include preferred embodiments will serve to illustrate the practice of this invention . it is being understood that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of preferred embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of formulation procedures as well as of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention . purified , lyophilized ovine prl was obtained from sigma chemical co . ( u . s . a .) and dissolved in alkaline physiological saline ( 0 . 9 %). this was later adjusted to physiological ph . fresh material was prepared every two days and kept at + 4 ° c . concentration was adjusted to provide the daily dose of hormone in a volume of 0 . 5 ml of medium . cross - bred , male , day - old chickens of the heavy ( anak broiler ) breed were obtained from a commercial source and housed in standard cages ( five birds / cage ), in an environment controlled at levels of temperature ( 32 reducing to 26 +/- 1 degrees c .) and moisture ( 65 % rh ) conventional for age . the chicks were kept under continuous white fluorescent lighting , which varied from 80 - 120 lux between cages . food and water were provided ad libitum . nutrients in the diet were commercially conventional for age . birds in experimental and control groups were paired for weight . group means of metatarsal length were also similar at start of treatment . injection of prolactin i . m . in the leg was started at 15 days of age and continued for 21 days , the treated birds receiving 2 . 5 i . u ./ 100 gm of body weight at 8 : 30 a . m . control birds were injected with saline solution . birds were weighed individually , daily during treatment and at 44 days when the experiment was terminated . the length of the metatarsus was measured weekly . from the start of treatment . feed consumption was recorded , per cage . treated birds gained 6 . 5 % more weight than the controls . more significantly , however , the legs of the prolactin - treated birds were much longer on termination of the experiment , as judged by metatarsal length . this difference was highly significant ( p & lt ; 0 . 005 ). skin breaking strength was 17 % greater in treated birds , so that dry matter other than fat was also 6 . 7 % greater in these birds . this is presumably due to higher nitrogen levels which are expressed in greater collagen content . prl is also known to increase collagen content in the integument of some reptiles and amphibians . there was also evidence of a difference in feed conversion efficiency . the birds were killed by cervical dislocation . abdominal fat and other internal tissues were removed and weighed . arithmetic means and standard errors were calculated using conventional methods . statistically significant difference between groups were identified by student &# 39 ; s t - test . table 1______________________________________the effect of prolactin on growth andother parameters in male broilers . prolactin control______________________________________body weight . sup . 115 days 550 ± 18 550 ± 1739 days 1821 ± 62 1754 ± 5844 days 2150 ± 79 2053 ± 69metatarsus length . sup . 2 87 . 3 ± 0 . 9 81 . 9 ± 1 . 0 p & lt ; 0 . 005liver wt .. sup . 3 2 . 2 ± 0 . 0 2 . 2 ± 0 . 1abdominal fat wt .. sup . 3 3 . 0 ± 0 . 2 2 . 5 ± 0 . 3spleen wt .. sup . 3 0 . 16 ± 0 . 0 0 . 13 ± 0 . 0bursa of fabricius wt .. sup . 4 75 ± 7 65 ± 13100 gtestes wt .. sup . 5 587 ± 91 529 ± 71skin strength . sup . 6 901 ± 59 769 ± 47 p & lt ; 0 . 05skin % water 28 . 0 ± 1 . 7 29 . 5 ± 3 . 2skin % fat 56 . 1 ± 2 . 5 55 . 7 ± 2 . 7______________________________________ superscripts : . sup . 1 weight in grams . . sup . 2 length in millimeters . . sup . 3 expressed as grams per 100 grams ( g / 100 g ). . sup . 4 expressed as milligrams per 100 grams ( mg / 100 g ). . sup . 5 weight in milligrams . . sup . 6 skin breaking strength in grams . purified , lyophilized ovine prl was obtained from sigma chemcial company ( usa ) and dissolved in alkaline physiological saline ( 0 . 9 %). this was then adjusted th physiological ph . fresh material was prepared every two days and stored at 4 degrees c . concentration was adjusted for use in the biological examples 5 and 6 so as to provide the daily dose in 0 . 3 ml of medium . purified , lyophilized human pituitary gh ( wellcome , uk ) was dissolved in physiological saline ( wellcome , uk ). fresh material was prepared every two days and stored at 4 degrees c . concentration was adjusted for use in biological examples 5 and 6 so as to provide the daily dose in 0 . 3 ml of medium . cross - bred male , day - old chickens of a heavy breed were obtained from a commercial source and after brooding under standard conditions to the age of fourteen days were housed in standard cages ( two birds to a cage , one bird of which was from the group treated with ovine prolactin , one from the control group ) in an environment controlled at levels of temperature and moisture conventional for age . the chicks were kept on continuous white fluorescent lighting , which varied from 80 - 120 lux according to cage position . feed and water was provided ad libitum . nutrient content of feed was commercially conventional . birds in experimental and control groups were paired for weight . initial mean metatarsal length of the two groups was dissimilar , so final length is reported as percent increase in length . after a period of four days for adaptation to cages , injection of prolactin i . m . in the leg was started at 18 days of age and continued for 12 days , the birds receiving 1 . 6u / 100 gm of body weight at 7 : 00 a . m . control birds were injected with physiological saline . birds were weighed individually at 30 days when the experiment was terminated . the length of the metatarsus was measured and its weight also recorded after the birds were killed by cervical dislocation . abdominal tissues were removed and weighed . treated birds gained 6 . 8 % more weight than controls . relative increase in metarsal length was more than 8 % greater in the treated birds . arithmetic means and standard errors were calculated using conventional methods . differences between groups were identified by student &# 39 ; s t - test . table 2______________________________________the effect of prolactin on growth andother parameters in male broilers . prolactin control______________________________________initial body wt .. sup . 1 667 ± 9 667 ± 9final body wt .. sup . 1 1322 ± 20 1237 ± 19 ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ) length % increase . sup . 2 144 . 0 ± 3 . 1 133 . 2 ± 2 . 7 ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ) metatarsal wt .. sup . 3 33 ± 1 31 ± 1liver wt .. sup . 4 2 . 8 ± 0 . 1 2 . 7 ± 0 . 2abdominal fat wt .. sup . 4 2 . 0 ± 0 . 5 1 . 5 ± 0 . 4testes wt .. sup . 5 23 ± 38 370 ± 67______________________________________ superscripts : . sup . 1 weight in grams ( g ). . sup . 2 length percent increase is in metatarsal length . . sup . 3 weight is in grams . . sup . 4 expressed as grams per 100 grams ( g / 100 g bw ). . sup . 5 weight in milligrams ( mg ). cross - bred , male , day - old chicks of a heavy breed ( anak ) were obtained from a commercial source and after brooding under standard conditions to the age of three weeks , were allocated randomly to one of three groups : ( 1 ) ovine prolacitn treatment ( prl ); ( 2 ) human growth hormone treatment ( gh ); and ( 3 ) treatment with physiological saline ( control -- c ). one bird from each group was allocated to a cage ( i . e ., three birds per cage ). the birds were maintained as described in biological example 1 above . at four weeks , the birds were found to range in weight from 825 - 1025 grams . from this time , injections were given i . m . ( intramuscular ) daily at 7 : 00 a . m . for seven days . the prl group received 1 . 6 i . u . prolactin per 100 grams of body weight , the gh group received 0 . 2 i . u . human pituitary growth hormone and the c group received saline solution . at the end of the treatment period , the birds ranged in weight from 1100 - 1380 grams . the birds were killed by cervical dislocation . after plucking of sampling areas on the back and breast , skin samples were taken as follows : two small parallel incisions were made in the skin prior to removal from the carcass . the incisions were made using two swan morten no . 3 scalpels tightly bound together so as to maintain an exact and consistent distance of 5mm between the incisions . a rectangular piece of skin around the incisions was then removed , the longer side ( about 10 centimeters ) being parallel to the incisions . the width of the samples was about 2 centimenters . samples from the left and right side were taken from both back and breast . the samples were placed in an apparatus specially built for the purpose of testing torsional strength of skin . further cuts were made at right angles to the incisions so that resistance to stretching of the skin could only come from the 5mm width of skin lying between the incisions . using the given apparatus , the skin samples from the back were torn by the following mean applied weights : ______________________________________chicken group weight______________________________________ovine prolactin 569 ± 38 gramshuman growth hormone 586 ± 43 gramscontrols ( saline ) 447 ± 43 grams______________________________________ as analysed by student &# 39 ; s t - test , both treatments caused an increase in skin strength ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ) compared to that in the control birds . prl - treated skin was 27 % stronger and gh - treated birds 31 % stronger . samples from the breast showed the same trend , though it was not statistically significant . it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrative examples and that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential attributes thereof , and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments and examples be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , reference being made to the appended claims , rather than to the foregoing description , and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein .

US-20457188-A

a central processing unit having multiple cores and a method for controlling the performance of the processor . the processor includes a first storage location configured to store a first threshold associated with a first boost performance state . the processor also includes logic circuitry configured to increase performance of active processor cores when an inactive processor core count meets or exceeds the first threshold . the processor may also include a second storage location configured to store a second threshold associated with a second boost p - state . the logic circuitry may be configured to compare the inactive processor core count to the first and second thresholds , select one of the first and second boost p - states and increase performance of active processor cores based on the selected boost p - state .

fig1 is a bock diagram illustrating a variety of advanced configuration and power interface ( acpi ) states . the acpi specification defines various “ states ” as levels of power usage and / or features availability . acpi states include : global states , ( e . g ., g 0 - g 3 ), device states , ( e . g ., d 0 - d 3 ), processor states , ( e . g ., c 0 - c 3 ), and performance states , ( e . g ., p 0 - pn ). some global states may be further divided into a plurality of sub - states , ( e . g ., g 1 is divided into s 1 - s 4 sleep states ). device states may be associated with a plurality of devices such as devices cd / dvd drives , hard disk drives and other devices . when operating normally , a system will be in the g 0 ( s 0 ) state with a c 0 processor state . while operating in the c 0 state , a given processor core may also be associated with one of several performance states or “ p - states ” ( p 0 - pn ). p 0 is typically the highest - performance state . p 1 - pn are successively lower - performance states . typically n is no greater than 16 . each p - state is associated with a processor core operating frequency and core voltage , ( e . g ., v core ). it should be understood that the actual power dissipation of a given processor , single or multi - core , when operating with a fixed frequency and core voltage , will vary with load . multi - core processor packages are limited by the amount of electrical design current ( edc ) that the voltage regulator may supply . the operating frequency and core voltage for the p 0 state is selected assuming 100 % loading on all processor cores . for example , with all processor cores operating in a p 0 state and 100 % load , a given processor will use approximately the maximum allowable edc . this same processor operating in a p 0 state with only a single core operating at 100 % and the other cores are idle cannot take advantage of remaining edc headroom . this may result in inefficient use of available edc headroom when one or more processor cores are idle . in order to leverage edc headroom , a new boost state may be defined . in this state , active processor cores may utilize available edc headroom to provide higher performance in those processor cores which are idle . this may result in higher overall system performance under less than full load . fig2 is a state diagram including a new boost c - state , cstateboost , associated with one or more boost p - states . the maximum number of boost p - states may be less than or equal to m − 1 , where m is the number of processor cores in a die . these additional boost p - states are not visible to the operating system and have higher performance than the highest operating system visible p - state associated with the c 0 state , ( e . g ., in most cases p 0 ). boost p - states are available when one or more processor cores are idle , ( e . g ., in halt or power gated ). fig3 shows an example multi - core processor 20 with eight ( 8 ) processor cores 30 a , 30 b . . . 30 h . it should be understood that fewer or more processor cores may be used with departing from the scope of this disclosure . the processor 20 has a core performance manager 32 . the core performance manager 32 may be located in a variety of locations such as the north bridge and may also be located on the processor die or elsewhere . the core performance manager 32 includes power management control logic 34 configured for acpi power management . for example , the power management control logic 34 may access one or more storage locations 38 configured with standard p - state information . storage locations 38 a - 38 d may be configured to store the voltage and frequency values for supported p - states . the power management control logic 34 also includes boost logic configured to manage operation of the processor in the boost c - state . the power management control logic 34 may access one or more storage locations 40 configured to store the boost p - state information . storage locations 40 may be programmable , for example a set of m − 1 registers . in this example , with eight processor cores , a maximum of seven registers may be used . each register is configured with a threshold number of inactive cores . table 1 shows a sample configuration : in the example above , boost p - state - 0 is associated with a threshold of 7 and is available when 7 processor cores are inactive . boost p - state - 1 is associated with a threshold of 6 and is available when 6 processor cores are inactive . boost p - state - 2 is associated with a threshold of 4 and is available when 4 - 5 processor cores are inactive . boost p - state - 3 is associated with a threshold of 1 and is available when 1 - 3 processor cores are inactive . the remaining boost p - states are reserved for future use . it should be understood that boost p - state thresholds may be selected in a variety of configurations and that fewer or additional boost p - states may be defined . in general , the boost logic 36 is configured to track the number of inactive processor cores . boost logic 36 may access storage location 42 for storage of a boost count , ( e . g ., inactive processor core count ). boost logic 36 is also configured to select the appropriate boost p - state based on the boost count . fig4 is a flowchart showing operation of the boost logic 36 . it should be understood that any flowcharts contained herein are illustrative only and that other entry and exit points , time out functions , error checking functions and the like ( not shown ) would normally be implemented in a typical system . any beginning and ending blocks are intended to indicate logical beginning and ending points for a given subsystem that may be integrated into a larger device and used as needed . the order of the blocks may also be varied without departing from the scope of this disclosure . implementation of these aspects is readily apparent and well within the grasp of those skilled in the art based on the disclosure herein . boost p - state thresholds are enforced in a priority order favoring the highest possible boost p - state . the boost p - state and processor performance will generally move up or down based on the boost count . boost p - state processing begins with block a . processing will commence at this block only when the processor is operating in the boost c - state . it should be understood that the operations shown in fig4 may be carried out on a periodic or intermittent basis . the boost logic 36 is configured to update the boost count to reflect the number of inactive processor cores as shown by block 102 . the highest boost p - state , ( e . g ., boost p - state - 0 ), is selected by default as shown by block 104 . the boost count is compared to the boost p - state - 0 threshold as shown by block 106 . if the boost count is greater than or equal to the boost p - state - 0 threshold ( block 108 ), then the boost p - state - 0 will remain selected and processing may continue as shown by block b . if the boost count is less than the boost p - state - 0 threshold , then the threshold for the next boost p - state is selected , ( e . g ., boost p - state - 1 ), as shown by block 110 . the boost count is compared to the boost p - state - 1 threshold as shown by block 106 . if the boost count is greater than or equal to the boost p - state - 1 threshold , then the boost p - state - 1 will remain selected and processing may continue as shown by block b . this process is continued until the last boost p - state is selected . once a new boost p - state is selected , the boost logic 36 is configured to change the core frequency and / or voltage in the active processor cores if the new p - state is different than the current one . although features and elements are described above in particular combinations , each feature or element may be used alone without the other features and elements or in various combinations with or without other features and elements . the apparatus described herein may be manufactured by using a computer program , software , or firmware incorporated in a computer - readable storage medium for execution by a general purpose computer or a processor . examples of computer - readable storage mediums include a read only memory ( rom ), a random access memory ( ram ), a register , cache memory , semiconductor memory devices , magnetic media such as internal hard disks and removable disks , magneto - optical media , and optical media such as cd - rom disks , and digital versatile disks ( dvds ). embodiments of the present invention may be represented as instructions and data stored in a computer - readable storage medium . for example , aspects of the present invention may be implemented using verilog , which is a hardware description language ( hdl ). when processed , verilog data instructions may generate other intermediary data ( e . g ., netlists , gds data , or the like ) that may be used to perform a manufacturing process implemented in a semiconductor fabrication facility . the manufacturing process may be adapted to manufacture semiconductor devices ( e . g ., processors ) that embody various aspects of the present invention . suitable processors include , by way of example , a general purpose processor , a special purpose processor , a conventional processor , a digital signal processor ( dsp ), a plurality of microprocessors , a graphics processing unit ( gpu ), a dsp core , a controller , a microcontroller , application specific integrated circuits ( asics ), field programmable gate arrays ( fpgas ), any other type of integrated circuit ( ic ), and / or a state machine , or combinations thereof .

US-97173410-A

a method of sending signals , including data and timing information , between transportation units on a communication bus of an integrated circuit , by generating clock triggers for every transportation unit on the bus , thereby initiating each preceding one of the transportation units to start sending the signals in a wave - front to an adjacent succeeding one of the transportation units , where the wave - front is initiated at each of the transportation units at a common point in time , and every transportation unit applying a timing adjustment to at least one of the data and timing information that it receives in the signals from the preceding transportation unit , to at least one of capture the data from the preceding transportation unit , relay the data without modification from the preceding transportation unit to the succeeding transportation unit on the communication bus , and load new data to the communication bus , with updated timing information in a succeeding wave - front .

the fundamental structure of the embodiments according to the present invention is a daisy chain of connected ports . fig1 shows two examples of four daisy chained ports . fig1 a depicts a ring - like daisy chain in a unidirectional loop . fig1 b depicts an open ended daisy chain configuration , where bidirectional connections make it a bidirectional loop . note , though , that while the chain flow in fig1 a is unidirectional , additional chain connections and transportation units could be added to the topology to make bidirectional connections . the basic forms of the design embodiments described herein according to the present invention are designated as a self - timed time division multiplexed ( tdm ) bus with a daisy chain loop configuration , similar to that as depicted in fig1 a , with wave - front relay self - timing , instead of a local very - high - frequency clock generator . the communication lines depicted herein , such as between the transportation units in fig1 , consist of two types of signals : data and self - timing clocks . synchronized data and self - timing clocks are sent out from one transportation unit to the next transportation unit along the flow path . data is self - timed and clocked by a delayed version of one of the self - timing clocks when it arrives at a unit , to provide for a reliable reception . if the data that arrives at the unit needs to be forwarded to a subsequent unit , then the data and the self - timing clocks are re - synchronized before the forwarding operation . the transportation unit has three main functions , which are ( 1 ) transmission , ( 2 ) reception , and ( 3 ) relay with data and clock re - synchronization . in addition to these functions , the transportation unit also has a function control block that communicates with the ports , and also loads data to and takes data from the tdm bus at the proper time . fig2 depicts a block diagram of the transportation unit . the transportation unit consists of clock selection circuits 213 and 227 , data path multiplexer 211 , control logic block 215 , relay data registers 212 , a new clock generation block 214 , three delay blocks 228 , 229 , 230 , and two selective adjustable delay blocks 218 and 219 . there is one system clock input signal 208 — the global unit clock — which is supplied to all the transportation units . fig3 gives an example of a signal timing diagram for some of the transportation unit signals , with a time multiplexing factor of four . the notation that is used in fig3 includes : dp 0 ˜ dp 3 : data from the previous port , in an ascending order of when it is sent . dp 2 _last , dp 3 _last , dp_ 0 _next : the dp 2 and dp 3 from the last global unit clock cycle , and the dp 0 for next global unit clock cycle . dsend : data to be sent from this transportation unit to the next unit . dsend_last , dsend_next : the dsend data from the last global unit clock cycle and the dsend data for the next global unit clock cycle . there are two types of signals between two neighboring transportation units , data and self - timing clocks . signal 202 is data to the next unit , which becomes signal 201 , data from the previous unit , when it arrives at the next unit . similarly , signal 207 , clocks to next unit , becomes signal 204 , clocks from previous units , when it arrives at the next unit . the data is fed in a multi - bit payload . self - timing clocks have m instances , where m is the number of relays that the units perform within one global unit clock cycle . the clock edge is defined as a rising or falling edge of signal 208 , either one of which can be used as the global clock event for the transportation units . one clock cycle is defined as the time between two consecutive ones of the selected type of clock edges ( rising or falling ). at any given time , only one out of m instances of the self - timing clocks are active . self - timing clocks are generated by block 214 , the new clock generation block , through an m bit rotating shift register . the shift register in 214 is reset to 2m − 1 using signal 232 during a system reset event . then the shift register in 214 shifts at every clock edge of the relay clock signal 203 . shift register outputs from 214 are sent out as signal 207 . the self - timing clock selection circuit 227 is used to select the currently - active self - timing clock from signal 221 — the delayed version of signal 204 . the selection is made through a delayed version of signal 231 , which is sent out by the control logic block 215 . the selected self - timing clock then becomes signal 225 , the data clock . the data clock 225 is sent to block 215 , in which there is a rotating shift register , which is reset to 1 during a system reset event , and which is clocked by the data clock signal 225 . the shift register outputs are sent out as signal 231 , the delayed version of which is anded with signal 221 , with the output then ored to generate the self - timing clock selection outputs signal 225 . by using different amounts of delay as specified by the delay unit 228 , the “ on ” time of the signal 225 can be adjusted , since the shift register is updated at the clock edge of signal 225 , and hence signal 221 is updated . as a result , signal 221 selects the next active self - timing clock in the queue , which is “ off ” at the time of the selection update , and thereby turns signal 225 “ off .” the “ off ” time of signal 225 is determined by the timing of the clock edge of the selected active clock . this design self - tracks the required “ on ” time of signal 225 by observing the shift register state change that is driven by signal 225 . delay that is added by block 228 adds margin to the minimum “ on ” time signal 225 , so that signal 225 meets a robust operation requirement from the flip - flops that are driven by it . signal 225 and the delayed version of signal 208 are selected by multiplex block 213 through a delayed version of signal 226 and a delayed version of an end of relay signal 226 from block 215 . the output of block 213 becomes signal 203 , the relay clock signal . delay 229 is added between the global unit clock signal 208 and the input of block 213 to allow sufficient setup time at the relay data registers 212 , when new data comes from the port or logic core on the global unit clock signal 208 . fig3 depicts the delay for these signals . when a delayed version of signal 208 is selected , the “ on ” time of signal 203 is also self - tracked through the state change of the end of relay signal 226 , which is driven by the relay clock signal 203 . delay 230 adds margin to the “ on ” time of signal 203 for robustness of the circuit . control logic block 215 controls the timing and data flow of the transportation unit . it sends a selection signal 205 at a proper time to the multiplex block 211 to select between signal 220 , the delayed version of signal 201 , which is data from the previous unit , and signal 206 , data to be sent , to be connected to internal data bus 209 . example timing can be found in fig3 . if signal 206 ( data to be sent ) is selected , then new data is loaded onto the bus , otherwise data from the previous unit is forwarded and made ready for the relay 212 . as governed by the relay clock signal 203 , the data on the bus 209 is clocked into the relay data registers 212 , the output of which becomes the data to next unit signal 202 . to avoid hold time violations at the next unit with the signal 201 , the transportation unit design optionally includes an adjustable delay block 218 , which can be inserted when the circuit delay in a given design is not sufficiently long so as to guarantee an appropriate hold time . the control logic 215 also captures data at the proper time ( synchronized to the data clock 225 ) from signal 220 when data addressed to this unit arrives . to ensure an appropriate setup time for the data capture , an optional adjustable delay block 219 can be applied to signal 204 before the selector block 213 , if the selected self - timing clock comes too early to guarantee an adequate setup time . the timing of loads delivered to the bus — and captures taken from the bus — an be programmable or hardwired . the control logic 215 contains a set of counter or shift registers . the counter or shift registers reset according to the global unit clock 208 . the timing of loads and captures are represented in one embodiment as counter values that get compared to counter states , or a set of register bits that are looked up according to the content of the shift register . the clock for the counter / shift registers is the relay clock signal 203 . the above mechanism can also be used to generate the end of relay signal 226 . signal 226 is reset to be asserted at a system reset . fig3 shows an example of how data is loaded to the bus at the first relay clock edge 203 after the signal 208 clock edge . data capture is enabled at the fourth relay clock edge 203 and captured at the fourth data clock edge 226 . finally , the end of relay signal 226 is also set at the fourth relay clock edge 203 . a pipeline architecture can be applied to the design . for example , signal 205 can be generated one local clock earlier than signal 206 can be clocked into the relay registers 212 . fig3 shows an example of that . block 215 also contains three sets of registers : transmission data registers 216 , receiving data registers 217 , and control registers 224 . the transmission registers 216 supply the data to be loaded on the bus , and the receiving registers 217 are a one level fifo that store data that is captured from the bus . control registers 224 contain control information . the control registers 224 are mostly configuration registers — for example , adjustable delay settings that drive signals 222 and 223 , flow control registers that control timing of loads and captures , and so forth . the registers are set or read by corresponding port logic elements or a host that communicates with them through the port communication channel 210 . when signal 202 is latched at the local clock , a new clock to next unit signal 207 is generated at the same time by block 214 as described earlier in this section . the transportation unit as described in this section can be implemented as multiple copies , each having a limited data bus width , if the overall width of the data bus is too large . each transportation unit along the daisy chain loop starts to transmit data and a sync bit ( or bits ) at the global unit clock edge . each unit receives data and clocks — self - timing information to use a more generic term — from a previous port according to the loop flow direction , including wire delay between the two ports . each unit then recovers and generates a relay clock from the received sync bits with an adjustable delay . the regenerated local relay clock then clocks in the received data and generates new sync bits at the same time , to send to the next port in the ring . this design allows transmitted data and sync bits to be relayed to the next port , as well as to be re - synchronized at each transportation unit . this relay process continues until the data reaches its destination . in some embodiments , all relay processes are finished within one global clock cycle . the above process then repeat with every global unit clock cycle . one example of the relay process is depicted in fig4 a - 4d , where : n = number of ports in the point - to - point communication system t = number of times slots on the bus ( s , d )= data from the source port s to the destination port d f (( s , d ))= distance between the source and destination ports =( d − 1 ) mod ( n ) tε ( 0 , 1 , . . . , t − 1 )= timeslot in this example there are nine transportation units labeled 0 - 8 , and depicted as numbered circles . however , it is appreciated that there could be a greater or lesser number of transportation units than this . to start the cycle , every port ( transportation unit ) sends data at the same time to a counterpart port that is four ports away in a clock - wise direction , which step ends when the data arrives at the destination port , three relay stages later . in fig4 a , t = 0 ( synchronized to the system clock ), and data departs from the source ports . as depicted in fig4 , the data at each given time is depicted en route between two ports , with the notation ( source port , destination port ). in fig4 b , t = 1 , and the data is in transit . in fig4 c , t = 2 and the data is still in transit . in fig4 d , t = 3 , and the data arrives at the destination ports . as mentioned above , point - to - point interconnection among n ports requires n *( n − 1 )* w connections , where w is the number of bits of information that are sent from one port to one other port , assuming w is the same across all of the ports . using the tdm bus proposed herein significantly reduces the required number of wire interconnections . one way to achieve this savings is to establish n − 1 separate daisy chains that connect n ports together . each daisy chain is w + n bits wide , where n is the number of synchronization bits that are used per daisy chain . the function of each daisy chain is listed in table 1 , below . in this embodiment , the distance between each destination port and each source port is the same for all of the ports in the chain . using the same assumptions as above , the number of connections for a direct point - to - point connection is n *( n − 1 )* w . the number of connections for a tdm point - to - point connection can be calculated as ( n − 1 )*( w + n ), as table 1 shows . so the “ wire savings ” is calculated as : the savings over a direct p2p connection as measured in the total connection length of the interconnects is not calculated here , because it depends significantly on the actual port locations and routing plan . the total connection length in a tdm p2p connection can be calculated as given below , assuming that the port to port routing distance is a constant 1 : total length l =( n − 1 ) 2 ×( w + n )× l table 1 demonstrates a simple way to establish a p2p connection using a tdm bus , and demonstrates a significant reduction in the number of connections as compared to a direct p2p connection . the number of connections can be further reduced to about half , through bus time sharing . in this embodiment , a chain designated for data that has port destinations that are far away from the source ports can be paired with a chain whose data destinations are closer to the source ports . table 2 depicts two embodiments of chain pairs that share one bus . the total number of chains reduces from n − 1 to something within the range of ( n − 1 )/ 2 to n / 2 + 1 , depending on whether n is odd or even , and the pairing scheme used . it is appreciated that there are other sharing schemes that are comprehended within the scope of the present invention that can be used to reduce the total number of interconnects . fig5 illustrates how the relay process works within the time share embodiment , with the same definitions for the terms as provided above in regard to fig4 . this example has n = 9 , with a first step destination of f = 3 and a second step destination of f = 1 . in fig5 a , t = 0 ( synchronized to the system clock ), and the data departs from the source ports . in fig5 b , t = 1 , and the data is in transit . in fig5 c , t = 2 and the data arrives at the destination ports for f = 3 , where the data is newly staged for f = 1 . in fig5 d , t = 3 , and the data arrives at the destination ports for f = 1 . modifications can be made to the transportation unit control block 215 ( as depicted in fig2 ) to facilitate the time share embodiment . for example , the control logic can be modified such that it can load and capture more than once within a single global unit clock cycle , at proper timings . correspondingly , the capacity of the registers 216 and 217 can be increased according to the chosen time share scheme , and the load and capture can be operated with the proper storage registers in a proper order . in some applications , the worst case delay for the proposed tdm bus , which is a result of passing through n − 1 relay stages , might be too long to meet the speed requirements of the interconnection . using a bi - directional tdm bus for chains that have a large number of relay stages can reduce the worst case number of relay stages from n − 1 to ( n − 1 )/ 2 when n is odd , and to n / 2 when n is even . table 3 provides an example of such a bi - directional tdm bus . it is appreciated that the bus time sharing technique described in the previous section can also be applied to a bidirectional tdm bus , to reduce the number of connections . with reference now to fig6 , there is depicted an embodiment of a portion of an n - port switch architecture , where each port 100 can handle m arbitration requests . each arbitration request goes to each port 100 , one of which ports 100 is depicted in fig6 . therefore , there are m * n arbitraion requests in each port 100 and m * n * n total arbitration requests for all of the n ports 100 . the n ports 100 can be connected as a bidirectional daisy chain as depicted in fig1 b , or in a unidirectional daisy chain loop or ring as depicted in fig1 a . in the embodiment depicted in fig6 , the daisy chain is configured as a unidirectional ring , such that port 0 transmits the arbitration requests to port 1 via physical wires , port 1 transmits to port 2 , and so on . port 0 receives the arbitration requests directly from port n − 1 . each port 100 includes a clock generator 102 that operates at a frequency that is k times greater than the signal that it receives from the chip clock 110 . the port 100 also has m banks of shift registers 104 , where each of the m banks has n shift registers , which are used for temporary storage . the port 100 also includes arbitration request registers 106 . each arbitration request is associated with one of the banks 104 of n shift registers . each register in the appropriate bank 104 of n shift registers stores a request that comes from one of the n ports 100 . by shifting the arbitration request from one register to another register within the appropriate bank 104 of shift registers , the n shift registers contain the corresponding arbitration requests from all of the ports 100 . as depicted in fig6 , signals arbreq 0 , arbreq 1 , . . . . arbreqm − 1 are arbitration requests that are generated from the arbitration unit , which requests go to the n ports 100 for arbitration . the requests are loaded into reg 0 of the appropriate bank 104 of shift registers at the rising edge of the chip clock 110 signal , when the load data ( ld ) signal is asserted . control block 108 outputs the load data signal to register reg 0 of every bank 104 of n shift registers , to initiate the loading of the arbitration requests into the ring structure . the load data signal is asserted when the clock generator 102 is disabled , which occurs when the chip clock 110 signal is low , and then the load data signal is de - asserted after the rising edge of the nclk signal . rqtin 0 , rqtin 1 , . . . . rqtinm − 1 are m ring signals that are received from the previous port 100 , and are routed to the input of register reg 0 of every one of the m banks 104 of n shift registers . the outputs of reg 0 ( rqt 0 _out 0 , rqt 1 _out 0 , . . . . rqtm − 1_out 0 ) are routed to the inputs rqtin 0 , rqtin 1 , . . . , rqtinm − 1 of the next port 100 in the ring or chain . after arbreq 0 , arbreq 1 , . . . arbreqm − 1 are loaded into the registers , the rqt 0 _out 0 , rqt 1 _out 0 , . . . . rqtm − 1_out 0 signals contain the arbitration requests 0 of the corresponding port 100 after the first clock signal from the clock generator 102 . the clock generator 102 is enabled on the rising edge of the chip clock 110 signal , and continues to be enabled until the internal counter in the control unit 108 reaches a pre - defined number of clock cycles . when the clock generator 102 is disabled , then no more clock signals are generated , and the clock signal nclk stays low until the next rising edge of the chip clock 110 signal . when the clock generator 102 generates a clock signal with n times the frequency of the chip clock 110 ( k = n ), then the internal counter in the control unit 108 disables the clock generator 102 when it counts to n and the arbitration requests from each port 100 are shifted to the desired port 100 . because this is accomplished in just one chip clock 110 cycle , the latency of the operation is one . similarly , this can also be accomplished when k = n / 2 or k = n / 4 , etc ., by modifying the control unit 108 . the only difference is that it would then take two or four chip clock 110 cycles for the arbitration requests to go to the desired port 100 . at the rising edge of the nclk signal , each port 100 receives the arbitration requests from the previous port 100 of the ring at reg 0 . these arbitration requests go to reg 1 of every one of the banks 104 of n shift registers on the next clock cycle . the output of req 1 goes to reg 2 on the next cycle , and so on . the output of the bank 104 of n shift registers goes to the arbitration request registers 106 , and is latched at the next rising of the chip clock 110 signal . because there are m banks 104 of n shift registers , there are m banks 110 of arbitration request registers . the output of the m banks 110 of arbitration request registers goes to the arbitration unit , to determine the connection between the ports 100 . fig7 depicts the timing diagram for how n shift registers 0 contain arbitration requests 0 from any of the n ports 100 at the end of the chip clock cycle , when ( k = n ), where subscripts indicate the port 100 number . thus , the various embodiments of the present invention newly describe a point - to - point tdm bus using a wave - front relay self - timing technique , a new design for a transportation unit , a tdm bus time share technique , and a bidirectional tdm bus . the p2p tdm bus described herein significantly reduces the number of connections that are required between ports , as compared to a direct - link point - to - point topology . specifically , the p2p tdm bus uses o ( n ) connections , while the direct p2p link bus requires o ( n 2 ) connections . further , the p2p tdm bus significantly reduces the overall routing area that is required for a p2p connection . the p2p tdm bus can reduce the impact of wire delay by increasing wire width and pitch in exchange for a lesser number of interconnections . the p2p tdm bus described herein also reduces interconnect power dissipation due to reduced wire loads . the wave - front relay self - timing technique described herein is a very effective technique for the p2p tdm bus . for every global unit clock cycle , all ports on the connected p2p network start by sending data and self - timing information to the next port down the chain . meanwhile , every port is ready to receive data and self - timing information from the previous port in the chain . each port uses the self - timing information to re - synchronize and then relay the data , and generates new self - timing information — along with the relayed data — to send to the next port down the chain . each port extracts the clock signal from the incoming self - timing information , and in doing so removes any need for a high speed ( multiple clock rate ) clock at each port . the wave - front relay self - timing technique described herein also reduces the matching requirement that is imposed by a local high frequency clock generator , and also removes any data / clock mismatching accumulation along the ports that are used for the synchronized relay . the wave - front relay self - timing technique also limits the relay process to just one global unit clock cycle , and re - synchronizes all of the relay process at the global clock edge , which prevents path mismatching accumulation from one relay process to the next . in addition , the wave - front relay self - timing technique increases daisy chain performance , because the relay delay is typically smaller than a local high frequency clock period . the transportation unit of the present design features sync detection , local clock generation , data path load and capture functions , and data / sync bit ( s ) resynchronization , all of which enable the wave - front relay self - timing technique . further , the transportation unit design as described herein features an additional delay between the unit clock and the start of the relay clock , which allows for the same unit clock cycle data to be used on the bus , and avoids extra clock cycle latency or extra storage . the transportation unit includes optional adjustable delays on the data path and the sync path , which allows the hold time and the setup time for relay to be adjusted separately . in addition , the transportation unit has a separate local clock for data relay and data capture , which allows more time for the data capture operation to finish , thus maximizing the use of the full unit clock cycle for transportation — this also permits a higher speed performance . as mentioned above , the tdm bus time share technique described herein reduces the number of p2p tdm interconnections by about half , while the bi - directional design also doubles the p2p tdm bus system performance . in alternate embodiments , the p2p tdm bus is simplified and modified for a crossbar application , with or without broadcasting . the p2p tdm bus can also be cascaded and bridged for multi - stage interconnects . if latency is allowed in a fast system , then the global unit clock speed can be reduce to multi system clock cycles , and the bus can be widened accordingly to meet the throughput requirement . the foregoing description of preferred embodiments for this invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings . the embodiments are chosen and described in an effort to provide the best illustrations of the principles of the invention and its practical application , and to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . all such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly , legally , and equitably entitled .

US-200813123124-A

the selectivity of response of resistive gas sensors to specific gases or vapors is improved by the selection of specified gas - sensitive materials which are not previously known for the applications described , which include detection of hydrocarbons in the presence of co , h 2 s , so 2 , chlorine , no 2 , co 2 , cfc &# 39 ; s , ammonia , free oxygen by determination of partial pressures , and numerous organic gases and vapors .

it has been suggested ( in the paper by d . e . wllliams and p . t . mosely , j materials chemistry , 1 ( 1991 ) 809 - 814 ) that the behavior of semiconducting oxide materials can be manipulated by manipulation of the crystallite size and surface area per unit mass of the materials exposed to the gas , and of the concentration of electrically active donor species present in the lattice , so as to give changes characteristic either of n - type materials ( resistance decreases in reducing gases and increases in oxidizing gases ); or of p - type materials ( resistance increases in reducing gases and decreases in oxidizing gases ); or of mixed behavior . the same paper also suggested that , by a fortuitous combination of the concentration of electrically active donors and the surface area per unit mass , some , selectivity to certain gases might be obtained . in the light of these disclosures , it is possible to try substituting elements of different valency into some parent composition , and to try making variations in the preparation of materials so as to obtain different surface areas per unit mass , in an attempt to achieve a degree of selectivity . however , the above paper offers no prescription for the choice of suitable parent compositions , and implies that wide selectivity might require specific interaction of the target gas with the surface , as well as turning of the composition and surface area . the paper therefore leads to a conclusion that the observation of a wide selectivity of response in a semiconducting oxide material would be rather surprising ; and that , furthermore , it would be very surprising indeed to find a high degree of selectivity of response where no specific interaction with the surface were anticipated -- for example , a high selectivity of response for hydrocarbons over carbon monoxide . the above mentioned paper is silent on the question of discrimination of the effects of the desired target gas from the effects of variation in relative humidity . it will also be appreciated , especially from the study of the art of catalysis , that substitutions of different elements into a lattice can serve to vary the surface density and nature of the gas adsorption sites present on the surface of the material . such sites are often classified as acidic or basic , according to whether they can interact with gases such as ammonia on the one hand or hydrogen sulfide or carbon dioxide on the other . for example , it is often said that the substitution of chromium into a lattice serves to increase the acidity of the surface sites . however , it is by no means clear how such adsorption sites couple into the charge carriers present in the solid , so that a change in the adsorption of dissociation of a gas molecule on such a site could give rise to a change in the measured conductivity of the solid material . chromium titanium oxide sensors for hydrogen sulphide , for use in both aerobic and anaerobic environments the document gb - a - 2 202 948 discloses compositions of general formula cr 2 ti . sub . ( 2 - x ) o . sub . ( 7 - 2x ), where 2 & gt ; x & gt ; 0 , claiming these as selective ammonia sensors . the document states that sensors in accordance with that invention may be such that they do not suffer significant interference from other reducing gases commonly encountered ( e . g ., h 2 , co , ch 4 , c 2 h 4 ). the examples given are tio 2 -- 48 . 7 mol %, cr 2 o 3 ( ti 0 · 51 cr 0 . 97 o . sub . ( 2 - x )) and tio 2 -- 90 mol % cr 2 o 3 ( cr 1 . 8 ti 0 . 1 o . sub . ( 3 +)). &# 34 ; techniques and mechanisms in gas sensing &# 34 ;, ed . p . t . moseley , j . o . w . norris and d . e . williams , p . 136 , and moseley and williams , sensors and actuators b 1 ( 1990 ) 113 . 5 , disclose ti 0 . 9 cr 0 . 1 o . sub . ( 2 - x ) as an unselective material , and cr 1 . 8 ti 0 . 2 o 3 as a material selective to ammonia . surprisingly , we have now found that chromium titanium oxides can be formed into sensor elements which are extremely sensitive to hydrogen sulphide . we have also found , again to our surprise , that the response of cr 1 . 8 ti 0 . 2 o 3 + x to h 2 s is greatly enhanced , in both amplitude and speed of response , by prior treatment of the sensor in an atmosphere containing h 2 s : an example of such a pretreatment is exposure for a time of a few minutes ( between 1 and 10 minutes ) to a concentration of 10 ppm of the gas , at a sensor temperature of greater than about 200 ° c . and less than about 600 ° c . longer times of exposure , and higher gas concentrations , may be used , but do not give any further enhancement of performance . sensors prepared in this way have the particular advantage that the interference caused by changes in relative humidity is very small in comparison with the response to hydrogen sulphide : the effect of a change in relative humidity from 0 to 100 % at room temperature is equivalent to the response to 10 . 3 ppm of h 2 s when the sensor is operated at 400 ° c . when the pretreated sensor is operated at 250 ° c ., relative sensitivity to h 2 s is even higher . this pretreatment ( or preconditioning ) leads to a modification of the surface of the material , which can be detected either by photoelectron spectroscopy , or other such surface analytical method , or , conveniently , by temperature programmed desorption . in the latter method , the device is heated in a vacuum and the gases desorbed are detected , for example using a mass spectrometer . the effect of the pretreatment appears to be permanent at the operating temperature for h 2 s detection , and is characterized by an increase of the baseline from that of the virgin material , and a dramatic increase in the sensitivity and speed of response . temperature - programmed vacuum - desorption studies of the treated materials showed a loss of so 2 from the surface at temperatures above 630 ° c . the h 2 s pretreatment of cr 1 . 8 ti 0 . 2 o 3 has been studied by x - ray photo - electron spectroscopy ( xps ). as the pretreatment progressed , the s 2p region of the spectra changed . initally , three peaks were observed : two major peaks at binding energies of 159 . 0 ev and 164 . 4 ev , tentatively assigned to sulphide and elemental sulphur species , respectively , and a minor peak at 168 . 5 ev , attributed to sulphate groups formed on the surface . when the pretreatment was complete , as judged by the effects on the gas response , only a single peak at 168 . 7 ev was present . the sensor material was prepared by reacting mixed powders of cr 2 o 3 and tio 2 at 800 ° c . a sensor was prepared by depositing by standard thick - film ceramic fabrication methods , a porous layer of the sensor material over an inter - digitated pattern of gold electrodes supported on an alumina substrate . on the reverse side of the substrate was printed a platinum track . the device was heated by applying a current to the platinum track using a wheatstone bridge arrangement to keep the platinum track at constant resistance and hence constant temperature . fig1 shows the resistance - time variation of a sensor device of composition cr 1 . 8 ti 0 . 2 o 3 , on initial exposure to small concentrations of h 2 s in air , at an operating temperature of 370 ° c . the baseline shift caused by the first exposure is clear . fig2 shows subsequent gas exposures . in contrast to the first exposure , the response to 5 ppm gas is now rapid and substantial . in both fig1 and 2 , the left hand scale and the line without symbols show the temperature ( 370 ° c .). &# 34 ; 50 % moist &# 34 ; means a relative humidity of 50 % in clean air . fig3 shows the gas response law for a pretreated similar sensor , at 370 ° c ., illustrating the dependence on the square root of the concentration . in the lower diagram of fig3 the ratio of ( r gas - r air ) to r air shows a straight line relationship when plotted against the square root of gas concentration , where r gas and r air are the resistance in the gas and in air , respectively . the response , at temperatures appropriate to the detection of hydrogen sulphide (≦ 400 ° c . ), of the pretreated sensor to methane , hydrogen , hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide , present in the air , was very small so that these sensors are very useful for the detection of hydrogen sulphide in a background of such gases . circumstances where such selectivity is of importance include monitoring for hydrogen sulphide around a natural gas installation . pretreatment can be detected by x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( xps ) of the sensor surface . fig8 shows an xps spectrum of a partially treated specimen ( exposure to 1 ppm h 2 s at 200 ° c .). it should be noted that , because of an instrument effect , the binding energy scale on this diagram has to be increased by 3 . 6 ev . fig5 shows an xps spectrum of a completely treated specimen ( 50 ppm exposure at 200 ° c .). the binding energy scale on this diagram is too low by 3 ev . the literature on the behavior of semiconducting oxides as sensors for reactive gases universally and unambiguously states that such detection requires the presence of oxygen , preferably at levels such as are found in the air . we have now found that chromium titanium oxides can be used to measure low concentrations of hydrogen sulphide in an anaerobic or substantially anaerobic environment , such as pure carbon dioxide . in this case , also , pretreatment with hydrogen sulphide enhanced the response . such sensors are useful in the control of processes such as anaerobic fermentation . the response of a sensor , pretreated as above , to hydrogen sulphide in carbon dioxide is as follows : resistance in pure co 2 containing 500 ppm h 2 s : 770 kohm chromium titanium oxide sensors for hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide , with improved baseline stability and rejection of effects of varying relative humidity tin dioxide and compositions derived from and largely comprising tin dioxide are widely cited in the art and are used in gas sensitive resistors . however , devices fabricated from tin dioxide show a very large baseline drift on being heated to the operating temperature : a change of more than 100 % over a period of 12 hours is not uncommon . furthermore , this drift can continue for a period of weeks or even months , necessitating constant checking and recalibration . the baseline resistance of tin dioxide devices is also very sensitive to changes in relative humidity : typically , the resistance will halve if the atmosphere is changed from one which is dry (& lt ; 2 % rh ) to one which wet (& gt ; 70 % rh ). the sensitivity to carbon monoxide is also greatly affected by changes in the ambient relative humidity . although the previous literature implies that compositions of chromium titanium oxide which are chromium - rich should be insensitive to hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide , we have now been surprised to find that sensors prepared from these materials , as described herein , can be operated at a temperature such that the response , at concentrations of importance for health and safety monitoring , to propane ( operating temperature 475 ° c . ), and to carbon monoxide ( operating temperature 320 ° c .- 390 °) is substantially greater than the interference caused by a change of relative humidity between 0 and 100 % at room temperature . in contrast to the behavior exhibited by tin dioxide , sensors fabricated from these materials reach a stable resistance within five minutes of being energized , and show a subsequent baseline drift of less than 0 . 5 % per month . these materials therefore form sensors of great utility for carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons other than methane . the responses to methane and hydrogen are very small , so the sensors are very useful for the detection of carbon monoxide in the presence of a background of methane an / or hydrogen . circumstances where such a selectivity is of importance include monitoring for carbon monoxide in a coal mine , or in the monitoring for leakage of carbon monoxide from domestic gas - fired appliances . fig6 and 7 show the response of a cr 1 . 8 ti 0 . 2 o 3 sensor to various concentrations of carbon monoxide in the air , at various temperatures and relative humidities ( referred to an ambient atmosphere at 20 ° c . ), and at 415 ° c . in fig6 and at 370 ° c . in fig7 . the response is larger at lower temperature , but if the temperature is too low , then an effect of variation of relative humidity on the sensitivity to co becomes apparent . the chosen operating temperature of 390 ° c . represents a satisfactory compromise in which the response is adequately large and the effect of relative humidity changes rather small . in general , the material shows a resistance increase in response to the presence of reducing gases in the atmosphere , and the ratio of resistance in the presence of the gas to resistance in the absence of the gas increases with the square root of the gas concentration . exposure to hydrogen sulphide at temperatures between 150 ° c . and 400 ° c . has the effect of considerabby diminishing the response to carbon monoxide , and to other gases for which the operating temperature is below approximately 450 ° c . table 1 shows that a range of compositions in the series cr . sub . ( 2 - x ) ti x o 3 is sensitive to carbon monoxide , and has the characteristic that the effect of a change in relative humidity from zero to 100 % gives a signal equivalent to only a small concentration of carbon monoxide ( the number is given as the &# 34 ; figure of merit &# 34 ; in table 1 ). table 1______________________________________response to 300 ppm carbon monoxide in the air ( 50 % relative humidity at 20 ° c .) of sensors fabricated from a range of compositions in the series cr . sub . ( 2 - x ) ti . sub . x o . sub . 3 figure of merit ( ppm co ( resistance in presence of equivalent of change in co )/( resistance in the relative humidity from zero to x absence of co 100 %) ______________________________________0 . 05 2 . 6 0 . 67 0 . 10 4 . 3 0 . 66 0 . 15 4 . 3 0 . 5______________________________________ although many sensor materials show resistance response to the presence of sulphur dioxide , the problem with measurement of this gas using this technology is that the sensors often rapidly become poisoned . sometimes this is due to the formation of metal sulphates which are molten at the operating temperature . sometimes it is because of an irreversible adsorption of the gas . it is not obvious how to choose a material that gives a satisfactory response to so 2 , which is small in comparison with the effects of change in relative humidity , and which also is not poisoned by the presence of the gas and shows a reversible response . table 2 shows that a sensor made from cr 1 . 8 ti 0 . 2 o 3 shows a satisfactory response in comparison with the effects of changes in relative humidity . we have further found that such sensors are stable in the presence of the gas , even at high concentration ( e . g . 2000 ppm ), and do not age or become poisoned . other sensors of the general formula cr . sub . ( 2 · x ) ti x o 3 , where 0 . 3 ≧ x ≧ 0 . 1 , are by and large equally effective . sensors response to sulphur dioxide compared with response to change in relative humidity table 3 , below , shows the response of sensors fabricated from cr 1 . 8 ti 0 . 2 o 3 to a range of organic vapors , compared with the effect of a change in relative humidity from 0 to 100 %. the effects of the organic vapors are large in comparison with the effects of water vapor , and in some cases are very large . the previous disclosures that are concerned with compositions including those in the range cr . sub . ( 2 - x ) ti x o 3 implied that these compositions were insensitive to such vapors . the result exemplified in table 3 is therefore surprising . we ascribe this result to differences in the detail of the preparation : in particular , we have found that a microstructure comprising very small crystallites (& lt ; 1 μm average diameter ) with a very fine scale porosity ( average pore diameter & lt ; 1 μm ) is necessary to confer such strong sensitivity . table 3__________________________________________________________________________response of sensors fabricated from cr . sub . 1 . 8 ti . sub . 0 . 2 o . sub . 3 to arange of organic vapors , compared with the effect of a change in relativehumidity from 0 to 100 % operating temperature / gas concentrations / ppm ° c . resistance ratio : r . sub . gas / r . sub . ai r__________________________________________________________________________water vapor 100 % rh at 20 ° c . 400 1 . 2 ( compared with dry air propane 1000 475 1 . 4 butane 1000 475 1 . 4 hexane 3000 475 2 . 7 hexane 3000 400 3 . 1 petroleum ( gasoline ) vapor above liquid at 475 5 . 6 20 ° c . methanol 1000 460 3 . 1 methanol 1000 250 & gt ; 3 . 5 ethanol 1000 460 2 . 8 ethanol 1000 250 & gt ; 3 . 1 propan - 2 - ol 200 400 8 . 4 acetone vapor above liquid at 500 9 20 ° c . butan - 2 - one vapor above liquid at 475 6 . 3 20 ° c . glutaraldehyde 1 400 1 . 2 glutaraldehyde 3 400 1 . 5 dimethoxyethane 5000 500 5 , 7__________________________________________________________________________ ( b ) chromium iron niobate sensor used in sensor array with cr 1 . 8 ti 0 . 2 o 3 table 4 , below ( and see also fig8 ), shows the response of sensors fabricated from crnbo 4 and fe . sub . ( 1 - y ) cr y nbo 4 , where 0 ≦ y ≦ 1 , to a variety of organic vapors . the pattern of responses is different from that of cr . sub . ( 2 - x ) ti x o 3 , and furthermore is also different from that shown by sensors made from sno 2 , or sno 2 doped with precious metals ( pt , pd etc . ), such as are common in the art . therefore , combinations of such sensors can usefullly be deployed in a sensor array , e . g . a so - called &# 34 ; electronic nose &# 34 ;, to discriminate between different vapors , using pattern - recognition methods , or principal component analysis , or standard methods of multivariate regression . the use of sensor materials such as those described here will confer advantage because such materials have such different patterns of response . furthermore , the materials are much less sensitive to the effects of variable relative humidity , and are much more stable than those previously described : these attributes are particularly important in a sensor array system . fig8 shows that a sensor made of crnbo 4 is particularly suitable for detection of co . table 4__________________________________________________________________________response of chromium iron niobates to various organic gases / vapors , compared with the effect of a change in relative humidity between zero and 100 % concentration operating resistance sensor material gas / ppm temperature /° c . r . sub . gas / r . sub . air__________________________________________________________________________crnbo . sub . 4 water vapor 100 % rh at 20 ° 500 1 . 15 c . ( compared with dry air ) crnbo . sub . 4 acetone vapor over liquid 500 13 . 8 at 20 ° c . crnbo . sub . 4 dimethoxyethane 5000 500 4 . 0 crnbo . sub . 4 hexane 3000 500 2 . 3 crnbo . sub . 4 petroleum vapor over liquid 500 9 . 0 at 20 ° c . fe . sub . 0 . 92 cr . sub . 0 . 08 nbo . sub . 4 methyl - 20 500 0 . 73 methacrylate fe . sub . 0 . 92 cr . sub . 0 . 08 nbo . sub . 4 methyl - 80 500 0 . 58 methacrylate crnbo . sub . 4 co 400 400 1 . 94 ( compared with dry air ) __________________________________________________________________________ barium antimony stannate sensors used in a sensor array with cr . sub . ( 2 - x ) ti x o 3 ( fig1 ) surprisingly , we have now found that basno 3 exhibits a useful sensitivity to the presence of small concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air . we have further found that , although the presence of cuo serves to increase the speed of response somewhat , the main effect of cuo is to lower the electrical resistance of the composite into a range where measurements are more easily made . even more surprisingly , and in direct contradiction to the presumptions arising from the earlier work cited above , we have found that the electrical resistivity of basno 3 can be satisfactorily lowered by replacing a fraction of the sn in the formula by a pentavalent element , particularly sb , and that sensors prepared from the resulting material show an electrical resistance varying by a useful amount in response to the presence of small additional concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air . in an example , a material of composition basn 0 . 99 sb 0 . 01 o 3 was prepared by conventional ceramic fabrication techniques , mixing powders of baco 3 , sno 2 and sb 2 o 5 in the appropriate proportions and firing in a furnace at 800 ° c . a sensor was prepared on a self - heated , planar substrate , as above , using conventional screen - printing fabrication methods . fig9 shows the variation in electrical resistance of this sensor element in response to changes in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air , being plotted over successive 5 - minute periods , all at 350 ° c . basno 3 also , as disclosed in the document gb - a - 2 149 121 , shows resistance changes in response to the presence of small concentrations of reactive and flammable gases in the atmosphere . in order to distinguish such changes from those caused by variations in the concentration of carbon dioxide , a sensor 26 comprising basn . sub . ( 1 - z ) sb z o 3 ( o & lt ; z & lt ; 0 . 1 ) as the sensitive element can be combined with another sensor 28 which responds to the presence of reactive gases , but which does not respond to the presence of small concentrations of co 2 , ie . cr . sub . ( 2 - x ) ti x o 3 having the advantage of a relatively low response to the effect of changes in relative humidity , as discussed above . the interfering effect of changes in relative humidity on the sensor of composition basn . sub . ( 1 - z ) sb z o 3 can be mitigated by using it in conjunction with a humidity sensor of conventional design , e . g . a capacitive device utilizing aluminum oxide as the sensitive element . combinations of sensors useful for the monitoring of leaks of ammonia and chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants tin dioxide is useful as a sensing clement material in a gas - sensitive resistor responding to the presence of small concentrations in the air of chlorofluorocarbons ( cfc ) such as cf 2 cl 2 ( also known as r22 ). these agents are widely used as refrigerants but they have severe effects on the concentration of ozone in the upper atmosphere , so any leakage must be reliably and immediately detected . however , tin dioxide as a sensing clement material suffers from the disadvantage of a strong effect of variations in relative humidity and also a strong response to many other reactive gases which might be present in the atmosphere , such as carbon monoxide emitted from internal combustion engines , or solvent vapors from cleaning agents , packaging and glue . in particular , also , sno 2 shows a strong response to ammonia , which is also widely used as a refrigerant , and which may be used in conjunction with chlorofluorocarbons such as r22 . in such case , it is important to be able to distinguish a leakage of cfc from a leakage of ammonia . sensors prepared with cr . sub . ( 2 · x ) ti x o 3 as the gas - sensitive resistor element have , as noted above , a response to organic vapors , including carbon monoxide , and , as previously disclosed in gb - a - 2 202 948 , ammonia . however , they are relatively insensitive to variations of relative humidity ( as disclosed above ); importantly , they are also insensitive to the presence of a cfc ( r22 ). therefore , a pair of sensors , one of which utilizes sno 2 and the other cr . sub . ( 2 - x ) ti x o 3 , will be able to distinguish a leak of cfc ( signal only on sno 2 ) from one of ammonia ( signal on both sensors ), or a leak of cfc ( signal only on sno 2 ), from the presence of solvent vapors or carbon monoxide ( signal on both sensors ). a combination of these two sensors with humidity sensor of conventional design , e . g . a capacitive device utilizing aluminum oxide as the sensitive element , will be able to discriminate all interferences . the humidity sensor , being unaffected by the refrigerant gases or by solvent vapors at environmentally significant concentrations , then provides a signal to compensate for the effect of relative humidity changes on the tin dioxide element , whilst the cr . sub . ( 2 - x ) ti x o 3 provides a signal to compensate for the presence of solvent vapors . discrimination between the effects of ammonia and the effects of solvent vapors , and consequent avoidance of false alarms , can also be obtained by using a combination of a sensor fabricated from cr . sub . ( 2 - x ) ti x o 3 with one fabricated from fe . sub . ( 1 - y ) cr y nbo 4 ( 0 ≦ y ≦ 1 ). for example , table 5 , below , shows a comparison of the response of these different materials to ammonia . comparison of the results in table 5 with those in tables 3 and 4 shows that crnbo 4 is much less sensitive to ammonia than cr 1 . 8 ti 0 . 2 o 3 , but that it is equally , or more , sensitive to solvent vapors . a simple comparison of the signal from two such sensors would then give a false alarm due to the presence of solvent vapor . however , in a sensor array comprising such a combination of sensor , if the signal from the cr 1 . 8 ti 0 . 2 o 3 sensor is greater than that from the crnbo 4 sensor , then ammonia is present ; if it is less , then solvent vapors are present . tables 4 and 5 show that similar combination of cr 1 . 8 ti 0 . 2 o 3 with fe . sub . ( 1 - y ) cr y nbo 4 , ( 0 ≦ y ≦ 1 ) can be devised . furthermore , a combination of these two sensors with a sensor fabricated from sno 2 would , as described above , allow discrimination of solvent vapors , ammonia and cfc such as r22 . table 5______________________________________comparison of response to 100 ppm ammonia in air , of sensors fabricated from various materials operating resistance in 100 ppm nh . sub . 3 in sensor material temperature /° c . dry air / resistance in dry______________________________________ aircr . sub . 1 . 8 tio .. sub . 2 o . sub . 3 430 1 . 77 crnbo . sub . 4 500 1 . 27 fe . sub . 0 . 92 cr . sub . 0 . 08 nbo . sub . 4 500 0 . 53______________________________________ sensor configurations with reference to the electrical interrogation of the gas sensitive materials fig1 shows , purely diagrammatically , the conventional configuration of a semiconductor gas sensor , whereby the latter has four wires for electrical connection . two of these , 10 and 11 , are attached to a pair of electrodes 12 and 13 , which are bridged by the gas sensing element 14 , the resistance of which is to be measured . the other two wires 15 and 16 supply a resistance heating element 17 , which is typically electrically insulated from the sensing element 14 , for example by a layer of alumina 18 with the heating element 17 on one side and the sensing element 14 on the other . when sensor element materials are used that have a resistance within a suitable range of values , however , it is possible to use fewer wires , with the advantage that heat loss by conduction is reduced . the sensor can then achieve its operating temperature with reduced power input . for example , when the resistance of the sensing materials during operation remains high with respect to the resistance of the heating element , then it is possible for the sensing part and heating part to have one wire 20 in common , thus reducing the number of wires to three as seen in fig1 . again , when the resistance of the sensing element material at the operating temperature is of similar magnitude to that of the heating element it is possible to have the sensing element in contact with the heater , as a parallel resistor , i . e . omitting the layer 18 . gas sensing will then be achieved by measuring the combined resistance , through two wires only . these alternative interrogation configurations can be applied , with advantage , to any sensor made with the materials disclosed herein .

US-98753997-A

a method for checking the plausibility of an actuation position of a clutch of a double - clutch transmission operated by an actuator , including the following steps : disengaging the clutch assigned to the currently active old subtransmission and simultaneously engaging the clutch assigned to the other subtransmission to shift from the gear selected in the old subtransmission to a gear selected in the other , new subtransmission ; deselecting the gear selected in the old subtransmission still during the overlapping operation of the clutches or immediately thereafter ; detecting the difference between the speed of rotation of a drive shaft of the double - clutch transmission driven by a drive motor and the speed of rotation of the input shaft of the old subtransmission ; and evaluating the state of the clutch assigned to the old subtransmission as disengaged when the difference in speeds of rotation exceeds a predetermined value within a predetermined time after deselection of the gear .

according to fig1 , a known double - clutch or parallel shift transmission has a drive shaft 6 driven for example by a combustion engine , which is optionally connectable with rotationally fixed connections to two input shafts 8 and 10 . the flow of torque from drive shaft 6 into input shafts 8 and 10 is selectively controllable through clutches k 1 and k 2 , respectively . between input shaft 8 and an output shaft 12 various transmission ratios are activatable via gear pairings , only one of which is illustrated . various gear pairings are likewise activatable between input shaft 10 and output shaft 12 , only one of which is illustrated . actuators 14 and 16 are provided to operate the clutches k 1 and k 2 . to activate the gear pairings , for example to produce a rotationally fixed connection between the gear situated on input shaft 8 or 10 with the respective input shaft 8 or 10 , which meshes with a particular gear that has a constant rotationally fixed connection with output shaft 12 , actuators 18 and 20 are provided , each of which may include for example an activation actuator and a selection actuator . overall , input shaft 8 and output shaft 12 as well as input shaft 10 and output shaft 12 each form a subtransmission 22 or 24 respectively of the double - clutch transmission . the actuators 14 , 16 , 18 and 20 are addressed by an electronic control device 26 with microprocessor and associated program and data storage elements , whose outputs each address one of the actuators and whose inputs 28 are connected to sensors 30 , 32 and 34 , which register the speed of rotation of drive shaft 6 , input shaft 8 and input shaft 10 , as well as additional sensors to register operating parameters of the vehicle power train , for example a sensor to register the speed of the driven vehicle wheels , a sensor to register the position of a gear selector lever , a sensor to register the position of an accelerator pedal , etc . the depicted control device 26 can be connected through a bus system to additional control devices of the vehicle , for example an engine controller by which a power setting unit of the engine is controlled . the actuators can be in the form of lever actuators , for example , which are actuated for example by electric motors , where the revolution of each electric motor is registered by an incremental counter . the torque transmissible by a particular clutch is important for the function of the clutch , and is stored in a memory element of the control device 26 as a curve , which indicates the transmissible clutch torque depending on the position of a clutch positioning element , for example a clutch lever . when the functional state of the clutch changes through wear and the like , the characteristic curve must be updated which is accomplished through an adaptation procedure , to which end for example the touch point of the clutch is checked while driving and must be adjusted to any resulting changes in the clutch properties . in the double - clutch transmission depicted in fig1 , a gear can be selected in the particular subtransmission 22 or 24 whose clutch is disengaged , while the effective transmission ratio of the transmission is determined by the ( active ) subtransmission whose clutch is engaged . if a gear is selected for example in subtransmission 22 and clutch k 1 is engaged , then this gear determines the transmission ratio between drive shaft 6 and output shaft 12 . at the same time , a newly activatable gear can be selected in the other subtransmission 24 . when shifting the transmission from the currently selected gear into the newly selected gear , clutch k 1 must be disengaged and , for a connection between drive shaft 6 and output shaft 12 without interruption of traction , clutch k 2 must be overlappingly engaged . when clutch k 2 takes over the transmission of torque , if at least one of the clutches k 1 , k 2 were not slipping at the same time the transmission would be destroyed through overspecification of the transmission ratios . therefore , if both clutches k 1 , k 2 are simultaneously engaged beyond their touch point , where the touch point is defined as that point at which the clutch starts to transmit torque as the engagement increases ( a torque of a few newton meters at most is transmitted at the touch point ), at least part of the time a slipping state is produced in which at least one of the two clutches k 1 , k 2 slips . a conventional shifting sequence of a double - clutch transmission will be explained below on the basis of fig2 , where the abscissa depicts the time , for example in seconds . in diagram a ), curve i indicates the switch state of one of the subtransmissions , for example subtransmission 22 , and curve ii indicates the switch state of the other subtransmission , for example subtransmission 24 . in diagram b ), in which the ordinate indicates the transmissible torque , curve tk 1 designates the torque transmissible by clutch k 1 and curve tk 2 the torque transmissible by clutch k 2 . in diagram c ), in which the ordinate indicates a speed of rotation , curve n 6 designates the speed of drive shaft 6 , which is for example equal to the speed of the crankshaft of a combustion engine , curve n 8 designates the speed of input shaft 8 and curve n 10 designates the speed of input shaft 10 . based on the diagram of fig2 , a shift from second gear to third gear followed by preselection shifting from second to fourth gear will be explained on the basis of the diagram of fig2 , with the time sequence between t = 12 seconds and t = 14 . 5 explained . at time t = 12 seconds , third gear is selected in first subtransmission 22 and second gear is selected in second subtransmission 24 . at this time the engine torque is routed through second subtransmission 24 , as can be recognized from the fact that the clutch torque is greater than 0 , corresponding to the curve tk 2 . at time t = 12 a shifting process begins , wherein between t = 12 seconds and t = 12 . 5 seconds the clutch torque of clutch k 2 decreases to 0 , and overlapping , the clutch torque of clutch k 1 increases . starting at t = 12 . 5 seconds the engine torque is routed through clutch k 1 and subtransmission 22 , so that the vehicle is traveling in third gear . between time t = 12 . 5 seconds and time t = 13 seconds the engine speed n 6 and the speed of rotation n 8 of input shaft 8 of first subtransmission 22 are synchronized . between t = 13 . 5 seconds and t = 14 seconds a preselection shift into fourth gear occurs in second subtransmission 24 , so that it will be possible later to continue shifting into this gear without an interruption of traction . a shifting sequence according to the invention will now be explained on the basis of fig3 , which depicts curves corresponding to fig2 , where all actuations take place without error ; that is , the respective clutch positions are stored correctly in control device 26 according to referencing , so that they can be actuated correctly . contrary to the sequence according to fig2 , in the sequence according to fig3 the gear of the subtransmission that is active before the shift ( referred to in the claims as the old subtransmission ) is deselected significantly earlier , for example immediately at the end of the overlap of the clutch actuation or directly thereafter , already at time t = 12 . 5 seconds . this is accomplished by slightly pre - tensioning the shifting actuator in question , or deselecting it immediately after the actuation of the clutches ends , preferably just when clutch k 2 is supposed to have reached its disengaged position . while according to the conventional shifting sequence depicted in fig2 the speed of rotation n 10 of the old subtransmission was determined in the time span from t = 12 . 5 seconds to t = 13 . 8 seconds by the vehicle speed and the gear selected up to that point , the early deselection of the gear in the old subtransmission causes the speed of rotation of the latter to be determined by the clutch torque , and possibly by components of drag torque . under the condition that drag torques are small , it is therefore possible to test whether the clutch of the old subtransmission has actually been disengaged . in the example of fig3 , if clutch k 2 is actually disengaged at time t = 12 . 5 seconds , on condition that drag torques are small in the transmission a difference will arise between the speed of drive shaft 6 ( n 6 ) and the speed of input shaft 10 of the second subtransmission 24 , which is now in neutral gear . thus by registering the time pattern of the speed of input shaft 10 immediately after deselection of the gear in the second subtransmission ( speed of rotation remains constant with clutch disengaged ) or if appropriate also registering the speed of drive shaft 6 ( difference between speed of drive shaft 6 and of input shaft 10 corresponds to the drop in speed of input shaft 6 ) it is possible to decide whether clutch k 2 is actually disengaged . fig4 depicts the circumstances of fig3 for the case that clutch tk 2 is again instructed to open , but actually does not open . as can be seen from curves n 6 and n 10 , in this case the speed of rotation of input shaft 10 of the second subtransmission follows the speed of drive shaft 6 , without any problems resulting because of no gear being selected in second subtransmission 24 . however , the malfunction of clutch k 2 is recognized immediately from the fact that there is no difference between the speeds of rotation of shafts 6 and 10 . as a result of the early recognition of the malfunction in the actuation of clutch k 2 , protective or error - correcting measures can be taken before dangerous operating conditions develop . while the forenamed procedure does make it possible to recognize a malfunction in the actuation of second clutch k 2 , it gives no indication of whether the absolute position of the clutch actuator stored in control device 26 is correct . an explanation of how the absolute position of an actuating element of the clutch or the position of the corresponding clutch actuator detected by an incremental counter can be registered in addition is given on the basis of fig5 . the processes of fig5 correspond to those of fig3 , with which they are identical up to time t = 13 seconds . as a modification of the controlling according to fig3 , in the controlling according to fig5 clutch k 2 of the “ old ” second subtransmission 24 is gradually engaged with moderate ramp speed starting at time t = 13 . during this gradual engagement the rotational speed signal from rotational speed sensor 34 is monitored . as soon as that speed changes significantly in the direction of the speed of drive shaft 6 , this is a sign that clutch k 2 is transmitting torque , i . e . that it has been moved into the range of the touch point . the sudden decline in the speed of input shaft 10 ( curve n 10 ) while the clutch torque of clutch k 2 rises ( time approximately 13 . 2 seconds ) can be evaluated as the touch point of clutch k 2 , or can be compared additionally with the touch point stored in the control device 26 , whereupon a positive comparison can lead to the conclusion that the stored touch point is still valid . different interpreting algorithms can be used to evaluate the speed of rotation of input shaft 10 , for example the sudden change in the speed of input shaft 10 , or dropping below a difference between the speeds of input shaft 10 and of drive shaft 6 . it goes without saying that the previously stated method for checking the plausibility of the clutch actuation and / or for determining the touch point after shifting has occurred can be used both for subtransmission 22 and for subtransmission 24 . when determining the touch point , as described on the basis of fig5 , it has been found beneficial if the shaft whose speed of rotation is to change when the corresponding clutch is actuated is not retarded to lower speeds as the clutch is gradually engaged , as depicted in fig5 , but rather is accelerated to higher speeds . that makes it possible to minimize interfering influences of drag torque in the transmission on the previously described evaluation of the speed of rotation . in order to be able to accelerate the input shaft of a subtransmission by actuating the clutch , this input shaft of the subtransmission should be rotating more slowly than the drive shaft of the transmission ( i . e . n 8 & lt ; n 6 or n 10 & lt ; n 6 should be achieved ). one possibility for lowering the speed of rotation of input shaft 10 for example , is to select a gear in the inactive subtransmission with the clutch initially disengaged , which with full synchronization would result in a speed of rotation of input shaft 10 that is lower than the speed of drive shaft 6 . before the method described on the basis of fig5 is carried out , whatever gear is next selected can be slightly desynchronized for this purpose , so that the speed of rotation of input shaft 10 is brought to a value which is equal to the speed of the output shaft divided by the transmission ratio . when the gear is desynchronized , shaft 10 is then brought to a speed that is correspondingly lower than the speed of drive shaft 6 . the gear is then deselected and clutch k 2 is gradually engaged somewhat , as depicted on the basis of fig5 . the speed of rotation of input shaft 10 is then not registered as the speed is decreasing , as depicted in fig5 c ), but when the speed is increasing . another possibility for ensuring that the corresponding shaft is accelerated when the clutch is gradually engaged by a slight amount is to increase the engine speed or the speed of drive shaft 6 while the clutch of the active transmission is slipping correspondingly , so that the determination of the touch point as described earlier can take place with the shaft accelerated . increasing the speed of rotation of driveshaft 6 by means of an intervention in the drive motor can be used in addition to check the plausibility of the position of the clutch , which after all should be disengaged when the speed of drive shaft 6 is being increased . because if the input shaft belonging to the disengaged clutch is turning faster corresponding to the increase in the speed of the drive shaft , this is an indication that the clutch is not disengaged , so that an error in the clutch actuation is detected . a problem of the method described earlier for detecting the touch point of a clutch by registering the change in speed of rotation of the corresponding shaft is that the touch point thus recognized depends on an unknown drag torque acting on the particular shaft . in order to compensate for the influence of unknown drag torques , the particular input shaft can be set to rotating before the actual touch point determination . the influence of the drag torques is then determined with the clutch completely disengaged . a change in the speed of rotation of the particular shaft during a slow , gradual engagement of the clutch is finally used to determine the touch point . the method will be explained on the basis of fig6 . in the diagrams of fig6 the time in seconds is shown on the abscissa , the ordinate of diagram a ) indicates a speed in rpm , the ordinate of diagram b ) indicates a time gradient of a speed of rotation , and the ordinate of diagram c ) indicates the travel of an actuator to actuate a clutch . curve n 6 indicates the speed of rotation of drive shaft 6 . curve n 10 indicates the speed of rotation of transmission input shaft 10 . curve dn 10 / dt indicates the change over time of the speed of input shaft 10 . curve lk 2 indicates the travel set at clutch 2 . let it be assumed in a described case that neutral gear is selected in second subtransmission 24 , clutch k 2 is fully disengaged , and input shaft 10 is standing still . the combustion engine is running at idle speed , and drive shaft 6 is turning at the same speed . to minimize the influence of drag torque , transmission input shaft 10 is set to rotating first , by beginning to turn input shaft 10 by slowly engaging the clutch ( curve lk 2 ). as soon as a defined minimum speed of rotation is reached , about 500 rpm in the illustrated example , clutch k 2 in the illustrated example is completely disengaged again at time 658 . 68 . after the clutch is disengaged , the gradient of the speed of rotation of input shaft 10 dn 10 / dt is determined for a short time and evaluated . that makes it possible to ascertain the effect of the unknown drag torque on the dynamics of input shaft 10 . for the subsequent actual touch point determination , the travel of clutch k 2 is then controlled again with an appropriate ramp speed , starting for example at about time 659 . 1 , as shown . as that is done , the gradient of the speed of rotation of input shaft 10 is again determined . as soon as this gradient changes by a defined value in comparison to the phase with the clutch disengaged , it can be concluded that the touch position has been reached . in the illustrated example this is the case at about time t = 659 . 33 . the clutch position reached at that time can be accepted as the touch position . along with the described purely empirical determination of the touch point , the equation of motion and the torque equilibrium at the input shaft 10 can also be calculated and an analytical correlation between the change in gradient and the touch torque can be derived . it is not mandatory to utilize the forenamed method in a state in which the transmission input shaft 10 is stopped , which is the case for example when the vehicle is standing still , but rather it can also used in a moving vehicle , where the transmission input shaft never comes to a complete stop . the interfering influence of drag torque can also be compensated for here by evaluating the rotational speed gradient at the input shaft of the ( sub -) transmission . the method described above and others can be utilized not only for the clutches of double - clutch transmissions , but also — in particular with regard to determining the touch point — with conventional shift transmissions that are operated with only one clutch .

US-15618808-A

a sun tracking solar energy boiler comprising a solar radiation collector and tracking assembly for collecting and focusing solar radiation upon a surface maintained precisely normal to its direction of incidence , in combination with boiler means comprising a preheat tank and steam pressure tank arrangement to maintain a predetermined water level in boiler tubes . the collector and tracking system is provided with means for tracking the sun in its hourly travel from sunrise to sunset , and means is provided for matching seasonal changes of the sun from the summer maximum height to the winter maximum dip with use of a completely automatic apparatus requiring a minimum of manual attention . means are provided to prevent or remove any lens obscuration , and liquids other than water can be successfully used in the boiler means . properly adjusted , the system is operable anywhere on earth with a latitude of 5 degrees or higher ; special adaptation can be made for locations nearer the equator . the system generates electric power during the period of peak electrical power demand , and is thereby complementary with systems adapted to provide uniform power generation throughout the day and night .

in the schematic drawing of the sun tracking solar energy boiler of the present invention in fig1 the collector and tracking assembly is designated generally by the numeral 10 and comprises a collector consisting of cylinder 12 , preferably made from aluminum , lens assembly 14 , declination clock drive assembly 16 , trunnion assembly 18 , counterbalance 20 , diurnal drive assembly 22 , diurnal clock drive 24 , adjustable base 26 , feed water inlet line 28 , steam outlet line 30 , and visual alignment tube 32 . arrows in the upper left portion of fig1 show the direction of incidence of solar radiation falling on lens assembly 14 . the boiler assembly , designated generally by the numeral 34 in fig1 comprises preheat tank 36 , connecting steam line 38 , steam pressure tank 40 , valve 42 , engine inlet line 44 , engine outlet line 46 , water reservoir tank 48 , drain valve 50 , water return line 52 , level control pump 54 , check valve 56 , level control switch 58 , sight gauge 60 , and pressure meter 62 . the generating assembly is designated generally by the numeral 64 , and includes steam engine 66 , which can alternatively be a steam turbine . steam engine 66 is connected mechanically to electrical generator 68 , feeding direct current by lines 70 to voltage regulator 72 , which transmits power by lines 74 to storage battery 76 , from which is conveyed through lines 78 direct current to inverter 80 , which provides at lines 82 alternating current of a convenient voltage , such as 110 volts . it is important to mount collector and tracking assembly 10 at a level relative to preheat tank 36 so that water level contained within the lower portion of collector and tracking assembly 10 can be properly maintained . preheat tank 36 performs three functions : namely , a feed water source for collector and tracking assembly 10 ; a preheater for water fed into collector and tracking assembly 10 through water inlet line 28 and separation of condensed liquid accompanying vapor fed through steam outlet line 30 into preheat tank 36 ; and a level control for water in the collector and tracking assembly 10 . turning now to fig2 showing additional details of the collector and tracking assembly 10 , lens assembly 14 is made up of lens cap 84 , lens 86 , lens mount 88 , and lens assembly housing 90 . threaded lens focuser 91 , attached to lens mount 88 , rotates within compatibly threaded end of cylinder 12 to adjust the distance of lens 86 along the axis of cylinder 12 . lens 86 focuses solar radiation upon rounded crown plate 92 , which remains stationary , thereby providing for less complicated piping in providing feed water from below and allowing steam to rise upwardly . in geographic locations near the equator , a slightly different crown plate design is necessary in order to allow steam to rise at times when cylinder 12 is oriented near the zenith . the construction depicted in fig2 however , operates satisfactorily at latitudes of 5 degrees or higher . rounded crown plate 92 allows the collector tube of aluminum cylinder 12 to rotate through a full circle in 24 hours at a steady rate , eliminating complex mechanisms of the prior art , as well as the necessity for setting of positions manually , to relocate the collector tube from its sunset position to its sunrise position . crown plate 92 is preferably constructed of aluminum , with the outside being anodized or coated to present an energy absorptive surface to solar radiation focused by lens 86 on the surface of crown plate 92 . diurnal adjustment of position occurs by rotation of cylinder 12 about the diurnal axis passing through the center of trunnion assembly 18 and steam outlet fitting 94 resulting in slippage of slide wings 96 at point 98 on crown plate 92 . adjustment in declination setting is made by slipping of aluminum cylinder 12 on slide wings 96 at point 100 . the mechanism for operating the tracking system in tracking the sun in its diurnal movement and in its annual declination is completely automatic and will be described below . thermal insulation 102 is provided to retain heat in the region surrounding crown plate 92 . further , retention of heat is provided by cylinder wall 104 . trunnion assembly 18 supports the collector and associated components , and furnishes water entering the collector at inlet 106 . ridge 108 of trunnion assembly 18 provides a connection with declination clock drive 16 , as will be illustrated in fig3 and 4 below . counterbalance 20 can be adjusted along counterbalance arm 110 by adjustably rotating counterbalance nut 112 on arm 110 . counterbalance 20 is mounted through counterbalance arm 110 to the collector and tracking assembly 10 through counterbalance mount 114 . the purpose of counterbalance 20 is to compensate for the moment of inertia of cylinder 12 and associated components with respect to the declination axis , as well as to compensate for the torque generated by cylinder 12 and associated components with respect to the diurnal axis , during rotation thereabout . diurnal drive assembly 22 rotates the entire collector and tracking assembly 10 along the diurnal axis from counterbalance 20 and above , except for crown plate 92 and associated piping for carrying water or steam . the assembly rotated by diurnal drive assembly 22 is ordinarily rotated about the diurnal axis steadily through a full circle , pointing downward during nighttime hours . diurnal clock drive 24 imparts a rotary motion at an angular velocity comparable to 360 degrees per 24 hour period to diurnal drive housing 118 , supported upon stationary bearing mount 116 by bearings 120 and 122 . rotation of housing 118 is transmitted to counterbalance mount 114 through collar 124 and sleeve 126 , which slips over an underlying water line ( not shown ) passing beneath sleeve 126 , counterbalance mount 114 , and trunnion assembly 18 , finally terminating at inlet 106 . diurnal clock drive 24 is mounted upon bearing 128 , attached to feed water inlet 28 through a drive wheel attached to housing 118 . adjustable base 26 permits manual adjustment through bolt 130 for alignment during installation . base 26 is mounted upon a firm surface 132 through bolts 134 . visual alignment tube 32 , upon removal of alignment tube cap 136 , permits visual inspection of the rounded surface of crown plate 92 when solar radiation is focused by lens 86 thereon . details of the mechanism of declination clock drive assembly 16 are illustrated in fig3 and 4 . cylinder 12 is secured through tube yoke 138 by bolts 140 , encircling collar 142 , and flange 144 , through which bolts 140 pass . adjustment of the declination angle is accomplished by rotation of cylinder 12 about declination axis 146 about which tube yoke 138 pivots . scotch yoke 148 oscillates in response to rotation of pin 152 in a direction perpendicular to the length of slit 154 , thereby imparting transverse motion to rack 156 , rotating pinion 158 about declination axis 146 . pin 152 is moved about the circumference of a circle centered at point 160 by a clockwork mechanism ( not shown ) rotating pin 152 at an angular velocity of 360 degrees per one year period of time . as pinion 158 rotates about axis 146 , yoke 138 elevates or depresses cylinder 12 by rotation of bearings 162 on axle 164 . diurnal tracking is accomplished by the diurnal clock drive which rotates the entire assembly one revolution every 24 hours about the north - south axis . this axis must be aligned , during installation , with the north - south axis of the earth . it is to be understood that installation in the southern hemisphere requires reversal of the north - south axis to south - north , and the diurnal clock drive must be run in reverse . the annual declination tracking , accomplished by declination clock drive assembly 16 mounted on trunnion assembly 18 , translates rotary motion of mechanism described above . this oscillating motion moves the collector tube back and forth by tube yoke 138 to match seasonal changes of the sun &# 39 ; s elevation from summer &# 39 ; s maximum height to winter &# 39 ; s maximum dip . other tracking systems can be incorporated as an alternative to the system described above . fig5 illustrates a motor driven tracking system utilizing feedback provided by four light sensors mounted in a sight tube , one of which is designated by the numeral 166 in fig5 parallel to cylinder 12 . two of the four light sensors 166 control the east - west motor drive and two sensors control the north - south motor drive , and sensors 166 can be of photoelectric type or can be mercury switches , preferably the former . output from light sensors 166 is received through wires 168 by a detection system ( not shown ) which adjusts both declination and diurnal motor drives for maximum light intensity at sensors 166 . in order to prevent dew or frost collection on the surface of lens 86 during outdoor temperature drops , a thin heating wire network is attached to the outer surface of or cast within lens 86 . when the temperature drops below a preset level , a battery current through the heating wire keeps the lens surface above the dew or frost point . in addition , a small jet of steam can be applied at an oblique angle to the outer surface of lens 86 to clean away accumulated air pollutants , such as dust or other deposits which obscure light passage and make the collecting system less efficient . any remaining moisture is readily dried by introduction of current through the heating wire . a cycle of cleaning frequency can be determined by the experience of the sytem user , and can be set to cycle automatically . operation of the boiler system is as follows . water from preheat tank 36 passes through water inlet line 28 and rises to the level of water in preheat tank 36 , such level being preset by the relative location of preheat tank 36 and collector and tracking assembly 10 to fall near the rounded surface of crown plate 92 . as solar energy passes through lens 86 and strikes crown plate 92 , steam is generated and builds pressure in the system , filling the volume of the upper portion of preheat tank 36 with super atmospheric pressure steam . when sufficient pressure is obtained , control valve 42 permits steam to enter through line 44 into steam engine 66 . drain valve 50 allows any condensate accumulated in steam pressure tank 40 to be forced back to water reservoir tank 48 . when steam engine 66 is powered by steam pressure , it in turn powers electrical generator 68 , which can be of alternating current or direct current type . if generator 68 is an alternating current type , a rectifier ( not shown ) must be added to convert alternating current to direct current . in either case , a voltage regulator 72 is used to maintain a fixed direct current voltage range of output to storage battery 76 , compensating for any variation in the rate of revolution of the rotor of electrical generator 68 . storage battery 76 chemically stores electrical energy during sunlight hours and discharges electrical energy to provide current for usage during non - sunlight hours . steam engine 66 and generator 68 have sufficient capacity to provide electricity for storage and for direct use . since the peak demand for electrical power ordinarily occurs during daylight hours , and since the apparatus of the present invention provides current primarily during hours of daylight , the present invention is adapted to help meet the excess demand for electrical power during peak periods of use during daylight hours . inverter 80 converts direct current from storage battery 76 to alternating current , preferably to conventionally used 110 volt 60 hertz alternating current ( voltage being root mean square average ), to permit normal household lighting and appliances to be powered thereby . to furnish 220 volt alternating currents single phase power , a more powerful generating system is required than that for furnishing 110 volt alternating current , and a 220 volt alternating current center tap inverter is required . water reservoir tank 48 collects spent steam through line 46 from steam engine 66 and permits condensation back to water , facilitating such condensation by condensation plates 170 . water reservoir tank 48 also provides water storage for recirculation through water return line 52 as needed in preheat tank 36 , such need being determined through level control switch 58 actuating level control pump 54 and forcing water from return line 52 through check valve 56 into the lower portion of preheat tank 36 . boiler system 34 and collector and tracking assembly 10 comprise a totally enclosed system with no loss of water . consequently , a liquid other than water can be used as the heat transfer medium between the elements of the system . such an alternative liquid should have a relatively low boiling point , and should be non - freezing at temperatures encountered at the location where the invention is to be operated . ethanol is one suitable alternative liquid . lens 86 can be either convex , as illustrated in fig2 or lens 86 can instead be a lens of the fresnel type . such a fresnel lens has a surface consisting of concentric circular ridges , each ridge comprising a simple lens section focusing radiation on crown plate 92 . use of a fresnel lens permits use of only a thin lens with a relatively short focal length and large diameter , thus permitting collection of incident radiation over a larger surface area and reducing the weight of the lens . the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described , and accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the invention .

US-89887678-A

a device for enhancing the performance of a real time executive kernel associated with a multiprocessor structure possibly comprising a large number of processors comprises a real time operator behaving , as seen from the processor of the structure , like a memory area . the real time operator sends and receives data to be processed , generates communication control signals and manages the real time context of the processors of the structure . it comprises a plurality of identical hardwired real time operator circuits accessible simultaneously by the processors of the structure but each associated with one only of said processors . the device can be used even if the structure comprises a large number of processors .

an rto component or an rto circuit is an electronic component for real time management of the tasks of a single processor called the &# 34 ; associated processor &# 34 ;, the rto ( real time operator ) is the set of rto components whose function is real time management of the microprocessor structure ( each rto component manages only the tasks of its &# 34 ; associated processor &# 34 ; but resources and some events are global , in other words known to all the processors ), a local process is a process carried out by an rto component in consequence of an internal cause ( occurrence of a hardware event or expiration of waiting or protection timers ) and not in consequence of a primitive request , and therefore concerning only the tasks of the associated processor . the fig1 diagram shows the various states that a task can assume and the possible transitions between these states which are conditioned by the execution of primitives encountered , external events ( interrupts ) and internal events . as the diagram shows , it is possible to change from the &# 34 ; elected &# 34 ; state of a task to the &# 34 ; dead &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; dormant &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; eligible &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; suspended &# 34 ; states by execution of the respective primitives &# 34 ; kill &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; terminate &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; pre - empt &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; wait &# 34 ;. likewise , from the &# 34 ; suspended &# 34 ; state it is possible to change to the &# 34 ; dead &# 34 ; state or to the &# 34 ; eligible &# 34 ; state of a task by execution of the &# 34 ; kill &# 34 ; primitive and by the &# 34 ; end of waiting condition &# 34 ;; from the &# 34 ; dormant &# 34 ; state it is possible to change to the &# 34 ; dead &# 34 ; state and to the &# 34 ; eligible &# 34 ; state of a task by execution of the respective primitives &# 34 ; kill &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; activate &# 34 ;; and from the &# 34 ; eligible &# 34 ; state it is possible to change to the &# 34 ; dead &# 34 ; state and to the &# 34 ; elected &# 34 ; state by execution of the respective primitives &# 34 ; kill &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; elect &# 34 ;. note that a scheduler can be called to allocate a processor to an eligible task only : as shown in fig2 a , 2b and 2c , the multiprocessor structure comprises three processors p1 , p2 and p3 associated with respective local memories m1 , m2 and m3 and each having an interrupt control input pit1 , pit2 and pit3 . the three processors p1 , p2 and p3 are connected to a common bus cb to which a common memory cm may be connected . in the fig2 a example , a real time operator ( rto ) in accordance with the invention is also connected to the common bus cb through a dedicated interface cbi . here the rto comprises three rto circuits rto1 , rto2 , rto3 on the same circuit board which can also carry the common memory ( this is a so - called &# 34 ; centralized &# 34 ; rto ). as seen from the processor , the operator behaves like a memory area common to the processors p1 , p2 and p3 . it has the circuitry needed to recognize addresses , to send and receive data to be processed and to generate communication control signals . in particular , it has three interrupt control outputs pit &# 39 ; 1 , pit &# 39 ; 2 and pit &# 39 ; 3 respectively connected to the three inputs pit1 , pit2 , pit &# 39 ; 3 . in the fig2 b example an rto in accordance with the invention is also connected to the common bus cb . the rto comprises three rto circuits rto &# 39 ; 1 , rto &# 39 ; 2 and rto &# 39 ; 3 each on a processor board and connected to the bus cb by a dedicated interface cbi . as seen from the processor , this operator behaves like a memory area common to the processors p1 , p2 and p3 . it has the circuitry needed to recognize addresses , to send and receive data to be processed and to generate communication control signals . in particular , it has three interrupt control outputs pit &# 39 ; 1 , pit &# 39 ; 2 and pit &# 39 ; 3 respectively connected to the three inputs pit1 , pit2 , pit3 . in the multiprocessor architecture shown in fig2 c an rto in accordance with the invention is also connected . here the rto comprises three rto circuits rto &# 34 ; 1 , rto &# 34 ; 2 and rto &# 34 ; 3 each on a processor board and connected to the local bus lb by a dedicated interface . the common bus cb interface assumes control of the local bus when a processor sends parameters to the rto circuits via the common bus cb . the operator has the circuitry needed to recognize addresses , to send and receive data to be processed and to generate communication control signals . in particular , it has three interrupt control outputs pit &# 39 ; 1 , pit &# 39 ; 2 and pit &# 39 ; 3 respectively connected to the three inputs pit1 , pit2 , pit3 . communications between one of the processors p1 , p2 and p3 and the rto are of three kinds : because the rto processes only one primitive at a time any processor pi requiring access to the rto must first check if it is free . to this end the processor pi reads a specific rto address . the component rtoi recognizes this access and then uses the agreed signal to ask the other components rtoj if they are free to process a primitive . the component rtoi if they are free to process a primitive . the component rtoi can then send its response ( rto free or busy ) to pi . this series of operations is executed at each component by logic independent of its sequencer so as not to disrupt the processing of any primitive being processed at the time . this is a simple write operation to the addressing area of the rto after checking that the latter is free . each component rtoi then waiting for a parameter ; when the processor pj writes a parameter at an rto address , all the components rtoi acquire the parameter simultaneously . there are two situations in which a processor pi must read a report produced by the rto : a ) when a processor pi has sent a primitive it needs information contained in the rto ( actions to be undertaken : change of task ; halt ; number of task to suspend or to elect ; primitive execution report ). this information is accessed by reading at the rto address . the component rtoj which processed the primitive sends the response because it alone has this information ( in the case of a global primitive executed in parallel by all the rto components it is the component rtoi associated with the processor pi which sends the response ). b ) the rto can interrupt a processor pi if , following processing local to the component rtoi or of a remote or global primitive requested by the processor pj , a task of higher priority than the current task is &# 34 ; elected &# 34 ; on the processor pi . this is achieved by the component rtoi sending an interrupt piti to the associated processor pi , the component rtoi then waiting until the processor pi is in a position to read the parameters which tell it the new task to be executed . as shown in fig3 the rto circuit comprises at least four automatic devices each dedicated to the management of specific real time objects : the automatic device a1 can manage eligible tasks awaiting a processor and all tasks awaiting an event . it processes external interrupts . it can also supervise all processing done by the other automatic devices when a primitive is executed . the clock automatic device a2 can manage timers , cycles , protection timers ( completion times and execution times ) and the real time clock . the automatic device a4 can manage communications with processors and arbitrate between rto circuit internal processing requests and primitive requests submitted by a processor . each of these automatic devices comprises the hardware resources needed for the processing which it performs . in the fig4 example , the hardwired sequencer seqi drives an input register ii , an output register oi and the processor unit pui associated with the random access memory rami . the inputs and the outputs of these automatic devices are interconnected by a dynamic router . the rto further comprises at least one communication device , possibly an asynchronous communication device , connecting the rto circuit and the interface cbi . also , the rto circuit comprises means for sending an interrupt signal to the processor concerned , in particular if the choice algorithm decides upon a change of task on this processor , following internal processing ( timer or hardware event ) or a primitive requested by a processor other than that for which the rto circuit is responsible , or after a temporal exception ( completion or execution time exceeded , cycle on a task not completed ), this interrupt signal remaining active until the processor has accessed the operator to read the code of the operation to be performed . the automatic device a2 may comprise a real time clock ( rtc ) and counting logic . the rtc has a period which is programmable by invoking a request specific to the rto circuit and counting logic . the rtc is designed to send a clock interrupt signal cit for the sequencer of the automatic device a2 in order to initiate the updating of the counters associated with the task when a period has elapsed . this interrupt signal takes priority and is therefore processed as soon as the automatic device a2 has completed the current operation . the automatic device a2 sends an interrupt signal to the automatic device a1 only if there are tasks to be rendered eligible . the automatic device a1 may comprise external interrupt control inputs ext it and means for shaping and storing these interrupt signals . in the context of an application , the interface between the processor ( user mode ) and the rto is a monitor ( supervisor mode ) using a process shown in fig5 . a microprocessor accesses the monitor by way of a trap instruction . this instruction , enabling system calls by an application , forces an exception and switches from the user mode to the system mode in which all the code belonging to the monitor is executed . all of the monitor is written in assembler language . a request to the monitor comprises a group of assembler language instructions carrying out the following functions : because the monitor is the interface between the processor and the operator rto , the code executed is as follows : note that the only time the processor cannot be interrupted is during the context change phase . in the timing diagrams of fig6 a through 6d the tasks executed by the processors p1 and p2 are shown as a succession of rectangular boxes separated by interfaces and the freed / processing state of the circuits rto1 , rto2 for this process is indicated by crenellated curves in corresponding relationship to the boxes . in the fig6 a example , at the time t1 the processor p1 is executing a task t1 and the processor p2 is executing a task t3 . at time t2 the task t3 sends a primitive to the rto in order to activate a task t2 on the processor p1 . the two components rto1 , rto2 begin to process this primitive at time t2 . the component rto2 analyzes the parameters sent by the processor p2 and realises that it is not this processor which is managing the task t2 to be activated : it therefore reverts quickly to the &# 34 ; free &# 34 ; state at time t3 . the component rto1 sets the task t2 to the &# 34 ; eligible &# 34 ; state and senses that the task t2 has a higher priority than the task t1 currently being executed on the processor p1 : it therefore sends an interrupt pit1 to the processor p1 to report a current task change . the processor p1 processes the interrupt pit1 at time t4 and then at time t5 reads the report telling it to suspend the task t1 and to elect the task t2 . after this read operation , the component rto1 reverts to the free state at time t6 . during this time the interface of processor p1 carries out the context change and then the processor p1 begins to execute the task t2 at time t7 . during this time , and independently of the processor p1 , the processor p2 reads the report of its activation primitive at time t4 . because the circuit rto1 processed the primitive , it is this circuit which will respond with a report indicating that the primitive has been executed correctly . after an interface of processor p2 , the processor p2 will therefore resume the processing of the task t3 . fig6 b shows in a similar way the execution by the processor p2 of a remote primitive on the processor p1 bringing about a change of task on the processor p1 and the expiry of a timer on the circuit rto2 causing a change of task on the processor p2 . initially the processor p1 is executing the task t1 and the processor p2 is executing the task t3 which at a given time requests the operator rto to activate the task t2 on the processor p1 . the two components rto1 and rto2 begin to processes the primitive . the component rto2 analyzes the parameters sent by the processor p2 and realises that it is not this processor which is managing the task t2 to be activated : it therefore reverts quickly to the &# 34 ; free &# 34 ; state . the component rto1 sets the task t2 to the &# 34 ; eligible &# 34 ; state and senses that the task t2 has a higher priority than the current task t1 on the processor p1 : it therefore sends an interrupt pit1 to the processor p1 to report a current task change . the processor p1 processes the interrupt pit1 and reads the report telling it to suspend the task t1 and to elect the task t2 . the interface carries out the context change and the processor p1 begins to execute the task t2 . during this time , and independently of the processor p1 , the processor p2 reads the report of its activation primitive ; because the component rto1 processed the primitive , it is this component which will respond with a report indicating that the primitive has been executed correctly . the processor p2 then resumes processing the task t3 . while the component rto1 is still processing the activation primitive of the task t2 the component rto2 detects the expiry of a timer which activates the task t4 . the &# 34 ; clock &# 34 ; automatic device sends the signal cit2 to the sequencer of the component rto2 which starts processing immediately because it its &# 34 ; free &# 34 ;. the component rto2 sets the task t4 to the &# 34 ; eligible &# 34 ; state and senses that the task t4 has a higher priority than the current task t3 on the processor p2 : it therefore sends an interrupt pit2 to the processor p2 to report a current task change . the processor p2 processes the interrupt pit2 and reads the report telling it to suspend the task t3 and to elect the task t4 . the interface carries out the context change and the processor p2 begins to execute the task t4 . in this example a primitive on the component rto1 and a local process on the component rto2 are processed in parallel . fig6 c shows simultaneous local processing on the components rto1 and rto2 bringing about a task change on the processor p2 . initially the processor p1 is executing the task t1 and the processor p2 is executing the task t2 . at virtually the same time the component rto2 detects the expiry of a timer which activates the task t3 and the component rto1 detects the expiry of a timer which activates the task t4 . the &# 34 ; clock &# 34 ; automatic devices of the components rto1 and rto2 respectively send the signal cit2 to the sequencer of the component rto2 and the signal cit1 to the sequencer of the component rto1 . the components rto1 and rto2 immediately start processing because they are &# 34 ; free &# 34 ;, without needing to consult the state of the other component because this is local processing . the component rto1 sets the task t4 to the &# 34 ; eligible &# 34 ; state and senses that the task t4 has a lower priority than the current task t1 on the processor p1 : it therefore reverts to the &# 34 ; free &# 34 ; state without interrupting the processor p1 because there is no task change . the processing by the component rto1 is totally transparent to the processor p1 . the component rto2 sets the task t3 to the &# 34 ; eligible &# 34 ; state and senses that the task t3 has a higher priority than the current task p2 on the processor p2 : it therefore sends an interrupt pit2 to the processor p2 to report a current task change . the processor p2 processes the interrupt pit2 and reads the report telling it to suspend the task t2 and to elect the task t3 . the interface carries out the context change and the processor p2 begins to execute the task t3 . note that in this example the components rto1 and rto2 have processed their local request entirely independently and that the processor p1 has not been interrupted because the local processing on the component rto1 has not brought about a change of task on the processor p1 . fig6 d shows a global primitive causing a change of task on the processors p1 and p2 . the processor p2 is executing the task t3 which at a given time asks the rto to activate a global event . the component rto1 sets the task t2 ( which was awaiting the event ) to the &# 34 ; eligible &# 34 ; state and senses that the task t2 has a higher priority than the current task t1 on the processor p1 : it therefore sends an interrupt pit1 to the processor p1 to report a current task change because the processor p1 which is executing the task t1 is not connected to the rto at this time . the processor p1 processes the interrupt pit1 and reads the report produced by the component rto1 telling it to suspend the task t1 and to elect the task t2 . the component rto1 then reverts to the &# 34 ; free &# 34 ; state , the interface carries out the context change and the processor p1 begins to execute the task t2 . during this time the component rto2 sets the task t4 ( which was waiting for the event ) to the &# 34 ; eligible &# 34 ; state and senses that the task t4 has a higher priority than the current task t3 on the processor p2 : it therefore produces a report indicating a current task change . it does not need to send the interrupt pit2 because it is its associated processor p2 which has requested the primitive : the processor p2 therefore reads a report . when the processor p2 reads the report of its event activation primitive , the component rto2 sends it a report indicating that the primitive has been executed correctly and telling it to suspend the task t3 in favor of the task t4 . the component rto2 then reverts to the &# 34 ; free &# 34 ; state , the interface carries out the context change and the processor p2 begins to execute the task t4 . note that in this example the components rto1 and rto2 process the same primitive in parallel , each activating the tasks of its associated processor awaiting the event . also , only the component rto1 needs to send an interrupt pit1 to its associated processor .

US-89437892-A

a loader excavator is described that is operable in an excavation mode or in a loader mode . the loader excavator comprises a main boom and a dipper boom , wherein a loader bucket or an excavator bucket can be selectively utilized in accordance with user preference .

although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention that may be embodied in other specific structure . while the preferred embodiment has been described , the details may be changed without departing from the invention , which is defined by the claims . fig1 is a side elevation view of a preferred embodiment of a convertible skid loader and excavator 5 , shown in a loader mode with a loader bucket 70 , and in phantom in the loader mode with a dipper boom 20 fully extended . the dipper boom 20 is operable through hydraulic controls ( described later ) to raise and lower the loader bucket 70 . the loader bucket is also rotatable from a digging position ( not shown ) to a carrying position as shown , in which the front edge of the loader bucket 70 is slightly elevated with respect to the remainder of the bottom edge of the loader bucket 70 . loading is generally characterized by the loader bucket 70 facing away the operator , loading of material accomplished by digging or pushing the material away from the operator and then lifted . in loader mode , three hydraulic rams are utilized . first , dipper boom hydraulic ram 40 , is operable to manipulate dipper boom 20 toward or away from main boom 10 . dipper boom hydraulic ram 40 rotates dipper boom 20 when the ram 40 is extended . at full extension of dipper boom hydraulic ram 40 , dipper boom 20 will be in the position shown in phantom . second , bucket ram 50 operates to rotate the loader bucket 70 by extension of a bucket ram 50 , which in turn causes ram links 55 to pivot about ram pin 53 , resulting in rotation of the bucket 70 . third , dipper extension hydraulic ram 90 is operable to manipulate dipper boom extension 60 toward or away from dipper boom 20 . the operator can move the loader / excavator forward or backward using the track sub - assembly 110 , preferably containing an elevated drive sprocket as shown . further , the operator can rotate the excavator / loader by engagement of a slew ring 130 . main structure and engine compartment 100 houses the engine and other necessary peripherals ( not shown ) sufficient to drive the slew ring 130 , track sub - assembly 110 , and hydraulic controls operating the booms . referring now to fig2 , a front elevation view of the convertible skid loader and excavator is shown . in this view , it is apparent that extension of the bucket ram 50 causes pivoting of bucket ram links 55 . undercarriage 120 carrying the track sub - assembly 100 is shown . operators will ordinarily be seated in seat 150 . referring now to fig3 , a side elevation view of a preferred embodiment of a convertible skid loader and excavator , shown in an excavator mode . excavation is generally characterized by the excavator bucket 80 facing toward the operator , excavation of material accomplished by digging or drawing the material toward the operator and then lifted . in the excavation mode , the main boom 10 and the dipper boom 20 are operable through hydraulic controls to raise and lower the excavator bucket 80 . in a preferred embodiment , the main boom 10 and the dipper boom 20 operate in the excavation mode , in contrast to the loader mode , when only the dipper boom 20 is preferably used . in order to provide extension of the excavator bucket 80 away from the operator , as emphasized between the phantom and solid views of the dipper boom 20 and main boom 10 , the main boom 10 is hydraulically extended by operation of the main boom hydraulic ram 30 , which in turn causes main boom ram links 32 to rotate about main boom ram pins 35 . dipper boom hydraulic ram 40 is extended to rotate the dipper boom 20 as previously described . additionally , a dipper extension hydraulic ram 90 causes further extension of dipper boom extension 60 , shown in fig3 in an extended position . manipulation of the bucket ram 50 causes rotation of the excavator bucket 80 in the same manner as previously described in relation to loader bucket 70 . referring now to fig4 a – c , top views of a preferred embodiment of operator control configuration are shown . while preferably seated in seat 150 , an operator can operate a left track and a right track of track sub - assembly 110 by operating one of the forward - reverse actuators shown . in order to move the main boom 10 by extension of main boom hydraulic ram 30 , the user moves the boom 30 down or up controls shown in fig4 b . in order to move the dipper boom 20 by extension of dipper boom hydraulic ram 40 , the user moves the boom 40 down or up controls shown in fig4 c . to rotate about slew ring 130 , the operator moves the slew left or right controls shown in fig4 b . to rotate either the excavator bucket 80 or the loader bucket 70 , the operator moves the bucket down or up control on fig4 c . last , to extend or retract the dipper extension hydraulic ram 90 , thereby raising or lowering the dipper boom extension 60 , the operator engages the boom extend and retract switch shown on fig4 c . fig5 and 6 are detail views of hydraulic arms . referring specifically to fig5 a , it can be seen that a pin 74 is coupled to a cleat ram 72 that can move up or down . a wedge on the pin 74 engages a hole in a tab 76 that is welded on the bucket 70 ( or 80 ). this draws the bucket 70 ( or 80 ) towards cleat 71 and locks it into place . the cleat 71 is coupled to the dipper boom extension 60 through bucket pin 78 . the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . furthermore , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described . while the preferred embodiment has been described , the details may be changed without departing from the invention , which is defined by the claims .

US-74494703-A

a server on a network controls a database which functions as an “ asset manager ” for a large population of items or assets . for “ network ” assets which are capable of electronically communicating data about themselves , such as computers and digital printers , relevant data is gathered over the network and entered into the database . for “ non - network ” assets which are not capable of electronic communication , such as typewriters and furniture , information is gathered into the database by other means . within the database , the distinction between network and non - network assets is largely hidden .

[ 0016 ] fig1 is a simple diagram showing the flows of information into a server operating according to an embodiment . an asset manager 100 is a program , typically running on a network - addressable server , which retains information about each of a population of assets . some assets , such as the printers , computers , and servers generally indicated as 10 , each have the electronic capability of retaining and making available a quantity of what is here called “ network data .” network data can be defined as any data about an asset that can be found out by electronically querying the asset , or also can be deduced by data obtained by electronically querying the asset . the network data which is retained in each asset 10 typically includes an ip ( network ) address of the asset , other information , such as manufacturer and model of the asset , which can be deduced from the ip address , network settings , and mac ( media access control , which is the physical address of the network interface card address for the asset ). the network data is obtained through generally known querying techniques over a network 12 which connects each asset 10 to the asset manager 100 . the assets to be managed can include both “ network - based assets ,” that is , equipment such as printers and computers , from which important information can be derived electronically , such as through known “ network discovery ” techniques ; and also what are here called “ non - network assets ,” which are things which do not have the capability for network discovery , such as stand - alone light - lens copiers , desktop printers dedicated to single computers , typewriters , calculators , and postage meters , as well as things which are not even electrical , such as desks and cabinets . further , the system can take into account and manage non - electronic or “ non - network ” information about network - based assets , such as an inventory number or rental contract number or service or ownership of a computer or network printer . non - network information can be defined as data about a particular asset which is largely incapable of being obtained through electronic means from the asset . as will be described in detail below , such non - network data can include a rental contract number , the name of a person using the asset , the location of the asset , the kind of warranty associated with the asset , etc . the database within the asset manager 100 which holds the network data about an asset such as a computer or printer can further include spaces for retaining the non - network information associated with the asset . this non - network information about an asset is entered manually or imported via csv ( a format for transmitting spreadsheet - like data ), when a particular asset is installed on the network 12 or otherwise enters the system . alternately , certain types of non - network information can be deduced from network information through predetermined rules retained in the asset manager 100 : for example , it may be set forth that all discovered printers of a particular vendor ( network information ) and model shall be assigned a certain rental contract number ( non - network information ), or that all assets discovered on a particular subnetwork ( network information ) are known to be in a certain building and are therefore assigned a certain location code and a certain systems administrator name ( non - network information ). another class of assets of interest in the present invention are non - network assets , that is , assets with no network capabilities at all . anything can be considered a non - network asset , such as desks , chairs , and cabinets . of particular interest here are assets which , although not addressable via a network , have attributes which are similar to that of network devices , which may need to be recorded is the asset manager over time : for example , a light - lens , stand - alone copier may not be network accessible , but still has associated with it a “ print count ” and daily “ print volume ” exactly in the manner of a network printer , as well as error codes which may be consistent with codes used by network devices and transmitted over the network 12 . it is desirable , for types of data which is common in type between network and non - network assets , to have the asset manager be indifferent as to whether the data was entered over a network or manually . another type of information which may be retained by the asset manager 100 is a history of each particular asset : for instance , there may be retained a list of every recorded location an asset has been located , along with move dates ; in such a case , certain attributes of an asset may change at certain time and remain constant in other conditions . for example , a telephone or fax machine may be moved from one physical location to another , but its phone number may or may not change with the move ; a feature of the asset manager 100 is an ability to retain a history of multiple attributes of an asset . fig2 a - d through 9 are example windows as would appear on a computer monitor associated with the network server 14 controlling asset manager 100 . in the present embodiment , the asset manager can be implemented largely as an “ active directory ,” and the various screens shown in the figures are examples of the types of data which can be retained , retrieved , and processed using an active directory system . active directory is a directory service that is provided by the microsoft ® windows ® 2000 server product . this directory service is simply a collection of objects that represent physical and logical enterprise resources such as computers , printers , servers , shared folders , user accounts , groups , etc . a collection of these resource objects can be organized a hierarchical , upside - down tree - like fashion and stored in a database . according to the msdn library ( january 2001 ): “. . . active directory gives network users access to permitted resources anywhere on the network using a single logon process . it provides network administrators with an intuitive hierarchical view of the network and a single point of administration for all network objects .” in this context , a “ forest ” is defined as a “. . . collection of one or more windows 2000 active directory trees , organized as peers and connected by two - way transitive trust relationships between the root domains of each tree . . . .” each forest contains one enterprise - wide schema partition “( class and attribute definitions for the directory )”, one enterprise - wide configuration partition ( replication topology and related metadata ), and one or more domain partitions , depending upon the number of domains contained within each active directory tree . the network server 14 according to this implementation enables a user to query a windows ® 2000 global catalog server and an active directory partition for those network printers that have an associated windows - based print server . network server 14 automatically queries the global catalog server of the local forest ( i . e . the forest in which the server 14 resides ) and will provide the user with a list of available active directory partitions . the user can then select the appropriate active directory partitions she wants the server 14 to check for network printer / queues ; for non - network assets and information , the necessary data is entered by other means . when a network printer is detected from the active directory partition , the server 14 checks its database to determine if the printer needs to be added . if the printer does not already exist within the server &# 39 ; s device database , it is added . if the printer already exists within the database , the active directory partition attribute is then updated for that printer &# 39 ; s record in the database . one embodiment also allows one to query global catalog servers from other forests that a large company may have implemented . in any event , the active directory feature will cause more printers to appear within the default “ all ” printer group . this could be considered as another form of printer discovery . fig2 a - d is a window ( shown in four parts ), available through data retained in asset manager 100 and based at least in part from network data collected from any asset 10 , including a non - network asset , as described above . at the left of the window can be seen a file organization in which a certain asset , in this case a printer , can be located . at the top of the left side of the window , underneath the “ find ” space , can be seen an option provided to the user to organize and view the assets managed by asset manager 100 as printers ( mfds and network printers ), queues ( which displays a population of printers and associated print servers by queues into which prints jobs are entered ) or as assets ( which includes non - network assets ). the user can select which aspect of the selected asset is wished to be viewed . along the top of the screen can be seen options to show “ standard properties ,” “ detailed properties ,” and “ asset properties .” of these the first two mainly relate to network information , while the third may emphasize non - network information about a selected asset . as “ asset properties ” is selected in the figure , the asset properties are shown under the “ identity ” and “ description ” headings . it will be noticed that a number of “ description ” variables associated with the selected printer are of a nature which would not be directly available , for instance , in a network discovery process : rather , these values would be either entered manually or inferred for network information about the printer . fig2 b - d , the balance of the window shown in fig2 a , show other possible types of data associated with a particular asset that can be entered into the database of asset manager 100 . of course , with such a database , cross - referencing of various assets by any attribute thereof is readily accomplished : for example , using the database in asset manager 100 , a user could quickly identify all assets which are sourced from a certain manufacturer ; all assets having warranties expiring within the next year ; all assets managed by a certain person , etc . in broader terms , the various fields or spaces for data associated with an asset and shown in fig2 a - d correspond to spaces in a file within asset manager 100 , the file being associated with a certain network or non - network asset . each space , as seen in fig2 a - d , corresponds to a predetermined type of data . for network information from a network asset , the relevant spaces can be populated by known means of electronic network discovery , such as with snmp . for non - network data from any kind of asset , the relevant spaces are populated by other means , typically but not necessarily by manual entry . it is evident that certain types of data can be entered into appropriate spaces in a file associated with an asset in a semi - automatic manner , by simple inference rules which can be entered into the system . by way of example and not limitation , it may be known that all assets in building x are administered by person y , and vice - versa ; all assets entered by whatever means into the system within a certain month and which are located in building x have a warranty which expires on a certain date ; all assets obtained from vendor z have a lease which expires three months after entry into the system ; all computers of a certain type have a one - year warranty ; etc . such automatic inferences can be exploited to reduce the amount of keying necessary to enter non - network data . also , discrete spaces associated with each of a large number of assets , whether or not network devices , can be caused to be changed simultaneously . such a capability is useful where , for example , a set of assets are changing ownership , warranty , lease , location , etc . [ 0029 ] fig3 shows a window displayed by asset manager 100 when it is desired to add an asset to a population . as can be seen from the description to the user on the window , this window would be displayed only in the case of adding a non - network asset : in the case of a new network asset , such as a network printer , most of the shown fields would be filled in automatically as part of the discovery process . the blank fields which are displayed in the figure act as prompts to a user to fill in or select from a predefined list the required or desired data for the asset database . [ 0030 ] fig4 shows an example window showing properties , again based on data retained within asset manager 100 , for a group of non - network assets , in this case a suite of furniture ( telephone , desk , table , etc .) for a single office . as shown just above the list of items in the window , there are provided pull - down menus for a user to sort the view of displayed assets based on available values . once the relevant data is entered , the group of assets may be assigned to another group in a hierarchy . [ 0031 ] fig5 and 6 are windows relating to print counts and status of a particular selected printer on the network . such data is of course useful in both maintenance and per - print billing of printer use . as mentioned above , certain non - network assets , such as light - lens copiers , may not be accessible for data collection over a network , but nonetheless have similar types of data associated therewith over time , such as print / copy counts and error codes . it is often desirable that the copy counts from a stand - alone copier be treated the same as print counts from a printer , within a single database . however , because stand - alone copiers require manual reading and entry of copy counts ( such as via a csv import / export wizard ), the copy counts may not enter the asset manager 100 on a perfectly regular basis . another aspect of the asset manager 100 is an ability to retain a fault history of a particular asset , retaining what type of fault occurred at what time , as shown in the example window of fig6 . by extension , by comparing the fault occurrences over time to other attributes and conditions which occasionally change and which also are recorded in a history ( e . g ., location of the asset , service contract ), clues can be inferred which may be useful in optimizing up - time and other use of the asset . asset history data can also relate to non - network information , for example , the users , lessors , warranties , locations , etc . of the asset through the lifetime of the asset : such historical information can be useful when , for example , returning leased furniture to its vendor , or redistributing furniture after its occupant has left the company . also associated with the “ asset history ” functions as shown in fig5 and 6 is a query capability to isolate certain assets of interest by providing date ranges for certain data associated with the assets . such a capability is useful for addressing administrative questions such as : “ which computers ( or , what furniture ) will go off - lease in the next 60 days ?” [ 0034 ] fig7 shows an example screen by which a subset of assets can be isolated by , in this case , a date range of install dates . other ranges for other types of data can be imagined for various administrative purposes . the basic capabilities afforded by the present embodiment can also be exploited to monitor faults in network or non - network devices . with a large population of devices , a system administrator or other user may wish to prioritize which types of error messages are to be considered more important than others . fig8 shows an example screen by which a system administrator can map , by type of incoming message from a device 10 , which messages are considered higher - priority than others . for instance , an incoming message of “ paper jammed ” by be assigned a “ red ” importance , while “ toner low ” may be assigned a “ yellow ” importance . in this example , “ red ” incoming messages may be caused to create an instant pop - up message on the user &# 39 ; s screen , while “ yellow ” messages may be collected and , for example , displayed only on daily or hourly e - mail reports . another capability that is possible in the present embodiment is allowing a user to customize the conditions associated with a server or its associated print queue under which an electronic mail message would be sent to a particular user for reason of a fault at a particular printer or other asset . the asset manager 100 can provide to a user ( such as a system administrator ) options to select which particular faults merit e - mail alerts , and direct to whom such e - mail alerts should be sent , i . e ., fault messages which are best addressed to a local administrator versus fault messages which should be addressed to a vendor or manufacturer . because different printers from different vendors may use different arbitrary fault codes to represent essentially similar faults , the asset manager 100 may also be provided with an error code “ dictionary ” by which error codes from different printers from different vendors are displayed in a consistent manner in a single view . also , because the asset manager 100 can obtain data about print servers as well as printers , the e - mail alerts can be related to faults within individual printers , or related to faults involving queues which reside on servers . the network server 14 can be controlled to perform polling operations , such as to check the operating status , of individual devices 10 with a predetermined regularity . even on a single network 12 , certain devices , such as devices which receive high use or which “ belong ” to important people , can be caused to be polled with a higher frequency than other devices . for example , selected “ high - priority ” devices 10 can be polled for status every three minutes , while other devices 10 on the same network 12 can be polled every thirty minutes . the status data that can be sampled at the desired frequency can include malfunction or maintenance requirement of an asset , such as a malfunction , lack of marking material or paper , or any error as illustrated in fig8 . with the present embodiment , a selected group of devices of special interest can be isolated for high - frequency polling or status checking . the selected devices can be chosen independently of any network they are associated with . returning to fig1 if a network server 14 is used to obtain network - based data such as snmp status message from networked devices 10 , it may be desirable to seamlessly export the network - based data to the general asset manager database . when a new device 10 is installed and then discovered by network server 14 , it is also desirable to add the new asset to the asset manager database as well . this process of adding new network assets , filling the related fields therefor , and exporting the information to the asset manager database , can be automated and made largely invisible to a user . fig9 is a window associated with the asset manager 100 which illustrates a capability for importing and exporting , between the asset manager 100 and any other database , what are known as “ billing meters ” associated with a each of a population of printers and servers . a useful capability of one embodiment is that one asset manager , running on one server , can be used to manage the assets of multiple , mutually - independent companies or other entities . in practice , this capability requires that the different companies &# 39 ; asset data are kept completely independent of each other ; that special templates or information fields desired by one company are not seen or invoked when managing the assets of another company ; and that security settings used by one company are not used by another company . another aspect of maintaining the necessary separation of asset data is permitting accidental replication of asset serial numbers , provided all of the asset serial numbers are unique within a single company . [ 0041 ] fig1 is an example screen showing how a company managed by a single asset manager 100 can be selected via a pull - down menu . broadly , the architecture of the asset manager databases is such that the top level of the total asset manager database is divided by company . each company is assigned its own independent set of fields and templates , as required by each company , along with independently controllable security aspects governing the information within each company . to address the duplicate asset number problem , one solution is to automatically append to each new asset number , as assets are created and added , a unique company code prefix or suffix ( herein , called an appendage , regardless of its actual implementation ). this company code can be made invisible or unapparent to users , but is retained in the database to distinguish assets of different companies . the appendages to the asset numbers or other codes are read by the server 14 operating asset manager 100 and used to invoke templates , screens , and other forms associated with the company ; conversely , use of templates associated with one company , such as to create an asset , automatically cause the appendage to be appended to a new asset number .

US-28789602-A

wireless devices that establish a wireless connection with a mobile information apparatus by wirelessly detecting , within physical proximity , the mobile information apparatus are herein disclosed and enabled . for example , to set up the wireless device for connecting with a smart phone , simply place the device and phone within a physical distance for the device and phone to wirelessly discover each other . during wireless detection , the smart phone and the wireless device may exchange , transmit , or receive device information for storing in memory to facilitate future wireless connections . subsequent to wireless detection and storing of the device information , the device and the smart phone may be locked or paired for wireless connection such that future wireless connections between the device and the phone can be established without having to repeat the wireless detection .

sets forth below are definitions of terms that are used in describing implementations of the present invention . these definitions are provided to facilitate understanding and illustration of implementations of the present invention and should in no way be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to a particular example , class , or category . an output device profile ( or object ) includes software and data entity , which encapsulates within itself both data and attributes describing an output device and instructions for operating that data and attributes . an output device profile may reside in different hardware environments or platforms or applications , and may be transported in the form of a file , a message , a software object or component among other forms and techniques . for simplicity of discussion , a profile or object may also include , for example , the concept of software components that may have varying granularity and can consist of one class , a composite of classes , or an entire application . the term profile or object used herein is not limited to software or data as its media . any entity containing information , descriptions , attributes , data , instructions etc . in any computer - readable form or medium such as hardware , software , files based on or including voice , text , graphics , image , or video information , etc ., are all valid forms of profile and object definition . a profile or object may also contain in one of its fields or attributes a reference or pointer to another profile or object , or a reference or pointer to data and or content . a reference to a profile or object may include one or more , or a combination of pointers , identifiers , names , paths , addresses or any descriptions relating to a location where an object , profile , data , or content can be found . an output device profile may contain one or more attributes that may identify and describe , for example , the capabilities and functionalities of a particular output device such as a printer . an output device profile may be stored in the memory component of an output device , an information apparatus or in a network node . a network node includes any device , server or storage location that is connected to the network . as described below in greater detail , an information apparatus requesting output service may communicate with an output device . during such local service negotiation , at least a partial output device profile may be uploaded to the information apparatus from the output device . by obtaining the output device profile ( or printer profile in the case of a printer ), the information apparatus may learn about the capability , compatibility , identification , and service provided by the output device . as an example , an output device profile may contain one or more of the following fields and or attribute descriptions . each of following fields may be optional , and furthermore , each of the following fields or attributes may or may not exist in a particular implementation ( e . g ., may be empty or null ): identification of an output device ( e . g ., brand , model , registration , ip address etc .) services and feature sets provided by an output device ( e . g ., color or grayscale output , laser or inkjet , duplex , output quality , price per page , quality of service , etc .) type of input languages , formats , output data and / or input requirements ( e . g ., postscript , pcl , xml , rtl , etc .) supported by an output device . device specific or dependent parameters and information ( e . g ., communication protocols , color space , color management methods and rendering intents , resolution , halftoning methods , dpi ( dots - per - inch ), bit depth , page size , printing speed , number of independent colors channels or ink etc .) data and tables needed for image processing such as color table , halftone table , scale factor , encoding / decoding parameters and methods , compression and decompression parameters and method etc . another profile which contain parameters and information about the output device and its service ( e . g . color profiles , halftoning profiles , communication profiles , rasterization profiles , quality of service etc .). payment information on a plurality of services provided by an output device . information or security requirements and type of authentication an output device supports . date and version of the output device profile , history of its modification and updates . software components containing algorithms or instructions or data , which may be uploaded to run in an information apparatus . for example , a graphical user interface ( gui ) software component may be uploaded to an information apparatus . the software component may be incorporated into or launched in the information apparatus by a client application of present invention to capture a user &# 39 ; s preferences ( e . g ., print quality , page layout , number of copies , number of cards per page , etc .). in another example , software components may include methods , instructions or executables for compression / decompression , encoding / decoding , color matching or correction , segmentation , scaling , halftoning , encryption / decryption among others . pointer or reference to one or more output device parameters , including one or more of the above described output device profile or object fields and or attribute descriptions . for example , a more up - to - date or original version of output device parameters may sometimes be stored in a network node ( any device , server or storage location that is connected to the network ), or within the information apparatus where it can be obtained by the client application . an output device profile may include pointer or pointers to these output device parameters . content ( or data content , digital content , output content ) is the data intended for output , which may include texts , graphics , images , forms , videos , audio among other content types . content may include the data itself or a reference to that data . content may be in any format , language , encoding or combination , and it can be in a format , language or encoding that is partially or totally proprietary . a digital document is an example of content that may include attributes and fields that describe the digital document itself and or reference or references to the digital document or documents . examples of a digital document may be any one or combination of file types : html , vhtml , postscript , pcl , xml , pdf , ms word , powerpoint , jpeg , mpeg , gif , png , wml , vwml , chtml , hdml , ascii , 2 - byte international coded characters , etc . content may be used interchangeably with the term data content , output content or digital content in the descriptions of present invention . output data ( or print data in case of a printer ) is the electronic data sent from an information apparatus to an output device . output data is related to the content intended for output and may be encoded in a variety of formats and languages ( e . g . postscript , pcl , xml ), which may include compressed or encrypted data . some output device manufacturers may also include in the output data ( or print data ) a combination of proprietary or non - proprietary languages , formats , encoding , compression , encryption etc . intermediate output data is the output data of the present invention , and it includes the broader definition of an output file or data generated by an information apparatus , or a client application or device driver included in the information apparatus . an intermediate output data may contain text , vector graphics , images , video , audio , symbols , forms or combination and can be encoded with one or more of a page description language , a markup language , a graphics format , an imaging format , a metafile among others . an intermediate output data may also contain instructions ( e . g . output preferences ) and descriptions ( e . g . data layout ) among others . part or all of an intermediate output data may be compressed , encrypted or tagged . in a preferred embodiment of this invention , intermediate output data contains rasterized image data . for example , vector graphics and text information or objects that are not in image form included in content can be rasterized or conformed into image data in an information apparatus and included in an intermediate output data . device dependent image processing operations of a rip such as digital halftoning and color space conversions can be implemented at an output device or an output system . the intermediate output data can be device dependent or device independent . in one implementation , the rasterized output image is device dependent if the rasterization parameters used , such as resolution , scale factor , bit depth , output size and or color space are device dependent . in another implementation of this invention , the rasterized image may be device independent if the rasterization parameters used are device independent . rasterization parameter can become device independent when those parameters include a set of predetermined or predefined rasterization parameters based on a standard or a specification . with predefined or device independent rasterization parameters , a client application of present invention can rasterize at least a portion of the content and generate a device independent image or images included in the intermediate output data . by doing so , the intermediate output data may become device independent and therefore , become universally acceptable with output devices that have been pre - configured to accept the intermediate output data . one advantage of rasterizing or converting text and graphics information into image data at the information apparatus is that the output device or printer controller no longer needs to perform complex rasterization operation nor do they need to include multiple fonts . therefore , employing the intermediate output data and the data output method described herein could potentially reduce the cost and complexity of an output controller , printer controller and or output device . one form of image data encoding is known as mixed raster content , or mrc . typically , an image stored in mrc includes more than one image or bitmap layers . in mrc , an image can be segmented in different layers based on segmentation criteria such as background and foreground , luminance and chrominance among others . for example , an mrc may include three layers with a background layer , a foreground layer and a toggle or selector layer . the three layers are coextensive and may include different resolution , encoding and compression . the foreground and background layers may each contain additional layers , depending on the manner in which the respective part of the image is segmented based on the segmentation criteria , component or channels of a color model , image encoding representation ( hls , rgb , cmyk , ycc , lab etc ) among others . the toggle layer may designate , for each point , whether the foreground or background layer is effective . each layer in a mrc can have different bit depths , resolution , color space , which allow , for example , the foreground layer to be compressed differently from the background layer . the mrc form of image data has previously been used to minimize storage requirements . further , an mrc format has been proposed for use in color image fax transmission . in one embodiment of present invention , the intermediate output data includes one or more rasterized output images that employ mrc format , encoding and or related compression method . in this implementation , different layers in the output image can have different resolutions and may include different compression techniques . different information such as chrominance and luminance and or foreground and background information in the original content ( e . g . digital document ) can be segmented and compressed with different compression or encoding techniques . segmented elements or object information in the original content can also be stored in different image layers and with different resolution . therefore , with mrc , there is opportunity to reduce output data file size , retain greater image information , increase compression ratio , and improve image quality when compared to other conventional image encoding and compression techniques . implementations of rasterization , raster image processing and intermediate output data that include mrc encoding in the present invention are described in more detail below . rasterization is an operation by which graphics and text in a digital document are converted to image data . for image data included in the digital document , rasterization may include scaling and interpolation . the rasterization operation is characterized by rasterization parameters including , among others bit depth and resolution . a given rasterization operation may be characterized by several more rasterization parameters , including output size , color space , color channels etc . values of one or more of the rasterization parameters employed in a rasterization operation may be specified by default ; values of one or more of the rasterization parameters may be supplied to the information apparatus as components of a rasterization vector . in a given application , the rasterization vector may specify a value of only one rasterization parameter , default values being employed for other rasterization parameters used in the rasterization operation . in another application the rasterization vector may specify values of more than one , but less than all , rasterization parameters , default values being employed for at least one other rasterization parameter used in the rasterization operation . and in yet another application the rasterization vector may specify values of all the rasterization parameters used in the rasterization operation . fig2 a and 2b are block diagrams illustrating components of an operating environment that can implement the process and apparatus of present invention . fig2 a shows an electronic system which includes an information apparatus 200 and an output device 220 . the output device 220 includes an output controller 230 . fig2 b illustrates a second implementation of an electronic system that includes an information apparatus 200 and an output system 250 . the output system 250 includes an output device 220 and an output controller 230 which may be externally connected to , or otherwise associated with , the output device 220 in the output system 250 . information apparatus 200 is a computing device with processing capability . in one embodiment , information apparatus 200 may be a mobile computing device such as palmtop computer , handheld device , laptop computer , personal digital assistant ( pda ), smart phone , screen phone , e - book , internet pad , communication pad , internet appliance , pager , digital camera , etc . it is possible that information apparatus 200 may also include a static computing device such as a desktop computer , workstation , server , etc . fig3 a and 3b are block diagrams illustrating examples of hardware / software components included in an information apparatus 200 of present invention . information apparatus 200 may contain components such as a processing unit 380 , a memory unit 370 , an optional storage unit 360 and an input / output control unit ( e . g . communication manager 330 ). information apparatus 200 may include an interface ( not shown ) for interaction with users . the interface may be implemented with software or hardware or a combination . examples of such interfaces include , without limitation , one or more of a mouse , a keyboard , a touch - sensitive or non - touch - sensitive screen , push buttons , soft keys , a stylus , a speaker , a microphone , etc . information apparatus 200 typically contains one or more network communication unit 350 that interfaces with other electronic devices such as network node ( not shown ), output device 220 , and output system 230 . the network communication unit may be implemented with hardware ( e . g ., silicon chipsets , antenna ), software ( e . g ., protocol stacks , applications ) or a combination . in one embodiment of the present invention , communication interface 240 between information apparatus 200 and output device 220 or output system 250 is a wireless communication interface such as a short - range radio interface including those implemented according to the bluetooth or ieee 802 . 11 standard . the communication interface may also be realized by other standards and / or means of wireless communication that may include radio , infrared , cellular , ultrasonic , hydrophonic among others for accessing one or more network node and / or devices . wired line connections such as serial or parallel interface , usb interface and fire wire ( ieee 1394 ) interface , among others , may also be included . connection to a local network such as an ethernet or a token ring network , among others , may also be implemented in the present invention for local communication between information apparatus 200 and output device 220 . examples of hardware / software components of communication units 350 that may be used to implement wireless interface between the information apparatus 200 and the output device 220 are described in more detail with reference to fig8 a and 8b below . for simplicity , fig3 illustrates one implementation where an information apparatus 200 includes one communication unit 350 . however , it should be noted that an information apparatus 200 may contain more than one communication unit 350 in order to support different interfaces , protocols , and / or communication standards with different devices and / or network nodes . for example , information apparatus 200 may communicate with one output device 220 through a bluetooth standard interface or through an ieee 802 . 11 standard interface while communicating with another output device 220 through a parallel cable interface . the information apparatus 200 may also be coupled to a wired or wireless network ( e . g . the internet or corporate network ) to send , receive and / or download information . information apparatus 200 may be a dedicated device ( e . g ., email terminal , web terminal , digital camera , e - book , web pads , internet appliances etc .) with functionalities that are pre - configured by manufacturers . alternatively , information apparatus 200 may allow users to install additional hardware components and or application software 205 to expand its functionality . information apparatus 200 may contain a plurality of applications 205 to implement its feature sets and functionalities . as an example , a document browsing or editing application may be implemented to help user view and perhaps edit , partially or entirely , digital documents written in certain format or language ( e . g ., page description language , markup language , etc .). digital documents may be stored locally in the information apparatus 200 or in a network node ( e . g ., in content server ). an example of a document browsing application is an internet browser such as internet explorer , netscape navigator , or a wap browser . such browsers may retrieve and display content ( e . g . digital content ) written in mark - up languages such as html , wml , xml , chtml , hdml , among others . other examples of software applications in the information apparatus 200 may include a document editing software such as microsoft word ™ which also allows users to view and or edit digital documents that have various file extensions ( e . g ., doc , rtf , html , xml etc .) whether stored locally in the information apparatus 200 or in a network node . still , other example of software applications 205 may include image acquisition and editing software . as illustrated previously with reference to fig1 , there are many difficulties in providing output capability to an information apparatus 200 that has limited memory and processing capability . to address theses difficulties , information apparatus 200 includes a client application 210 that helps provide the universal data output capability of the present invention . client application 210 may include software and data that can be executed by the processing unit 380 of information apparatus 200 . client application 210 may be implemented as a stand - alone software application or as a part of or feature of another software application , or in the form of a device driver , which may be invoked , shared and used by other application software 205 in the information apparatus 200 . client application 210 may also include components to invoke other applications 205 ( e . g ., a document browsing application , editing application , data and / or image acquisition application , a communication manager , a output manager etc .) to provide certain feature sets , as described below . fig3 illustrates a configuration where the client application 210 is a separate application from the other application 205 such as the case when the client application is a device driver ; however , it should be noted that the client application 210 can be combined or being part of the other application not shown in fig3 . client application 210 may be variously implemented in an information apparatus 200 and may run on different operating systems or platforms . the client application 210 may also run in an environment with no operating system . for example , fig3 a illustrates an implementation where the information apparatus 200 a includes an operating system 340 a ; while fig3 b illustrates an implementation where the information apparatus 200 b does not include an operating system . client application 210 includes a rasterization component 310 to conform content into one or more raster output images according to one or more rasterization parameters ; an intermediate output data generator component 320 that generates and / or encodes intermediate output data that includes the one or more output images ; and a communications manager 330 that manages the communication and interaction with an output device 220 or system 250 or output controller 230 . communications manager can be implemented as part of the client application 210 ( shown in fig3 ) or as a separate application ( not shown ). components in a client application can be implemented in software , hardware or combination . as an example , client application 210 may include or utilize one or more of the following : components or operations to obtain content ( e . g . digital document ) for output . the client application 210 may obtain a digital document from other applications 205 ( e . g . document browsing application , content creation and editing application , etc . ), or the client application 210 may provide its own capability for user to browse , edit and or select a digital document . components or operations to rasterize content that includes text , graphics and images among others objects or elements into one or more raster images according to a set of rasterization parameters such as scale factor , output size , bit depth , color space and resolution . the rasterization parameters may be obtained in various ways , for example , from an output device profile uploaded from an output device 220 , or stored locally in information apparatus 200 , or manually inputted by a user . alternatively , rasterization parameters may be based on a predefined standard or specification stored in the information apparatus 200 as a set of defaults , or hard - coded in the client application 210 , or calculated by the client application 210 after communicating with an output device 220 , output controller 230 , and / or a user . components or operations to generate intermediate output data that includes at least one rasterized output image corresponding to the content ( e . g . digital document ). this process may further include one or combination of compression , encoding , encryption and color correction among others . the intermediate output data may include , for example , images , instructions , documents and or format descriptions , color profiles among others . components or operations to transmit the intermediate output data to an output device 220 or system 250 through wired or wireless communication link 240 . the client application 210 may also optionally include or utilize one or more of the following components or operations : components or operations to communicate with one or more output devices 220 to upload an output device profile . components or operations to communicate directly or indirectly ( such as through an operating system or component or object model , messages , file transfer etc .) with other applications 205 residing in the same information apparatus 200 to obtain objects , data , and or content needed , or related to the pervasive output process of present invention ( e . g . obtain a digital document for printing ). components or operations to manage and utilize directly or indirectly functionalities provided by hardware components ( e . g . communication unit 350 ) residing in its host information apparatus 200 . components or operations to provide a graphical user interface ( gui ) in host information apparatus to interact with user . components or operations to obtain user preferences . for example , a user may directly input his or her preferences through a gui . a set of default values may also be employed . default values may be pre - set or may be obtained by information apparatus 200 as result of communicating and negotiating with an output device 220 or output controller 230 . the above functionalities and process of client application 210 of present invention are described in further detail in the client application process with reference to fig1 . output device 220 is an electronic system capable of outputting digital content regardless of whether the output medium is substrate ( e . g ., paper ), display , projection , or sound . a typical example of output device 220 is a printer , which outputs digital documents containing text , graphics , image or any combination onto a substrate . output device 220 may also be a display device capable of displaying still images or video , such as , without limitation , televisions , monitors , and projectors . output device 220 can also be a device capable of outputting sound . any device capable of playing or reading digital content in audio ( e . g ., music ) or data ( e . g ., text or document ) formats is also a possible output device 220 . a printer is frequently referred to herein as an example of an output device to simplify discussion or as the primary output device 220 in a particular implementation . however , it should be recognized that present invention applies also to other output devices 220 such as fax machines , digital copiers , display screens , monitors , televisions , projectors , voice output devices , among others . rendering content with an output device 220 refers to outputting the content on a specific output medium ( e . g ., papers , display screens etc ). for example , rendering content with a printer generates an image on a substrate ; rendering content with a display device generates an image on a screen ; and rendering content with an audio output device generates sound . a conventional printing system in general includes a raster image processor and a printer engine . a printer engine includes memory buffer , marking engine among other components . the raster image processor converts content into an image form suitable for printing ; the memory buffer holds the rasterized image ready for printing ; and the marking engine transfers colorant to substrate ( e . g ., paper ). the raster image processor may be located within an output device ( e . g . included in a printer controller 410 ) or externally implemented ( in an information apparatus 200 , external controller , servers etc ). raster image processor can be implemented as hardware , software , or a combination ( not shown ). as an example , raster image processor may be implemented in a software application or device driver in the information apparatus 200 . examples of raster image processing operations include image and graphics interpretation , rasterization , scaling , segmentation , color space transformation , image enhancement , color correction , halftoning , compression etc . fig4 a illustrates a block diagram of one conventional printing system or printer 400 a that includes a printer controller 410 and a printer engine 420 a . the printer controller 410 includes an interpreter 402 and a raster image processor 406 , and the printer engine 420 includes memory buffer 424 a and a marking engine 426 a . marking engine may use any of a variety of different technologies to transfer a rasterized image to paper or other media or , in other words , to transfer colorant to a substrate . the different marking or printing technologies that may be used include both impact and non - impact printing . examples of impact printing may include dot matrix , teletype , daisywheel , etc . non - impact printing technologies may include inkjet , laser , electrostatic , thermal , dye sublimation , etc . the marking engine 426 and memory buffer 424 of a printer form its printer engine 420 , which may also include additional circuitry and components , such as firmware , software or chips or chipsets for decoding and signal conversion , etc . input to a printer engine 420 is usually a final rasterized printer - engine print data generated by a raster image processor 406 . such input is usually device dependent and printer or printer engine specific . the printer engine 420 may take this device dependent input and generate or render output pages ( e . g . with ink on a substrate ). when a raster image processor is located inside an output device 220 , it is usually included in a printer controller 410 ( as shown in fig4 a ). a printer controller 410 may interpret , rasterize , and convert input print data in the form of a page description language ( e . g ., postscript , pcl ), markup language ( e . g ., xml , html ) or other special document format or language ( e . g . pdf , emf ) into printer - engine print data which is a final format , language or instruction that printer engine 420 a can understand . print data sent to a printer with printer controller 410 is usually in a form ( e . g . postscript ) that requires further interpretation , processing or conversion . a printer controller 410 receives the print data , interprets , process , and converts the print data into a form that can be understood by the printer engine 420 a . regardless of the type of print data , conventionally , a user may need a device - specific driver in his or her information apparatus 200 in order to output the proper language , format , or file that can be accepted by a specific printer or output device 220 . fig4 b illustrates another conventional output device 400 b . output device 400 b may be a printing device , a display device , a projection device , or a sound device . in the case that the output device is a printing device or a printer , the printer with reference to fig4 b does not include a printer controller 410 . as an example , printer 400 b may be a low - cost printer such as a desktop inkjet printer . rip operations in this example may be implemented in a software application or in a device driver included in an information apparatus 200 . the information apparatus 200 generates device dependent output data ( or print data in case of a printer ) by rasterizing and converting a digital document into output data ( e . g . into a compressed cmky data with one or more bits per pixel ) that can be understood by an output engine ( or printer engine in case of a printer ) 420 b . regardless of type or sophistication level , different output device 220 conventionally needs different printer drivers or output management applications in an information apparatus 200 to provide output capability . some mobile devices with limited memory and processing power may have difficulty storing multiple device drivers or perform computational intensive rip operations . it may also be infeasible to install a new device dependent or specific printer driver each time there is a need to print to a new printer . to overcome these difficulties , present invention provides several improvements to output device 220 or output system 250 as described in detail next . in present invention , output device 220 may include an output controller 230 to help managing communication and negotiation processes with an information apparatus 200 and to process output data . output controller 230 may include dedicated hardware or software or combination of both for at least one output device 220 . output controller 230 may be internally installed , or externally connected to one or more output devices 220 . the output controller 230 is sometimes referred to as a print server or output server . fig5 a and 5b illustrate two exemplary internal implementations of the output controller 230 of present invention . fig5 a illustrates the implementation of an output controller 230 inside a conventional printer with reference to fig4 a , which includes a conventional printer controller 410 ( 5 a ). the output controller 230 ( 5 a ) includes an interpreter 510 a component for decoding the intermediate output data of present invention ; and a converter component 530 a for converting one or more decoded output images into a printer - controller print data that is suitable for input to the printer controller 410 ( 5 a ). an optional image processing component 520 a may be included in the output controller 230 ( 5 a ). fig5 b illustrates the implementation of an output controller 230 included internally in a conventional output device 220 with reference to fig4 b , which does not include a printer controller . the output controller 230 ( 5 b ) includes an interpreter 510 b component for decoding the intermediate output data of present invention ; an image processor 520 b component for performing one or more image processing operations such as color space conversion , color matching and digital halftoning ; and an optional encoder 530 b component to conform the processed output images into an output - engine output data that is suitable for input to the output engine 420 b if the result of the image processing is not already in required form suitable for the output engine 420 b . in one implementation , output device 220 may include a communication unit 550 or adapter to interface with information apparatus 200 . output device 220 may sometimes include more than one communication unit 550 in order to support different interfaces , protocols , or communication standards with different devices . for example , output device 220 may communicate with a first information apparatus 200 through a bluetooth interface while communicating with a second information apparatus 200 through a parallel interface . examples of hardware components of a wireless communication unit are described in greater detail below with reference to fig8 a and 8b . in one embodiment , output controller 230 does not include a communication unit , but rather utilizes or manages a communication unit residing in the associated output device 220 such as the illustration in fig5 . in another embodiment , output controller 230 may include or provide a communication unit to output device 220 as shown in fig6 . for example , an output controller 230 with a wireless communication unit may be installed internally or connected externally to a legacy printer to provide it with wireless communication capability that was previously lacking . fig6 includes three functional block diagrams illustrating the hardware / software components of output controller 230 in three different implementations . each components of an output controller 230 may include software , hardware , or combination . for example , an output controller 230 may include components using one or more or combinations of an application - specific integrated circuit ( asic ), a digital signal processor ( dsp ), a field programmable gate array ( fpga ), firmware , system on a chip , and various communication chip sets . output controller 230 may also contain embedded processors 670 a with software components or embedded application software to implement its feature sets and functionalities . output controller 230 may contain an embedded operating system 680 . with an operating system , some or all functionalities and feature sets of the output controller 230 may be provided by application software managed by the operating system . additional application software may be installed or upgraded to newer versions in order to , for example , provide additional functionalities or bug fixes . fig6 a and fig6 c illustrates examples of implementation with an operating system 680 while fig6 b illustrates an example without the operating system 680 or the optional embedded processor 670 . output controller 230 typically includes a memory unit 640 , or may share a memory unit with , for example , printer controller 410 . the memory unit and storage unit , such as rom , ram , flash memory and disk drive among others , may provide persistent or volatile storage . the memory unit or storage unit may store output device profiles , objects , codes , instructions or data ( collectively referred to as software components ) that implement the functionalities of the output controller 230 . part of the software components ( e . g ., output device profile ) may be uploaded to information apparatus 200 during or before a data output operation . an output controller 230 may include a processor component 670 a and 670 c , a memory component 650 , an optional storage component 640 , and an optional operating system component 680 . fig6 shows one architecture or implementation where the memory 650 , storage 640 , processor 670 , and operating system 680 components , if exist , can be share or accessed by other operational components in the output controller 230 such as the interpreter 610 and image processor 650 . fig6 shows two communication units 660 a and 660 b included in the output controller 230 ; however , the output controller 230 of present invention may include any number of communication units 660 . it is also possible that the output controller does not contain any communication unit but rather utilizes the communication unit of an output device . the output controller 230 may be connected externally to an output device 220 or integrated internally into the output device 220 . fig5 a and 5b illustrate implementations of output controller 230 inside an output device 220 . the output controller 230 , however , may also be implemented as an external box or station that is wired or wirelessly connected to an output device 220 . an output controller 230 implemented as an external box or station to an output device 220 may contain its own user interface . one example of such an implementation is a print server connected to an output device 220 in an output system 250 . another configuration and implementation is to integrate or combine the functionalities of an output controller 230 with an existing printer controller 410 ( referred to as “ combined controller ”) if the output device 220 is a printer as shown with reference to fig7 c or 7f . a combined controller can also be internally integrated or externally connected to output device 220 , and include functionalities of both printer controller 410 ( e . g ., input interpretation and or raster image processing ) and output controller 230 of present invention . one advantage of this configuration is that the functionalities or components of output controller 230 and printer controller 410 may share the same resources , such as processing unit , memory unit , etc . fig6 c illustrates an example of a combined controller implementation or output controller 230 where the printer controller 410 c , interpreter 610 c and converter 630 c shares the use of the processor 670 c , memory 650 c and storage 640 c , managed by an operating system 680 c . various exemplary implementations and configurations of an output controller 230 with respect to an output device 220 or output system 250 are illustrated in further detail with reference to fig7 . other possible implementations of output controller 230 may include , for example , a conventional personal computer ( pc ), a workstation , and an output server or print server . in these cases , the functionalities of output controller 230 may be implemented using application software installed in a computer ( e . g ., pc , server , or workstation ), with the computer connected with a wired or wireless connection to an output device 220 . using a pc , server , workstation , or other computer to implement the feature sets of output controller 230 with application software is just another possible embodiment of the output controller 230 and in no way departs from the spirit , scope and process of the present invention . the difference between output controller 230 and printer controller 410 should be noted . printer controller 410 and output controller 230 are both controllers and are both dedicated hardware and or software for at least one output device 220 . output controller 230 refers to a controller with feature sets , capabilities , and functionalities of the present invention . a printer controller 410 may contain functions such as interpreting an input page description language , raster image processing , and queuing , among others . an output controller 230 may include part or all of the features of a printer controller 410 in addition to the feature sets , functionalities , capabilities , and processes of present invention . functionalities and components of output controller 230 for the purpose of providing universal data output may include or utilize : components and operations to receive output data from a plurality of information apparatus 200 ; the output data may include an intermediate output data containing at least one rasterized image related to the data content intended for output . components and operations to interpret and / or decode the intermediate output data . components and operations to process the intermediate output data . such components and operations may include image processing functions such as scaling , segmentation , color correction , color management , gcr , image enhancement , decompression , decryption , and or halftoning among others . components and operations to generate an output - engine output data , the output - engine output data being in an output data format acceptable for input to an output engine . components and operations to send the output - engine output data to the output engine . when associated with an output device 220 that includes a printer controller 410 , the output controller of present invention may further include or utilize : components and operations to convert the intermediate output data into a printer - controller print data ( e . g . a pdl such as postscript and pcl ), the printer - controller print data being in a format acceptable to a printer controller . components and operations to send printer - controller print data to one or more printer controllers . in addition to the above components and functionalities , output controller 230 may further include one or more of the following : components and operations to communicate with one or more information apparatus 200 through a wired or wireless interface . components and operations to communicate and or manage a communication unit included in the output controller 230 or output device 220 . components and operations to store at least part of an output device profile ( a printer profile in case of a printer ) in a memory component . components and operations to respond to service request from an information apparatus 200 by transmitting at least part of an output device profile to the information apparatus requesting service . the output controller 230 may transmit the output device profiles or object in one or multiple sessions . components and operations to broadcast or advertise the services provided by a host output device 220 to one or more information apparatus 200 that may request such services . components and operations to implement payment processing and management functions by , for example , calculating and processing payments according to the services requested or rendered to a client ( information apparatus 200 ). components and operations to provide a user interface such as display screen , touch button , soft key , etc . components and operations to implement job management functions such as queuing and spooling among others . components and operations to implement security or authentication procedures . for example , the output controller 230 may store in its memory component ( or shared memory component ) an access control list , which specifies what device or user may obtain service from its host ( or connected ) output device 220 . therefore , an authorized information apparatus 200 may gain access after confirming with the control list . when output controller 230 is implemented as firmware , or an embedded application , the configuration and management of the functionalities of output controller 230 may be optionally accomplished by , for example , using controller management software in a host computer . a host computer may be a desktop personal computer ( pc ), workstation , or server . the host computer may be connected locally or through a network to the output device 220 or the controller 230 . communication between the host computer and the output controller 230 can be accomplished through wired or wireless communication . the management application software in the host computer can manage the settings , configurations , and feature sets of the output controller 230 . furthermore , host computer &# 39 ; s configuration application may download and or install application software , software components and or data to the output controller 230 for the purpose of upgrading , updating , and or modifying the features and capabilities of the output controller 230 . output device 220 in one implementation includes or is connected to output controller 230 described above . therefore , functionalities and feature sets provided by output controller 230 are automatically included in the functionalities of output device 220 . the output device 220 may , however , implement or include other controllers and / or applications that provide at least partially the features and functionalities of the output controller 230 . therefore , the output device 220 may include some or all of the following functionalities : components and operations to receive multiple service requests or queries ( e . g ., a service request , a data query , an object or component query etc .) from a plurality of information apparatus 200 and properly respond to them by returning components , which may contain data , software , instructions and / or objects . components and operations to receive output data from a plurality of information apparatus 200 ; the output data may include an intermediate output data containing one or more rasterized image related to the content intended for output . components and operations to interpret and / or decoding the intermediate output data . components and operations to process and / or convert the intermediate output data into a form ( e . g . output - engine print data ) suitable for rendering at an output engine associated with the output device . components and operations to render a representation or an image related to the content onto an output medium ( e . g . substrate or a display screen ). an output device 220 may further comprise optionally one or more of the following functionalities : components and operations for establishing and managing a communication link with an information apparatus 200 requesting service ; the communication link may include wired or wireless communication . components and operations for storing at least part of an output device profile ( e . g . printer profile ) in a memory component . components and operations to provide at least part of an output device profile ( e . g ., printer profile in case of a printer ) to one or more information apparatus 200 requesting service . the output device 220 may transmit the output device profile in one or multiple sessions . components and operations to advertise or broadcast services provided or available to one or more information apparatus 200 . components and operations to implement payment processing and management functions by , for example , calculating and processing payments according to the services requested by or rendered to a client ( information apparatus 200 ). components and operations to implement job management functionalities such as queuing and spooling among others . components and operations to provide a user interface such as display screen touch button , soft key , power switch , etc . components and operations to implement security or authentication procedures . for example , the output device 220 may store in its memory component ( or a shared memory component ) an access control list , which specifies what device or user may obtain service from it . therefore , an authorized information apparatus 200 may gain access after confirming with the control list . fig7 a - 7f illustrate various alternative configurations and implementations of output controller 230 with respect to an output device 230 . printer is sometimes used as an exemplary output device 230 to demonstrate the various configurations . it should be understood , however , the output device 230 of present invention is not limited to printers . as described with reference to fig4 , a printer may or may not contain a printer controller 410 . printer 400 a that includes a printer controller 410 typically has higher speed and is more expensive than printer 400 b which does not include a printer controller 410 . fig7 a shows that output controller 230 may be cascaded externally to one or more printers ( only one shown ). information apparatus 200 communicates with output controller 230 a , which then communicates with output device 220 such as a printer 220 a . the communication link between the output controller 230 a and the printer 220 a may be a wired link or a wireless link , as described above . fig6 a and 6b illustrates two examples of functional component design of the output controller that can implement the configuration illustrated in fig7 a . the image processor 620 in this implementation is optional . fig7 b shows another implementation in which output controller 230 b is installed as one or more circuit boards or cards internally inside printer 220 b . the output controller 230 b may co - exist with printer controller 410 and other components of the printer 220 b . one example of this implementation is to connect output controller 230 b sequentially with the printer controller 310 . fig5 a shows as an example of an implementation . fig7 c shows another implementation in which the functionalities of output controller 230 and printer controller 410 are combined into a single controller ( referred to as “ combined controller ”) 230 c . in this implementation , it is possible to reduce the cost of material when compared to implementing two separate controllers as shown in fig7 b . as an example , the combined controller 230 c may share the same processors , memories , and storages to run the applications and functionalities of the two types of controllers and therefore , may have lower component costs when compared to providing two separate controllers . fig6 c illustrates an example of a combined controller functional component implementation . some printers do not include a raster image processor or printer controller 410 , as illustrated in fig4 b . an example of this type of printer is a lower cost desktop inkjet printer . input to an inkjet printer may consist of a compressed cmyk data ( proprietary or published ) with one or more bits per pixel input . to output to a printer that does not include a printer controller , a device specific software application or a printer driver is typically required in an information apparatus 200 to perform raster image processing operations . accordingly , output controller 230 can be implemented into a variety of output devices 220 and / or output systems 250 including printers that do not have printer controllers for performing raster image processing operations . fig7 d and fig7 e illustrate two implementations of output controller 230 in an output device 220 or system 250 . the output device 230 or system 250 may include a display device , a projection device , an audio output device or a printing device . in the case when the output device 220 d or 220 e is a printer , it does not include a printer controller . fig7 d illustrates an implementation of an output controller 230 d installed as an external component or “ box ” to output device 220 d . for example , the output controller 230 may be implemented as an application in a print server or as a standalone box or station . in this configuration , some or all of raster image processing operations may be implemented in the output controller 230 d . output controller 230 d receives intermediate output data from an information apparatus 200 and generates output - engine output data that is acceptable to the output engine included in the output device 220 d . the output controller 230 d may send the output data to the output device 220 d through a wired or wireless communication link or connection . fig6 a and 6b illustrates two example of functional component design of the output controller that can implement the configurations for both fig7 d and 7e . fig7 e shows a fifth implementation of output controller 230 e in which the output controller 230 e is incorporated within output device 220 e as one or more circuit boards or cards and may contain software and applications running on an embedded processor . as with output device 220 d ( fig7 d ), output device 220 e does not include a printer controller 410 . accordingly , the output controller 230 e implements the functionalities and capabilities of present invention that may include part of or complete raster imaging processing operation . fig7 f shows a sixth implementation , an external combined controller 230 f that integrates the functionalities of a printer controller 310 and an output controller into a single external combined controller component or “ box ” 230 f . the two controller functions may share a common processor as well as a common memory space to run applications of the two types of controllers . under this configuration , either information apparatus 200 or the combined controller 230 f could perform or share at least part of raster image processing functionality . fig6 c shows an example of functional components of a combined controller 230 f . another implementation of the combined controller 230 f shown in fig7 f is to use an external computing device ( pc , workstation , or server ) running one or more applications that include the functionality of output controller 230 and printer controller 410 . the above are examples of different implementations and configurations of output controller 230 . other implementations are also possible . for example , partial functionalities of output controller 230 may be implemented in an external box or station while the remaining functionalities may reside inside an output device 220 as a separate board or integrated with a printer controller 410 . as another example , the functionalities of output controller 230 may be implemented into a plurality of external boxes or stations connected to the same output device 220 . as a further example , the same output controller 230 may be connected to service a plurality of output devices 220 fig8 a and 8b are block diagrams illustrating two possible configurations of hardware / software components of wireless communication units . these wireless communication units can be implemented and included in information apparatus 200 , in output controller 230 and in output device 220 . referring to fig8 a , a radio adapter 800 may be implemented to enable data / voice transmission among devices ( e . g ., information apparatus 200 and output device 220 ) through radio links . an rf transceiver 814 coupled with antenna 816 is used to receive and transmit radio frequency signals . the rf transceiver 814 also converts radio signals into and from electronic signals . the rf transceiver 814 is connected to an rf link controller 810 by an interface 812 . the interface 812 may perform functions such as analog - to - digital conversion , digital - to - analog conversion , modulation , demodulation , compression , decompression , encoding , decoding , and other data or format conversion functions . rf link controller 810 implements real - time lower layer ( e . g ., physical layer ) protocol processing that enables the hosts ( e . g ., information apparatus 200 , output controller 230 , output device 220 , etc .) to communicate over a radio link . functions performed by the link controller 810 may include , without limitation , error detection / correction , power control , data packet processing , data encryption / decryption and other data processing functions . a variety of radio links may be utilized . a group of competing technologies operating in the 2 . 4 ghz unlicensed frequency band is of particular interest . this group currently includes bluetooth , home radio frequency ( home rf ) and implementations based on ieee 802 . 11 standard . each of these technologies has a different set of protocols and they all provide solutions for wireless local area networks ( lans ). interference among these technologies could limit deployment of these protocols simultaneously . it is anticipated that new local area wireless technologies may emerge or that the existing ones may converge . nevertheless , all these existing and future wireless technologies may be implemented in the present invention without limitation , and therefore , in no way depart from the scope of present invention . among the currently available wireless technologies , bluetooth may be advantageous because it requires relatively lower power consumption and bluetooth - enabled devices operate in piconets , in which several devices are connected in a point - to - multipoint system . referring to fig8 b , one or more infrared ( ir ) adapters 820 may be implemented to enable data transmission among devices through infrared transmission . the ir adapters 820 may be conveniently implemented in accordance with the infrared data association ( irda ) standards and specifications . in general , the irda standard is used to provide wireless connectivity technologies for devices that would normally use cables for connection . the irda standard is a point - to - point ( vs . point - to - multipoint as in bluetooth ), narrow angle , ad - hoc data transmission standard . configuration of infrared adapters 820 may vary depending on the intended rate of data transfer . fig8 b illustrates one embodiment of infrared adapter 820 . transceiver 826 receives / emits ir signals and converts ir signals to / from electrical signals . a uart ( universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter ) 822 performs the function of serialization / deserialization , converting serial data stream to / from data bytes . the uart 822 is connected to the ir transceiver 826 by encoder / decoder ( endec ) 824 . this configuration is generally suitable for transferring data at relatively low rate . other components ( e . g ., packet framer , phase - locked loop ) may be needed for higher data transfer rates . fig8 a and 8b illustrate exemplary hardware configurations of wireless communication units . such hardware components may be included in devices ( e . g ., information apparatus 200 , output controller 230 , output device 220 , etc .) to support various wireless communications standards . wired links , however , such as parallel interface , usb , firewire interface , ethernet and token ring networks may also be implemented in the present invention by using appropriate adapters and configurations . fig9 is a logic flow diagram of an exemplary raster imaging process ( rip ) 902 that can implement the universal output method of present invention . content ( e . g . digital document ) 900 may be obtained and / or generated by an application running in an information apparatus 200 . for example , a document browsing application may allow a user to download and or open digital document 900 stored locally or in a network node . as another example , a document creating or editing application may allow a user to create or edit digital documents in his / her information apparatus 200 . a client application 210 in the information apparatus may be in the form of a device driver , invoked by other applications residing in the information apparatus 200 to provide output service . alternatively , the client application 210 of present invention may be an application that includes data output and management component , in addition of other functionalities such as content acquisitions , viewing , browsing , and or editing etc . for example , a client application 210 in an information apparatus 200 may itself include components and functions for a user to download , view and or edit digital document 900 in addition of the output management function described herein . raster image process method 902 allows an information apparatus 200 such as a mobile device to pervasively and conveniently output content ( e . g . a digital document ) to an output device 220 or system 250 that includes an output controller 230 . a client application 210 in an information apparatus 200 may perform part of raster image processing operations ( e . g . rasterization operation ). other operations of raster image processing such as halftoning can be completed by the output device 220 or by the output controller 230 . in conventional data output methods , raster image processing is either implemented entirely in an information apparatus ( e . g . a printer that does not include a printer controller with reference to fig1 a ) or in an output device ( e . g . a printer that includes a printer controller with reference to fig1 b ). present invention provides a more balanced approach where raster image process operations are shared between an information apparatus 200 and an output device 220 or system 250 . for example , content 600 may be processed ( e . g . raster image processed ) by different components or parts of an overall output system from a client application 210 to an output controller 230 before being sent to an output engine or a printer engine for final output in step 960 . because the raster image processing operations are not completely implemented in the information apparatus 200 , there is less processing demand on the information apparatus 200 . therefore , present rip process may enable additional mobile devices with less memory and processing capability to have data output capability . in step 910 , rasterization operation , a content ( e . g . digital document ), which may include text , graphics , and image objects , is conformed or rasterized to image form according to one or more rasterization parameters such as output size , bit depth , color space , resolution , number of color channels etc . during the rasterization operation , text and vector graphics information in the content are rasterized or converted into image or bitmap information according to a given set of rasterization parameters . image information in the content or digital document may be scaled and or interpolated to fit a particular output size , resolution and bit depth etc . the rasterization parameters are in general device dependent , and therefore may vary according to different requirements and attributes of an output device 220 and its output engine . there are many ways to obtain device dependent rasterization parameters , as described in more detail below with reference to fig1 a . device dependent rasterization parameters , in one example , may be obtained from an output device profile stored in an information apparatus 200 , an output device 220 or an output controller 230 . in an alternative implementation , rasterization parameters may be predetermined by a standard or specification . in this implementation , in step 910 the content 900 is rasterized to fit or match this predefined or standard rasterization parameters . therefore , the rasterized output image becomes device independent . one advantage of being device independent is that the rasterized output image is acceptable with controllers , devices and / or output devices implemented or created with the knowledge of such standard or specification . a rasterized image with predefined or standardized attributes is usually more portable . for example , both the client application 210 and output device 220 or its output controller 230 may be preprogrammed to receive , interpret , and or output raster images based on a predefined standard and / or specification . occasionally , a predefined standard or specification for rasterization parameters may require change or update . one possible implementation for providing an easy update or upgrade is to store information and related rasterization parameters in a file or a profile instead of hard coding these parameters into programs , components or applications . client application 210 , output controller 230 , and / or the output device 220 can read a file or a profile to obtain information related to rasterization parameters . to upgrade or update the standard specification or defaults requires only replacing or editing the file or the profile instead of replacing a software application or component such as the client application 210 . in step 920 the rasterized content in image form is encoded into an intermediate output data . the intermediate output data , which describes the output content , may include image information , instructions , descriptions , and data ( e . g . color profile ). the rasterized output image may require further processing including one or more of compression , encoding , encryption , smoothing , image enhancement , segmentation , color correction among others before being stored into the intermediate output data . the output image in the intermediate output data may be encoded in any image format and with any compression technique such as jpeg , bmp , tiff , jbig etc . in one preferred embodiment , a mixed raster content ( mrc ) format and its related encoding and / or compression methods are used to generate the output image . the advantages of using mrc over other image formats and techniques may include , for example , better compression ratio , better data information retention , smaller file size , and or relatively better image quality among others . in step 930 , the intermediate output data is transmitted to the output device 220 or output system 250 for further processing and final output . the transmission of the intermediate output data may be accomplished through wireless or wired communication links between the information apparatus 200 and the output device 220 and can be accomplished through one or multiple sessions . in step 940 , the output device 220 or output system 250 receives the transmitted intermediate output data . the output device 220 or output system 250 may include an output controller 230 to assist communicating with the information apparatus 200 and / or processing the intermediate output data . output controller 230 may have a variety of configurations and implementations with respect to output device 220 as shown in fig7 a - 7f . interpretation process 940 may include one or more of parsing , decoding , decompression , decryption , image space conversion among other operations if the received intermediate output data requires such processing . an output image is decoded or retrieved from the intermediate output data and may be temporarily stored in a buffer or memory included in the output device / output system ( 220 / 250 ) or output controller 230 for further processing . if the intermediate output data includes components with mrc format or encoding techniques , it may contain additional segmented information ( e . g . foreground and background ), which can be used to enhance image quality . for example , different techniques or algorithms in scaling , color correction , color matching , image enhancement , anti - aliasing and or digital halftoning among others may be applied to different segments or layers of the image information to improve output quality or maximize retention or recovery of image information . multiple layers may later be combined or mapped into a single layer . these image processing and conversion components and / or operations can be included in the output controller 230 of present invention . in step 950 , the decoded or retrieved output image from the intermediate output data may require further processing or conversion . this may include one or more of scaling , segmentation , interpolation , color correction , gcr , black generation , color matching , color space transformation , anti - aliasing , image enhancement , image smoothing and or digital halftoning operations among others . in an embodiment where the output device 220 does not include a printer controller , an output controller 230 or an output device 220 that includes output controller , after performing the remaining portion of rip operations ( e . g . color space conversion and halftoning ) on the output image , may further convert the output data in step 950 into a form that is acceptable for input to a printer engine for rendering . in an alternative embodiment where the output device 220 or the output system 250 includes a conventional printer controller , the output controller may simply decodes and or converts the intermediate output data ( print data in this example ) into format or language acceptable to the printer controller . for example , a printer controller may require as input a page description language ( e . g . postscript , pcl , pdf , etc . ), a markup language ( html , xml etc ) or other graphics or document format . in these cases , the output controller 230 may interpret , decompress and convert the intermediate print data into an output image that has optimal output resolution , bit depth , color space , and output size related to the printer controller input requirements . the output image is then encoded or embedded into a printer - controller print data ( e . g . a page description language ) and sent to the printer controller . a printer - controller print data is a print data that is acceptable or compatible for input to the printer controller . after the printer controller receives the printer - controller print data , the printer controller may further perform operations such as parsing , rasterization , scaling , color correction , image enhancement , halftoning etc on the output image and generate an appropriate printer - engine print data suitable for input to the printer engine . in step 960 , the output - engine output data or printer - engine print data generated by the output controller 230 or the printer controller in step 950 is sent to the output engine or printer engine of the output device for final output . fig1 illustrates a flow diagram of a universal data output process of the present invention that includes the raster image processing illustrated with reference to fig9 . a universal data output process allows an information apparatus 200 to pervasively output content or digital document to an output device . the data output process may include or utilize : a user interface component and operation where a user initiates an output process and provides an indication of the selected output content ( e . g . digital document ) for output . a client application component or operation that processes the content indicated for output , and generates an intermediate output data . the intermediate output data may include at least partly a raster output image description related to the content . an information apparatus component or operation that transmits the intermediate output data to one or more selected output device 220 . an output device component ( e . g . output controller ) or operation that interprets the intermediate output data and may further process or convert the output data into a form more acceptable to an output engine for rendering of the content . with reference to fig1 , a user in step 1000 may initiate the universal output method or process 1002 . typically , a user initiates the output process by invoking a client application 210 in his / her information apparatus 200 . the client application 210 may be launched as an independent application or it may be launched from other applications 205 ( such as from a document browsing , creating or editing application ) or as part of or component of or a feature of another application 205 residing in the same information apparatus 200 . when launched from another application 205 , such as the case when the client application is a device driver or helper application , the client application 210 may obtain information , such as the content ( e . g . digital document ) from that other application 205 . this can be accomplished , for example , by one or combinations of messages or facilitated through an operating system or a particular object or component model etc . during output process 1002 , a user may need to select one or more output devices 220 for output service . an optional discovery process step 1020 may be implemented to help the user select an output device 220 . during the discovery process step 1020 , a user &# 39 ; s information apparatus 200 may ( 1 ) search for available output devices 220 ; ( 2 ) provide the user with a list of available output devices 220 ; and ( 3 ) provide means for the user to choose one or more output devices 220 to take the output job . an example of a discovery process 1020 is described below in greater detail with reference to fig1 . the optional discovery process 1020 may sometimes be unnecessary . for example , a user may skip the discovery process 1020 if he or she already knows the output device ( e . g ., printer ) 220 to which the output is to be directed . in this case , the user may simply connect the information apparatus 200 to that output device 220 by wired connections or directly point to that output device 220 in a close proximity such as in the case of infrared connectivity . as another example , a user may pre - select or set the output device or devices 220 that are used frequently as preferred defaults . as a result , the discovery process 1020 may be partially or completely skipped if the default output device 220 or printer is found to be available . in stage 1030 , the client application may interact with output device 220 , the user , and / or other applications 205 residing in the same information apparatus 200 to ( 1 ) obtain necessary output device profile and / or user preferences , ( 2 ) perform functions or part of raster image processing operations such as rasterization , scaling and color correction , and / or ( 3 ) convert or encode at least partially the rasterized content ( e . g . digital document ) into an intermediate output data . the processing and generation of the intermediate output data may reflect in part a relationship to an output device profile and / or user preferences obtained , if any . the intermediate output data generated by the client application 210 is then transmitted through wired or wireless local communication link ( s ) 240 to the output controller 230 included or associated with the selected output device 220 or output system 250 . an exemplary client application process is described in greater detail with reference to fig1 . in step 1040 , the output controller 230 of present invention receives the intermediate output data . in the case where the selected output device 230 does not include a printer controller , the output controller 230 of present invention may further perform processing functions such as parsing , interpreting , decompressing , decoding , color correction , image enhancement , gcr , black generation and halftoning among others . in addition , the output controller 230 may further convert or conform the intermediate output data into a form or format suitable for the output engine ( e . g . printer engine in the case of a printer ). the generated output - engine output data from the output controller is therefore , in general , device dependent and acceptable for final output with the output engine ( or the printer engine in case of a printer ) included in the selected output device 220 or output system 250 . in the case where the selected output device 220 is a printer , and when the printer includes or is connected to a printer controller , the output controller 230 may generate the proper language or input format required to interface with the printer controller ( referred to as printer - controller print data ). the printer controller may for example require a specific input such as a page description language ( pdl ), markup language , or a special image or graphics format . in these cases , the output controller 230 in step 1040 may interpret and decode the intermediate output data , and then convert the intermediate output data into the required printer - controller print data ( e . g . pdl such as postscript or pcl ). the printer - controller print data generated by the output controller is then sent to the printer controller for further processing . the printer controller may perform interpretation and raster image processing operations among other operations . after processing , the printer controller generates a printer - engine print data suitable for rendering at the printer engine . in either case , the output controller 230 or printer controller generates an output - engine output data that is suitable for sending to or interfacing with the output engine or the printer engine included in the output device for rendering . the output data may be temporarily buffered in components of the output device 220 . an implementation of the output device process 1040 is described in greater detail with reference to fig1 . the steps included in the universal pervasive output process 1002 may proceed automatically when a user requests output service . alternatively , a user may be provided with options to proceed , cancel , or input information at each and every step . for example , a user may cancel the output service at any time by , for example , indicating a cancellation signal or command or by terminating the client application 210 or by shutting down the information apparatus 200 etc fig1 is a flow diagram of an example of a discovery process 720 , which may be an optional step to help a user locate one or more output devices 220 for an output job . the discovery process 1020 may , however , be skipped partially or entirely . implementation of discovery process 1020 may require compatible hardware and software components residing in both the information apparatus 200 and the output device 220 . the information apparatus 200 may utilize the client application 210 or other application 205 in this process . the discovery process 1020 may include : an information apparatus 200 communicating with available output devices 220 to obtain information and attributes relating to the output device 220 and or its services such as output device capability , feature sets , service availability , quality of service , condition . an information apparatus 200 provides the user information on each available and or compatible output devices 220 . a user selects or the client application 210 ( automatically or not ) selects one or more output devices 220 for the output service from the available or compatible output devices 220 . various protocols and or standards may be used during discovery process 1020 . wireless communication protocols are preferred . wired communication , on the other hand , may also be implemented . examples of applicable protocols or standards may include , without limitation , bluetooth , havi , jini , salutation , service location protocol , and universal plug - and - play among others . both standard and proprietary protocols or combination may be implemented in the discovery process 1020 . however , these different protocols , standards , or combination shall not depart from the spirit and scope of present invention . in one implementation an application ( referred here for simplicity of discussion as a “ communication manager ,” not shown ) residing in the information apparatus 200 helps communicate with output device 220 and manages service requests and the discovery process 1020 . the communication manager may be a part of or a feature of the client application 210 . alternatively or in combination , the communication manager may also be a separate application . when the communication manager is a separate application , the client application 210 may have the ability to communicate , manage or access functionalities of the communication manager . the discovery process 1020 may be initiated manually by a user or automatically by a communication manager when the user requests an output service with information apparatus 200 . in the optional step 1100 , a user may specify searching or matching criteria . for example , a user may indicate to search for color printers and or printers that provide free service . the user may manually specify such criteria each time for the discovery process 1020 . alternatively or in combination , a user may set default preferences that can be applied to a plurality of discovery processes 1020 . sometimes , however , no searching criteria are required : the information apparatus 200 may simply search for all available output devices 220 that can provide output service . in step 1101 , information apparatus 200 searches for available output devices 220 . the searching process may be implemented by , for example , an information apparatus 200 ( e . g . with the assistance of a communication manager ) multi - casting or broadcasting or advertising its service requests and waiting for available output devices 220 to respond . alternatively or in combination , an information apparatus 200 may “ listen to ” service broadcasts from one or more output devices 220 and then identify the one or more output devices 220 that are needed or acceptable . it is also possible that multiple output devices 220 of the same network ( e . g ., lan ) register their services with a control point ( not shown ). a control point is a computing system ( e . g ., a server ) that maintains records on all service devices within the same network . an information apparatus 200 may contact the control point and search or query for the needed service in step 1102 , if no available output device 220 is found , the communication manager or the client application 210 may provide the user with alternatives 1104 . such alternatives may include , for example , aborting the discovery process 1020 , trying discovery process 1020 again , temporarily halting the discovery process 1020 , or being notified when an available output device 220 is found . as an example , the discovery process 1020 may not detect any available output device 220 in the current wired / wireless network . the specified searching criteria ( if any ) are then saved or registered in the communication manager . when the user enters a new network having available output devices 220 , or when new compatible output devices 220 are added to the current network , or when an output device 220 becomes available for any reason , the communication manager may notify the user of such availability . in step 1106 , if available output devices 220 are discovered , the communication manager may obtain some basic information , or part of or the entire output device profile , from each discovered output device 220 . examples of such information may include , but not limited to , device identity , service charge , subscription , service feature , device capability , operating instructions , etc . such information is preferably provided to the user through the user interface ( e . g ., display screen , speaker , etc .) of information apparatus 200 . in step 1108 , the user may select one or more output devices 220 based on information provided , if any , to take the output job . if the user is not satisfied with any of the available output device 220 , the user may decline the service . in this case , the user may be provided with alternatives such as to try again in step 1110 with some changes made to the searching criteria . the user may choose to terminate the service request at any time . in step 1112 , with one or more output devices 220 selected or determined , the communication link between information apparatus 200 and the selected output device or devices 220 may be “ locked ”. other output devices 220 that are not selected may be dropped . the output process 1020 may then proceed to the client application process of step 1030 of fig1 . fig1 a is a flow diagram of an exemplary client application process with reference to step 1030 of fig1 . a client application process 1202 for universal output may include or utilize : a client application 210 that obtains content ( e . g . digital document ) intended for output . a client application 210 that obtains output device parameters ( e . g . rasterization parameters , output job parameters ). one example of implementation is to obtain the output device parameters from an output device profile ( e . g . printer profile ), which includes device dependent parameters . such profile may be stored in an output controller 230 , output device 220 or information apparatus 200 . a client application 210 that may optionally obtain user preferences through ( 1 ) user &# 39 ; s input ( automatic or manual ) or selections or ( 2 ) based on preset preference or pre - defined defaults or ( 3 ) combination of the above . a client application 210 that rasterizes at least part of the content intended for output ( e . g . a digital document ) according to one or more rasterization parameters obtained from previous steps such as through output device profile , user selection , predefined user preferences , predefined default or standard etc . a client application 210 that generates an intermediate output data containing at least part of the rasterized image related at least partly to the content intended for output . a client application that transmits the intermediate output data to an output device 220 or output controller 230 for further processing and or final output . a client application 210 may obtain content ( e . g . digital document ) 900 or a pointer or reference to the content in many ways . in a preferred embodiment , the client application 210 is in the form of a device driver or an independent application , and the content or its reference can be obtained by the client application 210 from other applications 205 in the same information apparatus 200 . to illustrate an example , a user may first view or download or create a digital document by using a document browsing , viewing and or editing application 205 in his / her information apparatus 200 , and then request output service by launching the client application 210 as a device driver or helper application . the client application 210 communicates with the document browsing or editing application to obtain the digital document or reference to the digital document . as another example , the client application 210 is an independent application and it launches another application to help locate and obtain the digital document for output . in this case , a user may first launch the client application 210 , and then invoke another application 205 ( e . g . document editing and or browsing application ) residing in the same information apparatus 200 to view or download a digital document . the client application 210 then communicates with the document browsing or editing application to obtain the digital document for output . in another embodiment , the client application 210 itself provides multiple functionalities or feature sets including the ability for a user to select the content ( e . g . digital document ) for output . for example , the client application 210 of present invention may provide a gui where a user can directly input or select the reference or path of a digital document that the user wants to output . in order to perform rasterization operation on content ( e . g . digital document ) 900 , the client application 210 in step 1210 needs to obtain device dependent parameters of an output device 220 such as the rasterization parameters . device dependent parameters may be included in an output device profile . a client application 210 may obtain an output device profile or rasterization parameters in various ways . as an example , an output device profile or rasterization parameters can be obtained with one or combination of the following : the client application communicates with an output device 220 to upload output device profile or information related to one or more rasterization parameters . the client application 210 obtains the output device profile from a network node ( e . g . server ). a user selects an output device profile stored in the user &# 39 ; s information apparatus 200 . the client application 210 automatically retrieves or uses a default profile , predefined standard values or default values among others . the client application 210 obtains output device parameters by calculating , which may include approximation , based at least partly on the information it has obtained from one or combination of an output device 220 , a user , default values , and a network node . it is important to note that step 1210 is an optional step . in some instance , part of or the entire output device profile or related device dependent information may have been already obtained by the client application 210 during the prior optional discovery process ( step 1020 in fig1 ). in this case , step 1210 may be partially or entirely skipped . in one implementation , the client application 210 communicates with one or more output devices 220 to upload output device profiles stored in the memory or storage components of those one or more output devices 220 or their associated one or more output controllers 230 . in some instance , the uploaded output device profile may contain partially or entirely references or pointers to device parameters instead of the device parameters themselves . the actual output device parameters may be stored in a network node or in the information apparatus 200 , where they can be retrieved by the client application 210 or by other applications 205 using the references or pointers . it should be noted that a plurality of information apparatuses 200 may request to obtain output device profile or profiles from the same output device 220 at the same time or at least during overlapping periods . the output device 220 or its associated output controller 230 may have components or systems to manage multiple communication links and provide the output device profile or profiles concurrently or in an alternating manner to multiple information apparatuses 200 . alternatively , an output device 220 may provide components or systems to queue the requests from different information apparatuses 200 and serve them in a sequential fashion according to a scheme such as first come first served , quality of service , etc . multi - user communication and service management capability with or without queuing or spooling functions may be implemented by , for example , the output controller 230 as optional feature sets . in another implementation , one or more output device profiles may be stored locally in the information apparatus 200 . the client application 210 may provide a gui where a user can select a profile from a list of pre - stored profiles . as an example , the gui may provide the user with a list of output device names ( e . g . makes and models ), each corresponding to an output device profile stored locally . when the user selects an output device 220 , the client application 210 can then retrieve the output device profile corresponding to the name selected by the user . in certain cases , during a discovery or communication process described earlier , the client application 210 may have already obtained the output device id , name , or reference or other information in a variety of ways described previously . in this case , the client application 210 may automatically activate or retrieve an output device profile stored in the information apparatus 200 based on the output device id , name , or reference obtained without user intervention . in yet another implementation , the client application 210 may use a set of pre - defined default values stored locally in a user &# 39 ; s information apparatus 200 . such defaults can be stored in one or more files or tables . the client application 210 may access a file or table to obtain these default values . the client application 210 may also create or calculate certain default values based on the information it has obtained during previous steps ( e . g . in optional discovery process , based on partial or incomplete printer profile information obtained , etc ). a user may or may not have an opportunity to change or overwrite some or all defaults . finally , if , for any reason , no device dependent information is available , the client application 210 may use standard output and rasterization parameters or pre - defined default parameters . the above illustrates many examples and variations of implementation , these and other possible variations in implementation do not depart from the scope of the present invention . in step 1220 , the client application 210 may optionally obtain user preferences . in one exemplary implementation , the client application 210 may obtain user preferences with a gui ( graphical user interface ). for simplicity , a standard gui form can be presented to the user independent of the make and model of the output device 220 involved in the output process . through such an interface , the user may specify some device independent output parameters such as page range , number of cards per page , number of copies , etc . alternatively or in combination , the client application 210 may also incorporate output device - dependent features and preferences into the gui presented to the user . the device - dependent portion of the gui may be supported partly or entirely by information contained in the output device profile obtained through components and processes described in previous steps . to illustrate , device dependent features and capabilities may include print quality , color or grayscale , duplex or single sided , output page size among others . it is preferred that some or all components , attributes or fields of user preferences have default values . part or all default values may be hard - coded in software program in client application 210 or in hardware components . alternatively , the client application 210 may also access a file to obtain default values , or it may calculate certain default values based on the information it has obtained during previous steps or components ( e . g . from an output device profile ). a user may or may not have the ability to pre - configure , or change or overwrite some or all defaults . the client application 210 may obtain and use some or all defaults with or without user intervention or knowledge . in step 1230 , the client application 210 of present invention performs rasterization operation to conform a content ( e . g . a digital document ), which may includes objects and information in vector graphics , text , and images , into one or more output images in accordance with the rasterization parameters obtained in previous steps . during rasterization process , text and vector graphics object or information in the content is rasterized or converted into image or bitmap form according to the given set of rasterization parameters . image information in the content may require scaling and interpolation operations to conform the rasterization parameters . rasterization process may further include operations such as scaling , interpolation , segmentation , image transformation , image encoding , color space transformation etc . to fit or conform the one or more output images to the given set of rasterization parameters such as target output size , resolution , bit depth , color space and image format etc . in step 1240 , the client application 210 generates an intermediate output data that includes the rasterized one or more output images . the intermediate output data of the present invention may contain image information , instructions , descriptions , and data such as color profile among others . creating and generating intermediate output data may further include operations such as compression , encoding , encryption , smoothing , segmentation , scaling and or color correction , among others . the image or images contained in an intermediate output data may be variously encoded and / or implemented with different image formats and / or compression methods ( e . g . jpeg , bmp , tiff , jbig etc or combination ). one preferred implementation is to generate or encode the output image in the intermediate output data with mixed raster content ( mrc ) description . the use of mrc in the data output process of present invention provides opportunities to improve the compression ratio by applying different compression techniques to segmented elements in the content . in addition , mrc provides opportunities to maintain more original content information during the encoding process of the output image and , therefore , potentially improve output quality . in step 1250 , the client application 210 transmits intermediate output data to an output device 220 through local communication link 240 . the communication link may be implemented with wired or wireless technologies and the transmission may include one or multiple sessions . it should be recognized that fig1 a illustrates one example of a client application process 1030 in the data output method 1002 of present invention . other implementations with more or less steps are possible , and several additional optional processes not shown in fig1 may also be included in the client application process 1030 . use of these different variations , however , does not result in a departure from the scope of the present invention . as an example , an optional authentication step may be included when the selected output device 220 provides service to a restricted group of users . various authentication procedures may be added in step 1210 when client application 210 obtains output device profile by communicating with an output device or an output controller . as another example , authentication procedures may also be implemented in step 1250 when the client application transmits intermediate output data to one or more output devices 220 or output controllers 230 . a simple authentication may be implemented by , for example , comparing the identity of an information apparatus 200 with an approved control list of identities stored in the output device 220 or output controller 230 . other more complex authentication and encryption schemes may also be used . information such as user name , password , id number , signatures , security keys ( physical or digital ), biometrics , fingerprints , voice among others , may be used separately or in combination as authentication means . such identification and or authentication information may be manually provided by user or automatically detected by the selected output device or devices 220 or output controller 230 . with successful authentication , a user may gain access to all or part of the services provided by the output device 220 . the output device profile that the client application 210 obtains may vary according to the type or quality of service requested or determined . if authentication fails , it is possible that a user may be denied partially or completely access to the service . in this case , the user may be provided with alternatives such as selecting another output device 220 or alternative services . another optional process is that a user may be asked to provide payment or deposit or escrow before , during or after output service such as step 1210 or 1250 with reference to fig1 . examples of payment or deposit may include cash , credit card , bankcard , charge card , smart card , electronic cash , among others . the output controller 220 may provide payment calculation or transaction processing as optional feature sets of present invention . fig1 b illustrates another exemplary client application output process 1030 with which an information apparatus 200 can pervasively and universally output content to one or more output devices 220 associated with or equipped with an output controller 230 of present invention . the process illustrated in fig1 b is similar to the process described in fig1 a except that step 1210 , obtaining output device profile , is skipped . in this embodiment , the client application 210 utilizes a set of hard - coded , standard or predefined output device parameters including rasterization parameters with which the client application 210 can perform rasterization operation and other required image processing functions . users may be provided with the option of changing these parameters or inputting alternative parameters . rasterization parameters include output size , output resolution , bit depth , color space , color channels , scale factors etc . these pre - defined parameters typically comply with a specification or a standard . the same specification and standard may also defined or describe at least partly the intermediate output data . predefined standard parameters can be stored in a file or profile in an information apparatus 200 , an output controller 230 , and / or in an output device 220 for easy update or upgrade . in client output process 1204 , since the rasterization parameters are predefined , the client application 210 may not need to upload printer profiles from the selected output device 230 . consequently , no two - way communication between the information apparatus 200 and the output device or devices 220 is necessary in this process 1204 when compared with process 1202 illustrated in fig1 a . the client application 210 performs rasterization operation 1225 based on standard and / or predefined parameters and generates a rasterized output image with predefined or standard properties of those rasterization parameters . the resulting intermediate output data , which includes at least one rasterized output image , is transmitted from the information apparatus 200 to an output device 220 in step 1250 or to its associated output controller 230 for rendering or output . the intermediate output data generated in process 1202 in general is less device dependent compared to the intermediate output data generated in the process 1202 shown in fig1 a . the output controller 230 included or associated with the output device 220 may be preprogrammed to interpret the raster output image , which includes properties or attributes that correspond to those standard or predefined parameters . the standard or predefined rasterization parameters may be hard coded or programmed into the client application 210 and / or the output controller 230 . however , instead of hard coding those parameters , one technique to facilitate updates or changes is to store those standard parameters in a default file or profile . the standard or predefined parameters contained in the file or profile can be retrieved and utilized by applications in an information apparatus 200 ( e . g . client application 210 ) and / or by applications or components in an output device 220 or the output controller 230 . in this way , any necessary updates , upgrades or required changes to those predefined or standard parameters can be easily accomplished by replacing or modifying the file or profile instead of modifying or updating the program , application or components in the information apparatus 200 , output device 220 and / or output controller 230 . a client application process 1204 providing universal output capability to information apparatus 200 may include or utilize : a client application 210 that obtains content ( e . g . digital document ) intended for output . a client application 210 that optionally obtains user preferences ( in step 1220 ) through ( 1 ) user &# 39 ; s input ( automatic or manual ) or selections or ( 2 ) based on preset preference or predefined defaults or ( 3 ) combination of the above . a client application 210 that rasterizes content ( in step 1230 or 1225 ) according to pre - defined or standard rasterization parameters . a client application 210 that generates intermediate output data ( in step 1240 ) for rendering or output at an output device 220 ; the intermediate output data containing at least partially a rasterized image related to the content intended for output . a client application 210 that transmits the intermediate output data to an output device 220 ( in step 1250 ) for further processing and final output . one advantage of the client output process 1204 of fig1 b compared to the process 1202 illustrated in fig1 a is that the generated intermediate output data is in general less device dependent . the device independent attribute allows the intermediate output data to be more portable and acceptable to more output devices equipped or associated with output controllers . both data output processes ( 1202 and 1204 ) enable universal output ; allowing a user to install a single client application 210 or components in an information apparatus 200 to provide output capability to more than one output device 220 . fig1 a illustrates one example of an output device process 1302 and its associated raster imaging method of present invention . in this output device process 1302 , an output device 220 is capable of receiving an intermediate output data from an information apparatus 200 . the output device process 1302 and its operations may include or utilize : an output device / system or output controller that receives intermediate output data ( in step 1300 ). the intermediate output data includes at least partially a raster output image describing at least part of the content for rendering at the output device 220 or system 250 . an output device / system or output controller that interprets ( in step 1310 ) the intermediate output data ; in one preferred embodiment , the intermediate output data includes an output image utilizing one or more mrc formats or components . an output device / system or output controller that performs image processing operation ( in step 1320 ) on the raster image . the image processing operation may include but not limited to image decompression , scaling , halftoning , color matching , among others . an output device / system or output controller that converts and or generates ( in step 1330 ) output - engine output data that is in a format or description suitable for input to an output engine ( e . g . printer engine in case of a printer ) included in an output device 220 . an output engine in an output device 220 that renders or generates a final output ( e . g . the output - engine output data ) in step 1370 . the output device 220 or output system 250 may include an output controller 230 internally or externally to assist the management and operation of the output process 1302 . as shown in fig7 , there are many possible configurations and implementations of an output controller 230 associated to an output device 220 herein and after , output controller 230 is regarded as an integral part of the output device to which it is attached . hence , the following described output device operations may be partially or completely performed by the output controller associated with it . in step 1300 , output device process 1302 is initiated by client application 210 transmitting an intermediate output data to output device 220 or output system 250 . in step 1310 , the output device 220 reads and interprets the intermediate output data , containing at least one raster output image relating to the content intended for output . during the reading and interpretation process 1310 , the output device 220 may include components that parse the intermediate output data and perform operations such as decompression , decoding , and decryption among others . the output image may be variously encoded and may include one or more compression methods . in the event that the method of image encoding includes mrc format , then , in one example implementation , during decoding and mapping of the output image in step 1310 , the lower resolution layer and information in an image that includes mrc may be mapped , scaled or interpolated to a higher - resolution output image to produce a better image quality . therefore , step 1310 , in the event that the intermediate output data includes mrc component , each layer in an mrc image can be decompressed , processed , mapped and combined into a single combined output image layer . step 1310 may also include scaling , color space transformation , and / or interpolation among others . in addition to the possibility of mapping methods using different scaling and interpolation ratio with different layers , another advantage of using mrc is that segmentation information contained in mrc can be utilized to apply different image processing and enhancement techniques to data in different layers of an mrc image in step 1320 . in step 1320 , the output device 220 may further perform image processing operations on the decoded output image . these image processing operations may include , for example , color correction , color matching , image segmentation , image enhancement , anti - aliasing , image smoothing , digital watermarking , scaling , interpolation , and halftoning among others . the image processing operations 1320 may be combined or operated concurrently with step 1310 . for example , while each row , pixel , or portion of the image is being decoded and or decompressed , image processing operations 1320 is applied . in another implementation , the image processing 1320 may occur after the entire output image or a large portion of the image has been decoded or decompressed . if the intermediate output data includes mrc component , then in step 1320 , there are additional opportunities to improve image quality . an image encoded in mrc contains segmented information that a traditional single layer image format does not usually have . as an example , foreground can be in one layer , and background in another . as another example , chrominance information may be in one layer and luminance may be in another . this segmented information in mrc may be used to apply different or selective image processing methods and algorithms to different layers or segments to enhance image quality or retain or recover image information . different image processing techniques or algorithms may include color matching , color correction , black generation , halftoning , scaling , interpolation , anti - aliasing , smoothing , digital watermarking etc . for example , one can apply calorimetric color matching to foreground information and perceptual color matching to background information or vice versa . as another example , error diffusion halftoning can be applied to foreground and stochastic halftoning can be applied to background or vice versa . as yet another example , bi - cubic interpolation can be applied to a layer and bi - linear or minimum distance interpolation can be applied to a different layer . in step 1330 , the output device 220 or the output controller 230 may convert the processed image ( e . g . halftoned ) into a form acceptable to the output engine of output device 220 . this conversion step is optional , depending on the type , format and input requirement of a particular output device engine ( e . g . printer engine in case of a printer ). different output engines may have different input raster image input requirements . as an example different output engines may require different input image formats , number of bits or bytes per pixel , compression or uncompressed form , or different color spaces ( e . g . such as rgb , cmy , cmyk , or any combination of hi - fi color such as green , orange , purple , red etc ). incoming raster image data can be encoded in a row , in a column , in multiple rows , in multiple columns , in a chunk , in a segment , or a combination at a time for sending the raster data to the output engine . in some cases , step 1330 may be skipped if the result of step 1320 is already in a form acceptable to the output device engine . in other cases , however , further conversion and or processing may be required to satisfy the specific input requirement of a particular output device engine . it is important to note that the above described processing from step 1310 to step 1330 may require one or more memory buffers to temporarily store processed results . the memory buffer can store or hold a row , a column , a portion , or a chunk , of the output image in any of the steps described above . storing and retrieving information into and from the memory buffer may be done sequentially , in an alternating fashion , or in an interlaced or interleaved fashion among other possible combinations . step 1310 to step 1330 operations can be partially or completely implemented with the output controller 230 . in step 1370 , the output device engine included in the output device 220 or output system 250 receives the output - engine output data generated in step 1330 or step 1320 . the output - engine output data is in a form that satisfies the input requirements and attributes of the output engine , such as color space , color channel , bit depth , output size , resolution , etc . the output engine then takes this output - engine output data and outputs or renders the data content through its marking engine or display engine . one advantage of data output method 1002 that includes output device process 1302 is that it has less processing requirements on an information apparatus 200 compared to conventional process with reference to fig1 a , and therefore , enables more information apparatus 200 with relatively lower processing power and memory space to have output capability . for example , some image processing functions , such as halftoning ( e . g . error diffusion ) may require substantial processing and computing power . in data output process 1002 that includes output device process 1302 , halftoning is performed in step 1320 by an output device component ( e . g . the output controller 230 ) included in the output device 220 or the output system 250 , not in the information apparatus 200 ; therefore reducing the computational requirements for the information apparatus 200 . another advantage of data output 1302 is that the intermediate output data is less device dependent than the output data generated by conventional output method 102 with reference to fig1 a . the device independence provides opportunity to allow a single driver or application in an information apparatus 200 to output intermediate output data to a plurality of output devices 220 that include output controllers 230 . some output devices 220 may contain a printer controller 410 . an example of this type of output device or printer is a postscript printer or pcl printer among others . fig1 b illustrates an example of an output device process 1304 with a printer that includes a printer controller 410 . as discussed in fig1 , a printer with a printer controller requires input such as page description language ( e . g . postscript , pcl etc . ), markup language ( html , xml etc ), special image format , special graphics format , or a combination , depending on the type of the printer controller . there are many printing system configurations for providing the data output capability and process to a printer or a printing system that includes a printer controller . in one example , the existing printer controller in the output device 220 may incorporate the feature sets provided by the output controller to form a “ combined controller ” as described previously with reference to fig7 c and 7f . in another example , the output controller 230 of present invention may be connected sequentially or cascaded to an existing printer controller ; the output controller 230 can be internally installed ( with reference to fig7 b ) or externally connected ( with reference to fig7 a ) to the output device 220 . for output device 220 that includes a printer controller , the output controller 230 may simply decode the intermediate output data in step 1310 and then convert it into a form acceptable for input to the printer controller in step 1350 . an output device process 1304 and operations for an output device 220 or system 250 that includes a printer controller 410 may include or utilize : an output controller 230 or components in an output device 220 or system 250 that receives an intermediate print data or output data ( with reference to step 1300 ), the intermediate print data includes at least a raster image related at least in part to the content for rendering at the output device 220 . an output controller 230 or components in an output device 220 or system 250 that interprets the intermediate output data ( with reference to step 1310 ); in one preferred embodiment , the intermediate output data includes an output image utilizing one or more mrc format or components . an output controller 230 or components in an output device 220 or system 250 that converts the intermediate output data into a printer - controller print data ( with reference to step 1350 ); the printer - controller print data includes a format or language ( e . g . pdl , pdf , html , xml etc .) that is acceptable or compatible to the input requirement of a printer controller . a printer controller or components in an output device 220 or system 250 that receives a printer controller print data ; the printer controller may parse , interpret and further process ( e . g . rasterization , scaling , image enhancement , color correction , color matching , halftoning etc .) and convert the printer - controller print data into a printer - engine print data ( with reference to step 1360 ); the printer - engine print data comprising of a format or description acceptable for input to a printer engine in the output device 220 or the output system 250 . a printer engine or components in an output device 220 or system 250 that renders or generates a final output ( with reference to step 1370 ) with the input printer engine print data . in output device process 1304 , step 1300 ( receiving intermediate output data ) and step 1310 ( interpret intermediate output data ) are identical to step 1300 and step 1310 in output device process 1302 , which have been described in previous sections with reference to fig1 a . in step 1350 , the output controller 230 converts the intermediate print data into a printer - controller print data that is in a form compatible or acceptable for input to a printer controller . for example , a printer controller may require as input a specific page description language ( pdl ) such as postscript . the output controller 230 then creates a postscript file and embeds the output image generated or retrieved in step 1310 into the postscript file . the output controller 230 can also create and embed the output image from step 1310 into other printer controller print data formats , instructions or languages . in step 1360 , the printer controller receives printer - controller print data generated in step 1350 that includes an acceptable input language or format to the printer controller . the printer controller may parse , interpret , and decode the input printer - controller print data . the printer controller may further perform raster image processing operations such as rasterization , color correction , black generation , gcr , anti - aliasing , scaling , image enhancement , and halftoning among others on the output image . the printer controller may then generate a printer - engine print data that is suitable for input to the printer engine . the type and or format of printer - engine print data may vary according to the requirement of a particular printer engine . it is important to note that the above described process from step 1310 to step 1360 may require one or more memory buffer to temporarily store processed results . the memory buffer can store or hold a row , a column , a portion , or a chunk , of the output image in any of the steps described above . storing and retrieving information into and from the memory buffer may be done sequentially , alternated , or in an interlaced or interleaved fashion among other possible combinations . process and operations of step 1310 to step 1360 can be implemented with output controller 230 . in step 1370 , the printer engine included in the output device 220 or output system 250 generates or renders the final output based on the printer - engine print data generated in step 1360 . for example , the printer - engine print data may be in cmy , cmyk , and rgb etc , and this may be in one or more bits per pixel format , satisfying the size and resolution requirement of the printer engine . the printer engine included the output device 220 may take this print data and generate or render an output page through its marking engine . having described and illustrated the principles of our invention with reference to an illustrated embodiment , it will be recognized that the illustrated embodiment can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . in view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of our invention may be applied , it should be recognized that the detailed embodiments are illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of our invention . rather , i claim as my invention all such embodiments as may come within the scope of the following claims and equivalents thereto . unless the context indicates otherwise , a reference in a claim to the number of instances of an element , be it a reference to one instance or more than one instance , requires at least the stated number of instances of the element but is not intended to exclude from the scope of the claim a structure or method having more instances of that element than stated . specifically , but without limitation , a reference in a claim to an or one output device or system , to an or one image , or to a or one rasterization parameter is not intended to exclude from the scope of the claim a structure or method having , including , employing or supplying two or more output devices or system , images or rasterization parameters .

US-201715627197-A

a method for producing a binding assay device composed of antigens on a cellulose nitrate , cellulose nitrate / acetate or similar solid phase is described . the method involves applying to a solid phase a small amount of an allergen composition , or a pretreated allergen composition , containing a certain concentration of allergen and drying the solution . the device is used by contacting a patient test sample to the immobilized allergen and determining whether or not the test sample contains ige antibodies for the allergen .

the present invention is based upon the discovery that an allergen solution can be used to bind an allergen to a solid phase material without the need for covalent linkages . a solid phase so prepared can then be used in an in vitro diagnostic assay for ige . suitable solid phase materials include cellulose nitrate or a mixed ester cellulose . in addition , it has been discovered that certain allergen concentrations are optimum insofar as the sensitivity of the assay is concerned . the invention is also based upon the discovery that many allergens can be pretreated to improve their adherence to the solid phase material . the allergen pretreatment methods of the present invention serve to enhance the binding of the allergen to the solid phase throughout the assay . the allergen pretreatment compositions and methods were also unexpectedly found to increase the amount of allergen which can be bound to the solid phase thereby enabling the binding of allergen in an amount that is optimal for the assay . the present invention involves novel allergen compositions for the preparation of solid phase devices used in binding assays . the allergen compositions have been unexpectedly found to enhance the binding of the allergen to the solid phase material . as a result , greater amounts of antigen may be immobilized upon the solid phase , thereby providing more antigenic sites for binding antibody during the assay . the present invention also involves the pretreatment of certain allergen compositions with substances such as denaturants , organic solvents , crosslinking agents and concentrated salt solutions . pretreatment of an allergen composition with one or more of these substances was unexpectedly found to enhance the adherence of the allergen to a solid phase throughout the assay procedure which may include multiple washing steps or other manipulations which could otherwise dislodge the allergen from the solid phase . in addition , the pretreatment of the allergen improves their binding performance at elevated temperatures often used in binding assays . suitable denaturants include , but are not limited to : acids such as hydrochloric acid ( hci ) and acetic acid . organic solvents , such as tetrahydrofuran , are suitable for allergen pretreatment . concentrated salt solutions , such as concentrated solutions of sodium chloride ( nacl ), are also suitable for allergen pretreatment according to the present invention . suitable cross - linking agents for the pretreatment of allergens include , but are not limited to : formaldehyde , glutaraldehyde and 1 - ethyl - 3 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl ) carbodiimide ( edac ). allergen compositions combined with such pretreatment substances are then used in the production of novel solid phase assay devices . the allergen compositions or pretreated allergen compositions are applied to a solid phase material upon which the allergen composition is dried and thereby immobilized . the solid phase devices can then be used in binding assays which include , but are not limited to , competitive assays , sandwich assays and indirect assays , and include both forward and reverse assay formats . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the allergen of interest is immobilized upon a solid phase material made of nitrocellulose or a nitrocellulose derivative or compound , such as cellulose acetate / nitrate mixed ester cellulose . the maximum binding capacity of nitrocellulose for the protein bovine serum albumin is about 140 μg / cm 2 . this binding capacity value is converted according to the desired size of the solid phase reaction or binding area of the present invention , and a value of 2 . 2 mg / ml is obtained . this concentration is used as the starting protein concentration for all allergens , but the optimum allergen concentration may be above or below this value . different concentrations of allergen solutions are pretreated , immobilized on nitrocellulose and tested with a positive test sample , as described in the specific examples which follow . the allergen concentration is adjusted such that when concentration is plotted against signal a parabolic curve is obtained , and the optimum allergen concentration can be determined from the maximum detected signal . the allergen protein concentrations which were tested ranged from about 0 . 05 milligrams of allergen per milliliter of solvent , prior to pretreatment , to about 170 mg / ml . the most effective concentration ranges for each of the allergens tested are presented in the specific examples which follow . the invention will be more fully understood from the following examples , which constitute the best modes presently contemplated by the inventors . it is to be understood , however , that the examples are presented solely for the purpose of illustration , and are not to be construed as limiting . before proceeding with the description of the specific embodiments of the present invention , a number of terms will be defined . all allergen contents herein refer to the protein content of the allergen solutions , determined using a suitable protein test such as coomasie blue or ninhydrin as are well - known in the art . the term &# 34 ; analyte &# 34 ; refers to the substance to be detected in or separated from test sample . the analyte can be any substance for which there exists a naturally occurring specific binding member or for which a specific binding member can be prepared . in addition , the analyte may bind to more than one specific binding member . &# 34 ; analyte &# 34 ; also includes any antigenic substances , haptens , antibodies , and combinations thereof . in the present invention , the main analytes to be detected or measured are ige antibodies . the term &# 34 ; test sample &# 34 ; refers to virtually any liquid sample . the test sample can be derived from any desired source , such as a physiological fluid , for example , blood , saliva , ocular lens fluid , cerebral spinal fluid , sweat , urine , milk , ascites fluid , mucous , synovial fluid , peritoneal fluid , amniotic fluid or the like . the liquid test sample can be pretreated prior to use , such as preparing plasma from blood , diluting viscous liquids , or the like ; methods of treatment can also involve separation , filtration , distillation , concentration , inactivation of interfering components , and the addition of reagents . in addition , a solid can be used once it is modified to form a liquid medium . the term &# 34 ; specific binding member &# 34 ; refers to a member of a specific binding pair , i . e ., two different molecules wherein one of the molecules through chemical or physical means specifically binds to the second molecule . in addition to antigen and antibody specific binding pairs such as the allergen and antibody pair , other specific binding pairs include , biotin and avidin , carbohydrates and lectins , complementary nucleotide sequences , complementary peptide sequences , effector and receptor molecules , enzyme cofactors and enzymes , enzyme inhibitors and enzymes , a peptide sequence and an antibody specific for the sequence protein , polymeric acids and bases , dyes and protein binders , peptides and specific protein binders ( e . g ., ribonuclease , s - peptide and ribonuclease s - protein ), and the like . furthermore , specific binding pairs can include members that are analogs of the original specific binding member , for example an analyte - analog . if the specific binding member is an immunoreactant it can be , for example , an antibody , antigen , hapten , or complex thereof . if an antibody is used , it can be a monoclonal or polyclonal antibody , a recombinant protein or antibody , a mixture or mixtures or a fragment or fragments thereof , as well as a mixture of an antibody and other specific binding members . the details of the preparation of such antibodies and their suitability for use as specific binding members are well - known to those skilled - in - the - art . an &# 34 ; indicator reagent &# 34 ;, as used herein , refers to a label attached to a specific binding member . the indicator reagent produces a detectable signal at a level relative to the amount of an analyte in the test sample . generally , the indicator reagent is detected or measured after it is captured on the solid phase material , but the unbound indicator reagent can also be measured to determine the result of an assay . the specific binding member component of the indicator reagent enables the indirect binding of the label to the analyte , to an ancillary specific binding member , to the capture reagent or to a complex thereof . the term &# 34 ; label &# 34 ; refers to any substance which is attached to a specific binding member and which is capable of producing a signal that is detectable by visual or instrumental means . suitable labels for use in the present invention can include chromogens ; catalysts ; fluorescent compounds ; chemiluminescent compounds ; radioactive isotopes ; direct visual labels including colloidal metallic and non - metallic particles , dye particles , enzymes or substrates , or organic polymer latex particles ; liposomes or other vesicles containing signal producing substances ; and the like . many enzymes suitable for use as labels are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 275 , 149 , columns 19 - 23 , herein incorporated by reference . for example , an enzyme / substrate signal producing system useful in the present invention is the enzyme alkaline phosphatase wherein the substrate used can be 5 - bromo - 4 - chloro - 3 - indolyl phosphate or a derivative or analog thereof . if horseradish peroxidase is used , o - phenylenediamine or 4 - chloronaphthol is added as an enzyme substrate to form a colored product which can be detected and / or measured visually or instrumentally . in an alternative signal producing system , the label can be a fluorescent compound where no enzymatic manipulation of the label is required to produce a detectable signal . fluorescent molecules such as fluorescein , phycobiliprotein , rhodamine and their derivatives and analogs are suitable for use as labels in this system . an especially preferred class of labels includes the visually detectable , colored particles which enable a direct colored readout of the presence or concentration of the analyte in the test sample without the need for using additional signal producing reagents . materials for use as such particles include colloidal metals , such as gold , and dye particles as disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 313 , 734 and 4 , 373 , 932 . the preparation and use of non - metallic colloids , such as colloidal selenium particles , are disclosed in co - owned and copending u . s . patent application ser . no . 072 , 084 , filed july 9 , 1987 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . organic polymer latex particles for use as labels are disclosed in co - owned and copending u . s . patent application ser . no . 248 , 858 , filed sept . 23 , 1988 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . a variety of different indicator reagents can be formed by varying either the label or the specific binding member ; it will be appreciated by one skilled - in - the - art that the choice involves consideration of the analyte to be detected and the desired means of detection . the selection of a particular label is not critical , so long as the label is capable of generating a detectable signal either by itself or in conjunction with one or more additional signal producing components . the details of the preparation of such label / specific binding member conjugates are well - known to those skilled - in - the - art . the term &# 34 ; signal producing component &# 34 ; refers to any substance capable of reacting with another assay reagent or the analyte to produce a reaction product or signal that indicates the presence of the analyte and that is detectable by visual or instrumental means . &# 34 ; signal production system &# 34 ;, as used herein , refers to the group of assay reagents that are needed to produce the desired reaction product or signal . for example , one or more signal producing components can be used to react with a label and generate the detectable signal , i . e ., when the label is an enzyme , amplification of the detectable signal is obtained by reacting the enzyme with one or more substrates or additional enzymes to produce a detectable reaction product . the term &# 34 ; capture reagent &# 34 ; refers to a capture binding member which is attached to a solid phase material to enable the separation of the analyte or indicator reagent , that is bound thereto , from unbound analyte and assay reagents . typically , the attachment of the capture binding member to the solid phase material is substantially irreversible . in forming a capture reagent to be used in an assay , once the capture binding member , e . g ., allergen , is immobilized upon the solid phase , the remaining surface area of the solid phase is generally blocked with a suitable inactivating solution , such as bovine or equine serum albumin , casein or other proteinaceous material , to prevent non - specific binding of protein to the solid phase when the reaction mixture containing a specific binding member is contacted to the solid phase . the solid phase is then washed with an appropriate solution to remove any excess blocking solution and / or unbound capture binding member . once complex formation occurs between the assay components , the solid phase can be used as a separation mechanism . for example , the reaction mixture can be contacted to the capture reagent , and the solid phase material retains the newly formed reaction complex ( es ). assay devices can have many configurations , several of which are dependent upon the material chosen for the solid phase . the term &# 34 ; solid phase material &# 34 ; refers to any suitable chromatographic , bibulous , porous or capillary material or other conventional solid material , well - known to those skilled - in - the - art for use in immobilizing specific binding members . solid phase materials can include fiberglass , nylon or cellulose or derivatives thereof , such as cellulose nitrate or a cellulose acetate / cellulose nitrate mixed ester cellulose . the solid phase , however , is not limited to porous materials . the solid phase material can also include , without limitation , polymeric or glass beads , microparticles , tubes , sheets , plates , slides , magnetic beads , a microtitre plate with one or more reaction wells or a glass or plastic test tube , or the like . natural , synthetic or naturally occurring materials that are synthetically modified , can be used as a solid phase material including polysaccharides , e . g ., cellulose materials including paper , cellulose and cellulose derivatives such as cellulose acetate , nitrocellulose and cellulose acetate / nitrate mixed ester cellulose ; silica ; fiberglass ; inorganic materials such as deactivated alumina , diatomaceous earth or other inorganic finely divided material uniformly dispersed in a porous polymer matrix , with polymers such as vinyl chloride , vinyl chloride - propylene copolymer , and vinyl chloride - vinyl acetate copolymer ; cloth , both naturally occurring ( e . g ., cotton ) and synthetic ( e . g ., nylon ); porous gels such as silica gel , agarose , dextran and gelatin ; polymeric films such as polyacrylamide ; magnetic particles ; microtitre plates ; polystyrene tubes ; protein binding membranes ; agarose ; sephadex ® ( pharmacia fine chemicals , inc ., piscataway , n . j . ); trisacryl ( pointet - girard , france ); silicon particles ; porous fibrous matrixes ; and the like . the solid phase material should have a reasonable inherent strength or strength can be provided by means of a support , and it should not interfere with the production of a detectable signal . optionally , the specific binding member of the capture reagent can be affixed to particles , e . g ., microparticles . these microparticles can serve as the solid phase material and be retained in a column , suspended in a mixture of soluble reagents and test sample , or retained and immobilized by another solid phase base material . by &# 34 ; retained and immobilized &# 34 ; is meant that the microparticles , associated with the solid phase base material , are not capable of substantial movement to positions elsewhere within that material . the microparticles can be selected by one skilled - in - the - art from any suitable type of particulate material including those composed of polystyrene , polymethylacrylate , polypropylene , polytetrafluoroethylene , polyacrylonitrile , polycarbonate or similar materials . the size of the microparticles is not critical , although it is preferred that the average diameter be smaller than the average pore size of the solid phase base material if such is used . the term &# 34 ; ancillary specific binding member &# 34 ; refers to a specific binding member used in addition to the specific binding members of the capture reagent and the indicator reagent . one or more ancillary specific binding members can be used in an assay . for example , an ancillary specific binding member can be used in an assay where the specific binding member of the indicator reagent is capable of binding the ancillary specific binding member which is in turn capable of binding the analyte . the present invention is concerned with immunoassays . therefore , the following discussion of immunoassays and definitions of terms often used with respect to immunoassays are set forth to facilitate the understanding of the disclosure and claims hereof . in accordance with one method of the present invention , a sandwich assay can be performed wherein a capture reagent can include an allergen which has been bound to a solid phase material . the capture reagent is contacted with a test sample , suspected of containing the analyte , and an indicator reagent containing an analyte - specific binding member conjugated to a label . the reagents can be contacted to the sample simultaneously or added sequentially . a binding reaction results in the formation of a capture reagent / analyte / indicator reagent complex . the assay may also involve a washing step to separate the resultant complex from the excess reagents and test sample . either the unreacted indicator reagent or the complex retained upon the solid phase is then observed to detect or measure the amount of label associated therewith . if analyte is present in the sample , then label will be present on the solid phase material . the amount of label on the solid phase is proportional to the amount of analyte in the sample . the present invention also can be used to conduct a competitive assay . in one example of a competitive configuration , the capture reagent again includes a specific binding member ( allergen ) which has been attached to a solid phase material . the capture reagent is contacted with both test sample and an indicator reagent that includes an analyte or analyte analog which has been labeled with a signal generating compound . the indicator reagent and analyte then compete in binding to the capture reagent . the competitive binding reaction results in the formation of capture reagent / analyte complexes or capture reagent / indicator reagent complexes . the capture reagent / indicator reagent complexes can be detected via the label of the indicator reagent . in the competitive assay , the amount of label that becomes associated with the solid phase is inversely proportional to the amount of analyte in the sample . the present invention can also be used in indirect immunoassays involving one or more ancillary specific binding members . for example , an indirect sandwich immunoassay with the formation of a capture reagent / analyte / anti - analyte antibody / indicator reagent complex can be performed , wherein the indicator reagent is a specific binding partner for the ancillary specific binding member which is specific for the analyte . the present invention can also be used in forward and reverse immunoassay protocols in this experiment , alternaria alternata allergen was pretreated for binding to a solid phase material . a 37 % aqueous formaldehyde solution ( 12 . 5 μl ) was mixed with 100 microliters of a solution of alternaria alternata ( 28 . 8 μg / ml ) in deionized water . the amount of formaldehyde effective for pretreatment was found to range from about 10 μl to about20 μl when the 37 % aqueous formaldehyde solution was used . the resultingmixture was incubated at 4 ° c . for about 10 hours , and the incubatedcomposition was allowed to stand for 30 to 60 minutes at about 20 ° c . the mixture was then centrifuged , and the resultant supernatant , a pretreated alternaria alternata allergen composition , was decanted . the pretreated composition was poured onto a disc of microporous cellulose nitrate ( about 140 μm thick and about 3 mm in diameter ) and allowed to dry . the allergen was thereby immobilized upon the solid phase material . the remaining surface of the disc was then blocked with a ten percent horse serum solution . the solid phase bound allergen , or alternaria alternata capture reagent , was then used in an enzyme immunoassay (&# 34 ; eia &# 34 ;). the eia method included the following steps . the sample to be tested ( e . g ., serum ) was contacted to the capture reagent , thereby immobilizing allergen - specific ige antibodies upon the solid phase . optionally , the antibody immobilization step was followed by a wash step to remove unbound sample . the capture reagent was then contacted to an enzyme - labeled anti - ige antibody ( indicator reagent ) which bound to that ige from the sample , if any , whichhad bound to the solid phase . the solid phase was then washed to remove unbound indicator reagent . the solid phase was contacted to an enzyme substrate signal producing component such that the enzyme component of thecomplexed indicator reagent would react with the substrate to produce a detectable signal . prior to detection , the solid phase may undergo a thirdwashing to remove unbound substrate . the signal which was detected was directly related to the amount of allergen - specific ige in the test sample . in one eia procedure , the enzyme label was alkaline phosphatase , the substrate was 5 - bromo - 4 - chloro - 3 - indolylphosphate and the detection or measurement step was performed with a reflectance spectrophotometer . the disc turned dark blue upon the addition of substrate to the solid phase , i . e ., a positive assay result , when the serum sample contained ige antibody specific to alternaria alternata . the assay procedure was repeated using serum from different patients , and the results were found to correlate with the results obtained for the same serum samples using alternate tests , such as a radio - allergo - sorbent test ( rast ) or a skin prick test as are well - known in the art . in this experiment , the nitrocellulose disc used as the solid phase was oneof many discs on a laminate composed of a mylar sheet to which a sheet of nitrocellulose had been glued . a circular shape was embossed onto the nitrocellulose sheet to form each of the discs . the micropores in the nitrocellulose sheet had diameters of about 450 nanometers . each individual disc had a separate allergen attached thereto . thus , the devicecould be used to detect the presence of antibodies to multiple allergens . the procedure of example 1 was repeated using 100 microliter portions of solutions containing birch allergen ( 137 μg ) or dog allergen ( 280 μg ) which were mixed with a 37 % aqueous formaldehyde solution ( 12 . 5 μl ) and incubated thereby forming pretreated allergen compositions . theamount of formaldehyde effective for pretreatment was found to range from about 10 μl to about 15 μl when the 37 % aqueous formaldehyde solution was used . the compositions were used substantially in accordance with the procedures described in examples 1 and 2 to produce devices whichwere then used to test serum samples . the assay results were found to correlate with the results of testing the same serum samples by other means : the disc turned dark blue when the serum sample contained ige specific for the allergen immobilized upon the solid phase . tetrahydrofuran ( 25 μl ) was mixed with 100 microliters of a solution containing bermuda grass allergen ( 510 μg ) in deionized water . the amount of tetrahydrofuran effective for pretreatment was found to range from about 10 μl to about 50 μl . the resulting mixture was incubatedat 4 ° c . for about 10 hours , and the incubated composition was allowed to stand at about 20 ° c . for 30 to 60 minutes . the solutionwas then centrifuged , and the resultant supernatant , a pretreated bermuda grass allergen composition , was decanted . the procedure was repeated using 100 microliter - portions of solutions whichcontained japanese cedar allergen ( 150 μg ), june / kentucky blue grass allergen ( 545 μg ), perennial rye allergen ( 433 μg ) or timothy allergen ( 43 μg ) in deionized water . the pretreated allergen compositions were used to produce solid phase discs and were used in immunoassays substantially in accordance with the procedure described in example 1 . the assay results were found to correlate with the results of testing the same serum samples by other means : the disc turned dark blue when the serum sample contained ige specific for the allergen immobilized upon the solid phase . a 37 percent aqueous formaldehyde solution ( 15 . 6 μg ) was mixed with 100 microliters of a solution containing mountain cedar allergen ( 733 μg ) in deionized water . the resulting mixture was incubated at about 20 ° c . for approximately 30 minutes . tetrahydrofuran ( 28 . 7 μl ) was then mixed with the incubated solution . the amount of formaldehyde effective for pretreatment was found to range from about 10 μl to about20 μl , and the amount of tetrahydrofuran was found to range from about 10 μl to about 50 μl . the mixture was incubated for about 10 hours at 4 ° c . and was allowed to stand at about 20 ° c . for 30 to 60 minutes . the mixture was then centrifuged , and the resultant supernatant , a pretreated cedar allergen composition , was decanted . this allergen pretreatment procedure was repeated , using 100 microliter - portions of solutions containing oak allergen ( 729 μg ) or olive allergen ( 1670 μg ), in deionized water , in place of the mountain cedar allergen . the pretreated allergen compositions were then used to produce immunoassay devices substantially in accordance with the procedures described in examples 1 and 2 . the eia results were found to correlate with the results of testing of the same serum samples by other means : the disc turned dark blue when the serum sample contained ige specific for the allergen immobilized upon the solid phase . aqueous nacl ( 5m , 12 μl ) was mixed with 100 microliters of a solution containing cladosporium ( 960 μg ) in deionized water . the resulting mixture was incubated at about 4 ° c . for about 10 hours , and the incubated composition was then allowed to stand at about 20 ° c . for30 to 60 minutes . the mixture was then centrifuged , and the resultant supernatant , a pretreated cladosporium allergen composition , was decanted . depending upon the molar value of the concentrated salt solution used , which value ranged from about 0 . 5m to about 10m , the amount of aqueous nacl effective for pretreatment ranged from about 10 μl to about 20 μl . the procedure was repeated using 100 microliters of a solution containing feather allergen ( 7 μg ) in deionized water . the pretreated allergen compositions were then used to produce assay devices and were used in immunoassays substantially in accordance with the protocol described in example 1 . the assay results using the compositions and devices of the present invention were found to correlate with the results of testing the same serum samples by other means : the disc turned dark blue when the serum contacted thereto contained ige specific for the allergen immobilized upon the solid phase . an aqueous solution of 1 - ethyl - 3 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl ) carbodiimide ( edac , 10 μl at 50 mg / ml ) was mixed with 100 microliters of a solution containing d . farinae ( 280 μg ) in deionized water . the amount of edac effective for the first stage of pretreatment ranged from about 5 . 0 μl to about 15 μl . the resulting mixture was incubated at about 22 ° c . for about 15 minutes . a two microliter portion of a solution containing sodium borohydride ( 20 mg / ml , nabh 4 ) in 10 μm phosphate buffered saline ( ph 7 ) was mixed with the incubated solution , and the mixture was further incubated at about 4 ° c . for 10 hours . the amount of nabh 4 effective for the second stage of pretreatment ranged from about 1 . 0 μl to about 5 . 0 μl . the mixture was then allowed to stand at about 20 ° c . for approximately 30 to 60 minutes . the mixture wascentrifuged , and the resultant supernatant , a pretreated d . farinae allergen composition , was decanted . the procedure was repeated using 100 microliters of a solution containing d . pteronyssinus ( 263 μg ) in deionized water . the pretreated allergen compositions were used substantially in accordance with the procedures described in example 1 to produce treated discs for immunoassays . the eia results were found to correlate with the results of testing the same serumsamples by other means : the disc turned dark blue when the serum sample contacted thereto contained ige specific for the allergen immobilized uponthe solid phase . one hundred percent acetic acid ( 12 . 5 μl , with effective amounts rangingfrom about 5 . 0 μl to about 30 μl ) was mixed with 100 microliters of asolution containing lamb &# 39 ; s quarters allergen ( 1176 μg ) in deionized water . the resultant mixture was incubated at about 22 ° c . for approximately five minutes , after which time 6n aqueous naoh was added to adjust the ph to 7 . the neutralized solution was incubated at about 4 ° c . for 10 hours , and was then allowed to stand at about 20 ° c . for 30 to 60 minutes . the mixture was then centrifuged , and the resultant supernatant , a pretreated lamb &# 39 ; s quarters allergen composition , was decanted . the procedure was repeated using 100 microliters of a solution containing mulberry allergen ( 40 μg ) in deionized water . the pretreated allergen compositions were used to produce treated discs for enzyme immunoassays substantially in accordance with the procedures described in example 1 . the assay results were found to correlate with the results of testing the same serum samples by other means : the disc turned dark blue when the serum sample contacted thereto contained ige specific for the allergen immobilized upon the solid phase . a solution of 6n aqueous hci ( 24 μl , with effective amounts ranging fromabout 6 . 0 μl to about 30 μl ) was mixed with 100 microliters of a solution containing penicillium ( 120 μg ). the resulting mixture was incubated for approximately five minutes at about 20 ° c ., after which time 6n aqueous naoh was added to adjust the ph to 7 . the neutralized solution was incubated at 4 ° c . for 10 hours and was then allowed to stand at about 20 ° c . for 30 to 60 minutes . the mixture was then centrifuged , and the resultant supernatant , a pretreated penicillium allergen composition , was decanted . the allergen pretreatment procedure was repeated with 100 microliters of a solution containing parietaria allergen ( 400 μg ) in deionized water . the solutions were then used substantially in accordance with the procedures described in example 1 to produce discs and to test serum samples in an ela . the assay results were found to correlate with the results of testing the same serum samples by other means : the disc turned dark blue when the serum contacted thereto contained lge specific for the allergen immobilized upon the solid phase . untreated allergen compositions included from about 0 . 5 to about 50 aspergillus allergen ; from about 0 . 6 to about 20 . 6 of cat allergen ; from about 0 . 1 to about 10 . 0 of elm allergen ; from about 0 . 4 to about 100 of house dust allergen ; from about 0 . 1 to about 11 . 5 of maple allergen ; from about 0 . 3 to about 90 . 4 of mugwort allergen and from about 1 . 7 to about 130 . 4 of plantain allergen in deionized water . the solutions were then used substantially in accordance with the procedures described in example 1 to produce discs and to test serum samples in an ela . the assay results were found to correlate with the results of testing the same serum samples by other means : the disc turned dark blue when the serum sample contained lge specific for the allergen immobilized upon the solid phase . pretreated allergen compositions , which were produced as described in examples 1 , and 3 through 9 , and which differed from one another with respect to allergen content , were used to test for lge in a series of serum samples . upper and lower allergen concentration limits were set by classifying a pretreated allergen composition as either &# 34 ; too dilute &# 34 ; if that composition failed to produce a maximum positive lge test result witha serum sample which had tested positive with a more concentrated allergen solution , or &# 34 ; too concentrated &# 34 ; if the composition failed to produce a maximum positive ige test result with a serum sample which had tested positive with a less concentrated allergen solution . the allergen concentrations tested ranged from about 0 . 05 milligrams of allergen per milliliter of water , prior to pretreatment , to about 170 milligrams / milliliter . the test results are presented in table 1 and illustrate the most effective concentration ranges for each of the allergens tested . table 1______________________________________ effective concentration rangeallergen ( protein content in solution ) ______________________________________alternaria alternata allergen from 0 . 05 to 4 . 0 mg / mlaspergillus fumigatus allergen from 0 . 5 to 50 . 0 mg / mlbermuda grass allergen from 0 . 8 to 81 . 6 mg / mlbirch allergen from 0 . 1 to 6 . 0 mg / mlmountain cedar allergen from 0 . 04 to 4 . 5 mg / mljapanese cedar allergen from 0 . 1 to 20 . 5 mg / mlcladosporium allergen from 0 . 05 to 38 . 4 mg / mlcat allergen from 0 . 6 to 20 . 6 mg / mldog allergen from 1 . 3 to 38 . 4 mg / mld . farinae allergen from 0 . 7 to 22 . 4 mg / mld . pteronyssinus allergen from 0 . 6 to 84 . 2 mg / mlelm allergen from 0 . 1 to 146 . 0 mg / mlfeather allergen from 0 . 02 to 0 . 2 mg / mlgiant ragweed allergen from 0 . 2 to 148 . 2 mg / mlhouse dust allergen from 0 . 4 to 100 mg / mljune / kentucky bluegrass from 0 . 05 to 21 . 8 mg / mlallergenlamb &# 39 ; s quarters allergen from 0 . 2 to 47 . 0 mg / mlmaple allergen from 0 . 1 to 166 . 3 mg / mlmugwort allergen from 0 . 3 to 90 . 4 mg / mlmulberry allergen from 0 . 1 to 12 mg / mloak allergen from 0 . 2 to 29 . 2 mg / mlolive allergen from 0 . 1 to 66 . 8 mg / mlparietaria allergen from 1 . 0 to 40 . 0 mg / mlplantain allergen from 1 . 7 to 130 . 4 mg / mlpenicillium allergen from 0 . 1 to 4 . 8 mg / mlperennial rye allergen from 0 . 05 to 17 . 3 mg / mlshort ragweed allergen from 0 . 2 to 151 . 6 mg / mltimothy allergen from 0 . 05 to 6 . 6 mg / ml______________________________________ in this manner , the optimum concentration of allergen was determined for the production of solid phase assay devices . it will be appreciated by one skilled - in - the - art that the concepts of the present invention are equally applicable to many different allergens ( specific binding members ), solid phase materials and immunoassay protocols . it will also be appreciated that the selection of any given label , ancillary binding member or solid phase material is generally not critical to the present invention . the materials are selected to optimize the results provided by the chosen assay configuration . the embodiments described herein are intended as examples rather than as limitations . thus , the description of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described in detail , but it is intended to encompass all equivalents and subject matter within the spiritand scope of the invention as described above and as set forth in the following claims .

US-50925590-A

a technique for reducing corrosion over a steel platen used during semiconductor wafer polishing . an anodic metal plate is attached to the steel platen to cathodically protect the surface of the steel platen via an electrochemical process . this cathodic protection inhibits the formation of localized anodic sections formed on the steel platen . since the steel platen now has fewer , if any , localized anodic sections present in the prior art , the steel platen is less likely to corrode . the anodic metal may be made of an inexpensive metal material such as magnesium , aluminum , or some other appropriate metal . the metal plate is also replaceable in nature , i . e ., it may be replaced after the metal plate has been corroded .

an example in which a polishing pad is conditioned concurrent with wafer polishing is shown in fig1 . fig1 provides a prospective view of a polishing pad 100 mounted on a rotatable steel platen 102 . steel platen 102 and polishing pads 100 rotate about a central axis 104 along the direction shown by arrow 106 . water carrier 108 , which holds wafer 124 , is usually directed downwards against pad 100 . wafer carrier 108 is configured at the end of arm 122 to rotate about axis 120 . wafer carrier 108 is mounted such that the frontside surface abuts pad 100 , the frontside surface embodying numerous topological features resulting during integrated circuit device fabrication . wafer carrier 108 rotates about axis 120 along arrow 124 within a plane parallel to the plane formed by the polishing surface of pad 100 . as pad 100 rotates , wafer carrier 108 contacts a portion of the polishing surface , denoted as a circular track 126 defined by the rotational movement of pad 100 . track 126 is conditioned during wafer polishing by a conditioning head 128 . conditioning head 128 is mounted on a movable arm 130 which can swing in position over track 126 commensurate with arm 122 . arm 130 presses an abrasive surface of conditioning head 128 against the polishing surface of pad 100 predominantly within track 126 as pad 100 rotates about axis 104 . during this process , protrusions on the abrasive downward - facing surface of head 128 extend toward the surface of polishing pad 100 . particles embedded in the pores of pad 100 are thus removed from the pad and flushed with slurry across the pad surface . as the slurry is introduced ( not shown ), the removed particles are rinsed over the edges of the polishing pad into a drain ( not shown ). removing the particles from the polishing pad inhibits glazing of the pad surface . the abrasive surface of conditioning head 128 may also function to roughen the surface of pad 100 . fig1 illustrates conditioning concurrent with wafer polishing ; however , it is recognized that conventional conditioning can occur either before or after wafer polishing . fig2 a - 2c illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention . in fig2 a , a detachable anodic metal plate 202 is attached to steel platen 102 via some detachable means 204 . detachable means are usually made of a conducting metal . the detachable means can also be non - metal as long as anodic metal plate 202 touches steel platen 102 . fig2 a illustrates a gap between the anodic metal slate and the steel platen . such gap is permitted only if detachable means 204 are made of conducting metal . if detachable means are made of non - conducting metal , such gap is not permitted . these detachable means may be , for example , screws latches , braces , or bolts . furthermore , as shown in fig2 b , metal plate 202 may be directly coupled to steel platen . for example , metal plate 202 may be welded to the steel platen . in another embodiment , as shown in 1 fig2 c , recesses or grooves may be created on the platen , e . g ., on the side of the platen . one or more metal plates 202 may then be embedded within these recesses 206 . during replacement , metal plates 202 may be removed from the recesses and new metal plates with similar size and shape may be inserted in the recesses . even though fig2 a and 2b illustrate use of only one metal plate 202 , in practice more than one plate may be used . the use of more than one plate may increase the dollar cost , but , in return , a greater protection is provided and the metal plates may not need to be replaced as often . yet in one more embodiment ( not shown ), one or more anodic metal plates 202 may be embedded in the surface of the steel platen covered by the conditioning pad . in this embodiment , anodic metal plates are part of the top surface of the steel platen . the purpose of metal plate 202 is to reduce the corrosion on steel platen 102 by corroding preferentially . metal plate 202 acts as a focal anode terminal and therefore absorbs most of the corrosion . metal plate 202 is preferably made of some inexpensive material and , after metal plate 202 has corroded the metal plate can be replaced by detaching the corroded plate 202 ( e . g ., via detachable means 204 of fig2 a ), and attaching a new metal plate 202 . the size and shape of metal plate 202 depends upon the size and shape of steel platen 102 . generally , metal plate 202 should be a sufficient size to provide the necessary cathodic protection on steel platen 102 . fig3 depicts a cross - sectional view of the cmp and conditioning process illustrated in fig2 a . more specifically , fig3 illustrates the abrasive surface 132 formed at the lower end of conditioning head 128 . abrasive surface 132 has a plurality of protrusions interspersed with recesses . the relative spacing of the protrusions and recesses depends on the desired conditioning effect . abrasive surface 132 preferably contacts the surface of pad 100 commensurate with wafer 108 . more particularly , abrasive surface 132 extends below the upper surface of slurry film 134 to dislodge depleted slurry particles and / or wafer polish by - products from the pores of pad 100 . metal plate 202 is coupled to steel platen 102 via detachable means 204 and matches the shape of steel platen 102 . after metal plate 202 has been corroded , metal plate 202 may be detached via means 204 and a new metal plate may be attached . since metal plates 202 are preferably made of inexpensive materials , the user may choose to change metal plates often or after pre - determined periods of time . the attachment of anodic metal plate 202 to steel platen 102 results in cathodic protection of steel platen 102 . to achieve a desired level of cathodic protection , it is necessary that anodic metal plate 202 is selected as a dissimilar metal from steel platen 102 in the galvanic series . cathodic protection results from cathodic polarization of a corroding metal surface to reduce the corrosion rate . for example , for iron corroding in a dilute neutral electrolyte solution , the respective anode and cathode reactions are : cathodic polarization of the above - mentioned corrosion reduces the rate of the half - cell reaction ( 1 ) with an excess of electrons which drives the equilibrium from right to left . the excess of electrons also increases the rate of oxygen reduction and oh − production by reaction ( 2 ) in a similar manner during cathodic polarization . reaction ( 1 ) could be replaced by the anodic reaction for any metal , and the corrosion rate of any metal can be reduced by cathodic polarization . the more noble ( positive ) metal in a galvanic couple is cathodically polarized , while the active metal is anodically dissolved . thus , a metal can be cathodically protected by connection to a second metal , called a sacrificial anode terminal , having a more active corrosion potential . the second metal must be periodically replaced as they are consumed by anodic dissolution . in general , the sacrificial anode terminal has a more active corrosion potential , and during the process of cathodic protection , the sacrificial anode terminal is consumed by anodic dissolution , and the cathode terminal is cathodically protected . the cathodic protection process involves the flow of electrons from the anode terminal to the cathode terminal . to initiate the process of cathodic protection , there must be an electrical contact between the anode terminal and the cathode terminal , and there must be a conductive electrolyte present to facilitate the flow of current between the terminals . in the present invention , anodic metal plate 202 acts as a sacrificial anode terminal , and steel platen 102 acts as a cathode terminal . the attachment means 204 provides the necessary electrical contact , and the slurry acts as a conducting electrolyte solution . the cathodic protection process starts by electrons flowing from anodic metal plate 202 to the steel platen 102 . the anodic reaction at steel platen 102 is reduced by the surplus of the electrons provided by anodic metal plate 202 . thus , localized anodic sections are inhibited from forming on steel platen 102 . anodic metal plate 202 continues to absorb the corrosion caused by cmp and pad conditioning , thereby reducing corrosion of steel platen 102 . after anodic metal plate 202 is dissolved to a pre - determined shape / size / dimension , the corroded metal plate 202 may be replaced with a new metal plate . it will be further understood that various changes in the details , materials , and arrangements of the pails which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the ail without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims .

US-49611500-A

methods and apparatuses to fabricate additive manufactured parts with in - process monitoring are described . as parts are formed layer - by - layer , a 3d measurement of each layer or layer group may be acquired . the acquisition of dimensional data may be performed at least partially in parallel with the formation of layers . the dimensional data may be accumulated until the part is fully formed , resulting in a part that was completely inspected as it was built . the as - built measurement data may be compared to the input geometrical description of the desired part shape . where the part fails to meet tolerance , it may be amended during the build process or rejected .

the present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for quality control of additive manufactured parts . fig1 - 2 schematically present apparatuses and uses of the apparatuses for quality control during additive manufacturing . additive manufacturing takes as input a geometric description 50 of the desired fabricated part 60 , for example from cad software or from a 3d scanner , and transforms the geometric description 50 into thin , virtual , layer - wise cross - sections . the manufacturing process proceeds by sequentially forming layers 62 of stock material 58 , one on top of another , following the pattern of the geometric description 50 cross - sections . as these layers 62 are formed , they are formed to the previously formed layers 62 , creating a partially complete , in - process part 64 . the forming process is typically repeated until all layers are formed and the entire fabricated part 60 is built . additive manufacturing apparatuses 30 work directly from the geometric description 50 , or model , generally requiring no specialized tooling to create the fabricated part 60 . limitations imposed by traditional manufacturing , like molding and machining , do not generally apply . thus , fabricated parts 60 may take more free - form shapes than traditionally manufactured parts . an additive manufacturing apparatus 30 with quality control according to the present disclosure comprises a deposition device 32 , to form the layers 62 , a dimensional measuring device 34 , to acquire dimensional data 54 of one or more layers 62 already formed , and a controller 36 programmed to perform and / or control the methods , including forming , acquiring , and comparing , as described further below . the controller 36 includes , and optionally is , a computer 38 . apparatuses 30 may further comprise a fabrication chamber 40 where layers 62 are formed on the in - process part 64 . where the apparatus 30 includes a fabrication chamber 40 , the deposition device 32 and / or the dimensional measuring device 34 may be at least temporarily , and in some embodiments fully , located within the fabrication chamber 40 . in particular , the deposition device 32 is typically located within the fabrication chamber 40 while one or more layers 62 are being formed . likewise , the dimensional measuring device 34 is typically located within the fabrication chamber 40 while one or more layers 62 are being measured . apparatuses 30 may further comprise a base tray 44 that generally supports the in - process part 64 , and , in particular , is the underlying support for the first of the layers 62 . as the fabricated part 60 is a three dimensional object , the apparatus 30 also may include one or more stages to move the deposition device 32 and the in - process part 64 , on the optional base tray 44 , relative to each other . in this way , the region where a portion of a new layer 62 is formed may be moved . generally , the formation region is moved laterally in two dimensions to selectively form a layer 62 . when the layer is complete , the formation region is moved axially ( e . g ., vertically ) relative to the in - process part 64 , such that the apparatus 30 is prepared to create another layer 62 above the last one . lateral motion may be achieved by one or more lateral stages 45 , while axial motion may be achieved by one or more axial stages 46 . the stages may be configured to move the deposition device 32 and / or the in - process part 64 , optionally on the base tray 44 . apparatuses 30 may further comprise a stock material supply 48 . the stock material supply 48 holds a supply of stock material 58 available to the deposition device 32 to form a layer 62 . the stock material supply 48 may optionally supply the apparatus 30 with stock material 58 in response to stock material 58 consumed in the formation of layers 62 . generally , the apparatus 30 may be configured to perform one or more types of additive manufacturing techniques . the different techniques differ in the ways in which the layers 62 are formed and in which stock materials 58 are compatible . apparatuses 30 may perform different techniques and / or use different stock materials 58 at different times and / or upon different layers 62 . additionally or alternatively , the different techniques and / or different stock materials 58 may be used simultaneously and / or upon the same layer 62 . illustrative , non - exclusive additive manufacturing techniques include selective laser sintering , direct metal laser sintering , selective heat sintering , electron beam freeform fabrication , electron beam melting , stereolithography , direct droplet deposition , fused deposition modeling , and extrusion . various techniques and / or combinations of techniques may require the deposition device 32 to include one or more of a laser scanner , a laser , a light source , a heat source , and an electron beam . selective laser sintering is a technique that uses a powerful laser to selectively fuse powdered thermoplastic , ceramic , or metal stock material 58 by scanning cross - sections , derived from the geometric description 50 , on the surface of a powder bed . after each layer 62 is complete the powder bed with the in - process part 64 is lowered by one layer 62 thickness , a new layer of powdered stock material 58 is applied on top , and the process is repeated until the completed fabricated part 60 is formed . direct metal laser sintering is a technique that is similar to selective laser sintering except that it uses a laser beam powerful enough to melt and fuse metal powder grains . the resulting fabricated parts 64 typically have mechanical properties equivalent to bulk materials , with a homogenous structure and no unintentional voids . selective heat sintering is a technique that is similar to selective laser sintering except that the heat to melt the powdered stock material 58 is supplied by a finely controlled thermal deposition device 32 , similar to a thermal print head . electron beam freeform fabrication and electron beam melting are techniques that use a focused ion beam in a vacuum to selectively melt and solidify metallic stock material 58 into layers 62 . electron beam freeform fabrication uses a metallic wire stock material 58 . electron beam melting uses a metallic powder stock material 58 . stereolithography is a class of techniques that use photopolymerization to form a solid fabricated part 60 from a liquid including a photopolymer stock material 58 . a light pattern , typically of ultraviolet ( uv ) light , may be projected upon a thin layer of stock material 58 which selectively cures the stock material 58 into a solid layer 62 . additionally or alternatively , the light pattern may be written on the thin layer of stock material 58 by a laser scanner . in some embodiments , the stock material 58 may be a thick volume of a viscous liquid and / or a gel . in that case , photopolymerization may be initiated by a multiphoton process ( a non - linear absorption of light ). typically , multiphoton techniques use focused infrared ( ir ) and / or near - infrared ( nir ) laser beams scanned through the stock material 58 . photopolymerization only occurs within the focal volume of the light beam . typically , the beam is swept through the stock material 58 in three dimensions , creating a freeform photopolymerized fabricated part 60 . multiphoton techniques may also be used with thin , liquid stock material 58 as with other stereolithography techniques . direct droplet deposition is a class of techniques that eject microdroplets of liquid stock material 58 from the deposition device 32 . the stock material 58 may be molten metallic or thermoplastic , in which case the droplets solidify soon after being deposited on a substrate , e . g ., a layer 62 and / or the base tray 44 . the stock material 58 may be a photopolymer , in which case the droplets require exposure to curing light to solidify . the stock material 58 may be a chemical component of a catalyst - binder system or a catalyst - resin system . all components of the system may be deposited by droplets , or one or more components may be deposited onto a bed of the remaining components . such techniques also may incorporate inert materials into the fabricated part 60 . for example , direct droplet deposition may be used to create sand cast molds incorporating sand bound by binder e . g ., by depositing catalyst droplets onto beds of binder coated sand . fused deposition modeling and extrusion are techniques that melt and / or extrude thermoplastic or metal stock material 58 into a layer 62 . the deposition device 32 has a heated nozzle that can selectively emit melted stock material 58 . the emitted stock material 58 rapidly hardens after leaving the nozzle . apparatuses 30 generally build fabricated parts 60 from fused layers 62 of stock material 58 . stock materials 58 are typically stored and / or supplied by a stock material supply 48 . stock materials 58 generally have a liquid , solid , and / or granular form , and are generally not gaseous . illustrative , non - exclusive stock materials include a plastic , a polymer , a photopolymer , an acrylic , an epoxy , a thermoplastic , an abs plastic , a polycarbonate , a polylactic acid , a biopolymer , a starch , a plaster , a wax , a clay , a metal , a metal alloy , a eutectic metal , a metal powder , an iron alloy , a stainless steel , a maraging steel , an aluminum alloy , a titanium alloy , a nickel alloy , a magnesium alloy , a cobalt chrome alloy , and a ceramic . apparatus 30 may be configured to use multiple stock materials 58 during the fabrication of a single fabricated part 60 . for example , the stock material supply 48 may supply more than one type of stock material 58 . additionally or alternatively , apparatus 30 may include more than one deposition device 32 and / or more than one stock material supply 48 . when an apparatus 30 is so configured , a single fabricated part 60 may be made of multiple stock materials 58 , for example , several metal alloys . different portions of a fabricated part 60 , for example an engine turbine , may be made with different materials optimized for different qualities , e . g ., one end may be optimized for strength while the other is optimized for heat resistance . additionally or alternatively , optional support structure , which may be formed with the layers 62 , may be formed of a different stock material 58 than the in - process part 64 . apparatuses 30 comprise a dimensional measuring device 34 which optionally includes one or more energy detectors 42 and / or one or more energy emitters 43 . the dimensional measuring device 34 is configured to acquire dimensional data 54 as the layers 62 are being formed , accumulating the layer - wise dimensional data 54 . when data at all the desired layers has been acquired , the accumulated , in - process dimension data 54 becomes the output dimensional data 56 that describes the geometric dimensions of the fabricated part 60 as - built . dimensional data 54 may be acquired with a variety of techniques . for the in - process parts 64 , which may be delicate and may have steep geometries , non - contact techniques are generally used , i . e ., no physical probe touches the in - process part 64 and / or the layers 62 . non - contact techniques all generally detect some form of energy emanating from the sample being probed . suitable energy forms include light , heat , and sound . when the energy is in the form of light , the light may include one or more of visible light , infrared ( ir ) light , near - infrared ( nir ) light , and ultraviolet ( uv ) light . energy detectors 42 suitable for light detection include photodetectors , for example a photodiode , a position sensitive device , an array detector , and a ccd ( charge coupled device ). energy detectors 42 suitable for heat detection include infrared imagers . energy detectors 42 suitable for sound detection include ultrasonic transducers . the dimensional measuring device 34 may use machine vision , 3d optical scanning , photogrammetry , and / or structured light imaging . depending on the configuration , the dimensional measuring device 34 may generate 2d ( two - dimensional ) and / or 3d geometric measurements of the in - process part 64 . machine vision is a technique that uses electronic imaging and algorithms to extract geometric information from images of the in - process part 64 . 3d optical scanning is a technique which uses light reflection , often from a laser , to calculate the surface geometry of the in - process part 64 . typically the surface location is calculated from the time - of - flight or from triangulation . photogrammetry is a technique that determines the geometry of the in - process part 64 through analysis of electronic images , commonly multiple images from different angles . structured light imaging is a technique that projects a pattern of light onto the in - process part 64 and calculates the surface profile from detected distortions of the pattern reflected by the surface of the in - process part 64 . if the dimensional measure device 34 includes and uses an energy emitter 43 , the energy emitter imparts energy onto the in - process part 64 and / or the layers 62 . generally , for non - contact measurement , the energy is a radiative form , such as light , heat , and / or sound . whatever the form of energy , the energy emitter 43 does not typically impart enough energy to damage or otherwise interfere with the in - process part 64 , the layers 62 , or any of the stock material 58 . energy emitters 43 suitable for light emission include lamps , wide - field illuminators , structured illuminators , lasers , laser scanners , flash lamps , and modulated illuminators . further , dimensional measuring device 34 may be configured to use ambient light as a supplement or alternative to a light energy emitter 43 . accordingly , an energy detector 42 may be configured to detect ambient light reflected and / or transmitted by the in - process part 64 . energy emitters 43 suitable for heat emission include heaters . energy emitters 43 suitable for sound emission include ultrasonic transducers . dimensional data 54 acquired by the dimensional measuring device 34 may be 2d and / or 3d . if the dimensional data 54 acquired from a layer 62 is 2d then potential variations in the layer 62 thickness might remain unmeasured . in - process dimensional data 54 , accumulated from one or more layers 62 , and output dimensional data 56 , accumulated from all layers 62 , are inherently 3d . dimensional data 54 , and output dimensional data 56 , may include , optionally may be , a point cloud , a polygon mesh , and / or a 3d representation . dimensional data 54 additionally may include , or optionally may be , an image and / or a 2d layer representation . the dimensional data 54 and the output dimensional data 56 independently may be collected and / or stored with a lateral resolution of about 0 . 01 μm , about 0 . 02 μm , about 0 . 05 μm , about 0 . 1 μm , about 0 . 2 μm , about 0 . 5 μm , about 1 μm , about 2 μm , about 5 μm , about 10 μm , about 15 μm , about 20 μm , about 30 μm , about 40 μm , about 50 μm , about 100 μm , about 150 μm , about 200 μm , about 300 μm , about 400 μm , or about 500 μm ; and / or about 0 . 01 - 50 μm , about 0 . 01 - 5 μm , about 0 . 02 - 2 μm , about 0 . 2 - 500 μm , about 0 . 2 - 50 μm , about 0 . 2 - 10 μm , about 1 - 500 μm , about 1 - 50 μm , about 1 - 20 μm , about 5 - 500 μm , about 5 - 100 μm , or about 5 - 50 μm . the dimensional data 54 and the output dimensional data 56 independently may be collected and / or stored with an axial resolution of about 0 . 05 μm , about 0 . 1 μm , about 0 . 2 μm , about 0 . 5 μm , about 1 μm , about 2 μm , about 5 μm , about 10 μm , about 15 μm , about 20 μm , about 30 μm , about 40 μm , about 50 μm , about 100 μm , about 150 μm , about 200 μm , about 300 μm , about 400 μm , or about 500 μm ; and / or about 0 . 05 - 50 μm , about 0 . 05 - 10 μm , about 0 . 2 - 5 μm , about 0 . 5 - 500 μm , about 0 . 5 - 100 μm , about 0 . 5 - 50 μm , about 0 . 5 - 10 μm , about 2 - 100 μm , about 2 - 40 μm , about 10 - 40 μm , about 40 - 100 μm , or about 40 - 500 μm . apparatuses 30 , and deposition devices 32 , form each layer 62 following the pattern of the geometric description 50 . generally , the geometric description 50 is an input to the apparatus 30 operation , and thus is predetermined . additionally or alternatively , the geometric description 50 may be provided to the apparatus 50 in smaller data sets , corresponding to the one or more layers 62 being formed . the geometric description 50 may include , and optionally is , a point cloud , a polygon mesh , a 2d layer representation and / or a 3d surface representation . in addition to describing at least some of the fabricated part 60 , the geometric description 50 may include a description of one or more support structures — structures that provide temporary support of the in - process part 64 and / or layer 62 during the fabrication process . support structures may be a component of apparatus 30 or may be built with the fabricated part 60 . turning to fig3 , manufacturing methods 10 for additive manufactured parts with quality control are schematically represented . manufacturing methods 10 comprise sequentially forming 12 one or more layers 62 based upon a geometric description 50 , synchronously acquiring 14 dimensional data 54 about at least a portion of the layers 62 , and comparing 16 the geometric description 50 with the dimensional data 54 . forming 12 may be achieved using the techniques and devices described above , including use of apparatuses 30 . manufacturing methods 10 may comprise supplying 20 stock material 58 , optionally using a stock material supply 48 . the geometric description 50 of the desired fabricated part 60 may be decomposed into a series of layer - by - layer descriptions of the fabricated part 60 . forming 12 generally includes serially forming the individual layers 62 from the layer descriptions . forming 12 may include forming a select number of layers 62 , where the selected layers include at least one , and less than all , of the layers 62 . each forming 12 results in an in - process part 64 , which initially includes the initially selected layers , and which , as forming 12 continues , eventually may include all of the layers 62 , and hence the entire fabricated part 60 . in addition to layers 62 , each forming 12 may include forming one or more temporary support structures that may support layers 62 of the in - process part 64 . the thickness of each layer 62 formed may be about 0 . 2 μm , about 0 . 5 μm , about 1 μm , about 2 μm , about 5 μm , about 10 μm , about 15 μm , about 20 μm , about 30 μm , about 40 μm , about 50 μm , about 100 μm , about 150 μm , about 200 μm , about 300 μm , about 400 μm , or about 500 μm ; and / or about 0 . 2 - 100 μm , about 0 . 2 - 10 μm , about 0 . 5 - 10 μm , about 5 - 500 μm , about 5 - 100 μm , about 5 - 50 μm , about 10 - 40 μm , about 40 - 100 μm , or about 40 - 500 μm . the minimum feature size of each layer 62 formed may be about 0 . 05 μm , about 0 . 1 μm , about 0 . 2 μm , about 0 . 5 μm , 1 μm , about 2 μm , about 5 μm , about 10 μm , about 15 μm , about 20 μm , about 30 μm , about 40 μm , about 50 μm , about 100 μm , about 150 μm , about 200 μm , about 300 μm , about 400 μm , or about 500 μm ; and / or about 0 . 05 - 100 μm , about 0 . 05 - 10 μm , about 0 . 1 - 2 μm , about 1 - 500 μm , about 1 - 50 μm , about 1 - 20 μm , about 5 - 500 μm , about 5 - 100 μm , or about 5 - 50 μm . if the geometric description 50 includes any features smaller than the minimum feature size , those features may be misformed . to avoid attempting to form features smaller than the minimum feature size , the geometric description 50 may be filtered to remove features smaller than the minimum feature size . if , upon inspection , features smaller than the minimum feature size are observed on the fabricated part 60 , those features may be spurious features , a result of machine malfunction rather than the design input . the acquiring 14 is synchronous with the forming 12 . this means that acquiring 14 is proximate in time with forming 12 . acquiring 14 may be performed sequentially after the forming 12 , or may be performed at least partially concurrently with the forming 12 . forming 12 may begin before acquiring 14 begins . forming 12 may end before acquiring 14 begins and / or before acquiring 14 ends . generally , the total time for forming 12 and acquiring 14 combined does not substantially differ from the total time for forming 12 alone . the acquisition time , the time to complete the acquiring 14 , may not be significantly more than , may be about equal to , may be less than or equal to , or may be significantly less than the formation time , the time to complete the forming 12 . the acquisition time may be less than about 1 %, about 10 %, about 50 %, about 100 %, or about 200 % of the formation time ; or about 1 - 200 %, 1 - 100 %, or 10 - 50 % of the formation time . acquiring 14 may include collecting dimensional data 54 about the in - process part 64 , a portion of the in - process part 64 , the layers 62 , or a portion of the layers 62 . where the acquiring 14 collects dimensional data 54 about only a portion of the in - process part 64 or the layers 62 , dimensional data 54 may be accumulated to construct a complete model of the in - process part 64 or the layers 62 . manufacturing methods 10 may comprise repeating 18 the forming 12 and the acquiring 14 , and / or may comprise repeating 18 the forming 12 , the acquiring 14 , and the comparing 16 . repeating 18 may iterate for two or more cycles . generally , repeating 18 is ceased once the fabricated part 60 is complete ( all layers 62 are formed ). after the fabricated part 60 is complete , all layers 62 are formed , and / or the repeating 18 has ceased , the fabricated part 60 part may be subject to one or more post - processing steps 22 . illustrative , non - exclusive example post - processing steps 22 include inspecting the fabricated part , removing a spurious feature from the fabricated part , removing a support structure , surface finishing the fabricated part , annealing the fabricated part , hardening the fabricated part , cleaning the fabricated part , and coating the fabricated part . manufacturing methods 10 comprise comparing 16 the input geometric description 50 and the acquired dimensional data 54 . comparing 16 compares at least a portion of the geometric description 50 ( i . e ., the virtual model of the fabricated part ) with at least a portion of the dimensional data 54 ( i . e ., the actual dimensions of the fabricated part as - built ). comparing 16 may occur as the forming 12 and / or acquiring 14 are occurring , or may occur after the fabricated part 60 is complete . comparing 16 may include reporting and / or visualizing one or both of some portion of the geometric description 50 and some portion of the dimensional data 54 . visualizing may include outputting to a display device images representative of the comparing 16 . additionally or alternatively , comparing 16 may include reporting and / or visualizing dimensions derived from the geometric description 50 and / or the dimensional data 54 . comparing 16 typically includes calculating a measured difference between the geometric description 50 and the dimensional data 54 . the measured difference may be reported , visualized , or used to affect further processing . for example , the measured difference may be compared to a predetermined tolerance limit . if the measured difference is out of tolerance ( outside of , greater than , equal to , or less than the predetermined tolerance limit , as circumstances dictate ), the manufacturing methods 10 ( including forming 12 and repeating 18 ) may be ceased , avoiding building a non - compliant fabricated part 60 . ceasing may include an immediate halt , decomposing the in - process part 64 , destruction of the in - process part 64 , and / or rendering the in - process part visibly non - compliant . additionally or alternatively , if the measured difference is out of tolerance , comparing may include indicating the result of the comparison and / or the need for post - processing 22 , such as inspecting , removing a spurious feature , decomposing , destroying , or marking the indicated fabricated part 60 . the measured difference may be used in a feed - back or feed - forward manner to affect the forming 12 . forming 12 may be based upon forming parameters , such as processing speed , resolution , stock material composition , temperature , and energy applied to the stock material . where forming 12 is based upon forming parameters , the measured difference may be used to adjust current and / or future forming 12 . in particular , where the measure difference is approaching the predetermined tolerance limit , forming parameters may be adjusted to avoid becoming out of tolerance on the next iteration . additionally or alternatively , where the measured difference is sufficiently different than the predetermined tolerance limit , forming parameters may be adjusted to conserve resources ( e . g ., time , material , energy ) on the next iteration . comparing 16 may compare optional support structure if included in the geometric description 50 and the dimensional data 54 . additionally or alternatively , comparing 16 may filter , or otherwise exclude , portions of geometric description 50 and / or dimensional data 54 that correspond to optional support structure . by excluding support structure information , the true , as - built fabricated part dimensions may be compared with the intended design . turning now to fig4 , illustrative , non - exclusive examples of additive manufacturing apparatuses 30 with integrated quality control inspection are schematically presented , with the apparatuses 30 optionally being configured to perform and / or facilitate methods 10 according to the present disclosure . where appropriate , the reference numerals from the schematic illustrations of fig1 - 3 are used to designate corresponding components of apparatuses 30 ; however , the examples of fig4 are non - exclusive and do not limit apparatuses 30 to the illustrated embodiments of fig4 . that is , apparatuses 30 are not limited to the specific embodiments represented in fig4 , and apparatuses 30 may incorporate any number of the various aspects , configurations , characteristics , properties , etc . that are illustrated in and discussed with reference to the schematic representations of fig1 - 3 , as well as variations thereof , without requiring the inclusion of all such aspects , configurations , characteristics , properties , etc . for the purpose of brevity , each previously discussed component , part , portion , aspect , region , etc . or variants thereof may not be discussed , illustrated , and / or labeled again with respect to fig4 ; however , it is within the scope of the present disclosure that the previously discussed features , variants , etc . may be utilized with the illustrated embodiments of fig4 . in fig4 , apparatus 30 is generally an additive manufacturing machine with a deposition device 32 and an integrated dimensional measuring device 34 for quality control . the deposition device 32 optionally includes a stock material supply 48 . the dimensional measuring device 34 optionally includes one or more detectors 42 ( two illustrated ) and one or more emitters 43 ( one illustrated ). in this illustration , the dimensional measuring device 34 is illustrated as an optical dimensional measuring device 34 . the layers 62 and the in - process part 64 are formed on a base tray 44 . the base tray may optionally carry a stock material supply 48 . to assist forming layers 62 on the base tray 44 , the deposition device 32 may translate along a lateral stage 45 , and the base tray 44 may translate along an axial , or vertical , stage 46 . the apparatus 30 optionally comprises a fabrication chamber 40 which encloses the deposition device 32 , the dimensional measuring device 34 , the base tray 44 , and the layers 62 as formed . the deposition device 32 may be configured to move away from the base tray 44 and the in - process part 64 , leaving a clear path for non - contact , e . g ., optical , interrogation of the in - process part 64 by the dimensional measuring device 34 . additionally or alternatively , the deposition device 32 may afford a clear path to a portion of the in - process part 64 and may move relative to the in - process part 64 to sequentially expose all portions of the in - process part 64 . in such case , the dimensional measuring device 34 may collect dimensional data 54 on portions of the in - process part 64 as portions are exposed by the deposition device 32 . further , the dimensional measuring device 34 may be configured to reject data corresponding to the deposition device 32 when the deposition device 32 obscures measurement of a portion of the in - process part 64 . accordingly , the acquiring 14 may be performed at least partially concurrently with the forming 12 . the whole apparatus 30 is controlled by a controller 36 , which is optionally a computer 38 . the controller 36 coordinates the operation of the deposition device 32 and the dimensional measuring device 34 , and may be programmed to perform any of the manufacturing methods 10 previously described . illustrative , non - exclusive examples of inventive subject matter according to the present disclosure are described in the following enumerated paragraphs : a1 . a manufacturing and quality control method for fabricating a fabricated part from a series of layers , the method comprising : sequentially forming one or more layers of the series of layers , using additive manufacturing from a stock material and based upon a geometric description , to form an at least partially completed in - process part ; synchronously acquiring dimensional data about at least a portion of the one or more layers ; and comparing at least a portion , optionally all , of the geometric description to at least some , optionally all , of the dimensional data . a2 . the method of paragraph a1 , wherein the synchronously acquiring includes acquiring dimensional data about the in - process part after each layer of the series of layers is formed . a3 . the method of paragraph a1 , wherein the synchronously acquiring includes acquiring dimensional data about the in - process part after each instance of two or more layers of the series of layers are formed . a4 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a3 , wherein the synchronously acquiring is performed sequentially after the sequentially forming or is performed at least partially concurrently with the sequentially forming . a5 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a4 , wherein the sequentially forming begins before the synchronously acquiring begins . a6 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a5 , wherein the sequentially forming ends before the synchronously acquiring begins . a7 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a6 , wherein the sequentially forming ends before the synchronously acquiring ends . a8 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a7 , wherein the sequentially forming takes a formation time to complete , wherein the synchronously acquiring takes an acquisition time to complete , and wherein the acquisition time is not significantly more than , is about equal to , is less than or equal to , or is significantly less than the formation time . a9 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a8 , wherein the sequentially forming takes a formation time to complete , wherein the synchronously acquiring takes an acquisition time to complete , and wherein the acquisition time is less than about 1 %, about 10 %, about 50 %, about 100 %, or about 200 % of the formation time ; or about 1 - 200 %, 1 - 100 %, 10 - 50 % of the formation time . repeating the sequentially forming and the synchronously acquiring until each layer in the series of layers is formed into the fabricated part . repeating the sequentially forming , the synchronously acquiring , and the comparing until each layer in the series of layers is formed into the fabricated part . after the fabricated part is formed , completing one or more post - fabrication processing steps selected from the group of inspecting the fabricated part , removing a spurious feature from the fabricated part , removing a support structure , surface finishing the fabricated part , annealing the fabricated part , hardening the fabricated part , cleaning the fabricated part , and coating the fabricated part . a13 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a12 , wherein the comparing includes reporting at least some , optionally all , of the dimensional data and / or dimensions derived from the dimensional data . a14 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a13 , wherein the comparing includes reporting a difference between the dimensional data and the geometric description . a15 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a14 , wherein the comparing includes visualizing at least some , optionally all , of the dimensional data . a16 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a15 , wherein the comparing includes visualizing at least some , optionally all , of the geometric description . a17 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a16 , wherein the comparing includes visualizing a difference between the dimensional data and the geometric description . a18 . the method of any of paragraphs a15 - a17 , wherein the visualizing includes outputting to a display device images representative of the comparing . a19 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a18 , wherein the comparing includes calculating a measured difference between the dimensional data and the geometric description . a19 . 1 . the method of paragraph a19 , wherein the comparing includes comparing a predetermined tolerance limit to the measured difference . ceasing the sequentially forming and / or the repeating the sequentially forming of the in - process part if the measured difference is outside of , greater than , equal to , or less than a predetermined tolerance limit . indicating the need for post - fabrication processing if the measured difference is outside of , greater than , equal to , or less than a predetermined tolerance limit . a19 . 4 . the method of any of paragraphs a19 - a19 . 3 , wherein the sequentially forming includes sequentially forming based upon forming parameters , the method further comprising : optionally wherein the forming parameters include one or more of processing speed , resolution , stock material composition , temperature , and energy applied to the stock material . a20 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a19 . 4 , wherein the comparing includes excluding from further comparing an element of the geometric description that corresponds to optional support structure . a21 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a20 , wherein the comparing includes excluding from further comparing an element of the dimensional data that corresponds to optional support structure . a22 . the method of any of paragraphs a13 - a21 , wherein the comparing is performed by a computer . a24 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a23 , wherein the stock material is one or more of a plastic , a polymer , a photopolymer , an acrylic , an epoxy , a thermoplastic , an abs plastic , a polycarbonate , a polylactic acid , a biopolymer , a starch , a plaster , a wax , a clay , a metal , a metal alloy , a eutectic metal , a metal powder , an iron alloy , a stainless steel , a maraging steel , an aluminum alloy , a titanium alloy , a nickel alloy , a magnesium alloy , a cobalt chrome alloy , and a ceramic . a25 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a24 , wherein the stock material is one or more of solid , granular , and liquid . a26 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a25 , wherein the stock material is not gaseous . a27 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a26 , wherein the geometric description is predetermined . a28 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a27 , wherein the geometric description includes a description of the fabricated part , and / or the one or more layers . a29 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a28 , wherein the geometric description includes , optionally is , a point cloud , a polygon mesh , a 2d layer representation and / or a 3d surface representation . a30 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a29 , wherein the geometric description includes a description of one or more support structures . a31 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a30 , wherein the forming includes one or more of selective laser sintering , direct metal laser sintering , selective heat sintering , electron beam freeform fabrication , electron beam melting , stereolithography , direct droplet deposition , fused deposition modeling , and extrusion . a32 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a31 , wherein the sequentially forming includes forming one or more support structures . a33 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a32 , wherein a thickness of each of the one or more layers is about 0 . 2 μm , about 0 . 5 μm , about 1 μm , about 2 μm , about 5 μm , about 10 μm , about 15 μm , about 20 μm , about 30 μm , about 40 μm , about 50 μm , about 100 μm , about 150 μm , about 200 μm , about 300 μm , about 400 μm , or about 500 μm ; and / or about 0 . 2 - 100 μm , about 0 . 2 - 10 μm , about 0 . 5 - 10 μm , about 5 - 500 μm , about 5 - 100 μm , about 5 - 50 μm , about 10 - 40 μm , about 40 - 100 μm , or about 40 - 500 μm . a34 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a33 , wherein a minimum feature size of each of the one or more layers is about 0 . 05 μm , about 0 . 1 μm , about 0 . 2 μm , about 0 . 5 μm , 1 μm , about 2 μm , about 5 μm , about 10 μm , about 15 μm , about 20 μm , about 30 μm , about 40 μm , about 50 μm , about 100 μm , about 150 μm , about 200 μm , about 300 μm , about 400 μm , or about 500 μm ; and / or about 0 . 05 - 100 μm , about 0 . 05 - 10 μm , about 0 . 1 - 2 μm , about 1 - 500 μm , about 1 - 50 μm , about 1 - 20 μm , about 5 - 500 μm , about 5 - 100 μm , or about 5 - 50 μm . a35 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a34 , wherein the synchronously acquiring includes detecting energy emanating from the portion of the one or more layers . a35 . 1 . the method of paragraph a35 , wherein the detecting includes detecting one or more of light , heat , and sound emanating from the portion of the one or more layers , optionally wherein the light includes one or more of visible light , ir light , nir light , and uv light . a36 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a35 , wherein the synchronously acquiring includes non - contact detection . a37 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a36 , wherein the synchronously acquiring does not include contacting the portion of the one or more layers . a38 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a37 , wherein the synchronously acquiring includes use of one or more of machine vision , 3d optical scanning , photogrammetry , and structured light imaging . a39 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a38 , wherein the synchronously acquiring includes using a photodetector configured to receive light from the portion of the one or more layers ; optionally wherein the photodetector includes one or more of a photodiode , a position sensitive device , an array detector , and a ccd . a40 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a39 , wherein the synchronously acquiring includes imparting energy to the portion of the one or more layers ; optionally wherein the energy does not , optionally does not significantly , interfere with the forming , and / or does not , optionally does not significantly , damage the portion of the one or more layers . a40 . 1 . the method of paragraph a40 , wherein the imparting includes illuminating with light , wherein the illuminating optionally includes one or more of transmitting ambient light , wide - field illumination , structured illumination , scanned point illumination , flash illumination , and modulated illumination . a41 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a40 . 1 , wherein the dimensional data includes , and optionally is , a point cloud , a polygon mesh , an image , a 2d layer representation and / or a 3d surface representation . a42 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a41 , wherein the dimensional data has an axial resolution of about 0 . 05 μm , about 0 . 1 μm , about 0 . 2 μm , about 0 . 5 μm , about 1 μm , about 2 μm , about 5 μm , about 10 μm , about 15 μm , about 20 μm , about 30 μm , about 40 μm , about 50 μm , about 100 μm , about 150 μm , about 200 μm , about 300 μm , about 400 μm , or about 500 μm ; and / or about 0 . 05 - 50 μm , about 0 . 05 - 10 μm , about 0 . 2 - 5 μm , about 0 . 5 - 500 μm , about 0 . 5 - 100 μm , about 0 . 5 - 50 μm , about 0 . 5 - 10 μm , about 2 - 100 μm , about 2 - 40 μm , about 10 - 40 μm , about 40 - 100 μm , or about 40 - 500 μm . a43 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a42 , wherein the dimensional data has a lateral resolution of about 0 . 01 μm , about 0 . 02 μm , about 0 . 05 μm , about 0 . 1 μm , about 0 . 2 μm , about 0 . 5 μm , about 1 μm , about 2 μm , about 5 μm , about 10 μm , about 15 μm , about 20 μm , about 30 μm , about 40 μm , about 50 μm , about 100 μm , about 150 μm , about 200 μm , about 300 μm , about 400 μm , or about 500 μm ; and / or about 0 . 01 - 50 μm , about 0 . 01 - 5 μm , about 0 . 02 - 2 μm , about 0 . 2 - 500 μm , about 0 . 2 - 50 μm , about 0 . 2 - 10 μm , about 1 - 500 μm , about 1 - 50 μm , about 1 - 20 μm , about 5 - 500 about 5 - 100 μm , or about 5 - 50 μm . a44 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a43 , wherein the sequentially forming includes depositing the stock material using a deposition device ; wherein the synchronously acquiring includes detecting energy emanating from the portion of the one or more layers using an energy detector , and includes moving the deposition device relative to the in - process part to at least partially expose the energy detector to the energy emanating from the portion of the one or more layers . a45 . the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a44 , wherein the sequentially forming includes depositing the stock material using a deposition device ; wherein the synchronously acquiring includes detecting energy emanating from the portion of the one or more layers and energy emanating from the deposition device , and includes rejecting data corresponding to energy emanating from the deposition device . a46 . a fabricated part formed by the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a43 . a controller programmed to control the method of any of paragraphs a1 - a45 ; wherein the deposition device is configured to perform the sequentially forming , and wherein the dimensional measuring device is configured to perform the synchronously acquiring . b2 . the apparatus of paragraph b1 , further comprising one or more of : b3 . the apparatus of any of paragraphs b1 - b2 , wherein the deposition device is configured to perform one or more of selective laser sintering , direct metal laser sintering , selective heat sintering , electron beam freeform fabrication , electron beam melting , stereolithography , direct droplet deposition , fused deposition modeling , and extrusion . b4 . the apparatus of any of paragraphs b1 - b3 , wherein the deposition device includes one or more of a laser scanner , a laser , a light source , a heat source , and an electron beam . b5 . the apparatus of any of paragraphs b1 - b4 , wherein the dimensional measuring device includes an energy detector , and optionally includes an energy emitter , and optionally when depending from paragraph b2 wherein the energy detector and energy emitter are positioned within the fabrication chamber . b5 . 1 . the apparatus of paragraph b5 , wherein the energy detector includes one or more of a machine vision device , a 3d optical scanner , a photodetector , a photodiode , a position sensitive device , an array photodetector , and a ccd . b5 . 2 . the apparatus of any of paragraphs b5 - b5 . 1 , wherein the energy emitter includes one or more of a lamp , a wide - field illuminator , a structured illuminator , a laser , a laser scanner , a flash lamp , and a modulated illuminator . b6 . the apparatus of any of paragraphs b1 - b5 . 2 , wherein when the apparatus comprises a fabrication chamber , the dimensional measuring device is at least temporarily within the fabrication chamber . b7 . the apparatus of any of paragraphs b1 - b6 , wherein the controller includes , and optionally is , a computer . as used herein , the terms “ selective ” and “ selectively ,” when modifying an action , movement , configuration , or other activity of one or more components or characteristics of an apparatus , mean that the specific action , movement , configuration , or other activity is a direct or indirect result of user manipulation of an aspect of , or one or more components of , the apparatus . as used herein , the terms “ adapted ” and “ configured ” mean that the element , component , or other subject matter is designed and / or intended to perform a given function . thus , the use of the terms “ adapted ” and “ configured ” should not be construed to mean that a given element , component , or other subject matter is simply “ capable of ” performing a given function but that the element , component , and / or other subject matter is specifically selected , created , implemented , utilized , programmed , and / or designed for the purpose of performing the function . it is also within the scope of the present disclosure that elements , components , and / or other recited subject matter that is recited as being adapted to perform a particular function may additionally or alternatively be described as being configured to perform that function , and vice versa . similarly , subject matter that is recited as being configured to perform a particular function may additionally or alternatively be described as being operative to perform that function . the various disclosed elements of apparatuses and steps of methods disclosed herein are not required to all apparatuses and methods according to the present disclosure , and the present disclosure includes all novel and non - obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements and steps disclosed herein . moreover , one or more of the various elements and steps disclosed herein may define independent inventive subject matter that is separate and apart from the whole of a disclosed apparatus or method . accordingly , such inventive subject matter is not required to be associated with the specific apparatuses and methods that are expressly disclosed herein , and such inventive subject matter may find utility in apparatuses and / or methods that are not expressly disclosed herein .

US-201313946857-A

a device and method for simultaneously cutting and scoring pieces of insulation consisting of thick fiber on a foil backing , for joining pieces of insulation . a dolly is provided for carrying a fifty - pound roll of insulation so that insulation can be pulled from the roll and over an attached cutting surface . two parallel rotary knives move together across the insulation on the cutting surface . one knife cuts through both the fiber and foil . the other knife simultaneously makes a parallel cut 1 . 5 inches from the first , through the fiber but not the foil , so that the fiber between the two cuts can be removed from the foil . the foil from which the fiber has been removed , can then be overlapped onto the foil of another piece of insulation to join the two pieces .

referring initially to fig1 a side view of the preferred embodiment of the insulation carrying and cutting device of the present invention is shown and generally designated 100 , and may be referred to herein as dolly 100 . in fig1 dolly 100 includes a carriage 102 , a cutting assembly 104 , and angle braces 106 . carriage 102 includes two elongated parallel rigid tubular members 112 , two elongated parallel rigid tubular supports 114 , rollers 116 , a flanged rib 118 , a rimmed rear plate 120 , a fore plate 122 , and two dolly wheels 124 . carriage 102 is shaped like a hollow cylindrical section taken along a plane parallel to the cylindrical axis , with handles and wheels attached to the cylindrical section ( or , the “ cylindrical section ”). with respect to fig1 the plane of the section would be parallel to the plane of the page . the cylindrical section has an axis of symmetry ( or symmetry axis ) 126 which is parallel to the axis of the cylinder from which the section is taken . symmetry axis 126 lies in the plane of the section . the cylindrical section has a fore planar end which has a linear edge collinear with a line 128 ( or , the “ fore planar end ”); a rear planar end which has a linear edge collinear with a line 130 ( or , the “ rear planar end ”); a curved surface , having linear edges collinear with lines 132 , 128 and 130 , and which touches members 112 and rollers 116 ( or , the “ curved surface ”); and a planar surface coplanar with the plane of the section , and having linear edges collinear with lines 132 , 128 and 130 ( or , the “ planar surface ”). with respect to the viewer of fig1 the planar surface is closer to the viewer than the curved surface . the cylindrical section is sized to hold a fifty - pound roll of insulation . the cylindrical section may alternatively be sized to hold rolls of insulation greater or lesser than fifty - pounds . each of members 112 has a curved fore end 134 , a rear end 136 , and a shaft 138 parallel to symmetry axis 126 . members 112 and much of the rest of dolly 100 can be weldable metal . alternatively , dolly 100 can be made from any other material including but not limited to other types of metals , wood , plastic , ceramic , composite , laminate , stone , cement , etc . if material other than weldable metal is used to make dolly 100 , then where words such as “ welded ”, “ bolted ”, etc . are used in the specification to denote attachment of parts , there may be substituted words denoting modes of attachment appropriate to the material used , including but not limited to “ welded ”, “ glued ”, “ nailed ”, “ bolted ”, “ bound ”, “ bonded ”, “ brazed ”, “ soldered ”, etc . fore end 134 of each member 112 is curved so that fore ends 134 serve the dual purposes of handles for moving dolly 100 , and of legs for stationing dolly 100 . for this latter purpose , feet 140 are welded to fore ends 134 for contact with the ground . rimmed rear plate 120 has a semi - lenticular rear plate 142 , and a rim 144 extending perpendicularly from the plane of semi - lenticular rear plate 142 towards the fore planar end of the cylindrical section . semi - lenticular rear plate 142 coincides with the rear planar end of the cylindrical section . rim 144 coincides with a narrow strip of the curved surface connected to the rear planar end of the cylindrical section . rim 144 has linear rim ends 146 . semi - lenticular rear plate 142 has linear edge 148 , arcuate edge 150 ( not visible in fig1 behind semi - lenticular rear plate 142 ), and corners 152 collinear with rim ends 146 . linear edge 148 is collinear with line 130 . the rear end 136 of each member 112 is welded to a separate corner 152 and collinear rim end 146 . rim 144 provides structural support for carriage 102 , and may provide some support for the rear end of a roll of insulation in carriage 102 . semi - lenticular rear plate 142 keeps the rear end of a roll of insulation from passing through the rear planar end of the cylindrical section . semi - lenticular rear plate 142 also supports some of the weight of the roll when curved fore ends 134 are picked up off the ground and dolly 100 is in mobile position . dolly wheels 124 are rotatably mounted on an axle 160 ( shown in phantom line ) welded to the middle of the outside of rim 144 and parallel to line 130 . dolly wheels 124 are usually in contact with the ground . dolly wheels 124 provide support and mobility for dolly 100 . fore plate 122 is semi - lenticular and coincides with the fore planar end of the cylindrical section . fore plate 122 has linear edge 162 , arcuate edge 164 ( not visible in fig1 behind fore plate 122 ), and corners 166 . linear edge 162 is collinear with line 128 . each corner 166 is welded to a separate member 112 near a point between curved fore end 134 and shaft 138 , such that a distance 170 between rear plate 142 and fore plate 122 accommodates the length of an insulation roll . fore plate 122 keeps the fore end of the insulation roll from passing through the fore planar end of the cylindrical section . flanged rib 118 has an arcuate band 172 coincident with a portion of the curved surface of the cylindrical section . flanged rib 118 also has a semiannular flange 174 ( not visible in fig1 behind flanged rib 118 ) extending from the rear edge of band 172 , perpendicularly to the surface of band 172 and away from symmetry axis 126 . flanged rib 118 also has linear rib ends 176 . each rib end 176 is welded to a separate member 112 at about the middle of shaft 138 . each rib end 176 may be collinear with the line 128 adjacent to the member 112 to which that rib end 176 is welded . alternatively , each rib end 176 may be non - collinear with line 128 . flanged rib 118 gives structural strength to carriage 102 and provides support for supports 114 . each of supports 114 has a support fore end 182 , a support rear end 184 , and an outside diameter 186 . each support 114 is placed parallel to symmetry axis 126 , with support fore end 182 welded to fore plate 122 adjacent arcuate edge 164 , with support rear end 184 welded to the inside of rim 144 and / or to semi - lenticular rear plate 142 adjacent arcuate edge 150 , and with its approximate middle adjacent to the inside of band 172 , so that an insulation roll placed in carriage 102 doesn &# 39 ; t pass through the curved surface of the cylindrical section . each support 114 may be welded to the inside of band 172 where these are adjacent , for added strength and stability . supports 114 support most of the weight of an insulation roll when dolly 100 is substantially horizontal , with dolly wheels 124 and feet 140 on or near the ground . supports 114 also support part of the weight of the insulation roll when dolly 100 is in diagonal position with feet 140 off the ground . while fig1 shows two supports 114 , invention 100 may have one , three , or more supports 114 . at least one support 114 is needed to keep the insulation roll from passing through the curved surface of the cylindrical section . an alternative to supports 114 is one or more other ribs like rib 118 , with or without flange 174 , along the length of carriage 102 , to support the insulation roll . rollers 116 are cylinders , each of which is positioned upon a support 114 . each roller 116 has an inside diameter ( not visible in fig1 ) a little larger than the outside diameter 186 of the support 114 upon which it is positioned , and each roller 116 has an outside diameter 192 a little larger than its inside diameter , so that each roller 116 can rotate about the support 114 upon which it is positioned . alternatively , each roller 116 may have an axle or ball bearings or other mechanism to allow it to rotate with respect to support 114 . as shown in fig1 six rollers are positioned upon each support 114 , three on either side of flanged rib 118 . alternatively , more or fewer rollers may be placed on any support 114 on any side of flanged rib 118 . rollers 116 assist an insulation roll in rotating within carriage 102 as insulation is pulled from the roll . cutting assembly 104 includes an elongated base 212 , a cutting plate 224 , a rail 226 , two angle brackets 228 , a cutting head 230 , and a handle 232 . base 212 has base ends 234 . cutting plate 224 has cutting plate ends 236 . cutting plate 224 may be placed mostly or all on base 212 , with the length of cutting plate 224 substantially parallel to the length of base 212 . cutting plate 224 may be attached to base 212 by placing spacer plates 242 ( not visible , beneath cutting plate 224 in fig1 ) between base 212 and cutting plate 224 , bolting cutting plate 224 to base 212 with countersunk bolts 244 , and welding together cutting plate 224 , spacer plates 242 and base 212 . cutting plate 224 may also be bolted without welding , or welded without bolting , or attached by other appropriate means , with or without spacer plates 242 , to base 212 . alternatively , cutting plate 224 may be integral with base 212 . cutting plate 224 has a cutting groove 252 ( not visible , beneath rail 226 in fig1 ) and a scoring groove 254 , substantially parallel to each other . in fig1 cutting groove 252 and scoring groove 254 are substantially parallel to symmetry axis 126 . alternatively , cutting groove 252 and scoring groove 254 may be angular to symmetry axis 126 . cutting groove 252 and scoring groove 254 are separated from each other by a distance 256 equal to the width of fiber to be removed from the edge of a cut piece of insulation . for example , if 1 . 5 inches of fiber is to be removed from the cut edge , then distance 256 is 1 . 5 inches . alternatively , distance 256 may be greater or less than 1 . 5 inches . cutting groove 252 and scoring groove 254 have length 258 . alternatively , cutting groove 252 and scoring groove 254 may have different lengths . in fig1 length 258 is greater than distance 170 , so that cutting head 230 can continue past the edge of insulation being cut and scored , to facilitate cutting and scoring . cutting and scoring are further explained below . alternatively , if desired , length 258 may be less than or equal to distance 170 . each angle bracket 228 has a bracket foot 272 and a bracket head 274 . for each angle bracket 228 , bracket foot 272 is bolted 276 to a separate base end 234 . rail 226 has rail ends 282 . each rail end 282 is bolted 284 to the bracket head 274 of a separate angle bracket 228 such that rail 226 is suspended over cutting plate 224 with the length of rail 226 substantially parallel to cutting groove 252 and to scoring groove 254 and at a distance 292 ( not visible in fig1 ) from cutting plate 224 to accommodate cutting head 230 as explained below . cutting head 230 has a head plate 312 , rail wheels 314 , a circular cutting blade 316 ( not visible , beneath rail 226 in fig1 ), a circular scoring blade 318 , and a pivot 320 . head plate 312 is at least partially substantially vertically planar on two opposite sides 324 and 326 . head plate 312 has a lower end 328 ( not visible , behind head plate 312 in fig1 ) pointed towards cutting plate 224 , and an upper end 330 pointed away from cutting plate 224 . side 326 is adjacent to rail 226 . head plate 312 is paraxially translatably mounted on rail 226 by means of rail wheels 314 on top and bottom of rail 226 and bolted 332 to side 326 of head plate 312 . in fig1 two rail wheels are on top of rail 226 , and two more rail wheels ( not visible in fig1 ) are on bottom of rail 226 . alternatively , more or fewer rail wheels 314 may be on top or bottom of rail 226 . with respect to fig2 head plate 312 is shown at the right side of rail 226 . alternatively , head plate 312 may be mounted on any other side of rail 226 . turning now to fig2 a cross - sectional view of a detail of a preferred embodiment of the insulation carrying and cutting device 100 of the present invention , as taken along line 2 — 2 of fig1 is shown . fig2 shows cutting assembly 104 with relation to a member 112 of carriage 102 . a strut plate 342 is bolted 344 to head plate 312 , and has an extension 346 which extends beyond head plate 312 in direction 348 towards cutting plate 224 . the end of extension 346 away from head plate 312 attaches to an axle housing 352 which houses an axle 354 substantially perpendicular both to scoring groove 254 and to direction 348 . axle 354 has an axle end 356 above cutting groove 252 , and an axle end 358 above scoring groove 254 . cutting blade 362 has a cutting edge 364 and an axle mount 366 . cutting blade 362 is mounted on axle end 356 such that the cutting edge 364 of cutting blade 362 is received into cutting groove 252 . scoring blade 318 has a scoring edge 368 and an axle mount 370 . scoring blade 318 is mounted on axle end 358 such that scoring edge 368 is adjacent to scoring groove 254 . while rail 226 is shown as angular , any part of rail 226 may alternatively be rounded . fig2 also shows one of angle braces 106 , which attach cutting assembly 104 to carriage 102 , and are further explained below . returning to fig1 pivot 320 has a pivot body 384 , a pivot shaft 386 , and connection point 388 . pivot shaft 386 has an axis about which pivot body 384 rotates . pivot shaft 386 is bolted to upper end 330 of head plate 312 such that the axis of pivot shaft 386 is parallel to direction 348 ( into the page of [ 0025 ] fig1 ). handle 232 has handle shaft 372 , handle end 374 , and grip 376 . handle end 374 is connected to connection point 388 such that handle 232 can pivot about connection point 388 through a plane that contains connection point 388 and is perpendicular to direction 348 . handle end 374 can alternatively be connected to connection point 388 such that handle 232 can pivot about connection point 388 through any other plane containing connection point 388 . handle end 374 can be connected to connection point 388 by , for example , a bolt 390 through connection point holes 392 located in connection point 388 and through handle end holes 394 located in handle end 374 . alternatives for connecting handle end 374 to connection point 388 include but are not limited to , receiving protrusions in handle end 374 through holes in connection point 388 , receiving protrusions in connection point 388 through holes in handle end 374 , etc . handle 232 also pivots about pivot 320 with the rotation of pivot 320 . ( fig2 shows a detail of how handle end 374 may be connected to pivot 320 , by bolt 390 through connection point holes 392 ( not visible in fig2 ) and handle end holes 394 .) in fig1 cutting assembly 104 is placed near carriage 102 so that a sheet of insulation can be conveniently pulled from a roll of insulation in carriage 102 , through the space between cutting plate 224 and rail 226 , to a length to be cut and scored . cutting assembly 104 is held in place by angle braces 106 welded to the underside of base 212 and to member 112 at line 132 . alternatively , angle braces 106 may be directly or indirectly connected to any other part of cutting assembly 104 , or any other part of carriage 102 . as yet another alternative , cutting assembly 104 may be directly attached to carriage 102 with or without angle braces 106 . as shown in fig1 cutting head 230 can be translated along rail 226 by pushing or pulling on handle 232 in a direction 412 . as cutting head 230 moves , cutting edge 364 of cutting blade 362 rolls along cutting groove 252 , and scoring edge 368 of scoring blade 318 moves over scoring groove 254 . if insulation having fiber and foil is placed on cutting groove 252 , and cutting head 230 moves over that place , then the fiber and foil are cut there by the motion of cutting edge 364 . if insulation is on scoring groove 254 , and cutting head 230 moves over that point , then the fiber is cut ( scored ) there by the movement of scoring edge 368 , but the foil there is not cut . this allows the fiber between the score and the cut edge to be removed more easily from the foil . to cut and score a piece of insulation , cutting head 230 is first moved to one of rail ends 282 . a roll of insulation having an outer end is placed in carriage 102 such that the outer end of the roll can be pulled from the underside of the roll at line 132 , through the space between cutting plate 224 and rail 226 , until a desired length of insulation has been pulled past cutting groove 252 . the length may be measured from the outer end of the roll to cutting groove 252 . then , cutting head 230 is pulled or pushed , via handle 232 , from the one rail end 282 to the other rail end 282 . in the process , the insulation is cut at cutting groove 252 by cutting blade 362 , and a strip of fiber along the cut edge of the cut piece is scored at scoring groove 254 by scoring blade 318 for removal of the scored fiber from the foil backing . proceeding now to fig3 a side view of a preferred embodiment of the insulation carrying and cutting device 100 of the present invention is shown . line 512 is collinear with the part of the curved surface of the cylindrical section , farthest from symmetry axis 126 . fig3 shows the curve of curved fore end 134 of members 112 , flange 174 of flanged rib 118 , spacer plates 242 between base 212 and cutting plate 224 , distance 292 between rail 226 and cutting plate 224 , rail wheels 314 on top and bottom of rail 226 , and cutting blade 362 mounted on axle end 356 with cutting edge 364 in cutting groove 252 ( shown in phantom line in fig3 ). [ 0029 ] fig4 is a cross - sectional view of a detail of a preferred embodiment of the insulation carrying and cutting device 100 of the present invention , similar to fig2 except that fig4 shows cutting assembly 104 in relation to insulation 612 being cut and scored . insulation 612 has fiber 614 , foil 616 , and outer end 618 . outer end 618 is the outer end of a roll ( not visible , to left of fig4 ) of insulation 612 in carriage 102 . outer end 618 has been pulled from the roll , through the space between cutting plate 224 and rail 226 , until a desired length 620 of insulation 612 has been pulled past cutting groove 252 on cutting plate 224 . cutting head 230 is moved in direction 412 ( into or out of the page of fig4 ) across insulation 612 . cutting edge 364 of cutting blade 362 cuts 632 both the fiber 614 and foil 616 of insulation 612 , at cutting groove 252 . at the same time , scoring edge 368 of scoring blade 318 cuts ( scores ) 634 fiber 614 , but not foil 616 , at scoring groove 254 , so that fiber 614 between cut 632 and score 634 can be removed from foil 616 . while the present invention has been described in conjunction with cutting and scoring of insulation , the present invention can also be adapted and used with other types of materials to be cut and scored , including but not limited to foam padding with a backing , etc . while the methods and apparatus for the insulation carrying and cutting device of the present invention as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated , it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of the method , construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims .

US-140301-A

a unidirectional - retroaction electromagnetic valve comprises a valve body , o - ring , manual opening unit , and electrically controlled blocking unit . the valve body is connected to a gas source directly and the electrically controlled blocking unit is used to stop gas in a dangerous situation . two actions are required to open the electromagnetic valve when the dangerous situation no longer exists . first , push the manual opening unit to move the valve plate of the electromagnetic valve forward a certain distance , then the electrically controlled blocking unit moves the valve plate further according to a danger removal signal provided by a judgment device . the electromagnetic valve is not opened completely until these two movements are operated , thereby , it can prevent the blocked valve from opening intentionally during an unsafe situation .

first , the electrically controlled blocking part blocks the electromagnetic valve when a control circuit outputs a danger signal , i . e . it can stop gas by creating an airtight seal . secondly , because most energy is consumed whenever the valve is opened . therefore , for using a low power supplied from a battery , a manual unblocking is used in the invention . the manual unblocking part only needs to assist the opening of an electromagnetic valve . consequently , the electromagnetic valve is usually at an open state . once a dangerous situation occurs , the electromagnetic valve receives a dangerous state assignment and processes blocking . if we want to reopen the electromagnetic valve of the invention , we must use both manual and electromagnetic actions to process unblocking . that is to say , the action of electro - magnetically activated opening is not executed before a dangerous state command is received , and the electromagnetic valve cannot be opened manually . please refer to fig1 and 2 . a unidirectional retroaction electromagnetic valve mainly comprises a valve body 101 , first valve plate 102 , first retroaction spring 103 , electrical screw bolt 104 , permanent magnet 105 , coil set 106 , coil set fixing seat 107 , second valve plate 108 , retroaction push rod 109 , second retroaction spring 110 , spinning cover , first o - ring 112 , second o - ring 113 , third o - ring 114 , and fourth o - ring 115 . the valve body 101 is connected to the gas source of a gas meter directly . it comprises two exits , which are connected to the gas meter and a gas hose . besides , two valve plates are installed at the other two exits of the valve body 101 respectively . the two valve plates can control the air communication state between the valve body 101 and gas meter or gas hose . the two valve plates mentioned above are controlled via manual opening and electrically controlled blocking ; they will be illustrated as follows . the electrically controlled blocking part comprises several elements , they are the first valve plate 102 , first retroactive spring 103 , electrical screw bolt 104 , permanent magnet 105 , coil set 106 and coil set fixing seat 107 . the coil set consists of coils and a permeable cover for the coils . as fig1 shows , the magnetic force yielded by the coil set 106 is used to move the permanent magnet 105 buried inside of the electrical screw bolt 104 , and consequently to push the electric screw forward , and then to push the first valve plate 102 disposed at the tail end of the electrical screw bolt 104 . an airtight seal can be formed only if the first valve plate 102 connects with the first o - ring 112 to cause the air - flow at the first exit 101 a and second exit 101 b to be stopped so that blocking can be achieved . besides , both ends of the first retroactive spring 103 are connected to the coil set 106 and the first valve plate 102 . normally , the retroactive spring 103 shrinks . the first retroactive spring 103 is extended when the push force of the coil set 106 pushes the electric screw bolt 104 , and the extension force balances with the push force of the coil set 106 . therefore , the distance that the first valve plate is moved while blocking relates to both the coil number of the coil set 106 and the force balance state of the first retroactive spring 103 . besides , the coil set 106 must be fixed , so a coil set fixing seat 107 is installed . the coil set fixing seat 107 can be connected to the valve body 101 to fix the whole coil set 106 . a fourth o - ring 115 is disposed between the coil set 106 and the valve body 101 in order to allow the space between the coil set 106 and valve body 101 to be airtight . the manual part is designed to save electricity while the valve is opened . the manual opening part consists of a second valve plate 108 , retroactive push rod 109 , second retroactive spring 110 and spinning cover 111 , as shown in fig1 and 2 . the spinning cover 111 fixes the manual opening part on the valve body . a third o - ring 114 may also be installed on the spinning cover 111 to allow the contacting face of the spinning cover 111 and valve body 101 to be airtight . the push end of the retroactive push rod 109 can be seen outside of the valve body 101 . this also means that the tail end is a manual push part . the head end can touch the first valve plate 102 that is pushed to the edge of the first o - ring 112 . the second retroactive spring 110 is disposed at both ends of the first o - ring and second valve plate 108 , and it can push the second valve plate 108 back to its original position once a user &# 39 ; s hand is released after pushing the retroactive push rod forward . the manual opening part must be designed to be airtight because the valve is normally ventilated . so , a second o - ring 113 is disposed at the contact point of the second valve plate 108 and the spinning cover 111 to form an airtight seal . next , refer to fig3 and 4 . as the figures show , the valve body 101 is connected to the coil set fixing seat 107 through screw holes . two projecting parts of the fixing seat 107 can be combined to hollow parts of the valve body 101 . the coil set 106 is sandwiched between the valve body 101 and the coil set fixing seat 107 . please refer to fig5 a to 5 d . fig5 a shows a valve in normal operation ; the first valve plate 102 and second valve plate 108 are opened completely . next , as fig5 b shows , an emergency message is transmitted to an electromagnetic valve after the control circuit determines that an emergency has occurred . the coil set 106 of the electromagnetic valve soon generates a polarity opposite to the permanent magnet 105 . therefore , the electrical screw bolt 104 is driven to move through the permanent magnet 105 to push the first valve plate 102 to the end to process blocking . pushing down the retroactive push rod 109 manually does not open the electromagnetic valve . however , blocking cannot be achieved even if the retroactive push rod 109 is pressed down because the control circuit does not output a blocking removal signal if the control circuit determines that the emergency situation has not ended , as shown in fig5 c . the theory is very simple ; the coil set 106 continues generating repulsive magnetic force with the permanent magnet 105 when an emergency takes place . therefore , even if the retroactive push rod 109 is moved , the repulsive force yielded by the coil set 106 can push the first valve plate 102 to the first o - ring 112 to process blocking after the retroactive push rod 109 is released . therefore , the valve opening process according to the invention can be clearly seen from fig5 c and 5d . completing the valve opening action must have two indispensable conditions . the first condition is that the coil set 106 no longer generates a repulsive force to push the first valve plate forward to the first o - ring 112 after the emergency situation ends , but generates an attractive electromagnetic force to let the permanent magnet 105 attract the coil set 106 . here , the attractive distance is designated to be a first distance d1 . the second indispensable condition is that the manual retroactive action can push the first valve plate toward the coil set 106 ; the pushing distance can be designated to be a second distance d2 . the distance pushed by these two forces is d1 + d2 ; it is exactly the distance for pushing the first valve plate 102 back to the normal position , as can be seen in fig5 d . the unidirectional retroaction electromagnetic valve according to the invention can be operated for ten years under the power supply of a battery ( 3v ), owing to the use of its assistant manual valve opening . the unidirectional retroaction electromagnetic valve according to the invention can be installed at a gas supply end to block gas directly in order to attain the effect of immediate blocking , owing to the power supply of a battery . the unidirectional retroaction electromagnetic valve according to the invention can achieve an airtight seal owing to the installment of a spinning cover . besides , the unidirectional retroaction electromagnetic valve according to the invention can prevent a valve from being opened forcibly by manual action when a dangerous situation still exists because a judgment logic is added . it is noted that the invention is described above for the purpose of illustration only , and this description is not intended as a definition of the limits and scope of the invention disclosed . any modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .

US-14193902-A

a method of treating sucker rod comprising shot peening the rod to clean and harden the exterior surface thereof , preheating the rod , and coating the rod with a metal alloy by using an electric arc spray gun to provide a layer of alloy on the exterior surface thereof . the rod is subsequently cooled and then coated with a baked - on , plastic - like surface . in one embodiment of the invention , used rod is first degreased , and following the shot peening operation the rod is subjected to an electronic test to determine the symmetry of compositon of the metal , as well as to ascertain if any flaws are present therein . the rod is then coated with metal and subsequently sprayed with plastic as in the above recited example .

fig1 discloses used sucker rod 10 supported from a pipe rack 11 . the used rod has been removed from downhole in a borehole . in carrying out the present invention , couplings which may be attached to the sucker rod are removed from the ends thereof as illustrated by the numeral 12 . the rods are degreased by submerging them in a hot oil bath 13 , after which the degreased rods 14 are placed upon a pipe rack 16 so they can drain and be subjected to careful visual inspection . any visually defective rod is removed at 18 and discarded at 20 while the apparently good rod at 22 is subjected to a mechanical cold working process which further cleans the exterior surface of the degreased rod . the mechanical cold working step of the process preferably is carried out by shot peening at 24 after which the rod is electronically inspected at 26 by means of the differential eddy current method , the details of which are more fully discussed in my previously - mentioned patent application . numeral 27 indicates defective rods which are removed from the continuous process . the inspected acceptable rod from 26 is next subjected to a magnetic induction inspection at 28 by means of the flux leakage method , the details of which are more fully disclosed in my above - mentioned patent application . numeral 29 indicates that defective rods are removed from the continuous process , and returned to the rack at 20 . the pin ends of the remaining rods are magnafluxed at 30 by the magna - glo ( tm ) process . the couplings from 12 are also magnafluxed using the powdered metal process , and any defective couplings are removed from the process and discarded . the remaining sound rods and couplings are demagnetized at 32 so that the rod will not be attracted to metallic particles or to the production tubing of the borehole . the rods are next preheated at 40 by a suitable oven having a burner 36 and a stack 38 . a combustible mixture of air and fuel flow into the burner in order to provide a heat source , although other means could be employed for elevating the temperature of the rod . the preheated rods enter the electric arc metal spray apparatus 42 which includes a housing 44 having a suitable metal spray head 46 enclosed therewithin . numeral 48 illustrates one of the continuous welding rods which unwinds from reel 50 and is received by the head 46 . numeral 52 indicates an electrical control box connected to the illustrated source of current , thereby providing the electric arc machine 54 with a suitable supply of current so that the metal rod 48 is vaporized by the electrical arc provided at the welding head . the illustrated source of air is connected to the head and blows the vaporized metal particles onto the rod surface as the rod moves along its longitudinal axis through enclosure 42 . the details of the step at 42 are more fully illustrated in fig3 . the rod is next racked at 56 to enable it to cool a considerable amount before it is received at the painting station 58 . the rod preferably is maintained above room temperature and below 150 ° f . before it enters the painting station 58 . the painting station includes a conventional paint nozzle 60 having a source of paint 62 and an air supply 64 connected thereto so that the entire outer peripheral surface of the rod receives a suitable coating of paint . the term &# 34 ; paint &# 34 ; is intended to include a polymer such as hereinafter more fully defined . the rod next travels into an oven 66 where the painted surface is baked for an optimum length of time , whereupon the completed rod is subsequently moved onto the rack 68 . spaced - apart stations 72 and 74 are placed in proximity of the opposed rod ends so that each pin end of the rod can be manually cleaned , with special emphasis being placed on proper preparation of rod end shoulders . the treated or rejuvenated rod is stored at 76 . in the simplified embodiment of fig2 the rods are stored upon a rack 39 until they are sequentially fed in a continuous manner through a preheater 140 . the preheater elevates the rod temperature to approximately 150 ° f . the rod is next subjected to the shot peening operation 24 ; and thereafter , the temperature of the rod is further increased to approximately 200 ° f . by a secondary heater 40 . both the primary and secondary heaters are provided with a suitable source of combustible material such as exemplified by the illustrated air and fuel inlet . the remainder of the process is identical to fig1 ; and therefore , it would appear repetitious to again specifically outline the details thereof . new sucker rod is stored at 39 until a sufficient supply of rods have been accumulated to justify making a process run . the rods preferably are transported along the flow sheet of fig2 in a continuous manner , with the opposed ends of the rod essentially abuttingly engaging one another . the rods are 25 feet in length and are conveyed from station 140 to station 56 at the rate of 22 to 25 rods per hour . hence , each 25 foot rod requires about 21 / 2 minutes for processing . the conveyor also rotates the rod about its longitudinal axis at about 150 rpm . the rods are initially preheated at station 140 to a temperature of 150 ° f . this initial heating is preferably by direct flame impingement so that any contamination of a combustible nature is combusted into carbonaceous material by the preheater . the preheated rod next was shot peened at 24 by a commercially available wheelabrator ( tm ) shot peening device . the shot peening operation removes all visible scale from the rotating rod surface and futhermore surface hardens the exterior of the rod and additionally eliminates many of the small pits and surface cracks which may otherwise be present therein . the rod next travels though the secondary heater where the temperature thereof is raised to approximately 210 ° f . the rotating rod is next conveyed into the electric arc metal spraying or coating chamber at approximately 210 ° f . the elevated temperature of the rod greatly enhances the bond formed between the vaporized metal issuing from the head of the arc gun . the rotating rod is imparted with a metal coating which is approximately 0 . 008 inches thickness . prior to receiving a coating of phenolic resin at 58 , the rod is racked so that the temperature thereof is reduced to a value which is compatible with the selected paint . the painted rod next is transported into the oven where the phenolic resin is baked into a self - supporting , hard , protective film . the rod leaves the oven and receives the end treatment previously explained in conjunction with stations 72 and 74 . used rods salvaged from a string which was removed from a borehole are broken out and racked at 11 . the used rods are caused to continue to travel along the flow sheet of fig1 in the before - described manner until the partially processed rods are racked after leaving the demagnetization station 32 . sometimes the rods next are coated with a corrosion - preventing compound so that no appreciable oxidation will occur prior to the rods being transported to the rack 39 , where they subsequently receive the above - described treatment set forth in example 1 . clean rods are racked at 39 . the rods may be new from the manufacturer , or the rods may have previously received the treatment provided by the process 11 - 32 of fig1 . in any event , the rods are processed through preheater 140 and wheelabrator ( tm ) 24 in order to prepare the surface thereof for the coating received from the electric arc spray gun . the rods continue on through the process equipment illustrated in fig2 where the final product emerges at 76 . the rods preferably travel through the wheelabrator ( tm ) at 24 , electronic inspection station 26 , and magnetic induction station 28 at a speed of 30 feet per minute while rotating 53 rpm to assure reliable visual inspection and efficient shot peening . the shot peening apparatus subjects the exterior surface of the rod to a shower or bombardment of metallic shot , causing a plastic flow of the surface fibers of the metal . this action places the surface fibers of the metal in residual compression while the inner fibers are in tension so that working stresses that ordinarily impose a tension stress on the rod surface are offset by the residual stress brought about by the cold working action of the shot . the net result is a considerably greater endurance limit of the peened material . shot peening increases resistance to fatigue fractures and accordingly increases the fatigue life of the metal . shot peening further reduces corrosion and fatigue of the rod because the surface has greater continuity and accordingly there are not cracks or pits available for intrusion of hydrogen ions . moreover , the shot peening operation presents a surface having characteristics which accept the alloy coating much better than would otherwise be realized . the details of the electric arc spray gun 46 are schematically disclosed in fig3 and the gun is preferably a metco type rg arc gun . it is preferred to use a stainless steel alloy rod 48 and 148 with 52 psig gas pressure at 82 . the gas can be air , or an inert such as flue gases or nitrogen . the stainless steel coating maintained at about 0 . 008 inches thickness . the gun operates at 500 amps and 45 volts . the metal wire is melted or softened by the gun 46 while the mass flow rate of the gas causes the vaporized metal to flow toward the outer surface of the sucker rod , thereby coating the rod with the alloy composition of the wire . as the minute fluid particles of the vaporized wire impact against the surface of the rod , they spread about projections and pits on the imperfect surface of the rod to form a continuous or coherent structure . it is contemplated to employ the gas flame method as well as the plasma - arc principle for coating the sucker rod . the electric arc spray gun is preferred , however , because the cost of operation is substantially less than the gas flame method and the temperatures which can be attained are also greater . the phenolic resin used at the painting station is available from metco inc ., westbury , long island , n . y . and is identified as metco seal pb phenolic resin . during the coating process the rod is spaced about 6 inches from the nozzle 46 , as schematically suggested in fig3 . the stainless steel rod 48 and 148 is wound on the reels 50 and 150 ; and as the continuous arc 80 vaporizes the metal , gas pressure at 82 forms a spray 78 which coats the rod surface as the rod rotates about its longitudinal axis and moves along its longitudinal axis at a constant rate of travel . as seen in fig4 the processed rod 110 includes the shot peened rod made of metal 84 , the alloy coating is seen at 86 , while the baked phenolic resin is suggested at 88 . the processed rod 110 provides an unexpected long life when it is made up into a rod string and employed downhole in a well bore . the phenolic coating protects the rod during outside storage and additionally fills any voids or pits in the coated rod surface . the alloy coating provides a hard surface which likewise fills the imperfections which may be found in the original shot peened surface of the rod . the shot peening of the original rod surface imparts still further desirable physical properties into the rod string . accordingly , the judicious combination of manipulative steps imparted into the rod jointly cooperate together to provide a new rod which is superior to any known prior art sucker rod string .

US-68238076-A

a nitride light - emitting device having an adhesive reflecting layer includes a transparent adhesive layer , a nitride light - emitting stack layer and a metal reflecting layer . the transparent adhesive layer adheres the nitride light - emitting stack layer and the metal reflecting layer . therefore , the metal reflecting layer can reflect light emitted from the light - emitting stack layer to increase the brightness of the nitride light - emitting device .

please refer to fig1 . fig1 is a side view of a nitride light - emitting device 1 with an adhesive reflecting layer of a preferred embodiment according to the present invention . the nitride light - emitting device 1 comprises a first substrate 10 , a metal reflecting layer 11 formed on the first substrate 10 , a first reaction layer 120 formed on the metal reflecting layer 11 , a transparent adhesive layer 121 formed on the first reaction layer 120 , a second reaction layer 122 formed on the transparent adhesive layer 121 , a second substrate 13 formed on the second reaction layer 122 , a nitride first contact layer 14 formed on the second substrate 13 wherein an upper surface of the nitride first contact layer 14 has a first section and a second section , a nitride first cladding layer 150 formed on the first section , a nitride light - emitting layer 151 formed on the nitride first cladding layer 150 , a nitride second cladding layer 152 formed on the nitride light - emitting layer 151 , a nitride second contact layer 16 formed on the nitride second cladding layer 152 , a first electrode 17 formed on the second section , and a second electrode 18 formed on the nitride second contact layer 16 . please refer to fig2 . fig2 is a side view of a nitride light - emitting device 2 with an adhesive reflecting layer of another preferred embodiment according to the present invention . the structure of the nitride light - emitting device 2 is similar to the nitride light - emitting device 1 in the former preferred embodiment . the difference is that the first substrate 10 in the former preferred embodiment is replaced with a metal heat sink 20 so that the light - emitting device 2 can conduct heat fast . please refer to fig3 . fig3 is a side view of a nitride light - emitting device 3 with an adhesive reflecting layer of another preferred embodiment according to the present invention . the difference between the light - emitting device 1 and the light - emitting device 3 is that the first substrate 10 of the light - emitting device 1 is removed in the light - emitting device 3 . please refer to fig4 . fig4 is a side view of a nitride light - emitting device 4 with an adhesive reflecting layer of another preferred embodiment according to the present invention . the nitride light - emitting device 4 comprises a first substrate 40 , a metal reflecting layer 41 formed on the first substrate 40 , a first reaction layer 420 formed on the metal reflecting layer 41 , a transparent adhesive layer 421 formed on the first reaction layer 420 , a second reaction layer 422 formed on the transparent adhesive layer 421 , a transparent conductive layer 43 formed on the second reaction layer 422 wherein an upper surface of the transparent conductive layer 43 has a first section and a second section , a nitride first contact layer 44 formed on the first section , a nitride first cladding layer 450 formed on the nitride first contact layer 44 , a nitride light - emitting layer 451 formed on the nitride first cladding layer 450 , a nitride second cladding layer 452 formed on the nitride light - emitting layer 451 , a nitride second contact layer 46 formed on the nitride second cladding layer 452 , a first electrode 47 formed on the second section , and a second electrode 48 formed on the nitride second contact layer 46 . please refer to fig5 . fig5 is a side view of a nitride light - emitting device 5 with an adhesive reflecting layer of another preferred embodiment according to the present invention . the nitride light - emitting device 5 comprises a metal heat sink 501 , a first substrate 50 formed on the metal heat sink 501 , a metal reflecting layer 51 formed on the first substrate 50 , a first reaction layer 520 formed on the metal reflecting layer 51 , a transparent adhesive layer 521 formed on the first reaction layer 520 , a second reaction layer 522 formed on the transparent adhesive layer 521 , a transparent conductive layer 53 formed on the second reaction layer 522 wherein an upper surface of the transparent conductive layer 53 has a first section and a second section , a nitride first contact layer 54 formed on the first section , a nitride first cladding layer 550 formed on the nitride first contact layer 54 , a nitride light - emitting layer 551 formed on the nitride first cladding layer 550 , a nitride second cladding layer 552 formed on the nitride light - emitting layer 551 , a nitride second contact layer 56 formed on the nitride second cladding layer 552 , a first electrode 57 formed on the second section , and a second electrode 58 formed on the nitride second contact layer 56 . in each said preferred embodiment , a transparent conductive layer can be formed on the nitride second contact layer and under the second electrode to be an ohmic contact layer and a current distribution layer . the first substrate 10 , 40 , 50 comprises at least one material selected from a material group consisting of silicon , gaas , glass , quartz , gap , gaasp , algaas , and metal , or other substitute materials . the second substrate 13 comprises at least one material selected from a material group consisting of al 2 o 3 , sic , zno , and gan . the transparent adhesive layer 121 , 421 , 521 comprises at least one material selected from a material group consisting of pi , bcb , and pfcb . the first reaction layer 120 , 420 , 520 comprises at least one material selected from a material group consisting of sinx , ti , and cr . the second reaction layer 122 , 422 , 522 comprises at least one material selected from a material group consisting of sinx , ti , and cr . the metal heat sink 20 , 501 comprises at least one material selected from a material group consisting of sn , al , au , pt , zn , ag , pb , pd , ge , cu , aube , auge , ni , pbsn , and auzn , or other substitute materials . the metal reflecting layer 11 , 41 , 51 comprises at least one material selected from a material group consisting of in , sn , al , au , pt , zn , ag , pb , pd , ge , cu , aube , auge , ni , pbsn , and auzn . the nitride first cladding layer 150 , 450 , 550 comprises at least one material selected from a material group consisting of aln , gan , algan , ingan , and alingan . the nitride light - emitting layer 151 , 451 , 551 comprises at least one material selected from a material group consisting of gan , ingan , and alingan . the nitride second cladding layer 152 , 452 , 552 comprises at least one material selected from a material group consisting of alngan , gan , algan , ingan , and alingan . in addition , the nitride first contact layer 14 , 44 , 54 or the nitride second contact layer 16 , 46 , 56 can comprise at least one material selected from a material group consisting of gan , ingan , and algan . the transparent conductive layer 43 , 53 comprises at least one material selected from a material group consisting of indium tin oxide , cadmium tin oxide , antimony tin oxide , zinc oxide , and zinc tin oxide . those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention . accordingly , the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims .

US-60583303-A

an emissions recycling system is used on a vehicle towing an agricultural implement to enrich the fertility of the soil . the system includes an exhaust collector for collecting exhaust emissions from the internal combustion engine of the towing vehicle and an exhaust distribution system for injecting at least a portion of the exhaust emissions collected by the exhaust collector into the ground worked by the ground working tools of the agricultural implement . fertility of the soil is enriched by bioactivity within the soil &# 39 ; s micro flora which consumes the greenhouse gas and emissions .

referring to the accompanying drawings , there is illustrated an emissions recycling system generally indicated by reference numeral 10 . the recycling system is designed to condition emissions in the emissions conditioning chamber 14 . internal combustion engine emissions and green house gases such as co 2 , no x , and so x can be chemically and catalytically conditioned and cooled to match the plant soil micro flora and micro fauna needs . the system 10 includes an agricultural tractor or the like with an internal combustion engine 12 operating at optimum stoichiometric ratio to break the n 2 bonds and achieve complete combustion . as a result , all hydrocarbons are burned , releasing all the energy of the fuel to provide kinetic energy to till , seed or rotor till the soil or implement of the like 54 that fractures the soil . this allows the emissions to be buried or well mixed into the soil structure , becoming bioactive with the micro flora 64 bacteria , fungi , and micro - organisms that in return release nutrients from the soil organic matter and minerals . free living bacteria 64 bio - activate 20 co 2 and fix n 2 from the air to make plant usable nitrogen . the catalyst that makes this happen is molybdenum that may need to be applied with emissions if the fuel source 22 does not contain sulphur , molybdenum as a lubricant . two types of fuel could be used and chosen to best suit the soil as sulphur lowers ph and helps salt resistance , but on low ph soil , a low sulphur fuel would be burnt as determined by the agronomic computer 66 to avoid further acidification of the soil . the bioactive emissions recycling system 10 includes an emissions conditioning chamber 14 that is connected to the exhaust manifold . as the exhaust gasses pass through the chamber , various chemical reactions can be controlled to alter emissions to best suit the plant &# 39 ; s soil type , ph and micro flora that bio - activate 20 the emissions hydrogen conditioning 30 and oxygen conditioning 40 . the n molecules will combine with hydrogen or oxygen making a cat ion (+) or an anion (−). multiple compartment water tanks 24 and 26 store and reuse water at lower ph levels to aid in chemical reactions . the water makes steam in the boiler chamber 34 to be injected at various locations in the chamber . hydrogen conditioning 30 starts at the exhaust manifold 32 , which is the hottest location to oxidize metals with steam injection . at the point of glowing hot metals , the oxygen oxidizes the metals , breaking the h 2 o bond , thus freeing hydrogen to combine with the n molecules as nh 4 . the replaceable metal pipes 33 will oxidize away as the micronutrients including copper , zinc , nickel , and iron are beneficial to the soil . if lacking , the steam , chamber 34 removes the heat from the conditioning chamber that creates steam pressure to inject steam into the chamber 14 . hydrogen can be released by electrolysis of acidic water 36 , or recirculation of condensate within the chamber or from a distribution fan 52 . a water return line 58 to the return storage tank 26 is used as the biological culture growing tank . as condensate is added the reproducing culture consumes the elements from the emissions producing amino acids , enzymes , bacteria and fungi . this culture is applied to the soil on the go as it reproduces . heat exchanger 38 and cooling fins can cool the chamber 14 . oxygen conditioning can start in the exhaust manifold 32 to burn unburned hydrocarbons or within a three stage catalytic converter 46 . air injection 42 of o 3 , may be produced from an alternator or a generator high voltage arc . catalysts 46 are located in various locations to speed up reactions in the chamber 14 . the inside of the combustion chamber is impregnated with a ceramic parts coating that helps the engine 12 withstand hotter exhaust temperatures . electromagnetic fields , a cathode and an anode in the water tank make water favour hydrogen at the cathode outlet 28 connected to the negative terminal of the battery 27 or oxygen at the anode outlet 29 connected to the positive terminal of the battery 27 . a distribution system 50 is retrofitted to tillage equipment 54 or the like by distribution hoses 56 which withstand up to 450 degrees f . or 230 degrees celsius of steam . otherwise a heat exchanger 38 , or any other form of cooling mechanism , is used to remove heat from the hoses 56 which are connected to the tillage points to incorporate all the emissions into the soil structure . in other embodiments , the emissions are distributed into a rotor tiller hood or a lawn mower deck to be well mixed into the soil or grass mulch . the distribution fan 52 maintains air flow in the system is to avoid back pressure on the engine . soil 60 can vary in ph , and have excessive or lacking elements . the plants 62 adapt to the soil chemistry . micro - organisms 64 bio - activate the emissions . certain micro - organisms live off of the emissions and feed back the nutrients that they have bio - activated 20 back to the plants 62 when they die . to manage the many variable requirements of the soil 60 , the plants 62 and the micro - organisms 64 , an agronomic computer 66 alters the emissions to best meet the soil micro - organisms and crop needs . as described herein , a bioactive recycling system uses the micro flora such as bacteria , fungi and organisms that are naturally with in the soil of a typical agricultural landscape . this bioactivity within the soil structure consumes the greenhouse gases and emissions from the hydrocarbons that are burnt at optimum stoichiometric ratio combustion in an agricultural tractor that is tilling or incorporating seed into the soil . limited availability of co 2 , no 2 and so 2 can be a limiting factor of bioactivity with in the soil structure . plants and micro flora use these emissions as an energy source to assist in the cycle of plant nutrients . for example , free - living - nitrogen - fixing organism &# 39 ; s ability to fix n 2 from air within the soil structure is limited by the demand on co 2 as plants and their root &# 39 ; s associated micro flora get first chance at the co 2 from photosynthesis . this shortage is greater when applied fertilizer &# 39 ; s ammonium is taken up by the roots as co 2 has to combine with the ammonia as urea is transported to the shoots . this co 2 consumption takes energy from the plant which causes a co 2 shortage at the roots instead of co 2 which exudates . hydrogen from the roots has to be secreted causing problems with ph balance , nutrient uptake and root growth . no x emissions recycled into the soil are consumed by nitrobacteria in various oxidations to no 3 as an energy source . uptake by the roots of no 3 allows the plant to secrete co 2 for its roots to feed associated root bacteria . in return , the bacteria feeds back photo hormones cyt , iaa and ga back to the plant . less hydrogen has to be secreted from the roots , thus balancing ph , increasing efficiency of nitrogen use , and improving nutrient extraction by fungi to root associations . any leftover co 2 goes to free - living bacteria that fix n 2 from the air in the soil . so 2 emissions are useful to balance ph as it is oxidized by bacteria for plant uptake and salt tolerance . the complexities of the soil and plant requirements can be matched by the chemistry altering methods with in the exhaust conditioning system . these methods include selecting a type of fuel which has either a high or low sulphur content , varying fuel combustion temperature , varying catalytic chemistry , providing electrolysis to oxidize micro nutrients , producing hydrogen from glowing hot cast iron with steam circulation in the conditioning chamber , or providing air with ozone rich oxygen from an alternator , generator or high voltage arc injected for oxidation . the method has no need to scrub out the emissions or add binders that tie up or store them for disposal . the complete exhaust stream is placed below the soil surface as the tractor and equipment are tilling the soil or incorporating seed within the soil , so as to release minimal emissions to the atmosphere as conditioned emissions are altered to be chemically bioactive within the soil profile to maximize plant growth and shorten the co 2 , no 2 , so 2 emissions cycle . the bioactive emissions recycling process incorporates the emissions from an internal combustion engine into the topsoil while the agricultural tractor is pulling the tillage or seeding equipment . the emissions become bioactive by the micro flora of the soil as co 2 , no x , so x and other emissions are consumed as an energy source while releasing plant usable nutrients or fixing nitrogen from the air . the system includes an emissions conditioning chamber for collecting and receiving the exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine of the tractor . emissions from the internal combustion engine flow through the chamber , which conditions and alters the chemistry of the emissions to best suit the plant genetics , soil ph , salinity and the bioactive soil micro flora . steam is injected into the chamber at various locations within the chamber to release hydrogen . the steam can be directed near glowing hot iron or a combination of metals connected to the exhaust manifold . the oxygen oxidizes the metal , releasing the hydrogen to react with the emissions . the oxidized metal is carried by the steam and emissions to mix with the soil . steam is created in a heat transfer chamber around the conditioning chamber . the water is injected into the chamber and the heat that boils the water is removed from the emissions gases to cool the exhaust flow before oxygen or air is injected . hydrogen and oxygen can be formed by electrolysis of water using a cathode and anode or alternatively by passing protons through a member . alternatively a catalyst or an electromagnetic field can be used to enhance conditioning of the emissions . air is injected into the chamber at various locations and can oxidize the emissions to desirable forms of chemical reactions . atmospheric air , oxygen enriched air from electrolysis , or o 3 enriched air from an electronic device , including an alternator or generator , may be used for injection . air injection is performed at high heat locations or within the catalytic converter to burn unburned hydrocarbons and produce more co 2 emissions . an after burner 50 with a controlled air fuel ratio can raise the temperature above 2000 k as temp goes up no x levels go up . air injection in the cooler locations unable to support combustion will aid in chemical reactions . water injection into the chamber is performed at various locations as a carrier of dissolved elements to aid in conditioning the emissions and assist in the bioactivity in the soil . nickel can be added to enhance nh 4 metabolism , molybdenum can be added to aid in no 3 metabolism and bacteria assist in n 2 fixation . water recirculation or recovery at the point of incorporation can conserve water use and aid in chemical reactions within the chamber . low ph water will release more hydrogen to make nh 4 . high ph water has less hydrogen and more oxygen to make no 3 . electromagnetic high voltage fields , high voltage carbon electrode arcs , cathodes , anodes , electro negativity of elements and catalytic aid of metals can be used to speed up chemical reactions and can be located from the combustion chamber to the point of emission incorporation into the soil . the emissions distribution system is mounted on the tillage or seeding equipment via flex hoses from the emissions conditioning chamber . the flex hoses comprise a network of heat resistant steam hoses that can withstand a maximum temperature of 450 f or 230 c . a distributor fan maintains air flow and lower back pressure on the exhaust system . the flex hoses are connected to the tillage points under the soil . as the soil is tilled and fractured , the steam and conditioned emissions fill the air spaces in the soil to become bioactive . when incorporating emissions through a conventional air seeder , the exhaust temperature has to be cooled with a heat exchanger to prevent heat damage to the air distribution system when incorporating emissions . when using a rotor tiller , the emissions are injected evenly inside the tiller hood . the emissions become well mixed into the soil . lawn mower decks work well to incorporate the emissions into the lawn and clippings . as the steam from the emissions conditioning chamber contacts the clippings , bioactivity is sped up to decay the clippings , thus recycling the nutrients and emission back to the lawn . grain harvesters can apply emissions at a straw chopper to speed up straw breakdown . steam injection air to air cooler prevents fire . forage choppers burning bio - diesel can use cooled emissions that form urea as a protein booster to improve feed value . compost turning equipment will speed the compost by stimulating aerobic activity fuel additive and co 2 will increase aerobic to anaerobic ratio in closed or open compost systems . liquid manure lagoon agitation motors emissions can be incorporated at agitation time to raise carbon to nitrogen ratio and lower ammonia and sulphur smell . internal combustion engine modifications and adjustments to aid in n 2 conversion to no x include adjustments to ignition timing the maximum advanced and grade of fuel to support advanced ignition timing . diesel injection spray pattern split injection timing can , be altered to increase no x . a cooling system thermostat needs to maintain maximum operating temperature . antifreeze that boils at a higher temperature should be used . higher compression ratio or use of a turbo booster to raise combustion flame temperature is desirable . to protect engine internal parts to withstand the extreme heat , the parts can be protected with a coating of ceramic with a catalyst impregnation to speed up no x production internally in the engine . exhaust gas recirculation no x control equipment needs to be disabled or removed as the no x produced by internal combustion is now capturing the energy released by the internal combustion . the no x is bio - activated by the soil bacteria converting the no x into plant usable nitrogen . as described herein the growth characteristics in soil which assist in how well plants grow can be improved by various means when exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine is incorporated into the soil by tillage equipment . the growth characteristics can be improved by increasing the aerobic bacteria content in the soil by adding an oxidizing agent to the fuel of the engine or by providing a culturing tank in which micro organisms which feed on exhaust emissions can be cultured for subsequent distribution or incorporation into the soil as well . the growth characteristics can also be improved by increasing no x content in the soil either by adding a catalyst to the soil with the exhaust emissions or by passing the exhaust emissions through an afterburner which elevates the temperature of combustion to increase the no x content in the exhaust emissions which are subsequently incorporated into the soil . the oxidizing agent which is added to the fuel as described herein may comprise any form of chemical compound that readily gives up oxygen or a substance that gains electrons in a redox chemical reaction . in doing so the oxidizing agent becomes reduced in the process . when adding an oxidizing agent , the computer 66 is arranged to control an amount of the oxidizing agent being added to the fuel responsive to measured growth characteristic of a sample of the soil which measures characteristics such as ph level and the like . when adding a catalyst to increase the no x content in the soil , the catalyst may be added to seed which is to be planted into the soil or alternatively the catalyst maybe added to the soil by adding to the fuel of the internal combustion engine prior to combustion . the catalyst is selected from the group including nickel , cobalt , molybdenum , chromium or iron and is characterized in that it can withstand the elevated temperatures of greater than 1900 degrees kelvin in the afterburner while still having some useful effect as a catalyst when injected into the ground with the exhaust emissions after combustion . in addition to catalysts added to the fuel , ph level of the exhaust emissions can be adjusted by adding sulphur to the fuel of the internal combustion engine . the computer 66 in this instance is arranged to control the amount of catalyst or sulphur which is added responsive to measured growth characteristics of a sample of the soil or in response to measured conditions of the exhaust during operation . the afterburner 50 can be used to increase the no x content in the soil by passing the exhaust emissions therethrough at an operating temperature at greater than 1900 degrees kelvin prior to incorporating the exhaust emissions into the soil . at these temperatures additional reactions are encouraged which would not normally take place in a normally operating internal combustion engine . the afterburner receives both the exhaust emissions therethrough along with some additional fuel and air to optimize the elevated operating temperature of the afterburner . the fuel may comprise the same fuel as the tractor or other equipment with which the internal combustion engine is associated , or may comprise an alternative fuel , for example oils having more carbon in the form of longer chain carbon molecules which are heavier to increase carbon dioxide production and to promote oxidizing metals . desirable bacteria in the soil use oxidized metals produced as a result of the heavier carbon fuels as an energy source so that feeding the aerobic bacteria produces more plant nutrients resulting in more fertile soil . the computer 66 in this instance is arranged to vary composition of the exhaust emissions by varying operating temperature of either one of the internal combustion engine or the afterburner . the computer is further arranged to control the amount of fuel or air added to the exhaust emissions at the afterburner and the ratio thereof prior to passing the exhaust emissions through the afterburner in response to measuring both characteristics of the soil to determine what additional nutrients are most effective to be incorporated into the soil . to be used either in combination with catalysts added to the fuel , oxidizers added to the fuel , and an afterburner for elevating the operating temperature of combustion of the exhaust emissions , the condensate tank 26 further improves the growth characteristics of the soil by increasing the aerobic bacteria content in the soil by culturing these bacteria along with any other beneficial micro organisms including various fungi and the like . the bacteria or other micro organisms cultured in the tank are typically not indigenous to the soil being improved to further enhance the benefits thereof . the computer 66 in this instance controls operation of the tank by maintaining the tank at a desired operating temperature to most encourage production of bacteria or other micro organisms while also being arranged to control the rates at which condensate is added and removed from the tank so that an equal amount of cultured bacteria and micro organisms is solution is removed and incorporated into the soil as the amount of new condensate with exhaust emissions incorporated therein is introduced into the tank . to further enhance the benefits noted above , the system includes a suitable blower which draws exhaust emissions from the internal combustion engine into a suction side of the blower and distributes the exhaust emissions under pressure from the pressure side of the blower to optimize efficiency and to provide some control as to the rate at which exhaust emissions are incorporated into the soil . the computer 66 in this instance controls the rate of the blower responsive to the speed of internal combustion being displaced over the ground in the instance of agricultural equipment including tillage or seeding equipment for example . the rate of the blower accordingly is controlled responsive to demands for exhaust emissions incorporated into the soil . when using an afterburner in particular or simply when feeding exhaust emissions directly from internal combustion engine to a network of distribution hoses for incorporation to the ground , for example the plastic distribution hoses of an agricultural seeding implement , a cooler , comprising is provided in series with the exhaust emissions to cool the exhaust emissions prior to distributing them through the plastic hoses so that no modification to the distribution equipment is required while still protecting any plastic parts from damage of excessive heat . the system as described herein may also be used for other organic matter other than simply incorporating the emissions into the soil , for decomposing the organic matter so it can then be used as an additive to soil . to encourage decomposition of organic matter the internal combustion engine is again operated to produce exhaust emissions which are then in turn mixed into the organic matter . when the internal combustion engine comprises part of a grain harvester having a straw chopper , the method includes mixing the exhaust emissions with the straw in the straw chopper to assist in the decomposition of the straw . alternatively when the organic matter comprises grass which is cut by a mulching deck of a lawn mower , exhaust emissions from the internal combustion engine of the mower can be mixed with the grass in the mulching deck to assist in its decomposition . emissions from an internal combustion engine associated with compost mixing equipment can be mixed with the compost using the compost mixing equipment . in liquid waste management equipment , exhaust emissions from any internal combustion engines associated therewith can be mixed into the liquid organic waste managed by the equipment , for example equipment used to manage waste in a lagoon or the like . yet a further example exhaust emissions from the internal combustion engine from a forage chopper may be mixed in with the forage being chopped to assist in the decomposition thereof . since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described , and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope , it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense .

US-201113270764-A

a wireless battery - operated window covering assembly is disclosed . the window covering has a head rail in which all the components are housed . these include a battery pack , an interface module including an ir receiver and a manual switch , a processor board including control circuitry , motor , drive gear , and a rotatably mounted reel on which lift cords wind and unwind a collapsible shade . the circuitry allows for dual - mode ir receiver operation and a multi - sensor polling scheme , both of which are configured to prolong battery life . included among these sensors is a lift cord detector which gauges shade status to control the raising and lowering of the shade , and a rotation sensor which , in conjunction with internal registers and counters keeps track of travel limits and shade position .

fig1 shows a window covering assembly 100 of the present invention . the assembly comprises a head rail 102 , a bottom rail 104 , and a shade 106 . preferably , the head rail 102 and bottom rail are formed from aluminum , plastic , or some other light weight materials . the shade 106 shown fig1 is an expandable and contractible covering preferably made from a light fabric , paper , or the like . the shade of fig1 is shown to be a cellular honeycomb shade ; however , a pleated shade , horizontal slats , and other liftable coverings can also be used . as seen in fig1 and 2 , the head rail 102 comprises a bottom panel 108 , a back panel 110 , end caps 112 and a front panel 114 . the front panel 114 is hinged by pins , attached at its upper end corners , to the end caps 112 . this facilitates access to the cavity 116 within the head rail 102 behind the front panel &# 39 ; s front surface 118 . alternatively , the front panel 114 can be hinged to the bottom member 108 , or even be fully removable and snapped on to the rest of the head rail . a plurality of lift cords 120 descend from within the head rail 102 , pass through the cells of the honeycomb shade 106 , to the bottom rail where they are secured by known means . the weight of the bottom rail 104 and shade 106 are supported by the lift cords 120 , causing the latter to normally undergo tension . fig3 shows a top view of the cavity 116 . within the cavity 116 are an elongated tube 150 forming a battery pack which houses batteries 152 and is mounted on the cavity - facing side of the front panel 118 . the tube 150 is preferably formed from a non - conductive material such as plastic . also mounted in the cavity is a motor 122 operatively engaged to a rotatably mounted reel shaft 124 , around which reel shaft the lift cords 120 are wound and unwound . preferably , the reel shaft is hollow to reduce its weight . this reduces the torque and power requirements , thus extending battery life . a printed circuit ( pc -) board 126 which carries much of the electronic circuitry of the assembly is also housed in the cavity . as best seen in fig3 and 4 , an interface module 128 communicates between the front surface 118 and the cavity 116 . the interface module 128 comprises an infrared ( ir ) receiver and a manual switch 130 . on the front surface 118 , the manual switch 130 and a daylight - blocking window 132 are visible . the manual switch 130 can be activated by a user at any time . the window 132 covers the photoreceiver ( i . e ., transducer ) of the ir receiver and helps extend the life of the batteries by preventing daylight from needlessly activating the transducer . one skilled in the art would recognize that an ir receiver , whose transducer has a built - in daylight - blocking window or a daylight - blocking coating , may also be used . the important thing is that the transducer not respond to daylight , and preferably be arranged such that it only responds to infrared light . it should be noted that the shade has no manually operated pull cord . thus , the manual switch 130 on the front panel , and the ir receiver are normally the only means for operating the window covering . as shown in fig6 the motor 122 and its transmission 134 are operatively connected to a drive rod 136 having a square cross - section . the drive rod 136 is received by a telescoping reel shaft 124 which turns in spaced - apart bearings 138 , each integrally formed with a reel support 140 . when the drive rod 136 turns , the reel shaft 124 turns and also telescopes in an axial direction , one rotation of the reel shaft corresponding to an axial movement approximately equal to the thickness of the lift cord 120 &# 39 ;. thus , the lift cord passes through the bottom plate of the head rail at substantially the same position as it winds and unwinds . thus , as seen in fig6 the lift cord 120 &# 39 ; is wrapped around the reel shaft 124 , each turn abutting its neighbor without overlap , and its end 142 secured to the reel shaft by a ring - shaped clamp 144 . fig7 illustrates the significance of having a particular lift cord 120 &# 39 ; pass through the bottom panel 108 at the same position , as it winds and unwinds . a lift cord detector 146 , formed as a reed switch , is mounted on the inside surface of the bottom panel 108 . the lift cord detector 146 is positioned such that the lift cord 120 &# 39 ; abuts the detector &# 39 ; s reed 148 , when there is tension in the lift cord 120 &# 39 ;. when it abuts the reed 148 , the lift cord 120 &# 39 ; closes a connection in the switch . in the present design , the detector &# 39 ; s reed 148 must be in abutment with the cord 120 &# 39 ; for the motor 122 to lower the shade . there are two situations of interest in which the detector &# 39 ; s reed 148 no longer abuts the lift cord 120 &# 39 ; during descent , causing the motor to stop . the first is when the tension in the lift cord 120 &# 39 ; is relaxed . this happens , for example , when the bottom rail 104 meets with an obstruction , such a person &# 39 ; s hand or an object on a window sill . in this first situation , the function of the lift cord detector 146 is to monitor the tension in the cord 120 &# 39 ;. the second situation is when the descending shade fully unwinds the lift cord 120 &# 39 ;. in this latter case , as the reel shaft 124 makes its final rotation , it comes to a stop after bringing the end 142 of the lift cord 120 &# 39 ; past the reed 148 and thus , no longer in abutment therewith . in such case , the lift cord 120 &# 39 ; hangs from the reel shaft 124 in a position that is laterally displaced from the position it occupied when it was wrapped around the reel shaft 124 . in this second situation , the function of the cord detector 146 is to gauge the lateral position of the lift cord 120 &# 39 ; as it hangs from the reel 124 . it should be noted that the function of gauging the lateral position of the lift cord may be performed a number of equivalent means . for instance , if the lift cord is thick enough , an optical sensor comprising an led and a photodetector may suffice . the lift cord 120 &# 39 ; would then obstruct the light path in a first lateral position , and would not obstruct the light path in a second lateral position . and if the lift cord 120 &# 39 ; is formed from a metallic material , it may also be possible to arrange a magnetic sensor to detect a lateral movement of the lift cord 120 &# 39 ;. such sensors , however , would require power to operate , and would not be able to simultaneously detect tension ; therefore , they are not preferred . as shown in fig8 the power supply for the assembly of the present invention is a battery pack 150 comprising eight 1 . 5 v aa batteries 152 . the batteries , which preferably are non - rechargeable , are laid end - to - end , in electrical series with one another , thus providing 12 volts . the batteries are housed in a single elongated tube 150 which is mounted via brackets 154 fixed to the back side 156 of the head rail &# 39 ; s front panel 114 . with the batteries 152 laid end - to - end and substantially parallel to the reel shaft 124 , substantially space savings is realized . this allows the motor , rotatable reel shaft , battery - based power supply , and electronics to be held within a housing having a cross - section less than 1 3 / 4 &# 34 ; by 13 / 4 &# 34 ;. a coil spring 158 mounted on the back side 156 biases a first end of the elongated tube 150 , forcing a positive battery terminal against a positive electrical contact positioned at the opposite , second end . a conductor strip 160 formed on an outer surface of the tube 150 connects the negative terminal of the battery pack 150 to a ring - shaped negative electrical contact 162 . leads from each contact ultimately provide an electrical connection from the battery pack 150 to the pc board 126 , motor 122 and module 128 . as depicted in fig9 the motor 122 and its associated transmission 134 are assembled as a drive unit 164 , along with a protective drive plate 166 . the drive plate 166 is formed with an annular boss 168 through which the drive coupling 170 protrudes . a pair of diametrically opposed pins 172 secure the drive plate 166 , transmission 134 and motor 122 to each other . this facilitates assembly of the hardware within the head rail . the drive unit 164 is mounted in an elongated aperture 174 formed in a bulkhead 176 . the bulkhead itself is rigidly fixed to the floor of head rail , on the inside surface of the latter &# 39 ; s bottom panel 108 . clips 178 formed on a bulkhead top panel 180 help retain the drive unit 164 . as the bulkhead 176 is rigidly fixed to the head rail , any eccentricity in the motor 122 and drive unit 164 is transferred , in the form of vibrations , to the entire head rail 102 . this vibration is amplified by the head rail , causing the latter to emit annoying noises . to reduce vibrations imparted to the bulkhead 176 by the drive unit 164 , a resilient vibration dampening bushing 182 is used to mate the drive unit to the bulkhead . the bushing 182 , which preferably is formed from neoprene rubber having a shore a hardness of between 60 - 70 , has a substantially cylindrical base member 184 . the base member 184 is provided with a central aperture 186 shaped and sized to receive the annular boss 168 formed on the drive plate 166 , and is further provided with a pair of apertures 188 adapted and positioned to receive the pins 172 . on one side of its cylindrical base 184 , the bushing 178 is provided with an elongated boss 190 integrally formed therewith . the elongated boss is shaped and sized to be received by the elongated aperture 174 in the bulkhead . in this manner , the bushing 182 both supports the drive unit 164 within the head rail , and also provides vibration dampening to reduce motor noise during operation of the window covering 30 . as shown in fig1 , one end of the drive rod 136 is integrally formed with a flange 192 . preferably they are formed from a hard plastic , or the like . the flange 192 is rotatably mounted between a pair of upstanding ribs 194 supported on the inside surface of the head rail &# 39 ; s bottom panel . the ribs prevent the drive rod 136 from moving in an axial direction as it is turned . one end of drive shaft 196 is connected to the drive rod 136 at the flange 192 . the opposite end of the drive shaft 196 is adapted to engage the transmission coupling 170 at a point between the bulkhead 176 and the flange 192 . thus , coupling 170 , drive shaft 196 , flange 192 and drive rod 136 all turn together when the motor is operated . mounted on the drive shaft 196 is a star wheel 198 , which has four equidistantly spaced , radial spokes 200 . the star wheel 198 turns with the drive shaft 196 and the spokes interrupt a path between two objects , represented by 206a , 206b . as the star wheel turns , the number of such interruptions is counted by a rotation counter . this number can then be translated into the number of revolutions of the reel shaft 124 relative to some starting point . the value in the rotation counter may then be used to compare with an upper or a lower limit count value saved in a memory register . either magnetic or optical sensing may be used in conjunction with the spokes 200 . for magnetic sensing , a permanent magnet 202 is attached , by adhesive or equivalent means , to the radially outward end of each spoke 200 . a magnetic sensor 204 comprising a pair of spaced apart sensor bars 206a , 206b is mounted on the underside of the pc - board 126 . as the star wheel 198 turns with the drive shaft , its magnet - tipped spokes 200 pass between the sensor bars . the number of resulting magnetic disturbances is then counted , and this number is used in the position determination . alternatively , instead of a magnetic sensor , an optical sensor may be used . in such case , a light emitting diode ( led ) 206a , arranged to emit light having a narrow wavelength , is positioned on one side of the star wheel 198 . a phototransistor 206b responsive to that wavelength is positioned on the other . the led and phototransistor are used to count interruptions by the spokes , as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 856 , 574 to minami , whose contents are incorporated by reference in their entirety . in the present invention , to extend battery life , the magnetic sensor , or , alternatively , the led and phototransistor , are powered and monitored only when the motor is running . more specifically , they are powered just an instant before the motor is activated , and they are turned off just after the motor stops running . fig1 presents a block diagram of the circuit 210 used to control the shade 106 . the battery pack 150 supplies all power to the circuit 210 via a power supply 212 . power supply 212 provides battery protection , noise filtering and voltage regulation . it also outputs a 12 volt supply to power the motor , and a 5 volt supply to power the rest of the circuit . the heart of the circuit is a microprocessor 214 , part no . 16c54 . this processor is advantageous in that any port pin can be used for input or output . also , an output port can put out a 5 volt signal capable of driving 25 ma of current . thus , the processor itself acts as a low - current power supply of sorts . the processor is provided with a central processing unit , a non - volatile read - only memory ( rom ), and a random access read - write memory ( ram ). the rom stores executable program code which is automatically entered upon booting the circuit by connecting the batteries . alternatively , if a power on switch is provided , this code is entered when such a switch is activated . the ram includes a number of memory locations used for maintaining position data , status data , signal flags and the like . to extend battery life when there is no activity , the processor is cycled between a quiescent state and a sleep state . a built - in watchdog timer wakes up the processor from the sleep state . in the quiescent state , the processor 214 check a manual switch 130 and an ir receiver 216 to see if there are any inputs to which it should respond . if there are , the processor then enters an active state to process the input and take any other necessary action in response thereto . upon conclusion of the active state , the processor is returned to the sleep state , after which the quiescent / sleep cycle is resumed . the processor 214 is connected to the interface module 128 . a 5 volt power line , irsig , and a ground connection are supplied by the processor to the interface module 128 . two signal lines , one from the manual switch 130 , man , and another from the ir receiver 216 , irsig , are returned to the processor . the manual switch 130 can be either a contact switch , which activates a motor only when it is being depressed . alternatively , switch 130 can be a single throw switch , which is activated once to start the motor , and activated a second time to stop the motor , unless , the motor stops by itself for some other reason . either type of switch can be used , so long as the microprocessor 214 is appropriately programmed . regardless of which type of switch is used , the switch output is presented on line man and this is read by the processor 214 . in the preferred embodiment , an ir transmitter 218 having separate up 220a and down 220b buttons is used to remotely activate the shade . the ir transmitter is also provided with a two - position channel selection switch 222 , which allows a user to choose between two channels , a and b . the channel selection feature is especially advantageous in rooms where more than one window covering assembly is to be installed . when either the up or the down button is pushed , a coded sequence of pulses corresponding to the button pushed and the channel selected , is generated . this sequence comprises a command signal . each sequence has an identical number of pulses , and the sequence is repeated as long as the button is depressed . each pulse in a sequence has a predetermined width of between 0 . 8 and 2 . 8 msec and is modulated with a 38 khz carrier before being transmitted . in the preferred embodiment , the ir receiver is a tfms 5 .. 0 , available from temic telefunken . it filters and demodulates the sensed command signal and outputs a sequence of pulses corresponding to that generated within the transmitter 218 before being modulated . these pulses are output on line irsig and are read by the processor 214 by sampling to determine the length of each pulse . after reading the incoming sequence , the processor 214 matches it against a reference sequence stored in rom . if a match occurs , the processor then sends out the appropriate signals to energize the motor , if other conditions are met . to extend the life of the battery , the ir receiver 216 is cycled on and off by the processor 214 in one of two power cycle modes , a first , &# 34 ; look &# 34 ; mode , and a second , &# 34 ; active &# 34 ; mode . with no sensor activity and the motor off , the receiver 216 is normally in the look mode . in the look mode , power to the receiver 216 is alternatingly turned off for about 300 msecs , and then turned back on for about 7 . 1 msec . this means that , on average , a user must depress a transmitter button for about 1 / 3 second before any response can be expected . during the 7 . 1 msecs in which the receiver is powered , the processor checks the receiver output every 33 μsecs to see if a valid pulse , i . e ., one between 0 . 8 and 2 . 8 msecs , has been received . whether or not one has been received , the receiver 216 is turned off . if no valid pulse has been received , the receiver is allowed to remain in the look mode . if , however , the microprocessor determines that a valid pulse was received , it then shifts the receiver into the active mode . in this mode , the receiver remains off for 9 . 5 msecs , and then is turned on for about 46 msecs , and a new alternating cycle of 9 . 5 msecs off and 46 msecs on , is established . when it is in the active mode , the receiver &# 39 ; s output is checked by the processor every 160 μsecs . in the active mode , valid pulses , and even valid sequences of pulses ( i . e ., those sequences capable of activating the motor ), may be received and interpreted by the processor 214 . if neither a valid pulse , nor a valid sequence is received in that first 46 msec period of the active mode , the processor shifts the receiver back to the look mode beginning with the next off cycle . if , instead , a valid sequence is received , the processor 214 and associated circuitry turn on the motor 122 , and the receiver is allowed to remain in the active mode as long as the motor is running . thus , with the motor running , the receiver is cycled off for 9 . 5 msecs and on for 46 msecs . once the motor stops , whether due to a transmitted signal , or due the shade 106 reaching either an upper or a lower travel limit , or an obstruction , the receiver is shifted back into the look mode . it should be noted that the above times are nominal values ; actual times may vary by as much as 25 %, depending on what other inputs the processor receives . it should also be noted that if the receiver output is continuously low for a predetermined number of cycles , e . g ., 10 cycles , the receiver is considered to be in saturation . in such case , the processor shifts the receiver to the active mode to clear this situation . in summary , then , the receiver 216 is switched between one of two power cycle modes . both transmitted signals and motor status determine when the receiver is switched between the two modes . in a given mode , the length of time for which the receiver is turned on in each power - on , power - off cycle , is substantially the same . also , the length of time for which power is continuously connected to the ir receiver 216 is independent of the content of the data received during that connection period . thus , even if a valid pulse is received during a power - on period , power to receiver will be disconnected at the end of that period . this differs from the aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 134 , 347 to koleda , whose contents are incorporated by reference in their entirety , wherein power to the receiver is continued if a valid signal is received in the look mode . to activate the motor 122 , four control lines 224 are connected between the processor 214 and a bridge circuit 226 . two of the four control lines are connected to base terminals of a pair of npn bipolar junction transistors ( bjts ), each of which serves as a switch to control one half of the bridge circuit 226 . the remaining two control lines are connected to the gate terminals of a pair of low power field effect transistors ( mosfets ). each of the mosfets forms the lower portion of one half of the bridge circuit 226 , allowing current to flow through its corresponding half when that fet &# 39 ; s gate is activated by the processor 214 . the circuit 210 includes a sensor subcircuit 228 which gathers status information from one of three different sensors . the microprocessor powers the sensor subcircuit 228 at predetermined times through line ipwr , which is connected to resistor r3 , and reads the sensor output through line inp . to read a particular sensor , it must first be enabled through a dedicated line drv -- cs , drv -- ll and opt -- led from the processor 214 . one of the three sensors is a channel select strap 230 . the channel select strap 230 allows a user to enable the processor 214 to match a received command signal only with stored sequences corresponding to the selected channel . preferably , the channel select strap 230 can be accessed either from outside the head rail or by simply opening its hinged front panel 114 . the channel select strap can be formed as a simple wire or a jumper connector connecting two pins or leads . alternatively , it can be formed as a two - position switch , much like the channel selector 222 on the transmitter 218 . when the wire or jumper connector is intact , the processor 214 will try to match received command signals with stored sequences corresponding to channel a . and when the wire or jumper connector is not in place , e . g , when the wire is cut or the jumper connector is removed , the processor tries to match received command signals with stored sequences corresponding to channel b . to determine which channel has been selected , the processor 214 powers the sensor subcircuit 228 using line ipwr , enables the channel select strap using line drv -- cs , and reads the input on line inp . in normal use , the channel selector strap 230 is only examined ( i . e ., ipwr and drv -- cs are both activated and inp is monitored ) upon power start - up . as stated above , power start - up takes place when the batteries are first connected or when the power switch is activated , if a power switch is provided . thereafter , if the channel select strap 230 is altered to designate a different channel , the processor 214 will continue to match received sequences only against stored sequences corresponding to the previous channel . thus , after changing the channel select strap , the power must first be turned off before the processor 214 will recognize sequences corresponding to the newly directed channel . one skilled in the art will recognize that the channel select strap 230 may be configured to allow one to select from among more than two channels . this can be done , for instance , by using a plurality of jumper connectors or a dip switch , or other device , which allows only one channel to be designated at a time . in such case , the processor 214 must connect an enable line , similar to drv -- cs , to each of these channel selection connectors and selectively activate them upon start - up . alternatively , the processor 214 may output a set of coded enable lines which are then connected to a multiplexer , and from there to each of the channel selection connectors . if a plurality of channels are provided , the processor 214 must also store up and down sequences for each of these channels , and these sequences must include enough pulses to uniquely code for the chosen number of channels . finally , the transmitter 218 should be provided with a multi - position switch or dial , allowing it to select from among the various channels and output corresponding up and down sequences . such a configuration can allow a single transmitter to selectively control a plurality of shades . the second sensor monitored by the processor 214 is the lift cord detector 146 , discussed above . to determine whether the lift cord 120 &# 39 ; is abutting the lift cord detector 146 , the processor 214 powers the sensor subcircuit 228 using line ipwr , enables the lift cord detector 146 using line drv -- ll , and reads the input on line inp . it should be noted that current to the motor does not flow through the lift cord detector 146 ; only a current and voltage sufficient to be detected by the processor 214 is necessary . the third sensor monitored by the processor 214 is used to count the number of interruptions made by the star wheel 198 , and thus indirectly count the number of revolutions that the drive shaft 196 turns . as represented by the dashed line 234 from the motor 122 to the sensor 232 , motor rotation is indirectly coupled to the sensor 232 in this manner . in the preferred embodiment , the third sensor 232 is an electro - optic sensor 232 , although a magnetic sensor may also be used , as explained above . the electro - optic sensor creates a light path which is interrupted by the star wheel 198 . the sensor 232 comprises a light emitting diode led1 and a phototransistor pt1 . as the motor 122 turns , so does the star wheel 198 , and the interruptions of the star wheel affect the output of the phototransistor pt1 . as explained above , the electro - optic sensor 232 operates only when the motor is just about to run and continues to operate so long as the motor is running . thus , to activate the electro - optic sensor 232 , the processor powers the sensor subcircuit using line ipwr , enables the light emitting diode led1 using line opt -- led and reads the input on line inp . each time the star wheel 198 interrupts the path between led1 and pt1 , this interruption is sensed by the processor on line inp . thus , when the motor is just about to run , and also while the motor is running , the processor 214 powers the sensor subcircuit 228 . it then periodically enables the cord detector 146 with line drv -- ll and reads the input on line inp , and also periodically enables led1 and reads the input on inp . in this manner , the microprocessor monitors these sensors with a single sensor input line . after power startup , only the lift cord detector 146 and the optical sensor 232 are monitored . and even these two are monitored only if the processor has been directed to turn on the motor 122 asked to turn on by either the transmitter 218 or by the manual switch 130 . fig1 presents a circuit diagram of the power supply . power is supplied by the battery pack 150 . diode d3 provides battery reversal protection . the power supply provides a 12 volt source to drive the motor and a 5 volt source to drive the remainder of the circuit . a voltage regulator u2 , which has a quiescent current of about 1 μa , is always on , providing a 5 volt source . capacitors c1 and c2 and resistor r1 filter motor noise connected to the 12 volt supply . this prevents the motor noise from affecting the voltage regulator u2 . capacitor c3 provides added power filtering . the values of the resistors and capacitors for the entire circuit are presented in table 1 . fig1 shows input and output lines connected to the processor 214 . resistor r2 and capacitor c5 from an oscillator at nominally 2 . 05 mhz ( plus or minus 25 %). this provides an internal timing clock for the processor . fig1 presents the circuitry of the interface module 128 . a 4 - pin connector j3 on the interface module 128 communicates with a 4 - pin connector j3 on the pc - board . as explained above , the four lines include an ir receiver power line irpwr , an ir receiver signal line irsig , which is active low , a ground connection shared by both the manual switch 130 and the ir receiver 216 irsig , and the manual switch output line man which is pulled high by pull - up resistor rs , and is also active low . table 1______________________________________component valuescomponent value______________________________________c1 10 mfc2 10 mfc3 10 mfc5 22 pfc6 0 . 1 μfr1 51 kωr2 10 kωr3 100 kωr4 300 kωr5 100 kωr6 1 kωr7 1 kωr8 1 kωr9 620 ω______________________________________ fig1 shows a circuit diagram of the sensor subcircuit 228 . to enable any of the sensors , the processor 214 must apply power to the circuit by driving ipwr high ( i . e ., 5 volts ) and monitor line inp . the processor must also enable the sensor it wishes to monitor by driving one of normally high opt - led , drv -- ll and drv -- cs lines low ( i . e ., setting it to 0 volts ). to determine the state of the channel selector strap 230 upon power startup , the processor 214 drives ipwr high , drives drv -- cs low ( i . e ., sets it to 0 volts ) and monitors inp . if inp is low , the channel selector switch is deemed to be intact , and so the processor is informed that it should match incoming signals against reference sequences for channel a . if , on the other hand , inp is high , there is no continuity across the channel select strap 230 , and the processor knows to match for channel b . to determine the state of the lift cord detector 146 , the processor again drives ipwr high , drives drv -- ll low , and monitors inp . if inp is low , this indicates that the detector &# 39 ; s reed 148 is closed and so the lift cord 120 &# 39 ; must be abutting the reed 148 . this will inform the processor that there is tension in the lift cord 120 &# 39 ; and that the shade is not at the bottom . finally , to activate the optical sensor 232 , the processor 214 drives ipwr high , opt - led low , and monitors inp . this allows current to flow through led1 , causing it to emit light . this light is sensed by the phototransistor pt1 , causing it to conduct and voltage to drop across resistor r3 . thus , when pt1 conducts , line inp is low . each time the star wheel 198 interrupts the path between led1 and pt1 , line inp temporarily goes high . the number of times this line transitions from low to high and back to low is counted by the processor 214 , and this number is translated into the number of rotations of the reel shaft 124 relative to some starting point . when the motor is energized , the optical sensor 232 and star wheel 198 serve a second purpose . each time the motor 122 is activated , the processor 214 starts an internal stall timer , which is formed as a register in memory . the stall timer times the interruptions of the magnetic or optical path , as caused by the spokes 200 of the star wheel 198 . each time an interruption occurs , the stall timer is reset . if the stall timer times out , it means that successive interruptions did not take place as quickly as they should have , and so the drive shaft 196 ( and hence , the motor 122 ) did not turn as they should . this indicates a motor stall condition , such as when the shade is fully closed and can go no higher . thus , whenever the motor 122 is running , the processor 214 checks for motor stall . if a stall is detected by the processor 214 , it then no longer activates the motor 122 , thus preventing damage to electrical and mechanical components of the assembly 100 . fig1 presents the circuit diagram of the h - bridge circuit 226 . four lines from the processor control the bridge . lines hlp and hrp control the h - bridge &# 39 ; s left and right p - circuit , respectively , and lines hln and hrn control the h - bridge &# 39 ; s left and right n - circuit , respectively . as shown in fig1 , the p - circuit controls the upper half of the h - bridge , and the n - circuit controls the lower half of the h - bridge . as shown in fig1 , lines hlp and hrp are connected to the base leads of left and right npn switching transistors q1 and q3 , through an associated current limiting resistor r6 or r8 . when either line hlp or line hrp is driven high by the processor 214 , the corresponding base - emitter junction on q1 or q3 is forward biased , allowing current to flow through that transistor , assuming other conditions are met . the collectors of q1 and q3 are connected via resistors r7 and r9 to the base leads of associated respective left q2 and right q4 pnp power transistors . the emitters of these two power transistors , q2 and q4 , are connected to the 12 volt power supply , while their collectors are connected to separate leads of a connector j5 . connector j5 , in turn , is connected to corresponding leads of the motor 122 , allowing the latter to be energized in either direction . lines hln and hrn are connected to the gates of n - channel mosfets q5 and q6 , respectively . these lines are normally high when the motor 122 is not activated , thus turning on the q5 , q6 . this is the brake condition , which blocks current from passing from the collectors of q3 and q4 , through the mosfets and on to ground . when the motor 122 is to be activated in a first direction , hlp is driven high and hln is driven low simultaneously . and , when the motor is to be activated in a second direction , hrp is driven high and hrn is driven low . in this manner , the bridge circuitry is configured to activate the motor in either direction . while the motor 122 is running , diodes d2 and d3 provide protection from back electromotive force ( emf ) from the motor 122 and capacitor c6 filters some of the high frequency noise from the motor 122 . the operation of the window covering assembly 100 is described next . as discussed above , the processor &# 39 ; s ram comprises a number of storage locations which keep track of sensor and status data . among these storage locations are : a ) a rotation counter , b ) an upper limit register , which keeps track of the upper limit to which the shade may rise , c ) a looking - for - upper - limit flag , which keeps track of whether or not the processor should look for an upper limit , d ) a channel register , which keeps track of which channel &# 39 ; s reference sequences should be used for matching with the received sequences , and e ) a direction register , which keeps track of the last direction of shade travel . on power startup , the rotation counter and upper limit counter are both set to a large , predetermined value , indicating that there is no upper limit , and the looking - for - upper - limit flag is set to not look for an upper limit . also , the last direction counter is set to up ( so that if the manual switch 130 is pushed , the shade will go down ), and the channel register is set to a or b , depending on the channel strap . after these registers are initialized , the processor enters a quiescent state in which the processor 214 first checks whether the manual switch 130 has been pushed . if the manual switch 130 has not been pushed , the processor next turns on the ir receiver 216 for 7 . 1 msec and then turns it off . if no valid pulse was received within that period , the processor enters a sleep state for a predetermined period of time , about 300 msecs . as it enters the sleep state , the processor 214 makes sure that the transistors q2 and q4 are off , mosfets q5 and q6 are on ( brake ) and that all other outputs and sensors are off . after waking up , the processor 214 loops through the quiescent state once again . if , during the quiescent state , either the manual switch 130 is pushed or a valid pulse is received , the processor 214 enters the active state . in the active state , the processor 216 processes the input , and takes any necessary action in response , such as activating the motor 122 . when the motor is running , the ir receiver is 216 is placed in the active mode and the processor 216 checks irsig , checks the lift cord detector 146 , updates the rotation counter with each interruption , and checks the stall timer , and the manual switch 130 . at any given time , the shade 106 can be in one of three positions : 1 ) shade fully up ( open ), 2 ) shade fully down ( closed ), and 3 ) the shade partially down . also , as stated above , the shade can be activated by either a ) the manual switch 130 , or b ) either button 220a , 220b on the transmitter 218 . this gives a total of six combinations , or examples , to illustrate processor behavior , when in the active state . example 1 . shade 106 fully up ( open ) and the manual switch 130 pushed . in this case , the lift cord detector 146 is abutted by the cord 120 &# 39 ;, and so is closed . the processor 214 first checks the direction register and determines in which direction the shade 106 last travelled . case 1a . last direction of travel was &# 34 ; up &# 34 ;. the appropriate half of the bridge circuit is turned on , and , after an appropriate delay to avoid a short circuit , the other half of the bridge circuit is turned off . the motor is turned on and the shade goes down . the shade will continue to travel downward until a ) the lift cord detector 146 is opened by rotating the cord 120 &# 39 ; off the reed 148 when the shade reaches the bottom of its travel , b ) the shade encounters an obstacle , relieving tension in the cord 120 &# 39 ; and causing it to no longer abut the reed 148 , c ) the manual switch 120 is pushed a second time , or d ) either transmitter button 220a , 220b is pushed . regardless of which of these events take place , the direction register is toggled to indicate that the last direction was &# 34 ; down &# 34 ;, and motor and shade are stopped , after which the processor enters the sleep state . case 1b . last direction of travel was &# 34 ; down &# 34 ;. the processor will first check to see whether the shade is at the upper limit ( i . e ., the value in the rotation counter matches that in the upper limit register ). if this is the case , the processor will ignore the manual switch and enter the sleep state . if , for whatever reason , the rotation counter indicates that upper limit has not been reached , the processor 214 will activate the motor 122 to try to force the shade up . as the shade will not go up , the stall timer will immediately time out , causing the processor to deactivate the motor . following this , the direction register is toggled to indicate that the last direction was &# 34 ; up &# 34 ;, and the processor enters the sleep state . example 2 . shade 106 fully up ( closed ) and a transmitter 218 button is pushed . again , the lift cord detector 146 will be closed . the processor 214 ignores the direction register and determines which button was pushed . case 2a . down button 220b is pushed . the shade will go down . the processor and shade will behave in the same way as in case la , except that the shade will stop if either transmitter button 220a , 220b is pushed a second time . case 2b . up button 220a is pushed . the processor and shade will behave in the same way as in case 1b . again , the stall timer will time out , causing the motor to stop , after which the processor will toggle the direction register , and then enter the sleep state . example 3 . shade 106 fully down ( closed ) and the manual switch 130 pushed . in this case , the lift cord detector 146 will be open , indicating that either the shade is fully lowered , or that the shade is resting on an object . the processor 214 first checks the direction register and determines in which direction the shade 106 last travelled . case 3a . last direction of travel was &# 34 ; up &# 34 ;. the processor 214 will determine that the lift cord detector is open . because it is open , the processor will not allow the shade to be lowered , and so will enter the sleep state . case 3b . last direction of travel was &# 34 ; down &# 34 ;. the processor will determine that the lift cord detector is open . this will cause it to reset the rotation counter to zero , and enable the looking - for - upper - limit flag so that , upon ascent , the processor will compare the value in the rotation counter to the value in the upper limit register . the processor will then activate the motor to raise the shade . the shade will continue to travel upward until a ) the stall timer times out , indicating that the motor has stalled ( e . g ., the shade is fully raised ), b ) the rotation counter reaches the value in the upper limit register , c ) the manual button is pushed a second time , or d ) either transmitter button 220a , 220b is pushed . regardless of which of these events take place , the direction register is toggled to indicate that the last direction was &# 34 ; up &# 34 ;, and motor and shade are stopped , after which the processor enters the sleep state . example 4 . shade 106 fully down ( closed ) and a transmitter 218 button is pushed . again , the lift cord detector 146 will be open , indicating that either the shade is fully lowered , or that the shade is resting on an object . the processor 214 ignores the direction register and determines which button was pushed . case 4a . down button 220b is pushed . the processor 214 will determine that the lift cord detector is open and so it will not activate the motor to lower the shade . if the button 220b is pushed for less than 3 seconds , nothing else happens and the processor enters the sleep state . if , however , the button 220b is pushed for 3 seconds or longer , the upper limit counter is set to a large , predetermined value , indicating that there is no upper limit . after this , the processor enters the sleep state . case 4b . up button 220a is pushed . the processor and shade will behave in substantially the same way as in case 3b , except that the shade will stop if either transmitter button 220a , 220b is pushed a second time . additionally , however , if a stall is detected when the shade is being raised from the lower limit , a new upper limit will be set . for this , the upper limit register will be set to 5 pulses less than the rotation counter , which has been reset to zero just before the shade began to rise . the new upper limit value will help ensure that the next time the shade is raised , ( after first having been lowered ), the shade will stop at the new upper limit , instead of continuing on and encountering a stall condition . example 5 . shade 106 partially open and the manual switch 130 pushed . in this case , the lift cord detector 146 is abutted by the cord 120 &# 39 ;, and so is closed . the processor 214 first checks the direction register and determines in which direction the shade 106 last travelled . case 5a . last direction of travel was &# 34 ; up &# 34 ;. the shade will go down until a ) the lift cord detector 146 is opened by rotating the cord 120 &# 39 ; off the reed 148 when the shade reaches the bottom of its travel , b ) the shade encounters an obstacle , relieving tension in the cord 120 &# 39 ; and causing it to no longer abut the reed 148 , c ) the manual switch 120 is pushed a second time , or d ) either transmitter button 220a , 220b is pushed . regardless of which of these events take place , the direction register is toggled to indicate that the last direction was &# 34 ; down &# 34 ;, and motor and shade are stopped , after which the processor enters the sleep state . this is similar to case 1a . case 5b . last direction of travel was &# 34 ; down &# 34 ;. the processor will first check to see whether the shade is at the upper limit ( i . e ., the value in the rotation counter matches that in the upper limit register ). if this is the case , the processor will ignore the manual switch and enter the sleep state . if the upper limit has not been reached , the shade will go up until a ) the stall timer times out , indicating that the motor has stalled ( e . g ., the shade is fully raised ), b ) the rotation counter reaches the value in the upper limit register , c ) the manual button is pushed a second time , or d ) either transmitter button 220a , 220b is pushed . regardless of which of these events take place , the direction register is toggled to indicate that the last direction was &# 34 ; up &# 34 ;, and motor and shade are stopped , after which the processor enters the sleep state . example 6 . shade 106 partially open and a transmitter 218 button is pushed . again , the lift cord detector 146 is abutted by the cord 120 &# 39 ;, and so is closed . the processor ignores the direction register and determines which button was pushed . case 6a . down button 220b is pushed . the processor and shade will behave in the same way as in case 5a , except that the shade will stop if either transmitter button 220a , 220b is pushed a second time . case 6b . up button 220a is pushed . the processor and shade will behave in the same way as in case 5b , except that the shade will stop if either transmitter button 220a , 220b is pushed a second time . the processor 214 executes a series of software instructions to control the window covering assembly . fig1 and 19 - a to 19 - j present a flowchart which illustrates this software control . processor operation begins with powering up the system in step 300 . this is followed by step 302 in which various registers , counters and flags are initialized , and the channel strap is read . once this initialization is finished , the processor enters the quiescent state in which the processor looks for activity from either the manual switch 130 or the ir receiver 216 . in step 304 , the processor checks line man to see if the manual switch has been pushed . if so , control flows to step 314 in fig1 - a . if , however , the manual switch 130 has not been pushed , the ir receiver is turned on for 7 . 1 msecs and then turned off in the look mode ( step 306 ). the processor then samples irsig to see whether a valid pulse was received ( step 308 ). if so , control flows to step 316 in fig1 - b , if , however , no valid pulse was received , the processor enters a sleep mode ( step 308 ) in which it remains , nominally , for 300 msecs before waking up ( step 312 ). the processor then continues in the quiescent state with control looping back to step 304 to see if the manual switch 130 was pushed . fig1 - a illustrates the control sequence when the manual switch was pushed when the processor was in the quiescent state . in step 314 , the processor checks the direction register to see in which direction the shade last was asked to move . if the last direction was up , it means that the shade should go down , and so control flows to step 332 in fig1 - d . if , on the other hand , the last direction was down , the shade should now go up , and so control flows to step 324 in fig1 - c . fig1 - b illustrates the control sequence when a valid pulse was received when the processor was in the quiescent state . first , in step 316 , the processor places the ir receiver 216 in the active mode , discussed above . next , in step 318 , the processor attempts to match the received sequence of pulses with the reference sequences for the selected channel . if there is no match , the processor enters the sleep state ( step 310 ). if there is a match , the processor determines which button on the transmitter , up or down , was pushed ( step 320 ). if the up button was pushed , control goes to step 324 in fig1 - c . if the down button was pushed , the processor checks to see whether the lift cord detector reed is open ( step 322 ). if the detector is not open , control goes to step 322 in fig1 - d ; if it is open ( indicating that the shade is either fully lowered or resting on an object ), control goes to step 334 in fig1 - e . fig1 - c illustrates the control sequence when the processor has been instructed by either the manual switch or the transmitter to raise the shade . the processor first determines whether the lift cord detector reed is open ( i . e ., whether the shade is fully lowered or is resting on an object ) ( step 324 ). if the detector is open , then the shade resets the rotation counter and sets the looking - for - upper - limit flag ( step 326 ), and then turns on the motor to raise the shade ( step 330 ). if the detector is closed , the processor first checks whether the shade is at the upper limit ( step 328 ). if the shade is already at its upper limit , the shade need not be raised , and so the processor goes to sleep ( step 310 ). on the other hand , if the shade is not already at its upper limit , it can rise some more , and so the processor turns on the motor to raise the shade ( step 330 ). whether or not the lift reed was open , control goes to step 344 in fig1 - f , after the motor starts . fig1 - d illustrates the control sequence when the processor has been instructed by either the manual switch or the transmitter to lower the shade . the motor is simply turned on to lower the shade ( step 332 ), after which control passes to step 344 in fig1 - f . fig1 - e illustrates the control sequence when the lift cord detector reed is open and the down button on the transmitter has been pushed . the processor first starts a 3 - second timer ( step 334 ), which is used to determine whether the down button is pressed for the full three seconds . the ir receiver is maintained in the active mode ( step 336 ) and the processor checks the irsig line to see whether the down button is still being pressed ( step 338 ). if the down button stops being pressed at any time within those three seconds , the processor enters the sleep state ( step 310 ), as the shade cannot be lowered ( since the lift cord detector reed is open ). the processor stays keeps checking the irsig line until either the down button is released or until the 3 seconds are over ( step 340 ), whichever occurs first . if the 3 - second timer times out , the upper limit counter is reset ( step 342 ), and the processor enters the sleep state ( step 310 ). fig1 - f illustrates the control sequence when the motor is running , either up or down . with the motor running , the ir receiver is in the active mode , the irsig and man lines from the interface module 128 are monitored , the optical sensor 232 , and the lift detector reed 148 are polled , and the stall timer is operational ( step 344 ). the processor then executes a loop to check on all of these . when the irsig line is being monitored ( step 346 ), control flows to step 358 in fig1 - g . when the processor polls the lift cord detector reed 148 , it determines whether the reed is open ( step 348 ). if so , control goes to step 362 in fig1 - h . when the processor polls the optical sensor ( i . e , the phototransistor ) it determines whether the light path has been interrupted ( step 350 ). if so , control goes to step 366 in fig1 - i . if the stall timer times out ( step 352 ), control goes to step 372 in fig1 - j . and when the man line is being monitored ( step 354 ), the processor is interested in knowing whether the manual switch 130 has been pushed anew since the motor started running . if the manual switch has not been pushed anew , the motor continues to run and the processor continues to check the various inputs . if , however , it has been pushed anew , the motor is stopped ( step 356 ) and the processor eventually enters the sleep state ( step 310 ). fig1 - g illustrates the control sequence when the motor is running and the ir receiver is being monitored . the processor checks to see if line irsig is active and if it is , whether either transmitter button has been pushed anew since the motor started running ( step 358 ). if neither button has been pushed anew , the motor continues to run and the processor continues to check the various inputs . if , however , either button has been pushed anew , the motor is stopped ( step 360 ) and the processor eventually enters the sleep state ( step 310 ). fig1 - h illustrates the control sequence when the motor is running and the lift cord detector reed is opened . the processor first checks to see whether the shade was going down when this happened ( step 362 ). if it was going down , the motor is stopped ( 364 ), because the cord has fully unwound or because the shade bumped into an obstacle on the way down . after the motor is stopped , the processor enters the sleep state ( step 310 ). if , on the other hand , the shade was going up , the processor doesn &# 39 ; t care , and the motor continues to run and raise the shade . fig1 - i illustrates the control sequence when the motor is running and an interruption in the light path is detected . whenever the light path is interrupted , it means star wheel 198 , and thus the reel 124 are turning , the shade is either being raised or lowered , and the motor is not stall condition . thus , the processor resets the stall timer and increments the rotation counter ( step 366 ). the processor then compares the rotation counter to the value in the upper limit register ( step 368 ). if they do not match , it means that the upper limit for the shade has not been met , and the motor continues to run . if , on the other hand , they match , the upper limit has been reached . in such case , the motor is stopped ( step 370 ), and the processor enters the sleep state ( step 310 ). fig1 - j illustrates the control sequence when the motor is running and the stall timer times out . when this happens , it means that the star wheel 198 and the reel 124 did not turn , even though the motor was on , thus indicating a motor stall condition . a motor stall can happen when the shade is all the way up and the rotation counter does not match the value in the upper limit register . it can also happen if the shade is held by an object which prevents the former from rising . other situations may also cause the timer to time out . regardless of what causes this , the motor is first stopped ( step 372 ). the processor then checks whether the rotation counter was to stop when it reached the value in the upper limit register ( step 374 ). if so , the upper limit register is set to a value slightly below the current rotation count ( step 376 ). this will prevent stall due to a spurious upper limit register value , on a subsequent raising of the blind . after step 376 and also , in the event that the rotation counter was not to be matched against the upper limit register value , the processor enters the sleep state ( step 310 ). while the above invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments , it should be kept in mind that the scope of the present invention is not limited to these . one skilled in the art may find variations of these preferred embodiments which , nevertheless , fall within the spirit of the present invention , whose scope is defined by the claims set forth below .

US-35776199-A

a rack computer system . in one embodiment , a rack structure having a pair of mounting legs each having a rail interface oriented in a plane transverse to the pair of mounting legs . the rack computer system also has a computer chassis having a pair of mounting rails movable along the rail interface between a plurality of mounting depths oriented along the plane . in another embodiment , a method of forming a versatile rack mount . the method comprises providing a rack structure having dual mounting legs , coupling at least part of a rail and rail interface assembly to the dual mounting legs , and enabling variable - depth mounting of a desired computer chassis via the rail and rail interface assembly

as discussed in detail below , the illustrated embodiments comprise a variety of unique multi - positional or multi - configurable rack mounting mechanisms , rack structures , and rack computer systems . for example , the multi - positional or multi - configurable mounting mechanisms may include a linear positioning system , such as a rail - to - track mechanism or rail - to - rail interface assembly , which facilitates variable positions or configurations of a computer chassis ( e . g ., a telecommunications device ) within the rack structure . the linear positioning system , e . g ., rail mechanism , enables multiple horizontal depths or lateral positions in a plane oriented away from legs of the rack structure , thereby facilitating multiple configurations of the device mounted in the rack structure . by further example , a variety of tool - free couplings and latch mechanisms may be used to simplify the assembly and mounting process . any suitable computer chassis may be mounted in the rack structure using these multi - positional rack - mounting mechanisms . for example , the computer chassis may include various network servers , web - servers , applications servers , routers , security systems , telecommunications devices , and other suitable rack mountable devices . depending on the desired application and environment , the multi - positional rack mounting mechanisms enable the computing devices to be mounted in a variety of positions or configurations within the rack structure . for example , the computer chassis may be mounted in a frontal , central , or rearward position of the rack structure ( i . e ., multiple positional configurations or mounting depths ). the multi - positional or multi - configurable rack mounting mechanisms also enable flexible access to the computing devices at variable positions within the rack structure . turning now to the figures , several embodiments of a rack structure and corresponding mounting mechanisms are illustrated . fig1 is a perspective view illustrating a rack structure 10 ( e . g ., a telecommunications or telco rack structure ) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . as illustrated , the rack structure 10 comprises a plurality of vertical supports , such as mounting legs 12 and 14 , which extend upwardly from a support base 16 . the illustrated support base 16 has lateral support members 18 and 19 extending outwardly from opposite sides of the vertical support or mounting legs 12 and 14 , such that lateral support is provided for various devices mounted to the mounting legs 12 and 14 . additionally , the support base 16 may comprise a plurality of stationary mounting mechanisms , such as mounting receptacles 20 – 26 , which can be secured to a stationary surface ( e . g ., bolted to the floor ) or a mobile unit ( e . g ., a cart ). if desired , these mounting receptacles 20 – 26 may be used to provide additional stability and security for the various devices mounted to the rack structure 10 . for device mounting , the rack structure 10 also may comprise one or more pairs of multi - positional rack mounts or rail interfaces 28 and 30 , as illustrated in fig1 and 2 . for example , as discussed in detail below , the rail interfaces 28 and 30 may enable multiple mounting depths or positional configurations of a computer chassis having rails engageable with the rail interfaces 28 and 30 . additionally , the rail interfaces 28 and 30 may be coupled to the mounting legs 12 and 14 at a variety of vertical positions . a variety of tool - free and / or tool - based mounting mechanisms also may be used to enable the various mounting configurations , the coupling of the rail interfaces 28 and 30 to the mounting legs 12 and 14 , and the coupling of the desired device to the rail interfaces 28 and 30 . for example , each of the illustrated vertical supports or mounting legs 12 and 14 has a plurality of mounting mechanisms , such as mounting receptacles 32 and 34 . on front rack mount sections 36 and 38 , the rail interfaces 28 and 30 also may have various mounting mechanisms , such as front mounting receptacles 40 – 42 and 44 – 46 and front mounting and alignment members 48 – 50 and 52 – 54 , respectively . the rail interfaces 28 and 30 also can include integral or separate fasteners , such as fasteners 56 – 58 and 60 – 62 , respectively . on lateral device mount sections 64 – 66 , the rail interfaces 28 and 30 may further include a variety of mounting mechanisms , such as elongated rail channels or opposite rail support structures 68 – 70 and 72 – 74 and lateral mounting receptacles 76 and 78 , respectively . any additional or alternative tool - based or tool - free fasteners and receptacles are also within the scope of the present embodiments . for example , the foregoing mounting mechanisms 32 – 78 may comprise threaded fasteners , latch mechanisms , snap - fit mechanisms , spring - loaded couplings , male and female interlocking mechanisms , pills , retainers , straps , rail structures and mating channels , bossed members and slots , servo - mechanisms , electro - mechanical latches , and other suitable couplings . as discussed in further detail below , a desired device may be mounted directly or indirectly ( e . g ., via rails ) to the multi - positional rack mounts or rail interfaces 28 and 30 . for example , the rail interfaces 28 and 30 may be coupled to opposite sides of the desired device , which can then be mounted to the rack structure 10 via fasteners 56 – 62 . alternatively , the desired device may be mounted to the rail interfaces 28 and 30 after mounting the rail interfaces 28 and 30 to the respective legs 12 and 14 of the rack structure 10 . in either mounting configuration , the rail interfaces 28 and 30 can be mounted to the mounting legs 12 and 14 at the desired vertical mounting position by extending the fasteners 56 – 58 and 60 – 62 through front mounting receptacles 40 – 42 and 44 – 46 and engaging the fasteners connectively into the corresponding mounting receptacles 32 and 34 , respectively . accordingly , the rail interfaces 28 and 30 are mountable at multiple vertical heights , while also providing multiple horizontal or lateral depths extending away from the legs 12 and 14 in a plane aligned with the rail interfaces 28 and 30 . if desired , an alignment member may be used to ensure proper alignment and orientation of the rail interfaces 28 and 30 . fig3 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of an alignment member ( e . g ., a multi - positional rack mount or rail 80 ) for aligning the rail interfaces 28 and 30 of fig1 and 2 with the rack structure 10 of fig1 . as illustrated , the alignment member or rail 80 has alignment holes 82 – 84 and 86 – 88 , which can be disposed about the front mounting alignment members 48 – 50 and 52 – 54 of the rail interfaces 28 and 30 . in use , the alignment holes 82 – 88 ensure proper alignment and positioning of the rail interfaces 28 and 30 with the respective legs 12 and 14 . for example , the foregoing alignment member or rail 80 may act as a continuous mounting guide for the rail interfaces 28 and 30 until the fasteners 56 – 58 and 60 – 52 securely couple the rail interfaces 28 and 30 to the corresponding receptacles 32 and 34 in the legs 12 and 14 , respectively . alternatively , the alignment member or rail 80 can be used for initial alignment of the rail interfaces 28 and 30 followed by subsequent fastening to the legs 12 and 14 . again , any suitable alignment and mounting mechanism is within the scope of the present embodiments . in addition to the foregoing alignment function , the rail 80 of fig3 also may be used for mounting a desired device to the rail interfaces 28 and 30 . fig4 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a computer chassis 90 having a pair of the rails 80 of fig3 exploded from the rail interfaces 28 and 30 of fig1 – 3 . the illustrated computer chassis 90 may comprise one or more processors , memory modules , hard disk drives , floppy disk drives , optical drives , circuit boards , communication devices ( e . g ., network , wireless , etc . ), audio / video devices , power supplies , fans , and other desired computing components . it also should be noted that one or more computing components may embody removable modular components , such as multiple hard drives , multiple power supplies , redundant cooling fans , and one or more disk drives . however , any suitable components and configurations are within the scope of the illustrated embodiments . as illustrated in fig4 , a pair of the multi - positional rack mounts or rails 80 may be coupled to opposite sides 92 and 94 of the computer chassis 90 , such that the computer chassis 90 can be mounted to the rack structure 10 via the rail interfaces 28 and 30 . the rails 80 may be mounted to the computer chassis 90 by a variety of mounting mechanisms , such as threaded fasteners , snap - fit fasteners , latch mechanisms , spring - loaded fasteners , retainer rings , straps , cotter pins , and other tool - free and / or tool - based fastening mechanisms . however , the illustrated rails 80 have a plurality of latching mechanisms or receptacles 95 , such as keyhole slots 96 , 98 , and 100 . on the opposite sides 92 and 94 , the computer chassis 90 has mating latch mechanisms , such as bossed members 102 , 104 , and 106 , which are coupleable with the corresponding keyhole slots 96 , 98 , and 100 of the rails 80 . for assembly , the rails 80 can be mounted to the sides 92 and 94 by aligning and engaging an enlarged portion 108 of the keyhole slots 96 , 98 , and 100 with an enlarged portion of the bossed members 102 , 104 , and 106 . the rails 80 can then be interlocked with the sides 92 and 94 by sliding the keyhole slots 96 , 98 , and 100 along the bossed members 102 , 104 , and 106 into a narrowed portion 110 of the keyhole slots 96 , 98 , and 100 . at this position , the retention of the bossed members 102 , 104 , and 106 within the narrowed slot portion 110 of the keyhole slots 96 , 98 , and 100 prevents any vertical or outward separation of the computer chassis 90 from the rails 80 . lateral retention within the keyhole slots 96 , 98 , and 100 may be achieved by a variety of mechanisms . in certain embodiments , the keyhole slots 96 , 98 , and 100 may restrict the lateral / transversal release of the bossed members 102 , 104 , and 106 from the narrowed slot portion 110 and into the enlarged slot portion 108 , at which point the computer chassis 90 and rails 80 can be separated by an outward / vertical movement . for example , the bossed members 102 , 104 , and 106 and corresponding keyhole slots 96 , 98 , and 100 may be structured for a compressive - fit or snap - fit within the narrowed slot portion 110 . alternatively , the rails 80 may include a wide variety of additional tool - based or tool - free retaining mechanisms , such as a snap - fit mechanism , a spring - loaded latch or pin , threaded fasteners , a retaining clip or pin , or other suitable couplings . for example , externally threaded fasteners 112 may be disposed through the rails 80 and connectively into the computer chassis 90 to prevent lateral disengagement of the foregoing bossed members 102 , 104 , and 106 from the narrowed slot portion 110 of the keyhole slots 96 , 98 , and 100 , respectively . other suitable mounting and the release mechanisms are also within the scope of the illustrated embodiment . as illustrated in fig4 and 5 , the computer chassis 90 may be mounted to the rack structure 10 via sliding engagement between the rails 80 and the rail interfaces 28 and 30 , respectively . the tool - free engagement between the rails 80 and the rail interfaces 28 and 30 facilitates quick and tool - less acceptance and mounting of the computer chassis 90 with the rack structure 10 . although an additional user may assist , the illustrated embodiments allow a user to single - handedly mount the computer chassis 90 to the rack structure 10 without such assistance . for example , a single user can hold the computer chassis 90 , guide the rails 80 into the rail interfaces 28 and 30 , and tool - lessly install the computer chassis 90 into the rack structure 10 . if the computer chassis 90 is particularly heavy or unwieldy , then the foregoing quick and tool - free mounting mechanism may avoid the use of supports , guides , multiple users , or other additional mounting aids . in the illustrated embodiment , the rails 80 comprise outer rail structures 114 and 116 , which can be movably coupled within the channels or rail support structures 68 – 70 and 72 – 74 of the rail interfaces 28 and 30 . however , any suitable linear positioning mechanism is within the scope of the present technique . the illustrated rails 80 also may have a mounting engagement guide or insert guiding structure , such as a tapered rail section 118 , which facilitates the initial engagement and subsequent sliding of the rails 80 into the rail support structures 68 – 70 and 72 – 74 . again , the tapered rail section 118 guides the rails 80 into the rail interfaces 28 and 30 , thereby simplifying the mounting of the computer chassis 90 into the rack structure 10 without multiple users or tools . once the rails 80 are engaged with the rail interfaces 28 and 30 , the computer chassis 90 can be lineally moved to any desired position within the range of the engaged rails 80 and interfaces 28 and 30 . as a result , the multi - positional interaction between the rails 80 and the corresponding rail interfaces 28 and 30 ( e . g ., collectively a rail mechanism or rail - rail interface assembly ) provides a multi - positional mounting functionality to the rack structure 10 , the computer chassis 90 , and the combined rack computer system . for example , fig5 is a perspective view illustrating a multi - configurable rack computer system 120 having the computer chassis 90 of fig4 front - mounted to the rack structure 10 of fig1 , 3 , and 4 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention . if desired , tile computer chassis 90 may be secured in this front mounted configuration by any suitable attachment mechanism , such as a threaded fastener , a snap - fit mechanism , a spring - loaded latch or pin , a threaded fastener , a latch mechanism , or any other suitable tool - based or tool - free fastener . for example , one or more rack mounting fasteners may be disposed in front mount panels 122 and 124 of the computer chassis 90 . in the illustrated embodiment , one or two fasteners disposed in each of the front mount panels 122 and 124 may be coupled to the front mounting alignment members 48 – 50 and 52 – 54 of the rail interfaces 28 and 30 , respectively . for example , threaded fasteners may be disposed in mount sections 126 and 128 of the front mount panels 122 and 124 , while tool free latch mechanisms 130 and 132 also may be accessible on the front mount panels 122 and 124 . if removal is desired for maintenance or other reasons , then the computer chassis 90 can be easily removed from the rack structure 10 by releasing these fasteners and slidingly disengaging the rails 80 from the rail interfaces 28 and 30 , respectively . alternatively , the computer chassis 90 may be mounted in a non - frontal configuration . fig6 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the multi - configurable rack computer system 120 of fig5 having the computer chassis 90 mounted to the rack structure 10 at an intermediate mounting position 134 . again , the computer chassis 90 may be secured in this centrally mounted configuration by any suitable attachment mechanism , such as a threaded fastener , a snap - fit mechanism , a spring - loaded latch or pin , a threaded fastener , a latch mechanism , or any other suitable tool - based or tool - free fastener . in the illustrated embodiment , a mounting abutment member or multi - positional guide 136 also may be coupled to one or both of the rails 80 , such that the computer chassis 90 can be maintained in the intermediate mounting position 134 . for example , the multi - positional guide 136 may have a rack - mounting fastener 138 , which can secure the computer chassis 90 to the front mounting and alignment member 48 . alternatively , the guide 136 may be abutted against one of the rail interfaces 28 and 30 at the intermediate mounting position 134 . the rack - mounting fastener 138 may comprise any suitable fastening mechanisms , including both tool - free and tool - based fasteners . if removal or repositioning is desired for any reason , then the computer chassis 90 can be easily released from the rack structure 10 by disengaging the rack - mounting fastener 138 from member 48 and slidingly moving the rails 80 along the rail interfaces 28 and 30 . fig7 is a close - up perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the multi - positional guide 136 of fig6 . as illustrated , the multi - positional guide 136 comprises a rack abutment or positioning section 140 , which can either abut against or couple to the rack structure 10 at the desired positional relationship between the rails 80 and the rail interfaces 28 and 30 . for example , as discussed above , the rack - mounting fastener 138 may be coupled to member 48 by suitable attachment mechanisms , such as threaded engagement . the multi - positional guide 136 also has an inner rail mount section 142 , which may be coupled to the rail 80 at the desired mounting position for the computer chassis 90 . for example , the illustrated inner rail mount section 142 comprises a mounting receptacle 144 and a tool - free mounting member or rail catch 146 , which has a central insert section 148 surrounded by inner and outer catch sections 150 and 152 . as illustrated in fig8 , the multi - positional guide 136 is mountable to the rail 80 by aligning and inserting the outer catch section 152 into one of a plurality of mating latch structures or slots 154 in the outer rail structure 116 of the rail 80 . once inserted , the multi - positional guide 136 may be rotated downwardly onto the outer rail structure 114 , where a suitable fastener can be inserted through the mounting receptacle 144 of the multi - positional guide 136 and connectively into one of a plurality of mounting receptacles 156 in the rail 80 . it should be noted that other suitable rail positioning member or stop mechanism is within the scope of the present embodiment . moreover , a plurality of these multi - positional guides 136 or other stops may be disposed on one or both of the rails 80 to control the linear movement between the rails 80 and the corresponding rail interfaces 28 and 30 . if a flexible or movable mounting connection is not desired , then the rack structure 10 and corresponding multi - positional rack mounts or rail interfaces 28 and 30 also can provide a fixed mount configuration . fig9 is a perspective view illustrating a pair of the rail interfaces 28 and 30 of fig2 mounted to the computer chassis 90 of fig4 in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention . in the illustrated embodiment , the multi - positional rack mounts or rail interfaces 28 and 30 are mounted directly to the sides 92 and 94 of the computer chassis 90 via fasteners 158 , which extend through receptacles 78 in the rail interfaces 28 and 30 and connectively into the sides 92 and 94 of the computer chassis 90 . again , the fasteners 158 may comprise any suitable tool - free or tool - based coupling mechanisms , such as threaded fasteners , snap - fit mechanisms , latches , spring - loaded fasteners , bossed members and keyholes slots , and other suitable fastening mechanisms . once attached , the rail interfaces 28 and 30 and accompanying computer chassis 90 may be mounted to the rack structure 10 by directly coupling the rail interfaces 28 and 30 to the legs 12 and 14 . fig1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the computer chassis 90 of fig9 being mounted to the rack structure 10 illustrated in fig1 . as illustrated , the rail interfaces 28 and 30 and accompanying computer chassis 90 are positioned at the desired height along the legs 12 and 14 , where the fasteners 56 – 58 and 60 – 62 are inserted through the receptacles 48 – 42 and 44 – 46 and are engaged connectively into the mounting receptacles 32 and 34 , respectively . if removal or repositioning is desired for any reason , then the computer chassis 90 can be removed from the rack structure 10 by disengaging the fasteners 56 – 62 from receptacles 12 and 14 . the computer chassis 90 and rail interfaces 28 and 30 can then be lifted away from the rack structure 10 .

US-8924405-A

a window unit is provided for reducing heat loss through the window while at the same time providing a desirable inflow of prewarmed ventilation air to maintain interior air quality and thermal comfort . the window unit comprises an outer window frame and a sash frame designed to support an inner dual pane sealed window unit together with a separate outer single pane thus providing a triple pane action . the sash frame is also modified to provide a slot at the lower edge for entry of exterior air into a channel defined between the outer pane and the outer surface of the sealed window unit . the building is maintained at reduced pressure to cause air to flow in a laminar action along the channel toward a slot above the top of the sealed window unit so that heat escaping from the outer pane of the sealed window unit is carried by the laminar air flow back through the upper slot and into the interior of the building . a control unit including a manually actuable damper , a back draft damper and a nozzle is arranged at the upper slot to direct the air toward the ceiling .

the windows illustrated in fig1 and 2 comprises a sash type window including a sash frame 10 and an outer window frame construction 11 . for convenience of illustration the hinge mechanism mounting the sash frame within the outer window frame is omitted and also the operating mechanism for pivoting the sash frame about the hinge is also omitted . the window construction shown is formed of vinyl extrusions but other materials could also be used . the outer frame 11 is defined by four side portions arranged at right angles and coupled at the four corners to define a rectangular opening for receiving the sash frame . each of the four sides of the outer window frame is defined by a portion of an extruded profile generally indicated at 12 . the profile 12 has an outer surface 13 for resting upon the opening in the wall ( not shown ) and an inner surface 14 defined in the interior of the window . between the inner surface 14 and the outer surface 13 is defined a plurality of cells provided by walls 15 providing a reinforced structure having sufficient strength to hold the inner surface 14 rigid . an outer window sill 15 connects to the outer portion of the surface 14 and inclines outwardly therefrom for engaging an outer edge of the sash frame 10 . an inwardly projecting section 16 of the outer frame extends vertically inwardly from the inner surface 14 and then provides an abutting surface 17 for engaging an inner surface of the sash frame . the surface 17 carries a weather strip 18 . the outer face 19 of the sill portion 15 connects to a brick mold 20 of conventional construction and including an outer flange 21 for connection to the wall . the brick mold across the lower side of the outer frame is modified in shape relative to the sides and the top to define an outwardly projecting sill of conventional construction . a screen 22 provided in a frame 23 is mounted inside the inwardly projecting portion 16 . the operating mechanism for the sash projects through the inwardly projecting portion 16 in conventional manner and is not shown for convenience of illustration . the sash frame 10 similarly comprises four extruded profiles 24 , 25 , 26 and 27 . the side profiles 24 and 26 are of a conventional simple shape . the upper and lower profiles are modified relative to the conventional shape as follows . referring firstly to the lower profile 27 , this provides an upper surface 28 to which is attached a l - shaped inner stop 29 for receiving an edge of an inner pane assembly 30 . the stop 29 is screwed to the upper surface 28 by a screw 31 and secured by welding . the outer pane 32 of the inner pane assembly rests against the inner surface of the stop 29 . the inner pane 33 of the inner pane assembly engages against a further stop 34 of a conventional type . the stop 34 includes a snap portion 35 for engaging into a recess 36 in the upper surface 28 . a snap portion 35 holds the stop so that an inner edge 37 thereof engages the pane 33 . a weather strip or bead 38 is provided on the inner surface so as to provide a seal against the inner pane 33 . the outer surface of the profile 27 is indicated at 39 and includes a plurality of step portions 40 , 41 and 42 interconnected to the inner surface 28 by connecting walls providing sufficient strength . the outer surface 40 carries a weather strip 41 which engages against the upper surface of the sill portion 15 . the vertical end surface of the profile engages against the weather strip 18 . a vertical outer surface 43 defines a front face of the profile and mounts a separate outer pane assembly 44 . the outer pane assembly 44 includes a glass pane 45 and a surrounding rim 46 with a flange for engaging against the outer surface 43 of the profile . the profile is modified relative to the conventional by the provision of a first slot 47 in the vertical wall 43 to allow the passage of air into the interior of the profile . in addition a second slot 48 is provided in an upper wall of the profile just outside the upper wall 28 and directly beneath the space between the outer pane 45 and the outer pane 32 of the inner pane assembly 30 . the profile is further modified by the attachment at the slot 47 of a shroud member 49 having a horizontal upper surface and a vertical surface extending downwardly therefrom . an underside of the shroud member defines an opening 50 through which air can pass into the interior of the shroud member and from the shroud member through the slot 47 . a filler nest is provided inside the shroud member to prevent dust from entering with the exterior air . the upper profile 25 is basically similar to the lower profile in that it includes an inner surface 28 , a vertical front surface 43 , a weather strip 41 , an outer surface 39 and a plurality of connecting walls . the flange 46 surrounding the pane 45 similarly engages against the outer surface 43 . in this case , however , the profile is modified by the addition of an additional profile portion 50 which mounts against the inner surface 28 and extends inwardly therefrom to define a supplementary inner surface 51 similar in shape to the inner surface 28 . the additional profile portion 50 snap fits into the recess 36 and includes a similar recess 36a for receiving the stop 34 . thus the additional profile portion 50 reduces the height of the inner pane assembly 30 relative to that of the outer pane 44 . in addition the additional profile portion 50 includes a first slot 52 in an outer vertical wall 53 thereof which is thus positioned above the upper edge of the inner pane assembly 30 . in addition the additional profile portion includes a slot 54 in an inner vertical wall 55 thereof so that air can pass directly through the additional profile portion from the outer face thereof to the inner face thereof from the channel defined between the inner and outer pane assemblies . the outer window frame further includes at the upper profile an additional frame portion indicated at 57 . the additional frame portion is attached preferably by welding to the lowermost edge of the inwardly projecting portion 16 and projects beyond that portion for abutting against the inner surface 55 of additional profile portion . thus the portion 57 defines an abutting portion for engaging against the upper profile of the sash frame . the inwardly projecting portion 16 carries the weather strip 18 and in addition the abutting portion 57 carries a second weather strip 58 so that these two weather strips are spaced on respective sides of the slot 54 . the abutting portion 57 carries a pair of slots 59 and 60 which are aligned with the slot 54 so the air can pass directly from the additional profile portion 50 through the abutting portion 57 to escape to the interior of the window frame through the slot 60 . mounted on the inner face of the abutting portion 57 is a control unit 62 the construction of which is shown in more detail in fig3 . the inner pane assembly 30 comprises a sealed window unit defined by the inner and outer panes 32 and 33 together with a conventional spacer system and sealing system shown schematically and well known to one skilled in the art . thus basically there is little heat which escape from the interior of the building through the inner pane assembly but this heat loss is still of a significant nature and normally reduces the insulation value of a dual pane seal window unit to a value significantly lower than that of the surrounding wall construction . some heat therefore passes through the outer pane 32 and into the channel defined between the outer pane 32 and the outer pane assembly 44 . the outer pane assembly comprises a single pane carried by the surrounding flange 46 which simply presses into place inside the four profiles defined in the sash frame and can be latched in place by a simple turn clip 63 . this allows the outer pane to be removed for cleaning if required . the spacing between the outer pane 45 and the outer pane of the inner pane assembly is arranged to be of the order of one - half inch thus defining a channel therebetween which is of constant cross - section with the cross - section being substantially rectangular . the slots 47 and 52 as best shown in fig2 extend substantially along the full length of the respective profile and terminate adjacent the side edges of the window . in order to avoid damaging reduction in strength and to provide sufficient bridging portions , the slots terminate a short distance inside the sides of the sash frame and may include bridging struts at space along the length of the slots . basically however the slots are rectangular in shape and define a cross - section substantially equal to the cross - section of the channel so that there is little or no resistance to air flow defined by the slots . the slot 47 at the bottom the frame therefore allows air to enter freely into the channel substantially without turbulence as the air enters . the parallel walls of the channel which are free from obstruction to air movement so the channel is defined wholly by the inner smooth surfaces of the panes allows the air to move in laminar flow through the channel from the bottom edge of the sash frame up to the slot 52 . as the air moves in laminar flow , there is little or no mixing of the air and it remains in smooth condition so that no air molecules move from a position in contact with the outer surface of the pane 32 toward or to the pane 45 . the heat that is therefore present at the pane 32 is carried in the laminar air flow and effectively is prevented from transferring to the pane 45 . substantially all heat , except for a very low level of radiated heat , is therefore picked up from the pane 32 and carried up to the top of the channel and through the slots 52 , 54 , 59 and 60 into the control unit 62 . this air flow therefore substantially prevents the transfer of heat through the window pane thus significantly increasing the insulation value to a level of the order of r - 14 which is approaching the insulation value available in the surrounding wall construction . the control unit 62 comprises an upper wall 63 and a lower wall 64 which are welded at an end face 65a onto the outer surface of the abutting portion . the walls curve in a direction upwardly and outwardly to define a nozzle which ejects the air in a direction upwardly and outwardly toward the ceiling away from the inner surface of the window . the control unit includes a manually operable damper 65 which can be rotated from the closed position shown which effectively prevents air flow to an open position at right angles to the closed portion to allow the maximum air flow through the slots and thus through the channel . the manually operable damper 65 is operated from one end of the control unit by a lever ( not shown ). a back draft damper 66 comprises simply a flat member hinged at an upper edge 67 and normally held open by the forward movement of the air through the slot 60 . in the event however that air tends to move in a rearward direction that is from the interior of the building toward the exterior , the flap 66 closes against an abutment 68 so the air is prevented from moving in that rearward direction . in this way air from the interior is prevented from entering the channel defined between the panes . should such air enter into this area , the warm moist air from the interior could condense on the inner surface of the outer pane causing frosting which is of course unacceptable in a high technology window construction . the intention is therefore at all times that air flow will continue from the exterior through the channel to the interior to provide both of the proper ventilation effect , using prewarmed air for comfort , and also the high insulation level . in the event that the building user wishes to close off the ventilation in a particular area , the damper 65 of the associated window can be actuated to half the air flow . the window unit shown in fig1 and 2 is mounted in the building which includes a wall indicated at 70 having a fan assembly 71 for extracting air from the building through a duct 72 for ejection from the building . in this way the building interior is normally maintained at a slightly lower pressure than the exterior atmospheric pressure so there is a tendency for air to flow into the building from the exterior . the whole of the building is maintained at this low pressure so that each of the separate windows of the building can operate in the manner described above . normally therefore each control unit will be maintained in the open position so that the low pressure conditions throughout the building tend to draw the air into the building through each of the window units . this movement of air through each of the window units provides ventilation to each of the rooms and it has been found that in one example of an arrangement according to the present invention five liters per second of fresh air can be drawn through the window unit which is sufficient to accommodate the ventilation requirements currently being put forward as a requirement for new buildings . should however the fan fail or unusual wind conditions prevail then the reverse flow of air is prevented by the back draft damper 66 . in an alternative arrangement ( not shown ) the damper 65 can be controlled by a humidity sensing device which can thus control the amount of ventilation air drawn into the building through the particular window unit concerned in dependence upon the humidity level within the room with which the window unit is associated . while other directions of flow are possible , the air flow from the bottom of the window up to the top of the window is selected so that the control unit 62 is mounted at the top of the window and can more readily direct the air upwardly toward the ceiling where it can mix with warmer air before falling and encountering the occupants of the room . in this way undesirable dratts are prevented . since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described , and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope , it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense .

US-48726490-A

this invention provides a method of operating a nuclear reactor having a negative reactivity moderator temperature coefficient with the object of maintaining a uniform and symmetric xenon distribution above and below substantially the center of the core over a substantial axial length of the core during normal reactor operation including load follow . in one embodiment variations in the xenon distribution are controlled by maintaining a substantially symmetric axial power distribution . the axial offset , which is employed as an indication of the axial power distribution , is maintained substantially equal to a target value , which is modified periodically to account for core burnup . a neutron absorbing element within the core coolant , or moderator , is employed to assist control of reactivity changes associated with changes in power , with the full - length control rods mainly employed to adjust variations in the axial power distribution while the part - length rodsremain completely withdrawn from the fuel region of the core . rapid changes in reactivity are implemented , to accommodate corresponding changes in load , by a controlled reduction of the core coolant temperature . thus , active core coolant temperature control is employed to control the reactivity of the core during load follow operation and effectively increase the spinning reserve capability of a power plant without altering the axial power distribution .

fig1 shows a schematic representation of a typical pressurized water reactor which can employ the method of this invention to avoid the operating difficulties experienced by the prior art while maintaining a full load follow capability . the reactor of fig1 includes a vessel 10 which forms a pressurized container when sealed by its head assembly 12 . the vessel has coolant flow inlet means 16 and coolant flow outlet means 14 formed integral with and through its cylindrical walls . as is known in the art , the vessel 10 contains a nuclear core of the type previously described , consisting mainly of a plurality of clad nuclear fuel elements which generate substantial amounts of heat depending primarily upon the position of the control rods previously described . the heat generated by the reactor core is conveyed from the core by coolant flow entering through inlet means 16 and exiting through outlet means 14 . generally , the flow exiting through outlet means 14 is conveyed through an outlet conduit 26 to a heat exchange steam generator system 28 , wherein the heated coolant flow is conveyed through tubes , schematically illustrated by reference character 18 , which are in heat exchange relationship with water which is utilized to produce steam . the steam produced by the generator 28 is commonly utilized to drive a turbine 20 for th production of electricity . the flow of the coolant is conveyed from the steam generator 28 by the pump 22 through a cool leg conduit 30 to the inlet means 16 . thus a closed recycling primary or steam generating loop is provided with the coolant piping coupling the vessel 10 and the steam generator 28 . the vessel shown in fig1 is illustrated with one such closed fluid flow system or loop though it should be understood that the number of such loops vary from plant to plant and commonly two , three , or four are employed . though not shown in the loop illustrated in fig1 one loop of each plant includes a pressurizer which is responsive to the onset of a variation in pressure within the primary system due to temperature changes and variations in other operating conditions , to maintain a substantially constant primary pressure . the secondary side of the steam generator is isolated from the primary coolant by the heat exchange tubes 18 . in the steam generator the secondary fluid 34 is placed in heat exchange relationship with the primary coolant , where it is heated and converted to a vapor or steam . the vapor flows through a steam conduit 38 , as denoted by the arrow 36 , to a turbine 20 which is connected via shaft 24 to a load , for example , an electrical generator . the amount of steam exhausted to the turbine is controlled by a throttling valve 40 . the steam after passing through the turbine 20 is condensed in a condenser 42 . the condensate or water thus formed is returned to the secondary or shell side of the steam generator through conduits 50 , condensate pump 44 , feedwater heater 46 , and feedwater pump 48 as denoted by flow arrow 52 . thus , a recycling secondary electrical generating system is provided with the secondary fluid piping coupling the steam generator 28 to the turbine 20 . the coolant temperatures in the reactor outlet conduit 26 and the reactor inlet conduit 30 for each of the primary loops of a typical pressurized water reactor system such as the one illustrated in fig1 is sensed by temperature measuring elements 54 and 56 , respectively , each of which may comprise a thermocouple or temperature resistance bulb . the temperature measuring elements 54 and 56 produce output signals t 1 and t 2 , respectively , representative of the instantaneous temperature at the measuring location . the t 1 and t 2 signals for each loop are applied to a temperature averaging unit and the respective averages from the several loops are auctioneered to identify the highest instantaneous average operating temperature of the reactor . the identified operating temperature is then compared to a reference which is commonly a programmed function of the load . presently , when the instantaneous identified temperature of the reactor departs from the programmed reference an error signal is generated which controls movement of the control rods in the direction to minimize the error . accordingly , a programmed average temperature , reactor following load mode of operation is normally employed such as is described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 423 , 285 to c . f . currey et al . upon an increase in load demand the plant operator opens the throttling valve 40 to the turbine 20 until the desired output is attained . the increased steam flow rate exhausted to the turbine lowers the secondary pressure and enhances heat removal from the primary coolant . the corresponding drop in primary coolant temperature that would otherwise occur is avoided through manipulation of the control rods 58 in response to the control signals obtained from the programmed average temperature control system ( i . e ., described in the curry et al patent ). various average temperature control programs have been recognized in the art . for example , one of the early programs maintained the coolant in the primary loop at a constant temperature over the entire load range of the nuclear reactor . for a given nuclear reactor this type of operating program enables the nuclear plant full load rating to be closer to the safe operating limits of the reactor . this results from the fact that one of the limiting parameters of the reactor is the coolant temperature , because thermal - hydraulic considerations require that the permissible power output of the reactor be reduced as coolant temperature is increased . furthermore , electrical load transients on a nuclear reactor plant , for example , a sudden increase in turbine generator load from 90 % to 100 %, may readily result in a transient overloading of the reactor up to 5 % in excess of the 100 % rated load . with a constant average temperature control program , the coolant temperature increase is minimized during such a transient . thus , the plant full load rating can be specified closer to the safe operating limit of the reactor than for a program temperature type of control which normally permits an increase in temperature during such an overload . with this type of temperature control the primary coolant temperature is independent of plant loading with the result that little or no volume change occurs in the primary coolant with changes in load . therefore , the pressurizer coupled to the primary loop can be made relatively small , since it may be sized for transient conditions only . however , the disadvantage of using a constant temperature control over the entire load range is that it results in a characteristic rise in secondary loop pressure at light loads . at light loads the mean temperature differential between the tube and shell side of the steam generator falls to a low value as the secondary fluid temperature rises to a value close to that of the primary coolant temperature . this rise in secondary fluid temperature causes a corresponding rise in secondary fluid pressure . therefore , for a given full load steam pressure the secondary loop must be designed for pressures much higher than the pressures encountered at full load operating level . obviously the requirement of the higher design pressure results in a large and undesirable increase in the capital cost of the steam generator and other components utilized in and around the secondary loop . graph a of fig6 illustrates such a constant average temperature program with the corresponding variation in steam pressure versus power illustrated by graph a in fig7 . alternatively , if a constant steam pressure program is employed as illustrated by graph b in fig7 large primary temperature excursions are encountered as illustrated by graph b in fig6 which would necessitate an enlarged pressurizer with its attendent costs and other disadvantages . the variable average temperature program illustrated by graph c in fig6 and its corresponding steam pressure response identified by graph c in fig7 is a compromise and provides the most efficient operating condition for normal power operations as is described in the currey et al patent . implementation of constant axial offset control without use of part length control rods to maintain the most desirable operating conditions within the reactor to avoid power penalties alters the standard practice of using the full length control rods to achieve the desired rate of reactivity change to maintain the instantaneous average temperature essentially equal to the programmed average temperature . the full length control rods under constant axial offset control without part length rods are employed to maintain the axial offset substantially equal to a target value . variations in power are now accommodated by varying the concentration of the neutron absorbing element within the coolant . in pressurized light water reactors , the hydrogen within the coolant acts as a moderator to slow down the neutrons created in the fissioning process to an energy level most likely to sustain the fission chain reactions occurring within the core . boron is commonly employed in such reactors as the neutron absorbing element within the coolant . the boron concentrations are generally controlled through an ion exchange or dilution process which are typically slow and generally deteriorate in effectiveness from the beginning of life to the end of life of the core . however , the system is effective to accommodate most changes in load without disturbing the axial power distribution of the core . fig3 illustrates the ability of both the full - length control rod system and the boron system to accommodate an increase in turbine load as a function of time for both the beginning of life ( bol ) and end of life ( eol ) of a typical nuclear core . requirements for faster changes in load have been accommodated in the past by the fossil fuel plants on the electrical grid . this invention provides an improved method of operating a nuclear reactor which maintains the procedure specified by constant axial offset control , but provides an increased capability to respond to load increase requirements and overcomes the limitations of the dilution capabilities of the boron systems . to accomplish this end this invention takes advantage of the negative reactivity moderator temperature coefficient characteristic of light water pressurized reactors to achieve a rapid increase in reactivity by a controlled reduction in the primary loop temperature . rapid return to power during load follow employing constant axial offset control without part length rods is limited because of the shallow control rod insertion necessitated to maintain the desired axial flux pattern in the core . considerable improvement in return to power capabilities is obtained by taking advantage of any available excess throttle valve capacity and by reducing primary coolant temperature during load transient increases . the amount of reactivity increase depends upon the size of the temperature drop achieved in the primary loop and on the magnitude of the negative moderator coefficient . excess throttle valve capacity ( available on most reactors ) allows higher power levels at reduced steam pressures . fig4 illustrates the power level obtainable at 5 %/ minute ( from 50 % power ) at bol and eol corresponding to the control rod reactivity insertion assumed for fig3 . a throttle valve capacity of 105 % ( typical ) of nomial has been assumed in each case . a comparison of the two results illustrates the increase in load follow capability provided by the method of this invention . in accordance with this invention in response to an increase in power output requirement necessitated by an increase in load , the turbine throttle valve 40 is loaded ( opened ) at the desired rate of increase ( e . g ., 5 %/ minute ). at the same time boron dilution is effected at the maximum rate available . loading of the turbine as explained previously will effect a reduction in the average instantaneous core coolant temperature which will effect automatic withdrawal of the full length control rods through the average temperature control system . the axial flux difference , which is the difference in flux monitored in the upper and lower regions of the core , is identified and the automatic withdrawal of the full length control rods are stopped if and when the axial flux difference reaches its upper ( most positive ) control band limit corresponding to its target value ( set by the constant axial offset specifications ). the primary coolant temperature will begin to drop as soon as the control rods are stopped or , if the flux difference control limits are not approached , when the control rods reach their withdrawal limit at the top of the core . the instantaneous average primary coolant temperature is constantly monitored . if and when the difference between the instantaneous average primary coolant temperature and the programmed coolant temperature specified by the average temperature control system reaches a maximum pre - established value , typically 20 ° f ., the turbine loading is stopped to prevent further temperature reduction . in practice some rate / lag compensation is employed to allow for the thermal inertia of the system . the maximum temperature limit is set to prevent a reactor trip that would otherwise result from the system interpreting the temperature drop as a steam generator line break . if the pre - established temperature limit is reached and the turbine loading is stopped , then the actual to programmed coolant temperature difference will be reduced as a result of the boron dilution in effect . in most instances a 20 ° f . drop in temperature will provide the desired power increase . if not , the turbine is loaded and stopped as specified above until the throttle valve is fully opened . from this point the rate of power increase is controlled by the boron dilution rate . this latter phase has assumed that the desired power output has not been reached at some intermediate point . the boron dilution operation is stopped when the turbine is at the desired power and the coolant temperature has reached its program value specified by the average coolant temperature control system . any excess throttle valve capacity utilized is cut back automatically upon reaching full power by the current turbine controllers . the steps of this method apply to any starting power level during power operation and any set of normal operating conditions . the power level achieved at the accelerated return to power rate depends primarily on the starting power level , core cycle ( equilibrium or not ), core cycle lifetime , power rate , and temperature reduction permitted . it should be appreciated of course that the values specified are typical but may vary to some degree from plant to plant depending upon the particular plant &# 39 ; s operating specifications . the amount of power ( reactivity ) that can be obtained by reducing the primary coolant temperature is proportional to the drop in temperature permitted . however , there are practical limits to the amount of temperature drop that can be obtained . fig5 shows a typical reduced temperature operating region for a light water pressurized reactor . the left boundary of the operating region is defined by the lower operating limit of the automatic rod control system and by the reactor cool - down protection trips . the right boundary is governed by the throttle valve capacity ( a function of steam temperature / pressure ). the right boundary shown in fig5 assumes a throttle valve capacity of 105 % of full power . excess throttle valve capacity of 105 to 110 % exists in most operating nuclear facilities . the lower boundary of the operating region is defined by reactor cool - down protection trip settings , reactor vessel and other plant component thermal stresses , and by steam generator moisture carry - over considerations . the method of this invention is compatible with the average program temperature control operation described in the aforecited currey et al patent . for constant axial offset control without part - length control rods the only modification required is that temperature adjustments in the instantaneous average of the core coolant be accomplished by boron dilution rather than control rod movement . the block diagram circuit generally illustrated by reference character 60 in fig2 is capable of implementing the necessary modifications . the target band for the flux limits which is a function of reactor power is programmed into a setpoint circuit 62 . the flux difference between the upper and lower regions of the core is monitored by four sets of neutron detectors positioned around the periphery of the reactor . the worst value monitored for the flux difference is identified by an auctioneering unit 64 . the worst case flux difference is compared to the setpoint generated by the circuit 62 by a comparator 66 . if the setpoint is exceeded an inhibit signal is issued to the full length rod control system to prevent further withdrawal of the control rods . similarly , the temperature difference limit inhibit is implemented by the block circuitry illustrated by reference character 70 . the measured average coolant temperature is compared with the coolant temperature programmed value , which is a function of the load as represented by the turbine impulse pressure input to the programming unit 72 . the magnitude of the difference between the measured average coolant temperature and the program temperature is communicated to the comparator 74 which compares the signal to the temperature difference setpoint . if the setpoint is exceeded , further loading of the turbine throttle valve is inhibited by the controller 76 . signal compensation 78 is supplied in the form of rate / lags to compensate for the thermal inertia of the system . accordingly , the average temperature control system presently in operation is easily modified to perform the steps of this invention to improve load follow capability during constant axial offset operation . fig1 , 15 and 16 illustrate a corresponding change in plant conditions on a rapid return to power employing the reduced average temperature control method of this invention . the dotted portion of the curve illustrated in fig1 identifies the average temperature control program while the solid portion of the curve indicates the departure achieved employing the steps of this invention . the dotted and solid portions of fig1 respectively correspond to the operating conditions identified in fig1 . in contrast , fig8 and 10 correspondingly show an exemplary return to power at a rate of 5 %/ minute from 50 % power , which is equivalent to the full spinning reserve capability from 50 % power . the dotted lines in fig9 and 10 indicate program values and the solid lines correspond to operating conditions . the spinning reserve is the difference between the current operating power level of the plant and the power level that can be achieved in the event of a sudden large demand in power . the transient illustrated in fig8 is not possible without operation with part length rods as the control rods are not inserted into the core far enough to accommodate such a change by their withdrawal . however , if the axial power distribution is not considered , such a transient can theoretically be produced . fig1 , 12 and 13 illustrate the capacity to achieve full power under constant offset control without part length control rods . the dotted and solid portions of the graph correspond respectively to the programmed and actual operating conditions experienced . the operating characteristics illustrated are compatible with the end of life data illustrated in fig3 . only 70 % of power is achievable at a load increase rate of 5 %/ minute . accordingly , the increase in load follow capability achieved in accordance with this invention can be appreciated .

US-76049077-A

a lock mechanism including a bolt spring biased toward an unlocked position . bolt release means including a lever movably mounted on a lock base retaining the spring biased bolt in a locked position . contact means carried by said lever responsive to hand motion resulting in lever movement and release of the bolt to provide for automatic door unlocking .

with continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein applied reference numerals indicate parts similarly identified in the following specification , the reference numeral 1 identifies a door within a door frame including a doorjamb 2 . door 1 may be considered a panic door , however , it is to be understood the present lock is not so restricted in application but rather may be applied to various types of doors . the term panic door , as presently used , identifies a door permitting emergency egress from a building structure and is subject to governmental ordinances or codes enacted for the purposes of public safety . generally speaking , panic doors must open in an obvious manner without requiring opening knowhow on the person &# 39 ; s part . in fig1 door hardware or accessories include a doorknob indicated at 3 of conventional appearance which may be associated with a conventional bolt and bolt actuating means . the doorknob shown is of importance from a functional standpoint in that it contributes to the desired appearance of a conventional door opened and closed by the singular act of manually rotating the doorknob . the present locking mechanism includes bolt release means including contact means comprising a contact member 10 disposed adjacent the periphery of doorknob 3 so as to be contacted by a person &# 39 ; s hand during grasping of the doorknob . contact member 10 is of circular configuration with minimum annular clearance from the knob surface . said bolt release means further includes means extending intermediate said contact member and a later described bolt , the last mentioned means shown as a bolt retention lever 11 suitably secured to the contact member 10 and terminating in abutment with the later described bolt . a lock base 12 includes end walls 13 one of which mounts a pivot pin 14 about which a sleeve 15 may rock to swingably support lever 11 . a snap ring 16 holds pivot sleeve 15 against displacement . lever 11 extends through a chordal recess 15a in the sleeve and is thereat suitably secured as by a weld . a spring finger 17 secured to base 12 at 18 biases lever 11 about its fulcrum to locate contact member 10 adjacent doorknob 3 as viewed in full lines in fig3 . a bolt at 20 is slidably mounted within apertures 13a in walls 13 with spring means at 21 interposed between a wall 13 and a radially extending wall surface of a bolt collar at 20a . accordingly , bolt 20 is biased to the left as viewed in fig2 with the end segment 11a of lever 11 retaining bolt 20 against spring action . a keeper at 22 on doorjamb 2 defines a bolt receiving socket 22a while fasteners at 23 extending into the doorjamb secure the keeper against dislodgement . a cover plate 19 is suitably secured to base 12 to conceal lock components . with attention to fig3 it will be seen that contact member 10 is inwardly displaced toward the surface of door 1 by hand contact during grasping of the doorknob resulting in lever 11 being displaced to disengage end segment 11a from bolt collar 20a permitting bolt retraction to the broken line position . in an unlocked condition bolt collar 20a rests against base wall 13 at the left side of base 12 with lever end 11a at rest on said collar . locking is reaccomplished by axial displacement of the bolt by fingertip pressure until collar 20a clears the lever permitting automatic resetting of the lever in response to the action of spring finger 17 . in fig4 a modified form of the invention is shown with prime reference numerals identifying similar structure earlier described in conjunction with the first described form of the invention . door 1 &# 39 ; is fitted with a bar accessory at 24 swingably mounted at its ends as at 25 permitting arcuate travel toward the surface of door 1 &# 39 ; in response to hand pressure . spring return means , not shown , positions bar 24 outwardly from door 1 &# 39 ;. the modified form of the invention includes a lever 11 &# 39 ; of a lock mechanism inverted from its earlier disclosed position . contact member 10 &# 39 ; in the form of an extension of lever 11 &# 39 ; rests in contact with the rearward side of door mounted bar 24 . inward movement of bar 24 in response to manual pressure exerted thereon results in like movement of the exposed segment of lever 11 &# 39 ; for retraction of the bolt from a keeper 22 &# 39 ; in the manner described earlier . while i have shown but a few forms of the invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied still otherwise without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .

US-52685974-A

a photovoltaic system includes a plurality of photovoltaic modules and a dc motor connected to a three - phase generator driven by a shaft . the three - phase generator is connected to a power mains . the electric power supplied to the dc motor by the plurality of photovoltaic modules is repeatedly measured and adjusted , by changing an external excitation current of the dc motor , to the peak power attainable at the current ambient temperature and the current incident solar radiation intensity . the peak power is preferably determined by incrementally changing the excitation current in predetermined time intervals , until the supplied electric power produces a power level which can be regarded as the peak power .

throughout all the figures , same or corresponding elements may generally be indicated by same reference numerals . these depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way . it should also be understood that the figures are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols , phantom lines , diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views . in certain instances , details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted . turning now to the drawing , and in particular to fig1 , there is depicted as a continuous curve k the peak power mpp ( peak power point ) that a photovoltaic system can supply over the course of one day , indicated by time t , between 6 a . m . and 6 p . m . it will be assumed that there are no clouds or no large temperature changes occur . according to the proposed exemplary method , the curve k is determined by measuring the power p in regular time intervals t , and by adjusting the determined peak power point mpp so as to obtain the maximum possible peak power mpp from the solar generator , which is in turn supplied to the energy converter implemented as an externally excited dc motor coupled to a three - phase ac generator ( see fig4 ) which is in turn connected to a three - phase ac current grid . the oscillatory sampling with a computing unit and a connected proportional - integral ( pi ) controller is indicated by the jagged shape of the solid curve k . however , it should be noted that the sampling time intervals δt are in the range of one second , preferably about half a second or less . as a result , the diagram mpp ( t ) over the course of the day and illustrated in fig1 is not to scale . the continuous characteristic curve s 1 of fig2 shows a typical current / voltage characteristic i ( u ) of a photovoltaic system at a certain temperature and a certain incident solar radiation intensity . the characteristic curve s 1 has a peak power point mpp 1 . this point mpp 1 is defined so that the hatched area is a maximum , corresponding to the peak power p that can be supplied by the solar generator . the aforementioned electromotive converter is controlled , as will be described in more detail below , to this power point by an iterative approximation . to this end , an upward and downward control operation is performed several times along the curve s 1 starting , for example , at the point p ′ or the point p ″ until the peak power point mpp 1 has been reached . the points p ′ and p ″ thereby correspond to experimental starting points e ′ and e ″, respectively , from where on the excitation current e is incrementally increased or decreased . the iterative approximation will now be explained with reference to an arbitrarily selected example . it will be assumed that p 1 , corresponding p ′, is the starting point . this value p 1 then yields the first measurement of i and u from which the power p supplied by the photovoltaic modules to the dc motor can be determined ( see fig3 ). after a time δt = 0 . 5 sec , the control unit ( see fig3 ) changes the excitation current e slightly via the first control unit ( see fig3 ). as a result , the dc voltage u decreases . the computing unit now determines from the new values of i and u a power value p 2 . the computing unit also determines that the power value p 2 has increased compared to the previous power value p 1 . after an additional time δt = 0 . 5 sec , the computing unit again slightly changes the excitation current via the control unit , which causes another decrease in the dc voltage u . the computing unit now determines a power value p 3 and determines again that this power value p 3 has increased compared to the previous power value p 2 . after a time δt = 0 . 5 sec , the excitation current is again slightly changed and an even greater power value p 4 is reached . it will be assumed that this is indeed the peak power value mpp 1 ; however , the computing unit is actually not able to ascertain this . after another time δt = 0 . 5 sec , the computing unit decreases the voltage u again with the afore - described process by changing the excitation current . the computing unit now measures the value p 5 and determines that the power has decreased from p 4 to p 5 . at that time , the peak power value mpp 1 must therefore have been located somewhere between the values p 3 and p 5 . after another time δt = 0 . 5 sec , the computer unit increases the dc voltage u which causes the power p at point p 4 to increase . to test this condition , the computer unit returns after a time δt to the point p 3 , whereafter it then returns to the point p 4 and also tests point p 5 again . the computing unit therefore continuously attempts to maintain the power point mpp 1 by oscillating about the power point p 4 , i . e ., by increasing and decreasing the dc voltage u . fig3 shows a diagram of the voltage as a function of time u ( t ). the continuous curve u ( mpp ) thereby corresponds to the ideal voltage at the peak power point mpp , whereas the jagged curve corresponds to the incremental approximation to the corresponding ideal voltage . it should be mentioned that the corresponding power p in fig2 is defined by the rectangles which bound the individual points . of these rectangles , only the rectangle associated with p 4 is emphasized by hatching . the characteristic curve s 1 in fig2 continuously changes depending on the incident solar radiation intensity and / or the temperature . if a change occurs , the dotted curve s 2 may be obtained . this produces a new peak power point , for example the value mpp 2 . with the afore - described control method , the dc voltage u is adjusted so that the solar generator is operated at the new peak power point mpp 2 . fig4 shows a photovoltaic system 1 with a solar generator 3 having a plurality of photovoltaic modules 5 . each module 5 in turn includes a plurality of photovoltaic cells . the modules 5 are connected in a conventional manner in series and have terminals 7 at their respective ends at which the generated dc voltage u and the resulting dc current i can be obtained . depending on the dc current i consumed by the load connected to terminals 7 , a dc voltage u corresponding , for example , to the voltage depicted in the curves s 1 and s 2 of fig2 can be supplied . a dc motor 9 is connected to terminals 7 . the dc motor is implemented as an externally excited dc machine with an excitation winding 11 . the shaft 13 of the dc motor 9 drives a three - phase ac generator 15 , in particular a three - phase generator with a higher output voltage . the generator 15 is connected to a three - phase power grid 17 , supplying an ac voltage u w . in the exemplary embodiment , the three - phase power grid 17 is a public power grid operating at a constant voltage of , for example , 400 v and at constant frequency . the generator 15 operates in normal operation with a constant rotation speed ( rpm ) and is synchronized with the frequency of the three - phase power grid 17 in a conventional manner . in addition , a computing unit 19 is provided for , among others , calculating the peak power point mpp of the solar generator 3 . the computer unit has a first input to which the dc voltage u at the dc motor 9 is applied . the second input of the computing unit 19 receives from a current measuring unit 21 the instantaneous value of the dc current i which is supplied by the solar generator 3 to the dc motor 9 . the computing unit 19 generates an output signal for determining the maximal power point mpp of the solar generator 3 at the actual incident solar radiation intensity and the actual temperature . as discussed above with reference to fig2 , the output signal is provided every 0 . 5 sec and can be regarded as a new nominal value u * for the dc voltage u . the new nominal value u * is supplied to the second input of the first control unit 23 , whereas the dc voltage u at the dc motor 9 is supplied to the first input . the control unit 23 is preferably a proportional - integral controller ( pi - controller ) whose output signal δu corresponds to the control deviation , which is then used to affect the excitation of the dc motor 9 , in particular the excitation current e . the field of the dc motor 9 is thereby weakened or strengthened , depending on the magnitude of the output signal δu . to affect the motor field , the output signal δu is supplied to the first input of a second control unit 25 . this second control unit 25 is preferably a pi - controller and controls the excitation current e . the supplied output signal δu can therefore be viewed as a nominal excitation current signal e *. the actual value e of the excitation current is supplied from a measuring unit 27 that measures the excitation current in the excitation current circuit to the second input of the second control unit 25 . a comparison between the two signals δu = e * and e produces at the output of the second control unit 25 an output signal δe representing the control deviation , which is used for directly adjusting the excitation current e . the excitation current e is supplied by a controllable line rectifier 29 which has an input connected to the three - phase power grid 17 and an output connected to the excitation winding 11 . it will be understood that another energy source may also be used . the power grid rectifier 29 supplies the required excitation current e to the excitation winding 11 . it should be noted that an excitation current controller for the excitation current e in the excitation winding 11 is subordinate to the dc voltage control for the input voltage u of the dc motor 9 . the peak power mpp is incrementally adjusted and measured , i . e ., using small steps in the excitation current e , using the afore - described oscillatory control method . while the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by letters patent is set forth in the appended claims and includes equivalents of the elements recited therein :

US-75681407-A

a tool changer for a machine tool having a toolhead assembly including a spindle with means for detachable securing a tool thereto , generally consisting of at least one means for holding a tool detachably securable to the spindle , pivotally connected to the assembly and angularly displaceable in a plane including the axis of the spindle between a retracted position and an extended position for transferring a tool between the tool holding means and the spindle ; and means for angularly displacing the tool holding means between such retracted and extended positions .

referring to fig1 through 3 , there is illustrated a cnc machine tool 10 adapted to perform various machining functions on workpieces positioned thereon including routing , drilling , sawing , sanding and the like , and a bulk tool changer 11 . the machine generally consists of a base member 12 , a movable workpiece support table 13 , a gantry 14 , a toolhead support assembly 15 and a toolhead assembly 16 . the base member includes a lower section 17 , a pair of longitudinally disposed , transversely spaced boxed beam sections 18 and 19 and a set of longitudinally disposed , transversely spaced guideways 20 and 21 . table 13 is supported and displaceable longitudinally or along an x - axis or line of travel on guideways 20 and 21 , and includes a rectangularly configured workpiece support surface 22 . gantry 14 includes a pair of leg sections 23 and 24 disposed astride table 13 , rigidly connected at their lower ends to base section 17 , and a bridge section 25 secured to the upper ends of leg sections 23 and 24 , spaced above table 13 and disposed transversely . the front face of bridge section 25 is provided with a pair of transversely disposed , vertically spaced guideways 26 and 27 on which there is mounted and guided , toolhead support assembly 15 for displacement transversely along a y - axis or line of travel . toolhead assembly 16 similarly is mounted and guided vertically along a z - axis or line of travel on a pair of vertically disposed , transversely spaced guideways mounted on a front face of the toolhead support assembly . the toolhead assembly includes a support frame 28 and a spindle assembly 29 , a dc servomotor 30 and a tool changer assembly 31 mounted on the support frame . the spindle assembly is best illustrated in fig8 and 9 and is driven through a belt drive by servomotor 30 . tool changer assembly 31 is best shown in fig4 through 7 . in addition to servomotor 30 , the machine is provided with a number of additional dc servomotors for displacing the table along the x - axis , displacing the toolhead support assembly along the y - axis and displacing the toolhead assembly along the z - axis . such motors are operated by a controller ( not shown ) pursuant to the execution of a program loaded into the controller in the conventional manner . as best shown in fig4 through 7 , tool changer assembly 31 includes a support bracket 32 secured to support frame 28 , and a plurality of arcuately spaced tool holders 33 pivotally connected to the support bracket . the support bracket includes a base section 32 a mounted on the side of the support frame by means of a set of bolts or other suitable means , and disposed longitudinally , extending beyond the front end of the toolhead assembly , and a transversely disposed section 32 b , spaced from and extending across the front of the assembly , substantially at a right angle relative to the base section . each of the tool holders consists of an arm section 34 and a gripper section 35 . each arm section 34 has a j - shaped portion 34 a pivotally connected to bracket section 32 b , as at 34 b and an arcuate portion 34 c formed integrally on the end of the j - shaped portion . as best seen in fig4 and 5 , gripper section 35 includes an arcuate portion 35 a mounted on and secured to arcuate arm portion 34 c by means of a set of bolts 35 b , and arcuately spaced sets 35 c of finger portions extending into the space in arcuate arm portion 34 c and yieldably biased to engage a tool 36 therebetween as shown in fig3 . each of the tool holders is provided with an air actuated cylinder assembly 37 for pivoting the tool holder between a retracted position as shown in solid lines in fig7 and an extended position as shown in phantom lines in fig7 in which tool gripper section 35 is disposed coaxially with and below a spindle of the toolhead assembly for yielding or accepting a tool relative to the spindle . each cylinder assembly consists of a cylinder member 37 a pivotally connected adjacent its rod end to transverse section 32 b of the support bracket as at 37 b , and an extendable rod member 37 c pivotally connected to the arm section of a tool holder as at 37 d . the various cylinder assemblies are operated by the controller pursuant to the execution of a software program loaded into the controller to selectively extend and retract selected tool holders for loading and unloading tools with respect to the spindle . the configuration of the arm sections and gripper sections of each of the tool holders permits each of the holders to hold and maintain a tool in a retracted position clear of the lower end of the spindle so as not to interfere with any machining operation of the spindle , and an extended position in which the collet of the spindle may grip or release a tool held by the holder . the inwardly biased fingers 35 c of the gripping portion of each tool holder will yieldingly grip and hold a tool in the tool holder permitting the tool to be retained in the extended position for storage purposes , and displaced from the retracted to the extended position and easily be released or gripped in attaching and detaching the tool with respect to spindle . referring to fig8 and 9 , the toolhead assembly includes a spindle assembly 40 generally consisting of a housing 41 , a spindle 42 mounted in the housing and a cylinder assembly 43 . the housing is provided with a lower section 41 a and an upper section 41 b . housing section 41 a is provided with a cylindrical bore 41 f therethrough having a first enlarged section 41 c at a lower end thereof , a second enlarged section 45 and a third enlarged section 46 at the upper end thereof . enlarged bore section 41 c provides a bearing seat including an annular wall 41 d and an annular seat 41 e . enlarged section 45 similarly provides a bearing seat including an annular side wall 45 a and an annular seating surface 45 b . provided in enlarged section 41 c is a cylindrical sleeve 47 having the outer cylindrical surface thereof adhesively bonded to annular wall 41 d of the housing . a pair of roller bearings 48 and 49 are seated in enlarged bore section 41 c with the outer surfaces of the outer races thereof engaging the inner annular surface of cylindrical sleeve 47 and an annular end surface of outer race 48 engaging annular surface 41 e of enlarged bore section 41 c . similarly , a cylindrical sleeve 50 is disposed in enlarged bore section 45 with the outer cylindrical surface thereof adhesively bonded to the annular side wall surface 45 a of enlarged bore section 45 . disposed within cylindrical sleeve 50 and axially displaceable relative thereto is roller bearing 51 . the inner races of bearings 48 and 51 are maintained in axially spaced relation by means of a spacer tube 52 . a spring washer 53 is provided between the outer race of bearing 51 and annular surface 45 b of enlarged bore section 45 . spindle 42 has a generally tubular configuration and is journaled in lower bearings 48 and 49 and upper bearing 51 . outer cylindrical surface 60 is provided with a recessed cylindrical section 61 providing an annular shoulder on which the inner race of bearing 49 is seated , and an upper threaded portion 62 . it further is provided with an axially disposed bore 63 having a lower , first enlarged section 64 and a second enlarged section 65 opening into an end portion 66 provided with a diverging , conically configured wall 67 adapted to receive an upper portion 68 of a tool 36 , provided with a complimentary conical surface relative to surface 67 . the upper end of the tool is provided with a neck portion 70 and a head portion 71 received within enlarged bore section 64 of the spindle . the upper end of axial bore 63 is provided with an enlarged section 72 . the bearings and the spindle journaled in the bearings are retained within the housing with the bearings seated within enlarged bore sections 41 c and 45 by means of a lower cover plate 80 , a bearing washer 81 and a jam nut 82 . cover plate 80 has an annular configuration and is secured to the bottom end of housing 11 by a set screws . an inner end of plate 80 engages the outer race of bearing 49 and is provided with a seal 83 engaging the spindle about the periphery thereof . bearing washer 81 also has an annular configuration and has a depending , annular portion which engages the inner race of bearing 51 . jam nut 52 is provided with an axial bore 84 having an enlarged , threaded section 84 a threaded onto the upper threaded end of the spindle so that it engages bearing washer 81 which bears on the inner race of bearing 51 . outer annular surface 84 b of the jam nut is provided with an annular recess 84 c which is adapted to receive a pair semi - circular retaining flanges 85 . upper housing section 41 b has a cylindrical configuration and is adapted to seat on and be secured to the upper end of lower housing section 41 a by means of a set of bolts 86 . such section is axially aligned with axial bore 41 f of lower housing section 41 a . mounted within upper housing section 41 b is a floating cylinder mount 90 provided with an axially disposed bore 90 a aligned axially with lower housing bore 41 f and spindle 42 , having a lower enlarged section 90 a which receives the upper end of jam nut 82 . axial displacement of the cylinder mount is restricted relative to the spindle by means of retainer plates 85 which are secured to the underside of the cylinder mount by means of a set of screws , and project into annual grove 84 c of jam nut 82 . axially displaceable in spindle bore 63 is a draw bar 100 having a lower enlarged section 101 disposed in enlarged spindle bore section 64 and an upper enlarged section 102 received in an upper enlarged section 64 a of spindle bore 63 . a collet 103 is provided on the lower end of enlarged draw bar section 101 having a set of fingers which are adapted to cam inwardly when the draw bar is urged in an upward direction to grip head portion 71 of the tool , and to spring apart when the draw bar is moved in a downward direction to release the head portion of the tool . the draw bar is urged into the upper position by means of a set of spring washers 105 disposed between an annular shoulder provided by enlarged spindle bore section 64 a and a lower cylindrical surface of enlarged draw bar section 102 . cylinder assembly 43 includes a cylinder 110 retained in a frame 111 secured to the upper end of cylinder mount 90 and a rod member 112 which extends through bore 90 b of the cylinder mount in axial alignment with draw bar 100 . when rod member 112 is in the retracted position , it will be out of engagement with enlarged draw bar section 102 so that spring washers 105 will urge the draw bar into an upper position causing the fingers of the collet to be cammed inwardly and grip head portion 71 of the tool and correspondingly secure the tool to the spindle for performing a machining function . when the rod member is extended as shown in fig8 and 9 , the rod member will engage and downwardly displace the draw bar against the biasing action of spring washers 105 , allowing the fingers of collet 103 to spring apart and thus release the head portion of the tool , allowing it to be removed from the lower end of the spindle . the detachment of rod member 112 from draw bar 100 permits the draw bar to rotate as part of the spindle assembly during machining operations . in the normal operation of the spindle assembly to perform a machine function , the tool will be received in the lower end of the spindle and firmly gripped by the collet formed on the lower end of draw bar , and the spindle with the tool will be free to rotate relative to the housing , the cylinder mount and the cylinder assembly . when it is desired to change the tool , the spindle drive is discontinued , suitable controls are operated to supply air under pressure to the base of the cylinder 110 , to extend rod member 112 into engagement with the draw bar against the biasing actin of spring washers 105 , thus causing the collet to displace downwardly and permit the gripping fingers thereof to spring outwardly , releasing the tool . a new tool then may be inserted into the lower end of the spindle and the cylinder assembly operated to allow the draw bar to displace upwardly under the biasing action of the spring washers thus causing the gripping fingers of the collet to be cammed inwardly and grip the upper end of the tool . most machining operations on a particular workpiece have been found not to require more than five tools to perform the desired machining operation . accordingly , up to five tools required by a particular software program to be run may be inserted in one or more of the tool holders carried by the toolhead assembly to perform the desired machining operation . once the appropriate number of tools have been loaded on the tool changer as described , and the appropriate program has been loaded into the controller of the machine , the controller will execute the program to load and unload the proper tools with respect to the spindle and in the appropriate sequence , the spindle will be stopped and started as required and the toolhead assembly will be displaced along the x , y and z axes to perform the programmed machining operation . whenever a tool on the spindle is to be changed , the spindle will be stopped , a selected air cylinder will be operated to angularly displace a selected tool holder from the retracted to the extended position below and in axial alignment with the tool attached to the lower end of the spindle to grip the tool , the tool head assembly will be displaced downwardly along the z - axis to position the attached tool in the aligned tool holder permitting the spring biased fingers of the tool holder to grip the tool , cylinder assembly 43 will be operated to extend the draw bar of the spindle assembly to cause the fingers of collet 103 to spring outwardly and release the tool , and the air cylinder for such a tool holder is operated to displace the tool holder from the extended position shown in phantom lines in fig7 to the retracted position as shown in solid lines therein . the machine is then ready to receive another tool carried by the tool changer . such loading occurs simply by the operation of the cylinder assembly for the other selected tool whereby the tool holder of the selected tool will be caused to be angularly displaced from its retracted position to its extended position , positioning the selected tool below the spindle in axial alignment therewith . the selected tool is then attached to the lower end of the spindle by operating cylinder assembly 43 to allow the collet at the lower end of the spindle to move upwardly , camming the fingers thereof inwardly to grip and thus retain the head portion of the selected tool . the tool head assembly may then be displaced along the z - axis as well as the x and y - axes to continue the machining operation . each of tool holders 33 mounted on support bracket 32 is operable to be angularly displaced in a plane including the axis of spindle 42 so that when displaced from its retracted to its extended position , its gripper section 35 will be positioned below and in axial alignment with spindle 42 to permit the relinquishment or receipt of a tool . such tool changing operation can be performed as the toolhead assembly is displaced along the x , y and / or z - axis of the machine , moving from one coordinate to another . by being capable of effecting a tool change while the toolhead assembly is repositioned , the cycle time of the machining operation being performed is substantially reduced . furthermore , because of the simple and lightweight construction of the tool holders , the dynamics in the displacement of the toolhead assembly are negligently effected . in a sense , tool holders 33 resemble and function like the arms of an early typewriter in which an arm corresponding to a certain key would angularly displace and strike a platen upon the key being pressed . to expand the number of tools that may be used to perform a particular machining operation , the tool changer as described may be used in conjunction with a conventional tool bar 120 mounted on the machine or a conventional bulk tool changer 121 as best shown in fig2 . the bar tool changer typically consists of a base plate 122 mounted on the rear edge 123 of the machine table , and a number of transversely spaced tool grippers 35 a which are comparable in construction and function to tool grippers 35 . by displacement of the machine table along the x - axis and the displacement of the toolhead assembly along the y and z - axes , spindle 42 may be positioned in axial alignment with a selected one of tool grippers 35 a to relinquish and receive a tool in the manner as described in connected with tool changer assembly 31 . furthermore , through the use of the collet arrangement on spindle 42 , tools may be transferred between any of tool grippers 35 and tool grippers 35 a . bulk tool changer 11 consists of a separate apparatus which may be positioned adjacent to the machine and operated in cooperation with the toolhead assembly by the controller to accept tools from and provide tools to the spindle of the toolhead assembly . it consists of a base member 30 which is adapted to be positioned adjacent a side of a machine table , close to the gantry , and a carriage 131 mounted on the base member and displaceable longitudinally . journaled at each end of the carriage is a vertically disposed shaft 132 having a gear 133 . an endless chain 134 is trained about each of gears 133 and is provided with a plurality of tool grippers 35 b spaced along the length thereof . each of tool grippers 35 b is similar to each of tool grippers 35 of tool changer assembly 31 and tool grippers 35 a of bar tool changer assembly 120 , and may be positioned below and in axial alignment with spindle 42 of the toolhead assembly . the bulk tool changer is provided with various drives for longitudinally displacing the carriage thereof and rotating a gear shaft 132 to index the tool grippers , thus permitting a selected one of tool grippers 35 b to be positioned at a location where spindle 42 of the toolhead assembly may be positioned in axial alignment therewith . the toolhead assembly may be used in conjunction with the bulk tool changer assembly to either change a tool as between spindle 24 and the bulk tool changer or transfer one or more tools between the bulk tool changer and toolhead mounted tool changer 31 . this is accomplished merely by operating the controls of the bulk tool changer to displace the carriage thereof and index the chained conveyor to position a selected tool thereon to a selected position , and then operating other machine controls to displace the toolhead assembly so that spindle 42 may be displaced to a position above and in axial alignment with a tool retained by a tool gripper of the bulk tool transfer assembly at the selected position . the cylinder assembly of the spindle may then be operated to cause the collet component of the spindle to grip the selected tool in the manner previously described . if the tool thus retrieved from the bulk tool changer assembly is to be transferred to a tool holder of tool changer assembly 31 , the selected one of the tool holders of such assembly is then operated to transfer the tool from the spindle to the selected tool holder . tool changer assembly 31 may be used independently or in conjunction with one or both of bar tool changer assembly 120 and bulk tool changer assembly 121 to provide a greater availability of tools and a minimum amount cycle time in the performance of a machining operation . the arrangement further permits a program used to operate the machine to be devised in a manner whereby prior to the execution of the machining function with respect to a particular workpiece , the machine will be caused to select the appropriate tools from either or both of the bar or bulk tool changer assemblies and mount them on the toolhead mounted tool changer assembly . such preliminary routine would be repeated upon each new machining procedure . to minimize the effects of the additional mass possibly adversely affecting the dynamics of the movement of the toolhead assembly , the components of a tool changer assembly 31 are formed of a lightweight materials such as aluminum , plastic and perhaps lightweight composite materials . any form of gripping device may be utilized allowing for the proper gripping , retaining and releasing of the various tools used with the assembly . more specifically regarding the overall control of swapping tools between the bulk tool changer 121 , the bar tool changer 120 , the head tool changer 31 and the spindle assembly 29 , they are shown in fig1 , 11 and 12 . [ 0036 ] fig1 shows a computer comprising a microprocessor 200 connected to any number of data input devices 202 , any number of data display devices and any number of memories 206 . the data input devices 202 can be a mouse , a keyboard , a probe , and a microphone for voice recognition . the data display devices can be a crt monitor , a flat panel display monitor , or any other known display devices . the memory 202 can be a hard disk , a network memory device , a floppy disk , a semiconductor based memory device , an optical based memory device or any other known memory devices . as a whole , the computer can be that of thermwood controller model no . 91000 series and thermwood controller model no . 9100 series . therefore , all features of these thermwood controllers are incorporated herein by reference . the memory 200 comprises a table 208 containing tool location and tool specification information . the table is organized using tool numbers as the basic reference system . each tool is assigned a specific tool number , which tool number corresponds to a specific address location having a designated amount of memory space . each memory space is divided into four categories respectively for a tool changer number , a tool position number , a tool radius information and a tool length information . as has been mentioned hereinabove , the present invention swaps tools from the bulk tool changer , the bar tool changer and the head tool changer . these tool changers are each designated with a unique number . for example , the bulk tool changer may be designated as 2 , the bar tool changer may be designated as 3 and the head tool changer may be designated a 1 . since each of the three tool changers contain multiple tool storage positions , the table 208 also contain a category for storing a tool position number so as to track the whereabouts of a tool on a specific tool changer . for the purpose of keeping record of the specification of each tool , the table 208 also contains tool radius information and tool length information of each tool . therefore , based on fig1 , tool number 1 is stored in tool changer number 1 , which is a head tool changer at tool position number 1 . this tool has a radius of 0 . 5 inches and a length of 12 inches . similarly , tool 2 is stored in tool changer number 2 , which is a bulk tool changer at tool position number 3 . this tool has a radius of 3 inches and a length of 9 inches . in the event that a tool is relocated from one tool changer to another , only the tool changer number and the tool position number of the relevant tool is changed in the table 208 . this table conveniently tracks the location and specification of all tools . [ 0043 ] fig1 shows a logic diagram of a computer program for implementing the swapping of tools between the bulk tool changer 121 , the bar tool changer 120 , the head tool changer 31 and the spindle assembly 29 . as has been mentioned hereinabove , with tool changers , there is no need for an operator to manually change any tools . all an operator needs to do is to load a piece part program in the computer comprising the cpu 200 with memory 202 as shown in step 300 . once the program is properly loaded , run the piece part program as shown in step 302 . the computer runs the program and identifies up to a predetermined number of most used tools in the program as shown in step 304 . in the present invention , the predetermined number has been earlier determined to be 5 as an example . the computer then analyzes the program to determine a sequence of tools to be used as shown in step 306 . all most used tools up to the predetermined number are then loaded from either the bulk tool changer 121 or the bar tool changer 120 to the head tool changer 31 as shown in step 308 . right before any cuts are made , there is a determination of whether a tool needed for the next cut are available from the head tool changer 121 or the spindle assembly 31 as shown in step 310 . if yes , a further determination of whether the tool needed for the next cut is mounted on the spindle as shown in step 312 . if yes , then the machine implements a relevant portion of the piece part program as shown in step 320 . however , if the answer is no at step 312 , then the tool needed for the next cut is mounted from the head tool changer 31 to the spindle assembly 29 as shown in step 314 . thereafter , a cut is made at step 320 . if a determination at step 310 is no , then whatever tool remain mounted on the spindle assembly 29 is dismounted to either the head tool changer 31 , the bulk tool changer 121 or the bar tool changer 120 , as shown in step 316 . a tool needed for the next cut is mounted onto the spindle assembly 29 from either the head tool changer 31 , the bulk tool changer 121 or the bar tool changer 120 , as shown in step 318 . a cut is then made at step 320 . at step 322 , a determination is made regarding whether an immediately finished cut is a last cut in the piece part program . if yes , the program is terminated , as shown in step 324 . if not , then steps 310 to 320 are repeated until all cuts are made . [ 0046 ] fig1 shows a sample computer program implementing a portion of the piece part program of fig1 . more specifically , this program relocates five tools from the bulk tool changer 121 to the head tool changer 31 , use the tools to implement some cuts , then relocate the five tools from the head tool changer 31 back to the bulk tool changer 121 . in the command as shown in line 10 , the following command is found : [ swaptool 2 , 5 , 5 , 1 , 5 , 5 ] ( gets t 5 from bulk reassigns to ath ). the swaptool command is for the purpose of relocating tools between two locations . the first number is designated as a target tool changer number . in this example , 2 would represent the bulk tool changer 121 . the second number is designated as a target address number indicating where a tool resides in the bulk tool changer 121 . the third number is designated as a tool identification number to correctly identify the type of tool . the fourth number is designated as a destination tool changer number . in this example , 1 represents the head tool changer 31 . the fifth number is designated as a destination address number indicating where the tool will be stored . finally , the sixth number is designated as a tool identification number indicating what type of tool has been stored at the destination location . the texts within the parenthesis are merely remarks of the command to help programmers who need to know the purpose of the command . as shown , there are five such types of commands in this program between lines 10 and 24 . therefore , five tools are relocated from the bulk tool changer 121 to the head tool changer 31 . between lines 25 and 43 , specific cutting commands using tool numbers 3 , 2 , and 1 are shown . for each tool , there are specific directions for each axis , the distance to be cut and the feed rate of the tool . between lines 44 and 59 , the commands of returning all tools from the head tool changer 31 back to the bulk tool changer 121 are shown . although the invention has been described in the context of a cnc machine tool utilizing a moveable table and a stationary gantry , it is contemplated within the scope of the invention may be used with a cnc machine provided with a stationary table and a moveable gantry . in either of such arrangements , it further is contemplated that the toolhead mounted tool changer assembly as described may be used independently or in conjunction with either or both a bar tool changer assembly and a bulk tool transfer assembly as described . from the foregoing detailed description , it will be evident that there are a number of changes , adaptations and modifications of the present invention which come within the province of those persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the aforementioned invention pertains . however , it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention be considered as within the scope thereof as limited solely by the appended claims .

US-36211399-A

a multi - ply film has been developed that includes a biocide in at least one of the film layers . the multi - ply film with the biocide can be used to construct water containment facilities for drinking water , fish farms and industrial use and can be used as a covering for water tanks or equipment in environments that promote microbial growth . the biocide inhibits microbial growth at the surface of the film .

the multi - ply film of this invention has at least two layers of thermoplastic . at least one of the layers includes a biocide . some of the embodiments described below are co - extruded thermoplastic sheets with one or more layers comprising the single sheet . the biocide is mixed with at least one of the layers prior to extrusion . it is not the intent to limit the thermoplastic that can be used to practice the invention . a listing of some of the polymers includes various types of polyethylene including high density , low density , linear low density and high molecular weight high density , ultra high molecular weight polyethylenes , polypropylene , ethylene vinyl acetate , ethylene acrylic acid , nylon , ionomer ( polyethylene with metal ions to form a polar molecule ) and mixtures thereof . choice of a polymer , whether a polar or non - polar properties are preferred , depends in part , on the compatibility with the chosen biocide . the biocide can be chosen from the herbicide , fungicide , bactericide or pesticide categories or mixtures of selected biocides . the biocides selected are mixed with the polymers prior to extrusion . the amount of biocides mixed with the polymers depends on the potency and the leaching characteristics and leaching desirability of the end product . in the multi - ply polymeric film of the invention , the biocide can be mixed with more than one of the layers prior to extrusion . typically the layer on the surface of the film will contain the biocide . in the alternative , inner layers of the film may contain the biocide which will travel from the inner layers to the surface of the film over time . the biocidal effect will be longer lasting . for most biocides , no more than eight percent by weight to the thermoplastic would be used and generally a lower amount is needed for effectiveness . the amount of biocide would depend on its potency and the environment in which the multi - ply polymeric film will be used . a higher amount of biocide can be used depending on environmental conditions . the biocides that can be used are the available arsenic compounds , organophosphorus compounds , heavy metal compounds , sulfur compounds , tin compounds and other categories of biocides . the polymers in the film are selected to be compatible with the biocides chosen . some biocides are available in a polymeric carrier . one example is vinyzene ®, sb - 1 pr , a concentrate of 10 , 10 &# 39 ;- oxybisphenoxarsine supplied in a polyolefin pelletized resin carrier form . the pelletized form can be mixed and extruded with other polymers . the biocide is five percent to ninety - five percent of the carrier as selected . the biocide of choice with or without the carrier should be compatible with the polymeric layer of the film . some examples of biocide used in films are zinc omadine manufactured by olin chemical , zinc tryithione ; and intercide tmep by akzochemie america , n - trichloromethylthiophthalimide . these compounds are exemplary of the biocides which can be used in this invention . other biocides may be used . a reinforcing yarn in a woven or non - woven arrangement may be used with the multi - ply polymeric film as reinforcement between the sheets of thermoplastic . the reinforcing yarn can be made of polyester , nylon and monofilament as desired . additional reinforcing is achieved by laminating two layers of film in a non - linear manner or arrangement . the layers of film are extruded in a linear orientation as the film exits the extrusion machine . if two separate sheets are laminated together such that the original machine orientations of each of the sheets differ from each other in a non - linear manner , the resultant laminant is much stronger . a lamination layer of a heat lamination thermoplastic is the desired method of lamination . a detailed description of one process of achieving a high - strength laminate comprising generally weakly adhered biaxially oriented films is shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 039 , 364 by rasmussen issued aug . 2 , 1977 , which patent is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . the following are exemplary of the types of embodiments of this invention but are not intended to limit the variety of embodiments covered by the scope of the invention . two sheets of co - extruded thermoplastic with three co - extruded layers that form the single sheets of thermoplastic are prepared . fig1 illustrates a cross - section of the three co - extruded layers in one of the thermoplastic sheets 10 . the main inner layer 16 is comprised of a polymer or mixture of polymers previously described . in the preferred embodiment the main inner layer 16 is seventy percent by weight of the thermoplastic sheet and is made of a mixture of high density polyethylene and linear low density polyethylene . the main layer may also include a pigment to color the final product and ultraviolet stabilizers or antioxidants . the main inner layer may also include an effective amount of biocide . the thermoplastic sheet has a seal layer 14 which is an outside layer of the finished polymeric multi - ply film . the thermoplastic used to prepare the seal layer is mixed with the biocide prior to co - extrusion . in the preferred embodiment , the seal layer is about fifteen percent by weight of the thermoplastic sheet and is made of linear low density polyethylene mixed with the biocide . in the preferred embodiment vinyzene ® sb - 1 pr is used . the biocide is about 0 . 05 percent weight of the co - extruded sheet . the seal layer may be greater or lesser than 15 percent by weight of the co - extruded sheet . if the seal layer is less , the biocide will be loaded to a greater degree prior to extrusion . other thermoplastics may be used in the seal layer . also , the seal layer preferably contains ultraviolet stabilizers and antioxidants . a lamination layer 12 is opposite the seal layer 14 and contiguous to main inner layer 16 . in the preferred embodiment , the lamination layer is 15 percent by weight of the thermoplastic sheet . the lamination layer is composed of a thermoplastic or mixtures thereof that are capable of heat lamination . in the preferred embodiment , the lamination layer is made up of at least 50 percent by weight of ethylene propylene diene rubber or very low density polyethylene or mixtures thereof with the balance of linear low density polyethylene . ethylene , ethylene - methyl acrylate and ionomers may be used in the lamination layer . the lamination layer can be reduced to the minimum amount of polymer necessary to provide a heat lamination capability . a second thermoplastic sheet , as shown in fig1 and described above , is co - extruded . in a preferred embodiment , the co - extruded film is prepared according to the rasmussen patent referenced above . to summarize , the co - extruded thermoplastic is prepared as a blown film and is co - extruded in a continuous tubular shape . the linear orientation of the polymer referred to herein means the linear direction from which the blown film exits the co - extrusion machine . the tubular film is spiral cut by slitting on a 45 ° angle to the original machine orientation . two layers of the spiral cut film are then laminated to form a multi - ply film 20 as shown in cross - section in fig2 . the two sheets of film are laminated face to face with the orientation in nonlinear to the original machine orientation . in the preferred embodiment , the layers are joined in a 90 ° angle orientation to one another by a heat lamination process . in the preferred embodiment , as the laminator joins the films , it prestresses and orients the thermoplastic sheets in both transverse and machine directions . the result is a multiaxially oriented multi - ply polymeric film which has balanced physical properties in both machine and transverse directions . as shown in fig2 lamination layers 22 and 24 are in the center of the multi - ply film after the heat laminated process . the main inner layers 26 and 27 are covered on the outside by seal layers 28 and 29 . one or both of the seal layers may contain biocide depending on the desired properties of the finished multi - ply product . in some applications , only one side of the film would need to include biocide in which case one of the thermoplastic sheets would be prepared without adding the biocide prior to the co - extrusion process . the final thickness of the multiply film in the preferred embodiments is up to 20 mils thick . the thickness of the film can be adjusted according to the desired application . in some instances , the film with more sheets than example 1 may be desired to compose the multi - ply film . fig3 shows a cross - section of a multi - ply film which is composed of two multi - ply films 30 and 31 ( shown separately in fig2 ) that have been prepared as described in example 1 . the two multi - ply films 30 and 31 are joined with seal layers 32 and 34 facing each other with an additional extrusion lamination layer 35 in between . in the alternative embodiment , an extrusion coating grade of low density polyethylene is used bond the sheets 30 and 31 together with hot resin introduced between sheets 30 and 3 as they are rolled together . another embodiment of the multi - ply film utilizes a two layer co - extruded thermoplastic sheet composed of a lamination layer and a main layer . the lamination layer contains a thermoplastic capable of heat lamination . the main layer is of a thermoplastic or mixture of thermoplastics including a biocide . the two layer thermoplastic is preferably manufactured in a similar manner as described in example 1 , such that at least two sheets may be heat laminated together oriented in a non - linear manner . at least one of the main layers contains an effective amount of biocide that is mixed with the thermoplastic prior to the co - extrusion process . the end product is like fig2 except seal layers 29 and 28 are omitted , and the biocide is in at least one of the layers 26 and 27 . an alternative embodiment is composed of at least two sheets of thermoplastic prepared as described in example 1 and shown in fig1 . these thermoplastic sheets each having a seal , main and lamination layer are the outer sheets of the multi - ply film with the seal layers facing outward . in the center of the multi - ply film is at least one co - extruded thermoplastic sheet composed of a main inner layer with two lamination layers as described in example 1 on either side of the main layer . the multiple thermoplastic sheets are heat laminated as described above with the layers oriented in a non - linear arrangement with respect to each contiguous sheet . multiple sheets of co - extruded thermoplastic with a main layer and lamination layers on either side may be introduced in between the co - extruded sheets with seal layers . a biocide may be included in any of the main layers and at least one of the seal layers . as can be seen by the four examples above , there are a variety of multi - ply films that may be made according to the present invention . it is not intended that these examples limit the configuration or composition of the multi - ply films of this invention .

US-61230390-A

a fluidized spray vessel . a vessel design is provided for recovering heat from gaseous heat streams . the vessel utilizes a semi - fluidized bed for obtaining desirable liquid / vapor contact times . a spray section is provided in which liquid is sprayed through nozzles designed to provide a mean droplet size having a terminal velocity of from about sixty percent to about ninety five percent of the superficial upward gas velocity . these spray tower design criteria enhance spray tower performance , and thus enables more efficient heat recovery to be practiced , particularly in systems where relatively low grade heat sources are encountered .

in fig1 an overall system configuration is depicted for a typical application for an innovative fluidized spray tower . fig1 and 2 depict the operation of a basic , two chamber type open spray tower design . in an open type design , there is direct contact between the hot gas stream and the liquid medium , normally water , which is to be heated . process equipment 10 such as a boiler generates hot exhaust gas 12 . hot exhaust gas may also be advantageously provided from an engine , such as a gas turbine engine . or , the hot exhaust gas may be provided from a process gas stream in an industrial process plant such as a paper mill . such hot gas 12 may include as primary constituents , water vapor , carbon dioxide , nitrogen , and a little oxygen , for example , in a typical boiler stack application . the hot gas 12 is provided to spray tower 20 through a hot gas conduit 22 . spray tower 20 structures may be fabricated using conventional fabrication techniques in a vertically standing substantially tubular cylindrical shell design . however , other convenient shapes may be utilized , and any of such equivalent structures may be utilized according to the teachings herein in a method of achieving heat recovery in a semi - fluidized direct contact heat transfer apparatus . as better seen in fig2 the hot gas 12 enters the spray tower 20 through a hot gas inlet 24 , located in the lower portion 26 of the spray tower 20 . the hot gas 12 is substantially prevented from downward escape by a waste condensate pool 32 . waste condensate 35 travels to sewer 36 through waste condensate drain 34 . after entry into spray tower vessel 20 , the hot gas 12 gas enters the fluidization section 30 at the bottom portion of the spray tower 20 . in the fluidization section 30 of tower 20 , the upward gas velocity as represented by reference arrows 37 is designed for 200 percent or more of the terminal velocity of the mean droplet size of the liquid medium ( usually water ) preselected for the spray nozzles in the device , as further described herein below . in this section , it is desirable to prevent the downward flow and escape of liquid droplets . a liquid medium such as cold water stream 41 is provided through cold water inlet 42 . water droplets 43 of a pre - determined mean droplet size are generated by one or more sets of spray nozzles 40 that are provided in fluid communication with water inlet 42 . the cold water stream 41 emerges through spray nozzles 40 , which sprays droplets 43 downward , thus opposing the upflowing internal gas stream indicated by reference arrows g . in the mid - tower semi - fluidized spray section 48 , spray nozzles 40 ( see fig3 for example ) are oriented to distribute droplets evenly downward over a cross - sectional area , in one embodiment , oriented perpendicular to the spray tower 20 vertical axis . spray nozzles 40 are designed and provided to develop a pre - determined mean droplet size having a terminal velocity from about sixty ( 60 ) percent to about ninety five ( 95 ) percent of the local superficial upward gas velocity , the flow of which is indicated by reference arrows 50 . thus , in the upward flowing gas stream , the droplets fall relative to a fixed reference point along the vertical axis ( indicated along centerline 52 ) at a rate from about five ( 5 ) percent to about forty ( 40 ) percent of their terminal velocity . of course , in any spray nozzle system , some droplets are generated in a spectrum of droplet sizes that includes droplets larger and smaller than the mean preselected size . however , very small droplets entrain in the upward flowing gas stream and leave the semi - fluidized section 48 . if such droplets do not impinge on the containment vessel interior walls 54 or other droplets 43 , they are carried upward into the coalescing section 56 above the spray nozzles 40 . however , large droplets , and those that become large droplets , fall , growing as they combine with other droplets , and eventually pass out of the semi - fluidized section and into the fluidized section . other droplets 58 impinge on the tower walls and then flow down into the contact water reservoir 74 . initially , substantially all small water droplets 43 of preselected size are suspended at the top of the fluidized section 30 , and do not fall down through the section until they agglomerate with other particles by increasing their size ( droplet 43 ′) and terminal velocity to ultimately become larger particles 44 , which particles fall downward into waste condensate pool 32 . at the top of the tower , above spray from nozzle ( s ) 40 , coalescing section 56 is provided in which a coalescing device 68 acts as a target to impinge and / or to intercept entrained droplets 67 . the entrained droplets 67 are thus mostly captured by coalescing into larger droplets , and then the larger droplets 69 fall back from the coalescing section 56 into the semi - fluidized section 48 . a cooled gas stream 70 leaves the spray tower 20 at a cooled gas outlet 72 . the heat removed from the entering hot gas stream 12 is thus captured in contact water contained in the contact water reservoir 74 , supported by reservoir bottom plate 76 . in the embodiment shown in fig2 the reservoir bottom plate 76 is located intermediate the hot gas inlet 24 and the cooled gas outlet 72 . a hot water stream 80 exits the reservoir 74 space outward via contact water reservoir outlet 82 . pump 83 can be provided to recirculate the water exit stream 80 for reuse in the semi - fluidized portion of spray tower 20 , with makeup cold water stream 41 provided as necessary . with the operation of the basic two chamber type , open system spray tower 20 design having been described , as particularly set forth in fig2 and more generally in fig5 b , it is appropriate to describe alternate embodiments and additional structural details . first , with respect to fig2 in the mid - portion 100 of tower 20 , the contact water reservoir bottom plate 76 supports not only the contact water 101 captured , but also provides support for , and is sealingly affixed to , an upward oriented first gas passageway 102 , tubular in nature , and in the embodiment shown in fig2 a cylindrical tube that is located along the centerline 52 of the spray tower 20 . at the lower end 104 of first gas passageway one or more baffle ( s ) 106 and endplate 108 provide for a desirable change in direction of entering gas , to help deflect droplets . at the upper end 110 of first gas passageway , one or more baffle ( s ) 112 and endplate or hat portion 115 provide for deflection of downwardly oriented spray of droplets , and provide a tortuous gas path having desirable change in direction for the upwardly direct gas 116 exiting the first gas passageway 102 . at the upper portion 120 of the spray tower 20 , a second gas passageway 122 is provided . as shown in the embodiment depicted in fig2 the second gas passageway 122 is also of a cylindrical tubular shape . at the lower end 123 of the second gas passageway 122 , one or more baffle ( s ) 124 are provided as well as end plate or target 126 ( circular , as depicted affixed to baffles 124 ), to assist in impinging and / or intercepting droplets , by providing a tortuous gas pathway through which the exiting gas must flow , in order to minimize droplets lost via entrainment . at the upper water level limit 150 of the reservoir 74 for contact water or other liquid medium , a downwardly extending reservoir drain pipe 152 is provided , extending from upper end 151 downward through bottom plate 76 and on downward toward the lower portion 26 of the vessel 20 , to a lower end 153 , in fluid communication with drain 34 , and thus allowing condensate 154 to join waste condensate 35 to drain out of vessel 20 through the waste condensate drain 34 . in other embodiments , a closed process system design can be provided as indicate in fig5 c and 5e . first , in fig5 c , water 80 leaving the contact water reservoir 74 is sent to a pump 200 , which provides motive force for sending the water through a heat exchanger 202 . heat exchanger 202 is provided with a cold water supply stream 204 , which cold water supply stream is heated in the heat exchanger 202 to provide a hot , non - contact water stream 210 exiting the heat exchanger 202 . the cooled contact water stream 206 enters vessel as the inlet cold water stream at spray nozzles 220 . a single chamber embodiments is illustrated in fig5 d and 5e . like in the case of a dual chamber design , the single chamber design can be provided in either ( 1 ) a direct contact design , or ( 2 ) a closed system , non - contact design . note that in the single chamber design depicted in these figures , the bottom portion 30 as shown in vessel 20 of fig2 is dispensed with , and the hot gas enters directly under baffling 300 and shortly encounters spray from nozzles 302 and / or 304 . note that both an outside , cold water inlet stream 310 is provided , as well as a recycle stream 312 , sent through pump 314 , to further warm the process water recirculating in the unit . pump 314 also serves as a hot contact process water 316 outlet . overflow is sent outward through internal reservoir outlet or drain 152 ′ and is then sent to sewer 36 or other appropriate end use or disposal point . if the configuration is for a closed system design , as set forth in fig5 e , then a heat exchanger system as earlier explained in relation to fig5 c is utilized . turning now to fig3 some exemplary dimensional data for one desirable embodiment of spray vessel 20 ′ are illustrated . as shown , the spray nozzles 40 ′ are located a distance s apart , vertically . from the upper row of nozzles 40 ′ 1 to the top of the vessel 20 ′, a distance 3 . 5s is provided . from the lower nozzle 40 ′ 3 a distance of 2s is provided above the outlet end 115 of the first gas passageway 102 . also , first gas passageway 102 is shown in a 48 inch height , which may be desirable in many cases , but that distance should be considered merely exemplary for this one embodiment . various other dimensions are detailed , including a lower portion 30 ( reference fig2 ) dimension of 3 . 5 times the diameter “ d ” of the gas outlet 72 . a sloping bottom sump 400 is provided in a height of 0 . 5 times the overall vessel 20 ′ diameter d . similar dimensions are indicated in fig4 for a single vessel chamber design of the type schematically illustrated in fig5 d and 5e . it is to be appreciated that the various aspects and embodiments of the fluidized spray tower designs described herein are an important improvement in the state of the art , especially for recovery of heat from low grade heat sources . although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detail , various details are sufficiently set forth in the drawings and in the specification provided herein to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention ( s ), which need not be further described by additional writing in this detailed description . importantly , the aspects and embodiments described and claimed herein may be modified from those shown without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages provided by this invention , and may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof . therefore , the embodiments presented herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive . as such , this disclosure is intended to cover the structures described herein and not only structural equivalents thereof , but also equivalent structures . numerous modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention ( s ) may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . thus , the scope of the invention ( s ), as set forth in the appended claims , and as indicated by the drawing and by the foregoing description , is intended to include variations from the embodiments provided which are nevertheless described by the broad interpretation and range properly afforded to the plain meaning of the claims set forth below .

US-19828802-A

the present invention relates to a process for the preparation of synthesis gas , typically labeled syngas . more particularly , the present invention relates to a regeneration method for a syngas catalyst . still more particularly , the present invention relates to the regeneration of syngas catalysts using a re - dispersion technique . one embodiment of the re - dispersion technique involves the treatment of a deactivated syngas catalyst with a re - dispersing gas , preferably a carbon monoxide - containing gas such as syngas . if necessary , the catalyst is then exposed to hydrogen for reduction and further re - dispersion .

the preferred embodiments are shown in the examples , and herein will be described in detail , specific embodiments of the present invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention , and is not intended to limit the invention to that illustrated and described herein . the present invention is susceptible to embodiments of different forms or order and should not be interpreted to be limited to the particular structures or compositions contained herein . in particular , various embodiments of the present invention provide a number of different configurations of the overall gas to liquid conversion process . the regeneration of a syngas catalyst is accomplished by contacting a gas with a deactivated catalyst that restores the catalytic metal to its active form and / or restores active surface area of the catalytic metals lost from deactivation phenomenon . the present invention is primarily directed towards syngas catalysts used in partial oxidation reactions and even more preferably used in syngas catalysts that contain group viii noble metals . according to the present invention , a syngas reactor can comprise any of the synthesis gas technology and / or methods known in the art . the hydrocarbon - containing feed comprises almost exclusively natural gas . however , the most important component is generally methane . methane or other suitable hydrocarbon feedstocks ( hydrocarbons with four carbons or less ) are also readily available from a variety of other sources such as higher chain hydrocarbon liquids , coal , coke , hydrocarbon gases , etc ., all of which are clearly known in the art . similarly , the oxygen - containing gas may come from a variety of sources and will be somewhat dependent upon the nature of the reaction being used . for example , a partial oxidation reaction requires diatomic oxygen as a feedstock while steam reforming requires only steam . according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , partial oxidation is assumed for at least part of the syngas production reaction . regardless of the sources , the hydrocarbon - containing feed and the oxygen - containing feed are reacted under catalytic conditions . the catalyst compositions useful for synthesis gas reactions are well known in the art . they generally are comprised of a catalytic metal . the most common catalytic metals are group viii metals noble metals . the support structures may be monoliths , wire mesh and particulates . often , the support selected will dictate the type of catalyst bed that must be used . for example , fixed beds are comprised of monoliths and large particle sized supports . supports comprised of small particles tend to be more useful in fluidized beds . the support matrix usually comprises a refractory material , preferably a metal oxide or mixture of metal oxides , such as alumina , titania , zirconia or the like . the synthesis gas feedstocks are generally preheated , mixed and passed over or through the catalyst beds . as the mixed feedstocks contact the catalyst the synthesis reactions take place . the synthesis gas product contains primarily hydrogen and carbon monoxide , however , many other minor components may be present including steam , nitrogen , carbon dioxide , ammonia , hydrogen cyanide , etc ., as well as unreacted feedstock , such as methane and / or oxygen . the synthesis gas product , i . e ., syngas , is then ready to be used , treated , or directed to its intended purpose . for example , in the instant case some or all of the syngas may be used to prepare regeneration gases for the present invention or may be used as a feedstock for a fischer - tropsch process or other processes such as an alcohol synthesis plant . the syngas process is operated at atmospheric or superatmospheric pressures , the latter being preferred . the pressures may be from about 100 kpa to about 32 , 000 kpa ( about 1 - 320 atm ), preferably from about 200 kpa to 10 , 000 kpa ( about 2 - 100 atm ). the process is preferably operated at temperatures of from about 600 ° c . to about 2 , 000 ° c ., preferably from about 600 ° c . to about 1 , 600 ° c . space velocities for the syngas catalytic partial oxidation process , stated as gas hourly space velocity ( ghsv ), are from about 20 , 000 to about 100 , 000 , 000 hr − 1 , preferably from about 100 , 000 to about 25 , 000 , 000 hr − 1 . the syngas stream is typically at a temperature of about 600 - 1600 ° c . when leaving a syngas reactor . the syngas must be transitioned to be useable in a fischer - tropsch reactor or other synthesis reactors , which operate at lower temperatures of about 200 ° c . to 400 ° c . the syngas is typically cooled , dehydrated ( i . e ., taken below 100 ° c . to knock out water ) and compressed during the transition phase . thus , in the transition of syngas from the syngas reactor to a fischer - tropsch reactor or alcohol synthesis reactor , the syngas stream may experience a temperature window of 50 ° c . to 1600 ° c . several reactions have been discovered that can restore the activity to a deactivated syngas catalyst depending on the deactivation phenomenon . one such deactivation phenomenon is sintering . sintering results in a significant loss of catalytically active surface area , which ultimately leads to decreased activity of the overall catalyst composition . one embodiment of the present invention restores the activity of a sintered catalyst by exposing the deactivated syngas catalyst to carbon monoxide - containing gas . the applicants believe that there is a formation of metal carbonyls with the deactivated catalytic metals . the carbon monoxide - containing gas can be substantially pure carbon monoxide or carbon monoxide mixed with other gases , such as syngas . accordingly , the carbon monoxide - containing gas can be from recycled gas streams that may already be present in a gas - to - liquid conversion process , from bottled gas , from produced syngas , or from any other available source , or any combinations thereof . care must be taken to avoid coke deposition on the catalyst when using syngas as the carbon monoxide source . for example , the operation temperature should be controlled below 500 ° c . to avoid carbon formation as the results of co disproportionation . it is further believed that the formation of he metal carbonyls occur at relatively low temperatures in the range from about room temperature to about 500 ° c . and at pressures of between vacuum to about 300 atmospheres , depending upon the catalyst metal . for this reason , the treatment with the re - dispersing gas is performed at a temperature preferably from about 25 ° c . to about 500 ° c ., and more preferably from about 50 ° c . to about 400 ° c ., and at a pressure preferably from about 1 to about 50 atmospheres , more preferably from about 10 to about 30 atmospheres . thus , the catalyst can be treated in a vessel capable of being pressurized such as a syngas reactor or other pressurized vessel . in any event , it is preferred to select the temperature that would be sufficient to promote the formation of the carbonyls , to mobilize them and to promote the interaction of the carbonyls with the catalyst surface . prior to the treatment of the sintered catalyst in co - containing gases , it is preferred to calcine the sintered catalyst in oxidative atmosphere to convert the active metal ( s ), such as rh , to its oxidized state . the calcination can be carried in oxygen - containing gas , such as air , pure oxygen , at temperatures from about 100 ° c . to about 800 ° c . after the treatment with the co - containing gas , the applicants believe that a calcination step in gas streams relatively low in co , such as nitrogen , helium , hydrogen , and / or oxygen at elevated temperature could help decompose the carbonyl compounds and form the activated state of the active metals . it should be appreciated that the concentration of carbon monoxide in the stream need not be zero , but should be less than about 1 wt % or at least low enough that the carbon monoxide does not significantly inhibit the overall loss of carbonyls from the catalyst surface . for syngas catalysts , the decomposition or removal treatment can be carried out in an oxygen - containing gas at temperatures of from about 25 ° c . to about 500 ° c . the present invention will be more easily and fully understood by the following examples . the examples are representative of the regeneration processes in accordance with one embodiment of the preferred present invention . al 2 o 3 : alumina , aldrich # 19 , 997 - 4 , activated neutral , 150 mesh powder , surface area : 155 m 2 / g rhcl 3 : rhodium ( iii ) chloride hydrate , crystal , 99 . 9 +%, aldrich , lot # 08822hu , mw : 209 . 26 ( 1 ) procedure of base material ( 2 wt . % rh on alumina ) preparation : pretreatment of support : alumina was heated up in flowing air ( 60 ml / min ) to 1100 ° c . at a rate of at 5 ° c ./ min and calcined at 1100 ° c . for 5 hours , then cooled down to room temperature in air . impregnation : 1 . 22 g of rhcl 3 . xh20 was impregnated through incipient wetness impregnation onto 30 g of pre - treated alumina . the sample was then dried at room temperature for 1 hour and 120 ° c . for 4 hours . calcination : the dried sample was heated up to 700 ° c . at 10 ° c ./ min and calcined at 700 ° c . for 3 hours , then cooled down to room temperature . all were done in flowing air . the calcined sample was designated example a . reduction : 15 g of example a was reduced in h 2 / n 2 ( 300 / 300 ml / min ) by heating up the sample in stages . the sample was heated to 125 ° c . at 3 ° c ./ min and held there for 30 min , then to 500 ° c . at 3 ° c ./ min and held there for 3 hours . finally , the sample was cooled down in h 2 / n 2 to room temperature at 10 ° c ./ min . the reduced sample was designated example b . sintering of reduced sample : 10 g of example b was calcined / sintered in air ( 150 ml / min ) by heating the sample to 1000 ° c . at a rate of 10 ° c ./ min and holding it there for 3 hours , then cooling down to room temperature . the sintered sample was designated example c . reduction of sintered sample : 5 g of example c was reduced in h 2 / n 2 ( 300 / 300 ml / min ) by heating the sample to 125 ° c . at a rate of 3 ° c ./ min and holding it there for 30 min , then to 500 ° c . at 3 ° c ./ min and holding it there for 3 hours and finally cooled down in h 2 / n 2 to room temperature at 10 ° c ./ min . the reduced sample was designated example d . autoclave reactors were used to carry out the redispersion treatment . this facility has four 100 ml reactor chambers to carry out the treatment in parallel . the following conditions were applied to treat the four model catalysts represented as examples a , b , c , and d to generate 4 new samples defined as examples e , f , g , and h respectively . gas composition : co / h 2 / n 2 ( 30 / 60 / 10 molar ratio ); pressure : 485 psi ; temperature : 97 . 5 ° c . procedure : load 2 g of the catalyst sample in the reactors , then , pressurize the reactor with co / h 2 / n 2 to 485 psi . heat the reactor up to 100 ° c . at 5 ° c ./ min , hold for 24 hours , cool the reactor down to room temperature and collect the sample as re - dispersed . metal surface area analysis was conducted to evaluate the redispersion efficiency . the metal surface area of the catalyst is determined by measuring the dissociation of h 2 on the surface of the metal . a micromeritics asap 2010 automatic analyzer system is used , employing h 2 as a probe molecule . the asap 2010 system uses a flowing gas technique for sample preparation to ensure complete reduction of reducible oxides on the surface of the sample . a gas such as hydrogen flows through the heated sample bed , reducing the oxides on the sample ( such as platinum oxide ) to the active metal ( pure platinum ). since only the active metal phase responds to the chemisorbate ( hydrogen in the present case ), it is possible to measure the active surface area and metal dispersion independently of the substrate or inactive components . the analyzer uses the static volumetric technique to attain precise dosing of the chemisorbate and rigorously equilibrates the sample . the first analysis measures both strong and weak sorption data in combination . a repeat analysis measures only the weak ( reversible ) uptake of the probe molecule by the sample supports and the active metal . as many as 1000 data points can be collected with each point being fully equilibrated . prior to the measurement of the metal surface area the sample is pre - treated . the first step is to pretreat the sample in he for 1 hr at 100 ° c . the sample is then heated to 350 ° c . in he for 1 hr . these steps clean the surface prior to measurement . next the sample is evacuated to sub - atmospheric pressure to remove all previously adsorbed or chemisorbed species . the sample is then oxidized in a 10 % oxygen / helium gas at 350 ° c . for 30 minutes to remove any possible organics that are on the surface . the sample is then reduced at 500 ° c . for 3 hours in pure hydrogen gas . this reduces any reducible metal oxide to the active metal phase . the sample is then evacuated using a vacuum pump at 450 ° c . for 2 hours . the sample is then cooled to 35 ° c . prior to the measurement . the sample is then ready for measurement of the metal surface . from the measurement of the volume of h 2 uptake during the measurement step , it is possible to determine the metal surface area per gram of catalyst structure by the following equation . where msa is the metal surface are in m 2 / gram of catalyst structure ; v is the volume of adsorbed gas at standard temperature and pressure in ml . ; s is the stoichiometric factor ( 2 for h 2 chemisorption ); the metal surface area per gram of metal is then determined by dividing the msa by the weight fraction of the metal in the catalyst with the following unit of g metal / g . catalyst . the results in table 1 were determined using rhodium as the metal in the equation above for msa . all examples a - h have a compositon of 2 wt % rh on alumina . the metal surface area results are listed in table 1 . the treatment in syngas mixture affected the metal surface area in two different ways . for the reduced samples , i . e ., examples b and d , the treatment with the syngas - containing gas decreases the metal surface area as seen in examples f and h respectively . for the oxidized samples , i . e ., examples a and c , the treatment with the syngas - containing gas increases the metal surface area as seen in examples e and g respectively . especially for example c that was calcined at 1000 ° c ., the metal surface area after treatment with the re - dispersing gas was recovered to around 30 m 2 / g - metal , which was around 50 % recovery of the initial surface area . while preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described , modification thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or teaching of this invention . the embodiments described herein are exemplary only and are not limiting . many variations and modifications of the system and apparatus are possible and are within the scope of this invention . accordingly , the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein , but is only limited by the claims , which follow , the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims . in particular , unless order is explicitly recited , the recitation of steps in a claim is not intended to require that the steps be performed in any particular order , or that any step must be completed before the beginning of another step .

US-21914802-A

a display apparatus includes : a command receiver configured to receive power on or off command from an exterior , a power supply unit configured to supply power to the display apparatus and a control unit coupled to the command receiver and the power supply unit , determining whether auxiliary power exists when the power off command is received , wherein the control unit is configured for two power saving modes .

first , in the present disclosure , through terms generally used in this art at the present if possible are selected , there may be a term arbitrarily selected by the applicant in a special case . since operation and meaning of the term arbitrarily selected by the applicant are disclosed in detail in corresponding description of the present disclosure , the present disclosure should be understood based not on the meaning of the arbitrarily selected term itself but on operation and meaning included in the arbitrarily selected term . as shown in fig1 , a display apparatus 100 is connected with a computer main body 200 through a display signal cable 101 to display an image . ac power is supplied to the display apparatus through an ac power cable 103 . in addition to the display apparatus 100 , a keyboard 201 and a mouse 202 for delivering user &# 39 ; s commands are connected with the computer main body 200 . in addition to the keyboard 201 and the mouse 202 , a printer , a separate external storage medium or the like may be connected with the computer main body 200 . also , ac power is supplied to the computer main body 200 through an ac power cable 203 . that is , the ac power cables 102 and 203 are respectively connected with the display apparatus and the computer main body to supply corresponding ac powers to the display apparatus and the computer main body , respectively . as shown in fig2 , a display apparatus 100 connected with a computer main body 200 to display an image . the display apparatus 100 includes a power input unit 102 , a power supply unit 104 , a user input unit 106 , a control unit 108 and a state switching unit 110 . while the present implementation describes that the display apparatus 100 is connected with the computer main body 200 to display an image , implementations are not limited thereto . for example , the display apparatus 100 may be connected with a media player , such as a dvd player , a vcr or the like , to display an image . accordingly , the computer main body 200 may be replaced by various peripheral units providing an image . the power input unit 102 receives an input of ac power ( e . g ., normal power ) from an exterior , which may be through the power cable 103 shown in fig1 . also , the power input unit 102 may receive any input of ac power as an ac input terminal . also , the supplied ac power has a normal voltage of 110 volts or 220 volts ac , and may be ac power having a voltage other than 110 volts or 220 volts . the power supply unit 104 supplies a corresponding driving power to each of the blocks included in the display apparatus 100 on the basis of the ac power inputted through the power input unit 102 . the power supply unit 104 may include an input power filter , a rectifier , a power controller , a transformer , a multi - power generating unit and a power output unit . the input power filter removes noise included in the ac power inputted through the power input unit 102 and outputs a filtered ac power . that is , the input power filter cuts off emi introduced from ac power during the input of ac power , and an rf noise generated from an inverter and the like , and may be comprised of a coil ( l ) and a condenser c . the rectifier rectifies the ac power outputted through the input power filter to a dc power . at this time , the rectifier may be made in the form of a bridge rectifying circuit for converting ac power to dc power , and is comprised of a high power factor smoothing circuit . the power controller is driven by the rectified dc power to control supply and cut off of the input power . the transformer is supplied a rectified power from the rectifier to transfer the power supplied to a primary winding to a secondary winding according to a control signal of the power controller . that is , the transformer repeats on / off through a switching operation of a separate switching element ( fet ), so that charge and discharge of dc power with respect to the primary winding are repeated . the transformer transfers an energy to the secondary winding through the charge and discharge of the primary winding . the multi - power generating unit again rectifies the power inputted through the transformer to generate a multi - power . the multi - power generated by the multi - power generating unit includes 24 volts , 12 volts , and 5 volts . the multi - power output unit supplies multi - powers generated by the multi - power generated unit to corresponding blocks , respectively . the user input unit 106 receives a request command from a user , and includes a local key input unit ( e . g ., power switch ), an infrared ray receiving unit or the like . alternatively , the user input unit may include the local key input unit , and the local key input unit may include a power switch formed on a front side or a sidewall of the display apparatus . for example , the user input unit 106 is turned on or off power by a user &# 39 ; s manipulation . when the user input unit 106 is in an on - state , the display apparatus is in a power - on mode in which the display apparatus operates , and when the user input unit 106 is in an off - state , the display apparatus is in a power saving mode in which the display apparatus saves power . the control unit 108 controls overall operations of the blocks provided in the display apparatus 100 . for example , the control unit 108 controls the display apparatus 100 to enter the power saving mode or the normal mode based on a state of the user input unit 106 . the state of the user input unit 106 indicates a power on - state or a power - off state according to a user &# 39 ; s manipulation . when the user input unit 106 is in an off - state , ( e . g ., the power switch is turned off by the user &# 39 ; s manipulation ) the control unit 108 checks whether or not there exists an auxiliary power supplied from an exterior and controls to enter the first power saving mode or the second power saving mode depending on whether or not there exists an auxiliary power . in this implementation , the display apparatus is provided therein with + 5 v power supply terminal as a power for a peripheral unit . alternatively , the auxiliary power checked by the control unit 108 may be an auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body through the + 5 v power supply terminal , or may be a 5 v auxiliary power supplied through a separate charge battery . also , the auxiliary power is used as a driving power for driving the control unit 108 when entering the power saving mode . accordingly , since the power consumption of the control unit 108 is very small , it is possible to drive the control unit only with a low voltage charger . in the implementation , the control unit 108 determines whether or not there exists an auxiliary power when the user input unit 106 is in an off - state . based on the checking result , when there exists an auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 , the control unit 108 controls to enter the first power saving mode , when there does not exist an auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 , the control unit 108 controls to enter the second power saving mode . the first power saving mode is a mode that the power supply unit 104 is in an off - state , and the second power saving mode is a mode that the power supply unit 104 is in an on - state but only a minimum standby power is supplied . the first power saving mode indicates that the power supply unit 104 is completely in an off - state and accordingly there is no power supplied through the power supply unit 104 . to enter the first power saving mode as above ( e . g ., to switch the power supply unit to an off - state ), the ac power supplied from the power input unit 102 should be cut off . accordingly , the first power saving mode indicates a state that the input ac power is cut off . when the display apparatus enters the first power saving mode and thus the ac power is cut off , any power is not supplied to the display apparatus . that is , the power consumption of the display apparatus in the first power saving mode is at or above 0 w . however , even after the display apparatus enters the power saving mode , in order to determine whether or not the power saving mode is released , a minimal power should be supplied to one of the blocks of the display apparatus . accordingly , in the first power saving mode , the control unit 108 is driven by the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 to determine whether or not the power saving mode is released . also , in the case where there does not exist an auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 , the control unit 108 continues to maintain the ac power supply and controls to enter the second power saving mode . that is , the power supply unit 104 supplies a minimal driving power only to the control unit 108 determining whether or not to release the power saving mode . the state switching unit 110 is turned on or off according to a control signal of the control unit 108 to switch the state of the power supply unit 104 to an on - state or an off - state . that is , the state switching unit 110 is turned off according to a control signal of the control unit 108 to cut off the power supplied from the power input unit 102 or is turned on according to the control signal of the control unit 108 to deliver ac power supplied from an exterior to the power supply unit 104 . for example , the state switching unit 110 may include a relay , which is selectively turned on / off to pass or cut off an output of the ac power . also , in the case where the display apparatus enters the first power saving mode but an auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 does not exist , ( e . g ., in the case where the supplied auxiliary power is cut off ), the control unit 108 releases the first power saving mode and controls to enter the second power saving mode . further , after the display apparatus enters the first power saving mode or the second power saving mode , when a condition for releasing the entering power saving mode is detected , the control unit 108 releases the entering power saving mode and controls the display apparatus to enter a normal operation mode . the condition for releasing the power saving mode corresponds to a case that a power - on command is inputted through the user input unit 106 including the infrared ray receiving unit or the power switch . that is , in the case where after the display apparatus enters the first power saving mode , a power - on command is inputted , the control unit 108 controls the state switching unit 110 to change state thereof into an on - state so that the ac power cut off for entering the first power saving mode is again supplied . also , in the case where after the display apparatus enters the second power saving mode , a power - on command is inputted , the control unit 108 outputs a control signal to the power supply unit 104 so that the driving power cut off for entering the second power saving mode is supplied to a corresponding block . referring to fig3 , the display apparatus further includes a rechargeable battery 300 in addition to the components constituting the display apparatus comparing to fig2 . in some examples , in the display apparatus as shown in fig2 , to enter the power saving mode in the off - state of the user input unit 106 , it is determined whether or not an auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 exists . however , in the display apparatus according to this implementation , to enter the power saving mode , it is determined whether or not an auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 further included in the display apparatus of fig3 . in other words , in entering the power saving mode , the control unit 108 determines whether or not an auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 exists . as a result of the determination , when the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 exists , the control unit 108 controls the display apparatus to enter the first power saving mode , and when the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 does not exist , the control unit 108 controls the display apparatus to enter the second power saving mode . also , after the display apparatus enters the first power saving mode or the second power saving mode , the control unit 108 releases the power saving mode according to an input command from the user input unit 106 and controls to enter the normal operation mode . the operation to enter the normal operation mode in this implementation is the same as that in the previous implementation . after the display apparatus enters the normal operation mode as above , the control unit 108 controls the power supply unit 104 so that the power is supplied from the power supply unit 104 to the rechargeable battery 300 to charge the rechargeable battery 300 . referring to fig4 , the display apparatus further includes a power switch unit 112 . in this implementation , in the case where the display apparatus intends to enter the power saving mode , the control unit 108 determines both whether or not an auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 exists , and whether or not an auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 exists . and then , the control unit 108 may determine whether or not an auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 exists according to a preset priority , or may determine whether or not an auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 exists . accordingly , in the case where both of the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 and the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 exist , the control unit 108 controls the display apparatus to enter the first power saving mode by using the auxiliary power corresponding the preset priority . also , upon entering the first power saving mode , the power switch unit 112 is switched such that the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 or the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 is supplied to the control unit 108 . further , in the case where the display apparatus enters the first power saving mode by using the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 , the control unit 108 determines whether or not the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 has been cut off . as a result of the determination , in the case where the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 has been cut off , the control unit 108 controls the display apparatus such that the first power saving mode continues to be maintained by using the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 . the case that the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 has been cut off corresponds to a case that the driving power supplied to the computer main body 200 has been cut off . furthermore , in the case where the display apparatus enters the first power saving mode by using the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 , the control unit 108 determines whether or not the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 has been cut off . as a result of the determination , when the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 has been cut off , the control unit 108 controls the display apparatus such that the first power saving mode continues to be maintained by using the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 . the case that the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 has been cut off corresponds to a case that the power charged in the rechargeable battery 300 has been discharged . also , in a state that the display apparatus enters the first power saving mode , in the case where both of the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 and the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 do not exist , the control unit 108 releases the first power saving mode and controls to enter the second power saving mode . in addition , in a state that the display apparatus enters the power saving mode , the control unit 108 releases the power saving mode according to an input command from the user input unit 106 and controls to enter the normal operation mode . hereinafter , a method for saving power of the display apparatus will be described in more detail . fig5 is a flow chart showing a method for saving power of the display apparatus . first , an initial operation of the display apparatus 100 will be described . the term “ initial operation ” means a state that the display apparatus 100 is connected with the computer main body 200 through the display signal cable 101 , the power switch ( e . g ., user input unit ) 106 is in an on - state , and the corresponding driving powers are supplied to the respective blocks constituting the display apparatus 100 . that is , the term “ initial operation ” means a state that the corresponding driving powers are supplied to the display apparatus and the respective blocks constituting the computer main body 200 , the computer main body 200 supplies an image signal comprised of , for example , video signals of r ( red ), g ( green ), and b ( blue ), a horizontal synchronous signal ( hs ) and a vertical synchronous signal ( vs ), and + 5 v auxiliary power for a peripheral unit to the display apparatus 100 , and the display apparatus 100 receives the supplied image signal to display an image . in the initial operation state as above , the control unit 108 determines whether a power - off command is inputted from an exterior ( s 501 ). that is , the control unit 108 determines whether the state of the user input unit 108 ( i . e ., power switch ) is switched to an off - state in the normal operation state . also , when a synchronous signal is not inputted for a predetermined time period from the computer main body 200 or a manipulation command is not inputted for a predetermined time period from the user , the control unit 108 may determine that the user input unit 106 is in an off - state . as a result of the determination ( s 501 ), when the power - off command is inputted , the control unit 108 checks whether or not an auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 exists ( s 502 ). that is , the control unit 108 checks whether or not the auxiliary power for a peripheral unit is supplied to the display apparatus 100 from the computer main body 200 . as a result of the check , the control unit 108 determines whether or not an auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 exists ( s 503 ). that is , the control unit 108 checks whether or not an auxiliary power supplied from an exterior exists through a line such as through which the auxiliary power is supplied , and as a result of the check , the control unit 108 determines whether or not the auxiliary power exists . also , as a result of the determination ( s 503 ), when the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 exists , the control unit 108 controls the display apparatus 100 to enter the first power saving mode ( s 504 ). that is , when the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 exists , the control unit 108 transmits an off - signal to the state switching unit 110 . here , if the display apparatus operates in the normal operation mode , the state switching unit 110 may maintains the on - state . the state switching unit 110 is turned off based on the control signal of the control unit 108 , so that the ac power is not supplied to the power supply unit 104 . that is , the state switching unit 110 cuts off the ac power supplied from an exterior to switch the power supply unit 104 to the off - state . when the display apparatus operates in the normal operation mode , the control unit 108 is driven by the power supplied from the power supply unit 104 . however , in the case where the display apparatus 100 enters the first power saving mode as above , since the power supply unit 104 is switched to the off - state , the control unit 108 is not supplied a corresponding driving power from the power supply unit 104 . accordingly , in the case where the display apparatus 100 enters the first power saving mode and the power supply unit 104 is switched to the off - state , the control unit 108 is driven by the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 to decide whether or not to release the first power saving mode . that is , in the case where the display apparatus 100 enters the first power saving mode , the control unit 108 is driven by the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 . at this time , the control unit 108 checks the state of the user input unit 106 according to a user &# 39 ; s manipulation and decides whether or not to release the first power saving mode ( s 505 ). accordingly , the control unit 108 determines whether or not a power - on command is inputted from an exterior in the first power saving mode ( s 506 ). that is , the control unit 108 determines whether or not the state of the user input unit 106 is switched to the on - state to decide whether or not to release the first power saving mode . when the state of the user input unit 106 is switched to the on - state , the control unit 108 releases the first power saving mode and controls the display apparatus 100 to enter the normal operation mode ( s 507 ). that is , when the state of the user input unit 106 is switched to the on - state in the first power saving mode , the control unit 108 outputs an on - signal to the state switching unit 110 . the state switching unit 110 is turned on according to the control signal of the control unit 108 so that the ac power is again supplied to the power supply unit 104 . as the state switching unit 110 is turned on as above , the state of the power supply unit 104 is also switched to the on - state , so that the corresponding driving powers are supplied to the respective blocks constituting the display apparatus 100 and thus the display apparatus 100 enters the normal operation mode . meanwhile , when the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 does not exist , the control unit 108 controls the display apparatus 100 to enter the second power saving mode ( s 508 ). when the auxiliary power supplied from the exterior does not exist , the control unit 108 continues to maintain the state of the state switching unit 110 in the on - state . also , as the display apparatus 100 enters the second power saving mode , the power supply unit 104 supplies the standby power only to a specific block ( s 509 ). the control unit 108 is driven by the standby power supplied through the power supply unit 104 to decide whether or not to release the second power saving mode . thereafter , in the second power saving mode , the control unit 108 determines whether or not a power - on command is inputted from an exterior ( s 510 ). that is , the control unit 108 determines whether or not the state of the user input unit 106 is switched to the on - state to decide whether or not to release the second power saving mode . when the state of the user input unit 106 is switched to the on - state , the control unit 108 outputs a signal for releasing the second power saving mode to control the display apparatus 100 to enter the normal operation mode . that is , the power supply unit 104 supplies the corresponding driving powers to the respective blocks constituting the display apparatus 100 according to the control signal of the control unit 108 . as aforementioned , the operation mode is decided according to the state of the user input unit and whether or not the auxiliary power exists . that is , as shown in table 1 , the control unit 108 decides the operation mode of the display apparatus according to the state of the user input unit and the existence of auxiliary power . in this implementation , in the case where the state of the user input unit 106 is off - state and the auxiliary power exists , it becomes possible to provide the display apparatus having 0 w power consumption . the display apparatus and method for saving power thereof can greatly reduce power consumption in the power saving mode because a separate power does not need to be supplied to the control unit driven for releasing the power saving mode . fig6 is a flow chart showing a method for saving power of the display apparatus . first , in an “ initial operation ” state of the display apparatus 100 , the control unit 108 determines whether or not a power - off command is inputted from an exterior ( s 601 ). that is , the control unit 108 determines whether or not the state of the user input unit ( e . g ., power switch ) 108 is switched to an off - state in the normal operation state . also , the control unit 108 may determine a case that a synchronous signal is not inputted in excess of a predetermined time period from the computer main body or a manipulation command is not inputted in excess of a predetermined time period from a user , as an off - state of the user input unit 106 . as a result of the determination ( s 601 ), when the power - off command is inputted , the control unit 108 checks whether or not an auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 exists ( s 602 ). that is , the control unit 108 checks whether or not the rechargeable battery 300 is completely charged and a power charged in the rechargeable battery 300 exists . as a result of the check , the control unit 108 determines whether or not an auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 exists ( s 603 ). also , as a result of the determination ( s 603 ), when the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 exists , the control unit 108 controls the display apparatus 100 to enter the first power saving mode ( s 604 ). that is , when the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 exists , the control unit 108 transmits an off - signal to the state switching unit 110 . here , if the display apparatus 100 operates in the normal operation mode , the state switching unit 110 may maintain the on - state . the state switching unit 110 is turned off based on the control signal of the control unit 108 , so that the ac power is not supplied to the power supply unit 104 . that is , the state switching unit 110 cuts off the ac power supplied from an exterior to switch the power supply unit 104 to the off - state . when the display apparatus operates in the normal operation mode , the control unit 108 is driven by the power supplied from the power supply unit 104 . however , in the case where the display apparatus 100 enters the first power saving mode as above , since the power supply unit 104 is switched to the off - state , the control unit 108 is not supplied a corresponding driving power from the power supply unit 104 . accordingly , in the case where the display apparatus 100 enters the first power saving mode and the power supply unit 104 is switched to the off - state , the control unit 108 is driven by the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 to decide whether or not to release the first power saving mode . that is , in the case where the display apparatus 100 enters the first power saving mode , the control unit 108 is driven by the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 . at this time , the control unit 108 checks the state of the user input unit 106 according to a user &# 39 ; s manipulation and decides whether or not to release the first power saving mode ( s 605 ). accordingly , the control unit 108 determines whether or not a power - on command is inputted from an exterior in the first power saving mode ( s 606 ). that is , the control unit 108 determines whether or not the state of the user input unit 106 is switched to the on - state to decide whether or not to release the first power saving mode . when the state of the user input unit 106 is switched to the on - state , the control unit 108 releases the first power saving mode and controls the display apparatus 100 to enter the normal operation mode ( s 607 ). that is , when the state of the user input unit 106 is switched to the on - state in the first power saving mode , the control unit 108 outputs an on - signal to the state switching unit 110 . the state switching unit 110 is turned on according to the control signal of the control unit 108 so that the ac power is again supplied to the power supply unit 104 . as the state switching unit 110 is turned on as above , the state of the power supply unit 104 is also switched to the on - state , so that the corresponding driving powers are supplied to the respective blocks constituting the display apparatus 100 and thus the display apparatus 100 enters the normal operation mode . meanwhile , when the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 does not exist , the control unit 108 controls the display apparatus 100 to enter the second power saving mode ( s 608 ). when the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 does not exist , the control unit 108 continues to maintain the state of the state switching unit 110 in the on - state . also , as the display apparatus 100 enters the second power saving mode , the power supply unit 104 supplies the standby power only to a specific block ( s 609 ). the control unit 108 is driven by the standby power supplied through the power supply unit 104 to decide whether or not to release the second power saving mode . thereafter , in the second power saving mode , the control unit 108 determines whether or not a power - on command is inputted from an exterior ( s 610 ). that is , the control unit 108 determines whether or not the state of the user input unit 106 is switched to the on - state to decide whether or not to release the second power saving mode . when the state of the user input unit 106 is switched to the on - state , the control unit 108 outputs a signal for releasing the second power saving mode to control the display apparatus 100 to enter the normal operation mode . that is , the power supply unit 104 supplies the corresponding driving powers to the respective blocks constituting the display apparatus 100 according to the control signal of the control unit 108 . fig7 is a flow chart showing a method for saving power of the display apparatus . first , in an “ initial operation ” state of the display apparatus 100 , the control unit 108 determines whether or not a power - off command is inputted from an exterior ( s 701 ). that is , the control unit 108 determines whether or not the state of the user input unit ( i . e ., power switch ) 108 is switched to an off - state in the normal operation state . also , the control unit 108 may determine a case that a synchronous signal is not inputted in excess of a predetermined time period from the computer main body or a manipulation command is not inputted in excess of a predetermined time period from a user , as an off - state of the user input unit 106 . as a result of the determination ( s 701 ), when the power - off command is inputted , the control unit 108 checks whether or not an auxiliary power corresponding to a first priority exists ( s 702 ). the auxiliary power includes a first auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 , and a second auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 . the auxiliary power may further include a separate auxiliary power in addition to the first and second auxiliary powers . the use may set an auxiliary power to be used preferentially upon entering the power saving mode among the plurality of auxiliary powers . also , in the case where the auxiliary power to be used preferentially is not set , the control unit 108 may arbitrarily set the priority with respect to the plurality of auxiliary powers . as a result of the check , the control unit 108 determines whether or not an auxiliary power corresponding to the first priority exists ( s 703 ). also , as a result of the determination ( s 703 ), when the auxiliary power corresponding to the first priority does not exists , the control unit 108 checks whether or not an auxiliary power corresponding to a second priority exists ( s 704 ), and thus determines whether or not the auxiliary power corresponding to the second priority exists ( s 705 ). as a result of the determination ( s 703 ), when the auxiliary power corresponding to the first priority exists , the control unit 108 controls the display apparatus 100 to enter the first power saving mode by using the first auxiliary power corresponding to the first priority ( s 706 ). as a result of the determination ( s 705 ), when the auxiliary power corresponding to the second priority exists , the control unit 108 controls the display apparatus 100 to enter the first power saving mode by using the second auxiliary power corresponding to the second priority ( s 706 ). that is , when the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 or the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 exists , the control unit 108 transmits an off - signal to the state switching unit 110 . at this time , if the display apparatus 100 operates in the normal operation mode , the state switching unit maintains the on - state . the state switching unit 110 is turned off based on the control signal of the control unit 108 , so that the ac power is not supplied to the power supply unit 104 . that is , the state switching unit 110 cuts off the ac power supplied from an exterior to switch the power supply unit 104 to the off - state . when the display apparatus operates in the normal operation mode , the control unit 108 is driven by the power supplied from the power supply unit 104 . however , in the case where the display apparatus 100 enters the first power saving mode as above , since the power supply unit 104 is switched to the off - state , the control unit 108 is not supplied a corresponding driving power from the power supply unit 104 . accordingly , in the case where the display apparatus 100 enters the first power saving mode and the power supply unit 104 is switched to the off - state , the control unit 108 is driven by the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 to decide whether or not to release the first power saving mode . that is , in the case where the display apparatus 100 enters the first power saving mode , the control unit 108 is driven by the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 or the computer main body 200 . at this time , the control unit 108 checks the state of the user input unit 106 according to a user &# 39 ; s manipulation and decides whether or not to release the first power saving mode ( s 707 ). also , when auxiliary powers corresponding to the first and second priorities do not exist , the control unit 108 controls the display apparatus 100 to enter the second power saving mode ( s 708 ). that is , when both of the first auxiliary power and the second auxiliary power do not exist , the control unit 108 continues to maintain the state of the state switching unit 110 in the on - state . also , as the display apparatus 100 enters the second power saving mode , the power supply unit 104 supplies the standby power only to a specific block ( s 709 ). in the state that the display apparatus 100 enters the first power saving mode , the control unit 108 determines whether or not the supplied auxiliary power has been cut off ( s 710 ). that is , the control unit 108 determines whether the auxiliary power supplied from the computer main body 200 has been cut off or the auxiliary power supplied from the rechargeable battery 300 has been cut off . in other words , the control unit 108 determines whether the power of the computer main body has been cut off or the rechargeable battery 300 has been completely discharged . in the case where the auxiliary power has been cut off , the control unit 108 determines whether or not another auxiliary power except for the auxiliary power , which has been cut off , exists ( s 711 ). when the another auxiliary power exists , the control unit 108 continues to maintain the first power saving mode by using the another auxiliary power ( s 712 ). also , when the another auxiliary power does not exist , the control unit 108 controls the display apparatus to enter the operation ( s 708 ), which releases the first power saving mode and enter the second power saving mode . it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims . for example , advantageous results still could be achieved if steps of the disclosed techniques were performed in a different order and / or if components in the disclosed systems were combined in a different manner and / or replaced or supplemented by other components . accordingly , other implementations are within the scope of the following claims .

US-75557710-A

a press for the installation of inserts on thin metallic or plastic rolled sections by cold plastic deformation of the rolled sections , comprising a structure bearing a punch and an insert - bearing turret anvil arranged in a substantially axial alignment in a working position thereof , and actuator means within the structure for controlling the sliding of the punch toward the turret anvil . the turret anvil is mounted on a carriage sliding with respect to the structure between the working position , wherein the carriage is completely inserted in the structure , and a loading position , wherein the carriage protrudes therefrom . the distance between the punch and the turret anvil is sufficient to allow the interposition of the thin metallic or plastic rolled sections therebetween , without the risk of accident for the operator and making easier the press loading operations .

with reference to fig1 and 2 , overall the insert press according to the present invention has been indicated with 1 . it consists of a metallic structure formed by two flat plates 2 , or side frames , parallel therebetween , vertically trimmed and joined by a series of spacers 3 . in the upper portion of this structure , between the two flat plates 2 , a lever 4 provided with an engagement seat 17 for a transverse pin 5 is located , supported by the two plates 2 and - functioning as pivot for the lever . one end 4 a of lever 4 cooperates with a rod 6 of a piston 7 , shown in fig2 and pneumatically or hydraulically actuated in a known way not shown . in particular , between end 4 a of lever 4 and the end of rod 6 a crosstie 20 is interposed , sliding within a pair of vertical slots 21 parallel to the rod axis . thus , the excursion of end 4 a of lever 4 takes place on the crosstie , thereby avoiding any damaging of the actuator device . the other end 4 b of lever 4 cooperates with a punch 8 , slidingly placed inside a bush 9 integral to plates 2 . punch 8 has a head 8 a , onto which end 4 b of lever 4 operates , and a spring 10 is located coaxially to punch 8 between head 8 a thereof and bush 9 in order to ensure the spring back of the punch to the rest position at the end of the pressing action of lever 4 . the active end of punch 8 faces a window or notch 11 formed onto both plates 2 and a support 12 is located below window 11 between plates 2 to which it is secured by means of screws 13 . support 12 is provided with a guide 22 , inside which a rod or carriage 14 is slidingly mounted . carriage 14 bears a turret anvil 15 that , at an end - of - stroke position of carriage 14 , shown in fig3 is axially aligned to the punch 8 . this position of the carriage , when it is fully inserted between press plates 2 , corresponds to the working position of the press itself , whereas the position shown in fig4 where the carriage is fully extracted , corresponds to the press loading position . in particular , the free end of carriage 14 consists of a removable member 14 a onto which the seat housing turret anvil 15 is formed . window 11 formed onto the two plates 2 is wide enough to allow the passage of the thickness of the rolled section to be processed and the sliding of carriage 14 with relative turret anvil 15 . a second lever 23 is located behind punch 8 , straddled on lever 4 and pivoted with an end thereof to plates 2 below lever 4 . in particular , second lever 23 consists of two parallel members 24 a and 24 b located at both sides of lever 4 , connected at the respective ends thereof to a fulcrum 25 and joined by a plate 26 at the other respective ends thereof . from an intermediate position of parallel member 24 a , b two flanges 23 a extend along the sides of lever 4 , their free ends abutting on head 8 a of punch 8 . a rod 27 of an actuator 28 abuts on plate 26 , letting the lever 23 perform an angular motion sufficient to let punch 8 perform a slight sliding , with the function that will be disclosed hereinafter . actuator 28 is controlled through a switch 29 , operated by carriage 14 with an adjustable end 14 b thereof when it reaches its working position . the angular motion of lever 4 is frontally restricted by the abutment against a spacer 3 . the upper side of the press is closed by a cover 30 engaging between two plates 2 . sideways , two buttons 31 are secured to plates 2 for operating the press by a pressure exerted on at least one of them . as is also shown in fig5 turret anvil 15 has one or more eccentric recesses 16 for housing the inserts that are to be installed in the rolled sections , and is secured to carriage 14 by broaching or elastic forcing . recesses 16 are sized so as to let protrude therefrom only the insert portion ( spigot ) that is to be driven in the rolled section . turret anvil 15 can be displaced angularly within the seat formed onto the removable end 14 a to allow the positioning of the insert in the most convenient position for the installation thereof , and it is replaceable with other turret anvils provided with recesses of sizes suiting those of the inserts , and with suitable shapes for the functions that are to be carried out . support 12 is also replaceable , operating on screws 13 , with other supports differently shaped to suit different working conditions . for the same purposes , removable member 14 a of carriage 14 and punch 8 are also replaceable . advantageously , besides fulcrum seat 17 , lever 4 has other pivot seats , only one of which is shown in fig2 and indicated with 18 , aligned to corresponding seats , not shown , formed on plates 2 . by means of the fulcrum seats 17 , 18 lever 4 can be pivoted onto fulcrums of different force ratios , in order to obtain the best modulation of the forces required to install inserts of different sizes or onto different metals . when lever 4 pivots on 18 , the stroke thereof is restricted by a spacer 3 , against which the lever abuts with a projection 4 c . when instead the lever pivots on 17 , the stroke thereof is restricted by the working stroke of piston 7 . these restrictions entail a maximum stroke of punch 8 , anyhow not exceeding the maximum values foreseen by the current safety norms . prior to a machining a configuration of the machine is required by assembling support 12 for carriage 14 and the carriage itself in the shape , among the available ones , best suited to the shapes of the workpieces to be processed . after the installation of a suitable support and of the relative carriage , punches and turret anvils need to be selected for the required functions . for instance , the press can be equipped with an insert driving punch or a blanking punch with the relative turret anvil , in this case working as countermatrix , or suitable drawing , forming , riveting or clinching punches . when the press has been configured and tooled , the adjustment and optimization of the working parameters is carried out . this consists in the adjustment of the manifold pressure of the compressed air ( or other operating fluid ) and in the selection of the fulcrum of lever 4 for thrusting the punch , in order to obtain the most suitable thrust set on the punch , speed of descent and cost - effectiveness in the operating fluid consumption . now the press can be used for the selected function . assuming the selected function to be the insert installation one , considered as the main function of the press , the operator prepares for work , checking the correctness of the punch and turret anvil installation , of the lever fulcrum position , of the manifold pressure values of the operating fluid , and facing the press in the correct position . then extracts carriage 14 and loads turret anvil 15 with the selected insert . then positions the rolled section , centering the hole in which the insert is to be installed with its spigot , that protrudes from the turret anvil . holding with one hand the rolled section in an appropriate position , pushes the movable carriage into its working position , this operation being made easy by the fact that the insert drags the rolled section , as it is inserted into the turret anvil at one end and into the rolled section at the other end . when the carriage reaches the working position , second lever 23 is activated to bring the punch into abutment against the workpiece so as to exert thereon a limited pressure sufficient to lock it in the insert install position . this locking action prevents the workpiece from shifting during the punching , what might clamp the operator fingers against support 12 . now the operator , while holding the workpiece with one hand operates one of the two buttons 31 with the other hand , activating piston 7 that , through lever 4 , pushes punch 8 against the workpiece . once the action of lever 4 has ended , the punch moves upwards and the operator extracts the carriage , disengaging the rolled section from the turret anvil , that therefore becomes ready to be recharged for a new cycle . to install inserts on rolled sections of particular or complex shapes , the press according to the invention can be equipped with specific tools . for instance , rolled sections of a generically c - shaped form ( as the one shown in fig6 and indicated with p 1 ) cannot usually be machined with the above - mentioned press , because their size interferes with support 12 of carriage 14 . to machine such workpieces , the press can be equipped with the attachment shown in fig6 and 7 . substantially , it allows to move the installation spot of the insert to a level lower than support 12 . to this end , the attachment indicated with 40 comprises a body 41 engaging onto the end of carriage 14 and a slideway 42 inside which a rod 43 is slidingly mounted . the body 41 has two ends 44 engaging in corresponding seats 45 formed on both sides of support 12 in order to center rod 43 in axial alignment with punch 8 in the working position . as shown in fig7 rod 43 has a slot portion 46 with which an arm 47 engages , integral with body 41 , working as a guide and a rest . an l - shaped member 48 extends from body 41 under rod 43 working as a rest for the insert and as a bearing for the portion of rolled section onto which the insert is to be installed . an embodiment of the above - disclosed attachment particularly advantageous for its ease of disassembly is the one shown as an exploded view in fig7 in which body 41 consists of two plates 50 , between which arm 47 and l - shaped member 48 are located , the whole assembly being held together by screws , not shown . plates 50 are shaped so as to delimit , in combination with arm 47 , the slideway 42 in which rod 43 slides . in this case , the force exerted by punch 8 is discharged on arm 47 bearing on support 12 and on plates 50 engaged onto support 12 . rod 43 can freely slide inside slideway 42 and it is manually lifted to access turret anvil 48 , and then lowered again , holding it pressed on the workpiece while the carriage is pushed in the working position . to install inserts onto box - shaped workpieces , like that indicated with p 2 in fig8 it is possible to use the above disclosed attachment , suitably modified . in particular , an arm 51 bearing a turret anvil 52 of elongated shape is installed at the plates 2 of the press aligned to the punch 8 onto which the workpiece bottom is made to rest . in this case , the aforesaid attachment lacks the l - shaped member 48 , and the rod 43 is supported by a spring , not shown , so as to avoid scraping on the workpiece that is held in place on the turret anvil during the steps while the carriage moves . all the forces discharge onto support 12 . in both above - mentioned variants rod 43 works as an extension of punch 8 , i . e . punch 8 exerts the required installation pressure of the insert through this rod . the insert press according to the present invention fully attains its objects . the adoption of a movable carriage for the turret anvil enables to carry out loading steps outside of the press head , and therefore the distance between the punch and the turret anvil can be reduced until making impossible the insertion of a hand or arm therebetween . further , the loading steps are facilitated , even in presence of peculiar shapes , as they can be carried out in a free zone , far enough from the press head to allow maximum freedom of movement to the operator , and total visibility of the worksite . the possibility of mounting onto the press head punches and turret anvils destined to various uses ( installation of threaded inserts , blanking or shearing , drawing , forming , riveting and clinching ), together with the possibility of replacing the carriage support and the carriage itself , provides a high versatility to the press that , on one hand greatly increases its possible uses , allowing on the other hand the adoption of a wide range of configurations , each one meeting specific operative requirements . moreover , it is possible to easily access otherwise impracticable insertion positions . the possibility of angularly displacing the turret anvil , combined with the fact that the punch can also exert its pressure eccentrically with respect to its own axis , allows to attain the insert position which is most favorable for the positioning of the rolled section , that might even have complex shapes . finally , the operative parameters can be optimized thanks to the possibility of pivoting the thrust lever of the punch onto different spots , thereby obtaining the best ratio among maximum thrust exerted by the punch against the turret anvil , speed of descent of the punch and operating fluid consumption . variations and / or modifications may be brought to the insert press according to the present invention , without departing from the scope of the invention itself , as defined by the annexed claims .

US-80615601-A

an economical manufacturing method and structure of electrodes for lithium based electrochemical devices , such as batteries and capacitors , which method results in the electrodes having various metal foil or grid current collectors embedded in the middle of their thickness by continuous dipping of said collectors in an electrode slurry , which is then solidified . the electrodes have superior performance and low resistance , due to short electron &# 39 ; s travel to the collector , excellent adhesion of the electrode material to the grid , and uniform thickness at unlimited width . the method also includes additional steps and treatments to produce high quality electrodes .

when referring to the preferred embodiments , certain terminology will be utilized for the sake of clarity . use of such terminology is intended to encompass not only the described embodiment , but also all technical equivalents which operate and function in substantially the same way to bring about the same results . lithium based electrochemical devices and for example lithium - ion - polymer prismatic battery cell usually comprises , two flat electrodes , each with metal foil current collectors on the outside , and a polymer electrolyte separator between the electrodes . the separator is in the polymer type cell welded or adhesively joined to both electrodes and holds the cell together . the electrodes are usually manufactured by reverse roll horizontal coating on solid metal foils , or by casting on release film and then pressing onto metal grid current collectors . the releasers films are then peeled off . the present invention employs a different and simpler method for manufacturing of the electrodes , which method results in an improved electrode structure with many advantages . referring now in more detail , particularly to the drawings of this patent and fig1 one embodiment of this invention utilizes a simple vertical dip - coating method of the electrode active materials directly on the metal grids , or expanded foils , or perforated foils , or solid foils by the dip - coating machine , which may be well known in principle , but modified dip - coater for production of composite printed circuit boards . for example , the coater 1 includes base 2 , which has attached to it feed spool support 3 with spool 4 . the spool 4 may have wound on it a length of metal grid 5 having a desirable width , and this grid length is fed into nip rollers sa , driven by variable speed motor 5 b , mounted on support 5 c , and then the grid 5 travels through the dip - tank 6 over the rollers 7 and 8 , which are supported by rack 9 a . motor 5 b controls the speed of the grid 5 . the dip - tank 6 contains an electrode slurry 9 , which may include an active electrode material , such as a lithiated oxide or graphite powder , or mesocarbon microbeads ( mcmb ), a carbon black , such as super - p ( eurachem , belgium ), a polymer binder , such as polyvinyldiene fluoride ( pvdf ) homopolymer , and a solvent and preferably , a mixture of at of at least two solvents , such as acetone ( ac ) and n - methylpyrrolidinone ( nmp ). other solvents may be tetrahydrafuran ( thf ) and dimethylformamide ( dmf ). for example , the nmp dissolves the pvdf homopolymer and the amount of ac controls the viscosity of the slurry . the pvdf homopolymer binder maler possible higher loading of electrodes with active materials , because less of this binder is needed , as opposed to prior art pvdf copolymer . other components can be added into the slurry . the slurry 9 may be replenished from the tank 10 by opening the valve 11 , which may be automated . both tanks 6 and 10 should have the slurry continuously mixed by pump 13 and mixer 12 to prevent the settling of particles . preferably , there should be no plasticizers present in the slurry . the grid length 5 is then pulled vertically upward over the roller 8 and through solidification chamber 15 , which may be an infrared heat dryer with an air flow through it to remove the solvents by blowers 15 a . the slurry coating on the grid 5 may be solidified by the solvent evaporation and especially by acetone evaporation , but other solidification methods are possible , like uv or electron beam radiation curing , cross - linking etc . the solvent evaporation is preferred . the nmp may be then dried out by increased heat , for example , from hot air blowers 16 and 16 a . the grid coating must be solidified , at least on the surface , before touching the roller 14 . the grid may be then optionally pulled over the roller 14 downward through an optional dryer 17 with blower ( s ) 17 a and under roller 18 . additional heat may be then applied for example , by additional hot air blowers ( not shown ), before the coated grid , or now the electrode length 19 may be wound onto spool 20 , which is driven by an adjustable but constant speed overdrive motor 20 , with slip clutch 21 a , to keep the grid 5 in tension . the spool 20 , motor 21 and clutch 21 a are mounted on the support 22 . the support 22 is also attached to the base 2 . all electrical components may be connected to control box 22 b . it should be noted that this vertical dip - coating is made possible by using a mixture of at least two solvents , and then by faster , but gentle evaporation of at least one lighter solvent , as not to create blisters , and by subsequent removal of the remaining solvents by additional heating . the solidification of the coating 22 a makes it to adhere to the grid 5 , and because the grid 5 is embedded in the middle of the coating , it is a very beneficial electrode structure for less electrical resistance , due to shorter electron &# 39 ; s travel distance to the collectors through the thickness of the electrode . this method provides superior conductivity as compared to prior art embedding of the grid by pressing two layers of electrode films on it . because the grid is porous , it also permits a good access to the active material on both sides of the grid . the thickness of the coating is controlled by the viscosity of the slurry and by the speed of the grid being pulled through the slurry . various grid opening sizes and / or flattening of the grid also effects the “ pick - up ” and thickness . the solid metal foil may be useful as a current collector in the middle of bi - cells , or bi - polar capacitors . example of cathode electrode slurry mix by % ( percent ) range of weight is : lithiated cobalt oxide 24 to 37 % carbon black 1 . 6 to 8 % pvdf homopolymer 1 . 6 to 8 % nmp 6 to 18 % acetone 42 to 54 % example of cathode thickness range is : 3 to 16 mils +/− 2 % to 5 %, after solidification example of anode electrode slurry mix by % ( percent ) range of weight is : mcmb 24 to 37 % carbon black 1 . 0 to 5 % pvdf homopolymer 1 . 6 to 8 % mnp 11 to 23 % acetone 42 to 54 % example of anode thickness range is : 3 - 10 mils +/− 2 % to 5 %, after solidification example of the range of the speed of the grid carrier through the dip tank is : 3 - 7 feet / min . for both electrodes . the preferred grid for lithium - ion cells is 1 . 5 mil thick , with diamond shaped openings size 0 . 031 inch , such as manufactured by delker corp ., branford , conn . this dip - coating method also provides for uniform thickness of the coating at unlimited width , and length . this method makes thus possible the manufacture of large cells . this coating method is also applicable for manufacturing of electrodes for lithium polymer cells , prismatic liquid electrolyte lithium ion cells , or rolled liquid electrolyte lithium ion cells , hybrid lithium ion cells , lithium metal primary cells , and various capacitors like super capacitors , double layer capacitors , ultracapacitors , and many other electrochemical devices . the entire coater maybe also enclosed in a dry inert atmosphere box ( not shown ). it has been also found that the successful coating of the grid , or various foils , having low electrode resistance , also depends on the treatment , or priming of the grid , or foil , prior to the coating with the active materials . it is assumed that the grids or foils are clean of oils or dirt , prior to the priming . the grid , or foils , for cathode of lithium ion , or lithium ion - polymer cells is usually of aluminum metal , and the grid , or foil , for anode is usually of copper metal . the aluminum grid &# 39 ; s preferred treatment may be preferably done by dip - coating in a water based primer , such as the one comprising a solution of lithium - polysilicate and carbon black in destined water . the carbon black makes it electrically conductive . the water is evaporated by heating above 100 ° c . in air , and optionally later by vacuum drying . the water based primer does not dissolve in the slurry solvents later . the copper or other metal grid &# 39 ; s preferred treatment may be done by simple dip - coating in 1 % to 5 % solution of pvdf homopolymer in a mixture of acetone and n - methylpyrrolidinone . a carbon black should be also added . after the acetone evaporation , the grid may be baked in the range of 220 c to 300 ° c . for 2 sec . to 2 minutes in air , to remove the nmp , and later the grid may be vacuum dried . this treatment also does not wash - off by the slurry solvents later . example of the preferred aluminum grid primer mix by % ( percent ) weight range is : lithium polysilicate 4 to 8 % carbon black 0 . 5 to 2 % destilled h 2 o 90 to 95 . 5 % example of the preferred copper grid primer mix by % ( percent ) weight range is : pvdf homopolymer 1 to 5 % carbon black 0 . 3 to 1 . 5 % nmp 10 to 3o % acetone 63 . 5 to 88 . 7 % both primer grid treatments may be done by the similar dip - coater machine as for the electrode &# 39 ; s active material coating , as shown in fig1 except the slurry 9 is replaced by the primer solution 39 , as shown in fig7 . however , for the water based aluminum grid primer , the coater may be modified as follows : because the water based mixture tends to run - off fast , the aluminum grid length exiting from the dip - coating tank 6 , should be immediately , after the exit from the solution , bent 90 ° over a roller 43 and may be horizontally pulled onto the spool 20 , by - passing thus the top roller 14 . instead of the dryers 15 and 17 , for example two hot air guns 40 and 41 on top and bottom of the grid may be applied , immediately after the 90 ° bend , to quickly evaporate the water and to dry the primer . this is another embodiment of the invention . referring now to fig2 and 3 , another embodiment of this invention is illustrated . it was found , that the grids or various foils to be ultrasonically or otherwise welded , or electroconductively attached later in the cells can be masked in the intended weld / attachment area 23 by solvent resistant adhesive tapes 24 , which are not too adhesive , so that they can be easily peeled - off after the coating , without destroying the foil or grid . the masking tapes prevent the primer and electrode coating 22 a application on the grid ( or various foils ) 5 in the area of the intended weld / attachment , referred to also as the terminal tab 23 a . the uncoated strips 23 may be optionally notched at lines 29 to create the terminal tabs 23 a . the tapes 24 should be removed preferably before the cutting of the electrode leafs 25 from the coated electrode length 19 at the lines 26 , 26 a , 26 b , and 27 , and before notching at the lines 29 . an example of the masking tape is the brown plastic ( polypropylene ) postal shipping tape . the leafs 25 may be also cut in one step by a well known die cutter . another embodiment of this invention is the finding that the grids or various foils can be also cleaned after the coating without the tapes 24 in the intended area of the weld 23 , or terminal tab 23 a , and that the electrode material coatings 22 a can be thus removed by sand blasting or buffing and vacuuming out the loose particles , while using a template shield ( not shown ) to protect the active area coating 28 , ( shaded area ) of the electrode length 19 . the length of coated electrode 19 may be simply pulled twice from the spool 20 through a sand blasting or buffing machine 32 , as shown in fig6 creating for example uncoated ( cleaned ) strips 23 at the both sides of the electrode length 19 . the strips 23 may be later optionally similarly notched at lines 29 to create terminal tabs 23 a . for example , the machine 32 may have a pressurized air 33 sucking sand 34 directed through nozzles 33 onto the electrode length 19 . the sand maybe then vacuumed out by a well known vacuum system &# 39 ; s hose 35 . similarly , the buffing wheel 36 loosens the coating 22 a , which may be then removed by vacuum hose 35 a . the electrode length 19 may be flipped up side down between the pullings , in order to clean its both sides . the cleaned length 19 is wound onto spool 20 a and may be supported by table 38 . referring now to fig4 and 5 , where the resulting electrode leaf 25 and its structure is illustrated , which is another embodiment of the invention . for example , the electrode leaf 25 may comprise the grid , or expanded foil , or perforated foil 30 which is cut to size from the grid length 5 , which is embedded in the active material coating 31 , as shown in fig5 . the coating 31 is cut to size from the coating 22 a . notching the clean ( uncoated ) area of the grid results in terminal tab 23 a , which may be later welded to another cell &# 39 ; s terminal tab , for example when stacks of the cells are assembled , ( not shown ). the electrode leaf 25 should be also consolidated or compressed under heat and pressure to increase its density , before assembly into a cell . this step may be also done before the cutting of the electrode length 19 into the leafs 25 , by a well known calendering machine . it should , of course be understood that the description and the drawings herein are merely illustrative and it will be apparent that various modifications , combinations and changes can be made of the structures and the systems disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention and from the scope of the appended claims . it will thus be seen that a more economical and reliable method for lithium based electrochemical devices &# 39 ; electrodes manufacturing , and an improved electrode structure has been provided with which the objects of the invention are achieved .

US-91103601-A

a process for producing a polyether carbonate surface active material having hydrocarbon residue at terminal thereof in an efficient manner , wherein an active hydrogen - containing compound which has a hydrocarbon residue containing 4 or more of carbon atoms and a five - membered ring carbonic acid ester are telomerized in the presence of an ate - complex of a metal of group ii , iii or iv of the periodic table having at least two alkoxy groups .

the present invention will be particularly described by way of examples , which should not be construed as limitations of the invention . a glass flask was equipped with an agitator , a nitrogen - charging tube and a condenser having an exhaustion tube and then the air in the inside of the flask was substituted with dry nitrogen . one part ( by weight ) of n - octanol and ethylene carbonate in an amount of 10 times by mol of the n - octanol were introduced into the flask , to which was further added 3 mol % of sodium pentamethoxystannate as a catalyst , followed by reaction at 150 ° c . for 5 hours . during the reaction , co 2 gas was generated in an amount corresponding to about 50 % by mol of the employed ethylene carbonate . as a result , a compound ( 3a ) represented by c 8 h 17 o ( cooc 2 h 4 och 2 ch 2 o ) m h ( in which m is a value of 5 in average ) was quantitatively obtained . when analyzed by an infrared absorption spectrum technique , the compound ( 3a ) showed absorptions by carbonyl at 1745 cm - 1 and by ether at 1250 cm - 1 , respectively . the h - nmr spectrum revealed that it showed two kinds of triple lines of methyl group at 0 . 90 ppm , methylene group of octyl group at 1 . 3 ppm or ch 2 o group ( a ) at 3 . 61 ppm , and ch 2 oco group ( b ) at 4 . 23 ppm . further , when the compound ( 3a ) was subjected to an adsorption liquid chromatographic separation using a silica gel - carrying column - dichloromethane developer , unreacted octanol was not isolated , from which it was confirmed that the octanol employed was joined to terminals of the polymer . when a terminal hydroxy group value was measured by a pyridien - acetic anhydride method , a value corresponding to the molecular weight of the above compound ( 3a ) was obtained . from the areas of the ch 2 o group ( a ) and the ch 2 oco group ( b ) was calculated a ratio of a structure of the carbonic acid ester to a structure of the ether ( decarboxylated ester structure ), 100 i /( i + j ) ( hereinafter referred to as co 3 fixing ratio , this value being 50 in an ideal condition where i = j = l ), revealing that such value was 49 %. then , the above compound ( 3a ) was heated and hydrolyzed with a dilute alkali solution , neutralized with an acid , and extracted with ether . as a result , diethylene glycol was isolated and identified in an amount corresponding to 80 % of diethylene glycol expected to be produced on hydrolysis of the compound ( 3a ). when tetraethoxystanate sn ( oc 2 h 5 ) 4 which was neutrally charged was used a catalyst to conduct the reaction at 150 ° c . for 20 hours , only 68 % of the starting material took part in the reaction and the co 3 ratio by % was lowered to 45 %, from which it was found that nasn ( oc 2 h 5 ) 5 was more effective . from these facts , the product was proved to be the compound ( 3a ). dilute aqueous solutions of these compounds were prepared , from which insoluble matters were removed . the aqueous solution of the compound ( 3a ) ( concentration : 0 . 2 wt %) had a surface tension ( 40 ° c .) of 45 dyne / cm . the concentration was varied to obtain a concentration - surface tension curve , from which a critical micelle concentration was determined to be about 0 . 1 %. when the reaction was conducted at 150 ° c . for 20 hours in the absence of an active hydrogen - containing compound in the same manner as in the above example , the yield of the polymer was below 70 % and the reaction velocity was low . in addition , the produced polymer showed no surface activity . example 1 was repeated using , instead of octanol , n - butanol or n - dodecanol , thereby obtaining a polyether carbonate telomer corresponding to the general formula [ 3 ] where r is c 4 h 9 or c 12 h 25 . the surface tensions of 0 . 3 % aqueous solution of these telomers at 40 ° c . were found to be 40 and 46 dyne / cm , respectively . example 1 was repeated using ethylene carbonate amounts of 5 and 20 times by mol . the molecular weights of the resulting telomers corresponded to m = 2 . 5 and 10 , respectively . the surface tensions of solutions of these telomers were 45 ± 2 dyne / cm in both cases . when the amounts of the catalyst nasn ( och 3 ) 5 were changed to levels of 3 , 4 or 10 %, the yield of the telomer was not changed . the polymerization of 100 ° c . and 10 hours resulted in a yield of below 10 % and with a polymerization of 200 ° c . and 2 hours , the co 3 ratio by % was as low as 15 %. example 1 was repeated except that an autoclave was used as a polymerization apparatus , the catalyst used was nazn ( och 3 ) 3 obtained by mixing zncl 2 and naoch 3 , and the reaction is conducted in an atmosphere of ethylene oxide under a pressure of 5 kg / cm 2 , with the results that the co 3 ratio by % was 34 %. this reveals that the obtained polymer has a structure of the general formula [ 3 ] where i = 1 and j = 2 . the surface tension of a 0 . 2 % aqueous solution of the product was 38 dyne / cm . example 1 was repeated using octylamine and octanoic acid as the active hydrogen - containing compound , thereby obtaining corresponding telomers almost quantitatively , respectively . the surface tension of these telomers in the form of a 0 . 3 % aqueous solution were , respectively , 31 and 37 dyne / cm . several catalysts were provided including sodium boron hydride ( converted into nab ( or ) 4 ate - catalyst by reaction with an alcohol during polymerization ), a mixture of equimolar amounts of trimethyl borate and sodium methoxide ( from which nab ( och 3 ) 4 is produced ), aluminum chloride and 4 times by mole of sodium methoxide , a mixture of stannous chloride or stannic chloride and an excess of sodium isopropoxide ( 1 : 5 ), an equimolar mixture of tributyltinmonomethoxide and potassium methoxide ( from which k ( c 4 h 9 ) 2 sn ( och 3 ) 2 was produced ), dibutyltin bis diethylamide and an equimolar amount of lithium methoxide , and dibutyltin oxide and two times by mol of sodium ethoxide being heated to give an ate - catalyst . then , octanol and 10 times by mol of ethylene carbonate were heated at 150 ° c . for 10 hours by using 3 % of each catalyst to obtain a corresponding polyether carbonate at a yield of 98 % in case of sodium boron hydride , 85 % for an equimolar mixture of trimethyl borate and sodium methoxide , 63 % for aluminum chloride and 4 times by mol of sodium methoxide , 75 or 88 % for a mixture of stannous chloride or stannic chloride and an excess of sodium isopropoxide , 92 % for an equimolar mixture of tributyltin monomethoxide and potassium methoxide , 92 % for dibutyltin bisdiethylamide and an equimolar amount of lithium methoxide , or 86 % for dibutyltin oxide and sodium ethoxide . an aqueous solution of each product had a surface tension of below 40 dyne / cm . to an alcohol represented by c 4 h 9 o ( c 2 h 4 o ) 2 h was added 4 times by mol of 1 , 2 - propylene carbonate , to which was further added 3 mol % of a sodium tetramethoxy borate catalyst or a catalyst composed of a combination of dimethylgermyl dichloride and 3 times by mol of sodium methoxide , followed by heating at 150 ° c . for 10 hours to obtain polyether carbonate telomers at yields of 93 % and 75 %, respectively . the surface tensions of 0 . 5 % aqueous solutions of the products were below 40 dyne / cm . one part of a sugar ester of octanoic acid , 10 parts of dimethylformamide and 3 parts of ethylene carbonate were mixed , to which was added 4 mol % of sodium tetramethoxy borate , followed by heating at 140 ° c . for 5 hours to obtain a polyether telomer at a yield of 87 %. the surface tension of a 0 . 1 % aqueous solution of the telomer was 33 dyne / cm . five moles of ethylene oxide was addition reacted with butanol by a usual manner to obtain an alcohol with an average composition of c 4 h 9 ( oc 2 h 4 ) 5 oh , to which was added 4 times by mol of isobutylene carbonate 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylene carbonate ), followed by polymerizing at 155 ° c . for 8 hours by the use of 2 mol % of sodium tetramethoxy borate as a catalyst thereby obtaining a corresponding polyether carbonate telomer at a yield of 90 %. the surface tension of 0 . 1 % aqueous solution of the telomer was 37 dyne / cm . to dodecanol was added 5 times by mol of ethylene carbonate , followed by heating in an atmosphere of argon at 140 ° c . for 24 hours by the use of 3 % sodium pentamethoxy stannate as a catalyst . unreacted ethylene carbonate was recovered under a reduced pressure of 0 . 1 mmhg to obtain 86 % of a corresponding polyether carbonate telomer . this telomer had a rather low co 3 ratio of 39 % and about 25 % of water - insoluble matters were contained . the surface tension of a 0 . 2 % aqueous solution of the telomer from which the insoluble matters had been removed was 45 dyne / cm . in the case when the ph was adjusted to 4 . 6 , the surface tension was held unchanged even when the solution was allowed to stand at 40 ° c . for 200 hours while keeping the surface activity at a level . in contrast , the surface tension was lowered substantially to the same level as of water in an ammonium hydroxide - ammonium chloride aqueous solution with a loss of the surface activity .

US-19141180-A

a method of surface coating a metallic object , including removing substantially all of the existing silver sulfide tarnish if present , ultrasonically cleaning the object with immersion in a solvent , uniformly dispersing selected nanoparticles over the surface of the object by sonicating the object in an ultrasonic bath containing the selected nanoparticles . the invention further includes quickly rinsing the object with solvent upon removal from the ultrasonic bath to inhibit formation of large agglomerates , drying the object with a flow of gas , optically inspecting the object for the presence of agglomeration and applying a barrier layer conformal coating and a protective layer conformal coating .

the invention described here provides a robust process for producing a bio - compatible tarnish prevention treatment for functional and decorative articles of silver and silver alloys including but not limited to other metals such as copper , copper alloys and brass that are also prone to tarnish . additionally , the invention described here provides robust processes for converting the appearance of silver , silver alloys , other metals such as brass , cobalt , or plated metals having rhodium or silver platings to the appearance of fine carat gold , rose gold , purple gold etc . without the use of gold . additionally , the invention described here provides a method for transforming the appearance of silver , silver alloys , other metals such as brass , cobalt , plated metals etc ., to achieve the look of fine rhodium platings without the use of rhodium . additionally , the invention described here can be used for providing a special appearance to metal jewelry such as the look of antique gold . filigree gold jewelry is typically very delicate due the requirement for using 22k or higher gold to create the filigree . generally , filigree gold jewelry tends to have low wear resistance . further , the invention described here can be used to provide improvement in the surface hardness of metallic objects that has application in areas such as filigree gold jewelry . the invention also includes processes to prevent tarnish in functional as well as decorative articles of silver and silver alloys , pure silver foils used in specialty jewelry making such as “ kundan ” as well as a process to directly deposit silver onto jewelry components that are used in “ kundan ” jewelry making and rendering the silver film that is deposited to have anti - tarnish properties . the process described below provides a step - by - step method for rendering a silver object , such as a decorative silver piece , silver / silver alloy jewelry or silverware used as utensil for serving and eating of food , with a long lasting anti - tarnish property . referring to fig2 , in one embodiment , the method includes , at reference numeral 20 : removing substantially all pre - existing tarnish from the silver article , for example , by using a commercial chemical tarnish remover such as “ silver quick ”, hagerty &# 39 ; s silver dip or any other such chemical agents that reverse the silver sulfide reaction . the removal method uses a chemical reaction to convert the silver sulfide back to silver . many metals ( x ) in addition to silver form compounds with sulfur . some of them have a greater affinity for sulfur than silver does . at 22 , the silver article is prepared by subjecting it to a thorough solvent based ultrasonic cleaning process to ensure that the surface is free of organic residues or contamination . referring to fig3 , at 24 , the next step of the method &# 39 ; s anti - tarnish treatment involves the use of nano - particles such as nano - silver particles , nano - diamond particles or nano - platinum particles which are dispersed uniformly over the silver article 24 a . silica nano - particles , corundum nano - particles and others may also be utilized . this pre - treatment step improves the adhesion and scratch resistance of the film deposited in the further steps of the process . according to an example method , nano - particles are dispersed in a solvent or water medium and a monolayer of the nano - particles are dispersed over the silver article by immersion of the silver article into the slurry containing the nano - particles under the influence of an ultrasonic bath . 24 b . sonication is performed in a regular sonic bath for a duration that can be optimized by experimentation based upon the silver substrate &# 39 ; s geometry and size . the duration of sonication is derived experimentally by performing the sonication of the silver article to be coated with a dispersion of nano - particles for various durations and examining the resulting layer for uniformity and density of coverage using an analytical technique such as scanning electron microscopy . a ultrasonic bath is a piece of industrial or laboratory equipment that consists of a container , or bath , used for cleaning , or mixing things inserted into the bath , by sending ultrasonic vibrations through the liquid in the bath . there are several commercially available ultrasonic bath systems which operate as various ultrasound frequencies ( 15 - 400 khz ). at 26 , the silver article is removed from the slurry and quickly rinsed with a solvent to prevent the formation of large agglomerates . at 28 , the silver article is dried with nitrogen and optical inspection 30 is performed to check for agglomeration that shows up as dark residues . the silver article with a uniform dispersion of nano - particles is ready for the next step in the anti - tarnish treatment . referring to fig4 , in one embodiment of the invention , at 32 , the next step involves applying a barrier layer conformal coating , for example , coating the silver object conformally with thin films of aluminum oxide and titanium oxide ( 32 a ). at 32 b , various other oxides or combinations of oxide stacks may be applied . combinations of metal , metal alloys , metal compounds ( including but not limited to nitrides , oxides , oxynitrides and carbides ) in stacks may be used . combinations of organic / inorganic complex compounds may also be used . the metals , alloys and metal compounds can be chosen to include metals that show a higher affinity to sulfur than silver . at 32 c , conformal coatings of multilayer compounds may be applied by using various vapor - based or liquid immersion techniques such as atomic layer deposition ( ald ) techniques , plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition techniques ( pa - cvd ), physical vapor deposition techniques ( pvd ), sol - gel techniques ( dip , spray , spin coating methods ). according to one embodiment , the thin films of multi - layer compounds are applied at a thickness between 70 nm to 500 nm to minimize a change in optical appearance of the silver article . referring to fig2 and 5 , after conformal multi - layer oxides treatment , the silver article or other metallic article is ready for the next step in the inventive anti - tarnish treatment , at 34 , applying a protective layer conformal coating . a next step involves the conformal coating of the silver object with a protection layer that is organic in nature or that is inorganic in nature . the protective layer conformal coating provides a barrier to separate the multi - oxide layer from exposure to damage from mechanical wear and tear , chemicals , environment and moisture . in one embodiment of the invention , referring to fig5 , at 34 a , a polymer such as parylene 34 b is conformally coated over the multilayer oxide layer . the thickness of the polymer layer is chosen to maintain good optical clarity , minimal change in color appearance and good adhesion to the inorganic layer below it 34 c . in one example embodiment , the range of thickness for parylene conformal coating is between about 3 - 20 microns . parylene or its variants demonstrates good thermal stability up to 290c , excellent crevice penetration , and low coefficient of friction in addition to its excellent barrier properties . the process for deposition of parylene is known and is typically done by vaporization of a dimer in vacuum followed by heating the dimerized gas and pyrolizing to cleave the dimer to monomeric form followed by deposition of the monomer at room temperature as a transparent polymer film 34 d . in another embodiment of the invention , the silver object with thin multilayer oxides applied is further protected by an inorganic sol gel coating or an organic - inorganic sol gel coating 34 e . sol - gel processing designates a solid materials synthesis procedure , performed in a liquid and at low temperature ( typically t & lt ; 100 c ). the physics and chemistry involved in sol - gel synthesis has been detailed in many reviewed papers as well as in books [ 10 , 11 ]. the choice of the sol gel chemistry is dependent on the optical properties and annealing temperature of the resulting film . in one embodiment , a titanium dioxide solgel is coated conformally by a dip coating process using a tetraisopropyl - orthotitanate solution and ethanol as a solvent . other example inorganic sol gel coatings include silica and alumina coatings . hybrid coatings based on a combination of nanoparticles and solgel to create durable transparent protective film can also be used . one example of such a coating is the use of boehmite nanoparticles in a silane dispersant . the process below provides a step - by - step method for imparting tarnish resisting properties to thin films of silver that are deposited on various substrates to impart a functional or decorative property . in one embodiment of the invention , the process is applied for the manufacture of kundan jewelry in two different ways . as discussed above , kundan jewelry manufacturing involves the use of silver foil that is cut into shapes and used as a reflective material placed behind the cut glass pieces or rough cut diamonds that are a key component of this jewelry style . the silver foil can be anti - tarnish treated using the procedure above which provides the foil with a conformal anti - tarnish property . the foil can be cut into the desired shapes during the kundan jewelry manufacturing . the cut glass pieces or rough cut diamond pieces are thoroughly cleaned by using a combination of solvent cleaning steps in a sonication bath . for example , the solvents acetone and isopropyl alcohol may be used . the cleaned pieces are placed on holders with the flat side exposed . a thin film of pure silver is deposited on the exposed surface using a vapor coating process such as magnetron sputter deposition , evaporation or ion - assisted deposition ( iad ). the silver coated pieces are thereafter treated as discussed above in which the nanoparticle dispersion is optional . in another embodiment of the invention , the deposition of the highly reflective silver layer can be in combination with a high index film such as titanium oxide using multilayer deposition chemistry in the vapor coating process . the multilayer coating chemistry composed of a first layer of silver and a second layer of a high index oxide film results in the formation of a colored reflective surface and has application in the development of colored kundan cut glass . the resulting colored kundan cut glass has anti - tarnishing properties by virtue of the second coating layer deposited over the highly reflective silver layer . referring to fig6 , in another embodiment , the thin films of multilayer compounds that are deposited on the surfaces of the nanoparticle dispersed silver object are tailored to produce a specific appearance such as gold , rose gold , colored gold , rhodium or other fancy colors . the thickness and composition of the thin film treatment are varied to achieve the exact color appearance desired . the invention includes a combination process where the gold color is achieved . first , a thin film multilayer stack of oxides / nitrides / oxynitrides is applied 32 b . this layer is the first barrier to tarnishing of silver . second , an organic / inorganic complex of sol gel with compounds that will provide the final color appearance of gold is applied 34 . the thickness of the first multilayer stack of oxide / nitride / oxynitrides allows some color development as compared to the treatment disclosed herein where silver is anti - tarnish clear treated . the second protection step 34 using sol gel or parylene is also modified to allow color development . if the substrate is silver or a silver alloy , cleaning and tarnish removal is performed as discussed above 20 . the article is then prepared by a thorough solvent based ultrasonic cleaning process to ensure that the surface is free of organic residues or contamination 22 . the disclosed treatment can also be applied to non - silver based objects , in which case the step of removing existing tarnish may not be required . an example is the transformation of brass articles or jewelry to the appearance of fine carat gold using the process described here . another example of changing the appearance of a decorative object is to use the process described here on gold or gold plated jewelry to produce a look of antique gold . in another embodiment , the surface of a metallic article such as delicate filigree gold jewelry is subjected to the above described process involving nano - particle dispersion . the nano particles may include nano - diamond or corundum nano - particles and may be followed by a thin film treatment composed of oxide or nitrides or oxynitrides of metals or alloys including but not limited to titanium or titanium - aluminum materials . according to an example embodiment , a combination process is employed . the gold color is achieved through modification of the above described anti - tarnish process . first the thin film multilayer stack of oxides / nitrides / oxynitrides is made thicker . second , the organic / inorganic complex of sol gel is modified with compounds that provide the final color appearance of gold . the thickness of the first multilayer stack of oxide / nitride / oxynitrides is such as to allow some color development as opposed to the above described silver anti - tarnish clear treatment . the second protection step using sol gel or parylene is also modified to allow color development . generally , to achieve the gold appearance , the multilayer stack includes but is not limited to aluminum oxide , aluminum oxide / titanium dioxide stack , aluminum oxide / silica stack , aluminum oxide / silicon nitride or oxynitride stack . after conformal multi - layer oxides treatment , the article is ready for the next step in creating a gold appearance . the next step involves the conformal coating of the substrate object with a protection layer . in one embodiment of the invention silver nanoparticles in porous silica are added to the sol gel to contribute to the appearance of gold . in one embodiment of the invention , a polymer such as parylene is conformally coated over the multilayer oxide layer to a range of thickness between about 3 - 20 microns . in another embodiment of the invention , the object that has been conformally coated with thin multilayer oxides is further protected by an inorganic sol gel coating or an organic - inorganic sol gel coating as discussed above . all pre - existing tarnish is removed from a silver substrate by procedures discussed above 20 . the silver article is prepared by solvent based ultrasonic cleaning process to ensure that the surface is free of organic residues or contamination 22 . nanoparticles are dispersed onto the surface of the silver article as discussed above . the nanoparticles are selected from nano - silver particles , nano - diamond particles , nano - platinum particles , silica nano - particles and corundum nano - particles . the nano - particles are dispersed uniformly over the silver article 24 . according to the method , nano - particles are typically dispersed in a solvent or water medium and a monolayer of the nano - particles can be dispersed over the silver article by immersion of the silver article into the slurry containing the nano - particles under the influence of an ultrasonic bath . sonication is performed in a regular sonic bath for a duration that can be optimized by experimentation based upon the substrate &# 39 ; s geometry and size . the duration of the sonication is derived experimentally by performing the sonication of the silver article to be coated with a dispersion of nano - particles for various durations and examining the resulting for uniformity and density of coverage using an analytical technique such as scanning electron microscopy . the article is removed from the slurry and quickly rinsed with a solvent to prevent the formation of large agglomerates 26 . the silver article is dried with nitrogen 28 and optical inspection is performed to check for agglomeration that shows up as dark residues 30 . next , a layer of aluminum oxide is deposited 32 using iad ( ion assisted deposition ) or ald ( atomic layer deposition ) to thickness at least 70 nm . next , a layer of porous silica embedded with silver nano particles is deposited 34 f . this layer is deposited with silver nano particles in the size range 20 - 50 nm 34 g using sol - gel synthesis . in this example 34 h tetraethylorthosilicate ( teso ) and polyacrylic acid ( paa ) in acid media are used as synthesis materials in which are dispersed the silver nano - particles . last , the silver article is annealed in an n2 - h2 reducing atmosphere at 450 c 34 i . it is expected that the creation of other colors can be achieved by using other types of nano particles in the silica sol gel layer . for example , it is expected that the appearance of pink gold can be created using erbium nano particles 34 j . the invention also includes an object including the layers created by the various treatments disclosed in this application . the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit of the essential attributes thereof , therefore , the illustrated embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , reference being made to the appended claims rather than to the forgoing description to indicate the scope of the invention . 1 . l . gal - or , 4th santa fe symposium on jewelry manufacturing technology ( 1990 ), p . 19 . 2 . h . royal , 4th santa fe symposium on jewelry manufacturing technology ( 1990 ). p . 37 . 5 . e . w . salmon , 12th santa fe symposium on jewelry manufacturing technology ( 1998 ), p . 363 . 6 . ullman &# 39 ; s encyclopedia of industrial chemistry , v . a24 ( 1993 ), p . 148 . 8 . protective coating of silver , makela , milja et al ., us patent appl . 20090004386 9 . brinker , c . j . ; scherer , g . w . sol - gel science . the physics and chemistry of sol - gel processing , academic press , new york , 1990 . 10 . pierre , a . c . introduction to sol - gel processing , kluwer , boston , 1998 .

US-201113041988-A

in the case of forming a single - layered or multilayered compound semiconductor film such as a gaas thin film for a semiconductor laser , an el light - emission element and the like in a molecular beam epitaxis method , a vacuum deposition method or a sputtering method , the method of the invention is to prevent the compounds from deteriorating and decomposing by making activated hydrogen coexist therein .

as the method for forming a compound semiconductor thin film in this invention , the molecular beam epitaxis method , vacuum deposition method , sputtering method , and the like , may be used , and as the way of letting activated hydrogen be present inside the deposition chamber in the above methods , various modes thereof may be used . for example , there may be used , as the activated hydrogen producing source , a hydrogen discharge tube as described in japanese patent publication open to public inspection ( hereinafter called japanese pat . o . p . i . publication ) no . 78414 / 1981 , which we had earlier proposed , a rf gas discharger ( rf ion gun ) as described in japanese patent o . p . i . publication no . 70522 / 1983 , a magnetron - type gas discharger ( dc ion gun ) as described in japanese patent o . p . i . publication no . 112045 / 1983 , and the like . any of these can be provided in or outside the chamber , so as to preferably direct the activated hydrogen into the chamber toward the surface of a substrate . alternatively , such a thermoelectron generator as described in japanese patent application no . 89287 / 1982 may be used to generate thermoelectron , and the thermoelectron is emitted to irradiate the surface of a substrate in the presence of hydrogen gas to thereby activate the hydrogen gas . in the case of forming a thin film in accordance with the method of the present invention , the amount of activated hydrogen or hydrogen to be activated introduced into the chamber is very important for accomplishing the object of the present invention , and the amount introduced , when the exhausting speed of the exhaust system is from 100 liters / min . to 10 , 000 liters / min ., should be in a hydrogen flow of from 5 ml / min . to 500 ml / min ., and preferably from 10 ml / min . to 200 ml / min . when the flow is less than 5 ml / min ., the contaminents are not removed sufficiently , and it is difficult to form a compound semiconductor having good quality , and when the flow is more than 500 ml , the lattice defects of the semiconductor crystal increase , resulting in the deterioration of the crystallinity . in addition , the vacuum deposition method utilized in the present invention includes the rf ion plating method as described in japanese patent o . p . i . publication no . 162275 / 1980 , which we had earlier proposed , the dc ion plating method as described in japanese patent o . p . i . publication no . 13776 / 1981 , the vacuum deposition method as described in japanese patent o . p . i . publication no . 78413 / 1981 , the deposition method as described in japanese patent publication open to public inspection no . 104477 / 1981 , and the like . as the sputtering method , ordinary sputtering apparatus or magnetron sputtering apparatus as described in japanese patent o . p . i . publication no . 55328 / 1983 , and the like , may be used . the molecular beam epitaxis method is as described in , e . g , the appl . phys . lett . 33 ( 12 ), dec . 15 , 1978 . the method for forming a gaas thin film ( particularly for light - emission diodes ) in which a vacuum deposition method is used will be illustrated below in reference to examples of the present invention . in fig1 a substrate 2 is arranged in the upper part inside a bell jar 1 , and knudsen cell type deposition sources 5 , 6 ( made from boron nitride ) are arranged in the lower part inside the bell jar 1 . ga 3 is put in knudsen cell 5 and as 4 in knudsen cell 6 . the inside of bell jar 1 is connected through an exhaust path 10 having a butterfly valve 8 to a vacuum pump ( not shown ) to thereby exhaust the air at an exhausting rate of from 100 liters / min . to 10 , 000 liters / min . so that the inside of bell jar 1 is under a vacuum condition of from 10 - 5 to 10 - 7 torr . with introducing activated hydrogen gas into the thus air - exhausting bell jar 1 by means of a hydrogen gas discharge tube 9 at a flow rate of from 10 ml / min . to 200 ml / min . and directing it to substrate 2 , substrate 2 is heated by heater 7 to about 400 ° to 800 ° c ., and ga 3 and as 4 are heated to evaporate their vapors toward substrate 2 , thereby forming a gaas film on the substrate . the activated hydrogen gas should be supplied so that the vacuum condition inside bell jar 1 is maintained from 10 - 4 torr to 10 - 5 torr . in order to avoid hydrogen being incorporated into the deposited film , the temperature of the substrate should be maintained from 200 ° to 1000 ° c . the higher the temperature , the better the hydrogen is prevented from being incorporated into the deposited film . for example , the temperature of substrate 2 is set at 700 ° c ., and with exhausting the air at 1000 liters / min ., the hydrogen activated by hydrogen gas discharge tube 9 ( to which is applied a voltage of 1000 v dc ) is introduced at a rate of 80 ml / min . toward substrate 2 ( which is applied a voltage of - 600 v ), and the ga and as are heated to evaporate , thereby forming a gaas thin film of about 1 μm . the activated hydrogen is effectively attracted by and to the negatively charged substrate 2 , so that the effect of preventing contamination in the deposited film becomes sufficient . the foregoing hydrogen gas discharge tube used is as shown in fig2 which comprises a cylindrical electrode member 22 having a gas inlet 21 , a cylindrical discharge spacing member 24 , made of , e . g ., glass surrounding a discharge space 23 , an electrode member 26 which is provided at the other end of the discharge spacing member 24 and which has a gas outlet 25 . a dc or ac voltage is applied to between the electrode member 22 and 26 to thereby cause a glow discharge of the hydrogen gas supplied through gas inlet 21 in the discharge space 23 , whereby the activated hydrogen and hydrogen ions are exhausted from outlet 25 . the discharge spacing member 24 is of a double - tube structure so as to allow cooling water to pass therethrough . in the drawing , 27 and 28 are the inlet and the outlet , respectively , for cooling water . 29 is a cooling fin of the electrode member 22 . the distance between the electrodes of the above hydrogen gas discharge tube 9 is from 10 to 15 cm , and applicable voltage to the discharge tube is from 500 to 800 v and the pressure inside discharge space 23 is about 10 - 2 torr . the method of heating ga and as sources may be any one , such as , e . g ., resistance heating , induction heating , electron gun heating , and the like . next , an example of depositing gaas in the vacuum deposition method in accordance with the present inventin is shown in comparison with the molecular beam epitaxis method and an ordinary vacuum deposition method ( without use of activated hydrogen ) in table 1 . table 1__________________________________________________________________________ comparative examples this invention molecular beam vacuum deposition ordinary deposition epitaxis__________________________________________________________________________hydrogen dis - used not used not usedcharge tube ( discharge 600 v , 0 . 6 a ) gas pressure 5 × 10 . sup .- 5 torr ( hydrogen 8 × 10 . sup .- 7 torr 5 × 10 . sup .- 10 torr pressure ), provided back pressure is 8 × 10 . sup .- 7 torrvapor source ga , as ( knudsen cell ga , as ( knudsen ga , as ( knudsen type ) cell type ) cell type ) temperature 700 ° c . ( gaas substrate ) 700 ° c . ( gaas sub - 700 ° c . ( gaas sub - of substrate strate ) strate ) growth rate 1 μm / 2 hrs . 1 μm / 2 hrs . 1 μm / 2 hrs . - photolumines - 70 1 70cence ratio ( room temp . ) cleavage uniform many streaks ap - uniformplane pear on the growing surface at about 60 ° c . to deteriorate crystallinityexhaust time 2 hrs . 2 hrs . 20 hrs . __________________________________________________________________________ from the above results , it is understood that the gaas film in accordance with the present invention not only is excellent in the photoluminescence but has as much uniform crystallinity as that obtained by the molecular beam epitaxis method . and the exhaust time required in the method of the present invention is short , and the film can be formed under a normal vacuum condition . when the above vacuum deposition method is performed in the non - activated hydrogen atmosphere , the results obtained cannot be more than those of the ordinary deposition method . as another examples of this invention , a zns layer ( particularly for el ) was formed in accordance with the sputtering method as illustrated below : fig3 shows a sputtering apparatus . in a bell jar 1 , a grounded substrate 2 and zns plate 12 to which is applied a high - frequency voltage are arranged , and under the condition that a glow discharge by a high - frequency voltage is produced therebetween , a gaseous mixture of argon and unactivated hydrogen is supplied from conduction pipe 41 ( if necessary , hydrogen is allowed to be conducted into the bell jar from a different pipe ). this is called rf sputtering . the argon ionized by the above discharge strikes zn 12 , a target , and the expelled target metal is deposited on a proximate substrate 2 . in this instance , the supplied hydrogen also is automatically activated by the discharge to display the same effect as has been described in the preceding example , and thus a desired zns layer can be formed on substrate 2 . target 12 may be of a mixture with mn as an activator or may be provided thereon with mn . in addition , d . c . sputtering may be used instead of the rf sputtering of fig3 . in fig4 a bell jar 1 is connected through an exhaust path 3 having a butterfly valve 8 to a vacuum pump ( not shown ), and air is exhausted at from 100 liters to 10 , 000 liters per minute to make the inside of bell jar 1 in a vacuum condition of from 10 - 5 to 10 - 7 torr . with heating substrate 2 to 400 °- 600 ° c . by heater 7 , the hydrogen activated by an rf ion gun 40 ( shown in fig5 ) or unactivated hydrogen ( to be activated after introduction ) at a rate of from 5 ml to 500 ml per minute , and preferably from 10 ml to 200 ml per minute , and argon gas from a different conduction pipe 41 are introduced into the bell jar so that the partial pressure becomes approximately 10 31 1 to 10 - 3 torr . with conducting these gases into the bell jar , a magnetron sputtering device 13 having cathode target composed of zns arranged inside the bell jar 1 so as to face opposite to substrate 2 is acted to thereby form a zns thin film on substrate 2 . mn as an activator may be either mixed into the target material ( zns ) or placed on the target . the magnetron sputtering device 13 used herein , as shown in fig6 comprises a cathode target 51 whose internal surface is conically extended open outward , an anode plate 52 arranged at the center of the bottom of the cathode target 51 , and a permanent magnet 53 arranged so as to surround and further to back from behind the cathode target 51 . the plasma caused by glow - discharge between cathodic target 51 and anode target 52 by the application of high - frequency voltage or a dc voltage thereto becomes bound around cathodic target 51 by the magnetic force of permanent magnet 53 , and as a result the argon ion densely present in the plasma drives at a high efficiency the zns particles out of the cathodic target 51 , and also with the aid of the action of the magnetic field of permanent magnet 53 , a highly efficient sputtering is performed in the space formed by the extension of the internal peripheral surface of cathodic target 51 . to be concrete , &# 34 ; s - gun &# 34 ; manufactured by varian corp . ( u . s .) may be a preferred example . in addition , the rf gas discharge tube used herein is as shown in fig5 which comprises a discharge space surrounding member 45 composed of a glass tube having at one end thereof an activated hydrogen releasing outlet 42 and at the other end thereof a hydrogen gas inlet 44 , a pair of arc - curved electrode plates 46 arranged separately from each other around the periphery of the member 45 , a high - frequency power source 43 for applying a high - frequency voltage to the electrode plates 46 , and a grounded metallic tube 49 which is connected to the member 45 . the outlet 42 is so connected to the bell jar 1 as to face toward the substrate 2 . 47 is a draw - out electrode which is provided in the proximity of the outlet 42 , wherein as the high - frequency power source 43 , one with a frequency of , e . g ., 13 . 56 hz is used , and to the electrode 47 is applied a dc negative voltage of from 10 to 800 v from power source 48 . in addition , the member 45 usually has a cooling water flow unit , but omitted from the drawing . the results are described below : in the apparatus shown in fig4 the air inside bell jar 1 is removed at an exhausting rate of 1000 liters per minute to make a vacuum condition of 10 - 6 torr , quartz glass substrate 2 is heated by heater 7 up to 500 ° c ., and to the substrate is applied 500 v by dc power source 11 . for the rf gas discharge tube 40 , with the supply thereto of hydrogen gas at a flow rate of 20 ml per minute , a high - frequency voltage of 13 . 56 mhz is applied to electrode 46 and a dc voltage of - 600 v to draw - out electrode 47 to thereby cause a gas discharge . as argon gas is conducted through conduction pipe 41 into bell jar 1 so that the partial pressure becomes 10 - 2 torr , a high - frequency voltage is applied to between the cathodic target 51 and anode plate 52 of magnetron sputters s - gun 50 provided with cathodic target 51 composed of zns to thereby operate the apparatus . thus , the sputtering of zns is performed over a period of one hour , thereby forming a 5000 å - thick zns thin layer on substrate 2 . the thus obtained zns thin layer , as shown in table 2 , is excellent in the photoluminescence as compared to those obtained by the conventional sputtering method , and is useful as an optical element . table 2______________________________________ sputtering of comparative the invention sputtering______________________________________target zns zns mn ( small piece mn ( small piece on the target ) on the target ) gas pres - ar 10 . sup .- 2 torr ar 10 . sup .- 2 torrsure h . sub . 2 5 × 10 . sup .- 3 torr back pressure back pressure 8 × 10 . sup .- 7 torr 8 × 10 . sup .- 7 torrtemperature 500 ° c . 500 ° c . of substrategrowth rate 5000 å / 1 hr . 5000 å / 1 hr . photolumines - 2 1cence inten - sity ratioexhaust time 2 hrs . 2 hrs . ______________________________________ in addition , the above vacuum deposition is advantageous in respect of the crystallinity of the deposited film . the crystallinity is allowed to be polycrystalline . for the purity of the film , the sputtering method is rather useful . in the sputtering method , the appropriate conduction ratio of activated hydrogen to ar is 1 - 99 atomic %. the increase in hydrogen lowers the sputtering rate , but improves the prevention effect of the mixing of the residual gas components into the deposited layer . and in the case of the sputtering of zns by magentron sputtering device 13 in fig4 mn , tb , or the like , which can be the luminous center of el element and the like is heated to be evaporated as the evaporating material 34 of vapor source 36 , and is deposited on substrate 2 , whereby a remarkably high - performance luminous element can be obtained . examples of the present invention has been described in above , but the examples are allowed to be variously modified in accordance with the technical concept of the present invention , and such modifications include , for example , modifications made according to a purpose of using , such as pluralistic compound semiconductor film constitutions , different compound semiconductor multilayer constitutions and the like .

US-53275883-A

disclosed is a heating , ventilation and air conditioning system for a vehicle that operates in a heating mode , a cooling mode or a demisting mode . in some embodiments , the system includes a first circuit having first pump for circulating a first medium therein , a second circuit having a second pump for circulating a second medium therein and a thermoelectric module having a first surface in thermal contact with the first medium and a second surface in thermal contact with the second medium .

referring to fig1 , the various components of a hvac unit 10 are shown . the hvac unit 10 includes a first circuit 12 having a first pump 14 , a second circuit 16 having a second pump 18 , and a thermoelectric module 20 having a first surface 22 and a second surface 24 in thermal communication with the first and second circuits 12 , 16 , respectively . the first pump 14 circulates a first medium through the first circuit , and the second pump 18 circulates a second medium through the second circuit 16 . in the context of this description , the term “ pump ” is used in its broad sense of its ordinary and customary meaning and further includes any conventional pump , jxb ( j cross b ) pump , electrostatic pump , centrifugal pump , positive displacement pump , gear pump , peristaltic pump or any other medium moving device or combination thereof that is known or later developed . generally , the first and second mediums are a liquid having a mix of water and glycol . alternatively , the first and / or second mediums may be a fluid , gas or multipurpose solid - liquid convection medium . in the context of this description , the term “ thermoelectric module ” is used in a broad sense of its ordinary and customary meeting , which is ( 1 ) conventional thermoelectric modules , such as those produced by marlow industries , inc . of dallas , tex ., ( 2 ) quantum tunneling converters , ( 3 ) thermionic modules , ( 4 ) magneto caloric modules , ( 5 ) elements utilizing one , or any bi - combination of , thermoelectric , magneto caloric , quantum tunneling and thermionic effects , ( 6 ) acoustic heating mechanisms , ( 7 ) thermoelectric systems described is u . s . pat . no . 6 , 539 , 725 to bell , ( 8 ) any other sold state heat pumping device ( 9 ) any combination , array , assembly and other structure of ( 1 ) through ( 8 ) above . in thermal communication with a first heat exchanger 26 is the first surface 22 of the thermoelectric module 20 . the first heat exchanger 26 is in turn in thermal communication with the first medium of the first circuit 12 . in thermal communication with a second heat exchanger 28 is the second surface 24 of the thermoelectric module 20 . this second heat exchanger 28 is likewise in thermal communication with the second medium of the second circuit 16 . preferably , an internal combustion engine 30 is operatively engaged with the first circuit 12 such that the first medium is circulated by the first pump 14 and is used to cool the engine 30 . alternatively , the engine 30 can be any heat generating source that is known or later developed . connected to the first circuit 12 is a third heat exchanger 32 and connected to the second circuit 16 is a fourth heat exchanger 34 , both of which are used to condition ( heat or cool ) air to be provided to the passenger compartment . accordingly , proximate to the third and fourth heat exchangers 32 , 34 is a blower 36 . as indicated by the arrow 38 , the blower 36 moves air through the third heat exchanger 32 and the fourth heat exchanger 34 before moving the air into the passenger compartment of an automobile . the blower 36 may be a conventional blower , fan , electrostatic blower , centrifugal blower or any air moving system that is known or later developed . preferably , the first circuit 12 has a fifth heat exchanger 40 , generally a radiator , for cooling the first medium within the first circuit 12 . alternatively , the fifth heat exchanger 40 may be a heat sink or any device that absorbs or rejects heat including the traditional radiator , frame or other vehicle parts . a first bypass line 42 and a first double switching valve 44 are connected to the first circuit 12 such that the first double switching valve 44 can selectively direct the first medium through the first bypass line 42 instead of the fifth heat exchanger 40 . by circulating the first medium through the first bypass line 42 instead of the fifth heat exchanger 40 , the first medium can be heated more quickly by the engine 30 because the fifth heat exchanger 40 will not have an opportunity to cool the first medium . this is beneficial when the first medium is very cold . in the context of this description , the term “ double switching valve ” is used in its broad sense of its ordinary and customary meaning and further includes any valve or medium directing device or combination thereof that is known or later developed . the first circuit 12 may also have a second bypass line 46 and a second double switching valve 48 . the second double switching valve 48 can selectively direct the first medium through the second bypass line 46 ( during cooling mode operation ) instead of through a section of the first circuit 12 that includes the third heat exchanger 32 . by circulating the first medium through the second bypass line 46 , the first medium will be unable to transfer heat to the third heat exchanger 32 , and thus air provided by the blower 36 will not be heated by the third heat exchanger 32 . additionally , the temperature of the first surface 22 of the thermoelectric module 20 will not be affected by the first medium . this can be advantageous when the hvac unit 10 is cooling the passenger compartment of the automobile . the hvac unit 10 operates in either a heating mode or a cooling mode . in the heating mode , the direction of the current flowing through the thermoelectric module 20 will be such that the first surface 22 cools and the second surface 24 warms . the second surface 24 will pass the heat through the second heat exchanger 28 and to the second medium . as the second medium is passed through the fourth heat exchanger 34 , the air provided by the blower 36 is heated thereby . this augments any heating of the air by the third heat exchanger 32 . as the engine 30 warms up , it heats the first medium that will be circulated through the third heat exchange 32 and the first heat exchanger 26 . the heat of the first medium is passed through the first heat exchanger 26 to first surface 22 of the thermoelectric module 20 . by warming the first surface 22 of the thermoelectric module 20 , the difference in temperature between the first surface 22 and the second surface 24 will be minimized , allowing the thermoelectric module 20 to operate more efficiently . in a cooling mode , the direction of the current flowing through the thermoelectric module 20 will be such that the second surface 24 of the thermoelectric module 20 cools and the first surface 22 of the thermoelectric module 20 warms . the second surface 24 will cool the second medium via the second heat exchanger 28 and , as the cooled second medium is passed through the fourth heat exchanger 34 , the air , provided by the blower 36 , is cooled before entering the passenger compartment . in this mode , the first medium is directed through the second bypass line 46 by the second double switching valve 48 . by utilizing the second bypass line 46 , the heated first medium is not directed through the third heat exchanger 32 and subsequently the first heat exchanger 26 and the first surface 22 of the thermoelectric module 20 . the temperature of the first surface 22 of the thermoelectric module 20 therefore not heated , remaining closer in temperature to the second surface 24 . as stated before , by having a low temperature differential between the first surface 22 and a second surface 24 of the thermoelectric module 20 , the thermoelectric module will operate more efficiently . additionally , because the third heat exchanger 32 will not be heated by the first medium , air passing through the third heat exchanger 32 will not be heated . generally , the first circuit 12 will have a branch circuit 50 having its own pump 52 , valve 54 and heat exchanger 56 . the branch or third circuit 50 is used to supplement the cooling of a portion of the first medium and the first surface 22 . for example , when the valve 54 is configured to allow a portion of the first medium to flow through the branch circuit 50 , the heat exchanger 56 of the branch circuit will aid in the cooling of the first medium . it is noted that during this such operation , valve 48 will also be directing a portion of the first medium across bypass line 46 . when the valve 54 is configured to prevent the first medium from circulating through the branch circuit 50 , the heat exchanger 56 will not supplement the cooling of the first medium . referring now to fig2 , another hvac unit 10 ′ is shown . this unit 10 ′ is the same as that discussed previously , except , the first circuit 12 includes a heat generating system 60 located between the engine 30 and valve 48 and the third circuit 50 includes a cold generating system 61 located between the heat exchanger 56 and the first heat exchanger 26 . a bypass line 58 and associated double switching valve 62 are also provided so that the first medium may be bypassed around the heat generating system 60 , if desired . the heat generating system 60 may be one or more of any system that generates , captures or releases heat , such as a battery , an electronic device , an internal combustion engine , an exhaust of a vehicle , a heat sink , a heat storage system such as a phase change material , a positive temperature coefficient device or any heat generating system that is known or later developed . the third double switching valve 62 will direct the first medium through either the third bypass line 58 or the heat generating system 60 . by circulating the first medium through the heat generating system 60 , the first medium can be heated more quickly than by the engine 30 alone . a bypass line 59 and associated double switching valve 63 are also provided so that the first medium may be bypassed around the cold generating system 61 , if desired . the cold generating system 61 may be one or more of any system that generates , captures or releases cold , such as a thermoelectric module , a heat sink , a cold storage system such as a phase change material or any cold generating system that is later developed . the double switching valve 63 will direct the first medium through either the bypass line 59 or the cold generating system 61 . by circulating the first medium through the cold generating system 61 , the first medium can be cooled more quickly than by the heat exchanger 56 alone . referring now to fig3 , another embodiment of a hvac unit 10 ″ is shown . this unit 10 ″ is substantially the same as that discussed above and shown in fig1 . however , a demisting heat exchanger 64 is provided in the second circuit 16 as a bypass , via double switching valve 66 , around the fourth heat exchanger . thus , the demisting double switching valve 66 will selectively direct the second medium through the demisting heat exchanger 64 instead of the fourth heat exchanger 34 . as indicated by the arrow 38 , the blower 36 will blow air first through the demisting heat exchanger 64 . this initial cooling of the air removes moisture from the air via condensation . after the air is initially cooled , the air may be cooled or heated by the third heat exchanger 32 . the valves 67 , 69 and 71 will direct the first medium through either first circuit 12 , where it is warmed by the engine 30 , or through the third circuit 50 , where it is cooled by the heat exchanger 56 , and then through the third heat exchanger 32 . alternatively , the double switching valve 48 may prevent the first medium from traveling through the third heat exchanger 32 , thereby preventing any heating or cooling the air by the third heat exchanger 32 . referring now to fig4 , another embodiment of the hvac unit 10 ′″ is shown . the hvac unit 10 ′″ is substantially the same as the discussed above and shown in fig1 . however , a fourth bypass line 68 and a fifth bypass line 70 circulate the second medium to the third heat exchanger 32 and a sixth bypass line 76 and a seventh bypass line 78 circulate the first medium to the fourth heat exchanger 34 . a fourth double switching valve 72 will direct the second medium from the second circuit 16 , through the fourth bypass line 68 , and to the third heat exchanger 32 . a fifth double switching valve 74 will direct the second medium from the third heat exchanger 32 , through the fifth bypass line 70 , and to the second circuit 16 . a sixth double switching valve 80 will direct the first medium from the first circuit 12 , through the sixth bypass line 76 , and to the fourth heat exchanger 34 . a seventh double switching valve 82 will direct the first medium from the fourth heat exchanger 34 , through the seventh bypass line 78 , and to the first circuit 12 . by directing the cooler second medium and warmer first medium through the third heat exchanger 32 and the fourth heat exchanger 34 respectively , the third heat exchanger 32 will cool air blown by the blower 36 before the air is heated by the fourth heat exchanger 34 . the initial cooling of the air removes moisture from the air via condensation . additionally , an eighth double switching valve 84 may be connected to the second bypass line 46 and the first circuit 12 . the eighth double switching valve 84 will direct the first medium through either the second bypass line 46 or the first heat exchanger 26 . by circulating the first medium through the second bypass line 46 , the first heat exchanger 26 will not be in thermal communication with the warmer first medium . this can be advantageous when the hvac unit 10 is in the cooling mode . the heat contained within the first medium will be unable to transfer heat to the first surface 22 of the thermoelectric module 20 . by minimizing the temperature differential between the first surface 22 and the second surface 24 of the thermoelectric module 20 , the thermoelectric module 20 will operate more efficiently . as a person skilled in the art will readily appreciate , the above description is meant as an illustration of implementation of the principles of this invention . this description is not intended to limit the scope or application of this invention in that the invention is susceptible to modification , variation and change , without departing from spirit of this invention , as defined in the following claims .

US-201313852821-A

a flexible lamination method is provided for joining primary ink jet components . essentially , the existing thermosetting construction techniques are replaced with a thermoplastic construction by replacing epoxy with sheet plastic during the lamination process . the flexible lamination joins primary ink jet components . thermoplastic films have a high viscosity at lamination temperatures . this high viscosity holds bonding material in the area intended by elimination of wicking .

in the existing art , thermosetting construction techniques are used to join ink jet components . the present invention replaces these thermosetting construction techniques with a thermoplastic construction technique . this is accomplished by replacing epoxy with sheet plastic during the lamination process . referring to fig1 a and 1b , prior art exploded views of ink jet components are illustrated , joined in accordance with the thermosetting construction technique of the prior art . a charge plate 10 , catcher 12 , and catcher plate 14 , shown in fig1 a , are joined with thermosetting layers 16 and 18 . thermosetting layers 16 and 18 typically comprise epoxy . the primary ink jet components 10 , 12 , and 14 are precisely registered to one another after the epoxy is applied . the epoxy is then cured with elevated temperatures . similarly , referring to fig1 b , droplet generator 24 and orifice plate 26 are joined with thermosetting layer 28 . again , the thermosetting layer 28 is typically comprised of an epoxy . polymer screens are required to appropriately distribute the epoxy upon application of the epoxy . unfortunately , these screens tear frequently and must be remade , as well as require cleaning between each use with hazardous solvents . the present invention , illustrated in fig2 a and 2b , replaces the prior art thermosetting construction techniques illustrated in fig1 a and 1b , with a thermoplastic construction , according to the present invention . this is accomplished by replacing the epoxy with a flexible lamination thermoplastic adhesive material during the lamination process . the flexible lamination thermoplastic adhesive material may comprise any suitable lamination material such as sheet plastic , plastic film stock , or thermoplastic stock . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the flexible lamination layer comprises thermoplastic adhesive film . to bond parts together with such an adhesive , the adhesive film is placed between the parts , pressure is applied to the parts , and the temperature is raised above the softening temperature of the material . the non - curing thermoplastic adhesive stock preferably comprises a thermoplastic adhesive having a softening temperature between 90 ° c . and 200 ° c ., and even between 120 and 140 degrees . typically , the thermoplastic material needs to be kept at the bonding temperature ( slightly above the softening temperature ) for only a few seconds after which it can be cooled to room temperature . unlike b - stage epoxy film adhesives , the preferred thermoplastic film adhesives are non - curing . therefore , the material will again soften when heated above the material defined softening temperature . while those skilled in the art will recognize that a variety of suitable flexible laminates are commercially available , one preferred flexible laminate material is 3m thermo - bond film 845 eg . this material , which has a modified polyolefin base resin , has been found to be compatible with the high ph (& gt ; 9 ) aqueous inks used in our printers . in selecting an appropriate thermoplastic adhesive , it is necessary to select ones having softening temperatures significantly above the expected temperatures to be encountered by the product . in a preferred embodiment , therefore , the non - curing thermoplastic adhesive stock comprises a non - curing thermoplastic adhesive stock that is resistant to high ph inks . the softening and bonding temperature should also be below the temperature at which any part is damaged or degraded . the 3m thermo - bond film 845 eg has a softening temperature about 129 ° c ., which is acceptable for our applications . while the material softens above its softening temperature , it still remains quite viscous . therefore , there is essentially no undesirable wicking flow of the material . unlike the epoxy used in the prior art , the 3m thermo - bond film 845 eg remains sufficiently flexible as it cools down from the bonding temperature to prevent the differenctial thermal expansion from distorting the assembly . the desired thickness of the flexible laminate is in the range of approximately 0 . 0025 ″. while the thickness of the flexible laminate may vary without departing from the scope of the invention , the purpose of this thickness selection is to keep the catcher assembly thickness similar to the existing catcher assembly thickness that uses an epoxy layer . the thermoplastic stock is elastic by nature , and so reduces lamination stress between components . during the lamination process , the thermoplastic stock exhibits high viscosity , reducing material flow into areas that degrade printhead performance . an advantage of using thermoplastic stock is that the thermoplastic stock can be taken back through its glass transition and made soft again . once the primary ink jet components 10 , 12 , and 14 , and 24 and 26 , are laminated or otherwise joined , the parts can be repositioned if needed by reapplying heat and moving the parts into their desired positions before cooling the thermoplastic . to disassemble the ink jet components , heat can be reapplied to the separate pieces with minimal effort . consequently , in fig2 a , the charge plate 10 and the catcher 12 are joined with a thermoplastic film layer 34 ; and the catcher 12 is likewise joined to the catcher plate 14 with a second thermoplastic film layer 36 . similarly , in fig2 b , the droplet generator 24 is joined to the orifice plate 26 with a thermoplastic film layer 40 . with the construction of the present invention , the delicate screens used in the prior art constructions to apply epoxy to the various components , are not required in the joining of the ink jet components constructed according to the present invention . a further advantage of the thermoplastic construction of the present invention is that the thermoplastic sheets can be stored at room temperature , and do not have a shelf life , unlike epoxy which requires storage in a freezer to ensure shelf life and viability . the thermoplastic film around five times thicker than prior art epoxy . epoxy cannot be made thicker because the additional material would overflow during the lamination process into areas that would degrade ink jet performance . the thermoplastic film does not flow at bonding / lamination temperature and hence can be used in a “ thicker ” state . this additional thickness of the thermoplastic creates thermal isolation between precision ink jet components . thermal isolation facilitates better temperature control and promotes condensation removal from the charge plate . the flexible laminate layers 34 , 36 and 40 , can be supplied in limitless stamped configurations immediately ready for use . the sheet thickness , shape , heat and pressure are easily controlled so that displacement of material during lamination is minimal . in accordance with a usual application of the present invention , the components will be heated to 250 degrees fahrenheit , with a pressure of approximately 10 psi . when epoxy is used to bind an ink jet catcher / charge plate assembly together , as in the prior art , the charge plate and catcher thermally grow through the heating cycle , along with the epoxy . the charge plate and catcher are fixed together at the expanded state when the epoxy cross - links . as the assembly cools , the thermal differential between the catcher and charge plate create an undesirable bow across the charge plate face and its mounting plane . these bi - directional bows are detrimental to ink jet printhead performance . with the construction of the present invention , bonding is with thermoplastic film , therefore negating the bow in a finished assembly . the thermoplastic film is elastic and therefore does not cause the assembly to bow during the curing process , yet constrains the ink jet hardware to the desired level of precision . this elimination of lamination distortion is an additional advantage to the construction proposed by the present invention . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , but it will be understood that modifications and variations can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention .

US-72077303-A

the present teachings describe an adjustable keyboard stand comprising a keyboard platform , which receives a keyboard instrument , and a mounting assembly which mounts to a piece of furniture , such as a computer table or desk . the mounting assembly includes a mounting component having two sidewalls and a rear wall joined together so as to define a recess that extends in a first direction . the adjustable keyboard stand may further comprise a support member having a first and a second end , wherein the first end of the support member is attached to the keyboard platform , and wherein the second end of the support member is positioned within the recess in the mounting component so as to be slidably and pivotally movable therein . in one aspect , the weight of the support member and the keyboard platform pivots the second end of the support member in a first direction within the recess such that the second end of the support member engages with the rear wall of the recess to maintain the support member at a first vertical location . the vertical location of the support member can be changed by exerting force on the keyboard platform that induces the support member to pivot in a second direction so as to disengage the second end of the support member from the rear wall of the recess to thereby permit free sliding motion of the second end of the support member in the recess .

reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout . an improved keyboard stand that is readily adjustable by a user will be described in greater detail herein below with reference to the drawings . fig1 illustrates one embodiment of an adjustable keyboard stand 100 having a platform member 102 , a support member 104 , a tilt member 106 , a securing member 108 with a main body 155 and an upper head structure 157 , and a mounting member 110 . as illustrated in fig1 , the adjustable keyboard stand 100 is adapted to be fixedly attached to the underside of the piece of furniture 115 , such as a table or desk , which will be described in greater detail herein below . also , the platform member 102 including the support member 104 are continuously adjustable along the length of the securing member in a manner as will be described in greater detail herein below . in one embodiment , the platform member 102 comprises a substantially rectangular shape with flat upper and lower surfaces 120 a , 120 b . the lower surface 120 b of the platform member 102 is pivotally attached to the support member 104 via a u - shaped bracket 124 and one or more bolts 126 . the u - shaped bracket 124 is securely attached to the lower surface 120 b of the platform member 102 using fasteners ( not shown ), such as screws , in a generally known manner . in addition , the u - shaped bracket 124 is pivotally attached to a first end 130 a of the support member 104 using one or more bolts 126 that function as a pivot juncture such that the platform member 102 readily rotates about the one or more bolts 126 with respect to the support member 104 . it should be appreciated that the platform member 102 can be adapted to receive a keyboard or keyboard instrument 117 , such as those used with various types of computers , musical instruments , etc . in one aspect , the platform member 102 comprises a strong rigid material , such as wood , plastic , metal , etc ., so as to provide a firm platform surface that can support the weight of the keyboard or keyboard instrument 117 . in one embodiment , as illustrated in fig1 , the tilt member 106 comprises a shaft 140 and a spring 142 that are interconnected between a rear portion 128 of the platform member 102 and a mid - portion 130 c of the support member 104 . the shaft 140 is positioned central to the spring 142 such that the spring 142 , in one aspect , winds around the exterior of the shaft 140 . in addition , the shaft 140 is adapted to be connected to the platform member 102 in a generally known manner such that the spring 142 abuts the lower surface 120 b of the platform member 102 . also , the shaft 140 extends through the support member 104 such that the spring 142 abuts an upper surface 132 a of the support member 104 . in one aspect , the tilt member 106 is spring biased so as to provide tension between the rear portion 128 of the platform member 102 and the mid - portion 130 c of the support member 104 . as further illustrated in fig1 , the tilt member 106 further comprises a knob 144 that is threadably attached to the post 140 such that the knob 144 can be screwed upward or downward along the shaft so as to abut a lower surface 132 b of the support member 104 and to adjust the tilt angle 146 of the platform member 102 against the tension of the spring 142 . the spring produces a biased tension between the platform member 102 and the support member 104 , wherein the tension can be increased or decreased depending on the position of the knob 144 with respect to the shaft 140 . the tilt member 106 provides adjustment to a tilt angle 146 of the platform member 102 . in one aspect , the tilt angle 146 is defined between the platform member 102 and the support member 104 with the vertex of the tilt angle 146 defined at the pivot juncture between the platform member 102 and the support member 104 . advantageously , the tilt angle 146 of the platform member 102 can be adjusted in relation to the support member 104 by readily twisting the knob 128 . in one embodiment , the support member 104 is adapted to be slidably attached to the securing member 108 in a manner that will be described in greater detail herein below . in addition , the securing member 108 is adapted to be slidably and rotatably attached to the mounting member 110 in a manner that will be described in greater detail herein below . also , the mounting member 110 is adapted to be fixedly attached to the underside of the piece of furniture 115 , such as a table or desk . it should be appreciated that the scope and functionality of the securing member 108 and the mounting member 110 will be described in greater detail herein below with reference to fig2 . fig2 illustrates an expanded view of the adjustable keyboard stand 100 of fig1 . in one embodiment , the support member 104 comprises first and second protrusions 134 a , 134 b that extend outward from a second end 130 b of the support member 104 in a substantially perpendicular manner so as to define a pivot axis . in one aspect , the pivot axis allows the support member 104 to pivot with respect to the securing member 108 in a manner that will be described in greater detail herein below . also , the support member 104 further comprises a stop member 136 that is attached to the second end 130 b of the support member 104 so as to be adjacent the protrusions 134 a , 134 b . the stop member 136 comprises first and second apertures 138 a , 138 b that are adapted to receive the first and second protrusions 134 a , 134 b , respectively , and allow the stop member 136 to be attached to the second end 130 b of the support member 104 . also , the stop member 136 still further comprises an inclined end 148 that is adapted to engage with the securing member 108 in a manner as will be described herein below . it should be appreciated that , even though the stop member 136 is illustrated in fig2 as a separate part , the stop member 136 may be formed as an integral part of the support member 104 without departing from the scope of the present invention . alternately , it should also be appreciated that the stop member 136 may be formed separately from the support member 104 and comprise a pliable material , such as rubber , having a high frictional coefficient for reasons that will be described in greater detail herein below . in addition , in one aspect , the stop member 136 may be permanently attached to the second end 130 b of the support member 104 using various types of generally known adhesives , such as epoxy or glue , or fasteners , such as screws or bolts . moreover , in another aspect , the stop member 136 may be slidably attached to the second end 130 b of the support member 104 so as to be readily removable therefrom . moreover , the securing member 108 comprises first and second sidewalls 170 a , 170 b and a rear wall 172 that are joined together in a manner so as to define the main body 155 of the support structure 108 and a recess 160 formed therein that extends in a first direction 174 a . the securing member 108 further defines first and second interior channels 162 a , 162 b within the recess 160 that extend along the length of the securing member 108 . the securing member 108 further defines an opening 176 opposite the rear wall 170 that permits access to the recess 160 . in one aspect , the second end 130 b of the support member 104 is positioned within the recess 160 via the opening 176 formed in the securing member 108 , as illustrated in fig1 , so that the first and second protrusions 134 a , 134 b of the support member 104 slidably engage the first and second interior channels 162 a , 162 b , respectively . advantageously , the support member 104 vertically slides along the length of the securing member 108 via the interior channels so as to provide vertical movement for the platform member 102 with respect to the piece of furniture 115 that the adjustable keyboard stand 100 is mounted thereto . also , the support member 104 is continuously adjustable along a vertical range of motion with respect to the interior channels 162 a , 162 b . additionally , the rounded or cylindrical shape of the protrusions 134 a , 134 b allow the support member 104 to pivot in a first pivotal direction 180 or in a second pivotal direction 182 that is opposite the first pivotal direction 180 . the first and second protrusions 134 a , 134 b , when positioned with the first and second interior channels 162 a , 162 b , respectively , define the pivot axis . when the support member 104 is positioned within the recess 160 of the securing member 108 , the support member 104 can be pivoted about the pivot axis in the first pivotal direction 180 so that the inclined end 148 of the stop member 136 abuts a back wall 172 of the securing member 108 . similarly , the support member 104 can be pivoted about the pivot axis in the second pivotal direction 182 so that the stop member 136 moves away from the back wall 172 of the securing member 108 . in one embodiment , the securing member 108 further comprises a lower end cap structure 164 that is adapted to be positioned in a lower opening 166 of the securing member 108 . advantageously , the lower end cap structure 164 is attached to the securing member 108 so as to retain the second end 130 b of the support structure 104 in the recess 160 of the securing member 108 to thereby inhibit the support structure 104 from falling away from the securing member 108 . also , the lower end cap structure 164 comprises a lip 168 that extends within at least a portion of the opening 176 formed in the support structure 108 . in one embodiment , the mounting member 110 is adapted to be mounted on the underside of the piece of furniture 115 via fasteners 152 , such as screws or bolts , through apertures 150 formed in the mounting member 110 . as illustrated in fig2 , the mounting member 110 comprises lip structures 154 that define interior slotted regions 156 along the length of the mounting member 110 . a first rectangular plate 158 a having an extension nut 178 a attached thereto is adapted to be slidably positioned within the slotted regions 156 . in one aspect , the first rectangular plate 158 a , when positioned within the slotted regions 156 of the mounting member 110 , is slidable along the length of the mounting member 110 in the first direction 174 a or a second direction that is opposite the first direction 174 b . a second rectangular plate 158 b is attached to the extension nut 178 a with a fastening washer 178 b in a generally known manner . the second rectangular plate 158 b is positioned exterior to the slotted regions 156 of the mounting member 110 so as to provide a mounting surface 186 for the securing member to be mounted thereto . additionally , the upper head structure 157 of the securing member 108 is adapted to be mounted to the mounting surface 186 of the second rectangular plate 186 via fasteners 196 , such as nuts and bolts . as illustrated in fig2 , the positional orientation of the upper head structure 157 is slanted with respect to the main body 155 of the support structure 108 . in addition , as illustrated in fig2 , the positional orientation of the upper head structure 157 is aligned with the second rectangular plate 186 . as illustrated in fig1 , the support structure 108 attaches to the mounting member 110 so that the upper head structure 157 is aligned with the mounting member 110 and the main body 155 slants away from the platform member 102 . advantageously , the positional orientation of the main body 155 with respect to upper head structure 157 and the mounting member 110 allows for more leg room for a seated individual using the adjustable keyboard stand 100 . for this reason , the present teachings of the adjustable keyboard stand provide greater comfort for a user . advantageously , the securing member 108 , when attached to the first rectangular plate 158 a via the second rectangular plate 158 b and the extension nut 178 a , slides along the length of the mounting member 110 via the slotted regions 156 . this allows the platform member 102 , when attached to the mounting member 110 via the support member 104 and the securing member 108 , to move towards and away from the piece of furniture 115 in the first and second directions 174 a , 174 b , respectively , when the mounting member 110 is attached to the piece of furniture . moreover , this allows the platform member 102 to comprise more freedom of movement with respect to the piece of furniture . in one aspect , the extension nut 178 a is rotatable about the first or second rectangular plates 158 a , 158 b so that the securing member 108 , when mounted to the mounting member 110 , can readily rotate thereabout in a first rotational direction 198 a or a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction 198 a . advantageously , this allows the platform member 102 , when interconnected to the securing member 108 via the support member 104 , to comprise more freedom of movement . fig3 and 4 illustrate a side view of the adjustable keyboard stand 100 of fig1 and 2 . in operation , the first and second protrusions 134 a , 134 b of the support member 104 are positioned within the first and second channels 162 a , 162 b of the securing member 108 so that the support member 104 can be vertically adjusted along the length or vertical component of the securing member 108 . in one embodiment , the weight of the platform member 102 , including the weight of the keyboard 117 positioned on the platform member 102 , induces the stop member 136 to engage with the back wall 172 of the recess 160 formed in the securing member 108 . as illustrated in fig3 , the weight of the platform member 102 including , in one aspect , the weight of the keyboard 117 induces the support member 104 to rotate in the first pivotal direction 180 thereby urging the stop member 136 against the back wall 172 of the recess 160 so as to inhibit the platform member 102 from moving in a first vertical direction 190 . advantageously , the stop member 136 comprises a highly frictional material that inhibits slippage of the support member 104 when the stop member 136 abuts the rear wall of the securing member 108 . conversely , to move the platform member 102 in the first vertical direction 190 or a second vertical direction 192 that is opposite the first vertical direction 190 as illustrated in fig4 , a user simply moves the platform member 102 so as to pivot the support member 104 in the second pivotal direction 182 to thereby disengage the stop member 136 from the back wall 172 of the securing member 108 . advantageously , this pivotal actuation enables the platform member 102 to be readily lifted or lowered to one of a plurality of desirable positions along the length of the securing member 104 . advantageously , the improved keyboard stand 100 is continuously adjustable along a vertical range of motion 190 , 192 . readily adjusting the improved keyboard stand 100 to an appropriate height for use results in greater comfort and convenience for an individual using the stand 100 in combination with various keyboard instruments . in addition , the improved keyboard stand 100 of the present teachings can be easily and readily adjusted vertically 190 , 192 without the manipulation of a rigid fastener or mounting bracket . thus , in a manner as previously described and illustrated , the improved adjustable keyboard stand 100 of the present teachings is easier to manipulate than many prior art devices . furthermore , the improved keyboard stand 100 of the present teachings comprises an adjustable tilt angle 146 for the platform member 102 through the use of the spring biased tilt member 106 , which further increases the comfort and convenience for the user . although the foregoing description has shown , described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention , it will be understood that various omissions , substitutions , and changes in the form of the detail of the apparatus as illustrated , as well as the uses thereof , may be made by those skilled in the art , without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . consequently , the scope of the invention should not be limited to the foregoing discussion , but should be defined by the appended claims .

US-40519903-A

an llp ignition timing control for an internal combustion engine periodically senses lpp in an engine combustion chamber and generates an average lpp value . a dlpp value indicating a desired lpp is generated ; and ignition timing is periodically adjusted . the apparatus advances ignition timing if the average lpp value is retarded with respect to the dlpp value . the ignition timing is maintained in the same direction as the previous adjustment if the average lpp is advanced and becoming less advanced with respect to the dlpp value , but is reversed to the opposite direction from that of the previous adjustment if the average lpp is advanced and becoming more advanced with respect to the dlpp value . the amount of adjustment is proportional to the product of the difference between the average lpp value and dlpp value and the rate of change in the average lpp value . thus , mbt is maintained in spite of the foldover effect in the lpp vs . spark advance curve produced by abnormal combustion modes without the need for independently sensing the abnormal combustion modes themselves .

referring to fig1 an internal combustion engine 10 includes a plurality of combustion chambers , not shown , in which combustion charges are ignited by means of spark plugs 11 to generate power through the expansion of gases against pistons and cause rotation of an engine crankshaft , not shown , in the normal manner of such engines . an ignition circuit 12 generates spark firing pulses which are routed to the proper spark plugs 11 through a distributor 13 or similar apparatus as is common in the prior art . ignition circuit 12 may comprise a programmed digital computer which receives input timing pulses from a magnetic pickup 15 and sync pulses from a magnetic pickup 16 . pickups 15 and 16 are associated with a notched wheel 17 having a plurality of timing pulse generating notches 18 and a sync pulse generating notch 20 associated with respective pickups 15 and 16 to generate the pulses therein . for example , wheel 17 may be part of the crankshaft counterbalance ; and pickups 15 and 16 may be of the variable reluctance type . notch 20 and its associated pickup 16 may be axially displaced slightly from notches 18 and pickup 15 to keep the signals separate . the position signals from such an arrangement may be made very accurate by placing the apparatus on a torsional vibration node of the crankshaft . an alternative arrangement is to provide vanes or teeth of a magnetic material on a wheel at the front of the engine crankshaft with hall effect sensors . from these pulses , ignition circuit 12 determines a reference crankshaft position for the firing of each spark plug 11 in proper succession . in the case of a four cylinder engine and a six notch wheel which rotates twice during a complete cycle of all four cylinders , every third pulse generated by notches 18 will correspond to a new cylinder and two successive such pulses mark a crankshaft angle of 60 degrees . notch 20 provides a sync pulse to identify the individual timing pulses . the pulses from notches 18 and 20 are preferably used as the reference pulses for the entire ignition timing control for greatest accuracy ; however , the normal distributor pulse generator may be used for the basic ignition timing reference pulses if necessary . one or more combustion chamber pressure sensors 22 provide signals to a peak detector 21 , which determines from said signals the location , relative to a tdc crankshaft reference , of peak combustion pressure ( lpp ) for each ignition event , if possible , and generates a number representing lpp for output . combustion pressure sensors 22 may be of any known type but may particularly be of the type comprising a head bolt for engine 10 in conjunction with a quartz force ring compressed thereunder or of the type in which the head bolt itself includes a piezoelectric element affixed to the bolt head for flexure therewith . a preferred form of the latter type of sensor is shown in the u . s . pat . no . 4 , 491 , 010 to brandt et al , issued jan . 1 , 1985 . in the case of a head bolt sensor , two sensors may suffice for the timing of a four cylinder engine , with one placed between cylinders 1 and 2 and the other placed between cylinders 3 and 4 . the signals may be ored together at the input to peak detector 21 . peak detector 21 may itself be of the type shown in the above - mentioned karau et al u . s . pat . no . 4 , 481 , 925 . this detector determines , for each ignition event , the lpp when it occurs within a crankshaft angle window of approximately 60 degrees atdc , as it will for all normal combustion modes of engine 10 . a number representing lpp is sent from peak detector 21 to an input of ignition circuit 12 . alternatively , peak detector 21 may differentiate the pressure signal with appropriate filtering as shown in the u . s . pat . no . 4 , 406 , 265 to brandt et al , issued sept . 27 , 1983 . ignition circuit 12 includes a microprocessor based digital computer programmed to compute from the successive input lpp values an average lpp value ( alpp ), determine ignition timing from this and other inputs as well as stored reference information and generate output ignition pulses at optimum times on the control electrode of an output power transistor 23 connected in series with a dc power source represented by vehicle battery 25 , but understood to include all necessary components of a vehicle electrical power system . transistor 23 is connected with battery 25 in the standard manner through the primary winding of a standard ignition coil 26 and the vehicle ignition switch 27 . a secondary winding of ignition coil 26 is connected to provide high voltage pulses through distributor 13 to spark plugs 11 in the usual manner . ignition circuit 12 may be based on that shown in the u . s . pat . no . 4 , 231 , 091 to motz , issued oct . 28 , 1980 , modified where necessary as shown herein . ignition circuit 12 calculates , for each ignition event , the desired ignition timing relative to a reference engine crankshaft angle . factors related to engine speed and load are stored in appropriate memory lookup tables and selected in response to the input of engine speed and load sensors as described in the motz patent and other prior art references . this timing represents a stored ignition timing for the particular combination of engine speed and load , which is adjusted by a trim value ( trim ) derived from the lpp numbers received from peak detector 21 . the operation of that portion of ignition circuit 12 which computes the trim will be described with reference to the flow chart of fig8 . it is assumed that ignition circuit 12 has computed a standard or base ignition timing and stored it in a register or ram memory location . it is also assumed that ignition circuit 12 maintains a stored and continually updated value of the average location of peak pressure , alpp , which may be computed according to a standard digital lag filter equation from each new value of lpp received from peak detector 21 . a typical first order lag filter equation will be of the form alpp n = alpp n - 1 + g 1 ( lpp - alpp n - 1 ), wherein alpp n is the new alpp , alpp n - 1 is the previously calculated alpp , lpp is the latest input value of lpp and g 1 is a proportional gain factor . a first order filter is considered sufficient ; however , those skilled in the art will be able to determine for themselves what filter equation to use according to their own requirements and to calibrate the gain constant g upon testing a particular engine . the flow chart of fig4 may be considered a subroutine of the main program of ignition circuit 12 . the subroutine of fig8 assumes a number of defined quantities , each of which is provided a memory address in ram for use in the subroutine . these quantities include : lpp : the most recently read value of the location of peak combustion pressure ; [ dir ]: a signed direction bit or flag used in the trim equation . there is also a gain constant g 2 used in the trim equation , which is stored in rom . the subroutine of fig8 begins at step 30 by reading the most recently input value of lpp and computing alpp n as previously described . next , at step 31 , the subroutine computes elpp = dlpp - alpp n . dlpp itself is made to vary slightly with engine speed according to the equation dlpp = 15 -( 0 . 75 rpm )/( 1000 ), wherein rpm is the engine speed in revolutions per minute . at decision point 32 the subroutine checks to see if the value of a counter x equals a stored reference count , which determines the frequency of updating delpp . if so , in step 33 the subroutine resets x to zero to begin a new count and then computes delpp = alpp n - alpp n - count . if count has not yet been reached at decision point 32 , however , x is incremented at step 35 ; and step 33 is skipped . clearly , if count = 1 , then alpp n - count = alpp n - 1 . the subroutine then determines the new value of [ dir ] in a number of decision points and steps . since [ dir ] is a two valued function (&# 34 ;+&# 34 ; or &# 34 ;-&# 34 ;), it is convenient to represent it as a single bit ( 1 or 0 ) in a flag memory location . at decision point 36 , it is determined if elpp is less than zero , which corresponds to alpp being retarded with respect to dlpp . if so , [ dir ] is assigned a value corresponding to &# 34 ;+&# 34 ; in step 37 , which will advance ignition timing . if elpp is not greater than zero , the subroutine proceeds to decision point 38 , at which it is determined if delpp & gt ;= 0 , which corresponds to alpp becoming more retarded . if so , [ dir ] is unchanged from its previous value . if not , however , the subroutine reverses the value of [ dir ] by asking , at decision point 40 , if [ dir ]=&# 34 ;+&# 34 ; and changing it to [ dir ]=&# 34 ;-&# 34 ; in step 41 if the answer is yes or to [ dir ]=&# 34 ;+&# 34 ; in step 37 if the answer is no . the value of [ dir ] having been set , the subroutine next computes , in step 42 , the new trim value , trim n = trim n - 1 +[ elpp ][ delpp ][ dir ] g 2 , wherein [ elpp ] and [ delpp ] are the absolute , unsigned values of those variables and [ dir ] gives the sign to the quantity after the &# 34 ;+&# 34 ; sign and thus determines whether ignition timing is to become more or less advanced . the absolute value of elpp is proportional to the error in alpp ; and the control is thus a proportional control . in addition , the absolute value of delpp is proportional to the rate of change in alpp , since it is proportional to the amount of such change in a reference time period ( the period between successive trim determinations ). in step 43 , the old values trim n - 1 and alpp n - 1 are replaced in memory by the new values trim n and alpp n , respectively , in preparation for the next trim determination . the tables of fig3 and 7 show the sign of trim n as determined by the apparatus of this invention for the lpp / spark advance curves shown in fig2 and 6 , respectively . when examining these curves , it should be remembered that lpp is measured in degrees after top dead center ( atdc ) with larger values thus being more retarded , while spark advance is measured in degrees before top dead center ( btdc ) with larger values thus being more advanced . in the table itself , &# 34 ;+&# 34 ; and &# 34 ;-&# 34 ; refer to the sign of the indicated variable ; and &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; means &# 34 ; don &# 39 ; t care &# 34 ;. fig2 shows the &# 34 ; best behaved &# 34 ; curve , for which the prior art is adequate but which will also be adequately handled by this apparatus . the curve is well behaved because it is essentially linear throughout its range , with no significant foldover . each case represents a portion of the curve and a direction of movement along the curve as indicated in the figure . for example , cases 1 and 3 represent movement along the curve away from the mbt point below and above , respectively , dlpp . cases 2 and 4 represent movement toward mbt from below and above , respectively , dlpp . for each case , the corresponding signs of elpp and delpp lead to the indicated sign of [ dir ], which , upon examination , proves to be the desired sign for closed loop control . a slightly more difficult case is seen in the table of fig5 and curve of fig4 . the most difficult cases are numbered 7 and 8 . in a simple closed loop control of the prior art , the reversal of slope in this region below dlpp may tend to drive the spark to minimum advance and keep it there . in this apparatus , however , the overadvanced lpp causes the direction of correction in this region , as well as the other regions , to be toward mbt . the table of fig7 describes the response of the apparatus to the curve of fig6 in which dlpp cannot be attained regardless of the spark advance by a simple closed loop control ; and mbt is obtained at the maximum lpp attainable . in this environment , alpp is never overadvanced ; and the sign of [ dir ] is set in response to the direction of change in alpp and the previous sign of [ dir ] so as to seek out the maximum point of the curve , which is labeled mbt in fig6 . thus , mbt ignition timing is maintained by this apparatus in all modes of engine operation , regardless of changes in the relationship between lpp and spark timing .

US-92357786-A

an improved waterstop having the important added feature of a hydro expansive compound which expands when subjected to water . by expanding , the hydro expansive compound effectively blocks the passage of water that leaks into the gaps created during the shrinkage of the concrete surrounding the improved waterstop . all that is required are narrow strips of judiciously positioned hydro expansive compound at opposite ends of the improved waterstop .

more specifically in fig1 a waterstop of the prior art ( 10 ) is a vertical strip rather thin , ribbon like , and is inserted so that it overlaps both the first pour ( 12 ) and the second pour ( 14 ). the waterstop of the prior art ( 10 ) suffers from the fact that pvc doesn &# 39 ; t adhere to concrete ( 50 ) and that over time , such as with twenty years of aging , there is a loss in plasticizer as well as a migration and segregation of internal components and shrinkage of both the pvc waterstop and the concrete ( 50 ). this shrinkage creates an empty space ( 16 ) which results in water ( 18 ) infiltrating alongside the waterstop of the prior art ( 10 ) which renders it useless . more specifically in fig2 there are many variations in the design of waterstops of the prior art ( 10 ). they are all thin compared to their height and have small ridges ( 20 ) protruding from both sides along the height of the waterstop ( 10 ), also , all have a round hollow core ( 22 ) halfway across the height of the waterstop ( 10 ). more specifically in fig3 an improved waterstop ( 24 ), appearing at first glance to be shaped like the waterstop of the prior art ( 10 ), that is ribbon like , will not allow water to infiltrate because of an expansion strip ( 28 ) which fills the empty space ( 16 ). this expansion strip ( 28 ) can be positioned by two different methods , either it is bonded to the improved waterstop ( 24 ) by use of an adhesive or it is bonded by the process of co - extrusion where the hydro expansive compound of the expansion strip ( 28 ) is conjoined with the rest of the improved waterstop ( 24 ) while both are still in a soft state . although the expansion strips ( 28 ) appear as rectangles in the accompanying drawings , they can be shaped differently such as with rounded or beveled edges . more specifically in fig4 a , the improved waterstop ( 24 ) has ribs ( 30 ) extending perpendicularly from both of its sides and has an oval core ( 26 ) situated halfway along its heigth . in this figure , the expansion strip ( 28 ) is dry . when first installed , it is important that the improved waterstop ( 24 ) be inserted in the fresh concrete ( 50 ) halfway between two pairs of little horns ( 32 ) situated proximal and on each side of the oval core ( 26 ). improper positioning of the improved waterstop ( 24 ) can void warranty . also , care must be taken with the kind of concrete ( 50 ) used , it should be 25 mpa in density and use a 24 . 5 mm diameter head on a vibrator operating at 200 hz and positioned vertically no closer than 15 cm from the improved waterstop ( 24 ), otherwise , an improper vibrator can cause a resonance again the improved waterstop ( 24 ) which could result in porosity around the improved waterstop ( 24 ). when properly done , air bubbles are removed from the concrete ( 50 ) and a proper curing can occur . more specifically in fig4 b , the same improved waterstop ( 24 ) but with its expansion strip ( 28 ) wet . the volume of the expansion strip ( 28 ) increases so that it can block any gaps between the improved waterstop ( 24 ) and the concrete pours ( 12 , 14 , of fig2 ). seasonal variations can also affect concrete ( 50 ). it is well known that cold temperatures can shrink many materials , including concrete ( 50 ) and pvc . counterintuitively , water flow is generally stopped in cold temperature even with waterstop of the prior art ( 10 ) since , as is the case with the improved waterstop ( 24 ), the traction of concrete ( 50 ) along the height of the improved waterstop ( 24 ) stretches it somewhat . the ribs ( 30 ) act as anchors and actually stretch the improved waterstop ( 24 ) so that the ribs ( 30 ), or the small ridges ( 20 ) as for the waterstop of the prior art ( 10 ), actually make contact with the concrete ( 50 ) and can stop or slow down the infiltration of water . the stretching of the improved waterstop ( 24 ) is aided by the oval core ( 26 ) which flattens as it stretches . the oval shape which is longer in the direction of stretching favors stretching in that direction , more so than the round hollow cores ( 22 ) of waterstops of the prior art ( 10 ). during warm periods , the concrete ( 50 ) and improved waterstop ( 24 ) expand and release tension and water can circulate until the expansion strip ( 28 ) stops it . because the exansion strip ( 28 ) absorbs water slowly and therefore expands slowly , it doesn &# 39 ; t have much time for expansion during the curing process . however , once the concrete ( 50 ) has dried , cured and has begun to shrink and water starts leaking , it may allow minute amounts of water to pass as it begins to expand but after some time , water will be stopped completely . also , the expansion strip ( 28 ) will also retain their expansion for a long time as the moisture inside concrete ( 50 ) will remain for a long time . the expansion strip ( 28 ) will practically never have time to fully shrink but will rather stay relatively expanded so that when there is a second passage of water , it will be more quickly blocked . typically the hydro expansive compound will take 24 hours to expand 110 - 350 % in volume , 72 hours for 230 - 550 % and after 28 days , 600 %. therefore , all depending upon the void that needs to be filled , and the flow rate , it will take more or less time to block the passage of water . more specifically in fig5 each extemity of the improved waterstop ( 24 ) is terminated by a circular bulb ( 34 ) as seen more clearly in fig4 a b , 6 and 7 , the roundness , as opposed to a square edged end as found in the waterstops of the prior art ( 10 ) reduces the incidence of the creation of a fissure ( 36 ) at this location , as described in publication & lt ;& lt ; concrete international , april 1991 & gt ;& gt ; ( in reference ), this fissure is caused when a force is exerted on a wall before it had time to cure , i . e . 7 days after pouring concrete has generally reached about 70 % of its mpa and is therefore still sensitive to stress . should pressure , tension or stress be applied to the concrete prior to 7 days , the probability of having a fissure ( 36 ) at this location is much lower when using of a circular bulb ( 34 ) as opposed to a square edged end as with a waterstop of the prior art ( 10 ). more specifically in fig6 another way of limiting the creation of a 2 nd set of fissures ( 38 ) is by the judicious positioning of the expansion strip ( 28 ). since a pressure of less than 60 lbs / square inch can be created against the concrete ( 50 ) by the expansion of the expansion strip ( 28 ), this pressure can create a 2 nd set of fissures ( 38 ) if the expansion strip ( 28 ) would be placed too close to the junction between the first pour ( 12 ) and the second pour ( 14 ), as is seen with a fictional waterstop ( not reallly the improved waterstop ( 24 )) having too short a distance to the joint . therefore , a minimal distance is recommended which has to be above the 20 mm zone of higher risk of porosity previously described in the background of the invention . ideally it should be between 38 mm and 59 mm above and below the oval core ( 26 ). also , the improved waterstop ( 24 ) should have its expansion strip ( 28 ) no closer than 70 mm from the edge of the wall it is expanding toward . the range in distance of the expansion strip ( 28 ) is in relation with the overall height of the improved waterstops ( 24 ) which varies between 110 mm and 178 mm . the thickness of the improved waterstops ( 24 ) is also proportional , varying between 4 mm and 6 mm and finally , the thickness of the expansion strip ( 28 ) also varies between 2 mm to 6 mm when dry . the larger size improved waterstops ( 24 ) is for use where water pressure is higher . the variety in choices allows for the use of the proper improved waterstop ( 24 ) for a particular need . more specifically in fig7 to counteract the less than 60 pound / sq in . pressure , the opposite side ( 40 ) of the expandable strip ( 28 ) is convex to distribute the load over a larger area , it also acts as additional support to eliminate the risk of deformation of the improved waterstop ( 24 ) and , finaly , also serves as additional anchoring means , like the ribs ( 30 ) descibed above . when a length of improved waterstop ( 24 ) comes to an end , a second strip of improved waterstop ( 24 ) begins and a joining element ( 42 ) is mated to the two ends of the improved waterstop ( 24 ) by using a fast drying adhesive . the joining element ( 42 ) is configured and sized to complement the shape of the improved waterstops ( 24 ) in order to insure proper bonding . the fact that the joining element ( 42 ) overlaps the junction point between the two lengths of improved waterstops ( 24 ) provides an excellent protection against the passage of water even if there is a gap at the junction . the junction point of waterstops of the prior art ( 10 ) is simply done by heat welding the two ends of the waterstops ( 10 ) and does not benefit from the added sealing capabilities of an overlapping joining element ( 42 ).

US-37880803-A

it is an object of the invention to provide a technique in a power tool having a detachable bit holder for preventing a bit holder from being detached from the tool body even if unexpected external force is exerted on an operating member for lock release . a representative power tool includes a tool body , a single holder mounting portion . the holder mounting portion removably holds a bit holder selected from multiple kinds of bit holders for holding multiple kinds of tool bits in different manners . each bit holder includes a cylindrical portion , a through hole formed through the cylindrical portion , an engaging member disposed within the through hole , a cylindrical operating member axially movably fitted on the cylindrical portion between a movement prevented position and a movement allowed position . the operating member is moved to the tool body side in order to be switched from the movement prevented position to the movement allowed position so that the holder mounting portion is allowed to be pulled out of the fitting hole .

each of the additional features and method steps disclosed above and below may be utilized separately or in conjunction with other features and method steps to provide and manufacture improved power tools and method for using such power tools and devices utilized therein . representative examples of the present invention , which examples utilized many of these additional features and method steps in conjunction , will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings . this detailed description is merely intended to teach a person skilled in the art further details for practicing preferred aspects of the present teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention . only the claims define the scope of the claimed invention . therefore , combinations of features and steps disclosed within the following detailed description may not be necessary to practice the invention in the broadest sense , and are instead taught merely to particularly describe some representative examples of the invention , which detailed description will now be given with reference to the accompanying drawings . a representative embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig1 to 7 . fig1 is a side view , partly in section , showing an entire electric hammer drill 101 as a representative embodiment of the power tool according to the present invention . in fig1 , a hammer chuck 151 ( hereinafter referred to as a first chuck ) for holding a drill bit 119 for hammer drilling is shown attached to the hammer drill . fig2 is a sectional view showing the first chuck 151 in the attached state . fig3 is a sectional view showing a position of attachment and detachment of the first chuck 151 , fig4 is a sectional view showing the first chuck 151 in the detached state . fig5 is a sectional view showing the first chuck 151 when the drill bit is attached to or detached from the first chuck . further , fig6 and 7 are sectional views showing a drill chuck 251 ( hereinafter referred to as a second chuck ) for holding a drill bit 219 for vibration drilling . fig6 shows the second chuck 251 , instead of the first chuck 151 , attached to the hammer drill 101 . fig7 shows the second chuck 251 in the detached state . the construction of the hammer drill 101 according to this embodiment will now be explained with reference to fig1 . the hammer drill 101 includes a body 103 , the drill bit 119 for hammer drilling which is detachably coupled to the tip end region ( on the front end side ) of the body 103 via the first chuck 151 , and a handgrip 109 that is provided on the rear end side of the body 103 or on the side opposite to the drill bit 119 . the drill bit 119 is held by the first chuck 151 such that it is allowed to move with respect to the first chuck 151 in its axial direction and prevented from rotating with respect to the first chuck in its circumferential direction . the drill bit 119 and the first chuck 151 are features that correspond to the “ tool bit ” and the “ bit holder ”, respectively , according to the present invention . in the present embodiment , for the sake of convenience of explanation , the side of the drill bit 119 is taken as the front side and the side of the handgrip 109 as the rear side . the body 103 includes a motor housing 105 that houses a driving motor 111 , and a gear housing 107 that houses a motion converting mechanism 113 , a striking mechanism 115 and a power transmitting mechanism 117 . the motion converting mechanism 113 is adapted to appropriately convert the rotating output of the driving motor 111 to linear motion and then to transmit it to the striking mechanism 115 . as a result , an impact force is generated in the axial direction of the drill bit 119 via the striking mechanism 115 . further , the seed of the rotating output of the driving motor 111 is appropriately reduced by the power transmitting mechanism 117 and then transmitted to the drill bit 19 . as a result , the drill bit 119 is caused to rotate in the circumferential direction . the driving motor 111 is driven when a trigger 109 a on the handgrip 109 is depressed . the motion converting mechanism 113 , the striking mechanism 115 and the power transmitting mechanism 117 are known in the art , and therefore will be only briefly explained . the motion converting mechanism 131 includes a driven gear 123 that is rotated in a horizontal plane by the driving motor 111 , a crank plate 125 , a crank arm 127 and a driving element in the form of a piston 129 . the crank plate 125 , the crank arm 127 and the piston 129 form a crank mechanism . the piston 129 is slidably disposed within a cylinder ( not shown ) and reciprocates within the cylinder bore when the driving motor 111 is driven . the striking mechanism 115 includes a striker 143 and an impact bolt 145 . the striker 143 is slidably disposed within the bore of the cylinder . the impact bolt 145 is slidably disposed within the tool holder 137 and serves as an intermediate element to transit the kinetic energy of the striker 143 to the drill bit 119 . an air chamber is formed within the cylinder and partitioned by the radial wall surface of the cylinder , the piston 129 and the striker 143 . the striker 143 is linearly driven via the action of an air spring of the air chamber which is caused by sliding movement of the piston 129 . the striker 143 then collides with ( strikes ) the impact bolt 145 and transmits the so force to the drill bit 119 via the impact bolt 145 . the power transmitting mechanism 117 includes a transmission gear 131 that is driven to rotate in a horizontal plane by the driving motor 111 , a small bevel gear 133 that is caused to rotate in a horizontal plane together with the transmission gear 131 , a large bevel gear 135 that engages with the small bevel gear 133 , and a tool holder 137 that is caused to rotate in a vertical plane together with the large bevel gear 135 . the rotational driving force of the tool holder 137 is transmitted to the first chuck 151 mounted on the tip end of the tool holder 137 and to the drill bit 119 held by the first chuck 151 . in the hammer drill 101 thus constructed , when the trigger 109 a is depressed by the user and the driving motor 111 is driven , the piston 129 is caused to linearly slide along the cylinder via the motion converting mechanism 113 that is mainly comprised of the crank mechanism . as a result , the striker 143 reciprocates within the cylinder by the action of the air spring function which is caused within the air chamber by the sliding movement of the piston 129 . the kinetic energy of the striker 143 which is caused by the collision with the impact bolt 145 is transmitted to the drill bit 119 . meanwhile , the rotating output of the driving motor 111 is transmitted to the tool holder 137 via the power transmitting mechanism 117 . as a result the tool holder 137 is driven to rotate in a vertical plane , and the drill bit 119 is rotated together with the first chuck 151 attached to the tool holder 137 . thus , the drill bit 119 performs a drilling operation on a workpiece ( e . g . concrete ) by the hammering movement in the axial direction and the drilling movement in the circumferential direction . the hammer drill 101 can be switched not only to the above - mentioned hammer drill mode in which the drill bit 119 is caused to perform both the hammering movement in the axial direction and the drilling movement in the circumferential direction , but to drill mode in which the drill bit 1119 is caused to perform only the drilling movement or to hammer mode in which the drill bit 119 is caused to perform only the hammering movement . a mode switching mechanism is not directly related to the present invention and therefore will not be described . the first chuck 151 will now be explained with reference to fig2 to 5 . the first chuck 151 includes a cylindrical chuck body 153 , a plurality of steel balls 155 and a tool sleeve 157 . the chuck body 153 has a bit insertion hole 153 a having a circular section into which the drill bit 119 is removably inserted . the steel balls 155 serve to prevent or allow removal of the drill bit 119 from the bit insertion hole 153 a . the tool sleeve 157 serves to switch the steel balls 155 between a bit removal prevented position and a bit removal allowed position . a plurality of slots 153 b are formed in the chuck body 153 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction and extend in the axial direction of the chuck body 153 . the steel balls 155 are disposed in the slots 153 b . the steel balls 155 can move in the axial direction within the associated slots 153 b and can be displaced in the radial direction of the chuck body 153 . the tool sleeve 157 is fitted on the chuck body 153 such that it can move in the axial direction . a control ring 159 is disposed on the inner periphery of the tool sleeve 157 and prevents radially outward displacement of the steel balls 155 . further , a control plate 161 is disposed on the rear side of the control zing 159 . the control plate 161 can move in the axial direction of the tool sleeve 157 with respect to the tool sleeve 157 . the control plate 161 is pressed against the rear surface of the control ring 159 by a biasing spring 163 disposed between the control plate 161 and the chuck body 153 . the biasing force of the biasing spring 163 acts as a force of pressing the tool sleeve 157 forward . therefore , the front end of the tool sleeve 157 contacts a cap 165 attached to the front end of the chuck body 153 , so that the tool sleeve 157 holds the steel balls 155 in the bit removal prevented position . in order to attach or detach the drill bit 119 with respect to the first chuck 151 , the user grasps the tool sleeve 157 and moves the tool sleeve 157 rearward against the biasing force of the biasing spring 163 . in this state , the drill bit 119 is allowed to be attached or detached . this state is shown in fig5 . when the user moves the tool sleeve 157 rearward , the steel balls 155 are released from the control ring 159 and allowed to move radially outward . in this state , when the drill bit 119 is inserted into the bit insertion hole 153 a , the steel balls 155 are pressed by the end of the drill bit 119 and once moved radially outward . thereafter , the steel balls 155 engage with engagement grooves 119 a formed in the outer periphery of the shank of the drill bit 119 . in this state , when the user releases the tool sleeve 157 , the tool sleeve 157 is moved forward by the biasing force of the biasing spring 163 , and the control ring 159 holds the steel balls 155 engaged with the associated engagement grooves 119 a . thus , the drill bit 119 is prevented from slipping out . the engagement groves 119 a of the drill bit 119 extend to a predetermined length in the axial direction . therefore , the drill bit 119 is allowed to move a predetermined distance in the axial direction with respect to the chuck body 153 . further , when the drill bit 119 is pulled forward in the state in which the tool sleeve 157 is moved rearward , the drill bit 119 can be detached from the first chuck 151 while pushing the steel balls 155 radially outward . further , a plurality of radially protruding torque transmitting parts in the form of protrusions 153 c are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the bit insertion hole 153 a of the chuck body 153 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction . the torque transmitting protrusions 153 c extend to a predetermined length in the axial direction of the chuck body 153 . torque transmission grooves 119 b are formed in the outer periphery of the shank of the drill bit 119 and engage with the protrusions 153 c when the drill bit 119 is inserted into the bit insertion hole 153 a . in this engagement , the rotating force of the chuck body 153 is transmitted to the drill bit 119 . further , each of the torque transmission grooves 119 b is open at its shank end such that the drill bit 119 is positioned in the circumferential direction when the drill bit 119 is inserted into the bit insertion hole 153 a . thus , the drill bit 119 is held by the first chuck 151 such that it is allowed to move in its axial direction . a structure for removably attaching the first chuck 151 to the tool holder 137 will now be explained . a chuck mounting part 139 is formed on the tip end portion ( front end portion ) of the tool holder 137 . a spline shaft 139 a and engagement recesses 139 b are formed in the outer peripheral surface of the chuck mounting part 139 . the chuck mounting part 139 is a feature that corresponds to the “ holder mounting portion ” according to this invention . the first chuck 151 has a cylindrical mounting portion 167 integrally formed on the rear end of the chuck body 153 such that the first chuck 151 is removably attached to the chuck mounting part 139 . the cylindrical mounting portion 167 is a feature that corresponds to the “ cylindrical portion ” according to this invention . the cylindrical mounting portion 167 has a spline hole 167 b and a plurality of locking steel balls 169 . the spline hole 167 b can be fitted onto the spline shaft 139 a of the chuck mounting portion 139 and can be pulled out . the steel balls 169 can engage with the engagement recesses 139 b of the chuck mounting part 139 and thereby serve to prevent the cylindrical mounting portion 167 from slipping out in the axial direction . the chuck body 153 can be rotated together with the tool holder 137 by spline engagement of the cylindrical mounting portion 167 with the chuck mounting portion 139 . the steel balls 169 and the spline hole 167 b are features that correspond to the “ engaging member ” and the “ fitting hole ”, respectively , according to this invention . a plurality of through holes 167 a are formed in the cylindrical mounting portion 167 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical mounting portion 167 and extend radially through the cylindrical mounting portion 167 . the steel balls 169 are radially movably disposed in the trough holes 167 a . the steel balls 169 can move between an engagement position in which the steel balls engage with the engagement recesses 139 b of the chuck mounting part 139 and a disengagement position in which such engagement is released . the engagement position and the disengagement position of the steel balls 169 are features that correspond to the “ locked position ” and the “ lock released position ”, respectively , according to this invention . a lock releasing slide sleeve 171 is fitted on the cylindrical mounting portion 167 and is manually operated by the user . the slide sleeve 171 is a feature that corresponds to the “ operating member ” according to this invention . the slide sleeve 171 can be moved in the axial direction of the chuck body 153 ( the axial direction of the drill bit 119 ). a lock ring 173 is mounted to the slide sleeve 171 such that it can move together with the slide sleeve 171 . the lock ring 173 locks the steel balls 169 in the engagement position when the lock ring 173 is located on the outer side of the steel balls 169 , while the lock ring 173 releases the lock of the steel balls 169 when the lock ring 173 is moved rearward away from the steel balls 169 . the lock ring 173 is a feature that corresponds to the “ movement control region ” according to this invention . the slide sleeve 171 is biased forward ( to the drill bit 119 side ) by a compression coil spring 175 . the compression coil spring 175 is a feature that corresponds to the “ biasing member ” according to this invention . the compression coil spring 175 is disposed on the outside of the lock ring 173 and between a spring receiving ring 177 fixed to the cylindrical mounting portion 167 and a spring receiving ring 179 fixed to the slide sleeve 171 . the slide sleeve 171 is pushed forward by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 175 and contacts a stopper 167 c that is formed on the outer diameter side of the cylindrical mounting portion 167 . thus , the end of the forward movement of the slide sleeve 171 is defined by such contact with the stopper 167 c . when the slide sleeve 171 is placed in the forward position , the lock ring 173 is located on the outer side of the steel balls 169 and prevents the steel balls 169 from moving radially outward . when the slide sleeve 171 is moved rearward ( to the body 103 side ) against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 175 , the lock ring 173 is moved away from the steel balls 169 and allows the steel balls 169 to move radially outward . the forward position and the rearward position of the slide sleeve 171 are features that correspond to the “ movement prevented position ” and the “ movement allowed position ”, respectively , according to this invention . operation of attaching and detaching the first chuck 151 having the above - mentioned construction with respect to the chuck mounting portion 139 will now be explained . as shown in fig4 , in the state in which the first chuck 151 is detached from the chuck mounting portion 139 , the slide sleeve 171 is pushed forward by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 175 and placed in the forward position defined by the stopper 167 c . further , the lock ring 173 is located on the outer - side position to prevent movement of the steel balls 169 , so that the steel balls 169 protrude to the spline hole 167 b side . in this state , in order to attach the first chuck 151 to the chuck mounting portion 139 , with the slide sleeve 171 in the hand , the user linearly moves the slide sleeve 171 toward the body 103 and fits the spline hole 167 a of the cylindrical mounting portion 167 of the chuck body 153 onto the spline shaft 139 a of the chuck mounting portion 139 . during this process , the steel balls 169 contact the shank end ( the front end ) of the spline shaft 139 a and thereby prevents the cylindrical mounting portion 167 from moving rearward to the body 103 side . this state is shown in fig3 . in this state of contact when the user applies a force to the slide sleeve 171 in order to further move the slide sleeve 171 rearward , the slide sleeve 171 and the lock ring 173 are moved rearward while compressing the compression coil spring 175 . thus , the lock ring 173 is moved rearward from the outer - side position on the outer side of the steel balls 169 and allows the steel balls 169 to move radially outward within the associated through holes 167 a . therefore , the steel balls 169 move onto the outer diameter part of the spline shaft 139 a over the shank end of the spline shaft 139 a , so that the cylindrical mounting portion 167 is allowed to move . in this state , when the cylindrical mounting portion 167 is moved to a predetermined rearward position , the spline hole 167 b is fitted onto the spline shaft 139 a , and the steel balls 169 engage with the associated engagement recesses 139 b . in this state , when the force exerted upon the slide sleeve 171 is released , the slide sleeve 171 is moved to the forward position by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 175 , and the lock ring 173 is placed on the outer side of the steel balls 169 . thus , the steel balls 169 are locked in engagement with the engagement recesses 139 b . as mentioned above , the user can easily attach the first chuck 153 to the chuck mounting portion 139 by only one action of linearly moving the slide sleeve 171 toward the body 103 , with the slide sleeve 171 in the hand , in such a manner as to fit the spline hole 167 b of the cylindrical mounting portion 167 onto the spline shaft 139 a of the chuck mounting portion 139 . the relative positions of the engagement recesses 139 b and the steel balls 169 in the circumferential direction may be marked on the body 103 and the first chuck 151 , respectively . such marking facilitates positioning the first chuck 151 with respect to the body 103 in the circumferential direction when the user attaches the first chuck 151 to the chuck mounting portion 139 . in order to detach the first chuck 151 from the chuck mounting portion 139 , the user grasps the slide sleeve 171 and moves it rearward ( to the body 103 side ). thus the locking 173 is also moved rearward so that the lock of the steel balls 169 is released . therefore , while keeping this state ( the relative positional relationship ), the user moves the chuck body 153 forward , or substantially holds the tool sleeve 157 and moves it forward , so that the cylindrical mounting portion 167 is slipped off the chuck mounting portion 139 . thus , according to this embodiment , the first chuck 151 can be detached from the chuck mounting portion 139 with ease of operation by one hand . according to this embodiment , the steel balls 169 are disengaged thorn the engagement recesses 139 b when the lock ring 173 is moved rearward together with the slide sleeve 171 . in other words , the lock of the steel balls 169 is released when the slide sleeve 171 is moved toward the body 103 . therefore , during operation using the hammer drill 101 , even if an external force is exerted by some chance on the slide sleeve 171 in the direction of moving the slide sleeve 171 away from the body 103 , the slide sleeve 171 and the lock ring 173 are prevented from moving in such direction and held in the locked position . thus , the lock of the steel balls 169 is not released , so that the first chuck 151 never becomes detached from the chuck mounting portion 139 . further , even if an external force is exerted by some chance on the slide sleeve 171 in the direction of moving the slide sleeve 171 toward the body 103 and causes the slide sleeve 171 and the lock ring 173 to move toward the body 103 , the first chuck 151 never becomes detached from the chuck mounting portion 139 , because the direction of such movement of the slide sleeve 171 is opposite to the direction of detachment of the first chuck 151 from the chuck mounting portion 139 . when released from such external force , the slide sleeve 171 and the lock ring 173 are returned to the original ford position by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 175 . thus , the steel balls 169 can be locked . therefore , according to this embodiment , unless the user operates the slide sleeve 171 with the intention of detaching the first chuck 151 from the chuck mounting portion 139 , the first chuck 151 can be held attached to the chuck mounting portion 139 . next , the construction of a second chuck 251 which can be attached , instead of the first chuck 151 , to the chuck mounting portion 139 will now be explained with reference to fig6 and 7 . the second chuck 251 is a claw chuck of the type which holds a drill bit 219 for vibration drills such that the drill bit 219 is prevented from moving in the axial direction and rotating on its axis with respect to the second chuck 251 . the drill bit 219 for vibration drills and the second chuck 251 are features that correspond to the “ tool bit ” and the “ bit holder ”, respectively , according to this invention . the second chuck 251 includes a chuck body 253 . the chuck body 253 has a bit insertion hole having a circular section into which the drill bit 219 is inserted , and a plurality of ( e . g . this ) holding claws 255 for holding the drill bit 219 inserted into the bit insertion hole . the holding claws 255 can be opened and closed by turning an adjusting ring 257 that is rotatably fitted on the chuck body 253 . such opening and closing of the holding claws 255 allow attachment and detachment of the drill bit 219 . a cylindrical chuck holder 267 is coaxially connected to the rear end of the chuck body 253 via a fastening bolt 268 . as an alternative to this construction of this embodiment , the chuck body 253 and the chuck holder 267 may be integrally formed with each other . the chuck holder 267 is a feature that corresponds to the “ cylindrical portion ” according to this invention . the chuck holder 267 corresponds to the above - described cylindrical mounting portion 167 of the first chuck 151 and can be removably mounted on the chuck mounting part 139 of the tool holder 137 . the mounting structure of the chuck holder 267 is exactly the same as in the case of the first chuck 151 . specifically , the chuck holder 267 has a spline hole 267 b and a plurality of steel balls 269 . the spline hole 267 b can be fitted onto the spline shaft 139 a of the chuck mounting portion 139 . the steel balls 269 engage with the engagement recesses 139 b of the chuck mounting part 139 when the chuck holder 267 is splint fitted on the chuck mounting part 139 . the spline hole 267 b and the steel balls 269 are features that correspond to the “ fitting hole ” and the engaging member ”, respectively , according to this invention . a plurality of through holes 267 a are formed in the chuck holder 267 and extend radially through the chuck holder 267 . the steel balls 269 are disposed in the through holes 267 a and can move between an engagement position in which the steel balls engage with the engagement recesses 139 b of the chuck mounting part 139 and a disengagement position in which such engagement is released . the engagement position and the disengagement position of the steel balls 269 are features that correspond to the “ locked position ” and the “ lock released position ”, respectively , according to this invention . a lock releasing slide sleeve 271 is designed to be manually operated by the user and fitted on the chuck holder 267 such that the slide sleeve 271 can be moved in the axial direction of the chuck holder 267 . a lock ring 273 is mounted to the slide sleeve 271 such that it can move together with the slide sleeve 271 . the slide sleeve 271 and the lock ring 273 are features that correspond to the “ operating member ” and the “ movement control region ”, respectively , according to this invention . the lock ring 273 locks the steel balls 269 in the engagement position when the lock ring 273 is located on the outer side of the steel balls 269 , while the lock ring 273 releases the lock when the lock ring 273 is moved rearward away from the steel balls 269 . the slide sleeve 271 is biased forward ( to the drill bit 219 side ) by a compression coil spring 275 . the compression coil spring 275 is a feature that corresponds to the “ biasing member ” according to this invention . the compression coil spring 275 is disposed between a spring receiving ring 277 fixed to the chuck holder 267 and a spring receiving ring 279 fixed to the slide sleeve 271 . a stopper 267 c is formed on the chuck holder 267 and defines the end of the forward movement of the slide sleeve 271 by contact with the slide sleeve 271 which is biased forward by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 275 . when the slide sleeve 271 is placed in the forward position , the lock ring 273 is located on the outer side of the steel balls 269 and prevents the steel balls 269 from moving radially outward when the slide sleeve 271 is moved rearward ( to the body 103 side ) against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 275 , the lock ring 273 is moved away from the steel balls 269 and allows the steel balls 269 to move radially outward . the forward position and the rearward position of the slide sleeve 271 are features that correspond to the “ movement prevented position ” and the “ movement allowed position ”, respectively , according to this invention . fig6 shows the state in which the second chuck 251 , instead of the first chuck 151 , is attached to the chuck mounting portion 139 of the hammer drill 101 . in this state , as shown , a bore bottom 267 d of the chuck holder 267 is opposed to the tip end ( front end ) of the impact bolt 145 and can contact it . therefore , when the drilling operation using the drill bit 219 for vibration drills is performed in hammer drill mode by rotation and striking movement of the drill bit 219 , the striking force of the impact bolt 145 is transmitted from the impact bolt 145 to the drill bit 219 via the chuck holder 267 and the chuck body 253 . the second chuck 251 is attached to the chuck mounting portion 139 in exactly the same manner as the first chuck 151 . further , fig7 shows the state in which the second chuck 251 is detached from the chuck mounting portion 139 , and the manner of the detachment is also exactly the same as that of the first chuck 151 . therefore , the second chuck 251 is attached to and detached from the chuck mounting portion 139 in the same manner as the first chuck 151 . specifically , the user can easily attach and detach the second chuck 251 with respect to the chuck mounting portion 139 by grasping the slide sleeve 271 or grasping the slide sleeve 271 and the chuck body 253 and linearly moving the second chuck 251 in the axial direction . further , during operation with the second chuck 251 attached to the chuck mounting portion 139 , when an external force is exerted by some chance on the slide sleeve 271 in the direction of moving the slide sleeve 271 away from the body 103 , or when an external force is exerted by some chance on the slide sleeve 271 in the direction of moving the slide sleeve 271 toward the body 103 and causes the slide sleeve 271 and the lock ring 273 to move toward the body 103 , in either case , like the first chuck 151 , the second chuck 251 can be prevented from becoming detached from the chuck mounting portion 139 . further , in this embodiment , the hammer drill 101 is described as an example of the power tool , but the invention may be applied to a hammer which performs a hammering operation by linear striking movement of the tool bit .

US-71300407-A

a degassing and grain refinement system for a cast aluminum - based component and a method of achieving both hydrogen gas presence reduction and grain size reduction in a cast aluminum - based component . ultrasonic vibrations are imparted to both the liquid metal travel path from its source to the mold to achieve the reduction in hydrogen gas in the molten metal , as well as to one or more locations within the mold to achieve relatively small and equiaxed grains in the component upon solidification .

referring first to fig1 , a simplified view of a four - cylinder automotive internal combustion engine block 100 with cylinder bores ( also referred to herein as “ engine bores ” or more simply , “ bores ”) 105 is shown . in addition to the bores , and depending on the engine configuration , the block 100 includes portions for — among other things — a crankcase 110 , crankshaft bearing 120 , camshaft bearing 130 ( in the case of engines with overhead valves and pushrods ), water cooling jackets 140 , flywheel housing 150 and cylinder bores 160 may be defined by the cavity . although not shown , a cylinder head is secured ( such as by bolting ) to the top of the engine block 100 and defines ( among other things ) generally cylindrical - shaped dome - like regions that align with the cylinder bores 105 discussed above so that combustion chambers that are populated with pistons , spark plugs and valves ( none of which are shown ) may affect the combustion process and consequent propulsive power . as will be discussed in more detail below , the present invention may be used to provide localized enhancement of material structural properties for the bearings 120 , 130 and other surfaces that are expected to bear significant static or dynamic loads . referring next to fig2 a and 2b , the fluid cooperation between the upstream molten metal conveyance assembly 200 and downstream casting assembly with gravity pouring 300 is shown . the aluminum - based material is first melted in a furnace 210 and then forced through the molten metal conveyance assembly 200 by a pump ( such as an electromagnetic pump , mechanical pump or other pump as known in the art ) 220 . the molten metal conveyance assembly 200 includes various fluid channels , including launder tube 230 , ladle 240 and pour basin 250 ( shown notionally as an offset basin , but equally applicable to conical or other shapes ). the casting assembly 300 includes a sprue 310 that accepts the molten metal ( or melt ) 400 from the ladle 240 and pour basin 250 . from the sprue 310 , the molten metal 400 collects in a fill cap or well 320 and then into a generally horizontal runner 330 ( for low pressure casting operations such as sand casting ) or a shot sleeve ( not shown , for high pressure die casting operations ). the mold 340 may include a cope 350 and drag 360 as corresponding upper and lower halves of a separable structure , although other variants ( such as those used to make an engine block or cylinder head as known in the art ) may also be used for mold 340 . generally horizontal ingates 370 are used to fluidly couple the runner 330 to one or both of the cope 350 and drag in order to deliver the molten metal 400 to the internal cavity that defines the shape of the component being fabricated . an additional riser 380 ( also called a feeder ) may be placed in the uppermost portion of the mold 340 to be used for optional additional feed to compensate for solidification shrinkage . the ultrasonic vibration imparting apparatus 500 includes numerous discretely - placed vibration exciters or actuators such as probes , transducers , or the like . in an alternate embodiment , the vibrations from the ultrasonic vibration imparting apparatus 500 may be imparted by a magneto - hydrodynamic stifling mechanism such as a magnet - based electromagnetic coil or the like . furthermore , in situations where the ultrasonic probes , transducers or coils are placed in locations where they would be exposed to very high temperature environments such as the casting mold , they may further include cooling mechanisms ( such as by forced water cooling ). in one form as shown with particularity in fig2 a , the actuators of the ultrasonic vibration imparting apparatus 500 are spaced along the axial length of the launder tube 230 , although additional placement adjacent one or both of the ladle 240 and pour basin 250 or in the sprue 310 ( as shown with particularity in fig2 b ) or runner 330 are also preferable , as is around any other region between the launder tube 230 and the mold 340 ( as notionally shown in fig2 b ) where molten metal 400 degassing may be required . by applying ultrasonic vibrations of a certain minimum intensity ( for example , with an acoustic intensity of 10 w / cm 2 at 60 % amplitude and a frequency of 20 khz ) to the molten metal 400 that is traversing the launder tube 230 , ladle 240 , pour basin 250 and sprue 310 , the residual hydrogen that is present in the molten metal 400 may — through concomitant agitation — bubbles up to the surface in a continuous degassing motion over the travel path length that is defined by the portion of the molten metal conveyance assembly 200 that is in vibratory cooperation with the ultrasonic vibration imparting apparatus 500 . referring next to fig3 a through 3c , the results of a degassing operation on an aluminum - based alloy sample is shown . in particular , fig3 a shows significant dark areas ( porosity ) that are present when the metal in molten form is not subjected to any form of ultrasonic vibrations , while fig3 b and 3c show successively smaller amounts of porosity when the molten metal is subjected to ultrasonic vibrations for 15 seconds at 750 ° c . temperature ( fig3 b ) and 34 seconds at 750 ° c . temperature ( fig3 c ). referring next to fig4 and 5 , two notional placements of the ultrasonic vibration imparting apparatus 500 by an engine block ( fig4 ) and a cylinder head ( fig5 ) are shown . with particular regard to fig4 , portions of a v - shaped block 600 are shown . other than having a pair of generally angled banks with which to define cylinder bores ( and possibly a greater number of such bores ), block 600 is of similar construction to block 100 discussed above , and includes a bulkhead area 610 that may correspond to the longitudinal front or back of the block 600 to house bearings similar to bearings 120 , 130 of block 100 . the ultrasonic vibration imparting apparatus 500 ( shown presently in the form of an electromagnetic coil ) may be placed adjacent the portion that is in need of additional surface hardening through grain refinement ( such as the bearings 120 , 130 mentioned above ). as discussed above , the present inventors have discovered that applying ultrasonic vibrations in conjunction with a localized chill 700 significantly reduces grain size , as well as the tendency to grow in a columnar fashion . as shown with particularity in fig5 , the ultrasonic vibration imparting apparatus 500 may also be placed within the dome region of the cylinder head 800 . cooling used to affect rapid solidification ( and the preferred equiaxial grain structure ) may be achieved by routing chilled water or a related coolant to and from the probe or transducer ( as shown by the arrows ). referring next to fig6 a through 6c , the results of a grain refinement operation on an aluminum - based alloy sample is shown . in particular , fig6 a shows significant porosity and a relatively large grain structure when the metal is solidified without being subjected to any form of ultrasonic vibrations , while fig6 b and 6c show successively smaller ( i . e ., finer ) grain sizes when the molten metal is subjected to ultrasonic vibrations for 15 seconds at 750 ° c . temperature ( fig6 b ) and 34 seconds at 750 ° c . temperature ( fig6 c ) just prior to solidification . significantly , both the porosity reductions of fig3 b and 3c , as well as the grain size reduction and omnidirectional patterns of fig6 b and 6c are achieved without recourse to additives such as grain - refining agents or degassing additives . moreover , such results are achieved without the need for complex degassing equipment . in the present context , each of the parts that make up the conveyance assembly 200 are shown as separate , discrete components . nevertheless , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the various functional attributes of these components ( including , the launder tube 230 , ladle 240 and pour basin 250 ) may be subsumed into larger , more structurally - integrated components as a way to mimic the various liquid metal - conveying functions described herein , and that any combination of such integrated components that perform such function or functions is deemed to be within the scope of the present invention , irrespective of whether the components performing such function are physically separable from one another . for example , the distal end of the launder tube 230 may be outfitted with an integrally - formed nozzle or related dispenser ( not shown ) that acts as the ladle 240 such that the molten metal 400 that traverses the launder tube 230 is dispensed from the ladle 240 and into the pour basin 250 . the fact that the ladle 240 is either ( a ) integrated in a structural sense with the launder tube 230 or ( b ) not even present does not detract from the fact that its functional attributes are still present if the molten metal 400 is delivered from the furnace 210 and through the launder tube 230 to the suitable pour basin 250 . as such , the presence of these functional attributes , rather than their respective structural component in discrete form , is what determines whether they form a part in the overall conveyance assembly 200 , and that as long as such function is in evidence , the corresponding structure is deemed to likewise be present . the placement of the vibration - inducing apparatus 500 in general ( with the aforementioned probe or transducer portion of the apparatus in particular ) is recited and described as being “ at ” one or more discrete locations along the molten metal 400 travel path , as well as “ in ” or “ at ” one more locations within the mold 340 that is used to give the component its shape . within the present context , this does not mean that such apparatus must physically be embedded into the corresponding conveying assembly 200 or mold 340 ( although they can be ), but merely means that such apparatus is placed close enough to ensure the efficacy of the generated ultrasonic vibrations relative to the molten or solidifying metal ; as such , placement of the vibration probe , transducer or coil of the vibration - inducing apparatus 500 may be on or adjacent an inner or outer surface of the assembly 200 or mold 340 . by using a suitable controller ( not shown ), the casting operation may be automated . in such case ; the controller may be equipped with a central processing unit ( cpu ), and content - addressable memory ( for example , in the form of read - only memory ( rom ) for storing a program which controls the operation of the overall apparatus , and a random - access memory ( ram ) having a data storage area ). the cpu is connected to an input / output interface ( which may perform one or both of discrete and analog input and output ), while additional signal - processing apparatus , such as an analog - to - digital ( a / d ) converter and one or more filter circuits . such a controller may function as a digital signal processor , an application specific integrated circuit , a field programmable gate array , any suitable programmable logic device , discrete gate or transistor logic , discrete hardware components , or any combination thereof . in one preferred form , the controller is configured to instruct the ultrasonic vibration imparting apparatus 500 how to stage its operation , including frequencies and vibration amplitude . in one exemplary form , such vibration is performed with a minimum acoustic intensity of 10 w / cm 2 , 60 % amplitude ( i . e ., a measure of the energy range of the vibrations ) at a vibration frequency of at least about 15 khz , and more preferably at least about 20 khz . the present inventors have determined that to be able to perform adequate degassing and grain refinement of cast aluminum alloys , the frequency needs to be at least 15 khz , and that while higher frequency is helpful , practical limits on ultrasonic vibration equipment capital costs need to be taken into consideration . in the present context , an upper limit frequency of about 100 khz should suffice for a balance of high frequency capability coupled with reasonable equipment costs . likewise , the desired amplitude range is between about 50 % and 100 %. it is noted that terms like “ preferably ,” “ commonly ,” and “ typically ” are not utilized herein to limit the scope of the claimed invention or to imply that certain features are critical , essential , or even important to the structure or function of the claimed invention . rather , these terms are merely intended to highlight alternative or additional features that may or may not be utilized in a particular embodiment of the present invention . for the purposes of describing and defining the present invention it is noted that the term “ device ” is utilized herein to represent a combination of components and individual components , regardless of whether the components are combined with other components . for example , a “ device ” according to the present invention may comprise an electrochemical conversion assembly or fuel cell , a vehicle incorporating an electrochemical conversion assembly according to the present invention , etc . for the purposes of describing and defining the present invention it is noted that the term “ substantially ” is utilized herein to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison , value , measurement , or other representation . the term “ substantially ” is also utilized herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter at issue . having described the invention in detail and by reference to specific embodiments thereof , it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims . more specifically , although some aspects of the present invention are identified herein as preferred or particularly advantageous , it is contemplated that the present invention is not necessarily limited to these preferred aspects of the invention .

US-201514841752-A

a control method of a filled water volume in a fluid space requiring a water filling test is disclosed . the method includes disposing a pipe in the fluid space and enclosing the pipe with an enclosure , detecting pressure of a water filled portion in the fluid space or outside of the enclosure , and controlling the volumes of filling fluid and water to a water filling portion in the fluid space inside and outside the enclosure based on the detected pressure such that the pressure in the enclosure becomes higher than the pressure at the water filling part in the fluid space outside the enclosure .

hereafter , the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the figures . however , the dimensions , materials , shape , the relative placement and so on of a component described in these embodiments shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention thereto , unless especially specific mention is made . the following explanation of the embodiment 1 according to the present invention will be made based on the premise that the storage fluid space is of a lng tank . fig1 shows an outline of a lng ( liquefied natural gas ) tank in relation to a filling water test ( such as a pressure withstanding test , a leak test and the like ), according to an embodiment of the present invention . according to fig1 , the outline of a lng tank is explained . a lng tank includes an inner vessel 3 that stores lng and an outer vessel 2 that surrounds the inner vessel ; the lng tank is of a double hull structure . the inner vessel that comes in contact with lng the temperature of which is of minus 162 ° c . or below is made of stainless steel ( such as cr - 9ni stainless steel ) that has sufficient strength and toughness and is hard to brittle in the cryogenic environment . heat insulating material is arranged in a space 4 between the inner vessel 3 and the outer vessel 2 so that heat transfer from the outside of the lng tank into the tank is restrained to a minimal level . the outer vessel 2 keeps hold of the heat insulating material , and is gas - tightly manufactured so as to restrain the heat transfer . inside the lng tank 1 , the tank is provided with at least one piping system 5 through which lng is charged from or discharged toward outside ; the piping system penetrates an upper part of the lng tank , and an end of the piping system is communicated with a lng supply source ( a receiving junction ) or a lng service port ( a delivering base ); on the other hand , another end ( a lower end ) of the inside piping system 5 is located over the inner bottom surface of the inner vessel 3 , with a space so that the inner bottom surface does not comes in contact with the lower end of the piping system 5 , the system 5 being suspended inside of the tank . in fig1 , one piping system 5 is depicted ; however , there may be a case where a plurality of the piping systems is provided . inside the inner vessel 3 , an inside staircase 7 is provided so that a worker can access the inside of the tank , when the tank is empty . when the erection of these lng tanks has completed , a filling water test ( such as a pressure withstanding test , a leak test and the like ) is required in order to verify the pressure withstanding performance of the inner vessel 3 , by charging water into the tank and keeping the water in the tank . in this embodiment , the filling water test is performed by use of seawater ; however , since the inside piping system 5 made of stainless steel may corrode when the piping system comes in contact with seawater , it is required that the piping system be prevented from coming in contact with seawater . fig2 shows an enlargement of the part a in fig1 ; fig3 shows an outline of a control device for a filled water volume in a lng tank for which a filling water test is performed ; fig4 shows a graphical diagram as to the control device for a filled water volume in a lng tank for which a filling water test is performed . in the next place , a method of the filling water test as to the lng tank is now explained , the filling water test basically comprising the steps of : ( 1 ) enclosing the inside piping system 5 with a curing enclosure bag 6 ; ( 2 ) charging fresh water into the curing enclosure bag 6 and seawater into the inner vessel 3 , so that a fresh water pressure at a level in the curing enclosure bag 6 is higher than a seawater pressure at the same level in the inner vessel 3 ; ( 3 ) keeping the charged seawater for a predetermined period after a predetermined amount of the seawater is charged into the inner vessel 3 ; ( 4 ) discharging the fresh water out of the curing enclosure bag 6 and the seawater out of the inner vessel 3 . following the above , the steps ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) are explained in detail . in the embodiment , a filling water test in a case of a lng tank in which the depth of the inner vessel is 50 m is taken into consideration . the specific gravity of lng at minus 162 ° c . that is a lng storage temperature is 0 . 42 and the specific gravity of seawater is 1 . 03 ; therefore , the storage of lng up to the fill depth of 50 m corresponds to the seawater depth of 50 m ×( 0 . 42 / 1 . 03 )= 20 . 4 m ; accordingly , a filling lng test of 50 m depth can be modeled by a filling seawater test of 20 . 4 m . thus , an actual pressure withstanding performance can be ascertained by the filling seawater test . in this embodiment the seawater depth of 25 m by the pressure - withstanding test is taken into account , in consideration of an allowance . ( 1 ) regarding the step of enclosing the inside piping system 5 with a curing enclosure bag 6 : in performing the filling water test , the first step of enclosing the inside piping system 5 with a curing enclosure bag 6 is performed . a curing enclosure bag 6 may be used , whereby the curing enclosure bag is of a cylindrical shape and made of polyvinyl chloride , and the lower bottom part of the bag 6 is closed , while the upper bottom of the bag 6 is open . the curing enclosure bag 6 configured as such is folded so that the curing enclosure bag 6 is placed below the lower end of the inside piping system 5 whereby the open upper bottom side of the bag is facing upward . then , the upper side part of the bag is lifted up so that the folded bag is extended , and the bag encloses the inside piping system 5 . in a case where a plurality of inside piping systems 5 is provided , each piping system 5 is enclosed by a curing enclosure bag 6 . in this way , the lifted - up bag that encloses the piping system continues to be hanged while the step ( 1 ) is proceeding to the next step . it is noted that the enclosing range that the curing enclosure bag 6 covers the inside piping system 5 needs to include the range from the lower end of the inside piping system 5 to the filled water surface level ( namely , the level of 25 m height from the bottom of the inner vessel , in the case of this embodiment ). further , it is necessary that the material of the bag 6 be a material which does no corrode even when the bag comes in contact with seawater ; in addition , it is preferable that the bag is made of a soft material , since the bag has to be folded so as to be placed below the lower end of the inside piping system 5 , as described above ; namely , it is preferable that the bag is made from a thin layer sheet of soft synthetic resin , especially , of fiber reinforced polyvinyl chloride . ( 2 ) regarding the step of charging fresh water into the curing enclosure bag 6 and seawater into the inner vessel 3 , so that a fresh water pressure p 1 at a level in the curing enclosure bag 6 is higher than a seawater pressure p 2 at the substantially same level in the inner vessel 3 : after the curing enclosure bag 6 encloses the inside piping system 5 in the former step , the inside space of the bag 6 is charged with fresh water , and the outside space ( namely , the space inside the inner vessel 3 ) of the bag 6 is charged with seawater ; thus a filling water stage is performed ( or , started ). as fig3 depicts , at a lower position inside each enclosure bag 6 that encloses each of a plurality of inside piping systems 5 , a fresh water pressure sensor 12 of a water proof type is provided ; on the other hand , a seawater pressure sensor 11 of a seawater proof type is provided inside the inner vessel 3 and outside of the enclosure bag 6 . in a case where a permanently installed pressure sensor for detecting the pressure of the fluid stored inside the inner vessel is provided , the permanently - installed pressure sensor may be used as a substitute of the seawater pressure sensor . in addition , it is preferable that the installation height level as to the freshwater pressure sensor is close to that as to the seawater pressure sensor as far as possible . the signal of the pressure p 1 detected by the fresh water pressure sensor 12 and the signal of the pressure p 2 detected by the seawater pressure sensor 11 are transferred to a filled water volume control device 20 . based on fig4 , the filled water volume control device 20 is now explained . inside the inner vessel 3 , each of the five inside piping systems 5 ( only 2 systems are shown in fig4 ) is enclosed by a curing enclosure bag 6 . the signal for the pressure p 1 detected by the fresh water sensor 12 that is provided in each of the curing enclosure bags 6 is transmitted to a plurality of distributors 22 b , 22 c , 22 d , 22 e , and 22 f via a terminal board 21 where the signal transformation is performed so that the signal is transmitted to a control device 25 via a data recorder 23 and a ( personal ) computer 24 . further , the signal for the pressure p 2 detected by the seawater sensor 11 that is provided in the seawater 8 inside the inner vessel 3 is transmitted to a distributor 22 a via the terminal board 21 where the signal transformation is performed so that the signal is transmitted to a control device 25 via the data recorder 23 and the ( personal ) computer 24 . in the control device 25 , the revolution speeds as to a plurality of pumps 27 b , 27 c , 27 d , 27 e , and 27 f ( only the pumps 27 e and 27 f are shown in fig4 ) that convey fresh water from a fresh water tank 26 to the inside of the enclosure bags 6 , as well as , the revolution speed as to a pump 27 a that convey seawater from a sea 51 to the inside of the inner vessel are regulated so that the pressure p 1 inside the enclosure bag 6 is higher than the pressure p 2 outside of the enclosure bag 6 , based on the detected pressures p 1 and p 2 . in addition , the signals as to the pressures p 1 and p 2 detected by the seawater pressure sensor 11 and the fresh water pressure sensor 12 are sent from the distributors 27 a , 27 b , 27 c , 27 d , 27 e , and 27 f to the data recorder 23 , for data recording by the recorder 23 as well as for data displaying by the ( personal ) computer 24 . thus , by controlling the charging flow rates as to the fresh water and the seawater based on the pressure detecting results , the pressure inside each of the enclosure bags 6 expands the enclosure bag 6 outward , against the seawater pressure outside of the bag 6 ; thus , a cross section of the expanded bag 6 can be kept in a section of a regular shape ; and , the enclosure bag can be prevented from coming in contact with the protrusive parts around the inside piping system 5 so that the bag can be free from damage . further , a small clearance that may appear between the inner side of the bag 6 and the inside piping system 5 due to the adhesion of the bag toward the inside piping system can be evaded ; thus , the so - called crevice corrosion due to concentration cell corrosion which is caused by a higher concentration of ion such as chloride inside the clearance and a lower concentration outside the clearance can be evaded . ( 3 ) regarding the step of keeping the charged seawater for a predetermined period after a predetermined amount of the seawater is charged into the inner vessel 3 : after the inner vessel 3 is filled with a predetermined amount of the seawater ( the amount of seawater corresponds to a volume of 25 m height in the inner vessel 3 in this embodiment ) in the former step , the seawater filled condition is maintained for a predetermined period ; thereby , the relative relation between the pressure p 1 inside the enclosure bag 6 and the pressure p 2 outside of the enclosure bag 6 in the inner vessel 3 is kept as same as is in the case of the former step where the freshwater and seawater are charged ; and , the pressure sensors 11 and 12 as well as the control device is kept under operation conditions . ( 4 ) regarding the step of discharging the fresh water out of the curing enclosure bag 6 and the seawater out of the inner vessel 3 : after the seawater filled condition is maintained for the predetermined period based on the filling water test specification , the seawater in the inner vessel 3 and the fresh water in the enclosure bag 6 are discharged . while the seawater in the inner vessel 3 and the fresh water inside the enclosure bag 6 are being discharged , the condition that the pressure p 1 inside the enclosure bag 6 is higher than the pressure p 2 inside the inner vessel 3 is maintained as same as is in the case of the former step where the fresh water and seawater are charged . thus the step of discharging the fresh water and the seawater proceeds . in discharging the seawater and the fresh water , the control as to the pressures p 1 and p 2 is performed also by means of the filled water volume control device 20 that is used for charging the seawater and the fresh water ; thereby , the device 20 comprises the terminal board 21 , the distributors 22 a to 22 f , the data recorder 23 , the personal computer 24 , and the control device 25 ; each of the comprised components is used in charging the seawater and the fresh water . the pumps 27 a to 27 f that are used for charging the seawater and the fresh water may be used for discharging the seawater and the fresh water ; or , a plurality of additional pumps for only discharging may be provided . in discharging the seawater and the fresh water , the filled water volume control device 20 controls the discharging flow rates as to the discharging pumps that discharge the freshwater and the seawater , based on the pressures p 1 and p 2 that are detected by the seawater pressure sensor 11 and the fresh water sensor 12 respectively , so that the pressure p 1 is higher than the pressure p 2 . according to this discharging control manner , the pressure inside each of the enclosure bags 6 expands the enclosure bag 6 outward , against the seawater pressure outside of the bag 6 ; thus , a cross section of the expanded bag 6 can be kept in a section of a regular shape ; and , the enclosure bag can be prevented from coming in contact with the protrusive parts around the inside piping system 5 so that the bag can be free from damage . further , a small clearance that may appear between the inner side of the bag 6 and the inside piping system 6 due to the adhesion of the bag toward the inside piping system can be evaded ; thus , the so - called crevice corrosion due to concentration cell corrosion which is caused by a higher concentration of ion such as chloride inside the clearance and a lower concentration outside the clearance can be evaded . after the seawater and the fresh water are discharged , the enclosure bag is removed . when a filling water test is performed for the lng tank of 50 m in depth , about one week is required for the water charging ; about two days for the filled water keeping ; about one week for the water discharging . thus , considerable time spans are required in general . however , when the filling water test is performed according to the steps ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) as described above , the inside piping systems 5 are always keeping contact with not seawater but fresh water ; therefore , the inside piping systems are free from corrosion due to seawater . further , the fresh water inside the enclosure bag and the seawater outside the bag are charged or discharged while the pressures inside and outside of the bag are controlled ; therefore , over - charging or excessive discharging as to the fresh water or the seawater can be evaded . in this way , by detecting the pressures inside and outside of the bag as well as by controlling the filling water flow rates based on the detected pressures , a water filling test can be performed so that the inside piping systems that are provided in the inner vessel does not come in contact with the water inside the inner vessel . in addition , if an alarm device is provided whereby the alarm device issues an alarm indicating that the control condition 0 & lt ; p 1 − p 2 & lt ; δp is out of order , then an abnormal situation as to the pressure sensors 11 and 12 , as well as the pumps 27 a to 27 f can be informed of . a device of a filled water volume in a storage fluid space is provided whereby the fluid space can be filled with water , by controlling the filled water volume , so that at least one inside piping system installed in the fluid space is prevented from coming in contact with the filled water . the device and the control method therein can be used for the erection of a various kind of industrial vessels , tanks and the like where a filling water test or a leak test by filling fluid is required .

US-59776007-A

embodiments of the present invention are directed to a storage shed that is strong , durable , low - maintenance , easy to assemble and use , and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and ship , and can be mass produced . in one embodiment , an attachment device is provided for attaching a support post to a floor having a top , a bottom , a floor opening between the top and the bottom , and a side edge . the attachment device comprises a floor locking nut configured to be rotatably supported at the bottom of the floor . the floor locking nut includes a nut bearing surface disposed adjacent a nut aperture and facing downward from the bottom of the floor . the nut bearing surface includes an inclined surface leading to a raised surface .

fig1 shows simplified views of a storage shed 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention . the storage shed 10 includes a floor desirably formed by two main floor pieces 11 , four corner posts 12 , two center posts 13 , and two side frame support panels or braces 14 . each corner post 12 desirably forms a bent around a corner of the shed 10 , and may have a rounded or curved exterior . the center posts 13 are typically planar in shape . the floor pieces 11 desirably include ramps 15 . the shed 10 includes a plurality of doors to allow easy access to different parts of the shed 10 for storage and retrieval . in this embodiment , the shed 10 has front doors 16 and four side access doors 18 . the ramps 15 are provided for the doors to allow easy access by lawnmowers , wheel barrels , and the like . the roof in this embodiment is formed by two roof panels 20 , which may include one or more skylights 22 . the shed 10 as shown further includes a bay 24 having a bay working surface 26 , one or more optional windows , a bay floor 25 , and a bay roof 28 . fig2 and 3 show another embodiment of the shed 10 ′ having additional skylights 22 ′. the various components of the shed 10 may be made of a variety of different materials , but desirably are preformed from plastic materials and assembled , and are strong , durable , relatively light in weight , and essentially maintenance free , and can be mass produced or preformed by molding or the like . fig4 shows the bottom of the floor pieces 11 . the main floor pieces 11 and the bay floor 25 are desirably made of structural foam or the like to provide strong , stable , and durable support for the shed 10 . the floor pieces 11 are attached together using fasteners such as bolts 32 and nuts 34 , as shown in fig5 . the bay floor 25 is attached to one of the floor pieces 11 in a similar manner . the floor pieces 11 and the bay floor 25 comprise the floor of the shed 10 . in other embodiments , the shed 10 may include a single floor piece , or more than two floor pieces that are similarly fastened together . the use of multiple , smaller floor pieces may facilitate easier handling and shipping . the four corner posts 12 , two center posts 13 , and bay 24 are connected to the main floor pieces 11 and bay floor 25 . in the embodiment shown , a plurality of floor locking nuts 30 are used . as seen in fig6 the floor locking nuts 30 are inserted into nut receiving areas or seats 36 provided at the bottom of the floor pieces 11 and bay floor 25 along the outer edges . the nut receiving seats 36 each include two or more retaining members 38 which detachably hold the floor locking nuts 30 in place when the bottoms of the floor pieces 11 and bay floor 25 are turned to face downward . the nut receiving seats 36 each include an elongated opening 40 to receive a protrusion or projection ( of a post or bay ) to be locked by turning the floor locking nut 30 , as described in more detail below . the floor locking nut 30 includes a serrated outer edge 42 and an elongated aperture 44 for receiving the protrusion or projection through the elongated opening 40 . adjacent the aperture 44 are a pair of slanted or inclined surfaces 46 inclined upward to reach a pair of raised surfaces 48 that are substantially flat . the pair of inclined surfaces 46 are typically oppositely disposed ; as are the pair of raised surfaces 48 . at the end of each raised surface 48 is a wall or stop 50 . after the floor locking nuts 30 are inserted into the nut receiving seats 36 , the floor pieces 11 and bay floor 25 are turned over to face the bottom of the floor downward . fig7 shows an alternate way of fastening the bay floor 25 to one of the main floor pieces 11 using self - tapping screws 54 to fasten overlapped portions of the floors 11 , 25 . in fig8 the corner post 12 includes a plurality of door hinge supports 58 along the side , and a plurality of protrusions or projections 60 at the bottom . as best seen in fig9 the protrusions 60 are elongated and sized to be inserted each through an elongated opening 40 of the nut receiving seat 36 of the floor and an elongated aperture 44 of the corresponding floor locking nut 30 . fig1 shows the protrusions 60 inserted through the elongated openings 40 of the nut receiving seats 36 . fig1 shows the floor locking nuts 30 in an exploded view , but they are held in the nut receiving seats 36 during insertion of the protrusions 60 which also extend through the elongated apertures 44 of the floor locking nuts 30 , as seen in fig1 . fig1 shows the bottom view of a floor locking nut 30 a after insertion of the protrusion 60 before tightening to lock the protrusion 60 in place . the floor locking nut 30 a is tightened by turning it in the clockwise direction ( from the bottom view ) until it reaches the position shown as 30 b in fig1 . as the floor locking nut 30 a is turned in the clockwise direction , it guides the movement of the protrusion 60 up the inclined surfaces 46 to reach the raised surfaces 48 until the protrusion 60 abuts the projections 50 , thereby pushing the protrusion 60 downward and locking it in place . because the floor locking nuts 30 are disposed under the floor pieces 11 and bay floor 25 , it is not convenient to reach under the floor to tighten the floor locking nuts 30 . as shown in fig1 , for each floor locking nut 30 a side access or cutout 64 is conveniently provided in the corner post 12 , center posts 13 , or bay 24 to allow access to the serrated edge 42 of the floor locking nut 30 from the outside . the floor locking nut 30 can be tightened from the outside through the side access 64 by using a flat object , such as a blade or a flat - head screw driver 66 , to push against the serrated outer edge 42 of the nut 30 to turn the nut 30 in the counter - clockwise direction ( viewed from the top ). the teeth of the serrated edge 42 are desirably angled or slanted to facilitate the engagement of the tool 66 with the teeth to turn the nut 30 in the proper direction . the four corner posts 12 and the lower wall 68 of the bay 24 are installed by locking them in place to the floor pieces 11 and bay floor 25 using the floor locking nuts 30 , as seen in fig1 . next , the remainder of the bay 24 is installed . one way of installing the bay working surface 26 is illustrated in fig1 . the lower wall 68 of the bay 24 includes a plurality of apertured upward projections 70 which extend through slotted edges 72 of the bay working surface 26 . as shown in fig1 , the upper wall 74 of the bay 24 includes apertured portions 76 which overlap with the upward projections 70 of the lower wall 68 . each apertured upward projection 70 and the corresponding apertured portion 76 have matching apertures through which a fastener can be inserted to secure the lower wall 68 and the upper wall 74 to form the wall of the bay 24 . as seen in fig1 , threaded bolts 80 are inserted through threaded apertures of the upward projection 70 and corresponding apertured portions 76 . the bolts 80 each include a relative large wing 82 at the head which can be conveniently turned by the fingers of a user &# 39 ; s hand without any tools . the bolts 80 are desirably made of a plastic material . similar bolts are used to attached other components of the shed 10 . for instance , bolts 84 , which may be the same as the bolts 80 , are used to attach the lower wall 68 and upper wall 74 of the bay 24 to the corner post 12 via threaded apertures provided along the edges of these structural components , as shown in fig1 . in fig1 , the bay roof 28 is installed over the wall of the bay 24 . the connection between the bay roof 28 and the upper wall 74 of the bay 24 is secured using bolts 88 , as seen in fig1 . the bolts 88 may be the same as the plastic bolts 80 , which extend through threaded apertures provided along the top edge of the upper wall 74 and the side edge of the bay roof 28 . the remaining structural supports to be installed are the center posts 13 and braces 14 . in the embodiment shown , each brace 14 is installed first by inserting at least one bottom projection 90 into a groove or slot 92 provided in the floor pieces 11 , as shown in fig1 . the bottom projection 90 may be shaped as a hook to be slid under the floor to provide a more secure connection and stable support for the brace 14 . in fig1 , the center post 13 is installed by inserting bottom protrusions 96 each through the elongated opening 40 of the nut receiving seat 36 of the floor and the elongated aperture 44 of the corresponding floor locking nut 30 , and locked by turning the floor locking nut 30 , in a manner similar to that shown in fig1 - 12 . each center post 13 and the corresponding brace 14 may be further secured together , for instance , by fasteners or the like . in one embodiment , the brace 14 includes three side bumps 98 distributed along its edge facing the center post 13 , which includes three corresponding indents aligned for receiving the side bumps 98 to be interlocked therewith , as schematically shown in fig1 a . for instance , the side bumps 98 and indents may be connected together by a tight fit or an interference fit . in fig2 , a lower roof truss 100 is connected to the braces 14 prior to installing the roof panels 20 . the lower roof truss 100 includes a spring preloaded to a slight bow shape . as best seen in fig2 , the lower roof truss 100 includes an elongated aperture 102 near each end for coupling with a boss 104 provided on top of the corresponding brace 14 . the elongated aperture 102 has an enlarged portion 106 which is sized to allow the boss 104 to pass therethrough . the narrow neck of the boss 104 then slides to a narrow portion 108 of the elongated aperture 102 under the force of the spring preload on the lower roof truss 100 so as to lock the lower roof truss 100 in place with the braces 14 . the spring preload thus provides self - locking of the lower roof truss 100 to the braces 14 , and pulls the top of the braces 14 inward . the skylights 22 may be installed before or after the installing the roof panels 20 . as shown in fig2 , each skylight 22 has feet 110 which are shaped to snap into slots 112 provided in the opening 114 of the roof panel 20 . if the roof panel 20 has been installed on the shed 10 first , the skylight 22 can be inserted through the opening 114 from below and then dropped into position to align the feet 110 with the slots 112 to allow the feet 110 to be snapped into the slots 12 . advantageously , this can be done easily and quickly without any tools . of course , different ways of mounting the skylights 22 to the roof panels 20 may be used in other embodiments . in fig2 , the roof panels 20 are placed over the corner posts 12 and center posts 13 with the lower roof truss 100 disposed between the roof panels 20 . one way to fasten the roof panels 20 is by using bolts similar to the plastic bolts 80 , 84 described above . fig2 shows the use of plastic bolts 116 to attach the roof panels 20 to the center post 13 via threaded apertures provided along the top edge of the center post 13 and the side edges of the roof panels 20 . fig2 shows the use of plastic bolts 118 to attach the roof panel 20 to the corner post 12 via threaded apertures provided along the top edge of the corner post 12 and the side edge of the roof panel 20 . plastic bolts 118 may also be used to attach the bay roof 28 to the roof panel 20 via threaded apertures provided along the side edge of the roof panel 20 overlapping with the side edge of the bay roof 28 . to complete the roof installation , an upper truss 120 is attached to the lower roof truss 100 , as seen in fig2 . in the embodiment shown , seven pan head self - tapping screws 122 are used to fasten the upper truss 120 to the lower roof truss 100 , as illustrated in fig2 . the number and type of fasteners may be different in other embodiments . the upper truss 120 preferably provides a sealed connection between the roof panels 20 to prevent leakage . in other embodiments , the roof may comprise a single roof panel or more than two roof panels assembled together . the use of multiple roof panels that are smaller in size may facilitate easier handling and shipping . the side doors 18 are installed by positioning each side door 18 to align a plurality of hinge posts 130 and openings 132 along the edge of the side door 18 with corresponding clips or hinge supports 134 of the corner post 12 or the center post 13 , as shown in fig2 and 29 . there are three hinge supports 134 for each side door 18 in the embodiment shown . the hinge support 134 has a rounded cutout that partially wraps around the hinge post 130 , and includes an extension 136 which desirably extends along the length of the hinge post 130 . the corner post 12 or center post 13 further includes a hole 138 disposed adjacent each hinge support 134 . as shown in fig3 , a hinge cover member or hinge connection member 140 is then attached to complete the hinge assembly . the hinge cover member 140 has a rounded cutout 142 that partially wraps around the hinge post 130 . an elongated slot 144 is provided to receive the extension 136 of the hinge support therethrough . this connection is made by passing a portion of the hinge cover member 140 through the opening 132 on the side door 18 . the hinge cover member 140 includes a threaded aperture 146 which is aligned with the hole 138 . a fastener such as a plastic screw 150 is used to fasten the hinge cover member 140 to the corner post 12 or center post 13 by extending the threaded screw 150 through the hole 138 into the threaded aperture 146 . fig3 shows the hinge cover member 140 connected to the hinge support 134 to complete the hinge assembly which allows the side door 18 to be hingedly supported and swing around the hinge assembly . the same hinge assemblies can be used to connect the front doors 16 to the two corner posts 12 . each door has a locking feature that allows it to be locked from the outside of the assembled shed 10 . as shown in fig3 , a hasp body 160 is inserted through a hole 162 provided in the mating door panel 164 , which may be disposed along an edge of a corner post 12 , a center post 13 , or one of the two front doors 16 . alternatively , the hasp body 160 may be provided along the edge of the door to be coupled to a hasp bar which is attached to a corner post 12 , a center post 13 , or one of the front doors 16 . as seen in fig3 , the hasp body 160 includes a rear portion 166 which bears against the back of the mating door panel 164 . the front end of the hasp body 160 includes an aperture 168 for receiving a lock such as a padlock . to secure the hasp body 160 to the mating door panel 164 , a hasp cover member or plate 170 having an elongated opening 172 is placed over the front end of the hasp body 160 against the front of the mating door panel 164 . the hasp cover plate 170 may be fastened to the mating door panel 164 using any suitable methods . in the embodiment shown , the hasp cover plate 170 is conveniently snapped over the hasp body 160 as the elongated opening 172 is pushed over the fingers 174 of the hasp body 160 . the fingers 174 snap over the hasp body 160 adjacent the ends of the elongated opening 172 and press the hasp body 160 securely against the mating door panel 164 . the assembly is quick and easy , and does not require tools . after installing the hasp body 160 , the corresponding door can be closed to insert the front of the hasp body 160 through an opening provided in the door or a hasp bar attached to the door , and a lock can be inserted through the aperture 168 of the hasp body 160 to lock the door . the side doors 18 may also be locked from the inside of the shed 10 . in one embodiment as shown in fig3 , a plastic bolt 176 is inserted through a threaded aperture 178 in the side door 18 . the head of the plastic bolt 176 is sufficiently large to overlap with and act as a stop to bear against the edge of the center post 13 ( or a corner post 12 ) so as to prevent the side door 18 from opening . the braces 14 and the corner posts 12 include horizontal grooves 180 for securely supporting shelves 182 , as illustrated in fig3 . the user can conveniently slide the shelves 182 into the grooves 180 , and can select how many shelves 182 to install and where to place the shelves 182 . because the side doors 18 are provided between the corner posts 12 and the braces 14 , the user can conveniently retrieve items stored on the shelves 182 by opening the side doors 18 without the need to physically enter the shed 10 . fig3 shows an embodiment of the shelf 182 , which includes a plurality of openings 184 for inserting items and hooks 186 for hanging items . near the center are one or more slots or indentations 188 desirably on both the top and bottom sides of the shelf 182 . the indentations 188 are configured to receive ends of vertical support members 190 that may be optionally provided between the floor and the shelf 182 or between two shelves 182 to provide additional support for heavy objects that may be placed on the shelves 182 , as illustrated in fig3 . in specific embodiments , the indentations 188 are sizes to receive 2 ″× 4 ″ lumber pieces or the like . most or all of the components of the shed 10 may be made of plastic materials . the smaller pieces such as the bolts , nuts , and hinges may be made or preformed by injection molding , while the larger pieces such as the posts , braces , and roof panels may be made or preformed by blow molding . the above - described arrangements of apparatus and methods are merely illustrative of applications of the principles of this invention and many other embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims . for instance , the various components of the shed may have different shapes and sizes from those shown herein , and may be made of different materials . a smaller shed may be formed using the four corner posts without the need for the center posts and braces . another embodiment of the shed may be triangular in shape and formed by three corner posts instead of four corner posts . yet another embodiment may include more than four corner posts . the scope of the invention should , therefore , be determined not with reference to the above description , but instead should be determined with reference to the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents .

US-26501702-A

a gyroscope assembly comprises a shaft and a flexure device mounted on the shaft . the flexure device includes three concentric plates . a first pair of diametrically opposed hinges connected the inner plate and the central plate . a second pair of diametrically opposed hinges spaced 90 ° apart from the first pair of hinges connects the outer plate and the inner plate . the hinges define two perpendicular sensing axis and form a gimbal so that rotations of the outer plate about the sensing axes may be detected .

fig1 is an exploded perspective view of a gyroscope assembly 20 according to the present invention . a flexure device 22 formed generally as a thin cylinder having a central passage 24 therethrough is mounted on a shaft 26 . the shaft 26 is preferably formed as a stepped cylinder having a base 28 . the shaft 26 includes a mounting post 30 having a diameter smaller than the base diameter extending perpendicularly from the base 28 . the shaft 26 and the base 28 are axially aligned . a rotor 23 may be connected to an outer edge 25 of the flexure device . a first stop device 32 is mounted on the mounting post 30 . the stop device 32 formed generally as a thin plate having a plurality of substantially identical vanes 34 - 37 extending from a central region 40 . a cylindrical passage 42 having a diameter that is approximately identical to the diameter of the mounting post 26 is formed in the central region 40 . the vanes 34 - 37 preferably are spaced 90 ° apart around the central region 40 . the central region 40 is thicker than the vanes 34 - 37 and has a hub 41 around the passage 42 and facing a central region 43 ( shown in fig2 ) of the flexure device 22 . the vanes 34 - 37 thus are spaced apart by a small gap 45 from the flexure device 22 . the central passage 24 of the flexure device 22 also has a diameter that is substantially identical to the diameter of the mounting post 30 . as shown in fig1 , 2 and 5 , the flexure device 22 is mounted on the shaft 26 such that the first stop device 32 is between the flexure device 22 and a ledge 44 formed at the juncture of the base 28 and the mounting post 30 . a second stop device 46 that preferably is substantially identical to the first stop device 32 is mounted on the mounting post 30 such that the flexure device 22 is retained between the first and second stop devices 32 and 48 . a plurality of vanes 48 - 51 extend from a central region 54 of the second stop device 46 . the second stop device 46 also includes a hub 56 around a central passage 58 . the hub contacts a portion 60 of the flexure device 22 to form a small gap 57 between the vanes 48 - 51 and a surface 62 of the flexure device 22 . referring to fig1 - 5 , the flexure device 22 may be seen to comprise an inner section 22 a , an intermediate section 22 b and an outer section 22 c . the inner section 22 a is connected to the intermediate section 22 b via a pair of hinges 62 and 64 . except for the hinges 62 and 64 , the inner section 22 a and the intermediate section 22 b are separated by a pair of arcuate passages 66 and 68 formed in the flexure device 22 . the hinges 62 and 64 are preferably located 180 ° apart and are sized such that the arcuate passages 66 and 68 are nearly semicircular . the hinges 62 and 64 may have a generally t - shaped cross sections . a pair of passages 70 and 72 is formed in the inner section 22 a radially spaced by small distances from the inner sides of the hinges 62 and 64 , respectively . another pair of passages 74 and 76 is formed in the intermediate section 22 b radially spaced by small distances from the outer sides of the hinges 62 and 64 , respectively . the passages 70 and 72 cooperate with the passages 66 and 68 to form thin - walled portions 78 and 80 as shown in fig3 in the inner flexure section 22 a near the inner sides of the hinges 62 and 64 . the passages 74 and 76 cooperate with the passages 66 and 68 to form thin - walled portions 82 and 84 in the intermediate flexure section 22 b near the outer sides of the hinges 62 and 64 . referring to fig3 , the hinge 62 may be formed as a thin bridge 63 connecting the inner flexure section 22 a and the intermediate flexure section 22 b between the thin - walled portions 78 and 80 . the hinge 64 may be formed as a thin bridge 65 connecting the inner flexure section 22 a and the intermediate flexure section 22 b between the thin - walled portions 82 and 84 . the gyroscope assembly 20 also includes a pair of hinges 90 and 92 between the intermediate flexure section 22 b and the outer flexure section 22 c . the hinge 90 is formed as a bridge 94 between a first thin - walled section 96 of the intermediate flexure section 22 b and a second thin - walled section 98 of the outer flexure section 22 c . the hinge 92 is formed as a bridge 100 between a first thin - walled section 102 of the intermediate flexure section 22 b and a second thin - walled section 104 of the outer flexure section 22 c . except for the hinges 90 and 92 , the intermediate flexure section 22 b and the outer flexure section 22 c are separated by a pair of arcuate passages 106 and 108 in the flexure 22 . a pair of passages 110 and 112 is formed in the intermediate section 22 b radially spaced by small distances from the inner sides of the hinges 92 and 94 , respectively . another pair of passages 114 and 116 is formed in the outer section 22 c radially spaced by small distances from the outer sides of the hinges 92 and 94 , respectively . the passages 110 and 112 cooperate with the passages 106 and 108 to form the thin - walled portions 96 and 98 in the intermediate flexure section 22 b near the inner sides of the hinges 92 and 94 . the passages 114 and 116 cooperate with the passages 106 and 108 to form the thin - walled portions 102 and 104 in the intermediate flexure section 22 b near the outer sides of the hinges 106 and 108 . referring to fig1 - 5 , the intermediate flexure section 22 b has an inner edge 120 that is supported by the pair of hinges 62 and 64 and an outer edge 122 that is supported by the pair of hinges 92 and 94 . the hinges 62 and 64 are arranged to be diametrically opposite one another . the hinges 92 and 94 are also diametrically opposite one another and are angularly displaced by 90 ° from the hinges 62 and 64 . the hinges 62 , 64 , 92 and 94 have a degree of compliance such that the intermediate flexure section 22 b functions as a gimbal for displacements . as shown in the fig4 , the inner flexure portion 22 a includes a plurality of projections 124 - 127 extending radially outward therefrom . the projections 124 and 125 extend into the passage 66 , and the projections 126 and 127 extend into the passage 68 toward the inner edge 120 of the central flexure section 22 b . the outer flexure section 22 c includes radially extending projections 130 - 133 . the projections 130 and 131 extend radially inward into the passage 106 toward the outer edge 122 of the central flexure portion 22 b . the projections 124 - 127 and 130 - 133 function as stops to limit radial displacement of the central flexure portion 22 b . referring to fig4 , the gyroscope assembly 20 includes a metallization layer 136 formed on a portion 138 of the outer flexure assembly 22 c . the metallization layer 136 is used to form a pickoff for signals that may be processed to determine the rotation rate detected by the gyroscope assembly 20 . the rotor 23 may be formed generally as a thin walled cylinder having an inner wall 140 that is fastened to an outer edge portion 142 of the outer flexure section 22 c . thus , the rotor 23 and the outer flexure section 22 c are mounted to the gimbal formed by the central flexure section 22 b . as shown in fig2 and 5 , the rotor 23 may include a ledge 144 formed in the inner wall 140 to aid in forming a secure connection between the rotor 23 and the outer edge 142 of the outer flexure section 22 c . the outer flexure portion 22 c has two rotational degrees of freedom defined by lines extending through the inner opposing hinge pair 62 , 64 and the outer hinge pair 90 , 92 . rotation about these axes is detected as being a change in a capacitance determined by the position of the pickoff metallization layer 136 . in a preferred embodiment of the invention the outer flexure section 22 b may have an angular displacement of about 0 . 5 ° about rotational axes defined by the two hinge pairs 62 , 64 and 90 , 92 . upon detection of a rotation , a feedback signal is applied to null the signal pickoff output . the feedback signal is processed to determine the rotation rate . fig6 - 8 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the invention that includes a laminated rotor 150 that comprises a first silicon layer 152 placed on a first surface portion 154 near the outer edge 25 of the outer flexure section 22 c . a first metallization layer 156 is formed on an outer surface 158 of the first silicon layer 152 . the laminated rotor 150 also includes a second silicon layer 160 placed on a second surface portion 162 near the outer edge 25 of the outer flexure section 22 c . a second metallization layer 164 is formed on an outer surface 166 of the first silicon layer 160 . except for having the laminated rotor 150 instead of the one - piece rotor 23 , the embodiment of the invention shown in fig6 - 8 is substantially identical to the embodiment shown in fig1 - 5 . fig9 - 12 illustrate a one - degree of freedom gyroscope assembly 170 . the gyroscope assembly 170 includes a flexure assembly 172 . the flexure assembly 172 is formed to comprise an inner flexure section 174 and an outer flexure section 176 . a mounting post 28 passes through a central passage 178 in the inner flexure section 174 . stop devices 32 and 46 are mounted on the mounting post 28 as described above with reference to fig1 - 3 and 5 . fig1 is a bottom plan view of the gyroscope assembly 170 showing a pickoff metallization 177 formed on the outer flexure section 176 . passages 180 and 182 are formed between the inner flexure section 174 and the outer flexure section 176 . hinges 184 and 186 extend between the inner flexure section 174 and the outer flexure section 176 . a pair of passages 190 and 192 is formed in the inner flexure section 174 radially spaced by small distances from the inner sides of the hinges 184 and 186 , respectively . another pair of passages 194 and 196 is formed in the outer flexure section 176 radially spaced by small distances from the outer sides of the hinges 184 and 186 , respectively . the passages 190 and 192 cooperate with the passages 180 and 182 to form thin - walled portions 200 and 202 in the inner flexure section 174 near the inner sides of the hinges 184 and 186 . the passages 194 and 196 cooperate with the passages 180 and 182 to form thin - walled portions 204 and 206 in the outer flexure section 176 near the outer sides of the hinges 106 and 108 . the hinges 184 and 186 are spaced apart by 180 ° so that the outer flexure portion 174 has a single rotational degree of freedom about a line extending through the hinges 184 and 186 . the gyroscope assembly 170 includes a plurality of radial displacement 210 - 213 stops that limit the range of radial movement of the inner flexure section 174 relative to the outer flexural section 176 . the various components of the invention are preferably fabricated using micro - electro - mechanical systems ( mems ) techniques . mems is the integration of mechanical elements , sensors , actuators , and electronics on a common silicon substrate through microfabrication technology . while electronics are typically fabricated using integrated circuit ( ic ) process sequences ( e . g ., cmos , bipolar , or bicmos processes ), micromechanical components are fabricated using compatible “ micromachining ” processes that selectively etch away parts of the silicon wafer or add new structural layers to form the mechanical and electromechanical devices .

US-64448106-A

compositions including alum and a smectite mineral material for the clarification of bodies of water by removal of dissolved solids , dissolved organic materials and other anions such as fluoride and chloride as well as the removal of total phosphorus from such bodies of water .

according to one embodiment , a phosphorus impoundment is treated with a composition that includes alum and a member of the smectite family of minerals as the two major components . as used herein the term “ alum ” shall refer to and be defined to mean aluminum sulfate (( al 2 so 4 ) 3 · 14h 2 o ). also , as used herein the term “ smectite mineral material ” shall refer to and be defined to mean bentonite , attapulgite , saponite , hectorite , sepiolite and fullers earth . bentonite is a smectite bearing ore that is enriched in the smectite mineral known as montmorillonite . preferably , the composition includes from about 30 to about 99 weight percent of alum and from about 1 to about 70 weight percent of a smectite mineral material . according to a preferred embodiment , the composition includes a ph buffering agent which shall be referred to herein as a “ buffer .” preferably , the buffer is a common , widely available ph buffering agent such as sodium carbonate ( na 2 co 3 ), sodium bicarbonate ( nahco 3 ), calcium carbonate ( caco 3 ), magnesium carbonate ( mgco 3 ), calcium hydroxide ( ca ( oh ) 2 ), magnesium hydroxide ( mg ( oh ) 2 ), sodium hydroxide ( naoh ), magnesium oxide ( mgo ) and calcium oxide ( lime ) ( cao ) according to this embodiment , the composition includes from 0 to about 30 weight percent of a buffer . according to another preferred embodiment , the composition includes an algaecide . preferably the algaecide includes a common , widely available copper based system such as copper sulfate ( cuso 4 ) or one of its various hydrous varieties such as copper sulfate pentahydrate ( cuso 4 · 5h 2 o ) in addition , the algaecide may include chelated copper - based systems such as alkylated amines , preferably having an alkyl chain of from 6 to 30 carbon atoms , especially di - tallo di - bromo copper amines , preferably having from 14 to 18 carbon atoms , as well as , sodium and potassium salts of such alkylated amines . according to this embodiment , the composition includes from 0 to about 20 weight percent of an algaecide . according to another preferred embodiment , the composition includes alum , a smectite mineral material , a buffer and an algaecide . according to this embodiment the components of the composition are present at the weight percentages noted above . according to another preferred embodiment , the components of the composition ( alum , a smectite mineral material , a buffer ( if present ) and an algaecide ( if present )) are covered or coated by techniques well known to those skilled in the art , with one or more natural organic by - products such as corn starch , sugar - based resins , and various natural product derivatives such as chemical families of resins and starches . suitable resins and coatings include guar gum , alginates , polyvinyl alcohol , partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamides and other similar polymers well known to those skilled in the art . according to this embodiment , the composition includes from 0 to about 5 weight percent of natural water soluble resins and by - products as a coating . according to another preferred embodiment , the components of the composition ( alum , a smectite mineral material and a buffer ( if present )) are covered or coated by techniques well known to those skilled in the art , with an algaecide . suitable algaecide materials and the preferred concentrations thereof are noted above . the compositions of these embodiments selectively remove phosphorus from natural and man - made water systems . phosphorus is a primary nutrient for aquatic flora / fauna such as blue - green algae which produce unsightly green slimes and clouds , and undesirable odors in waters . by removing the phosphorus , the algae are deprived of nourishment and therefore do not proliferate in the water column . each component of the compositions of the present embodiments , serves a function in the product towards the goal of optimal sorption and thus removal of phosphorus . alum is a water treatment product that is used to remove phosphorus and other compounds such as dissolved organics , suspended sediment , and metals from a body of water . the primary purpose of the alum is to sorb the phosphorus from the water or sediments . alum is generally commercially available from general chemical corporation . the smectite mineral material , preferably bentonite , functions to 1 ) optimize the timing of the dissolution of the composition in the water column , 2 ) buffer the ph of the water that is being treated to a neutral ph level , and 3 ) optimize or control the density of the composition to more precisely estimate the residence time in the water column . bentonite is generally commercially available from bentonite performance minerals . in addition to buffering the ph of the body of water , the buffer also enhances the density of the compositions for use in higher energy — higher flow — water systems . the buffers are generally commercially available from the general chemical group , inc ., vulcan materials company , franklin limestone , imerys , s . a . and omya a g . the algaecides are generally commercially available from earth tech , inc . and applied biochemists . the compositions of the embodiments discussed above generally retain approximately 90 % of their integrity or shape for up to approximately 2 minutes . the compositions of the embodiments discussed above that have been coated with the materials discussed above , dissolve in water at a much slower rate than uncoated compositions . specifically , the coated compositions generally retain approximately 90 % of their integrity or shape for up to approximately 24 hours . the compositions of the present embodiments are manufactured and produced according to techniques well known to those skilled in the art . preferably , the compositions of the present embodiments are produced in a variety of physical forms that are designed to enhance delivery of the compositions to a desired location in a body of water such as spheres to oblate spheroids , cylinders to cubes and three - dimensional rectangles ranging in size from ¼ ″ to 24 ″ in diameter . more preferably , the compositions of the present embodiments are produced in the form of tablets , pellets , extruded noodles , briquettes or ribbons by equipment well known to those skilled in the art such as extruders , tabletizers , briquetters or agglomerators . in the process of forming such tablets , extruded noodles , briquettes or ribbons , each component of the compositions are provided in powdered or granular form and the components are blended . preferably , the raw material components are blended in the proportions noted above and are physically mixed at the desired levels in tanks or similar units of 20 to 200 ton capacity , by augers and paddles for a prescribed amount of time , preferably from 5 minutes to up to 6 hours in batch mode , or by continuous metered feed onto a common belt or in a common continuously producing extruder , pelletizer , tabletizer , or agglomerator . for instance , a typical extruder is in the form of an elongated rectangular tub with at least one and optionally two augers oriented parallel to the ground that physically mixes the materials into a uniform mixture of the composition and then passes the composition through a restricted opening to form elongated noodles or cylindrical pellets . conventional tabletizers and pelletizers take the mixed materials from a storage tank and compress the mixture via converging die plates into forms on the order of ¼ ″ to 1 ″ diameter spheres and spheroids . commercial agglomerators take the mixtures as a powder ( having a particle size ranging from 44 μm to 100 μm ) and non - compressively combines the mixture into spheroids . preferably , the composition has a moisture content of from 1 to 15 percent by weight . preferably , the compositions manufactured according to the above mentioned processes may be coated with the materials discussed above according to techniques well known to those skilled in the art . those skilled in the art will also recognize that other well known techniques may also be utilized to manufacture the compositions of the present embodiment . the compositions of the present embodiments have utility in the following water treatment markets : municipal water treatment polishing agent , commercial construction / engineering , agricultural feedstock ( such as in piggeries , cattle , sheep and ostrich farms ), aquaculture ( fish farms and hatcheries , such as for shrimp , salmon and trout ), natural lake and river systems and watersheds , recreational and leisure ( golf course ponds , amusement parks and aquatic centers ), industrial effluent management , and mining and exploration ( tailings ponds and discharge systems ). the compositions of the present embodiments , are time release alum - based sorbents of phosphorus in water . the vast majority of phosphorus - laden water systems contain a minority of suspended or dissolved phosphorus in the water column as compared to the sediment water interface . as used herein , the term “ sediment water interface ” shall refer and be defined to mean an area in a body of water that generally includes the top six inches of sediment combined with the deepest six inches of water . in the vast majority of water systems such as lakes , rivers , ponds or trenches , the majority of the total phosphorus is located at the sediment water interface . powdered alum tends to remain in suspension removing the suspended phosphorus , organic matter , and other sediment but rarely reaches the targeted problem area in need of such treatment . preferably the density of individual forms of the compositions of the present embodiment ranges from about 1 . 0 to about 2 . 0 gm / cm 3 . it is also preferred that the individual forms of the compositions of the present embodiments have a diameter or major axis that ranges from ¼ ″ to 24 ″. most preferably , the compositions of the present embodiments have a density and size such that the compositions settle quickly through the water column arriving where they are needed most at the sediment water interface . the calculation for settling in water systems is based upon stokes settling law which describes the rate of settling of a particle based upon the density of the particle and the density of the water . stokes settling law is an accepted scientific principle used in a number of industries and can be used to estimate settling distances and time parameters for the compositions of the present embodiments . as noted above , the uncoated compositions according to the present embodiments will retain approximately 90 % of their particle integrity for about 2 minutes which translates to a minimum of 50 feet of water column at the percentages of alum and smectite mineral material indicated above . in commercial terms , the average depth of the water columns needing to be cleaned up is about 6 ′, so according to stokes law , the uncoated product will reach the sediment water interface well in advance of the onset of significant dissolution . although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detail above , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many other modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages described herein . accordingly , all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .

US-96024004-A

an improved dual - tone electronic music generator provides a phase difference between a melody and a chord such that the melody codes converted from the melody and the chord codes converted from the chord can be stored into a memory in series . this arrangement can increase the memory usage efficiency , and can reduce both the chip size and the production cost .

referring to fig2 the major features of the instant dual - tone electronic music generator , as shown in the portion within the dashed line comprise an address counter ( 20 ), a memory ( 30 ), a tone decoder ( 40 ), a beat decoder ( 50 ), a melody tone latch ( 60 ), a chord tone latch ( 70 ) and a delay circuit ( 80 ). the remainder of fig2 is a basic portion of the conventional dual - tone electronic music generator and will not be described herein . fig4 shows an original stave which includes a melody and a chord . the original stave then is converted into a series of corresponding codes which adapt to the instant electronic music generator . these codes which are stored in the memory ( 30 ) are shown in the following table : table__________________________________________________________________________address : 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0a 0b 0c 0d 0e 0f 10 11 . . .# 1 # 1 &# 39 ; # 2 # 3 # 2 &# 39 ; # 4 # 3 &# 39 ; # 4 &# 39 ; # 5 # 5 &# 39 ; # 6 # 6 &# 39 ; # 7 &# 39 ; # 8 &# 39 ; # 9 &# 39 ; # 7 # 10 &# 39 ; # 11 &# 39 ;. . __________________________________________________________________________ . referring to fig5 there are a melody beat timing signal ( c ) and a chord beat timing signal ( d ). since the frequencies of both timing signals ( c ) and ( d ) are the same , the beats of both melody and chord are synchronous to each other . in order to distinguish the codes stored in the memory ( 30 ), the phase difference between the melody beat timing signal ( c ) and the chord beat timing signal ( d ) is designed to be δt ( for example , δt approxionately equals to 2 milliseconds ( 2 ms )), which will not be distinguishable by human &# 39 ; s ears . thus , the composed melody still can maintain the desired mixing tone effect . referring to fig6 the delay circuit ( 80 ) consisting of a flip - flop designed so that the signal , which is generated by the tempo generator ( 101 ) and is to be input to the chord beat generator ( 102 ), can be delayed by the delay circuit ( 80 ). in addition , the phase difference between the beat signals which are respectively generated by the melody beat generator ( 103 ) and the chord beat generator ( 102 ), can be , for example , 2 ms . fig7 shows the timing signals of the address counter ( 20 ). the pulses respectively generated by the melody beat generator ( 103 ) and the chord beat generator ( 102 ) first pass through an or gate . then these pulses are input to the address counter ( 20 ). since the phase difference between the timing signal of the melody beat generator ( 103 ) and that of the chord beat generator ( 102 ) is approximately 2 ms ( δt ), the output codes from the memory ( 30 ) can be easily distinguished . fig8 shows the modulated output waves which respectively represent the melody ( a ) and the chord ( b ). it can be seen that the phase difference between the melody and the chord is δt ( 2 ms ) which is so short that it will not be distinguishable by the human ears . in addition , the shading portion ( a ) of fig8 represents a silent note . in use , first , both the chord beat generator ( 102 ) and the melody beat generator ( 103 ) are reset to zero . then , the tempo generator ( 101 ) generates a timing signal to actuate the aforesaid beat generators ( 102 ) and ( 103 ). since the timing signal of the melody beat generator ( 103 ) leads that of the chord beat generator ( 102 ) by a phase difference δt , the melody beat generator ( 103 ) will generate a first address timing signal . accordingly , the memory ( 30 ) will output a melody tone code which can be latched by the melody tone latch ( 60 ). then , the melody tone generator will generate a new frequency . the melody beat code will be loaded into the melody beat generator ( 103 ). after the passing of a predetermined time period δt , the chord beat generator ( 102 ) will generate another address timing signal which in turn will be input to the address counter ( 20 ). at this instant , the chord tone code coming from the memory ( 30 ) will be latched by the chord tone latch ( 70 ), and then the chord tone generator ( 104 ) will generate a new frequency . the chord beat code will be loaded into the chord beat generator ( 102 ). the output signals respectively coming from the melody tone generator and the chord tone generator are respectively input to the melody envelope circuit ( 105 ) and the chord envelope circuit ( 106 ) to reshape their waveforms . then , these reshaped wareforms are mixed and amplified by a mixing amplifier ( 107 ) to compose an attractive melody . fig3 is a block diagram which shows an automatic speed adjusting circuit . whenever the end decoder ( 108 ) detects an end code , the end decoder ( 108 ) will automatically generate a &# 34 ; load &# 34 ; signal to load a predetermined speed code from the memory ( 30 ) into the tempo generator ( 101 ), so it can provide a desired speed for the next melody . in summary , the instant dual - tone electronic music generator possesses the following features : 1 . the instant music generator can adjust the speed of a melody through the software adjustment . there are totally eight different speeds namely , 65 beats / min , 80 beats / min , 96 beats / min , 120 beats / min , 144 beats / min , 160 beats / min , 180 beats / min , and 240 beats / min . these speed adjustment codes can be combined with an end code of a previous melody to save the memory space . 2 . the instant music generator can provide an appropriate phase difference ( i . e ., 2 ms ) between the melody and the chord , so that both of the melody and the chord can be output in series . using such an arrangement can obtain the following advantages : a . the memory of the instant invention can be effectively utilized . the instant music generator can provide eight different beats with three bits and can furnish thirty - two different tones with five bits . accordingly , the instant music generator can use only eight bits to achieve all its desired requirements . b . the instant invention can use a single tone decoder and a single beat decoder . however , the conventional music generator has to utilize two tone decoders and two beat decoders . c . the instant invention can provide a phase difference between the melody and the chord . this may avoid the possibility of an overflow .

US-8831287-A

the present invention discloses a device for hanging clothes , comprising an engaging portion and a deformable elongate member , the elongate member comprising a connection mechanism such that the elongate member can be deformed back upon itself and connected to itself to form a loop .

fig1 to 6 show a hanger 10 having a hook portion 12 connected to an intended upper end of a body portion 14 , and an elongate member 16 connected to an intended lower end of the body portion 14 . the length of the elongate member 16 is approximately the same as the length of the combined body portion 14 and hook portion 12 . the elongate member 16 has a male part of a one - way “ snap - fit ” connector 18 at the end 20 , nearest the body portion 14 . the end 22 farthest from the body 10 of the elongate member 16 has an aperture 24 , which is designed to cooperate with the “ one - way ” snap - fit connector 18 . the elongate member 16 is weakened in a transverse direction in three positions 26 a , 26 b and 26 c . the hanger 10 further comprises a region 28 on the body portion 14 on which a logo or identifying means can be printed or written . the hanger 10 is beveled at both the end of the hook portion 12 and the end of the elongate member 16 . the hanger 10 is constructed from a plastics material . when in use , the elongate member 16 of the hanger 10 is threaded through a belt - loop of a pair of jeans ( not shown ). as shown in fig4 , the elongate member 16 is then folded inwardly at weakened positions 26 a and 26 b and outwardly at 26 c , so that the aperture 24 is in line with the connector 18 . the section between weakened positions 26 a and 26 b defines a flat spacer 27 . the aperture 24 is pushed onto and engages the male snap - fit connector 18 . the male snap - fit connector 18 yields while the aperture 24 is pushed onto it due to the split in the top of the snap - fit connector 18 . once the aperture 24 has passed over the snap - fit connector , the plastics material returns to its original position and the aperture 24 is prevented from passing back over the snap fit connector 18 . therefore , the aperture 24 and the snap - fit connector 18 make a non - releasable connection such that the jeans are held securely on the hanger 10 and the “ loop ” formed by the elongate member 16 hanger cannot be readily uncoupled . the hook portion 12 of the hanger 10 can then engage a hanging rail ( not shown ), with the item to be hung resting upon the spacer 27 . to remove the item from the hanger 10 , the elongate member 16 must be cut , preferably along one of the weakened regions 26 a 26 b 26 c . fig5 shows a hanger 10 having the features shown in the first embodiment in fig1 to 4 , with the additional feature of a recessed area 30 of the body 14 opposite the arc of the hook portion 12 . when in use , the hook portion 12 engages a rail and the recessed area 30 reduces the risk of inadvertent disengagement of the hanger 10 . when the hanger 10 is raised in order to be disengaged from the rail ( not show ), the user must draw the hanger 10 away from the rail in order to effect disengagement . if the user does not draw the hanger 10 away from the rail and continues raising the hanger 10 , the recessed area 30 will engage the rail and make it more difficult to remove the hanger 10 from the rail . therefore , if the hanger 10 is unintentionally raised with respect to the rail , recessed area 30 will reduce the risk of disengagement of the hanger 10 . fig6 shows a further embodiment of the present invention , wherein a split snap - fit connector 18 is positioned on the body portion 14 of the hanger 10 . in this embodiment , a loop of metallic wire 32 is provided within the hanger 10 to reduce the likelihood of the hanger being easily removed from the item to which it is attached . in order to remove the hanger 10 from the item to which it is attached , a removal device ( not shown ), such as a guillotine , is used to cut the plastics material , preferably at 26 a or 26 b , allowing the hanger 10 to be removed from the item . alternatively , the removal device may melt the plastics material of the hanger 10 and any reinforcement material so that the hanger 10 can be removed from the item . the removal device may be mounted to a surface near a cashier &# 39 ; s desk so that once an item has been paid for , the hanger 10 and integral security device can be removed prior to the customer leaving the store . by using a surface mounted device for the removal of the hanger , the likelihood of a thief removing the hanger in - store is reduced . as shown in fig6 , a security tag 34 is moulded into the hanger during manufacture and is wholly embedded within the body portion , thereby sealing it within the hanger . the connector 18 shown in the figures may be releasable , or “ two - way ”, rather than unreleasable . the hanger can then be reused and is suitable for use domestically . where the connector 18 is a releasable connector , the item is removed from the hanger by releasing the connection and removing the elongate member 16 from the item . variations and modifications to the illustrated construction may occur to the reader familiar with the art without taking the device outside the scope of the present invention . the hook portion 12 may be replaced with a closed aperture so that the hanger can be threaded onto a rail and retained on the rail . such a construction may be useful in a hotel , where clothes hangers are often retained on a hanging rail to prevent theft of the hangers . the body portion 14 may comprise a magnetic portion , either in addition to or in place of the region 28 , so that a metal plate can be attached to the hanger 10 . the magnetic plate may contain a name , address , or an identifying number . such a construction may be useful for identifying garments , for example coats in a cloakroom or garments in a dry cleaner . alternatively , a magnetic plate may be used on a metal hanger . this allows items to be identified quickly and easily from a rail and is more easily read than a label attached to the hanger either by sticky tape or string . other connection members may be used in place of a snap - fit connector , for example , a hook and eye fastener , a “ popper ”, a button and hole , etc . the wire in fig6 of may be a length that passes from the snap - fit connection member 18 to the aperture 24 , rather than a loop . this maintains the resistance of the elongate member against being cut , but requires a shorter length of wire . “ loop ” is intended to mean a closed circuit but not necessarily a circle . “ electronic article surveillance ” ( eas ) is terminology used in the art of security devices . eas is a technological method for preventing shoplifting from retail stores or other establishments whereby tags are fixed to merchandise and / or objects . the tags are removed or deactivated by the staff upon the item being properly bought or checked out . at the exits of the establishment , a detection system sounds an alarm or otherwise alerts a member of staff when active tags pass through .

US-201514639472-A

an overpressure valve for a packaging container , which prevents air from the atmosphere from getting into the package and , in the case of gas - emitting material being packaged , reduces a resultant overpressure by venting gas . the overpressure includes a valve membrane stuck to a wall of the container on top of through holes . the membrane is secured to the wall with peripheral adhesive strips , leaving an adhesive - free zone above the through holes ; the adhesive - free zone forms a valve member , and the congruent part of the wall forms a valve seat . the adhesive strips have a wedge shape , so that the transitional regions of the adhesive - free zone toward the adhesive strips , rest on the wall , and the raised peripheral regions form spacers for adjacent packages to permit operation of the overpressure valve while stacked one on the other .

the overpressure valve 1 is disposed on a packaging container , for example a gas - tight pouch 2 , and serves to vent gases that are produced by the packaged product . it closes off a plurality of holes 4 , in the form of pin pricks , in a flat wall 3 of the pouch 2 . the pouch 2 is water - vapor - proof and gas - proof and is suitable for receiving foodstuffs and luxury foods , in particular coffee , that are sensitive to air and moisture . the overpressure valve 1 has a thin membrane 10 of a transparent , flexible foil . the membrane 10 comprises a foil of a thermoplastic material , such as polyester , polyethylene or the like and has a thickness of from about 20 to about 100 μm , preferably 50 μm . the starting foil may also have a barrier layer of polyvinylidene chloride . the membrane 10 is preferably square in shape , with a length of approximately 20 mm per side and with rounded corners . the membrane 10 is secured to the wall 3 of the pouch 2 with two strips 11 , 12 comprising an adhesive substance . the adhesive strips 11 , 12 are shown on the inside of the membrane 10 in two parallel peripheral zones 13 , 14 , so that an adhesive - free center zone 15 extends between them , this zone covering the holes 4 and extending parallel to the adhesive strips 11 , 12 as far as the edges 16 , 17 of the membrane , at which the adhesive strips 11 , 12 likewise terminate . it is also conceivable for the adhesive - free zone to end at only one edge of the membrane . the adhesive strips 11 , 12 take the form of a wedge shape as shown in fig1 which has a thick portion and a very thin portion with a pointed edge , the pointed edge 18 of which defines the adhesive - free center zone 15 , and the thick edge 19 of the thick portion which is flush with the peripheral edges of the peripheral zones 13 , 14 of the membrane 10 . the length of the adhesive strips is about 20 mm , the width of the adhesive strips 11 , 12 is 4 to 5 mm and the width of the adhesive - free zone 15 of the membrane 10 is 8 to 10 mm , for instance . on the thick outer edge 19 , the adhesive strips 11 , 12 have a thickness that is approximately equal to the thickness of the membrane , namely on the order of magnitude of 20 to 100 μm , preferably 50 μm . the adhesive of the strips 11 , 12 , which has pressure - sensitive characteristics , is preferably built up on the basis of polyurethane . the adhesive strips 11 , 12 are applied to the membrane 10 , preferably before the membrane is cut out or severed from a strip of film . it may be applied in the form of a wedge - shaped string of adhesive that is ejected from a nozzle . however , strands or strings shaped in other ways may also be applied , which are then put into wedge shape by form rolling on the film . in the closed state of the overpressure valve , in which the adhesive - free zone of the membrane 10 rests on the congruent part of the wall 3 , the membrane 10 takes the form of a channel . the adhesive - free zone 15 forms a valve member , and the congruent , plane part of the wall 3 forms a valve seat . if the pressure in the interior of the pouch package rises above the ambient atmospheric pressure , the elastic , flexible adhesive - free zone 15 of the membrane 10 rises , beginning at the central region covering the holes 4 , first in the form of an enlarging bubble and then in the form of a flattened bulge , in the course of which a channel forms , through which gas flows out of the interior of the pouch package . once a certain gas quantity has been vented and with the associated reduction in the internal pressure of the package , the adhesive - free zone 15 applies itself sealingly to the wall 3 again . applying the adhesive in the form of a wedge has the advantage that in the region of the transition from the adhesive - free zone 15 to the peripheral zones 13 , 14 to the adhesive strips 11 , 12 , no small channels can form that impair the tightness of the overpressure valve 1 . also , the thick part of the adhesive strips 11 , 12 acts as a spacer , so that a wall of an adjacent package in a collective package is supported on the raised peripheral zones 13 , 14 of the membrane 10 , so that in the presence of overpressure the adhesive - free zone 15 can bulge out freely , forming a channel , so that the overpressure valve remains functional . since the plastic adhesive can flow and thereby flatten the wedge shape if pressure is exerted for a relatively long time by an adjacent package contacting it , so that raising of the adhesive - free zone 15 of the membrane 10 from the wall 3 of the pouch 2 is hindered , a further feature of the invention provides that solid bodies 28 or one continuous solid filament 27 ( fig5 and 6 ) is embodied in the region of the thick edge 19 in the adhesive strips 11 , 12 . the bodies 28 , which for instance comprise quartz sand , are spread onto the peripheral thick regions in a line and rolled in after the adhesive strips 11 , 12 have been applied to the membrane 10 . the filament 27 , which comprises a plastic , can simply move along with the adhesive as the adhesive is applied . moreover , stiff spacer strips may be disposed on the membrane 10 above the adhesive strips 11 , 12 . these advantages are attained if , as fig2 shows , the face 21 of the strips 11 , 12 resting on the membrane 10 is flat and has a uniform inclination . it is further reinforced if the face 21 is embodied in corrugated fashion ( fig3 ), so that the region 22 near the adhesive - free zone 15 and the outer region 23 have a slight inclination , while contrarily the intervening center region 24 has a great inclination . these advantages and effects can also be attained if , as fig4 shows , the adhesive strips 11 , 12 form a wedge lacking a cohering cross section , but instead are formed by two parallel strands 25 , 26 on each of the peripheral zones 13 , 14 of the membrane 10 ; the strands 26 of adhesive near the adhesive - free zone 15 are somewhat wedge shaped and have a very slight thickness , and the outer strands 25 , near the peripheral edges , shown as rectangular in fig4 have a comparably great thickness . fig3 illustrates adhesive slips 11 , 12 having a thick end portion which is rectangular in shape with w edge shaped portion extending from the rectangular portion to a very thin end portion juxtaposed the adhesive free zone . to prevent diffusion of ambient air through the closed overpressure valve 1 into the interior of the package , a liquid sealant , such as silicon oil , is disposed between the adhesive - free zone 15 of the membrane 10 and the congruent part of the wall 3 of the pouch 2 . as the degassing conduit forms , the film of silicon oil ruptures and then re - forms upon closure of the overpressure valve . the sealant is introduced into the channel by the deposit of a drop of it on at least one end of the channel , from where it is drawn into the channel by capillary action . alternatively , it may be disposed on the adhesive - free zone 15 of the membrane 10 before the membrane is secured to the pouch 2 . this is preferably done by disposing the sealant while the membrane 10 is still sticking to a backing strip , on which the membranes are disposed in manufacture and held in storage until they are applied to a packaging container . the sealant may be deposited on the outer ends of the adhesive - free zone , or to the central region of the adhesive - free zone , if the backing strip has an aperture in the central covering region . it is also noted that the membrane comprises a material the coefficient of thermal expansion of which is approximately equal to that of the material from which the pouch is made , so that upon temperature changes no strains arise in the membrane that affect the tightness and opening pressure of the overpressure valve . in the exemplary embodiments described above , the membrane 10 along with the wall 3 of a packaging container 2 forms an overpressure valve . if the wall 3 has little rigidity , so that uncontrollable strains are transmitted to the membrane 10 , it is also possible to secure the membrane 10 with the wedge - shaped adhesive strips 11 , 12 to a congruent perforated base plate 30 , and to stick the thus - formed valve onto the wall of the packaging container 3 ( fig7 ). the base plate 31 , which may comprise polyvinyl chloride or a similar plastic and have a thickness of 150 to 250 μm , has a central hole 32 and is provided with an adhesive film 33 over the entire surface of its underside . this kind of overpressure valve 1 &# 39 ; is secured on the wall 3 of the pouch 2 with its hole 32 covering the holes 4 in the pouch 2 . to create a simple check by means of which it is possible to ascertain whether an overpressure valve has been disposed on a package , particles of a substance that can be scanned easily and reliably with a test device are mixed in with the adhesive of the strips 11 , 12 . such substances , which may preferably have magnetic , fluorescent or luminescent properties , can operate with induction or reflected light . the foregoing relates to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention , it being understood that other variants and embodiments thereof are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention , the latter being defined by the appended claims .

US-1885193-A

the system and method for manufacturing the composite candle wick includes a mechanism for feeding the cotton wick and wood wick at substantially the same speeds . the wood wick is heated in order to cause a melting of a wax coating around the cotton wick and pressure is applied to the wick materials through a compression wheel and drive belt which carries the wick materials . once the pressure is applied to form the composite wick the wicks are then sent through a cutting tube where a cutting blade will cut the wick to its desired length .

in the present invention , a fabric wick 3 and a wood plank 2 are combined by means of lamination to form a composite wick 15 of various lengths . it is preferred that the fabric wick 3 material be planar in geometry , but the fabric wick 3 may be in the shape of a rod , rectangle , or some other geometry . the fabric wick utilized in the present invention is preferably a braided wick having a flat geometry ( planar ) manufactured using one or more of the following materials : cotton ( short and longer fiber ), paper , rayon and cellulose . the fabric wick 3 may include multiple cotton cores braided together by multiple braids containing a rayon sleeve of one or more multiple fiber ends . as cotton is the preferred material for the fabric wick 3 , the wick will be referred to hereafter as a cotton wick . the cotton wick 3 has a preferred thickness of between 0 . 025 inches and 0 . 065 inches and a preferred width of between 0 . 25 inches and 0 . 75 inches . the cotton wick 3 is wax coated and supplied on cotton wick spools in lengths of 10 to 1000 feet . such wicks can be obtained from atkins and pearce , 1 braidway , covington , ky . 41017 . it is preferred that the wood wick 2 be made out of the hardwood cherry , but other wood types may be used , such as the hardwoods maple and oak . in addition to hardwoods , softwoods such as pine or cedar may be used . the wood wick 2 is formed in a planar shape called a wood plank with a preferred thickness between 0 . 015 inch and 0 . 04 inch , a preferred width of between 0 . 25 inch and 1 inch , and length of between 3 inches and 36 inches , with a preferred length of 28 inches . such wood wicks can be obtained from candle art , llc , 10084 north 1950th street , dieterich , ill . 62424 . the cotton wick 3 is wax coated as part of the post processing of the wick 3 . the wax coating includes materials with adhesive qualities such as microcrystalline wax , high - melt paraffin wax , polyethylene wax , poly alpha olefins , or some other material that is used for traditional wick wax coatings . this wax coating functions as the binding agent in the lamination process described below . after lamination , the composite wick that comprises both the cotton wick and wood wick would be the same length , and the actual length will depend upon the height of the candle in which the wick is used . the cotton wick 3 is supplied on a cotton wick spool 1 wound in lengths of ten to one thousand feet of continuous cotton wick 3 lengths . the wood plank 2 is supplied in 28 ″ lengths and manually feed into the opening of the wood plank heating tube 4 . referring to fig1 - 4 , the cotton wick 3 supplied by a cotton wick spool 1 is guided by the cotton wick guide wheel 16 through the aluminum frame 20 at a feed rate equal to that of the wood plank 2 feed rate . the wood plank heating tube 4 heats the wood plank 2 to a temperature of between 120 ° f . 190 ° f . by a radiant heater 19 positioned from ¼ ″ above to full contact with the wood plank 2 . the heating of the wood plank 2 is an important aspect of this invention as it accounts for the subsequent slight melting of the lamination wax on the cotton wick 3 . referring to fig5 , the cotton wick 3 is guided to the compression wheel 6 via the cotton wick guide 16 and the wood plank 2 is guided to the compression wheel 6 through the wood plank heating tube 4 by the drive belt 8 . the drive belt 8 is held taught by an adjustable belt tensioning assembly 5 the drive belt 8 is put in motion by a dc motor that turns a drive belt pulley 17 . the compression wheel 6 is made of hard polyurethane with a shore a hardness of at least durometer 95 . the drive belt 8 rests on the drive belt support plate 7 . the cotton wick 3 is guided onto the center of the wood plank 2 , both of which are fed at the same rate into the compression wheel 6 . the compression force of the compression wheel 6 can be adjusted by turning the tensioner screws 18 . the tensioner screws 18 as part of the belt support tensioner system 10 increase or decrease the pressure on the belt support springs 11 which in turn increase or decrease the pressure on the belt support plate 7 . lamination of the composite wick 15 occurs as a function of pressure between the compression wheel 6 and the belt support plate 7 as applied to the two wick materials . as described above , the wood plank 2 is heated which causes melting of the wax coating on the cotton wick which causes the cotton wick 3 to adhere to the wood wick 2 when pressure is applied to the two wicks 2 , 3 . a manual adjustment to the tensioner screws 18 allows for optimal pressure on the cotton wick 3 and wood plank 2 . optimal pressure is determined by an off - line qualitative measure of the force required to separate the laminated pieces . referring to fig6 , both the cotton wick 3 and the wood plank 2 have equal feed rates governed by synchronized stepper motors 12 . the wax coating on the cotton wick 3 is the lamination medium that binds together the cotton wick 3 and the wood plank 2 . the now laminated cotton wick 3 and wood plank 2 progress as a composite wick 15 into the cutting tube 14 . the cutting assembly 9 is engaged and the cutting blade 13 cuts the composite wick 15 as a function of the composite wick &# 39 ; s 15 feed rate . the cutting assembly 9 engagement may be programmed to adjust the cut length to fit a variety of candle heights . the composite wick 15 exits the cutting tube where it is subsequently taken up by a wick assembly and placement system . while the foregoing invention has been described with reference to its preferred embodiments various alterations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art . all such alterations and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims .

US-201213670891-A

a method of machining bevel gears whereby machining of both flanks of a tooth slot and crowning of the tooth surfaces in the lengthwise direction are realized without an active pivot axis and by a modification of the conventional relationship between the radial and swivel basic settings during gear generating .

before any features and at least one construction of the invention are explained in detail , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings . the invention is capable of other constructions and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways . also , it is understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting . the terms “ invention ,” “ the invention ,” and “ the present invention ” used in this specification are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this specification and the patent claims below . statements containing these terms should not be understood to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of any patent claim below . furthermore , this specification does not seek to describe or limit the subject matter covered by the claims in any particular part , paragraph , statement or drawing of the application . the subject matter should be understood by reference to the entire specification , all drawings and claims below . in the context of the present invention , the term “ bevel ” gears is understood to be of sufficient scope to include those types of gears known as bevel gears , “ hypoid ” gears , angle gears , as well as those gears known as “ crown ” or “ face ” gears . it should also be understood that the terms “ gear set ” or “ gear pair ” refer to mating members comprising a pinion member , usually the driving member , and a mating gear member ( e . g . ring gear ), usually the driven member . the present invention is directed to a method of cutting bevel gears which allows a completing cutting of both flanks of a tooth slot and achieves length crowning in the interaction of pinion and gear by modification of the effective radii . the inventive method may be applied to either or both members of a bevel gear set . it can be understood that if a cutter head tilt according to the principle in fig3 ( c ) is applied in the center roll position of a traditional bevel gear generator ( fig4 ) , then this results in a certain x -, y -, z - and b - axis positions when transformed to the configuration of a free form machine ( fig7 ) for that particular roll position . a roll process , where all axis values for x -, y - and z of a free form machine are correctly transformed from basic settings , but the b - axis angle is kept constant in all roll positions at the value of the center roll position , will not be acceptable due to very large deviation to the theoretical flank surfaces of the pinion member and / or the gear member of a gear set . it has been discovered that a reverse swivel motion of the first order rotates the tilt orientation , for each degree of cradle rotation , one degree back into the original orientation . such an arrangement with a reverse swivel motion will eliminate b - axis motions of a free form machine ( after basic settings are converted for all roll positions ) and also result in different x , y and z values ( compared to the case without reverse swivel motion ). since the tilt and swivel provisions carry the cutter spindle , the cutter rotation ( in continuous cutting ) has to be corrected for every relative rotational amount ( simultaneously as they occur by the reverse rotating swivel ). it is also possible to correct the work rotation instead . at the center of roll position the resulting flank surface ( generating flat ) will be identical the generating flat in case of a cutting without the reverse tilt motion . for small amounts of tilt angle , the flank form deviations between center of roll and end of roll position ( e . g . heel ) and center of roll and start roll position ( e . g . toe ) are very small and can be neglected . for larger amounts of tilt , the resulting flank deviations can be corrected by using first and second order helical motion , first and second order radial motion and first order modified roll . fig1 shows a generating gear plane with the generating gear axis with the vector r m to the center of the face width , the radial distance vector e x from the generating gear axis to the center of the cutter and the cutter radius vector r w from the tip of the e x vector to the tip of the rm vector . this represents a snap shot of cutting in the center roll position with the observed cutter blades in the rotational position where they cut a point at the mid - face of the tooth . fig2 shows a generating gear plane with two radial distance vectors e x - ib and e x - ob to the centers of two separate cutters . one cutter has inside blades for cutting of the convex flanks represented by r w - ib and the second cutter has outside blades for cutting of the concave flanks represented by r w - ob . the cutter centers have different locations ( ib for cutting the convex flank and ob for cutting the concave flank ) since the inside cutting edge positions have been moved to a smaller radius than the radius of the outside blades . the two cutter radius vectors have to be positioned such that the tips lie in the same point at the center of the face width and on the z - axis of the generating gear coordinate system . this is necessary in order to produce the correct slot width ( which is one pitch minus the tooth thickness plus any backlash ). fig3 ( a ) shows a view which is directed perpendicular to the cutter radius . the cutter head axis is parallel to the generating gear axis . the blade cutting edges in this example are straight . the cutter radii r w - ib and r w - ob are identical for outside and inside blade . the radius of curvature generated in lead direction of the concave flank is ρ ib = r w - ib / cos α ib . the radius of curvature generated in lead direction of the convex flank is ρ ob = r w - ob / cos α ob . since α ob and α ib are equal , then ρ ib and ρ ob are also equal . if the cutter head in fig3 ( a ) is used to manufacture one member ( e . g . the gear ) and if a mirror image of this cutter head ( mirror plane is x - z ) is used to manufacture the other member ( e . g . the pinion ), then the pair will be perfectly conjugate . fig3 ( b ) shows a view which is directed perpendicular to the cutter radius . the cutter head axis is parallel to the generating gear axis . the blade cutting edges in this example are straight . the cutter radius r w - ib for the inside blade is by δr smaller than the radius r w - ob of the outside blade . the radius of curvature generated in lead direction of the concave flank is ρ ib = r w - ib / cos α ib . the radius of curvature generated in lead direction of the convex flank is ρ ob = r w - ob / cos α ob . since r w - ib is smaller than r w - ob , then ρ ib is also smaller than ρ ob . inside blades and outside blades are placed in different cutter heads . the axis of the inside blade cutter head is positioned such that the inside blade crosses the x - axis at the same point then the outside blade like in fig3 ( a ). if the cutter head in fig3 ( b ) is used to manufacture one member ( e . g . the gear ) and if a mirror image of this cutter head ( mirror plane is x - z ) is used to manufacture the other member ( e . g . the pinion ), then gear sets with length crowning and also with the correct slot width are generated . a disadvantage of the arrangement in fig3 ( b ) is the fact that 2 cutting machine setups ( or an interlocking cutter connected to a complex machine double spindle connection ) will be required . fig3 ( c ) shows a view which is directed perpendicular to the cutter radius . the blade cutting edges in this example are straight . the radii r w - ib and r w - ob are equal on the inside and the outside blade . inside blades and outside blades are placed in the same cutter head . the cutter head is tilted about an axis which is perpendicular to the drawing plane . the blade angles relative to the generating gear axis ( horizontal axis in fig3 ( c )) are identical to fig3 ( b ). this requires ( for example , in case of a 2 ° tilt ) an inside blade angle of 18 ° and an outside blade angle of 22 °. the radius of curvature generated in lead direction of the concave flank is ρ ib = r w - ib / cos α ib . the radius of curvature generated in lead direction of the convex flank is ρ ob = r w - ob / cos α ob . since α ib is smaller than α ob , then ρ ib is also smaller than ρ ob . if the cutter head in fig3 ( c ) is used to manufacture one member ( e . g . the gear ) and if a mirror image of this cutter head ( mirror plane is x - z ) is used to manufacture the other member ( e . g . the pinion ), then gear sets with length crowning and also with the correct slot width are generated . the advantage of the arrangement in fig3 ( c ) is the fact that only one cutting machine setup will be required in order to cut both , the convex ( ib ) flank and the concave ( ob ) flank of one member . fig4 shows a conventional mechanical ( and theoretical as discussed above ) bevel gear generator with known settings comprising cradle ( q ), radial setting provision ( s ), swivel angle provision ( j ), tilt angle provision ( i ), swing angle for root angle setting ( γ m ), center to back adjustment ( x p ), offset adjustment ( e m ), sliding base setting ( x b ). not shown are the ratio of roll coupling between cradle rotation and work rotation ( r a ), and indexing ratio coupling between cutter rotation and an additional work rotation ( r ind ). fig5 ( a ) shows the graphic of a mechanical machine with provisions to : rotate the generating gear —( i . e . cradle rotation , q ); place the cutter center away from the center of the machine cradle ( generating gear axis )—( rotational element for setting angle φ s to achieve radial distance setting , s ); inclination of the cutter head axis —( rotational element for setting angle φ i to achieve tilt angle setting , i ); rotate the inclined cutter axis about an axis perpendicular to the generating gear plane — rotational element for setting ( angle φ i to achieve swivel angle setting , j ). on a conventional ( and hence , theoretical ) bevel gear generating machines , the cradle , q , is rigidly connectable to the rotational element for setting the angle φ s which in turn is rigidly connectable to the rotational element for setting the angle φ j which in turn is rigidly connectable to the rotational element for setting the angle φ i . see fig5 ( a ) as an example of such an arrangement . the work gear and its associated machine elements and workholding equipment are not shown in fig5 ( a ) for the sake of clarity . thus , upon rotation of the cradle q during generation , the rotational elements for setting angles φ s , φ j and φ i rotate along with cradle q given the rigid connections discussed above . all cutter spindle setup positions in fig5 ( a ) are marked at their current setting with an arrow . the rotational position of the cradle shown in fig5 ( a ) is set at the start roll position . the auxiliary plane , p a , connected to the swivel and tilt mechanisms and containing the tool axis , t , shows the cutter tilt angle i and the rotational position of the cradle . fig5 ( b ) shows the same mechanical machine as shown in fig5 ( a ) but the cradle is rotated by 30 ° in a counterclockwise direction . with the cradle rotation the provisions ( i . e . elements ) for establishing radial distance , swivel angle and tilt angle did rotate together with the cradle also by 30 ° in counterclockwise direction . the arrow , attached to the cradle housing indicates an angle of 30 ° with respect to a reference mark on the cradle . the auxiliary plane , p a , connected to the swivel and tilt mechanisms and containing the tool axis , t , shows the new rotational position of the cradle . in mechanical machines the tilt provision is rigidly clamped to the swivel provision and the swivel provision is rigidly clamped to the eccentric provision , which is why the kinematic condition in fig5 ( b ) is typical for mechanical machines . fig5 ( c ) shows the same mechanical machine as shown in fig5 ( a ) but the cradle is now rotated by 60 ° in a counterclockwise direction . with the cradle rotation the provisions for radial distance , swivel angle and tilt angle did rotate together with the cradle also by 60 ° in the counterclockwise direction . the arrow , attached to the cradle housing includes now an angle of 60 ° with respect to the reference mark on the cradle . the auxiliary plane , p a , connected to the swivel and tilt mechanisms and containing the tool axis , t , shows the new rotational position of the cradle . in mechanical machines the tilt provision is rigidly clamped to the swivel provision and the swivel provision is rigidly clamped to the eccentric provision , which is why the kinematic condition in fig5 ( c ) is typical for mechanical machines . fig6 ( a ) shows the graphic of a mechanical machine with the same provisions as shown in fig5 ( a ). all cutter spindle setup positions in fig6 ( a ) are marked at their current setting with an arrow . the rotational position of the cradle shown in fig6 ( a ) is set at the start roll position . the auxiliary plane , p a , connected to the swivel and tilt mechanisms and containing the tool axis , t , shows the cutter tilt angle and the rotational position of the cradle . fig6 ( a ) is identical to fig5 ( a ) but is now the outgoing position for a different demonstration . fig6 ( b ) shows the same mechanical machine as shown in fig6 ( a ) but the cradle is rotated by 30 ° in a counterclockwise direction . the provision for the radial distance , s , is rigidly connected with the cradle , q , and therefore rotated together with the cradle also by 30 °. however according to the invention , the provision for the swivel , j , ( tilt orientation ) is no longer rigidly connected to the radial distance setup provision , but is effectively rotated ( along with the rigidly connected tilt orientation , i ) backwards ( in clockwise direction ) by an amount equal to the rotation of cradle , q , ( i . e . by 30 ° in fig6 ( b )) simultaneously with each increment of cradle rotation . as a result , the arrow attached to the cradle housing includes now an angle of 30 ° with respect to the reference mark on the cradle and in comparison to fig5 ( b ), the arrow connected to the swivel setting provision includes an angle of − 30 ° with respect to a reference marks on the cradle and radial provisions . in other words , the net rotation result of the swivel and tilt provisions is zero . the auxiliary plane , p a , connected to the swivel and tilt mechanisms and containing the tool axis , t , as a result of the adverse rotation between cradle and swivel ( by the same absolute amounts ), did not rotate in space but has the same orientation like in fig6 ( a ). fig6 ( c ) shows the same mechanical machine as shown in fig6 ( a ) but the cradle is rotated by 60 ° in counterclockwise direction . the provision for the radial distance , s , is rigidly connected with the cradle , q , and therefore rotated together with the cradle also by 60 °. however according to the invention , the provision for the swivel , j , ( tilt orientation ) is no longer rigidly connected to the radial distance setup provision , but is effectively rotated ( along with the rigidly connected tilt orientation , i ) backwards ( in clockwise direction ) by an amount equal to the rotation of cradle , q , ( i . e . by 60 ° in fig6 ( c )) simultaneously with each increment of cradle rotation . as a result , the arrow attached to the cradle housing includes now an angle of 60 ° with respect to the reference mark on the cradle and in comparison fig6 ( b ), the arrow connected to the swivel setting provision includes an angle of − 60 ° with respect to the reference marks on the cradle and radial provisions . in other words , the net rotation result of the swivel and tilt provisions is zero . the auxiliary plane , p a , connected to the swivel and tilt mechanisms and containing the tool axis , t , as a result of the adverse rotation between cradle and swivel ( by the same absolute amounts ), did not rotate in space but has the same orientation like in fig6 ( a ). fig7 shows a free form bevel gear manufacturing machine with rectilinear slides for vertical movement ( y ), work axial movement ( z ), and horizontal ( x ) movement and with a work rotation ( a - spindle ), a cutter rotation ( c - spindle ) and a swing ( pivot ) rotation ( b - axis ). a coordinate transformation enables to convert the geometric and kinematic settings of a cradle style bevel gear cutting ( or grinding ) machine as shown in fig4 in order to duplicate all relative motions between tool and work precisely with a free form machine as shown in fig7 ( see previously mentioned u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 981 , 402 ; 6 , 669 , 415 and 6 , 712 , 566 ). in the transformation of a tilted cutter spindle rotating together with the cradle in space ( as shown in fig5 ( a ) to 5 ( c )) from a conventional mechanical machine to the free form machine as shown in fig7 , an angular change of the orientation between work and tool axis occurs during the generating roll process . this also means that the b - axis swing ( pivot ) angle between the tool and workpiece axes in the free form machine of fig7 will constantly change during a generating roll process in the course of manufacturing a work piece . however , in the transformation of a cutter spindle tilt which is stationary in space independent from the cradle rotation ( as shown in fig6 ( a ) to 6 ( c )) from a conventional mechanical machine to the free form machine as shown in fig7 , no angular change of the orientation between work and tool axis occurs during the generating roll process . this also means that the b - axis swing ( pivot ) angle between the tool and workpiece axes in the free form machine of fig7 will not change during a generating roll process in the course of manufacturing a work piece . the result of the transformation of the movements in fig6 ( a ) to 6 ( c ), in contrast to a transformation of the movements of fig5 ( a ) to 5 ( c ), will not only result in a constant b - axis angle for all roll positions , but also deliver different values of x , y and z . fig8 ( a ) shows the ease - off and calculated tooth contact pattern of a gearset manufactured with the cutter arrangement in fig3 ( a ). the cutting simulation process is based on a tilt orientation condition as shown in fig5 ( a ) to 5 ( c ). the analysis results are independent from the type of gear manufacturing machine ( e . g . fig4 or fig7 ) used . the analysis results show no length crowning ( due to the cutter arrangement in fig3 ( a )). the profile crowning seen in fig8 ( a ) results from the use of curved blades which are typically used in the manufacture of large bevel gears . because of the missing length crowning , the gearset used for the analysis in fig8 ( a ) is not suitable for practical usage . fig8 ( b ) shows the ease - off and calculated tooth contact pattern of a gearset manufactured with the cutter arrangement in fig3 ( b ). the cutting simulation process is based on a tilt orientation condition as shown in fig5 ( a ) to 5 ( c ). the analysis results are independent form the fact if the manufacturing machine of fig4 or fig7 is used . the analysis results show profile crowning ( due to curved blade cutting edges ) and a length crowning in the 100 μm range . length and profile crowning are required for the practical use of bevel gear sets . a disadvantage of the generating process with different cutter radii according to fig3 ( b ) is that two cutting machine setups ( or an interlocking cutter connected to a complex machine double spindle connection ) will be required . fig8 ( c ) shows the ease - off and calculated tooth contact pattern of a gearset manufactured with the cutter arrangement in fig3 ( c ). the cutting simulation process is based on a tilt orientation condition as shown in fig5 ( a ) to 5 ( c ). the analysis results are independent form the fact if the manufacturing machine of fig4 or fig7 is used . the analysis results show profile crowning ( due to curved blade cutting edges ) and a length crowning in the 100 μm range . length and profile crowning are required for the practical use of bevel gear sets . the advantage of this arrangement is that only one cutting machine setup is used for each member in order to cut the inside and outside flanks with one cutter head in a completing process . the disadvantage of this arrangement in particular in connection with the manufacturing of large gears with a modern free form machine as shown in fig7 is that the b - axis requires a constant angle change during the generating process . fig8 ( d ) shows the ease - off and calculated tooth contact pattern of a gearset manufactured with the cutter arrangement in fig3 ( c ). the cutting simulation process is based on a tilt orientation condition as shown in fig6 ( a ) to 6 ( c ). the analysis results are independent from whether the manufacturing machine of fig4 or fig7 is used . however , because of the tilt provision not being rigidly fixed to the cradle but being geo - stationary in space , the transformation of the basic settings from a mechanical machine ( fig4 ) to a free form machine ( fig7 ) results in a fixed b - axis angle throughout the entire generating process . the analysis results in fig8 ( d ) show ease - off amounts with several thousand micrometers ( μm ). the gearset according to fig8 ( d ) is not suitable for practical usage . fig8 ( e ) shows the ease - off and calculated tooth contact pattern of a gearset manufactured with the cutter arrangement in fig3 ( c ). the cutting simulation process is based on a tilt orientation condition as shown in fig6 ( a ) to 6 ( c ). the generation of the gearset analyzed in fig8 ( e ), in contrast to the generation of the gearset in fig8 ( d ), includes an additional cutter rotation . this rotation was lost due to the non - rigid connected tilt and swivel provision and it compensates for the non - rotating tilt provision during the generating roll . the cutter rotation is actuated and defined relative to the tilt and swivel provision which carry the cutter spindle . for example from fig6 ( a ) to fig6 ( b ), the generating gear ( cradle ) rotates 30 °. the cutter rotation should consist of , for example , a constant rpm plus ( or minus ) the additional 30 ° of the cradle rotation . the rotational compensation can also be performed with the work gear , considering the correct indexing ratio between cutter and work . the rotational compensation is only required for the continuous indexing cutting process ( face hobbing ). the analysis results of fig8 ( e ) show profile crowning ( due to curved blade cutting edges ) and a length crowning in the 100 μm range . length and profile crowning are required for the practical use of bevel gear sets . the first advantage of this arrangement is that only one cutting machine setup is used for each member in order to cut the inside and outside flanks with one cutter head in a completing process . another advantage of this arrangement , in particular in connection with the manufacturing of large gears with a modern free form machine as shown in fig7 , is that the b - axis can be clamped at a constant value . this provides a significant increase in stiffness and accuracy . fig8 ( f ) shows the ease - off and calculated contact pattern of the same gearset shown in fig8 ( e ) ( cutter arrangement of fig3 ( c ) and tilt orientation condition as shown in fig6 ( a ) to 6 ( c )). the difference to the case in fig8 ( e ) is an application of geometric and kinematic flank form corrections ( such as , for example , flank form corrections of the type disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 580 , 298 , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference ). the applied corrections approximate the original ease - off and tooth contact as shown in fig8 ( a ), without any b - axis angular movements during the generating process of pinion and gear . the approximation results in only very small differences on the extreme corners of the ease - off compared to fig8 ( a ). while the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particulars thereof . the present invention is intended to include modifications which would be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the subject matter pertains without deviating from the spirit and scope of the appended claims .

US-201213569214-A

a composite pre - laminated tape is provided having at least one tape backing of a porous paper coated on one face with a release coating of a solventless , radiation - cured silicone applied directly to the paper .

the composite tape is subdivided into bonded section ( 16 ) and fastening section ( 17 ) and made up of fastening tape ( 12 ), target tape ( 18 ), release tape ( 21 ) and unifying strip ( 24 ). fastening tape ( 12 ) comprises any suitable paper backing ( 13 ) provided a release coating of a solventless , radiation - cured silicone applied directly to the paper to facilitate unwinding of the composite tape when wound upon itself about the core . one face of the backing ( 13 ) is coated with a layer ( 15 ) of a tacky and aggressive pressure - sensitive adhesive . suitable adhesives include conventional rubber - resin adhesives which have tack characteristics modified by the inclusion of tackifying resins such as the tackifying resins described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 136 , 071 . the aggressive pressure - sensitive adhesives used for layer ( 15 ) may also include conventional rubber - resin adhesives modified to have peel strengths between about 6 and 10 newtons per 25 mm , preferably about 8 newtons per 25 mm . a suitable method for measuring the peel strengths of adhesive layers on a steel , polyethylene or polypropylene surface is described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 801 , 480 . target tape ( 18 ), formed of any suitable tape backing material , is positioned so that it coincides with and covers part of adhesive layer ( 15 ). the top surface of target tape ( 18 ) is releasably adhered to adhesive layer ( 15 ). the bottom surface of target tape ( 18 ) is coated with a layer ( 19 ) of normally tacky and pressuresensitive adhesive . this adhesive layer ( 19 ) must form a strong shear bond to the outer surface of the diaper where it is adhered during use and may be the same as adhesive layer ( 15 ). a first fingerlift ( 20 ) is positioned between fastening tape ( 12 ) and target tape ( 18 ). the first fingerlift ( 20 ) is adhered to fastening tape ( 12 ) by adhesive layer ( 15 ). fingerlift ( 20 ) facilitates the lifting of fastening tape ( 12 ) from the target tape ( 18 ). release tape ( 21 ), formed of any suitable tape backing material , is positioned such that it substantially covers and is adhered to adhesive layer ( 19 ). the top surface of release tape ( 21 ) may be provided with a coating of release agent so that target tape ( 18 ) may be readily separated from release tape ( 21 ). a second fingerlift ( 23 ) is adhesively attached to target tape ( 18 ) by adhesive layer ( 19 ). the fingerlift ( 23 ) is attached to an end portion of target tape ( 18 ) and facilitates the separation of target tape ( 18 ) from release tape ( 21 ) in order to allow initial positioning of target tape ( 18 ) and fastening tape ( 12 ) on the opposed side of the diaper . fingerlifts ( 20 , 23 ) which are typically formed of narrow strips of polymeric film , are adhered to backing ( 13 ) and target tape ( 18 ) by adhesive layers ( 15 , 19 respectively ). the fingerlifts ( 20 , 23 ) extend outwardly beyond the edge of fastening tape ( 12 ) and target tape ( 18 ) to permit and facilitate the separation of the various tapes . the separation of fastening tape ( 12 ) from target tape ( 18 ) is facilitated when it is desired to reopen the diaper closure . unifying strip ( 24 ), typically formed of a narrow strip of the same material as fingerlifts ( 20 , 23 ) is positioned between end portions of tape such that its centerline coincides with the junction of target tape ( 18 ) and release tape ( 21 ) and adhesive layers ( 15 , 19 , 22 ). thus , one part of unifying strip ( 24 ) is adhered to adhesive layer ( 22 ) and an approximately equal part is adhered to adhesive layer ( 15 ). u . s . pat . no . 4 , 801 , 480 illustrates the use of closures formed by severing such a composite tape at intervals corresponding to the predetermined width of the closure , parallel to the axis of the tape core .

US-23223794-A

a valve structure for heavy duty applications in connection with off - the - road or agricultural vehicle tires . such applications involve a substantial increase in the weight of tires so that the vehicles will acquire stability in maneuvering ; e . g . in the case of muddy , rocky , hilly conditions or the like .

referring now to the figures of the drawing , there will be seen in fig1 a known valve device for heavy duty applications involving the use of such device in connection with a rubber tube or the like that is to be filled with both air and liquid . specifically , the liquid would be a water - calcium chloride solution . the use of such a solution insures that the tubes will be sufficiently loaded that the vehicle will be able to maneuver in a stable manner over rough and difficult terrain ; in other words , the context is one where although the vehicle may be used occasionally on pavement , it will generally be subjected to rough usage over hilly , muddy , or rocky terrain . in the known valve construction , it will be seen that a rubber body 10 has a tubular stem portion 12 and integral therewith a flange or base member 14 , the flange serving for mounting the device to the tube of a heavy duty vehicle tire . the body 10 is preferably molded of resilient rubber or the like by the use of conventional molding techniques . a tubular metal insert 16 has an internally and externally threaded top portion 18 and a main or body portion 20 disposed within the molded rubber stem portion 12 . the upper part 20a of the body portion 20 is suitably tapered so as to effectuate the requisite static seal at its inner periphery or bore 21 . this seal is produced by contact of a gasket 22 , included as part of the stub or short valve core 24 , with the tapered portion . the valve core 24 has a conventional cup - shaped member 26 which includes a rubber washer or grommet bearing against the lower end of the barrel of such core 24 to provide the required dynamic seal . because of the heavy duty application for this valve structure , the construction of the main or body portion 20 is generally tubular with a fairly constant outside diameter . however , the thickness of the wall is somewhat greater at the upper and lower parts 20a and 20b . it should be especially noted , however , that a relatively lesser thickness , hence a larger internal diameter for the bore 21 , is provided for the most part , so as to permit free flow of the liquid which is to be injected or flowed into the tube to which the valve device is attached . thus , there is an extended fixed internal diameter for the bore 21 substantially throughout its length from the point at which liquid enters the bore to the point at which it exits . it will be seen at the inner termination of the valve insert 16 that a suitable groove 29 is provided such that when the molding operation is performed , rubber will be forced into the groove , thereby to bring about a firm locking engagement of the rubber with the insert . despite the benefits which attend the application of the valve device depicted in fig1 it has been discovered that corrosion does take place in the case of a water - calcium chloride solution for heavy duty applications . accordingly , the improvement of the present invention provides a solution to that problem while retaining the advantages of the previous construction . thus , as will be seen in fig2 the essential valve construction previously noted in fig1 is provided , except that at the lower or inner end of the valve the insert 16 is so formd as to have a hook - like annular projection 30 such that when rubber is molded around this hook - like portion to an appropriate extent , the necessary locking or interengaging relationship is firmly established between insert and the bonded rubber . however , the required wide diameter for the bore is not diminished in any way such that liquid can flow freely through the entire bore and into the tire tube . the hook - like annular portion extends downwardly from a point close to the center line of the slightly thickened wall portion 20b and extends outwardly from the valve axis as the portion 30 reaches its termination . in the molding process the rubber is so molded so as to extend up to the slightly thickened wall portion 20b . accordingly , the rubber portion 32 located inwardly of the hook - like portion 30 serves to define the inner end of bore 21 , such rubber portion 32 having a diameter at least as large as the upper part of bore 21 ; that is to say , the upper part which extends between the thickened portions 20a and 20b . also by this particular arrangement , the end of the insert 6 is protected ; thus it is ensured that any normal splashing of the water - calcium chloride solution contained in the tire tube will not produce corrosion of the insert and thereby affect the bonding between the rubber and insert 16 at its inner end , as was the case noted with the valve device of fig1 . while there has been shown and described what is considered at present to be the preferred embodiment of the present invention , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications of such embodiment may be made . it is therefore desired that the invention not be limited to this embodiment , and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .

US-30974181-A

a fast light - off time enhancement device and method may be used for an exhaust catalyst or particulate filter . the light - off time enhancement device may include a fuel injector , a carbon nano - tube injector , and a light source when active may generate heat . heat generated thereby provides improving light - off time of the catalyst . additionally , the same system may be used to generate heat to regenerate a particulate filter . an associated control system may be utilized to monitor vehicle parameters and determine the appropriate use of the light - off enhancement device .

example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings . the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . it should be understood that throughout the drawings , corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features . fig1 depicts a vehicle 10 with an internal combustion engine 12 , whether the sole source or joint source of vehicle power , produces exhaust gas which is expelled through exhaust system 14 . the exhaust system 14 may contain a catalytic converter 16 , a particulate filter 18 , and a muffler 20 . fig2 depicts an exploded block view of the exhaust system 14 . the exhaust system 14 includes a catalytic converter 16 which may include a catalyst 22 , also may be known in the art as a reforming catalyst , an exhaust treatment catalyst by way of non - limiting example . the catalyst 22 is disposed within the housing 24 . the catalyst 22 may comprise any catalyst material suitable for treatment of vehicle exhaust , including , but not limited to , for example , rhodium , platinum , their alloys , and combinations thereof . it is also known in the art that the catalytic converter 16 may contain multiple catalysts 22 within the housing 24 that may be in series to increase the effectiveness of reforming the exhaust . the exhaust system 14 may also include an upstream temperature sensor 26 that may be coupled to the housing 24 upstream of the catalyst 22 . a downstream temperature sensor 28 may be coupled to the housing 24 downstream of the catalyst 22 . the upstream temperature sensor 26 and downstream temperature sensor 28 may communicate with a control module 30 ; the engine may also communicate with the control module 30 . the upstream temperature sensor 26 and downstream temperature sensor 28 may also be embedded into the catalyst 22 by way of non - limiting example . the catalytic converter 16 may be connected to engine 12 by an exhaust pipe 32 . untreated exhaust 34 leaves the engine 12 and flows through exhaust pipe 32 to the catalytic converter 16 to be treated . the treated exhaust gas 36 leaves the catalytic converter 16 into the tail pipe 38 to muffler 20 . the current embodiment may also contain a fuel injector 40 that may inject fuel upstream of the catalyst 22 in the exhaust system 14 . the fuel injector 40 receives fuel from fuel storage 42 through conduit 44 . the fuel storage 42 may be an independent reservoir or part of the vehicle main fuel supply tank for the engine 12 to reduce complexity of parts . the fuel that may be injected into the flow of exhaust gas from the engine 12 may include but not limited to gasoline , diesel fuel , or any combustible fuel that may be available . the fuel injector 40 and fuel storage 42 communicate with a control module 30 . the exhaust system 14 may also include a carbon nano - tube ( cnt ) injector 46 that may inject cnt &# 39 ; s upstream of catalyst 22 . the cnt injector 46 may receive cnt &# 39 ; s from cnt storage 48 through conduit 50 . the cnt injector 46 and cnt storage 48 communicate with a control module 30 . the exhaust system 14 may also include a light source 52 upstream of catalyst 22 . the light source 52 may communicate with control module 30 and may be downstream of fuel injector 40 and cnt injector 46 . this may allow fuel and cnt &# 39 ; s to properly mix before light source 52 activates to ignite the mix . the fuel injector 40 , cnt injector 46 , and light source 52 may be collectively referred to as supplemental heating system or a light - off time enhancement device indicated by dotted box 54 . the general operation of the exhaust system 14 and light - off time enhancement device 54 will be described using structure in fig2 and flow chart represented by fig3 . the control module 30 may be programed to conduct the logic into whether the light - off time enhancement device 54 needs to be active or not , it is understood in the art that this control module 30 can be any suitable module or computer to receive and send information within the vehicle 10 . in decision block 60 control module 30 determines whether the engine 12 is running therefore may be generating untreated exhaust 34 . if the engine 12 is not running than the logic stops . if the engine 12 is running the control module communicates with temperature sensors 26 and 28 to determine the temperature of the catalyst 22 , represented by block 62 . block 64 represents the control module 30 determining if the catalyst 22 is above the preset light off temperature . if yes then no action , if no then the light - off time enhancement device 54 may be activated , represented by block 66 . activating the light - off enhancement device , represented by block 68 , may comprise injecting fuel from fuel injector 40 , represented by block 70 and injecting cnt &# 39 ; s from cnt injector 46 , represented by block 72 . the control module 30 may active a light source 52 , block 74 , to ignite the cnt &# 39 ; s which ignites the fuel injected by injector 40 . the heat created by the ignition may heat up the catalyst 22 . the control module 30 will continue to monitor the temperature of the catalyst 22 , block 62 , once the light - off temperature is reached , the light - off time enhancement device 54 may be inactive . this strategy can be utilized upon cold start of a vehicle 10 , or in the case of a hybrid vehicle to maintain catalyst 22 light - off temp in series of engine 12 stops and starts . an additional embodiment is represented by fig4 . in this embodiment the general exhaust layout is similar to fig2 however a particulate filter 76 may be included in the housing 78 of the catalytic converter with particulate filter assembly 80 . a catalyst 82 may also be in the same housing 78 . an upstream temperature sensor 84 is coupled to the housing 78 upstream of the catalyst 82 ; a middle temperature sensor 86 may be coupled to the housing 78 upstream of the particulate filter 76 but downstream of the catalyst 82 . a downstream temperature sensor 88 may be coupled to the housing 78 , wherein all temperature sensors may communicate with control module 30 . temperature sensors 84 , 86 , 88 may be embedded into the catalyst and / or the filter by way of non - limiting example . in this embodiment the light - off time enhancement device 54 may be used to generate a great amount of heat to regenerate or burn off any trapped particles in the particulate filter 76 . it can be understood in the art the that particulate filter 76 and catalyst 82 may be in separate housings and may require two light - off enhancement devices 54 . the catalyst 82 and particulate filter 76 are shown together as a non - limiting example . fig5 represents the flow chart of control for regenerating the particulate filter 76 . the control module 30 selectively enables particulate filter regeneration , which is initiated when the control module 30 estimates the particulate filter 76 is full of particulates ; this is represented by block 90 . the control module 30 may continuously estimate the amount of emitted particulates since the last regeneration based on engine operating parameters . if the particulate filter 76 is determined not to be full then no action is taken . it is known in the art that regeneration is preferably initiated during conditions where exhaust temperatures exceed the required light - off threshold without special actions . for example , particulate filter 76 regeneration may be initiated during traveling at highway speeds . however , regeneration can be initiated at less than optimum conditions if required . the duration of particulate filter 76 regeneration varies based on the amount of estimated particulates within the particulate filter 76 . if the control module 30 determines the particulate filter is full it may initiate the light - off enhancement device 54 for a preset time at a preset temperature , represented by box 92 . the control module 30 will monitor the temperatures in the catalyst particulate filter assembly 80 using temperature sensors 84 , 86 , and 88 . the light - off enhancement device 54 operation is consistent with what was previously described . once the preset time at the preset temperature is met the operation may stop and the estimating process of step 90 starts over again . fig6 represents an additional embodiment where the fuel from fuel supply storage 94 and cnt &# 39 ; s from cnt storage 96 are delivered into the exhaust stream 98 through a combination injector 100 . a light source 102 may remain separate and downstream from the combination injector 100 . this configuration may allow for a thorough mix of fuel and cnt &# 39 ; s , when the light source 102 is activated . a complete burn of fuel may be obtained for increased heat for catalyst 22 and efficiency as to not waste any fuel that is being injected . the control would operate in the same manner previously described and may be controlled by control module 30 . it can also be appreciated for this embodiment and the all previous embodiments that the location of the light - off enhancement device 54 , or combination injector 100 and light source 102 may be coupled to the exhaust pipe 32 leading to the catalytic converter 16 or the actual catalytic converter housing 24 . a unique property of cnt &# 39 ; s is their ability to heat up and burn upon exposure to light . the present embodiments utilize this property as an ignition method that is simplistic in nature and versatile . the light source 52 , 102 may be a flash device similar to those used with ordinary camera equipment or a flashlight by way of non - limiting example . light sources 52 , 102 could also be , without limitation , a light - emitting diode , laser diode , a laser , an arc lamp , led , fiber optic or other light emitting device . by utilizing basic light sources this may reduce cost and complexity to implement an conventional igniting device in the exhaust system 14 . by utilizing cnt &# 39 ; s mixed with fuel a more efficient ignition may be obtained as to not waste any of the fuel being supplied . further details about cnt &# 39 ; s and light source ignition can be found in u . s . pat . nos . 7 , 517 , 215 and 7 , 217 , 404 which are both incorporated herein by reference . additionally information about igniting nanoparticles by using optical ignition can be found in us application 2012 / 1511931 which is incorporated herein by reference . additionally the creation of cnt &# 39 ; s in us application 2007 / 0025905 which is incorporated herein by reference . those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad teachings of the present invention can be implemented in a variety of forms . therefore , while this invention has been described in connection with particular examples thereof , the true scope of the invention should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings , the specification and the following claims . the foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention . individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment , but , where applicable , are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment , even if not specifically shown or described . the same may also be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the invention , and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention .

US-201514672761-A

an electronic fluorescent lamp ballast having output voltage stabilized by a bandpass filter connected between a transformer control winding and the switching electrode of the switching transistor . in one embodiment especially adapted for ballasts which power multiple lamps , the filter causes oscillation frequency to vary with the number of lamps lit in such a way that output voltage remains relatively constant . a filter for this application preferably includes a low - q tank circuit in the series path of a π section , and has an input high pass t section . in another embodiment , a low cost electronic ballast having power feedback uses passive bandpass filters between transformer control windings and the control electrodes , so as to simplify the control and driver circuitry .

the simplified block diagram of the fig1 exemplifies the underlying concept of the invention . a dc voltage supply 2 , which is of any common type but will usually be a bridge rectifier or a voltage doubler supply , or a boost type converter , connected to an ac supply , provides a high dc voltage to an fet inverter 3 . switching of the fets is controlled by bandpass filters 4 which are connected to a control winding or windings of a linear core inductor 6 . the inductor 6 has both a primary or load winding 7 which , together with at least one capacitor in the load circuit 8 , forms a resonant circuit , but also like a transformer has a sensing or control winding which provides a voltage signal which , because of the close coupling of the transformer core and structure , is proportional to the inductor voltage . in the generalized circuit of this diagram , it is assumed that the bandpass filters do not place a significant load on the transformer , so that the resonant character of the load on the inverter is not affected . a practical embodiment of the fig1 converter is shown in fig2 . the dc supply 2 is a well - known full wave rectifier design . the ac line voltage is applied , through a fuse f 1 and an emi filter formed by series inductances l 1 and shunt capacitor c 1 , to a full wave bridge formed by diodes d 1 - 4 . the rectifier bridge provides an output v dc with respect to signal ground across an electrolytic capacitor c 2 and a series combination of capacitors c 3 , which have a midpoint node m to which one end of the load circuit is connected . the inverter 3 includes two mosfets q 1 and q 2 connected in series between the v dc bus and signal ground , and have a midpoint node s providing the inverter output . a conventional inverter starting circuit is formed by a series resistor ri and capacitor c 5 connected from the v dc bus to signal ground . the midpoint of the series combination is connected to the node s through a diode d 5 , and to the gate of switching transistor q 2 through a diac d 10 and resistor r 2 . a protective zener diode pair d 6 - 7 and d 8 - 9 is connected between each switching transistor gate and its source electrode . connection points a 1 , b 1 and a 2 , b 2 are shown for the gate signals to be provided to the inverter through bandpass filters n to be described below with respect to fig6 . a resonant load circuit is connected between nodes s and m . the primary winding l 2 of a linear core transformer 17 functions as an inductance in series with a resonance capacitor c 4 and the capacitances associated with the lamp circuit . the lamp circuit includes a step - up transformer t 1 having a primary across the capacitor c 4 , and a secondary to which fluorescent lamps fl 1 - 4 are connected , each lamp being in series with a respective capacitor c 6 - 9 . the capacitors c 6 - 9 are chosen to have an impedance far greater than the lamp impedance over the operating range of inverter frequency . the resonant circuit parameters and the transformer t 1 turns ratio for the components values of table 1 are chosen to provide a secondary winding voltage which has a nominal value of 580 vac . as a result , no special lamp starting circuits are required because this voltage is sufficient to strike an arc in an unlit lamp , and there is no need for a special order of starting for the lamps . in this embodiment of the invention the control winding function is provided by identical auxiliary windings w 1 and w 2 on the resonant transformer 17 , having connections p 1 , q 1 and p 2 , q 2 for the bandpass filters n . it is well - known that the output voltage applied to the lamps will change if the inverter frequency changes , and the curve of output voltage versus frequency is a function of the number of lamps lit . fig3 is a graph of output voltage versus inverter frequency of the fig2 converter for m lamps , where m is an integer from 0 to 4 , and the converter has nominal element values given in table 1 . these curves show that , before a first lamp has ignited , a high oscillation frequency is required . it is also known that , for a stable self - oscillating inverter , according to the barkhausen criterion a specific lagging phase angle of ψ degrees is required between the voltage across the inductor formed by the primary winding l 2 of transformer 17 and the switching transistor gate connection points . fig4 is a graph of the resonant tank input phase angle φ versus frequency for the same numbers of lamps . the angle ψ , where ψ = 90 °− φ , changes slightly as a function of the number m of lamps lit , but as shown in fig5 for the circuit of fig2 the values of ψ for a desired output voltage of 560 volts are all about 50 °. comparing fig3 and 5 , it is clear that a constant output voltage of approximately 560 v , with operation at frequencies above resonance , requires that the angle ψ should be approximately constant for frequencies between approximately 42 khz and 70 khz . the bandpass filters n are designed to provide such a phase shift between the resonant inductor voltage and the switching transistor gate connection points a 1 , b 1 and a 2 , b 2 . a passive bandpass filter having the desired characteristics is shown in fig6 . it has a series input capacitor c 61 , a first shunt element formed by resistor r 61 , and a second series element formed by resistor r 62 . a second shunt element is formed by a series combination of capacitor c 63 and resistor r 63 , and a third , output shunt element is formed by capacitor c 64 in parallel with a series combination of resistor r 65 and capacitor c 65 . the second and third shunt elements are connected by a third series element formed by a low - q resonant circuit formed by a series capacitor c 66 in parallel with a resistor r 66 and a series combination of inductor l 66 and resistor r 67 . if the total filter circuit described above is analyzed with respect to the element values given in table 1 , it will be seen that this filter may be thought of as having an input t section in cascade with a π section . over the frequency range of interest , the t section has an approximately constant gain , with a leading phase angle which diminishes as frequency rises . the critical shaping of the frequency versus phase curve is determined primarily by the π section , which contains the inductive element in a low - q resonant circuit . it should be pointed out that the high gate impedance of mosfets is an important factor in the performance of the filter . if the switching transistors draw significant control electrode current , they will load down the filter and change its characteristics . for a filter of the fig6 configuration having the values given in table 1 , phase angle and gain have only small variation over a frequency range from 30 khz to 100 khz . over the critical frequency range from 42 to 70 khz , gain varies only by approximately 3 db ( fig7 ), while phase shift varies over a range of about 65 ° to 45 °. table 2 contains measured prototype performance of a converter using this filter , with nominal circuit values according to table 1 . most notably , when operated with all 4 lamps , or only 1 lamp , the output voltage is almost the same . another embodiment of the invention , based on a single stage electronic ballast using the power feedback principle described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 410 , 221 to c . mattas and j . bergervoet , and in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 404 , 082 to a . hernandez and g . bruning , is shown in fig9 . known ballasts of this type have high power factor and low line current harmonic distortion , yet have a low parts count and are relatively inexpensive to manufacture . according to the invention , the inverter control circuit can be further simplified , with reduced parts count and improved reliability , by incorporating a regulator using a bandpass filter between control windings on the inductor and the switching transistors . the circuit shown in fig9 differs from that of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 410 , 221 in that the control signals for switching the switching transistors are obtained via a vastly simplified control circuitry . like the embodiment of fig2 a resonance inductor l 102 is a transformer having control windings w 101 and w 102 which provide signals proportional to the voltage across the inductor . identical linear passive bandpass filters n are connected between the control windings and respective gates of the inverter . more particularly , the circuit of fig9 includes an emi filter in the ac supply line , formed by series inductances l 101 and l 102 and shunt capacitor c 101 , to a full wave bridge rectifier formed by diodes d 101 - d 104 . in accordance with the power feedback principle , the converter load is connected between a first node n 101 between switching transistors q 101 and q 102 , and a second node n 102 which receives dc voltage from the rectifier output through a high frequency diode d 105 . the converter load is connected to the node 101 via a dc blocking capacitor cb , which is in series with the resonance inductor l 102 and a resonance capacitor c 104 . a lamp fl 101 is connected in series with a capacitor c 106 , this series combination being connected to the secondary of a step - up isolation transformer t 101 whose primary is connected across the resonance capacitor c 104 . the node 102 is connected to the dc bus for the switching transistors via another high frequency diode d 107 . a further path for the high frequency current from the load is provided by a capacitor c 103 from node 102 to ground , and dc filtering is provided by a capacitor c 105 from the dc bus to ground . in accordance with the invention , the switching signals to gates of the switching transistors q 101 and q 102 are provided by respective passive bandpass filters n , shown in fig1 . the filter has a configuration analogous to that of fig6 but is simplified by elimination of the inductor in the series path , and the use of only 6 components . the actual values of desired phase shift are a function of the other converter parameters . in general , because the voltage at node n 102 is modulated by the input line sinusoidal voltage with low frequency , for example , 50 hz or 60 hz , the resonant tank input voltage between nodes n 102 and n 101 are also modulated by such low frequency . in order to reduce the lamp current crest factor and lamp power variation , the circuit operating frequency should be properly modulated such that an almost constant voltage is maintained across the lamp . the key function of the network n shown in fig1 is to produce proper phase shift over the circuit operating frequency modulation range such that the lamp voltage has small variation during each low frequency cycle . in one specific simple implementation , one may anticipate that desirable values will be between 10 ° lagging and 60 ° lagging over a range of approximately 2 : 1 in frequency , and that the phase shift should be within 15 ° of its median value over that frequency range . an example of gain and phase characteristics of suitable filters is shown in fig1 and 12 , based on circuit values shown in table 3 . over the range of 40 to 80 khz the phase shift varies from approximately 12 ° lagging to approximately 38 ° lagging . as in the filter of fig6 the filter of fig1 may be viewed as having a capacitor input t section followed by a π section . over the operating frequency range of the converter , the t section has an approximately constant gain , with a leading phase angle which diminishes as frequency rises . it may be noted that the circuit of fig9 does not contain a separate lamp ignition circuit . reliable striking of the lamp is provided by the high step - up ratio of transformer t 101 , which has a nominal output voltage of 550 volts when the frequency is approximately 63 khz with the lamp lit . a converter according to this design has shown a total harmonic distortion in line current less than 15 %, with power factor greater than 0 . 99 . the lamp crest factor was less than 1 . 7 . the embodiment of fig9 also includes many circuit elements whose function will be recognized by those of ordinary skill , which are not critical to the practice of the invention . for example , an inverter starting circuit includes resistor r 102 connected to the dc bus , and in series with capacitor c 102 which in turn is connected to ground . from the junction of r 102 and c 102 , a diode d 107 is connected to node n 101 and a diac d 108 is connected via a resistor r 103 to the gate of transistor q 102 . diodes d 9 and d 10 , and the resistors in parallel with them , are not critical to the invention , but have the well - known function of causing the switching transistor turn - off to be faster than the turn - on . it will be clear to those of ordinary skill that different choices of lamp operating frequency , resonance circuit values , lamp power and starting characteristics , will require changes in many of the other circuit element values . filter circuits of the same configuration but with different component values may be preferred , or the filter configuration may be modified to meet application requirements . these variations are within the inventive concept and spirit as described above and in the appended claims .

US-22195498-A

insulating composite fabrics for use with livestock containment facilities in providing protection from the weather . the composites are a foldable construction of opposite side layers each of which includes a water - proof synthetic polymeric resin fabric . the interior layers include combinations of insulating materials and metallized reflective sheets which allow the composites to contain heat within the livestock containment facility . the insulating layers are formed of closed cell foam material such as polypropylene , polyethylene and polystyrene .

referring now to fig1 of the drawing , the composite fabric of this form of the invention includes an inner side layer 10 formed of a waterproof synthetic polymeric resin fabric . this fabric is woven from flattened tapes preferably composed of polyethylene or polypropylene . the tapes are coated with a film of material corresponding to the material of the tapes , to thereby make the woven fabric waterproof . a second layer 12 is disposed adjacent layer 10 and comprises a reflective layer for reflecting infrared heat . layer 12 is preferably formed of a sheet of material such as polyester or polyethylene having aluminum vacuum deposited thereon . accordingly , this layer includes a metallized reflective surface which has low emissivity . a third layer 14 forms an insulation layer and comprises a non - woven batt of insulating textile fibers . these fibers may formed , for example , of polyesters , polyolefins , rayons , nylon or glass , and mixtures thereof . the batt may be a simply laid batt or a laid and needled batt . this layer has many air spaces to enhance the insulation properties thereof . the batt may include a scrim , formed for example of polyester , with the fibers of the batt needle punched into the scrim . in another form of the invention , insulating layer 14 of non - woven batt construction is replaced with a layer of closed cell foam made of polypropylene , polyethylene or polystyrene . an outer side layer indicated generally by reference character 16 comprises a waterproof synthetic polymeric resin fabric . this fabric preferably comprises a thin sheet of polyvinyl chloride 18 which is adhesively bonded to a scrim 20 which may be formed of polyester . this outer layer may also include thin sheets of polyvinyl chloride on opposite sides of the scrim and adhesively bonded thereto . securing means is provided for securing the layers in operative relationship to one another . as seen in fig8 a panel 22 of the composite fabric material of the invention is seen as being supported in vertical position . the panel includes top and bottom edges 24 and 26 as well as opposite side edges 28 and 30 . the layers of the panel are secured together by rows of stitches composed of synthetic textile yarns such as polyester , polyolefin and nylon yarns . the rows include at least horizontally disposed rows 32 which are substantially parallel with the upper and lower edges of the panel . rows 32 are suitably spaced from one another , and the number thereof will vary . in a typical example , the rows may be about four inches apart . it will be appreciated that these horizontal rows of stitches allow the fabric composite to be folded to vertically gather the composite as it moves in a vertical direction . the panel may also include vertical rows of stitches 34 extending substantially parallel with the side edges of the panel . this form of composite fabric may have a thickness of about 1 / 2 inch . it should be further understood that similar rows of stitches may also be employed in the following forms of the invention in order to retain the layers in operative relationship to one another . accordingly , no further discussion of the rows of stitches in the following modifications of the invention is necessary . referring to fig2 a construction is shown wherein components similar to those shown in fig1 are given the same reference numerals primed . layers 10 &# 39 ;, 12 &# 39 ; and 14 &# 39 ; are identical to layers 10 , 12 and 14 of fig1 . however , in this form of the invention , layer 16 &# 39 ; is identical in construction with layer 10 &# 39 ;. in another form of the invention , the insulating layer 14 &# 39 ; of non - woven batt construction is replaced with a layer of closed cell foam made of polypropylene , polyethylene or polystyrene . referring to fig3 a construction is shown wherein components similar to those shown in fig1 are given the same reference numerals double primed layers 12 &# 34 ;, 14 &# 34 ; and 16 &# 34 ; are identical to layers 12 , 14 and 16 of fig1 . however , in this form of the invention , layer 10 &# 34 ; is identical in construction with layer 16 &# 34 ;, the only difference being that the scrim 22 of layer 10 &# 34 ; is on the upper surface of the layer rather than on the lower surface as is the case with layer 16 &# 34 ;. in another form of the invention , the insulating layer 14 &# 34 ; of non - woven batt construction is replaced with a layer of closed cell foam made of polypropylene , polyethylene or polystyrene . referring now to fig4 a further form of the invention includes a first inner side layer 30 , and adjacent reflective layer 32 and an adjacent insulating layer 34 . these layers are identical in construction respectively to layers 10 , 12 and 14 of fig1 . a further reflective layer 36 is disposed adjacent layer 34 , and a further insulating layer 38 is disposed adjacent layer 36 . layers 36 and 38 are identical in construction with layers 32 and 34 respectively . an outer side layer 40 is identical in construction to layer 16 of fig1 . this form of composite fabric may have a thickness of about 3 / 8 inch . in another form of the invention , the insulating layers 34 and 38 of non - woven batt construction are each replaced with a layer of closed cell foam made of polypropylene , polyethylene or polystyrene . referring to fig5 a construction is shown wherein components similar to those shown in fig4 are given the same reference numerals primed . layers 30 &# 39 ;, 32 &# 39 ;, 34 &# 39 ;, 36 &# 39 ; and 38 &# 39 ; are identical to layers 30 , 32 , 34 , 36 and 38 of fig4 . however , in this form of the invention , layer 40 &# 39 ; is identical in construction with layer 30 &# 39 ;. in another form of the invention , the insulating layers 34 &# 39 ; and 38 &# 39 ; of non - woven batt construction are each replaced with a layer of closed cell foam made of polypropylene , polyethylene or polystyrene . referring to fig6 a construction is shown wherein components similar to those shown in fig4 are given the same reference numerals double primed . layers 32 &# 34 ;, 34 &# 34 ;, 36 &# 34 ;, 38 &# 34 ; and 40 &# 34 ; are identical to layers 32 , 34 , 36 , 38 and 40 of fig4 . however , in this form of the invention , layer 30 &# 34 ; is identical in construction with layer 40 &# 34 ; the only difference being that the scrim 42 of the layer 30 &# 34 ; is on the upper surface of the layer rather than on the lower surface of the layer as is the case with layer 40 &# 34 ;. in another form of the invention , the insulating layers 34 &# 34 ; and 38 &# 34 ; of non - woven batt construction are each replaced with a layer of closed cell foam made of polypropylene , polyethylene or polystyrene . referring now to fig7 a further modified form of the invention is disclosed which can serve as a divider curtain . in this form of the invention , opposite side layers 50 and 52 of the fabric composite are formed of a waterproof woven synthetic polymeric resin fabric , and preferably are composed of polyethylene or polypropylene . these side layers are identical in construction to layer 10 of fig1 . the composite fabric also includes a pair of reflective layers 54 and 56 disposed adjacent layers 50 and 56 respectively . layers 54 and 56 are identical in construction to layer 12 of fig1 . an insulating layer 58 is adjacent to and disposed between layers 54 and 56 . layer 58 is identical in construction to layer 14 of fig1 . in another form of the invention , the insulating layer 58 of non - woven batt construction is replaced with a layer of closed cell foam made of polypropylene , polyethylene or polystyrene . the construction shown in fig7 can be used as a divider curtain , whereby infrared heat impinging on the curtain from either side thereof can pass through the translucent side layer and be reflected back through such side layer by the adjacent reflective layer , thereby retaining heat on each side of the divider curtain . the central insulating layer enhances the insulating effect of the curtain to retain heat on either side of the curtain . the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments . obviously , modifications , alterations and other embodiments will occur to others upon reading and understanding this specification . it is my intention to include all such modifications , alterations and alternate embodiments insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalent thereof .

US-11984693-A

an electromagnetically controllable valve has among other elements a guide sleeve that protrudes into a valve block , with an armature and a closing member movable inside the guide sleeve relative to a valve seat . the guide sleeve extends through a securing flange , which is inserted into a receiving bore , located on the valve block , and is fixed there . to secure the guide sleeve against shifting out of the valve block and the securing flange , the guide sleeve is provided with a radially outward - oriented bead . this bead extends within a region , for example an annular recess , that is associated with the securing flange . by way of the recess and the bead , the guide sleeve is axially fixed essentially form - lockingly and inexpensively . the electromagnetically actuatable valve can be built into traction - controlled brake systems of motor vehicles in order to vary brake pressures in the anti - lock and / or traction control modes .

an electromagnetically actuatable valve 10 , shown as the first exemplary embodiment in fig1 is disposed on a valve block 11 and forms part of a hydraulic unit 12 , not otherwise shown , for traction - controlled motor vehicle brake systems . the valve 10 comprises a hydraulic part 13 and an electrical part 14 . the hydraulic part 13 is essentially received and secured in a stepped receiving bore 15 of the valve block 11 , which is made of a ductile aluminum alloy . in the extension of the receiving bore 15 , the hydraulic part 13 , with a valve dome 16 , protrudes past a boundary plane 17 of the valve block 11 . the electrical part 14 is slipped over the valve dome 16 . the hydraulic part 13 has a thin - walled guide sleeve 19 of circular - cylindrical cross section . beginning at the receiving bore 15 , the guide sleeve 19 receives a valve body 20 in a press fit . the valve body 20 has a valve seat 21 for a closing member 22 of an armature 23 that is longitudinally movable in the guide sleeve 19 . on the end remote from the valve body 20 , the guide sleeve 19 is closed by a magnet core 24 , which is part of the valve dome 16 . the magnet core 24 engages the guide sleeve 19 fittingly , leaving an air gap 25 toward the armature 23 , and is joined to the guide sleeve in a pressure - tight fashion by an encompassing weld 26 . the armature 23 receives a closing spring 27 that engages the magnet core 24 and in the position of repose of the valve 10 as shown keeps the closing member 22 in contact with the valve seat 21 ; hence the valve 10 is closed when without current . a bush 29 is slipped over the middle region of the sleeve 19 , specifically radially outside the magnetically operative armature 23 . the wall thickness of the bush 29 is greater than that of the guide sleeve 19 of the valve dome 16 . toward the valve body 20 , the bush 29 is provided with a securing flange 30 , whose two end faces 31 and 32 extend at a right angle , for instance , to the axis of the receiving bore 15 , which at the same time is the longitudinal axis of the valve 10 . the bush 29 is of magnetizable material , such as soft magnetic steel . it is joined to the guide sleeve 19 , which is of stainless steel . with the interposition of a transitional region 33 between the securing flange 30 and the bush 29 , it is possible to embody the bush 29 in lightweight fashion , and in a manner essential to the invention to associate an annular - groove - like recess 35 concentrically with the securing flange 30 , beginning at an opening 34 , which extends through the bush 29 and the securing flange 30 and through which the guide sleeve 19 extends . coinciding with this recess 35 , the guide sleeve 19 has a radially outwardly oriented bead 36 , which extends essentially form - lockingly into the recess 35 . because of the essentially form - locking extension , the guide sleeve 19 is fixed relative to the securing flange 30 . the securing flange 30 , recess 35 and bead 36 are shown on a larger scale in fig2 . fig3 shows that the bead 36 can be made for instance using a rubber body 55 , which is embodied hollow - cylindrically , thrust into the guide sleeve 19 , made to coincide with the recess 35 , compressed axially by means of two dies 56 , 57 , and thereby radially expanded , and thereby produces the bead 36 and afterward relaxes , as shown . naturally the production of the bead 36 may be accomplished in some other way . beginning at the securing flange 30 , a support ring 37 and a sealing ring 38 , which tightly closes off the receiving bore 15 to the outside , are received in that order on the part of the guide sleeve 19 associated with the receiving bore 15 . the sealing ring 38 is followed by a filter sleeve 39 , a second sealing ring 40 , and a support ring 41 . the second sealing ring 40 separates pressure fluid lines 42 and 43 of the valve block 11 ; these lines can be switched open with the valve 10 . the dimensionally rigid securing flange 30 of the bush 29 is received in a bore step 46 of the receiving bore 15 . the original contour of the bore step 46 is indicated by dot - dashed lines : the diameter of the bore step is accordingly less than the diameter of the electrical part 14 of the valve 10 . the end face 32 toward the valve body of the securing flange 30 rests on the bottom of the bore step 46 . conversely , the other end face 31 of the securing flange 30 is covered by a bead 47 of material , which is attained by a stamping 48 of the material positively displaced by the bore rim . the region on the bore rim of the step 46 acted upon by this stamped connection is likewise located inside the diameter of the electrical part 14 . the material bead 47 engages the entire circumference of the securing flange 30 and secures the position of the hydraulic part 13 in the valve block 11 . it is capable of reliably dissipating the forces , which become operative inside and outside the hydraulic part 13 and are transmitted to the securing flange 30 , to the valve block 11 . if the strain is less , then it may be adequate for only segments of the securing flange 30 to be engaged by parts of the material bead 47 . the electrical part 14 of the valve 10 is slipped over the valve dome 16 in the region of the magnetically operative elements , the armature 23 and magnet core 24 , after the hydraulic part 13 has been secured in the valve block 11 . the electrical part 14 has an electrical coil , which surrounds the valve dome 16 in the region of the magnet core 24 . a housing 52 of soft magnetic material fits over the coil 51 , and an annular disk 53 likewise of soft magnetic material is press - fitted into its bottom . connection pins 54 of the coil 51 are formed on the end of the housing 52 remote from the boundary plane 17 . the housing 52 of the electrical part 14 advantageously fits without play over the magnet core 24 on the one hand and , with its annular disk 53 , the bush 29 of the hydraulic part 13 on the other . when the electrical coil 51 is excited , the bush 29 , like the magnet core 24 , housing 52 and annular disk 53 , contributes to conducting the magnetic flux to the armature 23 of the hydraulic part 13 . the magnetically operative magnet core 24 moves the armature 23 to the open position of the valve 10 . a second exemplary embodiment for a securing flange 30 is shown in fig4 . this securing flange 30a is embodied as thinner and lighter than the securing flange 30 , and together with a bush 29a , it is embodied as a deep - drawn part , for instance . the recess 35 of the exemplary embodiment described above for receiving the bead 36 of the guide sleeve 19 is used here as well . for that purpose , the recess 35 may be formed in a non - material - removing manner , in the form of an additional bead . producing this bead 36 may be done either after the deep drawing and before the insertion of the guide sleeve 19 , or else this bead is made only after the insertion of the guide sleeve 19 into the bush 29a , being produced simultaneously with the bead 36 of the guide sleeve 19 . a female die , not shown , fitting around the transitional region 33 is used to form the recess 35 . in the exemplary embodiments described in conjunction with fig1 - 4 , the recesses 35 act as stops in two axial directions . however , if the guide sleeve 19 with its bead 36 together with the magnet core 24 needs to be anchored merely against hydraulic pressure in the valve block 11 , then a securing flange 30b with a recess 35b , which in the manner of a bore step adjoins a borelike opening 34b in the bush 29b , is sufficient . for this exemplary embodiment of fig5 the bead 36 is produced prior to insertion of the guide sleeve 19 into the securing flange 30b . by comparison , fig6 shows a further feature of a combination of the guide sleeve 19 and securing flange 30b by providing a crimp 58 made from the material of the securing flange 30b . this crimp 58 can be produced by pressing in a notchlike annular groove 59 into the securing flange 30b on the face end . the provision of the crimp 58 fixes the guide sleeve 19 in two axial directions relative to the securing flange 30b . if the provision of the crimp 58 is omitted , then in a further feature of the exemplary embodiment of fig5 the recess 35b may readily be made shorter in the axial direction , in which case the bead 36 protrudes partway out of the securing flange 30b . it is also possible , however , to have the bead 36 protrude nearly all the way out of a securing flange 30c , as shown in fig7 . in this case , a region 35c of the securing flange 30c that is adjacent to the opening 34c serves as an axial stop for the bead 36 . to avert damage to the guide sleeve 19 , the region 35c is provided with a rounded portion 35d or a chamfer toward the opening 34c . in the case of a multiple assembly of valves 10 in the course of the boundary plane 17 of the valve block 11 , a high packing density is attainable , since the crimp 48 is located inside the diameter of the electrical part 14 . valves 10 can therefore be disposed next to one another with very little space between them . the foregoing relates to preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention , it being understood that other variants and embodiments thereof are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention , the latter being defined by the appended claims .

US-33318294-A

an expansion card carrier is disclosed , the expansion card carrier including a top portion for covering an expansion card , at least one side portion for supporting the top portion , and at least one pair of card guides for allowing an expansion card to slide along into the expansion card carrier . a method for assembling an expansion card carrier is also disclosed , the method including casting a panel including a top portion for covering an expansion card and at least one side portion for supporting the top portion , forming at least one side portion by deforming the panel , and attaching at least one pair of card guides inside the expansion card carrier for allowing an expansion card to slide along into the expansion card carrier .

exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying figures . like items in the figures are shown with the same reference numbers . in embodiments of the invention , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention . however , it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known features have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring the invention . embodiments of the invention relate to a carrier on a computer for an expansion card . also , one or more embodiments of the invention relate to a method for assembling and mounting a carrier on a computer . referring to fig3 , an exploded view of an expansion card carrier according to one or more embodiments of the present invention is shown . it is noted that side portions 20 , 25 are formed monolithically with a top portion 10 . advantageously , top portion 10 and side portions 20 , 25 are manufactured as a single casting . for example , top portion 10 and side portions 20 , 25 are cast as a single piece of panel . moreover , securing portions 30 , 35 , 40 may be formed monolithically with side portions 20 , 25 and / or with top portion 10 . in the embodiment shown , securing portions 30 , 35 are formed in the front part of carrier 5 , and securing portions 40 and 45 are formed in the rear part of carrier 5 . in each securing portion , at least one means for mounting carrier 5 onto a mainboard ( not shown ) is provided . in one or more embodiments , at least one screw and at least one corresponding hole are provided in each securing portion . in fig3 , screws 33 , 34 , 38 , 39 , and 43 fasten carrier 5 onto a mainboard ( not shown ) and / or a blade computer ( not shown ) through holes 31 , 32 , 36 , 37 , and 41 , respectively . other means for mounting carrier 5 includes , but not limited to , tabs and receptacles , clamps , weld , solder , and adhesive . in addition , an insulator 90 may be provided below top portion 10 in order to prevent possible short - circuiting between top portion 10 and an expansion card ( not shown ). for example , insulating material such as polyester film and acrylic film can be used as an insulator . further , at least one pair of card guides are provided inside carrier 5 . the pair of card guides 50 , 55 can allow an expansion card ( not shown ) to slide along into carrier 5 . the pair of card guides 50 , 55 may be attached onto top portion 10 and / or side portions 20 , 25 by an appropriate fastening mechanism . in an embodiment where the pair of card guides 50 , 55 are attached onto top portion 10 , each of the pair of card guides 50 , 55 may be attached onto each lateral edge inside top portion 10 . in the embodiment shown in fig3 , a plurality of tabs 54 , 56 are protruded from top portions of the pair of card guides 50 , 55 . when assembled , tabs 54 , 56 fit into receptacles 14 , 16 provided in top portion 10 , respectively , and are latched to fasten card guides 50 , 55 to top portion 10 . alternatively , receptacles may be formed in side portions 20 , 25 in an appropriate manner to fasten card guides to side portions 20 , 25 . also , one or more struts 58 may be used to support the pair of card guides 50 on a mainboard ( not shown ). additionally , an ejector assembly 70 may be provided with an expansion card carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention . ejector assembly 70 is a mechanism for facilitating insertion , latching , and ejection of an expansion card within carrier 5 . ejector assembly 70 may be compliant with the picmg 3 . 0 standard . also , a label 97 is attached on a front portion of carrier 5 . on the surface of label 97 , information such as directions , warnings , logos , models , etc ., which may be necessary to users , is indicated . a gasket 95 may be attached inside carrier 5 to prevent carrier 5 from being affected by external vibration . shown in fig4 a - 4d are a top view , a left side view , a right side view , a front view , respectively , of an assembled expansion card carrier according to one or more embodiments of the present invention . further , fig5 shows a top view of a single piece of panel having a top portion and side portions according to one embodiment of the present invention . in one or more embodiments , the single piece of panel is manufactured as a single casting . in one or more embodiments of the invention , side portion 20 is formed by bending the panel downwardly along the boundary line between top portion 10 and side portion 20 by an appropriate angle , for example , by a right angle . likewise , side portion 25 is formed by bending the panel downwardly along the boundary line between top portion 10 and side portion 25 , for example , by the right angle . the boundary lines between top portion 10 and side portions 20 , 25 are defined as being so wide that top portion 10 can cover an expansion card ( not shown ). by the bending motion as described above , side portions 20 , 25 may be substantially perpendicular to and monolithic with top portion 10 . further , securing portions 30 , 35 , 40 , 45 are formed by bending the panel upwardly along the boundary lines between side portions 20 , 25 and securing portions 30 , 35 , 40 , 45 , for example , by a right angle . a panel according to one or more embodiments of the invention may be a solid sheet that can be bent by exerting pressure . the panel may be made of a metal , for example , aluminum . one or more embodiments of the invention may follow necessary industrial standards . for example , the detailed dimensions and considerations of the carriers as explained above may comply with the picmg 3 . 0 standard and the advancedmc standard . specifically , one embodiment of the invention may be a single - width full - height amc card carrier . another embodiment of the invention may be a double - width full - height amc card carrier . fig6 illustrates a way to mount an expansion card carrier on a mainboard of a blade server in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention . an assembled expansion card carrier 105 is mounted on a mainboard 92 of a blade server 90 . carrier 105 is fixed on mainboard 92 by means of suitable mounting mechanisms . in this embodiment , screws 133 , 134 , 138 , 139 , 148 fix securing portions 130 , 135 , 145 through holes 131 , 132 , 136 , 137 , 145 on main board 92 . blade server 90 includes other components for necessary operations such as a processor 96 , a memory device 98 , and a connector 94 . after mounting carrier 105 on mainboard 92 , an expansion card is inserted through the clearance in the front of carrier 105 and is connected electrically to connector 94 so that the expansion card can function properly with circuitry of mainboard 92 . one or more embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following advantages . embodiments can provide an expansion card carrier with low cost and manufacturing time . a robust structure of expansion card in accordance with embodiments of the invention may not only increase the top - mounting area strength , but also satisfy various national earthquake standards such as gr 63 - core . embodiments of the invention are formed without many separate components or many joints , which reduces assembly time . one or more embodiments are less adverse to external shock or pressure than conventional carriers . while the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments , those skilled in the art , having benefit of this disclosure , will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims .

US-70062107-A

this invention discloses multi - layered , fiberglass - reinforced floor covering systems which provide such highly desired properties as chemical resistance , abrasion resistance , low - temperature curing , thermal shock resistance and the capability of bridging shrinkage cracks , control joints and the like . one particularly desirable application of the floor constructions of this invention is in the pharmaceutical and food industry . this application is based upon the fact that the floor constructions provided are stain resistant , color stable , and do not permit the growth of fungi or bacteria . the multi - layered floor constructions of the present invention comprise in ascending laminated form a floor substrate such as a porous concrete floor , a primer coat of an epoxy resin , a fiberglass - reinforced base coat of an epoxy resin , a top coat of an epoxy resin containing filler material , and a sealer coat of a polyurethane resin .

in accordance with the present invention multi - layered floor constructions are provided having desirable properties such as chemical resistance , abrasion resistance , low - temperature curing , thermal shock resistance , stain resistance , and color stability . the floor substrate of this invention may be any of the known conventional substrates such as concrete , wood , steel , brick and the like . the most commonly used substrate is likely to be concrete although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to concrete floor substrates . in general , the floor substrate should be treated or otherwise prepared prior to application of the various coating layers using techniques known in the art in order to provide a textured surface . if foreign substances such as dirt , grease or oil are present they should be removed . if the substrate is cured concrete , it should be cleaned and dried of excess water . preferably , the concrete should have a minimum strength of 3 , 000 psi compressive strength and 200 psi tensile strength . also , the concrete surface is typically prepared by a conventional technique such as by acid etching , e . g ., using muriatic acid , by sand blasting or by scarifying . over the floor substrate is applied a primer coat of an epoxy resin which is capable of adhering to the surface of the substrate . typically , the epoxy resins employed will be liquid in form . nevertheless , in practice an organic solvent or thinner , e . g ., methyl ethyl ketone , toluene or xylene is also present . however , the epoxy may alternatively be in the form of an aqueous or non - aqueous emulsion of which several are commercially available . although numerous thermosetting epoxy resins are useful in the practices of this invention the type most typically employed are those which are condensation products of epichlorohydrin and bisphenol a . alternatively , an aliphatic polyol such as glycerol may be used instead of the aromatic bisphenol a . molecules of this type have glycidyl ether structures , -- och 2 choch 2 , in the terminal positions , have many hydroxyl groups , and cure readily with amines . in addition to the epoxy resin , the primer coat preferably contains a curing agent such as an amine . additional materials such as pigments or wetting agents , e . g . silanes , may also be included . in a preferred embodiment , the curing agent is an adduct from a polyglycidyl ether of a polyphenyl and a cycloaliphatic or cycloaliphatic - aliphatic di - primary diamine . such adducts are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 629 , 181 , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated into the disclosure of the present invention . the polyglycidyl ethers which are liquid at room temperatures , that is , at about 25 ° c . are derived from polyhydric phenols or polyphenols such as resorcinol , phenol - formaldehyde condensation products of the type of cresols or novalacs , bis -( p - hydroxyphenyl )- methane and especially 2 , 2 - bis -( p - hydroxyphenyl ) propane (= diomethane ). possible di - primary diamines for the adduct formulation include : 1 , 2 - diamino cyclohexane , 1 , 8 - diamino - p - methane , 1 , 2 - diamino - 4 - ethyl cyclohexane , 3 - amino methyl - 3 , 5 , 5 - trimethyl - 1 - cyclohexyl amine and 4 , 4 - methylene - bis ( 2 - methylcyclohexylamine ). as is provided in the aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 3 , 629 , 181 , the most useful curing agents for epoxy resins are adducts from polyglycidyl ethers of polyphenyls and cycloaliphatic or cycloaliphatic - aliphatic di - primary diamines , in which at least one of the primary amino groups is bonded to an endocyclic carbon atom of a cycloaliphatic ring with the proviso that 1 . 5 to 2 . 7 moles of diamine are employed per 1 epoxide equivalent of the polyglycidyl ether . however , in this invention it has been found that adducts having a mole ratio of diamine per epoxide greater than 2 . 7 are not only useful but are preferred . thus , for example , curing agents having mole ratios of 2 . 875 , 2 . 89 and 3 . 18 have been employed . the ratio of epoxy resin to curing agent may vary over a wide range such as from about 1 : 1 to about 10 : 1 by volume , preferably about 4 : 1 . after mixing the epoxy resin and curing agent , the mixture may be thinned if desired , e . g . by about 20 percent , with methyl ethyl ketone . the epoxy resin containing mixture is then applied over the floor substrate to a dry thickness of from about 1 to about 5 mils using conventional techniques such as brush , roll or spray application . since the epoxy resin and curing agent react upon mixing , the mixture thereof must be promptly applied to the floor substrate , the outer limit on application time depending upon temperature . thus , for example , at 30 ° f . ( 1 ° c .) hardening does not occur for about 24 hours whereas at 90 ° f . ( 32 ° c .) hardening occurs in about 3 hours . after application of the primer coat , curing occurs at ambient temperatures in from about 3 to about 20 hours , typically from about 6 to about 14 hours . after this time has elapsed and a cured primer coat adhering to the substrate has been formed , the fiberglass - reinforced , base coat can be applied . a layer of a viscous epoxy resin is next applied over the cured primer coat . the epoxy resin may be applied in a conventional manner such as by rolling or trowelling , typically the latter using a serrated trowel , to a wet thickness from about 50 - 60 mils . the epoxy resin may be any of the epoxy resins described hereinabove although it is typically the same as the epoxy resin of the primer coat . as in the case of the primer coat the epoxy resin base coat preferably includes a curing agent such as an amine or one of the adducts previously described , and may contain further additives such as pigments . generally , no thinner or solvent is present . while the epoxy resin is uncured , usually less than one hour , preferably less than about 5 minutes , a permeable fiberglass mat is placed thereon . the base coat may then be dry rolled e . g ., using a short - nap paint roller to wet out the fiberglass mat . the fiberglass mat materials may be any of the commercially available fiberglass mat products . typically the fiberglass mat is in the form of rolls which are easier to work with . the fiberglass mat useful in the practices of this invention may have a density from about 1 / 2 to about 2 ounces / square foot , preferably about 1 ounce / square foot . the epoxy resin fills the permeable fiberglass mat to form a substantially unitary mass as a base coat layer , the resulting layer being about 20 to about 50 percent fiberglass by weight , preferably about 30 percent . the fiberglass - reinforced base coat is then permitted to cure at ambient temperatures . the resulting cured , fiberglass - reinforced base coat is securely bonded to the primer coat and has a dry thickness from about 1 / 8 inch to about 1 / 32 inch . next , a layer of an epoxy resin having filler material admixed therewith is applied over the cured , fiberglass - reinforced base coat as a self - leveling or partially self - leveling top coat . the filled epoxy resin may be applied by conventional techniques such as with a trowel or squeegee . it is typically applied at a dry thickness from about 1 / 4 inch to about 1 / 16 inch . the epoxy resin of the top coat may be any of the epoxy resins described hereinabove although commonly the same epoxy resin is used for the top coat as for the base coat . the epoxy resins most often employed in the top coat are those which are condensation products of epichlorohydrin and bisphenol a . the filler material which is admixed with the epoxy resin may be any of the widely known conventional filler materials including inorganic fillers such as silica , glass beads , metallic oxides , e . g . aluminum oxide , or organic fillers such as cellulosic materials , e . g . kraft fiber or mixtures thereof . preferably , the filler material is in the form of solid particles , a major portion of which have particle sizes less than about 20 mesh , and comprises an amount greater than about 50 percent by weight based upon the weight of the total coat layer . in one embodiment of this invention in which the self - leveling property of the top coat is more pronounced , the amount of filler present is in the range from about 50 percent to about 70 percent by weight . in this embodiment , the filler particles are also somewhat smaller , and a major portion , e . g . greater than 75 %, passes through a 100 mesh screen and nearly 35 % passes through a 325 mesh screen . in another embodiment having less self - leveling characteristics the amount of filler present is in the range from about 70 percent to about 90 percent by weight . in this embodiment the filler particles are somewhat larger and a major portion , e . g . greater than 75 %, will not pass through a 100 mesh screen . the top coat layer also preferably includes a curing agent such as an amine or one of the adduct curing agents previously described . additionally , the top coat layer may contain further additives such as pigments , diluents such as butyl glycidyl ether , plasticizers and agents to improve flow properties and accelerate bubble release . after application of the top coat , curing occurs at ambient temperatures in from about 3 to about 20 hours , typically from about 6 to about 14 hours . after this time has elapsed and a cured top coat bonded to the base coat has been formed , the sealer coat may be applied . after the top coat has cured , a sealer coat of a polyurethane resin having a dry thickness from about 2 to about 20 mils is applied thereover by any of the conventional methods described herein . in the practices of this invention , those polyurethane resins are preferred which are produced by the condensation reaction of a polyisocyanate or prepolymer thereof and a polyol , that is , a polyhydric alcohol containing several hydroxyl groups such as a glycerol or a sugar alcohol . the properties of the polyurethane sealer coat are largely dependent upon the polyol and polyisocyanate or polyisocynate prepolymer used . thus , for example , polyols or polyisocyanates of lower equivalent weight produce sealer coats having harder surface properties . the more functional polyols such as branched , diol and triol or polyester polyol , product tougher films having higher chemical and solvent resistance . polyisocyanates , particularly branched polyisocyanates , having equivalent weights of about 200 , produce chemical resistant surfaces . sealer coats formed from aromatic diisocyanates or prepolymers thereof are faster drying and provide better abrasion and solvent resistance , but may be subject to chalking and light discoloration . as a result aliphatic diisocyanates are preferred in applications where less light sensitivity is required . among the polyisocyanates which have been found particularly useful in this invention are adducts of toluene diisocyanate and trifunctional alcohols having the structure ## str1 ## wherein r is alkyl , and adducts of hexamethylene diisocyanate having the structure ## str2 ## it is also possible to use mixtures of these or related adducts in the practices of this invention . useful polyols include epoxy polyols , polyester polyols or acrylic polyols , particularly epoxy polyols . thus , for example , the polyol may be a high molecular weight solid epoxy resin having a hydroxyl equivalent of 200 and an epoxy equivalent of 2400 - 2600 . the sealer coat layer preferably also includes a urea formaldehyde polymer such as a cross - linked condensation polymer of urea and formaldehyde comprising small primary particles joined together to form pigment agglomerates having particle sizes less than 10 microns . this material is not only useful as a flatting agent but also increases the bonding strength of the sealer coat to the underlying top coat . cured urea formaldehydes having the structure ## str3 ## are particularly useful . the amount of urea formaldehyde polymer used may vary but is usually less than about 30 percent by weight based upon the total polyurethane resin present . additional additives may be present in the sealer coat including polyethylene waxes to increase abrasion resistance , bentonite , cellulose acetate butyrate to improve flow properties , surfactants , ultraviolet or infrared absorbers , pigments , filler , e . g ., silica particles , and the like . in addition the sealer coat preferably includes a catalyst which may provide greater control over the polyurethane formed . thus , in a system in which polyol , water and urea formaldehyde may all react the addition of dibutyltin diacetate may give a relative reactivity of about 50 : 8 : 1 . when a cross - linked polyurethane is desired , it is usually obtained with best control by using a trifunctional reactant such as a triol or diol - ester , and catalyzing only the isocyanate - hydroxyl reaction . thus , the end product obtained has better thermal stability than does a biuret or allophanate cross linkage . some of the catalysts perform the function of merely splitting the oh bond to make the hydrogen or ro more readily available for reaction with the -- nco , other catalysts have a dual function , in splitting the oh bond and in promoting a complete reaction between any of the various groups remaining after polymerization , or to promote branching cross - linkage and trimerization of the polymer . catalysts are usually used in a minor amount like 0 . 01 % of the total resin amount or up . in many formulations , two or more of the catalysts are combined in order to achieve the end properties desired and the speed of the reaction desired for a particular application . there are two kinds of catalysts -- organometallic catalysts and the diamine catalysts . the first is principally used for splitting the -- oh bond ( but not -- nh 2 ) for faster reactions in the system . the second ( amino based ) type catalysts are ( usually ) triethylene diamine , morpholines and piperazines ) very reactive in almost all systems including nco / oh , nco / nh 2 , nco / hs , nco / cooh . the amine catalyst reactions are easier to control , more even and distributed over a slightly longer period of time . thus , there is less rise in exothermic temperatures and less chance of inopporture gel with these catalysts than with the metallic catalysts . these amino catalysts are particularly useful in obtaining additional cross - linkage , branching and trimerization in the polymer . they also serve as stiffening agents in the chain , with consequent higher strengths and higher heat resistance . metallic cobalt catalysts and the amino catalysts may have adverse effects on the weathering properties of the polymer . probably both a metallic and an amine catalyst would be used in one formulation . the ratio and the amount would depend on the property and the dry time of the final product . solvents may also be present in the sealer coat . useful solvents include esters , ketones , ether - esters . likewise , diluents may also be employed such as toluene , xylol and higher boiling aromatic hydrocarbons of petroleum ether . curing of the sealer coat occurs at ambient temperatures in less than 5 hours , typically about 3 - 4 hours , to form a cured sealer coat which is bonded to the underlying top coat . the floor construction having the polyurethane sealer coat is particularly suitable for use in hospitals , pharmaceutical companies , meat - packing plants or other locations where the growth of fungi or bacteria must be prevented . the polyurethane sealer coat will also resist degradation due to contact with alkaline cleaning agents , stains ( particularly blood stains ), and responds well to thermal shock and thermal cycling . the following examples are set forth to further illustrate the present invention but are not intended in any way to limit the scope thereof as set forth in the accompanying detailed description and claims . a liquid epoxy resin was prepared by formulating the following mixture : ______________________________________ percent______________________________________epon 828 . sup . 1 65 . 22der 732 . sup . 2 21 . 74furfuryl alcohol 13 . 04______________________________________ . sup . 1 one of a series of commercially available epoxy resins based upon condensation reaction of epichlorohydrin and bisphenola ( shell chemical company ). . sup . 2 an epoxy resin obtained from dow chemical company . to two parts by volume of this liquid epoxy resin was added one part curing agent . the curing agent employed contained the following : ______________________________________ percent______________________________________benzyl alcohol 36 . 8isophoronediamine 22 . 91 , 8 - diamino - p - methane 18 . 7salicylic acid 5 . 0epon 828 . sup . 1 16 . 6______________________________________ . sup . 1 one of a series of commercially available epoxy resins based upon condensation reaction of epichlorohydrin and bisphenola ( shell chemical company ). the resulting admixture may then be thinned 20 percent with methyl ethyl ketone and applied as a primer coat over freshly finished concrete , using a roller , to a dry thickness of 2 mils . the primer coat cures at 21 ° c . in about 6 hours to form a cured primer coat . this particular primer coat upon curing also forms a barrier by which moisture is held in the concrete to promote high surface cure . this primer / sealer also protects the concrete surface from corrosive chemicals until permanent protection can be applied , and then functions as the primer coat for the multi - layered , fiberglass - reinforced floor system of this invention . ______________________________________tensile strength . sup . 3 1700 - 1900 psitensile modulus . sup . 3 46 , 000 - 50 , 000 psitensile elongation . sup . 3 20 - 30 % shear strength ( steel ) 1700 - 1800 psi______________________________________ . sup . 3 astm c307 modified . a liquid epoxy resin and a curing agent were prepared and admixed as in example 1 and applied over a cured primer coat with a serrated trowel deposing the same at approximately 50 - 60 mils thickness . fiberglass mat material was then applied over the still liquid coating taking care to avoid wrinkle formulation to as great an extent as possible . a short nap paint roller was then used to dry roll the coating layer until the fiberglass - reinforcement mat was thoroughly wetted out . the layer was then rib rolled to remove air and level the surface , and the resulting fiberglass - reinforced base coat was allowed to harden . the following formulation of epoxy resin containing top coat material was prepared : ______________________________________ percent______________________________________epon 828 . sup . 1 19 . 81der 671 - t - 75 . sup . 2 7 . 30der 732 . sup . 2 4 . 86pigment 1 . 51butyl glycidyl ether 1 . 50ethyl acetate 0 . 51silica 44 . 00aluminum oxide 9 . 73crushed walnut shells 9 . 73bubble release agent 0 . 51flow agent 0 . 51______________________________________ . sup . 1 one of a series of commercially available epoxy resins based upon condensation reaction of epichlorohydrin and bisphenola ( shell chemical company ). . sup . 2 an epoxy resin obtained from dow chemical company . to 3 parts by volume of this formulaton was added 1 part of the curing agent identified in example 1 . the admixture was thoroughly stirred to disperse the filler and then troweled over the cured base coat at a nominal 1 / 16 &# 34 ; thickness . curing of the top coat at ambient temperature of 21 ° c . then occurred in 12 hours . the multi - layer structure of primer , base coat and top coat had the following properties : ______________________________________tensile strength 2 , 500 - 3 , 000 psicompressive strength 10 , 000 - 12 , 000 psithermal shock resistance 63 cycles ( no failure )( cycle 76 ° to 4 ° c .) cold - temperature cure test practical limit 2 ° c . underwater cure test no discoloration ; supports foot traffic after 16 hours______________________________________ ______________________________________ parts by weight______________________________________epon 1009 . sup . 1 45 . 5titanium dioxide 4 . 2polyethylene wax 2 . 0urea formaldehyde polymer 4 . 4bentone 27 . sup . 4 2 . 5cellulose acetate butyrate 1 . 5flow agents 0 . 7solvent mixture . sup . 5 25 . 0______________________________________ . sup . 4 an organic derivative of hydrous magnesium aluminum silicate minerals . . sup . 5 methyl isobutyl ketone : n butyl acetate : xylene = 4 : 1 : 1 . to this was added 34 parts of an adduct of toluene diisocyanate and 2 - dimethoxy - 1 - butanol . the resulting mixture was applied using a roller as a sealer coat over the cured top coat of example 3 . upon curing of the sealer coat , a multi - layered , fiberglass - reinforced floor construction was formed having the following physical properties : ______________________________________tensile strength :( astm c307 - 55 ) 4 , 750 psicompressive strength :( astm c - 306 - 55 ) 5 , 640 psiflexural strength 6 , 090 psihardness shore d : 73elongation : 2 % full systemthermal shock : 183 ° f . to 45 ° f ., 50 cycles no failuretaber abrasion factor ( cs 17f wheel , 1000 gmwt 1000 revolutions ) less than 15______________________________________ as will be obvious to one skilled in the art many modifications , variations , alterations and the like may be made in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the preceding specification or in the claims which follow .

US-9257779-A

a holder for a law enforcement baton , of the type having a side handle , includes a belt mounted base to which a cylindrical sleeve , having a central axial aperture , is mounted so as to be pivotable in a vertical plane when the holder is mounted on the belt of a law enforcement officer . a side - handled baton is inserted with its principal length in the axial aperture , and the side handle snaps between a pair of resilient tangs that are forced to part by the side handle under manual force to receive the side handle in a mating socket . the sleeve member is frictionally restrained but can be pivoted by manual force to any desired attitude . the baton then remains in stable position while the user is walking , running , crouching or seated in a patrol car . nonetheless , the baton is accessible and may be removed from the holder under reasonable manual force , instantaneously , if needed .

a baton holder 10 , in accordance with the invention , referring now to fig1 - 5 , is attachable in a releasable manner onto the belt 12 of a law enforcement officer , such belts typically being wide and of heavy leather and supporting a gun holster ( not shown ) or other paraphernalia . a side handle baton 14 , for example , has a principal length 15 ( fig1 only ) that terminates at one end in an in - line handle 16 , and also has a side handle 18 that extends perpendicularly to the principal length 15 at the base or interior end of the in - line handle 16 . techniques of considerable sophistication have been devised for use of the baton 14 in overcoming , disabling or immobilizing offenders , in defending against impacts , and in inserting and withdrawing the baton 14 . the baton holder 10 includes a base support 20 , the inner side of which ( relative to the wearer ) fits flush against the belt 12 , and the outer side of which includes a central boss 22 concentric with an axis that is substantially horizontal when the officer is standing . slots 26 are provided through the base support 20 , adjacent to and parallel to each of its upper and lower edges relative to the belt , for use in attaching the base support 20 to the belt 12 . a sleeve member 30 , having a hollow cylindrical shape defined by a thick wall 32 of industrial plastic or other suitable rugged by non - conducting material , includes a central axial aperture for receiving the principal length 15 of the baton 14 . a protrusion or boss 34 on the outer side of the wall 32 has a flat surface matching and bearing against the base support boss 22 . the boss 34 ( as seen in fig5 only ) encompasses an elevator bolt 24 whose head end is embedded in the sleeve element 30 during molding . a threaded end of the bolt 24 extends outwardly through the boss 22 in the support 20 for attachment of the sleeve element 30 to the support 20 in rotatable fashion . the extending threaded end of the elevator bolt 24 passes through a central aperture 35 in the boss 34 and terminates within a countersink depression 36 in the base support 20 . the boss 34 on the sleeve member 30 is disposed so that , when the wearer is standing , the sleeve member 30 can be rotated in a substantially vertical plane about the elevator bolt 24 . interior to the base support 20 , a nut 38 is secured onto the threaded end of the elevator bolt 24 , the nut being tightened against three belleville springs 39 , which fit within the countersink 36 in the base support 20 . the nut 38 is accessible through an opening 37 in the backside of the base support 20 . this arrangement enables adjustable tightening of the sleeve member 30 in relation to the base support 20 , with a controllable frictional restraint being introduced by the compressed belleville springs 39 between the nut 38 and the face of the countersink 36 , and between the opposed faces of the two bosses 22 , 34 . the frictional engagement is adjusted so that the weight of the baton 14 and sleeve member 30 , as well as forces encountered during ordinary walking and running do not cause shifting of the baton position regardless of the attitude in which the baton 14 is placed . however , the level of frictional restraint is also adjusted to be less than the wearer can conveniently exert manually . for shifting to different positions , as seen in fig8 and 9 , the principal length 15 of the baton 14 can be employed as a lever to change the angular position of the baton 14 about the rotational axis defined by the elevator bolt 24 . single - hand operation usually suffices with proper adjustment of the nut 38 ( fig5 ). the in - line aperture within the sleeve member 30 receives the principal length 15 of the baton 14 with a sliding fit . when the baton 14 is fully inserted , the side handle 18 is received within side sockets 40 , 41 of generally circular outline provided in the side walls of the sleeve member 30 , and in communication with the in - line aperture . both side sockets 40 , 41 are adjacent what may be termed the upper end of the sleeve member 30 . a first side socket 40 faces rearward relative to the wearer and is usually employed for receiving the side handle 18 , which then also faces rearwardly . the second side socket 41 faces frontward relative to the wearer , but is employed in the same manner when the baton holder 10 is attached to the opposite side of the belt 12 . each side socket 40 , 41 is open to the upper end of the sleeve member 30 between a pair of tangs 43 , 44 . the spacing between these tangs 43 , 44 is less , by a predetermined distance , than the diameter of the side handle 18 , and the surfaces of the tangs 43 , 44 merge into the outline of the circular sockets 40 , 41 . the sockets 40 , 41 also include downward slot extensions 46 of length and width chosen to control the compliance of the two sides of the sleeve member 30 that terminate in the tangs 43 , 44 . the slot extensions 46 reduce the spring force which must be overcome in displacing the tangs 43 , 44 when the slightly larger side handle 18 is inserted and withdrawn . thus , the baton 14 , once inserted with its principal length axial within the sleeve member 30 and the side handle 18 within the side socket 40 or 41 , is securely held by the tangs 43 , 44 . when needed , however , the baton 14 can be withdrawn manually , by using one hand only for most individuals . for securing the baton holder 10 to the belt 12 of the wearer , lengths of webbing 50 , 51 are threaded through the slots 26 in the base support 20 . for secure mounting the webbings 50 , 51 include &# 34 ; velcro &# 34 ; fastener materials . as best seen in fig6 and 7 , a loop near one end of a webbing 50 is secured through a slot 26 by rivets 52 , the major length of the webbing 50 being passed around the belt 12 ( as in fig2 ) and through the other slot 26 . inside the belt 12 , a length of &# 34 ; velcro &# 34 ; hook material 53 provides a base for a length of &# 34 ; velcro &# 34 ; loop material 54 on the opposing surface of the webbing end when the long end is folded back onto the hook material 53 . in this position an area of hook material 56 is presented to the inside , relative to the wearer , as seen in fig7 particularly . the second , short end of the webbing 50 includes an area of &# 34 ; velcro &# 34 ; loop material 57 that is fiolded over the hook material area 56 as a final seal . thus when the webbing 50 is folded in this double loop fashion , with a final overlap and engagement of the free ends , the support 20 is firmly fixed to the belt 12 . turning both ends of webbing 50 about the corners of the base support 20 through the slots 26 provides friction that aids in secure retention . also the fact that the webbings 50 , 51 press against the body of the wearer further secures them against release despite strains that may be placed on the belt 12 , baton 14 and sleeve member 30 . as seen in fig1 , 11 and 12 , this arrangement allows the wearer to place the baton 14 in any angular position , such as with the principal length 15 depending downwardly and the side handle 18 protruding backwardly ( fig1 ). to run , the wearer need only to rotate the principal length 15 to the horizontal position , as shown in fig1 , which position may also be used when the officer must go on all fours . for maintaining a low profile , or for sitting in a patrol vehicle , the principal length 15 can be rotated to the vertical orientation shown in fig1 , so as to lie along the back of the officer . if the side handle 18 interferes with or is inconvenient to grasp in the position shown under given circumstances , the baton 14 can be reversed with the side handle in the second side socket 41 . both ends of a sleeve member 30 &# 39 ; can be used to accommodate different side - handle baton models , as shown in fig1 . here the sleeve memvber 30 &# 39 ; is configured as previously described , with first and second side sockets 60 , 61 adjacent one end of the sleeve member 30 &# 39 ;, each including opposed tangs 43 &# 39 ;, 44 &# 39 ;, and a slot extension 63 , as previously described . another pair of side sockets 65 , 66 are disposed in like manner adjacent the opposite end of the member 30 &# 39 ;. these have a different principal diameter than the first pair of side sockets 60 , 61 to accommodate baton having a side handle of different diameter . a slot extension 67 on the second side sockets 65 , 66 provides the degree of spring compliance for the associated tangs 43 &# 34 ;, 44 &# 34 ;. the slot extensions 63 , 67 are shorter than in the prior example of fig1 - 5 , and assuming the same wall thickness for the sleeve member 30 &# 39 ;, are therefore made wider to achieve the same degree of resiliency . the axial aperture for the principal length of the baton is dimensioned to provide a sliding fit for the largest diameter of baton , and , if the other model of baton has a smaller diameter for its principal length , there may be a slight looseness which can be overcome by placing a small ring on the smaller sized baton ( not shown ). while there have been shown above and illustrated in the drawings various forms and expedients in accordance with the invention , it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto but encompasses all variations and alternatives within the scope of the appended claims .

US-75076885-A

a handle assembly is adapted for installation in a vehicle panel aperture having a flanged border from the outboard side of the panel . the handle housing has a pre - installed attaching clip retained on the housing by a screw tightened to an initial setting enabling predetermined upward and inward travel of the clip between a lower gravity induced position to an installation rocked - in induced upper position . the clip has tapered flanges configured to bear on the aperture border during rocked - in movement of the housing along a determined swingline . upon clip tabs being positioned inboard of the border the tapered flanges disengaging the border thereby returning the clip by gravity to its installed position such that tightening the screw clamps the tabs against the aperture border .

referring now to the drawings , and more particularly to fig1 wherein a portion of a vehicle panel , partially indicated at 18 , has an outboard surface and an inboard surface . the panel 18 , which in the disclosed embodiment is a vehicle sheet metal exterior door panel , includes a flush type exterior or outside door handle assembly 20 for operating a door latch mechanism ( not shown ). the panel 18 is formed with a generally oval - shaped handle aperture 21 configured to accommodate the handle assembly 20 . the panel aperture 21 is defined by a counter - sunk or recessed generally oval - shaped continuous flanged border 22 off - set or recessed inboard and substantially conforming to the aperture 21 and lying in a plane matching the contour of the panel 18 . the flanged border 22 has a pair of fore 23 and aft 24 upper corner fillets each provided with a vertically extending mounting slot 25 and 26 , respectively . the flange border is also formed with upper and lower vertically opposed inwardly projecting lugs 27 and 28 , respectively . as seen in fig1 , the lugs 27 and 28 , which are used to position door assembly tooling , are formed in mirror image relation and are aligned on aperture vertical center line 29 . the panel aperture 21 is adapted to receive the handle assembly 20 from the outboard side of the panel 18 in a &# 34 ; rock - in &# 34 ; manner along a swingline to be described below . with reference to fig1 and 2 , the handle assembly 20 includes a housing member , generally indicated at 30 , having a main inboard depressed body portion 32 defining an outboard facing generally oval - shaped central recess &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; ( fig1 ). the recess &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; is sized for inserting the operator &# 39 ; s fingers behind a release handle member , generally indicated at 34 , pivotally mounted on the housing for location between an extended operable position and a retracted inoperable position within the recess . fig1 , and 10 show the housing member central body portion 32 formed with an integral continuous outer terminal flange 36 extending around the periphery of the body portion 32 . the terminal flange 36 has its backside overlying the exterior surface of the matching panel aperture flanged border 22 . the lower portion of the terminal flange is &# 34 ; cored - out &# 34 ; defining a recessed lower support ledge 37 . with reference to fig1 - 3 , the housing 30 , which is preferably molded from a polymeric or plastic mineral filled material , has its central body portion 32 integrally formed with a forward or first upwardly extending pair of handle support brackets 40 and 41 and a second or aft pair of handle support brackets 42 and 43 . the first pair of support brackets 40 and 41 , longitudinally spaced in a relatively extended manner , are positioned adjacent the forward end of the housing member . the second pair of brackets 42 and 43 , longitudinally spaced in a relatively close manner , are located adjacent the aft end of the housing . the first pair of brackets 40 and 41 support a forward pivot pin 44 therebetween , aligned on a common longitudinally extending pivotal axis &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;( fig6 ), while an aft pivot pin 46 is supported between the aft brackets 42 and 43 . fig1 and 2 show the handle member 34 integrally formed with a forward crankarm 47 projecting through a forward slot 48 in the housing 30 while aft crankarm 49 projects through an aft slot ( not shown ) in the housing . the first crankarm 47 is pivotally supported on pivot pin 44 extending between the forward brackets 40 , 41 while the second crankarm 49 is pivotally supported on pivot pin 46 extending between the aft brackets 42 , 43 . a pair of upper threaded studs 50 are molded in the housing and are adapted to be received in associated panel fillet slots 25 and 26 and secured by nuts 51 , as seen in fig2 and 21 . the release handle 34 is rotated about the pivot pins 44 and 46 in a clockwise direction , as viewed in fig6 from its non - use solid line position in the housing member recess to its operating dashed line position ( fig6 ) against the biasing force of a helical spring 52 coiled around the forward pivot pin 44 to actuate the door latch mechanism ( not shown ) enabling the door to be opened . the spring 52 has one end ( not shown ) hooked to the crankarm 47 and its other end ( not shown ) received in a retaining groove formed in the housing member biasing the gripping portion of the handle toward its non - use flush position . the spring 52 is in pressure contact with the pivot pin 44 so as to transfer its reaction force thereto . it will be seen in fig2 and 3 that an integral cylindrical shaped hollow socket portion 58 , shown formed adjacent the forward end the housing 30 , has an entrances hole 59 ( fig1 ). the socket portion 58 is adapted for the reception of a conventional lock cylinder as shown in the handle of the above mentioned newman u . s . pat . no . 4 , 892 , 342 , for example . it will be noted , however , that a vehicle outside door handle for the rear doors of a four - door sedan model may omit a lock cylinder , if desired . with reference to fig3 and 9 , it will be seen that the inboard convex surface of the housing central body portion 32 is formed with an integral inboard extending central attaching clip support means . the clip support means comprises a housing central hub 60 having its free end 61 provided with a blind bore 62 , having a principal axis &# 34 ; d &# 34 ;, adapted to receive a hexhead flanged tapping screw , generally indicated at 63 in fig3 . the central hub 60 has a pair of horizontally disposed mirror image gussets 64 integrally molded therewith and extending from either side of the hub 60 in a co - planar manner . a pair of vertically disposed integral guide fins 65 , extend inboard from the housing body portion 32 , are equally spaced on either side of a central fin 66 extending vertically upwardly from the hub 60 . it will be noted in fig9 that the lower end of each side fin 65 joins the free end of its associated hub gusset 64 at a right angle juncture . the stem blind bore 62 is shown in fig1 threadably receiving therein the tapping screw 63 which comprises a threaded shank 67 , a hex driving head 68 and a head flange 69 . as viewed in fig2 and 3 , the handle housing central fastening arrangement comprises a one - piece retaining clip , generally indicated at 70 , formed from suitable sheet stock such as sheet metal . the clip 70 is initially in the form of a stamped flat blank &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;, shown in fig1 , and is subsequently formed by suitable stamping machine dies into the clip 70 configuration of detail fig1 - 16 . the clip 70 , as seen in perspective in fig1 - 14 , is generally l - shaped in vertical cross section comprising an upstanding head panel 72 and an outwardly and downwardly sloped body panel 74 with both panels being generally rectangular in plan . the clip is formed symmetrically about a vertical plane of symmetry defined by dashed axis of symmetry &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; in fig1 . the head panel 72 has its opposite side edges provided with vertically disposed right - angled mirror image guide flanges 76 extending outboard therefrom . the guide flanges 76 are laterally spaced a predetermined dimension as explained below . a vertically elongated fastener slot 78 of predetermined length is provided in the head panel aligned on the axis &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; of fig1 . the slot 78 is designed to permit predetermined vertical slidable travel of the clip 70 upon its pre - installed attachment on the housing . the clip is shown attached to the housing by means of the tapping screw shank 67 extending through the slot 78 prior to being threadably received in the housing hub blind bore 62 . in fig1 , it will be seen that an inboard indented raised land 79 is formed in the clip head panel adjacent the upper end of the slot 78 . as viewed from the inboard side in fig1 , the land 79 provides a wedging surface located along the right hand vertical edge of the slot and is raised above the inboard face of the clip head portion 72 . with reference to fig5 it will be appreciated that upon the screw 63 being tightened in a clockwise direction an underside portion 75 ( fig1 ) of the driving head collar 69 contacts the raised land 79 . as the clockwise rotating collar is torqued down on the raised land 79 , it imparts a downwardly directed force on the clip thereby insuring that the clip remains in its predetermined lowermost seated position of fig8 . the land 79 obviates the clockwise rotating screw from lifting the clip from its seated design position which may occur if the principal axis of the screw 63 is tipped off - center while it is being threaded into the housing bore 62 . it will be seen in fig5 that with the tapping screw 63 threadably tightened to an initial clip preinstalled position its screw flange underside 75 is spaced a predetermined axial dimension &# 34 ; s &# 34 ; from hub face 61 . the clip 70 is thus slidably attached to the housing 30 in its pre - installed mode by means of the clip head panel side flanges 76 closely straddling the pair of housing guide fins 65 . by virtue of this arrangement , the housing guide fins 65 and the clip elongated slot 78 insure that the clip head panel 72 follows a predetermined gravity induced downward path . with reference to fig5 it will be appreciated that the inboard free edges of the gussets 64 , the guide fins 65 , and the hub fin 66 together with the hub face 61 establish a predetermined vertical plane . thus , final tightening of the tapping screw 63 positions the head panel 72 on such inboard free edges and hub face in the established vertical plane . it will be noted in fig1 that the clip head panel 72 and base panel 74 join at bend juncture 80 defining an obtuse included angle &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; of the order of a hundred and ten degrees ( 110 degrees ). the clip body panel 74 has each of its side edges provided with a downturned cam flange 82 integrally joined to the sides of the body panel 74 . it will be noted in fig1 and 16 that the pair of cam flanges 82 are substantially co - planar with their associated guide flanges 76 . fig1 shows each cam flange 82 provides a cam edge runner 83 sloped at a predetermined angle &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; from the horizontal . further , each cam flange 82 terminates in a horizontal outboard extending foot portion 84 projecting outboard from free transverse edge 86 of the base panel 74 . with reference to fig1 and 14 , the base panel 74 additionally has a pair of substantially horizontal locating fingers 87 projecting outboard a predetermined dimension from the base panel free edge 86 . the fingers 87 are disposed in a mirror image manner on either side of a plane of symmetry which includes the dashed center line &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; of fig1 . the fingers 87 are laterally spaced so as to define a central notch sized to receive the lower panel aperture lug 28 therein . a vertically downwardly bent retaining tab 88 is shown struck from an opposite side edge of each finger 87 . thus , each right - angled downturned tab 88 is positioned between its associated outer foot 84 and inner locating finger 87 . as best seen in fig3 and 19 , the housing lower terminal flange portion 36 has formed thereon a pair of vertically disposed fillet ramps 89 . as seen in fig9 the ramps 89 are equally spaced on either side of a vertical plane , defined by dashed construction line &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; that includes the principal axis of the hub blind bore 62 . it will be noted in fig4 that the ramps 89 are laterally spaced a predetermined dimension such that each ramp 89 is aligned with the center of an associated downturned tab 88 . it will be observed in fig1 that in its preinstalled mode the handle housing clip 70 has a first preinstalled gravity induced predetermined position on the housing . thus , in the clip &# 39 ; s first pre - installed position the pair of locating fingers 87 are shown supported in overlying contact on the housing lower terminal flange ledge 37 . it will be seen in enlarged fig1 a that each tab outboard face spaced a predetermined dimension &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; from opposed backside of the housing terminal flange 36 . as depicted in fig5 the clip member head panel central vertical slot 78 is adapted to receive the threaded tapping screw 63 for pre - assembly retention of the clip member 70 . upon initially tightening the screw 63 in the housing blind bore 62 to a pre - installed setting , the undersurface of the screw head flange 69 is spaced a predetermined clearance dimension &# 34 ; s &# 34 ; from the free end 61 of the central hub 60 . it will be seen in fig1 that the clearance space &# 34 ; s &# 34 ; allows the clip sufficient freedom for guided movement either upwardly and inboard or downwardly and outboard in a manner to be explained below . thus , the clip pair of locating fingers 87 project outboard a predetermined dimension sufficient to engage the terminal flange 37 to support the clip in its pre - installed first position of fig1 . fig1 shows the locating fingers 87 in the clip &# 39 ; s installed position contacting the edge of aperture flanged border 22 thus preventing clip rotation while maintaining the clamp bearing load . with reference to fig2 , it will be seen that each downturned tab 88 has a radiused juncture 90 which is adapted , upon the clip being cammed upwardly , to initially contact its associated angled ramp edge 92 as seen in fig2 . in operation , the installation sequence is depicted in fig6 - 8 . fig6 shows the handle assembly 20 being installed in the elongated oval - like aperture 21 from the outboard side of the panel 18 . the installer first tilts the handle assembly inboard toward the horizontal so as to project the upstanding crankarms 47 and 49 through the panel aperture 21 . as the crankarms are received in the panel aperture , upper longitudinal edge 100 of the handle 34 is seated in longitudinally extending notched juncture 102 defined by the recessed flanged border 22 . it will be noted that at the same time the housing 30 is longitudinally positioned in the aperture the pair of threaded studs 50 are aligned with their associated panel mounting slots 25 and 26 and received therein . by virtue of this arrangement , the handle portion 100 and the notched juncture 102 establish an installation pivot &# 34 ; p &# 34 ;. the installation pivot &# 34 ; p &# 34 ; provides a swing - line axis enabling the installer to rock the housing into the aperture along a predetermined arcuate swing - line shown at 104 in fig6 . as a result of swingline travel , the cam edge runners 83 are moved into sliding contact with the aperture lower edge 21 . thus , the clip 70 is cammed upwardly on the housing , as depicted in fig7 while being vertically tracked by its outer guide flanges 76 straddling the housing inner guide fins 65 together with the clip vertical guide slot 78 sliding on the screw stem 67 . it will be seen in fig2 that the clip initially moves substantially vertically until each tab radiused junctures 90 contacts its associated ramp edge 92 causing inboard travel of the clip 70 . the ramp edge 92 is formed at a predetermined acute angle from the horizontal such that as each tab lower edge 94 is cammed above the aperture edge 21 the clip inboard travel continues until the tabs 88 are positioned inboard of the aperture flanged border 22 . at this instant , the cam edge runners 83 clear the edge of aperture 21 allowing the clip 70 to fall under the influence of gravity from its elevated second position to its third installed position of fig1 . upon the nuts 51 being threaded on the upper stems 50 the installer completes the installation by tightening the screw 63 whereby each of the tabs 88 exerts a clamp load against the flanged border 22 securing the handle assembly in the panel aperture . while there is described above the principles of this invention in connection with a specific embodiment , it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of this invention .

US-4468693-A