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the subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is described here with specificity to meet statutory requirements , but this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims . the claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways , may include different elements or steps , and may be used in conjunction with other existing or future technologies . this description should not be interpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among or between various steps or elements except when the order of individual steps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described . the present invention solves the problems described above by positioning a magnetic pump 10 , which may be an electromagnetic or permanent magnet based pump , in a well 12 located entirely inside the exterior wall 14 of a metal melting furnace 16 and near the entrance 22 to a side well 18 of furnace 16 . certain kinds of scrap may be added in the side well 18 , and the extra turbulence in the molten metal generated by the pump 10 quickly submerges and melts the scrap . agitation in side well 18 also agitates the metal in the main hearth area 20 of furnace 16 . while other pump configurations may be used , the pump 10 illustrated in fig1 - 2 is a permanent pump that is driven by a motor 24 coupled to a gear box 26 . the motor 24 may be electrically powered with alternating current or direct current , hydraulically powered or otherwise operated to provide rotational force . the gear box 26 , which may be interposed between the motor 24 and a vertical shaft ( not visible in fig1 - 3 ), reduces the relatively high rotational speed of the motor 24 . this provides a lower rotational speed for rotating an arrangement of one or more permanent magnets ( also not visible in fig1 - 2 ) that rotate just inside the inner wall 28 of the cooling jacket 30 through which air , nitrogen or other suitable cooling medium is circulated through inlet 34 . cooling jacket 30 is adjacent to a relatively thin refractory wall 32 of the furnace 16 well 12 . this cooling maintains a thermal freeze plane . this reduces the likelihood that the aluminum or other molten metal will dissolve holes in the wall 32 of the well 12 . if such holes nevertheless form , because the metal is still retained within the furnace , the consequences typically will be less severe than those potentially associated with breach of an exterior wall of a furnace . as mentioned , other pump arrangements , such as an electromagnetic pump , may be used instead of a permanent rotatable pump . for example , an induction motor such as the one described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 824 , 414 , which issued jul . 16 , 1974 and is incorporated herein by reference , may be incorporated into a side well of a furnace . fig8 illustrates a linear induction motor 200 that may be positioned in a well 212 located entirely inside a metal melting furnace 216 and near a side well 218 of furnace 116 . in some embodiments , the surface that is normally flat in a linear induction motor is convex as illustrated in fig8 . agitation in side well 212 also agitates the metal in other areas of the furnace and circulates the metal between the main hearth area 220 and the side well 218 of the furnace 216 in the direction of arrows 215 . in some embodiments , submerged ports 222 allow metal to flow between side well 218 and hearth area 220 . a submerging pump 224 may be used to submerge and melt any scrap ( such as , without limitation , light gauge , clips , chips , or post - consumer based bale scrap ) added to the side well 218 . the pump arrangement of this invention provides an open channel flow system to move molten metal due to the eddy current based flow field created by the magnetic pump , thereby agitating the metal and contributing to maintenance of homogeneous temperatures within the metal . the arrangement of the pump within a relatively thin wall of a well within the furnace minimizes the distance between the moving metal and the magnet , thus facilitating creation of strong eddy currents in the molten material , thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the pump . in some cases , the magnetic pump is positioned within the furnace such that significant linear vortexes are created within the metal . for instance , the magnet may be positioned and configured to generate eddy current based flow field for the molten metal positioned within approximately half the thickness of the thin wall of the well ( closest to the pump ) and force a linear flow along this portion of the metal closest to the magnet . the other approximately half of the molten metal within the thin wall flows in a sympathetic , tortuous path that in turn generates a strong linear vortex throughout the depth of the well . fig4 depicts another embodiment of a magnetic pump in a well of this invention . pump 40 is a permanent magnetic based pump and includes a motor / gearbox 42 that drives a shaft 44 that rotates permanent magnets 46 within a well 48 positioned in a molten metal furnace 50 having a main hearth area 52 and a side well 54 . cooling medium indicated by arrows 56 is blown into the well 48 by a blower 58 and exits through port 60 . a controller 70 controls motor / gearbox 42 and blower 58 . in the event of a breach of well 48 a signal from detector 62 can activate a lift system to lift the pump out of the well . as shown in fig4 , the lift system includes a hoist ( not shown ) attached to chain 64 or cable attached to motor / gearbox 42 and capable of lifting pump 40 out of the well 48 to protect it from damage . fig6 - 7 illustrate another non - limiting embodiment of a lift system 300 configured to hoist a pump ( such as pump 400 ) out the well in the event of a breach . the lift system 300 illustrated in fig6 - 7 includes a cart 301 having a plurality of wheels 303 . the cart 301 is configured to traverse along a set of rails 302 to move the pump 400 away from the furnace . detector 62 can be a thermocouple or other temperature detector for detecting the temperature within the well at the location of the detector . in some cases , detector 62 is a duplex type k thermocouple with an open - ended protection tube and ceramic bead insulators , although any suitable thermocouple or other temperature detector may be used . detector 62 could , alternatively , be a detector capable of detecting the presence of molten metal in the well by other means . it can also be any other detector adapted to directly or indirectly detect a condition , such as elevated temperature , cessation of air flow , conductivity which indicates the presence of molten metal , change in moisture content of the air or any other parameter or condition capable of being monitored . in some embodiments , more than one detector 62 is used and in some cases , more than one type of detector is used . in one non - limiting embodiment , a thermocouple or other temperature detector is used , as well as a detector capable of detecting the presence of molten metal by another means , such as by measuring conductivity with a conduction probe . in one non - limiting embodiment , one of the detectors may be part of a warrick ® conductivity system circuit that has liquid level sensing capabilities such as , but not limited to , warrick ® series 16m controls . if used , a thermocouple element may detect temperature from any suitable location , for example but not limited to , approximately ½ ″ from the bottom of the well 48 . if used , a conductivity system , such as but not limited to a warrick relay reference probe , may be connected directly to the well wall to detect a breach by sensing conductivity associated with any metal infiltration . a programmable logic controller or suitable processer can receive and interpret the signal from detector 62 and initiate any suitable action . for example , the plc can sound or display an alarm so that a furnace operator can determine whether to lift pump 40 out of the well 48 , or take any other appropriate action . alternatively , the plc can activate a lift apparatus to lift pump 40 out of well 48 . signals from detector 62 and / or the plc could also be used to automatically or through operator action otherwise control the furnace by , for instance , stopping rotation of the magnets 46 or adjusting the speed of rotation by adjusting operation of motor / gearbox 42 , adjust cooling airflow 56 by adjusting operation of blower 58 , or changing heat input to the main hearth 52 or some other portion of the furnace 50 . fig5 is another plan view depicting an embodiment of a permanent magnet pump in a well . as shown , a magnetic pump 100 is positioned in a well 112 that is located entirely inside a metal melting furnace 116 and near a side well 118 of furnace 116 . certain kinds of scrap ( such as , without limitation , light gauge , clips , chips , or post - consumer based bale scrap ) may be added in the side well 118 and / or side well 122 and the extra turbulence in the molten metal generated by the pump 100 quickly submerges and melts the scrap . agitation in side well 112 also agitates the metal in other areas of the furnace and circulates the metal between the main hearth area 120 , the side well 118 , and the side well 112 of the furnace 116 . in some embodiments , submerged ports allow metal to flow between side well 112 and hearth area 120 and between side well 112 and side well 118 . all patents , publications and abstracts cited above are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety . different arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings or described above , as well as components and steps not shown or described are possible . similarly , some features and subcombinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations . embodiments of the invention have been described for illustrative and not restrictive purposes , and alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this patent . accordingly , the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above or depicted in the drawings , and various embodiments and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claims below . | 5 |
the general reaction sequence in equation ( 2 ) for the synthesis of novel diamines according to the present invention is represented by the following equations : ## str3 ## where : r is selected from the group of aliphatic or aromatic radicals consisting of : ## str4 ## wherein y = nil , o , s , c ═ o , so 2 , ch 2 , c ( ch 3 ) 2 , c ( cf 3 ) 2 , si ( ch 3 ) 2 or mixtures thereof : the base is an alkali metal hydroxide or carbonate selected from naoh , koh , na 2 co 3 , k 2 co 3 and the like . the catalyst is a lewis acid which is preferably alcl 3 , but may be albr 3 , fecl 3 , sncl 4 , bcl 3 , bf 3 and the like . ## str5 ## represents 4 - methyl - 3 - aminophenol , 3 - methyl - 4 - aminophenol , or 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - aminophenol . other aminophenols can also be used such as ## str6 ## where the nh 2 and oh groups may be in the 3 or 4 position and r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are ortho to the nh 2 group . additionally , novel diamines according to the present invention are prepared by reduction of the corresponding dinitro compound . ## str7 ## therefore ar &# 39 ; is equivalent to either ## str8 ## in equation ( 3 ) for the synthesis of new polyimides according to the present invention . ## str9 ## where n is an integer from 4 - 100 . the solvent is preferably n , n - dimethylacetamide ( dmac ), but may be other solvents such as n , n - dimethylformamide , dimethyl sulfoxide , n - methylpyrrolidinone ( nmp ), m - cresol , or ether solvents such as diglyme . cyclodehydration is accomplished chemically or by heating the intermediate polyamide acid at temperatures exceeding 150 ° c . ar is selected from a group of radicals consisting of ## str10 ## wherein y = nil , o , s , c ═ o , so 2 , ch 2 , c ( ch 3 ) 2 , c ( cf 3 ) 2 , si ( ch 3 ) 2 or mixtures thereof . the following examples illustrate monomer synthesis and the reaction sequence for the synthesis of several of the polyimides described according to the present invention . anhydrous aluminum chloride ( 160 . 0 g , 1 . 20 mol ) was added to a stirred solution of isophthaloyl chloride ( 101 . 5 g , 0 . 50 mol ) dissolved in fluorobenzene ( 480 . 5 g , 5 . 0 mol ) over a five to ten minute period . the mixture was stirred at room temperature for one hour and then maintained at 70 °- 80 ° c . for four hours . after cooling , the reaction mixture was poured onto approximately 2000 g of ice containing 100 ml of concentrated hydrochloric acid . the resulting suspension was separated by decantation and washed several times with water . the organic layer was distilled to remove excess fluorobenzene and the solid residue was collected by filtration , washed with water , and dried at 100 ° c . the crude solid was recrystallized from approximately 1000 ml of toluene to afford 130 . 5 g ( 81 % yield ) of 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - fluorobenzoyl ) benzene ; m . p . 177 . 5 °- 178 . 5 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 6 . 8 - 8 . 3 ( m , 12h , aromatic ). anal . calcd . for c 20 h 12 f 2 o 2 : c , 74 . 53 %; h , 3 . 75 %; f , 11 . 79 %. found : c , 74 . 33 %; h , 3 . 59 %; f , 11 . 42 %. 3 - methyl - 4 - aminophenol ( 24 . 6 g , 0 . 20 mol ) was dissolved in a solution of dmac ( 100 ml ) and toluene ( 50 ml ) in a three - neck flask equipped with a dean - stark trap . powdered anhydrous potassium carbonate ( 34 . 5 g , 0 . 25 mol ) was added and the reaction temperature was increased to remove water by azeotropic distillation . toluene was removed until the temperature reached 130 ° c . 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - fluorobenzoyl ) benzene ( 32 . 24 g , 0 . 10 mol ) was then added and the reaction mixture stirred at about 140 ° c . overnight under a nitrogen atmosphere . the mixture was allowed to cool and subsequently added to water to precipitate a light brown solid which was collected by filtration and dried ( 50 g , 94 % crude yield ). two recrystallizations from an ethanol / toluene mixture afforded 1 , 3 - bis ( 3 - methyl - 4 - aminophenoxy - 4 &# 39 ;- benzoyl ) benzene ( 33 g , 62 % yield ) as a light tan crystalline solid ; m . p . 131 °- 132 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 2 . 17 ( s , 6h , ch . sub . 3 ), 3 . 62 ( s , 4h nh 2 ), 6 . 5 - 8 . 2 ( m , 18h , aromatic ). anal . calcd for c 34 h 26 n 2 o 4 : c , 77 . 25 %; h , 5 . 34 %; n , 5 . 30 %. found : c , 77 . 27 %; h , 5 . 57 %; n , 5 . 24 %. a diazonium salt solution was prepared by slowing adding a cold solution of sodium nitrite ( 75 . 90 g , 1 . 10 mol ) and water ( 400 ml ) to a solution of aniline ( 93 . 13 g , 1 . 00 mol ), concentrated hydrochloric acid ( 300 ml ) and water ( 300 ml ) cooled to 5 °- 10 ° c . the cold diazonium salt solution was added slowly ( 30 - 40 minutes ) with stirring to a solution of 3 , 5 - dimethylphenol ( 122 . 17 g , 1 . 00 mol ) in water ( 1 . 2 l ) containing sodium hydroxide ( 80 . 0 g , 2 . 0 mol ) in a 4 - l beaker at 5 °- 10 ° c . the reaction mixture was allowed to warm to ambient temperature . the red - orange solid of 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - phenylazophenol was collected by filtration , dried and recrystallized twice from methanol - water to afford 132 g ; yield ; 58 %; m . p . 98 °- 100 ° c . 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - phenylazophenol ( 132 . 0 g , 0 . 583 mol ) was dissolved in methanol ( 500 ml ) and pure ( 100 %) hydrazine hydrate ( 113 ml , 2 . 33 mol ), and raney nickel [ 50 % slurry in water ( aldrich ), ( 2 . 5 ml )] was added to give an exothermic reaction . the mixture was stirred for one hour at ambient temperature and then heated to gentle reflux for three hours . the solution was filtered hot and cooled to room temperature . the crystals which formed were collected by filtration and dried to afford 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - aminophenol ( 42 . 4 g , 60 % yield ) as a white solid ; m . p . 180 . 5 - 182 . 5 ; 1 h - nmr ( dmf - d 7 ). δ 2 . 10 ( s , 6h , ch 3 ), 5 . 32 ( s , 2h , nh 2 ), 5 . 32 ( s , 1h , oh ), 6 . 45 ( s , 2h , aromatic ). 1 , 3 - bis ( 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - aminophenoxy - 4 &# 39 ;- benzoyl ) benzene was prepared in a manner similar to that for 1 , 3 - bmabb using 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - fluorobenzoyl ) benzene and 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - aminophenol . the product was recrystallized from 1 : 1 ethanol - toluene ; 37 % yield ; m . p . 150 °- 153 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 2 . 20 ( s , 12h , ch 3 ), 3 . 55 ( s , 4h , nh 2 ), 6 . 6 - 8 . 2 ( m , 16h , aromatic ). anal . calcd for c 36 h 32 n 2 o 4 ; c , 77 . 68 %; h , 5 . 79 %; n , 5 . 03 %. found : c , 77 . 52 %, h , 5 . 81 %; n , 4 . 91 %. polyamide acids were prepared at a concentration of 15 % solids content ( w / w ) by the addition of a stoichiometric amount of an appropriate dianhydride [ 3 , 3 &# 39 ;, 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride ( btda ), pyromellitic dianhydride ( pmda ), or 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- oxydiphthalic anhydride ( odpa )] to a mechanically stirred solution of a diamine according to the present invention in dmac under a nitrogen atmosphere at ambient temperature . the resulting polyamide acid solutions were stirred overnight at ambient temperature under nitrogen , and inherent viscosities at 0 . 5 % concentration in dmac at 25 ° c . were subsequently determined . see table i . table i______________________________________polymer characterization poly ( amic acid ), polyimide * designation η . sub . inh ( dl / g ) t . sub . g , ° c . ______________________________________pmda / 1 , 3 - bmabb 0 . 80 262btda / 1 , 3 - bmabb 0 . 90 238odpa / 1 , 3 - bmabb 0 . 94 231pmda / 1 , 3 - bdabb 0 . 65 281btda / 1 , 3 - bdabb 0 . 45 253odpa / 1 , 3 - bdabb 0 . 39 243______________________________________ * film dried for one hour at 300 ° c . in air a solution of acetic anhydride ( 7 ml ) pyridine ( 7 ml ) and dmac ( 10 ml ) was added slowly to a stirred solution ( about 26 ml ) of polyamide acid ( 2 g ) in dmac ( 7 % solids content ) at ambient temperature under nitrogen . after complete addition , the solution was stirred about one hour at ambient temperature and then overnight at temperatures as high as 120 ° c . under nitrogen . in the case of the btda / 1 , 3 - bmabb and pmda / 1 , 3 - bmabb polymers , the polymer precipitated during the heating period . the reaction mixture was poured into methanol and the solid collected by filtration , washed with methanol and subsequently dried in vacuo at 200 ° c . overnight . the inherent viscosities of the chemically imidized pmda / 1 , 3 - bmabb , btda / 1 , 3 - bmabb and odpa / 1 , 3 - bmabb polyimides in nmp at 0 . 5 % concentration at 25 ° c . were 0 . 45 , 0 . 60 , and 0 . 81 dl / g , respectively . the inherent viscosities of the chemically imidized pmda / 1 , 3 - bdabb , btda / 1 , 3 - bdabb , and odpa / 1 , 3 - bdabb polyimides were 0 . 39 , 0 . 32 , and 0 . 29 dl / g , respectively in nmp . see table ii . table ii______________________________________polyimide characterizationdesignation η . sub . inh ( dl / g ) t . sub . g (° c .) [ t . sub . m ] ______________________________________pmda / 1 , 3 - bmabb 0 . 45 [ 330 , 347 ] btda / 1 , 3 - bmabb 0 . 60 212odpa / 1 , 3 - bmabb 0 . 81 209pmda / 1 , 3 - bdabb 0 . 39 258btda / 1 , 3 - bdabb 0 . 32 232odpa / 1 , 3 - bdabb 0 . 29 224______________________________________ the following procedure was used to prepare a polyimide in m - cresol . btda ( 1 . 9334 g , 0 . 0060 mol ) was added to mechanically stirred solution of 1 , 3 - bdabb ( 3 . 3400 g , 0 . 0060 mol ) in m - cresol ( 27 . 7 ml ) and toluene ( 30 ml ). isoquinoline ( eight drops ) was added , and the temperature of the solution was gradually increased . water was removed by azeotropic distillation with toluene under an atmosphere of flowing nitrogen . excess toluene was removed and the reaction mixture was maintained at 180 °- 185 ° c . for three hours . the polyimide remained in solution on cooling to room temperature . a small amount of the solution was added to methanol to precipitate a yellow solid , which was washed with methanol and dried at 200 ° c . in vacuo overnight . the inherent viscosity at a concentration of 0 . 5 % in 25 ° c . in m - cresol was 0 . 30 dl / g . a transparent orange film cast from the as - prepared m - cresol solution and subsequently dried for one hour each at 100 °, 200 °, and 300 ° c . in air was fingernail creasable and insoluble in hot m - cresol . the dmac polyamide acid solutions of example ii ( 15 % solids concentration ) were centrifuged , and the decantate was cast onto plate glass using a 30 mil doctor blade and dried to a tack - free form in a dust - free chamber . the films on glass were then converted to the polyimide by heating in air at 100 °, 200 °, 300 ° c . for one hour at each temperature . in some cases , boiling in water was required to remove the polyimide films from the glass plates . mechanical properties of the 2 . 0 - 2 . 5 mil thick films were determined according to astm d882 using four to six specimens per test condition . see table iii . films cured in air under these conditions were insoluble in nmp and m - cresol due to crosslinking . see table iv . the glass transition temperatures ( table i ) were higher than those of the chemically imidized polyimides ( table ii ). table iii______________________________________thin film properties of polyimides tensile tensile tensile elon - temp . yield strength modulus gationpolyimide (° c .) ( ksi ) ( ksi ) ( ksi ) (%) ______________________________________btda / 1 , 3 - bmabb 25 14 . 9 22 . 0 479 6 . 3 177 5 . 5 7 . 8 215 82 . 7pmda / 25 11 . 2 17 . 4 472 16 . 31 , 3 - bmabb 177 5 . 7 7 . 9 250 39 . 5odpa / 25 11 . 0 19 . 9 504 6 . 61 , 3 - bmabb 177 5 . 0 7 . 4 254 42 . 4btda / 25 11 . 2 15 . 8 406 12 . 91 , 3 - bdabb 177 7 . 5 9 . 5 295 20 . 2pmda / 25 6 . 7 13 . 5 326 19 . 21 , 3 - bdabb 177 6 . 3 8 . 6 234 24 . 7odpa / 25 6 . 1 15 . 3 410 5 . 81 , 3 - bdabb 177 5 . 7 8 . 9 295 6 . 6______________________________________ table iv______________________________________polyimide solubilities conversion solvent . sup . 2polyimide method nmp . sub .-- m - cresol______________________________________btda / 1 , 3 - bmabb thermal i i chemical s spmda / 1 , 3 - bmabb thermal i i s sbtda / 1 , 3 - bdabb thermal i i chemical s . sup . 3 s . sup . 3pmda / 1 , 3 - bdabb thermal i i chemical s . sup . 3 s . sup . 3odpa / 1 , 3 - bdabb thermal i i chemical s . sup . 3 s . sup . 3______________________________________ . sup . 1 thermal = polyamic acid film converted to polyimide by heating for one hour each at 100 , 200 , and 300 ° c . in air . chemical = polyamic acid treated with acetic anhydride at 120 ° c . for 18 hours followed by drying at 200 ° c . for 18 hours . . sup . 2 solids content 3 - 5 %, i = insoluble , s = soluble . . sup . 3 formed solutions of 15 % solids content ( w / v ) upon warming . a thin film ( 1 . 7 mils thick ) of the odpa / 1 , 3 - bmabb polyimide was cast from an nmp solution of the chemically imidized powder and dried under vacuum to a maximum temperature of 240 ° c . the tough , flexible film readily dissolved in nmp and m - cresol with slight warming . the glass transition temperature was 221 ° c . the film was then exposed to ultraviolet radiation from a xenon arc lamp operating over a range of 200 - 2000 nm at 0 . 21 watts / cm 2 for a period of 100 hours . the exposed film was then insoluble in hot nmp and m - cresol , and the glass transition temperature had risen to 224 ° c . a thin film ( 2 . 4 mils thick ) of the btda / 1 , 3 - bmabb polyamide acid was cast from a dmac solution and was thermally imidized under vacuum by heating to a maximum temperature of 240 ° c . this film dissolved in m - cresol after heating for several hours and had a glass transition temperature of 220 ° c . after 100 hours of exposure to ultraviolet radiation as described immediately above , the glass transition temperature of the polymers had risen to 232 ° c ., and the film was insoluble in m - cresol after heating . the present invention has been described in detail and with respect to certain preferred embodiments thereof . as is understood by those of skill in the art , variations and modifications in this detail may be effected without any departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention , as defined in the hereto appended claims . | 2 |
a process for protecting and extending the life of el lamp components comprises use of a hydrophobic , organic polymer coating on the surface of the components . the organic polymer coating preferably comprises long chain hydrocarbons , preferably formed by chain growth polymerization from an immobilized initiator on an outer surface of the component . a variety of other polymerization reactions may also be used , for example , radical , cationic , and anionic polymerizations . the initiator may be directly attached to the surface , or linked to the surface by an organic or inorganic tethering layer . in an advantageous feature , attachment of the initiator to the surface or formation of the functionalized tethering layer allows tight packing of the initiators . subsequent polymerization from these initiators therefore overcomes the steric and diffusional limitations inherent in coating particles with preformed polymers . where the initiator is directly attached to an outer surface of the component , for example an ito electrode , formation of the hydrophobic , polymer coating accordingly first comprises attachment of the initiator to the outer surface of the electrode . the initiator is a catalyst or other active moiety that is directly usable for initiation of polymerization . exemplary initiators include but are not limited to a halogen group , preferably bromine , which provides sites from which to initiate anionic polymerization ; an azoisobutyronitrile ( aibn ) group , which can be used to initiate radical polymerization ; and 4 - chloromethylphenyl , which may be used to initiate atom transfer radical polymerization as described by von werne et al ., journal of the american chemical society , volume 121 , no . 32 , pp . 7409 - 7410 ( 1999 ). halogenated groups may be lithiated with sec - butyl lithium to initiate anionic polymerization upon addition of monomer , following jordan et al ., journal of the american chemical society ; volume 121 , no . 5 , pp . 1016 - 1022 ( 1999 ). examples of radical polymerizations that have been initiated from silica surfaces using tethered aibn moieties may be found in the work of prucker et al ., in macromolecules , volume 31 , no . 3 , pp . 591 - 601 and 602 - 613 ( 1998 ). in a preferred embodiment , the initiator is effective in ring opening metathesis polymerization ( romp ). romp is a variant of the olefin metathesis reaction , using strained , cyclic olefins . romp is well known , being described , for example , by schrock , et al ., in macromolecules , volume 20 , 1169 ( 1987 ); schrock , r . r . accounts of chemical research , vol . 23 , p . 158 ( 1990 ); and grubbs , r . h . et al ., science , volume 243 , p . 907 ( 1989 ). without being bound by theory , a [ 2 + 2 ] cycloaddition reaction between a transition metal ( m ) alkylidene complex and a strained , cyclic olefin forms an intermediate metallocyclobutane ( see fig1 ). the intermediate metallocyclobutane then breaks up to a “ new ” olefin , which , by virtue of the cyclic structure of the olefin monomer , remains attached to the catalyst and as part of a growing polymer chain . as the driving force for the romp reaction is the relief of ring strain , the reaction is essentially irreversible and the polymers produced in the romp reaction can have a very narrow range of molecular weights . a further advantageous feature is that romp systems may produce stereoregular and monodisperse polymers and co - polymers , or may be used to make diblock and triblock co - polymers , thereby permitting tailoring the properties of the resulting material polymerization catalysts . suitable strained olefins for use in ring opening metathesis polymerization include , but are not limited to , norbornene , cyclooctadiene , trans - 5 - norbornene - 2 , 3 - dicarbonyl chloride and the like . catalysts suitable for use in ring opening metathesis polymerization generally include those useful for olefin metathesis in general , including but not being limited to ruthenium -, molybdenum -, and tungsten - based alkylidene complexes . ruthenium complexes are presently preferred and have the formula ( r 3 p ) 3 rux 2 (═ ch { tilde over ( r )}) wherein r is an alkyl , cycloalkyl , or aromatic group having from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms , preferably cyclohexane ; x is a halide , preferably chloride ; and { tilde over ( r )} is an alkyl group or aromatic group having from 2 to about 30 carbons , for example phenyl . a preferred ruthenium - based alkylidene complex is ({ c 6 h 11 } 3 p ) 3 rucl 2 (═ chph ). other catalysts include , but are not limited to the tungsten and molybdenum alkylidenes disclosed in schrock . as shown in fig2 polymerization by ring opening metathesis requires attachment of a romp initiator to an outer surface of the component to be protected . a variety of suitable methods for strong attachment ( via reaction , chemisorption , or very strong physical adsorption , e . g .) of initiators to the surface of el components may be used . ito electrodes , for example , may be treated with a reactive , strained olefin derivative such as 5 -( bicycloheptenyl ) methyldichlorosilane . the metal catalyst is then attached to the component by reaction with the norbornenyl group , generally under mild conditions . the amount of catalyst employed is from about 0 . 1 wt % to about 10 . 0 wt %, based on the theoretical weight of the norbornenyl groups . the tethered ruthenium catalyst is then used to initiate the ring opening metathesis polymerization of a strained olefin , which results in the formation of a densely packed , hydrophobic organic coating on the component . alternatively , the initiator may be attached by a tether to the surface of the component , for example a phosphor . to form the hydrophobic , polymeric coating in this embodiment , a functionalized tethering layer is first formed on the particle surface . the functionalization is preferably external to the surface of the tethering layer , as the functional groups provide the sites for subsequent attachment of the hydrophobic polymer . preferably , the tethering layer is formed from difunctional small molecules , such that a first functional group becomes attached to the phosphor surface , while a second , preferably different , functional group remains available for initiation or further reaction . more efficient packing is obtained where the first and second functional groups are different , or have different reactivity with the phosphor particle surfaces . self - assembly of the small molecules provides particularly dense packing of the tethering layer . suitable small molecules preferably comprise linear hydrocarbons having no or minimal branching , and having from about 2 to about 30 carbon atoms , preferably about 3 to about 18 carbon atoms . linear hydrocarbons are preferred , as they can become tightly packed and oriented perpendicular to the surface of the particles . the linear hydrocarbons may themselves contain other functional groups such as ethers , as long as the other functional groups do not interfere with formation or subsequent reaction of the tethering layer . one functional group on the small molecule ( hereinafter the “ first functional group ” for convenience ) is selected for tight attachment to an outer layer of the component , for example a phosphor particle surface . suitable phosphor particles include , for example , zinc sulphide , and zinc sulphide - based phosphors , gallium arsenide , cadmium sulphide and cadmium sulphide - based phosphors , zinc selenide and zinc selenide - based phosphors , and strontium sulphide and strontium sulphide - based phosphors , or combinations thereof . zinc sulphide - based phosphors in particular are known in the art to contain compounds such as copper sulphide , zinc selenide , and cadmium sulphide either in solid solution within the zinc sulphide particles or as domains within the particles . the phosphor particles as used herein can exist in many sizes , which largely depends on their particular application . the first functional group is selected so as to attach either to the phosphor particle surface directly , or to another layer external to the particle surface . effective first functional groups for direct attachment to zinc sulphide phosphors are sulfide (— sh ) groups or silane (— si ) groups . in one embodiment , the second functional group is an initiator , i . e ., is a group that is directly usable for initiation of polymerization . in another embodiment , the second functional group is selected so as to provide a site for further reaction , i . e ., to attach a second tethering layer or an initiator . exemplary difunctional small molecules of this embodiment include but are not limited to mercaptoalkane alcohols and mercaptoalkenes , for example 6 - mercaptohexan - 1 - ol , 12 - mercaptododecane - 1 - ol ( dodecanethiol alcohol ), 11 - mercaptoundecan - 1 - ol , or 10 - mercaptodecene - 1 . another exemplary small molecule of this type is a norbornenyl ether - functionalized alkanethiol wherein the alkane has from about 3 to about 18 carbon atoms . synthesis of such thiols is known , being described by watson et al . in the journal of the american chemical society , volume 121 , p . 460 ( 1999 ). another exemplary class of small molecules is mercaptoalkyltrialkoxysilanes , wherein the alkyl groups are linear alkyl groups preferably having from about 2 to about 7 carbon atoms , and the alkoxy groups are linear alkoxy group having no or minimal branching , and having from 1 to about 3 carbon atoms , preferably 1 carbon atom . an exemplary member of this group is 3 - mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane . the temperature , relative quantity of small molecules , and components ( e . g ., phosphor particles ), and other reaction conditions for formation of the tethering layer will vary depending on the identity and reactivity of the small molecules and the phosphor particles ( or the outermost layer of the phosphor particle ), and is readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art . it has been found , for example , that layers formed from neat thiols on zns are more stable than those formed from solutions of thiols . in one exemplary process for the formation of a small molecule tethering layer ( fig3 ), phosphor particles such as zns particles are added to a liquid , difunctional tether such as dodecanethiol alcohol . the liquid or solid tether may also be dissolved in an inert solvent such as methylene chloride , hexane , heptane , cyclohexane , benzene , toluene , xylene , and the like . the first functional group ( the thiol ) attaches strongly ( via chemisorption , e . g ., or very strong physical adsorption ) to the particle , leaving the second functional group ( the alcohol ) free for further reaction . the tethering layer thus comprises the dodecanethiol alcohol strongly attached to the zns surface as an array of tightly packed molecules aligned radially to the zns surface , with the alcohol groups on the outside . the alcohol group may be used as an initiator , for example in the titanium alkoxide mediated polymerization of isocyanates . other exemplary second functional groups include halogens , preferably bromine , which provide sites from which to initiate anionic polymerization ; an azoisobutyronitrile ( aibn ) group , which can be used to initiate radical polymerization ; 4 - chloromethylphenyl that can initiate atom transfer radical polymerization as described above . halogenated groups may be lithiated with sec - butyl lithium to initiate anionic polymerization upon addition of monomer , following jordan et al . alternatively , the alcohol group or other second functional group may be used for further reactions such as attachment of an initiator , or attachment of a second tethering layer . subjecting the second functional group to further reaction in order to attach the initiator is particularly preferred where the initiator is reactive , for example those used in ring opening metathesis polymerization . continuing to refer to fig3 attachment of a romp catalyst to a dodecanethiol alcohol tether requires derivatization of the alcohol functional group with a strained olefin , for example by treatment of the alcohol with norbornenyl dicarbonylchloride . the metal catalyst is then attached to the particle by reaction with the norbornenyl group , generally under mild conditions . the amount of catalyst employed is from about 0 . 1 wt % to about 10 . 0 wt %. when the tethering layer is formed from a norbornenyl ether - functionalized dodecanethiol , the catalyst may be attached directly to the norbornenyl group . the tethered ruthenium catalyst is then used to initiate the ring opening metathesis polymerization of a strained olefin as shown in fig3 . after a sufficient time , the polymerization is terminated , for example , by reaction with acyclic terminal olefins that possess an oxygen next to the olefin , i . e ., vinyl ether , vinyl acetate , and the like . for a given weight of phosphor , the molecular weight of the polymer chain ( coating thickness ) is determined by the amount of the monomer in the solution and the conditions of the reaction before termination . further reaction of the polymer coating is also possible when functional groups are present in the polymer . the unsaturated groups present after romp , for example , represent opportunities for nucleophilic addition , hydrogenation , crosslinking and the like . such reaction allows further adjustment of the character of the polymeric coating . the above description illustrates that the methods described herein may be used to protect a variety of el lamp components , including but not limited to the phosphor particles , the electrodes , any filler particles in the dielectric layer ( for example barium titanate , titanium oxide , and the like ), and other metal surfaces , as long as a functionalized surface , or a tethering layer is present or can be attached . multi - layer coatings ( tethering surfaces ) are useful for fine - tuning the properties of the polymeric coatings . such multi - layer tethering surfaces are available by a number of different synthetic routes . for example , a component ( a phosphor particle , e . g .) may be provided with a hydroxysilane coating using the procedures of the budd patents , or as shown in fig4 . treatment of hydroxysilyl groups with a functionalized , substituted dichlorosilane results in the formation of a tethering layer characterized by free functional groups x . these free functional groups may then be used to attach a second tethering layer , other functional groups , or initiators for polymerization . as shown in fig5 for example , a hydroxysilyl layer may be deposited onto a phosphor particle by reaction with a trialkylsilyl alkylsilane . treatment of the resulting tethered trialkyl silane with a tetralkoxy silane yields a hydroxysilane coating , which is suitable for further reaction . in fig5 the hydroxysilane coating is reacted with 5 -( bicycloheptenyl ) methyldichlorosilane , which results in attachment of a norbornenyl group for reaction with the romp catalyst . polymerization may then be effected by reaction with norbornene , and termination by reaction with vinyl acetate . all patents and references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety . 11 - mercaptoundecan - 1 - ol ( ho ( ch 2 ) 11 sh ), 3 - mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane ( hs ( ch 2 ) 3 si ( och 3 ) 3 ), norbornene dicarbonylchloride , aqueous ammonium hydroxide ( 28 - 29 %) and tetraethoxysilane were purchased from aldrich . ( cy 3 p ) 2 rucl 2 (═ chph ) ( wherein cy is a cyclohexyl group ) was obtained from strem . zns powder was provided by rogers co ., and had a particle size in the range from about 20 to about 40 microns . methylene chloride and methanol were dried by refluxing over cah 2 and naoch 3 , respectively , under n 2 atmosphere . ethanol ( 200 proof ) was used as obtained from commercial sources without further purification . drift ( diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform ) spectra were recorded on a nicolet 560 spectrophotometer equipped with an mct detector . a harrick diffuse reflectance accessory was used in the compartment . the spectra were recorded with samples in the harrick microsampling cup . thermogravimetric analyses ( tga ) were performed on a perkin elmer tga - 7 . transmission electron microscope ( tem ) analyses were recorded on a philips em300 . formation of a hydrophobic coating on the particles was further tested by storage at room temperature in an aqueous 1 . 0 n silver nitrate solution , as free thiol reacts with silver nitrate to give a distinct yellow soapy precipitate , and uncoated zns particles turn black . zns particles were treated first with dilute aqueous hcl then with dichloromethane and finally stirred in dodecane thiol in methanol for between 2 and 24 hours . gas chromatography - mass spectroscopy ( gc - ms ) of the particles indicated absorption of dodecane thiol onto the zns particles . washing the particles with ethanol did not appear to affect the stability of the tethering layer , although washing with hexane did reduce its stability . the zns particles treated with dodecane thiol were stable in the silver nitrate solution for about 2 days , and no yellow precipitate was observed even after vigorous shaking of the particles in the solution . these results support the presence of a chemisorbed coating on the zns particles . 2 . 5 grams ( g ) of zns powder were stirred in 10 ml of aqueous hcl ( 2 n ) at room temperature for 4 hours . after filtration , the powder was washed with ch 3 oh ( 3 times , 10 ml each ) and ch 2 cl 2 ( 3 times , 10 ml each ), then dried under vacuum at room temperature . the resulting zns powder was further stirred in neat 6 - mercaptohexan - 1 - ol (“ 6 - mho ”), 11 - mercaptoundecan - 1 - ol (“ 11 - mudo ”), or 10 - mercaptodecene - 1 (“ 10 - mde ”) at about 70 ° c . for 5 hours . after the thiol was removed by filtration , the solid zns powder was washed with ch 3 oh ( 4 washes , 10 ml each ) and ch 2 cl 2 ( 4 washes , 10 ml each ) and then dried under vacuum to yield the modified zns powder . ir drift spectra of the modified zns powders show ir absorptions of the c — h stretching vibrations at 2945 ( s ) and 2865 ( m ) cm − 1 for the 6 - mercaptohexan - 1 - ol modified zns powder (“ 6 - mho / zns ”); 2926 ( s ), 2854 ( m ) cm − 1 for the 11 - mercaptoundecan - 1 - ol modified zns powder (“ 11 - mudo / zns ”); and 3074 ( w ), 2918 ( s ), and 2850 ( m ) cm − 1 for the 10 - mercaptodecene - 1 modified zns powder (“ 10 - mde / zn ”). after the modified powders were washed with ch 2 cl 2 10 times , the intensities of the ir absorptions of the powders did not change , indicating that the thiols are strongly adsorbed onto the zns powder surface . mudo / zns ( 1 . 0 g ) was stirred in a ch 2 cl 2 ( 10 ml ) solution of norbornene dicarbonylchloride ( 0 . 3 ml ) at room temperature in the presence of triethylamine ( 0 . 3 ml ) for 3 h . after filtration , the powder was washed with ch 3 oh ( 3 times , 10 ml each ) and ch 2 cl 2 ( 3 times , 10 ml each ) and dried under vacuum to give the norbornenyl group tethered zns powder nbe - mudo / zns . ir ( drift ): v ( c ═ o ) 1730 cm − 1 . 6 - mho / zns was similarly treated to yield nbe - mho / zns powder showing a new band at 1730 cm − 1 , indicating that the norbornyl group has been linked to the surface of the thiol layer by reaction between the hydroxyl group on the surface and the carbonyl chloride group . each of the norbornyl - linked zns powders ( 1 g ) was next stirred in 10 ml of ch 2 cl 2 with 0 . 08 g ( cy 3 p ) 3 rucl 2 (═ chph ) at room temperature for 2 hours . after filtration , the solid was washed with ch 2 cl 2 ( 4 times , 10 ml each ) and dried under vacuum to yield the zns powder with a tethered ruthenium catalyst (“ ru - mho / zns ” and “ ru - mudo / zns ”). each of the drift spectra of ru - 6 - mho / zns and ru - 11 - mudo / zns shows the peak of the pch bonding model at around 1450 cm − , suggesting that the ruthenium complex of the type ( cy 3 p ) 2 rucl 2 (═ chr ) is tethered to the zns surface . each of the modified zns powders with tethered ruthenium catalyst was used to initiate the polymerization of norbornene to form a polymer layer on the powder surface . 1 . 0 g of each of the powders was stirred in a solution of norbornene ( 2 g of norbornene in 10 ml of ch 2 cl 2 ) at room temperature overnight . then , 3 drops of vinyl acetate were added to terminate the polymerization . after the solid was washed with ch 2 cl 2 ( 3 times , 10 ml each ) and extracted with ch 2 cl 2 overnight in a soxhlet extractor , the resulting powder was dried at 60 ° c . under vacuum for about 5 hours . a comparison of the drift spectra of the unmodified zns powder , the thiol - modified zns powder and the polymer - coated zns powder showed that the intensities of the c — h absorptions greatly increased after the surface initiated polymerization , indicating that polynorbornene is formed on the powder surface . the polynorbornene appears to be strongly attached on the zns surface , as the polymer cannot be washed off by ch 2 cl 2 . the polymer - coated zns powder was immersed in an aqueous solution of 1 . 0 m agno 3 , and the mixture was left overnight . only part of the surface of the particles became gray - black , suggesting that the polymer can protect the reaction between the surface zns with the agno 3 in the solution , but that the polymer formed on the surface is not uniform . this may be due to the reaction between the surface - tethered hydroxyl group and the norbornene dicarbonylchloride being either not uniform or incomplete . 1 . 5 g of zns powder was stirred in 10 ml of aqueous hcl ( 2 n ) at room temperature for 2 hours . after filtration , the powder was washed with ch 3 oh ( 3 times , 10 ml each ) and ch 2 cl 2 ( 3 times , 10 ml each ), then dried under vacuum at room temperature . the resulting zns powder was stirred with 2 . 0 g of neat 3 - mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane at about 70 ° c . for about 5 hours . after the thiol was removed by filtration , the solid was washed with ch 3 oh ( 2 times , 10 ml each ) and ch 2 cl 2 ( 2 times , 10 ml each ), then dried under vacuum at room temperature to give the thiol - modified zns powder ( mpts / zns ). ir ( drift ): ( c — h ) 2940 ( s ), 2916 ( w , sh ) and 2848 ( s ) cm − 1 the mpts / zns ( 1 . 5 g ) was vigorously stirred in an ethanol ( 1 . 8 l ) solution of aqueous ammonium hydroxide ( 29 %, 40 ml ) and tetraethoxysilane ( 1 . 0 ml ) at room temperature for 48 h . after filtration , the solid was washed with ethanol and dried under vacuum at room temperature to give the sio 2 - coated zns powder sio 2 - mpts / zns . ir ( drift ): □( isolated ho — si ) 3570 cm − 1 , □( hydrogen bounded ho — si ) 3550 ( br ) cm − 1 , □( si — o ) 1055 cm − 1 . the sio 2 - coated zns powder sio 2 - mpts / zns ( 1 . 0 g ) was stirred in a ch 2 cl 2 ( 10 ml ) solution of 5 -( bicycloheptenyl ) methyldichlorosilane ( 0 . 3 ml ) at room temperature in the presence of triethylamine ( 0 . 3 ml ) overnight . after filtration , the solid powder was washed with ch 2 cl 2 ( 3 times , 10 ml each ) and dried under vacuum at room temperature to give the norbornenyl group tethered zns powder nbe - sio 2 - mpts / zns . ir ( drift ): ( hc ═) 3017 cm − 1 . the norbornyl - linked zns powder ( 1 g ) was next stirred in 10 ml of ch 2 cl 2 with 0 . 08 g ( cyp ) 3 rucl 2 (═ chph ) at room temperature for 2 hours . after filtration , the solid was washed with ch 2 cl 2 ( 4 times , 10 ml each ) and dried under vacuum to yield the zns powder with a tethered ruthenium catalyst . 1 g of these powders was stirred in a solution of norbornene ( 2 g of norbornene in 10 ml of ch 2 cl 2 ) at room temperature overnight . then , 3 drops of vinyl acetate were added to terminate the polymerization . after the solid was washed with ch 2 cl 2 ( 3 times , 10 ml each ) and extracted with ch 2 cl 2 overnight in a soxhlet extractor , the resulting powder was dried at 60 ° c . under vacuum for about 5 hours . no color change was observed for the polynorbornene - sio 2 - mpts / zns after the polymer coated zns powders was immersed in an aqueous solution of 1 . 0 m agno 3 overnight , although the surface changed to gray - black after immersion for about three days . these results suggest that the coated polymer can protect the reaction between the surface zns and the agno 3 in the solution , and the surface protection by the grafted polymer in pnbe - sio 2 - mpts / sio 2 is better than that in pnbe - mudo / zns . the amount of polynorbornene grafted on the zns surfaces depends on the concentration of the norbornene monomer in the polymerization solution if the other conditions are the same . this is demonstrated by the thermogravimetric analyses ( tga ) of the pnbe - sio 2 - mpts / zns samples obtained by using different norbornene concentrations . when 1 . 5 of nbe - sio 2 - mpts / zns was treated in the ch 2 cl 2 ( 25 ml ) solutions of norbornene at the concentrations of 0 . 5 , 0 . 25 , 0 . 2 or 0 . 1 m , the weight percentages of polynorbornene in the resulting pnbe - sio 2 - mpts / zns samples are 25 . 0 %, 20 . 0 %, 8 . 2 % and 6 . 3 %, respectively . a polyester film coated ( by vapor deposition ) with a very thin layer of an indium - tin oxide film is soaked in a toluene solution containing 5 -( bicycloheptenyl ) methyldichlorosilane and a small amount of acetic acid . the film is removed from the solution , rinsed with dichloromethane , and baked at 100 ° c . for about 30 minutes . this film is then soaked in a very dilute solution of ( cyp ) 3 rucl 2 (═ chph ) for about 30 minutes at room temperature . the ito - catalyst film is then rinsed with methylene chloride , and soaked in a dilute solution ( approx . 10 wt . % in dichloromethane ) of norbornylene for about one hour at room temperature . a small amount of methanol or vinyl acetate is then added to halt the polymerization . the coated film is again rinsed with dichloromethane , dried , and used to construct and el lamp using normal procedures . while preferred embodiments have been shown and described , various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation . | 8 |
according to the preferred embodiment , the present invention is realized as software processes executed on or by advertisement servers such as an ibm websphere ™ e - commerce platform , running on a common web server computer such as a personal computer or and ibm as / 400 computer system . the ibm websphere ™ product is available for many operating systems such as linux , ibm &# 39 ; s aix ™, or microsoft windows nt . however , it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that alternate e - commerce software suites and computer platforms may be adopted without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . a portion of the invention may also be realized as code executable by a microbrowser device , such as inline code modifications to an existing microbrowser firmware package or a downloadable script or plug - in for such a microbrowser , compatible with popular operating systems for such devices including palmos , epoc , windows ce , flexos , os / 9 , javaos , and others . as such , the remainder of this disclosure focuses on the logical processes to be implemented in software on a web server , ad server , and microbrowser . turning to fig3 , the invention &# 39 ; s logical process and component arrangement is shown . first , a microbrowser device ( 33 ) is provided with an advertisement configuration ( 34 ) data set which can be interrogated by a server . this advertisement configuration data set ( 34 ) ( acd ) may include a plurality of user - defined limitations , such as a maximum download time ( per object and / or per page ), maximum display area ( per object and / or per page ), number of permitted colors , amount of memory allowed , and preferences based upon states of the microbrowser such as battery condition ( ac powered , battery full , battery low , etc . ), wireless connection mode ( digital , analog , home network , roaming , etc . ), display backlight mode ( on or off ), etc . two sets of conditions are provided according to the preferred embodiment — one for normal battery conditions , and the other set for low battery conditions . a third set for ac - powered conditions may also be provided . table 1 shows an example ad configuration data set which could be stored in a plain text file on a microbrowser . in this example , the user has configured the microbrowser to run scripts only when the unit is ac powered or when the battery is not low , and the user has restricted objects from downloading which use more than 2 colors when the battery is low . anytime the unit is battery powered , the user has restricted the downloading of animated objects , and has progressively restricted the size the download time for objects based on battery conditions . however , when the unit is ac powered , the user has configured an allowance for a maximum display area to go beyond a single screen or display area , which would require scrolling to view . in another embodiment , the acd may be stored on the microbrowser as a cookie . in this case , the server which creates the cookie may allow the user to configure specific limitations for that site only . for example , a user who frequently visits a news service site may be provided with a series of pages in which he or she may specific web object limitations for his or her microbrowser . the news site server would then prepare a cookie containing these limitations , and would store that in the memory of the user &# 39 ; s microbrowser . during subsequent visits to the news web site , the cookie could be retrieved in order to observe and follow the user &# 39 ; s configured limitations . other microbrowser state conditions for which preferences may be set in the acd can be type of wireless connection ( digital , analog , home network , roaming , etc . ), display light conditions ( display backlight enabled or disabled ), muting , etc . for example , advertisements and objects which require lengthy download times may be blocked when the wireless connection mode is “ roaming ” to avoid unnecessary connection costs . continuing with the discussion of fig3 , the server for the microbrowser ( 30 ) is provided with two sets of conventional web objects , a first of which is a web of normal wml page content objects ( 31 ). the second set is a set of advertisement objects ( 32 ), which may also be encoded in a suitable format such as wml , graphics interchange format ( gif ), joint photographics experts graphics ( jpeg ), audio ( wav ), video ( avi ), or other type of web encoding ( mpeg , mp3 , pdf , etc .) each of the objects in the advertisement set ( 32 ) and preferably in the page content set ( 31 ) are also indexed as to their resource requirements such as number of colors required , animation or still , display area , transmission size / time , and whether or not they are or include a script . according to the preferred embodiment , this information is stored in a separate index or database i ( 36 ) in order to avoid the need to modify these standard objects . the index i ( 36 ) may be built and populated manually , or preferably , by an analysis tool which generates these associated characteristics . finally , the server ( 30 ) is provided with a dynamic wireless advertisement configurator ( 35 ) ( dwac ) program , which in response to a generic page request from the microbrowser ( 33 ), receives the ad configuration data set ( 34 ) from the microbrowser , determines which , if any , of the objects within the requested page fit within the configured limitations using the index i ( 36 ), and retrieves those objects ( 31 , 32 ) for transmission to the microbrowser ( 33 ). the dwac program is preferably realized as a java servlet , but may alternately be realized in other programming languages and methodologies without departing from the scope of the invention . turning to fig4 , the logical process followed by the microbrowser unit is shown in more detail . this process may be realized as an enhancement to the resident microbrowser code , or as a downloadable component such as a script or a microbrowser plug - in . first , the microbrowser is configured ( 40 ) to include an ad configuration data set ( 34 ), or acd , which is stored in memory such as non - volatile flash or on a microdrive . then , while browsing the “ wireless web ” ( 3 ), the acd is transmitted ( 41 ) in association with page requests ( 43 ). this may be accomplished in two ways . first , the page request may be enhanced to include the acd information , such that it is always included with the page request . or , it may be transmitted only upon request from a server . the second method is more easily implemented , as it does not require a modification to the wap protocol , and only require the server &# 39 ; s servlet to interact with the code enhancements on the microbrowser . further according to the preferred embodiment , the microbrowser selects which acd or portion of its acd to sent based upon present conditions such as the battery or ac power conditions , system clock , etc . after the server has selected the appropriate web objects which meet the constraints of the supplied acd , the microbrowser receives , displays and otherwise executes ( 42 ) the configured page content ( 44 ). turning to fig5 , the corresponding and cooperating server logical process is shown in more detail . preferably , this process is realized in a java servlet , but may alternately be realized as a script or code change to a wml or other wireless application server software package . when a page request is received via a wireless network ( 3 ), an acd is also received or requested ( 51 ) ( see previous description of fig4 ). the index i ( 36 ) is consulted to determine which , if any , of the objects contained in the requested page meet the constraints set forth in the acd ( 52 ), which are then transmitted as configured content ( 44 ) via the wireless web ( 3 ) to the requesting microbrowser . as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art , the present invention may be utilized with “ wired ” microbrowsers , as well , such as internet appliances and webtv units . anywhere and anytime browser resources are limited , the present invention may be useful in allowing the user to configure the allowed and disallowed web content to be downloaded . for example , the invention could be used to allow older personal computers which have limited resources ( monochrome displays , limited memory and processor capabilities , slow modem , etc .) to continue to be useful as web browsers . as such , the use of terms such as “ wireless ”, “ wireless web ”, specific protocols such as wap , and specific web object formats such as wml should not be seen as limitations to the scope of the invention , but rather are facets of the preferred embodiment . therefore , the scope of the present invention should be determined by the following claims . | 6 |
descriptions of the invention are presented herein for purposes of describing various aspects , and are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting , as the scope of the invention will be limited only by the appended claims . persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the aspect teachings . unless defined otherwise , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art . while exemplary methods and materials are described herein , it is understood that methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described can be used . all publications mentioned herein are incorporated by reference to disclose and describe the methods and / or materials in connection with which they are cited . it must be noted that , as used in the specification , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . methods are provided herein for mitigating the immunogenicity of a xenographic bioprosthetic tissue by chemically modifying one or more antigenic carbohydrates within the tissue while leaving the overall tissue structure substantially unmodified . in some aspects , the methods comprise the steps of : treating the bioprosthetic tissue with an oxidizing agent which oxidizes vicinal diol moieties of antigenic carbohydrates to form aldehydes or acids and treating the bioprosthetic tissue with a capping agent , the capping agent comprising a primary amine or alcohol which combines with the aldehydes or acids to form imines , amides or esters . in some aspects , the methods comprise the steps of : treating the bioprosthetic tissue with a capping agent , the capping agent comprising a primary amine or alcohol which combines with aldehydes or acids to form imines or esters , and treating the bioprosthetic tissue with a stabilizing agent , the stabilizing agent converting the imines to secondary amines or the esters to amides . in some aspects , the methods comprise the steps of : treating the bioprosthetic tissue with an oxidizing agent which oxidizes vicinal diol moieties of antigenic carbohydrates to form aldehydes or acids ; treating the bioprosthetic tissue with a capping agent , the capping agent comprising a primary amine or alcohol which combines with the aldehydes or acids to form imines or esters ; and treating the bioprosthetic tissue with a stabilizing agent , the stabilizing agent converting the imines to secondary amines or the esters to amides . without being limited by a particular theory , it is believed that glutaraldehyde fixation and other established methods for stabilizing xenographic tissues suffer from several limitations that are associated with antigenicity , calcification , and long - term failure of bioprosthetic implants . glutaraldehyde and other fixative agents stabilize tissues by forming cross - linkages between certain reactive moieties within the tissues without necessarily altering or eliminating antigenic epitopes . glutaraldehyde fixation reduces antigenicity in a largely indirect manner due to the adsorption of host immune cells , antibodies , and serum proteins to concentrated aldehyde groups on the surfaces of glutaraldehyde fixed tissues , forming a coating of native molecules that isolates the tissue from host immune factors . however , such protein coatings deteriorate over time , exposing the tissue to the host immune system . in addition , the interior of glutaraldehyde fixed tissues often contains high levels of “ latent antigens ” due to the slow rate of penetration and diffusion of glutaraldehyde throughout treated tissues . as a result , glutaraldehyde fixed bioprosthetic tissues can become increasingly antigenic over time , leading to calcification , tissue fatigue , and eventually failure of the bioprosthetic implant . advantageously , methods provided herein reduce the antigenicity and / or calcification of bioprosthetic tissues by addressing one or more limitations associated with glutaraldehyde fixation and / or other established methods . treating bioprosthetic tissues with periodate according to the instant methods selectively oxidizes antigenic carbohydrates , resulting in the covalent modification of xenographic antigens . in addition , periodate and other chemical agents are small molecules that readily diffuse throughout bioprosthetic tissues , including chemically fixed tissues , to eliminate latent antigens throughout the tissues . methods provided herein use a capping agent to convert aldehyde groups produced by periodate oxidation and / or glutaraldehyde fixation to imines , and a reducing agent to convert the hydrolytically unstable imines to stable and substantially non - antigenic secondary amines . the methods thus eliminate reactive and toxic aldehydes and prevent further oxidation of aldehydes to acids that serve as potential calcium - binding sites . moreover , calcification is further reduced by the modification of latent antigens and the resulting decreased immunogenicity of bioprosthetic tissues . advantageously , methods provided herein improve the stability , durability , and / or performance of bioprosthetic tissue implants . in some aspects , the “ antigenic carbohydrate ” targeted for modification by the instant methods is a glycosaminoglycan ( gag ) polysaccharide that is found on glycoproteins and / or glycolipids of a xenographic tissue and is recognized as foreign by the immune system of a human subject . antigenic carbohydrates within bioprosthetic tissues can trigger varying levels of immune responses that can decrease the performance , durability , and / or lifespan of the implant and potentially require immediate medical intervention to replace the implant . in some aspects , antigenic carbohydrates modified according to methods provided herein are “ periodate labile ” in that they comprise one or more exposed vicinal diol ( r 1 — ch ( oh ) ch ( oh )— r 2 ) moieties capable of being oxidized by a periodate to produce a pendant aldehyde ( r 1 cho ). advantageously , periodate oxidation of an antigenic carbohydrate modifies its structure so that it is no longer recognized by circulating antibodies . in some preferred aspects , treating a glutaraldehyde fixed tissue with periodate according to a method provided herein substantially eliminates periodate labile antigenic carbohydrate epitopes . in further aspects , treating a glutaraldehyde fixed tissue with periodate according to a method provided herein renders the tissue substantially non - antigenic . in some aspects , an antigenic carbohydrate modified according to the instant methods is the α - gal epitope ( galα 1 - 3 galβ 1 - 4 glcnac — r ). treating an α - gal - expressing xenographic tissue with periodate according to the methods provided herein results in oxidation of the vicinal diol of the α - gal terminal galactose , producing two pendant aldehydes . the pendant aldehydes are preferably converted to imines by a primary amine - containing “ capping agent ”, and the imines are converted to stable secondary amines by a reducing agent . advantageously , periodate oxidation of the terminal galactose unit modifies the α - gal epitope such that it is no longer recognized by human anti - α - gal (“ anti - gal ”) antibodies , thus substantially reducing the antigenicity of the bioprosthetic tissue . in further aspects , an antigenic carbohydrate modified according to the instant methods is the sialic acid n - glycolylneuraminic acid ( neu5gc ), the so called hanganutziu - deicher ( hd ) antigen , which comprises a nine - carbon sugar with a periodate labile vicinal diol . neu5gc is common in mammalian tissues , especially porcine tissues , but is not synthesized endogenously by humans . nevertheless , neu5gc is sometimes detected at relatively stable levels in humans due to dietary intake and possible metabolic incorporation of small amounts of neu5gc in human glycoproteins . human subjects have varying levels of circulating antibodies against neu5gc , with the highest levels comparable to those of anti - gal antibodies . advantageously , periodate oxidation of neu5gc sialic acid residues within a xenographic tissue modifies the neu5gc epitope so that it is no longer antigenic to human subjects . in further aspects , the antigenic carbohydrate is the forssman antigen ( galnac alpha1 , 3galnac beta1 , 3gal alpha1 , 4gal beta1 , 4glc - cer ). m . ezzelarab , et al immunology and cell biology 83 , 396 - 404 ( 2005 ). in some preferred aspects , treating a bioprosthetic tissue according to a method provided herein significantly reduces the antigenicity of the tissue in a human subject . in further aspects , treating a bioprosthetic tissue according to a method provided herein renders the tissue substantially non - antigenic in a human subject . in yet further aspects , methods provided herein significantly reduce antigenicity and / or render the tissue substantially non - antigenic in a human pediatric subject . in some aspects , bioprosthetic tissues treated according to the instant methods have been treated with a fixative agent . as used herein , the terms “ fixed ” or “ fixation ” refer generally to the process of treating biological tissue with a chemical agent ( a fixative agent ) that forms intermolecular and intramolecular cross - linkages within and between structures in order to stabilize the tissue structure and prevent degradation . for example , fixation reduces the susceptibility of tissues to proteolytic cleavage by preventing the unfolding and denaturation required for proteases to access potential substrate proteins . glutaraldehyde , formaldehyde , dialdehyde starch , and other aldehyde cross - linking agents are the most commonly used fixative agents for treating bioprosthetic tissues in preparation for surgical implantation . while fixation with fixative agents is desirable for stabilizing the tissue , fixation can also generate reactive chemical moieties in the tissue that are capable of binding calcium , phosphate , immunogenic factors , or other precursors to calcification . for example , glutaraldehyde fixation produces a high concentration of free aldehydes which are intrinsically toxic and can be further oxidized to form negatively charged carboxylic acid groups that serve as potential binding sites for positively charged calcium ions . the term “ calcification ” as used herein , means deposition of one or more calcium compounds , such as calcium phosphate , calcium hydroxyapatite , and / or calcium carbonate , within a bioprosthetic tissue , which can lead to undesirable stiffening and / or degradation of the bioprosthesis . although the precise mechanisms underlying calcification are unclear , calcification is generally known to arise in bioprosthetic tissues out of the interaction of plasma calcium ions with free aldehydes , phospholipids , and other tissue components . in addition , bioprosthetic tissues are particularly prone to calcification in pediatric subjects . calcification can be intrinsic or extrinsic with respect to a bioprosthetic tissue . intrinsic calcification is characterized by the precipitation of calcium and phosphate ions at sites within a bioprosthetic tissue , such as the extracellular matrix and remnant cells . extrinsic calcification is characterized by the precipitation of calcium and phosphate ions on external sites on a bioprosthetic tissue by , e . g ., thrombus formation or the development of surface plaques . advantageously , methods provided herein reduce both intrinsic and extrinsic forms of calcification . in some preferred aspects , treating a bioprosthetic tissue according to a method provided herein significantly reduces the level of calcification in the tissue and / or the propensity of the tissue for calcification in a human subject . in further preferred aspects , treating a bioprosthetic tissue according to a method provided herein renders the tissue substantially non - calcifying in a human subject . in yet further aspects , methods provided herein significantly reduce the level of and / or the propensity for calcification of a tissue and / or render a tissue substantially non - calcifying in a human pediatric subject . the effects of the instant methods on reducing and / or eliminating xenographic antigens , free aldehydes , and / or calcification ( or the propensity for calcification ) can be detected using a variety of methods known to those skilled in the art . the mitigation of antigenic carbohydrates can be monitored by , e . g ., direct galactose assays ( α - gal epitopes ), immunohistochemical staining ( e . g ., using anti - α - gal and / or anti - neu5gc antibodies ), and conventional histology . the level of free aldehydes in a tissue can be measured spectrophotometrically using a colorimetric reagent , such as 4 - amino - 3 - hydrazino - 5 - mercato - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazole ( available under the tradename purpald ), which reacts specifically with aldehydes to yield colored 6 - mercapto - striazolo -( 4 , 3 - b )- s - tetrazines detectable at 550 nm , as described , e . g ., in dickinson and jacobsen , cem . commun ., 1719 ( 1970 ). a reduction in the concentration of free aldehydes in a bioprosthetic tissue can also be measured as a reduction in the toxicity of the tissue . for example , a bioprosthetic tissue ( or sample thereof ) can be used as a substrate for seeding cultured endothelial cells , and the growth of the endothelial cell monolayer on the bioprosthetic tissue substrate can provide a sensitive biological indicator of the number and concentration of residual aldehydes in the tissue . the extent of calcification of a bioprosthetic tissue can be measured using a variety of methods known in the art , such as spectrophotometric methods ( e . g ., as described by mirzaie et al ., ann thorac . cardiovasc . surg ., 13 : 2 ( 2007 )) and spectroscopic methods ( e . g ., inductively - coupled plasma mass spectroscopy ( icp - ms ) after nitric acid ashing ). calcification of tissues may also be assayed by histological staining ( e . g ., von kossa staining ) or by using a calcification indicator ( e . g ., eriochrome black t , murexide , or o - cresolphthalein , as described , e . g ., in sarkar et al ., anal biochem , 20 : 155 - 166 ( 1967 )). in addition , calcification of heart valve bioprosthetic implants can be detected by associated changes in the mechanical properties of the tissue , such as increased stiffening , which can be detected visually and / or measured using various methods known in the art . those skilled in the art will be familiar with these and other methods . as used herein , the term “ bioprosthetic ” refers to any prosthesis which is implanted in a mammalian subject , preferably a human subject , and derived in whole or in part from animal or other organic tissue ( s ). bioprosthetic implants used in methods provided herein include tissue “ patches ,” heart valves and other heart components , heart replacements , vascular replacements or grafts , urinary tract and bladder replacements , bowel and tissue resections , and the like . bioprosthetic implants treated according to methods provided herein can be derived from any biological tissue , including but not limited to , heart valves , blood vessels , skin , dura mater , pericardium , cartilage , ligaments and tendons . in some aspects , the tissue used to prepare a bioprosthetic implant is selected according to the degree of pliability or rigidity , which varies with the relative amounts of collagen and elastin present within the tissue , the structure and conformation of the tissue &# 39 ; s connective tissue framework ( e . g ., arrangement of collagen and elastin fibers ), and / or other factors known to those skilled in the art . bioprosthetic tissues having relatively high levels of collagen , such as heart valve tissue and pericardial tissue , have been found to be particularly suitable for human bioprosthetic heart valve implant . however , those skilled in the art will realize that the instant methods can be used to treat bioprosthetic implants made from any suitable tissue . in some preferred aspects , the bioprosthetic implant is a heart valve implant that is derived from a xenographic mammalian donor tissue and intended for use in a human subject . in further preferred aspects , the bioprosthetic implant is derived from a xenographic mammalian donor other than a great ape or an old world monkey , such as but not limited to , an equine donor , an ovine donor , a porcine donor or a bovine donor . those skilled in the art will recognize that the instant methods are particularly beneficial in treating those prostheses for which post - implantation degeneration and / or calcification poses a significant a clinical problem . for example , in some aspects , the bioprosthetic implant is a heart valve formed from bovine pericardium or porcine aortic valve and designed for implantation in a human subject . in yet further preferred aspects , the bioprosthetic implant is derived from a xenographic mammalian donor tissue and is designed for implantation in a human pediatric subject . an “ oxidizing agent ” according to the present methods includes any mild oxidizing agent that is suitable for the selective oxidation of antigenic carbohydrates having vicinal diols to produce free aldehyde or acid moieties . oxidizing agents according to the present disclosure can be halogen series oxidizing agents or peroxide series oxidizing agents or the like . examples of oxidizing agents include , but are not limited to , periodic acid , salts of periodic acid such as sodium periodate , lead tetraaceatate , hydrogen peroxide , sodium chlorite , sodium hypochlorite , potassium permanganate , oxygen , halogens such as bromine and others known to those skilled in the art . in some aspects , the oxidizing agent is a periodate . a “ periodate ” according to methods provided herein is a compound comprising a periodate ion ( io 4 − ) that is capable of reacting , as shown in the reaction scheme below , with vicinal diol moieties ( 1 ) of antigenic carbohydrates to yield two pendant aldehyde moieties ( 2 ) along with formic acid and h 2 o . in some aspects , oxidation of vicinal diols is carried out in an aqueous solution , preferably an aqueous buffered solution , under conditions suitable for maintaining the structure and biological properties of the bioprosthetic tissue . in some aspects , a periodate is used for oxidation of vicinal diols . typically , a stoichiometric amount of periodate is used to oxidize vicinal diol moieties , which amount can be determined empirically for a particular volume of tissue and / or for a particular type of tissue . alternatively , a stoichiometric excess or periodate can be used . solutions are generally buffered to have a ph between about 4 and about 9 , with a ph between about 6 and about 8 desired for certain ph sensitive biomolecules . periodate oxidation is generally carried out at a temperature between about 0 and about 50 degrees celsius , and preferably at a temperature between about 4 and about 37 degrees celsius . depending on the antigenic carbohydrate ( s ) targeted for modification , the size and geometry of the bioprosthetic tissue and / or other considerations , periodate oxidation can be carried out for a period of between a few minutes to as long as many days . preferably , periodate oxidation is carried out for a period between about several hours and about 24 hours . long - term oxidation reactions are preferably performed under conditions that prevent over - oxidation . treatment times and temperatures for periodate oxidation tend to be inversely related , in that higher treatment temperatures require relatively shorter treatment times . those skilled in the art will recognize that the precise reaction conditions for a particular bioprosthetic tissue can be determined by routine experimentation , using methods known in the art . in various aspects , the oxidizing agent is capable of oxidizing vicinal diols within antigenic carbohydrates targeted for modification , forming either pendant aldehyde moieties , which are converted to imines and then to more stable secondary amines by methods provided herein , or acids , which are converted directly to amides , or alternatively , converted to esters and then to more stable amides by methods provided herein . in some aspects , the size , charge , and / or other characteristics of the oxidizing agent allow it to readily penetrate and diffuse throughout the bioprosthetic tissue and be washed out of the tissue after a desired duration of treatment . in some aspects , the oxidizing agent is a periodate that is a periodic acid or a salt thereof , such as sodium periodate , potassium periodate , or another alkali metal periodate salt . in some preferred aspects , the oxidizing agent is sodium periodate . in some aspects the oxidizing agent is an acetate , such as lead acetate . in some aspects , treating a bioprosthetic tissue with a periodate according to a method provided herein results in selective oxidation of vicinal diols relative to other reactive functionalities , including but not limited to , 2 - aminoalcohols ( e . g ., on n - terminal serine , n - terminal threonine or 5 - hydroxylysine residues ), 1 , 2 - aminothiols ( e . g ., on n - terminal cysteine residues ), and vicinal diketones . in some preferred aspects , treating a bioprosthetic tissue with an oxidizing agent according to methods provided herein selectively oxidizes vicinal diols within one or more antigenic carbohydrates while leaving non - targeted structures substantially unmodified . without being limited to a particular theory , it is believed that potentially reactive moieties within bioprosthetic tissues vary in their susceptibility to oxidation with the following general order of reactivity ( from most to least labile ): vicinal diols , 2 - aminoalcohols , 1 , 2 - aminothiols , and vicinal diketones . in addition , the selectivity of an oxidizing agent for vicinal diols can be further enhanced by treating tissues with the oxidizing agent under mildly oxidizing conditions . skilled artisans will recognize that mildly oxidizing conditions can be determined empirically using various methods known in the art , such as carrying out oxidation reactions under varying conditions with a mixture of carbohydrate substrates and monitoring the rate of production of reaction products . for example , the stringency of oxidation can be modulated by adjusting various reaction conditions , such as oxidizing agent concentration , treatment duration , temperature , solution chemistry , and the like . in some aspects , a bioprosthetic tissue is treated with an oxidizing agent under conditions that favor oxidation of a particular antigenic carbohydrate . for example , antigenic carbohydrates having a sialic acid terminal sugar , such as neu5gc , are generally more susceptible to periodate oxidation than those having other terminal sugars , such as galactose ( e . g ., α - gal ). in some aspects , the oxidizing agent selectively oxidizes vicinal diols of antigenic carbohydrates targeted for modification relative to other potentially labile moieties on biomolecules comprising the bioprosthetic tissue . a “ capping agent ” according to the present methods includes any capping agent capable of reacting with free aldehyde or acid moieties . the capping agent can be a primary amine or an alcohol . in various aspects , the capping agent is r 4 - m - nh 2 , wherein : r 4 is h , c 1 - 6 alkyl , s (═ o ) 2 or 5 , c 1 - 6 alkoxy , or hydroxyl ; m is a linker , wherein the linker is c 1 - 6 alkylene ; and r 5 is h or c 1 - 6 alkyl . in further aspects , r 4 is h . in yet further aspects , r 4 is s (═ o ) 2 or 5 and r 5 is h . in certain aspects , the capping agent is an amine , alkyl amine , hydroxylamine , aminoether , amino sulfonate , or a combination thereof . examples of capping agents include , but are not limited to , ethanolamine ; taurine ; amino acids such as glycine and lysine ; alkoxy alkyl amines , such as 2 - methoxyethylamine ; n - alkyl amines such as ethylamine , and propylamine , n - hydroxysuccinamide ( nhs ), n - hydroxysulfosuccinamide ( nhss ), and others known to those skilled in the art . chemical moieties referred to as univalent chemical moieties ( e . g ., alkyl , alkoxy , etc .) also encompass structurally permissible multivalent moieties , as understood by those skilled in the art . for example , while an “ alkyl ” moiety generally refers to a monovalent radical ( e . g ., ch 3 ch 2 —), in appropriate circumstances an “ alkyl ” moiety can also refer to a divalent radical ( e . g ., — ch 2 ch 2 —, which is equivalent to an “ alkylene ” group ). all atoms are understood to have their normal number of valences for bond formation ( e . g ., 4 for carbon , 3 for n , 2 for o , and 2 , 4 , or 6 for s , depending on the atom &# 39 ; s oxidation state ). on occasion a moiety can be defined , for example , as ( a ) a b , wherein a is 0 or 1 . in such instances , when a is 0 the moiety is b and when a is 1 the moiety is ab . where a substituent can vary in the number of atoms or groups of the same kind ( e . g ., alkyl groups can be c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , etc . ), the number of repeated atoms or groups can be represented by a range ( e . g ., c 1 - c 6 alkyl ) which includes each and every number in the range and any and all sub ranges . for example , c 1 - c 3 alkyl includes c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , c 1 - 2 , c 1 - 3 , and c 2 - 3 alkyl . “ alkoxy ” refers to an o - atom substituted by an alkyl group as defined herein , for example , methoxy (— och 3 , a c 1 alkoxy ). the term “ c 1 - 6 alkoxy ” encompasses c 1 alkoxy , c 2 alkoxy , c 3 alkoxy , c 4 alkoxy , c 5 alkoxy , c 6 alkoxy , and any sub - range thereof . “ alkyl ” refer to straight and branched chain aliphatic groups having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms , or preferably from 1 to 15 carbon atoms , or more preferably from 1 to 6 carbon atoms , each optionally substituted with one , two or three substituents depending on valency . “ alkyl ” includes unsaturated hydrocarbons such as “ alkenyl ” and “ alkynyl ,” which comprise one or more double or triple bonds , respectively . the term “ c 1 - 6 alkyl ” encompasses c 1 alkyl , c 2 alkyl , c 3 alkyl , c 4 alkyl , c 5 alkyl , c 6 alkyl , and any sub - range thereof . examples of such groups include , without limitation , methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , tert - butyl , isobutyl , pentyl , hexyl , vinyl , allyl , isobutenyl , ethynyl , and propynyl . “ alkylene ” refers to a divalent radical that is a branched or unbranched hydrocarbon fragment containing the specified number of carbon atoms , and having two points of attachment . an example is propylene (— ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 —, a c 3 alkylene ). the term “ c 1 - 6 alkylene ” encompasses c 1 alkylene , c 2 alkylene , c 3 alkylene , c 4 alkylene , c 5 alkylene , c 6 alkylene , and any sub - range thereof . “ amine ” refers to a — n ( r *) r ** group , wherein r and r ′ are independently hydrogen , alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , aryl , aralkyl , cycloalkyl , heterocyclyl , or heteroaryl as defined herein . in the case of a primary amine , r * and r ** are each h . a “ substituted ” moiety is a moiety in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been independently replaced with another chemical substituent . as a non limiting example , substituted phenyl groups include 2 - fluorophenyl , 3 , 4 - dichlorophenyl , 3 - chloro - 4 - fluorophenyl , and 2 - fluoro - 3 - propylphenyl . in some instances , a methylene group (— ch 2 —) is substituted with oxygen to form a carbonyl group (— co ). an “ optionally substituted ” group can be substituted with from one to four , or preferably from one to three , or more preferably one or two non - hydrogen substituents . examples of suitable substituents include , without limitation , alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , aroyl , halo , hydroxy , oxo , nitro , alkoxy , amino , imino , azido , mercapto , acyl , carbamoyl , carboxy , carboxamido , amidino , guanidino , sulfonyl , sulfinyl , sulfonamido , formyl , cyano , and ureido groups . carboxylic acid groups like those in glutamic acid or gamma carboxy glutamic acid are known to bind calcium atoms . calcium binding proteins such as bone sialoprotein contain carboxylic acid - rich domains designed to attract and bind calcium , leading to hydroxyapatite formation ( calcification ). the overall level and location of acid groups in these proteins determines the ability of the protein to efficiently bind calcium and form hydroxyapatite . the term “ acid potential ” of the tissue refers to the level of these chemical functional groups within the fixed tissue which may eventually form acid groups or “ binding sites ” by oxidation , dehydration , hydration , or similar processes . calcium binding causes significant post - implant damage in bioprosthetic materials , especially tissues used for heart valve leaflets . for example , the oxidative damage that occurs during storage and handling of dehydrated or “ dry ” tissue can create carboxylic acid groups that will bind calcium and lead to tissue failure . this progressive leaflet damage process can create new binding sites or potential binding sites that are precursors to calcification and immunogenic related pathways . the present disclosure provides for a method for capping these newly formed binding sites prior to implantation of the tissue for tissue - based bioprosthetic into the body . bioprosthetic tissue exposed to oxidation from the atmosphere when not submersed in a glutaraldehyde solution or during sterilization is likely to contain more acid groups that contribute to calcification and inflammation . in dry storage , the dehydrated tissue is sterilized and stored “ dry ” without the protective effect of the glutaraldehyde solution . the ease of handling and storage of this new product is greatly facilitated due to the absence of the glutaraldehyde storage solution . this technology can be improved by treating such bioprosthetic tissue with a capping agent and / or adding a chemical protectant during the dehydration phase . as shown in the reaction scheme below , a “ capping agent ” according to methods provided herein is in some aspects a primary amine ( r ′ nh 2 )- containing agent ( 3 ) capable of reacting with free aldehydes ( r 1 cho ) ( 2 ) to form imines ( r 3 n ═ chr 1 ) ( 4 ). in some aspects , the capping reaction is carried out independently of oxidation in a neutral or slightly basic solution , at a temperature between about 0 and about 50 degrees celsius , for a period of several minutes to many hours . preferably , the reaction is carried out at a ph between about 6 and about 10 , at a temperature between about 4 and about 37 degrees celsius , and for a period of about 1 to about 3 hours . those skilled in the art will recognize that the precise reaction conditions for a particular bioprosthetic tissue can be determined by routine experimentation , using methods known in the art . one chemical target within the invention is the permanent “ capping ” of the acid groups which dramatically reduces their ability to attract calcium , phosphate , immunogenic factors , or other groups . the term “ capping ” refers to the blocking , removal , or alteration of a functional group that would have an adverse effect on the bioprosthesis properties . for example , the addition of 1 - ethyl - 3 -[ 3 - dimethylaminopropyl ] carbodiimide hydrochloride ( edc ), n - hydroxysulfosuccinimide ( sulfo - nhs ) and ethanolamine will effectively cap the acid groups with a non - reactive esters . preferably , the capping agent is capable of reacting with aldehydes or acids produced by oxidation of vicinal diols and / or by chemical fixation with an aldehyde fixative agent ( e . g ., glutaraldehyde ) to form imines or esters under conditions suitable for maintaining the structure and function of the bioprosthetic implant . in various aspects , the capping agent can be an amine , an alkyl amine ( e . g ., ethylamine or isopropylamine ), a hydroxyl amine ( e . g ., ethanolamine ), an aminoether ( e . g ., 2 - methoxyethylamine ), an amino sulfonate ( e . g ., taurine , amino sulfates , dextran sulfate , or chondroitin sulfate ), an amino acid ( e . g ., lysine or beta - alanine ), a hydrophilic multifunctional polymer ( e . g ., polyvinyl alcohol or polyethyleneimine ), hydrophobic multifunctional polymer ( α - dicarbonyls , methylglyoxal , 3 - deoxyflucosone , or glyoxal ), a hydrazine ( e . g ., adipic hydrazide ), mono -, di - or polyepoxy alkanes , or combinations thereof . in some aspects , the capping agent is a monoamine . without being limited by a particular theory , it is believed that certain agents comprising two or more primary amine groups can mediate cross - linking and other non - specific reactions within the bioprosthetic tissue . in some preferred aspects , the capping agent is selected from ethanaolamine , taurine ( 2 - aminoethanesulfonic acid ), 2 - methoxyethylamine , and ethylamine . advantageously , using a monoamine capping agent converts free aldehydes within a bioprosthetic tissue into stable secondary amines without forming residual reactive groups and / or altering the basic structural and / or mechanical properties of the tissue . advantageously , using an alcohol capping agent such as ethanolamine , acids produced by oxidation of vicinal diols can be converted into stable esters without forming residual reactive groups and / or altering the basic structural and / or mechanical properties of the tissue . in some aspects , the capping reaction is performed concurrently with vicinal diol oxidation to prevent sequential oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids . the reaction can be carried out under essentially similar conditions as described above for oxidation . in further aspects , the bioprosthetic tissue is washed to remove the oxidation agent prior to treatment with the reducing agent . in some preferred aspects , the bioprosthetic tissue is pre - treated with a chemical fixative agent , such as glutaraldehyde . fixation limits potential cross - reactivity between aldehydes formed by oxidation and other reactive moieties within the tissue by extensively cross - linking the tissue and / or modifying reactive functionalities . for example , primary amines found on lysine and hydroxylysine residues of collagens and other proteins comprising the extracellular matrix can potentially compete with the capping agent in reactions with aldehydes formed by oxidation of vicinal diols and such competing reactions can have a negative impact on the structure and / or stability of the tissue . chemical fixation with an aldehyde fixative agent , such as glutaraldehyde , substantially eliminates such competing reactions by cross - linking reactive amines within the tissue and stabilizing the overall tissue structure . in some aspects , a bioprosthetic tissue is pre - treated with a protecting agent that couples to reactive moieties within the tissue and prevents undesired cross - linking and / or other reactions . for example , lysine amino acid residues may be protected or blocked by a number of methods known in the art , including but not limited to , the use of tert butyloxycarbonyl ( boc ), benzyloxycarbonyl ( z ), biphenylisopropyloxycarbonyl ( bpoc ), triphenylmethyl ( trityl ), 9 - fluoroenylmethyloxycarbonyl ( fmoc ) protecting groups . protecting groups may be preferred in cases where a bioprosthetic tissue is incompatible with chemical fixation , for example because of a need to preserve the native biological structure and / or activity of the tissue . advantageously , treating a fixed and / or oxidized bioprosthetic tissue with a capping agent according to the instant methods eliminates potential binding sites for calcium , phosphate , immune factors , and / or other undesirable factors . in further aspects , treating a bioprosthetic tissue with a capping agent according to the instant methods replaces aldehydes and / or acids within the tissue with a chemical moiety that imparts one or more beneficial properties to the tissue , such as a reduction in local and / or overall net charge , improved hemocompatibility , increased hydration , or improved mechanical flexibility . for example , treating a bioprosthetic tissue with the capping agent taurine replaces aldehydes with a sulfonate group which can be beneficial for tissue hydration , flexibility , and / or compatibility with host tissues . furthermore , treating a bioprosthetic tissue with the capping agent ethanolamine replaces acids with ester moieties , thereby improving the biocompatibility of the tissue . a “ stabilizing agent ” according to the present methods includes any chemical agent capable of reacting with free aldehyde or acid moieties . in various aspects , the stabilizing agents are reducing agents . the stabilizing agents are selected from the group consisting of sodium borohydride , sodium cyanoborohydride , lithium aluminum hydride , direct atmospheric or high pressure hydrogenation , carbodiimides such as 1 - ethyl - 3 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl ) carbodiimide ( edc ), pyridines such as 2 - chloro 1 - methylpyridinium iodide ( cmpi ) and similar mukaiyama &# 39 ; s condensation reagents , and others known to those skilled in the art . in some aspects , the present capping process can include chemical reduction of the tissue , which , when applied to the tissue in the presence of a capping agent , will permanently connect the capping agent to the target group . for example , the addition of ethanolamine to the tissue will cap the aldehyde groups , while the reducing agent ( e . g ., sodium borohydride ) reduces any schiff base created by reaction of the aldehyde with the amine group of ethanolamine . thus an aldehyde is ultimately replaced by a stable chemical moiety , which may be beneficial for tissue hydration , flexibility , and cell interactions . of course , other capping agents can be used instead of ethanolamine and other reducing agents other than sodium borohydride and are known by those skilled in the art and which are included in the scope of this patent . another strategy provided by the present methods is to oxidize the tissue aldehydes to acids , and then cap the acid groups . this may involve the addition of 1 - ethyl - 3 -[ 3 - dimethylaminopropyl ] carbodiimide hydrochloride ( edc ), n - hydroxysulfosuccinimide ( sulfo - nhs ), or ethanolamine . these new “ capped ” groups will reduce the attraction of calcium , phosphate , immunogenic factors , or other similar agents . in some aspects , the stabilizing agent is a reducing agent . a “ reducing agent ” according to methods provided herein is any agent capable of converting esters to amides or imines to secondary amines . in various aspects , the stabilizing agent is a reducing agent and can convert imines to secondary amines as shown in the reaction scheme below . as shown below , imines ( 4 ) produced by reaction of the capping agent with aldehydes ( 2 ) are reduced to form secondary amines ( 5 ) by using a suitable reducing agent . imine reduction may be carried out under essentially the same conditions described above for the periodate oxidation and capping agent steps . in some aspects , imine reduction is carried out in a neutral or slightly basic solution , at a temperature between about 0 and about 50 degrees celsius , and for a period of about a few minutes to many hours . preferably , the ph is between about 6 and about 10 , the temperature is between about 4 and about 37 degrees celsius , and the reaction period is between about 3 to about 8 hours . in some aspects , the complete sequence of reactions is complete within about 24 hours . the reaction of an aldehyde moiety ( r 1 cho ) with the primary amine moiety ( r 3 nh 2 ) of a capping agent produces a hemiaminal intermediate which forms the imine in a reversible manner through the loss of h 2 o . in some aspects , the bioprosthetic tissue is treated with the capping agent separately from treatment with the reducing agent . the isolated imine reaction product is then converted to a secondary amine with a suitable reducing agent , such as but not limited to , sodium borohydride . in some preferred aspects , the bioprosthetic tissue is treated with the reducing agent concurrently with the capping agent , such that imine formation and reduction of the hydrolytically unstable imine occur concurrently to form a secondary amine . in some preferred aspects , the bioprosthetic tissue is treated concurrently with the capping agent and a reducing agent that is selective for imines relative to aldehydes and / or ketones , such as but not limited to , sodium cyanoborohydride ( nabh 3 cn ), sodium triacetoxyborohydride ( nabh ( ococh 3 ) 3 ), or a combination thereof . in some aspects , aldehydes produced by oxidation and / or chemical fixation are reductively aminated directly , without formation of the intermediate imine , by treating a periodate oxidized bioprosthetic tissue with a reducing agent in an aqueous environment , e . g ., as described in dunsmore et al ., j . am . chem . soc ., 128 ( 7 ): 2224 - 2225 ( 2006 ). in a particular aspect , an oxidation / capping and stabilization scheme is used involving the treatment of the tissue with a periodic acid salt to selectively cleave the vicinal diols of the carbohydrates , followed by treatment of the tissue with a secondary mild oxidizing agent such as sodium chlorite or hydrogen peroxide to convert the aldehydes to acids ; then capping the acids with a capping agent selected from the group consisting of n - hydroxysuccinamide and n - hydroxysulfosuccinamide to form an ester ; and then stabilizing the cap by converting the ester to an amide by the action of a carbodiimide stabilizing agent such as 1 - ethyl - 3 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl ) carbodiimide ( edc ). also provided herein is a method for improving the performance of a bioprosthetic implant , the method including : obtaining the bioprosthetic tissue , wherein the bioprosthetic tissue is a fresh tissue ; decellularizing the bioprosthetic tissue ; fixing the bioprosthetic tissue with a fixation agent comprising glutaraldehyde ; exposing the tissue to an initial bioburden reduction solution ; at least partially fabricating a bioprosthetic product or device ; treating the at least partially fabricated bioprosthetic tissue product or device with a second bioburden reduction solution comprising formaldehyde , ethanol , and a tween ® solution ; treating the at least partially fabricating bioprosthetic product or device with a periodate , wherein the tissue expresses an antigenic carbohydrate including a vicinal diol , and wherein the vicinal diol is oxidized by the periodate to form an aldehyde ; treating the bioprosthetic tissue with a capping agent , wherein the capping agent comprises a primary amine , and wherein the primary amine reacts with the aldehyde to form an imine ; treating the bioprosthetic tissue with a reducing agent , wherein the reducing agent reacts with the imine to form a secondary amine ; drying the bioprosthetic tissue ; and sterilizing the at least partially fabricated bioprosthetic product or device with ethylene oxide . also provided herein is a method for improving the performance of a bioprosthetic implant , the method including : obtaining the bioprosthetic tissue , wherein the bioprosthetic tissue is a fresh tissue ; decellularizing the bioprosthetic tissue ; fixing the bioprosthetic tissue with a fixation agent including glutaraldehyde ; exposing the tissue to an initial bioburden reduction solution , at least partially fabricating a bioprosthetic tissue product or device ; treating the at least partially fabricated bioprosthetic tissue product or device with a second bioburden reduction solution including formaldehyde , ethanol , and a tween ® solution ; treating the at least partially fabricated bioprosthetic product or device with a periodate , the tissue expressing an antigenic carbohydrate including a vicinal diol , wherein the vicinal diol is oxidized by the periodate to form an aldehyde ; treating the bioprosthetic tissue with a capping agent , wherein the capping agent includes a primary amine , wherein the primary amine interacts with the aldehyde to form an imine ; treating the bioprosthetic tissue with a reducing agent , wherein the reducing agent interacts with the imine to form a secondary amine ; drying and electrophoretically cleaning the bioprosthetic tissue ; and sterilizing the at least partially fabricated bioprosthetic product or device with ethylene oxide . also provided herein is a method for improving the performance of a bioprosthetic implant , the method including : obtaining the bioprosthetic tissue , wherein the bioprosthetic tissue is a fresh tissue ; decellularizing the bioprosthetic tissue ; fixing the bioprosthetic tissue with a fixation agent including glutaraldehyde ; exposing the tissue to an initial bioburden reduction solution ; at least partially fabricating a bioprosthetic product or device ; treating the at least partially fabricated bioprosthetic tissue product or device with a second bioburden reduction solution including formaldehyde , ethanol , and a tween ® solution ; treating the at least partially fabricated bioprosthetic product or device with a periodate , the tissue expressing an antigenic carbohydrate including a vicinal diol , wherein the vicinal diol is oxidized by the periodate to form an aldehyde ; treating the bioprosthetic tissue with a capping agent , wherein the capping agent includes a primary amine , wherein the primary amine interacts with the aldehyde to form an imine ; treating the bioprosthetic tissue with a reducing agent , wherein the reducing agent interacts with the imine to form a secondary amine ; drying and electrophoretically cleaning the bioprosthetic tissue ; and sterilizing the at least partially fabricated bioprosthetic product or device glutaraldehyde . also provided herein is a method for improving the performance of a bioprosthetic implant , the method including : obtaining the bioprosthetic tissue , wherein the bioprosthetic tissue is a fresh tissue ; decellularizing the bioprosthetic tissue ; fixing the bioprosthetic tissue with a fixation agent including glutaraldehyde ; exposing the tissue to an initial bioburden reduction solution ; at least partially fabricating a bioprosthetic product or device ; treating the at least partially fabricated bioprosthetic tissue product or device with a second bioburden reduction solution including formaldehyde , ethanol , and a tween ® solution ; treating the at least partially fabricated bioprosthetic product or device with a periodate , the tissue expressing an antigenic carbohydrate including a vicinal diol , wherein the vicinal diol is oxidized by the periodate to form an aldehyde ; treating the bioprosthetic tissue with a capping agent , wherein the capping agent includes a primary amine , wherein the primary amine interacts with the aldehyde to form an imine ; treating the bioprosthetic tissue with a reducing agent , wherein the reducing agent interacts with the imine to form a secondary amine ; drying and electrophoretically cleaning the bioprosthetic tissue ; and sterilizing the at least partially fabricated bioprosthetic product or device drying and electrophoretically cleaning the bioprosthetic tissue ; and sterilizing the bioprosthetic tissue with ethylene oxide . in various aspects , bioprosthetic tissues subject to methods provided herein may be pre - treated with one or more secondary stabilizing agents , including but not limited to , a fixative agent and / or a skinning agent . the instant methods are compatible with fresh , partially and fully fixed bioprosthetic tissues . fixative agents useful for pre - treating bioprosthetic tissues used in methods provided herein include , but are not limited to , aldehydes ( e . g ., formaldehyde , glutaraldehyde , dialdehyde starch , acrolein , glyoxal acetaldehyde ), polyglycidyl ethers ( e . g ., denacol 810 ), diisocyanates ( e . g ., hexamethylene diisocyanate ), carbodiimide ( s ), and epoxides ( e . g ., any of the various denacols and their individual reactive species , including mono , di , tri , and multi - functionalized epoxides ). in some preferred aspects , the bioprosthetic tissue has been previously fixed with glutaraldehyde , which has proven to be relatively physiologically inert and suitable for fixing a variety of biological tissues for subsequent surgical implantation ( carpentier , a ., j . thorac . cardiovasc . surg . 58 : 467 - 68 ( 1969 )). an exemplary protocol for glutaraldehyde pre - treatment is set forth in example 1 . fixation with glutaraldehyde or another fixative agent can provide a variety of benefits , including increased stability , increased durability , improved preservation , increased resistance to proteolytic cleavage . in some aspects , the bioprosthetic implant is a commercially available bioprosthetic heart valve , such as the carpentier - edwards ® stented porcine bioprosthesis , edwards lifesciences , irvine , calif ., the carpentier - edwards ® pericardial bioprosthesis , edwards lifesciences , irvine , calif ., or the edwards ® prima stentless aortic bioprosthesis , edwards lifesciences ag , switzerland , which has been treated according to a method provided herein . in further aspects , the bioprosthetic tissue is a fresh , non - fixed xenographic tissue harvested from a mammalian host , which is treated according to methods provided herein and implanted into a host subject . the tissue to be treated can be freshly harvested from an abattoir , it can be washed and pre - treated with various decellurizing agents , and / or it can be at least partially fixed with fixative agents . after the stabilization step , the tissue can also be treated by decelluarization methods , various fixation methods , bioburden reduction , drying and glycerolization , and final sterilization steps . it is understood that in general some or all of the sequential steps can be combined into simultaneous steps e . g ., the oxidation and capping step , the capping and stabilization steps , or all three steps can react in concert . likewise some or all of the pre - and post - carbohydrate antigen mitigation steps can be combined into a smaller set of various simultaneous steps . a number of surfactants may be used in accordance with the present methods , including but not limited to , anionic surfactants ( e . g ., esters of lauric acid , including but not limited to , sodium dodecyl sulfate ), alkyl sulfonic acid salts ( e . g ., 1 - decanesulfonic acid sodium salt ), non - ionic surfactants ( e . g ., compounds based on the polyoxyethylene ether structures , including triton x - 100 , 114 , 405 , and n - 101 available commercially from sigma chemical , st . louis , mo ., and related structures , and pluronic and tetronic surfactants , available commercially from basf chemicals , mount olive , n . j . ), alkylated phenoxypolyethoxy alcohols ( e . g ., np40 , nonidet p40 , igepal , ca630 , hydrolyzed / functionalized animal and plant compounds including , tween ® 80 , tween ® 20 , octyl - derivatives , octyl b - glucoside , octyl b - thioglucopyranoside , deoxycholate and derivatives thereof , zwitterionic compounds , 3 -([ cholamidopropyl ]- dimethyl ammonio - 1 - propanesulfonate ( chaps ), 3 -([ cholamidopropyl ]- dimethyl ammonio )- 2 - hydroxy - 1 - propanesulfonate ( chapso )), and mixtures thereof ( e . g ., deoxycholate / triton , micro - 80 / 90 ). in some aspects a tissue is treated with a cell disrupting agent . cell disrupting agents can include a hypotonic saline of 0 % to 0 . 5 % nacl , non - ionic , anionic , and / or cationic detergents , and surfactants , e . g ., tweens , sodium dodecyl sulfate ( sds ), sodium deoxycholate , tetradecyl ammonium chloride , and benzalkonium chloride . in one aspect , chapso in the range of 0 % to 5 % can be used as a cell disrupting agent . in some aspects a tissue is treated with a proteolytic inhibitor including , e . g ., protinin or edta . in some aspects a tissue is treated with a lipid , phospholipid , cell membrane , and / or cell remnant extracting agent . such extracting agents can include alcohols ( e . g ., ethanol , 2 - propanol , or n - decanol in the concentration range of 1 % to 100 %); ketones ( e . g ., acetone , methyl ethyl ketone ); ethers ( e . g ., diethyl ether , tetrahydrofurane , 2 - methoxy ethanol ); surfactants and detergents ( e . g ., tweens ®, sodium dodecyl sulfate ( sds ), sodium deoxycholate , tetradecyl ammonium chloride , benzalkonium chloride ); chapso ; or supercritical fluids ( e . g ., co 2 , no ). in some aspects a tissue is treated with an anti - antigenic enzyme ( e . g ., dnase , rnase ). in some aspects a tissue is treated with a bioburden reducing agent , including : antibiotics ( e . g ., penicillin , streptomycin ); alcohols ( e . g ., ethanol , 2 - propanol , n - decanol in the concentration range of 1 % to 100 %); aldehydes ( e . g ., formaldehyde , acetaldehyde , glutaraldehyde in the range of 0 % to 5 %). in one aspect , a tissue is treated with a bioburden reducing solution that is a combination of formaldehyde , ethanol , and tween - 80 ( fets ) in a concentration of about 1 %/ 22 . 5 %/ 0 . 1 %, respectively . in some aspects , a fabrication device is used for at least partially fabricating a bioprosthetic product or device . the fabrication device can be any device that is suitable for the assembly of a bioprosthetic product or device . those skilled in the art will appreciate that various alternative agents suitable for pre - treating bioprosthetic tissues are known in the art and may be substituted for those indicated herein . having now generally described the invention , the same will be more readily understood through reference to the following examples which are provided by way of illustration , and are not intended to be limiting of the disclosed invention , unless specified . prior to chemically modifying the antigenic carbohydrates in a xenographic bioprosthetic tissue , the tissue may optionally be pre - treated by exposure to cross - linking agents and / or surfactants . the following non - limiting procedure sets forth one potential tissue pre - treatment protocol that produces fixed tissues . those skilled in the art will appreciate that various alternative methods , chemical compounds , or solutions may be substituted for those indicated . a desired biological tissue is harvested ( surgically removed or cut away from a host animal ) at a slaughterhouse , placed on ice , and transported to the location at which the bioprosthesis will be manufactured . thereafter , the tissue is typically trimmed and washed with a suitable washing solution , such as a saline solution , sterile water , or a basic salt solution . for example , harvested tissues can be rinsed , washed , and / or stored in a phosphate or non - phosphate buffered saline solution that includes an organic buffering agent suitable for maintaining the solutions at a physiologically compatible ph without deleterious effects to the tissue . both phosphate and non - phosphate buffering agents are suitable for tissue processing . the following buffering agents , at a concentration of about 10 mm to about 30 mm , are generally suitable for non - phosphate buffered saline solutions used herein : acetate , borate , citrate , hepes ( n - 2 - hydroxyethylpiperazine - n ′- 2 - ethanesulfonic acid ), bes ( n , n - bis [ 2 - hydroxyethyl ]- 2 - amino - ethanesulfonic acid ), tes ( n - tris [ hydroxymethyl ] methyl - 2 - aminoethanesulfonic acid ), mops ( morpholine propanesulfonic acid ), pipes ( piperazine - n , n ′- bis [ 2 - ethane - sulfonic acid ]), or mes ( 2 - morpholino ethanesulfonic acid ). the buffering agent hepes , which has a pka of about 7 . 4 , is well - suited for tissue processing . advantageously , the use of a non - phosphate buffered organic saline solution typically decreases the likelihood of calcium precipitation on a bioprosthetic tissue . buffered saline solutions used in the instant methods may also comprise a chelating agent , which preferably binds divalent cations , such as calcium , magnesium , zinc , and manganese . examples of suitable chelating agents include edta ( ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid ), egta ( ethylenebis ( oxyethylenenitrilo ) tetraacetic acid ), ethylenebis ( oxyethylenenitrilo ) tetraacetic acid , citric acid or salts thereof , and sodium citrate , at concentrations of about 20 mm to about 30 mm . advantageously , the removal of divalent cations by the chelating agent renders the tissue less susceptible to spontaneous precipitation of the divalent ions with phosphate ions that may be present in the tissue . in one aspect , the non - phosphate buffered organic saline solution is isotonic and comprises about 0 . 9 wt -% saline , about 10 mm to about 30 mm hepes buffer , ph 7 . 4 , and about 20 mm to about 30 mm of edta . the harvested , trimmed and washed tissue is disposed within a container filled with a 0 . 625 % solution of glutaraldehyde comprising approximately 26 ml / l glutaraldehyde ( 25 %); approximately 4 . 863 g / l hepes buffer ; approximately 2 . 65 g / l mgcl 2 . 6h 2 o ; and approximately 4 . 71 g / l nacl . the balance of the solution comprises double filtered h 2 o , naoh is added to adjust the ph to approximately 7 . 4 . the glutaraldehyde solution can optionally contain a sterilant ( e . g ., 2 % ( w / w ) ethanol ) and / or a skinning agent ( e . g ., 1 % ( w / w ) tween ® 80 ). where the glutaraldehyde solution contains a sterilant and / or skinning agent , the tissue is incubated at a controlled temperature ( e . g ., between about 20 to 37 ° c .) with continuous circulation of the solution for a period of between about 2 to 24 hours , typically about 9 hours . the tissue is then washed and incubated in glutaraldehyde solution without sterilant or skinning agent at a controlled temperature ( e . g ., 50 +/− 5 ° c .) with continuous circulation for a period of between about 7 to 14 days to complete glutaraldehyde fixation . room air is allowed to blanket or cover the glutaraldehyde solution throughout the process . glutaraldehyde fixed tissues prepared according to the instant methods are preferably fixed under conditions that allow the tissues to be immersed in 6n hydrochloric acid at 110 ° c . for 5 days with minimal degradation . after completion of steps 1 and 2 , the tissue is rinsed with a suitable rinsing solution such as buffered saline or 0 . 625 % glutaraldehyde . thereafter , the tissue may be transported into a clean room or aseptic environment , further trimmed or shaped ( if necessary ) and assembled with any non - biological components ( e . g ., stents , frames , suture rings , conduits , segments of polyester mesh to prevent suture tear - through , etc .) to form the desired implantable bioprosthetic device . chemical modification of antigenic carbohydrates in a xenographic bioprosthetic tissue , as described herein , may be performed whether or not the tissue is pre - treated . the following non - limiting procedure sets forth methods for chemically modifying select antigenic carbohydrates in either scenario . after the bioprosthetic tissue has been rinsed and stored , the tissue is preferably immersed in isotonic buffered saline solution containing a periodate oxidizing agent , such as sodium periodate , at a concentration of about 20 mm for a period of about 20 minutes at room temperature with constant agitation . after treatment with the periodate oxidizing agent , the tissue is rinsed extensively in 20 % ethanol to completely remove the periodate , preferably in a vessel allowing a large solution to tissue volume ratio to create a favorable gradient for solute diffusion . the tissue is then immersed in a solution containing a primary amine capping agent and a reducing agent suitable for converting any free aldehydes within the tissue to secondary amines . in one method , the tissue is immersed in isotonic buffered saline solution with a ph of 8 . 5 containing a capping / reducing solution comprised of taurine and isoproplyamine 50 %/ 50 % 20 mm and 10 mm sodium borohyride at room temperature for a period of about 10 minutes with constant agitation . the tissue is then washed and treatment with the capping / reducing solution is repeated for a total of three 10 minute treatments with the capping / reducing solution . the bioprosthetic tissue is removed from the capping / reducing agent solution , rinsed in 20 % ethanol , and transferred to a container and fully immersed in a phosphate - buffered storage solution comprising 0 . 25 % glutaraldehyde , formaldehyde , ethanol , and tween ® ( ph adjusted to 7 . 4 with hcl and naoh ). thereafter , the container is sealed and placed in an oven where it is heated to a terminal sterilization temperature of 37 . 5 +/− 2 . 5 ° c . for 25 to 27 hours . the container is then cooled to room temperature and stored until the time of implantation . bovine pericardial tissue ( national beef , item # 192769001 , wo # 58745266 ) was treated to mask antigens by the following procedure . tissue was soaked in a phosphate buffer containing 10 mm ethanolamine ( alfa aesar , # 36260 ) with ph 7 . 0 ± 0 . 5 or 10 mm taurine with 7 . 0 ± 0 . 5 ph ( sigma , # t0625 ). in both treatment groups , sodium periodate ( sigma , # 311448 ) was added to yield a 20 mm solution with 7 . 0 ± 0 . 5 ph . tissue from the two groups was incubated in one of three ways : 1 ) shaking at 4 ° c . for 18 hours ( new brunswick scientific , innova 4230 , refrigerated incubator / shaker ) 2 ) shaking at room temperature for 3 hours ( vwr , model 1000 , orbital shaker ) and 3 ) shaking at 37 ° c . for 30 min . ( vwr , model 1570 , orbital shaker / incubator ). after treatment the tissue was rinsed thoroughly in 0 . 9 % saline ( baxter , # 2f7124 ). the tissue was then incubated in ethanolamine and sodium borohydride ( sigma , # 452882 ) for 1 hour at room temperature while shaking . once again tissue was rinsed thoroughly in saline . one piece of tissue was placed in 10 % neutral buffered formalin ( lazer scientific , nbf - 4g ) the remaining tissue was frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at − 80 ° c . for future analysis . tissue samples from each group were processed according to standard paraffin embedding procedure . tissue was fixed overnight in neutral buffered formalin . tissue was then dehydrated through a series of graded alcohol ( harleco , # 65347 ); 70 %, 80 %, 95 % and 100 % and cleared in xylene ( emd sciences , # xx0060 - 4 ) before being embedded in paraffin wax ( mccormick scientific , para - plast plus # 502004 ) using histology tissue processor ( sakura , tissue - tek vip - 1000 ). each sample was then embedded into a wax block ( miles scientific embedding station ) and sectioned at ˜ 5 μm using a rotary microtome ( reichert , histostat ). the resulting slides ( fisher , # 15 - 188 - 51 ) were heat - fixed overnight before staining . tissue from each slide was stained with standard h & amp ; e procedure and immunohistochemistry , for the presence of α - galactose . paraffin was removed by incubating in xylene and rehydrated through a series of graded alcohol ; 100 %, 95 % 80 % and water . for h & amp ; e , slides were stained with gill modified hematoxylin ( harleco , # 65065 ), followed by staining in eosin phloxine ( eng scientific , # 8923 ). after staining , slides were dehydrated and mounted ( fisher permount , # sp - 15 ). slides for immunohistochemistry were incubated in isolectin - gs ib 4 conjugated to alexa fluor 488 ( 1 : 500 , invitrogen , i21411 ) in pbs , for 2 hrs at 37 ° c . fresh , unfixed tissue was subjected to periodate treatments , with or without treatment according to the methods described herein ( oxidizing agent such as periodate , capping agent , and reducing agent ). fig2 shows immunohistochemistry for α - gal expression following nexgen treatments of un - fixed tissues . fig2 a shows fresh , un - fixed tissue treated according to the methods described herein . fig2 b shows fresh , un - fixed tissue treated with periodate only . the combined treatment of fresh , unfixed tissues according to the methods described herein completely inhibits the binding of α - gal antibody to the tissue compared to control tissue treated with periodate only . fig3 shows immunohistochemistry for α - gal expression on un - fixed tissues treated with various types of periodate solutions . fig3 a shows un - fixed tissue treated with an in - house decell periodate . fig3 b shows un - fixed tissue treated with a lifenet decell periodate . fig3 c shows un - fixed tissue treated with another commercial decell periodate . thermafix ( tissue fixation followed by heat treatment ; tfx ) treated pericardial tissue was obtained from isolation . tissue was rinsed in three changes of 0 . 9 % saline ( baxter , # 2f7124 ) before being soaked in a phosphate buffer containing 10 mm ethanolamine ( alfa aesar , # 36260 ) and 20 mm sodium periodate ( sigma 311448 ) or 10 mm taurine ( sigma , # t0625 ) with 20 mm sodium periodate . tissue from the both groups was incubated at room temperature for 3 hours while shaking ( vwr , model 1000 , orbital shaker ). after treatment the tissue was rinsed thoroughly in 0 . 9 % saline . the tissue was then incubated in 0 . 06 % ethanolamine and 0 . 25 % sodium borohydride ( sigma , # 452882 ) for 1 hour at room temperature while shaking . once again tissue was rinsed thoroughly in saline . tissue from each group was stored in 0 . 625 % glutaraldehyde ( ew # 400611 ) and the remaining tissue was incubated in 75 % glycerol ( jt baker , # 4043 - 01 )/ 25 % ethanol ( emd , # ex0276 - 3 ) for one hour at room temperature . tissue was then laid out on absorbent pads to remove excess glycerol solution . one piece from each group was placed in 10 % neutral buffered formalin ( lazer scientific , nbf - 4g ). tissue samples from each group were processed according to standard paraffin embedding procedure . tissue was fixed overnight in neutral buffered formalin . tissue was then dehydrated through a series of graded alcohol ( harleco , # 65347 ); 70 %, 80 %, 95 % and 100 % and cleared in xylene ( emd sciences , # xx0060 - 4 ) before being embedded in paraffin wax ( mccormick scientific , para - plast plus # 502004 ) using histology tissue processor ( sakura , tissue - tek vip - 1000 ). each sample was then embedded into a wax block ( miles scientific embedding station ) and sectioned at ˜ 5 μm using a rotary microtome ( reichert , histostat ). the resulting slides ( fisher , # 15 - 188 - 51 ) were heat - fixed overnight before staining . tissue from each slide was stained with standard h & amp ; e procedure and immunohistochemistry , for the presence of a - galactose . paraffin was removed by incubating in xylene and rehydrated through a series of graded alcohol ; 100 %, 95 % 80 % and water . for h & amp ; e , slides were stained with gill modified hematoxylin ( harleco , # 65065 ), followed by staining in eosin phloxine ( eng scientific , # 8923 ). after staining , slides were dehydrated and mounted ( fisher permount , # sp - 15 ). slides for immunohistochemistry were incubated in solutions according to typical immunohistochemical staining with pbs ( gbiosciences , # r028 ) rinses in between each step ; 3 % hydrogen peroxide ( sigma , # 216763 ) in methanol ( emd , # mx0475p - 1 ) for 15 minutes , 1 % albumin , bovine serum ( bsa , sigma # a7030 ) in pbs with tween ® 20 ( vwr , bdh4210 ) for 30 minutes , isolectin - gs ib 4 conjugated to biotin ( 1 : 2000 , invitrogen , 121414 ) in pbs for 1 hr at room temperature , vectastain abc reagent ( vector laboratories , pk - 1600 ) for 30 minutes and diamino - benzidine ( dab ) reagent kit ( kpl # 54 - 10 - 00 ) for less than 3 minutes . tissue was counterstained with hematoxylin ( harleco , # 65065 ) for 1 minute and dehydrated in alcohol series before mounting in permount ( fisher , sp - 15 ). fixed tissue was subjected to tfx , with or without treatment with periodate and / or capping with sodium borohydride and either ethanolamine or taurine . fig4 shows that tissue fixed with glutaraldehyde has severe autofluorescence . the tissue shown was treated with tfx and periodate . isolectin dye was used for staining . tfx tissue was treated with formaldehyde bioburden reduction process ( fbrep ), then terminal liquid sterilization ( tls ), and then stored in glutaraldehyde . fig5 shows α - gal and dna expression on fixed tissue treated with tfx only . fig5 also shows a flow - diagram of the process used for this experiment , also described above . the presence of brown staining demonstrates the inability of tfx treatment alone to block the binding of α - gal antibody to the fixed tissue . tfx / fbrep tissue was subjected to periodate treatment followed by capping and then stored in glutaraldehyde . fig6 shows the combined treatment of fixed tissue with tfx and periodate , a capping agent , and a reducing agent . the upper panels show tissue treated with ethanolamine as the capping agent . the lower panels show tissue treated with taurine as the capping agent . the absence of brown staining demonstrates the inability of α - gal antibody to bind the fixed tissue following the combined treatment . tfx tissue was subjected to capping and ethanol / glycerol drying followed by ethylene oxide terminal gas sterilization . fig7 shows the results of this treatment , and also shows a flow - diagram of the process used for this experiment , also described above . the presence of staining demonstrates the inability of tfx treatment combined with capping to block the binding of α - gal antibody to the tissue . tfx tissue was subjected to treatment with periodate , a capping agent , a reducing agent , and drying . fig8 shows the results of fixed tissue having received such combined treatment . the upper panels show tissue treated with ethanolamine as the capping agent . the lower panels show tissue treated with taurine as the capping agent . the absence of dark staining demonstrates the inability of α - gal antibody to bind the fixed tissue following the combined treatment . relative levels of free α - gal in variously treated tissues were compared by an elisa assay . six tissue samples were treated by distinct combinations of fixation / non - fixation ; treatment according to the methods described herein ( vic diol oxidation , treatment with a capping agent and treatment with a stabilizing agent ); tfx treatment ; capping , reduction and drying ; and glutaraldehyde treatment alone . the six tissue treatments compared are as follows : ( 1 ) unfixed bovine pericardium ; ( 2 ) treatment a : unfixed , bovine pericardium treated with a vic diol oxidizing agent , a capping agent and a stabilizing agent ; ( 3 ) treatment b : tfx - treated bovine pericardium ; ( 4 ) treatment c : bovine pericardium treated with a combination of tfx treatment and a vic diol oxidizing agent , a capping agent and a stabilizing agent ; ( 5 ) treatment d : bovine pericardium treated with a capping agent , a reducing agent , and then dried ; ( 6 ) treatment e : bovine pericardium treated with a combined treatment of a vic diol oxidizing agent , a capping agent and a reducing / stabilizing agent and drying ; and ( 7 ) glutaraldehyde - fixed primate pericardium . following tissue treatment as specified above and in fig9 , each sample was incubated with isolectin - b4 , which is known to specifically bind to α - gal . after overnight incubation , the isolectin - b4 remaining in solution was measured using a standard elisa assay . specifically , the tissue samples were cut into small pieces , frozen in liquid nitrogen and ground into a powder . a solution of biotin conjugated , ib 4 - isolectin ( invitrogen # 121414 ) and 1 % bsa ( albumin , bovine serum ; sigma # a7030 ) were added to the ground tissue and incubated @ 37 ° c . overnight . the samples were then centrifuged to pellet tissue pieces to the bottom of the tube and the supernatant was transferred to a new tube . samples were diluted before adding to the plate for ib 4 - isolectin quantification . as elisa assay was performed using isolectin - b4 in 1 % bsa as a standard . plates were coated with synthetic α - gal - bsa ( v - labs , ca t # ngp1334 ) in carbonate buffer overnight at 4 ° c . the plate was washed three times with pbs containing tween ( 0 . 01 %) and then blocked in 1 % bsa for 2 hours at 37 ° c . a standard curve using isolectin was added to the plate and the diluted samples from above were added to the plate in triplicate . these were incubated for 1 hr at 37 ° c . the plate was washed 3 times with pbs - tween . vectastain substrate ( vector labs , cat # pk - 6100 ) was added to the plate and incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature . the plate was washed 3 times with pbs - tween and once with pbs only . residual pbs was carefully removed using an aspirator . quantablu fluorescent substrate ( pierce , cat # 15169 ) was added and the plate was incubated for 20 minutes . stop solution was then added and the plate was read on a plate reader ( excitation : 320 nm , emission : 420 nm ). the concentration of isolectin - b4 remaining in solution was used to calculate the percent of total isolectin that is inhibited by the treated tissue relative to a control . fig9 shows the results of the in vitro α - gal elisa assay for the variously treated tissues . as demonstrated in fig9 , the tissues treated with the methods described herein exhibited a significant reduction in binding between α - gal and isolectin - b4 . these results indicate that the presently claimed tissue treatment methods significantly reduce the quantity of free α - gal epitopes and thus reduce the antigenicity of treated tissues . a series of comparative analyses were conducting characterizing the anti - α - gal igg response in a group of five primates . animal implantation was performed at mpi research . five macaques were used for this study . different combinations of test groups were implanted in the animals as described below in order to see the immune response to tissue treatments with or without α - gal . six 6 mm tissue discs were implanted intramuscularly in the back of each animal . three discs were implanted on one side and three discs were implanted on the other side . blood samples ( 2 ml per time point ) were collected before implant ( baseline ) and at 5 , 10 , 20 , 45 , 60 , 75 , 90 , and 125 days after implant . the study was terminated at 135 days . the blood was stored on dry ice and allowed to clot . each sample was centrifuged and the serum was transferred to a pre - labeled tube and stored in a − 70 ° c . freezer . the plate was coated with synthetic α - gal - bsa ( v - labs , cat # ngp1334 ) in carbonate buffer overnight at 4 ° c . the plate was washed three times with pbs containing tween ( 0 . 01 %) and then blocked in 1 % bsa for 2 hours at 37 ° c . the serum from different monkeys and different time points was plated at different dilutions on the plate in duplicate . the serum was incubated for one hour at 37 ° c . the plate was then washed 3 times in pbs - tween . the secondary antibody , hrp conjugated , mouse anti - human igg ( invitrogen , cat # 05 - 4220 ; 1 : 1000 in 1 % bsa ) was added to the plate and incubated for 1 hour at room temperature . the plate was washed 3 times with pbs - tween and once with pbs only . the residual pbs was removed by aspirator and o - phenylenediamine dihydrochloride substrate ( sigma , cat # p8806 ) was added and incubated for 20 minutes at room temperature . 3m sulfuric acid was added to stop the solution and the absorbance of the plate is read using a plate reader (@ 492 nm ). the first monkey received three glutaraldehyde - treated tissue samples and three tfx - treated tissue samples . both sample types produced an anti - α - gal response in the monkey . previous experiments have demonstrated high calcification for glutaraldehyde and tfx - treated tissues ( data not shown ). monkeys two and three each received three capped / reduced / dried tissue samples and three tissue samples treated according to the method described herein . an anti - α - gal response was observed . previous experiments have demonstrated low calcification for both of these types of treated tissue samples ( data not shown ). the fourth monkey received four samples of tissue treated according to the method described herein and two primate tissue samples . neither the treated tissue samples nor the control produced an anti - α - gal response . the fifth monkey received six samples of primate pericardium as a control . the primate pericardium did not produce an anti - α - gal response . fig1 shows the percent increase from baseline in the anti - α - gal igg response assay for each of the various tissue treatments as described in detail above . as demonstrated in fig1 , the presently claimed tissue treatment significantly suppressed the anti - α - gal response in xenographic tissue samples . the invention being thus described , it will be obvious that the same can be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims . | 0 |
fig1 illustrates in schematic form a typical system of the invention for distributing coded time signals throughout a facility having an electrical service 2 of conventional design , for example , electrical service constructed in accordance with the national electric code having a neutral or grounded leg which cannot be interrupted . the electrical service , of course , includes a number of outlet receptacles 4 for making electrical a . c . power available for use . the system is shown including a clock 10 to provide a source of accurate time signals . the clock can be of conventional construction provided with an electrical signal means for producing code representing time and in the embodiment shown in fig1 may be located within the facility , although the clock of course could be remote therefrom , for example , at a radio or television broadcasting source for transmission to the facility along with the radio or tv signals . the clock 10 in the embodiment shown should be integrated into the formatter 12 which transforms the parallel digital form time signals received from the clock 10 to a serial digital form which is usable by downstream components of the system . by &# 34 ; parallel digital form &# 34 ; is meant a coded signal capable of containing multiple bits of information at a time and handled simultaneously ; e . g . a coded signal in parallel digital form is used in the ibm 360 and thus is known to the art as is serial digital form which is processing information piece by piece , one bit at a time . the formatter 12 suitable for use in the system is a data processor that digitizes information and assembles it in a serial digital code for the transmitter 14 . in many installations an &# 34 ; off the shelf &# 34 ; digital clock 10 will be used to supply information to the formatter 12 . they operate on a binary code that varies with manufacturers . therefore , conversion of the code by the formatter 12 to the representation required by the end use of the system will vary as the binary code source varies . in a prototype a commercial digital clock 10 is used . it continuously exposes time in hours and minutes which is in its system coded in parallel digital form . that information is transferred to the formatter 12 which converts it to a serial digital form and transfers it to the transmitter 14 . commercial tapes are available having time sources . they may be suitable but also require a custom formatter 12 design to be used . using the utc signal as a source of time requires a totally different consideration because its time takes a full minute to receive . therefore , the formatter 12 must accumulate information for each minute . seconds , miliseconds , and further breakdown of the minute if required must be supplied by the formatter through alternative means keyed to the utc signal for start of its counting . the coded time signal is transmitted by the transmitter 14 to time employing devices 16 , 18 , 20 by their direct coupling with electrical service 2 through receptacles 4 or through radio . the coupling to the electrical service 2 is in particular to the neutral or grounded leg . the transmission antenna is the feature used for coupling the device . it is directly connected to the grounded ( wide ) prong of a two prong male plug adapted for receipt in a conventional outlet receptacle in the facility . only the grounded ( wide ) prong of plug requires insertion in receptacle for successful coupling of coded signal to electrical service 2 . insertion of both prongs is necessary to provide energy to transmitter 14 . it should be noted that the coded time signal does not interfere with the a . c . power or with radio or television broadcasts being received by radios or televisions coupled to the electrical service 2 . the coded time signal is a silent , non - visual program with respect to radios , televisions , or other equipment connected to and deriving power from the electrical service 2 . of course , once the coded time signal is transmitted to the electrical service 2 by the transmitter 14 , the signal is available for pick - up at each electrical outlet receptacle 4 , switch ( not shown ) or termination points within electrical service ( now shown ). the signal format received from the formatter 12 determines the design of the transmitter 14 . generally an off the shelf transmitter can be provided the additional features required for the transmitter 14 to serve the system . the transmitter &# 39 ; s rf carrier is modulated by the serial data it receives . thus the time employing devices 16 , 18 , 20 joined to either electrical service 2 or radio assume the information of the clock 10 . several time employing devices 16 , 18 , 20 are shown connected to the electrical service 2 at outlet receptacle 4 . for example , a time display device 16 may be connected to one receptacle 4 and would include a display and a two prong male plug that provides energy to drive the time display 16 while also coupling the coded signal from the electrical service to the time display . the time display device 16 would include an electrical signal sensing means similar to that found in conventional clocks for transferring time information from the electrical service 2 to the time display 16 which could be a conventional light emitting diode , liquid crystal , electrochromic or other known displays . thus , by simply plugging the time display device 16 into any receptacle 4 in the facility the time could be displayed and would correspond with that of clock 10 . likewise , a timer device 18 could be plugged into one of the outlet receptacles 4 for controlling lights , appliances , or other equipment within the facility . the timer device 18 would include an electrical signal sensing means for transferring time information from the electrical service 2 to the timing circuit of the device . and , one or more time employing devices 20 would be plugged into the outlet receptacles 4 and would include controlling devices such as manufacturing processes controllers , attendance clocks , security controllers , household devices , etc . that recognize and use the coded time signal directly in the facility . the time employing devices may range from simple to that of a microprocessor . their functions vary greatly . in general , they serve to acquire data , analyze data or control systems . the system provides time which is the basis for measurement control and monitoring of the individual functions of the various devices . the information of interest the device serves may take the form of mechanical displacements , pneumatic pressures , fluid flow , radiations , temperatures , etc . any physical phenomenon can be of interest and as such may be used to generate signals of interest to the monitor . all signals of interest must be converted to an electrical form such as voltage , current or impedance . their value is the analog of the signal parameter being measured . the voltage signal changes in accordance with the variations of the signal it represents and is proportioned to the parameter . similarly current or impedance variations can be used to represent the measurement parameter . time employing devices 16 , 18 , 20 provide the change in energy from one form to electrical . they convert the signal of interest to an electrical form that is measureable . their designs would be based on a very large number of different physical phenomena . the time employing devices may require the features of a signal conditioner integrated within them for converting the electric signal to a common form and range . the functions possibly required may be : voltage and current amplification , impedance transformation , calibration and referencing . the analog electronic equipment has reference powers sources that enable it to convert the electrical analog signals to a common scale and range . the time employing devices contain or are associated with features of an analog to digital converter ( adc ) which converts the signals from the devices to digital representation . many types of time employing devices may be used with the system . these will produce many analog signals of interest . a single adc can be shared among a number of the analog signal sources by using an analog multiplexer which is an electronic or electromechanical switch that by program control connects selected analog input channels to the adc . the converter then produces as its output the digital representation of those channels . there are other time employing devices that are simple in design such as items that operate on or off by setting of time at the device much like a timer or items that record operating time such as meters . there are other simple devices that provided the benefit of a continuous time source are capable of acquiring data , analyzing data , or controling systems independently . fig2 illustrates another embodiment of the system similar to that shown in fig1 with the addition of program controller 22 and transmitter 24 . the controller 22 would program various activities or sequences of events and that information would be transmitted to the electrical service 2 by the transmitter 24 at the time activity is to occur . the programmed controller 22 comprises a memory system that would maintain an address and time schedule for activities to occur . the transmitter 24 would be activated by coded instructions received from program controller 22 . when alerted transmitter 24 would transmit directions . connected to the outlet receptacles 4 of the electrical service 2 would be programmed devices 26 that recognize the coded programs and direct equipment accordingly for the purpose of control , monitoring , and / or accounting . the purpose of exemplary of such a programmed device would be a control for traffic signals , control for manufacturing processes , control for domestic services such as lights , thermostats , etc . both fig1 and 2 also show that the transmitters 14 and 24 , respectively , may be provided with antennae for air transmission of the coded signal to time employing devices 16 , 18 , 20 and 26 having antenna to pick - up the air transmission . fig3 illustrates a system of the invention intended for facilities that require servicing of a number of consumers or equipment having a requirement for the ultimate accuracy of coordinated universal time . for example , the master time signal would be transmitted by radio stations 30 , or by cable or other means , scattered throughout the world . the system would include a utc receiver 32 for receiving the master time signal and transferring it to the formatter 34 which is similar to that described hereinabove with respect to fig1 in that it converts the analog form to the aforementioned serial digital form representing time by hours and minutes which it then transfers to the transmitter 36 which is similar to that described hereinabove for fig1 in that it transmits the time information to the electrical service 2 of the facility . time employing devices 38 , 40 , 42 similar to those already described would receive the coded master time signal through outlet receptacles 4 in the electrical service 2 . a highly accurate time signal is thus provided for use by the time employing devices . the time this system provides is guaranteed accurate because it is traceable to greenwich mean time . interruption in the transmission of the utc eliminates production of time and loss of it in the system . if time is seen or available at any point in the system it is corrected time because only correct time is transmitted . interruptions through loss of power would be overcome by having battery systems available to provide alternate power . fig4 illustrates a system of the invention intended as a utility to some large areas such as a county , state , or nation . a small number of such utilities could serve the entire world . this system would also use the coordinated universal time source 50 which would transmit the master time signal to the utc receiver 52 at the utility 54 . the receiver 42 receives and transfers the master analog time signal to the formatter 56 which produces a serial digital signal as described hereinabove . the utility transmitter 58 produces an analog system that it transmits to widely dispersed facilities . at each facility , the analog signal is received by receiver 60 comprising a radio receiver and a feature that transfers the analog code it receives to the formatter 62 which converts it to serial digital code described hereinabove . the transmitter 64 transmits the coded master time signal to electrical service 2 as described hereinabove for use by the time employing devices 66 , 70 , 72 . as with system in fig3 the fig4 system also provides a guarantee that time it provides is accurate because it is traceable to greenwich mean time . interruption in the transmission of utc eliminates production of time and loss of it in the system . if time is seen or available at any point in the system , it is correct time because only correct time is transmitted . interruption through loss of power are overcome by having battery systems available to provide alternate power . of course , the systems shown in fig3 and 4 can be provided with programmed controllers and programmed transmitters at the facility and / or at the utility to provide programmed activities to multiple users and / or facilities . as those skilled in the art the systems described hereinabove could have numerous advantages uses including , but not limited to , those listed here below : ( a ) as a standard time reporting system for use by regions , states , nations and the world . ( b ) as a means to provide time displays in lieu of conventional clocks or other timepieces . ( c ) as a means for reporting of frequencies of occurences or events , or cycles of operations in remote locations . ( d ) as a means for controlling devices and replacing conventional timers found on household equipment such as washers , dryers , stoves , etc . ( e ) as a means for controlling devices such as machine tools , processing equipment , inspection and monitoring equipment , and consumer products which now use timers or programmers attached or associated therewith . ( f ) as devices for use by surface , sea and air transportation vehicles ( facilities ) having an electrical gridwork for monitoring and controlling various systems and time displays thereon . 1 . celestial navigation determines position of ships or aircraft by shooting the stars and / or moon with a sextant . exact greenwich mean time at the very instant of shooting is required to complete computation of position . 2 . &# 34 ; great circle navigation &# 34 ; is the shortest distance between two points and is used in both sea and air travel . it is accomplished by making numerous course changes and maintaining each course for a closely controlled time . 3 . dead reckoning navigation is the plotting of various courses on charts and maintaining them at a particular speed for a closely controlled time . 4 . depth of water below ship is found by measuring the length of time a signal travels from the hull of the ship to the bottom of the water and back . commercial depth finders use this feature . another aspect of the invention system is its adaptability for transmission of information from the location of the monitoring device 80 , for example , a gas , water , or electric meter , fire detection device , security device , or process sensor device , to a third location to enable monitoring and for control thereof . in such an arrangement , see fig5 the meter monitoring device 80 provides its information to formatter 82 which appropriately codes the information similar to that described hereinabove for fig1 . coded information is transferred to transmitter 84 which delivers information similar to that described hereinabove via the electrical service or air . in addition , telephone and cable are alternate means of transmitting information . information terminates at a remote monitor station 86 having memory ( information & amp ; addresses ) to compare coded signal with . accounting or adoptive control functions are thus possible . remote location for monitoring information would be main power generating station 88 or monitor station 86 having access to the main power distribution system that supplies power to the location containing the monitoring device 80 . of course , sensors of temperature , pressure , volume , velocity , density , flow , chemical composition , electrical parameters and the like can be used in lieu of the master clock discussed in the above embodiments to provide systems of the invention which distribute such information for use in the same manner that time information is distributed in the above embodiments . as used hereinabove and in the claims which follow , the term &# 34 ; electrical gridwork &# 34 ; should be understood to include not only the electrical service described in fig1 - 5 but also other grounded systems which may include , but are not limited to , the plumbing system , telephone system , cable system and the like within or operatively associated with a facility . those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and that it is within the scope of the invention to make change , modifications and the like thereto within the scope of the apprended claims . | 8 |
referring to the aforesaid drawings , the bypass valve of the invention , denoted overall by 10 in fig2 to 8 , comprises a valve - body 12 made typically in brass , bronze , steel or in another material traditionally suitable for the purpose with a process of hot moulding or melting or the like , shaped like an h with two opposite and parallel tubular elements defining , respectively , a delivery duct 14 and a return duct 16 joined one to the other and communicating by means of a transverse element defining a bypass duct 18 . the delivery duct 14 has an inlet 14 a and an outlet 14 b , opposite one to the other , with the inlet 14 a provided with a threaded external profile or crown 15 for a connection with a delivery pipe ( not shown in the drawings ) and the outlet 14 b provided with a threaded internal profile or crown 17 for the connection with a sleeve 19 whose end , opposite that of connection with respect to the outlet 14 b , is suitable for being connected to an inlet duct , for example , of a terminal unit ( not shown ) typically by means of a threaded connection 19 ′. likewise the return duct 16 has an outlet 16 a and an inlet 16 b , opposite one to the other , with the outlet 16 a provided with a threaded external profile or crown 13 for a connection with a return pipe ( not shown in the drawings ) and the inlet 16 b provided with a threaded internal profile or crown 11 for the connection with a sleeve 21 ( totally similar to the sleeve 19 ) whose end , opposite that of connection with respect to the inlet 16 b , is suitable for being connected to an outlet duct , for example , of a terminal unit ( not shown ) typically by means of a threaded connection 21 ′. inside a seat 14 c of the delivery duct 14 a ball type shutter 20 is placed , provided with a channel 22 for the passage of the thermal - carrier fluid and actuated in rotation ( to enable / disable the passage of the fluid ) by means of a lever 25 . the seal of said shutter with respect to the delivery duct 14 and to the sleeve 19 is guaranteed by at least one pair of opposite sealing rings 24 . moreover said one at least pair of opposite sealing rings 24 , together with the sleeve 19 , allow the ball type shutter 20 to be kept in the seat . the assembly described in this way , placed inside the delivery duct , defines an on - off delivery valve . a similar ball type shutter 26 , provided with a channel 28 , is placed inside a seat 16 c of the return duct 16 and is rotatably actuated by means of a lever 30 to enable / disable the flow of the thermal - carrier fluid in the direction of the return pipe . the seal of said shutter with respect to the return duct 16 and to the sleeve 21 is guaranteed by at least one pair of opposite sealing rings 32 . moreover said one at least pair of opposite sealing rings , together with the sleeve 21 , allow the ball type shutter 26 to be kept in the seat . the assembly described in this way , placed inside the return duct , defines an on - off return valve . in accordance with alternative embodiments the shutter suitable for enabling / disabling the passage of the thermal - carrier fluid can be of the conical male , gate , butterfly type or of another known typology / configuration suitable for the purpose . the bypass duct 18 has an internal channel 34 or bypass channel suitable for allowing the passage of the thermal - carrier fluid along a bypass path when the terminal heat exchange unit is to be shut off from the supply with the thermal - carrier fluid , while continuing to supply the successive terminal units of the system placed in series with respect to the shut - off unit . said internal channel places in communication one with the other the delivery duct 14 and the return duct 16 . the return duct 16 has an opening 36 , formed coaxially to the internal channel 34 of the bypass duct 18 and on the opposite side with respect to that of connection of the same with respect to the return duct and closed by means of a cap 38 , firmly secured with respect to said opening 36 by means of a threaded connection or another known type of removable connection and provided with one or more seal gaskets 40 . the cap 38 has a central through hole 42 coaxial to the internal channel 34 and suitable for inserting a linear shutter 43 according to the methods described below . the linear shutter 43 comprises a rod 44 with one end , turned in the direction of the internal channel 34 of the bypass duct 18 , provided with a shutter 46 comprising , optionally , at least one gasket 48 for forming the seal with respect to a seat 34 ′ of the internal channel 34 of the bypass duct 18 for the function detailed here below and an opposite end , projecting with respect to the cap 38 , whereon a knob 50 is fitted ( attached to the rod 44 with a screw 51 or with another suitable retaining means ) for the movement of said rod 44 . in an alternative embodiment the at least one gasket 48 is secured to the seat 34 ′ of the internal channel 34 of the bypass duct 18 . the seal between the road 44 and the cap 38 is secured by gaskets 39 ( typically o - rings ) fitted on the rod . the assembly described above and defined by the linear shutter 43 actuated by means of the knob 50 constitutes an on - off valve of the bypass duct . externally and coaxially to the cap 38 a ring 41 is placed ( typically an o - ring , preferably coloured ) suitable for indicating visually the opening / closing of the bypass duct . in fact , in position of complete closure of the on - off bypass valve , said ring is hidden by the knob 50 and is therefore not visible . the indication of the opening / closing of the bypass valve , as an alternative to the use of the coloured ring 41 , can be performed by means of a graduated scale formed on the knob 50 or integral with the valve - body 12 or in another known way . according to alternative embodiments , moreover , the linear shutter 43 can be of the type with fixed rod with translation of an internal portion of the shutter or can have a rod with different geometries suitable for reducing the possible load losses . moreover , according to further alternative embodiments , the on - off valve of the bypass duct which , with reference to the preferred embodiment , is placed in the return duct , can be placed in the delivery duct . an operator / user , by acting on the levers 25 and 30 of the on - off delivery and return valves and on the knob 50 of the on - off bypass valve , enables / disables the passage of the thermal - carrier fluid through the bypass duct and through the delivery and return ducts , so as to perform possible operations of maintenance or exclude any elements of the circuit as described above with reference to fig1 . as can be seen from the above the advantages that the bypass valve of the invention achieves are clear . the improved bypass valve of the present invention , being provided with a linear shutter element suitable for performing the on - off function for enabling / disabling the flowing of the thermal - carrier fluid through the bypass duct , allows advantageously elimination of the many disadvantages linked to the use of a ball type shutter . this is in that the use of a linear shutter does not require the presence of auxiliary seal elements to be inserted in the bypass duct in order to maintain the shutter housed inside its seat . a further advantage is represented by the fact that the use of a shutter of the linear type does not require “ off - plane ” machining operations of the h - shaped valve - body , considerably reducing , in this way , the machining cycles , the correlated times and , consequently , the costs of machining and production . this is in that the reduced number of components which characterise the linear shutter allows the seat to be formed for the same during the operation of drilling of the internal channel of the bypass duct . a further advantage is represented by the fact that the bypass valve of the invention integrates three on - off valves in a single monobloc structure , without the need for accessory connections . further advantageous is the fact that the improved bypass valve of the invention is provided with a linear axial shutter , does not require a sufficiently long bypass duct in order to accommodate a valve with spherical shutter and , therefore , it is possible to maintain a monobloc structure with the two delivery and return valves also in the case of a typical reduced gauge , for example , of the small terminal units . further advantageous is the fact that the on - off bypass valve assembly , thanks to the threaded connection of the cap 38 with respect to the valve - body 12 , can easily be removed in order to eliminate possible bulky detritus which can accumulate at the shutter or for the replacement of gaskets or for other different works of maintenance / replacement . a further advantage is represented by the fact that the bypass valve as described above allows a greater facility of use and a considerable lowering of possible errors which can influence the correct functioning of the system whereto said valve is connected . in fact the element of manoeuvre of the bypass valve , being placed laterally with respect to the levers of actuation of the on - off delivery and return valves , allows the reduction in the errors during the operations of manoeuvre of the valve reducing , at the same time , the risk of leaving the bypass channel open also during the standard functioning phase . although the invention has been described above with particular reference to one of its embodiments given solely by way of a non - limiting example , numerous changes and variations will appear clear to a person skilled in the art in light of the description given above . the present invention intends , therefore , to embrace all the modifications and the variations that fall within the scope of the following claims . | 5 |
the following detailed descriptions of server system and cluster system using the same are mentioned below when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings . fig2 is a schematic view of a server system according to first embodiment of the present invention . the server system includes a power supply module 21 , an energy - storing module 22 , a power management module 23 , at least one motherboard 24 and an external memory module 25 . the power supply module 21 provides a first operation power and the energy - storing module 22 provides a stored power . the power management module 23 electrically coupled to power supply module 21 and energy - storing module 22 receives first operation power and provides a second operation power , or receives the stored power and provides a third operation power . the at least one motherboard 24 including the internal memory module 241 receives second operation power or third operation power . the internal memory module 241 stores the memory data . the external memory module 25 is electrically coupled to the at least one motherboard 24 . when the server system operates normally , the power management module 23 transforms the received first operation power into the second operation power to be provided to the at least one motherboard 24 . when the server system is powered off abnormally , e . g . a power down event of an external alternative current source , the power management module 23 instantly changes the received first operation power to the stored power and transforms the stored power into third operation power . a data backup module 261 installed in the operating system ( os ) is used to backup the data of internal memory module 241 and the operation tasks to the external memory module 25 . meanwhile , the data backup module 261 interrupts the electrical connection between the energy - storing module 22 and the power management module 23 . when the server system powers on again , the data backup module 261 restores the data in the external memory module 25 and operation tasks to the internal memory module 241 so that the server system returns the normal status before the server system is powered off abnormally . in this embodiment , the data backup module 261 is implemented by software program to backup the data and operation tasks . the energy - storing module 22 is supercapacitor , i . e . electrochemical capacitors or storage battery set . the external memory module 25 is implemented by solid state disk ( ssd ), which is a disk composed of a plurality of electronic storage chips . since the bandwidth of the ssd is wider , the storing speed is faster to backup the data in the internal memory module 241 and the operation tasks within a relatively short time . further , the internal memory module 241 only needs a ssd disk , which is easily implemented and causes the cost reductions . the time interval “ t ” is determined by the reliable power supply time of the energy - storing module 22 , the backup storing speed and the data content for ten or more seconds to perform the backup operation . in one embodiment , the power management module 23 includes a power distribution module 231 for transforming the power and a real - time power supply switch module 232 coupled to the energy - storing module 22 , power supply module 21 and the power distribution module 231 . when the power supply module 21 operates normally , the power supply module 21 is electrically coupled to the power distribution module 231 and the power distribution module 231 provides the second operation power . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the real - time power supply switch module 232 changes the electrical connection of the power distribution module 231 from the power supply module 21 to the energy - storing module 22 so that the energy - storing module 22 utilizes the power distribution module 231 to provide the third operation power . the energy - storing module 22 is supercapacitor , i . e . electrochemical capacitors or storage battery . when the power supply module 21 operates normally , the power supply module 21 charges the energy - storing module 22 . for the purpose of controlling the charge process to prevent from inverse current , over - current , over - voltage and to protect the charging process of the power supply module 21 and the energy - storing module 22 , the power management module 23 further preferably includes a charge control module 233 coupled to the power supply module 21 and the energy - storing module 22 for protecting the charging process of the power supply module 21 and the energy - storing module 22 . fig3 is a schematic view of a server system according to second embodiment of the present invention . fig3 illustrates the power supply module 21 , energy - storing module 22 , the power distribution module 231 and the real - time power supply switch module 232 of the power management module 23 , and the connection relationship therebetween . other components and connection relationship of the server system are shown in fig2 . the real - time power supply switch module 232 includes a first switch unit 32 , inverse phase unit 34 and second switch unit 36 . when the power supply module 21 operates normally , the first signal is outputted and when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the second signal is outputted . the first and second signals are used to control the on / off statuses of the first switch unit 32 and the second switch unit 36 . in one embodiment , the first signal and the second signal are inversed signals or high / low level signals respectively , but not limited . in another embodiment , the real - time power supply switch module 232 in the server system of fig3 further includes a voltage division unit 31 , the dashed line representing the optional component , coupled to the power supply module 21 for dividing the output signal of the power supply module 21 into either the first signal or the second signal to be provided to the first switch unit 32 and the inverse phase unit 34 . in one case , when the outputting characteristic of the power supply module 21 is matched with the inputting characteristics of the first switch unit 32 and the inverse phase unit 34 , there is no need to divide the outputting signal of the power supply module 21 . the first switch unit 32 is electrically coupled to the voltage division unit 31 and the power distribution module 231 respectively and the first switch unit 32 is directly coupled to the power supply module 21 if the voltage division unit 31 is removed . when the power supply module 21 operates normally to provides the power , the power supply module 21 outputs the first signal to activate the first switch unit 32 so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . in one embodiment , the first switch unit 32 may be metal - oxide - semiconductor field - effect transistor ( mosfet ) to be turned on / off based on the output signal of the power supply module 21 . for example , mosfet turns on by a triggering signal with a high level . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power and outputs the high level signal ( i . e . first signal ), the first switch unit 32 is activated so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally and outputs the low level signal ( i . e . second signal ), the first switch unit 32 is inactivated so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to stop to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . the inverse phase unit 34 is electrically coupled to the voltage division unit 31 for inversing the output signal of the power supply module 21 , and the inverse phase unit 34 is directly coupled to the power supply module 21 if the voltage division unit 31 is removed . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power , the inverse phase unit 34 inverses the first signal from the power supply module 21 to generate an inversed first signal . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the inverse phase unit 34 inverses the second signal from the power supply module 21 to generate an inversed second signal . the second switch unit 36 is electrically coupled to the energy - storing module 22 , the inverse phase unit 34 and the power distribution module 231 . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power , the inverse phase unit 34 employs the inversed first signal to inactivate the second switch unit 36 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the inverse phase unit 34 employs the inversed second signal to activate the second switch unit 36 so that the energy - storing module 22 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the third operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . in one embodiment , the first switch unit 32 may be metal - oxide - semiconductor field - effect transistor ( mosfet ) to be turned on / off based on the inversed output signal by inversing the output signal of the power supply module 21 via the inverse phase unit 34 . for example , mosfet turns on by a triggering signal with a high level . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power and outputs the high level signal ( i . e . first signal ), the inverse phase unit 34 inverses the high level signal and outputs the low level signal to the second switch unit 36 for inactivating the second switch unit 36 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally and outputs the low level signal ( i . e . second signal ), the inverse phase unit 34 inverses the high level signal and outputs the high level signal to the second switch unit 36 for activating the second switch unit 36 so that the energy - storing module 22 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the third operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . in one embodiment , the inverse phase unit 34 is further coupled to the energy - storing module 22 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the energy - storing module 22 provides the power to the inverse phase unit 34 . the inverse phase unit 34 inverses the low level signal into high level signal for controlling the second switch unit 36 to be activated wherein the output signal is divided into the low level signal because the power failure of the power supply module 21 occurs . in another embodiment , the inverse phase unit 34 may be adopts different power supplying modes . in one embodiment , when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power , the first switch unit 32 is activated and the second switch unit 36 is inactivated so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the first switch unit 32 is inactivated and the inverse phase unit 34 inverses the low level signal to activate the second switch unit 36 so that the energy - storing module 22 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the third operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . fig4 is a schematic view of a server system according to third embodiment of the present invention . fig4 illustrates the power supply module 21 , energy - storing module 22 , the power distribution module 231 and the real - time power supply switch module 232 of the power management module 23 , and the connection relationship therebetween . other components and connection relationship of the server system are shown in fig2 . the real - time power supply switch module 232 includes a first switch unit 42 , inverse phase unit 44 and second switch unit 46 . when the power supply module 21 operates normally , the first signal is outputted and when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the second signal is outputted . the first and second signals are used to control the on / off statuses of the first switch unit 42 and the second switch unit 46 . in one embodiment , the first signal and the second signal are inversed signals or high / low level signals respectively , but not limited . in another embodiment , the real - time power supply switch module 232 in the server system of fig4 further includes a voltage division unit 41 ( the dashed line representing the optional component ) coupled to the power supply module 21 for dividing the output signal of the power supply module 21 into the first signal and the second signal to be provided to the inverse phase unit 44 and the second switch unit 46 . in one case , when the outputting characteristic of the power supply module 21 is matched with the inputting characteristics of the inverse phase unit 44 and the second switch unit 46 , there is no need to divide the outputting signal of the power supply module 21 . the inverse phase unit 44 is electrically coupled to the voltage division unit 41 and the power distribution module 231 respectively and the inverse phase unit 44 is directly coupled to the power supply module 21 if the voltage division unit 41 is removed . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power , the inverse phase unit 44 inverses the first signal from the power supply module 21 to generate an inversed first signal . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the inverse phase unit 44 inverses the second signal from the power supply module 21 to generate an inversed second signal . the first switch unit 42 is electrically coupled to the inverse phase unit 44 and the power distribution module 231 respectively . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power , the inverse phase unit 44 employs the inversed first signal to activate the first switch unit 42 so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . in one embodiment , the first switch unit 42 may be metal - oxide - semiconductor field - effect transistor ( mosfet ) to be turned on / off based on the output signal of the inverse phase unit 44 . for example , mosfet turns on by a low level signal . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power and outputs the high level signal ( i . e . first signal ), the inverse phase unit 44 inverses the high level signal into a low level signal which is provided to the first switch unit 42 for activating the first switch unit 42 so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally and outputs the low level signal ( i . e . second signal ), the inverse phase unit 44 inverses the low level signal into a high level signal which is provided to the first switch unit 42 for inactivating the first switch unit 42 so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to stop to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . the second switch unit 46 is electrically coupled to the voltage division unit 41 , energy - storing module 22 and the power distribution module 231 and the second switch unit 46 is directly coupled to the power supply module 21 if the voltage division unit 41 is removed . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power , the power supply module 21 outputs the first signal to inactivate the second switch unit 46 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the power supply module 21 outputs the second signal to activate the second switch unit 46 so that the energy - storing module 22 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the third operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . in one embodiment , the second switch unit 46 may be metal - oxide - semiconductor field - effect transistor ( mosfet ) to be turned on / off based on the output signal of the power supply module 21 . for example , mosfet turns on by a low level signal . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power and outputs the high level signal ( i . e . first signal ), the inverse phase unit 34 inverses the high level signal and outputs the low level signal to the second switch unit 36 for inactivating the second switch unit 36 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally and outputs the low level signal ( i . e . second signal ), the second switch unit 46 is activated so that the energy - storing module 22 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the third operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . in one embodiment , the inverse phase unit 44 is further coupled to the energy - storing module 22 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the energy - storing module 22 provides the power to the inverse phase unit 44 . the inverse phase unit 44 inverses the low level signal into high level signal for controlling the first switch unit 42 to be inactivated wherein the output signal is divided into the low level signal because the power failure of the power supply module 21 occurs . in another embodiment , the inverse phase unit 44 may be adopts different power supplying modes . in one embodiment , when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power , the inverse phase unit 44 inverses the high level signal into low level signal to activate the first switch unit 42 and the second switch unit 46 is inactivated so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the first switch unit 42 is inactivated and the second switch unit 46 is activated so that the energy - storing module 22 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the third operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . fig5 is a schematic view of a server system according to fourth embodiment of the present invention . fig5 illustrates the power supply module 21 , energy - storing module 22 , charge control module 233 , and the connection relationship therebetween . other components and connection relationship of the server system are shown in fig2 . the charge control module 233 is electrically coupled to the power supply module 21 and the energy - storing module 22 for controlling the charging procedure . in this case , the charge control module 233 includes an over - current protection unit 52 , a voltage - detecting unit 54 , a third switch unit 56 and a power control chip 58 . the over - current protection unit 52 is electrically coupled to the power supply module 21 for detecting the current magnitude transmitted from the power supply module 21 and for sending the detecting result to the power control chip 58 which is one of control parameters for turning on the third switch unit 56 . the voltage - detecting unit 54 is electrically coupled to the power supply module 21 for detecting the over - voltage ( ov ) and the under - voltage ( uv ) statuses of the power supply module 21 and for sending the detecting result to the power control chip 58 which is one of control parameters for turning on the third switch unit 56 . the third switch unit 56 is electrically coupled to the over - current protection unit 52 and the energy - storing module 22 . the power control chip 58 is electrically coupled to the over - current protection unit 52 , voltage - detecting unit 54 , third switch unit 56 and the energy - storing module 22 . based on at least one of the detected current magnitude of over - current protection unit 52 , the over - voltage and the under - voltage statuses of the voltage - detecting unit 54 and feedback information of the energy - storing module 22 , the third switch unit 56 is controlled to be activated or inactivated so that the power supply module 21 enables or disables the charging procedure of the energy - storing module 22 . in one embodiment , the third switch unit 56 is composed of transistors . the power control chip 58 controls the third switch unit 56 to be activated or inactivated for turning on / off the charging power transmitted from the power supply module 21 to the energy - storing module 22 . in one embodiment , the charge control module 233 further includes a management information unit 57 where the dashed line represents the optional component . the management information unit 57 is electrically coupled to the power control chip 58 for sending the status information and controlling the power control chip 58 based on the received information . for example , the management information unit 57 employs the i 2 c ( inter - integrated circuit ) protocol including serial clock line ( scl ) and serial data line ( sda ) and system management bus ( smbus ) protocol for sending the status information and controlling the power control chip 58 based on the received information . in one embodiment , the charge control module 233 further includes an enabling signal unit 59 where the dashed line represents the optional component . the enabling signal unit 59 is electrically coupled to the power control chip 58 for controlling the power control chip 58 to be activated or activated wherein the enabling signal unit 59 is controlled by external signal . in first embodiment , the resistor is pulled up to the high level signal or pulled down to low level signal to activate the power control chip 58 . in second embodiment , the enabling signal unit 59 controls the power supply of the power control chip 58 to be activated or inactivated . in third embodiment , the power control chip 58 controls itself power supply based on state information . in one case , when the enabling signal unit 59 activates the power control chip 58 , the power control chip 58 controls the third switch unit 56 to be activated so that the power supply module 21 charges the energy - storing module 22 if the over - current protection unit 52 detects no current magnitude , the voltage - detecting unit 54 detects no over - voltage and under - voltage statuses , and the energy - storing module 22 detects no feedback information of over - charging status . fig6 is a schematic view of a cluster system according to one embodiment of the present invention . the cluster system includes a plurality of server nodes 62 and at least one storage server 64 . the at least one storage server 64 is electrically coupled to the server nodes 62 . each server node 62 includes a power supply module 621 , an energy - storing module 622 , a power management module 623 and at least one motherboard 624 . the power supply module 621 provides a first operation power and the energy - storing module 622 provides a stored power . the power management module 623 electrically coupled to power supply module 621 and energy - storing module 622 receives first operation power and provides a second operation power , or receives the stored power and provides a third operation power . the at least one motherboard 624 includes at least one internal memory module 625 for storing memory data . the at least one motherboard 624 receives the second operation power or third operation power wherein the energy - storing module 622 may be supercapacitor , i . e . electrochemical capacitors or storage battery set . when the server node 62 operates normally , the power management module 623 transforms the received first operation power into the second operation power to be provided to the at least one motherboard 624 . when the server node is powered off abnormally , the power management module 623 instantly changes the received first operation power to the stored power and transforms the stored power into third operation power . the third operation power is provided for a time interval “ t ”. during the time interval “ t ”, a data backup module 627 installed in the operating system ( os ) 626 is used to backup the data of internal memory module 625 and the operation tasks to the storage server 64 . meanwhile , the data backup module 627 interrupts the electrical connection between the energy - storing module 622 and the power management module 623 . a data restoring module 628 in the os 626 of another server node 62 receives and loads the backup data in the internal memory module 625 of the storage server 64 and the operation tasks . the another server node 62 continuously operates at the status when the server node 62 is powered off abnormal so that the application program executed in the cluster system is taken over seamlessly . the data backup module 627 is implemented by software program to backup the data and operation tasks . the data restoring module 628 is implemented by software program to take over and load the backup data . in the present invention , when the application program executed in one server of the cluster system malfunctions due to power failure , another application program in another server is capable of taking over the data in relative storage of the one server so that the function of application program in the one server works normally . conventionally , the taking over procedure includes three steps of detecting and confirming the application program malfunction , restarting the application program by the backup server , and taking over the data in the relative storage region . in this case , it takes a long time to re - execute the another application program , which depends on the execution scale of the application program . in the server system and the cluster system of the present invention , the backup server instantly takes over the data and operation tasks of the malfunction server and it is not required to load the application program again so that the application program executed in the cluster system is taken over seamlessly . as is understood by a person skilled in the art , the foregoing preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrative rather than limiting of the present invention . it is intended that they cover various modifications and similar arrangements be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims , the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structure . | 8 |
with reference to fig1 a gas burner assembly 10 is shown which has a spray chamber 12 which , at one end , is in fluid communication with a nebuliser bung 14 . the nebuliser bung 14 has a baffle 16 which includes an orifice 18 . the baffle 16 divides the nebuliser bung into an inlet chamber 15 and an outlet chamber 19 . the outlet chamber 19 is in free fluid communication with the spray chamber 12 . a sample tube 17 for the supply of sample to the burner assembly 10 passes into the inlet chamber 15 of the bung 14 and terminates adjacent an inlet of the orifice 18 . in other embodiments the tube 17 could terminate just after the outlet side of orifice 18 . the chamber 15 also has a gas connector 21 which connects the chamber 15 to an oxidant line 22 . the chamber 19 has a gas connector 23 which connects the chamber 19 to a fuel line 24 . the fuel lines 22 and 24 connect with an oxidant inlet supply line 28 and a fuel inlet supply line 29 which are shown in fig2 . a gas burner 11 is coupled to the chamber 12 for receiving oxidant , fuel and sample mixture from the spray chamber 12 and for burning the mixture so that the sample can be analysed by directing a beam of electromagnetic radiation through the flame which is detected by a detector . sample atoms in the flame will absorb radiation and in particular wavelengths and thereby measuring the spectrum of the detected radiation enables the constituents of the sample to be determined . a pressure relief device such as a bung 29 is located in an opening 29 a in the spray chamber 12 so that in the event of an over pressure situation created in the spray chamber 12 , such as may be caused by flash - back , the bung can be expelled from the opening 29 a to release the pressure and minimise the damage caused by the backflash . the spray chamber 12 has a liquid trap 90 which is in the form of an s - bend for draining liquid from the spray chamber 12 which is aspirated into the spray chamber 12 with sample material through the sample supply tubes 17 . that liquid can drain through the trap 90 and from the trap 90 . the trap 90 is in the form of an s - bend so that a liquid plug 92 is maintained in the s - bend so as to form a seal to prevent the egress of fuel , oxidant and sample mixture from the chamber 12 . as shown in fig2 , the fuel supply line 28 has a first inlet branch 31 for the supply of air and a second inlet branch 32 for the supply of nitrus - oxide . the first branch 31 has a first solenoid valve 38 and the branch 32 has a second solenoid valve 39 for selectively shutting off the supply and nitrous - oxide through the branches 31 and 32 . the branches 31 and 32 are coupled to branch 33 which in is coupled to a pressure regulator 35 . the pressure regulator 35 has an outlet branch 36 and an outlet branch 37 . the first outlet branch 36 couples to a flow restrictor 38 which is formed by a significant length of tube ( which may be the same as the branch 36 ) and which is coiled to occupy as little space as possible within the gas box and to be neatly retained within the gas box . the flow resistor 38 connects to a branch 39 which couples to the line 22 . the branch 39 and line 22 may form a continuous piece of tube . a pressure transducer 30 for measuring the pressure in the line 22 is connected to the line 22 so as to provide a measure of the pressure in the line 22 and therefore the pressure within the spray chamber 12 . the measurement of the pressure in the spray chamber 12 is indicative of the flow of oxidant through the line 22 and provides an indication of whether the gas chamber 12 is properly interlocked . if the integrity of the gas burner 10 is not intact such as may be caused by the bung 29 not being located in the opening 29 a or not located correctly in the opening 29 , gas and fuel mixture will escape through the opening 29 a thereby reducing the pressure within the spray chamber 12 . this reduction in pressure will be measured by the pressure transducer 30 and if the pressure is not about equal to a predetermined pressure the control processing circuitry ( shown in fig3 and which will be described in more detail hereinafter ), can shut off flow of fuel and air to the spray chamber 12 to prevent operation of the burner 11 or , if the burner 11 is operating , shut off the burner 11 . typical spray chamber pressures under maximum flow are set out below . with an nox burner operating normally the above table shows normal operating pressure will be 675 pa . if the burner is an air acetylene burner the normal operating pressure within the spray chamber is 260 pa . if the burner or bung is missing the pressure will reduce to 70 pa and this will be measured by the transducer 30 . if the air acetylene burning is in place the liquid trap is empty the pressure in the spray chamber will drop to 200 pa . if the burner is , say 20 % clogged , the pressure will increase to 310 . if the nox burner is used and the liquid trap 90 is empty the pressure will drop to 510 pa and if the burner is 20 % clogged the pressure will increase to 875 pa . a 3 mm diameter leak in the system will reduce the pressure 235 pa . thus , by measuring these pressures with the transducer 30 an indication can be obtained as to a particular fault condition and the burner shut off or prevented from operating until the fault is rectified . as shown in fig2 , the branch 37 is also connected to the supply line 22 and a pressure transducer 30 is connected in the branch line 37 for measuring the pressure drop across the flow restrictor 38 . the fuel supply line 29 includes a branch 51 which has a pressure switch 60 which measures whether sufficient fuel pressure is being supplied in the branch 51 . if the pressure measured by the switch 60 is not sufficient to correctly operate the burner 11 the supply of fuel and / or air can be completely shut off as will be described in more detail with reference to fig3 . the branch 51 also includes a third solenoid valve 41 which has an output side connected to a branch 52 . the branch 52 includes a pressure transducer 81 . the output of the solenoid 40 is also connected to a branch 53 which includes a second flow restrictor 54 . the branch 53 also connects to an igniter line 55 which includes a four solenoid valve 41 . the igniter line 55 provides pure fuel to an igniter burner for creating a fuel flame , such as an acetylene flame , for igniting the burner 11 when required . the restrictor 54 connects to a branch 56 which includes a first flow control valve 50 , the branch 52 also joins with the branch 56 so that the pressure transducer 81 is connected across the flow restrictor 54 for measuring the pressure drop across the flow restrictor 54 . the branch 56 connects to fuel line 24 . the oxidant supply line 29 also includes a branch 57 which connects with the branch 37 and also the oxidant line 22 . the branch 57 has a second flow control valve 70 and the branch 57 also joins with the fuel line 24 . thus , the fuel supplied through the line 24 is a mixture of fuel , such as acetylene and also of oxidant such as air and nitrous - oxide . the pressure transducers 30 , 80 and 81 may be located on a control circuit board 72 which forms part of the control circuitry of the gas box shown in fig2 . the pressure transducer 30 is different from the pressure transducers 80 and 81 which receive inputs from each side of the respective restrictors 38 and 54 so that the pressure drop across those restrictors can be measured by the transducers 50 and 51 . the pressure transducer 30 simply measures the absolute value of the pressure within the line 22 and therefore within the spray chamber 12 . when fuel and oxidant is supplied to the lines 22 and 24 the supply of oxidant through the line 22 flows through the orifice 18 and into the chamber 19 where it mixes with fuel supplied through the line 24 . the flow of oxidant through the orifice 18 creates a venturi effect at the end of the supply tube 17 for facilitating the drawing of sample material through the tube 17 into the chamber 19 and then into the spray chamber 22 so that the fuel , oxidant and sample can mix in the spray chamber 22 for supply to the burner 11 for combustion by the burner 11 . when the spectrometer is initially turned on , oxidant can be supplied to the oxidant line 22 via the supply line 28 so as the pressurise the spray chamber 12 . the pressure in the spray chamber 12 will be measured by the pressure transducer 30 and if the pressure is within the required predetermined range an indication of the integrity of the spray chamber 12 can be made . thus , the operating sequence of the spectrometer may continue by supply of fuel to the fuel line 24 and ignition of the burner 11 . however , if the pressure within the spray chamber 12 is outside the predetermined range , fuel will not be supplied through the line 24 and the burner 11 will not be ignited because the low pressure reading will be taken as an indication that the spray chamber 12 has not been properly interlocked and either the bung 29 is missing or not correctly located in the opening 29 a , or a wrong burner 11 has been located on the spray chamber 12 or the spray chamber 12 is otherwise leaking . the burner 11 will therefore not be ignited and fuel will not be supplied through the line 24 until the fault is rectified . if the plug 92 is not in place or , it evaporates away for some reason , the escape of gas through the trap 90 will be detected by the pressure transducer 30 because the pressure within the chamber 12 will drop . thus , the pressure detected by the transducer 30 will be outside the predetermined range thereby cause a signal to be supplied to the micro - processor 100 which will shut off the solenoid valves 241 to prevent supply of oxidant and fuel to the chamber 12 . fig3 is a block circuit diagram showing the control operation of the spectrometer and in particular of the gas box shown in fig2 . the solenoids 38 to 41 are connected to micro - processor 100 which also receives control signals from the pressure switch 60 the flow control valves 50 and 70 and the pressure transducers 80 and 81 . the micro - processor 100 will initially open solenoid valves 38 and 39 for supply of oxidant through line 28 to oxidant line 22 and then to chamber 12 . if the pressure transducer 30 measures that the pressure within the chamber 12 is within the predetermined range the micro - processor 100 will open solenoid valves 40 and 41 so that fuel can flow through the line 29 to the fuel line 24 so that the oxidant , fuel and sample mixture can mix in the chamber 12 for supply to the burner 11 . the supply of fuel through the branch line 55 will also enable the igniter to be ignited so that the burner 11 can be ignited to produce a flame for analyses . the pressure switch 60 will measure the flow of fuel in the branch line 51 and if the pressure of the fuel is not sufficiently high to create a stable flame then the pressure switch 60 will supply a signal to the micro - processor 100 which will cause the solenoids 38 to 41 to be shut off to stop supply of oxidant and fuel until the fault is rectified . the pressure regulator 35 regulates the pressure supplied in the branch lines 36 and 37 so that the pressure of oxidant supplied to the line 22 and also the line 24 can be a certain pressure to produce a predetermined flow rate to produce a flame at the burner 11 of the desired characteristics . the nature of the flame 11 at the burner can be modified by the pressure of oxidant and fuel supplied through the oxidant line 22 and fuel line 24 and an indication of the supply of oxidant and fuel is made by measuring the pressure drop across the flow restrictors 38 and 54 by the transducers 80 and 81 . the transducers 80 and 81 supply signals to the microprocessor 100 indicative of the pressure drop across the restrictors 38 and 54 and from that information an indication can be made as to the supply of fuel and oxidant to the chamber 12 and therefore the nature of the flame produced at the burner 11 . if it is desired to modify the flame 11 the microprocessor can output signals to the first and second control valves 50 and 70 so as to control those valves to modify the amount of fuel and oxidant supplied to the fuel line 24 to inturn alter the characteristics of the flame . thus , the supply of the oxidant and fuel can be controlled by the flow control valves 50 and 70 which , inturn control , by measuring the pressure drop across the flow restrictors 38 and 54 . the flow control valves 50 and 70 are linear solenoid valves which , as will be apparent from the above description , can control the flow of fluid into the line 24 from the branch 57 and the branch 56 between a predetermined maximum and a predetermined minimum flow rate . the micro - processor 100 shown in fig3 is also connected a mains supply sensor m for determining that main supply power is present and also to an infer - red sensor is which detects that a flame is actually present at the burner 11 . if the infer - red detector is does not detect the flame a signal is provided to the micro - processor 100 so that supply of fuel and oxidant can be shut of by shutting of the solenoid valves 38 and 41 . the flow restrictors 38 and 54 which are in the form of a length of tube provide a pressure drop by virtue of the length of the tube involved and which is created of skin friction of the fluid passing through the tubes which form the restrictors 38 and 54 . the amount of skin friction and the pressure drop which it creates is dependant on the viscosity of the fluid supplied through the restrictors 38 and 54 an since this is substantially constant , a very accurate and reliable pressure drop can be obtained by the restrictors 38 and 54 simply by making the restrictors 38 and 54 of a desired length . since it is easy to determine the length of the tubes which will form the restrictors 38 and 54 the very accurate pressure drop can be obtained in a very simple manner because it simply requires the use of a tube to form the restrictors 38 and 54 of a required length . the required length can easily be determined and installed in the supply lines 28 and 29 . since modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may readily be effected by persons skilled within the art , it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described by way of example hereinabove . | 5 |
fig1 illustrates a cross section of a sensor and corresponding light paths . the sensor comprises a light source ( 21 ), which irradiates illumination optics ( 23 ). the light source ( 21 ) is preferably a diode laser with a wavelength from 400 nm to 800 nm , but preferably with a wavelength of 635 or 650 nm . the illumination optics ( 23 ) divide the beam into two parts , namely a sensing beam ( 12 ) and a reference beam ( 13 ) which are incident on incoupling regions ( 3 , 5 ) of the waveguide ( 2 ) preferably through a substrate ( 1 ). the sensing beam ( 12 ) excites a sensing wave ( 14 ) in a waveguide ( 2 ) through a first incoupling region ( 3 ), the former subsequently traversing a sensing area ( 4 ). the sensing area ( 4 ) is provided with an additional layer ( 7 ) which can bind a ( bio -) chemical substance from the analyte ( 8 ). the analyte ( 8 ) can be either a liquid or a gas . through the second incoupling region ( 5 ) a reference wave ( 15 ) is excited in the waveguide ( 2 ) by the reference beam ( 13 ). the sensing wave ( 14 ) passes through the second incoupling region ( 5 ) and is thereby attenuated . according to the invention the sensing wave ( 14 ) is attenuated by the second incoupling region ( 5 ) at most to five percent of its amplitude in front of the second incoupling region ( 5 ), and preferably at most to a tenth or to one fifth or to one third . behind the second incoupling region ( 5 ), both waves , ( 14 ) and ( 15 ), interfere , so that the interference signal can be recorded by a suitable detector ( 22 ), preferably by a photodiode , a cmos camera or a line detector . the light source ( 21 ) and the detector ( 22 ) are preferably controlled , or read out , by the same control unit ( 20 ). in a preferred embodiment the waveguide ( 2 ) consists of a layer of 120 nm - 150 nm thickness made from highly refractive metal oxide ( n = 2 . 1 . . . 2 . 4 ), and is excited by tm polarization , and the incoupling regions ( 3 , 5 ) comprise gratings of a length of 200 μm , which are etched into the waveguide ( 2 ) or in the substrate ( 1 ) under the waveguide ( 2 ) in a known manner to a depth of about 5 . . . 15 nm . fig2 illustrates another cross section through a sensor and corresponding light paths . behind the second incoupling region ( 5 ) an outcoupling region ( 6 ) is provided by which the interference signal is coupled out and impinges on the detector ( 22 ) as signal beam ( 16 ). in a preferred embodiment , the outcoupling region ( 6 ) comprises grating couplers , which have a different grating period than the incoupling gratings . fig3 illustrates another cross section through a sensor and corresponding light paths . a phase modulator is provided in the path of the reference beam ( 13 ), such as the phase of the reference beam ( 13 ) ( 13 ′) can be modulated after emerging from the phase modulator according to the setting of a control unit ( 20 ). to achieve this , the useful polarization direction pu , at least , is phase - modulated . the direction of the useful polarization pu depends on the polarization of the waves to be excited in the waveguide ( 2 ). the illustrated preferred polarization direction perpendicular to the propagation of the light beam and in the plane of the page is suitable to stimulate tm waves in the waveguide ( 2 ). in the case of the excitation of te waves ( not depicted ), the useful polarization direction pu lies perpendicular to the propagation of the light beam and perpendicular to the plane of the page . preferably , the sensing beam ( 12 ) can be also phase - modulated in , so that the phase of the sensing beam ( 12 ′) can be modulated after emerging from the phase modulator according to the setting of a control unit ( 20 ). thereby , an interference signal based on the setting of the control unit is created , which is recorded by the detector ( 22 ), and is evaluated by the control unit ( 20 ). fig4 illustrates another cross section of a sensor and corresponding light paths . in addition , two polarizers ( 33 , 34 ) are attached , which are passed through by a phase reference beam ( 17 ). the phase reference beam ( 17 ) can be modulated in intensity through the suitable orientation of the polarizers ( 33 , 34 ), displayed in fig7 . afterwards , this intensity modulation is recorded by a phase reference detector ( 25 ), and is evaluated by the control unit ( 20 ). fig5 illustrates a layer succession of a liquid crystal cell phase modulator ( 24 ). the liquid crystal cell consists of a first and second substrate with electrodes ( 31 , 32 ), and a nematic liquid crystal layer sandwiched in between ( 30 ). the molecules in the boundary regions of the substrates ( 31 , 32 ) are oriented in a known manner , preferably by a rubbed polyimide layer , in a direction anti - parallel to the directions r 1 and r 2 , so that the extraordinary axis of the liquid crystal molecules lies in the plane of the direction of the useful polarization pu . in addition , the liquid crystal between the substrates ( 31 , 32 ) has no , or only a small , twist . the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules can be modified in a known manner by applying a voltage through the voltage source ( 35 ) and set by the control module , so that the phase of the light beam is modulated accordingly in the useful polarization direction pu . in a preferred embodiment the cell has a gap of 4 μm filled with a liquid crystal having a birefringence of δn ≈ 0 . 23 ( as for example liquid crystals with product name merck e7 ). fig6 illustrates another layer succession of a liquid crystal cell phase modulator ( 24 ). here , only the first substrate ( 31 ) includes a planar orientation layer in the direction r 1 of the useful polarization pu , while the second one ( 32 ) includes a homeotropic orientation layer . the resulting so - called hybrid aligned nematic ( han ) cell has the advantage of shorter molecule reorienting times , called switching times . in another preferred embodiment ( not illustrated ), the first substrate layer ( 31 ) comprises a homeotropic orientation layer , and the second substrate layer ( 32 ) comprises a planar orientation layer in the direction of the useful polarization pu . in a preferred embodiment the cell has a gap of 6 μm filled with a liquid crystal having a birefringence of δn ≈ 0 . 23 ( as for example liquid crystals with product name merck e7 ). fig7 illustrates another layer succession of a liquid crystal cell phase modulator ( 24 ). in this further preferred embodiment , both electrodes on the substrates are divided into two partial electrodes ( 31 , 31 ′) and ( 32 , 32 ′), so that two different areas are created within the liquid crystal cell , which can be independently controlled by two voltage sources ( 35 ′, 35 ″) depending on the setting of a control unit ( not illustrated ). the area illuminated by the reference beam ( 13 ) is illustrated in the activated state ( that is , a voltage is applied ), while the area illuminated by the sensing beam ( 12 ) is illustrated in the inactivated state ( that is , no voltage is applied ). in the illustrated preferred embodiment , the liquid crystal element is a so - called pi cell and both substrates ( 31 . 31 ′), ( 32 . 32 ′) comprise a planar rubbed orientation layer in the directions r 1 , r 2 being mutually parallel . this cell has the advantage of even faster switching times than the han cell . in a preferred embodiment , the cell has a gap of 6 μm filled with a liquid crystal having a birefringence of δn ≈ 0 . 23 ( as for example liquid crystals with product name merck e7 ). in a further preferred embodiment ( not illustrated ), only one partial area defined by the electrode separation is controlled , while the electrodes of the second partial area are short - circuited . in another embodiment ( not illustrated ), only one of both electrodes ( 31 , 32 ) is divided , while the other spans both partial areas . in a further preferred embodiment , polarizers ( 33 , 34 ) are additionally attached to both substrates ( 31 , 32 ), which in known manner convert the phase modulation of a phase reference beam ( 17 ) into an intensity - modulated beam ( 17 ′). to achieve this , the polarizers ( 33 , 34 ) are attached to form an angle preferably at least close to 45 ° with respect to the rubbing directions r 1 , r 2 . fig8 illustrates the perspective view of a sensor comprising five sensing channels . the sensor comprises three different adlayers ( 7 b , 7 c , 7 d ) within the sensing area ( 4 ), which can bind different substances from the analyte ( 8 ) ( not displayed , in contact with the adlayers ). in addition , the sensor comprises two reference sensing fields ( 7 ′ a , 7 ′ e ) without additional layers , delivering a background signal . the sensor preferably comprises optional imaging optics ( 26 ) with which the interference signals at the waveguide face ( not displayed ) are focused onto the detector ( 22 ). the imaging optics ( 26 ) consist preferably of a positive cylinder lens , and the detector ( 22 ) consists preferably of a line camera . in another preferred embodiment , a discrete detector , preferably a photodiode , is associated to every sensing channel . fig9 illustrates the perspective view of a sensor comprising 16 sensing channels . as in the previous embodiment , the sensor comprises two first incoupling regions ( 3 ′, 3 ″), two sensing areas ( 4 ′, 4 ″), two second incoupling regions ( 5 ′, 5 ″) and two outcoupling regions ( 6 ′, 6 ″). the incoupling regions ( 3 ′, 3 ″, 5 ′, 5 ″) and outcoupling regions ( 6 ′, 6 ″) comprise one single continuous coupling pad . fig1 illustrates the cross section and top view of a sensor , where the coupling regions are formed as gratings in a cover ( 40 ′, 40 ″) being in contact with the waveguide ( 2 ). thereby , the coupling gratings are not in contact with the analyte ( 8 ), and can be manufactured at a reasonable price . to avoid the influence of parasitic reflections ( not displayed ), which are caused by the border between the cover ( 40 ′, 40 ″) and the analyte ( 8 ) due to the difference in index of refraction , the separating wall is placed askew , with respect to the grating lines , by between 5 ° and 45 °, according to the invention . in a preferred embodiment , the cover ( 40 ′, 40 ″) consists of a replicated part made of pmma , and the grating formed out in it is placed closer than 50 nm to the waveguide ( 2 ). fig1 illustrates the top view of a sensor , wherein the coupling regions are formed as a grating in a cover ( 40 ′, 40 ″) being in contact with the waveguide ( 2 ). in doing so , the grating is placed askew , with respect to the grating lines , by between 5 ° and 45 °, according to the invention , to avoid the influence of parasitic reflections ( not displayed ). fig1 illustrates the top view of a sensor , wherein the first and second incoupling gratings are illuminated under an oblique angle δ of over 5 °, so that the sensing waves ( 14 ) and reference waves ( 14 ) propagate in a direction not perpendicular to the grating lines and the border of the described plastic cover ( 40 ′, 40 ″) to avoid the influence of parasitic reflections ( not displayed ). fig1 illustrates a signal trajectory of a phase modulator control , and corresponding phases and interferogram trajectory . the upper graph shows a periodic square signal with amplitude u 1 , period τ 2 and duration τ 1 which is used to control the modulator , especially to control a liquid crystal cell . the middle graph shows the trajectory of the phase depending on the voltage regulation . in the case of a liquid crystal modulator , the inertia of the molecules causes a delay for the modulator to reach the maximum phase modulation with respect to the voltage regulation , typically some hundred microseconds or some milliseconds . when switching off the voltage , this phenomenon is even more marked ; that is , the molecules return to their original position only after a longer time of typically some milliseconds . the lower graph shows the trajectory of an intensity modulation , for example the interference signal between the sensing wave ( 14 ) and the reference wave ( 15 ), or the phase reference signal modulated in intensity . two measuring regions r 1 and r 2 can be identified , in which the corresponding interference signal can be recorded . in a preferred embodiment , a liquid crystal modulator is operated using a square wave voltage having an amplitude of u 1 = 5v , a frequency 1 / τ 2 of 50 hz and a sampling rate τ 1 / τ 2 of 0 . 2 . | 6 |
referring to fig3 and 4 , a cell , in accordance with the present invention , includes proton exchange membrane 8 having an anode 3 and a cathode 7 . the periphery of membrane 8 is installed between a pair of protector plates 20 and cell frames 21 . oxygen screen pack 43 is installed inside of protector plate 20 and cell frame 21 between oxygen separator plate 45 and oxygen anode 3 . hydrogen screen pack 22 is installed inside of protector plate 20 and cell frame 21 between hydrogen separator plate 23 and hydrogen cathode 7 . the gaskets 24 , frames 21 , protector plates 20 , membrane 8 , electrode assemblies , and separator plates 23 , 45 all include ports 25 , 31 and mounting holes 27 . typically multiple cells 1 are arranged in an axial fashion with tie rods passing through mounting holes 27 to hold the cells in place between end plates . with the cells arranged in this manner inlet ports 25 in the individual components form separate conduits that provide fluid communication with a gas generator system . the cell frame 21 is shown in a configuration suitable for the oxygen side ( anode ) of an electrolysis cell and includes inlet manifold cavities 29 , positioned at inlet ports 25 to facilitate the passage of process water to active area 16 . certain ports within cell frame 21 function as outlet ports 26 for exhausting fluids and oxygen gas from the active area process water 2 emerges from inlet ports 25 , and reacts on the anode 3 to produce oxygen gas 4 ( see fig5 ). the oxygen gas 4 and excess water 12 flow toward outlet manifold cavities 30 and ports 26 . the ports 25 , 26 are advantageously arranged as inlet and outlet ports which may be blocked off or connected in communication with each other to attain a substantially uniform flow field , void of stagnant areas . in one arrangement , the inlet ports 25 , are oriented on opposite sides of the frame from one another , while outlet ports 26 , similarly located on opposite sides of the frame , are located orthogonal to the flow from the inlet ports 25 . in other words , the inlet ports are located at 12 o &# 39 ; clock and 6 o &# 39 ; clock , while the outlet ports are located at about 3 o &# 39 ; clock and 9 o &# 39 ; clock . ( see fig4 ) referring to fig5 a similar embodiment comprises double inlet ports 25 disposed on one side of the cell frame , double outlet ports 26 disposed on the opposite side of the cell frame , with an inlet port 25 and an outlet port 26 disposed approximately halfway around the cell frame between the double inlet ports and double outlet ports , with a similar inlet port and outlet port arrangement on the opposite side of the cell frame again , about half way between the double outlet ports and double inlet ports . note , it is understood and anticipated that arrangements with the inlet and outlet ports evenly and otherwise distributed around the cell frame can also be employed . in this particular configuration the stagnant areas of the prior art are eliminated . in another embodiment , multiple inlet ports , preferably about 4 , are located on one side of the cell frame while multiple outlet ports are located on the substantially opposite side of the cell frame ( see fig6 ). this arrangement reduces pressure drop while improving the flow field . in a particularly preferred embodiment , ports would be located substantially around the periphery of the cell frame , i . e ., about ten or more ports . the ports employed as inlet ports , outlet ports , and those merely blocked off would be determined according to the particular application with the blocked - off ports being blocked off using the manifolds and inserts described below . an alternative embodiment includes an additional pair of ports positioned in frame 21 in proximity to stagnation area 117 ( see fig2 ). in this particular configuration , the additional ports are connected as inlet ports and provide a low pressure drop fluid shunt to cause additional fluid to flow through the interconnected ports , further hydrating the membranes in this region . additionally , various geometry ports can be used to transport the various volumes of fluids without adjustment of the frame width . the preferred port shape is dependent upon the necessary volume flow rate of the fluid and cell size limitation . for example , ports 25 , 26 preferably have an elongated geometry , such as oval or the like , to accommodate the high fluid volume of water and oxygen , while hydrogen ports 31 which require a lower flow rate are typically circular . in addition to the manifold cavities 29 , the ports 25 , 26 , 31 , cell frame 21 further includes frame seal ridges 32 . although seal ridges can be positioned across the cell frame as is shown in relation to the opposite side of the cell frame 21 , it is preferred to employ a rib 33 , with sealing ridges 32 positioned on rib 33 ( see fig7 ). the rib 33 functions as a support to hold a protector plate in place within the cell frame during assembly of a cell stack . an embodiment of the opposite side of cell frame 21 comprises a frame sealing area 34 also having frame seal ridges 32 , preferably positioned in a concentric pattern about the circumference of the frame , and port seal areas 35 having port seal ridges 36 , preferably positioned in concentric patterns about the ports ( see fig8 ). once assembled and during operation , these seal ridges 32 establish a fluid tight seal , thereby preventing leaking of fluid from the ports . similar to ports 25 , 26 manifold cavities 29 , 30 preferably comprise manifold grooves 37 , as is shown in greater detail in fig9 . manifold cavities 29 , 30 are adapted to receive removable manifold inserts 38 which includes insert grooves 39 disposed laterally therein ( see fig1 a and 10b ). in one embodiment of the present invention , manifold grooves 37 align with insert grooves 39 to form substantially round manifold passages allowing fluid communication between port 25 and active area 16 . note , these passages can have any geometry capable of creating laminar flow with substantially no stagnant areas . referring to fig1 a and 11b , alternative inserts 46 include one or more protrusions , e . g . blocking ribs 47 , in certain insert groove locations so that upon positioning the inserts 46 in the manifold cavity , blocking ribs 47 block selective manifold cavity grooves 37 , thereby reducing the manifold capacity . blocking ribs 47 can block any combination or all of the cavity grooves 37 . referring to fig1 a and 12b , still other embodiments of manifold insert 48 include complete fluid passageways 49 passing completely therethrough . it is within the scope of the present invention that manifold insert 48 have fluid passageways 49 of various capacities and numbers disposed therein or to have no fluid passageways , such that insert 48 becomes a blank to completely block off fluid communication between a port and the active area . the manifold insert of these alternative embodiments are utilized with inlet and outlet manifold cavities manufactured without manifold features but are adapted to removably receive the alternative embodiments of manifold inserts . in this particular embodiment the capacity and location of the inlet and outlet manifolds can be readily varied by varying the type and placement of the alternative inserts . referring now to fig1 there is shown protector plate 20 , water ports 25 , 26 , mounting holes 27 and hydrogen ports 31 . the holes 27 and ports 25 , 26 , 31 align with the holes 27 and ports 25 , 26 , 31 included in the cell frame described hereinabove , when assembled . protector plate 20 further includes plate sealing ridges 40 and protector bridge 42 , which can be beveled . the operation of an inlet port 25 is described with reference to fig3 which shows a cross section of a partial assembly of a cell taken through the center of inlet port 25 . the cell 1 is assembled by positioning manifold insert 38 in cell frame 21 such that manifold groove 37 is axially aligned with insert groove 39 . protector plate 20 is then positioned inside of rib 33 and preferably held in frame 21 during assembly by an adhesive material such as epoxy or by ultrasonic welding . oxygen screen pack 43 is installed inside the active area of the frame assembly , within protective bridge 42 of the protector plate 20 , which prevents the edge of the screen packs 43 , 22 from pinching membrane 8 and prevents the membrane 8 from extruding into the edges of the screen packs . gasket 24 is held in place against sealing ridges 32 by a similar adhesive . as stated above , sealing ridges 32 , in combination with gasket 24 , creates a fluid tight seal which prevents leaks from port 25 . anode 3 , membrane 8 and cathode 7 are then installed within frame 21 . the same sequence is followed assembling the hydrogen side components . note , additional conventional components such as shims , flat plates , gaskets , etc ., can also be used . in operation , process water 2 enters port 25 and a portion is diverted into a fluid communication channel comprised of manifold groove 37 and insert groove 39 . a portion of process water 2 , not diverted into the grooves 37 , 39 , continues along conduit 25 formed by axially aligned holes in the components , and enters subsequent cells in the cell stack positioned outside of the cell 1 shown . the process water diverted into the manifold is channeled through screen pack 43 and into anode 3 where the electrochemical reactions take place . as discussed herein earlier , the reaction is facilitated by electrical potential applied across the anode 3 and cathode 7 , thereby producing oxygen gas . the oxygen gas and a portion of the process water exit the cell through similar manifold and porting arrangements positioned elsewhere along the inside periphery of the frame . protons and water , in the form of hydronium ions , migrate across the membrane to cathode 7 where hydrogen gas forms . the hydrogen gas and electro - osmotically dragged water also exit the cell through a similar manifold and porting arrangement . the electrochemical cell frame having the above - described features enables low cost manifolding , good flow distribution with high fluids flow rates , low end plate loading and enhanced protection from screen pack induced membrane damage . due to the flexibility provided by the inserts , a single cell frame design can be used in numerous applications having different flow rate and / or flow field requirements . while preferred embodiments have been shown and described , various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation . | 2 |
the present invention relates to mutant interleukin 6 having a biological activity on human cells that is significantly superior to that shown by wild interleukin 6 . as is known , interleukin 6 ( hereinafter also indicated as il - 6 ) is a 184 amino acid polypeptide postulated to belong to the class of helical cytokines . il - 6 is a multi - functional cytokine produced by a variety of cell types . it acts as a differentiation and growth factor on cells of various types , for example cells of the immune system , hepatocytes , kidney cells , hematopoietic stem cells , keratinocytes and neurons ( akira , s ., hirano , t . taga , t . and kishimoto , t . ( 1990 ) faseb j . 4 , 2861 - 2867 ; hirano , t . ( 1991 ) international j . of cell cloning 9 , 166 - 186 ; hirano , t ., akira , s ., taga , t . and kishimoto , t . ( 1990 ) immunol . today 11 , 443 - 449 ; van snick , j ., cayphas , s ., vink , a ., uyttenhove c ., coulie , p . g . and simpson , r . j . ( 1986 ) proc . natl . acad . sci . usa , 83 , 9679 - 9683 ). the three - dimensional model of human interleukin 6 ( hil - 6 ) is based on the similarity of its hydrophobicity pattern with that of other cytokines and on the x - ray determination of the structure of proteins such as , for example , the growth hormone , interleukin 2 , interleukin 4 , interferon - beta and the granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor . the resulting model , that is to say a bundle of four alpha - helices ( a , b , c and d ) with up - up - down - down topology connected by means of three loops , suggests that the nine carboxy - terminal amino acids could be folded into an alpha - helix or a non - helicoidal conformation interacting with residues in the a - b loop could be adopted . experiments carried out during the present invention favour this second , non - helicoidal conformation . in this region others have already underlined the importance from a point of view of biological activity of the arginine in position 182 and methionine in position 184 . it has now been unexpectedly found that the mutant interleukin 6 , subject of the present invention , with the amino acid arginine in position 176 , in place of the amino acid serine as is the case in wild interleukin 6 , shows a biological activity significantly higher than that of wild interleukin 6 . this is an extremely important result because of its effects in the field of medicine . the improved biological activity of mutant interleukin 6 according to the present invention makes it possible to use therapeutic doses between 2 and 4 times lower than those required when using wild interleukin 6 in the treatment of a number of serious diseases . in fact , interleukin 6 has important and promising applications in the treatment of breast cancer , leukemia , infectious diseases and diseases connected with disorders connected with bone marrow stem cells . subject of the present invention is therefore mutant interleukin 6 , characterized in that it has , in position 176 , the amino acid arginine instead of the amino acid serine as in wild interleukin 6 , and in that it shows biological activity on human cells superior to that of wild interleukin 6 . in particular , the biological activity of mutant interleukin 6 according to the present invention can be between three and five times higher than that of wild type interleukin 6 . the present invention also relates to a non - glycosylated polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of mutant interleukin 6 by substitution ser 176 arg . the invention also relates to recombinant vectors comprising a dna sequence coding for said polypeptide , and to transformed microorganisms containing it . the invention also relates to a process for preparation of said non - glycosylated polypeptide by culture of said transformed microorganisms and subsequent recovery of the polypeptide . finally , the invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions -- for treatment of breast cancer , leukemia , infectious diseases connected with disorders of the bone marrow stem cells , and thrombocytopenia -- containing , as active principle , mutant interleukin 6 with the amino acid arginine in position 176 . such compounds can be administered i . v . the increased biological activity of mutant interleukin 6 according to the present invention is to be related to the increase affinity for the human interleukin 6 receptor , in the c - terminal region , due to the substitution , as residue 176 , of serine with arginine . the plasmid pbks il - 6 ser176arg containing the nucleotidic sequence coding for mutant interleukin 6 according to the invention , non - glycosilated . this has been deposited in e . coli k12 with the national collection of industrial and marine bacteria ltd ., 28 st . machar dr ., aberdeen , scotland uk ab2 1ry , on feb . 11 , 1992 under the terms of the budapest treaty and having access number ncimb 40526 . up to this point a general description has been given of the present invention . with the aid of the following examples , a more detailed description will now be given of embodiments thereof , to give a clearer understanding of its objects , characteristics , advantages and methods of application . ser176arg substitution interleukin 6 was generated using the pcr strategy ( as illustrated in fontaine , v ., savino , r ., arcone , r ., brakenhoff , j . p . j ., content , j . and ciliberto , g . ( 1992 ) eur . j . biochem ; and represented in seq id no : 2 which corresponds , from nucleotide 11 to the end , to positions 506 to 555 ( antisense strand ) of il - 6 dna ( assuming + 1 the first nucleotide of the first codon of the sequence coding for the mature polypeptide ). the nucleotidic sequence coding for the mature polypeptide and the amino acid sequence of the mature polypeptide are shown in the attached sequence listing as seq id no : 1 purification of the amplified fragments , ligation in the pbks il - 6 vector , screening and characterization of the mutant plasmids were carried out as described in the above mentioned work by fontaine et al . some of the mutant cdnas were subcloned into e . coli expression vector pt7 . 7 ( studier , f . w . and moffatt , b . a . ( 1986 ) j . mol . biol . 189 , 113 - 130 ); this was accomplished by excising the chosen cdnas with spei and xhoi and ligating them in pt7 . 7 cut with xbai ( compatible with spei ) and sali ( compatible with xhoi ). the mutant protein was expressed in two different ways , which will be indicated with a ) and b ) in the following . all mutant plasmids and pbks il - 6 were linearized using asp 718 . approximately one μg of dna template was transcribed using the mcap rna capping kit ( stratagene , la jolla , calif .) according to the instructions furnished by the manufacturer . the transcribed rnas were translated with rabbit reticolocytis lysate ( promega ) for 90 minutes at 30 ° c . in presence of 35 s - methionine ( amersham ); 3 μl of the translation cocktail were analyzed by electrophoresis in 15 % sds - page ( as described in fiorillo , m . t ., cabibbo , a ., iacopetti , p ., fattori e . and ciliberto , g . ( 1992 ) eur . j . 22 , 2609 - 2615 ). after exposure , the bands corresponding to wild type and mutant hil - 6 were excised from the polyacrylamide gel and their radioactivity was determined . the values were normalized taking into account the number of methionines present . wild type and mutant hil - 6 were expressed in e . coli and purified exactly as described in arcone , r ., pucci , p ., zappatosta , f ., fontaine , v ., malorni , a ., marino , g . and ciliberto , g . ( 1991 ) eur . j . biochem 198 , 541 - 547 ; and in fiorillo , m . t ., cabibbo , a ., iacopetti , p ., fattori , e . and ciliberto , g . ( 1992 ) eur . j . immunol . 22 , 2609 - 2615 . the purity of the proteins was checked by electrophoresis in 15 % sds - page and staining with comassie brilliant blue r - 250 . their amount was quantified by bio - rad protein assay ( bio - rad ). the biological activity of the mutant of interest was determined first of all on cells of human origin . the activity of hil - 6 on human cells was assayed for its ability to enhance transcription from acute phase gene promoters in cells of hepatic origin ( morrone , g ., ciliberto , g ., oliviero , s ., arcone , r ., dente , l ., content , j . and cortese , r . ( 1988 ) j . biol . chem . 263 , 12554 - 12558 ). the mutant has therefore been tested as regards its ability to induce cat ( chloramphenicolacetyltransferase ) activity from a fusion of c - reactive protein promotor ( crp ) and cat transfected into the human hepatoma cell line hep3b ( arcone , r ., gualandi , g . and ciliberto , g . ( 1988 ) nucleic acids res ., 16 , 3195 - 3207 ; fiorillo , m . t ., cabibbo , a ., iacopetti , p ., fattori , e ., ciliberto , g . ( 1992 ) eur . j . immunol . 22 , 2609 - 2615 ). the results obtained using this system are of particular importance , as they depend on the efficiency of the interaction of cytokine with the homologous receptor system . in particular , human hep3b cells were transfected with 45 - 50 / ug of the plasmid - 219 crp - cat containing the il - 6 responsive element of the crp promoter gene . transfection was performed in 20 ml of dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle medium ( dmem , gibco ) supplemented with serum 10 % fetal calf and 2 mm l - glutamine using the calcium phosphate precipitation technique ( graham , i . f . l . and van der eb , a . j . ( 1973 ) virology 52 , 456 - 467 ). after 16 - 18 hours , precipitates were removed , cells were trypsinized , pooled , counted and plated in equal number ( 10 5 to 3 × 10 5 ) in 5 cm diameter petri dishes ; 7 - 9 hours after plating , cells were induced for 36 - 40 hours with increasing amounts of mutant or wild - type hil - 6 . cell extracts and cat assays were performed as described by gorman , c . ( 1985 ) in &# 34 ; dna cloning ; a practical approach &# 34 ; ( glover , m . d ., ed .) pages 143 - 190 , irl press , oxford . the assay was carried out in duplicate ( in triplicate in case of wild type hil - 6 ) with serial dilutions of two to four independent preparations of mutant . the activity of the mutant , expressed as a percent of wild type hil - 6 , was calculated as the ratio between the amount of wild type hil - 6 and the amount of the mutant under examination necessary to give half maximal stimulation . giving the biological activity of wild type interleukin 6 to be 100 % in this assay , the biological activity of mutant interleukin 6 according to the present invention , with ser176arg ( s176r ) substitution , shows , as reported in the following table 1 , a value of 370 ± 90 %, which is thus a value equal to three to four times that of the wild type protein . table 1______________________________________comparison cf receptor binding and biological activity biological activity hil - 6r bindingmutation (% of wt hil - 6 ) (% of wt hil - 6 ) ______________________________________s176r 370 ± 90 % 320 ± 87 % ______________________________________ affinity for the soluble hil6 receptor of mutant hil6 produced in e . coli compared to the observed biological activity . mutant interleukin 6 according to the present invention has also been tested using the classical hgf ( hybridoma growth factor ) assay for its ability to stimulate growth of the hil - 6 dependent murine hybridoma cell line 7td1 ( van snick , j ., cayphas , s ., vink , a ., uyttenhove , c ., coulie , p . g . and simpson , r . j . ( 1986 ) proc . natl . acad . sci . usa , 83 , 9679 - 9683 ). the assay was performed taking into account the indications of fiorillo , m . t ., cabibbo , a ., iacopetti , p ., fattori , e . and ciliberto , g . ( 1992 ) eur . j . immunol . 22 , 2609 - 2615 . in this case also a significant increase in biological activity has been seen in the mutant interleukin 6 with respect to the wild type . __________________________________________________________________________sequence listing ( 1 ) general information :( iii ) number of sequences : 2 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 1 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 555 base pair ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : cdna ( iii ) hypothetical : no ( iv ) anti - sense : no ( vi ) original source :( a ) organism : homo sapiens ( b ) developmental stage : adult ( c ) cell type : monocyte ( vii ) immediate source :( a ) library : cdna ( b ) clone : pb . b2 . 21 ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 1 : ccagtacccccaggagaagattccaaagatgtagccgccccacacaga48provalproproglygluaspserlysaspvalalaalaprohisarg151015cagccactcacctcttcagaacgaattgacaaacaaattcggtacatc96glnproleuthrsersergluargileasplysglnileargtyrile202530ctcgacggcatctcagccctgagaaaggagacatgtaacaagagtaac144leuaspglyileseralaleuarglysgluthrcysasnlysserasn354045atgtgtgaaagcagcaaagaggcactggcagaaaacaacctgaacctt192metcysgluserserlysglualaleualagluasnasnleuasnleu505560ccaaagatggctgaaaaagatggatgcttccaatctggattcaatgag240prolysmetalaglulysaspglycyspheglnserglypheasnglu65707580gagacttgcctggtgaaaatcatcactggtcttttggagtttgaggta288gluthrcysleuvallysileilethrglyleuleugluphegluval859095tacctagagtacctccagaacagatttgagagtagtgaggaacaagcc336tyrleuglutyrleuglnasnargphegluserserglugluglnala100105110agagctgtccagatgagtacaaaagtcctgatccagttcctgcagaaa384argalavalglnmetserthrlysvalleuileglnpheleuglnlys115120125aaggcaaagaatctagatgcaataaccacccctgacccaaccacaaat432lysalalysasnleuaspalailethrthrproaspprothrthrasn130135140gccagcctgctgacgaagctgcaggcacagaaccagtggctgcaggac480alaserleuleuthrlysleuglnalaglnasnglntrpleuglnasp145150155160atgacaactcatctcattctgcggagctttaaggagttcctgcagtcc528metthrthrhisleuileleuargserphelysglupheleuglnser165170175agcctgagggctcttcggcaaatgtag555serleuargalaleuargglnmet180 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 2 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 60 base pair ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : oligonucleotide ( iii ) hypothetical : no ( iv ) anti - sense : yes ( vii ) immediate source :( a ) library : dna synthesizer ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 2 : ggtgctcgagctacatttgccgaagagccctcaggctnnnctgcaggaactccttaaagc60__________________________________________________________________________ | 8 |
korean patent application no . 2002 - 8804 , filed on feb . 19 , 2002 , and entitled : “ method of manufacturing semiconductor device ,” is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . hereinafter , the present invention will be described in detail by describing preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings . like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings . in the drawings , the shape and thickness of an element may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience . further , it will be understood that when a layer is referred to as being “ on ” another layer or “ on ” a substrate , it may be directly on the other layer or on the substrate , or intervening layers may also be present . fig3 a through 3h illustrate cross - sectional views of a semiconductor substrate sequentially showing a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig3 a , a first oxide layer 12 , a first silicon nitride layer 13 , and an anti - reflection layer 14 are sequentially stacked on a semiconductor substrate 11 . next , as shown in fig3 b , a photolithography process is performed onto the semiconductor substrate 11 to divide the semiconductor substrate into active areas and inactive areas . then , a trench 15 is formed at an inactive area in the semiconductor substrate using an etching process . the first oxide layer 12 is preferably formed using a thermal oxidation process and has a thickness of about 120 å . the first oxide layer 12 is formed to reduce lattice defects of the semiconductor substrate during etching the first silicon nitride 13 for forming the trench at the inactive area . the lattice defects are caused by plasma damage during the etching step . the first silicon nitride layer 13 is used as a mask to protect the active areas from being etched . the anti - reflection layer 14 is used to reduce reflectivity of light for photolithography , so that a fine pitch pattern may be achieved . next , as shown in fig3 c , after the trench 15 is formed , sidewalls of the trench 15 are oxidized . a second silicon nitride layer and a hot temperature oxide ( hto ) layer ( not shown ) are deposited in the trench 15 , and then a high density plasma ( hdp ) oxide layer 16 is formed on an entire surface of the semiconductor substrate 11 . the oxidation of the sidewalls of the trench 15 is performed to cure any damage to and defects of the semiconductor substrate and to reduce a stress applied to the semiconductor substrate in the trench 15 by the second silicon nitride layer ( not shown ). the second silicon nitride layer protects the semiconductor substrate by preventing oxidants from permeating into the substrate . the oxidants are generated in the hdp oxide layer 16 filling the trench 15 during a heat treatment process . the hto layer ( not shown ) is a buffer layer for protecting the second silicon nitride layer from being etched during the formation of the hdp layer . next , as shown in fig3 d , the semiconductor substrate 11 is planarized by a chemical mechanical polishing ( cmp ) process and the first silicon nitride layer 13 is removed using a wet etching process . as shown in fig3 e , the first oxide layer 12 is removed using a wet etching process . that is , the first oxide layer 12 is removed before the key opening step is performed . next , as shown in fig3 f , a second oxide layer 17 is formed on an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate 11 , and then impurity ions 18 are implanted into the semiconductor substrate 11 . after the ion implantation , the semiconductor substrate 11 undergoes a rapid thermal annealing ( rta ) process . the second oxide layer 17 is preferably formed using a thermal oxidation process to a thickness of about 120 å to reduce ion implantation damage of the semiconductor substrate during implanting . the second oxide layer 17 is a buffer layer for ion implanting . the rta process is performed at a temperature of 1050 ° c . in an n 2 gas atmosphere for 30 minutes to excite the impurity ions in the semiconductor substrate . then , as shown in fig3 g , a photoresist layer 19 is formed on an entire upper surface of the semiconductor substrate 11 and then an opening 20 is formed in the photoresist layer 19 to expose a portion of the upper surface of the hdp layer 16 . subsequently , as shown in fig3 h , the hdp layer 16 is etched to a predetermined depth through the opening 20 using a dry etching , thereby forming a photo align key 21 . then , the second oxide layer 17 on the semiconductor substrate at the active areas is removed using a wet etching . the photo align key 21 is formed in a scribe line area or other area other than a chip area where semiconductor devices are to be formed in a semiconductor wafer . in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention , the key opening step and align key forming step are performed after the rta process is performed , unlike in the conventional method . during the rta process , most defects of the semiconductor substrate are cured . in detail , impurities and metal ions generated during the key opening step and align key forming step are able to permeate the semiconductor substrate 11 , thereby making a by - product or a reaction having combined with the second oxide layer 17 in the semiconductor substrate 11 . the by - product , however , is not grown from the substrate surface toward a bulk region of the semiconductor substrate 11 as compared with the conventional method because the key opening step and align key forming step are performed after forming the second oxide layer 17 , performing the ion implantation 18 , and performing the rta process . thus , the by - product is completely removed from the semiconductor substrate 11 when the second oxide layer 17 is removed using the wet etching . that is , there is an advantage in that the first embodiment of the present invention method greatly decreases pits in the semiconductor substrate 11 . fig4 is a wafer map based on the number and locations of pits formed on the semiconductor chip , the wafer map being made after the second oxide layer 17 is removed in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention . as may be seen in fig4 pits are not present . black points shown in the wafer map do not represent pits , but rather represent particles . a subsequent cleaning process may easily remove these particles . fig5 a to 5 h illustrate cross - sectional views of a semiconductor substrate sequentially showing a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention . stages of the second embodiment of the present invention illustrated in fig5 a to 5 h are sufficiently similar to the stages illustrated in fig1 a to 1 h that a detailed description of fig5 a to 5 f and 5 g may be omitted herein . in fig5 a - 5h , reference numerals 31 , 32 , 33 , and 34 represent a semiconductor substrate , a first oxide layer , a first silicon nitride layer , and an anti - reflection layer , respectively . reference numeral 35 indicates a trench , reference numeral 36 indicates an hdp oxide layer , reference numeral 37 represents a photoresist layer and reference numeral 38 represents an opening formed in the photoresist layer 37 . reference numeral 39 represents an align key , reference numeral 40 represents a second oxide layer , and the implantation of impurity ions is represented by reference numeral 41 . the method in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention differs from the method in accordance with the conventional art in the stage illustrated in fig1 g . according to the second embodiment of the present invention , the second oxide layer 40 is formed to a thickness of less than 120 å in the step of fig5 g , whereas the second oxide layer 10 in the fig1 g is formed to a thickness of 120 å . preferably , the second oxide layer 40 may be formed to a thickness of less than about 65 å using a thermal oxidation process or a deposition process . a thickness of less than 120 å may also be achieved by first forming a second oxide layer to a thickness of 120 å and then partially wet etching an upper portion thereof until a thickness of the second oxide layer 40 is reduced by a predetermined amount . fig6 a and 6b are wafer maps acquired after the performance of the steps illustrated in connection with fig5 a to 5 h in which the second oxide layer 40 is formed to a thickness of 85 å and 63 å , respectively . as may be seen in fig6 a and 6b , pits are not found in the wafer map of fig6 b but pits are found in fig6 a . the number of pits that may be seen in fig6 b is comparable to an amount that is observed in a conventional semiconductor substrate . after repeatedly performing the steps of fig5 a to 5 g using several different thicknesses of the second oxide layer functioning as a buffer layer for implanting , it is confirmed that the number of pits is greatly decreased when thickness of the second oxide layer is a thickness of less than about 65 å . accordingly , in accordance with the present invention , the thickness of the second oxide layer being used as a buffer layer for implanting should be a thickness of less than about 65 å . fig6 c and 6d are wafer maps made after performing the steps of fig5 a to 5 h in which the second oxide layer 40 is formed to a thickness of about 63 å . fig6 c and 6d show the number and locations of pits in the memory cell areas and the sense amplifier areas , respectively . further , in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention , a thickness of about 65 å may be achieved by forming a second oxide layer to a thickness of 120 å and then partially wet etching an upper portion thereof before the rta process is performed . fig7 a to fig7 c are wafer maps showing the number and locations of pits , wherein a thickness of the second oxide layer is adjusted by increasing wet etching time in the partial wet etching step of the second oxide layer having a thickness of 120 å . the semiconductor devices in fig7 c are formed with longest wet etching time . as may be seen in fig7 a to 7 c , the number of the pits decreases as the wet etching time increases . it appears that a thinner oxide layer reduces physical stress applied to a semiconductor substrate as compared to a thicker oxide layer . as a result , the least number of pits is shown in fig7 c , which has the thinnest oxide layer of fig7 a - 7c . preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed herein and , although specific terms are employed , they are used and are to be interpreted in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purpose of limitation . accordingly , it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims . | 7 |
fig1 shows a representation of a container with a carrying element 8 disposed thereon . this container 1 has a base portion 6 which preferably also serves as a stand surface . this base region 6 adjoins a main body 4 and in turn a mouth region 5 adjoins this main body 4 . on the one hand the carrying element 8 is disposed on this mouth region 5 and a locking element 12 is disposed above this . the reference numeral 14 relates to a seal . by means of the carrying element 8 the container can be carried by hand . the locking element 12 fastens the carrying element 8 on the mouth of the container 1 . fig2 shows a representation in an exploded view of the container shown in fig1 . this also shows the container mouth 5 on which a closure 16 is disposed . this closure 16 is constructed in such a way that it can be pierced in a central region by a tap element in order thus to take liquid from the container . the reference numeral 14 here designates the sealing foil . in this case this sealing foil 14 may be adhesively coated ( preferably on one side ). the carrying element 8 is placed over the mouth 5 and then the locking element 12 can be screwed on . during the emptying the region with the mouth 5 can be pushed down and turned over . in this way it is possible that the upper region of the container is pushed into the lower region of the container and so the container is compressed along a circumferential fold edge . it will be seen that the main body 4 has regions with different cross - sections , in particular a central cross - section , which is greater than the lower and the upper cross - section , so that it is possible to push the region comprising the mouth into the base region . fig3 shows a further representation of a container with a carrying element . it will be seen here that the locking element 12 has in its interior a hollow space 24 in which further elements , such as for example a tap line , are disposed . this hollow space extends here around the region of the mouth of the container and is therefore of toroidal construction . fig4 shows a carrying element from the internal prior art of the applicant . a plurality of projections 182 are provided which bear against the mouth region . in addition a gripping element 184 is provided which serves for carrying the container . due to the configuration shown here it can be relatively painful to carry a particularly heavy container , since the gripping element can cut into the user &# 39 ; s hand . fig5 a - 5 c show three representations of a container . in this case the reference numeral 102 relates to fastening portions , such as for example adhesive strips which are disposed on the container . a pallet 108 is disposed on the container . by means of this pallet several containers of the type shown can be stacked one above the other . however , it will be seen that because of this arrangement very strong forces can act on the adhesive region when the container is being carried . fig6 a shows a further representation of a container with a holding element disposed thereon . fig6 b shows a container in a folded - together state , wherein a mouth region 5 is very close to a base region 6 . fig7 a - 7 e show a carrying element according to the embodiment . of the invention , in particular for a heavy container . it can be seen on fig7 a that the carrying element itself is of relatively flat construction . in this case the reference numeral 82 relates to a fastening portion and the reference numeral 84 relates to the gripping portion mentioned above . if the container is to be carried , the user reaches into the opening 85 and into an opposing opening 95 shown in fig7 b , and in this way these gripping portions bend upwards , so that the container is below the user &# 39 ; s hand . the reference numeral 83 designates an opening via which a mouth of the container can be introduced . the reference numerals 89 relate to projections which , when the carrier element is disposed on the container , are delivered towards the mouth of the container . the fastening portion can also be held reliably on the mouth of the container by these projections 89 . fig7 c and 7 d show a further representation of the carrying element . it will be seen here that the respective gripping portions 84 and 94 in each case have four edge regions 84 a - 84 d or 94 a - 94 d respectively . in this case a holding element 86 or 96 respectively is disposed here on the external edge region 84 b or 94 b respectively in each case . if the user grasps the gripping portions 84 , 94 , the respective holding element 86 , 96 bends , so that carrying is more comfortable . in other words the holding element or the tab 86 , 96 respectively when gripped is folded over automatically and instinctively so that the thin web thereof lying below it or the edge region 84 a , 94 b respectively are underlaid in a similar manner as if a further element were folded over . thus the holding element for example assumes the function of an additionally inserted element , such as for instance a tab or the like . the holding element 86 advantageously protrudes into the opening 85 or 95 respectively at least as far as the centre of the opening . with regard to the width , the holding element has a width relative to the edge region 84 b or 94 b respectively which is between 60 % and 95 %, preferably between 70 % und 95 % and particularly preferably between 80 % und 90 %. in fig7 d transition portions or connecting portions 87 , 97 respectively are illustrated which connect the fastening portion 82 to the gripping portion 84 . fig7 e shows a representation in which the holding element 86 is folded upwards as a result of gripping by the user . in this case the user &# 39 ; s finger regions bear on the outer region of the holding element 86 a and because of the significantly higher radius of curvature the holding element causes less pain than the edge region 84 b or 94 b respectively . fig8 a shows a further representation of the holding element 86 . this again shows the region 86 a which is gripped by the user &# 39 ; s hands when carrying the container . fig8 b shows a representation in which grip recesses 72 are disposed in the holding element 86 and also in the edge region 84 b . the reference numeral 74 identifies a cut - out or a recess respectively which enables the bending of the holding element 86 with respect to the edge region 84 b . the reference numeral 76 identifies an edge region of the holding element 86 which is rounded here . in this case these finger grooves 72 are at likewise in turn adapted to the carrying comfort of the holding element 86 . in order to increase the carrying comfort , the protective tabs or the holding element respectively are as thick as the rest of the handle , in order to achieve a corresponding depth for the configuration of the finger grooves . for the required flexibility , notches 73 can be provided , as shown in fig9 . these notches are advantageously configured in such a way that a predetermined radius is produced . furthermore , in fig9 a double - sided introduction into the opening or a double - sided folding over of the holding element respectively is also possible . in this case introduction can take place regardless of direction . fig1 shows a representation in which two containers 1 can be carried comfortably by a user . the user &# 39 ; s hand is symbolised by the reference numeral 15 . as mentioned above , two such gripping elements are provided , so that the container could also be carried with two hands or also by two persons each using one hand . in this case the gripping elements or the carrying loops respectively are advantageously co - ordinated with regard to their length so that it is also possible to carry two containers with one hand . in addition the double implementation of the gripping portions 84 , 94 indicates the character of a beverage container known from the prior art . fig1 shows a further representation of a container with a carrying element 8 . the gripping element or the carrying element 8 respectively advantageously enable sufficient flexibility in order to deform the handle for carrying purposes . advantageously a recyclable material is also used for the carrying element 8 , so that the container 1 can be disposed of together with the carrying element . fig1 a - 12 e show a further advantageous embodiment of the invention . in this embodiment , in addition to a receiving device 22 for receiving the further elements the carrying element is also provided again . this receiving device 22 preferably has no additional locking function , but is likewise disposed at the mouth of the container . fixing elements 32 are provided here on the carrying element 8 , in order to fixing the receiving device 22 on the carrying element . for this purpose an outer edge 22 a of the receiving device can be inserted into the fixing elements 32 inserted and thus fastened to the carrying element . for fastening of the receiving device to the carrying element 8 the receiving device 22 can first of all be pushed onto the mouth . an intervention of the fixing elements 32 can be achieved in that the two gripping portions 84 , 94 are pressed downwards and in the event of resetting the edge 22 a engages in the gap between the carrying element and the fixing elements . fig1 c shows a detailed representation of the fixing elements 32 and fig1 d shows a side view . in this way a secure grip of the receiving device on the carrying element 8 is enabled . fig1 shows a further advantageous embodiment of a carrying element 8 . a supporting collar 34 is provided here which by means of two radially inwardly protruding projections 34 a , 34 b surrounds a carrying ring 1 a of the container and so enables a secure grip on the container mouth . during carrying of the container and the associated folding up of the two gripping portions the delivery of the projections onto the mouth of the container is also promoted . fig1 a shows a further advantageous embodiment of a carrying element 8 . this likewise has the projections 89 already shown above , which rest against the mouth of the container . in addition , however , a support ring 36 is also provided which is likewise disposed on the carrying element and which in the fitted state completely surrounds the container mouth . in this case in a state in which it is disposed on the mouth , the support ring 36 extends substantially in a longitudinal direction of the container or substantially perpendicular to a plane of the carrying element 8 respectively . “ substantially perpendicular ” is understood to mean an angle relative to the plane of the carrying element 8 which is between 70 ° und 110 °, preferably between 80 ° and 100 ° und particularly preferably between 85 ° und 95 °. in this support ring 36 recesses 37 are disposed , within which the projections 89 extend obliquely inwards . the advancing force onto the mouth is increased by this support ring 36 , in particular if the container is carried . in this case the recesses 37 are advantageously disposed at least partially so that they can be penetrated by a straight line which extends between the two gripping portions 84 , 94 . in this way , while the container is being carried the projections 89 are advanced to the mouth of the container automatically due to bending upwards of the gripping portions 84 , 94 . four recesses 37 are advantageously provided here . these recesses are preferably disposed symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry e ( fig1 b ), with respect to which the two gripping portions 84 , 94 also lie symmetrically without intersect them . this plane of symmetry e extends perpendicular to the drawing plane . in addition , however , the recesses 37 are also disposed symmetrically with respect to a plane which in fig1 coincides with the drawing plane . the reference numeral 36 a identifies a radially inwardly protruding projection , which likewise surrounds the mouth of the container over the entire periphery and is delivered towards the container . this projection is disposed on the carrying ring 36 . fig1 shows a further representation of the receiving device 22 . it can be seen here that a hose element 52 , a piercing device 54 as well as a further tap element 56 are disposed herein , the piercing device 54 and the further tap element 56 being connected to one another by means of the hose element 52 . the reference numeral 64 designates projections which , when the carrier element is fastened to the container , are delivered towards the mouth of the container . the reference numeral 62 designates the opening which is placed over the mouth of the container . although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon , it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention . for the sake of clarity , it is to be understood that the use of “ a ” or “ an ” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality , and “ comprising ” does not exclude other steps or elements . the mention of a “ unit ” or a “ module ” does not preclude the use of more than one unit or module . | 1 |
this invention refers to a dielectric layer , which can be used in an article having electrical capacitive properties in which selectively the electrical charges can be trapped or discharged on demand . the present invention has particular applicability in forming an article , which has identified elements . since a dielectric material frequently is used to make use of its capacitive properties , articles formed by the present invention can be used in capacitors that can be individually addressed . when addressed such a capacitor can be discharged . turning now to fig1 there is shown a perspective of a single - head precision precursor delivery and curing system 100 , which in many respects is identical to an ink jet printer , and can be used in accordance with the present invention . the precursor is deposited in the form of droplets 50 along the precursor delivery head direction 80 on a substrate ( receiver ) 10 by means of a delivery nozzle 30 located in a precursor delivery head 20 . it will be understood that the substrate 10 can be a printed circuit board , which has other components that are either formed prior to or after making capacitors . the droplets 50 are generally deposited onto conductive portions 11 of the substrate 10 . the substrate 10 , which moves along the substrate ( receiver ) direction 70 , can be flexible or rigid and the substrate 10 can be generally made from polymers , polymeric composites , paper , photographic film , magnetic media , or ceramic substrates or combinations thereof . a flexible substrate 10 can have a thickness in the range of 0 . 1 to 10 . 0 mils , preferably 1 to 5 mils . furthermore , the flexible substrate 10 can be wound around a mandrel that is at least 1 millimeter in diameter . those substrates 10 , which are thicker than 10 . 0 mils or cannot be wrapped around a mandrel having at least 1 - millimeter diameter , are considered rigid substrates . the precursor delivery head 20 is mounted on at least one guide rail 40 , or preferably more than one , guide rails 40 for precursor delivery head direction 80 of the precursor delivery head 20 . the guide rails 40 are driven by a motor ( not shown ) which in turn causes the precursor delivery head 20 to travel from one edge of the substrate 10 to the other while the substrate ( receiver ) direction 70 is traverse to that of precursor delivery head 20 . an edge guide 60 is provided for properly locating and guiding the substrate 10 . fig2 shows a partial perspective of the precursor delivery and curing system 100 of fig1 wherein an alternative embodiment of sequential laser assisted thermal curing process following deposition of precursor droplets is accomplished . fig2 shows an ir laser source 90 , like co 2 , which produces a laser beam 95 and that is used to thermally cure the deposited precursor droplet 50 to form the cured dielectric element 55 after it is being deposited on the conductive portion 11 of the substrate 10 . these cured dielectric elements 55 form capacitors . fig1 shows a substrate ( receiver ) direction 70 , whereas , alternatively , the substrate 10 can be translated on x - y translation stage 65 through x - movement direction 72 and y - movement direction 75 as shown in fig2 . a second ir laser source like nd - yag ( not shown ) having 1 . 06 μm wavelength can also be used to transform the cured dielectric element 55 , to electrically conductive element 58 . alternatively , the second ir laser source can be the one and the same laser source 90 needed for curing the droplets to form the cured dielectric element 55 using different laser operating parameters . fig3 shows another alternative embodiment of precursor delivery and curing method . fig3 shows simultaneous single - head precursor delivery and laser curing system 200 wherein the precursor droplet delivery step is immediately followed by precursor curing step to form cured dielectric element 55 which is followed by the final laser transformation process to form electrically conductive element 58 . a laser housing 92 is mounted on a at least one guide rail 45 , or preferably more than one guide rails 45 , in close proximity to a precursor delivery head 20 . an ir laser beam 95 transforms the cured dielectric element 55 to electrically conductive element 58 . fig4 shows a two - sided precursor delivery system for rigid or flexible substrate 300 for depositing precursor droplets 52 , 52 a on conductive portions top side 12 and conductive portions bottom side 12 a of the top and bottom surfaces or sides respectively of a rigid or flexible substrate 15 , 15 a ; top and bottom sides respectively . identical precursor delivery heads 22 , 22 a are spaced apart such that the precursor droplets 52 , 52 a top and bottom sides respectively are deposited from delivery nozzles 32 , 32 a respectively , on the conductive portions top side 12 and conductive portions bottom side 12 a of both sides of the substrate 15 , 15 a top and bottom sides respectively . the precursor delivery heads 22 , 22 a are mounted on at least one guide rail 42 , 42 a respectively , or preferably more than one guide rails 42 , 42 a . the substrate 15 , 15 a is translated through flexible receiver movement direction 85 . the next steps of thermal curing by a laser 90 and laser transformation from dielectric to conductive elements are the same as described hereinbefore . as will be described later in this disclosure through the impingement of infrared radiation upon the droplet 50 , cured element 55 , and electrically conductive element 58 can be formed . the formation of the electrically conductive element 58 on the surface of the substrate 10 or the flexible substrate 15 , 15 a is a feature of this invention by selectively discharging certain ones of the elements . each cured and electrically conductive element 55 and 58 , respectively on the substrate 10 or flexible substrate 15 , 15 a is in effect a capacitor which can be used to accept stored charge or discharge stored charge depending on the configuration of the electrical connections . capacitors made in accordance with the present invention can have a multi - layer structure in which one of the coatings is electrically conductive and one or more of the other layers are dielectrics that can hold the charge and can be selectively converted to have electrically conductive areas or regions by altering the chemical composition of those regions . the present invention makes use of ceramic materials , which can be used , in capacitive elements in electronic circuits and as electrical insulation . for these applications , the properties of most concern are the dielectric constant , dielectric loss factor , and dielectric strength . the principal characteristics of a capacitor is that an electric charge can be stored in that capacitor and the magnitude of the charge which can be stored is dependent primarily on the nature of the material , grain size , and the impurity distribution at the grain boundaries . the elements of fig2 and 3 can use a ceramic material which has a surface region changed from a dielectric to a conductor by the application of laser light as will be described later . according to the present invention one or more dielectric layers are formed for storing the electrical charges that can utilize any ceramic oxides or any material having a high dielectric constant . a dielectric layer can , for example , be formed on a conductive layer wherein the dielectric layer is formed by the thermal decomposition of an organic component of the dissolved metallo - organic component and a reaction of the metallic portion of the material with oxygen thereby causing the dielectric layer to have charge holding properties . oxide ceramics are commonly prepared by solid state reactions and sintering of metal oxide / carbonate mixtures . since they usually are physical mixtures , they require prolonged grinding / heating cycles to complete the solid state reactions . sometimes , it is even extremely difficult to have fully completed solid state reactions . this difficulty has led to considerable interests in the preparation of materials by chemical methods for achieving stoichiometric control , “ atomic level ” homogeneity and for reduction of processing times and temperatures . one of such chemical methods of coating and producing ceramic or other metal or alloy structures , particularly in thick and thin layer form is metallo - organic - decomposition ( mod ). metallo - organic - decomposition is a convenient non - vacuum technique for the deposition of various types of inorganic layers . it includes coating a precursor solution ( such as , metal carboxylates , metal alkoxides etc .) containing the desired cations in the desired proportions onto a substrate followed by solvent removal and thermal decomposition . mod is a simple technique for layer deposition with low cost equipment requirements , and permits excellent control of overall stoichiometry , high uniformity of thickness and composition , and ability to coat irregular substrate shapes in a cost effective manner . any material with high dielectric constant can be utilized for storage of electric charge , hence capacitor material . in the present invention , only zirconium oxide material is chosen for experimental purposes and cited as examples through which reduction in practice is established . three zirconia precursor materials were selected for coating on some rigid electrically insulating ceramic materials , such as alumina , and also on some flexible insulating materials , such as flexible polyimide polymer substrate . these are : ( a ) zirconium 2 - ethylhexanoate , 90 % zirconium content ( packaged under nitrogen ), bought from gelest , inc . ; ( b ) zirconium octoate ( in mineral spirits ), 6 % zirconium content , bought from pfaltz & amp ; bauer , inc . ; ( c ) zirconium tetra - n - butoxide ( in n - butanol ), 80 % zirconium content , bought from pfaltz & amp ; bauer , inc . these precursor materials were normally diluted with toluene in 50 : 50 proportion before depositing onto a substrate , because experience showed that undiluted precursors were difficult to deposit . after depositing the precursor droplets on the substrates using the precursor delivery head , those droplets were cured using an ir laser before they were selectively treated with a nd - yag laser for converting the cured element to electrically conductive element . the curing process may be described as converting the liquid droplets to dry droplets by thermally driving out the liquid component of the precursor and oxidizing the precursor in ambient air to form a dielectric oxide . converting certain thickness of the dielectric element ( zirconia ) to an electrically conductive element was done adopting the method used by ghosh , et . al in commonly - assigned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 889 , 234 , the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein . a dielectric element having electrically conductive surface is made by modifying the chemical composition of the surface using infrared laser energy . through the impingement of infrared laser radiation upon the surface of the element , an electrically conductive element is produced on the surface . in such manner , the entire surface can be made electrically conductive or a particular pattern can be traced . a nd - yag laser with a wavelength of 1 . 06 μm was utilized . as an integral part of the element , the conductive surface layer will not delaminate from the element . further , because the modified surface region and the element are both a zirconia , the coefficients of thermal expansion of the element and the modified surface region will be closely matched . these types of laser assisted chemical changes were made on zirconia or its composites coated on electrically conductive metallic and electrically non - conductive polymeric or plastic substrates as described above . this type of multilayer structure forms the basis for element formation as described earlier . in the case of flexible polyimide polymer substrates the surface opposite to the laser treated electrically conductive surface can be coated with some conductive metallic or alloy layers by pvd , cvd , sol - gel and , and dip - coating methods . suitable electrodes were configured so that the novel capacitor is effective . this invention can be used in articles having a dielectric layer on a very thin polymer , composites , or ceramic substrates which are generally electrically non - conductive flexible material layer where elements can be fully or selectively converted to either electrically conductive or electrically insulating elements by altering the chemical composition of those regions , thus forming a flexible or rigid capacitor . this invention also provides a method of fabricating the above mentioned articles at a low temperature so that the substrates are not adversely affected by the process of formation of the article . the above described precursor materials for formation of zirconia layer were doped with a precursor , which translated to yttria , a crystal modifying dopant . the doping was done through y - acetylacetonate . the amount of dopant controls the crystalline phase , and for example , an appropriate amount of dopant to produce 0 , 9 , 30 mole % yttria were added and thoroughly mixed with zirconium 2 - ethylhexanoate , zirconium octoate , and zirconium tetra - n - butoxide , before they were coated on the substrates . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . as shown in fig1 ( a ), first and second engaging members 11 , 12 are made of an electrically conductive material such as aluminum and are arranged on opposite sides of a frictional engagement element 13 . the frictional engagement element 13 is a multiple - disc type clutch or brake . when the frictional engagement element 13 is a clutch , both the first member 11 and second member 12 are rotary members . when the frictional engagement element 13 is a brake , on the other hand , the first member is made stationary , e . g . by being fixed to the casing , while the second member 12 is a rotary member . in order to transmit rotation between the first member 11 and the second member 12 , an annular , radially inner thin plate 14 , which is splined to the second member 12 , is arranged between annular , radially outer thin plates 15 and 16 , which are splined to the first member 11 . the inner thin plate 14 and the outer thin plates 15 and 16 are usually each plural in number , although shown as single members for conveniences of description . fig1 ( b ) shows an alternative embodiment where an inner thin plate 14 is replaced by a corrugated inner thin plate 14 &# 39 ;. the inner thin plate 14 and the outer thin plates 15 are pressed together for engagement of element 13 by a piston 17 which is moved forward ( or to the right in fig1 ( a )), and are released from each other when the piston 17 is retracted ( to the left in fig1 ( a )). the piston 17 forms a hydraulic servo in cooperation with a hydraulic servo cylinder , which is formed in the first member 11 , and , together with the first member 11 , defines an oil chamber 20 . by feeding and discharging the oil to and from the oil chamber 20 , the piston 17 can be moved forward and backward to engage and disengage the frictional engagement element 13 . an o - ring 18 is arranged between the outer circumference of the piston 17 and the inner circumference of the first member 11 to provide a seal therebetween . friction elements 28 and 29 are fixed to at least one of the confronting faces of the inner thin plate 14 and the outer thin plates 15 and 16 . as a result , a frictional force is established between the inner thin plate 14 and the outer thin plates 15 and 16 when the inner thin plate 14 and the outer thin plates 15 and 16 are pressed against each other . in order that the apply force of the frictional engagement element 13 may be controlled when the frictional engagement element 13 is to be engaged / disengaged , the apply force is electrically metered . for this purpose , an electric capacitance , the monitored electric characteristic in this embodiment , is established between the outer thin plates 15 and 16 and is detected by a ( not - shown ) electric capacitance detecting means so that the apply force may be computed on the basis of the electric capacitance . moreover , the outside thin plate 15 and a first electrode 22 , and the outside thin plate 16 and a second electrode 23 are separately electrically connected so that a voltage may be established between the two outside thin plates 15 and 16 and detected . the aforementioned friction elements 28 and 29 may be made of paper , with the electric conductivity adjusted by an additive . a ceramic insulating member 25 electrically insulates the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 23 from the first member 11 . incidentally , in the present embodiment , the outer thin plates 15 and 16 face each other through the single inner thin plate 14 to establish the electric capacitance between the two outside thin plates 15 and 16 . however , an electric capacitance can also be established individually ( 1 ) between the outer thin plate 15 and the inner thin plate 14 and ( 2 ) between the outer thin plate 16 and the inner thin plate 14 . in other words , any two such electrically conductive members , may be used for this purpose provided their relative positions are changed as the piston 17 is moved to change the apply force . in a further example , one of the electrically conductive members may be the piston itself while the other such member would be the outer plate 15 , the outer plate 16 or the inner plate 14 . the voltages , as output from the first electrode 22 and the second electrode 23 , are fed to an amplifier 27 acting as signal generating means to output the output voltage vo . the following formula defines the relationship between a supply voltage vcc , a reference capacity cr and the electric capacitance cx between the outer thin plates 15 and 16 , with constants designated by k1 and kz : from this formula , therefore , the electric capacitance cx can be calculated . if the relative displacement between the outer thin plates 15 and 16 is designated d , if the dielectric constant of the oil fed between the outer thin plates 15 and 16 is designated ε and if the confronting area of the outer thin plates 15 and 16 is designated a , the following formula holds : hence , it is possible to compute the relative displacement d between the outer thin plates 15 and 16 . thus , an apply force computing means ( not shown ) determines the apply force f on the basis of the displacement d with reference to the map of fig2 . in this case , the inner thin plate 14 can be corrugated around its circumference , so that the change in the displacement d may be increased for a given apply force f . in fig2 a curve l1 represents the relationship between the displacement d and the apply force f when the inner thin plate 14 ( of fig1 ( a )) is flat , and a curve l2 represents the relationship between the displacement d and the apply force f when the inner thin plate 14 is corrugated . since the change in the displacement d can be enlarged for a given apply force f , the change in the output voltage vo is likewise increased , making it easier to determine the change in the electric capacitance cx . in fig3 line l3 represents the relationship between the time and the output voltage vo when the inner thin plate 14 is flat , and line l4 represents the relationship between the time and the output voltage vo when the inner thin plate 14 is corrugated . if the inside thin plate 14 is thus corrugated , it is possible to reduce the change in the output voltage vo for a unit time period , thus making it easier to detect the electric capacitance cx . in fig4 fs designates an apply pressure command value , as preset and stored in data storage device or medium 38 in the apply force control unit , and letter f designates an actual apply force , as determined by apply force computing means 37 , with reference to the map of fig2 . the apply pressure command value fs and the apply force f are sent to a subtracter 31 , in which the apply force f is subtracted from the apply pressure command value fs to compute a deviation δf . as shown in fig4 hydraulic control means 30 includes a feed forward controller 32 , and a feedback controller 33 . the apply pressure command value fs and the deviation δf are individually multiplied by gains and output from the feed forward controller 32 and the feedback controller 33 and are added in an adder 34 so that a current command value i sol is generated . incidentally , the data storage device 38 , the subtracter 31 , the feed forward controller 32 , the feedback controller 33 , the adder 34 and a linear solenoid valve 35 , together form hydraulic control means 30 . the current command value i sol is sent to the linear solenoid valve 35 , which generates a control oil pressure pc corresponding to the current command value i sol and feeds it to the hydraulic servo having the aforementioned piston 17 . as a result , piston 17 is extended and the apply force computing means 37 computes the apply force f on the frictional engagement element 13 ( of fig1 ( a )). the apply force computing means includes displacement computing means 39 for computing relative displacement between the two electrically conductive members ( 15 and 16 in fig1 ( a )) and apply force computing means 40 for computing the force applied to the frictional engagement element 13 by the piston 17 on the basis of the computed relative displacement . in the apply force detecting means 37 , the electric capacitance cx is computed on the basis of the output voltage vo of the amplifier 27 , and the displacement computing means computes the relative displacement d ( of fig2 ) between the outer thin plates 15 and 16 on the basis of the electric capacitance cx so that the apply force f can be determined from the displacement d with reference to the map of fig2 . operations of the apply force control unit 30 will now be described with reference to the flow charts of fig5 and 6 . step s1 : a first sampling time τ is incremented . this first sampling time τ is exemplified by 2 μs ! in the present embodiment . step s3 : feedback control is executed based on the determined apply force ; the apply force detecting sub - routine of step s2 of fig5 is shown in fig6 as including : step s2 - 1 : a second sampling time t is incremented . this second sampling time t is exemplified by 10 μs ! in the present embodiment . step s2 - 2 : it is decided whether or not a shift has been made . the sub - routine advances to step s2 - 3 , if the answer is yes , but returns to step s2 - 1 if not . step s2 - 3 : the apply force detecting means 37 determines the apply force f . the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof . the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by 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 . | 5 |
a preferred embodiment will be described with reference to a remote controller for an automobile . with reference to fig1 the invention comprises a handset and a mainset . the handset has a code generator and encoder 1000 for generating an encoded security or secret code and a command code , and a transmitter 1010 for transmitting said codes to the mainset to control defined components of the automobile . the handset also has a receiver 1020 for receiving a feedback code from the mainset and indicator circuit and decoder 1030 responsive to said feedback code . in this way , the user may , through the handset , remotely access the mainset , if the transmitted security code is accepted by the mainset , and therethrough control , with an appropriate command code , a component of the automobile ; and subsequently , the user may learn , through the handset , of the condition of said component . turning to the mainset , the transmission and reception components and the various automobile components are generally organized about control circuit 1090 , as follows . for reception of a transmitted code from the handset , there is a receiver 1050 and associated decoder and security or secret code matcher 1060 . for transmission of the feedback codes to the handset , the mainset has a transmitter 1070 and associated encoder 1080 . secret code matcher 1060 holds a preset secret or security code and matches it against the received secret code from the handset . on a match , a subsequent command code transmitted to the mainset will be passed on , by secret code matcher 1060 , to the control circuit 1090 . control circuit 1090 controls one of perhaps several automobile components according to the received command code : starting engine 1100 , starting air conditioner 1110 , activating automatic low temperature engine starter 1120 , activating an alarm circuit 1130 ; and other options , like activating a heater fan or fuel injector , this last group of options generally designated , for simplicity of illustration , as 1140 . the condition of components of the automobile ( for example , the engine has successfully been started , the engine has stopped , the alarm system has detected an unauthorized entry , etc .) is determined by the circuits for those options and is transferred to the feedback circuit 1150 indirectly through the control control circuit 1090 . feedback circuit 1150 then transmits the condition to the handset through encoder 1080 and transmitter 1070 . the appropriate indicator circuit 1030 on the handset is then activated to inform and alert the user to consider further action , if appropriate . it will be appreciated that the relationship and organization of the blocks shown in fig1 are for simplicity of illustration . alternatively , for example , the condition of the automobile components may be transferred to the feedback circuit 1150 directly . or , the secret code matcher , identified as 1060 in fig1 may be part of control circuit 1090 . the major components of the system of a preferred embodiment and their relationship having been described , reference is now made to fig2 , and 4 , which illustrate the logic flow of several aspects thereof . fig2 shows the main features of the logic flow between the handset and mainset . to initiate communication , a security code and a command code must be transmitted from the handset to the mainset ( process block 2000 ). the security code received will be matched against a preset security code ( decision block 2010 ). upon verification of a match , the command code is acted upon and the appropriate process module is activated ( decision block 2020 and process blocks 2030 , 2040 , 2050 or 2060 ). their status is fedback to the handset ( process block 2070 ) and the appropriate indicator on the handset is activated ( process block 2080 ). thereafter , the user has a choice of further action ( decision block 2090 ), do nothing or remotely access the mainset , as before ( process block 2000 ). two process modules , 2040 and 2050 , the engine activate and the alarm activate , will be described next . fig3 illustrates the engine process module in automatic shutoff mode . the appropriate command code is received and acted upon ( process block 3000 ). if the engine has not started ( decision block 3010 ), an appropriate feedback code is transmitted to the handset and the appropriate indicator is activated ( process blocks 2070 and 2080 ). similarly , if the engine is running ( decision block 3010 ), an appropriate feedback code is transmitted to the handset and the appropriate indicator on the handset is activated ( process blocks 2070 and 2080 ). there is a wait ( looping around decision block 3010 ) to detect if the engine has stopped running after a start ; if it has , an appropriate feedback code is sent to the handset , as before . if the engine has started ( decision block 3020 ), a timer in the mainset is activated to determine if a preset time limit has been exceeded ( looping around decision block 3040 ). if the engine is still running and the preset time is exceeded , then the appropriate security code and command code to shut the engine off is automatically sent and the engine is turned off ( process blocks 3050 and 3060 ), and an appropriate feedback code is sent to the handset , as before . in case the engine has turned off before the preset time limit ( decision block 3010 ), the appropriate indicator circuit is activated ( process block 2070 and 2080 ), as before . the alarm process module is illustrated in fig4 . the appropriate command code is sent from the handset and the alarm circuit is activated ( process block 4000 ). there is a wait to detect a presumably unauthorized entry of the automobile ( looping around decision block 4010 ) . on such an entry , a warning beeper is activated to scare off the entrant ( process block 4020 ), and an appropriate feedback code is sent to the handset to activate the appropriate indicator ( process blocks 2070 and 2080 ) to alert the user . the user may react by turning off the engine ( decision block 4030 ). a description of the electrical circuit embodiment will now be made in conjunction with fig5 to 8 , with reference to the following example : a seven digit security code ( 3663007 ), with the following set of one digit command codes : ` 0 ` to ascertain the condition of selected options of the automobile , ` 1 ` to start the engine , ` 2 ` to turn off the engine , ` 3 ` to activate the heater fan , ` 4 ` to activate an automatic garage door opener , ` 5 ` to activate the alarm circuit , ` 7 ` to activate the low temperature automatic starter , and ` 8 ` to initiate a fuel advance circuit to inject fuel into the carburetor . with a multi - digit base ten security code , the total number of possible security codes is very large and accordingly , the likelihood of unauthorized access to the mainset is correspondingly small . with reference to fig5 for transmission , there is a conventional multi - digit keyboard 1 , with an auxiliary digit key `*`, driving a pulse generator 2 , with associated circuitry . momentary actuation of a key on keyboard 1 will send the appropriate pulses from generator 2 , through a delay circuit , generally designated as 3 , then through transistor 4 and then to transmitter 24 for transmission . transmitter 24 , as well as the other transmitters and receivers mentioned herein , may be those of conventional construction , and may be radio transmitters and receivers tuned to the same freuqency or frequencies , wire - connected , or employ any other suitable mode . delay circuit 3 , comprising inverter circuits , will reset pulse generator 2 after transmission of the pulses . while pulse generator 2 outputs pulses , [ mute ] goes low and keeps the first inverter of delay circuit 3 high to maintain transistor 5 , the power source of receiver 25 , at cut off . accordingly , receiver 25 , during transmission by transmitter 24 , can not receive any signals , whether from the handset transmitter 24 or any other transmitter , or any spurious signals from the environment . when pulse generator 2 completes transmission , output [ mute ] goes high and accordingly receiver 25 is returned to receiving status . the security code may be programmably stored by the user in a conventional auxilliary memory ( not shown ) associated wth keyboard 1 , where the actuation of the `*` key will retrieve the memorized security code , as if the individual digits of the security code were manually keyed in , as described above . for reception of a feedback code from the mainset , a signal received by receiver 25 is decoded by ten - to - four decoder 26 . there is a mechanism to ensure that a signal received is , or is likely , the feedback code coming from the associated mainset , as follows . handset decoder 26 and mainset encoder 181 , discussed in more detail below , are compatible and complementary components , and the a0 to a7 terminals of handset decoder 26 are grounded or raised in the same pattern as the corresponding a0 to a7 terminals of mainset encoder 181 . in this way , only the pulses sent by such a complementary encoder 181 will have a pulse width acceptable for proper processing by decoder 26 . decoder 26 output vt goes high only when the signals input to decoder 26 at i / p are correctly processed . in other words , a transmitted feedback code is embodied with a characteristic recognizable by handset decoder 26 , without which recognition , handset decoder 26 will not properly respond . a more complex security mechanism for ensuring the integrity of feedback code transmission is possible by employing the security code mechanism described herein for handset transmissions to the mainset . in other words , the mainset would have a secret or security code which would precede the feedback code , and the handset would respond to the feedback code only if the proper security code was received . to inform the user of the condition of the automobile component , there are indicator circuits comprising leds and audible components . the led indicator circuits are responsive to outputs d0 to d3 of decoder 26 as follows . d0 controls led 27 to signal the occurence of an unauthorized entry . d1 controls led 28 to indicate that the engine has ceased running . d2 controls led 29 to indicate that the signal to activate an automatic automatic garage door opener was sent . d3 controls led 30 to indicate the completion of the engine start . in case of unauthorized entry , the activation of leds 28 and 27 will be accompanied by warning sounds , produced as follows . their activation , with the high of vt , will raise one input of and gate 40 which controls piezo speaker 60 . two astable multivibrators , generally designated as 50 , are set to periodically raise the other input of and gate 40 . piezo speaker 60 accordingly produces a sequence of warning sounds to alert the user . switch 84 is closed by the user to activate an automatic engine turn - off ( illustrated in logic flow form in fig3 and will be described next ). alternatively , switch 84 is opened to require the user to turn off the engine by manual actuation of the ` 2 ` key on keyboard 1 . upon starting the engine , the mainset will output a feedback code to the handset . the raising of d3 will trigger timer 64 . after a delay of 15 minutes , or such other delay as may be adjusted with associated conventional circuitry , timer 64 will trigger timer 65 . timer 65 triggers transistor 81 , whose collector and emitter are connected to the c4 and r4 terminals of pulse generator 2 ( equivalent to the manual actuation of the `*` key on keyboard 1 ) so that pulse generator 2 will send out the memorized security code to the mainset . timer 65 will also simultaneously trigger timer 66 , which in turn , after a delay determined by associated conventional circuitry , triggers timer 67 . in turn , timer 67 activates transistor 83 , which is connected to the r1 and c2 terminals of pulse generator 2 ( equivalent to the manual depression of the ` 2 ` key on keyboard 1 ), so that the command code for turning off the engine will be sent to the mainset . in this way , the handset will have automatically turned the engine off after a preset delay . fig6 a and 6b , lined up side by side , form the electrical schematic of the mainset . the alarm circuit and the automatic low temperature starter circuit of the mainset are illustrated in detail in fig7 and 8 . with reference to fig6 a , upon receipt of a signal from handset transmitter 24 , receiver 101 triggers a retriggerable one shot circuit or timer , generally designated as 102 , and also triggers counter 103 . timer 102 in turn drives a divide - by - ten counter 104 with a decoded decimal output , q1 to q8 , of which q1 to q7 inputs into ten - to - four encoder 105 . encoder 105 is preset to hold the security code for a given system of handset and mainset . the outputs of encoder 105 and counter 103 are compared in comparator 106 . on a match , the output of comparator 106 keeps transistor 110 in saturation and prevents counter 103 from being reset . counter 103 also inputs into latch 107 , which acts as a d flip flop inputting into decoder 111 . during the transmission of the first seven digits , representing the security code , q8 of counter 104 is maintained low , and therefore nor gates 108 and 109 connect resistor 33 with resistor 43 to keep the ck input of latch 107 low . accordingly , latch 107 will remain in latched state and inputs d1 to d4 will not be sent to outputs q1 to q4 . following the seven digit security code , the reception of the eighth digit , representing the command code , will be sent to counter 103 and then separately sent to latch 107 and to comparator 106 . the eighth digit also causes timer 102 to trigger counter 104 to raise q8 . this high is sent to the clock ck input of latch 107 to unlatch it and transfer inputs d1 to d4 to outputs q1 to q4 , and then to decoder 111 . there is a timer 112 which is triggered on the falling edge of the output of timer 102 , acting through transistor 113 . the output of timer 112 and the output of comparator 106 are sent to transistor 110 to determine if counter 104 should be reset . this is to ensure that comparator 106 will be activated only after completion of reception by receiver 101 . counter 103 is reset after completion of the first code and before the second code arrives . when the second arrives , timer 102 output is changed from low to high , which resets counter 103 through transistor 113 and associated conventional circuitry . upon reception of the first incorrect digit of a security code transmission ( by accident or by unauthorized use of the handset by a user ignorant of the security code ), retransmission will be required . for example , if the second digit of the security code transmission is incorrectly keyed on the handset by the user as ` 5 ` instead of ` 6 `, then counter 103 output abcd will be high / low / high / low . timer 102 will trigger counter 104 and q2 thereof will go high and encoder 105 output abcd will be low / high / low / high . comparator 106 will accordingly output low and reset counter 104 through transistor 110 . because any signal received after a security code match might be interpreted as a command code , a command code should be sent almost immediately after completing the transmission of the security code . to prevent accidents , a time ` window ` is created , during which a signal must be sent to be accepted as a command code . there is a timer 114 , with associated circuitry to create a delay ( for example , three seconds ). after this delay , timer 115 will be triggered to reset counter 104 . a signal received after this reset will not be passed on as a command code because it will raise q1 , not q8 , of counter 104 . it will be appreciated that it is not necessary that the security code precede the command code . an alternative circuit may be constructed where the command code is transmitted first and is stored upon reception by the mainset , and the security code is transmitted second and verified , and the stored command code is then processed if there is verification . because the command code digit for starting the engine is ` 1 `, and the output of counter 103 is sent to comparator 106 , a1 to a4 thereof becomes high / low / low / low . at this time , the output abcd of encoder 105 , low / low / low / low , is sent to comparator 106 b1 to b4 . consequently , comparator 106 o - p output becomes low and resets counter 104 through transistor 110 and conventional circuitry . when output &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; of decoder 111 goes high , associated circuitry triggers timer 150 . timer 150 may be set for 21 / 2 seconds or some other delay as may be adjusted by conventional means . timer 150 controls transistor 151 , which in turn controls relay 152 and , therethrough , the starter solenoid . simultaneous with timer 150 going high , transistor 153 and relay 154 connect the ignition coil to its power source ( not shown ). if the engine fails to start , the voltage on the ignition coil disappears . to restart , key ` 1 ` must be actuated on keyboard 1 . upon a successful start , the collector of transistor 160 will change from high to low to trigger timer 161 . the output of timer 161 will be sent through conventional circuitry to transistor 153 so as to keep relay 154 on and maintain activation of the ignition coil . simultaneously , timer 161 raises d3 of encoder 181 , which will send a feedback code , through transmitter 199 , to the handset to indicate that the engine has been started . the lowering of the collector of transistor 160 also enables the output of timer 150 to be grounded through conventional diode circuits . consequently , the output of terminal of timer 150 goes low and transistor 151 is cut off . in this way , the starter solenoid is disconnected after the engine has started . the output of timer 150 also controls , through conventional circuitry , the activation of a fuel advance circuit for injecting fuel into the engine carburetor to smoothen the starting process , as will be discussed below . on the automobile generator , vn = 13 volts typically when the engine is running at full speed . there is provided a zener diode 165 set at approximately 8 volts . when the engine has been successfully started , then vn & gt ; vzener + the voltage across associated resistive and diode circuits , and therefore transistor 160 will conduct and trigger timer 161 . the output of timer 161 is connected to the reset input of timer 170 . accordingly , the start of the engine resets timer 170 , which controls the heater fan , explained next . the ` 3 ` output of decoder 111 goes high and triggers timer 170 through associated circuitry . the output of timer 170 will go high and turn on transistor 171 and thereby the relay for the fan motor . when the engine ceases running ( i . e . vn = 0 ), the output of timer 161 changes state , the reset input of timer 170 goes low and the fan stops . there may be connected , by conventional circuitry to the reset input of timer 170 , a thermal switch mounted at a suitable location in the interior of the vehicle , which will close when the interior temperature reaches a predetermined temperature . to turn off the engine , output ` 2 ` on decoder 111 , will be raised to trigger timer 180 through associated circuitry . the high output of timer 180 will turn off timer 161 . this cuts off transistor 153 and relay 154 to stop the engine . timer 180 goes high for 3 seconds ( adjusted by conventional means ), which raises d1 of encoder 181 for 3 seconds , which results in the appropriate handset code for the user &# 39 ; s information . if the engine , for any reason , ceases running during the warm - up period ( i . e . vn = 0 ), the output of timer 161 will then go high and trigger , through nor gate 115 , timer 180 to turn off timer 161 , and whereby cut power to the ignition coil . as before , encoder 181 will send a code to the handset to indicate that the engine has ceased running . depression of the ` 5 ` key on the handset keyboard raises output ` 5 ` of decoder 111 . this will trigger timer 182 through associated circuitry . when the output of timer 182 goes high , the base of transistor 183 will go low , through associated inverter circuits . accordingly , transistor 183 connects a power source ( not shown ) to alarm circuit 190 and activates it thereby . simultaneously , d0 of encoder 181 will be raised , so that a feedback code is sent to the handset to indicate that the alarm circuit has been activated . when an unauthorized entry occurs , alarm circuit 190 will repeatedly send a codes , via transistor 191 and associated circuitry , to power encoder 181 and thereby flash the handset indicator leds . alarm circuit 190 is described in more detail below in conjunction with fig7 . there is an automatic low temperature starter circuit 184 , which will be described in more detail below in conjunction with fig8 . the general operation is as follows . button ` 7 ` on the handset keyboard will raise output ` 7 ` of decoder 111 , which will trigger starter circuit 184 . when the ambient temperature falls below a preset temperature ( for example , 20 ° c . ), starter circuit 184 will send a series of positive pulses , through associated diode circuit 155 , to trigger timer 150 . afterwards , starter circuit 184 will , through associate diode circuit 156 , send a pulse to nor gate 185 to trigger timer 180 . the output of timer 180 will be sent to timer 161 to turn it off , and thereby the engine . in this way , the engine will automatically be started and will run for some preset period when the temperature falls below a preset level . depressing button ` 4 ` on the handset raises output ` 4 ` on decoder 111 . this high will be sent to d2 of encoder 181 . the output of encoder 181 , which is transmitted from transmitter 199 , represents the ` garage open ` signal , which is received by an appropriate garage door receiver operably coupled to an automatic garage door opener ( not shown ). in this way , the garage door may be remotely opened . note that the same ` garage open ` signal is received by the handset receiver 25 as the feedback code indicating that the ` garage open ` signal has been sent . the garage door receiver should be equipped with appropriate receiver and decoder circuits to enable proper reception and processing of the ` garage open ` signal from the mainset . if this is not possible , additional conventional circuitry may be necessary in the mainset . for example , where transmission and reception are by rf means , appropriate circuitry associated with the mainset may be necessary to tune it to the same frequency as the garage receiver when the ` garage open ` signal is being sent ; or to encode the ` garage open ` signal separately in a way acceptable to the garage door receiver . the best ratio of air to fuel for the engine may be about 15 : 1 by weight . but during the starting period , especially at cold temperatures , a richer fuel mix is desirable . there is a fuel advance circuit organized about timer 166 . the command code ` 8 ` will raise output ` 8 ` on decoder 111 on the mainset , which will trigger timer 166 . its high output provides power to transistor 76 . the subsequent start engine command code ` 1 `, will activate the starter solenoid , as described before . the high of timer 150 forward biases transistor 76 . therefore , transistors 76 and 77 conduct to energize coil 167 to activate a solenoid which is part of a fuel advance circuit ( not shown ) to enrich the fuel mix in the carburetor of the engine . upon starting the engine , timer 161 will output high , and , through conventional inverter circuits , reset timer 166 . once reset , the output of timer 166 goes low and transistors 76 and 77 go off , and the fuel advance circuit will then be closed . this will ensure that the fuel advance circuit is functional only at the start of the engine and not thereafter . the condition of the prescribed options of the automobile may be obtained by the user by actuation of the ` 0 ` button on the handset . accordingly , the ` 0 ` output of decoder 111 will be raised , which will enable encoder 181 to send codes to the handset according to the status of the d0 to d3 inputs of encoder 181 , as follows . as discussed before , the preset levels of a0 to a7 of encoder 181 give the feedback code a characteristic which will enable handset decoder 26 to properly process the received feedback code . when the te ( transmit enable ) input of encoder 181 is low , the o / p output will send signals , representing the inputs of encoder 181 , to transmitter 199 . the o / p output will cease outputting when te goes high . when any of d0 to d3 of encoder 181 goes from low to high , a positive pulse will be generated by conventional circuitry , generally designated as 192 , to timer 193 . thus triggered , timer 193 will send a high to transistor 191 . the collector of transistor 191 goes low , which lowers te of encoder 181 , and accordingly , the output terminal of encoder 181 starts to send data corresponding to d0 to d3 . the timing period of timer 193 is adjustable by associated circuitry . when transmitter 199 is transmitting , the collector of transistor 191 is low , which keeps the base of transistor 194 low . transistor 194 is cut off , and accordingly , receiver 101 is not powered and will not receive while transmitter 199 is transmitting . with reference to fig7 the alarm circuit , generally designated as 190 in fig6 for detecting unauthorized entry or tampering , is now described in more detail . unauthorized entry or tampering are usually attended by vibrations and noises . signals generated by piezo sensor 201 pass through two bandpass filters , generally designated as 202 and 203 , and are rectified by a diode and capacitor circuit , generally designated as 204 . in this way , selected noises will be detected . the rectified signal at one input of comparator 205 will change its output to trigger timer 206 , which powers transistor 207 . there is an astable multivibrator circuit , generally designated as 208 . when piezo sensor detects noise , timer 206 powers transistor 207 . at this moment , if the output from multivibrator circuit 208 is low , the collector of transistor 207 will go high . this high will be sent to base of transistor 191 of fig6 . accordingly , te of encoder 181 goes low and data is sent by encoder 181 to transmitter 199 . this ` flashing ` of the status indicators on the handset serves to inform the user of the unauthorized entry . alternatively , or supplementary to the piezo sensor , there may be a microswitch suitably mounted in the automobile which is closed when a door is opened or when the automobile &# 39 ; s courtesy light circuit is activated ( not shown ). the closing of the microswitch will cause the output of comparator 205 to go low and trigger timer 206 . this may be effected by conventional circuitry connected to the alarm circuit at said input to comparator 205 . similarly , there may be a sensor which detects the engagement of the automobile &# 39 ; s transmission into a gear other than ` park `, or a motion detector . upon detection of an unathorized entry , by one or several of such conditions , the automobile headlights may be automatically flashed , the horn may be activated , the ignition circuit may be disconnected ; all through conventional circuits connected to the appropriate electrical terminals of those automobile components ( not shown ). with reference to fig8 the low temperature starter , generally designated as 184 in fig6 is now described in more detail . when the ` 7 ` output of decoder 111 goes high in fig6 transistor 305 conducts to connect the b + power source to power this circuit . there is a thermostat 301 or similar device responsive to the ambient temperature or the temperature of the automobile ), and emitter follower circuits , generally designated as 302 and 303 . the output of emitter follower 303 will be the reference voltage to schmitt trigger circuit , generally designated as 304 . when the monitored temperature falls below a preset temperature ( for example , - 20 ° c . ), the output of emitter follower 302 will drop sufficiently to trigger schmitt trigger 304 . the high output will be sent to diode 155 on fig6 to start the engine , as if the ` 1 ` output of decoder 111 had been raised , described above . the output from schmitt trigger 304 makes the output of comparator 306 go from high to low . timer 307 then outputs high , which is inverted . timer 307 , after a delay of 15 minutes , or such other delay as set by associated circuitry , changes its state . this high is then sent to diode 156 of fig6 to turn off the engine as if the ` 2 ` output of decoder 111 has been raised . accordingly , the engine is turned off . components found suitable for the electrical circuits described include : timers -- signetics ne555 , ne558 and ne556 , dividers -- rca cd4017 , counters -- rca cd4518 , comparator -- rca cd4063 , encoder -- rca cd40147 , latch -- rca cd4042 , decoder -- rca cd4028 , encoder 181 holtek semiconductor inc . ht - 12e , decoder 26 -- holtek semiconductor inc . ht - 12d , pulse generator -- united microelectronics corp . um91603c . the construction of the associated circuitry illustrated in the figures or referred to in the disclosure herein but not explicitly identified or described , is within the capability of one of ordinary skill in the art . whether used for an automobile or for engine driven devices in industrial settings , the invention may be associated with override controls for automatically halting operation of the engine under externally prescribed conditions , or remotely by the user when an appropriate feedback code is received . in addition to those mentioned in conjunction with the alarm circuit , such conditions may include fluid pressure , moisture content , a low fuel tank , the incline of the automobile ( for example , parked on a slope ), level of engine emissions , engine speed , and the like . for example , where the automobile is in an enclosed environment , the engine might be shut off automatically if an ambient carbon monoxide sensor registered above a preset level . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above - described embodiment is merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention . numerous other embodiments may be devised without departing from the scope of the invention , as defined in the following claims . | 6 |
fig3 schematically illustrates a system for reading bit line data in accordance with one non - limiting aspect of the present invention . the system may be configured to read data from any number of memory cells . the data may be carried within bit line signals read from each of the cells . a sense amplifier may be associated with each of the bit line signals to sense whether the data carried within the associated signal is high or low . a common reference voltage ( vref ) may be provided to facilitate sensing whether the data is high or low . generally , the data is read high if a voltage of the bit line ( bl ) is sufficiently higher or than vref and read low if the bl is sufficiently lower than vref . a local voltage generator may be associated with each of the sense amplifiers . the generators may be configured in accordance with the present invention to generate a substitute reference voltage ( vrefo ). the sense amplifiers may be configured to substitute the commonly generated vref with the vrefo when assessing whether the bl is high or low . this substitution can be beneficial since it allows a separate and independent reference voltage to be generated at each sense amplifier . the independent reference voltages can limit inconsistencies in the system that may result from the sense amplifiers experiencing pressure , voltage , and temperature ( pvt ) variations . the local voltage generators may be configured to vary vrefo depending on whether a high or low value is being read from the cells . one non - limiting aspect of the present invention contemplates increasing vrefo to a value greater than vref if the bit line value is to be read low and allowing vrefo to equal vref if the bit line value is to be read high . this can be helpful in reducing the amount of time required for the sense amplifiers to sense a sufficient voltage difference between bl and vrefo . fig4 graphically illustrates reading the bit line data in accordance with one non - limiting aspect of the present invention . a left portion of the illustration corresponds with reading a low value — bl being less than vrefo — and a right portion of the illustration corresponds with reading a high value — bl being greater than vrefo . a reference numeral may be used to refer to the difference in voltage required by the sense amplifier to read the data . the testing cycle time generally is limited by the length of time take to generate this difference . the sense amplifier requires some a minimal difference between bl and vrefo before a proper reading can occur . as such , the testing cycle time cannot be shorter than the time take to create the voltage difference required by the particular sensitivity of the sense amplifier being used . instead of adjusting the sensitivity of the sense amplifier , the present invention is able to use the same sense amplifier and decrease the read time by varying vrefo so that the desired voltage difference occurs sooner . as shown in fig4 , the present invention increases vrefo when low values are being read in order to produce the necessary voltage difference prior to the arrangement shown in fig2 . the testing cycles in fig2 and 4 are shown to correspond with the same total period of time for exemplary purpose and to demonstrate the earlier read sensitivity of the present invention . the present invention could easily decrease the cycle time by beginning subsequent read operations after the prior read operation completes . fig5 schematically illustrates the system in accordance with one non - limiting aspect of the present invention . the schematic illustrates a circuit arrangement that may be used to supply the voltage used by the sense amplifiers . the circuit arrangement may be configured to provide vrefo to the sense amplifiers in the manner described above , i . e ., where the vrefo is provided at a value above vref during a low read and at a value equal to vref during a high read . a source may be included for providing vref . another source may be included to provide a supply voltage ( vdd ) used to pull vrefo to a voltage level greater than vref . a number of switches p 1 , p 2 , p 3 , p 5 , a capacitor p 4 , and inverter i 1 may be included to facilitate operating the system as described in the operational charts illustrated in fig6 and 7 . fig6 illustrates reading a bit line low value . an en portion of the illustration indicates the state of en as controlled by a controller ( not shown ). when en is low , p 2 and p 3 are ‘ on ’ and intermediate node bl ′ and vrefo are pre - charged to vref . when en goes high , p 2 and p 3 turn ‘ off ’ and i 1 inverts the signal to cause en ′ to go low and turn ‘ on ’ p 5 . p 5 then pulls intermediate node vddi up from vref to vdd . bl , which was pre - charged to vdd , is pulled down when the cell begins to pull bl down with the low read value . p 4 allows intermediary node bl ′ to remain at vref until bl begins to pull low . once bl ′ goes low , bl ′ is coupled down via capacitor p 4 . p 1 is turned ‘ on ’ and vrefo is pulled to vdd . since vdd is greater than vref , vrefo is pulled higher as the bit line goes lower . this increases the voltage differential in the manner described above . at the end of the read cycle , en goes low to turn p 2 and p 3 turn ‘ on ’ and pull vrefo and bl ′ to vref . fig7 illustrates reading a bit line high value . a similar process occurs as with the process described above with respect to fig6 except the p 1 is not turned ‘ on ’ since bl remains high ( at vdd ). without vdd to pull vrefo to vdd , vrefo remains at vref . at the end of the read cycle , en goes low to turn p 2 and p 3 turn ‘ on ’ and pull vrefo and bl ′ to vref . as required , detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein ; however , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms . the figures are not necessarily to scale , some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components . therefore , specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as a representative basis for the claims and / or as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention . | 6 |
for the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention , reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended , such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates . it is desired to reduce the size of incisions necessary to perform a total hip arthroplasty in order to minimize trauma to the gluteus muscles and other underlying tissue adjacent the hip joint . one approach to reducing the size of the incisions is to make two smaller incisions having combined size less than the size of an incision typically made in a traditional single - incision hip replacement procedure . according to the present invention , one method of implanting a modular hip stem using a two - incision approach includes placing the stem portion into the medullary canal of the patient &# 39 ; s femur through a posterior incision in the body of the patient using an assembly shaft and inserting the body portion through a separate anterior incision in the body , thus reducing the size of the posterior incision necessary to perform the procedure . a first method according to the present invention uses a hip stem implant design 10 , as shown in fig1 , generally comprising a stem portion 12 , a body portion 14 , and a locking screw 16 . the hip stem implant 10 is implanted into the femur of the patient using an assembly shaft 18 , slap hammer 20 , hold back handle 22 , lock nut 24 and implant driver 26 . the stem portion 12 has a threaded aperture 34 for receiving the locking screw 16 and securing the body portion 14 to the stem portion 12 . the body portion 14 has a bore 28 therethrough for receiving the locking screw 16 into the top of the tapered head 30 of the stem portion 12 and an open cavity 32 for receiving the tapered head 30 of the stem portion 12 . the method illustrated in fig2 and 3 preferably comprises first inserting the stem portion 12 through a posterior incision 36 in the body of the patient 38 with the assembly shaft 18 and loosely positioning the stem portion 12 into the medullary canal 40 of the patient &# 39 ; s femur 42 . forceps 44 are then preferably used to hold the stem portion 12 while the assembly shaft 18 is detached from the stem portion 12 . next , the body portion 14 is preferably inserted through an anterior incision 46 in the body of the patient 36 while the stem portion 12 continues to be held with forceps 44 . the assembly shaft 18 is then reattached to the stem portion 12 through the bore 28 of the body portion 14 . next , the slap hammer 20 is slid over the assembly shaft 18 and the hold back handle 22 and lock nut 24 are secured to the end of the assembly shaft 18 . once situated , the body portion 14 is then impacted onto the stem portion 12 using the slap hammer 20 while preventing the stem portion 12 from seating into the medullary canal 40 by continuing to hold the stem portion 12 with the hold back handle 22 . assembly of the body portion 14 onto the stem portion 12 may be visualized through the anterior incision 46 while impaction of the body portion 14 onto the stem portion 12 is accomplished through the posterior incision 34 . the implant driver 26 is then used to hold the body portion 14 while the assembly shaft 18 is detached from the implant 10 . next , the locking screw 16 is preferably inserted through the anterior incision 46 and threaded into the stem portion 12 , as shown in fig3 , with a screw driver ( not shown ) manipulated through the posterior incision 36 , securing the body portion 14 to the stem portion 12 . finally , the implant 10 can be seated within the medullary canal 40 , as shown in fig3 , using a standard punch inserter ( not shown ) manipulated through the posterior incision 36 and anteversion of the implant 10 guided with the implant driver 26 , or by manipulation of the implant driver 26 alone through the anterior incision 46 . another embodiment of the present invention uses a different hip stem implant design 110 shown in fig4 and 5 , generally comprising a stem portion 112 , a body portion and a threaded locking cap 116 . the stem portion 112 has a reverse tapered portion 130 enabling the body portion 114 to be inserted through the anterior incision 146 , prior to the insertion of the stem portion 112 through the posterior incision 136 . the body portion 114 has an open threaded through cavity 132 for receiving the reverse tapered portion 130 of the stem portion 112 and threaded locking cap 116 . the method illustrated in fig5 preferably comprises first inserting the body portion 114 through the anterior incision 146 in the body of the patient 138 and loosely positioning the body portion 114 into the medullary canal 140 of the patient &# 39 ; s femur 142 . the stem portion 112 is then preferably inserted through the posterior incision 136 with the assembly shaft 118 and advanced through the open threaded through cavity 132 of the body portion 114 . next , the threaded locking cap 116 is inserted through the posterior incision 136 and threaded into the open threaded through cavity 132 of the body portion 114 , securing the stem portion 112 within the body portion 114 . finally , the implant 110 can be seated within the medullary canal 140 of the patient &# 39 ; s femur 142 by manipulation of the implant driver 126 through the anterior incision 146 . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character , it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected . | 0 |
the present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which embodiments of the invention are shown . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein ; rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . like numbers refer to like elements throughout . the present invention described and further detailed herein is particularly useful as a security device for the reinforcement of new door assemblies and , because of the ability to be adjustable , is equally suited for the repair of entry door assemblies with non - standard dimensions , while the door assembly remains in place . in place refers to the door assembly as mounted in an existing structure with means having been taken to ensure fixation to the structure in the current location . accordingly a door assembly , as shown in fig1 , 1 a and 1 b and fig2 , shall be an assembly including a door slab ( 10 ) that is hingedly affixed ( using hinges ( 24 )) along one vertically elongated edge to the hinge - side vertical jamb member ( 12 ), thereby allowing the door slab to swing and thus accommodate opening and closure . as well the door slab ( 10 ) shall have locking hardware ( 30 )( 50 ) mounted near the vertical free swinging edge ( 11 ) so that the locking hardware may interface closely with the adjacent free - swinging side vertical doorjamb member ( 14 ) upon door closure and lock actuation . lock hardware shall typically involve a dead bolt ( 30 ) that has the locking mechanism ( 32 ) ( 34 ) ( 52 ) ( 54 ), as seen in fig1 a and b , mounted both on the interior face ( 13 ) and exterior face ( 15 ) of the door and is manually manipulated by a key to lawfully unlock the door from the exterior side . a knob or key may be used to control the operation of the dead bolt lock bolt ( 36 ) from the interior side to engage and disengage lock bolt plunger ( 38 ) from the receiving opening ( 72 of fig5 a ) of the free - swinging side vertical door jamb member ( 14 ). the lock bolt assembly ( 36 ) will extend perpendicularly , internal to the door slab , from the union of locking mechanisms ( 32 )( 34 ) on the door slab facing to the free swinging edge ( 11 ) where it is typically secured . a similarly arranged and actuated latch bolt assembly ( 50 ) shall be positioned some distance below the dead bolt ( 30 ) allowing the bolt plunger ( 58 ), of the latch bolt ( 56 ), to catch and remain engaged in the receiving opening ( 74 of fig5 a ) of the free - swinging side vertical door jamb member ( 14 ), while the door is closed . the bolt plunger ( 58 ) of the latch bolt ( 56 ) can be retracted by manipulation of the door knobs ( 52 )( 54 ) that will be positioned on the interior and exterior faces of the door ( 13 ) ( 15 ), according to typical placement . the latch bolt locking assembly ( 50 ) is typically designed to accept a key , for lawful entry , in the exterior locking mechanism ( 53 ) positioned in the center in the door knob . the interior door knob ( 54 ) will be assembled with a manually operated knob ( not illustrated ), centrally located , that can be fingered to lock and unlock the latch bolt ; thereby allowing for turning of the door knobs ( 52 ) ( 54 ) to disengage the latch bolt plunger ( 58 ) from the corresponding strike plate ( 26 ) and receiving ( 74 ) opening in the doorjamb member ( 14 ). the door jamb members shall ordinarily comprise opposing vertical jamb members ( 12 )( 14 ) that will be joined together by upper and lower common horizontal jamb members ( 22 ) ( 28 ). each jamb member on its facing surface will include an offset surface ( 70 ) along its length which will cause the member to recess and have two distinct planes along the facing surface ( 71 ) into which a weather barrier is mounted . the offset surface ( 70 ) shall serve as a sealing surface for the exterior door slab face ( 15 ) as well it will be a stop for the free swinging edge ( 11 ), in the closed position . the vertical and upper jamb members ( 12 )( 14 ) ( 22 ) are typically of wooden composition , while the lower member ( 28 ) may be similarly created or of variable materials more resistant to weather related long term damage . a pair of wooden vertical stud members ( 60 ) shall be immediately adjacent and parallel to the vertical jamb members ( 12 ) ( 14 ), separated only by positioning shims ( 64 ). these studs ( 60 ) will be interposed between the walls of the structure ( 66 ) and joined together above and below the door jamb by a common header ( 62 ) and common floor ( 68 ) respectively to form the rough frame ( 60 ) ( 62 ) ( 68 ). the door assembly detail in fig2 including the door enclosure ( 12 )( 14 )( 22 )( 28 ) is securely affixed in the rough frame ( 60 ) ( 62 )( 68 ), positioned true with shims ( 64 ) to ensure proper alignment , and secured with suitable attaching hardware . decorative molding ( not illustrated ) shall conceal the area immediately around the doorjamb ( 12 )( 14 )( 22 )( 28 ) on the inner , outer walls ( 60 ) and extends along floor ( 68 ) of the structure . subsequently the door slab ( 10 ), on the affixed edge ( 17 ), is attached to the doorjamb stanchion with common hinge assemblies ( 24 ) secured by relatively short screws that are ordinarily shallowly set in the soft wood substrate of the hinge - side vertical doorjamb member ( 12 ). the plunger portion of both lock bolts ( 38 )( 58 ) pass through a strike plate ( not illustrated ) of conventional construction and similarly mounted on the free - swinging side vertical jamb member ( 14 ), then engage the free - swinging side vertical doorjamb member ( 14 ) and engaging the bolt receiving openings ( 72 ) ( 74 ), very near the interior edge of engage the free - swinging side vertical doorjamb member ( 14 ). typically the bolt plunger of the dead bolt ( 38 ) will penetrate more deeply into the vertical door jamb member than the bolt plunger of the latch bolt ( 58 ) and consequently requires the receiving opening to be suitably sized . embodiments of the present invention provide a means for providing an adjustable door assembly security device that secures , reinforces and repairs a door assembly . the embodiment of fig2 will demonstrate a security system including doorjamb stanchion , door jamb member and door slab improvement shields suitably situated on a door assembly . the attached figures are examples of the mounting components in accordance with the current invention . as seen in fig3 a - c , 4 a - c and fig5 a and b , the jamb shielding component corresponding to the free swinging side of the door comprises two vertically elongated , substantially equal length members having basically “ l ” shaped cross sections . the members are constructed of about 16 - 24 gauge steel sheet metal , and fit together to form a slide - on sleeve . when positioned together , the members ( 80 )( 130 ) form a metal elongated sleeve shaped in a manner so as to generally present a j shaped cross section . the first or medial member ( 80 ) comprises a medial side panel ( 86 ) and an interior side panel ( 89 ). the medial side panel ( 86 ) of the medial member ( 80 ) of the free - swinging side jamb shielding component extends , in close proximity , along the offset plane ( 76 ) of the facing surface ( 71 ) of the vertical jamb member ( 14 ). the interior side panel ( 89 ) of the medial member ( 80 ) of the shielding component is then contoured to advance perpendicular to the medial side panel ( 86 ), flushly contacting the interior surface ( 78 ) of the doorjamb member ( 14 ). the interior side panel ( 89 ) of the medial member ( 80 ) has a plurality of slots ( 83 ) positioned side by side in groups , with the groups of slots being spaced vertically along the length ( while fig3 illustrates seven groups of four slots each , the number and spacing of the slots may vary ). the second or lateral member ( 130 ) comprises an interior side panel ( 139 ) and a lateral side panel ( 136 ). the interior side panel ( 139 ) of the lateral member ( 130 ) partially overlaps and engages with ( in a manner described in more detail below ) the interior side panel ( 89 ) of the medial member ( 80 ), thereby forming a unified common center section that flushly contacts and covers the interior surface ( 78 ) of the vertical jamb member ( 14 ). the lateral side panel ( 136 ) of the lateral member ( 130 ) bends perpendicular to the interior side panel ( 139 ) to be positioned along and flushly contacting the lateral surface of the vertical door jamb member ( 14 ) immediately adjacent the corresponding vertical stud of the rough frame ( 60 ). the lateral member ( 130 ) has tabs ( 132 ) positioned along the length of the interior side panel ( 136 ). the tabs are on the edge of the interior side panel ( 139 ) that is opposite the edge that meets the lateral side panel ( 136 ). the tabs extend substantially perpendicular to the interior side panel ( 139 ), such that the tabs are substantially parallel to the lateral side panel ( 136 ). the spacing of the tabs along the edge of the interior side panel of the lateral member ( 130 ) corresponds to the spacing of the groups of slots along the length of the interior side panel of the medial member ( 80 ), such that each tab will extend through a slot in the corresponding group of slots when the two sections are mounted on the door jamb member and engage the interior edge ( 78 ) of the vertical jamb section ( 14 ). the tabs may be pointed , as illustrated in fig4 , to enable the tabs to easily penetrate the wooden jamb member . which slot in each group that a tab extends through depends on the thickness of the jamb member . having multiple slots in each group enables the device to mount to jamb members of different thicknesses . the medial member ( 80 ) will have multiple countersunk openings ( 81 ) along the medial side panel ( 86 ) into which the mounting hardware ( 100 ) is secured . as well there will be a plurality of substantially identically sized cutouts or knockouts ( 82 ) approximately centered and aligned vertically along the length of the medial side panel . a number of the knockouts or cutouts are provided , such that at least some will directly coincide with the lock bolt plunger receiving openings ( 72 ) ( 74 ) of the corresponding vertical doorjamb stanchion ( 14 ). the free - swinging side jamb shielding component ( 80 )( 130 ), once assembled , will be incorporated onto the vertical doorjamb member in the area of the narrowed offset plane ( 76 ) specific to the central region of the vertical jamb member . the component will be arranged such that the common center section ( i . e ., the engaged and partially overlapping interior side panels ( 89 )( 139 )) of the elongated metal sleeve ( 80 )( 130 ), created by the engagement of the tabs of the lateral member ( 130 ) into the slots of the medial member ( 80 ) and the coinciding perpendicular bends of the sections , will be facing the interior edge of the vertical door jamb member ( 14 ) previously detailed . the medial side panel ( 86 ) of the medial member ( 80 ) of the metal sleeve will extend onto the offset plane ( 76 ) of the vertical door jamb member facing surface ( 71 ) with its extreme edge ( i . e ., the edge opposite the edge that is shared with the interior side panel ( 89 )) coming to rest flush against the offset surface ( 71 ) while maintaining a close parallel orientation to the offset plane ( 76 ). the lateral member ( 130 ) will extend along closely and be parallel to the same vertical doorjamb member &# 39 ; s posterior or lateral region . the common center section , created by the engagement and partial overlapping of the interior side panels of the lateral and medial members , connects the lateral and medial members after engaging the tabs of one into the slots of the other so that the medial side panel of the medial member and the lateral side panel of the lateral member are substantially parallel to each other . the distance between the medial side panel of the medial member and the lateral side panel of the lateral member is adjustable as described above ( based on which slots the tabs go into ) such that the distance is substantially the same as the thickness of the doorjamb when applied . accordingly when the free - swinging side jamb shielding component is arranged as previously mentioned the position is adjusted such that the medial member ( 80 ) generally aligns with the vertical center of the corresponding vertical doorjamb member ( 14 ) ( as seen in fig5 a ). the lateral member ( 130 ) is then arranged as previously mentioned and is engaged with the medial member . when thusly positioned the component is secured with suitable mounting hardware . accordingly when the jamb shielding component is arranged as previously mentioned , the position is adjusted such that the knockouts ( 82 ) in the medial member ( 80 ) correspond , with specific alignment , to the bolt plunger receiving holes ( 72 ) ( 74 ) in the corresponding vertical door jamb member ( 14 ). when correctly positioned , the knockouts that align with the bolt plunger receiving holes ( 72 ) ( 74 ) are removed and the component is secured with suitable mounting hardware . this mounting hardware will comprise screws ( 100 ) that are placed in the countersunk openings ( 81 ) along the medial side panel of the jamb shielding component ( 80 ). additionally , the tabs ( 132 ) of the lateral member ( 130 ) also help to secure the medial member ( 80 ) in position . after properly preparing the material immediately beneath the countersunk opening ( 81 ), by means of pre - drilling ( taking care to drill deep enough to create corresponding holes in the lateral side panel of the lateral member , as the lateral member does not comprise preexisting holes to receive the screws ), the screws are received in the opening such that they pass through the medial member ( 80 ) of the jamb shield component , through the door jamb member ( 14 ), through the lateral member ( 130 ), through the shim material ( 64 ), and extend substantially into the rough frame ( 60 ) of the structure . when sufficiently engaged , the screw heads will come to rest in the countersunk opening ( 81 ) of the component and appear to be in the same plane . as mentioned above , the medial member ( 80 ) and the lateral member ( 130 ) of this embodiment are of substantially equal length . the length of these members is typically selected to be long enough to cover a substantial portion of the vertical jamb member ( 114 ) but short enough to be mountable on many different height door assemblies . the featured embodiment of fig6 a - c , 7 a - c and fig8 a and b relate to a hinge side jamb shield that comprises two elongated , substantially unequal length members ( 90 )( 130 ) having basically “ l ” shaped cross sections . the members are constructed of about 16 - 24 gauge steel sheet metal , and fit together to form a slide on - sleeve . when positioned together the members form a metal elongated sleeve shaped in a manner so as to generally present a j shaped cross section . the first or medial member ( 90 ) comprises a medial side panel ( 96 ) and an interior side panel ( 99 ). the medial side panel ( 96 ) of the medial member ( 90 ) extends , in close proximity , along the offset plane ( 76 ) of the facing surface ( 71 ) of the vertical jamb member ( 12 ). the medial member ( 90 ) will be formed with a substantially shorter length than the lateral member ( 130 ) and be centrally located when attached to the lateral member ( 130 ), to accommodate being positioned between the fixed portion of two of the hinges ( 24 ) attached to the vertical jamb section ( 12 ). the interior side panel ( 99 ) of the medial member ( 90 ) is then contoured to advance perpendicular to the medial side panel ( 96 ), flushly contacting the interior surface ( 78 ) of the doorjamb member ( 12 ). the interior side panel ( 99 ) of the medial member ( 90 ) has a plurality of slots ( 93 ) positioned side by side in groups , with the groups being spaced vertically along the length ( while fig6 illustrates three groups of four slots each , the number and spacing of the slots may vary ). the second or lateral member ( 130 ) comprises an interior side panel ( 139 ) and a lateral side panel ( 136 ). the interior side panel ( 139 ) comprises two hinge cutouts ( 138 ) to enable the lateral member to be mounted on the jamb member without interfering with the hinges . the interior side panel ( 139 ) of the lateral member ( 130 ) partially overlaps and engages with ( in a manner described in more detail below ) the interior side panel ( 99 ) of the medial member ( 90 ), thereby forming a unified common center section that flushly contacts and covers the interior surface ( 78 ) of the vertical jamb member ( 12 ). the lateral side panel ( 136 ) of the lateral member ( 130 ) bends perpendicular to the interior side panel ( 139 ) to be positioned along and flushly contacting the lateral surface of the vertical door jamb member ( 12 ) immediately adjacent the corresponding vertical stud of the rough frame ( 60 ). the lateral member ( 130 ) has tabs ( 132 ) positioned along the length of the interior side panel ( 136 ). the tabs are on the edge of the interior side panel ( 139 ) that is opposite the edge that meets the lateral side panel ( 136 ). the tabs extend substantially perpendicular to the interior side panel ( 139 ), such that the tabs are substantially parallel to the lateral side panel ( i 36 ). the spacing of the tabs along the edge of the interior side panel of the lateral member ( 130 ) corresponds to the spacing of the groups of slots along the length of the interior side panel of the medial member ( 90 ), such that each tab will extend through a slot in the corresponding group of slots when the two sections are mounted on the door jamb member and engage the interior edge ( 78 ) of the vertical jamb section ( 12 ). the tabs may be pointed , as illustrated in fig7 , to enable the tabs to easily penetrate the wooden jamb member . which slot in each group that a tab extends through depends on the thickness of the jamb member . having multiple slots in each group enables the device to mount to jamb members of different thicknesses . the medial member ( 90 ) will have multiple countersunk openings ( 91 ) along the medial side panel ( 96 ) into which the mounting hardware ( 100 ) is secured . the hinge - side jamb - shielding component ( 90 )( 130 ) will be incorporated onto the vertical doorjamb member ( 12 ) in the area of the narrowed offset plane ( 76 ) specific to the central region of the vertical jamb member . the component will be arranged such that the common center section ( i . e ., the engaged and partially overlapping interior side panels ( 99 )( 139 )) of the elongated metal sleeve ( 90 )( 130 ) created by the engagement of the tabs of the lateral member ( 130 ) into the slots of the medial member ( 90 ) and the coinciding perpendicular bends of the sections , will be facing the interior edge ( 78 ) of the vertical doorjamb member ( 12 ) previously detailed . the medial side panel ( 96 ) of the medial member ( 90 ) of the metal sleeve ( 90 )( 130 ) will extend onto the offset plane ( 76 ) of the vertical door jamb member facing surface ( 71 ) with its extreme edge ( i . e ., the edge opposite the edge that is shared with the interior side panel ( 99 )) coming to rest flush against the offset surface ( 71 ) while maintaining a close parallel orientation to the offset plane ( 76 ). the lateral member ( 130 ) will extend along closely and be parallel to the same vertical doorjamb member &# 39 ; s posterior or lateral region . the common center section ( 99 )( 139 ), created by the engagement and partial overlapping of the interior side panels of the lateral and medial members , connects the lateral and medial members after engaging the tabs of one into the slots of the other so that the medial side panel of the medial member and the lateral side panel of the lateral member are substantially parallel to each other . the distance between the medial side panel of the medial member and the lateral side panel of the lateral member is adjustable as described above ( based on which slots the tabs go into ) such that the distance is substantially the same as the thickness of the doorjamb when applied . accordingly when the hinge - side jamb shielding component is arranged as previously mentioned the position is determined such that the medial member ( 90 ) is generally positioned between the middle and bottom hinges on the vertical doorjamb member ( 12 ) ( as seen in fig8 a and b ). the hinge - side jamb shielding component could be positioned with the medial member positioned between the middle and top hinges , but the lower portion of the door is more likely to receive a kicking force from an intruder and therefore is more desirable to strengthen . the lateral member ( 130 ) is then arranged as previously mentioned and is engage with the medial member . when thusly positioned the component is secured with suitable mounting hardware . this mounting hardware will comprise screws ( 100 ) that are placed in the countersunk openings ( 91 ) along the medial side panel of the jamb shielding component ( 90 ). additionally , the tabs ( 132 ) of the lateral member ( 130 ) also help to secure the medial member ( 90 ) in position . after properly preparing the material immediately beneath the countersunk opening ( 91 ), by means of pre - drilling ( taking care to drill deep enough to create corresponding holes in the lateral side panel of the lateral member , as the lateral member does not comprise preexisting holes to receive the screws ), the screws are received in the opening such that they pass through the medial member ( 90 ), through the door jamb member ( 14 ), through the lateral member ( 130 ), through the shim material ( 64 ), and extend substantially into the rough frame ( 60 ) of the structure . when sufficiently engaged the screw heads will come to rest in the countersunk opening ( 81 ) of the component and appear to be in the same plane . in an alternative embodiment of the invention , lateral member ( 130 ) is long enough to span all three hinges and has three hinge cutouts ( rather than two as in the embodiment illustrated in fig7 ). in this embodiment , two medial members ( 90 ) will be used to engage with the longer lateral member — one medial member being positioned between the middle and bottom hinges and one medial member being positioned between the middle and top hinges . note that , in the illustrated embodiment of the invention , the lateral member of the free - swinging side shield and the lateral member of the hinge - side shield are identical . this enables one stock keeping unit ( sku ) to be used for two different purposes , thereby reducing manufacturing and inventory costs . the hinge cutouts ( 138 ), which are necessary on the hinge - side shield , are included on the free - swinging side shield ( even though they are not necessary ) to enable this identicalness . as represented in fig9 a - c and fig1 a and b , the door shielding component of the present invention is an elongated steel sleeve ( 120 ) that is shaped in a manner to have a common center section closely abutted to the free swinging edge ( 11 ) of the door slab . the sleeve will be constructed with openings ( 126 ) in this common center section that are positioned to coincide with specific alignment and accommodate the lock bolt plunger ( 38 ) ( 58 ) operation as it is manipulated to extend and retract from the door slab edge ( 11 ) while respectively engaging and disengaging the corresponding vertical jamb member ( 14 ). the door shield component is further contoured to have perpendicular side panels ( 122 paralleling and in close proximity to the large facing surfaces of the door slab ( 13 ) ( 15 ). the panel ( 122 ) have openings ( 124 ) of sufficiently sized for installation of typical locking devices ( 30 ) ( 50 ) as previously detailed . the component will be arranged such that the open section of the elongated metal sleeve created by the fore mentioned coinciding perpendicular bends of the sleeve will be immediately against the free swinging edge of the door slab ( 11 ). in this position the openings ( 126 ) in this portion will coincide with specific alignment of the lock bolt plungers ( 38 ) ( 58 ), thereby permitting it to be manipulated to extend and retract from the door slab edge ( 11 ) while respectively engaging and disengaging the corresponding vertical jamb member ( 14 ). the side panels ( 122 ) extend , snugly against the interior and exterior facing surfaces ( 13 ) ( 15 ), towards the fixed edge of the door slab ( 17 ). openings 127 in the common center section receive fasteners to secure the door shielding component to the door slab edge ( 11 ). fig1 through 15 are representative of alternate configurations of the jamb and hinge shielding components . basically the major variation being represented in these drawing involves how the medial and lateral members engage . as in the above described embodiment , this configuration allows the two - part sleeve to be mechanically and slidably adjustable to accommodate substantial variations in jamb thickness and still be arranged on the door assembly as previously detailed . this feature will allow for positional or slidable adjustment of said components with respect to a given jamb thickness . alternative construction in this manner permits use of the jamb shielding components in cooperation with the alternate embodiments of the door assemblies . fig1 through 15 depict a jamb shielding component corresponding to the free swinging side of the door that comprises two vertically elongated , substantially equal length members having basically “ l ” shaped cross sections . the members are constructed of about 16 - 24 gauge steel sheet metal , and fit together to form a slide - on sleeve . when positioned together the members ( 150 )( 160 ) form a metal elongated sleeve shaped in a manner so as to generally present a j shaped cross section . the first or medial member ( 150 ) comprises a medial side panel ( 156 ) and an interior side panel ( 159 ). the interior side panel ( 159 ) comprises tabs ( 155 ) at either end . the tabs are planar and contiguous with the interior side panel and extend outward ( i . e ., away from the edge shared with the medial side panel ( 156 )) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the interior side panel . the second or lateral member ( 160 ) comprises a lateral side panel ( 166 ) and an interior side panel ( 169 ). the interior side panel ( 169 ) of the lateral member ( 160 ) comprises slots ( 165 ) at either end for receiving corresponding tabs of the medial member . the opposite ends of interior side panel ( 169 ) extend beyond the corresponding ends of the lateral side panel ( 166 ). both of these two extended portions are folded into a j shape to form the slots . the medial side panel ( 156 ) of the medial member ( 150 ) of the free - swinging side jamb shielding component of this alternative embodiment extends , in close proximity , along the offset plane ( 76 ) of the facing surface ( 71 ) of the vertical jamb member ( 14 ). the interior side panel ( 159 ) of the medial member ( 150 ) is then contoured to advance perpendicular to the medial side panel ( 156 ), flushly contacting the interior surface ( 78 ) of the doorjamb member ( 14 ). the interior side panel ( 169 ) of the lateral member ( 160 ) engages with ( by receiving the tabs of the medial member in its slots ( 165 )) the interior side panel ( 159 ) of the medial member ( 150 ), thereby forming a unified common center section that flushly contacts and covers the interior surface ( 78 ) of the vertical jamb member ( 14 ). the lateral side panel ( 166 ) of the lateral member ( 160 ) bends perpendicular to the interior side panel ( 169 ) to be positioned along and flushly contacting the lateral surface of the vertical door jamb member ( 14 ) immediately adjacent the corresponding vertical stud of the rough frame ( 60 ). the tabs ( 155 ) slide through the slots ( 165 ) and then fold in to flushly contact the lateral surface of the door jamb member ( as illustrated in fig1 a and in the inset of fig1 c ). the component will have multiple countersunk openings ( 151 ) along the medial side panel ( 156 ) of the medial member ( 150 ) into which the mounting hardware ( 100 ) is secured . multiple ( non - countersunk ) openings ( 161 ) are positioned along the lateral side panel ( 166 ) of the lateral member ( 160 ) to correspond to the multiple countersunk openings ( 151 ) along the medial side panel ( 156 ) of the medial member ( 150 ). openings ( 161 ) are larger than openings ( 151 ), because openings ( 161 ) are designed to merely enable the fasteners to pass unimpeded through the lateral member ( 160 ) into the underlying structure as discussed in more detail below . the larger size of openings ( 161 ) provides sufficient tolerance for this unimpeded passage without requiring precise mounting alignment of the lateral and medial members . as well there will be a plurality of substantially identically sized cutouts or knockouts ( 152 ) approximately centered ( relative to the longitudinal axis ) and aligned vertically along the length of the medial side panel ( 156 ). a number of the knockouts or cutouts are provided , such that at least some will directly coincide with the lock bolt plunger receiving openings ( 72 ) ( 74 ) of the corresponding vertical doorjamb stanchion ( 14 ). the jamb shielding component ( 150 )( 160 ), once assembled , will be incorporated onto the vertical doorjamb member in the area of the narrowed offset plane ( 76 ) specific to the central region of the vertical jamb member . the component will be arranged such that the common center section ( 159 )( 169 ) of the elongated metal sleeve ( 150 )( 160 ), created by slidably engaging the tabs of the medial member into the slots of the lateral member and the coinciding perpendicular bends of the sections , will be facing the interior edge ( 78 ) of the vertical door jamb member ( 14 ) previously detailed . the medial member ( 150 ) of the metal sleeve will extend onto the offset plane ( 76 ) of the vertical doorjamb member facing surface ( 71 ) with its extreme edge ( i . e ., the edge opposite the edge that is shared with the interior side panel ( 159 )) coming to rest flush against the offset surface ( 71 ) while maintaining a close parallel orientation to the offset plane ( 76 ). the lateral member ( 160 ) will extend along closely and be parallel to the same vertical doorjamb member &# 39 ; s lateral surface . the common center section ( 159 ) ( 169 ), created by the engagement of the interior side panels of the medial and lateral members , connects the medial and lateral members after engaging the tabs of one into the slots of the other so that the medial side panel of the medial member and the lateral side panel of the lateral member are substantially parallel to each other . the distance between the medial side panel of the medial member and the lateral side panel of the lateral member is adjustable ( based on how far the tabs slide into the slots ) such that the distance is substantially the same as the thickness of the doorjamb . accordingly when the jamb shielding component is arranged as previously mentioned the position is adjusted such that the medial member ( 150 ) generally aligns with the vertical center of the corresponding vertical doorjamb member ( 14 ). when the jamb shielding component is arranged , the position is adjusted such that the knockouts ( 152 ) in the medial member ( 150 ) correspond , with specific alignment , to the bolt plunger receiving holes ( 72 ) ( 74 ) in the corresponding vertical doorjamb member ( 14 ). when correctly positioned , the knockouts that align with the bolt plunger receiving holes ( 72 ) ( 74 ) are removed and the component is secured with suitable mounting hardware . elongated rectangular cutouts ( 162 ) of the lateral side panel ( 166 ) of the lateral member ( 160 ) enable the lock bolts ( where necessary and / or desirable ) to pass through the lateral member ( 160 ) into the underlying frame structure , thereby providing even further installation flexibility , strength and security . when thusly positioned the component is secured with suitable mounting hardware . this mounting hardware will comprise screws ( 100 ) that are placed in the countersunk openings ( 151 ) along the medial side panel ( 150 ). additionally , the subsequent bending of the tabs ( 155 ) around the lateral surface of the door jamb member also help to secure the medial member ( 150 ) in position . after properly preparing the material immediately beneath the countersunk opening ( 151 ), by means of pre - drilling , taking care to drill straight and deep enough to pass through the corresponding pre - existing holes ( 162 ) in the lateral side panel of the lateral member , the screws are received in the opening such that they pass through the medial side panel ( 156 ) of the medial member ( 150 ), through the door jamb member ( 14 ), through the pre - existing holes ( 162 ) in the lateral side panel ( 166 ) of the lateral member ( 160 ), through the shim material ( 64 ), and extend substantially into the rough frame ( 60 ) of the structure . when sufficiently engaged , the screw heads will come to rest in the countersunk opening ( 151 ) of the component and appear to be in the same plane . in use , the present system of invention can be characterized by its ease of installation , adaptability , superior design and simplicity . briefly the steps for installation follow : remove interior trim modeling and strike plates . assemble the jamb shielding components so they are appropriately sized for the particular jamb member . position the jamb shielding components ( 80 ) ( 130 ) ( 90 ) ( 130 ) or ( 150 ) ( 160 ), ensuring the line up with the lock bolt plungers openings ( 72 ) ( 74 ). form holes in the corresponding door jamb member for reception of screws at locations ( 81 ). secure the jamb shielding components in place with suitable screws ( 100 ). position the hinge side jamb shielding components ( 90 )( 130 ) and form holes in the corresponding door jamb ( 12 )( 14 ), as detailed , for the reception of screws . secure the hinge side jamb shield in place as detailed with suitable screws . remove the locking devices ( 30 ) ( 50 ) from the door slab surfaces ( 13 ) ( 15 ). position the door shield component on the door slab free swinging edge so as to allow the lock bolt plungers ( 38 ) ( 58 ) to pass through the corresponding openings in it ( 116 ). secure the component in place with suitable screws and re - install the locking devices ( 30 ) ( 50 ) over the door shield component side panels ( 112 ), securing it in place . the different shield components described herein are made of steel for strength reasons . other metals or strong materials may alternatively be used to form the shields . also , the actual dimensions of the various shield components may vary . the door jamb shield sleeve used for the door slab free swinging edge is from about six inches to about five feet long , or alternatively about one foot to three feet long , or in one example about twenty inches long . the corresponding side panels have widths of from about a half inch to about six inches . in one example , one side panel is about an inch wide , and the second side panel is about three inches wide . for a door jamb shield sleeve used on the door hinge side of the jamb , the sleeve is about four inches to two feet long , and in one example about six inches long . the side panels may have widths of from about a half inch to about six inches . in one example , one side panel is about an inch wide , and the second side panel is about three inches wide and are adjustable from about one half inch to about but not limited to three inches . the size and shape of the cutouts or knockouts are designed to correspond to the dimensions of the lock bolt receiving holes or hinge plate and are typically rectangular . in applications involving repair of a door assembly , using the present invention , as much of the remaining doorjamb member or door slab material as possible should be positioned to accept the appropriate components . when these door assemblies are severely damaged additional alignment maybe necessary to properly install the present system . when the components of the present door security system are deployed alone or in combination as previously detailed they form a cohesive system that improves the security offered by a door assembly . the components reinforce and retrofit existing doors assemblies and as well repairs damaged assemblies of varied jamb thickness . these means are achieved by the components wrapping key elements of a door assembly in metal and securing them to the surrounding structure . the adjustable wrapping design reinforces these elements by placing metal along three sides of each piece and particularly along the typical load bearing surfaces exposed to a forced entry attempt , thereby preventing the splintering of the door assembly . the repair function allows for the door assembly elements to be easily repaired by sliding the door security components into place thereby wrapping the previously damaged areas even doors with non - standard component dimensions . this will also serve to conceal the prior damage . on a typical door assembly this means the door jamb members on either side of the assembly , and the door slab are wrapped in steel , while remaining in place , to repair or prevent further damage when substantial force is applied . having thus described and detailed the present invention , it is to be understood that many obvious and apparent variations in construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the overall scope and spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims . furthermore , it is intended that the foregoing specifications and accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative rather than in a limiting sense . | 4 |
the alloys of the invention may be described as falling within a single phase α region of the equilibrium phase diagram for copper , nickel and tin , near the melting point , but within a two - phase α + θ region of the equilibrium diagram at lower temperatures extending down to room temperature . in general , such alloys correspond to compositions falling with the broad compositional range of from 2 to 98 weight percent nickel , 2 to 11 weight percent tin at 2 percent nickel , and 2 to 20 weight percent tin and and 98 percent nickel , remainder copper . however , it is preferred to maintain nickel within the range of 4 to 40 weight percent , beyond which the aging time required to achieve significant increases in mechanical strength begins to become excessive . in addition , beyond 40 weight percent nickel , the raw materials cost begins to approach commercially impractical levels . it is preferred to maintain the tin content within the range of 3 to 8 weight percent at 4 percent nickel and 3 to 12 weight percent at 40 percent nickel . below 3 percent tin the amount of second phase material available is in general insufficient to affect mechanical properties significantly , while beyond 8 to 12 weight percent tin the alloys become difficult to process , particularly during pretreatment to achieve a supersaturated single phase α structure . it has been found that minor additions of some materials such as zinc and manganese typically up to about 2 weight percent and 1 / 4 weight percent , respectively , may be beneficial in improving porosity characteristics of the cast ingots . the impurities silicon , phosphorous , lead and chromium should each be kept below about 0 . 05 weight percent in the composition in order to avoid a tendency of these elements to interfere with the hardening mechanism . the first stage of the processing is designated generically as pretreatment and includes several steps designed to result in a medium to fine grain structure of a supersaturated solid solution of single phase α material . this pretreatment may take any form so long as it results in the requisite single phase material having in general an average grain size of 100 microns or smaller for alloys containing less than 5 percent of tin and an average grain size of 25 microns or smaller for alloys containing 5 percent or more tin . larger average grain sizes would in general lead to difficulty in carrying out cold working steps . it is preferable for obtaining optimum properties to have a smaller average grain size of 12 microns or smaller , regardless of the tin content . as will be appreciated , such a structure may be achieved by techniques known in the art . to aid the practitioner , an exemplary pretreatment is as follows . the cast ingot is first solution treated at a temperature within the single phase α region of the equilibrium diagram for a time sufficient to achieve substantial dissolution of any second phase material which may be present . the ingot is then formed into the desired shape by means which may include means for breaking up the cored structure formed during casting , such as , for example , hot forging , upset forging , or swaging ( hot or cold ). forming is concluded with a cold work by an amount equivalent to an area reduction of at least 30 percent in order to insure a fine equiaxed recrystallization . the cold worked single phase structure is then annealed to achieve the desired grain size . it will also be appreciated that the annealed structure must be cooled at a rate sufficient to prevent the precipitation of any second phase material . it will ordinarily be sufficient for this purpose to air quench the alloy so long as such results in a cooling rate of at least 40 ° c per second . it is , however , preferred to water or brine quench alloys containing 5 percent or more tin since the kinetics of the embrittling transformation in general tend to increase with increasing tin content . such a water or brine quench would ordinarily correspond to a cooling rate of at least 500 ° c per second . in accordance with the invention , it has been discovered that an intermediate metastable state characterized by the so - called &# 34 ; spinodal &# 34 ; transformation from a single phase to a two - phase alloy , occurs in the pretreated alloy at a temperature below a metastable boundary characterized by a reversion temperature t m within the two - phase region of the equilibrium diagram , and results in considerable hardening of the alloy . however , a grain boundary second phase transformation occurs simultaneously in this region resulting in loss of ductility of peak 0 . 01 yield strengths . eventually , an equilibrium lamellar two - phase structure is nucleated , resulting in an abrupt drop in yield strength . in accordance with the invention , it has been found that a critical amount of cold work prior to aging not only inhibits grain boundary second phase formation and nucleation of the equilibrium lamellar structure , but also significantly increases the kinetics of the spinodal transformation . thus cold working by an amount equivalent to an area reduction of at least 75 percent enables promotion of the spinodal transformation by aging below t m for a time which is insufficient to allow substantial grain boundary transformation . the reversion temperature t m may be determined by plotting curves of isothermal resistivity changes as a function of time at various temperatures . these curves may be produced for any composition and will take one of two forms below the equilibrium boundary . the upper curves ( corresponding to higher temperatures ) will exhibit sigmoidal character , while the lower curves will exhibit exponential character . t m is represented by the temperature at which the curves revert from sigmoidal to exponential character . t m is dependent both upon the amount of cold working the alloy has received and upon the composition of the alloy , particularly the tin content . the effect of tin upon t m may be appreciated , for example , by arbitrarily fixing the copper - nickel ratio at 90 to 10 and varying the tin content , resulting in a pseudo - binary ( cu 0 . 9 ni 0 . 1 ) x sn 1 - x system in which t m increases with increasing tin content from a minimum at about 2 percent tin to a maximum at about 6 percent and then tends to decrease again beyond 6 percent tin . alternatively , if the copper - tin ratio is fixed and the nickel content is varied , t m increases gradually with increasing nickel content in an approximately linear manner . the exact position of the metastable boundary for any composition may be determined as described above . table i presents values of t m for some representative pretreated compositions of the invention . table i______________________________________composition reversion temp . ( wt .% ni , wt .% sn , rem . bu ) ( t . sub . m ) (± 5 ° c ) ______________________________________31 / 2 % ni 21 / 2 % sn 401 ° c5 % ni 5 % sn 458 ° c7 % ni 8 % sn 502 ° c9 % ni 6 % sn 508 ° c101 / 2 % ni 41 / 2 % sn 530 ° c12 % ni 8 % sn 555 ° c______________________________________ referring now to fig1 the effect of aging upon the 0 . 01 yield strength and ductility of a copper , 9 wt . percent nickel , 6 wt . percent tin alloy after cold working to an area reduction of 90 percent is depicted graphically for two different aging temperatures . several features of the inventive process become apparent from an examination of these curves . for example , comparing the curves for 0 . 01 yield strength versus aging time shows that as aging temperature is decreased , the peak 0 . 01 yield strength and the aging time to achieve it are both increased . thus , in the figure , decreasing the aging temperature from 375 ° c to 300 ° c results in an increased peak 0 . 01 yield strength of about 20 , 000 psi and an increased aging time to this peak yield strength from about 71 / 2 minutes to about 28 hours . comparing the curves for ductility versus aging time shows that ductility remains approximately unaffected by aging until a critical aging time is reached at which the undesirable embrittling second phase material begins to appear , resulting in an abrupt drop in ductility . for ease in describing the effects of the process variables upon the attainment of optimum 0 . 01 yield strength and ductility , ductilities above 40 percent reduction in area will be arbitrarily designated as optimum , and ductilities falling below 40 percent reduction in area will be arbitrarily designated herein by the term &# 34 ; onset of embrittlement .&# 34 ; it will be understood by the practitioner , however , that many applications for these alloys exist for which ductilities below these levels would be adequate . it is observed by a comparison of the 0 . 01 yield strength curves that the aging time required to achieve peak 0 . 01 yield strength and the time to reach onset of embrittlement varies with aging temperature . thus , at an aging temperature of 300 ° c , peak 0 . 01 yield strength is achieved after the onset of embrittlement whereas at k375 ° c peak 0 . 01 yield strength is achieved before the onset of embrittlement . it has been found that for every composition and every level of prior cold work within the limits described there exists an aging temperature t d at which peak 0 . 01 yield strength is achieved at about the same time that onset of embrittlement begins to occur . fig2 shows the relationship between t d and the level of prior cold work for a copper , 9 wt . percent nickel , 6 wt . percent tin alloy . as may be seen , at least 75 percent prior cold work is necessary in order to achieve peak 0 . 01 yield strength accompanied by a ductility of at least 40 percent reduction in area at any temperature . as the level of cold work is increased beyond 75 percent , the aging temperature t d decreases , enabling the attainment of increased levels of 0 . 01 yield strength at peak value . for this reason cold working prior to aging by an amount equivalent to at least 90 percent area reduction is preferred . combinations of prior cold work and aging temperatures within the hatched region of fig2 will result in ductilities of at least 40 percent reduction in area , but may result in less than optimum mechanical strengths . it will be realized that even higher 0 . 01 yield strength values may be attained if the ductility requirement of at least 40 percent reduction in area is relaxed . for example , for the copper , 9 percent nickel , 6 percent tin alloy , cold working to 90 percent area reduction followed by aging at t d ( approximately 355 ° c ) results in a peak 0 . 01 yield strength of about 158 , 000 psi . referring back to fig1 it is seen that dropping the aging temperature below t d to 300 ° c results in a higher peak 0 . 01 yield strength of about 165 , 000 psi while ductility falls below 40 percent reduction in area to about 30 percent reduction in area . in general , aging below about 225 ° c for any composition would require times of the order of 24 hours or longer to achieve optimum mechanical strength , too long for most commercial applications . the shape of the curve in fig2 is essentially unaffected by shifts in composition away from the copper , 9 percent nickel , 6 percent tin alloy . however , increasing the tin content or decreasing the nickel content or both tends to shift the curve upwards and to the right for a given level of cold work . for example , for a prior cold work of 99 percent area reduction , increasing the tin content from 6 to 8 percent and decreasing the nickel content from 9 to 7 percent increases t d from about 290 ° c to about 425 ° c . decreasing the nickel content of a copper , 8 percent tin alloy from 12 to 7 percent increases t d from about 375 ° c to about 425 ° c . fig1 also shows that relaxation of the requirement to reach peak 0 . 01 yield strength can broaden the permissible limits of aging time or temperature or both for a given level of prior cold work . for example , it is seen that aging at a temperature of from 300 ° to 375 ° c for a time of from about 100 seconds to 3 hours results in a 0 . 01 yield strength of about 125 , 000 to 155 , 000 psi ( from about 80 to 98 percent of peak 0 . 01 yield strength attainable at t d ) and a ductility of at least 40 percent reduction in area . as stated above , the prior cold work increases the kinetics of the spinodal transformation , promotion of which determines the desired optimum mechanical properties . for any given aging temperature , increasing the level of prior cold work therefore decreases the time required to achieve peak properties . this effect may be seen from the following table ii which presents : optimum aging time ; mechanical strength values ( in psi ) including 0 . 01 yield strength , 0 . 2 yield strength , and ultimate tensile strength ; and ductility values ( in percent reduction in area ) for a copper , 9 percent nickel , 6 percent tin alloy for various aging temperatures and levels of prior cold work . for example , for an aging temperature of 400 ° c as cold work increases from 75 percent to 99 . 75 percent the optimum aging time decreases from 30 minutes to 1 second . these results suggest that aging may be carried out using a continuous or strand anneal which may be preferred , for example , in the production of rod or wire at high rates . thus , for the attainment of optimum properties accompanied by minimum aging times , cold working by an amount equivalent to an area reduction of at least 95 percent is required and at least 99 percent is preferred . table ii__________________________________________________________________________agingprior time 0 . 01 % 0 . 2 % u . t . s . % ratemp . cold yield yield (± 2000 ) (± 5 %) work (± 2000 (± 2000 psi ) psi ) psi ) __________________________________________________________________________300 ° c99 . 75 % 30 min 188 , 000 201 , 000 202 , 000 51 % 99 % 75 min 182 , 000 200 , 000 200 , 000 52 % 350 ° c99 . 75 % 2 min 185 , 000 201 , 000 201 , 000 58 % 95 % 60 min 172 , 000 188 , 000 191 , 000 58 % 375 ° c99 . 75 % 30 sec 172 , 000 188 , 000 189 , 000 58 % 95 % 2 min 151 , 000 170 , 000 172 , 000 64 % 90 % 5 min 147 , 000 164 , 000 165 , 000 64 % 400 ° c99 . 75 % 1 sec 168 , 000 189 , 000 191 , 000 64 % 95 % 24 sec 142 , 000 167 , 000 169 , 000 64 % 90 % 2 min 135 , 000 158 , 000 159 , 000 70 % 75 % 30 min 135 , 000 155 , 000 155 , 000 54 % 450 ° c75 % 5 min 135 , 000 154 , 000 155 , 000 58 % 500 ° c75 % 10 sec 121 , 000 141 , 000 143 , 000 60 % __________________________________________________________________________ varying the composition within the stated limits also has an effect upon mechanical properties . for example , it has been observed that generally for each 1 percent increase in tin content , the peak 0 . 01 yield strength attainable increases by about 30 , 000 psi . however , as the tin level increases beyond about 6 percent , it becomes more difficult to maintain ductility above the 40 percent reduction in area level . table iii shows the combinations of prior cold work and aging conditions resulting in optimum strength and ductility levels for some representative compositions . as may be seen from the table , the highest ductility and lowest 0 . 01 yield strength were obtained for the 21 / 2 percent tin alloy , while the lowest ductility and highest 0 . 01 yield strength were obtained for the 12 percent nickel , 8 percent tin alloy . table iii__________________________________________________________________________alloy prior cold time 0 . 01 % % ra (% ni ,% sn , work & amp ; yield uts (± 5 %) rem . cu ) aging temp . (± 2000 (± 2000 psi ) psi ) __________________________________________________________________________7 % ni - 8 % sn 99 % cold 8 sec 173 , 000 210 , 000 47 % work + 425 ° c12 % ni - 99 % cold 10 sec 192 , 000 227 , 000 46 % 8 % sn work + 400 ° c14 % ni - 99 % cold 5 min 176 , 000 206 , 000 54 % 6 % sn work + 350 ° c101 / 2 % 99 . 75 % cold 5 min 154 , 000 181 , 000 63 % ni - work + 41 / 2 % 350 ° csn31 / 2 % 99 % cold 4 hrs 95 , 000 127 , 000 75 % ni - work + 21 / 2 % 250 ° csn5 % ni - 99 % cold 2 min 160 , 000 192 , 000 51 % 5 % sn work + 320 ° c__________________________________________________________________________ table iv shows cold work and aging conditions resulting in optimum mechanical strength regardless of ductility for the copper , 7 percent ni , 8 percent tin and copper , 12 percent ni , 8 percent tin alloys . table iv__________________________________________________________________________alloy prior cold time 0 . 01 % uts % ra (% ni ,% sn , work & amp ; yield (± 2000 (± 5 %) rem . cu ) aging temp . (± 2000 psi ) psi ) __________________________________________________________________________7 % ni - 99 % cold work 15 sec 196 , 000 224 , 000 6 % 8 % sn + 300 ° c12 % ni - 99 % cold work 11 / 2 219 , 000 246 , 000 10 % 8 % sn + 250 ° c hr__________________________________________________________________________ the following example compares the effects of annealing ; annealing and aging ; and annealing , cold working and aging upon the mechanical strength and ductility of a copper , 9 percent nickel , 6 percent tin alloy . copper , nickel and tin were alloyed in an induction furnace under a helium atmosphere to give a 9 percent nickel , 6 percent tin , 85 percent copper composition . the alloy melt was cast into 1 inch diameter rods at about 100 ° c above the melting point . the rods were then solution treated at 800 ° c for 5 hours under a hydrogen atmosphere , followed by cold working by swaging with intermediate anneals at 800 ° c to break up the cored structure , resulting in a reduction of the diameter of the rods to 0 . 5 inch . the rods were then turned down on a lathe to 0 . 4 inch diameter to remove surface scale . they were then cold swaged further to 0 . 2 inches in diameter , corresponding to an area reduction of about 75 percent and annealed at 800 ° c for 5 minutes in hydrogen and water quenched . the rods were then in a substantially supersaturated solid solution of α phase having an average grain size of about 12 microns . the rods were then cold drawn to final diameters of 0 . 02 inches and given various additional treatments prior to testing as follows . one batch of wire was annealed at 800 ° c for 5 minutes and water quenched . a second batch was annealed and aged at 350 ° c for various times to determine time to peak 0 . 01 yield strength . a third batch was reduced to the appropriate intermediate level , annealed and further drawn to the final 0 . 02 inch diameter corresponding to an area reduction of 95 percent . they were then aged at 350 ° c for various times to determine time to peak 0 . 01 yield strength . the fourth batch was cold drawn to a final diameter of 0 . 010 inches without an intermediate anneal , corresponding to an area reduction of 99 . 75 percent , and aged at 350 ° c to peak 0 . 01 yield strength . aging was carried out in a salt bath composed of a fifty - fifty mixture of sodium nitrite and potassium nitrate . the specimens were then tested in tension for yield strengths at both 0 . 01 and 0 . 2 percent offset , ( using a load - unload technique ), for ultimate tensile strengths and ductility , using a strain rate of 0 . 05 inches per minute . the results are shown in table v , which includes aging time to peak 0 . 01 yield strength . table v______________________________________batch aging 0 . 01 % 0 . 2 % uts ductilityno . time yield yield ( psi ) (% ra ) ( min .) strength strength ( psi ) ( psi ) ______________________________________1 -- 10 , 000 40 , 000 66 , 000 842 4800 85 , 000 122 , 000 135 , 000 63 60 172 , 000 191 , 000 191 , 000 584 2 185 , 000 203 , 000 203 , 000 57______________________________________ it may be seen from the table that annealing the sample after cold working results in very low mechanical strength and very high ductility ( batch no . 1 ) whereas annealing followed by aging to peak 0 . 01 yield strength results in much increased mechanical strength but is accompanied by a severe drop in ductility ( batch no . 2 ) annealing , cold working and aging in accordance with the procedure of the invention results in even higher mechanical strengths accompanied by good ductilities ( batches 3 and 4 ). thus , cold working to 95 percent area reduction prior to aging more than doubles the 0 . 01 yield strength over that obtained simply by aging while at the same time maintaining ductility of 58 percent as compared to only 6 percent for the aged material . increasing cold working to 99 . 75 percent further increases 0 . 01 yield strength by more than 10 , 000 psi with no apparent loss in ductility . furthermore , cold working results in a substantial decrease in aging time to peak mechanical strength . for example , aging time is decreased from 4800 minutes to only 60 minutes when aging is preceded by a 95 percent cold reduction and is further decreased to 2 minutes for a 99 . 7 percent cold reduction . fig3 depicts an article such as a wire or rod section composed of an alloy composition of the invention processed as described herein . due to their higher mechanical strengths and ductilities than have heretofore been attained , these alloys as processed herein form a part of the invention . the invention has been described in terms of a limited number of embodiments . other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings set forth herein and these embodiments are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the description and the appended claims . the terms &# 34 ; spinodal transformation ,&# 34 ; &# 34 ; grain boundary second phase transformation ,&# 34 ; and &# 34 ; discontinuous lamellar structure &# 34 ; have been used herein . while substantial evidence exists to support an explanation of the hardening and embrittling mechanisms based upon the use of these terms , the accuracy of such an explanation is not relied upon to define the invention since the processing necessary in order to achieve the desired mechanical properties of the final alloy composition has been fully described herein . finally , and as mentioned earlier , the discussion above is in terms of a preferred compositional range in which the claimed alloys can serve as substitutes for copper - beryllium . however , alloys within the claimed range may find application where copper - beryllium is not customarily used . specifically , alloys with smaller amounts of nickel and / or tin are of commercial interest as substitutes for phosphor bronze . | 2 |
in one exemplary but nonlimiting embodiment of the invention , a reliable water deflection subassembly is disclosed that can be used to disperse water or other liquids ( or solids or gases , or solids and gases combined as in the case of seed distribution devices ) without interference from a rotor - supporting bridge . in order to do so , a channeled water - diverting rotor is employed , having one or more grooves disposed on its deflecting surface . as an axial liquid jet issues from the nozzle and contacts the deflecting surface , the rotor is caused to spin on its longitudinal axis . the rotor may be suspended in a relatively frictionless environment by use of opposing ring magnets . as a result , neither a conventional frictional thrust bearing nor a rotor - retaining bridge are required or used . as the rotor spins , water contacting the turbine is deflected from the rotor at different angles , and the water is thereby dispersed without interference from a rotor - retaining bridge . fig1 illustrates one embodiment of a water deflection subassembly 10 . as illustrated , the water deflection subassembly 10 comprises a hollow rod - like nozzle ( or nozzle shaft ) 12 , two opposing ring magnets 18 , 20 , a cylindrical rotor ( or “ rotor sleeve ” or “ rotor cylinder ”) 26 with a deflector turbine 28 formed at or inserted in one end , and a guide ring 22 . a deflector turbine 28 may be pressed into a distal end of the rotor cylinder 26 and is located just below the outlet of the nozzle 12 which represents the point source of water that should be dispersed . the deflector turbine 28 includes one or more outlet passages that are arranged to cause rotation of the rotor cylinder 26 as liquid is emitted from the outlet orifices of the deflector turbine 28 . the rod - like nozzle 12 is preferably fixed along the central axis of the subassembly 10 such that the initially emitted water jet flows along the central axis of the subassembly 10 . of course , in other embodiments , the deflected liquid need not be water , but may be any of a number of liquids . for example , the liquid may comprise biological broths or liquid chemicals undergoing heat - generating reactions that may be advantageously cooled or oxidized as they form droplets dispersed through the air . as shown in fig1 , the liquid flowing from the water jet is propelled by gravity . however , in other embodiments , a variety of pumps or other means for moving water against gravity may be used to propel the water towards the water deflection subassembly 10 . the rod - like nozzle 12 loosely guides the externally floating rotor cylinder 26 which is coaxially suspended around it . the inside diameter of the rotor guide ring 22 and the rotor - attached ring magnet 18 fixed within the rotor subassembly , are of larger diameter than the nozzle diameter , allowing the rotor cylinder 26 to spin freely and floatingly along the longitudinal axis of the nozzle shaft . the rotor cylinder 26 is thus allowed a range of axial motion along the nozzle shaft 12 , restrained within limits from one direction by the force of the opposing magnet pair and restrained from the other direction by the force of the impinging water stream . in the illustrated embodiment of fig1 , the deflector turbine 28 is attached at a distal end of the rotor cylinder 26 and hangs suspended just below the nozzle opening . the rotor cylinder 26 may be constructed from any of a number of rigid materials and has an inside diameter greater than the nozzle shaft 12 such that the rotor 26 accommodates the ring magnet 18 and the guide ring 22 as described above . as noted above , the rotor cylinder 26 contains the guide ring 22 , the ring magnet 18 , and the deflector turbine 28 . the guide ring and deflector turbine may be constructed of the same or different materials as the rotor cylinder , and are preferably constructed from a rigid or semi - rigid material having a relatively low coefficient of friction . the guide ring 22 and ring magnet 18 may also be centered about the same axis and concentric about the nozzle 12 . as illustrated , the guide ring 22 and rotor - attached ring magnet 18 have identical internal and external radii and are concentric about the same longitudinal axis . of course , more or fewer rings may be used in other embodiments . for example , in another embodiment a third ring may be used to provide further security for the nozzle shaft 12 and deflector turbine 28 . in another embodiment , the rotor cylinder 26 may not be a separate element but may be formed integrally with guide rings and deflector turbine 28 . in the illustrated embodiment , the deflector turbine 28 is attached to a lower end of the cylinder 26 of the rotor subassembly and guide ring 22 and ring magnet 18 are fixed along the inside axis of rotor cylinder 26 thus guiding the rotor 26 along the nozzle 12 and allowing the rotor 26 to spin freely about the nozzle . the rotor 26 may also be constructed from any of a number of rigid materials and has a length greater than the distance between the retaining rings . as illustrated , the ring magnet 18 has its south pole facing downwards , and its north pole facing upwards . of course , these polarities may be otherwise disposed in other embodiments . the ring magnet 18 may comprise any of a number of magnetic materials well known to those of skill in the art . in a preferred embodiment , the ring magnet 18 comprises a neodymium magnetic material . the ring magnet 18 is attached to the interior of the rotor cylinder 26 , but may also be attached at various other locations , more or less proximal to the deflector turbine 28 . located along the nozzle 12 below the concentric ring magnet 18 fixed inside the cylinder , another ring magnet 20 may be fixed along the nozzle 12 , and oriented to oppose the magnet 18 attached to the rotor . thus , the rotor subassembly is lifted upwards and the deflector turbine 28 hangs suspended just below the nozzle opening . the opposing magnet pair allows the rotor cylinder 26 and deflector turbine 28 to remain suspended with relatively little friction impeding their spinning . the embodiment of fig1 will now be described in operation . in an inactive state , opposing magnetic forces between the two ring magnets 18 , 20 suspends the cylindrical rotor 26 coaxially around the nozzle 12 , and the water deflector turbine 28 of the rotor hangs just below opening of the nozzle 12 . when water is emitted from the nozzle 12 , it contacts the deflector turbine 28 as shown . the water then flows along the deflecting channels in the turbine , and the weight of the water ( and the force with which the water contacts the angled walls of the deflector turbine ) spins the rotor cylinder 26 . since the deflecting channels of the deflector turbine 28 are oriented diagonally along the deflector turbine , the force from the water may also impart a tangential component to the deflector turbine 28 , thus spinning the rotor 26 about the nozzle 12 . as soon as the water starts to contact the deflector turbine 28 , the rotor also experiences an additional downward force , and thus the rotor cylinder 26 , attached guide ring 22 , attached ring magnet 18 and deflector turbine 28 are reoriented to a lower position along the vertical axis of the nozzle 12 relative to its inactive state . as rotor 26 spins on its longitudinal axis about the nozzle 12 , the water flowing from the nozzle 12 is deflected off the rotor via the deflector turbine 28 and is thereby distributed at various angles around the subassembly 10 . since the function of a thrust bearing is accomplished by the repelling force between the nozzle - attached magnet 20 and the rotor - attached magnet 18 , a conventional thrust bearing is not employed , and no rotor - supporting member is required . as a result , debris sand and / or insects are much less likely to interfere with the rotation of the rotor , and , because only a relatively small amount of friction is experienced , very little water flow is required to drive the simple deflector turbine . in addition , water droplets are not sheared into smaller spray droplets by thrust bearing friction , and the water stream is able to travel further in a lateral direction because less deflection of the stream is required to move the floating rotor . fig2 illustrates yet another embodiment of a water deflection subassembly 10 . as illustrated , the water deflection subassembly 10 may comprise a rod - like nozzle 12 , two opposing ring magnets 18 , 20 , a cylindrical rotor 26 with a deflector turbine 28 inserted at one end and a second guide ring 22 . an additional ring magnet 47 is fixed to the interior surface of the rotor 26 and also acts to guide the rotor axially along the rod - like nozzle 12 . ring magnet 47 opposes ring magnet 20 from the opposite direction , thus preventing rotor 26 from seating against nozzle 12 while subassembly 10 is at rest . this configuration ensures a very low friction environment during startup of subassembly 10 . fig3 illustrates yet another embodiment of a water deflection subassembly 10 . in this embodiment , the deflector turbine 28 has only one lateral fluid outlet rather than two or three or more , making this configuration more adaptable to distributing a fluid in a partial circle pattern if desired . in other embodiments deflector turbine 28 may have any number of outlets . although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and / or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof . it also is contemplated that various aspects and features of the invention described can be practiced separately , combined together , or substituted for one another , and that a variety of combinations and sub - combinations of the features and aspects can be made that still fall within the scope of the invention . moreover , the different elements of these subassemblies 10 may be constructed from a number of different suitable materials well known to those of skill in the art , including rustproof metallic surfaces , polymeric surfaces , ceramics , and other materials . thus , it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above . while the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment , but on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 1 |
referring initially to fig1 preferred lachrymal fluid sampling device 10 includes disk - shaped sample pad 12 and elongated handle 14 , one end of which is coupled with an edge of sample pad 12 to present the structure illustrated . sample pad 12 is preferably composed of material absorbent of lachrymal fluid at a predetermined known rate . such materials include polyvinylformal or , less preferred , whatman 3 filter paper . sample pad 12 preferably presents a circular , relatively flat , disk - shaped configuration presenting a known , predetermined surface area preferably selected from between 25 to 30 square millimeters in area . handle 14 is preferably composed of relatively thin , synthetic resin material which is non - absorbent of lachrymal fluid in order to prevent fluid migration or wicking therealong which has led to measurement inaccuracies in the prior art . in use , handle 14 is grasped and one face of sample pad 12 placed in substantially total flush engagement with the sclera of a patient &# 39 ; s eye for a predetermined sample time , preferably three seconds . the sample time is chosen to be long enough to absorb a representative lachrymal fluid sample but short enough so that the pad is removed before the patient physiologically responds with increased production of lachrymal fluid which has been a problem in the prior art . the preferred sample time of three seconds compared to five minutes in the prior art also minimizes patient discomfort . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , the amount of lachrymal fluid present in a typical patient eye is extremely small , in the range of 5 microliters , and the sample quantity absorbed by sample pad 12 is even smaller , in the range of 0 . 5 microliters . accordingly , and in order to provide uniform and repeatable results , it is preferred that the dimensions of sample pad 12 be precisely controlled during the manufacture to provide uniformity in dimensions and uniformity in the structure of the sample pad material itself . it is also preferred that the sample time also be precisely controlled so that the only variable in the sampling process is the lachrymal fluid present in the patient &# 39 ; s eye . as explained further hereinbelow , the preferred assessment device provides means for compensating for relative humidity . fig2 presents a perspective view of preferred assessment device 20 which is used to determine an electrical parameter , preferably capacitance , which varies in accordance with variations in the quantity of lachrymal fluid present in sample pad 12 . as illustrated , assessment device 20 includes housing 22 , axially shiftable electrode 24 , and fixed electrode 26 . housing 22 is preferably composed of stainless steel or synthetic resin material and includes base 28 , shiftable electrode support member 30 , fixed electrode support member 32 , and upstanding intermediate support member 34 . base 28 encloses control circuit 36 ( fig3 - 5 ) and includes shift switch 38 for electrically actuating shiftable electrode 24 leftwardly as shown in fig2 zero switch 40 which is used to zero circuit 36 as explained further hereinbelow , and liquid crystal display 42 . shiftable electrode 24 presents a generally cylindrical configuration and includes central section 44 presenting stop shoulder 46 , smaller diameter electrode section 48 extending rightwardly ( as viewed in fig2 ) from stop shoulder 46 and through intermediate support 34 toward fixed electrode 26 , and outboard section 50 extending leftwardly from central section 44 . as illustrated , sections 44 , 48 , and 50 are axially aligned . housing support member 30 encloses a conventional , + 10 v . d . c ., solenoid coil ( not shown ) which surrounds that portion of shiftable electrode 24 therein and is electrically connected with shift switch 38 for electromagnetic shifting of electrode 24 to the retracted position as shown in fig2 . housing support member 30 also encloses conventional biasing spring ( not shown ) which abuts the leftward shoulder ( not shown ) of central section 44 in order to bias electrode 24 rightwardly to the engaged position . fig2 illustrates shiftable electrode 24 in the shifted or retracted position as actuated by activation of shift switch 38 . fixed electrode 26 is threadably coupled with support member 32 to allow axial adjustment thereof . electrodes 24 , 26 define sample pad receiving space 52 therebetween . when deenergized , the biasing spring shifts electrode 24 rightwardly until stop shoulder 46 abuts the leftward face of intermediate support 34 , thus assuring return of electrode 24 to the same position each time in order to present precisely controlled and uniform receiving space 52 . in the unretracted position , space 52 is narrow enough to slightly compress a sample pad received therein in order to hold it in place . the dimension of receiving space 52 can be adjusted very precisely by means of the threaded connection of fixed electrode 26 with housing support member 32 . when using the preferred sample device 10 , the user holds device 10 by grasping handle 14 in order to place sample pad 12 in space 52 while activating shift switch 38 to retract electrode 24 . after pad 12 is in placed in space 52 , switch 38 is released and electrode 24 returns to the engaged position to hold sample pad 12 against fixed electrode 26 . sample handle 14 can then be released . control circuit 36 includes capacitance circuit 54 ( fig3 ), signal processing circuit 56 ( fig4 ), and display circuit 58 ( fig5 ). control circuit 36 also includes a conventional power supply well known to those skilled in the art for receiving operating power from a conventional 120 v . a . c . outlet or batteries in order to provide required operating voltages at + 10 and + 5 v . d . c ., and to supply operating power to the solenoid coil for shifting electrode 24 . capacitance circuit 54 ( fig3 ) determines the capacitance between electrodes 24 , 26 which represented in fig3 as capacitor 60 . in general , circuit 54 determines this capacitance , which varies in accordance with the amount of lachrymal fluid present in a sample , and provides a capacitance signal at output terminal 62 . this signal is in the form of a square wave the frequency of which varies in accordance with the capacitance of capacitor 60 . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , a sample pad with lachrymal fluid present therein presents other parameters , such as resistance , which could be used for determining the amount of lachrymal fluid present in the sample pad and converted into a suitable and useable signal . in the preferred environment , however , determination of sample pad capacitance is preferred as providing the most accurate and repeatable parameter . capacitance circuit 54 broadly includes positive constant current source 64 , negative constant current source 66 , switching circuit 68 , isolation amplifier 70 , voltage comparator network 72 , and output frequency divider 74 . positive constant current source 64 is used to supply a charging current to capacitor 60 and includes zener diode z1 ( type 1n827a ) the cathode of which is coupled to supply voltage at + 10 v . d . c . the anode of diode is coupled to one side of grounded resistor r1 ( 1 . 3k ohms ) and to terminal 5 of comparator 76 as a reference voltage . the output from comparator 76 is connected to the base of npn transistor t1 ( type 2n3906 ) the collector of which is connected to comparator terminal 6 and to one side of current limiting resistor r2 ( 1 . 0m ohms ), the other side of which is connected to supply voltage . with this arrangement , the emitter of transistor t1 provides a constant current output at about 6 micro - amps . negative constant current source 66 is similarly configured and includes zener diode z2 ( type 1n827a ), the anode of which is connected to negative supply voltage at - 10 v . d . c . the cathode of diode z1 is connected to one side of grounded resistor r3 ( 1 . 3k ohms ) and to terminal 5 of comparator 78 ( type mc1458 ). the output of comparator 78 is connected to the base of pnp transistor t2 ( type 2n3904 ), the emitter of which is connected to terminal 6 of comparator 78 , and to one side of resistor r4 ( 1 . 0m ohms ), the other side of which is connected to negative supply voltage . with this configuration , the collector of transistor t2 provides a constant current sink , also at 6 micro - amps . switching circuit 68 functions to alternately switch current sources 64 and 66 to alternately charge and discharge capacitor 60 . switching circuit 68 includes positive switching comparator 80 ( type mc1458 ) which receives a reference input at terminal 3 from the juncture of resistor r5 ( 150k ohms ), the other side of which is connected to positive supply voltage , and of resistor r6 ( 220k ohms ), the other side of which is connected to negative supply voltage . resistors r5 and r6 thereby form a voltage divider network to supply reference voltage to comparator 80 . the other input at terminal 2 of comparator 80 is received by way of current limiting resistor r7 ( 20k ohms ) from voltage comparator network 72 . the output of comparator 80 is connected to the cathode of diode d1 , the anode of which is connected to the emitter of transistor t1 , and also to the anode of diode d2 . when the input voltage at terminal 2 of comparator 80 is logic low ( 0 volts ) the output therefrom is logic high at + 10 v . d . c . which reverse biases diode d1 and diverts the positive current flow through diode d2 , the cathode of which is connected to capacitor 60 , in order to charge capacitor 60 . when the input to comparator terminal 2 is high , the output terminal sinks current and thereby diverts the positive constant current from current source 64 through diode d1 . switching circuit 68 also includes negative switching comparator 82 which receives a reference voltage at terminal 3 thereof in common with the reference voltage on comparator 80 . comparator 82 receives feedback at terminal 2 thereof from network 72 by way of resistor r8 ( 20k ohms ). the output from comparator 82 is connected to the anode of diode d3 , the cathode of which is connected to the collector of transistor t2 , and to the cathode of diode d4 . the anode of diode d4 is connected to capacitor 60 and to the cathode of diode d2 . when the feedback voltage at terminal 2 of comparator 82 is logic low , the output from comparator 82 is logic high at + 10 v . d . c . which forwardly biases diode d3 to provide current to negative source 66 in order to allow capacitor 60 to charge . when comparator terminal 2 is logic high , the output of comparator 82 is logic low at - 10 v . d . c . which reverse biases diode d3 and allows source 66 to sink current and thereby discharge capacitor 60 by way of diode d4 . with this arrangement , switching circuit 68 alternately switches current sources 64 and 66 to repetitively charge and discharge capacitor 60 according to the feedback from voltage comparator network 72 . this feedback , as explained further hereinbelow , toggles between logic high at + 10 v . d . c . and logic low at 0 v . d . c . capacitor 60 is also connected to and provides input to isolation comparator 70 ( type lm310 ) which isolates comparator 60 from voltage comparator network 72 . voltage comparator network 72 is configured to sense the voltage on capacitor 60 by way of isolation comparator 70 and , specifically , is designed to toggle the voltage on capacitor 60 between + 0 . 4 v . d . c . and + 4 . 0 v . d . c . the time frequency for this to occur depends upon the capacitance of capacitor 60 and thereby is a determination of the capacitance . the output from comparator 70 is connected to one side of resistor r9 ( 1 . 2k ohms ), the other side of which is connected to one side of capacitor c1 ( 500 p . f . ), to one side of resistor r10 ( 91k ohms ), and to terminal 2 of high toggle voltage comparator 84 ( type lm311 ). reference voltage to terminal 3 of comparator 84 is supplied by the voltage divider network composed of series connected resistors r11 ( 22k ohms ), potentiometer resistor r12 ( 2k ohms full range ), r13 ( 4 . 7k ohms ), and r14 ( 270 ohms ). as shown , one side of resistor r11 is connected to positive supply voltage and one side of resistor r14 is connected to ground . reference voltage from the voltage tap of resistor r12 is supplied to terminal 3 of comparator 84 . the output from comparator 84 is connected to the other sides of resistor r10 and capacitor c1 to both inputs of nand 86 , and to one side of pull up resistor rp1 ( 22k ohms ), the other side of which is connected to supply voltage at + 10 v . d . c . the output from isolation comparator 70 is also connected to one side of current limiting resistor r15 ( 1 . 2k ohms ), the other side of which supplies input voltage to terminal 2 of low toggle comparator 88 , to one side of capacitor c2 ( 500 p . f . ), and to one side of resistor r16 ( 91k ohms ). reference voltage to terminal 3 of comparator 88 is supplied from the juncture of resistors r13 and r14 . the output from comparator 88 is connected to the other sides of capacitor c2 and resistor r16 , to one side of pull up resistor rp2 ( 22k ohms ), the other side of which is connected to positive supply voltage , and to the input of nand 90 . the output from nand 90 is provided as one input to nand 92 , the output of which supplies the other input to nand 90 and also supplies the toggle switching feedback to switching comparators 80 and 92 by way of resistors r7 and r8 respectively . the other input to nand 92 is supplied from nand 86 . upon start - up , the inputs to terminals 2 of comparators 80 and 82 are logic low . as a result , comparator 80 provides an output at + 10 v . d . c . to reverse bias diode d1 which in turn diverts positive constant current to capacitor 60 for charging . at the same time , comparator 82 provides an output at + 10 v . d . c . to forward bias diode d3 and thereby supply negative constant current to circuit 66 . during the voltage rise on capacitor 60 , the output from high toggle comparator 84 is logic low and the output from low toggle comparator 88 is logic high . when the voltage on capacitor 60 reaches approximately 4 . 0 v . d . c ., high toggle comparator 84 switches state to logic high which is inverted by nand 86 to provide a logic low signal to nand 92 which changes state to provide a logic high output to switching circuit 68 . the outputs from switching comparators 80 , 82 then switch state to - 10 v . d . c . comparator 80 then sinks current through diode d1 from positive current source 64 . the output from comparator 82 provides reverse bias to diode d3 which allows capacitor 60 to discharge through diode d4 to negative current source 66 . when the voltage on capacitor 60 drops to about + 0 . 4 v . d . c ., the output from low toggle comparator 88 switches state . to provide a logic low output to nand 90 which toggles nand 92 to change state to provide an output at logic low . this allows positive current source 64 to again supply current by way of diode d2 to capacitor 60 . thus , the output from voltage comparator network 72 is a square wave which toggles between 0 and + 10 v . d . c . the output from network 72 is also provided to series connected resistors r18 and r19 ( both 11k ohms ). one side resistor r19 is connected to ground as shown , and the juncture between resistors r18 , r19 is connected to input terminal 10 of frequency divider 74 ( type cd4020 ). frequency divider 74 divides the input frequency by a factor of 2048 and provides a square wave output which toggles between 0 and + 5 v . d . c . at output terminal 62 . thus , the output at terminal 62 is a capacitance signal in the form of a square wave , the frequency of which is correlated with the capacitance of capacitor 60 , that is , of the capacitance between electrodes 24 and 26 which varies as a function of the amount of lachrymal fluid present in the sample pad therebetween . fig4 illustrates signal processing circuit 56 which includes a microprocessor 94 ( type cdp1802 ), eraseable , programmable read - only - memory 96 ( eprom , type 2716 ), address latch 98 ( type cd40175 ), and random - access - memory 100 ( ram , type cdp1824 ), among other components . microprocessor 94 receives supply power at + 5 v . d . c . at pin 40 . ground is connected to pin 20 . input clock signals are received at terminal 1 at 1 megahertz which is provided by oscillator circuit 102 . this circuit includes nand 104 , the output of which is connected to the input of nand 106 and to one side of crystal 108 ( one megahertz ). the output from nand 106 is connected to one side of grounded capacitor c4 ( 500 p . f .) and to one side of resistor r22 ( 1 . 2k ohms ). the other side of resistor r22 is connected to the other side of crystal 108 and to the input of nand 110 . the output from nand 110 is connected to the input of nand 104 and to terminal 1 of microprocessor 94 . as so configured , oscillator circuit 102 provides the required clock signals at 1 megahertz . microprocessor 94 receives a zeroing input at terminal ef1 which is connected to the juncture between resistor r24 ( 22k ohms ) and normally open zero switch 40 ( see also fig2 ). the other side of resistor r24 is connected to supply voltage , and the other side of switch 40 is connected to ground as shown . switch 40 is used to provide a &# 34 ; zero &# 34 ; indication to microprocessor 94 when an unused sample pad is placed between electrodes 24 , 26 . this provides a zero level which compensates for relative humidity and for variations between the batches of sample pads 12 . input to microprocessor terminal ef3 is a signal indicating that a sample pad is present between electrodes 24 , 26 . the signal is produced by providing a light emitting diode ( led ) 112 and a light receiving diode 114 respectively disposed on opposed sides of receiving space 52 . when a sample pad is present between electrodes 24 , 26 , the light output from led 112 is blocked and diode 114 no longer conducts . this allows a voltage rise at the anode thereof from supply voltage by way of pull - up resistor r26 ( 22k ohms ). power is supplied to the anode of led 112 by way of current limiting resistor r28 ( 270 ohms ). the cathodes of both diodes are connected to ground as shown . microprocessor 94 also receives inputs at terminal 2 thereof from schmitt trigger 116 the input of which is connected to ground and at terminal 3 from the output of schmitt trigger 118 . the input to trigger 118 is connected to the juncture between capacitor c6 ( 1 . 0 u . f .) the other side of which is connected to + 10 v . d . c . and resistor r30 ( 11k ohms ), the other side of which is connected to ground . eight line data bias 120 includes lines d0 - d7 connected to microprocessor terminals 15 - 8 respectively , eprom terminals 9 - 17 respectively , ram terminals 14 - 18 respectively , and to output terminals designated as 122 . eight line address bus 124 includes lines a0 - a7 connected to microprocessor terminals 25 - 32 respectively and eprom terminals 8 - 1 respectively . address lines a0 - a3 are connected to latch terminals 5 , 12 , 13 , and 4 respectively . as shown , additional address lines a10 , 9 , and 8 respectively interconnect latch terminals 15 , 10 , and 7 with eprom terminals 19 , 22 , and 23 . additionally , lines a0 - a4 interconnect eprom 96 with ram terminals 5 - 1 respectively . microprocessor 94 also provides an output at terminal tpa to terminal 9 of latch 98 . latch 98 terminal 2 is connected to two of the inverting input terminals of nand 126 , the output of which is connected by way of inverter 128 to eprom terminal 18 . microprocessor terminal mrd is connected to and 126 , ram terminal 16 , nand 130 , to nand 132 , and to nand 134 . microprocessor terminal mwr is connected to ram terminal 17 . terminal n0 of microprocessor 94 provides an output by way of inverter 136 to nand 130 . another output is provided at terminal tpb by way of inverter 138 to nand 130 , nand 132 , and nand 134 . microprocessor output terminal n1 is connected by way of inverter 140 to nand 132 and terminal n2 is provided as all three inputs to nand 142 , the output of which is connected to nand 134 . the output from nand 134 is connected to terminal 4 of beeper control unit 144 ( type cd4098 ). terminal 2 of unit 144 is connected to one side of resistor r32 ( 1m ohms ), the other side of which is connected to supply voltage at + 5 v . d . c ., and to one side of capacitor c6 ( 1 u . f . ), the other side of which is connected to unit terminal 1 . control unit terminal 13 is connected to ground as shown . control unit 144 provides an output at terminal 6 thereof by way of resistor r34 ( 5k ohms ) to the base of transistor t3 . the emitter of transistor t3 is connected to ground and the collector is connected to one side of beeper 146 ( mallory brand minilert ), the other side of which is connected to supply voltage at + 10 v . d . c . processing circuit 56 receives the squarewave input at terminal 62 from capacitance circuit 54 which is provided at input to microprocessor terminal ef2 . in response , as explained further hereinbelow in connection with the operating program , processing circuit 56 produces respective outputs at data output terminals 122 , output terminal 148 connected to the output of nand 130 , and output terminal 150 provided as the output from nand 132 . these terminals present the output from control circuit 56 to display circuit 58 ( fig5 ). in operation , a logic low output at microprocessor terminal mrd and logic high outputs at microprocessor terminals n0 and tpb provide a logic high output at terminal 148 which enables writing data , by way of data bus 120 at terminal 122 , for the two most significant digits of display circuit 58 . a logic low signal at microprocessor terminal mwr and logic high signals at terminals tpb and n1 result in a logic high signal at output terminal 150 which enables data writing by way of output terminal 122 for the least significant digit of the display . in order to activate beeper 146 , microprocessor 94 produces a logic low signal at terminal mrd to and 134 , a logic high signal at terminal tpb by way of inverter 138 to nand 134 , and a logic low signal at terminal n2 to nand 142 and then to nand 134 . with these three inputs at nand 134 , its output goes logic low to beeper control unit 144 which activates unit output terminal 6 by way of resistor r34 to the base of transistor t3 which then conducts to energize beeper 146 . fig5 is an electrical schematic illustration of display circuit 58 including display 42 which is supplied by least significant bit latch / decoder 152 , latch / decoder 154 , and most significant bit latch / decoder 156 , all three of which are type cd4056 . display circuit 58 receives display data over data bus 120 by way of terminal 122 of which data lines d0 - d3 are connected to decoders 152 and 156 , and data lines d4 - d7 are connected to decoder 154 at the terminals shown . decoders 152 and 154 receive logic high enabling signals at respective terminals 1 from processing circuit 56 by way of terminal 148 . similarly , decoder 156 receives an enable signal at terminal 1 thereof by way of terminal 150 . oscillator circuit 158 is configured to provide squarewave signals at 100 hertz in order to alternate the electric field applied to the liquid crystals at that frequency as conventionally required in lcd displays . oscillator circuit 158 includes nand 160 the input to which is connected to one side of resistor r36 ( 47k ohms ) and the output of which is provided as input to nand 162 . the output from nand 162 is connected to one side of capacitor c8 ( 0 . 1 u . f .) and as input to nand 164 . the output from nand 164 provides the required 100 hertz squarewave signals and is connected to respective terminals 6 of decoders 152 - 156 , to terminals 1 and 40 of display 42 , and to one side of resistor r38 ( 47k ohms ). the other side of resistor r38 is connected to the other sides of capacitor c8 and resistor r36 . in operation , an enable signal by way of terminal 148 to latch / decoders 152 and 154 enables them to latch the data on data bus 120 . similarly , an enable signal at terminal 150 enables latch / decoder to latch the data on data lines d0 - 3 . the latch data is then decoded and displayed to the respective segments of display 42 by way of the lines and terminals shown in fig5 . fig6 is a computer program flowchart illustrating the operating program 600 for operating assessment device 20 and in particular , for operating microprocessor 94 . the program is stored in eprom 96 and is preferably written in machine code . the program enters at step 602 which initializes the hardware and software variables on power up . the program then moves to step 604 which sets the variable &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; equal to zero and clears a software &# 34 ; zero &# 34 ; flag . the program then moves to step 606 which reads the input at microprocessor terminal ef3 ( fig4 ) to determine if a sample pad is present between electrodes 24 and 26 . that is to say , the presence of a sample pad which blocks the light transmission from diode 112 to diode 114 results in a logic high input at terminal efs indicative of the presence of a sample pad . the program loops through step 606 in a standby mode until a sample is present . when a sample is present , the answer in step 606 is yes and the program moves to step 608 which asks whether zero switch 40 is closed . if the answer in step 608 is yes , indicating that the zero switch is closed , the program moves to step 610 which sets the &# 34 ; zero &# 34 ; flag . if the answer in step 608 is no , the program moves to step 612 to decrement a twenty - five second delay counter which ensures that capacitance circuit 54 has time to stabilize before a reading is taken . after decrementing the delay counter one unit , the program moves to step 614 which asks whether the delay is complete , that is , whether the delay counter is decremented to zero . if no , the program loops back to step 608 and continues to loop through steps 612 , 614 until the delay is complete . when the delay is complete in step 614 , or after step 610 , the program moves to step 616 which asks whether the input to microprocessor terminal ef2 from capacitance circuit 54 is logic low . if no , the program continues to loop through step 616 until the answer is yes , at which point the program moves to step 618 which asks whether the input from capacitor circuit 54 is logic high . if no , the program continues to loop through step 618 until the answer is yes . steps 616 and 618 ensure that the program marks the beginning of the logic high portion of the output squarewave provided from capacitance circuit 54 to microprocessor circuit 56 . when the answer in step 618 is yes , indicating the beginning portion of the logic high signal , the program moves to step 620 which increments counter &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; after which the program moves to step 622 which asks whether the squarewave signal from capacitance circuit 54 has changed state to logic low . if no , the program loops back to step 620 to again increment counter c . the program continues to loop through step 620 and 622 at the microprocessor clock rate as long as the capacitance circuit squarewave signal is high . in this way , counter &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; increments to a value representative of the time length of the positive portion of the squarewave signal . this in turn provides a value representative of the capacitance between electrodes 24 and 26 . if a sample pad placed between electrodes 24 and 26 is a &# 34 ; dry &# 34 ; pad representing a &# 34 ; zero &# 34 ; level , then the final value of counter &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; represents the zero value . when the input of the squarewave signal finally changes state to logic low , the program moves to step 624 which asks whether the zero flag is set , which may have been set in step 610 . if yes , indicating that a dry sample pad for calibration purposes is in place , the program moves to step 626 to store the value of counter &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; as zero value &# 34 ; z &# 34 ;. this value is stored in ram 100 . the program then moves to step 628 to output all &# 34 ; zeroes &# 34 ; to display circuit 58 . if the answer in step 624 is no , the program moves to step 630 to store the value of counter &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; as then existing , and to retrieve the previously stored zero value &# 34 ; z &# 34 ;. the program then moves to step 622 to calculate the difference between the current counter &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; value and the zero &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; value accordingly to the formula as shown to produce the value &# 34 ; v &# 34 ;. the program then moves to step 634 to retrieve from memory the appropriate data &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; for the value of &# 34 ; v &# 34 ; calculated in step 632 . in other words , a look - up table is stored in memory in order to produce an output in the form of data &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; for display which is correlated with the value of &# 34 ; v &# 34 ;, which in turn is correlated with the value of capacitance between electrodes 24 , 26 , and which is further correlated with the amount of lachrymal fluid present in the sample pad being assessed . the digits displayed on display panel 42 in response to data &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; are appropriately chosen to be meaningful to the operator of assessment device 20 . for example , the displayed digits could represent a statistical variation from the norm as empirically statistically derived by sampling a large number of patients . for example , a display of 50 would indicate a statistically normal amount of lachrymal fluid present in a sample pad . similarly , a reading of 95 might indicate a percentile of excessive lachrymal fluid . that is to say , data &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; would produce an output reading of 95 when the value &# 34 ; v &# 34 ; indicates a quantitive lachrymal fluid greater than 95 % of the data base samples . similarly , data &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; might be chosen to display &# 34 ; 5 &# 34 ; when the value of &# 34 ; v &# 34 ; indicates the sample a very minimal amount of lachrymal fluid as the fifth percantile . after step 634 , the program moves to step 636 to output the appropriate data by way of data bus 120 and the appropriate enabling signals by way of terminals 148 or 150 to display circuit 58 in order to produce a display in accordance therewith . the program then moves to step 638 to activate beeper 146 for a predetermined amount of time in order to alert the operator of assessment device 20 that the analysis is complete . the program then moves to step 640 which asks whether a sample is still present between electrodes 24 , 26 . if yes , the program continues to loop through step 640 until the sample which has already been analyzed is removed . when the answer in step 640 is no , the program loops back to step 604 and is ready for the next sample . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , the present invention encompasses many variations in the exemplary and preferred embodiment described herein . for example , sample pad 12 can present a rectangular shape or geometrical shape other than the preferred circular . additionally , while the assessment device is preferably configured to determine the capacitance of a sample pad , the sample pad also presents other parameters , such as resistance , which can be determined and the information processed electronically . as a further example , control circuit 36 could be configured totally in hardware such as with a semiconductor chip without using a microprocessor and associated program , although such is preferred for economy and flexibility in the change of operation . finally , while the preferred output of the assessment device is the form of a digital display using liquid crystals , other outputs may be used such as analog meters . | 0 |
during a conventional sewing process , a reciprocating log 12 draws material along for stitching purposes , while a first upper presser foot 13 presses layers of material 10 and 11 to be sewn together , for example in the formation of a seam , against the reciprocating dog 12 . it has been found that during conventional sewing , greater tension or stretch is created in the upper layer 10 so that upon release of such tension when the material emerges from behind the presser foot 13 , the upper layer 10 will contract more than the lower layer 11 , causing the latter to wrinkle or pucker . an anti - pucker device in accordance with the invention comprises a retarding surface 16 disposed on the sewing machine in advance of a stitch formation zone 26 , such retarding surface 16 being adapted in use to tension the lower layer 11 of the two layers of material which are to be sewn together . the material 11 is urged onto the retarding surface 16 by means of a second presser foot 15 which presses down on the material layer 10 and hence also on the layer of material 11 . the device of the invention results in an increased tension being set up in the fabric layer 11 , so that when the fabric layers 10 , 11 emerge from the presser foot 13 , equal upstream tension results in equal contraction of these layers , thus eliminating the feed pucker . it has been found that the device of the invention also reduces pucker which results from sewing thread tension . the results of tests conducted with the device of the invention are set out below in tables 1 to 3 : table 1__________________________________________________________________________effect of anti - pucker presser foot on seam pucker * industrial single needle lock stitch drop feed sewing machine feed pucker sewing thread fabric tension pucker total pucker mass conventional new conventional new conventional newno type of fabric ( g / m . sup . 2 ) sewing sewing ** sewing sewing ** sewing sewing ** __________________________________________________________________________ 1 mohair suiting 183 0 , 500 0 , 094 0 , 363 0 , 360 0 , 863 0 , 454 2 mohair suiting 189 0 , 591 0 , 046 0 , 454 0 , 454 1 , 045 0 , 500 3 suiting ( polyester / viscose ) 200 0 , 364 0 , 046 0 , 545 0 , 363 0 , 909 0 , 409 4 suiting ( polyester / viscose ) 250 0 , 409 0 , 091 0 , 545 0 , 363 0 , 954 0 , 454 5 suiting ( textured polyester ) 250 0 , 227 0 , 000 0 , 363 0 , 354 0 , 590 0 , 354 6 suiting ( all wool ) 254 0 , 727 0 , 046 0 , 409 0 , 272 1 , 136 0 , 318 7 suiting ( wool polyester ) 256 0 , 500 0 , 091 0 , 409 0 , 227 0 , 909 0 , 318 8 suiting ( textured polyester ) 260 0 , 409 0 , 000 0 , 454 0 , 409 0 , 863 0 , 409 9 suiting ( all wool ) 268 0 , 682 0 , 136 0 , 590 0 , 454 0 , 273 0 , 59010 suiting ( wool / polyester ) 272 0 , 409 0 , 046 0 , 454 0 , 363 0 , 863 0 , 40911 blazer ( polyester / viscose ) 300 0 , 282 0 , 137 0 , 272 0 , 272 0 , 554 0 , 40912 blazer ( all wool ) 363 0 , 454 0 , 091 0 , 409 0 , 345 0 , 863 0 , 43613 shirting ( wool / cotton / polyester ) 137 0 , 500 0 , 045 0 , 500 0 , 318 1 , 000 0 , 36314 shirting ( wool / cotton / polyester ) 142 0 , 455 0 , 136 0 , 545 0 , 277 1 , 000 0 , 36315 lining ( polyester ) 89 0 , 091 0 , 000 0 , 818 0 , 409 0 , 909 0 , 40916 lining ( acetate ) 109 0 , 281 0 , 136 0 , 909 0 , 809 1 , 090 0 , 94517 workwear ( polyester / cotton ) 180 0 , 409 0 , 227 0 , 500 0 , 409 0 , 909 0 , 63618 workwear ( polyester / cotton ) 182 0 , 545 0 , 091 0 , 500 0 , 318 1 , 045 0 , 409 average 0 , 430 0 , 081 0 , 502 0 , 390 0 , 932 0 , 471__________________________________________________________________________ * the degree of seam pucker is defined by pucker index ## str1 ## ** new sewing = antipucker presser foot was used . table 2__________________________________________________________________________effect of anti - pucker presser foot on seam pucker (*) domestic single needle lock stitch drop feed sewing machine feed pucker sewing thread fabric tension pucker total pucker mass conventional new conventional new conventional newno type of fabric ( g / m . sup . 2 ) sewing sewing ** sewing sewing ** sewing sewing ** __________________________________________________________________________ 1 mohair suiting 183 0 , 461 0 , 086 0 , 312 0 , 289 0 , 773 0 , 375 2 mohair suiting 189 0 , 492 0 , 072 0 , 465 0 , 454 0 , 957 0 , 526 3 suiting ( polyester / viscose ) 200 0 , 210 0 , 001 0 , 651 0 , 342 0 , 861 0 , 343 4 suiting ( polyester / viscose ) 250 0 , 372 0 , 003 0 , 960 0 , 478 1 , 237 0 , 481 5 suiting ( textured polyester ) 250 0 , 241 0 , 001 0 , 412 0 , 379 0 , 653 0 , 380 6 suiting ( all wool ) 254 0 , 161 0 , 020 0 , 475 0 , 291 1 , 636 0 , 311 7 suiting ( wool polyester ) 256 0 , 460 0 , 084 0 , 512 0 , 412 0 , 972 0 , 496 8 suiting ( textured polyester ) 260 0 , 258 0 , 000 0 , 436 0 , 412 0 , 694 0 , 412 9 suiting ( all wool ) 268 0 , 741 0 , 096 0 , 621 0 , 423 1 , 362 0 , 51910 suiting ( wool / polyester ) 272 0 , 350 0 , 034 0 , 506 0 , 342 0 , 856 0 , 37611 blazer ( polyester / viscose ) 300 0 , 192 0 , 006 0 , 312 0 , 286 0 , 504 0 , 29212 blazer ( all wool ) 363 0 , 570 0 , 000 0 , 409 0 , 324 0 , 979 0 , 32413 shirting ( wool / cotton / polyester ) 137 0 , 462 0 , 031 0 , 524 0 , 325 0 , 986 0 , 35614 shirting ( wool / cotton / polyester ) 142 0 , 461 0 , 091 0 , 672 0 , 400 1 , 133 0 , 49115 lining ( polyester ) 89 0 , 104 0 , 000 0 , 872 0 , 512 0 , 976 0 , 51216 lining ( acetate ) 109 0 , 191 0 , 080 1 , 020 0 , 789 1 , 211 0 , 86917 workwear ( polyester / cotton ) 180 0 , 346 0 , 102 0 , 610 0 , 418 0 , 956 0 , 52018 workwear ( polyester / cotton ) 182 0 , 551 0 , 094 0 , 595 0 , 400 1 , 146 0 , 494 average 0 , 368 0 , 045 0 , 576 0 , 404 0 , 941 0 , 404__________________________________________________________________________ * the degree of seam pucker is defined by pucker index ## str2 ## ** new sewing = antipucker presser foot was used . table 3__________________________________________________________________________effect of anti - pucker presser foot on seam pucker * industrial single needle chain stitch drop feed sewing machine feed pucker sewing thread fabric tension pucker total pucker mass conventional new conventional new conventional newno type of fabric ( g / m . sup . 2 ) sewing sewing ** sewing sewing ** sewing sewing ** __________________________________________________________________________ 1 mohair suiting 183 0 , 270 0 , 021 0 , 086 0 , 060 0 , 356 0 , 081 2 mohair suiting 189 0 , 245 0 , 002 0 , 068 0 , 030 0 , 313 0 , 032 3 suiting ( polyester / viscose ) 200 0 , 182 0 , 000 0 , 000 0 , 000 0 , 182 0 , 000 4 suiting ( polyester / viscose ) 250 0 , 290 0 , 012 0 , 000 0 , 000 0 , 290 0 , 012 5 suiting ( textured polyester ) 250 0 , 281 0 , 006 0 , 000 0 , 000 0 , 281 0 , 006 6 suiting ( all wool ) 254 0 , 360 0 , 017 0 , 000 0 , 000 0 , 360 0 , 017 7 suiting ( wool polyester ) 256 0 , 451 0 , 042 0 , 000 0 , 000 0 , 451 0 , 042 8 suiting ( textured polyester ) 260 0 , 530 0 , 103 0 , 000 0 , 000 0 , 530 0 , 103 9 suiting ( all wool ) 268 0 , 441 0 , 100 0 , 000 0 , 000 0 , 441 0 , 10010 suiting ( wool / polyester ) 272 0 , 361 0 , 090 0 , 000 0 , 000 0 , 361 0 , 09011 blazer ( polyester / viscose ) 300 0 , 260 0 , 041 0 , 000 0 , 000 0 , 260 0 , 04112 blazer ( all wool ) 363 0 , 470 0 , 054 0 , 000 0 , 000 0 , 470 0 , 05413 shirting ( wool / cotton / polyester ) 137 0 , 480 0 , 086 0 , 036 0 , 021 0 , 516 0 , 10714 shirting ( wool / cotton / polyester ) 142 0 , 432 0 , 032 0 , 051 0 , 021 0 , 483 0 , 05315 lining ( polyester ) 89 0 , 100 0 , 000 0 , 042 0 , 001 0 , 142 0 , 00116 lining ( acetate ) 109 0 , 200 0 , 020 0 , 027 0 , 000 0 , 227 0 , 02017 workwear ( polyester / cotton ) 180 0 , 281 0 , 010 0 , 000 0 , 000 0 , 281 0 , 01018 workwear ( polyester / cotton ) 182 0 , 312 0 , 000 0 , 000 0 , 000 0 , 312 0 , 000 average 0 , 330 0 , 035 0 , 017 0 , 007 0 , 348 0 , 043__________________________________________________________________________ * the degree of seam pucker is defined by pucker index ## str3 ## ** new sewing = antipucker presser foot was used . it will be appreciated that many variations are possible with regard to constructional details . in the example illustrated , the presser foot 15 is universally hinged by means of cross - pins 17 and 18 to an arm member 24 which is in turn pivotally mounted at 19 on a support 13a of the first presser foot 13 of the sewing machine . a compression spring 20 engages an upwardly directly lever 24a which extends upwardly from the arm 24 so that the spring 20 acts to bias the arm 24 and its associated presser foot 15 towards the retarding surface 16 . the biasing force acting on the lever 24 , is adjustable by means of an adjusting screw 21 which defines a collar 22 against which the spring 20 abuts . thus when the screw 21 is tightened , the compression spring 20 will be compressed , increasing the biasing force on the arm 24 . loosening of the screw 21 will decrease the biasing force . it will be noted that spring means 23 is provided to prevent self - loosening of the adjusting screw 21 . preferably pivotal movement of the lever arm 24 will be limited by means of a stop formation 25 , so that when the presser foot 13 is raised to locate or remove fabric thereunder , the presser foot 15 will likewise be raised once the arm 24 has pivoted to its full extent . doubtless many variations of the invention exist without departing from the principles set out in the consistory clauses . the advantages of the device of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art . these can be summarized as follows : ( 2 ) less need for sewing operator skill , particularly since use of the &# 34 ; nip and run &# 34 ; technique will no longer be required ; ( 3 ) the device of the invention will largely ensure that seams will not have to be re - done due to feed pucker ; ( 4 ) expensive specialised sewing machines will not be required even for the sewing of problematic materials . | 3 |
referring now to the drawings which show operation of fluid recovery system 10 in accord with the present invention , and more particularly to fig1 there is shown drilling recovery system 10 prepared for receiving wellbore fluids such as drilling or completion fluids as wellbore tubular threaded connection 12 is broken apart in a manner known by those skilled in the art . thus , wellbore pipe string 14 , such as a drill pipe string , completion string , production string , or other wellbore tubular string , is being pulled from the wellbore through rig floor 16 . upper stand of pipe 16 may typically include about three drill pipes threadably connected together . each drill pipe is typically about thirty feet long . the drilling rig height normally allows multiple pipes to be contained in each stand so that , for instance , only every third pipe connection needs to be disconnected . each stand is lifted , set aside , and stacked upright on one side of the derrick until drill pipe string 14 is to be run back into the well . by working with stands of multiple pipes rather than individual pipes , a great deal of time is saved . depending on the hydraulics of the wellbore , it may be that the annular pressure outside the drill string 14 is greater than the pressure within the drill string . this may occur , for instance , due to heavy cuttings in the wellbore fluid , u - tube effects , and the like . when pulling out the drill string with a bit having small or clogged jets , nozzles , or water ways , the mud may be trapped in the drill string or not have time to drain during the trip out of the hole . thus , it is well known that when connection 12 is broken , approximately ninety feet of mud column inside drill stand 16 may be dumped out of the bottom end of stand 16 . prior to breaking connection 12 , slips 19 engage drill string 14 to prevent drill string 14 from dropping into the wellbore when connection 12 is released . the connection may then be initially slightly rotated a few degrees by applying a high initial breaking torque with powered tongs of which there are many types . prior to spinning stand 16 with respect to wellbore string 14 to thereby completely unscrew connection 12 , and perhaps prior to initial breaking of the connection with power tongs as discussed above , fluid recovery container 18 is preferably placed around connection 12 in a manner known to those of skill in the art . fluid recovery container 18 will preferably include upper and lower seals such as upper seal 20 above joint 12 and lower seal 22 below joint 12 . the seals may be of various types such as sliding seals and the like as are known in the prior art . it will be understood that such terms as “ up ,” “ down ,” “ vertical ” and the like are made with reference to the drawings and / or the earth and that the devices may not be arranged in such positions at all times depending on variations in operation , transportation , and the like . as well , the drawings are intended to describe the concepts of the invention so that the presently preferred embodiments of the invention will be plainly disclosed to one of skill in the art but are not intended to be manufacturing level drawings or renditions of final products and may include simplified conceptual views as desired for easier and quicker understanding or explanation of the invention . as well , the relative size of the components may be greatly different from that shown , e . g ., a wellbore fluid storage tank such as trip tank 36 , discussed below , may typically be much larger than receiving tank 30 . outlet 24 is provided from container 18 , and is connected by hose or pipe 26 , through valve 28 to recovery tank 30 . valve 28 may be of many types including but not limited to rotatable element valves such as ball valves , plug valves , butterfly valves , and the like , sliding element valves such as gate valves and the like , pivotal element valves such as flapper valves , plunger and seat valves , and any other suitable valves . thus , valve 28 may be any type of valve so long as it is suitable to provide the function of the system as discussed hereinafter . valve 28 may be manual or automatic , hydraulically operated , air operated , biased to one position as desired , or have other controls and the like . again , any variety or combination of operating features may be used for controlling valve 28 so long as such operational features are suitable to provide the function of the system as discussed herein . as well , valve 28 may comprise more than one valve , more than one valve element , single or multiple valve controllers or actuators and the like , and / or more than one conduit such as conduit 26 . recovery tank 30 has one or more outlets such as outlet 32 with one or more valves such as valve 34 that leads to rig reservoir tank 36 for storing wellbore fluids such as a trip tank , mud pit or tank , and / or other fluid tank in which it is desirable to store the recovered wellbore fluids . outlet 32 may preferably be located on or near bottom section 38 of fluid recovery tank 30 so as to facilitate gravity feed or flow of fluid from recovery tank 30 to reservoir tank 36 . valve 34 could also be of many types and could be operated by many methods and controls some but not all of which were mentioned above in connection with valve 28 . valve 34 may or may not be the same type of valve or valves as valve 28 . recovery tank 30 also connects to vacuum tank 40 through one or more outlets such as outlet 42 through which fluid flow is controlled by one or more valves such as valve 44 . valve 44 , like valves 34 and 28 discussed above may be of many different types with many different types of controls . vacuum tank 40 includes , in a presently preferred embodiment , one or more vacuum pumps such as vacuum pump 46 for producing a vacuum within vacuum tank 40 . outlet 42 may preferably be located near an upper or top section 48 of reservoir tank 30 to reduce the likelihood of liquid flow therethrough . in the sequence of operation of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated by fig1 valves 28 , 34 , and 44 are initially closed . a vacuum has been formed in receiving tank 30 , as will be discussed subsequently . because all outlets 26 , 32 , and 42 are closed by their respective valves 28 , 34 , and 44 , the vacuum is maintained within receiving tank 30 . receiving tank 30 is therefore sufficiently air tight for this purpose . receiving tank 30 has sufficient volume to receive the entire column 50 of wellbore fluid in stand 16 and so may preferably be greater than one hundred fifty gallons or any suitable size for quick filling thereof . in fig2 stand 16 has been rotated such as with a spinner , or other pipe rotating means which may be of many different types typically but perhaps not always in the counterclockwise direction indicated by arrow 52 to thereby unscrew joint 12 to break apart pin 54 from box member 56 . therefore wellbore fluid in column 50 flows out into container 18 which , as stated above , is preferably sealed around pipe or stand 16 with seats such as seal 20 and 22 . use of the present invention reduces the likelihood of leakage of seals 20 and 22 due to the vacuum applied to container 18 as discussed herein . during this time period , or shortly before or after the stand is spun to disconnect joint 12 , valve 28 is preferably opened . valve 34 and preferably valve 44 may remain closed at this time as indicated in fig2 . the vacuum within receiving tank 30 creates a suction force on the wellbore fluid in stand 16 due to the differential pressure between the atmospheric pressure and vacuum inside receiving tank 30 . this suction force , in addition to the gravitational force , acts on the wellbore fluid in stand 16 to cause the wellbore fluid to flow more quickly into receiving tank 30 where the fluid is accumulated as indicated at 57 . the greater the vacuum , the faster fluid will flow . as well , increased hose size of conduit 26 or multiple hoses will enhance fluid flow . due to the vacuum , the fluid flow will continue to flow from container 18 much faster than if left to flow purely by gravity . as well , less fluid will be left within container 18 and stand 16 in a shorter period of time . thus , expensive rig time is saved as compared to the prior art . as well , because container 18 will be empty quickly due to opening of valve 28 , container 18 can be much smaller and more convenient to work with thereby again saving expensive rig time and also improving rig safety conditions . the smaller interior surface area of container 18 also reduces the amount of possible fluid loss and drainage time . thus , all or practically all wellbore fluid is drawn by the vacuum in receiving tank 30 until the vacuum is exhausted and the pressure within receiving tank 30 preferably reaches atmospheric pressure . receiving tank 30 is then drained as indicated in fig3 . during drainage of receiving tank 30 by opening of valve 34 , valve 44 to vacuum tank 40 preferably remains closed . due to the present invention , container 18 may be more quickly removed from around pin 54 of stand 16 and box 56 of the remaining wellbore tubular string 16 . thus as also indicated in fig3 container 18 is removed to allow stacking of stand 16 . at this time , valve 34 is left open to allow fluid to drain by gravity into any desired tank 36 for the rig fluid system such as a trip tank . as the rig is busy stacking stand 16 and getting ready to pull another stand from wellbore tubular string 14 , there is time to permit gravity drainage of system 10 that does not interfere or slow down rig operation as occurs when gravity drainage is used to drain a typically larger container 18 . valve 28 may also preferably be left open during this time to enhance drainage into tank 36 from receiving tank 30 . [ 0036 ] fig4 shows a presently preferred embodiment of the next stage of operation of system 10 . valves 28 and 34 are closed . valve 44 is opened . vacuum tank 40 preferably already has a vacuum therein . after review of the present specification , one of skill in the art will understand there are different possible methods of operation and system 10 features to produce the vacuum in receiving tank 30 . for instance , depending on the size of vacuum tank 40 as compared to the size of receiving tank 30 , and the degree of vacuum in vacuum tank 40 , as compared to the desired amount of vacuum in receiving tank 30 , system 10 may , if desired , be designed such that the opening of valve 44 almost instantaneously places receiving tank 30 at the desired vacuum . in one embodiment , vacuum pump 46 could even be a smaller less expensive vacuum pump that runs for a longer time such as during the operation shown in fig1 fig2 and fig3 to place vacuum tank 40 at a desired vacuum level . alternatively , the vacuum in tank 40 may partially evacuate receiving tank 30 with some additional vacuum assist required from vacuum pump 46 which will be sized to produce the desired vacuum in tank 30 within a short time period as will be available without slowing normal rig time operation as the next pipe joint is being positioned by the rig . vacuum pump 46 may be activated manually or automatically , such as for instance by a switch responsive to a reduced level of vacuum . after activation , depending on the desired arrangement of system 10 , vacuum pump 46 may continue to operate until the desired amount of vacuum is produced within receiving tank 30 and / or vacuum tank 40 . in yet another embodiment , vacuum pump 46 could be directly connected to tank 30 assuming the action of vacuum pump 46 or multiple vacuum pumps is sufficient to produce the desired amount of vacuum in receiving tank 30 within the time allowed for stacking stand 16 and pulling up a new stand for removal from wellbore tubular string 16 which may typically be in the range of 15 - 60 seconds . at that time , valve 44 is closed again . pump 46 may be turned off or , if desired , pump 46 may continue to reduce the pressure in vacuum tank 40 to a level less than that of receiving tank 30 . the sequence of replenishing the vacuum , e . g ., reduced pressure with respect to atmospheric pressure , within receiving tank 30 may preferably take place as wellbore tubular string 14 , such as a drill string or production string or other tubular string , is being lifted by the rig blocks ( not shown ). when wellbore tubular string 14 is raised to the proper position , then slips 19 will be set , container 18 will be positioned around the next joint to be broken or which is already partially broken , and system 10 will again be in the situation as indicated in fig1 . thus , fig1 - 4 illustrates a sequence that is repeated for each connection 12 that is broken . it will be understood from the discussion above that various changes and alternatives may be used that are within the spirit of the invention . for instance , system 10 of the present invention may be combined with automatic pipe breaking assemblies so as to be fully automated . system 10 may also be combined and / or operated in conjunction with other devices such as pipe handling or racking tools . a control system may be used to completely automate operation of valves 28 , 34 , and 44 , vacuum pump 46 , container 18 , and the like . alternatively , the system could be manually operated or some parts could be automatic and others manual . various sensors such as fluid flow sensors , valve state sensors , fluid level indicators , pressure indicators , and the like could be used as part of a control system for fluid recovery system 10 . the supporting arm of container 18 could be attached to an automatic pipe breakout unit which unit may have two or more torque arms and / or power spinners . while a separate vacuum tank 40 is preferably used , vacuum pump 46 might also be attached directly to receiving tank 30 and / or other vacuum systems and arrangements may be made to apply a vacuum to container 18 and / or to produce and / or maintain a vacuum within receiving tank 30 . a two stage vacuum or multiple stage assist may be used whereby a second vacuum is applied to receiving tank 30 or container 18 either simultaneously or subsequent to that of system 10 as described hereinbefore . while system 10 is shown as being constructed with most elements located below rig floor 16 where tanks 30 and 40 are conveniently out of the way , fluid recovery system could also contain one or more tanks above the rig floor or positioned as is convenient for rig conditions . the foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof , and it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , that various changes in the size , shape and materials , the use of mechanical equivalents , as well as in the details of the illustrated construction or combinations of features of the various elements may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . | 4 |
[ 0013 ] fig1 is an electrical schematic drawing of a typical cmos inverter 6 which switches states in response to switching states of logic signals applied to input line 33 . the inverter 6 includes a p - channel mos transistor 12 serially connected to an n - channel mos transistor 14 , with the serial connection of the two transistors being connected between v dd 25 and ground 27 . the cmos inverter 6 provides inverted output logic signals on line 29 in response to the states of logic signals applied to input line 33 . the transistors 12 and 14 are configured such that when v dd is at one voltage level , e . g ., 3 . 3 volts , and the input logic signals on line 33 transition between voltage levels of zero and 3 . 3 volts , the inverted output signals on line 29 are likewise transitioning between 3 . 3 volts and zero volts with relatively low signal skew or waveform distortion because the switching threshold of transistors 12 and 14 is well matched to the expected zero to 3 . 3 volt transitions of the signals on line 33 . this is illustrated in fig2 which shows that the output of inverter 6 begins to transition state in response to an input logic signal reaching a value of approximately v dd / 2 on rising and falling edges of the input logic signal . in actuality , there may be a slight respective offset from v dd / 2 for the switching threshold on the rising and falling edges of the input signal . in other words , the switching threshold is approximately centered between zero volts and v dd . the cycle of the output signal waveform is essentially the same as that of the input signal waveform , that is t 1 = t 2 . when , however , an input logic signal transitions between zero volts and a voltage level lower than v dd , e . g ., 1 . 8 volts , as shown in fig3 the output signal waveform is distorted because the switching threshold of inverter 6 remains at essentially v dd / 2 which is not centered between zero and 1 . 8 volts . as a result , the duty cycle of the output signal waveform is different from the duty cycle of the applied input signal , and the output signal on line 29 is no longer a true representation of the inverted input signal on line 33 , i . e ., t 1 ≠ t 2 . the present invention avoids this problem and provides an adaptive logic circuit which can change the switching threshold in response to the voltage level of the applied input signal so that the output signal faithfully transitions with minimal switching threshold signal distortions in response to signal transitions of an applied input signal . for purposes of simplifying discussion , the adaptive logic circuit of the invention will be illustrated as an adaptive cmos inverter circuit , but the invention can be applied to any logic circuit having switching thresholds . referring now to fig4 an exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated . a cmos inverter 9 is illustrated as including a detector stage 11 which is formed as a threshold circuit , and a threshold adapter stage 13 which is defined to accept data from a downstream logic circuit on input line 33 , and provide an output signal on output line 29 . to accommodate different levels of possible input signal potential at input line 33 , the invention employs detector stage 11 , which may be formed as a schmitt trigger . this is an inverter stage which has a predefined threshold which may be preset . an input to detector stage 11 is from an input line v x which receives a voltage signal which is the supply voltage of a downstream logic circuit which provides logic signals at input line 33 . if v x is at a level of v dd , e . g ., 3 . 3 volts , indicating that the downstream circuit potential is at the same level as the v dd of the threshold adaptor stage 13 , the detector stage produces a first output signal at its output . if , on the other hand , a signal at the input terminal v x is below v dd , by a specified percentage as set as a threshold of the detector stage 11 , the detector stage produces a second output signal . the switching threshold of the detector stage 11 can be set so that the detector stage will switch when the voltage applied to the input v x is below by a certain percentage the supply voltage v dd of the threshold adaptor stage 13 , e . g ., a voltage of 70 % of v dd . the threshold adaptor stage 13 as shown in fig4 includes p - channel mos transistors 15 , 17 , 19 , and n - channel mos transistors 21 , 22 , and 23 . transistors 15 , 19 and 22 are connected between the voltage potential v dd 25 and ground 27 . the gates of p - channel transistors 15 and 19 are coupled together and are further coupled to the input line 33 . the gate of n - channel transistor 22 is also coupled to the input line 33 . p - channel transistor 17 is connected in parallel with the p - channel transistor 15 , and the gate of transistor 17 is connected to the output of the detector stage 11 . the connection between the serially connected transistors 19 and 22 forms a node a which is in turn connected to the output line 29 . connected between the output line 29 and ground 27 is a pair of serially connected n - channel transistors 21 and 23 . n - channel transistor 22 is connected between node a and ground , and is also connected in parallel with the series connection of transistors 21 and 23 . the gate of transistor 23 is also connected to the output of detector stage 11 , and the gate of transistor 21 is connected to the line input 33 . thus , adaptor stage 13 is a cmos inverter formed by p - channel transistors 15 , 17 and 19 and n - channel transistors 21 , 22 and 23 . however , the switching threshold of threshold adaptor stage 13 can change depending on the on or off condition of transistors 17 and 23 which are controlled by the output of the detector stage 11 . the detector stage 11 output is either a low logic level if the signal applied to the v x input terminal 31 exceeds the threshold of detector stage 11 , that is , is close to a voltage v dd of the threshold adaptor stage 13 , or is at a logic high level if the signal applied to the v x input terminal 31 is below the detector stage 11 threshold . when the output of the detector stage 11 is in a low state , transistor 23 is turned off and transistor 17 is turned on . since transistor 23 is turned off , transistor 21 is rendered nonconductive . transistor 15 is , in turn , bypassed by virtue of transistor 17 being on . as a result , the switching threshold for input signals on line 33 is set by the switching characteristics of transistors 19 and 22 . on the other hand , if the output of the detector stage 11 is high , meaning that the voltage at v x is below the preset threshold then transistor 23 is turned on and transistor 17 is turned off . in this state , the switching level of adaptor stage 13 is set by the switching state established by the series connection of transistors 15 and 19 which is in series with the parallel circuit formed by transistor 22 in parallel with the series connection of transistors 21 and 23 . transistors 17 and 21 are much larger transistors than the other transistors so that they are effectively on or off switches , so threshold adjustments in each of the two different switching threshold states can be made by selecting the switching characteristics of the remaining transistors 15 , 19 , 22 and 23 . thus , depending on the voltage detected by detector stage 11 , the threshold of the threshold adaptor stage 13 can be adjusted by switching one of transistors 17 and 23 on and the other off in accordance with the output of detector stage 11 to thereby change the cmos inverter 9 from a first threshold switching characteristic to a second threshold switching characteristic . since the voltage on input line 31 represents the level of the logic signals applied to input line 33 , an appropriate switching threshold can be set by the threshold adaptor stage 13 so that the output signal at output terminal 29 is appropriate for the logic input signals applied at input line 33 . [ 0030 ] fig5 illustrates how the threshold voltage of cmos inverter 6 changes between a first threshold value of v dd / 2 associated with input logic signals which transition between zero volts and v dd , and a second threshold value of v in / 2 associated with input logic signals which transition between zero volts and v in . transistors 15 , 19 , 22 and 23 are fabricated to provide these two switching thresholds depending on the on / off states of transistor 17 and 21 . [ 0031 ] fig4 also shows that one detector stage 11 can control the switching threshold of a plurality of threshold adaptor stages 13 . the invention may be used in any digital logic circuit , including but not limited to gate circuits , inverters , timing circuits and in larger devices such as a dsp , programmable logic devices , processors , memory devices which include memory cell arrays and peripheral logic coupled to the array , and the like . for example , as shown in fig6 a processor based system , such as a computer system , for example , generally comprises a central processing unit ( cpu ) 210 , for example , a microprocessor , that communicates with one or more input / output ( i / o ) devices 240 , 250 over a bus 270 . the computer system 200 also includes random access memory ( ram ) 260 , a read only memory ( rom ) 280 and , in the case of a computer system may include peripheral devices such as a floppy disk drive 220 and a compact disk ( cd ) rom drive 230 which also communicate with cpu 210 over the bus 270 . at least one of cpu 210 and one or more integrated circuits connected thereto , such as employed for ram 260 and rom 280 , are preferably constructed as integrated circuits which include an adaptive threshold logic circuit as described above with respect to fig4 and 5 . it may also be desirable to integrate the processor 210 and memory 260 on a single ic chip and have one or both of processor 210 and memory 260 employ the adaptive threshold logic circuit described above with reference to fig4 and 5 . while an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated above , it should be apparent that many modification substitutions and other variations can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description and accompany drawings , and is only limited by the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
the inventive stereoscopic imaging optical system is now explained with reference to examples 1 to 6 . in the lens arrangement sections of the stereoscopic imaging optical systems of examples 1 - 6 , the objective lens system is indicated by ob , the zoom imaging optical system by zi , the afocal zoom optical system by az , the afocal relay optical system by al , the front and rear groups in the afocal relay optical system by gf and gr , respectively , the imaging optical system by il , the intermediate image by im , the end cover glass by fg , optical members ( plane - parallel plates ), for which infrared cut filters , optical low - pass filters , dichroic mirrors or the like are presumed , by ft , the ccd chip sealing glass by cg , the aperture stop by as , the flare stop by fs , and the imaging plane ( image plane ) by ip . out of these lens arrangement sections , surface numbers of optical surfaces and surface - to - surface spaces are omitted for the purpose of simplifying illustrations . in examples 1 - 6 , sapphire is used as the material of the end cover glass fg but , of course , other materials resistant to sterilization may be used . alternatively , general optical glasses may be used as well . numerical data about examples 1 - 6 will be given later . it is here noted that the optical surface numbers are given by nos . as counted from the front surface of the end cover glass fg , and that the radius of curvature , the surface - to - surface spaces or air spaces , the d - line refractive index , and the abbe constants are indicated by “ r ”, “ d ”, “ nd ”, and “ vd ”, respectively . the radius of curvature , and the surface - to - surface space is given in mm . fig1 is illustrative in lens arrangement section of the stereoscopic imaging optical system of example 1 upon zooming at ( a ) a low zoom ratio , ( b ) an intermediate zoom ratio and ( c ) a high zoom ratio while at a working distance ( wd ) of 200 mm , and fig2 is illustrative in lens arrangement section of the stereoscopic imaging optical system of example 1 upon zooming at a low zoom ratio while at ( a ) wd = 200 mm , ( b ) wd = 100 mm and ( c ) wd = 400 mm . throughout the drawings , for the left - and - right pair components , only one is shown , and a center beam at the center of the screen and a chief ray at the periphery of the screen are only shown . example 1 is made up of the objective lens optical system ob common to both eyes , and a left - and - right pair of zoom imaging optical systems zi subsequent to it . each zoom imaging optical system zi is made up of a positive first group g 1 , a negative second group g 2 , the aperture stop as , a positive third group g 3 , and a positive fourth group g 4 . upon zooming from a low to a high zoom ratio , the first group g 1 , the aperture stop as and the third group g 3 remain fixed , while the second group g 2 moves monotonously toward the image plane side , and the fourth group g 4 first moves toward the object side and then goes back to the image plane side . at the high zoom ration , the fourth group is positioned more on the image plane side than at the low zoom ratio . see fig1 . the objective lens optical system ob is made up of a front group consisting of a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , and a rear group consisting of a cemented lens of a negative meniscus lens convex on its object side and a double - convex positive lens , and a double - convex positive lens . by letting out that rear group toward the object side , the wd is kept long . see fig2 . referring here to the numerical data given later , surface nos . 1 and 2 are the end cover glass fg , surface nos . 3 - 5 are the cemented lens in the front group in the objective lens optical system ob , surface nos . 6 - 8 are the cemented lens in the rear group in the objective lens optical system ob , surface nos . 9 - 10 are the double - convex positive lens in the rear group in the objective lens optical system ob , and surface nos . 11 through 31 are the zoom imaging optical system zi . the first group g 1 in the zoom imaging optical system zi is made up of a double - convex positive lens indicated by surface nos . 11 and 12 , and a cemented lens of a double - convex positive lens and a double - concave negative lens indicated by surface nos . 13 , 14 and 15 , and the second group g 2 is made up of a negative meniscus lens convex on its image plane side , indicated by surface nos . 16 and 17 and a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 18 , 19 and 20 . the aperture stop as of surface no . 21 is followed by the third group g 3 that is made up of a double - convex positive lens indicated by surface nos . 22 and 23 and a cemented lens of a negative meniscus lens convex on its object side and a double - convex positive lens indicated by surface nos . 24 , 25 and 26 , and the fourth group g 4 is made up of a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a double - convex positive lens indicated by surface nos . 27 , 28 and 29 . following this , the optical member ( plane - parallel plate ) ft indicated by surface nos . 30 and 31 is positioned , after which there is the imaging plane ( image plane ) ip of surface no . 34 positioned that has the ccd chip sealing glass cg indicated by surface nos . 32 and 33 . it should here be noted that a portion from the zoom imaging optical system zi to the imaging plane ip is decentered 10 . 5000 mm in the vertical direction to the optical axis of the objective lens optical system ob . the aberration diagrams of this example are presented in fig9 and 10 . fig9 ( a ), 9 ( b ) and 9 ( c ), and fig1 ( a ), 10 ( b ) and 10 ( c ) are indicative of spherical aberrations , astigmatisms , chromatic aberrations of magnification and distortions in the states of fig1 ( a ), 1 ( b ) and 1 ( c ), and fig2 ( a ), 2 ( b ) and 2 ( c ), respectively . throughout the drawings , the scale is given by length in mm , the proportion ( distortion ) is given in %, the wavelength is given in nm , the solid line and broken line for astigmatisms are δs and δm , respectively , and the image height is indicated by fiy . fig3 is illustrative in lens arrangement section of the stereoscopic imaging optical system of example 2 upon zooming at ( a ) a low zoom ratio , ( b ) an intermediate zoom ratio and ( c ) a high zoom ratio while at a working distance ( wd ) of 200 mm . example 2 is made up of the objective lens optical system ob common to both eyes , and a left - and - right pair of zoom imaging optical systems zi subsequent to it . each zoom imaging optical system zi is made up of a positive first group g 1 , a negative second group g 2 , the aperture stop as , a positive third group g 3 , and a positive fourth group g 4 . upon zooming from a low to a high zoom ratio , the first group g 1 , the aperture stop as and the third group g 3 remain fixed , while the second group g 2 moves monotonously toward the image plane side , and the fourth group g 4 first moves toward the object side and then goes back to the image plane side . at the high zoom ratio , the fourth group is positioned more on the image plane side than at the low zoom ratio . the objective lens optical system ob is made up of a front group consisting of a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , and a rear group consisting of a double - convex positive lens and a cemented lens of a negative meniscus lens convex on its object side and a double - convex positive lens . by letting out that rear group toward the object side , the wd is kept long . referring here to the numerical data given later , surface nos . 1 and 2 are the end cover glass fg , surface nos . 3 , 4 and 5 are the cemented lens in the front group in the objective lens optical system ob , surface nos . 6 and 7 are the double - convex positive lens in the rear group in the objective lens optical system ob , surface nos . 8 , 9 and 10 are the cemented lens in the rear group in the objective lens optical system ob , and surface nos . 11 through 31 are the zoom imaging optical system zi . the first group g 1 in the zoom imaging optical system zi is made up of a double - convex positive lens indicated by surface nos . 11 and 12 , and a cemented lens of a double - convex positive lens and a double - concave negative lens indicated by surface nos . 13 , 14 and 15 , and the second group g 2 is made up of a negative meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 16 and 17 and a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 18 , 19 and 20 . the aperture stop as of surface no . 21 followed by the third group g 3 that is made up of a double - convex positive lens of surface nos . 22 - 23 and a cemented lens of a negative meniscus lens convex on its object side and a double - convex positive lens indicated by surface nos . 24 , 25 and 26 , and the fourth group g 4 is made up of a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a double - convex positive lens indicated by surface nos . 27 , 28 and 20 . following this , the optical member ( plane - parallel plate ) ft of surface nos . 30 and 31 is positioned , after which there is the imaging plane ( image plane ) ip of surface no . 34 positioned that has the ccd chip sealing glass cg indicated by surface nos . 32 and 33 . it should here be noted that a portion from the zoom imaging optical system zi to the imaging plane ip is decentered 10 . 5000 mm in the vertical direction to the optical axis of the objective lens optical system ob . aberration diagrams of this example similar to fig9 ( a ), 9 ( b ) and 9 ( c ) corresponding to fig3 ( a ), 3 ( b ) and 3 ( c ) are presented in fig1 ( a ), 11 ( b ) and 11 ( c ). fig4 is illustrative in lens arrangement section of the stereoscopic imaging optical system of example 3 at ( a ) a low zoom ratio , ( b ) an intermediate zoom ratio and ( c ) a high zoom ratio while at a working distance ( wd ) of 200 mm . example 3 is made up of the objective lens optical system ob common to both eyes , and a left - and - right pair of zoom imaging optical systems zi subsequent to it . each zoom imaging optical system zi is made up of a positive first group g 1 , a negative second group g 2 , the aperture stop as , a positive third group g 3 , and a positive fourth group g 4 . upon zooming from a low to a high zoom ratio , the first group g 1 , the aperture stop as and the third group g 3 remain fixed , while the second group g 2 moves monotonously toward the image plane side , and the fourth group g 4 first moves toward the object side and then goes back to the image plane side . at the high zoom ratio , the fourth group is positioned more on the image plane side than at the low zoom ratio . the objective lens optical system ob is made up of a front group consisting of a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , and a rear group consisting of a cemented lens of a negative meniscus lens convex on its object side and a double - convex positive lens , and a double - convex positive lens . by letting out that rear group toward the object side , the wd is kept long . referring here to the numerical data given later , surface nos . 1 and 2 are the end cover glass fg , surface nos . 3 , 4 and 5 are the cemented lens in the front group in the objective lens optical system ob , surface nos . 6 , 7 and 8 are the cemented lens in the rear group in the objective lens optical system ob , surface nos . 9 and 10 are the double - convex positive lens in the rear group in the objective lens optical system ob , and surface nos . 11 through 31 are the zoom imaging optical system zi . the first group g 1 in the zoom imaging optical system zi is made up of a double - convex positive lens indicated by surface nos . 11 and 12 , and a cemented lens of a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side and a negative meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 13 , 14 and 15 , and the second group g 2 is made up of a negative meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 16 and 17 and a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 18 , 19 and 20 . the aperture stop as of surface no . 21 followed by the third group g 3 that is made up of a meniscus lens convex on its image plane side , indicated by surface nos . 22 and 23 , and a cemented lens of a double - convex positive lens and a negative meniscus lens convex on its image plane side , indicated by surface nos . 24 , 25 and 26 , and the fourth group g 4 is made up of a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a double - convex positive lens indicated by surface nos . 27 , 28 and 29 . following this , the optical member ( plane - parallel plate ) ft indicated by surface nos . 30 and 31 is positioned , after which there is the imaging plane ( image plane ) ip of surface no . 34 positioned that has the ccd chip sealing glass cg indicated by surface nos . 32 and 33 . it should here be noted that a portion from the zoom imaging optical system zi to the imaging plane ip is decentered 7 . 5000 mm in the vertical direction to the optical axis of the objective lens optical system ob . aberration diagrams of this example similar to fig9 ( a ), 9 ( b ) and 9 ( c ) corresponding to fig4 ( a ), 4 ( b ) and 4 ( c ) are presented in fig1 ( a ), 12 ( b ) and 12 ( c ). fig5 is illustrative in lens arrangement section of the stereoscopic imaging optical system of example 4 at ( a ) a low zoom ratio , ( b ) an intermediate zoom ratio and ( c ) a high zoom ratio while at a working distance ( wd ) of 200 mm , and fig6 is illustrative in lens arrangement section of example 4 at a low zoom ratio while at ( a ) wd = 200 mm , ( b ) wd = 100 mm and ( c ) wd = 400 mm . for a left - and - right pair of components , only one is shown . example 4 is made up of the objective lens optical system ob common to both eyes , the subsequent afocal zoom optical system az and afocal relay optical system al , and the subsequent left - and - right pair of aperture stops as and imaging optical systems il . the afocal zoom optical system az is made up of a positive first group g 1 , a negative second group g 2 and a positive third group g 3 , and the afocal relay optical system al is made up of the positive front group gf and the positive rear group gr with the intermediate image im held between them . upon zooming from a low to a high zoom ratio , the first group g 1 in the afocal zoom optical system az first moves toward the object side and then goes back to the image plane side , and at the high zoom ratio it is positioned more on the image plane side than at the low zoom ratio . the second group g 2 moves toward the image plane side while the space between it and the first group g 1 grows wide , and the third group g 3 remains fixed . the objective lens optical system ob is made up of a front group consisting of a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , and a rear group consisting of a cemented lens of a negative meniscus lens convex on its object side and a double - convex positive lens , and a double - convex positive lens . by letting out that rear group toward the object side , the wd is kept long . see fig6 . referring now to the numerical data given later , surface nos . 1 and 2 are the end cover glass fg , surface nos . 3 , 4 and 5 are the cemented lens in the front group in the objective lens optical system ob , surface nos . 6 , 7 and 8 are the cemented lens in the rear group in the objective lens optical system ob , surface nos . 9 and 10 are the double - convex positive lens in the rear group in the objective lens optical system ob , surface no . 11 is the flare stop fs , and surface nos . 12 through 23 are the afocal zoom optical system az . the first group g 1 in the afocal zoom optical system az is made up of a cemented lens of a double - convex positive lens and a negative meniscus lens convex on its image plane side , indicated by surface nos . 12 , 13 and 14 , the second group g 2 is made up of a cemented lens of a cemented lens of a positive meniscus lens convex on its image plane side and a double - concave negative lens , indicated by surface nos . 15 , 16 and 17 and a plano - concave negative lens and a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 18 , 19 and 20 , and the third group g 3 is made up of a cemented lens of a negative meniscus lens convex on its object side and a double - convex positive lens , indicated by surface nos . 21 , 22 and 23 . following this , there are the flare stop fs of surface no . 24 and the afocal relay optical system al of surface nos . 25 through 39 . the front group gf in the afocal relay optical system al is made up of a double - convex positive lens of surface nos . 25 and 26 and a cemented lens of a double - convex positive lens and a double - concave negative lens indicated by surface nos . 27 , 28 and 29 , and surface no . 32 is the intermediate image im . the rear group gr in the afocal relay optical system al is made up of a double - convex positive lens of surface nos . 33 and 34 , a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a double - convex positive lens indicated by surface nos . 35 , 36 and 37 and a double - convex positive lens of surface nos . 38 and 39 . and after the aperture stop as of surface no . 40 , there is the imaging optical system il of surface nos . 43 and 44 . the imaging optical system il is made up of a plane - parallel plate of surface nos . 41 and 42 , a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 43 and 44 , a cemented lens of a double - convex positive lens and a double - concave negative lens indicated by surface nos . 45 , 46 and 47 , and a double - convex positive lens of surface nos . 48 and 49 . following this , there is the optical member ( plane - parallel plate ) ft of surface nos . 50 and 51 , after which there is the imaging plane ( image plane ) ip of surface no . 54 positioned that has the ccd chip sealing glass cg indicated by surface nos . 52 and 53 . it should here be noted that a portion from the aperture stop as to the imaging plane ip is decentered 3 . 000 mm in the vertical direction to the optical axis of the objective lens optical system ob , afocal zoom optical system az and afocal relay optical system al . aberration diagrams of this example are presented in fig1 and 14 . fig1 ( a ), 13 ( b ) and 13 ( c ), and fig1 ( a ), 14 ( b ) and 14 ( c ) similar to fig9 ( a ), 9 ( b ) and 9 ( c ), and fig1 ( a ), 10 ( b ) and 10 ( c ) are aberration diagrams in the states of fig5 ( a ), 5 ( b ) and 5 ( c ), and fig6 ( a ), 6 ( b ) and 6 ( c ), respectively . fig7 is illustrative in lens arrangement section of the stereoscopic imaging optical system of example 5 at ( a ) a low zoom ratio , ( b ) an intermediate zoom ratio and ( c ) a high zoom ratio while at a working distance ( wd ) of 200 mm . for a left - and - right pair of components , only one is shown . example 5 is made up of the objective lens optical system ob common to both eyes , the subsequent afocal zoom optical system az and afocal relay optical system al , and the subsequent left - and - right pair of aperture stops as and imaging optical systems il . the afocal zoom optical system az is made up of a positive first group g 1 , a negative second group g 2 and a positive third group g 3 , and the afocal relay optical system al is made up of the positive front group gf and the positive rear group gr with the intermediate image im held between them . upon zooming from a low to a high zoom ratio , the first group g 1 in the afocal zoom optical system az first moves toward the object side and then goes back to the image plane side , and at the high zoom ratio it is positioned more on the image plane side than at the low zoom ratio . the second group g 2 moves toward the image plane side while the space between it and the first group g 1 grows wide , and the third group g 3 remains fixed . the objective lens optical system ob is made up of a front group consisting of a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , and a rear group consisting of a cemented lens of a negative meniscus lens convex on its object side and a double - convex positive lens , and a double - convex positive lens . by letting out that rear group toward the object side , the wd is kept long . referring here to the numerical data given later , surface nos . 1 and 2 are the end front cover glass fg , surface nos . 3 , 4 and 5 are the cemented lens in the front group in the objective lens optical system ob , surface nos . 6 , 7 and 8 are the cemented lens in the rear group in the objective lens optical system ob , and surface nos . 9 and 10 are the double - convex positive lens in the rear group in the objective lens optical system ob . surface no . 11 is the flare stop fs followed by the afocal zoom optical system az of surface nos . 12 through 23 . the first group in the afocal zoom optical system az is made up of a cemented lens of a double - convex positive lens and a negative meniscus lens convex on its image plane side , indicated by surface nos . 12 , 13 and 14 , the second group g 2 is made up of a cemented lens of a positive meniscus lens convex on its image plane side and a double - concave negative lens , indicated by surface nos . 15 , 16 and 17 and a cemented lens of a plano - concave negative lens and a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 18 , 19 and 20 , and the third group g 3 is made up of a cemented lens of a negative meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 21 , 22 and 23 . following this , there is the flare stop fs of surface no . 24 followed by the afocal relay optical system al indicated by surface nos . 25 through 39 . the front group gf in the afocal relay optical system al is made up of a double - convex positive lens of surface nos . 25 and 26 , a cemented lens of a double - convex positive lens and a double - concave negative lens , indicated by surface nos . 27 , 28 and 29 and a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 30 and 31 , with surface no . 32 indicative of the intermediate image im . the rear group gr in the afocal relay optical system al is made up of a double - convex positive lens of surface nos . 33 and 34 , a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a double - convex positive lens , indicated by surface nos . 35 , 36 and 37 and a double - convex positive lens of surface no . 38 and 39 . and after the aperture stop as of surface no . 40 , there is the imaging optical system il of surface no . 41 through 49 . the imaging optical system il is made up of a plane - parallel plate of surface nos . 41 and 42 , a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 43 and 44 , a cemented lens of a double - convex positive lens and a double - concave negative lens , indicated by surface nos . 45 , 46 and 47 , and a double - convex positive lens of surface nos . 48 and 49 . following this , there is the optical member ( plane - parallel plate ) ft of surface nos . 50 and 51 positioned , after which there is the imaging plane ( image plane ) ip of surface no . 54 positioned that has the ccd chip sealing glass dg of surface nos . 52 and 53 . it should here be noted that a portion from the aperture stop as to the imaging plane ip is decentered 4 . 2000 mm in the vertical direction to the optical axis of the objective lens optical system ob , afocal zoom optical system az and afocal relay optical system al . aberration diagrams of this example similar to fig1 ( a ), 13 ( b ) and 13 ( c ) corresponding to fig7 ( a ), 7 ( b ) and 7 ( c ) are presented in fig1 ( a ), 15 ( b ) and 15 ( c ), respectively . fig8 is illustrative in lens arrangement section of the stereoscopic imaging optical system of example 6 at ( a ) a low zoom ratio , ( b ) an intermediate zoom ratio and ( c ) a high zoom ratio ( c ) while at a working distance ( wd ) of 200 mm . for a left - and - right pair of components , only one is shown . example 6 is made up of the objective lens optical system ob common to both eyes , the subsequent afocal zoom optical system az and afocal relay optical system al , and the subsequent left - and - right pair of aperture stops as and imaging optical systems il . the afocal zoom optical system az is made up of a positive first group g 1 , a negative second group g 2 and a positive third group g 3 , and the afocal relay optical system al is made up of the positive front group gf and the positive rear group gr with the intermediate image im held between them . upon zooming from a low to a high zoom ratio , the first group g 1 in the afocal zoom optical system az first moves toward the object side and then goes back to the image plane side , and at the high zoom ratio it is positioned more on the image plane side than at the low zoom ratio . the second group g 2 moves toward the image plane side while the space between it and the first group g 1 grows wide , and the third group g 3 remains fixed . the objective lens optical system ob is made up of a front group consisting of a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , and a rear group consisting of a cemented lens of a negative meniscus lens convex on its object side and a double - convex positive lens , and a double - convex positive lens . by letting out that rear group toward the object side , the wd is kept long . referring now to the numerical data given later , surface nos . 1 and 2 are the end cover glass fg , surface nos . 3 , 4 and 5 are the cemented lens in the front group in the objective lens optical system ob , surface nos . 9 and 10 are the double - convex positive lens in the rear group in the objective lens optical system ob , surface no . 11 is the flare stop fs , and surface nos . 12 through 23 are the afocal zoom optical system az . the first group g 1 in the afocal zoom optical system az is made up of a cemented lens of a double - convex positive lens and a negative meniscus lens convex on its image plane side , indicated by surface nos . 12 , 13 and 14 , the second group g 2 is made up of a cemented lens of a positive meniscus lens convex on its image plane side and a double - concave negative lens , indicated by surface nos . 15 , 16 and 17 and a cemented lens of a plano - concave negative lens and a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 18 , 19 and 20 , and the third group g 3 is made up of a cemented lens of a negative meniscus lens convex on its object side and a double - convex positive lens , indicated by surface nos . 21 , 22 and 23 . following this , there is the flare stop fs of surface no . 24 that is followed by the afocal relay optical system al of surface nos . 25 through 39 . the front group gf in the afocal relay optical system al is made up of a double - convex positive lens of surface nos . 25 and 26 , a cemented lens of a double - convex positive lens and a double - concave negative lens , indicated by surface nos . 27 , 28 and 29 and a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 30 and 31 , and surface no . 32 is the intermediate image im . the rear group gr in the afocal relay optical system al is made up of a double - convex positive lens of surface nos . 33 and 34 , a cemented lens of a double - concave negative lens and a double - convex positive lens , indicated by surface nos . 35 , 36 and 37 and a double - convex positive lens of surface nos . 38 and 39 . after the aperture stop as of surface no . 40 , there is the imaging optical system il of surface nos . 41 through 49 . the imaging optical system il is made up of a plane - parallel plate of surface nos . 41 and 42 , a positive meniscus lens convex on its object side , indicated by surface nos . 43 and 44 , a cemented lens of a double - convex positive lens and a double - concave negative lens indicated by surface nos . 45 , 46 and 47 , and a double - convex positive lens of surface nos . 48 and 49 . after this , there is the optical member ( plane - parallel plate ) ft of surface nos . 50 and 51 positioned , after which the imaging plane ( image plane ) ip of surface no . 54 positioned that has the ccd chip sealing glass cg of surface nos . 52 and 53 . it should here be noted that a portion from the aperture stop as to the imaging plane ip is decentered 5 . 0000 mm in the vertical direction to the optical axis of the objective lens optical system ob , afocal zoom optical system az and afocal relay optical system al . aberration diagrams of this example similar to fig1 ( a ), 13 ( b ) and 13 ( c ) corresponding to fig8 ( a ), 8 ( b ) and 8 ( c ) are presented in fig1 ( a ), 16 ( b ) and 16 ( c ), respectively . set out below are the numerical data on examples 1 through 6 . in the following , “ lm ”, “ sm ”, “ hm ”, “ wd ” and “ mg ” are indicative of a low zoom ratio end , an intermediate magnification , a high zoom ratio end , a working distance and a magnification , respectively , with “ inf ” indicative of infinity . tabulated below are the image - side effective f - numbers ( fno ) of examples 1 through 6 and the image height on the imaging device . tabulated below are also the values of the conditions and the values of the conditions &# 39 ; elements in examples 1 to 6 . | 0 |
the valve unit 1 shown in the fig1 to 4 serves for ventilating and aerating a fuel tank ( not shown ) and is intended to be mounted between the fuel tank and an activated carbon filter ( not shown ), which prevents the escape of volatile hydrocarbons into the atmosphere or the environment when ventilating and aerating the fuel tank . the value unit 1 is made essentially if a tank shut - off valve 2 and two tank pressure control valves 3 , 4 , which are separate from each other and are arranged at opposite sides of the tanks shut - off valve 2 . as shown in fig1 , the tank shut - off valve 2 an be arranged outside the fuel tank 42 and the tank pressure control valve 3 , 4 inside the fuel tank 42 . the tank shut - off valve 2 is an electromagnetic valve , which is made of two rotatably interconnected parts , namely a valve part 5 with a valve seat 6 , a valve member 7 which is rotatable relative to the valve seat 6 and two connections 8 , 9 , i . e . a tank connection 8 which is connectable to the fuel tank and a filter connection 9 which is connectable to the activated carbon filter , as well as a valve actuating part 10 with an electromagnetic coil 11 and an anchor 12 which acts on the valve member 7 . when the electromagnetic coil 11 is excited , the anchor 12 lifts the valve member 7 from the valve seat 6 , whereupon the two connections 8 , 9 communicate with one another . as best shown in fig1 , 3 , 4 , and 5 the valve unit 1 can be mounted in different mounting positions , namely vertically , as shown in fig1 , 3 and 4 , i . e . with vertical longitudinal axis 13 , or horizontally as schematically shown without the two tank pressure control valves 3 , 4 in fig5 , i . e . with horizontal longitudinal axis 13 . of course , the valve unit 1 can also be mounted in any oblique mounting position between horizontally and vertically . to prevent liquid condensate from accumulating in the interior of the tank shut - off valve 2 in one of these mounting positions , the tank shut - off valve 2 is constructed so that in a vertical mounting the tank connection 8 and the filter connection 9 are arranged on the bottom side of the valve part 5 , protrude downward over the valve part 5 and both open downwards , as shown in fig1 , 3 and 4 . in addition , each of the two connections 8 , 9 is connected to internal spaces 14 or 15 , respectively of the tank shut - off valve 2 which communicate with the tank connection 8 or the filter connection 9 respectively in such a manner that condensing fuel vapor in the internal spaces 14 , 15 completely flows into the connection 8 , 9 which leads into the internal space 14 or 15 respectively from below as best shown in fig3 or 4 respectively . to facilitate drainage of condensate out of the internal spaces 14 , 15 into the connections 8 or 9 respectively , both internal spaces 14 , 15 are delimited downward by slanted surfaces 16 when mounted vertically , and delimited downward by slanted surfaces 17 when mounted horizontally , which surfaces are inclined downward toward the connections 8 , 9 . when the valve 2 is closed , the internal spaces 14 , 15 are separated from one another by the valve member 7 . further , the tank shut - off valve 2 is constructed such that both connections 8 , 9 are arranged on one side of a longitudinal middle plane 18 ( fig2 ) of the tank shut - off valve 2 , which in vertical mounting is oriented vertically , and such that the valve part 5 is rotatable relative to the valve actuating part 10 , which is provided with fastening means 19 , about the longitudinal middle axis 13 of the tank shut - off valve 2 and is fixable in any rotational position , as best shown in fig1 , 3 and 4 and by a clamping ring 20 , so that the valve part 5 in a horizontal mounting is always rotatable in a position in which the two connections 8 , 9 are arranged below the longitudinal middle plane 18 and open toward one side regardless of the orientation of the fastening means 19 , as shown in fig5 . in addition , the tank connection 8 is connected to the internal space 14 and the filter connection 9 is connected to the internal space 15 such that condensing fuel vapor can completely flow into the connection 8 or 9 which leads into the internal space 14 , 15 from below as shown in fig5 . the two tank pressure control valves 3 , 4 which are constructed as valve unit with the tank shut - off valve 2 , are bypass valves one of which is a negative pressure valve 3 and the other one an overpressure valve 4 . the negative pressure valve 3 also opens automatically , when a defined negative pressure forms in the fuel tank . the overpressure valve 4 opens automatically when a defined overpressure forms in the fuel tank . as best shown in fig6 a and 6 b , the two tank pressure control valves 3 , 4 each have two chambers 22 , 23 ; 24 , 25 , which are separated by a membrane 21 , one of which chambers 22 ; 24 after mounting communicates with the fuel tank and one 23 ; 25 communicates with the activated carbon filter . in the negative pressure valve 3 in fig6 a the negative pressure chamber 22 faces away from the tank shut - off valve 2 , while the other chamber 23 which communicates with the activated carbon filter faces toward the tank shut - off valve 2 . in contrast , in the overpressure valve 4 in fig6 b the overpressure chamber 24 which communicates with the fuel tank faces toward the tank shut - off valve 2 while the other chamber 25 which communicates with the activated carbon filter faces away from the tank shut - off valve 2 . as best shown in fig6 b , the membrane 21 of each valve 3 , 4 is provided with an opening 26 and , when the valve is closed , rests on a cylindrical pipe socket 27 around the opening 26 through which in the overpressure valve 3 in fig6 a the negative pressure chamber 22 communicates with the fuel tank and in the overpressure valve 4 in fig6 b the other chamber 25 communicates with the activated carbon filter . the membrane 21 is pressed against the free upper end of the pipe socket 27 by the spring 28 and ensures that the two chambers 22 , 23 ; 24 , 25 do not , i . e . not normally , communicate with one another when the valve 3 , 4 is closed . in the case of a stronger negative pressure in the fuel tank the membrane 21 of the negative pressure valve 3 is lifted from the pipe socket against the force of the spring 28 as a result of the negative pressure in the negative pressure chamber which communicates with the fuel tank , whereby the two chambers 22 , 23 are connected to one another when the valve 3 is opened . in the case of a stronger overpressure in the fuel tank the membrane 21 is lifted from the pipe socket 27 against the force of the spring 28 as a result of the pressure in the overpressure chamber 24 , whereby the two chambers 24 , 25 are connected to one another also by opening of valve 4 . because the negative pressure valve 3 and the overpressure valve 4 have separate membranes 21 , the opening pressure for both valves 3 , 4 can be set flexibly , i . e . independent of one another and without interfering with one another on one hand by choosing an appropriate membrane 21 and on the other hand by choosing an appropriate spring characteristic of the spring 28 . the overpressure chamber 24 of the overpressure valve 4 and the negative pressure chamber 22 of the negative pressure valve 3 communicate with the tank connection 8 through the internal space 14 of the tank shut - off valve 2 , while the other chamber 25 of the overpressure valve 4 and the other chamber 23 of the negative pressure valve 3 communicate with the filter connection 9 through the internal space 15 of the tank shut - off valve 2 . the tank shut - off valve 2 shown in fig7 is constructed in the same way as the tank shut - off valve 2 in the fig1 , 2 , 3 and 5 except that the two tank pressure control valves 3 , 4 i . e . the negative pressure valve 3 and the overpressure valve 4 are not combined with the tank shut - off valve 2 into a valve unit 1 . instead , the two tank pressure control valves 3 , 4 form valve units 29 , 30 which are separate from the tank shut - off valve 2 , as shown in fig8 to 13 , so that it is possible for example to mount the two tank pressure control valves 3 , 4 inside the fuel tank and the tank shut - off valve 2 outside the fuel tank . in the valve unit shown in fig8 to 10 , the two tank pressure control valves , i . e . the negative pressure valve 3 and the overpressure valve 4 , have the same orientation and are arranged adjacent to one another along a connection part 31 , while in the valve unit 30 in the fig1 to 13 the two tank pressure control valves 3 , 4 have opposite orientations and are arranged on an end of a connection part 32 . in both valve units 29 , 30 the negative pressure chamber 22 of the negative pressure valve 3 which chamber 22 communicates with the fuel tank and the overpressure chamber 24 of the overpressure valve 4 which chamber 24 also communicates with the fuel tank , are connected to a common tank connection 33 of the valve unit 29 , 30 , while the other chamber 23 of the negative pressure valve 3 which chamber 23 communicates with the activated carbon filter and the other chamber 25 of the overpressure valve 4 which chamber 25 also communicates with the activated carbon filter are connected to a common filter connection 34 of the valve unit 29 , 30 . as best shown in fig1 in the valve unit 29 in fig8 to 10 the pipe socket 27 of the negative pressure valve 3 leads into the negative pressure chamber 22 from below , while its lower end communicates with the connection part 31 through a tube 35 in the connection part which tube 35 is oriented horizontally after mounting of the valve unit 29 , so that condensing fuel can drain out of the negative pressure chamber 22 through the pipe socket 21 to the tank connection 33 . the overpressure chamber 24 of the overpressure valve 4 is delimited at its bottom side by a slanted bottom 36 and communicates at its lowest point with the tube 35 which leads to the tank connection 33 , through a passage 37 , so that condensate from the overpressure chamber 24 can also completely drain to the tank connection 33 . conversely , in the valve unit 29 the pipe socket 27 of the overpressure valve 4 leads into the other chamber 25 from below , while its lower end communicates with a filter connection 34 through a tube ( not shown ) in the connection part 31 , which tube after mounting of the valve unit 29 is oriented parallel to the tube 35 , so that condensing fuel can drain out of the chamber 25 through the pipe socket 21 to the filter connection 34 . the other chamber 23 of the negative pressure valve 3 is also delimited at its bottom side by a slanted bottom ( not visible ) and communicates at its lowest point through a passage ( not visible ) with the tube which leads to the filter connection 34 , so that condensate can also drain completely out of the chamber 23 to the filter connection 34 . as best shown in fig1 , in the valve unit 30 in fig1 to 13 , the chamber 25 of the overpressure valve 4 communicates at the lowest point of the chamber 25 with a vertical tube 38 in the connection part 32 which tube leads to the filter connection 34 , not only through the pipe socket 27 but also through a further passage 39 , so that condensate can drain from the chamber 25 through the passage 39 and the tube 38 to the filter connection 34 . similar to the overpressure chamber 24 in the overpressure valve 4 of the valve unit 29 , the overpressure chamber 24 of the overpressure valve 4 is connected to the vertical tube 38 in the connection part 32 , through a single passage 40 which is arranged at the lowest point of the chamber 24 , as shown in fig1 . the negative pressure valve 3 ( only partially shown in fig1 ) has a corresponding construction , wherein however , the other chamber 23 at its lowest point communicates through a passage 40 with the vertical tube 38 which leads to the filter connection 34 , while the negative pressure chamber ( not visible ) communicates through the pipe socket 27 and a further passage 39 at the lowest point of the negative pressure chamber with a tube in the connection part 32 which tube leads to the tank connection 33 and is parallel to the tube 38 , as best shown in fig1 and 12 . | 1 |
it will be appreciated that the following description is of preferred embodiments of the present invention and the best mode of putting the present invention into effect that is known to the applicant . the description is exemplary only in respect of these preferred embodiments and is not to be construed as limiting or restricting the scope of protection defined in the claims appended hereto . referring now to fig1 , a smart poster 100 comprises a display 102 , a transceiver unit 104 and a nfc tag 106 . the transceiver unit 104 and nfc tag 106 may be separate entities , or may be integrated into a unitary telecommunications device . typically , the display 102 comprises a standard print media display bearing a printed poster with a touch point 108 designated within it . however , it will be appreciated that the display 102 can comprise a dynamic display such as a cathode ray tub , a liquid crystal display or a plasma display . the use of such dynamic displays allows for video clips or changing elements of an advertising campaign to be displayed on the display 102 . in the case of a dynamic display 102 the touch point 108 will typically be located on a frame or to the side of the display 102 , but may be located within the bounds of the display 102 . typically , the touch point 108 will be located adjacent the nfc tag 106 . the transceiver unit 104 comprises a processor 110 and a network connection device 112 and a power source 114 . typically , the network connection device 112 comprises a cellular telecommunications device such as a mobile telephone sim card and dialer or a wireless broadband modem , for example a 3g - utms modem . however , it will be appreciated that the network connection device 112 may comprise a hard wired broadband modem that connects to a wired telecommunications infrastructure , for example on supporting isdn or asdl data transfer . the power source 114 provides power for the processor 110 and the network connection device 112 . typically , the power source 114 is battery but it may be a step down transformer connected to an a . c . mains power supply . in certain embodiments , the processor 110 runs a software application that manages buffering of data and operates on locally held data , for example usage history or queued content . this allows the smart poster 100 continue active operation while a remote server is not in direct control of the poster 100 , providing a level of local management / control . the nfc tag 106 comprises a processor 116 and a loop antenna 118 . the processor 116 stores information for transfer to a mobile device . the processor 110 of the transceiver unit 104 is in communication with the processor 116 of the nfc tag 106 such that each time that the nfc tag 106 is interrogated usage data indicative of , inter alia , the accessing of the nfc tag 106 passes to the processor 110 of the transceiver unit 104 . the usage data is either buffered locally at the processor 110 or passed directly to a remote server , as described hereinafter . the nfc tag 106 can be operated in a passive mode in which the tag 106 draws its operating power from the electromagnetic radiation emitted by an interrogating mobile device that is captured at the antenna 118 . alternatively , the tag 106 may be an active device and draw upon the power source 114 in order to generate its own electromagnetic radiation when triggered . when an active tag 106 is idle no power is drawn . the present invention will be described with reference to a passive system , although it will be appreciated that it is equally applicable to an active system . typically , the nfc tag 106 emits and receives electromagnetic radiation at 13 . 56 mhz with a 2 . 0 mhz bandwidth and usually supports data rates of 106 kbps − 1 using modified miller coding with 100 % modulation , or 212 or 424 kbps − 1 using manchester coding with a 10 % modulation ratio . a typical effective range of an nfc tag is up to 20 cm . referring now to fig1 and 2 , a smart poster monitoring system 200 comprises a plurality of smart posters 100 , a communications network 202 and a server 204 . each of the smart posters 100 connects to the communications network 202 via their respective network connection devices 112 . in the case of the communications network 202 being a wireless cellular telecommunications network , the nature of the network infrastructure will be known to a person skilled in the art . similarly , a wired communications network will have infrastructure known to a person skilled in the art . in use , a user brings their nfc enabled mobile device 206 adjacent to the touchpoint 108 of the smart poster 112 . the mobile device 206 emits an interrogation signal that is received by the aerial 118 . the processor 116 of the tag 106 extracts sufficient power from the interrogation signal to power its operation . the processor 116 demodulates the interrogation signal , for example in the case of a backscattering passive tag by means of a schottky diode that is impedance matched to the aerial 118 . other suitable demodulators known to a person skilled in the art can be employed . the processor 116 can then either extract information from the interrogation signal or the processor 116 can interrogate the mobile device 206 in order to obtain this information by generating an extraction signal which is transmitted via the aerial 118 , the mobile device 206 can respond to this signal , or not dependent upon the permissions set by a user . typical information extracted from the mobile device 206 comprises telephone number , user identity , telecommunications service provider . the processor 116 then passes the extracted data to the transceiver unit &# 39 ; s processor 110 where it can be aggregated with extracted data relating to previous transactions mobile devices and the smart poster 100 . some initial analysis processing of the extracted data may be performed at the processor 110 , or the data may not be processed at the processor 110 . the remote server 204 can access the transceiver unit 104 via the network connection device 112 in order to download the extracted data from the processor 110 via network 202 either periodically , or as the data is extracted from the mobile device 206 . the server 204 runs analysis software 208 that analyses the usage of the smart posters 100 , for example to determine which geographic area has the highest use of smart posters and / or which mobile telephony service provider &# 39 ; s handsets are used most often . it is envisaged that the server 204 can be linked to a mobile telephony service provider &# 39 ; s server to allow that detailed information about the owner of the mobile device 206 to be accessed in order to improve the richness of data available for improving the accuracy of demographic analysis of use of the smart posters 100 . examples of data that could be accessed from the mobile telephony service providers servers include , but are not limited to , sex , age , address , average mobile telephone bill cost of the person accessing the smart poster 100 . such analysis of usage data allows targeting of smart poster usage and the variation of smart poster content dependent upon the demographics of the users accessing them . for example , a promotional smart poster for a pop concert may be targeted at users aged over twenty one and include an electronic voucher for a free alcoholic beverage at the concert . however , if an analysis of the demographic data showed that the majority of users accessing the smart post in a particular location were aged sixteen or under the content of the smart poster could be changed to remove the free alcoholic beverage electronic voucher from this location . additionally , the server 204 can store reference content data . the validity of content stored upon each of the smart posters 100 can be verified by uploading the content data stored on each of the nfc tag processors 110 to the server 204 via the network 202 and the transceiver unit 104 . the server 204 carries out a comparison between the uploaded content and the reference content data . if a difference is noted , for example if the content data stored on a poster 100 has become corrupted or has been altered deliberately by a third party , the server 204 uploads a copy of the reference content data to the poster 100 , typically with instructions to overwrite the content data currently stored on the poster 100 . thus , the content data stored on the posters 100 can be maintained in good order without having to manually replace the nfc tag 106 of each poster 100 . similarly , the server 204 can be loaded with new content data and can distribute the new content data to each of the smart poster &# 39 ; s nfc tags 106 via the network 202 and the respective transceiver units 104 of each of the smart posters 100 . the server 204 can instruct the nfc tags &# 39 ; processors 116 to overwrite or delete the existing content data stored upon them . alternatively , the server 204 can instruct the nfc tags &# 39 ; processors 116 store the new content data alongside the existing content data stored upon them . in some embodiments , the server 204 controls the synchronization of media to be displayed with the content of the nfc tag &# 39 ; s processor 116 to be output . this can comprise synchronously updating video output from a screen with data available for upload , or issuing instructions to a mechanical poster to engage a scroll mechanism synchronous to updating data stored on the nfc tag &# 39 ; s processor 116 . furthermore , the server 204 can poll each of the smart posters 100 via the network 202 and the transceiver unit 104 . the transceiver unit 104 passes the poll to the nfc tag 106 requesting a response from the processor 116 . if the nfc tag 106 does not respond to being polled the transceiver unit &# 39 ; s processor 110 generates an error message which is routed to the server 204 via the respective network connection device 112 and the network 202 . this error message is logged at the server 204 and the server 204 generates a warning signal that the nfc tag 106 of that particular smart poster 100 is not operative . if the transceiver unit 104 does not respond to polling by the server 204 the server generates a warning signal indicating that no response has been received from the smart poster 100 . typically , the warning signals are input into maintenance scheduling software in which the repair of the smart poster 100 , be it the nfc tag 106 or the transceiver unit 104 is scheduled . in one embodiment , the maintenance scheduling software may comprise a module that incorporates the statistical analysis of the usage data of the smart poster 100 in determining the priority of the maintenance of the smart poster 100 . for example , a smart poster located at a city centre underground station receiving thousands of uses per day would likely be prioritized for maintenance over a smart poster located at a rural rail station that receives only tens of hits per day . referring now to fig3 , a method of improving the targeting of an advertising campaign comprises downloading usage data from a smart poster ( step 300 ) and analyzing the usage data to determine at least one characteristic of a usage profile ( step 302 ). referring now to fig4 , a method of varying content downloadable from a smart poster comprises uploading content to an nfc tag of the smart poster via a network connection device of the smart poster ( step 400 ). various modifications may be made to the above described embodiments within the scope of the present invention . | 6 |
the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings . in the drawings , like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout . referring to fig1 it can be seen that an active region 48 of a field effect transistor 10 of this invention includes a channel region 26 , a source region 28 , and a drain region 30 . in the exemplary embodiment of this invention , the channel region 26 is preferably p - conductivity silicon while the source region 28 and the drain region 30 are each n - conductivity silicon to form two semiconductor junctions 40 and 42 . however , in accordance with known silicon technology , the channel region 26 may be n - conductivity silicon while each of the source region 28 and the drain region 30 are p - conductivity silicon . the active region is isolated by an insulating trench 32 which has side walls 16 forming the perimeter 22 of the active region 48 of the fet 10 . the insulating trench 32 insulates the active region 48 from other structures formed in the silicon substrate 12 . the insulating trench 32 includes under cut regions 20 which form the bottom surface 24 of the active region 48 and form the sidewalls 14 of a bridge region 36 which electrically couples the channel region 26 of the active region 48 to the bulk silicon substrate 12 . the active region 38 and the bridge region 36 together form the body 34 of the fet 10 of this invention . it should be appreciated that because the bridge region 36 electrically couples the channel region 26 to the bulk silicon substrate 12 , the channel region 26 potential will always remain at the potential of the silicon substrate 12 and can not accumulate a charge , or float , based on historical operation of the fet 10 . it should also be appreciated that because the insulating trench 32 includes undercut regions 20 , the cross sectional area of the bridge region 36 is significantly smaller than the cross sectional area of the active region 48 and therefore there is no semiconductor junction , or minimal sized semiconductor junction , between either the source region 28 or the drain region 30 and the silicon substrate 12 thereby reducing junction capacitance . the first step in fabricating the fet of this invention a silicon nitride layer 18 approximately 1 , 500 - 2 , 000 angstroms thick is formed on top of a thin layer of oxide ( not shown ) approximately 150 - 200 on the top surface of the bulk silicon substrate 12 as shown in fig2 . in a second step , the silicon nitride 18 is patterned and etched to form a silicon nitride mask over the active region 48 while exposing the silicon substrate in the areas where insulating trench 32 is to be formed as shown in fig3 . patterning and etching the silicon nitride 18 to form the silicon nitride mask is performed using conventional photolithography techniques wherein 1 ) a layer of a uv sensitive photoresist layer is applied to the surface of the silicon nitride 18 ; 2 ) a uv illumination source and reticle provide collimated light to expose and pattern the photoresist ; 3 ) a developer solution hardens the unexposed areas of the photoresist while the uv light dissolves and the developer washes away the exposed portions thereby leaving the exposed portions as a mask on the surface of the silicon nitride 18 ; and 4 ) a dry etch with an etching compound that etches silicon nitride while not etching the photoresist removes the silicon nitride layer 18 in the areas that are not masked with the photoresist thereby creating the silicon nitride mask . in a third step in the fabrication of the fet of this invention the unmasked portions of the silicon substrate 12 ( e . g . the portions where the silicon nitride mask has been etched away in the second step ) are etched away to a depth of approximately 2 , 000 - 4 , 000 angstroms to form an open trench 38 as shown in fig4 . the open trench 38 will later be filled with silicon dioxide to become the insulating trench 32 described in the discussion of fig1 . the etching process for the silicon substrate is typically an anisotropic dry etch using hydrogen bromide ( hbr ) which has selectivity characteristics such that it etches the silicon substrate 12 but not the silicon nitride 18 . a fourth step in the fabrication of the fet 10 of this invention includes depositing a layer of silicon dioxide 44 , approximately 500 - 1 , 000 angstroms in depth , across all exposed surfaces of the wafer including the across the top of the silicon nitride layer 18 and on the sidewalls and bottom of open trench 38 as shown in fig5 . depositing the layer of silicon dioxide 44 is typically performed using a conventional chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) process with a gas such as sih4 . following the deposit of the silicon dioxide 44 , a vertical anisotropic etch of the silicon dioxide layer 44 removes such silicon dioxide from all horizontal surfaces , including the top surface of the silicon nitride 18 and the bottom of open trench 38 . an example of a vertical anisotropic etch includes a plasma etch using chf3 . it should be appreciated that such an etching technique removes an even thickness of the silicon dioxide layer in a vertical dimension such that the net result of the vertical etch is that a layer of silicon dioxide remains on the side walls 16 of the open trench 38 while the bottom of trench 38 is exposed silicon substrate 12 . in the sixth step in the fabrication of the fet 10 of this invention an isotropic etch of the bulk silicon at the bottom of the open trench 38 is performed to remove approximately 1 , 000 - 2 , 000 angstroms of material in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions to form an open undercut 46 which in a subsequent step will be filled with silicon dioxide to form the undercut region 20 of the insulating trench 32 as shown in fig7 . this isototropic etching step is preferably a known koh wet etch . it should be appreciated that such an etching compound must be chosen with selectivity characteristics such that it will rapidly etch the exposed silicon substrate 12 but will not materially etch the silicon dioxide coating 44 on the sidewalls of the open trench 38 . note that undercut regions 20 define the bottom surface 24 of the active region 48 and the side walls 14 of the bridge region 36 . following the creation of the undercut regions 20 , the open trench 38 is filled with silicon dioxide to form insulating trench 32 . filling the open trench 38 preferably uses a known cvd process using a gas such as sih4 or teos . after filling the open trench 38 , the surface of the wafer is polished using a chemical mechanical polish ( cmp ) to remove any excess silicon dioxide layer and the remaining silicon nitride mask as shown in fig8 . in a seventh step , a layer of silicon dioxide 50 , serving as the gate oxide layer , and a polysilicon gate 52 are formed on the top surface of the substrate . the silicon dioxide 50 is typically grown on the surface of the active region 48 using a thermal oxidation process and the polysilicon layer is deposited on top of the silicon dioxide layer 50 using a low pressure chemical vapor deposition ( lpcvd ) process . the polysilicon layer is then patterned and etched using the photolithography method discussed earlier to define and mask the channel region of the fet 10 in a known self alligning gate , source and drain process as shown in fig9 . in the eighth step , the portions of the silicon substrate on opposing sides of the p - type silicon in the channel region of the fet 10 that are not masked by the gate applied in the 7 th step are doped into n - type silicon . doping is typically performed using ion implantation techniques . ions of dopant such as arsenic 54 are accelerated to a high velocity in an electric field and impinge on the target wafer . because the ions cannot penetrate the poly - silicon gate , the poly - silicon gate effectively operates as a mask which results in doping only the exposed source region 28 , the drain region 30 , and the polysilicon gate 52 as shown in fig1 . although the invention has been shown and described with respect to certain preferred embodiments , it is obvious that equivalents and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of the specification . for example , in the exemplary embodiment , two masking steps are used to mask and etch the open trench regions 38 . a photoresist mask is used to create a silicon nitride mask which in turn effects the etching of the open trenches 38 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that if a compound is selective between the photoresist and the silicon substrate ( e . g . etches the silicon substrate while not materially effecting a photoresist mask .) the photoresist mask may be used to directly etch the open trenches in the silicon substrate . the present invention includes all such equivalents and modifications , and is limited only by the scope of the following claims . | 7 |
ozone entrained in water will destroy microbial life forms in the water itself as well as in any biofilm on the containers for the water or upon the walls of channels or lines through which the ozonated water flows because ozone is a viricide , bactericide , and algicide . referring to fig1 there is shown apparatus 10 for ozonating water entering a dental office to provide ozonated water to each dental chair . the ozonated water will destroy any microbes or pathogens within the water and reduce or terminate the motility and viability of microbial activity in any biofilm that may be present on the walls of the water lines and attendant dental implements . furthermore , the ozonated water will terminate the motility and viability of any microbes or pathogens aspirated from a patient and entering any water channels in the dental implements and the water lines extending from the dental implements . with joint reference to fig1 and 2 , apparatus 10 includes a container 12 for receiving water from a water line 14 . an ozone generator 16 is disposed within container 12 and includes a lamp or tube 18 for emitting ultraviolet light within a watertight steel cylinder 17 . a compressor 20 provides a source of air under pressure through pipe 22 into ozone generator 16 . outlet 24 of pipe 22 may be at the upper end of the ozone generator , as illustrated . a pipe 26 extends from within the ozone generator and includes an inlet 28 located at the lower end of ozone generator 16 . thereby , air flowing into the generator through outlet 24 is forced to pass around and along tube 18 to inlet 28 to increase the exposure of the air to the ultraviolet radiation from the tube . it is well known that the oxygen in the air subjected to ultraviolet light will result in conversion of the oxygen molecules into ozone molecules as a function of the intensity of and exposure time to ultraviolet radiation . thus , ozone enriched air flows into pipe 26 through inlet 28 . a check valve 30 in pipe 26 prevents reverse flow therethrough . pipe 26 is terminated by a sparger 32 . the sparger emits the ozone enriched air in the form of tiny bubbles which become readily entrained in the water in and flowing through container 12 . an electronics assembly 34 , connected to a suitable power source , provides the requisite electrical power through conductor 36 to tube 18 to bring about energization of the tube and emission of ultraviolet radiation . to prevent an accumulation of ozone enriched air within container 12 , any such gaseous compound is evacuated through an outlet 40 leading to a gas separator 42 through a pipe 44 . outflow from the gas separator is through a pipe 46 to an ozone destructor 48 . the remaining air is discharged through a pipe 50 to a drain or the like to accommodate drainage of any moisture that may accumulate downstream of container 12 . as an alternative to air injection , oxygen may be injected into ozone generator 16 to provide a higher concentration of ozone in the gas discharged from sparger 32 . a source of oxygen and an injector for propelling oxygen into the ozone generator is represented by numeral 52 identifying an oxygen injector . the oxygen is injected through pipe 54 into the ozone generator . it is to be understood that injection of air or oxygen is primarily in the alternative although oxygen enriched air could also be injected . the ozonated water produced within container 12 is discharged through outlet 60 into conduit 62 . the conduit serves as a water line to provide ozonated water at each of chairs 64 , 66 , etc . in a dental office . in particular , branch lines 68 , 69 may extend from conduit 62 to a manifold or the like attendant each dental chair and in fluid communication with dental implements and other devices that normally discharge the water received . waste water generated at chair 64 is conveyed to a drain 70 through drain line 72 . similarly , waste water generated at chair 66 is conveyed to the drain through drain line 74 . such drain lines would be present for each chair . ozone entrained in water is somewhat unstable and will revert to the molecular form of oxygen at a higher or lower rate depending upon a number of variables . to ensure a fresh supply of ozonated water within conduit 62 after periods of inactivity or non - flow of ozonated water through one or more of branches 68 , 69 , a flow restrictor 80 may be employed . such flow restrictor accommodates a low flow rate of ozonated water continuously through conduit 62 into discharge pipe 82 and drain 70 . alternatively , a return line 90 is in fluid communication with conduit 62 downstream of the last branch leading to a dental chair . ozonated water from conduit 62 is drawn into the return line by a pump 92 . the pump conveys the ozonated water through return line 94 into water line 14 upstream of inlet 15 in container 12 . thus , the ozonated water flowing through the return lines , which water may have a lowered concentration of entrained ozone , is reintroduced to the ozone generator . such reintroduction , rather than simply having the ozonated water recirculate through conduit 62 and the return line , ensures that water having at least a minimal level of entrained ozone is always present at each of the branch lines ( such as branch lines 68 , 69 ). for reasons set forth above , a number of dental offices have begun to use bottles of distilled or purified water instead of relying upon the municipal water system to satisfy the water needs . referring to fig3 there is illustrated a variant apparatus 100 for use in conjunction with such bottled water . an ozone generator 102 includes a lamp or tube 104 disposed within a closed steel cylinder 105 and connected to an electronics assembly 106 through a conductor 108 . upon energizing the electronics assembly , electrical power is provided to tube 104 causing it to emit ultraviolet radiation . the air within cylinder 105 of the ozone generator will be irradiated to cause a molecular change of the oxygen into ozone . an inflow of air is provided from outlet 112 of pipe 114 connected to an air source 116 under pressure . a regulator 118 may be disposed in pipe 114 to regulate the pressure of the air flowing into the ozone generator . as suggested by the dashed box identified as an oxygen injector 120 , oxygen may be discharged through outlet 112 into the cylinder or a mixture of air and oxygen may be discharged into the cylinder . the ozone enriched air within cylinder 105 flows out through inlet 122 up pipe 124 . as illustrated , outlet 112 and inlet 122 are at opposite ends of tube 104 to maximize exposure of the air to the ultraviolet radiation emitted from tube 104 and thereby enhance the ozone enriched air . bottle 130 containing distilled or otherwise purified water 132 includes a stopper 134 for sealing the bottle against contact between the ambient air and water 132 . pipe 124 extends through stopper 134 , as illustrated , and is terminated by a sparger 136 located in proximity to the bottom of bottle 130 . the purpose of the sparger is that of discharging the ozone enriched air into the water in the form of tiny bubbles to enhance entrainment within the water . a discharge conduit 138 includes an inlet 140 proximate the bottom of bottle 130 . the ozone enriched water ( ozonated water ) within bottle 130 is conveyed via discharge conduit 138 through stopper 134 to the various dental handpieces or other water related dental implements . thereby , these handpieces and implements are supplied with ozonated water which will have the effect of destroying the motility and killing any bacteria or other microbes present in either the water or in any biofilm on the wall of the discharge conduit or the walls of channels in the handpieces or dental implements . under certain circumstances , it may be beneficial to treat chemically the water flowing to the dental handpieces and other implements . this may be accomplished by incorporating a chemical injector 142 in fluid communication via conduit 143 with discharge conduit 138 downstream of bottle 130 . a certain amount of ozone enriched air will separate from water 132 and collect at the top of bottle 130 . this ozone is discharged through line 145 extending through stopper 134 from within the bottle . the impetus for such discharge results from the pressure within the bottle generated by the inflowing ozone enriched air through sparger 136 . the rate of ozone discharge through line 145 is controlled by flow restrictor 146 . to prevent damage to the ambient environment , an ozone destructor 147 eliminates the ozone molecules such that the resulting venting through outlet 148 is a gas essentially ozone free . referring to fig4 there is illustrated a further variant apparatus 150 similar to variant apparatus 100 shown in fig3 except that ozone generator 152 is disposed within bottle 154 . the ozone generator may be suspended from or otherwise attached to a cap 156 in threaded engagement with neck 158 of bottle 154 . a lamp or tube 160 for emitting ultraviolet radiation is disposed within a closed steel cylinder 162 of ozone generator 152 . it is electrically connected to an electronics assembly via a conductor 161 . air , oxygen , or a mixture of air and oxygen is pumped into the ozone generator through a pipe 163 having an outlet 164 proximate one end of tube 160 . the ozone enriched air produced by radiation from tube 160 is discharged into inlet 166 of pipe 168 . the pipe , which may extend through a wall of cylinder 162 , as illustrated , discharges the ozone enriched air through a sparger 170 located in proximity to the bottom of bottle 154 to enhance entrainment of the ozone enriched air in water 172 as the minute bubbles from the sparger migrate upwardly . the ozone enriched water or ozonated water is discharged from within bottle 154 through inlet 174 of conduit 176 . as indicated , conduit 176 conveys the ozonated water to the dental handpieces and other dental implements using water as part of their function . as noted in the drawing , the air flow from outlet 164 to inlet 166 within cylinder 162 is essentially along the full length of tube 160 to enhance exposure of the air to ultraviolet radiation and thereby promote transformation of the oxygen molecules into ozone molecules . it is to be understood that a gas other than air can be injected into the ozone generator provided that such gas contains oxygen molecules that can be transformed to ozone upon application of ultraviolet radiation . while the invention has been described with reference to several particular embodiments thereof , those skilled in the art will be able to make the various modifications to the described embodiments of the invention without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention . it is intended that all combinations of elements and steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same result are within the scope of the invention . | 2 |
[ 0026 ] fig1 shows a typical hierarchical or tree structure representing the components of a system “ whitethorn ” graphically . a single tree of objects is illustrated , with these objects being expandable and collapsible via the use of ‘+’ and ‘−’ symbols as is common practice . it can be seen from the figure that a host system whitethorn 10 is running two queue managers , testqm 20 and firstremoteqm 30 , each queue manager having a relationship with a number of queues 40 , 50 . the testqm 20 additionally has a relationship with the listed connections 60 which make reference to other queue managers . it will therefore be appreciated that the representation of information pertaining to such relationships is very limited using this tree - like graphical form . it is possible to determine that a relationship exists without really understanding what form such a relationship takes . it is thus much more difficult to use such a form effectively in , for example , modelling a system . the present invention , however , enables tree and graph representations to be used in conjunction with one another in a single diagram and thus permits greater flexibility and control of diagram complexity . a user is therefore able to create new glyphs , which may be classed as parent glyphs ( e . g . 10 ) or children of a parent glyph ( e . g . 20 ), and is then able to create more meaningful associations between such glyphs . [ 0030 ] fig2 shows a graphical display in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . in order to better visualise the relationships between system components , a user is able to separate out the glyphs whitethorn 10 ; testqm 20 ; and firstremoteqm 30 using a drag - and - drop interface . additionally edges ( or connectors ) 80 can be used to illustrate the relationship between glyphs such as the two queue managers . such edges can be given labels 70 ( annotated ) to make these relationships visually more meaningful . special edges ( connectors ) 90 , 100 are used to indicate to the user that the connected glyph 20 , 30 has been separated from its logical parent ( i . e . the highest attached parent of the real parent )— see the description with reference to fig3 for a more detailed explanation . in this embodiment the symbol which defines aggregation in the unified modelling language , or uml , is used since this will already be familiar to many users . this symbol consists of a line with a diamond at the end . the glyph nearest the diamond is the logical parent of the glyph at the other end . of course in some environments , such a symbol may be deemed inappropriate . for example , if the chief hierarchical relationship is not one in which the child &# 39 ; s existence is circumscribed by the parent &# 39 ; s existence . to expand upon this , there is often one overriding set of relationships between entities that people find easiest to use as a ‘ map ’. they can then define any single entity in relation to a known starting point (‘ root ’) and a series of traversals . the most common relationship seems to be one of ownership . so a definition might be ( host ) localhost —( queuemanager ) testqm —( queue ) localqueue —( queuealias ) alias . the use of ‘ ownership ’ or ‘ containment ’ seems the most natural to people ( i . e . deletion of a parent , automatically results in the deletion of all contained children ). in some cases it is conceivable that the most natural hierarchy is not one of ‘ containment ’. one such example might be family trees , where the natural hierarchy might be from parent to child but children are not ( for most of their life ) contained within their parents . so deleting a parent does not delete automatically delete the child . in other words parents may predecease their children . it will of course be appreciated that in some diagrams no special edges will be required . for example , it may be necessary to illustrate two systems ( one or both possibly including children ), neither a child of another entity , which have some sort of relationship with each other . colour coding or some other display characteristic may also be used to indicate which children belong to a parent glyph ( e . g . brothers and sisters might be depicted in the same colour ). [ 0033 ] fig3 shows how a user has continued to separate other components from their parent and to annotate the relationship between such components . ( note such annotation may be an automatic process — see later .) thus it can be seen that the testqm queue manager 20 is associated with a firstremote connection 61 , which has been separated out from its parent ( see special edge 120 ). queue manager 20 uses connection 61 to connect to the firstremoteqm 30 ( this is further indicated by the “ connects to ” label 70 ). it can further be seen that the adminq @ firstremoteqm 41 was initially illustrated as part of the testqm glyph 20 ( see special edge 105 ) and this “ resolves to ” 95 adminq @ firstremoteqm 81 which was initially part of the firstremoteqm glyph 30 ( see special edge 110 ). glyph 41 uses the firstremoteqm connection 61 to connect to the firstremoteqm queue manager 30 and this is indicated by “ uses ” label 75 . as mentioned above special edges are used to define an association with a logical parent which is the highest attached parent of the real parent . thus in fig3 glyph 61 has as its parent ‘ connections ’ 21 which is still attached to the testqm queue manager 20 ( in fact , in the preferred embodiment , glyphs with no border such as 21 are not detachable ). it will therefore be appreciated that testqm 20 is the logical parent of glyph 61 and this is indicated to the user by special edge 120 . if testqm 20 were to be reattached to whitethorn 10 , then whitethorn becomes the logical parent of 61 . the idea of associating a separated glyph with its logical parent means that special edges are properly displayed to the user ( e . g . lines are less likely to cross one another ). fig4 to 10 illustrate the processing involved to achieve the functionality of the preferred embodiment and will be referred to below . first however , it should be noted that a user is able to create a hierarchical structure such as that indicated in fig1 according to normal practice . a create parent glyph function is called to create a parent , and an add child function may then be called on that parent to associate a child therewith . what is new is the ability to separate children ( and their descendents ) out from their parents in order to enable more meaningful relationships between elements to be displayed . it should however be appreciated , that independent of whether a child node is displayed as part of its parent ( i . e . it is attached ) or it has been separated from its parent ( i . e . it is detached ), behind the scenes the information pertaining to a particular structure is still stored and accessed hierarchically . [ 0037 ] fig4 shows a mouse handling routine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . at step 200 it is determined whether a mouse drag action has been detected . ( such an action is used to move a glyph to another position on the screen .) to explain this in more detail , there is a mouse controller monitoring mouse events , including mousebuttondown ; mousemoved ; mousedragged ; mousebuttonup ; and mousebuttonclicked . these are used to determine that a mouse drag action has occurred . the system loops round until the outcome of this test is true , or another action is detected ( not shown ). if a drag is detected , then the process proceeds to step 210 and calls a startdrag routine ( see fig5 ). when this routine returns , the process proceeds to step 220 and continues to call the continuedrag routine for as long as the system detects dragging occurring ( 220 , 230 ) ( see fig6 ). when mouse drag is no longer detected ( mouse button has been released ), the enddrag routine is called ( step 240 ) ( see fig7 ). with reference now to fig5 and the startdrag routine , a drag has already been detected via the mouse handling routine ( fig4 ). thus the process starts with step 300 which sets a ‘ detached ’ flag associated with the child glyph being moved to true ( step 300 ). therefore , as soon as a child glyph is moved it is assumed ( for the time being ) to be detached from its parent . at step 310 a second flag is set to indicate that this child glyph has changed in some way ( e . g . its position ). at step 320 a flag associated with that child &# 39 ; s parent is set to indicate that the parent has also changed in some way . ( actually this process of setting changed flags ripples up the tree since if the representation of a child changes , then so will its parent , its grandparent , great - grandparent etc . it is only when a detached glyph is reached that the ripple effect halts . the ‘ changed ’ flags are used in a later routine to determine that an unattached glyph and its ultimate changed descendent ( attached or unattached ) will need to be recalculated ( along with that child &# 39 ; s ascendents ). also the change in its status may require a recalculation of the attached lines . thus any future mention of the parent and child changed flags , should be taken to include the ripple effect . the screen position to which the glyph has moved is used to set the coordinates for the new screen position for that glyph ( step 330 ) and the paintscreen routine ( step 340 ) is called ( see fig8 ). with reference to fig6 as the user continues to drag the glyph , the display coordinates for that glyph are continually updated ( step 400 ). the child changed and parent changed flags are repeatedly set to true ( step 410 ) and the paintscreen routine called ( step 420 ). finally the mouse handling routine ( fig4 ) detects at step 220 that mouse drag has ended and the enddrag routine is called . therefore with reference to fig7 a test is performed to determine whether the glyph is positioned ( at least partly ) over its parent ( step 450 ). if it is not , then the process ends at step 500 . this is because the setting of flags ( i . e . the detached flag and parent / child changed flags ); and the screen painting will already have been handled with respect to either the earlier startdrag or continuedrag routines . if the glyph is detected during the enddrag routine as being positioned over its parent , then its detached flag is set to false ( step 460 ). its changed flag and its parent &# 39 ; s changed flag are set to true ( steps 470 , 480 ). this is because the screen representation of both the parent and the child will have changed ( i . e . moved position ) as a result of reattachment and so their areas , line attachment points etc . will need to be recalculated ( see later ). the paintscreen routine is then called ( fig8 ). it will be appreciated from the above that as the selected glyph is dragged ( i . e . its defining coordinates are continually updated ), that glyph &# 39 ; s descendents are also moved along with it ( i . e . the descendents &# 39 ; coordinates are also updated ). that is , unless a descendent is marked as detached , in which case it and its descendents are left alone . thus once a glyph is found to be detached , that branch of the hierarchical structure is no longer traversed . with reference now to fig8 the paintscreen routine will be explained . recursive descent of the tree is performed to find unattached glyphs ( this is determined by checking each glyph &# 39 ; s detached flag ) 500 . in some embodiments , it is possible to declare at least some glyphs and any attached descendants as invisible . in this case an ‘ invisible ’ flag can be set to indicate when not to draw that glyph and any attached descendants . all lines to / from an invisible glyph will either disappear or be re - routed ( e . g . to that glyph &# 39 ; s logical parent ). the detail regarding the painting of lines can be defined by the original programmer of the product , or tailored by the business user according to local needs ( more on rules will be discussed below .) in such embodiments , it is also sensible to check whether a particular unattached glyph is visible . it is a waste of processing power to calculate those glyphs which are invisible and so will not be displayed to the user . in an embodiment where glyphs cannot be declared as invisible , it may be assumed that each unattached glyph is visible . glyphs meeting one or both criteria ( according to the embodiment ) are added to a list . in this way a set of starting points for the calculation / drawing routines is achieved . each unattached glyph in the list is calculated by calling the calculate unattached glyph routine ( explained with reference to fig9 ). this routine calculates the size and position of the unattached glyph and its attached descendants ( children , grandchildren etc .) 510 . subsequently , line positions are calculated 520 and then each unattached glyph ( and attached visible descendants ) are drawn by the draw glyph routine ( see fig1 ) 530 and the calculated lines are then drawn 540 . performing the glyph calculation routine first means that the size and positions of glyphs are known factors and therefore makes the calculation of lines a great deal simpler . further , since lines are drawn across the top of glyphs , glyphs do not obscure lines causing possible loss of information . of course line calculation will only be required where something has changed . in the calculate unattached glyph routine each parent &# 39 ; s size is calculated to be just big enough to contain its visible attached children . the location ( xy position ) of the unattached glyph &# 39 ; s top lefthand corner is known ( this is always the same unless a user drags the unattached glyph to a new position . in which case the new mouse coordinates will be recorded ). the amount of space needed to write the glyph &# 39 ; s name ( e . g . testqm ) is then calculated to define the initial width of the glyph and where a child glyph ( if there is one and it is attached and visible ) should be drawn on the screen ( i . e . the xy coordinates of the lefthand corner of that child ). the process loops round using the position of a previous glyph in the hierarchy to define where to draw the next glyph . having dealt with all a parent &# 39 ; s ( attached ) children , it is possible to calculate the size of that parent necessary to hold all of its children . it is then determined whether there are any other glyphs on the same level as that parent and these ( and their children ) can be calculated in the same way . having calculated the size and position of all glyphs on the same level as described , it is then possible to calculate the size of the parent of those glyphs and so the process continues to loop round . of course the routine is only ever called on an unattached glyph if that glyph is flagged as having changed ( otherwise previously stored information can be used ). whenever a change occurs appropriate changed flags are set as mentioned above . once a changed glyph has been calculated , its flag can be set to false . in order to better understand this process , an example will be described with reference to unattached glyph testqm as shown in fig9 . testqm is the root of the unattached glyph . as previously mentioned , its lefthand corner of this glyph can be determined as can the amount of space ( height and width ) needed to display the name testqm . the height needed to display the name is then used to determine where the first child of testqm is to be displayed ( i . e . queues ). the queues glyph has children and so these must be calculated before the other child of testqm ( i . e . connections ). this is in order to determine where the last child of queues is to be displayed such that the connections glyph can be displayed below it . appropriate indentation of glyphs can also be factored in according to the level at which the glyph is located . thus having calculated all the children on the same level for queues , the size of the queues glyph can be calculated ( i . e . it must be big enough to hold its four children ). ( in this example , the queues glyph is not detachable and so it does not have a border / boundary .) subsequently , the position of connections can be calculated and since it has children , these must be calculated before the size of the connections glyph itself is calculated . it will be appreciated from previous diagrams that the connections glyph does have one detached glyph ( firstremoteqm 61 ). this glyph is not calculated at this point because it will be dealt with later when that unattached glyph is retrieved from the list of unattached glyphs at another time . since testqm has only two children , its size may be calculated next such that it can accommodate its children . thus the tree is recursively descended , first calculating the position of each glyph and then the tree is ascended to calculate the necessary size of a glyph in order to accommodate any children . it should be noted that a glyph and its children are only calculated if that glyph is visible . a glyph may not be visible because it has been classified as invisible ( this can be determined by checking an ‘ invisible flag ’ associated with the glyph ) or because its parent glyph is collapsed ( this can be verified by checking an expanded flag associated with the glyph &# 39 ; s parent . if this flag is set , then the glyph is visible . if on the other hand , this flag is not set then the glyph is not visible and so neither will its attached children be visible .) once each unattached glyph has been calculated by the routine described with reference to fig9 the process returns to the paintscreen routine and the lines are calculated . these are calculated in accordance with normal practice , with one exception . if a glyph is classed as detached ( by checking the appropriate detached flag ), then a special edge will eventually be drawn from that glyph to its logical parent . as mentioned above , lines are only recalculated if a source or destination glyph has changed , otherwise previously stored information regarding lines can be used . having calculated the lines the drawunattachedglyph routine is called for each unattached glyph 530 . this routine will now be discussed with reference to fig1 . first it is verified whether an unattached glyph is visible 600 ( unattached glyphs are retrieved from the list of such glyphs created during the paintscreen routine ). assuming it is , then this glyph is drawn 610 . a recursive descent of each visible unattached glyph and its associated glyphs is performed . this involves checking each associated glyph and its children ( and their children etc .) to determine whether they are visible and attached . in one embodiment , this involves checking a flag indicating whether that glyph &# 39 ; s parent is expanded to show its children ( the expanded flag ) to determine that a glyph is visible and the detached flag to check that the glyph is attached . assuming that both tests are true , then the glyph in question is drawn 620 . of course in an embodiment where a glyph may be declared invisible , this flag should also be checked . it can be assumed that those attached glyphs which are not visible , will not have any visible children attached thereto . thus the means by which glyphs can be created and detached from / attached to their parents has been described . of course the user may not actually be interested in , for example , all the detail of the two queue manager glyphs of fig3 . in which case such detail just clutters / wastes screen area . fig1 shows how a user can simplify a diagram &# 39 ; s complexity and thereby relinquish space for the display of additional information that is desired . in this example , this is achieved by collapsing both the testqm 20 and the firstremoteqm glyph 30 to display the root node in each glyph &# 39 ; s hierarchy . the processing to achieve this involves collapsing all branches attached to the selected glyph and thereby removing any child glyphs attached thereto in the normal manner . the only difference being , each child glyph ( be it a direct or indirect descendent of the selected glyph ) is examined to determine whether the ‘ detached ’ flag associated therewith is set to indicate that the child glyph in question is separated from its parent which is being collapsed . ( note by collapsing for example the testqm tree of fig2 this will collapse the queue tree automatically ) any children with the ‘ detached ’ flag set are left alone ( i . e . they are not deleted from view ) and any of their descendents are also ignored . thus in fig1 , glyph 61 remains in view despite its parent having been collapsed . additionally , as mentioned above there is a flag which is associated with each glyph having children . when that glyph is collapsed , the flag ( expanded flag ) is cleared . this flag is used as described with reference to fig9 and 10 to determine whether a glyph is visible or not . of course , when a glyph is expanded out to display its children , the reverse occurs . processing again happens in the normal manner , except that once again the detached flag associated with each child is inspected . those children that are not classed detached from their parent being expanded are displayed in the usual manner . those that are left alone . naturally , the expanded flag is set . in the embodiment where a glyph and its attached children may be classed as invisible , any children associated with that glyph ( directly or otherwise ) and having their detached flag set are preferably also made invisible . otherwise a detached child by itself would exist on the display area out of context . [ 0063 ] fig1 shows how it is further possible to replace any unnecessary glyph back into its parent glyph , even if that parent glyph is not expanded to show its children . in this example the firstremoteqm connection glyph is no longer shown . the main processing for achieving this has already been described with reference to fig4 to 10 . however an additional point to mention is that when a detached child is reattached to its parent the special edge ( i . e . 120 ) linking that child to its parent is automatically deleted from display and the edge linking that child to its destination glyph is attached to the child &# 39 ; s parent . a number of rules such as this one are typically defined by the programmer of the original product . the preferred embodiment uses object orientated methods ( oo ) and therefore standard oo techniques can be employed to enable a customer ( business user ) to define additional business specific rules to modify the behaviour of glyphs . for example , the customer could change the fonts or colours used ; define whether a glyph can change parents ; define whether a glyph is allowed to be detached etc . whether a particular rule is specified by the original programmer or the customer of the end product is an implementation detail , but the advantage of oo is that basic functionality can be extended as required . it will be seen from fig1 and 12 that when the firstremoteqm connection 61 is reunited with its parent glyph , the edge with the “ uses ” label is automatically removed . the rule for achieving this is “ do not display if source or destination glyphs are attached ”. this is one such rule which could be defined by the customer rather than the original programmer . the customer is also able to define the types of glyphs that can be created by an end - user and what kind of children those glyphs should expect . thus in the scenario described , the customer has defined the following types : “ host ”; “ queue manager ”; “ connections ”; “ queues ”. the customer has also defined that when , for example , a queue manager is created by the end - user , the glyphs “ connections ” and “ queues ” should be automatically created and that children of these types are expected . further when a host is created , children of the type “ queue manager ” are to be expected . additional definitions can be associated with glyph types . for example that each queue will “ use ” a connection . such that if an end - user detaches a queue and draws a line linking it to a connection , the annotation should be “ uses ” ( see fig3 ). in the same way , connections “ connect to ” glyphs . such that when the firstremoteqm glyph 61 is detached and the user links it with the firstremoteqm queue manager , the “ connects to ” annotation is used . in this way lines can be automatically annotated based on pre - defined definitions . definitions can also be associated with glyphs to define which other glyphs a particular glyph is permitted / or not permitted to link to . for example , perhaps connections can only be linked to queues . in addition to the possibility of automatic annotation , it is also possible for edges / connectors to be automatically drawn . this is preferably achieved by the customer defining not only what children a particular type of glyph should expect , but also what form the name of those children should take . for example , the customer may define that the name of a queue should be of the form “ queue identifier @ queue manager name ”. so with reference to fig3 there is adminq @ firstremoteqm 41 . the form of the connections glyphs may be that a connection will always take the name of the queue manager to which it connects ( e . g . firstremoteqm 61 ) a link is then defined between queues and connections ( i . e . that queues “ use ” connections — see above ). further it is defined that a queue uses a connection which has the same name as the second part of its name ( i . e . after the @ symbol ); and that in order for a line to be drawn between such a queue and connection , both must be detached from the same parent . so in fig3 glyph 41 is detached , as is glyph 61 . further , the second part of glyph 41 name is identical to the name of glyph 61 . thus the rules define that a connection should be drawn between the two glyphs and that this may be ( but does not have to be ) annotated with the label “ uses ”. thus it is possible to tailor the screen display directly to the needs of the user . unnecessary information can be removed / hidden from view , thereby leaving plenty of room for more useful information and the drag and drop interface of the preferred implementation also allows the user to arrange the glyphs as desired . for example , glyphs may be decreased in size and moved closer together in order to save screen real - estate . further there is only one representation of any entity which means that actions such as arrangement and navigation are performed on the same glyph . screen space is not wasted due to a tree entity which is used purely for navigation . trees are decomposable . any child object may be separated from its owning tree . finally , the separation of glyphs from their parents permits relationships in addition to a hierarchical one to be illustrated . additional enhancements to the embodiments described above will now be discussed . when a user reattaches a glyph to its parent , an indication that the detached child is hovering over its logical parent may be displayed ( e . g . the logical parent and its attached descendants could be displayed as raised ). in one embodiment , the type associated with each glyph is displayed to the end - user . for example whitethorn 10 is a “ host ” with a “ queue manager ” testqm 20 running on it . of course if the type is also to be displayed ( perhaps in a type bar above the glyph &# 39 ; s name ) then this has to be factored in to the calculate unattached glyph routine . a further enhancement is to have a status bar across the bottom of the screen which is continually updated according to where a user &# 39 ; s mouse cursor is hovering . so that when the user is over , for example , firstremoteqm 61 , the status bar displays “ connection firstremoteqm , running on queue manager testqm running on host whitethorn ”. this is information is provided by the type associated with a glyph ; its name ; and defined links between glyph types ( e . g . that connections “ run ” on queue managers ). such a status bar makes it much easier for a user to determine a glyph &# 39 ; s parent , grand - parent , great - grandparent etc . this clears any confusion that might occur when , for example , a glyph is detached from its parent . | 6 |
hereafter , embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to appended drawings . fig2 is a schematic block diagram of a semiconductor component which is an embodiment of the present invention . fig2 a is an exploded perspective view to illustrate a semiconductor component 100 . the semiconductor component 100 is formed such that on a wiring board 110 , there are placed a joining member 123 , an adhesive sheet 130 , a spacer 140 , and a heat spreader 150 etc . on top of one another . there are thin plate - shaped electrodes disposed in the lower face of the wiring board 110 , which exchanges signals and power with external apparatuses as the result of those electrodes being pressed against a socket . the wiring board 110 corresponds to an example of the wiring board referred to in the present embodiment . there is disposed a semiconductor element beneath the joining member 123 , and the semiconductor element and the heat spreader 150 are bonded by the joining member 123 . the semiconductor element and the joining member 123 will be illustrated below . moreover , the adhesive sheet 130 and the spacer 140 are provided with openings 131 and 142 respectively , and the semiconductor element and the joining member 123 are disposed inside those openings 131 and 142 . the adhesive sheet 130 is made up of a thermosetting adhesive material and two sheets thereof are provided interposing the spacer 140 therebetween . the adhesive sheet 130 disposed between the wiring board 110 and the spacer 140 is an example of the first adhesive member referred to in the present embodiment and also corresponds to an example of the first thermosetting adhesive member referred to in the present embodiment . further , the adhesive sheet 130 disposed between the spacer 140 and the heat spreader 150 is an example of the second adhesive member referred to in the present embodiment and also corresponds to an example of the second thermosetting adhesive member referred to in the present embodiment . fig3 a illustrates the face ( hereafter , referred to as an upper face ) of the spacer 140 on the side facing the heat spreader 150 , and fig3 b illustrates the face ( hereafter , referred to as a lower face ) of the spacer 140 on the side facing the wiring board 110 . the spacer 140 , which is adapted to support the heat spreader 150 , is formed with grooves 141 having the same length with one another in the outer peripheral section of each of the upper and lower faces as illustrated in fig3 . the spacer 140 is an example of the support member referred to in the present embodiment , and the grooves 141 are an example of “ the depressions ” referred to in the present embodiment , and also correspond to an example of “ the grooves ” referred to in the present embodiment . the heat spreader 150 is adapted to dissipate heat generated by the semiconductor element disposed beneath the joining member 123 . the heat spreader 150 corresponds to an example of the heat conduction member referred to in the present embodiment . fig2 b illustrates an outer perspective view of the semiconductor component 100 . the heat spreader 150 is formed , from outward appearances , such that a spacer 140 etc . is interposed between the wiring board 110 and the heat spreader 150 and , in the space formed by the wiring board 110 , the heat spreader 150 , and spacer 140 , the semiconductor element and the joining member 123 are enclosed . next , a manufacturing method of the semiconductor component 100 will be described . fig4 illustrates a manufacturing method of the semiconductor component 100 . upon manufacturing the semiconductor component 100 , first , a first adhesive sheet 130 , a spacer 140 , and a second adhesive sheet 130 are disposed in this order on a wiring board 110 , and a semiconductor element 122 , to which an i / o terminal 121 is bonded by a adhesive material 121 a , and a joining member 123 are successively disposed inside each of the openings 131 and 142 of the adhesive sheet 130 and the spacer 140 ( step s 11 of fig4 ). the semiconductor element 122 is an example of the semiconductor element referred to in the present embodiment , and the joining member 123 corresponds to an example of the joining member referred to in the present embodiment . moreover , the process of disposing the adhesive sheet 130 and the spacer 140 illustrated in step s 11 of fig4 corresponds to an example of “ the step of disposing a first thermosetting adhesive member , a support member , and a second thermosetting adhesive member on top of one another ” in the manufacturing method of the semiconductor component of the present embodiment . it is noted that in the present embodiment , an adhesive sheet 130 having a thickness larger than conventionally used is applied so that the thickness of the two adhesive sheets 130 interposing the spacer 140 therebetween is larger than the thickness of the semiconductor element 122 with the joining member 123 placed thereon . then , a heat spreader 150 is overlaid on the joining member 123 and the adhesive sheet 130 to form a semiconductor component 100 in the state before various elements are bonded thereto ( hereafter , the semiconductor component 100 before the bonding process is referred to as an “ unbonded semiconductor component 100 ′”). in step s 12 — a of fig4 , a section taken across near the center of unbonded semiconductor component 100 ′ is illustrated and , in step s 12 — b of fig4 , a section view taken across the outer peripheral section of the unbonded semiconductor component 100 ′ is illustrated . as illustrated in step s 12 — b , the grooves 141 are formed in the upper and lower faces of the spacer 140 , and at this time , the adhesive sheet 130 has not gotten into the inside of those grooves 141 . this step s 12 of overlaying the heat spreader 150 corresponds to one example of “ the step of disposing the heat conduction member ” in the manufacturing method of the semiconductor component of the present embodiment . when the heat spreader 150 is overlaid and the unbonded semiconductor component 100 ′ is heated , the surface of the joining member 123 melts thereby increasing the viscosity , and two adhesive sheets 130 melt into a liquid . further , the heat spreader 150 is pressed against the joining member 123 ( step s 13 of fig4 ). in the present embodiment , an adhesive sheet 130 of a thickness larger than conventionally used is used , and as a result of the heat spreader 150 being pushed in up to the height of the upper face of the joining member 123 , the thermosetting adhesive material 132 , which has resulted from the melting of the two adhesive sheets 130 , is pushed out into the grooves 141 formed in the upper and lower faces of the spacer 140 . step s 13 of pushing out the thermosetting adhesive material 132 into the grooves 141 corresponds to an example of “ the step of filling the grooves with the thermosetting adhesive member ” in the manufacturing method of the semiconductor component of the present embodiment . next , the unbonded semiconductor component 100 ′ is cooled down ( step s 14 of fig4 ). as a result , the joining member 123 and the thermosetting adhesive material 132 are hardened , thereby the joining member 123 being bonded to the heat spreader 150 , and the spacer 140 being bonded to the heat spreader 150 and the wiring board 110 . this step s 14 of hardening the thermosetting adhesive material 132 corresponds to an example of “ the step of hardening the thermosetting adhesive member ” in the manufacturing method of the semiconductor component of the present embodiment . the hardened thermosetting adhesive material 132 ′ is present between the spacer 140 and the heat spreader 150 and between the spacer 140 and the wiring board 110 thereby bonding them , and an excess part thereof has gotten into the grooves 141 of the spacer 140 . thus , since the semiconductor component 100 , in which no squeeze - out of the thermosetting adhesive material 132 has occurred , has a uniform thickness , it is possible to avoid deficiencies such as that the wiring board 110 fractures by being pressed hard against the socket , and misregistration with the socket , which is registered by the outer dimension , takes place leading to connection deficiencies . further , since as a result of a rather thick adhesive sheet 130 being used , the clearances between the spacer 140 and the wiring board 110 , and between the spacer and the heat spreader 150 are filled with an excess thermosetting adhesive material 132 , it becomes possible to omit the process of charging and hardening liquid resin such as underfill materials into clearances , which is conventionally carried out in a later stage of step s 14 , thus reducing the manufacturing cost . so far , the description of the first embodiment of the present invention has been completed , and a second embodiment thereof will be described . since the second embodiment of the present invention has a similar structure as the first embodiment excepting the shape of the grooves formed in the spacer , like elements as those of the first embodiment will be given like reference symbols to omit the description thereof and only the differences from the first embodiment will be described . fig5 illustrates a spacer 140 _ 2 in the second embodiment of the present invention . the spacer 140 _ 2 of the present embodiment is formed , unlike the spacer 140 of the first embodiment illustrated in fig2 , such that the length l 1 of the groove in a corner portion is less than the length l 2 of the groove 141 in a middle side portion . even if the spacer 140 _ 2 is bonded to the heat spreader 150 and the wiring board 110 illustrated in fig2 , the corner portions of the spacer 140 _ 2 are susceptible to peeling off . according to the spacer 140 _ 2 of the present embodiment , the length of the groove 141 is reduced as closer to a corner portion so that the contact area with the adhesive sheet 130 becomes larger , and thereby it is made possible to securely bond the corner portions to the heat spreader 150 and the wiring board 110 . so far , the description of the second embodiment of the present invention has been completed , and a third embodiment thereof will be described . since the third embodiment of the present invention has a similar structure as the first embodiment excepting the shape of the grooves provided in the spacer , like elements as those of the first embodiment will be given like reference symbols to omit the description thereof and only the differences from the first embodiment will be described . fig6 illustrates a spacer 140 _ 3 of the third embodiment of the present invention . the spacer 140 _ 3 of the present embodiment is formed such that the grooves 141 in a corner portion p are radially provided at an angle with one another so as to intersect at the inside of the opening 142 . in the spacer 140 _ 3 illustrated in fig6 , the corner portion p , which is susceptible to peeling off even when bonded , is formed such that the spacing between grooves 141 becomes larger as closer to the outer peripheral side , and the contact area with the adhesive sheet 130 becomes larger . thus , by providing radial grooves 141 in the corner portions p of the spacer 140 _ 3 , it is also possible to prevent the squeeze - out of the thermosetting adhesive material while maintain the bonding accuracy of the spacer 140 _ 3 . so far , the description of the third embodiment of the present invention has been completed , and a fourth embodiment thereof will be described . since the third embodiment of the present invention also has a similar structure as the first embodiment excepting that cut - outs instead of the grooves are provided in the spacer , like elements as those of the first embodiment will be given like reference symbols to omit the description thereof and only the differences from the first embodiment will be described . fig7 illustrates a spacer 160 in the fourth embodiment of the present invention . the spacer 160 of the present embodiment is , unlike the spacer 140 of the first embodiment illustrated in fig2 , formed with cut - outs 161 instead of the grooves 141 in the outer peripheral section . moreover , the spacer 160 of the present embodiment is formed such that the length l 1 of the cut - out 161 in a corner portion is less than the length l 2 of the cut - out 161 in a middle side portion , intending to maintain the bonding accuracy of the spacer 160 . fig8 illustrates a manufacturing method of a semiconductor component 101 to which the spacer illustrated in fig7 is applied . similarly to the manufacturing method of the semiconductor component 101 of the first embodiment illustrated in fig4 , the present embodiment also has a structure such that on the wiring board 110 , there are disposed a first adhesive sheet 130 , a spacer 160 , and a second adhesive sheet 130 in this order , and the semiconductor element 122 provided with the i / o terminals 121 , and the joining member 123 are successively disposed inside the respective openings 131 and 162 of the adhesive sheet 130 and the spacer 160 ( step s 21 of fig8 ). next , the heat spreader 150 is overlaid to form an unbonded semiconductor component 101 ′. in step s 22 — a of fig8 , a section taken across near the center of the unbonded semiconductor component 101 ′ is illustrated , and in step s 22 — b of fig8 , a sectional view taken across the peripheral portion of the unbonded semiconductor component 101 ′ is illustrated . in the present embodiment , cut - outs 161 are provided in the spacer 160 as illustrated in step s 22 — b . further , the unbonded semiconductor component 101 ′ is heated to melt the joining member 123 and the two adhesive sheets 130 ( step s 23 of fig8 ). as a result , the thermosetting adhesive material 132 resulting from the melting of the two adhesive sheets 130 is pushed out and filled into the cut - outs 161 of the spacer 160 . step s 23 of pushing out the thermosetting adhesive material 132 into the cut - outs 161 corresponds to an example of “ the step of filling the cut - outs with the thermosetting adhesive member ” in the manufacturing method of the semiconductor component of the present embodiment . when the cut - outs 161 are filled with the thermosetting adhesive material 132 , the unbonded semiconductor component 100 ′ is cooled down ( step s 24 of fig8 ). in the present embodiment , an excess part of the hardened thermosetting adhesive material 132 ′, which has not been used for bonding the spacer 160 with the heat spreader 150 and the wiring board 110 , has gotten into the cut - outs 161 of the spacer 160 . thus , by providing the cut - outs 161 instead of grooves in the spacer 160 , it is possible to more efficiently accommodate the excess thermosetting adhesive material 132 ′. so far , the description of the fourth embodiment of the present invention has been completed , and a fifth embodiment thereof will be described . since the fifth embodiment of the present invention has a similar structure as the fourth embodiment of the present invention excepting the shape of the cut - outs provided in the spacer , like elements as those of the fourth embodiment will be given like reference symbols to omit the description thereof and only the differences from the fourth embodiment will be described . fig9 illustrates a spacer 160 _ 2 in the fifth embodiment of the present invention . the spacer 160 _ 2 of the present embodiment is formed such that cut - outs 161 in a corner portion p are radially provided at an angle with one another so as to intersect at within the opening 162 . since in the spacer 160 of the present embodiment , the contact area with the adhesive sheet 130 is larger in the corner portions p than in other portions , it is possible to achieve both the maintenance of the bonding accuracy and the prevention of the squeeze - out of the thermosetting adhesive material . so far , the description of the fifth embodiment of the present invention has been completed , and a sixth embodiment thereof will be described . since the sixth embodiment of the present invention has a similar structure as the first embodiment of the present invention excepting the shapes of the spacer and the adhesive sheet , like elements as those of the first embodiment will be given like reference symbols to omit the description thereof and only the differences from the first embodiment will be described . fig1 is an exploded perspective view of a semiconductor component 200 which is the sixth embodiment of the present invention . similarly to the semiconductor component 100 of the first embodiment illustrated in fig2 , the semiconductor component 200 of the present embodiment is formed such that on the wiring board 110 , there are placed two adhesive sheets 180 , a spacer 170 , and a heat spreader 150 on top of one another , and a semiconductor section 129 is disposed inside the respective openings 181 and 171 provided in the adhesive sheet 180 and the spacer 170 . moreover , unlike the semiconductor component 100 of the first embodiment , neither groove nor cut - out is provided in the spacer 170 and instead , cut - outs 182 are formed in the respective outer peripheral sections of the two adhesive sheets 180 . when the adhesive sheet 180 illustrated in fig1 is melted , an excess thermosetting adhesive material may spread over the portions of the cut - outs 182 of the adhesive sheet 180 . as a result of this , it is possible to securely bond the spacer 170 and to avoid the deficiency that the thermosetting adhesive member is squeezed out to the outer face of the semiconductor component 200 . so far , the description of the sixth embodiment of the present invention has been completed , and a seventh embodiment thereof will be described . since the seventh embodiment of the present invention has a similar structure as the sixth embodiment of the present invention excepting the shape of the cut - out of the adhesive sheet , only the differences from the sixth embodiment will be described . fig1 illustrates an adhesive sheet 180 _ 2 in the seventh embodiment of the present invention . the adhesive sheet 180 _ 2 of the present embodiment is formed such that the length l 1 of the cut - out 182 of a corner portion is less than the length l 2 of the cut - out 182 of a middle side portion . since , in the adhesive sheet 180 _ 2 of the present embodiment , the contact area between the adhesive sheet 180 _ 2 and the spacer 170 is larger in corner portions where spacer 170 is more susceptible to peeling off , it is possible to avoid the squeeze - out of the thermosetting adhesive material while maintaining the bonding accuracy of the spacer 170 . so far , the description of the seventh embodiment of the present invention has been completed , and an eighth embodiment thereof will be described . since the eighth embodiment of the present invention has a similar structure as the sixth embodiment of the present invention excepting the shape of the cut - out of the adhesive sheet , only the differences from the sixth embodiment will be described . fig1 illustrates an adhesive sheet 180 _ 3 in the eighth embodiment of the present invention . since the adhesive sheet 180 _ 3 of the present embodiment is formed such that the cut - outs 182 in a corner portion are radially provided at an angle with one another so as to intersect within the opening 181 , the contact area between the adhesive shut 180 - 3 and the space 170 becomes larger closer to the outer peripheral side where peeling off is more likely to take place . thus , by providing radial cut - outs 182 in the corner portions p of the adhesive sheet 180 _ 3 , it is also possible to prevent the squeeze - out of the thermosetting adhesive material while maintaining the bonding accuracy of the spacer 170 . so far , the description of the eighth embodiment of the present invention has been completed , and a ninth embodiment thereof will be described . since the ninth embodiment of the present invention has a similar structure as the sixth embodiment excepting the shape of the spacer , only the differences from the sixth embodiment will be described . fig1 illustrates a semiconductor component 300 which is the ninth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 a illustrates an exploded perspective view of the semiconductor component 300 of the present embodiment . similarly to the semiconductor component 200 of the sixth embodiment illustrated in fig1 , the semiconductor component 300 of the present embodiment is formed such that cut - outs 182 are formed in an adhesive sheet 180 , and further cut - outs 142 are also formed in a spacer 140 . moreover , two adhesive sheets 180 and spacer 140 are placed on top of one another with the respective cut - outs 182 and 142 being lined up . fig1 b illustrates a sectional view of the outer peripheral section of the semiconductor component 300 . when the adhesive sheet 180 illustrated in fig1 b is melt , an excess thermosetting adhesive material , which has been left without been used for the bonding of the spacer 170 with the heat spreader 150 and the wiring board 110 , may spread over the portion of the cut - outs 182 of the adhesive sheet 180 , and also may be pushed out into the cut - outs 142 of the spacer 170 . for this reason , even when the adhesive sheet 180 has a larger thickness , it is possible to securely avoid the squeeze - out of the thermosetting adhesive material . here it is noted that although description has been made on the cases in which grooves are provided in both the upper and lower faces of the spacer , the support member according to the present invention may be one in which grooves are provided only in one face . further , although , in the above , description has been made on a case in which cut - outs are provided in each of the spacer and the adhesive sheet , the support member and the adhesive member according to the present invention may be formed such that cut - outs are provided in one of the members and grooves are provided in the other . although description has been made on the case in which grooves are provided only in the outer peripheral section of the spacer , the support member according to the present invention may be formed such that grooves are provided in the entire upper face . as so far described , according to the present invention , it is possible to provide a semiconductor component in which the deficiencies due to the squeeze - out of the adhesive member are mitigated . all examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art , and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions , nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention . although the embodiments of the present invention has been described in detail , it should be understood that the various changes , substitutions , and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
in the following , preferred embodiments will be presented with reference to the drawings . [ 0042 ] fig1 is a schematic illustration of a first embodiment of the present polishing apparatus . the present polishing apparatus is contained in a rectangular - shaped floor space f , and the constituting elements arranged on the left / right sides are disposed in a symmetrical pattern with respect the center line c . specifically , at one end of the rectangular - shaped floor , a pair of polishing units 10 a , 10 b are disposed symmetrically on the left and right side , respectively , and a loading / unloading unit 12 mounting a pair of cassettes 12 a , 12 b for storing wafers are disposed on an opposite end of the floor . between these two ends , there are disposed , beginning from the loading / unloading unit side , a pair of secondary cleaning units 14 a , 14 b , a pair of wafer inverters 16 a , 16 b , a pair of primary cleaning units 18 a , 18 b , and one temporary storage station 20 . the pairs of primary and secondary cleaning units 18 a , 18 b and 14 a , 14 b , and the pair of wafer inverters 16 a , 16 b are disposed opposite to each other across the center line c , and stationary robots 22 , 24 having arms with articulating joints are provided on the center line c . on both sides of the temporary storage station 20 , stationary robots 26 a , 26 b are provided . as shown in fig2 and 3 , each of the polishing units 10 a , 10 b is provided with a set of operational devices , disposed approximately parallel to the center line , and comprised by : a workpiece pusher 30 for transferring a workpiece w ; a top ring device 36 having two top rings 32 , 34 ; a turntable ( primary polishing table ) 38 having an abrading tool on its top surface ; and a dresser 40 for reconditioning the abrading tool . also , in this embodiment , a buffing table ( final polishing table ) 42 for performing buffing ( final polishing ) is disposed next to the top ring device 36 . as shown in figg . 2 , the top ring device 36 is comprised by : a vertical support shaft 50 rotatably supported by a base 48 mounted on a bracket 46 laterally protruding from a turntable support base 44 ; a horizontally extending swing arm 52 attached to the top end of the support shaft 50 ; and the pair of top rings 32 , 34 attached to both ends of the swing arm 52 . a swing arm drive motor 47 for oscillating the swing arm around the support shaft 50 is provided in the bracket 46 . each of the top rings 32 , 34 has a suction device on the bottom surface to hold a workpiece by vacuum suction , each is driven by its own drive motor 56 so as to enable each to rotate horizontally , and each can also be raised or lowered by using an air cylinder 58 , independently of the other . turntable 38 is a rotatable polishing table having a polishing cloth mounted on the top surface , which is basically the same as the turntable shown in fig1 , and includes a support base 44 for supporting the polishing table , a turntable drive motor 45 , and a polishing solution supply nozzle . as shown in fig4 a , 4b , 5 a and 5 b , buffing table 42 includes a small & gt ; diameter buffing disk 82 having a buffing cloth 80 on its top surface , and is rotatable by virtue of a driving device 86 contained in a housing 84 . a dresser 94 includes : a rotation driver 88 ; swing device 90 ; and an elevating device 92 , with an air cylinder 93 provided adjacent the buffing table 42 . the size of the buffing table 42 is such that the radius “ r ” of the polishing surface is smaller than the diameter “ 2 ” of a workpiece but is larger than its radius “ r ”. buffing table 42 is used to perform a secondary polishing step on a wafer w which has been through the primary polishing step . the secondary polishing is a finish polishing step carried out by using either a polishing solution containing polishing particles , pure water in case of a “ water polish ”, or a certain chemical solution . in the example shown in fig4 a , finish polishing is performed by placing the center of the wafer w at a distance “ e ” from an edge of the buffing disk 82 to carry out polishing and cleaning . the magnitude of the distance “ e ” is small in comparison to the radius “ r ” of the workpiece w . therefore , as shown in fig6 the surface to be polished is exposed outside of the buffing disk 82 in a shape resembling a quarter moon with a maximum width “( r - e )”. in such a setup , the outer peripheral area of the polishing surface of the buffing cloth 80 attached on the disk 82 can provide a maximum polishing ability , where the speed of the workpiece surface thereat relative to the speed of the workpiece surface at the inner regions of the disk 82 is larger . this polishing region is termed an effective polishing area ep , as illustrated in fig6 . because the workpiece surface is also rotated , each section of the workpiece surface is successively brought into contact with the effective polishing area ep , and ultimately , the amount of material removed from all sections of the workpiece surface is averaged . to improve the degree of precision of the buffing operation , the distance “ e ” and rotational speeds , as well as polishing duration of the workpiece , should be adjusted accordingly . polishing can be performed while adjusting the distance “ e ” by rotating the swing arm 52 of the top rings 32 , 34 , or corrective polishing can be carried out in the same manner in addition to the normal polishing operation . with reference to fig3 the workpiece pusher 30 is positioned on the opposite side of the support shaft 50 with respect to the turntable 38 , and when one top ring 32 ( or 34 ) is on the turntable 38 , the other top ring 34 ( or 32 ) is directly above the workpiece pusher 30 . workpiece pusher 30 has a workpiece table 60 which can be raised or lowered , and serves to transfer workpieces between the top rings 32 , 34 and robots 26 a , 26 b . with reference to fig2 the bracket 62 extending from the base 44 opposite to the top rings 32 , 34 rotatably supports a dresser shaft 64 for the dresser 40 . as shown in fig7 the temporary storage station 20 is divided into upper and lower levels . the upper level is a dry station 20 a for placing dry workpieces , and the lower level is a wet station 20 b for placing wet workpieces . the dry station 20 a is an open structure , but the wet station 20 b is a closed box structure 68 having spray nozzles 66 disposed above and below the workpiece w . the workpieces w are handled through a gate 70 provided on the side of the box structure 68 . the cleaning units 14 a , 14 b and 18 a , 18 b can be selected to suit applications , but in this embodiment , the primary cleaning units 18 a , 18 b beside the polishing units 10 a , 10 b are of the sponge roller type to scrub both front and back surfaces of a wafer , for example , and the secondary cleaning units 14 a , 14 b are made to rotate the wafer horizontally by holding the edge of the wafer while supplying a cleaning solution thereto . the latter device can also serve as a spin dryer for dewatering the wafer by centrifugal force . the wafer inverters 16 a , 16 b are needed in this embodiment , because of the wafer storage method using cassettes 12 a , 12 b , and their working relation to the handling mechanism of the robots , but such inverters are not needed for a system where the polished wafers are transported with the polished surface always facing downward , for example . also , such inverters 16 a , 16 b are not needed where the robots comprise inverting facilities . in this embodiment , the two wafer inverters 16 a , 16 b are assigned separately to handling dry wafers and to handling wet wafers . in this embodiment , four robots 22 , 24 , 26 a , 26 b are provided , and they are of a stationary type operating with articulating arms having a hand at the end of the arms . the first robot 22 handles workpieces for a pair of cassettes 12 a , 12 b , secondary cleaning units 14 a , 14 b and the wafer inverters 16 a , 16 b . the second robot 24 handles workpieces for the pair of wafer inverters 16 a , 16 b , primary cleaning units 18 a , 18 b , and temporary storage station 20 . the third and fourth robots 26 a , 26 b handle workpieces for temporary storage station 20 , either one of the cleaning units 18 a or 18 b , and either one of the workpiece pushers 30 . the polishing apparatus can be used for series or parallel operation as explained in the following . fig1 shows flow of workpieces w in parallel operation using one cassette in the loading / unloading unit . in the following description , the processing line which is in the top section in fig1 is designated as the “ right ” processing line , and the processing line which is in the bottom section is designated as the “ left ” processing line . here , wafer ( workpiece ) w is shown by a blank circle when its work surface ( polished surface ) is directed upwards , by a densely meshed circle when its work surface is directed downwards , and by a sparsely meshed circle when it is inverted . the flow of workpieces ( semiconductor wafers ) w in the right processing line for parallel processing is as follows : right cassette 12 a → first robot 22 → dry inverter 16 a → second robot 24 → dry station 20 a third robot 26 a → workpiece pusher 30 for right polishing unit 10 a → top ring 32 or 34 → polishing on turntable 38 → if necessary , buffing on buffing table 42 → workpiece pusher 30 → third robot 26 a → primary cleaning unit 18 a → second robot 24 → wet inverter 16 b → first robot 22 → secondary cleaning unit 14 a → right cassette 12 a . processing flow in each polishing unit 10 a , 10 b will be explained with reference to fig8 a - 8 c . workpiece pusher 30 already is provided with a new unpolished wafer delivered by the third robot 26 a ( or fourth robot 26 b ). as shown in fig8 a , polishing is performed by using the top ring 32 holding the wafer , and during this time , the other top ring 34 is above the workpiece pusher 30 and receives an unpolished wafer . after finishing polishing on the turntable 38 , top ring 32 moves over to the buffing table 42 by the swing action of the swing arm 52 , as shown in fig8 b , to carry out buffing , dual - purpose water polishing for concurrently performing finishing , as well as cleaning . the wafer may also be transferred directly by the workpiece pusher 30 after the primary polishing . when the water polishing is finished , the swing arm 52 is rotated and the top ring 32 is moved directly over the workpiece pusher 30 , as shown in fig8 c . then , the polished wafer is transferred to the workpiece pusher 30 by either lowering the top ring 32 or raising the workpiece pusher 30 . the polished wafer is replaced with a new unpolished wafer by using third robot 26 a ( or fourth robot 26 b ). during this period , the other top ring 34 is moved over to the turntable 38 , and the wafer is polished on the turntable 38 . further , as shown in fig8 d , the wafer moves over to the buffing table 42 by the swing action of the swing arm 52 . the polished wafer is water polished for finishing and cleaning , and the process begins all over from the step shown in fig8 a . in the above process , because robots 26 a , 26 b are provided for each processing line for handling the wafers for polishing units 10 a , 10 b , the polished wafer on the workpiece pusher 30 is quickly exchanged with a new unpolished wafer . therefore , there is no waiting time for the top ring 32 , 34 for the next wafer to be polished , and the idle time for the turntable 38 is reduced . on the contrary , since the wafer exchange is rapidly performed , top rings 32 , 34 may wait for the turntable 38 to finish polishing while holding an unpolished wafer by vacuum . in this case , if the wafer is clamped by vacuum for a long time , a backing film provided between the wafer and the top ring 32 , 34 will be deformed . therefore , in this embodiment , the top rings 32 , 34 are programmed to release the vacuum when a long term waiting is expected . the wafer is maintained on the lower surface of the top rings 32 , 34 by remaining adhesion forces of wet backing film . also , in this embodiment , because the top ring device 36 is provided with two top rings 32 , 34 disposed on the both ends of the swing arm 52 , while one wafer is being processed by one top ring , the wafer on the other top ring is replaced with a new unpolished wafer . therefore , there is no need to wait for the top rings 32 , 34 for the wafer to be transferred for processing . therefore , the through - put of the turntable 38 is increased , thereby enabling it to perform a high efficiency parallel operation . through - put by the facility shown in fig1 will be compared with that by the conventional facility shown in fig1 . assume that polishing time of a wafer is two minutes , and that cleaning is carried out by primary and secondary cleaning steps . in the conventional setup , forty wafers are polished in one hour while in the present facility , fifty three wafers are polished . comparing the through - put per unit area of installation space , it is 7 . 4 wafers / m 2 · hour for the conventional system , while in the present facility , it is 7 . 9 wafers / m 2 · hour . [ 0063 ] fig9 shows a flow process for two - step polishing , i . e ., a series operation . the process is as follows : right cassette 12 a → first robot 22 → dry inverter 16 a → second robot 24 → dry station 20 a → third robot 26 a → first polishing unit 10 a → third robot 26 a → right primary cleaning unit 18 a → second robot 24 → wet station 20 b → third robot 26 b → secondary polishing unit 10 b → third robot 26 b → left primary cleaning unit 18 b → second robot 24 → wet inverter 16 b → first robot 22 → left secondary cleaning unit 14 b → first robot 22 → right cassette 12 a . in this series processing operation , because a wet wafer is supplied to polishing unit 10 b , the dry station 20 a and the wet station 20 b are separately used for placing dry wafers and wet wafers , respectively . in the wet station 20 b , the top and bottom surfaces of the wafer w are rinsed with a rinsing solution to prevent drying of the polished wafer . it should be noted that the wet and dry stations 20 a , 20 b are separately shown in fig9 for convenience in flow illustration , but they are stacked vertically , as shown in fig7 . [ 0065 ] fig1 shows another embodiment according to the present invention . in this polishing unit , a film thickness measuring device 72 is provided adjacent the top ring 34 located above the workpiece pusher 30 for measuring the film thickness of a wafer held in the top ring 34 . the film thickness measuring device 72 is comprised by : an optical head 74 attached at the tip of an arm 76 for performing non - contact measurement of film thickness ; and a positioning device 78 such as an x - y table for moving the arm 76 along the workpiece surface . using this arrangement , it is possible to measure film thickness fabricated on a polished wafer held on the top ring 34 when the swing arm 52 is rotated in position shown in fig1 . the thickness measurement provides a basis for determining the amount of material removed so that , if necessary , polishing time for the next wafer may be adjusted by a feedback control device . or , if the value has not yet reached an allowable range , a control device may rearrange polishing schedule so that it can be repolished . the advantage is that there is no need to provide a separate space for determining the film thickness of a polished wafer , because the thickness can be determined in - place above the workpiece pusher 30 . the time required to exchange the wafers by the third or fourth robots 26 a , 26 b is shorter than the time required by the turntable 38 to polish a wafer , and therefore , such film measurement can be performed during this time without generating any down time of the line . the present invention is useful for polishing workpieces , such as semiconductor wafers , glass plates and liquid crystal display panels which require a high surface flatness . | 1 |
referring to fig1 there is shown in schematic and block diagram form a constant impedance bandswitched input filter 11 for use in the front end of a cable communications receiver 10 in accordance with the present invention . although the constant impedance bandswitched input filter 11 of the present invention is particularly adapted for use in the front end of a cable television ( catv ) converter or receiver , the principles of the present invention are not limited to this environment and are applicable to the front end of any wideband , multi - channel communications receiver , converter , or other rf signal processing apparatus . as seen in fig1 the basic building blocks of the constant impedance bandswitched input filter 11 comprise a high - pass / low - pass diplexer filter and a bridge t bandpass filter connected in such a manner that all signals for the pass bands are passed to an amplifier while the signals for the rejection bands are essentially absorbed in the resistive loads of the diplexer circuit and the two resistors of the bridge t bandpass filter in eliminating signal reflections back to the cable 17 . a high - pass / low - pass diplexer filter may be designed to exhibit a constant resistance at its input port and to split input signals into two separate output loads in accordance with whether the signal frequency is in the high pass band or the low pass band . such filter circuits are particularly adapted for solving second order intermodulation problems since one of the two interfering channel frequencies for most of the sum or difference second order intermodulation products is located in the other half of the frequency band and will thus be attenuated . to a lesser degree , third order intermodulation is also improved with such filters because a larger portion of the third order intermodulation producing channels are also attenuated . the other circuit used in the constant impedance bandswitched input filter 11 of the invention is a constant resistance bridge t bandpass filter . the input impedance of a bridge t bandpass filter exhibits a constant resistance independent of frequency when the product of the reactive components of its series and parallel branches is equal to the square of its terminating input and output characteristic impedances . the constant bridge t bandpass filter is very effective in improving the third order and triple beat intermodulation rejection for the worst case channel which is in the midband where distortion contributing channels are located evenly on both sides of the received channel . according to the present invention , by combining a constant resistance high - pass / low - pass diplexer filter with a constant resistance bridge t bandpass filter in which the input and output impedance of all three constituent stages are matched to the cable impedance , both second and third order intermodulation distortions are significantly reduced while a high return loss is provided which , in turn , reduces signal reflections . also , the lowpass filter of the diplexer circuit reduces the back talk by attenuating the back talk - producing channel frequency which is located at the high end of the frequency band . referring again to fig1 the configuration and operation of a preferred embodiment of the constant impedance bandswitched input filter 11 will now be described in detail . a received signal is provided via a cable 17 to an input terminal 24 and is coupled by means of ac coupling capacitor 26 to the bandswitched input filter 11 of the present invention which includes a low pass filter 12 , a high pass filter 14 and a bandpass filter 16 . the low pass filter 12 in combination with the high pass filter 14 forms a constant impedance complementary diplexer filter , while the bandpass filter 16 is a constant impedance bandpass filter , all matched to the impedance of cable 17 ( typically 75 ohms ). each of a plurality of switching diodes used to provide the received signal to the various aforementioned filter stages of the bandswitched input filter 11 of the present invention , as described in detail below , is responsive to a respective bandswitch signal generated by a bandswitch selector 22 . the various bandswitch signals output from the bandswitch selector 22 in response to operator inputs are represented as output voltages v1 through v4 , with each of the bandswitch signals being either high or low in accordance with the desired routing of the received signal provided to input terminal 24 . the output of the constant impedance bandswitched input filter 11 is provided via an ac coupling capacitor 72 to a wideband rf amplifier 18 which , in turn , provides an amplified output signal to a frequency converter 20 . the bandswitch selector 22 , the details of which may be conventional in nature and thus do not form a part of the present invention , also provides a reference frequency input to the frequency converter 20 which is used , in combination with the carrier frequency input signal from the rf amplifier 18 , to generate an if signal for recovering the video and audio information modulated on the carrier of the received signal provided to input terminal 24 . the rf amplifier 18 as well as the frequency converter 20 contemplated for use in the front end of the multichannel communications receiver 10 may also be conventional in design and operation and thus the details thereof do not form a part of the present invention . the low pass filter 12 in the bandswitched input filter 11 of the present invention is designed to transmit frequencies below approximately 290 mhz . the high pass filter 14 is designed to transmit signals having a frequency above approximately 310 mhz . the bandpass filter 16 utilized in the bandswitched input filter 11 of the present invention is centered at the crossover point between the low and high pass filters at about 300 mhz . the various bandswitch outputs from the tuning and bandswitch selector 22 provided to the switching diodes in the bandswitched input filter 11 actuate either the low pass filter 12 , the high pass filter 14 , or the bandpass filter 16 in accordance with the channel selected . a detailed description of the configuration and operation of the constant impedance bandswitched input filter 11 of the present invention is provided in the following paragraphs and includes table i which indicates the state of the various switching diodes and outputs from the bandswitch selector 22 for switching to the several frequency bands in accordance with the present invention . table i__________________________________________________________________________ v1 v2 v3 v4 d34 d102 d70 d118 d58 d52 d98 d90__________________________________________________________________________band 1 ( low pass ) hi lo hi lo 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1band 2 ( cross - over ) lo hi . 0 . . 0 . 0 1 0 1 . 0 . . 0 . . 0 . . 0 . band 3 ( high pass ) hi lo lo hi 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0__________________________________________________________________________ hi : positive voltage lo : lower voltage 1 : on 0 : off . 0 . : either on or off upon selection of a signal frequency below approximately 290 mhz representing a first mode of operation , the bandswitch selector 22 outputs high v1 and v3 signals and low v2 and v4 signals . this ensures that the received signal is provided to the low pass filter 12 and prevents its transmission by either the high pass filter 14 or the bandpass filter 16 in the following manner . a high v1 output is provided via line 28 to point a and thence , via serially coupled resistor 30 and rf choke 32 to the anode of diode 34 which is thereby biased on . this directs the signal transmitted on cable 17 and provided to the input terminal 24 via the ac coupling capacitor 26 to the low pass filter 12 and the high pass filter 14 . the grounded serial combination of rf choke 35 and resistor 37 appears as an open circuit to rf signals , while serving to ground the non - rf portion of the received signal . the rf - wise open circuit presented by rf choke 35 and resistor 37 minimizes received signal loss . similarly , the serial combination of rf choke 32 and resistor 30 coupled between diode 34 and point a ensures that the entire rf portion of the received signal provided to the input terminal 24 is transmitted to the low pass filter 12 and high pass filter 14 . with a high v3 output from the bandswitch selector 22 , diode 58 in the low pass filter 12 is biased on . similarly , a low v2 output from the bandswitch selector 22 ensures that diodes 102 and 118 are biased off in preventing the received signal from being coupled through the bandpass filter 16 . in addition , a low v4 output from the bandswitch selector 22 biases diode 52 off allowing signals provided to the low pass filter 12 to be coupled therethrough . the low v4 output also biases diode 98 off preventing received signals from being coupled through the high pass filter 14 . finally , the high v1 output from the bandswitch selector 22 provided to point a biases diode 70 on permitting the output of the low pass filter 12 to be provided via ac coupling capacitor 72 to the rf amplifier 18 . the series combination of grounded rf choke 120 and resistor 122 appears as an open circuit to rf signals at the output of the bandswitched input filter 11 , while directing non - rf signals to neutral ground potential . the low pass filter 12 is comprised of a plurality of serially coupled inductors 36 , 40 , 44 and 48 in circuit with a plurality of grounded capacitors 38 , 42 and 46 . with diode 52 biased off by a low v4 output from the bandswitch selector 22 and diode 58 biased on by a high v3 output from the bandswitch selector 22 , the filtered output from the low pass filter 12 is provided via ac coupling capacitor 64 , diode 70 , and ac coupling capacitor 72 to the rf amplifier 18 . the high v3 output from the bandswitch selector 22 also biases diode 90 on for directing signals with the high pass filter 14 to ground via a terminating load resistor 88 and capacitor 92 , the resistance of resistor 88 being equal to the characteristic impedance of cable 17 . it should be noted here that the serial combinations of rf coil 62 and resistor 60 and rf coil 68 and resistor 66 minimize rf signal losses at the output of the low pass filter 12 by providing rf isolation for the output line . it is in this manner that a received signal provided to the input terminal 24 is provided to and filtered by the low pass filter 12 which , in turn , provides a low pass filtered output signal to the rf amplifier 18 . in a second mode of operation , the bandswitch selector 22 , in response to operator inputs , generates a low v1 output and a high v2 output for providing the received signal from the input terminal 24 to the bandpass filter 16 . the low v1 output from the bandswitch selector 22 biases diode 34 off and prevents the received signal from being provided from the input terminal 24 to either the low pass filter 12 or the high pass filter 14 . a high v2 output from the bandswitch selector 22 provided to point b in the bandpass filter 16 biases diode 102 on such that the received signal is provided from the input terminal 24 to the bandpass filter 16 . a high v2 output from the bandswitch selector 22 also biases diode 118 on . with the received signal prevented from being provided to either the low pass filter 12 or the high pass filter 14 , the status of the v3 and v4 outputs of the band switch selector 22 is irrelevant in terms of the processing of the received signal . thus , in the second mode of operation , the v3 and v4 outputs of the bandswitch selector 22 may be either high or low and the various diodes responsive to the v3 and v4 outputs may be either conducting or nonconducting . the bandpass filter 16 includes a parallel arrangement of serially coupled inductor 104 and capacitor 106 and serially coupled resistors 108 and 110 , the latter resistors each having a resistance equal to the characteristic impedance of the cable . the combination of inductor 104 and capacitor 106 forms a series tuned circuit tuned to the crossover frequency which , in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , is approximately 300 hz . a parallel tuned circuit comprised of an inductor 112 and a grounded capacitor 116 has a frequency response complementary to that of the series tuned circuit . for frequencies near the crossover frequency , the series tuned circuit acts as a short circuit for coupling the rf signal provided to the bandpass filter 16 to rf amplifier 18 via diode 118 , while the parallel tuned circuit acts as an open circuit . at frequencies far from the crossover frequency , the parallel tuned circuit acts as a short circuit to direct the signal provided to the bandpass filter 16 to neutral ground potential with resistors 108 and 110 effectively terminating the input and output of the bandpass filter 16 , while the series tuned circuit acts as an open circuit . grounded capacitor 114 provides dc isolation for point b to which the v2 dc output from the bandswitch selector 22 is provided . in a third mode of operation , the bandswitch selector 22 provides high v1 and v4 outputs and low v2 and v3 outputs to the constant impedance bandswitched input filter 11 for providing higher frequency signals , e . g ., signals having a frequency greater than approximately 310 mhz in a preferred embodiment , from the input terminal 24 to the rf amplifier 18 via the high pass filter 14 . a low v2 output from the bandswitch selector 22 biases diodes 102 and 118 off and prevents the received rf signal from being coupled through the bandpass filter 16 . similarly , a low v3 output from the bandswitch selector 22 biases diode 58 off so as to prevent the low pass filter 12 from providing a signal to the wideband rf amplifier 18 and biases diode 90 off for preventing the grounding of signals carried within high pass filter 14 . a high v1 output from the bandswitch selector 22 biases diodes 34 and 70 on as in the first mode of operation discussed above . however , a high v4 output from the bandswitch selector 22 biases diode 52 on in directing a signal provided to the low pass filter 12 to ground via terminating load resistor 50 and ac coupling capacitor 54 , resistor 50 having a resistance equal to the characteristic impedance of cable 17 . this prevents an rf signal carried by the low pass filter 12 from being output via diode 70 to the rf amplifier 18 . the high v4 output from the bandswitch selector 22 also biases diode 98 on permitting an rf signal provided to the high pass filter 14 to be provided via ac coupling capacitor 100 and diode 70 to the rf amplifier 18 . the high pass filter 14 is comprised of a plurality of serially coupled capacitors 74 , 78 , 82 and 86 and grounded inductors 76 , 80 and 84 . the grounded serial combination of resistor 94 and rf choke 96 appears as an open circuit to rf signals in the high pass filter 14 , while grounding non - rf signals . also , rf choke 96 serves to isolate resistor 94 from neutral ground in reducing rf losses to ground . referring to fig2 there is shown the frequency selectivity characteristic of the constant impedance bandswitched input filter 11 of the present invention , in which the vertical axis represents the attenuation ratio in db &# 39 ; s and the horizontal axis represents the frequency in mhz . from the figure , it can be seen that at lower and higher frequencies , i . e ., below about 250 mhz ( band 1 operation ) and above about 350 mhz ( band 3 operation ), the signal attenuation is minimal in the constant impedance bandswitched input filter . for example , signal losses in these frequency ranges are less than 0 . 5 db . because the input filter of the present invention provides impedance matching over the entire frequency band , including the rejection band , signal reflections within the cable are minimized . in prior art diplexer input filters insertion loss at the crossover frequency , i . e ., 300 mhz , has been on the order of 3 db . however , it can be seen from the figure that in the present invention by switching the bandpass filter 16 in circuit for the second band of operation , insertion loss is reduced from 3 db to less than 0 . 5 db . this reduced insertion loss at the cross - over frequency is due to the constant impedance bridge t bandpass filter . the overall constant impedance of the circuit reduces the standing wave ratio within the cable of the catv system arising from impedance mismatch - generated signal reflections . there has thus been shown a constant impedance bandswitched input filter for use in the front end of a wideband , multi - channel rf receiver which is particularly adapted for use in a catv converter . the constant impedance bandswitched input filter of the present invention minimizes signal reflections at the input of the rf receiver by automatically switching in circuit either a lowpass filter , a highpass filter , or a bandpass filter in accordance with the frequency selected and providing a constant impedance over the passband as well as the rejection band . while particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects . therefore , the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . the matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation . the actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art . | 7 |
the present application relates to diagnostic tests , particularly for the pediatric population for the detection of strep a bacteria , a test that is more user friendly compared to the current polyester swab method . the preferred embodiment of the application replaces the conventional sterile swab with , for example , a gelatin - based circular / rounded substance ( a “ lollipop - like ” or candy - like object ) on a stick for a child - friendly diagnostic test for strep a . as a lollipop , for example , children of all ages are familiar with the shape and therefore less fearful of the gag reflex they have come to expect from conventional sterile swabs . since lollipops are “ treats ” for children , the circular / rounded shape triggers a pleasant and fun feeling for the child . sucking on lollipops is instinctive for children and is done independently while still under the supervision of the practitioner . applicant intends that the name of the device will be branded and marketed as streppop ™. in fig1 , an illustrative device includes a circular , organic , soft , gelatinous substance 13 preferably measuring , for example , 13 / 16 ″ wide and 2 / 16 ″ in depth . the substance 13 of the circular member may include corn syrup , sugar , water , gelatin , modified corn syrup , mineral oil , and the like . the substance of the circular member 13 may be clear in color and non - flavored . the circular substance 13 is attached to the distal end of a wooden stick handle 10 which measures 6 ″ long . the stick , as illustrated , is rounded and has a diameter of 2 / 16 th of an inch . the stick 10 is inserted into the circular substance , for example , at a midway point 14 , approximately 7 1 / 16 th ″ deep in order to secure the circular member onto the stick , such as by the adhesive properties of the substance of the circular member . an identical circular member , on an identical stick , is banded with another circular member on the stick device . the two devices are banded together , for example , 2½ ″ from the bottom of each device ( second device not shown ) the banding material 12 is a paper or other wrap which is glued and is ½ ″ thick . an intact band signifies that the device is sterile . the paper band remains intact until after the specimen has been collected . the band is cut or broken by the practitioner after removal from the patient &# 39 ; s mouth and one device is used for the rapid test , and the other device is sent away to be cultured . the device &# 39 ; s circular , lollipop - like component may further include any material that is best identified for sample and specimen collection , including but not limited to , rayon polyester , cotton or any safe or nontoxic material suitable for this purpose . in another embodiment , the banding material may be made of any material which can secure the handle and be easily breakable . in another embodiment , the handle may be flat or may be of a plastic material . it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that reference to dimensions herein of the disclosed embodiments are meant only as examples , and that the precise dimensions disclosed are not critical . in another embodiment , the device may be in the classic lollipop shape or in more playful shapes such as different animals , fictional characters , cartoon characters or popular culture references known to children , or any other suitable shape . the device can also be available in varying sizes depending on the age of the child . in addition , the clear organic , soft , gelatinous substance of the device may be available in attractive , bright or neon colors . the device may be one solid color or arranged in multiple colors , stripes and polka dots . in another embodiment , the device may be available in different flavors , including but not limited to strawberry , cherry or grape , citrus , lemon , lime , orange , and the like . in fig2 , another illustrative embodiment of the application is illustrated . in this embodiment , the circular member 26 includes an organic , soft , gelatinous substance measuring 13 / 16 ″ wide and 7 / 16 ″ in depth . the substance of the circular member 26 includes corn syrup , sugar , water , gelatin , modified corn starch , and mineral oil . the substance is clear in color and non - flavored . the tube which holds the circular member is made of wood 20 . the tube is 5¾ ″ long and 7 / 16 ″ in outer diameter . the tube 20 is rounded , hollow and may be made of any safe and nontoxic material such as unfinished solid wood , hemp or bpa - free pvc - free plastic # 2 , # 4 , # 5 . the tube 20 is inserted all the way to the top edge of the circular member in order to secure the circular substance to the stick . the circular member contains two openings 22 and 23 close to the outer rim of the circular member , each opening measuring 4 / 16 th ″ in diameter . each opening 22 and 23 is placed 2 / 16 th ″ off the center line . the center line is located 6 and one half sixteenths measured from the edge of the circular member . the tube 20 can accommodate an interior stick 24 which is comprised of plastic and is 4 / 16 th ″ in diameter . the interior stick 24 is 4 inches long and rests 4 ″ down from the top of the tube at the base of the rayon swabs . while the device is in the mouth of a child , the interior stick 24 is pushed forward , and the two polyester swabs 25 and 27 eject through the two holes on the top of the device 22 and 23 . subsequently , the two swabs 25 and 27 touch the tonsils at the back of the throat , and a specimen is collected . the swabs 25 and 27 are removed from the top of the pop and one swab is used for the rapid test , and the other is sent off site for the throat culture . the device is then discarded . it will be appreciated that the embodiment of fig2 can be varied in many ways . for example , it will be appreciated that the dimensions may be varied , as desired , and that the shape of the cross section of the tubular member may be circular , rectangular , elliptical , oval , triangular in shape or have any other suitable shape . it will further be appreciated that while the disclosed embodiment depicts two swabs being delivered , any desired number of swabs ( e . g ., three ) can be delivered . in fig3 , an alternative embodiment of the device omits the “ lollipop ” feature . the disclosed device 30 accordingly contains a hollow tube 32 which , in the illustrated embodiment , measures 7 / 16 th ″ in diameter and is 5¾ ″ in length . the hollow tube 32 is made of plastic , but can be made from any suitable material . the hollow tube 32 contains two ( e . g .,) rayon swabs 31 and 33 which are located at the distal end of the hollow tube 32 . each rayon swab 31 and 33 is 2 / 16 th ″ in diameter . a solid cardboard cylinder 34 acts as a plunger . the solid cardboard cylinder 34 measures 4 / 16 ″ in diameter and is 4 ″ long . the cardboard cylinder 34 would push forward the rayon swabs . the outside of the hollow tube 32 would measure how far the swabs are pushed forward . a measurement line 35 on the hollow tube 32 would indicate that the cardboard has pushed the rayon swabs ( 31 and 33 ) 13 / 16 ″ outward from the top of the vessel . this would be sufficient depth to touch the mucosa in the child &# 39 ; s throat . the second position would eject the swabs 31 and 33 another two inches , such that the swabs may be safely removed by the practitioner . one swab would be used for the rapid test , and one swab would be sent for a throat culture . the hollow tube could be manufactured in a variety of flavors making the hollow tube more palatable for the child . since the swabs are safely housed inside the hollow tube until pushed forward by the cardboard cylinder , the flavoring of the hollow tube would not come in contact with the specimen . in fig4 , a further illustrative embodiment of a device includes a double - sided brush mechanism for use on the surface of a child &# 39 ; s teeth . the device is comprised of a small colorful handle 40 which measures 4 ″ long and made of plastic . the handle 40 of the brush is flat and 4 / 16 th ″ wide . at the distal end of the handle are three rows of rayon bristles 42 . from the first row of bristles to the third row of bristles , the bristles measure 4 / 16 th ″ wide by 4 / 16 ″ long by 8 / 16 ″ in height . the bristles 42 form a triangle comprised of three rows of bristles . each triangle set of bristles is configured as three bristles in one row , two bristles in the second and one bristle in the third row . each set of bristles 42 is comprised of a cluster of rayon bristles packed together tightly . the bristles may be made of any material , such as polyester , cotton or microfiber . there are two of these brush mechanisms banded back - to - back ( not shown ). the brush mechanism could also be produced to include but not limited to , fun shapes , colors , and animal shapes . the band is broken only after the specimen has been collected . one brush &# 39 ; s specimen is used for the rapid test , and the other brush &# 39 ; s specimen is used for the overnight culture . while not shaped like a device , a proper specimen is able to be collected from the child by brushing the rayon swabs over the top and bottom teeth simultaneously . a child could do this alone or with support from the practitioner . like sucking on a lollipop , brushing one &# 39 ; s teeth is a familiar and pleasant task for a child . in another embodiment , colored bristles would be impregnated with strep a antibodies . the child then brushes his teeth , mouth and / or tongue which causes the production of saliva . the saliva is collected on the bristles . the bristles would change to a different color if the strep a antigen is detected in the saliva . in another embodiment , a similarly shaped test tube is impregnated with the strep a antibodies when the brush device is inserted into the tube , the brush changes color when the strep a antigen is present . in another embodiment , the test tube may contain a test trip which contains the strep a antigen , such that when the bristles comes in contact with test strip , the test strip changes color to signify that the strep a bacteria is present in the saliva sample . the embodiments described in fig1 , 2 , and 3 are given to a patient to suck on for 60 seconds to ensure that it is well - coated with a potential streptococcus bacteria . the patient is instructed by the practitioner not to touch the device to the sides of the cheek . instead , the patient would be instructed to touch the device to the tongue and top of the mouth area . after the 60 - second period , the practitioner takes the device back to the testing area and removes the band that secures the two devices together . one device is placed in the rapid test vessel , which mirrors the shape of the device . at this point , either reagent a , sodium nitrate , reagent b , phosphoric acid , or acetic acid are placed in the device - shaped vessel to determine the presence of the strep a antigen . the test strip is then inserted which shows a control line and a positive or negative result . the other device is sent to the laboratory to be cultured . all embodiments further the art in this field by creating a new diagnostic tool which is child - friendly and which assists in the accurate diagnosis of the strep a bacteria . in fig5 , an alternative embodiment of the device 50 is comprised of a circular , organic , soft , gelatinous substance 54 which measures 13 / 16 ″ wide and 4 / 16 ″ in depth . the ingredients of the circular member substance 54 include corn syrup , sugar , water , gelatin , modified corn syrup , and mineral oil . the circular substance is soft and gelatinous in texture . the circular substance is clear in color and non - flavored . spanning across the top of the arc of the circular member are rayon bristles 56 which protrude 2 / 16 th ″ from the circular member . the length of the span across the top of the arc of the circular member is 8 / 16 th ″. the rayon bristles run the length of the circular member and are imbedded into the circular member , such that the bristles are secure . the bristles may be made of any material , such as polyester , cotton or microfiber . the device circular lollipop component may be comprised of any material that is best identified for sample and specimen collection , including but not limited to , rayon or polyester , or any safe or nontoxic material suitable for this purpose . the rayon bristles 56 are 1 / 16 th ″ in diameter . the wooden stick measures 5¾ ″ long . the wooden stick 58 is inserted into the circular substance midway to approximately 7½ / 16 th , such that the wooden stick 58 is secured to the circular member and forms a lollipop formation or device . the wooden stick 58 is comprised of solid wood and is 2 / 16 th ″ in diameter . an identical device with identical rayon bristles is paired with another service as described , and both are banded to each other ( not shown ). the identical devices are banded together at 2½ ″ from the bottom of each . the banding material 52 is a paper wrap which is glued and is ½ ″ thick . the unbroken band signifies that the service is sterile . the banding material 52 remains intact until after the specimen has been collected . the band 52 is cut or broken by the practitioner and one device is then used for a rapid test and the second identical device is sent offsite to be cultured . in another embodiment , the bristles may be impregnated with strep a antibodies . in this embodiment , a similarly shaped test tube is impregnated with the strep a antibodies when the bristles is inserted into the test tube , the bristles change color when the strep a antigen is present . in another embodiment , the test tube may contain a test trip which contains the strep a antigen , such that when the bristles come in contact with test trip the test strip changes color to signify that the strep a bacteria is present in the saliva sample . in another embodiment , the circular substance may contain the strep a antigen , such that when the saliva sample comes in contact with the bristles and travels to the circular substance , the circular substance changes color if the strep a bacteria is present in the saliva . in another embodiment , the bristle may be 4 / 16 inches in diameter . in fig6 , a multi - component device is shown . the device includes a soft rubber or hard plastic mouthpiece 60 . practitioners may choose which material is the most cost - effective vehicle to be used . the mouthpiece 60 measures 1 ″ wide by 6 / 16 ″ deep by 2½ ″ long . the mouthpiece 60 has a hollow inner channel 62 which measures 5 / 16 th in diameter and 2½ ″ long . the base of the inner channel has one opening 64 . the second component is a plastic test tube 66 which measures 7 / 16 th ″ in diameter and is 2 ″ in length . the test tube 66 is removed from a sterile package by a practitioner and inserted into the hollow channel on the bottom of the mouthpiece . the child coughs into the mouthpiece 60 , and the streptococci bacteria sample travels through the inner channel 62 into the test tube 64 where the sample is collected . the test tube 64 is removed from the inner channel of the mouthpiece and placed into a stand . normal reagents are added directly to the test tube and the rapid test is performed . if the result of the rapid test is negative , a second test tube ( not shown ) may be attached to the channel of the mouthpiece , and the test is repeated . the second test tube is swabbed with a rayon swab , to collect the bacteria produced by the cough , and is sent off site to be cultured . in another embodiment , the test tube is impregnated with the strep a antibodies , such that when the bristles are inserted into the test tube , the bristles change color when the strep a antigen is present . in another embodiment , the test tube may contain a test trip which contains the strep a antigen , such that the test trip turns colors if the strep a bacteria is present in in the saliva of the individual . in another embodiment , a colored fiber membrane is attached to the bottom of the mouthpiece , which would be impregnated with strep a antibodies . the child then coughs into the mouthpiece , and saliva produced by the cough is collected on the fiber membrane . the fiber membrane would change to a different color if the strep a antigen is detected in the saliva . bisno al group a streptococcal infections and acute rheumatic fever . new england journal of medicine 325 : 783 - 793 ( 1991 ) kuttner agand krumweidee . observations on the effect of streptococcal upper respiratory infections on rheumatic children : a three - year study . clin . invest . : 273 - 287 ( 1941 ) shea , y . specimen collection and transport in clinical microbiology handbook . isenberg h . d . am society of microbiology 1 . 1 1 - 11 . 30 ( 1992 ) polymedco inc . poly stat strep a strip test leaflet cdc website specifically information on strep a bacteria ( 2011 ) ucsf medical center clinical laboratories point of care testing ( white paper ) approved by tim hammil , md quidel corporation &# 39 ; s ceo presents at the jp morgan healthcare conference ( transcript ) jan . 11 , 2012 the methods and systems of the disclosed embodiments , as described above and shown in the drawings , provide for equipment and related techniques with superior attributes including , among other things , improved ease of use . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made in the devices and methods of the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure . thus , it is intended that the disclosure include modifications and variations that are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
the general structural arrangement in an embodiment of the developing apparatus of the present invention may be seen in fig1 as comprising a pair of tanks 11 , 13 in which supplies of developer and rinsing fluids or solutions 12 , 14 are respectively contained . since the processing fluids may be for the most part corrosive , it is preferred that these tanks be made of resistant materials such as stainless steel or plastic . beams 15 span the length of the tank arrangement and provide support for transport roll pairs 62 , 64 , fluid application and transport subassemblies 30 , 20 , pumps 16 , 17 and associated piping 18 , 19 . the apparatus is completed with a warm air drying section and an enclosing cabinet , neither of which is shown , since they may be of any available configuration and do not constitute a part of the present invention . as depicted in fig1 the developer subassembly 30 of the apparatus comprises a sheet transport section shown generally as plate 32 , and a fluid cascade application section shown generally as manifold 39 and spray pipes 36 . these sections may be seen in greater detail in fig3 and 4 , and will be discussed more specifically below . similarly , rinse subassembly 20 may be seen in greater detail in fig2 and 5 which respectively depict the side and front elevations of the fluid distribution and transport plate elements of the rinse section 20 . although the developer and rinse subassemblies 30 , 20 are shown as comprising five and one spray pipes respectively , any number of such pipes may be employed which will provide sufficient contact of the processing fluid with the photographic sheet material , depending upon the concentration and activity of the fluid and the composition of the photographic coating or coatings involved . thus , the length of the developer and rinse sections and the speed at which the photographic sheet traverses these sections will be determined in accordance with the parameters of the materials to be processed in the apparatus . considering first the fluid distribution arrangement of rinse section 20 as depicted in fig2 and 5 , it will be seen that in the present embodiment the transport plate comprises a base plate 22 in which is milled a conduit channel 23 , and an overlying fountain plate 24 having a plurality of fountain ports 25 located so as to overlie channel 23 when plates 22 , 24 are assembled in fluid - tight relationship by means of adhesive or other clamping means ( not shown ). as will later be seen , a transport plate may comprise any number of interconnected conduit channels 23 and fountain ports 25 depending upon the desires of the manufacturer . situated along each edge of fountain plate 24 are support block conduits 26 and attached manifold blocks 27 . suspended between manifold blocks 27 and extending over the width of fountain plate 24 is spray pipe 21 in which are pluralities of spray ports 28 , 29 arranged to direct the flow of circulating fluid generally downward onto the surface of fountain plate 24 or an overlying photographically imaged sheet . as is preferred , when a single spray pipe is employed , ports 28 , 29 are arranged in staggered or alternating sequence and are directed at angles from the perpendicular so as to provide the effective uniform and active fluid flow at the surface of the image sheet . piping 19 carrying rinse fluid 14 from circulating pump 17 is connected to each of the pair of manifolds 27 by means of coupling connectors 56 and thus , with operation of pump 17 , supplies rinse fluid evenly to each side of subassembly 20 . as can be seen in fig5 the course of fluid flow is represented by arrows as stream 51 entering through connector 56 and being distributed through manifold t - bore 52 to pass into spray pipe 21 , as well as into support conduit bore 53 and fountain plate inlet bore 54 and thence into conduit channel 23 . from the spray pipe and conduit channel the fluid exits through ports 25 , 28 , 29 as fountain streams 55 and spray cascade streams 58 , 59 respectively . the effect and action of these streams upon an image sheet being processed may be more readily seen in connection with the operation of developer section 30 depicted in fig3 and 4 . in a manner similar to that described with respect to rinse subassembly 20 , the transport plate of developer subassembly 30 comprises base plate 32 having a plurality of interconnected milled conduit channels 31 , 33 , and fountain plate 34 with fountain ports 35 overlying these channels . fountain plate 34 extends across the width of the apparatus within the confines of tank 11 , and along the length of the span between developer section transport rollers 62 , 64 . a manifold 39 is located at each edge of fountain plate 34 to accommodate and support pipes 36 , 37 , 38 in parallel position above the fountain plate . but for the plurality of spray pipes and base plate conduit channels , and a pair of pumps 16 , of which one only is shown , to accommodate the extra fluid flow , distribution of developer solution is similar to that described with respect to the rinse fluid of subassembly 20 . thus , developer fluid 12 is taken up by pumps 16 and fed via pumping 18 to manifolds 39 and the ends of nonperforated pipe 37 which acts in the present embodiment as an equalizing distributor of developer fluid between manifolds 39 from the t - bores of which are supplied spray pipes 36 , 38 and base plate channels 31 , 33 . as seen more clearly in fig4 the spray ports of pipes 36 , 38 are arranged in staggered or alternating sequence along their length in order that cascading streams 46 , 48 will , in combination , uniformly cover the surface of image sheet 42 with active developer solution , thereby avoiding resulting streaks or other forms of uneven development . likewise , in order to provide optimum distribution of supporting fluid from fountain plate 34 , fountain ports 35 communicating with channels 31 , 33 are located in staggered relationship across the width of fountain plate 34 . in addition to the staggered arrangement of the ports of spray pipes 36 , 38 , these pipes are positioned in manifold 39 such that cascading streams 46 , 48 are at an angle to the perpendicular , preferably , but for the first spray pipe 36 encountered by sheet 42 , facing in the direction of travel of sheet 42 in order to assist in the transport of the free , floating end of the sheet toward exit rollers 62 , 64 . the contra direction of the cascading spray of initial pipe 36 , on the other hand , ensures the immediate immersion of the leading edge of sheet 42 beneath the surface of the standing head of developer solution and further causes a countercurrent flow of the solution to form a fluid wall at a nip dam area 49 through which sheet 42 must pass , thus ensuring rapid and complete contact between the developing fluid and the photographic composition of sheet 42 . continuous circulation of fluid through the developer and rinse systems maintains a uniform concentration of developing and other chemical agents which may be dissolved in the processing solutions . since fountain plates 24 , 34 of the respective rinse and developing subassemblies 20 , 30 are located in close proximity to the respective transport roller pairs 62 , 64 , the circulating fluid 47 flowing over the fore and aft ends of these fountain plates contacts at least lower rollers 64 and thereby maintains a thin coating of fluid on the rollers . this fluid layer serves to reduce any tendency of image film 42 to cling to rollers 62 , 64 during the course of travel through the roller nips . upon entry of image sheet 42 into the first transport roller nip the sheet rides upon the surface of the developer fluid standing on fountain plate 34 until it encounters the counter - flowing cascade streams 46 which force the leading edge of sheet 42 beneath the level of the fluid head . prior to its being forced by the cascade streams into direct contact with fountain plate 34 , however , sheet 42 encounters the first line of fluid fountains 43 and , supported by their upward flow , proceeds , under the urging of first transport rollers 62 , 64 , beneath the next cascade streams 48 . being supported in turn by lines of fountains 44 , 45 sheet 42 proceeds through further cascade streams 46 , 48 to the exit nip of rollers 62 , 64 which form a fluid dam area , such as at entrance nip 49 , during exit of sheet 42 . this exit nip additionally wrings most of the developer solution from the surface of the sheet as the latter passes on to rinse subassembly 20 where the rinsing process is carried out in similar manner . due to the constant fluid support of image sheet 42 provided by the action of fountains 43 , 44 , 45 , as well as the downstream urging of the developer fluid cascading from the overhead spray pipes , the forward transport impetus provided by roller pairs 62 , 64 need be minimal . these roller elements serve primarily to seal off the flow of fluid , as at 49 , and to provide means for metering off or wringing the fluid from the surfaces of sheet 42 . while represented generally as being of solid metal material , rollers 62 , 64 may preferably be of tubular metal or light - weight plastic . means for driving the transport roller pair 62 , 64 is preferably as shown in fig6 and comprises the driven rotation of lower roller 64 , in the direction indicated , by means , for example , of chain 67 and sprocket 68 , while roller 62 is driven only by frictional contact with roller 64 or the surface of sheet 42 . the minimum of pressure contact between upper rollers 62 and the surface of image sheet 42 is also ensured by the floating action of axle 63 in a slotted bearing 66 in a bearing block 65 constructed , for example , of low - friction plastic material . considering the generally corrosive nature of the processing fluids employed in the developing apparatus , the various materials of which the subassemblies are constructed would normally be selected from plastics , such as polyvinyl chloride piping and conduits , and cast acrylic sheeting , as in the construction of the base and fountain plates . other elements in the manufacture of the apparatus may be selected from a wide variety of plastics and non - corrosive metallic materials , such as stainless steel . cartridge - type filters may be advantageously inserted in the course of flow piping 18 , 19 , and the supply tanks may be fitted with various fill and drain fixtures , and with immersion heaters to maintain desired temperature levels in the fluids . the degree of force with which the cascading streams impinge upon the surface of image sheet 42 may , of course , be determined by the manufacturer ; however , it has been found that sufficient and effective uniform distribution and agitation result from a substantially free fall gravity flow of the fluids . it has been found that the forceful direction of cascade streams upon the surface of wash - off photographic material can result in mechanical damage of the photographic composition surface , yielding uneven development and unsightly distortion of the photographic finish . | 6 |
the disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements . it should be noted that references to “ an ” or “ one ” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment , and such references mean at least one . fig1 illustrates an inkjet printer of an embodiment comprising a printer chassis 10 , a belt 20 which is endless , a motor 30 , an inkjet head 50 , and an ink collection device 100 . the motor 30 is secured to the printer chassis 10 to transmit the belt 20 in a first moving direction or a second moving direction reverse to the first moving direction . the inkjet head 50 is connected to the belt 20 and slidably attached to a sliding shaft 51 , which is secured to the printer chassis 10 . the inkjet head 50 slides forward or backward along the sliding shaft 51 as the belt 20 is moved in the moving direction or second moving direction . in the illustrated embodiment , only a part of the printer chassis 10 is shown . the printer chassis 10 comprises a supporting plate 11 which supports the paper in printing . the supporting plate 11 defines a through hole ( not shown ). the belt 20 and the inkjet head 50 are located above the supporting plate 11 , and the motor 30 is located below the supporting plate 11 . referring to fig2 , the ink collection device 100 comprises a first rotating member 60 , a second rotating member 67 , a mounting member 80 , a third rotating member 70 , and a fan module 90 . the first rotating member 60 comprises a connecting portion 61 with two end portions 63 located at opposite end of the connecting portion 61 . a diameter of the connecting portion 61 is less than that of each of the two end portions 63 , thereby forming a ring slot 601 between the two end portions 63 . the first rotating member 60 defines a securing hole 603 through the two end portions 63 and the connecting portion 61 . the second rotating member 67 comprises a first rotating shaft 710 and a first gear 71 secured to one end of a first rotating shaft 710 . the first gear 71 comprises a first cone surface 711 , and a plurality of first gear teeth is formed on the first cone surface 711 . the mounting member 80 comprises a first mounting piece 81 and two second mounting pieces 82 extending downward from opposite ends of the first mounting piece 81 . the first mounting piece 81 defines a first mounting hole 811 . each of the two second mounting pieces 82 defines a second mounting hole 821 . in an embodiment , the two second mounting pieces 82 are substantially perpendicular to the first mounting piece 81 . the third rotating member 70 comprises a second gear 72 , a third gear 73 , a first wheel 75 , a second wheel 76 , and a second rotating shaft 78 . the first wheel 75 engages with second rotating shaft 78 and is secured to the second gear 72 . the second wheel 76 engages with the second rotating shaft 78 and is secured to the third gear 73 . the second gear 72 comprises a second cone surface 721 , and the third gear 73 comprises a third cone surface 731 . a plurality of second gear teeth is formed on the second cone surface 721 and a plurality of third gear teeth is formed on the third cone surface 731 . in an embodiment , the first gear 71 , the second gear 72 and the third gear 73 are bevel gears , for example . the fan module 90 comprises a mounting portion 91 and a plurality of blades 93 , which cause an airflow , secured to an outer perimeter of the mounting portion 91 . an installing hole 911 is defined in the mounting portion 91 . referring to fig3 - 6 , in assembly , the first rotating shaft 710 and the first gear 71 are placed between the two second mounting pieces 82 . the first rotating shaft 710 extends through the first mounting hole 811 . the second rotating shaft 78 is supported by the second mounting holes 821 of the second mounting piece 82 . the first cone surface 711 of the first gear 71 meshes with the second cone surface 721 of the second gear 72 and the third cone surface 731 of the third gear 73 meshes with the first gear teeth , the second gear teeth , and the third gear teeth . the mounting member 80 is secured to a bottom surface of the supporting plate 11 by known means , such as by welding or screws . the first rotating shaft 710 extends through the through hole of the supporting plate 11 . the first rotating member 60 is secured to one end of the first rotating shaft 710 . the first rotating shaft 710 is substantially perpendicular to the second rotating shaft 78 . the belt 20 is received in the ring slot 601 of the first rotating member 60 and abuts the outer perimeter of the connecting portion 61 . one end of the second rotating shaft 78 is received in the installing hole 911 of the fan module 90 , so the fan module 90 is secured to the second rotating shaft 78 . referring to fig6 , when the motor 30 drives the belt 20 in the first moving direction ( see arrow shown in fig6 ), the inkjet head 50 is slid forward along the sliding shaft 51 and the first rotating member 60 is rotated in the first rotating direction . the first rotating shaft 710 and the first gear 71 of the second rotating member 67 are also rotated in the first rotating direction . the second gear 72 and the first wheel 75 are rotated in the second rotating direction , and the third gear 73 and the second wheel 76 are rotated in the first rotating direction , the second rotating shaft 78 is rotated by the first wheel 75 , and not by the second wheel 76 , in the second rotating direction . so , the fan module 90 is rotated in the second rotating direction . in an embodiment , the first rotating direction is a clockwise direction , and the second rotating direction is a counterclockwise direction . when the motor 30 drives the belt 20 in the second moving direction , the inkjet head 50 is slid backward along the sliding shaft 51 , and the first rotating member 60 is rotated in the second rotating direction . the first rotating shaft 710 and the first gear 71 , of the second rotating member 67 , are also rotated in the second rotating direction . the second gear 72 and the first wheel 75 are rotated in the first rotating direction , and the third gear 73 and the second wheel 76 are rotated in the second rotating direction . the second rotating shaft 78 is rotated by the second wheel 76 , and not by the first wheel 75 , in the second rotating direction . so , the fan module 90 is still rotated in second rotating direction . as described above , the second rotating shaft 78 is rotated in the second rotating direction no matter the direction of rotation of the second gear 72 and the third gear 73 . in an embodiment , a wedge resilient piece ( not shown ) is located on each of the first wheel 75 and the second wheel 76 , and two slots ( not shown ) are defined in the second rotating shaft 78 corresponding to the resilient pieces . when the first wheel 75 is rotated in the second rotating direction , the wedge resilient piece of the first wheel 75 is locked in the slot of the second rotating shaft 78 , thereby rotating the second rotating shaft 78 in the second rotating direction . when the first wheel 75 is rotated in the first rotating direction , the wedge resilient piece cannot be locked in the slot of the second rotating shaft 78 , so the first wheel 75 cannot rotate the second rotating shaft 78 . similarly , the second rotating shaft 78 is rotated by the second wheel 76 when the second wheel 76 is rotated in the first rotating direction , and cannot be rotated by the second wheel 76 when the second wheel 76 is rotated in the second rotating direction . the wedge resilient pieces and the slots can be replaced by other structures which have the same function . as described above , whether the motor 30 drives the belt 20 in the first moving direction or in the second moving direction , the fan module 90 is still rotated in the second rotating direction . when the fan module 90 is rotated in the second rotating direction , any ink microparticles suspended in the air are gathered into the ink collection device 100 . it is to be understood , however , that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of embodiments , together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments , the disclosure is illustrative only and changes may be made in detail , especially in the matters of shape , size , and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed . | 1 |
it is important to note that the embodiments disclosed are only examples of the many advantageous uses of the innovative teachings herein . in general , statements made in the specification of the present disclosure do not necessarily limit any of the various claimed inventions . moreover , some statements may apply to some inventive features but not to others . in general , unless otherwise indicated , singular elements may be in plural and vice versa with no loss of generality . in the drawings , like numerals refer to like parts through several views . fig3 shows an exemplary and non - limiting flowchart 300 illustrating the method for an adaptive fec in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . the method is performed by an olt in a pon . in an embodiment of invention , the pon may be a xg - pon or a gpon in which a fec is permitted . the method selects the optimal fec code in at least one of the downstream and upstream directions to optimize at least the transmission bandwidth and / or reliability of the pon . the fec codes selected for the downstream and upstream directions do not be the same . further , the fec codes may be set differently for different onus in the pon . the fec codes that can be selected by the method may be , but are not limited to , reed - solomon ( rs ), bch , ldpc coding , and the like . thus , the method may utilize fec codes other than the fec code defined in the gpon and xg - pon respective standards . in one embodiment , the olt is pre - configured with a set of fec codes that can be used in the upstream and downstream direction in different scenarios . the fec codes include , but are not limited to , rs ( 248 , 232 ) ( truncated from rs ( 255 , 239 )), rs ( 248 , 240 ) ( truncated from rs ( 255 , 247 )), rs ( 248 , 216 ) ( truncated from rs ( 255 , 223 )), rs ( 248 , 200 ) ( truncated from rs ( 255 , 207 )), bch or ldpc codes of different parameters , and the like . a concatenation of different codes can also be used in order to provide multiple advantageous benefits available from such usage . at s 310 , a fec code to be applied in the downstream direction is selected . the selection initially based , in part , on the pon topology , that is , the number of onus , the distance between the onus to the olt , number of splitters , split ratio to onus , quality of the optical fibers and various system components , and the like . this information may be provided by the network operator . the fec code is selected to maximize the bandwidth utilization in the downstream direction while meeting the ber requirements specified in the gpon or xg - pon standards . in an exemplary implementation , a weaker fec code is selected for a network with a small number of onus , for example eight onus per olt , and / or a short distance between the olt to onus , for example not more than 10 km between the olt and the farthest onu . if the pon covers a long distance with many onus , a stronger fec code is utilized . a weaker fec code can correct fewer errors than a stronger fec code . however , the latter code consumes more bandwidth than the formed code as more parity bytes are needed . as a non - limiting example , with the mandatory downstream fec code is rs ( 248 , 216 ), 20064 bytes out of 155520 bytes transmitted in a 125 us phy downstream frame ( almost 13 %) are parity bytes dedicated for fec . however , if xg - pon typology is a “ compact network ” ( e . g ., a small number of onus , short distances , etc .) a weaker code , such as rs ( 248 , 240 ) can be utilized . this allows reuse of 15048 bytes in every 125 us , thus reducing the fec overhead to about 3 % and increasing the bandwidth in 10 %. it should be noted that in certain cases , when network topology conditions permit , the method can select not to apply any fec in the downstream direction . at s 320 , the selected fec code ( if any ) is communicated to the onus . in one embodiment , the olt ( e . g ., olt 130 , fig1 ) periodically sends in - band handshake messages to the onus ( e . g ., onus 120 , fig1 ) in the downstream direction . each onu passively monitors the downstream signal ( including the handshake message ) before initial downstream synchronization is attained to learn the type of fec code being currently utilized for the downstream direction . the type of downstream fec code allows the onu to properly decode the received data frame . as the downstream signal is monitored before the fec correction , a high bit error ratio is expected . in order to overcome the bit errors , the selected fec code is identified several times and a majority vote is taken on the results . the in - band handshake signal is further protected by its own error correcting code ( e . g . using a bch code ) and only error free samples of the handshake are used for the majority vote process . at s 330 , for each onu , it is determined whether a fec in the upstream direction should be enabled , and if so a fec code is selected for each onu having fec - enabled . the determination of the fec code selection is based , in part , on the distance of an onu from the olt , the number of splitters and split ratio between the onu and the olt , and the quality of the optical fiber . it should be emphasized , that different fec codes can be selected to different onus . for example , if the onu is located close to the olt , then a weaker fec code is selected . however , if the onu is located farther , then a stronger fec code is selected . the selected fec code may be different than the upstream fec code rs ( 248 , 232 ) defined in the xg - pon . a stronger fec is desired in order to provide a larger coding gain , compensating for the increased bit error rate introduced by the optical distribution network . a weaker fec allows for more efficient transmission reserving more bandwidth for user traffic instead of wasting such bandwidth on overheads . once the fec codes and fec upstream mode ( enabled / disabled ) are selected , at s 340 , this information is communicated to the onus by the olt . this can be performed by sending , for example , a vendor specific downstream onu management and control interface ( omci ) message ( as defined in itu - t g . 988 section 11 . 2 . 4 ), or a downstream unicast ploam message . in xg - pon , the fec enabled / disabled mode for each of onu can be conveyed to the onu through a ploam messages as defined in the itu - t g . 987 . 3 standard referenced above . once the upstream and downstream fec codes are selected and communicated to the onus , downstream and upstream links are established . thereafter , data frames are transmitted in the upstream and downstream directions and the olt continuously assesses the performance of the selected downstream fec code and each of the upstream fec codes . it should be noted that regardless of the selected downstream and upstream fec codes , the length and structure of each of the xgem frame , xg - pon1 downstream phy frame , and xg - pon1 upstream phy frame is always as specified in the xgpon standard itu - t g . 987 . 3 referenced above , with the exception of the fec data / parity ratio within the frame . the same is true for gem frames and gpon downstream / upstream frames defined in the gpon standard itu - t g . 984 . 3 referenced above . specifically , at s 350 , the olt measures the ber of upstream burst data transmitted by each onu . at s 360 , the measured upstream ber is compared to a maximum upstream ber and / or to previous measured upstream ber values . it should be noted that the maximum upstream ber is defined by the pon communication standard or the network operator . at s 370 , based on the measured upstream ber it is determined if the currently upstream fec code should be changed , enabled or disabled . for example , if the measured upstream ber is higher than the maximum upstream ber , then a stronger fec code can replace the current fec code . if the measured upstream ber has improved , then a weaker fec code can replace the current fec code or alternatively the fec is disabled . when a decision has been made to replace the upstream fec code , the new fec code is communicated to the respective onu as discussed at s 340 . each onu also measures downstream ber of the received data frames . this measured value is communicated to the olt using an upstream ploam message . alternatively , the measured value can be sent by generating an attribute value change ( avc ) by the onu , thus informing the olt that a new value should be read using omci . alternatively , this value is periodically polled by the olt using the ploam or the omci channel . at s 380 , the measured downstream ber is compared to a maximum downstream ber and / or to one or more previously measured downstream ber values . at s 390 , based on the measured downstream ber it is determined if the currently used fec code should be changed , enabled or disabled . as discussed above , a weaker fec code is selected if the ber has improved ; or otherwise a stronger fec code can be used to replace the current fec code when the ber has degraded . when a decision has been made to replace the downstream fec code , the new fec code is communicated to the onus as discussed at s 320 . it should be noted that the determination of whether the upstream / downstream fec codes should be replaced may be performed after computing an average value of a number of upstream / downstream ber measurements . this allows making an accurate decision with regard to the new fec codes . fig4 shows an exemplary diagram block diagram of an apparatus 400 implemented in an olt for adaptively setting the fec codes according to one embodiment . the apparatus 400 comprises a processor 410 , a physical ( phy ) layer adapter 420 , a fec encoder / decoder 430 , a ber measurement unit 440 , a memory 450 , and a mac layer module 460 . the processor 410 , among other tasks , sets the fec code for the fec encoder / decoder 430 according to the process described in detail above . to this aim , the memory 450 , in an embodiment , is a non - transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for causing the processor to perform the adaptive fec process . the memory 450 also includes a list of fec codes that can be utilized by the fec encoder / decoder 430 . the phy layer adapter 420 , fec encoder / decoder 430 , and mac layer module 460 , operate under the control of the processor 410 . in one embodiment the phy layer adapter 420 and mac layer module 460 are compliant with any one of a gpon or xg - pon communication network . the mac layer module 460 is the source and sink of gem or xgem frames before and after such frames are being processed by the fec encoder / decoder 430 . the mac layer module 460 also constructs the synchronization information , e . g ., the ploam message , according to upstream fec provisions set by the processor 410 . as mentioned above , the fec provisions include which of the onus should be fec enabled and the fec code to be utilized by each fec - enabled onu and determined by the processor 410 . the phy layer adapter 420 generates the downstream physical frame , e . g ., a xg - pon1 downstream phy frame ( frame 200 ), according to the provisions set by the processor 410 . the data codewords and the parity bytes in the payload section in the downstream physical frame are encoded by the fec encoder / decoder 430 according the fec code set by the processor 410 . the phy layer adapter 420 structures the downstream physical frame to include data and parity bytes as provided by the fec encoder / decoder 430 . it should be noted that regardless of the downstream fec code selected by the processor 410 , the length and structure of a xgem frame and xg - pon1 downstream frame is as specified in the xgpon standard itu - t g . 987 . 3 referenced above . the same is true for gem frames and gpon downstream frames defined in the gpon standard itu - t g . 984 . 3 referenced above . the ber measurement unit 440 measures the ber of data frames received from the onus . the ber measurements are utilized by the processor 410 to determine if the current upstream fec code should be changed as described in detail above . frames received from the onus are disassembled by the phy layer adapter 420 and are fec decoded by means of the fec encoder / decoder 430 . the fec decoded data is sent to the mac layer module 460 . the maximum ber level of the decoded burst data is as specified for example by the network operator or the respective standard . the burst data sent from a specific onu is fec decoded based on the fec code assigned to this onu . the list of fec codes assigned to different onus are saved in the memory 450 . in one embodiment , the fec encoder / decoder 430 is integrated in the phy layer adapter 420 . in another embodiment of the invention , the fec encoder / decoder 430 can be also integrated in with mac layer module 460 . the processor 410 is also configured to extract the measured ber of downstream frames as communicated by the onus . using this information , the processor 410 may change the current downstream fec code as described in detail above . the processor 410 may be realized as one or more central processing units or one or more application specific integrated circuits ( asics ). in one embodiment , the processor 410 is the network processor of the olt . the various embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as hardware , firmware , software , or any combination thereof . moreover , the software is preferably implemented as an application program tangibly embodied on a program storage unit or computer readable medium . the application program may be uploaded to , and executed by , a machine comprising any suitable architecture . preferably , the machine is implemented on a computer platform having hardware such as one or more central processing units (“ cpus ”), a memory , and input / output interfaces . the computer platform may also include an operating system and microinstruction code . the various processes and functions described herein may be either part of the microinstruction code or part of the application program , or any combination thereof , which may be executed by a cpu , whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown . in addition , various other peripheral units may be connected to the computer platform such as an additional data storage unit and a printing unit . all examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art , and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions . moreover , all statements herein reciting principles , aspects , and embodiments of the invention , as well as specific examples thereof , are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof . additionally , it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future , i . e ., any elements developed that perform the same function , regardless of structure . | 7 |
an example of a self - propelled vehicle that can be modified in accordance with this invention is described in u . s . patent application publication no . 2009 / 0065273 , filed as ser . no . 12 / 209 , 120 on sep . 11 , 2008 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . turning now to the figures , wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements , fig1 illustrates a utility vehicle in the form of mowing vehicle 100 , that can be modified to incorporate one or more principles of the present invention . power supply ( not shown ) of vehicle 100 drives an electric motor 141 on each of two electric transaxles , 110 a and 110 b , each separately driving one of two rear wheels 112 a and 112 b , to implement zero turn vehicle functionality . a pair of pivoting front casters 125 is also provided to facilitate zero turn vehicle functionality . the transaxles drive the wheels 112 a and 112 b via axle shafts 113 a and 113 b , which are coupled to transmissions 114 a and 114 b , which are driven by electric motors 141 . a fail - safe brake 160 is joined to each of the electric motors 141 , preventing movement of the vehicle , for example , when it is powered down . in this embodiment , the electric transaxles 110 a and 110 b are nested in a side - by - side , parallel arrangement as shown in fig1 . a brake release assembly in accordance with the principles of the invention can be modified to be useful with a lawn tractor having only one electrically driven transaxle incorporating a single fail - safe brake as described herein . referring to fig1 and 2 , mowing vehicle 100 may include one or more brake systems . in the embodiment shown , switches ( not shown ) are opened when steering / drive levers 136 a and 136 b are both positioned in a neutral , drive - disengaged position , allowing the engagement of fail - safe brakes 160 . similarly , when drive levers 136 a and 136 b are both positioned in the neutral , drive - disengaged position , those same switches ( or a separate set of switches ) may also signal or initiate a blade stop function as a safety and power management feature . in the mode shown in fig1 , fail - safe brake leads 143 extend from fail - safe brakes 160 to controller leads 145 a and 145 b , providing electrical communication between the fail - safe brakes 160 and controllers 120 a and 120 b . drive controllers 120 a and 120 b may control electrical communication from a vehicle power source , such as a battery ( not shown ), to the fail - safe brakes 160 . each fail - safe brake 160 , which is biased to braking engagement , is preferably of a conventional , electro - mechanical kind in which springs ( not shown ) press a brake plate , friction disk or the like ( not shown ) into braking engagement , arresting the rotation of the motor shaft ( not shown ) of an electric motor 141 , to which it is engaged . in a vehicle driving mode , electrical current from the vehicle power source passes through the controllers 120 a and 120 b to energize coils ( not shown ) in the fail - safe brakes 160 , thereby releasing the brake plate or friction disk from braking engagement . fig2 shows the connection of fail - safe brakes 160 to brake release assembly 150 . as shown in fig2 , when the connections between fail - safe brakes 160 and controllers 120 a and 120 b are manually broken , and battery pack case 153 and battery pack leads 151 are connected to fail - safe brake leads 143 , the closing of switch 154 releases fail - safe brakes 160 . in the mode shown in fig2 , the electrical current from battery pack case 153 energizes coils ( not shown ) in brakes 160 that oppose the springs and release brakes 160 . the brake release assembly 150 , which may be used periodically to release brakes 160 when the main power supply is depleted , for example , may be a hand held device or may be permanently mounted on vehicle 100 . fig3 shows the circuit details of brake release assembly 150 , comprising a pair of switchable circuits connecting a power source 152 a and 152 b in parallel with a light - emitting diode ( led ) 158 a and 158 b and an external connector 156 a and 156 b , respectively . external connectors 156 a and 156 b are joined to the pair of switchable circuits by battery pack leads 151 ( as best shown in fig2 ), which may be of varying length to allow for the access requirements of different vehicles . as illustrated , both circuits are controlled by a double pole single throw ( dpst ) switch 154 , though other switch types or number of switches may be employed as known in the art . switch 154 may be mounted to the exterior of battery pack case 153 . in fig3 , each power source 152 a and 152 b is depicted as a pair of batteries in series , specifically a set of 9v batteries . while the use of 9v batteries is shown for convenience , other batteries and voltages may be employed as determined by the demand or requirements of fail - safe brakes 160 . power sources 152 a and 152 b are contained within battery pack case 153 . each led 158 a and 158 b may be mounted to the exterior of battery pack case 153 and serves as an indicator that fail - safe brakes 160 have been released . however , conventional lamps or bulbs could be used in each circuit as indicators . while specific embodiments 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 . | 8 |
the underlying principle of the prior art circuit will be explained with the aid of fig1 . the useful signals fed to the terminal 1 pass through a resistance 3 to the input of variable transfer constant amplifier 4 with an electronically actuable resistance 5 . a compressed dynamics signal can be tapped from one output terminal 2 . the level dependent control of the electronically controllable amplifier 4 is achieved by the feature that the signals occurring at its output are passed through a resistance 7 also to the input of another controllable amplifier 8 with an electrically controllable resistance 9 . a threshold value rectifier 11 is arranged at the output of this amplifier . this rectifier 11 passes to the control inputs 6 and 10 of the electronically controllable resistance 5 and 9 appropriate control signals such that a signal with the dynamics 0 db appears at the output of the electronically controllable amplifier 8 . a transfer member 12 with exponential characteristic is wired internally to the load side of the control voltage generator 11 in parallel to the direct voltage generator 13 proper to achieve a db - linear characteristic ( according to drawing however : the control voltage generator comprises a direct voltage generator to the load side of which is connected a transfer member 12 ). the design of this transfer member will now be described with the aid of fig2 . fig2 is a cut - out of fig1 and shows the internal direct voltage generator 13 to the load side of which is connected the transfer element 12 , and the circuitry which yields the electronically controllable resistances 5 and 9 . the means which principally determine the control characteristic in the transfer member 12 are the transistors 15 , 18 and 22 and the resistances 16 , 19 , 23 and 24 . in this arrangement the collectors of the said transistors are interconnected and are connected also to an input 32 of a current mirror circuit 31 . the emitter of the transistors 15 , 18 and 22 are wired respectively to connections of the resistances 16 , 19 and 23 . the other connections of the resistances 16 , 19 and 23 are connected with one another and are connected through a resistance 24 and the emitter - collector - section of a transistor 27 with an input 37 of a second current mirror circuit 36 . the bases of the transistors 15 and 18 are wired through input terminals 14 and 17 to reference voltages u ref1 and u ref2 . the basis of the transistor 22 is analogically connected through an input terminal 21 to a reference voltage u ref3 . circuit engineering wise this reference voltage is generated through the connection of the base through the emitter - base - section of another transistor 20 with the reference voltage u ref2 . the base of the transistor 27 is on its part wired to the collector of a transistor 29 the base of which is likewise wired through an input terminal 28 to a reference voltage u ref4 and the emitter of which is connected through a resistance 30 with an input terminal 66 into which is fed a negative operating voltage . the base of the transistor 27 is on the other hand wired to the emitter of a darlington circuit comprising the transistors 26 and 25 . the common collector of the darlington circuit is wired to an input terminal 65 into which is fed a positive operating voltage . the base of the darlington amplifier is wired to an internal direct voltage generator 13 . the darlington circuit comprising the transistors 25 and 26 is on its part employed on one hand for the matching of the potential of the internal direct voltage generator 13 and on the other hand to act as current amplifier . the triggering of the base of the transistor 25 achieves the control of the current distribution of the current supplied by the transistor 29 between the branch through the darlington step comprising the transistors 25 and 26 and the branch comprising through the base - emitter - section of the transistor 27 . it is in this way possible to effect with a control voltage applied to the base of a transistor 25 of the darlington step the control of the potential at the emitter of the transistor 27 . as a result of the exponential characteristic of the transistors 15 , 18 and 22 there is achieved an exponential variation of their collector currents as a function of the potential at the emitter of the transistor 27 . the magnitudes of the reference voltages u ref1 , u ref2 and the magnitudes of the resistances 16 , 19 , 23 and 24 are all staggered in order to obtain the desired characteristic concerning the resulting collector currents of the transistors 15 , 18 and 22 as a function of the potential at the emitter of the transistor 27 . the reference voltage u ref1 is larger than the reference voltage u ref2 . the resistance 16 is larger than the resistance 19 , the resistance 19 is larger than the resistance 23 and the resistance 23 is larger than the resistance 24 . the resistance 24 may also be dispensed with if its value is included in the rating and staggering of the resistances 16 , 19 and 23 . the characteristic will only be formed by the properties of the transistor 15 in conjunction with the resistances 16 and 24 as long as the potential at the common junction 67 of the resistances has a value between the reference voltage u ref1 and the reference voltage u ref2 . an additional current is passed through the transistor 18 directly the potential at the common junction is between the reference voltage u ref2 and analogically between the reference voltage u ref3 so that the characteristic curve arising is obtained from the characteristics of the two transistors 15 and 18 in conjunction with the resistances 16 or 19 and 24 . when the level at the common junction 67 of the resistances 16 , 19 , 23 and 24 becomes smaller than u ref3 the transistor 22 will open so that the resultant characteristic curve is then formed from the characteristics of all transistors 15 , 18 and 22 in conjunction with the resistances 16 , 19 , 23 and 24 . the staggering of the reference voltages and of the resistances is in this context designed so that another transistor is opened at the instant in which the range of the linearity of the other transistor it has left . it is in this way possible to achieve a characteristic curve pattern which has the required linearity over several decades . the resulting collector current from the transistors 15 , 18 and 22 employed for triggering through the input 32 of the current mirror circuit 31 of diode chains which are wired in sets to one output 33 and one output 34 of the current mirror circuit 31 . the current level circuit 31 brings about that the currents in each set of diodes correspond exactly to the input current into the current mirror circuit . each pair of diode chains comprises six series connected diodes 41 . . . 46 , 47 . . . 52 , 53 . . . 58 and 59 . . . 64 . the other ends of the diode chains are in each case wired to the outputs 38 and 39 of a complementary current mirror circuit 36 , into the input 37 of which is fed the collector current of the transistor 27 which is complementary to the transistors 15 , 18 and 22 . between the junction points of the diodes 43 , 44 and 49 , 50 is formed a differential resistance as a function of the current through the diodes which resistance serves directly as electronically controllable resistance 5 in the circuit in accordance with fig1 . in the case of another set of the diode chains a differential resistance is formed at an appropriate place which in the circuit in accordance with fig1 acts as electronically controllable resistance 9 . since the current mirror circuits 31 and 36 are connected through terminals 35 and 40 to symmetrical supply voltages + u b and - u b and because there is a complementary circuit design the differential resistances 5 and 9 are at zero - potential . | 6 |
reference will now be made to the drawings , wherein to the extent possible like reference numerals are utilized to designate like components throughout the various views . fig1 shows a space dyeing range 10 for use in applying and fixing dye to a plurality of yarns 12 . as illustrated , the range 10 preferably includes a creel 14 which holds a multiplicity of yarn packages 16 . individual yarns 12 from each package 16 are passed through a first comb 18 wherein the yarns 12 are arranged in a substantially uniformly spaced , parallel fashion so that the yarns 12 do not overlap and are properly spaced in side to side relation to form a yarn sheet 20 . the yarn sheet 20 passes through a dye applicator 22 for application of patterned color segments in a predefined arrangement along the yarns 12 in a manner to be described further hereinafter . after dyeing , the yarn sheet 20 exits the dye applicator 22 and passes through a drying oven 24 as will be well known to those of skill in the art . after exiting the drying oven 24 the yarn sheet 20 enters a yarn inspection system 26 to detect any breakage of the individual yarns 12 . the yarns 12 are then wound by a winder 28 into packages 30 . the packages 30 of dyed yarn are later fixed by an appropriate method such as by autoclaving , then washed to remove any excess , unfixed dye and dispersing agent . the yarn is thereafter dried and transported to an apparatus such as a weaving or knitting machine for formation into a cohesive textile construction . turning to fig2 , within the dye applicator 22 the yarn sheet 20 passes through a second comb 32 and loops around an indexing roll 34 . an encoder 35 linked in communication with the indexing roll 34 monitors the progression of the yarn sheet 20 and communicates such data to an operating computer 33 ( fig1 ) which has been programmed to control the application of a sequence of color segments at predefined locations along the yarns 12 within the yarn sheet 20 in a manner as will be described further hereinafter . as illustrated , upon exiting the indexing roll 34 the yarn sheet 20 is passed over a dye application roll 40 . the dye application roll 40 may be rotated by a motor 36 via a drive belt 37 . of course , other drive assemblies as will be known to those of skill in the art may also be utilized . as shown , the dye application roll is mounted in rotating relation within a dye trough 42 . the dye application roll 40 is partially submerged within a reservoir of dye liquor 44 such that upon rotation of the dye application roll 40 by the motor 36 , the dye liquor 44 is spread across the contacting yarn sheet 20 so as to apply a first uniform base shade along the length of the yarns 12 within the yarn sheet 20 . as will be discussed further hereinafter , the base shade may be used to establish colored segments along the length of the yarns 12 . of course , in the event that the desired base shade is white , then no dye liquor 44 need be applied to the yarn sheet 20 . upon exiting the dye application roll 40 the yarn sheet 20 is passed through a third comb 46 and towards a series of dye stream application stations 50 each of which may apply a different colored dye to the yarn sheet 20 in a successive pattern . as illustrated in fig3 , the dye stream application stations 50 are disposed substantially transverse to the travel path of the yarns 12 forming the yarn sheet 20 . as shown , each of the dye stream application stations 50 preferably includes a multiplicity of dye stream application modules 52 to apply dye streams to a number of opposing yarns 12 . according to the illustrated and potentially preferred practice , each of the dye stream application modules 52 is preferably substantially identical in configuration and is linked to a common dye feed source 54 such that each dye stream application module 52 applies the same color across the width of the yarn sheet 20 . of course , one or more modules may be fed by an alternative dye feed source if desired such that different colors are applied across the width of the yarn sheet 20 . referring now simultaneously to fig4 and 5 , one practice for the application of dye segments along individual yarns 12 is illustrated . as shown , the dye stream application modules 52 each include a multiplicity of dye nozzles 56 projecting in angled relation towards the yarn sheet 20 . the dye nozzles are arranged so as to discharge a narrow stable dye stream 58 to the side of the individual yarns 12 such that under normal conditions there is no interaction between the dye stream 58 and the yarns 12 . according to the potentially preferred practice , each of the dye nozzles 56 has an outer diameter of about 0 . 065 mm with an inner diameter of about 0 . 033 mm and is operated at a fluid pressure of about 0 . 5 psi to about 1 . 5 psi ( about 0 . 035 to about 0 . 105 kg force per square cm ). each of the dye nozzles 56 is preferably connected via tubing 60 to the common pressurized dye feed source 54 ( fig3 ) by a dye inlet 62 . thus , each of the dye nozzles 56 preferably transmits a dye stream 58 of substantially the same character . in order to apply discrete short color segments to the individual yarns 12 , the illustrated dye stream application module 52 includes a multiplicity of gas nozzles 64 having an outer diameter of about 0 . 083 mm with an inner diameter of about 0 . 049 connected to a pressurized gas source 66 such as instrument quality air or nitrogen at a pressure of about 12 to about 15 psi ( about 0 . 84 to about 1 . 05 kg force per square cm ) via an air line 68 . gas flow through the nozzles 64 is cycled on and off in a predetermined programmed manner by fast acting valves 70 such as valve model lfax0512000ba which is believed to be available from the lee company having a place of business in westbrooke , conn . usa . the valves 70 are preferably controlled by the operating computer 33 . in this regard , it is contemplated that the valves 70 may be operated either in unison or individually via control signals carried by transmission lines 72 linked to the operating computer 33 or other control device such as a programmable logic controller or the like as may be known to those of skill in the art . in operation , the dye stream application module 52 is preferably enclosed within a box - like frame structure 74 . a latch structure 76 may be used to remove a face panel to gain access to the valves 70 and other components within the interior of the dye stream application module 52 to facilitate maintenance and adjustment as may be desired . as best illustrated in fig5 , upon opening of one or more of the valves 70 , a gas impingement jet is projected through the gas nozzles 64 and into contact with the dye stream 58 . as shown , the jet exiting the gas nozzles 64 intercepts the dye stream 58 at a position above the plane of the yarn sheet 20 thereby deflecting the dye stream 58 away from its normal path on one side of an opposing yarn 12 as shown in fig4 and into an alternative deflected path adjacent the opposite side of the same yarn 12 as illustrated in fig5 . during this transition , the dye stream 58 is caused to sweep across the adjacent yarn 12 in the direction indicated by the arrows in fig5 until the lower portion of the dye stream 58 is in general alignment with the gas nozzles 64 causing the deflection . as will be appreciated , during the deflection process , the dye stream 58 applies a short band of color across the yarns 12 . likewise , when the flow of impinging gas is terminated from the gas nozzles 64 , the dye stream 58 resumes its normal flow path as shown in fig4 . during this recovery , another short segment of dye is again applied across the yarns 12 . the intermittent activation and deactivation of the valves 70 provides for short disperse spots of color with lengths as short as about 1 mm or less along the length of the yarns 12 . this process may be repeated at each of the dye application stations 50 along the travel path of the yarn sheet 20 so as to apply virtually any arrangement of colors along the length of the yarns 12 . the result is a yarn 12 having an arrangement of color bands disposed in a predetermined arrangement wherein the color bands may have controlled short lengths even if the yarn 12 has a low denier rating . by way of example only , and not limitation , an arrangement of colors as may be applied along a yarn 12 within the dye applicator 22 incorporating five dye stream application stations 50 is shown in fig6 . as illustrated , the yarn 12 includes six substantially discrete color segments 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 and 85 corresponding to a base shade applied at the dye application roll 40 and five colors applied at the dye stream application stations 50 . of course , any other number of color segments may be applied by increasing or decreasing the number of dye application stations . as indicated , the length of the color segments 80 – 85 may be highly variable depending upon the desired pattern . however , according to the potentially preferred practice , the lengths of a substantial portion of the color segments 80 – 85 are preferably less than about 2 inches ( 50 . 8 mm ) and will more preferably be less than about 0 . 5 inches ( 12 . 7 mm ) and are most preferably about 1 mm to about 10 mm . it is believed that such short color segments may be beneficial in the development of a substantially diverse seemingly random color arrangement across the surface of a textile material incorporating low denier yarns . in order to avoid streaks or patterning , it is contemplated that preferably a substantial portion and more preferably at least about 50 % or more of the color segments 80 – 85 within the yarn 12 making up the formed textile are of lengths less than about 2 inches ( 50 . 8 mm ). at least some percentage of the color segments ( up to 100 %) may be of even shorter length in the range of 1 mm to about 12 . 5 mm . surprisingly , it is possible to produce multicolored yarns 12 spanning a large range of constructions and linear densities . in particular , it has been found that yarns 12 incorporating the potentially desirable short color segments may have a broad range of linear densities making them useful in a broad range of applications . by way of example , the yarn 12 may have a linear density of about 500 denier or less and more preferably has a linear density of about 70 denier to about 250 denier and most preferably has a linear density of about 150 denier . one potentially preferred yarn 12 is a single ply 150 denier continuous filament polyester yarn having 34 filaments per yarn . another exemplary yarn is a single ply 70 denier continuous filament yarn having 36 filaments per yarn . still another exemplary yarn is a 2 ply 250 denier continuous filament polyester yarn having 100 filaments per yarn . it is also contemplated that spun yarn constructions of such low deniers as well as yarns of substantially greater denier and / or of different materials such as nylon may be utilized if desired . it is to be appreciated that while the color segments extending along the yarn 12 may be extremely short , it is also contemplated that much longer color segments may also be applied . such extended color segments which may be virtually infinite in length may be formed by rapidly cycling the valves 70 on and off so as to cause the dye stream to undergo sweeping deflection and recovery at a rate such that there is no visible gap between segments of applied dye . this capability permits one to impart dye segments of virtually any length as may be desired . the ability to impart extended lengths of dye to the yarn 12 is useful in both space - dyeing as well as in solid shade dyeing of a wide array of yarn types including yarns without good wicking characteristics such as untextured hard yarns or so called “ partially oriented yarns ” which have heretofore been difficult to dye with uniformity in traditional package dye processes and have relied upon solution dyeing the polymer from which such yarns are formed . thus , the techniques as described herein may be used to impart both discrete or substantially extended lengths of color to such yarns as may be desired . of course virtually any other yarn type may also be dyed as well . it is contemplated that aside from imparting both short and long color segments to the yarn 12 , the dye applicator 22 may be utilized to carry out selected color blending on the yarns 12 . by way of example only and not limitation , it is contemplated that such color blending may be carried out by using one or more of the later encountered dye stream application stations 50 to apply dye over dye segments previously applied by one or more dye stream application stations 50 located upstream . as will be appreciated , upon the occurrence of such blending a colored segment is produced representing the dye mixture at the location of blending . of course , since the number of dye stream application stations 50 is in no way limited , virtually any number of overdying operations may take place to produce an infinite number of color options . the length of the overdyed color segments so produced may be as short as about 1 mm to an infinite length corresponding to the entire length of the yarn 12 . it is contemplated that the yarns 12 may be formed into a number of fabric constructions including relatively light weight constructions useful in a number of applications . according to one potentially preferred practice , short color segments 80 – 85 provide seemingly randomly disperse spots of color across an outer face surface of the formed textile material . such random coloration supplies a surprisingly attractive appearance while the relatively low linear density of the yarns 12 permits the formation of relatively light weight materials . as illustrated in fig7 , according to one embodiment the yarn 12 may be formed into a woven textile fabric 88 wherein yarn 12 incorporating short color segments 80 – 85 runs in a weft direction in interwoven relation to a multiplicity of warp yarns 90 . of course , it is also contemplated that the yarn 12 incorporating the color segments 80 – 85 may also run in the warp direction if desired . the woven textile fabric 88 may be formed by weaving practices as will be well known to those of skill in the art including plain weaving , dobbie weaving and jacquard weaving , although dobbie and jacquard weaving may potentially be preferred . according to one potentially preferred practice , the yarn 12 incorporating the short color segments 80 – 85 makes up not more than about 40 % by weight of the woven textile fabric 88 and preferably make up about 5 %– 35 % by weight . in one exemplary construction , the woven textile fabric has a weave density of about 35 to about 130 warp ends per inch ( preferably about 40 to about 125 warp ends per inch ) and about 25 to about 60 weft yarns per inch ( preferably about 30 to about 54 weft yarns per inch ) wherein all yarns have a linear density of about 70 to about 150 denier . the resulting woven textile fabric 88 preferably has a mass per unit area in the range of about 9 to about 20 ounces per square yard ( about 305 to about 679 grams per square meter ) thereby facilitating use in a number of applications such as automotive seat coverings and the like wherein substantial weight may be undesirable . the warp yarns 90 may be of either the same or different physical construction from the yarns 12 incorporating the color segments 80 – 85 . as previously indicated , the short color segments 80 – 85 along the length of the yarn 12 provide short discontinuous points of color across the surface of the woven textile fabric 88 . thus , in the illustrative construction illustrated in fig7 , the segment of color 82 is visible across a short distance “ a ” spanning two knuckles across the fabric surface while the adjacent color segment 83 is visible across a distance “ b ” spanning a single knuckle . of course the scale of such distances is greatly enhanced for illustrative purposes and in practice the distances “ a ” and “ b ” will appear as substantially discrete points of color within the overall structure of the woven textile fabric 88 . these discrete points of color have been found not to form coordinated visible patterns such as chevrons or the like across the surface of the fabric 88 while nonetheless providing potentially pleasing coloration . moreover , it has been surprisingly found that the percentage of yarn 12 incorporating the color segments 80 – 85 which is necessary to impart desired aesthetic coloration may be extremely low . as indicated , it is contemplated that a woven textile fabric 88 preferably incorporates no more than about 40 % by weight of such colored yarn 12 and preferably incorporates about 5 to about 35 % by weight of such colored yarn 12 . it is believed that the short color segments 80 – 85 facilitate the use of such low percentages due to the fact that the disperse discrete spots of color provide a user with a visual perception of an enhanced level of coloration even at such low percentages . aside from woven constructions , it is also contemplated that the yarn 12 including the discrete color segments 80 – 85 may be utilized in knit fabric constructions . in particular , it is contemplated that the yarn 12 may make up a portion of the yarn forming the face of such a knit fabric . by way of example only and not limitation , a needle - point diagram illustrating the construction of a double needle bar plush knit fabric is illustrated in fig6 . the illustrated pattern is used to form a 6 bar double needle bar warp knit fabric which may be slit to yield a short fiber length pile surface . in such a construction a ground yarn 90 is disposed at bar 1 and bar 6 , a tie yarn 91 is disposed at bar 2 and bar 5 and cooperating face yarns 92 are disposed at bar 3 and bar 4 . the yarn 12 including the discrete color segments 80 – 85 makes up at least a portion of the face yarns at bar 3 and bar 4 so as to impart face coloration . in one potentially preferred construction the ground yarn 90 and the tie yarn 91 are single ply 70 denier continuous filament polyester yarn with about 36 filaments per yarn although virtually any other suitable yarn as may be known to those of skill in the art may also be utilized as the ground yarn 90 and tie yarn 91 . the face yarns are preferably single ply 150 denier continuous filament polyester having 34 filaments per yarn although virtually any other suitable yarn as may be known to those of skill in the art may also be utilized at the face . by way of example only , one alternative face yarn 92 which may be utilized at the face is a 250 denier continuous filament polyester having 100 filaments per yarn . by way of example only , it is contemplated that a construction as illustrated in fig8 may be formed on well known knitting equipment such as 32 gauge or 44 gauge double needle bar machines . as with the woven textile woven fabric 88 , the use of yarns 12 incorporating short color lengths provides an arrangement of substantially discrete discontinuous points of color across the finished fabric . while the space dyed yarns 12 incorporating the short color segments as described above may make up any percentage of the final fabric , such yarns are preferably located preferentially at the face and make up not more than about 40 % by weight of the final fabric and most preferably make up in the range of about 5 % to about 35 % by weight of the fabric . the utilization of the low denier yarns provides the ability to form relatively tight weight knit fabric constructions . by way of example , in a 32 gauge construction the fabrics formed using the 150 denier face yarn with 70 denier ground yarns and tie yarns typically has about 20 to about 26 courses per inch and about 17 wales per inch with a fabric weight of about 9 to about 12 ounces per square yard ( about 305 to about 407 grams per square meter ). in a 44 gauge construction , the double needle bar knit fabrics typically have about 25 to about 30 courses per inch with about 25 wales per inch and a fabric weight of about 9 to 16 ounces per square yard ( about 305 to about 542 . 5 grams per square meter ). it is to be appreciated that the yarn 12 incorporating the short color segments as described above may also be formed into a number of other knit constructions . by way of example only , it is contemplated that a relatively low denier yarn such as a single ply 70 denier or 150 denier continuous filament polyester yarn may be knitted on a knitting machine in a two to four bar construction . the surface of the fabric may thereafter be napped by a wire wheel , sander or other abrasive element as will be known to those of skill in the art to raise a textured pile surface thereby forming a so - called “ nap knit ” construction . the yarns 12 incorporating the color segments 80 – 85 preferably make up only about 5 to about 35 weight percent of the fabric in this construction . one exemplary two bar warp knit construction pattern suitable for the formation of a nap knit fabric is illustrated in fig9 . in such a construction the bar 1 yarn 93 and bar 2 yarn 94 are each preferably a single ply continuous filament polyester yarn having a linear density in the range of about 70 denier to about 500 denier . lower denier ratings in the range of about 70 denier to about 250 denier may be preferred for some applications . one exemplary nap knit construction utilizing a 150 denier polyester continuous filament yarn with 34 filaments per yarn yields a knit construction having about 33 courses per inch and about 25 wales per inch with a fabric weight in the range of about 9 to 10 ounces per square yard ( about 305 to about 339 grams per square meter ). lower denier yarns such as the single ply 70 denier continuous filament polyester yarn with about 36 filaments per yarn may be utilized in even finer structures such as may be formed on 56 gauge knitting machines . of course , virtually any other fabric construction such as circular knits or the like may also be formed if desired . it is to be understood that while the present invention has been illustrated and described in relation to certain potentially preferred embodiments , constructions , and procedures , that such embodiments , constructions and procedures are illustrative only and that the present invention is in no event to be limited thereto . rather , it is contemplated that modifications and variations embodying the principles of the invention will no doubt occur to those of skill in the art . it is therefore contemplated and intended that the present invention shall extend to all such modifications and variations as may incorporate the broad aspects of the invention within the full spirit of scope thereof . | 3 |
the skate shown in fig1 includes a frame 1 with a u - shaped transverse section having two lateral flanges 2 on which the wheels 4 are affixed . the skate also includes a boot 5 which is attached with respect to the frame through its sole 6 at both the heel and the toe areas . for the heel area , a mounting plate 3 is shown . the boot 5 has the external appearance of a normal low boot and , therefore , includes a low flexible upper 10 , i . e ., an upper whose rigid portions do not extend upwardly beyond the malleoli , provided on its front portion with an opening 11 for passage of the foot and with a lacing system 20 of a known type , for closing the boot and tightening the foot . the upper 10 is provided in the heel area with a rigid rear stiffener 12 , which can be made in any known manner , and in fact constitutes the only rigid portion of the upper . this stiffener 12 is preferably made of a rigid synthetic material , and extends over the entire rear portion of the boot , around the heel thereof . this stiffener 12 extends , in the malleoli area , up to the top of the upper , for receiving a journalled collar 13 , and externally has at the level of the malleoli a boss 12a projecting outwardly and extending substantially perpendicular to the wall of the stiffener . each boss 12a is further provided with a hole 12b for the journalled mounting of the collar 13 by means of studs 19 ( see fig4 ). these studs 19 serve to stop the collar 13 , whereas the bosses 12a define the axis of rotation 30 of this collar on the upper . the studs 19 can be replaced by any other connection means allowing a rotation , such as rivets . however , the use of studs 19 is particularly advantageous because it allows for a mounting by merely applying pressure , without requiring a counter - element as is the case with rivets , which makes it possible to considerably simplify the manufacturing , since the collar can then be mounted during the last step of the boot manufacturing . furthermore , the studs 19 will be advantageously constituted of a relatively flexible material with respect to a metal rivet , such as delrin , so that their heads 19a follow the possible deformations of the rigid collar 13 , for example , when a torsion of the leg occurs , such a construction making it possible to avoid the pulling of these nails during such a torsion . the journalled collar 13 could also be mounted according in another manner , by allowing for easy disassembly , and for example by means of bayonet or ratchet systems , which are known and not described hereinafter , for setting the collar or using the boot with a simple low upper . in the illustrated embodiment , the journalled collar 13 is in the form of a cuff made of a rigid material and especially a synthetic material such as pebax . this collar 13 extends upwardly up to the base of the calf and surrounds the entire lower part of the leg . it is opened at its front portion to allow the positioning of the foot in the boot , and is provided with known tightening arrangement 15 and , for example , is constituted by auto - gripping means . furthermore , this collar 13 is provided at the rear with a scallop 13a adapted to facilitate the rearward rotation of this collar ( see position in dotted lines in fig1 ). as it will be easily understood , the substantial height of the collar 13 allows for an excellent lateral leg retention when skating , such a height further enabling a greater distribution of the reaction forces on the leg and , consequently , a better comfort for the user . however , such height for the collar 13 does not hinder the rear / front flexional movements of the leg with respect to the foot , and can even be increased , for example , up to mid - leg so as to decrease the forces on the leg . indeed , the total and independent journal of the collar 13 on the upper enables the latter one to pivot freely , with no flexional limitation by the upper and with no hindrance for the user . in fact , the tongue 22 of the boot does not extend upwardly beyond the flexional fold of the foot of the user so as not to hinder the flexion thereof , nor the pivoting of the collar . surprisingly , such a freedom in the motion of the ankle has proved not to be detrimental to the lateral holding of the ankle to perform this type of skating , while offering a clearly improved comfort and with no hard spot with respect to the conventional skate boots . moreover , the flexible structure of the upper of the boot , preferably made of an aerated textile material , allows to avoid perspiration problems related to the use of &# 34 ; non - breathable &# 34 ; plastic materials , and therefore offers a double comfort , with respect to both the aeration and the tightening of the foot obtained by means of flexible portions . in such a construction , the very rigid sole 6 also contributes to the foot retention . to further increase the comfort of such skate , and as shown in fig2 the collar 13 is provided internally with a lining 16 intended for the comfort of the leg and interrupted in the area 13a for covering the lower portion of the collar 13 and the upper portion 10a of the upper 10 , so as to avoid any excessive thickness in this area . the comfort portion of the collar is &# 34 ; borne &# 34 ; thereon so that its pivoting can not be disturbed by a comfort portion originating from the upper . in the case shown , the extreme upper portion 10a of the upper extends in fact slightly above the rear stiffener 12 , and therefore above the malleoli , to ensure a continuity of the upper / collar , but such a construction is not a hinderance since this portion 10a is not rigid and is intended only for the comfort . therefore , such a portion 10a does not at all disturb the flexion of the leg and could be eliminated as well . for comfort purposes , the lining 16 is designed so as to extend in the extension of the internal surface of the upper . fig4 shows a skate similar to that of fig1 and for which the same elements will be designated by the same reference numerals . the only differences between this skate and that previously shown reside in the provision on the boot of a cover 17 and of a return device or element 25 of the collar . as shown in this fig4 the cover 17 is constituted of two portions 17a , 17b extending over the top of the upper by covering the lacing system , and over the front of the lower part of the leg , respectively , so as to block the opening defined by the collar 13 , for sealing purposes . these two cover portions , 17a , 17b are connected to one another by a seam 18 forming a hinge so as to maintain the flexibility of the boot and not to disturb the pivoting of the collar , the cover portion 17b being capable of pivoting with respect to the cover portion 17a affixedly with the collar . as shown in fig4 the cover portion 17a can , in a known manner , be opened in two portions by means of a zip fastener 21 to allow access to the lacing system 20 of the boot . the return element or device 25 of the collar 13 is , in the example shown , made of a double pin having two arms , one upper arm 26 in support against the lower edge 13b of the collar , and one lower arm 27 in support against an associated abutment surface 31 of the rear stiffener 12 of the upper . furthermore , the element 25 passes around the journal axis 19 of the collar to be maintained in place . this elastic return device 25 has an active phase , i . e ., it is biased , during a rearward pivoting of the collar from a substantially vertical median equilibrium position thereof , which is defined by the axis o - o &# 39 ; in fig4 and thus exerts , during such a pivoting of the collar , a force for returning this collar frontwardly . consequently , the frontward pivoting of the collar is completely free , i . e ., the elastic return device 25 has an inactive phase , whereas its rearward pivoting occurs against the elastic element 25 which conversely facilitates the frontward return of the collar . the elastic return element 25 could be made in a totally different manner , the essential purpose being that it exerts a return force on the collar during the rearward pivoting thereof . for example , it could be a spring of a different type , such as a coil spring , elastic buffer , . . . etc . this elastic element could also be designed to be integral with one of the elements of the upper and , as shown in fig5 the elastic return element could thus be constituted by an elastic arm 25a extending from the journalled collar 13 and cooperating with an abutment provided on the rear stiffener , or another portion of the upper 10 . conversely , it could also be an elastic arm extending from the rear stiffener of the upper and cooperating with an associated abutment of the collar . in any event , such an arrangement tends to help the muscle of the leg which controls the lifting of the tip of the foot with respect to the leg , and therefore makes it possible to limit the fatigue thereof during the sport activity . another important advantage of this elastic return element is that it provides the leg of the athlete with a sort of rear support with a progressive resistance , and especially that it provides the latter with a rearward referencing of the position of his or her leg , i . e ., it allows the athlete to locate the position of the leg with respect to the vertical , a very important item of information for maintaining the balance in such a gliding sport . the present invention is not limited to the examples of embodiment described hereinabove , but also encompasses any similar or equivalent embodiments . | 0 |
a process for converting a &# 34 ; husk - off &# 34 ; corn picker into a &# 34 ; husk - on &# 34 ; corn picker is illustrated wherein a husking bed 28 of a &# 34 ; husk - off &# 34 ; corn picker 20 is removed and a corn conveyor 32 is installed in its place . rubber air - dams 72 and 76 are installed at each end of the conveyor 32 to increase the air flow across the corn coming off of the conveyor 32 . an air inlet means 106 is provided which allows air to be drawn into the interior of the corn picker 20 . a specially designed suction fan assembly 34 is installed above the conveyor 32 to replace the squirrel cage fan 24 which is mounted on the top of the corn picker 20 . this suction fan assembly 34 draws air through the corn before forcing the air and waste out away from the picker 20 . by this method and apparatus a &# 34 ; husk - off &# 34 ; corn picker is effectively converted to a &# 34 ; husk - on &# 34 ; corn picker . in the figures , a &# 34 ; husk - off &# 34 ; corn picker 20 of the prior art is shown ( fig1 ). after the corn has been picked and removed from the stalk by the picker 20 , the ears of corn are deposited onto a husking bed 28 . the husking bed 28 consists of a series of alternating threaded cylindrical rollers and gripping cylindrical rollers laid horizontally next to each other and parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the corn picker 20 ( fig2 ). as the cylindrical rollers are rotated , the ears of corn center themselves to lay parallel to the rollers within the valleys which exist between the rollers . as the rollers rotate , the threaded rollers move the ears along the bed 28 while the gripping rollers pinch the corn husks against the threaded rollers and pull the husks downward between the rollers . because the ears of corn are too large to be pulled between the rollers the husks break loose from the ears of corn . the husks are discarded and under the bed 28 and the ears of corn continue to travel along the bed 28 toward the chute conveyor 30 . upon reaching the end of the husking bed 28 the ears of corn fall downward and land on the chute conveyor 30 . the ears of corn are then carried up the chute conveyor 30 where they are deposited into a transport vehicle ( not shown ). the prior art corn picker has an attached squirrel cage fan 24 and suction fan 22 which act in concert to remove loose debris and husks travelling along the husking bed 28 with the ears of corn ( fig1 ). the squirrel cage fan 24 draws air through an inlet 26 in the side of the fan and forces the air downward and over the husking bed 28 thereby blowing the loose debris off the husking bed and toward the suction fan 22 . the suction fan 22 acts with the squirrel cage fan 24 to draw debris from the husking bed 28 toward the suction fan 22 and expel the debris through the waste outlet 23 . openings are provided both above 82 and below 81 the squirrel cage fan 24 to allow more air to circulate around the husking bed 28 and to prevent strain on the suction fan 22 that would occur from the suction fan 22 operating in a closed system . the squirrel cage fan 24 augments these openings 81 and 82 by generating more air across the husking bed 28 where it is needed most . to convert a &# 34 ; husk - off &# 34 ; picker 20 to a &# 34 ; husk - on &# 34 ; picker 40 , the husking bed 28 must be removed and replaced with a corn conveyor 32 as shown in fig4 . the husking bed 28 is removed carefully so that the bed 28 may be reinstalled if it desired to reconvert the resulting &# 34 ; husk - on &# 34 ; picker 40 back into a &# 34 ; husk - off &# 34 ; picker 20 . in the preferred embodiment , the corn conveyor 32 is mounted in the space previously occupied by the husking bed 28 by bolts or similar securement means . the deposit end 42 of the corn conveyor 32 is elevated slightly above the uptake end 44 of the corn conveyor 32 to allow the air entering through an air inlet means 106 located below the conveyor 32 to travel along the underside of the corn conveyor 32 and up through the corn as it falls off the corn conveyor 32 and onto the chute conveyor 30 ( fig7 ). in the preferred embodiment , the air inlet means 106 comprise the provision of a four inch by nine inch rectangular opening 106 in the side of the corn picker 20 below the corn conveyor 32 . the sides 46 of the conveyor 32 have rubber edges 48 which press against the interior sides 50 of the corn picker 20 to prevent air flow around the sides 46 of the conveyor 32 and to prevent ears of corn from falling off the sides of the conveyor 32 ( fig1 ). a driving means is provided to rotate a rearward conveyor axle 56 . the driving means can be run at various speeds to match the speed of the conveyor 32 to the amount of corn being picked . in the preferred embodiment the driving means comprise a hydraulic motor 54 but the driving means can be any power source including an engine of the picker if the engine were operably connected to the conveyor axle 56 . two sprockets 58a - b are connected to the axle 56 and drive dual chains 60a - b around and under the conveyor bed 62 ( fig4 ). on the uptake end 44 of the conveyor 32 is an axle which is similar to the rearward conveyor axle 56 , but is not driven . the non - driven axle 64 also has two sprockets 66a - b mounted thereto which return the chains 60a - b around and over the conveyor bed 62 . a plurality of flights 68 are perpendicularly attached to and propelled by the conveyor chains 60a - b over the conveyor bed 62 . these flights 68 push the corn toward the deposit end 42 of the conveyor 32 . in the preferred embodiment the flights 68 comprise steel bars operably connected to the conveyor chains 60a - b . the flights 68 may also be provided with rubber extensions 70 which prevent the ears of corn from being damaged as they are deposited on the conveyor 32 . air damming means are secured to the picker 20 to maximize air flow around the corn as it falls from the corn conveyor 32 to the chute conveyor 30 . in the preferred embodiment the air damming means are air damming assemblies 36 and 38 , as shown in fig5 and are constructed of rubber and steel sheets . the front air damming assembly 38 consists of a rubber dam 76 connected to a steel sheet 78 . the steel sheet 78 of the front air damming assembly 38 is mounted to the corn picker &# 39 ; s 20 auger housing 80 so that the steel sheet 78 substantially covers the opening 82 into the conveyor chamber 84 shown in fig1 ( fig7 ). in the preferred embodiment the front air damming assembly 38 extends into the conveyor chamber 84 far enough so that the rubber dam 76 contacts the conveyor bed 62 ( fig1 ). the rear air damming assembly 36 is fastened to the sides 86a - b of the corn picker 20 near the deposit end 42 of the conveyor 32 to increase the air flow around the corn produced by the suction fan and exhaust assembly 34 ( fig7 ). the side plates 74a - b are mounted to the sides 86a - b of the conveyor chamber 84 and are of a shape sufficient to substantially restrict air from entering the conveyor chamber 84 through the sides of the corn picker 20 . the bottoms of the side plates 74a - b are angled so as to substantially match the angle of the chute conveyor 30 ( fig5 ). these matched angles prevent air from entering the conveyor chamber 84 through gaps between the chute conveyor 30 and the rear air damming assembly 36 ( fig7 ). the sides of the rubber dam 72 of the rear air damming assembly 36 are fastened to the side plates 74a - b of the damming assembly 36 while the bottom of the rubber dam 72 rests against the chute conveyor 30 to restrict air flow around the conveyor 30 ( fig7 ). in the preferred embodiment , the top of the rubber dam 72 has securement holes 88 located along its upper edge so that it may be secured to the suction fan and exhaust assembly 34 after the assembly 34 has been installed ( fig5 ). the rubber dam 72 may , of course , be secured to the suction fan and exhaust assembly 34 by any securement method which substantially restricts air from passing by the securement means into the conveying chamber 84 . the rear air damming assembly 36 is fastened to the corn picker 20 so that all sides of the assembly 36 overlap or are substantially contiguous with some part of the corn picker 20 ( fig7 ). the assembly 36 is attached securely to the corn picker 20 with bolts or similar securement means to prevent a substantial amount of air from flowing into the corn picker 20 from around the assembly 36 and to eliminate the need for a second fan which must be attached with most standard &# 34 ; husk - on &# 34 ; corn picker conversion kits . as with the rubber dam 72 , the rest of the damming assembly 36 may be fastened to the corn picker 20 by bolts or any means which prevents a substantial amount of air from entering the conveying chamber 84 from outside of the corn picker 20 . a suction fan and exhaust assembly 34 is provided for attachment above the deposit end 42 of the corn conveyor 32 ( fig6 ). in the preferred embodiment , the assembly 34 consists of a fan 90 , an exhaust duct 92 and a circular recessed fan housing 94 . the fan 90 rests within the recessed housing 94 and is driven by a driving means . in the preferred embodiment , the driving means consists of a generally upright shaft 96 ( fig9 ). this generally upright shaft 96 extends through the fan housing 94 and is drivably connected to a generally horizontal shaft 98 by a gearbox 100 or other similar driving means ( fig7 ). in the preferred embodiment the horizontal shaft 98 is driven directly by the engine of the picker 20 , but the shaft 98 may be indirectly driven by a hydraulic motor . the fan housing 94 has a lateral aperture which opens into an exhaust duct 92 . the exhaust duct 92 extends out over the side of the picker 20 and the waste outlet 93 is angled to direct the waste down and away from the converted picker 40 as the converted picker 40 moves across the ground . in the preferred embodiment , the fan blades 102 are angled to not only draw air and waste upward , but also to direct air and waste out of the exhaust duct 92 . the suction fan and exhaust assembly 34 is mounted on the corn picker 20 so that the underside 104 of the exhaust assembly 34 is positioned and fastened contiguous with the interior sides 86a - b of the conveyor chamber 84 . in the preferred embodiment , the fan 90 draws air through an air inlet 106 perforated in the side of the converted corn picker 40 below the conveyor bed 32 ( fig9 ). the air travels underneath the conveyor bed 32 toward the deposit end 42 of the conveyor 32 . after reaching the deposit end 42 of the conveyor 32 , the air is drawn upward across the ears of corn and debris as the ears and debris leave the conveyor 32 . upon leaving the conveyor 32 the ears of corn fall downward toward the chute conveyor 30 while the loose husks and debris move upward , drawn by the moving air into the fan 90 . the debris is thereafter pushed through the exhaust duct 92 by the fan blades 102 . after landing on the chute conveyor 30 the corn moves up the chute conveyor 30 to be deposited in a storage vehicle while the loose husks and debris are blown clear of the converted corn picker 40 . the use of the air damming means 36 and 38 in conjunction with the air inlet means 106 eliminates the need for the additional air moving means located on most &# 34 ; husk - on &# 34 ; pickers below the deposit end of the corn conveyor . along with the elimination of the costs and maintenance associated with an additional air moving means , the present invention method of locating air damming means 36 and 38 and the air inlet means 106 provides a more focused flow of air over the ears of corn to remove the debris more quickly and more efficiently than existing &# 34 ; husk - on &# 34 ; corn pickers or converted &# 34 ; husk - off &# 34 ; pickers . the foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not limited thereto , except insofar as the claims are so limited , as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , it is anticipated that damming means composed entirely of metal or entirely of rubber may be used instead of damming means comprised partially of metal and partially of rubber . | 0 |
an “ oscillator - on - demand ” is , by definition , an oscillator which does not oscillate until it is gated to start . the detailed description of the invention defines how the oscillator is constructed and how it will operate on demand along with a method of synchronization with an external clock source . this invention relates to methods and to the apparatus in which a gated ring oscillator is constructed in silicon and controlled to provide a base clock frequency multiple times higher than the frequency of an applied clock signal . the multiplication factor in this device is a power of 2 times that of the clock signal . such a ring oscillator has the ability to be turned on and off without generating a time delay before synchronization to the control signal is effected . this circuit has the ability to provide multiple clock frequencies derived from the base ring frequency and to further provide a plurality of multiply phase shifted clocks , while maintaining a synchronized relationship to the incoming control clock . the ring oscillator frequency is adjustable to cover a range of frequencies based on the frequency of the controlling clock . the ring oscillator reproduces the period of the controlling incoming clock and maintains a good synchronization therewith . it uses neither the customary voltage control oscillator nor the delay locked loop methods . the designed base frequency is altered by circuit delays , based on the inherent delays of the silicon hardware , providing an adjustment to the required clock frequency . it uses methods of measuring the duration of signals and translates those to circuit delays for frequency adjustment . signal variations resulting from variations in the silicon circuitry , voltage and temperature are better controlled and compensated using the present invention that in any of the prior art circuits . once the final delays have been selected and the final frequency is established , those values are preserved as long as power continues to be applied to the circuits . they may also be saved in a flash type device to be re - applied whenever the power is reapplied . after the delays are selected and the frequency is adjusted , the rising edge of the controlling incoming clock will produce the first rising edge of the ring oscillator , thus maintaining good synchronization with the input clock signal . during the initial power - on time , the amount of the delay and selection of the delay to adjust the ring frequency will require two to three incoming clock periods . during initial power - up time of a system , many initialization processes must be completed before any useful work can take place . therefore , there is no time lost by frequency adjustment of the ring . all of the circuits for the oscillator of the present invention are digital in nature . in comparison , analog circuits consume much higher levels of power . as a result , the present invention provides an appreciable saving in power consumption than the circuits of the prior art . a block diagram of the present invention is shown in fig1 . in this figure the details of the blocks entitled “ inv ” are inverters . the block entitled “÷ 2 ” is frequency divider which produces an output signal with a period twice that of the input . the block entitled “÷ 4 , ÷ 2 phase shifter ” produces output signals having periods 4 times and twice that of the input signal , and having phases shifted from that of the input signal . a digital approach not requiring either a voltage - controlled oscillator or a delay - locked loop is described herein . in fig1 the boxes labeled “ inv ” are inverters , the boxes containing a “ divided by ” sign , such as ÷ n are phase shifters which shift by n periods , so that ÷ 4 will shift by 4 periods , producing a signal whose output period is 4 times that of the input . in fig1 the box entitled “ period duration counter ” is shown in detail in fig4 . the box entitled “ period comparator ” is shown in detail in fig8 a . the box entitled “÷ 4 , ÷ 2 phase shifter ” is shown in detail in fig8 . and the box entitled “ bulk and incremental delay section logic ” is shown in detail in fig3 , 7 , and 9 . as is well known in the prior art , if an odd number of digital inverter circuits are connected in a loop arrangement , the loop will oscillate as long as there is power to the circuits . such a prior - art arrangement is known as a ring oscillator and is shown in fig1 a . the oscillator pulses produced by the ring oscillator will be very symmetrical . the frequency produced will depend on the total delay of the inverter circuits and the delay that may be applied at any point in the loop as a series delay 101 or as a load delay 102 as shown in fig1 b . the latest developments in silicon technology have produced very small gate delays . it is not unusual to have inverter circuits in the very small pico - second range , typically 20 to 50 picoseconds . thus , the ring oscillator of fig1 a runs at very high frequency . but it and has no facility to start or stop oscillation other than applying and removing power to the digital inverters . in addition , if a load or a delay is applied at any point in the loop , the oscillator frequency will decrease depending on the amount of delay caused by the cumulative loading . these two drawbacks are remedied by the present invention . a variation of the ring oscillator with a gating signal is shown in fig1 b . one of the inverters is substituted by a nand gate 100 . one of the nand inputs is attached to the loop and the other to a gating signal called gate osc . the loop delay is also controlled with the insertion in series of a fixed or adjustable delay element 101 or an attachment of a capacitive load 102 in the loop . if the gate osc signal is at lo level , the loop will stop oscillating . if the gating signal is at hi level , the loop will oscillate as long as there is power attached to the circuits . to avoid the loading effects to the loop , the output of the oscillator osc out 104 , shown in fig1 c , is derived by a separate nand gate 103 attached to the same gating signal that gates the ring loop . the addition of the load to the loop by the added nand gate 103 will slow the oscillator slightly . the phase of the signal osc out 104 is selected by the logic gates that produce it . if a 50 pico - second delay per gate is assumed in the loop fig1 a , the pulse width will be 150 picoseconds and the ring frequency f will be 1 / 300 picoseconds or 3 . 333 . . . ghz . this is the highest frequency at which this loop can oscillate . the gate osc signal fig1 c is used to turn the oscillator on and off . if the signal is lo level , will stop the ring from oscillating . when it goes hi , it will produce the osc out signal with the first rising edge of the pulse in synchronized phase with the gate osc signal and within some delay . the phase delay of osc out will be the delay of the gates , the driver delay and the delay caused by the load attached to it . as long as the gate osc signal stays hi , the ring will continue to oscillate and will generate the osc out frequency equal to the ring frequency . the ring frequency is adjusted by varying the loop delay . to further understand the operation of this circuit , reference is made to fig2 , the base oscillator . referring now to this figure , the oscillator is seen to include the base ring gates 208 with a gating signal 200 . the base ring is constructed with the ability to add or subtract a delay time . the feedback loop consists of two paths . the first is through gate 206 , through or gate 207 , connected by feedback 204 to the input of the nand gate 209 of the ring . the other path is through the bulk delay 203 , through or gate 207 , connected by feedback 204 to the input of the nand gates 209 and 215 . selection of path 206 or 203 is accomplished by signal 201 — sel bulk delay . to further explain the operation , the following example is described . assume that the bulk delay 203 is bypassed and path 206 is selected . for this example , the ring oscillator 208 and the initial selected path along with the attached delays adj delay 1 and adj delay 2 and other loads is chosen to have a total loop delay of 300 picoseconds . the period of the oscillator , in this case , will be 600 picoseconds and the frequency of the ring will be 1 / 600 picoseconds or f = 1 . 666 ghz . the signal , osc out 210 , will have the same frequency as the ring oscillator . gate 215 taps off gate 209 inputs to reduce the loading effects to the oscillator ring . the hi level signal of the gate osc 200 allows the ring to oscillate . the gate osc 200 can be produced by any of the signals 403 , 217 or 1100 . these signal durations determines how long the oscillator will oscillate . to derive lower frequencies , the ring frequency is further divided digitally to obtain the desired clock frequencies and desirable phase shifts . referring now to fig8 . a divider and phase shifter circuit is shown . the timing diagram of signals of this circuit is shown in fig8 a . it is assumed that the base frequency of the oscillator is adj 4 × clk 210 after the delay adjustment of the loop has taken place . to be able to select any oscillator frequency within a range of frequencies established by the intended design , a bulk delay selection mechanism in path 203 is required along with selection of incremental delays . the bulk and incremental loop delays are partitioned in selectable increments to adjust the ring oscillator frequency . referring next to fig3 , the bulk delay arrangement is shown , consisting of a series of selectable inverters . selection can be made by any digital means without departing from the main aspect of the invention . a typical delay through each inverter will be assumed to be 50 pico - seconds . the output of each inverter stage will be selected by a pass gate , or similar means , and inserted in the loop through the or gate . the entire bulk delay arrangement can be bypassed , and the delay eliminated , by disabling the nand gate 300 of fig3 . initially the bulk delay 203 will be bypassed . only the base loop 206 will be selected . as a typical implementation , the base loop period is 600 pico - seconds with a pulse width of 300 picoseconds . the maximum frequency of the base loop will be 1 / 600 = 1 . 666 ghz . the base loop frequency is designed , initially , at a value appropriate to measure the period the width of an incoming clock period . once the measurement is accomplished , the bulk delay 203 and or any of the adjustable delays , add delay 213 or sub delay 214 is selected and inserted in the loop . at this point the frequency of the oscillator will be close to the desired base oscillator frequency from which all other required frequencies are derived . further fine adjustments to this frequency will be made for more accuracy and synchronization . it is desirable to have the base oscillator frequency be powers of 2 times the input frequency , or n × clk in frequency where ( n = 1 2 4 8 . . . ). the highest frequency is chosen at design time . for the purpose of illustration , n = 4 is chosen . the base loop frequency , once selected and adjusted with the loop delay , will be divided by 4 to produce a frequency as close as possible to the incoming clk in frequency or 1 clk 400 . this is effected by a coarse adjustment of the ring oscillator . a fine adjustment of the ring oscillator is also provided . referring again to fig2 . the gate osc 200 signal starts the oscillator . the signal gate osc 200 is produced according to design requirements . a pulse of the gate osc 200 is selected to be the positive pulse of the incoming period clk in period 403 . it is this positive pulse whose width duration is to be measured and determine what delay to use in the loop so that a division by 4 will give a clock period as close to the duration of the incoming clk in period 403 . measuring the period duration rather than the half period of the incoming clock is a more accurate way because it does not depend on duty cycle pulses of the period . to measure the duration of the pulse width of input frequency f 1 , the present system counts how many base oscillator ( also called the “ ring oscillator ” periods and fractions of the period one can fit in the duration of one period of the incoming clock . samples of typical signals are shown in fig5 . the output signals are subject to a coarse frequency adjustment . that will be a coarse frequency adjustment . for the illustration we chose to have a range of incoming clock frequencies from 400 mhz and below . these frequencies will be referred to as 1 × clk frequencies . they are intended to be one quarter of the ring oscillator frequency once the loop delays are adjusted . the interest here is to have a 1 × clk internally derived frequency from division of the base oscillator in synchronization and as close as possible with the 1 × clk incoming clock . the base ring oscillator frequency with the loop delay adjusted will be referred to as the adj 4 × clk . a division by 4 will produce the internal 1 × clk . the period of the derived 1 × clk internal and the period of the incoming 1 × clk external will be further compared and the result will be used to adjust a fine loop delay . for this example the loop oscillator is designed to produce an output signal with a period of 600 picoseconds . in practice any frequency can be chosen as long as the silicon speed can support it and as long as latches and counters can be operated reliably at this output frequency . the oscillator pulse must be wide enough to clock a latch reliably . the initial base loop delay will have adjustable delay components to increase or decrease the base loop frequency before any bulk delay is applied to the loop . circuitry is provided to control the base oscillator output frequency by inserting delays in the path of the feedback loop . means to adjust the delay for the incremental duration non - accounted with the bulk loop delay ; means to refine the delay to get as close as possible to the incoming clock frequency ; and means to synchronize the oscillator with every rising edge of the incoming clock period . for the purposes of further explaining the operation of the present invention , assume the base non - adjusted ring oscillator runs 4 times as fast as the incoming clock . the circuitry first determines how many base clock periods of the unadjusted 4 × clk 210 one can fit in the clk in period 403 of the external 1 × clk 400 . a 4 bit counter is implemented to be able to cover the frequency range chosen . if the base clock period is shorter than 600 picoseconds a counter larger that 4 bits may be required . referring now to fig4 , the period counter 405 is stepped with the rising edge of the step counter signal 712 of fig7 . the step counter signal is produced only if latch f 700 of fig7 is set . this occurs always after every rising edge of the 4 × clk . the counter will count as long as the clk in period 403 is hi and latch f 700 gets set . latch f 700 will set if the and 711 condition of the clk in period and the 4 × clk hi pulse is wide enough to satisfy the set time of the latch . it will reset every time latch c 706 sets . referring next to fig4 , after the rst expires , latches 401 402 and period counter 405 are set to the idle or reset state . the incoming 1 × clk 400 drives the divider latch 401 and the enable latch 402 . the divider latch 401 produces the desired period pulse clk in period 403 , which is shown in fig4 a . latch 402 , when set , allows selection process of the bulk delay . other circuits may be employed to determine when and how the bulk delay is selected without departing from the current invention . latch 402 is reset with the rst signal 409 . however , other methods for reset could be used to allow period measurements without departing from the current invention . clk in period 403 is fed to fig2 to produce the signal gate osc 200 to start the oscillator . the signal gate osc 200 has to be extended to allow the completion of the period measurement and other delay selections . once all of the variable parameters have been chosen , the values will be preserved as long as power is applied . the first 4 × clk 210 rising edge always occurs after the clk in period 403 rising edge . this interval of time is shown as 500 in fig5 and fig6 and is assumed to be 100 picoseconds for the purpose of illustration . other values could be used according to the deign implementation . the output of the period counter is decoded by a 4 to 16 decoder 406 . the decoded count is part of the selector mechanism of the bulk delay value . selection of the bulk delay is allowed only after clk in period 403 expires and proper logic decision time is established . when pulse clk in period 403 terminates , the counter will stop from counting because there will be no further setting and resetting of latch f 700 of fig7 . referring now to fig5 . the base clock period of the unadjusted 4 × clk 210 is sub - divided into equal intervals . the rising edge of each period is designated by the letter f . the interval f is from the rising edge of the clock to the beginning of the interval designated with the letter a . the interval of time selected for the purposes of illustration was chosen to be 100 picoseconds . therefore 6 intervals are produced since the chosen frequency of the base non - adjusted oscillator period is 600 picoseconds . the interval named f , a through e for every period of the 4 × clk is shown in fig5 and in fig6 . the interval of 100 picoseconds is chosen so that an sr ( set reset ) latch can be reliably set . representative sr latches 601 and 602 are shown in fig6 . referring now to fig6 , two sr latches 601 and 602 are shown . the setting of the latch is the lo signal of the output of the nand gate 600 . assuming that the stop signal 410 is not active , the setting of the latch is determined by the state of signals 4 × clk 210 and clk in period 403 . the timing relationship of these signals is shown in fig6 . clk in period 403 is the signal to be measured . signal 4 × clk 210 is the base clock which appears in fig2 before any bulk and incremental delays have been selected and applied . in this case , the period of the 4 × clk is assumed to be 600 picoseconds by design . latch 601 is set only with the hi pulse of the 4 × clk period , while latch 602 is set during the lo pulse of the 4 × clk period . three latches are required for the hi pulse and three for the lo pulse of the 4 × clk . those latches are shown in fig7 and are named f 700 , a 702 and b 704 for the hi pulse and c 706 , d 708 and e 710 for the lo pulse . whenever latch f 700 is set , a reset signal is applied to the latches c , d and e . the reset is removed when the a latch is set . whenever latch c is set , a reset signal is applied to the latches f , a and b . the reset is removed when the d latch is set . with every period of the 4 × clk under the valid hi time of the clk in period , all latches of fig7 are set and reset accordingly . eventually , the trailing edge 603 of the clk in period signal will occur within some point of the period of the 4 × clk . only some latches will stay set when that happens . the last latch to set will be determined by the time overlap of the 4 × clk hi or lo pulse and the end of the clk in period signal . at this point , a stop signal 410 could be applied to inhibit further latch alterations . when the stopped stage is reached , a decoding of the period counter 405 and of the incremental latches of fig7 will take place and the total bulk and incremental delay value will be selected from the delay string of fig3 and fig2 accordingly and will be inserted in the loop of the gated oscillator . there is a required time from the input to the nand gate 600 until the latch 601 or 602 is set . this time is determined by the speed of the cmos process technology used for the implementation of the logic . for the purposes of illustration , it is assumed 100 picoseconds nominal pulse width is required to set the latch reliably . this means that if , for example , the clk in period trailing edge occurs 100 or more and less than 200 picoseconds past the rising edge f of the 4 × clk , only latch f 700 of fig7 will be set . therefore , the clk in period could extend 0 to 99 picoseconds past the 100 picoseconds required duration to set latch f 700 without affecting the next latch . the same applies for all other latches of fig7 . the incremental latches as shown in fig7 will be set and reset during each 4 × clk 210 period provided that the period is overlapped by the clk in period 403 . when the period ends , the latches that remain set will be frozen in that state and will be decoded . based on the period counter decoded value by decoder 406 and based on which latch was the last to be set , the appropriate bulk and incremental delay from the delay trees will be selected to be added to the loop . once the bulk and the incremental delays are set , they will remain set until the decision is made to go through the selection again . in addition to the selected delays as described , there is one more determination to be made about fine delay adjustment . during the incremental latch setting in fig7 , the clk in period 403 to be measured may have a range of ending times past the last latch to be set . this time is between 0 and 99 picoseconds for the illustration numbers chosen for clock period and incremental intervals . referring next to fig6 , the clk in period 403 shown in the timing diagram starts 100 picoseconds before the rising edge of the first 4 × clk 210 pulse . it ends past period # 5 but does not satisfy the time required to set the latch f 700 of the next period . referring again to fig5 , several clk in period signals with their trailing edge are shown . assuming a clk in period of 3100 picoseconds , and assuming that the base unadjusted ring oscillator has a period of 600 picoseconds , the period counter at the end of the period duration will have a count of 5 and the incremental latch e 710 of fig7 set . latch e 710 represents 600 + picoseconds . for the purpose of illustration , each incremental latch of fig7 has a weight ( value ) of 100 picoseconds , and the following parameters are also assumed : if the technology used has fast circuits , the partition of the period could be more than 6 portions of smaller weight and with smaller delay selection accordingly . for every full period count above 4 , a total bulk delay of 150 picoseconds is selected for our example used herein . this number applies to one half period of the base ring clock . it must be multiplied by 2 and then added to the base clock period of 600 picoseconds . the new base clock period will be 600 + 150 = 750 picoseconds . bulk delays of fig3 could be arranged in other values instead of 50 picoseconds sections . a typical selection for bulk delay per full base clock period measured is shown in fig1 . the decoded counter value and the incremental latches f an a of fig7 will determine the value of the bulk delay to be inserted into the loop . any delay inserted into the loop will affect each half period of the base oscillator . once the bulk delay is selected , there is additional incremental delay to be selected based on the decoded incremental latches of fig7 for finer adjustment of the ring oscillator frequency in order to produce the 1 × ck int 801 equal , or close to equal , to the 1 × clk 400 frequency . decoding of the incremental latches and incremental delay selection is shown in fig9 . the incremental delays are shown in 211 , 212 and 213 of fig2 as numeric values and as fan outs ( fo ). after the bulk and the incremental latch delay selection , there is additional delay to be added to the loop . this delay is to account for the initial offset 500 , as shown in fig5 , which is assumed to be 100 picoseconds , as well as the inaccuracy of the delays in the bulk delay tree of fig3 , the inaccuracy due to process , voltage and temperature variations and the inaccuracy of the speed of the incremental latch setting . after this initial bulk and incremental delay selection , the loop is adjusted to produce the 1 × ck int 801 and int clk period 805 . the relationship of these signals and the phase shifted signals derived from the circuit of fig8 are shown in fig8 a . another signal produced is an early 1 × ck int 806 to be used for phase synchronization with the 1 × clk in of fig4 . referring now to fig4 , the clk in period 403 signal goes through a delay so that the phase of the clk in period del 408 signal co - insides with the phase of the int clk period 805 signal . this is shown in timing diagram of fig8 b . then int clk period 805 and clk in period del 408 are compared in circuits 807 and 808 of fig8 c . each of the circuits 807 and 808 will produce a pulse whose width is the difference in time between the two periods . then pulse period dif 1 806 and period dif 2 809 are applied to fine delay calculation circuits shown in fig8 d . each latch when set will represent a delay adjustment to be made to the delay of the loop . the weight of each latch will be 100 picoseconds and in loop delay adjustment 12 . 5 picoseconds . latch a 811 and latch b 812 of fig8 d will add the appropriate delay to the loop to expand the period duration . latch a 812 and latch b 813 of fig8 d will subtract the appropriate delay from the loop to shorten the period duration . the number of latching elements shown in fig8 d could be increased , if necessary , to cover wider range of pulse widths . furthermore , it is desirable to have the latching elements of fig8 d capable of resolving finer than 100 picoseconds intervals for more refined loop delay adjustment . after the bulk and incremental delays are applied to the loop , the ring loop period will be shorter than ideal . therefore , the int clk period 802 will be shorter than the clk in period 403 . in order to correct that situation , the circuit of fig1 is designed to provide a sync 1 100 pulse shown in fig1 a . if the 1 × clk 400 is used to start the ring oscillator and some other means exist to maintain the oscillations , the int clk period 802 will continue to be shorter than clk in period 403 and , therefore , the oscillator will stay out of synchronization in the long run . what is needed is a restarting of the oscillator every time with the rising edge of the 1 × clk or with a signal that is produced with the rising edge of 1 × clk . a signal is required to stop the oscillator from producing its rising edge before the rise of the 1 × clk signal and allow it to restart with the 1 × clk rising edge . this signal is the sync 1 100 and its duration shown in fig1 a . the lo level of the sync will stop the oscillator from continuing and will restart it with its rising edge . if such control did not exist , the oscillator will go out of synchronization with the 1 × clk . fig1 a shows the timing relationships of signals produced by the circuit of fig1 . referring now to fig1 , it is assumed that the rising edge of 1 × clk , through indirect control , produces the first rising edge of the adj 4 × clk after delay 1201 d 1 . if the oscillator were free running , at point 1200 would have transitioned . because the 1 × clk signal is low and controls the next rising edge transition of the 4 × clk , the transition will not occur until d 2 1202 delay has expired . this will make the low duty cycle of 4 × clk longer and period p 2 1204 longer than p 1 1203 and pw 2 1206 longer than pw 1 1205 . however , the int clk period 802 will equal the clk in period 403 in duration . calculation would show that the asymmetry of the 1 × ck int 801 is within acceptable numbers . referring now to fig8 , an early 1 × ck int 806 was generated and its timing is shown in fig8 a . the period of this signal is going to follow the same effects as is the period of 1 × ck int . if this early signal is fed to an output and then returned as an input signal , it can be compared to the 1 × clk 400 . the phase difference can be determined by circuits similar to 8 c and 8 d to resolve and apply the correct delay to bring it in phase synchronization with the 1 × clk 400 . similarly , internal signals could be produced and synchronized with 1 × clk 400 . when the oscillator of fig2 is designed in a silicon substrate , sections 203 , 213 and 214 ( as shown in fig2 ) are appropriately constructed so that the values and the number of the passive capacitors are established to allow for selection of the appropriate combinations so that the loop delay selected would allow the oscillator output 210 of fig2 to be synchronized to the input clk in period 403 of fig2 . in fig2 a , one or multiple capacitors are designed and attached to the line 216 . the line 202 designated as blk in is actually selected by digital means to constitute the loop path of the oscillator . the oscillator signal propagated to blk out line is affected by the selection of the capacitors c 1 224 , cn 223 . when capacitors are selected to be part of the loop , they affect the propagation delay of the loop signal of the oscillator . the capacitors are selected by means of activation of the active switches 221 and or 222 by their own select lines . the delay added by the capacitors that are selected adjusts the frequency of the oscillator . the adjusted frequency will bring the oscillator close to the desirable frequency . further fine adjustments of the frequency will be necessary to allow synchronization of the oscillator derived frequencies to the frequency of the input signal clk in period 403 . in order to apply fine adjustments to the loop , refer to fig2 b and 2 c . in fig2 b , the block designated as add delay , capacitors c 2 234 c 2 n 233 are constructed of finer values so that when they are selected to be part of the loop , provide smaller delay increments . they are selected by active switches such as 231 232 . the number of constructed capacitors is determined by the range of delay required for synchronization and the combination values of the capacitors . referring now to fig2 c , the block 214 is designated as sub delay for purposes of explanation only . the capacitors c 3 244 and c 3 n 243 along with the selection switches 241 and 242 for this embodiment are designed with very fine values of delay of the oscillator signal . they are intended to be activated with the initial activation of the oscillator for the base frequency . when the synchronization iterations start , it may be necessary to actually subtract delay rather than add to the loop to bring the frequency of the oscillator to the desirable value . in that case the circuit depicted in fig2 b serves the same subtractive function as described in fig2 c . the delay selection would require an initial approximate selection of values in the loop so that the period of the clk in period 403 of fig2 would approach the oscillator period . methods of first approximation and refined delay selection have been described . however the delay required would be of the passive component type rather than by active digital circuitry , as was first described in the original embodiment . then a selection of fine capacitor values would be included in an iterative process triggered by results of frequency comparator outputs . such frequency comparators , both digital and analog , are wee known in the prior art , and will not be described here . the passive components and associated active circuits may also be temperature and voltage controlled by methods well known in the prior art , resulting in better stability of their values . in a still further embodiment , the delay paths can consist of multiple loops , each with the capability of being activated or deactivated as required . it will be apparent that improvements and modifications may be made within the purview of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims . | 7 |
referring now to the drawings , particularly fig3 , and 7 , reference numeral 1 indicates an entire assembly , including a diesel engine 3 with a hydraulic pump 110 with hydraulic lines 158 and 160 with a hydraulic oil reservoir rr , a fluid coupling 5 , a conveyor 9 with hydraulic motor 109 with hydraulic lines 163 and 164 , accompanying hydraulic controls 10 driven through a communication channel dd by programmable electronic controls 11 with electronic input signal lines 150 , 152 , and 162 , and a hammer mill 12 with driving belts 108 . as is shown in fig1 , the fluid coupling 5 has a housing 14 , with a generally cylindrical outer wall 15 and a flanged area ff at its bottom to which a reservoir 75 is mounted . at an impeller end of the housing , is an inner wall 17 . at a runner end , a heavy wall or center housing plate 18 is bolted to the housing outer wall 15 . the plate 18 has a circle of interiorly threaded bolt - receiving bosses 19 opening outwardly . the diesel engine 3 has a crankshaft cr , crankshaft bearing 20 and flywheel 21 . in the illustrative embodiment shown , diaphragm flex plates 25 are bolted through holes in a circle near the outer edge of the plates with bolt and washer assemblies 26 to the flywheel 21 , and , through a circle of holes near an inner edge of the plates with bolt and washer assemblies 29 , into a hub 34 . long bolts 32 pass through hub 34 , through an impeller shaft 28 , and into a boss of an impeller 35 . between the inner wall 17 , and the impeller 35 , a circuit oil nozzle 36 , attached to inner wall 17 , is adapted to supply circuit oil to an impeller oil pump 37 , attached to a back side of the impeller 35 , and communicating through passages 38 with the interior of the impeller . an arrow on fig1 delineates the flow path of circuit oil from the external supply pipe ( not here shown ), through passages in the inner wall 17 , through the nozzle 36 , into and through the impeller oil pump 37 , through passages 38 , and into the impeller 35 . the impeller 35 has vanes integral with its interior surface . the impeller is bolted to an impeller casing 40 , which surrounds a runner 45 . in this embodiment , the mating surface between the impeller casing and the impeller is offset in a direction toward the input end from the plane of the gap between the impeller casing and the impeller , as shown in fig1 . this reduces the stresses in the faces of the vanes of the impeller induced by the centrifugal forces of the oil in the impeller casing , hence , on the impeller , when the circuit is full of oil , the objective being to reduce the possibility of cracking of the vanes . the impeller casing 40 is supported by a bearing 60 mounted on an output shaft 50 . the output shaft 50 is bolted to a runner 45 with bolts 51 , in this embodiment . the output shaft 50 is supported by a spherical roller radial bearing 55 mounted in an opening in the center housing plate 18 . radial passages 39 in the periphery of the impeller casing 40 have a replaceable orifice plug or fitting 41 to permit a predetermined amount of oil from the impeller and runner cavities to pass through the orifice 41 and into housing 14 , wherein , in this embodiment , the flow divides , the larger portion flowing through port 74 at the bottom of the housing into the reservoir 75 , and a smaller portion flowing into a trough 92 , into which a temperature sensor 91 extends , through a small port 73 in the trough 92 , into the reservoir 75 . the size of the orifice plug 41 selected may be increased to increase the rate at which the cavities evacuate after the control valve is turned to bypass , but must be small enough to assure that a portion of the circuit oil overflows through axial passages 71 in the impeller casing 40 to provide a full circuit of oil in normal operation . the oil overflowing through passages 71 joins the bulk of the oil flowing from orifices 41 through port 74 into reservoir 75 . axial passages 69 extend from the interior of the runner to the chamber between the runner 45 and the impeller casing 40 , near the innermost end of the runner cavity . the primary purpose of the passages 69 is to provide venting of the interior chambers of the impeller and runner in order for air and oil vapor as well as oil to pass freely to avoid vapor locking the inner cavities . for the oil flowing out of the passages 71 , the principal flow path is through a gap gg between the face of the runner at its periphery and the opposed face of the impeller , through the gap between the inner surface of the impeller casing 40 and the outer surface of the runner 45 , and exiting through passages 71 into the housing 14 . additionally , any oil passing from the runner cavity through passage 69 can also exit through passages 71 into the housing 14 . oil in the housing 14 from both the axial passages 71 and the orifice passages 39 is substantially a foam , that is , a mixture of oil and air , and it partially detrains as it drains along path 72 through an opening 74 in the bottom of the housing 14 , into the reservoir 75 fixedly attached to the flange ff which is an integral part of the outer wall housing 14 . the level of oil ll in the reservoir is set as close to the top of the tank as possible consistent with oil draining back from the heat exchanger and other equipment without overflowing when the engine is stopped . the oil level drops when the fluid drive is in service , because the oil fills all of the stationary equipment and the rotating fluid coupling element . an objective in sizing the reservoir is to have a volume of oil contained in the reservoir that is typically equivalent to the flow of oil pumped in 45 to 60 seconds , because this residency time normally is adequate to detrain sufficiently the oil for fluid coupling service . a circulating oil pump 76 is positioned within the reservoir with an inlet 79 that is below the level of oil ll in the reservoir so as to make the pump self priming . in most fluid coupling service , positive displacement pumps are used because they can handle oil that contains foam , that is , oil that contains a portion of air , generally up to 10 % and sometimes up to 15 % air . the air in the oil is compressed in the oil as it passes through the pump , thereby maintaining the same mass flow rate of the oil , but decreasing the volumetric flow rate in proportion to the air contained in the oil at atmospheric , or suction , pressure . air can also exit ( or enter ) the oil in the impeller and runner cavities , depending upon the degree of turbulence , and exit ( or enter ) through passages 69 and 71 , as required . in this embodiment , the pump 76 is mounted on a slidable plate 82 , which can slide vertically in slots in the interior surfaces of a pair of symmetric support brackets 83 that are fixedly mounted to flange ff by bolts . the pump is chain driven by means of a drive sprocket 80 attached to the impeller casing 40 , a driven pump sprocket 78 that is mounted on the pump drive shaft and aligned axially to the drive sprocket 80 , and a chain , not shown , that runs between the drive sprocket 80 and the pump sprocket 78 . in the embodiment shown , a spaced “ l ” shaped wall 68 made of thin metal is attached to the ends of the symmetric slotted support brackets 83 so that the lower end of the wall almost contacts , or does contact , the sliding plate 82 at a distance below the reach of the pump sprocket 78 , so as to form a pump sprocket well , isolating the pump sprocket from the bulk of the oil in the reservoir to reduce agitation of the oil by the action of the chain and pump sprocket . an internal oil supply line comprising a flexible hose 185 is connected to a pump discharge port 179 at one end and at another end to a fitting ccc . the entire movable pump assembly comprising pump 76 , slidable plate 82 , and sprocket 78 , are moved to provide proper tension to the chain , and locked in place by tightening bolts 183 . vertical jack bolts yy and lock nuts yyy can be used to aid in adjusting the tension of the chain . in the embodiment shown here , oil reservoir 75 is mounted to flange ff of the housing 14 . after the pump is mounted , hoses are attached , the chain is tensioned , and the sprocket well plate is attached . in an alternate embodiment , suitable access ports in the top of the reservoir can be used to allow the manipulation of the pump assembly and the loosening and tightening of the bolts holding the sliding plate , as well as connecting one end of a flexible hose to the pump discharge port 179 and the other end to a fitting , similar in function to ccc , for passing oil to the outside of the fluid coupling , which fitting may be mounted on any surface of the reservoir as suits the application . a heater and thermostat 77 in the reservoir conditions the circuit oil in the reservoir when the ambient temperature is too low . referring now to fig5 , an oil system 84 includes an internal oil supply line 185 from the pump 76 to a fitting ccc , an external oil supply line 85 , a pressure relief valve bbb with a return line to the reservoir 75 , a heat exchanger 86 which has a vent line 87 at its uppermost point to vent trapped air to the reservoir 75 , a temperature control valve zz , a filter 88 , an oil header 117 , a back pressure regulating valve prv , an oil flow diverter valve 89 , operated by an electrical actuator 90 , from which a circuit oil line 115 , typically on the order of 1 - ¼ inch or larger pipe and conducting 20 to 40 gallons per minute , is connected to a fitting to a pipe leading to the nozzles 36 . a choke cb may also be used to maintain pressure in the oil header 117 during normal operation . large diameter pipes are used for the high flow conduits to reduce the velocity in order to reduce the heating of the oil that occurs when high velocity , turbulent oil passes through small diameter pipes . a circuit cooling oil conduit 95 , relatively small in diameter as compared with the circuit oil line 115 , is tapped into the oil header 117 , and bypasses the diverter valve 89 . the circuit cooling oil conduit 95 provides cooling oil to remove the heat generated by windage , when the impeller and runner are evacuated of a normal flow of circuit oil . to this end , a choke in the form of a small orifice 98 may be provided in the circuit cooling oil conduit 95 to limit the flow for bypass circuit operation . also , from the diverter valve 89 a bypass oil line 94 extends that opens into the reservoir 75 . the by - pass oil line 94 may also have a choke in the form of an orifice 99 between the diverter valve and the reservoir , to provide back pressure to the oil header 117 . lube oil line 96 from the oil header 117 provides lube oil to the bearings 60 and 55 . lube oil line 96 is relatively small compared to circuit oil line 115 , and a choke ca may be used to control the bearing lube oil flow , typically on the order of 1 to 2 gallons per minute . in certain applications , for example , when there is a wide operating speed range of the diesel engine and the pump speed is directly controlled by fluid coupling input speed , a back pressure regulating valve may be preferred to maintain a relatively uniform oil supply pressure for the bearings , and chokes 99 and cb not used . in other applications , the diesel engine operating speed and ambient temperature conditions may be quite uniform and a back pressure regulating valve may not be needed . the function of the temperature control valve zz is to mix the cooled oil from the heat exchanger and the uncooled oil that bypasses the heat exchanger in proper portions to provide a supply of oil to the fluid coupling at the specified temperature set point . in certain applications , it may desirable for all of the oil to be cooled all of the time , and a temperature control valve is not required . the temperature sensor 91 extends through a wall of the housing 14 , and into the trough 92 through which oil being discharged from the impeller passes . the temperature sensor 91 is electrically connected to operate the electrical operator 90 of the diverter valve 89 . a control panel ee contains instruments such as oil header temperature gage , oil header pressure gage , circuit oil discharge temperature gage and circuit oil discharge over - temperature switch which functionally causes the oil diverter valve 89 to operate when an over - temperature event occurs . fw murphy company of oklahoma manufacturers a combined temperature gage and over - temperature switch in one instrument , and this uses a remote sensor operating on the bourdon tube principle , with the sensor located in port 91 and the instrument located in the control panel ee . another type of over - temperature detection device , known as a kaiser switch , is a combined switch and sensor , and it is directly located in port 91 with a wire leading to it from the control panel . another type of over - temperature device , also made by fw murphy , is an instrument that displays temperature , contains over - temperature switch function and is driven by a thermocouple remotely mounted in port 91 . the bourdon tube gage and switch device and the kaiser switch device are common on much power transmission equipment including fluid couplings . however , over - temperature events , depending upon the temperature reached , can cause a bourdon tube device to expand inelastically and develop an offset . while the kaiser switch is a unitized instrument and has the appeal of simplicity , the switching part of the instrument is not capable of withstanding repeated extreme over - temperature events either . because the fluid couplings that are the subject of this application are made entirely of steel or ductile iron , they can handle over - temperature events that are beyond the capability of those made using aluminum components , and therefore , there is a need for over - temperature sensing and switching devices that are capable of surviving repeatedly over - temperature events with very high temperatures , on the order of 400 to 450 degrees fahrenheit . a display and switching instrument driven by a thermocouple mounted in the port 91 is not affected by such over - temperature events because such systems can easily handle events over 1000 degrees fahrenheit , or higher , depending upon the materials used to make the thermocouple , far higher than is expected to be experienced in a severe over - temperature event by any fluid coupling . this type of thermocouple driven temperature sensing , display and switching instrument is commonly found in fluid drives throughout the power generation industry , but heretofore , it has not been used in fluid couplings in the mobile equipment industry . in the case of a massive jam , the oil in the fluid coupling will become overheated with respect to the set point of the temperature sensor and the entire coupling will be evacuated , preferably in no more than 15 seconds , by virtue of the operation of the diverter valve 89 and the passages 39 and orifice plugs 41 . the filling rate on start - up is preferably about 45 seconds . in the illustrative embodiment shown , the center housing plate 18 is bolted to the external housing 14 by bolts 23 , and a clamshell housing 100 is bolted to the center housing plate 18 by bolts 104 , threaded into the bosses 19 of the plate 18 . the clamshell housing 100 houses a sheave or multiple sheaves 105 , mounted on the output shaft 50 . the shaft 50 projects through the clamshell housing 100 and is journaled in a roller bearing 102 , carried by an end plate 101 , which can be either integral with the clamshell housing 100 or separate and bolted to the clamshell housing . the side wall of the clam - shell housing 100 is open through a substantial arc , to admit belts 108 extending around the sheave 105 , and leading to a sheave on the hammer mill 12 . because the boss pattern of the bosses , hence the bolt pattern of the corresponding bolts of the clam - shell housing , is circular and of uniform angular spacing , the dam - shell housing can be oriented in any desired angular direction permitted by the bolt spacing , to permit the belts to extend vertically , horizontally , or somewhere in between , as the position of the hammer mill relative to the fluid coupling requires . as has been indicated , the bosses 19 are designed to permit the bolting to the plate 18 , hence to the fluid coupling module , of a wide variety of power transmission elements . some different kinds of power transmission elements will require different output shaft configurations , but the appropriate output shaft will be supplied in most cases by the manufacturer of the fluid coupling , so that the recipient of the module has only to bolt on the power transmission element . in the case of complex coupling systems such as a gearbox , the output shaft can have a configuration to attach a gear shaft , or alternatively , the gear manufacturer can provide a gear shaft to the fluid coupling manufacturer for assembly . a gear box 200 , shown somewhat schematically in fig9 , and a direct drive 222 , also shown somewhat schematically in fig1 , are merely illustrative of drive trains that can be accommodated by the module of this invention . referring now to fig1 and 8 , between the outer end of the sheave 105 and the end plate 101 , a multi - toothed wheel 107 is mounted on the output shaft , which mates with a speed pickup 106 that provides output shaft speed information , through wire 152 to the control 11 that controls the speed of the conveyor 9 . the conveyor 9 is driven by a hydraulic motor 109 , supplied with hydraulic fluid under pressure by a pump 110 driven by the diesel engine 3 . the speed of the hydraulic motor 109 is controlled by the flow rate of hydraulic fluid supplied to it , which in turn , is dependent on the control of a control valve 10 that is regulated by a computer 11 that is programmed to be responsive to , among other things , the output shaft speed pickup signal from sensor 106 , as is well known to those skilled in the art . a schematic of a suitable control system is shown in fig8 . alternatively , the hydraulic pump can be driven by an electric motor , the speed of which can be regulated functionally by the computer 11 , or the conveyor itself can be driven by a variable speed electric motor , through a gear box of some sort , with the variable speed electric motor regulated functionally by computer 11 . in fig8 , the hydraulic control valve ( control 10 ) is shown as being controlled by a pid programmable computer ( control 11 ) using communication channel dd . an electric signal indicating actual engine speed is transmitted to the computer 11 through a line 150 ; and an output speed signal from the fluid coupling output shaft is transmitted through a line 152 , by which signals the differential slip speed is determined by the computer 11 . various fixed input data , indicated by the box 154 , are stored in the computer , such as a slip speed set point , a minimum output shaft speed ( which determines if the direction of the conveyor is to be changed , or the system shut down ), and depending upon these various criteria and the programming , an output signal from the computer is transmitted to the control valve 10 , to which a high pressure hydraulic fluid line 158 from the pump 110 is connected and from which a return line 160 extends to a reservoir rr which supplies hydraulic fluid to the pump 110 . hydraulic oil lines 163 and 164 function to deliver oil and to return oil to and from the motor 109 and valve 10 , depending upon the direction of rotation of the motor 109 . a feedback signal indicating the actual conveyor speed , forward and backward , is transmitted from a sensor on the hydraulic motor 109 to the computer 11 through a line 162 . programs used in controller 11 may have many features , selectable by data entry during operation , depending upon the objectives of the programmer and , for example , the types of sensors used , the numbers of sensors used , the types and capabilities of the conveyor , the abilities to open and to close the opening , or mouth , of the mill , the design of the hammers , whether fixed or swinging , the feedstock , and the desired chip size . a very simple program could have , for example , three discreet forward speeds , one reverse speed , and stop for the conveyor , controlled only by the fluid coupling output speed , such that when the output speed is above a preset set point , the conveyor goes at the fastest speed , when the fluid coupling output speed is at the set point speed or in a very narrow range around the set point speed , the middle conveyor speed is used , when the output speed is below the set point speed , the slowest conveyor speed is used , and when the conveyor speed is below a second set point speed , the conveyor goes into reverse , and when the fluid coupling output speed is below the second set point for more than a specified period of time , the controller functionally sends a signal to the diverter valve , and the oil flow is diverted and the fluid coupling stops transmitting torque , the conveyor stops , the engine is shut down in an orderly manner , and the mill is cleared . alternately , the program can be written so that the computer calculates slip speed from the engine speed via input speed signal 150 and from the fluid coupling output speed via signal 152 , and provides discreet speed control for the conveyor speed based upon slip speed and slip speed set point such that when the slip speed is near zero , the fastest conveyor speed is used , when the slip speed is at or very near the set point slip speed , the normal conveyor speed is used , when the slip speed is greater than the slip speed , the slowest conveyor speed is used , when the slip speed exceeds a second set point speed , the conveyor reverses , when the slip speed exceeds the second set point slip speed for a period greater than a specified time period , the controller functionally sends a signal to the diverter valve and the circuit oil flow is diverted , the fluid coupling stops transmitting torque , the conveyor stops , the engine is shut down in an orderly manner , and the mill is cleared . as another alternative , the computer program can be written to calculate the slip speed percentage , being the slip speed divided by the input speed and expressed as a percentage , with the same control over the conveyor being provided as a function of slip speed percentage rather than slip speed . by using a percentage of the slip speed as the criterion , the operation of the control is largely independent of the engine speed which could be set anywhere in the range of 1800 to 2300 rpm , depending largely on engine nominal speed range . alternately , the program can be written to provide variable speed control of the conveyor according to output shaft speed , slip speed , or slip speed percentage , though the preferred parameter is slip speed percentage , such that , for example , the conveyor speed is inversely proportional to the slip speed wherein when the slip speed percentage is zero , or almost zero , the conveyor is at the fastest conveyor speed ; when the slip speed percentage is at the preset set point , the conveyor speed is at the normal conveyor speed , and when the slip speed percentage varies above or below the set point percentage , the conveyor speed decreases or increases smoothly and linearly in an inverse proportionality to the slip speed percentage . when the fluid coupling slip speed percentage increases above another preset setpoint , then the conveyor goes into reverse and when the slip speed percentage decreases below the second setpoint , the conveyor resumes forward motion at a speed determined by the current fluid coupling slip speed . should the slip speed percentage remain above the second setpoint for a period exceeding a specified time period , then the control 11 functionally causes the diverter valve to divert oil from the fluid coupling , the fluid coupling terminates transmitting torque , the conveyor stops , the engine is stopped is a normal manner , and the mill is cleared . additionally , other functions of the feedstock feeding apparatus , such as mill mouth opening , can be controlled in similar ways to the above descriptions for control of conveyor speed . referring now to fig1 , an oil reservoir 201 is shown remotely mounted from fluid coupling housing 14 , and connected to the fluid coupling by a conduit 202 . conduit 202 , which may be flexible or rigid to suit the arrangement , is fixed at one end to flange ff and fixed at the other end to flange 203 of the oil reservoir , and is sized to suit the flow , elevation difference and distance between the fluid coupling and reservoir . the reservoir may be shaped to suit the space available , and may be sized to contain more oil than would be possible if the reservoir were attached to the fluid drive mounting flange ff . in this arrangement , the oil pump 211 is driven by a motor 212 , either electric or hydraulic , oil is supplied to said pump via a suction line 215 and oil is discharged by line 216 that connects to line 85 of the oil system 84 described above and shown in fig5 . in this embodiment also , the inlet to the pump is below the level of oil in the reservoir , thereby making it a self - priming pump , which is preferred , though pumps mounted above the oil level of the reservoir do function so long as a prime is achieved or retained . there are occasions when it is desirable to disassemble the rotating element of the fluid coupling completely . referring to fig6 for an improved design that makes such disassembly possible so that all parts are reusable , as compared with the arrangement shown in fig1 , a removable hub 190 is provided between the runner and output shaft 50 , bolted to the runner by bolts 191 , with dowel pins not here shown interspersed between bolts 191 , and bolted to the output shaft 50 by bolts 194 , with dowel pins not here shown interspersed between bolts 194 , and the direction of bolts 192 that attach the driving sprocket 80 to the impeller casing 40 is reversed as compared with the bolts shown in fig1 as securing the driving sprocket to the impeller casing . the bolts 192 are threaded into tapped holes in the driving sprocket 80 . these changes permit removal of the impeller casing , sprocket , and ball bearing 60 without removal first of the bearing 55 from the output shaft , which requires great heat to accomplish . bearing 55 is installed on the output shaft with a significant interference fit , which can be accomplished by heating slowly , as in an oven or by an induction heater . however , to get this bearing and center plate off the shaft , in the design shown in fig1 , requires considerable heat applied quickly to the bearing 55 and because this bearing can be heated from only the output end , the bearing is almost certain to be overheated and of no more usefulness . with the use of the runner hub 190 , the runner and runner hub can be removed easily , and with the reversal of the direction of bolts 192 , the impeller casing 40 can be removed from bearing 60 with heat without damage , then bearing 60 can be heated relatively quickly and without overheating , and removed without damage , the sprocket 80 and sleeve sl can be removed easily , the center plate 18 can be heated and removed easily , leaving bearing 55 exposed . the bearing 55 can then be heated from its outside diameter and both sides simultaneously , relatively quickly but without overheating , to permit its removal without damage . numerous variations in the construction and operation of the apparatus of this invention , within the scope of the appended claims will occur to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure . merely by way of example , although the module of this invention has particular utility in use with a diesel engine , other prime movers can be employed . as has been indicated , the fluid coupling can be used to drive apparatus different from a hammer mill . the internal piping of the module can be changed to suit the needs of the device , and the dimensions of such elements as the orifices in the lines and the passages through the impeller casing , runner and casings can be varied , again , to meet the requirements of the particular machine or task , as for example , to increase or decrease the fill time and the emptying time of circuit oil , or the temperature limits of the circuit oil temperature sensor . the runner hub can be made integral with the runner . the radial passages 39 can be made in the impeller rather than in the impeller casing , although the arrangement described is preferred , for the reasons given . the circulating oil pump in the reservoir can be driven by a gear train from a gear on the input shaft , or the pump can be removed from the reservoir and mounted externally and driven by an electric motor directly or by the diesel engine directly . in any case , the intake to the pump should be below the level of oil in the reservoir , to make the pump self priming . the same diesel engine that powers the fluid coupling can be employed to run a generator to provide electricity to power the oil pump motor or the conveyor motor , or both , as has been indicated as alternatives to the chain or gear drive , or hydraulic motor drive to the pump motor , or the hydraulic motor to power the conveyor . these variations are merely illustrative . | 5 |
referring now to fig4 through 7 , there is illustrated a first embodiment of an improved vehicle wheel hub and bearing retention system , indicated generally at 50 , in accordance with this invention . the illustrated vehicle wheel hub and bearing retention system 50 is associated with a wheel ( not shown ) of a vehicle . the general structure and operation of the vehicle wheel hub and bearing retention system 50 is conventional in the art . thus , only those portions of the vehicle wheel hub and bearing retention system 50 which are necessary for a full understanding of this invention will be explained and illustrated in detail . also , although this invention will be described and illustrated in connection with the particular vehicle wheel hub and bearing retention system 50 disclosed herein , it will be appreciated that this invention may be used in connection with other vehicle wheel hubs and / or bearing assemblies . the illustrated vehicle wheel hub and bearing retention system 50 includes a wheel hub 52 and a bearing unit 54 . the wheel hub 52 defines a longitudinal axis z and includes a generally stepped body having an opened inboard end 56 , an opened outboard end 58 , and a generally axially extending main body 60 . the main body 60 of the wheel hub 52 is provided with a radially outwardly extending flange 62 and a bearing seat 64 for receiving the bearing unit 54 . the flange 62 of the wheel hub 52 includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced lug bolt receiving holes 62a formed therein ( only two of such lug bolt receiving holes 62a are illustrated in fig4 ). a lug bolt 66 is disposed in each of the lug bolt receiving holes 62a to secure a brake rotor ( not shown ) and a vehicle wheel ( not shown ) to the wheel hub 52 for rotation therewith . the opened outboard end 58 of the wheel hub 52 is adapted to receive a dust cover ( not shown ) to prevent dirt , mud , water , and other debris from entering into the interior of the wheel hub 52 through the opened outboard end 58 . as shown in fig5 the wheel hub 52 is initially provided with a reduced diameter non - threaded section 70 directly adjacent the opened inboard end 56 thereof . the wheel hub section 70 has a generally constant thickness t , defines a predetermined outer diameter d1 , and extends a predetermined axial distance x1 . the wheel hub 52 is further provided with a section 72 directly adjacent the section 70 . the section 72 of the wheel hub 52 is provided with external threads 72a . preferably , as best shown in fig5 the outer diameter d1 of the non - threaded wheel hub section 70 is less than a minor thread diameter , denoted in fig5 as d2 , of the threaded wheel hub section 72 . in the illustrated embodiment , the minor thread diameter d2 is the same as an outer diameter d3 defined by the bearing seat 64 . alternatively , the diameters d1 , d2 , and / or d3 can be other than illustrated if desired . also , the structure of the non - threaded wheel hub section 70 can be other than illustrated if desired . the illustrated bearing unit 54 is a pregreased , sealed - for life non - serviceable cartridge style bearing pack assembly and is pressed onto the bearing seat 64 of the wheel hub 52 . the bearing unit 54 includes an outer race 54a , a pair of inner races 54b and 54c , and a plurality of bearings 54d and 54e , shown in this embodiment as tapered roller bearings , installed between the inner races 54b and 54c and the outer race 54a . however , the bearing unit 54 can be other than illustrated if desired . the outer race 54a of the bearing unit 54 includes an radially outwardly extending flange 68 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced mounting bolt receiving holes 68a formed therein ( only one of such mounting bolt receiving holes 68a is illustrated in fig4 ). a mounting bolt ( not shown ) is disposed in each of the mounting bolt receiving holes 68a to secure the bearing unit 54 to a non - rotatable component of the vehicle , such as the steering knuckle ( not shown ), so as to rotatably support the wheel hub 52 relative thereto . a bearing unit retention and preload device , indicated generally at 78 , is installed on the wheel hub 52 adjacent the inboard end 56 thereof to secure and preload the bearing unit 54 on the wheel hub 52 . in the illustrated embodiment , the bearing unit retention and preload device 78 includes a generally annular retention nut 80 . as shown in fig7 the retention nut 80 includes an inner end wall 82 , an outer end wall 84 , an inner cylindrical side wall 86 , and an outer cylindrical side wall 88 . the outer end wall 84 of the retention nut 80 defines an engagement surface which is oriented generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis z of wheel hub 52 . the engagement surface 84 of the retention nut 80 is adapted to engage an inboard end surface 54f of the bearing unit 54 when the retention nut 80 is installed and tightened on the wheel hub 52 , as will be described below . the retention nut 80 is preferably formed from stainless steel or carbon steel , and may be electroplated with zinc for corrosion protection . however , the retention nut 80 can be formed from other materials , such as for example , aluminum . in the illustrated embodiment , the retention nut 80 is provided with a plurality of slots 90 ( four slots 90 being illustrated in fig6 ) formed in the outer cylindrical side wall 88 . the slots 90 extend from the inner end wall 82 to the outer end wall 84 of the retention nut 80 and are adapted to allow a conventional tool to be used to install and tighten the retention nut 80 on the wheel hub 52 . to accomplish this , the inner cylindrical side wall 86 of the retention nut 80 is provided with internal threads 86a . the internal threads 86a of the retention nut 80 mate with the external threads 72a provided on the section 70 of the wheel hub 52 . as is known , the retention nut 80 is tightened against the inboard end surface 54f of the bearing unit 54 to a predetermined torque in order to exert a predetermined clamp load on the bearing unit 54 . in the illustrated embodiment , the retention nut 80 preferably further includes a plurality of indentations or notches 92 ( four equidistantly spaced indentations 92 being illustrated in fig6 ) provided therein . as shown in fig7 the indentations 92 extend radially outwardly from the inner cylindrical side wall 86 , and axially inwardly from the inner end wall 82 toward the outer end wall 84 . alternatively , the number , spacing , and / or the configuration of the indentations 92 can be other than illustrated if desired . as will be discussed , the indentations 92 are adapted to allow the material of the wheel hub 52 to be displaced therein in order to positively lock the retention nut 80 in place on the wheel hub 52 . turning now to fig8 the method for producing the vehicle wheel hub and bearing retention system 50 of this invention will be discussed . initially , in step 100 , the bearing unit 54 is pressed onto the bearing surface 64 of the wheel hub 52 and advanced ( to the right in fig4 ) until the inner race 54c engages a wheel hub shoulder 52a . next , in step 102 , the retention nut 80 is installed on the non - threaded section 70 of the opened inboard end of the wheel hub 52 ( the shape of the section 70 of the inboard end of the wheel hub 52 being shown in fig5 when the retention nut 80 is initially installed during step 102 ). during step 102 , the retention nut 80 is advanced ( to the right in fig4 ) to the threaded section 72a and is threadably tightened thereon to exert a predetermined clamp load on the bearing unit 54 as described above . following this , in step 104 , the section 70 of the opened inboard end of the wheel hub 52 ( shown in phantom in fig4 prior to performing step 104 ), is subjected to a metal forming process to secure the retention nut 80 thereon and produce the vehicle wheel hub and bearing retention system 50 of this invention . to accomplish this , the wheel hub 52 is supported on a suitable fixture ( not shown ) and a metal forming tool 110 ( shown in phantom in fig4 ) is provided . the metal forming tool 110 is oriented at an angle a relative to the axis z of the wheel hub 52 and is mounted on a support member ( not shown ) which allows the metal forming tool 110 to be selectively movable toward ( and away from ) the wheel hub 52 . as will be discussed , the metal forming tool 110 is provided with a tool end 110a having a predetermined contour which is effective to impart a predetermined contour to the section 70 of the wheel hub 52 during step 104 . during the metal forming process of step 104 , an end 70a of section 70 of the wheel hub 52 is engaged by the tool end 110a of the metal forming tool 110 . as the forming tool 110 is orbited or moved ( as shown by arrow r ), the material of the section 70 of the wheel hub 52 is engaged and reshaped generally radially outwardly by the tool end 100a against the adjacent inner end wall 82 of the retention nut 80 to produce the final shape of the opened inboard end 56 of the wheel hub 52 shown in fig4 . during step 104 , the forming tool 110 is operative to increase the radial dimension of the section 70 of the wheel hub 52 to form a predetermined finished section 56 of the wheel hub 52 which generally corresponds to the shape of the tool end 110a . as a result , the metal forming process of step 104 secures the retention nut 80 on the wheel hub 52 . also , during the metal forming process of step 104 , the material of the section 70 of the wheel hub 52 is displaced into and fills the indentations 90 of the retention nut 80 , thereby providing a positive mechanical lock of the retention nut 80 on the wheel hub 52 . alternatively , other metal forming processes can be used if desired . turning now to fig9 - 13 and using like reference numbers to indicate corresponding parts , a second embodiment of an improved vehicle wheel hub and bearing retention system , indicated generally at 50 &# 39 ;, and method for producing the same in accordance with this invention will be discussed . the vehicle wheel hub and bearing retention system 50 &# 39 ; includes a bearing unit retention and preload device , indicated generally at 78 &# 39 ;, installed on the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; to secure and preload the bearing unit 54 thereon . in the illustrated embodiment the bearing unit retention and preload device 78 &# 39 ; includes a generally annular retention ring 80 &# 39 ;. as shown in fig1 , the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; includes an inner end wall 82 &# 39 ;, an outer end wall 84 &# 39 ;, an inner cylindrical side wall 86 &# 39 ;, and an outer cylindrical side wall 88 &# 39 ;. the outer end wall 84 &# 39 ; of the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; defines an engagement surface which is oriented generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis z of wheel hub 52 &# 39 ;. the engagement surface 84 &# 39 ; of the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; is adapted to engage an inboard end surface 54f of the bearing unit 54 when the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; is installed and tightened on the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ;, as will be described below . the inner cylindrical side wall 86 &# 39 ; of the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; defines a retention ring inner diameter d4 . the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; is preferably formed from a material which is harder than material of the inner race 54b of the bearing unit 54 . also , the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; is preferably formed from stainless steel or carbon steel , and may be electroplated with zinc for corrosion protection . however , the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; can be formed from other materials , such as for example , aluminum . in the illustrated embodiment , the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; can be provided with a plurality of indentations 92 &# 39 ; ( four equidistantly spaced indentations 92 &# 39 ; being illustrated in fig1 in phantom ) provided therein . as shown in fig1 , the indentations 92 &# 39 ; extend radially outwardly from the inner cylindrical side wall 86 &# 39 ;, and axially inwardly from the inner end wall 82 &# 39 ; toward the outer end wall 84 &# 39 ;. alternatively , the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; does not have to include the indentations 92 &# 39 ;, or the number , spacing , and / or the configuration of the indentations 92 &# 39 ; can be other than illustrated if desired . as will be discussed , the indentations 92 &# 39 ; are adapted to allow the material of the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; to be displaced therein in order to positively lock the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; in place on the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ;. turning now to fig1 , the method for producing the vehicle wheel hub and bearing retention system 50 &# 39 ; of this invention will be discussed . initially , in step 100 &# 39 ;, the bearing unit 54 is pressed onto the bearing surface 64 &# 39 ; of the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; and advanced thereon ( to the right in fig9 ) until the inner race 54c engages a wheel hub shoulder 52a &# 39 ;. next , in step 102 &# 39 ;, the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; is installed on the non - threaded section 70 &# 39 ; of the opened inboard end of the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; ( the shape of the section 70 &# 39 ; of the inboard end of the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; being shown in fig1 when retention ring 80 &# 39 ; is initially installed during step 102 &# 39 ;). preferably , to accomplish this , the retention ring inner diameter d4 is slightly greater than the outer diameter d1 &# 39 ; of the section 70 &# 39 ; of the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; so as to provide a slip - fit or clearance - fit of the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; thereon . alternatively , the retention ring inner diameter d4 can be slightly less than or generally equal to the outer diameter d1 &# 39 ; of the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; so as to provide a press - fit thereon . next , in step 104 &# 39 ;, the section 70 &# 39 ; of the opened inboard end of the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; ( shown in phantom in fig9 prior to performing step 104 &# 39 ;), is subjected to a metal forming process to secure the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; thereon and to simultaneously preload the bearing unit 54 &# 39 ; and thereby produce the vehicle wheel hub and bearing retention system 50 &# 39 ; of this invention . to accomplish this , the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; is supported on a suitable fixture ( not shown ) and a metal forming tool 110 ( shown in phantom in fig9 ) is provided . the metal forming tool 110 is oriented at an angle a relative to the axis z of the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; and is mounted on a support member ( not shown ) which allows the metal forming tool 110 to be selectively movable toward ( and away from ) the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ;. as will be discussed , the metal forming tool 110 is provided with a tool end 110a having a predetermined contour which is effective to impart a predetermined contour to the section 70 &# 39 ; of the wheel hub 52 during step 104 &# 39 ;. during the metal forming process of step 104 &# 39 ;, an end 70a &# 39 ; of section 70 &# 39 ; of the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; is engaged by the tool end 110a of the metal forming tool 110 . as the forming tool 110 is orbited ( as shown by arrow r ), the material of the section 70 &# 39 ; of the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; is engaged and reshaped generally radially outwardly by the tool end 100a against the adjacent inner end wall 82 &# 39 ; of the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; to produce the final shape of the opened inboard end 56 &# 39 ; of the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; shown in fig9 . during step 104 &# 39 ;, the forming tool 110 is operative to increase the radial dimension of the section 70 &# 39 ; of the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; and to form a predetermined finished section 56 &# 39 ; of the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; which generally corresponds to the shape of the tool end 110a . as a result , the metal forming process of step 104 &# 39 ; secures the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; on the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ;. also , in this embodiment , during step 104 &# 39 ;, the metal forming process is selectively controlled so that the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; is operative to exert a predetermined clamp load on the bearing unit 54 . thus , step 104 &# 39 ; is operative to secure the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; on the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; and to simultaneously preload the bearing unit 54 . in addition , during the metal forming process of step 104 &# 39 ;, the material of the section 70 &# 39 ; of the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ; is displaced into and fills the indentations 90 &# 39 ; of the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; thereby providing a positive mechanical lock of the retention ring 80 &# 39 ; on the wheel hub 52 &# 39 ;. alternatively , other metal forming processes can be used if desired . one advantage of this invention is that the metal forming process is operative to positively secure the bearing unit retention and preload device 78 and 78 &# 39 ; on the respective wheel hub 52 and 52 &# 39 ; in a predetermined installed position and prevent axial and radial movement of the device relative thereto . as a result , the bearing unit retention and preload device 78 and 78 &# 39 ; of this invention is operative to maintain the predetermined clamp load against the associated bearing unit 54 . another advantage of this invention is that since the bearing unit 54 is preferably a non - serviceable bearing unit , the metal forming process of the section 70 and 70 &# 39 ; of the respective wheel hub 52 and 52 &# 39 ; against the bearing unit retention and bearing preload device 78 and 78 &# 39 ; produces a tamper - proof wheel hub and bearing retention assembly 50 and 50 &# 39 ;. in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes , the principle and mode of operation of this invention have been described and illustrated in its preferred embodiments . however , it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope . | 5 |
near field communication ( nfc ) is a short - range high frequency wireless communication technology which enables the exchange of data between devices over about a 10 centimeter distance . the technology is a simple extension of the iso / iec 14443 proximity - card standard ( contactless card , rfid ) that combines the interface of a smartcard and a reader into a single device . an nfc device may communicate with both existing iso / iec 14443 smartcards and readers , as well as with other nfc devices , and is thereby compatible with existing contactless infrastructure already in use for public transportation and payment . nfc is often aimed at usage in mobile phones . a host nfc device may be a computing device such as a cell phone , mobile phone , smart phone , tablet , laptop , or desktop computer , or any other computing device . nfc host may also include other electronic devices . for example , nfc host may include a bluetooth headset , speakers , video player , or any other electronic device . nfc host may include office equipment such as printers , facsimile machines , and copiers . further , nfc systems are used for a wide variety of applications including : identification , access , data transfer , payment , coupons , ticketing , and loyalty programs . the nfc device may act as a traditional rfid or nfc tag for any of these applications . fig1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an nfc system . the nfc system 100 may include an antenna 110 , an nfc controller 120 , and a host 130 . the antenna 110 may be a loop antenna tuned to the expected received rf frequency . any rf antennas may be used that meet the requirements of the nfc system . the nfc controller 120 may include an rf interface 121 , an transmitter / receiver 122 , a signal processor 123 , a processor 124 , a memory 125 , a dedicated memory 126 , and a host interface 127 . the rf interface 121 may be connected to the antenna 110 and receives / transmits an rf signal from / to the antenna 110 . the rf interface 121 may be coupled to the transmitter / receiver 122 and provides the received rf signal to the transmitter / receiver 122 . the transmitter / receiver 122 may demodulate a received rf signal . the transmitter / receiver 122 may also modulate an rf signal to be transmitted by the nfc system 100 . the signal processor 123 may receive a signal from the transmitter / receiver 122 and perform various processing on the signal . such processing may include detecting information in the received signal and producing data that may be carried in the received signal . the processor 124 may receive processed data from the signal processor 123 that is the data communicated to the nfc system 100 . the processor 124 also may control the operation of the nfc system 100 as further described below . the processor 124 may be any type of processor capable of performing the various functions of the nfc controller 100 . a memory 125 may be attached to the processor . such memory 125 may be a non - volatile memory that maintains the data stored therein even when power is not applied to the nfc controller 100 . an eeprom is an example of such a memory . a dedicated register 126 may be a small non - volatile memory for storing specific information for use by the processor when in a low power mode so that the memory 125 or any other memory associated with the processor ( for example , a volatile memory ) may be turned off in order to reduce power consumption of the nfc system 100 . a host interface 127 may provide the ability of the nfc controller to communicate with the host device 130 using any type of communication protocol and interface used by the host device 130 . the host interface 127 may implement various communication protocols and interfaces in order for a singl3 part to be used in various applications . the nfc controller 120 may be implemented as a single integrated circuit . further , certain functions in the nfc controller 120 may be implemented using instructions performed by the processor 125 . the host 130 may be a mobile phone , tablet computer , or any other sort of host device that would utilize nfc functionality . there are two main nfc modes : card emulation ( and p2p target )— the nfc device behaves like an existing contactless card ( e . g . payment , ticketing , transport , access control . . . ), that is the card does not generate an rf field ; reader mode ( or p2p initiator )— the nfc device is active and reads a passive rfid tag , for example for interactive advertising . during this reader mode the nfc device will try to activate different type of nfc tags ( iso14443 type a and b ; felica ; jewel ). the nfc reader mode operates by producing an rf field in order to poll and to activate nfc tags . the rf field may be produced by transmitting a 100 ms pulse . the nfc reader then may listen for a response from a tag . if a tag is within the field and responds it will send a message back to the nfc reader . the nfc reader may then activate a connection with the tag . activating the tag my include sequentially sending activation commands for various types of tags until a response is received . if no response is received , then the rf field may be turned off . in order to reduce power usage of the nfc reader , a low power mode may also be used by the nfc reader to poll tags . the low power mode may use a 300 μs pulse which may greatly reduce power consumption of the nfc reader . now , if a tag is introduced in the rf field , the tag will be detected during the 300 μs pulse . then the nfc reader may transmit a 100 ms pulse in order to perform a full activation procedure for the tag . one problem with the lower power mode is if one communication error ( for example , framing errors , rf errors , parity or crc errors ) occurs during the activation , the activation will not be successful and the nfc reader will not be able to activate the tag . accordingly , the nfc reader may return to the reader mode and transmit further polling pulses in order to detect tags . in order to overcome this problem , an embodiment will be described that uses a retry mechanism when the low power mode detects a tag . the number of retries may be configurable to allow a user of the nfc reader to determine a setting that will improve the user experience . fig2 is a flow diagram showing a method of how a nfc controller in a nfc reader may retry the activation procedure for the tag . the method 200 may be performed by the nfc controller 120 . the method 200 may begin at 205 . first , the nfc controller 120 may perform a low power poll . next , the nfc controller 120 my determine if a tag is detected . if not , the method 200 returns to step 210 . if so , then the nfc controller 120 may initiate an activation of the detected tag 220 . the nfc controller 120 then determines if the activation is successful 225 . if so , then the method 200 ends at 250 . if not , the nfc controller 120 reads a number of reties from memory 230 . the nfc controller 120 initiates an activation of the detected tag 225 like in step 220 above 235 . next , the nfc controller 120 determines if the activation is successful 240 . if so , then the method 200 ends at 250 . if not , then the nfc controller determines if the number of retries has been exceeded 245 . if so , then the method 200 ends at 250 . if not , the method 200 returns to step 240 to initiate the activation of the tag again . as can be seen in the flow chart , the method 200 performed by the nfc controller 120 may , upon the failure to active a tag after a low power poll detection of the tag , retry to activate the tag for a specified number of iterations . another problem that may arise in using a low power polling mode in the reader mode , is that some types of tags may not be detectable using the low power polling mode . further , the low power polling mode reduces the rf range of the nfc system . in order to overcome these weaknesses a hybrid polling mode may be used . a hybrid polling mode may use both the low power polling pulse and a normal power polling pulse . an embodiment is described below that implements a hybrid polling mode where the number of low power polling pulses used for each single normal power polling pulse may be specified . fig3 is a flow diagram showing a method of performing a specified number of low power polls for a tag followed by a single normal power poll for the tag . the method 300 may be performed by the nfc controller 120 . the method 300 may begin at 305 . first , the nfc controller 120 may first read a number of low power iterations to perform 310 . this number may be read from a dedicated register 126 . the dedicated register may be powered during standby or other low power modes and still be readable by the processor in order for the nfc controller 120 to perform the method 300 . the nfc controller 120 may next perform a low power poll 315 . as described above a low power poll has a shorter pulse , for example 300 us , in order to reduce power consumption while in a reader mode . next , the nfc controller 120 may determine if a tag has been detected 320 . if so , then the method 300 jumps to step 345 and initiates an activation of the detected tag . if not , the nfc controller 120 may determine if the number low power iterations has been exceeded 325 . if not , then the method 300 returns to step 315 and performs another low power poll . if so , then the nfc controller 120 may perform a normal power poll 330 . as described above a normal power poll uses the normal polling pulse ( e . g ., 100 ms ) to poll the tag . next , the nfc controller 120 may determine if a tag is detected 335 . if not , then the nfc controller 120 resets the number of iterations 340 and then returns to step 315 . if so , the nfc controller 120 initiates an activation of the detected tag . then the method 300 ends at 350 . it should be apparent from the foregoing description that various exemplary embodiments of the invention may be implemented in hardware and / or firmware . furthermore , various exemplary embodiments may be implemented as instructions stored on a machine - readable storage medium , which may be read and executed by at least one processor to perform the operations described in detail herein . a machine - readable storage medium may include any mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a machine , such as a personal or laptop computer , a server , or other computing device . thus , a tangible and non - transitory machine - readable storage medium may include read - only memory ( rom ), random - access memory ( ram ), magnetic disk storage media , optical storage media , flash - memory devices , and similar storage media . it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative circuitry embodying the principles of the invention . similarly , it will be appreciated that any flow charts , flow diagrams , state transition diagrams , pseudo code , and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in machine readable media and so executed by a computer or processor , whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown . although the various exemplary embodiments have been described in detail with particular reference to certain exemplary aspects thereof , it should be understood that the invention is capable of other embodiments and its details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects . as is readily apparent to those skilled in the art , variations and modifications can be effected while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the foregoing disclosure , description , and figures are for illustrative purposes only and do not in any way limit the invention , which is defined only by the claims . | 8 |
the following five criteria have been successfully applied sequentially to optimize selection for a bioimaging model : specific embodiments can be created from lines of mice transgenically manipulated with either the 5k or 10k vectors according to the following process . results described below are from one such selection process that started with 35 transgenic lines . fig5 graphically summarizes this process . from generated transgenic lines , one selects lines in which in vivo whole animal , e . g ., mouse , imaging at the peak of postnatal myelination ( e . g ., 3 - 5 weeks g1 mice ) shows cns specific imaging . six out of the selected 35 lines were advanced to the next selection stage . next lines in which ex vivo imaging confirms luciferase transgene expression mainly in the white matter region of brain were selected . five of the 6 lines from step 1 were advanced to the next stage . then lines in which the luciferase image intensity highly correlated with changes in demyelination and remyelination induced in , in this example , a cuprizone demyelination model was selected . three of the 5 lines from step 2 were advanced to the next stage . next lines which showed clear histological demyelination in the above cuprizone model were selected . two of the 3 from step 3 were selected as preferred lines . as a final proof of concept we selected one line , in which the efficacy of a003398711 , a pparδ selective agonist , was optimally detectable in the bioimaging model . an exemplary line designated line 171 ( b6c3 strain , heterozygous ) was selected using the above five criteria and used as a preferred model . amore detailed description of this process is described in examples below . as used herein unless indicated otherwise terms have meanings as generally used in the science parlance which may differ from colloquial common usage . a gene should be interpreted broadly to include transcribed as well as non - transcribed regions . compound is interpreted broadly to include chemical compounds , e . g ., organic chemical entities , biologic compounds , e . g ., antibodies and antigen recognizing fragments and constructs , nucleic acids , e . g ., rnai , etc . transgenic mice that expressed firefly luciferase were generated . in these animals , the reporter gene , luciferase , was linked to an mbp promoter , thus driving expression of luciferase in cells of white matter ( myelinated ) region e . g ., of the cns when mbp expression was turned on . systemic injection of the substrate luciferin ( iv , ip , sc ) generates a detectable and quantifiable light signal from a living mouse &# 39 ; s head . by applying a cuprizone demyelination model to select mbp - luci lines and injecting these animals with luciferin repetitively , one can serially monitor and quantify demyelination and remyelination through noninvasive bio - luminescence imaging longitudinally , for example , over a two month period . this model successfully quantitatively monitored a cuprizone - induced demyelination and a pparδ compound - induced remyelination . advances in detector technology have led to substantial improvement in sensitivity and image quality . photons are now detected by specialized charge coupled device ( ccd ) cameras that convert photons into electrons as photons strike silicon wafers . ccd cameras spatially encode the intensity of incident photons into electrical charge patterns which are then processed to generate an image . the noise is reduced by super - cooling the ccd camera and mounting the camera in a light - tight box . these cameras are generally controlled by a computer during image acquisition and analysis . second - generation camera systems that are much smaller and therefore can be accommodated on laboratory bench tops made the technology feasible and practical for day - to - day experimentation . xenogene company has commercialized bioimaging technology . of the imaging modalities available , optical techniques based on bioluminescence or fluorescence have emerged as the most accessible and easily manipulated . bioluminescent imaging ( bli ) is characterized by remarkable sensitivity , as background luminescence ( noise ) from tissues is exceedingly low . to date , bli has been successfully used to monitor biological processes such as cell movement , tumor progression , gene expression , and viral infection in a variety of animal models . firefly luciferase requires intracellular cofactors such as atp for activity . this limited its use to cells that were genetically engineered to express the enzyme . as a result , many useful imaging applications , such as , monitoring distribution of circulating factors , detecting extracellular antigen expression , and labeling endogenous cells are not amenable to firefly luciferase imaging . an additional drawback of firefly luciferase is the lack of alternative substrates for detecting it in fixed cells and tissue samples . this has made it difficult to correlate in vivo imaging with microscopic analysis . sensitivity of detecting light emitted from internal organs depends on several factors , including the level of luciferase expression , the depth of labeled cells within the body ( the distance that the photons must travel through tissue ), and the sensitivity of the detection system . the monitoring of expression of luciferase reporter expression cassettes using non - invasive whole animal imaging has been described ( contag , c ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 650 , 135 , jul . 22 , 1997 , herein incorporated by reference ; contag , p ., et al , nature medicine 4 ( 2 ): 245 - 247 , 1998 ; contag , c ., et al , osa tops on biomedical optical spectroscopy and diagnostics 3 : 220 - 224 , 1996 ; contag , c . h ., photochemistry and photobiology 66 ( 4 ): 523 - 531 , 1997 ; contag , c . h ., al , molecular microbiology 18 ( 4 ): 593 - 603 , 1995 ). such imaging typically uses at least one photo detector device element , for example , a charge - coupled device ( ccd ) camera . myelin basic proteins ( mbps ) are a family of polypeptides that are predominantly expressed in the nervous system where they play a major role in myelination . expression of mbp , for example in differentiating oligodendrocytes is mainly regulated at the transcriptional level . in the journal of neuroscience , farhadi et al . described a new regulatory combinatorial element that temporally controls expression of the mbp gene . farhadi et al showed that glia use different combinations of regulatory sequences to control expression of mbp at various stages during and after the onset of myelination . myelin basic protein ( mbp ) is required for normal myelin compaction and is implicated in both experimental and human demyelinating diseases , like ms . in order to further advance understanding of myelin biology and test myelin enhancement compound in living animals . the present invention used the mbp promoter qualities and the most sensitive luciferase reporter technology to generate the present mbp - luci model . the model now permits sensitive in vivo measurements of myelin gene transcriptional responses in living animals . the 129svev bac library ( cell & amp ; molecular technologies ) was screened with a probe located in mbp promoter m3 region . the probe was 507 bps and was generated with primer pair ( 5 ′- actccttaccacacttcttgcagg - 3 ′ 5 ′- tctattgggtgatgtgtgccatc - 3 ). ( seq id nos . 1 and 2 ) mbp bac was confirmed with the same probe through southern analysis ( 7 . 6k fragment digested using ecori and / or 13 . 8k digested with bamhi ). “ long ” mbp promoter containing m1 through m4 ( 10k ) amplified by high fidelity pcr with primer set ( mbp - l - sp2 5 - gggggatccacctgggacgtagcttttgctg and mbp - ap1 5 - ggggtttaaactccggaagctgctgtggg ) ( seq id nos . 3 and 4 ) was cloned into invitrogen &# 39 ; s xl - topo vector to produce an intermediate vector ( topo mbp10k vector ). then mbp 10k promoter ( bamhi and pmei fragment ) was inserted into pgl3 hygro neo vector ( bglii and pmei sites ). the final 10k vector was called pgl3 - hygro - long mbp - luci ( see e . g ., fig4 ). “ short ” mbp promoter containing m1 to m3 ( 5k ) amplified by high fidelity pcr with primer set ( mbp - s - sp2 5 - gggggatccatccctggatgcctcagaagag and mbp - ap1 5 - ggggtttaaactccggaagctgctgtggg ) ( seq id nos . 5 and 6 ) was cloned into invitrogen &# 39 ; s p2 . 1 - top ( ) vector to produce an intermediate vector ( topo mbp5k vector ). then mbp 5k promoter ( bamhi and pmei fragment ) was inserted into pgl3 hygro neo vector ( bglii and pmei sites ). the final 5k vector was called pgl3 - hygro - short mbp - luci . ( see e . g ., fig3 ). dna sequences from both pgl3 - hygo - mbp plasmids confirmed m1 , m2 , m3 and m4 reading . in addition , transient transfection of these plasmids into 293t cells gave detectable luciferase activity . all animal work was performed in accordance with federal guidelines . three different strains of mice ( fvb , b6c3 and c57 bl / 6 ) have been used . imaging was performed under inhalation anesthesia with isoflurane ( baxter , deerfield , ill . ); mice were observed until fully recovered . transgenic mice were generated as follows : either pgl3 - hygro - mbp10k - luci or pgl3 - hygro - mbp5k - luci plasmid was digested with noti and bamhi enzymes . a fragment containing the mbp promoter , luciferase and polyadenylation signal was then gel purified . transgenic mice were generated by standard pronuclear injection into fvb , b6c3 or c57bl / 6 embryos . in brief , during pronuclear microinjection , the mbp - luci gene cassette dna is introduced directly into the mouse egg just after fertilization . using a fine needle , the dna is injected into the large male pronucleus , which is derived from the sperm . the dna tends to integrate as many tandem arranged copies at a random position in the genome , often after one or two cell divisions have occurred . therefore , the resulting mouse is only partially transgenic . if the transgenic cells contribute to the germ line , then some transgenic eggs or sperm will be produced and the next generation of mice will be fully transgenic . transgenic founders and their tg + g1 offspring were identified by polymerase chain reaction ( pcr ) of tail biopsy dna using primers specific for the firefly luciferase gene ( pcr primers : 5 ′ gaaatgtccgttcggttggcagaagc - 3 ′, and 5 ′ ccaaaaccgtgatggaatggaacaaca - 3 ′) ( seq id nos . 7 and 8 ) offspring of 25 positive founders were imaged using the in vivo imaging system ( ivis 100 ; xenogen , alameda , calif . ), and six transgenic lines were identified with brain imaging signal ( two fvb lines and four b6c3hf1 lines ). since no brain imaging positive c57 bl / 6 founder was generated in this exercise , one fvb line was backcrossed to c57bl / 6 mice to achieve a c57 bl6 strain . b6c3 line 171 mice were subsequently propagated by intercrossing to achieve homozygous transgenic mating pairs . b6c3f1 line 171 was also backcrossed to c57 albino line . in vivo bioluminescence imaging was used to screen select mbp - luci lines . g1 mice were anesthetized with isoflurane , and a dose of 250 mg / kg luciferin was injected through the tail vein or s . c . eight minutes after the luciferin injection , mice were imaged . six lines were identified with brain imaging signal ( fig5 , two fvb strain lines : 58 and 121 and four b6c3 strain line : 12 , 23 , 85 and 171 ). except line 58 the other five lines showed ex vivo luciferase imaging signal at white matter region of brain . table 1 shows data from 35 transgenic dna positive founder mice identified shortly after birth through tail biopsies pcr genotype . fifteen dna positive founder lines generated mbp - 10k luci and twenty dna positive founder lines generated mbp - 5k luci . throughout this application , the transgene and the transgenic mouse are abbreviated as mbp - luci . ex vivo luciferase imaging of isolated organs was performed immediately after euthanasia of the animals by co 2 , 10 min after sc injection of luciferin ( 250 mg / kg ). dissected organs were placed on a black paper covered with plastic sheet and imaged by ivis ; strong bioluminescent signals remained detectable within 20 to 30 min after dissection . image analysis and bioluminescent quantification was performed using living image software ( xenogen corp .). tissue samples were placed in lysis buffer with inhibitors ( passive lysis buffer [ promega ] and complete mini protease inhibitor cocktail [ roche , indianapolis , ind .]). the tissues were homogenized using a tissue homogenizer . tissues were further homogenized by brief sonication . tissue homogenates were centrifuged and clarified lysates were used for luminometer assays . for the luminometer assays , luciferase assay substrate ( luciferase assay system , promega ) was prepared as indicated by the manufacturer . tissue homogenates ( 20 μl ) and substrate ( 100 μl ) were mixed and measurements were taken in a luminometer . background luminescence readings were obtained and the background readings were subtracted from the luminescent data . protein concentrations were determined using the bca protein assay kit ( pierce , rockford , ill .) following the manufacturer &# 39 ; s protocols . the luminescence for each of the protein lysates was calculated as arbitrary units of light per microgram of protein . administration of cuprizone to mice over a period of four weeks resulted in extensive demyelination of the corpus callosum . cuprizone - induced demyelination is associated with significant microgliosis and macrophage recruitment ( bakker and ludwin , j neurol sci 78 : 125 - 37 , 1987 ; hiremath et al ., j neuroimmunol 92 : 38 - 49 , 1998 ; mcmahon et al ., j neuroimmunol 130 : 32 - 45 , 2002 ), but does have minimal t - cell responses ( matsushima and morell , brain pathol 11 : 107 - 16 , 2001 ). the consistent and predictable nature of the site of myelin injury in this model results in easily quantifiable change in corpus callosum myelination . these changes might result from the de - novo myelination by oligodendrocytes progenitor cells , however , prevention of terminal demyelination by immunomodulatory mechanisms ( pluchino et al ., nature 436 : 266 - 71 , 2005 ), might be a viable alternative explanation . as outlined above , multiple strains of mbp - luciferase transgenic ( mbp - luci tg ) mice were evaluated for in vivo assessment of cuprizone - induced demyelination / remyelination events . expression of the myelin basic protein ( mbp ) promoter driven luciferase ( luci ) allowed in vivo bioimaging quantification of myelin in the brain of a transgenic ( tg ) mammal expressing the mbp protein . the model , for example , can use wild type c57 / bl6 mice fed 0 . 2 % cuprizone in their diet . previous models required terminal sacrifice at multiple time points for assessment of myelin after various compound treatments . since multiple animals were required inter - animal variability was a factor requiring additional subjects ( higher ns ) to achieve significance . the mbp 5k - luci line 171 ( b6c3 ) mice showed prominent and significant demyelination in the corpus callosum of the brain as assessed by luxol fast blue ( lfb ) histochemical staining on 0 . 2 % cuprizone in the diet for four weeks . this demyelination was further correlated with a drop in the bioimaging in vivo luciferase signal . the fvb strain , however , of mbp 10 - luci line 121 mice has not shown comparable demyelination . additional studies were conducted in the fvb mouse in an attempt to identify a potential regimen of varying amounts of cuprizone in the diet and varying time periods of cuprizone treatment that might result in significant demyelination . the results showed only moderate amounts demyelination by lfb assessments in the corpus callosum . accordingly , line 171 was preferentially developed . transgenic mice have frequently been created using the fvb / nj ( fvb ) strain due to its high fecundity . fvb strain mice are also extensively used for transgenic bioimaging model due to their white relatively non - light absorbing fur color . removal of hair , such as by shaving can also be used to reduce signal loss due to absorbance or scattering by hair or fur in fvb or other strains . because interstrain differences were observed for the cuprizone model , selection of strain may affect results . selection of an optimal strain for a particular purpose is considered routine optimization dependent , for example , on selected assay and equipment . however , creating the transgenic mammal is not considered a limiting factor ; rather the susceptibility of the particular strain and transgenic line to , e . g ., a myelination affecting condition is used as a selection criterion for improving data quality . depending on the myelination / demyelination event chosen , a choice of strain or genetic background may affect results . it is believed that specific demyelination models may work better in particular strains . such choice of model and strain would be considered routine as part of assay development . although cuprizone feeding is an excellent model in which to study demyelination and remyelination , there are strong genetic factors in this model apparently observed in strain differences . the mice from the fvb strain were chosen in part due to their white fur color . fvb mice offer a system suitable for most transgenic experiments and subsequent genetic analyses . for example , the inbred fvb strain is characterized by vigorous reproductive performance and consistently large litters . this reduces cost and effort in producing large populations . moreover , fertilized fvb eggs contain large and prominent pronuclei , which facilitate microinjection of dna . in addition , the fvb strain has albino fur color and makes it a first choice for bioimaging . these features make the fvb strain advantageous to use for research with transgenic bioimaging models . however , other strains can be used when they exhibit desired characteristics . fvb strain mice are very sensitive to 0 . 2 % cuprizone in term of weight loss . two to three times normal food / transgel supplement per week is required to avoid severe weight loss and toxicity . furthermore the inventors &# 39 ; experience showed that fvb strain mice show minimal histological demyelination from various cuprizone feeding regimens . accordingly , the mbp 10k - luci line 121 ( fvb strain ) was backcrossed to c57 bi / 6 to facilitate future validation and application . the b6c3 hybrid strain can be developed by intercrossing c57 bl / 6ntac female mice to c3h / hentac male mice from taconic us &# 39 ; s commercial colonies . it has black or agouti fur color . the b6c3 will be heterozygous at the loci where the c57bl / 6 and the c3h differ , and homozygous at the loci where they are the same . b6c3 / tac mice showed clear histological demyelination . specifically demyelination in the bioimaging model line 171 mbp 5k - luci homozygous mice was just mildly less extensive with mild variability as compared to wild type c57bl6 . demyelination in line 171 mbp 5k - luci heterozygous mice was considerably less severe , more localized and more variable as compared to c57bl6 & amp ; line 171 mbp 5k - luci homozygous mice . these results illustrate that the mbp - luci model can be useful in determining susceptibility of an individual , strain or species to a myelination affecting event . furthermore , the mbp - luci construct does not lose usefulness even in black furred mammals . effect of cuprizone on cortical demyelination in balb / cj mice was also investigated . in these mice , cortical demyelination was only partial . moreover , cortical microglia accumulation was markedly increased in balb / cj mice , whereas microglia were absent in the cortex of c57bl / 6 mice . thus strain differences may be useful to support different research goals . c57bl / 6 genetic background animals are suitable for many cuprizone model studies and have been used in several laboratories over the past 3 decades . when 8 week old c57bl / 6 mice are fed 0 . 2 % cuprizone in the diet , mature olidgodendroglia are specifically insulted ( cannot fulfill the metabolic demand of support of vast amounts of myelin ) and go through apoptosis . this event is closely followed by recruitment of microglia and phagocytosis of myelin . studies of myelin gene expression , coordinated with morphological studies , indicate that even in the face of continued metabolic challenge , oligodendroglial progenitor cells proliferate and invade demyelinated areas . if the cuprizone challenge is terminated , an almost complete remyelination takes place within a matter of weeks . intercellular communication between different cell types by soluble factors may be inferred . the method and model of the invention may there be useful for studying intercellular communication events , e . g ., determining whether a putative factor is involved in recruitment for myelination , screening for compounds that facilitate recruitment , and screening for compounds inhibiting recruitment . furthermore , the reproducibility of the mbp - luci model indicates that it may permit testing of manipulations ( e . g . available knockouts or transgenics on the common genetic background , or interfering rna or pharmacological treatments ) which may accelerate or repress the process of demyelination and or remyelination . although the line 171 ( b6c3h strain , heterozygote ) has been shown to work in myelination / demyelination studies , the model could be further improved by ( 1 ) breeding to homozygocity to increase bioimaging signal intensity and reduce model production and genotype cost ; ( 2 ) breeding to an albino strain such as the c57 strain to reduce imaging signal attenuation with white fur and to reduce skin reaction after multiple nair shavings ; ( 3 ) breeding the line 121 to the c57 bl / 6 strain to match the in - house developed cns cuprizone model strain . we have now demonstrated that line 171 homozygous showed an over 2 - fold bioimaging window than line 171 heterozygous line ( two copies of reporter gene cassette per cell ). other experiments also demonstrated albino c57 responded to cuprizone model . bioluminescence was measured noninvasively using the ivis imaging system ( xenogen corp ., alameda , calif .). the images were taken 10 min after i . p . injection of luciferin ( 250 mg / kg - 1 ; xenogene corp .) as a 60 - s acquisition , binning 10 , unless otherwise stated in the text . during image acquisition , mice were sedated continuously via inhalation of ˜ 2 % isoflurane ( abbott laboratories ltd ., kent , united kingdom ). the ivis ® imaging system 100 ( xenogene ) was used to collect the data proving this invention . xenogen &# 39 ; s sensitive ivis ® imaging system 100 series offers an adjustable rectangular field of view of , for example , 10 - 25 cm , allowing 5 mice or 2 large rats to be imaged , as well as one standard microtiter plate . the system features a 25 mm ( 1 . 0 inch ) square back - thinned , back - illuminated ccd ( charged couple device ) camera , which is cryogenically cooled to about − 90 to − 120 ° c ., for example , − 105 ° c . via a closed cycle refrigeration system ( without liquid nitrogen ) to minimize electronic background and maximize sensitivity . the ccd camera is designed for high - efficiency photon detection , particularly in the red region of the spectrum . it can detect very small numbers of photons , as well as operate as a traditional camera ; displaying images in that wide signal range is a function of xenogen &# 39 ; s living image ® software . there is a six - position filter wheel to isolate different bandwidths . this spectral information can reveal more about the depth and distribution of the source cells . the ccd is cooled and the electronic readout is optimized so that the data gathered to create the real - time in vivo images have extremely low noise . an extremely light - tight , low background imaging chamber allows the ivis ® imaging system 100 series to be used in standard lab lighting environments . the sample shelf in the imaging chamber moves up and down to adjust the field of view . researchers can view an entire animal , or focus on one portion for added detail . the shelf is heated to enhance the well - being of the anesthetized , e . g ., mice or rats . the system includes animal handling features such as a heated sample shelf , gas anesthesia connections , and a full gas anesthesia option from xenogen — the xgi - 8 gas anesthesia system , shown on the website page . a larger imaging chamber could allow use of larger test subjects or a larger number of test subjects d - luciferin firefly potassium salt 1 . 0 g / vial ( e . g ., xenogen xr - 1001 or biosynth l - 8220 ). dpbs without mg 2 + and ca 2 + . bottle top filter 0 . 2 um . a stock solution of luciferin at 25 mg / ml in dpbs was prepared and filter sterilized through a 0 . 2 um filter . 5 ml aliquots were store at − 20 ° c . injection dose was 10 ul / g of body weight . each mouse was targeted to receive 250 mg luciferin / kg body weight ( e . g . for 20 g mouse , inject 200 ul to deliver 2 . 0 mg of luciferin ). luciferin was injected sc , or ip , or iv several minutes before imaging . a luciferin kinetic study was optionally performed for each animal model to determine peak signal window . as described above , mice were injected with 250 mg / kg d - luciferin through sc , ip or iv . after 5 ( intravenous ) or 8 ( intraperitoneal or sc ) minutes , mice were imaged using the ivis 100 ( xenogen ) for 16 minutes ( 60 seconds imaging and 60 seconds interval for 8 pictures at bin size 8 ). to quantify bioluminescence , identical circular regions of interest were positioned to encircle each mouse head region , and the imaging signal was quantitated as average radiance ( photons / s / cm2 / steridian ) using livingimage software ( version 2 . 5 , xenogen ). the head region of interest was kept constant in area and positioning within all experiments . data were normalized to bioluminescence at the initiation of treatment for each animal . for statistical analysis , everstat v5 and sigma stat statistics software packages were used . the average of imaging in the group was taken as the mean , and se for all groups were calculated . when comparing two group means , a paired wilcoxon test or unpaired wilcoxon test was conducted . two - tailed values of p & lt ; 0 . 05 were considered statistically significant . “ long ” promoter is about 10 kb containing m1 , m2 , m3 , m4 and “ short ” promoter is about 5 kb containing m1 , m2 and m3 . these were cloned with a high fidelity pcr method from a mouse bacterial artificial chromosome ( bac ) containing a mbp gene . then each promoter fragment was cloned into a vector , for example into the into the poly link site of a pgl3 - hygro vector ( fig1 and fig2 ). the plasmids were restricted with not i and bamhi to release the mbp - luci transgenic expression cassettes ( fig3 ) that were used to generate transgenic mice in the fvb / tac and in b6c3 / tac strains using standard pronuclear microinjection techniques . general strategies for generating transgenic ( tg ) animals are well known in the art , for example as described in pinkert , c . a . ( ed .) 1994 . transgenic animal technology : a laboratory handbook . academic press , inc ., san diego , calif . ; monastersky g . m . and robl , j . m . ( ed .) ( 1995 ) strategies in transgenic animal science . asm press . washington d . c .). mbp10k - luci transgenic line 121 ( fvb strain ) with observed white matter region luciferase expression was used in the cuprizone model for validation experiments . as shown in the fig1 , the first cuprizone study , was conducted with repeated luci imaging at wk1 , 2 and 4 weeks ( on 0 . 2 % cuprizone diet ) followed by a return to normal cuprizone absent food with imaging at 5 , 6 and 7 weeks ( re wk1 through wk3 ). as shown in the figure , luciferase expression from this line 121 clearly correlated to cuprizone - induced demyelination and remyelination time courses . this is consistent with published endogenous mbp mrna studies ( jurevics et al ., journal of neurochemistry , 2002 , 82 , 126 - 136 ). fvb strain mice are but one strain and are known to be sensitive to 0 . 2 % cuprizone as seen by weight loss . routinely , two to three times normal food / transgel supplement per week is required to avoid severe weight loss and toxicity in this strain . one well known and widely used demyelination / remyelination model is the cuprizone model in the mouse . this model involves dietary consumption of cuprizone , a copper chelator ( typically about 0 . 2 % w / w ; biscyclohexanone oxaldihydrazone , cas # 370 - 81 - o , sigma c9012 ) administered in powdered rodent lab chow for a period of , for example , four to six consecutive weeks ( see , for example : matsushima and morell , 2001 ). cuprizone has been shown to be selectively toxic to matured oligodendrocytes . subsequent switch of the cuprizone food to normal food creates an environment conducive to recovery , such that four to six weeks after ceasing cuprizone feeding , the mice will exhibit extensive remyelination in the corpus callosum . thus , the cuprizone model provides a complete in vivo paradigm within which to study aspects of demyelination and remyelination ( fig1 and 12 ). as further proof , a mbp 5k - luci line 171 ( b6c3 strain ) was tested . this strain also showed a correlative imaging response to cuprizone - induced demyelination and remyelination events , as shown in the fig1 . 7 tg + mice were treated with 0 . 2 % cuprizone for 6 week and 3 tg + mice with normal food for 6 weeks . all 7 mice tolerated 0 . 2 % cuprizone diet and had an average weight loss between 15 to 25 %. there was significant imaging signal drop with cuprizone treatment ( demyelination ). for example , there is 43 % signal drop from wk 0 to wk 4 and 74 % signal drop from wk 0 to wk 6 . for histology validation , an objective was to confirm , in the bioimaging model , that the response of the reporter gene during cuprizone treatment correlated with structurally detectable demyelination in the corpus callosum of cuprizone - treated mice . these pathological conditions were visualized by luxol fast blue ( lfb ) staining ( see fig2 and 24 ). specifically , for the mbp 10k - luci line 121 ( fvb strain ), with 0 . 2 % cuprizone feeding , in initial trials , only minimal demyelination was detected through lfb staining . in order to generate clear histological demyelination for these fvb strain mice , various cuprizone feed regimens were followed to attempt to avoid severe weight loss . the 0 . 2 %, 0 . 175 % and 0 . 15 % cuprizone dose groups ( 6 week study ) required 3 - 4 times normal food / transgel supplement per week to avoid severe weight loss and toxicity . also , cuprizone concentration was further lowered with extended exposure time . studies with cuprizone concentrations ( 0 . 14 %, 0 . 12 % and 0 . 1 %) and treatment time ( 7 weeks and 9 weeks ) were tested with up to once a week normal food / transgel supplement . however , all data showed that fvb strain mice ( 8 weeks old , weight 28 . 5 g ± 3 g ) had lesser histological demyelination from varied cuprizone feeding regimens . the fvb line was not selected as an especially preferred embodiment for preliminary development of this research model . although fvb strain is good for imaging and sensitivity to cuprizone toxicity , weight loss might introduce confounding variables that could be easily avoided in these preliminary studies by using another strain . in another strain , mbp 5k - luci line 171 ( b6c3 ) mice ( 8 weeks old , weight 25 g ± 3 g ) showed clear histological demyelination . mouse brain tissues had been collected at the end of six weeks 0 . 2 % cuprizone treatment . all seven cuprizone treated mice had clear demyelination at the corpus callosum region and all three control mice showed normal myelination at the corpus callosum region . these data from the mbp 5k - luci line 171 provide further evidence that imaging signal tracks the cuprizone - induced demyelination phase . additional quantitative lfb analysis ( fig1 ) demonstrated that mbp - luci b6c3 line 171 homozygous mice ( 8 weeks old , weight 21 g ± 3 g ) showed more consistent and mildly more severe demyelination at 4 weeks compared to b6c3h line 171 heterozygous mice ( 8 weeks old , weight 25 . 5 g ± 3 g ). the denser regions in the ovals show stained myelin . furthermore , c57bi / 6 strain wild type male mice ( 8 weeks old , weight 20 g ± 3 g ) fed with 0 . 2 % cuprizone showed the most severe and consistent demyelination . c57 bl / 6 strain has been served as positive control line for cuprizone model and pparδ test compound effect described in preliminary studies . 1 . mbp - luci mice confirm a pparδ selective agonist tool compound &# 39 ; s positive effect on cns remyelination : mbp - luciferase mice have been used to assess whether this in vivo bioimaging model can be used to detect a peroxisome proliferator - activated receptor δ ( pparδ ) agonist tool compound (&# 39 ; 571 ) effect on cns remyelination . the peroxisome proliferator - activated receptors ( ppars ) belong to the nuclear receptor super - family that functions as transcription factors that regulate the expression of target genes . in contrast to other transcription factors , the activity of nuclear receptors can be modulated by binding to the corresponding ligands - small lipophilic molecules that easily penetrate biological membranes . despite the complex cell signal pathway for the nuclear receptor family , there has been a long successful history to use nuclear receptors as drug targets . ppars play essential roles in the regulation of cellular differentiation , development and metabolism . ppars have three closely related isoforms encoded by separate genes identified thus far : commonly known as pparα , pparγ and pparδ , also known as pparβ ; j . berger and d . e . miller , annu . rev . med ., 2002 , 53 , 409 - 435 ). each receptor subtype has a signature dna binding domain ( dbd ) and a ligand - binding domain ( lbd ), both being necessary for ligand activated gene expression . ppars bind as heterodimers with a retinoid x receptor ( rxr ). pparδ appears to be significantly expressed in the cns ; however much of its function there still remains undetermined . of singular interest however , is the discovery that pparδ was expressed in rodent oligodendrocytes , the major lipid producing cells of the cns ( j . granneman , et al ., j . neurosci . res ., 1998 , 51 , 563 - 573 ). moreover , it was also found that a pparδ selective agonist was found to significantly increase oligodendroglial myelin gene expression and myelin sheath diameter in mouse cultures ( i . saluja et al ., glia , 2001 , 33 , 194 - 204 ). pparδ knockout mice have smaller overall brain size and reduced levels of myelination in white matter ( mol cell biology 200 20 : 5119 ). additionally , pparδ agonists exert protective effects in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis ( eae ) model of multiple sclerosis ( polak et al ., j neuroimmunology 2005 168 : 65 - 75 ). colleagues had previously demonstrated that selective pparδ agonists play a functional role in neural tissue and stimulates oligodendrocyte progenitor cell differentiation . sar117145 , an orally bioavailable brain penetrable pparδ selective agonist , stimulated rodent and human oligodendrocyte progenitor cells differentiation in vitro in a concentration dependent manner ; an effect that could be blocked with a pparδ selective antagonist . in rat oligodendrocytes , increased expression of myelin basic protein was preceded by increased mrna expression of the downstream ppar target , angptl4 , and this upregulation was blocked with lentiviral shrna knockdown of pparδ . in a mouse cuprizone model of acute demyelination where mice were fed a diet of 2 % cuprizone for 4 weeks , sar117145 , enhanced cns remyelination , increased angptl4 mrna expression , and improved axonal conduction across the corpus callosum . cns activation of angptl4 was accompanied by increased expression in gastrocnemius muscle , suggesting that this could serve as a potential surrogate marker . these data demonstrate that pparδ agonists can enhance cns remyelination and improve axonal function and suggest their potential use in stimulating endogenous repair processes for the treatment of demyelinating disorders ( us patent application 20070149580 , use of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor delta agonists for the treatment of ms and other demyelinating diseases ). a pparδ agonist tool compound (&# 39 ; 517 ; fig1 ) was tested in b6c3h line 171 heterozygous mice . eight week old mice were placed on a diet containing 0 . 2 % cuprizone for 4 weeks , then given normal diet for remyelination . mice were then orally dosed twice daily with either vehicle ( 0 . 6 % carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt and 0 . 5 % tween 80 ) or 30 mg / kg pparδ agonist tool compound &# 39 ; 517 for 8 days and imaged at the time points indicated in the graph . data were normalized to week 0 baseline signals . there was a 30 - 100 % relative luciferase signal increase in the tool compound &# 39 ; 517 group ( n = 15 ) over vehicle group ( n = 13 ), which we believe is due to enhancement of oligodendrocyte progenitor cell differentiation . the effect of &# 39 ; 517 was further histologically confirmed by luxol fast blue ( lfb ) staining in the same study ( fig1 ). parasagittal tissue sections from formalin fixed paraffin embedded brain were stained with lfb for qualitative assessment of myelin in the corpus callosum . the stained sections for each time point were scored and graded on a scale from 0 ( complete myelination ) to 5 ( complete demyelination ). scoring system was as follows : 0 = normal myelin , no demyelination , 1 = minimal , localized demyelination , 2 = mild to moderate , localized demyelination , 3 = moderate , locally extensive demyelination , 4 = severe , locally extensive demyelination , 5 = severe , diffuse demyelination . histological evaluation of lfb - stained brain sections from mice , after 4 weeks on cuprizone , confirmed moderate to severe demyelination of the corpus callosum in line 171 heterozygous mice ( n = 5 ). treatment with &# 39 ; 517 from week 4 to week 5 during remyelination phase resulted in a measurable increase in myelin as determined by lfb at the 7 week time point , tool compound &# 39 ; 517 group ( n = 5 ) compared to vehicle control group ( n = 3 ). despite small n - numbers , histological data support the in vivo luciferase bioimaging data , indicating increased remyelination in mice treated with the &# 39 ; 517 compound when compared to vehicle controls . a second ppar6517 study with line 171 heterozygous mice showed the similar results ( data not shown , and also extended &# 39 ; 517 treatment to three weeks ). consistent with the first study ( fig1 ), the second study also suggests that &# 39 ; 517 accelerated oligodendrocyte progenitor cell differentiation at the early recovery phase during remyelination process ( m lindner and s heine , et al , neuropathology and applied neurobiology , 34 , 105 - 114 , 2008 ). 2 . mbp - luci mice detect the protective effects of an erβagonist , &# 39 ; 5a or a positive control compound qtp on myelin expression . the estrogen receptors ( ers ) belong to the family of steroid nuclear receptors that act directly on the dna through specific responsive elements and modulate gene expression . there are two subtypes of ers , erα and erβ . erα is highly expressed in the uterus , prostate , ovary , bone , breast and brain , whereas erβ is present in the colon , prostate , ovary , bone marrow and brain . selective targeting of erβ is an attractive therapeutic approach to avoid erα side effects . er subtype - selective compounds have been identified . for example , erβ ( not erα ) agonists have been shown to protect oligodendrocytes and neuroblastoma cell apoptosis in vitro . in addition , erβ or er - agonist ameliorates eae and has neuroprotective effect ( preservation of myelin and axons ). based on previous pparδ agonist tool compound , &# 39 ; 517 , the mbp - luci line was used to profile an err agonist , &# 39 ; 5a in the cuprizone model . furthermore , we included astrazeneca &# 39 ; s schizophrenia drug , quetiapine ( 10 mg / kg , po , qd ) as a positive control based on its protective effect on cuprizone - induced demyelination ( schizophrenia research , 2008 december 106 , 182 - 91 ). two independent studies were performed with b6ch line 171 heterozygous mice . the first study ( fig1 ) showed that the erβ agonist , &# 39 ; 5a and a positive control , quetiapine ( qtp ), were protective during the period of demyelination in the cuprizone model . mbp - luc line 171 heterozygous b6c3h mice were fed a diet of cuprizone for 4 weeks and orally dosed with &# 39 ; 5a ( 10 mg / kg , n = 12 or 30 mg / kg n = 16 ) or qtp ( 10 mg / kg , n = 14 ). mice were imaged at week 0 ( baseline ), week 3 and week 4 data normalized to the week 0 baseline . similar to previous study ( fig1 ), the vehicle group resulted in a 49 % ( week 3 ) and 45 % ( week 4 ) bioimaging signal reduction . the qtp group showed significant increases in imaging signal vs . vehicle control for both week 3 and week 4 time points at 10 mg / kg . results for the qtp treatment group are consistent with data published by zhang et al ( schizophrenia research , 2008 , 106 : 182 - 91 ). compound &# 39 ; 5a at 30 mg / kg showed significant increases over vehicle at week 4 , but showed no significant difference over vehicle at 10 mg / kg at weeks 3 or 4 . these results suggest that the mbp - luci imaging model can be used to assess dose dependent protective effects in the cuprizone model . a further study ( fig1 ) was designed to confirm the first study result ( fig1 ) but with a larger cohort for the vehicle and the &# 39 ; 5a compound 30 mg / kg treatment groups . in agreement with the first study results , treating mice with qtp at 10 mg / kg ( n = 17 ) produced a statistically significant inhibition of cuprizone - induced signal decrease when compared to vehicle treated controls ( n = 25 ) at week 3 ( 25 % vs 47 % reduction , p = 0 . 028 ) and at week 4 ( 6 % increase vs 25 % reduction ). furthermore , &# 39 ; 5a at 30 mg / kg ( n = 27 ) results in significantly greater transgene activity compared to the vehicle control group at week 3 ( 31 % vs 47 % reduction , p = 0 . 0079 ) and week 4 ( 6 % reduction vs 25 % reduction , p = 0 . 0015 ). these two studies demonstrated that &# 39 ; 5a at 30 mg / kg significantly prevented the cuprizone diet induced reduction in the bioimaging signal in the cns although not to the same extent as the positive control qtp at 10 mg / kg ( under the conditions used in these experiments ). since previous studies have shown a direct relationship between the extent of cns myelination and the mbp - luci bioimaging signal , these current results suggest that both &# 39 ; 5a and qtp prevented demyelination in the cns during cuprizone diet administration . imaging model data support that both qtp and &# 39 ; 5a attenuate the cuprizone - induced brain demyelination and myelin breakdown . six transgenic lines on various strain backgrounds have been generated for distinct bioimaging applications . b6c3h line 171 homozygous mice and heterozygous imaging signal in the cuprizone model ( fig1 ) was compared . two copies of the reporter gene in the homozygotes showed greater than two - fold signal decrease during the demyelination phase and a two - fold signal increase during the remyelination phase . although it is demonstrated that the heterozygous line 171 ( b6c3h strain ) works in cuprizone model and can detect compound effects , it is anticipated that the model could be further improved by breeding to homozygosity to increase bioimaging signal intensity . this would also streamline model production and decrease genotyping costs , since mouse colonies can be maintained as homozygotes . moreover , the larger the imaging window , the more sensitive the model is towards detecting compound induced changes . fig2 shows comparison of histological lfb data from three different lines in the cuprizone model . quantitative lfb data confirmed the bioimaging results with line 171 b6c3h that homozygous mice exhibited the most severe cuprizone induced demyelination ; similar in severity to that seen in wild type c57 bl / 6 mouse strain typically used . line 171 heterozygous mice line showed less severe demyelination while these line 171 heterozygous mice showed the least amount of cuprizone induced demyelination . in fig2 , demonstrates that mbp - luci line with the largest bioimaging signal reduction also had the greatest demyelination , as assessed histologically . three different mbp - luci lines ( line 171 b6c3h het strain , line 121 c57bl / 6 heterozygous strain and line 171 b6c3h homozygous strain ) were compared by bioimaging and luxol fast blue ( lfb ; myelin stain ) histology . mice were placed on a diet containing 0 . 2 % cuprizone for 4 or 5 weeks . imaging data were normalized to week 0 baseline measurements . at the end of each study , mouse brains were harvested and serial paraffin sections were stained for myelin with lfb . average qualitative lfb score ( 0 to 5 ) was shown in the chart of fig2 . line 171 b6c3h homozygous mice showed the largest imaging signal decrease and also demonstrated the most severe demyelination as assessed by qualitative histological assessment . line 171 b6c3h heterozygous mice showed the smallest imaging window and also the least histological demyelination at week 4 . line 171 b6c3h homozygous mice had the largest bioimaging signal reduction during cuprizone food feeding in the reference to their base line imaging before cuprizone food feeding . for example , after three weeks on the cuprizone diet , 171 b6c3h homozygous mice had 72 % signal reduction ( week 3 reference to week 0 , p & lt ; 0 . 05 ), while line 171 b6c3h heterozygous mice had 45 % bioimaging signal reduction ( reference to week 0 , p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). line 121 c57 bl / 6 heterozygous mice had the smallest reduction in luciferase signal ( 33 % reduction at week 3 over week 0 , p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). the sensitivity and responsiveness of mbp - luci model was further confirmed by treatment of 171 b6c3h homozygous mice with qtp ( 10 mg / kg ) shown in fig2 . consistent with results using 171 b6c3h heterozygous mice ( fig1 and 18 ) that qtp ( 10 mg / kg ) significantly prevented bioimaging signal reduction . based on these results , line 171 b6c3h homozygous mice were identified as the optimal line for the cuprizone induced demyelination bioimaging model . mbp - luci mice have both brain and spinal cord luciferase expression . as shown in fig2 , luminescence signal was primarily from the white matter region of brain and spinal cord . besides luciferase imaging from brain that has been successfully demonstrated for cuprizone model applications , luciferase imaging signal from spinal cord could be used in the experimental allergic encephalitis ( eae ) model of ms or applied as a spinal cord model . | 0 |
fig1 shows a general arrangement cross section of the pool cue as conceived in this invention . to aid in understanding this general arrangement , the pool cue is made up of the following items . no . description 10 release mechanism cavity 11 trigger release button spring 12 trigger release button 13 release cylinder 14 barrel spring 15 end plate 16 threaded rod 17 threaded bushing 18 tension adjustment coupler 19 rear impact rod 20 stop edge 21 front impact rod 22 pin 23 machined tip 24 end impact tip 25 threaded connection for cue barrels 26 threaded connection for impact rods 28 rear cue barrel 30 front cue barrel 31 contact point 33 barrel taper 35 drilled opening in rear cue barrel 40 machined recess the cue is made up of two elongated barrels , a front cue barrel 30 and a rear cue barrel 28 . both barrels may be made from materials such as aluminum , titanium , graphite , and wood . a preferred embodiment is to begin with a solid aluminum dowel or billet . the overall length of the cue can vary from a typical four and one half feet long to any length specified by a prospective owner . the barrel outside diameter is preferably 1 . 25 inches . the barrels are preferably made by drilling length wise with a gun drill bit to bore ⅛ inch hole or a 3 / 16 inch hole as illustrated to allow the front impact rod 21 and rear impact rod 19 to freely move . a taper 33 in machined on the outside diameter the front cue barrel 30 and rear cue barrel 28 to match existing cue designs . the outside of the barrels can be given a high quality machined or polished finish . it should be noted that fig1 is not drawn to scale . the length is shortened for the sake of showing the important features of the invention . the front cue barrel 30 and rear cue barrel 28 are carefully machined so that they can be screwed together by male and female threads 25 near the middle of the overall cue length . the machining must be done carefully to ensure that the mating surfaces keep the overall cue assembly straight . the rear cue barrel 28 is also drilled or machined out , preferably to ⅝ inches in diameter and 4 to 6 inches deep , to allow the barrel spring 14 and release mechanism assembly to be inserted into the cue . a stop edge 20 illustrates where the diameter changes . the end diameter of the rear cue barrel 28 is also machined to allow room for the tension adjustment coupler 18 to be assembled . the rear cue barrel 28 is also drilled out 35 , preferably to ⅜ inches in diameter and just deep enough to allow the trigger release button 12 and the trigger release button spring 11 to be inserted . a spring release mechanism cavity 10 is created inside the rear cue barrel 28 by the machining and drilling . the barrel spring 14 and release mechanism assembly is designed to provide for continuously variable energy storage in the barrel spring and provide for a fixed stroke length for striking a billiard ball . the energy stored in the barrel spring 14 is adjusted by an assembly of four parts . a threaded rod 16 is firmly fixed to a threaded tension coupler 18 and an end plate 15 so that they all rotate together . a threaded bushing 17 is fixed to the end of the rear cue barrel 28 by a pin or other means . when the tension adjustment coupler is turned , the threaded rod 16 turns inside the threaded bushing 17 and causes the end plate 15 to move and compress the barrel spring 14 . this assembly provides for a continuously variable amount of stored energy . the stiffness of the spring may be designed to the preference of the owner . the trigger release assembly consists of three important parts . a trigger release button 12 is inserted in the rear cue barrel and also in a release cylinder 13 . a trigger release button spring 11 is under the trigger release button 12 . the mechanism is shown in the locked position with spring force being applied to the trigger release button . when the trigger release button 12 is pressed into the rear cue barrel 28 , the contact 31 between the trigger release button 12 and the release cylinder 13 is removed and the release cylinder 13 then slides forward until the stop edge 20 prevents movement . the trigger release button 12 is machined to a shape that matches slots in the release cylinder 13 to allow the motion to occur . the trigger release button spring 11 helps to prevent unwanted activation of the pool cue by keeping the trigger release button 12 in the locked position until activated by the owner . it also provides for a convenient re - locking action on the trigger release button 12 when getting ready for the next pool shot . a machined recess 40 on the release cylinder 13 provides support for the barrel spring 14 and optionally includes room for a washer to ensure a smooth turning for the barrel spring 14 when the spring compression is adjusted . when the release cylinder 13 is allowed to slide forward , it then pushes the rear impact rod 19 forward . the rear impact rod 19 is firmly threaded into the release cylinder 13 . the rear impact rod 19 is connected to a front impact rod 21 by a threaded connection 26 . the front impact rod 21 is connected to a machined tip 23 which is attached by a pin 22 or other means . the machined tip 23 is then attached to an end impact tip 24 which will actually strike the billiard ball . the attachment design for the end impact tip 24 may be by glue , threading , press fit , or other mounting means . the end impact tip 24 may be a typical material used in pool cues as desired by the owner . the attachment may include the use of a knurled or threaded hole . various designs may be used that allow a quick change . the pool cue may be disassembled for storage by first unscrewing the front impact rod 21 and then unscrewing the front cue barrel 30 . the rear impact rod 19 is prevented from rotating because the release cylinder 13 is prevented from rotating by the trigger release button 12 . the pool cue is reset for the next shot merely by pushing the impact rods and tip assembly back into the cue . the trigger release button spring 11 pushes the trigger release button 12 into the locked position and which holds the cue ready for the next shot . fig2 shows a detail of the release cylinder 13 in a view in the same direction as the release button motion . an enlarged eyehole 39 is designed to engage a larger diameter of the trigger release button 12 and provide a smaller diameter slot 32 that will slide past the trigger release button 12 when the invention is activated . fig3 shows an additional important detail that is omitted in fig1 . a machined aluminum retainer ring 41 is added to the outside diameter of the rear cue barrel 28 . it slides over the length of the cue in the direction as illustrated to lock the trigger release button 12 inside the rear cue barrel 28 and prevent it from falling out . the retainer ring 41 has an outside diameter small enough to allow the trigger release button 12 only enough motion to perform its function and not spring out . in general , the cue can be modified as per the desires of the owner . the overall design provides for the use of a variety of materials . also the cue exterior may be modified by various paints , surface textures , anodizing , and knurling . this invention lends itself very readily to the use by persons with handicaps or disabilities . this invention may be adapted in length to fit for use by the preference or need of the owner . this cue barrels have been designed , in a preferred embodiment , to be made by the use of standard machining techniques from an aluminum dowel or billet . this allows the customization of the cue to the length , surface texture , and appearance specified by an owner . while various embodiments of the present invention have been described , the invention may be modified and adapted to various similar pool cues to those skilled in the art . therefore , this invention is not limited to the description and figure shown herein , and includes all such embodiments , changes , and modifications that are encompassed by the scope of the claims . | 0 |
referring to fig1 there is shown a schematic of a second order birefringent acousto - optic device . the device comprises an anisotropic medium 11 , for example , a teo 2 crystal , provided with input and output end surfaces 12 and 13 , respectively . the medium 11 is oriented with the [ 110 ] axis of the teo 2 crystal in the vertical direction and the [ 001 ] axis in the horizontal direction . an acoustical transducer 14 is mounted in intimate contact with the medium 11 and is connected to a suitable tunable signal generator 15 . the rf output of the signal generator 15 is fed to the transducer 14 and excites an acoustic shear wave 16 which is propagated along the [ 110 ] axis of the teo 2 crystal . a right - hand circularly polarized laser beam 17 is incident on the input surface 12 and transmitted into the medium 11 near the optic axis and is diffracted by the acoustic wave . under appropriate conditions , efficient diffraction of the laser beam occurs in the second order . the light in the second order diffraction appears as a deflected laser beam 18 that exists at the output surface 13 . when the frequency of the signal generator 15 is varied , the direction of the deflected laser beam is accordingly changed . the device then acts as a laser deflector . the resolution of this configuration is equal to twice that of the conventional acousto - optic deflector since the second order diffraction is employed , i . e ., where n = the resolution , δf = total scanning frequency bandwidth , and τ = acoustic transit time across the optical aperture . the difference between conventional acousto - optic devices and the second order birefringent device described here is best illustrated by the diagram of wave vectors construction . fig2 ( a ) shows the wave vector diagram for an acousto - optic diffraction in an isotropic medium . although exact wave vector matching is achieved at the band center in second order , there is a substantial wave vector mismatch for the intermediate first order process . the overall diffraction efficiency to the second diffraction order is low , hence the use of second order diffraction in an isotropic medium is impractical . on the other hand , the overall diffraction efficiency for a second order birefringent deflector can be high . fig2 ( b ) shows the wave vector diagram for the acousto - optic diffraction near 90 ° phase matching condition in a birefringent crystal . note that in this case the acoustic wave vectors for the midband frequency are degenerate in magnitude and direction , thus enabling high overall diffraction efficiency into the second order . a complete wave analysis of the second order birefringent diffraction process was made . at midband frequency the first and second order process are exactly phase matched . the diffraction efficiency in second order as a function of drive power is then given by where p is the acoustic power , p m = λ 2 o h / m 2 l , λ o is the free space wavelength , h is the transducer height , l is the interaction length and m 2 is the acousto - optic figure of merit . at p = p m , 100 % diffraction efficiency into the second order is obtainable . experiments were performed on a second order birefringent deflector using teo 2 as the medium . the arrangement is the same as shown in fig1 with a he - ne laser at 6328fa . maximum light intensity was obtained at the 90 ° phase - matching frequency of 37 . 4 mhz . the measured diffracted efficiency i 2 / i o is shown in fig3 as a function of ( p / p m ) 1 / 2 , which is in good agreement with eq . ( 2 ). the resolution of the second order birefringent deflector was also measured . the device had a total scanning frequency bandwidth of 24 mhz and a 25 μsec access time . the resolution of the deflector was found to be 1200 spots , which is twice that obtainable in the first order . it should be noted that the mid - band acoustic frequency f o of the deflector for optical wavelength λ o is where v is the acoustic velocity , n is the refractive index and δn is the effective birefringence of the crystal . in the configuration shown in fig1 the circular birefringence in teo 2 is utilized . if the linear birefringence of a crystal such as teo 2 is utilized , the mid - band acoustic frequency is in general too high for practical applications . for an incident laser beam is incident at an angel θ with respect to the optic axis . the effective birefringence is given by where n e and n o are indices for the ordinary and extra - ordinary light propagated perpendicular to the optic axis . this permits the choice of lower mid - band frequency of the second order birefringent deflector . | 6 |
the present invention is best understood by reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein . embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to the figures . however , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments . for example , it should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will , in light of the teachings of the present invention , recognize a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches , depending upon the needs of the particular application , to implement the functionality of any given detail described herein , beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown . that is , there are numerous modifications and variations of the invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within the scope of the invention . also , singular words should be read as plural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa , where appropriate , and alternative embodiments do not necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive . it is to be further understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular methodology , compounds , materials , manufacturing techniques , uses , and applications , described herein , as these may vary . it is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only , and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention . it must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims , the singular forms “ a ,” “ an ,” and “ the ” include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . thus , for example , a reference to “ an element ” is a reference to one or more elements and includes equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art . similarly , for another example , a reference to “ a step ” or “ a means ” is a reference to one or more steps or means and may include sub - steps and subservient means . all conjunctions used are to be understood in the most inclusive sense possible . thus , the word “ or ” should be understood as having the definition of a logical “ or ” rather than that of a logical “ exclusive or ” unless the context clearly necessitates otherwise . structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures . language that may be construed to express approximation should be so understood unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . unless defined otherwise , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . preferred methods , techniques , devices , and materials are described , although any methods , techniques , devices , or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of the present invention . structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures . the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings . from reading the present disclosure , other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art . such variations and modifications may involve equivalent and other features which are already known in the art , and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein . although claims have been formulated in this application to particular combinations of features , it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure of the present invention also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalization thereof , whether or not it relates to the same invention as presently claimed in any claim and whether or not it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does the present invention . features which are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment . conversely , various features which are , for brevity , described in the context of a single embodiment , may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination . the applicants hereby give notice that new claims may be formulated to such features and / or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present application or of any further application derived therefrom . references to “ one embodiment ,” “ an embodiment ,” “ example embodiment ,” “ various embodiments ,” etc ., may indicate that the embodiment ( s ) of the invention so described may include a particular feature , structure , or characteristic , but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature , structure , or characteristic . further , repeated use of the phrase “ in one embodiment ,” or “ in an exemplary embodiment ,” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment , although they may . as is well known to those skilled in the art , many careful considerations and compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimal manufacture of a commercial implementation of any system , and in particular , the embodiments of the present invention . a commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of the present invention may be configured according to the needs of the particular application , whereby any aspect ( s ), feature ( s ), function ( s ), result ( s ), component ( s ), approach ( es ), or step ( s ) of the teachings related to any described embodiment of the present invention may be suitably omitted , included , adapted , mixed and matched , or improved and / or optimized by those skilled in the art , using their average skills and known techniques , to achieve the desired implementation that addresses the needs of the particular application . it is to be understood that any exact measurements / dimensions or particular construction materials indicated herein are solely provided as examples of suitable configurations and are not intended to be limiting in any way . depending on the needs of the particular application , those skilled in the art will readily recognize , in light of the following teachings , a multiplicity of suitable alternative implementation details . a practical embodiment of the present invention provides a diverting device that enables a medium to be routed through one of two channels or simultaneously through both channels . in one practical embodiment , the diverting device is incorporated into a single chamber that may be installed on a motorcycle exhaust system from which exhaust may be directed along a desired route . many practical embodiments may be implemented as part of an exhaust system that can be run muffled , semi - muffled or unmuffled with the movement of a lever . fig1 a through 1c illustrate an exemplary diverting device , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig1 a is a cut away side view . fig1 b is a diagrammatic end view of an inlet chamber 103 , and fig1 c is a diagrammatic end view of an outlet chamber 104 . in the present embodiment , the diverting device comprises inlet chamber 103 and outlet chamber 104 , which are divided by a wall 107 . inlet chamber 103 and outlet chamber 104 are cylindrical in shape ; however , in some alternate embodiments these chambers may be round , oblong , square , etc . furthermore , the inlet and outlet chambers may be implemented in various different diameters to provide chambers that can be virtually any size . in the present embodiment , outlet chamber 104 comprises diverter channels 105 , which are ovular tubes connected to wall 107 . it is contemplated that diverter tubes in some alternate embodiments may have various different shapes such as , but not limited to , circular or square tubes . other alternate embodiments may be implemented without diverter channels and instead may comprise an outlet chamber that is divided into two chambers by a wall . in the present embodiment , a diverter flap 109 comprising a half wing shape is pivotally attached to wall 107 at an attachment point 110 , and a lever 111 connected to diverter flap 109 enables diverter flap 109 to be rotated about attachment point 110 . referring to fig1 b and 1c , wall 107 comprises two holes 113 that correspond to diverter channels 105 . the diverter device may be made of various different metals including , without limitation , aluminum , chrome or stainless steel . in some alternate embodiments the diverter device may be made of different materials such as , but not limited to , various plastics , composite materials or a combination of materials . in the present embodiment , the diverter device can be used for routing many different materials including , without limitation , air , gases , fluids , marbles , shot bead , sand , etc . upon entering the diverting device at inlet chamber 103 , a material is routed through diverter channels 105 . the movement of lever 111 raises or lowers diverter flap 109 to route incoming material to one of diverter channels 105 or through both diverter channels 105 . in the present embodiment raising lever 111 lowers diverter flap 109 to route the material through the upper diverter channel 105 , and lowering lever 111 raises diverter flap 109 to route the material through the lower diverter channel 105 . diverter flap 109 may also be positioned at any point between the upper and lower limits to allow flow through both diverter channels 105 . the amount of flow routed to each diverter channel 105 can be controlled by adjusting the angle of diverter flap 109 to more fully open or block a particular diverter channel 105 . a spring 115 holds diverter flap 109 in position . spring 115 comprises an over - center design . each end of the spring has an eyelet attached to it . one end of spring 115 is attached to lever 111 . the other end of spring 115 is attached to a stationary post on the outer tube wall . the post and lever 111 each have a groove to keep spring 115 in place . when diverter flap 109 opens to either diverter channel 105 , then spring 115 is retracted holding diverter flap 109 in position . when lever 111 is rotated to select the other diverter channel 105 , spring 115 stretches going over attachment point 110 then retracts holding diverter flap 109 in the opposite selected position . in some alternate embodiments the diverter channels may be positioned in a side - by - side configuration or at an angle rather than in a stacked configuration . in these embodiments , the diverter flap and lever are positioned to properly correspond to the position of the diverter channels . in the present embodiment , lever 111 can be pushed or pulled by the hand or foot of a user to direct the flow of material . it is contemplated that a multiplicity of suitable means may be used in some alternate embodiments to move the lever or the diverter flap directly including , without limitation , cable , electric motors , vacuum operations , etc . furthermore , in some of these embodiments , and in some manually operated embodiments , means other than a lever may be used to control the motion of the diverter flap such as , but not limited to , dials , sliders , cranks , etc . many practical embodiments of the present invention are compact and can be exclusively designed for motorcycle exhaust applications . embodiments implemented for motorcycle applications are typically designed with chambers that are four inches in diameter or smaller and may have up to four pipes entering the diverting device that splits into two exiting pipes . these embodiments may be adapted for use with a wide variety of different factory and aftermarket motorcycle exhaust systems . for example , without limitation , harley davidson motorcycles are common and may be a customary application ; however , diverting devices according to some practical embodiments of the present invention may be adapted for other v twin manufacturers as well as for four - cycle motorcycles and other types of motorcycles . in addition , some alternate embodiments may be implemented for use with other types of vehicles such as , but not limited to , dirt bikes , all terrain vehicles , snowmobiles , go - carts , riding lawn mowers , etc . some practical embodiments may be used as part of customizing a motorcycle with an aftermarket exhaust system . other practical embodiments may be used to customize an original factory exhaust system . in the application of one such embodiment , the catalytic converter of the original exhaust system is removed and replaced with a diverting device . generally , aftermarket exhaust systems do not include catalytic converters ; therefore , this application may be cost efficient by allowing a user to retain the original exhaust and modify it . fig2 is a cross sectional side view of an exemplary diverting device 200 installed on a motorcycle exhaust , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . in the present embodiment , diverting device 200 is installed on existing head pipes 203 to allow exhaust to run through a muffled , partially muffled or unmuffled system . the exhaust flows from the motorcycle engine through head pipes 203 of the original factory or aftermarket exhaust system . head pipes 203 combine into one pipe before reaching diverter device 200 ; however , in some alternate embodiments , separate head pipes can be attached to the diverter device . in the present embodiment , as the exhaust exits head pipes 203 , it enters diverting device 200 . the inlet of diverter device 200 guides the exhaust to a diverter flap 209 where the exhaust is routed to one of two exiting channels 211 or 213 or a combination of both . exiting channel 211 leads to a pipe 214 comprising a muffler 215 , and exiting channel 213 leads to an open pipe 217 . referring to the figure , diverter flap 209 is shown in a position to route all of the exhaust to exiting channel 211 and into muffled pipe 214 . diverting device 200 comprises slip fit ends that fit over the existing ends of head pipes 203 and exiting pipes 214 and 217 and can be welded or clamped into place . in some alternate embodiments , the device may taper at the ends to enable it to be inserted into the head pipes and exiting pipes . in typical use of the present embodiment , diverting device 200 enables a user to obey noise ordinances and be able to use an open exhaust for sanctioned racing events or in areas with no noise ordinances with the simple movement of a small lever , as shown by way of example in fig1 a through 1c . the user may also partially open diverting device 200 to open pipe 217 to give warning of their presence to other motorists in congested traffic areas . in the present embodiment , routing functions are contained in a single simple device , diverting device 200 , and there is minimal movement of diverter flap 209 . this typically provides unrestricted flow of exhaust and generally does not cause the flow of exhaust to stop , reverse or find a new path to function correctly , which may occur with the use of butterfly valves common in currently available systems . also , diverter device 200 is easy to install to a multiplicity of suitable vehicles unlike one currently available diverting device that is designed for automobiles , is only made in a two - inch diameter y configuration and is made of cast iron . cast iron is difficult to attach to any other metal , and the y shape of this device makes it difficult to use in motorcycle applications . another currently available design provides a switching device on the rear of the muffler , which requires a user to stop and rotate an end cap on the muffler . mufflers can become hot , and placing the switching device on the muffler may cause the user to receive burns . the lever to actuate diverter device 200 is located away from muffler 215 , which generally prevents a user from receiving burns from operating diverter device 200 . furthermore , diverter device 200 blends with the design of the exhaust system , and it is typically difficult to determine from the outside that the exhaust system has been modified . some embodiments may comprise chrome shields to enable the device to more fully blend into the exhaust system . fig3 is a cutaway side view of an exemplary diverting device , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . in the present embodiment , the diverting device comprises an inlet chamber 303 and an outlet chamber 304 with two exit channels 305 . a diverter flap 309 is pivotally mounted to a point 310 where the inlet ends of diverting channels 305 meet and is controlled by a lever 311 . in the present embodiment , there is no wall to separate inlet chamber 303 from outlet chamber 304 . this separation is solely provided by diverter flap 309 . this is believed to provide a no resistance flow of the material through the diverting device as illustrated by the u - shaped lines . all the features disclosed in this specification , including any accompanying abstract and drawings , may be replaced by alternative features serving the same , equivalent or similar purpose , unless expressly stated otherwise . thus , unless expressly stated otherwise , each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features . having fully described at least one embodiment of the present invention , other equivalent or alternative methods of providing a diverter device according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art . the invention has been described above by way of illustration , and the specific embodiments disclosed are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed . for example , the particular implementation of the exit channels may vary depending upon the particular type of configuration used . the configurations described in the foregoing were directed to straight implementations ; however , similar techniques are to provide diverter devices with exit channels in different configurations such as , but not limited to , forked configurations , y configurations , t - configurations , l - configurations , etc . implementations of the present invention with various different configurations are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention . the invention is thus to cover all modifications , equivalents , and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims . claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and / or lettered solely as an aid in readability and understanding . any such numbering and lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken to indicate the ordering of elements and / or steps in the claims . | 5 |
the latices which may be used in the present invention are those having a basic ph in which the rubbery polymer particles are stabilized i . e . maintained in suspension by the adsorbed ions of a reactive emulsifying agent which forms water - insoluble compounds on reaction with zinc or cadmium . these include natural rubber latex , synthetic rubber latices in which water - soluble alkali metal or amine salts of rosin acids or c 5 - c 20 saturated or unsaturated carboxylic acids form the major proportion of the emulsifier system and blends of these latices . examples of these emulsifiers are sodium , potassium , ammonium and monomethylamine stearates , oleates , palmitates , laurates , abietates , and mixtures of such emulsifiers . the rubbery polymers may be homopolymers of c 4 - c 10 conjugated dienes such as butadiene ; 2 - methyl butadiene ; 2 - chloro butadiene ; pentadiene - 1 , 3 ; 2 , 3 - dimethyl pentadiene - 1 , 3 ; 2 , 5dimethyl hexadiene - 1 , 5 , cyclopentadiene and halo - substituted derivatives of these compounds . the rubbery polymers may also be copolymers of the c 4 - c 10 conjugated dienes with each other or with one or more copolymerizable monomers containing a ch 2 ═ c & lt ;-- ch ═ ch -- group such as styrene , acrylonitrile , methacrylonitrile , acrylic acid , methacrylic acid , methyl methacrylate , ethyl acrylate , acrylamide , acrolein , alpha and beta methyl acroleins , maleic acid , fumaric acid , itaconic acid , cinnamic acid , cinnamaldehyde , vinyl chloride , vinylidene chloride , isobutylene , divinyl benzene and methyl vinyl ketone . if desired , the rubbery polymer latices may be blended with minor proportions of latices of resinous polymers with such as polystyrene , polyacrylonitrile , polyvinylidene chloride , polyvinyl chloride , polyvinyl acetate , polymethyl methacrylate , resinous copolymers of the monomers of these resinous polymers and resinous copolymers of these monomers with other copolymerizable monomers such as the c 4 - c 10 conjugated dienes . for best results , the starting latices should contain at least 15 weight % total solids before compounding and preferably about 40 - 75 %. a non - reactive emulsifier can be included as part of the latex stabilization system but since it may retard the rate of gelation , more gelling agent may be required to be used . a non - reactive emulsifier is one which does not react with zinc and cadmium ions to form water - insoluble compounds . examples of these emulsifiers are alkali metal alkyl sulfates , sulfonates and sulfosuccinamates , fatty alcohol polyethers , alkylene oxide - alkyl phenol condensates , etc . along with the latex , the adhesive composition contains as an essential component a latex gelling system composed of an ammonium or amine salt gelling agent , a zinc or cadmium ion donor compound and ammonia or an ammonia donor compound . it is theorized that ( 1 ) when these components are mixed the zinc or cadmium donor compound is solubilized by the ammonium or amine salt to form the metal hydroxide ; ( 2 ) the metal ions liberated by dissociation of the metal hydroxide are complexed by the free ammonia to form metal - amine ions ; ( 3 ) the metal - amine ions dissociate to form amine ions and hydrated metal ions ; and ( 4 ) the hydrated metal ions react with the latex - stabilizing emulsifying agent to form water - insoluble metal derivatives thus destabilizing the latex and causing faster bond strength development . with natural latex , the metal derivatives are probably metal proteinates while with synthetic latices they are metal - soap reaction products . the ammonium or amine salt gelling agents include ammonium sulfate , formate , chloride , carbonate , nitrate , acetate , polyphosphate , sulfamate and the lower ( e . g . c 1 - c 3 ) alkyl , alkylene and alkanolamine sulfamates . the ammonium and amine sulfamates and ammonium polyphosphate are less active in these compositions at ambient temperatures but quite active on exposure to heat . thus , they provide adhesive compositions with longer storage life . the sulfamate salts are preferred in this respect since they are water - soluble and do not settle out on storage . the polyphosphates are only slightly water - soluble and thus have a greater tendency to settle . the amount of the ammonium or amine salt gelling agent used is 0 . 1 - 8 parts per 100 parts by weight of latex solids . the optimum amount will vary depending on the type of gelling salt and the formulation in which it is used . the presence of a compound which provides zinc or cadmium ions such as an oxide or carbonate of zinc or cadmium is essential in the gelling system of this invention . as indicated earlier , the metal ions react with the latex stabilizer to form a water - insoluble derivative and thus destabilize the latex . 0 . 5 - 10 parts of this compound should be used per 100 parts by weight of uncompounded latex solids . preferably , the amount should be 2 - 10 parts . another essential component of the gelling system is ammonia or a compound which releases ammonia on heating . the ammonia functions as a complexing agent for the metal ions and releases them in a form suitable for reaction with the latex stabilizer so as to cause destabilization of the latex . the amount of free ammonia should be in the range of 0 . 1 - 4 . 0 parts per 100 parts by weight of uncompounded latex solids and preferably 0 . 3 - 2 . 0 parts . ammonium hydroxide has been found to be a suitable ammonia donor . an easy way to determine when a sufficient amount of ammonia or ammonia donor has been added is by measurement of ph . preferably the ph of the latex composition should be at least 9 . 5 and more preferably 10 . 3 to 11 . 5 . it has been found , however , that when increasing amounts of the previously described non - reactive emulsifiers are present , particularly the non - ionic types , the ph may be as low as 8 . it is essential that sufficient free ammonia be present since when ammonia was ommited and the alkalinity was provided by potassium hydroxide , the destabilization rate of the latex was sharply reduced . the reason for this is believed to be that there was insufficient ammonia present to form the metalamine complex . however , good results were obtained by substituting a less volatile amine for some of the ammonia and adding it before , at the same time as or after the addition of the gelling agent . this less volatile amine may be a water - soluble c 1 to c 8 alkyl or alkanol amine containing 1 - 5 amino groups . examples of such compounds are methyl and methanol amines ; ethyl and ethanol amines ; 1 , 2 - diamino ethane ; propyl , isopropyl , propanol and isopropanol amines ; 1 , 2 - and 1 , 3 - diamino propanes , 1 , 4 - diamino butane ; 1 , 7 - diamino heptane ; diethylene triamine ; triethylene tetramine ; tetraethylene pentamine and choline . addition of about 0 . 1 - 4 parts will give acceptable results within the above ph limitations . when the latex - based adhesive composition is being formulated , the ingredients added tend to cause a drop in the ph of the starting latex . it is raised at this point to above 9 . 5 and preferably above 10 . 0 or 10 . 3 with ammonia or ammonium hydroxide and this will assure that sufficient free ammonia is present for the system to operate properly . the materials and procedures previously used in preparing solvent - free latex - based adhesive compositions are generally applicable for preparing the adhesive compositions of the present invention . these materials include gelation sensitizers to sharpen the point at which gelation takes place , emulsifying agents and thickeners to provide greater latex stability during compounding and until gelation takes place , antioxidants for ageing resistance , fillers and vulcanization systems . while it is not necessary that they be added in any particular order , it is good practice to add any additional emulsifier prior to adding the other materials . the adhesive compositions can be applied by the usual means in either foamed or unfoamed form . they can be used for adhering water vapour pervious surfaces such as fibrous mats , paper , leather , fabrics , wood , etc . to each other and to non - water vapour pervious surfaces such as metal , plastics , glass , etc . a specific example is adhering paper to the surfaces of an insulating fibrous mat . the following examples are provided to illustrate the invention in greater detail . unless otherwise noted , all parts and percentages are on a dry weight basis and all formulations are based on 100 parts of total solids in the uncompounded starting latex . a potassium oleate stabilized latex having a ph of 10 . 0 and a total solids content of 66 . 5 % by weight comprising a blend of about 90 parts by weight of a latex of a rubbery copolymer of butadiene and styrene containing 27 % polymerized styrene and about 10 parts dry weight of a latex of a homopolystyrene was compounded and tested as shown in the following table . examples 1 , 2 and 3 are comparison examples in which the adhesive compositions are not prepared according to the invention . examples 4 , 5 and 6 define adhesive compositions prepared according to the invention . they exhibit the desired rapid bond strength development times characteristic of the invention . table i______________________________________example 1 2 3 4 5 6______________________________________latex ( dry weight ) 100 100 100 100 100 100monoethanolamine -- -- -- -- -- 4 . 5sulfamateammonium polyphosphate -- -- -- 2 . 1 -- -- ammonium acetate -- -- -- -- 1 . 5 -- potassium oleate 1 . 0 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 5 2 . 0triethyltrimethylene - -- 1 . 0 1 . 0 1 . 0 1 . 0 -- triaminetripotassium -- 0 . 75 0 . 75 0 . 75 0 . 75 -- pyrophosphateammonium hydroxide 1 . 0 1 . 0 1 . 0 1 . 0 1 . 0 2 . 0potassium hydroxide -- 0 . 2 0 . 2 0 . 2 0 . 2 -- hydrated alumina -- 125 . 0 -- 125 . 0 125 . 0 -- vulcanization system . sup . ( a ) -- 5 . 9 5 . 9 5 . 9 5 . 9 -- zinc oxide 1 . 0 5 . 0 5 . 0 5 . 0 5 . 0 1 . 0sodium hexameta - 0 . 5 -- -- -- -- 0 . 5phosphateresin emulsion . sup . ( b ) 100 -- -- -- -- 100 . 0total solids 59 . 6 78 . 2 63 . 3 78 . 4 76 . 9 58 . 2ph * 11 . 3 11 . 8 10 . 3 10 . 3 * storage life ( days ). sup . ( c ) & gt ; 35 & gt ; 35 & gt ; 35 7 . 3 7 . 3 & gt ; 35bond strength & gt ; 48 & gt ; 24 & gt ; 24 0 . 05 0 . 05 0 . 2developmenttime ( hrs .). sup . ( d ) mechanical stability 42 * & gt ; 600 90 * 300 ( seconds ). sup . ( e ) ______________________________________ . sup . ( a ) a mixture of sulfur ( 1 . 65 parts ) + zinc diethyldithiocarbamate ( 1 . 0 part ) + zinc mercaptobenzothiazole ( 1 . 25 parts ) + zinc oxide ( 1 . 25 parts ) + antioxidant ( 0 . 75 part ). . sup . ( b ) a 10 % solution of triethanolamine in water is mixed at 88 . degree c . with a blend of 20 parts of oleic acid and 300 parts of picco 6100 ( reg . t . m .). picco 6100 is a 70 % solution of an aromatic petroleum resin in mineral spirits . . sup . ( c ) the time required for the formulation to become gelled in a sealed container at room temperature . . sup . ( d ) the time for a film 0 . 51 mm thick on a teflon plate to change from a wet mobile state to a wet immobile state at room temperature . . sup . ( e ) the time required for the formulation to coagulate sufficiently , on being subjected to mechanical sheer at room temperature by a metal dis 38 . 1 mm in diameter and 0 . 32 mm thick spinning at 14 , 000 rpm , so that it cannot be trowelled smooth . * not measured . an adhesive composition was prepared by compounding a sample of the latex of examples 1 - 6 with 4 . 5 parts of monoethanolamine sulfamate , 3 . 0 parts of zinc oxide and sufficient ammonium hydroxide to raise the ph of the composition to 11 . 0 . it was found that paper could be coated with this adhesive at speeds of up to 200 feet ( 61 meters ) per minute without encountering any serious problem other than foaming of the adhesive compound in the bath . this could be controlled by proper antifoam addition . the adhesive was used to laminate kraft paper to thick glass fiber insulation on commercial scale laminating equipment . the paper and insulation were continuously fed from supply rolls through the laminating equipment where one surface of the paper was first roll coated with a film of the adhesive following which the adhesive coated paper was lightly pressed onto the insulation by means of pressure rolls . the laminate was then allowed to continue through the equipment to dry the adhesive and process the laminate . the operation and results achieved were considered to be very satisfactory i . e . much better than the prior latex adhesives which did not develop bond strength and dry so quickly . | 8 |
the invention is described by comparing normal processing routes and product properties to the processing routes and properties , for steels according to the present invention , attained for different application examples . today , a steel with a carbon content of about 0 . 2 % ( typically sae 8620 ) is selected and after manufacturing of the raw material ( as bars , forgings or tubes ) by hot forming , final components are then made by soft forming . these components are then carburized in order to give a surface zone , which has about 0 . 8 % carbon . after carburizing , the components are hardened by heating to the austenitisation temperature and then quenched in an oil or salt bath . with the invention , the component is carburised as in the above example , but the time for carburizing can be reduced by selecting a steel with an increased base material carbon content . this will significantly reduce the required carburizing time . regardless of the carbon content , steel according to the invention can be hardened directly from the carburization temperature by a slow cooling in air or , if so desired , with assistance of forced air or cooling gases . fig1 compares a typical execution of the conventional processing route to a processing route for a steel according to the invention . fig2 shows the time reduction which can be attained in the carburization step with a steel according to the invention , depending on the base material carbon content selected . hardening - and - tempering is conventionally performed either on the component pre - material ( as forgings , bars or tubes ) or on the soft machined final components . the hardening - and - tempering operation typically comprises heating to the austenitizing temperature , quenching in an oil or salt bath and then tempering at a temperature adjusted to give the desired component properties . with the invention , hardening and tempering can be achieved by directly air - hardening the steel from the hot forming ( forging or rolling ) temperature . in the case of machined components , this is achieved by air - hardening after the austenitizing operation . in both cases , air hardening is followed by tempering at the temperature needed to achieve the desired properties . in the case where the air - hardening is performed from the forming ( forging or rolling ) temperature , the expensive and time consuming austenitization process can be completely avoided . the air - hardening has the cost , environment and health advantages mentioned earlier and , additionally , the distortion problems associated with the conventional quenching process can be avoided . in the case where machined components are hardened and tempered , the advantages again are cost , environment , health and significantly reduced distortion problems . fig3 shows the processing route for conventional hardening and tempering for component pre - forms as forgings , bars or tubes , and the corresponding route for a steel according to the invention . the principles of the invention will now be further described by reference to the following illustrative example . a steel with the composition according to the invention as given below has been evaluated . by dilatometer evaluations and practical tests , the relationship between cooling rate in the temperature range between 800 and 500 degrees centigrade ( t800 / 500 ) and resulting hardness has been determined , and is illustrated in fig4 . the evaluation shows that solid bars with diameters up to 60 mm will through harden to full martensitic hardness when cooled in still air . the room temperature impact strength has been determined for such air - hardened samples ( air - hardened by still air cooling from a forging temperature of 1100 ° c .) as a function of the hardness attained when tempering at different temperatures , and is illustrated in fig5 . this example shows that air - hardening can combine high strength with significant toughness . it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof . the presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative , and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims , rather than the foregoing description , and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalents thereof are intended to be embraced therein . | 2 |
fig1 - 5 show a mixing and dispensing device 10 . in a preferred albeit non - limiting embodiment , as shown in fig1 , the dispensing device 10 generally comprises a u - shaped support 12 attached to a support plate 14 . the support plate is resiliently mounted onto a base 16 . base 16 has feet 17 mounted to the bottom thereof . preferably the feet are resilient suction cups so as to enable the device to remain securely attached to the surface on which it is placed . these feet will also prevent the device from “ walking ” during operation . other types of feet 17 may also be employed such as solid rubber feet and rubber feet attached to springs which in turn are attached to the base . rubber bushings 18 mount the support plate 14 onto the base 16 . other resilient materials could be used in place of rubber for the supports 18 . pivotally attached to the supports 12 is a housing which contains the vibration generation means and the open top fluid container retention means 36 . the preferred means to generate the vibrations comprise an electric motor 20 , fig5 , which is mounted to a front end wall 22 . the other end of motor 20 contains the output shaft 26 . the output shaft passes through an intermediate wall 30 and a rear end wall 28 . the output shaft is supported by a set of bearings 32 mounted on rear end wall 28 and intermediate wall 30 . intermediate the bearings 32 a weight 34 is eccentrically mounted on the output shaft 26 . the rotation of this weight by the electric motor produces the vibrations . the intermediate wall 30 and rear end wall 28 are connected to a bottom wall 31 at their lower ends . other means to generate vibrations include , but are not limited to , electric solenoids , tappers , etc . a v - shaped container support or retention means 36 is mounted on top of end walls 22 , 28 and intermediate wall 30 . side support walls 38 and 40 are securely attached to container retention means 36 , end walls 22 , 28 and intermediate wall 30 by means of welds or similar attachment means . supports 42 are located on container retention means 36 to provide resilient support for a beverage container 50 placed on container retention means 36 . supports are made from a resilient material which will also frictionally engage and hold a beverage container on support 36 . a preferred resilient material is rubber , however other materials with similar properties could also be employed . a container for a beverage 50 rests on supports 42 . alternatively , straps 62 can be employed to releasably retain the container , as shown in fig2 . they are attached to the container retention means 36 and encompass the container 50 . additional alternative retention means include , but are not limited to , belts , bands , and a housing which encompasses the container . these are attached to the container retention means 36 and encompass the container . another type of retention means comprise tabs located on the container 50 which cooperate with clips positioned on the retention means 36 . the means to pivotally attach the housing to the supports 12 comprise threaded fasteners 52 , fig3 . although other types of fasteners could be employed . one end of the fastener is pivotally mounted onto support 12 . friction reducing washers 54 are placed on fastener 52 on both sides of support 12 . a rubber bushing 56 is located between one of the side support walls 38 , 40 and a friction reducing washer 54 . a nut ( not shown ) is employed to tightly secure the fastener 52 to the side support . when assembled the side support , fastener , rubber bushing and washers together pivot as a unit with respect to the supports 12 . stops 58 are attached to the bottom wall 31 and abut against stop member 60 mounted on support plate 14 . this limits the pivotal movement of the device in one direction . in the preferred embodiment illustrated , the motor 20 is activated and in turn spins output shaft 26 . unbalanced weight 34 , mounted on shaft , rotates about the shaft and imparts a vibration to the motor and everything rigidly connected thereto . this includes end walls 22 , 28 , intermediate wall 40 , side support walls 38 , 40 , v - shaped container support 36 and beverage container 50 . as a result of the electric motor being mounted toward one end of the container support , this end vibrates substantially less than the opposite end . when the beverage container 50 is placed in the container support the open end of the container , from which the beverage is to be dispensed , should be placed at the end of the container support above the electric motor . the motor and unbalanced weight continue to rotate while the beverage container is pivoted for dispensing the beverage . in this manner the beverage can be dispensed from the container in a uniform flow , without being thrown around , as a result of the device vibrating less at this end . the opposite end of the beverage container will be subjected to a substantially greater vibration which is sufficient to keep the beverage in a fluidized state to allow for it to be easily dispensed from the container . during normal operation of the device the longitudinal axis of the container support 36 is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane passing through fasteners 52 . this inclination helps maintain the beverage in the container until the user pivots the container support 36 about the axis of fasteners 52 . this pivoting tilts the open end of the beverage container downwardly so that the contents may be poured out into a glass . all patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains . all patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference . it is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated , it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings / figures included herein . one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned , as well as those inherent therein . the embodiments , methods , procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments , are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope . changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims . although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments , it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments . indeed , various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims . | 1 |
the principles of the present invention are particularly useful when incorporated in a waste stripping station , generally indicated at 1 in fig1 and 2 . in the stripping station 1 , a plate - like workpiece 5 , such as a sheet of paper or cardboard which is carried onto an upper face of a perforated board 10 by grippers 6 fitted on a bar 6a which is driven by two trains of lateral continuous chains , which are not represented . when the sheet 5 is at a standstill on the board 10 , corresponding pairs of fixed upper pins 22 and lower telescopic pins 32 belonging respectively to an upper stripping tool 20 and lower stripping tool 30 seize a waste bit area from above and from beneath in order to carry the waste bit area with a downward translational motion away from the sheet 5 and to let it drop in a subsequent container , which is not represented . once the sheet 5 has the waste bits removed , the sheets are again seized by the grippers 6 and carried in a direction of arrow 100 toward an outlet station located on the left - hand side of fig1 . as represented in fig1 the waste stripping station 1 has a frame which includes two lateral windows 2 in sidewalls 101 which allow the access to the tools to be changed when changing from one run to another with different sizes . the tools 20 and 30 have both the shape of frames made up of aluminum profiled pieces , which are shown in elevation in fig1 . in the frame of each tool 20 and 30 , a plurality of lengthwise beams and crossbars are arranged in order to fit in corresponding upper ejectors 22 having the shape of fixed pins , as well as lower ejectors 32 with the shape of telescopic pins . the upper tool 20 can also carry a plurality of pressers in order to press the sheet 5 on the board 10 . the frames of the tools 20 and 30 have , at least on their upstream and downstream sides , horizontal grooves which allow for sliding the frames in a lateral translational motion through the window 2 on slides on an upper cradle 24 and slides of a lower cradle 34 of the stripping station 1 . the board 10 is perforated according to the areas of waste bits which are specific to a given size . this board is inserted in a frame which also includes horizontal upstream and downstream grooves , which allows to engage the board in an upstream supporting strip 18 and a downstream supporting strip 11 . as represented in fig1 the transporting grippers 6 have the sheet 5 seized on their upper surface . to this end , it is necessary to regularly lower the board 10 in order to allow for passage of the gripper bar which carries the next sheet . then the board 10 must be raised so that the board correctly supports the sheet during the waste stripping action . more specifically , according to the present invention , only the downstream support strip 11 is raised in order to bring the upper downstream edge of the board 10 at the level arriving at plane x -- x of the sheet 5 . in the alternative represented in fig1 the upstream side of the frame of the board is inserted on the upper side of the fixed upstream support strip 18 with the connection , for example , of a dovetail - type connection making then the rotation of a rotational pivot 9 of the raising motion of the board which is caused by the raising of the downstream support strip 11 . as an alternative solution , as represented in fig2 the fixed support 18 is conventionally horizontal and the downstream support strip 11 is connected between two lateral arms 17 ( fig2 ) mounted on their upstream ends to pivots 8 in order to enable them to be raised according to a rotation around these separate pivots . as better visualized in fig1 the raising of the strip 11 to equal the thickness of the grippers implies a rotation of the board 10 around the pivots 8 and 9 with an angle a included between 1 and 6 degrees , and preferably in a range of 2 to 4 degrees . this small rotation angle α allows specifically to keep the way of fixing the frame of the perforated board 10 to the support strips by simply engaging the edge of the board in the corresponding groove on the side of the frame . as best illustrated in fig2 the supporting strip 11 is guided for movement perpendicular to the sheet travelling direction 100 by means of vertical guides 13 and the strip 11 is guided relative to a wall 101 of the frame of the station 1 by guides 13 &# 34 ; which are parallel and offset with regard to the wall 101 . more specifically , according to the invention and as illustrated in fig1 the stripping tools 20 and 30 are arranged to extend parallel to the perforated board 10 when the board is in the raised position . to accomplish this , the blocks 26 and 26 &# 39 ; for holding the cradle and support strips of the cradle 24 slide along tubes or guide ribs 27 , which are mounted to extend at an angle identical to angle α to a vertical line . in a symmetrical way , the blocks 36 and 36 &# 39 ; connected to the support strips of the lower cradle 34 of the lower stripping tool 30 also slide along tubes or guide ribs 37 , which are mounted to be parallel to the guides 27 and , thus , extend at an angle to a vertical , which angle is the same as the angle α . as may be gathered from this figure , this slanted mounting of the tools 20 and 30 in no way hinders the device for controlling the vertical motion . in fact , the control device for the upper stripping tool 20 includes , first of all , a cam 40 connected to a principal motor shaft of the die - cutting machine . the position of the cam is read by a roller belonging to a first branch of a scanning lever 41 , whose other branch is connected through rotational movement to a control bar or linkage 42 . the other end of the bar 42 is connected pivotably to a treble lever 43 , whose second branch is connected pivotably to a synchronization bar or linkage 44 orientated along the lateral wall of the station 1 and whose third branch is pivotably connected to a third upstream pull link 47 which acts on an upstream block 26 &# 39 ; of the tool 20 . the other end of the bar 44 is pivotably connected to a single lever 45 whose other branch is connected to a pull link 46 which acts on a downstream block 26 for the tool 20 . thus , the two blocks 26 and 26 &# 39 ; on one side of the tool 20 are actuated and the two blocks 26 and 26 &# 39 ; on the opposite side of the tool 20 are actuated in a similar manner by links attached to levers mounted on the shaft supporting levers 43 and 45 . as may easily be understood from fig1 the raising of the scanning lever 41 by the cam 40 pulls downward on the link 42 , which brings about a simultaneous raising of the pull links 47 and 46 to simultaneously raise the blocks 26 and 26 &# 39 ; of the cradle 24 with the upper tool 20 . this action is executed against the compression of springs , such as 28 . this raise in the tool is achieved during the transfer of the new sheet 5 . in a symmetrical manner , the device for controlling the motion of the lower stripping tool 30 includes , first of all , a cam 50 , whose position is scanned by a scanning lever 51 which acts on a control bar 52 connected to a treble lever 53 . a second branch of the treble lever is connected to a downstream pusher 56 connected to the downstream block 36 , wherein the third branch is connected by a synchronizing bar linkage 54 to a second lever 55 , which acts directly on an upstream pusher 57 attached to the upstream block 36 &# 39 ;. the blocks 36 and 36 &# 39 ; on the other side are connected to links and levers that move with levers 53 and 55 . the raising of the scanning lever 51 by the cam 50 will cause the control bar 52 to pull toward the right - hand side , which action causes a coordinated raising of the pushers 56 , 57 , which will raise simultaneously the blocks 36 and 36 &# 39 ; and the support strip of the lower cradle 34 of the tool 30 . this action is executed against the tension of springs , such as 38 . this operation will occur during the stripping of the waste bits once the sheet 5 has been laid on the board 10 . all the connections of the elements which make up the above - described device for the motion control are rotary connections , and there is no interference with the fact that the tools 20 and 30 move in a translational movement slightly skewed to the vertical . advantageously , and as better illustrated in the upper left - hand part of fig1 and in fig2 the control for controlling the motion of the downstream support strip 11 of the board 10 includes a rod 15 rotatably connected on one end to a sliding block 12 that supports the strip 11 and the other end of the rod 15 is connected to a lever 16 which is mounted at its upstream end for pivoting . this lever is raised by a cam 19 ( fig1 ) during the counter - clockwise rotation of the lever 45 to which the cam belongs . this rigid connection between the lever 45 and the cam 19 more or less is wedged in advance or behindhand ensures the perfect synchronization between the previous raise of the support strip 11 and , hence , the rotation of the board 10 , a possible reaction time for the landing of the upstream edge of the sheet 5 on the board and the lowering into position of the tool 20 simultaneously with the setting into the raised position of the tool 30 . the continuation of the descent of the tool 20 onto the telescopic pins 32 is accentuated at the level of the cam 19 by a rigorous circular upstream part . as may have been gathered from the reading of this description , the waste stripping station 1 , according to the invention , can operate in a reliable and efficient way , although the upstream part of the perforated board 10 is not set into motion which enables a substantial savings of the number of pieces or elements making up the device for motion control . although various minor modifications may be suggested by those versed in the art , it should be understood that i wish to embody within the scope of the patent granted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art . | 8 |
fig1 shows a base ( 10 ), which can take a variety of forms including legs , or platforms sufficient to steady the apparatus . the base ( 10 ) is connected with a vertical member ( 12 ) protruding approximately 18 to 30 inches from the surface of the ice and providing a trunnion ( 14 ) for securing a mounting bracket ( 18 ) and allowing a focus for rotation ( shown in fig4 - 6 ). the mounting bracket ( 18 ) is secured to a seat ( 20 ). the seat ( 20 ) is secured to the handle grip ( 44 ) of a fishing pole by means of fastening member ( 22 ) which could comprise ; a rubber band , velcro ®, tie fasteners or the like . the fishing pole is oriented such that the reel ( 42 ) is generally rotated downward providing a low center of gravity or balance which is on the a stop post or rotational stop ( 16 ) is provided generally above the trunnion ( 14 ) to limit the rotational travel of the pole ( 40 ). a line ( 46 ) having bait and a hook at the distal end ( not shown ) is situated along the pole ( 40 ) and terminating at the reel ( 42 ). in operation the pole ( 40 ) is set up to be oriented at an incline relative to the horizon , or in a ‘ tip - up ’ position . as a fish discovers the bait and takes the hook , the corresponding movement causes tension on the line ( 46 ) pulling it downward into the ‘ tip - down ’ position as is shown in fig2 . when the fisherman sees the pole ( 40 ) in the tip - down position , he knows to attend to the line which , in this case , means removing the mounting bracket ( 18 ) from the trunnion ( 14 ) and reeling in the fish by means of the reel ( 42 ). a hook set mechanism is hereby provided with operation illustrated in fig3 a - c . the hook set further comprising , a platform ( 30 ), a latch member ( 32 ) attached at one end to the platform ( 30 ) and having a free end capable of moving freely , a trigger ( 24 ) for holding the free end of the latch member ( 32 ) while in the set position , swing arm ( 28 ) having a sweep member ( 29 ) and being operatively held in place by the latch member ( 24 ) and able to swing in an arcuate movement when released by the latch ( 24 ), and a spring ( 26 ) capable of imparting kinetic energy to the swing arm in this embodiment , the fishing pole ( 40 ) or seat ( 20 ) ( depending upon set up and orientation ) contacts a trigger ( 24 ) which is held in place by a latch member ( 32 ). the latch member ( 32 ) holds a swing arm ( 28 ) in place by means of a spring ( 26 ), which in this case is a coil spring ( 26 ). the pent up energy in the coil spring ( 26 ) causes the swing arm ( 28 ) to rotate causing a sweep member ( 29 ) generally orthogonal to the swing arm ( 28 ) to bump or jerk the pole 40 ) upward thus setting the hook in the fish &# 39 ; s mouth . fig6 a & amp ; b show a representation of the center of gravity ( cg ), or center of balance , for a seat ( 20 ) with mounting bracket ( 18 ) on a trunnion ( 14 ). a representation of the pole ( 40 ), reel ( 42 ), hand grip ( 44 ) and line ( 46 ) were excluded from the drawing for the sake of simplicity , but it would be understood by one skilled in the art that these would play a part in the completion of the apparatus . in fact , the placement of the pole ( 40 ) within the seat ( 20 ) affects the center of balance as the center of gravity moves toward the trunnion ( 14 ) which acts as a focus or pivot . as the fishing pole moves fore , closing the gap between the center of gravity and the trunnion ( 14 ) the more sensitive the balance becomes and less pull on the line ( 46 ) would be necessary to rotate the seat ( 20 ) from resting against the stop ( 16 ) to accelerating toward the tip down position as shown in fig6 b . as the fishing pole is moved aft , increasing the gap , the more resistant the pole ( 40 ) becomes to pull on the line ( 46 ). one skilled in the art can appreciate that the acceleration of the pole ( 40 ) after a slight tug on the line ( 46 ) by a fish allows the trigger ( 24 ) to reliably activate , and also creates just a little bit of slack on the line ( 46 ) such that when the sweep ( 29 ) engages the pole ( 40 ), it sets the hook ( not shown ) without ripping the hook from the fish &# 39 ; s mouth and settle right back into the tip - down position . one skilled in the art can also appreciate that the fore and aft adjustment of the pole ( 40 ) in the seat ( 20 ) can be made after the line ( 46 ) is released into the water , allowing the fisherman to manually compensate for length of line ( 46 ), fishing weights ( not shown ), current , and the like when setting the center of balance . although the present invention has been described in detail , those skilled in the art will understand that various changes , substitutions , and alterations herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form . the invention is not considered limited to the example chosen for purposes of disclosure , and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention . when introducing elements of aspects of the invention or the embodiments thereof , the articles “ a ,” “ an ,” “ the ,” and “ said ” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements . the terms “ comprising ,” “ including ,” and “ having ” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements . having thus described the invention , what is desired to be protected by letters patent is presented in the subsequent appended claims . | 0 |
the laser diode device according to the present invention , and shown in fig1 to 3 , includes a package 1 and a one - piece assembly 2 comprising plates , made of a material which is a good heat conductor , and semiconductor laser diode strips . in the illustrative embodiment shown in these figures and in fig4 to 6 , the package 1 consists of several pieces , for example made of a metal such as aluminum or copper , joined together in a sealed manner . the package 1 includes a housing 3 into which the assembly 2 may be inserted and fixed in a sealed manner , for example by adhesive bonding . provided on each side of the housing 3 are reservoirs 4 and 5 which communicate with the latter over its entire width . a fluid intake pipe 6 and a fluid discharge pipe 7 run , respectively , into the reservoirs 4 and 5 , said pipes 6 and 7 being arranged diagonally with respect to each other in relation to the housing 3 . as shown on a larger scale in fig7 the assembly 2 comprises a plurality of parallel individual plates 8 joined to each other with , each time , a semiconductor strip 9 interposed between two consecutive plates and serving as a spacer . the individual plates 8 are made of a material having a high thermal conductivity such as , for example , beryllium oxide beo , silicon carbide sic , diamond , etc . this material could also be a metal , but it is advantageous for it not to be an electrical conductor since then , as will be seen below , water can be used as a cooling fluid . in one particular illustrative embodiment , the individual plates 8 were all identical and had a rectangular parallelepipedal shape with a length of 1 cm , a width of 0 . 3 cm and a thickness of 0 . 02 cm . the free ( upper ) longitudinal edges 10 of the individual plates 8 are coplanar , as is diagrammatically illustrated in fig7 by the line of a plane p -- p . at least those parts of the large faces 8a and 8b of said plates 8 which are adjacent to said longitudinal edges 10 are polished in order to be strictly plane and have a rugosity of less than 20 ångstroms . moreover , as illustrated in fig8 d , each individual plate 8 is coated , before it is incorporated into the assembly 2 , with a film 11 of electrically conductive material , including a part 11c covering its longitudinal edge 10 and lateral parts 11a and 11b which partially cover , heightwise , said large faces 8a and 8b . such an electrically conductive film 11 may , for example , be made of molybdenum or nickel , or of an alloy of such metals , and its thickness may be between 50 and 200 microns . as illustrated in fig8 d , the lateral parts 11a and 11b of said film 11 are respectively covered with a film 22a or 22b of electrically conductive solder , for example made of an alloy of molybdenum , nickel and indium . such a solder film may have a thickness of at most 10 microns . in a known manner , the rectangular parallelepipedal semiconductor strips 9 may be obtained by cutting semiconductor substrates , in which said laser diodes are obtained by epitaxy , into bands . the strips 9 may have a length of 1 cm , a width of 0 . 15 cm and a thickness of 0 . 02 cm . at least the large faces 9a and 9b of the semiconductor strips 9 are polished in order to be strictly plane and to have a rugosity of less than 20 angstroms . as illustrated by fig8 b , each semiconductor strip 9 is coated , before its incorporation into the assembly 2 , with an electrically conductive contact film , for example made of gold , having a part 13a which covers the face 9a and a part 13b which covers the face 9b . in order to concentrate the laser emission through the edges 12 , the opposite edges 14 of said semiconductor strips may be covered with a reflective coating 15 . in order to obtain the assembly 2 , an alternating stack of plates 8 and strips 9 may be produced so that the longitudinal edges 12 of the semiconductor strips 9 , which form the emitting surfaces of the laser diodes , are coplanar with the longitudinal edges 10 of the plates 8 ( see fig7 ) and so that each strip 9 has its contact film 13a bearing against the solder film 22b of a plate 8 and its contact film 13b bearing against the solder film 22a of another plate 8 and then pressure may be applied transversely to said stack in order to press said solder films and said contact films against each other , while at the same time heating the entire unit ( for example in a hydrogen oven ) to a temperature at least equal to the melting point of said solder films . after cooling , the plates 8 and the strips 9 are fastened to each other by the solder films which , moreover , ensure that said semiconductor strips 9 are electrically connected in series by the interaction between said films 11 of electrically conductive material and said contact films 13a , 13b . as a variant , it is possible to use , for producing the solder films 22b , a metal alloy having a melting point greater than that of the metal alloy used for producing the solder films 22a . consequently , it is possible , in a first step , to produce subassemblies 16 ( see fig8 e ) each comprising a strip 9 and a plate 8 without the film 22a , the edges 10 and 12 of which are aligned , and which are fastened by the film 22b and then , in a second step , after producing the solder film 22a on said subassemblies 16 , to stack said subassemblies 16 in order to fasten them by their solder films 22a . of course , both during production of the subassemblies 16 and during their assembly , transverse pressure is applied to said plates 8 and strips 9 while the adhesive films are being melted . whatever the embodiment used to obtain the assembly 2 , it is observed that the latter includes , between each pair of consecutive plates 8 , a free longitudinal channel 17 not occupied by the corresponding semiconductor strip 9 . as shown in fig7 each longitudinal channel 17 is isolated from the corresponding semiconductor strip by a seal 18 , for example created by injecting a silicone or an epoxy resin . optionally , a stiffening plate 19 is fixed to the longitudinal edges of the plates 8 , opposite the longitudinal edges 10 . after producing said assembly 2 , the latter is placed in and fixed in a leaktight manner ( for example , by adhesive bonding ) to the housing 3 of the package 1 so that its longitudinal channels 17 communicate , on one side , with the reservoir 14 , and on the other , with the reservoir 5 . thus , when a cooling fluid , for example water , is made to flow through the package 1 between the intake pipe 6 and the discharge pipe 7 , said fluid flows in parallel along said longitudinal channels 17 and effectively removes the heat generated by the laser diodes of the semiconductor strips 9 ( see the arrows in fig1 and 2 ). electrodes 20 and 21 are electrically connected to the metal films 11 of the end plates of the assembly 2 and allow the diode strips to be electrically connected in series to the terminals of a dc or pulsed power supply . in one embodiment of the device according to the invention , current pulses having an intensity of 100 amps and durations of about 200 to 400 microseconds were used . thus , it may be seen that it is possible , with the device of the present invention , to obtain : a high density and good homogeneity of the laser radiation , because of the compactness of the assembly of the laser diode strips 9 ; a long lifetime for said device , because of the effective removal of heat from the active region of the laser diodes ; and automation of the manufacture of said device , making it possible to reduce the manufacturing costs thereof . the applications of the laser diode device of the present invention are numerous and relate , for example , to the pumping of solid - state lasers , to fiber - optic links , to the laser treatment of materials , to medicine , etc . | 7 |
referring now to the figures , wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the invention only and are not for purposes of limiting same , fig1 shows a metal cabinet a having a door 10 , side walls 12 and 14 , and a top wall 16 . the door is hingedly attached to the side wall 12 and includes a handle 18 and a lock 20 . openings 30 are formed when support members or lances 32 are formed or punched in side walls 12 and 14 . referring now to fig2 , the cabinet has a bottom wall 22 and a shelf 24 which extends between side walls 12 and 14 . the shelf is removably mounted to the side walls and is approximately parallel to the top and bottom walls . fig2 only shows one shelf ; however , a plurality of shelves may be mounted within the cabinet . preferably , the shelves would be substantially parallel to each other . fig3 illustrates a cabinet with shelves removed . lances 32 are punched out or otherwise formed in the side walls of the cabinet to receive a portion of a shelf . two lances are illustrated in the figure ; however , a plurality of lances may be used to mount a plurality of shelves to the side walls . a rear wall 26 of the cabinet may also include one or more lances 32 . referring now to fig4 , shelf 24 is mounted to side walls 12 , 14 of the cabinet . the shelf has flanges 34 depending from a planar top surface 36 which are selectively received by the lances 32 . fig5 illustrates a second embodiment of a metal cabinet b having a door 60 , side walls 62 and 64 , top wall 66 , rear wall 76 , and bottom wall 72 . a shelf 74 is mounted inside the cabinet and extends between side walls 62 and 64 . preferably , shelf 74 is oriented parallel to the top and bottom walls . furthermore , support wall 78 can be positioned between the center of the bottom wall 72 and the shelf 74 to support the shelf . support wall 78 can also be connected to bottom wall 72 and the shelf 74 using the lances . fig6 shows a metal sheet 90 which can be used as a side wall of a metal cabinet . the sheet 90 contains flanges 92 , 94 , 96 , and 98 that extend in a substantially perpendicular fashion to the sheet . the flanges each have a plurality of openings 100 . furthermore , sheet 90 has lances 110 formed across the surface of the sheet . the lances are spaced apart and are parallel to each other . with reference now to fig1 - 13 along with fig6 , each lance includes a first leg 112 that extends from and is substantially perpendicular to the sheet and a second leg 114 spaced from the sheet which also extends from and is substantially perpendicular to the first leg and parallel to the sheet . the lance also includes a protrusion or dimple 116 formed on the second leg 114 . dimple 116 is depressed or punched in the second leg 114 and preferably has a substantially hemi - spherical shape or configuration . the dimple can also be a solid piece that is affixed to the leg 114 , or the lance could be a unitary structure formed with a solid dimple . also , leg 116 is shown having an accurate top edge ; however , the leg can take any shape , including having a straight top edge or the like . it should be recognized that other forms or shapes of a dimple can also be used without departing from the scope of the invention . sheet 90 can include a plurality of lances to receive a plurality of shelves , or other members to be mounted to a cabinet wall . a second metal sheet 120 that can be used as a cabinet shelf mounts onto and is secured to sheet 90 via lances 110 . sheet 120 has flanges 122 , 124 , 126 , and 128 that depend substantially perpendicular from edges of the sheet 120 . the flanges each include a plurality of openings 130 that are each sized to receive a dimple 116 of the lance 110 when the sheet or shelf 120 is mounted to the sheet or side wall 90 . to mount the shelf 120 to the side wall 90 , flange 122 is positioned adjacent or abutted against side wall 90 and flanges 122 and 128 are placed adjacent inside walls of flanges 98 and 94 , respectively . openings 130 are aligned with the lances 110 . flange 122 is slid into lance 110 permitting dimple 116 to slide along or ride over a portion of flange 122 and be received by opening 130 . dimple 116 provides a slight friction fit between flange 122 and lance 110 . thus , when the shelf is installed to the side wall , the shelf is prevented from being easily removed from the side wall . the shelf is not permanently affixed to the side wall ; however , the dimple provides enough frictional resistance to require a small amount of force to release or pull the shelf from the side wall , thus securing the shelf in position . fig7 illustrates shelf 120 just prior to flange 122 being slid and received by lance 110 of side wall 90 . referring now to fig8 , a sheet 160 , preferably made of metal , which can be used as a side wall of the cabinet includes flanges 162 , 164 , 166 , and 168 extending from edges of the sheet . the flanges depend from and are substantially perpendicular to the sheet or side wall 160 . the side wall 160 has a first surface 170 defining openings 172 that are formed when lances 200 are formed or punched through first surface 170 and second surface 171 . referring now to fig9 , a sheet 180 , preferably made of metal , used as a shelf is mounted to side wall 160 via engagement with lances 200 . the shelf includes flanges 182 , 184 , 186 , and 188 which extend from the edges of the wall 160 . each of the lances 200 includes a first leg 202 perpendicular to the side wall 160 and a second leg 204 spaced from the side wall which extends from and is perpendicular to the first leg and substantially parallel to the side wall . each of the lances has a dimple 206 which protrudes from the second leg 204 towards an inner surface 174 of side wall 160 . preferably , dimple 206 has a hemispherical shape . however , other shapes and forms of a dimple may be used without departing from the scope of the invention . flanges 182 , 184 , 186 and 188 of the shelf 180 each have openings 190 sized to receive dimples 206 of the lances 200 when the shelf 180 is mounted to side wall 160 . shelf 180 is mounted to side wall 160 , by abutting flange 182 to inner surface 174 of the side wall 160 and aligning openings 190 above the dimples 206 of the lances 200 . with the openings 190 aligned with dimples 206 , flanges 184 and 188 of shelf 180 are also aligned with side wall flanges 164 and 168 . flange 182 is slid down towards lances 200 so that dimples 206 slide along or ride over a portion of the flange 182 protruding through openings 190 . referring now to fig1 , the lance 200 may be formed by punching through the side wall 160 with a die to form a rounded upper portion 210 having two lateral linear portions 212 , 214 . the lance is then formed or punched to form first and second legs 202 , 204 . dimple 206 is formed in substantially the center of leg 204 . the dimple can also be formed off center on leg 204 . opening 190 is formed by punching the lance out of the wall . the lance 200 may also be a separate member attached to side wall 160 by either welding or other fastening means . the lance would have substantially the same configuration as described in the preceding paragraphs ; however , no opening 190 would be formed in the side wall 160 . the invention has been described with reference to several preferred embodiments . it should be apparent that modifications and alterations would occur to others upon a reading and understanding of the preceding specification . for example , the shape and configuration of the lance may be different in that it may not have a rounded upper portion or the sides may not be linear . as earlier stated , this specification is intended to disclose all such obvious modifications . | 0 |
[ 0018 ] fig1 illustrates a network system 100 , in an embodiment of the present invention , that includes a reference - station server system 102 , a user client system 104 , and an intervening computer network 106 such as the internet . the server system 102 includes a navigation satellite receiver that has locked onto and is tracking a constellation of navigation satellites 108 , 110 , and 112 . some of these may also be visible to the client system 104 . another constellation of navigation satellites , including 114 and 116 is visible to client system 104 . the client system 104 includes its own navigation satellite receiver , but such may not have yet locked onto and be tracking its constellation of navigation satellites 112 , 114 , and 116 . the server system 102 is intended to be always on and tracking its constellation of navigation satellites 108 , 110 , and 112 . it is then able to discern accurate , absolute system time and may also provide current ephemeris , troposphere , ionosphere , and other information to other , not - yet - initialized navigation satellite receivers connected as network clients . such information all needs to be determined during initialization , and spoon feeding any of it from another source will dramatically improve time - to - first - fix . in particular , the server system 102 stores the 12 . 5 minute repeating nav data message . it forwards parts of this on request to the client system 104 . such allows the client system 104 to do pattern matching of nav data it receives with the stored - and - forwarded nav data . the client system 104 can thereby synchronize to the nav data frames even before receiving its first preamble in its first tlm word . the client system 104 will typically have its own 24 - bit millisecond clock ( msec24 ) that starts at zero when its power is turned on . each epoch of the gps c / a - code is one millisecond . the server system 102 will know gps time , and have the z - count . the z - count is a 29 - bit binary number that represents a fundamental gps time unit . the ten most significant bits carry the gps week number , and the nineteen least significant bits give the time of week ( tow ) count in units of 1 . 5 seconds . a much finer gauge of the system time is available once the receiver locks onto a few gps satellites . prior art devices have depended on determining the z - count during initialization . what specifically needs to be determined during the initialization of client system 104 is how much of an offset needs to be added to the client &# 39 ; s local clock , e . g ., msec24 , to equal gps time . this will dictate the correct nav data frame synchronization . the time required to achieve such synchronization will be dramatically reduced in the client system 104 if a subframe that has just been received is used as a template to search the sequential record of subframes the server system 102 has observed . alternatively in situations where the per - byte cost of communicating over the network is relatively high , it will be more economical for the client system 104 to forward the signal snapshots it has gathered to the server system 102 . the server system then has the job to find any pattern matches . in such cases , the server system 102 then sends data that helps the client identify the current integer millisecond to use . in such alternative , the server system 102 preferably saves the nav - data subframes for every sv the reference station tracks . it then estimates the network latency that exists between itself and the several network clients 104 . this enables an estimate of gps - time to be made for each client . such gps - time then indicates which portion of the nav - data subframes should be currently observed at the client . the server system copies these nav - data subframes , rewrites the z - count , and appends parity bits in the how - word before sending it to the client . in a method embodiment of the present invention , the client system 104 gets approximate gps time from the server system 102 , e . g ., to within a second or two of true gps time . there will be some network path delays over network 106 between the server system 102 and the client system 104 . and such delays are accounted for . the client system 104 requests nav data subframes from the server system 102 by specifying a gps time of interest , e . g ., a particular millisecond interval . the server system 102 fetches a corresponding set of subframe patterns from its database . it rewrites the how word with the expected z - count , and adds appropriate parity bits . the requested subframes are sent over the network 106 . the client system 104 uses a 30 - bit long moving window to inspect the subframe data provided by the server system 102 , and tries to find a match with what it has just received directly from an sv . if there is no match , the window is shifted one bit , and the 30 - bit words are compared again - and - again . when a 30 - bit match is found , the preceding and following words are also tested for verification . finding matches there too will indicate frame synchronization has been found . the offset time can then be computed and added to msec24 to initialize the client system 104 with gps time . more precisely , the z - count is extracted from the current how word in the nav subframe data . in general , embodiments of the present invention rely on a pattern - matching technique . certain patterns are a problem , so it is necessary to reject unreliable bit patterns like “ ffffff ”, “ 000000 ”, “ aaaaaa ”, “ 555555 ”. such patterns commonly appear in unlaunched sv or undefined almanac pages . another pattern - matching problem is caused by bit reversals . the typical receiver firmware sometimes fails to detect phase reversal of nav data when the signal is too weak . if the receiver fails to detect the change , all the bits following the change will need to be flipped . therefore some bit - phase reversal should be expected . according to observations in mixed demi mode , as many as thirty phase reversals can occur . the tlm word marks the head of subframe and appears every ten 30 - bit words . the how word follows and carries the top 17 - bits of z - count , and the preceding 2 - bits at the tail of word - 10 is always “ 00 ”. since in these areas nav pattern is very similar , we can &# 39 ; t match with tlm pattern if the search window exceeds ten words . after getting approximate time , client 104 requests subframe data from server 102 in advance . the gps time returned to client 104 will have been indeterminately delayed by the latency of network 106 , e . g ., and so has σ latency ambiguity . in one embodiment , the nav packet is sent as a group packet with a maximum two - second latency , e . g ., group nav interval ( 1 , 000 msec )+ maximum nav packet length ( 1 , 000 msec ). thus client 104 should request a subframe with starting time = expected nav packet reception time −( σ latency + 2 sec ) taking into account the latency by the network and system response , a decision is made for an adequate word length to be sent to client 104 . consider , n / 2 ( word )× 30 bits × 20 m sec & gt ; δ t t − δ { circumflex over ( t )}+ pkt_size × 20 m sec { n : words ( 10 - 50 ) δ t t : truelatency [ ms ] δ t ⋒ : estimatedlatency [ ms ] } . the nav data stream repeats itself every fifty words , or five subframes numbers 1 - 5 . if the server 102 sends more than ten words , a tlm word cannot be used to match because the pattern of tlm word repeats every beginning of subframe . in one embodiment , once the frame is synchronized , gps time can be determined by counting bits from the end of next how word and beginning of the nav packet . the how word carries 17 - bits of truncated z - count . the offset from the end of the how word to beginning of next subframe is 240 bits , e . g ., 4800 msec . subtracting such offset from next subframe produces current gps time . e . g ., the exact transmission propagation time between sv and surface of the earth is difficult to know , so a default value of 70 - milliseconds seems reasonable because using it as a start gives a ± 10 milliseconds ambiguity . the integer millisecond (“ intmsec ”) represents thepseudorange between user position and sv position . when computing gps time for a first z - count event , intmsec is assumed to be 70 milliseconds . the offset time between the msec24 variable and gps time -(“ offgpsmsec ”) is then calculated . after the first z - count event , that event doesn &# 39 ; t apply for gps time adjustment , but is used for only intmsec calculation . based on offgpsmsec , integer millisecond ( intmsec ) for each sv is solved using the following equations . gps time and offgpsmsec are adjusted by solving for time bias in a position - fix routine . e . g ., offgpsm sec = zcount × 6000 −{ m sec 24 +( offset + 240 )× 20 }− 70 [ m sec ] in preferred no - preamble sync method embodiments of the present invention , a fall - back tlm - preamble sync detection process is included just - in - case the pattern - matching fails . both schemes simply set the synchronized position , e . g ., word id , subframe id , page id , and the current z - count . so the two schemes can independently co - exist . when support is available to client 104 from server 102 , the pattern - matching technique is tried first . then using the tlm word preamble for synchronization is tried . if either scheme succeeds , a receiver manager can smoothly shift the decoding . the frame edge can therefore generally be synchronized inside of six seconds from power - up , even if a suitable bit pattern is not available for no - preamble sync pattern matching . the reference station server 102 supports such no - preamble sync pattern matching by saving the subframe data for each sv . it estimates network latency and speculates the gps time on client 104 . the server 102 retrieves the corresponding subframe data that centers on the client gps time . it rewrites the z - count in the how word and encodes subframe data in packets sent to the client 104 . each such subframe data received on reference station is stored in the database . the subframe data to be stored includes 5 , 780 bytes of ephemeris data , and 3 , 000 bytes of almanac data , e . g ., ephemeris = 3 ( subframes ) * 10 ( words ) * 24 bits ( w / o parity ) * 32 ( sv ) * 2 ( pre / current iode ) ; almanac = 25 ( pages ) * 2 ( sf ) * 10 ( words ) * 24 bits ( w / parity ) * 2 ( pre / current ) . since the nav stream from the sv repeats , all the nav bits do not need to be stored . the server can ignore some subframe data and all the word parity bits . when the system ephemeris changes , the no - preamble pattern matching will fail until both the reference station server 102 and client 104 actually receive the new ephemeris subframes . the same is true for system almanac changes . sometimes it takes over twelve hours for the almanac data from all sv &# 39 ; s to be completely updated to new almanac set . so both the previous and current almanac data must be stored in the database . the client 104 initializes by getting subframe data from the server 102 coincident with current gps time . to do this , the server 102 approximates gps time the information packets transmitted over network 106 will actually be received by the client 104 . how close the time is depends on how accurate the server can estimate gps time on the client , and also the size of the word data to be sent to the client . if the server can estimate client gps time within ± 3 seconds , it &# 39 ; s possible to synchronize the nav frame within ten data words , e . g ., one subframe . after estimating the gps time at client 104 , the server 102 retrieves in the database and gets the appropriate subframe data corresponding to that current gps time . since there are two sets of ephemeris and almanac , the server 102 should track which data set should be used by sv . in encoding the information words , the subframe data from word - 1 , and the tlm word and needed . the parity bits depend on the last 2 - bits of previous word data , and the last bits of both the how and word - 10 are “ 00 ”. it is important to rewrite how word . the server knows the current gps time , so it can modify the z - count in how word and fix the associated parity bits . the server 102 preferably sends a starting - word identification ( id ) and ten 30 - bit words of data . a method embodiment of the present invention is represented in fig2 . such provides for nav data frame synchronization in a gps receiver connected to a data network able to provide archived nav data frames . the method 200 begins with a step 202 that tests whether a server is available , e . g ., server 102 in fig1 . if not , a step 204 requests such , as step 206 waits for the request to be answered . a step 210 sees if synchronization has been found . if not , control returns back to step 202 . if the server data is available , a no - preamble sync pattern - matching process 212 is used . a step 214 tries matching the nav data patterns received from an sv to those provided by the server . if a pattern match is found in a step 216 , then the integer millisecond (“ intmsec ”) can be set in a step 218 . if no pattern can be matched in the pattern - matching process 212 , then a legacy sync process 220 is used as a fallback strategy . a step 222 does a conventional tlm word preamble search . a step 224 looks to see if a pattern has been found . if yes , a step 226 sets the integer millisecond (“ intmsec ”). once the integer millisecond variable has been set , a step 228 proceeds with the decoding and position solution . although the present invention has been described in terms of the presently preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the disclosure is not to be interpreted as limiting . various alterations and modifications will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art after having read the above disclosure . accordingly , it is intended that the appended claims be interpreted as covering all alterations and modifications as fall within the “ true ” spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
in the process of the invention to synthesize copolymer - 1 , the inventors tried with dialkyl amine initiators for the polymerization of ncas of tyrosine , alanine , glutamate and lysine . it was surprisingly found that when the initiators are supported , the process resulted in copolymer - 1 in the molecular range below 20 kda , preferably in the range of 8 to 19 kda . the polymer supports were used consisting both aromatic and aliphatic monomers and comonomers , which are illustrated below : several types of macro porous styrene - divinyl benzene copolymer ( sdvb ) were synthesized and selected as support materials . these materials were prepared by general procedures such as suspension polymerization , emulsion polymerization and inverse emulsion polymerization published by the authors . 1 , 2 sdvb was synthesized to get a porous structure . toluene was used as a good solvent , and n - heptane or methyl methacrylate or 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexnol as a poor solvent . the specific surface area and pore volume could be controlled by rates of monomer to solvent . this polymer support has a form of various sizes such as powdery samples , spherical , oval and cylindrical pellet etc . the prepared supported catalyst is thermally stable up to 400 to 600 ° c . the physical properties of polymer supports such as bet surface area pore volume and pore size distribution etc . were measured by physical adsorption of n 2 gas at liquid nitrogen temperature of 77 k . using , autosorb - 6 ( quantachrom , usa ). bet surface area various from 50 to 1000 m 2 / g , micro porous area ˜ 25 to 200 m 2 / g , mesoporous area ˜ 100 to 300 m 2 / g , micro pore volume ranging from 0 . 0001 to 0 . 5 c . c ./ g , and average pore radius starting from 10 a ° to 70 a °. the amines such as primary , secondary , tertiary amines ( straight chain ) were linked to sdvb polymer support by chemical reaction forming covalent bonds with amines . similary branched amines of all three types ( mentioned above ) were attached to polymer support using chemical reactions . the above amines were also adsorbed on the surface of polymer supports and used . a . dissolving n - carboxyanhydrides of tyrosine , alanine , γ - benzyl glutamate and n ε - trifluoroacetyllysine in a solvent ; b . polymerizing the nca by initialization with supported dialkylamine and stirring at room temperature ; c . pouring the copolymer 1 formed into water , filtering the product and washing with water and drying ; d . suspending in acetic acid , adding hbr in acetic acid , stirring at room temperature , decanting and evaporating ; e . dispersing in water , adding 1 m piperidine , stirring for 24 hours at room temperature ; f . dialyzing at room temperature to achieve ph ; 8 g . dialyzing against acid followed by water to achieve ph 5 . 5 - 6 and h . lyophilizing solution to dryness . the dialkyl amine initiators of the invention are selected from dimethylamine , diethylamine , diisopropylamine and such like , alone or in combinations thereof . the initiator is a combination of dialkylamins and trialkylamines which are supported or bound on polymers . the solvents for dissolving nca are selected from dimethyl formamide , dimethyl dichloro methane , dioxane , alone or in combinations thereof . the nca are dissolved in the solvent at temperatures ranging from 0 - 80 ° c . the molecular weight of the copolymer - 1 of the invention is as shown in fig1 . the molecular weight is less than 20 kda varying between 8 and 19 kda . the graph in fig1 indicates that % of copolymer - 1 below 2 kda to be 0 . 25 % and % over 40 kda to be 0 . 55 %. the % of species in the range of 8 - 19 kda is 99 . 25 %. since the range of copolymer - 1 above 20 kda is below is less than 1 %, the copolymer - 1 is non - toxic as exemplified in example ii in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 620 , 847 to konfino et al . the following examples are given by way of illustration and therefore should not construed to limit the scope of the present invention . an oven dried 250 ml schlenk flask was cooled under vacuum and charged with argon , 1 gm of o - benzyl tyrosine was added to the flask . to this dry thf ( 20 ml ) was added and stirred 0 . 30 gm of triphosgene was added and the reaction mixture was refluxed for 4 hours for 55 ° c . under argon atmosphere . after refluxing , the reaction mixture was filtered through frit . the resulting residue was dissolved in 40 ml of dry hexane . the resulting suspension stored at − 20 ° c . overnight to assure complete crystallization . the nca was recrystallized from thf / hexane . the yield of nca of o - benzyl tyrosine was 75 %. an oven dried 250 ml schlenk flask was cooled under vacuum and charged with argon , 1 gm . of n ε trifluoroacetyl lysine was added to the flask . to this dry dioxane ( 20 ml ) was added and stirred 0 . 40 gm of triphosgene was added and the reaction mixture was refluxed for 4 hours for 55 ° c . under argon atmosphere . after refluxing , the reaction mixture was filtered through frit . the resulting residue was dissolved in 40 ml of dry hexane . the resulting suspension stored at − 20 ° c . overnight to assure complete crystallization . the nca was recrystallized from dioxane / hexane . the yield of nca of n ε trifluoroacetyl lysine was 93 %. an oven dried 250 ml schlenk flask was cooled under vacuum and filled with argon . 2 gm ( 22 . 4 mmol ) of l - alanine and 1 . 39 g ( 7 . 49 mmol ) of triphosgene were added to the flask . to this 30 ml of dry thf was added and the reaction mixture was refluxed at 50 ° c . for about 3 hours under argon atmosphere . the mixture was then filtered through frit to remove insoluble ones and the filtrate was then added into 70 ml of n - hexane and the resulting suspension stored at − 20 ° c . overnight to ensure complete crystallization . the yield of nca of l - alanine was 45 %. an oven dried 250 ml schlenk flask was cooled under vacuum and charged with argon . 2 gm of ( 8 . 43 m mol ) of g - benzyl glutamate and 0 . 834 gm . ( 2 . 81 mmol ) of triphosgene were added to the flask and the reaction mixture was refluxed for about 3 hours . the reaction mixture was filtered through frit to remove insoluble ones and the filtrate was then added into 70 ml of dry n - hexane and resulting suspension stored at − 20 ° c . overnight to ensure complete crystallization . the yield of nca of g - benzyl glutamate was 75 %. copaxane 1 was prepared from n - carboxyanhydrides of tyrosine , alanine , γ - benzyl glutamate and n ε - trifluoroacetyllysine . the polymerization reaction was carried out at room temperature in anhydrous dioxane with polymer supported diethyl - amine as initiator for 24 hrs . protected copolymer - i was treated with 33 % hbr in acetic acid which removed the o - benzyl from tyrosine and gama - benzyl protecting group from 5 - carboxylate of the glutamate residue . 2 g of trifluoroacetyl - copolymer - i was dispersed in 100 ml of water to which 5 g of ( im ) piperidine was added . the mixture was stirred , for 24 hours at room temperature . the solution of crude copolymer - i was distributed into dialysis bags and dialyzed at 15 ° c ., against water until a ph = 8 are attained . it was then dialyzed against 0 . 3 % acetic acid and again water until ph = 5 . 5 - 6 . 0 was obtained . this solution was then concentrated and lyophilized to dryness . these copolymers were used for characterization . copaxane 1 was prepared from n - carboxyanhydrides of tyrosine , alanine , γ - benzyl glutamate and n ε - trifluoroacetyllysine . 1 . 5 mmole of nca of l - alanine , 0 . 46 mmole of nca of γ - benzyl glutamate , 0 . 28 mmole of nca of o - benzyl l - tyrosine and 0 . 278 mmole of nca of n ε - trifluoroacetyllysine were reacted with 0 . 001 mmole of styrene divinyl benzene copolymer supported diethylamine at room temperature in anhydrous dioxane under stirring for 24 hrs to obtain the protected copolymer - i . protected copolymer - i was treated with 1 ml of 33 % hbr in acetic acid which removed the o - benzyl from tyrosine and gama - benzyl protecting group from 5 - carboxylate of the glutamate residue . 2 g of trifluoroacetyl - copolymer - i was dispersed in 100 ml of water to which 5 g of ( im ) piperidine , was added . the mixture was stirred for 24 hours at room temperature . the solution of crude copolymer - 1 was distributed into dialysis bags and dialyzed at 15 ° c ., against water until a ph = 8 was attained . it was then dialyzed against 0 . 3 % acetic acid and again water until ph = 5 . 5 - 6 . 0 was obtained . this solution was then concentrated and lyophilized to dryness . these copolymers were used for characterization . copaxane 1 was prepared from n - carboxyanhydrides of tyrosine , alanine , γ - benzyl glutamate and n ε - trifluoroacetyllysine . 1 . 5 mmole of nca of l - alanine , 0 . 46 mmole of nca of γ - benzyl glutamate , 0 . 28 mmole of nca of o - benzyl 1 - tyrosine and 0 . 278 mmole of nca of n ε - trifluoroacetyllysine were reacted with 0 . 028 mmole of styrene divinyl benzene copolymer supported diisopropylamine at room temperature in anhydrous dioxane under stirring for 24 hrs to obtain the protected copolymer - i . protected copolymer - i was treated with 3 ml of 33 % hbr in acetic acid which removed the o - benzyl from tyrosine and gama - benzyl protecting group from 5 - carboxylate of the glutamate residue . 2 g of trifluoroacetyl - copolymer - i was dispersed in 100 ml of water to which 5 g of ( im ) piperidine was added . the mixture was stirred for 24 hours at room temperature . the solution of crude copolymer - i was distributed into dialysis bags and dialyzed at 15 ° c ., against water until a ph = 8 was attained . it was then dialyzed against 0 . 3 % acetic acid and again water until ph = 5 . 5 - 6 . 0 was obtained . this solution was then concentrated and lyophilized to dryness . these copolymers were used for characterization . elution volume ( in μl ) was plotted against refractive index ( in au ) to show that the molecular weight of the copolymer - 1 synthesized by the process of the invention was between 8 - 19 kda as shown in fig1 . i . an important advantage of the invention is the used of non - toxic heterogeneous polymer - supported catalysts that are easy to handle , use and separate from the reaction mixtures . ii . it provides simple and efficient process , using commonly available chemicals and result in the product directly , with a high degree of purity . iii . it provides a co - polymer which has no residues of acids . iv . the process used in present invention does not require any more steps for separation , purification , fractionation of various molecular weight ranges and such like . v . the polymer - supported catalysts catalyse the polymerization reaction to longer chain lengths . the polymer molecule weight is in the range of 15000 - 19000 daltons . vi . these catalysts control the synthesis of the polypeptide such that molecular weights of the product can be obtained specified weight range . vii . polypeptides obtained by using the catalysts have narrow molecule weight distribution . viii . the concentrations of the catalysts required for the reactions are 10 × less than the conventional homogenous catalysts . | 0 |
referring first to fig1 , a conventional decoking tool 1 with protective boring blades or vanes 3 and a mode shifting apparatus 4 installed in the tool 1 is shown . the mode shifting apparatus 4 is made up of numerous components , including a body 4 a , actuator sleeve 4 b , actuator slot 4 c , actuator pin 4 d , spring 4 e , pressurized fluid inlet 4 f , annular hydraulic cylinder 4 g , annular piston 4 h , actuator pin carrier 4 i and a liner sleeve 4 j that surrounds a lower portion 6 b of a control rod 6 that also includes an upper portion 6 a . the control rod 6 is connected to a hydraulic distribution diversion plate ( also called diverter plate ) 5 such that when the mode shifting apparatus 4 is activated , either manually or by sequentially pressurizing and de - pressurizing operations from a fluid supply ( not shown ), the control rod 6 rotates the diverter plate 5 , causing openings formed through the axial dimension thereof to alternately expose fluid delivery conduit 7 and either the drilling nozzles 10 or cutting nozzles 11 to a supply of high pressure fluid ( for example , water ) being delivered through an inlet pipe or drill stem 9 . in the version depicted in fig1 , the drilling nozzles 10 are in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid supply in order to direct a generally downward stream of high pressure fluid into the coke ( not shown ), thereby boring a hole for the rest of the apparatus 4 to follow . the generally planar disk - like shape of the diverter plate 5 , coupled with its rotatable mounting arrangement to control rod 6 permits shifting between a cutting mode and a drilling mode to occur by an intermittent clocking rotation of the diverter plate 5 . the details of the construction and operation of diverter plate 5 will not be repeated herein , suffice to say that such details may be found in commonly - owned u . s . pat . no . 6 , 644 , 567 . referring with particularity to fig2 and 3 , the drilling nozzles 10 and cutting nozzles 11 of the prior art are shown , where the assembly that includes the nozzles 10 and 11 also include a housing h that defines a radial dimension r and an axial dimension a . as can be seen , the drilling nozzles 10 extend axially a significant distance beyond the axial dimension a , while the cutting nozzles 11 extend radially a significant distance beyond the radial dimension r . furthermore , these nozzles 10 and 11 are made up of numerous discrete flow tubes or channels that keep their respective fluid streams isolated from one another over a substantial majority of the nozzle length . cutting nozzle 11 ( which has attributes similar to those of drilling nozzle 10 ) shows in inlet at conditioner 11 a and an outlet 11 f , as well as the discrete flow channels 11 b , 11 c and 11 d that can be in the form of concentric tubes , clustered “ soda straws ” or any other well - known arrangement . as shown , all of the separate flow channels dump the decoking fluid into a common header 11 e , and in the process subjects the flow to abrupt angle changes as it makes its way toward the outlet 11 f . such abrupt changes can produce friction , turbulence and other anomalies that may adversely affect the quality of flow being discharged through nozzle 11 . these anomalies may be exacerbated by flow separation , such as that which could arise in the discontinuity formed in liner nozzle ( also called the nozzle insert ) 11 g that is formed fluidly upstream of the throat formed where the header 11 e meets the outlet 11 f . all of these factors may contribute to reductions in the flow &# 39 ; s axial component as it exits the nozzle 11 at outlet 11 f . referring with particularity to fig3 , the three main parts of the assembly that make up the cutting nozzle 11 are shown , where the conditioner 11 a , the liner nozzle 11 g and the housing cap 1111 are used in conjunction with the flow channels 11 b , 11 c and 11 d , common header 11 e and outlet 11 f to direct the flow of pressurized water . the liner nozzle 11 g collects the flow from the conditioner 11 a and accelerates it to the outlet 11 f that could be machined to vary the exit area ( and flow coefficient ) of the nozzle . the housing cap 11 h provides a sealed pressure boundary , and additionally aligns the flow conditioner 11 a and erosion - resistant nozzle insert 11 g . referring next to fig4 and 5 , features associated with an assembly 100 and the nozzles 110 , 111 of the present invention are disclosed . the assembly 100 includes housing h that includes conduit 107 a , 107 b that act as fluid passageways to deliver decoking fluid that comes from a pressurized source ( not shown ) to the drilling nozzles 110 and cutting nozzles 111 . referring with particularity to fig5 , a cutting nozzle 111 is shown , although it will be appreciated that the structure and flowpath depicted therein is equally applicable to the drilling nozzle 110 . unlike the conventional flowpath depicted in fig3 , the internal surface of fig5 may define a generally tapered converging shape 111 a that is optimally - shaped for decoking fluid jet spraying , and was achieved using a cfd calculation to achieve minimal radial velocity , minimal non - uniformity in the axial flow , in the shortest nozzle length possible . the present inventors have discovered that by optimizing the nozzles in the manner shown for coke cutting operations , a more columnar , coherent flow is produced , as the radial components of the flow velocity are minimized . by such improvements in flowpath tailoring , the size of the nozzles 110 , 111 relative to nozzles 10 , 11 of fig2 and 3 ( particularly , their axial dimension ) can be reduced , while still providing the necessary jet impact force and jet coherence . such size reduction ( as well as part number reduction ) improves manufacturability , and allows for simpler drilling due in part to the smaller bore profile . the present inventors have employed cfd modelling and bench testing as a way to optimize the internal flowpath shape 111 a based upon the particular needs of the decoking tool and its environment . by reducing or preventing stagnant areas and large eddy flows , the nozzle flowpath can preserve a high degree of flow coherence . referring with particularity to fig5 in conjunction with the data of table 1 , views and dimensions of internal water flowpaths for the cutting nozzle 111 is also shown . it will be appreciated that the features discussed below for cutting nozzle 111 are equally applicable to drilling nozzle 110 , and therefore will not be repeated . table 1 below shows the representative x and y dimensions of the internal flowpath surface of a nozzle made in conjunction with the present invention where a cfd algorithm was employed : by reducing the pressure drop associated with a conventional nozzle , nozzles 110 , 111 made according to the present invention provide a shorter axial dimension and related smaller footprint for nozzle assembly 100 , allowing the nozzle to fit within tight confines . for example , during situations where a collapsed bed occurs , the new smaller nozzle assembly 100 is primarily recessed back into the assembly 100 resulting in a more streamlined shape that can often be directly pulled out of a collapsed bed . in addition , such a configuration can save energy and potentially allow the use of a smaller pump and motor , as the same fluid volume and velocity at the exit of nozzles 110 , 111 can be achieved with less pumping . furthermore , the new nozzle assembly 100 consists of two smaller pieces with simpler and less costly manufacturing . cfd and related flow simulation algorithms , as well as bench testing can be used to provide preferred decoking fluid flowpath shapes . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that an underlying cfd package may be developed specifically for the present application , or an off - the - shelf commercial code can be used to perform the cfd analyses discussed herein . cfd modelling can be used to demonstrate particular flow attributes , such as coherent flow , laminar or turbulent flow , locations where separated flow can be expected , or the like . in particular , cfd can be used to model particular nozzle internal profiles ( i . e ., flowpaths ), such as the unique profile associated with the nozzles of the present invention . such computational methods can take into consideration particular hydraulic attributes of the decoking fluid . iterative approaches may also be employed to study the effects of flow perturbation and internal flowpath shape optimization . such iterations could be based on simple starting geometries ( such as tubular members , simple cones and other easily - defined configurations ) that could then be modified to produce desirable flow attributes ( such as a linear pressure drop along the flow axis ). the optimization parameters may include minimizing the radial inflow at the exit throat of the nozzle and the standard deviation of the axial flow velocity ( achieving thereby uniform flow across the exit throat ). an additional benefit is that the resulting geometry can use well known similarity laws to allow scaling , depending on the size needs of the assembly 100 . hence , nozzles can be made for a variety of flows and pressures within the limits proscribed by fully developed turbulent flow the importance of which is that it allows for the linear conversion of kinetic and pressure energy , thereby making it easier to ensure accurate prediction of scaled designs . while certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for purposes of illustrating the invention , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention , which is defined in the appended claims . | 2 |
the examples below are meant to illustrate the present invention in more detail . in a stirred vessel , 859 g of 98 % pure sodium dicyanamide are suspended in 4940 g of methanol . 95 g of zinc acetate are then added , and the reaction mixture is heated to reflux temperature . once the reflux temperature has been reached , 8 portions of in each case 96 g of zinc acetate are introduced into the boiling reaction mixture , at intervals of in each case one hour . after the addition of zinc acetate has ended , heating under reflux is continued for 10 hours . the reaction mixture is then cooled and stirred for another 6 hours with water - cooling . the precipitate is then removed by centrifugation . this gives 1100 g of methanol - moist product ( yield about 68 %) having a moisture content of 5 % by weight of methanol . 3035 g of acetic anhydride are initially charged in a stirred vessel , and 2184 g of methanol - moist 95 % pure zinc bis ( imino - bis - carbimic acid methyl ester ) are then introduced in 28 portions at a time at from 38 to 40 ° c . and with efficient stirring , over a period of 7 hours . after the addition of zinc bis ( imino - bis - carbimic acid methyl ester ) has ended , stirring is continued at 40 ° c . for another 16 hours . the mixture is then heated to 80 ° c . over a period of one hour and stirred at this temperature for 2 hours . the reaction mixture is then cooled and stirred for about another 4 hours with water - cooling . the zinc acetate formed is filtered off with suction and washed on a nutsch filter using 4 × 300 g of acetic acid . the combined acetic - acid filtrates are then charged to a distillation apparatus , to remove distillatively a mixture of acetic acid and methyl acetate ( ratio : about 80 : 20 ) under a reduced pressure of about 100 mbar . once the main fraction of this mixture has been distilled off , the internal temperature is increased to 90 ° c . following distillative removal of the remaining acetic acid , the mixture is finally cooled to about 30 ° c ., and 2460 g of methanol are added to the product . this gives 4450 g of an about 40 % by weight strength methanolic solution of 2 , 4 - dimethoxy - 6 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine ( yield : about 90 %). 5000 g of a 40 % by weight strength methanolic solution of 2 , 4 - dimethoxy - 6 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine are initially charged and then , at from 5 to 10 ° c ., admixed with a 40 % by weight strength aqueous methylamine solution to neutralize the acetic acid , establishing a ph of from 7 . 2 to 7 . 5 ( glass electrode ). at from 13 to 15 ° c ., 1500 g of a 40 % by weight strength aqueous methylamine solution are then introduced over a period of 8 hours . after the addition of the methylamine solution has ended , stirring is continued at 14 ° c . for another 4 hours and then with water - cooling for 12 hours . the reaction product is subsequently filtered off with suction using a nutsch filter and washed with 5 × 900 ml of a 2 % by weight strength methylamine solution and finally with 4 × 900 ml of water . the yield of 2 - methoxy - 4 - methyl - 6 - methylamino - 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine , based on the dried product , is 1850 g ( yield : about 93 %). the moist crude product of example 3 is suspended in 7 l of water . 2 g of a nonionic wetting agent ( genapol 0x80 from hoechst ) are added , and the reaction mixture is then heated under gentle reflux and with efficient stirring for 6 hours . after cooling , the ph is adjusted to 3 . 7 by adding acetic acid , and stirring is then continued at 15 ° c . for one more hour . the solid is then filtered off with suction using a nutsch filter and washed with 4 l of water . drying under reduced pressure at 80 ° c . gives 1720 g ( yield : about 93 %) of highly pure 2 - methoxy - 4 - methyl - 6 - methylamino - 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine . 100 g of pure dried product having a water content of 0 . 21 % are suspended in 350 g of methanol . the methanol is then distilled off at atmospheric pressure using a rotary evaporator . the residue is once more admixed with 350 g of methanol and is then distilled off using a rotary evaporator . the residue is finally dried under water pump vacuum at 80 ° c . this gives 99 . 7 g of 2 - methoxy - 4 - methyl - 6 - methylamino - 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine having a water content of 50 ppm ( kf ) ( yield : 100 %). | 2 |
the open symbols represent the lattice stresses in an single - layer coating , while the closed symbols show the lattice stresses in a multilayer coating . the average thickness of the individual layers is plotted on the x axis . a multilayer coating of tin ( x layer ) and tinb ( y layer ) ( according to the invention , specimen 1 ) was compared with a single - layer coating of tin ( prior art , specimen 2 ) or tinb ( prior art , specimen 3 ), where the x and y layers of the coating according to the invention had the same composition as the respective single - layer coating . for this purpose , polished round plates suitable for a tribological test by means of a ball - on - disk arrangement were coated with a commercial , fine - grained cemented carbide having a composition of wc - 10 % by weight of co . the multilayer tin and tinb coating according to the invention was produced in a production cvd coating plant corresponding to the description . the average deposition temperature of the coating was 900 ° c . the process gas composition ( p = 1 bar ) is shown in table 1 . the multilayer coating was produced by pulsed switching of the gas compositions shown in table 1 . the pulse time was 60 s . the resulting average thickness of the layers x and y was about 40 nm , as verified by tem / eels . x and y alternated and the total coating thickness was from 4 . 1 μm to 5 μm . the phases and the layer structure parameters such as lattice stresses were determined by xrd line profile analysis . the chemical composition of the coatings applied as single layers was determined using quantitative gdoes and epma . a boron content of 4 atom % was found in the tinb coating . the images of the structures of the surfaces and the fracture surfaces obtained for specimens 1 to 3 are shown in fig1 to fig6 . specimen 1 according to the invention displays a particularly fine fracture structure with a continuous particularly smooth surface . specimens 1 to 3 were subjected to a ball - on - disk wear test for a comparative examination of the abrasion resistance . the counterbody was an al 2 o 3 sphere having a diameter of 6 mm , and this was conveyed in a radius of 7 mm in the rubbing track . the experiment was carried out at a pressing force of 5 n at room temperature . the sliding distance was 700 m . the coatings were not rubbed through in the tests . in this quantitative wear test , the resulting degree of wear ( table 2 ) showed the superior wear resistance of specimen 1 according to the invention compared to the prior art . tin / tinb multilayer coatings were deposited using the production parameters as described above . different thicknesses of the layers were produced by varying the pulse times to alter the gas composition . the average layer thicknesses can be seen in fig1 . the lattice stresses in these coatings and in single - layer coatings of tin and tinb were determined as described above . at an average thickness of the layers of less than 90 nm , the lattice stresses are higher than in a single - layer tinb coating ( see fig1 ). an indexable insert was coated with a 3 - layer coating composed of , in each case at a thickness of about 1 μm , tic ( adjacent to the cemented carbide ), ticn and tin ( on the outside ) as described in the prior art ( specimen 4 ). in the case of the specimen according to the invention , the tin coating was replaced by a multilayer coating according to the invention composed of ( tin / tinb ) ml ( specimen 5 ). the substrates were sekn 1203 afsn indexable inserts composed of a commercial cemented carbide composed of wc with 9 % by weight of co and 4 % by weight of tac / nbc . the production of the outer tin ( x layer )/ tinb ( y layer ) multilayer coating according to the invention was likewise carried out in a production cvd coating plant as described above . the average coating temperature was 900 ° c . the process atmosphere is shown in table 1 . the process pressure was 1 bar . the multilayer coating was produced by pulsed switching of the gas composition shown in table 1 . the pulse time was 60 s . the coatings produced had a total thickness of about 2 . 8 μm , with the outer multilayer coating according to the invention having a thickness of 1 μm . the average thickness of the individual x and y layers was about 35 nm . the characteristic data for the coatings were determined in a manner corresponding to the description in example 1 . specimens 4 and 5 were subjected to a cutting machining experiment under the following conditions . a 42crmo4 steel ( 1 . 7225 ) ( strength : 1100 mpa ) was machined dry by climb milling at a cutting velocity of v c = 150 m / min , a feed per tooth of f z = 0 . 15 mm and an advance a p = 2 . 0 mm using the single - tooth method on an ex - cell - o milling machine . the criterion for stopping the cutting machining experiments was set at a 0 . 3 mm wear width on the free surface of the main cutter . this quantitative cutting machining test ( fig7 ) shows the superior wear resistance of specimen 5 compared to specimen 4 . at a criterion for stopping the cutting experiment of 0 . 3 mm free surface wear , the specimen 5 which has been modified according to the invention shows a doubling of the operating life compared to specimen 4 . a coating according to the invention having alternating ticn ( x layer ) and ticnb layers ( y ) ( specimen 6 ) was compared with a single layer ticn coating ( prior art , specimen 7 ) and a single - layer ticnb coating ( prior art , specimen 8 ) each having the same composition as the corresponding layer in the multilayer coating . for this purpose , polished rounded plates of a commercial fine - grained cemented carbide composed of wc with 10 % by weight of co were used as substrate . the coatings were again produced in the manner described . the coating temperature was 950 ° c . the process atmosphere ( p = 1 bar ) is shown in table 1 . the multilayer coating was produced by pulsed switching of the gas compositions indicated . the pulse time was 60 s . the total thickness of the coating was about 3 . 5 μm with an average thickness of the ticn ( x ) and ticnb ( y ) layers of 30 nm , characterized by the method described in example 1 . a boron content of 3 . 5 atom % was found in the y layer . specimen 6 according to the invention displayed a particularly smooth surface , which is associated with a fine fracture structure . specimens 6 to 8 were again subjected to a tribological wear test using the ball - on - disk test apparatus employing the same conditions as in example 1 . the results are shown in table 3 . once again , the far higher wear resistance of the specimen according to the invention compared to the prior art was demonstrated . to determine the wear resistance , the coatings described in example 3 were deposited on indexable inserts for turning and milling operations . the specimen designations correspond to example 3 . the substrates for the milling test were sekn 1203 afsn indexable inserts composed of a commercial cemented carbide composed of wc with 9 % by weight of co and 4 % by weight of tac / nbc . the turning tests were carried out using cnmg 120408 en - tm indexable inserts composed of a commercial cemented carbide composed of wc with 7 % by weight of co and 8 . 1 % by weight of mixed carbides . the coatings were produced as described in example 3 . the following conditions were used for the cutting machining experiment . a 42crmo4 steel ( 1 . 7225 ) ( strength : 1100 mpa ) was machined dry by climb milling at a cutting velocity of v c = 150 m / min , a feed per tooth of f z = 0 . 15 mm and an advance a p = 2 . 0 mm using the single - tooth method on an ex - cell - o milling machine . the criterion for stopping the cutting machining experiments was set at a 0 . 3 mm wear width on the free surface of the main cutter . on a lathe , a ck60 steel ( 1 . 1221 ) was machined both dry and using cooling lubricant ( wet ) by means of the cnmg 120408 en - tm indexable insert at a cutting velocity v c = 200 m / min , a feed of f z = 0 . 25 mm and an advance a p = 2 . 0 mm . the criterion for stopping the turning experiments was set at 0 . 3 mm wear width on the free surface . in the milling tests ( fig8 ), it was possible to achieve a doubling of the operating life of specimen 6 with the coating according to the invention compared to specimens 7 and 8 with single - layer coatings . in the turning test ( fig9 ), too , specimen 6 with the coating according to the invention displayed a considerably improved operating life both under dry machining conditions and under wet machining conditions . a multilayer coating according to the invention ( specimen 9 ) composed of tialn ( x layer ) and tialnb ( y layer ) was compared with a single - layer coating composed of tialn ( prior art , specimen 10 ) and of tialnb ( prior art , specimen 11 ), with the x and y layers of the coating according to the invention having the same composition as the respective single - layer coating . for this purpose , polished round plates suitable for a tribological test ( ball - on - disk ) composed of a commercial fine - grained cemented carbide composed of wc with 10 % by weight of co were coated . the coatings were produced in a cvd coating plant as described above . the average temperature was 600 ° c . the process gas composition ( p = 1 bar ) is shown in table 1 . the multilayer coating was produced by pulsed switching of the gas compositions shown in table 1 . the pulse time was likewise 60 s . the thickness of the individual layers x and y was about 50 nm . the coatings were characterized in a manner analogous to example 1 . the boron content of the y layer was 1 atom %. the layers x and y alternated , and the total thickness of the coating was from 4 . 8 to 6 . 7 μm . specimen 9 according to the invention once again displayed a fine fracture structure with a continuous smooth surface . specimens 9 to 11 were subjected to a tribological wear test using the ball - on - disk test apparatus to compare the abrasion resistance . the counterbody was again an al 2 o 3 sphere having a diameter of 6 mm which was conveyed in a concentric wear track of 5 mm radius at room temperature and at a pressing force of 2 n . the sliding distance was 100 m . the coating of specimen 10 was rubbed through . the coating of specimen 11 displayed commencement of wear , while specimen 9 displayed no discernable wear . a multilayer coating according to the invention ( specimen 12 ) composed of hfn ( x layer ) and hfnb ( y layer ) was compared with a single - layer coating composed of hfn ( prior art , specimen 13 ) and of hfnb ( prior art , specimen 14 ), with the x and y layers of the coating according to the invention having the same composition as the respective single - layer coating . specimens for tribological tests were produced in a manner analogous to examples 1 , 3 and 5 . the average coating temperature was 1025 ° c . the process gas composition ( p = 0 . 4 bar ) is shown in table 1 . the multilayer coating was produced by pulsed switching of the gas compositions shown in table 1 . the pulse time was 180 s . the thickness of the individual layers x and y was 25 nm and these layers were characterized in a manner analogous to example 1 . a boron content of 1 . 3 atom % was found in the y layer . x and y alternated , and the total thickness of the coating was from 1 . 4 μm to 1 . 9 μm . specimen 12 according to the invention displayed a particularly smooth , delicate yellow surface . specimens 12 to 14 were subjected to a ball - on - disk wear test using test parameters corresponding to example 1 for a comparative examination of the abrasion resistance . the coating of specimen 13 was rubbed through during the test . specimen 12 with the layer structure according to the invention had a lower wear than specimen 14 . | 2 |
referring now to the drawings , and particularly to fig1 thereof , there is shown the mold supporting and clamping system 10 of an injection molding machine for molding plastics parts . a stationary platen 12 is carried by a base ( not shown ) and securely supports a first , stationary mold half 14 . stationary platen 12 also supports a pair of rapid traverse cylinders 16 within which respective pistons 18 are movable and from which respective piston rods 20 extend in an outward direction beyond stationary mold half 14 . a movable platen 22 is positioned opposite and facing stationary platen 12 and carries a second , movable mold half 24 on face 26 thereof . mold half 24 is adapted to engage with stationary mold half 14 to define therebetween one or more mold cavities ( not shown ). movable platen 22 is slidably carried on a plurality of spaced , parallel tie rods ( not shown ) that can be connected to stationary platen 12 to extend outwardly therefrom toward and beyond movable platen 22 , so that movable platen 22 can be moved toward and away from stationary platen 12 . piston rods 20 of rapid traverse cylinders 16 are connected with movable platen 22 , and the cylinders are adapted to quickly move movable platen 22 either toward or away from stationary platen 12 during the operating cycle of the machine . extending from opposite face 28 of movable platen 22 is a clamp piston 30 that is slidably carried in a sleeve - like clamp cylinder 32 that has an open end 34 and a closed end 36 . open end 34 faces movable platen 22 and closed end 36 includes a flow control valve 38 , commonly referred to as a prefill valve , that is adapted to permit the flow of hydraulic fluid into and out of the clamp cylinder from and to reservoir 40 . the purpose of valve 38 will be described hereinafter . pressurizing fluid for clamp cylinder 32 is obtained from a pressurizing system that includes an hydraulic pump 42 , the output of which is conveyed through a pump conduit 44 to a second flow control valve 46 and then through clamp cylinder conduit 48 . preferably , flow control valve 46 is a zero - leakage , cartridge - type valve that tightly seals the fluid pathway between pump conduit 44 and clamp cylinder conduit 48 to minimize leakage from the clamp cylinder and thereby maintain the desired hydraulic pressure level in the clamp cylinder . a pressure transducer 50 is provided in clamp cylinder conduit 48 to sense the hydraulic pressure within clamp cylinder 32 and to provide an output signal representative of that hydraulic pressure . the output of pump 42 can also be in communication with another system 52 , which is designated schematically in the drawing , and which can be , for example , the injection system or any other system of the machine in which hydraulic fluid under pressure is required during the time valve 46 is closed . as shown , valve 46 is in the form of an assembly that includes a directional flow control valve 54 , a cover cartridge 56 , and a cartridge valve 58 , and can be a commercially available valve structure that is obtainable from rexroth corp ., of bethelhem , pennsylvania . although a particular type of cartridge valve structure has been illustrated and described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other types of valves can be provided , if desired , to perform the same function as that of the cartridge valve structure disclosed herein . the pressure transducer can be of any convenient and suitable type , such as , for example , a strain gage - type transducer , a piezoelectric transducer , or the like . a suitable pressure transducer can be obtained from dynisco inc ., of norwood , massachusetts . the source of the plasticated material that is injected into the mold cavity is the injection system , of which only a fragmentary representation of an injection barrel 60 is shown in fig1 . injection barrel 60 is positioned on the opposite side of stationary platen 12 from that on which stationary mold half 14 is secured , and it includes an outlet that communicates with a passageway ( not shown ) that extends through stationary platen 12 and stationary mold half 14 to communicate with the mold cavity . the clamping system shown operates from an initial position in which mold halves 12 and 24 are spaced from each other , which could result from the withdrawal from the mold cavity of a molded article that was molded in the preceding cycle . mold halves 12 and 24 are closed by applying hydraulic pressure on the rod end of each of rapid traverse cylinders 16 , which causes movable platen 22 , along with movable mold half 24 , to travel along the tie rods ( not shown ) toward stationary platen 12 and stationary mold half 14 . the direction of movement is from right to left as viewed in fig1 and the position of the parts as illustrated in fig1 shows the mold halves 12 and 24 in cooperative engagement . as movable platen 22 moves from right to left , clamp piston 30 , which is secured thereto , moves along with it , outwardly from clamp cylinder 32 and in a direction away from prefill valve 38 . during the outward movement of piston 30 from cylinder 32 , prefill valve 38 is opened so that hydraulic fluid from reservoir 40 can flow through the prefill valve to occupy the space vacated by the outwardly moving piston and thereby fill the increasing volume of the clamp cylinder with hydraulic fluid . such an operation eliminates the need to provide a high volume pump to fill the large volume vacated by the outwardly moving clamp piston . when movable platen 22 has reached substantially its furthest position relative to clamp cylinder 32 , and is in the position shown in fig1 at which point mold halves 14 and 24 are substantially in contacting engagement , prefill valve 38 is closed , valve 46 is opened , and pump 42 is energized to provide pressurized hydraulic fluid through pump conduit 44 , valve 46 , and clamp cylinder conduit 48 in order to impose pressure on the hydraulic fluid within the clamp cylinder , and thereby provide a clamping force to hold the two mold halves together while high pressure plasticated material is being injected into the mold cavity . when the desired hydraulic pressure has been reached in the clamp cylinder , to provide the desired clamping force , valve 46 can be closed by a control signal provided by a control system , which will be hereinafter described . when valve 46 is closed , the fact that substantially no leakage occurs through the valve means that the pressure within clamp cylinder 32 is maintained until the hydraulic pressure in clamp cylinder 32 is released by a suitable decompression valve 39 , which can be , for example , a pilot operated counterbalance valve to control the rate of release of the hydraulic pressure in the clamp cylinder . likewise , during the time the clamping force is being maintained , pump 42 is not needed for maintaining the clamping force , and consequently the pump can either be shut down , or its output diverted to another system , such as , for example , the injection system 52 , which comes into play while the clamping force is being maintained on the mold halves . after the plasticated material has been injected into the mold cavity the mold halves are maintained together for a short period of time while the plasticated material in the mold cavity is allowed to cool and solidify . at a predetermined time after injection has taken place , the pressure maintained in clamp cylinder 32 by valve 46 is released by opening decompression valve 39 , after which prefill valve 38 is opened , and rapid traverse cylinders 16 are activated by providing pressurized hydraulic fluid at the head end of each of cylinders 16 to force the platens and mold halves apart , and to shift movable platen 22 toward clamp cylinder 32 in order to permit the molded article to be removed from the mold cavity . after removal of the molded part the cycle is repeated . pressure transducer 50 senses the hydraulic pressure within clamp cylinder 32 and can be used to provide an output signal when the desired hydraulic pressure is reached . however , because of time delays in the system , including the time required to actuate valve 46 to move the valve spool from an open to a closed condition , in practical effect the hydraulic pressure within the clamp cylinder continues to rise to a level above the desired pressure as a result of overshoot resulting from those time delays . unless a correction is made to account for the overshoot , the hydraulic pressure , and consequently the clamping force , will be higher than the desired value , which could cause damage to the mold halves , and possibly also to the injection molding machine , if the pressure were excessively high . in order to eliminate the effect of the overshoot in clamp cylinder hydraulic pressure resulting from the time delays in the hydraulic system , the present invention provides a control arrangement for correcting for the overshoot in a given operating cycle by applying a correction factor during the subsequent operating cycle in order to provide a clamp cylinder hydraulic pressure that results in the desired clamping force between the mold halves . referring now to fig2 pump 42 operates through control valve 46 to provide pressurized hydraulic fluid to clamp cylinder 32 . the pressure within clamp cylinder 32 is sensed by pressure transducer 50 , which provides an output signal representative of the clamp cylinder hydraulic pressure . the output signal changes in magnitude as the hydraulic pressure within clamp cylinder builds up as a result of the operation of pump 42 , and when the desired pressure level is reached control valve 46 is closed . however , because of the time delays in the hydraulic system , resulting in overshoot of the pressure in the clamp cylinder , the steady - state pressure value in the clamp cylinder during the clamping phase of the cycle is higher than the desired pressure . the output signal corresponding with that steady - state value is provided to a comparator 70 , into which the desired clamping force signal is also entered . the desired clamping force signal can be converted within the comparator to a pressure value by dividing the clamping force by the transverse cross - sectional area of the clamping piston against which the hydraulic pressure acts . comparator 70 compares the pressure value corresponding with the desired clamping force with the measured steady - state clamp cylinder hydraulic pressure , which is in the form of the steady - state output signal from the pressure transducer , and subtracts that measured clamp hydraulic pressure from the desired hydraulic pressure to provide a pressure difference signal . the pressure difference signal is provided as an input to a control unit 72 that subsequently provides an output control signal that is representative of a new pressure level for use in the next succeeding clamp operating cycle to close control valve 46 at the proper part of the next succeeding clamp operating cycle . in that next cycle the clamp hydraulic pressure is continuously monitored by the pressure transducer , and when the new pressure level is reached the control unit sends a control signal to close the control valve . the control signal from the control unit is the algebraic sum of the steady - state clamp hydraulic pressure as measured during the preceding cycle and the pressure difference signal based upon the operation of the clamp system during that preceding cycle . in that connection , the pressure difference signal can be either a positive or a negative quantity , depending upon the measured steady - state clamp hydraulic pressure in the initial operating cycle . after a desired mold clamping time has elapsed , a suitable control signal is applied to decompression valve 39 to thereby release the pressure in clamp cylinder 32 , whereupon the prefill valve is opened and the clamp piston is again retracted into the clamp cylinder . during the next succeeding cycle , the pressurized fluid provided by pump 42 increases the hydraulic pressure level within the clamping cylinder , and pressure transducer 50 provides an output signal indicative of that changing pressure level to control unit 72 . when the pressure transducer output signal reaches the pressure level that corresponds with a new pressure level based upon the sum of the measured steady - state clamp hydraulic pressure of the preceding cycle plus the pressure difference signal for that preceding cycle , control unit 72 provides a control signal to close control valve 46 in order to attempt to obtain a corrected hydraulic pressure within clamp cylinder 32 . several operating cycles may be necessary before the desired clamping force is achieved . essentially , then , the control arrangement in accordance with the present invention operates to sense operating parameters to determine the difference between the actual clamping force relative to the desired clamping force during a given clamp operating cycle , and then provides a correction signal to attempt to control the operation of the control valve so that the valve is closed either earlier or later than it had been closed in the preceding cycle , in order to correct the clamping force during the next operating cycle by either reducing the hydraulic pressure in the clamp cylinder or by increasing it . the control arrangement illustrated in fig2 can be achieved by separate components that provide the particular functions illustrated and described . additionally , however , if desired a microprocessor can be provided to perform the functions of the comparator and the control unit as hereinbefore described . referring now to fig3 there is shown a flow chart for the preferred embodiment of the invention and illustrating the various steps to provide the desired hydraulic pressure in the clamping cylinder . the system is started by entering a desired clamping force signal at step 80 . the desired clamping force is determined by the machine user and is usually based upon the injection pressure to be utilized to inject the plasticated material into the mold and the projected area of the mold cavity over which that pressure will act . the desired hydraulic pressure that corresponds with the desired clamping force is calculated at step 82 , based upon the cross - sectional area of the clamping piston , to provide a set point or desired pressure value p d . the clamp is then operated through an operating cycle , step 84 , in which the control unit closes the control valve when the desired pressure p d is reached , as sensed by the pressure transducer . however , because of the time delays within the system , the actual steady - state clamping pressure within the clamping cylinder is usually greater than the desired pressure by virtue of the overshoot of the pressure level resulting from time delays in the hydraulic system . similarly , if some condition occurred that caused the valve to close earlier than desired , the actual hydraulic pressure within the cylinder would be less than the desired value . in either instance , the pressure transducer senses the hydraulic pressure within the clamping cylinder , and after the control valve has closed and the pressure within the clamp cylinder has reached a steady - state value , that steady - state value is considered in step 86 to be the actual hydraulic clamping pressure p a within the clamping cylinder . that actual hydraulic clamping pressure p a is compared with the desired hydraulic clamping pressure p d , and if the two pressures are different the actual pressure is subtracted from the desired pressure in step 88 to provide a pressure difference signal p . the magnitude of the pressure difference determined in step 88 affects the amount of pressure level correction that is used to set the clamp hydraulic pressure control signal to be provided in the next succeeding operating cycle . if it is determined in step 90 that the absolute value of the pressure difference p is less than a predetermined value , which , for example , can be selected to be 30 tons for an injection molding machine having a clamp system providing a maximum clamping force of 250 tons , then only a portion of that pressure difference is applied as a correction during the next succeeding cycle . as shown in fig3 the additive portion is preferably limited to 10 % of the pressure difference , although other percentages could also be selected , and that additive portion is added in step 92 to the actual steady - state hydraulic clamping pressure for that cycle to provide a new hydraulic clamp pressure value at which control valve 46 is closed during the next succeeding cycle . thus , control valve 46 is closed in the succeeding operating cycle when the clamp hydraulic pressure sensed by the pressure transducer corresponds with the value that results from adding 10 % of the pressure difference in the preceding cycle to the steady - state clamp hydraulic pressure that was sensed during the clamp pressure maintenance phase of that preceding operating cycle . as shown in fig3 the correction process continues until the actual and the desired hydraulic clamping pressures are substantially equal . if the determination in step 90 of the absolute value of the pressure difference reveals that the pressure difference is greater than the predetermined value , which , for example , can be 30 tons , then the control unit causes a greater change to occur in the new hydraulic clamp pressure value for the next succeeding cycle by adding , in step 94 , the entire pressure difference determined in step 88 to the steady - state hydraulic clamping pressure that was obtained in the preceding cycle in step 86 , in order to more rapidly reach the desired clamping force . the system then continuously monitors the clamp cylinder hydraulic pressure and makes appropriate changes to maintain it in substantial conformity with the desired pressure to achieve the desired clamping force . it can thus be seen that the present invention provides a distinct improvement over the previous arrangements for maintaining hydraulic clamping pressure in the clamping system of an injection molding machine . although particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention . accordingly , it is intended to encompass within the appended claims all such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the present invention . | 1 |
fig1 is a stylized top view of a guided vehicle 2 driving in the direction of the arrow 4 toward a magnet 6 that is mounted in the floor . the vehicle 2 has drive wheels 8 , 10 on the left and right sides respectively , which are powered individually by motors that are not shown . caster 12 , 14 , 16 and 18 support the vehicle at its left - front , left - rear , right - front and right - rear corners respectively . the terms left , right , front and back are used here for convenience of description ; the vehicle operates symmetrically in either direction . touch - sensitive feelers or bumpers 20 , 22 are located at the front and back of the vehicle respectively to detect obstacles in the path and to activate switches to stop the vehicle . a transversely arranged linear array of magnetic sensors 24 is mounted on the vehicle as shown in fig1 . in fig2 a floor magnet 6 is shown in place in a hole 32 in the floor . the magnet in this embodiment is cylindrical , placed with its axis vertical , and has its south - polarized face 34 facing upward and its north - polarized face 36 at the bottom o the hole . the diameter of the magnet in this embodiment is 1 inch and its axial height is 3 / 4 inch . the array 24 of magnetic - field sensors in shown in plan view in fig3 . in this embodiment it comprises twenty - four hall - effect sensors spaced for example 0 . 8 inch apart in a straight line perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and laterally centered on the centerline of the vehicle . the first sensor is labeled 37 ; the twelfth sensor is 48 ; the thirteenth sensor is 49 and the twenty - fourth sensor is 60 . the sensors are commercially available devices whose analog output voltage varies as a function of the magnetic field it detects . each sensor has a null voltage , which is its output when no magnetic field is present . when a magnetic field is present the voltage consistently increases or decreases relative to the center of flux of the magnet and to the null voltage , depending upon whether the magnet crosses a south or north pole . in the described embodiment of the invention the sensors always detect a south pole field 34 , so their output voltage always increases as a result of being near a magnet . a representative graph 64 of the analog output voltage versus distance of a sensor from the center of the magnet 6 is shown in fig4 . voltage output from the hall sensor ( such as sensor 45 , for example ) is shown on the ordinate 62 , in volts . the distance from the center of the magnet to the sensor is shown on the abscissa 61 in inches . for the measurement shown , the graph has a depressed zero and the output voltage in the absence of any magnetic field is the null voltage 66 of about 6 . 44 volts . in this measurement , when the sensor 45 is directly over the center of the magnet the analog output voltage is approximately 7 . 1 volts . when the sensor 45 is approximately one inch away from the center of the magnet 6 the analog output voltage 64 produced by the sensor is approximately 6 . 65 volts . thus , two magnets which are more than four inches apart , but sufficiently close to be simultaneously sensed , produce detectable signals which are essentially independent . signals from the twenty - four hall sensors of array 24 are input at terminals 68 , 69 to a pair of ganged multiplexers 70 , 71 , as shown in fig5 . the multiplexers 70 , 71 receive analog signals continuously from the twenty - four sensors 37 - 60 , and select one at a time sequentially for output at line 72 . the two output signals from the multiplexers are connected to a signal - conditioning circuit 74 whose functions are explained in more detail below . its output at line 76 is connected to an analog - to - digital converter ( a / d ) 78 whose output comprises eight digital lines 80 that conduct digital signals to a microcontroller 82 . output data from the microcontroller 82 are in serial form differential output at a line 84 , which conducts the data through a communication chip 85 and differential output lines 87 , therefrom , to a communication board , not shown . a control bus 86 enables the microcontroller 82 to control multiplexers 70 , 71 and the a / d converter 78 as described more fully below . more details of the electronic circuits on the vehicle are shown in fig6 and 6a - d . in combination , fig6 a - d comprise a single circuit layout , numbered in clockwise rotation and divided as seen in fig6 . interconnections among fig6 a - d comprise twenty - four lines between fig6 a and 6b , six lines between fig6 b and 6c , and four lines between 6c and 6d . the lines between 6a and 6b comprise twenty four sensor inputs 68 , 69 . interconnections between 6b and 6c comprise five lines , generally designated 114 , and line 16 . lines 84 , 84 &# 39 ;, 114 &# 39 ; and 631 &# 39 ; connect components of fig6 c and 6d . the twenty - four sensor inputs 68 , 69 are connected to two sequentially addressed multiplexers which may be model ad7506 multiplexers . outputs 72 , 73 are each connected through a series resistor 91 to an inverting input 93 of amplifier 95 . output of amplifier 95 is conducted through a series resistor 90 to an inverting input 92 of a difference amplifier 94 . a non - inverting input 96 of the difference amplifier 94 is provided with a fixed reference voltage from a regulated dc voltage source 98 and an inverting amplifier 100 , which are conventional circuits . the output 104 of the difference amplifier 94 is connected to the analog input terminal of an analog - to - digital converter 78 . the circuits involving subcircuits 94 , 95 , 98 , and 100 are represented by the signal - conditioning circuit block 74 of fig5 . the a / d converter 78 is a commercially available semiconductor device and may be model no . ad678 marketed by analog devices company of norwood , mass . it converts the analog signals that it receives on line 76 to 8 - bit digital data at its eight output lines 80 . those lines 80 conduct the digital signal to input terminals of the microcontroller 82 . the microcontroller 82 may be of the type intel 8051 , 8751 , etc . the one used in this embodiment is a model ds5000 , which is available from dallas semiconductor company of dallas , tex ., and which is the same as intel 8751 except with more internal ram . a crystal 110 and two capacitors 112 are connected to a terminal of microprocessor 82 to determine the clock frequency of the microprocessor . five lines generally indicated as 114 are connected from outputs of the microcontroller 82 to inputs of multiplexers 70 , 71 to enable the microcontroller to step multiplexers 70 , 71 , through the twenty - four sensor inputs sequentially by addressing them one at a time . output lines 84 from the microprocessor lead to a communications chip 85 and therefrom to a communication board related to a main microcontroller . communications chip 85 may be a motorola - manufactured and marketed mc3487 . the following table is a list of component types and values , as used in the circuit of fig6 a - d . ______________________________________reference type device number / value______________________________________c1 capacitor 1 . 0 microfaradsc2 capacitor 1 . 0 microfaradsc3 capacitor 1 . 0 microfaradsc8 capacitor 0 . 1 microfaradsc9 capacitor 33 picofaradsc10 capacitor 33 picofaradsc11 capacitor 0 . 1 micrfaradsc12 capacitor 1 . 96 micrfaradsc13 capacitor 0 . 1 micrfaradsc14 capacitor 0 . 1 micrfaradscr1 diode 1n914cr2 diode hlmp6500q1 transistor 2n2222r1 , r2 resistor 100k ohmsr3 resistor 150k ohmsr4 resistor 100k ohmsr5 resistor 1 . 69k ohmsr6 resistor 2 . 21k ohmsr7 resistor 4 . 7k ohmsr8 , 9 resistor . 2k ohmsr10 resistor 100k ohmsr11 , 12 resistor 18k ohmsr13 , 14 resistor 2 . 2k ohmsr15 , 16 , 17 resistor 100k ohmsr18 resistor 150k ohmsr19 resistor 4 . 3k ohmsr20 resistor 450 ohmsei - 24 hall sensor 91s312u1 , u9 multiplexer ad7506u2 difference amplifier lf347u3 communications chip mc3486u4 microcontroller d5500032u5 a / d converter ad670knu6 logic circuit 74ls132u7 communications chip mc3487u8 dc regulator lm317lzy1 crystal 12mhz______________________________________ a simplified algorithm is shown in the flow chart of fig7 to explain how the microprocessor 82 determines the lateral and longitudinal positions of floor - mounted magnet 6 as the array of hall sensors 24 passes generally over the magnet 6 . programming techniques for accomplishing the specified steps , seen in fig7 and also in fig8 and 9 , are known in the computer art . when the update marker system is activated the null voltage of each sensor 37 - 60 is measured by multiplexing the outputs of the sensors one at a time . the respective null signals of each of the sensors are measured several times , added together and divided to obtain an average value . averaging is necessary to reduce the effects of errors in measurements of the null voltages . each sensor has a different average null voltage ; an average is computed for each sensor alone . because the sensor outputs vary with temperature the null voltage is remeasured ( updated ) for all of the sensors after each time that a magnet is traversed . this reduces errors that otherwise might result from differences in temperature along a vehicle &# 39 ; s path . a simplified description of the program of fig7 starts at a flow line 120 . in block 122 the null voltages of the sensors 37 - 60 are measured . to do this the microprocessor 82 of fig6 a - d address the first sensor by way of multiplexers 70 , 71 . the signal from the first sensor passes across line 72 to the difference amplifier 94 and the a / d converter 78 , thence to the microprocessor 82 , fig6 a - d , where it is temporarily stored . returning to fig7 in block 122 the multiplexers 70 , 71 then measure the null voltage of the second sensor , etc . until all sensors have been measured . the entire sequence is then repeated several times in block 122 , starting again with the first sensor . in block 124 all of the null readings of the first sensor are averaged and in block 126 the average value of null readings of the first sensor is stored . this averaging and storing process is performed for all twenty - four of the sensors . after the null voltages have been stored the program goes into a wait loop 128 . in the wait loop the microprocessor 82 continuously polls each sensor 37 - 60 to determine whether or not a signal level in excess of a predetermined threshold level exists , which would indicate the presence of a magnet nearby . details of the wait - loop are as follows . block 130 shows the polling of sensor signals . in block 132 the previously stored null voltage corresponding to each sensor is subtracted from the signal output of that sensor to obtain a difference signal , representing the strength of a magnetic field . in the block 134 the difference signal is tested to ascertain whether or not it exceeds a predetermined threshold level , which is set so as to differentiate between noise and true magnetic marker signals . if the difference signal is below the threshold level the wait - loop routine is repeated . in another preferred embodiment , the program flow of which is seen in fig8 the averaging and storing process is continued through a wait loop 128 &# 39 ;. in this embodiment , a running average of each null voltage is calculated in block 150 by the following equation : j represents the figure number of a selected sensor ( i . e . j = 37 thru 60 ). n j ( t ) is the average measurement of each null voltage at time t for sensor j . k 1 is an integer multiplier which determines the time or sample by sample weighting of past and present measurements on the current running average voltage calculation . ( k 1 may be on the order of 100 .) n j ( t - 1 ) is the average measurement of each null voltage at the previous sample or time t - 1 for sensor j . r j ( t ) is the raw voltage measurement of the voltage at time t for sensor j . when a difference signal is found to exceed the predetermined threshold level , the null voltage calculation is terminated . all other program functions in wait - loop 128 &# 39 ; are the same as those of wait - loop 128 . if the difference signal is large enough , block 136 stores the difference signal . it then finds the sensor having the greatest such difference signal and the sensor having the second greatest . the program of microprocessor 82 identifies the two closest sensors on the left side of the sensor that has the greatest difference signal , and the two closest sensors on the right side of the sensor that have the greatest difference signal , in block 138 . thus a group of five sensors is defined . the program then refers in block 140 to a lookup table that is stored in its memory to determine the distance to the magnet from each sensor , based on the magnitude of the signal received from the sensor . two tables , as shown by example below , relate the voltage measured by each sensor ( 37 - 60 ) to the absolute distance to the center of magnet 6 . table 1 is a lookup table comprising voltages measured at incremental distances by a sensor ( 37 - 60 ) from a magnet 6 . table 2 is a table providing the actual distances from the sensor to the center of the magnetic field as derived from currently used sensors ( 37 - 60 ) and magnet field strength . ______________________________________relative table 1 table 2memory location ( measured voltage ) ( radial distance ) ______________________________________ 0 142 raw adc units 0 . 0 inches 1 139 0 . 0941 2 133 0 . 1882 3 124 0 . 2823 4 112 0 . 3764 5 99 0 . 4705 6 85 0 . 5646 7 71 0 . 6587 8 58 raw adc units 0 . 7528 inches 9 46 0 . 846910 37 0 . 941011 29 1 . 035112 23 1 . 129213 17 1 . 223314 13 1 . 317415 9 1 . 411516 7 1 . 505617 4 1 . 599718 3 1 . 693819 2 1 . 7879______________________________________ the step of looking up the distance from the sensor to the magnet is performed by the microprocessor 82 , and is represented by the block 140 of fig7 and 8 . the five selected sensors are denoted by s i ( where i =- 2 to 2 ) and the center sensor or sensor having the greatest measured voltage is s 0 . before a search is made to correlate each measured voltage with the related distance to the center of magnetic flux , the stored null voltage , n j , is subtracted from the currently derived raw signal from each sensor ( 37 - 60 ) to provide a search variable , e i , devoid of the null offset error as shown in the following equation : a sequential search through table 1 is performed for each search variable e i each time the group of five sensors is sampled . to determine the distance from each selected sensor ( s - 2 ,- 1 , 0 , 1 , 2 ) to the center of magnetic flux , the table is searched until the difference between the value in table 1 and the search variable changes sign . when the sign change occurs , the search variable is determined to be between the last and next - to - last table 1 value used . an interpolation variable , i , is next calculated as follows : k is the relative memory position of the last table 1 value used . t k represents the table 1 value at relative memory position k . t k - 1 represents the table 1 value at relative memory position k - 1 . r k - 1 represents the table 2 value at relative memory position at k - 1 . the radial distance , d i , from each sensor to the center of flux of magnet 6 is then calculated as : to calculate the position of the center of flux of magnet 6 from a common fixed point , such as array end 160 , on the array 24 , each d i is treated as a lateral vector , the sign of which is determined by its position relative to sensors having the greatest and second greatest difference signals as herebefore related . the position of the center of flux of magnet 6 from the common fixed point 160 is then calculated by adding or subtracting each d i depending upon the sign of the vector to or from linear distance l i of each sensor from array end 160 as shown in the following equation : a further correction may be made to relate the center of flux of magnet 6 to the centerline 164 of vehicle 2 by adding a constant which represents the distance from fixed point 160 on array 24 to centerline 164 of vehicle 2 . see fig3 . in block 144 an average is taken of the five estimates of the location 145 of the magnet with respect to the centerline 59 of the vehicle . one estimate is available from each of the five sensors of the group ( having asterisks in fig3 ) whose middle one is the sensor of strongest signal . in this example , sensor 45 is s 0 , sensor 43 is s - 2 , sensor 44 is s - 1 , sensor 46 is s 1 , and sensor 47 is s 2 . after each of the five sensors have been sampled , an average estimate of the position , x t , of the center of flux of magnet 6 is calculated as shown below : c is the distance 162 from the distance from fixed point 160 on array 24 to the centerline 164 of vehicle 2 . the accuracy of measurement is further ameliorated by a running average of the successively measured values of x t . though other equations may be used to calculate the running average , the following equation is employed in the currently preferred embodiment : x ( t ) is the running average of the measurement of the center of flux of magnet 6 for the series of five sensors measured at time t and related to the centerline 164 of vehicle 2 . x ( t - 1 ) is the previous running average of the measurement of the center of flux of magnet 6 for the series of five sensors measured at time t - 1 and related to the centerline 164 of vehicle 2 . k 2 is the filter or decay constant for the running average . k 2 is on the order of three in the currently preferred embodiment . as one familiar with computer addressing would know , the values of measured voltages for table 1 need not be derived from incremental distances , but only from measurements taken at known , regularly increasing or decreasing distances which are then stored in the related memory location in table 2 . new and useful tables 1 and 2 may be generated for combinations of sensors and magnets which yield different voltage versus distance values by measuring the voltage as a function of distance for the new combination . as seen in table 2 , in the above example , the radial distances stored in incremental memory locations are even multiples of 0 . 0941 inches . the next program function , performed in block 142 , is to determine whether or not the peak of sensor voltage has been passed . the peak values of output voltage from the hall sensors of array 24 occur when the array 24 is directly over the floor - mounted magnet 6 . when the reading of the sensors start to decline the array of sensors has passed over the center of flux of magnet 6 . this condition is detected by block 142 by conventional programming . the combination of precalibrating each sensor prior to measurement to take out the offsetting null voltage and averaging and calculating a running average until the peak voltage is reached provides a measurement of significantly improved accuracy . the accuracy of the lateral position measurement 145 is 0 . 02 inch . the process of selecting a group of sensors , looking up distances and averaging them is a form of cross - correlation of received signals with a store field pattern . this result is transmitted , block 146 , from the microprocessor 82 to a main microprocessor , not shown . it is transmitted promptly when the peak readings are detected , so the time of transmission of the data serves as a indication of the time at which the sensor array 24 crosses the marker magnet 6 . in this way both lateral and longitudinal position information are obtained from one passage of the array 24 over magnet 6 . data from block 146 is transmitted to the main microprocessor board . the program , at point 148 , then returns to the starting program flow line 120 of fig7 and 8 . another embodiment having two arrays of sensors such as array 24 is also feasible . reference is now made to fig9 - 11 , wherein a second preferred embodiment is seen . in the second embodiment , two magnets 6 , 6 &# 39 ; are placed in sufficiently close proximity that magnetic flux from each of magnets 6 , 6 &# 39 ; is sensed by a plurality of sensors 37 - 60 concurrently , yet separation 163 of magnets 6 , 6 &# 39 ; is sufficient to permit independent processing of signals derived from each magnet 6 or 6 &# 39 ;. as seen in fig1 , exemplary path 157 of the center of flux of one magnet 6 is the same as the path described in fig3 . a second path 257 is seen for second magnet 6 &# 39 ;. the table below summarizes the results of signals derived from two concurrently measured magnetic paths 157 , 257 , showing the assumed greatest signal level sensed for each magnet , next highest level and sensors active for the measurement of position of each magnet ( indicated by a single asterisk (*) for magnet 6 and a double asterisk (**) for magnet 6 &# 39 ;): ______________________________________relative sensor first magnet ( 6 ) second magnet ( 6 &# 39 ;) position number number______________________________________s - 2 43 51s - 1 44 52 * so 45 53s1 46 * 54s2 47 55______________________________________ * indicates the sensor adjacent to the sensor having the greatest signal magnitude and having the second greatest signal magnitude thereby providing an indication the center of magnetic flux lies therebetween . * indicates the sensor adjacent to the sensor having the greatest signal magnitude and having the second greatest signal magnitude thereby providing an indication the center of magnetic flux lies therebetween . fig9 and 9a - b show a simplified flow chart of the logical and calculational steps for determining the position of the vehicle relative to each magnet 6 , 6 &# 39 ;. fig9 shows the orientation of fig9 a relative to fig9 b . program flow line 120 connects the output of block 252 in fig9 b to start in fig9 a . program flow line 220 connects the &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; output of block 260 in fig9 b to continue in fig9 a . program flow line 222 connects the &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; output of block 254 and the &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; output of block 142 of fig9 a to start 2 in fig9 b . as before described , the null offsets are calculated during a known null period as specified in blocks 122 , 124 , and 126 . as earlier described , in fig8 a wait loop 128 &# 39 ; provides an updating of the null calibration for each of the sensors until an over threshold measurement indicates detection of magnetic flux of a first magnet 6 or 6 &# 39 ;. upon such detection as part of block 236 activity , the sensor values are stored and the sensor having the strongest signal is selected as earlier described for block 136 in fig7 . in addition in block 236 , a first sensor group active flag is set to signal a first magnet position measurement is active . as earlier described , the activities of blocks 138 , 140 , and 144 select the group of sensors used in the calculation of what is now the first sensor group , interpolate the distance from each sensor of the first group to the center of magnetic flux of the first detected magnet and average , then calculate a running average of the position of the vehicle relative to the magnet . decision block 142 branches to a block 146 &# 39 ; when the peak value of the first sensed signal is detected or to a second path headed by start 2 before the peak is discovered . at start 2 , input program flow line 222 leads to decision block 224 wherein a decision is made whether or not a second group active flag is set indicating a signal has previously been detected from a second magnet . if the second group flag is not set , a single pass through blocks 230 , 232 , and 234 is made . blocks 230 , 232 , and 234 comprise programming functions which are similar to those described for blocks 130 , 132 , and 134 , except blocks 230 , 232 , and 234 only process information related to sensors of array 24 not involved with the first group . if no threshold is detected in block 234 , an updated null calibration is calculated for each sensor which is not part of the first group and a branch is made to continue to merge with program flow line 220 . if a signal above threshold is detected , a branch is made to block 336 wherein the appropriate signal values are stored and processed as in block 136 for a second group of sensors and the second group active flag is set . the program proceeds directly from block 336 to block 238 . if the second group active flag is set upon entry at program flow line 222 , a branch is made directly to block 238 therefrom . sequentially , blocks 238 , 240 , and 244 perform the same functions upon data received from sensors of the second group as blocks 138 , 140 , and 144 perform upon data received from sensors of the first group . decision block 242 determines whether or not a signal peak , as before described , has been reached . if not , the process continues to decision block 260 . if so , measured position values , as derived from both magnets 6 and 6 &# 39 ;, are transmitted to the main processor for use in navigation and guidance updating , the first and second group active flags are reset as shown in block 252 . from block 252 , the logic path proceeds to start at program flow line 120 to repeat the function preliminary to the search for one or more additional magnets along the vehicle &# 39 ; s path . from decision block 260 , a branch is made to block 238 if the first group active flag is reset indicating a peak has been detected for the first measured magnetic field . if the first group active flag is set , the program proceeds to program flow line 220 whereat block 138 is entered to subsequently process the output of the first group of sensors dedicated to making a measurement of the position of the first detected magnetic field . if within block 142 a peak voltage is detected , the programs proceeds to block 146 &# 39 ; wherein the measured position determined by first group measurements are stored for later recovery and transmission to the main processor and the first group active flag is reset . from block 16 &# 39 ;, decision block 254 is entered , wherein a branch is made to proceed to start 2 through program flow line 222 if the second group active flag is set or to proceed to block 256 if the second group active flag is reset . at block 256 , only the first group measured position is reported based upon only one magnetic field having been detected and no concurrent measurement having been made . although the invention has been illustrated by describing only one particular preferred embodiment , its scope is not limited to that embodiment , but rather is determined by the claims . | 6 |
with reference to fig1 , consider a single small tube 10 within a pipe 12 . the hollow tube 10 is oriented perpendicular to the pipe 12 axis and one end 13 is against ( or very 100 close ) to the pipe wall . if the small tube happens to be located at a pipe leak 14 ( fig1 b ), then water will flow through the tube 10 and out the pipe 12 . if the small tube 10 is located at a point where the pipe is solid , no flow will occur ( fig1 a ). by maneuvering the tube 10 over a leak , we can detect the leak . furthermore , knowledge of the position and orientation of the tube 10 at the time of leak detection reveals the 105 location of the leak as well . however , using a single tube 10 ( and thus checking a single point of the pipe 12 at a time ) will lead to difficulties in surveying the entire pipe 12 surface . by us many tubes 10 we can check multiple points in the pipe 12 simultaneously . short , small tubes 10 could be arranged on a ring 16 to monitor many points around the pipe 12 circumference . a sufficiently high density of tubes 10 would sense a leak anywhere around the circumference . as the ring 16 passes through the pipe 12 , lack of flow through the small tubes 10 indicates solid pipe ( no leak ). furthermore , each tube 10 functions independently . that is , a leak detected in one tube indicates the position on the pipe 12 where the leak is occurring . some , not all , of the tubes may detect flow and therefore a leak . in essence the ring of tubes ‘ scans ’ the pipe wall for leaks . finally , grouping many rings 16 of tubes 10 along a pipe could create higher resolution and redundancy to remove false positives . for example , in a single ring , one of the tubes might erroneously ‘ see ’ flow and consider it a leak . however , if a series of rings passes over each pipe region , then a true leak will result in a well - ordered detection of the leak in a series of tubes . thus a single firing can be dismissed as noise . the result of these ‘ scans ’ is a sort of ‘ image ’ that shows where the pipe is solid and where it is not . in the illustration of ‘ scanning ’ the pipe in fig3 , lighter dots represent sensing a solid pipe , darker dots represent sensing a leak . this method is similar to how computer scanners create images of documents . a line of sensors moves over the scanned document to create the full 2 - d image . in the pipe scanner , the ring of sensors moves down the pipe , sampling for leaks . dots on the left were sampled first . then as the ring passes through the pipe , new data is collected . as the ring passes over the leak , it senses the leak in some of the tubes , but not all . after the ring passes the leak , it senses solid pipe again . by arranging the time series of sensing , we can create a ‘ scan ’ of the pipe whose visualization will help in diagnosing what type of leak ( if it is a leak at all ) has occurred . for example , some observed flow through the small tubes might be representative of normal pipe network operations . if the ring sensor passes by a t - junction , one side of the sensor should experience significant flow . however , the scan of the data should reveal the shape of the flow consistent with an adjoining pipe . in other words , if the scan shows a circle with the same diameter as expected in a t - junction , then the system would know it is an adjoining pipe , not a leak . the invention disclosed herein can use any sensor technology to detect water movement within the sensing tube 10 . in a preferred embodiment , a contact sensor 18 or a flex sensor 5 is used to detect flow . a capacitive sensor may also be used . the contact sensor 18 detects motion when one conductor moves into contact with another ( not shown ). a flex sensor consists of flexible conductive material separated by a resistive material , whose resistivity changes when deformed ( flexed ). a capacitive sensor comprises a flexible , non - conductive material with conductive plates embedded within it whose capacitance changes when deformed . other pressure sensing devices can be used such as piezo - electric pressure sensors . by placing a contact sensor 18 or flex sensor in the sensing channel , the sensor exhibits a change in the presence of pressure gradients in the sensing channel of the tube 10 and thus the presence of a leak in the pipe 12 . other flow measurement technologies could also be used . any flow measurement device could be used as part of the invention including but not limited to turbine meters , hot - wire anemometers , variable area flowmeter ( rotameter ), positive displacement , etc . strain gauges also display a change in resistance due to defamation and could be used to detect flow in the sensing channel . flex sensors may be used but are not preferred because of too large hysteresis effects . the downside of flex sensors is the low precision in correlating deflection quantity with resistance change . for the invention disclosed herein , we are primarily concerned with leak detection and do not need precise measurement of how much deflection occurred , but simply that any deflection has occurred . in additional embodiments , the invention can be extended to use more sophisticated flow measurement technologies to more precisely measure not only the presence of flow in the sensing channel , but also the quantity of flow in the channel to detect the magnitude of a leak in addition to the existence of the leak . another embodiment of the invention is shown in fig5 . the tube 10 includes a membrane 20 that prevents flow in the tube 10 . pressure sensors ( not shown ) measure pressures on each side of the membrane 20 . a pressure difference indicates the presence of a leak . the embodiment of fig5 is a “ no flow ” configuration . for completeness , both the “ flow ” and “ no flow ” embodiments measure pressure difference between the two ends of the tube . in the “ flow ” case the presence of flow indicates a pressure difference between the two ends of the tube . in other words , the presence of the pressure difference creates the flow that is then measured . in the “ no flow ” case , the pressure difference between the two ends of the tube is measured in some other way . for example , two pressure sensors could be used and the difference is taken . a preferred embodiment of “ no flow ” uses a membrane within the tube that is sensitive to the pressure difference on both sides the membrane . fig5 shows the tube with the membrane 20 in the middle . because of the presence of the membrane , when a leak exists at the upper end of the tube , the pressure ( p leak ) is different ( lower ) than the pressure in the middle of the pipe ( p pipe ). many methods could be used to detect this pressure difference including , pressure sensors , contact sensors , displacement sensors , capacitance sensors , strain gauges etc . because there is a restrictive membrane in the middle of the tube there is little or no flow in the tube . while this disclosure has focused on detecting water leaks in a pipe , those or ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the present invention is applicable to detecting leaks in pipes carrying any fluids ( liquids or gases ) such as , for example , oil . it is further recognized that those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize modifications and variations of the present invention . it is intended that all such modifications and variations be included within the scope of the appended claims . 1 . a . vickers , “ the future of water conservation : challenges ahead ,” water resources update , universities council on water resources , 114 , 49 - 51 , 1999 . 2 . environment canada . 2004 . threats to water availability in canada . national water research institute , burlington , ontario . nwri scientific assessment report series no . 3 and acsd science assessment series no . 1 . 128 p . 4 . anthony bond , brian mergelas , and cliff jones . “ pinpointing leaks in water transmission mains ,” pipelines 2004 146 , 91 ( 2004 ). | 6 |
a document rights management system manages information relating a disseminated instantiation ( copy ) of a document with the origin of that instantiation . the identity of the origin is often expressed as an encoded origin designator such as a watermark that identifies the origin without significantly obscuring the identified document , but that is difficult to remove without affecting the appearance of the rendered document . various document formats , such as pdf ®, msword ® and wordperfect ® may include an encoded origin designator , as well as other visibly renderable media such as graphical displays , slide presentations , and video . disclosed below are an example usage of the encoded origin designator in a pdf document distributed in a managed application environment as part of a drm implementation . in the particular configuration discussed herein , pdf files are particularly amenable to this process because the display list corresponding to the rendered pdf is rather dense and a display object with an unrenderable feature does not draw undue attention amid other display objects , hence it is difficult for a would - be copier to identify the watermark ( designator ) as such . fig1 is a context diagram of a managed application environment 100 suitable for use with the present configuration . referring to fig1 , the managed application environment 100 includes a server 110 coupled to a network 130 for delivering media items from a repository 120 . the server 110 and repository 120 may be collocated on the same node or may be remote via the network 130 ; the network 130 may be any suitable mechanism for internode interconnection such as the internet , lan , wan , wifi , or any other suitable network infrastructure . the server 110 is invoked by a user device 140 for delivering and / or rendering a media item 152 , such as a document , slide show , movie , song , or other electronic media item adapted for delivery via the network 130 . the media item 152 includes an encoded origin designator 150 for identifying the origin of the media item 152 , discussed further below . the user device 140 includes a rendering area 142 , typically a video screen , for displaying rendered objects 144 from the media item 152 such that they are viewable by a user 146 , shown by dotted line 148 . the rendering area 142 , as applied in the example herein , illustrates a visual perception mode for exemplifying embodiments of the encoded origin designator claimed herein , however alternate rendering mechanisms such as audio may be applicable as well . configurations herein employ the encoded origin designator 150 ( designator ) for specifying the entity from which the media item 152 emanated , which may be the server 110 or may be a prior originator in a chain of propagation . generally , however , it is difficult to reproduce the media item 152 without also reproducing the encoded origin designator 150 , thus the designator 150 serves as a perpetual indication appurtenant to the media item 152 . such an encoded origin designator 150 is often manifested in a so - called watermark , an artifact that does not occlude the viewable media to which it is affixed . while some watermarks are visible to the casual viewer in a non - intrusive manner with the media item 152 , the designator 150 is carried with the media item 152 in a manner that it is not rendered with the media item 152 , however is detectable upon inspection by a predetermined detection mechanism , now discussed with respect to fig2 - 6 . fig2 is a flowchart of an encoded origin designator 150 processing example in the environment of fig1 . referring to fig1 - 3 , the method for implementing the encoded origin designator 150 includes encoding the designator 150 in an attribute 158 of a display object 156 ( fig3 , below ), in which the display object 156 is configured for rendering according to a media rendering format such as pdf , as depicted at step 200 the media rendering format is invokable with a rendering application 170 , such as a pdf reader or other suitable application depending on the format , in which the rendering application 170 is for generating a user visual display of the display object in the rendering area 142 . the server 110 inserts the attribute having the encoded designator 150 into a display object 156 in a display list 154 of the media item , in which the display list includes a set of display objects , as disclosed at step 201 . each display object 156 in the display list has attributes 158 , such that the rendering application 170 is responsive to the attributes 158 for rendering each of the display objects 156 in a rendered media item 156 ′. the attributes 158 include various qualifiers and parameters based on the particular type of media item 152 being rendered . the designator 150 is selected such that it causes the display object to be unrenderable by the rendering application and is further being indicative of an origin of the media item 152 , as shown at step 202 . in the example configuration discussed further below , at least one of the attributes 158 of a display object causes it to be unrenderable , such as a zero width line or a color matching the background . the attribute itself , or other attributes of the same display object 156 , may be written with further encoded information concerning the origin . fig3 is a block diagram of encoded origin designator 150 usage in the environment 100 of fig1 . referring to fig1 and 3 , in operation , a user device 140 is invoked to render a media item 152 having an encoded designator 150 and receives the media item 152 from a source such as the server 110 . the media item 152 includes a format 153 and a display list 154 containing a list of display objects 156 - 1 . 156 - n ( 156 generally ) for display in the rendering area 142 of the user device 140 . various formats 153 define items 156 ′- 1 . 156 ′- 4 ( 156 ′, generally ) including documents 156 ′- 1 , graphics 156 ′- 2 , 156 ′- 3 , and video 156 ′- 4 . each display object 156 has one or more attributes 158 for specifying renderable data . the rendering application 170 , such as a pdf reader , word processor , or graphics tool , parses or processes the media item 152 to attempt to render display artifacts 172 for each abject 156 as rendered display objects 156 ′ in the rendering area 142 . each of the attributes 158 defines variables or features for physical display in the rendering area 142 . the designator 150 takes the form of attributes 158 ′ that result in the display object 156 being unrenderable , that is , not evoking a physical display on the rendering area 142 when processed by the rendering application 170 . in a document rights management environment , would - be copiers often attempt to obliterate a watermark or other origin indicator to enable unauthorized distribution of copies without the copies bearing signs of origin . one particular feature of the unrendered designator 150 ′ is obscuring the designator 150 in the display list 154 such that it appears similar to other neighboring display objects 156 and is not readily apparent by inspection of the display list 154 . for example , in a display list of a pdf file , attributes 158 often take the form of a text list of attribute names followed by digit values 180 . a zero value for a line width or a color value that matches the background appears generally similar to other attribute names and values in the typically lengthy display list 154 . the unrendered designator 150 is included in attributes 158 ′, such as numeric positions , color and line specifiers , that are similar to other attributes 158 including renderable values . therefore the unrendered designator 150 ′ may take the form of a zero width line 150 ′- 1 , or a fig1 ′- 2 having a color matching the background , shown as dotted lines 150 ′- 1 , 150 ′- 2 indicative of where the display object would be rendered but for the designator 150 represented by the unrenderable attribute . since the unrenderable attribute 158 ′ causes the entire display object 156 to be unrenderable , an encoded string of values 180 may be written to designate additional details about the origin , for example contractual details about the particular instantiation fig4 - 6 are a flowchart of media item 152 rendering using the encoded origin designator of fig3 in a drm system . referring to fig1 and 3 - 6 , at step 300 , the drm server 110 encodes the designator 150 in an attribute 158 of a display object 156 , in which the display object 156 is configured for rendering according to a media rendering format 153 . the media rendering format 153 is invokable with a rendering application 170 for generating a user visual display of the display objects 156 in the rendering area 142 . the display object 156 may have a plurality of attributes 158 , as shown at step 301 including an attribute indicative of the origin , as shown at step 302 , an attribute causing the display object to be unrenderable , as shown at step 303 , and an attribute such that the encoded designator 150 has a visually imperceptible effect on the rendered image 156 ′, as depicted at step 304 . the designator 150 , as indicated above , may have a simple range of values that merely tag the media item 152 , or may be part of a more complex origin identification scheme as in a drm . accordingly , a check is performed , at step 305 , to determine if multiple attributes for the display object 156 are affected by a designator 150 . if multiple attributes 158 are affected , as depicted at step 306 , the display object has a second ( and possibly additional ) attributes having a designator 150 indicative of an origin of the media item 152 . in such a scenario , the second attribute may be interpreted by the rendering application 170 as a null operation causing the rendering application to process the display object as a null display object that is not displayed in a rendered form 150 ′ of the media item 152 . if the drm encoding scheme calls for a value string 180 , for example , a single attribute 158 may not have a broad enough range of values to encompass the encoded value string 180 . however , since a single unrenderable attribute 158 ′ results in the entire display object 156 being unrenderable , other attributes 158 are then available to store the value 180 for the encoded designator 150 . in such an approach , the designator 150 may be a watermark in a drm system , such that the encoding is defined according to a predetermined set of rules of the drm , as depicted at step 307 . otherwise , at step 308 , the display object 156 may define a vector graphic item or other simple artifact 172 , such that the vector graphic having a zero width or background color . the server 110 inserts or writes the attribute 158 ′ having the encoded designator 150 into a display object 156 in a display list 154 of a media item 152 prior to dissemination to a user , as shown at step 309 . the display list 154 typically includes a set of display objects 156 - n , such that each display object 156 has attributes 158 , in which the rendering application 170 is responsive to the attributes 158 for rendering each of the display objects 156 in a rendered media item 156 ′. in the example configuration , the encoded designator 150 appears among many attributes 158 in the display list 154 , thus avoiding detection via casual inspection , while the designator 150 nonetheless causes the display object 156 to be unrenderable by the rendering application 170 and further is indicative of the origin of the media item 152 , as depicted at step 310 . following dissemination of the media item 152 through typical channels , such as a website sale , transmission , or physical media distribution , an end user 146 invokes the rendering application 170 for rendering the media item 152 on the user device 140 , as depicted at step 311 . the rendering application 170 performs processing by iterating through each of the display objects 156 in the display list 154 of the media item 152 , as shown at step 312 . upon attempting to render a display object 156 having the designator 150 , the rendering application 170 omits any changes in the rendered display resulting from the display object 156 having the designator 150 , as depicted at step 313 . as indicated above , one or more of the attributes 158 ′ is such that the display object 156 - 2 ( in the example shown ) is not shown or visible on the rendering area 142 , thus the unrenderable display object 156 has no effect on the rendering of the media item 152 in the rendering area , as disclosed at step 314 . in the example shown , the attribute 158 ′ may specify at least one of a zero width line and a transparent color , such that a rendering attempt occurs without making visible changes to the rendered form 150 ′ of the media item 152 resulting from the display object 156 having the designator 150 , as depicted at step 315 . the rendering application 170 therefore generates the same rendered image based on the display object 156 prior to insertion of the encoded designator 150 as following insertion of the encoded designator 150 , as depicted at step 316 . in other words , the rendering application 170 generates a visually similar rendered image 156 ′ based on the display object 156 following insertion of the encoded designator 150 as prior to inclusion of the encoded designator 150 due to the unrenderable , or nullification effect , of the attribute 150 which causes a zero width line , background color field , or other visual attribute having such an effect , as disclosed at step 317 . origin identification of instantiations ( copies ) is performed by comparing the designator 150 in the display list 154 to a set of matching designators 190 for determining if the origin corresponds to a predetermined origin , as depicted at step 318 , such that the set of matching designators 190 is based on a mapping of designators 150 to document origins , such as those provided from the drm system 192 . in the example arrangement , the set of matching designators 190 is therefore based on a drm system for identifying propagated instantiations of the media item , as disclosed at step 319 . upon subsequent comparison , at step 320 , if a match is found , then the drm system 192 or rendering application 170 decodes the designator 150 and identifies the origin . alternatively , a lack of a matching designator indicates no watermarking or origin designation recognized by the drm 192 , as depicted at step 322 . those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that the programs and methods for encoding origin designators as defined herein are deliverable to a user processing and rendering device in many forms , including but not limited to a ) information permanently stored on non - writeable storage media such as rom devices , b ) information alterably stored on writeable storage media such as floppy disks , magnetic tapes , cds , ram devices , and other magnetic and optical media , or c ) information conveyed to a computer through communication media , as in an electronic network such as the internet or telephone modem lines . the operations and methods may be implemented in a software executable object or as a set of encoded instructions for execution by a processor responsive to the instructions . alternatively , the operations and methods disclosed herein may be embodied in whole or in part using hardware components , such as application specific integrated circuits ( asics ), field programmable gate arrays ( fpgas ), state machines , controllers or other hardware components or devices , or a combination of hardware , software , and firmware components . while the system and method for encoding origin designators has been particularly shown and described with references to embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims . | 7 |
the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown . the invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein ; rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . the applicant incorporates by reference herein the summary of the invention set forth above . initially referring to fig1 , there is depicted therein , a diagram illustrating the interrelationship of three question and answer subsets . the universe of question and answer subsets comprises qualifying question and answer subsets 100 , leading question and answer subsets 110 and closing question and answer subsets 120 . the term universe of question and answer sets does not refer to all possible questions and answer sets that are theoretically possible but to the questions and answer sets determined by the designer . if a participant agrees to participate , the procedure begins 50 . a set 100 of qualifying questions is presented with a plurality of answers for each question . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , described in detail herein , a display such as a video display terminal , is utilized . it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the visual display of question and / or answers but includes the audio communication thereof accordingly , while the description below is directed to visual displays of information , the invention is not so limited but includes the audio communication of information to and from the participant . only one question at a time appears on the video display terminal along with the question &# 39 ; s respective multiple choice answers , i . e ., a single question appears on the display with a list of multiple choice answers from which the participant may choose a response . ( as described below a question may also request a reply comprising specific information .) the participant chooses an answer from the list of multiple choice answers and signifies his choice . the participant signifies his choice through the equipment used to communicate with the computer , such as a keyboard , touch screen , mouse controlled pointer or other type of computer control communication device . for example , the first question may be “ what language do you prefer ?” this question may appear with a list of languages as alternative languages . the answer chosen by the participant determines the language of the remainder of the questions and answers . any questions , the answers to which are not subject to change and which the designer desires to accommodate by customizing the remainder of the process are preferably asked first . as will be appreciated , the participant may signify his choice verbally and the verbal response may be interpreted by the use of verbal recognition equipment well known to those skilled in the art , or by another individual acting as an intermediary . as those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate , the participant may give the answers to questions by choosing the answer from a provided list of possible answers or by the participant entering certain specific information in one or more designated areas of the display . for example , a participant may be asked , “ what is your age ?” and be provided with a list of numbers representing age and the participant may choose his age from the list . alternatively , the question “ what is your age ?” may be followed by an area on the display in which the participant may enter using a device such as a keyboard , a number signifying his age in a conventional manner . these initial qualifying questions , if any , are preferably followed by the question needed to determine participant &# 39 ; s current state in relation to the target answer ( s ), the answer ( s ) desired by the designer . this question may be exactly the same question as the target question or a variation thereof . as may be appreciated , some participants may already agree with the designer &# 39 ; s target answer ( s ) or already have competence in the concept being taught , while others do not , as indicated by their answer ( s ). the designer &# 39 ; s primary purpose is to organize and design questions in such a way that it seems to the participant as if the process desires to find out , using qualifying questions , who the participant is and where he is starting in relation to the designer &# 39 ; s goal , and to instill confidence in the participant by referring to answers or further expounding on answers the participant provided and agreed with , using sales and teaching techniques well known to those having ordinary skill in the art . although , for purposes of illustration , qualifying questions are asked first followed by leading questions , qualifying questions may be asked whenever thought useful ( in sales , this is known as or called “ re - qualifying ”). sometimes it may be of benefit to delay some qualifying questions until a later relevant point in the process . the initially asked qualifying question ( s ) should be ordered to lead to the target question ( s ) which identifies the participant &# 39 ; s current state in relation to the designer &# 39 ; s desired state . preferably , further qualifying question or questions follow , designed to elicit the reasons for the participant &# 39 ; s current opinion or the level of the participant &# 39 ; s current understanding , as appropriate , or , if the answer given is the desired answer to the target question , a question ( s ) evaluating the strength of that opinion or further testing of the participant &# 39 ; s competence regarding a subject may be presented . those participants whose answers indicate continued agreement or competence may then be asked the target question again ( or a variation thereof ) and / or be asked closing questions 120 . the process ends 130 at a point that is determined based upon the participant &# 39 ; s response ( s ) to various question ( s ) in the universe of question and answer subsets as determined by the designor . the qualifying questions preferably end with a “ key ” qualifying question designed to separate various participants &# 39 ; responses along the most divergent lines applicable by offering diverging answers . for example , the question “ why ?” may be followed by a choice of answers comprising a plurality of likely responses . in a preferred embodiment , the participant may be questioned regarding his position on an issue . for example , if the issue is the minimum wage , the target qualifying question , “ do you think the minimum wage should be raised ?” may be asked with the following presented answers : “ yes ,” “ no ,” or “ i don &# 39 ; t know .” each of these responses may be followed by the key qualifying question “ why ?” in this example , for the participant who initially answered “ yes ,” the answer choices for the next question (“ why ?”) might include “ my party recommends it ,” “ i have many friends who work for minimum wage and need the money ,” or “ it will help the less fortunate .” ( note that the second answer may also serve to make the participant realize that he does not know anyone who works for minimum wage .) the participant that answered “ no ” may be given a choice of answers for why he does not think the minimum wage should be raised . when “ no ” is the target answer , this also serves the purpose of reminding him of additional reasons to reinforce his response of “ no .” after the participant responds to the qualifying subset of questions and answers , the participant is provided questions and answers from the leading question and answer subsets 110 . leading questions and corresponding answers may become increasingly specific ( whereas qualifying questions may tend to diverge ). for example , the participant that answered , “ yes ” to the target qualifying question may be presented with a leading question requesting the participant to select a reason for the participant &# 39 ; s position from a predetermined list of reasons . one or more primary and / or secondary issue questions may be asked concerning the participant &# 39 ; s current opinions , conclusions , values , goals , or any issue chosen by the designer . as will be explained in further detail below , the participant &# 39 ; s response may aid in determining a preferred approach to reasoning with the participant . each participant in choosing answers to a series of leading questions follows a path determined by his chosen answers to the presented questions . ( it should be understood that the term “ leading question ” as used herein does not necessarily mean a question which suggests a particular answer . in the invention , a question may or may not suggest an answer . instead , a “ leading question ” is one in a series of questions or prompts leading the participant to follow a line of reasoning toward the target answer ( s ). depending on his prior answer ( s ), questions ( and their respective answers ) preferably begin to either reinforce or challenge his beliefs and conclusions . the participant who aligns with the designer &# 39 ; s goal may advance quickly , even directly to the closing question and answer subset 120 . a participant who does not align with the designer &# 39 ; s goal is led to examine his logic , facts and / or strength of his conviction through the question ( s ) and answers presented to him for example , if a participant suggests a solution to a problem which is not a step toward the desired solution or goal and / or which could potentially cause an ancillary problem or undesirable consequence ( s ), the participant may be asked if he considered a certain potential problem ( s ) or consequence ( s ) in choosing a solution . he may then be questioned on this opinion concerning the magnitude of the potential problem ( s ) and / or the probability of the potential problem ( s ) occurring and / or the cost of correcting the potential problem ( s ) or consequence ( s ). multiple - choice answers offered to the participant may also cause the participant to consider such answers and the potential consequence ( s ) of a prior choice ( s ). a subsequent question ( s ) and its respective list of answers may ask whether potential or an actual problem ( s ) caused by his preferred solution ( i . e . answer ) is worse than the original problem . thus , the participant is questioned concerning the unintended consequence ( s ) of his previous choice or answer and is helped to abandon short - sighted positions or to build upon knowledge he already has by following a line of reasoning to its logical conclusion . the designer &# 39 ; s objective is to get the participant to adopt the designer &# 39 ; s preferred position and abandon the participant &# 39 ; s initial position if it is in conflict . similarly , the sales technique of asking questions about the prospect &# 39 ; s needs , asking whether particular features of a product meet those needs , and ultimately to obtain a purchase commitment ( e . g ., “ will that be cash or charge ?”) can be automated by linking questions to answers given by the prospect , in a way that is special to the prospect . at a point during the participant &# 39 ; s responses to the leading questions , when a particular chosen answer by the participant indicates that the participant has shifted his perception , opinion or understanding toward a particular key question or toward the target answer ( s ), the participant may be exposed to the closing question and answer subset 120 . closing questions and answers may be displayed on the display in response to the answer signifying the participant &# 39 ; s shift . the closing question and answer subset 120 tests whether the participant has abandoned his original conclusion , belief or opinion or learned a new concept , or whether the participant still has other reasons for objecting to or disagreeing with the designer &# 39 ; s goal . depending on the participant &# 39 ; s answer ( s ) to question ( s ) in the closing question and answer subset , the participant may be routed to a previous key question where the participant may then choose a different answer from the list of multiple choice answers , and start on a “ side - trip ” or alternative series of question ( s ) and answers regarding the issue or concept , as described in additional detail below . after displaying one or more key closing questions and receiving an answer choice from the participant that is as close to the designer &# 39 ; s objective as is acceptable to the designer , in a preferred embodiment , the display will present indicia thanking the participant for participating and may also include offers to join , purchase , be contacted , or whatever option the designer deems appropriate . these offers may vary , again , depending on the prior answer ( s ). the procedure is then completed 130 . the invention is sufficiently flexible that the participant &# 39 ; s responses to the qualifying question and answer subsets 100 may fall within a predetermined response pattern indicating that the participant &# 39 ; s opinion or position is such that the participant will be transferred to the closing question and answer subsets 120 ( bypassing the leading question and answer subsets 110 ) or the process may be ended 130 . for example , the participant may be directed to the closing question and answer subsets when the participant &# 39 ; s responses to the qualifying question and answer subsets indicates that the participant is already in agreement with the designer &# 39 ; s target answer . similarly , a participant &# 39 ; s responses to the leading question and answer subsets may fall within a predetermined response pattern indicating that the participant &# 39 ; s opinion or position is variable and the participant may be redirected to the qualifying question and answer subsets 100 or the process may be ended 130 . for example , the participant may be redirected to the qualifying question and answer subsets when the participant &# 39 ; s responses to the leading question and answer subsets indicates that the participant has an inconsistent opinion , i . e ., the participant responds to the leading question and answer subsets in a manner indicating that the participant &# 39 ; s opinion concerning a topic or issue is changing or unsettled . also , the designer &# 39 ; s sequence ( s ) to certain of the question and answer subsets may be such that the designer has predetermined that at a certain point the participant should be routed to the closing question and answer subsets 120 or to the leading question and answer subsets 110 . for example , this may occur when the participant chooses the designer &# 39 ; s preferred response to one or more “ key ” questions on a particular issue ( s ) and the participant is routed to the closing questions and answer subsets . also if the participant provides an answer to one or more of the questions in the closing question and answer subsets which indicates he is not in agreement with the designer &# 39 ; s goal , the participant may be routed back to the qualifying question and answer subsets or the leading question and answer subsets . it will be appreciated that all references to “ questions ” and “ answers ” herein could just as well be described as “ prompts ” and “ responses ” and to the extent that questions and answers are used , the participant may believe he is participating in a survey . however , though it is possible to keep the participants &# 39 ; answers as data , it is rather the process of being led to consider data and learn new concepts through the use of questions and answers that is the purpose for asking specific questions in a sequence order determined by both designer and participant interactively . in general , an attempt should be made to present all of the participants with an answer to each question in the displayed multiple - choice format with which the participant can agree . preferably , questions are phased in a neutral manner . it may , however , be useful at times to display non - neutral questions , but offer in the list of possible answers an answer that states that the participant believes the question is manipulative , biased and / or not relevant . sufficiently often to prevent frustration , the participant may be offered an answer which allows him to abandon the line of reasoning and be offered the next “ key ” question or alternate line of reasoning which is not dependent on having obtained his agreement with or understanding of the prior “ key ” question , issue or concept . a determinedly disagreeable participant may get through the questions as quickly as an agreeable one . participants who are open to examining an issue or concept without a preconceived opinion or position , may take a circuitous route , answering most questions inconsistently and / or frequently changing their minds . in another preferred embodiment , an answer to one or more of the questions may be to contact the designer to suggest another answer . this allows the designer to consider these answers for addition along with any counter - arguments ( in the form of additional question and answer subsets which may be created ) and helps prevent frustrating the participant . when such an option is chosen , the participant may also be invited to return and choose a second answer or be asked another question returning to the leading question and answer subsets 110 ( or one of the other question and answer subsets ) at an appropriate point . in another preferred embodiment , the ability to “ go back ,” or “ undo ” a previous answer ( s ) may be included , as at times participants may desire to reconsider an answer ( e . g ., when more than one is agreeable or when the participant simply changes his mind , etc .) though it may appear to the participant that he is changing his answer to a survey , the purpose of allowing a changed answer is to present a different follow - up question ( s ) to the participant . in still another embodiment of the invention two or more answers to a question may elicit the same next question . this would occur when the designer decides that more than one answer leads logically to the same next question , or because the real purpose of the question is to get the participant to consider the alternate answers or the data contained in them . for example , if , after having determined that a participant has an unyielding opinion regarding the proper political solution to a problem , the designer wishes to demonstrate to the participant that as strongly as he might prefer that solution , he does not have a strong enough majority to prevail , the alternate solutions he rejects serve to make the point that there is little or no consensus . the next question may ask about the likelihood of reaching consensus to test whether the point has been understood and , if it has , the next question may offer a compromise solution . there may be other instances where , regardless of which answer is chosen , the same next question may be presented . in this way , new ideas may be suggested in the answers presented and , regardless of which answer is chosen , one question may be presented as the follow - up to two or more of the multiple choice answers presented . similarly , ideas , facts or information may be contained in the displayed answers to a question instead of set forth in the question . in this way , the participant may reject the information if he chooses ( e . g ., if he thinks it is biased ) and choose an answer with which he agrees . a different participant may choose differently . each participant would then follow a different course in the structured question and answer subsets . generally , it is preferable to not attempt to force agreement . the participant , if he feels he is being compelled or forced to accept a particular opinion or position , may react negatively and he may perceive his prior opinion or position strengthened . additionally , the participant may cease participating thus eliminating the opportunity of potentially changing the participant &# 39 ; s opinion or position . questions may also be implied , as when a sentence is started , and the multiple choice “ answers ” consist of phrases completing the sentence . alternatively , the question may not directly set forth an answer , but the multiple choice responses may comprise one or more comments or responses , which do not directly answer the question . also , questions and answers are not limited to text . pictures , video clips or animation may be used . for example , a participant who has stated that handguns should be banned for the safety of the population might be asked the question “ which one of these people would probably win if they fought ?” followed by a picture of a large threatening man and another picture of a little old lady . the participant may then pick one . regardless of which one he picks , the next leading question presented is “ which one of these people would probably win if they fought ?” following the question may be a picture of a little old lady , and another picture of a little old lady holding a baseball bat . the participant then picks one . regardless of which one he picks , the next leading question , for example , presented is : “ which of these two people would probably win if they fought ?” two pictures may , for example , then presented : one of a large threatening man holding a bat , and one of a little old lady pointing a handgun , plus a third answer may be presented in text form such as : “ stop trying to manipulate me ; i still don &# 39 ; t believe little old ladies should have guns .” such a sequence illustrates a question and answer subset directed toward the designer &# 39 ; s target goal of increasing support for relaxing handgun restrictions for self - defense using pictures . pictures used in either questions or answers may be animated or moving pictures such as video clips , with or without audio . a “ virtual ” person representing a sales person , teacher , counselor or guide could be created to present each question using such a technique . as explained above , questions and answers may be presented to the participant audibly through the use of technologies such as speech recognition technologies and the like and a participant &# 39 ; s answers may be recognized either by traditional response technologies such as a keyboard , computer , mouse , etc . or the participant verbally responds and the response may be may be accepted and utilized in the invention by means of voice recognition technology known by those having ordinary skill in the art . likewise , an individual may act as intermediary such that a participant may respond to questions by telephone , where the questions are read to him by another individual who also inputs his responses into a computer , calling up the next question to be read . referring now to fig2 , there is shown therein a memory media 210 on which is stored a master question and answer set 220 . the memory media 210 and the master question and answer set 220 are able to communicate with the computer 230 by means of communications channel 240 . the communications channel 240 is of the type well known to those having ordinary skill in the art and may be cables , fiber optics , or any other type of communications channel , which is capable of transmitting digital or analog signals . a computer 230 is operably connected to one end of a communications link 250 . the communications link 250 may be a type of communications channel including but not limited to cables , local area network , the internet , or any other apparatus or hardware , either individually or combined , which is capable of transferring digital or analog signals . another end of the communications link 250 is operably connected to a display device 260 and an answering device 270 . the display device 260 could be any type of display including but not limited to a computer monitor , liquid crystal display (“ lcd ”), touch screen monitor , plasma screen , etc . the answering device may be any type of hardware which is capable of taking input from a user and converting it to digital signals to be sent to a computer or other type of digital processor . such answering devices include but are not limited to computer keyboards , touch screens , computer mouse , cellular telephone or other type of telecommunications device and the like . technologies such as speech recognition apparatus may also be utilized as answering devices . the communications link is such that information may be sent from the computer 230 to the display device 260 and , similarly , signals from the answering device 270 may be sent to the computer 230 . located within the computer or the memory media is an operating program which coordinates the presentation of questions and related answers on the display device as described herein . any software or hardware may be used which allows questions to be stored and presented in response to responses by the user . question and answer subsets may be stored in a database as individual records or placed , for example , on web pages together with other data . one preferred embodiment of the invention is to use html and make every question an “ anchor ” ( i . e . unique location ), and each answer in its subset of answers a “ hyperlink ” to ( bring up on the display in response to a chosen answer ) the next question and its respective subset of answers thereto . any data collected for use in generating subsequent questions or answers can be stored in the form of “ cookies ” or otherwise , in a manner well known to those having ordinary skill in the art . it is not necessary to collect or save data given by the participant in response to questions , as in a survey . however , data may be collected and used to further customize the presentation of subsequent questions or answers by , for example , referring to the participant by name , referencing what type of pet they have in a later hypothetical question , or by the use of if / then logic in the program determining what questions to present . further , programming could be used to generate custom questions or answers based on the data collected . next , referring to fig3 , there is shown therein a random leading question n 310 . the leading question n 310 has associated with it answer 1 n 315 ; answer 2 n 317 , answer 3 n 319 , answer 4 n 321 , and answer 5 n 323 . it will be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art that the leading question n 310 may have associated with it more or less than 5 possible answers in the invention . five potential answers are displayed in fig3 for illustrative purposes only . as described in detail herein , leading question n 310 is presented to the participant along with answer 1 n 315 , answer 2 n 315 , answer 3 n , 319 , answer 4 n 321 and answer 5 n 323 . the participant then chooses which of answers 1 n through 5 n , inclusive , that he prefers . each of answers 1 n through 5 n has associated with it a leading question . in this illustration , answer 1 n has associated with it leading question p 325 . similarly , answer 2 n ( 317 ) has associated with it leading question q ( 327 ). answers 3 n , 4 n and 5 n ( 319 , 321 and 323 ) have associated with them leading questions r , s and t ( 329 , 331 , and 333 respectively ). additionally , each of the leading questions p , q , r , s and t ( 325 , 327 , 329 , 331 , and 333 ) has associated with it an answer subset . in the illustration , leading question p has associated with it answer p 1 , answer p 2 , answer p 3 , answer p 4 and answer p 5 ( 335 , 337 , 339 , 341 and 343 , respectively ). in the invention , if answer 1 n ( 315 ) is chosen by the participant then the next question presented to the participant is leading question p ( 325 ) along with its answer subset p 1 through p 5 ( 335 , 337 , 339 , 341 and 343 , respectively ). similarly , leading question q ( 327 ) has associated with it a predetermined set of answers : answer q 1 ( 345 ), answer q 2 ( 347 ) answer q 3 ( 349 ), answer q 4 ( 351 ) and answer q 5 ( 353 ). if the participant chooses answer 2 n ( 317 ) then the next question presented to the participant is leading question q ( 327 ) along with the set of answers associated with leading question q , that is , answers q 1 through q 5 ( 345 , 347 , 349 , 351 and 353 ), respectively . each of the other answers 3 n , 4 n and 5 n ( 319 , 321 and 323 ) has associated with it leading questions r , s and t ( 329 , 331 and 333 ), respectively . each of the leading questions r , s and t has with it a particular answer subset as described herein . the aforesaid question and answer subsets reside in memory such as media 210 . it will be appreciated that any type of memory such as a computer hard drive , read only memory ( rom ) or any other type of machine readable memory may be utilized . next , referring to fig4 , there is illustrated therein in schematic form two question and answer subsets with a plurality of answers leading to the same subsequent question . q j is a question having associated answers a j , 1 , a j , 2 , through a j , e , ( 415 , 420 and 425 , respectively .) it is important to realize that the number of answers presented to q j ( 410 ) need not be any specific number in the invention . for illustrative purposes only , the number of answers associated with the question q j is e in the illustration . a j , e ( 425 ) may be the answer desired by the designer . similarly , question q k ( 430 ) has associated with it answers a k , 1 , a k , 2 through a k , f ( 435 , 440 and 445 , respectively ). in the illustration , question q k ( 430 ) has associated with it f multiple choice answers . in the illustration , a k , f ( 445 ) has been predetermined to be the desired answer . in the illustration , a j , 1 and a j , 2 415 , 420 if chosen by the participant , indicate that there is no concurrence and the invention provides that the participant will be asked another leading question at step 450 . in the illustration , the next leading question based upon the answer chosen by the participant is question q l 455 , which also has a predetermined set of answers associated with it , a l , 1 , a l , 2 , . . . , a l , g , similarly , if the participant chooses answer a k , 1 or a k , 2 to question q k , such answers indicate that there is no concurrence by participant and at step 450 the determination is made to ask the participant another leading question . the next question is q l 455 . if the participant chooses answer a j , e to q j or answer a k , f to question q k the answer indicates concurrence . the invention recognizes this and begins to present to the participant closing questions and answer subsets at step 460 . by way of example and not by way of limitation , applicant sets forth below an example . the example , regarding a local government issue , demonstrates how a participant may respond to questions and the choosing of subsequent questions by use of the invention . in the example below , the answers chosen by the participant to each of the questions is indicated by underlining . for brevity , qualifying questions and answers have been omitted . however , those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that such qualifying question and answer subsets may be utilized . the objective in the example is to get the participant to agree that an existing utility tax is too high , is not fair , is not well spent , or actually hurts some people or themselves . agreement with the “ key questions ,” are steps toward having the participant agree to vote to lower the tax , the target answer . ( studies indicate that a strong agreement with any one of these key questions is sufficient to get support .) an additional objective is to have the participant feel negatively toward the opponents of a utility tax decrease . another goal is to have the participant &# 39 ; s values validated when it concurs with the designer &# 39 ; s objectives . ancillary to getting the target answer ( a “ yes ” vote ) is obtaining other types of support for the ballot measure . 1 . voters in the city are about to decide whether to set utility taxes at the average rate collected by nearby cities of similar size . this will save money for users of gas , electricity , water , telephone and video services , because the city now has the highest rate of tax of any city in california . what do you think ? i will probably vote “ yes .” i will probably vote “ no .” i probably won &# 39 ; t vote . i need more information . 2 . which statement is true ? city council members , city employees , their unions and others predicting disaster if this passes : are telling the truth . are genuinely worried about the consequences and may be exaggerating to influence voters , but they may also be partly right . would say anything to make sure they can keep collecting as much money from me as they can . 3 . suppose we vote “ yes ” for an average tax . the city budget will go back to 1995 levels . what &# 39 ; s the worst that could happen ? city officials could actually cut the most basic and popular services such as emergency response and street repair . city officials could actually cut things no one will miss or that can easily be provided voluntarily by others . city officials could resign in protest . in 1995 the city was a fine place to live . i &# 39 ; d be happy with the budget we had then . revenues will soon creep up again . 4 . when your utility rates go up , you have to pay more tax . the city gets to spend it , even though they weren &# 39 ; t expecting it and it wasn &# 39 ; t in the budget . is this fair ? no , but it &# 39 ; s not a big deal to me . no . they should reduce the tax when prices spike up . it &# 39 ; s not about “ fair .” taxes aren &# 39 ; t earned anyway ; they &# 39 ; re taken for a good cause . note : because fairness is a key consideration , even if the participant answers that this tax is not fair , the issue is further explored , and all answers lead to the next question , i . e ., all responses to question number 4 are followed by question number 5 : 5 . if you needed to , how could you compensate for higher utility costs ? vote “ yes ” to lower the tax . eat out more often . take my clothes to a laundromat . change the thermostat . skip the christmas lights . buy more energy - efficient appliances . move to almost any other city in california where the tax is lower or non - existing . note : either of the two answers underlined above produce the same next question , i . e ., question number 6 : 6 . unless they leave the city , everyone in it will be affected by reducing the utility tax to average . which group ( s ) below are you most concerned will be hurt by the loss of revenue for the city ? families with children condominium / apartment owners / renters people with medical needs people with low incomes seniors landowners / homeowners employees of the city note : each of the above answers leads to questions based upon concrete examples . for example , choosing the answer “ families with children ” or “ people with low incomes ” may lead to the next question ( question number 7 ). 7 . jane jones is a single mom with a low income . she is forced to pay for low - cost lunches for seniors , even though seniors are the wealthiest segment of the population . is that fair ? life isn &# 39 ; t fair . taxes aren &# 39 ; t fair , but we have to have them . i support a city utility tax of 11 %. sometimes people need help and who will do it if the government doesn &# 39 ; t ? maybe generous donors will help those less fortunate , but there are still other groups i worry will be hurt by cuts to city revenue . okay . maybe the tax is too high to be fair to everyone . 8 . who do you think is most successful at getting what they need from city officials ? fire / police downtown business association / chamber of commerce members individual non - union employees major employers service clubs / organizations such as friends of the dog park federal or state government average individual citizen note : in this example , all of the answers above lead to the next question ( question number 9 ). 9 . if you had a pet project you were passionate about , and you had lots of well - organized supporters , what would you prefer to do ? go to the city and submit to their requirements and approval process in order to get some of our money back for the project skip the city approval process by raising the money among my well - organized supporters from their utility tax savings or other sources . 10 . which of the following would you be willing to do in order to save on your utility tax ? vote to lower it . nothing . i don &# 39 ; t want to save . send the kids to grandma &# 39 ; s or call mom collect . install a wind - turbine or get an antenna for my televisions . bathe less often wait for the city council to lower it . 11 . suppose this tax reduction goes too far and cuts programs and services too much . what can we do ? raise it , again . wait for revenues to catch up . raise it , but i &# 39 ; m worried we can &# 39 ; t do it fast enough . note : each of the two underlined answers leads to question number 12 , which is the target question : 12 . if the vote to set the city utility tax at the average of nearby similar - size cities was held today , how would you vote ? yes . no . i still don &# 39 ; t know . i can &# 39 ; t vote in the city , but if i could it would be “ yes .” i can &# 39 ; t vote in city , but if i could it would be “ no .” note : “ yes ” is the target answer . the target answer leads to question number 13 . 13 . thank you for exploring the city utility tax website . please remember to vote “ yes ” on apr . 13 , 2004 . the remainder of the “ map ” is filled in with alternate routes that can be taken when a participant does not choose the direct route ( i . e ., the answer most in alignment with the designer &# 39 ; s target answer ( s )). the “ map ” is usually not two - dimensional but multi - dimensional . the map remains invisible to the participant who experiences each question and multiple - choice answer subset as if at a crossroads with a choice of directions to take , not knowing where any of them lead , or that many answers may take different routes to the same destination ( i . e . the goal ). the following is an example of a side - trip or exploration which leads from one “ key ” question to the next “ key ” question : 1 . voters in the city are about to decide whether to set utility taxes at the average rate collected by nearby cities of similar size . this will save money for users of gas , electricity , water , telephone , and video services because the city now has the highest rate of tax of any city in california . what do you think ? i will probably vote “ yes .” i will probably vote “ no .” i probably won &# 39 ; t vote . i need more information . the above underlined choice leads to the following question and answer subset : i &# 39 ; m not eligible to vote . i &# 39 ; m not registered to vote . i don &# 39 ; t care what happens . i don &# 39 ; t think my vote counts . i hate politics . voting only encourages politicians . note : each of the above underlined choices leads to the following question and answer subset : 3 . suppose you could wave a magic wand and implement the measure to make the utility tax in the city average . would you ? yes , i would make the utility tax average . no , i would keep it at 11 % the following is another example of a side trip or exploration . 1 . if you needed to , how could you compensate for higher utility costs ? vote “ yes ” to lower the tax . eat out more often . take my clothes to a laundromat . change the thermostat . skip the christmas lights . buy more energy - efficient appliances . move to almost any other city in california where the tax is lower or non - existing . 2 . if you eat at a restaurant in the city , whose money pays for the restaurant &# 39 ; s utility tax ? any time a participant chooses a potential solution to a problem which causes a problem ( s ) of its own , the participant may be asked what the problem ( s ) might be , and then if it is worse than the original problem , and further , how likely that his potential solution will ever be applied . similarly , if a participant seeks a certain benefit , he can be asked if certain features ( e . g ., of a product , service , membership , etc .) would help provide that benefit , and then whether those features remove his objection . another potential concern arises when questions with potentially many preferred answers . these can keep looping back until the participant decides to continue . the following is an example of this looping technique : i &# 39 ; m afraid if it passes , my favorite programs and services will be hurt . i just don &# 39 ; t feel that taking money from the city ( and their employees ) is very nice . they need the money . i &# 39 ; m afraid they &# 39 ; ll find out i ( we ) voted for it and be angry with me . what if they raise other taxes and fees ? schools independence day fireworks public library emergency response ( fire / police ) i &# 39 ; d like to go back and pick different reason for voting against an average tax . what you say here about my favorite programs and services has not convinced me to vote “ yes ” to make our utility taxes average . but i keep hearing bad things will happen . are they lying ? 3 . good news ! utility taxes don &# 39 ; t pay for schools ; they have separate funding . better news ! reducing the utility tax to average will save city private schools , homeschoolers , teachers and employees who live in the city money . okay , i might vote “ yes ” or just stay out of it . i &# 39 ; d like to pick a different program or service that concerns me . no matter what you say about my favorite programs or services , i think they may be hurt , and i &# 39 ; m still against making our utility taxes average . what about the claims of people who are against it ? are they lying ? i &# 39 ; m not interested in most of these programs or services . schools independence day fireworks public library emergency response ( fire / police ) i &# 39 ; d like to go back and pick different reason for voting against an average tax . what you say here about my favorite programs and services has not convinced me to vote “ yes ” to make our utility taxes average . 5 . good news ! the public library is run by los angeles county from an entirely different budget . by reducing the utility tax to average , library patrons will save money , too . okay . i might vote “ yes ” or just stay out of it . i &# 39 ; d like to pick a different program or service that concerns me . no matter what you say about my favorite programs or services , i think they may be hurt , and i &# 39 ; m still against making our utility taxes average . what about the people who are against it . are they lying ? i &# 39 ; m not interested in most of these programs or services . schools independence day fireworks public library emergency response ( fire / police i &# 39 ; d like to go back and pick different reason for voting against an average tax . what you say here about my favorite programs and services has not convinced me to vote “ yes ” to make our utility taxes average . but i keep hearing bad things will happen . are they lying ? i &# 39 ; m afraid if it passes , my favorite programs and services will be hurt . i just don &# 39 ; t feel that taking money from the city ( and their employees ) is very nice . they need the money . i &# 39 ; m afraid they &# 39 ; ll find out i ( we ) voted for it and be angry with me . what if they raise other taxes and fees ? 8 . a “ yes ” vote on this measure will not take one single penny from the city . instead , it reduces the amount of money the city takes every month from you . you know what i mean : they &# 39 ; re counting on being able to get that money from us to pay for programs and services . i &# 39 ; m a city employee or contractor . i need the money . i know a city employee or contractor . they need the money . it &# 39 ; s my duty . note : each of the above - indicated underlined choices leads to the same question ( in this example the following question ): 9 . why would the city council place the employee &# 39 ; s or contractor &# 39 ; s job in jeopardy ? their work is not necessary . they aren &# 39 ; t worth what they &# 39 ; re paid they do a great job and their services are necessary , but if the city loses tax revenue , they &# 39 ; ll be cut , anyway . 10 . which statement is true ? city council members , city employees , their unions and others predicting disaster if this passes : are telling the truth . are genuinely worried about the consequences and may be exaggerating to influence voters , but they may also be partly right would say anything to make sure they can keep collecting as much money from me as they can . at any point during the preceding examples that the designer has predetermined that a particular answer indicates that the participant has shifted his opinion or understanding toward a particular “ key ” question or toward the target answer ( s ), closing questions may be asked . the closing questions test whether the participant has abandoned his original opinion or understanding ( or learned a new concept ), or whether the participant still has other reasons for resisting the target answer ( s ). depending on his answers , the “ map ” may send him back to a previous “ key ” question where the participant may choose a different answer from his previous answer , or start him on a “ side - trip ” or series of questions regarding the issue or concept . the ultimate sequence of the closing questions in a preferred embodiment includes a “ thank you ” message and may be followed by offers to join , purchase , be contacted , or sent a certificate , or whatever the designer deems appropriate . note that these offers may vary , again , depending on the prior answer ( s ). set forth below is an example of closing questions . 2 . thank you for exploring the city utility tax website . please remember to vote “ yes ” on apr . 13 , 2004 . would you be willing to : donate funds toward a mailing encouraging a “ yes ” vote ? donate funds toward printing signs supporting the tax reduction ? put a sign in your front yard ? none of the above , but i will vote “ yes .” the participant may then be presented with the appropriate contact information on the display in response to his answer to question number 2 . in an alternative embodiment , one answer for a plurality of the questions may be to contact the designer and suggest an answer other than the multiple choice answers provided . this allows the designer to consider these answers for addition along with any counter - arguments ( in the form of questions and answers ) and helps prevent frustrating the participant . when such an option is chosen , the participant may be invited , also , to return and choose another answer or be asked another question returning to the “ map ” at another appropriate point . the ability to “ go back ” is utilized in another preferred embodiment . this allows the participant to reconsider an answer . it is also possible that more than one answer may be agreeable and a different follow - up question may be presented to the participant . as discussed and illustrated above , it is also possible that all answers ( or less than all answers ) to a question may elicit the same next question since sometimes the point the designer wishes to make is taught by the juxtaposition of the answers . often , regardless of the answer chosen , the next question may be relevant . also , ideas , facts and information may be contained in the answers presented instead of trying to put the information into the question . a participant may reject the information if he desires ( e . g ., if he thinks it is biased ). agreement should not be forced upon the participant . questions may also be implied , as when a sentence is started , and the “ answers ” consists of choosing one of the presented alternatives to finish it . also , answers may be responses to the question which do not answer the question ( e . g ., a comment or question ). software or hardware may be used which allows questions to be stored and presented in response to input by the participant . question and answer subsets may be stored in a database as individual records or placed on web pages together with other subsets . question or answers may also be generated by software combining generic questions or answers with data provided earlier by the participant , or by using the data provided to determine how questions or answers are selected . one preferred embodiment to implement the invention on the internet ( or a computer network ) is to use hyper text markup language code (“ html ”) and make every question an “ anchor ” ( unique location ) and every answer a “ hyperlink ” to ( bringing up on the screen ) the next question and answer subset . while the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments . to the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements ( as would be apparent to those skilled in the art ). therefore , the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements . | 6 |
referring to fig1 the present invention comprises a cell stretching apparatus 10 which is able to impart to an in vitro cell culture , biaxial mechanical forces which simulate those found in vivo . the apparatus 10 comprises a housing 12 which includes a top plate 18 and mounting screws ( or clamps ) 20 used to secure an elastic membrane 14 , upon which a cell culture 16 is deposited . an upper frame member 19 cooperates with plate 18 and mounting screws 20 to secure the perimeter portions of membrane 14 which are peripheral to the area of the membrane to be stretched . the top plate 18 may also include an aperture or window 23 ( or other transparent device ) which is disposed directly over the membrane 14 and cell culture . a seal 22 , such as an o - ring or similar gasket may be provided to help secure membrane 14 in place and to prevent any leakage of growth medium . apparatus 10 also includes a displacement applicator 24 which is disposed below membrane 14 . a downwardly projecting rod 32 is secured to the bottom portion of applicator 24 . rod 32 extends through bushing 35 which is formed within intermediate frame member 36 . a spring 34 , or similar biasing means , may surround the portion of member 32 which extends below bushing 35 , to bias the applicator 24 toward a lowered position in which it is out of contact with membrane 14 . the spring or biasing means 34 also helps negate any frictional force which may result from the travel of rod 32 within bushing 35 . fig1 further illustrates an embodiment in which an electric motor 38 is mounted to a base plate 42 of housing 12 . the motor 38 drives an actuating apparatus 40 , such as a cam . where , for example , the actuating apparatus 40 is a cam , it revolves eccentrically about an axis , contacting the bottom surface of rod 32 and forcing rod 32 and displacement applicator 24 to move upwardly to contact and deform membrane 14 . at the end of the upward stroke of rod 32 and applicator 24 , cam 40 and spring 34 cooperate to return rod 32 and applicator 24 to a lowered position out of contact with membrane 14 . when this occurs the membrane returns to its original , non - deformed position . the housing 12 of cell stretching apparatus may be constructed of a variety of materials well known to those skilled in the art . such materials include , but are not limited to , steel , aluminum and plastic . membrane 14 may be made of virtually any elastic , biocompatible material . the most preferred materials are those which are low - friction materials and which are elastic up to about 100 % strain . exemplary materials include silicone and thermoplastic elastomers . other materials well known to those skilled in the art may be used as well . the shape of the membrane 14 may vary depending upon whether uniform forces are to be applied to the cells mounted on the membrane . when uniform biaxial forces are to be imparted to the cells , a circular membrane should be used . the diameter of such a membrane may be in the range of about 10 mm to 100 mm , and most preferably is about 50 mm to 90 mm in diameter . other membrane shapes may be used to apply selected non - uniform forces to cells . for example , a rectangular membrane in which the length of the membrane is twice its width , produces a strain ratio of 2 : 1 for strain along the short axis over strain along the long axis . one skilled in the art will readily appreciate the effect of membrane shape upon the degree of uniformity or non - uniformity of the forces applied to the cells . if a particular strain ratio or profile is desired , one will be able to design a membrane having a shape suitable to produce such a ratio . the maximum thickness of the membrane depends upon its diameter and elasticity . preferably , the thickness is less than about 1 % of the membrane diameter . the displacement applicator 24 generally is of a shape which corresponds to that of the membrane 14 . preferably , applicator 24 is of a size which is slightly less than that of the membrane . that is , applicator 24 should be of dimensions as close as possible to the area of membrane 14 which is to be deformed , while allowing the applicator to freely contact the membrane without interference from plates 18 and 19 . where uniform biaxial forces are to be applied to the cell culture , a circular membrane and a circular displacement applicator should be used . the use of a rectangular membrane and a similarly shaped displacement applicator will result in a non - uniform biaxial strain profile wherein the strain along the short axis of the membrane is greater than that along the long axis of the membrane . still , all cells will be subjected to consistent and predictable non - uniform biaxial strain . other membrane shapes , and displacement applicators of a corresponding shape , may be used to yield different non - uniform strain profiles . it is also possible to utilize membranes and displacement applicators which are not of a corresponding shape , in order to produce a variety of other non - uniform force profiles . the displacement applicator 24 preferably is constructed of very low friction materials such as certain tetrafluoroethylene polymers , acetal polymers , nylon polymers and other low friction polymers and other materials well known to those skilled in the art . bushing 35 should likewise be constructed of such low friction materials so that rod 32 may travel within bushing 35 with little or no frictional force . it is important that there be no , or very little , friction between the top surface of displacement applicator 24 and the bottom surface of membrane 14 . the absence of any such friction ensures that membrane 14 will deform as desired upon contact with displacement applicator 24 in order to impart a desired uniform or non - uniform biaxial force profile to the cell culture . the use of frictionless or low friction construction materials for the moving parts of apparatus 10 is quite effective in eliminating or minimizing friction . any existing friction could be eliminated or further reduced by applying a lubricant to the top surface of displacement applicator 24 . a variety of lubricants may be used with the present application , and virtually the only requirement of such a lubricant is that it not degrade , penetrate or attack the material from which membrane 14 is made . exemplary lubricants include silicone materials and hydrogenated vegetable shortening . in a preferred embodiment , displacement applicator 24 has an irregular or uneven top surface so that only a relatively small area of the applicator contacts membrane 14 to obviate or minimize any friction between applicator 24 and membrane 14 . fig2 a and 2b illustrate one embodiment where a circular displacement applicator 24 has a raised ridge 30 which is disposed about the perimeter of the top surface 26 of applicator 24 . preferably , a relatively small hole ( not shown ) extends through the applicator to permit the passage of air and to avoid ballooning or suction of the membrane surface . fig3 a and 3b illustrate other embodiments of a displacement applicator 24 having different patterns of raised ridge structures on the top surface thereof . as shown in fig3 a the raised ridge 27 takes the form of concentric , circular ridges on the top surface 26 of applicator 24 . in fig3 b , the raised ridge is formed by radial arms 29 which extend outwardly from the center of the applicator . it is understood that a variety of other raised ridge configurations may be used as well . generally the ridge is raised approximately 0 . 05 inch to 0 . 15 inch above the top surface 26 of the displacement applicator 24 , and is about 0 . 125 inch in width . fig4 a and 4b illustrate the operation of the cell stretching apparatus 10 . in fig4 b , displacement applicator 24 has not yet exerted a force upon membrane 14 . in fig4 a , membrane 14 has been deformed through application of force by applicator 24 . the deformation of the membrane imparts biaxial strain of a desired , non - uniform or uniform profile . an apparatus similar to that illustrated in fig4 a and 4b , was constructed having a circular , silicone rubber membrane of 0 . 010 inch in thickness and 3 . 375 inches in diameter and a displacement applicator 24 of 3 . 30 inches in diameter . a rectangular grid was drawn on the top surface of the membrane . the grid was made of a plurality of squares , each having dimensions 0 . 25 inches by 0 . 25 inches . the displacement applicator was actuated to contact and deform the membrane . at the end of the upward stroke of the displacement applicator , the sizes of the squares making up the grid of the membrane were examined . it was determined that the squares were equally sized , with dimensions of 0 . 263 inch by 0 . 263 inch , confirming that the apparatus produced uniform biaxial strain to the top surface of the membrane . fig5 illustrates an embodiment , noted above , where a rectangular membrane and displacement applicator 24 can be utilized to produce different strains on mutually perpendicular axes . the dimensions of the rectangular membrane are 2l by l , while the dimensions of the displacement applicator are 2l - 2x by l - 2x . fig6 is a cross - sectional view of the apparatus shown in fig5 illustrating membrane 14 in a deformed condition , being stressed by displacement applicator 24 . while in the stressed condition the length and width of membrane 14 on each side is increased by δx = h - x , for total increase of 2δx . thus , strain along the long axis is given by the relationship which is twice that along the long axis . by varying the dimensions of the membrane and displacement applicator , as well as the shapes thereof , a variety of strain ratios can be achieved . it is noted , however , that the above analysis neglects strain at the membrane edges which tends to be complex and indeterminate , but which represents a small , negligible percentage of the total membrane area . fig7 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which a cell stretching apparatus 50 simultaneously stretches a plurality of cell cultures . in this embodiment a removable and disposable well 52 is mounted in the appropriate location above each of the available displacement applicators 24 . the bottom of the specimen wells 52 rest on plate 19 and are secured in place by clamps 20 . preferably , the specimen well 52 is constructed of a donut - shaped ring , illustrated in fig8 a and 8b . the ring consists of side walls 55 which define a central aperture 57 . a membrane 14 is secured to the bottom of the specimen well 52 , such as by adhering edges of the membrane to the bottom surface of the side walls 55 of the specimen well . a top cover ( not shown ) may or may not be applied to the top surface of the specimen well . the type and size of the motor used to drive actuator 40 can be readily chosen by one skilled in the art . electric motors are , however , preferred . in a preferred embodiment the motor drives an actuator , such as a cam . the action of the cam causes the rod 32 and displacement applicator 24 to move up and down . as illustrated in fig1 cam 40 revolves eccentrically about motor shaft 41 resulting in the cyclical upward and downward movement of rod 32 and applicator 24 . in an alternative embodiment , not illustrated , the cam may be designed so that the displacement applicator stretches the membrane 14 at rest and moves to create a reduction of stretch ( i . e ., negative strain or compression ). the cycle of upward and downward movement of applicator 24 depends upon the requirements of a given application and may be varied accordingly by one skilled in the art . generally , the motor speed may vary between 2 and 80 cycles per minute . however , greater speeds may be used as well . the percentage of strain of the membrane is determined by the distance traveled by the displacement applicator 24 , which in turn is determined by the eccentricity of the cam 40 . therefore , by changing cams one can develop strains of differing amounts . the profile of strain versus time may be varied quite easily simply by changing the cam . for example , one could design cams which gradually increase the strain up to a certain value and maintain that value for a small or large portion of the cycle . the design of the cell stretching apparatus allows it to be easily placed within an incubator or similar apparatus because electric power may easily be delivered to a motor within the incubator . the invention may be embodied in other specific forms , not specifically described above , without departing from the spirit and scope thereof . | 2 |
in the following detailed description , certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 usc 112 , but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims . referring to the drawings , and particularly fig1 , a palletizer cell 10 is shown , constructed using components according to the present invention . this includes a plurality of rectangular , preferably square , platform bases of two different types , i . e ., four solid square platform bases 12 a , 12 b , 12 c , and 12 d , and two platform bases 14 a , 14 b of an overall square configuration but having an opening extending in from one side to create a general u - shape . all of the platform bases 12 a - 12 d and 14 a , 14 b rest on the factory floor 16 , held together in contact with one another with one or more sides aligned and abutting with one or more sides of adjacent platform bases 12 or 14 . this forms an array of fit together platform bases 12 , 14 which have a fixed spatial relationship with each other , established by the contact of respective sides . the array of platform bases 12 , 14 are held in their relative in contact positions , as by the use of connector plates 34 which overlap adjacent sides of abutting platform bases 12 , 14 which are fixed thereto with screws threaded into holes extending into the top of adjacent platform bases 12 , 14 . preferably , in order to minimize field operations only one platform base 12 a may be anchored to the floor , platform base 12 a , preferably the platform base associated with the robot module 18 , which has mounted thereon a commercially available robot 20 , equipped with a pickup gripper 22 for holding items to be palletized . as seen in fig8 , the robot module platform base 12 a has pairs of short angled channel sections 24 projecting from each side each of which have bottom holes allowing lag bolts to be inserted and received in anchors ( not shown ) installed in holes drilled in the floor 16 , fixing the platform base 12 a thereto . as seen in fig3 , all of the platform bases 12 are comprised of a top plate 26 , preferably on the order of 78 inches square which size will effectively accommodate the range of motion of most commercially available robots . the platform bases 12 , 14 are preferably made of structural steel , the top plate 26 of each approximately one half inch thick so as to be able to provide a rigid support for the loads and equipment to be placed thereon by the usual . a square shape of the platform bases 12 allows any side thereof to be abutted and aligned with any side of any other platform base 12 , 14 , maximizing the number of possible arrangements of such platform bases 12 , 14 in an array . the top plates 26 are supported spaced above the floor 16 by a series of channel sections 28 , 30 located beneath the outer edge of each side of the top plate 16 , welded in position with the open side facing inwardly . the longer channel sections 28 are each located at the middle of each side substantially flush with the outer edge thereof . shorter sections 30 are mitered together and attached beneath each corner as seen in fig3 . a pair of spaces 32 are provided between the ends of the channel sections 28 , 30 spaced apart and sized to enable the fork bars of a lift truck to be received therein for lifting and transporting the platform bases 12 or 14 . the short angled channel pieces 24 of the platform base 12 a for the robot module 18 fit into these spaces 30 but are turned out so as to form an opening which still allows fork lift handling of the robot modules 18 during assembly of the cell 10 . as seen in fig3 a and 3b , a tapped three hole pattern 38 is premachined centered along each side , matched to slots 36 in opposite sides elongated connector plates 34 which are used to held the platform bases 12 , 14 together with respective sides aligned and in contact with each other to be indirectly located with respect to the robot module base plate 12 a . the connector plates 34 each have a series of three slots 36 extending in from each side , spaced and sized to receive bolts 37 installed in the holes 38 . the top plates 26 also are premachined with three small tapped hole patterns 40 at each corner . these are used to attach safety screen upright supports 42 which each have a flat mounting plate 43 fixed to the bottom end of the supports 42 as shown in fig1 . the safety screens 44 are installed along the outer side of the platform bases 12 , 14 sized to extend across the entire length thereof , and blocking access to spaces within the palletizing cell 10 . the platform bases 14 a , 14 b shown in fig5 are of the same overall size as platform bases 12 ( 78 inches square ) but have a large opening 57 extending in from one side to create a general u - shape , designed to receive a pallet to allow a product to be stacked on a pallet disposed directly on the floor surface 16 . platform bases 14 a , 14 b are also constructed of a structural steel with a top plate 48 having inwardly facing four inch high rectangular tube sections 50 , 52 welded to the underside of the three complete sides of the top plate 48 . spaces between the tube sections 50 , 52 allow fork lift pickup as with the platform bases 12 . pallet guide structures 54 are affixed to the inside of each of the three complete sides 46 a , 46 b , 46 c having adjustable spacer plates 56 mounted thereto . a tapped hole pattern may be premachined into the top plate 48 at the outer ends and the corners for mounting safety fence sections as well as a three hole pattern for the connecting plates along the middle of sides 46 a , 46 b , 46 c . since the base platforms 14 a , 14 b must be unfenced at the outer end to allow fork truck access to a pallet or a pallet stack 62 shown in fig1 , light curtain sensor tubes 60 are required , which are well known commercially available devices which detect any intrusion into the interior of the palletizer cell ( fig1 ) through the opening , in the well known manner . in the configuration of the palletizer cell shown in fig1 , two open sided platform bases 14 a , 14 b are included one on each side of the robot module 18 to accommodate a pallet on which a product stack is built . a controls cabinet 64 may be located on an auxiliary platform 66 , or optionally , directly on the factory floor 16 . a double pick module 68 is located opposite the robot module 18 , comprised of a platform base 12 b , having two side by side product conveyors 70 a , 70 b using a 24 volt motorized roller drive . products are thereby alternately presented to the robot 20 from conveyors 70 a , 70 b loaded through an opening 73 in safety fence section 72 attached to the outer side of the platform base 12 b . product sensing photoeyes would be provided in the conventional manner to detect the presence of a product to be palletized . platform bases 12 c and 12 d with two fence sections 74 , 76 and 78 , 80 define protected access clearance spaces for keeping personnel out of those spaces through which the pick and place motions of the robot 20 occur . thus , the in contact platform bases 12 c , 12 d define the proper spaces on either side of the conveyors 70 a , 70 b . the abutment and alignment of platform bases 12 a and 12 b locate the conveyors 70 a , 70 b with respect to the robot 20 ; and abutment of 14 a , 14 b with 12 a properly locate the pallet receiving opening with respect to the robot 20 and conveyors 70 a , 70 b . thus , the simple placement of the platform bases 12 , 14 in contact with each other properly locates in the field the palletizer components of the cell 10 in relation to each other . the robotic palletizer cell 82 shown in fig2 includes the robot module 18 but it is placed at the rear of the cell 10 , with a platform base 14 a directly at the front . a single pick module 84 is located to one side , including a single pick powered conveyor 86 located aligned with an opening 88 in the safety fence 100 . a slip sheet module 90 is also included in the cell 82 , located next to the single pick module 84 . a slip sheet bin 92 rests atop a platform base 12 e with adjustable guides 94 and a “ low sheet ” sensing photoeye ( not shown ) provided according to conventional practice . safety fence sections 96 , 97 are mounted on sides of platform 12 a , fence sections 100 , 102 on two sides of platform base 12 f , fence section 104 on one side of platform base 12 e , and fence section 106 on one side of platform base 14 a . an access gate 98 supported by uprights 43 between fence sections 4 s supported by uprights 42 , 43 may be included on one side of the platform base 12 e for loading slip sheets onto line 92 . an open sided platform base 14 a is located next to the slip sheet module 90 configured with adjustable plates 56 as in the cell 10 shown in fig1 , with light curtain tubes 60 to protect against access through the unfenced opening . the robot module 18 is bolted to the floor 16 with the other modules 84 , 90 , 14 anchored by being connected to the robot module , greatly simplifying installation of the cells 10 , 82 . all of the components are thus fixed in the proper location disconnected with respect to each other by the fitting together and aligning of the various platform bases 12 , 14 when assembled on the factory floor 16 held in mutually contacting position thereon . it is possible that anchoring of additional platform bases 12 to the factory floor 16 may be carried out in order to hold the platform bases together in the array , however , this is not preferred as installation of the connector plates 34 is quicker and easier . other modules can be provided , including other equipment mounted to a standard platform bases 12 , such as a discharge module 100 ( fig9 ) having a powered discharge conveyor 103 which allows powered transfer of loaded pallets . electrical lines to the photocells , electric motors , light curtains can be routed in conduits or covered channels extending along the sides of the platform bases 12 , 14 ( not shown ). the palletizer cells 10 , 82 would normally first be assembled by the manufacturer in its shop , with the necessary wiring run to enable actual start up and trial before installation in the location where the cell is to be operated . the respective platform bases 12 , 14 would then be disconnected for shipping to the final destination . the wiring would be disconnected left in the channels on the respective platform bases 12 , 14 . thus , when the platform bases 12 , 14 are reassembled into the array , the proper locations of all of the components are automatically established by the interfitting of platform base . likewise , the wiring needs only be reconnected , eliminating the need for running wiring in the field . | 4 |
the process of the present embodiment of the invention involves forming a reagent mixture comprising graphite powder and a powder of a metal , an alloy , or a compound comprising one or more of the elements listed in new iupac group numbers 12 - 15 of the periodic table of elements and subjecting the mixture to mechanical agitation . a predetermined amount of milling media is introduced into a suitable milling vessel together with one or more of the selected iupac group numbers 12 - 15 element or elements and mechanically agitated for a period of 1 - 24 hours . reagent grade graphite powder is added to the previously milled group 12 - 15 material ( s ), and this new mixture is mechanically agitated for an additional period of several minutes . the material mixture , together with a milling media , is subjected to a milling process which imparts some quantity of mechanical energy to the powders for the purpose of mixing , comminuting , and / or mechanically alloying the milled materials . for the purposes of the present , milling is used to promote intimate mixing of the powders . the milling process is desirably carried out under ambient conditions , typically between about 15 ° c . and 35 ° c ., preferably without external heating , in air or an inert gas . the resultant final product is separated from the milling media to prepare material for use as a negative electrode material for a lithium - ion secondary cell . mechanical milling is well known in the art and will not be discussed in detail here since many different types of equipment may be advantageously used to practice the present embodiment . a thorough review of typical milling processes and the general types of equipment used for milling is presented in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 403 , 257 to christian , et al ., which is herein incorporated by reference . of the major types of mixers described , the two most useful forms for practicing the present embodiment are the so - called rotary ball - tumbler and the vibratory or “ shaker ” ball mill . in one embodiment of the present invention , an essentially dry powder consisting of reagent grade silicon is combined with milling media and is subjected to mechanical agitation at ambient temperature in an inert gas or air for a period of time ranging from about 0 . 5 hours to about 24 hours to form a comminuted powder . the preferred weight ratio of reagent mixture to milling media ranges from about 10 : 1 to 1 : 10 . the preferred duration of mechanical agitation range from about 1 hour to about 4 hours . the preferred milling media are spherical ceramic media , such as tungsten carbide , or a hardened steel media , ranging in mean diameter from about 2 mm to about 25 mm . the milling media are constructed from tungsten carbide , while the milling vessel comprises a tungsten carbide - lined , high strength steel cylinder either closed at one end and sealed at the opposite end by a threaded cap , or opened at both ends and sealed at both ends by threaded caps also lined with tungsten carbide . the mill engine used in the present embodiment is a spex certprep 8000m ® high - energy mixer / mill . after milling the silicon powder to reduce the average particle size to about 1 μm , a suitable quantity of graphite powder is introduced into the milling vessel and the vessel is again agitated for a period of between about 1 minute to about 1 hour , preferably about 15 minutes , in order to provide the mixed / milled carbon - silicon composite material of the present embodiment . after mixing , the milling media can be separated from the mixed graphite / silicon powders using conventional separation techniques such as dry sieving through a mesh screen , vacuum filtration , or centrifugation . it is theorized by the applicants that during the milling process of the present embodiment the mixing action of the milling media results in the application of a coating of soft carbon particles onto some or all of the surfaces of the harder silicon particles . in additional , it is known that after milling , the silicon powder comprises a high percentage of “ fines ;” particles much smaller than the average bulk particle size . it is further theorized that because of the size of the silicon particles and the quantity of graphite surrounding them , each particle is shielded from the electrolyte such that its deleterious effect on the silicon particles is substantially lessened . thus , the graphite matrix surrounding the dispersed silicon particles serves a multi - purpose function . it acts as an electrical conductor ; provides ionic connectivity ; provides protection to the silicon particles by removing it from direct contact with the electrolyte ; provides active storage through the intercalation of lithium ; and lessens the capacity degradation that can be caused by lattice expansion of lithium - compound formation in the silicon . another embodiment of the present invention features inclusion of the graphite - composite material as the negative electrode material of a secondary lithium - ion cell . secondary lithium cells can be fabricated in many different forms , including button or coin cells , prismatic or flat cells , as well as traditional cylindrical cells having a spirally - wound or “ swiss - roll ” anode and cathode with a separator sheet positioned between the electrodes . compositions for the secondary cell electrodes , separators , and electrolytes are generally well known in the art and are disclosed elsewhere ( see for example u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 468 , 698 ; 6 , 489 , 055 ; and 4 , 980 , 250 as well as the references cited in each of these patents ). in an embodiment of the present invention , the graphite - composite material , prepared by the method of this invention , is substituted advantageously for the prior art negative electrode materials . the active negative electrode material of the present embodiment typically is mixed with a suitable polymeric binder , such as poly ( tetrafluoroethylene ), or polyvinylidene fluoride , and a coating vehicle , such as an organic solvent , in order to produce a paste or slurry that can be applied to an electrically - conductive substrate serving as a current collector , such as a metal grid , an expanded metal foam , or a metal foil , in order to form the negative electrode . suitable metals for acting as current collectors are copper , nickel , or steel although others , such as the noble metals and certain other transition metals such as tantalum or molybdenum are also possible . copper is preferred . the active positive electrode materials include the lithiated oxides , sulfides , or phosphates of one or more of the transition metals . materials that are typically chosen include the oxides of vanadium , chromium , manganese iron , cobalt , nickel , molybdenum , and the sulfides of titanium , and molybdenum . the cathode is prepared by any of the known art methods embodied in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 211 , 933 to barboux , et al ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 434 , 024 to ikeda , et al ., and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 219 , 680 to fauteux , et al ., herein incorporated by reference . suitable metals for acting as current collectors are aluminum , nickel , or copper , although others , such as the noble metals , principally gold , platinum , rhodium , and palladium , and certain other transition metals such as tantalum or molybdenum are also possible . aluminum is preferred . a separator layer is located between the two electrodes . the separator layer typically consists of a porous polymer film or thin sheet that serves as a spacer and prevents electrical contact between the positive and negative electrodes while allowing electrolyte to move freely through the pores of the film . suitable separator materials include those polymers that are relatively non - reactive , such as polypropylene , polyethylene , polyamide ( i . e ., nylon ), polysulfone , or polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ). the separator has a preferred thickness between about 25 μm to about 200 μm and a more preferred thickness of about 50 microns . the nonaqueous electrolyte can be any liquid nonaqueous electrolyte or combination of liquid nonaqueous electrolytes known in the art . the nonaqueous electrolyte can optionally include a polymeric electrolyte . typically , liquid nonaqueous electrolytes suitable for use in a lithium secondary cell consist of a lithium electrolyte salt dissolved in a dry organic solvent or mixture of dry organic solvents . suitable lithium electrolyte salts include : lithium perchlorate ( liclo 4 ), lithium trifluoro - methylsulfonate ( licf 3 so 3 ), lithium hexafluorophosphate ( lipf 6 ), lithium hexafluoroarsenate ( liasf 6 ), and lithium tetrafluoroborate ( libf 4 ). suitable organic electrolyte solvents include : diethyl carbonate ( dec ), ethylene carbonate ( ec ), propylene carbonate ( pc ), butylene carbonate ( bc ), dimethylcarbonate ( dmc ), dimethoxyethane ( dme ), dioxolane , γ - butyrolactone , diglyme , and mixtures thereof . the preferred electrolyte composition consists of a 1 m solution of lithium hexafluoroarsenate ( liasf 6 ), available under the trade name , selectipur from merck ) dissolved in a mixture of “ neat ” carbonates such as ethylene carbonate ( ec ), and dimethyl carbonate ( dmc ). a solution of lipf 6 also may be preferred as a replacement for the more toxic arsenic hexafluoride compound . generally , merck selectipur ® lp40 electrolyte was used . the composition of lp40 is 1 m lipf 6 in 1 : 1 w / w diethyl carbonate ( dec ): ethylene carbonate ( ec ). the electrodes , separator , and liquid or polymeric nonaqueous electrolyte are contained within a case or can . the case can take the form of a coin cell , button cell , cylindrical cell , prismatic cell , laminar cell or other standard cell geometry . the case can be made of a metal such as nickel , nickel clad or plated steel , stainless steel , aluminum or a polymeric material such as pvc , polypropylene , polysulfone , acrylic acid - butadiene - styrene terpolymer ( abs ), or polyamide . after the nonaqueous electrolyte solution is added to the cell , the case is tightly sealed to confine the electrolyte and inhibit infiltration by moisture and air into the cell . a spex certprep 8000m ® high - energy shaker mixer / mill was used for milling and mixing the materials of the present embodiment . however , using a high - energy mill such as the spex mill is not critical . since the intent of this embodiment was to achieve size reduction and intimate contact rather than such other effects such as mechanical alloying , lower energy mills such as tumblers and low speed shearing mills are possible and should be equally effective as the present shaker mixer / mill . the milling vessel was a standard model tungsten carbide ( wc ) lined cylinder ( also available from spex certprep ®) and has an internal volume of roughly 100 ml , and can be sealed by compressing flat rubber or cork gaskets at either end of the cylinder between the cylinder wall and two threaded end caps . several nominally 10 mm wc balls are used as the grinding media . particle size reduction may be somewhat better in the shaker mixer / mill than in lower energy mills , but milling for longer periods of time , or using higher milling powers , can create carbides in the mixed powders . a total silicon weight of about 6 grams was used . generally , however , a measured quantity ( 5 grams - 20 grams ) of 60 mesh silicon powder purchased from the aldrich chemical company or some similar supplier , was milled under an argon atmosphere for 4 hours with 4 - 12 tungsten carbide balls in the spex milling apparatus described above . normally , silicon is milled long enough to form a “ nanocrystalline ” microstructure ( particle sizes are sub - micron , but crystallite “ fines ” are ˜ 30 nm - 50 nm ). graphite is milled separately so that the carbon and silicon do not react during milling to form inactive silicon - carbides . when milled the graphite will either retain its crystallinity or become amorphous depending on the intensity and duration of milling . carbon , either in the form of graphite or in other forms such as amorphous carbon , or combinations of different forms of carbon , should work as the carbon component of the carbon - silicon composite . however , graphite is the preferred form of carbon . after milling the silicon for a predetermined time the graphite powder is added to the milled silicon and the powder combination mixed , rather than milled , for a period between about 1 minute and 5 hours ; usually about 15 minutes . therefore , silicon is milled for periods between about 0 . 5 hours to about 24 hours and graphite is added for only a final 15 minutes of milling . the equipment typically used to mix these kinds of powders consist of turbula ® mills , single and dual - cone blenders , stirred single dual - cone blenders , “ v ” blenders , horizontal troughs with rotary agitation ribbons , vibrating ball mill , and multi - axial shaker / mixer , and combinations of this equipment . in the present embodiment , the preferred weight of the carbon added to the milled silicon ranges from about 10 % by weight to about 95 % by weight of the milled silicon . graphite / silicon composites with the following compositions ( in weight percent ) were actually prepared in the foregoing manner described above : 90 % c / 10 % si , 80 % c / 20 % si , 70 % c / 30 % si , and 60 % c / 40 % si . composite graphite / silicon negative electrodes were prepared in the following manner : a slurry is made of a mixture of the powder and a polymer binder comprising polyvinylidene fluoride ( pvdf ) dissolved in a solvent such as n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone ( nmp ). the slurry is pasted onto a copper foil and dried under vacuum at 120 ° c . for about 2 hours . after the foil is dry , electrode discs are punched out of the foil using a ½ ″ diameter punch and die . when prepared this way , each of the negative electrodes typically have about 10 mg of the active c / si composite material . the exact ratios for the powder / binder mixtures need to be optimized for each system to obtain a suitable viscosity for the slurry . a powder / binder ratio of 90 wt % powder and 10 wt % pvdf , and binder solution comprising 5 wt % pvdf / 95 wt % nmp was settled on for the present embodiment . “ cells ” are assembled by placing the punched electrode disc together with a lithium foil as the counter electrode and an intervening disc of separator material . celgard ® polypropylene is used as the separator which is saturated with one of the merck selectipur ® series of electrolytes ( typically 1 m lipf 6 dissolved in a mixture of ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate ). this assembly is then fitted into a custom built swagelok - type cell fixture . these cells are sealed under an inert atmosphere in an argon - filled glove box . all of the cell cycling is performed galvanostatically , i . e ., at constant current . a full cycle is defined by the following 4 steps : 1 . applying a cathodic current ( li insertion into si / c ) until a cathodic voltage limit is reached ; 50 mv vs . li / li + in the present embodiment . 3 . applying an anodic current ( li removal from si / c ) until an anodic voltage limit is reached ; 1000 mv vs . li / li + in the present embodiment . current density is always the same as in step 1 . ; and the cells prepared in the manner described above have been tested through 20 cycles or more . fig1 is a typical plot of one these experiments . the current is controlled and the voltage is measured . from these plots , we generate the capacity vs . cycle number experiments shown in fig2 . the capacity is given by c s = it / m , where c s is the specific capacity ( mahr / g ), i is the current ( ma ), t is time to reach the voltage limit in step 1 or step 3 ( hr ), and m is the mass of the active material in the electrode . in the present case , the mass of both the carbon and silicon are counted as active material . each material comprises two curves on these plots , consisting of an insertion capacity ( from step 1 ) and a discharge capacity ( from step 3 ). we want the discharge capacity to be as high as possible ( large energy density ) and as close to the insertion capacity as possible so that the efficiency for li insertion / removal is high . graphite has a benchmark of about 340 mahr / g for the discharge capacity and is currently the most common material used in lithium - ion secondary cells . moreover , graphite can operate over hundreds of cycles without much loss in capacity and this longevity is the most difficult issue for metallic electrodes . the composite materials of the present embodiment have significantly higher capacities than graphite alone and have cycle lives that are much improved over prior art silicon - based electrode materials . in fig3 a plot of the cycling results of the discharge capacities are shown for composite negative electrodes having several different graphite / silicon compositions . [ 0058 ] fig4 shows the theoretical capacities based on the material &# 39 ; s silicon and graphite composition . the data points are the maximum discharge capacities that we have actually observed with our materials . | 7 |
fig1 is a block diagram of the basic components of the present system . block 10 shows that the start of the system requires a secure system for generating and controlling and tracking encrypted symbolic codes that signify the outcome of the particular game of chance to be played by the player . these codes are called &# 34 ; destiny codes &# 34 ; because their primary function is to store the outcome of the game of chance . the codes can , in addition , store other data that assists in the playing of the game , the tracking of the game , the security of the game , or any other data that may enhance the game or its operation . if the player knew the procedure to decode the destiny code , the player would be able to determine if the destiny code contained a winning chance or a losing chance . the total and actual result of the game is encoded in the destiny code . by decoding the destiny code one reveals whether or not a game was a winner or a loser , and if it was a winner , the prize won . the system for generating the destiny codes stores the codes on a secure medium called the game medium . the process of storing the destiny codes on the game medium is identified in block 11 , and the game medium is signified in block 12 . the process of storing the destiny codes on the game medium depends on the type of game medium used . if , for example , the game medium is paper , then the storing of the destiny codes is through printing . if the game medium is a computer then the storage of the destiny codes includes magnetic or laser techniques . the game medium allows for the storing of several destiny codes . security can be added to provide a deterrent to theft and fraud . once a destiny code is generated and stored , a player can acquire that destiny code and use the code in the play of a game . because the destiny code stores the actual outcome of the game , the code must be processed to discover how the game should play . block 13 indicates the step of decrypting and decoding of a destiny code . using the code , a player is now allowed to play an amusement game signified by block 14 . the game can be a completely random game where the player achieves points or awards . the game is purely for player enjoyment , and is used to give the feel of a completely random game of chance . one example of the game is a horse race in which the player is given a predetermined number of dollars to bet . at some point , either at the discretion of the player or the necessity of the game ( all races have been run or the player has run out of money ), the amusement game comes to an end . the system now begins the playing of the actual game which is shown in block 15 . the purpose of the actual game is to display , in a pleasing fashion , the actual prize that is stored in the destiny code and to display the game results as though there is a completely random element . one example of how the actual game interfaces with the horse race game is as follows . in this example the actual game is a lottery . the player could use the winnings from the horse race game to purchase fictitious lottery tickets . the player can have the computer select the tickets or the player can select the tickets . if the player is out of money the system will award one lottery ticket to the player . at this point the actualization game determines the outcome of this game by using the destiny code . if the destiny code indicates the player is to win $ 25 . 00 , then the system will select and display numbers that match the player &# 39 ; s fictitious lottery tickets in a combination that wins the person $ 25 . 00 . if the destiny code indicates that the player is to lose , then the system will select and display numbers that do not match the player &# 39 ; s fictitious lottery tickets so the player will view a losing game . for example , assume the actual game requires three numbers to match to win $ 25 . 00 , and the player has two lottery tickets . the first ticket contains the numbers 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 and the second contains the numbers 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 . if the destiny code states that the player should win $ 25 . 00 , the actualization game will select a set of numbers that make the player win the $ 25 . 00 actual prize . the actualization game displays , in a pleasing and seemingly random fashion , numbers being picked . the winning lottery numbers 21 , 30 , 6 , 23 , 24 , 4 match three numbers from the second lottery ticket ( 21 , 23 , 24 ) and not enough numbers ( you must have at least 3 to win ) from the first ticket to cause the first ticket to win . if the destiny code indicates that the player should not win , then the actualization game will select a set of numbers that do not create a winning combination from any of the lottery tickets , for example , the numbers 1 , 2 , 20 , 21 , 50 , 60 , or 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 0 . the games of block 14 and block 15 can be run as one system , such as a poker game . the amusement / actualization game receives the destiny code which then sets up the game as a win or lose . the system displays a deck of cards and a display key that shows the jackpots and winning rules . the key could illustrate 1 pair =$ 10 . 00 , 3 of a kind =$ 15 . 00 , 2 pair =$ 20 . 00 , a straight =$ 50 . 00 and a royal flush =$ 100 . 00 . the system shows five cards to the player , for example , a 10 , jack , 4 , 6 , and an 8 . the player discards the 4 , 6 , 8 and the system , depending on the destiny code , will display cards that provide a winning or losing hand . if the code indicates the player is to win $ 10 . 00 , cards 10 , 2 , and 4 may be dealt , so the player will have 10 , 10 , jack , 2 , 4 . two tens , 1 pair , wins $ 10 . 00 . the rules of the game will be set up in such a way so the destiny code can have full control and freedom to display the actual outcome of the game . if the above example was destined to be a loser then cards such as 2 , 3 , 4 could have been dealt . block 16 indicates redeeming the winnings . a player brings the game medium to a redemption and verification system to verify the validity of the game medium and the destiny code and payout the winnings to the player or reject the card as a loser . fig2 is a block diagram of the basic components of the self - contained amusement / actualization embodiment of the present game . this system allows a player to acquire a game medium with at least one destiny code in order for a player to play an exciting game and discover the outcome of the game without human intervention . block 17 signifies the acquisition of a game medium . acquisition can be in any form , for example , a purchase from a salesperson or an automated destiny code machine shown in fig4 . the game medium includes one or more stored destiny codes . a player wishing to purchase destiny codes reads the instructions on the instruction touch screen 33 of a sales device ( fig4 ) and enters answers to questions such as &# 34 ; how many tickets do you want to buy ?&# 34 ; money is put into a bill validater 34 . a game medium reader / writer 35 creates a new game medium or adds new destiny codes to an existing game medium . the sales device can have predetermined destiny codes stored in it or it could be connected on - line and act as a destiny code terminal similar to a bank atm . this allows many sales devices ( fig4 ) to give destiny codes under the control of a single organization and through a single computer or network . players bring the game medium , in block 18 ( fig2 ) to a self - contained amusement + actualization device shown in fig5 and allows the game medium reader / writer 36 to read the destiny codes from the game medium . the self - contained amusement + actualization device then reads in any order or in a sequential fashion , the destiny codes . if a destiny code has not been used , the device will allow the person to play the game to discover the outcome concealed in the destiny code . fig5 illustrates a slot type machine . at block 19 ( fig2 ) the player pulls the handle 38 ( fig5 ), and the reels on the screen 37 spin and stop in an order that shows the outcome indicated by the destiny code . fig5 illustrates display 37 displaying a losing combination , $ 1 , $ 2 , $ 2 , on pay line 40 . the key that shows which combinations are valid winners is displayed on the game instructions screen 39 . screen 39 is a programmable screen that allows for the playing of any destiny codes possible winning combinations . figure 5 illustrates screen 39 for a game in which the maximum actual prize is $ 10 . 00 as controlled by the destiny code . if the destiny code indicated that the actual prize might be as great at $ 1 , 000 . 00 , the game instructions screen would dynamically display this information . now that the game has been played and a destiny code has been decrypted and decoded the game medium is marked by the game medium reader / writer 36 ( fig5 ) to show that that particular destiny code has been played . if the player won at block 20 , the self - contained amusement + actualization device can either pay out the prize through the pay out slot 41 ( fig5 ) or the device will instruct the player of the outcome or redemption instructions on the game instruction screen 39 . the game medium reader / writer 36 marks the game medium to show that the card contains a winner or loser and that the destiny code has been used . redemption can also be accomplished at the automated destiny code machine , fig4 . a player allows the automated destiny code device ( fig4 ) to read the game medium at the game medium reader / writer 35 . the instruction screen 33 will display instructions and information about the game medium and the stored destiny codes . pay out can be received at the pay out slot 42 . referring to fig3 the self - contained amusement + actualization device program operates as follows . the system reads the game medium and checks to see if the game medium has been used at block 21 . if the medium has been used , the amusement + actualization device displays an error at block 24 and exits . if the game medium has not been used , the program checks to see if the destiny code is valid at block 22 . if the code is invalid , that is an indication of tampering or fraud , so the amusement + actualization device will notify security at block 23 , display an error at display 24 , and then exit . if the destiny code is valid at block 22 then the amusement + actualization device will decrypt the destiny code and decode the destiny code at block 25 . this operation makes the destiny code readable . a determination is made at block 26 to see whether the destiny code indicates a win or loss . if the destiny code is a loser then the system sets the variables of the game so that the game will display a losing outcome at block 27 . if the destiny code is a winner then the system sets the variables of the game so that the game will display a winning outcome at block 28 . player initiates play at block 29 and then the outcome of the destiny code is shown on the amusement + actualization display screen 37 ( fig5 ). the game medium is marked at block 30 to show that that particular destiny code has been used . if there is an actual prize to be redeemed at block 31 , the system at block 32 either pays out the prize or instructs the player to take the game medium to a redemption location . fig6 illustrates the on - line embodiment of the present game . the player acquires at least one destiny code on a game medium at block 43 . the player brings the game medium to a home computer or an interactive tv system or some type of on - line service device at block 44 called the player &# 39 ; s terminal . a connection is made at block 45 between the players terminal 44 and the on - line system block 46 . the on - line system 46 controls a game as shown in fig8 - 13 . block 46 indicates the basic components necessary for the implementation of the on - line use . the on - line system will request the player &# 39 ; s destiny code at block 47 and then will check the destiny code for its validity . if the destiny code is valid and un - played the online service will decrypt and decode the destiny code at block 48 . the on - line service now interactively plays an amusement game with the player at block 49 . the player is awarded fictitious awards and plays until the player wishes to play the actualization game or until the games rules require . the on - line service now interactively plays an actualization game with the player at block 50 . the actualization game uses the fictitious awards in a way that gives the appearance that the awards have a value in the actualization game . the actualization game then displays in some interesting and exciting fashion the game &# 39 ; s outcome that was concealed in the destiny code . the on - line system can store destiny codes and not allow the codes to be played twice . the player will now take the game medium to a redemption center and claim the actual prize , if any , at block 51 . referring to fig7 a block diagram of a further embodiment of the present system is illustrated . players acquire at least one destiny code that is made compatible with the present software , and is stored on a game medium at block 52 . the player now acquires a compatible game at block 53 . any compatible game will be able to determine the outcome of any compatible destiny code . since only the outcome of the game is stored in the destiny code , and not the way in which the game should be played or its rules , many different types of compatible games will be developed to appeal to many different likes and interests . playing the compatible game allows the player to discover the outcome of the compatible destiny code at block 54 . the compatible game will then instruct the player about how to claim the actual prize , if any is due , at block 55 . referring to fig8 - 13 , software flow charts are illustrated for the present game . the program begins at the start block 110 where the player starts the program . the program will run as a stair computer program . the program is loaded into memory , and will set up program variables and display a &# 34 ; welcome &# 34 ; screen . the system will request at least one destiny code from the player at block 112 . in order for the player to access this program , the player will be required to enter a destiny code . this destiny code is be stored in a separate location . the destiny code , for example , can be located on a plastic piece that is attached to the floppy diskette or cd rom which stores the program . the plastic piece , in order for the disk to be used , must be broken off . once the plastic piece is broken off , the piece can be opened like a book to reveal the destiny code . the destiny code includes encoded control information for security purposes , such as , for example manufacturers code , lot number , game type , version number of the game and other information . program information includes whether the destiny code is a winner or a loser ; the amount of money that the destiny code wins ; the minimum prize for this game ; the maximum prize for this game ; and related game details . this destiny code will be the actual number that can be entered at a redemption site to indicate whether or not the game medium contains a winning game , independent of whether or not the game is played . the destiny code is the control number that is kept separate and physically off the disk . at block 112 , the destiny code is requested . there will be a check at block 114 to see if that destiny code is valid . if there is a missing number or if the number is not within the range of valid numbers then the program will go back and request the number again . this loop can be expanded by adding a feature that after a certain number of entries of the destiny code the diskette is wiped clean so that if a player is just trying to find out which destiny codes win and lose they will be thwarted . if the destiny code is valid , the program will then read a history file at block 116 . in this history file will be information as to the number of times the game medium was played , information about how many times this particular player has played , information about different habits that this player has during play , and general information as to what has transpired during the game . the serial numbers from the computer &# 39 ; s bios from the different computers that the game medium was used will be stored so when a winner comes to claim a prize , the gaming authorities could process that disk and see how many different computers the disk was played on and then check for fraud . the history file will be used to check for security . the history file can also be used for the player to display their wins and losses so the player can keep track for tax purposes . block 118 is a decision block identified as &# 34 ; game encrypted because lotto was played &# 34 ;. to increase sales , a lottery operator may wish to have the games run only once . if this is the case after the lotto game is played the game medium is rendered unusable through encryption . the status of the game at that point is checked . if the game is a winner , a screen will be displayed that shows it is a winner . if the game is a loser , the final results will be displayed and the player cannot play that game again . this is a security measure . if the game has been encrypted , then the program will display an error at block 120 along with the final status of the game . the game cannot be played anymore and the program exits at block 122 . if the game has not been encrypted , that means that this is the first time the game has been played or the game has not been completed . block 124 displays the &# 34 ; introduction screen directions , video music and credits &# 34 ;. this would be the main welcome screen . at this point the program will display information , including , for example , a video describing the different games that are available . the video may include scenes of the old west or a space theme . if the game is a puzzle , elements of the puzzle would be described . the program will wait for a key to be pressed or some button to be pressed at block 126 . as soon as the key is pressed , the program proceeds to block 128 to display the main game menu and to allow for game selection . the menu could be in the form of a picture of a street , a horse track and race field , a casino , and a lottery redemption center . games including horses , block 130 ; play 21 , block 134 ; and play lotto , block 132 , are for illustration purposes and are just examples of a few types of games that can be used with the present invention . at this point in the game , the player can be really brought into the game . displays can illustrate a city with a road map or the actual visuals that the player can click to get to different places . the player can play the game like an interactive adventure game . the ultimate extreme allows the player to actually play the game and get involved in the game . if the game is a murder mystery of some type , the player may find clues and then play sherlock holmes . and once the player solves the crime the player would win fictitious awards that allow him to gain additional fictitious chances for the lotto drawing at the end of this game . referring to fig9 if the player selects the play 21 game , block 134 ( fig8 ), the program will check at block 138 to see if the player has money . if the player has more than zero dollars , then the player can continue with the game . if the player does not have any money , the program will display a no money message at block 140 and the player will go back to the display game menu , block 128 ( fig8 ). if the player has more than zero dollars , the 21 game screen is displayed at block 142 . the 21 game screen can display a dealer , in progress with a person watching as in a casino in the year 1995 or if the game is based on an old west casino theme , the display could include music playing in the background , and girls dancing on a stage with a dirty old cowboy dealing . after the 21 game screen is displayed , the program requests a bet at block 144 . the player places a wager . at block 146 , a decision is made ; if the bet is greater than the money the player has , an error is displayed at block 148 and another bet is requested . if the bet is less than the money that the player has , the bet is accepted at block 150 , and an operation performed to subtract the bet amount from the money variable ( the money the player has ) and to increase the bet variable by the bet amount . for example , if the player has $ 10 in his money variable , and he makes a $ 5 bet , the bet variable would increase by $ 5 and the money would decrease from $ 10 to $ 5 . at block 152 , the system and player history files are updated . the history file is a detailed security file . the player &# 39 ; s history file will have information about playing statistics ; for example , how many hands the player won and how many hands the player lost . the game &# 39 ; s history file will have more detailed information for instance , if the program was terminated by a debugging program or modified by some type of nonstandard means and it will keep track of these incidences to help ferret out fraud . at block 154 , a decision is made to determine if the main menu button was pressed . the player might begin a hand and then decide that before the hand is dealt that he wants to go back to the main menu . if the player gets to that point and places the bet , the player can click the &# 34 ; go to main menu &# 34 ; button at the bottom of the screen . at that point the program will reverse his bet block 156 , for example , take $ 5 out of the bet variable and add it to the money variable . this will return the program back to block 128 ( fig8 ). if the player did not press the &# 34 ; go to main menu &# 34 ; button block 154 he will then play one hand of 21 at block 158 . the program can flow as follows . the program deals cards . the house will be the computer in this game . the player will play against the computer . if the outcome at block 160 is that the player won , then the winnings get added to the money variable at block 162 , so if the player &# 39 ; s hand is a 10 and a jack , and the dealer has a 10 and a 7 the player wins . the $ 10 winnings would be added to the money variable and the bet variable would be zeroed out . if the player loses at block 164 , then the bet variable is zeroed out and the house &# 39 ; s winnings are increase by $ 5 . if the hand results in a push at block 166 , meaning that both the player and the house had the same hand and the dealer could not take another card , for example both have a 10 and an 8 , then the bet is added back to the players money account and no gain or loss is incurred . the history file is updated at block 168 . the player can then decide to continue play at block 170 or return to the main menu , block 128 ( fig8 ). referring to fig1 , the program for the play horses block 130 ( fig8 ) is illustrated . at block 174 , the system checks to see if the player has more money than zero dollars . if the money variable is not greater than zero , block 176 displays a message and the player continues to the game menu block 128 ( fig8 ). if the player &# 39 ; s money variable is greater than zero the horse race screen is displayed at block 178 and a bet is requested at block 180 . if the bet is greater than the money available , determined at block 182 , an error will be displayed at block 184 and another bet will be requested . if the bet is not greater than the money available , the bet will be accepted at block 186 and then subtracted from the money variable and then added to the bet variable . if the player has $ 100 and bets $ 10 on horse # 2 , the amount bet on horse # 2 is increased by $ 10 . the history file and the player &# 39 ; s history file are updated at block 188 . at block 190 , the &# 34 ; go to main menu &# 34 ; button status is checked . if the button is pressed , the bet will be reversed at block 192 and the player will return to the game menu at block 128 ( fig8 ). if the main menu button is not pressed , the horse race is run at block 194 and the outcome is displayed at block 196 . the display of the race at block 194 can show actual video of horses or a computer animated screen . the player could even play a jockey and run the race . if the player loses , the bet is subtracted at block 198 and the game &# 39 ; s history file and the player &# 39 ; s history file are updated at block 200 . if the player wins , the winnings are calculated at block 202 . at block 204 , the player can continue play or return to game menu block 128 ( fig8 ). referring simultaneously to fig1 , 12 , and 13 , a third game , play lotto , block 132 ( fig8 ), is illustrated for use with the present invention . a welcome screen is displayed at block 208 . the system checks to see if the player &# 39 ; s money variable contains greater than zero dollars at block 210 . if the money variable does not contain more than the price of a single lotto ticket , the system will give the player the price of a single lotto ticket or any predetermined amount at block 212 . at block 214 , the system checks to determine if the money variable is greater than zero to determine if the purchase of more lotto tickets is possible . there are methods in which you can purchase lottery tickets . at decision block 216 , the player selects either a random pick ticket , in which the computer selects at block 218 all of the lotto numbers for the player or the player can select numbers at block 220 . at block 222 , a check is made to determine if this ticket is a duplicate . if the ticket is a duplicate , a duplicate ticket error is displayed at block 224 and the program returns to block 214 . for the random ticket , if a duplicate ticket is determined the computer re - selects a number until no duplicate is selected . if this ticket is not a duplicate at block 228 , a charge for the ticket is made by decreasing the money variable by the cost of the ticket . referring to fig1 , the system will then display the purchased ticket at block 230 . a decision is made at block 232 to determine if money variable contains more than zero dollars . if the money variable does , the program returns to block 214 ( fig1 ) and the program continues purchasing tickets until the player has used all dollars in the money variable . the program calculates its predetermined outcome at block 234 using the destiny code that has already been decrypted and decoded at block 112 ( fig8 ). the outcome may be determined , for example , by comparing the destiny code to a lookup table to determine if the number is a loser or a winner and the size of the prize if any . for example , if the series of digits in the destiny code indicates that the game is a $ 75 winner , then the system will set up a winning lotto drawing . the decision is made at block 236 . if the card is not a winner , then the computer will randomly select a set of losing numbers at block 238 . the computer will select a set of numbers randomly , and then check to see if any of the cards match that set of numbers in a winning manner . if none of the cards match in a winning manner , that set of numbers will be displayed at block 240 in an exciting and interesting lotto like display . the set of numbers could be displayed by spinning a wheel or by picking a ball from an air filled lucite cage . this will give the appearance of randomness even though the outcome was predetermined at the time the destiny code was created . if this card is a winner , then the system will select at least one of the lottery tickets to be the winner at block 242 . at block 244 , the system will take into consideration the pay - out schedules when making the winning number selection . for example , if the destiny code contains is a $ 75 winner , the computer can let one lotto ticket win $ 75 or 3 lotto tickets win $ 25 each , if the player has three lotto tickets . this is the main reason for not allowing duplicate tickets . if a player had $ 11 , and selected 11 of the same tickets and this card was a winner , there might not be a pleasing way to award a $ 75 prize out of 11 different tickets that have the same sequence of numbers on them . the reason that a player is given one ticket , is because if the card is a winner the program must have at least one lotto ticket to show the outcome of the destiny code . block 240 now displays the numbers one at a time as though they were just randomly selected . referring to fig1 , at block 246 , the program saves the player &# 39 ; s statistical and historical data , to a player selected location so the player can track his game play . at block 248 , this file is copied to the game medium so that the organization that runs the game can track the player &# 39 ; s habits as well . a standard format can be used , for example , on the player &# 39 ; s computer , one pc file can track the history of every game played . this file can be copied to the game medium to develop a complete historical makeup of the different things that this player has been doing and this information can be used for marketing and security purposes . block 250 allows the player to print out the results of the game and other statistics . if a printout is desired , at block 252 a ticket with encrypted control data is printed . inquiry is made at block 254 to ensure the ticket has printed properly . if the game is designed to run only once , the game medium is encrypted at block 256 . at block 258 , a decision by the player is made to end the game or return to the game menu , block 128 ( fig8 ). if the player decides to end game , a screen will be displayed that tells the player how to redeem his prize , if any is due . game medium is brought to a redemption center . the redemption center processes the destiny code and awards any prizes that are due . whereas the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments thereof , it will be understood that various changes and modifications will be suggested to one skilled in the art and it is intended to encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims . | 8 |
fig1 shows a compound semiconductor luminescent device of this invention , in which an n - type zns conductive layer 12 , an n - type zns luminescent layer 13 , and a zns high - resistivity current injection layer 14 capable of transmitting ultraviolet light are successively formed on an n - type zns single - crystal substrate 11 by an epitaxial growth method . a metal electrode 15 which serves as a negative electrode is disposed on the n - type zns single - crystal substrate 11 , and a metal electrode 16 for current injection is disposed on the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 14 . the current injection metal electrode 16 and the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 14 are covered with a protective film 17 capable of transmitting ultraviolet light , except for the connecting terminal portion of the metal electrode 16 . the n - type zns single - crystal substrate 11 has a thickness of about 200 to 500 μm , and the resistivity thereof is in the range of 1 to 10 ωcm . the n - type zns single - crystal substrate 11 is prepared by , for example , heat treatment of a zns high - resistivity bulk single crystal , which has been grown by an iodine transport method or the like , in a melt of zn - al ( the ratio of al being 10 %) kept at about 1000 ° c . for about 100 hours . the n - type zns conductive layer 12 , the n - type zns luminescent layer 13 , and the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 14 successively formed on the n - type zns single - crystal substrate 11 are grown by , for example , molecular beam epitaxy ( mbe ). the n - type zns conductive layer 12 is doped with an n - type impurity such as al so as to have a low resistance of about a few ohms or less . when the amount of al added is in the range of 10 18 to 3 × 10 20 cm - 3 , the conductive layer 12 can have an electron concentration substantially the same as the al concentration therein . for example , when the carrier concentration is 10 20 cm - 3 and the layer thickness is 0 . 5 μm or more , the resistance on the surface of the conductive layer 12 can be several ohms . when the carrier concentration 10 19 cm - 3 and the layer thickness is about 3 μm , the resistance on the surface of the conductive layer 12 can be 10 ω or less . as an n - type impurity element , gallium ( ga ), indium ( in ), thallium ( tl ), chlorine ( cl ), fluorine ( f ), bromine ( br ), iodine ( i ), silicon ( si ), germanium ( ge ), or the like can also be used , as well as al mentioned above . the n - type zns luminescent layer 13 is doped with an n - type impurity in the same way as for the above - mentioned conductive layer 12 . the luminescent layer 13 in this example has a resistivity of about 10 - 2 to 10 ωcm and a carrier concentration of 10 19 cm - 3 or less . in the luminescent layer 13 , to convert energy released by the recombination of injected carriers to ultraviolet light with high efficiency , the luminescent centers which cause light emission other than ultraviolet light , that is , the luminescent centers in deep energy levels must be reduced as much as possible . in this example , because the luminescent layer 13 is composed of a homoepitaxial zns layer with high crystallinity , ultraviolet light of high intensity can be emitted when the carrier concentration is 2 × 10 19 cm - 3 or less . although the thickness of the luminescent layer 13 varies depending on the carrier concentration , ultraviolet light of sufficiently high intensity can be emitted when the thickness of the luminescent layer 13 is 0 . 5 μm or more . the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 14 is a layer for injecting holes to the luminescent layer 13 . the current injection layer 14 must have high resistance and high crystallinity . to allow the current injection layer 14 to have high resistance , the addition of an impurity is effective . as an impurity element to be added , it is preferable to use lithium ( li ), sodium ( na ), potassium ( k ), calcium ( ca ), strontium ( sr ), copper ( cu ), silver ( ag ), gold ( au ), nitrogen ( n ), phosphorus ( p ), arsenic ( as ), antimony ( sb ), silicon ( si ), germanium ( ge ), carbon ( c ), oxygen ( 0 ), or the like . by adding at least one kind of these elements at a concentration of 10 19 cm - 3 or less , a stable high - resistivity layer can be obtained . in order that the high - resistivity current injection layer 14 is allowed to transmit the emitted ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 337 to 340 nm , the thickness of this layer is require - to be about 0 . 5 μm or less . to cause effective carrier injection , the layer thickness is preferably set to 0 . 1 μm or less . moreover , the layer thickness is set to 2 nm or more so that the current injection layer 14 is not damaged when a voltage is applied thereto . the metal electrode 16 for current injection ( i . e ., for hole injection ) disposed on the high - resistivity current injection layer 14 is preferably made of gold or platinum . a very stable electrode with high density can be obtained by thermal deposition or electron - beam deposition of these metals under a very highly reduced pressure of 10 - 8 to 10 - 9 torr which is higher than the ordinary reduced pressure of 10 - 5 to 10 - 6 torr for vacuum deposition of forming an electrode . when a thin film of gold or platinum is used as the metal electrode 16 , the metal thin film with a thickness of about 2 . 5 nm is sufficient to function as an electrode . moreover , the metal electrode 16 with such a thickness can transmit ultraviolet light . when the metal electrode 16 is a thin film with a thickness of about 2 . 5 to 10 nm , internal resistance of the metal electrode increases . to decrease the internal resistance , the connecting terminal portion of the metal electrode is formed to have a thickness of about 50 to 100 nm , or the metal electrode is divided into two or more portions . the ultraviolet light transmitting protective film 17 , which is disposed to cover both the metal electrode 16 and the current injection layer 14 , is an insulating film with a high transmittance to light in the region of ultraviolet light . the protective film 17 is formed by a method such as sputtering , or optical or thermal chemical vapor deposition . as described above , both the high - resistivity current injection layer 14 and the metal electrode 16 for current injection are thin , so that they may deteriorate in an atmosphere when ultraviolet light is emitted . however , the coating of the high - resistive current injection layer 14 and the metal electrode 16 for current injection with the protective film 17 in this way prevent them from deteriorating . with the use of at least one kind of compounds including al 2 o 3 , si 3 n 4 , aln , bn , kcl , kbr , kf , nacl , nabr , naf , caf 2 , cabr 2 , srf 2 , srbr 2 , cacl 12 , srcl 2 , baf 2 , cas , case , srs , srse , bas , and base , or with the use of at least one kind of mixtures of these compounds with zns or zns x se 1 - x , as the protective film 17 , it is possible to obtain a luminescent device with excellent heat resistance ( 100 ° c . or less ) and excellent moisture resistance ( 90 % or less ). the metal electrode 15 as the negative electrode disposed on the n - type zns single - crystal substrate 11 is formed by vacuum deposition of at least one kind of in , al , or ga on the substrate 11 . the metal electrode 15 formed in this way has an excellent ohmic contact with the zns substrate 11 . also , when the metal electrode 15 is deposed at a very highly reduced pressure of 10 - 8 to 10 - 9 torr , the contact resistance of this electrode is further decreased . the compound semiconductor luminescent device with such a structure operated very stably at an applied voltage of 5 - 10 v and at a current value of 0 . 1 - 100 ma , and ultraviolet light emission of 338 nm was obtained . when the carrier concentration in the luminescent layer 13 is 2 × 10 18 cm - 3 or more , a wide blue luminescent band having a peak at around 460 nm is produced by doping . because the intensity of light emission is one half or less than the intensity of light having a peak at 338 nm , only the intensity of ultraviolet light having a peak at 338 nm is increased when the amount of injection current is increased . when the concentration of carriers in the luminescent layer 13 is 1 × 10 17 cm - 3 , light emission at around 460 nm can almost be ignored , even at a low current of 1 ma or less , in comparison with ultraviolet light having a peak at 338 nm . although in the above - mentioned example , the zns conductive layer 12 , the zns luminescent layer 13 , and the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 14 are successively grown on the zns single - crystal substrate 11 by an mbe method to produce a compound semiconductor luminescent device , a compound semiconductor luminescent device with the same structure can also be obtained by an mocvd method . as described above , because epitaxially grown layers including a luminescent layer have completely the same composition as that of the substrate ( i . e ., homoepitaxial growth ), the quality of the epitaxially grown layers is considerably improved , and the density of defects is about one hundredth that of conventional luminescent devices . as a result , compared with conventional luminescent devices in which a zns epitaxially grown layer is formed on a substrate such as gallium arsenide ( gaas ), gallium phosphide ( gap ), or silicon ( si ), ( i . e ., a heteroepitaxially grown layer ), the brightness of ultraviolet light emission itself is improved tenfold or more , and the efficiency of current injection and the luminous efficiency are also considerably improved . fig2 shows another compound semiconductor luminescent device of this invention . in this luminescent device , an n - type zns low - resistivity conductive layer 22 is formed on a high - resistivity zns single - crystal substrate 21 by an epitaxial growth method . on the conductive layer 22 except for its one edge portion , an n - type zns x se 1 - x low - resistivity conductive layer 23 , an n - type zns x se 1 - x low - resistivity luminescent layer 24 , and a zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 are successively formed by an epitaxial growth method , for example , an mbe method . on the portion of the conductive layer 22 other than the edge portion on which the n - type zns x se 1 - x low - resistivity conductive layer 23 is formed , a negative electrode 27 is disposed . in the center of the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 , there is provided a recessed portion so that the center portion becomes thin , and a positive electrode 26 is disposed on the bottom surface of the recessed portion . thus , current is injected to the luminescent layer 24 through the thin portion of the current injection layer 25 . the upper surface of the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 and the upper surface of the positive electrode 26 are coated with a protective film 28 , except for the connecting terminal portion of the electrode 26 . the luminescent device has cleavage planes perpendicular to each epitaxially grown layer , and ultraviolet light is emitted from these cleavage planes and the upper surface of the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 . in the luminescent device of this example , a high - resistivity zns single - crystal substrate 21 is used in place of the n - type single - crystal substrate 11 of the example 1 . therefore , the zns single - crystal substrate 21 can be formed by an iodine transport method , a sublimation method , or the like , but heat treatment of the substrate 21 is not required as was the case for the substrate 11 of example 1 . the n - type zns low - resistivity conductive layer 22 formed on the substrate 21 , is doped with an n - type impurity such as al at a concentration of 4 × 10 19 cm - 3 in the same way as that of example 1 , so that the concentration of carriers is 3 . 5 × 10 19 cm - 3 , and further the n - type zns low - resistivity conductive layer 22 has a thickness of 3 μm , so that the surface resistance within the layer is 5 ω or less . the n - type zns x se 1 - x conductive layer 23 formed on the n - type zns low - resistivity conductive layer 22 is also doped with al as an n - type impurity so as to have low resistance in the same level as that of the n - type zns low - resistivity conductive layer 22 . the mole fraction x of s in the n - type zns x se - x conductive layer 23 is set to a value in the range of 0 . 75 to 0 . 95 so that the ultraviolet light emission wavelength of the luminescent device of this example falls in the range of 340 to 420 nm . in the laminate structure composed of the n - type zns low - resistivity conductive layer 22 and the n - type zns x se 1 - x conductive layer 23 , when an n - type zns x se 1 - x low - resistivity layer is epitaxially grown on the n - type zns low - resistivity conductive layer 22 , a difference between the lattice constants will occur . however , by gradually increasing the ratio of se when the zns x se 1 - x low - resistivity conductive layer 23 is grown , the zns x se 1 - x low - resistivity conductive layer 23 with excellent crystallinity can be obtained . moreover , because the constituent elements of these low - resistivity conductive layers 22 and 23 are group ii and vi elements , these constituent elements do not have a tendency to become an impurity for each other , so that electrical and optical properties of each layer can be controlled very readily . this feature is quite different from the case where a heteroepitaxial growth is performed by the use of a substrate of gaas , gap , si , or the like . in the n - type zns x se 1 - x conductive layer 23 , when the same amount of al is added thereto , the carrier concentration increases as the mole fraction x decreases . therefore , even when the mole fraction x of s is about 0 . 75 , the thickness of the conductive layer of 0 . 5 μm or more is sufficient . in the n - type zns x se 1 - x low - resistivity luminescent layer 24 formed on the n - type zns x se 1 - x conductive layer 23 , when the concentration of al added as an n - type impurity is 5 × 10 18 cm - 3 or less , light emission from the luminescent layer 23 gives substantially ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 340 to 420 nm , so that light emission in the wave length range of in the wavelength range of 470 to 600 nm from deep energy levels generated by doping can virtually be ignored . because ultraviolet light emitted from the n - type zns x se 1 - x low - resistivity luminescent layer 24 is of a wavelength equal to or longer than the absorption edge wavelength ( i . e ., 335 nm ) of the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 , no consideration of the absorption by the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 is required . the thickness of the thin film portion , which is formed by the recessed portion provided in the center of the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 , is set to a value of 2 to 100 nm so that carriers ( i . e ., holes ) can sufficiently be injected . the thickness of the peripheral portion of the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 is set to 1 μm or more . such a structure of the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 allows the ultraviolet light emitted from the luminescent layer 24 to be guided along the junction plane between the luminescent layer 24 and the high - resistivity current injection layer 25 , so that the ultraviolet light can be taken out from the cleavage planes as well as from the upper surface of the high - resistivity current injection layer 25 . the recessed portion of the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 is formed by irradiating with light while the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 is grown by an mbe method . the irradiation light is generated by , for example , a he - cd laser with an output power of 20 mw at a wavelength of 325 nm . for example , when the planer dimensions of the luminescent device is 2 mm × 2 mm , the laser light is irradiated at an output power of 1 to 5 mw , within a circle of 1 mm in diameter at the center of the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 . the laser light is irradiated at the time when the thin film portion , in which current will be injected , of the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 is grown to have a desired thickness ( e . g ., 30 nm ). then , the growth of zns in the irradiated region is stopped , and zns is grown only on the peripheral portion other than the irradiated region for about 30 minutes to 3 hours so that the thickness of zns is about 1 to 5 μm , resulting in a zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 with a recessed portion . to form a recessed portion of the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 25 , light separated from xe lamp light containing ultraviolet light with an output power of about 10 mw / nm or more , shg light of either an excimer laser or ar laser , or thg light of a yag laser , or the like , can be used , as well as he - cd laser light . the high - resistivity current injection layer 25 is not limited to zns , but zns y te 1 - y ( the mole fraction y of s being 0 . 9 to 1 . 0 ) can be used . in this case , a high - resistivity current injection layer with high quality can be obtained , which improves current injection efficiency . as an impurity for controlling resistance in this case , the impurity added to the zns high - resistivity current injection layer 14 of example 1 can also be used . the protective film 28 which covers the zna high - resistivity current injection layer 25 and the positive electrode 26 is the same as the protective folm 17 of of example 1 , and the negative electrode 27 is the same as the negative electrode 15 of example 1 . in the compound semiconductor luminescent device of this example , as described above , the peak wavelength of ultraviolet light emitted depends on the mole fraction x of s in the n - type zns x se 1 - x low - resistivity luminescent layer 24 , and ultraviolet light with a wavelength in the range of 340 to 420 nm is emitted with high brightness at a half - value width of about 2 to 5 nm . fig3 shows still another compound semiconductor luminescent device of this invention . in the luminescent device , an n - type zns low - resistivity conductive layer 32 is formed on a zns high - resistivity single - crystal substrate 31 by an epitaxial method . on the zns low - resistivity conductive layer 32 except for its one edge portion , an n - type zns luminescent layer 33 and a p - type zns current injection layer 34 are successively formed by an epitaxial method . there is provided a recessed portion at the center of the p - type zns current injection layer 34 so that a thin portion is formed . on the thin portion of the p - type zns low - resistivity current injection layer 34 , a pair of positive electrodes 35 are provided at an appropriate interval . within the n - type zns low - resistivity luminescent layer 33 , a low - resistivity conductive region 33a formed by ion beam doping is provided so as to face the thin portion of the p - type zns high - resistivity current injection layer 34 . the upper surface of the p - type zns current injection layer 34 and the respective positive electrodes 35 are covered with an insulating protective film 36 , except for the connecting terminal portions of the respective positive electrodes 35 . the protective film 36 covers the side surfaces of the current injection layer 34 and most of the side surfaces of the n - type zns low - resistivity luminescent layer 33 under the current injection layer 34 . on one edge portion of the n - type zns low - resistivity conductive layer 32 , a negative electrode 37 is disposed . the n - type zns low - resistivity conductive layer 32 , is doped with al or the like as an n - type impurity in the same way as in examples 1 and 2 , so that the concentration of carriers is 5 × 10 19 cm - 3 and the layer thickness is set to 2 μm . the n - type zns low - resistivity luminescent layer 33 formed on the conductive layer 32 is doped with the same n - type impurity as above , so that the concentration of carriers is 5 × 10 18 cm - 3 . from the luminescent layer 33 , ultraviolet light of 335 to 338 nm corresponding to the energy gap of zns is emitted . the low - resistivity conductive region 33a is formed within the luminescent layer 33 by the use of focused ion beams such as al , in , ga , cl , i , f , or br , together with the above n - type impurity , at the early stage of the formation of the luminescent layer 33 formation . the conductive region 33a is doped with the use of ion beams so that a predetermined region within the luminescent layer 33 has a thickness of about 0 . 5 to 3 μm , resulting in a high carrier concentration ( in the range of 1 × 10 19 to 2 × 10 20 cm - 3 ). the resistance value of the conductive region 33a is set smaller than that of the luminescent layer 33 by a factor 10 , so that a current density in the luminescent region within the luminescent layer can be increased . accordingly , ultraviolet light by band - to - band light emission can be increased at substantially the same increment as that of the current density . in the same way as the current injection layer 25 of example 2 , the p - type zns current injection layer 34 is formed on the luminescent layer 33 so as to have a thin portion with a thickness of part 0 . 5 μm or less at the center thereof , and a thick portion surrounding this thin portion is set to have a thickness of 1 to 5 μm . the luminescent device of such a construction emits high - brightness ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 337 to 338 nm from both the upper surface and the cleaved end surfaces at room temperature . in the luminescent device , current begins to flow at an applied voltage near 3 v , and current of 1 to 100 ma flows at a voltage of 3 . 5 to 4 v . the emitted ultraviolet light has such a brightness that green or blue fluorescent substances for use in cathode ray tube color displays can emit light with a sufficient brightness , and the luminous efficiency can be increased 10 2 - to 10 3 - fold as compared with that of a conventional luminescent device . fig4 shows still another compound semiconductor luminescent device of this invention . in this luminescent device , an n - type zns low - resistivity conductive layer 42 is formed on a zns single - crystal substrate 41 by an epitaxial growth method . a negative electrode 43 is disposed on one edge portion of the conductive layer 42 . on the conductive layer 42 except for its one edge portion , an n - type zns z se 1 - z low resistivity conductive layer 44 , an n - type zns z se 1 - z low - resistivity luminescent layer 45 , a p - type zns z se 1 - z current injection layer 46 , and a p - type zns t se 1 - t protective layer 47 are successively formed by an epitaxial growth method . a positive electrode 48 is disposed on the protective layer 47 . the upper surface of the protective layer 47 except for the region of the electrode 48 disposed , and both side surfaces of the protective layer 47 , the current injection layer 46 , the luminescent layer 45 , and the conductive layer 44 are covered with an insulating protective film 49 . the n - type zns low - resistivity conductive layer 42 and the n - type zns z se 1 - z low - resistivity conductive layer 44 are doped with an n - type impurity so as to have low resistance , in the same way as the n - type zns low - resistivity conductive layer 22 and the n - type zns x se 1 - x low - resistivity conductive layer 23 of example 2 . in the zns z se 1 - z low - resistivity luminescent layer 45 , the molar ratio z of s , which determines the wavelength of ultraviolet light to be emitted , is set to a value of 0 . 95 to 0 . 75 , so that ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 340 to 420 nm is emitted in a similar manner to that of example 2 . the p - type zns z se 1 - z current injection layer 46 is doped with a p - type impurity such as as , and the concentration of carriers is 1 × 10 17 cm - 3 . as the p - type impurity , at least one selected from the group consisting of o , c , n , p , sb , cu , ag , li , na , k , rb , tl , si , and ge , can be used . when the carrier concentration of the current injection layer 46 is 1 × 10 18 cm - 3 or less , a sufficiently high - quality layer can be obtained , and luminescent centers at deep energy levels , which are formed by the addition of a p - type impurity to the current injection layer 46 , are not generated to the extent that they have an effect on the light emission characteristics . when the carrier concentration of the current injection layer 46 exceeds the above limit , an added impurity becomes highly concentrated . for example , when as is used as a p - type impurity , a very wide reddish - orange light emission , the peak wavelength of which is in the neighborhood of 600 nm , is predominant , so that ultraviolet light cannot be emitted with high efficiency . to obtain the carrier concentration of the current injection layer 46 of 1 × 10 18 cm - 3 , the amount of as supplied at the time of the epitaxial growth by an mbe method must be increased to about 1 × 10 20 cm - 3 . however , when the amount of as is increased more than about 1 × 10 20 cm - 3 to further increase the carrier concentration , the crystallinity of the current injection layer 46 decreases . the thickness of the current injection layer 46 is preferably 2 μm or more . for the p - type zns t se 1 - t protective layer 47 formed on the current injection layer 46 , the mole fraction t of s is set to satisfy the inequality z + 0 . 05 ≦ t ≦ 1 with respect to the mole fraction z of s for the p - type zns z se 1 - z current injection layer so that ultraviolet light emitted from the luminescent layer 45 can be taken out of the luminescent device effectively . the ultraviolet light can pass through protective layer 47 , and is emitted to the outside . for the p - type impurity added to the protective layer 47 , the same p - type impurity as that added to the current injection layer 46 can be used . the carrier concentration determined by the addition of a p - type impurity determines resistivity . furthermore , depending on the carrier concentration , secondary light emission may occur because of the luminescent centers formed at deep energy levels and the excitation of the ultraviolet light , so that the carrier concentration is set to about 5 × 10 17 cm - 3 or less . the thickness of the protective layer 47 is set to 2 μm or more . the luminescent device of this example can emit ultraviolet light with high efficiency in a similar manner to the luminescent device of example 3 . although the luminescent device of this example is produced by the growth of compound semiconductors using an mbe method , but it can also be produced by the growth of compound semiconductors using an mocvd method . in the structure of the luminescent device of this example , the n - type and p - type layers can be interchanged with each other . that is , the p - type zns low - resistivity conductive layer 42 &# 39 ;, the p - type zns z se 1 - z low - resistivity conductive layer 44 &# 39 ;, the p - type zns z se 1 - z current injection layer 45 &# 39 ;, an n - type zns z se 1 - z low - resistivity luminescent layer 46 &# 39 ;, and the n - type zns t se 1 - t protective layer 47 &# 39 ; are successively formed on the zns single - crystal substrate 41 by an epitaxial growth method . in this structure , the electrical and optical properties of the p - type and n - type epitaxially grown layers can be controlled well over a wide range with ease . therefore , the excellent electrical characteristics ( i . e ., carrier concentration ) rather than the optical characteristics of the p - type layer 45 &# 39 ; as a current injection layer are secured . that is , the efficiency of carrier injection to the luminescent layer 46 &# 39 ; can be improved by increasing the carrier concentration of the p - type layer 45 &# 39 ; to 5 × 10 18 cm - 3 . in this case , because the above - mentioned p - type impurity of a high concentration reaching 10 20 cm - 3 is added in the p - type layer 45 &# 39 ;, the intensity of light emission having peaks at around 550 and 630 nm from deep levels is predominant , so that the optical characteristics of the p - type layer 45 &# 39 ; is poor . however , because the p - type 45 &# 39 ; layer has little contribution to the light emission , this layer does not exert an undesirable effect to device characteristics . the injection of carriers to the n - type luminescent layer 46 &# 39 ; at a sufficient concentration enables current injection light emission to occur under conditions in which light emission from deep levels is sufficiently reduced and ultraviolet light emission is made predominant by setting the carrier concentration in this n - type luminescent layer 46 &# 39 ; to a relatively low value of 5 × 10 16 to 5 × 10 18 cm - 3 . thus , the luminous efficiency of ultraviolet light can be improved . in particular , when the carrier concentration is about 1 × 10 18 cm - 3 , luminous efficiency about three times higher as compared with the luminescent device of example 4 was obtained . although a zns single crystal was used as a substrate in all the examples described above , a znse single crystal , zns u se 1 - u single crystal , or the like , can also be used , which is grown by a high - pressure melting method , a sublimation method such as the piper - polich method , an iodine transport method , or the like . it is understood that various other modifications will be apparent to and can be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention . accordingly , it is not intended that the scope of the claims appended hereto be limited to the description as set forth herein , but rather that the claims be construed as encompassing all the features of patentable novelty that reside in the present invention , including all features that would be treated as equivalents thereof by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains . | 7 |
the composition of the present invention preferably comprises ferric chloride , hydrochloric acid , phosphoric acid and ethylene glycol . in the etching composition , ferric chloride serves as a oxidizing agent , hydrochloric acid as a corrosive agent , phosphoric acid as a leveling agent and ethylene glycol as a modifier to reduce ionization . other oxidizing agents , including cupric chloride , can be utilized in lieu of or in addition to ferric chloride . more specifically , the composition comprises from about 65 - 75 volume percent hydrochloric acid , 20 to 30 volume percent ethylene glycol and 3 to 10 volume percent phosphoric acid , with the percentages being based on the total volume of hydrochloric acid , phosphoric acid and ethylene glycol . ferric chloride is present in an amount in the range of 150 - 250 grams ( based on ferric chloride hexahydrate ) per liter of the hydrochloric acid / phosphoric acid / ethylene glycol admixture . most preferably , the composition comprises a solution of 71 volume percent hydrochloric acid , 23 volume percent ethylene glycol , 6 volume percent phosphoric acid and 190 grams ferric chloride ( on a ferric chloride hexahydrate basis ) per 1 liter of solution . the hydrochloric acid is preferably reagent grade while the phosphoric acid is preferably reagent grade or food grade . the composition of the present invention can be easily and simply formulated by combining the ingredients in any appropriate manner . preferably , the composition is formulated by first combining the hydrochloric acid with the oxidizing agent . after the oxidizing agent is completely dissolved , the phosphoric acid and the ethylene glycol liquid components are added while stirring the solution so that a homogenous mixture is achieved . the use of the composition of the present invention and its performance in the etching process is shown in the following example . a thin groove was machined in the top face of a metallic alloy ring and was filled with incoloy ® 903 weld metal . incoloy ® is a registered trademark of the international nickel company . the incoloy ® 903 alloy includes the following alloying constituents and nominal percentage values : ______________________________________ iron 42 . 0 nickel 38 . 0 cobalt 15 . 0 columbium 3 . 0 titanium 1 . 4 aluminum 0 . 7______________________________________ this overlay was completed using robotic welding . the weldment was then low stressed machined in a conventional manner . after machining , a section of the weldment was wet polished with 600 grit wet - or - dry silicon carbide papers . one section of the ring was penetrant inspected in the as - received condition to determine a baseline for the evaluation . approximately one inch segments along the ring circumference were masked off . a pre - penetrant etchant solution having the composition defined in table i was applied to the weldment area for periods of time in excess of 90 seconds . the etched surface area was examined up to 80 × using a stereomacroscope . after evaluation , the specimens were penetrant inspected and evaluated . the process was duplicated for varied weldment surface and heat treatment conditions . the surface conditions tested included as - machined , polished with 600 grit wet - or - dry silicon carbide paper , and polished to less than one micron finish in the laboratory . the physical properties tested included as = welded , stress relieved and heat treated and aged . the results of this testing are provided in table i . for all tested treatment times it is observed that all smeared metal is completely removed and the surface is acceptable for fluorescent penetrant inspection . table i______________________________________ 80 gms fecl . sub . 3 300 ml hcl 25 ml h . sub . 3 po . sub . 4 100 ml ethylene glycol903 treatment timeoverlay ( sec ) surface condition______________________________________as welded 90 satisfactorypolished 120 satisfactoryw / 600 paperas welded 120 satisfactorymachined 180 satisfactory32 finishstress 120 satisfactoryrelieved 180 satisfactoryheat treat 120 satisfactoryand 180 satisfactoryaged 210 satisfactory______________________________________ while the etchant composition of the present invention has been described in detail , it is to be understood that various changes and modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention may be made . for example , the composition may utilize for etching a variety of surfaces , including but not limited to micropolished surfaces , surfaces polished with 600 silicon carbide paper and machined surfaces having a 32 rms finish . | 2 |
as is possible to see from fig2 a fixed structure 1 which can be , for example , the rear fork of a bicycle , pivotally supports a drive shaft 2 that constitutes the rotating drive unit and which in a bicycle such as the one depicted in fig3 can be operated directly by means of pedal cranks positioned in the centre of the hub of the rear drive wheel which , in turn , constitutes the rotating driven unit . coaxially to the drive shaft 2 ( fig1 and 2 ), kinematically connected thereto by means of unidirectional freewheel couplings 68 , there is a central tubular part 3 of a bell shaped member 4 which is also provided with a base part 5 and an external cylindrical part 6 which has internal peripheral teeth 7 . as shown in fig2 the fixed structure 1 has secured to it through a nut 19 , an l shaped rod 20 that extends with a first side above the cylindrical part 6 of the bell shaped member 4 , and with the second side partially infront of the mouth of this . the said second side of the rod 20 has fastened to it a first stepped bar 21 and a second stepped bar 22 which extend in overhanging fashion inside the space between the two coaxial parts 3 and 6 of the bell shaped member 4 . depending upon the preference of the manufacturer the overhang can be directed downwards , as in fig2 or else upwards , or as in a variant form of embodiment described herein , the bars 21 and 22 can be straight and the wheels 24 ( described below ) can be of various diameters . supported on the steps of the first bar 21 , a plurality of gearwheels 23 of various diameters idle pivotally . each wheel 23 meshes with one of the teeth 7 of the external cylindrical part 6 of the bell shaped member 4 , as well as with a given one of a plurality of gearwheels 24 supported on the steps of the bar 22 to idle pivotally ( fig1 and 2 ). each of the wheels 24 meshes , furthermore , with a given one of a plurality of gearwheels 25 arranged coaxially around the drive shaft 2 and the central tubular part 3 of the bell shaped member 4 , these being supported to idle , between the positioning guides 26 fixed to the bar 22 ( fig2 ), on a plurality of spindles 27 spaced circumferentially ( fig1 ) that are preferably free to rotate around their own axes and are secured to the base part 28 ( fig2 ) of a further bell shaped member 29 which acts as the driven member of the variable ratio drive shown in fig1 and 2 . all the toothing mentioned should preferably be helical . as shown in fig2 the base part 28 of the bell shaped member 29 virtually seals the mouth of the bell shaped member 4 and , furthermore , it comprises a central tubular part 30 arranged coaxially so that it is free to pivot around the central tubular part 3 of the bell shaped member 4 , as well as an external cylindrical part 31 placed coaxially around the external cylindrical part 6 of the bell shaped member 4 and above the l shaped rod 20 . the said cylindrical part 31 , in actual fact only provided for certain types of applications , is preferably destined to act directly as a support for a rotating driven unit , which can , for example , be constituted by the hub of the rear drive wheel of a bicycle such as the one illustrated in fig3 and described hereinafter . in its absence and for other uses ( motor vehicles , for example ) the same function can be carried out by the base part 28 of the bell shaped member 29 . among the spindles 27 , on which the gearwheels 25 are able to rotate freely , a similar plurality of rods 32 ( fig1 and 2 ) are intercalated and these slide through corresponding holes in the base part 28 of the bell shaped member 29 and are rigidly connected at their extremities to an external ring 33 and to an internal ring 34 in such a way as to form a tubular cage shaped sliding body 35 that serves as the coupling device for selectively coupling the tubular part 30 of the bell shaped member 29 to one or the other of the various gearwheels 25 . as shown in fig1 the said internal ring 34 of the cage shaped body 35 has small radial notches 36 corresponding to the spindles 27 in such a way that the said cage shaped body 35 is able to slide freely in a longitudinal direction . the sliding motion of the cage shaped body 35 is controlled through a cable 37 that ends at a forked slide 38 rotatably engaged with the external ring 33 of the cage shaped body 35 ( fig2 ). details pertaining to the fixing , guiding and returning of the cable 37 are neither described nor illustrated herein since the methods used are of a known type , the fundamentals of which are outside the framework of the present invention . as clearly shown in fig1 and 2 , the internal ring 34 of the cage shaped body 35 is provided with external teeth 39 and with a ring of internal teeth 40 . the latter slide in engagement in the longitudinal slots 41 in the central tubular part 30 of the bell shaped member 29 , whilst the former are cut to mesh selectively with the corresponding slots 42 in the internal cylindrical surface 43 ( fig1 ) of each gearwheel 25 . in this way only one of the gearwheels 25 can be selectively coupled to the internal ring 34 , and thus to the coupling device 35 , whilst the others are free to idly rotate above the spindles 27 . by virtue of the structure described above , the variable ratio or speed changing drive shown in fig1 and 2 is able to operate in the following way . normally the rotary motion of the drive shaft 2 that constitutes the kinematic motion drive unit is transmitted via the free wheels 68 to the bell shaped drive member 4 which , through the internal toothing 7 and the idle wheels 23 and 24 , maintains the various gearwheels 25 in rotation at various speeds , respectively . the particular gearwheel 25 ( the first on the right in fig2 ) that has the external teeth 39 of the coupling device 35 inserted in its own slots 42 transmits , in turn , the motion to the said coupling device and thence , through the internal teeth 40 of the latter , to the bell shaped driven member 29 which carries the rotating driven unit ( for example , the rear drive wheel of a bicycle ) in rotation . when it is wished to effect a change of ratio , the control cable 37 is operated so as to displace the cage shaped body 35 towards a condition whereby its external teeth 39 engage with the slots 42 in a new gearwheel 25 . suitable profiles of the said teeth and the said slots can be used to facilitate the engagement during ratio variations . when fitted to a bicycle , pedalling can , furthermore , reduce the differences in speed between the coupling device 35 ( which during its neutral condition is made to rotate through inertia by the drive wheel of the bicycle ) and the gearwheel 25 to be engaged ( dependent on the pedals of the bicycle ), so as to also facilitate in this way the new ratio being engaged . it should be noted that , since the bell shaped drive member 4 and the gear chains 23 , 24 and 25 continue rotating even during the periods when the gear change is in neutral , an automatic action is constantly achieved through the flywheel effect which exercises a considerably beneficial effect on the ratio output performance . eventually , the said flywheel effect can be increased by adding shims or inertia masses . simply by way of an example , a type of bicycle is shown in fig3 to which the speed change device shown in fig1 and 2 could be destined in particular . the said bicycle comprises a front wheel 51 and a rear drive wheel 52 , the hub 53 of which is provided with a speed change device 55 as shown in fig1 and 2 and has directly keyed to it the pedal cranks 54 ( to be more precise these are rigidly secured to what in fig1 and 2 has been indicated as the drive shaft 2 ). the said wheels 51 and 52 are interconnected by a frame formed by two forks 56 and 57 ( the latter corresponding to the fixed structure 1 in fig2 ), by a crossbar 58 and by two additional connecting members 59 and 60 . an upper extension piece 61 on the front fork 56 carries rotatably a handle bar 62 , whilst a forward sloping upper extension piece 63 on the rear fork 57 locates the back extremity of a saddle 64 that extends along the crossbar 58 and has an ample connecting curve 65 at the rear and an arcuate rise 66 at the front . the rear curve 65 constitutes the part of the saddle on which to sit , whilst the arcuate rise 66 serves for the cyclist to rest his chest on . it is , in fact , envisaged that the cyclist can pedal more comfortably semi - stretched out on the saddle 64 in a notably streamlined position , his legs operating the pedal cranks 54 and thus driving the rear wheel 52 . behind the saddle 64 a casing 67 can easily be arranged to act as a luggage carrier . with the bicycle shown in fig3 it is envisaged that the cyclist is able to pedal in a much less fatiguing and much more stable condition than is customary at present , since his spine is parallel to and almost coincident with the ideal handle bar - rear wheel hub ensemble , whilst centre of gravity wise he is less far away from the ground . in this position , moreover , he will be better able to make full use of his physical power to turn the pedals and thus to further raise the efficiency of the machine , already increased because of the elimination of the considerable losses caused by the gear chain which here is no longer present . whilst the variable ratio drive shown in fig1 and 2 is to be considered particularly suitable for use as a speed changing device for bicycles or other low revolution machines , that shown in fig4 - 7 is certainly better suited for employment in high revolution machines , such as motorcycles and motor vehicles in general , since it is provided with additional friction means for disengaging the drive , as well as with means with which to achieve , at the time of the change of ratios , synchronization of speed between the coupling means and the gearwheel to be engaged . as can be seen from the drawings , the speed changing device shown in fig4 - 7 differs essentially from that shown in fig1 and 2 ( the reference numbers in which are repeated for corresponding parts in respect of which a further description is not given herein ) because of the fact that the kinematic coupling between the drive shaft or the rotating drive unit 2 and the central tubular part 3 of the bell shaped drive member 4 is no longer realized through the unidirectional freewheel couplings 68 but , instead , through a disengageable friction clutch 8 , the details of which are quite apparent in fig6 . the said friction clutch is constituted by a succession of friction material disks 9 that are friction coupled in a releasable fashion with the corresponding annular internal projections 10 ( also made of friction material ) on the tubular part 3 . to be more precise , the disks 9 are locked for rotation on the drive shaft 2 by gripping devices that slide between the teeth 11 of the disks 9 and the longitudinal slots 12 in the drive shaft 2 ( fig4 and 6 ) but are left free to slide along the axis of the said drive shaft 2 . the said disks are rigidly connected to one another by the rods 13 that slide through the annular projections 10 on the tubular part 3 of the bell shaped member 4 and terminate at a head disk 14 loosely carried by the drive shaft 2 . the said head disk engages in sliding fashion with a fork slide 15 ( fig5 and 6 ), to which a suitable control 16 is fastened . one or more springs 17 reacting against a disk 18 rigidly locked on the drive shaft 2 push and maintain the disks 9 in releasable friction engagement with the annular projections 10 on the bell shaped member 4 . another distinguishing characteristic of the speed changing device shown in fig4 - 7 is represented by the fact that , with the purpose of facilitating the insertion of the external teeth 39 of the cage shaped body 35 into the slots 42 in the gearwheel 25 to be engaged from time to time , each slot 42 in each of the gearwheels 25 has its rear edges ( in the direction of rotation shown by the arrow &# 34 ; f &# 34 ; in fig7 ) slightly bevelled . furthermore , each wheel 25 is provided , on the two sides immediately above the said slots 42 , with a coaxial annular border 44 which a suitable friction material facing 45 raises to the same height as the upper extremity -- preferably rounded off -- of the teeth 39 . the said teeth 39 ( which are , in turn , completely faced with friction material ), when the coupling member 35 to which they belong is operated by the tension rod 37 , establish friction contact with the border 44 of the wheel 25 where they have to mesh and this causes the relevant speeds of rotation to gradually get closer , thus making it possible for the said teeth 39 to be easily and rapidly inserted into the slots 42 . as shown in fig6 and 7 , each annular border 44 projects laterally from its wheel 25 to an extent which is greater than the diameter of the teeth 39 ( cylindrical , as can be seen in fig7 ) and is away from the closest border of the adjacent wheel by an amount scarcely greater than the said diameter of the teeth 39 , in such a way as to allow the coupling unit 35 to be made to idle but without uselessly increasing the overall dimensions and without creating an undesirable extension in the ratio changing operation . the way in which the speed changing device shown in fig4 - 7 operates is as follows . normally the friction clutch 8 is in the normal operating condition depicted in fig6 whereby the drive shaft 2 is able to pass its own rotation onto the bell shaped member 4 , which in turn through the idle wheels 23 and 24 maintains the various gearwheels 25 in rotation at different speeds , respectively . the gearwheel 25 ( the first from the right in fig6 ) that has the teeth 39 of the coupling device 35 inserted in its own slots 42 passes , in turn , the motion ( through the said coupling device connected to the tubular part 30 ) onto the second bell shaped member 29 which carries in rotation the rotating driven unit ( for example , the rear drive wheel of a motorcycle , or the drive wheels of a motor vehicle or the propeller shaft of a boat , etcetera ). to effect the change of ratio , it is first of all necessary to disengage the friction clutch 8 by operating the control 16 so as to move the disks 9 far away from the annular projections 10 and thus counteract the action of the springs 17 . the bell shaped member 4 thus stays disengaged from the drive shaft 2 though continuing to be kinematically linked to the bell shaped member 29 and thus to the rotating driven unit which continues its rotation through inertia . the various wheels 25 thus adjust their respective speeds to correspond to the progressively decreasing speed of the rotating driven unit . through the control 37 it is then possible to proceed with the change of ratio and the cage shaped member 35 is displaced along its own axis in such a way as to easily and silently disengage the teeth 39 of the latter from the slots 42 in the wheel 25 which up until then were engaged therein and to cause them to progressively approach those of the adjacent wheel 25 to be engaged once the neutral position between one border 44 and another has been negotiated . while all the wheels 25 continue to idly rotate through inertia , and thus at ever decreasing speeds , the teeth 39 of the coupling device 35 ( carried in inertia rotation at the same speed as the driven member ) come into contact with the facing 45 of the adjacent border 44 of the wheel 25 to be engaged ( this is the situation shown in dots and dashes in fig7 ). the friction contact thus created causes the rotation speed of the wheel 25 to be engaged ( which depending upon the ratio can be slightly higher or slightly lower ) to approach progressively that of the teeth 39 of the coupling device 35 and thus after the said teeth have also been momentarily in friction contact with the lateral surface of the wheel 25 to be engaged ( which is also faced on both sides with friction material below the borders 44 ), they can easily and silently be inserted in the corresponding slots 42 , thereby exploiting both the minimum relevant velocity between the teeth and the slots and the rounded off profile of the teeth 39 and of the rear edges of the slots 42 ( fig7 ). once the ratio changing operation is thus over , the friction clutch 8 can be returned to the position illustrated in fig6 thereby restoring the full kinematic connection between the drive shaft 2 and the rotating driven unit . the above applies when changing to a higher ratio or to a lower ratio or when changing direction . in order to have one or more reverse ratios , all that has to be done is to have one or more wheels 23 that mesh with one or more additional wheels 25 , in other words without the auxiliary of other wheels as , instead , occurs for forward speeds . insofar as mopeds and motorcycles are concerned , it should be noted that in general it can be useful not to dispense with the drive chain , as could , instead , be done with the present drive system . in other words , it could be preferable to keep the drive member and the drive shaft non - coaxial , and to connect the latter , via a chain , to a subsidiary shaft coaxial to the former and connected thereto through the previously described disengageable friction clutch . the variable ratio drive shown in fig8 - 11 differs , in turn , from that shown in fig1 and fig2 ( the reference numbers in which are repeated for corresponding parts in respect of which a further description is not given herein ) as regards the means used to selectively couple the driven member 29 to one or the other of the gearwheels 25 gripping to the drive member 4 . as more clearly shown in fig9 and 10 , a number of external annular projections 69 on the central tubular part 30 of the driven member 29 have pivoted to them at 70 corresponding circumferential successions of circular segments 71 , which springs not shown in the drawings ( connected , for example , to the extremities of the pins 70 ) maintain normally in the supposed non - operative position for the succession on the right in fig9 . from the said non - operative position , the said successions of circular segments can be selectively displaced , as will be explained more clearly later on , into the supposed operative position for the succession on the left in fig9 where the circular segments 71 , suitably shaped or faced with friction material , are forced to friction engage with a hollow annular part 79 in the corresponding gearwheel 25 in order to form a single body with the said wheel and to thus pass the rotary motion of the said wheel onto the driven member 29 and thus to the rotating driven unit fixed thereto . for the displacement of the successions of circular segments or coupling members 71 from the non - operative to the operative position ( that is to say , to the &# 34 ; engagement &# 34 ; position ) use is made of the magnetic field which suitable coils 72 interconnected to one another ( fig1 ) and to a pair of electrical conductors 73 and 74 that pass through a corresponding longitudinal hole 75 in the tubular part 30 of the driven member 29 ( fig9 ) are -- with selective control -- able to create , and for this purpose the circular segments 71 could be totally or partly made of magnetic material ( they could be in one piece and made of a material having both magnetic and friction characteristics , or they could have an inside core of magnetic material and be faced with friction material ). the said magnetic field causes , in fact , reciprocal attraction between the circular segments 71 of the chosen succession and the corresponding gearwheel 25 ( obviously made of metal ), the force of which is calculated in such a way as to overcome the resistance of the counter springs . each pair of electrical conductors 73 and 74 terminating at a given group of control coils 72 for given successions of circular segments 71 , ends at a given pair of circular conductor paths 76 and 77 placed concentrically on a disk 78 rigidly fixed to the base part 28 of the driven member 29 ( fig9 and 11 ). the disk 78 will obviously be provided with the same number of pairs of conductor paths 76 and 77 as there are successions of circular segments 71 , even though in fig1 only three of the said pairs have been shown so as to keep the drawing simple and clear . along the said conductor paths 76 and 77 slide the brushes 80 and 81 , respectively , and these are supported by the fixed structure 1 and are electrically connected to an apparatus or to an electrical control board ( not shown in the drawings ) so as to allow , through the said brushes and the said conductors , the selective excitation of any one group of coils 72 connected in series . the way in which the drive shown in fig8 - 11 operates is as follows . through the freewheels 68 ( or eventual rigid coupling members ) the rotation of the shaft 2 is passed onto the drive member 4 and this , through the idle wheels 23 and 24 , maintains the various gearwheels 25 in rotation at different speeds , respectively . the gearwheel 25 ( the first from the left in fig8 and 9 ) that from time to time friction engages with the respective succession of circular magnetic segments 71 ( moved into the operative position by the excitation of the relevant coils 72 actuated through the particular circuit made up of the brush 80 , the conductor path 76 , the conductor wire 73 , the coil 72 , the conductor wire 74 , the conductor path 77 and the brush 81 ), passes the motion onto the driven member 29 and thus to the rotating driven unit ( for example , the rear drive wheel of a motorcycle , the shaft of a motor vehicle , propeller or frame etcetera ). to change the ratio ( which has the further advantage of making a temporary interruption in the supply not necessary ), it is sufficient just to perform an operation at the electrical control board through which current to the group of coils 72 is cut off ( up until then it had been supplied thereto ) and is given , instead , to the group corresponding to the new ratio desired . this can be done , for example , by merely pressing a pushbutton on the control board . the magnetic segments 71 that operate in conjunction with the de - energized coils then move readily , silently and unhesitatingly to the non - operative position , whilst those that operate in conjunction with the excited coils move towards the particular wheel 25 in order to enter into the required friction engagement with it . the driven member 29 is thus called upon to rotate at the speed corresponding to the fresh wheel 25 engaged . because of the extreme ease and rapidity of the change of ratios it is advisable that the control pushbuttons provided on the control board ( unequivocally recognizable one from the other just by the touch , or better still because of the special and different way in which they are located ) offer a certain resistance against switching themselves on or off and that they be housed in a position such as to render their inadvertent operation difficult , specially by those not authorized to touch them . neutral will be engaged when no control is switched on or when a special control to obtain this has been operated . it is clear , however , that the electrical control board can be provided with different devices and , especially in motor vehicles , that it may be preferable to have a single control lever with various positions corresponding to the divers pushbuttons mentioned above . naturally what has been shown in the drawings only covers a few of the many possible forms of embodiment for the present invention . various modifications can , therefore , be introduced thereto without any deviation from the framework of the invention as outlined in the claims below . one such modification can , for example , consist in winding the coils 72 of the speed changing device shown in fig8 - 11 around magnets integral with the tubular part 30 of the driven member and in having the said magnets operate the operative displacement of the circular segments 71 which in this case would act solely as coupling members that are made to grip the gearwheels 25 . another modification can consist in leaving the shaft 2 outside the bell shaped drive member 4 and in connecting it , either directly or indirectly , to the base 5 of the drive member 4 , or else -- through a suitable gear -- to the cylindrical face 6 of the said drive member 4 and thus not in a way coaxial thereto . other modifications can easily spring to the mind of a person experienced in this particular technical field , this also depending upon the type of application envisaged for the speed changing device described herein . in motor vehicles of single engine type it is possible , in particular , to use , with the auxiliary of tapered joints and axle shafts , one single drive according to the present system , variable for two or more drive wheels ; just as it is also possible to use , instead , one of the said drives per drive wheel . when it is wished to reduce overall dimensions vertically ( for example , in racing cars ), it is possible to take the bar 22 , and therefore the serving wheels 24 , out of the alignment established by the bar 21 and the shaft 2 . in this way the said wheels 24 are carried to the right or to the left of the said alignment and it becomes possible for the wheels 23 to be made to approach , almost touching them , the wheels 25 , thereby reducing the vertical dimensions considerably . it should be noted , however , that in view of the very small volume in width or thickness occupied by the present device , it may be advisable -- again to greatly cut down its vertical dimensions -- to use the drive laying on its back , through the use of suitable means for passing the motion on . in such a case it will be preferable to substitute the straight positioning guides 26 with circular guides fitted to the periphery of the wheels 24 or 23 ; and , furthermore , to provide the support spindles 27 ( see fig1 - 4 - 10 ) with lowerable radial teeth ( so as to allow the insertion of the wheels 25 ), held in position by springs provided for this purpose . in this way , the wheel 25 will be kept in perfect alignment by peripheric and central guides . instead of their pivoting around their own axes , the spindles 27 will have -- again with a view to reducing friction -- washers free to rotate , these being at points corresponding to the wheels 25 and of an outside diameter obviously greater than the slots 42 machined into the internal cylindrical surface 43 of the wheels 25 of the mechanically operated drive . the said slots are missing in the electromagnetically operated device but the spindles 27 can still have the said radial teeth , the guides and the said sliding washers . another system for efficiently substituting the positioning guides 26 could be to cause the upper parts to scrape lightly against one another ( in order to allow the lower free passage of the radial teeth 39 of the cage shaped member 35 ) of the annular borders 44 ( fig4 , 6 and 7 ); the said borders could also be advantageously fitted to the electromagnetically controlled device . finally , it should be recalled that in the majority of cases the speed reduction function is required and , therefore , the motion is transmitted from the centre ( where coaxial conditions exist ) to the periphery . therefore there is no tubular member 30 and the internal radial teeth 40 of the cage shaped member 35 slide axially along slots machined into the tubular member 3 of the drive member which thus passes its rotary motion onto the wheel 25 engaged and from this , via the relevant kinematic chain , onto the corresponding internal gear 7 which is now a part of the driven member and no longer of the drive member . naturally the base parts 5 and 28 can also be left out , whilst in the electromagnetically operated device , the spindles 27 are superfluous . in the electromagnetically operated version , the complete electrical equipment , fixed and loose , which for the multiplicative function acted in conjunction with the member 30 , acts directly in conjunction with the member 3 for the reduction function , since the former member is missing . the kinematic motion takes place as outlined earlier on . | 5 |
hereinafter , referring to the accompanying drawings , embodiments of the present invention will be explained . fig1 shows the configuration of a circuit for supplying power from the static gantry section to the rotatable gantry section in an x - ray ct apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention . fig2 is a sectional view showing the location of the individual parts inside the static gantry section and rotatable gantry section . as shown in fig1 the x - ray ct apparatus of the first embodiment is composed of a static gantry section 12 and a rotatable gantry section 22 roughly divided as shown by broken lines . the static gantry section 12 includes an alternating - current ( a . c .) power generator section 13 composed of an a . c . power source 11 , an ac / dc converter 14 , and an inverter 15 and a transformer fixing section 51 . the rotatable gantry section 22 includes a transformer rotating section 52 , a rectifier 20 , and an x - ray tube 21 . the transformer fixing section 51 provided on the static gantry section 12 and the transformer rotating section 52 provided on the rotatable gantry section 22 constitute a separate - type high - voltage transformer 50 . the transformer fixing section 51 includes a primary coil 16 and a primary side core 17 . the transformer rotating section 52 includes a secondary coil 19 and a secondary side core 18 . the primary side core 17 is not formed integrally with the secondary side core 18 . the arrangement of the primary side core 17 and secondary side core 18 will be explained in a second embodiment of the present invention . the ac / dc converter 14 is connected to the output terminal of the alternating - current ( a . c .) power source 11 serving as an input power source . a plurality of inverters 15 are connected in parallel with the output terminal of the ac / dc converter 14 . the output terminal of each of the inverters 15 is connected to the primary coil 16 of the transformer fixing section 16 . the ac / dc converter 14 converts the a . c . voltage from the a . c . power source 11 into a direct - current ( d . c .) voltage . the d . c . voltage is then supplied to the inverter 15 , which converts the d . c . voltage into a high - frequency a . c . voltage . the reason why a plurality of inverters 15 are used in fig1 is to prevent the whole of the x - ray ct apparatus from stopping the operation if one of the inverters 15 fails . by selecting the troubled inverter 15 and stopping it , the power can be controlled roughly . for the convenience of design , only one inverter 15 may be provided . the high frequency a . c . power generator 13 may have another configuration , as long as it generates power of desired frequency , for example , about 100 khz . the output of the high frequency a . c . power generator 13 is connected to the primary coil 16 . when a plurality of inverters 15 are used , such as this embodiment , the output of each of the plurality of converters 15 is provided to the respective primary coils 16 . alternatively , if only one inverter 15 is used , the output of the inverter 15 is parallelly connected to a plurality of primary coils 16 . as shown in fig2 the static gantry section 12 is mounted on a base 60 . near the static gantry section 12 , the a . c . power source 11 is provided . the static gantry section 12 has an opening 101 . along to the cylindrical direction on outside of the opening 101 , the inverter 15 , primary coil 16 , primary side core 17 , and others are arranged . a doughnut - like disk rotatable gantry section 22 with an opening 100 in it is provided on the static gantry section 12 in such a manner that it can rotate continuously . the top 120 is inserted into the opening 101 of the static gantry section 12 and the opening 100 of the rotatable gantry section 22 . outside the opening 100 of the rotatable gantry section 22 , the secondary side core 18 , secondary coil 19 , rectifier 20 , and others are arranged . the x - ray tube 21 and x - ray detector 32 are provided on the rotatable gantry section 22 in such a manner that they face each other with the opening 100 between them . the primary coil 16 is wound around almost the central part of the primary side core 17 . two primary coils 16 may be wound around one primary coil 17 . the primary coil 16 and the primary side core 17 are arranged around the static gantry section 12 so that the magnetic flux generated at the primary side core 17 may be supplied to the rotatable gantry section 22 . the shape of the primary 17 is not limited to the squared - u shape . as long as the magnetic flux generated at the primary side core 17 , together with the secondary side core 18 arranged so as to face the primary side core 17 , can form a magnetic circuit , the primary side core may take another shape . the squared - u - shaped secondary side core 18 facing the primary side core 17 is arranged around the ringed rotatable gantry section 22 placed so as to surround the top 120 of the couch , as is the primary side core 17 . in this case , too , the secondary side core 18 may take another shape , as long as it , together with the primary side core 17 , can form a magnetic circuit . the secondary coil 19 is wound around almost the central portion of the secondary side core 18 . as shown in fig1 a capacitor 24 is connected in series with the secondary coil 19 . the secondary capacitor 24 is designed to resonate with the inductance of the secondary coil 19 . the inductance of the secondary coil 19 makes the impedance higher as the frequency increases , which is one of the factors that hinder the high - frequency operation most . when a suitable value of the secondary capacitor is selected , the secondary impedance can be adjusted by resonance , which enables a high - frequency operation . in the conventional x - ray ct apparatus in each of fig1 and fig1 , only one secondary coil 19 was used . since the resonance voltage at the secondary coil 19 is overhigh than the necessary output voltage of 10 kv or higher , it is technically difficult to produce an insulting of the secondary coil 19 . furthermore , it is technically difficult to produce a capacitor capable of withstanding such a high voltage by itself . to overcome this drawback , the first embodiment uses a plurality of secondary coils 19 , thereby lowering the voltage generated in each secondary coil 19 . this makes it technically easy to realize an insulting of the secondary coil 19 or the capacitor 24 . the series circuit of the secondary coil 19 and capacitor 24 is connected to the rectifier 20 . although the number of rectifiers 20 is the same as that of capacitors 24 , either the number of rectifiers 20 or that of capacitors 24 may be larger than the other . the rectifiers 20 rectify high frequency a . c . power into d . c . power . the secondary side core 18 , secondary coil 19 , secondary capacitor 24 , and rectifier 20 on the rotatable gantry section 22 constitute a high - voltage unit 23 . the one - side ends of the high - voltage unit 23 are connected in series and similarly its other - side ends are connected in series . the resulting one end and other end are connected to one end and the other end of the x - ray tube 21 , respectively . the high - voltage unit 23 , x - ray tube 21 , and x - ray detector 32 are provided around the rotatable gantry section 22 , taking weight balance into account . in the conventional example , when the rotatable gantry section was rotating , the weight of the rotatable gantry section was large and developed a great centrifugal force of , for example , about 13 g , which was a factor preventing a high - speed rotating operation . in the first embodiment , however , the series resonance on the secondary side enables a high - frequency operation , for example , an operation at 100 khz , which helps make the inverter 15 , primary coil 16 , primary side core 17 , secondary coil 19 , and secondary side core 18 smaller and lighter . the smaller , lighter secondary coil 19 and secondary side core 18 particularly decrease the weight and space of the rotatable gantry section 22 remarkably . since the secondary coils 19 and the secondary side cores 18 are circularly and evenly arranged on the rotatable gantry section , the section excels at rotation balance . also , since the capacitor 24 is provided for resonance , and certain degree of the leakage inductance of the secondary coil 19 is used for the construction of the resonance circuit , there is no need to take into account the leakage inductance of the secondary coil 19 as inhibition factor . therefore , the secondary coil 19 can be wound around the secondary side core 18 with a sufficient insulting distance between them . as high a voltage as 150 kv can be generated , making it unnecessary to provide an additional high - voltage transformer for generating a high voltage on the rotatable gantry section 22 , which enables the rotatable gantry section 22 to be made smaller and thinner remarkably . because the decreased number of component parts on the rotatable gantry section makes room for the space of the rotatable gantry section , it is possible to realize an x - ray ct apparatus with multiple tubes . use of an x - ray ct apparatus with multiple tubes can improve time resolution of acquired image . hereinafter , various modifications of the circuit for supplying power from the static gantry section to the rotatable gantry section in the x - ray ct apparatus according to the first embodiment will be explained . in a first modification of the first embodiment in fig3 the capacitor 24 is connected in parallel with the secondary coil 19 . the capacitor 24 resonates with the leakage inductance of the secondary coil 19 . in a secondary modification of the first embodiment in fig4 a capacitor 31 is inserted in series between the output of the high voltage a . c . power generator section 13 and the primary coil 16 . in the second modification , the capacitor 24 is provided so as to resonate with the leakage inductance of the secondary coil 19 and the primary capacitor 31 is provided so as to resonate with the inductance of the primary coil 16 . even when resonance not only on the secondary side but also on the primary side make the operating frequency higher , the primary capacitor 31 and secondary capacitor 24 can be selected according to the resonance , which enables a high - frequency operation . that is , the primary - side leakage inductance can be used effectively in the secondary modification . in a third modification of the first embodiment , the capacitor 31 is inserted in series between the output of the high frequency a . c . power generator 13 and the primary coil 16 and the capacitor 24 is connected in parallel with the secondary coil 19 . in a fourth modification of the first embodiment , the capacitor 31 is inserted in parallel between the output of the high frequency a . c . power generator 13 and the primary coil 16 and the capacitor 24 is connected in parallel with the secondary coil 19 . furthermore , in a fifth modification of the first embodiment in fig7 the capacitor 31 is inserted in parallel between the output of the high frequency a . c . power generator 13 and the primary coil 16 . hereinafter , a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained . fig8 shows a detailed configuration of the transformer rotating section on the rotatable gantry section in an x - ray ct apparatus according to the second embodiment . fig9 shows the location of the transformer fixing section on the static gantry section and the transformer rotating section on the rotatable gantry section which face each other . fig1 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the primary side core and secondary side core in a separate - type high - voltage transformer . a plurality of high - voltage unit blocks , for example , as shown in fig8 four high - voltage unit blocks b 1 to b 4 are arranged on the gantry section 22 to form a circumference as a whole . these blocks are connected electrically to each other by connectors c 1 to c 4 . one high - voltage unit block includes , for example , four high - voltage units 23 , m 1 to m 4 . this divided structure facilitates the replacement of the high - voltage units 23 . such a divided structure may be applied to the transformer fixing section of the static gantry section 12 . as shown in fig9 the primary coil 16 and primary side core 17 on the static gantry section 12 are provided so as to face the secondary coil 19 and secondary side core 18 on the rotatable gantry section 22 . the shape of and the number of the secondary side cores 18 are so determined that all of the plurality of primary side cores 17 never fail to the secondary side cores 18 , even when the rotary section ( rotatable gantry section 22 ) rotates . the spacing between the primary side core 17 and the secondary side core 18 is about 1 mm . note that the spacing is not limited 1 mm . as shown in fig1 , the primary coil 16 is wound on the primary side core 17 whose cross section perpendicular to the direction of rotation of the rotatable gantry section 22 is shaped like an almost squared u . the primary coil 16 is wound on the central part of the squared - u shape of the primary side core 17 . the primary side core 17 is so positioned that the two ends of the squared u may face the rotatable gantry section 22 and the straight line connecting the two ends be perpendicular to the direction of rotation of the rotatable gantry section 22 . the direction in which the rotatable gantry section 22 rotates at that time is shown by a thick arrow . at the ends of the squared - u shape of the primary side core 17 , there are provided two projecting sections 71 of the same shape which project in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the rotatable gantry section 22 . the projecting sections 71 may be made of the same material as that of the primary side core 17 or of a magnetic substance made of a material with different susceptibility . one projecting section 71 may be spaced , for example , about 1 mm apart from the projecting section 71 of the other primary side core 17 . according to this gap of 1 mm , well convertibility of the primary side cores 17 is achieved . alternatively , they may be jointed together without any gap . in this case , the leakage flux is avoided between the integral cores 17 . as shown in fig9 the secondary side core 18 is provided around the rotatable gantry section 22 so as to face the primary - side core 17 . as shown in fig1 , like the primary side core 17 , the secondary side core 18 is shaped like a squared u . on the central portion of the squared - u shape , the secondary coil 19 is wound . the secondary side core 18 is so arranged that the ends of the squared u are forced to face the static gantry section 12 and conversely the central portion of the squared u is caused to face the rotatable gantry section 22 , thereby making the straight line connecting the two ends of the squared u perpendicular to the direction of rotation of the rotatable gantry section 22 . in fig1 , only two cores on the primary side of the high - voltage transformer and only one core on its secondary side are shown . actually , however , many cores are present on each of the primary side and secondary side and form a circumference as a whole . the many secondary side cores rotate as the rotatable gantry section rotates . the shape , number , and arrangement of the primary and secondary side cores are so determined that the secondary side cores never fail to face the primary side cores . in the present embodiment , the primary side core has two near - rectangular open faces and the secondary side core has two near - square open faces , when viewed from the plane across which the primary and secondary side cores face each other . making the open faces of the secondary side core smaller than those of the primary side core enables the rotatable gantry section to be made lighter , facilitating insulation . to improve the power supply efficiency , the open faces of the secondary side core may be made larger . furthermore , the shape of the primary side core and that of the secondary side core may be made the same not only to improve the power supply efficiency but also to facilitate the manufacture . the magnetic flux generated by the current passed through the primary coil 16 reaches the open faces of the secondary side core 18 by way of the open faces ( or the ends of the squared u ) of the primary side core 17 . the magnetic field generated at that time is shown by a broken - line arrow . the magnetic flux causes the secondary coil 19 wound around the secondary side core 18 to generate current , thereby supplying power from the static gantry section 12 to the rotatable gantry section 22 . with this configuration , power can be supplied continuously , with the primary coil separate from the secondary coil . it should be noted that the flux from the primary side is easily and reliably transmitted to the secondary side according to an existence of the open face ( projecting section 71 ). as described above , with the present invention , it is possible to provide a thin - type x - ray computer tomography apparatus with a small - sized high - voltage transformer capable of supplying power and stepping up the voltage to the high voltage which is necessary for generating x - ray at the same time by a noncontacting rotary method . although no shown , it goes without saying that ripples in the high - voltage output due to the unevenness of the intensity of the magnetic coupling during rotation are removed by the negative feedback of the output voltage , as are ripples resulting from other causes . the negative feedback is effected by optical transmission or by radio . additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art . therefore , the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein . accordingly , various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents . | 0 |
there will now be described embodiments of this invention with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the construction of a parallel computer according to a first embodiment of this invention . the parallel computer includes a plurality of processing elements 2 and a plurality of memory elements 4 . in fig1 , rectangles of solid lines indicate memory elements and rectangles of broken lines indicate processing elements . an instruction for each processing element and an address for memory access are issued from a controller 6 . further , fig1 is a diagram for illustrating the logical connection relation between the processing elements and the memory elements ( that is , the physical sizes and the arrangements of the processing elements and memory elements are not necessarily limited to those shown in fig1 ). in fig1 , if the broken - line rectangle and the solid - line rectangle overlap each other , it indicates that the processing element expressed by the broken - line rectangle and the memory element expressed by the solid - line rectangle are connected to each other . each processing element can make direct access to the memory elements which are connected thereto . that is , in this embodiment , as schematically shown in fig1 , if a plurality of processing elements 2 are arranged in a matrix form , a plurality of memory elements 4 are arranged in a matrix form , and the matrix of the memory elements is disposed with a deviation of half pitch with respect to the matrix of the processing elements , then each processing element is designed so as to make direct access to memory elements adjacent to the processing element ( the memory elements overlapping the processing element in fig1 ). in other words , each memory element can be locally shared only by the processing elements adjacent to the memory element . the number and arrangement of the processing elements , the number and arrangement of the memory elements and the connecting configuration between the processing elements and the memory elements can be variously set . preferably , as shown in fig2 , if the processing elements 2 are arranged in an n × m ( n and m are integral numbers and a case wherein n = m is included ) array , the memory elements 4 may be arranged in an ( n + 1 )×( m + 1 ) array so that each processing element can access the four memory elements . in this case , the logical connection relation between the processing elements 2 and the memory elements 4 is explained by taking a case wherein the processing elements 2 are arranged in an n × m array and the memory elements 4 are arranged in an ( n + 1 )×( m + 1 ) array as an example . assume now that 2 - dimensional logical numbers ( 0 , 0 ) to ( n − 1 , m − 1 ) are attached to the respective processing elements 2 and 2 - dimensional logical numbers ( 0 , 0 ) to ( n , m ) are attached to the respective memory elements 4 . at this time , in this embodiment , the processing element corresponding to a number ( i , j ) i is an integral number from 0 to ( n − 1 ) and j is an integral number from 0 to ( m − 1 )) is connected to the memory elements corresponding to numbers ( i , j ) ( i , j + 1 ), ( i + 1 , j ) and ( i + 1 , j + 1 ). for example , the processing element corresponding to the number ( 1 , 2 ) is connected to the memory elements corresponding to the numbers ( 1 , 2 ), ( 1 , 3 ), ( 2 , 2 ) and ( 2 , 3 ). at this time , the memory element corresponding to the number ( i , j ) is connected to the processing elements corresponding to the numbers ( i − 1 , j − 1 ), ( i − 1 , j ), ( i , j − 1 ) and ( i , j ). however , the processing element or memory element corresponding to the above number may not exist depending on the numbers and arrangements of the processing elements and memory elements in some cases . in such a case , the number may be treated as an invalid number . further , an image frame buffer can be constructed by a group of memory elements 4 , that is , by connecting each of the memory elements 4 to ( two , three or four ) other memory elements 4 logically adjacent to the each of the memory elements 4 via one or more associated processing elements 2 . each processing element can make direct access to the memory elements which are locally shared by the processing element by utilizing the logical connection configuration between the processing elements and the memory elements as shown in fig1 . for example , if an image frame buffer is constructed by the memory element group arranged in a matrix form as shown in fig1 and the processing element group is caused to perform the image processing , each processing element can make direct access to a half portion of a memory managed by the processing element apparently adjacent to the former processing element which is close to the former processing element and obtain partial image data stored therein . particularly , the above construction can most effectively function in a case wherein a process such as the image processing having a characteristic that most accesses are localized to a relatively nearby memory area is effected . if it is necessary to access the memory element to which the processing element cannot make direct access , another processing element may be used to effect data transfer . for example , a case wherein the processing element indicated by p 1 in fig1 reads out data in the memory element indicated by m 2 is explained . in this case , the processing element indicated by p 2 first reads out data in the memory element indicated by m 2 and then the readout data is written into the memory element indicated by m 1 . after this , the processing element indicated by p 1 reads out data which has been written into the memory element indicated by m 1 . further , in the case of write access , the above procedure may be effected in the reverse order . if a plurality of processing elements are required to be used for memory access , the above procedure may be adequately and repeatedly effected . as described before , this embodiment is explained with emphasis put on the logical connecting relation between the processing elements and the memory elements . therefore , the physical sizes and the arrangements of the processing elements and memory elements are not necessarily limited to those shown in the drawing . further , the terms “ adjacent ”, “ arranged in a matrix form ”, “ connected in a loop form ” and the like indicate the logical relation . as the physical arrangement , the processing elements and the memory elements may be arranged in a mixed configuration or the processing elements 102 and the memory elements 104 may be arranged in totally different areas as shown in fig3 . an example of the more detailed construction of the parallel computer according to this embodiment will be explained below . hereinafter , the controller 6 is omitted in the following drawings showing examples of the construction . fig4 shows an example of the construction of the parallel computer constructed by connecting the processing elements and the memory elements by use of buses and tri - state buffers . in fig4 , part of the construction extracted from the whole construction is shown . as shown in fig4 , in this embodiment , buses are used in order to connect the processing element 2 and the memory element 4 which are adjacent to each other in fig1 . the bus for the processing element and the bus for the memory element are independently provided . a processing element bus 12 of the processing element 2 is connected to a memory element bus 14 of the memory element 4 which is adjacent to the processing element via a tri - state buffer 13 . in a case wherein a group of memory elements arranged in a matrix form is used as the frame buffer and the processing elements arranged in a matrix form are controlled by simd type for image processing , for example , two or more tri - state buffers connected to the same bus cannot be turned on at the same time . one example of memory address assignment in this case is shown in fig5 and one example of the tri - state buffer control system is shown in fig6 and 7 . in this example , for making the explanation short and clear , the number of memories in each memory element is set to 16 . the address lines of the memories are indicated by a 5 , a 4 , a 3 , a 2 , a 1 , a 0 from the highest order . addresses ( 0 to 63 ) as shown in fig5 are assigned to memories in the four memory elements adjacent to one processing element . in this case , for example , a 4 , a 3 , a 1 , a 0 are used to distinguish the memories in each memory element and a 5 and a 2 are used to control the on / off states of the tri - state buffers as shown in fig6 and 7 . thus , this invention can be realized in a preferable form . in the above example , when the address is “ 000011 ”, for example , the tri - state buffer a is turned on and a memory indicated by the address “ 3 ” in fig5 is treated as a memory to be accessed . further , for example , when the address is “ 000111 ”, the tri - state buffer b is turned on and a memory indicated by the address “ 7 ”, in fig5 is treated as a memory to be accessed . in practice , the number of memories in the memory element is preferably larger than that in the case of fig5 and may be preferably set to 256 ( 256 words ). next , a case wherein a plurality of frame buffers are used in the construction shown in fig4 is explained . one example of memory address assignment in this case is shown in fig8 and one example of the tri - state buffer control system is shown in fig6 and 9 . for making the explanation short and clear , the number of memories in the memory element shown in fig8 is set to 8 and four of the eight memories make one set to constitute two sets of frame buffers . in fig8 , a reference numeral 41 denotes a first frame buffer and a reference numeral 42 denotes a second frame buffer . the address lines of the memories are indicated by a 4 , a 3 , a 2 , a 1 , a 0 from the highest order . addresses ( 0 to 31 ) as shown in fig8 are assigned to memories in the four memory elements adjacent to one processing element . in this case , for example , a 4 , a 2 , a may be used to distinguish the memories in each memory element and a 3 and a 1 may be used to control the on / off states of the tri - state buffers as shown in fig6 and 9 . in the above example , when the address is “ 10000 ”, for example , the tri - state buffer a is turned on and a memory indicated by the address “ 16 ” of the second frame buffer shown in fig8 is treated as a memory to be accessed . further , for example , when the address is “ 00011 ”, the tri - state buffer b is turned on and a memory indicated by the address “ 3 ” of the first frame buffer shown in fig8 is treated as a memory to be accessed . next , a case wherein the memory element is accessed ( data write and data readout ) from the exterior of the parallel computer in each construction explained so far is explained . fig1 shows one example of desirable address assignment in this case . for making the explanation short and clear , one memory element is constructed by 16 memories ( in practice , 256 , for example ) and the number of memory elements is set to 16 ( in practice , 384 , for example ). the address lines of the memories are indicated by a 7 , a 6 , a 5 , a 4 , a 3 , a 2 , a 1 , a 0 from the highest order . as shown in fig1 , addresses ( 0 to 255 ) are assigned . in this case , for example , a 5 , a 4 , a 1 , a 0 may be used to distinguish the memories in each memory element and a 7 , a 6 , a 3 and a 2 may be used to control the on / off states of the tri - state buffers . fig1 shows an example of the construction of an external tri - state buffer 23 connected to the memory element bus 14 for access from the exterior . in fig1 , the processing element buses 12 and the internal tri - state buffers 13 for connection between the processing elements 12 and the memory elements 14 are partly omitted . fig1 shows an example of the control system for the tri - state buffers 23 . in fig1 , only the on states are shown and description of the off states is omitted ( space portions in fig1 correspond to the off states ). with the above construction , memory access from the exterior , that is , data writing into the memory element from the exterior or data readout from the memory element to the exterior can be effected . next , a case wherein an inherent local memory is added to each processing element in each construction explained so far is explained . in a case where each processing element accesses different addresses as in a case wherein access is made to a lookup table , a problem may occur in some cases if all of the memories in the memory element are shared by the adjacent processing elements . therefore , in order to solve the above problem , it is preferable to add an inherent local memory to each processing element in addition to the construction explained so far . in this example , a case wherein the local memories are further added to the construction shown in fig6 and 7 is explained . fig1 shows an example in which a local memory 24 is added to each processing element in the construction of fig6 . fig1 shows one example of the control system for the tri - state buffer 13 . in this case , a 6 is additionally provided on the higher order of the address line of the memory shown in fig7 . that is , the tri - state buffers a to d for connecting the processing element buses to the memory element buses are on / off controlled like the case of fig7 in the case of a 6 = 0 and the tri - state buffer e for connecting the processing element bus to the local memory is controlled to be turned on in the case of a 6 = 1 ( a 5 , a 2 are “ don &# 39 ; t care ”). in the above case , a case wherein the end portion exists in the logical connecting construction between the processing elements and the memory elements is explained . it is possible to connect the processing elements and the memory elements in a loop form in each construction explained so far . a case wherein the logical connecting construction has a periodic boundary is explained below with emphasis put on the difference from the construction explained so far . fig1 is a diagram schematically showing the parallel computer used for the above purpose . in fig1 , for making the explanation short and clear , a case wherein the numbers of the processing elements and memory elements are set to 3 × 3 , for example , is shown . fig1 is a diagram for illustrating the logical connecting relation between the processing elements and the memory elements . in fig1 , the controller for issuing an instruction for each processing element and an address for memory access is omitted . the construction obtained by selecting all of the memory elements and one processing element from the construction of fig1 is shown in fig1 and 17 . in fig1 or the like , the element ( processing element or memory element ) lying in the end portion of the logical connecting construction has no logical connecting relation with the element lying in the end portion on the opposite side , but in the case of fig1 , the element lying in the end portion of the logical connecting construction and the element lying in the end portion on the opposite side of the same row or same column are connected to each other ( t 1 to t 4 in fig1 indicate that the elements are connected in the row and column directions in a loop form and the leftmost and rightmost portions and the uppermost and lowermost portions are observed as if they are arranged adjacent to each other ). that is , in the construction of this example , the numbers and logical arrangements of processing elements and memory elements are set equal to each other . in the case of fig1 , each processing element can access the four memory elements and each memory element can be shared by the four processing elements . for example , the processing element indicated by p 11 has a connecting relation with respect to the four memory elements indicated by oblique lines as shown in fig1 ( the processing element can access the four memory elements ) and the processing element indicated by p 12 has a connecting relation with respect to the four memory elements indicated by oblique lines as shown in fig1 ( the processing element can access the four memory elements ). for example , if an image frame buffer is constructed by the memory element group and the processing elements are caused to perform the image processing , the leftmost and rightmost portions and the uppermost and lowermost portions of an image are observed as if they are arranged adjacent to each other . this is particularly effective to process the periodic image . fig1 shows an example of the parallel computer constructed by connecting the processing elements with the 4 × 4 logical arrangement to the memory elements with the 4 × 4 logical arrangement by use of buses and tri - state buffers . in fig1 , the buses and tri - state buffers shown in fig4 are omitted and only the connection relation therebetween is shown . in fig1 , symbols r 1 to r 15 are described and the symbols indicate that portions to which the same symbol is attached are connected to each other . that is , the processing element and the memory element to which the same symbol is attached are connected to each other via the buses and tri - state buffer in such a form as shown in fig4 . for example , the processing element of r 8 in the bottom rightmost portion is connected to the memory element of r 8 in the top leftmost portion and the processing element can access the memory element . in this case , the assignment of memory addresses and the control system of the tri - state buffers are the same as those in the construction of the example explained with reference to fig5 , 6 and 7 . further , the construction in which a plurality of frame buffers are used , the construction in which the memory element is accessed from the exterior of the parallel computer and the construction in which inherent local memories are respectively added to the processing elements are the same as those described before . in the following description , a case wherein the parallel computer is applied to the image processing is explained in more detail . fig1 shows an example of the construction of an image processing device constructed by use of the parallel computer . the image processing device is constructed by connecting a camera 30 for effecting photoelectric conversion , an a / d converter 31 for a / d converting an electrical signal output from the camera 30 and a parallel computer 32 . the parallel computer 32 may be of any type explained so far . further , external tri - state buffers for connection with the exterior as shown in fig1 are provided . in this case , memory elements connected in a matrix form in the parallel computer 32 are used as an image memory ( for example , a frame buffer ). first , an image signal photographed by the camera 30 is converted into digital image data by the a / d converter 31 . next , the image data is stored into a corresponding memory element via the external tri - state buffer shown in fig1 . then , the processing elements connected in a matrix form in the parallel computer 32 are caused to perform the image processing in a distributed and cooperative manner . that is , each of the processing elements performs the image processing in a distributed and cooperative manner based on an partial image stored in the memory element which can be directly accessed by the processing element via the internal tri - state buffer . processed image data obtained as the result of the image processing is stored into the corresponding memory element via the internal tri - state buffer by each of the processing elements . then , the processed image data stored in each of the memory elements is output to the exterior via the external tri - state buffer . the image output to the exterior of the parallel computer 32 is displayed on a display , printed by a printer , stored into an external storage device or transferred via a network , for example . as the camera and a / d converter , only one camera and one a / d converter can be used , but the following construction can be used to enhance the processing speed , for example . the construction in which only one camera is used and a plurality of a / d converters are used . the construction in which a plurality of cameras are used and a plurality of a / d converters are used . the construction in which a set of the camera and a / d converter is provided for each memory ( for each pixel ). in the above example , processed image data is output as the result of the image processing , but it is possible to output the global feature derived based on the image data as the processing result . as the global feature , for example , the leftmost position of moving objects , the position of the most significant optical flow and the like can be considered . in this case , for example , as shown in fig2 , a global processor 33 for calculating the global feature is provided . the global processor 33 reads out image data stored in each of the memory elements via the external tri - state buffer shown in fig1 as described before . then , it calculates the global feature based on the readout image data and outputs the result of calculation . a case wherein the arrangement pattern of the elements is a square or rectangle has been explained , but this invention can be applied to a case wherein the arrangement pattern of the elements is another shape such as a hexagon or triangle . for example , in a case where two or three processing elements and memory elements are provided as one unit , it is impossible to 2 - dimenisionally arrange the elements , but in this case , the processing elements and the memory elements may be linearly arranged and the array of the processing elements and the array of the memory elements may be shifted by a half pitch in the linearly arranged direction ( the processing elements and the memory elements will be alternately connected ). this construction is also included in this invention . even in a case where the numbers of processing elements and memory elements are set to such values as to 2 - dimensionally arrange the processing elements and memory elements , the processing elements and the memory elements may be arranged such that the array of the processing elements and the array of the memory elements will be shifted by a half pitch only in the linearly arranged direction ( first direction ). in the second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction , data transfer or data access may be effected by use of the prior art such as communication with the processing element . in a case where most accesses are localized to relatively nearby areas as in the image processing , the parallel processing can be effected at higher speed in comparison with the conventional case . particularly , it is effective when a narrow and long image is processed . the construction in which the processing elements and the memory elements are connected via the buses and tri - state buffers is explained in the above example , but it is preferable to use a tri - state buffer which can transmit a signal in both directions as the tri - state buffer . further , it is possible to use another switching element instead of the tri - state buffer . this invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be variously modified without departing from the technical scope thereof . additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art . therefore , the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein . accordingly , various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
hollow glass microspheres are available in sizes ranging from 10 to 20 microns in diameter . glass has a low thermal coefficient of expansion ( 1 . 8 to 2 . 8 × 10 - 6 in ./ in ./° f .) but a high dielectric constant ( 4 to 6 ). however , by using hollow glass spheres in which a portion of the total volume is glass , the rest being air within the spheres , the dielectric constant of the spheres will be significantly reduced because of the low dielectric constant of air ( 1 . 0 ). often microspheres , as commercially available are unsuitable for molding applications because they may shatter or break during mixing and / or molding . for maximum effectiveness these spheres should remain hollow and intact throughout the process . to achieve this durable character , it was found desirable to anneal the microspheres in a glass oven set for a pyrex programmed cycle of slowly heating to the annealing temperature ( 565 - 600 ° c .) and then slowly cooling to room temperature . the entire cycle is about 5 hours . annealing , as used generally and in the present specification , refers to the process of removing strains and brittleness from glass by holding it at an elevated temperature for a certain time , then gradually cooling it at a predetermined rate . one of the requirements for stripline boards used in advanced systems is that the board must have a uniform dielectric constant and loss tangent . thus the composition of the board must be very uniform . to accomplish this it is necessary to pulverize or &# 34 ; micronize &# 34 ; the matrix polymer and then prepare a uniform mixture of polymer and microspheres . standard grinding techniques are not satisfactory because non - uniform particle size results or the polymer is contaminated by the grinding equipment . the following procedures for preparing a circuit board are cited for the purpose of illustration . to a pressure vessel was added 25 g of pelletized polyallomer and 450 ml of n - pentane . &# 34 ; polyallomer &# 34 ; refers generally to a type of polymer which varies in chemical composition without change in crystalline form . specifically , and as used herein , it denotes a block copolymer of propylene and ethylene having low density but high resistance to heat and mechanical distortion . the polyallomer used in the experiments described herein was polyallomer from eastman kodak co . a variety of polyolefins having similar mechanical - electrical and thermal properties are suitable for use in the present invention and are available commercially . the dispersion was heated at 160 ° c . ( 260 psi or 182 kg / cm 2 ) for seven hours and then allowed to cool to ambient temperature . the swollen micronized polymer was collected by vacuum filtration and then dried at 60 ° c . in a vacuum . the dried polymer was placed in a glass jar containing glass balls and milled to break up clusters . this was sieved through a 20 - mesh screen . forty grams ( 40 . 4 g ) of annealed ftf - 15 microspheres ( emerson & amp ; cuming , inc .) were added to a solution consisting of 2 . 0g of 3 - aminopropyltriethoxysilane , 10 ml of distilled water and 90 ml of acetone . the dispersion was shaken on a wrist shaker for two hours . the microspheres were collected by filtration , washed with acetone and vacuum dried . the reaction is shown as follows : ## str1 ## to 1 . 88 g of an acrylic acid / ethylene copolymer ( 20 percent acrylic acid ) was added 200 ml of xylene . the mixture was heated to 110 ° c . and stirred until a homogenous solution was obtained . 20 g of the treated microspheres were added and stirring continued at 100 ° c . for one hour , at which time the mixture was cooled to room temperature , filtered , washed with isopropanol and dried in a vacuum . the coated spheres were placed in a glass jar containing glass balls and tumbled to break up the clusters . the reaction is shown as follows : ## str2 ## the molding compound was prepared by mixing 25 weight percent of modified microspheres and 75 weight percent of the micronized polymer . the mixture was then blended in a powder matrix overnight . the mixture was placed in the mold ; the mold was evacuated and then heated . the coating copolymer is soluble in the polyallomer , which , being thermoplastic , is molten . the composite was molded at 204 ° c . and 1000psi ( 6 . 9 mega pascals ). the board diameter was 4 inches ( 10 . 2 cm ) and the thickness was 64 to 66 mils ( 0 . 16 - 0 . 17 cm ). the boards were cut into 2 . 7 in . × 2 . 7 in . ( 6 . 9 cm × 6 . 9 cm ) squares and their electric properties were determined using the 3m stripline test method , an astm standard method . to determine the uniformity of these boards , measurements were made along two arbitrarily chosen normal directions on the boards . the fact that the values obtained from the two normal directions are equal shows that the boards were uniform . this conclusion is further supported by the very similiar dielectric properties of a large number of boards from the same formulation . the results obtained for two types of circuit boards are listed below . ______________________________________ 75 % polyallomer 75 % polypropylene 25 % microspheres 25 % microspheres______________________________________dielectric constant ( 10 . 9 ghz ) 2 . 07 2 . 0loss tangent ( 10 . 9 0 . 0013 0 . 0015ghz ) ______________________________________ various alternate methods can be suggested . for example , another compound such as bis - dimethylaminodimethylsilane can be used to react with the oh groups on the glass surface . the only requirement for the compound used to modify the glass surface is that it forms a chemical bond with the glass and has an active site for attaching a polymer . polymers other than those cited can be attached to the coated microspheres . the choice will be dictated by the properties of the polymer . these include the dielectric constant , thermal coefficient of expansion , loss tangent , etc . other compounds known to be suitable as finishes for glass fibers , such as methacrylato chromic chloride may also be satisfactorily employed . see p . 13 , glass reinforced plastics , phillip morgan ed ., ( philosophical library inc . 1955 ). one alternative procedure is to use only one polymer . that is , the difunctional silane coating is added , then the matrix is grafted on to the silane coating . hollow glass microspheres are treated with a vinylchorosilane such as dimethylvinylchlorosilane clsi ( ch 3 ) 2 ( c 2 h 3 ). the cl group of the chlorosilane will react with oh groups on the surface of the glass forming a chemical bond . the pendant vinyl group is an active site for grafting and a monomer such as propylene or styrene can be readily grafted onto this group forming the polymer . the amount of polymer buildup on the spheres can be controlled and experiments can be made to determine the optimum . the coated microspheres can be molded and the polymer coating will form the continuous phase of the composite . | 8 |
in the present patent , “ biofilm modifyer ” is defined as a substance able to destroy , destructure , and disorganize the biofilm and / or to prevent or slow down its formation . for the purpose of the present invention , the terms “ antimicrobial ”, “ antiinfective ”, “ antibacterial ”, and “ antibiotic ” are synonyms and refer to substances having a bacteriostatic and / or a bactericidal effect against a given pathogen micro - organism ( bacteria , fungi , virus ). the present invention discloses the increase of efficacy of antimicrobial agents in respiratory infections associated with biofilm by the synergetic combination of at least two active agents consisting of a biofilm modifyer and an antibiotic , administered by inhalation . basically , one antibiotic , the aminoglycoside , at least , should be active against the bacteria contained in the biofilm , while the macrolide shall act on the biofilm for instance by disorganizing it , destructuring it , inhibiting the production of alginate , etc . . . . the present invention is useful to prevent the formation of biofilm in patients but also to treat patients with a formed biofilm . the present invention more precisely consists of a composition dry or liquid for inhalation comprising at least one antibiotic from the aminoglycoside group and one antibiotic from the macrolide group , the antibiotic from the macrolide family being active against biofilms (= biofilm modifyer ). the antibiotics from the aminoglycoside group comprise , but are not restricted to : tobramycin , kanamycin , streptomycin , gentamicin , amikacin , apramycin , arbekacin , bekanamycin , astromycin , dihydrostreptomycin , framycetin , neomycin , netilmicin , isepamicin , micronomicin , sisomicin or their salts and derivatives . ( see martindale , 33 rd edition , page 111 ). the macrolides from the macrolides group comprise but are not restricted to : clarithromycin , azithromycin , roxithromycin , erythromycin , telithromycin , dirithromycin , flurithromycin , josamycin , kitasamycin , midecamycin , dalfopristin , oleandomycin , midecamycin , pristinamycin , rokitamycin , spiramycin , tilmicosin , troleandomycin , tylosin , virginiamycin , or their salts and derivatives . ( see martindale , 33 rd edition , page 112 ). there are significant advantages to administer the present composition of an aminoglycoside and a macrolide directly to the lungs instead of their usual route of administration i . e . most often intravenous for aminoglycoside and oral for macrolide . first , the very significantly decrease of the systemic exposure leads to the decrease of potentially very severe adverse effects of aminoglycoside ( nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity ) and the mild adverse effects of macrolides . second , the inhalation avoids drug interactions that may occur for some macrolides that are metabolized through the cytochrome p450 3a4 ( like clarithromycin ). those interactions may again result in important adverse effects . third , the interaction with food is also avoided when the composition is inhaled rather than swallowed . and last but not least , the inhaled route produces very high local concentrations of the drugs where needed . the amount of each antibiotic and their respective ratio may vary , depending to the nature of the bacterium to eradicate , the kind of biofilm and the kind of infection to treat . the amount of aminoglycoside will be , in every case , such as to provide , locally , concentrations in aminoglycoside superior to its mic ( minimal inhibitory concentration ) against the planktonic bacterium considered . however , the preferred ratio ( w / w ) aminoglycoside / macrolide in the present invention is 0 . 2 to 5 , preferably 0 . 5 to 3 , more preferably 0 . 8 to 2 . the amount of macrolide agent inhaled shall be high enough to affect , in some way , the biofilm . it has to be noted that as the effect of macrolide derivatives on the biofilm is mediated through a non - antibacterial mechanism . therefore , the amounts required to destroy the biofilm by inhalation may be significantly lower than the one needed for antiinfective activity pre os . also importantly , the macrolide derivative does not need to possess an antiinfective activity against the targeted microorganism to acts on the biofilm . nevertheless , it is a another object of the present invention to provide a composition containing high concentrations ( or amounts ) of each of the aminoglycoside derivative and of the macrolide derivative i . e . at least more than 10 %, preferably more than 15 %, and more preferably more than 20 % of the dry powder composition . it is indeed particularly interesting to achieve high lung doses of those therapeutic agents with the minimum amounts of inhalations because it makes the administration easier and more importantly increase the patient &# 39 ; s compliance . it also decreases the nominal dose of each active ingredient and thus the adverse effects linked to these actives . in the present invention , the dry powder inhaler also provides a high fine particle dose ( fpd ) and fine particle function ( fpf ) when tested in vitro on a multistage liquid impinger ( mli , eur . pharm , 5 th edition , chapter 2 . 9 . 18 ). the fpd and fpf are the parameters that predict in vivo lung deposition . briefly , the fpf (%) is defined as the fraction ( expressed of in percent ) of the nominal dose presenting a diameter inferior to 5 μm ( maximum diameter of particles to be able to reach the lungs ) and the fine particle dose ( fpd ) is the amount ( in mg ) per inhaled unit dose composition presenting a diameter inferior to 5 μm . high lung deposition of each active ingredient from the composition of the present invention will achieve high local concentrations of the antibiotic ( generally 5 to 20 times above the minimal inhibitory concentration or mic ) in order to kill the pathogens and high local concentrations of the biofilm modifyer agent in order to destroy or destructure rapidly the biofilm . the dpi composition of the present invention provides with a fpf of at least 15 % of each active ingredient in comparison to the nominal dose , preferably superior to 20 %, more preferably superior to 35 %. the preferred ratio ( w / w ) between the active ingredients ( aminoglycoside + macrolides ) and the inactive ingredients in dry powder composition of the invention , is comprised from 0 . 2 to 90 , preferably from 0 . 3 to 5 , more preferably 0 . 4 to 2 . alternatively , the compositions may be free of excipient ( 100 % of active drugs ). in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , both antimicrobial are present under the form of a dry powder for inhalation agents and are administered in a fixed combination through inhalation . said dry powder compositions may be formulated as a single dose composition i . e . a composition to be filled individually in capsules or blisters , or as a multidose composition i . e . a composition filled in a device equipped with a reservoir containing several doses and a metering dose system . the dry powder composition of the present invention preferably contains the aminoglycoside derivative in a micronized form and the macrolide derivative in a micronized form . for the purpose of the present invention , “ micronized ” means an average particle size inferior to 20 μm , preferably inferior to 10 μm and more preferably inferior to 5 μm when measured by laser diffraction for instance . the dry powder composition of the present invention may contain more than one antibiotic and more than one biofilm modifyer the dry powder composition may further contain other excipients like buffering agents , surfactants , lubricants , chelating agents or antioxydants , aminoacids . when carbohydrate is used as main inactive ingredient , it has a role of carrier . then , the preferred process is for manufacturing the composition of the invention is a dry blending of the micronized active ingredients with the non - micronized carrier . in case of use of a non - micronized carrier , said carrier has preferably a mean particle size comprised between 50 and 250 μm , preferably between 80 and 200 μm , more preferably between 100 and 160 μm . the preferred main carrier is anhydrous lactose or lactose monohydrate but other mono - disaccharide such as dextrose , xylitol , mannitol , saccharose etc ., may be used . mixtures of two or more carriers may also be used as well as mixtures a carrier with other kinds of excipients ( lubricants , surfactants , antioxidants , etc .). the dry powder composition of the invention may contain , in addition to the main non micronized carrier described hereinabove , a second carrier which can be non - micronized or micronized . when this second carrier is micronized , the preferred mean particle size measured by laser diffraction is inferior to 20 μm , preferably inferior to 10 μm . the second carrier can be the same chemical entity as the main carrier or a different one . the dry powder composition obtained by dry blending may further comprise excipients aimed to improve the stability of the composition , the flowability of the powder or the lung deposition of both active ingredients . another composition of the invention may contain in addition to the micronized aminoglycoside and the micronized macrolide , a lipid derivative or a mixture of different lipid derivatives as excipients . in this case , the preferred process consists in the spray - drying the active ingredients together with the lipid . the spray - drying process requires the use of a liquid in which the active ingredients and excipients are solubilized or in suspension . the solution or suspension is homogeneized and then spray - dried to obtain a particles in the required mean particle range i . e . & lt ; 10 μm , preferably inferior to 5 μm . this spray - drying process is a well known in the pharmaceutical industry and a specific process to obtain dry powder composition may , for instance be found in ep 1 674 085 a1 . the preferred lipid excipients are either phospholipids including anionic phospholipids , cationic phospholipids , zwitterionic phospholipids and neutral phospholipids such as for example phosphatidylcholine , phosphatidylglycerol , phosphatidyl - inositol , phospatidyl - serine , or non - phospholipids such as glycerol esters ( like glycerol monostearate , glycerol behenate ), fatty alcohols ( preferably with c16 or more ), fatty acids ( preferably with c16 or more ), ethers of fatty alcohols , esters of fatty acids , hydrogenated oils , polyoxyethylenated derivatives and sterols like cholesterol and its derivatives . mixtures of two or more lipid derivatives may also be used . preferably , a combination of a phospholipid with cholesterol or a cholesterol derivative may be used in compositions of the present invention . the lipid excipients may also be combined to other lipidic or non lipidic excipients like carbohydrate , surfactant , lubricant , antioxidant , chelating agent . the dry powder composition of the present invention may additionally contain one or more chelating agent . the chelating agent useful for the present invention may include edetic acid ( edta ) or a salt thereof , but other chelating agent such as citric acid , malic acid or their salts may be used . the chelating agent will preferably be present at a concentration ( w / w ) ranging from 0 . 01 % to 5 % of the final dry powder composition . combinations of more than one chelating agents may also be used . the dry powder composition of the present invention may additionally contain one or more antioxidant agent . examples of antioxidants that can be used include derivatives of cysteine like acetylcystein and its salts , glutathion , carbocystein derivatives or ascorbic acid , derivatives of tocopherol , propylgallate , bha , bht . it is to be noted that the presence of either a chelating agent or an antioxidant agent , or both , may further increase the beneficial effect on the biofilm and may consequently result in a better efficiency that the contribution of aminoglycoside and macrolide without these agents . in a second preferred embodiment , the composition can be in the form of a liquid , comprising a carrier and both antibiotics ( macrolide and aminoglycoside ) in suspension and / or solution therein . nebulizer solutions can be formulated in a similar way to injectable macrolide solutions well - known in the art . the liquid carrier is advantageously water , or any pharmaceutically acceptable solvent , such as ethanol , dimethylsulfoxide , glycerol , propylene glycol , and mixtures thereof . the antibiotics in the liquid compositions of the present invention shall be present in the same amount ranges as defined supra for the dry powder compositions . in vitro demonstration of the activity of micronized tobramycin + micronized clarithromycin on pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm biofilms of pseudomonas aeruginosa — strain py o 1 were formed according to the methods described by ceri et al , the calgary biofilm device : new technology for rapid determination of antibiotic susceptibilities of bacterial biofilms , journal of clinical microbiology , pp . 1771 - 1776 , 1999 and abdi - ali et al , bactericidal activity of various antibiotics against biofilm - producing pseudomonas aeruginosa , international journal of antimicrobial agents 27 , 196 - 200 , 2006 . py o 1 : is a cystic fibrosis clinical mucoid strain of pseudomonas aeruginosa received from the erasme hospital , brussels . the determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration ( mic ) is performed according to the standard of nccls ( nccls , methods for dilution antimicrobial susceptibility tests for bacteria that grow aerobically ; approved standards , sixth edition , m7 - a6 , vol . 23 no . 2 , january 2003 . in the present experiment , the mic of tobramycin , clarithromycin and the combination of both antibiotics was first determined on planktonic bacteria (= probacteria i . e . free bacteria not included in a biofilm ) to prove that there is no direct additive effect of the active ingredient . the mic of tobramycin for pseudomonas aeruginosa is 3 . 9 μg / ml . the mic of clarithromycin for pseudomonas aeruginosa could not be determined since the results showed that the bacterium is not sensitive to this antibiotic . the mic of the combination of tobramycin and clarithromycin is found to be around 3 . 9 μg / ml . these results , similar to the mic value found for tobramycin alone demonstrate that there is no additional antibiotic effect of clarithromycin on planktonic pseudomonas aeruginosa . in a first attempt to measure the antibiotic activity ( mic ) of tobramycin on pseudomonas aeruginosa when incorporated in a biofilm , a culture of planktonic pseudomonas aeruginosa was prepared to produce a biofilm during a period of 24 hours . upon completion of the 24 hours the mic of tobramycin was measured using these cultures . surprisingly , it was found that the minimum inhibitory concentration ( mic ) of tobramycin on a 24 hours old biofilm of pseudomonas aeruginosa was similar to the activity of tobramycin of planktonic bacteria . in other words , tobramycin is still active on such a biofilm and there is no need to add a biofilm destroying / destructuring agent . in a second experiment using the same modus operandi as above , we measured the mic of tobramycin on a 12 day old pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm . this situation is much closer to the situation observed in vivo in chronic respiratory diseases like cystic fibrosis . in this case , tobramycin was no longer active against said pseudomonas aeruginosa . there exists thus a significant difference between a 1 day old versus a 12 days old biofilm : it appears that a biofilm is a living entity that evolutes from the native to the mature stage . also these experiments shall warn researchers that antibiotic activity results obtained from species that form a biofilm may not be taken in consideration unless the biofilm has had sufficient time to form properly and results found in the literature have to be taken with precaution . effects of tobramycin , clarithromycin and combinations thereof on 12 - day biofilm of pseudomonas aeruginosa after having shown that the number of pseudomonas aeruginosa within the biofilms was stable after 12 days , the products listed in table 1 were added to the media for the duration of 24 hours . thereafter the biofilm was rinsed three times with a 0 . 01m phosphate buffer adjusted at ph 7 . 5 in order to remove all cells not bound to the biofilm . the microplate was then placed on ultrasonic bath at 35 ° c . for 5 minutes to allow the bacteria present in the biofilm to separate from such biofilm . a bacterial count was then performed ( number of coloning forming unit cfu / ml ). each experience was done twice and the cfu counting was also repeated twice / experience . the results are shown in table 1 and fig1 . it is concluded that neither tobramycin 4 μg / ml nor clarithromycin at 100 , 200 and 500 μg / ml alone are able to decrease the number of cfu / ml of the 12 - day biofilm versus the positive control . to the contrary all the combinations of tobramycin / clarithromycin were able to decrease the number of cfu / ml originated from the biofilm of pseudomonas aeruginosa with a maximal effect being observed for the combination tobramycin 4 μg / ml + clarithromycin 200 μg / ml which shows a number of cfu / ml of about 10 7 while tobramycin alone at 4 μg / ml shows a number of cfu / ml of around 2 . 5 × 10 8 . this means a more than 25 times decrease in the number of cfu / ml for the combination versus the reference product tobramycin . it can be seen that enhanced results are determined when at least 100 μg / ml clarithromycin is combined with tobramycin , preferably at least 200 μg / ml . the efficacy of the mixture decreases somehow for concentration in clarithromycin grater than 500 μg / ml . a dry powder composition for inhalation of tobramycin and clarithromycin was formulated using micronized tobramycin supplied by teva plantex ( israël ). clarithromycin was supplied by teva plantex ( israel ) in a non - micronized form . clarithromycin was then micronized using the micronizer mc - one ® ( jetpharma , switerland ). to obtain a product with particle size suitable to reach the respiratory tract ( i . e . 80 % of particles inferior to 10 μm , and 90 % of particles inferior to 5 μm when measured by laser diffraction ). the micronisation parameters were a pressure of 10 bars in the venturi , a pressure of 8 bars in the ring and a feeding rate of 5 g / minute . the mean particle size of the micronized clarithromycin obtained ( measured by laser diffraction ) was 1 . 6 μm . 400 g of anhydrous lactose ( 100 - 160 μm ) were put in a planetary mixer together with 50 g of micronized lactose monohydrate . the two lactoses were blended at 40 rpm for 10 minutes . 200 g of micronized tobramycin and 100 g of micronized clarithromycin were added to the mix of lactoses using the “ sandwich technique ”, i . e . by alternating the layer of lactoses and the layer of active ingredients to obtain a final mix as homogeneous as possible . the mix was blended for 10 minutes at a speed of 40 rpm . samples were taken from this powder blend to assure both active ingredients were homogeneously blended . 50 mg of the powder mix was then filled into number 3 hydroxypropylmethylcellulose ( hpmc ) capsules . these capsules are ready for use with a dry powder inhaled device such as the miat monodose inhaler , or any other suitable capsule based inhalation device . edetic acid in an amount of 0 . 5 % ( weight / weight ) was added to the blend of example 2 . the powder was thereafter filled in a miat multidose inhaler device . 400 g of anhydrous lactose ( 100 - 160 μm ) was introduced in a planetary mixer and 150 g of micronized tobramycin , 150 g of micronized clarithromycin and 20 g of n - acetylcysteinate lysine ( as antioxidant ) were added using the “ sandwich technique ”, i . e . by alternating the layer of lactose and the layer of active ingredients to obtain a final blend as homogeneous as possible . the blend was mixed for 10 minutes at a speed of 40 rpm . the blend was then filled in size 3 hard gelatine capsules ( 40 mg of powder / capsule ). 10 g of micronized tobramycin , 5 g of clarithromycin were dissolved in a 80 / 20 ( w / w ) water / ethanol mixture . 300 mg of phospholipon 90h ® and 1 . 2 g of cholesterol were added and dissolved in said solution containing the active ingredients . the solution was thereafter spray - dried to obtain a powder consisting of micrometric spherical lipidic particles with a very high content in active ingredients . this powder was filled in hpmc capsules for inhalation ( 20 mg of powder / capsule ). 400 g of anhydrous lactose ( 100 - 160 μm ) was mixed in a planetary mixer ( 40 rpm for 10 minutes ) with 200 g of micronized tobramycin and 200 g of micronized clarithromycin . 40 mg of the blend obtained was filled into size 3 hydroxypropylmethylcellulose capsules . this produced capsules each containing 10 mg of micronized tobramycin and 10 mg of micronized clarithromycin that may be used for inhalation the determination of the fine particle fraction ( fpf ) i . e . the fraction ( expressed in percent ) of the nominal dose presenting a diameter inferior to 5 μm ( maximum diameter to reach the lungs ) and the fine particle dose ( fpd ) i . e . the amount ( in mg ) per capsule presenting a diameter inferior to 5 μm , has been performed on the capsules using the axahaler device as powder inhaler device . the in vitro lung deposition test was performed using equipment and conditions as described in the european pharmacopoeia ( 5 th edition , chapter 2 . 9 . 18 — apparatus c ). this equipment consists of a multistage liquid impinger ( mli ) and was operated with an air flow of 100 l / min during a period of time of 2 . 4 seconds to simulate inhalation capabilities of patients . the quantification of the deposition of each drug on each stage of the mli was performed by hplc equipped with a a corona detector . the results are presented in table 2 . the fpf of tobramycin and clarithromycin obtained are 42 . 5 % and 36 . 3 % respectively . the fpd / capsule of tobramycin and clarithromycin are 4 . 26 mg and 3 . 63 mg respectively . those results clearly demonstrate that the compositions of the invention allow to reach very high lung deposition of both the antibiotic and the biofilm modifyer . such high lung deposition is suitable for use in vivo . indeed , the volume of epithelial liquid in the lung is generally estimated at about 100 ml . and lung deposition results show that each capsule of the composition of example 6 allows thus to obtain a lung concentration of respectively 42 . 6 μg / ml of tobramycin and 36 . 3 μg / ml of clarithromycin . different compositions ( f1 to f5 ) were manufactured using the blending process as described in example 6 . | 0 |
in one embodiment of the invention , bulk ingots or wire of sn — cu binary eutectic solder are doped with a small amount ( 0 . 1 - 6 . 0 %) of zn . during molten solder injection in c4np wafer bumping process the molten solder will first fill the cavities in the mold then solidify . solder in filled mold cavities is then aligned and transferred to the wafer , which has ball limiting metallurgy ( blm ) pads with a cu surface , solderable , layer . in addition to zn a small amount of bi can be added to the solder to suppress sn pest . cu content can be increased to 0 . 7 - 2 . 0 % ( instead of the eutectic composition of 0 . 9 wt %) to further reduce cu consumption to allow thinner sputtered cu to be used . in another embodiment and series of experiments , sn — ag — cu solder alloys ( in the form of solder balls , about 890 mm in diameter ), were commercially produced for a ball grid array ( bga ) module assembly . solder compositions included : sn - 3 . 8ag - 0 . 7cu ( sac ), sn - 3 . 8ag - 0 . 7cu - 0 . 1zn ( sac + 0 . 1zn ) and sn - 3 . 8ag - 0 . 7 - cu - 0 . 7zn ( sac + 0 . 7zn ) ( in wt . % with a nominal variation of 0 . 2 wt . %) . the small amount of zn was added to sac alloys in a commercial process of producing bga solder balls . the melting point of the sac alloys ( about 217 ° c .) was measured by differential scanning calorimetry and was not much affected by the minor additions of zn . the microstructures of sac solder balls both initially and slow cooled ( 0 . 02 ° c ./ sec ) were examined to find any microstructure changes due to the addition of zn and different cooling rates . to reveal the solder microstructure more clearly , the b - sn matrix is lightly etched with a diluted etchant of 5 % hn 0 3 / 3 % hcl / 92 % ch3oh for several seconds . focused ion - beam ( fib ) channeling images are used to record the random orientation of the sn dendrites and estimate bga grain orientations by noting contrast reversal when tilting the sample through the [ 110 ] sn dendrite preferential growth direction . the fib technique is also used to cut a thin slice from solder joint interfaces for high resolution tem analysis . electron probe microanalysis ( epma ) is used to produce x - ray dot maps of the complex sn — ag — cu microstructure to reveal the spatial distribution of fine intermetallic particles ( ag3sn and cu6sn5 ) in interdendritic regions . quantitative chemical analysis with the epma determines differences in alloy composition as a function of location within a solder joint . high - resolution tem analysis combined with energy - dispersive x - ray ( edx ) spectroscopy provides useful information about the distribution of zn atoms near the interfaces and the chemical identification of small particles of intermetallic compounds ( less than 1000 nm diameter ) below the resolution of epma . the interfacial reactions of sac + zn solders were investigated with bga solder balls attached to a plastic module having cu or au / ni ( p ) pads . the reflow is performed in a forced convection oven under a n2 atmosphere with the peak temperature ranging from 235 to 245 ° c . multiple reflows up to 10 cycles are applied to observe the formation of intermetallic compounds as a function of reflow time . the interfacial reactions of sac + zn solders in the solid - state is also investigated with solder joints thermally aged by annealing at 150 ° c . up to 1000 hr . referring to fig1 ( un - annealed ) and to fig1 a ( annealed ), upon an extended annealing of sac joints in contact with cu , at 150 ° c ., voids are observed at the interface between cu and the imcs . they can grow and coalescence into a void layer as the annealing time increases . this void structure can drastically reduce the joint strength of pb - free solder joints . at an early stage , the presence of voids is difficult to detect by conventional mechanical testing such as the lap shear or ball shear test , normally conducted at a slow strain rate . to confirm the void growth in sac joints during the solid - state annealing , both sac and sac + zn joints on cu pads are subjected to a long - term annealing at 150 ° c . for up to 1000 hr . fig2 and 2a compare the imc growth in sac + 0 . 7zn solder joints with the control samples of sac annealed at 150 ° c . ( fig1 and 1a ). for 500 hours of annealing , the sac joint shows two layers of cu — sn imc ( cu 6 sn 5 and cu 3 sn ) being about equal in thickness . however , for the sac + 0 . 7zn joint , the growth of the second , imc , layer , cu 3 sn , was very much suppressed to a thin layer , probably less than 0 . 1 um thick . it is believed that retardation of cu 3 sn imc growth may be attributed to an accumulation of zn atoms at the interface between the cu 3 sn phase and the underlying cu pad . referring to fig3 and fig3 a , very similar issues concerning imc &# 39 ; s and void formation exist for an injection molded sncu ( sn - 0 . 7cu ) solder ball reflowed on a thick cu pad . referring to fig4 the presence of 0 . 3 % wt zn in the sn — cu alloy ( sn - 0 . 7cu - 0 . 3z n ) solder of fig3 virtually eliminates void formation at reflow . in fig4 a , at 500 hours of annealing at a temperature of 150 degrees imc and void formation are present , but greatly suppressed . this is also the case in fig4 b , after 1000 hours of annealing . in some cases , the linear density of voids at the solder - pad interface may be as high . densities with more than 1 void per micron have been found , after annealing ( thermal aging ), without the presence of zn in the sn containing solder . such high void densities inevitably result is extreme mechanical fragility and the loss of solder joint reliability under relatively low mechanical forces . for a similar interface , when zn is added to the solder , the linear density has been shown to drop as low as one void per 580 microns , after thermal aging . this may have extreme consequences for differences in the service life of the solder joint . such solder joints maintain their mechanical reliability and are not subject to the early catastrophic failure in mechanical shock or other situations where the solder joint is mechanically loaded . thus , the inventors have discovered that in tin rich solders , whether containing lead , or lead free , zn segregates to the interface and changes the reactive interdiffusion processes , such that , cu 3 sn is retarded in its development on cu pad structures . in addition , it appears that there is a very thin , zn enriched , layer , lying directly between the cu 3 sn phase and the cu . as emphasized below , the required levels of zn needed to effectively suppress void formation are in many cases surprisingly low . the required compositional levels in the solder depend on the solder volume to pad area ratio . a 0 . 025 inch ( 0 . 635 mm ) diameter solder ball is reflowed on a single 0 . 022 inch ( 0 . 559 mm ) diameter cu pad , voiding is prevented , with only 0 . 1 wt % zn in the initial solder ball . a solder joint is created with two opposed cu pads , using a 0 . 025 inch ( 0 . 635 mm ) diameter solder ball and 0 . 022 inch ( 0 . 559 mm ) diameter pads , some voiding is found with 0 . 1 wt % zn present in the initial solder ball . the outcome with one cu pad and one ni pad remains undefined for these ball and pad sizes . but , zn does react at the ni pad surface . with 0 . 3 wt % zn in the solder and the same ball and pad geometry , voiding is prevented with dual cu pads . thus , for these typical bga situations , generally 0 . 6 or less % wt zn is more than adequate to suppress void growth . the important metric in this situation is the ratio of the quantity of available zn in the solder to the pad surface area . this relationship may be expressed in units of grams of zn per square micron ( μ 2 ) of pad area . in the case and associated geometry described above , based on the fact that 0 . 1 wt % zn is barely adequate for the ball and pad geometry , with a single cu pad ( but not two pads ), and ignoring any opposed ni pad structure , the following relationship is empirically developed : for the pb - free high - sn solders , approximately 4 × 10 − 12 grams of zn or more are required per u 2 of cu pad surface area , to suppress voiding in high sn solder joints with cu pad structures , where the plated cu is prone to voiding . this ratio is the critical metric to control voiding in the solder joints . this metric is based on the 0 . 025 inch ( 0 . 635 mm ) diameter solder ball and 0 . 022 inch ( 0 . 559 mm ) diameter pad case , outlined above . the metric , above , is applicable to all such solder joints ( with adjustment for the possible use of a ni pad , as the ni will react with zn and require an adjustment of the amount of zn ). ultimately , the concentration of zn required to suppress void formation in a high sn content solder depends upon the solder volume to pad area ratio . for 0 . 025 inch ( 0 . 635 mm ) diameter solder balls and dual 0 . 022 inch ( 0 . 559 mm ) diameter pad structures , the compositional level would be approximately 0 . 2 wt % zn in the solder . this is a “ workable ” composition , based on typical reflow processing . for a 0 . 003 inch ( 0 . 076 mm ) diameter c4 bump and dual cu pad structures , the solder volume to pad area ratio is much different . the volume to surface area ratio is much smaller . making adjustment for this surface area to solder volume ( for a 0 . 003 inch ( 0 . 076 mm ) diameter , c4 , bump and dual cu pad structures , the solder concentration must be much higher ) on the order of 3 to 4 wt % zn in the solder , and in some applications as high as 6 wt %. this concentration in the solder tends to make the alloy much more difficult to process . areas of non - wetting in a flip chip attachment process can be a significant problem , which may be addressed by revision in the chip join operations , including the use of fluxes suitable for the presence of zno . for a single cu pad structure with an opposed ni pad , the above estimate for the zn concentration in the solder cannot be reduced by substantially one - half . the ni pad will consume a considerable fraction of the available zn . thus , concentrations much higher than 1 wt % zn are used in the c4 case . in the case of high - sn lead containing solders ( such as sn - 37pb ) on cu - based pad structures , excessive pore formation is far from typical . however , in 5 - 10 % of all cu pad structures , testing leads to severe voiding in the cu 3 sn layer . moreover , extrapolation of accelerated aging results by means of an empirical arrhenius dependence may be seen to overestimate “ life in service ” by a factor of 40 or more , under some circumstances . this situation derives from the fact that the growth rate of the voids can be highly variable and the degree of voiding is seen to depend completely on the nature of the cu pad and has its origins in the plating process used to create the pad structure . generally , excessive void formation has not been found when high purity , wrought cu is used . however , under certain conditions it occurs sporadically with plated cu structures currently supplied to the electronics industry and leads to solder joint fragility . however , voiding may also be significantly reduced by annealing of plated cu pads at a temperature of approximately 550 ° c ., prior to use in solder joint structures . it is noted that the presence of lead has no effect on the sn — zn interactions with cu . thus , the same void suppression effects may be observed in the case of high sn , lead containing , solders . the present invention is particularly useful in the c4np ( c4 new process , as described , for example in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 149 , 122 and 6 , 231 , 333 ) process , where it allows accurate compositional control of multi - component solder alloy , injected molten solder can easily incorporate small amount of zn to suppress void formation at the cusn interemetallics / cu layer to allow thick cu blm to be used reliably . it should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention . various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention . accordingly , the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications and variances , which fall within the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
a game system according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in fig1 . in the game system 1 , a plurality of game machines 2 and a center server 3 are connected to a network 5 through routers 4 . the game machines 2 correspond to a terminal device in the invention , and the center server 3 corresponds to the server device in the invention . the center server 3 is not limited to an example that is configured by a single physical device , and the single logical center server 3 may be configured by a server group as a plurality of physical devices . furthermore , the single game machine 2 may also be used as the center server 3 . the network 5 realizes network communication by using a tcp / ip protocol . typically , the internet is used as the network 5 . each of the game machines 2 is configured as a game machine for commercial purpose or business purpose of collecting a play fee for a game . the game machines 2 are installed in commercial facilities , such as stores 6 , with an appropriate number . the routers 4 are installed corresponding to the respective stores 6 and the center server 3 , and the game machines 2 of the same store are connected to the network 5 through the common routers 4 . a local server may be installed between the game machine 2 and the routers 4 of the stores 6 , and the game machine 2 may be connected to be communicable with the center server 3 through the local server . the center server 3 is installed by an operator of the game system 1 and provides a variety of services to the game machine 2 or a player ( user ) of the game machine 2 through the network 5 . as one example , the center server 3 provides a service that updates a game program or data through the game machine 2 , a service that authenticates a player of the game machine 2 and stores , in the center server 3 , personal information such as a name of the player , and player information generated in association with play content of the player such as a play history , a play score , and a level ( index indicating the strength of the game or the high / low level of the skill ) of the player , and a player matching service when players are matched against each other or progress the game in cooperation with each other through the network 5 . the game machines 2 and the center server 3 are assigned with unique ip addresses for identifying the game machine 2 and the center server 3 on the network 5 . in the communication between the game machines 2 or between the game machines 2 and the center server 3 , communication opponents are specified using the ip addresses . in the case where the network 5 is a network having openness , such as the internet , unique fixed addresses are set to the respective routers 4 on the network 5 . in the game machine 2 , private addresses for uniquely identifying the game machines 2 on the network 5 by combination with the fixed addresses are set as ip addresses . in this case , a virtual private network ( vpn ) is established between the game machines 2 and the center server 3 or between the game machines 2 , and the respective game machines 2 are uniquely specified using the private addresses on the vpn . the configuration of the game machines 2 and the center server 3 will be further described with reference to fig2 . the game machine 2 includes a control unit 10 . the control unit 10 is a computer unit that includes a microprocessor and an internal storage device ( not illustrated ) such as a rom storing a program of an operating system or the like necessary to be executed in the microprocessor , and a ram providing a working area to the microprocessor . an input device 11 , an output device 12 , a card reader 13 , a money receiving device 14 , and an external storage device 15 are connected to the control unit 10 . the input device 11 receives an operation of a player and outputs a signal according to contents of the operation to the control unit 10 . the output device 12 includes a monitor displaying a game screen and the like , a speaker outputting a sound , and the like . the card reader 13 reads information of a card 30 possessed by the player , and outputs a signal corresponding to the information to the control unit 10 . the card 30 includes a nonvolatile storage medium ( not illustrated ) such as an ic chip and a magnetic stripe . an id unique to each card 30 ( hereinafter , also referred to as a card id ) and the like are recorded in the medium . incidentally , the card id may be recorded on the card 30 in the embodiment of barcodes or the like . the money receiving device 14 detects an amount of money ( coins or bills ) inserted by the player , and outputs a signal based on the inserted amount to the control unit 10 . the external storage device 15 is a storage device capable of storing and holding , such as , for example , a hard disk storage device or the like . the external storage device 15 stores a game program 101 to be executed in the control unit 10 , and a variety of data such as game data 102 referred to by the program 101 . the control unit 10 reads and executes the game program 101 of the external storage device 15 . therefore , in the inside of the control unit 10 , a game control unit 16 , a matching processing unit 17 , and a charging management unit 18 are provided as logical devices . the game control unit 16 executes a variety of processes necessary for playing the game , such as the management of the start , progress , and end of the game provided to the player by the game machine 2 . in collaboration with the center server 3 , the matching processing unit 17 processes a matching between players , which is necessary when executing a game using communication between different game machines 2 within the same store 6 or between game machines 2 of different stores 6 . the charging management unit 18 executes processes related to a payment of a play fee , such as a process of requesting the player to pay a play fee , and a process of determining whether or not the requested amount of the play fee is paid . incidentally , in this embodiment , as the play fee payment device ( payment method ), a method of paying in cash using the money receiving device 14 and a method of paying with electronic money from an account managed in the center server 3 can be selected . details of the play fee payment will be described below . the center server 3 includes a control unit 20 and an external storage device 21 . the control unit 20 is a computer unit that includes a microprocessor and an internal storage device ( not illustrated ), such as a rom storing a program of an operating system or the like necessary to be executed in the microprocessor , and a ram providing a working area to the microprocessor . an input device such as a keyboard , and an output device such as a monitor are connected to the control unit 20 , but illustrations thereof are not provided . the external storage device 21 stores a server program 201 to be executed in the control unit 20 , and a variety of data referred to by the program 201 . the external storage device 21 stores play data 202 and account data 203 as a type of data to be referred to by the control unit 20 . the play data 202 is a set of records recorded by associating the above - described player information with ids unique to players ( hereinafter , referred to as player ids ). the account data 203 is a set of records recorded by associating an amount of electronic money held by the players with the player ids . the card ids recorded in the card 30 and the player ids are associated in one - to - one or many - to - one correspondence . the external storage device 21 of the center server 3 also records data necessary for determining a correspondence relation between the card ids and the player ids . an amount of electronic money held by the account data 203 can be increased ( deposited ) by the player through a website or the like operated by a system operator or the like . a charging to the player with respect to the deposit of electronic money , for example , is separately performed through a payment device , such as a credit card . alternatively , electronic money may also be deposited by exchange with cashes by using a terminal dedicated to deposit of electronic money , or the like . the deposit and payment of the electronic money with respect to the account data 203 may be identical to those of a prepaid type electronic money system , and a detail description thereof will not be provided . the control unit 20 reads and executes the server program 201 of the external storage device 21 . therefore , in the inside of the control unit 20 , a matching processing unit 22 and an account management unit 23 are provided as logical devices . the matching processing unit 22 matches players of the plurality of game machines 2 according to the matching request from the game machines 2 . the account management unit 23 manages processing related to the management of electronic money . for example , in response to a request from the game machine 2 to withdraw the play fee , the account management unit 23 withdraws a designated amount of electronic money from the record corresponding to the account data 203 . in addition to the illustrated logical devices , if necessary , a variety of logical devices may be provided in the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 and the control unit 20 of the center server 3 . next , processing executed by the control unit 10 or the like of the game machine 2 when the player plays a game in the game machine 2 will be described . fig3 illustrates processing of each of the game machine 2 and the center server 3 when a play fee of the game is collected from a player . incidentally , the processing of fig3 is executed before the start of the game and also after the player makes the card 30 read by the card reader 13 of the game machine 2 and thus the control unit 10 identifies the card id of the card 30 . when collecting the play fee , the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 executes a play fee charging routine of fig3 by using the charging management unit 18 . in first step s 101 of the play fee charging routine , the control unit 10 requests the player to select the play fee payment method ( payment method ). in this case , the player can select one of a method of paying the play fee in cash through the money receiving device 14 ( hereinafter , referred to as a cash payment ) and a method of paying the play fee by electronic money deposited into the player &# 39 ; s account ( hereinafter , referred to as an electronic money payment ). in subsequent step s 102 , the control unit 10 determines whether the player selects the electronic money payment . when the electronic money payment is not selected , that is , when the cash payment is selected , the control unit 10 proceeds to step s 103 , and makes a request so as to insert a predetermined play fee into the money receiving device 14 . in subsequent step s 104 , the control unit 10 determines whether the play fee payment is completed within a predetermined period , with reference to an output from the money receiving device 14 . when completed , the control unit 10 proceeds to step s 108 and , as a payment result , memorizes that the play fee is paid in cash . in subsequent step s 109 , the control unit 10 permits the progress of the game and ends the play fee charging routine of this time . on the other hand , when the payment is not completed , the control unit 10 proceeds to step s 105 , prohibits the progress of the game , and ends the play fee charging routine of this time . when it is determined in step s 102 that the electronic money payment is selected , the control unit 10 proceeds to step s 106 , and requests the center server 3 to withdraw the play fee from the account . in this case , in order to specify the account of the player and withdraw an accurate amount of the play fee , the request generated in step s 106 contains the amount of the play fee to be withdrawn , and the card id for specifying the account . subsequently , the control unit 10 proceeds to step s 107 , waits for the transmission of the withdrawal result from the center server 3 , and determines whether or not the withdrawal is succeeded . meanwhile , when receiving the withdrawal request from the game machine 2 , the control unit 20 of the center server 3 starts the withdrawal routine of fig3 by using the account management unit 23 . in the withdrawal routine , in step s 201 , the control unit 20 specifies the record of the account of the player from the account data 203 by using the card id sent from the game machine 2 . in subsequent step s 202 , the control unit 20 determines whether a balance ( amount of electronic money deposited ) above the amount of the play fee exists in the account of the player . when the balance exists , the control unit 20 proceeds to step s 203 , and withdraws the play fee from the account of the player . that is , the account data 203 is updated so as to reduce the electronic money as much as the play fee from the account of the player . on the other hand , when the balance is lack in step s 202 , the control unit 20 skips step s 203 . in subsequent step s 204 , the control unit 20 transmits the withdrawal result to the game machine 2 , that is , information determining whether or not the withdrawal is succeeded , and ends the withdrawal routine . the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 receiving the withdrawal result determines whether or not the withdrawal is succeeded , based on the information . when succeeded , the control unit 10 proceeds to step s 108 and , as a payment result , memorizes that the play fee is paid by electronic money . subsequently , the control unit 10 permits the progress of the game in step s 109 . on the other hand , when the withdrawal is failed , that is , when the play fee may not be withdrawn due to the lack of the balance , the control unit 10 proceeds to step s 105 , and prohibits the progress of the game . after the processing of step s 105 or s 109 , the play fee charging routine of this time is ended as described above . incidentally , when the progress of the game is prohibited in step s 105 , the player may not start the game . on the other hand , when the progress of the game is permitted in step s 109 , the player can play the game provided by the game machine 2 . fig4 illustrates processing executed using the matching processing units 17 and 22 by the game machine 2 and the center server 3 in order for matching the players . when the payment of the play fee is completed and the progress of the game is permitted , the game machine 2 checks whether or not the player wants to participate in the game using the network . when the player wants to participate in the game , the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 starts the matching request routine of fig4 . incidentally , prior to the start of the matching request routine of fig4 , the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 acquires player information corresponding to the player of the game machine 2 from the center server 3 , and holds the acquired player information in the internal storage device . this processing , for example , is realized in such a way that the card id of the card 30 is read by the card reader 13 and transmitted to the center server 3 , and the control unit 20 of the center server 3 determines the player id corresponding to the card id and transmits the player information corresponding to the determined player id to the game machine 2 . when the matching request routine of fig4 is started , the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 first determines in step s 111 whether or not the player satisfies a predetermined priority condition set with respect to a matching , based on information held by the game machine 2 . the priority condition is a condition set for determining whether to prioritize the matching between specific players over other matching , that is , for determining whether to realize the preferential matching . the priority condition is set uniformly throughout the game system 1 . examples of the preferential matching include preferentially matching the players satisfying the priority condition , and matching the players satisfying the priority condition and the players satisfying a specific condition in preference to other players . the priority condition and the specific condition may be set such that the latter is contained in a part of the former , may be set such that both partially coincide with each other , or may be set such that both are completely different . a specific example will be described later . when the priority condition is satisfied , the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 proceeds to step s 112 , and adds predetermined priority information to the matching request to be sent to the center server 3 . the priority information indicates that at least the player satisfies the priority condition . on the other hand , when the priority condition is not satisfied in step s 111 , the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 skips step s 112 . in subsequent step s 113 , the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 transmits the matching request to the center server 3 . in the matching request , as information minimally necessary for executing the matching by the matching processing unit 22 of the center server 3 , there is contained the card id or player id serving as player identification information . also , the ip address for specifying the game machine 2 is contained in the matching request . furthermore , when the priority condition is satisfied , the priority information also is contained in the matching request . after the transmission of the matching request , the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 proceeds to step s 114 , and waits until the matching result is transmitted from the center server 3 . when the matching request is transmitted from the game machine 2 , the control unit 20 of the center server 3 starts the matching execution routine of fig4 . in the matching execution routine , the control unit 20 first decodes the information contained in the matching request in step s 211 . in subsequent step s 212 , the control unit 20 determines whether or not the priority information is contained in the matching request . when the priority information is contained , the control unit 20 proceeds to step s 213 , and executes the preferential matching processing . on the other hand , when the priority information is not contained , the control unit 20 proceeds to step s 214 , and executes the typical matching processing . the typical matching processing of step s 214 extracts , from the play data 202 , the player information corresponding to the player identification information sent from the game machine 2 , and determines whether or not the matching of the players is possible , based on determined information as information to be considered in the matching ( hereinafter , sometimes referred to as matching reference information ) such as the level of the player held in the player information , and matches the players determined as possible in matching . this processing may be identical to the matching processing in the conventional game system . on the other hand , the preferential matching processing of step s 213 is processing in which the above - described preferential matching is tried preferentially and , when the preferential matching fails , the players are matched by the typical matching processing . in this embodiment , the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 determines whether or not the priority condition is satisfied . when the priority condition is satisfied , the priority information is added to the matching request . therefore , the center server 3 need not extract the information for determining whether or not the priority condition is satisfied , based on the player identification information . for this reason , the increase in the load of the center server 3 necessary for realizing the preferential matching is suppressed . when the matching processing is executed in step s 213 or s 214 , the control unit 20 proceeds to step s 215 , and transmits the matching result to the game machine 2 . the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 , to which the matching result is transmitted , acquires the matching result in step s 114 . by the above , the control units 10 and 20 end the processing of fig4 . the matching result contains the identification information of the matched players and the ip addresses specifying the game machines 2 of those players . the game machine 2 determines the ip address of the game machine 2 to be a communication opponent , based on the matching result . subsequently , the communication environment is set such that a certain game machine 2 among the game machines 2 of the matched players becomes a parent machine , and another game machine 2 becomes a child machine . subsequently , the play of the game using the communication between the game machines 2 is started . next , a specific example of the preferential matching will be described . incidentally , in the following example , it is assumed that a mahjong game is executed by the game machine 2 , a part of players includes persons recognized as professional mahjong players ( hereinafter , referred to as pro mahjong player ) in the actual mahjong , and whether or not the player is a pro mahjong player can be determined by the player information sent from the center server 3 to the game machine 2 . furthermore , in the mahjong game executed in the game machine 2 , it is assumed that a game mode in which only persons paying the play fee by electronic money can participate ( hereinafter , referred to as a predetermined game mode ) is prepared . fig5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a preferential matching . in this example , the payment of the play fee by the electronic money and the participation in the predetermined game mode are set as the priority condition . furthermore , it is assumed that the pro mahjong players among the players satisfying the priority condition also satisfy the specific condition . within the range of the players satisfying the priority condition , the players who do not satisfy the specific condition are preferentially matched with the players who satisfy the specific condition . that is , when players other than the pro mahjong players pay the play fee by the electronic money and participate in the predetermined game mode , the probability of matching with pro mahjong players is increased . fig6 illustrates a priority condition processing routine executed by the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 in order to realize the matching of fig5 . incidentally , this routine corresponds to the specific example of the processing of steps s 111 and s 112 in fig4 . in the priority condition processing routine of fig6 , the control unit 10 first determines in step s 121 whether the player pays the play fee by the electronic money . that processing is determined by information stored in step s 108 of fig3 . the control unit 10 ends the routine when the play fee is not paid by the electronic money , and proceeds to step s 122 when the play fee is paid by the electronic money . in step s 122 , the control unit 10 checks whether or not the player requests the participation in the above - described predetermined game mode . in this case , the participation intention may be checked to the players through a monitor or the like . by allowing the select of the game mode in other process , the selection result may be checked in step s 122 . in subsequent step s 123 , the control unit 10 determines whether the participation in the predetermined game mode is selected . the control unit 10 ends the routine when the participation is not selected , and proceeds to step s 124 when the participation is selected . in step s 124 , the control unit 10 determines that the priority condition is satisfied . in subsequent step s 125 , the control unit 10 determines whether or not the player is a pro mahjong player , with reference to the player information . when the player is the pro mahjong player , the control unit 10 proceeds to step s 126 , and determines that the specific condition is further satisfied . subsequently , the control unit 10 proceeds to step s 127 , generates the priority information , and adds the generated priority information to the matching request . in this case , the priority information contains information indicating that the priority condition is satisfied . when the specific condition is further satisfied , the priority information also contains information indicating that the specific condition is satisfied . fig7 illustrates the preferential matching routine executed by the control unit 20 of the center server 3 in correspondence to the priority condition processing of fig6 . incidentally , this routine corresponds to the specific example of the processing of steps s 212 and s 213 in fig4 . in the preferential matching routine of fig7 , the control unit 20 first determines whether the specific condition is satisfied with reference to the priority information contained in the matching request . when the specific condition is satisfied , that is , when it is the matching request from the pro mahjong player , the control unit 20 proceeds to step s 222 . in step s 222 , the control unit 20 generates a preferential matching list for realizing the preferential matching , and stores the players , who are determined in step s 221 as satisfying the specific condition ( that is , pro mahjong players satisfying the priority condition ), in the preferential matching list . incidentally , the preferential matching list is generated as table data storing identification information of the player to be matched and information ( ip address ) designating the game machine 2 , and is held in the internal storage device of the control unit 20 . on the other hand , when it is determined in step s 221 that the specific condition is not satisfied , the control unit 20 proceeds to step s 223 , and determines whether or not the preferential matching list exists . when the preferential matching list exists , the control unit 20 proceeds to step s 224 , and adds the player ( that is , the player who satisfies the priority condition but is not the pro mahjong player ) to the list . incidentally , by additionally determining whether or not a matching condition other than the priority condition ( for example , a level of a player ) is satisfied , whether or not the addition to the preferential matching list is possible may be determined . in subsequent step s 225 , the control unit 20 determines whether or not the preferential matching is completed . in this case , when as many players as required for executing the game ( in the case of the mahjong game , four persons or three persons ) are stored in the same preferential matching list , it is determined that the preferential matching is completed . incidentally , even when the preferential matching list is generated in step s 222 , the processing of step s 225 is progressed . when it is determined in step s 225 that the preferential matching is completed , the control unit 20 completes the routine of fig7 . even in that case , the information indicating the content of the preferential matching list is transmitted to the game machine 2 of the preferentially matched player as the matching result ( step s 215 of fig4 ). on the other hand , when it is determined in step s 225 that the preferential matching is not completed , the control unit 20 proceeds to step s 226 , and determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed after the receipt of the matching request . the predetermined time , for example , is set as a period during which the preferential matching is to be tried . incidentally , even when it is determined in step s 223 that the preferential matching list does not exist , the processing of step s 226 is progressed . this case means that the pro mahjong player to be preferentially matched does not exist . when the predetermined time has not elapsed in step s 226 , the processing returns to step s 221 . on the other hand , when it is determined in step s 226 that the predetermined time has elapsed , the control unit 20 proceeds to step s 227 , gives up the preferential matching , shifts to the typical matching , and ends the routine of fig7 . according to the above processing , the preferential matching list is generated by triggering the transmission of the matching request from the game machine 2 of the pro mahjong player satisfying the priority condition , and then , the player is added to the preferential matching list when the matching request is transmitted from the game machine 2 of the player who satisfies the priority condition and also is not the pro mahjong player . in this way , the preferential matching illustrated in fig5 is preferentially tried , and the probability of satisfying this is increased . in the above embodiment , the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 functions as a priority determining device by executing the processing of step s 111 of fig4 or steps s 121 to s 124 of fig6 . the control unit 10 functions as a priority information adding device by executing the processing of step s 112 of fig4 or step s 127 of fig6 . the control unit 20 of the center server 3 functions as a preferential matching device by executing the processing of steps s 212 and s 213 of fig4 or steps s 221 to s 226 of fig7 . also , the control unit 10 of the game machine 2 functions as a specific condition determining device by executing the processing of step s 125 of fig6 , and the control unit 10 functions as a specific information adding device by executing the processing of step s 127 of fig6 . the present invention is not limited to the above - described embodiments , but can be modified in various forms . for example , the priority condition is not limited to the above example , and the priority condition may be set considering various elements as long as they can be determined based on information held in the terminal device . for example , when the play fee is paid by the electronic money , it may be determined that the priority condition is satisfied . and , the players satisfying the priority condition may be preferentially matched with one another . alternatively , when the right for taking priority in the matching is purchased by the electronic money , it may be determined that the priority condition has been satisfied . the specific condition is not limited to the example set so as to limit a part of the players satisfying the priority condition . the priority condition and the specific condition may be set such that both are overlapped at only a part thereof . also , the priority condition and the specific condition may be set such that both are completely different . for example , in this embodiment , the priority condition and the specific condition coincide with each other in terms of two points : the play fee payment by the electronic money and the selection of the predetermined game mode . furthermore , since being the pro mahjong player is weighted as the specific condition , it is considered that only a part of the players satisfying the priority condition satisfies the specific condition . however , the selection of the predetermined game mode is excluded from the priority condition and the specific condition , and it may be determined that the priority condition is satisfied when the play fee is paid by the electronic money . on the other hand , if the player is the pro mahjong player , it may be determined that the specific condition is satisfied , regardless of the play fee payment method . a determination as to whether the specific condition is satisfied may be performed in the server device side . the present invention is not limited to the example in which the payment of at least a part of the play fee by the electronic money is set as the requirement satisfying the priority condition , and the priority condition may be set by factors different from the payment method . at least a part of consideration elements as to whether the priority condition is satisfied may be associated with information input to the terminal device through the input device by the player . in addition , the priority condition may be set in association with a variety of information that can be discriminated based on information held by the terminal device . the information held by the terminal device is acquired from the player by the terminal device , and appropriate information other than the above embodiments may be referred to as long as the information is acquired from the server device and further the information is generated by the terminal device based on the acquired information . for example , the terminal device may acquire or generate information , such as information as to whether or not the player selects the continue of the game , information as to whether or not the player has a specific attribute ( for example , age , resident area , and the like ), and information as to whether or not the number of plays of the game exceeds a predetermined value based on player information acquired from the server device , and the priority condition may be set based on the information . the preferential matching may be separately tried in a plurality of steps . for example , a plurality of requirements may be set to players to be preferentially matched . and , first , the matching with players satisfying all requirements may be tried . also , when the matching is not satisfied even after a predetermined time has elapsed , a part of requirements may be removed so that the range of players who can be matched is expanded . subsequently , by appropriately reducing the matching requirements in the same manner , the matching may be tried while gradually expanding the range of the players who can be matched . in this case , the requirements of the players to be matched may also be set based on the information held by the terminal device . also , the priority order among the requirements , that is , the order of the requirements to be removed , may be determined by the terminal device and be provided to the server device . | 6 |
the various features and advantageous details of the subject matter disclosed herein are explained more fully with reference to the non - limiting embodiments described in detail in the following description . turning initially to fig1 , an exemplary power converter 10 incorporating one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . the power converter 10 is configured for bidirectional power transfer between an alternator 6 connected to the power converter 10 and a dc bus 12 present in the power converter 10 . the power converter 10 includes three input terminals , t 1 - t 3 , configured to be connected to the alternator 6 . in one operating mode , each of the input terminals , t 1 - t 3 , of the illustrated embodiment is configured to transfer power from the alternator 6 to the dc bus 12 of the power converter 10 . the alternator 6 may be driven by an external source , such as the wind , and generate , for example , three phase alternating current ( ac ) voltage , v 1 - v 3 , each phase connected to one of the input terminals . an input filter 28 is connected in series with each of the terminals , t 1 - t 3 . in another operating mode , the power converter 10 may be configured to convert the dc voltage present on the dc bus to a variable amplitude and variable frequency ac voltage on the terminals , t 1 - t 3 , controlling rotation of the alternator 6 . when the alternator 6 is generating power , the power converter 10 receives the multiphase ac input voltage , v 1 - v 3 , at the terminals , t 1 - t 3 , and outputs a desired dc voltage , vdc , present on a dc bus 12 using switching devices , 20 and 21 . the dc bus 12 includes a positive rail 14 and a negative rail 16 which are made available at outputs , + vdc and − vdc . as is understood in the art , the positive rail 14 and the negative rail 16 may conduct any suitable dc voltage potential with respect to a common or neutral voltage and are not limited to a positive or a negative dc voltage potential . further , either of the positive rail 14 or the negative rail 16 may be connected to a neutral voltage potential . the positive rail 14 typically conducts a dc voltage having a greater potential than the negative rail 16 . the switching devices , 20 and 21 , are typically solid - state power devices . fig1 shows the switching devices , 20 and 21 , as bipolar junction transistors ( bjts ); however , it is contemplated that any suitable switching device according to the application requirements may be used , including , but not limited to , insulated gate bipolar transistors ( igbt ), field effect transistors ( fet ), silicon controlled rectifiers ( scr ), thyristors such as integrated gate - commutated thyristors ( igct ) or gate turn - off thyristors ( gto ), or other controlled devices . a diode 22 is connected in parallel to each of the switching devices , 20 and 21 , for reverse conduction across the switching device , 20 and 21 , as required when the switching device , 20 and 21 , is turned off . this diode 22 may also be a part of the semiconductor switch . for each phase of the input , a positive switch , 20 , is connected between the input terminal , t 1 - t 3 , and the positive rail 14 of the dc bus 12 , and a negative switch , 21 , is connected between the input terminal , t 1 - t 3 , and the negative rail 16 of the dc bus 12 . each of the positive switching devices 20 are controlled by a positive gating signal 24 and each of the negative switching devices 21 are controlled by a negative gating signal 25 . each of the positive and negative gating signals , 24 or 25 , is enabled or disabled to selectively permit conduction through the positive or negative switching devices , 20 or 21 respectively . a capacitance 50 is connected between the positive rail 14 and the negative rail 16 of the dc bus 12 . the capacitance 50 may be a single capacitor or any number of capacitors connected in series or parallel according to the system requirements . the capacitance 50 is configured to reduce the magnitude of ripple voltage resulting from the voltage conversion between the input voltage and the dc bus 12 . a controller 40 executes a series of stored instructions to generate the gating signals , 24 and 25 . the controller 40 receives feedback signals from sensors corresponding to the amplitude of the voltage and / or current at various points throughout the power converter 10 . the locations are dependent on the specific control routines being executed within the controller 40 . for example , input sensors , 26 a - 26 c , may provide an amplitude of the voltage present at each input terminal , t 1 - t 3 . optionally , an input sensor , 26 a - 26 c , may be operatively connected to provide an amplitude of the current conducted at each input terminal , t 1 - t 3 . similarly a current and / or a voltage sensor , 28 and 30 , may be operatively connected to the positive rail 14 and the negative rail 16 , respectively , of the dc bus 12 . the controller 40 interfaces with a memory device 42 to retrieve the stored instructions and with a communication port 44 to communicate with external devices . the controller 40 is configured to execute the stored instructions to control the power converter 10 as described herein . referring next to fig4 , an exemplary power conversion system includes a first power converter 10 and a second power converter , also referred to herein as an inverter , 60 connected by a dc bus 12 . optionally , an energy storage device 18 may be connected between the positive rail 14 and the negative rail 16 of the dc bus 12 . the alternator 6 , such as the generator of a wind turbine , supplies power to the power converter 10 , which is converted to a dc voltage on the dc bus 12 , and the inverter 60 , in turn , supplies power to an electrical load 4 or to a utility grid ( not shown ) from the dc bus 12 . the storage device 18 may also include a dc to dc converter to convert the dc voltage present on the dc bus 12 to a suitable dc voltage level according to requirements of the storage device . the storage device may be , for example , a lead - acid battery , a lithium ion battery , a zinc - bromide battery , a flow battery , or any other suitable energy storage device . the dc to dc converter operates to transfer energy between the dc bus 12 and the storage device 18 according to the application requirements . referring now to fig2 , an exemplary inverter 60 is connected to the dc bus 12 . the inverter 60 may be configured for bidirectional power transfer between the dc bus 12 and the utility grid . in one operating mode , the inverter 60 converts the dc voltage from the dc bus 12 to an ac voltage suitable to be supplied , for example , to the utility grid or an electrical load , such as a motor . in another operating mode , the inverter 60 may be configured to regulate the dc voltage present on the dc bus 12 by regulating current between the utility grid and the dc bus 12 . control of the inverter 60 in either operating mode is performed using switching devices 70 which selectively connect either the positive rail 14 or the negative rail 16 to one of the phases of the output 62 . the switching devices 70 are typically solid - state power devices . fig2 illustrates the switching devices 70 as bipolar junction transistors ( bjts ); however , it is contemplated that any suitable switching device according to the application requirements may be used , including , but not limited to , insulated gate bipolar transistors ( igbt ), field effect transistors ( fet ), silicon controlled rectifiers ( scr ), thyristors such as integrated gate - commutated thyristors ( igct ) or gate turn - off thyristors ( gto ), or other controlled devices . a diode 72 is connected in parallel to each of the switching devices 70 for reverse conduction across the switching device as required when the switching device 70 is turned off . this diode 72 may also be a part of the semiconductor switch . each switching device 70 is controlled by a gating signal 74 . the gating signal 74 is enabled or disabled to selectively permit conduction through the switching device 70 . a controller 90 executes a series of stored instructions to generate the gating signals 74 . the controller 90 receives feedback signals from sensors corresponding to the amplitude of the voltage and / or current at various points throughout the inverter 60 . the locations are dependent on the specific control routines being executed within the controller 90 . for example , sensors , 76 a - 76 c , may provide an amplitude of the voltage present at each phase of the output 62 . optionally , the sensors , 76 a - 76 c , may be operatively connected to provide an amplitude of the current conducted at each phase of the output 62 . similarly a current and / or a voltage sensor , 78 and 80 , may be operatively connected to the positive rail 12 and the negative rail 16 , respectively , of the dc bus 12 . the controller 90 interfaces with a memory device 92 to retrieve the stored instructions and with a communication port 94 to communicate with external devices . according to one embodiment of the invention , the first power converter 10 and the second power converter 60 are separate modules having separate controllers 40 , 90 and memory devices 42 , 92 configured to control operation of the respective power converter . optionally , a single controller and memory device may be configured to control operation of both power converters . in operation , the power conversion system is configured to increase the availability of a wind turbine to generate energy . if the wind turbine is configured with an inertial “ knee ”, as previously discussed , the power conversion system is configured to first accelerate the alternator 6 to an initial speed sufficient to begin operation and then to begin transferring the power generated by the alternator 6 to the utility grid . optionally , the wind turbine may include an anemometer providing a signal corresponding to the wind speed to the controller 40 . the controller 40 may operate to accelerate the alternator 6 when the wind speed is greater than the cut - in speed required by the power converter 10 but less than the initial speed required by the wind turbine to begin rotation of the alternator 6 . even if the wind turbine does not have the inertial “ knee ”, the power conversion system may be configured to accelerate the alternator 6 up to the cut - in speed to reduce the amount of time required to begin operation of the wind turbine . under either operating condition , the power conversion system is configured to operate in a first mode to control the rotational speed of the alternator 6 and in a second operating mode to convert the power supplied from the alternator 6 to the dc bus 12 of the power converter 10 . subsequent energy storage devices 18 or inverter modules 60 may be connected to the dc bus 12 either to store the power generated by the energy source or to deliver the power generated by the energy source to the utility gird , respectively , when the first power converter 10 is configured to transfer power from the source 6 to the dc bus 12 . ( see also fig4 ). the energy storage device 18 may include a dc - to - dc converter to control power between the dc bus 12 and the energy storage device 18 . alternately , the dc - to - dc converter and / or the inverter module 60 may be configured to regulate the voltage present on the dc bus 12 when the power converter 10 is configured to control rotation of the alternator 6 . in either operating mode , the controller 40 , 90 of each power converter 10 , 60 executes one or more control modules which generate gating signals 24 , 25 , or 74 to selectively connect the switches 20 , 21 , or 70 , respectively , between the dc bus 12 and either the input terminals , t 1 - t 3 , or the output 62 according to the desired form of power conversion . according to one embodiment of the invention , a wind turbine may include blades that rotate a low speed drive shaft as a function of the speed of the wind . the low speed drive shaft is input to a gearbox , which , in turn , rotates a high speed drive shaft output as a function of its gearing . the high speed drive shaft rotates the rotor portion of the alternator 6 , generating ac voltages , v 1 - v 3 , on the stator . referring next to fig3 , a graph 100 illustrates the relationship between power generated by the alternator 6 as a function of the rotor speed for an exemplary wind turbine operating under varying wind speeds . the speed of the turbine blades may be controlled , for example , by varying the pitch of the blades . thus , for a constant wind speed , the speed of rotation of the low speed drive shaft and , consequently , the speed of rotation of the rotor in the alternator 6 can be varied . however , the potential exists that the pitch of the blades may not be adjustable at a fast enough rate to respond to varying wind conditions . in addition to , or in lieu of , pitch control , the power converter 10 may help regulate the speed of the alternator 6 by regulating current drawn from the alternator 6 such that a variable braking force is applied to the alternator 6 . the electronic control of the current may , therefore , compensate for variations in the wind speed to maintain operation at the maximum power point . as further illustrated in fig3 by the dashed line 101 , operation of an alternator 6 may follow a squared power rule , where the power produced by the turbine increases as the square of the wind speed . for each wind speed , the controller 40 is configured to operate at a maximum power point ( mpp ), such that the maximum power that may be generated by the alternator at that wind speed is transferred to the dc bus 12 . tracking these maximum power points at the various wind speeds results in the exponential , squared power curve 101 until rated power production occurs . at that point , the controller 40 is configured to limit power production to the rated value to prevent damage to the alternator 6 or to the components of the power converter 10 . the controller 40 may be configured to execute control routines both to control the pitch of the blades and to control the current conducted between the alternator 6 and the dc bus 12 . optionally , separate controllers 40 may be used , each executing one of the control modules . in order to regulate the current drawn from the alternator 6 during normal operating conditions , the controller 40 may implement a synchronous current regulator as is known in the art . a synchronous current regulator receives a current reference and using measured current signals determines a current error value . the synchronous current regulator then determines a desired controlled current to compensate for the current error value . the controller 40 then determines appropriate gating signals , 24 and 25 , to selectively connect each phase of the input terminals , t 1 - t 3 , to the dc bus 12 to produce the desired controlled current between the alternator 6 and the dc bus 12 . because the alternator 6 generates ac power , the controller 40 also requires knowledge of the electrical angle of the ac voltages present at the input terminals , t 1 - t 3 . when operating above a minimum speed , the controller 40 may determine the electrical angle by detecting the back - emf present at the alternator 6 . as the speed of rotation of the alternator increases , the amplitude of the back - emf similarly increases . however , the back - emf is a function of the alternator parameters as well as a function of the rotor speed . thus , the minimum speed at which the back - emf may be detected is a function of the application . however , the amplitude of the back - emf may typically be reliably detected between about 5 % and about 10 % of the rated speed of the alternator 6 . referring next to fig5 , the synchronous current regulator uses the desired controlled current value and the detected electrical angle of the alternator 6 to generate a voltage reference signal 154 and to generate gating signals 24 , 25 . in fig5 , generation of gating signals 24 , 25 for a segment of one cycle for one phase of the ac voltage according to an exemplary sine - triangle pwm modulation technique 150 is illustrated . in the sine - triangle pwm modulation technique 150 , a triangular waveform 152 is compared to the voltage reference 154 to generate the gating signals , 24 and 25 . one period of the triangular waveform 152 is defined by the switching period 156 of the pwm routine . during the switching period 156 , if the voltage reference 154 is greater than the triangular waveform 152 , the positive gating signal 24 is set high while the negative gating signal 25 is set low . if the voltage reference 154 is less than the triangular waveform 152 , the positive gating signal 24 is set low while the negative gating signal 25 is set high . it is contemplated that other modulation techniques , as would be known to one skilled in the art , may also be used to generate the output voltage , such as space - vector or multi - level switching . further , the modulation techniques may be implemented by comparing analog signals , as shown in fig4 , digital signals , such as a register being incremented up and down , or a combination thereof . the controller 40 is configured to operate in the two operating modes discussed above , namely a motoring and a generating operating mode for the alternator 6 . thus , it may be desirable to provide a start up control module in the controller 40 . the start up control module controls the power converter section 10 as an inverter , treating the alternator 6 as a motor , to accelerate the wind turbine up to an initial speed . once at the initial speed , the controller 40 can again control the power converter section 10 as a converter and begin transferring power generated by the alternator 6 to the dc bus 12 . the alternator 6 of a wind turbine typically does not include an encoder or resolver to provide a feedback signal corresponding to the angular position of the alternator 6 . thus , when the controller 40 operates in the motoring operating mode , an open - loop motor control technique must be employed . as an ac machine is rotated , a back - emf is established . the magnitude of the back - emf waveform is a function of the speed of rotation of the alternator 6 . as the speed of rotation increases , the amplitude of the back - emf generated similarly increases . using known techniques , such as a phase - locked loop , the controller 40 may periodically sample the back - emf of one or more of the phases to determine the electrical angle of the alternator 6 . knowledge of the electrical angle is necessary during motoring to provide smooth control of the alternator 6 and during generating to regulate the power transferred from the alternator 6 to the dc bus 12 . controlling the alternator 6 in the motoring mode requires the controller 40 to generate gating signals 24 and 25 to control the positive and negative switches , 20 and 21 respectively , of the power converter 10 according to a modulation technique . because a wind turbine is typically connected to a utility grid , the system includes both a power converter 10 and an inverter 60 as shown in fig4 . however , when the alternator 6 is operated in motoring mode , the power converter 10 is temporarily controlled as an inverter to transfer power from the dc bus 12 to the alternator 6 . similarly , the inverter 60 is temporarily operated as a converter to transfer power from the utility grid to the dc bus 12 . optionally , energy may be transferred from an energy storage device 18 connected to the dc bus 12 via a dc - to - dc converter for use in driving the alternator 6 as a motor . thus , either the utility grid or an energy storage device 18 provides the power necessary to drive the alternator 6 as a motor . modulation techniques control the positive switches 20 and the negative switches 21 to alternately connect each of the terminals , t 1 - t 3 , between either the positive or negative rail , 14 and 16 , of the dc bus 12 . by controlling the direction of the current flow , the controller 40 causes the alternator 6 to operate either in a motoring or a generating operating mode . referring next to fig6 , the resulting modulated waveforms from alternately connecting each of the terminals , t 1 - t 3 , between either the positive or negative rail , 14 and 16 , of the dc bus 12 is illustrated . during low speed operation , the amplitude of the modulated waveforms is much greater than the amplitude of the back - emf generated by the alternator 6 and introduces significant noise or uncertainty in attempting to read the value of the back - emf . referring next to fig7 and 8 , the controller 40 executes to control the alternator 6 during motoring operation by introducing a short interval , or blanking time 120 , during which the modulation is stopped . during the blanking time 120 , the controller 40 may read the back - emf voltage without interference from the modulated voltage . the blanking time 120 is short enough such that the inertia of the alternator 6 and the blades of the wind turbine keep the alternator 6 rotating with little or no slowing of the alternator 6 . according to one embodiment of the invention , the blanking time is between 1 - 3 msec and repeated at periodic intervals spaced between 5 - 20 msec apart . according to a preferred embodiment , the blanking time is about 2 msec and repeated at about 10 msec intervals . during periods of modulation , the power applied to the alternator 6 causes the alternator 6 to accelerate . as the speed of the alternator 6 increases , the amplitude of the back - emf increases . at some point , typically about 5 - 10 % of rated speed , the magnitude of the back - emf is large enough that it may be read during continuous modulation . thus , the controller 40 controls the alternator 6 from a stop and at low speeds using the blanking time until the alternator 6 reaches a speed at which the back - emf may be continuously monitored . at this speed the controller 40 stops using the blanking time and continuously modulates the voltage to the alternator 6 . when the alternator 6 has reached the desired cut - in speed , the controller 40 switches from the motoring operating mode to the generating operating mode . consequently , the power converter 10 ceases operation as an inverter and resumes operation as a converter , namely transferring power from the alternator 6 to the dc bus 12 . similarly , the inverter 60 ceases operating as a converter and again operates as an inverter to transfer power from the dc bus 12 to the utility grid . it is further contemplated that use of the blanking time to read back - emf may be used to extend the range of operation as an alternator during low - speed operation . as previously discussed , knowledge of the electrical angle of the ac power produced by the ac alternator 6 is required for the synchronous current regulator to control power transfer from the alternator 6 to the dc bus 12 . as the speed of the rotor slows , the magnitude of the back - emf decreases until the amplitude becomes too low to accurately detect during continuous modulation . introduction of a blanking time , as described above , allows the power converter 10 to temporarily discontinue modulation and read the back - emf . the electrical angle of the back - emf is determined and corresponding adjustments made to the angle used by the controller 40 to perform modulation . modulation of the switches , 20 and 21 , is resumed at the modified angle to transfer power from the alternator 6 to the dc bus 12 . it should be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth herein . the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways . variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention . it also being understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and / or drawings . all of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention . the embodiments described herein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention | 0 |
herein , we report the design of a class of blood - brain - barrier ( bbb )- penetrating oximes that combine two important requirements for an effective che reactivator : 1 ) a strongly basic group such as amidine or guanidine to bind to che and provide affinity to the target enzyme and 2 ) a nucleophilic entity such as an oxime functionality capable of removing the adducted che by nucleophilic attack and returning che to its native state . the bbb - penetrating oximes described herein do not contain a permanent positive charge and can very efficiently enter the cns and achieve sufficient brain concentrations . it is possible that this is done utilizing a bbb transporter system ( i . e ., basic amino acid or other cation transporters ) because of the similarity of the bbb - penetrating oximes to amino acids although passive diffusion of the bbb - penetrating oxime may be sufficient to achieve the desired concentration in the brain . once in the brain , the oxime reactivates the inhibited che in brain and regenerates functional che . in one embodiment the bbb - penetrating oxime compounds of the present invention are useful in a variety of detoxication applications of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides , nerve agent and other electrophilic and non - electrophilic toxins within and outside the cns . the present invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions and methods for the treatment of organophosphate and carbamate pesticide , nerve agent and other electrophilic agent exposure . the compounds in the present invention can be delivered or administered to a mammal ( e . g ., human subject ) either alone in the form of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or hydrolysable precursor thereof or in the form of a pharmaceutical composition wherein the compound is mixed with suitable carriers or excipients in a therapeutically effective amount . unless defined otherwise , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . although any methods and material similar to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention , only exemplary methods and materials are described . for purposes of the present invention , the following terms are defined below . one diastereomer or enantiomer or geometrical isomers of a compound disclosed herein may display superior biological activity compared with the other . when required , separation of the diastereomers or enantiomers or geometrical isomers can be achieved by formation of a chiral salt and separation by recrystallization , or chromatographic methods . alternatively , the diastereomers or enantiomers or geometrical isomers may be separated by chromatography using a chiral stationary phase . while not specifying the chirality or geometrical isomerism of the molecule , the technology is applicable to centers of chirality with either stereochemistry . the invention therefore includes all enantiomers , diastereomers , or geometrical isomers or pure forms thereof . “ substituted ” is intended to indicate that one or more hydrogens on the atom indicated in the expression using “ substituted ” is replaced with a selection from the indicated group ( s ), provided that the indicated atom &# 39 ; s normal valency is not exceeded , and that the substitution results in a stable compound . suitable indicated groups include , ( e . g ., alkyl , alkenyl , alkylidenyl , alkenylidenyl , alkoxy , halo , haloalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkanoyl , alkoxycarbonyl , amino , imino , alkylamino , acylamino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , carboxy , carboxyalkyl , keto , thioxo , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , cyano , nr x r y and / or coor y wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxyl ). when a substituent is keto ( i . e ., ═ o ) or thioxo ( i . e ., ═ s ) group , then 2 hydrogens on the atom are replaced . “ alkyl ” refers to a c 1 - c 18 hydrocarbon containing normal , secondary , tertiary or cyclic carbon atoms . examples are methyl ( me , ch 3 ), ethyl ( et , — ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 - propyl ( n - pr , n - propyl , — ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 - propyl ( i - pr , i - propyl , — ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ), 1 - butyl ( n - bu , n - butyl , — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 - methyl - 1 - propyl ( i - bu , i - butyl , — ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ), 2 - butyl ( s - bu , s - butyl , — ch ( ch 3 ) ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 - methyl - 2 - propyl ( t - bu , t - butyl , — c ( ch 3 ) 3 ), pentyl ( n - pentyl , — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 - pentyl (— ch ( ch 3 ) ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 - pentyl (— ch ( ch 2 ch 3 ) 2 ), 2 - methyl - 2 - butyl (— c ( ch 3 ) ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 - methyl - 2 - butyl (— ch ( ch 3 ) ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ). 3 - methyl - 1 - butyl (— ch 2 ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ), 2 - methyl - 1 - butyl (— ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 - hexyl (— ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 - hexyl (— ch ( c 3 ) ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 - hexyl (— ch ( ch 2 ch 3 )( ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 )), 2 - methyl - 2 - pentyl (— c ( ch 3 ) 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 - methyl - 2 - pentyl (— ch ( ch 3 ) ch ( ch 3 ) ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 - methyl - 2 - pentyl (— ch ( ch 3 ) ch 2 ch ( ch 2 ), 3 - methyl - 3 - pentyl (— c ( ch 3 )( ch 2 ch 3 ) 2 ), 2 - methyl - 3 - pentyl (— ch ( ch 2 ch 3 ) ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ), 2 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - butyl (— c ( ch 3 ) 2 ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ), 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - butyl (— ch ( ch 3 ) c ( ch 3 ) 3 . an alkyl can optionally be substituted with one or more alkenyl , alkylidenyl , alkenylidenyl , alkoxy , halo , haloalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkanoyl , alkoxycarbonyl , amino , imino , alkylamino , acylamino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , carboxy , carboxyalkyl , keto , thioxo , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , cyano , nr x r y and / or coor y wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxyl . the alkyl can optionally be interrupted with one or more non - peroxide oxy (— o —), thio (— s —), carbonyl (— c (═ o )—), carboxy (— c (═ o ) o —), sulfonyl ( so ) or sulfoxide ( so2 ). additionally , the alkyl can optionally be at least partially unsaturated , thereby providing an alkenyl . “ alkenyl ” refers to a c 2 - c 18 hydrocarbon containing normal , secondary , tertiary or cyclic carbon atoms with at least one site of unsaturation , i . e ., a carbon - carbon , sp 2 double bond . examples include , but are not limited to : ethylene or vinyl (— ch ═ ch 2 ), allyl (— ch 2 ch ═ ch 2 ), cyclopentenyl (— c 5 h 7 ), and 5 - hexenyl (— ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch ═ ch 2 ). an alkenyl can optionally be substituted with one or more alkyl , alkylidenyl , alkenylidenyl , alkoxy , halo , haloalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkanoyl , alkoxycarbonyl , amino , imino , alkylamino , acylamino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , carboxy , carboxyalkyl , keto , thioxo , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , cyano , nr x r y and / or coor y , wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxyl . additionally , the alkenyl can optionally be interrupted with one or more peroxide oxy (— o —), thio (— s —), carbonyl (— c (═ o )—), carboxy (— c (═ o ) o —), sulfonyl ( so 2 ) or sulfoxide ( so ). “ alkylidenyl ” refers to a c 1 - c 18 hydrocarbon containing normal , secondary , tertiary or cyclic carbon atoms . examples are methylidenyl (═ ch 2 ), ethylidenyl (═ chch 3 ), 1 - propylidenyl (═ chch 2 ch 3 ), 2 - propylidenyl (═ c ( ch 3 ) 2 ), 1 - butylidenyl (═ chch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 - methyl - 1 - propylidenyl (═ chch ( ch 3 ) 2 ), 2 - butylidenyl (═ c ( ch 3 ) ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 - pentylidenyl (═ chch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 - pentylidenyl (═ c ( ch 3 ) ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 - pentylidenyl (═ c ( ch 2 ch 3 ) 2 ), 3 - methyl - 2 - pentylidenyl (═ c ( ch 3 ) ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ), 3 - methyl - 1 - butylidenyl (═ chch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ), 2 - methyl - 1 - butylidenyl (═ chch ( ch 3 ) ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 - hexylidenyl (═ chch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 - hexylidenyl (═ c ( ch 3 ) ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 - hexylidenyl (═ c ( ch 2 ch 3 )( ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 )), 3 - methyl - 2 - pentylidenyl (═ c ( ch 3 ) ch ( ch 3 ) ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 - methyl - 2 - pentylidenyl (═ c ( ch 3 ) ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ), 2 - methyl - 3 - pentylidenyl (═ c ( ch 2 ch 3 ) ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ), and 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - butylidenyl (═ c ( ch 3 ) c ( ch 3 ) 3 . an alkylidenyl can optionally be substituted with one or more alkyl , alkenyl , alkenylidenyl , alkoxy , halo , haloalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkanoyl , alkoxycarbonyl , amino , imino , alkylamino , acylamino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , carboxy , carboxyalkyl , keto , thioxo , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , cyano , nr x r y and / or coor y , wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxyl . additionally , the alkylidenyl can optionally be interrupted with one or more non - peroxide oxy (— o —), thio (— s —), carbonyl (— c (═ o )—), carboxy (— c (═ o ) o —), sulfonyl ( so 2 ) or sulfoxide ( so ). “ alkenylidenyl ” refers to a c 2 - c 2 hydrocarbon containing normal , secondary , tertiary or cyclic carbon atoms with at least one site of unsaturation , i . e ., a carbon - carbon , sp 2 double bond . examples include , but are not limited to : allylidenyl (═ chch ═ ch 2 ), and 5 - hexenylidenyl (═ chch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch ═ ch 2 ). an alkenylidenyl can optionally be substituted with one or more alkyl , alkenyl , alkylidenyl , alkoxy , halo , haloalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkanoyl , alkoxycarbonyl , amino , imino , alkylamino , acylamino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , carboxy , carboxyalkyl , keto , thioxo , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , cyano , nr x r y and / or coor y , wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxyl . additionally , the alkenylidenyl can optionally be interrupted with one or more non - peroxide oxy (— o —), thio (— s —), carbonyl (— c (═ o )—), carboxy (— c (═ o ) o —), sulfonyl ( so 2 ) or sulfoxide ( so ). “ alkylene ” refers to a saturated , branched or straight chain or cyclic hydrocarbon radical of 1 - 18 carbon atoms , and having two monovalent radical centers derived by the removal of two hydrogen atoms from the same or different carbon atoms of a parent alkane . typical alkylene radicals include , but are not limited to : methylene (— ch 2 —), 1 , 2 - ethyl (— ch 2 ch 2 —), 1 , 3 - propyl (— ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 —), 1 , 4 - butyl (— ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 —), and the like . an alkylene can optionally be substituted with one or more alkyl , alkenyl , alkylidenyl , alkenylidenyl , alkoxy , halo , haloalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkanoyl , alkoxycarbonyl , amino , imino , alkylamino , acylamino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , carboxy , carboxyalkyl , keto , thioxo , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , cyano , nr x r y and / or coor y , wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxyl . additionally , the alkylene can optionally be interrupted with one or more nonperoxide oxy (— o —), thio (— s —), carbonyl (— c (═ o )—), carboxy (— c (═ o ) o —), sulfonyl ( so 2 ) or sulfoxide ( so ). moreover , the alkylene can optionally be at least partially unsaturated , thereby providing an alkenylene . a term “ alkynyl ” refers to unsaturated groups which contain at least one carbon - carbon triple bond and includes straight chain , branched chain , and cyclic groups , all of which may be optionally substituted . suitable alkynyl groups include ethynyl , propynyl , butynyl and the like which may be optionally substituted . the term “ alkoxy ” refers to the group &# 39 ; s alkyl - o —, where alkyl is defined herein . preferred alkoxy groups include , e . g ., methoxy , ethoxy , n - propoxy , iso - propoxy , n - butoxy , tert - butoxy , sec - butoxy , n - pentoxy , n - hexoxy , 1 , 2 - dimethylbutoxy , and the like . an alkoxy can optionally be substituted with one or more alkyl , alkylidenyl , alkenylidenyl , halo , haloalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkanoyl , alkoxycarbonyl , amino , imino , alkylamino , acylamino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , carboxy , carboxyalkyl , keto , thioxo , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , cyano , nr x r y and coor y , wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxyl . the term “ aryl ” refers to an unsaturated aromatic carbocyclic group of from 6 to 20 carbon atoms having a single ring ( e . g ., phenyl ) or multiple condensed ( fused ) rings , wherein at least one ring is aromatic ( e . g ., naphthyl , dihydrophenanthrenyl , fluorenyl , or anthryl ). preferred aryls include phenyl , naphthyl and the like . an aryl can optionally be substituted with one or more alkyl , alkenyl , alkoxy , halo , haloalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkanoyl , alkoxycarbonyl , amino , imino , alkylamino , acylamino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , carboxy , carboxyalkyl , keto , thioxo , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , cyano , n x r y and coor y , wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxyl . the term “ cycloalkyl ” refers to cyclic alkyl groups of from 3 to 20 carbon atoms having a single cyclic ring or multiple condensed rings . such cycloalkyl groups include , by way of example , single ring structures such as cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl , cyclooctyl , and the like , or multiple ring structures such as adamantanyl , and the like . a cycloalkyl can optionally be substituted with one or more alkyl , alkenyl , alkoxy , halo , haloalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , alkanoyl , alkoxycarbonyl , amino , imino , alkylamino , acylamino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , carboxy , carboxyalkyl , keto , thioxo , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , cyano , nr x r y and coor y , wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxyl . a cycloalkyl can optionally be at least partially unsaturated , thereby providing a cycloalkenyl . the term “ halo ” refers to fluoro , chloro , bromo , and iodo . similarly , the term “ halogen ” refers to fluorine , chlorine , bromine , and iodine . “ haloalkyl ” refers to alkyl as defined herein substituted by 1 - 4 halo groups as defined herein , which may be the same or different . representative haloalkyl groups include , by way of example , trifluoromethyl , 3 - fluorododecyl , 12 , 12 , 12 - trifluorododecyl , 2 - bromooctyl , 3 - bromo - 6 - chloroheptyl , and the like . the term “ heteroaryl ” is defined herein as a monocyclic , bicyclic , or tricyclic ring system containing one , two , or three aromatic rings and containing at least one nitrogen , oxygen , or sulfur atom in an aromatic ring , and which can be unsubstituted or substituted , for example , with one or more , and in particular one to three , substituents , like halo , alkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , alkoxy , alkoxyalkyl , haloalkyl , nitro , amino , alkylamino , acylamino , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , and alkylsulfonyl . examples of heteroaryl groups include , but are not limited to , 2h - pyrrolyl , 3h - indolyl , 4hquinolizinyl , 461 - carbazolyl , acridinyl , benzo [ b ] thienyl , benzothiazolyl , β - carbolinyl , carbazolyl , chromenyl , cinnaolinyl , dibenzo [ b , d ] furanyl , furazanyl , furyl , imidazolyl , imidizolyl , indazolyl , indolisinyl , indolyl , isobenzofuranyl , isoindolyl , isoquinolyl , isothiazolyl , isoxazolyl , naphthyridinyl , naptho [ 2 , 3 - b ], oxazolyl , perimidinyl , phenanthridinyl , phenanthrolinyl , phenarsazinyl , phenazinyl , phenothiazinyl , phenoxathiinyl , phenoxazinyl , phlhalazinyl , pteridinyl , purinyl , pyranyl , pyrazinyl , pyrazolyl , pyridazinyl , pyridyl , pyrimidinyl , pyrimidinyl , pyrrolyl , quinazolinyl , quinolyl , quinoxalinyl , thiadiazolyl , thianthrenyl , thiazolyl , thienyl , triazolyl , and xanthenyl . in one embodiment the term “ heteroaryl ” denotes a monocyclic aromatic ring containing five or six ring atoms containing carbon and 1 , 2 , 3 , or 4 heteroatoms independently selected from the group non - peroxide oxygen , sulfur , and n ( z ) wherein z is absent or is h , o , alkyl , phenyl or benzyl . in another embodiment heteroaryl denotes an ortho - bicyclic heterocycle of about eight to ten ring atoms derived therefrom , particularly a benz - derivative or one derived by fusing a propylene , or tetramethylene diradical thereto . a heteroaryl can optionally be substituted with one or more alkyl , alkenyl , alkoxy , halo , haloalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , aryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkanoyl , alkoxycarbonyl , amino , imino , alkylamino , acylamino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , carboxy , carboxyalkyl , keto , thioxo , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , cyano , nr x r y and coor y , wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxyl . the term “ heterocycle ” refers to a saturated or partially unsaturated ring system , containing at least one heteroatom selected from the group oxygen , nitrogen , and sulfur , and optionally substituted with alkyl or c (═ o ) or b , wherein r b is hydrogen or alkyl . typically heterocycle is a monocyclic , bicyclic , or tricyclic group containing one or more heteroatoms selected from the group oxygen , nitrogen , and sulfur . a heterocycle group also can contain an oxo group (═ o ) attached to the ring . non - limiting examples of heterocycle groups include 1 , 3 - dihydrobenzofuran , 1 , 3 - dioxolane , 1 , 4 - dioxane , 1 , 4 - dithiane , 2h - pyran , 2 - pyrazoline , 4h - pyran , chromanyl , imidazolidinyl , imidazolinyl , indolinyl , isochromanyl , isoindolinyl , morpholine , piperazinyl , piperidine , piperidyl , pyrazolidine , pyrazolidinyl , pyrazolinyl , pyrrolidine , pyrroline , quinuclidine , and thiomorpholine . a heterocycle can optionally be substituted with one or more alkyl , alkenyl , alkoxy , halo , haloalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkanoyl , alkoxycarbonyl , amino , imino , alkylamino , acylamino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , carboxy , carboxyalkyl , keto , thioxo , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , cyano , nr x r y and coor y , wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxyl . examples of nitrogen heterocycles and heteroaryls include , but are not limited to , pyrrole , imidazole , pyrazole , pyridine , pyrazine , pyrimidine , pyridazine , indolizine , isoindole , indole , indazole , purine , quinolizine , isoquinoline , quinoline , phthalazine , naphthylpyridine , quinoxaline , quinazoline , cinnoline , pteridine , carbazole , carboline , phenanthridine , acridine , phenanthroline , isothiazole , phenazine , isoxazole , phenoxazine , phenothiazine , imidazolidine , imidazoline , piperidine , piperazine , indoline , morpholino , piperidinyl , tetrahydrofuranyl , and the like as well as n - alkoxy - nitrogen containing heterocycles . in one specific embodiment of the invention , the nitrogen heterocycle can be 3 - methyl - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 4h - pyrazino [ 3 , 2 , 1 - jk ] carbazol - 3 - ium iodide . another class of heterocycle is known as “ crown compounds ” which refers to a specific class of heterocyclic compounds having one or more repeating units of the formula [—( ch 2 —) a a -] where a is equal to or greater than 2 , and a at each separate occurrence can be o , n , s or p . examples of crown compounds include , by way of example only , [—( ch 2 ) 3 — nh -] 3 , [—(( ch 2 ) 2 — o ) 4 —(( ch 2 ) 2 — nh 2 ] and the like . typically such crown compounds can have from 4 to 10 heteroatoms and 8 to 40 carbon atoms . the term “ alkoxycarbonyl ” refers to c (═ o ) or , wherein r is an alkyl group as previously defined . the term “ alkylamino ” refers to — nr 2 , wherein at least one r is alkyl and the second r is alkyl or hydrogen . the term “ acylamino ” refers to rc (═ o ) n , wherein r is alkyl alkylidenyl , aryl , heteroaryl and the like . the term “ alkylimino ” refers to c ═ n — r , wherein r is alkyl alkylidenyl , aryl , heteroaryl and the like . the term “ azidoalkyl ” refers to — r — n 3 , wherein r is alkyl , alkylidenyl , aryl , heteroaryl and the like . the term “ trifluoromethylalkyl ” refers to — r — cf 3 , wherein r is alkyl alkylidenyl , aryl , heteroaryl and the like . the term “ trifluoromethoxyalkyl ” refers to r — ocf 3 , wherein r is alkyl alkylidenyl , aryl , heteroaryl and the like . the term “ hydroxy ” or “ hydroxyl ” refers to — oh . the term “ amidinoalkyl ” refers to re (═ nr 1 ) nr 2 r 3 , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 is each independently hydrogen , alkyl alkylidenyl , aryl , heteroaryl and the like , and wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 can optionally be substituted with one or more alkyl , alkenyl , alkoxy , oxime , halo , haloalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkanoyl , alkoxycarbonyl , amino , imino , alkylamino , acylamino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , carboxy , carboxyalkyl , keto , thioxo , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , cyano , nr x r y and coor y , wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxyl . the term “ guanidynoalkyl ” refers to ( r 1 r 2 n )( r 3 r 4 n ) c ═ n — r 5 , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 can be an alkyl alkylidenyl , aryl , heteroaryl and the like . the guanidinealkyl , ( r 1 r 2 n )( r 3 r 4 n ) c ═ n — r 5 wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 can optionally be substituted with one or more alkyl , alkenyl , alkoxy , oxime , halo , haloalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkanoyl , alkoxycarbonyl , amino , imino , alkylamino , acylamino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , carboxy , carboxyalkyl , keto , thioxo , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , cyano , nr x r y and coor y , wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxyl . the term “ oximoalkyl ” refers to r - oxime , wherein r is alkyl alkylidenyl , aryl , heteroaryl and the like . an oximoalkyl , r - oxime wherein r can optionally be substituted with one or more alkyl , alkenyl , alkoxy , amidine , guanidine , halo , haloalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkanoyl , alkoxycarbonyl , amino , imino , alkylamino , acylamino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , carboxy , carboxyalkyl , keto , thioxo , alkylthio , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , cyano , nr x r y and coor y , wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxyl . as used herein , the term “ salt ” refers to a complex formed between a charged molecule and a suitable counterion to form a neutral species . example of salts for positively charged compounds include but are not limited to fluoride , chloride , bromide , iodide , acetate , sulfate , nitrate , citrate , oxalate , bicarbonate and the like . the term “ protecting group ” refers to a chemical functionality designed to temporarily block a portion of a molecule from chemical modification during synthetic steps . an extensive list of such protecting groups can be found in “ protective groups in organic synthesis ”, 4th edition , 2006 , by theodora w . greene & amp ; peter g . m . wuts . the term “ prodrug ” refers to a chemical group that is attached to compounds of formula i - vii that undergo removal by a chemical or metabolic or spontaneous process to liberate the parent compound of formula i - vii . an example would be modification of the oxime oxygen atom with a chemical group ( e . g ., benzyl or the like ) that is chemically or metabolically removed to afford the parent amidine oxime . such prodrugs might possess advantageous pharmacokinetic or physiochemical properties to aid in drug absorption or distribution . in one embodiment , disclosed are compounds of the following formulas i - iv : r , r 1 , r 2 , and r 3 is each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen , alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , alkylidenyl , alkenylidenyl , alkoxy , halo , haloalkyl , azidoalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkoxycarbonyl , alkylimino , alkylamino , acylamino , trifluoromethylalkyl , trifluoromethoxyalkyl , carboxyalkyl , ketoalkyl , thioalkyl , alkylsulfinyl , alkyl sulfonyl , amidinoalkyl , guanidynoalkyl , oximoalkyl , nr x r y and / or coor y wherein each r x and r y are independently hydrogen , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxy ; r 4 is selected from the group consisting of bond , oxygen , sulfur , nitrogen , alkylene , alkenyl , alkynyl , alkylidenyl , alkenylidenyl , haloalkyl , hydroxyalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkoxycarbonyl , alkylimino , alkylamino , acylamino , trifluoromethylalkyl , trifluoromethoxyalkyl , carboxyalkyl , ketoalkyl , thioalkyl , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , amidinoalkyl , guanidynoalkyl , oximoalkyl , nr x r y and / or coor y wherein each r x and r y are independently hydrogen , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxy ; r 5 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen , alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , alkylidenyl , alkenylidenyl , alkoxy , halo , haloalkyl , azidoalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkoxycarbonyl , alkylimino , alkylamino , acylamino , trifluoromethylalkyl , trifluoromethoxyalkyl , carboxyalkyl , ketoalkyl , thioalkyl , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , amidinoalkyl , guanidynoalkyl , oximoalkyl , nr x r y and / or coor y wherein each r x and r y are independently hydrogen , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxy ; r 6 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen , any oxime protecting or masking group that can be removed in physiological , metabolic , or similar conditions to release unprotected oxime ( e . g ., methoxymethyl ether ( mom ), methylthiomethyl ether ( mtm ). benzyloxymethyl ether ( bom ), benzyl ether ( bn ), t - butoxymethyl ether , tetrahydropyranyl ether ( thp ), tetrahydrothiopyranyl ether , tetrahydrofuranyl ether , 1 - ethoxyethyl ether ( ee ), trimethylsilyl ether ( tms ), t - butyldimethylsilyl ether ( tbdms ), allyl ether , p - methoxyphenyl ether , p - methoxybenzyl ether ( pmb ), acetate ester ( ac ), trifluoroacetate ester , benzoate ester ( bz ), pivaloate ester , methoxymethyl carbonate , allyl carbonate , 9 - fluorenylmethyl carbonate ( fmoc ), benzyl carbonate ); r 7 is selected from the group consisting of oxygen , sulfur , alkylene , alkenyl , alkynyl , alkylidenyl , alkenylidenyl , alkoxy , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , carboxyalkyl , ketoalkyl , thioalkyl , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , nr x r y and / or coor y wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxy ; r 8 is selected from the group consisting of oxygen , sulfur , alkylene , alkenyl , alkynyl , alkylidenyl , alkenylidenyl , alkoxy , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , carboxyalkyl , ketoalkyl , thioalkyl , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , nr x r y and / or coor y wherein each r x and r y are independently hydrogen , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxy ; and r 9 and r 10 is each independently selected from the group consisting of a bond , oxygen , sulfur , nitrogen , alkylene , alkenyl , alkynyl , alkylidenyl , alkenylidenyl , alkoxy , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , carboxyalkyl , ketoalkyl , thioalkyl , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , nr x r y and / or coor y wherein each r x and r y are independently h , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxy . in another embodiment , disclosed are compounds of the following formulas v - vii . or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , where r is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen , alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , alkylidenyl , alkenylidenyl , alkoxy , halo , haloalkyl , azidoalkyl , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl , alkoxycarbonyl , alkylimino , alkylamino , acylamino , trifluoromethylalkyl , trifluoromethoxyalkyl , carboxyalkyl , ketoalkyl , thioalkyl , alkylsulfinyl , alkylsulfonyl , amidinoalkyl , guanidynoalkyl , oximoalkyl , nr x r y and / or coor y wherein each r x and r y are independently hydrogen , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , heteroaryl , heterocycle , cycloalkyl or hydroxy , and where r 6 is as described above . the compounds provided herein can be synthesized using known synthetic organic chemistry techniques . standard synthetic pathways that are used in synthesizing some of the compounds disclosed herein . those skilled in the art will recognize that these examples are meant to illustrate and not limit the present disclosure . the methods of use described herein reflect the invention that certain blood - brain barrier - penetrating compounds provide superior and unexpected efficacy in reactivation of butyrylcholinesterase and acetylcholiesterase to decrease mortality in animals exposed to organophosphate nerve agents , pesticides and other toxins . the present invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions and methods for the treatment of op poisoning and other cns - related disorders . compounds of the present invention can be delivered or administered to a mammal , ( e . g ., human subject ), alone , in the form of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or hydrolysable precursor or prodrug thereof , or in the form of a pharmaceutical composition wherein the compound is mixed with suitable carriers or excipient ( s ) in a therapeutically effective amount . suitable formulations for use in the present invention are found in , for example , ( remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , mack publishing company , philadelphia , pa ., 17th ed . 1985 and , science , 249 : 1527 - 1533 , 1990 ). the pharmaceutical compositions described herein can be manufactured in a conventional manner , e . g ., mixing , dissolving , granulating , dragee - making , levigating , emulsifying , encapsulating , entrapping , or lyophilizing processes . a pharmaceutically acceptable salt is a non - toxic acid addition salt , which is generally prepared by treating the compounds of the present invention with a suitable organic or inorganic acid . representative salts include , e . g ., hydrochloride , hydrobromide , sulfate , bisulfate , acetate , oxalate , valerate , oleate , laurate , borate , benzoate , lactate , phosphate , tosylate , citrate , maleate , fumarate , succinate , tartrate , and napsylate . a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt is a salt that retains the biological effectiveness and properties of the free bases and that is not biologically or otherwise undesirable , formed with inorganic acids such as , e . g ., hydrochloric acid , hydrobromic acid , sulfuric acid , nitric acid , phosphoric acid , and the like , and organic acids such as , e . g ., acetic acid , propionic acid , glycolic acid , pyruvic acid , oxalic acid , malic acid , malonic acid , succinic acid , maleic acid , fumaric acid , tartaric acid , citric acid , benzoic acid , cinnamic acid , mandelic acid , menthanesulfonic acid , ethanesulfonic acid , p - toluenesulfonic acid , salicylic acid , and the like ( e . g ., design of prodrugs , elsevier science publishers , amsterdam , 1985 ). the nerve agent protection agents can be formulated with common excipients , diluents or carriers , and compressed into tablets , or formulated as elixirs or solutions for convenient oral administration . the agents can also be formulated as sustained release dosage forms and the like . for injection , the nerve agent protection agents of the present invention can be formulated into preparations by dissolving , suspending , or emulsifying them in an aqueous or nonaqueous solvent such as , e . g ., vegetable or other similar oils , synthetic aliphatic acid glycerides , esters of higher aliphatic acids , or propylene glycol ; and , if desired , with conventional additives such as , e . g ., solubilizers , isotonic agents , suspending agents , emulsifying agents , stabilizers , and preservatives . preferably , for injection , the compounds of the present invention can be formulated in aqueous solutions , preferably in physiologically compatible buffers such as hank &# 39 ; s solution , ringer &# 39 ; s solution , or physiological saline buffer . for transmucosal administration , penetrants appropriate to the barrier to be permeated are used in the formulation . such penetrants are generally known in the art . for oral administration , the nerve agent protection agents can be formulated readily by combining with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers that are well - known in the art . such carriers enable the compounds to be formulated as tablets , pills , dragees , capsules , emulsions , lipophilic and hydrophilic suspensions , liquids , gels , syrups , slurries , suspensions , and the like , for oral ingestion by a subject to be treated . pharmaceutical preparations for oral use can be obtained by mixing the compounds with a solid excipient , optionally grinding a resulting mixture , and processing the mixture of granules , after adding suitable auxiliaries , if desired , to obtain tablets or dragee cores . particularly suitable excipients include fillers such as , for example , sugars ( e . g ., lactose , sucrose , mannitol , or sorbitol ), cellulose preparations ( e . g ., maize starch , wheat starch , rice starch , potato starch , gelatin , gum tragacanth , methyl cellulose , hydroxypropylmethyl - cellulose , sodium carboxymethylcellulose , and / or polyvinyl pyrrolidone ( pvp ). if desired , disintegrating agents can be added , such as the cross - linked polyvinyl pyrrolidone , agar , or alginic acid or a salt thereof such as , e . g ., sodium alginate . the invention will be further described by the following examples , meant to illustrate but not limit the invention . while in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof , and many details have been set forth for purposes of illustration , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein may be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention . the following examples are offered to illustrate , but not to limit the claimed invention . chemical shifts were reported in ppm ( δ ) relative to cdcl 3 at 7 . 26 ppm or d 6 - dmso at 2 . 50 ppm , respectively . the chemical synthesis of substituted amidine - oxime derivatives 4a - g was efficiently accomplished and products were used to evaluate protection from op toxins . compound i was converted to amides 2a - g using alkyl amines in refluxing ethanol or 28 % nh 3 in h 2 o ( scheme 1 ). thioamides 3a - g were obtained by combining amides 2a - g with lawesson &# 39 ; s reagent in anhydrous thf at 60 ° c . the amidine - oximes 4a - g were obtained from thioamides 3a - g in two step procedure of an alkylation with methyl triflate and then reaction with me 2 nh solution in thf . to nah ( 60 %, 5 . 64 g , 141 mmol ) in anhydrous dmf ( 650 ml ) at 0 - 5 ° c . a solution of ethyl 2 -( hydroxyimino ) acetate ( 15 g , 128 . 2 mmol ) in anhydrous dmf ( 50 ml ) was added dropwise , stirred at rt for 1 h and a solution of 1 -( chloromethyl )- 4 - methoxybenzene ( 17 . 5 ml , 20 . 1 g , 128 . 2 mmol ) in anhydrous dmf ( 50 ml ) was added . the reaction was stirred at rt overnight and evaporated . the yellow oil was dissolved in h 2 o and et 2 o , organic layer was washed with brine , dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered , evaporated , purified by chromatography ( silica gel , hexanes : etoac ) to give a light yellow oil ( 22 g , 72 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ = 7 . 51 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 32 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 6 . 90 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 5 . 23 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 32 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h ), 3 . 81 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 34 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h ). a mixture of 1 ( 4 g , 16 . 9 mmol ) and prnh 2 ( 2 . 8 ml , 33 . 8 mmol ) in anhydrous etoh ( 50 ml ) was stirred at 80 ° c . overnight , evaporated and purified by chromatography ( silica gel , hexanes : etoac ) to give a yellowish solid ( 3 . 75 g , 89 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ = 7 . 43 ( s . 1h ), 7 . 29 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 6 . 90 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 6 . 49 ( brs , 1h ), 5 . 11 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 81 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 28 ( q , j = 6 . 9 hz , 2h ), 1 . 63 - 1 . 51 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 94 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h ). ( 3 . 5 g , 14 mmol ) and lawesson &# 39 ; s reagent ( 3 . 4 g , 8 . 4 mmol ) in anhydrous thf ( 50 ml ) was stirred at 60 ° c . for 1 h . the mixture was evaporated and purified by chromatography ( silica gel , hexanes : etoac ) to give a yellow oil ( 3 g 80 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ = 8 . 19 ( brs , 1h ), 7 . 78 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 31 - 7 . 27 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 93 - 6 . 88 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 12 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 82 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 69 - 3 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 67 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 00 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h ). to 3d ( 2 . 8 g , 10 . 5 mmol ) in meno 2 ( 20 ml ) at rt , methyl triflate ( 1 . 2 ml , 1 . 7 g , 10 . 5 mmol ) was added . reaction mixture was stirred at rt overnight and evaporated . the residue was dissolved in anhydrous thf and me 2 nh ( 21 mmol ) was added . reaction was carried out at rt for 30 min , evaporated and the mixture was purified by chromatography ( silica gel , ch 2 cl 2 : meoh ) to give 4d . the chloride salt was obtained using ira - 400 ( cl − ) ion exchange resin ( yellow oil , 880 mg , 43 % over 2 steps ). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso ) δ = 12 . 93 ( brs , 1h ), 9 . 42 ( brs , 1h ), 8 . 08 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 20 ( m , 2h , the signal overlaps with residual h 2 o ), 3 . 15 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 59 - 1 . 47 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 82 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h ). 13 c nmr ( 125 mhz , dmso )= 157 . 0 , 138 . 8 , 46 . 3 , 41 . 5 , 22 . 8 , 10 . 7 . esi ms for [ m + 11 ] + = 157 . 75 da . other amidine - oximes were obtained ( i . e ., 5 and 6 containing azido - alkyl or alkyne substituents , 7a - e with two amidine - oxime moieties linked together through the alkyl or aryl function or 8a - c having a different spacer between the amidinc and oxime functions ) ( scheme 2 ). oximes 5 or 6 can be further modified in the [ 3 + 2 ] cycloaddition reaction with alkynes or azides to form a 1 , 2 , 3 - triazole heterocycles 9 and 10 ( scheme 3 ). thermal cycloaddition of 5 with 6 afforded the bisfunctional amidine oxime 11 . treating 4 - formylbenzonitrile 12 in etoh and hcl gas in chcl 3 gave ethyl 4 - formylbenzimidate that was converted to amidines 13a - b with nh 4 cl or me 2 nh × hcl ( scheme 4 ). amidine - oximes 14a - b were obtained by treating aldehydes 13a - b with 1 . 1 equiv . of nh 2 oh aq . excess of nh 2 oh , ( 3 equiv .) gave the n - hydroxyamidine 15a - b that is a prodrug form of the amidine - oximes 14a - b with increased bioavailability and bbb permeability . using similar reaction conditions ortho and meta substituted analogs 15c and bisfunctional amidine - oximes 15d were obtained ( scheme 4 ). 4 - formylbenzonitrile ( 10 . 4 g , 79 . 4 mmol . ), anhydrous etoh ( 5 . 6 ml , 4 . 4 g , 95 . 3 mmol ) in anhydrous chcl 3 ( 200 ml ) was cooled to 0 - 5 ° c . anhydrous hcl gas was bubbled through the solution for 1 h and kept at 0 - 5 ° c . overnight , evaporated , washed with et 2 o to give a yellowish solid of ethyl 4 - formylbenzimidate hydrochloride ( 4 . 8 g , 28 %). ethyl 4 - formylbenzimidate hydrochloride ( 2 g , 9 . 4 g ) was dissolved in h 2 o ( 10 ml ) and 10 % k 2 co 3 in h 2 o was added . the mixture was transferred to a separatory funnel , extracted with etoac , dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered and evaporated to give a yellow oil of ethyl 4 - formylbenzimidate that was dissolved in meoh / h 2 o ( 9 : 1 , 100 ml ) and nh 4 cl ( 550 mg , 10 . 3 mmol .) was added . the mixture was stirred under reflux for 5 h , evaporated , washed with acetone and purified by chromatography ( silica gel , ch 2 cl 2 : meoh ) to give 13a as a white solid ( 1 . 2 g , 64 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso ) δ = 10 . 12 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 42 ( brs , 4h ), 8 . 10 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 99 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ). esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 148 . 95 da . ( 200 mg , 1 . 1 mmol ), 50 % nh 2 oh in h 2 o ( 73 μl , 1 . 2 mmol ) in ch 3 cn : h 2 o ( 9 : 1 , 10 ml ), stirred at rt for 1 h , evaporated , stirred with anhydrous ch 3 cn to give a white solid ( 201 mg , 93 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso ) δ = 11 . 70 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 44 ( brs , 2h ), 9 . 24 ( brs , 2h ). 8 . 24 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 85 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 78 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ). esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 163 . 95 da . ( 120 mg , 0 . 65 mmol ), 50 % nh 2 oh in h 2 o ( 119 μl , 1 . 95 mmol ) in meoh was stirred at rt for 16 h , evaporated and purified by chromatography ( silica gel , ch 2 cl 2 : meoh ) to give 15a as a yellow solid ( 90 mg , 77 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso ) δ = 11 . 29 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 71 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 68 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 56 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 5 . 82 ( brs , 2h ). esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 179 . 95 da . oximes 16a and 16b were prepared using previously described literature procedures ( tetrahedron , 65 : 10377 - 10382 , 2009 ) ( scheme 5 ). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso ) δ = 13 . 60 ( brs , 1h ), 10 . 43 ( brs , 1h ), 8 . 42 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 48 - 7 . 25 ( m , 5h ), 4 . 85 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 82 ( s , 4h ). esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 203 . 95 da . a synthetic route to a diverse set of guanidine - oximes is depicted ( scheme 6 ). amine - oximes ( e . g ., 17 ) can be obtained via standard organic chemistry techniques involving nitro - reduction and / or phthalimide type - amino protection and aldehyde or acetal derived oxime syntheses . from 17 many distinct routes allow access to guanidine - oximes with the desired substitution pattern by using guanylation agents , and protected thiourea ( 18 ) as synthetic intermediate . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso ) δ = 5 . 41 ( brs . 2h ), 6 . 51 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 22 ( m . 2h ), 7 . 87 ( s , 1h ) 10 . 54 ( s , 1h ). hplc / ms ( esi ): 137 [ m + h ] + , 119 [ m − h 2 o + h ] + . 18 ml of a 0 . 5 m stock solution of benzyloxycarbonyl isothiocyanate ( 9 mmol ) were added dropwise to a solution of 4 - aminobenzaldehyde oxime ( 17 ) ( 1 . 2 g , 8 . 81 mmol ) in 200 ml of anhydrous ch 2 cl 2 at room temperature while stirring . this solution is stirred for another two hours . precipitated product was removed by filtration ( 740 mg of a yellow - orange solid ). the organic phase was concentrated to ca . 50 ml , and 50 ml of hexanes were added . another 700 mg of precipitated product were obtained by filtration . the filtrate was subjected to flash chromatography using hexanes / etoac , 20 - 40 % to yield another crop of the desired product . yield : 1 . 61 g ( 55 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso ) δ = 5 . 25 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 41 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 62 ( m , 4h ), 8 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 26 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 45 ( brs , 1h ), 11 . 55 ( brs , 1h ). 400 mg of 4 -[( n - benzyloxy - carbonyl ) thioureido ] benzaldehyde oxime ( 18 ) ( 1 . 18 mmol ), 458 mg dipea ( 3 . 54 mmol ) and 144 mg of dry dimethylamine hydrochloride ( 1 . 77 mmol ) were dissolved in 25 ml of anhydrous ch 2 cl 2 and cooled to 0 ° c . 339 mg of edci ( 1 . 77 mmol ) was added and the mixture was stirred for 24 h at rt until tlc indicated complete consumption of the thiourea 18 . the mixture was concentrated and the crude product was purified by flash chromatography on silica gel using ch 2 cl 2 / meoh ( 0 - 5 %) followed by a second purification using hexanes / etoac ( 20 - 40 %) as the eluent . yield : 361 mg ( 90 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl ) δ = 2 . 91 ( s , 6h ), 5 . 14 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 96 ( brd , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 26 - 7 . 43 ( m , 6h ), 7 . 51 ( brd , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 8 . 08 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 46 ( brs , 1h ). hplc / ms ( esi ): 341 [ m + h ] + , 297 [ m n ( ch 3 ) 2 + h ] + . example 17 . 4 -[ n ′, n ′-( dimethyl ) guanidino ] benzaldehyde oxime trifluoro - acetate ( 20 , x =— c 6 h 4 —) 170 mg of 4 -[( n - benzyloxycarbonyl )- n ′, n ′-( dimethyl ) guanidino ] benzaldehyde oxime ( 19 ) ( 0 . 5 mmol ) was dissolved in 10 ml tfa and 1 . 54 ml thioanisole and stirred at room temperature for 6 hours . the mixture was concentrated and purified twice on silica gel by flash chromatography and finally by preparative tlc ( ch 2 cl 2 / meoh , 0 - 40 %) to yield the product as a white crystalline solid . yield : 80 mg ( 50 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 2 o ) δ = 3 . 12 ( s , 6h ), 7 . 29 ( brd , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 66 ( brd , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 8 . 24 ( s , 1h ). hplc / ms ( esi ): 207 [ m + h ] + . binding affinities of oximes 4a - g to hache and hbuche ( i . e ., ic 50 values ) were determined by titrating oxime concentrations over a range of 3 to 100 μm using enzymatic assays with 1 mm substrate and fitting the observed rates of turnover to a simple binding isotherm . for example , an oxime 4e inhibits hache with an ic 50 value of 54 ± 8 μm ( n = 1 ) and inhibits hbche with an ic 50 value estimated larger than 300 μm . based on the above findings , amidine - oximes containing lipophilic ( i . e ., propyl and butyl ) substituents on the amidine function had the greatest reactivation rate of op - che . herein we explored the effect of more bulky substituents on the amidine functionality . the pmb - protected ethyl glyoxylate oxime 21 was readily converted to amides 22a - j using aliphatic ( a - f ), cycloalkyl ( g , h ) or aromatic ( i , j ) amines ( table 1 ). thioamides 23a - j were obtained in good yield using a standard protocol employing lawesson &# 39 ; s reagent . the final step of the synthesis was an activation of the carbonyl group via s - methylation of thioamides 23a - j . this step was carried out using 1 . 2 equivalents of meotf . previously , we reported that traces of water in the reaction mixture caused hydrolysis of meotf and formed triflic acid in situ and under these acidic conditions the oxime protecting group ( i . e ., pmb ) was efficiently cleaved . without any purification the crude mixture was used in the synthesis of amidine hydrochlorides 24a - j after treatment with the dimethylamine solution and salt exchange . this synthetic methodology was successfully used to prepare over 10 g of amidine 24b . after successful synthesis of oximes 24a - j , we explored the synthesis of cyclic amidine - oxime analogs . the synthesis of cyclic amidine - oximes was accomplished using a method that started with 1 , 1 - bis ( methylthio )- 2 - nitroethylene 25 . subsequent treatment of 25 with the requisite diamine afforded the 5 - member ( 26 ) or 6 - member ( 27 ) nitro vinyl intermediate ( table 2 ). mono - alkylation of 26 or 27 was accomplished using alkyl iodides ( a , e , f ) or benzyl chlorides ( b , c , d , g - i ). the final step of the synthesis of 29a - i was two electron reduction of 28a - i employing sncl 2 × 2h 2 o ( table 2 ). compound 24b is obtained from commercially available starting materials in three steps in acceptable overall yield . commercially available 1 , 1 - bis ( methylthio )- 2 - nitroethylene ( 200 mg , 1 . 2 mmol ), dimethyl amine ( 600 μl , 1 . 2 mmol ) and dry thf ( 12 ml ) were mixed in a microwave vial and heated for 3 min at 125 ° c . after the reaction was judged complete by tlc ( 1 : 1 hex : acetone ) the material was purified by flash chromatography hex → 30 % acetone in hex to afford 93 . 7 mg , 48 % yield of the target compound . ( rf = 0 . 43 in 1 : 1 h / a ). 1 h nmr ( 500 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 2 . 44 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 18 ( s , 6h ), 6 . 65 ( s , 1h ). 89 . 5 mg of the dimethylamino compound 0 . 55 mmol , dry etoh ( 600 μl ) and butyl amine ( 82 μl , 0 . 83 mmol ) were mixed in a microwave vial and heated at 125 ° c . for 2 h . tlc ( 1 : 1 hex : acetone ) showed product that was purified by flash chromatography hex → 60 % acetone in hex to afford an orange oil ( 48 mg , 47 % yield ). ( rf = 0 . 33 in 1 : 1 h / a ). 1 h nmr ( 500 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ = 0 . 92 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ), 1 . 41 ( q , j = 7 . 4 hz , 2h ), 1 . 64 ( sept , j = 7 . 4 hz , 2h ), 2 . 90 ( s , 6h ), 3 . 25 ( sext , j = 7 . 4 hz , 2h ), 6 . 49 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 60 ( bs , 1h ). to the nitroethene ( 11 . 2 mg , 0 . 05 mmol ) was added dry dcm ( 190 μl ) and sncl 2 x2h 2 o ( 63 mg , 0 . 28 mmol ), the reaction was stirred at room temperature overnight . nahco 3 ( 71 . 4 mg , 0 . 85 mmol ) with 200 μl dry dcm was added and stirred at rt overnight . the resulting yellow oil 84 % yield was identical to 24b - hcl after conversion to the hcl salt . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso ) δ = 12 . 97 ( brs , 1h ), 9 . 29 ( hrs , 1h ), 8 . 07 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 15 ( s , 6h ), 2 . 93 ( s , 3h ). to a solution of 23c ( 3 . 0 g , 10 . 2 mmol ) in meno 2 ( 20 ml ) at rt , meotf ( 1 . 4 ml , 2 . 0 g , 12 . 2 mmol , 1 . 2 equiv ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred at rt for 3 days and then evaporated . the crude product was dissolved in anhydrous thf ( 100 ml ) and me 2 nh ( 2m in thf , 10 . 2 ml , 20 . 4 mmol , 2 equiv ) was added . the reaction was carried out at rt 1 h and then evaporated . the residue was purified by column chromatography ( silica gel , ch 2 cl 2 → 9 : 1 , ch 2 cl 2 : meoh ) to give 24c as the triflate salt . the chloride salt was obtained using an ira - 400 ( cl − ) ion exchange resin ( yellow oil , 1 . 0 g , 44 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 12 . 92 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 95 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 08 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 31 - 3 . 23 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 17 ( br s , 3h ), 3 . 13 ( br s , 3h ), 1 . 56 - 1 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 30 - 1 . 18 ( m , 4h ), 0 . 84 ( t , j = 6 . 9 hz , 3h ). 13 c nmr ( 125 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 157 . 0 , 138 . 8 , 44 . 6 , 41 . 0 , 33 . 9 , 29 . 1 , 27 . 9 , 21 . 6 , 13 . 7 . esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 185 . 9 da . the title compound was obtained similar to 24c , as a yellow oil ( 48 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 12 . 93 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 53 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 09 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 33 - 3 . 24 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 17 ( br s , 3h ), 3 . 13 ( br s , 3h ). 1 . 58 - 1 . 38 ( m , 3h ), 0 . 84 ( d , j = 6 . 6 hz , 6h ). 13 c nmr ( 125 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 157 . 0 , 138 . 8 , 43 . 0 , 41 . 4 , 38 . 4 , 24 . 9 , 22 . 2 . esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 185 . 9 da . the title compound was obtained similar to 24c , as a yellow oil ( 53 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 12 . 95 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 70 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 05 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 59 - 3 . 36 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 25 - 3 . 22 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 19 - 3 . 11 ( m , 6h ). esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 173 . 8 da . the title compound was obtained similar to 24c , as a yellow oil ( 34 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 12 . 94 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 67 ( hr s , 1h ), 8 . 05 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 39 - 3 . 26 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 21 - 3 . 11 ( m , 9h ), 1 . 87 - 1 . 72 ( m , 2h ). esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 187 . 9 da . the title compound was obtained similar to 24c , as a yellow solid ( 22 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 12 . 94 ( br s , 1h ), 9 . 62 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 10 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 16 - 3 . 09 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 82 - 2 . 58 ( m , 1h ). 0 . 89 - 0 . 70 ( m , 4h ). 13 c nmr ( 125 mhz , d 6 - dmso )= 159 . 2 , 139 . 4 , 42 . 0 , 33 . 9 , 26 . 6 , 7 . 5 . esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 155 . 9 da . the title compound was obtained similar to 24c , as a yellow oil ( 23 %). 1 h nmr ( 500 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 12 . 95 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 31 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 04 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 16 - 4 . 07 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 25 - 3 . 12 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 30 - 2 . 21 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 19 - 2 . 12 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 60 ( m , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( 125 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 156 . 1 , 139 . 0 , 50 . 2 , 41 . 4 , 33 . 9 , 29 . 9 , 14 . 1 . esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 169 . 9 da . the title compound was obtained similar to 24c , as a yellow solid ( 48 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 10 . 20 ( br s , 1h ), 9 . 18 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 82 ( br s , 1h ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 29 ( m , 5h ), 4 . 47 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 21 - 3 . 13 ( m , 6h ). esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 205 . 9 da . the title compound was obtained similar to 24c , as a yellow solid ( 10 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 12 . 85 ( br s , 1h ), 11 . 48 ( br s , 1h ), 7 . 79 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 44 - 7 . 38 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 31 - 7 . 25 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 22 - 7 . 19 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 32 ( br s , 6h ). 13 c nmr ( 125 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 156 . 4 , 139 . 9 , 137 . 0 , 129 . 2 , 126 . 9 , 125 . 4 , 41 . 7 , 33 . 9 . esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 191 . 9 da . to a solution of 29a ( 2 . 2 g , 11 . 9 mmol ) in anhydrous ch 2 cl 2 ( 100 ml ) was added solid sncl 2 × 2 h 2 o ( 14 . 7 g , 65 . 4 mmol . 5 . 5 equiv ). the reaction mixture was stirred overnight at rt and then solid nahco 3 ( 17 . 0 g , 202 . 3 mmol , 17 . 0 equiv ) was carefully added in small portions . after addition the mixture was stirred for 1 day at rt and then diluted with meoh ( 100 ml ). the suspension was filtered through celite , washed with meoh ( 3 × 100 ml ) and evaporated . the crude product was purified by column chromatography ( silica gel , ch 2 cl 2 → 8 : 2 , ch 2 cl 2 : meoh ). the isolated product , in the free base form , was dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 : meoh ( 9 : 1 ) and an excess of 2m hcl in et 2 o was added and the mixture was evaporated to give a yellow oil ( 0 . 46 g , 19 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 13 . 50 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 13 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 27 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 00 - 3 . 76 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 56 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h ), 1 . 58 - 1 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 32 - 1 . 19 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 88 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h ). esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 169 . 9 da . the title compound was obtained similar to 29a , as a yellow solid ( 30 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 13 . 59 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 65 ( br s , 1h ). 8 . 40 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 72 ( d , j = l8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 47 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 93 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 88 - 3 . 76 ( m , 4h ). 13 c nmr ( 125 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 159 . 0 , 135 . 1 , 133 . 8 , 133 . 7 , 131 . 4 , 130 . 8 , 129 . 2 , 127 . 8 , 49 . 6 , 47 . 3 , 42 . 8 . esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 271 . 9 da . the title compound was obtained similar to 29a , as a yellow solid ( 41 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 13 . 53 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 58 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 42 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 18 ( br s , 2h ), 8 . 12 ( br s , 1h ), 5 . 00 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 82 ( br s , 4h ). 13 c nmr ( 125 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 159 . 2 , 137 . 9 , 135 . 4 , 130 . 5 ( q , j = 32 . 9 hz ), 129 . 2 , 123 . 2 ( q , j = 271 . 2 hz ), 121 . 9 , 49 . 7 , 48 . 8 , 42 . 8 . esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 340 . 0 da . the title compound was obtained similar to 29a , as a pink solid ( 28 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 13 . 06 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 69 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 27 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 56 - 3 . 48 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 36 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 96 - 1 . 88 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 58 - 1 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 31 - 1 . 19 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 87 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h ). 13 c nmr ( 125 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 153 . 0 , 138 . 5 , 51 . 3 , 46 . 3 , 38 . 1 , 29 . 6 , 18 . 9 , 18 . 3 , 13 . 5 . esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 184 . 1 da . the title compound was obtained similar to 29a , as a brown oil ( 42 %). 1 h nmr ( 500 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 13 . 20 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 90 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 27 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 55 - 3 . 50 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 35 - 3 . 30 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 96 - 1 . 90 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 59 - 1 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 31 - 1 . 17 ( m , 4h ), 0 . 86 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h ). 13 c nmr ( 125 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 152 . 9 , 138 . 4 , 51 . 5 , 46 . 3 , 38 . 1 , 27 . 7 , 27 . 2 , 21 . 7 , 18 . 3 , 13 . 7 . esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 198 . 0 da . the title compound was obtained similar to 29a , as a yellow solid ( 21 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 13 . 10 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 19 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 26 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 72 ( d , j = 2 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 40 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 90 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 48 - 3 . 35 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 02 - 1 . 92 ( m , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( 125 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 154 . 2 , 138 . 8 , 133 . 5 , 133 . 3 , 131 . 1 , 130 . 4 , 129 . 2 , 127 . 8 , 52 . 5 , 46 . 6 , 38 . 3 , 18 . 1 . esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 285 . 9 da . the title compound was obtained similar to 29a , as a yellow solid ( 63 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 13 . 05 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 11 ( hr s , 1h ), 8 . 35 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 11 - 8 . 06 ( m , 3h ), 5 . 02 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 49 - 3 . 32 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 99 - 1 . 85 ( m , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( 125 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 154 . 3 , 139 . 2 , 138 . 5 , 130 . 6 ( q , j = 32 . 9 hz ), 128 . 8 , 123 . 2 ( q , j = 271 . 3 hz ), 121 . 8 , 53 . 7 , 46 . 5 , 38 . 3 , 18 . 1 . esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 354 . 0 da . additional analogs 32a , b containing two geminal methyl groups in the 6 - member ring structure were synthesized to examine whether an increase in lipophilicity improved the overall pharmaceutical properties of reactivators ( scheme 7 ). the title compound was obtained similar to 29a , as a yellow solid ( 37 %). 1 h nmr ( 500 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 13 . 22 ( br s , 1h ), 9 . 98 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 29 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 54 - 3 . 51 ( m . 2h ), 3 . 29 ( br s , 2h ), 3 . 06 ( br s , 2h ), 1 . 57 - 1 . 51 ( m . 2h ), 1 . 31 - 1 . 22 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 97 ( s , 6h ), 0 . 88 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h ). 13 c nmr ( 125 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 152 . 3 , 138 . 2 , 56 . 7 , 51 . 2 , 48 . 9 , 29 . 6 , 25 . 9 , 23 . 1 , 18 . 9 , 13 . 5 . esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 212 . 1 da . the title compound was obtained similar to 29a , as a yellow solid ( 35 %). 1 h nmr ( 500 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 13 . 22 ( br s , 1h ), 9 . 98 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 29 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 54 - 3 . 50 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 27 ( br s , 2h ), 3 . 06 ( br s , 2h ), 1 . 59 - 1 . 52 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 31 - 1 . 20 ( m , 4h ), 0 . 98 ( s , 6h ), 0 . 86 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h ). 13 c nmr ( 125 mhz , d 6 - dmso ) δ = 152 . 2 , 138 . 2 , 56 . 7 , 51 . 4 , 48 . 9 , 27 . 7 , 27 . 2 , 25 . 9 , 23 . 1 , 21 . 6 , 13 . 7 . esi ms for [ m + h ] + = 226 . 2 da . the ability of oximes 4a - g and 16a - b to reactivate ches inhibited by nerve agent model compounds was evaluated using an ellman &# 39 ; s assay ( biochem pharmacal 7 : 88 - 95 , 1961 ). amidine - oximes 4a - g and 16a - b were tested for che reactivation using sp - gbc and sp - gf - sme , cyclosarin and sarin model compounds , respectively ( chem res toxicol 22 : 1669 - 1679 , 2009 ; chem res toxicol 22 : 1680 - 1688 , 2009 ). in a typical assay , hbche or hache was diluted in pbs / blg ( ph = 7 . 4 ), and a sample was taken and set aside for non - inhibited controls . the remaining portion was incubated with a nerve agent model compound for sufficient time to achieve 90 % or greater inhibition ( i . e ., ca . 15 min ). the reaction of the enzyme with nerve agent model compounds afforded covalent modification of the enzyme identical to that obtained with authentic nerve agents . an excess of op was removed from inhibited enzyme by filtration through a 10 kda mwco filter with a modified pes membrane , followed by two washes prior to the final resuspension in pbs / blg ( ph = 7 . 4 ). an excess of 1000 - fold dilution of op was achieved . enzyme was then added to pbs / blg ( ph = 7 . 4 ) containing amidine - oxime , mina or 2 - pam ( 100 μm oxime with 2 % dmso after addition of enzyme ) or vehicle . enzyme was allowed to reactivate at room temperature for 20 min ( hbuche ) or 1 h ( hache ), at which time the catalytic activity was determined using a modified ellman &# 39 ; s assay in the presence of 1 mm substrate in pbs / blg ( ph = 7 . 4 ). assay concentrations were used in the range of 10 to 50 units l − 1 , where 1 unit cleaves 1 μmole of substrate per mm in pbs ph 7 . 4 , room temperature . two reactivation samples were prepared per oxime . the reported data show the average esterase activity for each oxime divided by the average activity of non - inhibited control samples , and the propagated errors of the average activities . based on the results ( table 3 ) uncharged oximes 4a - g and 16a - b are superior reactivators compared to mina ( i . e ., an uncharged oxime ) and are comparable for reactivation as the clinically used drug 2 - pam ( table 3 ). table 5 mean ± standard deviation for the relative reactivation of op - inhibited hache and hbche by cyclic amidine - oximes 29a - i and 32a , b . results for reactivation of etp - and sp - ga - inhibited che , were identical and presented in the same column . top - 3 results for each op - che reactivation experiment have been highlighted . ache bche sp - sp - oxime sp - gb sp - gf ga / etp sp - gb sp - gf ga / etp 2 - 0 . 88 ± 0 . 04 0 . 41 ± 0 . 04 0 . 60 ± 0 . 13 0 . 65 ± 0 . 01 0 . 57 ± 0 . 06 0 . 23 ± 0 . 05 pam mina 0 . 12 ± 0 0 . 12 ± 0 0 . 14 ± 0 . 01 0 . 04 ± 0 0 . 17 ± 0 . 01 0 . 02 ± 0 29a 0 . 60 ± 0 . 1 0 . 21 ± 0 . 02 0 . 29 ± 0 . 01 0 . 46 ± 0 . 02 0 . 76 ± 0 . 08 0 . 08 ± 0 . 03 29b 0 . 55 ± 0 . 06 0 . 27 ± 0 . 01 0 . 43 ± 0 . 07 0 . 66 ± 0 . 07 0 . 90 ± 0 . 01 0 . 14 ± 0 29c 0 . 35 ± 0 . 08 0 . 33 ± 0 . 02 0 . 40 ± 0 . 07 0 . 86 ± 0 . 01 0 . 66 ± 0 . 06 0 . 10 ± 0 . 03 29d 0 . 12 ± 0 . 01 0 . 12 ± 0 . 02 0 . 27 ± 0 . 01 0 . 76 ± 0 . 01 1 . 15 ± 0 . 04 0 . 17 ± 0 . 01 29e 0 . 81 ± 0 . 15 0 . 16 ± 0 0 . 37 ± 0 . 06 0 . 88 ± 0 . 01 0 . 95 ± 0 . 12 0 . 20 ± 0 . 04 29f 0 . 39 ± 0 . 07 0 . 13 ± 0 . 03 0 . 35 ± 0 . 05 0 . 66 ± 0 . 06 0 . 89 ± 0 . 01 0 . 20 ± 0 . 04 29g 0 . 55 ± 0 . 01 0 . 10 ± 0 . 01 0 . 40 ± 0 . 05 0 . 77 ± 0 . 06 0 . 91 ± 0 . 12 0 . 14 ± 0 . 01 29h 0 . 26 ± 0 . 06 0 . 21 ± 0 . 01 0 . 29 ± 0 . 06 0 . 86 ± 0 . 01 0 . 80 ± 0 . 13 0 . 34 ± 0 . 07 29i 0 . 22 ± 0 . 01 0 . 22 ± 0 . 01 0 . 33 ± 0 . 01 1 . 02 ± 0 . 02 1 . 09 ± 0 . 20 0 . 32 ± 0 . 03 32a 0 . 51 ± 0 . 03 0 . 08 ± 0 . 01 0 . 18 ± 0 . 01 0 . 86 ± 0 . 07 0 . 76 ± 0 . 17 0 . 13 ± 0 . 04 32b 0 . 34 ± 0 . 04 0 . 09 ± 0 0 . 24 ± 0 . 03 0 . 92 ± 0 . 01 0 . 84 ± 0 . 1 0 . 16 ± 0 . 07 example 39 . admet and pharmacokinetic studies . prior to in vivo pk studies , we conducted solubility and chemical and metabolic stability of 24b and backups . amidine - oxime hcls are very watersoluble , 24b is soluble in water & gt ; 300 mg / ml . incubation of 24b in the presence of phosphate buffer ( ph 7 . 4 ) at room temperature or elevated temperature showed that 24b was quite stable . the half life for aqueous degradation was 153 hr at room temperature , 118 hr at 60 ° c . and 71 hr at 80 ° c . we conclude 24b is more than sufficiently stable for use in the emergency setting or on the battlefield . in preparation for in vivo studies , we next examined the metabolic stability in hepatic microsomes . compound 24b was incubated in the presence of rat , mouse and human liver microsomes ± nadph . 24b was quantified after an extractive workup with a validated hplc method . no significant metabolic instability was observed for 24b in rat liver microsomes . in the presence of mouse or human liver microsomes , the half life was 108 and 90 min , respectively , also indicating metabolic stability . because lack of metabolism could be due to inhibition of cytochrome p - 450 ( cyp ), we examined the possible inhibition of prominent cyps by 24b and analogs . 24b did not significantly inhibit cyp . to confirm this , the effect of 24b on the microsomal metabolism of testosterone was examined . no appreciable effect of 24b on testosterone hydroxylase functional activity was observed using a validated hplc assay . a separate cohort of animals were dosed with 24b ( i . v . and i . m ., n = 5 ) and at time of c max were killed and peripheral blood and brains were taken , homogenized , extracted and analyzed by lcms . for i . v . administration ( 6 mg / kg ) 12 . 9 ± 1 . 6 μg / gram of brain : 1 . 9 ± 1 μg / ml plasma gave a brain to plasma ratio of 6 . 7 to 1 . for the i . m . dose ( 25 mg / kg ) 14 ± 2 . 8 μg / gram of brain : 16 . 7 ± 10 μg / ml plasma gave a brain to plasma ratio of almost 1 . the brain to blood ratio for both i . v . and i . m . showed good brain bioavailability . samples were also analyzed for inhibition of che in the brain and plasma . compared to untreated animals , no significant che inhibition of either blood or brain che was observed . the conclusion is that significant levels of 24b got into the brain after i . v . or i . m . administration to rats and this is safe and no apparent che inhibition is observed . compound 24b was tested for signs of toxicity in dose escalation studies in mice and rats . in mice , no apparent toxicity was observed up to a dose of 200 mg / kg . in rats , no apparent toxicity was seen until 200 mg / kg was administered . we conclude that this class of compounds is generally non - toxic . pharmacokinetic studies were done in male rats and showed that 24b rapidly moved into the brain . the half life was approximately 2 hours . c max was 30 mins for both iv and im routes of administration . the relatively rapid entry into the brain is highly desirable for a nerve agent detoxication agent to immediately decrease the toxicity of nerve agents post exposure . two oximes 4c - d were tested for their efficacy to protect mice against toxicity of nerve agent model compound ( sp - gdc ) ( table 3 ). in this study , separate groups of adult swiss webster female mice received amidine - oximes or a positive control compound , 2 - pam . or vehicle pretreated ( i . p .) 30 min prior to sp - gdc ( 0 . 25 mg / kg , i . p .). each test compound and 2 - pam as hydrochloride salts were dissolved in isotonic saline and administered to separate groups in a volume of 1 ml / kg . the survival rate was recorded after 24 h from an experiment ( table 3 ). in an initial experiment , animals were pretreated with vehicle or 4c at a dose of 100 mg / kg ( i . p .) to evaluate protection from initial toxicity . for vehicle - treated animals , only 2 / 14 control animals survived to the 24 h time point whereas all animals pretreated with 4c survived ( table 3 ). in a second experiment , animals were pretreated with either amidine - oximes 4c - d or 2 - pam at the same molar concentration , ( i . e ., 145 μmol , 26 mg / kg for 4c , 28 mg / kg for 4d and 25 mg / kg for 2 - pam ). in this second experiment , amidine - oximes 4c - d provided complete protection to animals whereas 2 - pam protected only 6 / 8 mice . in the third experiment , animals were pretreated with only 25 % of the previous oxime dose ( i . e ., 6 . 5 mg / kg for 4c and 6 . 25 mg / kg for 2 - pam ). in this experiment none of animals from the 2 - pam - treated group survived , whereas 4c protected 4 / 6 animals . a mice were treated ( i . p .) with sp - gb - am ( the tertiary amine analog of sp - gbc ) and 5 min later vehicle or amidine - oxime or mina or 2 - pam was administered . all oximes were administered as a hydrochloride salt in isotonic saline . as shown in table 7 , for sp - gb - am - pretreatment , post exposure administration of vehicle protected only 6 / 11 animals for survival to 24 h . mice experienced significant cns toxicity including seizures , lack of spontaneous activity and no interest in food consumption . similar symptoms were observed for the mina - treated group , that only protected 3 / 6 animals from lethality . at a dose of 145 μmoles / kg , non - cyclic amidine oximes 24a - c and cyclic amidine oximes 24a , 24c , 24e , and 24f protected all animals challenged with a lethal dose of sp - gb - am . after 24 h from op exposure the amidine oxime treated animals behaved similar to non - op treated animals and showed no significant symptoms of toxicity . likewise , after pretreatment of animals with op , post - administration of amidine - oxime 32b protected all op - treated mice that survived the treatment and showed behavioral activity comparable with healthy , untreated animals . a lower dose ( i . e ., 36 μmole / kg ) of oxime protected mice from op pretreatment . as shown in table 7 , amidine oxime 24b and 24e fully protected from pre - administration of sp - gb - am in a dose - dependent fashion comparable to an equimolar dose of 2 - pam . protection from a lethal dose of sarin by 24b in guinea pigs . the efficacy of amidine oximes in an animal model exposed to a real nerve agent was examined after 24b post - administration . fifteen minutes after a 1 . 5 × ld50 of sarin was administered to guinea pigs , administration of 36 mg / kg of 24b protected 100 % of the guinea pigs dosed ( 8 / 8 animals dosed ). 4a - d , 24 and 32 hydrochlorides were effective agents for in - vivo protection against nerve agent model compound toxicity and lethality . compound 24b was effective at protecting against sarin nerve and nerve agent model compound toxicity . the present invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions and methods for the treatment of op poisoning and other cns - related disorders . compounds 4b - c , 24 and 32 of the present invention can be delivered or administered to a mammal , ( e . g ., human subject ), alone , in the form of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or hydrolysable precursor or prodrug thereof , or in the form of a pharmaceutical composition wherein the compound is mixed with suitable carriers or excipient ( s ) in a therapeutically effective amount . | 2 |
fig1 is a circuit diagram of a headlamp cleaning device embodying the present invention . in the circuit of fig1 the device includes a headlamp 5 , and ignition switch 1 , a cleaner motor 2 used for jetting spurts of cleaning fluid against the headlamp 5 , a battery 3 , a cleaner switch 4 , a lamp switch 6 , a control circuit 7 , and a fuse 8 . the control circuit 7 includes resistors r1 to r29 , transistors tr1 to tr7 , a zener diode zd , capacitors c1 to c6 , diodes d1 to d7 , comparators ic1 to ic4 , and a relay ry . the resistors r18 to r22 and r24 , the capacitor c6 , and the comparator ic4 constitute a first timer , and the resistors r12 to r17 and r23 , the capacitor c5 , the resistors r7 to r11 , the capacitor c4 , and the comparator ic2 a third timer . the capacitor c1 is used to prevent the comparators ic1 to ic4 from oscillating , the capacitors c4 to c6 are employed to prevent the comparators ic2 to ic4 from oscillating , and the capacitor c3 is used to prevent the holding transistor tr3 from turning on when the ignition switch 1 is in the run position . a constant - voltage circuit including the transistor tr1 provides a stable voltage of about 5 volts from the nominal 8 to 16 volt battery supply . the operation of the lens cleaner device thus constructed is as follows : the ignition switch 1 and the lamp switch 6 are first assumed to be turned on . if the cleaner switch 4 is turned on in that state , the whole circuit will be grounded . when the circuit is grounded , the capacitor c2 is charged at a rate determined by the time constant defined by its own capacitance and the resistance r2 . as the charging progresses , the terminal voltage of the capacitor c2 rises as shown in fig2 . during the charging time of c2 , the inverting and noninverting input terminal voltages of the comparators ic2 to ic4 are as follows : the inverting input terminal voltages are lower than the noninverting input terminal voltages when the charging is started . as the charging continues , in sequence , the inverting input terminal voltages of the comparators ic4 , ic3 and ic2 become higher than their noninverting input terminal voltages when the terminal voltage of the capacitor c2 reaches reference voltages of v1 , v2 and v3 , respectively , determined by respective voltage - divider circuits . based on the above - described conditions , all of the comparators ic2 to ic4 output &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; level signals immediately after the capacitor c2 begins to charge . as the comparator ic1 consequently outputs a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; level signal , the transistors tr2 and tr3 are turned on and , because the output of the comparator ic4 causes the transistors tr7 and tr6 to turn on , thus driving a relay ry , the cleaner starts operating . when a fixed interval of time t1 has elaspsed after the start of charging , the inverting input terminal voltage of the comparator ic4 becomes higher than its noninverting input terminal voltage , and the comparator ic4 output level changes from &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. as a result , the transistors tr7 and tr6 are turned off and the relay ry is also turned off , whereby the cleaner stops operating . when a fixed interval of time t2 has elapsed after the start of charging , the inverting input terminal voltage of the comparator ic3 becomes higher than its noninverting input terminal voltage , and it thus produces a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; level output signal . consequently , the transistor tr4 is turned on and a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; level signal is supplied to the transistor tr7 through the resistor r23 and the diode d4 , whereupon the relay ry is again driven , whereby the cleaner restarts it cleaning operation . although the comparator ic4 is then outputting a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; level signal , the base potential of the transistor tr7 will be maintained at a voltage sufficient to turn on the transistor tr7 provided the resistance r24 is properly set . when a fixed interval of time t3 has elapsed after the start of charging , as the charging progresses , the comparator ic2 output level changes from &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. accordingly , the &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; level signal current , which was outputted through the resistor r23 , is sunk by the comparator ic2 through the diode d3 . the transistor tr7 is consequently turned off , as is the transistor tr6 , and then the relay ry is also turned off , whereby the cleaner stops . as shown in fig3 cleaning is first carried out for an interval of time t1 of about 0 . 05 to 0 . 15 sec and stopped for an interval of time t2 - t1 of about 0 . 2 to 2 sec . the dirty film on the face of the headlamp is sufficiently softened by the cleaning fluid jetted during the interval of t1 and then washed away during the subsequent interval of time t3 - t2 of about 0 . 2 to 0 . 4 sec . the headlamp can thus be completely cleaned by water jetted at a rate of 120 cc / sec for a total of 0 . 55 sec ( 0 . 15 + 0 . 4 sec ) at the most . hence , it is seen that more than 12 cc of water can be saved for each cleaning operation . the holding circuit will now be described . the holding circuit is used to make the cleaning operation continue even if the cleaner switch 4 is turned off after it has been held on for only a short interval . when the cleaner switch 4 is turned on , the comparator uc1 sends out a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; level signal as aforementioned , and the transistors tr2 and tr3 are held on . the inverting input terminal of the comparator ic1 is kept at the &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; level after the cleaner switch 4 is turned on until the interval of time t3 has elapsed , and then the level is changed from &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. once the cleaner switch 4 and the relay ry are turned on , the output of the comparator ic1 is held at the &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; level until the interval of time t3 has elapsed , and hence the activated / deactivated state of the relay ry is determined by the on / off state of the transistors tr7 and tr6 . thus , even if the cleaner switch 4 is released immediately after it is pressed , the grounded circuit of the relay ry will be held until the interval of time t3 has elapsed . on the contrary , if the cleaner switch 4 is held on after the interval of time t3 has elapsed , the comparator uc1 output level will still change from &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; after the interval of time t3 has elapsed , as aforementioned . as the washer stops operating immediately after the interval of time t3 has elapsed , cleaning is also stopped . if the cleaner switch 4 is released in that state , the capacitor c2 will no longer be charged because the ground circuit is opened , and it is discharged through the diode d1 and the resistive component within the circuit . moreover , if the cleaner switch 4 is opened before the interval of time has t3 elapsed , the transistor tr3 will be turned off immediately after the interval of time t3 has elapsed , and the relay ry will also be turned off . as the ground circuit of the capacitor c2 is then released , the capacitor c2 also discharges . the above - described operation applies to the case wherein the lamp switch 6 is on . when the switch 6 is off , the transistor tr6 is also off because the transistor tr5 is on . power is accordingly not supplied to the relay ry and cleaning will not be carried out even if the cleaner switch 4 is pressed . since cleaning can be carried out only while the lamp switch 6 is on , i . e ., the headlamps are lit , the cleaning effect can be made more certain . that is , because no cleaning can be carried out while the headlamp are not lit , i . e ., when the cleaning effect cannot be readily unconfirmed , cleaning fluid is prevented from being unnecessarily consumed . the lamp 5 can be either a headlamp or a taillamp . it is also possible to drive the window washer interlockingly with the operation of the cleaner switch 4 . fig4 illustrates an example wherein the lamp switch 6 has a grounded connection . in this circuit , because a transistor tr50 is on when the lamp switch 6 is on , a transistors tr7 and tr6 are driven as in the case of fig1 . however , while the lamp switch 6 is off , the transistor tr50 is off and , even if the cleaner switch is turned on , the transistor tr51 cannot then be turned on , whereby cleaning cannot be carried out . as shown in the timing chart of fig7 the initial and following spurts of water can be set to have long and short durations , respectively , and the time duration of the two spurts and the interval therebetween can be adjusted as desired by making variable the reference voltage setting resistors r7 , r8 , r12 , r13 , r18 and r19 of the comparators . fig5 shows a circuit diagram of another cleaner device embodying the present invention . this circuit includes an ignition switch 11 , a cleaner motor used to jet cleaning fluid against the lens of a headlamp , a battery 13 , a cleaner switch 14 , a first timer 15 , a second timer 16 , a third timer 17 , and a transistor 18 , the latter functioning as a fourth timer and producing an output signal only when either of the timers 16 and 17 generates an output signal . the operating time of the timer 16 is set longer than that of the timer 15 , while the operating time of the timer 17 is made longer than that of the timer 16 . the timer 15 incorporates resistors 15a to 15f , diodes 15g to 15m , a capacitor 15n , the timer 16 includes resistors 16a to 16e , diodes 16f to 16h , a transistor 16i , and a capacitor 16j , and the timer 17 resistors 17a to 17h , diodes 17i to 17j , transistors 17k to 17n , and a capacitor 17p . the operation of the cleaner device thus constructed is as follows : the ignition switch 11 is first turned on to apply voltage to the base of the transistor 15p through the resistor 15e and the diode 15m . as the transistor 15p is thus turned on , the transistor 15p is turned on and the transistors 16i , 17k and 17l are successively turned on . on the other hand , because the capacitors 15n , 16j and 17p are charged through the resistors 15f , 16e and 17h , their terminals coupled to the resistor 15f , 16e and 17h , respectively , are positively charged . if the cleaner switch 14 is turned on to start a cleaning operation , one terminal of each of the capacitors 15n , 16j and 17p will be grounded through the diodes 15j to 15l . the bases of the transistors 15p , 16i and 17k will consequently be at negative voltages ( reduced by the voltage drops across the diodes 15m , 16f and 17i , respectively ) to which the capacitors 15n , 16j and 17p were charged , as shown in fig6 . for that reason , the transistors 15p , 16i and 17k are turned off , and consequently the transistor 15q is turned off and the transistor 15r is turned on , whereby the relay 15s is driven . the cleaner motor 12 is then driven because the contact 15t is closed , whereupon cleaning fluid is jetted . moreover , because the transistor 17k is turned off , the transistors 17l is turned off and the transistors 17m and 17n are turned on . as the transistor 16i is held off , no voltage drop occurs across the resistor 16b , and the transistor 18 is turned off because no voltage is supplied across the base / emitter junction thereof . as shown in fig6 the base voltages of the transistors 15p , 16i and 17k , which have been held negative , rise as the capacitors 15n , 16j and 17p discharge and become positive after a certain interval of time . since the operating time of the timer 15 is the shortest , the timer 15 terminates operation as shown in fig7 a after the interval of time t1 has elapsed . at that time , because the timers 16 and 17 continue to operate , the transistor 18 is still off and the relay 15s is released by the timer 15 , as shown in fig7 b . when the interval of time t2 has elapsed , the timer 16 also completes its operation , as shown in fig7 c . the transistor 16i is then turned on and a voltage drop occurs across the resistor 16a , which voltage , applied across the base and emitter of the transistor 18 , turns on and drives the relay 15s again , as shown in fig7 b , so that cleaning fluid is jetted . after a further elapse of time , the timer 17 complete its operation , as shown in fig7 d . the transistors 17k and 17l are then turned on and the transistor 17m is turned off , whereupon the supply of the current to the transistor 18 is stopped . the relay 15s is then deactiveted , as shown in fig7 b . as a result , cleaning fluid is jetted once as shown in fig7 b and then jetted once more after the interval of time t4 has elapsed . the cleaning fluid initially jetted is sufficient in quantity to penetrate the dirty film on the lens of the headlamp during the interval of time t4 , thus softening the film . the film is then washed away by the cleaning fluid subsequently jetted after the interval of time t4 . once the cleaner switch 14 is pressed , the transistor 17n operates to connect one end of each of the capacitors 15n , 16j and 17p to ground during the interval t3 . as set forth above , according to the present invention , a spurt of cleaning fluid is shot out again after a fixed interval of time has elapsed after a first spurt . since the spurt of cleaning fluid first jetted is allowed to penetrate the dust and dirt and soften the film , the film can readily be washed away by the subsequent spurt of cleaning fluid . thus , a large amount of cleaning fluid as heretofore required is unnecessary , and thus the cleaning fluid tank can be minimized in size . due to this fact , the tank can be installed freely . further , because of the improved cleaning efficiency , it is unnecessary to arrange the position of the headlamp or the like optimally relative to the cleaning nozzle , which results in increased freedom in installing the nozzle . with respect to the above - described interval between jets of cleaning fluid , t1 , t4 and t3 - t2 are preferably about 0 . 20 to 0 . 40 sec , 0 . 2 to 2 . 0 sec and 0 . 05 to 0 . 18 sec , respectively . the initial , lengthier spurt fully dissolves the film and blows off dust and dirt sticking to the lens , and the second spurt , after a fixed interval of time , washes away the dissolved film , dirty water which remains on the lens . | 1 |
the drawings illustrate a two - stage method , in which a synchronization of scanning frequencies are performed in one stage , and subsequently , a conversion of the scanning frequencies is performed in a second stage . fig1 discloses a time axis 1 upon which scanning times 2 of an output scanning frequency 3 and scanning times 4 of a further output scanning frequency 5 are recorded . scanning values 6 - 13 of an input scanning sequence 14 are also discernable . for the present discussion , only the time at which the scanning values 6 - 13 are occurring is of interest . that is , the magnitude or value of the scanning values 6 - 13 are irrelevant . the values of a corresponding , subsequent scanning sequence 25 , which in this case has been synchronized , are designated as 6 &# 39 ;- 12 &# 39 ;. furthermore , the scanning values of an output scanning sequence 15 , which occur at times 2 of the output scanning frequency 3 , are designated in fig1 by numerals 16 - 24 time differences between the scanning values 6 and 6 &# 39 ;, 7 and 7 &# 39 ;, etc . of the input scanning sequence 14 and the further scanning sequence 25 are represented in fig1 by arrows that are designated as 6 &# 34 ;- 12 &# 34 ;. a distance 26 is set between the input scanning values 6 and 7 , while a distance 27 is set between the further scanning values 6 &# 39 ; and 7 &# 39 ;. a section of the illustration in accordance with fig1 is shown in fig2 for another time window . in fig2 an input scanning value 28 coincides with a further scanning time 29 . since the input scanning frequency for this time window is just a little lower than the further scanning frequency , a previous input scanning value 30 is located just ahead of scanning time 31 . therefore , during synchronization of the input scanning sequence with the further scanning sequence , the input scanning value 30 is delayed until it coincides with the subsequent scanning time 31 . subsequent input scanning value 32 , which actually should be associated with a scanning time 33 , however , is already located on the other side of the scanning time 33 . thus , the subsequent input scanning value 32 is normally delayed until a scanning time 34 . therefore , a scanning value for the scanning time 33 is missing . in fig3 another time window , similar to the time window of fig2 is shown . input scanning value 35 actually coincides with a further scanning time 36 . since , for this time window , the input scanning frequency is just a little higher than the further scanning frequency , a previous input scanning value 37 is located just after a scanning time 38 . during synchronization , the previous input scanning value 37 is delayed until it coincides with the further scanning time 36 . in this way , the two input scanning values 35 and 37 fall into the further scanning time 36 . fig4 schematically illustrates values for input and output scanning sequences during a predetermined time window . the time window contains pulses numbered from 1 to 16 , and are recorded on line 40 . line 41 contains values x 1 to x 16 of a further scanning sequence . line 42 shows corresponding values of a further scanning sequence delayed by a scanning interval . line 43 contains values of an output scanning sequence that are generated using a method other than the method of the present invention , while line 44 contains values of an output scanning sequence that are generated in accordance with the method of the present invention . fig5 illustrates the same sequences of values as in fig4 . however , some sequences in fig5 have different values . lines 45 - 49 in fig5 correspond with lines 40 - 44 , respectively , of fig4 . the significance of the individual values will be discussed below . fig6 illustrates a schematic view of an annular memory 50 having memory locations 51 , which , in the illustration , are partially occupied by scanning values x 1 to x 8 . the representation of the memory 50 as being circularly shaped has nothing to do with its actual shape . rather , the annular shape represents the operating principle of the memory 50 in order to convey a clearer explanation of the read / write operations of the memory 50 . a write - in pointer 52 is provided for writing information to the memory 50 . two read - out pointers 53 and 54 are provided for reading data from the memory 50 . the read - out pointers 53 and 54 are disposed in such a way that they read out adjoining scanning values . in such an arrangement , which is advantageous for illustration purposes , all the pointers 52 - 54 are movable with respect to the memory 50 . alternatively , a pointer ( or pair of pointers ) can be fixed and the memory 50 can be considered to be rotatable . in actuality , a device for generating storage addresses corresponds to a pointer and nothing ( but , electrical current ) moves inside the memory . the two read - out pointers or outputs 53 and 54 are connected to corresponding multipliers 55 , 56 . output 57 of multiplier 55 and output 58 of multiplier 58 are summed together by an adder 59 which , in turn , has an output 60 . fig7 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus , such as converter 83 , for executing the method of the present invention . an input of the apparatus 83 is connected to a data source 61 via data bus 63 . an output from the apparatus 83 is connected to a sink 62 via a data bus 64 . the data source 61 comprises , for example , a cd player , in which case the scanning values of a scanning frequency are 44 . 1 khz ± e , where e represents a deviation from the ideal frequency . the sink 62 may comprises , for example , a digital operating studio or mixing console , which operates with a scanning frequency of exactly 48 khz . converter 83 comprises a synchronization circuit 65 and a scanning rate converter 66 . the synchronization circuit 65 and a scanning rate converter 66 are connected together via a data bus 67 . transmitting lines 68 - 70 are provided for transmitting the scanning frequencies . while fig7 illustrates the scan rate converter 66 as being connected after the synchronization circuit 65 , it should be obvious to one skilled in the art that the circuit arrangement can be reversed , so that the synchronization circuit 65 is connected to the output of the scanning rate converter 66 . fig8 illustrates one example of the synchronization circuit 65 . the synchronization circuit 65 comprises a memory 71 and a computer ( also referred to as a filter ) 72 , which are connected together via a bus 73 . an address generator 74 is connected to the memory 71 via an address bus 75 . a coefficient generator 76 is connected to the computer 72 via a bus 77 . an input bus 78 is connected to the memory 71 , while an output of the computer 72 is connected to an output bus 79 . furthermore , a controller 80 is connected to the coefficient generator 76 and the address generator 74 via control line 81 . transmitting lines 68 and 70 are connected to the controller 80 and the address generator 74 . an input scanning sequence 14 having scanning values 6 - 13 ( see fig1 ) of a known input scanning frequency is available for executing the method of the present invention . a clock frequency , such as , for example , the desired output scanning frequency 3 for the output scanning sequence 15 , which is emitted , for example , by the sink 62 shown in fig7 is also available . the two scanning frequencies are continuously supplied to the synchronization circuit 65 via the transmitting lines 68 - 70 ( fig7 and 8 ). in the preferred embodiments , the controller 80 of the synchronization circuit 65 includes a computer portion 80a , as shown in fig8 for calculating the further output scanning frequency 5 . however , this is not absolutely necessary . the calculated information is continuously transmitted over control line 81 as a scanning frequency for the subsequent scanning sequence 25 . in order to calculate the further output scanning frequency , the computer portion 80a must recognize an input scanning frequency and a desired output scanning frequency . in this way , a scanning interval is set by the distance 26 . the computer portion 80a calculates the further output scanning frequency from this , which must meet two conditions : a ) the ratio of the output scanning frequency or the input scanning frequency to the further scanning frequency should be as simple as possible , and should correspond as closely as possible to the ratio of the input scanning frequency to the output scanning frequency , or vice versa ; and ( b ) the deviation between the input scanning frequency or the output scanning frequency and the further scanning frequency should be small , so that a scanning value is not missing ( or becomes superfluous ) more often than a predetermined period of time ( for example , every second ), as shown in fig2 and 3 . if , for example , the input scanning frequency is 44 . 1 khz and the output scanning frequency is 48 khz , it suffices , in accordance with the conditions cited above , to multiply the input scanning frequency by 160 and subsequently divide it by 147 . while the further scanning frequency may deviate from the input scanning frequency or from the output scanning frequency , the deviation should be kept small so as to not adversely affect the conversion operation . once the further scanning frequency is known , two conversion procedures are available . in one procedure , the scanning values of the input scanning sequence are adapted by a first conversion to the further scanning frequency ( for example , by synchronization ) so that a further scanning sequence is created , and the latter is transferred by a second conversion to the output scanning sequence . the conversion takes place at differing , but fixed scanning rates . in the second procedure , the input scanning sequence is transferred by a first conversion into a further scanning sequence in accordance with a calculated scanning rate ratio , and is subsequently adapted to the output scanning frequency by a second conversion . the first procedure will be discussed in more detail , because the second procedure is easily derived from the first procedure . based on the known further scanning frequency , the synchronization circuit 65 can perform the processing of the input scanning sequence . looking at it in connection with fig1 this means that the input scanning values 6 - 12 are delayed in such a way that they become further scanning values 6 &# 39 ;- 12 &# 39 ;. in this example , the delay times , represented by arrows 6 &# 34 ;- 12 &# 34 ;, become smaller over time ( i . e ., as one looks at fig1 from left to right ). however , they never fall below a limit 82 , which is assigned to each scanning time 4 . in connection with an examination of fig6 this means that the input scanning values are read into memory 50 ( or 71 in fig8 ) via the write - in pointer 52 , and they are controlled by the further scanning frequency that is read out by the read - out pointer 54 . they are then inputted into the computer 72 ( fig8 ), where they pass through the multiplier 56 , which multiplies the value by one , and the adder 59 , which adds zero to the value . it should be noted that this process continues , wherein arrows 11 &# 34 ; and 12 &# 34 ;, as well as following arrows , not indicated , continue to be shortened , until the situation in accordance with fig2 arises . in fig2 one observes that the input scanning value 30 already lies on the other side of the limit 82 . before it can come to this , a further process is initiated which converts the input scanning value 30 , chronologically considered , into a new input scanning value 30 &# 39 ;, but makes no changes in its value . this further process is referred to as a change - over . two cases must be distinguished : the input scanning frequency must be smaller than the further scanning frequency ; and the input scanning frequency must be greater than the further scanning frequency . case 1 is illustrated in fig1 . when the scanning values are read into memory 50 , write - in pointer 52 must be continuously displaced in the direction of the read - out pointer 54 ( if one assumes that the memory turns in a clockwise direction ). when pointers 52 , 54 are sufficiently close to each other , limit 82 has been reached and a change - over must begin . coefficients are supplied to the multipliers 55 and 56 for the change - over . in the illustration in accordance with fig8 the coefficients are inputted to the computer 72 from the coefficient generator 76 via the bus 77 . this also means that the scanning values are read out from the memory 5 via the two read - out pointers 53 and 54 . the operations performed with these scanning values are mathematically formulated , as follows : in this case , the scanning values designated by x i - 1 are supplied to the multiplier 55 and are multiplied by coefficients a i , and the scanning values designated by x i are supplied to the multiplier 56 and are multiplied by coefficient ( 1 - a i ). if a change - over is performed and spread over eight scanning values , eight scanning values c 1 to c 8 are calculated as follows : it is noted that following the calculation of scanning value c 8 , the coefficients are reversed , making it possible to calculate scanning value c 9 from the same scanning values in the same manner used to calculate scanning values c 1 - c 8 . to reuse the same scanning values , read - out pointers 53 and 54 are stopped and a new scanning value is read out over the eight new scanning values . this process can be better understood by reference to the illustration in accordance with fig4 . an unbroken sequence of input scanning values x 1 to x 16 is shown on line 41 , which is read out by means of the read - out pointer 54 . a delayed sequence of the input scanning values x 0 to x 15 is shown on line 42 . the delayed sequence results when the scanning values are simultaneously read out by the read - out pointer 53 and the read - out pointer 54 . an examination of line 43 shows that the scanning value x 8 is read out twice if no change - over is performed . this would also be the case for the illustration in accordance with fig2 . therefore , the scanning value 28 would be read out twice ; once for scanning time 29 and once for scanning time 33 . the individual scanning values of the new output scanning sequence are shown in line 44 . the change - over process is controlled by controller 80 ( shown in fig8 ). time differences between the scanning times of the sequences are determined as they arrive via transmitting lines 68 and 70 . the time differences are determined , for example , in accordance with the method and apparatus disclosed in european patent no . 0084592 . the time difference is compared with a predetermined time difference that corresponds to limit 82 . in this way , it is determined when the change - over process is initiated . when the time comes , signals travel via control line 81 to the coefficient generator 76 and the address generator 74 , so that the production of the coefficients is started and miscellaneous address jumps are triggered . in case 2 , write - in pointer 52 moves counter - clockwise relative to the read - out pointer 54 . as soon as the counterclockwise rotation is no longer possible , without a conflict between the write - in and read - out pointers being caused , a change - over is required . the change - over can be expressed in a mathematical form , as follows : in the second case , the scanning values designated by x i - 1 are supplied to the multiplier 55 and are multiplied by coefficients 1 - a i , while the scanning values designated by x i are supplied to the multiplier 56 and are multiplied by coefficients - a i . if a change - over is performed and spread over eight scanning values , the eight scanning values c 1 to c 8 are calculated as follows : it is noted that following the calculation of the scanning value c 8 , the coefficients are again reversed , so that the scanning value c 9 is calculated in the same way from the same scanning values , and the coefficients can be made available for the next change - over process . it is also noted that the scanning value c 8 is determined from the scanning values x 12 and x 13 . however , in order to calculate the subsequent scanning value c 9 with reversed coefficients , the scanning values x 14 and x 15 must be used . thus , rather than having the two read - out pointers 53 and 54 jump by one scanning value , the read - out pointers 53 and 54 must jump by two scanning values . in case 2 , the process can be better understood by referring to fig5 . lines 45 - 47 are the same as lines 40 - 42 in fig4 . it can be seen in line 48 that a scanning value is missing between the scanning values x 7 and x 9 . this corresponds to the jump which the read - out pointers 53 and 5 make after the change - over . in order to determine the size of the memory 50 ( in fig6 ; or memory 71 in fig8 ) it can be assumed , for example , that periods without change - over would also lie between the individual change - over processes . the memory should be sufficiently large so that it can absorb momentary swings of the scanning frequencies . it should also be large enough so that change - overs are only occasionally triggered by nominally different scanning frequencies when the differences between the scanning intervals have been summed over a given time . after the subsequent scanning sequence 25 has been generated from the input scanning sequence by the just described adaptation , conversion of the further scanning values into the output scanning sequence 15 takes place . for this purpose the scanning values are supplied to the scanning rate converter 66 via the bus 67 ( in fig7 or 79 in fig8 ). the further scanning values are then converted into output scanning values in accordance with per se known principles , such as are described , for example , in a digital signal processing approach to interpolation , by schaefer and rabiner , ( proc . ieee 61 - 6 , jun ., 1973 ). since the present case is directed to converting synchronous sequences of scanning values , it is possible to use simple conversion principles , such as , for example , converting between fixed ratios of the scanning frequencies . in the second embodiment , the conversion of the input scanning sequence with a given ratio of the scanning frequencies into the further scanning sequence takes place . then , the further scanning sequence is converted into the output scanning sequence by synchronization , which has almost the same scanning frequency . this method can be understood by referring to the output scanning sequence 15 in fig1 as the new input scanning sequence and the input scanning sequence 14 as the new output scanning sequence . all arrows , including the time axis 1 , must then point in the other direction . that is , the arrows must be rotated to point 180 degrees in the opposite direction to that shown in fig1 ( i . e ., towards the left ). it is also noted that the given ratio of the scanning frequencies may also vary . while the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it is understood by those skilled in the art that various alterations in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined by the following claims . | 7 |
carbon nanotube fabric - based switches have been described in incorporated references and such description will not be repeated for the sake of brevity . the cnt - eeprom device of preferred embodiments uses the presence or absence of an electromechanical connection between the control gate / cnt and a polysilicon gate to modulate the fet threshold voltage of a single polysilicon gate fet non - volatile storage device . the cnt connection is used to modulate device capacitance and is not in series with the fet channel for program ( write ) or read operations . thus , cell performance is relatively independent of the cnt resistance value . in each case , a select device is used in series with the eeprom or cnt - eeprom non - volatile storage device . the structure and operation of the cnt - eeprom device is described below . also , a cnt - nvram cell that uses two cnt - eeprom devices and two select devices per cell is described . such a four device non - volatile cell can replace the more conventional flip flop with shadow eeprom devices , typically a total of 10 to 12 devices per cell . fig1 illustrates a cnt - eeprom device of certain embodiments . it has internal device capacitive coupling . the voltage v g of gate g is determined by modulating the internal device capacitive network such that the control gate node ( node n 1 ( cg )) is in electrical contact with gate g via a cnt switch , or gate g is capacitively coupled to control gate cg by capacitor c cg - g . when cnt switch is not in contact with gate g , cnt switch is in contact with the insulator of release plate n 4 ( rp ). the capacitance network is modulated ( activated ) by controlling the presence or absence of an fet channel using a diffusion voltage applied to diffusion n 2 or n 3 . this modulation ( activation , write ) mechanism is well known and is described in the referenced applications . a sufficiently large voltage is applied to the control gate cg , node n 1 , such that an fet channel is formed . if the diffusion voltage on diffusion n 2 or n 3 is zero , the channel remains , eliminating c ch - sub from the capacitance network . if the diffusion voltage on diffusion n 2 or n 3 is positive , 0 . 5 to 1 . 0 volts , for example , then electrons are removed from the channel region , and c ch - sub capacitance is part of the device ( cell ) capacitance network . capacitance values are selected by design . typical relative capacitance values are c cg - g = 0 . 25 , c g - ch = 1 , and c ch - sub = 0 . 2 , for example . fig2 illustrates the device of fig1 referred to as the nv store device , in series with a select transistor . if the cnt switch is programmed ( in contact with floating gate g ), the cell is in the “ 1 ” state . if the cnt switch is released ( not in contact with floating gate g ), the cell is in the “ 0 ” state . the bit line bl is connected to the nv store device , and is used during both read and write . during read , bit line bl is precharged , word line wl transitions to a higher voltage than the fet threshold voltage , select line sl transitions to a high voltage ( v sl = v dd , for example ) and turns the select transistor on . if cg is electrically connected to g by a cnt switch , then v g exceeds the v th of the fet , current flows , and bl discharges . if cg is capacitively coupled to g , then v g is less than the v th of the fet , no current flows , and bl is not discharged . by way of example , if a programmed “ 1 ” state is stored , control gate cg is electrically connected to floating gate g by a cnt switch . assuming v th of the fet is 0 . 8 volts and the control gate voltage is 1 . 5 volts , then voltage v g = v cg = 1 . 5 volts , the channel regions of the nv store and select transistors are both on , and the precharged bit line bl is discharged to ground . the bit line precharge read voltage may be 0 . 5 to 1 volt , for example . if a released “ 0 ” state is stored , floating gate g is not electrically connected to control gate cg but is capacitively coupled instead . for a control voltage of 1 . 5 volts , and a capacitance network having typical relative capacitance values of c cg - g = 0 . 25 , c g - ch = 1 , and c ch - sub = 0 . 2 , for example , floating gate voltage v g = 0 . 6 volts , nv store device channel region is off , and bit line bl is not discharged . the voltage difference between control voltage and floating gate voltage is 0 . 9 volts . therefore cnt switch write ( program ) threshold voltage v cnt - wr - th must be greater than 0 . 9 volts . fig7 further below illustrates the nv store device electrical characteristic in the write ( programmed ) “ 1 ” state , and the released ( erased ) “ 0 ” state . as illustrated in fig7 , if the control voltage v cg is greater than 0 . 7 of volt but less than 1 . 8 volts , 1 . 5 volts for example , bit line bl will be discharged if the nv store device is programmed to a “ 1 ” state , but will not discharge the nv store device is released to a “ 0 ” state . the read operation is further illustrated in fig8 . one mode of writing ( programming ) the nv storage device of fig2 using bit line bl requires the device to be in a released ( erased ) state , with the cnt switch in contact with the insulator of the release plate n 4 therefore , one method of writing ( write mode ) is release - before - write . select line ( sl ) voltage v sl = 0 such that shared node n 2 is floating . release is accomplished using a select scheme that releases individual array bits , or groups of bits , as described further below . assuming the nv store device is in the released state , write ( programming ) is then accomplished by setting v wl = v ddw , the required write ( programming ) voltage . if v bl = 0 , then a channel is present in the nv storage device , gate g is tightly capacitively coupled to the channel which is at zero volts , and the voltage between cg and g is sufficiently high that the threshold voltage of the cnt switch v cnt - wr - th is exceeded . the cnt switch forms an electrical contact between cg and g , and the nv store device is in a low fet v fet - th programmed state as shown in fig7 . if , however , the bit line voltage is set at a small positive voltage in the range of 0 . 5 to 1 . 0 volts , for example , then there is no fet channel , capacitance c ch - sub is in series with the capacitance c g - ch , gate g is not tightly coupled to ground , v cnt - wr - th is not exceeded , and the nv store device remains in the high fet v fet - th released ( erased ) state . by way of example , programming the nv store device to a “ 1 ” state occurs as follows . the bit line voltage of bl ( n 3 ) shown in fig2 is set to zero volts , modulating the capacitance network formed when the fet gate g of storage device cnt store is activated , such that only relative capacitance values of c cg - g = 0 . 25 and c g - ch = 1 are in the capacitance network . word line wl ( n 1 ) shown is connected to control gate cg & amp ; cnt , where a cnt switch is integrated in the control gate structure cg & amp ; cnt as described in the above references . control voltage v cg applied to wl ( n 1 ) transitions to 1 . 8 volts , for example , and the capacitance network capacitively couples floating gate voltage v g to 0 . 2 v cg . the voltage across the cnt switch is the difference between v cg applied to wl ( n 1 ) and the voltage 0 . 2 v cg on floating gate g , or approximately 1 . 45 volts . if the cnt switch write ( programming ) threshold voltage v cnt - wr - th is less than 1 . 45 volts , then the cnt will switch into contact with gate g , programming the nt store device to the “ 1 ” state . if the nv store device is to store a released ( erased ) “ 0 ” state , no switching is needed because of the release - before - write method . the electrical characteristics of the nt store device illustrate both the non - volatile programmed “ 1 ” state and the non - volatile released “ 0 ” state as shown in fig7 . programming and releasing the nv store device is described further below with respect to fig4 , 5 , and 6 . the release - before - write mode described above is one operating mode . other write modes that do not require release - before - write are described in the references . fig3 illustrates a cnt - eeprom array with four cells ( cell 0 - cell 3 ). the array in fig3 may store a unique bit (“ 1 ” or “ 0 ”) in each of the four cells connected to bit lines bl 0 , bl 1 , bl 2 , and bl 3 . release lines rl 0 and rl 1 connect to corresponding release nodes , word lines wl 0 and wl 1 connect to control gates , and sl 0 and sl 1 connect to select device gates . word lines and select lines are substantially parallel , and are substantially orthogonal to release lines and bit lines . each cell in the cnt - eeprom array operates as described in fig2 . fig4 illustrates the waveforms applied to the release lines , word lines , bit lines , and the resulting gate voltage v g of the selected cell ( cell 0 in this example ) during release from a “ 1 ” and a “ 0 ” stored state . the select line voltage v sl = 0 and isolates the nt storage device from ground . the word line voltage v wl , which corresponds to control gate voltage v cg associated with control gate node n 1 ( cg ) of fig1 , is set to zero ( v wl = 0 ). if nt store 0 is in a programmed “ 1 ” state , the cnt switch connects the cg & amp ; cnt node and floating gate g . the release voltage v rl is switched to v ddw . the voltage v ddw must exceed the release threshold voltage of the cnt switch v cnt - rl - th in order to release ( erase ) the “ 1 ” state . the release threshold voltage may differ from the program ( write ) threshold voltage v cnt - wr - th . by way of example , for release voltage v ddw = 2 . 5 volts , the release threshold voltage v cnt - rl - th maximum is less than 2 . 5 volts . to prevent adjacent “ bit disturb ,” v cnt - rl - th must be greater than 1 . 8 volts , for example , as shown further below . once released , the floating gate voltage is not longer at ground level but assumes a voltage between 0 and v dd . if nt store 0 is in a released “ 0 ” state , the cnt switch is not connected to v g and is therefore is already in a released ( erased ) state , and remains in the released state . fig5 a illustrates cell voltages at selected cells , ½ selected cells , and unselected cells in the array of fig3 in which cell 0 is released , and cells 1 , 2 , and 3 are unchanged , and where common release line rl 1 is at v dd . the nv store device is designed such that only cells with the full select voltage difference δv = v ddw , in this example 2 . 5 volts , are released . cells storing a “ 1 ” state release when the cnt connection switches from gate g to the oxide of release plate n 4 cells storing a “ 0 ” state do not have the cnt switch connected to gate g , so no cnt switching takes place , and they remain in the released state . fig5 b illustrates a release operation in which cell 0 is released , and cells 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 are unchanged , and where common release line rl 1 is at zero volts . cells storing a “ 0 ” state do not have the cnt switch connected to gate g , so no switching takes place , and they remain in the released state . fig6 illustrates writing ( programming ) from a released state to a “ 1 ” state , or remaining at a “ 0 ” state , controlled by bit line voltage v bl . if v bl = 0 , then a “ 1 ” state is stored in the nv store device . by way of example , if the word line voltage transitions to v ddw = 1 . 8 volts , for example , then the capacitance network couples floating gate voltage v g to 0 . 2 × 1 . 8 ≈ 0 . 4 volts . the write ( programming ) voltage across the cnt switch is therefore 1 . 4 volts . if v cnt - wr - th = 0 . 9 to 1 . 2 volts , for example , then the cnt switch is programmed to the “ 1 ” state , in contact with floating gate g , with gate g voltage v g as shown in fig6 . if , however , the bit line voltage is positive , 0 . 5 to 1 volt , for example , then the capacitance network is changed because there is no fet channel in the storage device . if the word line voltage transitions to v ddw = 1 . 8 volts , for example , then the capacitance network couples the floating gate v g to 0 . 6 × 1 . 8 ≈ 1 volt . the write ( programming ) voltage across the cnt switch is therefore 0 . 8 volts . if v cnt wr - th = 0 . 9 to 1 . 2 volts , for example , then the nv store device remains in the released state . fig7 illustrates an example of the fet i - v characteristic for a nv store device in the written ( programmed ) “ 1 ” state and the released ( erased ) “ 0 ′ state . the fet threshold voltage v fet - th is approximately equal to the voltage v cg where the i - v characteristic intersects the horizontal axis . the read voltage applied to v cg is selected to be greater than the v fet - th for a programmed “ 1 ” state , that is , greater than 0 . 7 volts , and less than the v fet - th voltage for a programmed “ 0 ” state , that is , less than 1 . 8 volts . as illustrated in fig8 , the bit line voltage v bl will droop if the nv store device is programmed to the “ 1 ” state , but will remain at v dd if the nv store device is programmed to the “ 0 ” state . fig9 illustrates a cnt - nvram storage cell using two cnt - eeprom cells , such that there are four transistors , two nv store transistors and two select transistors . by comparison , a typical cnt - nvram using a flip flop and shadow eeprom devices on each node has a total of 8 to 12 transistors . the cnt - nvram cell stores the true and complement of each data bit . the cell illustrated in fig9 stores true and complement data in transistors nv store and nv store - b . the nv ram of fig9 uses 1 wl , 1 sl , 1 ground , 1 rl , but 2 bit lines , bl and bl - b . the operation of the cnt - nvram cell is similar to the cnt - eeprom cell operation . the advantage of the cnt - nvram over the cnt - eeprom cell is that one of the bit line pairs will discharge , that is bl or bl - b will discharge . this cell can therefore be sensed using sensing techniques similar to those of sram cells . the performance will not be gated by cnt resistance because there is no cnt resistance in series with the write or read paths ( cnts modulate the internal device capacitance ). read time is expected to be similar to the read time of an sram cell . write will be longer than for an sram cell because of the addition of the release - before - write requirement . however , the additional delay is for the first write operation . when writing a block of data , such as in page mode , the release operation delay can be hidden by using an appropriate architecture . also , write modes that not require release - before - write described in the above references eliminate the extra delay . an aspect of the present embodiment ( carbon nanotube fabric - based — cnt - eeproms is to solve these problems . the cnt - eeprom uses electromechanical switching in the device to modulate an fet threshold voltage . this method of programming uses lower voltages and is faster than prior art eeprom programming using hot electrons . cnt - eeprom storage device can be used to build eeproms and nrams using cnt - on - gate . the cnt - eeprom device is used with a select device to form the basic cell . the cell can be programmed and erased faster and at lower voltages than conventional eeprom cells . preferred embodiments speed up write ( program ) and erase operation . they also reduce or eliminate endurance limitations , data retention degradation , read , program , and erase time degradation . they also reduce or eliminate the high program and erase voltage requirements , and enable embedded eeproms with cmos logic circuits . preferred embodiments eliminate the charge transfer storage mechanism to and from a floating gate embedded in a gate oxide , as is done in conventional eeprom . more specifically , to replace the charge transfer storage mechanism to and from a polysilicon non - volatile storage gate , preferred embodiments use a non - volatile nanotube storage device . non - volatile storage using a nanotube mechanical state enables eeproms that can program ( write ) and erase ( release ) at voltage levels of 5 volts and below . also , such eeprom operate such that read , write ( program ) and erase times are substantially the same , 1 to 50 ns , for example . also , supporting cmos circuits can operate at standard cmos voltage levels of 5 volts and below . also , such eeprom devices can be embedded in cmos logic circuits . the following patent references refer to various techniques for creating nanotube fabric articles and switches and are assigned to the assignee of this application , each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety : u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 341 , 005 , filed on jan . 13 , 2003 , entitled methods of making carbon nanotube films , layers , fabrics , ribbons , elements and articles ; u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 915 , 093 , filed on jul . 25 , 2001 , entitled electromechanical memory array using nanotube ribbons and method for making same ; u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 033 , 032 , filed on dec . 28 , 2001 , now u . s . pat . no . 6 , 784 , 028 , entitled methods of making electromechanical three - trace junction devices ; u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 033 , 323 , filed on dec . 28 , 2001 , entitled electromechanical three - trace junction devices ; u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 128 , 117 , filed on apr . 23 , 2002 , now u . s . pat . no . 6 , 835 , 591 , entitled methods of nt films and articles ; u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 341 , 055 , filed jan . 13 , 2003 , entitled methods of using thin metal layers to make carbon nanotube films , layers , fabrics , ribbons , elements and articles ; u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 341 , 054 , filed jan . 13 , 2003 , entitled methods of using pre - formed nanotubes to make carbon nanotube films , layers , fabrics , ribbons , elements and articles ; u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 341 , 130 , filed jan . 13 , 2003 , entitled carbon nanotube films , layers , fabrics , ribbons , elements and articles ; u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 776 , 059 , filed feb . 11 , 2004 , entitled devices having horizontally - disposed nanofabric articles and methods of making the same ; and u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 776 , 572 , filed feb . 11 , 2004 , entitled devices having vertically - disposed nanofabric articles and methods of making the same . it will be further appreciated that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above - described embodiments but rather is defined by the appended claims , and that these claims will encompass modifications and improvements to what has been described . | 6 |
a numeric intensive development environment ( nide ) for dsp code development is shown in fig1 . a user is connected to a computer system by means of graphics or text 10 through a user interface 11 . the user interface 11 is a windows gui ( graphical user interface ) that provides a user friendly interface familiar to many programmers and users . the user interface 11 allows the user to connect to programming development environment where code can be developed in dsp assembly language 14 or dsp - c language 12 . various data from the development system is displayed through the user interface 11 . by means of pointing and clicking with a computer mouse the user can select from the user interface 11 various data from the programming development environment including representation of the data in various formats , such as decimal , hexadecimal , big and little endian , and different combinations of the exponent and mantissa . this capability of the user interface 11 to display data in different formats is particularly useful in debugging code for a fixed point dsp where many tedious manual translations would otherwise be required to determine if the right floating point formats were being used . the development of the code for a dsp centers around producing code by programming in assembly language 14 , or through use of dsp - c 12 . the dsp - c language 12 is assembly language augmented with extensive native mathematical representation formats and high level c language syntax . the use of a c language syntax is preferred because it is more readable , easier to understand and familiar to most programmers than programming directly in dsp assembly language 14 . once code has been written and compiled in dsp - c 12 , it is translated line by line to dsp assembly language 14 using the assembly language library translator 13 . a driver interface 15 connects the dsp assembly language code 14 to a set of driver tools 16 which contains a unique driver for each different type dsp that can be connected to the system . the driver tools 16 provide the means by which various code that is written for one type and manufacturer of a dsp can be easily ported to another type and manufacture of a dsp . this is accomplished through a single common driver interface 15 . the dsp assembly language code 14 is developed to the driver interface 15 , and the driver tools 16 provide the necessary translations for the architecture of the different types and manufacturer of the various dsp &# 39 ; s that can be used with the development environment . the driver tools 16 connect the code to a dsp and associated hardware 18 through a physical interface 17 . this physical interface 17 can be either internal or external to the host computing system , where the internal interface is an internal bus and the external interfaces either a parallel or serial port to the computing system . often the dsp and related hardware is an emulator board 18 created in the early phases of dsp product development . the system detects the type of dsp 18 connected to the computer by detecting various characteristics of the dsp 18 such as register type , size and location , memory size , physical jumpers and the likes . when the type of dsp 18 is determined , the appropriate driver 16 is automatically invoked . if a different type dsp 18 is next connected to the computer system , the dsp type is detected , a new driver is selected from the driver tools 16 and the dsp program 14 is re - linked to the new dsp 18 . if a dsp 18 is not detected , the system runs in simulation mode . when in simulation mode , library functions 13 are used to follow the behavior of the hardware architecture allowing the simulation to behave the same as in real time mode . continuing to refer to fig1 the computer system continuously fetches data from the dsp 18 for display to the user by the user interface 11 . this data can be presented to the user in different formats determined by the user &# 39 ; s choice through pointing and clicking the computer system mouse . this allows the user to debug or fine tune the code 12 and 14 while watching the resulting data from the dsp 18 . the dsp program memory can be displayed in various formats for program debug by selection of the computer mouse . the various formats include but are not limited to disassembled format , floating point , decimal and hexadecimal as well as big and little endian formats . also a computational register window can be opened through the user interface 11 in which the format of a register can be selected to be displayed in different formats by scrolling with use of the computer mouse . in fig2 is shown the nide selection process for display of the dsp 18 memory in various decimal and hexadecimal formats through the user interface 11 shown in fig1 . while viewing the numeric intensive development environment 20 through the user interface 11 , the user selects data memory from the view menu 21 . dsp memory data is displayed in a default hexadecimal format 22 . if the default format 22 does not suit the user &# 39 ; s needs , then additional data formats can be selected by selecting format menu and choosing display format 23 . this opens up several format choices including decimal 24 and hexadecimal 25 . under decimal 24 further format choices can be made by choosing single precision 26 or double precision 27 , big endian 28 or little endian 29 . within the hexadecimal format 25 choices are also single precision 30 and double precision 31 , and big endian 32 and little endian 33 . little endian 33 and big endian 32 are format choices for combining two - sixteen bit numbers to create a thirty two bit number . the thirty two bit number is stored in two consecutive sixteen bit dsp memory locations , for example ; memory locations ( 0000 ) and ( 0001 ) as shown in fig2 . stored in these two memory locations is two single precision words , shown as two hexadecimal numbers ( ab12 ) and ( 0234 ). little endian format 33 takes the lower order data ( 0234 ) from the sixteen bit memory address ( 0001 ) of the dsp 18 and concatenates to it with the higher order data ( ab12 ) from the memory address ( 0000 ). the double precision little endian results ( 0234ab12 ) are displayed on the computer screen along with the memory address ( 0001 ) of the lower order data of the dsp 18 which is associated with the higher order bytes of the little endian number . big endian format 32 concatenates the data ( 0234 ) stored in the dsp memory location ( 0001 ) to the data ( ab12 ) stored in memory location ( 0000 ). thus forming the big endian format word ( ab120234 ) which is displayed on the computer screen along with the memory location ( 0000 ) associated with the high order two bytes of the big endian format . other dsp 18 data , such as register data , can also be converted to the various hexadecimal formats in similar manner . since these do not carry a memory address identifier , an decision must be made relative to which field contains low order and high order data . continuing to refer to fig2 the decimal formatted data can be displayed on the computer screen in either single 26 or double 27 precision decimal format . the double precision format 27 can be further displayed in either little endian 29 or big endian 28 . the decimal format 34 can be displayed in a full range of combinations of integer ( m ) and decimal ( n ) digits forming the decimal ( m -- n ). thus double precision thirty two bit data can have a format ranging from thirty two bits of integer and no bits of decimal , as shown in fig2 through all intermediate combinations to thirty two bits of decimal and no bits of integer . similarly , the single precision , sixteen bit integer can be displayed in a full range integer and decimal digits . shown in fig2 is the format m = 32 and n = 0 for the double precision data and m = 16 and n = 0 for the single precision data . this decimal data is the equivalent of the hexadecimal data 25 and is associated with the appropriate dsp memory location , as shown in fig2 when displayed on the computer screen . referring to fig3 the dsp sixteen bit integer data 40 ( noted as x ) is converted to a selected fractional format ( m -- n ) 41 for display to the user on the computer screen . the m represents the number of bits of integer data , and the n represents the number of bits of decimal data that is to be converted . the conversion to decimal 42 is accomplished by the nide ( numerical intensive development environment ) by dividing the appropriate dsp 18 data by the nth power of two , or x / 2 n where x is the dsp 16 bit integer data 40 . all combinations of m integer data and n fractional data is available from the nide , ranging from m = 32 and n = 0 to m = 0 and n = 32 , and providing a full range from all integer to all decimal and all combinations in between . in fig4 is the method used in the nide to convert a range of word data into two word , double precision little endian format for display to the user , where a word is the content data ( 8 - bit , 16 - bit , 24 - bit , etc .) of a single unique memory address . a double precision little endian format is made up of two word segments . the two word segments are from data stored in two contiguous locations in the dsp memory located on the dsp emulator board 18 in fig1 . the first segment comes from the low - order word segment of dsp memory 18 and the second comes from the high order word segment of dsp memory 18 . the high order word is stored in the next address of the current address in dsp memory and the low order word in the current address in dsp memory . given a starting address and the range of the data to be converted 50 , both a dsp memory starting address and a program counter are set 51 . the content of the starting address is assigned as the low order word 53 , and the content of the next address is assigned as the high order word 52 . the high order word is shifted up l - bit of the double precision word size , where the l - bit is the word - size of the single precision word ( 16 - bit , 24 - bit , etc . ); and the low order word is made to be unsigned 54 . the unsigned low order word is added to the shifted high order word 55 to form a double precision little endian formatted word . thus the low order word is concatenated to the high order word . the double precision little endian word along with the dsp address of the high order word is sent to the computer display 59 for viewing by the user . the address pointer is indexed by two and the count in the program counter is reduced by one 56 . if the program counter is not zero 57 , then another double precision little endian word is created from the data in the next two dsp memory locations by going through process steps 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 and 59 . when the program counter reaches zero 58 , the process is completed . this conversion can also be easily extended into multiple word precision , which combines a number of contiguous words ( more than two words ) in physical memory locations into a single logical number for display to the user . in fig5 is shown the method used in the nide to convert a range of word data into a two word , double precision big endian format for display to the user , where a word is the content data ( 8 - bit , 16 - bit , 24 - bit , etc .) of a single unique memory address . a double precision big endian format is made up from two - word segments . the two word segments are from data stored in two contiguous locations in the dsp memory located on the dsp emulator board 18 in fig1 . the first segment comes from the high order word segment of dsp memory 18 and the second comes from the low order word segment of dsp memory 18 . the low order word is stored in the next address of the current address in dsp memory and the high order word in the current address in dsp memory . given a starting address and the range of the data to be converted 70 , both a dsp memory starting address and a program counter are set 71 . the content of the starting address is assigned as the high word 73 , and the content of the next address is assigned as the low order word 72 . the high order word is shifted up l - bit of the double precision word size , where the l - bit is the word - size of the single precision word ( 16 - bit , 24 - bit , etc . ); and the low order word is made to be unsigned 74 . the unsigned low order word is added to the shifted high order word 75 to form a double precision big endian formatted word . thus the low order word is concatenated to the high order word . the double precision big endian word along with the dsp address of the high order word is sent to the computer display 79 for viewing by the user . the address pointer is indexed by two and the count in the program counter is reduced by one 76 . if the program counter is not zero 77 , then another double precision big endian word is created from the data in the next two dsp memory locations by going through process steps 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 and 79 . when the program counter reaches zero 78 , the process is completed . this conversion can also be easily extended into multiple word precision , which combines a number of contiguous words ( more than two words ) in physical memory locations into a single logical number for display to the user . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to 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 the invention . | 6 |
illustrative embodiments and exemplary applications will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to disclose the advantageous teachings of the present invention . while the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications , it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto . those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications , applications , and embodiments within the scope hereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility . in considering the detailed embodiments of the present invention , it will be observed that the present invention resides primarily in combinations of steps to accomplish various methods or components to form various apparatus . accordingly , the apparatus components and method steps have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings , showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the disclosures contained herein . in this disclosure , relational terms such as first and second , top and bottom , upper and lower , and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions . the terms “ comprises ,” “ comprising ,” or any other variation thereof , are intended to cover a non - exclusive inclusion , such that a process , method , article , or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process , method , article , or apparatus . an element proceeded by “ comprises a ” does not , without more constraints , preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process , method , article , or apparatus that comprises the element . the problems in the art are addressed by the teachings presented herein . various illustrative embodiments are described , and those of ordinary skill in the art will envision variants and modifications to the presented embodiments that are consistent with the claims appended hereto . one embodiment is a hand - held metal detector designed to precisely pinpoint metallic , both ferrous and nonferrous , objects sought during treasure recovery efforts . although many other useful applications for metal detection exist as well . for example , the teachings provided herein are equally applicable to ground search type metal detectors . the hand - held metal detector embodiment is useful in conjunction with ground search metal detectors to aid in recovery of metallic targets and other metallic objects . the illustrative embodiment provides both audible and vibrating , or tactile , alarms to indicate the presence of metal objects . a sifting and scraping blade , which serves as an excavating tool , is disposed along the side of an elongated search probe portion of the detector . this arrangement encourages the operator to expose the entire unit to the ground , including soil , water , and other materials . in addition , a light emitting diode light is disposed on the detector housing and directed toward the search area to aid in low - light and no - light visibility . a prior art metal detector , the garrett electronics , inc ., garland , tex ., pro - pointer model , which is described in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 575 , 065 employed a water resistant design . for example , a gasket was placed between the led and the aperture in the housing to resist water intrusion into the housing . similarly , a water resistant fabric was place between the audio transducer and the acoustic port opening in the housing . while these approaches do resist the intrusion of water to a certain degree , operators desire further protection , including hermetic sealing so that the metal detector can even be operated in a submerged condition . the present invention addresses these needs . reference is directed to fig1 , which is a perspective view drawing of a metal detector 1 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . the detector 1 is contained in a non - metallic housing 2 that consists of two primary portions , including a hand - grip portion 4 and an elongated probe portion 7 . the hand - grip portion 4 is adapted for convenient hand holding , and includes a power and detection switch actuator 6 and an audio transducer vent 10 . in addition a tactile , vibrating , transducer ( not shown ) is contained within the housing 2 , and can be sensed by a user holding the hand - grip portion 4 during operation . a battery cover 12 threadably engages the hand - grip end of the housing 2 , and provides access for installing and replacing a nine - volt battery that powers the detecting circuitry inside the housing 2 . the battery cover 12 is hermetically sealed with an o - ring ( not shown ). a housing protrusion extends from the hand - grip portion 4 , and supports an led aperture 8 that is directed toward the metallic target search and excavation area during operation of the detector 1 . the elongated probe portion 7 of the housing 2 has a tip end , which produces the highest sensitivity search field during operation of the detector 1 . a sifting and scraping blade 16 is contiguously formed along a side of the elongated probe portion 7 . an electromagnetic search coil ( not shown ) is disposed within the elongated probe portion 7 , which generates an electromagnetic search field during operation . the search field is most sensitive at the tip end of the probe 7 , but is also usefully sensitive along the side of the probe 7 in the area of the blade 16 . a lanyard ring 14 is provided for retaining the metal detector 1 from a lanyard , which is useful while operating near water . reference is directed to fig2 , which is a side view drawing of a metal detector according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . the housing 2 is imprinted with a ruler 18 having both english and metric scales , which is useful in determining excavation depth . the battery cover 12 , lanyard ring 14 , scraper blade 16 and led aperture 8 location are also presented in this view . reference is directed to fig3 , which is an end view drawing of a metal detector 1 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . this is the tip end view of the housing 2 . this view is useful for orienting the positions of the scraper blade 16 , led 8 , switch actuator 6 , acoustic vent 10 , and lanyard ring 14 . reference is directed to fig4 , which is a side view drawing of a metal detector 1 referencing sectional views a - a and b - b according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . the housing 2 , battery cover 12 , acoustic vent 10 , switch actuator 6 , led aperture location 8 , and scraper blade 16 are identified . note that section line a - a lies along the switch actuator 6 and acoustic vent 10 , and that section line b - b lies along the led aperture location 8 . the corresponding sectional views will provide details of the underlying structures . reference is directed to fig5 , which is side view drawing of a metal detector 1 referencing sectional views c - c and d - d according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . the housing 2 , battery cover 12 , acoustic vent 10 , switch actuator 6 , led aperture location 8 , and scraper blade 16 are identified . note that section line c - c lies along the acoustic vent 10 looking toward the hand grip end , and that section line d - d also lies along the acoustic vent 10 , looking toward the tip end of the housing 2 . the corresponding sectional views will provide details of the underlying structures . reference is directed to fig6 , which is a longitudinal section view a - a drawing of a metal detector 1 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . the housing 2 is injection molded from impact resistant abs ( acrylonitrile butadiene styrene ) thermoplastic , however other thermoplastics may also be utilized depending on certain desirable characteristics . the housing 2 encloses and supports a number of internal components , including a ferrite rod and search coil 20 , a battery 42 , a detector printed circuit board 22 and other components discussed hereinafter . the battery 42 is retained by a battery cover 12 , which is hermetically sealed by o - ring 44 . this arrangement was also utilized in the prior art garrett pro - pointer model . a switch 24 is disposed on the surface of the printed circuit board 22 , and is coupled through a switch linkage 40 to the switch actuator 6 in fig6 . the switch actuator 6 is molded from an elastomeric polymer , such as elastomeric urethane , which is over - molded with said housing 2 , thereby forming a hermetic seal about said switch actuator 6 . the over - molding engagement area 36 / 38 provides the hermetic sealing action . in another embodiment , an intermediate member ( not shown ) is disposed between , and over - molded with both , the housing 2 and the switch actuator 6 . the intermediate member may be formed from polycarbonate or other material that is compatible for an over - molding engagement . in the illustrative embodiment , the switch 24 is a momentary contact switch closure coupled to a processor ( not shown ). the switch 24 rebounds , and the switch actuator 6 moves in concert therewith , while providing the desired resilience and imperviousness to moisture . continuing in fig6 , an acoustic transducer 26 is mounted on the printed circuit board 22 . the transducer 26 of the illustrative embodiment is a pui audio , inc . model at - 1220 - tt - r electro - mechanical transducer that is readily available from distributors such as mouser electronics , mansfield , tex . it is notable that the transducer 26 is provided with a 2 . 3 mm transducer port on its face , from which sound pressure waves emanate . this is useful in the illustrative embodiment for efficient coupling of the sound through the related structures . fig1 of the drawings illustrates the physical arrangement of the acoustic transducer 26 . in fig1 , the transducer is referenced with numeral 98 and the transducer port is referenced with numeral 99 . continuing in fig6 , note that a diaphragm 28 is molded together with the housing 2 , and is located directly adjacent to the acoustic transducer 26 . they are separated by an air gap 30 . the object of this arrangement is to couple the acoustic energy emitted from the transducer 26 to the diaphragm as efficiently as possible . in the illustrative embodiment , this is accomplished by forming a diaphragm that can readily vibrate at audible frequencies while maintaining a hermetically sealed housing , and by providing a narrow air gap 30 , which effectively couples the acoustic energy emitted from the transducer 26 to the diaphragm 28 , as well as selecting a frequency of operation for the audible tone that functions well with the other parameters . the illustrative embodiment transducer is manufacturer rated for operation at 2048 hz , however , it has significant bandwidth so that it may be driven over a range of frequencies centered about that rated frequency . this range may extend from 1000 hz to 3000 hz . in the illustrative embodiment , an oscillator is facilitated using a processor ( not shown ) that outputs a digital wave that drives the transducer . the size and shape of the diaphragm were refined using empirical testing and housing size constraints , in combination with adjustments to the air gap 30 spacing and oscillator frequency to find a balance where maximum acoustic efficiency was achieved . the illustrative embodiment utilizes a diaphragm that has an area of approximately one square inch , and has a preferred thickness tolerance range of from 0 . 023 inches to 0 . 039 inches . although diaphragm areas as small as one - half square inch are useful . the air gap 30 in the illustrative embodiment of fig6 is set to approximately equal the thickness of the diaphragm 28 , which is a range from 0 . 023 inches to 0 . 039 inches , although , air gaps ranging from 0 . 001 inches to 0 . 100 inches may be useful . a limiting factor in a practical application , such as the illustrative embodiment , is the manufacturing tolerances of the assembled unit , which includes the precision of the injection molding , the size tolerance of the transducer , the tolerance of the printed circuit board , and the tolerances of the related guides and supporting structures . with this all in mind , a good target arrangement is a 1 . 050 square inch diaphragm 28 contiguously molded with the housing 2 from abs plastic , a 0 . 025 inch thick diaphragm , a 0 . 025 inch air gap , and an operating frequency in the range from 1700 hz to 2100 hz , with the range from 1850 hz to 1900 hz showing to perform well with the samples tested . with this arrangement , efficient coupling of the audio from the transducer 26 to the vibrating diaphragm 28 was realized . the next design issue is efficient conversion of the energy from the vibrating diaphragm 28 to the exterior of the metal detector housing 2 . continuing in fig6 , note that there is a recess formed in the housing about the area of the diaphragm 28 , which establishes an air chamber 32 by virtue of the recess . the air chamber 32 is further enclosed by a cover 34 that has one or more vent openings 10 formed therethrough . this arrangement establishes a structure that efficiently couples the energy from the vibrating diaphragm 28 out the vent 10 openings to the exterior of the assembled housing 2 . this arrangement is similar to the structure of a compression driver in a horn - loaded loudspeaker where the area of the driver is considerable larger than the area of the throat of the horn . by analogy , the area of the diaphragm 28 is considerably larger than the area of the vent opening 10 . in the horn driver , the vibrating driver compresses the air and forces it through the throat to couple to the horn and provide the desired gain and directivity , as well as bandwidth , that a horn loaded loudspeaker provides . theoretically speaking , this is related to a helmholtz resonator . in the case of the illustrative embodiment , the analogy to the horn is limited because the design goal of the illustrative embodiment is for an efficient omni - directional acoustic radiator . however , qualitatively speaking , a helmholtz resonator operates such that when air is forced into a cavity , the pressure inside increases . when the force pushing the air into the cavity is removed , such as reversal of the vibrating diaphragm , the higher pressure air inside will flow out . the cavity will be left at a pressure slightly lower than the outside , causing air to be drawn back in . this process repeats with the magnitude of the pressure changes decreasing each time . the air in the port ( the vent opening ) has mass . since it is in motion , it possesses some momentum . a longer port would make for a larger mass , and vice - versa . the cross sectional area of the port is related to the mass of air and the volume of the chamber , as is the length of the vent passage . a port that is too small in area for the chamber volume will “ choke ” the flow , while one that is too large in area for the chamber volume tends to reduce the momentum of the air in the port , reducing efficiency . in the illustrative embodiment , the area of the vent opening 10 constitutes approximately 0 . 1 square inches , or approximately one tenth the area of the diaphragm 28 . reference is directed to fig7 , which is a longitudinal section b - b view drawing of a metal detector 1 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . this view is taken along the center of the led 50 , and presents the underlying structure for providing a hermetic seal of the light path . a number of components discussed in regards to the prior drawing figures are labeled in fig7 , and will not be repeatedly described in this paragraph . the led 50 is supported from the printed circuit board 22 by bracket 52 , which is configured to position the led 50 in line with the light aperture 58 . a light pipe 54 is inserted into the light aperture 58 and is sealed to the housing 2 with o - ring 56 to provide the hermetic seal . the led 50 fits into a cavity in the back of the light pipe 54 so as to efficiently couple the light energy into the light pipe 54 . the light pipe 54 is molded from a suitable transparent or translucent plastic , and may comprise arcuate surfaces to focus the emitted light as desired . reference is directed to fig8 , which is a lateral section c - c view drawing of a metal detector according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . this view is taken at the location of the acoustic transducer 26 , looking toward the handgrip end of the metal detector , where the lanyard ring 14 can be seen . the acoustic port 27 of the acoustic transducer 26 is indicated , which is the point from which sound pressure waves emanate from the transducer 26 . the waves cross air gap 30 and impinge upon the diaphragm 28 , thereby coupling energy and inducing vibration thereof . this can be considered a form of close coupling , as opposed to a form of resonant coupling . note that resonant coupling is not realizable in a product with these dimensions since the wavelengths of sound are too long , both in the air medium and the thermoplastic medium for meaningful resonant coupling too occur . the air chamber 32 created between the recess in the housing 2 and the cover 34 is shown . note that there are two vent openings 10 in the cover 34 . an additional feature of the illustrative embodiment is the use of vent extensions 35 , which increase the depth of the vents 10 , and increase the volume of air in the port arrangement , which was discussed hereinbefore . in addition , the vent extensions also serve as stiffening ribs for the cover , so that the cover itself does not resonate as an opposing member . it is important that the cover is stiffer than the diaphragm . the vent extensions 35 have shown to increase acoustic efficiency in empirical testing , within some constraints . note also that the vent extensions 35 provide additional structural support in the area of the vents 10 as well . while testing demonstrated that vent extensions improve acoustic efficiency , testing also demonstrated that reducing the gap between the interior end of the extensions 35 and the exterior surface of the diaphragm 28 to less than 0 . 050 inches had the opposite effect , and reduced acoustic efficiency . in the illustrative embodiment , a vent path of 0 . 100 inches that was at least 0 . 100 inches away from the diaphragm provided good efficiency . reference is directed to fig9 , which is a lateral section view d - d drawing of a metal detector according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . this view is taken at the location of the acoustic transducer 26 , looking toward the tip end of the metal detector . a number of components discussed in regards to the prior drawing figures are labeled in fig9 , and will not be repeatedly described in this paragraph . of note in this view is the relative location of the led and led support bracket 50 / 52 above printed circuit board 22 , and the cross sectional form the thermoplastic housing 2 in the illustrative embodiment . reference is directed to fig1 , which is a section view drawing of a housing 62 , diaphragm 64 and cover assembly 65 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is a variation on the structure used to couple energy from an acoustic transducer 60 through an air gap 61 to excite a diaphragm 61 . the vibrating diaphragm induces sound waves in an acoustic chamber 68 , which drives vent opening 66 to couple the acoustic energy to the exterior of the housing 62 . note the physical configuration and connection between the cover 65 and the housing 62 , and the lack of use of any vent extension . reference is directed to fig1 , which is a section view drawing of a housing 72 , diaphragm 74 and cover assembly 76 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is a variation on the structure used to couple energy from an acoustic transducer 70 through an air gap 71 to excite a diaphragm 74 . the vibrating diaphragm induces sound waves in an acoustic chamber 75 , which drives vent opening 78 to couple the acoustic energy to the exterior of the housing 72 . note the physical configuration and connection between the cover 76 and the housing 72 , and the use of a vent extension 79 . reference is directed to fig1 , which is a section view drawing of a housing 84 , diaphragm 82 and cover assembly 86 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is a variation on the structure used to couple energy from an acoustic transducer 80 through an air gap 81 to excite a diaphragm 82 . the vibrating diaphragm induces sound waves in an acoustic chamber 87 , which drives vent opening 88 to couple the acoustic energy to the exterior of the housing 84 . note the physical configuration and connection between the cover 86 and the housing 84 , and the use of a vent extension 85 . reference is directed to fig1 , which is a section view drawing of a housing 94 , diaphragm 92 and cover assembly 95 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is a variation on the structure used to couple energy from an acoustic transducer 90 through an air gap 91 to excite a diaphragm 92 . the vibrating diaphragm induces sound waves in an acoustic chamber 93 , which drives vent opening 96 to couple the acoustic energy to the exterior of the housing 94 . note the physical configuration and connection between the cover 95 and the housing 94 , and the use of a vent extension 97 . thus , the present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application . those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings will recognize additional modifications , applications and embodiments within the scope thereof . it is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications , modifications and embodiments within the scope of the present invention . | 7 |
the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention , its application , or uses . with reference to fig1 , a pickup truck 10 is shown having a roll up roll up tonneau system 12 which is attached to a cargo box 13 according to the present invention . cargo box 13 has a front wall 14 , a left sidewall 16 , a right sidewall 18 , and a rear wall or tailgate 20 . roll up roll up tonneau system 12 includes a flexible , stretchable fabric cover 22 that is drawn tightly over a substantially rigid rail support system 24 and removably attached to rail support system 24 . rail support system 24 is comprised of a number of frame rails that are attached to one another to form a rectangular frame . the frame rails included are a front frame rail or head rail assembly 26 , a left side frame rail assembly 28 , a right side frame rail assembly 30 , and a rear frame rail assembly 32 . rail support system 24 is aligned with the top of sidewalls 16 and 18 of cargo box 13 as well as the top of front wall 14 and tailgate 20 . it should be understood that right sidewall 18 and left sidewall 16 of pickup truck 10 and the corresponding right side frame rail assembly 30 and left side frame rail assembly 28 are identical in construction , yet arranged in mirrored symmetry . accordingly , in the interest of brevity , only one side will be discussed in detail below unless noted otherwise . as best seen in fig2 , right side frame rail assembly 30 is coupled to right sidewall 18 of cargo box 13 of pickup truck 10 . as can be seen , sidewall 18 of cargo box 13 includes a generally horizontal top surface 34 and a downwardly extending inside wall 36 . however , it should be appreciated that generally horizontal top surface 34 and downwardly extending inside wall 36 may have any one of a number of configurations , which are dependent upon styling and functionality determined by the vehicle manufacturer . hence , it should be understood that the particular shape of these surfaces / walls may vary , along with the specific shape of those corresponding components of frame rail assembly 30 . still referring to fig2 , frame rail assembly 30 generally includes a support bracket 38 , a hanging side member 40 , and a back member 42 . support bracket 38 includes a first horizontal portion 44 having a channel 46 formed therein . channel 46 is generally defined by a pair of upturned and inwardly projecting flanges 48 . channel 46 is sized to receive one of a cooperating pair of strips of a hook - and - loop fastener system 49 — that is , a first strip 50 of the pair is disposed in channel 46 and the corresponding second strip 51 of the pair is mounted on fabric cover 22 . preferably , the hook - and - loop fastener system is made of velcro ®. however , it should be understood that alternate suitable fasteners may be used , such hook and hook material , other self - adhesive material , magnetic tape on steel , tongue and groove , and the like . frame rail assembly 30 further includes a downwardly extending portion 52 that terminates into a second horizontal portion 54 . second horizontal portion 54 is adapted to support an adjustment mechanism that will be discussed in detail below . with continued reference to fig2 , frame rail assembly 30 still further includes a second downwardly extending portion 56 extending from an intermediate section of first horizontal portion 44 generally adjacent inside wall 36 of sidewall 18 . second downwardly extending portion 56 receives a flat seal 58 preferably adhesively coupled thereto . flat seal 58 is adapted to engage inside wall 36 of sidewall 18 to define a fluid sealing connection therebetween . flat seal 58 may be made of any suitable material that would at least inhibit inflow of water , dirt , debris , or other environmental contaminants . to further prevent the influx of water , dirt , debris , or other environmental contaminants from entering cargo box 13 through the interface between support bracket 38 and sidewall 18 , a second seal 60 is provided . specifically , as can be seen in fig2 , first horizontal portion 44 extends outboard such that an overlapping outboard section 62 overlaps a portion of top surface 34 of sidewall 18 while an inboard section 63 cantilevers inward into cargo box 13 . second seal 60 is preferably d - shaped and extends downwardly from overlapping outboard section 62 such that second seal 60 compressibly engages top surface 34 of sidewall 18 . the overlap of overlapping outboard section 62 relative to top surface 34 provides a number of useful advantages over the prior art . specifically , such overlapping relationship between support bracket 38 and sidewall 18 defines a positive positioning reference during installation of roll up tonneau system 12 . additionally , the weight exerted on support bracket 38 causes second seal 60 to be further compressed against top surface 34 of sidewall 18 , thereby further ensuring a reliable sealing connection . still further , the use of flat seal 58 and second seal 60 provide a double sealing connection along both horizontal and vertical surfaces . unlike the prior art that seals only along a vertical surface , the present invention does not readily permit water to lie upon the vertical sealing surface , which considerably improves the sealing characteristics . turning now to the clamping system of the present invention , hanging side member 40 and back member 42 cooperate to retain support bracket 38 to sidewall 18 . in particular , hanging side member 40 is shown being generally planar in construction with a hooked flange 64 formed on an upper end 66 and a series of alignment depressions 68 formed on an opposing end 70 . hooked flange 64 is sized to cooperate with a corresponding flange 72 extending upwardly from second downwardly extending portion 56 so that hanging side member 40 can hang from second downwardly extending portion 56 during installation . hanging side member 40 further includes an aperture 73 formed therein to receive at least one fastener 74 . back member 42 is shown being generally u - shaped in construction having an alignment head 76 formed on a lower end 78 and an engaging head 80 formed on an upper end 82 . alignment head 76 is preferably curved in shape and sized to be received within one of the series of alignment depressions 68 . engaging head 80 preferably includes a pair of outwardly extending flanges 84 adapted to retain a contact member 86 . contact member 86 is preferably made of a soft rubber material to prevent damage to inside wall 36 of sidewall 18 . however , contact member 86 is optional and , thus , may be eliminated or replace with other material . still further , back member 42 includes a retaining nut 88 that cooperates with fastener 74 to apply a clamping force upon inside wall 36 of sidewall 18 to retain support bracket 38 in position . retaining nut 88 is preferably held by retaining flanges 90 , which serve to hold retaining nut 88 in position and fixed against rotation . however , it should be understood that other fastener systems may be used , such as a quick release clamping mechanism or other known means . during clamping , back member 42 is first loosely fastened to hanging side member 40 via fastener 74 and retaining nut 88 . hanging side member 40 is then conveniently inserted such that hooked flange 64 engages corresponding flange 72 to permit hanging side member 40 and back member 42 to hanging from such position . by maintaining hanging side member 40 and back member 42 in a loosely fitting arrangement , back member 42 may be positioned along a backside of inside wall 36 . back member 42 may also be positioned vertically relative to hanging side member 40 by moving alignment head 76 into one of the series of alignment depressions 68 , thereby adjusting the position of contact member 86 upon inside wall 36 . in order to facilitate such adjustment , it can be seen that aperture 73 formed in hanging side member 40 is preferably a slot to permit the vertical translation of fastener 74 relative to hanging side member 40 . fastener 74 is then tightened to apply a clamping force upon inside wall 36 to retain support bracket 38 in position and further compress flat seal 58 . it should be appreciated that the present arrangement simplifies installation of roll up tonneau system 12 in that the clamping mechanism need not be held in place by a user with one hand while simultaneously tightening fastener 74 with the other hand , as required in the prior art . additionally , due to the hanging feature of hanging side member 40 and overlapping outboard section 62 of first horizontal portion 44 , frame rail assembly 30 can not be easily removed from pickup truck 10 nor will the clamping mechanism fall out of position or tonneau cover 22 drop down should fastener 74 become loosened . turning now to fig3 - 11 , head rail assembly 26 will now be discussed in detail . as best seen in fig3 , head rail assembly 26 generally includes a forward rail member 92 that extends in the cross - car direction generally in plane with front wall 14 of cargo box 13 . forward rail member 92 receives an attachment member 94 coupled to fabric cover 22 within a receiving channel 96 formed in an upper surface of forward rail member 92 to define the forward edge of coverage of roll up tonneau system 12 . receiving channel 97 formed in forward rail member 92 receives a bulbous seal 99 that has a first portion 105 disposed in receiving channel 97 , a second d - shaped portion 103 coupled to first portion 105 , and a downwardly biased , curved wiper seal 101 that engages the top of front wall 14 to providing a sealing engagement therebetween . forward rail member 92 is preferably hollow to minimize weight and generally rectangular in cross section . at an end opposing receiving channel 96 , forward rail member 92 includes a generally curved portion 98 . generally curved portion 98 is adapted to engage a corresponding curved channel 100 disposed at a forward end of an adjustment support bracket 102 . a recess 104 is formed above generally curved portion 98 on forward rail member 92 to prevent interference with a protruding flange 106 extending from adjustment support bracket 102 . accordingly , when fabric cover 22 is installed above rail support system 24 , generally curved portion 98 of forward rail member 92 may be inserted into curved channel 100 in an inclined position and then rotated forward relative to the vehicle into the illustrated lowered position . during this movement , generally curved portion 98 smoothly rotates with curved channel 100 . as best seen in fig5 and 6 , in order to retain forward rail member 92 in this lowered position , a retaining mechanism 108 is provided . retaining mechanism 108 includes a latch member 110 slidably coupled to forward rail member 92 via a fastener 112 , such as a thumb screw , and nut 114 , such as an elongated nut or t - nut . nut 114 is slidably retained with a lower c - shaped channel 116 ( fig4 ) extending along an underside of forward rail member 92 . latch member 110 includes a cantilevered portion 118 adapted to be positioned adjacent an underside of second horizontal portion 54 of support bracket 38 to prevent the removal of forward rail member 92 relative to support bracket 38 . retaining mechanism 108 further includes a guide locator 120 having a screw 122 retaining a fixed locator 125 . it should be understood that guide locator 120 may be made integral with latch member 110 . lastly , a plurality of steps 123 are disposed along the upper side of latch member 110 to provide the necessary spacing of cantilevered portion 118 from second horizontal portion 54 . referring again to fig3 and 4 , an adjustment mechanism 124 is provided for engagement with forward rail member 92 to selectively position forward rail member 92 in a further fore or aft position to adjust the tightness of fabric cover 22 . this preferred position of forward rail member 92 may vary depending upon installation , age of fabric cover 22 , environment temperatures and moisture levels , and the like . to effect such adjustment , adjustment mechanism 124 includes adjustment support bracket 102 that is fixedly coupled via conventional methods to second horizontal portion 54 of support bracket 38 . adjustment support bracket 102 is generally box - shaped having protruding flanges 106 extending from a forward end thereof . adjustment support bracket 102 further includes an adjustment bolt 126 having a head portion 128 and an engaging portion 130 . head portion 128 extends beyond an aft end of adjustment support bracket 102 , while engaging portion 130 engages forward rail member 92 . specifically , engaging portion 130 engages a generally flat portion 132 formed in curved portion 98 to mate with engaging portion 130 of adjustment bolt 126 . it should be noted that generally flat portion 132 might include a lower edge 134 that is held by engaging portion 130 of adjustment bolt 126 , which aids in retaining forward rail member 92 in a lowered position . adjustment mechanism 124 further includes a nut 136 , which is preferably a wing nut having wings that engage interior side surfaces 138 of adjustment support bracket 102 to prevent nut 136 from rotating relative to adjustment support bracket 102 . a spring 140 extends between nut 136 and an interior end surface 142 of adjustment support bracket 102 to providing a biasing force against nut 136 . the length of spring 140 is chosen such that the shrinkage or expansion with temperature of fabric cover 22 will not cause the spring force to vary greatly , thus maintain the tension in fabric cover 22 nearly constant . accordingly , as adjustment bolt 126 is driven inward ( forward ), engaging portion 130 is driven in contact with generally flat portion 132 of forward rail member 92 , thereby driving forward rail member 92 forward . further forward displacement of forward rail member 92 , and corresponding fabric cover 22 , continue until the tension in fabric cover 22 generally equals the biasing force of spring 140 . therefore , according to the present arrangement , fabric cover 22 is ensured to remain taut , even during environment temperature and moisture changes and age . however , should further adjustment of fabric cover 22 be necessary , adjustment bolt 126 may simply be further driven forward . although , as seen in fig3 and 4 , an adjustment limit 144 may be used to prevent excessive adjustment of forward rail member 92 in either the fore or aft direction . to this end , adjustment limit 144 includes a bolt 146 coupled to a nut 148 disposed in lower channel 116 of forward rail member 92 . bolt 146 downwardly extends and is received with an aperture 150 formed in second horizontal portion 54 of support bracket 38 . by way of non - limiting example , it is anticipated that adjustment limit 144 would limit the adjustment of forward rail member 92 to within about 1 ″ of fore and aft movement . furthermore , aft movement is limited by the interface between curved portion 98 and corresponding curved channel 100 . adjustment limit 144 prevents forward rail member 92 from sliding forward when fabric cover 22 is rolled up into a forward open position at the front of cargo box 13 . when fabric cover 22 is in the closed position , the combination of biasing force from spring 140 and inherent tension within fabric cover 22 maintains adjustment limit 144 and forward rail member 92 in proper position . as best seen in fig3 , each support bracket 38 preferably receives a pair of bumper members 141 disposed on opposing ends of support bracket 38 in a space defined by first downwardly extending portion 52 , a portion of first horizontal portion 44 , and second downwardly extending portion 56 . bumper member 141 preferably has a plurality of retaining ridges 143 to engage first downwardly extending portion 52 , a portion of first horizontal portion 44 , and second downwardly extending portion 56 to maintain bumper member 141 within the aforementioned space . each of the pair of bumper members 141 includes a head portion 143 and a base portion 145 . head portion 143 engages front wall 14 or tailgate 20 , while base portion 145 is received in the defined space . once installed , bumper members 141 engage front wall 14 or tailgate 20 of pickup truck 10 and act to align , maintain , and hold support bracket 38 and , thus frame rail assembly 30 in a generally centered fore - aft position . furthermore , bumper members 141 further serve to properly position seals 103 and 161 relative to front wall 14 and tailgate 20 , respectively . turning now to fig7 - 9 , a rear latching mechanism 152 will be described in detail . as can be seen in the figures , rear latching mechanism 152 shares a number of parts with head rail assembly 26 . in particular , rear - latching mechanism 152 includes the aforementioned forward rail member 92 , referenced as rear rail member 92 ′ hereinafter , and adjustment support bracket 102 , referenced as support bracket 102 ′ hereinafter . it should be appreciated that such use of members in multiple locations within roll up tonneau system 12 provides a number of manufacturing and assembly efficiencies . in the interest of brevity , specific reference and explanation of components shared between head rail assembly 26 and rear frame rail assembly 32 will not be discussed . with particular reference to fig7 , rear - latching mechanism 152 includes support bracket 102 ′ being coupled to support bracket 38 via conventional means , such as fasteners . rear rail member 92 ′ receives attachment member 94 coupled to fabric cover 22 within receiving channel 96 formed in rear rail member 92 ′ to define the rear edge of coverage of roll up tonneau system 12 . rear latching mechanism 152 still further includes a latching pawl 154 . latching pawl 154 is generally l - shaped having a latching hook 156 , a trigger / ejector head 158 , and a centrally located pivot 160 . latching hook 156 is shaped to selectively engage a flange 162 extending within c - shaped lower channel 116 . latching hook 156 extends through an aperture 164 formed in second horizontal portion 54 of support bracket 38 . aperture 164 is equidistant from an end of support bracket 38 compared to aperture 150 to permit support bracket 38 to be used on either a left or right side of cargo box 13 . trigger / ejector head 158 is positioned near a rear end of rear rail member 92 ′ to permit easy actuation by a user . trigger / ejector head 158 includes a protrusion 166 , which may extend through an aperture 168 to engage and translate rear rail member 92 ′ upward to signal to a user that rear rail member 92 ′ has been sufficiently unlatched . it should be understood that the length of trigger / ejector head 158 from pivot 160 may be increased relative to the length of latching hook 156 from pivot 160 for increase mechanical advantage . rear latching mechanism 152 further includes a spring 170 biasing latching hook 156 in an engaged and locked position . as seen in fig7 - 9 , as trigger / ejector head 158 is depressed in a counter - clockwise direction , trigger / ejector head 158 pivots upward about pivot 160 . such rotation disengages latching hook 156 from flange 162 . continued depression of trigger / ejector head 158 causes trigger / ejector head 158 to engage an underside of rear rail member 92 ′, thereby pivoting rear rail member 92 ′ about curved portion 98 . rear rail member 92 ′ may then be removed from support bracket 102 ′. receiving channel 97 formed in rearward rail member 92 ′ receives a bulbous seal 161 that has a first portion 163 slidable disposed in receiving channel 97 , a second d - shaped portion 165 coupled to first portion 163 , and an upwardly inclined wiper seal 167 that engages the side of tail gate 20 to provide a sealing engagement therebetween . upwardly inclined wiper seal 167 and second portion 165 cooperate to form a channel 169 to collect and direct water outwardly . following disengagement of rear latching mechanism 152 , rear rail member 92 ′ may be rolled forward to gather fabric cover 22 at a forward location . to this end , it should be appreciated that the generally horizontally disposed hook - and - loop fastener system 49 , unlike prior art configurations , provides a simple “ peel - off / on ” arrangement in a direction perpendicular to the attachment plane of hook - and - loop fastener system 49 . prior art systems often require additional layers of vinyl to separate the velcro ® strips prior to attachment . additionally , other prior art systems require a shearing action in order to disengage the velcro ® strips . these systems require additional complexity to attach and additional force to separate and further limit the life of the velcro ® strips . the “ peel - off / on ” arrangement of the present invention in a direction of perpendicular to the attachment plane provides improved simplicity in engagement and disengagement of hook - and - loop fastener system 49 and further improves the useful life thereof . this gentle action further permits the present invention to use aggressive hook - and - loop fastener systems that do not require them to be pushed into place ; however , they are loaded in shear by fabric cover 22 yet may be released with a gentle peeling action . it should be appreciated that hook - and - loop fastener system 49 of the present invention is disengaged by a simple rolling of fabric cover 22 to its forward position . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and , thus , variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 1 |
before the present invention is disclosed and described , it is to be understood that the aspects described below are not limited to specific compositions , methods or preparing such compositions , or uses thereof as such may , of course , vary . it is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting . it must be noted that , as used in the specification and the appended claims , the singular forms “ a ,” “ an ” and “ the ” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . thus , for example , reference to “ a binder ” includes mixtures of two or more binders , and the like . “ optional ” or “ optionally ” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance can or cannot occur , and that the description includes instances where the event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not . for example , the phrase “ optional cleaning step ” means that the cleaning step may or may not be performed . the term “ comprising ” is intended to mean that the compositions and methods include the recited elements , but not excluding others . “ consisting essentially of ” when used to define compositions and methods , shall mean excluding other elements of any essential significance to the combination . for example , a composition consisting essentially of the elements as defined herein would not exclude other elements that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic ( s ) of the claimed invention . “ consisting of ” shall mean excluding more than trace amount of other ingredients and substantial method steps recited . embodiments defined by each of these transition terms are within the scope of this invention . the term “ about ” when used before a numerical value indicates that the value may vary within a reasonable range , such as ± 5 %, ± 1 %, ± 0 . 5 %, and ± 0 . 2 %. unless otherwise indicated , the percentage of an ingredient in the toothpaste refers to weight percentage of the ingredient relevant to the total weight of the liquid toothpaste . in one aspect , the toothpaste of this invention is a toothpaste that has a reduction or near elimination of certain additives that make standard toothpaste stiff , cement - like and sticky . in one aspect , the toothpaste formula reduces or eliminates carrageenan , cellulose gum , glycerin , in an amount and various degrees enough of a reduction ( such as at least 50 % reduction ) in these elements to render the tooth “ paste ” liquid . the toothpaste will have zero or very small amounts of glycerin , carrageen and cellulose gum in order to make it in a liquid state — non - sticky , non - cementable to be dispensed in a sanitary pump similar but not limited to , a liquid soap dispenser container . the formula of this invention is in a liquid form , with / without abrasives , with / without sodium lauryl sulfate ( sls ), can include sudser , colorings , flavorings , preservatives , sorbital , water , xylitol , sweeteners , fluoride , etc . in another aspect , provided is an improved toothpaste , wherein the improvement comprises a reduction of carrageenan , cellulose gum and / or glycerin of a standard toothpaste , such as to an amount described herein , thereby rendering the toothpaste suitable for application via a liquid dispenser and further rendering the toothpaste non - sticky to hair , clothing , sinks , floors , towels , rugs , or walls . in some embodiments , the toothpaste has at least 50 % reduction of a binder than regular toothpaste . in some embodiments , the toothpaste has at least 60 %, 70 %, 80 %, 90 % or 95 % reduction of a binder than regular toothpaste . in some embodiments , the binder is present in the liquid toothpaste formula of the invention in an amount that is less than 50 % of the amount in a regular toothpaste . in some embodiments , the binder is present in the formula in an amount that is less than 45 %, less than 40 %, less than 35 %, less than 30 %, less than 25 %, less than 20 %, less than 15 %, less than 10 %, less than 5 %, or less than 1 % of the amount in a regular toothpaste . in some embodiments , the binder is present in the toothpaste in an amount that is about 45 %, about 40 %, about 35 %, about 30 %, about 25 %, about 20 %, about 15 %, about 10 %, about 5 %, or about 1 % of the amount in a regular toothpaste , or any range between any two of these values ( including endpoints ). in some embodiments , the formula does not have a binder . examples of binders include but are not limited to carrageenan , cellulose gum and glycerin . in some embodiments , the abrasive is present in the liquid toothpaste formula of the invention in an amount that is less than about 50 % of the amount in a regular toothpaste . in some embodiments , the abrasive is present in an amount that is from about 50 % to substantially the same as the amount in a regular toothpaste , such as 50 %, 60 %, 70 %, 80 %, 90 %, 95 %, 100 %, 105 %, or 110 % of the amount in a regular toothpaste , or any range between any two of the values , end points inclusive . in some embodiments , the toothpaste does not comprise fluoride . in some embodiments , the toothpaste comprises from about 50 % to substantially the same levels of fluoride as regular toothpaste , such as 50 %, 60 %, 70 %, 80 %, 90 %, 95 %, 100 %, 105 %, or 110 % of the amount in a regular toothpaste , or any range between any two of the values , end points inclusive . in some embodiments , the toothpaste has at least 50 % reduction of a sudser than regular toothpaste . in some embodiments , the toothpaste has at least 60 %, 70 %, 80 %, 90 % or 95 % reduction of a sudser than regular toothpaste . in some embodiments , the liquid toothpaste comprises a sudser in an amount that is less than 50 % of the amount of sudser in regular toothpaste . in some embodiments , the liquid toothpaste comprises a sudser that is less than about 50 % of the amount of suder in regular toothpaste . in some embodiments , the sudser is present in the formula in an amount that is less than 45 %, less than 40 %, less than 35 %, less than 30 %, less than 25 %, less than 20 %, less than 15 %, less than 10 %, less than 5 %, or less than 1 % of the amount in a regular toothpaste . in some embodiments , the sudser is present in the toothpaste in an amount that is about 45 %, about 40 %, about 35 %, about 30 %, about 25 %, about 20 %, about 15 %, about 10 %, about 5 %, or about 1 % of the amount in a regular toothpaste , or any range between any two of these values ( including endpoints ). in some embodiments , the liquid toothpaste comprises an abrasive in an amount that is the same as in regular toothpaste , such as 50 %, 60 %, 70 %, 80 %, 90 %, 95 %, 100 %, 105 %, or 110 % of the amount in a regular toothpaste , or any range between any two of the values , end points inclusive . in some embodiments , the liquid toothpaste comprises fluoride in an amount of from zero to about the same as in regular toothpaste , such as 50 % of the levels of regular toothpaste . in some embodiments , the liquid toothpaste comprises fluoride in an amount of about 50 %, 60 %, 70 %, 80 %, 90 %, 95 %, 100 %, 105 %, or 110 % of the amount in a regular toothpaste , or any range between any two of the values , end points inclusive . in some embodiments , the liquid toothpaste is suitable for application to a toothbrush , and is not stiff and non - sticky to , and will not stick to hair , clothing , sinks , floors , towels , rugs , or walls . in some embodiments , the liquid toothpaste has a viscosity of no more than about 2000 centipoise , such 1 centipoise , 5 centipoise , 10 centipoise , 20 centipoise , 25 centipoise , 50 centipoise , 70 centipoise , 100 centipoise , 120 centipoise , 150 centipoise , 170 centipoise , 200 centipoise , 500 centipoise , 700 centipoise , 1000 centipoise , 1200 centipoise , 1500 centipoise , 1700 centipoise , or 2000 centipoise , or any range between any two of the values , including end points , such as from 1 centipoise to 2000 centipoise , from 5 centipoise to 1000 centipoise , from 10 centipoise to 200 centipoise , from 1 centipoise to 1000 centipoise , from 1 centipoise to 500 centipoise , from 1 centipoise to 100 centipoise , from 1 centipoise to 50 centipoise , from 1 centipoise to 25 centipoise , at 20 ° c . in some embodiments , the liquid toothpaste comprises from 0 % to 0 . 05 % carrageenan , or from about 0 % to about 0 . 04 %, 0 % to about 0 . 03 %, 0 % to about 0 . 02 %, or 0 % to about 0 . 01 % carrageenan . in some embodiments , the formula comprises 0 %, 0 . 001 %, 0 . 002 %, 0 . 003 %, 0 . 004 %, 0 . 005 %, 0 . 006 %, 0 . 007 %, 0 . 008 %, 0 . 009 %, 0 . 01 %, 0 . 015 %, 0 . 02 %, 0 . 025 %, 0 . 03 %, 0 . 035 %, 0 . 04 %, 0 . 045 % or 0 . 05 % of carrageenan , or any range between two of the values ( end points inclusive ). in some embodiments , the formula comprises from about 0 % to about 0 . 1 % cellulose gum . in some embodiments , the formula comprises 0 %, 0 . 001 %, 0 . 002 %, 0 . 003 %, 0 . 004 %, 0 . 005 %, 0 . 006 %, 0 . 007 %, 0 . 008 %, 0 . 009 %, 0 . 01 %, 0 . 02 %, 0 . 03 %, 0 . 04 %, 0 . 05 %, 0 . 06 %, 0 . 07 %, 0 . 08 %, 0 . 09 %, 0 . 1 %, 0 . 11 %, or 0 . 12 % of cellulose gum , or any range between two of the values ( end points inclusive ). in some embodiments , the formula comprises from about 0 % to about 0 . 01 % cellulose gum , from about 0 % to about 0 . 02 % cellulose gum , from about 0 % to about 0 . 03 % cellulose gum , from about 0 % to about 0 . 04 % cellulose gum . in some embodiments , the formula comprises about 0 % to about 4 % of glycerin . in some embodiments , the formula comprises 0 %, 0 . 001 %, 0 . 005 %, 0 . 01 %, 0 . 02 %, 0 . 05 %, 0 . 07 %, 0 . 1 %, 0 . 2 %, 0 . 3 %, 0 . 4 %, 0 . 5 %, 0 . 6 %, 0 . 7 %, 0 . 8 %, 0 . 9 %, 1 %, 1 . 1 %, 1 . 2 %, 1 . 3 %, 1 . 4 %, 1 . 5 %, 1 . 6 %, 1 . 7 %, 1 . 8 %, 1 . 9 %, 2 %, 2 . 1 %, 2 . 2 %, 2 . 3 %, 2 . 4 %, 2 . 5 %, 2 . 6 %, 2 . 7 %, 2 . 8 %, 2 . 9 %, 3 %, 3 . 1 %, 3 . 2 %, 3 . 3 %, 3 . 4 %, 3 . 5 %, 3 . 6 %, 3 . 7 %, 3 . 8 %, 3 . 9 %, or 4 % of glycerin , or any range between two of the values ( end points inclusive ). in some embodiments , the formula comprises from about 0 % to about 3 % glycerin , from about 0 % to about 2 % glycerin , from about 0 % to about 1 % cellulose gum , from about 0 % to about 0 . 05 % glycerin . in some embodiments , the formula comprises about 0 % to about 0 . 2 % xanthan gum . in some embodiments , the formula comprises 0 %, 0 . 001 %, 0 . 002 %, 0 . 003 %, 0 . 004 %, 0 . 005 %, 0 . 006 %, 0 . 007 %, 0 . 008 %, 0 . 009 %, 0 . 01 %, 0 . 02 %, 0 . 03 %, 0 . 04 %, 0 . 05 %, 0 . 06 %, 0 . 07 %, 0 . 08 %, 0 . 092 %, 0 . 1 %, 0 . 12 %, 0 . 13 %, 0 . 14 %, 0 . 15 %, 0 . 16 %, 0 . 17 %, 0 . 18 %, 0 . 19 % or 0 . 2 % of xanthan gum , or any range between two of the values ( end points inclusive ). in some embodiments , the formula comprises about 0 % to about 0 . 1 %, about 0 . 001 % to about 0 . 1 %, about 0 . 01 % to about 0 . 1 %, about 0 . 001 % to about 0 . 01 % xanthan gum . in some embodiments , the formula comprises about 5 % to about 40 % of an abrasive . in some embodiments , the formula comprises 5 %, 10 %, 15 %, 20 %, 25 %, 30 %, 35 % or 40 % of an abrasive , or any range between two of the values ( end points inclusive ). abrasives include but are not limited to aluminum silicate , aluminum hydroxide , bentonite , calcium carbonate , calcium hydrogen phosphate , calcium phosphate , hydroxyapatite , potassium metaphosphate , silicas , sodium metaphosphate and zeolites . in some embodiments , the abrasive is hydrated silica . in some embodiments , the formula further comprises a fluoride compound , such as ammonium fluorosilicate , potassium fluoride , sodium fluoride , sodium fluorosilicate , sodium monofluorophosphate , and stannous fluoride . in some embodiments , the concentration of the fluoride ion in the formula is from 0 ppm to 2500 ppm , such as 10 ppm , 100 ppm , 200 ppm , 500 ppm , 1000 ppm , 1500 ppm , 2000 ppm , 2500 ppm , or any range between any two values ( end points inclusive ). in some embodiments , the formula comprises an antitartar agent , antibacterial such as triclosan or zinc chloride , or other active ingredients that may be present in regular toothpaste . in some embodiments , the formula comprises about 0 % to about 3 % surfactant . in some embodiments , the formula comprises about 0 %, 0 . 5 %, 1 %, 1 . 5 %, 2 %, 2 . 5 %, or 3 % of a surfactant , or any range between two of the values ( end points inclusive ). in some embodiments , the surfactant is present in an amount of from 0 . 05 to 1 . 5 %, 0 . 1 to 1 . 0 % or 0 . 1 to 0 . 25 % based on the weight of the liquid toothpaste . in some embodiments , the surfactant is present in an amount of no more than about 0 . 2 %. examples of surfactant includes cationic , anionic , nonionic , amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactants , such as c 8 - c 16 fatty acid glutamate salt , a c 8 - c 16 alkyl glucoside , such as a c 10 - c 14 alkyl glucoside , in particular lauryl glucoside , alkyl sulfate salt , in particular sodium lauryl sulfate ( sls ). in some embodiments , the formula may comprise a coloring agent , a flavoring agent and / or sweetener in an amount as in regular toothpaste , for example , at about 0 . 1 % to about 2 % of the total composition . flavoring agents include but are not limited to peppermint , spearmint , menthol , cinnamon , lemon oil , carvone and wintergreen . sweeteners include but are not limited to natural or synthetic sweeteners , such as lactose , fructose , maltose , saccharin , sucrose and l - aspartyl - l - phenyl alanine methyl ester . coloring agents include but are limited to titanium dioxide that makes the liquid toothpaste white , artificial dyes and pigments that make the liquid toothpaste red , green , or blue , for example . in some embodiments , the formula may comprise a preservative such as ethylparaben , methylparaben and sodium benzoate , in an amount as in regular toothpaste . the rest of the formula comprises water and / or other solvents , such as sorbitol , xylitol . the formula may further comprise a ph adjusting agent or buffer , such as citric acid and salts thereof or phosphoric acid and salts thereof . in some embodiments , the formula comprises glycerin , sorbitol and xylitol or a mixture thereof . in some embodiments , the formula comprises from about 0 to about 20 % sorbitol . in some embodiments , the formula comprises 0 %, 1 %, 2 %, 5 %, 7 %, 10 %, 12 %, 15 %, 17 %, 20 %, 25 %, 30 %, 35 % or 40 % sorbitol , or any range between two of the values ( end points inclusive ). in some embodiments , the formula comprises from about 0 to about 10 % xylitol . in some embodiments , the formula comprises 0 %, 0 . 5 %, 1 %, 2 %, 3 %, 4 %, 5 %, 6 %, 7 %, 8 %, 9 %, or 10 % xylitol , or any range between two of the values ( end points inclusive ). if the composition comprises a mixture of two or three of sorbitol , glycerin and xylitol , the amount of each may be about 30 % to about 70 % of their respective amount when only one of sorbitol , glycerin and xylitol is present . due to the softer , more liquid form of this toothpaste , this will not stick to sinks , floors , clothing , hair , etc . there will be no messy , daily cleanup from the sticky , cement like quality of regular toothpaste . in some embodiments , the toothpaste is dispensable from a liquid pump , such as a liquid pump . in another aspect , provided is a toothbrush having the toothpaste described herein on or in the brush thereof . in still another aspect , provided is a method of dispensing the toothpaste described herein , wherein the toothpaste is dispensed from a container holding the toothpaste in a liquid dispenser . the liquid toothpaste of the invention can be prepared by mixing the ingredients described above . the prepared liquid toothpaste can be put into a liquid dispenser where the toothpaste can be dispensed to a toothbrush when being used . | 0 |
the present principles provide decision feedback equalizer ( dfe ) circuits and methods which employ a filter to replace one or more feedback loops that are employed in removing isi from channels . in one embodiment , a 1 / n - rate dfe ( e . g ., a half rate , quarter rate , etc .) includes an infinite impulse response ( iir ) filter that filters the feedback signal to a summing amplifier . in addition , a combined summer / slicer circuit is provided , which further assists in reducing area and energy consumption . a double regenerating latch is also provided . embodiments of the present invention can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment including both hardware and software elements . in a preferred embodiment , the present invention is implemented in software , which includes but is not limited to firmware , resident software , microcode , etc . furthermore , the invention can take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be any apparatus that may include , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ). examples of a computer - readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a data processing system suitable for storing and / or executing program code may include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code to reduce the number of times code is retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) may be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . circuits as described herein may be part of the design for an integrated circuit chip . the chip design may be created in a graphical computer programming language , and stored in a computer storage medium ( such as a disk , tape , physical hard drive , or virtual hard drive such as in a storage access network ). if the designer does not fabricate chips or the photolithographic masks used to fabricate chips , the designer transmits the resulting design by physical means ( e . g ., by providing a copy of the storage medium storing the design ) or electronically ( e . g ., through the internet ) to such entities , directly or indirectly . the stored design is then converted into the appropriate format ( e . g ., graphic data system ii ( gdsii )) for the fabrication of photolithographic masks , which typically include multiple copies of the chip design in question that are to be formed on a wafer . the photolithographic masks are utilized to define areas of the wafer ( and / or the layers thereon ) to be etched or otherwise processed . the resulting integrated circuit chips can be distributed by the fabricator in raw wafer form ( that is , as a single wafer that has multiple unpackaged chips ), as a bare die , or in a packaged form . in the latter case the chip is mounted in a single chip package ( such as a plastic carrier , with leads that are affixed to a motherboard or other higher level carrier ) or in a multichip package ( such as a ceramic carrier that has either or both surface interconnections or buried interconnections ). in any case the chip is then integrated with other chips , discrete circuit elements , and / or other signal processing devices as part of either ( a ) an intermediate product , such as a motherboard , or ( b ) an end product . the end product can be any product that includes integrated circuit chips , ranging from toys and other low - end applications to advanced computer products having a display , a keyboard or other input device , and a central processor . referring now to the drawings in which like numerals represent the same or similar elements and initially to fig3 a and 3b , a channel response of a 20 mm long link in both the frequency domain ( i . e ., s21 parameters ) and the time domain , respectively is shown for carrier links 26 of fig2 . due to series resistance , there is significant (˜ 6 db ) dc attenuation , and the loss at 5 ghz is 17 db . in the time domain , the response to a solitary “ 1 ” bit at 10 gigabits per second shows post - cursor isi which extends over several bit periods . to compensate such a channel , a dfe would need many taps , but the attendant costs in power and area would be impractical in such a high - density i / o environment . careful study of the time domain channel response suggests a novel solution to equalizing such a high - resistance channel . the impulse response of the channel is well modeled by a decaying exponential at all times more than 2 unit intervals ( ui ) after a main cursor . since the impulse response of a first - order rc low - pass filter has the shape of a decaying exponential , a filter may be employed in a dfe feedback path to generate the signal needed to cancel the post - cursor isi in the received data input . for example , a dfe with a first - order rc low - pass feedback filter extends the data rate of 10 mm on - chip interconnects up to 2 gigabits per second . since the large multiple of taps needed in a conventional dfe implementation is replaced by a simple rc filter , large power and area savings are attained . referring to fig4 , a continuous - time infinite impulse response ( iir ) filter 104 with a frequency - domain transfer function g ( s ) is provided in a dfe feedback path 108 of a dfe circuit 100 . a summing amplifier 106 sums the feedback from path 108 with the data input . when the channel response cannot be closely approximated with a first - order rc low - pass filter , a higher - order filter may provide better cancellation of isi . referring to fig5 , for many channels , even better cancellation of isi can be achieved if both conventional discrete taps ( e . g ., h 1 , h 2 ) and an iir filter 204 are placed in feedback paths 208 of the dfe 200 . the first couple of discrete taps ( e . g ., h 1 and h 2 ) can be adjusted ( independently of the iir filter 204 ) to compensate for the post - cursors in the rapidly changing region of the channel impulse response immediately following the main cursor , as these early post - cursors often do not fall along the exponentially decaying curve followed by the later post - cursors . in fact , the impulse response of the 20 mm silicon carrier channel shown in fig3 b exemplifies this point , as the first post - cursor ( labeled h 1 ) does not accurately fall along the curve labeled h 2 e − tτ where τ is the time constant of the decaying exponential . therefore , accurate equalization of such a silicon carrier link may employ dfe 200 with a discrete first tap ( h 1 ) which can be adjusted independently of the iir filter 204 responsible for compensating the rest of the post - cursors in the channel response . while dfe 200 with iir filter 204 is an area - and power - efficient structure for equalizing many channels , including the example silicon carrier link of fig2 , full - rate dfe architectures may not be well suited for extending this concept to higher data rates . at data rates which approach the technology limit ( such as 10 gigabits per second in present - day cmos technology ), half - rate dfe architectures are found to be more power - efficient than full - rate structures . since there is no full - rate regenerated signal available for driving the input of an iir filter , implementing a half - rate dfe with an iir filter is very challenging . referring to fig6 , a half - rate dfe 300 is shown in accordance with an illustrative embodiment . a half - rate dfe 300 naturally demultiplexes input data into two parallel data streams 302 ( specifically , even data bits , d e , and odd data bits , d o ). feeding one of the half - rate data streams into the iir filter 304 does not give the desired response , as correct cancellation of the isi demands that the impulse response of the iir filter 304 be convolved with a complete bit sequence , not just the even data bits or the odd data bits . as mentioned , obtaining a signal suitable for driving the input of the iir filter 304 is a challenge in making a half - rate implementation practical . the half - rate architecture 300 provides power - and area - efficient means for obtaining such a signal . a pair of decision - making slicers ( or latches ) 306 driven by a half - rate clock clk are used to sample the data input . the slicers 306 are driven on opposite phases of clk ( e . g ., clk and clk ), so the top slicer 306 produces even data bits d e while the bottom slicer 306 produces odd data bits d o . summers 312 in front of the slicers 306 are used to add the dfe feedback signals to the received data input . a first dfe feedback tap ( h 1 ) is a conventional discrete type and can be independently adjusted to match the first post - cursor of the channel impulse response . in a half - rate architecture , the previous data bit is decided by the opposite dfe half , so the h 1 tap for the even data path ( denoted h 1 e ) is fed back from the odd data bits , and vice versa . the isi due to the rest of the post - cursors in the channel impulse response is compensated by v iir , an output of the iir filter 304 . correct cancellation of the isi needs that the impulse response of the iir filter 304 be convolved with the complete bit sequence of the data input . to accomplish this , a 2 : 1 multiplexer ( mux ) 310 with a selector driven by clk is employed to interleave the even and odd data bits ( d e and d o ) to form full - rate data ( d fr ) suitable for driving the input of the iir filter 304 . in a timing diagram of fig7 , the phase of clk is adjusted by a clock - and - data recovery ( cdr ) circuit or some other mechanism so that the input data bits are sampled at the center of the eye . the phase of the clk signal driving the select of the mux is chosen so that d fr is delayed by one ui relative to the first arrivals of the d e and d o bits , as indicated in fig7 . because of this one ui delay , the earliest post - cursor compensated by the iir filter output ( v iir ) is the second one ( corresponding to an h 2 tap in a conventional multi - tap dfe ). the embodiment of fig6 represents an area - and power - efficient way of adding the iir filter 304 to the half - rate dfe structure , as the only circuit overhead ( besides the iir filter 304 itself , of course ) is the 2 : 1 mux 310 used to form full - rate data . even this small overhead can be reduced to negligible levels if the 2 : 1 mux 310 and iir filter 304 functions are combined in a single circuit . referring to fig8 , a schematic diagram shows an example circuit implementation in which a 2 : 1 mux 410 and an iir filter 404 are combined in a single current mode logic ( cml ) stage 400 . the circuit 400 is fully differential , so that its differential output amplitude is proportional to i d , the difference in two tail current sources 406 and 408 . a common - mode current ( i cm ) and a resistor r cm are set so that the desired common - mode output level from an iir filter 404 is obtained . while i d can be used to scale the magnitude of the differential output signal , the rc time constant of the iir filter 404 can be adjusted by tuning resistance r d and capacitance c d ( for example , with switched resistors and switched capacitors ). it should be noted that in this merged mux / iir filter circuit 400 , the only signal that represents the full - rate data is a net current delivered into the rc load . the summing amplifiers 312 and decision - making slicers 306 in the architecture of fig6 can be implemented with conventional circuit techniques . as an example , fig9 illustrates how these elements can be implemented as cml circuits . with reference to fig9 , signal summation is accomplished in the current domain by connecting together (“ dotting ”) drains ( or collectors if implemented in bipolar technology ) of multiple differential pairs of transistors . the differential pairs which receive the data input ( d in ) and the output of the iir filter ( v iir ) are resistively degenerated with resistors 452 for more linear conversion of voltage to current . resistive degeneration is not employed in the other differential pairs , which are used as current switches 454 . the data inputs ( d in and d in bar ) have resistors r in connected to a voltage v term for impedance termination . the tail current of the differential pair switched by dfe feedback signal h 1 is adjusted to set the tap weight needed to compensate the first post - cursor of isi . the differential pair switched by v os provides dc current for compensating static offsets due to device mismatches . the summed currents are converted into voltages by load resistors r l1 . output voltages ( v s and v s bar ) of a summer 456 are sampled by a decision - making slicer 458 , which is realized here as a standard cml latch . cascading the dfe summing amplifier 456 and decision - making slicer 458 as indicated in fig9 is conventional practice but has the drawback of adding significant delay to a critical path 460 of the dfe unless significant power is dissipated . to achieve reliable operation , the feedback signals of the dfe need to be accurately established at the slicer input before the next data decision is made . as indicated by the dashed lines in fig9 , the critical path 460 of a dfe is the h 1 feedback loop , whose delay must be less than 1ui . the rc time constant at the output of the summing amplifier 456 can add significant delay to this critical path 460 by degrading the settling time of the feedback signals . to reduce the rc time constant so that the critical timing requirements can be met , the load resistance r l1 must often be reduced to a low value . to meet amplifier gain and voltage swing requirements , the reduction in r l1 must be accompanied by a commensurate increase in operating currents , leading to higher power dissipation . the input stage of data slicer 458 includes resistive loads r l2 . referring to fig1 , a schematic diagram shows a combined slicer and summer circuit 500 in accordance with one embodiment . a more power - efficient way of meeting the critical timing requirements is to eliminate the rc delay by directly injecting summer output currents into a resettable current - comparator pmos load acting as a slicer 502 . when clk is high ( and its complement is low ), pmos reset transistors 506 pull the output nodes up to the positive power supply . when clk goes low ( and its complement goes high ), the summer output currents begin to discharge the parasitic capacitors on these nodes to lower voltages . depending on the sign of the summed differential currents , either a positive or negative differential voltage begins to develop . when the output common - mode falls low enough , the cross - coupled pmos transistors 507 in the slicer 502 turn on and provide regenerative gain , thereby latching a binary zero or one ( depending on the polarity of differential voltage ). the elimination of rc delay between the summation and latching functions makes it easier to meet the timing constraints of the dfe critical path and thus permits the desired data rates to be achieved with lower power consumption . combining these functions into a single circuit stage also saves chip area . some of the schematic details shown in fig1 improve dfe performance . for example , passgate sample - and - holds 508 which receive the d in input signal and are switched by clk are used to hold the input to a linear transconductor constant during the evaluation phase , which can be relatively lengthy with small input overdrive levels . this holding of the input signal reduces the frequency - dependent loss of the receiver . as in the cml summing amplifier of fig9 , resistive degeneration is used to improve the linearity with which d in and v iir are converted to currents . referring to fig1 , a half - rate architecture of a dfe 600 with an iir filter 604 employs the combined summer / slicer circuit 500 in accordance with another embodiment . since the combined summer / slicer circuit 500 does not maintain a valid data output bit during resetting , slave latches 602 are placed at the outputs of the summer / slicer circuits 500 to keep d e and d o valid during both phases of clk . while each slave latch 602 is in an opaque ( or closed ) state while its corresponding summer / slicer circuit 500 is resetting , it is switched to a transparent ( or open ) state when its corresponding summer / slicer circuit 500 is evaluating . therefore , the slave latches 602 only add a small propagation delay to the d e and d o data outputs . it should be understood that aspects of the embodiment illustrated in fig1 are applicable to multi - tap dfes as well as dfes with iir filters . in other words , combining the summer and slicer has utility independent of using iir filters in dfe &# 39 ; s . for example , if the differential pair receiving the output of the iir filter 604 ( v iir ) were replaced by a differential current switch controlled by dfe feedback signal h 2 ( and similar to that shown for h 1 ), one would obtain a combined summer / slicer circuit ( 500 ) suitable for use in a conventional two - tap dfe . if a dfe with more than two taps were desired , the combined summer / slicer 500 could be modified by adding more differential pairs to the current summer 504 . application of the combined summer / slicer circuit 500 could be used to realize conventional multi - tap dfes with useful reductions in power and area , as the elimination of rc delay between the summation and latching functions makes it easier to meet the critical timing constraints of any dfe . many standard latch designs can be used to implement the slave latches 602 shown in fig1 , including cml and static cmos types . however , these standard types of latches may have disadvantages in this application . for example , cml latches are usually considered the fastest available type , but their high static power dissipation is not consistent with the design goal of a power - efficient dfe , which is one motivation behind considering a dfe with an iir filter . static cmos latches are more power - efficient , but their lower speed may increase critical path delays so that the maximum operating frequency of the dfe is degraded . referring to fig1 , a schematic diagram shows a latching structure 700 with two cascaded differential regenerating stages 702 and 704 which achieves higher speed and sensitivity than a static cmos latch . in the example embodiment shown in fig1 , the first stage input transistors are nmos devices 706 , and the second stage input transistors are pmos devices 708 , but these device types could be reversed without altering the basic operating principles . clk is held high ( and its complement is held low ) when the latch 700 is in the opaque state , so pmos switches 710 precharge the outputs of the first stage 702 to the positive power supply . since the outputs of the first stage 702 are at the power supply , the pmos input devices 708 of the second stage 704 are shut off , so this stage just retains its outputs at levels indicative of the previous bit decision . when clk goes low ( and its complement goes high ), the first stage 702 is turned on and begins to regenerate the input signal due to the cross - coupling of pmos transistors 711 in the load . at the same time , the output common - mode of the first stage falls , which then turns on the input transistors 708 of the second stage 704 . when the output of the first stage 702 is regenerated to a sufficiently high level , the logical state of stage 704 is switched . since this stage 704 ( which receives no clock signal ) has cross - coupled nmos transistors 712 in its load , its output is amplified with additional regeneration . once regeneration is finished , and switching is complete , conduction through the transistors ceases , so this latch dissipates only dynamic power , no static power . for this reason , the latch is much more power - efficient than a cml latch . in one embodiment , the latch 700 is particularly useful when receiving a weakly regenerating signal from a component such as a summer / slicer ( 500 , fig1 ). in a particularly useful embodiment , the first stage 702 of the latch 700 is regenerating at the same time as a previous component ( e . g ., the summer / slicer 500 ) so that the weakly regenerating input signal is further amplified by the first stage 702 . this benefit was confirmed by simulating the latch 700 combined with summer / slicer 500 . in the simulation , the input signal to the summer / slicer 500 is very small so that its output is only weakly regenerating . the weakly regenerating input signal to latch 700 is amplified by the regeneration of the first stage 702 , but not fully regenerated to rail - to - rail signal levels by the time clk goes high ( and its complement goes low ). due to extra regeneration , the output of the second stage 704 is amplified further and does approach rail - to - rail signal levels . these rail to rail output signals of the second stage cross each other at a common - mode above half the supply voltage , which makes them suitable for directly driving an nmos differential current switch ( such as the one which realizes the h 1 tap in fig9 and 10 ), as well as any cml or cmos logic circuits . it should be understood that the double regenerating latch illustrated in fig1 is applicable to systems other than dfes and other than dfes with iir filters . as indicated in fig1 , conventional multi - tap dfes include a large number of latches , and the delays of these latches are part of every critical timing path within the dfe . due to its superior speed and sensitivity compared to other power - efficient latches ( such as static cmos latches ), the double regenerating latch 700 can be incorporated into conventional dfe architectures or other circuits to enhance operating frequency without increasing power dissipation . further , the regenerative latch 700 may be a basic building block of many digital and mixed - signal systems . since the speed and sensitivity of a latch often have a large influence on the performance of the overall system , many of these systems would benefit from the superior functional characteristics of the double regenerating latch 700 . to demonstrate the functionality of the half - rate dfe with iir filter and evaluate its performance , a test chip was designed and fabricated in 65 nm bulk cmos technology . since the combined summer / slicer 500 of fig1 was employed , the specific dfe architecture chosen for the design is that shown in fig1 . the 2 : 1 mux and iir filter were combined in a single stage 400 as shown in fig8 , and the slave latches were implemented as the double regenerating latches 700 of fig1 . the equalization capabilities of the dfe with iir filter were tested by transmitting data over 30 ″, 40 ″, and 50 ″ traces on a high - quality printed circuit board ( pcb ), which have smooth frequency rolloff characteristics similar to those expected in silicon carrier links . the frequency responses ( s21 data ) for these channels are shown in fig1 . the bathtub curves in the right half of the figure plot the measured ber as a function of clock sampling position when the dfe is equalizing prbs7 data at 10 gigabits per second . for the 50 ″ trace , the dfe with iir filter produced a 45 % horizontal eye opening at a ber = 10 − 9 with error - free operation in the center of the eye , while consuming only 6 . 8 mw of power . for comparison , a conventional two - tap dfe was implemented using the same base components and power consumption level as the dfe with iir filter . table 1 compares the measured horizontal eye openings of the dfe with iir filter with those of the conventional two - tap dfe at a data rate of 10 gigabits per second for both prbs7 and prbs31 data patterns . over all tested channels , the dfe with iir filter outperformed the two - tap dfe , highlighting the effectiveness of the present principles . other straightforward modifications and variations of the disclosed embodiments , such as the use of quarter - rate instead of half - rate architecture , will be understood to those skilled in the art . such modifications and variations do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present principles . having described preferred embodiments of circuits and methods for dfe with reduced area and power consumption ( which are intended to be illustrative and not limiting ), it is noted that modifications and variations can be made by persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiments disclosed which are within the scope and spirit of the invention as outlined by the appended claims . having thus described aspects of the invention , with the details and particularity required by the patent laws , what is claimed and desired protected by letters patent is set forth in the appended claims . | 7 |
turning now to the figures , fig1 and 2 depict a condenser lens 30 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . notably , the condenser lens 30 is capable of imparting beam spread characteristics into the light outputted from the headlamp assembly 20 ( fig3 ) of which it is a part of , as will be discussed in more detail herein below . additionally , the condenser lens 30 is capable of creating specified vertical spread and horizontal spread functions for each facet , thereby providing a highly adaptable condenser lens which can be tailored for a specific number of vehicles or desired beam characteristics . by moving the function of beam spread from the reflector to the condenser lens , standard elliptical reflectors may be employed in conjunction with led light sources to provide a light output that is suitable for automotive headlight applications while also having the desired beam characteristics . the condenser lens 30 generally comprises a main body 32 having a first surface 34 and a second surface 36 which are longitudinally spaced apart . the first surface 34 receives light from the light source 22 ( fig3 ) and is generally planar and perpendicular to a longitudinal axis 10 ( fig3 ), although it can be curved . when aligned with the center of the condenser lens 30 , the longitudinal axis 10 can also be considered the optical axis of the assembly 20 . as best seen in fig2 , the second surface 36 is formed as a plurality of facets 38 , and particularly the embodiment of fig2 includes six ( 6 ) facets although any number of facets may be readily employed . the facets 38 are generally vertically extending while being horizontally spaced apart while it is possible to have facets that are both vertically and horizontally spaced apart like a checker board design pattern . each of the facets 38 have a generally convex curvature in the horizontal and vertical directions , and most preferably are numerically generated free form surfaces designed to provide a desired output beam . the vertical line where adjacent facets 38 meet are preferably as smooth as possible to avoid big steps between neighboring facets and depends on the nature of the particular horizontal curvatures of adjacent facets 38 . given that each of the facets 38 may have their own horizontal curvature , a number of peaks and valleys are generally defined by the horizontal curvature of the second surface 36 . turning now to fig3 , a headlamp assembly 20 employing the condenser lens 30 has been depicted . in addition to the condenser lens 30 , the headlamp assembly 20 generally includes a light source 22 emitting light 24 which is collected and redirected by a reflector 26 . preferably , the light source 22 is a led which generally produces light from a surface area , as is known in the art . the reflector 26 is preferably an elliptical reflector meaning it has an elliptical curvature as best seen from the side view of fig3 , and therefore when the led 22 is placed at the reflector &# 39 ; s first focal point , the reflector 26 focuses light towards its second focal point 40 , which also generally coincides with a focal point of the condenser lens 30 , as is known in the art . it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that since the condenser lens 30 will be performing all or a portion of the beam spreading function , the reflector 26 may comprise a elliptical reflector having a generally circular cross - section , as best seen in fig3 a . although an oblong or oval reflector 26 could be employed to share in a portion of the beam spreading function , the use of a circular elliptical reflector as depicted ( or an oblong reflector of less width ) results in a headlamp assembly 20 having reduced package size due to a reduced width ( and possibly reduced height if the reflector 26 was performing some vertical beam spreading function ). returning to fig3 , the light 24 produced from the led light source 22 is collected and focused toward the second focal point 40 where a shield 28 is positioned such that a portion of the light is redirected upwardly towards an upper half of the condenser lens 30 . generally , the portion of the light 24 which would otherwise produce a upward beam divergence is reflected as shown , whereby most if not all of the light exiting the second surface 36 of the condenser lens 30 is directed horizontally or slightly downwardly within the preferred vertical beam spread of − 10 °. according to one feature of the present invention , the reflective shield 28 is preferably tilted slightly towards the condenser lens 30 , which has been found by the applicants to improve light collection by 3 - 15 % depending upon the amount of the tilt . specifically , the rear or upstream end of the shield 28 is tilted upwardly while the front end generally maintains its position in the vertical direction . it will also be recognized that flat or curved shields 28 of any shape may be employed and tilted as described . the shield 28 is preferably tilted by about 0 ° to 6 ° relative to the longitudinal axis 10 . it will also be recognized by those skilled in the art that the curvature of the second surface 36 , and particularly the vertical curvature as defined by the plurality of facets 36 , controls the vertical beam spread . preferably , the vertical curvature of the second surface 36 is asymmetric relative to the longitudinal axis 10 , whereby the outputted light 24 is skewed slightly downwardly to preserve the vertical cut - off while creating the desired vertical beam spread . as such , the main body 32 includes a semi - annular surface 33 resulting from the downward end 39 of the second surface 36 being spaced further away from the first surface 34 than an upper edge of the second surface 36 is spaced away from the first surface 34 causing a prism effect . accordingly , it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that through the use of a condenser lens 30 having a second light emitting surface 36 formed as a plurality of facets 38 , both a horizontal spread and a vertical spread can be introduced into the light beam outputted by the headlamp assembly 20 . turning to fig4 , a schematic depiction of the headlamp assembly 20 shows the light source 22 having a rectangular shape such as would be produced by a led light source , and which is positioned at a focal point 40 of the condenser lens 30 and relative to a vertical axis 12 , horizontal axis 14 and optical or longitudinal axis 10 . it will also be recognized by those skilled in the art that the headlamp assembly 20 could include a direct projection headlamp whereby the led 22 would be positioned generally as shown by numeral 22 in the fig4 . in either case , the condenser lens 30 receives light at its first surface 34 , and through the construction of the second surface 36 having a plurality of facets 38 , a predetermined beam pattern 44 is produced as shown in fig5 . if a standard aspheric condenser lens ( i . e ., axi - symmetric ) lens were employed , the lens would simply project the light source 22 placed at its focal point 40 , as indicated by the area of dotted line 42 . however , through the use of the condenser lens 30 of the present invention , a predetermined beam pattern 44 may be generated having increased horizontal spread as well as increased vertical spread . preferably , the predetermined beam pattern 44 has a horizontal spread of ± 35 ° while the vertical spread is about 0 ° to minus 10 °. it will also be recognized that through the tailoring of individual facets 38 , a hot spot , say for example the area indicated by dotted line 46 , can be created . that is , each of the facets 38 may have their own unique curvature in either or both of the vertical and horizontal directions which can be structural to overlap or separate the light it outputs , thereby creating a predetermined beam spread pattern . for example , assuming the facets 38 were numbered consecutively from left to right , facets 2 and 5 could be utilized to create a particular hot spot or hot spots while the remainder of the facets could be structured to provide a more uniformly spread beam pattern . accordingly , it will be recognized that the horizontal spread and vertical spread functions of the condenser lens 30 is separated by use of the horizontally spaced and vertically extending facets 38 . turning now to fig6 , another embodiment of a condenser lens 130 is depicted in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . the condenser lens 130 includes a main body 132 having a first surface 134 receiving light and a second surface 136 for emitting the light longitudinally downstream in front of the vehicle to illuminate the roadway . the second surface 136 includes a plurality of facets 138 , which number three ( 3 ) in this embodiment . as best seen in fig7 , each of the facets 138 has a horizontal curvature which is generally concave in shape , unlike the convex curvature given to the facets 38 of the prior embodiment . similar to the prior embodiment , each of the facets 138 includes a vertical curvature which is preferably asymmetric relative to the longitudinal axis or otherwise constructed to preserve the vertical cut - off while introducing a predetermined amount of vertical beam spread . turning now to fig8 and 9 , yet another embodiment of a condenser lens 230 is depicted in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . the condenser lens 230 generally includes a main body 232 having a first light receiving surface 234 and a second light emitting surface 236 . the second surface 236 generally is formed by a plurality of horizontally spaced and vertically extending facets 238 which function to separate the horizontal spread and vertical spread functions of the condenser lens 230 . also similar to prior embodiments , the vertical curvature of the second surface 236 and its facets 238 is slightly asymmetric or tilted relative to a longitudinal axis to ensure the light is directed below the vertical cut - off . thus , a lower end 239 of the lower edge 239 of the second surface 236 is spaced further away from the first surface 234 than an upper edge . notably , it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the embodiment of fig8 and 9 provide a condenser lens 230 having a generally square or rectangular shape . in this manner , the condenser lens 230 may be shaped to correspond with the light source , such as an led light source 22 which emits light from a surface such as a square or rectangular surface . as such , it will be recognized that the condenser lens 230 , and particularly as light receiving surface 234 , may take any shape , circular or non - circular , including rectangular , square , oval or other oblong shapes . in this manner , unused material of the condenser lens 230 can be eliminated , reducing the weight of the lens 230 and headlamp assembly , thereby providing a headlamp assembly which is lighter and smaller . turning now to fig1 and 11 , yet another embodiment of a condenser lens 330 has been depicted in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . generally , the lens 330 includes a main body 332 having a first light receiving surface 334 and a second light emitting surface 336 . unlike the prior embodiments , the second surface 336 includes a single facet 338 which thus itself defines the light emitting surface . in this case , the single facet 338 , ( and hence second surface 336 ), has a saddle - shape which is curved in three dimensions and results in a separation of the horizontal spread and vertical spread of the predetermined beam pattern . as seen in the side view of fig1 , the main body 332 thus includes a peripheral surface 333 having a generally annular shape . it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the single facet 338 and second surface 336 may be uniquely formed to provide any desired beam pattern and having predetermined vertical and horizontal beam spread . preferably , the surface 336 is numerically generated to create the predetermined desired beam pattern . accordingly , it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the present invention provides a condenser lens and headlamp assembly which uniquely utilizes the condenser lens to provide some or all of the beam spreading function . furthermore , this beam spreading function may be divided into its horizontal and vertical components for individualized tailoring of the outputted beam pattern . likewise , hot spots or other desirable beam characteristics may be produced through the tailored construction of the light emitting surface and its facets . it will also be recognized by those skilled in the art that many variations could readily be employed . for example , the plurality of facets could be vertically spaced and horizontally extending , which would still result in a separation of the horizontal and vertical beam spread functions . likewise , an unlimited number of unique single facet and multi - facet embodiments can be readily envisioned by those skilled in the art and can be tailored to specific applications . the foregoing description of various embodiments 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 embodiments disclosed . numerous modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings . the embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application 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 . | 5 |
fig1 discloses an underground tank 20 in ground 30 . tank 20 comprises a cover support 24 , a height adjustment screw 26 , cover plate 18 and a supply opening 22 . connected to height adjustment screw 26 is a tubular support 28 . fixedly , attached to tubular support 28 is a signal source 32 and a detector support 34 . float means 38 is pivotally attached to tubular support 28 by means of a hinge 49 comprising : a first pivot 40 , a second pivot 42 , a primary lever 41 and a secondary lever 43 . fig2 shows an enlarged drawing of a portion of the embodiment of the apparatus of this invention which is shown in fig1 . fig2 discloses a signal source 32 , a reservoir 44 , a photo resistor or detector means 36 , a detector support 34 , a hinge 49 , a float means 38 , a band clamp 31 , electrical leads 23 and 25 , an india ink solution or measuring medium 19 and gasoline or a selected liquid 21 . signal source 32 comprises a housing 29 , a plexiglass window 27 , a bulb 33 , and a bulb socket 51 . the electrical connections of signal source 32 are carefully insulated so as to minimize any risks associated with gasoline vapors . further , the housing 29 and plexiglass window 27 form a vapor tight seal 37 to maintain the compartment containing bulb 33 and bulb socket 51 free from any explosive vapors . hinge 49 comprises a first pivot 40 , a second pivot 42 , a primary lever 41 and a secondary lever 43 . signal source 32 if fixedly attached to tubular support 28 by means of a band clamp 31 . a detector support 34 is held in a fixed position relative to tubular support 28 . at one end of detector support 34 is located a photo resistor 36 within a sealed compartment 52 . a curved glass cover 35 fits over photo resistor 36 or detector means 36 and keeps any india ink solution 19 outside sealed compartment 52 . electrical leads 23 from photo resistor are attached as shown in an electric circuit schematically shown in fig4 . one end of leads 23 is directly attached to the mv recorder input 62 and the other end is indirectly connected to the mv recorder input 63 through ground 58 . electrical leads 25 are attached at one end to ground 58 and at the other end to a voltage source ( not shown ) which must maintain a substantially constant voltage to the filament of bulb 33 so that the intensity of light emitted by bulb 33 does not vary significantly . briefly , the operation of the apparatus disclosed in fig1 and 2 is as follows . the float means 38 which is movably attached to tubular support 28 is capable of moving relative to tubular support 28 . since float means 38 contains weights 57 ( fig1 ), it maintains a substantially vertical orientation within gasoline 21 . because float means 38 remains in a substantially vertical orientation due to natural buoyancy forces , only one hinge 49 is required although others may be used . the first pivot 40 comprises a 1 / 4 &# 34 ; stainless steel tube 53 which is attached to tubular support 28 and a primary lever 41 which is pivotally mounted within tube 53 . second pivot 42 comprises a 1 / 4 &# 34 ; stainless steel tube 54 into which primary lever 41 is inserted and pivotally mounted in a manner similar to that of first pivot 40 , and a second lever 43 is fixedly attached to 1 / 4 &# 34 ; stainless steel tube 54 . the main purpose of hinge 49 is to permit movement of float means 38 relative to tubular support 28 . other arrangements can be used which fulfill the same purpose as hinge 49 . reservoir 44 is fixedly attached , e . g ., either directly or indirectly , to secondary lever 43 . similarly , float means 38 is fixedly attached , e . g ., directly or indirectly , to secondary lever 43 . as float means 38 moves up or down in response to changing buoyancy forces , e . g ., due to loss or gain in the amount of gasoline 21 in tank 20 , reservoir 44 changes position relative to detector means 36 . since both signal source 32 and detector means 36 are in a fixed position relative tubular support 28 , the relative to position of signal source 32 to detector means 36 remains constant throughout changes in location of float means 38 . for example , as float means 38 moves upward , reservoir 44 fixedly attached to float means 38 also will move upward relative to tubular support 28 . the amount of india ink solution 19 above photo resistor 36 indicated by double arrow &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; will increase as float means 38 moves upward and decrease as float means 38 moves downward relative to tubular support 28 . light from signal source 32 provided by bulb 33 passes through a plexiglass window 27 and between the arms of primary lever 41 , then through india ink solution 19 having a thickness of &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; and finally impinges upon photo resistor or detector means 36 . the distance &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; as it increases will cause a decrease in the intensity of light picked up and absorbed by photo resistor or detector means 36 . example i discusses in more detail the relationship of the intensity detected by photo resistor 36 and the voltage output from electric leads 23 . fig3 is a top view along line 3 -- 3 of fig2 . fig3 discloses tubular support 28 , detector support 34 , detector means 36 , first pivot 40 , second pivot 42 , primary lever 41 , cross bar 46 and reservoir 44 containing a measuring medium 19 . cross bar 46 fixedly attached to detector support 34 is useful to aid insertion of the device of this invention by limiting the amount of movement around first and second pivots 40 and 42 . movement around first and second pivots 40 and 42 is limited because primary lever 41 contacts cross bar 46 when the maximum amount of counter - clockwise rotation around first pivot 40 occurs . in other words , as the device of this invention as shown in fig2 is withdrawn through supply opening 22 , primary lever 41 rotates in a counter - clockwise rotation around first pivot 40 . this counter - clockwise rotation continues until primary lever 41 contacts cross bar 46 . since further counter - clockwise rotation is precluded after primary lever 41 contacts cross bar 46 , the remaining portion of this invention fixedly attached to secondary lever 43 than begins to move as tubular support 28 moves . clockwise rotation around first pivot 40 will be limited due to contact between top surface 55 of reservoir 44 and first pivot 40 . this limitation to clockwise rotation is necessary to maintain the proper relationship of hinge 49 . fig4 discloses a schematic measuring circuit 60 which includes electrical leads 23 of detector 36 . measuring circuit 60 , comprises a constant voltage source or battery 50 and a resistor 45 . resistor 45 and detector 36 are in series with one another . the voltage differences across detector 36 are measured and recorded by means of millivolt recorder 48 on strip chart 61 ( not shown ). battery 50 , for example , can have a voltage of 1 . 5 volts when resistor 45 has a resistance of about 100 , 000 ohms . detector 36 preferably uses cadmium sulfide . measuring circuit 60 , shown schematically , converts the resistance across detector 36 into a voltage differential across detector means 36 . this voltage differential across detector 36 is measured and recorded by millivolt recorder 48 on a strip chart 61 . the voltage source 50 must be substantially constant not only to keep the intensity from bulb 33 substantially constant , but also to keep the total voltage drop across both resistor 45 and detector 36 substantially constant . the apparent resistance across detector 36 will vary depending upon the intensity of light radiation impinging thereon . the amount of transmitted light radiation reaching detector 36 from light source 33 will vary , all other factors to be discussed hereinafter being equal , logarithmically with the height l of liquid 19 ( fig2 ). in a preferred embodiment , the transmittance characteristics of measuring medium 19 will follow a simple form of beer &# 39 ; s law , i . e ., i / i 0 = e - kl . the k is a constant which cancels out as shown in an example . carbon black or graphite e . g ., in an india ink solution of about one percent ( 1 %), has been found particularly suitable in this invention . the value of k in reciprocal centimeters is preferably in excess of 50 . the larger the value of k , the more sensitive is the instrument . if k becomes too large , e . g ., much above 1000 , minute vibrations can become a serious problem and / or the intensity of transmitted light can become diminished to a point that makes detection difficult . preferably , k has a value in the range of about 50 to about 200 reciprocal centimeters . fig5 and 6 disclose an alternative embodiment to the invention shown in fig1 and 2 . in place of signal source 32 a transmitting fiber 70 is used and in place of detector 36 a receiving fiber 72 is used . other elements disclosed in fig8 are numbered with those numbers of the same or equivalent elements of fig1 and 2 . although fiber 70 is indicated to be a transmitting fiber , it may also be a receiving fiber when receiving fiber 72 is alternatively a transmitting fiber . a focusing lens 71 may be inserted between fibers 70 and 72 to provide a collimated beam therebetween . fig6 is a schematic representation of the alternate embodiment shown in fig5 . disclosed in fig6 are a battery 75 , a light emitting diode 74 , a transmitting fiber 70 , a collimating lens 71 ( in phantom outline ), an absorbing fiber 72 , a photo diode 76 , a means 78 for converting current to voltage and millivolt recorder 48 . the device schematically disclosed in fig6 operates as follows . power from battery 75 causes light emitting diode 74 to emit light which is transmitted by fiber 70 . optionally , a collimating lens 71 collimates the beam so as to minimize undesirable dispersion . light received by fiber 72 is transmitted to a photo diode 76 . the current produced by photo diode 76 is converted into voltage by a two - step electronic circuit . the first step of the electronic circuit collectively shown as box 78 is to convert current into voltage by ways well recognized and understood in the art . devices useful as transmitting and receiving fibers with couples to transmitting and receiving photo diodes are sold by skan - a - matic corporation , elbridge , n . y . a second portion of the circuit 78 converts the voltage produced by the first step of converting current to voltage and amplifies such voltage so as to provide a working voltage capable of driving a millivolt recorder 48 . the amount of light received by fiber 72 which passes through collimating lens 71 will depend primarily upon the amount of measuring medium or india ink solution 19 which is between transmitting fiber 70 and receiving fiber 72 . the observed voltage on the millivolt recorder 48 will vary in the same manner as in fig1 and 2 to disclose the relative movement of float means 38 with respect to both tubular support 28 and anything fixed relative to tubular support 28 . it is possible by varying the weights 57 to position float means 38 at a depth so that changes in the height of surface 56 due to temperature changes of the gasoline will not cause float means 38 to change its position . the depth required to make float means 38 invariant to changes in temperature of the gasoline and / or tank will depend upon the particular linear coefficients of expansion for the liquid 21 , the tank 20 and the float means 38 . this depth is approximately equal to the liquid volume divided by the free liquid surface are 56 ( fig1 ). derivation of a formula giving this depth is given in more detail in an example herein . beer &# 39 ; s law for scatter of light radiation of frequency f through a liquid of thickness l is : i f / i f 0 = e - k f l where i f 0 is the initial intensity of light radiation of a paritcular frequency f ; i f is the intensity of light of frequency f transmitted through a layer of liquid of thickness l ; and k f is a physical constant characteristic of the liquid . for an india ink solution of about 1 %, the k f of beer &# 39 ; s law for all frequencies of light from a 100 watt bulb are substantially equal . this avoids any problems from using light having different frequencies and different intensities for each such frequency , i . e . beer &# 39 ; s law simplifies to i / i 0 = e - kl . any change in the initial intensity , i 0 , results in a proportional change in the transmitted intensity , i , so that the ratio of i / i 0 is unchanged . consequently , changes in the intensity of light transmitted by a light source due to factors such as changes in line voltage or age of light source , e . g . bulb 33 , do not affect the ratio of i / i 0 or the l value observed . because of the nature of a photo resistor utilizing , for example cadmium sulfide , the internal resistance , r , of the photo resistor is a constant divided by the intensity of light impinging on the photo resistor . therefore , the ratio r 2 / r 1 is equal to the ratio i 1 / i 2 . if e 2 / e 1 is equal to r 2 / r 1 , then any change due to system variables such as battery voltage changes , temperature changes and mechanical stresses which do not affect the value of l observed also will not affect the ratio of e 2 / e 1 . this is so because i 2 / i 1 are only affected by changes in l , provided k remains constant . e 2 / e 1 = i 2 / i 1 = r 2 / r 1 for the measuring circuit 60 shown in fig4 wherein r 1 = internal resistance of detector 36 when a light of intensity i 1 is impinging thereon ; r 2 = internal resistance of detector 36 when a light of intensity i 2 is impinging thereon ; e 1 = the observed millivolt value recorded on a strip chart . e 2 = the observed millivolt value recorded on a strip chart after removal of 1 quart of liquid from tank 20 ; e w = voltage across resistor 45 and detector 36 , a constant ; and equations ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) are derived based on ohm &# 39 ; s law , i . e ., since ew is much greater than e 2 and e 1 [( ew - e 2 )/( ew - e 1 )] is very close to a value of 1 , and therefore equation ( 5 ) simplifies to : also since i 2 / i 1 = r 1 / r 2 based upon the inherent character of photo resistor 36 , therefore , i 1 and i 2 = intensity of light received by detector 36 at t = 0 and t = 15 hrs , respectively ; i 3 = intensity of light received by detector 36 before any gasoline is removed ; and i 4 = intensity of light received by detector 36 after 1 quart of gasoline 21 has been removed from a tank 20 ; then by beer &# 39 ; s law for an india ink solution : v 1 = volume of liquid removed for a change in liquid level of h 1 ; v 2 = volume of liquid removed for a change in liquid level of h 2 ; and s = surface area of free surface 56 in tank 20 shown in fig1 . ## equ2 ## if v 2 is a known volume , say 1 quart and defining v 1 / v 2 equal to n , then n is the number of quarts in v 1 . in fig7 e 1 is 0 . 80 volts , as recorded on strip chart 61 , and corresponds to some initial intensity i 1 received by detector 36 at time zero ; e 2 is 0 . 32 volts at some time 15 hours after the start of the experiment . at time zero , it is necessary to saturate the vapor above surface 56 with gasoline or whatever the stored liquid 21 is to avoid changes in level of liquid 21 due to evaporation . this problem is discussed in the specification in a paragraph bridging pages 2 and 3 . also at time zero , 1 quart of gasoline 19 was removed and the initial and final volts recorded on strip chart 61 . initially e 3 and e 4 were recorded as 0 . 80 and 0 . 43 volts , respectively . after 15 hours , 1 quart of liquid 19 was removed and the initial and final volts recorded for another e 3 and e 4 of 0 . 32 and 0 . 17 volts , respectively . e 4 / e 3 = 0 . 538 and 0 . 531 for an average value of 0 . 534 a determination of response signal stability for the apparatus shown in fig1 and 2 was run by causing the float means 38 to rest on the bottom of tank 20 . in this situation , there is no movement of float means 38 relative to detector 36 . in fig8 hours elapse between an initial recorded value of 0 . 80 volts and a final recorded value of close to 0 . 80 volts . a maximum drift of 0 . 70 from the 0 . 80 value initially and finally recorded occurred at some point during the 63 - hour interval . there was no apparent preferential drift direction . clearly depending upon the number of hours , e . g ., 1 or 12 hours , between the initial value of 0 . 80 and the drift value 0 . 70 , the apparent loss of liquid would be 0 . 212 quart / hour or 0 . 018 quart / hour . when a floating means of this invention is located at a depth approximately equal to the liquid volume divided by the liquid surface area , the float means will remain stationary even during changes in temperature involving the liquid in the tank and the float means itself . the derivation of the formula indicating the depth at which the float means will remain stationary even during changes in temperature is as follows : the force against a submerged float means of area a shown in fig1 will be : ( 1 ) f = φax , where f is force , φ is liquid density , and x shown in fig1 is the depth of the float means below the surface . all three of these factors will be affected by temperature ; therefore , when we differentiate with respect to temperature t : let c 1 be the linear coefficient of expansion of the liquid , c 2 the linear coefficient of expansion of the tank , and c 3 the linear coefficient for the float means . the volumetric coefficient of expansion of the liquid will then be approximately 3c 1 ; the volumetric coefficient for the tank will be approximately 3c 2 ; and the area coefficient of the pressure sensor will be approximately 2c 3 . the reason for approximately 3c 1 , 3c 2 and 2c 3 is as follows . c 1 or c 2 is equal to a very small constant wherein : ( 1 + c 1 ) or ( 1 + c 2 )×( dimension at t 1 )×( t 2 - t 1 )= dimension at t 2 ; for c 1 of the liquid or c 2 of the tank , the new volume at t 2 for the liquid and tank are respectively : however , ( 1 + c 1 ) 3 = 1 3 + 3c 1 + 3c 1 2 + c 1 3 . since both c 1 and c 2 are much smaller than 1 , finally , for area a , ( 1 + c 3 ) 2 ×( area at t 1 )×( t 2 - t 1 )= area at t 2 where ( 1 + c 3 ) 2 = 1 2 + 2c 3 + c 3 2 we can now express dφ / dt , da / dt , and dx / dt in terms of these coefficients . the change in liquid height above the sensor dx will be the net change in liquid volume divided by the liquid surface ; the net change of liquid volume will be the expansion of the liquid minus the expansion of the tank . where v l / s l is liquid volume divided by free liquid surface 56 ( fig1 ). if the force acting on the pressure sensor is constant , we can set the above expression equal to zero . a and φ immediately drop out , and we can solve for the depth x : ## equ3 ## the depth x at which the force against a float means is constant is approximately equal to the liquid volume over the liquid surface , with only minor adjustments necessary for the coefficients of expansion . in the case of a horizontal cylindrical tank , the ratio of liquid volume to liquid surface may be expressed as : ## equ4 ## where d is tank diameter , h is liquid height , and φ = cos - 1 ( 1 - 2h / d ). in large tanks , particularly , it is very difficult to measure average liquid temperature with enough accuracy to know whether an observed volume change is due to a leak or to temperature variations . for example , gasoline expands by about one part per thousand for each degree fahrenheit . in a 4 , 000 gallon tank , this means 4 gallons per degree . a leak of 1 / 20 gallons per hour would be masked by a temperature change of 0 . 0125 ° f . per hour , averaged throughout the entire volume . the larger the tank , the smaller the average temperature change required to mask a given leak rate . in addition , large tanks require more temperature sensing points to give an adequate picture of what the average temperature is . specific embodiments of this invention disclosed in the examples and elsewhere are intended to be illustrative only . variations on the specific embodiments are clear to a person of skill in the art and are intended to be within the scope of this invention . | 6 |
the tyre for vehicle wheels according to the invention comprises a carcass structure including a central crown portion and two axially opposite sidewalls terminating in a pair of beads for attachment to a rim of a wheel ; a belt structure coaxially associated with the carcass structure ; a tread band extended coaxially around the belt structure . depicted in fig1 is a partial cross section of the profile of a tread band 1 of the tyre according to the present invention ; the remaining construction parts of the tyre are not taken into consideration as they are known and not particularly relevant for the purposes of the invention . for the purpose of greater descriptional clarity of the said tread band , this tread band is represented only partially as it is symmetrical with respect to the equatorial plane m - m ′. with reference to fig1 , the tread band 1 comprises : a pair of circumferential shoulder ribs 2 disposed symmetrically with respect to the equatorial plane m - m ′ of the tyre , with which the said tread band 1 is associated , the said circumferential shoulder ribs 2 being delimited between respective shoulder edges a of the tread band 1 and respective circumferential shoulder grooves 3 axially removed from the respective shoulder edges a ; a pair of intermediate circumferential ribs 4 disposed symmetrically with respect to the equatorial plane m - m ′ of the tyre and delimited respectively between the abovementioned circumferential shoulder grooves 3 and respective intermediate circumferential grooves 5 , the latter being axially removed from the abovementioned circumferential shoulder grooves 3 ; a central circumferential rib 6 , the axis of symmetry of which belongs to the abovementioned equatorial plane m - m ′ of the tyre in question . as stated above , throughout the remainder of this description , reference will be made only to one half of the profile of the tread band 1 according to the invention , more precisely to the half between the equatorial plane m - m ′ and the shoulder edge a , it being understood that the observations made are also to be considered equally valid for the half of the abovementioned profile between the equatorial plane m - m ′ and the axially opposite shoulder edge . with specific reference to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig1 , the tread band 1 according to the invention has a first curving stretch 7 , with radius of curvature r 1 , which extends from the equatorial plane m - m ′ to a point b where the condition of tangency is realized between the said first curving stretch 7 and a second curving stretch 8 with radius of curvature r 2 . it should be stressed that , in accordance with an embodiment not illustrated , the profile of the tread band 1 according to this invention may have a single radius of curvature . further , in the event of , as described above , the said profile having a pair of distinct radii of curvature , the latter can have different lengths . although the second radius of curvature r 2 is preferably greater than the first radius of curvature r 1 , in some embodiments said ratio can be inverted . as illustrated in fig1 , the first curving stretch 7 constitutes the profile of the tread band 1 in the area corresponding to the central circumferential rib 6 and to a first portion of the intermediate circumferential groove 5 as far as the abovementioned point of tangency b from where , as recalled , the second curving stretch 8 referred to above departs . the said second curving stretch 8 constitutes , therefore , the profile of the tread band 1 from the point b to a point c where a condition of contact is realized between the said second curving stretch 8 and the rectilinear segment 20 of the reference profile . the curving stretch 8 therefore represents the profile of the tread band 1 in the zone corresponding to the remaining second portion of the intermediate circumferential groove 5 , and also in the zone corresponding to the intermediate circumferential rib 4 and to the first portion of the circumferential shoulder groove 3 to the abovementioned point c . in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig1 , the point of tangency b between the abovementioned first curving stretch 7 and second curving stretch 8 lies internally to the intermediate groove 5 . nevertheless , it is worthwhile remembering that in other embodiments not illustrated the said point b may be located local to the intermediate circumferential rib 4 . in accordance with this invention , the profile of the tread band 1 is therefore composed of a rectilinear segment 9 following the second curving stretch 8 and suitably rotated with respect to the reference profile according to the arrangements described below . having defined as d ( see in particular fig1 ) the point of intersection between the rectilinear segment 20 of the reference profile and a straight line 22 tangent to the side 23 of the tread band 1 , the rectilinear segment 9 constituting the cross section profile of the shoulder rib 2 according to this invention is rotated , radially towards the inside of the tread band 1 , about the abovementioned point of intersection d . according to an embodiment not illustrated , the fulcrum point of the rotation is coincident with the edge a . according to another embodiment of the present invention , not illustrated , the said fulcrum point belongs to the linear continuation 21 of the rectilinear segment 20 of the reference profile , in the direction axially external to the edge a . more particularly , the said fulcrum point is removed from the abovementioned edge a by at most a distance equal to 30 % of the total width of the tread band , preferably by a distance equal to 10 % of the said width . the said rectilinear segment 9 is therefore in a lower position than the reference profile , giving rise to a discontinuity in the cross section profile of the tread band 1 according to the invention . the height 6 of the said discontinuity is measured , when the tyre is new , on coming out of the mould , at the point c , i . e . at the point of passage from the second curving stretch 8 to the rectilinear segment 9 referred to above , the said point c being local to the circumferential shoulder groove 3 . in addition , defining with e and f the outer edge of the intermediate circumferential rib 4 and the inner edge of the circumferential shoulder rib 2 respectively , the discontinuity referred to above has the effect that the point f does not lie on the abovementioned reference profile , but belongs instead to the rectilinear segment 9 of the profile of the tread band 1 according to the invention , therefore being in a lower position than the point e . in general , the value of δ is between 0 . 2 mm and 1 . 5 mm , more preferably between 0 . 3 mm and 1 mm . with particular reference to the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , δ is equal to 0 . 35 mm . with particular reference to fig1 , the point of tangency b is located inside the intermediate circumferential groove 5 at a distance from the equatorial plane m - m ′ of between 10 % and 15 % of the total width of the tread band . by total width of the tread band is meant the axial distance between the edges a of the said tread band . in addition , the distance between the axis n - n ′ of the circumferential shoulder groove 3 and the equatorial plane m - m ′ is between 20 % and 40 % of the total width of the tread band . according to a preferred embodiment of this invention , the circumferential shoulder groove 3 is an asymmetrical type of groove where this is taken to mean that the walls 10 , 11 constituting the said groove are inclined differently from each other to the abovementioned axis n - n ′ perpendicular to the rectilinear segment 20 of the reference profile . more specifically , the axially external wall 10 of the circumferential shoulder groove 3 is less inclined than the axially internal wall 11 of the circumferential shoulder groove 3 . according to the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , the angle β formed between the wall 10 and the axis n - n ′ is of 13 °, whereas the angle β formed between the wall 11 and the axis n - n ′ is of 18 °. preferably the value of α is between 7 ° and 16 °, while the value of β is between 14 ° and 22 °; furthermore , and still more preferably , the difference between the said angles α and β is between 4 ° and 8 °. the depth of the circumferential shoulder groove 3 is preferably between 10 mm and 19 mm ; with particular reference to fig1 , the said depth is 15 . 5 mm . in addition , the width of the circumferential shoulder groove 3 is preferably between 2 mm and 18 mm , more preferably between 8 mm and 16 mm . it should be stressed that the portion of tread band 1 which is axially internal to the circumferential shoulder groove 3 may be provided with any number of grooves and / or ribs which are provided with any geometry and are not particularly relevant for the purposes of this invention . according to a further embodiment of the present invention , the circumferential shoulder rib 2 is provided with a further circumferential groove 12 ( illustrated in fig2 ) of smaller dimensions than the grooves 3 , 5 referred to above , the said further circumferential groove 12 dividing the abovementioned circumferential shoulder rib 2 into a first 13 and a second 14 circumferential rib . according to this further embodiment , the profile of the first circumferential rib 13 thus obtained is coincident with the rectilinear segment 9 referred to above only along the portion of the profile lying between the point f and a point g defining the external edge of the first circumferential rib 13 . according to a further embodiment , the profile of the second circumferential rib 14 , composed of a rectilinear stretch 15 , is parallel and lowered with respect to the rectilinear segment 9 , the said rectilinear stretch 15 extending from a point h , representing the inner edge of the second circumferential rib 14 , to a new shoulder edge a ′ of the tread band 1 according to this invention . the abovementioned parallel lowering of the rectilinear stretch 15 gives rise , therefore , to a second discontinuity of height δ ′ defined respectively between the points g and h , the said height δ ′ representing the distance respectively between the rectilinear segment 9 and the rectilinear stretch 15 which are parallel to each other . in general , the value of δ ′ is preferably between 0 . 1 mm and 1 . 5 mm . in accordance with fig2 , δ ′ is 0 . 5 mm . in said embodiment too , it is possible to rotate the rectilinear stretch 15 as previously described with reference to the first embodiment . the further circumferential groove 12 illustrated in fig2 is preferably a symmetrical type groove , the inclination of the walls 16 , 17 of which being 1 ° with respect to their axis z - z ′, and having a width of preferably between 1 . 6 mm and 2 . 5 mm . in accordance with the invention , the depth of the further circumferential groove 12 is preferably between 70 % and 100 % of the depth of the main grooves , i . e . of the central and shoulder grooves . furthermore , the width of the second circumferential rib 14 , i . e . the width of the portion of shoulder external to the abovementioned further circumferential groove 12 , is preferably between 25 % and 40 % of the total width of the shoulder zone , where by total shoulder width we mean the portion of tread band 1 axially external to the circumferential shoulder groove 3 . more preferably , the width of the second circumferential rib 14 is equal to 33 % of the total width of the shoulder zone . in accordance with this second embodiment illustrated in fig2 , the second circumferential rib 14 acts as a sacrifical portion meaning that , as the name itself suggests , by wearing itself down , said portion permits the remaining part of the tread band to be protected from undesirable propagations of uneven wear phenomena towards the inside of the tread band , i . e . in the direction of the abovementioned axis n - n ′. this barrier effect is , moreover , guaranteed by the interposition of the abovementioned further circumferential groove 12 , which de facto physically prevents — or at least slows down — the envelope of uneven wear towards the abovementioned equatorial plane of the tyre . on this point , in fact , it should be pointed out that the second circumferential rib 14 , created by the further circumferential groove 12 , is constantly in contact with the ground during the normal working conditions of the tyre . the tread band according to the present invention permits an optimal distribution of the tyre / ground contact pressures so as to avoid , or at least delay , the beginnings of uneven wear which causes premature deterioration of the tread band of the tyre . this deterioration has a negative effect on tyre life , obliging the user to replace the tyre early on , even though a remaining portion of the tread is still abradable . in general , the said uneven wear occurs most prematurely on the tyres for steering axles intended for use on long motorway journeys , that is to say on tyres with very low abrasion severity . in this form of use , the uneven wear is located particularly : around the outer edge of the circumferential shoulder rib , and around the tread portion adjacent to the outer circumferential groove , particularly on the inner side of the latter , i . e . on the side closest to the equatorial plane of the tyre . the applicant has noted that a conventional tread band having a reference profile of the type illustrated in fig1 and 2 , that is to say having a tread band provided in the shoulder portion with a circumferential shoulder rib 2 and a circumferential shoulder groove 3 , is tendentially liable to an increase in the value of the tyre / ground contact pressure in the region of the axially inner edge of the circumferential shoulder rib 2 . accordingly , this means that there is generally a greater contact pressure at the point f than at the point e , a fact that results in a relative tyre / ground microsliding at the point e , consequently inducing uneven wear which originates at this point and tends to propagate rapidly in the portion of tread adjacent thereto , in the direction of the equatorial plane m - m ′ of the tyre . the profile of the tread band according to the present invention is such as to guarantee an optimal local distribution of the tyre / ground contact pressures eliminating , or at least considerably reducing , the risk of inducing the uneven wear patterns illustrated above . more specifically , with reference to the first embodiment illustrated in fig1 , the discontinuity of height δ of the tread band according to this invention gives rise to an increase in the tyre / ground contact pressure at the point e , as compared to the case of a reference tyre not provided with the abovementioned discontinuity of height δ . in conjunction with the increased tyre / ground contact pressure at the point e , the profile of the tread band according to this invention also permits a reduction in the contact pressure at the point f , i . e . the point at which , in the case of the reference tyre , there is an undesirable increase in the contact pressure . a further and advantageous aspect of the present invention consists of the fact that the above - illustrated discontinuity of height δ produces an increase in the tyre / ground contact pressure also in correspondence of the edge a , thus allowing more even wear of the shoulder portion of the tread band . the tread band according to this invention permits the contact pressure to be increased locally at the points usually most prematurely affected by the emergence of uneven wear phenomena , reducing the relative tyre / ground microsliding and , as a result , promoting an advantageous reduction in the local abrasion of the tread compound . with reference to the second embodiment of the present invention ( illustrated in fig2 ), in the same way as described above with reference to the first embodiment ( illustrated in fig1 ), the presence of the second discontinuity of height δ ′ has the effect of increasing the tyre / ground contact pressure local to the point g with respect to the point h , thus protecting the point g from the risk of inducing undesirable uneven wear patterns , or at least postponing in time the beginning of these undesirable phenomena . the profile of the tread band according to the invention therefore permits the natural abrasion of the tread compound , intrinsic to the use of the tyre , to be localized in the external part of the shoulder zone , i . e . to be restricted to the second circumferential rib 14 . further , the said second discontinuity of height δ ′ is advantageously maintained throughout operation of the tyre , thereby constituting an effective barrier in time to the propagation of uneven wear patterns towards the inner part of the tread band . the profile of the tread band as determined according to the present invention was the subject of a finite element analysis by the applicant in which verification of the results could be carried out . this method consisted in dividing the entire cross section of the tyre under examination into a plurality of three - dimensional elements and into a plurality of meridian sections ( termed “ segments ” in the art ) along the entire circumference of the tyre in question . once the three - dimensional division had been made , the tyre was compressed statically , producing a footprint of the latter , rendered discrete in a plurality of rectangular elements as illustrated in fig3 . the said rectangular elements are quite simply the external faces of the three - dimensional elements constituting the tread band , deformed as a result of the force applied during the compressing action . the finite element computing program was able to determine the value of the tyre / ground contact pressure on each node , i . e . at each vertex of the abovementioned rectangular elements . the value measured on each node was then processed so as to obtain the pattern of the tyre / ground contact pressures conventionally represented in three cross sections respectively defining the zones 31 , 32 , 33 of the footprint area ( as illustrated in fig4 , 5 and 6 ). more particularly , fig4 a , 4 b , 4 c illustrate on a cartesian plane the pattern of the tyre / ground contact pressure ( expressed in mp a ) in the abovementioned zones 31 , 32 , 33 respectively for a reference tyre provided with a pair of symmetrical circumferential shoulder grooves and a pair of intermediate circumferential grooves . the above figures , as also the subsequent ones , refer , again for reasons of symmetry , to one half only of the tread band , and more particularly to that portion of tyre between the equatorial plane m - m ′ and the edge a . each of the said figures presents a pair of zones x , y where the value of the tyre / ground contact pressure is cancelled out , the said pair of zones corresponding in fact , starting from the left - hand zone of the graph , respectively to the intermediate circumferential groove 5 ( zone x ) and to the circumferential shoulder groove 3 ( zone y ) fig4 a , 4 b , 4 c , and in particular fig4 b relative to the zone 32 of the footprint area , concern a reference tyre ( measurement 295 / 80 r22 . 5 ), produced by the applicant . these figures illustrate how the tyre / ground contact pressure is much greater local to the axially internal edge of the circumferential shoulder rib 2 than in the other zones of the tread band examined . this means , therefore , that the pressure measured at f is considerably greater than the pressure measured on the axially outer edge of the intermediate circumferential rib 4 , i . e . at e . this aspect , as recalled above , produces a relative tyre / ground microsliding at the point e , inevitably inducing uneven wear patterns which arise in this zone but which , with the passage of time , tend to propagate rapidly towards the inner zone of the tread , i . e . in the direction of the equatorial plane of the tyre . fig5 a , 5 b , 5 c illustrate the behaviour of the tyre / ground contact pressure for a tread band 1 according to the presents invention and of the type illustrated in fig1 . more particularly , the tread band 1 has an asymmetrical type circumferential shoulder groove and a discontinuity in the height profile δ of 0 . 5 mm . when fig4 b , showing a reference tyre , is compared with fig5 b , showing a tyre produced by the applicant ( measurement 295 / 80 r22 . 5 with δ = 0 . 5 mm ), it may be seen how the value of the tyre / ground contact pressure at the point f is lower for the tyre of the invention than for the reference tyre . furthermore , an aspect even more significant , it must be pointed out that the difference in pressure between the point f and the point e is considerably less in the tyre of the invention than in the reference tyre . this tendency is confirmed and indeed further emphasized by taking into consideration a tyre according to the invention which is provided with an asymmetrical type circumferential shoulder groove and a discontinuity in the profile having a height δ of 1 mm , as illustrated in fig6 a , 6 b , 6 c . more particularly , fig6 b demonstrates how the difference in pressure between the points f and e is even further reduced with respect to the case of the reference tyre , and also to the case of the tyre of the invention where δ is 0 . 5 mm . what is witnessed , therefore , is a decrease in the value of the pressure at the point f and a considerable increase in the pressure at the point e . furthermore , analysis of the graphs demonstrates how the value of the tyre / ground contact pressure local to the edge a increases going from a reference tyre to a tyre of the invention where δ is 0 . 5 mm and finally to a tyre of the invention where δ is 1 mm , a fact which , as recalled above , permits more even wear to be attained , even in the shoulder zone of the tyre , in itself a critical area and , with the passage of time , inevitably subject to the beginnings of uneven wear patterns . the reduction in the relative tyre / ground microsliding at the notoriously most critical points , therefore , enables the life of the tyre to be extended considerably , exploiting the latter &# 39 ; tread band for a longer time . fig7 illustrates schematically and in summary form what is shown in greater detail in fig4 , 5 , 6 described previously . the said fig7 , in fact , shows the length of the footprint ( expressed in mm ) local to the edge a ( zone 34 of fig3 ), to the axially internal edge f of the circumferential shoulder rib 2 ( zone 35 of fig3 ) and to the axially external edge e of the intermediate circumferential rib 4 ( zone 36 of fig3 ), respectively in the case of the reference tyre ( fig4 ), of a tyre of the invention where δ is 0 . 5 mm ( fig5 ), and of a tyre of the invention where δ is 1 mm ( fig6 ). in fig7 , defining with r , q , p the columns representing the length of the footprint respectively of the reference tyre , of the tyre of the invention where δ is 0 . 5 mm , and of the tyre of the invention where δ is 1 mm in the respective zones 34 , 35 , 36 , it may be seen how the introduction of the discontinuity in height δ makes the lengths of footprint more uniform in the abovementioned zones , in the context of the same tyre . for example , from fig7 it can be seen how , in the case of the reference tyre , there is a considerable imbalance in the length of the footprint , namely the column r , in the zones 35 , 36 straddling the circumferential shoulder groove 3 , this length being greater in the zone 35 than in the zone 36 . in the case of the tyre of the invention where δ is 1 mm , on the other hand , the difference in the length of the footprint , namely the column p , in the zones 35 , 36 is considerably less than the length of the footprint of the reference tyre . in particular , in the shoulder zone 34 , a significant increase is observed in the length of the footprint between the reference tyre and the tyre of the invention where δ is 0 . 5 mm and where δ is 1 mm . this increase in the length of the footprint in the shoulder zone may be attributed to the special rotated profile of the circumferential shoulder rib . at the same time , on the inner edge of the circumferential shoulder rib 2 ( zone 35 of fig3 ), there is a significant decrease in the said footprint length , whereas on the outer edge of the intermediate circumferential rib 4 ( zone 36 of fig3 ), there is an advantageous increase in this length . fig7 demonstrates , therefore , how the tread band according to the invention tends to render uniform the footprint lengths in the zone of the circumferential shoulder groove 3 and , as a result , to render uniform the tyre / ground contact pressures in the said zone . it is particularly important to stress how , on comparing the length of the footprint in the zones 35 and 36 , the difference between the said two values is particularly high in the case of the reference tyre , whereas it progressively diminishes when moving from the case of the invention where δ is 0 . 5 mm to the case of the invention where δ is 1 mm . in the latter case , there is an inversion of the tendency , the length of the footprint in the zone 36 being greater than the length of the footprint in the zone 35 . this difference between the lengths of footprint in the case of δ = 1 mm is , in any event , in absolute terms , of the same order of magnitude as in the case of δ = 0 . 5 mm . this phenomenon , and the correlated values , is represented graphically in fig8 , where the above described difference in length of the footprint between the zone 35 and the zone 36 is illustrated , respectively in the case of the reference tyre and in the cases of the tyre of the invention where δ is 0 . 5 mm and 1 mm . the discontinuity of height δ with which the profile of the tread band according to the present invention is provided permits , as already said , a balancing out of the tyre / ground contact pressures in the zone straddling the circumferential shoulder groove , and more precisely between the points e and f as defined above . this positive effect of balancing the pressures is further and advantageously accentuated by the asymmetrical geometry of the cross - section of the circumferential shoulder groove 3 , the latter being provided , as previously described , with walls having different angles of inclination α , β . furthermore , as the angle α , i . e . the angle corresponding to the side facing the shoulder zone , is less than the angle β , i . e . the angle corresponding to the side facing the intermediate circumferential rib 4 , the applicant has surprisingly observed a further , advantageous increase in the tyre / ground contact pressure at the point e with respect to the point f . finally , it is worthwhile stressing that the additional effect brought about by the asymmetrical geometry of the circumferential shoulder groove 3 remains advantageously for the entire working life of the tyre according to the invention , since this geometry of the groove is repeated over the entire depth of the groove . | 1 |
fig1 is a functional block diagram of the invention which illustrates a microprocessor 10 receiving a continuous pulsed heart rate signal hr - c from a monitor 12 . microprocessor 10 also receives an intermittent heart rate signal hr - i and a blood pressure signal bp from an automated blood pressure monitor 14 , and provides a control signal to monitor 14 for controlling the frequency of obtaining blood pressure and intermittent heart rate signals therefrom . in a working embodiment of the invention , heart rate monitor 12 comprises a conventional model 7719 infrared monitor marketed by computer instruments , inc . of new york and adapted to be attached to the ear lobe of a dialysis patient for providing a continuing series of pulsed signals indicative of heart or pulse rate . automated blood pressure monitor 14 comprises a bard automated sentron monitor marketed by bard biomedical division of lombard , illinois . it has been found that sufficient memory is available in this particular monitor that microprocessor 10 may be physically included therein rather than provided as a separate unit . a conventional automated hemodialysis machine 16 is connected to receive control signals from microprocessor 10 . machine 16 conventionally includes an ultrafiltration membrane and pumps for circulating a dialysate and patient blood along opposite sides of the membrane . machine 16 further includes suitable input controls which may be preset by a nurse for establishing a goal or target quantity of fluid to be removed from the dialysis patient during the dialysis period . internal control logic automatically regulates the flow of dialysate past the membrane for obtaining the desired fluid extraction goal . machine 16 also includes a suitable apparatus for measuring conductivity of the dialysate , and circuitry for controlling addition of a sodium solution from a reservoir to the dialysate to obtain a desired conductivity . ultrafiltration flow rate and sodium concentration are thus normally controlled by circuitry internal to machine 16 in the absence of control signals from microprocessor 10 . in the working embodiment of the invention identified above , dialysis machine 16 comprises a seratron machine marketed by seratronics inc . of concord , california . microprocessor 10 is also connected to suitable display and / or storage means 18 for storing and / or displaying patient and intervention data , and for notifying the monitoring personnel of the various alarm conditions . in the following description , the terms &# 34 ; heart rate continuous &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; heart rate intermittent &# 34 ; are employed relative to the signals hr - c and hr - i in fig1 . a typical blood pressure monitoring machine , of which the seratron machine is exemplary , includes facility for measuring heart rate when a blood pressure reading is taken . because microprocessor 10 is physically included in blood pressure monitor 14 in the working embodiment of the invention heretofore described , it is advantageous to employ the heart rate signal obtained by the blood pressure monitor when available . because the signal is only available where a blood pressure reading is taken , it is termed &# 34 ; intermittent &# 34 ; in the description . the &# 34 ; continuous &# 34 ; heart rate signal from monitor 12 is employed to detect potential onset of a hypotensive episode between blood pressure readings . it will be understood , however , that use of the &# 34 ; intermittent &# 34 ; heart rate signal takes precedence over the hr - c readings , which are used to modify the frequency of bp cycles , and that the &# 34 ; continuous &# 34 ; heart rate signal could be used throughout . before proceeding with the detailed description of the control process , the various alarm limits and alarm modes of operation will be outlined . microprocessor 10 ( fig1 ) is preprogrammed with high and low blood pressure and heart rate alarm limits which may be modified from an operator control panel ( not shown ) but to which the processor logic defaults in the absence of operator limit programming . for blood pressure , the preprogrammed high systolic alarm limit is 200 mmhg and the high diastolic alarm limit is 120 mmhg . the preprogrammed low systolic limit is 90 mmhg and the low diastolic alarm limit is 50 mmhg . the preprogrammed high heart rate alarm limit is 120 bpm and the low alarm limit is 40 bpm . in addition to these high and low alarm limits , microprocessor 10 is further preprogrammed to detect deviation of heart rate and blood pressure from initial readings obtained and stored at the onset of dialysis , and to initiate control action when heart rate or blood pressure deviates from the initial readings by more than preselected amounts . the preprogrammed blood pressure deviation limit is ± 30 mmhg and the heart rate deviation limit is ± 20 bpm . all of these preprogrammed limits may be modified by operator intervention . microprocessor 10 is initially programmed to obtain blood pressure and intermittent heart rate readings every 20 minutes during the hemodialysis process . upon detection of an alarm condition in either the first or second alarm modes of operation , the frequency of obtaining the intermittent heart rate and blood pressure signals is controlled as will be described in the following discussion . dialysis machine 16 is initially preset by an operator to extract a desired or &# 34 ; goal &# 34 ; fluid volume from the patient during a preselected dialysis treatment period , such as four hours . machine 16 includes internal circuitry which may automatically regulate dialysate flow rate as a function of the amount of treatment time remaining to obtain the desired fluid extraction goal . in the event of therapeutic intervention in accordance with the invention , the internal circuitry of machine 16 will automatically reset ultrafiltration flow rates after intervention to obtain the desired goal . likewise machine 16 includes internal means for measuring dialysate sodium concentration as a function of dialysate conductivity , and to control such concentration automatically . fig2 illustrates overall information flow in the system of fig1 . a heart rate - continuous subroutine receives continuous heart rate signals from the patient by means of heart rate monitor 12 ( fig1 ). a blood pressure alarm logic subroutine receives a first input from the heart rate - continuous subroutine , and also receives blood pressure and intermittent heart rate signals from the patient by means of blood pressure monitor 14 ( fig1 ). the intermittent heart rate signal hr - i is fed to a heart rate - intermittent alarm logic subroutine for analysis . the blood pressure alarm logic subroutine , which is the main processor subroutine , detect alarm conditions and , in various alarm modes of operation , modifies operation of dialysis machine 16 which in turn affects the patient . the control action of the blood pressure monitor alarm logic is also fed to display and / or storage 18 . the heart rate - continuous , blood pressure alarm logic and heart rate - intermittent alarm logic subroutines are illustrated in greater detail in fig3 and 5 respectively . turning now to fig3 the heart rate signal hr - c from monitor 12 ( fig1 ) is continuously read and fed to operator display 18 . at the same time , the continuous heart rate signal is monitored for a high or low alarm condition as previously described . in the absence of an alarm condition , the logic continues in a closed loop . however , the heart rate frequency is continuously monitored and , if the heart rate is detected to be increasing , the frequency of bp and hr - i readings is correspondingly increased . in the event of detection of a limit alarm , an operator alarm buzzer is &# 34 ; beeped &# 34 ; for 15 seconds , the blood pressure cycle control circuitry is reset to obtain blood pressure and intermittent heart rate information every three minutes , and the subroutine branches to point a in the blood pressure alarm logic subroutine of fig4 . turning to fig4 blood pressure information bp and intermittent heart rate information hr - i are intermittently read either under programmed control or upon occurrence of a limit alarm condition detected in the heart rate continuous logic of fig3 . the programmed bp and hr - i may be under preprogrammed default control or operator - set control , and may be modified by increasing heart rate per fig3 . in any event , blood pressure information bp and intermittent heart rate information hr - i are displayed when readings are taken . at the same time , the blood pressure signal bp and the intermittent heart rate signal hr - i are each tested for an alarm condition . such alarm condition may be either a high / low alarm condition or a deviation alarm condition as previously described . if a heart rate alarm condition is detected but no blood pressure alarm condition is detected , the control logic branches to point h in the heart rate intermittent alarm logic of fig5 . however , if a blood pressure alarm condition is detected , either a deviation alarm or a limit alarm , the blood pressure alarm logic retains control . that is , detection of a blood pressure alarm of any type takes precedence or priority over a heart rate alarm . if neither a bp alarm nor an hr alarm is detected , the logic recycles to form the main loop of the flow diagrams . continuing within the blood pressure alarm logic of fig4 a blood pressure signal which initiates the alarm indication is tested for alarm type . if the alarm is a deviation - type alarm , which means that the systolic or diastolic reading deviates from the patient &# 39 ; s initial reading by more than a deviation limit , the blood pressure and intermittent heart rate monitoring cycle is decreased from the programmed normal cycle time ( 20 minute default value ) to a three - minute monitoring cycle , and the control logic is returned to point a for the next reading of blood pressure and intermittent heart rate information . if the blood pressure alarm indication does not result from a deviation alarm , which means that the blood pressure alarm is a limit - type alarm , the limit alarm is tested to determine whether the high or low limit has been passed . again , both the systolic and diastolic readings are tested . if the limit alarm is a high - type limit alarm , which means that either the diastolic or the systolic reading exceeds the associated programmed or default high alarm limit , the operator alarm is &# 34 ; beeped &# 34 ; for 15 seconds and the control logic is returned to point a . however , if the blood pressure limit alarm is not of the high alarm type , which means that the alarm is a low alarm indicating onset of a hypotensive episode , therapeutic intervention is immediately initiated in both intervention modes one and two . as a first intervention step , the extraction fluid flow rate through the ultrafiltration membrane is decreased to a minimum level , which is 50 ml / hr in the particular dialysis machine of the working example herein discussed . at the same time , dialysate sodium concentration is increased to 180 meq / l for a period of three minutes , after which sodium concentration is dropped to the normal level of 140 meq / l . following this preprogram three minute interval , blood pressure is again read and tested for a low alarm condition . if the low alarm condition persists , the dialysis operation is terminated and the dialysis monitoring staff is alerted by a continuous beeping alarm signal . on the other hand , if the blood pressure has increased above the low alarm limits following therapeutic intervention by dialysate sodium concentration increase and ultrafiltration flow rate decrease , the blood pressure signal is evaluated in comparison with its original level . if the blood pressure level ( both systolic and diastolic ) has returned to within 75 % of its initial level , the ultrafiltration flow rate is increased to 50 % of the level necessary to obtain the fluid extraction goal initially set by the operator . on the other hand , if the blood pressure is above the low limits but not within 75 % of initial levels , ufr remains at minimum level . in either event , blood pressure is again read after ten minutes . if blood pressure is now above the low alarm level , ufr is increased to the level necessary to obtain the desired fluid extraction goal within the dialysis time remaining , and the control logic is returned to point a so as to function within the main control loop . however , if the blood pressure reading after the ten minute interval is again below the low alarm levels , the control subroutine branches to point e which terminates the dialysis operation and alerts the monitoring staff . fig5 illustrates the heart rate alarm logic subroutine which becomes operative upon detection of a heart rate alarm condition per fig4 as previously described and branching of the control logic to point h . the heart rate alarm condition is first tested to determine alarm type . if the alarm type is a deviation alarm , indicating that the intermittent heart rate signal has deviated by more than preselected limits from the initial heart rate signal , the blood pressure and intermittent heart rate read cycle is reset to three minutes , and the control logic is returned to point a at the main loop in fig2 . on the other hand , if the intermittent heart rate alarm signal is not a deviation - type alarm , which means that the alarm is a limit - type alarm , the staff alarm is &# 34 ; beeped &# 34 ; for 15 seconds and the heart rate information is tested to determine whether a low or high alarm is indicated . if a low alarm is indicated , the cycle time for monitoring blood pressure and intermittent heart rate is reset to three minutes , and the control logic returns to point a . on the other hand , if a high heart rate alarm condition is indicated , which means that the intermittent heart rate signal exceeds the preselected high alarm limit ( either preset or default ), the ultrafiltration flow rate is decreased to its minimum level and intermittent heart rate and blood pressure are again read in three minutes . if the high intermittent heart rate alarm condition persists , the ultrafiltration rate remains low , and blood pressure and intermittent heart rate are continuously read every three minutes . on the other hand , if the high heart rate alarm condition terminates following therapeutic intervention in the form of decreased ultrafiltration flow rate , the ultrafiltration flow rate is returned to its goal level and the control cycle returns to the primary loop at point a . it must be borne in mind in connection with fig5 that , if any of the reading operations wherein blood pressure and intermittent heart rate are monitored indicates a blood pressure alarm condition , control is immediately returned to the blood pressure alarm logic of fig4 because a blood pressure alarm condition always takes precedence over a heart rate alarm condition in accordance with the principles of the present invention . | 0 |
turning now to the figures and first to fig1 there is shown in cross - section a homopolar generator constructed in accordance with the principles of the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the generator is basically constructed of two elements , a stator assembly comprised principally of the stator coils 16 , 17 , and a rotor assembly comprised principally of a rotating shaft 18 and a pair of energy storage wheels 12 and 13 supported on bearings 24 and 25 . in a homopolar generator , there are two principal functions performed . first there is the energy storage function . inertial energy is stored over a relatively long time period by steadily increasing the rotational speed of a large rotating mass . in the typical prior art homopolar generator , this mass is the mass of the rotor assembly which will rotate in the magnetic field developed when excitation current is applied to the stator field coils . eventually , the rotor reaches the desired operating speed where its rotational inertia represents a quantity of stored energy which can be delivered to a load as a voltage and current by a current generator means -- the second principle function performed by the generator . the current collection function of a homopolar generator is provided by a set of electrical brushes which , at the time of unloading of the stored energy , are lowered into contact with slip ring surfaces which are a part of the conductive elements of the rotating rotor mass . at the point of contact 26 between the brushes and slip ring surfaces , there is substantial heating and wear . as pointed out above , these phenomena are directly related to the surface velocity of the rotor at the brush - to - slip ring interface . this velocity is , in turn , directly related to the radius r r of the rotor at the interface 26 . because brush wear limits surface speeds of the rotor , prior art homopolar generators have been unable to substantially increase their specific energy density and maintain any acceptable size . in accordance with the present invention , the energy storage function of the shaft 18 rotor shaft 18 rotating within the stator coils has been partitioned from the voltage and current generation function . disposed at opposite ends of the rotating shaft 18 of the rotor are two energy storage wheels 12 , 13 which are attached to the shaft 18 for rotation therewith . the radius of the energy storage wheels 12 , 13 , r w , is controlled independently of the radius , r r , of the shaft 18 . the energy wheels 12 , 13 rotate at the same speed as the rotor shaft 18 , and since r w is controlled independently of r r , the amount of energy stored within the generator is independent of the surface speed of slip ring surfaces at the brush - to - slip ring interface 26 . this partitioning of the energy storage function in accordance with the invention has removed essentially all of the mass of the rotor from rotation within the magnetic field of the stator coils 16 , 17 . ( while there will always be some rotating mass of the rotor in the magnetic field of the stator coils , the inertial storage provided by such mass is negligable in comparison to the energy storage provided by the wheels 12 , 13 , less than 1 % of the total energy storage .) this has reduced the flux cutting area of the rotor , and accordingly , has reduced the ability of the rotor to produce an acceptable voltage and current at the output terminals for a typical excitation current to the stator field coils . because present designs are operating at the limits of ferro - magnetic circuit performance , simply increasing the field excitation current would not achieve the desired power output from the generator which the potential energy density would suggest was possible . in the case of the present invention , this problem is even more acute because of the reduced conductive material of the rotor 18 cutting the flux lines of the magnetic field created by the stator coils . accordingly , to enable the generator constructed in accordance with the invention to convert the stored inertial energy into a deliverable power at the output terminals , the magnetic field created by the stator coils 16 , 17 must be increased over those in prior designs . to achieve the necessary magnetic field strength increase to permit the required energy conversion operation at the discharge time , the present invention offers two alternative designs , a self - excited air core homopolar generator ( see fig1 and 3 ) and a super cooled superconducting coil arrangement ( fig2 ). yet a further arrangement could be a combination of both superconducting coils and self - excited coils ( not shown ). in such an arrangement , the superconducting coils would provide the initial flux in the rotor 18 , but would be isolated from the transient magnetic field of the self - excited air core coil by the use of a superconducting magnetic shield . still referring to fig1 which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention , a self - excited air core homopolar design , the brushes 28 , 29 are each shown contacting associated slip ring surfaces 19 , 21 on the rotor shaft 18 . in the self - excited arrangement , each brush 28 , 29 conducts collected current to an associated output terminal 30 , 31 through an associated stator field coil 16 , 17 , respectively . in this manner , there is &# 34 ; self - excitation &# 34 ; of the stator coils . self - excited , air core hpg &# 39 ; s have always , in principle , offered an attractive alternative to more conventional iron core hpg since they essentially achieve their excitation &# 34 ; for free &# 34 ;, and avoid the two tesla ( 2 . 0 t ) saturation limit of ferro - magnetic materials while at the same time eliminating the weight of iron based materials . however , these features are not the primary reason for selecting a self - excited air core coil arrangement . the primary advantage of the self - excited air core hpg is its ability to operate at magnetic flux densities substantially above the saturation limit of ferro - magnetic materials . a related advantage is the fact that the linear magnetic behavior of non - ferro - magnetic materials eliminates the phenomenon of armature reaction which affects iron core hpg &# 39 ; s at high output currents (& gt ; 1 ma ). for air core hpg &# 39 ; s , the field excitation requirements increase by a factor of approximately 1000 due to the difference in relative permeabilities of iron and air . this puts a severe constraint on the performance of certain self - excited air core hpg components . this is most easily seen by comparing the volumetric energy density of the air core field coil with that of the hpg rotor ( s ). the energy density in the core of the air core storage inductor / field coil can be expressed as ## equ1 ## for solenoidial coils with length - to - diameter ratios around 0 . 5 , the total inductive energy e ind is about twice that in the coil bore . thus , ## equ2 ## if the rotor ( s ) are 0 . 9 of the coil bore in diameter and 0 . 9 of the coil length , a similar relationship results for the inertial energy density in the rotors ## equ3 ## where e iner = inertial energy stores in rotor ( s ) substituting for r r and l r , and recalling that r r ω = v , ## equ4 ## assuming a 50 % energy transfer efficiency from the inertial store to the inductive store , the following relationship between the inertial magnetic energy densities obtains , ## equ5 ## substituting and solving for b gives a relationship between rotor tip speed and the maximum achievable core coil flux density b , since the flux in a self - excited air core hpg ranges from essentially zero to some peak value while in a comparable iron core hpg it remains constant , the self - excited air core hpg must achieve a peak flux density of approximately twice that of the iron core machine in order to achieve comparable performance , i . e ., approximately 4 t . in order to realize the primary advantage of the self - excited air core hpg , that is , the ability to operate at higher flux densities than iron core machines , such machines should operate at peak flux densities substantially higher than 4 t . the improved energy density concept of the present invention is the separation of the energy storage and voltage generation functions . since the present day brush speed capability limits rotor energy density , separation of functions allows the energy storage rotor ( s ) to operate at peak tip speeds for maximum energy density while the electrical generating section of the generator operates at surface speeds dictated by the brushes . still referring to fig1 this innovation allows design freedom in several directions . since the energy storage flywheels 12 , 13 no longer must serve as electrical conductors they can be fabricated of fiber - reinforced epoxy resin composities which are capable of storing energy at much higher energy densities than metals . graphite fiber - reinforced epoxy of flywheels , operating consistently on a production basis at 1200 m / s achieve energy densities more than twelve times greater than aluminum flywheels . turning now to fig2 where the superconducting hpg embodiment is shown , to provide the superconducting cryogenic temperatures for the field coils 16 , 17 , each coil is contained within a structural dewar container with appropriate cryogenic temperatures therein to achieve the superconducting operating conditions for the coils . to provide support to the rotating shaft , a pair of bearings 24 are disposed to opposite ends of the rotating shaft 18 to provide rotational support for the shaft within the magnetic field of the stator assembly . ( each embodiment shown in the figures contains some sort of bearing means for supportably receiving the rotor for rotation in the stator field .) the rotating shaft 18 is constructed of a high strength , high conductivity material and functions as a single turn stator coil between the slip ring surfaces 19 . an alternate embodiment of the hpg shown in fig2 would be to use the squirrel - cage armature design , as shown in fig3 in place of the solid shaft 18 as shown in fig2 . furthermore , the separation of energy storage and electrical generation function means that as improvements are made in either area they can be incorporated into the hpg without being limited by the other function . that is , brush speed and rotor tip speed are permanently decoupled in the present invention and may be adjusted relative to each other as future capability dictates merely by adjusting the relative diameters of the energy storage and electrical generator rotors . the following table 1 illustrates a comparison of the maximum possible surface speeds and the resulting energy densities that can be obtained for the energy storage wheels 12 , 13 made of different materials . table 1______________________________________ maximum surface energy densitymaterial velocity ( m / s ) ( kj / kg ) ______________________________________flat steel disk 550 15shaped steel disk 670 21fiberglass / epoxy disk 760 41kevlar / epoxy disk 960 65______________________________________ in accordance with the present invention , if a 36 inch diameter , 12 inch thick kevlar / epoxy flywheel is divided into two 6 - inch thick energy storage wheels and operated at 20 , 000 rpm , a homopolar generator can be constructed of approximately the same size as a typical prior art a - i - r hpg , but storing 90 mj rather than the maximum obtainable 6 . 2 mj for the a - i - r design . the highest acceptable prior art hpg machine capacitance has been determined to be around 5 , 000 f ( farads ), although higher values are acceptable for a homopolar generator constructed in accordance with the principals of the present invention . assuming , however , a machine capacitance of 5 , 000 f , the voltage of the generator v would equal 190 volts as determined from the following calculation : to produce a field strength of 0 . 57 wb , an average magnetic field strength in the rotating shaft 18 of 12 . 7 t is required . increasing the machine capacity to 10 , 000 f , which is acceptable in the case of the present invention , reduces the required field strength to 9 t . in the case of superconducting coils 16 , 17 , to produce a magnetic field density of 9 t would require a coil weighing approximately 1 , 100 pounds . this means that the generator in accordance with the present invention would weight less than 2 , 000 pounds and achieve a specific energy density of approximately 100 kj / kg , a value which is substantially greater than the specific energy density of 6 . 2 kj / kg which is theoretically possible in accordance with the principles of the prior art a - i - r hpg designs . turning now to fig3 there is illustrated a self - excited air core homopolar generator similar to that shown in fig1 . the hpg shown in fig3 illustrates yet a further feature of the present invention . one of the problem in self excited hpgs is the flux trapped in the rotor &# 39 ; s conductive material during discharge of the inductive store which results in inefficient energy conversion . because of the division between the energy store and current collection functions in the present invention , a squirrel - cage armature construction is possible for the rotor shaft 18 , as opposed to a solid shaft . since a squirrel - cage armature can be made highly conductive in the axial direction and highly resistive in the circumferential direction , the armature bars 23 from which the armature is constructed can be close to the field coil for maximum voltage generation and yet not act as a flux trapping shorted turn when the inductor is discharged . the field coils 16 , 17 are wound in opposite directions so they produce opposite magnetic fields in the armature . although the opposing ( counterwound ) field coil pair 16 , 17 may not appear to be optimal from an energy storage aspect , such an arrangement provides the highest ratio of useful flux density ( flux cut by rotor armature ) to peak flux density ( limited by strength of inductor structure ). decoupling the inertial energy in the flywheels from the inductor ( by placing the storage wheels outside the stator field ) allows several operational modes which were not possible with prior art hpgs . in a typical self - excited air core hpg , the rotor ( s ) is brought up to speed , some initial source of excitation flux is provided ( usually to 10 % of peak flux ) and the inertial energy in the rotor ( s ) is transferred to inductive energy in the series connected field coil , the field coil flux rising with the generator current . when the current in the field coil peaks , a switch is opened in the circuit transferring the energy stored in the inductor into the load . however , if the flywheel energy is increased substantially over that required to excite the field coil ( s ) ( which can be accomplished simply by making the flywheels thicker in the axial direction ), a different operating mode is possible . the discharge proceeds in the classical manner until peak current is reached in the field coil . since substantial inertial energy will remain in the rotor at this point , the field coil can be crowbarred ( short circuited ) and energy extracted from the rotor as a high voltage hpg . field coil current will decay with the l / r time of the inductor , but this time can be made long compared to the discharge time of the hpg . one extremely attractive aspect of this operating mode is that it does not require an opening switch capable of interrupting the current in the inductor . other operating modes include ( 1 ) operation as a self - excited continuous duty generator driven by a high power turbine , ( 2 ) replacing the self - excited field coil with a superconducting coil set ( see fig2 ), or ( 3 ) using a superconducting coil to supplement the self - excited coil to provide the initial flux . still referring to fig3 the self - excited air core hpg uses two 1 . 0 m diameter , 0 . 2 m thick graphite fiber - reinforced epoxy flywheels operating at 1200 m / s ( 23 , 000 rpm ) and storing 113 mj each . the squirrel - cage hpg armature 18 is 0 . 25 m in diameter with an active length of 0 . 45 m . with an average flux density at the armature of 6 . 7 t the generator will develop 450 volts at half speed . the field coil consists of two multiconductor 4 turn liquid nitrogen ( ln2 ) cooled aluminum inductors 16 , 17 reinforced either with a fiberglass or kevalar overwrap or with internal boron filaments . they will operate at a peak flux density of approximately 20 t at a current of 3 . 2 ma ( see fig4 ). the coils will be insulated for 10 , 000 v working volts . the ends of the squirrel - cage armature conductors 23 will be joined circumferentially by highly resistive metal spacers 43 to provide a continuous slip - ring surface for actively cooled copper finger brushes 28 , 29 operating at 300 m / s and a slip - ring current density of 20 , 000 a / in 2 . the resistive spacers 43 prevent the armature conductors 23 from trapping field coil flux during the inductor discharge . the armature bars 23 are insulated from the material of the rotor shaft 18 by fiberglass epoxy - wrapped pieces 41 . accordingly , only the conductive bars 23 conduct current as a result of rotation of the bars through the magnetic field of the stator coils 16 , 17 . the hpg is enclosed in a fiberglass reinforced epoxy structure 42 which is 1 . 1 m × 1 . 1 m × 1 . 5 m long . this enclosure will provide structural support , act as a vacuum vessel ( necessary for high speed rotors ), a cryostat for the ln 2 coil coolant , and will house the auxiliary components necessary for machine operation . the weight of the hpg shown in fig3 is 2500 kg . operating parameters of the hpg shown in fig3 are summarized in the following table 2 , and the discharge performance is plotted in fig4 . table 2______________________________________overall volume 1 . 8 m . sup . 3overall weight 2500 kginertial energy storage 230 mj ( 92 kj / kg ) inductive energy storage 136 mj ( 54 kj / kg ) peak current 3 . 2 mapeak hpg voltage 450 vpeak inductor voltage 10000 vpeak hpg power 1 . 4 gw ( 560 kw / kg ) peak output power 32 gw ( 13 mw / kg ) ______________________________________ while a particular embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described , it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto , since many modifications may be made and will become apparent to those skilled in the art . for example , rather than using self - excited stator coils , the coils could be excited from an external source , with the current from the brushes conducted directly to the output terminals . | 7 |
the insulin formulations of injectable human insulin described here are administered immediately prior to a meal or at the end of a meal . in the preferred embodiment , the formulation combines recombinant human insulin with specific ingredients generally regarded as safe by the fda . the formulation is designed to be absorbed into the blood faster than the currently marketed rapid - acting insulin analogs . one of the key features of the formulation of insulin is that it allows the insulin to disassociate , or separate , from the six molecule , or hexameric , form of insulin to the single molecule , or monomeric , form of insulin and prevents re - association to the hexameric form . it is believed that by favoring the monomeric form , this formulation allows for more rapid delivery of insulin into the blood as the human body requires insulin to be in the form of a single molecule before it can be absorbed into the body to produce its desired biological effects . most human insulin that is sold for injection is in the hexameric form . this makes it more difficult for the body to absorb , as the insulin hexamer must first disassociate to form dimers and then monomers . as used herein , “ insulin ” refers to human or non - human , recombinant , purified or synthetic insulin or insulin analogues , unless otherwise specified . as used herein , “ human insulin ” is the human peptide hormone secreted by the pancreas , whether isolated from a natural source or made by genetically altered microorganisms . as used herein , “ non - human insulin ” is the same as human insulin but from an animal source such as pig or cow . as used herein , an insulin analogue is an altered insulin , different from the insulin secreted by the pancreas , but still available to the body for performing the same action as natural insulin . through genetic engineering of the underlying dna , the amino acid sequence of insulin can be changed to alter its adme ( absorption , distribution , metabolism , and excretion ) characteristics . examples include insulin lispro , insulin glargine , insulin aspart , insulin glulisine , insulin detemir . the insulin can also be modified chemically , for example , by acetylation . as used herein , human insulin analogues are altered human insulin which is able to perform the same action as human insulin . as used herein , a “ chelator ” or “ chelating agent ”, refers to a chemical compound that has the ability to form one or more bonds to zinc ions . the bonds are typically ionic or coordination bonds . the chelator can be an inorganic or an organic compound . a chelate complex is a complex in which the metal ion is bound to two or more atoms of the chelating agent . as used herein , a “ solubilizing agent ”, is a compound that increases the solubility of materials in a solvent , for example , insulin in an aqueous solution . examples of solubilizing agents include surfactants ( tweens ®); solvent , such as ethanol ; micelle forming compounds , such as oxyethylene monostearate ; and ph - modifying agents . as used herein , a “ dissolution agent ” is an acid that , when added to insulin and edta , enhances the transport and absorption of insulin relative to hcl and edta at the same ph , as measured using the epithelial cell transwell plate assay described in the examples below . hcl is not a dissolution agent but may be a solubilizing agent . citric acid is a dissolution agent when measured in this assay . as used herein , an “ excipient ” is an inactive substance other than a chelator or dissolution agent , used as a carrier for the insulin or used to aid the process by which a product is manufactured . in such cases , the active substance is dissolved or mixed with an excipient . formulations include insulin , a chelator and a dissolution agent ( s ) and , optionally , one or more other excipients . in the preferred embodiment , the formulations are suitable for subcutaneous administration and are rapidly absorbed into the fatty subcutaneous tissue . the choice of dissolution agent and chelator , the concentration of both the dissolution agent and the chelator , and the ph that the formulation is adjusted to , all have a profound effect on the efficacy of the system . while many combinations have efficacy , the preferred embodiment is chosen for many reasons , including safety , stability , regulatory profile , and performance . in the preferred embodiment , at least one of the formulation ingredients is selected to mask any charges on the active agent . this may facilitate the transmembrane transport of the insulin and thereby increase both the onset of action and bioavailability for the insulin . the ingredients are also selected to form compositions that dissolve rapidly in aqueous medium . preferably the insulin is absorbed and transported to the plasma quickly , resulting in a rapid onset of action ( preferably beginning within about 5 minutes following administration and peaking at about 15 - 30 minutes following administration ). the chelator , such as edta , chelates the zinc in the insulin , thereby removing the zinc from the insulin solution . this causes the insulin to take on its dimeric and monomeric form and retards reassembly into the hexamer state . since these two forms exist in a concentration - driven equilibrium , as the monomers are absorbed , more monomers are created . thus , as insulin monomers are absorbed through the subcutaneous tissue , additional dimers dissemble to form more monomers . the monomeric form has a molecular weight that is less than one - sixth the molecular weight of the hexameric form , thereby markedly increasing both the speed and quantity of insulin absorption . to the extent that the chelator ( such as edta ) and / or dissolution agent ( such as citric acid ) hydrogen bond with the insulin , it is believed that it masks the charge on the insulin , facilitating its transmembrane transport and thereby increasing both the onset of action and bioavailability for insulin . the insulin can be recombinant or purified from a natural source . the insulin can be human or non - human . human is preferred . in the most preferred embodiment , the insulin is human recombinant insulin . recombinant human insulin is available from a number of sources . the insulin may also be an insulin analogue which may be based on the amino acid sequence of human insulin but having one or more amino acids differences , or a chemically modified insulin or insulin analog . the dosages of the insulin depends on its bioavailability and the patient to be treated . insulin is generally included in a dosage range of 1 . 5 - 100 iu , preferably 3 - 50 iu per human dose . certain acids appear to mask charges on the insulin , enhancing uptake and transport , as shown in fig1 . those acids which are effective as dissolution agents include acetic acid , ascorbic acid , citric acid , glutamic , aspartic , succinic , fumaric , maleic , and adipic , relative to hydrochloric acid , as measured in the transwell assay described in the examples below . for example , if the active agent is insulin , a preferred dissolution agent is citric acid . the hydrochloric acid may be used for ph adjustment , in combination with any of the formulations , but is not a dissolution agent . the range of dissolution agent corresponds to an effective amount of citric acid in combination with insulin and edta of between 9 . 37 × 10 − 4 m to 9 . 37 × 10 − 2 m citric acid . in the preferred embodiment , a zinc chelator is mixed with the active agent . the chelator may be ionic or non - ionic . suitable chelators include ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid ( edta ), egta , alginic acid , alpha lipoic acid , dimercaptosuccinic acid ( dmsa ), cdta ( 1 , 2 - diaminocyclohexanetetraacetic acid ), trisodium citrate ( tsc ). hydrochloric acid is used in conjunction with tsc to adjust the ph , and in the process gives rise to the formation of citric acid , which is a dissolution agent . in the preferred embodiment , the chelator is edta . for example , when the active agent is insulin , it is known that the chelator captures the zinc from the insulin , thereby favoring the dimeric form of the insulin over the hexameric form and facilitating absorption of the insulin by the tissues surrounding the site of administration ( e . g . mucosa , or fatty tissue ). in addition , the chelator hydrogen may bond to the active agent , thereby aiding the charge masking of the active agent and facilitating transmembrane transport of the active agent . the range of chelator corresponds to an effective amount of edta in combination with insulin and citric acid of between 2 . 42 × 10 − 4 m to 9 . 68 × 10 − 2 m edta . pharmaceutical compositions may be formulated in a conventional manner using one or more physiologically acceptable carriers comprising excipients and auxiliaries which facilitate processing of the active compounds into preparations which can be used pharmaceutically . formulation of drugs is discussed in , for example , hoover , john e ., remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , mack publishing co ., easton , pa . ( 1975 ), and liberman , h . a . and lachman , l ., eds ., pharmaceutical dosage forms , marcel decker , new york , n . y . ( 1980 ). in the preferred embodiment , one or more solubilizing agents are included with the insulin agent to promote rapid dissolution in aqueous media . suitable solubilizing agents include wetting agents such as polysorbates , glycerin and poloxamers , non - ionic and ionic surfactants , food acids and bases ( e . g . sodium bicarbonate ), and alcohols , and buffer salts for ph control . stabilizers are used to inhibit or retard drug decomposition reactions which include , by way of example , oxidative reactions . a number of stabilizers may be used . suitable stabilizers include polysaccharides , such as cellulose and cellulose derivatives , and simple alcohols , such as glycerol ; bacteriostatic agents such as phenol , m - cresol and methylparaben ; isotonic agents , such as sodium chloride , glycerol , and glucose ; lecithins , such as example natural lecithins ( e . g . egg yolk lecithin or soya bean lecithin ) and synthetic or semisynthetic lecithins ( e . g . dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine , dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine or distearoyl - phosphatidylcholine ; phosphatidic acids ; phosphatidylethanolamines ; phosphatidylserines such as distearoyl - phosphatidylserine , dipalmitoylphosphatidylserine and diarachidoylphospahtidylserine ; phosphatidylglycerols ; phosphatidylinositols ; cardiolipins ; sphingomyelins . in one example , the stabilizer may be a combination of glycerol , bacteriostatic agents and isotonic agents . the injectable formulation contains insulin , a chelator , and a dissolution agent . in a preferred embodiment , the injectable formulation contains insulin , edta , citric acid and saline and / or glycerol . in the preferred embodiment , the subcutaneous injectable formulation is produced by mixing saline and / or glycerol , citric acid and edta to form a solution and sterilizing the solution ( referred to as the “ diluent ”). the insulin is separately added to sterile water to form a solution , filtered , and a designated amount is placed into each of a number of separate sterile injection bottles . the insulin solution is lyophilized to form a powder and should be stored separately from the diluent to retain its stability . prior to administration , the diluent is added to the insulin injection bottle . after the predetermined amount of insulin is subcutaneously injected into the patient , the remaining insulin solution may be stored , preferably by refrigeration . in another embodiment , the insulin is combined with the diluent , sterile filtered into multi - use injection and frozen prior to use . the formulations may be subcutaneously administration or intramuscularly injection . the formulation is designed to be rapidly absorbed and transported to the plasma for systemic delivery . formulations containing insulin as the active agent may be administered to a type 1 or type 2 diabetic patient before or during a meal . due to the rapid absorption , the compositions can shut off the conversion of glycogen to glucose in the liver , thereby preventing hyperglycemia , the main cause of complications from diabetes and the first symptom of type 2 diabetes . currently available , standard , subcutaneous injections of human insulin must be administered about one half to one hour prior to eating to provide a less than desired effect , because the insulin is absorbed too slowly to shut off the production of glucose in the liver . additionally , if given early enough in the progression of the disease , the subcutaneous insulin compositions may be able to slow or stop the progression of type 2 diabetes . the present invention will be further understood by reference to the following non - limiting examples . in vitro comparison of uptake and transport of insulin using epithelial cell transwell assay as a function of dissolution agent oral epithelial cells were grown on transwell inserts for two weeks until multiple ( 4 - 5 layer ) cell layers had formed , as shown in fig2 . the transport studies were conducted by adding the appropriate solutions to the donor well and removing samples from the receiver well after 10 minutes . solutions consisted of water , +/− edta ( 0 . 45 mg / ml ), nacl ( 0 . 85 % w / v ), 1 mg / ml insulin and a sufficient amount of acid to maintain the ph at 3 . 8 . insulin amounts in the receiver wells were assayed using elisa . the results shown in fig3 a and 3 b demonstrate that some acids are more effective at enhancing uptake and transport of insulin through epithelial cells . these can be readily tested and compared to the results obtained using hcl , thereby providing a standard against which any acid can be tested and determined to be a dissolution agent ( i . e ., enhancing uptake and transport relative to hcl ) or not . results obtained with acids with ph range of 3 . 2 - 3 . 8 are grouped in fig3 a . stronger acids ( ph & lt ; 3 ) are grouped in fig3 b . the results establish that the choice of acid with the same concentration of chelator has a substantial effect on the transport of insulin through cell culture . the preferred acid is citric acid . in vitro comparison of uptake and transport of insulin using epithelial cell transwell assay as a function of concentration of dissolution agent the materials and methods of example 1 were used with different concentrations of reagents . in the study , equimolar concentrations of acid and chelator were added . solutions consisted of water , +/− edta ( 0 . 56 mg / ml ), nacl ( 0 . 85 % w / v ), 1 mg / ml insulin and an acid : aspartic acid ( 0 . 20 mg / ml ), glutamic acid ( 0 . 22 mg / ml ) or citric acid ( 0 . 20 mg / ml ). citric acid was tested at a higher concentration of 1 . 8 mg / ml with and without chelator . this data is shown at two time periods , 10 and 30 minutes , post dosing of cell donor chambers . the results obtained with aspartic acid ( 0 . 20 mg / ml ), glutamic acid ( 0 . 22 mg / ml ) or citric acid ( 0 . 29 mg / ml ) are shown in fig4 a . in this case , there was no significant difference seen with the addition of the chelator . in contrast , the study using a higher concentration of citric acid , at 1 . 80 mg / ml , does show a significant increase ( t - test comparison , one sided ) upon addition of the chelator to the solution . see fig4 b . this demonstrates that concentration of both components is important in optimizing uptake and transport . in vitro comparison of uptake and transport of insulin using epithelial cell transwell assay as a function of chelator oral epithelial cells were grown on transwell inserts for two weeks until multiple ( 4 - 5 layer ) cell layers had formed . the transport studies were conducted by adding the appropriate solutions to the donor well and removing samples from the receiver well after 10 , 20 and 30 minutes . the solutions were prepared immediately before the transwell experiments in the following way : citric acid at 1 . 8 mg / ml was dissolved in 0 . 85 % w / v saline and then one of the following chelators was added to this solution at the concentration shown : edta at 1 . 80 mg / ml , egta at 1 . 84 mg / ml , dmsa at 0 . 88 mg / ml and tsc at 1 . 42 mg / ml . because cdta was used in its liquid form , citric acid was added directly to the cdta . in each of these cases , the concentration of chelator was constant at 4 . 84 × 10 − 3 moles . insulin was then added at 1 mg / ml and the ph was re - adjusted to 3 . 8 if necessary . a control set of samples using only hcl for ph adjustment are included for comparison . at ph 3 . 8 alginic acid solidifies , and therefore , was not included for comparison in this example . transwell experiments were done by adding 0 . 2 ml of each solution to the donor wells . a graph of 30 minute insulin data is shown in fig5 . there was significantly more insulin delivered through the cells when citric or glutamic acid was used , except as compared to results obtained with tsc ( trisodium citrate ). in the case of tsc , hcl was used for ph adjustment . the adjustment of ph generated citric acid , explaining these results . as demonstrated by these results , enhancement of uptake and transport is dependent on the choice of chelator . preclinical evaluation of chelators in a citric acid based insulin formulation in swine in concert with a published study , a . plum , h . agerso and l . andersen . pharmacokinetics of the rapid - acting insulin analog , insulin aspart , in rats , dogs , and pigs , and pharmacodynamics of insulin aspart in pigs . drug metab . dispos ., 28 ( 2 ): 155 - 60 ( 2000 ), it was determined that the elimination half life was a good determinant of the absorption of insulin , since a delay in the elimination implies slower absorption from the injection site . therefore , a non - compartmental analysis of a small swine study was performed to examine pk and pd parameters , in particular elimination half life . diabetic swine were injected subcutaneously with one of four formulations of insulin . three formulations contained a chelator ( edta , egta or tsc ) and fourth control contained only regular human insulin humulin r ®, no chelator . citric acid ( 1 . 8 mg / ml ) was used as the acid in all the chelator formulations , and nacl and m - cresol were added for isotonicity and formulation sterility in all cases . the chelators were all at the same molar concentration of 4 . 84 × 10 − 3 moles . swine were fasted overnight , and subcutaneously administered a dose of 0 . 125 u / kg human insulin containing edta ( n = 3 ) or 0 . 08 u / kg human insulin containing egta or tsc ( n = 2 ). doses were reduced due to extreme blood glucose lowering with the higher dose . blood glucose and insulin levels were determined at all timepoints , to 8 hours post dose . pharmacokinetic modeling was performed with winnonlin , using a noncompartmental model with uniform weighting . elimination half lifes were compared in table 1 : the elimination half life of regular human insulin ( 120 min .) in this pilot study in swine was consistent with that seen in the literature and was used as a test point to validate the data . as this is considerably longer than following intravenous administration , this confirms there is continued slow absorption from the injection site following injection . the chelators in the citric acid formulation clearly show a reduction in this parameter , demonstrating that these three chelators are effective in enhancing the absorption of regular human insulin , although to different degrees . comparison of edta - citric acid insulin formulation to regular human insulin in human clinical trial the aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacodynamic ( pd ) properties of a test formulation containing insulin in combination with citric acid and edta , “ ce ”. five euglycemic glucose - clamps ( biostator ; target blood glucose 90 mg / dl ) were performed in 10 fasting healthy volunteers ( mean age 40 ( 20 - 62 years range ); bmi 22 . 5 ( 19 . 2 - 24 . 9 ) kg / m 2 ). using a cross - over design with a fixed treatment order , 12 iu regular insulin and 12 iu of ce insulin formulation were injected subcutaneously in the abdominal region . the results are shown in fig6 and 7 . sc injection of ce resulted in a time - action profile that produced a significantly more rapid rise in glucose consumption regular human insulin ( fig6 ). the mean pharmacokinetic data confirm the pd results ( fig7 ). this study shows that addition of citric acid and edta to regular human insulin improves the rate of absorption of insulin as demonstrated by a faster time to maximal concentration ( fig7 ) and a more rapid onset of action ( fig6 ) compared to regular human insulin alone . insulin lispro and regular human insulin when injected subcutaneously immediately before a meal in patients with type 1 diabetes the aim of this study was to determine the action of viaject ™ ( a very rapid acting formulation of regular human insulin ( rhi ) combined with citric acid and edta , referred to above as ce ), rhi , and insulin lispro ( lispro ) on postprandial blood glucose ( bg ) excursions after a standard meal in patients with type 1 diabetes . materials and methods bg of 9 patients ( 5 males and 4 females ; age 40 ± 10 yrs , bmi 24 . 0 ± 2 . 0 kg / m 2 ) were stabilized by means of a glucose clamp ( target bg 120 mg / dl ) prior to meal ingestion . the glucose infusion was turned off prior to the standard meal and insulin dosing . using a cross - over study design with fixed treatment order , the same patient specific dose of viaject ™ ( ce ) lispro or rhi was injected s . c . immediately before the meal . subsequently , postprandial glucose excursions were continuously monitored for 8 hours and glucose infusion was re - initiated if bg & lt ; 60 mg / dl . plasma insulin levels were determined throughout the study . the results shown in table 2 as the mean plus or minus standard deviation compare insulin tmax after subcutaneous injection to type 2 diabetic patients after a meal , regular human insulin , insulin plus citric acid and edta ( ce ) and lispro . the results in table 3 compare blood glucose for the same test subjects . the total number of hypoglycemic events ( hours requiring glucose infusion ) 3 to 8 hours post injection were 13 with rhi , 11 with lispro and 4 with the ce formulation . the mean total amount of glucose infused to prevent hypoglycemia during this time was six times higher for rhi and twice as much for lispro than with viaject ™ ( ce ). the areas above and below the normal glycemic target zone ( bg auc above 140 and below 80 mg / dl ) summed for all patients per group was 81 , 895 for rhi , 57 , 423 for lispro and 38 , 740 mg / dl * min for viaject ™. the mean blood glucose levels are shown in fig8 . in conclusion , viaject ™ ( ce ) was the fastest in reversing the rise in blood glucose following the standard meal . patients treated with viaject ™ experienced reduced post prandial glucose excursions . in contrast , rhi had the highest glucose excursion , which is consistent with its slower absorption rate . variability of the glucose levels ( mean difference between maximal and minimal values ) was significantly less for viaject ™ than lispro , demonstrating viaject &# 39 ; s better glycemic control in these patients with type 1 diabetes . modifications and variations of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims . | 0 |
turning now to fig1 it can be seen that the leak sensing circuit ( 150 ) can be generally described as a voltage divider . a positive - valued and regulated dc voltage is applied to one side of a thermistor ( 100 ). the other side of thermistor ( 100 ) is joined to a fixed resistance ( 120 ) at sensing junction ( 130 ). the other side of fixed resistance ( 120 ) is connected to ground potential , so that the positive - valued voltage applied to the thermistor ( 100 ) is divided between thermistor ( 100 ) and fixed resistance ( 120 ) in proportion to the value of resistance for each element divided by the sum of their resistances . as the resistance of thermistor ( 100 ) changes , based on a change in temperature surrounding thermistor ( 100 ) and its own self - heating action , the voltage present at sensing junction ( 130 ) will also change . if thermistor ( 100 ) is placed within a fluid reservoir , the voltage present at sensing junction ( 130 ) will then depend on the temperature of the reservoir . turning now to fig2 the installation of thermistor ( 100 ) in a residential water supply system is shown . main water line ( 200 ) originates at water meter ( 230 ) and passes through check valve ( 210 ). to install the sensing element , thermistor ( 100 ), a home owner bypasses the check valve ( 210 ) using a bypass tube ( 240 ). in the preferred embodiment , bypass tube ( 240 ) would be of approximately 1 / 4 inch in diameter , and the water main tubing diameter would range from approximately 3 / 4 inch to 11 / 2 inch . under normal conditions , when the thermistor is placed within the bypass tube ( 240 ), and no water flows through the main line , the temperature surrounding the thermistor ( 100 ) is relatively constant . however , if a leak develops , water will flow past thermistor ( 100 ), causing a reduction in surface temperature as heat is transported away from thermistor ( 100 ). this cooling effect causes a change in the resistance of thermistor ( 100 ), which in turn produces a change in the voltage present at sensing junction ( 130 ). placing thermistor ( 100 ) into a small - diameter tube to bypass check valve tube ( 210 ), instead of directly into main water line ( 200 ), results in a much more sensitive detection system . normally , a few ounces of water pressure is required to open check valve ( 210 ). using the bypass tube allows the thermistor to be cooled by even very small leaks , e . g . on the order of one drop per second from a single faucet . of course , the more water that flows past thermistor ( 100 ), the greater the voltage present at sensing junction ( 130 ), assuming that a positive temperature coefficient thermistor is used . turning now to fig3 the preferred embodiment of a portion of the invention which is used for translating the electrical signal from the leak sensor ( thermistor ( 100 )) into a visual and audible signal is shown as a schematic diagram . of course , many other embodiments may be implemented , and any means of visual and / or audio indication can be used to satisfactorily implement the present invention . for example , an analog - to - digital converter can be used to measure the voltage generated by thermistor ( 100 ) and provide a digital read - out using an appropriate display driver . in this simplified implementation , some source of dc voltage is required to power the leakage sensing and indication circuitry . here , 30 vac is applied to the alternating input of bridge rectifier ( 400 ). rectified output voltage is passed along to smoothing capacitor ( 420 ) and on into voltage regulator ( 410 ) ( integrated circuit type lm7812 , or device with similar characteristics ). the end result is a positive and regulated voltage ( in this case 12 vdc ) provided at a positive voltage terminal ( 430 ), and available to power the rest of the circuit . ground potential is likewise available at ground terminal ( 440 ). assuming that regulated dc voltage is available for application to the leakage sensor and other circuit components , this voltage can be applied across the combination formed by signal input resistor ( 320 ) and thermistor ( 100 ). one side of resistor ( 320 ) is connected to the ground terminal ( 440 ) and one side of thermistor ( 100 ) is connected to positive terminal ( 430 ). the remaining open terminals of signal input resistor ( 320 ) and thermistor ( 100 ) are connected together so as to form a signal input junction ( 310 ), which is in turn connected to the signal input terminal of display driver integrated circuit ( 300 ) ( integrated circuit type lm555 , or device with similar characteristics ). display driver integrated circuit ( 300 ) is used to drive an led bar graph ( 370 ) based on the level of the voltage present at signal input junction ( 310 ). in this case , signal input resistor ( 320 ) serves exactly the same function as fixed resistance ( 120 ) in fig1 . similarly , signal input junction ( 310 ) is analogous to sensing junction ( 130 ) in fig1 . display driver integrated circuit ( 300 ) compares the voltage present at signal input junction ( 310 ) to a reference voltage , and will illuminate a number of leds in a bar graph type display , the number of leds turned on is proportional to the amount of voltage present at signal input junction ( 310 ). low side divider span resistor ( 330 ) ( valued at 51 kω ) is used to set the lower range of voltage at which display driver integrated circuit ( 300 ) will begin to indicate leakage . likewise , sensitivity control potentiometer ( valued at 50 kω ) can be used to set the span voltage range over which the led bar graph ( 370 ) will operate . brightness resistor ( 350 ) ( valued at 1 kω ) is used to set the brightness level of all leds in the led bar graph ( 370 ), as they are turned on by display driver integrated circuit ( 300 ). bar graph switch ( 380 ) is used to turn off the led bar graph ( 370 ) when not desired by the user . sensitivity adjustment led ( 360 ) is used to indicate the leak detection threshold , and is connected so as to be illuminated as the &# 34 ; first &# 34 ; led of led bar graph ( 370 ). sensitivity adjustment led ( 360 ) is used to monitor a desired drip rate ( e . g . when a faucet is left on for pets , plants , etc .) and as a &# 34 ; pilot light &# 34 ; that indicates the system is set to detect leaks . sensitivity adjustment led ( 360 ) also assists in adjusting the leak detection system overall sensitivity . as mentioned earlier , led bar graph ( 370 ) will have one or more leds lighted for increasing amounts of voltage present at signal input junction ( 310 ), caused by increased leakage rate as sensed by thermistor ( 100 ). when fluid leaks above a predetermined rate , as sensed by thermistor ( 100 ), this signal is processed by display driver integrated circuit ( 300 ) and passed on to timer integrated circuit ( 500 ) ( similar to integrated circuit type lm555 ). timer integrated circuit ( 500 ) is set up to operate as a monostable element . in this mode of operation , the timer integrated circuit functions as a one - shot . upon application of a negative trigger pulse which is less than 1 / 3 of the supply voltage to the timer &# 39 ; s trigger input , an internal flip - flop is set , which releases the short circuit across timing capacitor ( 550 ) ( valued at 1000 μf ). the output of the timer integrated circuit ( 500 ) is driven high at this point , which results in passing current through sense led current limit resistor ( 590 ) ( valued at 330 ω ) and sense led ( 580 ), which is illuminated whenever any leak above the minimum threshold set by sensitivity control potentiometer ( 340 ) is exceeded . the voltage across timing capacitor ( 550 ) increases exponentially for a period of time equal to 1 . 1 times the product of the values of timing resistor ( 540 ) and timing capacitor ( 550 ). at the end of this time , the output voltage equals 2 / 3 of the value present at positive voltage terminal ( 430 ). the internal flip - flop of timer integrated circuit ( 500 ) is reset at this time , which in turn discharges timing capacitor ( 550 ) and drives the output of timer integrated circuit ( 500 ) to a low state . in this case , the values of timing resistor ( 540 ) and timing capacitor ( 550 ) have been chosen to produce a time period of about thirty minutes . control voltage capacitor ( 530 ) ( valued at 0 . 01 μf ) is used to set the control voltage input to timer integrated circuit ( 500 ) at 2 / 3 of the value present at positive voltage terminal ( 430 ). the value of this voltage directly affects the set and reset timing of the internal flip - flop for timer integrated circuit ( 500 ). if the voltage present at the trigger input to timer integrated circuit ( 500 ) is less than 1 / 3 of that present at positive voltage terminal ( 430 ) for more than thirty minutes ( indicating the presence of an undesired leak ), then sufficient current will be passed through detect led current limit resistor ( valued at 330 ω ) and detect led ( 570 ) so as to turn on detect led ( 570 ). depending on the position of piezo buzzer switch ( 610 ), piezo buzzer ( 600 ) may also be activated at this time . in any case , such an active condition indicates the presence of an unwanted leak due to increased fluid flow past thermistor ( 100 ) over an extended period of time . turning now to fig4 the process of calibrating the leak detector can be explained . after installation of thermistor ( 100 ) into bypass tube ( 240 ), the system user will advance sensitivity adjustment knob ( 720 ) from the off position to some nominal value which results in activation of sensitivity adjustment led ( 360 ). at this time , it is assumed that all water in the residence is shut off . a single faucet may now be turned on by the residential user and set to a leak rate at which operation of the detector is desired . for example , a leak rate of one drop per second is acceptable . the sensitivity adjustment knob ( 720 ) is now advanced past the minimum position at which sensitivity adjustment led ( 360 ) illuminates until sense led ( 580 ) is activated . if the sensitivity control potentiometer ( 340 ) is moved too far past this position , led bar graph ( 370 ) will begin to light up . now the dripping faucet should be turned off . sense led ( 580 ) will be deactivated , while sensitivity adjustment led ( 360 ) remains active . if the nominal detection level was set using a desired drip flow rate , sensitivity adjustment led ( 360 ) will also be extinguished if the dripping faucet is shut off . sensitivity adjustment led ( 360 ) thus performs the function of preventing inadvertent reduction of sensitivity to the point where no leak is detected . bar graph switch ( 380 ) may be switched on or off as well as piezo buzzer switch ( 610 ), according to the operator &# 39 ; s needs . piezo buzzer ( 600 ) is located behind piezo buzzer grille ( 710 ) in this illustration , which shows the leak detector apparatus front panel ( 700 ). the leak detection system operates in the following manner . once the sensitivity of the apparatus has been set , as described above , any leak flow rate equal to or greater than the preset rate will cause sense green led ( 580 ) to be turned on . if the leak continues for the preset time ( in this embodiment , approximately thirty minutes ), the sense led 580 will be extinguished and the detect high intensity red , flashing led ( 570 ) will be activated . in addition , piezo buzzer ( 600 ) will also be activated , if piezo buzzer switch ( 610 ) is closed so that power can be applied to piezo buzzer ( 600 ). led bar graph ( 370 ) will indicate the relative size of the leak if it is enabled by bar graph switch ( 380 ). every time residential water is used in a normal fashion , sense led ( 580 ) will be activated ( washing machine , ice maker , commode flush , shower , etc .). this will produce an awareness on the part of the home owner that water is being used , but will not activate the detect led ( 570 ) and piezo buzzer ( 600 ). if a small leak occurs , such as a faucet dripping , and the home owner wishes to ignore it , sensitivity control potentiometer ( 340 ) can be adjusted to a slightly greater value using the sensitivity adjustment knob ( 720 ) so that detect led ( 580 ) is extinguished . now the apparatus will continue to monitor for any leak rate larger than that already existing . it should be obvious to those skilled in the art that a single positive temperature coefficient thermistor can be used , but other common sensors capable of generating a variable voltage responsive to fluid flow thermal transport phenomena may be used . the instant invention is easy to install . thermistor ( 100 ) can be placed at any point along main water line ( 200 ), and requires only two wires from thermistor ( 100 ) to be connected to the balance of the leak detection system . the instant invention is sensitive enough to detect a leak of less than one drop per second using a 1 / 4 inch diameter bypass tube ( 240 ). a bypass tube ( 240 ) of 1 / 8 inch in diameter would provide additional sensitivity if needed . this apparatus also allows the operator to select a particular flow rate of leakage to monitor , so that purposeful leakage ( faucet left dripping for pets , birds , plants , etc .) is possible . use of sense led ( 580 ) allows the operator to remain cognizant of water usage , while detect led ( 570 ) and piezo buzzer ( 600 ) are easily noticed as an alarm condition . also , piezo buzzer ( 600 ) functions as an alarm condition for blind people . finally , the user or operator may readjust system sensitivity to monitor for larger flow rates than that first detected , providing for later repair of a very small leak and continued system operation . | 6 |
the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown . this invention may , however , be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein . rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . in the drawings , the thickness of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity . like numbers refer to like elements throughout the specification . fig3 is a schematic plan view of a light emitting region and a non - light emitting region of an organic el device in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention . fig4 a is a cross - sectional view taken along the line i ′- i ′ of fig3 for showing a stacked structure of a common power supply line of a flat panel display in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig4 a , the organic el device in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a buffer layer 15 formed on the entire surface of a substrate 10 , which may be commonly used for a light emitting region 100 and a non - light emitting region 200 . a semiconductor layer may then be formed using polycrystalline silicon in the light emitting region 100 , and a gate insulating layer 30 may be formed on the entire surface of the substrate . next , a gate electrode ( not shown ) may be formed above the semiconductor layer of the light emitting region 100 on the gate insulating layer 30 , and an interlayer insulating layer 40 may be formed on the entire surface of the substrate 10 including the gate electrode . the interlayer insulating layer 40 of the light emitting region 100 may be etched to form first and second contact holes for exposing source / drain regions ( not shown ), respectively , and the interlayer insulating layer 40 in which a common power supply line 54 may be formed in the non - light emitting region 200 may be concurrently patterned to be curved by etching in a longitudinal direction ( namely , y axis of fig3 ) as shown in fig4 a . in this case , the interlayer insulating layer 40 of the non - light emitting region 200 acts to reduce the wiring width while enabling the common power supply line 54 to maintain a typical wiring resistance , and there should preferably be at least one such curved portion . the curved portion may be preferably uneven , and a distance ( b ) between curved portions should preferably be at least two times a stacked thickness ( a ) of the common power supply line 54 . after the interlayer insulating layer 40 may be patterned , a metal electrode material may be deposited and patterned on the entire surface of the substrate 10 to thereby form source / drain electrodes ( not shown ) to be contacted with the source / drain regions through the first and second contact holes in the thin film transistor of the light emitting region 100 , respectively , and the common power supply line 54 extended from one of the source / drain electrodes in the non - light emitting region 200 . in the present embodiment , etching for the interlayer insulating layer 40 of the non - light emitting region 200 where the common power supply line 54 will be formed may be progressed with an etching process for forming the contact holes at the same time , which does not require a mask process and the common power supply line may be formed to have constant curved portions , and when the same wiring resistance may be maintained as unit area through which current flows increases , the wiring width may be reduced compared to that of a conventional wiring structure to thereby reduce the total panel size . fig4 b is a cross - sectional view taken along the line i ′- i ′ of fig3 for showing a stacked structure of a common power supply line of a flat panel display in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig4 b , the same method as the first exemplary embodiment may be performed from its start to the process for forming the gate insulating layer . a gate metal material may also be deposited on a region where the common power supply line 54 of the non - light emitting region 200 will be formed when the gate electrode of the light emitting region 100 is formed . the gate electrode material may be patterned in the light - emitting region 100 to form the gate electrode and the gate electrode material may remain in the non - light emitting region 200 . next , an interlayer insulating layer 40 may be formed on the entire surface of the substrate 10 on the gate insulating layer 30 . the interlayer insulating layer 40 of the light emitting region 100 may be etched to form first and second contact holes for exposing source / drain regions ( not shown ), respectively while the interlayer insulating layer 40 where the common power supply line 54 will be formed in the non - light emitting region 200 may be concurrently patterned to be curved by etching in a longitudinal direction ( namely , y axis direction of fig3 ) as shown in fig4 b . in this case , the interlayer insulating layer 40 of the non - light emitting region 200 acts to reduce a wiring width while allowing the common power supply line 54 to maintain a typical wiring resistance , and at least one such curved portion should preferably be present . the curved portion may be preferably uneven , and a distance ( b ) between curved portions should preferably be at least two times a stacked thickness ( a ) of the common power supply line 54 . after the interlayer insulating layer 40 may be patterned , a metal electrode material may be deposited and patterned on the entire surface of the substrate 10 to thereby form source / drain electrodes ( not shown ) to be contacted with the source / drain regions through the first and second contact holes in the thin film transistor of the a region , respectively , and the common power supply line 54 extended from one of the source / drain electrodes in the non - light emitting region 200 at the same time . in this case , the lower curved portion of the common power supply line 54 in the non - light emitting region 200 may be contacted with a gate metal material , namely , an auxiliary common power supply line 33 . as a result , in accordance with the common power supply line 54 of the non - light emitting region 200 in the second exemplary embodiment , metal wiring has a double - wiring structure to thereby increase the width through which current may flow , which leads to the reduction of the width of the metal wiring compared to that of a conventional common power supply line when the same wiring resistance may be maintained . fig5 a is a cross - sectional view taken along the line ii - ii of fig2 a for showing a stacked structure of a flat panel display device in accordance with a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig5 a , an insulating substrate 10 including a region where a pixel electrode and a thin film transistor are formed , b region where a common power supply line may be arranged , and c region where a capacitor is formed may be prepared . a buffer layer 15 may be formed on the insulating substrate 10 . a semiconductor layer 20 may then be formed on a portion where the thin film transistor will be formed in the a region , and a gate insulating layer 30 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 10 including the semiconductor layer 20 . a gate electrode 31 may then be formed on the gate insulating layer 30 above the semiconductor layer 20 of the a region , and a first electrode 32 of the capacitor may be formed on the gate insulating layer 30 where the capacitor of the c region will be formed . one of n type and p type impurities , for example , p type impurities may be implanted into the semiconductor layer 20 to form source / drain regions 21 and 22 , and a portion of the semiconductor layer 20 below the gate electrode 31 acts as a channel region 23 . an interlayer insulating layer 40 may be formed on the entire surface of the substrate 10 on the gate insulating layer 30 where the gate electrode 31 and the first electrode 32 of the capacitor may be already formed . the interlayer insulating layer 40 of the a region may be etched to form first and second contact holes 41 and 42 for exposing the source / drain regions 21 and 22 , respectively , and the interlayer insulating layer 40 of the b region where the common power supply line 54 will be formed may be concurrently patterned to be curved by etching in a longitudinal direction ( namely , y axis of fig2 a ) as shown in fig5 a . in this case , the interlayer insulating layer 40 of the b region acts to reduce a wiring width while allowing the common power supply line 54 to maintain a typical wiring resistance , and at least one such curved portion should preferably be present . the curved portion may be preferably uneven , and a distance ( b ) between curved portions should preferably be at least two times a stacked thickness ( a ) of the common power supply line 54 . after the interlayer insulating layer may be patterned , a metal electrode material may be deposited and patterned on the entire surface of the substrate to thereby form source / drain electrodes 51 and 52 to be contacted with the source / drain regions 21 and 22 through the first and second contact holes 41 and 42 in the thin film transistor of the a region , respectively , and a common power supply line extended from one of the source / drain electrodes 51 and 52 above the b region at the same time . in the meantime , one of the source / drain electrodes 51 and 52 may be extended to form a second electrode 53 of the capacitor in the c region . a driving thin film transistor of a pixel region of the flat panel display device in accordance with the present invention , may be supplied with power when one of the source / drain electrodes and the second electrode of the capacitor is connected to the common power supply line . in the present embodiment , etching for the interlayer insulating layer of the b region where the common power supply line will be formed may be progressed with an etching process for forming the contact holes at the same time , which does not require a mask process and the power supply line may be formed to have constant curved portions , and when the same wiring resistance may be maintained as unit area through which current flows increases , the wiring width may be reduced compared to that of a conventional wiring structure to thereby reduce the total panel size . fig5 b is a cross - sectional view taken along the ii - ii line for showing a stacked structure of a flat panel display device in accordance with a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig5 b , the same method as the third exemplary embodiment may be performed from its start to the process for forming the gate insulating layer in the fourth exemplary embodiment . a gate metal material may also be deposited on a region where the common power supply line 54 of the b region will be formed when the gate electrode 31 may be formed . the gate electrode material may be patterned to form the gate electrode 31 and a first electrode 32 of the capacitor , and the gate electrode material may remain on the b region . one of n type and p type impurities , for example , p type impurities may then be implanted into the semiconductor layer 20 to form source / drain regions 21 and 22 , and a portion of the semiconductor layer 20 below the gate electrode 31 acts as a channel region 23 . an interlayer insulating layer 40 may be formed on the entire surface of the substrate 10 on the gate insulating layer 30 where the gate electrode 31 and the first electrode 32 of the capacitor may be already formed . the interlayer insulating layer 40 of the a region may be etched to form first and second contact holes 41 and 42 for exposing the source / drain regions 21 and 22 , respectively , and the interlayer insulating layer 40 of the b region where the common power supply line 54 will be formed may be concurrently patterned to be curved by etching in a longitudinal direction ( namely , y axis of fig2 a ) as shown in fig5 b . in this case , the interlayer insulating layer 40 of the b region acts to reduce a wiring width while allowing the common power supply line 54 to maintain a typical wiring resistance , and at least one such curved portion should preferably be present . the curved portion may be preferably uneven , and a distance ( b ) between curved portions should preferably be at least two times a stacked thickness ( a ) of the common power supply line 54 . after the interlayer insulating layer 40 may be patterned , a metal electrode material may be deposited and patterned on the entire surface of the substrate 10 to thereby form source / drain electrodes 51 and 52 to be contacted with source / drain regions 21 and 22 through the first and second contact holes 41 and 42 in the thin film transistor of the a region , respectively , and a common power supply line 54 extended from one of the source / drain electrodes 51 and 52 above the b region at the same time . in the meantime , one of the source / drain electrodes 51 and 52 may be extended to form a second electrode 53 of the capacitor in the c region . in this case , the lower curved portion of the common power supply line 54 in the b region may be contacted with a gate metal material , namely an auxiliary common power supply line 33 . as a result , in accordance with the common power supply line of the b region in the fourth exemplary embodiment , metal wiring becomes a double - wiring structure to thereby increase the width through which current may flow , which leads to the reduction of the width of metal wiring compared to that of a conventional common power supply line when the same wiring resistance may be maintained . in the meantime , it has been described that the common power supply line 54 of the light emitting region 100 and the common power supply line 54 of the non - light emitting region 200 are separately shaped to be curved in the exemplary embodiments of the present invention , however , the common power supply line 54 of the light emitting region 100 and the common power supply line 54 of the non - light emitting region 200 may be formed to be curved at the same time . the flat panel display device employed in the present invention may include , but not limited to , an organic light emitting diode or a liquid crystal display device . as mentioned above , the common power supply line may be formed to have its wiring structure curved or to have a double - wiring structure of the common power supply line , which allows the wiring width to be reduced when the same wiring resistance may be maintained , and also allows ir drop due to the wiring resistance to be minimized . in addition , the wiring width may be reduced to thereby reduce the total panel size of the flat panel display . it is understood that the disclosure has been made for purpose of illustrating the invention by way of examples and is not limited to limit the scope of the invention . and one skilled in the art can make amend and change the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . | 6 |
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