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referring to fig1 in the drawing , the edible comestible of this invention comprises a frozen core 1 surrounded by a coating 2 . the coating 2 has a density that is generally greater than the frozen core 1 and a thickness between about one quarter to one half of an inch . to construct the edible comestible of this invention , the coating 2 is spread to a thickness between about one quarter to one half of an inch inside the container 3 . the core 1 fills the remaining space in container 3 that has been lined with the coating 2 . a top layer of coating 4 is spread to a thickness of between about one quarter to one half of an inch over the top of the core 1 . the container is closed with a lid ( not shown ) and frozen . the frozen edible comestible of the present invention is constructed in a unique way that enables it to be placed in a microwave oven , exposed to microwave energy for a short period of time , and to produce softened and slightly warm coating 2 and top layer 4 , while the core 1 remains substantially frozen and of normal texture . ice is much more transparent to microwave radiation than liquid water , that is ice absorbs less microwave energy . the dissolved solids levels in the coatings are all greater than the dissolved solid levels in the serum portions of the core materials . the greater the level of dissolved solids , the more the freezing points of the solution is depressed . therefore , at any given freezing temperature , more ice is present in the core material than in the coating . the water in the coating would be present as a supersaturated solution and not in the form of ice . the inventors believe that because of these circumstances microwave energy is more apt to be absorbed by the liquid water present in the coating , while the microwaves for the most part pass through the ice in the core material . this may be an explanation for why the coating melts while the core remains substantially frozen . the core 1 of the invention can be made from edible comestibles that can be frozen without detrimental effect such as , ice cream , custard , ice milk , yogurt , flavored ices , and puddings . the coating of the invention can be made from edible comestibles that can also be frozen without detrimental effect such as , but not limited to , chocolate fudge , caramel fudge , strawberry topping , marshmallow topping , and cherries jubilee topping . it has been found that successful use of the present invention depends at least in part upon the density of the core material 1 , and the density of the coating material 2 relative to the core material . the density of the core material 1 ranges between about four to about ten pounds per gallon . the coating material 2 has a density that ranges between about five to about eleven pounds per gallon . preferably , the core material 1 is made from a substance with high or medium density , such as 20 % overrun ice cream with a density of about 7 . 6 pounds per gallon ( high density ) or 50 % overrun ice cream with a density of about 6 . 3 pounds per gallon ( medium density ). low density substances such as 100 % overrun ice milk having a density of about 4 . 6 pounds per gallon can yield a workable version of the invention , although it is sensitive to microwave energy to the extent that tolerance of overexposure to microwaves is quite limited . consequently , a core 1 made with substance of high or medium density is preferred . with respect to the coating 2 , it may have a density that ranges between about five pounds per gallon to about eleven pounds per gallon . in combining the coating 2 with the core material 1 , generally the core material 1 should be less dense that the coating 2 . in the case of the coating 2 being a marshmallow topping , the core material 1 may be more dense than the coating 2 . the general formulation of the core 1 of the invention has been previously described . there are , however , numerous specific formulations which are acceptable and the following are examples of such formulations . the core material is made from a premium french vanilla type ice cream with a high butterfat content , high solids content , and frozen with 20 % overrun having a density of about 7 . 6 pounds per gallon . the ice cream is flavored with one half fluid ounce of pure vanilla extract per gallon of formulation . the ingredients by weight percentage for formulation a are : ______________________________________ingredients weight percent______________________________________36 % cream 40 . 972sweetened condensed skim milk 22 . 203sucrose 6 . 734sugared egg yolks 6 . 350water 23 . 741______________________________________ the core material is made from a stabilized version of formulation a having about the same density of that formulation . the ingredients by weight percentage for formulation b are : the core material is made from a premium type regular ice cream with a high butterfat content , high solids content , and frozen with 20 % overrun having a density of about 7 . 6 pounds per gallon . the ice cream is flavored with one half fluid ounce of pure vanilla extract per gallon of mix . the ingredients by weight percentage for formulation c are : ______________________________________ingredients weight percent______________________________________40 % cream 35 . 300nonfat dry skim milk powder 8 . 380sucrose 14 . 29042 d . e . corn syrup 3 . 080carboxymethyl cellulose ( cmc ) 0 . 140water 38 . 810______________________________________ the core material is made from a premium type chocolate ice cream with a high butterfat content , high solids content , and frozen with 20 % overrun having a density of about 7 . 6 pounds per gallon . the ingredients by weight percentage for formulation d are : ______________________________________ingredients weight percent______________________________________36 % cream 40 . 083sweetened condensed skim milk 19 . 040sucrose 7 . 191dutch process cocoa 4 . 000sugared egg yolks 4 . 432water 25 . 254______________________________________ the core material is made from a commercially available frozen custard mix with 50 % overrun having a density of about 6 . 3 pounds per gallon . the custard has a high butterfat content and a high solids content . the ingredients by weight percentage for formulation e are : ______________________________________ingredients weight percent______________________________________30 % cream 32 . 000sweetened condensed skim milk 30 . 750sucrose 6 . 750sugared egg yolks 6 . 40water 23 . 956xanthan gum 0 . 045locust bean gum 0 . 099______________________________________ the core material is made from a commercially available soft serve frozen ice milk with 100 % overrun having a density of about 4 . 6 pounds per gallon . the ingredients by weight percentage for formulation f are : ______________________________________ingredients weight percent______________________________________30 % cream 11 . 70sweetened condensed skim milk 14 . 30sucrose 6 . 40water 55 . 35xanthan gum 0 . 05carboxymethyl cellulose ( cmc ) 0 . 2042 d . e . corn syrup 12 . 0______________________________________ the core material is made by combining a commercially available vanilla pudding with formulation a in amounts where the vanilla pudding is about 37 . 5 percent by volume of the core material and formulation a is about 62 . 5 percent by volume of the core material . formulation g is frozen with 20 % overrun having a density of 7 . 6 pounds per gallon . the core material is made by combining a commercially available plain yogurt with formulation a in amounts where the yogurt is about 25 percent by volume of the core material and formulation a is about 75 % by volume of the core material . formulation h is frozen with 20 % overrun having a density of 6 . 3 pounds per gallon . in the following examples , various formulations for the core material are combined with coatings selected from materials such as chocolate fudge , caramel fudge , strawberry topping , marshmallow topping , and cherries jubilee topping . in each of the examples , a sharp carousel microwave oven , model r - 9330 , is used to heat the frozen edible comestible of the invention . the output power of the sharp microwave oven is 650 w ( 2000 cc water load ) and at a frequency of 2450 mhz . other commercially available microwave ovens also produce satisfactory results , but time of exposure to microwaves may need to be adjusted . a coating of chocolate fudge is preferably chilled to a temperature of 40 ° f ., but may be used at room temperature , and spread to a depth of about one quarter of an inch on the inside surface of a plastic or cardboard container , preferably a cup with about 6 to 8 ounce capacity . the core material made from formulation b is used to fill the remaining space in the plastic or cardboard container lined with the chocolate fudge coating . a top layer of chocolate fudge coating is applied to cover the exposed core to a thickness of about one quarter of an inch . a lid is attached to the container and the contents of the container are frozen at a temperature of at least - 10 ° f . the container holding the frozen edible comestible of the invention is transferred to a tempering cabinet at a temperature of at least - 10 ° f . from the tempering cabinet , the container is transferred to the microwave oven and the contents are subjected to microwave energy on the &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; setting for about 30 seconds . the result is an edible comestible comprising a substantially frozen core of ice cream with normal texture surrounded by the coating that has melted , softened and become slightly warm . the same procedures of example i are followed using a core made from formulation b and using a coating made from caramel fudge . the results obtained are the same as example i . the same procedures of example i are followed using a core made from formulation a and using a coating made from cherries jubilee topping . the results obtained are the same as example i . the same procedures of example i are followed using a core material made from formulation d and using a coating made from marshmallow topping . the results obtained are the same as example i . the same procedures of example i are followed using a core material made from formulation c and using a coating made from strawberry topping . the results obtained are the same as example i . the same procedures of example i are followed except that the time the contents of the cup are subjected to microwave energy is decreased to about 20 seconds . the core material used is made from formulation e and the coating used is made from chocolate fudge . the results obtained are the same as example i . the same procedures of example i are followed using a core made from formulation g and using a coating made from chocolate fudge . the results obtained are the same as example i . the same procedures of example i are followed using a core made from formulation g and using a coating made from caramel fudge . the results obtained are the same as example i . the same procedures of example i are followed using a core made from formulation h and using a coating made from chocolate fudge . the results obtained are the same as example i . the same procedures of example i are followed using a core made from formulation h and using a coating made from caramel fudge . the results obtained are the same as example i . the same procedures of example i are followed using a core made from formulation h and using a coating made from cherries jubilee topping . the results obtained are the same as example i .
0
the invention is essentially the means of providing retention as described ( or any modification thereof ) which can be incorporated into any oral appliance to be employed for the treatment of patients with snoring and / or obstructive sleep apnoea . the structural features of our invention in terms of gaining retention for an oral appliance differentiate it from other oral devices currently employed for the treatment of snoring and / or sleep apnoea . the ability to rigidly engage the undercuts ( either naturally occurring or artificially created ) on the buccal aspects of the posterior teeth by rigid extensions of the appliance is unique to our method of design and construction . whether the oral appliance has solidly joined upper and lower components ( as in a conventional sports gumshield ) or those that are separate for each jaw with a variety of types of connectors which permit relative movement between the two components , the method of gaining retention for the appliance using our invention can be employed . although the lateral sections ( independent of the guidance system for insertion ) are conjoint with the main body of each jaw component , they are capable of elective displacement for the purpose of insertion and removal . the first embodiment of our device relates to the main body of each jaw component of oral devices used in the treatment of snoring and / or obstructive sleep apnoea . fig1 and 2 illustrate this component ( 3 ) and its path of insertion ( 2 ) in relation to the undercut regions ( 1 ) of the posterior natural teeth . the direction of this path of insertion is substantially parallel to the long axis of the teeth and abuts the linqual or palatal surfaces of the teeth . in order that this component shall remain passive in relation to the teeth , any undercut zones not compatible with the chosen path of insertion will be eliminated during the construction of the main body in order to avoid pressure on the natural teeth during insertion and removal ( fig2 ). the main body of the device can be manufactured of polymethyl methacrylate or cobalt chromium alloy in order to afford rigidity to the construction . it has a generally l - shaped cross section . the second embodiment relates to a secondary body or lateral section ( 4 ) which permits engagement with the teeth in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of the main body . the third embodiment relates to the guidance system which enables passive engagement of the lateral aspects of the teeth . this system may be horizontally guided as illustrated in fig3 , 7 and 8 or sliding rotational as depicted in fig9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 . in relation to the horizontal guidance system , the extent of lateral movement necessary in order to release these lateral sections from the natural teeth is illustrated in fig3 , 7 and 8 . bearing sleeves ( 6 ) mounted on support members are provided to ensure a smooth movement of the lateral sections during insertion and removal and these are to be seen in fig5 and 6 . these bearing sleeves consist of stainless steel tubing and engage stainless steel wire support members ( if the main body of the jaw component is constructed of polymethyl methacrylate ) or cobalt chromium support members ( if the main body is constructed of cobalt chromium alloy ). the secondary body or lateral section will be constructed in auto - polymerising acrylic resin and will incorporate the various supplementary components for both alternative types of material selected for the construction of the main body . where a sliding rotational system for engagement of the secondary body or lateral section is clinically indicated , a guide and support davit is incorporated ( 8 ) and its design , range and direction of control is depicted in fig9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 . the fourth embodiment relates to the method of union of the secondary body ( 4 ) to the main body of the jaw component ( 3 ). this comprises a first element and a second element releasably securable by respective detent means to the main body . where the guidance system for the engagement of the lateral aspects of the teeth is of the horizontal type , the detent means comprises a resiliently deformable arm mounted on one of the bodies , and movable between a first position in which the bodies are free to move independently and a second position in which the arm engages a hook on the other body to secure the bodies in engagement with the interposed teeth . this spring lock mechanism is illustrated in fig4 , 6 , 7 and 8 . stainless steel wire is used for its fabrication and it holds the secondary body ( 4 ) in close apposition with the main body ( 3 ) of each jaw component under spring tension ( fig6 , 7 , and 8 ), thereby preventing inadvertent separation of the main and secondary bodies during sleep . the means of locking and unlocking of the detent means is activated manually by the patient . where a sliding rotational system is selected for construction , the respective detent means consists of a latch or cam mechanism and its application is shown in terms of the detailed stainless steel wire components in fig1 , 13 and 14 . both the latch and cam mechanism use the principle of spring tension to apply positive pressure between two interfaces . that is to say , a buccal flange surface engaging a compatible surface on the palatal or lower lingual component of the appliance . in fig1 , these components comprise a support and guiding davit ( 8 ), guide pins ( 9 ), brace bar ( 10 ), latch claw ( 11 ), latch handle ( 12 ), claw pivot ( 13 ), latch pivot ( 14 ) and latch pivot retention loop ( 15 ). fig1 ( a , b , c ) show side views of the alternative latch ( 16 ) in the closed position . fig1 ( c ) illustrates the latch in the open position . arrows shown in fig1 ( c , d ) indicate direction of movement during opening . latch closure is in the reverse direction . fig1 ( a , b ) shows lateral and oblique views of the lower component of the appliance with the cam ( 17 ) in the closed ( locked ) position . fig1 ( c ) shows a side view of the cam ( 17 ) in the closed ( locked ) position and fig1 ( d ) illustrates a side view of the cam ( 17 ) in the open ( unlocked ) position . where a cobalt chromium alloy is selected for construction of the main body , the components which are integral with that body would be cast in cobalt chromium alloy . it should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the following claims .
8
the flat packaging bag 1 illustrated in fig1 and 3 essentially comprises a longitudinally folded packaging wrapper having an upper side ( sheetpanel ) 2 , a folded edge 3 and a lower side ( sheetpanel ) 4 . the longitudinal edges of the sides 2 and 4 are bonded to one another with a longitudinal seal 5 so that an elongated sleeve is formed in which a product such as powdered sugar or coffee may de accommodated . the two ends of the elongated sleeve may be closed by bonding together the edges of the small sides 2 and 4 with transverse seals 6 and 7 , whereby an airtight package for the product is obtained . in the zone where the longitudinal seal 5 and the transverse seal 7 intersect , the transverse seal 7 has an enlargement 8 in which a tear - open slit 9 is provided that cuts through a number of wrapper sheet layers . the tear - open slit 9 may be a simple cut , effected by a single blade , without removal of material . preferably , the distance between the slit 9 and the outer edge 10 of the small side of the sleeve where the transverse seal 7 is located is slightly greater than the normal ( that is , non - enlarged ) width of the transverse seal 7 . the slit 9 does not penetrate far across the width of the longitudinal seal 5 so as to ensure that the hermetic seal of the package is not endangered . the tear - open slit 9 aids in initiating the tearing of the end of the sleeve such that the user may with ease produce a tear which extends parallel to the transverse seal 7 and results in a full severance of an end portion of the sleeve where the transverse seal 7 and the tear - open slit 9 are provided . as shown in fig5 the packaging bag has a first longitudinal folded edge 3 and a second longitudinal folded edge 3 &# 39 ;. the longitudinal seal 5 may be a fin seal wherein one sheet wrapper layer 11 is situated at the sleeve side 2 and three wrapper sheet layers 12 , 13 and 14 are situated on the sleeve side 4 . the tear - open slit 9 , as shown in fig6 cuts through all four layers 11 - 14 . the sheet panel 2 has a marginal longitudinal zone 13 and the sheet panel 4 has a marginal longitudinal zone 14 . the zones 13 and 14 form flaps . in fig6 the enlargement 8 of the transverse seal 7 is bounded by a straight line 16 which forms an obtuse angle with the inner border line 15 of the transverse seal 7 . the line 15 extends parallel to the outer edge 10 . in this variant the tear - open slot 9 is relatively short since it is provided only in the longitudinal seal 5 . in the variant shown in fig7 which has a greater enlargement 8 &# 39 ; than the fig6 embodiment , the enlargement 8 &# 39 ; is bounded by a straight line 18 which , similarly to the line 16 of the fig6 embodiment , extends obliquely from the line 15 , and a line 17 which adjoins line 18 and which is offset parallel to line 15 . in this variant the tear - open slit 9 &# 39 ; is relatively long : it extends throughout the entire width of the longitudinal seal 5 and even extends into but does not project beyond , the enlargement 8 &# 39 ;. in the embodiment according to fig5 the longitudinal fin seal is folded outwardly , that is , towards the adjoining edge of the package . according to the invention , as shown in fig8 the fin seal may also have an inward orientation . the longitudinal seal 5 as shown in fig8 has a wrapper layer 11 &# 39 ; on the sleeve side 2 and three wrapper layers 12 &# 39 ;, 13 &# 39 ; and 14 &# 39 ; on the sleeve side 4 . layers 13 &# 39 ; and 14 &# 39 ; constitute marginal longitudinal zones ( flaps ). in this construction the tear - open slit 9 &# 34 ;, as illustrated in fig9 passes through the four layers 11 &# 39 ;- 14 &# 39 ;. in fig9 the enlargement 8 &# 34 ; is bounded by a line portion 17 &# 39 ; which is parallel and offset relative to the inner seal edge 15 &# 39 ; and a connecting line 18 &# 39 ; which is perpendicular to the lines 15 &# 39 ; and 17 &# 39 ;. the tear - open slit 9 &# 34 ; is relatively short : it extends only partially through the width of the longitudinal seal 5 &# 39 ;, taking into account the fact that the enlargement 8 &# 34 ; is relatively narrow . it is also feasible to utilize , in the embodiment according to fig8 the variants according to fig6 and 7 or to modify the embodiment of fig5 with the variant shown in fig9 . in fig5 and 8 , the outer flaps 14 and 14 &# 39 ; are somewhat shorter than the respective inner flaps 13 and 13 &# 39 ;, to facilitate a securement of the outer flaps to the outer wall of the bag . the packaging bag according to fig1 , 11 and 12 has a longitudinal seal 5 &# 39 ; and two transverse seals 6 &# 39 ; and 7 &# 39 ; which correspond to the respective seals 5 , 6 and 7 in the embodiments illustrated in fig1 - 9 and 13 - 16 . the transverse seals 6 &# 39 ; and 7 &# 39 ; are , however , bonding together adjoining sheets which are at a mutually perpendicular plane to one another , whereby a packaging bag is obtained which is not flat as in the other embodiments but has the shape of an elongated tetrahedron with rounded edges . such a bag has an increased volume . the sleeve of the packaging bag according of fig1 , 11 and 12 may be made with the same process as the sleeve according to fig1 and 3 . such a process may comprise these steps : a wrapper sheet is pulled over a shaping mandrel whereby the sheet is longitudinally bent to form a sleeve and then two adjoining longitudinal sheet edges are bonded to one another with a longitudinal seal 5 . thereafter , the tubular member formed in such a manner is advanced and is , at predetermined locations , pinched together and is further provided with a transverse seal and with a tear - open slit . then the leading bag is severed by a cutting device in such a manner that the trailing bag opening is guided underneath a product dispensing device which charges the bag with the product whereupon the open side through which the filling has taken place is closed with a second transverse seal . it is further feasible to provide later a second tear - open slit in the second transverse seal . the longitudinal seal 5 , as shown in fig1 , may be an overlap seal wherein a flap ( marginal longitudinal zone ) 22 of the sheet panel 20 &# 39 ; is situated between a portion 21 of the sheet panel 20 and a flap strip 23 of the other sheet panel 20 . in this case the tear - open strip 29 or 29 &# 39 ;-- as shown in fig1 and 16 , respectively -- cuts through a total of three layers 21 , 22 and 23 . as shown in fig1 , the longitudinal seal 5 may be an overlap seal bonding two wrapper sheet panels 30 and 30 &# 39 ; and together . a flap 23 &# 39 ; of the panel 30 is folded directly onto a portion 21 &# 39 ; of the panel 30 and a flap ( marginal longitudinal zone ) 22 &# 39 ; of the panel 30 &# 39 ; is situated on the flap . in such case , the tear - open slit 29 or 29 &# 39 ; as shown in fig1 or 16 cuts through three sheet layers 21 &# 39 ;, 22 &# 39 ; and 23 &# 39 ;. fig1 shows an enlargement 28 which is bounded by an oblique line 33 extending from the end of line 31 ( delimiting the transverse seal ) and a line 32 offset parallel to the line 31 . in this variant , the tear - open slit 29 is relatively short : it extends solely in the zone of the longitudinal seal 5 . the embodiment shown in fig1 is similar to the structure of fig1 , but the enlargement 28 &# 39 ; is of greater area by virtue of the fact that the line 32 &# 39 ; is longer than the corresponding line 32 in fig1 , and thus the connecting oblique line 33 &# 39 ; corresponding to line 33 of the fig1 embodiment is shifted in a direction away from the longitudinal seal 5 . in this embodiment the tear - open slit 29 &# 39 ; is relatively long : it extends throughout the entire width of the longitudinal seal 5 and even projects into yet does not extend beyond the enlargement 28 &# 39 ;. it is noted that each embodiment according to one of fig5 , 13 or 14 is combinable with any variant according to one of fig6 , 9 , 15 or 16 to obtain a package of the type according to fig1 and 3 or a package type according to fig1 , 11 and 12 . it is an advantage of the packaging bag according to the invention that the tear - open slit applied according to the invention avoids the use of additional materials and ensures a user friendly tear - open aid for bags having longitudinal and transverse seals having a plurality of bonded layers . &# 34 ; user friendly &# 34 ; in this connection means that even wrapper sheets which can be torn manually only with difficulty such as those made of polyester , polypropylene or oriented polypropylene , may be readily torn with the application of only a slight manual force and further , the obtained open cross section is large . when the tear - open slit according to the invention is used , the bag may be torn open over 50 % of its width . this is of particular importance in relatively narrow elongated bags which have a length - to - width ratio of , for example , 5 : 1 or even in normal bags which contain only poorly pourable material such as powdered soup . in fig6 , 9 , 15 and 16 the tear - open slit 9 , 9 &# 39 ;, 9 &# 34 ;, 29 , or 29 &# 39 ; extends perpendicularly to the edge of the longitudinal seal 5 . as shown in fig1 , in a packaging bag of the various types described above , it is feasible to provide a tear - open slit 39 at an oblique angle to the length of the longitudinal seal 5 so that in such a case it may not be necessary to provide the tear - open slit in the zone of an enlargement 8 , 8 &# 39 ;, 8 &# 34 ; 28 or 28 &# 39 ; of the transverse seal 7 . preferably , in the packaging bag according to the invention the minimal distance between the tear - open slit 9 , 9 &# 39 ;, 9 &# 34 ;, 29 , 29 &# 39 ; or 39 and the inner space of the package should be at least 2 mm to ensure a continued hermetic seal of the package . it will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications , changes and adaptations , and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims .
1
in accordance with the present invention , a certain aqueous co - solvent system comprising one aliphatic alcohol , one glycol and a biological surfactant provides a rate - controlled and enhanced transnasal delivery of an anticonvulsive agent . the alcohol of the present invention is selected from c 1 to c 5 aliphatic alcohols ; a glycol is selected from propylene glycol , polyethylene glycol ( peg ) 200 , peg 300 and peg 400 , and peg 600 ; and a biological surfactant is selected from bile salts such as sodium cholate , sodium deoxycholate , sodium taurocholate , sodium glycocholate , and sodium ursodeoxycholate or a lecithin such as lysophosphotidylcholine , dipalmitoylphosphotidylcholin , distearoylphosphotidylcholin , dipalmitoylphosphotidyl - ethanolamine , and dipalmitoylphosphotidylglycerol . the above - described compositions can be used for medicinal preparations comprising anticonvulsive agents applicable to the mucosal membranes of humans and animals . more specifically , these compositions are ones , which comprise a benzodiazepine such as diazepam , clonazepam , and lorazepam , and a mono - carbamate based new anticonvulsive compound , ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - chlorophenylethanol represented by the following formula : adapted for intranasal administration in a solution , suspension , gel or other useful nasal formulation . these nasal compositions may be employed for any of the known therapeutic purposes for which such anticonvulsants are known including phenytoins ( phenytoin , mephenytoin and ethotoin ), barbiturates ( phenobarbital , mephobarbital , and primidone ), iminostilbenes ( carbamazepine ), succinimides ( ethosuximide ), valproic acid , oxazolidinediones ( trimethadione ) and other antiseizure agents ( gabapentin , lamotrigine , acetazolamide , felbamate , and γ - vinyl gaba ). the utilization of an intranasal formulation of the anticonvulsant greatly facilitates administration . as compared with parenteral administration , for example , a simple sprayer , dropper or nebulizer will suffice for prompt and convenient delivery of the medicaments , in particular , for the emergency treatment of acute convulsive attack phenomena of epilepsy . from a clinical point of view , intranasal administration often provides an improved duration of anticonvulsive effect . by the present invention , the therapeutic effect , in terms of onset , intensity , and duration , can be more efficiently and accurately controlled by varying the proportion of aliphatic alcohol and glycol in the vehicle and by a single - dose and / or multiple - dose administration of the preparation of the invention . although this invention has been described with respect to an anticonvulsant as a model compound , it is understood that this invention is also applicable to the other biologically active agents that are applicable to the mucosal membranes of humans and animals . the invention is further illustrated by the following examples , which are illustrative of a specific mode of practicing the invention and is not intended as limiting the scope of the appended claims . the nasal mucous membrane used in these in vitro experiments was obtained from new zealand white rabbits ( 2 . 5 - 3 . 0 kg ). rabbits were sacrificed by iv injection of phenobarbital . the nasal septum was carefully removed from a bone block using surgical scissors and a bone - cutting saw . two pieces of nasal mucous membranes were then carefully stripped from the nasal septum without touching the center of the membrane surface and rinsed with normal saline solution . the mucosal membrane was mounted between two half - cells of a glass diffusion cell apparatus . the exposed area of the nasal membrane was approximately 0 . 64 cm 2 . a test solution or suspension ( 3 . 5 ml ) was introduced into the mucosal side of the membrane in the donor compartment while 3 . 5 ml of 10 % ethanol , 40 % propylene glycol , and 50 % ph 7 . 4 isotonic phosphate buffer solution was added to the receptor compartment . the entire diffusion system was maintained at 37 ° c . throughout the experiment . at predetermined time intervals , 100 μl of the receptor solution was withdrawn for the assay and refilled with the same volume of fresh receptor medium to keep the volume constant . the steady - state flux value was determined from the slope of the straight line attained from the plot of the cumulative amount of drug permeated as a function of time . each experiment was carried out in at least duplicate . this method was used in examples 2 - 6 . a high pressure liquid chromatographic system equipped with a multi - solvent delivery system ( model 600e , waters associates , milford , mass . ), an auto - injector ( model 717 plus , waters ass . ), a photodiode array detector ( model 996 , waters ass . ), a reverse phase symmetric c 18 column ( 150 mm × 3 . 9 mm id , 5 μm ), and a millenium 2010 software computer system were used in this study . the mobile phases and uv wavelengths utilized for the analysis of diazepam , clonazepam , and ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - chlorophenylethanol were 70 % methanol , 30 % water at 254 nm ; 60 % methanol , 40 % water at 252 nm ; 25 % acetonitrile , and 75 % water at 262 nm , respectively . this example shows the effect of a bile salt and a lecithin dissolved in an aqueous medium at a 1 % w / v level on the in vitro permeation of a model drug diazepam through the freshly excised nasal membrane . in these studies , a series of bile salts such as sodium cholate , sodium deoxycholate , sodium taurocholate , and sodium glycocholate , and a lecithin such as lysophosphtidylcholine were examined . the permeation rates were measured using the method described under the in vitro membrane permeation test method . the average steady - state transnasal flux data obtained in this manner are presented in table i . table i effect of bile salts and lecithin on the in vitro permeation of diazepam across the rabbit nasal mucosal membrane at 37 ° c . mean transnasal flux vehicle ( μg / cm 2 / hr ) ( n = 2 ) water 79 . 5 1 % sodium cholate / h 2 o 66 . 3 1 % sodium deoxycholate / h 2 o 74 . 9 1 % sodium taurocholate / h 2 o 87 . 0 1 % sodium glycocholate / h 2 o 96 . 4 1 % lysophosphotidylcholine / h 2 o 125 . 5 as seen from table i , a bile salt such as sodium glycocholate and a lecithin such as lysophosphotidylcholine produce a significant enhancing effect on the diazepam permeation through the nasal membrane . this example exhibits the influence of a vehicle on the in vitro membrane permeation of diazepam across the rabbit nasal mucous membrane at 37 ° c . in this experiment , a 1 % diazepam suspension and solution were prepared using water and a co - solvent vehicle consisting of 30 % ethanol ( etoh ), 60 % propylene glycol ( pg ), and 10 % water ( wt ), respectively . the permeation rates were determined utilizing the method described in example 1 . the transnasal permeation profiles of diazepam obtained in this manner are presented in fig1 . as seen from fig1 a co - solvent vehicle comprising ethanol , propylene glycol , and water provides an approximately 8 times increase in the transnasal permeation rate of diazepam when compared with that obtained with an aqueous suspension . this example shows the influence of the drug concentration in the donor compartment on the permeation of diazepam through the nasal mucous membrane , in vitro . in this study , 0 . 5 - 2 % diazepam formulations were prepared using a co - solvent mixture comprising 30 % ethanol , 60 % propylene glycol , and 10 % water . the in vitro membrane permeation rates were measured using the test method described in example 1 . the in vitro transnasal flux data obtained with diazepam formulations over 0 . 5 - 2 % level is shown in fig2 . as seen from fig2 the steady - state transnasal flux of diazepam increases linearly with increasing the drug concentration in the donor compartment over the 0 . 5 - 2 . 0 % concentration level . this example shows the effect of the incorporation of a bile salt into a nasal formulation according to the invention on the in vitro transnasal membrane permeation of diazepam . in this experiment , the inclusion of sodium glycocholate to a vehicle consisting of 30 % ethanol , 60 % propylene glycol , and 10 % water at a 1 % level was examined . sample drug solutions ( 10 mg / ml ) were prepared with the vehicle with and without the bile salt . the membrane permeation rates were measured in the use of the test method described in example 1 . the in vitro permeation profiles obtained in this manner are presented in fig3 . as seen from fig3 the inclusion of a 1 % level of sodium glycocholate enhances the transnasal permeation rate of diazepam significantly . an approximately 50 % increase in the steady - state flux is noticed when the bile salt is incorporated into the vehicle . this example shows the comparative transnasal permeabilities of three model drugs such as diazepam , clonazepam , and ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - chlorophenylethanol . in this experiment , a co - solvent vehicle consisting of 30 % ethanol , 60 % propylene glycol , and 10 % water was used . the in vitro permeation experiments were performed using the test method described in example 1 . the comparative transnasal permeability coefficient and steady - state flux data obtained with the medicaments at an initial drug concentration of 5 mg / ml are presented in table ii . table ii comparative transnasal permeability of model drug substances across the rabbit nasal mucous membrane in vitro permeability transnasal drug compound coefficient ( cm / hr ) flux ( μg / cm 2 / hr ) diazepam 4 . 92 × 10 − 2 246 . 0 clonazepam 6 . 95 × 10 − 2 347 . 7 ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - 9 . 77 × 10 − 2 487 . 6 chlorophenylethanol as seen from table ii , the monocarbamate based anticonvulsant , ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - chlorophenylethanol appears to have approximately two times greater transnasal permeability as compared with that of diazepam . the bioavailability and pharmacokinetic characteristics of the preparations of the invention containing diazepam were tested after intranasal application to new zealand white rabbits ( n = 3 - 4 ). for comparison , a diazepam injection ( formula 1 on table iii ) was examined in vivo after intravenous administration of the same dose . iv formula 1 ( 10 mg / 2 ml ) was obtained from elkins - sinn , inc ., which was prepared with propylene glycol ( 0 . 4 ml ), alcohol ( 0 . 1 ml ), benzyl alcohol ( 0 . 015 ml ), sodium benzoate / benzoic acid ( 50 mg ), and a sufficient quantity of water for injection to make 1 ml . for intranasal application , two formulations were prepared using a vehicle system of the invention consisting of 30 % ethanol , 60 % propylene glycol , and 10 % water with ( formula 3 on table iii ) and without ( formula 2 on table ii ) 1 % sodium glycocholate , respectively . another nasal formulation ( formula 4 on table iii ), prepared with a non - ionic surfactant vehicle of polyoxyethylated castor oil ( cremophor el ), was also tested after intranasal application for comparison since this formulation was tested in humans by lau and slattery ( 1989 ). all of the nasal formulations were prepared just prior to the experiments by dissolving 20 - mg diazepam ( sigma chemical ) in 1 ml of the vehicles described above . just prior to the experiment , rabbits ( n = 3 - 4 ) were weighed and restrained in rabbit restrainers while they were facing up . each rabbit received 100 μl of the formula 2 or 3 into each nostril by means of a pfeiffer spray device within 5 seconds . rabbits ( n = 3 ) having iv administration received 1 mg / kg of formula 1 as an ear - vein infusing during 20 seconds . for the repeated dosing studies , the same volume of formula 3 ( 100 % 1 ) was sprayed into each nostril 5 minutes after the first dosing . blood samples ( 1 ml ) were collected at 0 , 2 , 5 , 10 , 20 , 30 , 45 , 60 , and 120 minutes after the iv and in administration . from the blood samples , plasma was separated by centrifugation and stored at − 20 ° c . until analysis . for analysis , plasma samples ( 0 . 5 ml ) were accurately transferred into a 1 . 5 ml polypropylene centrifuge tube . to the plasma sample , 0 . 5 ml of 0 . 01 % v / v perchloric acid in an acetonitrile containing internal standard ( clonazepam 1 μg / ml ) was added . the mixture was vortexed for 30 seconds and centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 10 minutes . the plasma concentration of diazepam was assayed by hplc . the analysis was performed with the waters hplc as described in example 1 . the column used in this study was a 3 . 9 mm × 150 mm × 5 μm symmetric c 18 column . the mobile phase was 50 % methanol : 10 % acetonitrile : 40 % ph 3 . 5 phosphate buffer by volume . the flow rate of the mobile phase was 1 ml / min and the uv detection was made at 228 . 5 nm . the detection limit for diazepam was 70 nmol / l . the areas ( auc ) under the drug plasma concentration - time curves , from 0 min to 120 minutes , were calculated by means of the trapezoidal rule . the bioavailability and pharmacokinetic data obtained in this manner are listed in table iii . the comparative pharmacokinetic profiles obtained after a single iv administration ( formula 1 ) and a single and double in applications of the preparations of the invention ( formulas 3 and 4 ) are depicted in fig4 and 5 , respectively . table iii bioavailability and pharmacokinetic parameter of diazepam after iv and in administration of the preparation of the invention in rabbits route / dosing c max t max auc ( 0 - 120 min ) formulation ( mg / kg ) ( ng / ml ) ( min ) ( ng × min / ml ) f (%) iv single 398 . 8 2 . 0 17582 100 . 0 formula 1 a ( 1 mg / kg × 1 ) ( 63 . 0 ) d ( 407 ) d ( n = 3 ) in single 273 . 6 5 . 0 10383 59 . 1 formula 2 b ( 1 mg / kg × 1 ) ( 62 . 2 ) d ( 692 ) d ( n = 3 ) in single 273 . 7 2 . 0 13300 75 . 7 formula 3 c ( 1 mg / kg × 1 ) ( 26 . 4 ) d ( 972 ) d ( n = 4 ) in double f 327 . 1 2 . 0 26787 76 . 2 e formula 3 c ( 1 mg / kg × 2 ) ( 29 . 7 ) d ( 4859 ) d ( n = 3 ) 556 . 9 10 . 0 ( 130 . 5 ) d in single 73 . 3 30 . 0 7497 42 . 6 formula 4 g ( 1 mg / kg × 1 ) ( 11 . 9 ) d ( 1445 ) d ( n = 3 ) as seen from fig4 and table iii , in formula 3 prepared with 1 % sgc , 30 % ethanol , 60 % pg , and 10 % water increases the transnasal absorption markedly when compared with the cremophor el formula 4 . the c max and auc 0 - 120 minutes for the in formula 3 are approximately 69 % and 76 % with reference to the iv administration , respectively . on the other hand , the c max and auc 0 - 120 minutes for the cremophor el formula 4 are about 19 % and 42 . 6 % of the iv injection . these comparative results appear to be conistent with the human pharmacokinetic data reported by lau and slattery ( 1989 ). according to the reported data , the cremophor el formulation yielded the t max of 1 . 4 hours after intranasal administration in humans and the c max was only about 27 % relative to the iv injection . surprisingly enough , as seen from fig5 and table iii , a repeated intranasal application 5 minutes after the first dosing produces a marked increase in the transnasal absorption of diazepam . the c max and auc values were exactly doubled after the second application relative to those obtained with the first administration . in addition , the plasma diazepam level attained after the second dosing exceeds that of the single iv administration within 7 minutes . these findings clearly demonstrate that a repeated dosing regimen ( within a short period of time ) can be effectively utilized for the acute management of epileptic seizures when a single intranasal dosing is incapable of producing the desired therapeutic effect . two mg of diazepam in a 100 μl vehicle was prepared and applied to rabbits ( n = 3 ) in a manner analogous to that described in example 7 . the following vehicles were tested : 60 % etoh , 30 % pg , and 10 % water ( wt ) with 1 % sgc , 30 % etoh , 60 % pg , and 10 % water ( wt ) with 1 % sgc , and 20 % etoh , 70 % pg and 10 % water ( wt ) with 1 % sgc . blood samples were collected from the ear vein at the following time intervals : 0 , 2 , 5 , 10 , 20 , 30 , 45 , 60 , and 120 minutes . the diazepam concentration in plasma was determined by hplc . the pharmacokinetic profiles obtained after iv and in administration of the preparations are presented in table 1v and fig6 . table iv effect of etoh / pg volume ratio of the vehicle on the pharmacokinetic parameter of diazepam after iv and in administration of the preparation of the invention in rabbits route / dosing c max t max auc ( 0 - 120 min ) formulation ( mg / kg ) ( ng / ml ) ( min ) ( ng × min / ml ) f (%) iv single 398 . 8 2 . 0 17582 100 . 0 formula 1 a ( 1 mg / kg × 1 ) ( 63 . 0 ) e ( 407 ) e ( n = 3 ) in single 313 . 2 2 . 0 13592 77 . 3 formula a b ( 1 mg / kg × 1 ) ( 17 . 3 ) e ( 692 ) e ( n = 3 ) in single 273 . 7 2 . 0 13300 75 . 7 formula b c ( 1 mg / kg × 1 ) ( 26 . 4 ) e ( 972 ) e ( n = 4 ) in single 246 . 3 2 . 0 12860 73 . 1 formula c d ( 1 mg / kg × 1 ) ( 32 . 2 ) e ( 827 ) e ( n = 3 ) as seen from table iv and fig6 the peak plasma concentration of the drug , observed within 2 minutes after the in administration , can be controlled depending on the etoh / pg volume ratio in the vehicles examined . the c max increases gradually with increasing the etoh / pg volume ratio from 0 . 3 to 2 . in addition , the peak plasma concentration for the in vehicle consisting of 60 % etoh , 30 % pg and 10 % water ( wt ) with 1 % sgc at 2 minutes is approximately 79 % of an iv injection of the same dose . in addition , modulating the etoh / pg volume ratio in the vehicles can also control the plasma level - time profile in the elimination phase . the pharmacological response was examined in new zealand white rabbits by evaluating muscle relaxation effect of diazepam after iv administration and in administration of the preparations of the invention at a dosing level of 1 mg / kg . the vehicle of nasal formulation consisted of 30 % ethanol , 60 % propylene glycol , and 10 % water containing 1 % sgc . the sample formulation was prepared by dissolving 20 mg diazepam in 1 ml of the vehicle by ultrasonification . the iv formulation was the same as that used in example 7 . the pharmacological response was measured in rabbits after application of 100 μl of nasal formulation into each nostril while the rabbit was in a lying position after being firmly tipped with a finger on the hip . the mean response times that the rabbits remained in a lying position with its hind legs stretched to one side after iv and in administration are listed in table v . table v mean pharmacological response times after iv and in administration of diazepam preparations route / formulation response time ( min .) n iv injection 1 . 1 ± 0 . 2 3 in formula 3 1 . 5 ± 0 . 5 3 as seen from table v , the nasal formulation of the invention provides a very fast response . the time to pharmacological response was 1 . 5 minutes . an intranasal formulation was prepared by dissolving 8 . 36 mg clonazepam in 2 ml of a vehicle of the invention consisting of 30 % etoh , 60 % pg , and 10 % water containing 1 % sgc . a formulation for iv injection was prepared by dissolving 3 - mg of clonazepam in 2 ml of a 40 % pg , 30 % etoh , and 30 % water solution and filtering the solution through a sterile filter under aseptic conditions . the formulations were administered to rabbits ( n = 3 ) at a dose of 0 . 2 mg / kg in a manner analogous to those described in example 7 . a repeated dosing regimen ( double and triple application ) at 5 minutes time intervals was also tested . blood samples were obtained from the ear vein at the following time intervals : 0 , 2 , 5 , 10 , 20 , 30 , 45 , 60 , and 120 minutes . from the blood samples , plasma was separated by centrifugation and stored at − 20 ° c . until analysis . for analysis , plasma samples ( 0 . 5 ml ) were accurately transferred into a 15 - ml test tube . to the plasma sample , 10 μl of an internal standard solution ( diazepam — 5 μg / ml ) and 50 μl naoh ( 0 . 5m ) were added . to the above mixture , 5 ml of diethyl ether was added and this mixture was vortexed for 60 seconds and centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 10 minutes . the upper ethereal solution was transferred to a 5 ml test tube and evaporated in a vacuum evaporator at 40 ° c . for 30 minutes . the residue was reconstituted with 100 μl of the mobile phase for hplc analysis consisting of 20 % methanol , 30 % acetonitrile , and a 50 % ph 3 . 5 kh 2 po 4 / h 3 po 4 buffer solution . the clonazepam concentration in the plasma was determined by hplc using a flow rate of 1 ml / minute and the uv detection at 254 nm . the detection limit for clonazepam was 16 nmol / l . the bioavailability and pharmacokinetic data obtained after iv and in administration in a single and multiple dosing schedule are listed in table vi and the mean plasma concentration - time profiles are shown in fig7 . table vi bioavailability and pharmacokinetic parameters for clonazepam after iv and in administration of the preparations to rabbits route / formul - dosing c max t max auc ( 0 - 120 min ) ation ( mg / kg ) ( ng / ml ) ( min ) ( ng × min / ml ) f (%) iv single 104 . 8 2 . 0 7437 . 7 100 . 0 formula a ( 0 . 2 mg / kg × 1 ) ( n = 2 ) in single 32 . 9 2 . 0 3356 . 4 45 . 1 formula b ( 0 . 2 mg / kg × 1 ) ( 5 . 9 ) c ( 544 . 8 ) c ( n = 3 ) in double f 49 . 5 10 . 0 4896 . 8 32 . 9 d formula c ( 0 . 2 mg / kg × 2 ) ( 5 . 3 ) c ( 836 . 6 ) c ( n = 3 ) in triple f 80 . 2 15 . 0 7766 . 1 34 . 8 e formula d ( 0 . 2 mg / kg × 3 ) ( 21 . 3 ) c ( 2077 . 9 ) c ( n = 3 ) as seen from table vi and fig7 the initial peak plasma concentration is attained within 2 minutes after the first intranasal application of the preparation . the peak plasma level was about 32 % of the iv injection . however , after the third application at 5 minutes intervals , the peak plasma concentration observed at 15 minutes was nearly identical to that of the single iv injection of clonazepam . the pharmacological response of clonazepam preparations was examined in new zealand white rabbits after application of 100 μl of the 4 . 18 mg clonazepam / ml vehicle into each nostril in a manner analogous to that described in example 9 . the vehicle consisted of 30 % etoh , 60 % pg , and 10 % water containing 1 % sgc . clonazepam was dissolved in the vehicle by ultrasonification . the iv formulation used in the study was the same as described in example 10 . the mean response times measured after the w and in administration are presented in table vii . table vii mean pharmacological response times after iv and in administration of clonazepam preparations route / formulation response time ( minutes ) n iv injection 1 . 7 ± 0 . 5 3 in formulation 1 . 4 ± 0 . 7 3 as shown in table vii , the intranasal application of the clonazepam formulation of the invention provides a faster response time ( 1 . 4 minutes ) when compared with that of iv injection ( 1 . 7 minutes ). an intranasal formulation was prepared by dissolving 50 mg or 100 mg of a mono - carbamate based new anticonvulsive agent ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - chlorophenylethanol in 1 ml of a vehicle of the invention consisting of 30 % etoh , 60 % pg , and 10 % water containing 1 % sgc . a formulation for iv injection was prepared by dissolving 15 mg ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - chlorophenylethanol in 1 ml of 40 % peg 400 and 60 % water and filtering through a sterile membrane filter under aseptic conditions . the formulations were administered to rabbits ( n = 2 - 4 ) at the two dosing levels of 2 . 5 mg / kg and 5 mg / kg in a manner analogous to that described in example 7 . a repeated dosing regimen at 5 minute intervals was also studied in the nasal application of the preparation of the invention . blood samples were obtained from the ear vein at the following time intervals : 0 , 2 , 5 , 10 , 20 , 30 , 45 , 60 , 120 , 180 and 240 minutes . from the blood samples , plasma was separated by centrifugation and stored at − 20 ° c . until analysis . for analysis , plasma samples ( 0 . 5 ml ) were accurately transferred into a 15 - ml test tube . to the plasma sample , 50 μl of an internal standard solution ( 2 -( 2 , 6 - dichlorophenyl )- 2 - carbamoyloxyethyl ) oxocarboxamide — 10 μg / ml ) and 5 ml of methylbutyl ether were added . the mixture was vortexed for 60 seconds and centrifuged at 3500 rpm for 10 minutes . the upper ethereal solution was transferred to a 5 ml test tube and evaporated in a vacuum evaporator at 40 ° c . for 30 minutes . the residue was reconstituted with 200 μl of deionized water . the ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - chlorophenylethanol concentration in the plasma was determined by hplc in the use of a mobile phase consisting of 20 % acetonitrile and 80 % water with a flow rate of 1 ml / minute and uv detection at 210 nm . the detection limit for ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - chlorophenylethanol was 23 nmol / l . the pharmacokinetic parameters determined after iv and in administration of ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - chlorophenylethanol at two dose strengths are presented in table viii . the bioavailability and pharmacokinetic parameters obtained after iv administration and in administration of the preparations of the invention in a single and double dosing regimen are listed in table ix . the mean plasma concentration - time profiles obtained after iv and in administration of ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - chlorophenylethanol preparations in single and double dosing schedules are presented in fig8 and 9 . table viii pharmacokinetic parameters of ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - chlorophenylethano after a single iv and in administration at two dosing strengths route / dose maximum t max auc ( 0 - 240 min ) formulation ( mg / kg ) conc . ( ng / ml ) ( min ) ( ng × min / ml ) f (%) iv formula a 5 . 0 6267 . 7 2 . 0 473176 100 . 0 ( 408 . 0 ) d ( 56105 ) d ( n = 4 ) in formula 1 b 5 . 0 2404 . 9 . 30 . 0 373991 79 . 1 ( 130 . 0 ) d ( 5077 ) d ( n = 3 ) iv formula a 2 . 5 4179 . 9 2 . 0 221291 100 . 0 ( n = 2 ) in formula 2 c 2 . 5 1407 . 2 5 . 0 160269 72 . 4 ( n = 2 ) [ 0046 ] table ix bioavailability and pharmacokinetic parameters of ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - chlorophenylethano after iv and in administration of the preparations in single and double dosing regimen route / maximum formul - dose conc . t max auc ( 0 - 240 min ) ation ( mg / kg ) ( ng / ml ) ( min ) ( ng × min / ml ) f (%) iv single 6267 . 7 2 . 0 473176 100 . 0 formula a ( 5 mg / kg × 1 ) ( 408 . 0 ) c ( 56105 ) c ( n = 4 ) in single 2404 . 9 . 30 . 0 373991 79 . 1 formula b ( 5 mg / kg × 1 ) ( 130 . 0 ) c ( 5077 ) c ( n = 3 ) in double e 4332 . 3 30 . 0 700475 74 . 0 d formula b ( 5 mg / kg × 2 ) ( 979 . 3 ) ( 114195 ) c ( n = 3 ) as seen from table ix , after the intranasal application the initial peak concentrations observed within 5 - 30 minutes increased proportionally with increasing the dose strength . the bioavailability of the nasal preparations is found to be 73 - 79 % of the iv injection . the pharmacokinetic results presented in table ix and fig9 clearly demonstrate that the second application of the intranasal formulation 5 minutes after the first dosing produces a nearly identical bioavailability to that obtained after the first dosing . the c max and auc 0 - 240 minutes are doubled after the second intranasal application . in addition , the plasma concentration of ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - chlorophenylethanol achieved after the second dosing exceeded the plasma level obtained with a single iv injection at 30 minutes . in an effort to optimize the stability of the medicaments in the pharmaceutical compositions according to the present invention , an accelerated stability study was performed at a storage temperature of 37 ° c . over a 10 - 14 weeks time period . sample drug solutions ( 0 . 1 mg / ml ) were prepared using a vehicle of the invention consisting of 30 % etoh , 60 % pg , and 10 % water . the drug solutions were stored in an oven set at 37 ° c . at appropriate time intervals , a 100 μl sample was withdrawn and analyzed by means of hplc . the chemical stability data determined in terms of the percent drug recovery are presented in table x . table x chemical stability of the preparations of the invention at 37 ° c . drug formulation storage time ( weeks ) % recovery diazepam formulation 0 100 . 0 4 100 . 3 10 102 . 4 14 102 . 6 clonazepam formulation 0 100 . 0 4 101 . 7 11 100 . 9 ( s )- 2 - carbamoyloxyl - 1 - o - chlorophenylethanol formulation 0 100 . 0 3 100 . 2 4 98 . 2 9 98 . 0 12 97 . 6
8
the itu - t h . 263 standard ( itu - t std . h . 263 - 1995 , published march 1996 ) provides a pb frames mode which codes two pictures as one unit . the term &# 34 ; pb &# 34 ; stems from p - picture and b - picture types . the pb - frame comprises one p - picture predicted from the previous decoded p - picture and one b - picture predicted from both the previous decoded p - picture and the p - picture currently being decoded . with this option , portions of the b - picture maybe bi - directionally predicted from the past and future pictures . the present invention provides a method and an apparatus for adaptively enabling and disabling the pb frames mode in an h . 263 video coder . fig1 is an exemplary video conferencing system with an embodiment of the present invention . video conferencing system 100 has a plurality of computer systems 102 1 through 102 n coupled to each other through network 104 . network 104 may be a public switched telephone network ( pstn ), a local area network ( lan ), an internet , etc . each computer system 102 has a transport layer 106 and a video coder 108 with the present invention &# 39 ; s pb frame decision logic 109 . fig2 illustrates an exemplary source coder coupled to the present invention &# 39 ; s pb frame decision logic . coder 200 is coupled to pb frame decision logic 109 . coder 200 has error frame logic 201 . error p 210 is a motion compensated prediction error for the p - picture part of the pb - frame . error b 212 is a motion compensated prediction error for the b - picture part of the pb - frame . a method implemented with the present invention error frame logic 201 to generate error p 210 and error b 212 is illustrated in fig4 . pb frames flag on 216 is a flag which indicates whether the pb frames mode is to be turned on . pb frames flag enabler 203 sets pb frames flag on 216 to true responsive to results produced by comparator 215 . pb frames flag on 216 value is forwarded to coder 200 through switch 217 for the next frame . more specifically , pb frames flag on 216 is initially set to true and the number of p - pictures is set to zero . the number of p - pictures is the number of p - pictures encoded while the pb frames mode is disabled . for each frame , if the pb frames mode is on , comparator 215 determines if the motion compensated prediction for the b - picture part of the pb - frame ( error b 212 ) is greater than the motion compensated prediction error for the p - picture part of the pb - frame multiplied by a constant ( error p 210 ). if error b 212 is greater than error p 210 multiplied by a constant , then pb frame flag enabler 203 sets pb frames flag on 216 to false . coder 200 receives pb frames flag on 216 with the value of true and turns pb frames mode off . the number of p - pictures is then set to zero . further , the b - picture portion of the pb frame bit stream is discarded and the remaining p - picture bit stream 219 is forwarded to video multiplexer coder 220 . otherwise , if the pb frames mode is off , the number of p - pictures encoded while the pb frames mode is disabled is incremented by one . if the number of p - pictures is greater than a predetermined p threshold , then pb frames flag enabler 203 sets pb frames flag on 216 to true and coder 200 turns the pb frames mode on . bit stream 218 is then forwarded to video multiplexer coder 220 . fig3 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of the pb frames mode decision logic . initially , the pb frames mode is set to true ( e . g . pb frames mode is on ) and the number of p - pictures ( number - p ) is set to zero . after each frame is encoded , the value for pb frames mode is modified . if the pb frames mode is switched off ( false ), the b - picture portion of the encoded frame is discarded before sending the bit stream to the video multiplexer coder for further processing . more specifically , in block 301 , if the pb frames mode is on , then in block 302 , it is determined whether the error value for the b - picture part of the pb frame is greater than the error value for the p - picture part of the pb frame multiplied by a constant . in block 303 , if the error value for the b - picture part of the pb frame is greater than the error value for the p - picture part of the pb frame multiplied by a constant , then the pb frames mode is turned off and the number - p is set to zero . the number - p is the number of p - pictures encoded while pb frames mode is disabled . in block 304 , if the error value for the b - picture part of pb frame is less than or equal to the error value for the p - picture part of the pb frame multiplied by a constant , then the pb frames mode remains on . back in block 301 , if the pb frames mode is off , then in block 305 the number of p - pictures encoded while the pb frames mode is disabled is incremented by one . in block 306 , if the number of p - pictures is greater than the number of a predetermined p threshold , then in block 307 , the pb frames mode is turned on . otherwise , in block 304 , the pb frames mode remains off . in block 308 , if there are more frames to be processed , then the process flow returns to block 301 . otherwise , the process flow terminates . fig4 illustrates a method of implementation of the prediction error generation logic used to generate the error p and error b values of the present invention . in step 401 , the sum of the prediction error is set to zero . in step 402 , given a video frame , each macroblock prediction error is added for every macroblock over the entire frame . in step 403 , the sum is then divided by the total number of macroblocks in that given frame to produce a prediction error for the given video frame . what has been described is a method and apparatus for adaptively enabling and disabling the pb frames mode in an h . 263 video coder . the itu - t h . 263 standard ( itu - t std . h . 263 - 1995 , published march 1996 ) provides a pb frames mode which codes two pictures as one unit . the term &# 34 ; pb &# 34 ; stems from p - picture and b - picture types . pb - frame comprises one p - picture predicted from the previous decoded p - picture and one b - picture predicted from both the previous decoded p - picture and the p - picture currently being decoded . with this option , portions of the b - picture maybe bi - directionally predicted from the past and future pictures . the present invention &# 39 ; s pb frame decision logic adaptively enables and disables the pb frames mode to produce the best video quality given a video data sequence . while certain exemplary embodiments have been described in detail and shown in the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention , and that this invention is not to be limited to the specific arrangements and constructions shown and described , since various other modifications may occur to those with ordinary skill in the art .
6
the particular article to be cast is shown by way of example as a turbine blade 4 , fig8 having an airfoil portion 6 and a root 8 . this blade is hollow and has internal opposed surfaces 10 and 12 , fig9 and opposite external surfaces 14 and 15 on the opposed halves 16 and 17 . it will be understood that other articles may be made by this technique , such as turbine vanes , for example , and the showing of a turbine blade is merely illustrative of one type of cast article . the technique to be described is applicable to the casting of high temperature super alloys , or eutectics examples of which are now well known . the manufacture of such articles by the present invention begins with a precast ceramic &# 34 ; strong back &# 34 ; or central mold element 18 , fig1 the opposite side surfaces 20 and 22 of which have the configuration of the opposed internal surfaces 10 and 12 of the cast article , since these surfaces of the cast article are formed against these surfaces of the mold element . the opposite edges of the central mold element extend beyond the surfaces 20 and 22 to form side flanges 24 and 25 that become embedded in the shell mold as will be pointed out . on the surfaces 20 and 22 wax patterns 26 and 27 are positioned , these patterns having outer surfaces 28 and 30 conforming in shape to the outer surfaces of the finished blade halves . these wax patterns in addition to defining the airfoil portion 32 of the blade shape , and the root portion 34 , also have a growth zone forming portion 36 directly below the root portion ( used in the directional solidification of alloys ) and may also have a filler cup forming portion 38 above the airfoil portion . if this filler cup is provided it is located above the top of the central element as shown in fig2 . the wax pattern extends beyond the side margins of the surfaces 20 and 22 on the central mold element to establish surfaces 40 and 41 on one pattern and 42 and 43 on the other pattern . in this way , the cast blade halves have mating surfaces for use in bonding the blade halves together . the wax patterns may be preformed and then positioned on the mold element or may be cast in position on the central element if so desired . this assemblage of central mold element and wax patterns thereon as in fig3 is then used to make a shell mold 44 . this process is well known and involves successively and repeatedly dipping the assemblage in a slurry of ceramic particles followed by stuccoing with refractory particles to coat the assemblage and then drying the coating , the repetition of dipping , stuccoing and drying being repeated until the desired thickness for a mold wall is obtained . the assemblage with the multiple coatings thereon is then heated for hardening and curing to form the coatings into a firm strong mold to be used in making the casting . the mold , fig6 encompasses the filler cup and growth zone as well as the remainder of the assemblage . during the heating of the assemblage and coatings , the wax pattern is melted and flows out of the hardened mold leaving a cavity on each side of the &# 34 ; strong back &# 34 ;, such cavities 46 and 48 , fig5 corresponding in shape , as will be apparent , to the opposed halves of the blade to be cast . the growth zone cavity at the bottom of the mold terminates at the open bottom end of the mold , and the filler cavity is open at the top end of the mold . if the articles to be cast are made from one of the super alloys the completed mold , with the &# 34 ; strong back &# 34 ; therein , and held by the flanges 24 and 25 which extend into and are embedded in the mold wall as shown in fig4 and 5 is then positioned on a chill plate and placed within a vacuum or inert gas chamber . in this chamber , the mold is raised to a temperature above that of the alloy to be cast , the alloy is poured into the mold and the alloy is solidified by the action of the chill plate and by the controlled cooling of the mold . if columnar grained or single crystal articles are being cast the cooling is accomplished as described in versnyder or piearcey , above mentioned . it will be understood that the invention is also applicable to the production of equiaxed castings . when the alloy is cooled , the blade halves are removed from the mold , and when cleaned and the extraneous material removed , for example the growth zone alloy and filler cup alloy , the opposed blade halves are bonded together to form the turbine blade of fig8 and 9 . because the strong back is not deformed during the casting process , the mating surfaces 50 and 52 on the opposing blade halves , formed by the areas of the central mold element that were in contact with the surfaces 40 , 41 , 42 and 43 of the pattern , and exposed when the pattern was melted out of the mold , are precision surfaces and will mate over the entire design area of each surface for a full - area bonding of the two halves together . the blade being cast in halves may have its internal surfaces and the blade wall thicknesses carefully inspected prior to assembly to make sure that the blade when completed is within the precision limits required for optimum performance in use . this invention has particular utility at the present time in the production of high temperature turbine blades and vanes . these parts have been manufactured in significant quantities by investment casting , using the &# 34 ; lost wax &# 34 ; technique and such experience has been obtained that a large portion of the castings made will meet the high standard established for the safe use of such parts . the present concept is substantially an extension of the same technique but including the reinforcing &# 34 ; strong back &# 34 ; or center mold element . thus this invention requires development of no significant new techniques and the expertise already obtained may be adapted directly to the present concept . it will be understood that much development work is necessary in adapting new molds and processes for successful commercial use . the present concept is an effective interim invention that may be extensively utilized until the more sophisticated concept of the above identified application ser . no . 416 , 563 can be put into high production of precision parts . although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof , it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and omissions in the form and detail thereof may be made therein without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention .
1
the embodiment illustrated in fig1 and 2 of a rapid heating furnace for processing semiconductor wafers 2 shows a reaction chamber 1 , which is preferably comprised of quartz or silica glass , with a semiconductor wafer 2 disposed therein . the reaction chamber 1 is surrounded by a housing 3 that is respectively provided at the top and bottom with lamps 4 , 5 , the radiation of which is directed upon the reaction chamber 1 . the reaction chamber 1 is advantageously essentially comprised of a material that is essentially transparent for the lamp radiation , and that is also transparent with respect to the measuring wavelengths or the measuring wavelength spectra of the pyrometer or the radiation detectors that are used . with quartz glasses and / or sapphire , which have an absorption coefficient , averaged over the lamp spectrum , of about 0 . 1 cm − 1 to 0 . 001 cm − 1 , suitable reaction chambers for rapid heating systems can be constructed where the thickness of the reaction chamber wall can be between 1 mm and several centimeters , for example 5 cm . depending upon the thickness of the reaction chamber wall , the selection of the material can be effected with regard to the absorption coefficient . chamber walls having thicknesses in the range of centimeters are then required in particular if in the reaction chamber 1 a vacuum ( up to the ultra - high vacuum ) or an overpressure is to be generated . if the diameter of the reaction chamber is , for example , about 300 mm , then with a quartz glass thickness of about 12 mm to 20 mm an adequate mechanical stability of the chamber 1 is achieved , so that this chamber can be evacuated . the thickness of the reaction chamber wall is designed in conformity with the material of the wall , the size of the chamber , and the pressure loads . a schematically illustrated pyrometer 6 ( see in particular fig2 ) having a large inlet angle measures the radiation emitted from the semiconductor wafer 2 as well as the radiation of the lamps 5 reflected at the semiconductor wafer 2 ; in the illustrated embodiment , the lamps are embodied as rod lamps . an arrangement of this type is known and described , for example , in de 44 37 361 c or in non - published de 197 37 802 a of the applicant , so that in order to avoid repetition these publications are incorporated by reference to the extent relevant to the present specification . the rod lamps are preferably halogen lamps , the filaments of which at least partially have a helical or coiled structure . by means of an at least partial helical structure , advantageously a specific predefined geometrical and spectral radiation profile of the lamp can be achieved . in this connection , the filament of the lamp can , for example , alternately include coiled and uncoiled filament sections . the radiation profile ( not only the geometrical but also the spectral ) is in this case essentially determined by the spacing between adjacent coiled filament sections . a further possibility for defining the lamp radiation profile consists , for example , in varying the density of the filament structure ( for example the coil density ) along the filament . if the lamp profile is to be controllable , advantageously lamps , preferably rod lamps , having a number of individually controllable filaments can be used . lamps with controllable lamp profile are particularly advantageous in rapid heating units for the thermal treatment of large - surface substrates , for example 300 mm semiconductor wafers , since with these lamps and a suitable lamp control mechanism a very homogeneous temperature profile can be achieved along the surface of the substrate . as a consequence of the superposition of the individual radiation profiles of the filaments there results an overall radiation profile of the lamp that is controllable over a wide range . in the simplest case , for example with a halogen lamp , such a lamp includes two filaments , for example each with a helical structure or an at least partially coiled structure , whereby the coil density and / or the spacing between the coiled filament sections of the first filament increases from the first end to the second end of the lamp , and the coil density and / or the spacing of the coiled element sections of the second filament correspondingly decrease in the reverse order from the first to the second end of the lamp . the overall radiation profile can thus be varied over a wide range by the selection of the current strength in the two filaments . a further possibility for embodying a lamp with controllable radiation profile consists in providing the filament of the lamp with at least three electrical connections , whereby between each two connections different operating voltages are applied . in this way , the filament temperature , and hence the radiation characteristic of a lamp , can be controlled along sections of the filament . as an alternative to the previously described lamps , plasma or arc lamps can also be used , whereby here also the radiation profile can be controlled . thus , for example , the lamp spectrum can be adjusted via the current density from the uv region up to the near infrared . the arc lamps , with respect to the active modulation , have the advantage that they can be operated with higher modulation frequencies . this simplifies not only the electronics for signal processing but also the analysis processes . by means of optical lines or light channels 8 , the light radiated from the lamps 5 is conveyed directly to a further pyrometer 7 . in this connection , the radiation sources and / or the light channels are preferably arranged in such a way that the lamp pyrometer signal originates from a lamp or filament section that is free of filament holding mechanisms or other devices that adversely affect the radiation flux or the temperature of the filament or lamp section observed through the light channels . to avoid repetition with respect to the lamp pyrometer 7 in the arrangement for irradiating the lamp pyrometer 7 with the light of the lamps 5 , reference is made to de 197 54 385 of the same applicant and filed on the same date , which is incorporated in the present application to the extent relevant . the output signals of the pyrometers 6 and 7 are conveyed to a non - illustrated evaluation circuit that determines the radiation emitted by the semiconductor wafer 2 by relating the radiation striking the pyrometer 6 to the radiation determined by the pyrometer 7 , thereby determining the radiation that is emitted from the semiconductor wafer 2 . this is possible because the radiation emitted from the lamps 5 is actively modulated in a defined manner . this modulation is also contained in the radiation taken up by the wafer pyrometer 6 , so that by comparing or relating the degree of modulation or the modulation depths of the radiation taken up by the pyrometers 6 and 7 , a compensation of the lamp radiation reflected from the semiconductor wafer 2 in the radiation picked up by the wafer pyrometer 6 is possible , and as a result the radiation emitted by the semiconductor wafer 2 , and hence the temperature , reflectivity , transmissivity and / or emissivity thereof can be measured precisely . a further corresponding lamp pyrometer , as this was illustrated in fig1 and 2 and previously described , can pursuant to a further embodiment also be provided with corresponding light lines or channels on the other side of the housing 3 to measure the lamp radiation of the upper lamps 4 . in this connection , the function of the upper lamp pyrometer corresponds to that of the lower lamp pyrometer 7 in that the upper lamp pyrometer measures the radiation and intensity thereof relative to the upper lamps 4 . in this connection , it is particularly advantageous if the type or degree of modulation of the lamps of the upper lamp bank differ from the degree or type of modulation of the lower lamp bank . by comparing the light taken up by the wafer pyrometer 6 , or its type or degree of modulation , with the type or degree of the modulation of the intensity determined with the upper lamp pyrometer , in a non - illustrated analysis unit , it is furthermore possible to also determine the transmissivity of the semiconductor wafer 2 , and to draw conclusions therefrom regarding the temperature , the emissivity and / or the reflectivity of the wafer 2 . the intensities i of the radiation sources are respectively plotted versus time in fig3 a and 3 b . as shown in fig3 a , the degree or depth of modulation is essentially constant and independent of the radiation intensity given off by the radiation source , whereas in the embodiment illustrated in fig3 b the degree or depth of modulation depends upon the irradiated intensity of the radiation source , i . e . the magnitude of its control signal , in other words is proportional thereto . the so - called absolute modulation of fig3 a has the advantage that during the heating - up of the semiconductor wafer 2 and the reaction chamber 1 , the heating capacity is practically not adversely affected by the modulation , and therefore the entire intensity is available for the rapid heating . in contrast , the so - called relative modulation of fig3 b has the advantage of increasing the degree or depth of modulation as the radiation capacity of the radiation sources increases . it is similarly possible to control or actively regulate the modulation depth . fig4 illustrates a schematic circuit arrangement for the control of a radiation source or lamps 4 , 5 for the generation of a radiation or a radiation gradient for a specific wafer temperature or a specific temperature gradient with which the wafer 2 is to be heated up or , by appropriate switching off or reduction of the intensity of the lamps , cooled off . in a comparator 11 the wafer temperature ( connection 13 ), which is indirectly measured by the wafer pyrometer 6 , is respectively compared with a reference temperature 14 and the comparison signal is conveyed to a control unit 15 , at the output of which the control signal , in conformity with the adjustment elements 16 , 17 , is distributed to the two lamps or lamp banks . thereafter , the control signal is distributed to the individual lamps 4 , 5 of the lamp banks by distributors 18 , 19 , whereby in order to facilitate illustration in each case merely one distributor 18 , 19 is positively illustrated , such distributors providing the control signal to the lamps 4 or 5 . it is particularly advantageous if the control signal is modulated immediately before the lamps 4 or 5 , since in this way distortions that are caused by the lamp control circuit can be avoided . in this case , the modulation is therefore effected at the locations 20 or 21 of the circuit by non - illustrated modulation devices , for example by programmable curve , amplitude and / or frequency gradients . however , the modulation can also take place at other locations within the control circuit of fig4 for example at the circuit location 22 or at the circuit location 23 ahead of or after the control unit 15 . however , in this case an individual modulation of the control signal for a respective lamp is not possible , since the modulation of the general output signal is uniformly affected . the modulation can be carried out by means of an appropriate data processing program in a straightforward manner . with software tables , practically all curve shapes and frequencies can be freely programmed , whereby the length of the table determines the frequency , since the table can be processed with a fixed time base ( for example 1 ms ), and after reaching the end of the table can be repeated as often as desired . the table can be set , for example , with a base of 2 8 = 256 , whereby the algorithm for the modulation is , for example : c mod = c d   c · t  ( n ) 2 basis whereby c mod is the degree of modulation , c dc is the value of the non - modulated or base intensity or amplitude , and t ( n ) are the respective discrete table values . in this way , any desired degree of modulation or modulation depths , curve shapes and frequencies can be programmed in a straightforward manner . with , for example , a 100 % modulation at 125 hz the following discrete table values result the mean value of the table values must in this connection correspond to the devisor so that the resulting integrated output remains unchanged . at 10 % modulation with 125 hz the following table values result the resolution , i . e . the number of table values per unit of time , is unchangeable by taking a different base . this control or modulation process has the advantage that only shift and multiplication commands are required if the divisor is a number having the base 2 . the invention has been explained with the aid of preferred embodiments . however , embodiments and modifications are possible for one skilled in the art without thereby abandoning the inventive concept . the inventive method is especially advantageously usable , also in conjunction with other devices or measuring methods other than the previously described one , in order with straightforward means to be able to obtain reliable and reproduceable measurement results , and from that to be able to determine the temperature , the transmissivity , the emissivity and / or the reflectivity of objects with a high degree of precision . the inventive method can also be used with detectors other than the illustrated and described lamp pyrometer . for example , instead of the lamp pyrometer a temperature sensor , such as a thermo element , can be used in order to determine the radiation emitted from the lamps . furthermore , it is possible to determine the radiation emitted from the lamps by means of an impedance measurement of the lamp filament followed by processing of the measured value . with the aid of an impedance - intensity relationship of the lamp , the intensity radiated from the lamp can be inferred . the specification incorporates by reference the disclosure of german priority document de 197 54 386 . 3 of dec . 8 , 1997 and de 198 52 320 . 3 of nov . 12 , 1998 and de 198 55 683 . 7 of dec . 2 , 1998 . the present invention is , of course , in no way restricted to the specific disclosure of the specification and drawings , but also encompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims .
6
referring to fig1 a , there is shown a simplified block diagram of the system of the present invention . a server site 101 is connected to the computer network 103 such as the web or a wide area network ( wan ) other than the web . at the server site , server software runs on a suitable server platform . in the case of the web , for example , the server of fig1 a might be a server available from the national center for supercomputing applications ( ncsa ), or a secure server package of a known , commercially - available type , running on a super - minicomputer such as a sunserver machine available from sun microsystems of menlo park , calif ., or on any of a wide variety of suitable unix platforms . also running , either on the same machine or a network - accessible machine , is a database management system 107 . preferably , the database management system 107 supports standard query language , or sql . one suitable database management system is minisql , which is also commercially available . sql databases , however , are not inherently “ web - friendly .” accordingly , a variety of html front - ending tools 109 are provided which run as extensions to the server software , allowing computer network users to each add entries to a database , search entries in the database , and update entries by that particular user , all using the web ( or a web - like ) graphical user interface . the server software and the html front - ending tools communicate through the common gateway interface 111 . in accordance with another embodiment , shown in fig1 b , the html front - ending tools may be fully integrated with the server software . the html front - ending tools and the database communicate through sql ( 113 ). when a network user visits the server site , the user is served a main page in a page description language such as html . the user interacts with the page , making selections or requests . these selections or requests , although they may not appears as such to the user , are in effect page requests , e . g ., urls that access a page directly or that call a cgi script to perform some sort of processing . the result of the selection or request may be a page eliciting a further selection or request , or may be contain the desired information itself . in order to convey the manner in which the automated information service and directory is used , screen displays of the graphical user interface will now be described . when a user first visits the site , he or she is presented with a main page as shown in fig2 a . along the side of the page are icons that may be clicked on to select different services . an icon 201 selects a “ webbook ” service in which database entries may be searched , viewed and updated . an icon 203 selects a “ webwho whois ” service , providing a graphical front end to the united states whois database , with additional hypertext link integration . an icon 205 selects the “ webwho traceroute ” service , providing a graphical front end to the traceroute utility , again with additional hypertext link integration . an icon 207 in the top left shows the current page &# 39 ; s icon and is not linked . when the icon 201 is selected , the user is presented with a page like that shown in fig2 b , 2c , and 2 d . at the top of the page appears a table 209 presenting examples of valid entry types for whois , i . e ., domain name , machine name , registered handle , registered name , ip address and ip network . next appears a text input field 211 to receive the information to be looked up . next appears an example of the results of a specific lookup . the user has input his or her request , and results have been received back and displayed in a results area 213 . as described more fully below , links are embedded in the results such that , by clicking on an area 215 displaying ccoley @ srmc . com , for example , an e - mail utility will be invoked showing a blank e - mail addressed to ccoley @ srmc . com . similarly , domain names , ip addresses , etc . may be clicked on , with the result that whois is queried once again with respect to the selected information . at the bottom of the page appears a navigational aid 217 used throughout the user interface where appropriate to allow the user to return directly to a particular entry point in the program flow without having to follow numerous links as is typical of the prior art . when the icon 203 is selected , the user is presented with a page for the traceroute utility like that shown in fig2 e and 2f . the various features of the page will be evident from the preceding description . one feature , however , bears particular mention . that is , just as clicking a domain name or the like in whois produces a further query , bringing up additional information , similarly , clicking on names or addresses in fig2 c also produces a further query , not of traceroute but of whois . for example , if one wanted to find additional information about the machine on line number of 1 of fig2 c , one could simply click on the ip address 205 . 138 . 192 . 1 displayed in the area 219 . this action would produce the same result as if the user had copied down the ip address , navigated to whois and entered the ip address in the lookup field . when the icon 205 is selected , the user is presented with a page like that shown in fig2 g . the navigation aid previously described , although not shown in fig2 g , may also be included if desired . the user is given the options of searching the database , adding a new entry , updating an existing entry , changing the user &# 39 ; s password , or logging in . as described below , login is typically not required to view a listing of entries satisfying a particular search request , although login may be required to view an actual entry itself and is required to update an entry . when the search option is selected , the user is presented with a page like that shown in fig2 h . within webbook , a different type of navigational aid 221 is included that allows the user to quickly move about within webbook , between search , add and update , or to go to the main page of fig2 a . the screen of fig2 h allows the user to select between different searching methods , including searching by categories ( going through a categories list ), by example ( querying each field of the entries ), and by keyword ( specifying a keyword ). when categories is selected , the user is presented with a page like that shown in fig2 . in the example shown , three root - level categories are presented , business , recreation , and webwho95 . the user selects one of these categories to show further subcategories , as seen in fig2 , which is displayed in response to the user selecting webwho95 . a single subcategory is shown — index , having 9250 entries . the entries are listed by title within the lower part of the page . the user may select how many entries are to be displayed at a time in order to quicken response time . also , presorts are used in order to quickly display the results of a category or keyword search . when example is selected , the user is presented with a page like that shown in fig2 k . the user enters the information to be searched in any field or combination of fields to be searched . to add a new entry to the database , the user is presented with a page like that shown in fig2 l . each information item in the upper portion of the form is required , unless otherwise indicated . if a required item is not provided , the program will redisplay the form and request the user to complete all required items . optional items include middle name , alternate phone number , fax number , url # 1 , and url # 2 . the remainder of the form is used to enter up to twenty keywords and a description of the user &# 39 ; s entry , to be displayed with the entry . following entry of keywords and a description of the entry , the user is requested to choose a category for the entry by presenting the user with a page like that shown in fig2 m . the user can navigate the category tree until he or she has located the desired category and then select that category . if none of the categories is adequate , then the user may define his or her own category , by entering the name of the category and a short description of the category . the new category will then be added to the category tree . a sample mini homepage is shown in fig2 n and 2o . the mini homepage may be located by searching the database and then selecting the corresponding entry , or may be retrieved directly by url . the url of the mini homepage itself should not be confused with url # 1 and url # 2 listed on the mini homepage . the latter refer to independent resources . the url of the mini homepage itself is , for example , based on a unique transaction id assigned to each entry and may be entered into a browser program to view the mini homepage directly without searching . when update is selected ( fig2 g ), the user , having entered the correct transaction id and password , is presented with a page like that shown in fig2 p . the corresponding mini homepage is displayed , and the user is requested to update the mini homepage ( the “ post ”). when the user has edited the entry to his or her satisfaction , the user presses update . the user is then presented with a further page like that shown in fig2 q and 2r , giving him or her the opportunity to review one final time the comments and keywords . to change the comments or keywords , the user presses back . the user can also change the category of the entry by pressing the change category button . to accept and complete the update , the user presses a done update button . a page like that shown in fig2 s is then presented . the user is required to enter the identification number of the post . if the identification number is entered correctly , the post is updated , and a page like that shown in fig2 t is presented to the user , confirming the update . referring now to fig3 , the operational steps involved in the present system and method are represented . the system is accessed either directly by the user or by following a link to the server site , for example the url webwho . com . the name webwho .™ is a trademark of the present assignee . the user is first presented with a page 301 ( index . shtml ) allowing the user to select from different services , including whois and traceroute . as described previously , whois is an internet service that looks up information about a user in a database . traceroute is a program that permits a user to find the path a packet will take as it crosses the internet to a specific destination . whois and traceroute are known services . previously , however , use of these services has typically required “ root - user access ” on a unix host . in accordance with one aspect of the present invention , these services are html front - ended and made available to all users , together with further hyperlink services that greatly increase the utility of the underlying whois and traceroute services . referring to fig5 , whois and traceroute are made readily available to all network users through html front - ending using cgi scripts . the actual whois code 501 and traceroute code 503 remains within the root directory 500 on a unix host . respective cgi scripts are provided , namely whois . cgi ( 505 ) and traceroute . cgi ( 507 ), that have root user privileges and that provide html front - ending between the user and their respective services . for example , when a user selects the webwho whois service from the main page of fig2 a , the whois . cgi script 505 is invoked to pass the user input to the root directory whois service 501 and cause it to service the user &# 39 ; s request . output from the root directory whois service 501 is passed back from the whois . cgi script 505 in html format . the same description applies equally to the traceroute . cgi script and the root directory traceroute service . to further augment the whois and traceroute services , hyperlink services are provided . the root directory whois and traceroute services are provided with a parsing routine 509 that parses the output of these services to identify e - mail addresses , domain names , ip names , etc .— character strings containing period separators and / or the character “@.” the parser then passes back this information to the cgi scripts in the form of links , links to the whois . cgi script 505 in the case of names and links to an e - mail . cgi script 511 in the case of e - mail addresses . the e - mail . cgi script 511 controls an e - mail utility 513 that may be located in the root directory or in a different directory . whois and traceroute , as implemented as part of the present invention , provide powerful new tools for serious internet tools . using whois , the user may type in any address with a “. com ” , “. edu ” or “. net ” extension and find the physical address , phone number and the individual ( s ) that the address represents . this ability may be used as a powerful marketing tool to find a wealth of information about people on the internet . also , whois can be used to instantly check a domain name . traceroute may be used by system administers to obtain information to make their jobs much easier . previously , system administrators have not been allowed to use traceroute on a pc running any operating system other than unix . whereas whois and traceroute are more technically oriented , “ webbook ” allows non - technical users to take advantage of the capabilities of the web with a minimum of effort . webbook allows a user to have html - front - ended access to a database of mini homepages in order to search , add entries to , or update previous entries in the database . referring again to fig3 , if webbook is chosen , a login routine 303 may request the to enter identifying information of the type that would normally be found on a business card , for example . presently , although web sites are able to track the user &# 39 ; s access point to the web ( for example , a particular slip connection through an internet service provider ), this information often gives no indication who the user really is . such information is important in order to evaluate the extent to which a target audience is being reached . the user may choose an option that allows the user to bypass the login request . the request for information as to the identity of the user therefore may or may not be complied with ; moreover , the information provided may or may not be accurate . as an incentive to provide the requested information ( and , it is hoped , the correct information ), users providing the requested information may be given more complete access to the database than users who do not provide the requested information . users providing the requested information are assigned a user id to be used during subsequent accesses and are requested to choose a password . the password may be required to access some system services . to further encourage voluntary login , users that have complied with the login request and have been assigned a user id may be afforded the ability to customize the user interface and maintain the resulting look and feel between uses . this customization is performed in a known manner by storing on the host a user preferences file and accessing the file to restore user preferences when a valid user id is provided . for a period during the initial stages of the service , while the database is still being built up , it may be desirable to allow all users complete access to the database regardless of whether or not they have identified themselves . following the login procedure , the user is provided with a page 305 presenting the different ways that the user may interact with the database . for example , a user may search the database , add a new entry to the database , or update a previous entry to the database by that user . each of these options will be described in turn . if the user chooses to search the database , the user is provided with a page 307 concerning different search options . a search may be performed on one or more of a number of different database fields , depending on the organization of the database entries . for example , in a preferred embodiment , the database entries include the following defined fields : uid country fname email lname url mname keywords title comment ident category phone 1 active phone 2 start . sub .-- date fax expire . sub .-- date addr info1 ( reserved ) city info2 ( reserved ) state info3 ( reserved ) zipcode info4 ( reserved ) in one embodiment , searches may be performed by category , by keyword , by url , or by example . to facilitate rapid retrieval of information , presorted listings may be stored for each category and keyword or for some number of the most common categories and keywords . to search by example , the user is provided with a form having the same organization as the database entries . the user fills in information in the fields of interest . the search then returns information concerning entries having matching information in those fields . entries are displayed in list fashion by title on a page 309 . the number of entries produced by a search may be very large . therefore , instead of displaying a listing for all of the entries at once , the entries may be displayed ten at a time , for example . alternatively , only the first 100 or 200 entries may be displayed . while some sites may provide information and services free of charge , for example as a result of volunteerism or advertising subsidies , other sites may have a business model in which users are charged for information or services or both . for such a site , it becomes critical to protect the information stored in the database . therefore , unlike some existing databases in which actual hypermedia links to web homepages are stored in the listed items , in order to prevent effectual pirating of the database , links are embedded only in the full entry itself , not in the entry listings . otherwise a user could simply store a voluminous listing or various different listings , with their accompanying hypermedia links , and thereby capture in large part the entire benefit of the database . instead , an item in a listing is intended only to give the user enough information to gauge the user &# 39 ; s further interest in an item . if the user is interested in an item , the user may select that item , causing the full - page entry to be provided . the full page entry includes links to any e - mail address or url that the owner of the entry may have provided , thereby providing a link to that person &# 39 ; s or organization &# 39 ; s homepage ( or to some other homepage ). if the user bypassed login , as determined in step 311 , he or she will normally be returned to the login procedure when attempting to select an entry to view it in its entirety . if the user has logged in , then the user may select an entry and the corresponding full page 313 will be served to the user . the full page entry 313 need not be limited to text alone but may be a complete hypermedia page , including possible graphics or other non - textual content . in this manner , for person &# 39 ; s or organizations not having any independent web homepage , the entry can function as a “ mini - homepage ,” i . e ., a single page hypermedia document . furthermore , the mini - homepage may have its own url , allowing it to be accessed directly without performing a search of the database . for example , a url for a mini homepage might be http :// webwho . com / view ? id = xxxx , where xxxx represents a transaction id assigned to each entry in a manner described below . a link 315 is embedded in the mini - homepage to allow for the page to be updated . prior to describing the manner in which the mini - homepage is updated , however , the manner of adding a new entry to the database will first be described . in order to add an entry to the database , a user must login , during which the user chooses a password , or must have logged in during a previous visit to the site . when the user chooses to add a new entry to the database , a unique transaction id is created for that entry , to be used throughout the life of the entry . a unique transaction id may be created in any of many different ways . for example , the transaction id might be the date ( e . g ., 951215 ) and the entry number for that date ( e . g ., 00215 ). alternatively , the transaction id might be the time of day ( e . g ., hhmmss ) and the process id of the host machine process that is servicing the user &# 39 ; s request . in one embodiment , the transaction id is a 14 - digit hexadecimal number in which eight digits represent the number of seconds since an arbitrary date ( e . g ., jan . 1 , 1970 ), four digits represent the process id running on the host machine , and two digits represent a portion of the machine ip address ( to distinguish between different host machines ). once a transaction id has been assigned , the user is then provided with an entry form 317 having fields corresponding to the various fields of a database entry as described previously . the user fills out the form and presses a screen button when the entry is complete . the form may have one or more checkboxes 319 to indicate the desire to include with the entry one or more non - textual elements , such as a graphic image , etc . also , if desired , different templates may be provided governing the appearance of the finished page , with the user selecting a desired template . non - textual content may be obtained from the user in any of a number of different ways . for example , the user may transfer to the site a file containing the non - textual content using the file transfer protocol ( fip ) with the same user id and password as when the entry was added . during the entry process , the user is prompted to enter keywords to facilitate later searching of the database and location of the entry . furthermore , the html front - end tools may assist in developing keywords for the entry . a pre - searchtsort tool , for example , might take the 2000 top keywords found in the database within the keyword field and do a total text search throughout the database for these keywords . if one or more of these keywords appears in the description (“ comment ” field ) of an entry but not in the keyword list , these keywords are then added to a keyword extension field for up to some number of keywords , e . g . five . if the server site is based on a pay - for - service model , the form will also call for the user to enter a credit card number as the last piece of information . secure , on - line credit card processing will then be performed to bill the user , either on a onetime basis , on a periodic basis , or on an occasional basis as future services may require . although various methods of processing credit card transaction on - line have been proposed , with various degrees of attendant security , such processing is preferably performed in accordance with a proprietary method developed by the assignee to provide the highest level of security possible . after an entry has been made , it may be updated at any time by one able to provide the transaction id assigned to the entry and the user password , i . e ., by the user or one acting on behalf of the user . the update option may be entered directly , or the entry to be updated may first be viewed as the result of a search and the update screen button 315 then pressed . the user is then prompted to supply the correct transaction id and password ( page 321 ), failing which the user will not be allowed to update the entry . if the transaction id and password are correctly supplied , then the equivalent of a new entry form will be provided to the user will the current information pertaining to the entry already filled in . the user may then modify the entry . if a charge is made for updating the entry , preferably the credit card information from the earlier creation of the entry will have been stored in a highly secure fashion , avoiding the need to reenter the information . both security and convenience are thereby enhanced . nothing in the process of adding , searching and updating entries requires manual intervention . rather , the entire process is automated and may be made available continuously , 24 hours a day , 365 days a year . like a publicly - accessible bulletin board , the content that is posted on the database is entirely within the control of the user , both at the time the entry is posted and all times thereafter . referring now to fig4 , various ones of the html front - ending tools of fig1 and their functional interrelationships will now be described . when a user visits the site and the webwho option is selected , a page webwho . html ( 401 ) is served to the user , offering the user various options , including , for example , options to search the database , add a new entry , update an existing entry , change the user &# 39 ; s password , or to log in if the user has not previously done so . in an exemplary embodiment , the routines illustrated in fig4 are standard c routines , called from a single cgi script . in other embodiments , the routines may be called by separate scripts , and may be written other languages such as in a unix shell language , or in one of a number of emerging internet computer languages such as java . the options routine 403 reads in the user &# 39 ; s choice and invokes one of the five following routines : search ( 405 ), add ( 407 ), update ( 409 ), changepw ( 411 ), and login ( 413 ). each of these options will be described in turn . if search is chosen , the search routine 405 initiates one of several possible search functions . in a preferred embodiment , these functions include a categories search , an example search , and a keyword search . according to the search function chosen , the . search routine invokes one of the following routines : categories ( 415 ), example ( 417 ), and key . sub .— search ( 419 ). categories are represented in computer memory in the form of a tree structure . a categories search starts from the root level , with the categories routine 415 displaying all the categories available at that level , and all the entries ( or up to some number of entries ) belonging to that level . the user can click on any category to go to the next level , and can click on any entry to bring up the mini page of the entry . if example is chosen , the example routine 417 displays a form for the user to fill in any field he or she wants to search on . the example routine 417 reads in the information and displays all the entries that match what has been specified . if keyword is chosen , the key . sub .— ysearch routine 419 displays text boxes to read in up to a specified number of keywords ( e . g ., four ) to search on . the key . sub .— search routine 419 displays all the entries that match the specified keywords . when a user clicks on one of the entries returned by a search function , the mini page is displayed by a list . sub .— entries routine 421 . list . sub .— entries displays the mini page for a particular entry and also contains an update button for the user to update that particular entry . when a user specifies that he or she wants to edit the entry currently being displayed , the update routine 409 performs a check to see if that page belongs to the user currently logged in . if so , updating is initiated by invoking an update post routine 423 . otherwise , an update . sub .— login routine 425 is called to allow the user to perform the correct login sequence . the update . sub .— login routine 425 reads in a user id and password and matches them against the database to determine if the user is the owner of the mini page currently being displayed . updating is not allowed until the correct user id and password are entered . the update - post routine 423 displays an entry form with values filled in from the information stored in the database . it invokes a do . sub .— update routine 427 to process the new values being entered . the do . sub .— update routine reads in the new information , makes sure that all the required information is filled . if not , a routine do . sub .— missing is invoked . when all of the required information has been supplied , a update . sub .— key routine 429 reads in the keywords and comments from the database entry , displays them , and asks the user to confirm . the user can go ahead and update the database or can change the category the entry currently belongs to . if the user chooses to change the category , a change . sub .— cat routine 431 displays all the categories at the root level . the user can click on one of the categories to go to the next level or can specify a new category on the current level . if the user chooses to go ahead and update the database , another form is displayed to read in the identification number of the entry . a get . sub .— ident routine 435 is then invoked . if the user chooses to change the category , an update . sub .— cat routine 433 handles navigation through the categories tree . it will keep displaying the categories on the current level until the user has decided on a category or has specified a new category . the routine get . sub .— ident 435 reads in the identification number and matches it against the identification number stored in the database for the current entry . if they match , the database is updated ; otherwise , the program declines the update . entries may also be updated directly without searching , using the update routine 409 . if a user is currently logged in , the update routine 409 displays all the entries belonging to that user . otherwise , the update . sub .— login routine 425 performs a login and displays all the entries belonging to the newly logged - in user . the remaining update routines have already been described as a continuation of the search options and will therefore not be further described . when add is selected , the add routine 407 displays an empty form to allow the user to fill in all the information . the add routine 407 processes the information that has been entered , using the do . sub .— missing routine to make sure that all the required information is entered . the do . sub .— missing routine displays the form again until all the required information is entered . after all the required information has been entered , a get . sub .— info routine 437 displays another form to read in the keywords and comments . a confirm . sub .— info routine 439 processes the keywords and comment being entered and displays them again , asking the user to confirm . after the user confirms the keywords and comments , a pick . sub .— cat routine 441 acquires the category using the same mechanism previously described in relation to update . sub .— cat . if the user is not logged , in he or she is logged in , and a new user id is determined . a form is then displayed to read in the user &# 39 ; s password . a get . sub .— pw routine 443 reads in the password and displays a form to read in credit card information . a get . sub .— cc routine 445 verifies the credit card information . if the transaction is authorized , it adds the new entry into the database ; otherwise , it rejects the entry . the remaining routines are administrative in nature . the user may wish to change his or her password . if the user is not currently logged in , a login is performed by calling a changepw . sub .— login routine 447 . changepw . sub .— login reads in the user id and password and matches them against the values in the database . a form is then displayed to read in the new password . the changepw routine 411 actually updates the database with the new password . the login routine 413 reads in the user id and password and checks them against the database . if the user id and password are correct , operation begins at the main page with the user logged in as the new user . it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential character thereof . the foregoing description is therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims , and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalents thereof are intended to be embraced therein .
8
an injection - molding device , which has an injection unit 3 which produces plastic melt in conventional manner and injects it into an injection - molding die 6 , can be seen in fig1 . the die 6 has a cavity 5 with a cavity wall 7 . the plastic melt is thus injected from the injection unit 3 into the die 6 along a melt flow path 4 through a machine nozzle . the molded part 2 to be produced thus has a cavity 1 , which firstly makes the part lighter and requires less use of material , which secondly makes it possible that during cooling of the melt , the latter is pressed against the cavity wall 7 in the cavity 5 . the molded parts 2 produced therefore have a particularly good surface quality . provision can be made in that during injection of the melt into the cavity 5 and / or during addition of the fluid , some of the melt flows over into an overflow cavity 8 . overflow can be controlled or regulated by valve means 9 . injection of the fluid takes place predominantly via the injection nozzle 10 . as can be seen , the fluid therefore expands along the melt flow path 4 in the direction of the cavity 5 . a liquid having high thermal capacity is used according to a particular embodiment of the invention as fluid . this leads to a very short cycle time , since the liquid can absorb much heat from the plastic melt . it therefore solidifies in a short time , which is why the releasing process — compared with known processes — can start earlier . the cavity 5 is completely or partly , for example 80 %, filled before injection of the liquid . the liquid , which can include water , is then injected . after injecting the liquid , the blocking means 16 are closed , controlled valves , followers or similar can be used here , so that neither melt nor liquid can escape from the cavity . the predominantly cold liquid withdraws heat from the plastic melt and thus accelerates the solidification process . provision is thus made in that the liquid absorbs so much heat that it , in a particular embodiment , transfers completely from the liquid to the gaseous state . the increase in volume thus produced ( from liquid to gas ) has an additional positive effect , since the internal pressure of the molded part is increased and thus the plastic is pressed even more strongly against the cavity wall . by tempering the liquid , namely by cooling to a value between about 4 ° c . and 15 ° c ., it is possible to ensure that very rapid curing of the plastic melt takes place , wherein it is sufficient to cool the plastic material such that it is self - supporting . it can be seen in fig1 that the addition of the liquid along the melt flow path 4 takes place in the region of the sprue 11 . the detailed design of the region of the injection - molding die is shown in fig2 and 3 . as can be seen in fig2 melt s is injected into the cavity 5 in the sprue region 11 . for example , water is added via the injection nozzle 10 for liquid . the displaced melt flows , as has already been mentioned above , at the flow path end from the main cavity 5 into the side cavity 8 , wherein overflow is regulated by means of valve means 9 . after at least partly completed curing , the interior of the molded part must be relieved of pressure again and residual liquid optionally remaining , which fills the cavity 1 , must be removed again from the latter , this can take place , for example via the blow - off nozzle 13 . in order to remove residual liquid which is present from the cavity 1 , the blocking means 16 are opened again and compressed air is introduced into the injection nozzle for liquid 10 . as can be seen from fig2 the cavity 1 extends via the cavity 5 into the side cavity , which has been effected by the addition of liquid into the melt . a blow - off nozzle 13 is positioned in the region of the overflow cavity 8 , namely at the blow - off point 12 for liquid . remaining liquid can be blown off from the cavity 1 by the injection of compressed air through the nozzle 10 . it is driven out through the blow - off nozzle 13 . a vacuum can thus be applied to the blow - off nozzle 13 — in supporting manner . the blow - off nozzle 13 can also be arranged at the end of the main cavity 5 . fig3 shows a further process of the invention . the cavity completely filled with melt is exposed to liquid via the injection nozzle for liquid 10 , which is arranged at the end of the cavity . the melt thus displaced is pressed back via the melt flow path 4 counter to its flow direction and indeed so far that the gas addition point 15 can project into the cavity 1 formed . all openings are then closed , so that neither melt nor liquid can be supplied or discharged . as already described above , heat transfer from the melt to the liquid now takes place until the latter has at least partly changed the state of aggregation . relieving of pressure then takes place via nozzles 10 or 13 . in order to remove residual liquid possibly remaining from the cavity 1 , the latter is exposed to compressed gas in order to remove the liquid from the cavity via the blow - off point for liquid 13 . provision is thus made to use a nozzle as described in fig4 . however , the process can also be used without pressing back the melt , care should be taken here only to ensure that the gas addition point 15 is positioned so that it can project into the cavity 1 as described above , since the latter will be considerably smaller during pure volume compensation . it can be seen in fig4 that in terms of device technology , a particularly advantageous embodiment is produced when an injection element 14 is used , through which , if required , liquid ( water ) w or compressed air ( gas ) g can be injected . in fig4 the injection nozzle 10 for liquid and gas indeed extends into the region of the melt flow path 4 from the injection unit 3 into the die cavity . however , it is equally possible to arrange the combined injection element 14 for liquid and gas , so that it injects liquid or gas directly into the cavity of the die via the appropriate nozzle . the process described above can also advantageously be used for otherwise conventional injection - molding processes . for example , it can also be used well if the molded part is injection - molded from more than one plastic component ( 2 - c process ). furthermore , it is possible , for example to inject the liquid into the die at two points , hence to produce two media bubbles and arrange for them to melt with one another by appropriate pressure control . furthermore , the addition of liquid can also take place in the spreader , as a result of which several part cavities can be supplied with liquid . the apparatus and method of injection can be implemented herein as disclosed in u . s . application ser . no . 10 / 106 , 884 , ( attorney &# 39 ; s docket no . 1959 . 2016 - 000 ), filed on mar . 22 , 2002 , the entire teachings of which are incorporated herein in their entirety . while this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims .
1
galectin - 8 is a novel , widely expressed protein of 35 kda which has the characteristic properties of galectins ( s - type mammalian lectins ). three lines of evidence demonstrate that galectin - 8 is indeed a novel galectin : i . its deduced amino acid sequence contains two domains with conserved motifs that are implicated in the carbohydrate binding of galectins ; ii . in vitro translation products of galectin - 8 cdna or bacterially - expressed recombinant galectin - 8 are biologically active and possess sugar - binding and hemagglutination activity ; iii . a protein of the expected size ( 34 kda ), that binds to lactosyl - sepharose and reacts with galectin - 8 - specific antibodies is present in rat liver and comprises 0 . 025 % of the total triton - soluble hepatic proteins . overall , galectin - 8 is structurally related ( 34 % identity ) to galectin - 4 , a soluble rat galectin with two carbohydrate - binding domains in the same polypeptide chain , joined by a link peptide . nonetheless , several important features distinguish these two galectins : i . northern blot analysis revealed that unlike galectin - 4 that is confined to the intestine and stomach , galectin - 8 is expressed in liver , kidney , cardiac muscle , lung , and brain ; ii . unlike galectin - 4 , but similar to galectins - 1 and - 2 , galectin - 8 contains 4 cys residues ; iii . the link peptide of galectin - 8 is unique and bears no similarity to any known protein ; iv . the n - terminal carbohydrate - binding region ( crd ) of galectin - 8 contains a unique wg - e - i motif instead of the consensus wg - e - r / k motif implicated as playing an essential role in sugar - binding of all galectins . together with galectin - 4 , galectin - 8 therefore represents a subfamily of galectins consisting of a tandem repeat of structurally different crds within a single polypeptide chain . as used herein , the term &# 34 ; galectin - 8 - like protein &# 34 ; refers to a protein derived from any mammal , including humans , which protein presents homology to galectin - 8 as defined in the present invention and has the biological properties of galectin - 8 . galectin - 8 was cloned when a λ - zap rat liver cdna library was screened with affinity - purified antibodies directed against a 14 - amino acid peptide located at the c - terminal end of the insulin - receptor substrate 1 ( irs - 1 ) ( 14 ). since galectin - 8 bears no sequence similarity either to irs - 1 , or to the peptide used as immunogen , it was suspected that the reactivity towards irs - 1 antibodies could be due to a false positive reaction . this conclusion is supported by the fact that the anti - peptide antibodies used for screening , failed to react with purified recombinant galectin - 8 either by means of immunoprecipitation , or immunoblotting . the primary structure of galectin - 8 resembles that of galectin - 4 , namely , two homologous ( 38 % identity ) carbohydrate - binding regions ( crds ) linked by a short ≈ 30 - amino acids linking peptide . this unique architecture is shared so far only by two galectins : rat galectin - 4 ( 12 ) and its c . elegans homologue ( 13 ). other galectin types , that contain a single crd , exist and function as non - covalent dimers , which provides them with the potential to aggregate or agglutinate glycoconjugates . since galectin - 4 exists as a monomer , experiments were carried out to determine whether galectin - 8 exists as a monomer or a dimer . separation of galectin - 8 over superdex - 200 hr ( pharmacia ) fplc column according to the present invention revealed that galectin - 8 exists as a monomer ( fig8 ). hepatic galectin - 8 ( fig6 ) has a similar mobility on sds - page as its recombinant counterpart ( fig5 ). this suggests , though not proves , that hepatic galectin - 8 is neither heavily glycosylated , nor it is subjected to extensive post - translational modifications ( e . g . phosphorylation ). although galectin - 8 contains two putative crds , potential differences in sugar - binding between the domains is predicted from a critical difference in their sequence wg - e - i vs . wg - e - r at the n - and c - terminal crds of galectin - 8 , respectively ( cf . fig2 )!. the ( underlined ) arg residue has been implicated as playing an important role in the interactions between galectins and the glucose moiety of lactose ( 5 ). furthermore , site - directed mutagenesis studies ( 4 ) indicate that this conserved arg is indispensable for sugar binding . the presence of ile 90 ( instead of an arg ) at the n - terminal crd of galectin - 8 suggests that this domain might have a different sugar - binding specificity . in that respect galectin - 8 resembles galectin - 4 whose crds are distinct both in structure and sugar - binding specificity ( 12 ). the presence of two crds with a potentially different sugar - binding specificity might be required to achieve high affinity binding to multivalent glycoprotein ligands possessing different sugar moieties . like other galectins , galectin - 8 lacks a classical signal sequence or a transmembrane segment . indeed , galectin - 8 was isolated from the cytosolic fraction of rat liver . these findings do not exclude the possibility that galectin - 8 , like other galectins , could be externalized by an atypical secretory mechanism ( 15 ). immunohistochemical studies revealed that secreted galectins are concentrated in evaginations of the plasma membrane , which pinch off to form labile lectin - rich extracellular vesicles which may interact with cell surface proteins ( 15 ). expression of galectin - 8 seems to be developmentally regulated . very low levels of expression were noted in whole embryos , while high levels of expression were noted in adult tissues . in that respect galectin - 8 might resemble other galectins that were implicated as regulators of cell growth and embryogenesis ( 8 - 10 ). the invention will now be described by way of the following non - limiting examples and the accompanying drawings . ( a ) materials -- restriction enzymes were purchased from fermentas . radiolabeled nucleotides and 35 s ! methionine were from amersham ( amersham , buckinghamshire , uk ). all other reagents were from sigma unless stated otherwise . ( b ) antibodies -- antisera to insulin receptor substrate 1 ( anti - irs - 1 ) were raised in rabbits according to standard procedures , by injection of a peptide cys - tyr - ala - ser - ile - asn - phe - gln - lys - gln - pro - glu - asp - arg - gln ( seq id no : 12 ) corresponding to the carboxy - terminal 14 amino acids of rat liver irs - 1 ( and an additional cys residue at the n - terminal site ). antibodies were affinity - purified from the serum by adsorption onto a column of peptide coupled to affi - gel 10 , elution with 100 mm hcl glycine ph 2 . 7 , and immediate neutralization . anti glutathione - s - transferase ( gst ) antisera was a kind gift from y . yarden ( weizmann institute ). ( c ) screening of rat liver cdna expression library -- λ - zap rat liver cdna library in the lambda zap ii vector ( stratagene , la jolla , calif . ), was screened separately and in duplicate with affinity - purified anti irs - 1 antibodies ( see ( b ) above ). screening was carried out according to the instruction manual provided by the manufacturer ( picoblue ™ immunoscreening kit , stratagene , la jolla , calif .). positive plaques were isolated by three repetitive cycles of the procedure . the exassist / solr system ( stratagene , la jolla , calif .) was used to allow efficient excision of the bluescript phagemid from the λ - zap vector , and solr cells containing positive clones were isolated . initial dna sequencing of one positive clone was carried on both strands , using t3 and t7 universal primers with sequenase version 2 . 0 , ( united states biochemicals , cleveland , ohio ). subsequent sequencing was carried out with internal primers designed as the sequencing progressed . all other manipulations of nucleic acids such as restriction , ligations , transformation , gel electrophoresis , blotting , gel elution , radiolabeling , and preparation of buffers were done using standard protocols ( 16 ). search of the genbank revealed that the isolated clone is unique and it bears no sequence similarity with irs - 1 , or the peptide , against which the antibodies were raised . the reason why this clone was picked up by the antibodies remains unclear . ( d ) northern blot analysis -- rna extraction was carried out as described ( 16 ). total rna ( 30 μg ) was electrophoresed , the gel was blotted onto nitrocellulose , and the blot was probed with labeled pcr product which was obtained by the following procedure . two primers , 5 &# 39 ;- cccgacaatcccctatgtcagtacc - 3 ( seq id no : 13 ) and 5 &# 39 ;- gcatggccaggcctgacaaca - 3 &# 39 ; ( seq id no : 14 ), were used to amplify the entire cdna coding sequence of galectin - 8 , using the cloned cdna in bluescript as a template . the pcr products were labeled with α - 32 p !- atp by random priming with decaprime ii dna labeling kit ( ambion , austin , tex .). hybridization was carried out at 42 ° c . in 50 % formamide 5 × ssc , and washes were at 60 ° c . in 0 . 1 × ssc , 0 . 1 % sds . ( e ) expression of recombinant galectin - 8 in escherichia coli -- expression of galectin - 8 as a gst fusion protein ( gst - galectin - 8 ) was carried out by using two primers : t7 and 5 &# 39 ;- ggggggggatccatgttgtccttaagcaat - 3 &# 39 ; ( seq id no : 15 ) ( the ecor i , nde i , and bamh i restriction sites , respectively , in the primer are underlined ) to amplify the entire cdna insert of galectin - 8 , using the cloned cdna in bluescript as a template . the pcr products were digested with bamh i and ecor i , gel - purified , and ligated into pgex - 2x expression plasmid ( pharmacia ) in the top 10 bacterial host ( invitrogen ). for direct expression of ( tag - free ) r - galectin - 8 , a sense primer 5 &# 39 ;- ggggggcatatgttgtccttaagcaat - 3 &# 39 ; ( seq id no : 16 ) and an antisense primer 5 &# 39 ;- ggggggggatccgccattttgtatttccag - 3 &# 39 ; ( seq id no : 17 ) were used to amplify the entire coding sequence of galectin - 8 , using the cloned cdna in bluescript as a template . the pcr products were digested by nde i and bamh i , gel - purified , and ligated into a pet - 3a expression plasmid ( novagen ) in the plyss bacterial host . sequencing of both expression plasmids was carried out to ensure proper , in - frame , ligation of the inserts . to express gst - galectin - 8 , bacteria were cultured in 0 . 5 liter of lb medium until the absorbance at 600 nm was 0 . 5 . expression of gst - galectin - 8 was then induced with 5 mm isopropyl - 1 - thio - β - d - galactopyranoside ( iptg ) for 4 h . to isolate the recombinant protein , a bacterial pellet was isolated by centrifugation , resuspended in 30 ml of buffer i ( phosphate buffered saline containing 4 mm β - mercaptoethanol , 2 mm edta , 10 μg / ml soybean trypsin inhibitor , 2 mm benzamidine and 1 mm phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride , ph 7 . 5 ), and lysed by sonication . debris were removed by centrifugation at 38 , 000 × g at 4 ° c . for 45 min ., and 30 ml of the soluble extract were passed over 5 ml of lactosyl - sepharose . unbound proteins were eluted with buffer i , while the lectin was subsequently eluted with buffer i containing 100 mm lactose . a similar procedure was utilized to express r - galectin - 8 in the pet - 3a expression plasmid , save for the fact that the bacteria were centrifuged when the absorbance at 600 nm was 0 . 3 , without addition of iptg . recombinant galectin - 8 was isolated under reducing conditions , since in their absence the protein underwent denaturation even when maintained at 4 ° c . ( f ) in - vitro translation of galectin - 8 -- for in vitro translation of galectin - 8 , the bamh i / ecor i - digested pcr product , described above , was cloned into pcdna i mammalian expression plasmid ( invitrogen ). in vitro translation in the presence of 35 s !- methionine was performed using the tnt in vitro translation kit ( promega ) according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions . ( g ) immunoprecipitation -- lp - lec8 antibodies were added to 60 μl of 50 % protein a - sepharose in 0 . 1 m tris buffer , ph 8 . 5 , and were incubated for 1 hr at 4 ° c . bacterial cell extracts were prepared in buffer i . 500 μl extracts ( 0 . 8 mg ) were incubated for 2 hr with the antibody - protein a - sepharose complex . immunocomplexes were washed , suspended in sample buffer , resolved on 10 - 12 % sds - page and transferred to nitrocellulose for western blotting . ( h ) protein electrophoresis and blotting -- immunoblotting was carried out by standard procedures . the blotted proteins were incubated with lp - lec8 antibodies at 4 ° c . for 16 h and then were extensively washed . to detect antibody binding , a horseradish peroxidase - conjugated protein a ecl kit ( amersham ) was used according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions . ( i ) purification of galectin - 8 from rat liver -- freshly isolated rat livers from male wistar rats were homogenized in buffer i ( 1 g / 5 ml ) supplemented with 10 μg / ml aprotinin and 5 μg / ml leupeptin . the homogenate was centrifuged for 1 h at 4 ° c . at 100 , 000 × g , and 25 ml of the supernatant were passed over 5 ml of lactosyl - sepharose , following the procedure described above . the eluted fractions were kept frozen at - 20 ° c . since intact galectin - 8 denatures upon freezing , the frozen fractions were toughed , and centrifuged at 12 , 000 × g , for 15 min . at 4 ° c . to precipitate , and thus concentrate , galectin - 8 . supernatants and pellets were resuspended in sample buffer , resolved by 12 % sds - page , transferred to nitrocellulose and western immunoblotted with lp - lec8 antibodies . the amount of galectin - 8 in rat liver was estimated using 100 , 000 × g supernatants that were prepared in buffer i in the presence of 1 % triton - x - 100 . ( j ) assay of lectin activity -- the biological activity of galectin - 8 was assayed by measuring its ability to agglutinate formaldehyde - fixed , trypsin - treated rabbit erythrocyte . rabbit erythrocytes were trypsin - treated according to lis and sharon ( 17 ). cells were incubated for 1 h at 37 ° c . with 0 . 1 % trypsin in pbs , washed five times in 10 volumes of 0 . 9 % nacl / packed ml of cells , and resuspended in 0 . 9 % nacl to yield an erythrocyte suspension with an absorbance of 1 . 5 at 620 nm . half ml aliquots of erythrocyte suspension was incubated for 45 in at room temperature with the lectin solution . aliquots ( 0 . 2 ml ) of the upper part of the tube were removed , mixed with 0 . 8 ml of pbs , and the optical density at 620 nm was monitored . a cdna encoding for a new galectin , termed galectin - 8 , was cloned from a λ2 - zap rat liver cdna library ( fig1 ). the isolated clone contained an open reading frame ( orf ) ( nucleotides 112 - 1068 ) with a potential initiation atg codon at position 121 . this orf coded for 316 amino acids , which form a protein of about 35 kda . the putative coding sequence was followed by a signal for translation termination ( tag ) and 176 nucleotides of 3 &# 39 ;- untranslated region . search of the genbank for similar nucleotide sequences revealed that this sequence is unique . this sequence , depicted in fig1 has been submitted to the gen bank ™/ embl data bank with accession number u09824 . analysis of galectin - 8 using alignment algorithms suggested the presence of two homologous domains ≈ 140 amino acids each , linked by a link peptide of 32 amino acid residues ( fig2 top ). thirty eight percent of the amino acids were identical between the first and second domains ( fig2 bottom ). both domains contained sequence motifs ( e . g . h - npr ; wg - ee ) that have been conserved among most carbohydrate recognition domains ( crds ) of galectins analyzed so far . structurally , galectin - 8 resembles a 32 - kda β - galactoside - binding protein from caenorhabditis elegans ( 13 ) ( ce - galectin ), and rat galectin - 4 ( galectin - 4 ) ( 12 ), that also contain two crds connected by a link peptide ( fig2 ). at the level of nucleic acids , galectin - 8 is 50 % and 45 % homologous to galectin - 4 and ce - galectin , respectively . at the level of amino acids , galectin - 8 shares 34 % and 31 % identity , respectively , with the above proteins . no homology with any known protein was found in the region of the link peptide . like other galectins , galectin - 8 lacks classical signal sequence or transmembrane segment , but it contains three potential n - linked glycosylation ( asn - x - ser / thr ) sites . analysis of its predicted secondary structure ( not shown ), revealed that the n - and c - terminal domains of galectin - 8 share a great degree of structural homology , as expected from their primary structure . both domains are predicted to form several β - sheets , a structural feature of other galectins ( 5 ). the cdna clone encoding galectin - 8 may be used as a probe to isolate and characterize the full length genomic sequence encoding this protein in various mammals , for example , humans and rats , using standard procedures . further , the above mentioned cdna clone and / or the full - length genomic sequence encoding galectin - 8 may be used to generate , by standard procedures , fragments containing only a portion of the full - length galectin - 8 sequence , where each fragment essentially retains at least one of the biological activities of galectin - 8 . these fragments are termed ` biologically active fragments `. moreover the galectin - 8 sequence may also be used to generate analogs of galectin - 8 ( herein termed &# 34 ; galectin - 8 - like proteins &# 34 ;) or fragments thereof , such analogs having at least one amino acid residue added , deleted or replaced by another in comparison to the native galectin - 8 sequence , and such analogs essentially retaining the biological activity of their non - modified progenitor molecules . antibodies against the link peptide of galectin - 8 ( lp - lec8 ) or against recombinant galectin - 8 ( rgalectin - 8 ) since galectin - 8 contains a unique link peptide region , antibodies against this region are not expected to cross - react with other galectins . a peptide corresponding to positions 168 - 182 in the link peptide of galectin - 8 ( and an additional cys residue at the n - terminal site ) of the sequence cys - gln - ile - ser - lys - glu - thr - ile - gln - lys - ser - gly - lys - leu - his - leu ( seq id no : 18 ) was synthesized , purified , and polyclonal antibodies against it were raised in rabbits by standard procedures . the antibodies ( denoted lp - lec8 ) were affinity - purified over a column of immobilized peptide . lp - lec8 antibodies reacted specifically with galectin - 8 both by means of immunoprecipitation ( ip ) and immunoblotting ( ib ) . furthermore , these interactions could be specifically blocked in the presence of 1 μm peptide ( not shown ). since lp - lec8 antibodies specifically react with the link peptide of galectin - 8 , antibodies towards whole recombinant galectin - 8 were generated as well . purified tag - free rgalectin - 8 was used as immunogen for injection into rabbits , and antibodies were affinity purified over columns of protein a coupled to agarose . these antibodies reacted specifically with galectin - 8 both by means of immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting . these antibodies are most useful for identification of naturally occurring degradation products of galectin - 8 , where the link peptide region has been deleted , or proteins homologous to galectin - 8 in domains different from the link peptide region . cross - reactivity with homologous proteins is assessed by the ability of lp - lec8 antibodies to react with the suspected candidates , and by the ability of peptides , directed against unique regions of galectin - 8 , outside the link peptide region , to compete with galectin - 8 antibody binding . galectin - 8 cdna was transcribed and translated in vitro using a tnt ( promega ) kit . an 35 s - labeled product of the expected size ( 34 kda ) was synthesized ( fig4 ). this in vitro - translated product was indeed galectin - 8 since it could be immunoprecipitated with lp - lec8 antibodies described in example 2 ( fig4 ). as predicted by its primary amino acid sequence , in vitro - translated galectin - 8 exhibited the key feature of galectins , namely , capacity to bind to a column of lactosyl - sepharose in the presence of reducing agents , and to be eluted with 0 . 1 m lactose ( not shown ). recombinant galectin - 8 , expressed in bacteria , remains soluble and retains lectin biological activity to further characterize galectin - 8 , it was expressed in bacteria as a gst - fusion protein . gst - galectin - 8 remained bound to glutathione - sepharose beads , and could be eluted with glutathione ( not shown ). gst - galectin - 8 retained its sugar - binding capacity and could be purified by binding to lactosyl - sepharose and elution with 0 . 1 m lactose ( not shown ). routinely , 3 mg gst - galectin - 8 could be purified in such a way from 1 liter of bacterial extracts . like other galectins , gst - galectin - 8 also maintained hemagglutination activity . half and maximal activities were obtained with 0 . 1 and 1 μg / ml of gst - galectin - 8 , respectively . in a different approach a tag - free rgalectin - 8 was expressed employing a pet - 3a expression plasmid ( novagen ) in the plyss bacterial host . unlike intestinal recombinant galectin - 4 that precipitates and cannot be extracted with buffers that preserve its lectin activity ( 12 ), rgalectin - 8 could be readily extracted from bacteria in a soluble form rgalectin - 8 was not subjected to major proteolytic cleavage , as it migrated at the expected size of 34 kda . most important , rgalectin - 8 retained its sugar - binding activity and 1 . 2 mg protein / liter bacteria were obtained following its purification over lactosyl - sepharose column ( fig5 ). to optimize expression , the induction time and the concentration of iptg is varied . to further purify gst - galectin - 8 or rgalectin - 8 , approximately 5 mg protein are loaded onto a column of antibodies covalently linked to affi - gel 15 beads ( pharmacia ). the bound proteins are then eluted with hcl / glycine buffer ( ph 2 . 8 ) and immediatly neutralized . to demonstrate the presence of endogenous galectin - 8 in rat liver , a cytosolic ( 100 , 000 × g supernatant ) liver extract was prepared , applied to a column of lactosyl - sepharose , and proteins retained specifically by the column were eluted with 0 . 1 m lactose . advantage was taken of the fact that hepatic galectin - 8 denatures and precipitates upon freezing . fractions , eluted from the lactosyl - sepharose column , were therefore frozen at - 20 ° c ., thawed , and centrifuged to precipitate , and thus concentrate , the hepatic galectin - 8 . staining with coomasie blue revealed that most hepatic proteins failed to interact with lactosyl - sepharose and therefore remained in the flow - through fraction ( fig6 a ). immunoblotting with lp - lec8 antibodies ( fig6 b ) revealed that while hepatic galectin - 8 could not be detected in total cytosolic liver extracts , a 36 kda protein , with the expected size of galectin - 8 , remained bound to , and could be eluted from the lactosyl - sepharose column . hepatic galectin - 8 was readily detected in the pellets , but not in the supernatants of the ( frozen and thawed ) eluted fractions , indicating that indeed it denatures upon freezing . these results suggest that functionally active cytosolic galectin - 8 is present in rat liver ( fig6 ). to estimate the amounts of galectin - 8 in rat liver , triton - soluble liver extracts were prepared , and resolved by means of sds - page . known amounts of rgalectin - 8 were run in parallel . all samples were then subjected to western immunoblotting , using anti - rgalectin - 8 antibodies . assuming that the immunoreactivity of rgalectin - 8 and the endogenous hepatic protein are comparable , we calculated that ˜ 25 ng of galectin - 8 are present in 100 mg of triton - soluble liver extracts . these findings suggest that galectin - 8 comprises ˜ 0 . 025 % of total triton - soluble hepatic proteins . galectin - 8 is widely expressed . tissue distribution and cellular localization of galectin - 8 . identifying tissues where galectin - 8 is highly expressed provides important clues related to its possible function and involvement in development . more important , determining whether galectin - 8 , like other galectins , is externalized , is of fundamental importance in attempts to assess its mode of action . three different approaches may be used to gain a detailed tissue distribution of galectin - 8 . i . northern blot analysis of rat tissues ; ii . to ascertain that the level of mrna indeed reflects the level of expression of galectin - 8 , the abundance of galectin - 8 in various tissues may be determined by western blot analysis using anti - rgalectin - 8 antibodies . since galectin - 8 , like other galectins , is prone to proteolysis , freshly isolated tissues are directly homogenized in 4m guanidinium - hcl to inactivate all proteases . the amount of galectin - 8 in the tissue under study is determined following sds - page , western blotting , and probing with anti - rgalectin - 8 antibodies . iii . in addition , tissues of interest ( e . g . liver and brain ) will be studied in more detail by in - situ hybridization . in preliminary studies , in situ hybridization of brain slices indicated that galectin - 8 is specifically expressed in the hypocampus , cerebellum , and brain stem , with little expression in the cortex ( not shown ). these findings suggest that unlike galectin - 4 , galectin - 8 is an abundant protein that might play a role in certain brain functions . northern blot analysis of rat tissues was carried out and the results are shown in table 1 . table i______________________________________tissue distribution of galectin - 8 mrna according tonorthern blot analysis . ______________________________________ lung 100 liver 43 . 4 cardiac muscle 39 . 5 spleen 36 . 3 hind limb muscle 31 . 6 brain 12 . 6 fetus 8 . 1______________________________________ total rna from the indicated rat tissues was electrophoresed , blotted , and probed as described in legend to fig3 . the intensity of the signal corresponding to the galectin - 8 probe was determined by densitometry and is presented as percentage of the strongest signal ( normalized to gapdh ) which was obtained in lung ( 100 %). the expression of galectin - 8 in different rat tissues was examined by northern blots ( fig3 ). a single mrna transcript of ˜ 3 kb hybridized with galectin - 8 pcr product probe . unlike galectin - 4 , which is confined to intestine and stomach ( 12 ), galectin - 8 mrna is highly expressed in lung , and to a lower extent in liver , kidney , spleen , hind - limb , and cardiac muscle ( fig3 table 1 ). lower levels of expression were detected in brain and almost no expression was found in whole rat embryos . generation and purification of recombinant n - terminal ( rgalectin - 8nt ) and c - terminal ( rgalectin - 8ct ) domains of galectin - 8 . to determine whether galectin - 8nt has any sugar - binding activity , and whether galectin - 8ct might function independently of its n - terminal half , galectin - 8nt and galectin - 8ct are amplified by pcr and proper restriction sites are introduced . expression of each domain either as a gst - fusion protein or as tag - free domain are carried out as described above ( example 4 ). to express tag - free galectin - 8ct the met residue placed within the mcs of pet - 3d is utilized as the start - site . purification of galectin - 8nt and galectin - 8ct is carried out as described above ( example 4 ). generation of mammalian cells that overexpress galectin - 8 in a transient or stable manner . the cdna coding for galectin - 8 was introduced into four different eukaryotic high expression plasmids : pcdna i amp ( invitrogene ); prep8 ( invitrogene ); pbpv - ii , and pmamneo ( clontec ). the latter plasmid , having a dexamethasone - inducible mmtv - ltr promoter is of particular use if constitutive overexpression of galectin - 8 induces growth arrest or prevents adhesion of the transfected cells . sequencing of the vector / insert boundaries is carried out , to ensure proper integration of the insert . a . transient expression of galectin - 8 -- northern blot analysis of rna and western immunoblotting with lp - lec8 antibodies , has indicated that cos - 7 cells express low levels of endogenous galectin - 8 . these cells are therefore appropriate targets to study transient expression of galectin - 8 . cos - 7 cells are plated in dmem / 10 % fcs at 2 × 10 6 cells / 10 cm plate , 24 h before transfection . cells are transfected with 10 μg of plasmid dna using deae - dextran and dmso - facilitated uptake according to standard procedures ( modified by 0 . 1 mm chloriquine treatment ). cells are harvested 48 - 72 h thereafter , and the expressed galectin - 8 is detected by western immunoblotting with lp - lec8 or rgalectin - 8 antibodies . galectin - 8 is purified by affinity - chromatography over lactosyl - sepharose column , and by immunoaffinity chromatography using lp - lec8 or rgalectin - 8 antibodies coupled to sepharose as immunoadsorbent . b . stable expression of galectin - 8 -- the above expression plasmids are used for stable transfection of galectin - 8 dna into chinese hamster ovary ( cho ) cells that have relatively low amount of endogenous galectin - 8 . stable transfectants are identified by their ability to accumulate galectin - 8 in the cytosol , or to secrete galectin - 8 into the medium . conditioned - medium is collected , concentrated by amicon centricon - 10 micro concentrator , and lyophilized . cytosolic extracts are prepared by boiling in &# 34 ; sample buffer &# 34 ; and the presence of galectin - 8 is detected by immunoblotting with galectin - 8 antibodies . cells expressing the highest concentration of galectin - 8 are further propagated . biological activity of whole rgalectin - 8 and its individually - expressed n - or c - terminal domains to assess the functional need for two crds within the same polypeptide chain of galectin - 8 , the biological activity of rgalectin - 8 is compared with that of its individually - expressed domains . i . hemagglutination activity of rgalectin - 8 , rgalectin - 8nt and rgalectin - 8ct is assayed as previously described ( 17 ). rabbit erythrocytes are trypsin - treated and fixed with glutaraldehyde . following washings in 0 . 1 m glycine / pbs and pbs , and proper dilution , hemagglutination activity of serial dilutions of rgalectin - 8 is compared with those of rgalectin - 8nt and rgalectin - 8ct . if rgalectin - 8 , like galectin - 1 , is capable of forming homodimers , and if both crds of galectin - 8 are capable of sugar binding , then rgalectin - 8 is expected to express hemagglutination activity . if however rgalectin - 8nt has reduced or no sugar - binding activity , and if rgalectin - 8 fails to dimerize , then rgalectin - 8 , having a single functional crd at the c - terminal domain , might fail to express hemagglutination activity . these results will implicate galectin - 8 as having a function different from cross - linking glycoconjugates . ii . carbohydrate - binding specificity of whole galectin - 8 and its individually - expressed domains is compared to previously determined specificity of other galectins , including galectin - 4 . to avoid possible alterations in the native structure of galectin - 8 ( e . g . due to carboxymethylation and iodination ) 5 μg of purified rgalectin - 8 ( or individual domains ) are incubated with 100 μl of lactosyl - sepharose ; conditions that result in quantitative binding of rgalectin - 8 . binding specificity may be determined by the capacity of various saccharides ( e . g . thiodigalactose , thiodiglucose ) to inhibit binding of rgalectin - 8 ( or individual domains ), when compared with lactose . if galectin8nt expresses , as predicted , altered or markedly reduced carbohydrate - binding activity , binding activity may be restored by site - directed mutagenesis , where the ile - 90 residue is mutated to arg . site - directed mutagenesis is carried out using &# 34 ; altered sites ii in vitro mutagenesis systems &# 34 ; ( promega ) according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s manual . first , ile - 90 is mutated to arg to determine how such substitution affects hemagglutination activity and sugar binding specificity of rgalectin - 8nt and whole galectin - 8 . conversely , arg - 253 , located within the wg - e - r motif at the c - terminal crd may be mutated to ile , and the effect of this mutation on the biological activity of galectin - 8 is assessed . if arg - 253 → ile mutation markedly reduces or abolishes the in vitro biological activity of galectin - 8 , then the biological consequences of overexpression of this negative - dominant mutant will be compared with cells that overexpress the native form of galectin - 8 . one whole mark of certain galectins is the sensitivity of their carbohydrate - binding activity to oxidation . other studies suggest that for certain of these lectins the thiol - dependence may be ascribed to an artifact of the extraction procedure rather than an intrinsic requirement of the protein itself . to assess whether galectin - 8 requires reducing environment to remain biologically active , the effects of various reductants and oxidants on the binding activity of galectin - 8 to lactosyl - sepharose are studied as described for other galectins . if galectin - 8 activity is sensitive to oxidation , alkylation of rgalectin - 8 may be carried out with iodoacetamide or with n - ethyl - maleimide . the modified product is then subjected to rechromatography over lactosyl - sepharose column and is eluted with water . alkylation , that stabilizes galectin - 1 , may preserve and stabilize rgalectin - 8 activity ( i . e . binding affinity to lactosyl - sepharose ), and enables increase of the half - life of rgalectin - 8 and better study of its effects on cultured cells under the oxidizing environment of tissue culture medium . preliminary experiments have indicated that endogenous mammalian galectin - 8 is susceptible to proteolysis . to determine the physiological significance of this phenomena , pulse - chase experiments with 35 s - labeled cells , followed by immunoprecipitation of the endogenous galectin - 8 , are carried out in cho cells overexpressing galectin - 8 . 35 s - labeled galectin - 8 is precipitated with lp - lec8 or rgalectin - 8 antibodies . the half - life of endogenous galectin - 8 and the formation of in vivo degradation products are then evaluated . to distinguish proteolysis that occurs in vivo from one that occurs during extraction and purification , homogenization is carried out in the presence of trace amounts of 125 i - labeled rgalectin - 8 . the effects of galectin - 8 on cell adhesion and on regulation of cellular growth are examined . one of the well characterized effects of galectin - 1 is its ability to inhibit myoblast adhesion to laminin ( 15 ). to determine whether galectin - 8 shares a similar property , the effects of overexpression of galectin - 8 on cell adhesion are studied . cos - 7 cells are co - transfected with an expression vector for β - galactosidase ( psmβgal ) at a 1 : 20 ratio to the galectin - 8 vector . cells expressing β - galactosidase are easily distinguished by a blue staining after histochemical reaction with x - gal , 36 h following transfection . alterations in adhesion of blue cells as a function of time are monitored . control cells are cotransfected with psmβgal and pcdna - ir ( which contains an insert encoding for the insulin receptor ). if positive results are obtained , thio - d - glucose ( tdg ) is added to inhibit lectin - carbohydrate interactions and study the contribution of the carbohydrate - binding domains to this effect . in an alternative approach cho cells , transfected with the pmamneo - galectin - 8 plasmid ( which has a dexamethasone - inducible mmtv - ltr promoter ) is used . their adhesive properties to the culture dish , before and after induction , are compared . if positive results are obtained , the effects of tdg on cell adhesion and the effects of exogenously - added rgalectin - 8 on non - induced cells are determined . function of galectin - 8 as a cytostatic factor and cell growth regulator . mgbp , a single - domain homologue of galectin - 8 , was shown to be a cell growth - regulatory molecule and a cytostatic factor that binds to a specific cell surface receptor ( 8 ). to determine whether galectin - 8 fulfills a similar role , since galectin - 8 is expressed in rat liver , rat hepatoma ( fao ) cells are used as a model system . another model is mouse embryo fibroblasts ( mef ), that were already shown to be subjected to the growth inhibitory action of mgbp ( 8 ). growth inhibition induced by purified rgalectin - 8 is assessed by several parameters : i . direct counting of logarithmically growing cells , incubated for increasing time periods with increasing concentrations of native or denatured ( control ) rgalectin - 8 . cell viability is assessed calorimetrically utilizing the neutral red uptake assay . ii . inhibition of dna synthesis is monitored by 3 h ! thymidine incorporation into control , and rgalectin - 8 - treated cells . iii . change in population distribution , due to inhibition of cell growth , is assessed by facs analysis . iv . changes in cell morphology are monitored in cells grown on cover slips . following treatment , cells are washed , fixed , and viewed by nomarski interference contrast microscopy . the reversibility of the galectin - 8 effects on these parameters may then be evaluated . the relation between sugar binding and the biological activity of rgalectin - 8 may be further assessed by the ability of 10 mm tdg to compete for rgalectin - 8 binding . successful results lead to the second stage of the study , where it is determined whether growth inhibition is related to the growth state , as is in the case of mgbp and cytokines . for that purpose cells stationed in go by serum starvation , and cells rescued from go by serum stimulation , are treated with galectin - 8 for different times , and its potency to attenuate or inhibit cell growth is evaluated . inhibition of dna synthesis was monitored in control and rgalectin - 8 - treated cho cells as described in the legend to fig7 . it can be seen that rgalectin - 8 inhibits serum - induced 3 h ! thymidine incorporation in a dose - dependent manner . half - maximal effects are obtained at 0 . 5 μm and maximal effects at 2 μm rgalectin - 8 , gst alone is without effect . suitable compositions prepared by well - known standard procedures , containing anti - galectin - 8 antibodies may be used to detect overexpression of this protein following neoplastic transformation in general , and in metastatic melanoma cells in particular , and accordingly , to determine whether overexpression of galectin - 8 can serve as an early signal for neoplastic transformation , and / or the development of metastatic melanoma . thus , the anti - galectin - 8 antibodies mat serve as a diagnostic tool for early detection of the above disease . moreover , the presence of a subject &# 39 ; s own anti - galectin - 8 antibodies can also serve as such a diagnostic tool , which endogenous anti - galectin - 8 antibodies may be assayed with purified galectin - 8 . 2 . barondes , s . h ., castronovo , v ., cooper , d . n ., cummings , r . d ., drickamer , k ., feizi , t ., gitt , m . a ., hirabayashi , j ., hughes , c ., kasai , k . et . al . 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( 1993 ) biochemistry 32 , 4455 - 4460 . 12 . oda , y ., herrmann , j ., gitt , m . a ., turck , c . w ., burlingame , a . l ., barondes , s . h . and leffler , h . ( 1993 ) j biol chem 268 , 5929 - 5939 . 13 . hirabayashi , j ., satoh , m . and kasai , k . ( 1992 ) j biol chem 267 , 15485 - 15490 . 14 . lamphere , l . and lienhard , g . e . ( 1992 ) endocrinology 131 , 2196 - 2202 . 15 . cooper , d . n ., and barondes , s . h . ( 1990 ) j cell biol 110 , 1681 - 1691 . 16 . sambrook , j ., fritsch , e . f ., and maniatis , t . molecular cloning , a laboratory manual ( cold spring harbor laboratory press , 1989 ). 17 . lis , h ., and sharon , n . ( 1972 ) methods enzymol . 28 , 360 - 368 . __________________________________________________________________________ # sequence listing - ( 1 ) general information :- ( iii ) number of sequences : 19 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 1 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 1247 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : cdna - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : cds ( b ) location : 121 .. 1068 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 1 :- aattcccccc ctggctgggg acaagttatt actttgagta atccttaaat ga - # agagtggg 60 - taaagcccat atacggaaga gagactccag tcaacaatat caataagttg aa - # gaagaaaa 120 - atg ttg tcc tta agc aat cta caa aat atc at - # c tat aac ccg aca atc 168met leu ser leu ser asn leu gln asn ile il - # e tyr asn pro thr ile # 15 - ccc tat gtc agt acc att act gag cag ttg aa - # g cct ggc tct ttg atc 216pro tyr val ser thr ile thr glu gln leu ly - # s pro gly ser leu ile # 30 - gtg atc cgt ggc cat gtt cct aaa gat tca ga - # a aga ttc caa gta gac 264val ile arg gly his val pro lys asp ser gl - # u arg phe gln val asp # 45 - ttt cag cat ggc aac agc ctg aag ccg aga gc - # t gat gtg gcc ttc cac 312phe gln his gly asn ser leu lys pro arg al - # a asp val ala phe his # 60 - ttt aac cct cgc ttc aaa agg tcc aac tgc at - # t gtt tgt aac aca ctg 360phe asn pro arg phe lys arg ser asn cys il - # e val cys asn thr leu # 80 - aca aat gag aaa tgg ggc tgg gag gag atc ac - # c cac gac atg cct ttc 408thr asn glu lys trp gly trp glu glu ile th - # r his asp met pro phe # 95 - aga aaa gaa aag tcc ttt gag att gtg atc at - # g gtg cta aag aac aaa 456arg lys glu lys ser phe glu ile val ile me - # t val leu lys asn lys # 110 - ttc cac gtg gct gtg aat gga aag cac att ct - # g ctg tat gcc cac agg 504phe his val ala val asn gly lys his ile le - # u leu tyr ala his arg # 125 - atc aac cca gag aag ata gac aca ctg ggc at - # c ttc ggc aaa gtg aac 552ile asn pro glu lys ile asp thr leu gly il - # e phe gly lys val asn # 140 - att cac tcc atc ggg ttc aga ttc agc tcg ga - # t tta cag agt atg gaa 600ile his ser ile gly phe arg phe ser ser as - # p leu gln ser met glu145 1 - # 50 1 - # 55 1 -# 60 - aca tct act ctg gga ctg aca cag ata agt aa - # a gaa aat ata caa aag 648thr ser thr leu gly leu thr gln ile ser ly - # s glu asn ile gln lys # 175 - tct ggc aag ctc cat ttg agc ctg cca ttt ga - # a gca agg ttg aat gcc 696ser gly lys leu his leu ser leu pro phe gl - # u ala arg leu asn ala # 190 - tcc atg ggc cct gga cga acc gtt gtc gtt aa - # a gga gaa gtg aat aca 744ser met gly pro gly arg thr val val val ly - # s gly glu val asn thr # 205 - aat gcc aca agc ttt aat gtt gac cta gtg gc - # a gga agg tca agg gat 792asn ala thr ser phe asn val asp leu val al - # a gly arg ser arg asp # 220 - atc gct ctg cac ttg aac cca cgc ctg aat gt - # g aaa gcg ttt gta aga 840ile ala leu his leu asn pro arg leu asn va - # l lys ala phe val arg225 2 - # 30 2 - # 35 2 -# 40 - aac tcc ttt ctt cag gat gcc tgg gga gaa ga - # g gag aga aac att acc 888asn ser phe leu gln asp ala trp gly glu gl - # u glu arg asn ile thr # 255 - tgc ttc cca ttt agt tct ggg atg tac ttt ga - # g atg ata att tac tgt 936cys phe pro phe ser ser gly met tyr phe gl - # u met ile ile tyr cys # 270 - gat gtc cga gag ttc aag gtt gca gta aat gg - # t gtg cac agc ctg gag 984asp val arg glu phe lys val ala val asn gl - # y val his ser leu glu # 285 - tac aag cac aga ttt aaa gac cta agc agc at - # c gac aca cta gca gtt1032tyr lys his arg phe lys asp leu ser ser il - # e asp thr leu ala val # 300 - gat ggc gat atc cgt ttg ctg gat gta agg ag - # c tgg tagctatcat1078asp gly asp ile arg leu leu asp val arg se - # r trp305 3 - # 10 3 - # 15 - gactgccaga accctggaaa tacaaaatgg cttatccgat actggccatg tc - # aaatgcat1138 - ctcgctttca ccacattgtt atactgttaa gttgagctcg cacaacatca ag - # tcctactg1198 # 1247gccat gcagtgtggc tacctctgaa ttcccagga - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 2 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 316 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : protein - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 2 :- met leu ser leu ser asn leu gln asn ile il - # e tyr asn pro thr ile # 15 - pro tyr val ser thr ile thr glu gln leu ly - # s pro gly ser leu ile # 30 - val ile arg gly his val pro lys asp ser gl - # u arg phe gln val asp # 45 - phe gln his gly asn ser leu lys pro arg al - # a asp val ala phe his # 60 - phe asn pro arg phe lys arg ser asn cys il - # e val cys asn thr leu # 80 - thr asn glu lys trp gly trp glu glu ile th - # r his asp met pro phe # 95 - arg lys glu lys ser phe glu ile val ile me - # t val leu lys asn lys # 110 - phe his val ala val asn gly lys his ile le - # u leu tyr ala his arg # 125 - ile asn pro glu lys ile asp thr leu gly il - # e phe gly lys val asn # 140 - ile his ser ile gly phe arg phe ser ser as - # p leu gln ser met glu145 1 - # 50 1 - # 55 1 -# 60 - thr ser thr leu gly leu thr gln ile ser ly - # s glu asn ile gln lys # 175 - ser gly lys leu his leu ser leu pro phe gl - # u ala arg leu asn ala # 190 - ser met gly pro gly arg thr val val val ly - # s gly glu val asn thr # 205 - asn ala thr ser phe asn val asp leu val al - # a gly arg ser arg asp # 220 - ile ala leu his leu asn pro arg leu asn va - # l lys ala phe val arg225 2 - # 30 2 - # 35 2 -# 40 - asn ser phe leu gln asp ala trp gly glu gl - # u glu arg asn ile thr # 255 - cys phe pro phe ser ser gly met tyr phe gl - # u met ile ile tyr cys # 270 - asp val arg glu phe lys val ala val asn gl - # y val his ser leu glu # 285 - tyr lys his arg phe lys asp leu ser ser il - # e asp thr leu ala val # 300 - asp gly asp ile arg leu leu asp val arg se - # r trp305 3 - # 10 3 - # 15 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 3 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 135 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : peptide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 3 :- met ala gly gly leu val ala ser asn leu as - # n leu lys pro gly glu # 15 - cys leu arg val arg gly glu val ala pro as - # p ala lys ser glu val # 30 - leu asn leu gly lys asp ser asn asn leu cy - # s glu his glu asn pro # 45 - arg glu asn ala his gly asp ala asn thr il - # e val cys asn ser lys # 60 - asp gly gly ala trp gly thr glu gln arg gl - # u ala val phe pro glu # 80 - gln pro gly ser val ala glu val cys ile th - # r phe asp gln ala asn # 95 - glu thr val lys leu pro asp gly tyr glu ph - # e lys ser pro asn arg # 110 - leu asn leu glu ala ile asn tyr met ala al - # a asp gly asp phe lys # 125 - ile lys cys val ala phe asp # 135 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 4 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 132 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : peptide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 4 :- met thr gly glu leu glu val lys asn met as - # p met lys pro gly ser # 15 - thr leu lys ile thr gly ser ile ala asp gl - # y thr asp gly glu val # 30 - ile asn leu gly gln gly thr asp lys leu as - # n glu his glu asn pro # 45 - arg glu ser glu ser thr ile val cys asn se - # r leu asp gly ser asn # 60 - trp gly gln glu gln arg glu asp his leu cy - # s glu ser pro gly ser # 80 - glu val lys phe thr val thr phe glu ser as - # p lys glu lys val lys # 95 - leu pro asp gly his glu leu thr ser pro as - # n arg leu gly his ser # 110 - his leu ser tyr leu ser trp arg gly gly ph - # e asn pro ser ser phe # 125 - lys leu lys glu 130 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 5 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 135 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : peptide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 5 :- val pro tyr asp met pro leu pro gly gly va - # l met pro arg met leu # 15 - ile thr ile ile gly thr val lys pro asn al - # a asn ser glu thr leu # 30 - asn glu lys lys gly asn asp ile ala glu hi - # s glu asn pro arg glu # 45 - asn glu asn asn arg arg val ile val cys as - # n thr lys gln asp asn # 60 - asn trp gly arg glu glu arg gln ser ala ph - # e pro glu glu ser gly # 80 - lys pro glu lys ile gln val leu val glu al - # a asp his glu lys val # 95 - ala val asn asp val his leu leu gln tyr as - # n his arg met lys asn # 110 - leu arg glu ile ser gln leu gly ile ile gl - # y asp ile thr leu thr # 125 - ser ala ser his ala met ile # 135 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 6 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 177 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : peptide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 6 :- met ala tyr val pro ala pro gly tyr gln pr - # o thr tyr asn pro thr # 15 - leu pro tyr lys arg pro ile pro gly gly le - # u ser val gly met ser # 30 - ile tyr ile gln gly ile ala lys asp asn me - # t arg arg glu his val # 45 - asn glu ala val gly gln asp glu gly ala as - # p ile ala glu his glu # 60 - asn pro arg glu asp gly trp asp lys val va - # l phe asn thr met gln # 80 - ser gly gln trp gly lys glu glu lys lys ly - # s ser met pro glu gln # 95 - lys gly his his glu glu leu val glu met va - # l met ser glu his lys # 110 - lys val val val asn gly thr pro phe tyr gl - # u tyr gly his arg leu # 125 - pro leu gln met val thr his leu gln val as - # p gly asp leu glu leu # 140 - gln ser ile asn phe leu gly gly gln pro al - # a ala ser gln tyr pro145 1 - # 50 1 - # 55 1 -# 60 - gly thr met thr ile pro ala tyr pro ser al - # a gly tyr asn pro pro # 175 - gln - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 7 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 147 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : peptide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 7 :- met asn ser leu pro val met ala gly pro pr - # o ile phe asn pro pro # 15 - val pro tyr val gly thr leu gln gly gly le - # u thr ala arg arg thr # 30 - ile ile ile lys gly tyr val leu pro thr al - # a lys asn ile ile ile # 45 - asn glu lys val gly ser thr gly asp ile al - # a glu his met asn pro # 60 - arg ile gly asp cys val val arg asn ser ty - # r met asn gly ser trp # 80 - gly ser glu glu arg lys ile pro tyr asn pr - # o glu gly ala gly gln # 95 - phe glu asp leu ser ile arg cys gly thr as - # p arg glu lys val phe # 110 - ala asn gly gln his leu phe asp arg ser hi - # s arg phe gln ala pro # 125 - gln arg val asp met leu glu ile lys gly as - # p ile thr leu ser tyr # 140 - val gln ile145 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 8 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 146 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : peptide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 8 :- met ser ala glu glu pro lys ser tyr pro va - # l pro tyr arg ser val # 15 - leu gln glu lys leu glu pro gly gln thr le - # u ile val lys gly ser # 30 - thr ile asp glu ser gln arg glu thr ile as - # n leu his ser lys thr # 45 - ala asp phe ser gly asn asp val pro leu hi - # s val ser val arg glu # 60 - asp glu gly lys ile val leu asn ser phe se - # r asn gly glu trp gly # 80 - lys glu glu arg lys ser asn pro ile lys ly - # s gly asp ser glu asp # 95 - ile arg ile arg ala his asp asp arg glu gl - # n ser ile val asp his # 110 - lys glu phe lys asp tyr glu his arg leu pr - # o leu ser ser ile ser # 125 - his leu ser ile asp gly asp leu tyr leu as - # n his val his trp gly # 140 - gly lys145 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 9 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 131 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : peptide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 9 :- pro val pro tyr glu ser gly leu ala asn gl - # y leu pro val gly lys # 15 - ser leu leu val phe gly thr val glu lys ly - # s ala lys arg glu his # 30 - val asn leu leu arg lys asn gly asp ile se - # r glu his glu asn pro # 45 - arg glu asp glu lys his val val arg asn se - # r leu ala ala asn glu # 60 - trp gly asn glu glu arg glu gly lys asn pr - # o glu glu lys gly val # 80 - gly glu asp leu val ile gln asn glu glu ty - # r ala glu gln val phe # 95 - val asn gly glu arg tyr ile ser arg ala hi - # s arg ala asp pro his # 110 - asp ile ala gly leu gln ile ser gly asp il - # e glu leu ser gly ile # 125 - gln ile gln 130 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 10 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 184 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : peptide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 10 :- met leu ser leu ser asn leu gln asn ile il - # e tyr asn pro thr ile # 15 - pro tyr val ser thr leu thr glu gln leu ly - # s pro gly ser leu ile # 30 - val ile arg gly his val pro lys asp ser gl - # u arg glu gln val asp # 45 - glu gln his gly asn ser leu lys pro arg al - # a asp val ala glu his # 60 - glu asn pro arg glu lys arg ser asn cys il - # e val cys asn thr leu # 80 - thr asn glu lys trp gly trp glu glu ile th - # r his asp met pro glu # 95 - arg lys glu lys glu glu glu ile val ile me - # t val leu lys asn lys # 110 - glu his val ala val asn gly lys his ile le - # u leu tyr ala his arg # 125 - ile asn pro glu lys ile asp thr leu gly il - # e phe gly lys val asn # 140 - ile his ser ile gly phe arg phe ser ser as - # p leu gln ser met glu145 1 - # 50 1 - # 55 1 -# 60 - thr ser thr leu gly leu thr gln ile ser ly - # s glu asn ile gln lys # 175 - ser gly lys leu his leu ser leu 180 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 11 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 132 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : peptide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 11 :- pro glu glu ala arg leu asn ala ser met gl - # y pro gly arg thr val # 15 - val val lys gly glu val asn thr asn ala th - # r ser glu asn val asp # 30 - leu val ala gly arg ser arg asp ile ala il - # e his ile asn pro arg # 45 - ile asn val lys ala phe val arg asn ser ph - # e leu gln asp ala trp # 60 - gly glu glu glu arg asn ile thr cys phe pr - # o glu ser ser gly met # 80 - tyr glu glu met ile ile tyr cys asp val ar - # g glu glu lys val ala # 95 - val asn gly val his ser leu glu tyr lys hi - # s arg phe lys asp leu # 110 - ser ser ile asp thr leu ala val asp gly as - # p ile arg leu leu asp # 125 - val arg ser trp 130 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 12 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 15 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : peptide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 12 :- cys tyr ala ser ile asn phe gln lys gln pr - # o glu asp arg gln # 15 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 13 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 25 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : cdna - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 13 :# 25 gtca gtacc - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 14 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 21 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : cdna - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 14 :# 21 caac a - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 15 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 30 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : cdna - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 15 :# 30 tgtc cttaagcaat - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 16 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 27 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : cdna - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 16 :# 27 cctt aagcaat - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 17 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 30 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : cdna - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 17 :# 30 tttt gtatttccag - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 18 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 16 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : peptide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 18 :- cys gln ile ser lys glu thr ile gln lys se - # r gly lys leu his leu # 15 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 19 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 6 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : peptide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 19 :- his phe asn pro arg leu1 5__________________________________________________________________________
2
in a particularly preferred embodiment of the disclosure , the amino - functional polysiloxane is prepared by a conventional polycondensation process comprising , for example : heating a mixture of silanol terminated dimethylsiloxane oligomers , aminopropyl - dimethoxymethylsilane , and hexamethyldi - siloxane endblocker in the presence of a catalyst . then , gradually reducing the pressure to promote condensation and removing water and methanol by - products from the reaction mixture . the catalyst can be selected from the group consisting of barium hydroxide , trisodium orthophosphate or similar base catalysts . polycondensation is achieved by heating the reaction mixture for a period of time , typically , the mixture is heated up to 85 ° c . for up to 3 hours . the by - products formed in the process are water and alcohol and they are removed by reducing the pressure typically down to 200 mbar and stripping them out of the reaction mixture . after the viscosity of the product is stabilized , the pressure is adjusted to ambient and the product is cooled in an inert atmosphere . a similar procedure is used for the preparation of carbinol terminated polysiloxane where silanol terminated dimethylsiloxane oligomers are reacted under the same conditions with aminopropyldimethylmethoxysilane endblocker . the reaction process is identical but the product of this reaction is a linear polydimethylsiloxane terminated with an amino - functional radical . the molecular weight of this polysiloxane is controlled by the amount of the aminopropyldimethylmethoxysilane endblocker . the amino - functional polysiloxane thus obtained is then reacted with cyclic carbonate to produce the desired carbinol - functional polysiloxane . preferred carbonates are cyclic ethylene carbonate or cyclic glycerol carbonate . the preferred reaction conditions are to add the melted carbonate slowly into the reaction mixture and maintain a reaction temperature of 80 ° c . by controlling the rate of addition . the following schematics illustrate examples of the fundamental reactions used in this disclosure . the reaction to form the polysiloxane - carbinols requires no catalyst , no solvent , provides no byproducts and is obtained in a high yield . the materials are useful in polyurethane chemistries , such as additives for polyurethane foams and castables , textile treatments , hair care products , paper coatings , facial tissues , viscosity modifiers , and they can be converted to hydrogels by crosslinking methods . these examples are intended to illustrate the disclosure to those skilled in the art and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the disclosure set forth in the claims . 3 - aminopropyldiethoxymethylsilane ( 191 grams , 1 mole ), 36 g ( 2 moles ) of distilled water and 1 . 4 g ( 0 . 009 moles ) of hexamethyldisiloxane ( hmdso ) were combined in a 500 ml round bottom flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer , condenser and a dean stark trap . the mixture was allowed to react for 3 hours at room temperature until a homogeneous clear solution was obtained . the hydrolyzate mixture was then heated at 110 ° c . for 4 hours to strip water and ethanol to complete the polymerization . the resulting pendant aminofunctional polysiloxane was then stripped by heating at 150 ° c . under full vacuum and the stripped polymer was cooled to 80 ° c . the amine functional polysiloxane that was obtained was placed in a 2 l parr reactor and was purged with nitrogen to ensure an inert atmosphere . ethylene carbonate ( 88 grams , 1 mole ) was then added at 80 ° c . and the mild exothermic reaction temperature was maintained at this temperature by adjusting the addition rate of ethylene carbonate . once all ethylene carbonate was added , agitation was continued for an hour to ensure complete reaction . 3 - aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane ( 3 . 0 gr ), distilled water ( 36 gr ), potassium silanolate ( 1 . 0 gr ) and 16 - 32 cst silanol terminated dimethylsiloxane oligomers ( 240 gr ) were combined in a 500 ml round bottom flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer , condenser and a dean stark trap . the mixture was allowed to react for 3 hours at room temperature until a homogeneous clear solution was obtained . the hydrolyzate mixture was then heated at 110 ° c . for 4 hours to strip water and ethanol to complete the polymerization . dry ice was added to neutralize the base catalyst . the resulting terminal aminofunctional polysiloxane was then stripped by heating at 150 ° c . under full vacuum and the stripped polymer was cooled to 80 ° c . the amine functional polysiloxane that was obtained was placed in a 2 l parr reactor and was purged with nitrogen to ensure an inert atmosphere . ethylene carbonate ( 176 gr ) was then added at 80 ° c . and the mild exothermic reaction temperature was maintained at this temperature by adjusting the addition rate of ethylene carbonate . once all ethylene carbonate was added , agitation was continued for an hour to ensure complete reaction . 3 - aminopropyldiethoxymethylsilane ( 80 . 5 grams , 0 . 5 mole ), 16 - 32 cst silanol terminated dimethylsiloxane oligomers ( 300 gr ), 36 g ( 2 moles ) of distilled water and 1 . 4 g ( 0 . 009 moles ) of hexamethyldisiloxane ( hmdso ) were combined in a 500 ml round bottom flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer , condenser and a dean stark trap . the mixture was allowed to react for 3 hours at room temperature until a homogeneous clear solution was obtained . the hydrolyzate mixture was then heated at 110 ° c . for 4 hours to strip water and ethanol to complete the polymerization . the resulting pendant aminofunctional polysiloxane was then stripped by heating at 150 ° c . under full vacuum and the stripped polymer was cooled to 80 ° c . the amine functional polysiloxane that was obtained was placed in a 2 l parr reactor and was purged with nitrogen to ensure an inert atmosphere . ethylene carbonate ( 44 gr , 0 . 5 mole ) was then added at 80 ° c . and the mild exothermic reaction temperature was maintained at this temperature by adjusting the addition rate of ethylene carbonate . once all ethylene carbonate was added , agitation was continued for an hour to ensure complete reaction .
2
any established human cells can be used as far as they multiply readily when transplanted in other warm - blooded animal body ; for example hpb - all cell , molt - 3 cell , p 12 / ichikawa cell , hpb - mlt cell , p 8 / seki cell , jbl cell , hcl cell and p 10 / shibata cell , described in , &# 34 ; protein , nucleic acid and enzyme &# 34 ;, vol . 23 , no . 6 , pp . 697 - 711 ( 1978 ), namalva cell described in &# 34 ; journal of clinical microbiology &# 34 ;, vol . 1 , pp . 116 - 117 ( 1975 ), and ball - 1 cell , tall - 1 cell and nall - 1 cell described by i . miyoshi , &# 34 ; nature &# 34 ;, vol . 267 , pp . 843 - 844 ( 1977 ). particularly , the human lymphoblastoid cell lines are preferable . established human cells usable in the present invention may be chosen from the above cells , although not limited to them . in steps prior to type ii interferon induction , the above cells can be used alone or in combination . to these cells , if desired , are mixed human leukocytes prepared from fresh human blood . any warm - blooded animal can be used in the present invention as far as established human cells can multiply therein : for example birds such as chicken and pigeon ; and mammalians such as dog , cat , monkey , goat , pig , bovine , horse , rabbit , guinea pig , rat , hamster , mouse and nude mouse . since transplantation of human cells in the above - mentioned animal bodies tends to cause undesirable immuno - reactions , animals in the most immature state , namely , egg , fetus , embryo , or new - born or infant animal , should be chosen to depress the immunoreactions as much as possible . prior to transplantation of the cells , the animal may be irradiated with about 200 - 600 rem of x - ray , or γ - ray , or by injecting antiserum or an immunosuppressive agent , to depress the immunoreactions . nude mouse , even adult , is preferable as a warm - blooded animal because it is less liable to cause undesirable immunoreactions and established human cells can be transplanted thereto and multiplied rapidly without any pre - treatment . transplantation of multiplied human cells from one warm - blooded animal body to another warm - blooded animal body can make multiplication of the cells much steadier and the amount of type ii interferon that induced in the cells much larger ; for example , established human cells are transplanted in hamsters and multiplied therein , and then the multiplied human cells are harvested and transplanted in nude mice . in this case , the multiplied cells can be transplanted further from one warm - blooded animal body to another warm - blooded animal body of the same species , genus , class or division . established human cells can be also transplanted to any part of the animal body so far as they multiply easily therein ; for example intraperitoneally , intravenously , subcutaneously or in allantoic cavity . instead of transplanting and multiplying established human cells in other warm - blooded animal body , any above - mentioned cells can be inoculated and multiplied in a nutrient of other warm - blooded animal body in a conventional - type diffusion chamber which is embedded , for example intraperitoneally , and devised to allow the cells to utilize said body fluid . the chambers which are usable in the invention can be of various shapes and sizes , and should be interposed with filter membranes , for example membrane filter , ultrafilter and hollow fiber , to prevent leakage of cells . particularly , chambers with interposed filter membranes with pore sizes of about 10 - 7 to 10 - 5 m are preferable . if necessary , the diffusion chamber can be designed and placed , for example on the surface of the animal body , so that the nutrient body fluid of the animal can circulate through the chamber and the development of the established human cells inoculated in said chamber can be observed through a transparent side window made in the chamber wall . the diffusion chamber can be also designed and devised so that it can be disconnected periodically from the animal body and the cells multiply through the whole life of the animal without any unnecessary sacrifice of the animal to increase further the yield of the multiplied cells per animal . furthermore , the process using the above - mentioned diffusion chamber has an additional feature , besides the multiplied human cells can be easily harvested because there is no direct contact of the cell with the animal cell , that various warm - blooded animals can be used without any pretreatment to depress their immunoreactions because of their lower possibilities of causing the immunoreactions . the process of the present invention offers the convenience that the animal to which established human cells are transplanted can be fed in the usual way and that no special treatment is required even after transplantation of cells . the period required for sufficient multiplication of the transplanted established human cells is usually about 1 to 10 weeks . the number of the multiplied human cells was counted and found to be about 10 7 to 10 12 or more per animal . in other words , the process according to the invention is extremely advantageous for preparing type ii interferon because the number of the cells transplanted or inoculated in or to the animal body or the diffusion chamber increases about 10 2 to 10 7 folds or more by said process ; about 10 to 10 6 folds more than those attained by inoculating and multiplying the same cells in nutrient culture medium in vitro . as to the induction of type ii interferon , any method can be employed as far as it induces type ii interferon in the multiplied living human cells . the cells can be exposed to the action of a type ii interferon inducer wherein they multiplied . for example , the human cells multiplied in ascites in suspension or the tumor cells that occurred subcutaneously can be exposed to the action of a type ii interferon inducer in vivo wherein they multiplied , and the induced type ii interferon is then purified and separated from the ascites or the tumor . in contrast , the multiplied human cells can be exposed after the isolation to the action of a type ii interferon inducer in vitro to induce type ii interferon . for example , the multiplied human cells harvested from ascites , or those isolated and dissociated from the massive tumors that occurred subcutaneously are suspended in a nutrient medium kept at about 20 ° to 40 ° c ., to give a cell concentration of about 10 5 to 10 8 cells per ml , and then exposed to a type ii interferon inducer . then , the induced type ii interferon is purified and separated . when human cells are multiplied in a diffusion chamber , the cells can be exposed to a type ii interferon inducer in said chamber in vivo , or exposed to the inducer in vitro after recovering them from said chamber . in the production of type ii interferon , if desired , the amount of the induced type ii interferon can be augmented further by known methods such as the priming method using highly human species - specific interferon and / or the super - induction method using a metabolic inhibitor . furthermore , the yield of the induced type ii interferon per animal can be augmented further by one or more of the following methods : ( 1 ) a method in which the multiplied cells are first exposed to a type ii interferon inducer to induce said interferon wherein they multiplied , and then exposed after harvesting from a certain or a whole part of the animal body to a type ii interferon inducer to induce said interferon in vitro . ( 2 ) a method in which the human cells that were already used or used repeatedly in the production of type ii inerferon are exposed to the action of a type ii interferon inducer in vivo or in vitro to induce said interferon , and ( 3 ) a method in which a diffusion chamber embedded or connected in or to the animal body is disconnected periodically to augment the number of the multiplied human cells . as to type ii interferon inducer , usually mitogens such as phytohemagglutinin , concanavalin a , pork weed mitogen , lipopolysaccharide , polysaccharide , endotoxin and bacterium are preferable . for sensitized cells , antigen also acts as a type ii interferon inducer . the above - mentioned type ii interferon inducers are used usually in a concentration of about 0 . 001 μg to 10 mg per ml . in addition , the employment of one or more type i interferon inducers , for example virus , nucleic acid and polynucleotide , in combination with a type ii interferon inducer augments further the yield of the induced type ii interferon , and also enables simultaneous induction of type i and type ii interferons . the induced type ii interferon can be purified and separated easily by conventional purification and separation techniques , for example salting out , dialysis , filtration , centrifugation , concentration and freeze - drying . if higher purified type ii interferon preparation is desirable , type ii interferon of the highest purity is obtainable by employing conventional techniques , for example adsorption and desorption by ion exchanger , gel filtration , affinity - chromatography , isoelectric point fractionation and electrophoresis , in combination with the above - mentioned techniques . the activities of higher human species - specific type i and type ii interferons were determined by the conventional plaque reduction method with human amnion cells which are described in &# 34 ; protein , nucleic acid and enzyme &# 34 ;, vol . 20 , no . 6 , pp . 616 - 643 ( 1975 ), published by kyoritsu shuppan co . ltd ., tokyo , japan . the hemagglutination unit was assayed according to the method reported by j . e . salk , &# 34 ; journal of immunology &# 34 ;, vol . 49 , pp . 87 - 98 ( 1944 ). experiment a below describes the production of type ii interferon according to the invention . ball - 1 cells were inoculated in rpmi - 1640 medium supplemented with 20 % of fetal bovine serum at ph 7 . 2 and were cultured in suspension at 37 ° c . the multiplied cells were washed with serum - free rpmi - 1640 medium at ph 7 . 2 and suspended in a fresh medium of the same composition to give a cell concentration of about 1 × 10 6 cells per ml . new - born hamsters were pre - injected with antiserum prepared from rabbit according to the known method to depress their immunoreactions , and then were transplanted subcutaneously with ball - 1 cells . the hamsters were fed in the usual way for 3 weeks . the massive tumors that occurred subcutaneously were isolated , cut finely and dissociated in a physiological saline solution containing trypsin to collect the multiplied cells . the cells thus obtained were washed with serum - free rpmi - 1640 medium at ph 7 . 2 and suspended in a fresh medium of the same composition to give a cell concentration of about 1 × 10 6 cells per ml . the suspensions of ball - 1 cells obtained in experiment a - 1 and a - 2 , a cell concentration of about 1 × 10 6 cells per ml , were exposed to phytohemagglutinin and / or sendai virus to induce interferon . more particularly , when phytohemagglutinin was used alone , the suspensions were added with phytohemagglutinin in a proportion of about 100 μg per ml and incubated at 37 ° c . for 3 days to induce interferon . when sendai virus was used alone , the suspensions were added with the virus in a proportion of about 300 hemagglutination units per ml and incubated at 37 ° c . for day to induce interferon . when both phytohemagglutinin and sendai virus were used in combination , the suspensions were first added with phytohemagglutinin in a proportion of about 100 μg per ml , incubated at 37 ° c . for 2 days , then added with sendai virus in a proportion of about 300 hemagglutination units per ml , and incubated at 37 ° c . for an additional day to induce interferon . the interferon - containing suspensions thus obtained were centrifuged . the resulting supernatants were concentrated with an ultrafilter having a cut - off molecular weight of 6 , 000 and then fractionated according to the molecular weight with dextran gel . the activities of the obtained type i interferon , molecular weight of about 25 , 000 , and type ii interferon , molecular weight of 50 , 000 , were determined to evaluate the interferon activities per ml suspension upon incubation . the results are shown in table 1 . table 1______________________________________ multiplicationinterferon inducer in vitro in vivo______________________________________phytohemagglutinin 20 400 ( 20 ) ( 400 ) sendai virus 1 , 700 6 , 700 ( 0 ) ( 0 ) phytohemagglutinin 1 , 740 24 , 000 + sendai virus ( 30 ) ( 11 , 000 ) ______________________________________ note : the determined total interferon activities upon incubation are expressed by units per ml suspension , and those of type ii interferon for each preparation are shown in parenthesis . as obvious from the results shown in table 1 , while a small amount of interferon was induced in cells multiplied in vitro , a large amount of interferon was induced in cells multiplied in vivo . the cells multiplied in vitro as well as in vivo , produced type i interferon when they were exposed to sendai virus . the cells multiplied in vivo , however , gave 4 times higher activity than those multiplied in vitro . in respect to the interferon activities of the preparations induced by phytohemagglutinin and / or sendai virus , a remarkable synergism attributed to the interferon inducers was noted in the production of type i and type ii interferons when the cells multiplied in vivo were used . particularly , type ii interferon induced by using phytohemagglutinin and sendai virus in combination had an about 28 times higher activity than that induced by using phytohemagglutinin alone . no synergism was , however , observed when the cells multiplied in vitro were used . several embodiments illustrating the production of type ii interferon according to the present invention are shown below . adult nude mice were transplanted subcutaneously with established human ball - 1 cells and were fed in the usual way for 3 weeks . the massive tumors that occurred subcutaneously , about 10 g per nude mouse , were isolated , cut finely and dissociated in a physiological saline solution containing trypsin to collect the multiplied human cells . the cells were washed with an eagle &# 39 ; s minimal essential medium supplemented with 5 v / v % human serum at ph 7 . 2 , and suspended in a fresh medium of the same composition to give a cell concentration of about 5 × 10 6 cells per ml at 37 ° c . to this suspension was added a partially - purified high human species - specific interferon in a proportion of about 100 units per ml , and the mixture was incubated for about 2 hours . phytohemagglutinin was then added to the mixture in a proportion of about 200 μg per ml . then , the mixture was incubated at this temperature for an additional 3 days to induce type ii interferon . the incubated mixture was centrifuged at about 1 , 000 × g and 4 ° c . to remove precipitates such as cell debris , and the resulting supernatant was dialyzed against a physiological saline solution bufferized at ph 7 . 2 with a 0 . 01 m phosphate buffer , for 24 hours . then , the resultant was filtrated carefully with a filter membrane and the type ii interferon - containing filtrate was concentrated and freeze - dried into powder . the type ii interferon activity of the powder was about 1 , 500 , 000 units per nude mouse . adult nude mice were transplanted intraperitoneally with established human ball - 1 and tall - 1 cells , and fed in the usual way for 5 weeks . the nude mice were then injected intraperitoneally with 1 mg of phytohemagglutinin , and 24 hours later they were injected with about 3 , 000 hemagglutination units of newcastle disease virus whose activity was almost pre - inactivated by ultraviolet irradiation . the nude mice were sacrificed to harvest their ascites 24 hours after the injection . the ascites was centrifuged at about 1 , 000 × g and 4 ° c . to remove precipitates such as cell debris . the resulting supernatant was dialyzed against a physiological saline solution bufferized at ph 7 . 2 with a 0 . 01 m phosphate buffer , for 15 hours . the resultant was then filtrated and concentrated carefully with filter membranes to obtain a concentrate containing interferon . the total interferon activity of the concentrate was about 800 , 000 units per 10 nude mice , of which about 300 , 000 units was type ii interferon activity . new - born hamsters were pre - injected with antiserum prepared from rabbit according to the known method to depress their immunoreactions and then injected subcutaneously with established human jbl cells . the hamsters were fed in the usual way for 4 weeks . the massive tumors that occurred subcutaneously , about 30 g per hamster , were isolated and treated similarly as described in example a - 1 . the multiplied cells were washed with rpmi - 1640 medium supplemented with 10 v / v % of fetal bovine serum at ph 7 . 4 and suspended in a fresh medium of the same composition to give a cell concentration of about 2 × 10 7 cells per ml at 37 ° c . the mixture was added with a partially - purified high human species - specific type ii interferon in a proportion of about 200 units per ml and incubated at 37 ° c . for about one hour . the incubated mixture was then added with concanavalin a in a proportion of about 500 μg per ml , incubated for 3 days , then added with sendai virus in a proportion of about 300 hemagglutination units per ml , and incubated for 16 hours to induce interferon . the mixture was purified and concentrated carefully with filter membranes similarly as described in example a - 2 to obtain an interferon - containing solution . the total interferon activity of the solution was about 17 , 000 , 000 units per hamster , of which about 6 , 000 , 000 units was type ii interferon activity . new - born rats were transplanted intravenously with established human namalva cells and then fed in the usual way for 4 weeks . the massive tumors that occurred subcutaneously , about 50 g per rat , were isolated , cut finely and dissociated similarly as described in example a - 1 . the multiplied human cells were treated similarly as described in example a - 1 , except that maruyama vaccin was added in a proportion of about 1 μg per ml to induce type ii interferon instead of phytohemagglutinin . the induced type ii interferon was purified and the resulting solution containing type ii interferon was freeze - dried into powder similarly as described in example a - 1 . the type ii interferon activity of the powder was about 8 , 000 , 000 units per rat . at first , adult mice were irradiated with about 400 rem of x - ray to depress their immunoreactions , then transplanted subcutaneously with established human tall - 1 cells and fed in the usual way for 3 weeks . after isolating and cutting finely the massive tumors that occurred subcutaneously , about 10 g per mouse , the tumor cells were dissociated similarly as described in example a - 1 . the cells were treated similarly as described in example a - 3 to induce interferon . the induced interferon was purified and concentrated similarly as described in example a - 2 to obtain a concentrate containing interferon . the total interferon activity of the concentrate was about 9 , 000 , 000 units per mouse , of which about 3 , 000 , 000 units was type ii interferon activity . hamsters were first transplanted subcutaneously with established human molt - 3 cells similarly as described in example a - 3 and fed in the usual way for 3 weeks to multiply the cells . ten - day - old nude mice were then transplanted intraperitoneally with the multiplied cells and fed in the usual way for an additional 5 weeks . the nude mice were anesthetized to harvest their ascites . the obtained ascites was centrifuged to harvest the multiplied cells . the cells were washed and treated similarly as described in example a - 1 to induce type ii interferon . the induced type ii interferon was then purified and concentrated similarly as described in example a - 2 into a concentrate containing type ii interferon . the type ii interferon activity of the concentrate was about 500 , 000 units per nude mouse . using plastic cylindrical diffusion chamber with interposed membrane filters , pore sizes of 0 . 5μ and capasities of about 10 ml , established human jbl cells were suspended in physiological saline solution . the chambers were embedded intraperitoneally in adult rats . the rats were fed in the usual way for 4 weeks and the chambers were removed . the concentration of the multiplied human cells in the chambers was about 5 × 10 9 cells per ml which was about 1 , 000 times or more higher than that attained in vitro in a nutrient medium using a co 2 incubator . the suspension of the obtained cells was added with molt - 3 cells prepared in example a - 6 to give a concentration of about 20 v / v % and the mixture was treated similarly as described in example a - 1 to induce type ii interferon . the induced type ii interferon was purified and concentrated into a concentrate containing type ii interferon which was then freeze - dried into powder . the type ii interferon activity of the powder was about 4 , 000 , 000 units per rat . established human nall - 1 cells were transplanted in the allantoic cavities of embryonated eggs which had been pre - incubated at 37 ° c . for 5 days , and the eggs were incubated at this temperature for an additional 7 days . the eggs were opened and the multiplied human cells were harvested . the suspension of the cells was added in equivolume with tall - 1 cells prepared in example a - 5 and treated similarly as described in example a - 1 to induce type ii interferon . the induced type ii interferon was purified and concentrated similarly as described in example a - 2 to obtain a concentrate containing type ii interferon . the type ii interferon activity of the concentrate was about 300 , 000 units per 10 embryonated eggs . a powder prepared by the method described in example a - 1 was further purified carefully in a ph range of 4 to 9 with conventional methods such as adsorption and desorption by ion exchanger , fractionation according to the molecular weight with gel filtration , concentration and careful filtration , as described in bodo &# 39 ; s report , &# 34 ; symposium on preparation , standardization and clinical use of interferon . 11th international immunobiological symposium . 8 & amp ; 9 june ( 1977 ), zagreb , yugoslavia &# 34 ;. a highly purified interferon preparation with a specific activity of 2 × 10 6 units per mg protein was obtained and the total recovery was about 40 %. the results of experiment b demonstrate that the type ii interferon obtained according to the methods described in the above examples can be used solely , in combination with type i interferon , or in mixtures with one or more other substances , as an effective therapeutic and / or prophylactic agent that can be used as injection or medicine for external or internal administration , for type ii interferon - sensitive diseases . therapeutic and prophylactic effects of type ii interferon on interferon - sensitive diseases therapy of viral diseases with type ii interferon ( inhibitory effect on viral multiplication in vitro ) to mono - layers of human embryonic lung cells formed by primary culture in petri dishes , 6 cm in diameter , were added 0 . 1 , 1 . 0 , or 10 . 0 units of the type ii interferon prepared by the method in example a - 9 and the obtained mixtures were incubated in a 5 v / v % co 2 incubator at 37 ° c . for 20 hours . to the cells were added varicella zoster virus or human cytomegalo virus in the amount that forms 100 plaques in the absence of type ii interferon . the admixtures were incubated and the numbers of the formed plaques were counted . the inhibitory effect of type ii interferon on the viral multiplication was determined using the following equation . ## equ1 ## wherein a is the number of the plaques formed in the absence of type ii interferon , and b the number of the plaques formed in the presence of type ii interferon . the results are shown in table 2 . table 2______________________________________type iiinterferon varicella zoster virus human cytomegale virus______________________________________0 unit 0 % 0 % 0 . 1 unit 8 % 6 % 1 . 0 unit 49 % 54 % 10 . 0 units 88 % 83 % ______________________________________ as obvious from the results in table 2 , the type ii interferon used in the present invention inhibited effectively the multiplication of the viral disease - causative virus . in the test , addition of the type ii interferon caused no abnormality in human cells . the type ii interferon prepared by the method in example a - 9 was added to rpmi - 1640 medium supplemented with 15 v / v % fetal bovine serum to give the final concentration of 5 , 50 , or 500 units per ml . to the mixtures were transplanted various tumor cells to give the concentration of 5 × 10 5 cells per ml . the mixtures were then incubated in a 5 v / v % co 2 incubator at 37 ° c . for 5 days and the numbers of the cells per ml medium were counted . control experiments were carried out similarly as in the above experiments , except that a type ii interferon which was pre - inactivated by heating at 100 ° c . for 30 minutes was used . the inhibitory effect of type ii interferon on tumor cell multiplication was determined by the following equation . ## equ2 ## wherein a is the number of the cells of the control , and b the number of the cells of the experiment with type ii interferon . the results are shown in table 3 . as obvious from the results shown in table 3 , the type ii interferon which was used in the present invention inhibited effectively the multiplication of the tumor cells such as ball - 1 cell , tall - 1 cell , nall - 1 cell and jbl cell , and was effective over an active concentration range of 5 to 500 units per ml . table 3______________________________________type ii interferonconcentration human tumor cell ( units per ml ) ball - 1 tall - 1 nall - 1 jbl______________________________________ 5 + 17 % + 13 % + 19 % + 18 % 50 + 55 % + 59 % + 61 % + 50 % 500 + 84 % + 80 % + 86 % + 89 % ______________________________________ the test was carried out with 8 nude mice , about 2 - month - old . tall - 1 cells were transplanted subcutaneously in all 8 nude mice in the proportion of 7 . 5 × 10 6 cells per nude mouse . from the second day after the transplantation , 4 nude mice were given 3 intraperitoneal injections of 1 , 000 units of type ii interferon prepared by the method in example a - 6 a week , 20 injections in total . forty eight days later , the nude mice were sacrificed and the wet weights of the occurred massive tumors were weighed . control experiment was carried out with the remaining 4 nude mice similarly as in the above experiment , except that they did not receive type ii interferon . table 4______________________________________ type ii interferon - experiment no . control treated nude mouse______________________________________1 5 . 6 g 1 . 3 g2 4 . 5 g 0 . 8 g3 9 . 0 g 0 g4 6 . 3 g 0 gaverage weight 6 . 3 g 0 . 5 g______________________________________ the test was carried out with 8 nude mice , about 2 - month - old . tumor jbl cells were transplanted subcutaneously in all 8 nude mice in the proportion of 1 × 10 7 cells per nude mouse . from the second week after the transplantation , 4 nude mice were given 2 intraperitoneal injections of 1 , 000 units of type ii interferon prepared by the method in example a - 2 a week , 8 injections in total . forty two days later , the nude mice were sacrificed and the wet weights of the occurred massive tumors were weighed . control experiment was carried out with the remaining 4 nude mice similarly as in the above experiment , except that they did not receive type ii interferon . the results are shown in table 5 . table 5______________________________________ type ii interferon - experiment no . control treated nude mouse______________________________________1 4 . 7 g 0 . 5 g2 6 . 2 g 0 . 5 g3 15 . 3 g 0 . 5 g4 16 . 9 g 0 . 8 gaverage weight 10 . 8 g 0 . 6 g______________________________________ as obvious from the results in table 4 and 5 , the type ii interferon injection inhibited tumor formation , and also inhibited extremely development even when it occurred ; the wet weights of the occurred massive tumors of the type ii interferon - treated nude mice were much less than those of the controls . in addition , the type ii interferon - treated nude mice showed better appetites and were more active than the controls . the acute toxicity test of the type ii interferon preparation prepared by the method in example a - 9 was carried out with 20 - day - old mice , and demonstrated that the toxicity of said type ii interferon preparation was extremely low : ld 50 value , 20 , 000 , 000 units or more per kg in the case of intraperitoneal injection . as obvious from the above experiments , type ii interferon - sensitive diseases referred in the invention can be those which can be treated and prevented with the interferon prepared in accordance with the present invention ; for example viral diseases such as epidemic keratoconjunctivitis , herpetic keratitis , influenza , rubella and serum hepatitis , and non - viral diseases such as certain types of cancer . the therapeutic and prophylactic agents containing type ii interferon that can be used for said type ii interferon - sensitive diseases are preparable in various forms and phases according to the use , for example liquid preparations for nebula , eye wash , nose drop , gargle and injection , paste preparation such as ointment , and solid preparations in powder , granule and tablet . the agents are sufficiently effective when type ii interferon contents are 1 to 10 , 000 , 000 units per g , and if desired , can be used in combination or in mixture with one or more other substances , for example therapeutic agent , vehicle , filler and stabilizer . particularly , since interferon , when injected intravenously , is readily eliminated from blood within about 10 minutes and excreted from the system , instillation administration of interferon , for example by incorporating interferon into instillation sugar supplement solution , provides means to prolong the administration time to render full and effective utilization of the instilled interferon and to improve further the therapeutic and prophylactic actions of interferon on interferon - sensitive diseases . several embodiments for type ii interferon - containing preparations according to the present invention are described below . a liquid preparation was prepared by dissolving the type ii interferon - containing powder prepared by the method in example a - 1 in physiological saline solution in a proportion of about 500 units per ml . the preparation is suitable as nebula , eye wash , nose drop , and gargle in treating and preventing viral diseases ; particularly , epidemic keratoconjunctivitis and influenza . an injection was prepared by mixing the type ii interferon prepared by the method in example a - 9 in physiological saline solution in a proportion of about 100 , 000 units per ml . the injection is suitable for treating and preventing all type ii interferon - sensitive diseases including viral and certain tumorous diseases . a sugar supplemental injection solution for intravenous instillation was prepared by mixing 1 , 000 , 000 units of an interferon preparation , containing type i and type ii interferons which were both prepared by the method described in example a - 5 , and 100 mg of cyclophosphamide in 500 ml of a 10 w / v % aqueous maltose solution . the sugar supplemental injection solution is suitable as a continuous - intravenous - infusion solution for treating and preventing certain tumorous diseases . an injection was prepared by dissolving 500 , 000 units of interferon preparation containing type i and type ii interferons prepared by the method in example a - 2 and 2 mg of mitomycin c in 100 ml of a 10 w / v % aqueous maltose solution . an ointment was prepared according to the conventional method by mixing the powder prepared by the method of example a - 4 , liquid paraffin and vaseline to give a type ii interferon activity of 10 , 000 units per g . tablets were prepared according to the conventional method by tabletting a mixture of the type ii interferon - containing powder prepared by the method in example a - 7 , starch and maltose to give a type ii interferon activity of about 1 , 000 units per tablet ( about 100 mg ). the tablets are suitable for treating and preventing viral diseases that occurred in the digestive system . a liquid preparation for oral administration was prepared by dissolving 5 mg of methotrexate and the concentrate having a type ii interferon activity of 200 , 000 units prepared by the method in example a - 8 in 10 ml of a 10 w / v % aqueous maltose solution . the preparation is suitable for treating and preventing certain tumorous diseases .
0
referring now to fig6 which is a circuit diagram of what is now considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention , except that it shows only two connectors adapted for connection to data terminal equipment , whereas typically it would have three or more such terminals . in other words , the figure schematically shows two female connectors 20 and 22 , respectively designated terminal # 1 and terminal # 2 , each having the construction shown in detail in fig1 and adapted for plug - in attachment to mating male connectors cabled to two data terminal equipments , whereas the preferred construction would include additional connectors . these connectors are interconnected with a third connector , in the preferred embodiment a male connector 24 , also having the configuration shown in fig1 . the received data lines ( pin 3 ) of all three connectors are connected together by a connection 26 , the signal ground lines ( pin 7 ) of all three connectors are likewise connected together by conductors 28 , and the protective lead ( pin 1 ) of connector 24 is grounded as shown . the transmitted data leads ( pin 2 ) of connectors 20 and 22 are both connected to the transmitted data lead of connector 24 ( as would lead 2 of the additional connectors ), but isolated from each other so that each of the connected dtes can access the dce , the isolation being achieved by a single transistor 30 and associated sets of three diodes . more particularly , the emitter electrode of transistor 30 , which is of the p - n - p type , is directly connected to pin 2 of connector 24 and is also connected via a first diode 32 to pin 2 of connector 20 and via a first diode 32 &# 39 ; to pin 2 of terminal 22 , and would be connected via respective diodes to pin 2 of such additional dte connectors as may be used in the device . the base electrode of the transistor is also connected to pin 2 of each of connectors 20 and 22 ( and such additional connectors as there may be ) via respective second diodes 34 and 34 &# 39 ;, both poled to favor the conduction of current in the direction indicated by the arrows on the associated conductors so as to reverse - bias the baseemitter junction of the transistor ; diodes 32 and 32 &# 39 ; are poled in the same direction as diodes 34 and 34 &# 39 ;. a first resistor 36 , typically having a value of 56k ohms , is connected between the base and collector electrodes of the transistor and a short - preventing resistor 38 , typically having a value of 100 ohms , is connected from the collector and to pin 2 of each of connectors 20 and 22 via respective third diodes 40 and 40 &# 39 ;, both of which are poled oppositely to the other two associated diodes . the important element of novelty is that the transistor , which usually is an active device requiring energization from an external power source , is powered by the signal voltages themselves , thus eliminating the need for and the inconvenience of an external source of power , and making the device electrically safe and convenient and simple to use . assuming that communication has been established between the terminals ( dtes ) and the dce ( modem ) by handshaking hardware ( to be described ) and / or software , in operation , the transistor 30 and associated diodes functions as a logical &# 34 ; or &# 34 ;- gate . it will be recalled that the rs - 232 - c standard specifies that a voltage at the interface more positive than + 3 volts represents a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; ( a voltage in the range from + 6 volts to + 12 volts is typical in actual practice ), and that a voltage at the interface more negative than - 3 volts ( typically - 6 volts to - 12 volts ) represents a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. further , operation of the circuit depends on the presence in the dce of an effective dc load impedance of not less than 3000 ohms nor more than 7000 ohms . this impedance is shown in phantom in fig6 and identified by reference numeral 42 . considering first the situation where the potential on lead 2 of both of connectors 20 and 22 is positive , for example , at + 10 volts , diodes 32 and 34 , as well as diodes 32 &# 39 ; and 34 &# 39 ;, are forward - biased so as to each apply a + 10 volts signal to both the base and emitter electrodes of the transistor which will , in effect , remove the transistor from the circuit and thereby allow the signal transmitted via diodes 32 and 32 &# 39 ; from both connectors to be passed on to pin 2 of the dce connector 24 . thus , if the terminals connected to connectors 20 and 22 should be operating simultaneously ( not the usual case ), it is possible that data from both terminals will be simultaneously communicated to the dce ; should this occur , the dce will simply recognize the garbled data as an error and reject it , and no data will be erased nor other damage done . considering now the situation where the potential at pin 2 of the connector 20 is positive , say + 10 volts , and the potential at pin 2 of connector 22 is negative , say - 10 volts , diode 34 is forward - biased and applies a positive potential to the base electrode of the transistor , and diode 32 is also forward - biased and applies the same positive potential to the emitter electrode . at the same time diode 40 &# 39 ; is forward - biased by the negative potential at pin 2 of connector 22 and applies a negative potential to the collector of the transistor . although under these conditions transistor 30 is powered by virtue of the collector being negative with respect to the emitter , it is switched off because of the positive potential applied to the base ; consequently , only the positive potential from pin 2 of connector 20 , coupled via diode 32 , is transmitted to pin 2 of the connector 24 . because of the symmetry of the connections from pin 2 in connectors 20 and 22 to the transistor circuit , if the situation were reversed , that is , a positive potential on pin 2 of connector 22 and a negative potential on pin 2 of connector 20 , the positive signal would again prevail . thus , in this situation the circuit functions as a logical &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; gate to protect pin 2 of the multiple dtes from each other if two or more should be simultaneously connected . should the potential on lead 2 of all of the dte connectors be negative at the same time , say - 10 volts , diodes 40 and 40 &# 39 ; will conduct and each apply a negative potential of - 10 volts to the collector electrode , which because of the forward bias provided by resistor 36 , will turn transistor 30 on , the resulting current flow in impedance 42 developing a sufficiently negative potential at pin 2 of connector 24 to hold the transmitted data lead in marking condition . it will have become apparent that when the potential at both of the inputs ( or at all of the inputs in the case of more than two dte connectors ) are either positive or negative there is no conflict and the transistor would not be needed . the only time there is a conflict is if one or more of the inputs is positive and the others are negative ; unlike the black box device in which each isolating circuit consists of a diode shunted by a 10k ohm resistor , a compromise which works for most situations but which under certain signal conditions ( described above ) do not conform to the rs - 232 - c standard , the transistor in the present circuit performs acceptably under these same signal conditions . for example , for the situation illustrated by the equivalent circuit of fig5 a of two dtes interconnected with a dce by the device of the present invention , with the input from one dte plus and the input from the other minus , the plus input forward - biases the associated diode 32 and applies the potential to the 4k ohms terminator resistor , and the minus input forward - biases its associated diode 40 ( or 40 &# 39 ;) and , in effect , connects resistor 36 , typically having a value of 56k ohms , in parallel with the terminator resistor . thus , the equivalent load to either dte is ( 4 × 56 . 1 )÷ 60 . 1 = 3 . 73k ohms , which is greater than the 3k ohms minimum specified by the rs - 232 - c standard . fig5 b compares the performance of the device of the invention with that of the black box device for the signal condition described above in connection with fig4 b for two dtes , each having zero dc internal resistance ( r o ), connected to a dce having a dc resistance r l in the range between 3k and 7k ohms and a total effective capacitance of 2500 picofarads . with both inputs minus only the diodes 40 and 40 &# 39 ; conduct thereby to put the short - preventing resistor 38 , typically having a resistance of 100 ohms ( if used at all ), in parallel with r l ; for an r l value anywhere in the 3000 to 7000 ohms range the effective resistance is about 97 ohms , giving a time constant of about 0 . 24 microseconds , much shorter then in the black box device under a like signal condition . regarding the requirement for multiple diodes , the commercial availability of arrays of diodes in chip form , such as the fairchild 2620 chip , keeps the cost of the diodes and their assembly to the transistor circuit to a minimum . the interconnection device of the invention also incorporates circuitry for providing the handshaking function between multiple dtes and a dce , or more accurately , for preventing hardware handshaking from being a problem in the data communications , since the handshaking function is more and more being taken care of in software , typically through the use of so - called &# 34 ; xon / xoff &# 34 ; signals . recalling that under the rs - 232 - c standard , for control interchange circuits the function is on when the voltage v 1 is more positive than + 3 volts and is off when the voltage v 1 is more negative than - 3 volts , the circuit utilizes a handshaking node approach which , basically , provides that if any connector line involved in the handshaking function ( i . e ., pins , 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 and 20 in the rs - 232 - c standard ) is at a potential more positive than + 3 volts all of the corresponding pins of all interconnected connectors will have the same positive potential . this , in effect , prevents hardware handshaking from being a problem when software is used to accomplish the handshaking function . to this end , pins 5 , 6 and 8 of each of the female connectors ( i . e ., connectors 20 and 22 in fig6 ) are connected together and to a common connection 50 characterized as a &# 34 ; handshake node &# 34 ;, and pins 4 and 20 of each connector are connected via separate diodes 52 and 54 , respectively , to node 50 , the diodes being poled to conduct toward the node . in the single male connector 24 , pins 4 and 20 are directly connected to node 50 and pins 5 , 6 and 8 are connected to the node via respective diodes 56 , 58 and 60 ; these diodes are also poled to conduct toward the node . should dynamic hardware handshaking be required , a second transistor / diode circuit of the form described above for the data lines can be used as needed for the particular application . for convenience in use the circuit of fig6 is contained in an enclosed chassis , preferably having the geometry shown in fig7 namely , a box - like enclosure 62 which may be approximately four inches long by two inches high by two inches deep . the female connectors , four of which ( including connectors 20 and 22 ) are shown , are preferably mounted on one sidewall 64 of the box and the single male connector 24 is mounted on the opposite sidewall 66 . this construction makes the device convenient to use regardless of the number of dtes ( up to four in the illustrated embodiment ) it is desired to interconnect with the dce . it will have become apparent from the foregoing description that one or more &# 34 ; open &# 34 ; female connectors will have no effect on the operation of the connected dtes . although a preferred embodiment has been described it will now be apparent to ones skilled in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . for example , to accommodate certain manufacturers &# 39 ; terminals more conveniently , the indicated female connectors can be exchanged for male connectors , or the single male connector can be a female connector , with , of course , appropriate modification of the interconnecting circuitry , and the principles of the invention can be extended to other current or future standards for serial data communication . it will be understood that the handshaking hardware operates independently of the data handling portion of the device and can , therefore , be replaced with other handshaking hardware , or omitted should it not be required . also , although the preferred embodiment , intended for use with the rs - 232 - c standard , utilizes a transistor of the p - n - p type , it is within the contemplation of the invention to use semiconductor devices of other types . for example , as shown in fig6 a , a field effect transistor 31 of the p - channel type may be directly substituted for the p - n - p transistor 30 without altering the polarities of any of the isolating diodes . that is , the gate electrode of fet 31 is connected to the transmitted data leads of the multiple dte connectors via respective diodes 33 and 33 &# 39 ; poled to favor conduction of current in a direction to decrease the conductivity of the fet , the source electrode is directly connected to the transmitted data lead of the dce connector and via respective diodes 29 and 29 &# 39 ;, poled in the same direction as diodes 33 and 33 &# 39 ;, to the transmitted data leads of the dte connectors , and the drain electrode is also connected via respective diodes 39 and 39 &# 39 ;, which are poled oppositely to diodes 33 and 33 &# 39 ;, to the transmitted data leads of the multiple dte connectors . should there be a need for an interconnecting device for use with a serial data communication standard which utilizes negative logic ( i . e ., the reverse of the logic used in the rs - 232 - c standard ), the circuits of fig6 and 6a can be modified as shown in fig8 and 8a , respectively , by replacing p - n - p transistor 30 with an n - p - n transistor 70 , or replacing the p - channel fet 31 with an n - channel fet 71 , and in both cases reversing the polarities of the diodes . more particularly , in the fig8 circuit , the emitter of transistor 70 is directly connected to the data in lead of a dce connector 74 and via respective diodes 74 and 74 &# 39 ; to the data in terminals of two ( there may be more ) dte connectors 76 and 78 . the base electrode is also connected to the data in leads of connectors 76 and 78 via respective diodes 80 and 80 &# 39 ; poled in the same direction as diodes 74 and 74 &# 39 ; so as to favor conduction of current in a direction to reverse - bias the base - emitter junction . the collector electrode is connected via a biasing resistor 82 to the base electrode and via short - preventing resistor 84 and respective diodes 86 and 86 &# 39 ;, poled oppositely to diodes 80 and 80 &# 39 ;, to the data in leads of connectors 76 and 78 . referring now to fig8 a , the polarities of the diodes for the n - channel fet 71 are the same as for corresponding diodes in the fig8 implementation ; that is , diodes 79 and 79 &# 39 ; connected to the gate electrode are poled to favor the conduction of current in a direction so as to decrease the conductivity of the fet ; diodes 73 and 73 &# 39 ; connected to the source electrode are poled in the same direction as diodes 79 and 79 &# 39 ;; and diodes 85 and 85 &# 39 ; connected to the drain electrode are poled oppositely to diodes 79 and 79 &# 39 ;. in addition to the four described semiconductor devices , others that are adapted to be powered by the data signals , without requiring an external source of power , and adapted to be active under certain signal conditions and to be effectively removed from the circuit under other signal conditions , are within the contemplation of the invention .
7
one embodiment of a magnetic disk drive incorporating the present invention is shown in fig1 and 2 . a magnetic recording disk 10 , having &# 34 ; top &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; bottom &# 34 ; surfaces 11 , is supported on a spindle 12 , rotatably mounted on a spindle support shaft 16 . the spindle may be supported for rotation by either ball bearings or by oil bearings . the oil in the ball bearings or the oil of the oil bearings provide a drag which increases as the viscosity of the oil increases . the spindle is rotated by a spindle motor 21 . the motor 21 is typically a dc brushless motor . as described above , the greatest torque demand on motor 21 is at start - up . the viscosity of the oil is greatest at lower temperatures , causing an increased drag torque on the spindle motor for low temperature starts . the magnetic recording on each disk surface is in the form of an annular pattern of concentric data tracks ( not shown ). a head carrier 13 is positioned on the top surface of disk 10 . carrier 13 is an air - bearing slider having an air - bearing surface facing toward the disk . the head carrier 13 supports a read / write transducer on its trailing end for reading and writing data to the magnetic media on the disk surface . the transducer may be an inductive read / write head or a dual element head having an inductive write element and a magnetoresistive read element . carrier 13 is attached to an actuator arm 14 by a suspension 15 . the suspension 15 provides a slight spring force that biases the carrier 13 toward the disk surface . a second carrier , also supporting a read / write transducer , is positioned on the bottom surface of disk 10 and is attached to an actuator arm by means of a suspension . actuator arms 14 are attached to a rotary actuator 27 . the actuator is typically a rotary voice coil motor ( vcm ) that comprises a coil movable within a fixed magnetic field , the direction and velocity of the coil movements being controlled by motor current signals supplied by a microcontroller . as the disk 10 rotates , the rotary actuator 27 moves the carriers 13 in a generally arcuate path radially in and out over their respective disk surfaces so that the read / write transducers may access different portions of the disk surfaces where data is desired to be read or recorded . both the actuator 27 and spindle support shaft 16 are mounted to a baseplate 39 . in this type of disk drive , the rotation of the disk 10 generates an air bearing between the carrier 13 and its associated disk surface . during operation of the disk drive , the air bearing thus counterbalances the slight spring force of the suspension 15 and supports the carrier 13 off and slightly away from the disk surface 11 by a small , substantially constant spacing . the present invention is also applicable to other types of disk drives , however , such as contact or near - contact recording disk drives , where the head carrier is urged into contact with the disk during read and write operations , and to optical disk drives . the various components of the disk drive are controlled in operation by control signals generated by the microcontroller 28 . typically , the microcontroller comprises logic control circuits , memory storage , and a microprocessor , for example . the microcontroller generates control signals for various drive operations , such as spindle motor control signals on line 31 , including &# 34 ; start - up &# 34 ;, and track following and seek control signals on line 32 for actuator 27 . data from the surface of disk 10 is read by the read / write head on slider 13 and sent on cable 30 to read / write channel circuitry 25 . write signals are sent on cable 30 from the read / write channel circuitry 25 to the head for writing on the disk . similarly , the read / write head reads head position servo information recorded on the disk , typically at equally angularly spaced servo sectors embedded between data sectors . the servo information is also sent over cable 30 to servo circuitry for demodulation and conversion to track position signals . typically , the track position signals are employed by servo control circuitry to control the actuator 27 to pivot the arms 14 radially inward and outward to move and position the carriers 13 to the desired track and to maintain track following of the desired track on the corresponding surface 11 of disk 10 . usually , the circuitry described above is located on an electronics card 35 , such as that illustrated in fig3 . the &# 34 ; electronics card &# 34 ;, also called &# 34 ; printed circuit board &# 34 ; is defined as any suitable support for electronic components and interconnecting leads . examples of circuit components 34 , are shown by the dotted lines , and may be located on the top or bottom of electronics card 35 . the electronics card 35 is mounted on a baseplate 39 , which may comprise a clamshell or a separate baseplate and cover plate . the spindle support shaft 16 is mounted in holes 62 and 64 . as a fail - safe error checking capability , many disk drives utilize the previously described time - out test to detect any failure of the motor 21 to bring the spindle 12 up to operational speed within a reasonable or specified time . a disadvantage is that the increased drag of the spindle bearing at low temperature start conditions may be so high that the spindle 12 may not come lo up to speed in the specified time , even though the motor 21 is operating at full torque . this is most significant for oil bearing spindles , but is also a disadvantage in ball bearing spindles for smaller drives , where the bearing drag is a large percentage of the total spindle drag . as discussed above , a motor designed to meet this worst case start condition may compromise performance of the motor in order to meet the voltage headroom requirements . also , a time - out test designed to meet this worst case start condition may compromise the normal room temperature start or warm temperature start condition bring - up time . the advantage provided by the present invention is to allow an increased time to reach spindle speed only for low temperature cold start conditions , which is often the worst case scenario . referring to fig2 and 4 , a temperature sensor 50 is provided within the enclosure for the disk drive to measure the ambient temperature and provide the sensed temperature to controller 28 . the start - up step 70 , may be initiated by a start - up command to controller 28 . the temperature sensor 50 detects the ambient temperature of the disk drive in step 71 . as illustrated in fig3 the sensor 50 may be located on the electronics card 35 . an example of a sensor 50 is &# 34 ; lm75 thermal watchdog module &# 34 ;, which is commercially available from national semiconductor . the module may provide a 9 bit number proportional to temperature and have a temperature range of - 50 degrees c . to 125 degrees c . the detected temperature may be used by controller 28 , as shown in step 72 , for determining whether a low temperature condition exists . if so , an extended time - out period is selected . if not , a normal time - out period is selected . in one embodiment of the present invention , controller 28 employs a lookup table 80 which correlates the measured temperature to the appropriate time - out period , or failure timing . for one embodiment , the lookup table 80 is stored in memory or in a rom in controller 28 . the failure timing is the time in which the spindle should reach normal operating speed . the amount of increased failure timing would be dependent on the spindle and drive design : its power outputs , thermal capacitance and thermal conductivities . there may be a significant difference in drag torque for only a small change in temperature . for example , the difference in power required at start - up can be one watt between 10 degrees c . and 25 degrees c . thus , preferably , lookup table 80 comprises a plurality of start - up temperature ranges and associated failure timings . in step 73 , the speed sensor is checked by controller 28 at the end of the time - out period to determine whether the spindle is at the normal operating speed . the speed sensor may be a voltage sensor which detects the voltage across the motor 21 to indicate that the normal operational speed has been reached . alternatively , the servo data recorded on a surface 11 of disks 10 may be monitored to detect that the desired nominal speed has been reached . if &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ;, controller 28 in step 74 begins normal input / output operation of the disk drive , writing and / or reading data from the disk drive . if &# 34 ; no &# 34 ;, an error is indicated in step 75 . the error indication may be provided in the form of an error signal provided by disk drive controller 28 to the host computer system connected to the controller . additionally , the controller 28 shuts down drive motor 21 . the temperature of the bearings increases very fast at spindle start since the bearings are in close proximity to the motor . in most disk drive designs , the ball bearings straddle the motor . the motor 21 heats the spindle support shaft 16 and the spindle 12 , and the air next to the bearings , which , in turn , heat the bearings . the friction from the bearings is almost negligible compared to the heat produced by the motor during start and at run . measurements of the temperature transients at start show that the motor reaches near steady state temperatures in less than 60 seconds . for most oil bearing designs , the bottom bearing is typically close to the motor 21 attachment to the spindle support shaft 16 . thus , the bottom bearing would heat faster than the top bearing . however , both bearings tend to increase in temperature quickly at start . while the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in detail , it should be apparent that modifications and adaptations to those embodiments may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims .
6
the combination therapy contemplated by this invention comprises administering a pde4 inhibitor with a long - acting beta adrenergic bronchodilator to prevent onset of a pulmonary disease event or to treat an existing condition . the compounds may be administered together in a single dosage form . or they may be administered in different dosage forms . they may be administered at the same time . or they may be administered either close in time or remotely , such as where one drug is administered in the morning and the second drug is administered in the evening . the combination may be used prophylactically or after the onset of symptoms has occurred . in some instances the combination ( s ) may be used to prevent the progression of a pulmonary disease or to arrest the decline of a function such as lung function . the pde4 inhibitor useful in this invention may be any compound that is known to inhibit the pde4 enzyme or which is discovered to act in as pde4 inhibitor , and which are only pde4 inhibitors , not compounds which inhibit other members of the pde family as well as pde4 . generally it is preferred to use a pde4 antagonists which has an ic 50 ratio of about 0 . 1 or greater as regards the ic 50 for the pde iv catalytic form which binds rolipram with a high affinity divided by the ic 50 for the form which binds rolipram with a low affinity . pde inhibitors used in treating inflammation and as bronchodilators , drugs like theophylline and pentoxyfyllin , inhibit pde isozymes indiscriminently in all tissues . these compounds exhibit side effects , apparently because they non - selectively inhibit all 5 pde isozyme classes in all tissues . the targeted disease state may be effectively treated by such compounds , but unwanted secondary effects may be exhibited which , if they could be avoided or minimized , would increase the overall therapeutic effect of this approach to treating certain disease states . for example , clinical studies with the selective pde 4 inhibitor rolipram , which was being developed as an antidepressant , indicate it has psychotropic activity and produces gastrointestinal effects , e . g ., pyrosis , nausea and emesis . it turns out that there are at least two binding forms on human monocyte recombinant pde 4 ( hpde 4 ) at which inhibitors bind . one explanation for these observations is that hpde 4exists in two distinct forms . one binds the likes of rolipram and denbufylline with a high affinity while the other binds these compounds with a low affinity . the preferred pde4 inhibitors of for use in this invention will be those compounds which have a salutary therapeutic ratio , i . e ., compounds which preferentially inhibit camp catalytic activity where the enzyme is in the form that binds rolipram with a low affinity , thereby reducing the side effects which apparently are linked to inhibiting the form which binds rolipram with a high affinity . another way to state this is that the preferred compounds will have an ic 50 ratio of about 0 . 1 or greater as regards the ic 50 for the pde 4catalytic form which binds rolipram with a high affinity divided by the ic 50 for the form which binds rolipram with a low affinity . examples of such compounds are : most preferred are those pde4 inhibitors which have an ic 50 ratio of greater than 0 . 5 , and particularly those compounds having a ratio of greater than 1 . 0 . preferred compounds are trequinsin , dipyridamole , and papaverine . compounds such as cis -[ cyano - 4 -( 3 - cyclopentyloxy - 4 - methoxyphenyl ) cyclohexan - 1 - carboxylate ], 2 - carbomethoxy - 4 - cyano - 4 -( 3cyclopropylmethoxy - 4 - diflouromethoxyphenyl ) cyclohexan - 1 - one , and cis -[ 4 - cyano - 4 -( 3 - cyclopropylmethoxy - 4 - difluoromethoxyphenyl ) cyclohexan - 1 - ol ] are examples of structures which bind preferentially to the low affinity binding site and which have an ic 50 ratio of 0 . 1 or greater . reference is made to co - pending u . s . application ser . no . 08 / 456 , 274 filed may 31 , 1995 and its parent a pct application published jan . 05 , 1995 as w ) 95 / 00139 for a methods and techniques which can be used to identify compound which have a high / low ic 50 ratio of 0 . 1 or greater as referred to in the proceeding paragraph . this co - pending application , u . s . ser . no . 08 / 456 , 274 is incorporated herein by reference as if set out in full herein . the several specific compounds set out above which do not have a generic or trade name can be made by the processed described in co - pending u . s . patent applications u . s . ser . no . 862 , 083 filed oct . 30 , 1992 ; u . s . ser . no . 862 , 111 filed oct . 30 , 1992 ; u . s . ser . no . 862 , 030 filed oct . 30 , 1992 ; and u . s . ser . no . 862 , 114 filed oct . 30 , 1992 or their progeny or u . s . patent ( s ) claiming priority from one or more of these applications . each of these applications or related patents is incorporated herein by preference in full as if se t out in this document . the beta adrenergic bronchodilator , β 2 - adreneric agonists really , used in this invention will be a long - acting compound . any compound of this type can be used in this combination therapy approach . by long - lasting it is meant that the drug will have an affect on the bronchi that lasts around 6 hours or more , up to 12 hours in some instances . to illustrate , certain resorcinols such as metaproterenol , terbutaline , and fenoterol can be combined with a pde4 inhibitor in the practice of this invention . further examples of useful beta adrenergic bronchodilators is the likes of two structurally related compounds , albuterol { racemic (∝ 1 -[( t - butylamino ) methyl ]- 4 - hydroxy - m - xylene -∝,∝′- diol )} and formoterol {( r *, r *)-(±)- n -[ 2 - hydroxy - 5 -[ 1 - hydroxy - 2 -[[ 2 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 1 - methylethyl ] ethyl ] phenyl ] formamide }. metaproterenol is the subject of u . s . pat . no . 3 , 341 , 594 and is commercially available under the trade names of alotec , alupent , metaprel or novasmasol . terbutaline is described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 938 , 838 and is available commercially as brethine from novartis . the preparation of fenoterol is described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 341 , 593 . it is sold under several trade names , including airum , berotec , dosberotec and partusisten . albuterol is sold under the trademark proventil ® by schering corporation . formoterol is described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 994 , 974 and is available commercially under the names atock and foradil . these drugs , the beta agonists , are usually administered as an oral or nasal spray or aerosol , or as an inhaled powder . usually these drugs are not administered systemically or by injection . the pde4 inhibitors can be administered orally or by inhalation ( orally or internasally ). this invention contemplates either co - administering both drugs in one delivery form such as an inhaler , that is putting both drugs in the same inhaler . alternatively one can put the pde4 inhibitor into pills and package them with an inhaler that contains the beta agonist . formulations are within the skill of the art . it is contemplated that both active agents would be administered at the same time , or very close in time . alternatively , one drug could be taken in the morning and one later in the day . or in another scenario , one drug could be taken twice daily and the other once daily , either at the same time as one of the twice - a - day dosing occurred , or separately . preferably both drugs would be taken together at the same time . the foregoing statements and examples are intended to illustrate the invention , not to limit it . reference is made to the claims for what is reserved to the inventors hereunder .
0
the principles of the present invention are particularly useful when incorporated into an implant , for example , an orthopedic implant , such as a dental implant , of an embodiment of the implant body generally indicated at 10 in fig1 which acts with a spacer generally indicated at 32 in fig2 . the implant body 10 is of a type with external thread ( s ). the implant body 10 , which is closed at its one end or cervical end which is at the bottom of fig1 has towards a coronal end at the top an open blind bore 11 . near the closed end , the blind bore 11 is provided with internal threads 12 with a relatively small diameter in which can be screwed an spacer screw which is not shown in fig1 and which will be discussed hereinafter . the implant body 10 , exhibits an outer substantially cylindrical portion 16 between the coronal front edge 22 and the external thread 18 . to the internal threads 12 of the implant body 10 is connected in the coronal direction a guidance and centering area 20 which is a cylindrical larger diameter portion than the internal threads 12 and has a smooth , hollow cylindrical inner wall 21 . from the guidance and center area 20 to the coronal front edge 22 of the implant body 10 is a positive connection area 24 of the bore 11 in which there are several positive connecting elements in the form of axially extending grooves 26 in an inner wall 27 forming ridges 14 . from the front edge 22 to the positive connecting area 24 of the bore 11 has a bevel or chamfer 28 tapering conically in the direction of the cervical or closed end and extending into the vicinity of the positive connecting grooves 26 . between the guidance and centering area 20 and the positive connecting elements or groove 26 there is an annular undercut 30 of minimal height which facilitates a chip deposition - free production of the positive connecting elements or grooves 26 . the spacer 32 as shown in fig2 serves or is incorporated in a tightly fitting prosthesis and is provided with an all around attachment shoulder 34 for the prosthesis which may be a crown of a tooth . the spacer 32 has an annular shoulder 36 which connects the fastening end to a stub or plug portion which is received in the blind bore 11 of the implant body 10 . the stub or plug portion has immediately adjacent the shoulder 36 a positive connection portion 38 followed by a guidance and centering portion 40 which will be received in the blind bore with the shoulder 36 engaging the front edge 22 . the positive connection area 38 has a plurality of axially directed positive connection noses 46 whose shape and arrangement but not necessarily the number corresponds to the positive connection grooves 26 of the implant body 10 . the positive connection area 38 of the spacer 32 is provided with an annular undercut 48 between the shoulder 36 and the positive connecting noses 46 and this facilitates the chip deposition during manufacture of the positive connecting noses 46 . when inserting the spacer 32 , which is provided with the axial longitudinal bore 33 whose internal diameter corresponds to the external diameter of a not shown spacer screw , is inserted in the implant body 10 , the guidance and centering portion 40 which is formed by a cylindrical guidance and centering collar 44 , will be engaged in the guidance and centering area 20 so that a smooth cylindrical circumferential surface of the guidance and centering portion 40 comes to rest on the inner cylindrical surface 21 of the guidance and centering area 20 of the implant body 10 . at the same time positive connection portion 38 engage in the positive connection grooves 26 while the shoulder 36 comes to rest on the front edge 22 . therefore , the spacer 32 is connected to the implant body 10 in a twist preventing manner . by means of the spacer screw traversing the spacer 32 and being screwed into the internal threads 12 of the implant body 10 , the spacer 32 can be firmly connected to the implant body 10 . as shown in fig3 a , the positive connecting area of the implant body 10 has six equally spaced , axial positive connecting grooves 26 which in the represented embodiment have a cross sectional shape of a rectangle with a substantially tangential directed but also curved longitudinal edges and have an annular spacing of 60 ° between centres of adjacent grooves . in fig3 b , the spacer 32 in the embodiment of fig1 and 2 is provided with six equally spaced , axial positive connecting noses 46 . in the embodiments of fig4 a and 4 b , the implant body 10 ′ in fig4 a has twelve positive connecting grooves 26 ′ with an equal annular spacing of 30 ° and in fig4 b the spacer 32 ′ is only provided with four positive connecting noses 46 ′. the positive connecting grooves 26 ′ and the positive connecting noses 46 ′ have in this case a triangular cross section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the implant body and of the spacer . it is pointed out that the spacer 32 ′ has only four positive connecting noses 46 which have a 90 degree annular spacing therebetween . in the embodiment of fig5 a and 5 b , the implant body 10 ″ of fig5 a has twelve positive connecting grooves 26 ″ with a 30 degree spacing and the grooves 26 ″ have a circular segmental cross section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the implant body 10 ″. according to fig5 b , the spacer 32 ″ is provided with six positive connecting noses 46 ″ each having a corresponding cross section to the cross section of the grooves 26 ″. as a function of the spacing or the spacing ratio of the implant body 10 ′ and 10 ″ relative to the spacers 32 ′ and 32 ″, the spacers 32 ′ and 32 ″ can be inserted in different rotational positions within their respective basic bodies 10 ′ and 10 ″. thus , the treating surgeon has a number of desired positions available to him as far as orienting the spacer such as 32 ′ relative to the implant body 10 . the axial grooves 26 apart from being twisting preventing means for the spacer also arranged to be used as a connection for a tool which is described below . fig6 shows a tool part 49 which can be coupled to an electrically operated or otherwise operated ( pneumatically , hydraulically , etc .) motor ( not shown ) or hand driven handle via its upper part 50 which has an attachment for the drive motor or handle . at its other end , the tool is provided with recesses ( grooves ) 51 for forming wing shaped elements 50 . a cone angle . alpha . is chosen a about 4 - 6 °. fig7 shows the cooperation between the tool 49 and the positive connection area 24 of the implant body . by means of a cone shape on the front part 52 of the tool , a bearing function of the implant body 10 is obtained via axial grooves . the number of recesses and wings in this embodiment is six each but other embodiments can have a number of recesses less than the axial grooves . the wings correspond in terms of shape with grooves 26 in the positive connection area 24 of the implant body . another embodiment is when the inner tool surface 53 has conical shape and the bearing function is conducted though interaction with the most coronal part of the ridges 14 and the inner surface 27 . although modifications and changes may be suggested by those versed in the art , it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent granted herein all such modifications that reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art . referring to fig8 , the connecting area of the implant body ( 810 ) has six equally spaced , axial positive connecting noses ( 850 ) which in the represented embodiment have a cross sectional shape of a deformable rectangle and an annular spacing of 60 ° between centres of adjacent noses . referring to fig9 , the connecting noses ( 950 ) comprise a flange ( 928 ) on the side of ridges ( 926 ) between each of the grooves ( 927 ). referring to fig1 , a corner ( 1051 ) of the nose ( 1050 ) is deformable from an acute ( internal ) angle .
0
referring now specifically to fig5 , there is shown a cross section of completed solder bumps of the invention having a first profile . the term profile refers to the difference in which , during one of the final steps of the creation of the solder bumps , the layer of barrier metal is etched . for the first profile of the solder bumps of the invention , an isotropic etch of the exposed barrier metal is performed , removing the exposed barrier metal except for where this barrier metal underlies the pillar metal of the invention . for the second profile of the solder bumps of the invention , an anisotropic etch of the exposed barrier metal is performed , removing the exposed barrier metal except where the barrier metal is shielded from the anisotropic etch by the solder bump , prior to reflow of the solder bump . shown in cross section in fig5 is the first profile of the solder bump of the invention , the elements of this solder bump are : 10 , the semiconductor surface over which the solder bump is created , typically the surface of a silicon semiconductor substrate 30 , a layer of dielectric that has been deposited over the semiconductor surface 10 32 , contact pads that have been created on the surface of the layer 30 of dielectric 34 , a patterned layer of passivation that has been deposited over the surface of the layer 30 of dielectric ; openings have been created in the layer 34 of passivation , partially exposing the surface of contact pads 32 36 , an isotropically etched layer of barrier metal ; because this layer of barrier metal has been isotropically etched , the barrier metal has been completely removed from the surface of the layer 34 of passivation except where the barrier metal is covered by the overlying pillar metal ( 38 ) of the solder bump 40 , a layer of under bump metal created overlying the pillar metal 38 of the solder bump shown in cross section in fig6 is the second profile of the solder bump of the invention , the elements of this solder bump are the same as the elements that have been described above for the first profile of the solder bump of the invention with the exception of layer 35 which is an anisotropically etched layer of barrier metal which , due to the nature of the anisotropic etch , protrudes for the pillar metal 38 as shown in the cross section of fig6 . fig7 through 16 provide detail of the process of the invention which leads to the solder bumps that have been shown in cross section in fig5 and 6 . fig7 shows a cross section of substrate 10 on the surface , the following elements are highlighted : 10 , a silicon substrate over the surface of which metal contact pads 32 have been created 30 , a layer of dielectric that has been deposited over the surface of substrate 10 32 , the metal contact pads , typically comprising aluminum , created over the surface of the layer 30 of dielectric 34 , a layer of passivation that has been deposited over the surface of the layer 30 of dielectric . openings have been created in the layer 34 of passivation that align with the metal contact pads 32 , partially exposing the surface of the contact pads 32 36 , a layer of barrier metal that has been created over the surface of layer 34 of passivation , including the openings that have been created in the layer 34 of passivation , contacting the underlying contact pads 32 . as dielectric material for layer 30 can be used any of the typically applied dielectrics such as silicon dioxide ( doped or undoped ), silicon oxynitride , parylene or polyimide , spin - on - glass , plasma oxide or lpcvd oxide . the material that is used for the deposition of layer 30 of dielectric of the invention is not limited to the materials indicated above but can include any of the commonly used dielectrics in the art . the creation of metal contact pads 32 can use conventional methods of metal rf sputtering at a temperature between about 100 and 400 degrees c . and a pressure between about 1 and 100 mtorr using as source for instance aluminum - copper material ( for the creation of aluminum contact pads ) at a flow rate of between about 10 and 400 sccm to a thickness between about 4000 and 11000 angstrom . after a layer of metal has been deposited , the layer must be patterned and etched to create the aluminum contact pads 32 . this patterning and etching uses conventional methods of photolithography and patterning and etching . a deposited layer of alcu can be etched using cl 2 / ar as an etchant at a temperature between 50 and 200 degrees c ., an etchant flow rate of about 20 sccm for the cl 2 and 1000 sccm for the ar , a pressure between about 50 mtorr and 10 torr , a time of the etch between 30 and 200 seconds . in a typical application insulating layers , such as silicon oxide and oxygen - containing polymers , are deposited using chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) technique over the surface of various layers of conducting lines in a semiconductor device or substrate to separate the conductive interconnect lines from each other . the insulating layers can also deposited over patterned layers of interconnecting lines , electrical contact between successive layers of interconnecting lines is established with metal vias created in the insulating layers . electrical contact to the chip is typically established by means of bonding pads or contact pads that form electrical interfaces with patterned levels of interconnecting metal lines . signal lines and power / ground lines can be connected to the bonding pads or contact pads . after the bonding pads or contact pads have been created on the surfaces of the chip , the bonding pads or contact pads are passivated and electrically insulated by the deposition of a passivation layer over the surface of the bonding pads . a passivation layer can contain silicon oxide / silicon nitride ( sio 2 / si 3 n 4 ) deposited by cvd . the passivation layer is patterned and etched to create openings in the passivation layer for the bonding pads or contact pads after which a second and relatively thick passivation layer can be deposited for further insulation and protection of the surface of the chips from moisture and other contaminants and from mechanical damage during assembling of the chips . various materials have found application in the creation of passivation layers . passivation layer can contain silicon oxide / silicon nitride ( sio 2 / si 3 n 4 ) deposited by cvd , a passivation layer can be a layer of photosensitive polyimide or can comprise titanium nitride . another material often used for a passivation layer is phosphorous doped silicon dioxide that is typically deposited over a final layer of aluminum interconnect using a low temperature cvd process . in recent years , photosensitive polyimide has frequently been used for the creation of passivation layers . conventional polyimides have a number of attractive characteristics for their application in a semiconductor device structure , which have been highlighted above . photosensitive polyimides have these same characteristics but can , in addition , be patterned like a photoresist mask and can , after patterning and etching , remain on the surface on which it has been deposited to serve as a passivation layer . typically and to improve surface adhesion and tension reduction , a precursor layer is first deposited by , for example , conventional photoresist spin coating . the precursor is , after a low temperature pre - bake , exposed using , for example , a step and repeat projection aligner and ultra violet ( uv ) light as a light source . the portions of the precursor that have been exposed in this manner are cross - linked , thereby leaving unexposed regions ( that are not cross - linked ) over the bonding pads . during subsequent development , the unexposed polyimide precursor layer ( over the bonding pads ) is dissolved , thereby providing openings over the bonding pads . a final step of thermal curing leaves a permanent high quality passivation layer of polyimide over the substrate . the preferred material of the invention for the deposition of layer 34 of passivation is plasma enhanced silicon nitride ( pe si 3 n 4 ), deposited using pecvd technology at a temperature between about 350 and 450 degrees c . with a pressure of between about 2 . 0 and 2 . 8 torr for the duration between about 8 and 12 seconds . layer 32 of pe si 3 n 4 can be deposited to a thickness between about 200 and 800 angstrom . layer 34 of pe si 3 n 4 is next patterned and etched to create openings in the layer 34 that overlay and align with the underlying contact pads 32 . the etching of layer 34 of passivation can use ar / cf 4 as an etchant at a temperature of between about 120 and 160 degrees c . and a pressure of between about 0 . 30 and 0 . 40 torr for a time of between about 33 and 39 seconds using a dry etch process . the etching of layer 34 of passivation can also use he / nf 3 as an etchant at a temperature of between about 80 and 100 degrees c . and a pressure of between about 1 . 20 and 1 . 30 torr for a time of between about 20 and 30 seconds using a dry etch process . barrier layers , such as layer 36 , are typically used to prevent diffusion of an interconnect metal into surrounding layers of dielectric and silicon . some of the considerations that apply in selecting a material for the barrier layer become apparent by using copper for interconnect metal as an example . although copper has a relatively low cost and low resistivity , it has a relatively large diffusion coefficient into silicon dioxide and silicon and is therefore not typically used as an interconnect metal . copper from an interconnect may diffuse into the silicon dioxide layer causing the dielectric to be conductive and decreasing the dielectric strength of the silicon dioxide layer . copper interconnects should be encapsulated by at least one diffusion barrier to prevent diffusion into the silicon dioxide layer . silicon nitride is a diffusion barrier to copper , but the prior art teaches that the interconnects should not lie on a silicon nitride layer because it has a high dielectric constant compared with silicon dioxide . the high dielectric constant causes a desired increase in capacitance between the interconnect and the substrate . a typical diffusion barrier layer may contain silicon nitride , phosphosilicate glass ( psg ), silicon oxynitride , aluminum , aluminum oxide ( al x o y ), tantalum , ti / tin or ti / w , nionbium , or molybdenum and is more preferably formed from tin . the barrier layer can also be used to improve the adhesion of the subsequent overlying tungsten layer . a barrier layer is preferably about 500 and 2000 angstrom thick and more preferably about 300 angstrom thick and can be deposited using rf sputtering . after the creation of barrier layer 36 , a seed layer ( not shown in fig7 ) can be blanket deposited over the surface of the wafer . for a seed layer that is blanket deposited over the surface of the wafer any of the conventional metallic seed materials can be used . the metallic seed layer can be deposited using a sputter chamber or an ion metal plasma ( imp ) chamber at a temperature of between about 0 and 300 degrees c . and a pressure of between about 1 and 100 mtorr , using ( for instance ) copper or a copper alloy as the source ( as highlighted above ) at a flow rate of between about 10 and 400 sccm and using argon as an ambient gas . fig8 shows a cross section of the substrate after a layer 37 of photoresist has been deposited over the surface of the barrier layer 36 . the layer 37 of photoresist has been patterned and etched , creating openings 31 in the layer 37 of photoresist . openings 31 partially expose the surface of the barrier layer 36 . layer 37 of photoresist is typically applied to a thickness of between about 100 and 200 micrometers but more preferably to a thickness of about 150 micrometers . layer 37 of photoresist layer 37 is typically applied to a thickness of between about 100 and 200 micrometers but more preferably to a thickness of about 150 micrometers . the methods used for the deposition and development of the layer 37 of photoresist uses conventional methods of photolithography . photolithography is a common approach wherein patterned layers are formed by spinning on a layer of photoresist , projecting light through a photomask with the desired pattern onto the photoresist to expose the photoresist to the pattern , developing the photoresist , washing off the undeveloped photoresist , and plasma etching to clean out the areas where the photoresist has been washed away . the exposed resist may be rendered soluble ( positive working ) and washed away , or insoluble ( negative working ) and form the pattern . the deposited layer 37 of photoresist can , prior to patterning and etching , be cured or pre - baked further hardening the surface of the layer 37 of photoresist . layer 37 of photoresist can be etched by applying o 2 plasma and then wet stripping by using h 2 so 4 , h 2 o 2 and nh 4 oh solution . sulfuric acid ( h 2 so 4 ) and mixtures of h 2 so 4 with other oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide ( h 2 o 2 ) are widely used in stripping photoresist after the photoresist has been stripped by other means . wafers to be stripped can be immersed in the mixture at a temperature between about 100 degrees c . and about 150 degrees c . for 5 to 10 minutes and then subjected to a thorough cleaning with deionized water and dried by dry nitrogen . inorganic resist strippers , such as the sulfuric acid mixtures , are very effective in the residual free removal of highly postbaked resist . they are more effective than organic strippers and the longer the immersion time , the cleaner and more residue free wafer surface can be obtained . the photoresist layer 37 can also be partially removed using plasma oxygen ashing and careful wet clean . the oxygen plasma ashing is heating the photoresist in a highly oxidized environment , such as an oxygen plasma , thereby converting the photoresist to an easily removed ash . the oxygen plasma ashing can be followed by a native oxide dip for 90 seconds in a 200 : 1 diluted solution of hydrofluoric acid . fig9 shows a cross section of the substrate 10 after a layer 38 of pillar metal has been deposited ( electroplated ) over the surface of the layer 36 of barrier material and bounded by openings 31 that have been created in the layer 37 of photoresist . over the surface of the layers 38 of metal , which will be referred to as pillar metal in view of the role these layers play in the completed structure of the solder bumps of the invention , layers 40 of under bump metal have been deposited using deposition methods such as electroplating . layer 36 preferably comprises titanium or copper and is preferably deposited to a thickness of between about 500 and 2000 angstrom and more preferably to a thickness of about 1000 angstrom . layer 38 preferably comprise copper and is preferred to be applied to a thickness of between about 10 and 100 micrometers but more preferably to a thickness of about 50 micrometers . layer 40 preferably comprises nickel and is preferred to be applied to a thickness of between about 1 and 10 micrometers but more preferably to a thickness of about 4 micrometers . fig1 shows a cross section where the process of the invention has further electroplated layers 42 of solder metal over the surface of layers 40 of under bump metal ( ubm ) and bounded by the openings 31 that have been created in the layer 37 of photoresist . layer 40 of ubm , typically of nickel and of a thickness between about 1 and 10 micrometers , is electroplated over the layer 38 of pillar metal . the layer 42 of bump metal ( typically solder ) is electroplated in contact with the layer 40 of ubm to a thickness of between about 30 and 100 micrometers but more preferably to a thickness of about 50 micrometers . the layers 38 , 40 and 42 of electroplated metal are centered in the opening 31 that has been created in the layer 37 of photoresist . in the cross section that is shown in fig1 , it is shown that the patterned layer 37 of photoresist has been removed from above the surface of the barrier layer 36 . the previously highlighted methods and processing conditions for the removal of a layer of photoresist can be applied for the purpose of the removal of layer 37 that is shown in cross section in fig1 . the invention further proceeds with the partial etching of the pillar metal 38 , as shown in cross section in fig1 , using methods of wet chemical etching or an isotropic dry etch , selective to the pillar metal material . it is clear that , by adjusting the etching parameters , of which the time of etch is most beneficial , the diameter of the pillar metal 38 can be reduced by almost any desired amount . the limitation that is imposed on the extent to which the diameter of the pillar metal 38 is reduced is not imposed by the wet etching process but by concerns of metal bump reliability and functionality . too small a remaining diameter of the pillar metal 38 will affect the robustness of the solder bumps while this may also have the affect of increasing the resistance of the metal bump . the final two processing steps of the invention , before the solder metal is reflowed , are shown in the cross section of fig1 and 14 and affect the etching of the exposed surface of the barrier layer 36 . using isotropic etching , fig1 , the exposed barrier layer is completely removed as is shown in fig1 . using anisotropic etching , fig1 , the etching of the barrier layer is partially impeded by the presence of the columns 42 of solder metal . it is believed that the undercut shape of pillar 38 will prevent wetting of pillar 38 and the ubm layer 40 during subsequent solder reflow . it is also believed that exposure to air will oxidize the sidewalls of pillar 38 and ubm layer 40 and therefore prevent wetting of these surfaces during subsequent solder reflow . optionally , the sidewalls of pillar 38 and ubm layer 40 may be further oxidized by , for example , a thermal oxidation below reflow temperature of about 240 degrees c . such as heating in oxygen ambient at about 125 degrees c . fig1 and 16 show the final cross section of the solder bump of the invention after the solder metal has been reflowed . fig1 corresponds to fig1 while fig1 corresponds to fig1 , this relating to the etch in the barrier layer 36 that has been explained using fig1 and 14 . it is noted that the etched layer 36 of barrier material that is shown in cross section in fig1 corresponds to the etched layer of barrier material that is shown in fig1 . the same correspondence exists between fig1 and 14 . the above summarized processing steps of electroplating that are used for the creation of a metal bump can be supplemented by the step of curing or pre - baking of the layer of photoresist after this layer has been deposited . prior to and in preparation for the invention , a semiconductor surface is provided , a layer of dielectric has been deposited over the semiconductor surface , a contact pad has been provided on the layer of dielectric , the contact pad has an exposed surface , a layer of passivation has been deposited over a semiconductor surface including the surface of said contact pad , the layer of passivation has been patterned and etched , creating an opening in the layer of passivation , partially exposing the surface of the contact pad , the opening in the layer of passivation is centered with respect to the contact pad the invention starts with a barrier layer deposited over the surface of the layer of passivation , making contact with the contact pad through the opening created in the layer of passivation the layer of photoresist is patterned and etched , creating an opening through the layer of photoresist , the opening in the layer of photoresist aligns with and is centered with respect to the contact pad in sequence are deposited , bounded by the opening created in the layer of photoresist , a layer of pillar metal , a layer of under bump metal and a layer of solder metal the barrier layer is etched , using either isotropic or anisotropic etching ball height is a very important reliability concern ; in order to prevent thermal mismatch between overlying layers of a package ( such as a semiconductor device and an underlying printed circuit board and the like ) it is important to increase the distance between overlying elements ; the invention provides this ability a larger solder ball ( for better thermal or reliability performance ) results in increased pitch , this is contrary to state of the art design requirements if small solder balls are used without providing height , it is very difficult to underfill the small gaps the solder is , using the invention , relatively far removed from the semiconductor device which means that the application of low - alpha solder is not required ( alpha - particles create soft errors in memory products , lead is known to emit alpha - particles when lead decays ) for the pillar metal a metal needs to be selected that has good conductivity and good ductility , such as copper . this is in order to provide improved thermal performance by counteracting thermal stress the height of the pillar of the solder bump of the invention is important and should be between about 10 to 100 micrometers in order to achieve objectives of high stand - off the metal that is used for the under bump metal layer is important in that this metal must have good adhesion with the overlying solder during solder reflow while this metal must not solve too fast and in so doing form a barrier to the solder ; in addition , the ubm metal when exposed to air can form a layer of protective oxide thus preventing solder wetting to the pillar metal around the perimeter of the ubm metal during the reflow process ; nickel is therefore preferred for the ubm metal although the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific illustrative embodiments thereof , it is not intended that the invention be limited to those illustrative embodiments . those skilled in the art will recognize that variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . it is therefore intended to include within the invention all such variations and modifications which fall within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof .
7
provided herein is a method for the preparation of liposomes , the method comprising : ( a ) combining one or more lipids in an aqueous medium at ambient temperature ; ( c ) adding one or more sugars to the resulting mixture , thereby forming a solution of liposomes . in another embodiment , at step ( b ), the method further comprises homogenization of the lipids in the aqueous medium . some embodiments further comprise a step ( d ), wherein one or more active agents is added to the solution of liposomes . in one embodiment , the active agent is a hydrophobic drug . in one embodiment , the active agent is added as a solid . in another embodiment , the active agent is added in an organic solvent . in another embodiment , the active agent is added in organic solvent which further comprises one or more fatty acid salts , fatty acids and / or phospholipids . in another embodiment , the active agent is added during formation of the liposome . in certain embodiments , the resulting liposomes are less than about 1 μm in diameter . in one embodiment , the resulting liposomes are less than about 500 nm in diameter . in one embodiment , the resulting liposomes are less than about 100 nm in diameter . in one embodiment , at least one of the lipids is a phospholipid or a mixture of phospholipids . examples of phospholipids include , but are not limited to , phosphatidic acid (“ pa ”), phosphatidylcholine (“ pc ”), phosphatidylglycerol (“ pg ”), phophatidylethanolamine (“ pe ”), phophatidylinositol (“ pi ”), and phosphatidylserine (“ ps ”), sphingomyelin ( including brain sphingomyelin ), lecithin , lysolecithin , lysophosphatidylethanolamine , cerebrosides , diarachidoylphosphatidylcholine (“ dapc ”), didecanoyl - l - alpha - phosphatidylcholine (“ ddpc ”), dielaidoylphosphatidylcholine (“ depc ”), dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (“ dlpc ”), dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine , dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (“ dmpc ”), dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (“ dopc ”), dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (“ dppc ”), distearoylphosphatidylcholine (“ dspc ”), 1 - palmitoyl - 2 - oleoyl - phosphatidylcholine (“ popc ”), diarachidoylphosphatidylglycerol (“ dapg ”), didecanoyl - l - alpha - phosphatidylglycerol (“ ddpg ”), dielaidoylphosphatidylglycerol (“ depg ”), dilauroylphosphatidylglycerol (“ dlpg ”), dilinoleoylphosphatidylglycerol , dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (“ dmpg ”), dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (“ dopg ”), dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (“ dppg ”), distearoylphosphatidylglycerol (“ dspg ”), 1 - palmitoyl - 2 - oleoyl - phosphatidylglycerol (“ popg ”), diarachidoylphosphatidylethanolamine (“ dape ”), didecanoyl - l - alpha - phosphatidylethanolamine (“ ddpe ”), dielaidoylphosphatidylethanolamine (“ depe ”), dilauroylphosphatidylethanolamine (“ dlpe ”), dilinoleoylphosphatidylethanolamine , dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (“ dmpe ”), dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (“ dope ”), dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (“ dppe ”), distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine (“ dspe ”), 1 - palmitoyl - 2 - oleoyl - phosphatidylethanolamine (“ pope ”), diarachidoylphosphatidylinositol (“ dapi ”), didecanoyl - l - alpha - phosphatidylinositol (“ ddpi ”), dielaidoylphosphatidylinositol (“ depi ”), dilauroylphosphatidylinositol (“ dlpi ”), dilinoleoylphosphatidylinositol , dimyristoylphosphatidylinositol (“ dmpi ”), dioleoylphosphatidylinositol (“ dopi ”), dipalmitoylphosphatidylinositol (“ dppi ”), distearoylphosphatidylinositol (“ dspi ”), 1 - palmitoyl - 2 - oleoyl - phosphatidylinositol (“ popi ”), diarachidoylphosphatidylserine (“ daps ”), di decanoyl - l - alpha - phosphatidylserine (“ ddps ”), dielaidoylphosphatidylserine (“ deps ”), dilauroylphosphatidylserine (“ dlps ”), dilinoleoylphosphatidylserine , dimyristoylphosphatidylserine (“ dmps ”), dioleoylphosphatidylserine (“ dops ”), dipalmitoylphosphatidylserine (“ dpps ”), distearoylphosphatidylserine (“ dsps ”), 1 - palmitoyl - 2 - oleoyl - phosphatidylserine (“ pops ”), diarachidoyl sphingomyelin , didecanoyl sphingomyelin , dielaidoyl sphingomyelin , dilauroyl sphingomyelin , dilinolcoyl sphingomyelin , dimyristoyl sphingomyelin , sphingomyelin , dioleoyl sphingomyelin , dipalmitoyl sphingomyelin , distearoyl sphingomyelin , and 1 - palmitoyl - 2 - oleoyl - sphingomyelin . the phospholipids provided herein may be chiral or achiral . the chiral phospholipids provided herein may be d - or l - phospholipids , for example , l - α - phosphatidylcholine or l - 3 - phosphatidylcholine . in one embodiment , l - α - phosphatidylcholine is used in the methods provided herein . in another embodiment , provided herein is a method for the preparation of liposomes , the method comprising : ( a ) combining sodium oleate and l - α - phosphatidylcholine in an aqueous medium at ambient temperature ; ( c ) adding one or more sugars to the resulting mixture , thereby forming a solution of liposomes . in one embodiment , the aqueous medium contains one or more active agents , or pharmaceutically acceptable salts , hydrates , clathrates or prodrugs thereof . examples of active agents include , but are not limited to , lapachone ( β - lapachone ), taxanes ( including , but not limited to , taxol , 7 - epitaxol , 7 - acetyl taxol , 10 - desacetyltaxol , 10 - desacetyl - 7 - epitaxol , 7 - xylosyltaxol , 10 - desacetyl - 7 - sylosyltaxol , 7 - glutaryltaxol , 7 - n , n - dimethylglycycltaxol , 7 - l - alanyltaxol , taxotere , and mixtures thereof ), paclitaxel , colchicine , transferrin , cyclosporines , cyclosporin a , ketoprofen , propofol , acetylsalicylic acid , acetaminophen , amphotericin , digoxin , doxorubicin , daunorubicin , epirubicin , idarubicin , angiogenesis inhibitors ( e . g , bevacizumab , ranibizumab , vitaxin , carboxyamidotriazole , combretastatin a - 4 , fumagillin analogs ( e . g ., tnp - 470 ), cm101 , ifn - α , interleukin - 10 , interleukin - 12 , platelet factor - 4 , suramin , su5416 , thrombospondin , vegfr antagonists , angiostatin , endostatin , 2 - methoxyestradiol , tecogalan , thalidomide , prolactin , linomide , angiopoietin - 1 , basic fibroblast growth factor , vascular endothelial growth factor ), vinca - alkaloids ( e . g ., vinblastine , vincristine , vindesin , etoposide , etoposide phosphate , and teniposide ), cytarabine , actinomycin , etoposide , bleomycin , gentamycin , cyclophosphamide , methotrexate , streptozotocin , cytosine , β - d - arabinofuranoside - 5 ′- triphosphate , cytochrome c , cisplatin , n - phosphono - acetyl - l - aspartic acid , 5 - fluoroorotic acid , acyclovir , zidovudine , interferons , aminoglycosides , cephalosporins , tetracyclines , propranolol , timolol , labetolol , clonidine , hydralazine , imipramine , amitriptyline , doxepim , phenyloin , diphenhydramine , chlorphenirimine , promethazine , prostaglandins , methotrexate , progesterone , testosterone , estradiol , estrogen , epirubicin , beclomethasone and esters , vitamin e , cortisone , dexamethasone and esters , betamethasone valerete , biphenyl dimethyl dicarboxylic acid , calcitonins , camptothecin , captopril , cephazoline , chloroquinine , chlorothiazole , co - agulation factors viii and ix , d - alpha - tocopherol , dexamethasone , dichlofenac , etoposide , feldene , flubiprofen , 5 - fluorouracil , fluoxetine , fusidic acid , gentamicin , glyburide , granisetron , growth hormones , indomethacin , insulin , itraconazole , ketoconazole , methotrexate , metronidazole , minoxidil , mitomycin , nafcillin , naproxen , ondansetron , oxyphenbutazone , parazosin , physostigmine , piroxicam , prednisolone , primaquine , quinine , ramipril , taxotane , tenoxicam , terazosin , triamcinolone , urokinase , opioid analgesics ( e . g ., alfentanil , anileridine , codiene , diamorphine , fentanyl , hydrocodone , hydromorphone , meperidine , morphine , oxycodone , oxymorphone , propoxyphene , sufentanil , pentazocine and nalbuphine ), non - steroidal anti - inflammatory drugs ( e . g ., aspirin , indometacin , ibuprofen , mefenamic acid and phenylbutazone ), angiotensin converting enzyme (“ ace ”) inhibitors ( e . g ., captoprilpolyene ), protein kinase c inhibitors , antibiotics ( e . g ., imidazole and triazole antibiotics ), folic acid , anthracycline antibiotics , anti - sense rnas , tricathecums , microbial ribosomal - inactivating toxins ( e . g ., gelonin , abrin , ricin a chain , pseudomonas exotoxin , diptheria toxin , pokeweed antiviral peptide ), pipecolic acid derivatives ( e . g ., tacrolimus ), plant alkaloids , dyes , radioisotope - labeled compounds , radiopaque compounds , radiosensitizers ( e . g ., 5 - chloro - 2 ′- deoxyuridine , 5 - bromo - 2 ′- deoxyuridine and 5 - iodo - 2 ′- deoxyuridine ), fluorescent compounds , mydriatic compounds , bronchodilators , local anesthetics ( e . g ., dibucaine and chlorpromazine ), antifungal agents ( e . g ., miconazole , terconazole , econazole , isoconazole , butaconazole , clotrimazole , itraconazole , nystatin , naftifine and amphotericin b ), antiparasitic agents , hormones , hormone antagonists , immunomodulators , neurotransmitter antagonists , anti - diabetic agents , antiglaucoma agents , vitamins , narcotics , and imaging agents . for additional disclosure of active agents , see gilman et al ., goodman and gilman &# 39 ; s : the pharmacological basis of therapeutics , 10th ed ., mcgraw - hill , new york , 2001 ; the merck manual of diagnosis and therapy , berkow , m . d . et al . ( eds . ), 17th ed ., merck sharp & amp ; dohme research laboratories , rahway , n . j ., 1999 ; cecil textbook of medicine , 20th ed ., bennett and plum ( eds . ), w . b . saunders , philadelphia , 1996 . in one embodiment , the active agent is a hydrophobic compound , or a compound with poor solubility in water . in one embodiment , the active agent is a water soluble membrane - impermeant agent such as a peptide , a protein , a nucleic acid , a nucleotide , a nucleoside , a carbohydrate or an analog thereof . in one embodiment , the aqueous medium does not contain an active agent . in another embodiment , the resulting solution contains 10 % by weight trehalose . in another embodiment , the active agent is lapachone , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt , hydrate , clathrate or prodrug thereof . in another embodiment , the active agent is transferrin , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt , hydrate , clathrate or prodrug thereof . in another embodiment , the active agent is cyclosporine , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt , hydrate , clathrate or prodrug thereof . in one embodiment , the active agents are transferrin and lapachone , or pharmaceutically acceptable salts , hydrates , clathrates or prodrugs thereof . examples of sugars that may be used in the methods provided herein include , but are not limited to , sucrose , glucose , fructose , lactose , maltose , mannose , galactose and trehalose . in one embodiment , the liposomal preparation is suitable for parenteral administration to a patient suffering from one or more diseases or disorders . in certain embodiments , the sequence of the addition of active agent ( s ) results in enhanced solubility of the active agent ( s ). the conventional method of incorporating hydrophobic drug to liposome is by adding the drug to lipid before liposome preparation . see , e . g ., immordino , m . l . et al ., journal of controlled release , 2003 , 91 : 417 - 429 . by the conventional process , the incorporation of the drug is only 0 . 3 to 0 . 7 mg / ml . provided herein are methods for the preparation of liposomes wherein the addition of the active agent ( s ) after fog illation of the liposome results in enhanced solubility of the active agent ( s ). in one embodiment , the solubility of the active agent ( s ) in liposome is increased by at least about two - fold , five - fold or ten - fold compared to the conventional process . in one embodiment , the solubility of the active agent ( s ) in liposome is increased to about 5 mg / ml . in certain embodiments in which the active agent is a hydrophobic drug , the active agent is added to pre - made liposome as a solid or in an organic solvent . in one embodiment , the pre - made liposome comprises one or more fatty acid salts , fatty acids and / or phospholipids to increase the solubility of the active agent . in one embodiment , the sequence of the addition of active agent ( s ) results in greater efficiency of incorporation of the active agent ( s ) into liposome . in certain embodiments , the efficiency of incorporation into liposome is 50 %, 60 %, 70 %, 80 %, 90 %, 95 %, 98 %, 99 % or 100 %. in certain embodiments , the efficiency of incorporation is 90 %, 95 %, 98 %, 99 % or 100 %. without being limited to a particular theory or mechanism , the increase in incorporation of active agent to pre - made liposome ( e . g ., to a concentration of about 5 mg / ml ) may be due to increase in surface area of liposome . also provided herein is a liposomal composition prepared by a method comprising : ( a ) combining one or more lipids in an aqueous medium at ambient temperature ; ( c ) adding one or more sugars to the resulting mixture , thereby forming a solution of liposomes . in another embodiment , provided herein is a liposomal composition prepared by a method comprising : ( a ) combining one or more lipids in an aqueous medium at ambient temperature ; ( c ) adding one or more sugars to the resulting mixture , thereby forming a solution of liposomes ; and in one embodiment , the active agent is added as a solid . in one embodiment , the active agent is added in an organic solvent . in one embodiment , the active agent in organic solvent further comprises one or more fatty acid salts , fatty acids and phospholipids . in certain embodiments , the methods provided herein result in stable solutions , compositions or formulations comprising liposomes and one or more active agents . in these embodiments , the active agent ( s ) remain solubilized for a specified amount of time and do not significantly degrade , aggregate or become otherwise modified ( e . g ., as determined by hplc ). in some embodiments , about 70 percent or greater , about 80 percent or greater or about 90 percent or greater of the active agent remains solubilized after a week after dilution with an acceptable diluent at an elevated temperature ( e . g ., about 35 ° c . or higher ). in other embodiments , about 70 percent or greater , about 80 percent or greater or about 90 percent or greater of the active agent remains solubilized after a week after dilution with an acceptable diluent at room temperature . in other embodiments , about 70 percent or greater , about 80 percent or greater or about 90 percent or greater of the active agent remains solubilized after a week at a reduced temperature ( e . g ., about 10 ° c . or lower ). in certain embodiments , the methods provided herein result in enhanced solubility of an active agent , as compared to the solubility of the same active agent in an aqueous medium . specifically , when the methods provided herein are used , the solubility of the active agent increases about 20 percent or more , about 40 percent or more , about 60 percent or more , about 80 percent or more , about 100 percent or more , or about 200 percent or more of the solubility of the same active agent in a reference solvent . in some embodiments , the reference solvent is water . also provided herein is a method of treating a disease or disorder using a liposomal composition provided herein . in some embodiments , the disease or disorder includes , but is not limited to , oncological disorders , proliferative disorders , central nervous system disorders , autoimmune disorders , and inflammatory diseases or disorders . in other embodiments the methods are directed to the treatment of bacterial , viral or fungal infections . proliferative disorders ( e . g . cancer ) that may be treated by the methods provided herein include , but are not limited to , neoplasms , tumors ( malignant and benign ) and metastases , or any disease or disorder characterized by uncontrolled cell growth . the cancer may be a primary or metastatic cancer . specific examples of cancers that can be prevented , managed , treated or ameliorated in accordance with the methods of the invention include , but are not limited to , cancer of the head , neck , eye , mouth , throat , esophagus , chest , bone , lung , colon , rectum , stomach , prostate , breast , ovaries , kidney , liver , pancreas , and brain . additional cancers include , but are not limited to , the following : leukemias ( e . g ., acute leukemia , acute lymphocytic leukemia ), acute myelocytic leukemias ( e . g ., myeloblastic , promyelocytic , myelomonocytic , monocytic , erythroleukemia leukemias and myelodysplastic syndrome ), chronic leukemias ( e . g ., chronic myelocytic ( granulocytic ) leukemia , chronic lymphocytic leukemia , hairy cell leukemia ), polycythemia vera , lymphomas ( e . g ., hodgkin &# 39 ; s disease , non - hodgkin &# 39 ; s disease ), multiple myelomas ( e . g ., smoldering multiple myeloma , nonsecretory myeloma , osteosclerotic myeloma , plasma cell leukemia , solitary plasmacytoma and extramedullary plasmacytoma ), waldenstrom &# 39 ; s macroglobulinemia , monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance , benign monoclonal gammopathy , heavy chain disease , bone and connective tissue sarcomas ( e . g ., bone sarcoma , osteosarcoma , chondrosarcoma , ewing &# 39 ; s sarcoma , malignant giant cell tumor , fibrosarcoma of bone , chordoma , periosteal sarcoma , soft - tissue sarcomas , angiosarcoma ( hemangiosarcoma ), fibrosarcoma , kaposi &# 39 ; s sarcoma , leiomyosarcoma , liposarcoma , lymphangiosarcoma , neurilemmoma , rhabdomyosarcoma , synovial sarcoma ), brain tumors ( e . g ., glioma , astrocytoma , brain stem glioma , ependymoma , oligodendroglioma , nonglial tumor , acoustic neurinoma , craniopharyngioma , medulloblastoma , meningioma , pineocytoma , pineoblastoma , primary brain lymphoma ), breast cancer ( e . g ., adenocarcinoma , lobular ( small cell ) carcinoma , intraductal carcinoma , medullary breast cancer , mucinous breast cancer , tubular breast cancer , papillary breast cancer , paget &# 39 ; s disease , and inflammatory breast cancer ), adrenal cancer ( e . g ., pheochromocytom and adrenocortical carcinoma ), thyroid cancer ( e . g ., papillary or follicular thyroid cancer , medullary thyroid cancer and anaplastic thyroid cancer ), pancreatic cancer ( e . g ., insulinoma , gastrinoma , glucagonoma , vipoma , somatostatin - secreting tumor , and carcinoid or islet cell tumor ), pituitary cancers ( e . g ., cushing &# 39 ; s disease , prolactin - secreting tumor , acromegaly , and diabetes insipius ), eye cancers ( e . g ., ocular melanoma such as iris melanoma , choroidal melanoma , and cilliary body melanoma , and retinoblastoma ), vaginal cancers ( e . g ., squamous cell carcinoma , adenocarcinoma , and melanoma ), vulvar cancer ( e . g ., squamous cell carcinoma , melanoma , adenocarcinoma , basal cell carcinoma , sarcoma , and paget &# 39 ; s disease ), cervical cancers ( e . g ., squamous cell carcinoma , and adenocarcinoma ), uterine cancers ( e . g ., endometrial carcinoma and uterine sarcoma ), ovarian cancers ( e . g ., ovarian epithelial carcinoma , borderline tumor , germ cell tumor , and stromal tumor ), esophageal cancers ( e . g ., squamous cancer , adenocarcinoma , adenoid cyctic carcinoma , mucoepidermoid carcinoma , adenosquamous carcinoma , sarcoma , melanoma , plasmacytoma , verrucous carcinoma , and oat cell ( small cell ) carcinoma ), stomach cancers ( e . g ., adenocarcinoma , fungaling ( polypoid ), ulcerating , superficial spreading , diffusely spreading , malignant lymphoma , liposarcoma , fibrosarcoma , and carcinosarcoma ), colon cancers , rectal cancers , liver cancers ( e . g ., hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatoblastoma , gallbladder cancers such as adenocarcinoma ), cholangiocarcinomas ( e . g ., pappillary , nodular , and diffuse ), lung cancers ( e . g ., non - small cell lung cancer , squamous cell carcinoma ( epidermoid carcinoma ), adenocarcinoma , large - cell carcinoma and small - cell lung cancer ), testicular cancers ( e . g ., germinal tumor , seminoma , anaplastic , classic ( typical ), spermatocytic , nonseminoma , embryonal carcinoma , teratoma carcinoma , choriocarcinoma ( yolk - sac tumor ), prostate cancers such as but not limited to , adenocarcinoma , leiomyosarcoma , and rhabdomyosarcoma ), penile cancers , oral cancers ( e . g ., squamous cell carcinoma ), basal cancers , salivary gland cancers ( e . g ., adenocarcinoma , mucoepidermoid carcinoma , and adenoidcystic carcinoma ), pharynx cancers ( e . g ., squamous cell cancer , and verrucous ), skin cancers ( e . g ., basal cell carcinoma , squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma , superficial spreading melanoma , nodular melanoma , lentigo malignant melanoma , acral lentiginous melanoma ), kidney cancers ( e . g ., renal cell cancer , adenocarcinoma , hypernephroma , fibrosarcoma , transitional cell cancer ( renal pelvis and / or uterer )), wilms &# 39 ; tumor , bladder cancers ( e . g ., transitional cell carcinoma , squamous cell cancer , adenocarcinoma , carcinosarcoma ), myxosarcoma , osteogenic sarcoma , endotheliosarcoma , lymphangioendotheliosarcoma , mesothelioma , synovioma , hemangioblastoma , epithelial carcinoma , cystadenocarcinoma , bronchogenic carcinoma , sweat gland carcinoma , sebaceous gland carcinoma , papillary carcinoma and papillary adenocarcinomas , follicular lymphomas , carcinomas with p53 mutations , hormone dependent tumors of the breast , prostate and ovary , precancerous lesions such as familial adenomatous polyposis , and myelodysplastic syndromes . other specific diseases and disorders that may be treated by the methods provided herein include , but are not limited to , the following : allergic disorders , inflammation , asthma , arthritis , encephalitis , rheumatoid arthritis , osteoarthritis , psoriatic arthritis , inflammatory osteolysis , chronic or acute obstructive pulmonary disease , chronic or acute pulmonary inflammatory disease , inflammatory bowel disease , crohn &# 39 ; s disease , gout , bechet &# 39 ; s disease , henoch - schonlein purpura (“ hsp ”), septic shock , sepsis , meningitis , colitis , inflammation due to reperfusion , psoriasis , fibrosis including pulmonary fibrosis , parkinson &# 39 ; s disease , bradykinesia , muscle rigidity , parkinsonian tremor , parkinsonian gait , motion freezing , depression ; defective long - term memory , rubinstein - taybi syndrome ( rts ), dementia , sleep disorders , insomnia , postural instability , hypokinetic disorders , hyperkinetic disorders , synuclein disorders , multiple system atrophies , striatonigral degeneration , olivopontocerebellar atrophy , shy - drager syndrome , motor neuron disease with parkinsonian features , lewy body dementia , tau pathology disorders , progressive supraneulear palsy , corticobasal degeneration , frontotemporal dementia ; amyloid pathology disorders , mild cognitive impairment , alzheimer disease , alzheimer disease with parkinsonism , wilson disease , hallervorden - spatz disease , chediak - hagashi disease , sca - 3 spinocerebellar ataxia , x - linked dystonia parkinsonism , huntington disease , prion disease , chorea , ballismus , dystonia tremors , amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (“ als ”), cns trauma , myoclonus , and diseases or disorders associated with undesired immune reaction ( e . g ., organ rejection associated with an organ transplant ). viral infections that may be treated by the methods provided herein include , but are not limited to , the following : human immunodeficiency virus (“ hiv ”), herpes simplex virus type 1 , herpes simplex virus type 2 , influenza viruses , influenza virus type a , influenze virus type b , parainfluenza virus , human papillomavirus (“ hpv ”), adenoviruses , rhinoviruses , hepatitis a virus , hepatitis b virus , hepatitis c virus , hepatitis d virus , hepatitis e virus , dengue fever , yellow fever , west nile virus , japanese encephalitis virus , gb virus a , gb virus - b , gb virus - c , bovine viral diarrhea virus (“ bvdv ”), classical swine fever virus ( i . e ., hog cholera virus ), border disease virus , varicella zoster virus , smallpox , measles , rabies virus , arbovirus , cytomegalovirus , mumps virus , poliovirus , coxsackie b virus , epstein - barr virus , rubella virus , parvovirus b19 , coronaviruses ( e . g ., sars coronavirus ), astrovirus , norovirus , rotavirus , and adenoviruses . fungal infections that may be treated by the methods provided herein include , but are not limited to , aspergillosis , blastomycosis , coccidioidomycosis , cryptococcosis , fungal sinusitis , histoplasmosis , hypersensitivity pneumonitis , mucormycosis , paracoccidioidomycosis , sporotrichosis , and valley fever . bacterial infections that may be treated by the methods provided herein include , but are not limited to , brucellosis , cholera , leprocy , leptospirosis , shigellosis , trench fever , tularemia , q fever , whitmore &# 39 ; s disease , yersiniosis , yaws , vibrio vulnificus infections , streptococcus infections , staphylococcus infections and e . coli infections . 6 g of l - α - phosphatidylcholine ( soy ) was dispersed in 100 ml of water using a magnetic stirrer at 200 rpm for 10 minutes at ambient temperature . the dispersed liposome ( multilayer ) was passed through a microtluidic homogenizer at 15 , 000 psi . three cycles of passing resulted in a liposome less than 100 nm in diameter . trehalose was then added to the liposome to a final concentration of 10 % ( w / w ). the resulting stable isotonic liposome was either used as liquid or lyophilized . 200 mg of lapachone and 6 g of l - α - phosphatidylcholine ( soy ) were dispersed in 100 ml of water using a magnetic stirrer at 200 rpm for 10 minutes at ambient temperature . the dispersed liposome ( multilayer ) was passed through a microfluidic homogenizer at 15 , 000 psi . three cycles of passing resulted in a liposome encapsulated with 2 mg / ml lapachone less than 100 nm in diameter . trehalose was then added to the liposome to a final concentration of 10 % ( w / w ). the resulting stable isotonic liposome encapsulated with lapachone was either used as liquid or lyophilized . 500 mg of cyclosporine in 5 ml mygliol and 6 g of l - α - phosphatidylcholine ( soy ) were dispersed in 100 ml of water using a magnetic stirrer at 200 rpm for 10 minutes at ambient temperature . the dispersed liposome ( multilayer ) was passed through microfluidic homogenizer at 15 , 000 psi . three cycles of passing resulted in a liposome encapsulated with 5 mg / ml cyclosporine less than 100 nm in diameter . trehalose was then added to the liposome to a final concentration of 10 % ( w / w ). the resulting stable isotonic liposome formulation encapsulated and micro emulsified with cyclosporine was either used as liquid or lyophilized . 200 mg of transferrin and 6 g of l - α - phosphatidylcholine ( soy ) were dispersed in 100 ml of water using a magnetic stirrer at 200 rpm for 10 minutes at ambient temperature . the dispersed liposome ( multilayer ) was passed through a microfluidic homogenizer at 15 , 000 psi . three cycles of passing resulted in a liposome encapsulated with 5 mg / ml transferrin less than 100 nm in diameter . trehalose was then added to the liposome to a final concentration of 10 % ( w / w ). the resulting stable isotonic liposome formulation encapsulated with transferrin was either used as liquid or lyophilized . 6 mg of sodium oleate , 10 g of trehalose and 6 g l - α - phosphatidylcholine ( soy ) were dispersed in 100 ml of water using a magnetic stirrer at 200 rpm for 10 minutes at ambient temperature . the dispersed liposome ( multilayer ) was passed 10 times through a microfluidic homogenizer at 15 , 000 psi . 100 μl of colchicine dissolved in acetone was spiked into 1 ml of the pre - made liposome and lyophilized . the resulting stable isotonic lyophilized liposome encapsulated with the drug is essentially free from organic solvent after lyophilization . after lyophilization , the product can be reconstituted as a 1 mg / ml , 2 mg / ml , 3 mg / ml or 4 mg / ml aqueous solution ( e . g ., water for injection ). all references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and for all purposes to the same extent as if each individual publication , patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes .
0
an arrangement for applying adhesive medium in accordance with the present invention has a housing which is provided with a hollow cylindrical wall 10 and end walls 11 and 33 . a nozzle needle 12 extends through the end wall 11 outwardly of the housing and has a tip 13 . in the inoperative position , the tip 13 closes an outlet opening 14 of an adhesive medium applying nozzle 15 . the nozzle 15 is screwed into a threaded opening of a partially shown housing part 16 . the housing part 16 bounds a receiving chamber 17 for a not shown adhesive medium which is accommodated in the chamber 17 under pressure . the nozzle needle 12 is filled from the adhesive medium receiving chamber 17 by means of a rubber seal 18 . the seal 18 is tightly mounted on the inner side of the end wall 11 , on the one hand , and on the nozzle needle 12 , on the other hand . the nozzle needle 12 has an inner end and is widened at this end so as to form a head 19 . the head 19 is retained in an adjusting screw 20 . the adjusting screw 20 is a part of a longitudinally displaceable driver 21 . the adjusting screw 20 extends into screw nut 22 of the driver 21 . the driver 21 is mounted on an outer end of a piston rod 23 of a first cylinder - piston drive unit 24 . the piston rod 23 leads to a piston 26 which is arranged in a cylinder housing 25 of the first drive unit 24 and is acted upon at one side by a pressure air . the piston 26 is displaceable against the force of return spring 27 which is also located in the cylinder housing 25 . the first drive unit 24 has a pressure chamber 28 which communicates via a connecting opening 29 and via a not shown switching device with a not shown source of pressure air . a second drive unit 30 is arranged coaxially with the first drive unit 24 . the second drive unit 30 has a cylinder housing 31 which is anchored by means of a screw 32 in the end end wall 33 of the housing 10 which is spaced from the nozzle . the cylinder housing 31 has a pressure chamber 34 which communicates via a connecting opening 35 and a not shown second switching device with the abovementioned source of pressure air . the second drive unit 30 has a piston 36 which is displaceable against the force of a return spring 37 . a piston rod 38 is connected with the piston 36 and has an outer end with which it is screwed in a closing plate 39 of the cylinder housing 25 , and the closing plate 39 is fixedly connected with the cylinder housing 25 of the first drive unit 24 . in both selectively actuatable drive units 24 and 30 , the piston 26 of the first drive unit 24 is coupled via the driver 21 with the nozzle needle 12 , while the piston 36 of the second drive unit 30 is coupled with the cylinder housing 25 of the first drive unit 24 . when the first drive unit 24 is actuated by the pressure air supply into the pressure chamber 28 and its piston 26 is displaced against the force of the return spring 27 , the driver 21 with the needle nozzle 12 is taken along by the piston rod 23 . the displacement path of the piston 26 and thereby the displacement path of the nozzle needle 12 is limited by the value a which is determined by a first abutment nut 40 that is concentrically screwed on the cylinder housing 25 . when the second drive unit 30 is actuated by supplying pressure air into the pressure chamber 34 , the piston 36 displaces via the piston rod 38 the cylinder housing 25 of the first drive unit 24 and thereby also the driver 21 with the nozzle needle 12 . the displacement movement of the piston 36 of the second drive unit 30 is adjusted to a value b which is for example greater than the value a and is determined by a second abutment nut 41 mounted on the cylinder housing 31 of the second drive unit 30 . the housing 10 can accommodate more than two drive units arranged with the abovedescribed coupling , so that more than two different displacement paths for the needle nozzle 12 can be performed . the not shown switching device can be formed so that each drive unit 24 and 30 obtains a pressure impulse of an equal length which leads because of the different adjustments of the abutment nuts 40 and 41 , to different displacement movements of the needle nozzle 12 . on the other hand , the switching devices can be also formed so that the individual drive units 24 and 30 are actuated during different time periods . in any case , the abutment nut on the individual drive unit must be adjusted only once for feeding of the desired adhesive medium , which then can be applied by releasing of the switching device . depending on the actuation of one or the other drive unit , the adhesive medium applying arrangement can discharge during its operation , for example on a shoe part , either a smaller or a wider adhesive medium line . it will be understood that each of the elements described above , or two or more together , may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above . while the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an arrangement for applying adhesive medium , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown , since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention . without further analysis , the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that , from the standpoint of prior art , fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention .
0
in the embodiment shown , the plastic closure is labeled as a whole or in its entirety with the reference numeral 1 and the bottom part is labeled 2 . the bottom part 2 has a circumference wall 3 that is closed at the end by a top surface 4 . a pouring opening 5 is formed into the top surface 4 . the top surface 4 , as shown in the drawings , can have a raised area 7 . if such a raised area 7 is not desired , then the same invention can still be easily implemented in a practical fashion by shifting the entire structure of the raised area 7 , with all of the elements below the top surface 4 accommodated therein , in the direction toward the bottle neck . a variant of this kind , however , is not shown in the drawings but can result in the same depiction in which the raised area as a whole is simply shifted downward until its upper surface or top surface 4 ′ is flush with the top surface 4 of the bottom part 2 . the top surface 4 has an annular retaining bead 10 formed onto its underside . it is used to produce a seal in relation to the bottle neck and can be used for fastening a sealing foil 30 . in this embodiment , an annular groove 9 around the pouring opening 5 is formed into the top surface 4 ′ of the raised area 7 which forms a spout 8 . in the example shown , however , the spout 8 does not extend below the top surface 4 ′ of the raised area 7 . the raised area 7 has a circumferential wall 20 extending around it . in the axial extension of the pouring opening 5 and approximately flush with its inner wall , a plurality of struts 21 that likewise extend in the axial direction are formed onto the underside of the top surface 4 ′ of the raised area 7 . these axial struts 21 are shown extending in the cutting plane in fig2 . usually , approximately four such struts 21 are provided . these struts hold a hollow plug 22 that is closed at the top . the hollow plug 22 has a covering 23 . the diameter of the plug 22 is at least approximately the same size as that of the pouring opening 5 . partial elements of the support surface 12 are formed onto the inside of the surrounding circumference wall 20 of the raised area 7 . in this instance , these partial elements are embodied in the form of or formed as pivoting tabs 24 . the tabs 24 , which as mentioned above are partial elements of the support surface 12 , are attached to the inner surface of the annular circumferential wall 20 of the raised area 7 , preferably by film hinges 25 . the flexible film hinges 25 permit the tabs 24 to move toward the plug 22 and wedge against the hollow plug 22 . this produces a frictional , nonpositive connection . preferably , however , a circumferential support bead 26 is formed onto the sealing plug . the support bead 26 assures that the tabs 24 are held against the hollow plug 22 not only in a frictional , nonpositive way , but also in a detent - engaged and therefore form - locked fashion . in principle , the tabs could be embodied so that they come to rest against one another in a completely sealed fashion . if so , it would then be necessary for axially extending through openings 13 to be formed into the tabs 24 . this is in fact a possible variant , but is rather complex from a technical manufacturing standpoint . instead , the tabs 24 are embodied as slightly narrower so that slot - shaped through openings 27 remain between them . the slot - shaped through openings 27 form axially extending through openings . the support surface 12 is thus on the one hand composed of the covering 23 of the hollow plug 22 and on the other hand , composed of the tabs 24 that constitute or form partial elements of the support surface 12 . as mentioned in the brief description of the drawings , fig1 and 2 show the manufacturing position of the bottom part 2 . in this manufacturing or injection - molding position , the tabs 24 extend diagonally downward toward the central axis . to achieve this , it is sufficient to have a central , separately movable part in the bottom part of the injection mold . after the mold is opened , the outer part is first removed while the inner part of the mold remains in position . if the outer part of the lower mold is removed , then the inner part of the lower injection mold can be withdrawn , which is accompanied by the tabs 24 pivoting outward at the same time . in this embodiment according to this invention , a chamber 17 is formed beneath the top surface 4 ′ of the raised area 7 and above the support surface 12 that is formed by the tabs 24 . in this case , the static , hydraulic pressure of the bottle contents rests against the support surface 12 and as a result of the non - newtonian flow behavior , the thixotropic fluid does not flow out , even when the closure is in the open state . when a pressure is exerted on the flexible container , the thixotropic fluid flows through the slot - shaped through openings 27 that are shown most clearly in fig5 . flowing in the axial direction , the fluid then travels into the chamber 17 , filling the chamber , whereupon the fluid flows between the struts 21 and the hollow plug . the narrowing causes a bernoulli effect and when the flexible bottle returns to its original shape , the venturi principle causes the chamber 17 to be practically emptied . in order for these effects to occur , the cross - sectional area of the pouring opening 5 is smaller than the sum of the areas of the slot - shape through openings 27 . with regard to the chamber 17 , the through openings 27 are larger in the outflow direction than the cross - sectional area of the pouring opening 5 . in the outflow direction , assurance is thus provided that despite the thixotropy of the fluid , the forces required to push the fluid out of the bottle do not become excessively great , which would be the case , for example , with labyrinth - like outflow openings of the kind normally provided , for example , in certain dispensing devices . in the opposite direction , as air is returned into the bottle in a volume corresponding to the displaced volume , the size ratios of the pouring opening and the through openings 27 achieves a high flow speed . this is implemented in a particularly optimal fashion by the cross - sectional narrowings . as mentioned above , fig9 and 10 show a one - piece hinged closure made of plastic . it is injection , molded in one piece and in this case , the cover 6 is attached by a film hinge 18 with tautening bands 19 connected to it . in this form , the plastic closure constitutes or forms a snapping hinged closure . in addition , a sealing pin 28 is formed onto the inside of the cover 6 and in the closed state of the closure , engages in the pouring opening 5 in a sealed fashion . this is shown in fig6 , which shows a vertical , diametrical section taken through a two - part plastic closure in the closed state . in this case , it is not a hinged closure or snapping hinged closure , but is instead a simple screw connection . in particular in fig6 , which depicts a section along the line a - a , the arrangement of the struts 21 is also clearly visible . the radial flow above the support surface 12 into the pouring opening 5 passes between the struts 21 . fig6 shows that in this embodiment , the tabs 24 are not formed onto the inner wall of the annular circumference wall 20 but instead , the annular circumference wall 20 has a slight downward - oriented extension 29 and the tabs 24 are in turn formed onto its lower , peripheral edge by film hinges 25 . correspondingly , this embodiment has a slightly different appearance in the non - installed position in a perspective view as shown in fig8 . otherwise , this embodiment shown in fig5 through 10 is nearly equivalent to the one shown in fig1 through 4 . due to the different arrangement of the tabs 24 , the support surfaces in the two variants mentioned are oriented differently from each other . in one case , the support surface 12 extends in the form of a funnel pointing upward , as shown in fig3 and 4 , while in the other case , the support surface 12 is formed as a funnel , but with the wide opening oriented toward the bottle neck . this does not , however , affect the function of the plastic closure according to this invention .
1
referring to the figures , a refrigeration system is shown for use with a plurality of temperature controlled storage devices , where the storage devices may have different storage temperature requirements ( e . g . “ low temperature ,” such as approximately − 20 ° f ., and “ medium temperature ,” such as approximately 25 ° f .). however , the various temperatures of the storage devices , refrigerants and liquid coolants illustrated or described in the various embodiments , are shown by way of example only . a wide variety of other temperatures and temperature ranges may be used to suit any particular application and are intended to be within the scope of this disclosure . referring to fig1 , a refrigeration system 10 includes a piping network 14 ( e . g . tubing , conduit , piping , etc .) interconnecting a plurality of refrigeration system components shown for example to include a compressor 16 , a condenser ( e . g . air - cooled , water - cooled , etc . ), a receiver 18 to collect condensed refrigerant , and one or more expansion devices 20 , shown for example as four ( 4 ) expansion valves for expanding the liquid refrigerant to a saturated liquid - vapor refrigerant for use in a cooling device 24 ( e . g . evaporator in the form of a cooling coil , micro - channel coil , etc .) in a temperature - controlled storage device 26 ( e . g . refrigerated display case , etc .). according to the illustrated embodiment , the piping network 14 includes multiple parallel branch lines 28 that supply refrigerant to each of the temperature - controlled storage devices 26 ( e . g . four ( 4 ) branch lines for four ( 4 ) temperature - controlled storage devices ), however , any number of branch lines , in any suitable configuration ( e . g . series , parallel , series - parallel , etc .) may be used according to any alternative embodiments . the refrigerant is circulated in a closed - loop circuit through the piping network and the refrigeration system components to provide a source of cooling to the cooling devices in the temperature - controlled storage devices . according to other embodiments , the refrigeration system may include a liquid coolant ( e . g . water , glycol , etc .) circulated within another loop ( e . g . secondary coolant loop , etc .). all such types of refrigeration and / or cooling systems are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure . piping network 14 also includes a connection point 30 ( e . g . pipe stub , branch , fitting , etc . ), for use in connecting ( e . g . temporarily , etc .) various equipment associated with set - up , operation or maintenance of the refrigeration system . for example , connection point 30 , may be used to connect charging equipment ( not shown ) for charging the refrigerant system 10 with a refrigerant , such as r404a , carbon dioxide ( co2 ), or other suitable refrigerant . alternatively , the connection point may be used on a liquid coolant line for charging , testing and / or draining the liquid coolant line . connection point 30 is shown to be located on a “ liquid ” portion of the refrigeration system ( i . e . on the piping network 14 between the receiver and the expansion device ( s )), however , the connection point may be provided at any suitable location on the piping network . connection point 30 may also be used for connecting other equipment , such as testing equipment ( e . g . pressure testing equipment , etc .) for testing and / or monitoring the pressure and / or leak - tightness of the refrigeration system . connection point may also serve as a location for draining a liquid coolant or recapturing a refrigerant contained within the piping network . connection point 30 typically serves as part of a pressure boundary for the piping network 14 and is intended to provide a location where charging and / or testing equipment can be readily connected and disconnected without a significant loss of refrigerant from the refrigeration system 10 . however , typical connection points often use equipment that tends to leak slowly over extended periods of time , or may fail suddenly , which causes or contributes to a degradation or loss of refrigerant charge in the refrigeration system . according to one embodiment shown in more detail in fig2 , connection point 30 includes a fitting 32 having a first end 34 that connects ( e . g . by a threaded connection , soldering , brazing , etc .) to the piping network 14 and a second end 36 that connects to the positive shutoff device 50 . fitting 32 is shown to include a manually - actuatable valve 38 ( e . g . a poppet - type valve such as a schrader valve , etc .) disposed within an internal passageway of fitting 32 to provide controlled access to the piping network 14 of the refrigeration system ( e . g . for charging , testing , depressurizing , etc .). manually - actuatable valve 38 includes a movable valve stem 40 that can be moved ( e . g . depressed , shifted , shuttled , etc .) against a spring force ( or a force from refrigerant pressure within the piping network , or the like ) to provide a clearance for a flow path within the internal passageway of the fitting 32 . referring further to fig2 , a positive shutoff device 50 for the connection point 30 of the refrigeration system 10 is shown according to an exemplary embodiment . positive shutoff device 50 is shown to include a first fitting 60 , a shutoff valve 70 , and a second fitting 80 . first fitting 60 ( e . g . a female flare fitting , such as a ¼ inch , ⅜ inch or other suitable size female flare fitting or other type of fitting of a suitable size ) has a first end 62 that connects to second end 36 of fitting 32 of the connection point 30 , and a second end 64 that couples or connects to a first end 72 of the shutoff valve 70 , in a substantially leak - tight manner ( e . g . by threaded connection with a suitable thread sealant or the like , etc .). according to one embodiment , first fitting 60 includes an internal region 66 having a raised actuator segment 68 ( e . g . actuator , “ schrader depressor ”, etc .). as the internal region 66 of first fitting 60 receives the second end 36 of fitting 32 , the raised actuator segment 68 engages ( e . g . contacts , etc .) and moves valve stem 40 to actuate the manually actuatable valve 38 of the connection point 30 ( i . e . opens the passageway within fitting 32 of connection point 30 ). according to alternative embodiments , the first fitting may be provided without a raised actuator segment , such as for applications where fitting 32 is provided without an internal manually actuatable valve , or where the shutoff valve is provided with a suitable projection that is operable to engage the valve stem 40 . referring further to fig2 , the shutoff valve 70 includes a first end 72 and a second end 74 , and is operable ( e . g . manually actuatable , etc .) between a first position ( e . g . closed , etc .) and a second position ( e . g . open , etc .). according to one embodiment , shutoff valve is a manually - actuatable ball - type valve , such as are commercially available from jb industries of aurora , ill . the first end 72 of shutoff valve 70 connects to the second end 64 of the first fitting 60 in a substantially leak - tight manner ( e . g . by threaded connection with a suitable thread sealant or the like , etc .). thus , when shutoff valve 70 is coupled to first fitting 60 , and first fitting 60 is coupled to the fitting 32 of connection point 30 , access to the pressure boundary of the piping network 14 is controlled by manually actuating the shutoff valve 70 between the open position ( where the flow path is through the open shutoff valve 70 , the first fitting 60 , and the passageway within fitting 32 via the depressed valve stem 40 of the manually - actuatable valve 30 ), and the closed position , where the pressure boundary of the piping network 14 , includes the shutoff valve 70 . according to other embodiments , the shutoff valve may be another type of valve , such as a globe valve , gate valve , needle valve , control valve , or other valve capable of providing a positive shutoff and maintaining a pressure boundary for the system . according to the illustrated embodiment , shutoff valve 70 is shown with a manually - actuatable handle 76 , however , according to other alternative embodiments , the shutoff valve may be provided with another type of actuator , such as a solenoid , motor , pneumatic , hydraulic , or other type of remotely actuatable actuator . such a remote actuator may be used to facilitate remote or automatic charging of the refrigeration system , such as upon a degradation of refrigeration system below a predetermined pressure setpoint as monitored by a suitable pressure sensing device ( not shown ) configured to provide a signal to actuate the shutoff valve to an open position and to return the shutoff valve to a closed position upon restoration of the pressure of the refrigerant or coolant in the refrigeration system to a predetermined pressure . such a remotely actuatable charging system may be configured for use with an existing system as a retrofit feature by connecting to an existing fitting and using a signal from an existing pressure sensing device , or may be provided as a feature of a new refrigeration system . referring further to fig2 , second fitting 80 of the positive shutoff device 50 is shown according to an exemplary embodiment . second fitting 80 ( e . g . a male flare fitting , such as a ¼ inch male flare fitting or other type of fitting of a suitable size ) has a first end 82 that couples or connects to the second end 74 of the shutoff valve 70 , and a second end 84 configured to couple to charging and / or testing equipment ( not shown ), in a substantially leak - tight manner ( e . g . by threaded connection with a suitable thread sealant or the like , quick - disconnect , etc .). second fitting 80 is shown to include a manually - actuatable valve 86 ( e . g . a poppet - type valve such as a schrader valve , etc .) disposed within an internal passageway of second fitting 80 to provide controlled access to the piping network 14 of the refrigeration system ( e . g . for charging , testing , depressurizing , etc .) when the shutoff valve 70 is in the open position . manually - actuatable valve 86 includes a movable valve stem 88 that can be moved ( e . g . depressed , shifted , shuttled , etc .) against a spring force ( or a force from refrigerant pressure within the piping network 14 up through the shutoff valve 70 , or the like ) to provide a clearance for a flow path within the internal passageway of the second fitting 80 . an end of valve stem 88 is disposed proximate the second end 84 of the second fitting 80 and is configured to be engaged ( e . g . moved , shifted , shuttled , etc .) by contact with charging and / or testing equipment when such equipment is connected to the second end 84 of the second fitting 80 for charging and / or testing the refrigeration system . according to alternative embodiments , manually actuatable valve 38 may be omitted and the pressure boundary maintained by shutoff valve 70 and manually actuatable valve 86 . alternatively , manually actuatable valve 86 may be omitted and the pressure boundary maintained by shutoff valve 70 and manually actuatable valve 38 . according to any exemplary embodiment , the positive shutoff device for a connection point of a refrigeration system includes a shutoff valve disposed between a first fitting that engages and opens a passageway to the piping network , and a second fitting that engages with ( and opens in response to ) connection of charging and / or testing equipment . the first and second fittings and the shutoff valve may be preassembled as a single integrated unit configured to be coupled directly to a connection point of a new or existing refrigeration system . according to an alternative embodiment , a second fitting may be omitted from the positive shutoff device , in the event that such a fitting is included as a part of the charging and / or testing equipment . the positive shutoff device for a connection point of a refrigeration system may be installed as new equipment on original installations of refrigeration systems , or may be provided as a retrofit or enhancement to connection points of existing refrigeration systems . the positive shutoff device for a connection point of a refrigeration system is intended to minimize or eliminate the typical leakage that tends to occur with conventional connection points on refrigeration systems , and is easily and conveniently installed , and provides positive shutoff and isolation of the pressure boundary of the piping network by effectively moving the pressure boundary of the piping network from the connection point to the manual shutoff valve . the presence of the manually actuatable valve in the second fitting also enhances the leak - tightness of the system by preventing refrigerant leakage from the system in the event that the shutoff valve is inadvertently or unintentionally opened without charging or testing equipment coupled thereto . it is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements and embodiments of the positive shutoff device for a connection point of a refrigeration system provided herein are illustrative only . although only a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail in this disclosure , those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in these embodiments ( such as variations in features such as components , valves , and fittings ; variations in valve , fitting and thread sizes , structures , shapes , dimensions and proportions of the components of the system , use of materials , etc .) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the invention . according to other alternative embodiments , the positive shutoff device for a connection point of a refrigeration system may be used with any device using a refrigerant or other coolant for transferring heat from one space to be cooled to another space or source designed to receive the rejected heat and may include commercial , institutional or residential refrigeration systems . further , it is readily apparent that variations of the positive shutoff device for a connection point of a refrigeration system and its components and elements may be provided in a wide variety of types , shapes , sizes and performance characteristics , or provided in locations external or partially external to the refrigeration system . for example , components of a cooling system may be provided as rack - mounted system , or as a custom - installed hard - piped system , or may be provided as a modular unit or package . accordingly , all such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the invention . the order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re - sequenced according to alternative embodiments . in the claims , any means - plus - function clause is intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures . other substitutions , modifications , changes and omissions may be made in the design , operating configuration and arrangement of the preferred and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the inventions as expressed in the appended claims .
5
what is probed into the invention is a method for forming basic nickel carbonate . detail descriptions of the compositions , structures , elements and steps will be provided in the following in order to make the invention thoroughly understood . obviously , the application of the invention is not confined to specific details familiar to those who are skilled in the art . on the other hand , the common compositions , structures , elements and steps that are known to everyone are not described in details to avoid unnecessary limits of the invention . some preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in greater detail in the following . however , it should be recognized that the present invention can be practiced in a wide range of other embodiments besides those explicitly described , that is , this invention can also be applied extensively to other embodiments , and the scope of the present invention is expressly not limited except as specified in the accompanying claims . the one embodiment according to this specification discloses a system for forming basic nickel carbonate 100 to perform a method for forming basic nickel carbonate 200 , as shown in fig1 and 2 . first , a premixing module 110 is provided to perform a premixing procedure 210 . the premixing module 110 can further comprise a first premixing reactant 302 and a second premixing reactant 304 , and the first premixing reactant 302 and the second premixing reactant 304 are mixed in the premixing module 110 . the volume percentage of the above the first premixing reactant 302 and the second premixing reactant 304 is about 1 : 0 . 5 to 1 : 3 . preferably , the volume percentage of the above the first premixing reactant 302 and the second premixing reactant 304 is about 1 : 1 . the first premixing reactant 302 further comprises a compound of carbonate , such as sodium carbonate ( na 2 co 3 ). and the second premixing reactant 304 further comprises a compound of the nickel element , such as nickel nitrate ( ni ( no 3 ) 2 ). the reactant concentration of the above the first premixing reactant 302 is about 0 . 5 to 2 m ( mole / l ). preferably , the reactant concentration of the above the first premixing reactant 302 is about 1 . 5 m ( mole / l ). and the reactant concentration of the above the second premixing reactant 304 is about 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 m ( mole / l ). preferably , the reactant concentration of the above the second premixing reactant 304 is about 1 ( mole / l ). thereby , a seed solution of basic nickel carbonate 315 is formed by the premixing procedure 210 . according to the one embodiment , the system for forming basic nickel carbonate 100 provides a reaction module 120 , as shown in fig1 and 2 . the reaction module 120 can further comprise a reactant 320 . the reactant 320 further comprises a compound of bicarbonate , such as sodium bicarbonate ( nahco 3 ). the reactant concentration of the above reactant 320 is about 0 . 5 to 2 m ( mole / l ). according to the one embodiment , the system for forming basic nickel carbonate 100 provides a first feeding module 112 and a second feeding module 114 , as shown in fig1 and 2 . the first feeding module 112 and the second feeding module 114 can further respectively comprise a first feeding reactant 312 and a second feeding reactant 314 . the first feeding reactant 312 further comprises a compound of carbonate , such as sodium carbonate ( na 2 co 3 ). and the second feeding reactant 314 further comprises a compound of the nickel element , such as nickel nitrate ( ni ( no 3 ) 2 ). the volume percentage of the above the first feeding reactant 312 and the second feeding reactant 314 is about 1 : 0 . 5 to 1 : 3 . preferably , the volume percentage of the above the first feeding reactant 312 and the second feeding reactant 314 is about 1 : 1 . the reactant concentration of the above the first feeding reactant 312 is about 0 . 5 to 2 m ( mole / l ). preferably , the reactant concentration of the above the first feeding reactant 312 is about 1 . 5 m ( mole / l ). and the reactant concentration of the above the second feeding reactant 314 is about 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 m ( mole / l ). preferably , the reactant concentration of the above the second feeding reactant 314 is about 1 m ( mole / l ). furthermore , the volume percentage of the above the first premixing reactant 302 , the second premixing reactant 304 , the first feeding reactant 312 , the second feeding reactant 314 and the reactant 320 is about 5 :( 5 ˜ 15 ):( 90 ˜ 100 ):( 90 ˜ 100 ):( 90 ˜ 100 ). preferably , the volume percentage of the above the first premixing reactant 302 , the second premixing reactant 304 , the first feeding reactant 312 , the second feeding reactant 314 . and the reactant 320 is about 5 : 5 : 95 : 95 : 100 . according to the one embodiment , the method for forming basic nickel carbonate 200 performs a feeding procedure 220 . first , the seed solution of basic nickel carbonate 315 of the premixing module 110 is fed into the reaction module 120 . then , the first feeding module 112 and the second feeding module 114 are simultaneously fed into the reaction module 120 to perform reaction . the feed rate of the above the first feeding module 112 and the second feeding module 114 are 0 . 4 ˜ 1 . 2 ml / min and 0 . 4 ˜ 1 . 2 ml / min . preferably , the feed rate of the above the first feeding module 112 and the second feeding module 114 are 0 . 8 ml / min and 0 . 8 ml / min . and the above the first feeding module 112 and the second feeding module 114 further comprise the combined flow of the feeding . according to the one embodiment , the method for forming basic nickel carbonate 200 performs a reaction procedure 230 . the reaction procedure 230 is stirred for 1 to 3 hours at 70 ˜ 90 ° c . and 7 - 9 ph value . to perform the reaction procedure 230 , the reactant 320 , the seed solution of basic nickel carbonate 315 , the first feeding reactant 312 and the second feeding reactant 314 are reacted to form basic nickel carbonate 316 in the reaction module 120 . the reaction equation of the reaction procedure 230 is as follows : 2ni ( no 3 ) 2 + 2na 2 co 3 + h 2 o → x nico 3 . y ni ( oh ) 2 . z h 2 o + 4nano 3 + co 2 ( 1 ) subsequently , when the reaction procedure 230 is completed after the reaction , the method for forming basic nickel carbonate 200 performs a washing procedure 240 to clean the basic nickel carbonate 316 by a washing module 140 . when the washing procedure 240 is completed after the clean , the method for forming basic nickel carbonate 200 performs a filtering procedure 250 to filter the basic nickel carbonate 316 by a filtering module 150 . after that , when the filtering procedure 250 is completed after the filtration , the method for forming basic nickel carbonate 200 performs a drying procedure 260 at 40 ˜ 60 ° c . to dry the basic nickel carbonate 316 and form a basic nickel carbonate particulates 317 by a drying module 160 . the particle diameter of the basic nickel carbonate particulates 317 are 20 to 120 μm . preferably , the particle diameter of the basic nickel carbonate particulates 317 are 60 to 100 μm . fig3 shows the xrd patterns of the basic nickel carbonate particulates 317 ( x - ray diffractometer , referred xrd ), the basic nickel carbonate particulates 317 was confirmed as a synthesized composite from nico 3 and ni ( oh ) 2 by xrd patterns . fig4 shows the appearance of the present invention of the basic nickel carbonate particulates 317 by scanning electron microscope ( sem ) photograph . fig5 shows the overall appearance of the present invention of the basic nickel carbonate particulates 317 . in addition , table 1 shows the test data of the basic nickel carbonate particulates 317 , the content of the nickel are over 50 % ( mass %), and the content of the basic nickel carbonate particulates 317 are 51 to 53 percent . the content of the basic nickel carbonate particulates 317 compared with currently available products ( 44 to 46 %) are higher , with a competitive advantage . it is apparent that based on the above descriptions of the embodiments , the present invention can have numerous modifications and alterations , and they should be construed within the scope of the following claims . in addition to the above detailed descriptions , the present invention can be widely applied to other embodiments . the above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention , and should not be used to limit the present invention in any way . equivalent modifications or changes can be made by those with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the following appended claims .
2
fig1 - 3 illustrate a megasonic energy cleaning apparatus made in accordance with the present invention with an elongated probe 104 inserted through the wall 100 of a processing tank 101 . as seen , the probe is supported in cantilever fashion on one end exterior of the container . a suitable 0 - ring 102 , sandwiched between the probe 104 and the tank wall , provides a proper seal for the processing tank 101 . a heat transfer member 134 , contained within a housing 120 , is acoustically and mechanically coupled to the probe 104 . also contained within the housing 120 is a piezoelectric transducer 140 acoustically coupled to the heat transfer member 134 . electrical connectors 142 , 154 , and 126 are connected between the transducer 140 and a source of acoustic energy ( not shown ). the housing supports an inlet conduit 124 and an outlet conduit 122 for coolant and has an opening 152 for electrical connectors . the housing is closed by an annular plate 118 with an opening 132 for the probe . the plate in turn is attached to the tank . within the processing tank 101 , a support or susceptor 108 is positioned parallel to and in close proximity to the probe 104 . the susceptor 108 may take various forms , the arrangement illustrated including an outer rim 108 a supported by a plurality of spokes 108 b connected to a hub 108 c supported on a shaft 110 , which extends through a bottom wall of the processing tank 101 . outside the tank 101 , the shaft 110 is connected to a motor 112 . the elongated probe 104 is preferably made of a relatively inert , non - contaminating material , such as quartz , which efficiently transmits acoustic energy . while utilizing a quartz probe is satisfactory for most cleaning solutions , solutions containing hydrofluoric acid can etch quartz . thus , a probe made of sapphire silicon carbide , boron nitride , vitreous carbon , glassy carbon coated graphite , or other suitable materials may be employed instead of quartz . also , quartz may be coated by a material that can withstand hf such as silicon carbide or vitreous carbon . the probe 104 comprises a solid , elongated , constant cross - section spindle - like or rod - like cleaning portion 104 a , and a base or rear portion 104 b . the cross - section of the probe is preferably round and advantageously , the diameter of the cleaning portion 104 a of the probe 104 is smaller in diameter than the rear portion 104 b of the probe 104 . the tip of cleaning portion 104 a terminates in a tip face / surface 104 c . in a prototype arrangement the area of the rear face of the rear portion 104 b is 25 times that of the tip face 104 c of portion 104 a . of course , cross - sectional shapes other than circular may be employed . a cylindrically - shaped rod portion 104 a having a small diameter is desirable to concentrate the megasonic energy along the length of the rod 104 a . the diameter of the probe , however , should be sufficient to withstand mechanical vibration produced by the megasonic energy transmitted by the probe . preferably , the radius of the rod portion 104 b should be equal to or smaller than the wavelength of the frequency of the energy applied to it . this structure produces a desired standing surface wave action which directs energy radially into liquid contacting the rod . in a prototype , the radius of the cylindrical portion of the probe contained within the tank was approximately 0 . 2 of an inch and operated at a wave length of about 0 . 28 of an inch . this produced 3 to 4 wave lengths per inch along the rod length and has provided good results . the probe cleaning portion 104 a should be long enough so that the entire surface area of the wafer is exposed to the probe during wafer cleaning . in a preferred embodiment , because the wafer is rotated beneath the probe , the length of the cleaning portion 104 b should be long enough to reach at least the center of the wafer . therefore , as the wafer is rotated beneath the probe , the entire surface area of the wafer is close to the probe . actually , the probe could probably function satisfactorily even if it does not reach the center of the wafer since megasonic vibration from the probe tip would provide some agitation towards the wafer center . the length of the probe is also determined by a predetermined number of wavelengths usually in increments of half wavelengths of the energy applied to the probe . in one embodiment , the length of the probe cleaning portion 104 a equals nineteen wavelengths of the applied energy . due to variations in transducers , it is necessary to tune the transducer to obtain the desired wavelength , so that it works at its most efficient point . the rear probe portion 104 b , which is positioned exterior the tank , flares to a diameter larger than the diameter of the cleaning portion 104 a . in a first embodiment of the present invention , shown in fig1 - 3 , the diameter of the cross - section of the rear portion of the probe gradually increases to a cylindrical section 104 d . the large surface area at the end of the rear portion 104 d is advantageous for transmitting a large amount of megasonic energy which is then concentrated in the smaller diameter section 104 a . as illustrated in fig4 , in an alternative embodiment of the present invention , the diameter of the cross - section of the rear portion of the probe increases in stepped increments , rather than gradually . the stepped increments occur at wavelength multiples to efficiently transmit the megasonic energy . for example , in one embodiment , the thinnest portion 158 of the probe has a length of approximately nineteen wavelengths , the next larger diameter portion 160 is about three wavelengths in axial length and the largest diameter portion 162 is about four wavelengths in axial length . the goal is to simulate the results obtained with the tapered arrangement of fig1 . fig5 a - 5 c depict further embodiments for the tip of the probe . the different probe tips may help cover a portion of the wafer surface that otherwise would not be covered by a flat probe end 157 . the probe may have a conical tip 164 , an inverted conical tip 166 , or a rounded tip 168 . the probe base 104 d is acoustically coupled to a heat transfer member 134 and is physically supported by that member . the . probe end face is preferably bonded or glued to the support by a suitable adhesive material . in addition to the bonding material , a thin metal screen 141 , shown in fig3 , is sandwiched between the probe end and the member 134 . the screen with its small holes filled with adhesive provides a more permanent vibration connection than that obtained with the adhesive by itself . the screen utilized in a prototype arrangement was of the expanded metal type , only about 0 . 002 inch thick with flattened strands defining pockets between strands capturing the adhesive . the adhesive employed was purchased from e . v . roberts in los angeles and formed by a resin identified as number 5000 , and a hardener identified as number 61 . the screen material is sold by a u . s . company , delkar . the probe can possibly be clamped or otherwise coupled to the . heat transfer member so long as the probe is adequately physically supported and megasonic energy is efficiently transmitted to the probe . as another alternative , the screen 141 may be made of a berylium copper , only about 0 . 001 inch thick , made by various companies using chemical milling - processes . one available screen holes for confining the resin that are larger than that of the delkar . the heat transfer member 134 is made of aluminum , or some other good conductor of heat and megasonic energy . in the arrangement illustrated , the heat transfer member is cylindrical and has an annular groove 136 , which serves as a coolant duct large enough to provide an adequate amount of coolant to suitably cool the apparatus . smaller annular grooves 138 , 139 on both sides of the coolant groove 136 are fitted with suitable seals , such as o - rings 135 , 137 to isolate the coolant and prevent it from interfering with the electrical connections to the transducer 140 . the transducer 140 is bonded , glued , or otherwise acoustically coupled to the rear flat surface of the heat transfer member 134 . a suitable bonding material is that identified as ecf 550 , available from ablestick of gardena , calif . the transducer 140 is preferably disc shaped and has a diameter larger than the diameter of the rear end of the probe section 104 d to maximize transfer of acoustic energy from the transducer to the probe . the heat transfer member is preferably gold - plated to prevent oxidizing of the aluminum and , hence , provide better bonding to the transducer and the probe . the member 134 should have an axial thickness that is approximately equal to an even number of wave lengths or half wave lengths of the energy to be applied to the probe . the transducer 140 and the heat transfer member 134 are both contained within the housing 120 that is preferably cylindrical in shape . the heat transfer member is captured within an annular recess 133 in an inner wall of the - housing 120 . the housing is preferably made of aluminum to facilitate heat transfer to th coolant . the housing has openings 144 and 146 for the outlet 122 and the inlet conduit 124 for the liquid coolant . on its closed end , the housing 134 has an opening 152 for the electrical connections 126 and 154 . openings 148 , 150 allow a gaseous purge to enter and exit the housing 120 . an open end of the housing 120 is attached to the annular plate 118 having the central opening 132 through which extends the probe rear section 104 d . the annular plate has an outer diameter extending ) beyond the housing 120 and has a plurality of holes organized in two rings through an inner ring of holes 131 , a plurality of connectors 128 , such as screws , extend to attach the plate 118 to the housing 120 . the annular plate 118 is mounted to the tank wall 100 by a plurality of threaded fasteners 117 that extend through the outer ring of plate holes 130 and thread into the tank wall 100 . the fasteners also extend through sleeves or spacers 116 that space the plate 118 from the tank wall . the spacers position the transducer and flared rear portion 104 b of the probe outside the tank so that only the cleaning portion of the probe and the probe tip extend into the tank . also , the spacers isolate the plate 118 and the housing from the tank somewhat , so that vibration from the heat transfer member , the housing and the plate to the wall is minimized . the processing tank 101 is made of material that does not contaminate the wafer . the tank should have an inlet ( not shown ) for introducing fluid into the tank and an outlet ( not shown ) to carry away particles removed from the article . as the size of semiconductor wafers increases , rather than cleaning a cassette of wafers at once , it is more practical and less expensive to use a cleaning apparatus and method that cleans a single wafer at a time . advantageously the size of the probe of the present invention may vary in length depending on the size of the wafer to be cleaned . a semiconductor wafer 106 or other article to be cleaned is placed on the support 108 within the tank 101 . the wafer is positioned sufficiently close to the probe so that the agitation of the fluid between the probe and the wafer loosens particles on the surface of the wafer . preferably , the distance between the probe and surface of the wafer is no greater than about 0 . 1 of an inch . the motor 112 rotates the support 108 beneath the probe 104 so that the entire upper surface of the article is sufficiently close to the vibrating probe 104 to remove particles from the surface of the article . to obtain the necessary relative movement between the probe and the wafer 106 , an arrangement could be provided wherein the wafer is moved transversely beneath the probe . also , an arrangement could be provided wherein the support 108 remains in place while a probe moves above the surface of the wafer 106 . when the piezoelectric transducer 140 is electrically excited , it vibrates at a high frequency . preferably the transducer is energized at megasonic frequencies with the desired wattage consistent with the probe size length and work to be performed . the vibration is transmitted through the heat transfer member . 134 and to the elongated probe 104 . the probe 104 then transmits the high frequency energy into cleaning fluid between the probe and the wafer . one of the significant advantages of the arrangement is that the large rear portion of the probe can accommodate a large transducer , and the smaller forward probe portion concentrates the megasonic vibration into a small area so as to maximize particle loosening capability . sufficient fluid substance between the probe and the wafer will effectively transmit the energy across the small gap between the probe and the wafer to produce the desired cleaning . as the surface area of the wafer 106 comes within close proximity to the probe 104 , the agitation of the fluid between the probe 104 and the wafer 106 loosens particles on the semiconductor wafer 106 . contaminants are thus vibrated away from the surfaces of the wafer 106 . the loosened particles may be carried away by a continued flow of fluid . applying significant wattage to the transducer 140 generates considerable heat , which could present damage to tie transducer 140 . therefore , coolant is pumped through the housing 120 to cool the member 134 and , hence , the transducer . a first coolant , preferably a liquid such as water , is introduced into one side of the housing 120 , circulates around the heat transfer member 134 and exits the opposite end of the housing 120 . because the heat transfer member 134 is made of a good thermal conductor , significant quantities of heat may be easily conducted away by tile liquid coolant . the rate of cooling can , of course , be readily monitored by changing the flow rate and / or temperature of the coolant . a second , optional coolant circulates over the transducer by entering and exiting the housing 120 through openings 148 , 150 on the closed end of the housing . due to the presence of the transducer 140 and the electrical wiring 142 , 154 , an inert gas such as nitrogen is used as a coolant or as a purging gas in this portion of the housing . an alternative arrangement for coupling the probe end 104 b to the member 134 is illustrated in fig1 . instead of having the probe bonded to the member 134 , a so - called vacuum grease is applied to the screen 141 , and the probe is pressed against the member 134 by a coil spring 143 . vacuum grease is a viscous grease which can withstand pressures on opposite sides of a joint without leaking or being readily displaced . in a prototype arrangement , the combination of the grease and the metal spring provided a reliable acoustic coupling . as may be seen in fig1 , the housing 120 instead of being mounted directly to the plate 118 , is mounted to the plate 118 by standoffs , which comprise the sleeves 116 and the fasteners 117 . the sleeves 116 and the fasteners 117 are shorter than that shown in fig2 , such that the plate 118 surrounds the tapered portion of the probe . this leaves a gap between the housing 120 and the plate 118 . the coil spring 143 is positioned in this gap and compressed between the plate 118 and the tapered portion of the probe . thus , the spring presses the probe toward the member 134 . this arrangement acoustically couples the probe to the heat transfer member 134 . a teflon sleeve 149 is preferably positioned over the first coil of the spring 143 adjacent the probe so that the metal spring does not damage the quartz probe . an arrangement is illustrated in fig6 , wherein the probe assembly of fig1 is shown in conjunction with a tank 200 which is open on its upper end and has a drain line 202 in its lower end . the probe 104 is shown extending through a slot 203 into the tank above a wafer 106 mounted on a suitable support 208 including an annular rim 208 a , a plurality of spokes 208 b , joined to a hub 208 c positioned on the upper end of a shaft 210 rotated by a motor 212 . in use , deionized water or other cleaning solution is sprayed onto the upper surface of the wafer from a nozzle 214 while the probe 104 is being acoustically energized . the liquid creates a meniscus 115 between the lower portion of the probe and the adjacent upper surface of the rotating wafer . this is schematically illustrated in fig7 . the liquid provides a medium through which the megasonic energy is transmitted to the surface of the wafer to loosen particles . these loosened particles are flushed away by the continuously flowing spray and the rotating wafer . when the liquid flow is interrupted , a certain amount of drying action is obtained through centrifical force of the liquid off of the water . the probe assembly may be conveniently mounted on a suitable support , schematically illustrated at 216 . the support is capable of pivoting the assembly upwardly , as indicated by the arrow in fig6 , to facilitate the installation and removal of wafers . alternatively , the slot 203 may instead be formed as a hole , closed at the top , and the probe may be moved radially in and out . fig8 illustrates an alternative or addition to the arrangement of fig6 wherein both the lower and upper sides of a wafer are cleaned . a spray nozzle 254 extends through a side wall of a tank 200 and is angled upwardly slightly so that cleaning fluid may be sprayed between the spokes 208 b and onto the lower surface of a wafer 106 and is directed radially inwardly so that as the wafer rotates , the entire lower surface is sprayed with the fluid . the wafer is subjected to megasonic energy by the probe 104 in the same manner as described above in connection with fig6 . this agitation vibrates the wafer as well as the fluid on the lower surface of the wafer which is radially aligned with the probe as the wafer rotates . this . agitation loosens particles on the lower surface of the wafer , and the particles are flushed away with the fluid which falls or drips from the lower surface of the wafer . various fluids may be employed as the spray applied to the wafer in fig6 and 8 . in addition to liquid or high pressure gas , so - called dry ice snow may be applied . va - tran systems , inc . of chula vista , calif . markets a product under the trademark sno gun for producing and applying such material . a major advantage of that approach is that there is no disposal problem after cleaning . contamination is carried away from the clean surface in a stream of inert , harmless vapor . disposal costs of cleaning media are eliminated . advertising literature regarding the sno gun product states that cleaning with dry ice snow removes particles more thoroughly than blowing with dry nitrogen . it is said that the device removes even sub - micron particles as tiny as 0 . 2 microns , which are difficult or impossible to remove with a nitrogen jet . such technology is further described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 364 , 474 , which is incorporated herein by reference . referring to fig9 , the probe assembly of fig1 is shown mounted to a wall of a tank 300 . the probe 104 extends generally horizontally through central openings in a plurality of vertically orientated substrates such as “ compact discs ” 302 . the discs may be mounted in a cassette immersed in the tank with the holes in the discs aligned with the probe . the cassette carrying the discs can then be moved laterally so that the probe extends through the holes in the discs , without actually contacting the discs . the tank is filled with liquid , such as deionized water to completely cover the discs . the probe is then vibrated by megasonic energy in the manner described above in connection with fig1 . the agitation produced by the probe is transmitted into the cleaning liquid between the discs to loosen particles on the surfaces of the discs . the energy propagates radially outward from the probe such that both sides of each disc are exposed to such energy . cleaning liquid may be introduced into the container in continuous flow and allowed to overflow the upper end of the container to carry away loosened particles . because some megasonic energy will be transmitted through the end of the probe with the probe tip immersed in the liquid , a small cap 306 is positioned on the tip of the probe with the cap containing an air space 308 between two glass walls 306 a and 306 b , as shown in fig9 a . since megasonic energy does not travel through ambient air to any significant degree , the cap prevents the loss of energy through the end of the probe . an alternative cap 310 shown in fig9 b employs a short section of glass tubing 212 attached to the end of the probe . as seen , the outer diameter of the tube is equal to the outer diameter of the probe , and the outer end of the tube spaced from the probe is closed by a disc 314 . fig1 illustrates another embodiment of the probe of the invention . a probe assembly 400 is shown which is similar to the assembly of fig1 except that the probe 404 is much shorter than the probe 104 in fig1 . in addition , the assembly 400 is oriented with the probe extending generally vertically , generally perpendicular to the surface of the horizontal wafer 106 . cleaning fluid is applied to the upper surface of the wafer , and the lower tip of the probe is in contact with this fluid . consequently , megasonic energy is transmitted through this medium onto the surface of the wafer causing loosening of particles . since the sides of the probe are not exposed to this medium , there is no appreciable megasonic energy transmitted from the vertical sides of the probe . instead , such megasonic energy is concentrated into the tip . the tip can be moved radially with respect to the wafer as the wafer rotates so as to apply megasonic energy to the entire surface of the wafer . alternatively , the probe may traverse the entire upper surface . any suitable support 410 containing a mechanism to provide the desired movement may be employed . as mentioned above , the preferred form of the probe assembly includes a probe made of inert material such as quartz and a heat transfer member coupled to the rear of the probe made of a good heat conducting material such as aluminum . since it is the cylindrical portion of the probe which is in contact with the cleaning fluid and is positioned adjacent the wafer , an alternative arrangement could be devised wherein a forward portion , such as section 104 a in fig1 could be made of the inert material and the rear portion 104 b could be made of aluminum and hence could be made as one piece with the heat transfer member 134 . this of course means that the joint between the two components would be at the rear of the cylindrical portion 104 a . while such a bonding area would not be as strong as the arrangement illustrated in fig1 , it may be useful in certain situations . in the other direction , there may be some applications in which it is not necessary to employ quartz or other such inert material for the probe . instead , the entire probe could be made of aluminum or other such material . in that situation , the heat transfer member could then be made as a one - piece unit with the probe . also , with a metal probe it may be practical to spray the cleaning fluid through the probe itself . for example in the arrangement of fig1 , fluid inlet could be located in the side of the large diameter end of the probe and an outlet can be located in the end face of the small diameter probe end . the fluid would also serve as a coolant to cool the transducer , particularly if dry ice snow were employed . the embodiment of fig1 has a number of similarities to the other embodiments , but has some important distinctions . that arrangement includes a cup - shaped housing 520 similar to the housing 120 in fig2 , but inverted with respect to the housing 120 . the housing 520 includes a closed end wall 520 a having a surface 520 b facing the interior of the housing 520 and having an exterior surface 520 c facing away from the housing . coupled to the interior end wall surface 520 b is a disc - shaped transducer 540 analogous to the transducer 140 referred to above in connection with fig2 and 3 . the transducer 540 is preferably bonded to the wall surface 520 b in the same manner mentioned above in connection with fig2 and 3 . the probe 504 comprises a solid elongated , constant cross - section spindle - like or rod - like cleaning portion 504 a . the large end 504 b of a probe 504 is acoustically coupled to the housing end wall exterior surface 520 c . the acoustic coupling is accomplished by the use of a coil spring 543 surrounding the probe 504 and reacting against the spring retainer plate 518 to press the large end 504 b of the probe towards the housing end wall 520 a . as discussed in connection with fig3 , a screen 141 , together with an appropriate viscous material , is sandwiched between the large end of the probe and the end wall 520 a . the coil spring adjacent the large end of the probe has a sleeve or sleeve portions 544 made of a material which will not damage the probe . the o - ring 521 is held in place and compressed against the end wall 520 a and the probe by a retainer ring 519 having a surface 519 a which presses against the o - ring 521 . the o - ring 521 thus prevents the escape of the viscous material from between the probe and the housing end wall , and centers the probe . the retainer ring is attached to the housing by a plurality of bolts 525 which extend through the retainer ring and thread into the housing . the spring 543 is captured and compressed by a reaction plate 518 which surrounds the probe and is attached to the housing by a plurality of fasteners 528 which thread into the retainer ring 519 and are spaced from it by sleeves 516 surrounding the fasteners 528 . for convenience of illustration , the fasteners 525 and 528 are all shown in the same plane in fig1 . in actual practice , the fasteners 528 would preferably be on the same bolt hole diameter as the fasteners 525 , and they of course would be spaced with respect to the fasteners 525 . also , the fasteners would not necessarily be spaced 180 e apart as illustrated , but would be spaced in whatever mainer is practical . positioned within the cup - shaped housing 520 is an annular heat transfer member 534 which has an external diameter sized to fit snugly within the housing 520 . an annular groove 536 in the exterior of the heat transfer member 534 , creates a liquid cooling channel in combination with the inner surface of the housing 520 . a pair of o - rings 537 that fit within annular grooves in the heat transfer member seal the coolant channel 536 so that the remainder of the interior of the housing is sealed from the liquid . this prevents interference with the electrical energy being supplied to the transducer . further , transducer vibration energy is not dissipated into the interior of the housing , but instead is transmitted into the housing end wall 520 a and into the probe 504 . the heat transfer member 534 is axially captured within the housing by means of an annular shoulder 520 d and by a housing end plate 560 . a plurality of fasteners 528 connect the plate 560 to the housing . a liquid coolant inlet 562 a is mounted in an opening in the end plate 560 and threads into a passage 519 in the heat transfer member that extends axially and then radially into the annular channel 536 . a similar outlet fitting 562 b mounts in the end plate 560 diametrically opposed from the 562 a fitting , and threads into another passage 519 that extends axially and radially into the channel 536 . a plurality of axially extending bores 563 are also formed in the heat transfer member 534 , aligned with gas inlets 561 a , b formed in the plate 560 . the inlets 561 a , b and bores 563 are shown in the same plane with the passages 519 for convenience . in actual practice , the bores 563 would preferably not be in the same plane as the passages 519 , and instead would be circumferentially offset , and could also be formed in the same circle around the center of the heat transfer member 534 . the inlets 561 a , b through the end plate 560 for the fittings 562 a and 562 b would likewise be moved to be aligned with the passages 563 . the electrical connection for the transducer 540 is illustrated by the wire 554 , although the more complete connection would be as shown in fig3 . that wire extends through a fitting 528 which in turn is connected to an electrical cord 526 . in operation , there are a number of advantages to the embodiment illustrated in fig1 . by coupling the transducer and the probe to the housing end wall , more energy may be transmitted to the probe than . with the corresponding amount of power applied to the transducer in the arrangement of fig2 , inasmuch as the housing end wall has less mass than the mass of the heat transfer member 140 shown in . fig3 . while some energy is lost into the other portions of the housing , there is a net increase in efficiency . the relatively thin end wall has fewer internal energy reflections than a thicker wall simply because of the reduced mass . however , in addition the housing end wall does not have the discontinuities caused by the grooves in the heat transfer member of fig2 , or by the o - ring in the grooves . by making the housing 520 of aluminum or other material which is a relatively good thermal energy conductor , the heat generated by the transducer can be readily dissipated with the arrangement of fig1 . the heat transfer member 534 can be made of the desired axial length without concern for its mass because it is not to be vibrated as in the arrangement of fig2 . the cooling liquid enters through the fitting 562 a , flows axially and then radially into the channel 536 , where it splits into two branch flows in opposite directions , that meet on the other side of the heat transfer member . and flow out the fitting . 562 b . similarly , cooling gas such as nitrogen can be connected to one or more of the bores 563 in the heat transfer member and into the central area of the housing . the gas is exhausted through one of the bores 563 leading to a second outlet 561 b . two passages 563 are illustrated in fig1 . three are preferable , but more or less may be utilized if desired . to perform an additional function , bolts may be threaded into the bores 563 to assist in withdrawing the heat transfer member from the housing . the assembly illustrated in fig1 may be used in connection with a wall mounted arrangement such as that shown in . fig1 , or may be used with a system such as that as illustrated in fig8 , wherein the probe assembly is moved into or out of position with respect to a wafer to facilitate insertion and removal of wafers . as mentioned above , such a probe may be moved out of the way by mounting it on a bracket that will pivot it in the direction of the arrow 218 shown in fig8 , or it may be on a track arrangement ( not shown ) which will move it radially inwardly and outwardly with respect to the wafer and its supporting member . the assembly of fig1 may be mounted to these other structures in any suitable fashion , such as by making connections to the end plate 560 . the arrangement of fig1 includes a generally tubular or cylindrical housing 620 . positioned within the housing is a heat transfer member 634 having an outer annular wall 634 a which fits snugly within a surrounding annular wall of the housing 620 . the heat transfer member 634 has an annular channel 636 formed in its outer surface that faces the surrounding housing wall to form a coolant passage . a coolant inlet 644 in the housing wall leads into the passage and an outlet 646 on the opposite side of the housing leads out of the passage . as seen in fig1 , the heat transfer member 634 has somewhat of an h - shaped cross section created by a central disc - shaped wall 634 b integrally tonned with the surrounding annular wall 634 a . as seen , the central wall 634 b is relatively thin and it is radially aligned with the surrounding coolant passage 636 . the heat transfer member is axially captured within the housing by an internal shoulder on one end of the housing and by an end plate 660 on the other end . a piezoelectric transducer 640 is acoustically coupled to one side of the central wall 634 b , such as in the same manner discussed above in connection with the other embodiments . a probe 604 is acoustically coupled to the other side of the central wall 634 b . again , this may be done in various ways , such as the screen and grease technique discussed above . an o - ring 621 surrounds the base of the probe and is compressed against the probe and the central wall 634 b by a cylindrical portion of an end member 619 having a flange attached to the end of the housing 620 . the o - ring confines the coupling grease and helps center the probe 604 . the probe is pressed against the central wall 634 b by a spring 643 compressed between an annular spring retainer plate 618 and the probe 604 . the housing and heat transfer member illustrated in fig1 may be used with the probes illustrated in the above - mentioned embodiments , but it is illustrated in fig1 with an alternate probe construction . instead of having the probe made of one piece , it is formed in separate portions including a base 605 adjacent the central wall 634 b of the heat transfer member , and an elongated cleaning rod 606 . the base 605 has a cylindrical exterior with a reduced diameter portion 605 a on the end spaced from the central wall 634 b . one end of the spring 643 surrounds the base portion 605 a and engages the shoulder on the base 605 adjacent the portion 605 a . the rod 606 of the probe fits within a central socket formed in the base 605 . it is bonded to the base by a suitable adhesive which will not interfere with the transmission of the megasonic energy provided by the transducer 640 and propagated through the central wall 634 b and the base 605 of the probe . the base 605 call have a frusto - conical configuration just as the rear portion of the probe in fig1 , and the spring 643 could then engage the sloping side wall of such shape rather than having the step configuration shown in fig1 . also , in theory , the rod 606 could have a tapered end and the spring could engage it as suggested by fig1 . a primary purpose of having a probe made of two different portions is that one portion can be made of a different material from the other . for example , the base 605 can be utilized in any cleaning operation since it does not contact the cleaning solution ; however , the rod 606 must be compatible with the cleaning solution . thus , if the cleaning solution is compatible with quartz , a one - piece arrangement such as that illustrated in fig1 or fig1 could be conveniently utilized . if , however , the cleaning solution is not compatible with quartz , such as a solution containing hydrofluoric acid , a material for the rod is needed that is compatible , such as vitreous carbon , while the base can be quartz . it is currently difficult to obtain vitreous carbon in a shape such as that illustrated in fig1 . however , a straight cylindrical rod is more readily available . hence , it is practical to utilize it in the arrangement illustrated in fig1 . of course any other desirable combination of suitable materials for the rod and the base may be employed . as mentioned above , the arrangement of fig1 is particularly desirable from the standpoint that the transmission of megasonic energy is efficient through the thin wall portion of the heat exchange member , but yet the heat exchange process is very efficient . this is because the transducer , which is the heat generator , is in direct contact with the heat transfer member , which is in direct contact with the coolant passage 636 . it should be recognized that other heat transfer arrangements may be employed . for example , if the heat transfer member has sufficient surface area , it might be possible to have it air - cooled rather than liquid - cooled . it should also be recognized that various other modifications of that type may be made to the embodiments illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention , and all such changes are intended to fall within the scope of the invention , as defined by the appended claims .
8
in describing the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure , as illustrated in fig1 a - 6 , specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity . the present disclosure , however , is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected , and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish similar functions . embodiments of the claims may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed to be limited to the embodiments set forth herein . the examples set forth herein are non - limiting examples , and are merely examples among other possible examples . referring now to fig1 a - 3b , by way of example , and not limitation , therein is illustrated an example embodiment storm shelter 100 , wherein storm shelter 100 preferably comprises conical top 200 , base 500 , enclosed area 150 , one or more bolts 241 , one or more nuts 242 and one or more stakes preferably comprising duplex spike 244 , wherein each duplex spike 244 comprises stake diameter 246 . conical top 200 comprises bottom 201 , inside wall 205 , outside wall 210 , chamber 215 , upper terminus 220 , skirt 240 , door 290 , window 295 , second door 340 , hinge 300 , door frame 305 , conical diameter 315 ( best shown in fig2 a ), lightning rod 225 , wire 230 , flush surface 320 and grounding stake 235 . skirt 240 comprises skirt bolt holes 243 dimensioned to receive bolts 241 and skirt stake holes 245 , wherein skirt stake holes 245 comprises stake hole diameter 247 . inside wall 205 comprises interior surface 206 , and wherein outside wall 210 comprises exterior surface 211 . chamber 215 comprises first sub - chamber 260 , second sub - chamber 265 , third sub - chamber 270 and fourth sub - chamber 275 ( best shown in fig3 a ). first sub - chamber 260 comprises first sub - chamber fill cap 262 and first sub - chamber drain cap 263 , second sub - chamber 265 comprises second sub - chamber fill cap 267 and second sub - chamber drain cap 268 , third sub - chamber 270 comprises third sub - chamber fill cap 272 and third sub - chamber drain cap 273 , and fourth sub - chamber 275 comprises fourth sub - chamber fill cap 277 and fourth sub - chamber drain cap 278 . referring now more particularly to fig1 a and 1b , door 290 comprises window frame 310 , window hinge 312 , door edges 291 , door exterior 292 , door interior peripheral edge 293 and door exterior peripheral edge 294 . door frame 305 comprises door frame edges 306 , and window frame 310 comprises window frame edges 311 . window 295 comprises window edges 296 , window interior peripheral edge 297 and window exterior peripheral edge 298 . similarly , second door 340 comprises second door edges 341 , second door interior peripheral edge 342 and second door exterior peripheral edge 343 . turning now more particularly to fig1 a 2 b , 3 b , base 500 comprises a truncated cone having base bottom 501 , upper surface 510 , platform 515 , bottom surface 520 , angled wall 525 , at least one interior cell 535 , base bottom diameter 530 , and fringe 505 , wherein fringe 505 comprises at least one fringe bolt hole 506 and at least one fringe stake hole 507 , and wherein interior cell 535 preferably comprises first cell 540 , second cell 545 , third cell 550 and fourth cell 555 ( best shown in fig2 b ). first cell 540 comprises first section fill cap 541 and first section drain cap 542 , second cell 545 comprises second section fill cap 546 and second section drain cap 547 , third cell 550 comprises third section fill cap 551 and third section drain cap 552 , and fourth cell 555 comprises fourth section fill cap 556 and fourth section drain cap 557 . returning now to fig1 a , inside wall 205 is disposed within outside wall 210 , and chamber 215 is disposed between inside wall 205 and outside wall 210 . exterior surface 211 is disposed on outside wall 210 opposite from chamber 215 , and interior surface 206 is disposed on inside wall 205 opposite from chamber 215 . enclosed area 150 is disposed within inside wall 205 of conical top 200 . wire 230 is electrically insulated and is in electrical communication with lightning rod 225 and grounding stake 235 , wherein lightning rod 225 , wire 230 and grounding stake 235 transfer electricity from a lightning strike to ground g . it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that wire 230 may be disposed in any position that will allow electricity to be safely conducted from lightning rod 225 to grounding stake 235 , and ultimately to ground g . skirt 240 is disposed at bottom 201 of conical top 200 , wherein skirt 240 extends radially outward from outside wall 210 . in a preferred embodiment , twelve skirt bolt holes 243 are located around skirt 240 equidistant from each other and twelve skirt stake holes 245 are located around skirt 240 equidistant from each other , wherein fifteen degrees of arc separate each skirt bolt hole 243 from nearest skirt stake holes 245 . alternately , there may be any number of skirt bolt holes 243 and skirt stake holes 245 , wherein skirt bolt holes 243 and skirt stake holes 245 are disposed around skirt 240 . conical top 200 and base 500 preferably comprise a polymeric material , such as , for exemplary purposes only , polyethylene . it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that conical top 200 and base 500 may comprise any material of sufficient strength that is not porous to water . in a preferred embodiment , upper terminus 220 is approximately eight feet above bottom surface 520 of base 500 , duplex spikes 244 are approximately three feet in length , inside wall 205 is disposed approximately six inches from outside wall 210 , conical diameter 315 and base bottom diameter 530 are approximately eight feet long , platform 515 of base 500 is approximately three feet above bottom surface 520 of base 500 , skirt 240 extends approximately three inches radially outward from bottom 201 of conical top 200 , and fringe 505 extends approximately nine inches radially outward from base bottom 501 of base 500 . it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the dimensions referenced herein may be adjusted as required . turning now more particularly to fig1 a and 3a , in a preferred embodiment first sub - chamber 260 of conical top 200 comprises ninety degrees of arc . similarly , second sub - chamber 265 , third sub - chamber 270 and fourth sub - chamber 275 preferably also comprise ninety degrees of arc . first sub - chamber 260 is disposed between inside wall 205 and outside wall 210 . first sub - chamber fill cap 262 is in fluid communication with first sub - chamber 260 , wherein first sub - chamber fill cap 262 is disposed on exterior surface 211 proximate to upper terminus 220 . first sub - chamber drain cap 263 is in fluid communication with first sub - chamber 260 , wherein first sub - chamber drain cap 263 is disposed on outer surface 211 proximate to skirt 240 . second sub - chamber 265 is disposed between inside wall 205 and outside wall 210 . second sub - chamber fill cap 267 is in fluid communication with second sub - chamber 265 , wherein second sub - chamber fill cap 267 is disposed on outer surface 211 proximate to upper terminus 220 . second sub - chamber drain cap 268 is in fluid communication with second sub - chamber 265 , wherein second sub - chamber drain cap 268 is disposed on outer surface 211 proximate to skirt 240 . third sub - chamber 270 is disposed between inside wall 205 and outside wall 210 . third sub - chamber fill cap 272 is in fluid communication with third sub - chamber 270 , wherein third sub - chamber fill cap 272 is disposed on outer surface 211 proximate to upper terminus 220 . third sub - chamber drain cap 273 is in fluid communication with third sub - chamber 270 , wherein third sub - chamber drain cap 273 is disposed on outer surface 211 proximate to skirt 240 . fourth sub - chamber 275 is disposed between inside wall 205 and outside wall 210 . fourth sub - chamber fill cap 277 is in fluid communication with fourth sub - chamber 275 , wherein fourth sub - chamber fill cap 277 is disposed on outer surface 211 proximate to upper terminus 220 . fourth sub - chamber drain cap 278 is in fluid communication with fourth sub - chamber 275 , wherein fourth sub - chamber drain cap 278 is disposed on outer surface 211 proximate to skirt 240 . it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that first sub - chamber drain cap 263 , second sub - chamber drain cap 268 , third sub - chamber drain cap 273 and fourth sub - chamber drain cap 278 may alternatively be disposed on any accessible portion of interior surface 206 proximate to skirt 240 . similarly , first sub - chamber fill cap 262 , second sub - chamber fill cap 267 , third sub - chamber fill cap 272 and fourth sub - chamber fill cap 277 may alternatively be disposed anywhere on conical top 200 proximate to upper terminus 220 . it will further be recognized by those skilled in the art that conical top 200 may comprise any number of chambers 215 other than the four chambers 215 described herein , wherein chambers 215 comprise degrees of arc other than ninety degrees . turning to fig1 a and 1b , in a preferred embodiment door 290 is disposed in conical top 200 , wherein door 290 is hingedly secured to inside wall 205 via hinge 300 , and wherein door edges 291 peripherally surround door 290 . door exterior 292 is disposed on door 290 opposite from enclosed area 150 . when door 290 is closed , door exterior 292 and exterior surface 211 comprise smooth , flush surface 320 . in a preferred embodiment , door interior peripheral edge 293 is dimensioned larger than door exterior peripheral edge 294 , thereby preventing door 290 from opening outwardly from enclosed area 150 . window 295 is preferably hingedly secured to door 290 via window hinge 312 , wherein window 295 is disposed within door 290 , and wherein window edges 296 peripherally surround window 295 , and wherein window 295 is disposed within window frame edges 311 of window frame 310 . in a preferred embodiment , window interior peripheral edge 297 is dimensioned larger than window exterior peripheral edge 298 , thereby preventing window 295 from opening outwardly from enclosed area 150 . second door 340 is preferably hingedly secured to inside wall 205 , wherein second door edges 341 peripherally surround second door 340 . in a preferred embodiment , second door interior peripheral edge 342 is dimensioned larger than second door exterior peripheral edge 343 , thereby preventing second door 340 from opening away from enclosed area 150 . similar to door 290 , second door 340 could comprise a window . moreover , any number of doors and windows , whether openable or not , could be disposed on exterior surface 211 of conical top 200 . turning now to fig2 b , fringe 505 extends radially outward from base bottom 501 base 500 . angled wall 525 extends between bottom surface 520 and platform 515 . in a preferred embodiment , twelve fringe bolt holes 506 are located around fringe 505 equidistant from each other and twelve fringe stake holes 507 are located around fringe 505 equidistant from each other , wherein approximately fifteen degrees of arc separate each fringe bolt hole 506 from nearby fringe stake holes 507 . alternately , there may be any number of fringe bolt holes 506 and fringe stake holes 507 , wherein fringe bolt holes 506 and fringe stake holes 507 are arranged around fringe 505 . in a preferred embodiment , first cell 540 of base 500 comprises approximately ninety degrees of arc . similarly , second cell 545 , third cell 550 and fourth cell 555 also each comprise approximately ninety degrees of arc . it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that base 500 could comprise any number of interior cells 535 other than the four described , and interior cells 535 could comprise degrees of arc other than ninety degrees . first section fill cap 541 is in fluid communication with first cell 540 , wherein first section fill cap 541 is disposed on upper surface 510 . alternatively , first section fill cap 541 could be disposed on angled wall 525 . first section drain cap 542 is in fluid communication with first cell 540 , wherein first section drain cap 542 is disposed on angled wall 525 proximate to fringe 505 . second section fill cap 546 is in fluid communication with second cell 545 , wherein second section fill cap 546 is disposed on upper surface 510 . alternatively , second section fill cap 546 could be disposed on angled wall 525 . second section drain cap 547 is in fluid communication with second cell 545 , wherein second section drain cap 547 is disposed on angled wall 525 proximate to fringe 505 . third section fill cap 551 is in fluid communication with third cell 550 , wherein third section fill cap 551 is disposed on upper surface 510 . alternatively , third section fill cap 551 could be disposed on angled wall 525 . third section drain cap 552 is in fluid communication with third cell 550 , wherein third section drain cap 552 is disposed on angled wall 525 proximate to fringe 505 . fourth section fill cap 556 is in fluid communication with fourth cell 555 , wherein fourth section fill cap 556 is disposed on upper surface 510 . alternatively , fourth section fill cap 556 could be disposed on angled wall 525 . fourth section drain cap 557 is in fluid communication with fourth cell 555 , wherein fourth section drain cap 557 is disposed on angled wall 525 proximate to fringe 505 . in use , referring to fig1 a , 2 a and 2 b , base 500 is placed on ground g or another surface . occupant p fills first cell 540 via first section fill cap 541 , second cell 545 via second section fill cap 546 , third cell 550 via third section fill cap 551 and fourth cell 555 via fourth section fill cap 556 . first cell 540 , second cell 545 , third cell 550 and fourth cell 555 are preferably filled with liquid l such as , for exemplary purposes only , water , wherein liquid l may include chemicals , such as , for exemplary purposes only , calcium chloride or other chemicals as are known in the art to decrease the freezing temperature of water . conical top 200 is subsequently placed over base 500 , wherein inside wall 205 of conical top 200 is disposed proximate to angled wall 525 of base 500 . in a preferred embodiment , base bottom diameter 530 ( including wall thickness ) of base 500 is dimensioned slightly less than , but close to , conical diameter 315 of conical top 200 . alternately , base bottom diameter 530 of base 500 is dimensioned proximate to conical diameter 315 of conical top 200 . after conical top 200 is placed over base 500 , conical top 200 is adjusted so that skirt bolt holes 243 align with fringe bolt holes 506 and skirt stake holes 245 align with fringe stake holes 507 . conical top 200 is preferably selectively secured to base 500 via inserting bolts 241 through skirt bolt holes 243 and fringe bolt holes 506 , wherein nuts 242 are subsequently secured to bolts 241 . preferably , occupant p drills holes h into ground g , wherein stake diameter 246 is dimensioned slightly greater than the diameter of holes h . storm shelter 100 is preferably selectively secured to the ground via placing duplex spikes 244 through skirt stake holes 245 and fringe stake holes 507 , wherein duplex spikes 244 preferably are secured into holes h . occupant p fills first sub - chamber 260 via first sub - chamber fill cap 262 , second sub - chamber 265 via second sub - chamber fill cap 267 , third sub - chamber 270 via third sub - chamber fill cap 272 and fourth sub - chamber 275 via fourth sub - chamber fill cap 277 . first sub - chamber 260 , second sub - chamber 265 , third sub - chamber 270 and fourth sub - chamber 275 are preferably filled with liquid l , such as , for exemplary purposes , water . occupant p opens door 290 to enter enclosed area 150 of storm shelter 100 , wherein subsequent to entering enclosed area 150 , occupant p stands or sits on platform 515 of base 500 before closing door 290 ( best shown fig1 a ). occupant p secures door 290 and can view the conditions outside via window 295 or second door 340 from the safety of enclosed area 150 . door 290 , window 295 and second door 340 are securable , for exemplary purposes only , via a latch or other securing mechanisms as are known in the art . after bad weather has passed , occupant p opens door 290 to exit storm shelter 100 . to disassemble storm shelter 100 , occupant p opens first sub - chamber drain cap 263 , second sub - chamber drain cap 268 , third sub - chamber drain cap 273 and fourth sub - chamber drain cap 278 , thereby allowing liquid l to drain from first sub - chamber 260 , second sub - chamber 265 , third sub - chamber 270 and fourth sub - chamber 275 , respectively . occupant p removes duplex spikes 244 and bolts 241 from storm shelter 100 . occupant p removes conical top 200 from base 500 , and then opens first section drain cap 542 , second section drain cap 547 , third section drain cap 552 and fourth section drain cap 557 , thereby allowing liquid l to drain from first cell 540 , second cell 545 , third cell 550 and fourth cell 555 , respectively . in an alternate embodiment , storm shelter 100 is substantially equivalent in form and function to that of the preferred embodiment detailed above except as hereinafter specifically referenced . specifically , skirt 240 of conical top 200 does not comprise skirt bolt holes 243 , and fringe 505 of base 500 does not comprise fringe bolt holes 507 . in use , conical top 200 and base 500 are selectively secured together via duplex spikes 244 , wherein duplex spikes 244 also secure storm shelter 100 to ground g . in another alternate embodiment , storm shelter 100 is substantially equivalent in form and function to that of the preferred embodiment detailed above except as hereinafter specifically referenced . specifically , skirt 240 of conical top 200 does not comprise skirt stake holes 245 , and fringe 505 of base 500 does not comprise fringe stake holes 507 . in use , conical top 200 and base 500 are secured together via bolts 241 and nuts 242 , relying upon the weight of liquid l and storm shelter 100 to secure storm shelter 100 to ground g . in still another alternate embodiment , storm shelter 100 is substantially equivalent in form and function to that of the preferred embodiment detailed above except as hereinafter specifically referenced . specifically , storm shelter 100 does not comprise base 500 . in use , conical top 200 is selectively secured to the ground via duplex spikes 244 or without duplex spikes 244 ; in the latter case relying upon the weight of liquid l and storm shelter 100 to secure storm shelter 100 to ground g . turning now to fig4 - 6 , in yet another embodiment , storm shelter 100 comprises dome top 600 , footing 700 , and flange 800 . dome top 600 is dome - shaped and comprises dome skirt 640 , wherein dome skirt 640 comprises skirt holes 645 and skirt opening 648 . footing 700 comprises footing holes 708 , footing interior cell 735 , and footing notch 760 . dome top 600 and footing 700 preferably comprise a weighted filler substance , such as , for exemplary purposes only and without limitation , foam , wood , and / or metal . flange 800 comprises flange holes 810 . turning more particularly to fig6 , in use , dome top 600 is placed onto footing 700 , wherein skirt holes 645 are aligned with footing holes 708 , and wherein footing notch 760 is disposed within skirt opening 648 . flange 800 is placed on dome skirt 640 , wherein flange holes 810 are aligned with skirt holes 645 . bolts 241 and nuts 242 ( not shown but similar to bolts and nuts shown in fig1 a ) are affixed through flange holes 810 , skirt holes 645 , and footing holes 708 . alternatively , stakes 244 ( not shown but similar to stakes shown in fig1 a ) are affixed through flange holes 810 , skirt holes 645 , and footing holes 708 . it will be recognized that various components described above may be mixed and matched . for exemplary purposes only and without limitation , conical top 200 could be paired with footing 700 , dome top 600 could be paired with base 500 , and stakes 244 could be used in place of bolt 241 and nut 242 . further , flange 800 could be enlarged to comprise more flange holes 810 than shown in fig6 , or flange 600 could be reduced in size to comprise less flange holes 810 . footing interior cell 735 comprises a foam material that is preferably sufficiently strong to support a person , and sufficiently heavy to hold storm shelter 100 in place , but yet sufficiently light to allow footing 700 to be moved . it will be recognized that footing interior cell 735 may comprise any material that preferably exhibits one of the above - discussed qualities . the foregoing description and drawings comprise illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure . having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure , it should be noted by those skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only , and that various other alternatives , adaptations , and modifications may be made within the scope of the present disclosure . merely listing or numbering the steps of a method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of that method . many modifications and other embodiments of the disclosure will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings . although specific terms may be employed herein , they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation . accordingly , the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated herein , but is limited only by the following claims .
8
the bench style seating assembly of the present invention is referred to generally as 10 . a bench style seat can include a bench , a pew or any such type of elongated seat for two or more people . referring to fig1 - 5 , a beam 12 is supported in a substantially horizontal position by at least one base member 11 . preferably , the beam will rest on two base members situated near the far ends of the beam 12 . the bases may be secured to the floor or to the riser in a step . the beam 12 will preferable have a rectangular cross section of a known thickness t as illustrated in fig5 . a base member may have a u shaped bracket 30 . the opening of the u shaped bracket may be slightly wider than the thickness of the beam so that the beam may rest within the bracket . the u shaped bracket may be positioned so that the lower portion of the bracket is below the top of the base member 11 to give the bracket greater support . the interaction of the bracket with the rectangular cross sectioned beam helps prevent the beam from slipping out of position if it is subjected to a torque . the beam 12 may be secured within the u shaped brackets 30 with self - tapping screws 38 . alternatively , as shown in fig1 , a plate 40 may be placed over the bracket and secured to the bracket by screws 41 to secure the beam in the bracket . this way , an installer avoids putting holes in the beam . the base members 11 can be positioned under the seats , rather than placed between the seats , as done in the prior art . supporting the beam under the seats increases placement tolerances to two or three inches as opposed to the prior art tolerances of fractions of an inch when placed between the seats . this feature is further useful in allowing flexibility in case of minor changes in desired seat widths or bench lengths . the use of self tapping screws or of the plate and screw design rather than welds allows for easy repositioning of base members in the case of a design change . at least one seat back assembly can be fixedly secured to the beam 12 . the seat back assembly 13 may be secured by a u shaped bracket 14 . fig1 - 4 illustrate a seating assembly using a plurality of seat back assemblies 13 . extending substantially upwardly from the u shaped bracket 14 is a seat back assembly support 34 . in addition to the u - shaped bracket , which fixes and interacts with the beam , each seat back assembly may include a back support 15 and a back pad 16 . the back pad 16 may be removable . the removable back pad provides both a simple means of customization . further , replacing a back pad is much more cost effective maintenance rather than reupholstering a traditional pew . again , the opening of the u shaped bracket 14 may be slightly wider than the thickness of the beam 12 . in this case , the u shaped bracket 14 can be positioned upside down , and slid over the beam , surrounding the beam on three sides so that the seat back assembly is fixedly secured to the beam . further , the interaction of the bracket with the rectangular cross sectioned beam helps prevent the seat back assembly from slipping out of position if it is subjected to a torque . self tapping screws may be used to secure the bracket to the beam or the plate and screw design may be employed . in addition , each back support 15 of the seat back assemblies may have a groove 33 along each edge that is adjacent to another seat back assembly . back connector inserts 17 may be slid into these grooves 33 between the back supports 15 for aesthetic reasons , to define seating areas , and for support of the seat back assemblies . also , a top member 18 may be fitted across the entire width of the seat back assemblies 13 , again for aesthetic reasons to achieve a more traditional pew appearance , and to align the plurality of seat back assemblies 13 . top members of at least one standard length may be used . seat connection mechanisms 19 may also be fixed to the beam 12 . each seat connection mechanism can extend forward in a substantially horizontal position and includes a connector support 24 on one end and a u shaped seat connection mechanism bracket 32 on the other . here also , the opening of the u shaped bracket 32 can be slightly wider than the thickness of the beam 12 ( see fig5 and 19 ). as with the seat back bracket , the seat connection mechanism bracket may be positioned upside down , and slid over the beam , surrounding the beam on three sides . the seat connection mechanism bracket 32 can be fixedly secured with self - tapping screws to the beam or with a plate and screws . further , the interaction of the bracket with the rectangular cross sectioned beam ensures that the seat back assembly will not slip out of position if it is subjected to a torque . the seat connection mechanisms are used to connect the seat bottom assemblies 20 to the beam . the seat connection mechanisms 19 can be moved along the beam 12 to accommodate seat bottom assemblies 20 having different widths . the connector support 24 may have a spring loaded , hinged , or any other mechanism of varying design known in the art to accommodate a lifting seat . a single seat connection mechanism 19 may be configured to connect to two seat bottom assemblies . preferably , each seat bottom assembly 20 will connect to two seat connection mechanisms 19 . each seat bottom assembly may include a seat support 21 and seat cover 22 . the seat cover 22 may be removable for customization purposes as well as for ease in maintenance . replacing a seat cover is much more cost effective than reupholstering a traditional pew . the seat connector mechanisms 19 may be configured so that each seat bottom assembly 20 can be separately pivotable . the seat bottom assemblies 20 may be pivotably secured to the beam 12 by the connector supports 24 of the seat connection mechanisms 19 . each seat bottom assemblies may be separately pivotable about an axis a ( fig5 ) going through the connector supports 24 of the of seat connection mechanisms . by placing the axis of rotation a of the seat bottom assemblies forward of the beam 12 , more space is provided for the seat bottom assembly to lift to a vertical unoccupied position , providing additional egress space . a spring load mechanism may be used to provide a more compact seating assembly . preferably , the seat connector mechanism 19 can allow the seat bottom assembly 20 to pivot in a counter balanced gravity lifted manner . this may be accomplished by using a connector support 24 in the form of a saddle bracket secured to the beam 12 that has an inner pivot channel 25 and a seat bottom assembly 20 with a pin portion 23 protruding from the seat support 21 to interact with the inner pivot channel 25 . fig9 illustrates the saddle bracket of this type of seat connection mechanism . the interacting occurs such that the pin 23 protruding from the seat bottom assembly is angled with respect to the connector support saddle bracket 24 at a specific insertion angle such that the pin 23 is insertable into and removable from the inner pivot channel 25 , and such that when the pin is angled with respect to said saddle bracket portion at any other angle than the insertion angle , the pin is retained in the inner pivot channel , and thus the seat bottom is pivotably secured to the beam 12 . such a seat connector mechanism is described in more detail in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 067 , 381 , the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein . end members 27 may be attached at the ends of the beam to define the width of the seating assembly . the end members may be merely aesthetic in nature or may be weight bearing to help support the seating assembly . the beam 12 may be balanced on a single base member 11 . in such an embodiment , the end members can extend to the floor to help support the beam as illustrated in fig6 . for wider seating assemblies , additional intermediate base members may also be employed to support the beam . however , the number of base members and supporting end members is less than the number of seat bottom assemblies in the seat assembly . another embodiment includes a single seat back assembly , is illustrated in fig7 and 8 . a single seat back assembly may be a continuous seat back member where the back support 15 and a back pad 16 are each continuous members . in this embodiment , the seat back assembly support 34 rising substantially upwardly from the u shaped bracket 14 can support the single continuous back member . the process of assembling and installing the seating assembly is not as costly or labor intensive as assembling and installing a customized traditional pew and allows great flexibility in seating assembly length and seating capacity . the use of the beam as the center structure of the assembly allows for a modularization of component assemblies eliminating the need for custom built pews for any desired length of pew . in a first embodiment , the process begins with first determining a desired length l of the seating assembly 10 . a beam 12 may be a first standard length l 1 , or a second standard length l 2 . the beams may be connected end to end with a force fit joint piece 37 to achieve greater desired lengths l for the seating assembly . however , the beams may also be joined in the bracket of the base member , thereby not requiring a joint piece . a combination of connected beams of first or second standard lengths can result in a beam assembly of any desired length l , as custom sized extension beam pieces of length le are joined to the end of the assembly . a beam extension should preferably have a smaller length le than either length l 1 or l 2 for most efficient use of beams . fig2 shows a beam of a first standard length joined with a beam extension so that the beam assembly reached the desired length l . fig1 shows a beam of the second standard length connected as part of a beam assembly . once the beam components are assembled to the desired length , the beam or beam assembly is supported by at least one base member 11 in a substantially horizontal position within the u shaped brackets 30 of the base members . ( fig1 ). to help level the beam 12 , supplements 39 may be placed under the beam within the base member u shaped brackets 30 . in another embodiment of a beam assembly , a predetermined desired length l of the seating assembly 10 is reached . again , an inventory of beams 12 of a first standard length l 1 or a second standard length l 2 may be used . a third standard length l 3 of beam may also be inventoried . the standard lengths are selected to eliminate beam waste for a predetermined bench length , based upon a predetermined seat bottom width . the standard length beams may be cut where needed so that a combination of standard lengths and cut standard length will reach any desired bench length based upon an optimal seat bottom width . for example , based on an average seat width of 21 ″, a bench of any length may reached with an inventory of beams of 115 . 5 ″, 168 ″ and 189 ″ without any waste of beam . where a standard length beam is cut , each piece can be reused to reach desired lengths . this allows for reduced inventory and supply of beams , while offering the flexibility of having many standard sizes available . the standard beams can be precut before installation based on a requested design , eliminating the need to inventory unnecessary lengths . and the standard lengths provide cut lengths such that beam waste is eliminated . of course , it will be common that an average seat width different than 21 ″ is requested . in cases where seats of less than 21 ″ are in the design , the same combinations of beam lengths may be used to reach the predetermined bench lengths ; however , each beam must be trimmed slightly . the resulting beam waste is minimal , for example , the waste is less than 1 . 5 % is 19 ″ width seats are request . further , as the ends of beams are often damaged in shipping , removing the very ends of the beams is beneficial as the damaged bent end may be removed . if wider seats are requested , the standard length may be cut at difference length , still resulting in minimal waste of beam material . one the beam assembly is in place , the next step may be to fix the seat connection mechanisms 19 to the beam 12 . the number of seat connection mechanism will be corresponding to the number of seats in the assembly . ( fig1 ). the u shaped seat connection brackets 32 may be positioned over the beam 12 to fixedly secure the seat connection mechanisms . the widths of the seat bottom assemblies 20 can be selected next . the seat bottom assemblies may be modularized so that seating assembly may be constructed to any desired length without requiring customization of the widths of the of seat bottom assemblies . this can be achieved by a selecting a different width for at least one of the seat bottom assemblies from the selected width of at least one other seat bottom assembly . when desired , a combination of seat assembly widths may be selected from a relatively small number of standard widths . the combination of assembly widths may be selected so the determined length of the seating assembly can be reached without requiring customization of the widths of the seat back assemblies . the small number of standard widths , chosen to be appropriate for a width of a seating area , may be between sixteen and twenty - six inches in inch increments . the combinations of standard widths can be selected from a group of less than five widths , but when design requirements call for more seating variety , may be selected from a group of less than ten widths . traditionally , a seat bottom would have to be custom built to meet the specification of a desired length of a pew . the modularity of the present invention allows at least one seat bottom assembly to have a different width than the remaining seat bottom assemblies . this selection process for this modularity of the seat bottom assemblies can be illustrated with an example . if a pew design calls for an 18 foot pew ( 216 inches ), nine 24 inch seat bottom assemblies could be used to meet such a specification . however , an 18½ foot ( 222 inches ) pew may be desired . an 18½ foot pew could be assembled from three 24 inch seat bottom assemblies and six 25 inch assemblies . in some instances it may be more practical to select seat bottom assembly widths from a small number of standard widths known in the industry . in the given example , two 23 inch , two 24 inch , one 25 inch and two 26 inch seat bottom assemblies is a way to reach the desired length of 18½ feet ( 222 inches ). in both cases , the desired length of the seating assembly is achieved without the customization of the seating components . compare the present invention seating assembly to the prior art . in order to make an 18½ foot traditional pew , one could either order a pew cut to the exact dimension or order nine custom seats at 24⅔ ″. if a standard size seat is to be used with a prior art pew , then either at least one seat would still have to be custom sized , i . e . eight 24 ″ seats and one custom seat of 30 ″ or the total length of the pew must be limited to a standard size as well . in addition to avoiding the time and expense of customization of seating assemblies , the modularity of the present invention allows the seating assembly length to be adjusted in one inch increments on the job site by interchanging seat bottom assembly widths . next , the seat back assemblies 13 may be fixed to the beam . ( fig1 - 15 ). while a seat back assembly may be a single continuous member , it is also envisioned that the seat bottom assembly be a width corresponding to the width of the selected seat bottom assemblies . the back support 15 may be attached to the beam 12 by positioning the u shaped brackets 14 over the beam 12 . ( fig1 ). next , back connector inserts 17 can be positioned in the grooves 33 between the back supports 15 . ( fig1 ). then , the top member 18 may be fitted across the top of the seat back assemblies 13 . ( fig1 ). finally , the back pads 16 are put in place . ( fig1 ). the end members 27 may be installed next . fig1 shows both a weight bearing end member that extends to the floor and a shorter non - weight bearing end member . where an end member is near a beam extension piece is joined , it is preferable that a weight bearing end member is used . likewise , where an end member is adjacent to a base member 11 , a non weight bearing end member may suffice . the type of end used may also be based on aesthetic considerations . similarly to the seat bottom assemblies , the seat back assembly widths may be chosen directly based on the desired width of the seating assembly , without necessarily corresponding to the width of the selected seat bottom assemblies by selecting a different width for at least one of the seat back assemblies from the selected width of at least one other seat back assemblies . the width of each of the seat back assemblies may also be selected from a relatively small number of standard widths so as to cause the seating assembly to have the desired width without requiring customization of the widths of the plurality of seat back assemblies before fixing the seat back assemblies to the beam . again , depending on design and seating requirements , the widths can be selected from a group of less than ten , or less than five standard widths . the seat connection mechanisms are positioned appropriately along the beam to receive the seat bottom assemblies . finally , the selected seat bottom assemblies 20 may be pivotably attached to the connector support 24 of the seat connection mechanisms 19 . ( fig1 ). the seat bottom assemblies may attach to the seat supports 24 of the seat connection mechanism 19 . the seat bottom assemblies may be attached so that they are individually pivotable about an axis a going through the connector supports 24 of the seat connection mechanisms . the seat bottom assemblies 20 and the seat connector mechanism 19 may be configured so that the seat bottom assemblies are counter balanced and gravity self lifting . preferably , pins 23 protruding from the seat support 21 are inserted into the inner pivot channel 25 of the seat support of the seat connection mechanisms 19 . the base members may be secured to the floor or to a riser in a step if the seating assembly is to be a permanent fixture and not portable . the base members may be bolted 42 permanently in place . however , the seating assembly may be moved from location to location without modifying or discarding existing seat components . the seating assembly may be reconstructed by simply adding additional seats and support beams to satisfy new row lengths . although the invention has been described with reference to a particular arrangement of parts , features and the like , these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or features , and indeed many other modifications and variations will be ascertainable to those of skill in the art .
0
systems and methods involving electrically reprogrammable fuses are provided . several exemplary embodiments are described . in this regard , an efuse may be used to re - route circuits in semiconductors . for example , typical semiconductors include logic etched permanently on a chip . however , efuses may dynamically reprogram semiconductor chips while they are in use . existing efuses may include poly - silicon stripes with a thin layer of silicide covering the top of the stripes . programming these efuses requires passing a pulse of high electron current through the efuse . the pulse of the electron current induces a large gap in the conducting silicide layer caused by the electromigration of atoms in the metal . the resistance of the poly - silicon stripe shifts from about 100 ohms to 1 kohm or greater in the programmed efuse . the amount of resistance shift using this type of efuse cannot be easily controlled because the programming process uses a large amount of power density in a short period of time ( approximately 1 msec , for example ). the programming is also not reversible . thus , it is desirable for the resistance shift induced by programming an efuse to be set more accurately . additionally it is desirable to allow the reversible programming of efuses . the embodiments described below allow for the reversible programming of efuses that may be set to a resistance value more accurately than previous embodiments . fig1 a illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an efuse 100 . the efuse 100 includes an interconnect 102 and studs 108 and 110 ( e . g . tungsten carbide ) disposed between two poly - silicon programming wires 104 and 106 respectively . in the illustrated embodiment , the interconnect 102 is copper . however , the interconnect 102 may alternatively include any of a variety of metals including a combination of metals . a sensing wire 112 contacts the interconnect 102 . extension 114 of the interconnect 102 may be included as a reservoir for the efuse 100 . fig1 b illustrates a side view of the exemplary embodiment of an efuse 100 . the interconnect 102 is disposed in a dielectric substrate 120 . in this embodiment , a cavity 116 has been formed in the substrate around the upper portion of the interconnect 102 . fig1 c illustrates a partially cut - away front view of the efuse 100 , taken along the lines b - b in fig1 b . programming wire 104 contacts stud 108 . the interconnect 102 contacts the sensing wire 112 . additionally , the front portion 117 of the cavity 116 in the substrate 120 , and the two sidewall cavities 118 between the interconnect 102 and the substrate 120 are illustrated . prior to programming the efuse 100 , signals may pass from the sensing wire 112 through the interconnect 102 to a variety of circuit components . programming physically alters the interconnect 102 increasing the resistance of the interconnect 102 such that signals cannot effectively pass through the efuse . the operation of the efuse is illustrated in fig2 a - 2 c . fig2 a illustrates the programming of the efuse . in programming , the electron current 218 flows through the interconnect 102 from the first programming wire 104 to the second programming wire 106 . the studs 108 and 110 disposed between the interconnect 102 and the programming wires 104 and 106 are conductive , and act as blocking boundaries against atom diffusion during electromigration . the electronically conductive blocking boundaries facilitate the electrical communication between the interconnect 102 and the programming wires 104 and 106 in the dielectric material 120 , while preventing atoms from diffusing between the interconnect 102 and the programming wires 104 and 106 . the flow of electron current 218 causes an electromigration of the metal in the interconnect 102 . the flow of electrons displaces atoms in the surface of the interconnect 102 resulting in a surface void 217 forming between the interconnect 102 and the sensing wire 112 . in this embodiment , sidewall cavities 116 accelerate the electromigration in the interconnect 102 . a free surface is often the fastest diffusion path during electromigration . fabricating sidewall cavities on the top portion of an interconnect effectively creates channels with free metal surface , thereby inducing accelerated electromigration process during fuse programming . also , the accelerated electromigration is limited to the top portion of the interconnect , resulting the fast formation of a thin void at the top interface between the interconnect 102 and the sensing wire 112 after programming . therefore , the programming time to generate such small and thin void is minimized . fig2 b shows the efuse in a sensing state . if a signal cannot pass from the sensing wire 112 through the interconnect 102 to the second programming wire 106 , the efuse is effectively an open circuit . fig2 c illustrates the reversing of the programming of the efuse . reversing the bias of the programming electron current results in reversing the programming of the efuse . thus , electron current 218 flows from the second programming wire 106 through the interconnect 102 to the first programming wire 104 . this electron current flow results in the electromigration of metal atoms that fill the surface void 217 . the surface void 217 is replaced by metal atoms such that a connection between the sensing wire 112 and the interconnect 102 results . reversing the programming of the efuse effectively lowers the resistance of the interconnect 102 , allowing the efuse to pass signals through the interconnect 102 to the sensing wire 112 . this embodiment includes a reservoir 114 . reservoir 114 acts as a depository for the atoms displaced during electromigration , and helps to prevent the disfigurement or extrusion of the efuse following electromigration . fig3 a - 3 h illustrate a side cutaway view of the steps in an exemplary method of fabricating an efuse . referring to fig3 a , substrate 302 is a dielectric material such as for example , but not limited to , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , sicoh , silsesquioxanes , c doped oxides ( i . e ., organosilicates that include atoms of si , c , o and / or h , thermosetting polyarylene ethers , silk ( a polyarylene ether available from dow chemical corporation ), jsr ( a spin - on silicon - carbon contained polymer material availble from jsr corporation ), etc ., or layers thereof . a hardmask 304 formed on dielectric material 302 provides mechanical protection during chemical mechanical polishing ( cmp ) of the semiconductor chip , and may be one of many suitable materials such as silicon nitride or silicon oxide . to fabricate the efuse , a photoresist 306 of the fuse mask is developed on the hardmask 304 . the exposed portion 308 of the photoresist 306 will define the area of the efuse . the next step in fabricating the efuse is shown in fig3 b . the hardmask 304 is removed in the area defined by the photoresist 306 using an etching process such as reactive ion etching ( rie ). fig3 c illustrates the next step in the fabricating method where an undercut 310 is formed under the hardmask 304 . the undercut 310 is formed using any suitable etching process . in this exemplary method , the undercut 310 is formed in the substrate 302 using a wet process isotropic etching . the undercut 310 is etched approximately , on the order of , 10 nm under the lip of the area defined by the hardmask 304 and approximately , in the order of , 10 nm in depth below the hardmask 304 . after the undercut 310 is etched in the substrate 302 , a second photoresist 312 is developed on the hardmask 304 as shown in fig3 d . the second photoresist may be similar to the first photoresist or may be different . a trench 314 is etched in the substrate 302 using an etching process such as rie as depicted in fig3 e . fig3 f shows a liner 316 that is deposited using chemical vapor deposition or physical vapor deposition , for example . once the liner 316 is deposited , the trench 314 is seeded to prepare the trench 314 for electroplating . in this exemplary embodiment , copper is used for the seeding and electroplating , however any suitable metal may be used such as , for example , silver or aluminum . fig3 g illustrates the trench 314 following electroplating with copper 318 . the trench 314 is filled with copper 318 . because the undercuts 310 are not electroplated with copper 318 , a cavity 322 is thus formed around the upper portion of the filled trench 314 . finally , the excess copper 318 that is not in the trench 314 ( i . e ., the overburden ) is removed using a method such as cmp , for example , and a cap layer 320 is layered over the substrate 302 . fig3 h shows the completed efuse including the interconnect 324 and cavities 322 , with a cap layer 320 . fig4 illustrates an alternate method for fabricating an efuse . in this method , a sacrificial layer 405 is disposed between the substrate 402 and the hardmask 404 . the sacrificial layer 405 may be any suitable dielectric material such as silicon oxide , for example . the sacrificial layer 405 partially defines the area of the undercut 410 during the isotropic etching step . by using a sacrificial layer 405 , the isotropic etching of the undercut 410 may be limited to an area partially defined by the sacrificial layer 405 , and thus , the etching may be more precise . other than the use of a sacrificial layer 405 , fabrication process for the efuse in this alternate method is similar to the fabrication method described above and shown in fig3 a - 3 h . while the preferred embodiment to the invention has been described , it will be understood that those skilled in the art , both now and in the future , may make various improvements and enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which follow . these claims should be construed to maintain the proper protection for the invention first described .
7
fig3 shows a basic structure of a radar device according to the present invention . in fig3 constituent elements identical with those in fig1 are attached with the same reference numbers , and they will not be explained in further detail . switches 11 and 12 are opened or closed according to a driving signal from an if local / switching signal generating section 14 . these switches 11 and 12 are provided to share a transmission / reception antenna , and to prevent degradation of a signal - to - noise ratio due to a leakage to a reception antenna 2 of a triangular - wave fm signal that is output from a transmission antenna 1 . to facilitate the understanding of the operation of the invention , a transmission antenna 1 and the reception antenna 2 are separated in fig3 . the switch 12 at the reception side switches a signal received by the reception antenna 2 . an rf mixer 4 converts this switched signal into an if signal having a frequency f sw ± f δ ( a signal obtained by dividing the switched signal by a frequency f sw ) by mixing . a local mixing signal that is input to the rf mixer 4 includes an fmam noise component , and this fmam noise component is also output to the output end of the rf mixer 4 . an if mixer 13 has a switching frequency f sw that is the same as the switching frequency of the driving signal of the switch 11 or 12 . the if mixer 13 carries out mixing processing by using a separate driving signal that keeps a constant phase difference of about 90 degrees in principle from the phase of the above driving signal . as a result , the output signal of the if mixer 13 is converted into a base - band signal , and the fmam noise component is removed , so that only a desired beat signal of a frequency f δ is output , as explained later . therefore , the conventional high - pass filter 5 or a band - pass filter is not necessary in the present embodiment . fig4 and fig5 show the principle of operation of the if mixer 13 that removes the fmam noise component from the if signal . in fig4 ( a ) to ( d ) show a case where a phase difference between the phase of the switch 11 or 12 and the phase of the if mixer 13 is 0 degree . in fig5 ( a ) to ( d ) show a case where a phase difference between the phase of the switch 11 or 12 and the phase of the if mixer 13 is 90 degrees . when the phase difference is 0 degree , ( a ) in fig4 shows one example of the if signal that includes the fmam noise that is input to the if mixer 13 . ( b ) shows the driving signal of the if mixer 13 that has the same phase ( a phase difference 0 ) as the phase of the driving signal of the switch 11 or 12 . in this case , only one half - wave component of the if signal is extracted by the mixing as shown in ( c ). as a result , the base - band signal after the frequency conversion still includes the fmam noise component that is demodulated as it is , as shown in ( d ). on the other hand , when the phase difference is 90 degrees in fig5 the if signal shown in ( a ) is the same as that shown in ( a ) of fig4 . ( b ) shows the driving signal of the if mixer 13 that has a phase difference of 90 degrees from the phase of the driving signal of the switch 11 or 12 . in this case , an equivalent wave component that mutually cancels the fmam noise component superimposed on the if signal is extracted by mixing , as shown in ( c ). as a result , the base - band signal after the frequency conversion has all the fmam noise component removed , as shown in ( d ). fig6 shows a relationship between an on time of the switch at the reception side and a detecting time of a reception signal in the example shown in fig3 . in fig6 a transmission signal indicated by a meshed portion in ( d ) is transmitted during the on time of the transmission switch 11 shown in ( a ). a part of a reflection signal shown in ( e ) of the transmission signal is detected as a reception signal as shown in ( f ) during the on time of the reception switch 12 shown in ( b ). a time t from when a transmission signal is transmitted until the transmission signal returns after a reflection from a target object is expressed as t = 2r / c , where r represents a one - way distance from the transmission origin to the target object , and c represents the speed of light . based on the principle similar to that explained in fig4 and 5 , when a detection time ( that is , the time t ) of the reception signal exceeds one half of an on time t r of the reception switch ( a phase of 90 degrees ), a total reception signal level is lowered due to the cancellation effect of the signal that is received after the time t r / 2 . as a result , the reception level becomes zero at the time t = t r . therefore , when a maximum detection time is set as tmax = t r / 2 in order to maintain high detection precision of a reception signal , the reception switch on time t r needs to be at least two times the maximum detection time tmax . this is expressed as t r ≧ 2 tmax . based on this , a clock frequency of the driving signal of the switches 11 and 12 and the driving signal of the if mixer respectively becomes f sw ≦ ½ tr , and a maximum detection distance that can be detected by the radar becomes rmax ≦ c tmax / 2 . fig7 shows one example of a structure of the if local / switching signal generating section 14 . in fig7 a common oscillator ( osc ) 23 is used as an oscillation source that generates both the driving signal of the switches 11 and 12 and the driving signal of the if mixer 4 . based on this , it is possible to easily realize a phase synchronization of the driving signals . a phase control logic section 22 is constructed of a logic circuit or software . the logic circuit generates and outputs a driving signal of the switches 11 and 12 , and frequency - divides a reference clock signal from the oscillator 23 with a counter thereby to prepare various kinds of timing signals . the software makes a microprocessor prepare various kinds of timing signals based on the reference clock signal . a phase variable section 21 generates and outputs a driving signal of the if mixer 4 that can change the phase by using a logic circuit or software similar to that explained above or by using a pll circuit , based on a timing signal prepared by the phase control logic section 22 . as an example of the most simple and practical method for this , a phase difference between the phase of the driving signal of the switches 11 and 12 and the phase of the driving signal of the if mixer is changed over between 0 degree and 90 degrees . the phase difference is changed over to 90 degrees for a short - distance measuring , thereby to make it possible to achieve high - precision measuring by eliminating the influence of the fmam noise at a short distance . the phase difference is changed over to 0 degree for a long - distance measuring , thereby to make it possible to expand a measurable long distance that has no influence of the fmam noise . fig8 shows one embodiment of a short - distance measuring that uses the structure shown in fig7 . in an example of fig8 the phase control logic section 22 generates a driving signal of the transmission / reception switches for other than duty 50 %, as shown in ( a ) and ( b ). as shown in ( d ) to ( f ) of fig6 the received signal is only a part of the last end of the transmission signal corresponding to a distance from the measured object . therefore , it is not necessary to transmit the transmission signal during the whole transmission period of the duty 50 % as shown in ( d ) of fig6 . it is possible to obtain the same effect by transmitting the transmission signal by only a length that is necessary for the measurement , as shown in ( d ) to ( f ) of fig8 . with this arrangement , in the present embodiment , the driving signal frequency f sw (= 1 / t ) of the transmission / reception switches is set higher by the portion corresponding to the reduction in the transmission time , thereby to increase the reception power . from the viewpoint of only increasing the reception power , it is possible to set the on time of the transmission / reception switches to a timing at which the on times are mutually superimposed . fig9 a and 9b show other embodiments of a distance measuring that use the structure shown in fig7 respectively . in these embodiments , the phase control logic section 22 supplies an fm frequency modulation signal to the modulation signal generating section 6 . in synchronism with this , the phase variable section 21 alternately changes over the phase difference to between 0 degree and 90 degrees at each half period ( t / 2 ) or at each integer times one period ( nt , where n is an integer ) of the fm frequency modulation signal . fig9 a shows the embodiment for distance measuring when the phase variable section 21 alternately changes over the phase difference to between 0 degree and 90 degrees at each half period . fig9 b shows the embodiment for distance measuring when the phase variable section 21 alternately changes over the phase difference to between 0 degree and 90 degrees at each two periods . operation a shows a short - distance measuring operation when the phase difference is 90 degrees , and operation b shows a measuring operation of a long distance when the phase difference is 0 degree . a relative speed is obtained for each half period of an up period or a down period of fm modulation . therefore , in the present embodiments , a half period is used as a minimum period of the operation . based on this method , it is possible to measure both a short distance and a long distance substantially at the same time . based on the above embodiments , it is possible to compare the spectrum information of the short distance and that of the long distance with each other . it is possible to correct a result of one measurement based on a result of the other measurement . it is also possible to detect an error in a result of one measurement based on a result of the other measurement . as a result , it is possible to increase the reliability of the measuring results . if , in one measurement , a reception signal having a level near a detection threshold value is received during an up period of fm modulation , and this reception signal is not received during a down period due to the attenuation of a certain filtering characteristic , then , in the other measurement , the reception signal is received during both an up period and a down period . in this case , it is possible to correct the reception level during the down period in the one measurement , by using the result obtained in the other measurement . when a result after the correction exceeds a detection threshold value , it is decided that the reception signal has been normally received . as a result , it is possible to avoid an erroneous detection . fig1 and fig1 show modifications of the structure shown in fig3 respectively . in fig1 , a plurality of if mixers 13 - 1 to 13 - n are provided . the if local / switching signal generating section 14 supplies driving signals of these if mixers having mutually different phase differences to these if mixers 13 - 1 to 13 - n respectively . therefore , in the present modification , the phase control logic section 22 generates and outputs the driving signals of the if mixers having a plurality of fixed phase differences . consequently , the phase variable section 21 is not necessary . the if mixers 13 - 1 to 13 - n simultaneously process if signals from the rf mixer 4 based on the phase differences of the if mixers 13 - 1 to 13 - n respectively . a signal processing section 7 consisting of an ad converter or a dsp executes a signal processing based on a measured distance corresponding to each phase difference . fig1 shows another modification of the structure shown in fig3 that executes the same functional operation as that shown in fig1 . in fig1 , an a / d converter 24 directly converts if signals from the rf mixer 4 into digital signals . a dsp within the signal processing section 7 executes the functions corresponding to the if mixers 13 - 1 to 13 - n and the if local / switching signal generating section 14 in fig1 , based on software . it is possible to easily achieve this processing , based on highly advanced functions and high - speed processing of the dsp realized in recent years . as explained above , according to the present invention , it is possible to provide a radar device that has a unit for removing the fmam noise without lowering the signal detection sensitivity . further , according to the present invention , it is possible to obtain satisfactory signal detection sensitivity within a range from a short distance to a long distance by suitably controlling the fmam - noise removing unit .
6
the invention comprises several elements which may be assembled and disassembled by hand ; additionally , as discussed above , once assembled the invention is manipulable by hand . two pieces of the invention connect the invention to each of the two members that are to be connected . fig1 shows first member extension 60 and second member extension 50 each of which attach to respective ends of the members to be joined . methods of attachment of these two pieces are discussed above . first member extension 60 and indeed all parts of the invention as shown in fig1 are of essentially cylindrical cross section . while this embodiment is preferred in the instant disclosure of the invention , the cylindrical shapes are not essential throughout the entirety of the invention for its proper function . through the center of first member 60 is an aperture 64 with threads 62 . these threads receive the threads 32 on shaft 30 . at the opposite end of shaft 30 is a spherical head 40 which is secured to shaft 30 by pin 46 which slides through aperture 34 . said aperture is formed by the insertion of head 40 on shaft 30 and is comprised of an aperture through shaft 30 and two apertures on either side within head 40 . the threaded engagement of shaft 30 with first member extension 60 retains four additional pieces of the invention ; these pieces together comprise one member side of the connector . moving from the spherical head 40 toward first member extension 60 , sleeve 20 is the first component . sleeve 20 normally rests up against spherical head 40 about shaft 30 as shown in fig2 . sleeve web 21 with aperture 25 and bearing surface 24 allow the sleeve to slide freely along shaft 30 and also to rest against spherical head 40 as shown in fig2 . the next component in the series is slide member 10 . aperture 14 on said slide member allows this component to also slide freely along shaft member 30 . said aperture may be considerably larger in diameter than shaft 30 , the reasons for these differences in diameters will be discussed below . projecting axially from slide member 10 are two locking pins 12 , 12 &# 39 ;, see fig1 . these locking pins slide freely within apertures 26 , 27 , and 26 &# 39 ;, 27 &# 39 ;, of sleeve 20 . fig2 shows these locking pins fully seated into the apertures of sleeve 20 . the next component just behind slide member 10 is back - up washer 80 as shown in fig1 and 2 . said back - up washer retains compression spring 70 which is located between said back - up washer and first extension member 60 . see fig1 and 2 . the other half of the connector is comprised of second member extension 50 which attached to its corresponding member . retainer pin 56 projects through either side of second member extension 50 and passes through apertures 54 , 54 &# 39 ;. bearing surface 52 is semi - spherical in shape corresponding to the shape of spherical head 40 ; see fig1 . once assembled as described above , the invention is hand - articulatable and performs two basic functions . the first function basically involves the securing in detachable fashion of the ends of two members . this is accomplished quickly and easily by the insertion of second member extension 50 into sleeve 20 . element 50 is inserted into element 20 such that the protruding ends of retainer pin 56 aligned with the two slots 28 , 28 &# 39 ; in sleeve 20 . as shown in fig1 the slots 28 , 28 &# 39 ; are generally l - shaped in the preferred embodiment . thus , to secure element 50 within sleeve 20 , element 50 in sleeve 20 must be rotated relative to each other once retainer pin 56 is inserted axially into the two grooves . once secured , the spherical head 40 is seated within the sleeve bearing surface 24 of the sleeve 20 and the bearing surface 52 of second member extension 50 . said surfaces cover nearly the entire surface of the head ; further , the surfaces match the surface of the head as to protect against entry of foreign material between the bearing surfaces . as has been described and is evident from fig2 once the two members are secured shaft 30 may freely rotate within bearing surface 52 and sleeve bearing surface 24 . additionally , the shaft is free to pivot within a certain range , thus describing a conical volume of free pivoting motion , see fig2 . these freedoms of motion , account for the torqueless and momentless characteristics of the connector which were described above . the degree of unrestrained motion may be modified for different applications by changing the diameters of the sleeve aperture 25 and the slide member aperture 14 . should the slide aperture be increased to exceed the diameter of the compression spring 70 , then the backup washer 80 is necessary to retain the spring between the slide 10 and first member extension 60 . otherwise , the washer 80 is not necessary . the second characteristic feature of the invention is its positively acting locking ability . this locking ability is a mechanism which positively locks the connected joint once secured in the above - described fashion . the locking system is comprised basically of compression spring 70 and slide member 10 . as is shown in fig2 locking pins 12 , 12 &# 39 ; of slide member 10 fit through apertures 26 , 27 , and 26 &# 39 ;, 27 &# 39 ; of sleeve 20 . these pins 12 , 12 &# 39 ; are configured such that they slide freely within the apertures in sleeve 20 . once slide member 10 is fully seated against sleeve 20 , the locking pins create two closed spaces 22 and 22 &# 39 ;, see fig4 and fig5 a ( 22 &# 39 ; is not shown ). these spaces 22 , 22 &# 39 ; serve to contain the ends of retainer pin 56 once the connector pieces have been secured as described above . once the locking pins 12 , 12 &# 39 ; are in place securing the ends of retainer pin 56 , compression spring 70 positively urges slide member 10 against sleeve 20 thus keeping locking pins 12 , 12 &# 39 ; in place . having fully described the interactions of the individual parts of the invention , the procedures involved in the complete connect and disconnect processes will now be fully explained . operation is quick and easy as was intended . to connect two members , the slide 10 is pulled back by hand to retract the locking pins 12 , 12 &# 39 ; in the apertures 26 , 27 , and 26 &# 39 ;, 27 &# 39 ; of the sleeve 20 . retraction by hand is made very easy by the addition of tabs 16 , 16 &# 39 ; on the slide member . the sleeve is then positioned over the second member extension 50 so as to align retainer pin 56 in the grooves 28 , 28 &# 39 ;. rotation of sleeve 20 fully seats the retainer pin 56 at the ends of the grooves . the slide 10 is then released to secure the retainer pin 56 in proper position . compression spring 70 insures that the locking pins 12 , 12 &# 39 ; are always fully engaged within the sleeve apertures such that unintentional disconnection cannot occur . ( i . e . : due to shock , vibration , etc .) to disconnect the structural members , the procedure is reversed . slide 10 is pulled away from the collar to retract the locking pins 12 , 12 &# 39 ; in the sleeve apertures . see fig5 b , where arrows 90 , 90 &# 39 ; show the retraction motion of slide 10 . fig5 b shows locking pins 12 , 12 &# 39 ; being fully retracted out of the apertures in sleeve 20 ; the threaded engagement between shaft 30 and first member extension 60 may be adjusted , however , such that travel of slide member 10 is limited and full retraction of the locking pins 12 , 12 &# 39 ; out of sleeve 20 is not possible . such an embodiment is preferred so that environmental effects such as dirt and ice will not interfere with the operation of the connector . additionally , as mentioned above , this also prevents the locking pins 12 , 12 &# 39 ; from becoming bent and damaged . to complete the disconnection process , sleeve 20 and second member extension 50 are rotated relative to each other as shown in fig5 b by arrow 91 ; this relative rotation unseats the securing pin 56 and the sleeve is then pulled away from the second member extension , see arrow 92 . while the invention has been disclosed in this patent application by reference to the details of preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be understood that this disclosure is intended in an illustrative rather than in a limiting sense , as it is contemplated that modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art , within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims .
8
according to the invention , the geopolymer formulations involve the use of an aluminosilicate source , a metal silicate and an alkali activator in a carrier fluid at near - ambient temperature . the carrier fluid is preferably a fresh water solution . as it has been said previously , all the four components do not need necessarily to be added separately : for example the alkali activator can be already within water . so , the aluminosilicate source can be in the form of a solid component ; the metal silicate can be in the form of a solid or of an aqueous solution of metal silicate ; the alkali activator can be in the form of a solid or of an aqueous solution of alkali activator . formation of the geopolymer concrete involves an aluminosilicate source , which is also called aluminosilicate binder . examples of aluminosilicate source from which geopolymers may be formed include astm type c fly ash , astm type f fly ash , ground blast furnace slag , calcined clays , partially calcined clays ( such as metakaolin ), aluminum - containing silica fume , natural aluminosilicate , synthetic aluminosilicate glass powder , zeolite , scoria , allophone , bentonite and pumice . these materials contain a significant proportion of amorphous aluminosilicate phase , which reacts in strong alkali solutions . the preferred aluminosilicates are fly ash , metakaolin and blast furnace slag . mixtures of two or more aluminosilicate sources may also be used if desired . in another embodiment , the aluminosilicate component comprises a first aluminosilicate binder and optionally one or more secondary binder components which may be chosen in the list : ground granulated blast furnace slag , portland cement , kaolin , metakaolin or silica fume . formation of the geopolymer concrete involves also , an alkali activator . the alkali activator is generally an alkali metal hydroxide . alkali metal hydroxides are generally preferred as sodium and potassium hydroxide . the metal hydroxide may be in the form of a solid or an aqueous mixture . also , the alkali activator in another embodiment can be encapsulated . the alkali activator when in solid and / or liquid state can be trapped in a capsule that will break when subject for example , to stress on the capsule , to radiation on the capsule . also , the alkali activator when in solid and / or liquid state can be trapped in a capsule that will naturally destroy due to the fact that for example , the capsule is made with biodegradable and / or self destructive material . also , the alkali activator when in liquid state can be adsorbed onto a porous material and will be released after a certain time or due to a predefined event . formation of the geopolymer concrete involves also , a metal silicate . the metal silicate is generally an alkali metal silicate . alkali metal silicates , particularly sodium silicate or potassium silicate , are preferred . sodium silicates with a molar ratio of sio 2 / na 2 o equal to or less than 3 . 2 are preferred . potassium silicates with a molar ratio of sio 2 / k 2 o equal to or less than 3 . 2 are preferred . also , the metal silicate in another embodiment can be encapsulated . the method of the invention is applicable to the oilfield , preferably in completion of the well bore of oil or gas wells . to be used in oilfield application , a pumpable suspension is formed where the geopolymer blend is mixed with a carrier fluid . various additives can be added to the suspension and the suspension is then pumped into the well bore . the suspension is then allowed to set up in the well to provide zonal isolation in the well bore . a typical property of geopolymer systems is their ability to set without delay after mixing . however for oilfield applications , mixable and pumpable geopolymer suspension is needed . for this reason , a way to retard the thickening of the geopolymer suspension or a way to control thickening times of the geopolymer is required . a large family of retarders allowing delay in the set of the geopolymer has been found . in table 2 , the results of thickening time tests performed as per iso 10426 - 2 recommended practice in a high pressure high temperature ( hpht ) consistometer are reported . such tests are performed to simulate the placement from surface to downhole of cement suspensions , at a defined bottom hole circulating temperature ( bhct ). to realize such tests , a temperature heatup schedule is followed in order to mimic placement in a real well . for the tests performed at 57 ° c ., the temperature is reached in 41 minutes and the final pressure is 33 . 8 mpa ( 4900 psi ). for the tests performed at 85 ° c ., the temperature is reached in 58 minutes and the final pressure is 55 . 1 mpa ( 8000 psi ). for the tests performed at 110 ° c ., the temperature is reached in 74 minutes and the final pressure is 75 . 9 mpa ( 11000 psi ). sample a2 is made by dissolving the retarder amount in 358 g of water , adding the blend comprising 314 g of metakaolin and 227 g of sodium disilicate in the solution under mixing , adding 17 . 2 g of sodium hydroxide under iso 1026 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension in hpht cell . sample a2 is then tested by measuring the thickening time with the hpht consistometer . sample b2 is made by dissolving the retarder amount in 265 g of water , adding the blend comprising 232 g of metakaolin , 168 g of sodium disilicate and 414 g of silica particles as filler in the solution under mixing , adding 13 g of sodium hydroxide under iso 10426 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension in hpht cell . sample b2 is then tested by measuring the thickening time with the hpht consistometer . sample c2 is made by dissolving the retarder amount in 422 g of sodium hydroxide solution , adding the blend comprising 440 g of type f fly ash and 88 g of sodium disilicate in the solution under mixing following iso 10426 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension in hpht cell . sample c2 is then tested by measuring the thickening time with the hpht consistometer . sample d2 is made by dissolving the retarder amount in 374 ml of water , adding the blend comprising 411 g of type f fly ash and 82 g of sodium disilicate under mixing at 4000 rpm , adding 75 g of sodium hydroxide under iso 10426 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension in hpht cell . sample d2 is then tested by measuring the thickening time with the hpht consistometer . the retardation of geopolymeric formulations can be and is controlled at different bhct by using either boron containing compounds as for example sodium pentaborate decahydrate , boric acid , borax , or lignosulphonate , or phosphorus containing compounds , or a mixture of them . retardation of geopolymeric formulations will be sensitive to boron valence for boron containing compounds or phosphate valence for phosphorus containing compounds and / or to retarder concentration . in table 3 , the results obtained with vicat apparatus with two boron - based retarders are presented . vicat apparatus allows to measure when the setting of the material starts ( ist ) and ends ( fst ). it is based on the measurements of the penetration of a needle in a soft material . this apparatus is often used to realize pre - study at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure . sample a3 is made by dissolving the retarder amount in 139 g of sodium hydroxide solution , adding the blend comprising 105 g of metakaolin , 48 g of sodium metasilicate and 17 g of silica particles as filler in the solution under mixing . sample a3 is then tested by pouring the suspension in a vicat cell to measure setting time at 25 ° c . sample b3 is made by dissolving the retarder amount in 358 g of water , adding the blend comprising 314 g of metakaolin and 227 g of sodium disilicate in the solution under mixing , adding 17 . 2 g of sodium hydroxide under iso 10426 - 2 mixing . sample b3 is then tested by pouring the suspension in a vicat cell to measure setting time at 25 ° c . retardation of geopolymeric formulations is sensitive to temperature . however , two boron - based retarders ( sodium pentaborate decahydrate and borax ) are able to strongly retard different types of geopolymer suspensions even at 25 ° c . fig1 illustrates the impact of temperature on the thickening time for a geopolymer composition made by adding a blend comprising 411 g of type f fly ash and 82 g of sodium disilicate in 374 ml of water under mixing ( retarder being predissolved in this water ) and by adding 36 . 5 g of sodium hydroxide under iso 10426 - 2 mixing . this way , retarders are efficient even at high temperature to control geopolymer suspension thickening time . control of the thickening time can also be realized by other means . as an example the nature of the alkali activator and its ph have an impact on the thickening time . table 4 illustrates the influence of the alkali activator on the thickening time of geopolymeric suspensions . it demonstrates the ability to select the alkali activator source according to the downhole conditions . sample a4 is made by adding the blend comprising 314 g of metakaolin and 227 g of sodium disilicate in 358 g of water under mixing , adding 17 . 2 g of sodium hydroxide under iso10426 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension in hpht cell . sample a4 is then tested by measuring the thickening time with a hpht consistometer . sample b4 is made by adding the blend comprising 314 g of metakaolin and 227 g of sodium disilicate in 357 g of water under mixing , adding 23 . 4 g of sodium bicarbonate under iso 10426 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension in hpht cell . sample a4 is then tested by measuring the thickening time with a hpht consistometer . control of the thickening and setting times by these methods of retardation can also be efficiently done with geopolymer having different silicon versus aluminum ratio . furthermore , depending on properties of the geopolymer , it can be suitable to accelerate thickening of the suspension . table 5 illustrates the accelerating effect of lithium compounds on the thickening time of geopolymeric suspensions at temperature of 85 ° c . it demonstrates the ability of using lithium salts to control the thickening time of geopolymer suspensions . sample a5 is made by adding the blend comprising 480 g of superfine type f fly ash and 96 g of sodium disilicate in 406 g of the sodium hydroxide solution containing an accelerator following iso 10426 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension in hpht cell . sample a5 is then tested by measuring the thickening time with a hpht consistometer . sample b5 is made by adding the blend comprising 442 g of standard type f fly ash and 88 g of sodium disilicate in 423 g of the sodium hydroxide solution containing an accelerator following iso 10426 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension in hpht cell . sample b5 is then tested by measuring the thickening time with a hpht consistometer . fig2 illustrates the accelerating effect of lithium compounds on the thickening time for a geopolymer composition made by adding the blend comprising 480 g of superfine type f fly ash and 96 g of sodium disilicate in 406 g of the sodium hydroxide solution containing the accelerator following iso 10426 - 2 mixing . the thickening time versus time of the suspension is then measured at temperature of 85 ° c . this way , accelerators such as lithium salts are shown to efficiently decrease the thickening time of geopolymer suspensions . the degree of acceleration of geopolymeric formulations is sensitive to accelerator type and / or concentration . depending on the properties of the geopolymer and on properties of the well , a real control of the thickening time of the suspension can be established . to increase the thickening time , nature of the retarder used can be changed , concentration of the retarder can be increased , nature of the alkali activator used can be changed , and nature of the aluminosilicate used can be changed . further , when use in oilfield application is sought , the geopolymer suspension has to be pumpable . table 6 hereunder illustrates the rheological properties of geopolymer suspensions measured at a bottom hole circulating temperature ( bhct ) of 60 ° c . rheological values demonstrate the pumpability and the stability of geopolymeric suspensions for application in the oilfield industry . sample a6 is made by adding the blend comprising 411 g of type f fly ash and 82 g of sodium disilicate in 374 ml of water under mixing , adding 75 g of sodium hydroxide under mixing . sample a6 is then tested by measuring the rheological properties of the suspension after mixing and after conditioning at 60 ° c . according to the iso 1026 - 2 standard procedure . sample b6 is made by dissolving the 0 . 65 % bwob of sodiumpentaborate decahydrate in 422 g of sodium hydroxide solution , adding the blend comprising 440 g of type f fly ash and 88 g of sodium disilicate in the solution under iso 10426 - 2 mixing , adding 36 . 5 g of sodium hydroxide under mixing . sample b6 is then tested by measuring the rheological properties of the geopolymer suspension after mixing and after conditioning at 60 ° c . according to the iso 10426 - 2 standard procedure . sample c6 is made by adding the blend comprising 480 g of type f fly ash and 96 g of sodium disilicate in 406 g of the sodium hydroxide solution following iso 10426 - 2 mixing conditions . sample c6 is then tested by measuring the rheological properties of the suspension after mixing and after conditioning at 60 ° c . according to the iso 1 - 0426 - 2 standard procedure . table 7 shows the difference of setting time according to the conditions of setting . the geopolymer formulation will set more rapidly in static than in dynamic conditions . also normally , the geopolymer suspension should set rapidly after placement . sample a7 is made by adding the blend comprising 440 g of type f fly ash and 88 g of sodium disilicate in 422 g of the water under mixing following iso 10426 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension in hpht cell or the vicat cell . sample b7 is made by adding the blend comprising 442 g of standard type f fly ash and 88 g of sodium disilicate in 424 g of the sodium hydroxide solution containing 2 % bwob lioh , h 2 o following iso 10426 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension in hpht consistometer or in the vicat cell . also , when use in oilfield application is sought , the geopolymer suspension has to have a large range of densities . as presented in table 8 , the tested geopolymer formulations propose a density range between 1 . 45 g / cm 3 [ 12 . 1 lbm / gal ] up to 1 . 84 g / cm 3 [ 15 . 4 lbm / gal ] either in reducing the water content , or in adding fillers . sample a8 is made by dissolving the retarder amount in 265 g of water , adding the blend comprising 232 g of metakaolin , 168 g of sodium disilicate and 414 g of silica particles as filler in the solution under mixing , adding 13 g of sodium hydroxide under iso 10426 - 2 mixing . sample b8 is made by dissolving the retarder amount in 139 g of sodium hydroxide solution , adding the blend comprising 105 g of metakaolin , 48 g of sodium metasilicate and 17 g of silica particles as filler in the solution under mixing . further , to broaden the density range , either lightweight particles are added to reach lower densities or heavy particles to reach higher densities . the lightweight particles typically have density of less than 2 g / cm 3 , and generally less than 1 . 3 g / cm 3 . by way of example , it is possible to use hollow microspheres , in particular of silico - aluminate , known as cenospheres , a residue that is obtained from burning coal and having a mean diameter of about 150 micrometers . it is also possible to use synthetic materials such as hollow glass bubbles , and more particularly preferred are bubbles of sodium - calcium - borosilicate glass presenting high compression strength or indeed microspheres of a ceramic , e . g . of the silica - alumina type . the lightweight particles can also be particles of a plastics material such as beads of polypropylene . the heavy particles typically have density of more than 2 g / cm 3 , and generally more than 3 g / cm 3 . by way of example , it is possible to use hematite , barite , ilmenite , silica and also manganese tetroxide commercially available under the trade names of micromax and micromax ff . further , to broaden the density range , it is possible to foam the geopolymer composition . the gas utilized to foam the composition can be air or nitrogen , nitrogen being the most preferred . the amount of gas present in the cement composition is that amount which is sufficient to form a foam having a density in the range of from about 1 g . cm − 3 to 1 . 7 g . cm − 3 ( 9 to 14 lbm / gal ). in a further embodiment , other additives can be used with the geopolymer according to the present invention . additives known to those of ordinary skill in the art may be included in the geopolymer compositions of the present embodiments . additives are typically blended with a base mix or may be added to the geopolymer suspension . an additive may comprise an activator , an antifoam , a defoamer , silica , a fluid loss control additive , a flow enhancing agent , a dispersant , an anti - settling additive or a combination thereof , for example . selection of the type and amount of additive largely depends on the nature and composition of the set composition , and those of ordinary skill in the art will understand how to select a suitable type and amount of additive for compositions herein . in another embodiment , when various components are used with or within the geopolymer formulation , the particle size of the components is selected and the respective proportion of particles fractions is optimized in order to have at the same time the highest packing volume fraction ( pvf ) of the solid , and obtaining a mixable and pumpable slurry with the minimum amount of water , i . e ., at slurry solid volume fraction ( svf ) of 35 - 75 % and preferably of 50 - 60 %. more details can be found in european patent ep 0 621 247 . the following examples do not constitute a limit of the invention but rather indicate to those skilled in the art possible combinations of the particle size of the various components of the geopolymer compositions of the invention to make a stable and pumpable suspension . the geopolymeric composition can be a “ trimodal ” combination of particles : “ large ” for example sand or crushed wastes ( average dimension 100 - 1000 micrometers ), “ medium ” for example materials of the type of glass beads or fillers ( average dimension 10 - 100 micrometers ), “ fines ” like for example a micromaterial , or micro fly ashes or other micro slags ( average dimension 0 . 2 - 10 micrometers ). the geopolymeric composition can also be a “ tetramodal ” combination of particles type : with “ large ” ( average dimension about 200 - 350 micrometers ), “ medium ” glass beads , or fillers ( average dimension about 10 - 20 micrometers ), “ fine ” ( average dimension about 1 micrometer ), “ very fine ” ( average dimension about 0 . 1 - 0 . 15 micrometer ). the geopolymeric composition can also be a further combinations between the further categories : “ very large ”, for example glass maker sand , crushed wastes ( average dimension superior to 1 millimeter ) and / or “ large ”, for example sand or crushed wastes ( average dimension about 100 - 1000 micrometers ) and / or “ medium ” like glass beads , or fillers , or crushed wastes ( average dimension 10 - 100 micrometers ) and “ fine ” like , for example , micro fly ashes or other micro slags ( average dimension 0 . 2 - 10 micrometer ) and / or “ very fine ” like , for example , a latex or pigments or polymer microgels like a usual fluid loss control agent ( average dimension 0 . 05 - 0 . 5 micrometer ) and / or “ ultra fine ” like some colloidal silica or alumina ( average dimension 7 - 50 nanometers ). the compressive mechanical properties of set geopolymer compositions was studied using systems after curing them for several days under high pressure and temperature in high pressure and high temperature chambers to simulate the conditions encountered in an oil or gas well . tables 9 and 10 illustrate that geopolymer formulations proposed by this invention exhibit acceptable compressive strengths with low young &# 39 ; s modulus for oilfield applications with or without retarder . sample a9 is made by dissolving the retarder amount ( if necessary ) in 358 g of water , adding the blend comprising 314 g of metakaolin and 227 g of sodium disilicate in the solution under mixing , adding 17 . 2 g of sodium hydroxide under iso 10426 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension into moulds and placing the moulds in a curing chamber for 7 days at 90 ° c .- 20 . 7 mpa [ 3000 psi ] according to iso 10426 - 2 procedure . sample a9 is then tested by measuring the compressive strength and young &# 39 ; s modulus . sample b9 is made by dissolving the retarder amount ( if necessary ) in 265 g of water , adding the blend comprising 232 g of metakaolin , 168 g of sodium disilicate and 414 g of silica particles as filler in the solution under mixing , adding 13 g of sodium hydroxide under iso 10426 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension into moulds and placing the moulds in a curing chamber for 7 days at 90 ° c .- 20 . 7 mpa [ 3000 psi ] according to iso 10426 - 2 procedure . sample b9 is then tested by measuring the compressive strength and young &# 39 ; s modulus . sample a10 is made by adding the blend comprising 482 g of standard type f fly ash and 96 g of sodium disilicate in 408 g of the sodium hydroxide solution containing the accelerator following iso 10426 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension into moulds and placing the moulds in a curing chamber for 21 days at 90 ° c .- 20 . 7 mpa [ 3000 psi ], according to iso 10426 - 2 procedure . sample a10 is then tested by measuring the compressive strength and young &# 39 ; s modulus . sample b10 is made by adding the blend comprising 442 g of standard type f fly ash and 88 g of sodium disilicate in 424 g of the sodium hydroxide solution containing 3 % bwob licl following iso 10426 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension into moulds and placing the moulds in a curing chamber for 21 days at 90 ° c .- 20 . 7 mpa [ 3000 psi ], according to iso 10426 - 2 procedure . sample b10 is then tested by measuring the compressive strength and young &# 39 ; s modulus . sample c10 is made by adding the blend comprising 480 g of superfine type f fly ash and 96 g of sodium disilicate in 406 g of the sodium hydroxide solution containing 7 % bwob licl following iso 10426 - 2 mixing , pouring the suspension into moulds and placing the moulds in a curing chamber for 21 days at 90 ° c .- 20 . 7 mpa [ 3000 psi ], according to iso 10426 - 2 procedure . sample c10 is then tested by measuring the compressive strength and young &# 39 ; s modulus . because , the compositions of the present invention exhibit good compressive strengths with low young modulus , they would be very useful in oilfield applications . the water permeabilities were measured for some prepared geopolymer compositions . the isolation properties of a set geopolymer was studied using systems which had passed several days under high pressure and temperature in high pressure and high temperature chambers to simulate the conditions encountered in an oil well . table 11 illustrates that geopolymer formulations proposed by this invention exhibit acceptable permeability for oilfield applications . sample a11 is made by dissolving the retarder amount in 265 g of water , adding the blend comprising 232 g of metakaolin , 168 g of sodium disilicate and 414 g of silica particles as filler in the solution under mixing , adding 13 g of sodium hydroxide under api mixing , pouring the suspension in molds in a curing chamber for 7 days at 90 ° c .- 3000 psi according to api procedure . water permeability of sample a11 is then measured on cylindrical core ( 1 - inch diameter by 2 - inches length ). sample b11 is made by adding the blend comprising 482 g of standard fly ash type f and 96 g of sodium disilicate in 408 g of the sodium hydroxide solution containing the accelerator following api mixing , pouring the suspension in molds in a curing chamber for 21 days at 90 ° c .- 3000 psi , according to api procedure . water permeability of sample b11 is then measured on cylindrical core ( 1 - inch diameter by 2 - inches length ). sample c11 is made by adding the blend comprising 442 g of standard fly ash type f and 88 g of sodium disilicate in 424 g of the sodium hydroxide solution containing 3 % bwob licl following api mixing , pouring the suspension in molds in a curing chamber for 21 days at 90 ° c .- 3000 psi , according to api procedure . water permeability of sample c11 is then measured on cylindrical core ( 1 - inch diameter by 2 - inches length ). sample d11 is made by adding the blend comprising 480 g of superfine fly ash type f and 96 g of sodium disilicate in 406 g of the sodium hydroxide solution containing 7 % bwob licl following api mixing , pouring the suspension in molds in a curing chamber for 21 days at 90 ° c .- 3000 psi , according to api procedure . water permeability of sample d11 is then measured on cylindrical core ( 1 - inch diameter by 2 - inches length ). because , the compositions of the present invention exhibit acceptable water permeability , oilfield applications are possible . the methods of the present invention are useful in completing well , such as for example oil and / or gas well , water well , geothermal well , acid gas well , carbon dioxide injection or production well and ordinary well . placement of the geopolymer composition in the portion of the wellbore to be completed is accomplished by means that are well known in the art of wellbore cementing . the geopolymer composition is typically placed in a wellbore surrounding a casing to prevent vertical communication through the annulus between the casing and the wellbore or the casing and a larger casing . the geopolymer suspension is typically placed in a wellbore by circulation of the suspension down the inside of the casing , followed by a wiper plug and a nonsetting displacement fluid . the wiper plug is usually displaced to a collar , located near the bottom of the casing . the collar catches the wiper plug to prevent overdisplacement of the geopolymer composition and also minimizes the amount of the geopolymer composition left in the casing . the geopolymer suspension is circulated up the annulus surrounding the casing , where it is allowed to harden . the annulus could be between the casing and a larger casing or could be between the casing and the borehole . as in regular well cementing operations , such cementing operations with a geopolymer suspension may cover only a portion of the open hole , or more typically up to a point inside the next larger casing or sometimes up to the surface . this method has been described for completion between formation and a casing , but can be used in any type of completion , for example with a liner , a slotted liner , a perforated tubular , an expandable tubular , a permeable tube and / or tube or tubing . in the same way , the methods of the present invention are useful in completing well , such as for example oil and / or gas well , water well , geothermal well , acid gas well , carbon dioxide well and ordinary well , wherein placement of the geopolymer composition in the portion of the wellbore to be completed is accomplished by means that are well known in the art of wellbore reverse circulation cementing . the geopolymer composition can also be used in squeeze job and / or in remedial job . the geopolymer material is forced through perforations or openings in the casing , whether these perforations or openings are made intentionally or not , to the formation and wellbore surrounding the casing to be repaired . geopolymer material is placed in this manner to repair and seal poorly isolated wells , for example , when either the original cement or geopolymer material fails , or was not initially placed acceptably , or when a producing interval has to be shut off . the geopolymer composition can also be used in abandonment and / or plugging job . the geopolymer material is used as a plug to shut off partially or totally a zone of the well . geopolymer material plug is placed inside the well by means that are well known in the art of wellbore plug cementing . the geopolymer composition can also be used in grouting job to complete a part of the annulus as described in well cementing from erik b . nelson . the geopolymer material is used to complete down this annulus . geopolymer material is placed inside the well by means that are well known in the art of wellbore cementing . the geopolymer composition can also be used for fast - setting operation , in - situ operation . effectively , the geopolymer composition can have a setting time perfectly controlled , allowing an instant setting when desired . for example , a retarder / accelerator combination can be added to the geopolymer composition to cause the system to be retarded for an extended period of time and then to set upon addition of an accelerator . according to other embodiments of the invention , the methods of completion described above can be used in combination with conventional cement completion . the following examples will illustrate the practice of the present invention in its preferred embodiments . geopolymer composition is made in the amounts by weight of the total dry components as follows : 58 . 1 % metakaolin and 41 . 9 % sodium disilicate . dry components are mixed with the appropriate amount of water , sodium hydroxide and additives . the specific gravity of the suspension is 1 . 53 g / cm 3 [ 12 . 80 lbm / gal ]. the geopolymer has the following oxide molar ratios : geopolymer composition is made in the amounts by weight of the total dry components as follows : 28 . 5 % metakaolin , 20 . 6 % sodium disilicate and 50 . 9 % of a blend of silica particles . dry components are mixed with the appropriate amount of water , sodium hydroxide and additives . the specific gravity of the suspension is 1 . 84 g / cm 3 [ 15 . 40 lbm / gal ]. the geopolymer matrix has the following oxide molar ratios : geopolymer composition is made in the amounts by weight of the total dry components as follows : 35 . 2 % metakaolin and 64 . 2 % potassium disilicate . dry components are mixed with the appropriate amount of water , potassium hydroxide and additives . the specific gravity of the suspension is 1 . 78 g / cm 3 [ 14 . 91 lbm / gal ]. the geopolymer matrix has the following oxide molar ratios : geopolymer composition is made in the amounts by weight of the total dry components as follows : 83 . 3 % standard fly ash type f and 16 . 7 % sodium disilicate . dry components are mixed with the appropriate amount of water , sodium hydroxide and additives . the specific gravity of the suspension is 1 . 66 g / cm 3 [ 13 . 83 lbm / gal ]. the geopolymer has the following oxide molar ratios :
8
before explaining the present invention in detail , it should be noted that the invention is not limited in its application or use to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and description . the invention as illustrated may be implemented or incorporated in other embodiments , variations and modifications , and may be practiced or carried out in various ways . referring first to fig2 a - c and 3 , methods for press forming tissue holding devices according to the present invention will now be described in detail . fig2 a - 2 c illustrate first 20 and second 21 female dies that together form a die assembly 22 used to form a material into the desired shape using some type of press , such as a hydraulic or pneumatic press or the like . as illustrated in fig2 a and 2 b , the top surfaces 20 a , 21 a of the first and second dies each have a recess 20 b , 21 b therein having a configuration resembling a portion of the desired tissue holding device to be produced . when the top surfaces are aligned and brought in contact with one another , the recesses together form a cavity or mold in the shape of the desired tissue holding device . the feedstock material , or material to be formed into the tissue holding device , is typically a solid polymeric material having any suitable cross - section , such as circular , elliptical , rectangular , square etc ., and having a length necessary for the given application . the material is placed between the first and second dies as shown in fig2 c , and the dies closed and forcibly pressed together by a suitable press as described above . guide pins 23 or the like are typically used to ensure that the proper orientation is maintained between the first and second dies . during the pressing process , the pressure causes material to move into and fill all portions of the die cavities , even any intricate geometries that may exist . the dies 20 , 21 may be compound dies that perform more than one operation in a single stroke of a press . for example , a given set of dies may simultaneously form the tissue holding device and trim excess flash material away by means of pinching , cutting , shearing or the like . the dies and / or the material can be heated to a temperature that aids in material flow , but does not significantly compromise the mechanical properties as occurs with injection molding . in other words , the temperature used will be such that the material softens , but molecular orientation is not completely lost and therefore , the strength and stiffness of the material are not significantly compromised . softening the material may allow the use of lower pressures during processing and reduce the amount of flash on the finished samples . in fact , some thermal treatments may even improve the “ functional ” properties of the material . for example , an annealing treatment may be used to relieve stresses and toughen the material . fig3 a - 3 f illustrate a similar method using multiple dies . a suitable feedstock material 25 , such as a polymeric material having a generally rectangular cross section , is shown in fig3 a and 3 b . first and second female dies 26 , 27 having cavities shaped as shown in fig3 d , are press fit together as described above to cause the polymeric material 25 to take the new shape 25 a shown in fig3 c and 3 d , which has a rhombohedral - like cross - section , with a curved top 24 a and bottom 24 b portions . a second set of dies 28 , 29 is then used to form the material into the final shape 25 b as shown in fig3 e and 3 f , and to trim off excess material if desired . the use of multiple sets of dies allows for shaping a given feedstock into a more desirable shape from which to form the final device shape . as indicated above , the dies can be compound dies and the dies and / or material may be heated to aid in material flow into the die cavities . the use of multiple sets of dies can serve to limit the amount of heat and / or pressure needed relative to forming with only one set of dies . in yet another method , a first set of dies is used to form the pre - form in a similar manner as described above , then , instead of using a second set of dies , a compound profile forming / cutting punch and receiver assembly 100 ( as shown in fig4 a and 4 b ) is subsequently used to profile cut or shear the final shape out of the pre - form . the cross - sectional shape of the pre - form may differ from the cross - sectional shape of the final product . in a preferred embodiment illustrated in fig3 g and 4 b , the cross - sectional shape of the pre - form 600 may have more of an “ i - beam ” shape with a central portion 62 and first and second enlarged distal ends 61 a , 61 b . by “ enlarged distal ends ” what is meant is that the distal ends are enlarged as compared to the adjacent section of the central portion , but are not necessarily larger than the entire central portion . for example , as shown in fig3 g , the thickness t 1 of the enlarged distal ends is greater than the thickness t 2 of the adjacent portion of the central portion 62 , but is substantially similar to ( and may be larger than ) the thickness t 3 at the center of the central portion . these enlarged ends assist in aligning and holding the pre - form in place within the stripper plate 101 and profile receiver 103 during the subsequent punching step as described below . providing an angled transition zone 64 ( i . e ., at a 45 degree angle ) can also improve holding and alignment of the pre - form . the stripper plate 101 and receiver plate 103 similarly have recesses 70 a , 70 b therein that together , when aligned , form a cavity therebetween . this cavity is capable of receiving the pre - form without exerting any significant forces on the pre - form . thus , the recesses include portions 610 a , 610 b ( fig4 b ) that are complementary to the first and second enlarged distal ends 61 a , 61 b of the pre - form , which aid in aligning the pre - form , and minimizing movement of the pre - form during punching . the stripper plate 101 further includes an opening 72 therethrough designed to receive the punch as will be described further and having a complementary shape . the profile punch 102 has an outer periphery 74 that is designed to define the outer periphery of the final product , as can best be seen in fig4 a . this outer periphery defines both the shape of the central core 77 and tissue grasping elements 78 in the final product . further , the distal end 615 ( fig4 b ) of the punch has a unique three - dimensional recess 616 therein that is substantially complementary to the top surface 617 of the central portion of the pre - form that is to be punched . this three - dimensional aspect minimizes deformation of the pre - form during the final step as the profile punch 102 punches out the material . finally , a width w 1 of the punch 102 is preferably less than or equal to a width w 2 of the central portion of the pre - form so that pre - form can be aligned and held firmly in place at the enlarged distal ends during the final punching step . as is well known in the art , the final punching step is performed by passing the punch element 618 through the complementary opening 72 in the stripper plate , into the pre - form , and preferably further through a complementary shaped opening 72 a in the receiver plate , thereby punching out the final product . the advantages of this method are that it may be easier to use a compound profile forming / cutting punch as the final step instead of a forming die , to thereby limit the amount of heat and pressure that is needed . this method may also reduce the amount of flash produced . finally , press - forming or compound profile punching according to the present invention may also be accomplished using a rotary forming or rotary through punch and receiver process , similar to a radial forging - type process , for example , whereby the first 42 and second 44 female dies are circular in shape and have mold recesses or cavities 46 , 48 formed in the outer circumference , and rotate in compression against one another to form the material into the desired shape as is illustrated in fig5 a and 5 b . this process has the advantage of permitting production of a continuous device , or one having discrete portions with and without tissue holding elements . as indicated previously , the above - described methods have distinct advantages over other known methods in that they enable production of tissue holding devices having superior mechanical properties , and also enable production of a tissue holding devices having tissue holding elements of virtually any geometry . with cut barbed sutures , every barb is carved into the suture shaft thereby adversely affecting the holding and tensile strength of the suture at the location of the barb , and providing extensive limitations on the barb geometry and configuration . for example , it is undesirable to place cut barbs 650 opposite one another along the suture shaft , as shown in fig6 , since such a configuration doubles the reduction in the suture shaft at that location , as can be seen in comparing the suture shaft diameter s 1 to the suture shaft diameter s 2 at the location of the barbs . further , intricate geometries are not possible with cutting , and are limited with injection molding due to the limitations on flowability and the reduction in mechanical properties brought about by this method . with the above - described methods , there are no barbs cut into the core diameter , but rather there are tissue holding means or elements , such as protrusions , extensions or the like , extending outwardly from an intact core , which may be of any circular or non - circular cross - sectional shape the tissue holding elements can readily be place opposite one another , for example as shown in fig3 e , as there is no reduction in the cross - sectional area of the core . not only is reduction in tensile strength of less concern with press - forming , but it also allows for greater flexibility in suture size selection , since the original suture diameter or cross - section need not be greater than desired to accommodate for any reduction associated with cutting into the suture core or shaft . another tissue holding device according to the present invention is illustrated in fig7 - 8 . multiple tissue holding elements 30 extend outwardly from suture shaft 31 , with each element further including a web - like portion 32 extending between the inner side 36 of the tissue holding element and the suture shaft . preferably , this web - like portion is thinner than the main tissue holding element 30 . the web - like portion 32 allows the tissue holding elements to fold against the suture shaft during insertion into tissue or other material , but also serves to reinforce the strength of the tissue holding element and provide resistance against peeling back of the tissue holding element . this can greatly increase the holding strength for a given suture diameter and configuration of the tissue holding element 30 . each tissue holding element may also be configured with a radiused tip 34 to reduce tissue irritation and the like while still maintaining holding ability . further , the web - like portion 32 may be continuous or non - continuous . for example , a section 32 a nearest the base may be eliminated leaving only a strip 32 b of the web - like portion between the tissue holding element and the shaft or core 31 . in the configuration described above , with or without the web - like portions , the suture may have a core diameter 35 of approximately 0 . 005 - 0 . 035 inches , and preferably 0 . 014 inches . the central core of the device may also be of any other suitable cross - section , such as the exemplary embodiment illustrated in fig3 f . in this embodiment , opposing upper and lower sides 45 a , 45 b are curved , whereas opposing lateral sides 43 a , 43 b are substantially flat or straight . the width w and length l are each preferably in the range of 0 . 006 - 0 . 020 inches , and more preferably approximately 0 . 012 inches . for purposes of this disclosure , the term “ outermost dimension ” refers to the largest dimension that can be measured across the cross - section of the core . the length l ( see fig7 ) of the tissue holding elements may be 0 . 010 - 0 . 20 inches , and preferably approximately 0 . 030 - 0 . 065 inches . although the tissue holding elements 30 illustrated in fig7 are substantially conical in shape , any other suitable configuration may also be used , such as pyramidal , cylindrical etc . in a preferred embodiment , the base 37 or proximal end of the main tissue holding element 30 has a diameter of approximately 0 . 006 - 0 . 05 inches , and a tip 38 or distal end has a diameter of approximately 0 . 001 - 0 . 006 inches . further , although the illustrated embodiment shows tissue holding elements at approximately 180 degrees spacing about the circumference of the suture shaft ( opposite sides ), any other suitable spacing ( i . e ., 120 degree spacing ) may also be achieved with the methods described herein . tissue holding element angle α may be any suitable angle between 1 and 90 degrees , with a currently preferred embodiment being approximately 52 degrees . finally , the spacing between successive barbs on a given side of the suture may be approximately 0 . 01 - 0 . 1 inches , and preferably approximately 0 . 030 inches . the tissue holding devices described herein may be formed of any material suitable for press - forming and suitable for implantation into the body . a preferred material is polypropylene or polyvinylidene fluoride ( pvdf ). other suitable polymeric materials include absorbable materials such as polydioxanone , polyglactin , polyglycolic acid , copolymers of glycolide and lactide , polyoxaesters , poliglecaprone etc ., or non - absorbable materials such as polypropylene , polyethylene , polyvinylidene fluoride ( pvdf ), polyesters , polyethylene terephthalate , glycol - modified polyethylene terephthalate , polytetrafluoroethylene , fluoropolymers , nylons etc . and the like , or copolymers of combinations thereof , including combinations of absorbable and non - absorbable materials . in addition , metals or ceramics may be suitable for certain applications , such as instances where specific strength or corrosion resistance is necessary . yet another embodiment allows for the addition of fibers , such as glass fibers , to a polymeric material to provide reinforcement and subsequent increased mechanical properties . finally , shape memory metals or polymers could be used that , for example , maintain the tissue holding elements in a collapsed position during normal room temperatures , but that return to an uncollapsed position when exposed to body temperature . referring now to fig9 a and 9 b , the tissue holding elements 900 may be configured to better facilitate folding against the suture shaft 901 during insertion by providing a notch , recess or the like 902 on the inner side 903 thereof , preferably in proximity to the proximal end 904 of the tissue holding element as shown . the recessed area may decrease tissue trauma by allowing the tissue holding elements to “ fold ” during insertion . further , the tissue holding elements 900 may be formed with a reinforced or wider proximal end as shown to provide added strength and to help prevent peeling back of the tissue holding element . the devices of the present invention may also incorporate a variety of additional features such as a tapered leading end 1100 having a smaller cross - section at the distal end 1101 to lessen resistance and tissue trauma during insertion . the device of fig9 b further has a gradually increasing outer dimension x ( distance between distal tips of opposing or nearly opposing tissue holding elements ) along the length or a portion of the length from the leading end 1101 toward the distal end 1105 . this feature similarly serves to facilitate insertion of the device into tissue . in addition , the device of fig9 b may include one or more recesses 1106 behind the tissue holding elements designed and positioned such that the tissue holding element fold backward at least partially into the recess when the device is drawn through tissue , which serves to reduce the outer cross - sectional profile and therefore facilitate insertion , minimize tissue trauma , and minimize the channel formed in the tissue . another advantage of devices formed according to the methods described above is that such devices can readily take advantage of molecular orientation and the properties that such orientation imparts to the final product . for example , the feedstock material can be provided in a sheet 1000 such as that shown in fig1 . with a polymeric material , the sheet may be constructed so as to have a particular molecular orientation , such as one that is primarily in the direction of arrow a . if a high tensile strength is desired in the end product , the feedstock may be cut out of the sheet in that same direction , such as is shown by reference numeral 1002 . if the holding strength of the tissue grasping devices is the most important , the feedstock could be cut as shown by reference numeral 1004 . as is apparent from the description above , the use of press - forming or compound profile punching to form tissue holding devices is highly advantageous in that it can be used to achieve virtually any three - dimensional configuration without regard to intricate geometries of the tissue holding elements , without regard to positioning of the tissue holding elements , without concern as to reducing the tensile strength of the suture , and without adversely affecting the structural integrity of the original feedstock material . it will be apparent from the foregoing that , while particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described , various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , it is not intended that the invention be limited , except as by the appended claims .
8
referring now to fig2 a housing 10 made of a single piece of material is provided . the housing 10 includes a first portion 12 having a distal end 14 and a proximal end 16 . the housing also has a second portion 18 that also includes distal and proximal ends 20 , 22 . the first and second portions are homogeneously connected to one another . the housing includes an upper wall 24 and a lower wall 26 . side walls 28 and 30 connect the upper and lower walls to one another . as can be seen in fig2 the housing 10 is generally rectangular in shape . referring now to fig3 which is a sectional view taken along the lines 3 -- 3 in fig2 an insulated wire 32 extends through the housing from the proximal end 22 to the first portion 12 of the housing . a metallic electrical connector 34 is attached to the insulated wire 32 inside the distal end 14 of the first portion 12 . the electrical connector 34 is illustrated in greater detail in fig4 . as can be seen in the figure , the electrical connector includes a prong 36 which extends outwardly from the main portion 38 of the electrical connector . the proximal end 40 of the electrical connector is crimped around the insulated wire 32 . the metallic electrical connector 34 includes a sloped portion 42 which serves as a female contact when a male contact 43 is inserted in the housing 10 . returning now to fig3 the prong 36 of the electrical contact extends downwardly through a slit 44 and the first portion 12 of the housing 10 when the electrical connector is inserted into the housing . the prong 36 and slit 44 served to maintain the electrical connector 34 in place within the housing 10 . however , as discussed above , if the insulated wire 32 is subjected to significant tension or strain , it is possible that the insulated wire may become disconnected from the electrical connector 34 . therefore , a strain relief mechanism , which is discussed in greater detail below , has been developed as part of the subject invention . the second portion 18 of the housing 10 includes a lower portion 46 having a distal end 20 that is homogeneously connected to the proximal end 16 of the first portion 12 . the second portion 18 also includes an upper portion 48 . a hinge 50 commonly known as a &# 34 ; living &# 34 ; hinge connects a flap 52 of the upper portion 48 to the first portion 12 of the housing . the hinge 50 extends homogeneously across the second portion 18 of the housing 10 at a location between the distal and proximal ends 20 , 22 . the living hinge 50 is formed by using a relatively thin wall of material . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the housing is formed of a rigid insulating material . many materials may be used to form the housing . for example , the housing may be formed of capron nylon . any other material may be used provided that it has the following characteristics : it must be rigid , yet allow for flexibility at the hinge portion ; and it must also be electrically insulating . referring again to fig3 the upper portion 48 includes flap 52 which extends from the hinge to form the upper part of the proximal end 22 of the second portion 18 . the flap 52 is movable from a first , open position to a second , closed position as illustrated in fig5 . the flap 52 includes a first pair of strain relief pressure points 54 at a proximal end 56 of the flap . ( only one pressure point is shown in fig5 due to the cross - sectional nature of the drawing .) both pressure points 58 , 60 can be more clearly seen in fig6 which is a proximal end view of the housing when the flap is in the open position . the flap 52 further includes a second pair of pressure points 62 , 64 at the distal end 66 . when the flap is in the closed position as illustrated in fig5 each pair of pressure points act as strain relief mechanisms on the insulated wire 32 . accordingly , each insulated wire has strain relief at two separate locations along the wire immediately adjacent to the connection of the insulated wire 32 to the metallic electrical terminal 34 . in the preferred embodiment of the subject invention as illustrated in fig6 the second portion includes a locking means for locking the flap in the second closed position . the locking means includes a locking wall 68 which extends generally upwardly from the lower wall 26 of the second portion 18 of the housing 10 . the locking wall 68 generally extends from the distal to the proximal end of the second portion 18 of the housing . the wall includes an arrow - shaped upper portion 70 when viewed cross - sectionally as illustrated in fig6 . the locking means further includes a locking slit 72 which is generally centrally located in flap 52 and generally extends from the distal to the proximal ends 66 , 56 of the flap . a cross - sectional view of the flap 52 is illustrated in fig7 . as seen in fig7 the locking slit 72 includes a pair of generally l - shaped ledges 74 , 76 which extend downwardly along each side of the slit . each ledge includes an angular opening 78 , 80 . the purpose of the angular opening is to allow each ledge 74 , 76 to easily slide under the arrow - shaped portion 70 of the locking wall 68 to lock the flap 52 in the closed position . if the angular openings are not provided , the flap 52 may occasionally crack when closed . as can be seen more clearly in fig8 which is a perspective view of one embodiment of the subject invention when the flap is in the closed position , the housing 10 includes a grasping means 82 . in the preferred embodiment , the grasping means 82 includes a widened section 84 that extends generally circumferentially about the housing 10 generally at the junction of the first and second portions 12 , 18 . in one embodiment of the invention , the widened section includes a generally v - shaped portion which extends outwardly from each of the side walls 28 , 30 of the housing 10 . this allows a person to easily grasp the housing to insert or remove the first portion 12 of the housing 10 from a mating connector housing 86 . since the metallic electrical terminals 34 are completely encased within the housing 10 , and since the strain relief pressure points prevent the insulated wire 32 from being disengaged from the terminals 34 , a operator can easily remove the housing 10 without inadvertently inducing arcing or contacting the terminals . referring now to fig9 and 10 , in one embodiment of the invention , one or more ribs 88 are provided which extend along the upper wall 24 from the distal to the proximal ends 14 , 16 of the first portion 12 of the housing 10 . the purpose of the ribs 88 is to provide stability to the housing 10 when the opening of the mating connector 86 is generally larger than the cross - section of the second portion 12 of the housing 10 . the ribs act to prevent the housing 10 from &# 34 ; rocking &# 34 ; inside the mating connector section 86 . in general , many other outer shapes of the first portion 12 of the housing may be provided . the goal in designing the outer shape of the first portion 12 is to allow the housing 10 to fit securely within the opening of mating connector portion 86 . it should be also noted that in the preferred embodiment , the connector with ribs uses high - current heated wires , while the one without ribs uses low - current heated wires . the ribs prevent to insert high current probe into low current male connector .
7
the invention disclosed herein integrates structural elements of a disposable beverage cup that can be manipulated while practically eliminating or lowering the risk of an affixed beverage cup lid being inadvertently or accidentally detached from the cup . the resulting structure minimizes or eliminates a well - known hazard to the beverage consumer and others while enhancing the ergonomics of the cup and lid assembly . the present invention comprises a disposable beverage cup capable of receiving a disposable lid of the types commonly commercially available . the cup can be made of any common material for beverage cups , but the preferred embodiments are manufactured from resin - covered paper or styrofoam ®. the cup can be manufactured in various heights and diameters . while not part of the invention , the beverage cup of the invention is designed to function with a commercially available disposable lid . such lids are manufactured in varying diameters , depending on the size of cup they are intended to cover . the lids are circular , comprising a planar , raised or semi - circular body and a skirt around the outer circumference , capable of being press fit over the rim of a disposable cup . the lid is removed by upward pressure on the skirt . the cup comprises an outside surface , an inside surface , a top , which is open and characterized by a rim , and a bottom , which is closed . the bottom may further comprise a rim around its outer circumference to enhance stability and prevent over - insertion of others cups when stacked . the cup further comprises a body , which comprises a grasping portion , where a user commonly holds the cup and a ledge . the ledge is a seamless , monolithic protrusion formed concentrically about the vertical axis of , and occurring below , the rim of the cup . the ledge comprises a rounded curb adjacent to the grasping portion of the cup , which terminates in a horizontal plane that protrudes from the outside surface of the cup coaxially about the cup &# 39 ; s axis , the horizontal plane &# 39 ; s outer circumference being concentric with and greater than the outer circumference of the lid . the ledge further comprises a contour , which can be seen in the cup &# 39 ; s cross - section , merging the cup &# 39 ; s circumference about the vertical axis of the cup with the ledge to improve human grip and safe manipulation of the cup . the ledge further comprises one or more indentations in the curb and horizontal plane , shaped to allow contact between the lid &# 39 ; s skirt and the user &# 39 ; s fingers and / or thumb . each of the elements is described in greater detail as follows : the ledge is a monolithic element that concentrically surrounds the upper portion of the cup to act as a barrier between the grasping portion of the cup and the cup &# 39 ; s rim and lid . the ledge is capable of stopping the user &# 39 ; s hand from slipping upward from the grasping portion of the cup towards the rim of the cup . the ledge &# 39 ; s ability to prevent the user &# 39 ; s hand from contacting the lid &# 39 ; s skirt , minimizes or eliminates the risk of the hand accidentally and inadvertently detaching the lid suddenly from the cup , which could result in a potentially hot beverage erupting from the cup . the ledge also guards against the accidental and inadvertent detachment of the lid which commonly results in spillage onto furniture , electronics , appliances , automobile dashboards , automobile cup carriers , gearshifts , and other objects that might come in the path of a cup and lid assembly while it is being manipulated or transported by the server and consumer of the contained beverage . the ledge comprises a rounded curb that acts as a barrier to upward movement of the hand . the curb terminates in a horizontal plane which comprises a flat surface which extends concentrically inward from the curb to a diameter similar to or the same as the cup &# 39 ; s rim , resulting in a circumference greater than the outer lowest circumference of the lid &# 39 ; s skirt . the horizontal plane is located sufficiently close to the cup &# 39 ; s rim so that it abuts the bottom edge of the lid &# 39 ; s skirt . in an alternative embodiment of the invention , the horizontal plane is located lower on the cup &# 39 ; s body by an amount equal or less than the full elastic vertical deflection of the ledge if it were subjected to a sudden impact , resulting in a gap between the horizontal plane and the skirt &# 39 ; s lowest point . the cross - sectional contour of the outside surface of the cup from the grasping portion to the ledge is either a linear or curvilinear change in angle , so that the user can grasp the cup under the ledge ergonomically , safely and comfortably . in two separate embodiments of the invention , the contour either gradually or abruptly changes in angle from the grasping portion of the cup to the ledge depending on the ergonomic or manufacturing considerations . the indentations comprise an interruption of the continuity of the ledge &# 39 ; s circumferential form that allows the lid skirt edge to be contacted by an element , i . e ., finger or thumb , of the human hand for the purpose of controlling removal of the lid from the cup . the preferred embodiment of the invention , as described above , is manufactured from expandable materials such as styrofoam ® or gasified natural fibrous slurries made of natural or synthetic resins stabilized by natural or synthetic starches or proteins . in the primary alternative embodiment depicted in fig6 and 7 , the invention is manufactured from a flat material such as coated and or infused paper that is rolled and pressed to form the cup . the invention could also be manufactured from other materials , such as polyolefin resin or plastic . multiple differences result from the change in materials from expanded to flat . first , the cross - sectional contour is more linear , due to the limitations in thickness of paper - type materials . second , the inside surface of a cup made of expandable material may still be uniform and linear , despite the presence of the ledge on the outside surface thereby allowing the majority of a cup to be inserted into another for stacking of multiple cups for cost effective shipping . the inside surface of the cup manufactured from rolled flat materials has a depression that corresponds to the ledge on the outside surface . fig1 is a frontal elevation of the invention showing : curb ( 1 ); horizontal plane ( 2 ); contour ( 3 ); indentation ( 4 ); cup rim ( 5 ); and the cup ( 6 ). elements ( 1 ) through ( 5 ) are combined as a monolithic form comprising the invention . fig1 depicts the preferred embodiment of the invention manufactured from expandable materials such as styrofoam ® or gasified natural fibrous slurries made of natural or synthetic resins stabilized by natural or synthetic starches or proteins . fig2 is frontal - top perspective of the preferred embodiment of the invention with the addition of a commercially available disposable cup lid ( 7 ) affixed to the cup &# 39 ; s rim ( 5 ) which is of the press fit type commonly used in the field of this invention . the alternative type of lid to cup fit is a rounded skirt fit that is described in fig6 and 7 . the curb ( 1 ) is shown to have its outside diameter greater than that of lid skirt ( 8 ). the ledge ( 13 ) therefore guards against contact between objects and the lid skirt ( 8 ), thereby preventing or reducing the risk of inadvertent , accidental , sudden detachment of the lid ( 7 ) from the cup ( 6 ). the lid skirt ( 8 ) can be in contact with horizontal plane ( 2 ) or be slightly above it , say 1 / 10 ″±, to a degree that maintains the barrier relationship between the ledge ( 13 ) and the lid skirt ( 8 ). the indentation ( 4 ) allows for a digit or thumb of the human hand to make intentional controlled contact with the lid skirt ( 8 ) for intentional controlled removal of the lid ( 7 ) from the cup ( 6 ) via upward pressure with a finger or thumb . the inside surface ( 9 ) of the cup ( 6 ) is uniform , relative to the protruding ledge ( 13 ) on the outside surface ( 10 ), and is a characteristic example of a common cup formed with expandable natural or synthetic resins such as styrofoam ® or gasified natural fibrous slurries stabilized with organic starches or proteins . fig3 is frontal view cross - section of the preferred embodiment of the invention . finger ( s ) and thumb ( 11 ) are shown grasping the cup ( 6 ) at opposite points along the cross - sectional contour ( 3 ) that stops or curbs the finger ( s ) and thumb ( 11 ) from contacting the lid skirt ( 8 ), thereby preventing or reducing the risk of the inadvertent , accidental , sudden detachment of the lid ( 7 ) from the cup ( 6 ). it is a common habit or practice of servers and consumers to grasp lidded cups in similar manner shown herein . commercially available disposable cups allow the finger and thumb and other objects to contact and exert upward force on the lid , thereby causing potential inadvertent , accidental , sudden removal of the lid from the cup . fig4 is frontal view cross - section of the preferred embodiment of the invention . all four fingers and thumb ( 11 ) are shown grasping the cup ( 6 ) around its outside surface . the ledge ( 13 ) stops or curbs objects and elements of the human hand , i . e ., finger ( s ) and thumb ( 11 ) from contacting and exerting upward force on lid skirt ( 8 ), thereby preventing or reducing the risk of the inadvertent , accidental , sudden detachment of the lid ( 7 ) from the cup ( 6 ). the manner in which the human hand grasps the cup ( 6 ) depicted in fig4 is common with consumers in the act of drinking the contained beverage . fig5 is an enlarged detail of the upper left cross - sectional frontal view of the invention with a common lid ( 7 ) affixed . the lid ( 7 ) press fits onto the cup &# 39 ; s rim ( 5 ). the cross - section of the expanded resin embodiment of the cup is depicted . fig5 depicts an alternative embodiment wherein the lid skirt ( 8 ) does not make contact with horizontal plane ( 2 ), as it does in fig4 . the curb ( 1 ), and therefore horizontal plane ( 2 ), is positioned lower relative to the cup &# 39 ; s rim ( 5 ), than in fig4 such that additional separation is created between lid skirt ( 8 ) and the horizontal plane ( 2 ), preventing or reducing the risk of elastic deflection of the ledge ( 13 ) from transmitting upward force against lid skirt ( 8 ). the uniformity of the inside surface ( 9 ) is clearly depicted in fig5 , demonstrating a common result of the manufacture of expanded resin cups . this effect differs from rolled and pressed flat paper or natural resin cups depicted in fig6 and 7 . the curvilinear contour ( 3 ) is more a function of ergonomics , but the invention &# 39 ; s contour can range from curvilinear to linear . the curvilinear contour ( 3 ) is more practicably applied to forming expanded resin cups , whereas the linear contour ( 3 ) as shown in fig6 and 7 , is more practicably applied to forming rolled and pressed flat material such as paper . fig6 is a frontal perspective view of the alternative embodiment of the invention , formed from a common type of flat material such as coated and or infused paper that is typically rolled and pressed to form the cup . the lid ( 7 ) is not a part of this invention but is included in the figures to demonstrate the functional aspects of the invention elements relative to common lids . the lid &# 39 ; s skirt ( 8 ) mates with cup &# 39 ; s rim ( 5 ), which is rolled . the ledge ( 13 ) stops or curbs contact between elements of the human hand and the lid skirt ( 8 ) in the same manner described in fig3 and 4 . the cross - sectional contour ( 3 ) is simply a linear continuation of the contour of the primary shape of the cup ( 6 ). in alternative embodiments , the linear contour ( 3 ) can be at any logical angle from the primary shape of the cup . the ledge ( 13 ) comprises a curb ( 1 ) and a horizontal plane ( 2 ). a rolled and pressed or otherwise formed depression ( 12 ) is formed on the inside surface ( 9 ) of the cup , corresponding to the ledge ( 13 ) on the outside surface ( 10 ) of the cup . the indentation ( 4 ) and the depression ( 12 ) demonstrate the different characteristics of a cup manufactured from a rolled flat material versus an expanded resin material . fig . ( 7 ) shows , in a larger scale , a detail of the alternative embodiment of the invention manufactured from rolled flat materials .
0
a first embodiment of the present invention is shown functionally in fig1 . the system 10 comprises preferably three separate components that share a common database , where the database may be resident in the patient component 12 or contained on a memory device 14 such as a smart card . the three components of the system 10 in accordance with the present invention are a patient component 12 , a physician component 16 , and a pharmacist component 18 . as currently embodied , the memory device 14 is a smart card , which is an integrated circuit or chip containing a microprocessor , rom , ram , and eeprom , packaged within a plastic panel much like a credit card . the memory device 14 could be manifested in a variety of other forms as well . for example , the memory device 14 may be replaced by a simple memory card which relies on the processor in one of the three components such as the patient component 12 in order to operate . the patient component 12 is preferably a generally rectangular battery powered unit that has several input buttons 20 , 22 , and 24 along a bottom edge thereof , an lcd panel 26 visible on a front surface of the housing , and a scroll switch 28 preferably located on one edge of the housing which permits the patient / user to scroll backward and forward through the various display screens and options on the lcd as will be subsequently described . the patient component 12 basically provides the following basic functions : 1 . displays the medical data contained on the memory device or , in the smart card shown , by reading the eeprom on the memory device 14 . the display may include an ambient light sensor to adjust the contrast of the display and / or backlight of the display automatically depending on ambient light conditions . 2 . allows the patient to scroll through the data using various means to indicate , via a typical graphical user interface menu , which type of data is to be displayed . 4 . provides an alarm for when an event , such as required consumption of a medication , is to occur . the alarm can be visual , aural , or tactile . 6 . provides a means to identify the type of pill to be taken such as a graphic image of the medication to be taken . ( a red cylindrical pill , a blue heart shaped pill , etc .) 7 . provides information about correct consumption of the medication , including possible side effects and potential interactions with other drugs and / or consumables such as alcohol , food , milk , etc . 8 . provides a means for input by the patient via input buttons 20 , 22 , and 24 , to indicate whether an alarmed event ( e . g ., time to take a medication ) was accepted or delayed , and log the time , date , and action for that alarm . 9 . provides power to perform the above functions , as the smart card typically does not contain any power source of its own . 10 . is portable such that it can be carried by the patient at all times , such as in a pocket , purse , or worn with a strap on an arm , around the neck or waist . the patient component may also be provided with various attachment means , such as a magnet or hook and loop fabric to attach the unit conveniently to nearby and / or highly visible surfaces , depending on the preferences of the patient . 11 . provides security , via coding features and data encryption , to prevent unauthorized use and access to the data encoded on the smart card or within the patient component . two example physical configurations of the patient component are shown in fig2 and 3 . the system allows a variety of devices to be used , but each one must have the capabilities to perform the prescribed unique functions . in the case of fig2 the device has a slot to accept the memory device 14 or smart card , and only requires 3 buttons 20 , 22 , and 24 to access the data , or to prompt the patient to respond to the event alarm . the patient component 12 alarm may be audible , visual or tactile as in a vibrator device . fig3 shows a device 30 , much like a woman &# 39 ; s compact , that contains a larger display area , such that an elderly patient with reduced visual acuity can still use the patient component . each of these embodiments 12 and 30 preferably will include a button or switch control to permit the patient to scroll through display screens and an ambient light sensor coupled to the lcd to automatically adjust the contrast and back light for the display depending on ambient light conditions upon activation by the patient or the activation of an alarm event . the physician component 16 is preferably a hand held personal digital assistant device such as a palm pc or palm pilot type device that receives the memory device 14 and reads and writes data from and to the memory device 14 . the physician component 16 is preferably programmed with at least the following basic functions : 1 . displays the medical data contained in the smart card by reading the eeprom on the memory device 14 . 2 . contains data specifically tailored for use by the physician , such as a database of diagnoses and common illnesses and correlated potential medications that may be prescribed , and a library of special instructions or treatments to be performed by the patient that the physician may prescribe . 3 . writes data to the patient &# 39 ; s memory device 14 when it is docked in the physician component 16 . 4 . optionally may include a special enclosure configuration for the use of the component 16 in areas where blood born pathogens are a concern , e . g ., emergency rooms and surgical suites . the pharmacist component 18 is essentially a smart card reader and a software application resident on the pharmacist &# 39 ; s personal computer which reads the physician prescription data from the memory device 14 and correctly formats the physician prescribed prescription data recorded on the memory device 14 in a form useable to the patient . this software application will reside on the same personal computer ( pc ) that the pharmacist currently utilizes . the time and effort for the pharmacist to provide this medication data to the patient in the patient component is designed to be very minimal , typically on the order of 15 - 30 seconds or less . nearly all pharmacists now have a personal computer in the pharmacy , with links to various health organizations , in particular organizations that provide data on both prescription and otc medications . there is a code , known as the national drug code ( ndc ) that identifies every medication sold in the united states . in combination with this code and the access to various networked databases , the pharmacist can access and supply necessary information about the prescribed medication to the patient . today , this data is typically printed on a sheet ( typically 5 . 5 ″ by 8 ″) that contains common uses , consumption requirements , cautions and possible side effects of the particular medication . thus the pharmacist component 18 in the system 10 of the present invention , through the pharmacist &# 39 ; s pc , reads and write data from the pharmacist &# 39 ; s database to the memory device 14 , and will typically supply the data that is conventionally printed on the prescription information sheet to the memory device 14 in addition to medication administration instructions . the system in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention uses smart card technology to make the link between the three easy , quick , and secure . the components may alternatively communicate via infrared serial communication links , or other communication methods such as the recently developed personal area network ( pan ) rather than a smart card . however , in the first preferred embodiment , a memory device 14 is utilized as the data transfer medium for illustration purposes . the memory device 14 will contain at least the following data about the patient : 3 . 1 . physicians & amp ; affiliation , such as internist , dentist , optometrist 5 . 3 . occurrence of any side effect from a medication both of the sample patient devices shown in fig2 and 3 use the 3 button input configuration to display data and to respond to alarms . a flow diagram of the software algorithm for viewing the data on the device is shown in fig4 . the basic algorithm would access the data contained on the memory device 14 . to respond to an alarm , a possible sequence of steps for the patient component is shown in fig5 . in block 50 the patient component is turned on . alternatively , the patient component 12 may be configured to always be on and simply placed in a conventional “ sleep ” mode to conserve battery life when there is no activity or alarm condition . in this situation , block 50 represents the patient taking the unit out of the “ sleep ” mode by pressing any of the input buttons 20 , 22 , or 24 . process flow then transfers to operation 52 wherein a default display screen appears on the lcd panel 26 . the default display screen may contain general patient information , a menu of currently prescribed and active medications , or a listing of current pending scheduled alarm times along with the current date and time . also on this default screen may be a query 53 asking whether additional data display is desired . if the patient does not desire additional data to be displayed , the default display remains on the lcd for a predetermined amount of time and then the component returns to the sleep mode . if the patient wishes additional data review , the patient will push , in operation 54 the appropriate input 20 , 22 , or 24 , whichever is indicated by the display 26 . control then transfers to the first display screen 56 which , for example , may be the first medication currently prescribed . in operation 58 the patient scrolls through the screen data until a query 60 appears . query 60 asks whether the patient wishes to view the underlying record for a particular entry on the screen . if the patient presses the appropriate “ yes ” input button , control transfers to operation 62 in which the program automatically jumps to the appropriate indicated detailed record . the patient , in operation 64 , may then push the appropriate “ enter ” button to view the detailed record . control then transfers to operation 66 in which the patient is queried whether another record is to be viewed . if not , control then transfers back to operation 60 . if the patient wishes to view another record , control transfers to operation 68 where the patient presses the “ back ” button , which transfers control to operation 62 for review of another detailed record . if the patient does not wish to view a detailed record in operation 60 , control transfers to operation 70 where the patient is queried whether any other data should be displayed . if not , control transfers back to operation 52 wherein the default screen is displayed for a predetermined period of time , then the component 12 returns to the sleep mode . if the patient answers the query in operation 70 in the affirmative , the “ back ” push button is indicated , and when pushed , transfers control back to operation 54 . in this manner , the patient can review all patient accessible data programmed into the memory device 14 and loaded into the patient component 12 . as previously mentioned , the patient component 12 includes a scheduling and alarm function for the prescribed medications . the process operations which occur upon an alarm condition are shown in fig5 . in operation 80 the internal alarm clock in the patient component 12 , when the programmed alarm time equals the current time , sounds an alarm , either visually , audibly or by vibration or a combination of these , taking the component 12 out of the “ sleep ” mode . control then transfers to operation 82 wherein the particular prescription information for the precipitating medication alarm is displayed on the lcd screen . this information may be the current time , the scheduled dosage to be taken , the drug name , and possibly a description such as of the shape or color of the pill to be taken . also , cautions may be displayed on the same screen such as — do not take with milk —, — take with food —, or take only with medication y —. control then transfers to operation 84 . in operation 84 , the patient is asked whether to accept or delay action as required by the information displayed in operation 82 . in the event that the patient accepts or acknowledges the action , the patient presses the input button 20 , 22 , or 24 that is labeled “ accept ” or “ acknowledge ” in operation 86 . control then transfers to operation 88 where the time / date and prescription medication is logged with acceptance , i . e . that the patient has taken the prescribed medication at that time . control then transfers to operation 90 where the patient component 12 returns to the sleep mode until the next alarm condition occurs or the patient requests information as in operation 50 in fig4 . however , if the patient elects to delay taking the particular medication generating the alarm condition at that time , the “ delay set ” labeled button is pressed in operation 92 . control then transfers to operation 94 in which the database contained on memory device 14 is queried whether it is permissible to delay . if it is permissible to delay , control transfers to operation 96 where the patient component 12 logs the time and date of this decision with the prescription information and the delay note . a revised alarm time is set and control then transfers to operation 90 where the component 12 returns to the sleep mode . if the program in operation 94 determines that delay is not permissible then the patient is allowed to reconsider . control then transfers either back to operation 86 permitting the patient to take the medication as scheduled , i . e ., the patient presses the acknowledge button , and log it appropriately or to operation 98 where the patient presses a button labeled “ skip ” and the failed time and date ( i . e . that the patient failed to take the required dose ) is logged . control then transfers to operation 90 where the component 12 returns to the sleep mode . the integration of the memory device 14 with this appropriate medical data in the patient component 12 can also be applied to devices that actually contain and dispense the medication . in addition , other medical assistance device adaptations for special needs such as for the hearing or sight impaired are also possible as well as a physical design for patients who are impaired from pressing buttons . in these latter instances , voice input devices may be utilized rather than buttons . turning now to fig6 a system 100 in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention is shown . in this embodiment , the system 100 eliminates the need for a memory device 14 as in the first embodiment . the system 100 comprises a physician &# 39 ; s component 102 , which may be embodied in a specially programmed personal digital assistant such as the palm pc , a patient component 104 , and the pharmacist component 106 . the patient component 104 is linked to the physician &# 39 ; s component 102 and pharmacist &# 39 ; s component pc via infrared link or by cable via rs232 interface . alternatively , the components may also be linked by modem in the situation where the patient and physician are physically separated , yet a modification of prescription is desired by the patient and approved by the physician . thus there is no need for a smart card as all of the patient information resides in the patient component . the physician component may optionally be connected to an external storage device for archiving the data on the patient component . this optional archive capability may be alternatively provided via the pharmacist component as the pharmacist may be more accessible to the patient than the physician in many circumstances . however , it is preferred in the present invention that the patient component provide the patient with control and full information on his or her medical condition . this way , should the patient need to see a new physician or become involved in an accident , the physician and / or emergency medical personnel will have always have the necessary information in order to treat the patient appropriately . an exemplary patient component 104 is shown in front and rear perspective views in fig8 a and 8b . patient component 104 comprises a generally rectangular housing 108 that has enclosed within it a central processing unit , memory and electronic circuitry for performing the functions described herein , an alarm clock capable of scheduling and tracking a number of different prescriptions and administration frequencies , a liquid crystal display screen , a power supply , and input devices to permit the patient to interact with the component . as shown in fig8 a , the housing 108 includes a window 110 for the lcd screen 112 in a front side 114 . a set of three push button controls 116 , 118 , and 120 are provided along the bottom edge 122 of the housing 108 . a rotatable scroll switch 124 is mounted in the housing 108 such that an arcuate portion of the switch 124 projects from the right side of the housing 108 . as can readily be seen in the rear view of the component 104 in fig8 b , battery compartments 126 and 128 are provided in the housing 108 for two aa size battery cells . the push button switches 116 , 118 , and 120 are positioned along the bottom edge of the housing 108 so that they may be actuated easily by almost any patient , especially those with limited manual dexterity . the function of each of these buttons changes as the screens on the lcd change . consequently , the labels for the particular buttons appears in the lcd screens as shown in fig2 through 43 and as described below . the wheel 124 provided along the right side of the housing 108 is also for convenient operation by a patient &# 39 ; s thumb . other configurations of the patient component may alternatively be provided . the particular configuration shown in fig8 a and 8b is merely one example . the physician component 102 is essentially a conventional personal digital assistant such as a palm pc with the windows ce operating system and particularly programmed for the medication management system application . fig9 through 24 show a number of exemplary screens that take the physician through a review of the patient &# 39 ; s medical history , contact information , and facilitate the physician &# 39 ; s diagnosis of an ailment and assist the physician in arriving at and prescribing an appropriate treatment for the patient &# 39 ; s ailment . note that all names , addresses , etc . that are utilized in the description and figures are fictional and exemplary only . any resemblance to any person living or dead is merely coincidental . assume that a patient , bob smith , comes in to a physician &# 39 ; s office , is examined , and diagnosed with a particular illness . the physician imports data to his or her physician component 102 from the patient &# 39 ; s patient component 104 . the physician component 102 has four categories of screens as shown in fig9 ; prescription , medical , contacts , and user . the first screen that pops up is the prescription information screen for patient bob smith , an example of which is shown in fig9 . this screen shows previous prescription drugs administered to this patient as well as current , active medications , an example of which is thiazine , prescribed by dr . jones . at the bottom of the screen are the particulars associated with this current prescription so that the physician knows what is being taken , how many doses have been received , as well as previous medications . at the top of the screen appears any alert conditions for this patient . in this example , the patient has allergies . the second category of screens , medical information , is shown in fig1 and 11 . the physician typically taps the screen image of the category to pull up the medical information screen as shown in fig1 and taps on the medical history input from dr . burkhart . at the bottom of this screen is provided a short description of the illness , influenza , treated mainly by rehydration with saline solution . in fig1 , the physician has tapped on one of the family history entries provided by the patient in fig1 and on the liver disease entry on fig1 to display the information that 2 distant relatives had hepatolinticular degeneration . thus the data uploaded from the patient component 104 not only includes prescription history but also medical history provided both by physicians and by the patient . fig1 illustrates the contact screen for patient bob smith . the physician has tapped on the patient &# 39 ; s wife &# 39 ; s emergency contact entry , and her contact information such as telephone numbers and address are shown below the list of contacts . fig1 illustrates the patient &# 39 ; s user information such as his password for accessing and changing personal protected information that the patient does not want to be accessible by anyone but the physician , and habitual schedule information . this information will be considered by the scheduling program embedded in the patient component in order to optimally schedule the administration of medications in accordance with the patient &# 39 ; s general activity patterns . for example , bob smith awakens at 0600 and eats dinner at 1800 or 6 pm . therefore if a prescription requires a medication to be administered twice daily , and does not require food to be taken at the same time , the program would schedule the drug to be taken at 0600 and 1800 rather than midnight and noon . if the drug must also be taken with meals , the program would then schedule the drug to be taken at 0730 and 1800 so as to be as close to 12 hours apart as possible but still at a meal . thus the information provided on the user screen as shown in fig1 is an important consideration in the software scheduling of drug administration . the screens shown in fig1 through 24 illustrate how the system in accordance with the present invention assists the physician in prescribing medication to a patient . assuming that the physician , dr . abrams in this example , decides to prescribe a new medication for patient bob jones as shown on the screen in fig1 . the sequence begins in fig1 with the physician tapping on “ new ” back in fig1 . fig1 pops into view . here , the physician component shows a list of drugs via a pull down menu . the physician selects and taps on the desired medication , in this case , canderill and taps on generic equivalent . the physician then taps on “ get info ” and the screen of fig1 pops up . the physician can enter manually via the on screen keypad the desired dosage of canderill , or alternatively select the available commercial dosage via a pull down menu in fig1 . after selecting or inputting the desired dosage , the physician taps “ next ” at the top of the screen and the screen shifts to the schedule screen as shown in fig1 . here the physician can select the frequency of medication from a pull down menu . once the schedule is selected , the physician taps on “ next ” and the screen automatically shifts to the total dosage screen , fig1 , where the physician selects the number of doses , milliliters , ounces , etc . that may be required for the particular medication . again , a keypad is provided on screen for the physician to numerically enter the number of doses required . when the total dosage has been selected the physician taps on “ next ” at the top and the screen automatically shifts to that shown in fig1 where special instructions may be selected from a pull down menu or manually entered . if the latter is the case , the physician taps on “ add ” and a miniature keyboard appears which the physician can utilize to add a customized entry . this entry will then be added to the database and the component may be directed to subsequently show this entry as a selectable option from the pull down list of special instructions as is shown in fig2 . when special instructions , if any , have been entered , the physician taps on “ next ” and the screen shifts to the refills screen shown in fig2 . here the physician enters the number of refills of the prescription that may be obtained from the pharmacist . the physician then taps again on “ next ” and the screen then shifts to a summary of the new prescription shown in fig2 . if this new prescription is satisfactory , the physician taps on “ done ” at the top of the screen . alternatively , if the physician wants to modify the prescription , he can tap on “ back ” to go to the desired screen to change the prescription in whatever manner he chooses . if the physician taps on “ done ” then the processor queries a database resident in the physician component 102 for cautions and interactions . if there are any cautions , they are shown as in fig2 along with a “ cancel ” or “ prescribe ” query . if the physician chooses “ prescribe ”, then any interactions in the caution screen will trigger a confirmation screen shown in fig2 . if the physician chooses “ yes ” on this screen , then the prescription is added to the patient database for bob smith and downloaded to bob smith &# 39 ; s patient component 104 along with a confirmation security code of the prescribing physician . the patient then takes the patient component to the pharmacist who then transfers the patient data from the patient component 104 to the pharmacist &# 39 ; s pc component 106 for execution of the prescription . the pharmacist may then fill the prescription after the pharmacist &# 39 ; s component verifies the authenticity of the prescription uploaded from the patient component . this system can completely replace the current conventional practice of hard copy prescriptions by the physician . alternatively the system may supplement the paper prescription in that the pharmacist simply augments the physician provided data downloaded from the physician component to the patient component . the pharmacist component 106 in particular augments the information provided to the patient component by adding more up to date administration cautions and instructions to the patient component that normally are provided in small print today along with most prescriptions as they are filled . these instructions may include such things as not to take the medication with alcohol , don &# 39 ; t take more than three days in a row , etc . in addition , the pharmacist component may flag additional potential drug interactions that may have been more recently identified as pertinent by the medical and pharmaceutical community . potential interactions may be detected by the physician component 102 . identified cautions or potential interactions flagged by the software routine in the physician component are displayed to the physician prior to confirmation of the prescription as exemplified by the screen in fig2 . similarly , a check of potential interactions and cautions concerning a particular prescription is performed in the pharmacist component 106 . if an interaction is detected by the physician or pharmacist software , it warns the pharmacist or physician of the severity of the interaction . the interaction check in the pharmacist &# 39 ; s computer and in the physician &# 39 ; s component 102 serves a watchdog function only . the pharmacist or physician have the ability to override the software warning and prescribe the drug anyway . this is routinely done by physicians today for minor potential interactions when substitute drugs are either unavailable or would cause even more severe interactions . in either case , the interaction is flagged in the patient component 104 such that the patient can review the interaction warning thus alerting the patient that there is an interaction potential between two drugs . the patient is then able to read about the interaction , usually in a brief form , and consult the physician or pharmacist for more information if clarifications are needed . this capability in the patient component 104 permits the patient to make the most informed decision possible about his or her medication and / or medication schedule . the potential drug interactions primarily become extremely important in situations where a patient needs to manage a large number of medications simultaneously . for example an hiv positive individual may take several drugs simultaneously or in a prescribed sequence . anti - hiv drugs often have 10 - 20 known interactions each . some drug families interact with whole families of other drugs . consequently , strict scheduling and sequencing of some of these drugs may be particularly important for optimized patient care . currently there is little general interaction data available concerning potential interactions between drugs when doses are delayed or skipped . however , the physician may provide , through the physician component 102 , specific instructions to the patient in these cases . this information may appear as separate potential interaction warnings or may actually be introduced into the patient component scheduler software so as to pop up if the patient attempts to postpone , delay or skip medication doses . the patient component will track and monitor a patient &# 39 ; s track record for taking medications . assuming that the patient accurately records medications consumed on the patient component , via requested responses , when medication is administered , the patient component data may be helpful to the prescribing physician in determining the effectiveness of a particular line of treatment . this data , for experimental drugs , may also prove extremely valuable to drug companies as well as the physicians in determining whether a drug regimen is or is not successful . the potential drug interaction software routine utilized by the physician component 102 and / or the pharmacist component 106 is shown generally in fig4 . this software routine may also be provided in the patient component 104 or a simplified version provided in the patient component 104 . in the latter case , the routine may operate on a database contained in the patient component 104 or may optionally be capable of tapping into a large mainframe database via modem and internet connection . this latter capability may be optimally utilized when the patient desires to include otc medication information in the patient component 104 as the potential interactions for otc drugs may be extensive compared to the individually prescribed prescription drugs prescribed to the patient . the pharmacist component 106 may also be utilized to provide patient prescription information to and from the covering insurance organization . in addition , as will be shown below , the patient , while self administering the medication , may identify and document interactions or side effects that can automatically be updated to the medical community through the pharmacist component . this latter feature may be particularly valuable for experimental drugs utilized on a trial basis . fig7 shows a flow diagram of the scheduler software utilized in the patient component 104 . as in the first embodiment 10 described above , the component 104 stays in a “ sleep ” mode to minimize power drain . in the sleep mode , only the alarm clock continues to operate . upon generation of an alarm by the clock , or by the patient pressing any one of the three buttons 116 , 118 , or 120 , power is applied to the patient component 104 in operation 150 and the lcd screen lights up and adjusts for optimum contrast depending on the ambient light conditions . the processor is then queried in operation 152 whether there is at least one dose pending . if yes , then the processor queries the prescription database 154 within the patient component 104 . every active prescription has a time and date tag indicating when the next dose is to be taken . the current time and date are compared to the time and date tag for each active prescription in the component &# 39 ; s database . pending doses are those having time and date tags equal to or less than the current time and date . if there is at least one dose pending , control transfers to operation 156 where an alarm is generated . the patient component counts the number of medications having pending doses . prescription time date tags are compared to the current time and date . if the difference in time between when the prescription should have been taken and the current time is greater than the allowable variance which is stored in the prescription information , the dose is logged as having been missed . missed medications are logged for each time that they were missed . a medication which is not taken within its allowable window is rescheduled for its next dose as if it were taken or skipped . this is to prevent doses from being taken too close together . the user will be prompted later to indicate whether missed doses were taken or skipped . once an alarm condition is generated in operation 156 , a tone or other indication of the alarm is activated in operation 158 . the patient component 104 then displays the number of medications pending . control then transfers to operation 160 . the processor determines if any doses were missed in operation 160 . if yes , control transfers to operation 162 where the time and date tag for the medication dose is set for the next dose for the missed medication . control then transfers to operation 164 . if the answer in operation 160 is no , control transfers directly to operation 164 where the alarming dose information is displayed on the screen of the patient component 104 . the patient then selects , in operation 166 , whether to take , skip , or delay administration of the medication . control then transfers to operation 168 where the time for the next dose is computed and tagged and the alarm set accordingly . control then transfers to operation 170 which queries whether all doses pending have been processed . if so , control transfers to operation 172 where the patient component returns to the sleep mode , awaiting the next alarm condition . if the answer to the query in operation 170 is no , then control transfers to operation 164 to display dose information for the next pending medication . if the answer to the pending dose query in operation 152 above is no , signifying there are no doses pending , operation transfers directly to operation 172 where , after a predetermined period of time , the patient component 104 returns to the sleep mode . the time for the next dose for each active medication is calculated by adding the dosage interval to the current time . doses which are delayed are postponed for ½ hour . skipped doses are logged as missed , and the next dose alarm is set for the next interval as if the scheduled had been taken . the interval between doses is calculated depending on the requirements of the specific prescription . dose intervals can be set as a fixed number of hours , or as a number of doses during each daily period . the interval would then be calculated by dividing the daily period by the number of doses to be taken each day . the daily period for each dose is determined as either the period of time during which the patient is awake , or 24 hours if the prescription must be taken on a regular basis , even if the patient is normally asleep . additionally , the interval may be specified as occurring at a number of fixed times each day , such as the times when the user eats regular meals . the patient &# 39 ; s schedule is entered by the patient and includes wake time , bed time , and the times of each regular meal ( breakfast , lunch and dinner ). doses may be scheduled to occur on the patient &# 39 ; s schedule , or relative to the schedule . for example , a dose might be scheduled to be taken with lunch , or within ½ hour before of after lunch . each time that a dosage is taken , the number of remaining doses is decremented . if no doses remain , the prescription is finished , the medication is removed from the pending dosage registers , and no additional alarms will be generated for that prescription . fig2 through 43 show exemplary information displayed on and controlled by the patient component 104 . in fig2 , a patient has pressed one of the buttons 116 , 118 or 120 . the unit powers out of the sleep mode and a default screen is shown , requesting the patient to select one of the three options shown : emergency information , medical and prescription information , or home information fig2 shows the information typically displayed upon the patient selection of button 120 . the information includes the patient &# 39 ; s name , address , and insurance information . fig2 shows the information displayed upon the patient selection of button 118 in fig2 . this is a preliminary medical screen permitting the patient to select between medical or prescription information . fig2 shows the information displayed when the medical button 116 is pressed . it is a reverse chronological listing of medical conditions which have been entered in the patient database . fig2 shows the information displayed when the prescription button 118 is pressed . again , a reverse chronological listing of prescriptions is displayed , setting forth the name of the drug , the dosage and frequency , a physical description of the drug such as a small white pill , the schedule , and when the next dose is presently scheduled to be administered . fig3 shows the screen information when an alarm condition is activated . the display shows the drug name , physical description , dosage and frequency and schedule . note that the three buttons 116 , 118 , and 120 now are labeled “ take now ”, “ sleep ” and home . fig3 , 32 , 33 , 34 , and 35 are self explanatory . these screens show setup information for setting the clock , password and personal schedule information . fig3 refers back to fig3 where an alarm condition has been activated . if the scheduling program determines that the medication cannot be delayed , because of other drug interactions or otherwise , the screen will continue to instruct the patient to take the medication now , i . e . press the accept button 116 . when the instruction is accepted , the time and date is logged and the next dose administration is displayed as in fig3 . alternatively , if the dosage scheduled in fig3 may be skipped but not delayed , the patient presses the skip button 120 in fig3 and the processor transfers to the screen shown in fig3 , and the skipped dosage is logged . finally , if delay of administration of the dosage was permissible in fig3 , the delay is logged and the alarm reset for thirty minutes later . after two delay periods , the screen will be as shown in fig3 if the medication is taken at that time . fig3 through 39 indicate that there is another drug that must be administered . after selecting ok in fig3 , 38 , or 39 , the next drug is displayed as shown by example in fig4 . the process of proceeding through the screens is then repeated . for example , fig4 shows the screen which appears if “ accept ” is chosen in fig4 . fig4 shows the screen which appears if “ skip ” is chosen in fig4 . fig4 shows the screen which appears of “ delay ” is chosen in fig4 . a unique feature of the management system 10 and 100 in accordance with the present invention is the capability for identification , evaluation and flagging of potential adverse interactions between prescribed drugs to each of the three parties to the medication administration triangle , the physician , the pharmacist , and the patient . fig4 is a simplified flow diagram of the drug interaction identification process according to one embodiment of the present invention . in the following description , the steps shown in fig4 may preferably be performed by the physician component 102 and / or the pharmacist component 106 . the results may be downloaded into the patient component in accordance with the physician &# 39 ; s or pharmacist &# 39 ; s discretion . the present system is envisioned as including relational database tables of drugs in a relational database such as microsoft access which includes the drug names , their national drug code ( ndc ) numbers , an interaction identifier , and a severity of interaction indicator for each identified interaction . for example , as is shown in fig2 , the drug canderill is displayed as having a level 1 severity interaction with lorax . the severity levels are envisioned as ranging from 1 to 5 , with 1 being mild and 5 being deadly . as is shown in fig2 , level 1 severity is not absolutely mild . the concurrent use of these medications together can result in severe illness or death . however , the assignment of level 1 indicates that generally the interaction is of mild severity . referring now to fig4 , an exemplary interaction query begins in block 200 when the patient component interfaces with the pharmacist component in filling a prescription or when the physician component is used to prescribe a new drug to a patient whose patient component is coupled to the physician component as described above . in operation 202 the set of currently prescribed drugs is obtained by the program from the patient component memory device . the program then jumps to operation 204 wherein the drug database 206 , accessible via the pharmacist &# 39 ; s computer or resident in the physician component , is queried to determine all possible drugs which can interact with the set of prescribed drugs identified in operation 202 . this set of possible drugs , along with their severity level of interactions , are then compared with the drugs currently prescribed to identify any possible interactions between the prescribed drugs in operation 208 , control then transfers to operation 210 where the currently prescribed drugs which interact , with their severity levels , are identified . control then transfers to operation 212 where the interactions are sequentially displayed for the pharmacist or physician , along with their severities , symptoms , special conditions or special qualifications . the pharmacist or physician can then choose whether to download the interaction warnings to the patient component on operation 214 . alternatively , the system may be designed to automatically download the interaction information to the patient component 104 . the interaction testing scheme described above is a simple , two pass query system which is a binary interaction model where drug a reacts with drug b with a numeric severity code c . it cannot recognize or represent interactions between three or more drugs . the severity code of 1 to 5 representing 1 as a mild interaction and 5 as a potentially fatal interaction may be expanded in a number of ways . for example , symptomatic information may be included in the coding . future embodiments of the present invention are envisioned which include a rule based system created to model actual real world interactions on a more complex level . a table in such a relational database would contain a list of all known interactions , their severity , and symptoms . a related table would contain a list of conditions which must be met before the interaction could occur . these conditions might include such things as the substance , the dosages or drug concentrations , frequency of dose administration limitations , and conditional qualifiers . the qualifier “ mandatory ”, for example , would indicate that the condition must be met in order for an interaction to take place at all . this might be reserved for prescription drugs . a qualifier of “ potential ” would indicate that the substance is not controlled or regulated , but could still cause an interaction if ingested . this could , for example , apply to over the counter medications , common or uncommon chemicals and herbal supplements . in this case , to inquire whether or not an interaction could occur , a query would be run to determine which rules could potentially be filled by the patient &# 39 ; s prescription list or otc medications . the resultant set is then processed sequentially to determine which , if any , rules have been met , and whether or not all of the mandatory rules have been met for any given interaction . interactions for which all of the mandatory rules are met and for which any conditional rules exist are reported as interactions . a physician component 102 would then report the interaction , if identified , as shown in fig3 above , and still permit the drug to be prescribed . if this drug is prescribed , a specific caution note would preferably be generated and downloaded to the patient component 104 describing the interaction . while there have been described above the principles of the present invention in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof , it is to be clearly understood that the foregoing description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention . for example , the housing 112 of the patient component 104 may be further miniaturized and accommodated in a large wristwatch sized housing , with the buttons 116 , 118 , and 120 and wheel 124 provided by peripheral buttons around the housing and display like on a digital watch face . as in the second embodiment above described , the data contained in the database of the patient component 104 would typically be transferred to and from the pharmacist component 106 and the physician component 102 via an infrared communication link as is conventionally known and used in some digital watches . another variation of the present invention may include the capability for the patient to enter over the counter ( otc ) medication data into the patient component 104 . this alternative would preferably also include internal storage for a database of potential interactions downloaded from the physician component 102 or pharmacist component 106 covering the particular medications inputted into the patient component 104 . the patient can then enter the name and dosage amount as well as dosage frequency for any otc medications that he or she may choose to consume . in this instance , the patient component 104 would then query the scheduler and internal database of currently prescribed medications to determine whether there are any special instructions , cautions , or adverse interaction warnings that should be displayed to the patient involving interaction of the otc medication with prescribed medications . particularly , it is recognized that the teachings of the foregoing disclosure will suggest other modifications to those persons skilled in the relevant art . such modifications may involve other features which are already known per se and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein . it is also to be recognized that the interactions between prescription medications , otc medications , herbal supplements , and other chemicals need not be detrimental to be identified . the databases utilized may include helpful or complementary interactions between such substances and the program utilized to identify and flag to the patient , pharmacist , or physician those combinations of medications which are or may be enhanced by being administered in combination . the interaction identification program resident in the pharmacist component 106 , the physician component 102 and / or the patient component 104 may also be expanded to identify those combinations of three or more medications or chemicals which could precipitate an interaction that the patient should consider . although claims have been formulated in this application to particular combinations of features , it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure herein also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed either explicitly or implicitly or any generalization or modification thereof which would be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art , whether or not such 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 confronted by the present invention . the applicant hereby reserves the right to formulate new claims to such features and / or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present application or of any further application derived therefrom .
6
referring initially to fig1 to 4 of the drawings , the winding apparatus comprises a mandrel support mechanism 9 which comprises a headstock 10 and tailstock 11 of which the former is provided with power means ( not shown ) for rotating a mandrel . the power means may be an electric motor with gearing . the drawings ( except fig4 ) show a mandrel 12 in position in the apparatus , the mandrel 12 being mounted on a core 13 extending into the headstock 10 for rotation by the power means , and extending into the tailstock 11 for support . it is to be noted that the mandrel consists of a cylindrical centre section 14 at each end of which is a geodesic section 15 terminating in a collar 16 co - axial with the core 13 . as will be appreciated by the man skilled in the art , the shape of each geodesic section 15 depends upon the angle at which helical windings are to be placed on the mandrel . coupled to the power means is an arm 17 mounted at a fulcrum 18 to one side of and beneath the mandrel 12 , the arm 17 lying in and swingable in a horizontal plane so that it projects from the fulcrum 18 to a free end 19 on the opposite side of the mandrel 12 from the fulcrum 18 . at a position 19a close to the free end 19 , upstanding members 20a carry an approximately horizontal bar 21 which is parallel to the arm 17 and projecting away from the mandrel 12 . the bar 21 is rotatable about its own axis on a spindle 21a and supports a filament feed head 22 extending thereabove . the filament feed head 22 can be swung about an axis coextensive with the horizontal bar 21 . the filament feed head 22 terminates in a waisted roll 23 from which a tangent is also tangential to the mandrel at a point approximately aligned with the bar 21 when the feed head 22 is in the vicinity of the cylindrical centre section 14 of the mandrel 12 . the arm 17 and the equipment mounted thereon is provided with means for supplying filament to the roll 23 . thus , referring particularly to fig4 from which the mandrel has been omitted , a group of spool carriers 28 ( eight in the example shown in the drawings ) is mounted in a fixed position on the opposite side of the fulcrum 18 from the mandrel 12 . the fulcrum 18 is provided with a pair of fulcrum rollers 24 , and aligned with the gap therebetween which receive filaments from spools on the filament spool carriers whereby the filaments pass along the arm 17 , and are not affected by the angular position of the arm 17 at any particular time . at the free end 19 of the arm 17 , there is provided a horizontal axis roller 25 which receives the filaments in a horizontal plane and about which the filaments can be turned to be led to a second horizontal axis roller 26 mounted between uprights 20 on the arm 17 . the filaments turn around the roller 26 and can be twisted about an axis running along their length in passing to a roller 27 mounted on the filament feed head 22 and turnable therewith . from the roller 27 , the filaments pass over the roll 23 and through a guide comb 23a thereon to be laid tangentially on to the mandrel 12 at a point aligned with their passage from the roller 26 to the roller 27 . by these means the filament path length is substantially unaffected by either the angular displacement of the arm 17 or that of the filament feed head 22 , so that operation of these parts does not effect a length displacement of the filament . the guide comb 23a controls the uniformity of the filaments across the tow and the concavity of the waisted roll 23 controls the width of the tow . angular adjustment of the roll 23 about its axis , together with the guide comb mounted thereon , varies the width . movement of the arm 17 is effected by the mechanism schematically shown in fig5 . this shows the arm 17 with its fulcrum 18 and free end 19 , the arm being provided with a slider 30 which is movable radially of axis 18 , 19 along a short portion of the length of the arm and is fixed to one end of a radius arm 31 . the radius arm 31 is fixed to a sprocket 32 to turn therewith and about the centre of the sprocket 32 . turning is effected by a rack 33 coupled by a connecting rod 34 to a yoke 35 . the yoke 35 is perpendicular to the connecting rod 34 and is provided with a longitudinal slot 36 which receives a pin 37 mounted on a wheel 38 . rotation of the wheel 38 causes circular movement of the pin 37 whereby the yoke 35 is displaced from side to side of the wheel 38 with simple harmonic motion . this motion is transmitted through the connecting rod 34 to the rack 33 to turn the sprocket 32 with that same simple harmonic motion at its periphery and therefore , in an amplified form , at the slider 30 . this causes the arm 17 to turn about its fulcrum 18 with a modified simple harmonic motion . this is illustrated in fig5 by the dotted line 40 which traces the path taken by the slider 30 , and the dotted line 41 which shows the opposite position occupied by the radius arm 31 . hence the arm 17 is provided with a movement which is slower at its extremities than at its centre for a purpose which will be described . it will be observed from fig5 that the illustrated position of the arm 17 is the largest displacement that can be achieved , the radium arm being perpendicular to the arm 17 at that point , but that further rotation of the wheel 38 will displace the yoke 35 to an additional small degree , and the corresponding movement of the rack 33 , the sprocket 32 and the radius arm 31 will then return the arm 17 to a small amount towards its central position . the end of this extra movement will take place as the pin 37 passes through a position coincident with the centre of the yoke 35 . thus the movement of the arm can be described as being rapid at its central position with a marked slow - down towards the position shown in fig5 followed by a small return of a few degrees towards the central position , a displacement to its extreme position again , followed by a major swing of the arm from a slow speed to a high speed through its central position to the opposite side thereof . the half - cycle is then repeated . the feature of the small return may not be necessary and can be eliminated by shortening the radial position of the pin 37 so that the slider 30 does not pass the position shown in fig5 . fig5 also shows a second yoke 42 provided with a slot 43 which receives a second pin 44 mounted on the wheel 38 . the second yoke 42 is coupled through a connecting rod 45 to a rack 46 which cooperates with a pinion 47 carrying cable and rod connections 48 to a pulley 49 which may be of the same diameter as that of the pinion 47 . the pulley 49 is secured to the spindle 21a to the right of the bar 21 as viewed in fig4 the pulley being omitted from the latter figure for clarity of illustration . the pulley is secured to the spindle so as to rotate it . similar to the drive means for the arm 17 , the second yoke 42 will be displaced with simple harmonic motion but at a phase distance of 90 ° from that of the first yoke 35 . this is transmitted directly to the filament feed head via pulley 49 and spindle 21a 22 so that when the arm 17 is moving with maximum velocity , i . e ., in the central part of its movement , the filament feed head 22 is turning at its slowest speed , and vice versa . double harmonic motion may be provided by using the rack 46 to turn a second wheel the same as wheel 38 for which the motion is taken by a repeat of the yoke 42 , connecting rod 45 and rack 46 . the rotation of the wheel 38 is geared to rotation of the mandrel by the power means , as will be more fully described below . there will now be described the operation of filament winding on the apparatus just described . the mandrel 12 is mounted on the core 13 between the headstock 10 and tailstock 11 of the mandrel support mechanism 9 . the mandrel 12 will , of course , have been designed to have its geodesic sections 15 of the required shape for the angle of the helical windings which are to be applied to the mandrel 12 by the apparatus , and with due regard for the diameter of the collar 16 which will define open ends in the ends of the eventual article . filament is fed into the apparatus by mounting spools thereof on the carriers 28 and passing the ends of filament between the pair of fulcrum rollers 24 and the rollers 25 , 26 , 27 and 23 . throughout this length , the filaments lie side - by - side to form a ribbon , and this is wrapped around one of the collars 16 . the apparatus is then actuated by energisation of the power means and for convenience its functions will be described from the starting point shown in fig1 and 3 of the drawings . thus the following operations occur simultaneously : 1 . the mandrel rotates in an anti - clockwise direction as viewed in fig3 and with the topmost section of the mandrel as viewed in fig1 coming downwards towards and then below the filament feed head 22 . 2 . the arm 17 swings from centre to left as viewed in fig1 and fig2 . 3 . the filament feed head 22 begins to rise slowly from its extreme position as shown in fig1 of the drawings . it will be noted that when the apparatus is at its operational speed , the start - up position just described is that where the arm 17 is moving with its maximum velocity . as the mandrel turns , the ribbon of filaments is led thereon in a helical pattern , being fed from the roll 23 onto a point on the mandrel which is approximately aligned with the axis of the filaments between the rollers 26 and 27 . as the arm 17 approaches its end position , i . e ., the position shown in fig2 and 5 of the drawings , it slows appreciably although the speed of rotation of the mandrel is unchanged . the arm goes through the part - cycle of becoming stationary , returning a little , moving back to its extreme position and then accelerating rapidly back towards and through its midposition . the same cycle is repeated at the other end of the mandrel . the slow speed and the time occupied by the arm 17 at each end of its travel is provided to enable the mandrel to turn through an angle approaching 180 ° whilst the arm 17 is at that end . this permits the band of filaments to be laid upon the geodesic sections 15 of the mandrel in a geodesic path , and accordingly to turn around and be a tangent to the collar 16 at that end . the relatively rapid movement of the arm 17 across the centre part of its travel enables the band of filaments to be laid upon the mandrel in the cylindrical portion 14 thereof in a close approximation to a perfect helix . with the mandrel 12 rotating at a constant speed , it is obviously necessary for the arm 17 to traverse the cylindrical portion 14 of the mandrel 12 at a high speed if the band of filaments is to be laid thereon at a low helical angle , for example of the order of 20 ° to 25 °. the filament feed head 22 moves in concert with the arm 17 , although 90 ° out of phase therewith as is schematically shown by the arrangement of the yokes 35 and 42 in fig5 . the movement is that of simple harmonic motion so that with the arm 17 in the centre position , as shown in fig1 the filament feed head 22 is at the extreme position of its movement . this gives the necessary &# 34 ; lead &# 34 ; to the filament to eliminate the lag in distance between departure of the filament from the head and arrival on the mandrel and therefore allow it to be laid upon the mandrel at the point thereon aligned with the length of filament between the rollers 26 and 27 . at each end of the movement of the arm 17 , the filament feed head rises to the vertical position and then swings to again be in advance of the position of the point of contact of the filament with the mandrel . fig1 shows the filament feed head 22 in position for traverse of the arm towards the left of the drawing . shown in dashed lines is the position of the filament feed head 22 when the arm is moving towards the right - hand side of the drawing . the arc traversed by the roll 23 is also shown in dashed lines . it should also be noted that the swinging motion of the arm 17 also keeps the roll 23 in a better face - to - face relationship with the surface of the mandrel than rectilinear movement to provide less distortion of the ribbon of filaments before it is laid on the mandrel . the invention is particularly applicable to the manufacture of wound articles which have a relatively low ratio between their length and diameter . thus the arcuate passage of the filament feed head 22 approximates to the external surface of the mandrel , and at no point is the roller 23 a large distance away from the mandrel surface . this can be contrasted with the prior art method of having a filament feed head which moves along a rectilinear path in which case the manufacture of a wound article having a relatively low ratio between its length and its diameter could necessitate displacement of the filament feed head along its rectilinear path a substantial distance away from the mandrel surface whilst the band of filaments is being laid around the geodesic end portions of the mandrel . the winding of this portion of the pattern does not take up a very large length of filament so that return of the filament feed head along its rectilinear path when the geodesic end pattern has been half - completed involves the winding back of the unused filament between the filament feed head and the mandrel surface . this poses particular problems , especially as regards abrasion of the filament . reference is now made to fig6 of the drawings in which there is shown a modified mounting from the arm 17 . thus in this case the arm 17 is not attached to a fixed fulcrum , but rather to a moving fulcrum plate 50 mounted on a slideway 51 . the radius arm 31 is attached to the arm 17 at a fixed hinge point 52 . traverse of the radius arm 31 under the action of the rack 33 causes the arm 17 to swing and also effects movement of the fulcrum plate 50 along the slideway 51 so that the free end 19 of the arm 17 follows the flattened curve 53 shown in fig6 . this curve can be compared with the curve 54 followed by the free end 19 of the arm 17 when the system of fig1 to 5 of the drawings is used , i . e ., with the fulcrum of the arm 17 fixed at the most remote position that can be occupied by the fulcrum plate 50 on the slideway 51 . it will also be observed that the plane normal to the radius arm 17 , i . e ., the plane in which the filament feed head swings , is directed inwardly to a greater degree at each extreme position of the arm 17 than that which occurs when the arm 17 has a fixed fulcrum ; in the latter case this plane is tangential to the curve 54 . the respective planes are denoted as 55 for the modified mounting of the arm 17 , and 56 for the unmodified form respectively . there is also obtained bigger swing of the arm to give freedom to the filaments to find their natural positions on the geodesic sections of the mandrel . square - end mandrels can also be wound with this apparatus . in a further modification , the horizontal bar 21 is adapted to be adjustable towards or away from the fulcrum 18 to cope with various mandrels of similar shape but different size . examples of ways of doing this are firstly mounting the horizontal bar on a slide , and secondly tilting the upstanding members 20a towards or away from the fulcrum 18 as indicated in dotted lines on fig3 . in the latter arrangement , provision must be made for vertical adjustment of the axis of the mandrel , also as indicated in dotted lines , to make sure that a tangent from the waisted roll 23 is also tangential to the mandrel at a point aligned with the bar 21 .
1
the present invention utilizes a vertically disposed electromagnetic energy curtain through which a projectile or plurality of projectiles are permitted to pass . the energy curtain is divided horizontally and vertically into a specific grid pattern such that only x and y detectors , that are excited by the reflected energy from the projectile passing through the energy curtain , at a given instant and location will induce a real time recordable event in the detection system . a representation of the energy matrix or grid is shown in fig1 . the axis emitters are designated by &# 34 ; e x &# 34 ; and the y - axis emitters by &# 34 ; e y &# 34 ; respectively , while the x - axis detectors are designated by &# 34 ; d x &# 34 ; and the y - axis detectors by &# 34 ; d y &# 34 ; respectively . thus , there are in effect two coexisting grid arrangements , a detector grid , 10 and 11 , and an emitter grid , 12 and 13 , consisting of x and y addresses respectively , which are both superimposed upon each other in a synthesized target plane 16 . a power supply 14 energizes the emitters e xn and e yn when the system is activated . although the power supply 14 is shown in fig1 to be connected to an ac power source , one may use solar cells or a portable battery ( dc ) input for this power supply . the output from the power supply 14 , depending upon what type of energy curtain is used , is fed via a conductor 15 into each of the elements 21 , e x1 - e xn and e y1 - e yn in order to create the afore - described energy curtain in the form of a grid pattern 16 along x - y coordinate axes . it is understood that conductor 15 may typically include a coaxial cable , optical elements , light - pipe , or a wave guide as necessary . with reference to the detection grid , each individual detector output 17 is preamplified in individual preamplifier stage 18 . in fig1 all detector outputs are shown for simplicity , fed into a common preamp 18 . in the actual embodiment each detector has its own preamp . each preamp output is then fed via conductor 23 into its own channel of an electronic switch or similar type triggering means well known in the art and is included within scope monitor 22 . thus , each signal path is maintained as a separate circuit . the output of scope monitor 22 is then fed via electrical conductor 20 into a recorder 24 , an x - y plotter , or similar archival recording means . the recorder 24 has a real time output 37 . the basic trigonometry employed by the system , in order to determine the address of a particular projectile &# 39 ; s penetration of the energy curtain 16 , is illustrated in fig2 . by simply recording one set of the indicated combinations of coordinates , the x - y address of a given projectile may be determined and then compared with similar data for any other round , or burst of rounds . the applicable combination of coordinates in fig2 are any of the following : this sytem permits a recently completed recordation of coordinates to be compared with prior records or print - outs as a baseline for qualification purposes . growth potential exists in the current embodiment in that the monitor 22 , shown in fig1 may be a digital display unit that is connected via radio link or hardwired to a central computer , not shown , thus providing the input / output means for entering new results or calling up old records for in - field comparison on an objective basis . this capability can provide in - field , on - tube overlays , on the monitor 22 or hard - copy printout by the recorder 24 of the prior data for digital comparison with the aforementioned new results , not dependent upon the number of rounds fired and effective on single - shots as well as barrages . for calibration purposes in the laboratory , rotating mirrors or a spinning dummy - round 26 , may be inserted at any or all grid positions . these calibration means may be located as shown in fig1 and 2 to simulate a real projectile and to return the emitted beams 28 and 30 , as shown in fig1 to the detectors d x1 and d y1 via reflected beams 32 and 34 . as shown in fig2 a minimum of two detectors d m and d n , one each in the x and y plane , are required to obtain an appropriate combination of data which will enable positional location of the projectiles passing though the energy curtain 16 . fig3 a shows a method for field calibration of mutually orthogonal or adjacent ( overlap ) detector pairs 38 , 38 &# 39 ; at points of intersection 47 and 47 &# 39 ; respectively in the target plane . in this instance , point sources of light , such as emitted by microscope illuminators , not shown , temporarily replace the photomultipliers 44 , 44 &# 39 ; so that the emitted light is axially aligned with the path previously sensed by the pmt &# 39 ; s . this enables simple , safe , visible - light calibration and also requires the temporary erection of a narrow physical , reflective target plane material 60 . temporary reflector 60 may be positioned perpendicular to the x - axis detectors and after calibration moved perpendicular to the y - axis detectors for the procedure to be repeated . target material 60 should be of a material that is both microwave and white - light reflective . normally , as intended by this embodiment , white - light will be used to also calibrate the microwave system as discussed above . by this means , the light projected by emitter 21 and the light from the aforementioned point source of light is made to coincide , and has its own discrete address . fig3 a shows a plurality of energy sources 21 , 21 &# 39 ;, which are intended to illustrate schematically adjacent emitters on the same axis or rails to be described hereinafter in further detail . after calibration is complete the point sources of light are replaced by pmt detectors 38 and the calibration target 60 is removed . still referring to fig3 a , detectors 38 , 38 &# 39 ; contain two acromatic lenses 40 and 40 &# 39 ; having axially aligned apertures 42 and 42 &# 39 ; and photomultipliers 44 , 44 &# 39 ; operatively respectively positioned proximate thereto . each acromatic lens 40 , 40 may comprise two plano - convex elements , not shown , to focus reflected light on the photomultipliers 44 , 44 &# 39 ; and has a preferred focal length of 390 mm and a diameter of 54 mm . each photomultiplier tube 44 and 44 &# 39 ; may be an rca photomultiplier model 5816 or equivalent . a pmt power supply capable of supplying power to photomulitpliers 44 , 44 &# 39 ; is omitted in the fig3 a for clarity and should be rated for 1000 volts dc at 5 milliamps . also included within the 38 , 38 &# 39 ; detectors , but not shown , are certain support housings which are well known in the art . the output of each pmt 44 , 44 &# 39 ; is fed into preamplifiers 46 and 46 &# 39 ; respectively . a preamplifier having a response range of between 100 hertz and 40 kilohertz , and a decibel response of +/- 2 db with a 17 to 20 db gain and a one volt maximum output , is appropriate for interface with the detectors 38 and 38 &# 39 ;. preamp output pulses 49 , 49 &# 39 ; are fed into an oscilloscope 48 , having separate scope trigger inputs 50 , 50 &# 39 ;. the oscilloscope is used as a projectile hit discriminator . a techntronics type 555 dualbeam oscilloscope having type - d plug - in units or the equivalent thereof , may be used . it is noted that the oscilloscope which is utilized must include therein pulse gate generators 52 , 52 &# 39 ; to provide two gate output pulses 54 and 54 &# 39 ; capable of driving a hard - copy recorder 24 described below . the visual output from the oscilloscope may be used by a knowledgeable range officer to monitor performance . a &# 34 ; memory &# 34 ; type oscilloscope is useful to improve visibility . by having individual channels associated with detectors , 38 , 38 &# 39 ; the location of simultaneous rounds penetrating the synthesized target plane can be identified by this sytem . further , coding rounds by coloring them in advance of their being fired is a means for identification between rounds . thus , if projectiles are not temporally spaced with sufficient separation to allow electronic discrimination on that basis alone , reflective - index discrimination can be provided . also , this technique will enable detection of rounds that penetrate the target in an order other than as fired . by circuitry well known in the - art , address - identification is facilitated for simultaneous rounds , or bursts of rounds which result from tumbling or other anomalies that occur with experimental projectiles and / or weapon systems in severe environments . when a pemanent copy is required of the projectile address in the target the electronic output of the oscilloscope gate generators 54 and 54 &# 39 ; are fed into a graphic chart recorder of x - y plotter 24 for real - time , hard - copy printout facilitating immediate graphical evaluation and comparison and / or archival storage through an appropriate data recording means . non - graphic , purely digital recording devices may be used for storage functions when space limitations are of concern . an alternate embodiment , shown in fig3 b , describes a system similiar to that shown in fig3 a , but utilizes microwave energy instead of light energy . a microwave transmitter 39 is electrically connected to antennas 41 and 41 &# 39 ; which create a synthesized target plane 16 . an appropriately matched plurality of receiving antennas 43 and 43 &# 39 ; convey the reflected microwave beams to electrically coupled microwave receivers 45 and 45 &# 39 ;. it is to be understood that the reflected signals , are kept separated . various components of the receivers 45 , 45 &# 39 ; could be shared , as is known within the state of the art , as by multiplexing , such that complete receivers are not required for each channel . the signal output from the receivers 45 , 45 &# 39 ; is then electrically connected to the preamplifiers 46 , 46 &# 39 ; and completing circuitry , aforedescribed fig3 a . as noted above , the microwave elements may be temporarily replaced with visible - light elements for calibration purposes using a temporary reflector , 60 . fig4 shows an indoor test range layout 70 used to demonstrate the present system . two sets of mirrors are used for the indoor range . a first mirror 58 is optically positioned on l - beam 65 between detectors 38 , 38 &# 39 ; and target plane 16 in order to &# 34 ; turn the corner &# 34 ; by 90 °. mirror 58 is a 12 . 5 cm × 12 . 5 cm first surface mirror , flat to 1 / 4 λ in an adjustable mount . the second mirror 62 is mounted on the far side of the target plane 16 , and is positioned to deflect background noise and random reflections off interior wall 71 from entering the target plane 16 . a third mirror , not shown , is located to deflect random and background noise that would otherwise enter into the target plane from the ceiling . in fig4 emitters 21 are not shown for purpose of clarity but are described hereinafter in more detail in discussion of fig5 . the emitter and detector components are operatively electrically connected as shown in fig1 . at an appropriate downrange target - impact point 72 , the y - axis rail 65 is oriented with respect to weapon 74 line of fire 76 , so that target plane 16 is perpendicular to the line of fire 76 . in the indoor test range environment , an x - axis rail , not shown , is positioned horizontally , that is , along the ground , its support does not present a problem . the x - axis rail stability is such that , when coupled to the y - axis rail 65 , it provides requisite support to the latter . in the field application , the rails can be camouflaged in order to avoid or reduce any view of them by gunnery personnel . emitters 21 , not shown in fig4 are electrically connected to an appropriate power source 14 as above noted . mirror 58 is used as a corner reflector to simplify the installation and simultaneously &# 34 ; fold &# 34 ; the energy path so that the equipment fits within the indoor existing range . this technique may be used for the emitter energy train between emitter 21 and the energy curtain 16 as well . in operation , projectile reflections occurring in the energy curtain cause detectors 38 and 38 &# 39 ; to generate an output which is fed to the amplifiers 46 , 46 &# 39 ;, whose outputs are then fed to the completing circuiting aforedescribed . the electrical interconnections between components were omitted in this figure for simplicity and clarity and were previously described in fig1 . in order to establish an aiming point within the synthesized target plane , energy curtain , a stake , not shown , may be mounted directly behind or to either side of the target plane . for gunnery exercises , where a permanent aiming point is required , such aiming point , in certain cases , will actually be located outside , to the left , right , above , or even below the actual hit area or target plane . therein , the aiming point need not be destroyed by the gunnery mission . accordingly , it should be noted that the aiming point may comprise a projected image , as may appear in an optical sight , as opposed to an actual , physical aiming point . in operation , referring once again to fig1 - 3a , mutually perpendicular groups of emitters 21 create a narrow curtain of energy or target plane 16 . in systems where a high degree of precision is required , the emitters will provide energy that is more highly collimated or coherent ( laser , typically ) in order to further reduce the potential for error from ambient or stray energy reflections and data resultant therefrom . when a bullet or projectile passes through the target plane 16 , it will reflect emitter - released energy back in the direction of the detectors 38 . because the target plane 16 is divided horizontally and vertically into a specific detector grid pattern , the only x - and y - coordinate detectors excited will be those impinged upon by the reflected energy from the bullet or projectile that passes through the target plane at a given instant in time . the sequence will be the same in the event that groups or bursts of rounds or projectiles penetrate the sts target plane 16 even if some are delayed and / or tumbling upon entry . fig5 illustrates the use of x and y axis optical rails 64 and 64 &# 39 ; respectively . rails 64 and 64 &# 39 ; have an i - beam cross - sectional configuration wherein web section 68 supports coaxially configured microwave type emitters 41 , 41 &# 39 ; and receiving antenna 43 , 43 &# 39 ;. a quick - disconnect joint 66 is employed on one end of each rail in order to achieve easy and accurate connection between the two rails . fig6 and 7 show the structural relationship of the emitter elements 41 , 41 &# 39 ; and the receiving antenna 43 , 43 &# 39 ; in enlarged view and in additional detail . in this specific embodiment , detector 43 is annularly disposed about the axially aligned emitter element 41 . a concave , circularly shaped detecting receiver antenna 43 is used in this instance in order to provide sufficient collector surface . emitters 21 , 21 &# 39 ; and detectors 38 , 38 &# 39 ; are configured and positioned on support rails 64 , 64 &# 39 ; so their respective illuminated or sensing areas slightly overlap , as shown in fig8 a . a projectile , traveling normal to the target plane 16 may excite a plurality of detectors depending upon its size and whether it is tumbling or not . projectile , emitter , and detector overlap relationship is shown in fig8 a . it may be assumed that emitters a and b and detectors a and b overlap slightly area # 2 . assuming that a projectile is of small size , e . g ., 4 . 32 mm , and penetrates a target plane in precisely the location at which detectors a and b ovelap , it can be seen that such a projectile will cause a reflection that will trigger both of the detectors sharing the overlap area . the above condition may occur within either the x - axis , the y - axis , or both simultaneously , the latter event normally triggering a maximum of four detectors at the same instant , for a given projectile . fig8 b shows the readout from a recorder which corresponds to a penetration in the overlap area and is shown at hit location area # 2 . hits not falling in an overlap area causing two adjacent detectors to be enabled would typically result in individual outputs as shown by hit locations 1 and / or 3 . hits occurring simultaneously exciting any combination of detectors would cause an output similar to hit location area no . 2 , for those specific detectors , which may not be adjacent to each other . in certain instances , if a projectile is larger in diameter than an overlap area is in width , as illustrated by fig8 c , and if the sensitivity of the detectors is set appropriately , the sts can be made to overlook hits that impinge into the overlap area , thus merely exciting the detector having the greatest signal strength . thus , the &# 34 ; overlap area &# 34 ; assures no &# 34 ; holes &# 34 ; in the detector pattern , while detector sensitivity adjustment can be used to &# 34 ; mark &# 34 ; a hit only in detector b , hit location # 3 in fig8 b . the upper and lower threshold for scope trigger 50 , 50 &# 39 ; and the duration threshold for gate generators 52 , 52 &# 39 ; are set in accordance with the characteristics of a particular round to be targeted . this enables accurate discrimination between a true hit and random noise , allowing the true hit to be &# 34 ; marked &# 34 ; as above noted and blocking the entry of random noise . detector overlap in the x and y axes have not been illustrated in fig3 a and 3b for the sake of clarity . the precision of the present system will increase when detectors are made more sensitive to narrower slices of area within the target plane and their numbers are increased . it is to be also noted that the emitter - detector configuration of fig5 and 7 comprises an alternative to the arrangement used during the tests and shown in fig4 . however , the trigonometry of fig2 would still pertain in the embodiment to the extent that the angles and distances between any x - y detector pair arranged on the rails of fig5 would be measurable . while there has been described and illustrated specific embodiments of the invention , it will be obvious that various changes , modifications and additions can be made herein without departing from the field of the invention which should be limited only by the scope of the appended claims .
6
referring to the drawings the closeable valve unit , as assembled , is shown in fig3 to 5 . as shown , a valve unit 1 interconnects with at least a portion of a reservoir 2 . the valve unit 1 includes a valve unit body having at least a valve member , a retainer member , and nozzle member for the gas flame . reservoir 2 , in use , has an upper end 3 and a lower end 4 . the upper end 3 is at the same end that a nozzle member 12 for the portable lighter will be located . at the lower end 4 of reservoir 2 will be located the rest of the reservoir which will contain the fuel . the reservoir 2 has a bore 5 as shown in fig3 . the valve unit is located within the bore 5 . the valve unit 1 includes a retainer member 6 , which abuts the inner walls of the bore 5 . the retainer member 6 has an upper end 7 and a lower end 8 . the upper end 7 may be stepped to provide a stopping action of the penetration of the retainer member 6 and or valve unit during insertion into the reservoir . abutting the inner walls of the retainer member 6 is a valve member having a valve body 9 . the valve body 9 has an upper end 10 and a lower end 11 . within the valve body 9 is the nozzle member 12 . the nozzle member 12 has an upper end 13 , which corresponds to the upper end 3 of the reservoir 2 , and a lower end 14 which also corresponds to the lower end 4 of the reservoir 2 . the nozzle member 12 has a biasing means 15 , which can be a spring , to help it to remain in abutment with retainer member 6 . the valve body 9 also has , at its lower end 11 , a filter member 16 , which is in turn covered by a cover member 17 . the nozzle member 12 rests on the base of valve body 9 by a resilient packing member 18 . the packing member can be a rubber bung member . as shown in fig3 and 5 the valve unit 1 is sealed to the reservoir 2 by meltedly joining at specified positions on the reservoir 2 . the valve unit 1 and bore 5 have abutting surfaces which are melted causing localised reshaping of these surfaces to join to produce an almost perfect gas - tight seal . the figures show the valve unit 1 being placed within the bore 5 of reservoir 2 . the valve unit 1 is pushed into the bore 5 . the bore 5 is shaped to receive the valve unit 1 . the bore 5 may have , at its upper end 3 , a stepped portion 19 and at the lower end 4 there is at least a two stage reduction in the bore diameter portion . the two stage reduction can be made up of an inwardly angled portion 20 leading to a substantially vertical portion 21 which is substantially parallel to the inner wall 22 of the bore 5 . in the lower portion of the bore there are some meltedly joined areas 23 and burr areas 24 . any other areas can be selected . the valve unit 1 and or reservoir 2 can be made from any material or blend that can be melted and sealingly joined . any polymeric material or blend can be used . substantially plastic polymeric materials or blends can be used and especially an amorphous or glassy polymeric material . purely crystalline through to purely amorphous structures with or not with a blend , can also be used . in one form of the invention the reservoir 2 is made from polymeric material but the valve unit 1 may be formed from metallic materials and polymeric materials . of course , normally it would be polymeric materials that melt but a gas tight seal can be obtained even when a metallic part is embraced or coated by molten polymeric material . macroscopic differences , ie in shape or size can still be sealed as with microscopic differences such as scratches and roughness which may exist between the valve unit 1 and the bore 5 . the valve unit 1 and reservoir 2 are melted such that the unit 1 and reservoir 2 are joined between , at least , positions 23 and 24 as shown in fig5 and 6 . joining will occur along substantially the whole of or at least a substantial proportion of the length of the valve unit 1 or the bore 5 . any suitably joining and or welding positions can be selected as long as the valve unit is sealed with the reservoir 2 such that there is no gas leakage . in the drawings both the retainer 6 and valve body 9 are shown meltedy joined or welded to the valve bore 5 . as the valve body 9 diameter is larger than the valve bore 5 diameter , then when the polymeric material of the valve body and valve bore is melted during insertion of the valve body 9 into the valve bore 5 , any excess material is displaced downwards to settle in the burr areas 24 . the upper end 7 of the retainer member 6 may be stepped to provide a stopping action for the penetration of the retainer member and or valve unit during insertion into the bore . after melting the components are joined by fusion e . g . welding . the melting can be applied by a high frequency vibration means . the method utilising melting to connect the parts can be achieved in the following manner . for example by welding . in order to avoid gas leakage , the valve body is preferably larger or has a wider diameter than the whole , or at least part , of the diameter of the valve bore 5 . the valve unit 1 can be then be forcibly downwardly inserted into the valve bore 5 by inducing high frequency downward vibration to the valve unit 1 . fig3 to 5 , show the steps in the insertion of the valve unit 1 . the high frequency vibration makes the lower end 11 of the valve unit 1 hit and abut the inner walls 22 of the bore 5 and also the inwardly angled portion 20 . the vibration will not break the amorphous polymeric structure , but will melt the plastics materials at specific locations ( as selected ) around the valve unit 1 and / or the valve bore 5 of the reservoir 2 . because an amorphous polymer is being used for the reservoir 2 and valve unit 1 , and this has a relatively low viscosity , when it melts , it forms a seal between the reservoir 2 and valve unit 1 at welding areas 23 and burr areas 24 . the melted plastics material can downwardly travel and fill , and join by fusion to even very small gaps and apertures e . g . burrs 24 between the reservoir 2 and valve unit pieces , giving a high quality gas seal effect . since no radial compressive force is required as in the press fit method of the prior art , we can use the inexpensive amorphous polymers for the production of both the valve unit 1 and reservoir 2 of the lighter . the valve unit can be sealingly joined to the valve bore 5 by downwardly inducing vibration or any other melting methods such as welding . the time and energy required to obtain complete penetration of the valve unit 1 into the valve bore 5 by melting is very short and the effect can be localised reshaping . this means that there is unlikely to be any problem in relation to distortion of the components or post shrinkage of any component ( s ). fig7 and 8 shows the lower portion only of a refillable lighter which can also be assembled using the same components disclosed and method disclosed by the present invention . the figures show at least a part of the reservoir i . e . a lower portion of a reservoir tank 25 containing pressurised gas 26 . in use the tank 25 fits underneath the said at least part of the reservoir 2 of fig3 . fig7 shows the tank 25 before refilling . fig8 shows the gas refilling operation . the base portion 27 comprises a portion 28 that protrudes into the gas tank 25 providing a recess . within the recess a valve assembly 29 sits therein to provide an openable aperture 30 to allow the insertion of a refill nozzle 31 . the refill nozzle 31 can be attached to a gas source . the valve assembly 29 can be made up of a valve member 32 , which abuts an o ring member 33 which abuts a spherical member e . g . a ball 34 which sealingly closes the aperture 30 . under non - refill conditions the downward gas pressure in the tank , keeps the ball pressed against the o ring to seal thereagainst . when the refill nozzle is inserted into the valve the ball is pushed upwards revealing a gap between the o - ring and the ball thereby allowing the ingress of gas into the tank 25 . the valve member 32 is sealed to the recess of the base portion by melting . preferably the melting action is applied by the following means including vibration welding , high frequency vibration , hot plate welding , vibration welding and microwave welding . it is preferred that amorphous polymeric materials are used . it is also envisaged that this method is also applicable to other valve units besides ones for portable lighters . as this method combines the cheap amorphous material with a melting and reshaping sealing method . other valves can include refill valves as for flow control valves . throughout the description of this specification the word “ comprise ” and variations of that word , such as “ comprising ”, are not intended to exclude other additives , components , integers or steps . 1 . few parts are required when compared to the prior art . 2 . the construction is inexpensive to manufacture . 3 . the assembly time is very short . 4 . sealing rings are not necessary in some embodiments . 5 . threading or retaining elements are not necessary . 6 . surface defects not important . 7 . melting and reshaping of the sealed area to achieve very effective seal .
5
the following description of the embodiments focuses by way of example only and not limitation on a pkes system suitable for use in with automobile . while this system is particularly useful for automotive door and / or startup access systems , other fields of use , such as building security , aviation , astronautical and nautical use are contemplated . the vehicle or space to which access is limited can be thought of as a restricted environment . described herein is a way , for systems that use an additional link for proximity assurance , to render the link secure without requiring encryption of the link which might otherwise compromise the accuracy of proximity measurements taken using that link . such a simplified proximity measuring link can also reduce the costs of the system and / or the power consumed by the key , both of which can be important considerations . moreover , if the additional link for proximity assurance is encrypted , this invention provides a further level of security through the detection of the physical movements of the key in the vicinity of the automobile , which can be treated as a physically unclonable function . in accordance with the invention , a proximity check is employed in a passive keyless system to provide reliable proximity assurance using local authentication . such proximity assurance is achieved by introducing additional sensors such as a mems accelerometer , gyroscope and / or compass ( as well as using more than one of such sensors ) on one side of the access system , in what is treated as the movable member , e . g . the key . such a sensor ( s ) is ( are ) used to measure the spatial movement history of the key in order to determine whether the key is near the location where entry is desired ( the “ base communication side ”). spatial movement history refers to at least one function of a movable member ( e . g . key ) which varies with time if the movable member changes position . for example , the spatial movement history could involve the acceleration of the key in a particular direction , the vector sum of all accelerations , or the orientation of the key relative to a particular direction such as north . a radio link is used at the base communication side , e . g . a car or door , to measure the movement history of the key using , for example , time of flight measurements . time of flight measurements could be processed by the base communication side device , in known fashion , to derive the distance and / or acceleration of the key relative to the base communication side . thus , the base communication side device can check for a match between the key movement history measured by the key and the key movement history determined by the base communication side as an additional security measure to prevent relay attacks ( alternatively , a third part of the system such as a remote management entity could perform this check ). this check works because the two different movement histories will differ when a relay attack takes place . more specifically , the exchange of movement histories is typically triggered by measuring the distance between the car and key and finding the distance to be “ close enough ” to have the car open its doors ( e . g . less than 2 m ). when this happens the histories are exchanged to check if the “ close enough ” conclusion was indeed true and not faked by relay attack . in other words , the distance between the key and car can be used for opening the car but the movement histories are used to as a check to verify that the distance has not been faked by a relay attack . this verification works because the movement history of the key as the person holding the key approaches the car is always unique and different . in accordance with the invention , communication links in systems where at least one of the sides of a given system such as a key or other portable device is moving with a user and communicating with static infrastructure such as a vehicle or building may be secured against attacks such as relay attacks . measuring the movements of one side by both communication sides independently provides a movement history which can serve as an additional physically unclonable security measure and thereby thwart relay attacks . various elements of a system as outlined above are illustrated in fig1 and aspects of the proposed operation of such a system are illustrated in fig2 . this will be discussed herein below in greater detail . while the following example describes a car operator and a car , it will be appreciated that this only is by way of illustration , and that the embodiments could be used in many other situations , including building access and nautical and aviation applications . there are two aspects to this system , first , measuring movement of the key , and then performing a security check to verify that the key is indeed close to the base unit and that the information from the key is not being forwarded through a relay attack . the base unit is located at the vehicle or building being protected , and access to the restricted environment of the vehicle or building is thereby secured ( the restricted environment can refer to the interior of the vehicle or building , and / or to commencing operation of the vehicle or building ). with reference to fig1 , the starting point for this system involves measuring at both communication sides ( the movable side ( key 5 ) and the relatively stationary base side ( vehicle 1 )) the movement history of at least one of those sides . preferably , movement of the movable side key 5 is measured . in the context of a car access system , this could be effected by providing a vehicle key 5 with one or more accelerometers , gyroscopes and / or compasses ( not shown ) so that the key 5 can measure and record its own movements . meanwhile , the car 1 uses a radio link 7 that is preferably separate from the encrypted low - frequency link 3 enabling vehicle access and operation to measure independently the movement of the key 5 . by way of non - limiting example , radio link 7 could be an ultra - wideband ( uwb ) link suitable for uwb ranging . when the key 5 wants to communicate with the car 1 for the purpose of opening the car door ( s ) and / or starting the car , then the movement history of the key 5 is exchanged with the car 1 to validate that the car 1 is indeed talking directly with the key 5 . this verification can prevent a relay attack . when the car 1 needs to verify that the key 5 is in proximity to the car 1 , the key 5 can send the key movement history data collected by the key 5 over the encrypted radio link 3 . the car 1 can then validate the received data and determine whether the key 5 is actually in physical proximity to the car 1 . with reference now to fig1 and 3 , such validation by the car 1 can be performed through the following steps : 1 . first , the car 1 and the key 5 set up a communication connection ( initiated with a “ handshake ” operation ), such that data can be exchanged over the encrypted low frequency radio link 3 , as in step s 101 . in step s 102 a check is made whether the key is sufficiently close to the car ( e . g . 2 m ), for example , through the car &# 39 ; s use of the high frequency measurement band to locate the key ( fig1 and 2 ). if the answer is no , the system waits until the key is sufficiently close . 2 . once the key is sufficiently close to the car , both the car 1 and the key 5 start recording ( independently ) key movement history data 9 after the handshake has been accomplished , as in steps s 103 and s 105 . the car 1 generates the movement history data 9 for the key 5 using radio link 7 , which is suitable for accurate measurement of the key &# 39 ; s position relative to the car 1 , e . g ., by uwb ranging . by way of example only and not limitation , fig1 depicts movement history data 9 recorded by the key showing acceleration ( y - axis ) as a function of time ( x - axis ); other movement parameters such as position , velocity or acceleration in a particular direction , or environmental brightness , or ambient sound also could be used . 3 . at a certain time after the encrypted communication link 3 has been established , the car 1 , in step s 107 , sends a signal (“ retrieval command ”) to the key 5 so that the car 1 can retrieve the movement history data 9 from the key 5 . 4 . when the key 5 receives the retrieval command from the car 1 in step s 109 , the key 5 stops recording its movement history ( the key 5 keeps recording its movement history data until it receives the retrieval command ). 5 . the key 5 then sends its movement history data 9 to the car 1 in step s 111 . at this stage , the car 1 could in step s 115 compare the movement history data 9 sent by the key 5 ( step s 113 ) with the movement history determined separately by the car . if the histories are excessively different as in step s 117 ( excessive meaning the histories are so different they do not correspond to ( or reflect ) the same movement history of the key 5 ), it follows that the key 5 in fact is not in the vicinity of the car 1 , meaning a relay attack is presumably taking place . in this situation , the car 1 should not unlock its door or start the engine . optionally , the car 1 could cause an alert to be sent to the vehicle owner or police notifying them that an attempt has been made to compromise the vehicle &# 39 ; s security , for example , by e - mail or text message . by way of non - limiting example , fig2 depicts two different movement histories 9 and 11 , and comparison of those histories will show that , while they are similar , they are not identical . should the car 1 and key 5 independently show in step 115 the same movement history for the key 5 , “ same ” meaning that the histories are not excessively different ( a suitable data analysis scheme could be employed to make this determination ), in theory the car could be opened / started , as in step s 119 . however , showing the same movement histories in this step is not sufficient to guarantee that the key is indeed in the vicinity of the car 1 , as a successful relay attack could be taking place ( in contrast , if a comparison of the key movement histories shows a difference between the histories which is sufficient to suggest a relay attack is taking place , that conclusion can be trusted and corresponding action can be taken ). thus , additional steps can be taken to determine whether the key 5 truly is in the immediate presence of the car 1 , as in step s 121 , leading to fig4 . for example , with reference to fig1 and 2 , during a relay attack , either side ( key 5 or car 1 , most likely , the key 5 ) could copy key movement history data 9 from the other side and , possibly by adding some noise to such key movement history data 9 , pretend that the altered data is its own movement history data . in the typical scenario , the unauthorized person attempting to emulate the key 5 most likely would alter the key movement history 9 sent by the key 5 to the car 1 to fool the car 1 into thinking that the unauthorized person is nearby . to prevent such a “ spoofing ” attack , the following further mutual authentication steps shown in fig2 and 4 can be taken in place of ( meaning it is always performed ) or in addition to ( meaning it is only performed under certain circumstances ) step 5 above : 5 ′. in step s 203 , the key 5 generates a hash value for the key movement history data 9 detected by the key 5 using a predetermined cryptographic hash function ( e . g . md5 or sha - 256 ). the key 5 then sends this hash value to the car 1 in step s 207 . this can take place over the encrypted low frequency radio link 3 ( fig2 ). 6 . in step s 201 , the car 1 likewise calculates a hash value for the key movement history data 9 that the car 1 detected using the measuring radio link 7 , and sends that hash value to the key 5 in step s 205 ; this can take place over the encrypted low frequency radio link 3 ( fig2 ). 7 . once the key 5 has received the hash value from the car 1 the key 5 stores it and sends its own data to the car in step s 209 ; this can take place over the encrypted low frequency radio link 3 ( fig2 ). 8 . the car , in step s 211 , then compares the hash value received from the key 1 with the hash value derived by the car 1 , and if in step s 213 those two values are in agreement , the car 1 sends its movement history data to the key in step s 217 ; this can take place over the encrypted low frequency radio link 3 ( fig2 ). by having the car send its movement history data to the key , the key can verify that it is communicating with the car , and not an unauthorized entity . in some instances , possibly to save time and / or power , this action may be omitted . the hash values should be exchanged before the movement histories to increase security , since a side having a movement history would be able to derive the corresponding hash value and thereby falsify a hash value match , thwarting the security of the system . only after the hash values have been transmitted and received should the actual movement histories be exchanged . upon receipt of a movement history , the hash value of the received movement history is recalculated at the reception side and compared at the reception side to the previously received hash value . if these hash values differ , the movement history should be rejected . only when the hash values are identical would the movement histories be compared ( the hash values are so - called cryptographic “ commitments ” that prevent the alteration of data that is sent at the later stage ). both car 1 in step s 219 and key 5 in step s 221 verify that the received hash value matches the received movement history data . if in step s 223 the received hash value does not match , they conclude that the car and the key are not in physical proximity in step s 227 . the key - side verification of the hash value received from the car is an additional security measure that helps make this system difficult to defeat ( meaning there may be applications where key - side verification of the hash value from the base can be omitted ). if the car and key hash values and movement history data match , they continue with validating the 2 sets of data and conclude from that whether the car and the key are in physical proximity in step s 225 . the key as described above can be constructed as shown in fig5 , wherein the key 301 uses discrete electronic components , e . g ., an antenna 303 , transceiver 305 , sensor ( s ) 307 ( which could include at least one of an accelerometer 309 , compass 311 , and gyroscope 313 ), memory 315 ( which can be divided into rom program memory 317 and ram working memory 319 ), processor / controller 321 , and a battery 323 serving as power source , all interconnected via suitable structure such as a bus 325 ( different buses could be used if necessary due to different operating parameters of the different components , such as power supply and power schemes ). rom program memory 317 can include instructions which , when executed by the processor / controller 321 , cause the key 301 to operate as described above . the architecture in fig5 is by example only and not limitation , and any other suitable architecture also could be employed . alternatively , the key could include an application - specific integrated circuit ( asic ) ( not shown ) having all of the components and functionality required for this invention , along with a battery for driving the asic . various exemplary embodiments are described in reference to specific illustrative examples . the illustrative examples are selected to assist a person of ordinary skill in the art to form a clear understanding of , and to practice the various embodiments . however , the scope of systems , structures and devices that may be constructed to have one or more of the embodiments , and the scope of methods that may be implemented according to one or more of the embodiments , are in no way confined to the specific illustrative examples that have been presented . on the contrary , as will be readily recognized by persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts based on this description , many other configurations , arrangements , and methods according to the various embodiments may be implemented . to the extent positional designations such as top , bottom , upper , lower have been used in describing this invention , it will be appreciated that those designations are given with reference to the corresponding drawings , and that if the orientation of the device changes during manufacturing or operation , other positional relationships may apply instead . as described above , those positional relationships are described for clarity , not limitation . the present invention has been described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings , but the invention is not limited thereto , but rather , is set forth only by the claims . the drawings described are only schematic and are non - limiting . in the drawings , for illustrative purposes , the size of various elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to a particular scale . it is intended that this invention encompasses inconsequential variations in the relevant tolerances and properties of components and modes of operation thereof . imperfect practice of the invention is intended to be covered . where the term “ comprising ” is used in the present description and claims , it does not exclude other elements or steps . where an indefinite or definite article is used when referring to a singular noun , e . g . “ a ” “ an ” or “ the ”, this includes a plural of that noun unless something otherwise is specifically stated . hence , the term “ comprising ” should not be interpreted as being restricted to the items listed thereafter ; it does not exclude other elements or steps , and so the scope of the expression “ a device comprising items a and b ” should not be limited to devices consisting only of components a and b . this expression signifies that , with respect to the present invention , the only relevant components of the device are a and b .
1
referring to fig1 in a parallel computer system in a first embodiment according to the present invention having a plurality of processors respectively assigned to divisions of a space , the processors assigned to lower stream divisions ( referred to as &# 34 ; lower processors &# 34 ;) receive a boundary condition from the processors assigned to upper stream divisions ( referred to as &# 34 ; upper processors ) sequentially , starting from the processor assigned to the lowermost stream division ( referred to as &# 34 ; lowermost processor &# 34 ;) upward . in fig1 dotted lines indicate the flow of data , continuous lines indicate data transmission request signals , and parenthesized numerals indicate order in which the processors receive data or a data transmission request signal . the first embodiment will be described as applied to the analysis of heat transfer of a fluid in a flow passage by a pipeline control . the flow passage is divided into n divisions corresponding to the number n of the processors , and the processors are assigned to the divisions , respectively . the divisions 1 , 2 , 3 , . . . and n are arranged in that order from the inlet of the flow passage downward , and the processors 2 - 1 , 2 - 2 , 2 - 3 , . . . and 2 - n correspond to the divisions 1 , 2 , 3 , . . . and n , respectively . a computation procedure comprises the following steps . all the processors compute simultaneously the variations of the condition ( temperature , enthalpy or the like ) of the fluid along the flow in the divisions . the processors transfer boundary conditions . calculated data on the condition of the fluid at the outlet of the mth division ( 1 ≦ m ≦ n ) is data on the condition of the fluid at the inlet of the ( m + 1 ) th division , i . e ., an initial condition for the next step . in this embodiment , the processors 2 - m transmit data to the processors 2 -( m + 1 ) sequentially . all the processors carries out operations for heat transfer analysis using boundary conditions received from the preceding processors as initial values , respectively . a conventional method carries out the following procedure for data transmitting operations in step 2 . the processor 2 - 1 assigned to the uppermost stream division ( referred to as &# 34 ; uppermost processor &# 34 ;) sends calculated data , such as temperature distribution data stored in a memory cell array x ( i ), to the processor 2 - 2 on the directly lower side of the processor 2 - 1 . at this stage , calculated data provided by the processor 2 - 2 is stored in the memory cell array x ( i ) and hence the memory cell array x ( i ) cannot store received data . therefore , the processor 2 - 2 receives the calculated data from the processor 2 - 1 by a buffer array b ( i ). the contents of the buffer array b ( i ) is transferred to the memory cell array x ( i ) after transmitting the data stored in the memory cell array x ( i ) to the directly lower processor 2 - 3 . as shown in fig8 the processors 2 - 1 , 2 - 2 and 2 - 3 executes the procedure sequentially in that order to complete operations for step 2 . this conventional method has two disadvantages that each processor needs the buffer array b ( i ), and each processor needs to carry out an operation to transfer the data from the buffer array b ( i ) to the memory cell array x ( i ). in the first embodiment of the present invention , the data transfer operation is started from the lowermost processor n . first , the processor n - 1 sends calculated data to the processor n , and then the processor n - 1 receives calculated data from the directly upper processor n - 2 . if the parallel computer system is provided with the four processors as shown in fig1 first , the processor 2 - 3 sends calculated data to the lowermost processor 2 - 4 , the processor 2 - 3 receives calculated data from the directly upper processor 2 - 2 , and , finally , the processor 2 - 2 receives calculated data from the directly upper processor 2 - 1 . since the processor n - 1 receives calculated data after the calculated data calculated by the processor n - 1 has been transmitted to the processor n , the processor n - 1 is able to use the memory cell array x ( i ) for receiving calculated data . if the data receiving operations of the processors are carried out sequentially starting from the lowermost processor upward , the buffer array b ( i ) is unnecessary and hence the operation for transferring data from the buffer array b ( i ) to the memory cell array x ( i ) is unnecessary . in the first embodiment , when each processor transmits data to another processor , the processor to receive data transmits a data transmission request signal to the processor to transmit data , and the processor to transmit data transmits data after receiving the data transmission request signal . the first embodiment is intended to avoid the confusion of communication which may occur in the conventional method of parallel computation in which , for example , the processor 2 - m transmits data to the processor 2 -( m + 1 ), by sending a data transmission request signal from the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) to the processor 2 - m before receiving data . in most cases , the processors are programmed for the same operations for parallel computation . therefore , it is possible that the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) is in a state to send data to the processor 2 -( m + 2 ) when the processor 2 - m is in a state to send data to the processor 2 -( m + 1 ). although data can smoothly be transmitted if the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) completes computation before the processor 2 - m , communication conflict occurs in the reverse case . fig9 illustrates communication conflict which occurs when data is transmitted from the processor 2 - m to the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) by the conventional method of data transmitting operation . the processor 2 - m has started a data transmitting operation 8a before the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) starts a data transmitting operation 8b , and the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) is in a state in which the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) must receive a data transmission request signal 9 . under such circumstances , a transmitting operation and a receiving operation conflict with each other and the processor 2 - m is in a state in which neither transmission nor reception is impossible . to avoid such communication conflict , the program must be designed so that the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) estimates the time when data sent out by the processor 2 - m arrives at the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) and data can be transferred without confusion . however , the estimation of the time , practically , is almost impossible . therefore , in the first embodiment , the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) specifies the time to receive data by a data transmission request signal . if the processor 2 - m has completed computation before the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) sends out the data transmission request signal , i . e ., if the processor 2 - m is in a standby mode and waiting for a data transmission request signal , the processor 2 - m executes a data transmitting operation upon the reception of the data transmission request signal from the processor 2 -( m + 1 ). if the processor 2 - m has not completed computation before the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) sends out the data transmission request signal , the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) remains in a standby mode after transmitting the data transmission request signal until the processor 2 - m completes computation and transmits calculated data . thus , communication conflict can be avoided by making the processor to receive data transmit data transmission request signal . the first embodiment will be described as applied to the heat transfer analysis utilizing pipeline control . in the analysis , all the processors 2 carries out analytical operations simultaneously to analyze the divisions to which they are assigned . if the processors 2 complete computation sequentially from the lowermost processor 2 upward , the general computational operation can smoothly be achieved because data transfer in the next step can sequentially be carried out starting from the lowermost processor 2 upward . practically , order in which the processors 2 complete their analytical operations is indefinite . suppose that the processor 2 - m ( 1 ≦ m ≦ n ) is the first to complete the analytical operation . the processor 2 - m try to send data obtained by its analytical operation to the processor 2 -( m + 1 ). however , since the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) is still in the analytical operation , the processor 2 - m remains in a standby mode and waits to transmit the data obtained by its analytical operation . sooner or later , the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) completes the analytical operation and tries to send data obtained by its analytical operation to the processor 2 -( m + 2 ). however , what is required of the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) by the parallel computer system is the reception of the data obtained by an analytical operation and is not the transmission of the data obtained by an analytical operation . consequently , the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) become neither able to receive data nor able to transmit data , and stops functioning . meanwhile , the processor 2 -( m - 1 ) directly on the upper side of the processor 2 - m completes computation and tries to transmit the data obtained by an analytical operation to the processor 2 - m . however , since the processor 2 - m is in a wait - to - transmit state , the processor 2 -( m - 1 ) is unable to transmit the data obtained by its analytical operation . thus , communication abnormality propagates from processor to processor across the entire parallel computer system and , eventually , the parallel computer system enters a stopped state for an indefinite period . a method of preventing such a state synchronizes the operations of the processors and adjust the times of operations of the processors . if appropriate delay times are set for the processors 2 , respectively , as shown in fig1 , communication conflict can be avoided . although computation completion times 11 at which the processors 2 complete their computation , respectively , are different from each other as shown in fig1 , a synchronizing signal 13 is generated at the last computation completion time 11 , and then the processors 2 perform data transmitting operations 15 sequentially , starting from the uppermost processor 2 downward . then , as shown in fig1 , the processing time of each of the processors 2 is equal to the sum of a computation time 10 , a wait time 12 between a moment when the processor completes computation and a moment when the synchronizing signal 13 is generated , and a wait time 14 between the moment when the synchronizing signal 13 is generated and a moment when the processor 2 starts a data transmitting operation . in fig1 , indicated at 16 is a direction in which time is measured . when the operations of the processors 2 are thus synchronized , the parallel computer system is held in a standby mode until all the processors 2 complete computation and , consequently , an extra communication delay occurs and computation speed is reduced . in the first embodiment , each of the processors 2 transmits data upon the reception of a data transmission request signal 17 as shown in fig2 and , if the processor has not completed computation by the time the data transmission request signal 17 is received , the processor transmits data after completing computation . therefore , the processing time of each of the processors is equal to the sum of a computation time 10 and a wait time 18 between time when computation is completed and time when data is transmitted . thus , the overall processing time is curtailed . operations of the processor 2 - m will be explained by way of example . the processor 2 - m receives a data transmission request signal 17 from the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) on the directly lower side thereof . the processor 2 - m transmits data to the processor 2 -( m + 1 ) on the directly lower side thereof . the processor 2 - m transmits a data transmission request signal to the processor 2 -( m - 1 ) on the directly upper side thereof . the processor 2 - m receives data from the processor 2 -( m - 1 ) on the directly upper side thereof . the lowermost processor n skips steps 2 and 3 ; that is , the processor n starts a series of operations from the data transmission request signal transmitting operation of step 4 , and the rest of the processors starts a series of operations from the data transmission request signal receiving operation of step 2 . the transmission operation of the processor n is a trigger to start the series of operations , and the processors carry out sequentially data transmitting operations for transmitting data to the lower processors , starting from the processor n - 1 upward , so that communication confusion is avoided . the extra communication delay attributable to the synchronization of the operations of the processors as shown in fig1 is reduced . fig3 shows the configuration of a parallel computer system in a second embodiment according to the present invention . in the second embodiment , a host computer 1 sends data transmission request signals sequentially to processors 2 in predetermined order to receive data from the processors 2 . the processors 2 transmit data after receiving the data transmission request signal . in fig3 dotted lines indicate the flow of data , continuous lines indicate data transmission request signals , and parenthesized numerals indicate order in which the processors 2 receive data or a data transmission request signal . generally , the parallel computer system needs to carry out operations to send data from the host computer 1 to the plurality of processors 2 , to make the processors 2 carry out computation in parallel , and to collect data obtained by the analytical operations of the processors in the host computer 1 after the processors have completed computation . suppose , by way of example , that a program is designed to make the host computer 1 receive data obtained by analysis from the processors 2 - 1 , 2 - 2 , 2 - 3 and 2 - 4 in that order and store the data obtained by analysis in a specified memory cell array . since the processors 2 do not necessarily complete computation in the foregoing order in which the host computer 1 receives data obtained by analysis from the processors 2 , a conventional method carries out the following data transmitting procedure to avoid communication confusion . the processor 2 - 3 transmits data obtained by the analytical operations of the processors 2 - 3 and 2 - 4 to the processor 2 - 2 . the processor 2 - 2 transmits data obtained by the analytical operations of the processors 2 - 2 , 2 - 3 and 2 - 4 to the processor 2 - 1 . the processor 2 - 1 transmits data obtained by the analytical operations of the processors 2 - 1 , 2 - 2 , 2 - 3 and 2 - 4 to the host computer 1 . if the data obtained by the analytical operations of the processors 2 are transmitted to the host computer 1 by the foregoing conventional method , a communication operation must be repeated as many as four times to send the data provided by the processor 2 - 4 to the host computer 1 . therefore , if the number of the processors 2 is increased , communication delay attributable to wasteful operations increases inevitably in proportion to the square of the number of the processors 2 . in a parallel computer system in a second embodiment according to the present invention , the transmission of a data transmission request signal from a host computer 1 to processors 2 in predetermined sequence and the reception of data by the host computer 1 from the processors 2 are carried out alternately to collect all the data provided by the processors 2 in the host computer 1 in the least possible communication time without entailing communication confusion . in the second embodiment , sequence in which data is received from the processors 2 may be changed according to condition . the parallel computer system in the third embodiment will be described hereinafter . fig4 shows the configuration of the parallel computer system in the fourth embodiment . when the host computer 1 receives data from the processors 2 , the processors 2 - i which have sequentially received a data transmission request signal transmit data to the host computer 1 and give a data transmission request signal to the processors 2 -( i + 1 ) which have not yet completed data transmission , respectively . in fig4 dotted lines indicate the flow of data , continuous lines indicate data transmission request signals , and parenthesized numerals indicate order in which the processors 2 receive data or a data transmission request signal . when receiving data from the processors 2 , the host computer 1 gives a data transmission request signal to predetermined one of the processors 2 , for example the processor 2 - 1 . then , the processor 2 - 1 transmits data to the host computer 1 and , at the same time , gives a data transmission request signal to another predetermined one of the processors 2 , for example , the processor 2 - 2 . upon the reception of the data transmission request signal , the processor 2 - 2 transmits data to the host computer 1 and , at the same time , gives a data transmission request signal to the processor 2 - 3 which has not yet transmitted data . then , the processor 2 - 3 transmits data to the host computer 1 upon the reception of the data transmission request signal and , at the same time , gives a data transmission request signal to the processor 2 - 4 which has not yet transmitted data . then , the lowermost processor 2 - 4 transmits data to the host computer 1 . data obtained by computation by the processors 2 - 1 , 2 - 2 , 2 - 3 and 2 - 4 are collected in the host computer 1 by a data communication procedure including the following steps . the host computer 1 gives a data transmission request signal to the processor 2 - 1 . the processor 2 - 1 gives a data transmission request signal to the processor 2 - 2 . the processor 2 - 2 transmits data obtained by an analytical operation to the host computer 1 . the processor 2 - 2 gives a data transmission request signal to the processor 2 - 3 . the processor 2 - 3 transmits data obtained by an analytical operation to the host computer 1 . the processor 2 - 3 gives a data transmission request signal to the processor 2 - 4 . the processor 2 - 4 transmits data obtained by an analytical operation to the host computer 1 . thus , the host computer 1 simply has to receive data from the processors 2 - 1 , 2 - 2 , 2 - 3 and 2 - 4 in that order . accordingly , the third embodiment is more effective than the second embodiment shown in fig4 in reducing communication time . however , the host computer 1 is allowed to receive data from the processors 2 in specific order of processors 2 , and it is difficult to change the order according to condition . if order of the processors 2 in which the host computer 1 receive data from the processors 2 needs to be changed according to condition , the third embodiment shown in fig3 is preferable . a parallel computer system in a fourth embodiment according to the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to fig5 showing the configuration of the parallel computer system in the fourth embodiment . in the parallel computer system in the fourth embodiment , the method of data transfer between the host computer 1 and the plurality of processors 2 , employed in the second embodiment is applied to data transfer between one of the processors and the rest of the processors . in fig5 dotted lines indicate the flow of data , continuous lines indicate data transmission request signals , and parenthesized numerals indicate order in which the processors 2 receive data or a data transmission request signal . when the processor 2 - 1 desires to receive data from the processors 2 - 2 , 2 - 3 and 2 - 4 , the processor 2 - 1 gives a data transmission request signal sequentially to the processors 2 - 2 , 2 - 3 and 2 - 4 in predetermined order , and then the processors 2 - 2 , 2 - 3 and 2 - 4 transmit data to the processor 2 - 1 after receiving the data transmission request signal . thus , data provided by the processors 2 - n are collected in the processor 2 - m . a parallel computer system in a fifth embodiment according to the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to fig6 showing the configuration of the parallel computer system in the fifth embodiment . in the parallel computer system in the fifth embodiment , the method of data transfer between a host computer 1 and a plurality of processors 2 , employed in the third embodiment is applied to data transfer between one of the processors and the rest of the processors . in fig6 dotted lines indicate the flow of data , continuous lines indicate data transmission request signals , and parenthesized numerals indicate order in which the processors 2 receive data or a data transmission request signal . when the processor 2 - 1 desires to receive data from the processors 2 - 2 , 2 - 3 and 2 - 4 , the processor 2 - 1 gives a data transmission request signal to the processor 2 - 2 . the processor 2 - 2 transmits data to the processor 2 - 1 upon the reception of the data transmission request signal and , at the same time , gives a data transmission request signal to the processor 2 - 3 . the processor 2 - 3 transmits data to the processor 2 - 2 upon the reception of the data transmission request signal and , at the same time , gives a data transmission request signal to the processor 2 - 4 which has not yet transmitted data . thus data obtained by the processors 2 - 2 to 2 - 4 are collected in the processor 2 - 1 . as is apparent from the foregoing description , in the parallel computer system in accordance with the present invention and the method of communication between the processors of the parallel computer system , the processors generates data transmission request signals which flow in a direction opposite the data transfer direction to avoid confusion in communication between the processors due to different computation completion times at which the processors complete computation , respectively , so that the data can flow along the predetermined transfer passage . thus , the amount of data to be transferred and operations necessary for transferring the data can be reduced to the least possible extent by thus deciding the data transfer passage , and the speed and efficiency of parallel computing operations can be enhanced . the parallel computer system in accordance with the present invention and the method of communication between the processors of the parallel computer system can be applicable not only to the computational analysis of large - scale facilities , but also to various information processing systems employing a plurality of processors which operate in parallel for information processing . although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity , obviously many changes and variations are possible therein . it is therefore to be understood that the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein without departing from the scope and spirit thereof
6
this invention is an optical processor that can be constructed in a compact package . packing without intermediate lenses permits this compactness . compact optical processors of this invention are suitable for computations for synthetic aperture radar . synthetic aperture radar processing generates two dimensional image data in range and cross - range representing the reflectivity and scattering properties of a target scene . the far field nature of the geometry between the synthetic aperture radar and the target insures the data collected by the synthetic aperture radar is a complex - valued spatial spectrum of the scene reflectivity . prior to processing , the data is corrected to a single scene point . this may be done using a &# 34 ; spotlight &# 34 ; format in which the radar transmitting and receiving antenna beams are steered to track a single point location . alternatively , the radar received signal may be mathematically corrected . equation ( 1 ) indicates the formation of a scene from a frame of synthetic aperture data corrected to a single point : ## equ1 ## where : f =( r 1 + r 2 ) v / c is the spatial spectrum position vector ; v is the instantaneous transmitter radar temporal frequency assuming a frequency chirp / dechirp radar : w ( r ) is the image of the scene reflectivity ; w ( f ) is the spatial spectrum data received by the synthetic aperture radar ; r 1 = r 1 r 1 in the vector position of the synthetic aperture radar transmitter to the coordinate origin fixed at the target ; and r 2 = r 2 r 2 in the vector position of the synthetic aperture radar receiver to the coordinate origin fixed at the target . the collected data in spatial spectrum space is known as the phase history . the image of the scene is formed from the phase history in effect by computing the two dimensional fourier transform as noted in equation ( 1 ). as a result of the relative motion between the synthetic aperture radar and the scene history corrected to a single point , the phase history is generally located in spatial spectrum space along polar lines . this format of the phase history data introduces a problem with digital processing . the fast fourier transform algorithm , which is efficiently executed in digital processors , requires rectangularly formatted data . prior art digital processors have interpolated the phase history data into rectangular coordinates before computing the fourier transform . in many instances this interpolation requires more computation that the fourier transform . in this environment optical processing can be very valuable since it in effect produces the interpolation automatically without additional computation . the nature of the data acquisition in synthetic aperture radar makes serial processing convenient . synthetic aperture radar data is acquired serially as echo returns are received . computation of the fourier transform may be partitioned because of the linearity of fourier transforms . thus the input data w ( f ) may be divided into n non - overlapping partitions w n ( f ) where : ## equ2 ## the apparatus computes the fourier transform of a partition of the input data as follows : ## equ3 ## the fourier transform of the entire input data is formed by summing the partial fourier transforms of the partitioned data as follows : ## equ4 ## in the compact optical processor of this invention the partitioning of the input data noted in equation ( 2 ) is a natural consequence of the synthetic aperture radar process . the compact optical processor serially forms the fourier transforms of equation ( 3 ) optically as the phase history data is received . lastly , the summation of equation ( 4 ) is formed in part optically by integration at the detector and in part electronically following detection of the light used in the optical processor . the compact optical processor of this invention will be described in conjunction with three embodiments . fig1 and 2 illustrate a near - in - line embodiment of this invention . fig3 and 4 illustrate a modified koster &# 39 ; s interferometer embodiment . fig5 illustrates the optical parts of a system usable with either of the above embodiments that permits simultaneous operation on plural wavelengths . fig1 illustrates a near - in - line embodiment of compact optical processor 100 . fig2 illustrates the optical parts of the compact optical processor 100 of fig1 in exploded form for better understanding of their assembly . the optical elements of compact optical processor 100 are generally formed as slabs . each optical element has an input surface for receiving a two dimensional optical wavefront and an output surface that produces another two dimensional optical wavefront processed by that element . these input and output surfaces are generally parallel . compact optical processor 100 is coupled to computer 160 that forms the desired image . the light source for compact optical processor 100 is laser diode 105 . laser diode 105 is intensity modulated by the input signal to be transformed . the synthetic aperture radar data may be negative . a bias is added to the input signal in order to preserve a non - negative input to laser diode 105 . coherent light from laser diode 105 propagates down a slab waveguide 110 dispersing because of the source aperture . extended holographic coupler 111 forms plane wavefront 115 and transversely couples this light into the input surface of the first optical element . the input signal to compact optical processor 100 provides intensity modulation to laser diode 105 . laser diode 105 serves as the source of coherent light needed by the optical processor . another light source of sufficient coherence may be used instead of a laser diode . the interference of two diffracted orders of the input plane wavefront 115 produces the optic output from optical processor 100 . the diffractions are formed in acousto - optic device 120 . acousto - optic device 120 produces two orthogonally propagating acoustic waves within the same substrate . a first transducer receives a x - axis scan signal and produces horizontally propagating waves . a second transducer produces vertically propagating waves form a y - axis signal . each set of waves produces a regular change in the effective index of refraction of acousto - optic device 120 . these regular changes in the effective index of refraction act as a diffraction grating at the wavelength of the input illumination . at any instant the input plane wavefront is diffracted off the central axis into two wavefronts by the pattern of effective index of refraction . because both the x - axis and the y - axis acoustic waves are driven by variable frequency signals , the acousto - optic device 120 scans the orthogonally diffracted plane wavefront to produce a variable fringe pattern at the detector 150 . holographic optical element 130 serves to filter out the unwanted , undiffracted wavefront and higher order diffracted wavefronts from acousto - optic device 120 . holographic optical element 130 employs bragg diffraction to discriminate between the incident propagation vectors of the light . holographic optical element 130 preferably passes light within a desired spatial pass band of the direction of the propagation vector . light with other propagation vectors , such as light undiffracted in acousto - optic device and light of higher diffracted orders , is blocked . mask 140 blocks light outside a predetermined area . holographic optical element 130 may also serve as a modulation grating if the linear spatial carrier is desired at the output , such as when the interference has too high a spatial frequency for the detector . wavefront 145 shows the resultant interference fringes formed by the interference between the two desired diffracted wavefronts . the interference fringes are made stationary by modulating the light source at the same frequency as the sum or difference frequency of the two interfering wavefronts . the first diffracted order from each of the two sets of propagating acoustic waves in acousto - optic device 120 interfere at detector 150 . this forms a cosine transform of the input plane wavefront 115 at detector 150 . detector 150 is preferably an array of some type of energy accumulating photosensitive cells , such as a charge coupled device . the output of detector 150 is periodically digitized and stored in computer 160 . computer 160 then forms in part the final summation noted in equation ( 4 ). detector 150 is preferably read out before saturating the dynamic range of its individual photosensitive cells permitting linear summation in computer 160 . a part of the final summation process in computer 160 involves elimination of the output bias . the bias formed by the incoherent addition of partitioned data as indicated by equation ( 4 ) would saturate the photosensitive elements of detector 150 due to its limited dynamic range unless periodically read and cleared . bias subtraction may take place as a straight forward subtraction of the detected signals if the bias is known or can be measured . alternatively , an alternating technique may be used . alternate partitions w n ( f ) are subtracted from the input bias rather than being added to the input bias . likewise , alternate reads of detector 150 are subtracted rather than being added to the computer memory . this results in cancellation of the input bias and unknown fixed noise signals in each pair of summed partitions w n ( r ). fig3 illustrates a modified koster &# 39 ; s interferometer embodiment of compact optical processor 200 . fig4 illustrates the optical parts of the compact optical processor 200 of fig3 in exploded form for better understanding of their assembly . the optical elements of compact optical processor 200 are generally similar to those previously describe in conjunction with fig1 and 2 . optical processor 200 employs a slab waveguide 210 similar to slab waveguide 110 . the output intensity of laser diode 205 is modulated according to the input signal . the light from laser diode 205 disperses because of the source aperture and is formed into a plane wavefront 215 by extended holographic coupler 211 . optical processor 200 employs two separate acousto - optic devices 220 and 230 to scan the incoming wavefront . acousto - optic device 220 receives the x - axis scan signal and produces horizontally propagating waves . acousto - optic device 230 produces vertically propagating waves from a y - axis signal . separate acousto - optic devices for the two scanning directions are easier to construct than the single acousto - optic scanning device 120 . optical processor 200 forms the interference in a different manner , as described below . holographic optical element 240 serves to filter out the unwanted , undiffracted wavefront and the higher order diffracted wavefronts from the two acousto - optic devices 220 and 230 . mask 250 blocks all light outside a predetermined area . the required interference is formed in modified koster &# 39 ; s interferometer 260 . modified koster &# 39 ; s interferometer 260 includes beam splitter 261 , which splits the received optical wavefront into two beams . the first of these beams is reflected to roof prism 263 . the second beam is transmitted to roof prism 265 . these roof prisms 263 and 265 perform coordinate transformation on the received light . each roof prism transforms the light in one coordinate and leaves the other coordinate unaffected . a characteristic of these roof prisms is that the reflected light reproduces the component of the propagation vector perpendicular to the axis of the roof and doubles the component of the propagation vector parallel to the axis of the roof . the two roof prisms are disposed perpendicularly . fig3 and 4 illustrate that roof prism 263 has a vertical axis and roof prism 265 has a horizontal axis . the reflected light from the two roof prisms 263 and 265 are reassembled by beam splitter 261 . this reassembled pair of beams is imaged at the roof top position by lens 270 onto detector 280 . the interference between the two reassembled beams is formed at detector 280 . detector 280 is constructed in the manner of detector 150 . computer 290 operates in the same fashion as computer 160 . fig5 illustrates an embodiment of this invention that provides simultaneous optical processing on plural wavelengths . respective first , second and third inputs are supplied to laser diodes 311 , 313 and 315 . laser diodes 311 , 313 and 315 operate on the differing respective wavelengths λ 1 , λ 2 , and λ 3 . light from the laser diodes are collimated in respective lenses 321 , 323 and 325 . those skilled in the art would realize other types of collimating optics such as reflectors or holographic optical elements could be used instead of lenses and beam splitters . a set of dichroic beam splitters 331 , 333 and 335 assemble an optical wavefront on the plural wavelengths . dichroic beam splitter 331 reflects light on wavelength λ 1 to the input of two dimensional scanner 341 . dichroic beam splitter 333 reflects light on wavelength λ 2 to the input of two dimensional scanner 341 while transmitting light on wavelength λ 1 unaffected . lastly , dichroic beam splitter 335 reflects light on wavelength λ 3 to the input of two dimensional scanner 341 while transmitting light on wavelengths λ 1 and λ 2 unaffected . two dimensional scanner 341 and fourier transform interferometer 345 optically process the plural optical wavefronts on differing wavelengths . two dimensional scanner 341 scans the plural optical wavefronts in two dimensions . two dimensional scanner 341 may be embodied in a single acousto - optic device such as acousto - optic device 120 illustrated in fig1 and 2 , or in a pair of orthogonally scanning acousto - optic devices such as acousto - optic devices 220 and 239 illustrated in fig3 and 4 . fourier transform interferometer 345 forms the fourier transform of the input plural optical wavefronts . fourier transform interferometer 345 forms the solution to equation ( 3 ) for partitions of the input data as received . fourier transform interferometer 345 could be embodied in the interferometer as illustrated in fig1 and 2 or in the modified koster &# 39 ; s interferometer as illustrated in fig3 and 4 . the processed optical wavefronts are separated by wavelength after processing . dichroic beam splitter 351 reflects light of the wavelength λ 1 to focussing lens 361 while transmitting light of other wavelengths unaffected . lens 361 focuses the light of wavelength λ 1 onto a first detector array 371 . first detector array 371 forms a first output signal . this first output signal corresponds to the first input signal as processed by optical processor 300 . dichroic beam splitter 353 reflects light of the wavelength λ 2 to focussing lens 363 , which focuses this light onto second detector array 373 . second detector array 373 forms a second output signal corresponding to the second input signal . lastly , dichroic beam splitter 355 reflects light of wavelength λ 3 to focussing lens 365 that focusses this light onto third detector array 377 . third detector array 375 forms a third output signal corresponding to the third input signal . those skilled in the art would realize that other types of imaging systems , such as reflectors or holographic optical elements , could be substituted for focussing lenses 361 , 363 and 365 and beam splitters 351 , 353 and 355 . optical processor 300 provides independent processing of three signals . this independent processing is feasible because the photons on the three differing wavelengths do not interact in two dimensional scanner 341 nor in the fourier transform interferometer 345 . the dichroic beam splitters permit assembly of a multiple wavelength input and separation of the processed outputs . one skilled in the art would also realize that chromatic diffraction gratings could be used to assemble separate the wavefronts of the plural wavelengths . optical processor 300 could process additional wavelengths with the inclusion of a laser diode , an input dichroic beam splitter , an output dichroic beam splitter and a detector array for each additional wavelength . optical processor 300 could serve as processor for multiple synthetic aperture radars located on the same platform , could process in parallel different portions of the same input signal , or could process in parallel different polarization channels of a single polarimetric synthetic aperture radar .
6
as will be appreciated by reference to the detailed description below and in further respect to the figures , the present invention is principally related to selective renal flow systems and methods , which are thus generally related to subject matter disclosed in the following prior filed , co - pending u . s . patent applications that are commonly owned with the present application : ser . no . 09 / 229 , 390 to keren et al ., filed jan . 11 , 1999 ; now u . s . pat . no . 6 , 749 , 598 , issued jun . 15 , 2004 , ser . no . 09 / 562 , 493 to keren et al ., filed may 1 , 2000 ; and ser . no . 09 / 724 , 691 to kesten et al ., filed nov . 28 , 2000 , now allowed . the disclosures of these prior patent applications are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference thereto . the invention is also generally related to certain aspects of subject matter disclosed in other published international patent applications as follows : wo 00 / 41612 to libra medical systems , published jul . 20 , 2000 ; and wo 01 / 83016 to libra medical systems , published nov . 8 , 2001 . the disclosures of these published international patent applications are also herein incorporated in their entirety by reference thereto . various particular dimensions , constructions , and materials are herein described according to the various embodiments and are considered highly beneficial . however , it is contemplated that such are illustrative and other modifications may be made to suit a particular need without departing from the intended present scope . referring more specifically to the drawings , for illustrative purposes the present invention is embodied in the apparatus generally shown in fig1 through fig2 . it will be appreciated that the apparatus may vary as to configuration and as to details of the parts , and that the method may vary as to the specific steps and sequence , without departing from the basic concepts as disclosed herein . the description herein provided relates to medical material delivery systems and methods in the context of their relationship in use within a patient &# 39 ; s anatomy . accordingly , for the purpose of providing a clear understanding , the term proximal should be understood to mean locations on a system or device relatively closer to the operator during use , and the term distal should be understood to mean locations relatively further away from the operator during use of a system or device . the present embodiments described below generally relate to the local delivery of renal drugs from within the renal arteries themselves ; however , it is contemplated that these systems and methods may be suitably modified for use in other anatomical regions and for other medical conditions without departing from the broad scope of various of the aspects illustrated by the embodiments . in general , the disclosed material delivery systems will include a fluid delivery assembly , a proximal coupler assembly and one or more elongated bodies , such as tubes or catheters . these elongated bodies may contain one or more delivery lumens and generally consist of a proximal region , a mid - distal region , and a distal tip region or regions in the case of multi - tipped embodiments . the distal tip region will typically have means for delivering a material such as a fluid agent . radiopaque markers or other devices may be coupled to the specific regions of the elongated body to assist introduction and positioning . the material delivery system of the present invention is intended to be placed into position by a physician , typically either an interventionalist ( cardiologist or radiologist ) or an intensivist , a physician who specializes in the treatment of intensive - care patients . the physician will gain access to a femoral artery in the patient &# 39 ; s groin , typically using a seldinger technique of percutaneous vessel access or other conventional method . fig1 illustrates a standard , single port catheter assembly 10 as is known to exist in the art with introducer sheath 12 coupled to tubular hub 14 . side port 16 is in fluid communication with hub 14 and introducer sheath 12 and has tube 18 connected to valve 20 and fitting 22 for introduction of saline or other fluids into catheter assembly 10 . hemostasis valve 24 is coupled to hub 14 and positioned on the axis 26 of introducer sheath 12 and allows sealable introduction of guide wires , catheters and other interventional devices ( not shown ) into hub 14 . fig2 through fig4 illustrate an embodiment of the present invention , a proximal coupler assembly 30 , in plan view , sectional view and perspective view respectively . in the embodiment shown , the y hub body 32 is configured with an introducer sheath fitting 34 that has outer rib 35 at the distal end 36 of y hub body 32 and a main adapter fitting 38 at the proximal end 40 of hub body 32 . in an exemplary embodiment , main adapter fitting 38 mates with a hemostasis valve ( shown in fig8 ). main branch 42 has tubular main channel 44 aligned on axis 46 and fluidly connects introducer sheath fitting 34 and main hemostasis adapter fitting 38 , also aligned on axis 46 . by way of example and not of limitation , main channel 44 may accommodate a 6 fr guide catheter ( not shown ). side port fitting 48 is positioned on main branch 42 and is fluidly connected to main channel 44 . secondary branch 50 has tubular branch channel 52 that intersects main channel 44 at predetermined transition angle β . proximal end 54 of secondary branch 50 has secondary fitting 56 . in a beneficial embodiment , secondary fitting 56 is adapted to mate with a touhy borst valve ( shown in fig8 ). in the present embodiment , a channel restriction 58 is molded into introducer sheath fitting 34 . the y hub body 32 may be molded in one piece or assembled from a plurality of pieces . in one embodiment , ( not shown ) side port fitting 48 is placed on secondary branch 50 in similar fashion as that shown on main branch 42 in fig1 – fig3 . turning now to fig5 through fig7 , another beneficial embodiment of a reduced volume proximal coupler assembly 60 , in plan view , section view , and perspective view respectively are shown . the y hub body 62 is adapted with a reduced size main branch 64 and a reduced volume main channel 66 . secondary branch 68 and secondary channel 70 also present a reduced volume . introducer sheath fitting 34 at the distal end 36 and side port fitting 48 are the same as in fig2 through fig5 . hemostasis adapter fitting 72 at distal end 40 of main branch 64 is adapted for reduced volume operation . secondary fitting 74 at proximal end 54 of secondary branch 68 is also adapted for reduced volume operation . fig8 illustrates the proximal coupler assembly 30 as described in fig2 through fig4 with proximal end 75 of introducer sheath 76 coupled to introducer sheath fitting 34 of y hub body 32 . introducer sheath fits over introducer sheath fitting 34 and is secured by rib 35 ( shown in fig2 through fig7 ). distal end 77 of introducer sheath 76 may be adapted with a truncated conical shape to aid insertion and advancement of introducer sheath 76 . in one mode , distal end 77 of introducer sheath is further adapted to accommodate a vessel dilator . in another mode , distal end 77 of introducer sheath is further adapted with a radiopaque marker ( not shown ). by way of example and not of limitation , introducer sheath may be sized up to about 10 fr and may be about 8 fr . in a beneficial embodiment , introducer sheath is about 30 cm in length to about 45 cm in length . fluid fitting 78 and a fluid valve 80 , such as a stopcock valve , are connected to side port 48 with fluid tube 82 . in one mode , saline solution is introduced into fluid fitting 78 through fluid valve 80 and into y hub assembly 32 . a hemostasis valve 84 is coupled to main adapter fitting 38 . a touhy borst valve 86 is coupled to secondary fitting 56 . it is to be appreciated that proximal coupler assembly 30 with hemostasis valve 84 , touhy borst valve 86 and introducer sheath 76 attached , may be configured as a kit . it is also to be appreciated that touhy borst valve 86 could be placed in addition or instead on main branch of hub body 32 and likewise hemostasis valve 84 could also be placed in addition or instead on side branch 50 . similarly , it can be appreciated by one skilled in the art that side port 48 and associated fluid tube 82 , fluid valve 80 , and fluid fitting 78 could be placed in addition or instead on side branch 50 of y hub body 32 . fig9 illustrates another embodiment of a proximal coupler as shown in fig8 where the proximal coupler assembly 90 has side port 48 positioned on y hub assembly 92 between secondary branch 94 and an introducer sheath fitting 96 . introducer sheath 76 with proximal end 75 and distal end 77 is shown coupled to y hub assembly 92 at introducer sheath fitting 96 . fig1 illustrates a fluid delivery system 100 before insertion . a fluid agent infusion device 102 , shown in phantom , is positioned on the distal end 104 of a stiff tube 106 and compressed in the distal end 108 of delivery sheath 110 . by example and not by limitation , delivery sheath 110 may be about 6 fr to about 8 fr in diameter and about 15 cm in length . in another embodiment , stiff tube 106 is made of a nickel - titanium alloy . a torque handle 112 is coupled to stiff tube 106 at a mid proximal position 114 on stiff tube 106 . a fluid infusion port 116 is positioned at the proximal end 118 of stiff tube 106 . fluid infusion port 116 is coupled to an adapter 120 for fluid infusion . side port fitting 122 is coupled to tube 124 and further coupled to fluid valve 126 and fluid fitting 128 . in an exemplary embodiment , fluid infusion port 116 is adapted for a luer fitting . in another exemplary embodiment , side port fitting 122 is used for injecting a saline solution . delivery sheath handle 130 is positioned and attached firmly at the proximal end 132 of delivery sheath 110 . delivery sheath handle 130 is further comprised of delivery handle tabs 134 and delivery handle cap 136 . in an exemplary embodiment , delivery sheath handle 130 is configured to break symmetrically in two parts when delivery handle cap 136 is removed and delivery handle tabs 134 are forced apart . by way of example and not of limitation , distal end 104 of stiff tube 106 can be configured to couple to bifurcated catheters , flow diverters , and other devices configured to infuse fluids into a major blood vessel or one or more branch blood vessels . by way of example and not of limitation distal end 104 of stiff tube 106 can be configured with radiopaque markers or other diagnostic devices to aid in positioning . fig1 a and fig1 b illustrate a fluid delivery system 100 as shown in fig1 , inserted into a y hub assembly 30 as previously shown in fig8 . details of y hub assembly 30 are omitted for clarity . in fig1 a , delivery sheath 110 is inserted through touhy borst valve 86 through secondary branch channel 52 ( see fig3 ) until distal end 108 of delivery catheter 110 ( see fig1 ) stops against channel restriction 58 ( see fig3 ). force 140 is applied in a distal direction at torque handle 112 to push stiff tube 106 through delivery tube 110 . fluid agent infusion device 102 ( see fig1 ) travels distally into introduction sheath 76 . in fig1 b , stiff tube 106 has been advanced through introduction sheath 76 and fluid agent infusion device 102 shown in fig1 is deployed into introduction sheath 76 . in one embodiment , distal end 77 of introducer sheath 76 is positioned above the renal arteries ( shown in fig1 ) prior to deploying fluid agent infusion device 102 shown in fig1 . in another embodiment , distal end 77 of introducer sheath 76 is retracted in a proximal direction while fluid agent infusion device 102 shown in fig1 remains positioned proximal the renal arteries . delivery sheath 110 is retracted from main channel 44 ( see fig3 ) of y hub assembly 32 to allow a medical intervention device ( see fig1 ) to enter hemostasis valve 84 for further advancement through main channel 44 ( see fig3 ), through introducer sheath 76 and along side stiff tube 106 . in one mode , delivery sheath 110 is removed from y hub assembly 32 after positioning fluid agent device 102 in introducer sheath 76 . in one exemplary embodiment , delivery sheath 110 is extruded with two thin wall positions about 180 degrees apart on its circumference to facilitate splitting . in one mode , delivery sheath handle 130 is split in two by removing delivery handle cap 136 ( see fig1 ) and pressing inwardly on delivery handle tabs 134 . delivery sheath may be split by pulling delivery tabs 134 apart . by way of example and not of limitation , delivery sheath 110 may be completely removed through touhy borst valve 86 before splitting and removing by tearing away . it is to be appreciated that proximal coupler assembly 30 with introducer sheath 76 and fluid delivery system 100 together may be configured as a kit . fig1 is a stylized illustration of a double y proximal coupler 150 with two local fluid delivery systems 152 , 154 and an intervention catheter 156 in an aorta system 158 . details of local fluid delivery systems 152 , 154 are shown in fig1 a and 11b and are omitted here for clarity . the double y proximal coupler 150 is constructed similar to a proximal coupler assembly 30 as shown in fig2 through fig4 but with another branch port added . secondary branch 160 accommodates local fluid delivery system 152 for drug infusion in right renal artery 162 . tertiary branch 164 accommodates local fluid delivery system 154 for drug infusion in left renal artery 166 . interventional catheter 156 enters double y proximal coupler 150 through hemostasis valve 168 . introduction sheath 170 is sized to accommodate local fluid delivery systems 152 , 154 and catheter 156 simultaneously . fig1 illustrates secondary branch 160 and tertiary branch 164 on the same side of the double proximal coupler ; however , they may be positioned on opposite sides or in another beneficial configuration . by way of example and not of limitation , the cross section of local fluid delivery system 152 , 154 may be oval shaped . by way of example and not of limitation , double y proximal coupler 150 may be adapted to advance a wide mix of medical devices such as guide wires , diagnostic catheters , flow diverters and infusion assemblies through introducer sheath 170 and into a vascular system such as aorta system 158 . fig1 a illustrates a proximal coupler with a fluid delivery system attached , designated as coupler assembly 180 , similar to that shown in fig1 a . coupler assembly 180 is coupled to introducer sheath 182 with a distal end 184 and a proximal end 186 , inserted in aorta system 188 of patient 190 via femoral or iliac arterial access point 192 . details of proximal coupler assembly 180 , as previously described in fig1 a and fig1 b , have been omitted for clarity . in fig1 b , introducer sheath 182 has been retracted in direction 194 to deploy a fluid agent infusion device 102 ( as shown in fig1 ) and create transition zone 196 . as a result , proximal end 186 of introducer sheath 182 is pulled away from and outside of insertion point 192 by a length corresponding to the length of transition zone 196 . interventional catheter 198 must be extended the length of transition zone 196 to reach a target medical location ( not shown ) distal of fluid agent infusion device 102 , when introducer sheath 182 is in a retracted position . fig1 a illustrates the proximal coupler fluid delivery assembly 180 of fig1 a with adjustable introducer sheath 204 having a distal end 206 , a proximal end 208 and an adjustable proximal section 210 in an expanded state . adjustable proximal section 210 of adjustable introducer sheath 204 is composed of a corrugated flexible material to allow compression in total length in “ accordion ” fashion . fig1 b illustrates adjustable introducer sheath 204 , shown in fig1 a with adjustable proximal section 210 in a compressed state , such as after deploying a fluid agent infusion device 102 where retraction of distal end 206 of introducer sheath 204 in direction 194 creates transition zone 196 . proximal end 208 of adjustable introducer sheath 204 is not pulled away from insertion point 192 because of compression of adjustable proximal section 210 by the length of transition zone 196 . interventional catheter 212 is of adequate length and reaches target medical location ( not shown ) upstream of fluid agent infusion device 102 . fig1 a illustrates a close up of a proximal coupler assembly 180 with an adjustable introducer sheath 204 coupled at proximal end 208 with adjustable proximal section 210 in an expanded state as shown in fig1 a . a low profile , external retaining tube 220 is positioned snugly over the pleats 222 of adjustable proximal section 210 and prevents pleats 222 from folding outward and thus , prevents adjustable proximal section 210 from contracting . fig1 b illustrates the adjustable introducer sheath 204 shown in fig1 a with external retaining tube 220 removed from adjustable proximal section 210 . pleats 222 can fold outward allowing adjustable section 210 to contract in direction 194 . by way of example and not of limitation , external retaining tube 220 can slide to another section of introducer sheath 204 or can be removed in a tear - away fashion . fig1 a illustrates another embodiment of a proximal coupler assembly 180 coupled to an adjustable introducer sheath 204 at proximal end 208 with adjustable proximal section 210 in an expanded state as shown in fig1 a . internal support tube 224 is positioned in adjustable proximal section 210 such that the outer diameter of internal support tube 224 prevents pleats 222 from folding inward . fig1 b illustrates the adjustable introducer sheath 204 in fig1 a with internal support tube 224 removed from adjustable proximal section 210 . pleats 222 fold inward allowing adjustable section 210 to contract . internal support tube 224 can alternatively be positioned in another section of introducer sheath 204 through external manipulation of adjustable proximal section 210 ( not shown ). fig1 a illustrates another embodiment of a proximal coupler assembly 180 coupled to proximal end 208 of adjustable introducer sheath 204 . adjustable section 210 of introducer sheath 204 has pleats 222 , distal end 226 and proximal end 228 . a plurality of adjusting wires 230 are coupled to introducer sheath 204 at distal end 226 of adjustable section 210 . only one adjusting wire 230 is shown for clarity . locking ring 232 is positioned between proximal end 228 of adjustable section 210 and proximal end 208 of adjustable introducer sheath 204 , and over adjusting wires 230 . locking ring 232 is configured to secure adjusting wires 230 from sliding , by radial inward force or other means , and thus keeping adjustable section 210 in an expanded state . fig1 b illustrates the proximal coupler assembly 180 coupled to proximal end 208 of adjustable introducer sheath 204 shown in fig1 a . locking ring 232 is expanded , or otherwise released , allowing adjusting wires 230 to slide proximally in direction 194 allowing adjustable section 210 to compress . locking ring 232 may also be adapted with catches or clamps ( not shown ) to secure and then release adjustable wires 230 . fig1 is a stylized illustration of another aspect of the invention with a proximal coupler assembly 250 coupled to a local fluid delivery system 252 and a catheter assembly 254 . fig1 a and fig1 b further illustrate longitudinal cross sections of proximal coupler assembly 250 . proximal coupler assembly 250 comprises a y hub body 256 , similar to one shown in fig2 to fig5 , with sealable adaptors 258 such as touhy borst valves , at the distal port 260 , the proximal port 262 and secondary port 264 . y hub body 256 has main channel 266 ( shown in fig1 a ) connecting distal port 260 and proximal port 262 and secondary channel 268 ( shown in fig1 a connecting secondary port 264 with main channel 266 . local fluid delivery system 252 has a fluid agent infuser device 102 ( shown in fig1 b ), on the distal end of hypotube 270 . flexible delivery sheath 272 has a proximal handle 274 . flexible delivery sheath 272 encases the distal end and midsection of hypotube 270 . the proximal end of hypotube 270 is configured for fluid delivery as previously shown in fig1 . catheter assembly 254 is similar to that previously shown in fig1 . a rigid tube 276 is coupled to catheter manifold 278 which is configured to receive catheter 280 and to couple to proximal coupler assembly 250 through proximal port 262 with rigid tube 276 . catheter 280 enters catheter manifold 278 through proximal port 260 and hemostasis valve 282 . in one beneficial embodiment , catheter 280 is a guiding catheter about 6 fr in diameter and about 100 cm in length . in fig1 , flexible delivery sheath 272 is inserted in secondary port 264 through a sealable adapter 258 and advanced past distal port 260 , into a position where the distal end of delivery sheath is proximal the renal arteries . hypotube 270 of local fluid delivery system 252 is advanced distally until a fluid agent infuser device ( shown in fig1 b ) is in position near the renal arteries . delivery sheath 272 is retracted through proximal coupler assembly 250 and secondary port 264 by pulling handle 274 to create an open transition zone proximal of a fluid agent infuser device as previously shown in fig1 b . in one beneficial mode , delivery sheath is retracted about 10 cm . the sealable adaptor 258 at secondary port 264 is tightened to hold delivery sheath 272 and hypotube 270 firmly in place . in fig1 a , rigid tube 276 of catheter assembly 254 is inserted into proximal port 262 of proximal coupler assembly 250 . sealable valves 258 have been removed for clarity . rigid tube 276 has pointed distal tip 284 , which is advanced through proximal port 262 and into main channel 266 . in fig1 b pointed distal tip 284 of rigid tube 276 has advanced further distally and punctured delivery sheath 272 at the junction of main channel 266 and secondary channel 268 . distal tip 284 of rigid tube 276 is shown positioned within the inner lumen of delivery sheath 272 next to hypotube 270 . sealable adaptor 258 at proximal port 262 ( shown in fig1 ) is tightened to secure rigid tube 276 firmly in place . catheter 280 is then advanced distally through hemostasis valve 282 , catheter manifold 278 and rigid tube 276 ( shown in fig1 ), then through delivery sheath 272 , and out the distal end of delivery sheath 272 for further medical intervention . fig2 is a plan view and fig2 is a cut away view of another mode of inserting a catheter adjacent a fluid delivery device wherein y assembly 300 has distal end 302 , coupled to introducer sheath 304 , a proximal port 306 with hemostasis valve 308 and branch port 310 with a touhy borst valve 312 on said branch port . proximal portion of delivery sheath 314 , made from a stiff material such as stainless steel , having a proximal midsection 316 and a proximal end 318 is inserted in heomostasis valve 308 with distal end ( not shown ) in introducer sheath 304 . proximal end 318 of delivery sheath 314 is coupled to a local fluid delivery system 320 , as previously described in fig1 . further details of local fluid delivery system are omitted here for clarity . hypotube 322 extending distally into delivery sheath 314 through touhy borst valve 324 on local fluid delivery system 320 . proximal midsection 316 of delivery sheath 314 has precut holes 326 spaced at predetermined intervals configured to accommodate a guiding catheter 328 introduced through branch port 310 . in a preferred embodiment , guiding catheter 328 is about 100 cm long and about 6 fr in diameter . introducer sheath 304 is inserted in an aorta system as previously described in fig1 a . deployment of a fluid agent infuser device as previously shown in fig1 b is accomplished by advancing delivery sheath 314 to the desired position and advancing hypotube 322 through delivery sheath 314 to position fluid agent infuser device 102 . as previously shown in fig1 b , a fluid agent infuser device is deployed , delivery sheath 314 is retracted to form a transition zone , which in one embodiment , is about 10 cm . y hub assembly 300 is advanced distally on the proximal portion of delivery sheath 314 until a preferred precut hole 326 ′ ( shown in fig2 ) is aligned with branch port 310 of y hub assembly 300 . guiding catheter 328 is introduced through touhy borst valve 312 on branch port 310 and inserted through preferred hole 326 ′ in delivery sheath 320 . guiding catheter 328 is advanced distally through delivery sheath 314 along side hypotube 322 and finally to a target site as previously described in fig1 b . y hub assembly 300 may be further modified by extending port 306 proximally to keep all precut holes 326 in delivery sheath 314 sealed inside y hub assembly 300 and distal of hemostasis valve 308 during medical procedures . fig2 illustrates a further embodiment of a proximal coupler assembly and a fluid delivery assembly as shown in fig1 b . renal therapy system 350 includes an introducer sheath system 352 , a vessel dilator 354 , and a fluid delivery system 356 with a bifurcated renal catheter 358 . details of channels , saline systems and fittings as shown previously in fig2 through fig4 are omitted for clarity . introducer sheath system 352 has y hub body 360 as shown previously in fig2 through fig4 configured with various inner structures as shown previously in fig3 . y hub body 360 has hemostasis valve 362 on proximal end 366 and touhy borst valve 368 on secondary end 370 . distal end 372 of y hub body 360 is coupled to proximal end 374 of introducer sheath 376 . introducer sheath 376 has distal tip 378 that has a truncated cone shape and radiopaque marker band 380 . in one embodiment , introducer sheath 376 is constructed with an inner liner of ptfe material , an inner coiled wire reinforcement , and an outer polymer jacket . introducer sheath 376 has predetermined length l measured from proximal end 374 to distal tip 378 . vessel dilator 354 , with distal end 380 and proximal end 382 is a polymer , ( e . g . extrusion ) tubing with a center lumen for a guide wire ( not shown ). distal end 380 is adapted with a taper cone shape . proximal end 382 is coupled to a luer fitting 384 . fluid delivery system 356 has stiff tube 386 , torque handle 388 , and proximal hub 390 as previously described in fig1 a and fig1 b with bifurcated catheter 358 coupled at distal end 392 . bifurcated catheter 358 has two distal extensions 393 , 394 of a memory shape material . distal tips 395 , 396 of each distal extension 393 , 394 respectively , have a plurality of fluid ports ( not shown ) and radiopaque marker bands 397 . polymer tube 398 is positioned proximal of distal extensions 393 and 394 and have radiopaque marker bands 400 . the proximal hub 390 of fluid delivery system 356 has a luer fitting 402 for infusing a fluid agent , fluidly coupled with the stiff tube 386 . a single lumen , tear - away delivery sheath 404 has a distal end 406 , a proximal end 408 , and slidingly encases stiff tube 386 . delivery sheath 404 is positioned between the torque handle 388 and the bifurcated catheter 358 . the distal end 406 has a shape and outer diameter adapted to mate with the channel restriction in the distal end of the main channel of the y hub body as shown previously in fig3 . the proximal end 408 of the delivery sheath 404 is coupled to a handle assembly 410 with two handles 412 and a tear away cap 414 . dilator 354 is inserted through touhy borst valve 368 on secondary port 370 until distal end 380 protrudes from distal tip 378 of introducer sheath 376 to form a smooth outer conical shape . distal tip 378 of introducer sheath 376 is positioned in the aorta system near the renal arteries ( not shown ). dilator 354 is removed and fluid delivery device 356 is prepared by sliding delivery sheath 404 distally until distal extensions 393 and 394 of bifurcated catheter 358 are enclosed in delivery sheath 404 . distal end 406 of delivery sheath 404 is inserted in touhy borst valve 368 and advanced to the restriction in the main channel of the y hub body shown in fig3 . bifurcated catheter 358 is advanced distally into introducer sheath 376 . tear away delivery sheath 404 is retracted and removed through touhy borst valve 368 as shown previously in fig1 b . bifurcated catheter 358 is advanced distally out of the distal tip 378 of introducer sheath 376 and distal extensions 393 and 394 expand to their preformed shape to cannulate the renal arteries ( not shown ). notwithstanding the particular benefits provided by the various embodiments described above , one particular highly beneficial embodiment of an overall renal therapy system as shown previously in fig2 is provided as follows in order to further illustrate certain aspects of the invention considered suitable for bi - lateral local renal delivery of therapeutic agents in many circumstances . a y hub body as shown previously in fig2 through fig4 is made of a clear material and is configured with a main channel and a secondary channel that intersects the main channel . the distal end of the main channel is adapted with a channel restriction as shown in fig3 . the y hub body has an introducer sheath fitting at the distal end and a port for the introduction of a saline solution into the main channel of the y hub body . a hemostasis valve is attached to the proximal fitting on the main branch of the y hub body and is configured to accommodate a nominal 6 french diameter catheter . a touhy borst valve is attached to the secondary fitting on the secondary port of the y hub body . an introducer sheath is coupled to the introducer sheath fitting of the y hub body and is constructed with an inner liner of tfe material ; an inner - coiled wire reinforcement , and an outer polymer jacket . the nominally 8 french introducer sheath has an inner diameter of about 0 . 116 inches and an outer diameter of about 0 . 138 inches . the distal tip is shaped as a truncated cone to adapt with the distal tip of a vessel dilator and has a radiopaque marker band . the proximal end of the introducer sheath is comprised of the outer polymer jacket only and is flared to couple to the introducer sheath fitting on the y hub body . in one highly beneficial embodiment , multiple introducer sheaths are provided with a renal therapy system to accommodate different anatomies . introducer sheaths with nominal usable lengths l , as shown in fig2 , of about 30 cm , about 35 cm , about 40 cm , and about 45 cm are typically included , but other suitable lengths can be provided as well . in the present example , the different length introducer sheaths are each coupled to a y body hub as an integrated introducer sheath system ; however , the system may be packaged and sold separately for later assembly . a vessel dilator is used with this renal therapy system to guide the distal tip of the introducer sheath to the proximal region of the renal arteries . the vessel dilator is a polymer extrusion , tapered at the distal end with an inner lumen of about 0 . 040 inches and adapted for passage of a guide wire of about 0 . 035 inches to about 0 . 038 inches in diameter . the vessel dilator length is nominally about 11 cm longer than the usable length of the corresponding introducer sheath used so as to extend from the distal tip of the sheath and also out the appropriate proximal port of the y hub body . the proximal end of the vessel dilator has a luer fitting , primarily for flushing the inner lumen with a saline solution . after the position of the renal arteries relative to the percutaneous entry point has been established using a guide wire with a diagnostic catheter and methods known to exist in the art , an integrated introducer sheath system of suitable length is selected . the vessel dilator is introduced through the touhy borst valve on the secondary branch of the y hub and advanced until the distal tip of the vessel dilator protrudes from the distal tip of the introducer sheath resulting in a smooth outer conical shape . a saline flush is introduced through the port on the y body and the proximal port of the vessel dilator . the introducer sheath with vessel dilator inserted is advanced on the guide wire through the percutaneous entry point and to the region in the aorta of the renal arteries . the marker band on the distal tip of the introducer sheath may be used with fluoroscopy to aid in positioning . when the distal tip of the introducer sheath is positioned at or near the renal arteries , the vessel dilator and guide wire are retracted , and removed , from the y hub body through the touhy borst valve , while the introducer sheath remains in place . a fluid delivery system as previously shown in fig1 a is prepared for insertion into the y hub body . in this embodiment , the fluid delivery system has a stiff tube preferably made of nitinol tubing and is about 77 cm in usable length with a distal end , a mid proximal portion and a proximal end . a bifurcated catheter is coupled at the distal end of the stiff tube . the distal extensions of the bifurcated catheter have a memory shape and are made of a braid - reinforced polymer with an inner core of ribbon wire . each distal extension in this example has a radiopaque marker band and two infusion ports at or near the distal tip . the outside diameter of each of the distal extensions is nominally about 3 french . there is a polymer tube encasing the bifurcated catheter in a position proximal of the union of the distal extensions . the polymer tube has two radiopaque markers positioned about 1 cm to about 1 . 5 cm proximal of the union of the distal extensions to aid in relative positioning of the bifurcated catheter and the introducer sheath . the fluid delivery system has a torque handle coupled at the mid proximal portion of the stiff tube and a proximal hub coupled at the proximal end of the stiff tube . the proximal hub has a luer fitting for infusing a fluid agent and a saline flush port fluidly coupled with the stiff tube . a single lumen , tear - away delivery sheath slidingly encases the stiff tube and is positioned between the torque handle and the bifurcated catheter . the delivery sheath is nominally about 15 cm in length with a distal end and a proximal end . the distal end has a shape and outer diameter adapted to mate with the channel restriction in the distal end of the main channel of the y hub body as shown previously in fig3 . the proximal end of the delivery sheath is coupled to a handle assembly with two handles . the handle assembly has a tear away cap on the proximal end and is configured to allow the handle assembly to separate into two portions when the tear - away cap is removed and the handles pulled apart . the circumferential profile of the delivery sheath is configured with opposing thin wall sections to facilitate splitting lengthwise in two pieces when the handles are pulled apart . the fluid delivery system is prepared by flushing saline solution from the saline port in the stiff tube proximal hub through to infusion ports in the distal extension tips of the bifurcated catheter . the bifurcated catheter is loaded into the delivery sheath by pulling the catheter relative to the delivery sheath handle until the tips of the distal extensions of the bifurcated catheter are completely within the delivery sheath . the distal end of the delivery sheath , with the bifurcated catheter loaded , is inserted through the touhy borst valve on the secondary port of the y hub body until the distal end seats in the channel restriction in the main channel . distal force on the torque handle of the stiff tube advances the bifurcated catheter into the introducer sheath , preferably at least about 15 cm ( about the length of the tear away delivery sheath ) into introducer sheath to ensure the distal extensions are completely out of the tear away delivery sheath and into the introducer sheath . the tear away delivery sheath is retracted from the y hub body by pulling in a proximal position on the delivery sheath handle assembly as previously described in fig1 b . during the delivery sheath retraction , the bifurcated catheter remains in position in the introducer sheath . when the distal end of the delivery sheath is removed from the y hub body , the touhy borst valve is tightened on the stiff tube to prevent fluid loss . the tear away cap is removed from the delivery sheath handle assembly and the handles are pulled apart , tearing the delivery sheath longitudinally and into two pieces , which are removed from the stiff tube and discarded . the bifurcated catheter is advanced to the distal tip of the introducer sheath by distal movement of the stiff tube at the torque handle relative to the y hub body . using fluoroscopic guidance , the bifurcated catheter is advanced out of the distal tip of the introducer sheath . the bifurcated catheter is manipulated through the torque handle , and the introducer sheath is simultaneously retracted , and the distal extensions bias toward their memory shape in the aorta and cannulate the renal arteries . once the distal extensions are completely extended out of the distal tip of the introducer sheath and positioned in the renal arteries , the distal tip of the introducer sheath is retracted at least just proximal of the marker bands on the polymer tube of the bifurcated catheter to allow for interventional catheter advancement , while the bifurcated catheter remains in place . with the introducer sheath positioned , the touhy borst valve is tightened to prevent further movement of the bifurcated catheter in the introducer sheath . the introducer sheath may be sutured or otherwise positionally controlled at or near the percutaneous entry site to prevent sheath movement during the subsequent procedure . fluid agent may now be delivered through the proximal port of the fluid delivery system , through the stiff tube and into the renal arteries through the bifurcated catheter similar to that shown in fig2 medical intervention procedures , such as coronary procedures , are initiated by inserting the appropriate guide wires and catheters through the hemostasis valve on the proximal fitting of the y hub body . in this example , a nominal 6 french catheter will advance through the introducer sheath and along side the stiff tube without significant resistance . when medical interventions are complete , the intervention catheters and guide wires are retracted and removed from the y hub body through the hemostasis valve . fluid agent delivery is often stopped . the touhy borst valve is loosened and torque handle of the stiff tube is pulled proximally relative to the y hub body , withdrawing the distal extensions of the bifurcated catheter out of the renal arteries and into the introducer sheath . the introducer sheath is retracted from the percutaneous entry point and the entry point closed with standard medical procedures . the various embodiments herein described for the present invention can be useful in treatments and therapies directed at the kidneys such as the prevention of radiocontrast nephropathy ( rcn ) arising from diagnostic procedures using iodinated contrast materials . as a prophylactic treatment method for patients undergoing interventional procedures that have been identified as being at elevated risk for developing rcn , a series of treatment schemes have been developed based upon local therapeutic agent delivery to the kidneys . among the agents identified for such treatment are normal saline ( ns ) and the vasodilators papaverine ( pap ) and fenoldopam mesylate ( fm ). the approved use for fenoldopam is for the in - hospital intravenous treatment of hypertension when rapid , but quickly reversible , blood pressure lowering is needed . fenoldopam causes dose - dependent renal vasodilation at systemic doses as low as approximately 0 . 01 mcg / kg / min through approximately 0 . 5 mcg / kg / min iv and it increases blood flow both to the renal cortex and to the renal medulla . due to this physiology , fenoldopam may be utilized for protection of the kidneys from ischemic insults such as high - risk surgical procedures and contrast nephropathy . dosing from approximately 0 . 01 to approximately 3 . 2 mcg / kg / min is considered suitable for most applications of the present embodiments , or about 0 . 005 to about 1 . 6 mcg / kg / min per renal artery ( or per kidney ). as before , it is likely beneficial in many instances to pick a starting dose and titrate up or down as required to determine a patient &# 39 ; s maximum tolerated systemic dose . recent data , however , suggest that about 0 . 2 mcg / kg / min of fenoldopam has greater efficacy than about 0 . 1 mcg / kg / min in preventing contrast nephropathy and this dose is preferred . the dose level of normal saline delivered bilaterally to the renal arteries may be set empirically , or beneficially customized such that it is determined by titration . the catheter or infusion pump design may provide practical limitations to the amount of fluid that can be delivered ; however , it would be desired to give as much as possible , and is contemplated that levels up to about 2 liters per hour ( about 25 cc / kg / hr in an average about 180 lb patient ) or about one liter or 12 . 5 cc / kg per hour per kidney may be beneficial . local dosing of papaverine of up to about 4 mg / min through the bilateral catheter , or up to about 2 mg / min has been demonstrated safety in animal studies , and local renal doses to the catheter of about 2 mg / min and about 3 mg / min have been shown to increase renal blood flow rates in human subjects , or about 1 mg / min to about 1 . 5 mg / min per artery or kidney . it is thus believed that local bilateral renal delivery of papaverine will help to reduce the risk of rcn in patients with pre - existing risk factors such as high baseline serum creatinine , diabetes mellitus , or other demonstration of compromised kidney function . it is also contemplated according to further embodiments that a very low , systemic dose of papaverine may be given , either alone or in conjunction with other medical management such as for example saline loading , prior to the anticipated contrast insult . such a dose may be on the order for example of between about 3 to about 14 mg / hr ( based on bolus indications of approximately 10 – 40 mg about every 3 hours — papaverine is not generally dosed by weight ). in an alternative embodiment , a dosing of 2 – 3 mg / min or 120 – 180 mg / hr . again , in the context of local bilateral delivery , these are considered halved regarding the dose rates for each artery itself . notwithstanding the particular benefit of this dosing range for each of the aforementioned compounds , it is also believed that higher doses delivered locally would be safe . titration is a further mechanism believed to provide the ability to test for tolerance to higher doses . in addition , it is contemplated that the described therapeutic doses can be delivered alone or in conjunction with systemic treatments such as intraveneous saline . it is to be understood that the invention can be practiced in other embodiments that may be highly beneficial and provide certain advantages . for example radiopaque markers are shown and described above for use with fluoroscopy to manipulate and position the introducer sheath and the intra renal catheters . the required fluoroscopy equipment and auxiliary equipment devices are typically located in a specialized location limiting the in vivo use of the invention to that location . other modalities for positioning intra renal catheters are highly beneficial to overcome limitations of fluoroscopy . for example , non fluoroscopy guided technology is highly beneficial for use in operating rooms , intensive care units , and emergency rooms , where fluoroscopy may not be readily available or its use may cause undue radiation exposure to users and others due to a lack of specific radiation safeguards normally present in angiography suites and the like . the use of non - fluoroscopy positioning allows intra renal catheter systems and methods to be used to treat other diseases such as atn and chf in clinical settings outside of the angiography suite or catheter lab . in one embodiment , the intra renal catheter is modified to incorporate marker bands with metals that are visible with ultrasound technology . the ultrasonic sensors are placed outside the body surface to obtain a view . in one variation , a portable , noninvasive ultrasound instrument is placed on the surface of the body and moved around to locate the device and location of both renal ostia . this technology is used to view the aorta , both renal ostia and the intra renal catheter . in another beneficial embodiment , ultrasound sensors are placed on the introducer sheath and the intra renal catheter itself ; specifically the tip of the distal extensions , along the distal extensions or at the distal end of the catheter . the intra renal catheter with the ultrasonic sensors implemented allows the physician to move the sensors up and down the aorta to locate both renal ostia . a further embodiment incorporates doppler ultrasonography with the intra renal catheters . doppler ultrasonography detects the direction , velocity , and turbulence of blood flow . since the renal arteries are isolated along the aorta , the resulting velocity and turbulence is used to locate both renal ostia . a further advantage of doppler ultrasongraphy is it is non invasive and uses no x rays . a still further embodiment incorporates optical technology with the intra renal catheter . an optical sensor is placed at the tip of the introducer sheath . the introducer sheath &# 39 ; s optical sensor allows visualization of the area around the tip of the introducer sheath to locate the renal ostia . in a further mode of this embodiment , a transparent balloon is positioned around the distal tip of the introducer sheath . the balloon is inflated to allow optical visual confirmation of renal ostium . the balloon allows for distance between the tip of the introducer sheath and optic sensor while separating aorta blood flow . that distance enhances the ability to visualize the image within the aorta . in a further mode , the balloon is adapted to allow profusion through the balloon wall while maintaining contact with the aorta wall . an advantage of allowing wall contact is the balloon can be inflated near the renal ostium to be visually seen with the optic sensor . in another mode , the optic sensor is placed at the distal tips of the intra renal catheter . once the intra renal catheter is deployed within the aorta , the optic sensor allows visual confirmation of the walls of the aorta . the intra renal catheter is tracked up and down the aorta until visual confirmation of the renal ostia is found . with the optic image provided by this mode , the physician can then track the intra renal catheter into the renal arteries to a predetermined depth . another embodiment uses sensors that measure pressure , velocity , and / or flow rate to locate renal ostia without the requirement of fluoroscopy equipment . the sensors are positioned at the tip of distal extensions of the intra renal catheter . the sensors display real time data about the pressure , velocity , and / or flow rate . with the real - time data provided , the physician locates both renal ostia by observing the sensor data when the intra renal catheter is around the approximate location of the renal ostia . in a further mode of this embodiment , the intra renal catheter has multiple sensors positioned at a mid distal and a mid proximal position on the catheter to obtain mid proximal and mid distal sensor data . from this real time data , the physician can observe a significant flow rate differential above and below the renal arteries and locate the approximate location . with the renal arteries being the only significant sized vessels within the region , the sensors would detect significant changes in any of the sensor parameters . in a still further embodiment , chemical sensors are positioned on the intra renal catheter to detect any change in blood chemistry that indicates to the physician the location of the renal ostia . chemical sensors are positioned at multiple locations on the intra renal catheter to detect chemical change from one sensor location to another . additional modifications or improvements may be made by the embodiments shown and described herein without departing from the intended scope of the invention which is considered to be broadly beneficial according to various independent aspects described . for example , various modifications to or combinations with the present embodiments may be made in view of other available information to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure and remain within the intended scope of the invention . although the description above contains many details , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention . therefore , it will be appreciated that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art , and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims , in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “ one and only one ” unless explicitly so stated , but rather “ one or more .” all structural , chemical , and functional equivalents to the elements of the above - described preferred embodiment that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the present claims . moreover , it is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present invention , for it to be encompassed by the present claims . furthermore , no element , component , or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element , component , or method step is explicitly recited in the claims . no claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 u . s . c . 112 , sixth paragraph , unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “ means for .”
0
the receiver a in fig1 receives a stream of scrambled video information 1 from a source such as a satellite receiver or by cable . this stream , of the order of several megabits per second , is shaped in the receiver a and then transmitted to a control unit b which is responsible for the descrambling and for managing the authorization for access to the scrambled video information . to do this , this control unit b periodically interrogates the detachable security module c ( channel 3 ) which replies to the latter with a stream of confidential data and / or of data necessary for the operation of the control unit b ( channel 4 ). these exchanges take place at low rates and can be easily processed by the microprocessors of smart cards available on the market . according to the invention , the detachable security module c comprises at least one encryption key k in a non - volatile memory which encrypts the confidential data and / or the data necessary for operation of the control unit b ( channel 4 ) towards the receiver a . this key k is unique to the receiver a and written to the detachable security module c , making the information stream 4 unique to this system . the public broadcasting of this information 4 will no longer be of any use to other receivers as , in the case of the latter , since they are not in possession of the same key k , the information stream is completely incomprehensible . by means of the information 4 , the control unit b can recover the descrambled video signal 2 , this being processed and then transmitted in standard form ( pal , secam , ntsc ) to the video monitor . a variant of the invention employs encryption , of the same kind , of the information 3 sent to the detachable security module c either using the same key k or using a different key j , which is unique and specific to the system formed by the receiver a and the detachable security module c . thus , any attempt to recover the key k from the information stream 4 is made much more difficult . some receivers are built around a chip which encompass all the decryption and management operations . this chip is represented with the circle b in the fig1 . the digital scrambled signal 1 enters into this chip and is outputted in analog format 2 . this chip comprises a cpu , memories ( ram and rom ), a descrambler and a video decoder ( mpeg ). the cpu ( central processing unit ) manages all operations such as receiving and decrypting the data flow arriving from the security means c and furnishing the control words to the descrambler . the unique key k could be permanently programmed directly into the descrambler unit b . in a first embodiment , the unique key is split into a first key which is permanently programmed in the descrambling unit ( hardware key hk ) and a second key which is stored in non volatile memory , i . e . eeprom , flash , nvram ( software key sk ). these two keys form the unique pairing key k and are also stored in the security means ( c ). in the asymmetric pair scheme , the first key hk is symmetric and the second key sk is asymmetric . before sending the control words to the receiver , the security means c encrypt first with the symmetric key hk and then with the asymmetric key sk . in another embodiment , both keys may be symmetric , asymmetric or a mix of these two encryption methods . this link between the hardware and software keys ( hz and sk ) is established during final manufacture of the receiver a and only known by the operator . the pairing mechanism is done by the operator by storing the software key sk and the hardware key hk into the security means c . thus the receiver a is paired with the security means which has received the same keys ( hk and sk ) and become inseparable . even if the software key is modified or the chip containing the descrambler replaced , this pairing is lost and consequently the security means cannot provide usable scrambled control words . fig2 illustrates a variant using a detachable descrambling module d which incorporates the control unit b . in this case , the scrambled video stream 1 is shaped by the receiver a and sent to the detachable descrambling module d . the mode of operation described in the case of fig1 between the receiver a and the detachable security module c is this time applied to the conversation between the detachable descrambling module d and the detachable security module c . the key k is written in a secret part of the detachable descrambling module d instead of the receiver a . thus , the information provided by the detachable security module c to the detachable descrambling module d is encrypted and therefore of no value to another detachable descrambling module d . it may thus be seen that the information sent to the receiver a consists of a stream of descrambled video information 6 which can be readily exploited , for example for illicit copies . in one variant of the invention , the stream 6 is encrypted in the detachable descrambling module d before being sent to the receiver a for descrambling by the decrypting unit e ′. this operation is carried out using a key k ′ specific only to the receiver a / detachable descrambling module d system . consequently , the information stream 6 no longer has any meaning and can be understood only by the receiver a having the same key k ′. the receiver a may add , to the scrambled video stream 1 , control information intended for the detachable descrambling module d . in order to prevent this information from being public and from opening a door to understanding the encryption mechanism , this information is encrypted by the encryption unit e in order to obtain a scrambled video stream 6 containing encrypted control information . fig3 illustrates a variant of the invention in which the detachable security module is incorporated into a detachable descrambling - security module f . the function of this module is to descramble and to manage the authorization of the video signals received by the receiver a . according to the invention , this module includes a unique encryption key specific to the receiver a and written in this detachable descrambling - security module f . likewise , the descrambled video stream 6 is encrypted by this key and sent in this form to the receiver a . the latter , by means of the decryption unit e ′ and by using the same unique key , will be able to recover the uncoded video signal . by analogy with the operation described in relation to fig2 , the control information contained in the scrambled video stream 1 may be encrypted by means of a unique encryption key by the unit e before it is sent to the detachable descrambling - security module f . in all the examples described in relation to fig1 to 3 , the matching may be checked . in the case of fig1 , the receiver a writes a personal number , for example its serial number , in the detachable security module c . thus , the receiver can at any instant verify that the detachable security module c is indeed that which is intended for it . in the context of the example illustrated in fig2 , the check may be made at two levels , namely a first level between the detachable descrambling module d and the detachable security module c and a second level between the detachable descrambling module d and the receiver a . this second level is particularly important if the unscrambled information 6 sent to the receiver a is encrypted . in the solution shown in fig3 , the matching is checked between the receiver a and the detachable descrambling - security module f . in one embodiment of the invention , the receiver a is an mpeg decoder using control words ( information necessary for descrambling the signal ) in order to descramble the video signal . these control words are provided by the detachable security module c . this module , for example a smart card , includes a non - volatile memory for storing them . in one embodiment of the invention , the detachable descrambling module d is a pcmcia - type card which includes an mpeg decoder ( control unit b ). in one embodiment of the invention , the detachable descrambling - security module f is produced in the form of a smart card which incorporates an mpeg decoder and a security module c ′. in one embodiment of the invention , the unique encryption key k is common to a group of receivers . this possibility is advantageous , for example in a school having several receivers to which the same detachable security module is applied depending on the requirements . likewise , several detachable security modules include the same encryption key in order to be able to be placed in any one of the receivers in the group . in this case , the matching check is carried out on a number which is no longer specific to one receiver but to a group of receivers . a combination may be produced with a number composed of two parts , one part defining the group and the other the receiver . the uniqueness of the personal number is respected , the matching conformity test then being carried out on more than just the group part of this number .
7
a type of stent device of one class designed to be utilized in combination with coatings in the present invention is shown diagrammatically in a side view and an end view , respectively contained in fig1 a and 1b . fig1 a shows a section of a generally cylindrical tubular body 10 having a mantle surface formed by a number of individual thread elements 12 , 14 and 13 , 15 , etc . of these elements , elements 12 , 14 , etc . extend generally in an helix configuration axially displaced in relation to each other but having center line 16 of the body 10 as a common axis . the other elements 13 , 15 , likewise axially displaced , extend in helix configuration in the opposite direction , the elements extending in the two directions crossing each other in the manner indicated in fig1 a . a tubular member so concerned and so constructed can be designed to be any convenient diameter , it being remembered that the larger the desired diameter , the larger the number of filaments of a given wire diameter ( gauge ) having common composition and prior treatment required to produce a given radial compliance . the braided structure further characteristically readily elongates upon application of tension to the ends axially displacing them relative to each other along center line 16 and correspondingly reducing the diameter of the device . this is illustrated in fig2 a and 2b in which a segment of the device 10 of fig1 a and 1b has been elongated by moving the ends 18 and 20 away from each other in the direction of the arrows . upon the release of the tension on the ends , the structure 10 , if otherwise unrestricted , will reassume the relaxed or unloaded configuration of fig1 a and 1b . the elongation / resumption characteristic flexibility of the stent device enables it to be slipped or threaded over a carrying device while elongated for transportation through the vascular or other relevant internal luminal system of a patient to the site of interest where it can be axially compressed and thereby released from the carrying mechanism , often a vascular catheter device . at the site of interest , it assumes an expanded condition held in place by mechanical / frictional pressure between the stent and the lumen wall against which it expands . the elongation , loading , transport and deployment of such stents is well known and need not be further detailed here . it is important , however , to note that when one contemplates coatings for such a stent in the manner of the present invention , an important consideration resides in the need to utilize a coating material having elastic properties compatible with the elastic deforming properties residing in the stent that it coats . the material of the stent should be rigid and elastic but not plastically deformable as used . as stated above , the preferred materials for fabricating the metallic braided stent include stainless steel , tantalum , titanium alloys including nitinol and certain cobalt - chromium alloys . the diameter of the filaments may vary but for vascular devices , up to about 10 mm in diameter is preferable with the range 0 . 01 to 0 . 05 mm . drug release surface coatings on stents in accordance with the present invention can release drugs over a period of time from days to months and can be used , for example , to inhibit thrombus formation , inhibit smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation , inhibit hyperplasia and restenosis , and encourage the formation of health neointimal tissue including endothelial cell regeneration . as such , they can be used for chronic patency after an angioplasty or stent placement . it is further anticipated that the need for a second angioplasty procedure may be obviated in a significant percentage of patients in which a repeat procedure would otherwise be necessary . a major obstacle to the success of the implant of such stents , of course , has been the occurrence of thrombosis in certain arterial applications such as in coronary stenting . of course , antiproliferative applications would include not only cardiovascular but any tubular vessel that stents are placed including urologic , pulmonary and gastro - intestinal . various combinations of polymer coating materials can be coordinated with the braided stent and the biologically active agent of interest to produce a combination which is compatible at the implant site of interest and controls the release of the biologically active species over a desired time period . preferred coating polymers include silicones ( poly siloxanes ), polyurethanes , thermoplastic elastomers in general , ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers , polyolefin rubbers , epdm rubbers , and combinations thereof . specific embodiments of the present invention include those designed to elute heparin to prevent thrombosis over a period of weeks or months or to allow the diffusion or transport of dexamethasone to inhibit fibromuscular proliferation over a like period of time . of course , other therapeutic substances and combinations of substances are also contemplated . the invention may be implanted in a mammalian system , such as in a human body . the heparin elution system is preferably fabricated by taking finely ground heparin crystal , preferably ground to an average particle size of less than 10 microns , and blending it into a liquid , uncured poly siloxane / solvent material in which the blend ( poly siloxane plus heparin ) contains from less than 10 % to as high as 80 % heparin by weight with respect to the total weight of the material and typically the layer is between 10 % and 45 % heparin . this material is diluted with a solvent and utilized to coat a metallic braided stent , which may be braided cobalt chromium alloy wire , in a manner which applies a thin , uniform coating ( typically between 20 and 200 microns in thickness ) of the heparin / polymer mixture on the surfaces of the stent . the polymer is then heat cured , or cured using low temperature thermal initiators (& lt ; 100 ° c .) in a room temperature vulcanization ( rtv ) process in situ on the stent to evaporate the solvent , typically tetrahydrofuran ( tef ). the heparin forms interparticle paths in the silicone sufficiently interconnected to allow slow but substantially complete subsequent elution . the ultrafine particle size utilized allows the average pore size to be very small such that elution may take place over weeks or even months . a coating containing dexamethasone is produced in a somewhat different manner . a poly siloxane material is also the preferred polymeric material . nominally an amount equal to 0 . 4 % to about 45 % of the total weight of the layer of dexamethasone is used . the dexamethasone drug is dissolved in a solvent , e . g ., thf first . the solution is then blended into liquid uncured poly siloxane / solvent ( xylene , thf , etc .) vehicle precursor material . since the dexamethasone is also soluble in the solvent for the polysiloxane , it dissolves into the mixture . the coating is then applied to the stent and upon application , curing and drying , including evaporation of the solvent , the dexamethasone remains dispersed in the coating layer . it is believed that the coating is somewhat in the nature of a solid solution of recrystallized particles of dexamethasone in silicone rubber . dexamethasone , as a rather small molecule , however , does not need gross pores to elute and may be transported or diffused outward through the silicone material over time to deliver its anti - inflammatory medicinal effects . the coatings can be applied by dip coating or spray coating or even , in some cases , by the melting of a powdered form in situ or any other technique to which the particular polymer / biologically active agent combination is well suited . it will be understood that a particularly important aspect of the present invention resides in the technology directed to the incorporation of very fine microparticles or colloidal suspensions of the drug into the polymer matrix . in the case of a crystalline drug , such as heparin , the drug release is controlled by the network the drug forms in the polymer matrix , the average particulate size controlling the porosity and so the ultimate elution rate . fig4 a depicts a stent which has been spray coated with a solvent containing a cured polysilicone material including an amount of heparin crystals to provide a thin , uniform coating on all surfaces of the stent . the coated stent was cured at 150 ° c . for 18 minutes ; the sample was eluted in pbs for 49 days at 37 ° c . and the stent was rinsed in ethanol prior to taking the scanning electron microscope picture of fig4 a . fig4 b shows a greatly enlarged ( 600 ×) scanning electron microscope photograph ( sem ) of a portion of the coating of fig4 a in which the microporosity is evident . the coating thickness may vary but is typically from about 75 to about 200 microns . fig5 a and 5b show scanning electron microscope photographs of a heparin containing polysiloxane stent . the figure shows the coating prior to elution of the heparin . the coating was cured at 150 for 18 minutes . fig5 b is greatly enlarged photograph ( sex ) of a fragment of the coated surface of fig5 a showing the substantially non - porous surface prior to elution . fig6 a and 6b show the posture of a stent in accordance with the invention as implanted in a swine coronary . the blemish shown in fig6 a represents a histological artifact of unknown origin . as can be seen in fig6 b , a large number of heparin particles are contained in the silicone material . the substantially non - porous surface of fig7 a typically occurs with an incorporation of an amount of non - particulate material such as dexamethasone which partially or entirely dissolves in the solvent for the poly siloxane prior to coating and cure . upon curing of the polymer and evaporation of the solvent , depending on the loading of dexamethasone , the dexamethasone reprecipitates in a hydrophobic crystalline form containing dendrite or even elongated hexagonal crystals approximately 5 microns in size . as can be seen in fig7 b , even after release of the incorporated material or three months , the coating surface remains substantially non - porous indicating the transport or diffusion of the drug outward through the silicone material neither requires nor produces gross pores . the dexamethasone is incorporated in its more hydrophobic form rather than in one of the relatively more hydrophilic salt forms such as in a phosphate salt , for example . fig8 and 9 depict plots of total percent drug release related to long - term drug release stent coating layers . fig8 depicts the release of heparin from a 50 % heparin loading in silicone . the silicone was cured at 90 ° c . for 16 hours . the heparin release took place in a phosphoric buffer ( ph = 7 . 4 ) for 90 days at 37 ° c . the heparin concentration in the phosphoric buffer was analyzed by azure a assay . fig9 depicts a graphical analysis , similar to that depicted for heparin in fig8 , for the release of dexamethasone at two different concentrations , i . e ., 5 % and 10 % in silicone polymer . the coated stents were cured at 150 ° c . for 20 minutes and the release took place in a polyethylene glycol ( peg ), mw = 400 / water solution at 37 ° c . (( peg 400 / h 2 o ) ( 40 / 60 , vol / vol )). the dexamethasone concentrations were analyzed photometrically at 241 μm . fig8 and 9 illustrate possible stent coating layers of polymer / bioactive species combinations for long - term release . as stated above , the release rate profile can be altered by varying the amount of active material , the coating thickness , the radial distribution of bioactive materials , the mixing method , and the crosslink density of the polymer matrix . sufficient variation is possible such that almost any reasonable desired profile can be simulated . according to the present invention , the stent coatings incorporating biologically active materials for timed delivery in situ in a body lumen of interest are preferably sprayed in many thin layers from prepared coating solutions or suspensions . the steps of the process are illustrated generally in fig1 . the coating solutions or suspensions are prepared at 10 as will be described later . the desired amount of crosslinking agent is added to the suspension / solution as at 12 and material is then agitated or stirred to produce a homogenous coating composition at 14 which is thereafter transferred to an application container or device which may be a container for spray painting at 16 . typical exemplary preparations of coating solutions that were used for heparin and dexamethasone appear next . silicone was obtained as a polymer precursor in solvent ( xylene ) mixture . for example , a 35 % solid silicone weight content in xylene was procured from applied silicone , part # 40 , 000 . first , the silicone - xylene mixture was weighed . the solid silicone content was determined according to the vendor &# 39 ; s analysis . precalculated amounts of finely divided heparin ( 2 - 6 microns ) were added into the silicone , then tetrahydrofuron ( thf ) hpcl grade ( aldrich or em ) was added . for a 37 . 5 % heparin coating , for example : w silicone = 5 g ; solid percent = 35 %; w hep = 5 × 0 . 35 × 0 . 375 /( 0 . 625 )= 1 . 05 g . the amount of thf needed ( 44 ml ) in the coating solution was calculated by using the equation w silicone solid / va thf = 0 . 04 for a 37 . 5 % heparin coating solution ). finally , the manufacturer crosslinker solution was added by using pasteur p - pipet . the amount of crosslinker added was formed to effect the release rate profile . typically , five drops of crosslinker solution were added for each five grams of silicone - xylene mixture . the crosslinker may be any suitable and compatible agent including platinum and peroxide based materials . the solution was stirred by using the stirring rod until the suspension was homogenous and milk - like . the coating solution was then transferred into a paint jar in condition for application by air brush . silicone ( 35 % solution as above ) was weighed into a beaker on a metler balance . the weight of dexamethasone free alcohol or acetate form was calculated by silicone weight multiplied by 0 . 35 and the desired percentage of dexamethasone ( 1 to 40 %) and the required amount was then weighed . example : w silicone = 5 g ; for a 10 % dexamethasone coating , w dex = 5 × 0 . 35 × 0 . 1 / 0 . 9 = 0 . 194 g and thf needed in the coating solution calculated . w silicone solid / v thf = 0 . 06 for a 10 % dexamethasone coating solution . example : w silicone = 5 g ; v thf = 5 × 0 . 35 / 0 . 06 = 29 ml . the dexamethasone was weighed in a beaker on an analytical balance and half the total amount of thf was added . the solution was stirred well to ensure full dissolution of the dexamethasone . the stirred dex - thf solution was then transferred to the silicone container . the beaker was washed with the remaining thf and this was transferred to the silicone container . the crosslinker was added by using a pasteur pipet . typically , five drops of crosslinker were used for five grams of silicone . the application of the coating material to the stent was quite similar for all of the materials and the same for the heparin and dexamethasone suspensions prepared as in the above examples . the suspension to be applied was transferred to an application device , typically a paint jar attached to an air brush , such as a badger model 150 , supplied with a source of pressurized air through a regulator ( norgren , 0 - 160 psi ). once the brush hose was attached to the source of compressed air downstream of the regulator , the air was applied . the pressure was adjusted to approximately 15 - 25 psi and the nozzle condition checked by depressing the trigger . while any appropriate method can be used to secure the stent for spraying , rotating fixtures were utilized successfully in the laboratory . both ends of the relaxed stent were fastened to the fixture by two resilient retainers , commonly alligator clips , with the distance between the clips adjusted so that the stent remained in a relaxed , unstretched condition . the rotor was then energized and the spin speed adjusted to the desired coating speed , nominally about 40 rpm . with the stent rotating in a substantially horizontal plane , the spray nozzle was adjusted so that the distance from the nozzle to the stent was about 2 - 4 inches and the composition was sprayed substantially horizontally with the brush being directed along the stent from the distal end of the stent to the proximal end and then from the proximal end to the distal end in a sweeping motion at a speed such that one spray cycle occurred in about three stent rotations . typically a pause of less than one minute , normally about one - half minute , elapsed between layers . of course , the number of coating layers did and will vary with the particular application . for example , for a coating level of 3 - 4 mg of heparin per cm 2 of projected area , 20 cycles of coating application are required and about 30 ml of solution will be consumed for a 3 . 5 mm diameter by 14 . 5 cm long stent . the rotation speed of the motor , of course , can be adjusted as can the viscosity of the composition and the flow rate of the spray nozzle as desired to modify the layered structure . generally , with the above mixes , the best results have been obtained at rotational speeds in the range of 30 - 50 rpm and with a spray nozzle flow rate in the range of 4 - 10 ml of coating composition per minute , depending on the stent size . it is contemplated that a more sophisticated , computer - controlled coating apparatus will successfully automate the process demonstrated as feasible in the laboratory . several applied layers make up what is called the tie layer as at 18 and thereafter additional upper layers , which may be of a different composition with respect to bioactive material , the matrix polymeric materials and crosslinking agent , for example , are applied as the top layer as at 20 . the application of the top layer follows the same coating procedure as the tie layer with the number and thickness of layers being optional . of course , the thickness of each layer can be adjusted by adjusting the speed of rotation of the stent and the spraying conditions . generally , the total coating thickness is controlled by the number of spraying cycles or thin coats which make up the total coat . as shown at 22 in fig1 , the coated stent is thereafter subjected to a curing step in which the polymer precursor and crosslinking agents cooperate to produce a cured polymer matrix containing the biologically active species . the curing process involves evaporation of the solvent xylene , thf , etc . and the curing and crosslinking of the polymer . certain silicone materials can be cured at relatively low temperatures , ( i . e . rt - 50 ° c .) in what is known as a room temperature vulcanization ( rtv ) process . more typically , however , the curing process involves higher temperature curing materials and the coated stents are put into an oven at approximately 90 ° c . or higher for approximately 16 hours . the temperature may be raised to as high as 150 ° c . for dexamethasone containing coated stents . of course , the time and temperature may vary with particular silicones , crosslinkers biologically active species and coating thicknesses . stents coated and cured in the manner described need to be sterilized prior to packaging for future implantation . for sterilization , gamma radiation is a preferred method particularly for heparin containing coatings ; however , it has been found that stents coated and cured according to the process of the invention subjected to gamma sterilization may be too slow to recover their original posture when delivered to a vascular or other lumen site using a catheter unless a pretreatment step as at 24 is first applied to the coated , cured stent . the pretreatment step involves an argon plasma treatment of the coated , cured stents in the unconstrained configuration . in accordance with this procedure , the stents are placed in — a chamber of a plasma surface treatment system such as a plasma science 350 ( himont / plasma science , foster city , calif .). the system is equipped with a reactor chamber and ri solid - state generator operating at 13 . 56 mhz and from 0 - 500 watts power output and being equipped with a microprocessor controlled system and a complete vacuum pump package . the reaction chamber contains an unimpeded work volume of 16 . 75 inches ( 42 . 55 cit ) by 13 . 5 inches ( 34 . 3 cm ) by 17 . 5 inches ( 44 . 45 cm ) in depth . in the plasma process , unconstrained coated stents are placed in a reactor chamber and the system is purged with nitrogen and a vacuum applied to 20 mtorr . thereafter , inert gas ( argon , helium or mixture of them ) is admitted to the reaction chamber for the plasma treatment . a highly preferred method of operation consists of using argon gas , operating at a power range from 200 to 400 watts , a flow rate of 150 - 650 standard ml per minute , which is equivalent to 100 - 450 mtorr , and an exposure time from 30 seconds to about 5 minutes . the stents can be removed immediately after the plasma treatment or remain in the argon atmosphere for an additional period of time , typically five minutes . after this , as shown at 26 , the stents are exposed to gamma sterilization at 2 . 5 - 3 . 5 mrad . the radiation may be carried out with the stent in either the radially non - constrained status or in the radially constrained status . with respect to the anticoagulant material , heparin , the percentage in the tie layer is nominally from about 30 - 50 % and that of the top layer from about 0 - 30 % active material . the coating thickness ratio of the top layer to the tie layer varies from about 1 : 6 to 1 : 2 and is preferably in the range of from about 1 : 5 to 1 : 3 . suppressing the burst effect also enables a reduction in the drug loading or in other words , allows a reduction in the coating thickness , since the physician will give a bolus injection of antiplatelet / anticoagulation drugs to the patient during the stenting process . as a result , the drug imbedded in the stent can be fully used without waste . tailoring the first day release , but maximizing second day and third day release at the thinnest possible coating configuration will reduce the acute or subcute thrombosis . fig1 depicts the general effect of drug loading for coatings of similar thickness . the initial elution rate increases with the drug loading as shown in fig1 . the release rate also increases with the thickness of the coating at the same loading but tends to be inversely proportional to the thickness of the top layer as shown by the same drug loading and similar tie - coat thickness in fig1 . what is apparent from the data gathered to date , however , is that the process of the present invention enables the drug elution kinetics to be controlled in a manner desired to meet the needs of the particular stent application . in a similar manner , stent coatings can be prepared using a combination of two or more drugs and the drug release sequence and rate controlled . for example , antiproliferation drugs may be combined in the tie layer and antiplatelet drugs in the top layer . in this manner , the antiplatelet drugs , for example , heparin , will elute first followed by antiproliferation drugs to better enable safe encapsulation of the implanted stent . the heparin concentration measurement were made utilizing a standard curve prepared by complexing azure a dye with dilute solutions of heparin . sixteen standards were used to compile the standard curve in a well - known manner . for the elution test , the stents were immersed in a phosphate buffer solution at ph 7 . 4 in an incubator at approximately 37 ° c . periodic samplings of the solution were processed to determine the amount of heparin eluted . after each sampling , each stent was placed in heparin - free buffer solution . as stated above , while the allowable loading of the elastomeric material with heparin may vary , in the case of silicone materials heparin may exceed 60 % of the total weight of the layer . however , the loading generally most advantageously used is in the range from about 10 % to 45 % of the total weight of the layer . in the case of dexamethasone , the loading may be as high as 50 % or more of the total weight of the layer but is preferably in the range of about 0 . 4 % to 45 %. it will be appreciated that the mechanism of incorporation of the biologically active species into a thin surface coating structure applicable to a metal stent is an important aspect of the present invention . the need for relatively thick - walled polymer elution stents or any membrane overlayers associated with many prior drug elution devices is obviated , as is the need for utilizing biodegradable or reabsorbable vehicles for carrying the biologically active species . the technique clearly enables long - term delivery and minimizes interference with the independent mechanical or therapeutic benefits of the stent itself . coating materials are designed with a particular coating technique , coating / drug combination and drug infusion mechanism in mind . consideration of the particular form and mechanism of release of the biologically active species in the coating allow the technique to produce superior results . in this manner , delivery of the biologically active species from the coating structure can be tailored to accommodate a variety of applications . whereas the above examples depict coatings having two different drug loadings or percentages of biologically active material to be released , this is by no means limiting with respect to the invention and it is contemplated that any number of layers and combinations of loadings can be employed to achieve a desired release profile . for example , gradual grading and change in the loading of the layers can be utilized in which , for example , higher loadings are used in the inner layers . also layers can be used which have elutable compounds but no drug loadings at all . for example , a pulsatile heparin release system may be achieved by a coating in which alternate layers containing heparin are sandwiched between unloaded layers of silicone or other materials for a portion of the coating . in other words , the invention allows untold numbers of combinations which result in a great deal of flexibility with respect to controlling the release of biologically active materials with regard to an implanted stent . each applied layer is typically from approximately 0 . 5 microns to 15 microns in thickness . the total number of sprayed layers , of course , can vary widely , from less than 10 to more than 50 layers ; commonly , 20 to 40 layers are included . the total thickness of the coating can also vary widely , but can generally be from about 10 to 200 microns . whereas the polymer of the coating may be any compatible biostable elastomeric material capable of being adhered to the stent material as a thin layer , hydrophobic materials are preferred because it has been found that the release of the biologically active species can generally be more predictably controlled with such materials . preferred materials include silicone rubber elastomers and biostable polyurethanes specifically . this invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use embodiments of the example as required . however , it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different devices and that various modifications can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself .
0
various embodiments are now described with reference to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout . in the following description , for purposes of explanation , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one or more embodiments . it may be evident , however , that such embodiment ( s ) may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing one or more embodiments . in the following paragraphs , the present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the attached drawings . throughout this description , the preferred embodiment and examples shown should be considered as exemplars , rather than as limitations on the present invention . as used herein , the “ present invention ” refers to any one of the embodiments of the invention described herein , and any equivalents . furthermore , reference to various feature ( s ) of the “ present invention ” throughout this document does not mean that all claimed embodiments or methods must include the referenced feature ( s ). turning now descriptively to the drawings , in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views , fig1 through 3 illustrate a rotatable double ended device 10 , which comprises an elongated device having a first portion 20 and a second portion extending in opposite directions from a central ring 40 . the first portion 20 will generally include a first tip 50 located at its distal end 22 and the second portion 30 will generally include a second tip 60 located at its distal end 32 . by inserting a finger within the central ring 40 , an operator of the device may easily alternate between use of the first tip 50 and use of the second tip 60 . the first portion 20 will generally be comprised of an elongated housing extending from the central ring 40 in a direction opposite of the second portion 30 . the first portion 20 will preferably be comprised of a tubular configuration with a circular cross - section . however , it is appreciated that various other configurations may be utilized for the first portion 20 , including the use of different cross - sections . the first portion 20 may be comprised of various materials , including plastics , metals , metal alloys , wood and the like . it is also appreciated that , in some embodiments , the first portion 20 will be integrally formed with the second portion 30 and the central ring 40 . the first portion 20 will generally include a first end 21 and a second end 22 . the first end 21 of the first portion 20 will generally be comprised of the end of the first portion 20 which is adjacent the central ring 40 . the second end 22 of the first portion 20 will generally be comprised of the distal end of the first portion 20 with respect to the central ring 40 . the first portion 20 will generally include a first opening 23 which extends at least 30 partially through the length of the body of the first portion 20 from its second end 22 . the first opening 23 of the first portion 20 will generally be configured to accept and retain the first tip 50 of the embodiment . it is appreciated that the first opening 23 may have various cross - sections and may extend for the entire length of the first portion 20 or , in some embodiments , may only extend for a small area of the length of the first portion 20 . it is also appreciated that the first opening 23 may store various other components of the preferred embodiment , including a battery , ink reservoir , etc . the first portion 20 may also include a first cushion portion 25 positioned adjacent to its second end 22 as shown in fig1 . the first cushion portion 25 may be comprised of a soft , malleable material such as rubber or the like . an operator of the device may utilize the first cushion portion 25 for resting his / her finger when utilizing the first tip 50 of the embodiment . it is appreciated that the first cushion portion 25 may cover varying areas of the first portion 20 without affecting the overall operation of the embodiment . as such , the first cushion portion 25 should not be construed as being limited to the configuration shown in the figures . in some embodiments , the first cushion portion 25 may cover the entirety of the first portion 20 of the embodiment . the second portion 30 of the embodiment will generally be comprised of an elongated housing extending from the central ring 40 in a direction opposite of the first portion 20 . the second portion 30 will preferably be comprised of a tubular configuration with a circular cross - section . however , it is appreciated that various other configurations may be utilized for the second portion 30 , including the use of different cross - sections . the second portion 30 may be comprised of various materials , including plastics , metals , metal alloys , wood and the like . it is also appreciated that , in some embodiments , the second portion 30 will be integrally formed with the first portion 20 and the central ring 40 . the second portion 30 will generally include a first end 31 and a second end 32 . the first end 31 of the second portion 30 will generally be comprised of the end of the second portion 30 which is adjacent the central ring 40 . the second end 32 of the second portion 30 will generally be comprised of the distal end of the second portion 30 with respect to the central ring 40 . the second portion 30 will generally include a second opening 33 which extends at least partially through the length of the body of the second portion 30 from its second end 32 . the second opening 33 of the second portion 30 will generally be configured to accept and retain the second tip 60 of the embodiment . it is appreciated that the second opening 33 may have various cross - sections and may extend for the entire length of the second portion 30 or , in some embodiments , may only extend for a small area of the length of the second portion 30 . it is also appreciated that the second opening 33 may store various other components of the embodiment , including a battery , ink reservoir , etc . the second portion 30 may also include a second cushion portion 35 positioned adjacent to its second end 32 as shown in fig1 . the second cushion portion 35 may be comprised of a soft , malleable material such as rubber or the like . an operator of the embodiment may utilize the second cushion portion 35 for resting his / her finger when utilizing the second tip 60 of the embodiment . it is appreciated that the second cushion portion 35 may cover varying areas of the second portion 30 without affecting the overall operation of the embodiment . as such , the second cushion portion 35 should not be construed as being limited to the configuration shown in the figures . in some embodiments , the second cushion portion 35 may cover the entirety of the second portion 30 of the embodiment . the embodiment will generally include a central ring 40 through which an operator of the embodiment may insert his / her finger when in use as shown in fig2 . the central ring 40 will generally be comprised of a circular ring member positioned between the first end 21 of the first portion 20 and the first end 31 of the second portion 30 of the embodiment . however , it is appreciated that various other configurations and shapes may be utilized for the central ring 40 , and it should be not be construed as being limited to the circular configuration shown in the figures . in some embodiments , the central ring 40 may be comprised of a square shape , elliptical shape or various other shape , so long as an operator of the embodiment may easily insert his / her finger within the central ring 40 to rotate the embodiment . the embodiment will generally include a first tip 50 extending from the first opening 23 of the first portion 20 and a second tip 60 extending from the second opening 33 of the second portion 30 as shown in fig1 . various types of tips may be utilized , including tips for pens , pencils , felt markets , highlighters , styluses , laser pointers , flashlights and the like . it is appreciated that various combinations of the foregoing may be utilized with the embodiment . for example , in one embodiment , the first tip 50 may be comprised of a pen and the second tip 60 may be comprised of a flashlight . the tips 50 , 60 of the embodiment may be fixedly attached within the respective openings 23 , 33 or , in a preferred embodiment , may be removably attached within the respective openings 23 , 33 so as to allow an operator of the embodiment to interchange tips 50 , 60 for various different applications . it is appreciated that various methods may be utilized for effectuating the removable attachment of the tips 50 , 60 , including push buttons , slides and the like . the embodiment may also include a first cap 52 for covering the first tip 50 and a second cap 62 for covering the second tip 60 as illustrated in the figures . the caps 52 , 62 may be comprised of structures which act to cover the respective tips 50 , 60 when they are not in use . in use , the operator of the embodiment will first select a tip 50 , 60 to be utilized . when using the first tip 50 , the operator will insert his / her finger through the central ring 40 as shown in fig2 . the operator may extend his / her finger over the first depression 46 . the first tip may then be utilized for writing , illuminating areas or various other functions . when writing , the operator may rest one or more of his / her fingers against the first cushion portion 25 to provide additional comfort during use . upon deciding to utilize the second tip 60 , the operator will generally rotate the embodiment by rotating the central ring 40 about his / her finger . after rotating the embodiment 180 degrees using the central ring 40 , the operator may utilize the second tip 60 for writing , illuminating areas or various other functions . unless otherwise defined , 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 methods and materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the embodiment , suitable methods and materials are described above . all publications , patent applications , patents , and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent allowed by applicable law and regulations . in case of conflict , the present specification , including definitions , will control . the embodiment may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof , and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive . any headings utilized within the description are for convenience only and have no legal or limiting effect . the central ring 40 will generally include a first end 42 and a second end 44 . the first end 42 of the central ring 40 will generally be positioned adjacent the first end 21 of the first portion 20 . the second end 44 of the central ring 40 will generally be positioned adjacent the first end 31 of the second portion 30 . it is also appreciated that , in some embodiments , the central ring 40 may be integrally formed with both the first portion 20 and the second portion 30 of the embodiment . the central ring 40 will generally include a first depression 46 and a second depression 48 as shown in fig1 . the first depression 46 will generally be positioned at the junction between the first portion 20 and the first end 42 of the central ring 40 . the second depression 48 will generally be positioned at the junction between the second portion 30 and the second end 44 of the central ring 40 . the depressions 46 , 48 of the embodiment will generally be comprised of depressed areas at the first end 42 and the second end 44 of the central ring 40 . the first depression 46 will generally be tapered in width in the direction of the first portion 20 . the second depression 48 will generally be tapered in width in the direction of the second portion 30 . thus , the width of the inner edges of the central ring 40 adjacent its first and second ends 42 , 44 will be narrower than the width of the inner edges of the remainder of the central ring 40 . such a configuration of the depressions 46 , 48 provides comfort for the insertion of an operator &# 39 ; s finger and facilitates the bending of the inserted finger in a writing position . various modifications and alterations of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is defined by the accompanying claims . it should be noted that steps recited in any method claims below do not necessarily need to be performed in the order that they are recited . those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize variations in performing the steps from the order in which they are recited . in addition , the lack of mention or discussion of a feature , step , or component provides the basis for claims where the absent feature or component is excluded by way of a proviso or similar claim language . while various embodiments of the present invention have been described above , it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only , and not of limitation . likewise , the various diagrams may depict an example architectural or other configuration for the invention , which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that may be included in the invention . the invention is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations , but the desired features may be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations . indeed , it will be apparent to one of skill in the art how alternative functional , logical or physical partitioning and configurations may be implemented to implement the desired features of the present invention . also , a multitude of different constituent module names other than those depicted herein may be applied to the various partitions . additionally , with regard to flow diagrams , operational descriptions and method claims , the order in which the steps are presented herein shall not mandate that various embodiments be implemented to perform the recited functionality in the same order unless the context dictates otherwise . although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations , it should be understood that the various features , aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described , but instead may be applied , alone or in various combinations , to one or more of the other embodiments of the invention , whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment . thus the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments . terms and phrases used in this document , and variations thereof , unless otherwise expressly stated , should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting . as examples of the foregoing : the term “ including ” should be read as meaning “ including , without limitation ” or the like ; the term “ example ” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion , not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof ; the terms “ a ” or “ an ” should be read as meaning “ at least one ,” “ one or more ” or the like ; and adjectives such as “ conventional ,” “ traditional ,” “ normal ,” “ standard ,” “ known ” and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time , but instead should be read to encompass conventional , traditional , normal , or standard technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in the future . likewise , where this document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the art , such technologies encompass those apparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in the future . a group of items linked with the conjunction “ and ” should not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be present in the grouping , but rather should be read as “ and / or ” unless expressly stated otherwise . similarly , a group of items linked with the conjunction “ or ” should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group , but rather should also be read as “ and / or ” unless expressly stated otherwise . furthermore , although items , elements or components of the invention may be described or claimed in the singular , the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated . the presence of broadening words and phrases such as “ one or more ,” “ at least ,” “ but not limited to ” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent . the use of the term “ module ” does not imply that the components or functionality described or claimed as part of the module are all configured in a common package . indeed , any or all of the various components of a module , whether control logic or other components , may be combined in a single package or separately maintained and may further be distributed across multiple locations . additionally , the various embodiments set forth herein are described in terms of exemplary block diagrams , flow charts and other illustrations . as will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document , the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives may be implemented without confinement to the illustrated examples . for example , block diagrams and their accompanying description should not be construed as mandating a particular architecture or configuration . the previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention . various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein .
1
according to our invention we have discovered that gml can be used to enhance the permeability to drugs and other beneficial agents of skin generally and , more particularly , to enhance the transdermal permeability of a multiplicity of drugs useful in the treatment of a wide variety of conditions and indications . as used herein the term &# 34 ; drug &# 34 ; relates to a biologically active agent , compound or composition of matter which is administered for the purpose of providing some beneficial or therapeutic effect . as used herein the term &# 34 ; transdermal &# 34 ; delivery relates to the delivery of a drug by passage through intact skin into the vascularized layers below the stratum corneum for absorption by the blood stream . thus transdermal delivery is distinguished from topical application to the surface of intact skin for topical treatment or to application to open wounds or to skin lacking the stratum corneum such as burned or abraded skin . according to our invention gml and the biologically active agent ( drug ) to be delivered are placed in drug and gml transmitting relationship to the skin , preferably in a carrier therefor , and maintained in place for the desired period of time . the drug and gml are typically dispersed within a physiologically compatible matrix or carrier as more fully described below which may be applied directly to the body as an ointment , gel , cream , suppository or sublingual or buccal tablet for example but are more preferably administered from a transdermal therapeutic system as more fully described below . we have also found that gml , in addition to its known low toxicity and colorless and odorless nature , does not sensitize skin on repeated exposure . further , it can be applied to the skin in compositions that do not produce irritation even on occulsion and repeated application to the same site and is capable of enhancing drug flux without producing objectionable skin sensations . gml has utility in connection with the delivery of drugs within the broad class normally delivered through skin . in general , this includes therapeutic agents in all of the major therapeutic areas including , but not limited to , anti - infectives , such as antibiotics and antiviral agents , analgesics and analgesic combinations , anthemidines , antiarthritics , antiasthmatic agents , anticonvulsants , antidepressants , antidiabetic agents , antidiarrheals , antihistamines , anti - inflammatory agents , antimigraine preparations , antimotion sickness , antinauseants , antineoplastics , antiparkinsonism drugs , antipruritics , antipsychotics , antipyretics , antispasmodics , including gastrointestinal and urinary ; anticholinergics , sympathomimetics , xanthine derivatives , cardiovascular preparations including calcium channel blockers , betablockers , antiarrythmics , antihypertensives , diuretics , vasodilators including general , coronary , peripheral and cerebral , central nervous system stimulants , cough and cold preparations , decongestants , hormones , hypnotics , immunosuppressives , muscle relaxants , parasympatholytics , parasympathomimetics , pyschostimulants , sedatives and tranquilizers . we have demonstrated the utility of gml as a permeation enhancer for a large number of dissimilar drugs within some of these classes and believes it to be applicable to an even larger number of such drugs including , by way of example and not for purposes of limitation : scopolamine , isosorbide dinitrate , nitroglycerin , estradiol , clonidine , cortisone , hydrocortisone , theophylline , phenylephrine , terbutaline , ephedrine , narcotine , quinidine , estradiol diacetate , progesterone , pilocarpine , furosemide , tetracycline , insulin , chlorpheniramine , sulfathiazides , propanolol , testosterone , norgestrel , lidocaine , morphinone , morphine , dihydrocodeine , dihydromorphine , oxycodone , hydrocodone , codeine , norcodeine , hydromorphine , normophine , norlevorphanol , dihydrothebaine , ouabain , bromocyrptine , haloperidol , guanabenz , salbutamol , oxprenolol , tetracaine , dibucaine , altenolol , pindolol , and timolol , for example as well as to other drugs not specifically noted herein . the effect of gml as a permeation enhancer for other drugs not specifically set forth herein , may be readily determined by a worker skilled in the art from in vitro permeation meaurements performed on cadaver skins or other membranes in conventional diffusion cell tests as well as by in vivo measurements of blood or urine levels for example . gml has a permeation enhancing effect on the transport of drugs through body surface tissues generally in addition to the skin . nevertheless , because skin is one of the most effective of the body &# 39 ; s barriers to permeation of foreign substances , the effect of gml on skin permeation makes it extremely useful in transdermal drug delivery . the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention is therefore directed primarily to improving transdermal delivery of drugs . referring now to fig1 a transdermal therapeutic system 1 according to this invention is shown which comprises a drug / permeation enhancer reservoir 2 in the form of a matrix containing the drug and gml . the reservoir 2 is covered by an impermeable backing 3 which is preferably sized slightly larger in circumference than reservoir 2 . means 4 for maintaining the syste on the skin may either be fabricated together with or provided separately from the remaining elements of the system which means in the embodiment of fig1 takes the form of an adhesive overlay . an adhesive overlay is used with this invention because gml adversely affects the adhesive properties of most pharmaceutically acceptable contact adhesives . for this reason , impermeable backing layer 3 is preferably sized slightly larger than the reservoir 2 to provide a peripheral area around reservoir 2 free of gml to prevent adverse interaction between the adhesive in the overlay 4 and any of the gml which may seep from under the base of reservoir 2 in use . a strippable release liner 5 , adapted to be removed prior to application would normally be included in the packaged product . various materials suited for the fabrication of the various layers are disclosed in the aforementioned patents . the composition of the matrix may , depending on the drug to be delivered , be either aqueous based or anydrous and suitable matrices or carriers described in the above identified patents . suitable matrix materials include , without limitation , natural and synthetic rubbers such as polbutylene , polyisobutylene , polybutadiene , polyethylene , styrenebutadine , copolymers , polyisoprene , polyurethane , ethylene / propylene copolymers , polyalkylacrylate polymers , copolyesters , ethylene / acrylic copolymers , silicones and butadiene / acrylonitrile copolymers for example and other polymers such as the ethylene vinylacetate ( eva ) polymers described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 144 , 317 ( which is incorporated herein by reference ), for example , gelled or thickened mineral oil , petroleum jelly and various aqueous gels and hydrophilic polymers . typically the drug is dispersed through the matrix or carrier at a concentration in excess of saturation , the amount of the excess being a function of the intended useful life of the system . the drug , however , may be present at initial levels below saturation without departing from this invention . the gml is preferably dispersed through the matrix at a concentration sufficient to provide permeation enhancing concentrations of gml in the reservoir throughout the anticipated administration time . in addition to the drug and gml , which are essential to the invention , the matrix may also contain other materials such as dyes , pigments , inert fillers or other permeation enhancers , excipients , and conventional components of pharmaceutical products or transdermal therapeutic systems as known to the art . referring now to fig2 another embodiment of this invention is shown in place upon the skin 17 of a patient . in this embodiment the transdermal therapeutic system 10 comprises a multilaminate drug / enhancer reservoir 11 having at least two zones 12 and 14 . zone 12 consists of a drug reservoir substantially as described with respect to fig1 . zone 14 comprises a gml reservoir which is preferably made from , but not limited to , substantially the same matrix as used to form zone 12 and which is substantially free of any undissolved drug . a rate - controlling membrane 13 for controlling the release rate of gml from zone 12 to the skin may also be utilized between zones 12 and 14 if desired . suitable rate - controlling membranes may be formed from polymers having a permeability to gml lower than that of zone 12 . alternately , membrane 13 may control the release rate of both the permeation enhancer and the drug . in that case , zone 14 would contain both the drug and the permeation enhancer reserves . an advantage of the system described in fig2 is that the drug loaded zone 12 is concentrated at the skin surface rather than throughout the entire mass of the reservoir . this functions to reduce the amount of drug in the system while maintaining an adequate gml supply . superimposed over the drug / enhancer reservoir 11 is an impermeable backing 15 and adhesive overlay 16 as described above with respect to fig1 . in addition , a strippable release liner ( not shown ) would preferably be provided on the system prior to use as described with respect to fig1 and removed prior to application to the skin 17 . with both fig1 and 2 , the adhesive overlays can be eliminated if the skin contacting layer can be made adhesive . use of such an in - line contact adhesive would mainly be limited by the compatability of the adhesive with the gml component of the drug delivery system . in the embodiments of fig1 and 2 the carrier or matrix material has sufficient viscosity to maintain its shape without oozing or flowing . if the matrix or carrier is a low viscosity flowable material , the composition can be fully enclosed in a pouch or pocket between the impermeable backing and a permeable or microporous skin contacting membrane as known to the art from u . s . pat . no . 4 , 379 , 454 , noted above , for example . although the invention is most useful with drugs whose permeability is too low for therapeutic effects to be obtained in the absence of an enhancer ; its use with systems employing drug rate controlling membranes such as disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 598 , 122 and 3 , 598 , 123 noted above is also contemplated . a transdermal therapeutic system as described with respect to fig1 for administration of progesterone was formulated from progesterone ( 10 %), gml , eva 40 and staybelite ester # 5 ( hercules , inc .). this system was tested on a human subject by application of an 80 cm 2 patch on the upper outer arm . a similar system for the administration of estradiol was formulated from estradiol valerate ( 10 %), gml , eva 40 and staybelite ester # 5 and simultaneously tested by application of an 80 cm 2 patch on the chest of the aforementioned human subject . measurement of the plasma progesterone and estradiol levels after a 24 hour period indicated an increase in progesterone of 70 ng / dl and an increase in estradiol of 4 . 7 ng / dl . the following table provides in vitro progesterone skin flux data for various formulations . comparisons are made with other permeation enhancers : glycerol monooleate ( gmo ) and sucrose monococoate ( smc ) sucrose recinoleate ( sr ) and polyethylene glycol ( peg 40 ) with castor oil . table i______________________________________ progesterone skin flux , formulation , weight percent μg / cm . sup . 2 / hr______________________________________24 . 2 % gml , 5 . 8 % progesterone , 2 . 2638 . 8 % eva 40 , 31 . 2 % staybelite ester # 525 . 2 % gml , 10 . 0 % progesterone , 3 . 1935 . 9 % eva 40 , 28 . 9 % staybelite ester # 5 2 . 5 % progesterone , 97 . 5 % eva 51 0 . 1425 . 0 gmo , 10 . 0 % progesterone , 2 . 3836 . 0 % eva 40 , 29 . 0 % staybelite ester # 525 . 5 % smc , 10 . 0 % progesterone , 2 . 3335 . 8 % eva 40 , 28 . 7 % staybelite ester # 525 . 5 % sr , 8 % progesterone , 1 . 0139 . 1 % eva 40 , 27 . 4 % staybelite ester # 525 . 4 % peg 40 castor oil , 8 % 0 . 75progesterone , 39 . 1 % eva 40 , 27 . 5 % staybelite ester # 525 . 0 % gml , 10 % progesterone , 3 . 0835 . 9 % eva 40 , 28 . 9 % staybelite ester # 5______________________________________ having thus generally described our invention and having provided specific embodiments thereof it will be readily apparent to workers skilled in the art that various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of this invention which is limited only to the following claims .
8
fig1 shows a laser scanning microscope which can be calibrated regarding the deflection of a laser beam . the laser scanning microscope comprises a fiber 1 from which a diverging laser beam 1 a exits . said laser beam is focussed to form a parallel beam using a collimator 2 , and impinges on a main beam splitter 3 which reflects the parallel laser beam 1 a in the direction of a biaxial deflecting device formed by two scanner mirrors 4 and 5 , whose axes are crossed ( for the sake of simplicity , these are shown in one plane in fig1 ). the laser beam 1 a passes from the scanner mirrors to a scanning objective 6 , which guides the laser beam in the direction of an object . a measurement device 7 , which will be explained in more detail below , is arranged downstream of the scanning objective 6 . a deflecting mirror 8 picks up a laser beam supplied by the scanning objective 6 and directs it to a tube lens 9 , which , together with a subsequently arranged objective 10 , focusses the laser beam on an object 11 . in the object 11 , there is interaction between the laser beam 1 a and the object , with reflection or emission of fluorescence radiation taking place . this radiation generated in the object 11 passes back again along the beam path in the opposite direction of the illumination direction , i . e . it is picked up by the objective 10 and passes from the tube lens 9 via the deflecting mirror 8 to the scanning objective 6 and is guided by the scanner mirrors 5 and 4 to the main beam splitter 3 . at least part of the radiation coming from the object 11 passes through the beam splitter 3 , so as to be picked up by a detector 14 via a pinhole lens 12 and a pinhole aperture 13 . the scanner mirrors 4 and 5 are controlled in a suitable manner for raster - scanning of an object surface area on the object 11 , as will be explained hereinbelow . for control of the deflecting device , the measurement device 17 is provided , by means of which the value of the deflection angle about which the laser beam 1 a is deflected by the scanner mirrors 4 and 5 can be measured in order to obtain an exact assignment between the control of the scanner mirrors 4 and 5 and the deflection angle . in doing so , in particular , the dynamic characteristics of the scanner mirrors 4 and 5 , are taken into account by suitable control to result in a desired course of the laser beam over the object 11 . the measurement device 7 comprises a dichroic beam splitter 15 which couples out radiation of a certain wavelength region from the laser beam 1 a . in said wavelength region no or only minor interactions , or interactions which are not of interest in an evaluation are excited by the laser beam 1 a in the object 11 . the component of the laser beam 1 a coupled out by the dichroic beam splitter 15 is focussed on a test grid 17 by a field lens 16 . said test grid 17 comprises spatially distributed structural elements , each of which corresponds to a certain deflection angle value and is thus illuminated by the laser beam , which the dichroic beam splitter 15 couples out , only upon specific control of the scanner mirrors 4 and 5 . the test grid 17 may have differently designed structural elements . in a first variant , said structural elements are reflecting lines , so that back reflection to the dichroic beam splitter 15 takes place only if the scanner mirrors 4 and 5 direct the laser beam to a structural element . the assembly of test grid 17 , field lens 16 and dichroic beam splitter 15 , in this case , is arranged relative to the scanning objective such that the test grid 17 is located in a plane being conjugated to the intermediate image plane of the scanning objective 6 . radiation reflected by a structural element passes via the field lens 16 and the dichroic beam splitter 15 to the scanning objective 6 and from there , via the scanner mirrors 4 and 5 , to a beam splitter ( not shown ) serving the same function as the main beam splitter 3 and preferably designed such that it suitably separates , in a direction opposed to the radiation direction , from the radiation coming from the object 11 the very wavelength component which the dichroic beam splitter has split from the laser beam 1 a . said beam splitter then has the same properties as the dichroic beam splitter 15 and ensures that the radiation reflected by a structural element of the test grid 17 passes into a separate detector beam path which is part of the measurement device , said detector beam path , analogous with the above - described detector beam path , comprising a pinhole lens , a pinhole aperture and a detector . radiation coupled in to the beam path again in the opposite direction of the illumination direction by the dichroic beam splitter 15 and reflected by a structural element of the test grid 17 is finally detected by a detector . if , by means of said detector , the measurement device detects a reflection from a structural element 17 , the deflection angle value corresponding to said structural element can be assigned to the present control of the scanner mirrors 4 and 5 , thus achieving an exact position feedback . said position feedback is , compared with normal operation of the laser scanning microscope , wherein interactions on the object 11 result in detected radiation , free from any delays , so that the time characteristics of the scanner mirrors 4 and 5 can be determined using the test grid 17 . the time characteristics thus known are then utilized , in a manner described hereinbelow , to control the scanner mirrors 4 and 5 during microscoping of an object 11 . fig2 shows a variation of the measurement device 7 , wherein a swivel mirror 18 is provided instead of the dichroic beam splitter 15 , said swivel mirror 18 deflecting the laser beam 1 a coming from the scanning objective 6 such that it will impinge on the test grid 17 now located in the intermediate image plane 19 of the scanning objective 6 . if the swivel mirror 18 is swivelled in , no more radiation can impinge on the object 11 . instead , calibration of the scanner mirrors 4 and 5 takes place . for the actual microscoping , the swivel mirror 18 is swivelled out again . in a further embodiment , instead of the swivel mirror 18 , the test grid , together with its field lens arranged in front of it , can be directly introduced into the beam path downstream of the laser scanning microscope ( shown in broken lines in fig1 ). for this purpose , a test grid 28 with a field lens 27 arranged in front of it , is moved into the beam path in the direction of the arrow 29 , for example by a swivelling or sliding mechanism . fig1 shows , in dotted lines , an optional embodiment of the measurement device concerning the detection of radiation impinging on a structural element of the test grid 17 . for this purpose , the test grid 17 is designed to be transparent , with the transmission properties of a structural element differing from the other transmission characteristics of the test grid 17 . accordingly , a structural element may be provided , for example , as a transmitting slot or as an absorbing bar . in this embodiment , a flat , photosensitive element 30 is arranged behind the test grid 17 , which element 30 picks up the radiation transmitted through the test grid 17 and thus allows to indicate whether or not a laser beam is directed onto a structural element . conveniently , there is arranged between the test grid 17 and the element 30 an optical system which images a plane lying between both tiltable mirrors onto the element 30 , so that differences in sensitivity of the element across its surface do not result in errors . the test grid 17 may be omitted if a ccd detector which allows spatial resolution is used as element 30 . the structure of the test grid 17 is shown in fig3 by way of example . the test grid 17 ( also indicated at 20 in fig3 ) comprises a testing structure 21 which consists of a reflective coating applied on a support , for example a glass support . said reflective coating has line - type elements . a center mark 22 defines the center of the test grid 17 and corresponds to the central axis of an object field to be scanned in the laser scanning microscope . in addition to the center mark 22 , a line grid structure 23 comprising individiual line grids 24 is provided , each of said grids comprising 40 to 80 reflective grid lines 25 . the grid lines 25 in the individual line grids 24 are differently spaced so that the individual line grids have different grid constants . each line grid 24 covers a different deflection angle range and , as will be explained hereinbelow , is assigned to a zoom factor of the laser scanning microscope . a control device 26 is connected to the scanner mirrors 4 and 5 as well as to the detector 14 and the detector of the measurement device via lines ( not further shown ) and effects calibration of the movement of the scanner mirrors 4 and 5 according to the method described below and shown in fig4 : said calibration is effected separately for each scannner mirror 4 and 5 ; the following description refers to the calibration of the scanner mirror 4 . which scanner mirror is being calibrated depends on the arrangement of the test grid 17 , since the lines need to be located as perpendicular as possible to the direction of the deflection caused by the scanner mirror to be calibrated . when the test grid is arranged in the beam path , i . e . when the swivel mirror 18 is swivelled in or when the test grid 28 is withdrawn , the scanner mirrors 4 and 5 are controlled via a control signal . in this case , control is effected via a control signal synthesized by means of fourier coefficients . the fourier coefficients may be obtained in a manner described hereinbelow . in this case , the fourier coefficients cause distortion of the control signal , said distortion ideally being such that the movement of the scanner mirror 4 results in a desired deflection course of the laser beam . then , in a step s 1 , the reflections at the center mark 22 are detected and the control values of the scanner mirror 4 which are assigned to said detection are stored . by detecting the center mark in step s 1 , a rough phase correction of the individual odd - number fourier coefficients of the control signal of the scanner mirror 4 may be successively effected by evaluating the difference between the detection of the center mark during a forward swivel motion and during a backward swivel motion of the scanner mirror 4 . upon said first , rough phase correction , the laser beam is directed to a line grid 24 . which of the plurality of line grids of the testing structure 17 is used for this purpose depends on a zoom factor setting . a laser scanning microscope enables enlargement of a specific detail of an image in an electrooptical manner by limiting the deflection range of the laser beam . in order to dispose of an optimal number of locations for the subsequently performed fourier analysis , that line grid 24 is selected which still covers the deflection angle range covered by the selected zoom factor ( step s 2 ). next , a one - dimensional scan using the scanner mirror 4 is effected in a step s 3 , with a fine adjustment of all odd - number fourier coefficients being effected by evaluating , by fourier analysis , the differences between the detected locations of the individual grid lines 25 of the line grid 24 between the forward and the backward motion of the scanner mirror 4 . for this purpose , in a step s 4 , the reflections are detected and the corresponding amplitude and phase information is determined in a step s 5 . then , in a step s 6 , the even - number coefficients causing linearity distortions are determined by fourier analysis . in doing so , it is validated whether the movement of the laser beam over the deflection angle range valid for this zoom factor , which movement is detected by means of the reflections at the grid lines 25 , includes fourier frequencies which interfere with the desired movement . these components are compensated for by adding suitable coefficients . during analysis , higher harmonics of up to 19 times the scanning frequency are taken into account , so as to cover five to ten odd - number fourier coefficients . in a subsequent optimizing operation for further linearization ( not represented in fig4 ), a variation of the amplitude of the fourier coefficients takes place , with the information pertaining to magnitude and direction of said variation being obtained by a fourier analysis of the differences in linearity from the measured course of the deflection angle values to the desired value . finally , in a further evaluation by fourier analysis an evaluation of the detected image locations of the grid lines 25 enables fine adjustment of the phase and amplitude components of the control signal , which is synthesized from the fourier coefficients , with respect to optimal linearity or minimal offset between the forward and backward movements of the scanner mirror 4 . the same procedure may be repeated for each zoom factor ( loop b in fig4 ) so that , in the control unit 26 , corresponding fourier coefficients enabling calibrated scanning of an object 11 are stored for several zoom factors . said zoom factors , i . e . the amplitude differences of the line grids 24 , are respectively staggered by 1 : 1 . 6 to 1 : 2 . further , by linear interpolation between the fourier coefficients of adjacent zoom factors , optimal control conditions may be generated for any zoom factor lying between said zoom factors . in order to calibrate the other scanner mirror 5 , the test grid 17 is rotated through 90 °. optionally , a test grid comprising structures for both deflecting devices may be used . the fourier coefficients for rough correction may be obtained according to the scheme represented as a block diagram in fig5 . for this purpose , in a step s 7 , the scanner mirror 7 is driven by a sinusoidal control signal , with the frequency of the sinusoidal signal being varied over a wide frequency range . then , in step s 8 , either by a position feedback provided at the scanner mirror or by suitable evaluation of the reflections at the grid lines , the response of the scanner mirrors to said sinusoidal control is detected . subsequently , in a step s 9 , a fourier analysis is effected wherein the aforementioned odd - number fourier coefficients are determined in amplitude and phase information , allowing a rough correction of the frequency response of the scanner mirror . the control signal is then distorted by means of said fourier coefficients such that the movement of the scanner mirror is roughly approximated to the movement of an ideal scanner mirror being controlled by a triangular signal . such calibration allows the offset between forward and backward passes of each scanner mirror 4 , 5 to be reduced to less than 0 . 2 pixels for an image format of 512 × 512 pixels ; the position of the scanner mirror may be determined by detecting the position of the laser beam with a spatial resolution of ≧ 12 bits . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof , and it is , therefore , desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive .
6
with reference to the figures and more particularly to fig1 - 4 , an exemplary apparatus 10 is illustrated for generating a magnetic field 12 ( fig3 ), schematically represented by dashed lines and oriented to define a north - south magnetic axis 14 . the magnitude of the magnetic field 12 may be as small as approximately 500 milligauss . apparatus 10 includes a spherical structure in the form of a globe 16 that is sized , in this embodiment , to be about 1 / 10 , 000 , 000 of the size of planet earth . globe 16 is supported by a support 18 in the form of a carriage or cart having a cross - frame 20 with pivot arms that support the weight of the globe 16 . the support 18 is coupled to the globe 16 at least at one point along a rotational axis 22 of the globe 16 . in this exemplary embodiment , for example , the support 18 is coupled to the globe 16 at two diametrically opposed points of the globe 16 . in particular , support 18 is coupled to the globe 16 at a top point 26 coincident with an end 28 a of a bracket 28 of the support 18 , as well as at a bottom point 32 of the globe 16 . the top and bottom points 26 , 32 may represent the geographical poles of the globe 16 . notably , a thrust bearing 34 is disposed adjacent bottom point 32 , and is supported by the cross - frame 20 to thereby support the weight of the globe 16 . a schematically depicted first drive mechanism 38 is operatively coupled to the globe 16 for rotating globe 16 about its rotational axis 22 , for example , at a speed of about one rotation every ten seconds . this simulates planetary rotation . for example , and without limitation , the first drive mechanism 38 could take the form of a motor and gearset mounted on the bracket 28 of support 18 and coupled to an outer surface 40 of the globe 16 . more specifically , for example , a selected motor could be one having an output less than about ½ hp and be rated for 90 volts dc , such as a motor having model number 3xa2 and commercially available from grainger , inc . of lake forest , ill . first drive mechanism 38 may include a feature permitting adjustment of the speed of rotation of globe 16 about rotational axis 22 . for example , and without limitation , such feature may include a plurality of gears , each of which capable of being selectively coupled to a motor to adjust the resulting speed of rotation of globe 16 about rotational axis 22 . as explained in further detail below , rotation of the globe 16 about the rotational axis 22 induces inertial forces in the material confined within the globe 16 , which is believed to be capable of generating the magnetic field 12 although applicants do not wish to be bound by theory . in this regard , the magnetic field 12 can be measured by one or more magnetometers 44 operatively coupled to the outer surface 40 of globe 16 . for example , and without limitation , the magnetic field 12 can be measured using an alphalab earth magnetometer , commercially available from alphalab , inc . of salt lake city , utah . more specifically , the exemplary magnetometer 44 includes a control box 48 and one or more probes 50 connected thereto and which contacts the space adjacent the globe 16 . in this regard , the term “ operatively coupled to the outer surface ” is intended to cover magnetometers that make physical contact with the outer surface 40 of globe 16 as well as those that simply contact the space adjacent outer surface 40 without necessarily physically contacting the outer surface 40 . with continued reference to fig1 - 4 , a main drive mechanism 60 is operatively coupled to the support 18 for rotating the globe 16 in an orbit about a center 62 . in this regard , center 62 is located along an orbital motion axis 64 of the apparatus 10 and which is spaced from the globe 16 . main drive mechanism 60 may , for example , include a motor and a transmission in the representative form of a transmission or gearset ( not shown ) operatively coupled to the support 18 and which in turn rotates the support 18 and the globe 16 about center 62 . main drive mechanism 60 may be configured to rotate globe 16 at a speed of about one revolution per minute and may be additionally further configured to rotate the globe 16 about a generally circular or elliptical path 61 , which may have a radius “ r ” of about five ( 5 ) meters in a specific embodiment . moreover , main drive mechanism 60 may have a feature that allows adjustment of the speed of rotation of globe 16 about center 62 . the examples provided above for the first drive mechanism 38 are similarly applicable to main drive mechanism 60 . main drive mechanism 60 may for example be coupled to one or more of wheels 65 , such as rubber tires , of the support 18 . in this exemplary embodiment , a track 63 formed from , for example , a single - piece or multiple - piece aluminum extrusion guides the direction of movement of wheels 65 to further define rotation of globe 16 about center 62 and orbital motion axis 64 , thereby defining a plane 66 of orbital motion of globe 16 . while the exemplary embodiment of fig1 - 4 includes the rotational axis 22 as being generally perpendicular to orbital plane 66 of globe 16 , those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that this is merely exemplary and , therefore , not intended to be limiting . for example , the track 63 may be modified , as shown in fig5 , by banking or inclination such that the rotation axis 22 defines a tilt angle , ε , relative to an imaginary line 67 that is perpendicular to the plane 66 . this tilt angle , ε , may , for example , be in the range of about 23 to about 24 degrees , thereby permitting simulation of the observed axial tilt or “ obliquity of the ecliptic ” defined by the rotational and orbital motion of the earth . alternatively , the coupling of the globe 16 to the support 18 may be modified so that the support 18 is tilted by the tilt angle , ε , and the track 63 is level . rotation of the globe 16 about the rotational axis 22 and about the center 62 respectively simulates the observed rotational and orbital motion of the earth respectively about its own axis and about the sun . as discussed in further detail below , rotation of the globe 16 about rotational axis 22 and orbital motion axis 64 is believed to generate magnetic field 12 that extends about the globe 16 . moreover , a charged particle delivery device 80 , such as an electron gun , of the apparatus 10 may be positioned to selectively inject energetic charged particles into an interior of the globe 16 to cooperate in the generation of the magnetic field 12 . with particular reference to fig2 and 3 , the structure and materials defining globe 16 cooperate with motion thereof , as described above , to generate magnetic field 12 , although the applicants do not wish to be bound by theory . to this end , the overall exterior shape of globe 16 is defined by two complementary hemispherical shells 100 and 102 ( shell 102 shown in phantom ) that are coupled to one another , for example via fasteners such as bolts , to thereby define the spherical shape of globe 16 . in this regard , the hemispherical shells 100 , 102 of this exemplary embodiment define an outer layer or crust 104 of globe 16 . the hemispherical shells 100 , 102 , which define the largest sphere of the globe 16 when joined together , are composed of a cured polycarbonate resin thermoplastic with a thickness of , for example , about 25 mm . in one embodiment , the cured polycarbonate resin thermoplastic may be lexan ®. an inner core 110 , which represents the smallest sphere of globe 16 , is disposed at the center of the globe 16 and is made of a solid material . in this embodiment , inner core 110 includes cast steel containing nickel , chrome , and iron . those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that inner core 110 may be alternatively made of other materials . for example , inner core 110 may be made of a material including any or all of the materials discussed above or other materials , so long as the selection of materials permits the inner core 110 to remain in a solid state . an outer core 120 is disposed within globe 16 and about inner core 110 . outer core 120 includes a pair of opposed hemispherical shells 122 ( only one shown ) united to form the outer core 120 . the shells 122 may be composed of an austenitic nickel - based superalloy , such as inconel ®, although the outer core 120 may alternatively be composed of other types of materials . outer core 120 , which defines a sphere characterized by a radius intermediate of the radius of the inner core 110 and the crust 104 , defines an internal chamber 130 that confines or contains a molten metal 132 ( depicted in the drawings as a pattern of dots for illustrative purposes ). in one embodiment , the molten metal 132 is composed of gray iron heated to a temperature adequate to liquefy the solid material and place it into a molten state . it is contemplated , however , that molten metal 132 may include other materials in addition to or as an alternative to the molten iron of this exemplary embodiment . gray iron or grey iron , which was the original “ cast iron ”, is an alloy of carbon , silicon , and iron , containing from 1 . 7 to 4 . 5 % c and 1 to 3 % si . moreover , the exemplary molten metal 132 of this embodiment has eutectic phase change and melting points in the range of about 1160 ° c . to about 1200 ° c . gray iron is characterized by a curie point of about 770 ° c . the curie point of a ferromagnetic material like gray iron is the temperature above which it loses its characteristic ferromagnetic ability . at temperatures below the curie point , the magnetic moments are partially aligned within magnetic domains in ferromagnetic materials . as the temperature is increased towards the curie point , the alignment ( magnetization ) within each domain decreases . above the curie point , the material is purely paramagnetic and there are no magnetized domains of aligned moments . some metals , such as sodium , are paramagnetic , and lack a curie point or magnetic polarity in any form . when molten , gray iron is purely paramagnetic as the curie point is far exceeded . gray iron has a high 18 , 000 gauss saturation ( b ) or residual flux density , and a high 6 , 500 - 9 , 000 gauss retentivity ( h ) magnetizing capacity . in the representative embodiment , gray iron is relatively non - reactive metal , in comparison to more reactive metals like sodium . gray iron has a relatively high specific gravity of about 7 . 5 , in comparison with less dense metals like sodium that is characterized by a specific gravity of only about 0 . 93 . the comparatively high specific gravity ( density ) of gray iron is attractive because it is believed to promote the simulation of the inertial forces . the comparatively high melting point of gray iron is believed to be attractive for promoting convective heat transfer , which may be difficult to promote with metals characterized by a lower melting point , such as sodium . the existence of a eutectic phase change also enhances the attractiveness of gray iron over other alternative metals that lack a eutectic phase change , such as sodium . notably , one or both of the rotational motion of globe 16 about rotational axis 22 and orbital motion axis 64 causes movement of the molten metal 132 within outer core 120 . more specifically , movement of the molten metal 132 generates coriolis inertial forces in the molten metal 132 . although not wishing to be bound by theory , the coriolis inertial forces in the molten metal 132 are believed to cooperate with naturally occurring convection currents within the chamber 130 to form electric currents in rolls aligned along the magnetic axis 14 , thereby generating the magnetic field 12 , although applicants do not wish to be bound by theory . convection currents may occur as a result of the temperature gradients existing across chamber 130 and within the molten metal 132 . when a conducting fluid , such as molten metal 132 , flows across the magnetic field 12 , additional electric currents are induced , which , in turn , continue to generate magnetic field 12 in a self - perpetuating mechanism , although applicants do not wish to be bound by theory . in use , the apparatus 10 will be monitored for the presence of the magnetic field 12 with the globe 16 held static and , if the magnetic field 12 is not measurable , the globe 16 will be rotated to introduce the inertial forces into the molten metal 132 . if the magnetic field 12 is still not measurable , charged particles or an electrical current may be introduced into the molten metal 132 inside the globe 16 , as described below with continued particular reference to fig2 and 3 , globe 16 includes an annular spherical shell in the form of a mantle 146 that surrounds the outer core 120 and fills the volume defined between outer layer 104 and outer core 120 . in one embodiment , mantle 146 is constructed from segments composed of a cast mixture of limestone and granite . it is contemplated , however , that mantle 146 may instead be made from other materials instead of , or in addition to , the limestone and granite of the representative embodiment . for example , mantle 146 may be made of a material including only one of limestone and granite . alternatively , the mantle 146 may be composed of magma basalt silicates or another type of glass with a suitable composition to operate as a thermal insulator . moreover , the mantle 146 of the representative embodiment is defined by twelve segments having complementary shapes such that , when coupled , may define the overall hollow - spherical shape of mantle 146 . those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that mantle 146 , which functions as a thermal insulator , may be instead made of a single segment or a different number of segments . globe 16 includes features that permit the introduction of the molten metal 132 by a simple pouring process . in particular , a conduit 150 provides a fluid communication path between the outer surface 40 of globe 16 and the chamber 130 of outer core 120 . more specifically , a first end 152 of conduit 150 is coupled with one of the shells 122 defining outer core 120 to thereby provide access to chamber 130 . a second end 154 of conduit 150 is in the form of a funnel to facilitate pouring and directing of the molten metal 132 thereinto . notably , conduit 150 may further facilitate the injection of energetic charged particles , such as electrons , into the chamber 130 , which cooperates to further facilitate generation of magnetic field 12 , although again applicants do not wish to be bound by theory . conduit 150 extends along the magnetic axis 14 that , in this illustrative embodiment , is oriented at an angle of about 11 degrees relative to the rotational axis 22 . other features of globe 16 provide structural integrity thereto . for example , in this embodiment , a plurality of structural supporting hollow rods 166 extend from the inner core 110 , through the outer core 120 and are coupled to the outer layer 104 of globe 16 to support the inner core 110 and outer core 120 . those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other types of structural features may be present in addition or as an alternative to support rods 166 . notably , the hollowness of support rods 166 may permit injection of charged particles from device 80 into the chamber 130 containing the molten metal 132 . injection of charged particles into chamber 130 polarizes the domains of the molten metal 132 to thereby further facilitate the generation of magnetic field 12 , although again applicants do not wish to be bound by theory . the hollow tubes defined by support rods 166 may also permit the introduction of electric wires ( not shown ) that allow the introduction of an electric current into the inner core 110 and / or outer core 120 that would act as a seed current for the generated magnetic field 12 . moreover , the hollowness of support rods 166 may also permit the introduction of one or more thermocouples 168 therethrough ( schematically shown as lines ) that facilitate measurement of the temperature within chamber 130 . the support rods 166 may be formed from a high temperature material , such as a nickel - based superalloy like inconel ®. with continued particular reference to fig2 and 3 , one or more electrical heaters 188 are operatively coupled to outer core 120 . heaters 188 , such as silicon carbide rod - type heating elements , permit preheating the inside of the device and maintenance of a desired temperature of the molten metal 132 within chamber 130 , for example , at a temperature of about 1300 ° c . in this regard , heaters 188 may be operatively coupled to a control system ( not shown ) that receives temperature data as positive feedback from the thermocouples 168 and selectively energizes heaters 188 in ways known in the art . heaters 188 include terminal blocks in the form caps 189 that are accessible at the outer surface 40 of the globe 16 to permit coupling of wires 190 to the heaters 188 for transmitting electrical power to the heaters 188 from an external power source ( not shown ). in this illustrative embodiment , globe 16 has 24 heaters 188 , more specifically two in each of the twelve segments defining the mantle 146 . the tips of the heaters 188 are spaced by respective gaps from the outer surface of the inner core 110 . with reference to fig5 and 5a , in which like reference numerals refer to like features in fig1 - 4 , an apparatus 10 a includes a track 63 a similar in most respects to track 63 , but which is inclined or banked to permit rotation of the globe 16 with the axis 22 oriented at an angle , ε , relative to imaginary line 67 . with reference to fig1 - 4 and 6 , the apparatus 10 is assembled by initially mounting the lower hollow hemispherical shell 102 of the thin outer crust 104 to the support 18 . the lower segments , such as the representative segments 200 , 202 , of the mantle 146 are placed inside the hemispherical shell 102 , which holds the segments 200 , 202 in place . the lower shell 122 is placed to rest on the segments 200 , 202 , as shown in fig6 . amounts of a filler material ( not shown ) are applied to fill the seams between adjacent segments of the mantle 146 , which functions to reduce heat loss through the seams . the segments 200 , 202 of the mantle 146 , as well as the other segments that are not visible in fig6 , support the mass of the outer core 120 . the upper hemispherical opposed shell 122 of the outer core 120 is then joined to complete the spherical outer core 120 . the support rods 166 penetrate through openings in the form of slots along the location where the opposed hemispherical shells 122 of the outer core 120 are joined . the upper segments of the mantle 146 are then placed into position . the heaters 188 extend into the annulus define between the upper and lower hemispheres of the mantle 146 . the completed mantle 146 now rests inside the lower hemisphere 102 of the outer crust 104 . the upper hemisphere 100 of the outer crust 104 is then lowered into position to complete the spherical outer crust 108 . after the thermocouples 168 are inserted , the bolts are clamped to secure the globe 16 . while the invention has been illustrated by the description of one or more embodiments thereof , and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail , they are not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail . the various features described herein may be utilized alone or in any combination . additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art . the invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details , representative apparatus and method and illustrative examples shown and described . accordingly , departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope or spirit of the general inventive concept .
6
referring to the drawings in detail , wherein like numerals indicate like elements , there is shown in fig1 an ironing board 10 having an upper ironing surface 12 . overlaying the upper ironing surface 12 is an ironing board cover 14 . the ironing board cover 14 is composed of a layer of coated fabric 16 which has the general outline of a typical ironing board 10 , but its edges 18 extend past the edges 20 of the ironing board surface 12 . the fabric 16 can be a woven , knitted , or non - woven fabric of cotton or blends thereof . at least the upper surface of the fabric 16 is coated with a copper containing component . the copper content of the metallic coating component is at least 85 weight percent , and is preferably at least 99 weight percent . besides copper , the metallic component may contain zinc , tin , or both zinc and tin . the metallic component is generally in the form of fine particles , i . e ., a powder , or flakes . the micron size of the metallic particles is between about 5 microns and about 48 microns . the metallic component particles are themselves coated with a non - metallic component such as silicates or silicone oxide . this non - metallic coating serves to insure that the ultimate coating will not tarnish from exposure to heat or the atmosphere . the ultimate coating can be applied to the fabric material with the coating in solution form . the solvent can be aqueous or non - aqueous . a non - ionic acrylic binder is utilized with the ultimate coating . the coating can be applied to the fabric by any convenient method such as by using a knife coater , roller coater , flat bed screen printer , rotary screen printer , or unit printer . the resultant coated fabric is porous , scorch - resistant and stain resistant , and substantially retains its fabric surface texture , flexibility and porosity . the printing process coats the fabric fibers on the fabric surface and , because of the printing pressure inherent in the printing process , coats the fibers for a region below the surface , but does not form a continuous film of metal as in known metallized fabrics . rather , the printing process allows the fabric pores to remain open . this results in the finished fabric being porous and flexible and retaining its fabric surface texture . the resultant fabric also has a dual action property . the metallic coated surface reflects heat more efficiently than conventional ironing board covers because the natural super conductive quality of copper retains the heat that radiates into it from the heated soleplate of the iron . in the case of the purely heat reflective aluminized ironing board cover , heat is only reflected while the heated iron is positioned directly over the given contact area , and is dissipated into the atmosphere once the iron has been stroked past the given area . in the case of the combination heat retaining and heat reflective coppered ironing board cover of the present invention , heat is stored on the surface of the ironing board cover and in the coated region below the surface and is therefore generated not only when the iron is directly over the given contact area , but even when the iron has been stroked past the given area . since repeated back - and - forth ironing strokes are required in the ironing process to drive out the dampness and the wrinkles from the article being ironed , the fact that the ironing surface in contact with the iron maintains and reflects heat means that significantly fewer ironing strokes are required . this would be somewhat analogous to a commercial pressing machine with a dual steam or electrically heated head and back . since another property of the copper coated ironing board cover of this invention is to distribute heat evenly , the coated fabric is substantially more scorch resistant because it is less affected by heat deterioration from hot spots . the resultant reduction in ironing strokes by use of the ironing board cover of the present invention reduces heat exposure and abrasion on both the ironed article and the ironing board cover proper thus realizing extended life and wear in both . the higher level of ironing heat means that in the case of dry ironing , the temperature setting of the iron can be reduced lower than the previous norm . this results in a savings of electricity . the edges 18 of the layer of fabric 16 may have binding or welting 22 through which a drawstring 24 is run . padding 26 , having generally the same shape as the layer of fabric 16 , is provided . the padding 26 serves as a layer of heat resistant material juxtaposed to the lower surface of the fabric 16 . padding 26 is preferably a layer of foam polymeric material such as foam polyurethane and is approximately 1 / 4 inch thick . the layer of padding 26 is substantially thicker than the layer of fabric 16 . however , the edges of the padding 26 are coextensive with and uniformly spaced from the edges 20 of the ironing surface 12 to form the cover 14 on which the ironing is effected . the padding 26 may or may not be adhesively bound to the layer of fabric 16 . when installed on an ironing board , the padding 26 as shown in fig2 is coextensive with the edges 20 of the ironing surface 12 . a marginal skirt 28 can be turned down and under the ironing surface 12 . as seen in fig3 when drawstring 24 is tightened , welting 22 is snugly held on the undersurface of the ironing surface 12 . the present invention is further described by reference to the following specific , non - limiting example . a natural loom - state greige cotton fabric was coated with an aqueous solution of &# 34 ; eterna copper # 120 &# 34 ; powder produced by atlantic powdered metals , inc . of new york , n . y . and &# 34 ; metallic binder 113 &# 34 ; of polymer industries of greenville , s . c . the properties of the &# 34 ; eterna copper # 120 &# 34 ; powder utilized were as follows : the copper powder was coated with silicate prior to introduction into the solution to impede discoloration . water and thickner were first homogenized together . the binder was then added and the resultant mixture was then homogenized . the copper powder was then introduced into the mixture and once again the resultant mixture was homogenized . the coating was applied to the fabric by use of a rotary screen printer . after coating , the web was dried in a multi - pass dryer at approximately 325 ° f . to 350 ° f . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and , accordingly , reference should be made to the appended claims , rather than to the foregoing specification , as indicating the scope of the invention .
8
the pressure build - up sprayer of the present invention for atomizing and dispensing a liquid is best described while referring to the drawings , where fig1 shows the sprayer 1 in the at rest condition . the sprayer 1 includes a removable hood 2 which surrounds and protects a spray head 4 . the spray head 4 has an orifice outlet 6 at the distal end thereof through which a liquid can be dispensed when the pump sprayer is primed and the head is depressed , as will be described in greater detail hereinafter . a fluid passage 7 formed through spray head 4 surrounds orifice outlet 6 to supply liquid to outlet 6 from a soon to be described axially aligned and continuously extending fluid pressure chamber . the head 4 also has axially extending outer and inner flanges 8 and 10 . the outer flange of head 4 terminates at a proximally oriented , outwardly extending annular shoulder or stop 12 , and the inner flange 10 terminates at a proximally oriented , outwardly flared flexible skirt 14 . the hood 2 is removably attached to and the spray head 4 is slidably interfaced with a closure or cap 16 . the cap 16 is provided ( e . g . molded ) with a series of internal screw threads 18 by which the sprayer 1 may be rotated into detachable and mating engagement with a series of complementary screw threads from a container ( not shown ). the container is of the type that can be filled with a variety of different liquids including , but not limited to , hair products , deodorants , perfumes , cosmetic preparations , and the like . the cap 16 includes a radially extending flange 20 and a coextensively connected hollow accumulator 21 which extends axially and proximally from flange 20 . also coextensively connected to flange 20 and extending axially and distally therefrom are outer and inner walls 22 and 24 . the outer and inner walls 22 and 24 of cap 16 are aligned in end to end engagement with and located proximally relative to the outer and inner flanges 8 and 10 , respectively , of spray head 4 . the outer wall 22 of cap 16 terminates at a distally oriented , inwardly extending annular shoulder or stop 26 . during the soon to be described pressure build - up of sprayer 1 ( best illustrated in fig3 and 5 ), the spray head 4 is moved axially and reciprocally with respect to cap 16 through successive up and down strokes . accordingly , the annular shoulder 12 at the proximal end of the outer flange 8 of spray head 4 will ride along the outer wall 22 of cap 16 and the annular shoulder 26 at the distal end of outer wall 22 of end cap 16 will ride along the outer flange 8 of spray head 4 , so that the spray head can be guided for smooth and continuous movement relative to cap 16 . likewise , the inner flange 10 of spray head 4 is adapted for axial movement relative to the cap 16 , such that the flexible skirt 14 of head 4 rides along the inner wall 24 of cap 16 during up and down strokes of sprayer 1 . the cap 16 of sprayer 1 also includes an integral priming step 28 which ( as is best illustrated in fig5 ) extends radially into a hollow bore 32 of the cap . an accumulator rib 30 extends around the inner periphery of the accumulator 21 of cap 16 . the hollow interior of accumulator 21 defines another bore 31 of sprayer 1 , such that the cap 16 is characterized by first and second continuously extending and coaxially aligned bores 31 and 32 . however , the diameter of the first bore 31 is less than the diameter of the second bore 32 ( by a ratio of approximately 1 : 2 ). a vent hole 34 is formed through a generally sloping wall of cap 16 at the intersection of the first and second bores 31 and 32 . the function of vent hole 34 will be described in greater detail hereinafter . a hollow , tubular piston assembly or poppet 36 is received within and coaxially aligned with the continuously extending first and second bores 31 and 32 of cap 16 so as to be slidable therethrough . the poppet 36 is preferably formed from a relatively soft , medium density plastic material so as to be easily slidable through said pair of bores . the poppet 36 includes a distally projecting poppet valve 38 . in the at rest condition of fig1 the poppet valve 38 is located flush against an upper valve seat 40 and received within a normally closed valve opening 42 through the spray head 4 . the receipt of poppet valve 38 against upper valve seat 40 and within normally closed upper valve opening 42 prevents the passage of liquid past the poppet valve 38 and through opening 42 . however , and as will soon be described , the poppet 36 can be moved downwardly relative to spray head 4 to open a passage through the upper valve opening 42 so that fluid can be delivered to spray orifice 6 . an upper cylindrical flange 44 is coextensively connected to the distal end of poppet 36 so as to surround the poppet valve 38 . that is , upper flange 44 is connected at one end thereof to the tubular body of poppet 36 . the opposite end of upper flange 44 is open so as to establish a fluid path between upper valve opening 42 and the hollow tubular body ( i . e . fluid pressure chamber ) of poppet 36 by way of an opening 46 therethrough . as an important detail of this invention , the presently described pump sprayer 1 is provided with sealing means by which to prevent the inadvertent and premature loss of fluid to the atmosphere . more particularly , the upper cylindrical flange 44 at the distal end of poppet 36 is provided with an outwardly flared upper skirt 48 at the open end thereof and a radially outward extending base 50 at the point where flange 44 is connected to the body of poppet 36 . the flared upper skirt 48 of upper cylindrical flange 44 is flexible and , in the at rest condition of fig1 is slidably received within the spray head 4 to form a fluid tight seal against the inner flange 10 thereof and prevent the inadvertent escape of fluid past the interface of flange 10 with upper skirt 48 . however , and as will be described when referring to fig5 the downward relocation of poppet 36 relative to spray head 4 will cause the seal between flange 10 and upper skirt 48 to be broken so that a passage is established through which air trapped within a pressure chamber at the hollow interior of poppet 36 can be removed to the liquid container . an outwardly flared lower skirt 52 is coextensively formed at the proximal end of the tubular body of poppet 36 . like the previously described upper skirt 48 , lower skirt 52 is flexible and , in the at rest condition , is slidably received within the hollow bore 31 defined by the accumulator 21 of cap 16 so as to form a seal thereagainst to prevent the escape of fluid past the interface of accumulator 21 with lower skirt 52 . to enable the pump sprayer 1 to be more easily and reliably assembled , a series of outward extending protusions or dimples 54 are molded around the outer periphery of the tubular body of poppet 36 . in the sub - assembled configuration represented by fig2 a of the drawings , wherein the sprayer 1 may be shipped or stored prior to connection to a fluid container , the protrusions 54 of poppet 36 are positioned in contact with the annular rib 30 which extends around the inner periphery of the accumulator 21 of cap 16 , whereby the poppet 36 is retained in coaxial alignment with the cap 16 before the spray head 4 is attached thereto . moreover , and to facilitate high speed , automatic assembly , the effective height of the poppet 36 above the cap 16 is reduced prior to the attachment of spray head 4 . in the assembled configuration ( best illustrated in fig2 of the drawings ), the spray head 4 is attached to cap 16 and the poppet 36 is moved downwardly relative to said cap , whereby the protrusions 54 are moved out of contact with the annular rib 30 . accordingly , the sprayer 1 is now in the at rest condition of fig1 and suitable to be connected to a liquid container . a coil spring 56 is located within the pressure chamber of the tubular poppet 36 and supported between a pair of oppositely disposed step portions 57 and 58 . more particularly , an upper step portion 57 is formed as an area of reduced diameter at the hollow interior of the tubular poppet 36 . a lower step portion 58 is formed as an area of reduced diameter at the hollow interior of accumulator 21 . the coil spring 56 alternates between relaxed and compressed states during the reciprocal movement of the spray head 4 and the poppet 36 so as to control the up and down strokes of the sprayer 1 . located below the coil spring 56 at the proximal end of accumulator 21 is a lower valve opening 60 . a hollow suction tube 62 is connected to the proximal end of accumulator 21 to communicate , by way of the lower valve opening 60 , with the pressure chamber formed at the hollow interiors of accumulator 21 and poppet 36 . the suction tube 62 is placed within the liquid container so that a supply of liquid can be pumped from the container and dispensed from spray orifice 6 via said tube 62 . to prevent the flow of fluid from the pressure chamber of poppet 36 , past lower valve opening 60 and back into the container , a ball valve 64 is seated , in the at rest condition of fig1 upon a lower valve seat 66 . as will soon be described , the ball valve 64 can be moved off its valve seat 66 during the suction stroke of sprayer 1 to permit fluid to flow past valve opening 60 and towards spray orifice 6 . the operation of pump sprayer 1 is now described while referring to fig3 - 8 of the drawings . fig3 represents the pressure build - up within pump sprayer 1 during the down stroke phase of operation when it is desirable to vent atmospheric air into the container at a predetermined location so as to replenish the liquid which has been dispensed therefrom . accordingly , the hood ( designated 2 in fig1 ) is detached from the sprayer to expose the spray head 4 . a proximally directed pressure is manually applied to spray head 4 ( in the direction indicated by the referenced arrow ) so as to cause the spray head to be relocated downwardly relative to cap 16 . more particularly , the outer and inner flanges 8 and 10 of spray head 4 are caused to slide downwardly along the outer and inner walls 22 and 24 , respectively , of cap 16 until the flexible skirt 14 of inner flange 10 rides over the venting rib 25 of inner wall 24 within the relatively large bore 32 of cap 16 . as is best shown in fig4 the receipt of skirt 14 upon rib 25 separates the inner flange 10 from inner wall 24 and breaks the seal ( previously described when referring to the at rest condition of fig1 ) between the flexible skirt 14 and the inner wall 24 of cap 16 . hence , a narrow air passage 27 is established between skirt 14 and inner wall 24 through which air is vented from the atmosphere into the liquid container by way of a path including vent hole 34 , air passage 27 , and the existing space between the outer flange 8 of spray head 4 and the walls 22 and 24 of cap 16 . while the establishment of air passage 27 for venting atmospheric air into the container has been described in fig3 during the down stroke , it is to be understood that said passage 27 is also established during the up stroke when an equal volume of air is also vented into the container . after the pump sprayer 1 has been stroked a few times and the pressure chamber at the hollow interiors of poppet 36 and accumulator 21 has been filled with liquid from the container , a subsequent stroke causes the poppet 36 to overcome the normal bias of the compression spring 56 and move downwardly through the accumulator 21 to compress the fluid therewithin . the downward relocation of poppet 36 is reflected by a pressure change within the continuously extending bores 31 and 32 of cap 16 to thereby cause the poppet valve 38 to move off its upper valve seat 40 and allow fluid communication between spray orifice 6 and the fluid filled pressure chamber of poppet 36 . more particularly , liquid is dispensed , under pressure , from the sprayer 1 along a fluid path which is established from the pressure chamber of poppet 36 to spray orifice 6 by way of the opening 46 through poppet 36 , upper valve opening 42 , and the fluid passage 7 of spray head 4 . at the same time , the proximal relation of poppet 36 correspondingly moves the upper poppet flange 44 and the radially projecting base 50 thereof towards the priming step 28 for a purpose that will be described in detail when referring to fig5 - 7 . fig5 - 7 of the drawings show the pump sprayer 1 at the bottom of the down stroke after the manual force being applied to the spray head 4 has been terminated . as previously indicated while referring to fig3 the cylindrical upper poppet flange 44 of poppet 36 is relocated downwardly during the down stroke and through the relatively large upper bore 32 of cap 16 , while the hollow tubular body of poppet 36 is relocated downwardly through the relatively narrow bore 31 thereof , such that compression spring 56 is fully compressed , at the bottom of the down stroke , between the upper and lower step portions 57 and 58 . likewise , the inner flange 10 of spray head 4 is moved off the venting rib 25 of the inner wall 24 of cap 16 to reestablish the seal therebetween , and the poppet valve 38 is returned into receipt against the upper valve seat 40 to once again close the fluid passage through upper valve opening 42 . what is more , the downward relocation of upper poppet flange 44 causes the radially outward projecting base 50 thereof to be moved into contact with the inwardly projecting priming step 28 within the relatively large bore 32 of cap 16 . accordingly , the engagement of priming step 28 by base 50 at the bottom of the down stroke causes the upper poppet flange 44 to be deflected within the large bore 32 , whereby the seal , which was previously established between the upper poppet flange 44 and the inner flange 10 of spray head 4 , is broken . that is to say , the flexible upper poppet flange 44 is rotated slightly through the large bore 32 to create an air passage 70 between poppet flange 44 and one side of inner flange 10 for the purpose of venting trapped air ( but not liquid ) from the pressure chamber of accumulator 21 and poppet 36 into the container so as to facilitate priming the sprayer 1 and improve the hydraulic pumping action thereof , such that less pressure must be applied to spray head 4 and a fewer number of piston strokes are required of poppet 36 before the sprayer can be suitably primed to dispense liquid . referring now to fig8 of the drawings , the pump sprayer 1 is shown during the up or suction stroke of operation , where the compression spring 56 begins to expand towards its normal , relaxed state . accordingly , the tubular body portion and the cylindrical upper flange 44 of poppet 36 are moved , by the memory of spring 56 , upwardly through the continuously extending small and large bores 31 and 32 , respectively , of cap 16 to automatically drive spray head 4 upwardly , and in the direction indicated by the reference arrow , through cap 16 towards the at rest condition ( of fig1 ). thus , the upper top flange 44 is moved out of contact with priming step 28 and the seal between flange 44 and the inner flange 10 of spray head 4 is reestablished . moreover , and in a similar fashion to that described while referring to the down stroke of fig3 the outer and inner flanges 8 and 10 of spray head 4 slide upwardly through cap 16 against the outer and inner walls 22 and 24 , respectively , thereof so that an additional volume of atmospheric air can be vented into the container as inner flange 10 passes over venting rib 25 . what is more , the upward relocation of poppet 36 through the relatively small bore 31 of cap 16 ( at the accumulator 21 ) creates a suction effect within said bore 31 . accordingly , the ball valve 64 is momentarily pulled off the lower valve seat 66 to open a fluid passage between suction tube 62 and bore 31 via lower valve opening 60 . however , the distance ball valve 64 can travel off its valve seat 66 is limited by the bottom of spring 56 . hence , liquid can be drawn from the container , through suction tube 62 and opening 60 , into the pressure chamber formed at the hollow interiors of accumulator 21 and poppet 36 . therefore , after a relatively few stroke cycles , the pump sprayer 1 will be fully primed and ready to dispense the liquid through the spray orifice 6 thereof during the down stroke of fig3 . as may be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the presently disclosed pump sprayer 1 expels air , and not liquid , during priming . some conventional pump sprayers are known to prime both air and liquid , such that some liquid is lost back into the container leaving less volume of liquid to be sprayed to the consumer . therefore , the pump sprayer 1 of this invention is capable of efficiently pumping a greater volume of liquid in a shorter time . as will also be appreciated , the upper valve seat 40 is located proximally of and below the spray orifice 6 and fluid passages 7 . hence , the amount of air trapped within the pressure chamber 6 at the interior of accumulator 21 and poppet 36 is minimized , such that less stroke cycles and a shorter time are needed to fully prime the sprayer 1 so as to be ready to dispense liquid through spray orifice 6 . it will be apparent that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described , various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention .
1
referring now to fig1 of the drawings , reference numeral 10 generally identifies a lightweight ( less than 1 lb . ), narrow - bodied , streamlined , handheld , fully - portable , easy - to - manipulate , non - arm - and wrist - fatiguing , scanning head supportable entirely by an operator for use in a scanning system operative for reading , scanning and / or analyzing symbols , and aimable , both prior to and during reading thereof , by the operator at the symbol , each symbol in its turn . the term “ symbol ” as used herein is intended to cover indicia composed of parts having different light - reflective properties . the indicia may be industrial symbols , e . g . code 30 , codabar , interleaved 2 or 5 , etc ., or the omnipresent universal product code ( upc ) bar code symbol . the indicia may also be composed of alphabetic and / or numeric characters . the head 10 includes a generally gun - shaped housing having a handle portion 12 of generally rectangular cross - section , and a generally horizontally - elongated , narrow - bodied barrel or body portion 14 . the dimensions and overall size of the handle portion 12 are such that the head 10 can conveniently fit and be held in the operator &# 39 ; s hand . the body and handle portions are constituted of a lightweight , resilient , shock - resistant , self - supporting material such as a synthetic plastic material . the plastic housing is preferably injection - molded and forms a thin , hollow shell whose interior space measures less than a volume on the order of 50 cu . in . as considered in an intended position of use , as shown in fig2 the body portion 14 has a front wall 16 , a rear wall 18 spaced rearwardly of the front wall , a top wall 20 , a bottom wall 22 below the top wall , and a pair of opposed side walls 24 , 26 that lie in mutual parallelism between the top and bottom walls . a manually - actuatable , and preferably depressible , trigger 28 is mounted for pivoting movement about a pivot axis on the head in a forwardly - facing region where the handle and body portions meet and where the operator &# 39 ; s forefinger normally lies when the operator grips the handle portion in the intended position of use . a plurality of components are mounted in the head and , as explained below , at least some of them are actuated by the trigger 28 , either directly or indirectly , by means of a control microprocessor 30 . one of the head components is an actuatable light source , e . g . a semiconductor laser diode 32 or a light emitting diode , operative , when actuated by the trigger 28 , for propagating and generating an incident light beam . in the case of a laser , the light beam is highly divergent , is non - radially symmetrical , is generally oval in cross - section , and has a wavelength above 7000 angstrom units . the laser diode 32 may be of the continuous wave or pulse type . the diode 32 requires a low voltage , e . g . 12 volts dc or less , supplied by a battery 34 which may be provided within the handle portion 12 or by a rechargeable battery pack accessory detachably mounted on the head , or by a power conductor in a cable connected to the head from an external power supply . an optical assembly , including a half - silvered mirror 37 and an optical train 38 , is mounted in the head , and is adjustably positioned relative to the diode 32 for optically modifying and directing the incident laser beam along a first optical path toward a reference plane which is located exteriorly of the head forwardly of the front wall 16 and which lies generally perpendicular to the longitudional direction along which the incident laser beam propagates . a symbol to be read is located at the vicinity of the reference plane , either at , or at one side , or at an opposite side , of the reference plane , that is , anywhere within the depth of focus or field of the optically - modified incident laser beam . the depth of focus or field is also known as the working distance in which the symbols can be read . the incident laser beam reflects off each symbol in many directions , and that portion of the reflected laser light which travels away from the symbol back toward the head is known herein as the returning portion . the laser beam passing through the optical train 38 impinges on a generally planar portion of a scanning mirror 40 for reflection therefrom . the scanning mirror 40 forwardly reflects the laser beam impinging thereon in the direction of an arrow 42 through a forwardly - facing light - transmissive window 44 mounted on the front wall 16 and to the symbol . the scanning mirror 40 is mounted on a scanning component , preferably a high - speed scanner motor 46 of the type shown and described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 387 , 397 , the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . for purposes of this application , it is sufficient to point out that the motor 46 has an output shaft on which a support bracket is fixedly mounted . the scanning mirror 40 is fixedly mounted on the bracket and is driven in alternate circumferential directions over arc lengths of any desired size , typically less than 360 °, and at a rate of speed on the order of a plurality of oscillations per second . in a preferred embodiment , the scanning mirror 40 and the shaft are reciprocally and repetitively oscillated so that the scanning mirror repetitively sweeps the incident laser beam impinging on the mirror through an angular distance or arc length at the reference plane of about 32 ° and at a rate of about 20 scans or 40 oscillations per second . the returning portion of the reflected laser light has a variable light intensity due to the different light - reflective properties of the various parts that comprise the symbol over the symbol during the scan . the returning portion of the reflected laser light is collected in the direction of arrow 48 by a generally concave spherical portion of the mirror 40 . the generally planar mirror portion is integrally attached to the generally spherical mirror portion of the mirror 40 . the spherical portion reflects the collected light through the optical train 38 , the half - silvered mirror 37 , and to a sensor means , e . g . a photosensor 50 . the photosensor 50 , preferably a photodiode , detects the variable intensity of the collected laser light over a field of view which extends along , and preferably beyond , the scan , and generates an electrical analog signal indicative of the detected variable light intensity . also mounted in the head is signal processing means 52 mounted on a circuit board 54 , and operative for processing the analog electrical signal generated by the photodiode 50 into a digitized video signal . data descriptive of the symbol can be derived from the video signal . suitable signal processing circuitry for this purpose was described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 251 , 798 . other components within the head include drive circuitry for the motor 46 , an aiming light controller in the event that the laser diode 32 generates a laser beam which is not readily visible to the human eye , and a voltage converter for converting incoming voltage , e . g . from the battery 34 , to a regulated voltage suitable for energizing the laser diode 32 . also mounted on the circuit board 54 is a decode / control means 56 operative for decoding the digitized video signal to a digitized decoded signal from which the desired data descriptive of the symbol is obtained in accordance with an algorithm contained in a software control program in the microprocessor 30 . the decode / control means includes a prom for holding the control program , and an ram for temporary data storage . the decode / control means 56 , together with the microprocessor , determine when a successful decoding of the symbol has been obtained , and also terminates the reading of the symbol upon the determination of the successful decoding thereof . the initiation of the reading is caused by depression of the trigger 28 . the decode / control means also includes control circuitry for controlling the actuation of the actuatable components in the head , namely , the laser diode 32 , the photodiode 50 , the motor 46 , and all the other electronic subcircuits therein , as initiated by the trigger , as well as for communicating with the user that the reading has been automatically terminated as , for example , by sending a control signal to an indicator lamp 58 to illuminate the same or by energizing a buzzer or beeper . the decoded signal is either conducted along a conductor within a cable interconnected between the head and a remote host computer 60 , or is transmitted by radio wave from the head to the computer 60 by means of antenna 36 . the computer 60 serves essentially as a large data base , may be an in - store processor , stores the decoded signal , and provides information related to the decoded signal . for example , the host computer , in accordance with this invention , can provide retail price information on an updated basis corresponding to the products identified by their decoded symbols . the host computer can advantageously be incorporated in a portable terminal , or in a stationary terminal such as a cash register . a keyboard 62 may advantageously be provided on the head for entering data relating to the symbol and / or the product bearing the same . a display 64 is also conveniently mounted adjacent the keyboard 62 on the top wall 20 or the head , and is operative for displaying information relating to the symbol and / or the product bearing the same . as described so far , each product bearing a label imprinted with a symbol is identified by scanning the symbol with the hand - held scanner head 10 in the manner depicted in fig2 . information such as price is retrieved on a real - time basis from the data base of the host computer 60 . the stored information is periodically updated , for example , by keyboard entry , to reflect price increases or decreases . the data base can be incorporated in a portable housing held in one &# 39 ; s other hand , or supported on the operator &# 39 ; s person , for example , suspended from a belt or shoulder strap , in a field - portable application . in the event that the information stored in the data base has been updated , this invention proposes printing an updated label with machine - readable and / or human - readable data reflecting the updated information . the printing is performed by a printer 62 that is either incorporated in the hand - held head 10 ( see fig1 ) or held in one &# 39 ; s other hand , or worn on one &# 39 ; s person ( see fig2 ), or mounted on a near - by support surface such as a countertop , or incorporated in another component such as a scale or cash register , as described below . the printer includes a thermal printhead 61 operative for thermally imprinting graphical markings on a journaled roll 63 of paper labels , each printed label being torn off the roll by being urged against tear - off edge 65 at the front of the head 10 . the updated label preferably has a pressure - adhesive backing so that it can be applied directly on the product , either adjacent to , or preferably as an overlay to , the existing label on the product . turning now to fig3 most or all of the components shown within the hand - held head 10 of fig1 can be mounted within a workstation 100 having a head 102 , a base 104 supported on a countertop or like support surface 106 , and an adjustable gooseneck - like conduit or arm 108 , one end of which is connected to the head 102 , and the opposite end of which is connected to the base 104 . the trigger 28 can be eliminated . the arm 108 is hollow so that electrical wires can be routed therethrough to conduct electrical signals to and away from the components within the head 102 . the arm is constituted of a semi - rigid , metal material capable of being repeatedly manually bent to a selected orientation and , when so bent , capable of staying in said selected orientation until re - bent by an operator to another orientation . by bending the arm , the head 102 is infinitely adjustably positioned relative to a symbol located in the vicinity of a work surface exteriorly of the scanner . the work surface or reference plane can be located at , or slightly above , the plane of the countertop 106 , or can be located at , or slightly above , the plane of the upper surface of the base 104 . an electrical cable 110 connects the workstation to a terminal 112 which is shown , for convenience , as a cash register in a pos installation . the terminal 112 has a display 114 for displaying information , including data descriptive of the symbol being scanned , to an operator ; a keyboard 116 for enabling the operator to manually enter information , including data descriptive of the symbol being scanned ; a cash drawer 118 for holding money ; a paper tape 120 for recording information and providing a receipt to a customer of the purchase of an object bearing the symbol being scanned ; a recharger 122 for recharging and supplying electrical power to a battery mounted either within the base 104 or the head 102 ; a decode module 124 ( in case the decode module is not located within the base 104 , arm 108 , or head 102 ); and a data base 126 of a host computer . a connector 128 can be used to download the stored data to another data base . the entire installation shown in fig3 is known as an intelligent terminal . the arm 108 can be manipulated with multiple degrees of freedom of movement to insure that the exiting laser beam ( depicted by the arrow 130 ) strikes the symbol and / or the returning reflected light is collected from the symbol . the laser scanning head 100 of fig3 is of the retro - reflective type wherein the outgoing incident laser beam , as well as the field of view of the sensor means , are scanned . it will be readily understood that other variants also are within the spirit of this invention . for example , the outgoing incident laser beam can be directed to , and swept across , the symbol through one window on the head , while the field of view is not scanned and the returning laser light is collected through another window on the head . also , the outgoing incident beam can be directed to , but not swept across , the symbol , while the field of view is scanned . the printer 62 can be incorporated within the head . as shown in fig3 the printer 62 is situated within a downward handle - like extension of the head . any components previously mounted within the handle can be moved , for example , to the base 104 or the terminal 112 . a weighing scale 132 is incorporated within the base 104 , and is operative for weighing a product placed on a weighing platform . in a preferred application , a product such as meat or fish , whose price is a function of weight , is placed on the platform and weighed . the head 102 identifies - the product as being meat , fish , etc ., by a symbol - bearing label . the data base 124 identifies the price per lb . of the identified product . the price is calculated by the system microprocessor . the printer 62 prints the name of the product , the price , the price per lb ., etc ., in alpha - numeric and / or machine - readable indicia , on an updated label which is then applied to the product over the original label . all of the above can be performed at a separate meat or fish counter in a supermarket , which counter is preferably remote from the checkout counter . the consumer thus knows the actual price of the product prior to reaching the checkout counter . at the checkout counter , the retail clerk need only scan the updated label with an electro - optical scanner , as described above , to complete the purchase of the product and expedite the checkout procedure ( see fig9 ). turning now to the so - called “ zero footprint ” embodiment of fig4 most or all of the components within the hand - held head of fig1 can be mounted within a lamplike workstation 200 having a bendable arm 202 and a head 204 in which the printer 62 is mounted . the workstation is anchored to the support surface 106 . the head can communicate with the terminal 112 , for example , by radio wave communication , via antennae 206 , 208 . the workstation 200 can scan bulky or small objects , such as delicatessen sandwich 210 , and its slim , compact design clears valuable point - of - sale counter space , leaving more room for customers to put down their purchases and giving employees more room to work . in the embodiment of fig5 the bendable arm 108 and the head 102 , including the printer 62 , are neither anchored to the base 104 nor the support surface 106 , but , instead , are directly connected to the cash register terminal 112 . the scale 132 is mounted separately on the countertop 106 . as described in the embodiments of fig3 - 5 , the bendable arm 108 , 202 enables the operator to specifically position the scanner head over the working surface so that the distance between the head and the products bearing the symbols to be scanned may be optimally adjusted . in practice , the operator will pass the articles bearing symbols to be scanned in a fairly rapid manner under the scanning head . the head will emit a laser beam scan pattern which covers the entire portion of the working surface so that the operator need not repetitively pass the article over a specific area such as an x - shaped slot formed in a countertop . known slot - type scanners often require multiple passes of the article and symbol over a countertop slot in order to achieve an accurate registration of the symbol with respect to the scan pattern . since the scan pattern in the present invention is , advantageously , a multi - directional pattern of the type described in u . s . ser . no . 392 , 207 , filed aug . 10 , 1989 , there is a much higher probability that one of the scan lines will extend across the symbol regardless of the orientation of the article on the working surface . another feature of the present invention is known as the automatic object sensing feature . since the scanner workstation of fig3 - 5 is intended to operate in a hands - free mode , it is important in the design of the present invention that the scanning take place continuously . when a bar code symbol is detected in the workstation , typically by interruption of an infrared beam , and correctly decoded , the data representative of the symbol is automatically entered into the pos terminal , and an indicator alerts the operator that a successful read has occurred . although the scan lines will still continue to scan the bar code symbol on the article while the article is in the workstation , an inhibiting signal is generated after a successful read to prevent the same symbol from being read a multiple number of times . turning now to fig6 a hand - held head 150 having an on - board printer 62 , and actuatable , just like head 10 , by a trigger 28 , is connected via a cable 152 to the cash register terminal 112 . the head 150 may be held in one &# 39 ; s hand and / or mounted in a stand 154 resting on the tabletop 106 , or may be mounted , at least temporarily , in a cradle 156 extending outwardly from the side of the terminal 112 . the scale 132 is positioned near - by on the support surface 106 . rather than providing the scale 132 as a separate unit , or incorporating the printer 62 within a workstation head or a hand - held head , the scale and the printer may be combined in an integrated housing as shown in fig7 . the scale / printer combination 160 includes a weighing platform 162 , a keyboard 164 , a display 166 , and a slot 168 through which updated labels 170 issue . an internal printing mechanism , which is driven preferably by a bar code symbol input , prints the data 172 on each label 170 . the data may be encoded as a one - dimensional bar code symbol , e . g . a upc symbol , or as a two - dimensional or multi - track bar code symbol as shown for label 170 . reference may be had to u . s . pat . no . 4 , 794 , 239 for details of multi - track bar code symbols used for greater spatial efficiency . the data 172 may be just price - related information , or , as shown for label 174 , may include additional coded information 176 , such as a sequence number , indicative of the cumulative number of times that the printer has printed a label . thus , the total number of labels printed can be tracked to assist in preventing pilferage . each head or workstation described herein is preferably operative in three modes or operational states . the first , or so - called “ sleep ” mode , is an inactive state . the second , or so - called “ aiming ” mode , emits a pointing or aiming light beam to assist the operator in correctly orienting the product label . the aiming light beam can be a circular or elliptical beam spot , or a short linear sweep on the symbol . the third , or so - called “ scanning ” mode , emits a light beam which scans and reads the entire symbol . as shown in fig8 the host computer 60 can serve multiple heads or workstations such as workstation 200 . each workstation is independently operable to scan a product label , print an updated label , and enable an operator to apply the printed label on a product in a so - called “ scan - print - apply ” operation . it is further advantageous if the aforementioned decode / control means 56 , as well as all the other components in the head or workstation , are mounted on a single circuit board such as board 54 . a number of things then become possible that are advantageous both during manufacturing and in use in the field . for example , the microprocessor 30 can control functions that otherwise might not be possible , or might require expensive hardware . during manufacture of the head or workstation , for example , the microprocessor 30 could control such things as motor scan amplitude ( or scan speed ) and laser power . this would permit automatic adjustment of these settings to the proper levels , when placed in a fixture that can provide feedback to the scanner so that it will know when the settings are correct . this eliminates expensive and time - consuming human labor , and increases product reliability and consistency by eliminating human error . with the microprocessor in control , scanning performance can be improved . such things as gain of the analog amplifiers , motor speed , and digitizing thresholds can be varied by the microprocessor to help decode difficult - to - read symbols . some of these things can be varied with the decode / control means remote from the scanner , but it will increase the number of interconnections between the scanner and decode / control means which increases size and cost of interconnecting cables and connectors . other adjustments , such as laser power or motor speed , which are automatically set during manufacturing , require that the decode / control means and scanner be on one board , as the decoder will have learned the proper settings for its particular scanner , and so must never be connected to another scanner . the decode / control means can control such functions by using digital - to - analog converters , digitally - controlled potentiometers or attenuators , analog switches , or whatever is appropriate for the function being controlled . proper settings that are determined during manufacturing can be stored in non - volatile memory in the microprocessor so they can be restored each time the scanner is powered up . turning now to fig9 a point - of - sale counter 220 , such as an appetizing counter , has a plurality of appetizing products such as fish 222 , meat 224 , potato salad 226 , cheese 228 , salami 230 , just to mention a few exemplary choices . each product is associated uniquely with a bar code symbol . for example , flags 232 , 234 , 236 , 238 , 240 bear unique coded symbols which , when electro - optically scanned , decoded and read , respectively identify the products 222 , 224 , 226 , 228 , 230 . the counter 220 also includes a cash register 112 of the type shown , for example , in fig4 and having an antenna 208 , as well as a combination scale / printer 160 of the type shown in fig7 . a clerk stands behind the counter 220 and holds a scanner 10 of the type shown in fig1 . in use , a customer walks up to the counter 220 and requests a portion 242 of a particular product , such as salami 230 . the clerk weighs the portion on scale 160 and aims the scanner 10 at the flag 240 to advise the system that the product being weighed is , in fact , salami . it is this optical identification of the product which prevents operator error as is common with manual entry of product identification codes in known systems . with the product and its weight known , the price per unit weight information is determined , and a label such as label 170 , 174 is printed , as described above . the label is applied to the salami portion 242 , typically on a paper wrapping therefor . in a modification , the scanner 10 is provided with a slot 244 through which magnetically encoded credit cards are passed for the purpose of charging the customer &# 39 ; s account , all at one location . this invention is not intended to be limited to food counters , since any merchandise can be optically read in the manner described above . in a retail situation such as a clothing store , the scanner 10 could additionally be provided with a tag deactivator of the type described in serial no . 07 / 236 , 249 , now abandoned . inventory control is tightened with the arrangement described herein . typically , the in - store processor ( host computer ) assigns a serial number to the product portion 242 being weighed . the processor then adds this information to the point - of - sale product file with the correct price . once the product portion is scanned , the serial number is deleted from the product file . it will be understood that each of the elements described above , or two or more together , also may find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above . while the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an arrangement for and method of updating inventory markings , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown , since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention . without further analysis , the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that , from the standpoint of prior art , fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and , therefore , such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims . what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by letters patent is set forth in the appended claims .
6
fig1 to 4 are cross sectional views of a field emission device , illustrating the processes of manufacturing the field emission device according to the first embodiment of the invention . as shown in fig1 a substrate 1 is prepared which is formed with interlayer insulating films 2 , gate layers 3 , and emitters 4 . this substrate is formed , for example , by the following processes . ( 1 ) as shown in fig1 a , on the whole surface of a substrate 1 made of , for example , si , an interlayer insulating film 2 is deposited through chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ). the interlayer insulating film 2 is made of , for example , sio x ( sio 2 ). ( 2 ) as shown in fig1 a , a gate layer 3 is deposited by cvd on the interlayer insulating film 2 . the gate layer 3 is made of , for example , polysilicon doped with p or b . the material of the gate layer 3 may be amorphous si , wsi x , mosi x , tasi x , al , cu , or w . this film forming method may use sputtering instead of cvd . a sacrificial film may be deposited on the gate layer 3 . ( 3 ) as shown in fig1 b , the gate layer 3 and interlayer insulating film 2 are locally removed by photolithography and anisotropic etching to form a plurality of holes ( gate holes ) 7 where emitters 4 are formed later . the substrate 1 is exposed on the bottom of each hole 7 . ( 4 ) as shown in fig1 c , over the whole surface of the substrate , a sacrificial film 6 made of , for example , sin x , is isotropically deposited thin by cvd . next , the sacrificial film 6 on the flat top surfaces on the gate layers 3 is removed by anisotropic etching . as shown in fig1 d , the sacrificial film 6 on the side walls of the interlayer insulating film 2 and gate layer 3 becomes side spacers . this sacrificial film 6 corresponds to a part of the space formed between the emitter shown in fig1 and the interlayer insulating film 2 and gate film 3 . ( 5 ) as shown in fig1 e , an emitter layer 4 made of , for example , tin x , is deposited by reactive sputtering , filling the hole ( gate hole ) 7 formed at the process ( 3 ) above . instead of tin x , the emitter layer 4 may be made of mo , cr , ti , or w . instead of sputtering , cvd may be used . ( 6 ) the deposited emitter layer 4 is etched back to form an emitter 4 having a predetermined shape as shown in fig1 f . ( 7 ) the sacrificial film 6 on the side walls of the interlayer insulating film 2 and gate film 3 is etched and removed . with the above processes , the substrate shown in fig1 is completed . with the above processes , a plurality of emitters 4 are formed on the substrate 1 . one emitter 4 is formed in one gate hole . the tip ( upper end portion ) of the emitter 4 is cylindrical , and its top surface 11 is flat . the emitter 4 is not limited to a cylindrical block shape , but it may take a rectangular block shape . next , as shown in fig2 for example , ar ions 5 are impinged upon the whole surface of the substrate . the substrate surface is milled with ar ions . ion milling is a process ( physical sputtering ) of making ionized atoms collide with an object to impart kinetic energy to the object and physically sputter the object . more specifically , ion milling is a process of making ionized atoms collide with a plurality of emitters 4 at the same time without substantially converging the ionized atoms . for example , the ion milling is performed by using ar ion gas at an acceleration energy of 700 ev and a current of 800 ma . if the emitter 4 is made of noble metal such as au , ag , pt , pd , and cu , it is preferable that the ion beam incidence angle is 30 to 60 degrees relative to a substrate normal direction . the term “ noble metal ” used in this specification is intended to include ag and cu in addition to au , pt and pd . when the ion beam is applied obliquely , it is necessary to rotate the substrate . if the emitter 4 is made of conductive material other than noble metal , such as si , wsi x , al and tin x , it is preferable that the ion beam incidence angle is 0 degree relative to the substrate normal direction . the flat top surface 11 of the emitter 4 is gradually removed by physical sputtering by ar ions 5 , and at the same time the edge of the flat top surface 11 of the emitter 4 is gradually removed by the physical sputtering to change the right angle edge to a slanted surface 12 . the flat top surface 13 of the gate film 3 is also gradually removed by the physical sputtering by ar ions , and at the same time the edge of the flat top surface 13 of the gate film 3 is gradually removed by the physical sputtering to change the right angle edge to a slanted surface 14 , similar to the emitter 4 . the slanted surfaces 12 and 14 are formed at the same time on the edges of the flat top surfaces of the plurality of emitters 4 and gate films 3 . the conditions of ion milling ( ion beam ) are preferably selected so that the slanted surfaces 12 and 14 are uniformly formed in the whole area of the substrate . as shown in fig3 as the substrate is further milled through the ion milling by ar ions 5 , the flat surfaces 11 and 13 of the emitter 4 and gate film 3 are further removed by the physical sputtering to reduce the thicknesses thereof in a vertical direction , and at the same time the slanted surfaces of the emitter 4 and gate film 3 are further removed in the angle direction to increase the areas of the slanted surfaces 12 and 14 formed at the originally right angle edges . next , this angle θ will be detailed . this angle θ is an angle between the substrate normal direction and a line normal to the milled surface when ar ions 5 are impinged upon the substrate in the vertical direction . in the following , it is assumed that the emitter 4 is made of material other than noble metal , such as si , wsi x , al , and tin x . as the ion beam incidence angle θ becomes large starting from 0 °, the milling rate becomes fast . for example , the maximum milling rate is achieved in the angle θ range from 40 ° to 60 °. as the surfaces of the emitter 4 and gate film 3 having the right angle edges are ion - milled at an ion beam incidence angle θ of 0 °, the right angle edges are ion - milled at the slanted surface angle θ of 40 ° to 60 ° providing the maximum milling rate . the angle of the slanted surfaces 12 and 14 is therefore 90 °− θ ( θ = 40 °− 60 °) relative to the substrate normal direction . as shown in fig4 as the substrate is further ion - milled with ar ions 5 , the slanted surfaces 12 a and 12 b as viewed in fig4 at the originally right angle edges increase their areas further , and eventually intersect with each other at an apex . since the emitter 4 is originally cylindrical , the tip of the emitter 4 becomes conical . a sharp edge 15 is therefore formed at the intersection of the slanted surfaces 12 a and 12 b as viewed in fig4 . the slanted surface of the gate film 3 also increases its area further . as described above , by impinging ar ions upon the whole surface of the substrate , the tips of the plurality of emitters 4 can be sharpened at the same time in a short time , so that the manufacture throughput can be improved . since ar ions 5 are impinged upon the whole surface of the substrate , an alignment system for applying an ion beam to a single emitter and a lens system for converging the ion beam are not necessary , so that the manufacture system can be made simple and inexpensive . milling may by performed by using ion particles other than ar ion particles . instead of the ion beam , a beam of particles not ionized may also be applied . the shape of the emitter 4 before milling is not limited to only a cylindrical block shape , and its top surface is not necessarily required to be flat . the top surface of the emitter 4 before milling may be more or less sharp , and the above milling is performed to sharpen the tip further . fig5 is a cross sectional view of a flat panel display using a field emission device . the field emission device manufactured by the embodiment method is used . formed on a support substrate 61 made of insulating material , are a wiring layer 62 made of al , cu , or the like and a resistor layer 63 made of polysilicon or the like . on the resistor layer 63 , a number of emitter electrodes 64 whose tip has a small apex angle and a small radius of curvature are disposed to form a field emitter array ( fea ). each gate electrode 65 has a hole ( gate hole ) near at the tip of each emitter electrode 64 and a voltage can be applied independently to each gate electrode , although not illustrated in fig5 . a plurality of emitter electrodes 64 can also be independently applied with a voltage . facing an electron source including the emitter electrode 64 and gate electrode 65 , an opposing substrate is disposed including a transparent substrate 66 made of glass , quartz , or the like . the opposing substrate has a transparent electrode ( anode electrode ) 67 made of ito or the like disposed under the transparent electrode 66 and a fluorescent member 68 disposed under the transparent electrode 67 . the electron source and opposing substrate are joined together via a spacer 70 made of a glass substrate and coated with adhesive , with the distance between the transparent electrode 67 and emitter electrode 64 being maintained about 0 . 1 to 5 mm . the adhesive may be low melting point glass . instead of the spacer 70 of a glass substrate , a spacer 70 made of adhesive such as epoxy resin dispersed with glass beads may be used . a getter member 71 is made of ti , al , mg , or the like and prevents emitted gas from attaching again to the surface of the emitter electrode 64 . an air exhaust pipe 69 is coupled to the opposing substrate . by using this air exhaust pipe 69 , the inside of the flat display panel is evacuated to about 10 − 5 to 10 − 9 torr , and then the air exhaust pipe 69 is sealed by using a burner or the like . thereafter , the anode electrode ( transparent electrode ) 67 , emitter electrode 64 , gate electrode 65 are wired to complete the flat panel display . the flat display panel has a number of three - electrode elements ( triodes ). a three electrode element has the anode electrode ( transparent substrate ) 67 , emitter electrode 64 and gate electrode 65 . the gate electrodes 65 have a number of gate holes . each emitter electrode 64 is formed in correspondence with each gate hole . the anode electrode 67 is always maintained at a positive potential . the triodes are two - dimensionally disposed by emitter wirings and gate wirings , and the triode at the cross point of the voltage - applied emitter wiring and gate wiring is selected . the emitter electrode 64 and gate electrode 65 of the selected triode are applied with negative and positive potentials , respectively , so that electrons are emitted from the emitter electrode 64 toward the anode electrode 67 . electrons emitted from the emitter electrode 64 collide with the fluorescent member 68 which emits light . fig6 a to 6 h are cross sectional views of a field emission device , illustrating the processes of manufacturing the field emission device according to the second embodiment of the invention . as shown in fig6 a , a first sacrificial film 20 b , a gate electrode 35 b , and a second sacrificial film 22 are deposited on a substrate 20 a in this order from the bottom . the manufacture method thereof will be detailed hereinunder . the substrate 20 a is made of , for example , si . sin x is deposited on the substrate 20 a by cvd to form the first sacrificial film 20 b having a thickness of 0 . 2 μm . for example , the sacrificial film 20 b is formed at a substrate temperature of 800 ° c . by using nh 3 + sih 4 + n 2 as source gas . sin x may be deposited by low pressure cvd . in this case , the sacrificial film 20 b is formed at a substrate temperature of 770 ° c . by using nh 3 + sicl 2 h 2 + n 2 as source gas . instead of low pressure cvd , plasma cvd , ecr - cvd , or sputtering may be used for depositing sin x . next , polycrystalline si is deposited on the first sacrificial film 20 b by cvd to form the gate electrode 35 b having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 2 μm . for example , the gate electrode 35 b is formed at a substrate temperature of 625 ° c . by using sih 4 diluted with he as source gas . impurity ions such as p and b are diffused or implanted into the polycrystalline si to lower the resistance of the gate electrode 35 b . next , sin x is deposited on the gate electrode 35 b to form the second sacrificial film 22 having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 2 μm . the second sacrificial film 22 is formed under the same conditions as described above . next , a resist film 8 having a predetermined pattern is formed on the second sacrificial film 22 . by using the resist film 8 as a mask , the second sacrificial film 22 , gate electrode 35 b , and first sacrificial film 20 b are selectively etched to form a recess 31 having generally a vertical side wall as shown in fig6 b . the recess 31 has as its side wall the side walls of the first sacrificial film 20 c , gate electrode 35 c , and second sacrificial film 22 a , and as its bottom the surface of the substrate 20 a . for example , the recess 31 has a diameter of 0 . 5 μm and a depth of 0 . 6 μm . thereafter , the resist film 8 is removed . next , as shown in fig6 c , sio x ( sio 2 ) is isotropically deposited on the surfaces of the second sacrificial film 22 a and recess 31 by cvd to form a third sacrificial film 24 a having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 10 μm . for example , the third sacrificial film 24 a is formed at a substrate temperature of 400 ° c . by using teos and o 3 as source gas . next , as shown in fig6 d , polycrystalline si is deposited over the whole surface of the substrate by low pressure cvd to form an emitter electrode layer 27 having a thickness of 0 . 15 μm or thicker . the emitter electrode layer 27 is formed under the same conditions described above . the emitter electrode layer 27 is filled in the recess over the substrate . instead of polycrystalline si , the emitter electrode layer 27 may be formed by depositing amorphous si , wsi x , tin x , al , cu or the like by cvd . the emitter electrode layer 27 is not limited to a single layer film , but it may be a multi - layer film . for example , a multi - layer emitter electrode layer 27 may be formed by depositing tin x by sputtering and thereafter depositing w by cvd . next , the substrate 20 a is removed by etching to expose the bottom surfaces of the first and third sacrificial films 20 c and 24 a as shown in fig6 e . the silicon substrate 20 a may be etched by using hf + hno 3 + ch 3 cooh . next , the third sacrificial film 24 a is partially etched and removed as shown in fig6 f to leave some part of the third sacrificial film 24 a and expose a projection of the emitter electrode 27 . the third sacrificial film 24 a made of sio x ( sio 2 ) may be etched by using hf + nh 4 f . next , ion milling is performed from the lower side to sharpen the tip of the emitter electrode 27 a as shown in fig6 g . the flat top surface edge of the emitter electrode is abraded and the flat top surface edge of the first sacrificial film 20 d is also abraded . for example , ion milling is performed at an acceleration energy of 700 ev and a current of 800 ma by using ar ion gas . if the emitter electrode 27 is made of noble metal such as au , ag , pt , pd and cu , the ion beam incidence angle is preferably 30 to 60 degrees relative to the substrate normal direction . in this case , an ion beam is impinged upon the substrate while the latter is rotated . if the emitter electrode 27 is made of material other than the noble metal , such as si , wsi x , al , and tin x , the ion beam incidence angle is preferably near 0 degree relative to the substrate normal direction . next , the first sacrificial film 20 d is etched and removed to expose the bottom surface of the gate electrode 35 c as shown in fig6 h . the first and second sacrificial films 20 d and 22 d are both made of sin x . therefore , while the first sacrificial film 20 d is wholly etched and removed , the second sacrificial film 22 a is partially etched to leave some portion of the second sacrificial film 22 b . sin x is etched by using hpo 3 heated to 170 ° c . with the above processes , a two - electrode element having the emitter electrode 27 a and gate electrode 35 c is completed . in the first embodiment ( fig4 ), while the emitter electrode 4 is sharpened , the flat top surface edge of the gate electrode 3 is also rounded . in the second embodiment ( fig6 h ), the gate electrode 35 c is not abraded by ion milling so that the gate electrode 35 c can easily take a desired shape and the gate diameter ( gate hole diameter ) can be made small . therefore , a voltage applied to the gate electrode 35 c to emit electrons from the emitter electrode 27 a can be lowered . it is sufficient if at least one of the second and third sacrificial films 22 b and 24 b is an insulating film . fig7 a to 7 g are cross sectional views of a field emission device , illustrating the processes of manufacturing the field emission device according to the third embodiment of the invention . as shown in fig7 a , a first sacrificial film 20 c , a gate electrode 35 c , and a second sacrificial film 22 s respectively having a predetermined pattern are formed on a substrate 20 a by the same processes shown in fig6 a and 6b . a recess 31 has as its side wall the side walls of the first sacrificial film 20 c , gate electrode 35 c , and second sacrificial film 22 a , and as its bottom the surface of the substrate 20 a . next , as shown in fig7 b , a third sacrificial film 24 a is isotropically deposited on the surfaces of the second sacrificial film 22 a and recess 31 , by the same process shown in fig6 c . next , the whole surface of the third sacrificial film 24 a is anisotropically etched ( etch - back ) to leave the third sacrificial film 24 c only on the side wall of the recess 31 as a side spacer , as shown in fig7 c . this etch - back is performed by anisotropic dry etching . for example , this etching is performed by using a magnetron rie system at a reaction chamber pressure of 50 mtorr and a mixture gas of chf 3 + co 2 + ar + he as etching gas . next , as shown in fig7 d , polycrystalline si is deposited over the whole surface of the substrate by low pressure cvd to form an emitter electrode layer 27 having a thickness of 0 . 25 μm or thicker . the emitter electrode layer 27 is formed under the same conditions described above . the emitter electrode layer 27 is filled in the recess surrounded by the side spacer 24 c . instead of polycrystalline si , the emitter electrode layer 27 may be formed by depositing amorphous si , wsi x , tin x , al , cu or the like by cvd . next , the substrate 20 a and side spacer 24 c are removed by etching to expose the bottom surfaces of a projection of the emitter electrode 27 and the first sacrificial film 20 c , shown in fig7 e . the silicon substrate 20 a may be etched by using hf + hno 3 + ch 3 cooh . the side spacer 24 c made of sio x ( sio 2 ) may be etched by hf + nh 4 f . next , ion milling is performed from the lower side to sharpen the tip of the emitter electrode 27 a as shown in fig7 f . the flat top surface edge of the emitter electrode 27 a is abraded and the flat top surface edge of the first sacrificial film 20 d is also abraded . for example , ion milling is performed at an acceleration energy of 700 ev and a current of 800 ma by using ar ion gas . if the emitter electrode 27 is made of noble metal such as au , ag , pt , pd and cu , the ion beam incidence angle is preferably 30 to 60 degrees relative to the substrate normal direction . in this case , an ion beam is impinged upon the substrate while the latter is rotated . if the emitter electrode 27 is made of material other than the noble metal , such as si , wsi x , al , and tin x , the ion beam incidence angle is preferably near 0 degree relative to the substrate normal direction . next , the first sacrificial film 20 d is etched and removed to expose the bottom surface of the gate electrode 35 c as shown in fig7 g . the first sacrificial film 20 d made of sin x is etched by hpo 3 heated to 170 ° c . with the above processes , a two - electrode element having the emitter electrode 27 a and gate electrode 35 c is completed . in the first embodiment ( fig4 ) and second embodiment ( fig6 h ), the projection of the emitter electrode is cylindrical and has generally the same diameter . in the third embodiment , the projection of the emitter electrode 27 a becomes thinner toward its tip . therefore , the emitter electrode layer 27 can be easily filled in the recess and the tip of the emitter electrode can be sharpened easily . fig8 a to 8 g are cross sectional views of a field emission device , illustrating the processes of manufacturing the field emission device according to the third embodiment of the invention . as shown in fig8 a , a gate electrode 35 b and a first sacrificial film 22 are deposited on a substrate 20 a in this order from the bottom . the substrate 20 a is made of , for example , si . first , polycrystalline si is deposited on the substrate 20 a to form the gate electrode 35 b having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 2 μm . for example , the gate electrode 35 b is formed at a substrate temperature of 625 ° c . by using sih 4 diluted with he as source gas . impurity ions such as p and b are diffused or implanted into the polycrystalline si to lower the resistance of the gate electrode 35 b . next , sin x is deposited on the gate electrode 35 b to form the first sacrificial film 22 having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 25 μm . for example , the first sacrificial film 22 is formed at a substrate temperature of 800 ° c . by using nh 3 + sih 4 + n 2 as source gas . next , a resist film 8 having a predetermined pattern is formed on the first sacrificial film 22 . by using the resist film 8 as a mask , the first sacrificial film 22 and gate electrode 35 b are selectively etched to form a recess 31 having generally a vertical side wall as shown in fig8 b . the recess 31 has as its side wall the side walls of the gate electrode 35 c and second sacrificial film 22 a , and as its bottom the surface of the substrate 20 a . for example , the recess 31 has a diameter of 0 . 5 μm and a depth of 0 . 45 μm . thereafter , the resist film 8 is removed . next , as shown in fig8 c , sio x ( sio 2 ) is isotropically deposited on the surfaces of the first sacrificial film 22 a and recess 31 by cvd to form a second sacrificial film 24 a having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 10 μm . for example , the second sacrificial film 24 a is formed at a substrate temperature of 400 ° c . by using teos and o 3 as source gas . next , the whole surface of the second sacrificial film 24 a is anisotropically etched ( etch - back ) to leave the second sacrificial film only on the side wall of the recess 31 and further etched ( over - etch ) to leave the second sacrificial film 24 c on the lower side wall of the recess as a side spacer . with this etching , a recess 31 is formed on the substrate under the original recess 31 as shown in fig8 d . this etching is performed by anisotropic dry etching . for example , this etching , is performed by using a magnetron rie system at a reaction chamber pressure of 50 mtorr and a mixture gas of chf 3 + co 2 + ar + he as etching gas . next , as shown in fig8 e , polycrystalline si is deposited over the whole surface of the substrate by low pressure cvd to form an emitter electrode layer 27 having a thickness of 0 . 25 μm or thicker . the emitter electrode layer 27 is formed under the same conditions described above . the emitter electrode layer 27 is filled in the recess surrounded by the side spacer 24 c and the substrate 20 e . instead of polycrystalline si , the emitter electrode layer 27 may be formed by depositing amorphous si , wsi x , tin x , al , cu or the like by cvd . next , the substrate 20 e and side spacer 24 c are removed by etching to expose the bottom surfaces of a projection of the emitter electrode 27 and the gate electrode 35 c , as shown in fig8 f . the silicon substrate 20 e may be etched by using hf + hno 3 + ch 3 cooh . the side spacer 24 c made of sio x ( sio 2 ) may be etched by hf + nh 4 f . next , ion milling is performed from the lower side to sharpen the tip of the emitter electrode 27 a as shown in fig8 g . the flat top surface edge of the emitter electrode 27 a is abraded and the flat top surface edge of the gate electrode 35 d is also abraded . for example , ion milling is performed at an acceleration energy of 700 ev and a current of 800 ma by using ar ion gas . if the emitter electrode 27 is made of noble metal such as au , ag , pt , pd and cu , the ion beam incidence angle is preferably 30 to 60 degrees relative to the substrate normal direction . in this case , an ion beam is impinged upon the substrate while the latter is rotated . if the emitter electrode 27 is made of material other than the noble metal , such as si , wsi x , al , and tin x , the ion beam incidence angle is preferably near 0 degree relative to the substrate normal direction . with the above processes , a two - electrode element having the emitter electrode 27 a and gate electrode 35 d is completed . in the fourth embodiment , the recess 20 e is formed on the substrate 20 e by over - etch at the etching process shown in fig8 d . therefore , the tip of the emitter electrode 27 a can be projected in an electron emission direction ( toward a lower side as viewed in fig8 d . therefore , a voltage applied to the gate electrode 35 d to emit electrons from the emitter electrode 27 a can be lowered . fig9 a to 9 g are cross sectional views of a field emission device , illustrating the processes of manufacturing the field emission device according to the fifth embodiment of the invention . as shown in fig9 a , a first gate electrode 36 b , a second gate electrode 35 b , and a first sacrificial film 22 are deposited on a substrate 20 a in this order from the bottom . the substrate 20 a is made of , for example , si . first , ti is deposited by sputtering on the substrate 20 a to form the first gate electrode 36 b having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 1 μm . for example , a dc sputtering system is used and ti is used as a target while ar gas is introduced . instead of ti , the first gate electrode 36 b may be made of tin x or tio x n y . tin x or tio x n y may be deposited by reactive sputtering using ar + n 2 or ar + n 2 + o 2 as source gas . polycrystalline si is deposited by cvd on the first gate electrode 36 b to form the second gate electrode 35 b having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 15 μm . for example , the second gate electrode 35 b is formed at a substrate temperature of 625 ° c . by using sih 4 diluted with he as source gas . impurity ions such as p and b are diffused or implanted into the polycrystalline si to lower the resistance of the second gate electrode 35 b . next , sin x is deposited on the second gate electrode 35 b to form the first sacrificial film 22 having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 2 μm . for example , the first sacrificial film 22 is formed at a substrate temperature of 800 ° c . by using nh 3 + sih 4 + n 2 as source gas . next , a resist film 8 having a predetermined pattern is formed on the first sacrificial film 22 . by using the resist film 8 as a mask , the first sacrificial film 22 , second gate electrode 35 b , and first gate electrode 36 b are selectively etched to form a recess 31 having generally a vertical side wall as shown in fig9 b . the recess 31 has as its side wall the side walls of the first gate electrode 36 c , second gate electrode 35 c , and first sacrificial film 22 a , and as its bottom the surface of the substrate 20 a . for example , the recess 31 has a diameter of 0 . 5 μm and a depth of 0 . 45 μm . thereafter , the resist film 8 is removed . next , as shown in fig9 c , sio x ( sio 2 ) is isotropically deposited on the surfaces of the first sacrificial film 22 a and recess 31 by cvd to form a second sacrificial film 24 a having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 10 μm . for example , the second sacrificial film 24 a is formed at a substrate temperature of 400 ° c . by using teos and o 3 as source gas . next , the whole surface of the second sacrificial film 24 a is anisotropically etched ( etch - back ) to leave the second sacrificial film 24 c only on the side wall of the recess 31 as a side spacer as shown in fig9 d . this etching is performed by anisotropic dry etching . for example , this etching is performed by using a magnetron rie system at a reaction chamber pressure of 50 mtorr and a mixture gas of chf 3 + co 2 + ar + he as etching gas . next , as shown in fig9 e , noble metal such as au , ag , pt , pd and cu is deposited over the whole surface of the substrate to form an emitter electrode layer 27 . noble metal can be deposited by coating independent and dispersive ultra - fine particles and baking it at 200 to 300 ° c . noble metal may also be deposited by plating , sputtering , or vapor deposition . the emitter electrode layer 27 is filled in the recess surrounded by the side spacer 24 c . next , the substrate 20 a and side spacer 24 c are removed by etching to expose the bottom surfaces of a projection of the emitter electrode 27 and the first gate electrode 36 c , as shown in fig9 f . the silicon substrate 20 a may be etched by using hf + hno 3 + ch 3 cooh . the side spacer 24 c made of sio x ( sio 2 ) may be etched by hf + nh 4 f . next , ion milling is performed from the lower side to sharpen the tip of the emitter electrode 27 a as shown in fig9 g . the flat top surface edge of the emitter electrode 27 a made of noble metal is abraded and the flat top surface edge of the first gate electrode 36 c made of ti is also abraded . for example , ion milling is performed at an acceleration energy of 700 ev and a current of 800 ma by using ar ion gas . since the emitter electrode 27 is made of noble metal such as au , ag , pt , pd and cu , the ion beam incidence angle is preferably 30 to 60 degrees relative to the substrate normal direction . ion milling under the above conditions abrades au by 140 nm , ag by 140 nm , pt by 78 nm , pd by 110 nm , and ti by 30 nm . noble metal is abraded more than ti . the flat top surface edge of the emitter electrode 27 a made of noble metal is easy to be abraded , whereas the flat top surface edge is hard to be abraded . therefore , while the tip of the emitter electrode 27 a can be sharpened , the shape of the first gate electrode 36 c is maintained nearly at it is . if reactive ion milling added with o 2 gas is performed , the first gate electrode 36 c made of ti is oxidized and becomes tio x ( tio 2 ). a milling rate of tio 2 is 10 nm / min which is one third that of ti . the abrasion amount of the first gate electrode 36 c can be made small . with the above processes , a two - electrode element having the emitter electrode 27 a and first and second gate electrodes 36 c and 35 c is completed . in the fifth embodiment , provision of the first gate electrode 36 c made of ti or the like having a low milling rate allows the tip of the emitter electrode 27 a to be sharpened , while the gate electrode 36 c is hardly abraded . by preventing the gate electrode 36 c from being abraded , the gate diameter ( gate hole diameter ) can be prevented from being broadened . with a smaller gate electrode diameter , a voltage applied to the gate electrode 35 d to emit electrons from the emitter electrode 27 a can be lowered . the second gate electrode 35 b may not be formed at the process shown in fig9 a . in this case , the first gate electrode 36 b is formed slightly thick ( e . g ., 0 . 25 μm ). in the first to fifth embodiments described above , ions such as ar ions collide with the whole substrate surface so that the tips of a plurality of emitters can be sharpened at the same time in a short time and the manufacture throughput can be improved . since ions such as ar ions are impinged upon the whole surface of the substrate , an alignment system for impinging an ion beam upon a single emitter and a lens system for converging the ion beam are not necessary , so that the manufacture system can be made simple and inexpensive . emitters may be milled at the last manufacture process as in the first , fourth , and fifth embodiments . a sacrificial film may be removed after the milling process as in the second and third embodiments . if a field emitter array having a plurality of emitters is prepared and subjected to the milling process , other processes may be performed or not performed thereafter . the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments . the invention is not limited only to the above embodiments . it is apparent that various modifications , improvements , combinations , and the like can be made by those skilled in the art .
7
referring now to the drawings , the embodiment shown is a body building exercise apparatus 1 comprising a housing 2 within which is located a spool 7 carrying an elongate element 8 in the form of a steel band which , in use of the apparatus is drawn from the spool against frictional resistance created by a plurality of resilient brake elements 10 each of which can be engaged with the steel band 8 by depressing an associated push button 5 . the frictional resistance , and thus the force required to draw the steel band 8 from the spool 7 can be increased by depressing more push buttons , and decreased by releasing some of those which are depressed . the housing 2 consists of a casing which is roughly the size of the palm of a hand and is provided with two gripping loops 3 and 4 . the trip loop 3 is fastened to one end of the casing 2 , and the grip loop 4 is formed by the free end of the elongate element 8 which is drawn from the casing 2 in use of the apparatus . the casing 2 is formed in two halves 2a , 2b , held together in part by two sets of hollow bosses 19 , 20 which fit into each other and are secured by adhesive . the inner boss 20 is open at both ends so that adhesive can be introduced into it after assembly , the adhesive working its way up the common interface 21 between the cylinders by capillary action . connection of the two halves 2a , 2b of the casing is also enhanced by a metal foil 6 wrapped over the joint along one edge of the casing and secured in place by adhesive . the metal foil carries information of use to a person using the apparatus . the spool 7 is mounted on a spindle 24 projecting from the casing half 2a ( that is the lower casing half as viewed in fig3 ), and between the spool 7 and the spindle 24 is a light return spring ( not shown ) the end of which is engaged in a notch 25 in the spindle 24 . the upper casing half 2b has a short boss 23 which completes the mounting spindle for the spool 7 , being aligned with the spindle 24 . the steel band 8 , as it is drawn from the spool 7 , passes between the array of brake elements 10 and a slide platform 9 which serves in part as a guide for the band 8 and in part as a pressure plate against which the band is pressed by those of the brake element 10 which are engaged with the band 8 . the brake elements 10 themselves comprise strips of a resilient abrasion resistant material mounted in respective mounting supports 15 and are inclined towards the steel band 9 such that their free ends are spaced slightly therefrom when undeflected . the brake elements 10 can be deflected so that their free ends engage the steel band 9 by depression of a respective associated push button 5 . the push buttons 5 are arranged in an array along one side of the casing 2 . with reference to fig4 it will be seen that each push button 5 comprises a generally u - shape body having parallel arms 12 with ridged finger grips on the outside of each . from the base , and extending between the arms 12 is a bifurcated resilient clip 11 each arm of which has a lateral tooth 11a and two transverse grooves 13 , 14 . as will be seen from fig3 the two arms 12 of each push button , embrace the two halves 2a , 2b of the casing 2 , which are stepped in this region to provide two parallel slide surfaces for the push button arms 12 to engage . this step in the casing halves 2a , 2b also forms a shoulder 18 against which the teeth 11a of the resilient clip 11 engage to resist removal of the push button 5 from the casing . it will be appreciated that the push button arms 12 assist in holding the two casing halves 2 a , 2b together . when a push button 5 is in its normal , outer , position , the groove 14 engages over a projection 15a of the associated brake element mounting support 15 ; upon depression of a push button the resilient clip 11 moves inwards until the groove 13 engages over the projection 15a to hold the push button in the depressed position . in this depressed position of the push button 5 the end of the resilient clip 11 engages the associated brake element 10 and deflects this into engagement with the steel band 9 . as the band is drawn from the spool 7 it frictionally engages the brake elements which are deflected by those of the push buttons 5 which are depressed , and deflects these further until they come into engagement with an associated abutment 16 which prevents further deflection . the abutments 16 are carried on lateral flanges 17 , and are integrally formed with the casing halves , the flanges 17 forming guides for the steel band 8 which , as can be seen in fig3 is curved in cross section , convex towards the brake elements , such that it engages the slide platform 9 only at its edges . the slide platform itself is formed in two longitudinally separated halves each integral with an associated casing half 2a , 2b . by pulling the gripping loops 3 and 4 , the steel band 8 is drawn from the spool 7 and this movement is resisted by those of the brake elements in engagement therewith , which are deflected into engagement with the abutments 16 , which latter prevent the brake elements from passing a position in which the contacting end is perpendicular to the steel band 8 since if this occurred the braking effect would be reduced : in the position reached the braking effect is the maximum obtainable . moreover , by thus limiting the deflection of the brake elements 10 , the abutments 16 ensure that these can return to their original positions , lightly engaging the steel band 8 when movement thereof has stopped . this light engagement ensures that the steel band , even with engaged push - buttons , can be pulled back by the force of the return spring ( not illustrated ) of the spool 7 because , due to the curvature of the steel band , which is convex towards the brake elements , there is only a point contact between these two parts .
0
[ 0022 ] fig1 is a block diagram of a flatbed scanner 110 . flatbed scanner 110 includes scan head 112 , dc motor drive assembly 114 , electronics assembly 116 , glass pane 118 and housing ( not shown ). glass pane 118 and the housing form an enclosure inside which scan head 112 , motor drive assembly 114 and electronics assembly 116 are mounted . dc motor drive assembly 114 includes one or more slider rods 120 , or their functional equivalent , for guiding scan head 112 in a linear direction along glass pane 118 and dc motor 122 , and transmission for moving scan head 112 along slider rods 120 . of course , other configurations for the dc motor drive assembly may be used including , for example , a single slider rod and an opposing wheel . dc motor 122 can be a brush or brushless dc motor that rotates at speeds between twenty and six thousand rpm . the transmission is typical to flatbed scanners : motor shaft 124 turns worm gear 126 , which drives gear 128 which turns timing belt 130 . timing belt 130 moves scan head 112 . it takes a number of motor shaft revolutions to move scan head 112 an inch along slider rods 120 . electronics assembly 116 includes application specific integrated circuit (“ asic ”) 138 and dc motor driver 140 such as an h - bridge motor driver . driver 140 has an input that is adapted to receive pulse width modulated (“ pwm ”) signals from a motion controller / speed controller implemented on asic 138 . the pwm signals cause dc motor driver 140 to selectively energize field windings of dc motor 122 to create a desired motor torque . the pwm signals can cause dc motor 122 to rotate shaft 124 in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction . as described further below , in a preferred embodiment of the present invention image array 148 includes a position determining mechanism which feeds positional information to asic 138 . by using this positional information asic 138 controls driver 140 to selectively power dc motor 122 to move the image array at a constant velocity . to scan a sheet s of paper , sheet s is positioned atop glass pane 118 , and a host ( e . g ., a personal computer ) causes electronics assembly 116 to begin a scanning operation . the host might also supply a scan resolution parameter value such as 1200 dots per inch (“ dpi ”) to electronics assembly 116 . under control of asic 138 , dc motor drive assembly 114 moves scan head 112 along slider rods 120 to a known position ( e . g ., a calibration area near one extreme of scan head travel ), performs desired calibration and / or white balancing , and then starts moving scan head 112 along slider rods 120 . fluorescent bulb 142 of scan head 112 is turned on to illuminate a portion of sheet s with white light , and optics assembly 144 , 146 focuses an image of the illuminated portion onto image array 148 . image array 148 is exposed to , and integrates , a line of pixels at a time , and electronics assembly 116 processes signals generated by image array 148 and sends the processed signals to the host . sheet s is scanned , line - by - line , as scan head 112 is moved along slider rods 120 . asic 138 includes an exposure control , which adjusts the exposure time of image array 148 such that exactly one pixel distance is traversed during each exposure time , regardless of any small position or velocity errors in controlling dc motor 122 . the exposure control generates a transfer gate signal for each channel of image array 148 . to scan a line , the exposure control de - asserts the transfer gate signal to begin an exposure time , processes the encoder pulses derived from position sensing portion of the image array located along one side of the scan head and then asserts the transfer gate signals to stop the exposure time after a specified amount of relative motion has occurred . the transfer gate is then restarted for the next exposure . thus , the exposure control varies the exposure time to ensure that each exposure time corresponds to the same scan head displacement and that the lines of pixels in a scanned image are all of uniform size . such an exposure control allows dc motor 122 to be used in low cost commercial scanning products . asic 138 can optionally include a servo loop for compensating for intensity and spectrum drift of fluorescent bulb 142 . asic 138 also includes a gain compensation control for adjusting gain to maintain a uniform exposure level . the exposure level is a product of reflected light intensity from the object being scanned , image array responsivity , exposure time , and gain . the reflected light intensity and the image array responsivity are relatively constant throughout a scan . therefore , the exposure level is held at a relatively uniform level by decreasing the gain to offset an increase in the exposure time , and by increasing the gain to offset a decrease in exposure time . reference is now made to fig2 which shows a flatbed scanner &# 39 ; s scan head 112 positioned over sheet s containing text as viewed through glass pane 118 . as scan head 112 travels across sheet s , the photodetector ( not shown ) accumulate charge , and when a transistor gate ( not shown ) signal is asserted , the charge is transferred to an analog shift register of the device capturing the image on the sheets immediately below the photodetector . in addition to capturing the information on sheet s , the photodetector of the image array also obtains positional information from flatbed scanner bed 205 . in fig2 margin markings 210 ( partially obscured by slider rods 120 ) are positioned along sheet s which ensures the image array can determine the relative position of the scanned portion of sheet s with respect to other scanned positions of sheet s . while a specific form of margin markings 210 are shown in fig2 any designs , markings , or any other method of markings which allow the image array to calculate its position accurately is acceptable . additional codes , signals or markings can be included in this field to instruct the image array to take specific action . for example , a distinct marker may be placed on the last scannable line to indicate scan head 112 has reached the end of the scannable area . the margin markings information from scan head 112 is sent to asic 138 which processes the information to determine positional information . in addition to margin markings 210 , calibration region 212 may be positioned at a rest position of image array 148 . this region may be imprinted with appropriate markings so that the image array can be properly positioned at the start of the scan window and provides a known light reflective surface for lamp and photodetector calibration . margin markings 210 and calibration region 212 , by way of example , may be formed by printing onto an “ l ” shaped label that may be affixed onto the bottom of the chassis supporting glass pane 118 . fig3 a - 3 e show additional margin markings which may be used to determine positional information . for example , fig3 a shows twenty right triangles 305 down the right hand side of the scanner margin . accurate positional information is obtained from asics 138 &# 39 ; s calculations concerning what portion of current right triangles 305 is being viewed by the image array and by counting how many previous right triangles 305 have been viewed during the scanning operation . additionally , longer right triangles 310 can be included to aid in positional information . fig3 b shows an additional right triangle configuration which may be alternatively used . [ 0032 ] fig3 c shows a binary pattern used as margin markings which allows asic 138 to determine its positional information accurately for each scan head 112 position within the repetitive patterns . for example , if groups of binary scale margin markings are one inch in length , and the scanner is operating at 1200 dots per inch , the image array will capture a portion of the binary scale margin markings 1200 times ; and each of the 1200 times will allow a calculation of a unique vertical position within the binary scale markings . in addition by counting the number of complete groups of binary scale margin markings which have already been scanned asic 138 will correctly determine the position of the image array . similarly , the margin markings of fig3 d ( diagonal marks ) and 3 e ( grey code ) may be used . in particular , the arrangement of fig3 d provides multiple , angles lines for use with a linear arrangement of photodetector , providing enhanced position sensing capabilities . for example , a linear array of 50 photodetector may be used to detect passing of corresponding portions of each line as the scan progresses . thus , the margin markings of fig3 d provide an accurate determination of position . one skilled in the art would understand that other geometries or markings , such as numbers , letters , shapes of varying size , etc ., may be used in addition to those depicted in fig3 a - 3 d . for example , the markings may consist of special characters , optical noise , or other predefined and / or random patterns of pixels used to determine position . further markings may include pixel intensity information to provide position information . for example , each of the previously described patterns or other patterns may include grey scale and / or color variations related to position . still further the markings may comprise grey scale and / or color variations alone so that positional information is inferred from luminance independent of pixel geometry . [ 0033 ] fig4 is a diagram which is used to explain how the individual photodetector elements of the image array are used to determine positional information within each individual margin marking of overall margin marking 210 . at time t = 0 , the portion of margin marking 402 underneath the image array blocks light from single photodetector element 405 of image array 404 . as time passes , image array 404 moves across margin marking 402 . for instance at time = 1 , only photodetector elements 405 and 410 may receive less light from fluorescent bulb 142 ( fig1 ) indicating a dark marking underneath it . at a later time , photodetector elements 405 , 410 and 415 may receive less light indicating the dark markings . by knowing the site of individual margin markings 402 , and the size of the photodetector elements , calculations can be performed which relate light received by the individual photodetector elements to the vertical position of image array 404 within the specific margin markings . the portion of image array 148 ( fig1 ) dedicated to reading the margin markings may require additional resolution to allow accurate position determination . one skilled in the art would understand that the number of imaging elements required , and their resolution , is dependent on the margin markings , and the desired accuracy of the positional information . fig5 a - 5 d show alternate embodiments of a image array including extensions for accurately detecting margin markings . fig5 a is a diagram of the image array in which photodetector elements 500 have been extended 501 to accurately capture margin marking 210 information . fig5 b is a diagram which includes separate image array 505 from main image array 510 for reading margin markings 210 . fig5 c is a diagram of separate , higher resolution image array 515 for accurate scanning of margin markings 210 . fig5 d is a diagram of a multi - rowed , stepped image array 520 which allows enhanced resolution in detecting margin markings 210 . enhanced positional accuracy may be achieved by another aspect of the invention without the addition of additional dedicated support circuitry . in particular , a scanner , using a first array of photodetectors to image a media such as a document , and another array of photodetectors to detect position markings , interleaves the signal form the two arrays . a sampling rate of the position detecting array is higher than that of the main array to provide enhanced position information and thereby enhanced positioning control . this may be accomplished by issuing start pulses to the position detecting array more frequently than issued to the main array . for example , after every fifteenth clock signal used to shift image data out from the main array , one clock signal may be generated to shift image data out from the positioning array . since the positioning array is generally much smaller than the main array , it will be completely scanned more frequently than the main array . further , by interleaving or time - multiplexing the outputs from both arrays , there is only need for a single sensor interface to handle both arrays . this configuration further avoids additional pins , chip real estate , and power otherwise required to provide two distinct image arrays as might be used to implement different array sampling rates . the configuration also avoids duplicating peripheral electronics required process the output of two arrays . for example , using a linear array of photodetectors , a start signal is typically issued at the beginning of each line to be read . this start pulse causes a transfer of the sensor &# 39 ; s values to a storage area and resets the sensors to begin accumulating charge for a subsequent image line . in addition to the start signal , several timing signals are used to serially clock the image data out from the array to the output pins of the imaging device , commonly including one output pin or terminal per color . typically , the sample rate of the photodetector is considered to be , as most , the clock - out frequency divided by the number of pixels . for a 600 pixel - per - inch ( ppi ) sensor scanning a 8½ inch ( i . e ., 5100 pixel ) wide document with a clock - out frequency of 2 mpixels / second , the line sample rate is 392 hz ( i . e ., { 2 . 0 × 10 sup 6 } over { 600 × 8 . 5 }) resulting in a period of 2 . 55 microseconds . rather than use a completely separate array of photodetectors for detecting array position , a small positioning array of detectors 602 is added to the main array . for the purposes of this illustration , we may assume that the smaller array includes a line of 16 photodetectors , i . e ., detects 16 pixels at one side of the main array , the main array configured to detect a line of 5100 pixels . to achieve an increased frequency of positional data , over and above the 392 hz of the main array , data from the smaller array may be periodically interleaved with the output of the main imaging array . for example , if an output sample from the smaller positioning array were inserted after every fifteenth sample obtained from the main array , the complete 16 pixels of the smaller positioning array would be available every 256 transfer clock cycles . that is , by providing a separate start pulse to the integral smaller positioning array every 256 samples , the 16 bit positioning array would have a sample rate of 7800 hz , i . e ., a period of 128 μsec . to accommodate the increased operating frequency of the positioning array , its constituent photodetectors may be suitably configured or selected . that is , since the exposure time decreases with increased sampling frequency , the detectors may be made more light sensitive by , for example , increasing their physical or optical size . a horizontal expansion of the photodetector size may be limited by the desired horizontal resolution required by the position markings , while a vertical size is limited by a similar need to maintain an acceptable vertical resolution . thus , the individual photodetectors may be enlarged in either or both horizontal and vertical directions to provide increase light sensitivity to the extent required resolution is achieved . in addition to modifying the optical size of the detectors to accommodate reduced exposure time , appropriate electronics may be used . for example , an amplifier may be provided at the output of the photodetectors to provided increased sensitivity . by interleaving , the larger main array would take slightly longer to clock out data ( i . e ., { fraction ( 1 / 15 )} longer or 7 % in the current illustration .) conversely , the same analog electronics used to support a “ normal ” linear sensor array is used to provide both imaging and positional data . separation of the two signals may be accomplished by the digital asic of the scanner as it normally corrects the incoming data without incurring additional costs to the system . [ 0043 ] fig6 illustrates this scheme of interleaving image pixels with positioning pixel data . referring to the figure , an imaging array includes a large main image array of 5100 photodetectors 601 and a smaller , positioning array of 16 photodetectors 602 . a serial output from the array is shown as data stream 603 , with every sixteenth output representing a pixel of positioning array 602 . thus , as previously detailed , all 16 pixels of positioning array 602 are updated and made available every 256 pixels , or 21¼ times per line of image data , i . e ., over twenty times “ faster ” or more frequently than provided by the large main array . [ 0044 ] fig7 is a schematic diagram of a hardware implementation of such an interleaving scheme . a clock signal labeled “ sample signal t ” is provided in parallel to and gate 701 and modulo n counter 702 . in this case , counter 702 is configured to provide an output signal responsive to a count of 16 and then to reset to zero . this output is supplied to auxiliary photodetector array 704 causing it to clock out a next pixel of it 16 pixel image array portion . at the same time , an inverted signal from counter 702 is supplied as an input to and gate 701 , thereby inhibiting sample signal t from being applied to large photodetector array 703 . the net result is that , every 16 th clock cycle , pixel data from auxiliary photodetector array 704 is interleaved into the pixel data stream from large photodetector array 703 . the combined outputs from both arrays 703 and 704 are thereby time multiplexed and processed in common by image array processor 705 . image array processor 705 may include components which would be common between the image processing path and the positioning processor path . for example , image array processor 705 may include analog to digital conversion , a correlated double sampling block with a ccd ( in a cmos photodetector array a sample and hold amplifier used in conjunction with an offset correction are commonly used ), offset correction and gain correction . the output from image array processor 705 is then split into its image and positioning data components by demultiplexer 706 , the image component provided to image processor 707 , the positioning data provided to positioning processor 708 . as those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize , while the system of fig7 depicts separate functional blocks used to properly time the arrays so as to form a fully interleaved output signal , process that output , and then distribute the processed signals to the appropriate image or positioning processor functions , other architectures and arrangements may be employed to provide a higher sampling rate for one portion of an imaging array including interleaving such high rate data in with the remaining data from the array . further , although an embodiment of the invention has been described to insert positional pixel information between every 15 image pixels , other techniques of combining the position and image pixels may be used within the scope of the invention .
7
as can be seen in fig1 , this device can comprise a treatment zone 1 that can consist typically of a biological reactor ( such as that taught by french patent application no . 97 00116 ). this device comprises , moreover , a cell disintegrator 3 comprising a compression reservoir 5 and a pressurizing system 7 in fluid communication with this reservoir . the pressurizing system 7 can comprise a very high pressure pump plugable of generating , inside the reservoir 5 , a pressure of between 380 and 10000 bar . this reservoir 5 is itself in fluid communication with the treatment zone 1 , firstly , by means of a feed system 9 and , secondly , by means of an evacuation system 11 . in 13 , an organic effluent to be treated is introduced into the biological treatment zone 1 . the biological treatment zone 1 contains microorganisms plugable of degrading the organic effluent . the biological degradation process is then allowed to take place inside the treatment zone 1 . this being so , the feed system 9 is turned on so as to fill the compression reservoir 5 with a biomass fraction located in the treatment zone 1 . when the reservoir 5 has been filled , it is isolated and the pressurizing system 7 is turned on so as to pressurize the reservoir 5 . under the effect of this increase in pressure , the membranes of the microorganisms in the reservoir 5 are damaged or rupture , thus converting these microorganisms into simple inert organic matter . once this operation has been carried out , the pressurizing system 7 is turned off and the organic matter in the reservoir 5 is allowed to return to ambient pressure by means of a system for subjecting to atmospheric conditions 14 . after this , the evacuation system 11 is turned on so as to send this biological matter into the treatment zone 1 or to another treatment zone , as can be understood in light of the above , the fact of subjecting a biomass fraction to a very high pressure in a confined chamber makes it possible to very effectively destroy or damage the membranes of the microorganisms in this fraction , and these microorganisms therefore find themselves reduced to the state of simple inert organic matter . when this inert organic matter is injected into a biological treatment zone , it will serve as food for the other microorganisms that are alive . by consuming this inert organic matter , said other microorganisms convert it essentially to proteins required for their growth , and also to carbon dioxide , to water which is discarded into the biological treatment zone , and heat . thus at each cycle , the overall mass of the biomass is reduced . of course , the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and illustrated by fig1 . this embodiment is given by way of nonlimiting illustration . thus , it is , for example , possible to recover the biomass fraction extracted from the biological treatment zone 1 in a thickening system 17 ( see fig2 ) before sending it into the compression reservoir 5 of the cell disintegrator 3 . by removing part of the water from the biomass , this makes it possible to send , into the cell disintegrator , a maximum of microorganisms for the same volume . fig3 and 4 represent , purely by way of illustration , an example of a cell disintegrator 3 that may be suitable in the context of the present invention . this disintegrator comprises a compression reservoir 5 , in the shape , for example , of a cylinder , made of a high - mechanical - strength material such as steel . the compression reservoir 5 is closed at its two ends by means of plugs 15 , 17 made , for example , of steel and screwed into the reservoir 5 by means of suitable screwthreads . the inside face of the reservoir 5 preferably comprises a stainless steel lining 18 . attached to the face of each plug located on the inner side of the reservoir 5 is a gate seat 19 , 21 . between each gate seat 19 , 21 and the stainless steel liner 18 of the reservoir 5 is a very high pressure seal 23 , 25 . between the inside face of the reservoir 5 and the liner 18 are two wedge pieces 27 , 29 , on which the plugs 15 , 17 exert axial support forces , by virtue of which the liner 18 is pushed against the seals 23 , 25 , thus reinforcing the sealing of the reservoir 5 . an inlet pipe 31 or outlet pipe 33 for the biomass fraction to be treated passes through each plug 15 , 17 and each gate seat 19 , 21 , these pipes being connected , respectively , to the feed system 9 and the evacuation system 11 . inside the pipes 31 , 33 are hollow tubes 35 , 37 at the end of which are gates ( or valves ) 39 , 41 , these gates themselves having these hollow tubes passing through them . these hollow tubes can be fed with liquid at very high pressure ( such as water ) by means of the pump 7 ( see fig1 and 2 ). these hollow tubes can also make it possible to subject the reservoir 5 to atmospheric conditions by means of a valve for subjecting to atmospheric conditions 14 ( see fig1 and 2 ). in addition , it is possible to envision connecting sensors for measuring pressure and for taking samples , to these hollow tubes . in addition , these tubes 35 , 37 can be actuated axially by means , for example , of screwjack drives 43 , 45 , by virtue of which the gates 39 , 41 can move away from or push against their respective seats 19 , 21 , thus making it possible to selectively bring the reservoir 5 into communication with the pipes 31 , 33 ( and therefore , in particular , to bring this reservoir into contact with air ), or to close this reservoir . in order to fill the cell disintegrator 3 , the two gates 39 , 41 are opened , which makes it possible to cause the biomass fraction which has just been treated to be flushed , via the pipe 33 , by the biomass fraction to be treated , which enters via the pipe 31 . the two gates 39 , 41 are then closed and liquid is injected , under very high pressure , via one of the two tubes 35 , 37 , which causes destruction of the microorganisms of the biomass fraction in the process of being treated . after this , the gate 39 is gradually opened so as to cause the reservoir 5 to return to atmospheric pressure , and the next cycle can be recommenced .
2
the chipper and dump box assembly 10 of the present invention generally comprises a trailer 20 onto which is mounted a chipper 30 and a dump box 40 . the trailer 20 has a frame 22 , at least one axle 24 , and wheels 26 mounted to the axle 24 . the trailer 20 features a number of cross supports 28 ( fig4 ) extending between and beyond the sides of the frame 22 . the chipper 30 has an input end 32 for receiving brush and an output 34 at the end of a chute 36 through which chipped material is discharged into the dump box 40 . as best seen in fig2 , the dump box 40 includes an open top 42 , a bottom 44 , a front wall 45 , a back wall 46 , and opposite sides 48 , 49 . the side 48 includes an enlarged opening with a door 50 pivotally mounted to the side 48 for movement between open and closed positions relative to the opening . the door 50 is attached to the side 48 in any convenient manner . in the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings , door 50 is pivotally connected to the side wall 48 by a pair of l - shaped pivot arms 52 at the forward and rearward ends of the side 48 and door 50 . a pin 53 on each arm 52 extends into the side 48 and the door 50 so as to define a pivot axis . an actuator 54 is provided at each end of the dump box 20 for moving the door 50 between the open and closed positions . preferably , the actuator 54 is a hydraulic cylinder or piston which is extensible and retractable so as to open and close the door 50 . one end of the actuator 54 is fixed to the front and rear walls 45 , 46 of the dump box 20 , while the opposite end of the actuator 54 is connected to the pivot arm 52 , as best seen in fig2 and 3 . when the actuator 54 is extended , the door 50 is closed . when the actuator 54 is retracted , the door 50 is opened . the top 42 of the dump box 40 may be covered with a tarp or net , particularly when the chipper 30 is in use and during transportation when the dump box 40 is full . when the tarp or net is removed , other debris may be loaded into the dump box 40 using the truck hoist ( as shown in fig1 ) or may be manually thrown into the dump box through the opening in side 48 . as shown in fig3 , the dump box 40 is pivotally attached to the trailer 20 by means of a hinge 58 so that the dump box 40 may be tilted to the side of the trailer 20 for dumping material from the dump box . the hinge pins 58 connect four extensions 60 , classified as hinges , extending downwardly from the side 48 of the dump box 40 to the cross supports 28 . the dump box 40 is pivoted by means of one or more scissor - type hoist , located beneath the dump box 40 . the hoist includes a pair of actuator cylinders 62 connected to guides 64 which ensure proper orientation of the dump box 40 during the dumping process . each of the guides includes lower and upper segments or arms 66 , 68 , which are pivotally connected at their inner ends . the outer ends of arms 66 are connected to the trailer 20 , while the outer ends of the arms 68 are connected to the bottom of the dump box 40 . when the cylinders 62 are retracted , the arms 66 , 68 are folded and the dump box 40 is in the lowered loading or fill position shown in fig1 . when the cylinders 62 are extended , the arms 66 , 68 unfold and the dump box 40 tilts to the unloading or dumping position shown in fig2 - 5 . the dump box pivots about the axis or hinge 58 when the cylinders 62 are actuated . when the cylinders 62 move the dump box 40 to the dump position , the extensions 60 cause the opening 56 of the dump box 40 to be moved laterally away from the trailer 20 so that material dumped from the dump box 40 does not discharge or flow beneath the trailer . a 4 ″ angle iron ( not shown ) may be mounted underneath the cross supports 28 which prevents large logs dumped from the dump box 40 from rolling underneath the trailer 20 . the angle iron preferably does not reduce the clearance of the trailer 20 as it does not extend below the axle 24 . the invention preferably is used in the following manner . wood and brush is inserted into the chipper 30 through the input port 32 where it is reduced to wood chips and discharged through the chute 36 and into the dump box 40 . the top of the dump box 40 is covered with a tarp or net during such chipping . larger material , such as logs , not suitable to be chipped , are deposited , such as by an attached crane 14 of the truck 12 , through the open top 42 of the dump box 40 or by opening door 50 and hand loading . smaller slash material not suitable for chipping may be loaded into the dump box 40 by hand or scoop shovel . the rear wall 46 of the dump box features a cut out or notch 47 consisting of a lower edge that enables the chips to clear that wall 46 . this cut out 47 also makes it easier for an individual to manually load slash material into the dump box 40 by shovel or pitchfork by reducing the height the individual must lift the slash material . once all material has been collected into the dump box 40 , the operator takes the trailer 20 to a dumping site . at the dumping site , the door pistons 54 and dump box cylinders 62 are activated , either by the hydraulic system of the chipper 30 , or alternatively , by a hydraulic supply of the towing vehicle 12 to which the trailer 20 is hitched . the door 50 is opened by retracting the pistons 54 , and the dump box 40 is tilted to a dumping position by extending the pistons 62 . in conjunction with the hinges 60 , the guides 64 attached to the bottom 44 of the dump box 40 ensure that the dump box 40 is lifted cleanly to avoid bending of the pistons 62 due to uneven loads in the dump box 40 . as the dump box 40 is tilted about the hinges 60 , the material falls out of the dump box 40 to the dump location . large logs which roll out of the dump box 40 are stopped from rolling beneath the trailer 20 by the angle iron mounted under the cross supports 28 . it is important to note that in dumping the material , it is not necessary to unhitch or otherwise remove the chipper 30 from its position behind the dump box 40 . because of this improvement , an individual operating the apparatus 10 does not have to spend time unhitching the chipper 30 , moving the truck 12 , dumping the material , repositioning the truck 12 adjacent to the chipper 30 , and reattaching the chipper 30 . also , the trailer 20 does not have to be backed up at the dump site , but can easily be pulled alongside an unloading location . also , by placing the chipper inlet 32 at the rear of the trailer 20 , the chipper 30 is more easily accessed with brush material or the brush material more easily accessed with the chipper 30 than when the chipper 30 is mounted in front of the dump box 40 as in prior art chipper - dump box combinations . the elimination of these steps in the chipping process therefore improves the efficiency and the amount of work an individual can accomplish in a given day . a deck may be provided on the trailer 20 in front of the dump box 40 to haul other equipment . for example , a small garden tractor may be carried on the deck for use in hauling logs from a work site that is not close to the truck 12 and trailer 20 , such as the backyard of a home . ramps may be removably attached to the trailer frame 22 to load and unload the tractor . the ramps may be stored in a storage compartment on the trailer 20 when not in use . the invention has been shown and described above with the preferred embodiments , and it is understood that many modifications , substitutions , and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention . from the foregoing , it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives .
0
as shown in fig2 a gun shooting game uses a gun 2 and a monitoring device 1 having a screen 1a on which a target to be shot by the gun 2 is displayed . depending upon how many and what kinds of targets appearing in the screen 1a are to be accurately shot by the gun 2 , the player &# 39 ; s score is determined . the gun 2 is disposed apart an appropriate distance from the monitoring device 1 and is pivotally movable in both x - direction ( leftward and rightward ) and y - direction ( upward and downward ). the x - directional position of the gun 2 is detected by an x - volume 3 , and the y - directional position of the gun 2 by a y - volume 4 . the gun 2 has a grasping portion fixedly secured to the upper end of a rod 9a . a sector gear 5 is fixedly secured to the lower end of a rod 9b so as to be pivotally movable on a horizontal plane . a pinion gear 7 is disposed to meshingly engage the teeth of the sector gear 5 . a rod 3a connects the x - volume 3 and the pinion gear 7 . another sector gear 6 is fixedly secured to the lower end of the rod 9a so as to be pivotally movable on a vertical plane . another pinion gear 8 is disposed to meshingly engage the teeth of the sector gear 6 . a rod 4a connects the y - volume 4 and the pinion gear 8 . each of the x - and y - volumes 3 , 4 contains a variable resistor in the interior thereof whose resistance varies depending upon a rotational angle of the volume . the x - directional motion of the gun 2 is transmitted to the x - volume 3 through the meshing engagement of the sector gear 5 and the pinion gear 7 . on the other hand , the vertical or y - directional motion of the gun 2 is transmitted to the y - volume 4 through the meshing engagement of the sector gear 6 and the pinion gear 8 . the x - and y - volumes 3 and 4 are connected to a control unit 11 which is supplied with voltages derived from the x - and y - volumes 3 , 4 . based on the voltages supplied , the control unit 11 determines a position of the gun 2 aiming at a target displayed on the screen 1a . it is to be noted that the position of the gun 2 aiming at the target is defined by the voltages supplied from the x - and y - volumes 3 , 4 which in turn correspond to x - y coordinate values of the monitor screen 1a . the control unit 11 has an arrangement as shown in fig3 . the control unit 11 includes a central processing unit ( cpu ) 15 and various kinds of memories such as a character rom ( read - only memory ) 13 , a program rom 14 , a work ram ( random access memory ) 16 , and an ee - rom ( electrically erasable read - only memory ) 17 . the control unit 11 also includes an a / d ( analog - to - digital ) converter 19 having inputs connected to the x - and y - volumes 3 , 4 , and an i / o ( input / output ) port 18 connected to input switches 21 . the control unit 11 further includes a crt controller 12 connected to the monitor 1 . those components are mutually connected via a bus 20 . the voltages derived from the x - and y - volumes 3 , 4 are supplied to the a / d converter 19 where the input voltages are subjected to analog - to - digital conversion to produce decimal data . the decimal data representative of the aiming position of the gun 2 are fed to the cpu 15 via the bus 20 . in accordance with the commands issued from the cpu 15 , the crt controller 12 displays background , target characters , and score on the monitor screen 1a . the character rom 13 retains data regarding the characters . the program rom 14 retains a game program and an initialization program to be described later . the work ram 16 is used to temporarily store data necessary for the cpu 15 to execute various processings . the ee - rom 17 stores reference position data and magnification values obtained through the processings of the initialization program . the i / o port 18 receives input data from the input switch 21 and carries out input / output control of various data including out - of - coin data . next , the initialization program will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in fig4 . the program for the control unit 11 is commenced when the device is powered ( step s1 ). after the control unit 11 has been initialized ( step s2 ), a decision is made as to whether a gun &# 39 ; s sight setting dip switch is in an on position or not ( step s3 ). if yes , the routine proceeds to step s4 whereas if no , the routine proceeds to a game process through step s15 . note that the dip switch is a part of the input switches 21 . at the commencement of the initialization program , the cpu 15 sequentially displays marks 22a , 22b , 22c at three reference positions on the monitor screen 1a ( see fig2 ). firstly , the mark 22a is displayed at the leftmost - and - uppermost position of the monitor screen la ( step s4 ). the position of the gun 2 is adjusted to aim at the mark 22a and is then triggered . in response to the triggering of the gun 2 , the voltages are derived from the x - and y - volumes 3 , 4 and are subjected to analog - to - digital conversion . the resultant decimal data representative of the gun &# 39 ; s position directed toward the leftmost - and - uppermost reference position is stored in the work ram 16 ( step s5 ). next , the cpu 15 displays the mark 22b at a center position of the monitor screen la ( step s6 ). the gun 2 is rightwardly and downwardly moved to aim at the mark 22b and is then triggered . in response to the triggering of the gun 2 , the voltages are derived from the x - and y - volumes 3 and 4 and are subjected to analog - to - digital conversion . the resultant decimal data representative of the gun &# 39 ; s position directed toward the central reference position is stored in the work ram 16 ( step s7 ). finally , the cpu 15 displays the mark 22c at a rightmost - and - lowermost position of the monitor screen 1a ( step s8 ). the gun 2 is further rightwardly and downwardly moved to aim at the mark 22c and is then triggered . in response to the triggering of the gun 2 , the voltages which are derived from the x - and y - volumes 3 and 4 are subjected to analog - to - digital conversion . the resultant decimal data representative of the gun &# 39 ; s position directed toward the rightmost - and - lowermost reference position is stored in the work ram 16 ( step s9 ). next , a ratio ( magnification ) of each of the distances between the marks 22a and 22b and between the marks 22b and 22c to the corresponding gun moving amount is computed ( step s10 ). the decimal data corresponding to the gun &# 39 ; s positions when aimed at the marks 22a , 22b , and 22c , as ( x1 , y1 ), ( x2 , y2 ), and ( x3 , y3 ), respectively . the amount of movement of the gun 2 between the marks 22a and 22b is ( x2 - x1 ) in the x - direction and ( y2 - y1 ) in the y - direction . similarly , the amount of movement of the gun 2 between the marks 22b and 22c is ( x3 - x2 ) in the x - direction and ( y3 - y2 ) in the y - direction . therefore , representing the leftmost - and - uppermost , center , and rightmost - and - lowermost reference positions on the screen 1a where the marks 22a , 22b , and 22c are displayed as ( x1 , y1 ), ( x2 , y2 ), and ( x3 , y3 ), respectively , the ratios are given by the following equations . ## equ1 ## note that the x - y coordinate values on the screen 1a have been stored in the ee - rom 17 as reference position data . the entire region of the monitor screen 1a is divided into four segmental regions . left upper region , right upper region , left lower region , and right lower region of the screen 1a will be referred to as regions a , b , c and d , respectively . the ratios ( magnifications ) of the mark - to - mark distance on the screen la to the corresponding moving amount of the gun 2 are kxa , kya ) and ( kxb , kyb ) for the regions a and d , respectively . the ratios for the regions b and c are ( kxb , kya ) and ( kxa , kyb ), respectively . the cpu 15 stores the four magnification values kxa , kxb , kya and kyb obtained in step s10 into the work ram 16 ( step s11 ). the leftmost - and - uppermost reference position data , the central reference position data , the rightmost - and - lowermost reference position data , and four magnification values temporarily stored in the work ram 16 are stored in the ee - rom 17 ( step s12 ), whereby these data remain unerased after power off of the power supply . upon completion of the storage of the data in the ee - rom 17 , the initialization program is terminated ( step 13 ) and the routine proceeds to step s15 . in step s15 , the leftmost - and - uppermost reference position data ( x1 , y1 ), the central reference position data ( x2 , x3 ), the rightmost - and - lowermost position data ( x3 , y3 ), and four magnification values kxa , kxb , kya and kyb are read out of the ee - rom 17 and written into the work ram 16 ( step s15 ), whereupon the game process is initiated ( step 16 ). in the game process , the target position detecting device is operated as illustrated in the flow chart of fig5 . in step s17 , it is checked whether or not the gun 2 is triggered . if no , the routine returns to the game process in step s16 whereas if yes , x - and y - direction position data of the gun aiming at the target are derived from the a / d converter 19 ( step s18 ). the decimal data ( x , y ) obtained from the a / d converter 19 are compared with each of the gun &# 39 ; s reference position data ( x1 , y1 ), ( x2 , y2 ), and ( x3 , y3 ) to investigate the segmental screen region to which the current gun aiming position ( x , y ) belongs . simultaneously , x - and y - directional distances between the current gun aiming position ( x , y ) and the gun &# 39 ; s center reference position ( x2 , y2 ) are computed ( step s19 ). when the investigation indicates that the current gun aiming position ( x , y ) belongs to the region a on the monitor screen 1a , x - and y - directional gun moving amounts between the current gun aiming position ( x , y ) and the gun &# 39 ; s central reference position ( x2 , y2 ) are computed and the magnification values kxa and kya in the region a are multiplied to the computed results ( x - x2 ) and ( y - y2 ) on directional basis . the resultant x - and y - directional data are converted to negative values while remaining each of the absolute value unchanged ( step s20 ). when the investigation indicates that the current gun aiming position ( x , y ) belongs to the region b on the monitor screen 1a , x - and y - directional gun moving amounts between the current gun aiming position ( x , y ) and the gun &# 39 ; s central reference position ( x2 , y2 ) are computed and the magnification values kxb and kya in the region b are multiplied to the computed results ( x - x2 ) and ( y - y2 ) on directional basis . the resultant x - directional data is converted to a positive value whereas the resultant y - directional data is converted to negative values while remaining each of the absolute values unchanged ( step s21 ). when the investigation indicates that the current gun aiming position ( x , y ) belongs to the region c on the monitor screen 1a , x - and y - directional gun moving amounts between the current gun aiming position ( x , y ) and the gun &# 39 ; s central reference position ( x2 , y2 ) are computed and the magnification values kxa and kyb in the region c are multiplied to the computed results ( x - x2 ) and ( y - y2 ) on directional basis . the resultant x - directional data is converted to a negative value whereas the resultant y - directional data is converted to a positive value while remaining each of the absolute values unchanged ( step s22 ). when the investigation indicates that the current gun aiming position ( x , y ) belongs to the region d on the monitor screen 1a , x - and y - directional gun moving amounts between the current gun aiming position ( x , y ) and the gun &# 39 ; s central reference position ( x2 , y2 ) are computed and the magnification values kxb and kyb in the region d are multiplied to the computed results ( x - x2 ) and ( y - y2 ) on directional basis . the resultant x - and y - directional data are converted to positive values while remaining each of the absolute values unchanged ( step s23 ). by adding the x - and y - directional screen coordinate values x2 and y2 to the values obtained in each of the steps 20 through 23 , the target position ( x , y ) on the screen 1a can be identified ( step s24 ). the data regarding the target position ( x , y ) are stored in the work ram 16 ( step 25 ), whereupon the routine returns to the game process ( step s26 ). while the present invention has been described with respect to a specific embodiment , it could be appreciated to one skilled in the art that a variety of changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention . for example , although the foregoing description has been made with respect to the case where the present invention is applied to a computer - controlled gun shooting game machine , the present invention is also applicable to a video projector or the like to detect a position pointed out by a pointer . further , in the foregoing description , the monitor screen 1a is divided into four segmental regions to obtain the ratio of the mark - to - mark distance to the corresponding gun moving amount in each of the divided segmental regions . however , the screen 1a may be divided into more than four segmental regions while selecting more than three reference positions on which the marks are displayed .
6
in a first embodiment of the invention , shown in fig1 the surgical instrument is constituted by a detartarer device . this detartarer device is comprised by an active element formed by a handpiece 1 adapted to be connected to a supply element 3 . the handpiece 1 is constituted by a hollow cylindrical body 5 , made of an insulating material , which terminates in its forward portion in a hollow cylindrical portion 7 of smaller diameter . the body 5 encloses in known fashion piezo - electric wafers 9 whose end portions are respectively connected , by electrical supply conductors 11a , 11b , to female plugs 13a , 13b opening toward the rear portion of the handpiece 1 . a vibration amplifier 15 is in contact with the forward surface of the piezo - electric wafers 9 , this amplifier 15 terminating in an insert 17 subjected to longitudinal vibratory movement when the piezo - electric wafers 9 are supplied with high frequency alternating current . the rear portion of the piezo - electric wafers 9 is in contact with a counter - mass 19 . this latter is pierced by an axial channel 21 which opens on its rear surface in a cavity 22 of the body 5 and which is forwardly prolonged through the amplifier 15 to adjacent the insert 17 . the inlet of the channel 21 is in communication through a flexible tube 23 with a rigid radial elbowed tube 25 , which is secured to the body 5 and which is adapted to be connected particularly to a source of sterile liquid under pressure ( not shown in the drawing ). the rear portion of this handpiece 1 terminates in a cylindrical rear end 27 , constituted by an insulating material , which is fixed and engaged in the extreme forward end of the body 5 . the rear end 27 receives the two female plugs 13a and 13b , and is rendered hollow by a cylindrical cavity 29 of semi - circular transverse cross section , traversed by a longitudinal cylindrical closure plug 31 which terminates at its end in a toric sealing joint 33 . the supply element 3 is comprised essentially of a cylindrical forward portion 4 , of an internal diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of the rear end 27 , and a truncated conical end portion 6 . the forward surface of the supply element 3 comprises different cavities and bosses complementary to the rear portion of rear end 27 , such that the supply element 3 can connect and become lodged in this latter . the forward portion of the supply element 3 thus comprises essentially two male pins 35a , 35b , adapted to be received respectively in the female plugs 13a and 13b of the rear end 27 . these male pins 35a , 35b are connected to wires 37a , 37b for high - frequency alternating current supply , which are disposed in a sleeve 39 which connects the rear portion of the supply element 3 to a current generator , not shown in the drawing . within the sleeve 39 is also disposed a channel 41 , connected to an inlet for water under pressure ( not shown in the drawing ), and which opens into a cylindrical cavity 43 opening on the forward portion of the supply element 3 , opposite the closure plug 31 , when the handpiece 1 is ready to be connected to the supply element 3 . under these conditions , when the supply element 3 is connected to the handpiece 1 , the closure plug 31 is engaged in the cavity 43 whose closure it ensures , and the male pins 35a , 35b are located in the female plugs 13a , 13b , thus ensuring the electrical connection of the piezo - electric wafers 9 with the current generator . moreover , in this connection position , the closure plug 31 closing the inlet for water under pressure from the channel 41 , the supply of liquid of the handpiece 1 is then via the elbowed tube 25 , connected for this purpose to an external supply particularly of sterile liquid . the supply element 3 can thus be connected to several types of handpieces , namely conventional handpieces , which is to say according to the prior art , and to handpieces according to the invention . by way of comparison , there is shown in fig1 a the rear portion of a handpiece 1 &# 39 ; of conventional type according to the prior art . this handpiece 1 &# 39 ; comprises no elbowed supply tube for a second irrigation liquid and the closure plug is replaced by an element 31 &# 39 ; rendered hollow by a longitudinal supply channel 45 which places in communication , via the channel 41 , the axial channel 21 , opening into the forward portion of the detartarer , with the supply channel for the first irrigation liquid . thus , when a handpiece 1 &# 39 ;, of conventional type , is connected to the supply channel 3 , the supplies of irrigation liquid and electrical energy of this latter take place via the supply element 3 whilst , when a handpiece 1 according to the invention is connected to this same supply element 3 , the irrigation liquid supply takes place via the elbowed tube 25 connected , for example , to sterile liquid supply means , whilst the electrical supply still takes place via the supply element 3 . under these conditions , when the practitioner desires to change from a non - sterile configuration to a sterile configuration , it suffices for him to exchange one handpiece 1 &# 39 ; of conventional type , for a handpiece 1 according to the invention , and to connect this latter to sterile liquid supply means . the present invention can also be practiced with other types of surgical apparatus and particularly , as shown in fig2 with a dental syringe . in this fig2 the dental syringe is connected by an active element or body 50 , and by a supply element 53 . the cylindrical body 50 terminates in known fashion in an elbowed tip 52 . this tip 52 , as well as the body 50 , is traversed by two respective longitudinal channels 54 , 54 &# 39 ; opening through the end of the tip 52 , and each of these channels is connected at its internal end to an elbowed radial tube 58 , 58 &# 39 ; secured to the body 50 of the syringe and projecting from this body . the rear portion of the body 50 is rendered hollow by a cylindrical cavity 62 opening inwardly , which encloses two longitudinal closure plugs 64 , 64 &# 39 ; constituted by two cylindrical pins each provided with a toric sealing joint 66 . the body 50 of the dental syringe is adapted to be connected to the supply element 53 , whose forward portion is rendered hollow for this purpose by a cylindrical cavity 55 , of an internal diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of the body 50 , and whose rear comprises two projecting longitudinal bosses 67 , 67 &# 39 ; each rendered hollow by a longitudinal channel 68 , 68 &# 39 ; of an internal diameter substantially equal to that of the closure plugs 64 , 64 &# 39 ;, so as to be able to receive these latter when the body 50 is connected to the supply element 53 . the channels 68 , 68 &# 39 ; are respectively connected to supply means for liquid and air under pressure , not shown in the drawing . when the body 50 of the dental syringe is connected to the supply element 53 , the closure plugs 64 , 64 &# 39 ; ensure closure of the supply channels for liquid and air under pressure 68 , 68 &# 39 ;. the fluid supply of the syringe is then effected by elbowed tubes 58 , 58 &# 39 ;, which for this purpose are connected to respective external sources for supply of sterile liquid and air under pressure , not shown in the drawing . the supply element 53 can also receive the active elements of syringe 50 &# 39 ; of a usual type according to the prior art , as shown in fig2 a . when an active element of conventional type 50 &# 39 ; is connected to the supply element 53 , the supply channels for liquid and air under pressure 68 , 68 &# 39 ; are respectively connected to the channels 54 , 54 &# 39 ; of the active element 50 &# 39 ; of the syringe , whose tip is thus adapted to be supplied at its outlet with air and / or liquid from the supply element 53 . when the practitioner wishes to change from a nonsterile syringe mode to a sterile syringe mode , he replaces the non - sterile active element 50 &# 39 ; of this latter with a sterile active syringe element 50 according to the invention whose supply tubes 58 , 58 &# 39 ; are respectively connected to sources of sterile liquid and air . in a modification shown in fig3 the present invention is carried out on a dental drill . this latter is comprised by an active or tool - carrying element 70 , which is adapted to be connected to a supply element 72 . the overall external shape of the tool - carrying element 70 is of the type of those of the prior art . in a schematic manner , the dental drill comprises a body 74 , of cylindrical shape , prolonged in its forward portion by a truncated conical portion and by a tubular element that is elbowed relative to the axis of body 74 and which supports a burr - carrying head 76 . the body 74 of the tool - carrying element 70 is rendered hollow , in the longitudinal direction , by two parallel channels 78 and 78 &# 39 ; which open at one of their ends in the burr - carrying head 76 , on opposite sides of the shaft carrying the burr and , at the other end , in elbowed radial tubes 80 , 80 &# 39 ; adapted to be connected to respective sources of sterile liquid and gas , not shown in the drawing . the body 74 comprises , substantially at the level of its truncated conical portion , a turbine 84 ( shown schematically in the drawing ) which is connected to a supply channel for air under pressure 86 and to an outlet channel for air 86 &# 39 ;, these channels opening at the rear end of the tool - carrying element 70 , in hollow pins respectively 88 and 88 &# 39 ; which project longitudinally from the rear end of the rear portion of the body 74 . the rear portion of the body 74 is also provided with two axial closure plugs 90 , 90 &# 39 ;. the supply element 72 is of cylindrical shape and is rendered hollow on its forward surface by two cylindrical cavities 92 , 92 &# 39 ;, respectively connected by conduits 94 , 94 &# 39 ; to a source of air under pressure and to an air outlet , and which are adapted to receive respectively the hollow pins 88 , 88 &# 39 ;. the forward surface of the supply element is also rendered hollow by two cylindrical cavities 96 , 96 &# 39 ;, of smaller diameter , respectively connected by conduits 98 , 98 &# 39 ; to supply means for irrigation liquid and air , and which are so positioned as to permit them to receive respectively the closure plugs 90 , 90 &# 39 ;. the principle of operation is the same as that described above , namely that the dental drill described in fig3 is usable in a sterile mode and that , in this arrangement , when the tool - carrying element 70 is connected to the supply element 72 , the turbine 84 is supplied with air under pressure by means of the supply element 72 , whilst the supply of sterile liquid and air takes place through elbowed tubes 80 , 80 &# 39 ;, the corresponding cavities 96 , 96 &# 39 ; of the supply element 72 being then closed by the closure plugs 90 , 90 &# 39 ;. as in the case of the preceding instruments , and in an unsterile mode , the supply element can be connected to a tool - carrying element of conventional type , all the liquid supply then taking place from the supply element 72 . in one embodiment of the invention , the active element can be constituted by two elements , namely a head and an irrigation connector . there is thus respectively shown in fig4 a , 4band 4c the rear portion of a tool - carrying element of conventional type , or head 71 , an irrigation connector 73 and the forward portion of a supply element 75 . the irrigation connector 73 is adapted to be connected , via its forward portion , with the rear portion of the head 71 , so that these two elements , once connected , constitute the active element of the instrument . the rear portion of the irrigation connector 73 is adapted to be connected to the forward portion of the supply element 75 , and the assembly of the three said elements constitutes thus a surgical instrument usable in dental treatment , particularly to scale tartar plaque which is on the teeth . the head 71 is constituted by a cylindrical body 77 of insulating plastic material , which encloses piezo - electric wafers ( not shown in the drawing ) which , under the action of a high - frequency current , subject a tool or insert disposed in the forward portion of the head , to a longitudinal vibratory movement . these latter elements , of known type , are not shown in the drawing . the head 71 terminates at its rear portion in a cylindrical portion 79 of small er diameter , which is rendered hollow by a circular peripheral groove 81 in which is received a toric sealing joint 83 . the rear surface 85 of the cylindrical portion 79 of the head 71 is rendered hollow by a cylindrical chamber 87 , of semi - circular transverse cross section . the bottom of the chamber 87 is itself rendered hollow by a longitudinal axis hole 89 , in which is secured a metallic tube 91 , provided with a central channel 93 connected to the forward end of the head 71 . the rear periphery of the tube 91 is rendered hollow by a circular groove in which is received a toric sealing joint 95 . the rear surface 85 of the head 71 is also rendered hollow by three cylindrical recesses 97 , with longitudinal axes , in which are received three female metallic plugs 99 , namely two upper side plugs and a lower central plug in fig5 . the upper plugs ensure the electrical connection with the piezo - electric wafers of the head 71 , and the lower plug , which if desired can be connectable , enables in the present case centering with the irrigation connector 73 . the head 71 is also adapted to be connected in known manner with the supply element 75 . this latter is constituted by a cylindrical body 101 , of plastic material , of the same diameter as the body 77 of the head 71 , and whose shape of the forward portion is complementary to that of the rear portion of the head 71 . thus , the forward surface 103 of the supply element 75 is followed by a cylindrical cavity 105 , of a diameter substantially equal to that of the cylindrical portion 79 , in which is formed a longitudinal cylindrical boss 107 , of semi - circular transverse cross section , complementary to that of the chamber 87 , and in which is provided a cylindrical recess 109 of an internal diameter substantially equal to that of the tube 91 so as to be able to receive this latter . the supply element 75 is pierced by a longitudinal channel 111 , connected to supply means ( not shown in the drawing ) for a first irrigation liquid , which opens through the bottom of the recess 109 . three longitudinal male pins 113 , complementary to the female plugs 99 , project at the base of the cavity 105 and are disposed such that they can be received within the female plugs 99 of the head 71 , when the supply element 75 is connected to this latter . the two upper female plugs 99 are connected to electrical supply lines . it will be seen that once this connection is established , a first irrigation liquid , which arrives by the channel 111 of the supply element 75 , can flow through the central channel 93 of the head 71 , toward the forward end of this latter , and that the electric circuit of the supply element 75 is connected via male pins 113 and female plugs 99 to the head 71 , and more particularly to the piezo - electric wafers . in such configuration of known type , the practitioner is able to effect odontological operations of conventional type such as detartration of the teeth . to effect a procedure requiring both a sterile instrument and a sterile irrigation liquid , such as for example a radicular surfacing of the tooth of a patient , the practitioner uses , according to the invention , an irrigation connector 73 , such as that shown in fig4 b . this irrigation connector 73 is used in the position shown in the drawing , which is to say between the head 71 and the supply element 75 . to this end , it is essentially constituted by a body 117 whose forward portion is identical to the forward portion of the supply element 75 and whose rear portion is identical to the rear portion of the head 71 ( the constituent elements of the forward and rear portions of the irrigation connector 73 will be designated by the same reference numerals as those used respectively for the head 71 and for the supply element 75 , plus the prime sign &# 39 ;). the irrigation connector 73 thus comprises a cylindrical forward portion rendered hollow by a cylindrical cavity 105 &# 39 ; opening in the front of the connector and comprising hydraulic connection means constituted by a longitudinal cylindrical boss 107 &# 39 ; of semi - circular cross section , rendered hollow by a cylindrical recess 109 &# 39 ; in communication with a radial channel 119 connected to supply means for at least one second irrigation liquid , and particularly a sterile irrigation liquid , and electrical connection means constituted by three male pins 113 &# 39 ;. the irrigation connector 73 also comprises a rear cylindrical portion 79 &# 39 ;, complementary to the cylindrical cavity 105 &# 39 ;, which is rendered hollow by a semi - cylindrical cavity 87 &# 39 ;, complementary to the boss 107 &# 39 ;, from the bottom of which extends forwardly a cylindrical boss 91 &# 39 ;, complementary to the cavity 109 &# 39 ;, and which has no central channel , so as to comprise a plug and thus to close in a sealed manner the recess 109 of the supply element 75 , by thus preventing the flow of the first irrigation liquid supplied by the channel 111 , when the irrigation connector 73 is coupled to the supply element 75 . the rear portion of the irrigation connector 73 also comprises electrical connection means constituted by three female plugs 99 &# 39 ; complementary to the male pins 113 . under these conditions , when the practitioner desires to effect a procedure requiring a sterile material and liquid , it suffices for him then to use an irrigation connector 73 according to the invention ( sterile ), connected to supply means for a sterile liquid , on a supply element 75 ( non - sterile ), and to secure a head ( sterile ) 71 onto the irrigation connector 73 , which is a particularly easy and rapid operation to perform . as shown in fig6 the arrival of the second irrigation liquid in the handpiece or in the irrigation connector 73 can take place via a control valve 121 . this latter is constituted for example by a tubular body whose bottom is provided with an orifice 125 which is in communication via a channel 127 with the recess 109 &# 39 ; of the irrigation connector 73 . the arrival of the irrigation liquid in the valve 121 takes place via a channel 129 connected to supply means for a sterile liquid , not shown in the drawing . a piston 131 , which comprises a lower truncated conical portion 133 which enters the orifice 125 so as to control the flowrate and to close it more or less , is mounted in sliding sealed relation in said tubular body 123 . thus , by inserting the piston 131 more or less into the tubular body 123 , the opening 125 is more or less closed and thus the flowrate of irrigation fluid admitted into the connector 73 is controlled . the present invention permits the practitioner not only to switch rapidly from a non - sterile configuration to a sterile configuration but , by using several irrigation connectors and their associated irrigation liquids , it also permits the practitioner to use , in the course of a single procedure , several different irrigation liquids ( which he could if desired mix ) which he could use easily and rapidly as needed . so as to facilitate the switch from one irrigation liquid to another , there can be used , as shown in fig7 a channel 119 comprising several supply conduits 135a , 135b adapted to be connected to reservoirs containing different irrigation liquids . the different conduits 135a , 135b can be provided with closure means , progressive or not , which gives to the practitioner , if he desires , the possibility of mixing the various irrigation liquids and to control the proportion of their mixture admitted to the connector 73 . preferably , the connection of the different irrigation conduits 135a , 135b takes place as close as possible to the irrigation connector 73 , which gives the advantage , when it is desired to switch from a first irrigation liquid to another different irrigation liquid , not to have to evacuate more than one minimum quantity of the first irrigation liquid . in an embodiment of the invention shown in fig8 the closure of the supply channel 109 for a particular liquid , from the supply element 75 , is ensured by a closure element independent from the active element , constituted by a plug 200 which is for example secured by screwing in said channel 109 before emplacement of the active element on the supply element 75 . to this end , the forward portion of the latter is provided with a screw - threaded portion 202 . a plug 200 comprises a screw - threaded head 204 adapted to be screwed into this screw - threaded portion 202 , prolonged within the channel 109 by a portion 206 of smaller diameter provided with a toric joint 208 ensuring sealing with the internal wall of the channel 109 . in a modification of the present embodiment of the invention , the closure plug could also be secured to the bottom of the irrigation channel , which permits disengaging the forward portion of this latter and permits it thus to receive the supply tubes of active elements of conventional type . of course , the electrical and hydraulic connection means as well as their arrangement could be of any type . there could thus be particularly used in a same element all the female connectors and on the other element all the male connectors , without departing from the scope of protection of the invention .
0
colloidal core - shell cdse / cds nanorods were obtained by the seeded growth method , published by l . carbone et al . in nano letters , 2007 , 7 , 2942 - 2950 . the obtained nanorods , which are soluble in toluene in a concentration of 1 - 3 μm , exhibit both high fluorescent quantum yields ( up to 70 %) and linear polarized emission . the emission wavelength of the nanorods is in the range of 600 - 630 nm , but can in principle be controlled over a spectral window from 570 nm to 650 nm . the nanorods were dissolved in toluene at a concentration of 10 − 6 m . the obtained solution was jet - deposited by means of a capillary with 20 μm diameter on a previously cleaned glass slide ( cleaning by 20 min ultrasonic in acetone and 20 min ultrasonic in propanol , and low dry by nitrogen ). the jet - deposition was performed using a femtojet ( eppendorf ) system combined with an inverted optical microscope . the capillary - glass slide distance was adjusted to some hundreds of microns , which corresponds to the drop diameter which is formed at the apex of the capillary . preferably , the drop should touch the surface when it forms at the capillary tip . since the volume of a picoliter drop is 4 / 3 pi r 3 = le - 12 , le - 4 is a preferred sample capillary distance , in agreement with what we observed in the experiment . typical jet deposition parameters were injection pressure at 1000 hpa for 1 second , with droplet volume in the picoliter range . injection pressure and time had to be adjusted for each deposition series , as they depended very critically on the glass - sample distance . the drops can also be deposited on the substrate by means of an ink jet printer . in the experiments , three samples of nanorods were used with a length , respectively , of 17 , 25 and 50 nm and a diameter of 3 - 5 nm . each nanorod sample was nearly monodisperse in terms of distribution of rod length and diameter ( size distribution n the nanocrystal samples was smaller than 10 %). once deposited on the glassy substrate and upon evaporation of the solvent ( room temperature ), it was observed that the nanorods start to self - organize into large - scale ordered superstructures that are reminiscent of nematic / smectic liquid crystal phases . due to the peculiar solvent evaporation in fluid convection dynamics usually referred to as the “ coffee stain ” effect , the whole process did not lead to uniform thickness of the nanoparticle film , but to a well - defined stripe ( a single stripe ) at the drop edge ; this is due to the pinning of the contact line during solvent evaporation ( cf . fig2 ( a - b )). the film thickness at the border of the dried droplet , i . e . in the outermost coffee stain ring , was between 30 nm and 90 nm , while the thickness immediately inside this ring was considerably smaller (˜ 10 nm ). the optical microscope images of the film ( cf . e . g . fig2 ( c - f )) show stripes at the border of the film that were darker than the inner region , which is due to higher concentration of the nanorods and higher film thickness in those stripes . in addition , the stripes were confined by two relatively sharp and dark lines , one at the inner edge and one at the outer edge of the border region . according to the invention , the radial size of the stripes ( i . e . the distance between the two dark lines ) may range from 0 . 5 μm to 50 μm and is preferably comprised between 8 μm and 12 μm . the stripes appeared birefringent when imaged by polarized optical microscopy . the anisotropy in the refractive index in the stripes can be explained by ordered arrays of laterally aligned close - packed nanorods ; best lasing properties were found , when in said ordered array the main longitudinal axis of the nanorods are tangential to the circular annular stripe . according to the invention it has been found that the dense self - assembled coffee stain ring , consisting of ordered nanorods , can form fabry - perot microresonators , in which sections of the annular stripe with two parallel planes partially reflecting the light give rise to interference . the confocal image ( fig3 ( a )) provides deeper insight into the structure at the edges of the stripe ; two dark edges limiting the stripes are clearly visible in the reflectivity image of the stripe region . the corresponding signal profile plotted in fig3 ( b ) indicates a strong and abrupt change of the reflectivity at the edges of the stripe , which occurred on a length scale of less than 1 μm . this rapid change in reflectivity , and thus also in the refractive index , is most likely responsible for the confinement of light inside the stripes and consequently for the fabry - perot effect , that was observed also in the ase spectra . the fabry - perot effect was observed more frequently on stripes prepared from nanorods 17 nm and 25 nm long and only occasionally on coffee stain fringes formed from nanorods with a 50 nm length , whereby nanorods with a length of from 10 nm to 30 nm are preferred in the method of the invention . the shape of the self assembled laser cavity is determined by the shape of contact line that is formed when the nanocrystal solution is deposited on the substrate surface . in the case of no lateral alterations of the substrate this shape is circular and the result of the coffee stain evaporation is an annular ring . the shape of the coffee stain rings can be manipulated to a certain extent via modifications of the substrate surface or shape . it is important for the lasing functionality that the modifications do not alter significantly the microfluidic dynamics in the coffee stain evaporation process . since the contact line pinning is enhanced at the edges of a substrate , the shape of the coffee stain can be manipulated via the borders of the substrate , or via artificial edges ( holes in the substrate , large vertical offsets ). for example , linear sections of the coffee stain edge can be obtained in a simple way by depositing the nanocrystal solution near the linear edge of a , preferably glassy , substrate , as illustrated in fig6 . this could be the external edge of the substrate , or edges that are produced for example by rectangular holes . instead of holes , also high step - like features produced for example by reactive ion etching could be used . another possibility is the manipulation of the contact line via different surface hydrophobic / hydrophilic functionalization , for example via adequate molecules . in the experiments , the threshold for lasing with respect to the pump power was of the order of few hundreds μj / cm 2 ( best value 200 μj / cm 2 ). the optical experiments probing the lasing properties were performed using a ti : sapphire chirped pulse amplified source that delivers pulses at a central wavelength of 800 nm with a 1 khz repetition rate . excitation pulses at 400 nm were obtained by doubling the fundamental wavelength in a β - barium borate ( bbo ) crystal . focusing lens : 300 mm spot size ( radius ): 120 μm pump beam at 45 ° to the sample , collection normal to the sample spectrograph acton , grating 300 g / mm , centered at 610 nm , slit , 26 μm , resolution 1 . 1 nm , acquisition time 500 ms . with the core - shell nanorods used in the experiments , the spectral range of the laser emission can be tuned in the visible range by the nanorod core size and rod - shape in the range from 550 nm to 650 nm ; additional experiments showed also lasing from the shell states of the core - shell nanorods which extends the spectral range for the laser device of the invention into the blue to 490 nm . also included within the scope of the invention is a lasing microdevice obtainable by the hereinbefore described method . in the microdevice of the invention , the active region , which can emit photons at optical frequencies , is an ordered array of nanocrystal and particularly an ordered array of laterally aligned close - packed nanorods and the semireflective means defining the resonant optical structure in which the said active region is inserted comprise the radially inner and outer edges of an annular , circular , stripe formed by said nanocrystals and obtained by evaporating to dryness a circular drop of a nanocrystal solution . in the microdevice of the invention , the excitation system can comprise a pumping laser focusing on the sector of the annular stripe formed by said ordered array of nanocrystals or , alternatively , a pumping laser illuminating the entire area of said annular stripes . also included within the scope of the invention is a light emitting microdevice or lasing microsource comprising a plurality of said annular stripes on a flat substrate , wherein the said annular stripes are obtained by the method hereinbefore described . 1 . s . coe , w . k . woo , m . bawendi , v . bulovic , nature 2002 , 420 . 800 - 803 . 2 . m . kazes , d . y . lewis , y . ebenstein , t . mokari , u . banin , adv . mater . 2002 , 14 . 317 -+. 3 . h . j . eisler , v . c . sundar , m . g . bawendi , m . walsh , h . i . smith , v . klimov , appl . phys . lett . 2002 , 80 . 4614 - 4616 . 4 . v . i . klimov , a . a . mikhailovsky , d . w . mcbranch , c . a . leatherdale , m . g . bawendi , science 2000 , 287 . 1011 - 1013 . 5 . a . a . mikhailovsky , a . v . malko , j . a . hollingsworth , m . g . bawendi , v . i . klimov , appl . phys . lett . 2002 , 80 . 2380 - 2382 ; s . link , m . a . el - sayed , j . appl . phys . 2002 , 92 . 6799 - 6803 ; a . creti , m . anni , m . z . rossi , g . lanzani , g . leo , f . della sala , l . manna , m . lomascolo , phys . rev . b 2005 , 72 . 25346 . 6 . h . htoon , j . a . hollingsworth , r . dickerson , v . i . klimov , physical review letters 2003 , 91 . art . n . 227401 . 7 . a . creti , m . zavelani - rossi , g . lanzani , m . anni , l . manna , m . lomascolo , phys . rev . b 2006 , 73 . 16541 . 8 . a . v . malko , a . a . mikhailovsky , m . a . petruska , j . a . hollingsworth , h . htoon , m . g . bawendi , v . i . klimov , appl . phys . lett . 2002 , 81 . 1303 - 1305 ; m . a . petruska , a . v . malko , p . m . voyles , v . i . klimov , adv . mater . 2003 , 15 . 610 - 613 ; p . t . snee , y . h . chan , d . g . nocera , m . g . bawendi , adv . mater . 2005 , 17 . 1131 - 1136 ; y . chan , j . s . steckel , p . t . snee , j . m . caruge , j . m . hodgkiss , d . g . nocera , m . g . bawendi , appl . phys . lett . 2005 , 86 . 073102 ; j . schafer , j . p . mondia , r . sharma , z . h . lu , a . s . susha , a . l . rogach , l . j . wang , nano lett . 2008 , 8 . 1709 - 1712 ; y . chan , j . m . caruge , p . t . snee , m . g . bawendi , appl . phys . lett . 2004 , 85 . 2460 - 2462 ; c . zhang , f . zhang , t . zhu , a . cheng , j . xu , q . zhang , s . e . mohney , r . h . henderson , y . a . wang , optics letters 2008 , 33 . 2437 - 2439 .
1
fig1 illustrates a top view of a portion of a dram 10 memory array . the dram 10 may be a vlsi memory device of the so called 16 megabit size containing more than sixteen million memory cells on a single semiconductor substrate . the device contains bit lines 12 of poly - 3 ( tisi 2 ) polycide , triple twisted for noise immunity . the word lines 14 are segmented poly - 2 , are strapped every 64 bits with metal - 2 . the dram 10 lays out the bit lines 12 and the word lines 14 in about a 1 . 6 um bit line pitch by about a 3 . 0 um double word line pitch pattern . the trench capacitors 16a and 16b contain a trench opening of about 0 . 8 um by 0 . 8 um , a trench to trench space of about 1 . 1 um , and a trench depth of about 6 . 0 um . the bit line contact 18 connects to a bit line 12 and to the drain of an unillustrated pass gate transistor 20 . fig2 presents a three dimensional view of a portion of fig1 while fig3 presents a cross section view . a three layer interconnect metal 22 , metal - 2 , accomplishes word line strapping . it has a top level 22a of al - si - cu sputtered onto a middle level 22b of cvd w about 3500 a thick that overlies the bottom level 22c of sputtered tiw about 500 a thick . oxide layer 24 , lying beneath metal - 2 , is a metal interlevel oxide , milo , of three layers : a top milo level 24a of pecvd teos oxide about 3500 a thick ; a middle level , unillustrated , of spin on glass , sog ; and , a lower milo level 24b of pecvd teos oxide about 7000 a thick . a two level interconnect metal 26 , metal - 1 , lying beneath milo - 2 24 accomplishes contacts to bit lines . it &# 39 ; s top layer 26a of chemical vapor deposited tungsten , cvd w , overlies it &# 39 ; s bottom layer 26b of sputtered tiw . a multilevel oxide layer 28 , mlo , lies below interconnect metal 26 to provide isolation between the silicided poly - 3 bitlines and metal - 1 . a bit line oxide layer 30 , blo , lies beneath bit line 18 , between bit line 18 and poly - 2 word lines 14 . the poly - 2 word lines 14 are about 0 . 6 microns wide . poly - 2 word line 14a forms the gate of pass transistor 20a and poly - 2 word line 14b forms the gate of the pass transistor 20b for trench capacitor 16b . they are separated from the substrate by a gate - 2 oxide layer 34 about 150 a thick . poly - 2 word lines 14c and 14d pass over the top trench capacitors 16a and 16b and connect to other trench capacitors not shown . they are separated from the poly - 1 field plate 32 by an interlevel oxide layer 36 , ilo , of thermally grown oxide . the poly - 2 word lines 14 have side walls 38 of deposited nitride - 2 . phosphorus n + implant layer lies in the p tank 40 , located underneath the blo layer 30 of the bit line contacts , and also located between word line 14a of trench capacitor 16a and between word line 14b of trench capacitor 16b . phosphorous n + implant layer 42 forms the drain and source of the pass transistors . underneath the poly - 1 field plate 32 , between the trench to trench space separating trench capacitors 16a and 16b , lies a nitride layer 44 , nitride - 3 , about 1300 a thick . between nitride - 3 layer 44 and p - tank 40 lies an oxide layer 46 , pad ox - 3 , containing about 300 a of oxide . it acts as a buffer layer between the silicon substrate 48 and the nitride - 3 layer 44 and as part of the field plate isolating dielectric . still referring to fig2 and 3 , the trench capacitors 16a and 16b extend through the p - tank 40 into the p substrate 48 of the silicon wafer , not shown . on the outside of the trench capacitor walls , is an implanted layer 50 of arsenic . arsenic layer 50 creates the n + storage node of the trench capacitors . the upper portion of the storage node on the top of the trench edge where the gated diode leakage current could flow into the p - tank 40 is indicated by reference numeral 51 . the trench capacitor walls contain a gate dielectric layer 52 , gate ox - 1 , that acts as a dielectric between the arsenic trench wall implant and the poly - 1 field plate 32 . gate dielectric layer 52 has a thin layer of nitride covered by a layer of oxide . fig4 presents a cross section view of a dram trench capacitor cell containing the preferred embodiment of the invention . the resulting structure is similar to that illustrated in fig3 ; however , the trench capacitor cells contain trench sidewalls 56s of doped polysilicon . the trench sidewalls 56s lie inside the trenches , on the trench walls , adjacent to the implanted layer 50 of arsenic that forms the n + storage node of the trench capacitors . gate dielectric layer 52 overlies the polysilicon trench sidewalls 56s . the polysilicon trench sidewalls 56s are about 500 angstroms thick . because gate dielectric layer 52 is on sidewalls 56s , there is no gated diode structure in area 51 and therefore leakage current due to the gated diode is eliminated . fig4 a presents a cross section view of a dram trench capacitor cell containing an alternative embodiment of the invention . the resulting structure is similar to that illustrated in fig3 and 4 ; however , by forming sidewalls 56s of arsenic in - situ doped polysilicon or phosphorus in - situ doped polysilicon , the implanted layer 50 of arsenic is not needed . the arsenic in - situ doped or phosphorus in - situ doped polysilicon sidewalls function as the storage nodes of the trench capacitors . by reference to fig5 - 5e1 , this specification next describes the process for manufacturing the preferred embodiment of the above described dram 10 of fig4 through the processing point that advantageously eliminates the gated diode leakage problem . u . s . pat . no . 4 , 721 , 987 to baglee et al . entitled &# 34 ; trench capacitor process for high density dynamic ram &# 34 ; issued jan . 26 , 1988 and assigned to texas instruments incorporated describes an entire dram trench capacitor , field plate isolated , process flow and the following copending and coassigned applications of texas instruments incorporated filed on jul . 25 , 1989 , incorporated herein by reference , also fully describe process flows suitable for thereafter completing the manufacture of drams having trench capacitors and field plate isolation similar to dram 10 : referring to fig5 a boron implant step creates p - tank 40 in p type silicon substrate 48 . an implant step of about 6 . 0e12 / cm 2 boron @ 50 kev suffices to increase the boron concentration in p - tank 40 for control of trench capacitance leakage and latchup . a steam / hcl oxidation step at about 900 c . grows about 300 a of oxide on top of p - tank 40 to form pad oxide - 3 layer 46 . pad oxide - 3 layer 46 acts as a buffer between the silicon substrate 48 and nitride - 3 layer 44 . a deposition step of about 1dcs : 10nh 3 , 200 mtorr , 800 c forms nitride - 3 layer 44 to a thickness of about 1300 a on top of pad oxide - 3 layer 46 . in fig5 a , a phospho - silicate glass ( psg ) deposition step of about 7 . 4 wt % phosphorus at 530 c creates a trench mask oxide 54 on top of nitride - 3 layer 44 . a trench pattern step of coating trench mask oxide layer 54 with photoresist 58 , exposing and developing the photoresist 58 through the desired trench pattern next occurs . fig5 b illustrates the resulting structure after a trench mask etch step and a trench etch step . the trench mask etch step etches the trench pattern of about 0 . 8 um by 0 . 8 um through psg mask oxide layer 54 , nitride - 3 layer 44 , and pad oxide - 3 layer 46 by 100 % overetch of chf 3 / cf 4 / he / ar at about 900 mtorr . a trench etch step etches the trenches of about 6 . 0 um through p - tank 40 into p type silicon substrate 48 by rie of sif 4 / hbr , at about 100 mtorr . fig5 c shows the resulting structure after a trench mask strip step and a trench arsenic implant step while fig5 c1 presents an enlarged view of the upper portion 51 of the trench wall edge following these steps . the trench mask strip step removes the psg mask oxide layer 54 and trench wall oxide deposits by deglazing in 10 % hf for about 50 seconds followed by a megasonic clean . the hf deglaze step to remove the psg mask oxide layer 54 also etches into the pad - oxide 3 layer 46 below the nitride - 3 layer 44 creating an undercut area 46u around the top of the trench . the edge of nitride layer 44 now &# 34 ; dips - out &# 34 ; over the edge of the pad oxide layer 46 . storage node 50 is created by implanting arsenic into the trench walls . a 6 degree angle tilt implantation of approximately 4 . 0e15cm / 2 arsenci occurring over four 90 degree rotations of 1 . 0e15 / cm 2 arsenic @ 100 kev is sufficient . in the advantageous method of the preferred embodiment of the invention , a polysilicon layer 56 is formed by deposition . fig5 d presents a cross section view and fig5 d1 presents an enlarged view of the corner of trench 16a following this step . about 500 angstroms of in - situ phosphorus doped polysilicon is deposited onto the walls of the trenches utilizing low pressure chemical vapor deposition , lpcvd , techniques . sih 4 / tbp or another dopoant gas at about 400 mtorr , 560 degrees centigrade is sufficient to deposit in - situ doped polysilicon 56 into the undercut area 46u and fills undercut area 46u with polysilicon 56 . this deposition step also covers the pad oxide - 3 layer 46 and the overlying nitride - 3 layer 44 with polysilicon 56 . the trenches are masked with a resist so that the resist covers the polysilicon 56s on the trench sidewalls . the resist is exposed and developed . the polysilicon 56 on nitride - 3 layer 44 is next stripped away from the memory array except for the trench sidewall polysilicon layers 56s . an anisotropic dry etch works well to remove the polysilicon 56s . the resulting structure is illustrated in fig5 e and an enlarged view of trench corner 16a is illustrated in fig5 e1 . referring back to fig4 the device is further processed to yield the dynamic memory cell disclosed therein . a protective coating is added on top , ( not shown ) and patterned to expose bonding pads . then the semiconductor wafer is tested , scribed and broken into individual dies , and the dies mounted in semiconductor packages . while this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments , this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense . various other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to this description . it is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications of the embodiments as fall within the true scope and spirit of the invention .
7
as shown in fig1 and 2 , a fluorescent light fixture 10 includes a reflector 12 disposed between a troffer 14 and a pair of fluorescent lamps 16 . a ballast 18 is mounted within the light fixture 10 to provide the proper starting voltage to lamps 16 through lamp sockets 20 via electrical wiring ( not shown ). end members 22 , 24 are disposed at each end of the fixture 10 and have shapes conforming to the curved portions of reflector 12 for supporting light fixture 10 and lamp sockets 20 within troffer 14 . a prismatic lens 25 is attached to troffer 14 and end members 22 , 24 to enclose fixture 10 and to diffuse the exiting light . troffer 14 is a standard lighting enclosure having a rear wall 26 and side walls 28 , 30 which extend outwardly from the rear wall at obtuse angles . the dimensions of the troffer 14 are standard and depend on the length and number of fluorescent lamps used in the fixture . troffer 14 is fabricated from a sheet of steel or aluminum which can be easily pressed into a desired shape and can support attachment of the reflector 12 , end members 22 , 24 and any electrical hardware needed for powering lamps 16 ( e . g ., wiring , sockets , ballasts ). reflector 12 is molded using a relatively strong and flexible polymer material and has a metal reflecting layer 32 deposited on an inner concave surface 34 of reflector 12 . reflector 12 includes a pair of identical members 36 , 38 joined along one side of their entire lengths . as shown in fig2 member 36 is representative of one half of reflector 12 and is associated with one of the pair of lamps 16 . member 36 has a pair of concave curved surfaces 40 , 42 attached at a spine portion 44 defining a cusp 46 . each one of the pair of concave curved surfaces 40 , 42 of members 36 , 38 is defined by a side curved portion 48 and a rear curved portion 50 . each curved surface 40 , 42 has a shape such that light incident on their surfaces is directed to the area to be illuminated 49 with a single reflection . side curved portion 48 of member 34 has a curved shape conforming to an off - axis pseudo - parabola . the curved shape is considered to be off - axis in the sense that the true focus of side curved portion 42 lies along a plane offset from a diametric axis running through the center of lamp 16 from a region behind lamp 16 to area to be illuminated 49 . the shape of side curved portion 42 moreover does not conform to a true parabola because it does not have a unique directrix . the directrix is a fixed line with the distance from the focus to any point along the parabolic curve being equivalent to the length of an orthogonal line from that point to the fixed line . instead , as will be discussed later in conjunction with fig4 portions of side curved portion 42 are curve fitted to form a single curve each having its own unique directrix . rear curved portion 50 is closest to lamp 16 and accordingly receives the richest source of the luminous flux radiating from the lamp . in order to provide more efficient reflection in this region , rear curved portion 50 , has a shape developed from the construction of a nephroid curve . the geometry of a nephroid provides a compact geometry that is capable of reflecting flux incident on the surface of rear curved portion 50 from lamp 16 forward and out of the lighting fixture 10 to area to be illuminated 49 with a single reflection . for example , light rays 52 , 54 , and 56 emitted from the surface of lamp 16 are incident to various portions of side and rear curved portions 48 , 50 . each light ray 52 , 54 , and 56 is directed to area of illumination 49 without being incident again on reflector 12 . similarly , light ray 58 is emitted from a backside portion of lamp 16 and travels a short distance before being incident on rear curved portion 50 at a point 60 directly behind lamp 16 . rear curved portion 50 has a shape that directs light ray 58 out of light fixture 10 to area of illumination 49 without being reflected back into lamp 16 or to another portion of curved surface 34 . referring to fig3 a - 3g , a process for fabricating lamp reflector 12 is shown . although members 36 and 38 are generally fabricated as a single reflector 12 , only one of the members 36 , 38 is shown , and it is appreciated that reflectors for multiple adjacent lamps ( see fig1 ) may be fabricated using the same process . referring to fig3 a , reflector 12 has a base substrate 62 molded into a concave shape using any of a variety of processes including extrusion , thermoforming , or injection molding . substrate 62 is a polycarbonate polymer such as makroion , a polycarbonate polymer manufactured by miles polymer division -- plastics , miles inc ., pittsburgh , pa . polycarbonate polymer is a glass - like plastic having characteristics of high structural strength , flexibility , dimensional stability , wide temperature use , high creep resistance , high electrical resistivity and flame retardancy . creep resistance is the ability of an elastic material to retain its original shape after being mechanically stressed or deformed . as is shown in fig3 b , substrate 62 includes apertures or cut - out portions 64 needed for the placement of lamp components such as lamp sockets 20 ( fig1 ), wiring , or ballasts . if substrate 62 is formed using an extrusion process , it is generally necessary to trim the molded piece to its proper length and to provide necessary holes for mounting holders , brackets and the like . in addition , the edges of the pre - formed substrate 62 may require trimming to remove unwanted excess material . as shown in fig3 c , a magnified portion 66 of substrate 62 reveals that an inside reflecting surface 68 has surface irregularities 70 . referring to fig3 d , substrate 62 is treated with a reflectance improvement layer 72 to cover surface irregularities 70 such that a glossier and mirror - like quality is provided for reflecting surface 50 . the reflectance improvement layer 72 is a liquid plastic , such as urethane sprayed over reflecting surface 68 and cured using an ultraviolet light source . reflectance improvement layer 72 has a thickness between 50 - 100 micrometers in its cured state . reflectance improvement layer 72 enhances the reflective characteristics of reflector 12 and increases the specular reflectance of reflecting layer 74 ( fig3 e ), subsequently deposited over substrate 62 . ( specular reflectance is defined as coherently reflected light obeying snell &# 39 ; s law of reflection . non - specular reflection is defined as incoherent light scattered by the interface .) referring to fig3 e , reflecting layer 74 is a specular metal bonded onto substrate 62 . reflecting layer 74 , such as silver or aluminum , is sputtered onto polymer substrate 62 in a high vacuum at a temperature below 50 ° c . to provide rapid coating of substrate 62 . in order to provide a reflecting surface of high specularity , the specular metal should be of laboratory quality purity and the pressure within the vacuum be as low as possible ( e . g . 10 - 6 torr ). the thickness of reflecting layer 74 is in the range of 500 angstroms ( å ) to 1500å , preferably about 650å . providing thicknesses greater than 1500å increases the potential for cracking due to stress induced changes in the shape of substrate 62 . in applications where metal reflecting layer 74 does not reflect ultraviolet light , substrate 62 is made with a polymer material having ultraviolet light inhibitors blended therein to prevent yellowing of the substrate 62 . referring to fig3 f , after deposition of reflecting layer 74 over substrate 62 , masked portions 76 of the metal can be removed or selectively deposited from substrate 62 to allow light emitted from lamp 16 ( fig1 and 2 ) to pass through portions of reflector 12 and illuminate areas above lighting fixture 10 . in one application , for example , a storage warehouse has an upper area above lamp fixture 10 which requires lighting with a relatively low intensity level as compared to the main floor area below light fixture 10 . removing a portion of reflecting layer 74 from reflector 12 permits light to illuminate these upper areas . photolithographic methods or any suitable alternative approaches may be used to remove the metal without requiring the cutting or manual peeling of the metal which increases the possibility of damage to reflector 12 . optional coatings 78 may be used to enhance reflection and protect either or both substrate 62 and reflecting layer 74 depending on the particular materials used or application of reflector 12 . referring to fig3 g , for example , a reflection - enhancing layer 80 that improves the specular characteristics of the metal is applied over the metal reflecting layer 74 . an anti - tarnishing coating 82 is another layer which may be deposited over reflecting layer 74 to avoid oxidation of reflecting layer 74 which generally reduces its specularity characteristic . because silver has a relatively rapid rate of oxidation , when used as reflecting layer 74 , indium oxide ( in 2 o 3 ) is used for anti - tarnishing coating 82 . optional coating 78 may be a single layer coating of a multifunctional acrylate having an ultraviolet light absorber and a photocuring agent disposed within . benzotriazole ( 1 . 5 % by volume ) for providing uv light absorption and igracure 907 . sup .™, a product of ciba - geigy , plastics and additive division , hawthorne , n . y ., ( 0 . 5 % by volume ) to allow rapid curing of coating 78 when exposed to ultraviolet light are mixed into the polymer acrylate . coating 78 can be cured in less than 100 milliseconds thereby providing better control of the thickness of coating 78 . such a multifunctional acrylate also provides oxidation resistance , abrasion resistance and a high clarity glass - like finish with a single layer . reflector 12 is shown in fig4 to illustrate one technique for constructing the curved portions of reflector 12 . the technique involves curve fitting a number of points generated from ray tracings of a lamp image . although the technique may be used to construct the entire reflector curve ( see fig8 ), it is particularly well suited for generating side portions 48 of reflector 12 . other construction techniques discussed in conjunction with fig5 and 6 are particularly well suited for developing the rear portion 50 of reflector 12 . a lamp image 90 represents fluorescent lamp 16 and has here , a diameter ( d ) of one - half that of the actual diameter of lamp 16 . it will become apparent that as lamp image 90 is made smaller , a greater number of points for representing the shape of side curved portion 48 are generated , thereby providing a more accurate representation of curve 48 . lamp image 90 is located along a center axis 92 , extending from a region behind lamp 16 to an area to be illuminated 49 , of reflector 12 and lamp 16 and is within the periphery of lamp 16 . because reflector 12 is supported within the confines of troffer 14 , it has a shape limited to a certain extent by the geometry of troffer 14 . in order to generate points representing curve 48 , a starting point 94a is placed close to the outer edge and forward most point of troffer 14 . although starting point 94a can be located at a region other than along the boundaries of troffer 14 , placing starting point 94a as shown in fig4 is convenient and will provide a reflector having a surface area geometry that provides good spreading of reflected lamp images and will simultaneously fit within the available space of troffer 14 . using starting point 94a as a reference , a series of parallel construction lines 96a - 96n are generated . each line 96a - 96n , spaced from an adjacent one by diameter ( d ) of lamp image 90 , represents the direction of light rays emitted from lamp 16 which are incident to points on reflector 12 intersecting each of lines 96a - 96n . first construction line 96a is skewed with respect to center axis 92 of reflector 12 at an angle of about 5 ° to conform with the angle of side walls 28 , 30 of troffer 14 . the slight skew of the angle improves the spreading of the lamp images over the desired area of illumination 49 . construction lines 96a - 96n are to be used with a series of tangent and parallel lines 98 - 103 drawn from the outer edge of lamp image 90 . ray tracing approaches generally use the center point of the lamp source as the origin of light rays . however , because light rays from fluorescent lamp 16 are generated from its surface rather than its center ( as is the case with some incandescent lamps ), using the surface of lamp 16 provides a more accurate representation of the source of emitted light rays . a first tangent line 98 is drawn from a first tangent point on the front surface of lamp image 90 to starting point 94a located along first parallel construction line 96a . a corresponding first parallel line 99 is drawn from a second point tangent to and on the back surface of lamp image 90 that is angularly spaced exactly 180 ° from the tangent point of first tangent line 98 . accordingly , first parallel line 99 is parallel to and spaced by a distance equal to diameter d of lamp image 90 from first tangent line 98 . first parallel line 99 intersects construction line 96b at a point 94b . the intersections of first tangent line 98 and first parallel line 99 with first and second parallel construction lines 96a , 96b respectively , provides points 94a and 94b defining a first segment of curve 36 . similarly , a second tangent line 100 is generated between a third tangent point on the front side of lamp image 90 to point 94b and a second parallel line 101 , parallel to second tangent line 100 , is generated from a fourth tangent point on lamp image 90 until it intersects construction line 96c . once again , second tangent line 100 and second parallel line 101 are spaced by diameter ( d ) such that their intersections with first and second parallel construction lines 96b and 96c respectively , provide points 94b and 94c defining a second segment of curve 36 . continuing this process provides a series of curve - fitting points 94a - 94n representing intersections of the pairs of corresponding parallel lines 98 , 100 , 102 and tangent lines 99 , 101 , 103 with construction lines 96a - 96n . the series of points 94a - 94n define points along side portion 48 of the reflector 12 which are used to determine locations at which a bending press is used to provide a faceted reflector . however , in accordance with the present invention , curve fitting of points 94a - 94n is performed to provide a continuous curved side portion 48 . the curve fitting process may use any of a number of well - known numerical curve fitting approaches such as the least - squares method defined by the equation y = a 0 + a 1 * x + a 2 * x 2 +... + a m * x m , where x and y represent coordinates on a cartesian plane and a o - a m represent constant coefficients . unlike a faceted reflector , a reflector having continuously curved side portions allows the light rays incident on their surfaces to reflect toward the area to be illuminated in parallel with respect to each other . the constructed curve is not precisely parabolic because points 94a - 94n are referenced from the surface of lamp image 90 and not a common point source , such as the center of the lamp image 90 . accordingly , every segment between each pair of points 94a - 94n has a unique directrix . in using the curve fitting technique described above , a large number of points is generally not necessary to provide a smooth continuous curve along those portions of the curve spaced from lamp 16 a distance more than several lamp diameters . on the other hand , where lamp 16 is relatively close to reflector 12 , such as rear curved portion 50 of reflector , it becomes much more difficult to provide a curve using the curve fitting approach . at rear portion 50 , the length of construction lines approach the diameter of lamp image 90 . in this case , it becomes increasingly difficult to provide a curved shape capable of reflecting light rays from behind lamp 16 with a single reflection . the immediately following discussion provides an alternative approach for directing light rays more efficiently from rear portion 50 of reflector 12 . complex reflector surfaces having curved portions may be optically derived using a mathematical operation known as co - involution . mechanically , co - involution can be described as the generation of a curve from a point of a perfectly flexible inextensible thread that is kept taut as it is wound upon or unwound from another curve , known as a caustic curve . the caustic curve is tangent to an envelope of rays that have been reflected or refracted from a corresponding curved surface known as an involute or zero - distance phase front . the desired curve shape for rear curved portion 50 is derived from the caustic curve and the involute curve . the shape of the caustic curve , often called the caustic signature , will determine the shape of the rear curved portion 50 . for example , co - involution of a caustic curve that is a circle will always generate a curve that is a nephroid . the caustic curve is selected such that the resulting rear curved portion 50 in combination with side curved portion 48 provides a reflector 12 that fits within troffer 14 . for this reason , the type and position ( with respect to lamp 16 and troffer 14 ) of the caustic curve used to generate the reflector curved is typically determined empirically . referring to fig5 caustic curve 110 is one of a variety of curves ( e . g . parabolas , circles , cardioids ) used to generate rear portion 50 of curve 42 . point source 111 , representing a point within or along lamp 16 is placed a predetermined distance ( d1 ) from rear wall 26 of troffer 14 . caustic curve 110 is positioned between lamp 16 and the desired area of illumination 49 such that light rays reflected from some point along rear curved portion 50 will be tangent to points along caustic 110 . a first ray 112 tangential to a point 114 on caustic 110 represents a desired reflected path for any light ray emitted from lamp 16 which is incident at a point 116 along desired rear portion curve 50 . point 116 , lying on first ray 112 is placed between point source 111 and rear wall 26 to represent a point along desired rear curved portion 50 . second , third and fourth rays 118 , 119 , and 120 are provided , each tangent to caustic 110 , representing corresponding second , third and fourth reflected paths for light rays reflected from desired rear portion curve 50 at second point 122 , third point 123 and fourth point 124 , respectively . a second construction curve , known as the involute or zero - distance phase front ( zdpf ) 126 , is related to caustic curve 110 such that the distance between point source 111 and points 116 and 122 - 124 along desired rear portion curve 50 equals the distance between points 116 and 122 - 124 and corresponding points 128 - 131 , respectively , along involute 126 . in other words , the length of the line between points 111 and 116 is the same as the length of the line between points 116 and 128 . similarly , the lengths of lines between point 111 and each of points 122 - 124 equal the lengths of lines between points 122 - 124 and points 129 - 131 , respectively . with this relationship , all points along desired rear portion curve 50 between points 116 , 122 , 123 , and 124 can be generated . other embodiments are within the scope of the claims . for example , if the troffer geometry permits , the technique of co - involution also permits the construction , in general form , of an entire complex curved reflector surface ( both side and rear portions ). the entire reflector surface can be described algebraically with a single function . as shown in fig6 an alternate embodiment of the invention has a caustic curve known as tschirnhausen &# 39 ; s cubical spline 140 properly placed in relation to troffer 14 and lamp 16 . involution of the spline 140 provides a corresponding involute 142 such that a family of light rays orthogonal to involute 142 and tangent to spline 140 can be used to generate points along a reflector 144 . as was the case in the example shown in fig5 tschirnhausen &# 39 ; s spline 140 is related to involute 142 such that the distance of a line from lamp 16 to a point on reflector surface 144 is equal to the length of a portion of a line along the ray passing through that point which extends from the point to involute 142 . for example , line segments 146 , 148 from lamp 16 to reflector 144 have lengths equal in length to line segments 150 , 152 respectively . tschirnhausen &# 39 ; s cubical spline 140 is defined by the equation : constant a is a scaling factor for enlarging or reducing the relative size of the spline and is generally determined empirically as a function of the geometry of troffer 14 and the location of lamp 16 with respect to troffer 14 . radius vector r is a function of the angular spacing θ and has an origin 141 at an empirically selected point in the transverse plane of reflector 12 with respect to lamp 16 and troffer 14 . the origin 141 of radius vector r represents the locus of center of curvature for spline 140 . co - involution of tschirnhausen &# 39 ; s spline 140 using involute curve 142 results in the generation of reflector 12 having a curved shape known as a nephroid curve 144 . nephroid curves are well - suited for luminare applications where lamp 16 has a circular cross - section and troffer 14 has a rectangular cross - section . a conventional fluorescent lamp reflector and a fluorescent lamp reflector in accordance with the invention were tested for their illuminance distribution characteristics . the lamp reflector arrangement tested included a pair of fluorescent lamps disposed between a troffer and a pair of fluorescent lamps in the arrangement similar to that of fig1 . the fluorescent lamps used in the test were commercially available octolume ® fo17 / 41 fluorescent lamps manufactured by phillips lighting co ., somerset , n . j ., rated at 1325 lumens per lamp and powered by energy efficient electronic ballasts , a product of magnetek co ., triad ™ division , huntington , ind . the fluorescent lamps were oriented identically in their respective reflectors , each mounted eight feet from the floor in a totally dark test room and were tested under the same operating and environmental conditions ( e . g . voltage , temperature ). the conventional lamp reflector tested was a multifaceted ( 31 facets ) model # 40em lamp reflector , manufactured by new england sun control , inc ., smithfield , r . i . the specular material used for the conventional art reflector was a silver laminated film known as silverlux ™, a product of 3m construction markets , st . paul , minn . the tested lamp reflector of the invention had a continuously curved shaped generated using the technique of co - involuting a tschirnhausen cubical spline as described above in conjunction with fig6 . moreover , the lamp reflector was fabricated using the process described above in conjunction with fig3 a - 3g . referring to table i below , illuminance readings were measured at eleven locations along a pair of orthogonal axes ( fig1 - 12 ), in the eight foot room along a horizontal plane 30 inches above the floor using a standard photometer . the illuminance readings in units of footcandles were measured with and without a prismatic lens . table 1______________________________________datalo - with prismatic lens without prismatic lensca - reflector of conventional reflector of conventionaltion invention reflector invention reflector # ( footcandles ) ( footcandles ) ( footcandles ) ( footcandles ) ______________________________________1 47 36 62 412 43 31 56 373 34 25 45 314 30 20 38 255 40 30 55 376 32 26 44 317 26 21 38 268 42 33 40 369 30 27 29 3610 45 33 45 3911 28 27 32 32______________________________________ referring to fig1 , the illuminance data of table i for both the conventional lamp reflector and lamp reflector of the present invention is shown , with each reflector having a prismatic lens 25 placed over the open face of troffer 14 . curves 300 , 302 , shown as dashed lines , represent the illuminance data of the conventional reflector along the pair of orthogonal axes 303 , 305 of the room , respectively . on the other hand , curves 304 , 306 , shown as solid lines , represent the reflector of the present invention along the same axes 303 , 305 . referring to fig1 , the illuminance data of table i for both reflectors is graphically shown with prismatic lens 25 removed . curves 308 , 310 ( dashed lines ) represent the illuminance data of the conventional reflector along the pair of orthogonal axes 303 , 305 of the room , respectively , while curves 312 , 314 represent the illuminance of the present invention along the same axes 303 , 305 . alternatively , as shown in fig7 a reflector 160 may be derived by substituting a circularly shaped caustic 162 representing the outer annular surface of lamp 16 for point source 64 . co - involution of circularly shaped caustic 162 with a second caustic such as tschirnhausen &# 39 ; s spline 140 will provide a corresponding involute curve 164 in the manner as was provided with the embodiments of fig5 and 6 . once again , the lengths of line segments 166 , 168 from circularly shaped caustic curve 162 to reflector 160 are equal to the line lengths of line segments 170 , 172 from reflector 160 to involute 164 , respectively . viewed in another way , the construction of reflector surface 140 is a mechanical operation where line segments 166 , 168 represent a string wound around circularly shaped caustic curve 162 and spline 140 . the string has enough slack such that if a pencil stretches the string taut and is moved clockwise such that the string is wound onto caustic 162 and unwound from spline 140 simultaneously a curve representing reflector 160 is generated . in the embodiment shown in fig6 it was determined that a particular curve , such as nephroid curve 144 , provides efficient reflection of light rays from light fixture 10 . accordingly , an alternate embodiment utilizes a nephroid curve provided without performing the operation of co - involution . instead , a mathematically described nephroid curve can be used for rear portion 50 of reflector 12 . one example of a nephroid curve 144 is expressed by the equation ( r / 2h ) 2 / 3 =( sin θ / 2 ) 2 / 3 +( cos θ / 2 ) 2 / 3 , with r being the radius vector from the center of the circular cross - section of the lamp , h being the cusp focal distance ( distance between the center of the lamp and the cusp ), and θ being the angle of the radius vector . the radius vector r and cusp focal distance h are selected such that nephroid curve fits within troffer 14 . in the examples described above and shown in fig5 and 6 , single caustic curves 110 , 140 are used to generate either part or all of rear curved portion 50 , respectively . however , the geometry of troffer 14 may require that more than one caustic or a family of caustic curves be used to generate the shape of rear portion 50 which will reflect any light ray emitted from lamp 16 out of troffer 14 . with such troffer geometries , rear portion 50 would be divided into smaller curved portions , each portion associated with a separate caustic curve and involute pair . on the other hand , the curve - fitting approach for providing side curved portion 48 ( described in conjunction with fig4 ) can be extended to generate rear portion 50 . however , using a lamp image 90 having a diameter d being one half the actual diameter of lamp 16 ( see fig4 ) at rear portion 50 will generally provide a pair of curve - fitting points spaced too widely to determine a shape for rear curved portion 50 needed to direct light rays to area of illumination 49 with a single reflection . referring to fig8 it is clear that decreasing the lamp image diameter , provides a greater number of curve - fitting points 94a - 94n which results in a better approximation of the curve . for this reason , in applications in which the curve fitting approach is used to generate the curved shape of rear portion 50 , smaller lamp images 180 , 182 disposed within the periphery of lamp 16 , as shown in fig8 should be used . in addition , reduced - sized lamp image 182 are moved to different positions within the perimeter of lamp 16 . the positions are determined empirically and are generally placed where the average amount of flux occurs . in applications where side curved portion 48 is developed independently from rear curved portion 50 , the separate curves may be joined in a way that their combination provides a single unsegmented reflector curve . referring to fig9 point 186 represents the junction of side curved portion 48 and rear curved portion 50 . a tangent line 188 through point 186 is determined such that lines 190 and 192 ( dashed ) each tangent to points immediately adjacent to and on opposite sides of junction point 186 , respectively , have slopes which oppose each other with respect to tangent line 188 . as shown in fig1 , in an alternate embodiment , an asymmetric lamp reflector 200 is shown disposed within a troffer 14 to reflect light reflected from a lamp 16 . reflector 200 has a pair of concave curved members 202 , 204 attached at a spine portion 206 defining a cusp . each of concave curved surfaces 202 , 204 are generated using any one of the above described methods of curve - fitting , co - involuting , or mathematically describing shapes to generate an efficient light reflector 200 . unlike reflector 12 ( see fig2 ), curved surfaces 202 , 204 of reflector 200 are differently shaped and are asymmetric about a diametric axis 208 extending from behind lamp 16 to a desired area of illumination 210 . although the shape of reflector 200 is asymmetric , light rays 212 - 215 emitted from lamp 16 and incident upon curved members 202 , 204 are still directed to area of illumination 210 with generally a single reflection . asymmetric lamp reflectors are used in applications which require special photometric light distributions or to provide clearance from hardware within the fixture , such as a ballast 216 . end members 22 , 24 may also have curved concave surfaces developed using any of the above described techniques .
5
one exemplary methodology according to principles of the invention entails removing a damaged upper elevation of a piling by cutting . the damaged section up to the pile cap may be removed . as piling are typically designed to hold several times the weight of a supported pier and structures thereon , damaged sections may typically be removed one at a time , without endangering the stability of the pier or supported structures . nevertheless , temporary supports ( e . g ., a crane / false work ) may be utilized throughout the repair , out of an abundance of caution , to ensure structural integrity . next an exemplary pile jacking sleeve according to principles of the invention is installed . referring to fig1 , a perspective view of an exemplary cylindrical pile jacking sleeve 100 is shown . the sleeve 100 includes a bottom section 105 , an intermediate section 110 and a top section 115 . as a structural member , the sleeve 100 is designed to be at least as strong as the piling . the sleeve can support the weight of the top section of the piling plus the load that the piling was intended to carry . by way of illustration , without limitation , cylindrical sleeves comprised of steel and having a consistent wall thickness of ¼ to 1 inch ( or more ) is considered adequate for most applications . of course , the composition and wall thickness may vary while still providing the requisite structural support and without departing from the scope of the invention . the sleeve 100 is sized to engage the piling sections . the cylindrical sleeve 100 has an inner diameter that is about slightly larger than the outer diameter of the piling sections . the sleeve includes a plurality of apertures . a plurality of bolt holes 125 are provided to receive bolts or other mechanical fasteners for securing the sleeve to the remaining sections of the piling or new piling . a plurality of optional grout windows 130 are also provided to allow grout to fill the gap between the sections of the piling , between the piling and the sleeve and between the sleeve and an optional jacket . while the windows are displayed as rectangular openings , apertures having other shapes , sizes and proportions may be used . additionally , at least one window 150 ( or a hinged or bolted door ) in the intermediate section 110 sized to allow one or more hydraulic jacks to be inserted and removed from the intermediate section 110 of the sleeve is also provided . a hinged 145 door 120 with a closure 310 ( as shown in fig3 ) is provided in the top section 115 , as a means for enabling lateral ( i . e ., horizontal ) access by a new pile section . when the door 120 is open , the cut end of the new section of piling may be received laterally into the top section 115 of the sleeve . thus , the bottom section 105 of the sleeve 100 may receive an existing or new bottom section of piling , while the top section 115 of the sleeve 100 may laterally receive a new top section of piling through the open door . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the hinged door enables the sleeve to couple sections of piling , without dismantling or damaging the supported deck structure / super - structure . those skilled in the art will further appreciate that one or more hinged doors ( e . g ., a pair of hinged doors ) may be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention . additionally , the hinged door 120 may pivot along a vertical hinged axis 145 in a conventional door - like manner or along a horizontal hinged axis in a drawbridge - like manner ( not shown ). furthermore , other means for enabling lateral ( i . e ., horizontal ) access such as removable panels may be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention . a pair of plates 135 and 140 are also provided as pile support structures . a stationary plate 135 provides a stable base upon which the sleeve rests on a lower pile section and a jack may be placed . it also provides a surface for evenly distributing forces . the stationary plate , which may be welded or otherwise joined to the sleeve 100 , partitions the bottom 105 from intermediate ( i . e ., jacking ) 110 sections . when extended , the jack is supported by the stationary plate 135 and exerts compressive force against a floating plate 140 , which provides a uniform , hard stable surface to exert and distribute upward forces against the bottom end of the top section of piling . placing a jack surface directly against the bottom end of the top section of piling would risk damaging the piling . the floating plate 140 may move longitudinally in the sleeve and distributes concentrated jacking forces over the engaged section of the new upper pile . one or more stoppers ( e . g ., protrusions ) may be provided to define a range of motion for the floating plate 140 . referring now to fig2 , a side sectional view of an exemplary installed cylindrical pile jacking sleeve 100 according to principles of the invention is shown . an existing or new pile stub ( i . e ., bottom section of piling ) 200 is received in the bottom section 105 of the sleeve . a plurality of lag bolts or thru bolts 210 secure the bottom section of the piling 200 to the sleeve 100 . the stationary plate 135 rests atop the bottom section of the piling 200 . one or more jacks 215 are provided in the intermediate section 110 of the sleeve 100 . actuation of the jacks 215 forces the floating plate 140 upwardly , away from the stationary plate 135 . the jacks 215 should be positioned and utilize a head that is conducive to even stress distribution and minimizes eccentricity between the jacks 215 and floating plate 140 . one or more force or pressure measuring devices , such as calibrated hydraulic pressure gauges , may be operatively coupled to the jacks 215 to monitor the load . the jacks may be inserted ( and optionally removed ) through a window 150 ( or a hinged door ) in the intermediate section 110 . as the sleeve 100 is structurally adequate to support the required load , including the new pile 205 , the jacks 215 may be removed after the new pile 205 is secured to the sleeve . alternatively , the jacks 215 , which are typically considered expendable , may be left in place . a new pile ( i . e ., top section of piling ) 205 is received in the top section 115 of the sleeve 100 . a plurality of lag bolts or thru bolts secure the top section of piling 205 to the sleeve 100 , after the piling 205 has been loaded to a determined design load ( i . e ., a compressive load ) by jacking . the top section of piling 205 rests atop the floating plate 140 . during installation , the pile jacking sleeve is first fitted onto the upper end of a bottom pile stub 200 and slid down along the bottom pile until the stationary plate 135 rests securely on top of the bottom pile stub 200 . next , the one or more jacks 215 are placed between the floating plate 140 and the stationary plate 135 . alternatively , the jacks 215 are placed between the floating plate 140 and the stationary plate 135 before the pile jacking sleeve is fitted onto the upper end of a bottom pile stub 200 . next , the hinged pile access door 120 is opened to receive the bottom end of the top ( i . e ., new ) pile 205 . the top pile 205 can then be maneuvered laterally into place through the opened hinged pile access door 120 . when in place , the top pile 205 will extend approximately from the bottom of the supported deck structure / super - structure down to the floating plate 140 . laterally maneuvering the top pile 205 into place allows the new piling fit into any tight location , beneath a supported deck structure / super - structure , without having to dismantle or damage the supported deck structure / super - structure . after the top and bottom piling 200 , 205 , jacks 215 and jack sleeve 100 are in place , the jacks 215 are actuated . actuation may entail directly or indirectly applying hydraulic pressure or mechanical force to cause the jacks 215 to exert compressive force against the floating plate 140 and the top pile 205 supported thereon . pile jacking force at any instant may be read from a load indicator operably coupled to the jacks 215 , floating plate 140 and / or top pile 205 . the jacks 215 are actuated until the exerted compressive force levels the supported deck structure / super - structure and / or the compressive force exerted reaches a design load for the supported deck structure / super - structure . once the desired compressive force is achieved , the top pile 205 may be locked into place . for example , a plurality of lag bolts or thru bolts may be used to secure the top section of piling 205 to the sleeve 100 , after the piling 205 has been loaded to the determined design load ( i . e ., a compressive load ) by jacking . as discussed above , the sleeve 100 is structurally adequate to support the required load , including the new pile 205 . therefore , the jacks 215 may either be removed after the new pile 205 is secured to the sleeve 100 or left in place as expendable support structures . referring now to fig3 , after the piling sections 200 and 205 are secured to the sleeve 100 , the sleeve may optionally be encased in a conventional encasing manner for piling repairs . the encasement may be structural or non - structural . by way of example and not limitation , a rebar lattice comprised of vertical reinforcing bars 315 coupled by horizontal reinforcements 300 ( collectively rebar ) may be wrapped concentrically around the sleeve 100 . then a jacket 320 may be wrapped concentrically around the rebar 300 and 315 . the ends of the jacket 320 may be secured together using a form flange 305 or other attachment ( e . g ., mechanical attachment , weld , or thermal or chemical bond ). spaces between the jacket 320 , rebar 300 and 315 and piling 200 and 205 ( e . g ., annular space 325 ) may then be filled with an appropriate filler such as concrete , epoxy , cement and / or grout . the filler may be introduced in a conventional manner for underwater construction . by way of example and not limitation , pressurized fluid filler may be pumped into the spaces between the jacket 320 , rebar 300 and 315 , jacketed portions of piling 200 , 205 , and other jacketed components using a suitable pump and conduit ( e . g ., a hose ). upon solidification , the jacket components are securely embedded in the resultantly formed strong , durable , protective filler material . referring now to fig4 , a perspective view of an exemplary rectangular ( e . g ., square ) pile jacking sleeve 400 is shown . the sleeve 400 includes a bottom section 440 , an intermediate section 445 and a top section 450 . as a structural member , the sleeve 400 is designed to be at least as strong as the piling . in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in fig4 , the sleeve can support the weight of the top section of the piling plus the load that the piling was intended to carry . by way of illustration , without limitation , rectangular sleeves comprised of steel and having a consistent wall thickness of ¼ to 1 inch ( or more ) is considered adequate for most applications . of course , the composition , shape and wall thickness may vary while still providing the requisite structural support and without departing from the scope of the invention . the sleeve 400 is sized to engage rectangular or square piling sections . the sleeve 400 is sized slightly larger than the outer dimensions of the piling sections . the sleeve includes a plurality of apertures . a plurality of bolt holes 430 are provided to receive bolts or other mechanical fasteners for securing the sleeve to the remaining sections of the piling or new installed piling . a plurality of grout windows 410 is also provided to allow grout ( or other filler material ) to fill the gap between the sections of the piling , between the piling and the sleeve and between the sleeve and an optional jacket . while the windows are displayed as rectangular openings , apertures having other shapes , sizes and proportions may be used . additionally , at least one window 455 ( or a hinged door ) in the intermediate section 445 sized to allow one or more hydraulic jacks to be inserted and removed from the intermediate section 445 of the sleeve is also provided . a hinged 435 door 425 is provided in the top section 450 to facilitate new pile installation . when the door 425 is open , the cut end of the new upper piling may be received laterally into the top section 400 of the sleeve . thus , the bottom section 440 of the sleeve 400 may receive the cut end of the bottom section of the piling or new piling , while the top section 450 of the sleeve 400 may laterally receive the new upper piling through the open door . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the hinged door enables the sleeve to couple pre - existing and / or new top and bottom pilings or sections of piling , without dismantling or damaging the supported deck structure / super - structure . a pair of plates 415 and 420 are also provided . a stationary plate 415 provides a stable base upon which the sleeve rests on a lower pile section and a jack may be placed . it also provides a surface for evenly distributing forces . the stationary plate , which may be welded or otherwise joined to the sleeve 400 , partitions the bottom 440 from intermediate ( i . e ., jacking ) 445 sections . when extended , the jack is supported by the stationary plate 415 and exerts compressive force against a floating plate 420 , which provides a uniform , hard stable surface to exert and distribute upward compressive force against the bottom end of the top section of piling . placing a jack surface directly against the bottom end of the top section of piling would risk damaging the piling . the floating plate 420 may move longitudinally in the sleeve and distributes concentrated jacking forces over the cross - section of the new upper pile . one or more stoppers ( e . g ., protrusions ) may be provided to define a range of motion for the floating plate 420 . referring now to fig5 , a side sectional view of an exemplary installed square / rectangular pile jacking sleeve 400 according to principles of the invention is shown . a portion 510 of an existing or new pile stub ( i . e ., bottom section of piling ) 500 is received in the bottom section 440 of the sleeve . a plurality of lag bolts or thru bolts ( e . g ., bolts 600 as shown in fig6 ) secure the bottom section of the piling 500 to the bottom section 440 of the sleeve . the stationary plate 415 rests atop the bottom section of the piling 510 . one or more jacks 515 are provided in the intermediate section 445 of the sleeve 400 . actuation of the jacks 515 forces the floating plate 420 upwardly . one or more force or pressure measuring devices , such as calibrated hydraulic pressure gauges , may be operatively coupled to the jacks 515 to monitor the load . the jacks may be inserted ( and optionally removed ) through a window ( or a hinged door ) in the intermediate section 445 . as the sleeve 400 is structurally adequate to support the required load , including the new pile 520 , the jacks 515 may be removed after the new pile 520 is secured to the sleeve . alternatively , the jacks 515 , which are typically considered expendable , may be left in place . a new pile ( i . e ., top section of piling ) 520 is received in the top section 450 of the sleeve 400 . a plurality of lag bolts or thru bolts ( e . g ., bolts 600 as shown in fig6 ) secure the top section of piling 520 to the top section 450 of the sleeve 400 , after the piling 520 has been loaded to a determined design load by jacking . the top section of piling 520 rests atop the floating plate 420 . referring now to fig6 , after the piling sections 510 and 520 are secured to the sleeve 400 , the sleeve may be encased in a conventional encasing manner for piling repairs . encasements may be structural or non - structural . by way of example and not limitation , a rebar lattice comprised of vertical reinforcing bars 605 coupled by horizontal reinforcements 620 ( collectively rebar ) may be wrapped concentrically around the sleeve 400 . then a jacket 615 may be wrapped concentrically around the rebar 620 and 605 . the ends of the jacket 615 may be secured together using a form flange 610 or other attachment ( e . g ., mechanical attachment , weld , or thermal or chemical bond ). spaces between the jacket 615 , rebar 620 and 605 and piling 500 and 520 may then be filled with an appropriate filler such as concrete , epoxy , cement and / or grout . a pile jacking sleeve according to principles of the invention is not limited to any specific materials . any materials suitable for marine construction , including , but not limited to , steel , galvanized steel , stainless steel , aluminum , other metals , alloys thereof , and composites may be utilized within the scope of the invention . while the invention has been described in terms of various embodiments , implementations and examples , those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims including equivalents thereof . the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . variations and modifications may be affected within the scope and spirit of the invention .
4
the merits and characteristics of the present invention and a method for achieving the merits and characteristics will become more apparent from embodiments described in detail later in conjunction with the accompanying drawings . however , the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments , but may be implemented in various different ways . the embodiments are provided to only complete the disclosure of the present invention and to allow those skilled in the art to understand the category of the present invention . the present invention is defined by the category of the claims . the same reference numbers will be used to refer to the same or similar parts throughout the drawings . the present invention is described with reference to the drawings for illustrating an improved crossbow in connection with the embodiments of the present invention . fig1 is a perspective view illustrating an improved crossbow in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the improved crossbow in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig3 is a cross - sectional view illustrating the improved crossbow in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig4 is a side view illustrating the bowstring of the improved crossbow in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 to 4 , first , a body 100 is formed to have a specific length in a gun form . that is , a general shape of the body 100 is the same as that of the body of a common crossbow . the body 100 has a basic body shape of a conventional crossbow in which a handle 105 is formed at the bottom of the body , and it is made of wood or synthetic resin materials . furthermore , a latch protrusion 120 is combined with the body 100 toward the inside of the body on one side of the upper part of the body 100 in such a way to be upwardly protruded . the latch protrusion 120 has a cylindrical shape . coupling shafts 121 are formed on one side of the lower part of the latch protrusion 120 in such a way as to be protruded on both sides of the latch protrusion 120 . furthermore , a spring 122 for applying elasticity to the latch protrusion 120 is combined with the upper part of the coupling shafts 121 . in this case , the latch protrusion 120 is combined with the body 100 in such a way as to be upwardly protruded from the body 100 by means of the elasticity of the spring 122 . furthermore , the latch protrusion 120 is combined with a compartment 101 formed within the body 100 . the latch protrusion 120 is inserted into a fastening hole 102 formed to penetrate the body on one side of the center of the compartment 101 in such a way as to vertically move up and down . meanwhile , a trigger 110 for moving the latch protrusion 120 up and down is combined with the latch protrusion 120 so that it is connected to the latch protrusion 120 on one side of the lower part of the body 100 . coupling rings 111 are formed on both sides of the trigger 110 on one side of the upper part of the trigger 110 . the coupling rings 111 are combined with the coupling shafts 121 at the lower part of the latch protrusion 120 . a hinge shaft 112 is formed on the other side of the upper part of the trigger 110 . furthermore , the hinge shaft 112 is combined with one side of the lower part of the body 100 , and the trigger 110 moves around the hinge shaft 112 . in this case , when the trigger 110 is combined with one side of the lower part of the body 100 , the coupling rings 111 of the trigger 110 are coupled with the respective coupling shafts 121 of the latch protrusion 120 in such a way as to be engaged therewith . furthermore , when a user pulls the trigger 110 backward , the trigger 110 moves around the hinge shaft 112 , and thus the coupling rings 111 of the trigger 110 lower the latch protrusion 120 downward . furthermore , when a user releases a force that pulls the trigger 110 , the latch protrusion 120 returns to the original state by means of the spring 122 combined with the latch protrusion 120 . an arrow track 200 includes a fixing pipe 210 and a control pipe 220 . the fixing pipe 210 is inserted into the end of the upper part of the body 100 at the front of the body 100 and combined therewith . furthermore , the fixing pipe 210 has a circular pipe form having a specific length . a part on one side of the fixing pipe 210 is inserted into the front part of the body 100 and firmly fixed thereto . the control pipe 220 is combined with the inside of the fixing pipe 210 in such a way as to slide forward and backward . furthermore , the control pipe 220 is fabricated to have the same inside diameter as the fixing pipe 210 and may slide forward and backward without shaking when it is inserted into the fixing pipe 210 . furthermore , a pair of front rollers 222 is combined with the respective ends of the control pipe 220 at the front thereof so that they pull a bowstring 400 . that is , since the control pipe 220 is inserted into the fixing pipe 210 and is able to slide forward and backward , the bowstring 400 is pulled to the maximum extent depending on the protrusion length of the control pipe 220 and is able to maximize the tension of the bowstring 400 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view illustrating that the length of the arrow track of the improved crossbow in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention has been controlled . referring to fig1 , elastic members 230 that have respective one ends combined with insertion holes 260 concaved and formed on both sides and elastic protrusions 240 that are combined with the other ends of the elastic members 230 and elastically supported by the elastic members 230 in such a way as to be concaved into the insertion holes 260 and outward protruded from the control pipe 220 are formed in the control pipe 220 . furthermore , fixing holes 250 into both sides of which the elastic protrusions 240 are inserted are formed to penetrate the fixing pipe 210 . that is , when the control pipe 220 slides within the fixing pipe 210 , the elastic protrusions 240 are inserted into the fixing holes 250 and thus the control pipe 220 is fixed to the fixing pipe 210 . furthermore , when the elastic protrusions 240 are pressed by a user in the state in which the elastic protrusions 240 have been inserted into the fixing holes 250 , the elastic protrusions 240 are inserted into the insertion holes 260 and simultaneously pulled out from the fixing holes 250 . at this time , the control pipe 220 is able to slide in the state in which it has been inserted into the fixing pipe 210 and is deep inserted into the fixing pipe 210 or externally protruded . accordingly , the length of the arrow track 200 is controlled . as described above , the arrow track 200 in which the control pipe 220 slides within the fixing pipe 210 forward and backward is provided in order to increase or decrease the tension of the bowstring 400 engaged with the crossbow 1 . furthermore , range control divisions 226 in which the range of the crossbow 1 according to the tension of the bowstring 400 are marked by divisions may be formed on one side or both sides of the control pipe 220 of the arrow track 200 . accordingly , a user who uses the crossbow 1 may control the tension of the bowstring 400 by moving the position of the control pipe 220 while checking the range control divisions 226 with the naked eye . in this case , the pair of front rollers 222 is coupled with the end of the control pipe 220 between roller coupling plates 223 combined in a “ e ” shape and is extended in the respective strings of the bowstring 400 . furthermore , a guide ring 225 is combined with the front part of the roller coupling plates 223 on the upper side of the roller coupling plates 223 . a loading ring 224 having a hook shape is combined with the lower part of the roller coupling plates 223 . a latching hole 310 is formed in the projectile 300 so that the projectile 300 is engaged with the latch protrusion 120 of the body 100 . the bowstring 400 is connected to the front of the projectile 300 , and a latching strap 320 is formed at the back of the projectile 300 . in this case , when the bowstring 400 is connected to the projectile 300 , the bowstring 400 is connected to the projectile 300 in the state in which the bowstring 400 formed of two strings becomes vertical ( refer to fig4 ). the latching strap 320 is a strap engaged with a latching hook 611 formed in the arrowhead 610 of an arrow 600 . furthermore , a loading plate 104 is formed at the top of the body 100 so that the arrow 600 is fixed at the top of the body 100 . that is , the loading plate 104 is combined with the top of the body 100 in the rear of the body 100 . an insertion hole 103 is formed in the loading plate 104 so that the arrow shaft 620 of the arrow 600 is inserted into the insertion hole 103 . in the crossbow 1 , the bowstring 400 functions as a medium for firing the arrow 600 . such a bowstring 400 is made of rubber materials having high elasticity . the end of one side of the bowstring 400 is connected to the projectile 300 , and the other side of the bowstring 400 is fixed to the fixing rollers 160 of the body 100 through the front rollers 222 of the arrow track 200 . that is , when a user forward pulls the control pipe 220 of the arrow track 200 , the bowstring 400 is extended along the control pipe 220 , thus having increased elasticity . on the contrary to this , the control pipe 220 of the arrow track 200 slides into the fixing pipe 210 at the back of the control pipe 220 and is inserted therein , thus having reduced elasticity . meanwhile , a protection plate 130 formed to bend toward the top of the body 100 is combined with one side of the side of the body 100 . the protection plate 130 is protection means for preventing a broken bowstring 400 from hitting a user when the bowstring 400 is used for a long time and broken . furthermore , the protection plate 130 preferably is made of transparent acryl or glass materials , and a separate aiming point ( not illustrated ) may be printed on a surface of the protection plate 130 . furthermore , a separately fabricated scope 140 is combined with one side of the lower part of the protection plate 130 so that precise aiming through the scope 140 is made possible . furthermore , a safety device 150 is combined with the bottom of the latch protrusion 120 of the body 100 . the safety device 150 is combined with the latch protrusion 120 so that is slides within the body 100 forward and backward . furthermore , if a user does not use the crossbow 1 , the safety device 150 is placed in a space to which the latch protrusion 120 comes down by backward pulling the safety device 150 for safety . in this case , although a user unintentionally pulls the trigger 110 , the crossbow 1 does not fire an arrow because the latch protrusion 120 clogged by the safety device 150 does not come down . meanwhile , a cover plate 500 consisting of an upper plate 510 and a lower plate 520 is combined with the lower part of the fixing pipe 210 of the arrow track 200 . the cover plate 500 is provided in order for a user to hold the crossbow 1 more safely . the lower plate 520 and the upper plate 510 are hinged and combined with each other using hinges ( not illustrated ) formed on one sides of the lower and upper plates . the other sides of the lower and upper plates are combined with each other using locking devices ( not illustrated ) capable of fixing the lower plate 520 and the upper plate 510 . that is , when the bowstring 400 is replaced , the lower plate 520 is separated from the upper plate 510 by releasing the hinges and the locking devices , and the bowstring 400 combined with the fixing rollers 160 is disassembled by opening the lower plate 520 . in this case , a coupling pin 700 having both sides separated is coupled to the center of the fixing rollers 160 and the front rollers 222 . the coupling pin 700 functions to more facilitate the disassembly and assembly of the fixing rollers 160 and the front rollers 222 , and it may be disassembled and assembled through a spiral coupling method . furthermore , the coupling pin 700 includes a part , that is , a nut part , on one side and a part , that is , a bolt part , on the other side . the nut and bolt parts of the coupling pin 700 are combined with each other . furthermore , if the bowstring 400 is broken while a user uses the crossbow 1 , the bowstring 400 may be easily replaced by separating the fixing rollers 160 and the front rollers 222 using the coupling pin 700 . furthermore , when the bowstring 400 is replaced , the projectile 300 is also replaced . meanwhile , the bowstring 400 is divided into a first part a , a second part b , and a third part c as illustrated in fig4 . the first part a is a part combined with the fixing rollers 160 , the second part b is a part extended on the front rollers 222 , and the third part c is a part combined with the projectile 300 . if the bowstring 400 is used for a long time , the bowstring 400 may be broken . in this case , if the broken portion of the bowstring 400 is distant from the body 100 , a safety accident may occur because the broken portion bounces back to a user . accordingly , the bowstring 400 is fabricated so that the first part a of the bowstring 400 , that is , a part closest to the crossbow 1 , is broken . that is , the areas of the first part a , the second part b , and the third part c when the first , the second , and the third parts are cut in a vertical plane in the lengthwise direction of the bowstring 400 are fabricated to be different . in this case , the bowstring 400 preferably has a smaller area from the first part a to the third part c . accordingly , the bowstring 400 is fabricated so that the first part a having the smallest area and a thin thickness is more easily broken than the second part b and the third part c . as a result , the bowstring 400 bounces forward without bouncing back to a user &# 39 ; s body , that is , to the rear of the body 100 . fig5 and 6 are state diagrams illustrating the state in which the improved crossbow in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is used . the state in which the crossbow according to the present invention is used is described below with reference to fig5 and 6 . first , fig5 illustrates the state in which the bowstring 400 of the crossbow 1 has been pulled . it is not easy for a user to directly pull the bowstring 400 of the crossbow 1 due to elasticity . for this reason , a user pushes the control pipe 220 of the crossbow 1 into the fixing pipe 210 to the maximum extent and then combines the projectile 300 of the crossbow 1 with the latch protrusion 120 of the body 100 . furthermore , the loading ring 224 combined with the front of the control pipe 220 of the arrow track 200 is hung on a bough or a pipe on the roadside . furthermore , a user pulls the body 100 backward while holding the handle 105 at the lower part of the body 100 using one hand and also holding the cover plate 500 using the other hand . at this time , as the elastic protrusions 240 are inserted into the fixing holes 250 , the control pipe 220 is fixed to the fixing pipe 210 . furthermore , fig6 illustrates the state in which the arrow 600 is loaded on the crossbow 1 in which tension has been generated in the bowstring 400 . the projectile 300 is combined with the latch protrusion 120 and fixed to the top of the body 100 . furthermore , the latching strap 320 formed in the projectile 300 is hung on the latching hook 611 formed in the arrowhead 610 of the arrow 600 . at the same time , the arrow shaft 620 of the arrow 600 , that is , the end of the rear of the arrow shaft 620 , is inserted into the insertion hole 103 of the loading plate 104 formed at the top of the body 100 so that the arrow 600 is seated in the top of the body 100 of the crossbow 1 and loaded thereon . fig7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating the state in which the arrow of the improved crossbow in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is fired . in order for the crossbow 1 to perform firing , a user takes aim at a target at the front through the scope 140 combined with the body 100 of the crossbow 1 . as illustrated in fig7 , when the user pulls the trigger 110 backward around the trigger 110 combined with the lower part of the body 100 , the trigger 110 rotatably moves around the hinge shaft 112 of the trigger 110 downward . as illustrated in fig8 , the trigger 110 that rotatably moves downward functions to downward move the latch protrusion 120 combined with the coupling rings 111 . when the latch protrusion 120 moves downward by the operation of the trigger 110 , the projectile 300 hung on the top of the latch protrusion 120 bounds forward through the tension of the bowstring 400 because the latching of the latch protrusion 120 has been released . at that time , the arrow 600 is fired forward because the latching strap 320 of the projectile 300 pulls the latching hook 611 . fig9 is a diagram illustrating the state in which a user has backward pulled the safety device 150 combined with one side of the lower part of the body 100 of the crossbow 1 when the crossbow 1 is not used . that is , the safety device 150 slides backward within the body 100 and moves to the space to which the latch protrusion 120 comes down . accordingly , although a user unintentionally pulls the trigger 110 , the crossbow 1 does not perform firing because the latch protrusion 120 clogged by the safety device 150 does not come down . fig1 is a diagram illustrating the state in which the arrow 600 has been fully fired from the crossbow 1 . as illustrated in fig1 , the projectile 300 that bounces forward is hung on the guide ring 225 combined with the front of the control pipe 220 of the arrow track 200 , thus not leaning to a downward direction . that is , the guide ring 225 functions to prevent the latching strap 320 and the latching hook 611 from being downward rolled up in front of the roller coupling plates 223 due to the tension of the bowstring 400 although the latching strap 320 and the latching hook 611 are not separated when the projectile 300 bounces forward . the guide ring 225 guides the projectile 300 so that it continues to bounce toward the front of the roller coupling plates 223 . accordingly , the latching strap 320 and the latching hook 611 are separated , and thus the arrow 600 flies toward a target aimed by a user . fig1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an improved crossbow in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig1 is a perspective view illustrating the bowstring of the improved crossbow in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 and 13 , the improved crossbow according to the second embodiment of the present invention is a crossbow in which a single front roller 222 is configured because the bowstring 400 is horizontally combined with the projectile 300 ( refer to fig1 ) when the bowstring 400 including two strings is combined with the projectile 300 . furthermore , both the two strings of the bowstring 400 are extended on the front roller 222 . the remaining elements and operating states are the same as those of the first embodiment , and thus a detailed description thereof is omitted . those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention may be implemented in other detailed forms without changing the technical spirit or indispensable characteristics of the present invention . accordingly , it will be understood that the aforementioned embodiments are illustrative and not limitative from all aspects . the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description , and the present invention should be construed as covering all modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .
5
the vehicle wash system represented schematically in different positions in side view in fig1 and 2 comprises a frame 1 , executed here as a portal , on which are arranged in a height - adjustable manner a first treatment unit 2 executed as a horizontal brush and a second treatment unit 3 designed as a drying arrangement . the first treatment unit 2 comprises a wash brush 4 that is rotatable about a horizontal axis and driven by a motor and that is guided to be vertically sliding on the frame 1 by means of vertical guides 5 and guide blocks 6 . for the execution shown , the second treatment unit 3 is realized as a horizontal roof dryer having a housing 7 and a nozzle head 8 directed downward , which run crosswise to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle across the entire vehicle width and which , by means of vertical guides 9 and guide blocks 10 allocated thereto , are likewise guided to be vertically sliding on the frame 1 executed as a portal . after a vehicle has been washed , an air flow produced by a blower and introduced into the housing 7 can be directed to the upper side of the vehicle by means of the nozzle head 8 in order to dry the vehicle . the vehicle wash system comprises , apart from the horizontal brush , side brushes as well and side dryers that , however , are not depicted here . these likewise can be arranged on the portal - like frame 1 or on an additional portal or frame . for the embodiment depicted in fig1 and 2 , a drive motor 11 is arranged on the frame 1 executed as a portal ; said drive motor is coupled to the two treatment units 2 and 3 by means of a traction member 12 executed as a cable , belt or chain and diverse deflection rolls . the traction member 12 is guided by means of a first deflection roll 13 on the second treatment unit 3 and two stationary deflection rolls 14 and 15 on the frame 1 , where one end of the traction member 12 is wound upon a drive roll 16 that rotates by means of the drive motor 11 and the other end of the traction member 12 is fastened to the first treatment unit 2 . additionally fastened to the frame 1 is a locking arrangement 17 by means of which the second treatment unit 3 can be arrested in an upper end position . for the embodiment shown , the locking arrangement 17 comprises a pivoting stop 18 that can be made to pivot , via a lever 20 , by means of a pneumatically or hydraulically activated actuating cylinder or other suitable actuating drive 19 , between a downward - folded release position according to fig1 and an upward - folded stop position according to fig2 . in the upward - folded stop position , the stop 18 rests against the underside of the block 10 and prevents lowering of the second treatment unit 3 . also fastened to the frame 1 is an upper stop 21 for the first treatment unit 2 . for the execution shown , there is a weight difference between the two treatment units 2 and 3 , wherein the first treatment unit 2 is lighter than the second treatment unit 3 and the difference in weight is selected such that the first treatment unit 2 is drawn against the stop 21 by the heavier second treatment unit 3 according to fig1 , provided that the second treatment unit 3 is not arrested . if for the position depicted in fig1 the traction member 12 is rolled up by a corresponding rotation of the drive roll 16 , the second treatment unit 3 is raised and can be moved from a lower position depicted by solid lines to an upper end position depicted by dashed lines . if by activating the locking arrangement 17 the second treatment unit 3 is arrested in the upper end position according to fig2 , the deflection roll 13 acts as a stationary deflection roll and the first treatment unit 2 can be moved upward or downward by means of a corresponding rotation of the drive roll 16 . provided that the difference in weight of the treatment units is sufficiently great , a locking device is required only on the heavier treatment unit since when activating the drive motor , only the heavier treatment unit will move and the lighter one is drawn against the mechanical end stop . however , for other weight relationships , locking devices can also be provided on both treatment units . this drive principle can be used to mutually adjust both treatment units by means of one single drive motor . if the first treatment unit is a matter of , for example , a wash brush and the second treatment unit is a matter of a drying arrangement on one portal , this in no way whatsoever represents a restricting of the operation of the vehicle wash system , since the wash brush and the drying arrangement are effective in any case in separate passes over the portal . the second embodiment of a vehicle wash system represented in fig3 and 4 differs from the first embodiment only in that the drive motor 11 with drive roll 16 , rather than being in a stationary arrangement on the frame 1 , is arranged on the vertically sliding second treatment unit 3 . since the basic construction otherwise corresponds to the embodiment of fig1 and 2 , corresponding components also are given the same reference numbers . here , the traction element 12 is guided only via two deflection rolls 14 and 15 in a stationary arrangement on the frame 1 , wherein one end of the traction member 12 is fastened to the first treatment unit 2 and the other end of the traction member 12 is wound upon the drive roll 16 of the drive motor 11 fastened to the second treatment unit 3 . if for the position depicted in fig3 , the drive roll 16 is rotated by the drive motor 11 in order to roll up the traction member 12 , the second treatment unit 3 also is raised here and can be moved from a lower position represented in solid lines to an upper end position represented in dashed lines . if the second treatment unit 3 , by means of activating the locking arrangement 17 , is arrested in the upper end position according to fig4 , the treatment unit 2 can be lowered and raised afresh by means of a corresponding rotation of the drive roll 16 . the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and represented in the drawings . it thus goes without saying that in lieu of a horizontal wash brush and horizontal drying arrangement , other treatment units can also be moved by means of the aforementioned drive concept .
1
the foregoing has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description of the disclosure that follows may be better understood . additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the disclosure . it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure . it should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims . the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure , both as to its organization and method of operation , together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures . it is to be expressly understood , however , that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure . in the exemplary embodiments , parts acting in the same way are provided with the same reference signs . the rotary tool 2 , a detail of which in shown in fig1 , is designed in the exemplary embodiment as a modular drilling tool . it comprises a carrier 6 , which extends in the direction of an axis of rotation 4 and on the front end face of which there is formed a coupling receptacle 8 , into which a coupling pin 10 of a cutting head 12 can be inserted at the end — and can be fastened . in the exemplary embodiment , the rotary tool 2 has two helical chip flutes 14 , which are machined in the body of the carrier 6 and are continued in the cutting head 12 , in particular in such a way that the chip flute walls are in line from the carrier 6 to the cutting head 12 without any edges . the carrier 6 generally has a front cutting region with the chip flutes 14 and a rearward clamping shank adjoining thereto , which is not represented any more specifically here and with which it can be clamped in a tool receptacle of a corresponding machine tool . the end face of the carrier 6 and the rearward end face of the cutting head are designed so as to complement one another to form a tool coupling . hereafter , the elements of the tool coupling on the carrier side are respectively provided with the reference symbol “ a ” and those on the head side are provided with the reference symbol “ b ”. the structure of the cutting head 12 according to a first configurational variant is now explained in more detail on the basis of fig2 a - 2c . the coupling pin 10 extends in the direction of the axis of rotation 4 from a planar head bearing area 16 b , by which it is peripherally enclosed and delimited at its foot . it has a head cross - sectional area 18 b , which is defined by that cross - sectional area perpendicular to the axis of rotation 4 in which there is material . in the exemplary embodiment , the head cross - sectional area 18 b is therefore formed by a circular cross section less the clearances due to the chip flutes 14 . in the entire region of the head bearing area 16 b , the cutting head 12 is taken further forward , and therefore has a certain head height , before the actual drill tip is formed , with for example a cone - shaped ground surface . the coupling pin 10 is delimited peripherally by a side wall 20 b , which is formed by in each case two opposing pairs of clamping segments 22 b and torque segments 24 b . the two segments 22 b , 24 b go over into one another , respectively to form a rounded portion . the opposing clamping segments 22 b and the torque segments 24 b respectively run parallel to one another . the segments 22 b , 24 b run in each case into a respective chip flute 14 . the segments 22 b , 24 b are oriented approximately at right angles in relation to one another , so that they approximately define a rectangular basic geometry . at the extreme lower end of the coupling pin 10 , the latter is defined by a planar bottom area 26 b , from which just a cylindrical insertion pin 28 b protrudes centrally . this insertion pin 28 b merely serves as an insertion aid when the cutting head 12 is being assembled into the coupling receptacle 8 . its diameter is only approximately 10 % to 15 % of a nominal drill diameter . in the case of the preferred first configurational variant represented in fig2 a - 2c , both the clamping segments 22 b and the torque segments 24 b are oriented such that they are obliquely inclined in relation to the axis of rotation 4 at an angle of inclination α 1 , which lies for example in the range between 10 ° and 20 °. the coupling pin 10 is therefore altogether approximately conically formed and tapers in the direction of the drill tip . in the transitional region from the coupling pin 10 to the head bearing area 16 b or the bottom area 26 b , rounded portions or bevels are respectively formed , in order in particular to reduce notching forces at the transition to the head bearing area 16 b and make easy insertion into the coupling receptacle 8 possible . as can be seen in particular from the plan view according to fig2 a , the respective clamping segment 22 b runs approximately in the circumferential direction 30 . the circumferential direction 30 is in this case opposite to the direction of rotation of the rotary tool , that is to say the turning direction of the rotary tool 2 when it is being used as intended . when the cutting head 12 is viewed from the front , the direction of rotation is usually counterclockwise . in the region of the torque segments 24 b , a width 32 b of the head bearing area 16 b increases continuously from the respective clamping segment 22 b . the width 32 b is in this case defined by the radial distance between the circumferential area of the cutting head 12 and the side wall 20 b . the front end region of the carrier 6 , which is represented in fig3 a - 3c , is designed so as to complement the cutting head 12 . the side views according to fig3 a and 3c respectively show only pieces of the carrier 6 . corresponding to the individual elements of the cutting head 12 , the carrier 6 has a planar bearing area 16 a , a carrier cross section 18 a , side walls 20 a , clamping segments 22 a , torque segments 24 a , a bottom area 26 a , an insertion bore 28 a , and also a web width 32 a . in the plan view according to fig3 b , coolant outlets 34 can also be additionally seen in the chip flutes 14 . on account of the representation chosen , whereby the carrier 6 has been cut off , these outlets are represented as an open circular area . as can be seen in particular from fig3 b , the clamping segments 22 a extend parallel to a center axis 36 , which crosses the axis of rotation 4 at right angles and — at the level of the bottom area 26 a — forms a tangent to the wall areas of the chip flutes 14 . the clamping segments 22 a and the torque segments 24 a are inclined at an angle of inclination α 2 in relation to the axis of rotation , where α 2 is somewhat greater than α 1 — as can be seen in particular from fig4 a . the difference between these two angles lies for example in the range from 0 . 1 ° to 2 . 5 °. the situation in the joined - together state can be seen from fig4 a . the cutting head is resting with its head bearing area 16 b flat and fully circumferentially on the bearing area 16 a . the obliquely inclined segments 22 a , b and 24 a , b have the effect that the cutting head 12 is held in the carrier 6 in the manner of a dovetail connection . for the assembly of the cutting head 12 , it is inserted with its coupling pin 10 ahead into the coupling receptacle 8 , the coupling pin 10 at first being twisted slightly with respect to the coupling receptacle 8 , until the two bearing areas 16 a , b are lying one on the other . subsequently , the cutting head 12 is twisted in the circumferential direction 30 , so that the obliquely inclined segments 22 a , b and 24 a , b form the dovetail undercut . the circumferential direction 30 therefore corresponds to a screwing - in direction , in the direction of which the cutting head 12 is screwed into the carrier 6 during assembly . as can be seen in particular from the plan view according to fig3 b , the receptacle 8 is enclosed in the entire region of the carrier cross section 18 a ( circular cross section less the clearances due to the chip flutes 14 ), to be precise level with the bearing area 16 a , by a web 31 , so that all of the segments 22 a , 24 a lie centrally inside and are not led radially to the outside . this applies in particular to the torque segments 24 a . it can also be seen that the web width 32 a widens continuously in the circumferential direction 30 . in the region of the clamping segment 22 a , the web 31 respectively goes over into the chip flute 14 , to this extent protrudes and , in this projecting region , is no longer completely supported by material in the direction of the axis of rotation . this projecting region is referred to as a lobe segment 33 . during the screwing in of the coupling pin 10 , the opposing lobe segments 33 are widened somewhat elastically , so that they exert a radial force component on the coupling pin 10 . with the configuration chosen , the special orientation of the torque segments 24 a , and in particular their configuration to form a dovetail undercut , can be seen as a particular advantage . in the region of the clamping segments 22 b , the coupling pin 10 generates a radially outwardly acting force , which , by deflection within the web 31 , conversely generates a radially inwardly acting force in the torque segments 24 a . the dovetail - like configuration thereby has the effect that a supplementary tightening torque is additionally exerted in the axial direction , so that the head bearing area 16 b is pressed against the bearing area 16 a . in addition , this has the effect that the centering action is also improved in the region of the torque segments 24 b . in spite of the intensity of the transmitted torque forces in the region of the torque segments 24 b , the obliquely inclined configuration is therefore of advantage for forming the dovetail undercut also in the region of the torque segments . this more than compensates for a notch effect possibly induced by this oblique position in the transitional region from the side wall 20 b of the coupling pin 10 into the head bearing area 16 b . to this extent , the first configurational variant , represented in fig1 - 4 , is the preferred variant . in the case of the second configurational variant , as it is represented in fig5 and 6 , as a difference from the first configurational variant there is no dovetail undercut in the region of the torque segments 24 b . rather , in the exemplary embodiment of variant 2 , they are inclined in opposite directions at an angle of inclination β 1 , β 2 , so that the torque segments 24 a , 24 b taper conically in the direction of the axis of rotation 4 toward the carrier 6 . otherwise , the configurational variant according to fig5 and 6 is identical to the configurational variant according to fig1 to 4 . in the case of both configurational variants , reliable axial pull - out prevention , sufficient torque transmission and a centering function are realized altogether by the comparatively simply formed coupling pin 10 and the coupling receptacle 8 comprising only one element . it should be emphasized here that both the coupling pin 10 and the coupling receptacle 8 have for these three functions a simple , substantially rectangular basic cross - sectional area and that there are no offsets or stepped graduations in the direction of the axis of rotation . no offsets or stepped graduations are provided in the circumferential direction either . only in the central region is there the adjoining insertion pin 28 b , which however has no effect with regard to the three functions mentioned ; in particular , it also does not undertake any centering function in the sense of highly accurate centering , which is only made possible by the action of radial forces on the coupling pin 10 . correspondingly , the insertion pin 28 b is therefore also provided with cylindrical side areas , which run parallel to the axis of rotation 4 . the basic geometry of the tool coupling can therefore be generally described for instance by an approximately cuboidal main body element , in which the side walls are formed such that they are obliquely inclined . the main body is therefore formed altogether in the manner of a truncated pyramid , with a rectangular base area and a cross - sectional area perpendicular to the base area that is formed by a preferably symmetrical trapezoid . this main body ( both on the coupling receptacle 8 side and on the coupling pin 10 side ) respectively extends from a planar area 16 b , a and ends in turn at a planar area 26 a , b . this cuboidal basic geometry is enclosed by the web 31 , apart from the region in which the chip flutes 14 are formed , which to this extent cut out cylindrical or elliptical segments from the cuboidal geometry . in principle , this tool coupling also has the advantage that the axial pull - out prevention is sufficient without further additional axial fastening means . this applies in particular in the case of relatively small nominal diameters of the carrier 6 , for example down to 25 mm . this avoids in particular that there is any further weakening of the carrier core . this problem is less relevant in the case of larger diameters . to this extent , with larger nominal diameters greater than 20 or 25 mm , screws 38 may be additionally provided for the axial pull - out prevention , as is represented in the third exemplary embodiment of fig7 a , 7 b . a further , fourth configurational variant is represented in fig8 a - 8c and fig9 a - 9e . as a difference from the previous exemplary embodiments , the longitudinal direction ( running transversely in relation to the axis of rotation ) of the coupling pin 10 and of the coupling receptacle 8 no longer extends from chip flute 14 to chip flute 14 , but runs substantially between these chip flutes , so that therefore neither the coupling pin 10 nor the coupling receptacle 8 opens out into the chip flute . rather , the coupling receptacle 8 is enclosed virtually completely by the web 31 , and only in the region of one of the two clamping segments 22 b is there formed a pushing - in aperture 40 ; therefore the web 31 is interrupted . the width of this pushing - in aperture 40 corresponds in this case to the width of the coupling pin 10 , so that this makes it possible for the coupling pin 10 to be pushed into the coupling receptacle 8 perpendicularly in relation to the axis of rotation 4 in a pushing - in direction 42 , which corresponds approximately to the longitudinal direction of the coupling receptacle 8 . provided for this purpose is a pair of guiding segments 44 , along which the coupling pin 10 slides and is guided during the pushing in . subsequent twisting has the effect in turn that the dovetail undercut is formed between the clamping segments 22 a , 22 b and / or between the torque segments 24 a , 24 b . as represented in the exemplary embodiment , the dovetail undercut is formed in the case of all the segments 22 a , b , 24 a , b . also in the case of this configurational variant , all three functions , to be specific axial pull - out prevention , centering effect and torque transfer , are assumed just by the approximately frustopyramidal coupling pin 10 and the correspondingly formed coupling receptacle 8 . further fastening means for axial pull - out prevention or centering means for centering are not required . in comparison with the coupling pins 10 according to the previous exemplary embodiments , the coupling pin 10 is also of a simplified design , since the chip flutes 14 do not cut out a region . the coupling pin 10 is therefore formed as a simple truncated pyramid with rounded corners . in the case of this exemplary embodiment , the coupling receptacle 8 is preferably dimensioned such that insertion of the coupling pin 10 in the direction of the axis of rotation 4 is not possible . according to an alternative configurational variant that is not represented any more specifically , the width of the coupling receptacle 8 is dimensioned such that insertion of the coupling pin 10 in the direction of the axis of rotation 4 is made possible . in the case of this variant , there is preferably no pushing - in aperture . while various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein , other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art . the various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting .
8
a most preferred formulation of the present invention useful for managing blood glucose levels generally and helping individuals with diabetes mellitus with the management of their diabetes , includes alpha lipoic acid ( herein “ α - lipoic acid ”), linolenic acid complex , biotin and coenzyme q - 10 . acceptable ranges of the four constituents per day of the preferred formulation of the present invention are as follows : the α - lipoic acid component of the preferred formations of the present invention , is an antioxidant co - enzyme . one form of α - lipoic acid acceptable for use in the formulations of the present invention is a 600 mg . softgel available from nature &# 39 ; s life ® of larkspur , calif . the “ linolenic acid complex ” component of the preferred formulations as defined herein contains one or more of the following constituents : palmitic acid , stearic acid , oleic acid , linoleic acid , gamma linolenic acid , alpha linoleic acid , icosenoic acid and erucic acid . biotin ( c 10 h 16 n 2 o 3 s ) is sometimes referred to as vitamin b7 or vitamin h . a preferred form of biotin for use in the formulations of the present invention is in 5 mg . capsules . coenzyme q - 10 is present in human cells and has a pivotal role in the production of the body &# 39 ; s energy , as all atp is converted to energy with the aid of coenzyme q - 10 . a preferred form for use in the formulations of the present invention are softgels containing 100 mg . ubiquinone . the following daily regimen incorporating the four components of the present invention was developed : α - lipoic acid — 600 mg . tid orally ; linolenic acid complex — 1300 mg . bid orally ( for a total per day of 25 mg . linolenic acid , 1910 mg . linoleic acid and 130 mg . gamma linolenic acid ); biotin — 5 mg . tid orally ; and coenzyme q - 10 — 100 mg . bid orally . the above formulation taken orally with or directly after meals is referred to herein as the example 1 regimen . the example 1 regimen was followed by two adult males previously diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and being treated with prescription drugs , as described below in examples 2 and 3 . a 59 year old caucasian male 30 pounds over - weight was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus in 1996 . treatment initially began with metformin and amaryl ®, with dosages increasing over time . the metformin and amaryl ® dosages were then supplemented with lantus ® injections at bedtime in increasing dosage over the next 3 years , as summarized below in table a . by november 2006 , lantus ® dosage was maximized at 55 units qd , and the patient &# 39 ; s endocrinologist was recommending adding a fast - acting insulin at mealtime . during the last week of november 2006 , the individual supplemented his prescription drug regimen with the example 1 regimen taken with or directly after meals with all amounts as described in example 1 , except that a liquid coenzyme q - 10 was not precisely measured and was estimated to range from 100 to 150 mg . per day until april 2007 , when 100 mg . softgels were substituted . after two days of the example 1 regimen , the individual &# 39 ; s blood glucose level was substantially lower , and he decreased his lantus ® injections from 55 to 45 units . during the next 8 - 10 days , while maintaining the example 1 regimen , his blood glucose levels continued to decrease such that he was able to decrease his lantus ® injections in a step - wise fashion over this time period from 45 to 35 units . during the next 7 days , while continuing to maintain the example 1 regimen , the individual decreased his lantus ® injections from 35 to 25 units at bedtime . in january 2007 , the individual was able to decrease his amaryl ® dosage from 8 mg . per day to 4 mg . per day . in june 2007 , the dosage of metformin was decreased from 2550 mg . per day to 2000 mg . per day , while still maintaining acceptable blood glucose levels . a 58 year old caucasian male 70 pounds overweight was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus in 1999 , after which treatment with metformin , avandia ® and byetta ® progressed as is summarized in table b below . as can be seen above , the individual &# 39 ; s prescription drug regimen was increasing in dosage of metformin over the years , and upon supplementing the prescription drug program with the example 1 regimen , over time the individual was able to omit the avandia ® and reduce the metformin dosage to a minimal level . without knowing the precise mechanism ( s ) by which the formulations of the present invention contribute to the maintenance of acceptable blood glucose levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus while decreasing dosages of metformin and other prescription drugs which otherwise over time were requiring increased dosages , it is believed that the components of the present invention work synergistically to normalize insulin receptors damaged by the presence of excess insulin in the body . the excess insulin , which is believed over time to cause a trend of steadily increasing down - regulation of the insulin receptors , is at least partially reversed when the formulations of the present invention are orally administered . while the components of the example 1 formulation were administered above periodically during the day , orally , in individual softgels and capsules for each component , and so the components may be purchased individually , a most preferred form for administration of the formulations of the present invention is a mixture wherein one or more , and preferably all four , and most preferably three of the components are separately microencapsulated and then packaged together for oral administration in capsules or other forms . in the most preferable form , the alpha - lipoic , coenzyme q - 10 and biotin are micro encapsulated and the linolenic acid complex becomes the matrix in which the microencapsulated components are embedded . microencapsulation processes are well known to those of skill in the art , but have not been used to package medical foods / nutritional supplements for use as described herein . when administering mixtures of the separately microencapsulated components of the medical foods and / or nutritional supplements of the present invention , preferred recommended dosages are 5 % to 95 % of each of the constituents described above . most preferred dosages are from 50 % to 75 % of each of the constituents described above . these substantially decreased dosages result from controlled and sustained delivery of the active substances achieved by the use of microcapsules , so that substantially more of each component of the formulations of the present invention reaches the blood circulation . most preferred ranges of the four constituents per day of the formulation of the present invention when one or more are of the constituents are microencapsulated are as follows : another preferred delivery form of the formulations of the present invention is packaged as a mixture , preferably microencapsulated , in small impermeable , disposable packages such as packets ( e . g ., 1½ ″× 2 ″ in size ) or small tubes ( e . g ., ¼ ″ diameter × 2 ″ in length ) which may be foil , plastic , or other disposable material . in these configurations , the contents of the packages containing the formulations are mixed with food or a cold liquid . alternate formulations and regimens of the present invention include α - lipoic acid , linolenic acid complex , biotin and coenzyme q - 10 and also thiamine , often referred to as vitamin b1 . recommended thiamine dosages to be combined with the formulations of the present invention are from 5 to 25 mg . per day . it is further contemplated that vitamin b12 could be substituted for the thiamine , in dosages of from 20 to 60 μg . per day . in yet another embodiment , a b vitamin complex is combined with the formulations of the present invention . other formulations and regimens of the present invention include α - lipoic acid , linolenic acid complex , biotin and coenzyme q - 10 and also l - carnatine . while it is contemplated that further components as described above may be combined in the formulations of the present invention , or administered in conjunction with the formulations of the present invention , a further embodiment of the present invention consists essentially of α - lipoic acid , linolenic acid complex , biotin and coenzyme q - 10 . while acceptable ranges of daily dosages are listed below any of the other formulations described herein may be limited to consist essentially of the stated ingredients at the stated ingredient dosages or dosage ranges . while there have been described above the principles of the present invention in conjunction with preferred embodiments thereof , it is to be clearly understood that the foregoing description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention . particularly , it is recognized that the teachings of the foregoing disclosure will suggest other modifications to those persons skilled in the relevant art . such modifications may involve other features which are already known 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 herein also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed either explicitly or implicitly or any generalization or modification thereof which would be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art , whether or not such 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 confronted by the present invention . the applicants hereby reserve the right to formulate new claims to such features and / or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present application or of any further application derived therefrom .
0
the growth in the market for internet connected multimedia devices , including computers and laptops , combined with the rise of social networking has its roots in distinctly personal motivations . it is the desire to publish — whether to express oneself artistically or intellectually — the desire to ‘ be heard ’ or to initiate online ‘ conversations ’ and receive feedback , to share one &# 39 ; s expertise and build , a community of ‘ subscribers ’ to your content , or just to ‘ show off ’. what has become known as ‘ citizen journalism ’ is but one aspect of this phenomenon . the core motivation here is the same as for ‘ publishing ’ one &# 39 ; s views via talkback radio , or in a journal , book or biog . but as more and more people turn to multimedia as their chosen form of expression and the internet as their chosen method of publishing , and with more and more people consuming this online content , the demand for simple , intuitive methods for navigating this content is increasing rapidly . the key to having a flexible navigation system such as this is the existence of a personal metadata database as its foundation unit . this database contains the ‘ tags ’ that a person has created to allow him to easily navigate ( search , browse and retrieve ) content of interest . as more and more multimedia content is published , it becomes more and more important to be able to find exactly what one is interested in , from the ocean of choices available . this is the value of a contained , personal ‘ view ’. by combining these personal databases to form group views and / or collective views , an individual can opt to use expanded , richer but also more complex views to navigate content , whenever he chooses . the creation , use and re - use of personal databases such as these is at the heart of this invention . a personal metadata database , as described , can represent more value to its owner than its value purely as a superior navigation tool for multimedia . since the tags represent the meaning that humans ascribe to particular multimedia , they are of potential value to advertisers who want to reach people who use search terms the advertiser ‘ owns ’, as they browse , search and view the content that &# 39 ; s been described using tags or combinations of tags in a personal metadata database . generally the present invention is concerned with providing systems and methods for one or more users to locate , annotate and / or retrieve multimedia files . whilst the present invention will be described with respect to multimedia files and computers , the person skilled in the art will recognise the fact that the invention may be implemented in many different devices and situations . turning to fig1 the range of potential devices in which the invention may be implemented is depicted . such devices include , laptop computer 10 , set top box 12 , internet connected navigational units 14 , games consoles 16 , network attached storage devices 18 , and storage devices generally , portable music and / or games device 20 , video conferencing device 22 , personal digital assistant 24 , and digital mobile telephone 26 . turning to fig2 the essence of the invention is disclosed which is database 30 . this database contains only metadata about the multimedia files of interest . the multimedia files of interest are represented by online container 32 , which is connected to database 30 , through the internet 34 . ultimately the user sitting at computer 36 queries the database 30 via a client side application running on the computer ( not shown ). the database 30 instructs the computer 26 to obtain the multimedia file of interest from online container 32 . fig3 depicts the arrangement of logical components which in the case of the present example depicted in fig3 is implemented on two computers , a server 40 , and a client 42 both containing multimedia content , in addition to an online storage repository 54 containing further multimedia content . on the server side 40 , there are three main components , metadata database 44 , database manager 46 and a local repository of multimedia files 48 . the database manager 46 controls the access to and modifications to the database 44 which contains the information about the multimedia files located in local repository 48 . however for these interactions to occur , a user needs access the database from the client computer 42 connected to server via a network connection 50 including those that run on the tcp / ip network protocol . specifically , the user needs to operate the database client 52 to query database 44 , through the actions of the database manager 46 . the database 44 may contain metadata in respect of multimedia files located in repositories 54 and 56 if the contents of these repositories have been added to the database 44 , via the database manager 46 , and repository 48 , fig4 , 5 , and 6 all depict alternative implementations of the invention . in particular the depiction in fig4 is that of a computer 60 , which has software , that embodies the invention loaded onto it represented by the software objects 62 , 64 , and 66 . the depiction in fig4 is a that of a local implementation . all software modules and data reside on the one computer . the computer 60 does not communicate with any other computer on any network . notwithstanding the fact that the implementation is local , the logical architecture remains the same as in the case of fig3 . in particular the computer 60 still needs to have loaded onto it client side applications being the media player 62 and database client 66 . further the implementation in fig5 requires a database manager 64 . in either of the implementations depicted in fig4 , 5 and 6 , the media files of interest located in the repositories are accessed by the media player through reference to the media files url which may includes both http ; and file : protocols . fig5 depicts an alternative arrangement , one which is predominantly lan based . in this configuration the user operates computer 72 which contains the database client application , to query metadata database 74 , which sits on the same local ip network as repository of multimedia files 76 . the figure also depicts internet gateway 78 and a repository of multimedia files 80 , located on the wan . this configuration might be similar to what one would expect a small to medium media company to need to implement to manage their content stored on their corporate lan with the occasional need to access materials on the greater wan or internet . fig6 depicts a further arrangement of components including computer 82 . however in the present example , the metadata database 84 is located on the other side of internet gateway 86 which places it on the internet or wan . fig7 and 8 depicts two further alternative embodiments of the invention . the figure depicted in fig8 is representative of the examples provided in fig6 and 7 in that the metadata database is kept separate from the repositories of multimedia files . as can be seen when regard is had to fig8 the only data being saved to the metadata database is metadata . no copies of the multimedia files are maintained within the database for later retrieval . further , once the database server instructs the client application resident on computer 82 where to find the multimedia file in question the client application goes and obtains it directly from the relevant online repository and not the server 84 . the depiction in 7 however is the opposite . in this scenario , when a multimedia file is requested during step 88 it is returned not only to the client application during step 90 , but also the metadata database during step 92 such that when the file is requested during step 94 , the file can be delivered centrally from the server during step 96 ( or retrieved locally if it is still in its cache ). fig9 depicts the types of multimedia files that one embodiment of the invention can manage . presently the invention has been designed to operate with audio , still images , and video ( either with or without sound ). the person skilled in the art however win realise that the present invention has application outside of these three distinct areas and that these other areas fail within the scope of this invention . for example , the invention could equally be applied to collections of text or indeed , executables or other program files located on the internet . the file formats that are currently accepted by the present invention include those listed in fig1 . fig1 depicts the way in which multimedia file metadata is arranged , being a hierarchical structure , according to one aspect of the invention . on the diagram , the knowledge tree 100 is depicted . it is comprised of nodes 110 which are classification terms taken from either the global or personal dictionary of the user . these terms are organised in a hierarchy such that the hierarchy of terms conveys more semantic meaning than any individual classification term or collection of terms where the relationship between the terms is not as apparent as it is in a hierarchy . it is this semantic meaning and attribution of the meaning to individual media files 105 and segments thereof . the individual media files do not form pert of the knowledge tree 100 . for example node 110 of the knowledge tree 100 contains a collection of multimedia files including heata . mov 130 . whilst not shown on the diagram , each node of any level an “ contain ” multimedia files , not just the lowermost one . in reality however , the node only contains a reference to the database entries that are associated with the multimedia file or segment thereof . the user of the present invention is able to , associate with the database entry one or more information branches 120 . information branches are segments of knowledge tree 100 . as indicated in the diagram , information branch 120 begins with the root node , “ olympic sports ” and proceeds down until “ 100 m mens ”. during annotation , the user selects the lowermost classification term , in the present case , 100 m mens 110 , and drops it onto the database entry . the database manager then associates that multimedia file , in the present case , file 130 , with the information branch 120 such that during browsing of the database when the user checks the “ contents ” of node 110 , database entry referring to file 130 is found . one of the more powerful features of the invention is the ability for users to provide annotation on many different levels ( of segmentation ). fig1 depicts the various levels available to an annotator . the present invention provides for the annotation at the repository level 140 wherein all multimedia files contained within a certain repository will be branded with the annotations provided at this level . the invention further provides for the annotation at the “ whole of work ” level 142 . the user may also take individual segments 144 or even pull individual frames 146 from video files , or alternatively the user may have still images needed annotating which can be achieved at this frame level 146 . users of the invention may also decide to annotate a region within the frame 148 by means of drawing a polygon around the region . fig1 also depicts the metadata types applicable at each level of annotation . at the first level , that of the repository 140 , the only metadata applicable is that of location , specifically , url &# 39 ; s . the second level is the whole of work level 142 . this is the level with the greatest amount of annotation options available to the annotating user . in particular the annotating user can associate ( 1 ) classification terms / information branches , ( 2 ) keywords and ( 3 ) catalog , entry metadata . at the segment level 144 , the annotating user can add start and stop time information , duration information , classification terms / information branches and finally , keyword information . the still frame level 146 and region within still frames 148 both have the capacity to associate classification terms / information branches , keyword information and information relating to the point in segment / time the frame / region relates to . fig1 depicts the catalog entry fields available to the user in one embodiment of the invention . these fields are only applicable to the whole of work level 142 as depicted in fig1 . fig1 depicts the segmentation of movie or video files . in this figure , video file 150 is segmented into segment a 152 , segment b 154 and segment e 156 . because the multimedia files according to this embodiment of the invention are not required to be duplicated or actually segmented but rather are virtually segmented , the segments 152 through 156 can be overlapping in their content . indeed , the concept of virtual segmentation also provides for a further additional benefit , deep linking , and the avoidance of copyright infringement . the present invention provides that when a user segments a video file into shorter segments which later are sought to be retrieved , the user is initially presented with the shorter segment and not any of the preceding material that would have been viewed had the whole multimedia file been played to find the desired content . the invention achieves this by automatically populating the time in and time out fields of the segment . when retrieved the database manager provides the user with a link that takes the user to that point in time of the original video file without requiring a second smaller copy of the segment of the file to be resident in a repository . a further feature of a preferred embodiment of the invention is the feature of multiple levels of access to the database , fig1 depicts the 4 roles currently provided for by the invention . further the table provided in fig1 depicts the differences in roles carried out by each type of user . in addition to these 4 levels of users , there are various levels provided for granting differing levels of security or access to the administrator , librarian , annotator and searcher roles . the security levels are such that they can be applied so that users can be restricted to certain repositories , or restricted in other ways , including restrictions on functionality . for example , certain users may be prevented from viewing certain material based on the user &# 39 ; s location in the world , place in an organisation or age . this may be due to the operation of copyright or censorship laws by certain states or jurisdictions . further , in a situation where there are multiple metadata databases in operation by various content aggregators and owners across a network , or the internet , a user may be permitted to log into certain databases , but not others . fig1 depicts the process carried out , according to one embodiment of the invention , to virtually segment and annotate multimedia files located on the network . the first step is to determine whether the repository ( the volume mounted on the network ) is known to the metadata database manager , if the volume is registered then the user provides the multimedia file &# 39 ; s path , filename and short title to the metadata database manager . this information is sufficient for a database entry to be created and associated with the multimedia file in question . the database entry can be annotated with any of the fields as permitted and depicted in fig1 , including keywords , alphanumeric strings , and information branches pruned from the databases &# 39 ; knowledge trees . a user can takes matters further by virtually segmenting the larger multimedia file into clips of shorter duration or even frames or regions within a frame , in each of these cases the resultant segments , frames , or regions within frames are associated with distinct database entries ( by the metadata database manager ) to that of the database entry that relates to the whole multimedia file . once separated from the original database entry , the subsequent database entries can also be annotated with any of the fields as permitted and depicted in fig1 , including keywords , alphanumeric strings , and information branches pruned from the databases &# 39 ; knowledge trees . thus , the user can use any or all of the information entered by the annotating user to locate the desired multimedia file of interest . this allows the user to conduct keyword searches over ( 1 ) catalog entry fields which apply only to the whole of work level , ( 2 ) classification terms / information branches , and ( 3 ) keywords . fig1 depicts the broad strategy used by a user to obtain the multimedia file that they desire . according to the present embodiment of the invention , there is provided an iterative process whereby the user searches by utilising keywords or browses the knowledge trees in succession until the entry corresponding to the multimedia file in question is found within the retrieved results . fig1 depicts a similar process in algorithmic form . in the process so described therein , the user first selects a node of the knowledge tree or a keyword to conduct a first level search over the entire database or databases , then determines whether the content of interest is contained within the node or the results returned by the search , if not , the user either browses the tree to arrive at a different node , or conducts a further keyword search to obtain a different set of search results , the process being repeated until the multimedia file desired is located . fig1 depicts a hypothetical knowledge tree 160 , of a metadata database . the knowledge tree is comprised of a hierarchical structure with “ hollywood ” at its root . when the knowledge trees are examined for the occurrence of the term “ simpsons ” the information branches 170 are obtained from the knowledge tree 160 . as can be seen in fig2 ( which is a depiction of the individual information branches of the knowledge tree ) the simpsons feature in many of the information branches of the knowledge tree , at various levels . when the information branches below are arranged such that they intersect at the common classification term “ simpsons ” and visualised in 3 dimensions the structure depicted in panel 210 of fig2 is arrived at . fig2 depicts 2 dimensional cross sectional views of this three dimensional form . slice 200 is the slice made at the intersection , and thus only depicts one information branch existing at that level . however if the user takes a slice one level above the intersection 180 the slice 210 is arrived at . slice 210 depicts all of the information branches as they branch out from “ simpsons ”. slices 220 to 240 represent the information branches at those levels above the intersection 180 , and slice 250 , the one level below the intersection of the classification term “ simpsons ”. fig2 depicts a sample screen shot according to one aspect of the invention . the screen is divided into a number of different areas or panels . panel 200 comprises the knowledge tree view , which is in the present case , a highly complex and populated knowledge tree , panel 210 , the intersected branch view , panel 220 the keyword search panel , panel 230 the search results list view , panel 240 the views selector and panel 250 , the navigation panel . the intersected tree view is comprised of three elements , the 3d structure 212 vertical slider 216 and information branches 214 that exist at the level set by the slider 216 . the search result list view 230 provides a list of database entries 232 . the embodiment of the invention depicted in fig1 is highly customizable . the user can select whether to conduct a keyword search over the current node , or whether to conduct the search over a larger portion of the tree or even the whole tree by selecting the appropriate radio dialog box in the keyword search panel 220 . in addition the user can restrict searches to classification terms / information branches , catalog entries or keyword fields . in fig2 , the user has taken the results provided by a search for “ simpson ” as depicted in fig1 a and further queried the metadata database . in the present case the user has taken the intersected tree view and slid the slider 216 up one level which , revealed classification terms 214 . the user has then selected “ animated ” 218 . by selecting “ animated ” 218 , the user causes the branch of the knowledge tree to be displayed in the knowledge tree view 200 . further , all multimedia files associated with the node “ animated ” are displayed in the search results view . fig2 depicts various representations of knowledge trees structures possible in accordance with the teaching of the present invention . as hierarchical information can , get difficult to represent in a traditional tree view as depicted in fig1 , different ways of displaying the data have been employed such that no matter how complex a data set , there is firstly , a way of visualizing it , and secondly , a way to zoom in and traverse it . fig2 depicts the various different , devices that are encompassed by particular embodiments of the invention . in all of these cases there is a metadata database and manager 260 and ip network 270 . the most usual device for the invention to be implemented upon is what is known as a personal computer , which are often sold in desktop and notebook configurations . the personal computer can be a client in one of a number of ways . computer 280 has installed upon it a web enabled executable program which acts as database client and is capable of exchanging information with the metadata database and metadata database manager 260 . this program would need to be installed by any user wishing to access network multimedia files described in the metadata database . the program can be developed into two or more versions . one version of the software is accessible by all levels of users including librarians and administrators and facilitates the management of users and the maintenance of the database , this is called the thick client . in one embodiment of the invention the thin client on the other hand is designed only for the searcher user type and thus no annotation or database management functions are included . the only function that this version facilitates is retrieval of already annotated multimedia files . a further embodiment of the invention involves the database being accessed through a common web browser such as firefox , safari or internet explorer as depicted by computer 290 in fig1 . as web browsers are bundled with computers pre - loaded , any user should be able to access the metadata database and manager 260 through the common html mediated interface . both fully functional and search only web interfaces can be developed to access metadata database and manager 260 , including those that incorporate ajax technology . a similar approach can be taken with mobile telephones 300 , and personal media players ( not shown ). most modern mobile telephones and pda &# 39 ; s have the ability to load executable program files upon them in the form of java , windows mobile ge , symbian , and more recently mac os x executables . in such scenarios the mobile telephone or pda can be equated with computer 280 with software loaded onto it . equally however , most modern mobile telephones , pdas , and personal media players 310 such as the ipod and psp also feature html or web browsers thus they may be able to , access the database and manager 260 through a browser type interface as in the case of computer 290 . many household appliances that feature the ability to connect to the internet / ip network and display multimedia files would also be candidates for embedding within their firmware a compatible metadata database client . fig1 depicts an ip enabled portable media player device 310 , set top box device 320 , and games machine 330 as being suitable candidates for inclusion of the database client in their firmware , or indeed , as in the case of mobile telephones and some personal media players 310 , through incorporated web browsers . indeed the range of devices is really only limited by their ability to access the internet / network and display multimedia files . other devices that may be suitable would include video conferencing equipment , routers and network attached storage devices , in car navigation display units , internet kiosks and in car / plane entertainment systems . further , the search and retrieval function depicted in fig2 and 23 need not be implemented in any client device . indeed , in one embodiment of the invention , there is provided an open api for interaction with the metadata database such that users may develop their own mash up applications that utilise the power of the metadata database . for example , with respect to the in - car navigation system , it will generally be aware of its location via gps . further , the structure of a metadata database , and importantly , the knowledge tree contained therein might be such that it has branches that correspond to different gps locations . as the user passes through areas in which there are associated database entries ( given the gps co - ordinates ) certain videos and / or audio can be displayed on its display and through its speaker . such technology would be ideal for the provision of location specific advertising . a further embodiment not involving search and retrieval functions may involve a set top box that has loaded within it firmware that recognises the type of program being watched ( previously annotated ) and which searches for similar content over the internet for the viewer whenever a button is pushed on the remote , or which searches for advertisements that have been programmed to appear in conjunction with certain programs , e . g . bmw advertisements during “ top gear ” a motoring television program . fig2 depicts a many metadata database implementation of the invention . fig2 depicts two standalone computers 350 , 370 containing metadata databases 380 , 390 , connected through the internet 380 , which is in turn in connected to two other tagmotion databases 400 , 410 . in one embodiment of the invention there is provision for the databases to exchange information by means of exporting database entries and dictionaries of classification terms . this can be done manually or automatically between users in a group where permission exists between them for this to happen . in this way , they create a group taxonomy where each benefits from the efforts of the other , enriching the metadata including the ‘ global ( or collective ) dictionary terms ’, thus making the search process more and more intuitive and above all precise . indeed , depending on whether the user had the necessary privileges , the user can log into any one of the databases for search and retrieval . if found , the user might decide to export the entry into their own database , or the dictionary terms into their own dictionary . then , the user may choose to import metadata such as catalog entries , dictionary ( classification ) terms and storyboards ( containing metadata for segments of video files , for example ) into their own database . these imports can be from other personal databases or from the collective one . in this way , one &# 39 ; s own personal database or ‘ view ’ can be enriched as desired , by exploiting the annotations of others . in one embodiment of the invention it would be possible to provide a system whereby all users are granted librarian access which means that anyone could add whole of work database entries and additions to the global dictionary from which classification terms appearing on the knowledge trees are selected . in such an embodiment the system would provide for an online “ wiki ” in which the experience of the group using the wild is affected by each of the users participation . in such a scenario , potentially involving millions of users as in the case of youtube . com or myspace . com websites , content would be rapidly categorized according to potentially millions of different points of view , thereby creating the rich , metadata - dense , database which in turn results in the formation of a detailed knowledge tree in which it is likely you would find multimedia files of interest . fig2 depicts a similar array of metadata databases as depicted in fig1 . in particular there are databases 410 , 420 and 430 which are all connected the internet and through it to advertising hub 430 . advertising hub 430 is in turn comprised of database 440 and database manager 450 . in this embodiment of the invention the metadata from participating metadata databases is uploaded into the database 440 where their database entries are analysed and information branches extracted therefrom . advertisers 460 are then able to log into the hub 430 through the manager 450 and select individual keywords , information branches and / or nodes on knowledge trees for purchase or bidding in relation to which their advertisements would be played . fig2 , 29 , 30 and 31 depict the interaction a user has with an advertiser who has purchased either keywords or information branches used in the metadata databases entries . fig2 depicts the same scenario as depicted in fig2 , that of a user who has just conducted a keyword search using the word “ simpsons ”. in the present case the user has not yet selected an individual information branch and thus the basis for serving the advertisements would be the word “ simspons ” or the existence of one or more particular information branches . as semantic meaning is caught up in an information branch they can be used to provide more targeted and contextually relevant advertisements . fig2 depicts the next step in which the user uses slider 216 to go up one level / slice and selects the “ animated ” information branch . as the user has selected an individual information branch this can be used as the basis to serve up further contextually related advertisement 480 . fig2 also highlights another potential advertising possibility in that positions on the metadata database &# 39 ; s knowledge trees can be sold for advertisers to upload content in respect of their goods and services . in fig2 advertisement 490 has been inserted at hollywood : tv : comedy : animated , the active node . such positions may be used to feature content including promotional or traditional advertising video , or it may simply act as a link to a website or other position on the knowledge tree where the advertiser may have more of a presence . indeed , such an approach is likely to facilitate the development of metadata databases in which advertising and promotional content is the sole content of the database . in such case the knowledge tree and associated search methods could result in a video yellow pages in which advertisers place their advertisements at particular places on the tree as opposed to being arranged alphabetically by reference to the goods and services they supply . fig3 depicts a screenshot of an embodiment of the invention where the user has selected one of the simpsons videos from fig2 and requested it to play . in this embodiment the search list pane is replaced with a multimedia player and the reproduction of the metadata recorded in respect of the multimedia file . when the single database entry is selected , the intersected tree view changes to reflect the 3d structure of only those information branches associated with that particular database entry . further , advertisements 500 are served up with the multimedia file as determined by the remaining information branches and keywords contained within the various metadata database fields available for that type of entry . as there are fewer branches at this point , the advertisements will be more targeted than those when there were many more information branches associated with a given view . however , notwithstanding that there are fewer intersecting branches , there are still more than one , and therefore no one information branch of the knowledge trees is shown in the knowledge tree pane 200 , but rather the whole tree is shown with highlighted “ hits ” either being information branches of the knowledge trees or nodes in which there are database entries that have the searched for keyword in their fields . fig3 differs from fig2 as the user selected one particular information branch 510 which then has the effect of highlighting that , information branch of the knowledge tree in tree view pane 200 as depicted . also as the intersected tree view has been used to select one particular information branch , the same branch of the knowledge tree is highlighted in the pane above . further , as only one branch has been selected , the semantic meaning of the branch should provide for the serving of even more context specific advertisements . in an alternative embodiment of the invention , rather than the user navigating through a 3d representation of the knowledge tree with the user pausing to see what is contained at each node of the tree , the user in this alternative embodiment actually navigates a 3d space in which the content rather than metadata descriptors is actually traversed . in some embodiments you may have intersected information branches being represented by the content associated with the branches . in other embodiments it may be the structure of the whole tree which is represented by content ( that is playing or has representative video frames depicted ) by which a user navigates themselves . different audio or video content will come into view as the user moves through the landscape . that is , it will have the effect of flying through the content in a 3 dimensional space . as this happens , the content being displayed changes according to underlying information branches ( that are hidden from view ), and what they represent . this effect may also be enhanced by spatial audio controls whereby the sound pertaining to a particular file becomes louder as the user ‘ flies ’ closer to it , and softer as he starts to ‘ fly ’ away and / or the speed of video playback becomes slower as the user ‘ flies ’ closer to it , and faster as he starts to ‘ fly away ’. this embodiment of the invention could be provided in the form of an executable program , an ajax or similar website , or indeed , inside existing three dimensional environments such as second life developed by linden labs . the person skilled in the art will appreciate that whilst this invention has been described in respect of audio , images and movie files located on the internet , the invention is equally applicable to other items of interest located on the internet including documents including html documents , information contained in documents , executables , indeed anything aft interest that can be located by a url and filename .
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as shown in fig1 and 2 , an apparatus embodying the invention comprises a power tongs 10 including a motor 12 driven by hydraulic fluid or other medium . means ( not shown ) are provided for manually or automatically controlling the tongs motor . the tongs motor 12 is connected through gearing , not shown , to a rotary head 14 , to which the pipe gripping assembly 20 of the invention is attached . the gripping assembly comprises plural ( preferably three ) segments 22a , 22b , 22c equally spaced around a vertical axis corresponding to that of a pipe p that is to be torqued . the segments 22 are interconnected by short links 24 that allow for variations in pipe diameter , and permit the segments to be opened , or closed around a pipe . the apparatus can be locked closed by means of a latch 26 . one segment , 22b , is attached to a base plate 27 that floats upon pins 28 extending vertically from the rotary head ; the plate is normally centered on the pins by springs , not shown . referring to fig2 at least one segment , 22b , includes at least one ( preferably two ) short stroke hydraulic cylinders 32 , each containing a piston 34 for driving a jaw 36 radially inward against the pipe p . the jaw 36 , which is mounted in a slot 38 for free movement only in the radial direction , is preferably made of a soft material , such as aluminum , so that it will not scratch through pipe coatings , or damage pipes made of soft material . the hardness of the jaws thus may vary , according to the intended pipe material . for fiberglass pipe , the jaws may be harder than the pipe . the gripping face 40 of each jaw is ( fig3 ) preferably smooth ; that is , without teeth or other contours that might cut into and damage the pipe surface . this is particularly important for coated pipe , but as an alternative , the jaw surfaces may be &# 34 ; corrugated &# 34 ; as illustrated in fig4 . for fiberglass pipe , where surface damage can be tolerated , a serrated , knurled or toothed surface ( fig5 ) is preferred . fig6 shows a schematic of the fluid circuit of this invention . an external compressed air source 42 is connectable , via a quick - connect fitting 44 , to an air - driven hydraulic pump 46 mounted on the gripping device beneath an oil reservoir 48 . the pump outlet communicates with the cylinders 32 , in parallel , through a check valve 50 which prevents retrograde flow . a manually adjustable pressure relief valve 52 serves as means for controlling fluid pressure by bleeding excess pressure back to the reservoir . a manually operable , normally closed valve 54 can be opened to bleed all pressure from the cylinders 32 when it is desired to release the pipe . a gauge 56 indicates the actual cylinder pressure . in operation , the tongs are brought , laterally , over a pipe joint p , fig1 and the gripping assembly 20 is closed around the pipe by means of the latch 26 . air pressure from source 42 is then applied via fitting 44 , whereupon the pump 46 generates hydraulic pressure within the cylinders 32 , which pressure is limited by the setting of the pressure relief valve 52 . the check valve 50 maintains the cylinder pressure after the air source is disconnected , whereafter there are no external hoses or other connections to the gripping device that would prevent it from rotating . the tongs are then activated , causing the gripping device and the pipe p to rotate with the rotary head until the desired torque is reached . various torque limiters , such as those disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 552 , 041 and 4 , 579 , 024 , may be used to control the tongs , if desired . to release the pipe p , the valve 54 is opened , allowing the pistons 34 to be retracted by their biasing springs as fluid escapes to the reservoir 48 . the device may then be unlatched , and the tongs are then removed from the pipe . the adjustability of the relief valve 52 enables one to control the actual clamping jaw force , independently of tongs torque . it is therefore possible , with this invention , to avoid excessive clamping pressures that could cause surface or structural damage to soft pipes . the service life of some of the most expensive tubing can thus be markedly prolonged . the pressure reaching cylinders 32 is limited by means of the adjustable pressure relief valve 52 , which is set to a pressure that is a function of pipe material , size , makeup torque and possibly other factors . the upper pressure limit , for a given size jaw , is necessarily that pressure which would collapse or crush the pipe . however , the jaws may be made as long as desired ; e . g ., one foot long or more , so as to distribute jaw load over a greater surface area . as a result , by judicious design choice , any desired torque can be transferred to the pipe by the gripping assembly , without damaging the pipe surface . with this invention , jaw forces are positively controlled and limitied , without regard to the tongs torque . this is in complete contrast to traditional cam - operated jaws , where jaw force is roughly proportional to tongs torque and is usually unknown in magnitude . we have found that aluminum jaws with no teeth or surface irregularities whatsoever can be used with this invention . as long as the hydraulic cylinder pressure is properly set and controlled , such jaws are capable of developing very high torques through purely frictional engagement with the pipe surface . since contact with the pipe is purely compressional , surface discontinuities are not created . another advantage of the invention is its simplicity , when compared to camming arrangements , resulting in lower production cost . a related advantage is that the invention can be easily modified to accept , for example , large diameter pipe casing , merely by adding more segments to the gripping device . various other modifications will occur to those of skill in the art , to create other uses for the invention . for example , the gripping device could be used in a ( non - rotary ) backup tongs . also , high pressure water could be used in place of hydraulic fluid to drive the pistons 34 , and such a modification would avoid the release of oil into the environment . inasmuch as the invention is subject to many variations and modifications , the foregoing description should be regarded as only illustrative of the invention , whose full scope should be measured by the following claims .
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fig1 - 3 illustrate one embodiment of the invention . a waste pulping apparatus 10 including a rectangular pulping tank 12 with an extension 14 forming a housing for the impeller 16 and slurry chamber 18 . the pulper is advantageously mounted on a frame or support structure 20 having a plurality of legs 22 . mechanical isolators 24 are provided for minimizing the effects of vibration due to cavitation . the isolators 24 may be commercially available products such as # cma - 130 or # cma - 60 from barry controls . a fresh water pipe 26 is connected to the tank 12 for supplying fresh water thereto . a return pipe 28 supplies recycled water to the tank . the water level is maintained within desired limits by a water level control assembly 30 . a horizontal drive shaft 32 is connected at one end to drive motor 34 which is mounted to the housing in a conventional fashion . the other end of horizontal shaft 32 is fixed in position by bolt 36 . shaft 32 is rotatably mounted and journaled in position within the housing 14 and is mounted thereon for rotation with the impeller disc 16 . the pulper is driven by a five horse power , three phase , sixty hertz reversing motor secured at a 90 ° angle to the base plane . a sieve 38 surrounds the impeller and has openings 40 of a predetermined size to permit passage of the pulp material when it has been reduced to the desired external size . the sieve is supported by a security ring 42 having openings 44 which allow the passage of water and pulped waste therethrough . the slurry chamber 18 receives the slurry and discharges it through a circuit 46 into a slurry pump 48 . the slurry is pumped through a conduit 50 from the pump to an extractor 52 . the extractor is utilized for separating the liquid and solid components of the slurry . liquid which is extracted flows through a pipe 54 to a return pump 56 . recycled water is supplied by this pump to the tank 12 via pipe 28 . a drain opening 58 having a screen 60 positioned thereover may be used for draining the tank when the apparatus is not in use . a drain pipe 62 is connected to the opening 58 . in operation , waste material is fed through an opening at the top of the pulping tank 12 . it is mixed with a combination of fresh water from pipe 26 and recycled water from pipe 28 . once the solid material has been reduced to appropriate size by the impeller , the slurry passes through the sieve 38 and supporting ring 42 into the slurry chamber 18 . the slurry will rotate within the chamber 18 due to the rotational movement of the impeller and the cylindrical configuration of the chamber walls . it passes into pipe 46 and is pumped to the extractor . efficiency is maximized if the water level within the tank is maintained several inches below the top of the impeller . a second embodiment of the invention is shown in fig4 and 5 . a waste pulping assembly 70 having a horizontally disposed impeller 72 is provided . since vibration does not present as much of a problem in such pulpers , mechanical isolators or other shock absorbing means are not necessarily utilized . the assembly 70 is mounted on a frame 74 having legs 76 with rubber feet 78 . a cylindrical pulping tank 80 is provided having side walls 82 , a bottom 84 , and a top opening 86 . a cylindrical slurry chamber 88 is positioned beneath the bottom of the tank and a motor 90 for driving the impeller is shown beneath the slurry chamber . the impeller 72 shown in fig5 together with a sieve ( not shown in fig4 - 5 ), separates the tank from the slurry chamber . a similar arrangement is disclosed , for example , in commonly assigned u . s . pat . no . 3 , 885 , 745 . it is readily apparent from fig4 - 5 that the impeller shaft 92 about which the impeller 72 rotates is significantly off center from the vertical axis of symmetry of the cylindrical tank 80 . this provides a relatively large area 94 on the opposite side of the impeller upon which waste material can be introduced without directly impinging upon the impeller . this is important as objects such as silverware or salt shakers mixed with the waste can damage the impeller if they contact it . by introducing them over area 94 where they may sink to the bottom of the tank and be trapped within shields 96 , 98 , damage to the impeller may be substantially avoided . to further facilitate the introduction of waste material into the tank 80 , the tank is rotatable about an axis defined by the center of the impeller 72 . when the eight bolts 100 securing it to the slurry chamber 88 are loosened sufficiently or removed , the tank may be rotated eccentrically with respect to the chamber as shown in phantom in fig5 . waste may then be introduced where it is most convenient for the operator . due to the rotational movement of the impeller , a vortex is created which draws the waste material and water to the impeller so that a slurry is produced . baffles 102 may be provided to control the flow . when the waste material is of sufficiently small size , it is able to pass through the sieve into the slurry chamber . as in the previously described embodiment , the slurry within the chamber also rotates due to the impeller . a slurry pipe 104 is connected to the slurry chamber . the pipe 104 allows slurry to flow horizontally , then vertically upwards , horizontally again , and then downwardly to the base of an extractor 106 . the extractor may be similar to one described in commonly assigned ser . no . 911 , 783 filed june 2 , 1978 , now u . s . pat . no . 4 , 150 , 617 . an air relief hose 108 is connected between the slurry pipe and the tank 80 . water which has been separated from the solid portions of the waste is returned to the tank by a return pipe 110 . a return pump 112 is provided near the bottom of the extractor for pumping the extracted water through the pipe 110 . to prevent the water level within the extractor from being too high , an overflow pipe 114 is connected thereto . the overflow pipe is connected to the slurry pipe via valve 115 . a water control assembly 116 is also provided to maintain the height of the water in the tank . the same motor 118 is utilized for driving both the shaft 120 of the extractor and the return pump 112 . a first belt 121 is connected between the motor 118 and a first flywheel 122 . a shaft extends between the first flywheel and a second flywheel 124 so that they will rotate in unison . a second belt 126 extends between the second flywheel and a third flywheel 128 operatively connected to the shaft 120 of the extractor . the pump 112 is also operatively connected to the motor via flexible shaft coupling 130 . in operation , the waste material is reduced to a slurry in the pulping tank from where it passes through a sieve into the slurry chamber . the slurry flows through the slurry pipe 104 to an extractor 106 . the liquid portion of the slurry is returned from the extractor to the tank via a return pump 112 and pipe 110 . the solid portion of the waste exits the top of the extractor through a discharge chute 132 with a hinged cover 134 . to significantly increase throughput , the slurry tanks of both of the above - described machines are provided with a flow directing scoop 136 as shown in fig6 and 7 . this element is positioned to cause the slurry flow to be deflected towards the orifice within the chamber defining the opening of the pipe 138 . such radial discharge is both simple and economical . the shape and location of the scoop within the slurry chamber 140 are important as the scoop should not act as a significant obstruction . there are no sharp edges or corners where material can hang up . the circular cross - section of the scoop substantially matches the shape of the pipe 138 so that it may be welded thereto at 142 , and extends from the orifice within the chamber defining the pipe opening . the amount of the extension should not be so great as to interfere with the operation of the impeller disc . rotational flow within the slurry chamber should be into the open side of the u - shaped scoop which may be positioned perpendicularly to the chamber walls . the rounded outer edge 144 of the scoop is preferably the only portion extending into the chamber as materials will not tend to cling thereto . in a successful application of the invention , about one inch of the scoop extended into the chamber is shown in fig6 . thus the several aforenoted objects and advantages are most effectively attained . although several somewhat preferred embodiments have been disclosed and described in detail herein , it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims .
3
a methodology for auto - depicting trends in object contours of an input image is proposed in the present invention . fig6 is a flowchart illustrating the method for auto - depicting trends in object contours according to an embodiment of the present invention . fig1 a is an input image containing a roadway . first , if the input image is a color image , the color image will be converted to a grayscale image . the conversion of the color image to grayscale is performed by using software such as adobe photo shop , ulead photo impact , etc . fig1 b and fig1 c are an angular value distribution diagram ( angular values are indicated by different grayscale values ) and an edge detection result ( white points indicate the edges ) respectively obtained from fig1 a through the step s 2 . the step s 2 is to retrieve and extract coordinates and angular values of the image edges by an edge detection method , where the edge detection method may be referred to as a method capable of obtaining gradient information . for example , the edge detection method may employ a conventional edge detection algorithm such as sobel , prewitt , roberts , etc . sobel algorithm is taken as an example of the edge detection method , and the equations for calculating a plurality of angular values θ and a plurality of edge intensity values g are as follows . the edge detection result ( fig1 c ) is obtained by comparing a threshold with the edge intensity values g , wherein the threshold may be a user - defined constant value or a variable value changed according to the input image . here , the threshold is set as a constant value obtained by multiplying the average value of all of the edge intensity values g within the input image by a number ( e . g ., 3 or 4 ). as shown in fig1 c , the coordinates of the edge points ( i . e ., the white points shown in fig1 c ) retained after the edge detection are regarded as elements within an s set . after obtaining the s set from step s 2 , step s 3 is executed to select a start point from the s set . in step s 3 , a start point ( ix 1 , ix 2 ) is first selected using one of the following manners : ( 1 ) obtaining the edge intensity value g of each pixel point after the edge detection process , sorting the edge intensity values g , and then sequentially selecting one from the sorted edge intensity values g , from the strongest to the weakest , to be the start point , wherein the same start point should not be selected repeatedly ; ( 2 ) selecting any non - repeated coordinate randomly to act as the start point , wherein the non - repeated coordinate is included in the s set ; ( 3 ) selecting any coordinate manually by the user from the input image to act as the start point . the manner of selecting the start point manually is employed by this embodiment to serve as an example for illustrative purposes . in step s 4 , the start point ( ix 1 , ix 2 ) is utilized to be a circle center for plotting a circular region with a radius r , and then the circular region is defined as a first region ( the tracking circle ). next , θ c is defined as the angular values corresponding to coordinates of the s set within the first region . hence , a main angular value id is obtained by performing histogram h r upon θ c and taking the main angular value of the highest bin , and then a first angular value screening range is determined according to the main angular value id . the equation id ± ra 1 ( ra 1 is a variable parameter , e . g ., 10 ) is utilized for determining the first angular value screening range , and the first angular value screening range is utilized for performing angular value screening upon the first region to obtain a first significant angular value and a first index . it should be emphasized that , in order to illustrate the embodiment of the step s 4 clearly , the circular region with a certain area is utilized as an example ; however , it is not a limitation of the shape of the region of the present invention . the angular value screening may be performed using one of the following methods : ( 1 ) taking the average ; ( 2 ) taking the median ; ( 3 ) deriving a statistical value from the highest bin in a histogram h r . the detailed description of the above - mentioned angular value screening methods will be described as follows . first , d s and c s are defined as sets containing θ values and coordinates ( x 1 , x 2 ) satisfying equation 5 , respectively . ( rs & lt ; θ ( x 1 , x 2 )& lt ; rb )∩(( tx 1 − x 1 ) 2 +( tx 2 − x 2 ) 2 ≦ r 2 ),∀( x 1 , x 2 ) ε s equation 5 ( 1 ) taking the average is to divide the sum of all the elements in d s by the total number of the elements in d s . ( 2 ) taking the median has two different ways as follows . ( i ) sort all of the elements in d s , wherein if there is an odd number of elements included in d s , then the angular value of the element which is located at the middle of the sorted elements is selected ; on the other hand , if there is an even number of elements included in d s , then the angular value of the former of two elements which are located at the middle of the sorted elements is selected . ( ii ) set a position range in accordance with the position of the middle element obtained from ( 1 ). for instance , the corresponding elements are selected based on middle element &# 39 ; s position ± d ( d is a variable parameter ), wherein the position range should be smaller than the total number of the elements in d s . next , the average of all the angular values corresponding to the selected elements is calculated . as shown in fig8 , each number in row 81 is representative of a position , and numbers in row 80 are representative of the sorted angular values , wherein the row 80 and the row 81 are mapped to each other , that is to say , each angular value in the row 80 corresponds to a position in the row 81 . for instance , based on the position of the middle element 17 . 2 the angular values ( i . e ., 16 . 9 , 17 . 2 , 17 . 3 ) in the interval respectively corresponding to positions 3 , 4 , 5 , will be selected , and the average of these angular values is 17 . 1 . the angular value may be sorted from the smallest to the largest ( i . e ., sorted in an ascending order ), or sorted from the largest to the smallest ( i . e ., sorted in a descending order ). ( 3 ) deriving a statistical value from the highest bin in histogram h r is to select the quantized interval containing the largest number of elements , and output the angular value obtained by taking the average of the angular values corresponding to all the elements in the selected quantized interval , as shown in the following equations 6 to 8 . in equation 6 , q is the width of the quantized interval and changes in accordance with d s , wherein the maximum and the minimum of d s also change in accordance with equation 5 , and bn denotes the user specified maximum number of bins in the histogram . bn is set to 10 in all embodiments presented in this document . d s set can be separated into bn sets ( or bins in terms of histogram ) by equation 7 , where ( x 1 , x 2 ) εc s . denote n ( j ) as the j th bin , j = 1 , 2 , . . . , bn . next , the number of elements included in the set n ( j ) is defined to be n ( j ). the one in the bins n which has the largest number of elements is defined as n ( i ); on the other hand , the one in the bins n which has the least number of elements is defined as n ( k ). a first significant angular value sa 1 can be obtained by the following equation 8 . after obtaining the first significant angular value sa 1 , the step s 5 is executed subsequently to determine whether a first index is lower than a threshold ( which may be a user - defined constant value ). the calculation of the first index may be performed by using one of the following manners : ( 1 ) performing histogram h r upon the angular values and dividing the difference of the number n ( i ) of the highest mode and the number n ( k ) of the lowest mode by the number n ( i ) of the highest mode ( equation 9 ); ( 2 ) performing histogram h r upon the angular values and dividing the number n ( i ) of the highest mode by the total number of elements contained in the set d s ( equation 10 ). | d s |: the number of elements contained in the set d s when the set d s includes the angular values corresponding to the edge coordinates within the first region , sa 1 obtained via angular value screening is the first significant angular value . when the set d s includes the angular values corresponding to the edge coordinates within the second region , sa 2 obtained via angular value screening is the second significant angular value . after the first significant angular value sa 1 is calculated by utilizing equations 5 to 8 , a probe point ( tx 1 , tx 2 ) can be calculated according to equations 11 and 12 by replacing id with sa 1 , thereby utilizing the probe point as a center to plot a circular region ( the probe circle ) as a second region with a radius r . a second angular value screening range sa 1 ± ra 2 ( ra 2 should be greater than ra 1 ) can be determined in accordance with the first significant angular value sa 1 , and a second significant angular value sa 2 within the second region can be calculated by utilizing equations 5 to 8 . after sa 2 is obtained , a second index can be calculated by utilizing equations 9 or 10 , and it is subsequently determined whether the second index is lower than the threshold by executing the step s 5 , wherein the threshold may be a user - defined constant value . the first angular value screening range is updated to sa 2 ± ra 1 by using the second significant angular value sa 2 , and angular value screening is performed upon the first region by using the updated first angular value screening range to obtain an updated first significant angular value sa 1 . to put it another way , the start point and sa 2 are used as the center of the circle and the reference angular value respectively , and then the first significant angular value sa 1 is recalculated by using equations 5 to 8 for producing an updated sa 1 . id of equation 11 and equation 12 is replaced with the updated sa 1 to obtain coordinate of an updated circle center ( tx 1 , tx 2 ). steps s 4 to s 5 are repeated for producing a next new start point after utilizing the updated circle center ( tx 1 , tx 2 ) as a new start point ( ix 1 , ix 2 ), or the procedure of auto - depicting trends in object contours is terminated when the stopping criteria is met , wherein the stopping criteria is met when one of the first index and the second index is lower than the threshold ( e . g ., 0 . 6 , 0 . 3 ). the results of auto - depicting trends in object contours are indicated by the black asterisks shown in fig1 d . fig2 a is an input image containing a qr code . first , if the input image is a color image , the color image will be converted to a grayscale image . the conversion of the color image to grayscale is performed by using software such as photo shop , photo impact , etc . fig2 b and fig2 c are an angular value distribution diagram ( angular values are indicated by different grayscale values ) and an edge detection result ( white points indicate the edges ) respectively obtained from fig2 a through the step s 2 . the step s 2 is to retrieve and extract coordinates and angular values of the image edges by utilizing an edge detection method , where the edge detection method may be referred to as a method capable of obtaining gradient information . for example , the edge detection method may employ a conventional edge detection algorithm such as sobel , prewitt , roberts , etc . sobel algorithm is taken as an example of the edge detection method , and a plurality of angular values θ and a plurality of edge intensity values g can be obtained by using equations 1 to equation 4 . the edge detection result ( fig2 c ) is obtained by comparing a threshold with the edge intensity values g , wherein the threshold may be a user - defined constant value or a variable value changed according to the input image . here , the threshold is set as a constant value obtained by multiplying the average value of all of the edge intensity values g within the input image by a number ( e . g ., 7 or 8 ). as shown in fig2 c , the coordinates of the edge points retained after the edge detection ( i . e ., white points shown in fig2 c ) are regarded as elements within an s set . since qr code contains bars and spaces possessing a bi - directional characteristic , the angular values obtained through sobel algorithm tend to populate at two certain angular values . to utilize this property , the histogram h a of the angular values associated with the elements within the s set is calculated , as shown in fig2 f , and the largest ( or the highest ) bin is defined as a first direction ang_dir 1st . then , the ang_dir 1st is utilized as a center ( or reference ) to set an angular value range ( i . e ., ang_dir 1st - d_a ˜ ang_dir 1st + d_a , where d_a is a variable parameter ). the angular value range is a range used for obtaining the distribution ( histogram ) of the angular values , as shown in fig2 g . furthermore , with regard to determining a second angular value direction , angular values included in the selected angular value range are deleted . the histogram h a is utilized for obtaining the distribution ( histogram ) of the remaining angular values , and the largest bin is defined as the second angular value direction , as shown in fig2 h . it should be noted that the first angular value direction is not limited to the exemplary direction of the present embodiment . g h and g y can be obtained through sobel algorithm ( equation 2 ), as shown in fig2 d and fig2 e . the edge coordinates contained in g h are regarded as elements within coordinate set s 1 , and the edge coordinates contained in g y are regarded as elements within coordinate set s 2 . next , s set is redefined to be the elements contained in s 1 . after obtaining the s set from the step s 2 , the step s 3 is executed to select a start point from the s set . in the step s 3 , a start point ( ix 1 , ix 2 ) is first selected using one of the following manners : ( 1 ) obtaining the edge intensity value g of each pixel point after the edge detection process , sorting the edge intensity values g , and then sequentially selecting one from the sorted edge intensity values g , from the strongest to the weakest , to be the start point , wherein the same start point should not be selected repeatedly ; ( 2 ) selecting any non - repeated coordinates randomly as the start point , wherein the non - repeated coordinate is included in the s set ; ( 3 ) selecting any coordinate manually by the user from the input image to act as the start point . in step s 4 , the start point ( ix 1 , ix 2 ) is utilized to be a circle center for plotting a circular region with a radius r , and then the circular region is defined as a first region ( the tracking circle ). next , id is defined as the first angular value direction ang_dir 1st , and then a first angular value screening range is determined according to id . the equation id ± ra 1 ( ra 1 is a variable parameter , e . g ., 10 ) is utilized for determining the first angular value screening range , and the first angular value screening range is utilized for performing angular value screening upon the first region to obtain a first significant angular value and a first index . it should be emphasized that , in order to illustrate the embodiment of the step s 4 clearly , the circular region with a certain area is utilized as an example ; however , it is not a limitation of the shape of the region of the present invention . the angular value screening method may be performed using one of the following methods : ( 1 ) taking the average ; ( 2 ) taking the median ; ( 3 ) deriving a statistical value from the highest bin in histogram h r . the detailed descriptions of the above mentioned angular value screening methods will be described as follows . first , d s and c s are defined as sets containing 0 values and coordinates ( x 1 , x 2 ) satisfying equation 5 , respectively . in equation 5 , rb = id + ra , rs = id − ra . ( 1 ) taking the average is to divide the sum of all the elements in d s by the total number of the elements in d s . ( 2 ) taking the median has two different ways as follows . ( i ) sort all of the elements in d s , wherein if there is an odd number of elements included in d s , then the angular value of the element which is located at the middle of the sorted elements is selected ; on the other hand , if there is an even number of elements included in d s , then the angular value of the former one of two elements which are located at the middle of the sorted elements is selected . ( ii ) set a position range in accordance with the position of the middle element obtained from ( 1 ). for instance , the corresponding elements are selected based on middle element &# 39 ; s position ± d ( d is a variable parameter ), wherein the position range should be smaller than the total number of the elements in d s . next , the average of the sum of all the angular values corresponding to the selected elements is calculated . as shown in fig8 , each number in row 81 is representative of a position , and numbers in row 80 are representative of the sorted angular values , wherein the row 80 and the row 81 are mapped to each other , that is to say , each angular value in the row 80 corresponds to a position in the row 81 . for instance , based on the position of the middle element 17 . 2 the angular values ( i . e ., 16 . 9 , 17 . 2 , 17 . 3 ) in the interval respectively corresponding to positions 3 , 4 , 5 , will be selected , and the average of these angular values is 17 . 1 . the angular value may be sorted from the smallest to the largest ( i . e ., sorted in an ascending order ), or sorted from the largest to the smallest ( i . e ., sorted in a descending order ). ( 3 ) deriving a statistical value from the highest bin is to select the quantized interval containing the largest number of elements , and output the angular value obtained by taking the average of the angular values corresponding to all the elements in the selected quantized interval , as shown in the aforementioned equations 6 to 8 . in equation 6 , q is the width of the quantized interval and changes in accordance with d s , wherein the maximum and the minimum of d s also change in accordance with equation 5 , and bn denotes the user specified maximum number of bins in the histogram . d s set can be separated into bn sets ( or bins in terms of histogram ) by equation 7 , where ( x 1 , x 2 ) εc s . denote n ( j ) as the j th bin , j = 1 , 2 , . . . , bn . next , the number of elements included in the element set n ( j ) is defined as n ( j ). the one in the set n which has the largest number of elements is defined as n ( i ); on the other hand , the one in the element set n ( j ) which has the least number of elements is defined as n ( k ). a first significant angular value sa 1 can be obtained by the aforementioned equation 8 . after obtaining the first significant angular value sa 1 , the step s 5 is executed subsequently to determine whether a first index p_r is lower than a threshold ( which may be a user - defined constant value ). the calculation of the first index p_r may be performed using one of the following manners : ( 1 ) obtaining histogram h r of the angular values and dividing the difference of the number n ( i ) of the highest mode and the number n ( k ) of the lowest mode by the number n ( i ) of the highest bin ( equation 9 ); ( 2 ) obtaining histogram h r of the angular values and dividing the number n ( i ) of the highest bin by the total number of elements contained in the set d s ( equation 10 ). when the set d s includes the angular values corresponding to the edge coordinates within the first region , sa 1 obtained via angular value screening is the first significant angular value . when the set d s includes the angular values corresponding to the edge coordinates within the second region , sa 2 obtained via angular value screening is the second significant angular value . after the first significant angular value sa 1 is calculated by utilizing equations 5 to 8 , a probe point ( tx 1 , tx 2 ) can be calculated according to equations 11 and 12 by replacing id with sa 1 thereby utilizing the probe point as a center to plot a circular region as a second region with a radius r . a second angular value screening range sa 1 ± ra 2 ( ra 2 should be larger than ra 1 ) can be determined in accordance with the first significant angular value sa 1 , and a second significant angular value sa 2 within the second region can be calculated by utilizing equations 5 to 8 . after sa 2 is obtained , it is determined whether a second index is lower than the threshold by executing the step s 5 subsequently , and the second index can be calculated by utilizing equations 9 or 10 , wherein the threshold may be a user - defined constant value . the first angular value screening range is updated to sa 2 ± ra 1 by using the second significant angular value sa 2 , and angular value screening is performed upon the first region by using the updated first angular value screening range to obtain an updated first significant angular value sa 1 . to put it another way , the start point and sa 2 are used as the center of the circle and the reference angular value respectively , and then the first significant angular value sa 1 is recalculated by using equations 5 to 8 for producing an updated sa 1 . id of equation 11 and equation 12 is replaced with the updated sa 1 to obtain coordinate of an updated circle center ( tx 1 , tx 2 ). steps s 4 to s 5 are repeated for producing a next new start point after obtaining a new start point ( i . e ., a corrected coordinate of the circle center ), or the procedure of auto - depicting trends in object contours is terminated when the stopping criteria , wherein the stopping criteria is met when one of the first index and the second index is lower than the threshold ( e . g ., 0 . 6 , 0 . 3 ). after auto - depicting trends in object contours for the s set corresponding to the s 1 set is complete , as shown in fig2 i , s 2 will be defined to be elements of s set , and the process of auto - depicting trends in object contours is the same as that employed for processing the aforementioned s set . the only difference is that , while executing the step s 4 , the second angular value direction needs to be defined to be id . the result of auto - depicting trends in object contours for the s set corresponding to the s 2 set is shown in fig2 j . the above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention , but not limitations of the present invention . designs based on the above alternatives and other further extensions complying with the features and spirits of the present invention all fall within the scope of the present invention . those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention . accordingly , the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims .
6
with reference to the drawings , wherein like numerals represent like elements throughout the various views , an apparatus for the delivery of viscous materials is generally designated by the numeral 10 . the delivery apparatus 10 generally employs a large gauge syringe 12 which includes a large bore needle 14 , a barrel 16 and a plunger rod assembly 18 which is specially adapted for more effective and efficient in vivo delivery of viscous materials , such as bone cement , to a surgical site . it should be understood , however , that the delivery apparatus is not limited to the delivery of bone cements but rather its use also extends to , inter alia , biocompatible adhesives and medicines . as illustrated in fig4 , the syringe 12 includes a large bore needle 14 having a proximal end 14 a and a distal tip end 14 b . in one preferred embodiment , needle 14 is a 7 gauge needle . the proximal end of the needle 14 a is removably connected to a luer connector 15 of a standard syringe barrel 16 ( 20 ml barrel ). the connector 15 may be of any conventional design used in standard medical practice , such as a hub having a luer lock or a thread lock for the attachment of syringes or other medical devices that require the attachment of a needle . the delivery apparatus 10 includes a contoured housing 20 which generally mounts the principal components such as barrel 16 . the housing 20 has a central barrel - like receiver 22 with an outlet 23 . the central receiver 22 is designed to efficiently receive and hold a standard plastic or glass syringe barrel , such as barrel 16 . if more adhesive is required during a procedure , the surgeon can simply remove the needle 14 from the standard syringe barrel 16 , and then remove the standard syringe barrel and plunger from the main vibration housing 20 . next , the surgeon would reload the main vibration housing with a full syringe barrel and plunger assembly , and reattach the needle . upon loading of the syringe 12 , the receiver 22 is coaxial to the needle 14 which extends axially from the housing and plunger rod assembly 18 . the barrel 16 is adapted to receive a predetermined volume of material . material within the barrel portion 16 is advanced through the needle 14 by the actuation of the plunger rod assembly 18 . in one embodiment , the central portion of receiver 22 of the housing 20 features a viewing window 24 . preferably , the viewing window 24 is a cut - out portion of the receiver . alternatively , the window 24 may be made from a clear plastic material , which allows the user to observe the contents of the syringe barrel 16 which is also transparent . in a preferred embodiment , the housing is about 3 . 7 inches in length and about 2 . 2 inches in width with the central barrel portion having an approximate volume of 20 . 0 milliliters ( ml ). a finger flange 26 to facilitate injection of the syringe may integrally project from the housing 20 . in another preferred embodiment the central barrel portion may have two finger flanges 26 , each protruding from opposite sides of the housing . as best illustrated in fig3 , the plunger rod assembly 18 is comprised of a rod 17 and a substantially cylindrical plug 19 disposed within the barrel 16 . the cylindrical plug 19 is axially movable along the interior surface of the barrel portion . the cylindrical plug 19 may have a plurality of o - rings or similar means to achieve a sealing fit between the plug and the interior surface of the barrel 16 as the plunger rod is axially displaced . preferably , the plunger rod assembly is hand operated . alternatively , the plunger rod assembly may be adapted for use with a mechanical actuator , such as a pneumatic actuator , to assist the user in axially moving the plug 19 within the central barrel to inject viscous material through the needle . two side tubular compartments 30 and 32 within the housing may flank the central receiver 22 and extend in generally parallel relationship . each compartment may have a removable cap 34 . preferably , each compartment 30 , 32 is configured to accommodate a power source 36 , a switch 38 , and a vibrating motor 40 . in another preferred embodiment , the apparatus employs a single vibrating motor . in a preferred embodiment , each power source 36 is a dc battery and each switch 38 is a tactile switch . one exemplary switch is a double - sealed type , b3wn tactile switch manufactured by omron electronics . the switch may be configured or connect with an auxiliary controller to provide a selectively variable speed for the motor . it should be understood that the placement of the vibrating motor ( s ) 40 is intended to focus and supply vibration mostly on the front of the internal syringe barrel 16 and where the larger i . d . of the syringe barrel reduces to a smaller i . d . in the vicinity of the connector 18 . it is in this area that the cement has a tendency to dam up and block the flow . a rubber dampener 50 may be placed on the exterior surface of the needle hub to start to reduce vibrations down the length of the needle . in addition , another dampener 52 may be added to the needle shaft , and is capable of sliding along its length . the dampeners 50 , 52 include respectively transversely projecting flexible wings 54 , 56 or flaps to absorb vibration . dampener 50 may be axially retained between flanges 60 , 62 . preferably , the vibrating motor 40 is a micro vibration motor that operates at a predetermined speed in the range of between about 5 , 500 to 11 , 000 rpm ( rotations per minute ). it is also preferable that the vibrating motor has an overall length of between about 11 to 25 mm . one exemplary vibrating motor 40 is a coreless cylindrical permanent magnetic micro vibration motor manufactured by jinlong machinery ( part no . 7al - 09wa ). in a preferred embodiment , a vibrating motor operating at a predetermined fixed speed or at a variable speed of , for example , 7 , 000 ± 1500 rpm increases the tendency of viscous material ( not illustrated ) within the central syringe barrel to flow , which thereby increases the overall efficiency of the in vivo delivery of the material . in addition , applying vibration to the barrel increases the effectiveness and efficiency of the plunger rod assembly 18 in advancing the material within the barrel portion towards the needle . also , by applying vibration to the internal syringe barrel loaded with highly viscous material , the resistance pressure to the manual squeezing force between the hand and plunger will be considerably reduced , giving the doctor more control of the delivery of the material . the delivery apparatus preferably has a plurality of vibrating motors which are each powered by a corresponding power source disposed within the housing 20 . a single power source typically energizes a single vibrating motor . alternatively , a single power source may power the plurality of vibrating motors . fig3 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of a connection between a power source 36 , a switch 38 , and a vibrating motor 40 . in one embodiment the power source 36 is a aaa battery . preferably , in an embodiment having a plurality of vibrating motors , each motor may be activated and / or deactivated individually via a dedicated switch . alternatively , a single switch may actuate a plurality of motors and selectively impose a variable speed for the motors . the delivery apparatus and particularly the housing 20 is manufactured from durable materials capable of withstanding repeated sterilization . the vibrating housing receiver is dimensioned to hold standard plastic and glass prefilled / premixed syringes . naturally , housing receiver 22 may be designed to hold a custom volume premixed / prefilled syringe assembly . the delivery assembly maintains the loaded premixed syringe in a mixed state before and during delivery of the bone cement and facilitates replacement of the syringe during a procedure . exemplary embodiments illustrating the apparatus and the method of increasing the efficiency of delivering viscous materials to a surgical site are described for purposes of explanation and are not intended as limitations of the invention herein . alternative designs and additional modifications may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention .
0
our invention concerns the use of a radially - expandable tubular element in the construction of medical devices containing tubular components and / or channels . in particular , our invention concerns the use of the tubular elements in the construction of device components and channels that function to conduct or convey medical instruments and / or guidewires therethrough . the use of radially expandable tubular elements in the construction of delivery catheters enables their manufacture with lower composite profiles relative to prior art device delivery catheters of comparable delivery capacity . the use of radially expandable guidewire channels in the construction of exchangeable guidewire - directed diagnostic / therapeutic devices enables their manufacture with lower shaft profiles than heretofore possible . although our invention applies to the construction of all devices containing tubular components and / or channels that function to conduct or convey devices and / or guidewires therethrough , we will confine our remarks to the use of radially - expandable tubular elements in the construction of a guiding catheter , percutaneous intravascular sheath and guidewire channel , with the understanding that the scope of our invention is not limited to the focus of this discussion . fig1 a - 1d are detailed phantom profile views and two cross - sectional views of an ultra - low profile radially - expandable subselective guiding catheter . the device consists of a shaft , stress riser 27 and proximal adapter 20 . the shaft is composed of three sections 5 , 6 , and 7 of progressively increasing rigidity . the luminal profile of shaft section 7 is sufficient to accommodate the profile of the largest device intended for delivery therethrough . the corresponding profiles of shaft sections 5 and 6 are considerably smaller . this circumstance enables the construction of shaft sections 5 and 6 with lower external profiles relative to shaft section 7 . ( see fig1 b and 1d .) the shaft of the device contains at least two layers ; an inner relatively inelastic layer and an outer relatively elastic layer . these are bonded together to provide a delivery channel 15 that is continuous therethrough . the inner layer affords column strength to the shaft . the outer layer functions as a barrier to the flow of fluid and serves to compress the inner layer , thereby reducing the composite profile of the device . because the outer layer is not required to provide column strength , it can be constructed with particularly thin walls . in the preferred embodiment , a lubricous coating is applied to the outer layer to facilitate the introduction and withdrawal of the device within the confines of the body . section 5 is composed of at least two tubular elements ; an outer relatively elastic tubular element 14 and an inner relatively inelastic , yet flexible tubular element 11 . in one embodiment element 14 comprises a low density polyurethane and element 11 comprises a medium density polyurethane . these two layers are joined distally . additionally , these two layers are joined longitudinally by means of an eccentric bond 4 ( see fig1 b ), typically provided by heat or an adhesive . shaft section 6 is similar in configuration to shaft section 5 . the rigidity of the respective inner tubular elements , however , is different . the inner tubular element 10 , contained within shaft section 6 , is more rigid relative to the inner tubular element 11 , contained within shaft section 5 . preferably element 10 comprises a high density polyurethane . this difference affords shaft section 6 enhanced rigidity relative to shaft section 5 . inner tubular elements 10 and 11 are joined together at joint 12 ( see fig1 a ), also by heat or an adhesive . shaft section 7 is composed of three tubular elements ; a low density polyurethane outer tubular element 14 , a high density polyurethane tubular element 10 and a wire braid tubular element 28 sandwiched therebetween . ( see fig1 d .) the wire braid tubular element 28 enhances the rigidity of shaft section 7 compared to shaft section 6 . this design permits the construction of a shaft that is particularly flexible at the distal end and yet relatively rigid at the proximal end . our invention further permits the construction of a similar structure wherein the transition in rigidity occurs gradually . we achieve this variable flexibility by a co - tapered extrusion of the inner and outer tubular elements . variable shaft flexibility affords the device enhanced ` pushability ` and guidewire ` trackability ` relative to conventional devices containing shafts of uniform rigidity throughout . inner tubular elements 10 and 11 contain a slit 13 that extends the length of shaft sections 5 and 6 and terminates distally to shaft section 7 . slit 13 , in conjunction with the elasticity of tubular element 14 enables shaft sections 5 and 6 , and the delivery channel 15 contained within these sections , to expand radially in response to the passage of devices of relatively large profile therethrough . this feature enables the shaft of the delivery catheter described herein to accommodate the passage of devices of larger profile than the baseline dimensions of the distal lumen of the catheter . thus our catheter provides superior device delivery capacity relative to prior art delivery catheters of comparable baseline distal shaft and delivery channel profiles . correspondingly , this feature enables the construction of our catheter with lower baseline distal delivery channel and shaft profiles compared to prior art guiding catheters of comparable delivery capacity and shaft wall thickness . given the recognized relationship between device profile and morbidity , our invention enables the construction of a device delivery catheter that is safer to use than prior art catheters of comparable delivery capacity . in the preferred embodiment , the opposing surfaces of the inner tubular elements , contained within shaft sections 5 and 6 , are superimposed upon one another . ( see fig1 b .) this configuration enables the tubular elements to expand radially within the distal aspect of the catheter and yet remain circumferentially intact , thus precluding the inadvertent escape of a device contained therein through the confines of slit 13 . in the preferred embodiment , the distal shaft expands radially in response to the application of minimal outward directed force . in the preferred embodiment , the tubular elements comprising shaft section 7 are circumferentially bonded together , preferably with heat . the layers comprising shaft sections 5 and 6 are eccentrically bonded together by means of bond 4 that extends longitudinally the length of the shaft sections . the use of an eccentric bond precludes coaxial rotation of the respective tubular elements and yet permits modest inter - component mobility , facilitating radial expansion . the proximal adapter 20 consists of component 23 , side - arm 21 , rotator 24 , and adjustable o - ring valve 25 . ( see fig1 c .) the interface between component 23 and rotator 24 is a right - hand screw . the o - ring valve 25 is disposed within the lumen of the proximal adapter 20 at the interface between component 23 and rotator 24 . this valve allows the distal aspect of the shaft lumen 15 to be sealed and thus preclude the loss of blood therethrough . the function of the o - ring valve 25 can be adjusted by rotation of rotator 24 , relative to component 23 . clockwise rotation of rotator 24 relative to element 23 compresses the o - ring , thus closing the valve , whereas counter - clockwise rotation accomplishes the opposite effect . the use of an adjustable valve enables the operator to control blood loss despite the introduction and withdrawal of devices of variable profile therethrough . side arm 21 provides access to lumen 15 of said device . the infusion of fluid into side arm 21 flushes lumen 15 . side arm 21 is designed to interface with luer - locking components . the proximal adapter is joined to the catheter shaft section 7 by means of a cap 26 and stress riser 27 . the configuration of the catheter tip depends upon the intended use of the device . clearly , the shaft can be shaped to accept a variety of configurations , including tip configurations that are well known to facilitate negotiation of prior art delivery devices within various regions of the body . typically , the device is prepared with a guidewire and advanced within the confines of the body under fluoroscopic control . rotation of the guidewire enables the operator to steer the device within relatively remote regions . the flexibility of the distal shaft facilitates introduction of the device within regions of the vasculature subserved by particularly tortuous vessels . once suitably installed , the guidewire can be removed to enable the subsequent introduction of a diagnostic or therapeutic device therethrough . fig2 a - 2c illustrate the changes in distal shaft configuration that transpire consequent with the withdrawal therethrough of a guidewire of uniform profile . fig2 d - 2f illustrate the changes in distal shaft configuration that transpire consequent with the introduction of a relatively large profile diagnostic / interventional device of non - uniform dimensions therethrough . an ultrasonic delivery catheter ball - tipped laser catheter ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 773 , 413 ) is one example of prior art interventional devices of non - uniform dimensions that require introduction within selected regions of the vasculature via guiding catheters . prior art guiding catheters contain delivery channels that are uniformly larger in profile relative to the maximal profiles of the devices intended for delivery therethrough . hence , the delivery of an interventional / diagnostic device of non - uniform profile via a guiding catheter of the prior art requires the use of a particularly capacious and thus large profile catheter . as evident in fig2 a - 2f , the use of radially expandable tubular elements enables the construction of lower profile and hence safer delivery devices than prior art devices of comparable delivery capacity . the use of radially expandable guidewire channels in the construction of guidewire - directed diagnostic / interventional devices enables the manufacture of these devices with lower composite profiles than prior art devices . fig3 a - 3d and 4b - 4d illustrate this principle . these figures depict an angioscopy catheter containing a guidewire channel using an embodiment of our invention . fig3 a - 3d contain a phantom profile view and two shaft cross - sectional views of the device . the shaft contains a relatively low profile , relatively flexible section 30 and a relatively larger profile , relative inflexible section 31 . the shaft is composed of at least two tubular elements , an outer relatively elastic element 36 and an inner relatively inelastic tubular element 38 . two fiber - optic bundles 40 and 41 , are imbedded within tubular element 38 . ( see fig3 b .) these bundles function respectively to conduct light in an antegrade direction and return an image in the retrograde direction . these fiber - optic bundles exit the confines of the device via side arm 46 . the guidewire channel 34 , contained within shaft section 30 is radially expandable by virtue of slit 44 and the elasticity of tubular element 36 . slit 44 extends longitudinally the length of shaft section 30 and terminates distal to shaft section 31 . the guidewire channel 34 contained within shaft section 31 is sufficiently large in profile to accommodate the largest profile segment of the guidewire intended for introduction or withdrawal therethrough and it does not permit radial expansion . fig3 e is a cross section of the section 30 illustrating an alternative embodiment of the invention . for the embodiment depicted in fig3 b , a slit was employed to allow radial expansion . for the embodiment depicted in fig3 e , the inner tubular element 38 includes a section 45 which is contiguous , but which has been folded in the overlapped configuration shown . in this manner , as channel 34 is expanded , that portion 45 of the inner element will unfold as necessary . because the guidewire lumen within the distal aspect of this device is radially expandable , the device can be constructed to conform to the surface of a guidewire of non - uniform profile and yet accommodate the introduction and withdrawal of said guidewire therethrough . hence , the use of this device , in conjunction with a guidewire component containing a low profile segment that extends through the distal confines of the catheter component , provides a lower composite profile than functionally comparable guidewire - directed systems of the prior art that are designed to accommodate guidewires of uniform profile throughout . reducing the profile of the guidewire channel of a prior art device , with the intent to reduce the composite profile of the device , is constrained by the need to maintain the dimensions of the guidewire channel sufficiently large to accommodate the largest profile segment of the guidewire disposed proximal to this region . stated differently , reducing the profile of the distal guidewire channel obligates reducing the profile of the proximal aspect of the guidewire mandrel . any departure from this basic principle precludes the ability to separate the guidewire component from the catheter component of the device intraoperatively . reducing the profile of the mandrel invariably compromises the directional control of the composite device . hence , further progress in reducing the profile of guidewire - directed diagnostic / therapeutic devices of the prior art , that afford independent catheter - guidewire coaxial mobility , is constrained by the need to : ( 1 ) maintain the proximal profile of the guidewire mandrel within a range that confers satisfactory directional control to the system and ( 2 ) maintain the corresponding profile of the distal guidewire channel sufficiently large to accommodate the proximal profile of said guidewire mandrel , thus enabling withdrawal of the catheter component from the guidewire component of the system . a guidewire of non - uniform profile , containing a low profile region , can be constructed that is functionally comparable to prior art stand alone guidewires of uniform profile throughout . this circumstance obtains because : ( 1 ) the mandrel components are largely responsible for the function of prior art guidewires and ( 2 ) prior art guidewires of uniform profile contain progressively tapered mandrels with low profile distal segments . the wire coil components of stand alone guidewires of the prior art : ( 1 ) afford flexibility to the distal aspect of the guidewire that extends beyond the region of the mandrel and ( 2 ) render the device uniform in profile . in effect , the coil disposed proximal to the end of the mandrel , in the case of prior art stand alone guidewires , functions largely to enhance the profile of the tapered segment of the mandrel and affords no significant advantage to the wire in terms of directional control ( i . e ., rotational torque delivery potential ). hence , this coil can be removed , exposing the tapered mandrel contained therein , enabling the construction of a guidewire of non - uniform profile , that contains a low profile distal segment and yet provides comparable directional control relative to prior art guidewires of uniform profile . fig4 a is an enlarged profile view of such a guidewire of our design . the guidewire contains a progressively tapered mandrel 50 , a flat wire ribbon ( not shown ) and a radiopaque tip coil 52 . the radiopaque tip coil 52 extends over the distal aspect of mandrel 50 . the wire ribbon ( not shown ) extends throughout the length of the interior of the tip coil 52 . the tip coil 52 is joined proximally to mandrel 50 and to the flat wire ribbon . distally , the tip coil is joined to the flat wire ribbon . the use of a guidewire of this configuration , in conjunction with a diagnostic / therapeutic catheter containing a radially expandable guidewire channel that is designed to conform to the surface configuration of said guidewire , enables the construction of a guidewire - directed assembly with comparable steerability and coaxial guidewire mobility relative to the prior art . it further enables the assembly to have a lower composite profile than functionally comparable devices of the prior art . fig4 b - 4d are a series of profile views of the angioscopy catheter illustrated in fig3 a - 3d . these figures illustrate the changes in shaft and guidewire channel configuration that transpire consequent with the withdrawal of the angioscopy catheter over the guidewire illustrated in fig4 a . given the recognized relationship between device profile and safety , the use of a radially expandable guidewire channel in conjunction with a guidewire of non - uniform profile , containing at least one low profile distal segment , enables the construction of a highly steerably system that is lower in distal profile and thereby safer to use than functionally comparable devices of the prior art . although we describe the use of our guidewire / guidewire channel system in conjunction with an angioscopy catheter , it should be understood that our system has application to all guidewire - directed exchangeable interventional / diagnostic systems and that the use of our system in their construction enables their manufacture with lower composite profiles than heretofore possible . in addition to the aforementioned applications , the use of radially expandable tubular elements can be applied to the construction of intravascular sheaths . fig5 a is a profile view of a side - arm guidewire - directed intravascular sheath and dilator assembly that contains a radially expandable shaft of our design . fig5 b contains an enlarged mid - shaft cross - sectional view of same . fig6 a is a longitudinal cross - sectional view of the side arm sheath 90 . fig6 b and 6c are corresponding views of two guidewire - directed dilators 150 , 160 intended for use with the sheath . the sheath assembly consists of a side arm sheath 90 and one or more dilators 150 , 160 . the sheath consists of a shaft and a proximal hub . the shaft is composed of an inner tubular element 100 and an outer tubular element 101 . a relatively rigid material , for example polypropylene , is preferable for the construction of inner tubular element 100 . conversely , a thermoplastic elastomer is preferable for the construction of outer tubular element 101 . the inner tubular element 100 is designed to accommodate positive radial expansion over a specific range of radial dimensions . this is accomplished by constructing the element with overlapping surfaces and disposing at their interface a ratcheting mechanism consisting of a series of longitudinally disposed teeth 103 and a latch 102 . the passage of a device therethrough of larger profile than the baseline luminal profile of the shaft engages latch 102 with successive teeth 103 and thereby radially expands the shaft of the sheath and maintains the shaft in its expanded configuration . the outer tubular element 101 is bonded eccentrically to the inner tubular element 100 forming an interior lumen 104 . this outer tubular element : ( 1 ) prevents the passage of fluid through the walls of the shaft and ( 2 ) compresses the inner tubular element 100 and thereby maintain the desired degree of expansion of said element . because the outer tubular element 101 is not required to provide column strength to the shaft , it can be constructed with particularly thin walls . the external surface of outer component 101 is preferably coated with a lubricous substance to facilitate the introduction of the device within the confines of the body . the proximal hub contains a side - arm 107 and hemostatic valve 106 . the side arm terminates with a stop - cock 108 designed to interface with luer - locking components . the lumen of said side - arm is continuous with the lumen of the sheath . the infusion of fluid into the side - arm functions to flush the contents of the sheath . the hub consists of a body 105 which contains a one - way multi - leaved valve 106 . valve 106 functions to accommodate the passage of devices introduced therethrough and yet prevent the exit of blood and / or bodily fluids therefrom . the port 110 at the proximal end of the proximal hub is coaxial to the center of valve 106 and channel 104 and functions to expedite the introduction of devices therethrough . a strain relief 109 extends across the interface between the hub and shaft . the leading edge of said strain relief is tapered . typically , the sheath is prepared with the dilator 150 illustrated in fig6 b and this assembly is introduced over a guidewire within the confines of the vasculature . the dilator 150 contains a guidewire channel 122 and provides : ( 1 ) increased column strength to the sheath during introduction within the body , ( 2 ) a wedge shaped leading edge to the assembly and ( 3 ) a means of dilating the sheath to a suitable channel profile following introduction of the sheath within the confines of the vasculature . the dilator 150 is formed of a rigid material . proximally , it contains a groove 128 that is designed to interface with taper 111 contained in port 110 of the sheath . this tongue and groove configuration functions to couple the two assembly components together during the process of introducing the sheath within the confines of the vasculature and yet permit separation of said components following introduction of said sheath therein . distally , the dilator 150 contains a bulbous region 127 . this bulbous region is defined by a leading taper 123 and expansion taper 124 . the sheath and dilator are designed such that the distal end of the sheath is proximal to the bulbous region 127 of said dilator . this sheath / dilator assembly configuration affords numerous advantages over prior art assemblies containing radially non - expandable shafts . this configuration enables the introduction of the assembly through a lower profile arteriotomy or venotomy than the prior art because our device is designed to be introduced in a radially contracted state and to expand radially subsequent to insertion . the maximal profile of the bulbous region 127 of dilator 150 corresponds to the intended channel profile of the device . introduction of the sheath assembly is accomplished in the conventional manner . withdrawal of the dilator , however , through the confines of the sheath , increases the profile of the delivery channel to the desired profile as bulbous region 127 is withdrawn through the shaft . as with the above - described devices , this feature enables the insertion of our assembly with decreased morbidity relative to prior art devices of similar device delivery capacity . our device further can be reconfigured to accept progressively larger profile devices simply by installing dilators of progressively larger cross - sectional profiles therethrough . fig6 c is a profile view of such a dilator . this feature enables the insertion of an intra - aortic counter - pulsation balloon catheter or angioplasty guiding catheter through the confines of a baseline low profile sheath that otherwise could not be used to convey these devices . this feature circumvents the need to exchange sheaths to enable the introduction of such devices , among others , following the performance of an angiography . angiography is commonly performed , prior to the performance of an angioplasty or the insertion of an intra - aortic balloon pump . angiography can be accomplished with the use of a 6 french sheath whereas the performance of an angioplasty and intra - aortic counter - pulsation requires the use of substantially larger sheaths . this circumstance currently mandates exchanging sheaths , a process that invariably provokes local trauma to the vasculature and blood loss . our sheath permits the performance of both procedures without the need to exchange the sheath in the interim and circumvents the need to install a large bore sheath at the outset to accomplish this end . in summary , our invention concerns the use of radially - expandable tubular elements in the manufacture of medical devices and components of medical devices that conduct or convey devices and / or guidewires therethrough . the use of our invention enables the construction of guiding catheters of lower profile and superior delivery capacity than prior art devices . the use of our tubular elements enables the construction of percutaneous sheaths with lower profiles and superior functional versatility than prior art devices . the use of our tubular elements in the construction of guidewire channels for guidewire - directed diagnostic / therapeutic systems enables the construction of assemblies with lower composite profiles and comparable directional control and inter - component coaxial mobility than functionally comparable systems of the prior art . given the relationship between device profile and morbidity , the use of radially - expandable tubular elements enables the construction of medical devices containing tubes and / or channels that are safer to use than prior art devices .
0
the following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only , and are not intended to limit the scope , applicability or configuration of the invention in any way . rather , the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention . various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims . referring to fig3 a and 3 b , a preferred embodiment of the present invention of a body 4 , a hood 5 and a seat 6 as found with the prior art . wherein , the body 4 includes a steering mechanism 41 , a front wheel 42 , two rear wheels 43 , a pedal deck 44 , a power system 45 , and a deck locking mechanism 46 . the hood 5 contains the power system 45 , and the seat 6 is provided for riding comfort . as illustrated in fig4 , the quick release is comprised of the deck locking mechanism 46 and a hood locking mechanism 51 . wherein , a locking post 47 is incorporated to the deck locking mechanism 46 and fastened with a nut 48 . the deck locking mechanism 46 includes a frame 461 . a restriction hole 462 is disposed at one end of the frame 461 and two guide channels 463 are respectively provided on both sides of the circumference of the restriction hole 462 . the locking post 47 is made of a metallic material having its upper section wrapped with a hard plastic material serving as a blocking part 471 , and having its lower section provided with a threaded bolt 472 . the top of the blocking part 471 is made in a circular head that extends downward and expands into a middle section in diameter greater than that of the circular head , and further extends downward in gradually reducing diameter until it reaches the topper end of the threaded bolt 472 . a retainer 473 is each provided to the upper circumference of the threaded bolt 472 at where in relation to the restriction hole 462 of the deck locking mechanism . the hood locking mechanism 51 is provided with a recess on the hood 5 and an insertion hole 52 is disposed at the bottom of the recess with a resilient member 53 mounted to the circumference of the insertion hole 52 . the resilient member 53 is related to a rubber ring having at its center provided with a circular through hole . now referring to fig5 , upon assembling the quick release of the present invention . the threaded bolt 472 of the locking post is first inserted into the restriction hole 462 of the frame 461 to the extent that both retainers 473 of the locking post 47 and both guiding channels 473 of the restriction hole 462 are respectively interlocked with each other to prevent the locking post 47 from lateral displacement ; and finally the nut 48 is mounted to hold the locking post 47 in position . the assembly described above is done ex - factory . as illustrated in fig6 , the hood locking mechanism 51 is provided with the resilient member 53 on the insertion hole of the hood 5 . when the hood locking mechanism is incorporated with the locking post 47 , the upper end and the lower end of the locking post 47 are both in the same diameter as that of the inner diameter of the resilient member while the middle section of the locking post is in a diameter greater than that of either of the upper or the lower end of the locking post 47 . therefore , when the blocking part 471 penetrates through the resilient member 53 , the blocking part 471 for being wrapped up with a hard plastic material is compressed and held in position . because the resilient member 53 is related to a expandable rubber , it allows the hood locking mechanism 51 to easily adapt to the locking post of the deck locking mechanism , thus to facilitate the removal and reassembly of both the hood locking mechanism and the deck locking mechanism of the electric scooter for the purpose of maintenance or transportation . the present invention by providing a resilient member to the hood and a locking post to the deck locking mechanism of the electric scooter for the insertion hole disposed on the hood to be incorporated with the locking post of the deck locking mechanism allows easy removal and reassembly of the deck locking mechanism and the hood locking mechanism without the use of any hand tool for maintenance or transportation purpose . it will be understood that each of the elements described above , or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above . while certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim , it is not intended to be limited to the details above , since it will be understood that various omissions , modifications , substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention .
1
reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the features of the inventions . many modifications and improvements of the specific embodiments described below will be apparent to those skilled in the art . fig1 generally shows a system according to a first embodiment of the present invention for control of a land vehicle using carrier phase differential gps ( cdgps ). in this example , the land vehicle 2 is a farming tractor with an attached implement 4 used to plow a field 10 . as described in greater detail below , the vehicle 2 operates automatically to travel a predefined path . a controller sends steering rate commands to minimize the lateral position error of the vehicle on the basis of gps attitude and position information received directly from gps satellites 8a - 8d , information received from a stationary reference station ( located in this example in barn 6 ) through a radio data link 12 , wheel angle measurements , and possible other measurements , such as hitch load . the stationary reference station includes a gps antenna 14 which receives gps signals 18a - 18d respectively from the satellites 8a - 8d . the gps signals received by the reference station are processed to generate carrier phase measurement and rtcm code differential corrections . data from the reference station is transmitted to the vehicle 2 using antenna 16 . fig2 illustrates in more detail a land vehicle 2 as generally shown in fig1 . in this example , the vehicle 2 is a tractor ; however , it will be understood that the invention is not so limited , and may be used advantageously to control various ground vehicles . a plurality of gps antennas ( in this case , four antennas ) 21a - 21d are mounted on the top of the vehicle 2 along with an antenna 26 which communicates with the reference station . as described in greater detail below , a sensor 24 is used to measure front wheel angle . steering is controlled using a steering unit 25 . an internal processor or data acquisition board serves as a communications interface between a control computer ( which may be on or off - board ) and the steering unit 25 . in this example , the internal processor also converts data obtained from the sensor 24 so it may be processed by control computer . as known in the art , the gps signals 18a - 18d are l1 c / a code gps signals which contain an l1 carrier component , a c / a prn code , and a data component . the l1 carrier is a sinusoidal wave transmitted at a frequency of 1 . 575 ghz . the l1 carrier signal provides input to the receiver in the vehicle 4 and the receiver in the reference station to enable the controller to compute precise position determinations for the vehicle 4 using carrier phase differential gps . the prn codes are unique signals generated by each of the gps satellites 8a - 8d which permit receivers to identify and separate each of the various signals received from the gps satellites 8a - 8d . the data component of the gps signals 18a - 18d are bit streams which indicate the orbital position of the broadcasting gps satellite . the invention utilizes the gps signals 18a - 18d to precisely determine both the attitude and position of the vehicle 2 using cdgps . in a preferred embodiment , an adapted version of the ibls positioning system invented by clark cohen and associates is used to determine the position and attitude of the vehicle 2 . while referred to generally below , the details of this technique are known in the art . in this regard , see u . s . pat . no . 5 , 572 , 218 , the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein . moreover , in contrast to prior art gps controllers for land vehicles referred to above , it is a feature of the present invention that multiple antennas are mounted on the vehicle 2 so that the pitch , roll and yaw of the vehicle 2 as it travels over non - planar terrain may be taken into account in calculating the amount of steering correction necessary to maintain the vehicle along a desired track . in the preferred embodiment , the precise attitude of the vehicle is calculated for this purpose using a known technique invented by clark cohen and described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 48 , 293 , the disclosure of which is also incorporated by reference . as generally demonstrated by clark cohen , attitude determination of a moving vehicle may be realized using four antennas . each antenna receives a plurality of gps signals , each including a carrier component . for each of the carrier components of the received gps signals there is an integer ambiguity associated with the first and fourth antenna , the second and fourth antenna , and the third and fourth antenna . a gps attitude receiver measures the phase values for the carrier components of the gps signals received from each of the antennas at a plurality of measurement epochs after initialization . in response to the phase values measured at the measurement epochs during the initialization period , the gps attitude receiver computes integer ambiguities . then , in response to the computed integer ambiguity resolution values and the phase value measured at the measurement epoch after the initialization period , it computes values defining the attitude of the moving vehicle at the measurement epoch after the initialization period . in this way , it is possible to precisely determine the attitude of the land vehicle with respect to the terminus of the gps antennas . by knowing the position of the antennas relative to the wheel base , it is then possible to determine the pitch , roll and yaw angle of the vehicle at given times . these values may be used to correct the position error which would otherwise result from side - slip on inclined terrain or from an incorrect position estimate that would result from failing to take into account the movement of the antenna above the point on the tractor being controlled . in other words , by not accounting for the &# 34 ; lever arm &# 34 ; of the positioning antenna , significant positioning errors are introduced when the vehicle is moving along sloped terrain . fig3 is a block diagram illustrating the components of a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a vehicle is controlled on the basis of input received from cdgps and other sensors . in this example , four gps antennas 32a - 32d are coupled to a vehicle gps receiver 34 . the gps antennas 32a - 32d receive the above noted gps signals which are input to the vehicle gps receiver 34 . the vehicle gps receiver utilizes these signals to make initial determinations of vehicle attitude as well as code - and carrier phase measurements φ , ρ which are utilized to calculate vehicle position according to known techniques . these measurements are provided to a processor 38 which typically comprises an on - board computer . of course , it will be appreciated that the system could be adapted so that these measurements are relayed to a remote off - board processor that calculates position adjustments which , in turn , are relayed back to the vehicle . in this embodiment , the processor 38 is coupled to a wheel angle sensor 37 , a reference station 36 and a vehicle steering controller 35 . the wheel angle sensor 37 provides a measurement of actual wheel angle δ meas . the reference station 37 generates carrier phase measurements and rtcm code differential corrections which are provided to the processor 38 via a radio interface . the processor collects the data from the vehicle gps receiver 34 , the reference station 36 , and the wheel angle sensor 37 , and uses this data to generate a control signal u which is used to maintain the vehicle on a desired path . the control signal u is provided to a steering control system which converts the control signal to a signal used to automatically adjust the steering of the vehicle . in determining the control signal u , it is a feature of the invention that the processor 38 takes into account an error which would otherwise be introduced in the calculations as a result of variations between the relative position of gps antennas and the wheel used to adjust the position of the vehicle . this is accomplished by calculating roll , pitch and yaw angles at successive periods and adjusting measured position and heading in the surface plane ( x - y ) model . the processor 38 also takes into account other varying conditions such as vehicle forward velocity , soil conditions ( which may affect the movement of the vehicle &# 39 ; s wheels or of a towed implement ), actuator speed , wheel base length , and others . in accordance with another feature of the invention , the processor 38 may be used for adaptive control to identify such varying parameters on - line as the vehicle is operated so as to be self - adjusting . the following sections describe various implementations of the general features of the invention referred to above . it should be understood that these are merely illustrative of the general features of the invention and many adaptations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . for most day - to - day tasks , the motion of ground vehicles involve complex phenomena which are difficult , if not impossible to physically model . however , by constructing models and estimating unknown parameters , it is possible to map input / output behavior to an extent sufficient for control of many tasks . fig4 illustrates the movement of a vehicle with a forward velocity v across a planar surface . in the drawing : d 1 is the distance from the front axle to the &# 34 ; center &# 34 ; of the vehicle ; d 2 is the distance from the rear axle to the center of the vehicle ; these parameters ( and others ) may be utilized to determine the steering angle rate u at a given time so as to maintain the vehicle along a desired path . as described in reference to the examples set forth below , it is possible to measure these parameters directly or to obtain estimates of these parameters to a degree of accuracy sufficient to maintain a vehicle along a predetermined path . a simple kinematic model for a vehicle which is based on simple geometry ( rather than inertias and forces ) may be described by the following linearized equations of motion : ## equ1 ## where v x0 is the forward velocity of the vehicle . such a model is described in the above - referenced article to o &# 39 ; connor et al ., &# 34 ; kinematics gps for closed - loop control of farm and construction vehicles ,&# 34 ; where experimental data was taken during a closed loop trial and run through an extended kalman filter , a computational algorithm that it is known in the art . see gelb , a ., applied optimal estimation , analytic sciences corp . 1989 . this algorithm is used generally to calculate the minimum variance estimate of a state as a function of time and accumulated data for non - linear systems . while this model has been used successfully for closed loop control of a golf cart , it assumes both a constant velocity along the nominal path , as well as no wheel slip . unfortunately , many ground vehicles , such as agricultural farm vehicles , must be able to operate over various types of terrain and with a variety of implements . thus , in most operating environments , these assumptions are not valid . the preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes a dynamic model which takes into account several varying conditions . such a model may be represented by : ## equ2 ## where , y , ψ , and δ have the values given above in reference to fig4 ω is the heading rate , ω is the front wheel angle rate , and the parameter vector p : ## equ3 ## is based on the vehicle forward velocity , soil conditions , actuator speed , wheel base length , and other varying conditions . once a suitable dynamic model of a the ground vehicle is determined , it is necessary to identify the parameters of the dynamic model . based on these parameters , a controller may be constructed to generate a control signal as described generally in reference to fig3 . it will be appreciated that just as different dynamic models may be utilized , various alternatives are available for identifying system parameters . further , many different hardware embodiments may be utilized . merely to facilitate understanding of the present invention , some possible variations are now discussed in reference to the following examples . a first example is now described in reference to fig5 and 6 . in this example , four single - frequency gps antennas 50 were mounted on the top of the cab of a tractor , and an equipment rack installed inside the cab . front - wheel angle was actuated using an electro - hydraulic steering valve 56 and measured using a steering angle potentiometer 57 . in a prototype embodiment , the steering valve 56 and potentiometer 57 comprised a modified orthman electro - hydraulic steering unit . of course it will be understood that the invention is not so limited and that other equivalent structures could be utilized . in this first example , a microprocessor board and power circuit 55 were also installed in the vehicle . in one prototype , a motorola mc68hc11 microprocessor board was used to provide a communications interface between a computer 53 and the steering unit 56 . the microprocessor 55 converted serial commands from the computer 53 into pulse width modulated signals which were then sent through the power circuitry to the steering motor 56 . in this example , the microprocessor 55 was also used to sample the output from feedback potentiometer 57 . in this particular example , the microprocessor provided eight bit wheel angle measurement to the computer 53 at 20 hz through a serial link . as shown in the block diagram in fig5 the cdgps - based system used for vehicle position and attitude determination was identical to the above - referenced integrity beacon landing system ( ibls ). specifically , a four - antenna , six - channel receiver 51 , ( in this case a trimble vector receiver ) produced attitude measurements at a frequency of 10 hz . a single - antenna nine - channel trimble tans receiver 52 produced carrier - and code - phase measurements at 5 hz which were then used to determine vehicle position . a computer 53 , in this example , a pentium - based pc running the lynx - os operating system , performed data collection , position determination and control signal calculation according to software routines stored in memory ( not shown ). the computer 53 also received data from a ground reference station ( such as generally described in reference to fig2 ). in this first example , the ground reference station comprised a computer , a single - antenna nine channel trimble tans receiver ( such as receiver 52 ) for generating carrier phase measurements , and a trimble 4000st receiver generating rtcm code differential corrections . these data were transmitted to the datalink antenna 44 using a radio modem . in this example , calibration tests were used to create two software - based &# 34 ; look - up &# 34 ; tables 60a and 60b as illustrated in fig6 . the first look - up table 60a was used to linearize the output of the steering potentiometer 57 versus the effective front wheel - angle rate to the actual wheel - angle rate . the second look - up table 60b was used to linearize the steering angle rate dδ / dt with respect to varying levels of actuator authority u . as shown in fig6 in this example , the actuator authority value u was output to a pwm and dither control 61 of microprocessor board 55a . those controls were connected to the power box 63 and the electro - hydraulic actuator 64 , which in turn provide output δ to control the tractor steering mechanism . as shown , the resulting steering angle δ is detected with steering potentiometer 65 and potentiometer decoder 62 . the detected value is linearized with look - up table 60a and the measured value δ meas provided to controller 60 . in contrast to prior art techniques for cdgps control of ground vehicles , this first example advantageously utilized a hybrid controller designed to provide a fast response to large desired heading step commands . a non - linear &# 34 ; bang -- bang &# 34 ; control law 60 generated actuator commands when there are large errors or changes in the vehicle heading or effective wheel angle states . typically , these large changes occur in response to a large heading step command . when the vehicle states were close to zero , a controller based on standard linear quadratic regulator ( lqr ) design is used , as described below in reference to fig7 . as generally known , &# 34 ; bang -- bang &# 34 ; control is a standard non - linear control design tool based on phase - plane technique . unlike linear feedback controllers , bang -- bang controllers use the maximum actuator authority to zero out vehicle state errors in minimum time just as a human driver would . for example , in response to a commanded heading step increase of 90 °, a bang -- bang controller commands the steering wheel to hard right , holds this position , and then straightens the wheels in time to match the desired heading . in contrast , a linear controller responds to the step command by turning the wheels to hard right , then slowly bringing them back to straight , asymptotically approaching the desired heading . the drawback to bang -- bang control is that when state errors are close to zero , the controller tends to &# 34 ; chatter &# 34 ; between hard left and hard right steering commands . for this reason , a linear controller was used for small deviations about the nominal conditions . as shown in fig7 this example advantageously utilized a discrete linear quadratic regulator ( lqr ) and estimator ( lqe ) for automatic control for small state changes . in this example , controller 72 calculates the control signal u k on the basis of control gains k and the estimated unit state of the vehicle x k . in this example , the control gains were chosen to minimize a quadratic cost function based on control inputs and state deviations from nominal . the control signal u k was fedback to the estimator 74 which calculates x k using the equations shown in fig7 on the basis of u k as well as the measurements , z k . in turn z k is based on the function z ( t ) as measured and a / d converted at block 75 . the control signal u k is converted to an analog signal at 76 to obtain function u ( t ). this signal is then used to steer the vehicle to follow a desired trajectory . the full vehicle state may be appended to include the observable sensor biases ψ - bias and δ - bias for estimation purposes . in this particular example , the optimal estimator gains l were found using the assumed vehicle dynamic model and a model of disturbances based on experimental data . fig8 shows the results of two closed - loop tracking tests performed with this first examplary system . to obtain these results , the vehicle forward velocity was manually set to first gear ( 0 . 33 m / s ) and the tractor commanded to follow four parallel rows , each 50 meters long , separated by 3 meters . throughout these tests , the steering control for line acquisition , line tracking , and u - turns was performed entirely by the control system . cdgps integer cycle ambiguities were initialized by driving the tractor as closely as possible to a surveyed location and manually setting the position estimate . it should be noted that fig8 shows cdgps measurements taken during the two - tests , not actual vehicle position . in fact , there was a small , steady position bias ( about 10 cm ) between the two trials due to the above - described method for gps carrier phase integer cycle ambiguity resolution . as described below , this bias may be eliminated by use of pseudolites . notwithstanding this bias , these results demonstrate the use of the invention to control a vehicle on straight lines and u - turns . in contrast to the foregoing example , in a preferred alternative embodiment of the invention , system parameters are calculated on - line as the vehicle is in operation . such a technique is utilized in the embodiment shown generally in the fig9 . as shown in fig9 a control computer 90 is configured to perform various functions . the control computer 90 acquires data from cdgps and other sensors 97 ( which may include a wheel angle sensor as noted generally in fig3 ). this data is representative of vector z k , the discrete - time measurement vector , and x ( t ), the continuous time - state vector . this information is filtered using an adaptive estimator 96 in order to determine the unit vector x which is indicative of the state of the vehicle . the state estimate is provided to the adaptive controller 92 which calculates the value of a control signal u using the dynamic model referred to above which takes into accounts varying conditions as represented by parameter vector p . in this example , a ( p ) and b ( p ) are identified on - line as the vehicle is in operation , as generally shown at block 94 . as the parameters a ( p ) and b ( p ) are updated , these values are provided to the adaptive estimator 96 . it will be understood that various techniques known in the art may be utilized to obtain x with adaptive estimator 96 . for example , in prototype vehicles , we have shown that the extended kalman filter ( ekf ) may be utilized . the formulae used for implementation of this technique are : ## equ5 ## alternatively parameter identification may be based on an adaptation of the observer / kalman filter identification ( okid ) method . in contrast to the ekf method , okid assumes no a priori information about the system dynamics . the details of this technique as applied to control of ground vehicles have been described previously by the present inventors in elkaim et al ., &# 34 ; system identification of a farm vehicle using carrier - phase differential gps ,&# 34 ; supra , the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein . in general , given a linear discrete time state - space system , the equations of motion can be summarized as follows : the triplet [ a , b , c ] is not unique , but can be transformed through any similarity transform to another set of coordinates . however , the system response from rest when perturbed by a unit pulse input , known as the system markov parameters , are invariant under similarity transforms . these markov parameters are : when assembled into the generalized hankel matrix , the hankel matrix can be decomposed into the observability matrix , a state transition matrix , and the controllability matrix ; the hankel matrix ( in a noise free case ) will always have rank n , where n is the system order , as follows : ## equ6 ## because noise will corrupt this rank deficiency of the hankel matrix , the hankel matrix is truncated by a singular value decomposition at an order that sufficiently describes the system . this truncated hankel matrix is then used to reconstruct the triplet [ a , b , c ] and is referred to as the eigensystem realization algorithm ( era ). a modified version of this algorithm that includes data correlation is used to identify the tractor , as known in the art . for any real system , however , system pulse response cannot be obtained by simply perturbing the system with a pulse input . a pulse with enough power to excite all modes above the noise floor would likely saturate the actuator or respond in a non - linear fashion . the pulse response of the system can , however , be reconstructed from a continuous stream of rich system input and output behavior . under normal circumstances , there are not enough equations available to solve for all of the markov parameters . were the system asymptotically stable , such that a k = 0 for some k , then the number of unknowns could be reduced . the identification process would be of little value if it could only work with asymptotically stable systems . by adding an observer to the linear system equations , the following transformation can take place : ## equ7 ## thus , the system stability can be augmented through an observer , and the ideal markov parameters established through a least - squares solution . ( this solution may be established using methods known in the art ; see , for example , j .- n . juang , applied system identification 175 - 182 ( prentice hall 1994 ).) it is useful to note that the realization also provides a pseudo - kalman observer . the observer orthagonalizes the residuals to time - shifted versions of both input and output . this makes controller design a much simpler process . an improved version of the okid process , which includes residual whitening , was used in a prototype example to identify the farm tractor from the experimental data . examples of the invention have now been described in which cdgps is used to control a ground vehicle . it has been verified that these techniques permit position accuracy to within 1 cm and attitude accuracy to within 0 . 1 ° according to a preferred embodiment , parameter identification is performed on - line . this information is then used to adaptively control a ground vehicle . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the aforementioned examples require techniques for integer ambiguity resolution in order to accurately determine position and attitude utilizing cdgps . as referred to above , initialization may be accomplished by running the vehicle along a surveyed position . however , this coarse method often introduces error . another method is to maintain the vehicle in a stationary period during which the motion of the gps satellites relative to the vehicle may be used for initialization . while accurate , this latter technique has the drawback of taking a prolonged amount of time ( about 15 minutes ). in another embodiment of the invention , these drawbacks ( and others ) are overcome by use of a single pseudolite or multiple pseudolites . fig1 is a diagram of a system according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention in which a single pseudolite is utilized for cdgps initialization for guidance and control of a vehicle . as described below , this embodiment provides for rapid initialization . moreover , it enhances system availability by permitting system operation even in the event that the signal from one of the minimum four gps satellites is blocked or lost for some reason . as described above in the embodiment described in fig1 a vehicle 2 receives gps signals 18a - 18c from gps satellites 8a - 8c and correction signals from a reference station antenna 16 . however , in contrast to the system illustrated in fig1 the system shown in fig1 includes a single pseudolite 100 which broadcasts a gps signal 102 in the same format as the gps satellites 8a - 8c . of course it will be understood additional pseudolites may be used in conjunction with this system . however , in contrast to prior art techniques , the present embodiment may utilize only one pseudolite for initialization . in order to use a single pseudolite , the present invention collects and applies information concerning the relationship between vehicle path geometry and navigation system accuracy , the mathematics of incorporating a ground constraint into the carrier phase equations , and the benefits and difficulties of using either standard patch or dipole antennas . as demonstrated by the method and system of the present invention , an accurate solution to the carrier phase equation may be identified by moving the vehicle in the vicinity of one or more pseudolites , causing rapid changes in the line - of - sight unit vectors to these transmitters . with adequate pseudolite pass geometry , the position and integer estimate covariances become very small . unlike airplanes on final approach , most land vehicles using gps have the freedom to execute a curved trajectory near a pseudolite . with an appropriate ground trajectory , it is possible to initialize a cdgps system using a single pseudolite . a second navigation advantage land vehicles have over aircraft is two - dimensional motion . since land vehicles are constrained to move on the ground , this information may be used to improve the accuracy , integrity , and non - linear convergence properties of the pseudolite solution . some noise is created on the vertical motion of a land vehicle during driving due to vehicle roll and pitch motion . for this reason , it is usually not realistic to impose a hard equality constraint on the vehicle position equations . if the ground near the pseudolite is fairly well modeled as a planar surface , the noise can be modeled as gaussian white noise . the following equation for a soft ground constraint can then be added at each epoch : if σ z is very small compared to σ . sub . φ , the result mathematically approaches the solution obtained using a hard equality ground constraint . in practice , z , e ground and σ z can be found empirically by driving in the vicinity of the pseudolite carrier phase measurements . by applying symmetry to the non - linear equation above for two identical planar trajectories an equal distance above and below a single pseudolite , the result for each trajectory yield the same pseudolite carrier phase measurements , as shown in fig1 . the false &# 34 ; mirror &# 34 ; solution represents a local minimum for the non - linear convergence of the algorithm . care must be taken to ensure the algorithm does not converge to the &# 34 ; mirror &# 34 ; solution . when the ground constraint equation is used , even if the assumed ground noise ( σ z ) is large compared to the carrier measurement noise ( σ . sub . φ ), false convergence should be avoided . if the ground constraint equation is not used , some other logic must be added to ensure that the algorithm converges on the correct solution . for example , the vertical position of the vehicle may be mathematically constrained to lie below the pseudolite . sample results using cdgps initialization in a land vehicle with a single pseudolite were obtained for the following bubble pass trajectories : 1 ) full 360 ° motion around the pseudolite , as shown in fig1 ; 2 ) 270 ° motion around the pseudolite , as shown in fig1 ; and 3 ) 180 ° motion around the pseudolite , as shown in fig1 . these paths were chosen as examples to be fairly simple while still including large line - of - sight geometry change to the pseudolite . the limits on motion around the pseudolite reflect possible real - world constraints such as physical obstructions or directional antenna patterns . for example , a pseudolite placed over the comer of a building would limit vehicle motion to 270 °, while a patch antenna angled to face the ground would limit pseudolite reception to one side of the pseudolite . monte carlo simulations were performed to determine the cdgps position accuracy after a pseudolite pass . for each trajectory , 500 passes were performed . the ground constraint equation was not used , and each pass incorporated a new satellite geometry . a recent satellite almanac was used , and a 10 ° elevation mask was assumed . the minimum approach distance to a pseudolite in the simulations using these trajectories was 4 meters , and the altitude of the pseudolite was 2 . 25 meters . the simulations used gaussian white carrier phase measurement noise with a 1 centimeter standard deviation . the statistics of the results are shown in the table below : ______________________________________ 360 ° path 270 ° path 180 ° path______________________________________east ( 1 - σ ) 0 . 84 cm 0 . 86 cm 1 . 24 cmnorth ( 1 - σ ) 1 . 12 cm 1 . 14 cm 1 . 77 cmup ( 1 - σ ) 2 . 49 cm 3 . 47 cm 3 . 30 cm______________________________________ the results show that centimeter level accuracies are achievable by following these simple trajectories . as expected , the best performance is achieved by the 360 ° path . constraining vehicle motion to 270 ° slightly degrades the vertical accuracy of the final solution but has little effect on the horizontal accuracy . the 180 ° path suffers an added degradation in horizontal performance , but the total horizontal error is still better than an inch ( 2 . 16 centimeters 1 - σ ). these accuracies are reduced further by incorporating the ground constraint equation into the algorithm . fig1 shows the error standard deviation for sample results for the 180 ° path as a function of assumed ground noise . as expected , when the ground noise approaches zero , the vertical error of the solution also approaches zero . an interesting result is that improving the vertical solution also improves the horizontal solution . as the ground noise approaches zero , the east and north errors are reduced by approximately 30 %. in one example of this embodiment , a standard patch antenna with no pre - amplifier was used as the pseudolite transmit antenna . the pseudolite antenna is located atop a tall aluminum pole with line - of - sight to the reference station and field . in a preferred embodiment , the antenna is angled 45 degrees toward the ground so the pseudolite signal may be better received by the vehicle . in another example , a patch antenna was used for the pseudolite . to accommodate this type of antenna , a slight modification to the 180 ° pass described above was used in the example . fig1 sketches the basic trajectory used in this example . to verify the accuracy of the pseudolite solution , a tractor was manually driven over a repeatable ground track after leaving the pseudolite signal area . the results of twelve successful pseudolite passes are shown in fig1 . the sharp improvement in position accuracy is clearly seen as the tractor leaves the pseudolite signal region and the batch algorithm is executed . the high precision and repeatability are also evident from the low noise around the repeated track . on the repeated track , the overall horizontal noise , including driver error and path deviations , had a five centimeter standard deviation . the ground constraint equation was not implemented in the real - time software for this example . as a result , the algorithm converged on the incorrect &# 34 ; mirror &# 34 ; solution described above for the five pseudolite passes . when these unsuccessful passes were examined in post - processing , all converged to the correct solution when the ground constraint equation was applied . these results show that the vehicle motion during a bubble pass was not perfectly planar . therefore , the mirror solution represents a local minimum in the vehicle position solution space , not a global minimum . even if a ground constraint is not used , it may be possible to identify a mirror solution by its larger than expected residual . for all five cases examined in post - processing , the residual for the correct solution was better than the residual for the mirror solution . a transmit antenna that can be received on the ground in all directions allows 270 ° to 360 ° pseudolite passes , which greatly improves the accuracy ( and hence the integrity ) of the system . a simple dipole or half - dipole antenna meets this requirement at low cost and reduced complexity . the vertical polarization of a dipole or half - dipole antenna also serves to reduce ground multipath of the pseudolite signal ( see , for example , c . bartone , advanced pseudolite for dual - use precision approach applications , proceedings of ion gps - 96 , kansas city , mo ., 95 - 105 ( september 1996 )). two major potential problems exist when using a simple pseudolite antenna , both of which are due to the fundamental differences in phase characteristics between a patch and a dipole . the first problem arises in surveying the location of the pseudolite . data processing in existing survey equipment assumes two circularly polarized antennas are used in the survey . if a vertically polarized antenna were used , phase corrections would be required within the survey software . the present invention applies a basic method of examining circular electromagnetic polarization corrections for cdgps to a vertically polarized antenna receiving a circularly polarized wave . gps satellite rotation about its boresight increases the carrier phase measured at a patch and a dipole antenna equally . the satellite elevation motion has no phase effect for either receive antenna ( assuming the elevation does not perfectly coincide with the null of the dipole at 90 °). a phase difference between the antennas is seen , however , when the gps satellite moves in azimuth . by symmetry , a vertically polarized antenna will see no phase difference with satellite azimuth motion ; however , a patch antenna will see a phase angle difference equal to the change in azimuth angle , as shown in fig1 . this survey problem may be solved by modifying the standard survey software to make this phase correction . this is a straightforward change since the azimuth angle to a gps satellite is well known . alternatively this problem may be solved by performing a pseudolite pass with the vehicle position already known to high accuracy . by reworking the nonlinear equation above and combining it with the fist two basic linearized carrier phase measurement equations , the pseudolite pass algorithm is easily modified to solve for the position of the pseudolite instead of the vehicle . instead of the third basic linearized carrier phase measurement equation , the following linearized equation is used : the second potential problem with using a dipole pseudolite antenna arises when receiving the vertically polarized signal through a patch antenna . it can be shown that rotating a vehicle receive antenna about its boresight has the same phase effect whether the pseudolite signal is of circular or linear polarization . it can also be shown that moving the receive antenna radially away from the pseudolite will have the same effect regardless of which transmit antenna is used . however , moving the receive antenna tangentially around a dipole pseudolite will produce an increase in phase that is not present with a patch pseudolite , as demonstrated in fig1 . this difference is equal to the change in azimuth angle around the pseudolite . this second problem is readily solved by adding a phase correction term to the above equations which increases as the vehicle moves around the pseudolite . the present invention thus provides a method and system for automatically controlling land vehicles based on carrier phase differential global positioning system information . the present invention also provides an improved method for initializing the positioning and control system using one or more pseudolites . an example of automatically controlled land vehicles using the present invention is control of farming tractors . these improvements represent significant improvements in accuracy , ease , and reduced costs of locating , guiding , and controlling vehicles over existing art . detailed examples of the invention have now been described in fulfillment of the above - mentioned objects . many other features and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . it is therefore intended that the invention be limited only as described in the appended claims .
6
referring to fig1 , a plasma reactor has a chamber 100 defined by a cylindrical sidewall 102 , a ceiling 104 and a floor 106 whose peripheral edge meets the sidewall 102 . the ceiling 104 may be a gas distribution plate that received process gas from a process gas supply 108 . plasma rf source power may be inductively coupled into the chamber 100 from respective inner and outer coil antennas 110 , 112 that are connected to respective rf source power generators 114 , 116 through respective rf impedance match elements 118 , 120 . the ceiling or gas distribution plate 104 may be formed of a non - conductive material in order to permit inductive coupling of rf power from the coil antennas 110 , 112 through the ceiling 104 and into the chamber 100 . alternatively , or in addition , rf plasma source power from another rf generator 122 and impedance match 124 may be capacitively coupled from an overhead electrode 126 . in order to permit inductive coupling into the chamber 100 of rf power from the coil antennas 110 , 112 , the overhead electrode 126 is provided in the form of a faraday shield of the type well - known in the art consisting of an outer ring conductor 128 and plural conductive fingers 130 extending radially inwardly from the outer ring conductive 128 . alternatively , in the absence of the coil antennas 110 , 112 , the ceiling 104 may be formed of metal and serve as the overhead electrode connected to the rf generator 122 through the impedance match 124 . the sidewall 104 and floor 106 may be formed of metal and connected to ground . a vacuum pump 132 evacuates the chamber 100 through the floor 106 . a wafer support pedestal 200 is provided inside the chamber 100 and has a top wafer support surface 200 a and a bottom end 200 b below the floor 106 . rf bias power is coupled through the pedestal bottom 200 b to a cathode electrode ( to be described ) below the top surface 200 a through a coaxial feed functioning as an rf transmission line . the coaxial feed , which is described in detail below , includes an axially movable coaxial assembly 234 consisting of a cylindrical inner conductor 235 surrounded by an annular insulator layer 250 and an outer annular conductor 253 surrounding the annular insulator layer 250 . as will be described in detail below , plural coolant conduits and plural gas conduits ( not shown in fig1 ) within the center conductor provide supply and return paths for coolant and helium gas from the pedestal bottom 200 b to coolant passages underneath the wafer support surface 200 a and to backside helium channels in the wafer support surface 200 a , respectively . electrical lines ( not shown in fig1 ) extend from the pedestal bottom 200 b through the above - mentioned annular insulator layer to carry ac power to internal heaters below the pedestal top surface 200 a , dc power to an internal chucking electrode below the top surface 200 a and to carry optical temperature probe signals from the sensors at the top surface 200 a and out through the pedestal bottom 200 b . the internal structure of the pedestal 200 will now be described in detail . referring to fig2 , the pedestal 200 includes elements mechanically coupled to the coaxial movable assembly 234 and which therefore elevate and depress with the movable assembly 234 . the elements mechanically coupled to the movable assembly include a disk - shaped insulating puck or top layer 205 forming the top wafer support surface 200 a , and may be formed of aluminum nitride , for example . the puck 205 contains an internal chucking electrode 210 close to the top surface 200 a . the puck 205 also contains inner and outer electrically resistive heating elements 215 , 216 . underlying the puck 205 is a disk - shaped metal plate 220 , which may be formed of aluminum . the wafer support surface 200 a is the top surface of the puck 205 and has open channels 207 through which a thermally conductive gas such as helium is pumped to govern thermal conductivity between the backside of a wafer being processed on the support surface 200 a and the puck 205 . internal coolant passages 225 are provided in the puck 205 or alternatively in the plate 220 . a disk - shaped quartz insulator or planar insulator layer 230 underlies the metal plate 220 . a conductive support dish 237 underlies the insulator 230 and may support a cylindrical wall 239 surrounding the insulator 230 , the plate 220 and the puck 205 . the puck 205 , the metal plate 220 , the insulator layer 230 and the support dish 237 are elements of the pedestal 200 which elevate and depress with the movable coaxial assembly 234 , and are mechanically coupled to the movable coaxial assembly 234 as follows : the support dish 237 engages the coaxial outer conductor 253 ; the insulator 230 engages the coaxial insulator sleeve 250 ; the metal plate 220 engages the coaxial inner conductor 235 . the coaxial inner conductor 235 is configured as an elongate stem or cylindrical rod extending from the pedestal bottom 200 b through the metal plate 220 . the bottom end of the stem 235 is connected to one or both of two rf bias power generators 240 , 242 , through respective rf impedance match elements 244 , 246 . the stem 235 conducts rf bias power to the plate 220 , and the plate 220 functions as an rf - hot cathode electrode . an annular insulator layer or sleeve 250 surrounds the inner conductor or stem 235 . an annular outer conductor 253 surrounds the insulator sleeve 250 and the inner conductor 235 , the coaxial assembly 235 , 250 , 253 being a coaxial transmission line for the rf bias power . the outer conductor 253 is constrained by a tubular stationary guide sleeve 255 connected to the floor 106 . a movable tubular guide sleeve 260 extending from the support dish 237 surrounds the stationary guide sleeve 255 . an outer stationary guide sleeve 257 extending from the floor 106 constrains the movable guide sleeve 260 . a bellows 262 confined by the movable guide sleeve 260 is compressed between a top surface 255 a of the stationary guide sleeve 255 and a bottom surface 237 a of the dish 237 . a lift servo 265 anchored to the frame of the reactor ( e . g ., to which the sidewall 102 and floor 106 are anchored ) is mechanically linked to the movable coaxial assembly 234 and elevates and depresses the axial position of the movable coaxial assembly 234 . the floor 106 , the sidewall 102 , the servo 265 and the stationary tube 255 form a stationary assembly . a grate 226 extends from the pedestal side wall 239 toward the chamber side wall 102 ( fig1 ). referring still to fig2 , a process ring 218 overlies the edge of the puck 205 . an insulation ring 222 provides electrical insulation between the plate 220 and the pedestal side wall 239 . a skirt 224 extends from the floor and surrounds the pedestal side wall 239 . lift pins 228 extend through the floor 106 , the dish 237 , the insulator plate 230 , the metal plate 220 and the puck 205 . referring now to fig3 , in one embodiment the outer conductor 253 has its top end 253 a spaced sufficiently below the aluminum plate 220 to avoid electrical contact between them . as shown in fig3 , the coaxial insulator 250 has its top end 250 a spaced sufficiently below the puck 205 to permit electrical contact between the coaxial center conductor 235 and the aluminum plate 220 . referring again to fig2 , the outer conductor 253 of the coaxial assembly is grounded through the stationary guide sleeve 255 contacting the grounded floor 106 . the movable guide sleeve 260 and the pedestal skirt 224 and support dish 237 are also grounded by contact between the movable sleeve 260 with the stationary guide sleeve 255 . referring now to fig2 and the cross - sectional views of fig4 and 5 , a pair of helium conduits 270 , 272 extend axially through the stem or inner conductor 235 from the bottom 200 b to the top surface of the stem 235 where it interfaces with the facilities plate 220 . the helium conduits 270 , 272 communicate with the backside helium channels 207 in the wafer support surface 200 a of the puck 205 . flex hoses 278 provide connection at the movable stem bottom 200 b between the gas conduits 270 , 272 and a stationary helium gas supply 279 . a pair of coolant conduits 280 , 282 extend axially through the stem or inner conductor 235 through the stem 235 to communicate with the internal coolant passages 225 . flex hoses 288 provide connection at the movable stem bottom 200 b between the coolant conduits 280 , 282 and a stationary coolant supply 289 . connection between a d . c . wafer clamping voltage source 290 and the chucking electrode 210 is provided by a conductor 292 extending axially within the annular insulator 250 , and extending through the puck 205 to the chucking electrode 210 . a flexible conductor 296 provides electrical connection at the movable at the stem bottom 200 b between the conductor 292 and the stationary d . c . voltage supply 290 . connection between the inner heater element 215 and a first stationary ac power supply 300 is provided by a first pair of ac power conductor lines 304 , 306 extending axially from the stem bottom 200 b and through the insulation sleeve 250 . connection between the outer heater element 216 and a second stationary ac power supply 302 is provided by a first pair of ac power conductor lines 307 , 308 extending axially from the stem bottom 200 b and through the insulation sleeve 250 . the ac lines 307 , 308 further extend radially through the puck 205 to the outer heater element 216 . in one embodiment , an inner zone temperature sensor 330 extends through an opening in the wafer support surface 200 a and an outer zone temperature sensor 332 extends through another opening in the wafer support surface 200 a . electrical ( or optical ) connection from the temperature sensors 330 , 332 to sensor electronics 333 is provided at the stem bottom 200 b by respective electrical ( or optical ) conductors 334 , 336 extending from the stem bottom 200 b through the insulator sleeve 250 and through the puck 205 . the conductor 336 extends radially through the puck 205 to the outer temperature sensor 332 . referring to fig3 and 5 , those portions of the electrical conductors 292 , 304 , 306 , 307 , 308 , 334 , 336 lying within the aluminum plate 220 are surrounded by individual electrically insulating cylindrical sleeves 370 . these arrangements are optional and other implementations may be constructed to enable electrical connection between the center conductor 235 and the plate 220 while providing insulation of the electrical conductors 292 , 304 , 306 , 307 , 308 , 334 , 336 . while the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention , other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof , and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow .
7
fig1 is a cross sectional view showing the structure of a multi - layer circuit board as explained above and composed of 5 layers of green sheets . more specifically , three layers of green sheets , i . e ., the first layer 1 , the second layer 2 and the third layer 3 , are formed from glass ceramic green sheets containing hollow silica spheres , and signal distributing wires 4 are patterned on the surfaces of the second and third layers of green sheets 2 and 3 . the upper layer of green sheet 5 and the lower layer of green sheet 6 are formed from glass ceramic green sheets free of hollow silica powders , a ground layer 7 is patterned between the first layer 1 and the upper layer 5 and between the third layer 3 and the lower layer 6 , these layers of green sheets are then united to give a laminated green sheet , and the laminated green sheet is fired to give a multi - layer substrate having excellent transmission characteristics . if a multi - layer glass ceramic substrate is formed from these different materials , however , delamination is liable to occur due to the difference in the firing shrinkage factors of the green sheets containing hollow silica powder ( the first to third layers 1 to 3 ) and those free of hollow silica powder ( the upper and lower layers 5 and 6 ) and this tendency becomes even more conspicuous as the surface area of the substrate is increased . the principle of the present invention , which allows a solution of this problem , will be explained with reference to fig2 . a green sheet for signal layer 8 is formed from a material principally comprising ceramic powders , glass powders and hollow glass microspheres , to reduce the dielectric constant of the glass ceramic layer formed by sintering the green sheet for the signal layer 8 . the hollow glass microspheres have a particle size greater than those of the other powders , have a spherical shape , and remain as a hollow structure even at a firing temperature . therefore , the green sheets comprising the hollow glass microspheres have a low firing shrinkage factor on the order of about 12 %. glass ceramic layers 9 ( hereinafter simply referred to as &# 34 ; reinforcing layer ( s )&# 34 ;) mainly comprising ceramic powders and glass powders , which are arranged on and below the green sheets of the signal layer 8 , have high firing shrinkage factors on the order of about 16 %. in the present invention , the green sheet for the signal layer 8 is formed from the foregoing conventional material , which principally comprises ceramic powders , glass powders and hollow glass microspheres and to which porous glass powders are added as an additional ingredient , to increase the firing shrinkage factor to about 16 % ( from the conventional value of about 12 %) and thus coincide the value thereof with those for the reinforcing layers 9 , whereby the problem of delamination can be solved by the present invention . fig3 a schematically shows this principle . when a green sheet comprising alumina particles 11 , borosilicate glass particles 12 and hollow glass microspheres 13 is fired , the borosilicate glass particles 12 are fused or soften to form a matrix in which the alumina particles 11 and the hollow glass microspheres 13 are dispersed . in this respect , the presence of the hollow glass microspheres 13 in the green sheet minimizes the shrinkage of the sheet . if the green sheet for the signal layer comprises porous silica particles 14 in addition to alumina particles 11 , borosilicate glass particles 12 and hollow glass microspheres 13 , the porous silica particles 14 , which suffer a large shrinkage during firing as shown in fig3 b or fig4 can compensate the low shrinkage factor of the hollow glass micro spheres 13 as shown in fig5 and therefore , the overall firing shrinkage factor of the resulting green sheet can be coincided with that of a green sheet comprising alumina particles 11 and borosilicate particles 12 and free of hollow fine glass spheres 13 as shown in fig6 . typical examples of the porous glass particles include those obtained through the sol - gel method , i . e ., those obtained by hydrolyzing silicon alkoxides such as methoxy silicate [ si ( och 3 ) 4 ] and ethoxy silicate [ si ( oc 2 h 5 ) 4 ], which are prepared by reacting water glass with alcohols to give hydrate oxide sols , subjecting the sols to dehydration to form gels , and then heating the gels to form amorphous sio 2 . the porous silica is an aggregate of the fine particles of silica and has a high shrinkage factor during firing , in proportion to the pores present therein . the porous glass also can be prepared by forming a glass in which sodium is dispersed in a glass matrix , and then leaching the sodium phase . the ceramic particles used in the present invention are added to the green sheets for improving the mechanical strength of the resulting substrate and stabilizing the glass ( or preventing crystallization of the glass ). typical examples thereof are the alumina type such as alumina and mullite . further , it is possible to use a glass such as silica , which is not softened at the firing temperature . the particle size of the ceramic particles is not critical in the present invention , but those having a particle size of from 2 to 3 μm are usually employed . the amount of the ceramic ( alumina etc .) particles to be incorporated ranges from 10 to 70 % by weight on the basis of the total weight of the inorganic materials for preparing glass ceramic component of the green sheets , which comprises the ceramic particles or high softening point glass particles , hollow glass microspheres , glass particles and porous glass particles and a part of the ceramic particles are replaced with hollow glass microspheres . the upper limit of the amount of the hollow glass microspheres to be incorporated is on the order of 40 % by weight on the basis of the total weight of the inorganic materials . the hollow glass microspheres are added to the material for reducing the dielectric constant of the resulting glass cermamic layer formed by sintering the green sheet . the size thereof is preferably as small as possible , and those having a particle size of not less than about 10 μm are readily available on the market . the low softening point glass is a glass capable of being softened at a temperature of not more than the firing temperature , and typical examples thereof usable in the invention are a borosilicate glass having a softening point of about 800 ° c . the amount of the low softening point glass is approximately a half of the remaining portion of the inorganic materials ( 30 to 90 % by weight ) other than the ceramic particles and the hollow glass microspheres and in general ranges from about 15 to 50 % by weight , with the balance being the porous glass powders . both the low softening point glass particles and porous glass particles usable in the invention usually have a particle size of about 2 to 3 μm . according to the present invention , the amount of the porous glass powders to be incorporated into the inorganic material is determined in such a manner that the difference in the firing shrinkage factors of the green sheet comprising the ceramic particles and the low softening point glass particles and free of the hollow glass microspheres and the green sheet comprising the ceramic particles , low softening point glass particles , hollow glass microspheres and porous glass powders is preferably not more than ± 0 . 5 %, more preferably not more than ± 0 . 2 %, as determined for a sheet having a size , for example , of 300 mm 2 . note , the dielectric constants are 10 for the alumina , 4 . 6 for the borosilicate glass , about 1 . 3 for the hollow glass microspheres and 3 . 8 for the porous silica respectively . the conventional glass ceramic substrate comprising alumina , borosilicate glass and silica glass has a dielectric constant of 5 to 6 , and the substrate containing hollow glass microsphere , in addition to the foregoing ingredients , has a dielectric constant of about 4 to 2 . 5 . according to the method of the present invention , a multi - layer glass ceramic substrate can be manufactured by adding additives such as a binder , a solvent and / or a plasticizer to a mixture of ceramic particles , low softening point glass particles , hollow glass microspheres and porous glass powders , and kneading the resulting mixture to form a slurry ; forming the slurry into green sheets ; patterning signal distributing wires on the green sheets and laminating the green sheets to form a signal layer ; separately forming green sheets mainly comprising ceramic particles and glass particles ; sandwiching the laminated signal layer between the resulting upper and lower green sheets to unite these layers ; and then firing the resulting laminate . the firing can be performed in a nitrogen gas atmosphere when the conductive material used is copper or in the air when it is gold or an alloy of silver and palladium . more specifically , when the conductive material is copper , the firing temperature of the laminate is raised to about 850 ° c . at a temperature elevation rate of about 50 ° c ./ hr in a wet nitrogen atmosphere and the laminate is maintained at that temperature over 4 hours , then the temperature is raised to 1000 ° c . in a dry nitrogen atmosphere , the temperature of the laminate is maintained at about 1000 ° c . for 4 hours , and then the laminate is cooled . the layers free of the hollow glass microspheres arranged on and below the signal layer serve to impart a mechanical strength and evenness to the resulting multi - layer substrate . also the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate can be ground to improve the evenness thereof . the following ingredients were mixed and kneaded to give a slurry , followed by a degassing and formation of a green sheet having a thickness of 300 μm , through the doctor blade process . ______________________________________alumina powders 100 gborosilicate glass powders 200 gporous silica glass powders 200 gacetone ( solvent ) 80 gmethyl ethyl ketone ( solvent ) 350 gdibutyl phthalate ( plasticizer ) 30 gpoly ( methyl methacrylate ) ( binder ) 100 g______________________________________ the green sheet was then formed into pieces 9 × 9 cm , by blanking , and subsequently , a copper ( cu ) paste was applied onto the surface thereof to form lines of the conductive material , by a screen printing process . thereafter , 8 of these green sheets were stacked in layers , a pressure of 10 mpa was applied to the laminated green sheets at 80 ° c ., to unite the same , and the united laminate then fired at 1 , 000 ° c . for 5 hours to give a multi - layer substrate . as shown in fig4 the resulting substrate had a firing shrinkage factor of 18 %. namely , the firing shrinkage factor was 2 % higher than that ( 16 %) of the conventional multi - layer substrate free of the porous silica glass powders . formation of multi - layer substrate comprising a signal layer and reinforcing layers the following ingredients were mixed and kneaded to give a slurry , followed by a degassing and formation of a green sheet having a thickness of 300 μm , through the doctor blade process . ______________________________________mullite powders 100 gborosilicate glass powders 100 gporous silica glass powders 50 ghollow silica microspheres 50 gacetone ( solvent ) 80 gmethyl ethyl ketone ( solvent ) 350 gdibutyl phthalate ( plasticizer ) 30 gpoly ( methyl methacrylate ) ( binder ) 100 g______________________________________ then the green sheet was formed into pieces 9 × 9 cm by blanking , to give green sheets for a signal layer , and subsequently , a copper ( cu ) paste was applied onto the surfaces of 8 sheets of these green sheets to form lines and vias of the conductive material , by a screen printing process . thereafter , the following ingredients were mixed and kneaded to give a slurry , followed by a degassing and formation of a green sheet having a thickness of 300 μm , through the doctor blade process . ______________________________________alumina powders 200 gborosilicate glass powders 200 gsilica glass powders 200 gacetone ( solvent ) 80 gmethyl ethyl ketone ( solvent ) 350 gdibutyl phthalate ( plasticizer ) 30 gpoly ( methyl methacrylate ) ( binder ) 100 g______________________________________ then the green sheet was formed into pieces 9 × 9 cm , by blanking , to give green sheets for reinforcing layers . thereafter , one each of the green sheets for the reinforcing layer was put on upper or lower surface of each the green sheet for the signal layer ( 8 sheets in all ), the sheets then stacked as layers , a pressure of 10 mpa applied to the resulting laminate at 80 ° c ., to unite same , and the united laminate then fired at 1000 ° c . for 5 hours to give a multi - layer substrate . no cracking or delamination was observed between the reinforcing layers and the signal layers . fig5 shows firing shrinkage factor curves of the foregoing green sheet for the reinforcing layer and a usual hollow silica microsphere - containing green sheet , which has the same composition as that of the foregoing green sheet for signal layer except for replacing all of the porous silica glass powders with hollow silica microspheres . for example , the former has a firing shrinkage factor of 18 % and the latter has a shrinkage factor of 13 %, and correspondingly , the difference in the firing shrinkage factor there between is as much as 5 %. therefore , if these green sheets are combined and united , the multi - layer substrate obtained after firing suffers from the problems of cracking and delamination as shown in fig7 . in fig7 reference numerals 21 and 22 represent a signal layer and a reinforcing layer respectively , which indicate both the state of the green sheet and the sintered glass ceramic layer . fig6 shows the firing shrinkage factor curves of the green sheet for the reinforcing layer and that for the signal layer ( comprising hollow silica microspheres and porous silica glass powders ) obtained in the foregoing example . the curves shown in fig6 indicate that the shrinkage behavior of the reinforcing layer closely coincides with that observed on the signal layer .
7
the substrate body of the coated silicon nitride cutting tool of the present invention possesses a microstructure comprising a silicon nitride granular phase and an intergranular matrix phase . the intergranular matrix phase comprises silicon nitride and an effective amount of a densification aid selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide , silicon dioxide , yttrium oxide , hafnium oxide , zirconium oxide , the lanthanide rare earth oxides , and mixtures thereof . the cutting tool substrates may contain additional phases in the form of intentional or unintentional additives . such additional phases may include hard refractory particles . the particles may have a wide particle distribution resulting from the presence of milling medium or may represent a controlled additive in a predetermined amount with a predetermined particle distribution . the intergranular matrix phase is essentially continuous and preferably substantially homogeneous . it is considered important to incorporate into the intergranular phase of the substrate body a densification aid which permits densification to densities approaching theoretical , and at the same time does not deleteriously affect the high temperature strength and creep resistance of the overall composite . typical densification aids useful for this purpose are metal oxides selected from silicon dioxide , aluminum oxide , magnesium oxide , yttrium oxide , zirconium oxide , hafnium oxide , the lanthanide rare earth oxides , and mixtures thereof . yttrium oxide is a preferred densification aid . preferably the metal oxide densification aid is employed in an amount from about 3 to about 25 weight percent of the substrate body . more preferably the densification aid is present in an amount from about 4 to about 18 percent by weight . certain impurities and additives present in the overall composite substrate body tend to concentrate in the intergranular phase during the densifying process . such further additional materials are preferably present in amounts less than about 5 weight percent of the matrix phase . in addition to the matrix phase and silicon nitride phases hereinbefore discussed , the substrate may contain additional phases in the form of particles of hard refractory material which may be present , as previously mentioned , as an additive . by the term hard refractory material as used throughout this specification , it is meant any carbide and / or nitride and / or carbonitride of a refractory metal , including mixtures and solid solutions thereof . particular refractory metals include titanium , vanadium , chromium , zirconium , niobium , molybdenum , hafnium , tantalum and tungsten which from the carbides , nitrides and solid solutions referred to . the additional phases of hard refractory material are preferably less than about 20 percent by weight . in accordance with the principles of the present invention , the substrate is coated with alpha - silicon nitride . the preferred method of forming the alpha - silicon nitride coating is the conventional chemical vapor deposition but other techniques such as sputter deposition , plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition , direct nitridation of silicon film , radio frequency glow discharge , vacuum evaporation , ion implantation , ion plating , and other techniques , as disclosed in the art , may be used . according to the chemical vapor deposition technique , a silicon chloride gas reacts with ammonia according to the following reaction . the gaseous reaction mixture may also include an inert gas . the process of the present invention can be typically carried out in apparatus suited for typical vapor deposition reactions . the reactant gases are passed over a substrate in a reaction zone . the temperature of the reaction zone , and of the substrate surface , as well as the total flow and composition of the gas phase over the substrate are so selected as to allow the reaction between the gas and the substrate surface to proceed according to the thermodynamic principles . the total flow conditions and the total gas pressure are so selected as to allow the products of the reaction to be removed continuously from the reaction zone . the resulting coating is preferably uniform and homogeneous . the interfacial coating is preferably at least about one micron in thickness and more preferably from about 2 to about 5 microns in thickness . preferably the reaction is carried out at conditions which promote the deposition of a dense , void - free coating having a faceted crystal structure as opposed to a lower density porous structure having voids when examined in cross section as might be formed when the alpha - silicon nitride is in the form of needle - like crystals . the substrate surface coated with alpha - silicon nitride is reacted with a refractory metal halide to form an interfacial layer comprising a refractory metal chemically reacted to form a refractory metal nitride . the reactive gas is preferably titanium tetrachloride although it is contemplated that other refractory metal halide gases may be suitable . it is believed that the titanium tetrachloride reacts with the silicon nitride surface according to the following reaction . the gaseous reaction mixture may also include an inert gas . the reaction gas is characterized by the absence of a carbon or nitrogen source which would preferentially react with the titanium chloride . preferably the temperatures employed are from about 900 degrees centigrade to about 1600 degrees centigrade and preferably from about 1000 to about 1300 degrees centigrade . the reaction is preferably carried out under suitable conditions so that substantially all the titanium nitride present at the surface after reaction is formed by the reaction of alpha - silicon nitride present in the previously deposited layer with the titanium chloride gas . the process of the present invention can be typically carried out in apparatus suited for typical vapor deposition reactions . the reactant gases are passed over a substrate in a reaction zone . the temperature of the reaction zone , and of the substrate surface , as well as the total flow and composition of the gas phase over the substrate are so selected as to allow the reaction between the gas and the substrate surface to proceed according to the thermodynamic principles . the total flow conditions and the total gas pressure are so selected as to allow the products of the reaction to be removed continuously from the reaction zone . the resulting coating is preferably uniform and homogeneous . the interfacial coating is preferably at least about one micron in thickness and more preferably from about 2 to about 5 microns in thickness . the interfacial coating may include unreacted alpha - silicon nitride . the substrate having the interfacial layer , may be conveniently coated with a refractory metal composition according to techniques known in the prior art . the layer of refractory material is selected from the group consisting of metal oxides such as aluminum oxide , refractory metal carbides , refractory metal nitrides , refractory metal carbonitrides , and / or combinations of the above . the following techniques are illustrated of a method of preparing the substrates . substrates may be conveniently prepared by cold pressing followed by sintering , hot isostatic pressing , over pressure sintering and other techniques known in the art . the substrates may be conveniently prepared according to the following technique . a powder mixture of silicon nitride , metal oxide densification aid and any additional hard refractory materials are mixed according to the proper proportions depending on the desired final composition . to one part by weight of the above mixture is added about 2 . 5 parts by weight toluene , 0 . 1 parts by weight of methanol , and about 0 . 05 parts by weight of steric acid . the resulting slurry is thoroughly mixed by ball milling and then dried at 75 degrees centigrade . the resulting dry mixture is ball milled for about 24 hours and then mixed with about 0 . 05 parts by weight of a copolymer of polyethylene glycol and methoxypolyethylene glycol , 1 part by weight toluene , and about 0 . 05 parts by weight methanol . this mixture is mixed by ball milling for about 15 minutes , dried at 75 degrees centigrade and then screened through a 60 mesh screen . the - 60 mesh fraction is pressed at ambient temperatures at a pressure of about 25 , 000 psig to obtain a green compact . the residual solvents and stearic acid binder are removed from the green compact by heating at about 600 degrees centigrade in an inert atmosphere . according to one method , the green compact is then sintered to a hard , highly densified composite body by heating at a temperature of between about 1700 and about 1850 degrees centigrade . according to another method , the - 60 mesh portion prior to obtaining a green compact is pressed at a pressure of about 3000 psig and a temperature of about 1700 degrees centigrade to produce a hard , highly densified composite body . this latter method which requires the simultaneous application of high temperatures and heat is hereinafter referred to as hot pressing . the resulting hot pressed bodies may have a high proportion of silicon nitride present as beta - silicon nitride . the substrates prepared , according to the above discussed techniques , are coated with alpha - silicon nitride according to the following procedure . substrates of hot pressed silicon nitride composition are placed in a heated furnace . a mixture of gases consisting of silicon tetrachloride , ammonia , hydrogen and argon are introduced at one atmosphere pressure in the furnace , and the reaction is allowed to occur for about 1 hour . it is understood that the reaction between said gases can also occur at subatmospheric pressures . depending upon the gas flow rates and temperature different coating thicknesses are obtained . typical values for flow rates , temperatures and coating thicknesses for a one - atmosphere process are shown in table i for the runs which result in an alpha - silicon nitride coating . in general , the tendency of the deposit to become crystalline is strongly dependent on temperature , and relatively less so on the si / n ratio . the tendency to form whisker - like deposit , or a deposit with crystallites having an aspect ratio of greater than about 3 , is also predominant at higher temperatures and higher si / n ratios . typical for a crystalline deposit is a faceted morphology , with well - developed crystallographic planes . the reaction between sicl 4 and nh 3 occurs in a series of intermediate steps , each of which is extremely sensitive to local variations in the temperature and gas composition . the detailed observations of the orientation of crystalline deposits show that the most dominant orientation of silicon nitride is ( 2020 ), followed usually by ( 2130 ). the orientation is significant from the standpoint of the surface hardness of the deposit . thus , maintaining a ( 2020 ) or ( 2130 ) orientation of the deposit would be advantageous in terms of surface hardness . typical hardness values for polycrystalline alpha - si 3 n 4 with ( 1120 ) and ( 2130 ) orientations are found to be about 3800 kg / mm 2 ( hv 100 ). therefore , it becomes necessary to control the parameters of deposition precisely so as to obtain consistent coating properties on a repetitive basis . next , the alpha - silicon nitride coated substrates of hot - pressed silicon nitride are placed in a graphite resistance heated furnace at about 1250 ° c . a mixture of gases consisting of titanium chloride , hydrogen , and argon is introduced into the furnace , and the reaction is allowed to occur for about thirty minutes . the samples show the presence of a gold - colored deposit , about 3 microns in thickness . x - ray diffraction analysis of the coating shows that it is titanium nitride . the substrate bodies having an interfacial layer is coated with aluminum oxide by chemical vapor deposition techniques or physical vapor deposition techniques known in the art . in one chemical vapor deposition technique , more fully described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 914 , 473 , vaporized aluminum chloride or other halide of aluminum is passed over the heated substrate together with water vapor and hydrogen gas . alternatively , the aluminum oxide is deposited by physical vapor deposition techniques such as direct evaporation or sputtering . the reaction for the chemical vapor deposition technique is described by the following equation , although hydrogen gas is often added to insure that the reaction takes place in reducing atmosphere . the substrate piece or pieces are heated to a temperature between about 800 degrees c . to about 1500 degrees c . and the gaseous mixture is passed over the heated substrate until the desired coating thickness is achieved . as an example , titanium carbide layers are formed on the silicon nitride substrate having the interfacial layer by passing titanium tetrachloride , a gaseous carbon source such as methane , and hydrogen over the substrate at a temperature of between about 800 degrees c . and 1500 degrees c . the reaction is described by the following equation , although hydrogen is often added to insure that the reaction takes place in a reducing environment . similarly , titanium nitride layers may be formed according to the following reaction . similarly , a layer of titanium carbonitride may be formed by a combination of the above reactions wherein both a carbon and nitrogen source are present in the reaction gases in a desired proportion . it is also contemplated that titanium in the above reactions may be substituted with a suitable refractory metal halide . typical refractory metals include titanium , vanadium , chromium , zirconium , niobium , molybdenum , hafnium , tantalum and tungsten . titanium and hafnium are preferred . table i__________________________________________________________________________typical cvd parameters for cvd alpha silicon - nitride coating oncutting tools coating crystalexperiment temp . sicl . sub . 4 nh . sub . 3 h . sub . 2 ar si / n thickness structure # ° c . flow in sccm ratio microns of coating__________________________________________________________________________1 300 100 4000 3100 3 . 00 35 - 40 α - si . sub . 3 n . sub . 42 1225 25 100 1250 6125 0 . 25 4 - 6 α - si . sub . 3 n . sub . 43 50 100 1500 5850 0 . 50 15 - 20 α - si . sub . 3 n . sub . 44 100 100 2000 5300 1 . 00 10 - 15 α - si . sub . 3 n . sub . 45 200 100 3000 4200 2 . 00 7 - 8 α - si . sub . 3 n . sub . 46 400 100 5000 2000 4 . 00 18 - 22 α - si . sub . 3 n . sub . 47 50 100 1500 5850 0 . 50 25 - 35 α - si . sub . 3 n . sub . 48 200 100 3000 4200 2 . 00 1 - 5 α9 400 100 5000 2000 4 . 00 10 - 35 α10 1425 25 100 1250 6125 0 . 25 2 - 3 α11 200 100 3000 4200 2 . 00 5 - 10 α__________________________________________________________________________
2
referring now to fig1 a network 10 is utilized to connect a source 12 to a destination 14 by providing a user network interface or uni 16 . the source transmits data cells as indicated by dotted line 18 to the destination , with credit update cells or cu cells 20 being transmitted back to the source through the network as illustrated by dotted line 22 . referring now to fig2 credit update cells are applied to a credit manager or cm 24 which generates a signal c applied over line 26 to an allowed cell rate generator or acr -- g 28 , with generator 28 having an output over line 30 to provide an allowed cell rate value , acr , to be applied to a rate controller or rc 32 which controls the rate at which cells 34 at the input 36 to rate controller 32 are permitted to be transmitted over line 18 . each time a cell is transmitted , the fact of this transmission is indicated to both generator 28 and credit manager 24 via a &# 34 ; cell out &# 34 ; signal applied to line 40 . if at the time a cell is to be transmitted , there is no cell waiting , a signal representing &# 34 ; empty cell &# 34 ; is coupled to generator 28 over line 42 . in operation , the credit manager maintains a credit count based on the credit update cells received , diminished by the number of cells transmitted . allowed cell rate generator 28 adjusts the value from the credit manager 24 to reflect both the cells transmitted and the fact of an cell empty condition . referring now to fig3 destination 14 includes an incoming cell accountant or ica 50 coupled to a buffer 52 to which incoming cells 54 are applied and from which forwarded cells 56 are outputted to the application consuming the data , not shown . the incoming cell accountant determines , at any given time , the free space in buffer 52 , along with the status of the incoming cells as to the congestion of the network . this congestion is typically indicated by a predetermined bit , called the explicit forward congestion indication bit or efci bit , in the header of each incoming data cell . the output of the cell accountant 50 is a value reflecting the ability of the destination to accept and process incoming cells without loss of data . this value is applied over line 58 to a credit update cell generator or cu -- g 60 which generates credit update cells 20 to be transmitted through the network to the source . the value generated by incoming cell accountant 50 is thus transmitted to the source in packet or cell form . more particularly , the subject invention has the following basic and mandatory elements : a source end system must maintain a credit count c for each connection or virtual channel . a virtual channel is a logical stream of data from one application in the source to one application in the destination . c is updated upon transmission of data cells and reception of credit update cells . secondly , the cell transmission rate of a virtual channel is controlled not to exceed an allowed cell rate for that virtual channel . this is implemented by a mechanism which dynamically updates the allowed cell rate . a destination end system must keep a record for each virtual channel of the numbers of cells received and their congestion status , i . e ., whether or not the explicit forward congestion indication bit is set . secondly , the credit update cells for each virtual channel are assembled according to the number and / or status of cells received and the number of cells forwarded . thereafter , credit update cells are sent back to the source of that virtual channel . a network operator may optionally provide the following at a network node : first , a congested switch sets the explicit forward congestion indication bits of cells passing through it to convey congestion information to downstream nodes . secondly , the switch may implement functions specified for source and destination end systems such that it is capable of behaving as a virtual source and destination . as a detailed definition of source end system behavior , the traffic control functions of a source end system are to be implemented with the three modules as shown in fig2 . as discussed above , credit manager 24 maintains a credit count c for each virtual channel . allowed cell rate generator 28 calculates the current allowed cell rate for each virtual channel , and rate controller 32 controls the transmission rate of a virtual channel not to exceed its current allowed cell rate . ______________________________________if ( receive cu cell ) derive a credit update value dcfrom the cu cellc := min ( c . sub .-- max , c + dc ) ! credit updatesend c to acr . sub .-- g ! initiate an acr updateif ( receive a cell . sub .-- out signal from rc ) ! one cell is transmittedc := max ( 0 , c - 1 ) ! credit update______________________________________ the following is a program listing for allowed cell rate generator 28 : ______________________________________if ( c is updated from cu cell ) ! acr calculation for acr := f1 ( c ) ! a new credit valueif ( c updated from cell . sub .-- out signal ) ! acr calculation upon acr := f2 ( c ) ! transmission of a cellif ( receive an cell . sub .-- empty signal ) ! acr calculation at the acr := f3 ( c ) ! next cell transmission ! time when a vc is idle______________________________________ ______________________________________if ( current . sub .-- time & gt ;= next . sub .-- cell . sub .-- time ) next . sub .-- cell . sub .-- time := current . sub .-- time + 1 / acrif a cell is availabletransmit a cellsend a cell . sub .-- out signal to cm and acr . sub .-- gelsesend an cell . sub .-- empty signal to acr . sub .-- g______________________________________ as to the behavior of the destination end system , as shown in fig3 a destination end system includes two modules for traffic control : an incoming cell accountant 50 and a credit update cell generator 60 . the incoming cell accountant 50 maintains three counters for each virtual channel : the total number of cells received n -- in , the total number of cells forwarded n -- out , and the number of continuous congestion - free cells received n -- cf . according to these variables , the credit cell generator generates credit cells using a set of rules selected by the virtual channel . the program listing for the incoming cell accountant 50 is as follows : ______________________________________ if ( receive cell ) n . sub .-- in := n . sub .-- in + 1 if ( efci bit = 0 ) n . sub .-- cf := n . sub .-- cf + 1 else n . sub .-- cf := 0 if ( forward cell ) n . sub .-- out := n . sub .-- out + 1______________________________________ the program listing for the credit update cell generator 60 is as follows : ______________________________________if ( rule ( n . sub .-- in , n . sub .-- out , n . sub .-- cf , n . sub .-- in . sub .-- old , n . sub .-- out . sub .-- old , n . sub .-- cf . sub .-- old ) = true ) assemble a cu cellsend the cu cell to a node specified by the vcn . sub .-- in . sub .-- old := n . sub .-- inn . sub .-- out . sub .-- old := n . sub .-- outn . sub .-- cf . sub .-- old := n . sub .-- cf______________________________________ the flexibility and ability of the subject invention to accommodate various traffic control schemes comes from the freedom in implementing f1 (), f2 (), f3 () at the source , and rule () at the destination . it can be demonstrated that the prior art rate - based and credit - based schemes can both be implemented by a network interface complying with the subject invention . as for implementing the rate - based scheme , f1 (), f2 (), f3 (), and rule () are defined as follows : where , as described in &# 34 ; closed - loop rate - based traffic management &# 34 ;, atm forum / 94 - 0438r1 , july 1994 , acr is the allowed cell rate , adr is the additive decrease rate , air is the additive increase rate , mcr is the minimum cell rate , the minimum for acr , icr is the initial / reset cell rate for acr , pcr is the peak cell rate , the maximum rate for acr , mdf is the multiplicative decrease factor , and nrm is a constant number which determines the frequency that feedback cells are generated . as for implementing the credit - based scheme , f1 (), f2 (), f3 (), and rule () are defined as follows : where pcr is the peak cell rate , the maximum rate for acr , and n2 is a constant number which determines the frequency that feedback cells are generated . it will be appreciated that the subject system may be adopted in its entirety , or it may be adopted at some nodes of a digital network so that for applications requiring absolutely no data loss , the above credit - based system can be implemented without change to the network as a whole except for those nodes dedicated to a no loss application between the corresponding application source and the application destination . thus existing networks need not be totally reconfigured when only a portion of the network need be devoted to applications requiring absolutely no data loss . moreover , one source call connect to a destination using a particular set of functions f1 (), f2 (), f3 (), and rule (); and the same source can connect to a different destination using a different set of functions f1 &# 39 ;(), f2 &# 39 ;(), f3 &# 39 ;(), and rule &# 39 ;(). for example , a source can transmit data to one destination using a rate - based method of avoiding data loss . the same source can also , at the same time , transmit other data to a different destination using tile credit - based method of avoiding data loss . more importantly , the data from this source can be transmitted to a destination via the subject system by combining credit - based and rate - based methods in which lossless transmission is achieved through a hybrid form of rate adjustment . note , the subject system is quickly configurable , merely by changing the functions and rules at the respective sources and destinations . this permits expansion of existing systems and the provision of new systems with much more flexibility in handling bursty data traffic . having above indicated a preferred embodiment of the present invention , it will occur to those skilled in the art that modifications and alternatives can be practiced within the spirit of the invention . it is accordingly intended to define the scope of the invention only as indicated in the following claims .
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fig1 shows schematically a network with the modules a and b connected to a few - core serial connection 1 . the network can contain additional connected modules which have been indicated by c , d and z . each module can transmit and receive messages . the transmission of messages is time - scheduled . this scheduling is symbolized by 2 , where 3 shows how messages appear on the few - core connection , consecutively in time . the time is divided into time slots and the starting points for the respective slots are indicated by 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 . according to traditional scheduling , each module is now allocated smaller slots . module a receives 5 a to 6 a for the message a 1 and 7 a to 8 a for the message a 2 . in the same way , module b receives 4 b to 5 b for b 1 and 6 b to 7 b for b 2 . now the clocks in a and b are not synchronized , for which reason the messages a 1 , b 1 , a 2 and b 2 in reality come within the nominal slots 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 but not according to the allocated slot . in the figure , the clock in a runs slower than the clock in b , for which reason the gap between a 1 and b 1 becomes greater than the gap between a 1 and b 2 . during the scheduling , buffer zones 5 b - 5 a , 6 a - 6 b , etc , must be inserted between the messages in order that these will not collide as a result of the relative deviations between the module clocks . in the example described above according to traditional thinking , the actual correct time is taken as the starting point and buffer zones are scheduled in order to compensate for local deviations from the correct time . fig2 now shows the new thinking . the scheduling is carried out against a virtual clock . in the virtual schedule 22 , the messages a 1 , b 1 , c 1 , a 2 , b 2 , c 2 , etc , are now inserted at the required times . in fig2 , the messages have been tightly packed for the sake of clarity . the times of transmission of the respective messages are transmitted to the respective modules . locally each module thus receives an actual schedule for its messages : a receives an actual schedule for messages a 1 and a 2 , b for b 1 and b 2 and c for c 1 and c 2 . each module has an actual clock which is set is relation to the virtual clock , 21 a , 21 b , and 21 c respectively , to which their schedules are related . now the clock 21 a happens to coincide with the virtual clock and the message a 1 is sent out at the correct time . the clock in b runs fast and attempts to transmit before the transmission of a 1 is completed . the collision detection in can means that b 1 is retained automatically until a 1 is finished and is then sent out immediately . in spite of the fact that the clock 21 b is wrong , the message will be sent out correctly according to the virtual schedule . in the same way , the messages a 2 and b 2 will be sent out correctly . the clock 21 c is slow , so that a gap is created between b 2 and c 1 . this would have been able to be prevented if the actual local schedules had been put forward in relation to the virtual schedule , that is if there was deliberate scheduling for collision . in traditional thinking , the schedule is stationary in time while the messages oscillate ( jump forward and back ) in time . with the new thinking , the whole of the actual schedule will oscillate in time . fig3 shows schematically a system 31 with the protocol ttp / c and an identical schematically drawn - up system 32 according to the invention with the protocol can . the ttp system has the modules 31 ′, 31 ″ and 31 ′″ which are connected to the bus . each module has a usual application with requisite hardware , symbolized by ha , and the communication between these is carried out via the communication units 33 ′, 33 ″ and 33 m . these communication units are specially developed for ttp and contain a protocol processor with associated rom data , symbolized by pp and two bus guardians designated bg ( only one is illustrated ). each pp and pg has a clock , symbolized by c . the description of ttp is greatly simplified , but the key feature for the comparison between ttp and a system according to the invention is the existence and placing of clocks . ttp is based on the correct time being maintained . therefore pp and bg each have their own clocks . pp handles the transmission and reception of messages according to a time schedule . bg has a smaller part of this schedule , namely at which times the module is entitled to transmit . only at these times can pp physically send signals on the bus . at other times bg prevents this . the time schedule is constructed by a system designer outside the system and this is downloaded to the system using a tool , symbolized by the unit v . ttp requires the special communication units which provide a common time in the system and check that messages are transmitted at the correct times and that message collision is avoided . in contrast to this is shown the system 32 according to the invention . each module has also an application with hardware , h ′, h ″ and h m . the communication is carried out according to the can protocol and standard circuits for this are used in the modules 32 ″ and 32 m . the module 32 ′ is assumed to have a can controller specially developed for the system according to the invention , with an integrated clock . the module 32 ″ has a clock that is handled by the application , while 32 ′″ does not have a clock at all . as for ttp , a system designer constructs scheduling for the system , but this is broken down and modified for each module , which receives a local schedule . these local schedules can be completely different in essence , but taken as a whole they form a well co - ordinated schedule for the system . the local schedules are downloaded to the respective modules from a common unit symbolized by vv . this can be temporarily or permanently connected to the system , or alternatively can be incorporated as a module in the system which has other tasks in addition to the scheduling of messages . fig4 shows schematically a virtual schedule represented by 41 . this is created with a virtual clock 42 which generates a continuous timing whereby the time slots t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , t 4 , t 5 , etc , are defined . the required transmission of the messages a 1 , b 1 , c 1 , a 2 and b 2 which are to be sent from the respective modules a , b and c in the system have been inserted in these time slots . the messages do not occupy the whole of the time slots as the virtual time is interpreted by an actual clock in the respective modules . these all deviate from the virtual time . each module will have an actual schedule for transmission of its messages , which is illustrated by 43 , and these schedules will deviate from each other as a result of the clocks &# 39 ; deviations from the virtual clock . 43 shows that the clock in the module a is fast by the amount da but runs at the same speed as the virtual clock . the clock in the module b is slow by the amount db and runs at the same speed as the virtual clock . the clock in the module c is correct at the start but runs slightly too quickly , for which reason the deviation gradually increases which is indicated by dc and dc ′. each module transmits in accordance with its actual schedule and the resulting actual schedule for the system as a whole which appears on the bus is shown by 44 . here it can be seen that there are slots of varying sizes between messages and thereby a poor utilization of the bandwidth . the messages b 1 and c 1 almost collide and will do so at the next occasion unless their clocks are adjusted relative to the virtual clock before then . if the module clocks keep poor time , they must be synchronized frequently via synchronization messages , which steals bandwidth . this bandwidth loss can be reduced if the modules are provided with more accurate clocks , which makes the module more expensive . in order to avoid the requirement for accurate clocks , the can characteristic is utilized to resolve collisions of messages without discarding and to deliberately put forward the transmission in the module schedules . this is shown in 45 . here the respective messages have been scheduled to be transmitted almost 50 % in the previous time slot according to the virtual schedule . the module a starts its transmission even earlier , as its clock is fast . the transmission of message z is carried out in this time slot and the message a 1 will not go onto the bus until this is completed . in the example shown , this is carried out at the same time as a 1 goes out onto the bus in the example 44 . the module b attempts to send its message almost 50 % in the time slot t 1 but , as its clock is slow , the message a 1 has already been sent and a small time slot arises between a 1 and b 1 . in the same way , c sends out c 1 and , on account of the relative effects of the clock deviations , c 1 goes out onto the bus immediately upon the attempt at transmission . a 2 goes out immediately thereafter , while there is a larger slot to b 2 . in both examples , we have used the same virtual schedule as the starting point . with the traditional method , the highest possible bandwidth has been utilized . with the new method , large margins have been created and the messages are sent more quickly . in fig5 , the same virtual schedule has been utilized as above and is illustrated by 41 ′. the example 51 shows that automatic retransmission can be utilized . it is assumed that the message a 1 in the example 45 has been discarded just before it was terminated and that it is sent again . the correct message goes out immediately after the corrupt message a 1 ′. ( this ignores components not directly affected by the invention in the can protocol &# 39 ; s error handling such as error frames , etc , for which is only required a time analysis during the scheduling , which is simple for experts in the field and which does not affect the fundamental discussion and the result in the main .) the module b starts its transmission according to schedule with pre - ignition , but as a 1 has already then started , b 1 will go out onto the bus immediately after a 1 irrespective of their relative priorities . in the same way , c 1 goes out immediately after b 1 and thereafter a 2 . a comparison with the traditional , maximally utilized schedule shows that , in spite of the retransmission of a 1 , b 2 goes out earlier by means of the invention . both better utilization of the bandwidth and shorter maximum delay of messages have been achieved . fig6 shows the same case as in fig4 , but in which a 1 is retransmitted twice and this results in a temporary 100 % bus utilization , but in spite of this b 2 goes out slightly delayed . in this example , it has been assumed that b 1 cannot be delayed , for which reason it has been given a higher priority than a 1 . after two failures of almost complete a 1 messages , b 1 goes out with a small delay , after which the correct a 1 goes out , followed by c 1 and a 2 . fig7 shows how a time - scheduled communication can be set up with modules without clocks . here the module a is co - ordinated with the virtual clock and with the modules b and c via the messages a 1 and a 2 . in addition , it shows how redundancy is achieved by means of one message triggering several messages . the example 71 shows in principle the same virtual scheduling as above . in this case , the fact has been taken into account that there is a certain delay after a message has been received correctly by a module before this triggers a transmission of a message by the module in question . here the message a 1 is set in relation to the virtual clock . in the module b , the message b 1 is set to be sent when a 1 is received and in the module c , the message c 1 is set to be sent when b 1 is received . in the module a , a 2 is set to be sent when c 1 is received . as is shown by the figure , the messages go out onto the bus better synchronized than with the use of the traditional method represented by 44 ″. it can easily be seen that the method has a disadvantage in that one omitted message can stop all further transmission . in order to overcome this problem , each message is allocated two or more messages that trigger transmission . this is shown in the example 72 . here a 1 has been set to trigger both b 1 and c 1 , b 1 to trigger c 1 and a 2 , c 1 to trigger a 2 and b 2 , a 2 to trigger b 2 and c 2 , and b 2 to trigger a 3 and c 3 . now a 1 fails to trigger b 1 but as it also triggers c 1 , this goes out instead of b 1 . the whole schedule is thereby displaced one step to the left . this does not matter , as each message has a unique identity . the example above shows that , using the invention , not only do we achieve a better utilization of the bus &# 39 ; s bandwidth and the use of simpler clocks , but also that the communication can be constructed to be fault - tolerant with completely predictable maximum delays and that these can be optimized according to the system &# 39 ; s real - time requirements by means of suitable choice of identifiers and priorities , maximum number of permitted retransmissions , choice of accuracy of the clocks in the respective modules , choice of setting in relation to the virtual clock for the respective module and message , etc , and that modules can be given special rules for how the communication is to be carried out . taken as a whole , these rules give a predictable appearance on the bus for each message . if any module should infringe any given rule , this is easily discovered by one or more system - monitoring modules and the communication does not break down . system - monitoring nodes can always issue correcting command messages , for example according to cankingdom , by these messages being given higher priority than other messages . traditional methods such as “ bus guardians ” used in traditional time - controlled systems can be used without problems , if considered necessary . in certain cases , it cannot be tolerated that messages are sent one or more time slots earlier than scheduled . the case described above where a displacement arises due to a node not sending its message , can be avoided by one or more modules being scheduled to send a dummy message with lower priority . if these find that they do not go out onto the bus during the first half of the time slot as a result of this being occupied , the transmission attempt is discontinued . iso 11898 - 4 is a standard for scheduling of messages in a can bus . the standard describes two levels for the clock function , level 1 and level 2 . level 1 is characterized by the total time schedule being made up of shorter partial schedules which are introduced by time synchronization messages being sent from a time master . in order to ensure that the system does not fail as a result of the time master failing , there is a complex set of rules that enable one or more reserve time masters to take over in a secure way . in addition , there is a complex set of rules in the standard for how the local clocks are to be synchronized with the time master and how the respective module is to be able to determine whether it is synchronized or not . all time measurement in level 1 is related to the bit rate on the bus . using the invention described , a system can be constructed with much simpler means for obtaining an identical appearance of messages on the bus , without the modules having special clock functions that are synchronized with special time masters . this can be carried out by the virtual clock being set in relation to one or more messages via a selected event , for example indication of a position of a motor &# 39 ; s flywheel . when one or more modules indicate this position , this triggers the transmission of a special message . if this message is identical for all the modules that send it , it will be understood as being owned by all the modules that send it out within the first bit , start of frame . if the deviation is larger than one bit length , the message will be put in a queue in the losing module . a local time - out terminates the transmission attempt after a time that is shorter than the length of message after the indication . an alternative to this is to put the first message in the schedule after the start message at a higher priority than this . the start messages that are in a queue will then lose out in the arbitration which makes it possible to let the application in the respective module terminate the transmission attempt after the receipt of the start message . subsequent messages can then be scheduled with the start message as a reference to a local clock which is started upon the receipt of the start message or by using some later message in the schedule as a clock reference or by using one or more previous messages in the schedule which directly trigger the transmission attempt in the way described above . by means of the invention , the problem with the scheduling is changed from following rules laid down that require all the modules to be synchronized with a given time master in the system or with a given set of rules applicable for all the modules for obtaining timing that is common to the system for a planned virtual scheduling which is converted in practice by local rules in each module which are co - ordinated in a design process which is unique for the system . by this means , the characteristics of the system can be optimized both with regard to cost and features , by means of , among other things , eliminating the earlier basic rule that messages must not collide on the bus in time - scheduled systems . in addition , modules without clocks can be integrated into systems based on time - scheduled communication . many time - controlled communication systems rely on a selected edge in the bit flow on the bus for the synchronization of the local clocks within the system . can utilizes falling edges for hard and soft synchronization of the clocks that are used for the synchronization of the time for interpreting the individual bits in the bit flow on the bus . the first edge , sof , is often proposed to be used for clocks for other purposes , for example for scheduling of messages . however , in order to distinguish this falling edge from a falling edge caused by an interference , sof is not indicated until at the sampling point . iso 11898 - 4 ( ttcan ) utilizes this delayed indication of sof in order to distinguish easily false edges from real ones . a disadvantage of this method is that the distance between the edge and the sampling point can be different in different modules within the system , which leads to an inexact synchronization of the clocks . this can , however , be corrected easily at local level if , for the clocks &# 39 ; synchronization , reference is made to the edge and not to the sampling point , as this local deviation is known in the respective nodes . for the invention , it is , on the other hand , an advantage to utilize the sampling point as a reference . in this way , it is possible easily to integrate modules that are developed for event - driven can systems in time - controlled systems . when the message two time slots before is correctly received , the transmission trigger is set to be activated at the next sof . when sof in the message in the preceding time slot is detected , then the can controller is activated for transmission . as the message has then already passed the arbitration stage , it will be sent immediately after the preceding message has been terminated , irrespective of the message &# 39 ; s priority . in this way , a module without a clock can be set in relation to a virtual clock and a virtual schedule with a high degree of precision . it can easily be seen that if the method above is combined with a suitable choice of priorities , then several messages can have one and the same trigger message and also each message can have several trigger messages and in normal circumstances the messages will go out at the correct time . if any message is not sent , for example due to a module fault , then all the other messages will still go out , displaced , however , by one time slot . an alternative to using the sampling point as a reference is to use the falling edge in the rtr bit after the can identifier . this is indicated by all the can controllers for soft synchronization and is thereby just as precise as sof but has the advantage of being reliably identified . fig8 shows schematically how the construction of a system according to the invention can be carried out . a system designer 80 designs a control system 81 to be used in a product , for example a boat 82 . in the example , the system consists of a boat control unit 83 which communicates , via a bus 84 , with three motors with associated auxiliary devices for course setting , raising and lowering of rigging , logs , etc , 85 , 85 ′ and 85 ″. the control electronics for the boat control unit 83 are represented by 86 and for the respective motors by 87 , 87 ′ and 87 ″. the system designer builds up the system in a computer - based tool 88 which can be of a type according to u . s . pat . no . 7 , 188 , 162 , issued mar . 6 , 2007 , and u . s . patent application publication no . 2005 / 0086382 a1 , published apr . 21 , 2005 . in addition to a selection of characteristics that are described in the documents referred to , the tool has also a part 89 for scheduling according to the invention . in a first step , the system designer develops one or more virtual schedules 90 based on one or more virtual clocks 91 for the system as described above . the tool processes the virtual schedule into one or more local actual schedules for the respective modules which are indicated by 92 , 93 , 94 and 95 . what is important for the invention is that the schedule is associated with the correct choice of identifier and their associations with each other and their priority in the event of collision on the bus , for which reason this has been marked specially by 92 ′, 93 ′, 94 ′ and 95 ′. the tool supplies additional information i 1 for settings , program codes , etc , for the respective module which is indicated by 96 . the information i 2 thus created and processed is transferred to a configuring tool 97 via the connection 98 which can be selected in a suitable way , for example via a diskette , file transfer in a digital network , etc . in addition to configuring the system , the information can be used for later analysis of the same and the configuring tool can advantageously be combined with an analysis tool which , among other things , can compare the virtual schedule with the actual schedule which appears on the bus during the system &# 39 ; s operation . the configuring tool is connected to the system &# 39 ; s bus via the connection 99 and the connector 99 ′ and requisite information 100 for local schedules , settings , etc , is exchanged between the modules and the tool . the virtual schedule function can also convey direct information i 3 to the configuration tool 97 for requisite processing . 101 shows schematically the functions comprised in the respective module . the module is connected to the bus via a connector 101 which can be a contact or a wireless connection , for transferring the bus signals i 4 to and from the module . the signals pass through signal - adapting means 102 , for example a can transceiver , which in turn is connected to a protocol circuit 103 , for example a can controller . this is connected to a cpu 104 with requisite peripherals and application software 105 for the module function . in addition , the module has at least software 107 which can set received messages 108 on the bus in relation to messages 109 which are to be sent . the module has an actual clock 110 which is set in relation to at least one edge on message signals on the bus , for example the falling edge 111 at start of frame in a can message . in its simplest form , the clock 110 consists of the clock incorporated in a can controller for bit synchronization and interpretation . the module can be arranged to handle time - controlled means symbolized by the unit 112 and the outgoing and incoming signal connections 113 . the controls i 5 can be related to the clock 110 and / or a clock 114 with a second time base , for example a time base that varies with the engine speed . the module can also be arranged to handle event - driven or event - controlling means symbolized by the unit 115 and the outgoing and incoming signal connections 116 . signals i 6 from events or triggering of events are co - ordinated with the time - related signals i 5 and with the actual schedule ( the actual schedules ) in the module and with the messages &# 39 ; identities according to the arrangement 117 and 118 . activities in the module trigger transmission of a message 119 on the bus according to the actual schedule which collides with the message 108 . if the collision takes place in start of frame then , if it has a higher priority than 108 , the module &# 39 ; s message will appear on the bus instead of the message 108 . the sender of message 108 will receive 119 and then again commence transmission of 108 . if 108 has the highest priority , the module will wait until 108 has been received and then send 119 . if sof has already been received , then the module waits to send 119 until 108 has been received . the transfer or exchange of information or signals between the virtual schedule and the system tool is symbolized by i 7 . the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above , but can be modified within the framework of the following patent claims and concept of the invention .
7
in fig1 there is seen a carriage body in the shape of a train coach 1 . for the sake of clarity , there is only shown the elements necessary for explaining and understanding the invention . the coach 1 will thus comprise several elements as for example front piece , wheel sets , ventilation units , toilet compartments , doors , etc . the coach 1 comprises cover plates in the shape of roof sections 2 and side wall sections 3 , 4 over and under a window section 5 . furthermore , the carriage body comprises cover plates in the shape of bottom sections 6 and floor sections 7 . the cover plates are mutually connected by means of frame elements 8 , 9 and 10 . the frame elements 9 and 10 are in the shown embodiment of the traditional kind , whereas the frame element 8 connecting the side wall sections 3 and 4 with each other , is designed in accordance with the present invention . the cover plates are made of extruded sections with a length corresponding to the length of the formed coach . the window 5 is made as an unbroken ribbon window which also extends in the whole length of the coach . the ribbon window may possibly be composed of a number of window elements which are only divided by a narrow connecting joint . the side wall sections 3 and 4 are provided with grooves 11 . these extend along the whole length of the side wall section and extend thus in the longitudinal direction of the coach . the grooves 11 may be produced on the side of the cover plate which in use is intended to face the interior 12 of the coach . the grooves 11 may alternatively be produced on the side of the cover plate intended to face away from the interior 12 of the coach . as the sections preferably are extruded aluminium sections , the grooves will be created at the extrusion . alternatively , they may be milled grooves . the frame elements 8 are mounted in arbitrarily chosen positions along the grooves 11 by means of connecting means 13 ( see also fig1 - 13 ). the connecting means 13 may be tightened and loosened so that a longitudinal displacement of the frame elements 8 is possible in relation to the side wall sections 3 , 4 . in the shown embodiment , the coach 1 has seats 14 arranged in a vis - à - via arrangement . the seats 14 are via a leg 15 mounted in a rail 16 in the floor section 7 of the coach . this makes it possible to slide the seats in the longitudinal direction of the coach . hereby it is possible to arrange the seats 14 with a mutual distance 17 as shown in fig2 . in the shown configuration , the frame elements 8 are placed opposite to two seats 14 which are arranged back to back . hereby the passengers will have a free outlook through the window 5 . by means of the connecting means 13 , the frame elements 8 are fastened in the grooves 11 in the side wall sections 3 , 4 which are over and under the unbroken ribbon window . hereby the carriage body achieves its necessary rigidity while at the same time the use of actual window bars is avoided . this makes possible a change of the mutual distance between the seats as shown in fig3 while at the same time the frame elements 8 may be displaced to a position opposite the seats 14 . when the seat distance , as illustrated in fig3 is reduced to a new distance 18 , the frame elements 8 will also be displaced . the frame elements 8 will thus be displaced in a distance 19 or a multiple of this distance 20 . hereby passengers in all seats will have a free outlook without inconvenient window bars in the field of sight . as illustrated in fig2 and 3 , connecting means 13 intended for mounting in the same groove 11 are disposed with a mutual distance 21 . likewise , a distance 22 between two adjoining grooves 11 occurs . this ensures torsional stability so that the frame elements give the coach the necessary rigidity . fig4 shows a partial section for illustrating the different cover plates which with the window 5 are intended to form the casing of the carriage body . in the shown embodiment , there is created grooves 11 on all roof sections 2 , side wall sections 3 , 4 , and floor sections 6 . all cover plates are thus intended to be joined by means of frame elements 8 or corresponding frame elements placed at the interior 12 of the coach . alternatively , it will be possible to place the grooves 11 at the side facing outwards so that the frame elements are situated at the external side of the cover elements . however , it is preferred to place the frame elements 8 inwards relative to the cover plates and subsequently to place fitting elements in the interior of the coach . fig4 , 5 and 6 show views for illustrating a frame element 8 of the kind shown in fig1 - 3 . the frame element 8 is formed by an extruded aluminium section which subsequently is rolled to get a curved form as shown in fig6 and which corresponds to the actual section of the coach . it appears from the end view in fig7 that the section 8 has a central groove 23 extending in the longitudinal direction of the section . the section thus appear with two projecting side parts 24 which are advantageous with respect to strength and moment absorption . in the section 8 , there is created throughgoing borings 25 serving to receive the connecting means 13 . in fig8 - 10 , there is shown a second embodiment of a frame element 26 according to the invention . in this frame element certain parts 27 of the extruded section 26 are removed . hereby the frame element will have a relatively small width 28 in the area which is at the window 5 , hereby extending the field of sight as much as possible . at the same time , the end parts 29 of the section intended to be placed at the side wall sections 3 , 4 will have a greater width 30 so that the borings 25 for receiving the connecting means may have a sufficiently great mutual distance 31 in order to ensure a torsionally stable construction . thus , it may be said that the frame element 26 substantially has the shape of an i - element with a stem 32 having a length so that it extends over at least two closely situated cover plates , and which at its bottom and top has crosswise faced pieces 33 for receiving the connecting means 13 . the shown frame elements 8 , 26 are preferably intended to be used in a vertical orientation and to be connected with the side wall sections 3 , 4 over and under the window 5 . however , the frame elements may also be arranged to be placed in the floor or the ceiling with a substantially horizontal orientation . an example of such a frame element 34 is shown in fig1 and 18 . the frame element 34 differs from the frame element 26 by being provided with further connecting means 35 in the shape of fastening pieces which serve to suspend heavy loads like water tanks , ventilation units , waste tanks , engines , and the like , depending on whether the frame element 34 is applied in the roof or the floor of the coach . in the fig1 - 13 , there is shown 3 different embodiments for the connecting means 13 . in fig1 , there is shown a connecting means with a t - shaped sectional piece 36 intended to engage a t - shaped groove 37 formed in one of the cover plates 38 of the carriage body . the t - shaped sectional piece 36 may be fastened by means of a screw 39 intended to extend through one of the holes 25 in a frame element ( not shown ). the fastening piece 36 has a stem 39 intended to be received by an opening 40 of the groove 37 , and a cross branch 41 intended to be received in a bottom part 42 of the groove 37 . in fig1 , there is shown another embodiment of a connecting means 13 . this comprises a sectional piece 43 with a stem 44 and a circular head 45 . the circular head 45 is intended to engage the bottom of a c - shaped groove 46 in a cover plate 38 . in fig1 , there is shown a further embodiment of a connecting means 13 . this comprises a fastening piece 47 having a substantially triangular head 48 which is intended to engage a triangular groove 49 in the cover plate 38 . thus , there is created a joint that may be compared to a dovetail connection . in fig1 , there is shown a partial view of the ends of two frame elements 8 . the frame elements 8 are connected to each other via a connecting piece 50 fastened to the frame elements 8 by means of screw connections 51 . fig1 and 16 show the connecting piece 50 with a substantially h - shaped form . the connecting piece 50 is provided with a number of openings 52 for receiving screws ( not shown ) for creating a screw connection extending through the openings 52 of the connecting piece 50 and corresponding openings in the ends of the frame elements 8 . by joining the frame elements end to end , there is created a substantially closed frame element extending in the whole circumference of the carriage body . by rearranging the construction of a coach , it will thus be possible to use a greater or lesser number of closed frame elements which are placed in a desired distance lengthwise of the coach . the frame elements which are interconnected by means of the connecting piece 50 may be intended to be placed in the side , the bottom , or the top of a formed carriage body . such a closed frame element may for example be used at the ends of the carriage body and may be designed especially with the purpose of fastening fronts , etc .
1
disclosed is a low - cost , easy to machine rotary or spin pump assembly for use in an oxygen concentrator . in an embodiment , the spin pump assembly operates as a compressor pump pursuant to a psa cycle . in another embodiment , the spin pump assembly operates as a vacuum pump pursuant to a vpsa cycle . in an optional embodiment , the spin pump assembly combines both a compressor pump ( psa ) and a vacuum pump ( vpsa ). the ease of machining is due to requiring only flat and circular surfaces on the components of the pump . in an embodiment , the components of the pump include operative part surfaces comprising portions of the pump components that define piston or fluid chambers or portions that abut adjacent portions either in a fixed or moving relationship . some non - limiting examples of operative part surfaces include the internal walls of piston chambers , as well as the outer surface of the rotor that spins adjacent to a housing surface and surfaces of bearings . the operative part surfaces are those requiring precision for function , and here all such surfaces can all be substantially flat or cylindrical and / or machined at low cost . no special profiles such as those required in making other forms of pumps ( e . g ., a swing or scroll compressor ) are required . as described in detail below , the spin pump assembly employs an epicyclic geometry , which uses a counter - rotating vectors approach to generating straight - line reciprocation for pistons in the cylinders of the pump . moreover , a reference frame for the counter - rotating vectors is itself spinning . that is , both vectors can spin clockwise — but one vector can spins at 2 × speed of the other vector . this contrasts with a normal epicyclic , where a bearing part is stationary ( i . e ., spin speed zero ) and two - counter - rotating parts spin at opposite spin speeds ( say , of − 1 and 1 ). they combine to produce straight - line reciprocation , which can let a piston move relative to a stationary cylinder . in the system described herein , all parts receive additional forward spin relative to the surrounding ‘ ground ’, so a cylinder - bearing part ( i . e ., the rotor ) changes from spin speed zero to 1 , one previous rotator goes from − 1 to zero and becomes the new ‘ grounded ’ part instead of the cylinders , and other rotator — the crankshaft — goes from speed 1 to 2 . the spin pump assembly includes an offset between a crank axis and a rotor axis of the assembly . a crankpin represents or defines one vector and a center of the rotor location relative to the crank axis represents another vector . the rotor includes a first piston that is driven by the crank pin and trapped in the rotor &# 39 ; s transverse cylinder . the first piston is driven to reciprocate in the rotor as the rotor rotates at half crank speed . in order to greatly reduce or remove side load from the pistons , an internal - external timing gear ( such as a 2 : 1 timing gear ) can be disposed on the outside ends of the crankshaft and can be fitted to move the rotor and crank together . the rotor also includes a second piston in the same rotor . the second piston is optionally axially offset relative to the first piston , with its reciprocation axis 90 degrees to the first ( and the matching crankpin 180 degrees out ). in another embodiment , fork - and blade rods are used , or rods offset from piston centerlines , so piston centerlines fit all in one plane even when bearings are offset along the crankshaft axis . in an embodiment , porting of the pistons is independent such that one piston serves as a vacuum pump and the other piston serves as pressure pump . there are now described some example embodiments of the spin pump assembly for use in an oxygen concentrator . fig1 and 2 show perspective views of a spin pump assembly 105 , which includes an outer housing 110 that contains a rotor 205 ( shown in fig3 and 4 ) that is rotatably mounted inside the housing 110 . the rotor 205 is driven to rotate by a crankshaft 115 that defines a first axis a . the crankshaft 115 is rotatably coupled to the housing 110 such as , for example , via one or more bearing plates 120 . the rotor 205 contains a pair of cylindrical bores ( fig3 and 4 ), each of which contains at least one piston such that the piston ( s ) define at least one fluid chamber inside each of the bores . the bore ( s ) may be radial or diametral relative to a center axis of the rotor 205 . that is , the bore ( s ) may extend partially through the rotor or may extend entirely through the rotor such that the bore ( s ) intersect and form openings through two sides of the rotor . the kinematics of the spin pump assembly are described in detail below . the rotor is contained in a close fit alignment within the housing . for example , there may be a radial gap between the rotor and the housing of 0 . 001 - 0 . 002 inch . in the embodiment of fig1 and 2 , the housing 110 has an outer shape that is rectangular with substantially flat surfaces , which provide ease of manufacturing . a full housing may not be required if the piston cylinders are fitted with heads that rotate with them . the housing 110 has a cylindrical bore in which the rotor 205 is rotatably positioned . as discussed in more detail below , the rotor 205 rotates about a second axis of rotation that is parallel to , but offset from , the first axis of rotation defined by the crankshaft 115 . in an embodiment , the second axis is offset from first axis by ¼ of the desired stroke and crankpin eccentrics are offset from crank rotation axis by ¼ of desired stroke . fig3 and 4 show perspective views of the rotor 205 , which surrounds the crankshaft 205 . the crankshaft carries pistons that ride in the rotor , but there is no direct attachment between the rotor and the crankshaft . rotation of the rotor occurs because of the pistons pushing on their cylinder walls when the crankshaft rotates ( unless a timing gear directly drives the rotor from the crank . the rotor 205 includes two cylindrical piston chambers 210 and 215 , each of which contains at least one piston . in an embodiment , the piston chambers are offset by 90 degrees relative to one another . in an embodiment , both of the piston chambers serve as a compression chamber ( for example , for use in a psa cycle ). in another embodiment , both of the piston chambers serve as a vacuum pump chamber . in another embodiment , one piston chamber serves as a compression chamber and another piston chamber serves as a compression chamber ( for example , for use in a vpsa cycle ). fig5 shows the crankshaft 115 in a standalone state . fig6 is a schematic diagram 500 illustrating kinematics of the spin pump assembly 105 . the schematic diagram shows an example piston 505 movably mounted in the rotor 205 , which is rotatably positioned in the housing 110 . the crankshaft 115 drives the piston 505 to rotate and thereby to reciprocate within the rotor 205 , itself rotating in housing 110 , which includes a discharge port 517 and a suction port 518 . the piston may have any of a variety of structures . in an embodiment , the piston is formed of a pair of piston crowns on a connecting rod . diagram 500 of fig5 schematically shows a sequence of steps in the operation and rotation of the components in the spin pump , proceeding from an arbitrary first position shown at upper left at position 502 , and sequentially from position 502 to position 516 . after a further equal increment subsequent to 516 , the sequence again goes to the first position shown at position 502 . as mentioned , the components of the spin pump assembly are arranged in a spun - epicyclic geometry , which allows a counter - rotating vectors approach for generating a straight - line reciprocating motion of the pistons 505 with respect to the rotor 205 . the center of rotation of the rotor 205 is concentric to the bore of stationary housing 105 . the center of rotation of the crankshaft 115 is parallel to but offset from the rotor center by a predetermined distance , such as a distance equal to one quarter of the desired piston stroke ( as shown initially upward by diagram 500 at crank angle zero , at 502 ). the crankshaft has a crankpin offset from the center of rotation of the crankshaft 115 by one quarter of the desired piston stroke ( also shown upward at 502 ). at position 502 : when a torque is applied to the crankshaft 115 by an external device ( for example , a motor , which is not shown ) at the position 502 , a lateral force is generated on the piston 505 at its mid - length where the crankpin fits . this force presses the piston 505 against the cylinder wall that contains it in rotor 205 . however , because of the combined offset of the crank rotation center and the crankpin ( which combine to hold one piston end marked here with a dot 503 at a maximum proximity to the outer rim of the rotor ), this force is applied to the rotor 205 away ( for example , by a distance of two quarters or one half of the piston stroke ) from its own center of rotation . this force causes a torque on the rotor 205 around its own rotation center . the torque compels the rotor 205 to spin on its bearings about the center of the rotor 205 . at 504 : the rotor 205 has turned 45 degrees clockwise , and the crank has rotated 90 degrees , maintaining the relative alignment of the crankpin , the piston , and rotor bore . accordingly , the piston 505 ( refer to the shown dot end 503 ) has retreated axially relative to the outer rim of the rotor 205 , thus beginning the suction stroke of the dot - end chamber in the spin pump assembly 105 ( the chamber at opposite end of piston 505 simultaneously experiences compression ). the space between the dot end 503 of the piston 505 and the rim of the rotor 205 is exposed to the suction port of the housing from times between position 502 and position 510 . with further rotation of the crankshaft 115 , parts continue to spin on their centers . as the crankshaft 115 spins around its axis , the piston 505 orbits around the center of the crankshaft 115 , as shown from 502 to 516 . the offsets between the center of the rotor 205 and the center of the crankshaft 115 move from an alignment position ( where those offsets are additive , as shown in 502 and 510 ) to anti - alignment position ( where those offsets are cancelling , as shown in 506 and 514 ). however , with respect to the rotor 205 ( which is also rotating ), the vector sum of the crank center eccentricity and the crankpin eccentricity remains aligned with the axis of the cylinder in rotor 205 and thereby the motion of the piston 505 in that cylinder . from the frame of reference of the rotor 205 , the first eccentricity ( that is , a fixed - magnitude vector about the rotor center , and directed toward the crank center fixed in the housing ) moves counter - clockwise , equal , and opposite to a vector associated with the second eccentricity ( that is , a fixed - magnitude vector about the crank center , and directed toward the crank pin ). during the addition of these vectors , the opposite component parts of the vectors cancel while the component parts of the complementary components of those vectors sum up , thereby resulting in a linear reciprocating vector of sinusoidal magnitude . this linear reciprocating vector with sinusoidal magnitude characterizes the stroke of the piston 505 relative to the rotor 205 . this movement of the piston is also referred to as an epicyclic movement . by adding a spin to such a system in its entirety , the relative rotations of housing ( crank eccentricity ), rotor 205 , and crankshaft 115 ( crankpin eccentricity ) are changed from being negative , zero , and positive with respect to ground to being zero , positive , and twice positive , as shown in diagram 500 . the crankshaft 115 rotates at twice the rate of the rotor 205 and the housing is stationary , but their relative movements are the same as if the rotor 205 were stationary , the housing rotated opposite to the crankshaft , and the piston 505 reciprocated in the rotor 205 . as mentioned , an internal - external 2 : 1 timing gear may be connected to the crankshaft 115 and the rotor 505 to enforce their relative rotational speeds without delivering power through the piston - rotor contact surface ( the rotor cylinder bore ). the internal - external 2 : 1 timing gear moves the crankshaft 115 together with the rotor 205 such that the rotation of the crankshaft 115 is twice the rotation of the rotations of the rotor 205 and the piston . while such rotations occur , the housing stays static in a same position , as shown in fig6 . however , in some implementations ( based on some empirical testing ), the spin pump assembly 105 may not require such timing gears when both the crankshaft and rotor are independently supported on bearings with respect to the housing ( or , equivalently , to ‘ ground ’). in these implementations , timing gears may be deleterious to the simplicity and efficiency of the spin pump assembly 105 . the inertia of the rotor 205 may be made sufficient to carry the motion smoothly through positions where the crankshaft torque exerts no net torque on the rotor to encourage its further rotation ( for example , through positions 506 and 514 ). however , addition of a second piston that is oriented at ninety degrees to the piston 505 and that is driven by a second crankpin oriented 180 degrees from the crankpin 206 may be used to eliminate such zero - torque positions when both pistons share a common rotor 205 and crankshaft 115 . as a further explanation of the above - noted operation associated with the epicyclic movement , consider the effect of the fluid chamber 501 as the piston 505 rotates through one cycle from 502 to 516 . at 502 , the crankshaft 115 is at an angle of zero , the rotor 205 is at an angle of zero , and the chamber 501 is at the top dead center ( tdc ). the tdc characterizes a datum position where the face 503 of the piston is in a same angular position as the angular position of the crankshaft 115 . at the tdc , the volume of the chamber 501 is minimum . as the piston rotates clockwise to go towards 504 , the cylinder opens to the suction port and the volume of the chamber 501 expands . at 504 , the crankshaft 115 has already rotated ninety degrees while the rotor 205 and the piston have already rotated forty - five degrees . as noted above , the suction occurs here , and the volume of the chamber 501 keeps expanding until the suction ends . at 506 , the crankshaft 115 has already rotated one hundred and eighty degrees while the rotor 205 and the piston have already rotated ninety degrees . suction continues , and the volume of the chamber 501 keeps expanding . at 508 , the crankshaft 115 has already rotated one two hundred and seventy degrees while the rotor 205 and the piston have already rotated one hundred and thirty five degrees . the volume of the chamber 501 keeps expanding until the suction ends . as the face 503 of the piston moves towards the position illustrated at 510 , the expansion of the volume of the chamber reaches a maximum and stops after suction ends and the chamber becomes sealed from the suction port 518 . at 510 , the crankshaft 115 has already rotated three hundred and sixty degrees while the rotor 205 and the piston have already rotated one hundred and eighty degrees . the chamber 501 is at the bottom dead center ( bdc ). at 510 , the suction has stopped ( as the chamber 501 has become sealed from suction port ), and the discharge has not yet begun . at 512 , the crankshaft 115 has already rotated four hundred and fifty degrees while the rotor 205 and the piston have already rotated two hundred and twenty five degrees . there is neither suction nor discharge from volume of the chamber 501 . accordingly , the volume of the chamber 501 has decreased without substantial change in the mass of contained fluid , and pressure has risen therein . at 514 , the crankshaft 115 has already rotated five hundred and forty degrees while the rotor 205 and the piston have already rotated two hundred and seventy degrees . there is neither suction nor discharge from volume of the chamber 501 . accordingly , the volume of the chamber 501 has further decreased and the pressure of the fluid contained in the chamber 501 has further risen until ( just after this 514 moment ) the chamber 501 reaches the discharge port and the discharge begins . the exact timing of such opening is preferably determined by positioning the discharge port such that the pressure rise achieved in chamber 501 matches the desired discharge pressure at the port . at 516 , the crankshaft 115 has already rotated six hundred and thirty degrees while the rotor 205 and the piston have already rotated three hundred and fifteen degrees . there is discharge from volume of the chamber 501 . accordingly , the volume of the chamber 501 continues to decrease as the rotor 205 moves toward its initial tdc position again , even as the chamber 501 remains open to discharge port and fluid is pressed out of chamber 501 , as seen at 516 . finally , for this one complete cycle , at 502 again the crankshaft has rotated seven hundred and twenty degrees while the rotor 205 and piston have rotated three hundred sixty degrees to return to the original condition , at tdc , with substantially all of the inducted fluid ( from the suction port ) having been compressed and delivered out of the discharge port , from which chamber 501 has already been sealed by passing beyond it , and approaching again the suction port to begin a new cycle . in some implementations , a one - way valve can be included at either suction or discharge ports to reduce or substantially eliminate back flow or cross flow between ports . such a one - way valve can be provided on the piston in place of the suction or discharge port . the crankshaft area of the housing communicating with chamber 501 through the valve can be used as a source or sink of the pumped fluid , respectively . the bore of rotor 205 can be capped by valves or ducts adjacent to the bore within the rotor 205 . conduction and direct flow in and out of the chamber 501 may not use ports in the housing addressing the periphery of the rotor 205 , but rather may occur through crankshaft area or axial end faces of rotor to external ports there . based on such kinematics and the selection of compatible dry - lubricating materials for piston and rotor , the need for oil in the spin pump assembly 105 as a lubricant is advantageously obviated . materials for the assembly may include , for example : polymers selected from ptfe , polyethylene , acetal , or other known low - friction materials for one part ( for example , the piston or a coating thereon ); anodized aluminum , nickel plating , vapor - deposited diamond graphite or other known hard , smooth surfaces ( e . g . for the rotor bore ). as there is no oil lubrication , the spin pump assembly 105 can provide breathable quantity of compressed gas , such as oxygen . additionally , the rotational movements associated with the above - noted kinematics advantageously prevent vibration that is caused in conventional pumps due to linear or oscillatory movements of their moving parts with respect to ground , because each component part in the present invention is either spinning about its own center or orbiting around another spin center . so , rotating balancing masses can be applied for substantially perfect elimination of forces and vibration from unbalanced mass in motion . further , the components 202 used in the spin pump assembly 105 are light in weight ( for example , between 0 . 2 kilograms and 0 . 5 kilograms for a two - piston unit with swept volume of 20 cc / rotor revolution , as shown with respect to the spin pump assembly 105 .). in other implementations , the weight of the components 202 can be based on the scale of the device . for example , the components 202 can weigh a few micrograms or a few kilograms . light weight and pure rotational motion combine to enable high operating speeds , further reducing the required size and mass for a desired output flow . the spin pump assembly 105 is inexpensive to manufacture because all key part shapes or features are simple cylinders or planes and all relative orientations of shapes or features are parallel or orthogonal . additionally , the spin pump assembly 105 is inexpensive as compared to many conventional pumps . further , the spin pump assembly 105 is small , portable , and affordable . further , the spin pump assembly 105 can operate in concentrators based on the principle of vacuum pressure swing adsorption ( vpsa ), where lower pressure portions of the kinematics cycle are sub - atmospheric , because the adsorbent substances can deliver more oxygen per unit mass of the adsorbent substance when pressures are at the vacuum levels . this is most advantageously achieved by dedicating one piston ( two faces ) to pressure , and another piston ( two other faces ) to vacuum , with those pistons operating axially separated and with axes ninety degrees apart on a crankshaft 115 with crankpins 206 one hundred eighty degrees apart , and with each piston addressing separate suction and discharge ports connected to their respective cycle control valves . alternatively , two rotors with one piston each can be driven by a single crankshaft , but with an intervening partition to isolate the vacuum pump rotor from the pressure rotor . fig7 shows another embodiment of the rotor assembly wherein the rotor is formed of a first piece 705 and a second piece 710 ( i . e ., a pair of congruent halves ) that mate with one another to collectively form the rotor . the rotor may be cylindrical as shown or it may be rectangular or any other shape . the two pieces also collectively form the two piston chambers when mated to one another wherein each piece forms the entirety of a single piston &# 39 ; s bore ( s ) such that each piece can contain a piston without having to be mated to the other piece . each of the two pieces 705 and 710 individually form a cylindrical portion of two coaxial piston chambers aligned perpendicular to the rotation axis of the respective piece . when the two pieces are engaged or mated to one another , the rotational axis of one piece co - axially aligns with the rotational axis of the other piece to form the rotor . by splitting the rotor into two congruent halves that interlockingly engage one another , full cylinders are formed in each half ( or each piece ) for each double - ended piston . this enables single - piece , double - ended pistons 715 to be inserted into the cylinders ( i . e ., piston bores ) before the two pieces of the rotor are assembled over the two ends of the crankshaft 115 . with the single - piece rotor , only one piston can be inserted into the cylinders before they are assembled over the two ends of the crankshaft , hence at least one multi - piece piston is required in one - piece rotor approach . with a hub - and - caps rotor ( see for example , richards u . s . pat . no . 2 , 683 , 422 ), alignment of cylinder axes across the hub and rotation axis of the rotor is difficult and effectively precludes oil - free operation that requires greater precision to minimize incident lateral loads on pistons and cylinders . fig8 shows an example of a two - piece rotor in an assembled state . the two congruent or substantially congruent pieces 705 and 710 are mated to one another so as to collectively form the rotor . the piece 710 is shown in phantom to illustrate internal components of the rotor . note that each piece 705 and 710 includes an entire cylindrical piston bore that fits a single piston . the single piece pistons 715 are each positioned in a respective piston bore in each piece , with the rotor comprising all bores being collectively formed by the first and second pieces when assembled together . in a method of assembly , the pair of single piece , double ended pistons are positioned or otherwise inserted into the respective piston bores of the first and second , generally congruent pieces of the rotor . in this manner , there are two rotor pieces with each rotor piece containing a piston in its respective piston bore . the first piston - filled piece is then assembled over one end of the crankshaft , by aligning and fitting the piston ( at its central cross - bore , where a bearing may be located ) onto an eccentric 730 ( fig7 ) of the crankshaft . the second piston - filled piece is then assembled over the other , opposite end of the crankshaft , by aligning and fitting the piston ( at its central cross - bore , where a bearing may be located ) onto another eccentric 730 of the crankshaft . the second piece of the rotor thereby becomes mated or engaged with the first piece of the rotor and can be joined by bolts or other known fastener means , so that the pistons are seated within the piston bores and such that the first and second pieces collectively form the piston bores and the rotor . fig1 shows a cross - sectional view of the spin pump assembly 105 in an assembled state . the rotor 205 is mounted over the crankshaft 115 with a piston 505 movably positioned in a piston bore and coupled to the crankshaft 115 and enclosed by housing 110 and bearing plates 120 . in another embodiment shown in fig1 , the piston bore ends in rotor 205 are coupled to heads 1105 . valve plates 1110 may include valves 1120 and 1125 that regulate fluid inflow and fluid outflow routed to respective side ports in bearing plates 120 . thus , at least one valve is coupled to one of the piston bores . in an embodiment , one of the valves is a outlet valve on a piston head and another valve is an inlet valve on a piston , whereby inflow may be drawn through the central crankcase portion of the pump and outflow discharged through the head . the embodiments shown in the figures are examples and it should be appreciated that changes are possible and within the scope of this disclosure . for example , in an embodiment the pistons are rectangular or non - cylindrical and are mounted in complementary - shaped bores . in another embodiment , the rotor is rectangular or non - cylindrical . other variations are within the scope of this disclosure . although a few variations have been described in detail above , other modifications can be possible . for example , the logic flows depicted in the accompanying figures and described herein do not require the particular order shown , or sequential order , to achieve desirable results . other embodiments may be within the scope of the following claims .
5
referring now to fig2 of the drawings in detail , numeral 32 generally indicates a programmable pogo welding apparatus according to the invention . apparatus 32 includes a first positioner in the form of a robot 12 as in the prior art embodiment . if appropriate , any other suitable form of programmable positioner may be substituted for the robot 12 within the scope of the invention . the robot 12 includes a base 13 , a jointed arm 14 carrying a welding gun 16 with a pogo electrode 18 connected with an electrical transformer 20 carried on the base 13 as before . a workpiece in the form of an assembly 28 of two metal sheets has lower and upper sides 26 , 30 as in the prior art embodiment . apparatus 32 differs in that the workpiece assembly 28 is carried by a suitable holding fixture or support 34 for supporting the assembly in position to be spot welded . a programmable manipulator or positioner 36 is located beneath the assembly and includes a base 38 that is linearly movable along a rail 40 extending about the length of the assembly 28 . the base 38 carries a positionable head 42 adjustably supported by a plurality of control arms 44 . the head carries a copper backup electrode 46 , which is electrically connected through the positioner 36 to the transformer 20 . the control arms 44 and the base 38 are adjustable by programmable controls , not shown , to adjust the position of the base along the rail 40 and the attitude and position of the head 42 relative to the base 38 . in operation , the backup electrode 46 is thus movable along the length of the assembly 28 by linear movement of the base 38 and is adjustable laterally and by tilting if needed to reach selected welding locations 25 on the back , or lower side 26 , of the workpiece assembly 28 . spot welding is accomplished by the programmed robot 12 moving the pogo electrode 18 along the upper side 30 of assembly 28 sequentially from one to the next of the selected locations 25 at which spot welding is to be performed . concurrently , the positioner 36 moves the backup electrode 46 along the lower side 26 sequentially to the corresponding selected locations 25 of the assembly 28 . each spot weld is then completed one at a time when both electrodes are then in place on opposite sides of a selected location 25 , and the process is repeated at each location until the welding sequence is complete . the programmed robot 12 and positioner 36 are then moved to their loading positions , the finished assembly 28 is removed from the holding fixture and a new unfinished assembly is loaded in the holding fixture to be welded . fig3 illustrates an application of the apparatus 32 of fig2 to spot welding of a tunnel undershield 48 to a tunneled floor pan 50 of a vehicle to form a floor pan assembly 52 . the components of the assembly 52 are again carried in a suitable holding fixture or support 54 . the robot 12 and the positioner 36 are then controlled to concurrently move the pogo electrode 18 and backup electrode 46 to opposite sides of the assembly 52 at selected welding locations 56 where spot welding is performed along opposite sides of the tunnel 58 . in this application , the positioner head 42 moves both linearly along the rails 40 with the positioner 36 and also moves laterally , as well as tilting , to place the backup electrode 46 in direct opposition to the pogo electrode 18 at each of the selected locations 56 . fig4 shows a variation of the embodiment of fig3 wherein a pair of positioners 36 are spaced linearly along the rails 40 . each of the positioners carries a backup electrode 46 on a head 42 adjustably mounted on a base 38 as in fig3 . the spaced positioners 36 are located so that two robots 12 may be operated concurrently with the positioners 36 to weld a floor pan and undershield assembly similar to assembly 52 in a shortened period of time . because the tunnel assembly 52 of fig3 is aligned longitudinally along the central axis ( or x axis ) of a vehicle , the rails 40 will be aligned parallel with the central axis , and the mechanism carried by the base 38 may be limited to two - dimensional operation with three degrees of freedom in the y - z plane normal to the x - axis . fig5 - 8 , wherein like numerals indicate like parts , illustrate four alternative mechanisms which could be used to provide the required motions for the positioners 36 of fig3 and 4 . these embodiments are all based on a two - loop , eight - bar topology with three actuated joints . fig5 shows a mechanism 58 having a base 60 pivotably connected by two telescoping bars 62 , 64 to an upper portion of a head 66 carrying a backup electrode 46 . a third bar 68 of fixed length is pivotable on the base 60 and engages a slide 70 in the lower portion of the head 66 . by extending and / or retracting the bars 62 , 64 , the head 66 may be raised or lowered and moved laterally from side to side . rotation of the third bar 68 around its lower pivot 72 tilts the head 66 about the upper pivot 74 and adjusts the attitude of the electrode 46 to a position normal to the portion of the assembly to be welded at each location . fig6 shows a similar mechanism 76 with a base 60 , telescoping bars 62 , 64 , head 66 and backup electrode 46 as in fig5 . a third telescoping bar 78 is pivotally connected between the base 60 and the lower end of the head 66 . bars 62 , 64 move the head as in fig5 . extension and retraction of the third bar 78 tilts the head about its upper pivot 74 to adjust the attitude of electrode 46 . fig7 shows a mechanism 80 with a base 60 mounting three pivotable bars 82 , 84 , 86 that rotate about lower pivots at the base 60 . bars 82 , 84 connect with links 88 , 90 , respectively , which , in turn , connect to an upper pivot 74 of the head 66 . bar 86 connects with link 92 that also connects with a lower pivot 94 of the head . rotating bars 82 , 84 about their lower pivots raises or lowers the head 66 or moves it laterally as desired . rotating bar 86 tilts the head 66 about its upper pivot 74 to adjust the attitude of the electrode 46 as desired . fig8 shows a mechanism 96 , which is a variation of the embodiment of fig7 wherein the head 66 is generally horizontal and the electrode 46 is mounted on an upper side of the head near its pivot 74 . rotating bars 82 , 84 , 86 move and tilt the head 66 and electrode 46 as in fig7 so that only the orientation of the head 66 is changed . fig9 shows an alternative pogo welding apparatus 100 similar to that of fig2 except for the use of a different form of positioner 102 . the positioner 102 includes a linearly movable base 104 supporting a column 106 that is both vertically extendable and rotatable about a vertical axis , not shown . a lateral arm 108 carried by the column supports a vertical head 110 that is rotatable and tiltable to adjust a backup electrode 46 mounted thereon . positioner 102 is operated by internal motors and mechanisms controlled by a programmable control , not shown , to move the electrode 46 sequentially to engage the lower side 26 of the workpiece assembly 28 at various selected positions 25 . the robot moves the pogo electrode 18 against the upper side 30 of the assembly at the same locations , and the welding procedure is completed sequentially at the selected locations . the positioner 102 may be considered as a specialized form of robot that is used to support and move the backup electrode 46 in completing the pogo spot welding procedure . the inventors further contemplate the alternative use of other forms of robots or positioner mechanisms that are programmable to follow the positioning motions of the robot 12 , or other positioner , in sequentially placing the electrodes 18 , 46 on opposite sides of the workpiece assembly 28 to complete the welding operations at each of the selected locations . while the invention has been described by reference to certain preferred embodiments , it should be understood that numerous changes could be made within the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts described . accordingly , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the disclosed embodiments , but that it have the full scope permitted by the language of the following claims .
1
as shown in fig1 an exemplary interactive computer network 10 , such as the internet , includes interconnected computers that support communications among different types of users . such users can include , for example , businesses , individuals , universities and financial institutions , among others . the network 10 can support various types of communication links , such as telephone 12 , paging 14 , cellular 16 and cable television 18 links . terminal equipment used with the network 10 can include , for example , local area networks ( lans ) 20 , personal computers 22 with modems 24 , pocket organizers 26 , personal data assistants ( pdas ) 28 , and content servers 29 of multi - media , audio , video and other information . as shown in fig2 an exemplary internet network 30 supports web service . a web browser 32 is connected through the network 30 to a web server 34 that can be implemented , for example , as a computer and that provides content , such as images , text , video , sound and java applets , to users . an internet service provider ( isp ) 36 links the browser 32 to the network 30 , and an isp 38 links the server 34 to the network . regional service providers 40 , 42 and other intermediaries route traffic between the isps 36 , 38 . the techniques described below allow revenue to be generated by encouraging and maintaining internet traffic in a merchant - affiliate network . each site in the merchant - affiliate network has a defined relationship with other sites in the network . fig3 illustrates an exemplary relationship among internet sites including a primary site 50 that serves as a portal to provide search capabilities and to enable web browsers to access content services . a merchant - affiliate network includes one or more merchant sites 52 and one or more affiliate sites 54 . the network also may include one or more sub - affiliate sites 56 each of which is associated with an affiliate site . each sub - affiliate 56 serves a dual role as both an affiliate and a sub - affiliate . in general , each affiliate site 54 hosts a merchant banner that provides a link to an associated merchant &# 39 ; s site as well as to the primary site 50 . for example , as shown in fig4 and 5 , a user 60 may access an affiliate site 54 a that includes a banner 62 associated with a particular merchant . by clicking on the banner 62 , a browser on the user &# 39 ; s personal computer accesses both the primary site 50 and the merchant &# 39 ; s site 52 a ( typically identified in the banner ). the browser transports the user simultaneously to both the merchant site 52 a and the primary site 50 . using a technique known as framing , both the primary site 50 and the merchant &# 39 ; s site 52 a are displayed on the user &# 39 ; s computer screen . as illustrated in fig6 the merchant &# 39 ; s web site 52 a appears in the lower portion of the screen and is framed by the primary site 50 which appears in the frame 64 at the top of the screen . the frame 64 serves as a gateway to the portal 51 ( fig4 ) and lists multiple categories that may be of interest to the user . for example , as shown in fig6 the frame 64 displays various links , such as auctions , computers , and travel , among others . the user 60 can choose to browse the merchant &# 39 ; s site 52 a and can complete one or more transactions for goods and / or services provided by the merchant . the user 60 also can select one of the categories that appear in the frame 64 by clicking on the corresponding link to access other sites through the portal 51 . for example , if the user 60 clicks on the link identified as computers , a list of merchants providing goods and / or services related to computers would appear in the lower portion 66 of the user &# 39 ; s computer screen as shown in fig7 . the links in the frame 64 remain displayed on the user &# 39 ; s screen so that the user still can access any of the listed categories . the user 60 can choose to click on one of the listed merchants to access that merchant &# 39 ; s web site . the merchant &# 39 ; s web site then would appear in the lower portion of the screen , while the list of categories in the frame 64 also remains displayed at the top of the screen . the user 60 can browse the merchant site and can complete one or more transactions . as before , the user 60 still has the option of accessing other sites through the portal 51 by clicking on one of the links in the frame 64 . the user 60 also can access the home page of the primary site 50 by clicking on a banner or other link 68 in the frame 64 . if the user clicks on the link 68 , the home page 70 of the primary site 50 appears in the lower portion of the screen , as shown in fig8 . the home page 70 allows the user 60 to search the web for particular information by entering one or more search terms . the primary site includes a search engine for that purpose . the user also may access news and other content from the home page via links that appear on the user &# 39 ; s screen . when the home page 70 is displayed , the frame 64 also appears in the upper portion of the user &# 39 ; s screen . returning to fig4 the user &# 39 ; s browser also can access both a merchant site 52 and the primary site 50 through a sub - affiliate site , such as the sub - affiliate site 56 a . for example , if the user 60 clicks on a banner associated with the merchant 52 a while visiting the sub - affiliate site 56 a , the browser transports the user simultaneously to both the merchant site 52 a and the primary site 50 as described above . alternatively , if the user 60 were to click on a banner 63 associated with another merchant 52 b while visiting an affiliate site 54 b or a sub - affiliate site 56 b , the browser would transport the user simultaneously to both the merchant site 52 b and the primary site 50 . as is evident from the foregoing discussion , a user can enter one or more merchant web sites 52 through an affiliate site 54 or a sub - affiliate site 56 . specifically , as the user navigates within a particular merchant web site , the frame 64 remains displayed on the user &# 39 ; s screen so that the user can access other web sites via the portal 51 by clicking on any of the displayed links . as indicated by fig4 a user 72 also can access the home page 70 of the primary site 50 directly . in that case , the user &# 39 ; s screen would appear as in fig8 with the home page 70 in the lower portion of the screen and the frame 64 in the upper portion . as described below , when a user enters an affiliate site 54 that has a banner for a particular merchant site , revenue can be generated for that affiliate based on the user &# 39 ; s activity with respect to the particular merchant site as well as the user &# 39 ; s activity with respect to other merchant sites visited as a result of clicking on the banner and subsequently clicking on links in the frame 64 . therefore , an affiliate can obtain revenue streams from multiple merchant sites even though the affiliate &# 39 ; s site may display a banner for only one particular merchant site . various types of revenue can be generated for affiliate sites 54 and for the primary site 50 based on tracking various web - user activities : ( 1 ) impression revenue , in other words , revenue that is generated based on a user &# 39 ; s viewing a merchant &# 39 ; s banner 62 when the user visits an affiliate site 54 ; ( 2 ) revenue based on the number of hits , in other words , revenue that is generated based on a user &# 39 ; s visiting a merchant site 52 by clicking on a banner 62 in an affiliate site 54 or clicking on a link accessed through the portal 51 ; and ( 3 ) transaction revenue , based on revenue that is generated as a result of completed transactions with one or more merchant sites 52 . in general , each merchant site 52 establishes its own revenue program for affiliate sites 54 . for example , one merchant site may agree to pay affiliates a fixed percentage of completed transactions , whereas another merchant may agree to pay a fixed amount of money for each hit to its site . a third merchant might agree to pay a fixed sum of money for each time a user views a site that includes a banner or link to the merchant &# 39 ; s site . revenue that a particular merchant has agreed to pay to affiliates is paid to the affiliate site 54 through which the user entered the merchant - affiliate network . [ 0028 ] fig9 illustrates an example of how an affiliate , such as the affiliate 54 a , can obtain revenue streams from multiple merchant sites , such as the merchant sites 52 a and 52 b . in this example , it is assumed that the merchant site 52 a pays affiliates a fixed amount for each hit , and that the merchant site 52 b only pays affiliates a fixed percentage of the monies it receives for each completed transaction . for the purpose of illustration , it is further assumed that a user 60 visits the affiliate site 54 a and clicks on the banner 62 associated with the merchant site 52 a . the user &# 39 ; s browser accesses the merchant site 52 a as described above . that activity constitutes a hit for which the merchant site 52 a has agreed to pay the affiliate 54 a regardless of whether the user completes a transaction at the merchant site . after visiting the merchant site 52 a the user 60 can access the portal 51 through the frame 64 that appears on its screen ( see , for example , fig6 ). from the portal 51 , the user may access the merchant site 52 b and complete a transaction , for example , by purchasing goods while visiting the merchant site . the completed transaction constitutes an activity for which the merchant site 52 b has agreed to pay the affiliate 54 a . after completing the transaction at the merchant site 52 b , the user 60 can choose to exit the internet or visit other sites through the portal 51 . in general , the frame 64 will continue to appear on the user &# 39 ; s computer screen until he leaves the browser , and revenue can continue to be generated on behalf of the affiliate 54 a until he leaves the browser or until he exits and later re - enters the merchant - affiliate network through netunet . com . revenue also is generated for the owner of the primary site 50 . the primary site 50 receives from each merchant 52 a fixed percentage of the amounts paid by the merchant to affiliates 54 . the fixed amounts can vary from one merchant to another depending on the basis of the merchant &# 39 ; s payment to affiliate sites . for example , a merchant that pays affiliates a fixed amount for each hit could pay the primary site 50 two percent of the amount paid to the affiliates , whereas a merchant that pays affiliates a fixed percentage of gross revenues would pay the primary site only one percent of the amount paid to the affiliates . the primary site also can obtain impression revenue by displaying merchants &# 39 ; advertising banners through the portal 51 . each time a user views a merchant &# 39 ; s banner through the portal 51 , the merchant would pay a fixed amount to the primary site . similarly , a user &# 39 ; s clicking on a merchant &# 39 ; s banner or completing a transaction with the merchant are recognized as events that can generate revenue for the primary site if the merchant &# 39 ; s affiliate program is based on impression revenue . the server associated with the primary site 50 tracks the number of times a user views a banner or link to a merchant &# 39 ; s site , the number of hits to each merchant &# 39 ; s site , and the value of transactions completed at each merchant site . the server associated with the primary site also tracks the affiliate site through which the user entered the merchant - affiliate network . in that way , each revenue - generating activity can be associated with the appropriate affiliate site . for example , when a user accesses an affiliate &# 39 ; s site 54 , the server associated with the primary site 50 pulls up a particular merchant &# 39 ; s banner , and the server records that event as an impression . similarly , if the user clicks on the merchant &# 39 ; s banner and is transported to the merchant &# 39 ; s web site , the server records the event as a hit . to assist the server associated with the primary site 50 in keeping track of completed transactions , cookies can be used ( see fig1 ). cookies are pieces of data placed , for example , in the user &# 39 ; s browser by a server associated with the primary site 50 . each cookie stores various information including codes that allow the server associated with the primary site 50 to identify the affiliate site through which the user obtained access to the merchant - affiliate network . the cookie is lodged in the user &# 39 ; s browser when the user clicks on a merchant &# 39 ; s banner while visiting an affiliate web site 54 . when a user completes a transaction at a merchant site 52 , the cookie is stored in the merchant &# 39 ; s transaction server . information stored in the merchant &# 39 ; s transaction server is uploaded to the primary site &# 39 ; s server on a periodic basis , for example , at the end of each day . alternatively , the merchant &# 39 ; s transaction server can include a script that captures the cookie and uploads it to the primary site &# 39 ; s server immediately . the value of the transaction , as well as the time , date and nature of the transaction , also can be uploaded to the primary site &# 39 ; s server . similarly , when a user travels through the portal 51 and clicks on a link within the portal , the primary site &# 39 ; s server captures the cookie and reports the event as a hit . the system encourages web site owners to become affiliates . for example , a user visiting a merchant site 52 a can click on a link 74 ( fig6 ) to join the merchant &# 39 ; s affiliate program . similarly , a user can click on a link 78 ( fig6 ) appearing in the frame 64 to join an affiliate program . if a cookie previously was stored in the user &# 39 ; s browser , then the user is directed to a registration page allowing the user join the affiliate program of the merchant associated with the affiliate site identified by the cookie . furthermore , the new affiliate becomes a sub - affiliate of the affiliate identified by the cookie . if a cookie identifying an affiliate site was not previously stored in the user &# 39 ; s browser , the user is directed to a general registration page for new affiliates . in that case , the new affiliate is not considered a sub - affiliate because it did not become a member of the affiliate program by visiting an existing affiliate web site . in addition , members of an affiliate program can login using a link 76 ( fig6 ) to view the details of affiliate programs run by other merchants . a sub - affiliate is treated like an affiliate with respect to revenue payments by the merchants . however , an affiliate also can receive revenue when a user accesses the merchant - affiliate network through a sub - affiliate . each merchant can establish its own program according to which affiliates receive revenue based on the revenue received by its sub - affiliates . for example , in one scenario , it is assumed that a merchant pays affiliates 10 % of gross sales based on completed transactions and also pays an affiliate 30 % of the revenues paid to that affiliate &# 39 ; s sub - affiliates . it is further assumed that the merchant pays the primary site a fixed percentage of , for example , 1 % of its gross sales achieved as a result of users accessing the merchant - affiliate network . if a particular merchant has gross sales of $ 1 , 000 as a result of one or more users accessing the merchant site via a particular sub - affiliate , then the sub - affiliate would receive 10 % of $ 1 , 000 , in other words $ 100 , from the merchant . in addition , the affiliate associated with the sub - affiliate would receive 30 % of $ 100 , in order words $ 30 , from the merchant . furthermore , the primary site would receive 1 % of the gross sales , in other words $ 10 . in another scenario , it is assumed that a merchant pays affiliates $ 0 . 01 for every hit to its site that occurs as a result of users accessing the merchant - affiliate network . the merchant also pays an affiliate 50 % of the revenues paid to sub - affiliates associated with the affiliate . it is further assumed that the merchant pays the primary site a fixed percentage of 2 % of the amounts paid to the affiliates ( and sub - affiliates ). if a particular merchant has 10 , 000 hits to its site as a result of one or more users accessing the merchant site through a particular sub - affiliate , then the sub - affiliate would receive $ 100 from the merchant . in addition , the affiliate associated with the sub - affiliate would receive 50 % of $ 100 , in other words $ 50 , from the merchant . furthermore , the primary site would receive 2 % of $ 150 , in order words , $ 3 . as previously mentioned , the primary site 50 uses a search engine that allows users to perform on - line searches ( see fig8 ). in one implementation , new affiliates automatically are placed within the search engine . affiliates can be ranked based on the amount of user traffic they generate for the merchants . for example , an affiliate that generates a large amount of traffic can be placed in a higher ranking within the response to a search . affiliates that fail to generate traffic during a particular time frame can be removed at least temporarily from the search engine . the placement of merchant links within the portal 51 can be based on the revenues paid by each merchant during a particular time frame . for example , merchants paying greater revenues to affiliates during a particular month would be ranked higher on the list of merchants appearing on a page of the portal 51 ( see , for example , fig7 ). in one implementation , merchants that base their affiliate programs on impression revenue would not be listed .
6
referring now to fig1 we describe the general configuration of a memory subsystem 20 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . memory subsystem 20 is composed of a high - density memory 22 and its associated memory controller 24 , connected by data channel 26 . within the scope of the present invention , the data channel can be any appropriate communication technology . the high - density memory 22 is type one ram . the bit width of data channel 26 is matched to the address and data widths of the high - density memory 22 . in this specific example data channel 26 is sixty - four bits wide , but in general its width is determined by the device chosen for high - density memory 22 . memory controller 24 receives and sends data from and to processor 30 over memory subsystem communication channel 40 . in this embodiment , channel 40 is comprised of a plurality of smaller data channels 140 , 240 , 340 , 440 , 540 , and 640 , each of which transfers data from and to an individual processor client , 130 , 230 , 330 , 430 , 530 , and 630 . within the scope of the present invention , there may be any number of processor clients . for clarity , processor clients may be any entity capable of sending a memory access request . in this specific example subchannels 140 , 240 , 340 , 440 , 540 , and 640 are chosen to be thirty - two bits wide , but in general this will depend on overall system design . in fact , specific design choices in various embodiments described in this application are meant to illustrate some embodiments of — not to limit the scope of — the present invention . referring now to fig2 we describe in more detail the data buffering and operating sequence within memory controller 24 . the detailed design of memory controller 24 is determined by the specification of high - density memory unit 22 . in this example , memory unit 22 is divided into four banks 122 , 222 , 322 , and 422 . within the scope of the present invention , the memory unit 22 can have any number of banks . an example of memory unit 22 is micron technology ( boise , id ., usa ) part number mt46v64m4tg ddr sdram . each of banks 122 , 222 , 322 , and 422 contains memory cells within a specific address range , and there is no overlap between these ranges . memory unit 24 has a sixty - four - bit data communication channel 26 , which is used to communicate between high - density memory 22 and memory controller 24 . within the scope of the present invention , communication channel 26 can be any appropriate communication technology . memory controller 24 contains three groups of data buffers . some embodiments will have different groupings of buffers , as is obvious to those of typical skill in the art . in this embodiment , data is transferred only on a single edge of each clock cycle for communication channels other than channel 26 . thus , each of buffers 124 , 224 , 324 and 424 is 128 bits wide and communicates through access controller 25 such that only one of buffers 124 , 224 , 324 , and 424 may access memory 22 via communication channel 26 at any given moment . within the scope of the present invention , there may be any number of buffers such as 124 , 224 , 324 , and 424 . typically , the number of buffers such as 124 , 224 , 324 , and 424 will be equal to the number of memory banks such as 122 , 222 , 322 , and 422 . further , each of buffers 124 , 224 , 324 , and 424 is in communication with only one of the buffers 150 , 250 , 350 and 450 over 128 - bit wide channels 154 , 254 , 354 and 454 . within the scope of the present invention , there may be any number of buffers such as 150 , 250 , 350 , and 450 . typically , the number of buffers such as 150 , 250 , 350 , and 450 will be equal to the number of buffers such as 124 , 224 , 324 , and 424 . in some embodiments , the buffers 124 , 224 , 324 , and 424 and the buffers 150 , 250 , 350 , and 450 are combined into a single set of buffers . this embodiment shows certain elements grouped in memory controller 24 , but as with all of the particulars of this embodiment , those elements can be separated or further grouped with other elements of the embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention . in this embodiment , memory controller 24 further includes a set of processor client buffers 143 , 243 , 343 , 443 , 543 , and 643 . data channels 140 , 240 , 340 , 440 , 540 , and 640 connect processor clients 130 , 230 , 330 , 430 , 530 , and 630 with those client buffers on a one - to - one basis . each processor client buffer 143 , 243 , 343 , 443 , 543 , and 643 has two buffer portions in this embodiment , each portion having capacity to buffer a single memory access request . in some embodiments , each client buffer has a different capacity , both in number of portions and in size of portions , and capacities of different client buffers in a single embodiment can vary . in this embodiment , each processor client 130 , 230 , 330 , 430 , 530 , and 630 has the ability to generate memory access requests only for a single bank . in the embodiment depicted in fig2 the relationships are as follows : processor clients 3 and 4 — buffers 343 and 443 — bank three 322 processor clients 5 and 6 — buffers 543 and 643 — bank four 422 some embodiments do not limit the ability of each processor client buffer this way . one characteristic is that the embodiment as a whole recognizes when different memory access requests are directed to different memory banks so that the requests can be prioritized to improve the amount of overlap so as to reduce the total time to complete the accesses . improvement of the overlap by similar mechanisms in other embodiments is contemplated . for example , an embodiment groups reads and writes together to improve memory access cycle overlap . yet another embodiment groups reads and writes and also bank switches . the remaining discussion sets forth implementation details for bank switching . similarly detailed discussions of other overlap - improvement mechanisms are obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art , so are not included in this application . at a point in time , a snapshot is taken of the processor client buffers &# 39 ; 143 , 243 , 343 , 443 , 543 , and 643 contents . any four of the processor client buffers 143 , 243 , 343 , 443 , 543 , and 643 can be selected for handling — one processor client for each buffer 150 , 250 , 350 , and 450 . this is because channels 145 , 245 , 345 , 445 , 545 , and 645 are inputs to cross bar 27 such that any input can send to any output of cross bar 27 . channels 146 , 246 , 346 , and 446 are outputs of cross bar 27 . thus , the request of any processor client can be sent to any of the buffers 150 , 250 , 350 , and 450 . if four or fewer requests are in processor client buffers 143 , 243 , 343 , 443 , 543 , and 643 , then all the requests are processed . if more than four requests are in processor client buffers 143 , 243 , 343 , 443 , 543 , and 643 , then the requests are chosen for processing in order to improve overlapping of their memory access cycles — this embodiment maximizes memory - bank - diversity of the selected requests . further , if there are two bank one requests and two bank two requests , they are sent in alternating order to buffers 150 , 250 , 350 , and 450 . thus , one possible configuration would send a bank one request to buffer 150 , a bank two request to buffer 250 , the other bank one request to buffer 350 , and the other bank two request to buffer 450 . then when the requests are eventually in buffers 124 , 224 , 324 , and 424 , their corresponding memory accesses will alternate between bank one 122 and bank two 222 . in that way , three bank switches occur during the four memory bank accesses . channels 146 , 246 , 346 , and 446 are thirty - two bits wide . their thirty - two - bit - wide request components are assembled in buffers 150 , 250 , 350 , and 450 into 128 - bit - wide requests . within the scope of the present invention , the various buffers can have any capacity without departing from the scope of the invention . in some embodiments , the three sets of buffers discussed may be combined into a single set of buffers . in various other embodiments , bank switching occurs non - sequentially , randomly , according to statistically determined rules , according to manually assigned rules , etc . referring now to fig3 a , 3b , 3 c , and 3 d , an example is described of optimized timing cycles for the high - density memory 22 and its associated controller 24 . it is shown in fig3 b and 3d that a memory bank access sequence of a bank one access followed by a second bank one access can take longer total time to complete than a memory bank access sequence of a bank one access followed by a bank two access followed by a second bank one access . in general this cycle is determined by the operating characteristics of the specific device chosen for high - density memory 22 , but in this example , the device 22 is operated optimally as shown in fig3 a . memory cycle 180 is divided into three parts : an address - select period 82 , a data read / write period 84 , and a teardown / precharge period 86 . memory cycles 280 , 380 , 480 , 190 , 290 , 390 , and 490 are similarly divided . consider a previous memory cycle and a current memory cycle . memory 22 has the operating characteristic that if and only if bank switching occurs between the previous memory cycle and current memory cycle , then the address select for the current cycle is allowed to overlap the read / write period and the teardown / precharge period of the previous memory cycle . within the scope of the present invention , the exact overlap may vary as appropriate depending on the specific embodiment . because the memory cycle can begin sooner than it otherwise would , savings in time is achieved , leading to greater efficiency . [ 0052 ] fig3 a illustrates this operating characteristic of memory 22 . in this illustration , memory service requests are pending for all four banks . memory cycle 280 begins after memory cycle 180 , such that memory cycle 280 can overlap with read / write 84 and teardown / precharge 86 . likewise memory cycle 380 begins after memory cycle 280 , such that memory cycle 380 can overlap with read / write 184 and teardown / precharge 186 . and memory cycle 480 begins after memory cycle 380 , such that memory cycle 480 can overlap with read / write 284 and teardown / precharge 286 . other sequences would similarly be possible to exploit this overlap . the memory controller 24 must also handle cases where there are not service requests pending for all memory banks . a worst case is illustrated in fig3 b , where memory cycles 190 , 290 , and 390 are pending for bank one 122 . in this case timing overlap cannot be used , and the controller must use the memory access timing shown in fig3 b : components of memory cycles 190 , 290 , and 390 do not overlap . the lack of overlap is partly mitigated by the fact that the service requests being handled use all of the memory access cycles available , which is the best that can be accomplished within the limitations of the chosen memory device . within the scope of the present invention , it is obvious that the combinations of various banks , requests , and the efficient ordering of requests cannot be exhaustively listed . the innumerable embodiments of the invention share the efficient use of type one ram by overlapping memory cycles , and are thus within the scope of the present invention . there are also intermediate cases between the situations of fig3 a and fig3 b , and one of these is illustrated in fig3 c . in this case a memory service request 190 to bank one 122 , a request 290 to bank one 122 , and a request 490 to bank two 222 have arrived , in that order . if executed in that order , the timing sequence would be as shown in fig3 c , with overlap at only the bank - switching event between memory cycles 290 and 490 . however , by reordering the memory cycles , as shown in fig3 d , so that access 490 to bank two 222 is interleaved between the accesses 190 and 290 to bank one 122 , two overlaps are allowed . the controller 24 recognizes this and similar situations , and reorders the service requests to provide maximal overlap , thus optimizing usage of the memory . thus the performance of the entire memory subsystem 20 is optimized by buffering access requests such that channel 26 is fully occupied at every memory access cycle , and by overlapping timing cycles wherever possible by resequencing service requests to force bank switching . in this way , small discontiguous memory service requests from processor clients 130 , 230 , 330 , 430 , 530 , and 630 can be supported efficiently using high - density memory . it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that memory service requests will not be executed in the order received by the system described by reference to fig1 and 2 , and this can lead to issues with memory coherency unless further functionality is added to the memory controller 24 . this further functionality can be provided by snapshotting to support the following functions in an embodiment : 1 . the controller prioritizes service requests for each memory address such that write requests are always executed before read requests . this ensures that data returned by read requests is always the most recent value at each memory location ; 2 . addresses of read requests are compared to pending write requests at that memory address . if a write request is pending at that address , the read request could be filled by the data of the pending write request , thus accelerating the response to read requests . further measures may be needed to maintain coherency . for instance , if two clients are exchanging data by sharing memory space , one client may be given write access to only half of the memory space but read access to all , the second client will be given write access to the other half of the memory space and read access to all , thus ensuring that it is known which client has written the contents of each memory location . this level of coherency control is normally not the responsibility of the memory control system . [ 0061 ] fig4 shows an example of an in - line networking component using three instantiations of memory subsystem 20 . network processing engines ( npes ) 132 and 332 are respectively connected by bidirectional data channels 72 and 78 to network interface devices 60 and 62 . for purposes of the present description the network interface devices 60 and 62 may be considered as functionally equivalent , although in practice they may differ to accommodate different communication protocols for the data channels 70 and 80 . npes 132 and 332 respectively connect through npe 232 using bidirectional data channels 74 and 76 . npe 232 runs a plurality of clients such as 134 , 234 , 334 and 434 to support network services for npes 132 and 332 . clients such as clients 134 , 234 , 334 and 434 are not necessarily external entities . in this embodiment , clients 134 , 234 , 334 and 434 are running 34 on npe 232 . npes 132 , 232 and 332 are generally similar though they will normally be programmed to provide different functionalities . the npes use memory subsystems 120 , 220 and 320 that are analogous to memory subsystem 20 described in fig1 , 3 a , 3 b , 3 c , and 3 d . in an embodiment , this is an ssl solution network . connection 70 would be to the client side , network connection 80 to the server side , and applications 134 , 234 , 334 , and 434 would be the ssl handshake and cryptography processing . in this embodiment , memory 120 would contain the tcp connection information of the client connection and memory 320 would contain the tcp connection information of the server connection . the network processing engines must index into their respective memories to determine the connection for which the current packet belongs as well as gather the state data necessary for further application processing of the packet . the indexing itself could take several individual accesses for large databases that require hash tables rather than a direct lookup . memory 220 would be used to hold the application data state along with the data to be processed . in order not to burden the connection memories 120 and 320 with bulk data being separately buffered for each connection , the network data can be passed directly to memory 220 for storage and linked together via pointers held by the connection state information . npe 232 and memory 220 act as the shared memory storage between the network connections and application processing . in another embodiment , a similar structure can be applied to an ipsec implementation wherein the connection is not tcp but rather the security association that bounds the individual client - to - server session . another embodiment is a tcp termination offload device where the tcp connection to the client is terminated in npe 132 to provide a complete in - order data stream to processing elements connected to network connection 80 . here a simpler protocol like udp may be running on npe 332 . even though a simpler protocol may be employed on the server end , the requirement for large connection tables still exists and thus the memory requirements still exist . this glossary defines words as they are used throughout this application . this glossary lists base words rather than word variations . but the meanings of word variations — such as “ connecting ,” “ connect ,” and “ connected ” for the base word “ connection ”— are also given meaning according to their logical relationship to the base word . “=” means equality or congruence , depending on the context . this is clear to typical practitioners of this technical area . “ φ [ α : β ]” means a binary number composed of the bit sequence of φ that starts with φ &# 39 ; s α - th bit and ends with φ &# 39 ; s β - th bit . for example , if φ is a 512 - bit number , it would typically be represented in its entirety as φ [ 511 : 0 ]; its highest ten bits would be represented by φ [ 511 : 502 ]. “ algorithm ” means a process for completing a task . an encryption algorithm is the process , typically with mathematical characteristics , to encrypt and decrypt messages . “ arp ” means address resolution protocol . to map an ip address into a hardware address , a computing device uses the arp protocol which broadcasts a request message containing an ip address , to which a target computing device replies with both the original ip address and the hardware address . “ authentication ” means the process of verifying that a file or message has not been altered in route from the distributor to the recipient ( s ). “ chaining controller ” means a controller that associates stations as a computational chain . one example of a chaining controller is the security protocol processor dma engine that chains exponentiators into an exponentiation chain . “ cipher ” means a cryptographic algorithm used to encrypt an decrypt files and messages . “ computational chain ” means two or more stations that are chained together to perform a computation beyond the capacity of a single station . “ computational device ” means a device that is given an input , computes a result based on the input , and outputs the result . a computational device is an example of a computational device . “ computing device ” means a device having at least one processor and at least one memory device , wherein the processor can process data that can be stored in the memory device before and / or after processing , or a group of devices having that capacity in combination . by this definition , examples of a computing device include computer personal computer , palm computing device , notebook computer , server , mainframe , network of computing devices with coordinated processing or storage , network of components functioning together as a computing device wherein any single component may not be a computing device in its own right , etc . as another example , components of a computing device may be connected across the internet . other examples of computing devices could include boards , chips , exponentiators , multipliers , etc . “ connection ” means any connection that is adapted to carry communication , whatever the supporting technology . examples of connections include hard wire connections such as phone lines , ti lines , dsl , fiber optic , ethernet , twisted pair , etc . other examples of connections include wireless connections such as those operating by electromagnetic waves , wireless optics ( e . g ., infrared ), etc . further examples are a logical connection between two processes on the same system , and a connection between two processes sharing a common memory space . “ coprime ” is defined such that if p and q are coprime , their greatest common divisor is 1 . “ cryptanalysis ” means the art of breaking cryptosystems . it also means the process of looking for errors or weaknesses in the implementation of an algorithm or of the algorithm itself . “ cryptosystem ” means the entire process of using cryptography . this includes the actions of encrypting and decrypting a file or message . it also means authenticating the sender of an e - mail message . “ decryption ” means any process to convert ciphertext back into plaintext . decrypting is synonymous to decoding . “ ddr - sdram ” means sdram that supports data transfers on both edges of each clock cycle ( the rising and falling edges ). ddr - sdram is an abbreviation of double data rate synchronous dram and is also called sdram ii . “ des ” means the data encryption standard . it is a cipher developed by the united states government in the 1970s to be the official encryption algorithm of the united states . “ digital signature ” means systems that allow people and organizations to electronically certify such features as their identity , their ability to pay , or the authenticity of an electronic document . “ dram ” means ram that must be continually refreshed or it will lose its state ( on / off ). dram is an abbreviation for dynamic ram and is the most widely used ram in pcs at this time . “ encryption ” means any process to convert plaintext into ciphertext . encrypting is synonymous to encoding . “ exponentiation chain ” means two or more stations that are chained together to perform a exponentiation beyond the capacity of a single station . “ ftp ” means file transfer protocol . ftp enables transferring of text and binary files over tcp connections . ftp allows transferring files according to a strict mechanism of ownership and access restrictions . it is now one of the most commonly used protocols over the internet . “ hamming weight ” means the number of “ 1 ” bits in the binary representation of a number . “ high fanout ” means distributing a signal to a great enough number of destinations that a significant delay occurs before all the destinations receive the signal . “ http ” means hyper text transfer protocol . it is a protocol used to transfer hypertext pages across the world wide web . “ ip ” means internet protocol , and is the underlying protocol for the other internet protocols . ip defines the means to identify and reach a target computer on the network . a unique number known as an ip address identifies each computing device in the ip world . “ ipsec ” means internet protocol security . it is a standard for security at the network or packet - processing layer of network communication . ipsec provides two choices of security service : authentication header ( ah ), which essentially allows authentication of the sender of data , and encapsulating security payload ( esp ), which supports both authentication of the sender and encryption of data . ipsec is a suite of protocols that protect client protocols of ip , such as tcp . ipsec describes mechanisms that provide data source authentication , data integrity , confidentiality and protection against replay attacks . ipsec provides transport mode and tunnel mode operation . some embodiments provide only tunnel mode operation , and others offers a more complete ipsec implementation . “ iscsi ” is a software package that emulates scsi protocols , but the connection method is via an ip network instead of a direct scsi compatible cable . this is one example of ip - based storage . “ key ” means a collection of bits , usually stored in a file , which is used to encrypt or decrypt a message . “ network protocol ” means a standard designed to specify how computers interact and exchange messages . it usually specifies the format of the messages and how to handle errors . the following internet protocols are examples of network protocols : arp , ftp , http , ip , nntp ppp , slip , smtp , snmp , tcp , telnet , and udp . “ nntp ” means network news transfer protocol . it is a protocol used to carry usenet postings between news clients and usenet servers . “ pgp ” means pretty good privacy . it is a public - private key cryptosystem that allows users to more easily integrate the use of encryption in their daily tasks , such as e - mail protection and authentication , and protecting files stored on a computer . pgp is available for free to individual home users . “ plaintext ” means the original message or file . after a file or message has been encrypted and then decrypted you should end up with the original file or message . “ ppp ” means point - to - point protocol , and is a protocol for creating a tcp / ip connection over both synchronous and asynchronous systems . ppp provides connections for host - to - network or router - to - router . it also has a security mechanism . ppp is well known as a protocol for connections over regular telephone lines using modems on both ends . this protocol is widely used for connecting personal computers to the internet . “ private key ” means the private key of a public - private key cryptosystem . this key is used to digitally sign outgoing messages and is used to decrypt incoming messages . “ public key ” means the public key of a public - private key cryptosystem . this key is used to confirm digital signatures on incoming messages or to encrypt a file or message so that only the holder of the private key can decrypt the file or message . “ public key cryptosystem ” means an asymmetric encryption algorithm in which it is infeasible to derive one key from the other . “ public - private key cryptosystem ” means a cryptosystem that uses two different keys to encrypt and decrypt messages and files . the two keys are mathematically related to each other , but deriving one key from the other is infeasible . one key is a public key and one key is a private key . the public key is usually distributed to other users , and the private key is usually kept secret . “ ram ” means computer memory that can be accessed randomly . data can be read from or written to any portion of ram , regardless of its position . ram is an abbreviation for random access memory . “ replicating fanout logic ” means distributing mirrored state information so that multiple controllers can operate based on the same state information without delay based on a high fanout . “ ring arithmetic ” means an arithmetic of mathematical structures in which addition , subtraction , multiplication , and their obvious consequences such as exponentiation , have the properties and interrelationships usually encountered in high school algebra . “ rsa exponentiation ” means the process for both encryption and decryption in the rsa public - key process . it entails the computation of a b mod m , where b and m are elements of the key and a is the data to be encrypted or decrypted . “ rsa session ” means a session launched by an exponentiator to compute an exponentiation . “ scsi ” is an intelligent protocol that enables data blocks to be read at high speed from or sent at high speed to storage devices such as disks or tape drives . early implementations of scsi used ribbon cable and industry standard logic levels . “ sdram ” means dram that has its operations synchronized to an external clock . sdram is an abbreviation for synchronous dram . “ security association ” means a relationship between two or more entities that describes how the entities will utilize security services to communicate securely . this relationship is represented by a set of information that can be considered a contract between the entities . the information must be agreed upon and shared between all the entities . security association is commonly abbreviated sa . “ shotgun multiplication ” means a process like that described in this application for performing fast computations by performing processing in mathematically independent units , taking advantage of more than one basis and precomputed operands , and accommodating iterative problems . “ slip ” means serial line internet protocol , and is a point - to - point protocol to use over a serial connection , a predecessor of ppp . there is also an advanced version of this protocol known as cslip ( compressed serial line internet protocol ) that reduces overhead on a slip connection by sending just header information when possible , thus increasing packet throughput . “ smtp ” means simple mail transfer protocol , and is dedicated to sending e - mail messages originating on a local host to a remote server over a tcp connection . smtp defines a set of rules that allows two programs to send and receive e - mail over the network . the protocol defines the data structure to deliver with information regarding the sender , the recipient ( s ) and the e - mail &# 39 ; s body . “ snapshotting ” means recording the present state of potentially changing values so that the values can be treated as fixed . “ snmp ” means simple network management protocol . it is a simple protocol that defines messages related to network management . through the use of snmp , network devices such as routers can be configured by any host on their network . “ sram ” means ram that is generally faster at accessing random data than dram . but at this time sram is more expensive and requires more power . sram is an abbreviation for static ram . “ ssl ” means secure sockets layer , and is a trademark of netscape . it is a program layer created by netscape for managing the security of message transmissions in a network . the concept is that the programming for keeping messages confidential is to be contained in a program layer between an application ( such as a web browser or http ) and the internet &# 39 ; s tcp / ip layers . the “ sockets ” part of the term refers to the sockets method of passing data back and forth between a client and a server program in a network or between program layers in the same computer . “ symmetric key ” means the key of a symmetric key cryptosystem . the symmetric key is used to encrypt a file or message and also to decrypt the file or message . “ symmetric key cryptosystem ” means a cryptosystem that uses one key to lock and unlock — encrypt and decrypt — messages and files . the sender must posses the key to encrypt a file or message , and the recipient ( s ) must possess the key to decrypt the file or message . “ tcp ” means transmission control protocol . like udp , tcp is a protocol that enables a computer to send data to a remote computer . but unlike udp , tcp is reliable — packets are guaranteed to wind up at their target in the correct order . “ telnet ” is a terminal emulation protocol for use over tcp connections . it enables users to login to remote hosts and use their resources from the local host . “ tls ” means transport layer security . it is the successor protocol to ssl , created by the internet engineering task force ( ietf ) for general communication authentication and encryption over tcp / ip networks . tls version 1 is nearly identical with ssl version 3 , providing data integrity and privacy on a communications link over the internet . it allows client - server applications to communicate and is designed to prevent eavesdropping , message forgery , and interference . “ toe ” means tcp offload engine . toe technology typically takes the server cpu out of i / o processing by shifting tcp / ip processing tasks to a network adapter or storage device . this leaves the cpu free to run its applications , so users get data faster . “ triple des ” means a method of improving the strength of the des algorithm by using it three times in sequence with different keys . “ udp ” means user datagram protocol . it is a simple protocol that transfers datagrams ( packets of data ) to a remote computer . udp doesn &# 39 ; t guarantee that packets will be received in the order sent or that they will arrive at all . “ wire speed ” means the rate of data transfer a given telecommunication technology provides at the physical wire level . wire speed also means any equipment or function that tends to support this data transfer rate without slowing it down . it is common to refer to functions embedded in microchips rather than in software programming as working at wire speed . some switches , routers , and other devices operate at , or close to , wire speed . some encryption , decryption , hardware emulation , and other software functions operate at , or close to , wire speed when embedded in a microchip . any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “ means for ” performing a specified function , or “ step for ” performing a specific function , is not to be interpreted as a “ means ” or “ step ” clause as specified in 35 u . s . c . § 112 , ¶ 6 . in particular , the use of “ step of ” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provision of 35 u . s . c . § 112 , ¶ 6 . it should be apparent from the foregoing that an invention having significant advantages has been provided . while the invention is shown in only a few of its forms , it is not just limited to those forms but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof .
6
referring to fig1 , a rear corner perspective view of a grill 100 with a cooking surface 110 , a front 115 , a backsplash 120 , side walls 130 , and an exhaust well 150 , representative of that found in the prior art . the backsplash 120 functions as a barrier between the grill cooking surface 110 and the exhaust well 150 . the backsplash 120 rises approximately four inches above the grill cooking surface 110 , thereby preventing splatter from hitting the wall behind the grill , and preventing food items from being pushed into the exhaust well 150 . since a cook accesses the cooking surface 110 from the front 115 of the grill 100 , the exhaust well 150 typically extends along the back edge of the cooking surface 110 so as to exhaust cooking fumes , vapors , smoke , and / or particulates away from the cook and away from the food being cooked . the backsplash 120 is integral with , or attached to , the rear portion of the cooking surface 110 , the backsplash 120 separating the cooking surface 110 from the exhaust well 150 . the exhaust well 150 directs combustion fumes created by gas burners below the cooking surface 110 through the exhaust well 150 and up towards overhead exhaust vents ( not shown ). the overhead exhaust vents then remove the combustion fumes , along with any cooking fumes , from the general area of the grill 100 . the interior surfaces of the exhaust well 150 become very hot due to the high temperatures of the hot gases flowing within the exhaust well 150 . consequently food items , cooking oils and the like , that fall into contact with the hot inner surfaces of the exhaust well 150 , are likely to catch fire . there are several ways food particles , oil splatter , and the like , can fall over the backsplash 120 and into the exhaust well 150 . the most likely way is manipulation of food on the grill surface 110 near the backsplash 120 . cooks tend to handle food quickly , thereby creating food “ ejectile ” which can fly into the exhaust well 150 . a scoop - and - lift motion often used by experienced cooks tends to launch food off the grill surface 110 , adding to the likelihood of food entering the exhaust well 150 . referring to fig2 , a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in use with a typical grill . the barrier 210 of the invention is attached to the backsplash 120 so as to vertically extend the backsplash 120 , thereby more effectively preventing food , oil splatter , and other ejectile originating from the surface 110 of the grill from entering the exhaust well 150 . the barrier 210 can be attached to the backsplash 120 of any commercially available flat top griddle or charbroiler . in preferred embodiments , the barrier 210 includes attachment clips 220 that enable the barrier 210 to easily attach to the backsplash 120 . to attach the barrier 210 to the backsplash 120 , the rear surface 230 of the barrier 210 is pressed against the front surface of the backsplash 120 , and then urged downward until spring clips 220 of the barrier 210 engage with the back of the backsplash 120 . the barrier 210 further includes an accessory staging feature 240 , which in the preferred embodiment shown as an inverted squared “ j ”. one advantage of the inverted squared “ j ” is to provide resistance to lateral bending of the barrier 210 . in alternate embodiments , the accessory staging feature 240 can be shaped as an inverted “ l ”, or simply as a straight vertical wall having a thin smooth flat top across which various accessories can move horizontally . to function effectively in the high - temperature environment of a commercial griddle or charbroiler , the barrier 210 is preferably made of stainless steel . while other materials can be used , such as aluminum , cast iron , copper , and the like , they are more costly . stainless steel is preferable also because it is easy to clean , and is commonly used in commercial kitchens . stainless steel is also a readily available material which can be readily shaped into the various embodiments of the accessory staging feature 240 . referring to fig3 a , the spring clips 220 are sized ( e . g . 5¼ inches ) and shaped to allow for easy and secure installation of the barrier 210 over various heights ( e . g ., up to a 5 inch backsplash ) and thicknesses of the backsplash 120 . the spring clips 220 are formed into a modified “ z ” shape having a guide toe 310 at a lower end angling away at 45 degrees from the barrier rear 230 . the guide toe 320 allows the spring clip 240 to easily engage the top edge of the backsplash 120 during installation . in a preferred embodiment , the spring clip 240 includes a 90 degree bend 320 and a 45 degree bend 330 , such that the portion of the clip 240 between bends 320 and 330 extends straight downwards . after installation , the bend 330 contacts the backsplash 120 , holding the barrier 210 in place . with reference to fig3 b , in this preferred embodiment , a plurality of separate tracks 350 can each support a clip 240 in slideable and adjustable relationship with a respective track 350 . embodiments can include from two to five tracks , for example , depending on the width of the grill . the track 350 in the embodiment of fig3 b is six inches wide , which allows the clips to be laterally positioned so as to avoid structural obstructions sometimes found within the exhaust vent of the grill . the clips shown in fig3 a are attached in positions known to be free of such structural obstructions for a particular grill . by contrast , the clips of fig3 b can be adjustably positioned so as to adapt to a variety of grill models . a track 350 includes a slot 360 through which bolts 370 can pass , thereby engaging with threaded holes 380 of the clip 240 . in this preferred embodiment , the track 350 is vertically positioned between two and seven inches above the base of the barrier 210 , for example . in the alternative embodiment , a barrier 380 is shown in fig3 c having a single attachment ledge 390 , and five clips 240 securely attached thereto . the attachment ledge 390 is positioned approximately two inches above the base edge of the barrier 380 . this allows the barrier 380 to be installed on a backsplash 120 of the grill 100 , without impinging upon the grill divider 394 . referring to fig4 , a preferred embodiment of the barrier of the invention a grill or charbroiler 405 includes a barrier 410 configured as an integral part of the grill 405 . the barrier 410 is an integral extension of the backsplash of the grill 405 . alternatively , the barrier 410 can be permanently attached to the backsplash of the grill 405 , such as by welding , or by a nut and bold assembly . the barrier 410 includes an accessory support portion 430 , which in a preferred embodiment is shaped so as to structurally reinforce the portion 430 . for example , the accessory support portion 430 can be shaped like an inverted “ u ”, or it can be shaped like a “ t ”, or like an inverted “ l ”. in some embodiments , at least the accessory support portion is made from strengthened or thickened metal . the accessory support portion 430 is capable of receiving attachment of , and supporting , a variety of accessories , such as a butter pan holder , sauce pan holder , a shelf , a spice rack , a spatula holder , a warming drawer , grill weight holder , and any other accessory that would be helpful in using the grill . referring to fig5 , which is a rear corner perspective view of an alternate preferred embodiment of the invention , the barrier 510 may also be secured in place over an existing grill backsplash by the spring clips 240 . rigidity for the barrier 510 is provided by a horizontal inverted “ l ” top 520 extending over the cooking surface 110 . the preferred embodiment of fig5 is further illustrated in fig6 , where it can be seen that the combustion exhaust well 150 is maintained open by the vent support 600 . a user installs spring clips 240 using respective tracks 350 , as described in fig3 c . the lateral position of the spring clips 240 is determined so as to avoid the obstruction presented by the vent supports 600 . referring to fig7 , a barrier 210 of the invention is clipped to a factory backsplash 120 using clips 240 . the barrier 210 rests on the surface 110 of the grill 100 , and is maintained in a substantially vertical position due to the placement of a spacer 700 that compensates for the forward displacement due to the forward bend 710 . the width 720 of the spacer 700 is the same magnitude as the forward distance component of the forward bend 710 . for example , the width 720 is half an inch . fig8 a is an isometric view of the barrier 210 of the invention , also showing a side buttress having a top portion 800 and a bottom portion 820 , the side buttress being attached to or integral with the barrier 210 , and being supported via a bottom portion 820 by a side splash guard 130 of the grill 100 . the top portion 800 of the side buttress is adjustably joined with the bottom portion 820 . the bottom portion 820 has a base 830 which rests upon the side splash guard 130 . the top portion 800 of the side buttress is adjustably cooperative with the bottom portion 820 via an adjustable fastener , such as a bolt assembly 840 . the cooperation of the top portion 800 of the side buttress , the bottom portion 820 , and the bolt assembly 840 serves to brace the barrier 210 against bending forward , especially when weight is placed at the top of the barrier , such as when the barrier 210 is used to support an accessory . fig8 b shows the top portion 800 of the adjustable side buttress of fig8 a , the top portion 800 having a slot 850 for receiving the bolt assembly 840 . fig8 c shows a first view of the top portion 800 slideably cooperative with the bottom portion 820 of the adjustable side buttress , also showing the slot 850 , the bolt assembly 840 inserted therethrough , and the base 830 which rests upon the side splash guard 130 . fig8 d and 8e shows second and third views of the top portion 800 and the bottom portion 820 in different states of adjustment so as to accommodate respective side splash guards 130 of different heights . for example , sliding the bottom portion 820 downward accommodates a relatively shorter side splash guard 130 . fig8 f shows the bottom portion 820 , having the base 830 , and a bolt 840 of the bolt assembly . fig8 g shows a side view illustrating how the wing nut 860 attaches to the bolt 840 of the bolt assembly to tighten the top portion 800 of the side buttress against the bottom portion 820 of the side buttress so as to allow the base 830 to rest in supporting relationship with the side splash guard 130 . thus , the bottom portion 820 can be secured in fixed relationship with the top portion 800 of the adjustable side buttress after being properly adjusted to accommodate the height of the side splash guard . other modifications and implementations will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed . accordingly , the above description is not intended to limit the invention except as indicated in the following claims .
5
referring to fig1 a , and 1b , there is shown in pictorial cross section form a fuel cell having an electrode structure according to the present invention . fuel cell assembly 10 includes gaseous reactants which include a fuel source 12 and an oxidizer source 14 . the gases 12 , 14 diffuse through anode backing layer 16 and cathode backing layer 18 , respectively , to porous electrodes forming anode 22 and cathode 24 . anode 22 is separated from cathode 24 by a solid polymer electrolytic ( spe ) membrane 26 . spe membrane 26 provides for ion transport from gas reactions arising in anode 22 and cathode 24 . anode connection 32 and cathode connection 34 are used to interconnect with an external circuit or with other fuel cell assemblies . prior art attempts to place porous gas diffusion electrodes on a spe membrane have not effectively contacted the gas reaction on catalysts supported by carbon particles forming the electrode with the spe membrane . the present invention has recognized that an efficient matching of a porous gas diffusion electrode with a spe membrane should provide some mechanism to replace the effect of a liquid electrolyte intimately contacting the catalytic surfaces within the porous electrode structure . as hereinafter described , the present invention provides for placing a proton conducting material within the porous gas diffusion electrode to promote proton transfer adjacent the catalyst sites . fig1 a is a magnified view of cathode 24 of fig1 . porous gas diffusion electrode 36 is supported on cathode backing layer 18 and in contact with solid polymer electrolytic membrane 26 . a gaseous reactant diffuses through backing layer 18 and into porous electrode 36 . referring now to fig1 b , a further magnified view of a porous gas diffusion electrode in accordance with the present invention is presented . support particles 42 are provided for catalyst materials 44 which are preferably dispersed on the surface of support particles 42 . support particles 42 define interstitial pores 48 which enable gases to penetrate within the electrode structure for electrochemical reactions to occur adjacent to catalyst 44 . additional particles 52 may be provided to control the wetting properties of the electrode and to help maintain porosity and strength . more particularly , teflon ® ( e . i . dupont ) is included to provide hydrophobicity and gas access with the electrode . in the present invention proton conducting material 46 is provided within the structure of porous gas diffusion electrode 36 . proton conductor 46 enables protons to be conducted between catalytic sites 44 on surfaces defining interstices 48 and spe membrane 26 . the catalytic loadings on particles 42 remain the relatively low catalytic loadings associated with liquid electrolytes rather than the high catalytic loadings associated with spe - membrane electrode assemblies . materials effective for spe membrane 26 are well known . by way of example , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 337 , 137 , to ezzell , teaches a variety of ion exchange membranes , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . a preferred spe membrane in the present invention is a perfluorocarbon copolymer , and particularly a material marketed by e . i . dupont under the trademark nafion ®. electrode structures in accordance with the present invention may be formed from conventional porous gas diffusion electrodes . such electrodes may be formed from particles of high surface area carbon , such as vulcan xc72 ( about 200 m 2 / g ) or black pearls 2000 ( about 1000 m 2 / g ) available from cabot , boston , massachusetts , which are catalyzed with particles of platinum of 20 - 50 å size to a loading of about 0 . 35 mg / cm 2 of electrode surface area . in accordance with the present invention , catalyst loadings can be limited to less than 0 . 50 mg / cm 2 . a commercial electrode marketed by prototech company , newton highlands , massachusetts , ( hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; prototech &# 34 ;) for conventional use with liquid electrolytes has been treated as hereinafter described for use with a spe membrane of nafion ®. in accordance with the present invention a proton conducting material is applied to the catalyzed side of the electrode in a manner which effectively deposits the proton conducting material 46 adjacent catalytic sites 44 for effective communication between spe membrane 26 and reactions occurring on the surface of support particles 46 . proton conducting material has been applied by spraying and by deposit with an applicator onto the surface . modified porous gas diffusion electrodes have been constructed using two proton conductive materials . in one embodiment a perfluorocarbon copolymer , e . g ., nafion ®, was applied . in another embodiment ruthenium dioxide ( ruo 2 ) was deposited from a solution of rucl 3 which was thereafter oxidized to ruo 2 . each of the proton conducting materials may be used for either the anode or cathode . however , it is believed advantageous if the nafion ® modified electrodes are used for the cathode and the ruo 2 modified electrodes are used for the anode . electrodes modified with ruo 2 were prepared by painting a 1 % solution of rucl 3 in isopropanol onto the electrode structure . the electrodes were dried at an ambient temperature and then oxidized at 300 ° c . for 45 minutes to complete the penetration and oxidation , forming the proton conductive material . substantially similar performance as nafion ®- modified electrodes is obtained for a hydrogen oxidation reaction as measured by an overpotential versus current density comparison . the electrodes modified with ruo 2 do not , however , show the increase in series resistance with time with respect to the hydrogen oxidation reaction electrode , i . e ., the anode , shown by electrodes modified with nafion ®. fuel cell electrodes have also been prepared by modifying a prototech commercial electrode with nafion ®. a 5 % solution of nafion ® was prepared by forming a solution of a commercial 5 % solution of nafion ® in about 90 % isopropanol and 10 % water . the solution was sprayed onto the catalyzed electrode surface . the spraying may be done at room temperature or at a higher temperature , and spraying has been done at up to about 140 ° c ., below the reported nafion ® creep temperature of above 160 ° c . in a preferred spray application the solution was applied in layers . one layer was defined to be a spray of one - half second for every square centimeter of electrode area at a spray rate of about 0 . 13 / cm 3 / sec . it was found that a minimum of two layers are needed for good performance and that additional layers provide relatively small incremental increases in performance . a more dilute solution of nafion ® may be used with a corresponding increase in the number of layers applied to the electrode . after spraying , the modified electrodes are air dried at ambient temperature for about 30 minutes and then placed in a vacuum oven at ambient temperature for further drying for 30 minutes . the electrodes are maintained in the vacuum and heated to 70 ° c . for about 30 minutes . electrodes for use at both the cathode and the anode may be prepared in accordance with the above procedure . it has been found , however , that improved results for the electrode to be used as the anode were obtained when the electrodes were maintained at about 140 ° c . during the spraying process . referring now to fig2 potential versus current density characteristics are shown for a fuel cell operating with a spe membrane and gaseous reactants including hydrogen ( h 2 ) as the fuel source and oxygen ( o 2 ) as the oxidation source . the characteristics for three different electrodes are depicted : curve a an unmodified , commercially available electrode containing 0 . 35 mg pt / cm 2 of electrode area . curve b the electrode of curve a modified by introducing nafion ® as the proton conductor . curve c electrode areas prepared by pressing a composition of platinum , carbon , and teflon into the surface of a polymer electrolyte with a platinum loading of 4 mg / cm 2 of electrode area . the nafion ®- modified electrode clearly has the highest power density ( voltage times current density ) output . it is readily apparent from fig2 that the modified electrode performs even better than an electrode containing more than ten times as much platinum . the unmodified electrode provides substantially unusable output power characteristics . the invention hereinabove described thus enables a gaseous fuel cell to be formed using electrolytic materials of solid polymers and wherein a liquid electrolyte is not required . further , a fuel cell may be constructed which is greatly reduced in cost from the cost of conventional spe membrane - type fuel cells . the cost of a fuel cell fabricated in accordance with the present invention is accordingly determined more by the cost of the polymer materials , and particularly , the cost of nafion ®, than the cost of the platinum catalyst . while the above description has described a fuel cell embodiment having platinum as the catalytic particles supported by carbon particles in a porous gas diffusion electrode , it will be appreciated that various electrocatalytic materials might be substituted for platinum , more particularly , metals in the noble metal group of silver , gold , and the platinum group metals . further , the preferred proton conducting materials are described to be a perfluorocarbon copolymer and ruo 2 . however , other proton conducting materials are known , including the hydrogen uranyl phosphate family and the acid oxides of other transition metals , along with various polymeric materials . the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use comtemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto .
7
referring now to fig1 of the drawings , the numeral 10 identifies a position in which a trainee with his eyepoint at e in a simulator would view a scene , the center of which is indicated at point a along the line ae . the scene being viewed is a collimated visual image for viewing by at least one trainee , and the center of this scene , point a , is reflected from a spherical mirror 11 . the spherical mirror 11 is arranged and positioned so that its reflective surface is on the concave part of its contour . actually , the point a is a reflection of a point b , which is the center of a scene formed on a toroidal rear - projection screen 12 . the spherical mirror 11 collimates the scene on the screen 12 . as the following description unfolds , it will become obvious how the invention in its present embodiment is able to provide to a trainee in a simulator an image of an area of interest which image is substantially undistorted and undiminished in its illumination , i . e ., with maximum brightness . first , a decision is made as to the area to be displayed during training , and a flight is made in an actual aircraft over that area with a motion picture camera attached to the aircraft pointed at the area of interest . the processed film then is used as an image source for the invention . the trainee sits in a simulated aircraft cockpit , which is an exact duplicate of that of the real aircraft , and in this position , he must &# 34 ; fly &# 34 ; in a simulated path , which approximates the actual path followed by the aircraft from which the motion picture was taken . arranged around the windows of his simulated cockpit is the visual display , which is projected realistically by television monitors . the remainder of the system to be described herein , which may be at a remote location to the cockpit position , operates upon the film image to give it the proper perspective from the trainee &# 39 ; s viewpoint in the simulator and to position it properly in his field of view . this is done by viewing the image as it is projected by a television camera using well known optical and electronic techniques . a visual display arrangement in accordance with the present invention permits an adjustment to the display which has not been attainable heretofore . referring back again to fig1 of the drawings , the numeral 12 identifies a rear - projection screen which is positioned substantially at the focal point of a concave spherical mirror 11 , at about 1 / 2 of its radius of curvature . the screen 12 is toroidal in configuration and is positioned with its major axis cl - 1 substantially horizontal . as viewed in fig1 of the drawings , the major axis cl - 1 is perpendicular to the page . also the screen 12 is positioned so that it is concave in the same direction as the spherical mirror 11 . a folding mirror 13 is cylindrical in configuration , with its major axis cl - 2 approximately vertical ( relative to the major axis of the toroidal screen 12 and as viewed along the line bd ), and is positioned to reflect an image from a flat folding mirror 14 , which image originates in a light valve projector 15 . the projector 15 preferably is a television image projector . one of the reasons that a flat folding mirror 14 must be positioned intermediate the projector 15 and the cylindrical folding mirror 13 is that the light valve projector , which is used so commonly today in simulator visual systems , cannot be tilted more than approximately 30 ° from the horizontal . at the image output side of the projector 15 is the usual projection lens 16 . in accordance with one aspect of the present invention , it is desirable and advisable to have an anamorphic lens system 17 , the purpose of which will be explained in greater detail presently . after this anamorphic lens system 17 , there is a collimator 18 , also to be explained in greater detail presently . with no distortion compensation ( or correction ), the output of the &# 34 ; light valve &# 34 ; projector 15 is a rectangular format with three to four aspect ratio so that it is really one inch wide by three - quarters inch high . such a format would appear distorted at the viewing position 10 . however , such distortions are compensated for , in accordance with the present invention , by the cylindrical mirror 13 . the major axis cl - 2 of the cylindrical mirror 13 is vertical , when compared with the horizontally positioned major axis cl - 1 of the toroidal screen 12 , and this axis of the cylindrical mirror 13 is tilted so that its reflective surface is more nearly perpendicular to the line gd from the flat , folding mirror 14 . the particular degree of tilt would be dependent upon it being sufficient to reflect the format from the flat , folding mirror 14 onto the toroidal screen 12 and is a matter of design . the distortion for which the present invention is so uniquely adapted to compensate is developed because the center line for the curvature of the spherical mirror 11 appears on the dashed line 19 , whereas the viewing axis for this same spherical mirror 11 is the line eab . the center of curvature for the spherical mirror 11 is on the line 19 as indicated by the reference numeral 20 and not on the line ae or on the line ab . the center of curvature for the toroidal screen 12 appears below the line bd at a point 25 . the &# 34 ; viewing system &# 34 ;, therefore , is composed of the toroidal screen 12 and the decentered spherical mirror 11 . the use of the cylindrical folding mirror 13 , therefore , introduces a distortion that compensates for distortions caused by the spherical mirror 11 and the toroidal screen 12 . the spherical mirror 11 , is used as a collimator , so that the image appears substantially at infinity for the trainee at the viewing position 10 . with the center of curvature 20 for the spherical mirror 11 being displaced and removed from the line ab a requirement for collimation and field of view in this system can be satisfied . however , also it introduces a distortion such that the lateral edges of the field of view at the screen 12 appear to droop downwardly . under usual circumstances , the illumination is maximized when the viewing axis ab is in alignment with the projection axis bd . therefore , the nearer that these two axes are in alignment , the better the chances are of achieving maximum illumination . referring now to fig2 of the drawings , a television camera 21 projects an image directly upon a rear projection screen 22 from which the image is reflected from a curved mirror 23 to the viewing position indicated by the letter e &# 39 ;. in accordance with the prior illustration therefore , e &# 39 ; is in proper position to view at a &# 39 ; the reflected point b &# 39 ; which is on the screen 22 . if an undistorted image from the projector 21 is projected onto the screen 22 , it must satisfy the distortion requirements of the viewing position e &# 39 ;, and in so doing , a very large angle α is developed between the viewing system and the projection system . such a large angle α develops a non - uniform illumination of the system that is seen by the trainee at the position e &# 39 ;. this uneven and non - uniform illumination will develop in the scene as being darker at the bottom and getting brighter toward the top . this prior art compensates for the non - uniform illumination by introducing prisms 24 to redirect the light . a further distinction of the prior art from the present invention is that the mirror 23 is a spheroid , or an ellipsoid of revolution , resembling a sphere . now , by utilizing a spherical screen 22 , the prior art system then requires that the television projector 21 must be substantially square with the screen 22 in order to minimize distortion . nevertheless , the larger angle α still requires that some artificial means be employed to improve the illumination . contrasting this prior art arrangement with that of the present invention , a toroidal screen and a spherical mirror give a different distortion characteristic to the image produced , i . e ., the two outside edges droop downwardly . the distortion that is compensated for by the present invention is that created by the geometrical relationship between the eyepoint e , in fig1 the mirror 11 and the screen 12 . the geometrical relationship between these elements introduces a distortion into this optical system which is substantially compensated for by the positioning of the cylindrical mirror 13 as described , without having to modify the projector 15 and without additional optical components . in a majority of the instances , the cylindrical mirror 13 will be sufficient to compensate for all of the obvious and detectable distortions . however , in some instances , a further compensation may be indicated . in such an instance , an anamorphoser 17 would compensate for magnification . the anamorphoser 17 , accordingly , permits adjustment in one dimension only , such as horizontal , and is used where the height of the image at the screen is correct . in one actual construction in accordance with the arrangement of fig1 the radius for the spherical mirror 11 is 162 inches , the radius for the screen 12 is 100 inches and the radius for the cylindrical mirror 13 is 200 inches . the line bd is 34 inches in length . referring now to fig3 of the drawings the eyepoint e is identified also by the reference numeral 30 . a standard television projector 31 is positioned to project images through its normal lens 32 , through an anamorphic lens 33 and a collimator 34 onto a folding mirror 35 , whose centerpoint is indicated by the letter g . from the mirror 35 the image is folded upwardly to another flat folding mirror 36 , to a third flat folding mirror 37 before it is directed onto a cylindrical mirror surface 38 . from the cylindrical mirror 38 the image is focused onto a rear - projection , curved screen 39 , which curvature , preferably is toroidal in configuration . accordingly , the &# 34 ; projection axis &# 34 ; is the line bdcfg . from the toroidal screen 39 , the image is reflected from a spherical mirror 40 onto the viewing position at the eyepoint e , in order to form a collimated image . accordingly , the viewing axis is the line eab . in another actual construction in accordance with the arrangement of fig3 the radius for the spherical mirror 40 again is 162 inches , the radius for the screen 39 again is 100 inches and the radius for the cylindrical mirror 38 is 300 inches . the line bd is 44 inches in length . while the essential characteristic of the screen and the folding mirror is that they are curved , the particular configuration selected is determined usually by economic considerations , some configurations being quite expensive to manufacture . the cylindrical configuration is most often the least expensive , but without the method of positioning of a toroidal screen and folding cylindrical mirror as taught by the present invention , the effectiveness of any selected configuration could not be realized . in view of the above detailed description of the preferred form of the invention and in view of the above - mentioned modifications thereto , other modifications , variations , advantages and uses will occur to one skilled in the art . accordingly , the description and modifications presented hereinabove are to be considered as illustrative only , the true spirit and scope of the invention being that defined by the claims appended hereto .
6
referring first to fig1 the device according to the invention can be applied to a lifting and / or transporting unit which , in the particular case here illustrated , includes equipment capable of balancing loads , generally indicated at 10 and including an upright 12 supporting an overhanging horizontal beam 14 . a load balancing assembly 18 can longitudinally run on beam 14 by means of wheels 16 , this assembly being known per se and substantially formed of an electric motor 20 delivering a balancing torque to a roller on which a lifting cable 22 is wound and intended to directly or indirectly support the load . typically , a device 24 according to the invention is applied to the lifting cable 22 , which is electrically connected , through an electric cable 26 , to the balancing assembly 18 as well as pneumatically connected , through a duct 28 , to a vacuum unit 30 provided with a vacuum tank , known per se . duct 28 , which is held in position by a spring 32 , is supported wound in loops by means of wheels 34 running along the beam 14 and supporting also an electric cable 36 supplying the balancing assembly 18 . alternatively , instead of providing a separate vacuum unit with tank 30 , this unit can be embodied within the balancing assembly 18 . of course , in this case , since the vacuum unit with tank is of smaller dimensions , smaller flow rate values can be reached and therefore only loads having even and nearly impermeable surfaces can be lifted or balanced , while having at all times the assurance that the vacuum in the suction pads slowly decreases in the case of a mechanical or power failure . as another alternative , the vacuum can be generated by a venturi operating with compressed air supplied by a compressor and this venturi could be located either in the balancing assembly 18 or even within the device 24 . the device 24 , illustrated in more detail in fig2 is secured to the lifting cable 22 by screws 38 and is connected to the duct 28 by means of a plug 40 . its structural or body portion 42 includes controlling and operating elements for the various functions of the device 24 and equipment 10 and transmits the weight of the load from a frame 44 carrying suction pads 46 to the screws 38 . the device includes also a sensor 48 depending from its bottom surface and extending beyond the suction pads 46 and held under the bias of a coilspring 50 . the movement of sensor 48 causes a vacuum to be supplied into the suction pads 46 . the level of this vacuum can be visually controlled by the operator at all times by means of a gauge 52 and is detected at all times by a vacuum gauge 54 capable of controlling , through one or more transducers , an equal number of functions of equipment 10 once preset vacuum levels have been reached within the suction pads 46 . more particularly , and with reference to the circuit diagram of fig9 as the vacuum gauge 54 indicates that a first vacuum level is reached , it supplies through a first transducer t1 an operating or controlling signal to the equipment 10 , more particularly to the balancing assembly 18 , which performs load balancing . in this particular case , the balancing occurs by means of a reaction force , the value of which is set by the operator depressing one of push - buttons 56 , controlling respective potentiometers 58 which can be calibrated to desired loads . another potentiometer 60 controls the device weight balance . therefore , due to the first transducer t1 , the vacuum gauge 54 automatically controls the operation of the balancing assembly 18 so that this balancing action exactly begins at the necessary time , namely , neither too early when an insufficient vacuum would be present , nor too late when a time loss would occur . the vacuum gauge 54 also controls a second transducer t2 supplying another signal when the absolute vacuum level falls below another preset value , which is lower than the first mentioned level . this situation can occur when the device is operating under emergency conditions and there is the danger that the load might fall . in order to avoid this danger , the signal supplied by the second transducer t2 energizes an alarm member , a lamp 62 for example , and causes also slow load lowering so that the load comes to rest before the vacuum level within the suction pads falls below such a level that the load support is no longer assured . of course , it is necessary that the second transducer t2 should operate after the vacuum level is increased during the load grip , which can be obtained by subjecting the second transducer t2 to an operating signal which takes into account a certain time delay , e . g . provided by a timer t , at the beginning of the suction operation , or else the fact that the first transducer t1 must be first operated , or eventually the fact that the absolute vacuum level is decreasing . in case of a regular operation , and in order to release the device from the load , after the latter has been slowly lowered by acting with the hands on the frame 44 or by depressing a suitable push - button 64 , it will be sufficient to depress a push - button 66 for causing suction pad release . of course , this push - button 66 disconnects the second transducer t2 to avoid unnecessary alarm signals . to provide safety against the erroneous or inadvertent depression of the push - button 66 by the operator when the device 24 is lifted from the ground , in which case the load held by the suction pads would automatically release and fall to the ground , the system illustrated in fig3 is provided . it includes a cylindrical shaped body 110 having a portion 111 of smaller diameter forming with the body 110 a step 112 . the smaller diameter portion 111 is fitted with clearance in a cylindrical frame 113 secured to a top wall 114 of the device 24 . a stop element 116 is secured to the lower end of the smaller diameter portion 111 , which element together with the abutting surface formed by the step 112 , has the function of limiting the travel of body 110 within the cylindrical frame 113 secured to the lifting device 24 . the cylindrical body 110 is provided on the top with a cylindrical recess 117 intended to receive the lifting cable of the lifting and / or transporting unit , which is secured to the cylindrical body by screws 115 . electrical connection is made through a connector 127 secured to the body 110 by means of a bridge 118 and a washer 119 . the upper portion of the cylindrical body 110 is provided with axially extending recesses 121 receiving springs 122 resting at their lower ends on the recess bottoms and secured at their upper ends to pins 123 passing through the associated recesses and screwed at their inner ends in threaded holes 124 provided in the cylindrical frame 113 . the pins 123 are thus fastened to the frame 113 and therefore to the device 24 . the lower end of the cylindrical body normally contacts an arm 125 of a microswitch 126 connected to the various control elements in the device 24 . in the position shown in fig3 the body 110 bears against the cylindrical frame 113 and in so doing it maintains the arm 125 of the microswitch 126 depressed , so that the microswitch 126 will be closed . as a load is applied to the suction pads and the lifting unit lifts the device 24 together with the load gripped thereto by the action of the vacuum within the suction pads , the body 110 is lifted with respect to the device 24 against the force of springs 122 until the stop element 116 contacts the top wall 114 . in this condition , the arm 125 of microswitch 126 opens a circuit leading from the load release push - button 66 to the suction pads . when the device 24 is lifted and all the time it remains lifted with the load suspended therefrom , the body 110 of the safety system will remain spaced from the device 24 and will maintain therefore the microswitch 126 in an open position so that , if the operator should erroneously depress the load release push - button 66 , this would act only on the slow load lowering control and not on the load release device so that the load will slowly be brought into contact with the ground . once the load is at rest on the ground , a further lowering of the lifting cable will cause the body 110 of the safety system to be brought into contact with the frame 113 fastened to the device 24 , both by gravity and by the force of springs 122 . as the body 110 bears on the frame 113 , the lower end of body 110 will depress the arm 125 of microswitch 126 so that the circuit leading from the load release push - button to the load releasing mechanism will be closed , thereby making this releasing mechanism active . more particularly , as the body 110 is spaced from the device 24 and therefore the microswitch 126 is opened , the sensor 48 pressed by the load will communicate vacuum to the suction pads and will begin to lift the load . if the operator should depress the load release push - button , the latter instead of operating the release of the vacuum from within the sucton pads , will cause slow load lowering until the load is in contact with the ground , at which time the microswitch 126 is closed , thereby causing the vacuum to be released from the suction pads . in order to provide versatility of the disclosed device , an interchangeable suction pad holder is provided , as best shown in fig4 to 8 . as seen in fig4 the bottom of the device 24 is provided with a suction nozzle 209 . connected to this nozzle is a suction pad holder 210 which is formed of a tubular frame 211 substantially rectangular in shape , which is provided at its corners and larger sides with connectors 212 for securing suction pads 214 . these connectors are preferably attached to the holding frame 211 by welding . at the locations of connectors 212 the holding frame 211 is provided with holes 219 ( fig6 ). the suction pad holder 210 includes a preferably cup - shaped manifold 215 , having a flange 216 provided with holes 217 for securing the suction pad holder to the device 24 . the manifold 215 is provided on its side wall with four holes 218 spaced apart by 90 °, to each of which an end of a tube 213 is connected , the other end of which is welded to the frame 211 having in these locations holes 221 for communicating the tubes 213 to the frame 211 . the so formed suction pad holder is of a particularly strong and rigid structure , capable of supporting the weight of the load to be lifted with a remarkable degree of safety and of instantaneously communicating the vacuum to all the suction pads 214 through the holes 218 of the manifold 215 , the tubes forming the frame 211 and the connectors 212 . in this manner the vacuum is communicated to all the suction pads so that the load to be lifted can be firmly gripped by the six suction pads secured to the frame 211 . by the provision of cutoff cocks 225 in the suction pad connectors 212 it is possible to disconnect from the vacuum source the suction pads not necessary for use so that the device 24 can operate with four or two suction pads . this is advantageous where the weight of the load to be lifted is light , thereby avoiding sources of potential vacuum loss . alternatively , a valve or sensor 70 for each suction pad 46 ( fig9 ) can be provided , which is normally held in a closed position in which the vacuum is cutoff , each suction pad being provided with an associated control element opening the valve when the associated suction pad contacts the load to be lifted . as a further alternative , the tubular frame 211 can include valving means cutting off one or more suction pads and operated by control elements provided within device 24 . in fig7 a suction pad holder is shown , the frame 211a of which is secured to the manifold 215a in a rotatable manner . to this end , the frame 211a has along its center line a tube 213a provided with a suction pad 214 and in communication with the other tubes forming the frame . the manifold 215a is provided with a pair of tubes 222 exiting from opposite ends and extending to center pins 223 whose function is to rotatably and tightly mount the frame 211a of the suction pad holder . this suction pad holder lends itself very well to lift loads having a small thickness and a large surface , for instance iron sheets , where the suction pad holder must be applied on the lateral surfaces of the sheets for transport convenience . many changes and modifications can be made to this invention , and specifically one or more components which are housed within the device could be located within the balancing assembly 18 in order to reduce the extra weight to be lifted .
1
now , and with reference to the drawings , there is depicted therein a target , generally denoted at 10 , in accordance with the present invention . the target is adapted for use by an archer or hunter 12 who stands a distance away and then aims at the target 10 , in the well known manner . at the outset , it is to be understood that as contemplated herein the target 10 can assume any form , as desired . thus , the animal form depicted in the drawing is to be construed as illustrative , rather than limitative of the present invention . however , and as will subsequently be detailed , in a preferred form of the present invention a deer is a most desirable configuration . again , it is to be understood that in the practice of the present invention the target 10 comprises an inanimate form configured to any desired shape . referring , again , to the drawing , the target 10 comprises an inanimate form configured to the shape of an animal or similar creature 14 . the target essentially comprises a main body member 16 . the main body member 16 is formed from any suitable material having a sufficient thickness and density to stop retard penetration of a projectile . contemporaneously , the main body 16 must be formed from a material which permits penetration of the projectile . such materials are well known to the skilled artisan . thus , for example , the main body 16 can be formed from polystyrene , baled hay , or any other material which would meet the requisites hereof . the main body or torso 16 is provided with a slot 18 . the slot extends into the interior of the main body . the slot 16 defines means for enabling removable emplacement of a scoresheet 20 . the slot 18 has a width or diameter greater than the width of the scoresheet 20 . thus , the slot is dimensioned such that the scoresheet 20 can be removably inserted therewithin . furthermore , the slot has a height greater than that of the scoresheet such that upon insertion thereof into the slot the scoresheet is completely hidden from the hunter or user 12 . the scoresheet 20 comprises a substantially flat planar member 22 having imprinted thereon certain indicia 24 . preferably , the indicia 24 correspond to or correlate to the internal structure of the inanimate form simulated by the main body 16 . thus , and with reference to the form depicted in the drawing , the indicia 24 correspond to the internal organs of the inanimate form depicted therewithin . specifically , and as shown in fig6 the indicia 24 comprise the heart , lung and intestinal area of the animal . furthermore , the indicia are positioned or disposed on the scoresheet in substantially correct biological location and orientation . a rating evaluation 26 is , also , provided on the scoresheet . herein , suitable indicia which rank the degree of skill , are associated with each of the indicia 24 . the scoresheet or scorecard 20 , per se , is formed from any material which can have a projectile penetrate therethrough without substantially ripping or destroying the scoresheet . thus , any material which will retain substantially the integrity of the scoresheet can be utilized as the material therefore . thus , a heavy paper , cardboard , or synthetic resinous material can be utilized as the material for forming the scoresheet . in practicing the present invention the scoresheet is removably disposed within the slot by manually inserting same thereinto . the preceeding discussion provides a discussion of the basic precepts of the invention thereof . referring , specifically , to the drawing , there is depicted therein a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention . as shown in fig2 - 5 the main body 16 is provided in the form of a deer . the deer includes a trunk section , a head section , a tail and legs depending downwardly from the shoulder and the rear end . disposed at the end of each leg at the foot section and downwardly depending therefrom is a ground stake 30 . the ground stakes are used to mount the target 10 into the ground 32 . the slot 18 is formed in the back of the animal and opens into the interior thereof . the slot is a longitudinally extending member which simulates an incision into the heart , lung and intestinal area of the deer . the embodiment of the invention depicted in the drawing is adapted to be utilized out of doors . thus , this creates the probability of condensation collecting within the slot . thus , and in accordance herewith , drain means , generally denoted at 34 , permits drainage of the condensation from the slot . to this end , the base of the slot is formed at an incline with respect to the ground surface . this enables any condensation to drain down the slot of the incline . the drain means comprises a tubular opening 36 which extends between the slot and the environment or atmosphere . in accordance herewith , the scoresheet 20 comprises a graphic representation of the internal organs of the deer and their substantially proper biological positioning and orientation correlating to the area cut out by the slot . thus , and as shown in the drawing , the slot position correlates to the heart , lung and intestinal area of the deer . the target thus has a graphic representation of the lung , heart and intestinal area of the deer imprinted on the scoresheet . certain numerical evaluations are accorded each of these organs . when using the present invention , the scoresheet is removably replaced within the slot . the user than takes aim at the target . assuming an arrow 40 to be the projectile , and the user an archer , the archer then shoots the arrow at the target , attempting to hit the scoresheet . the point of the arrow penetrates the main body as well as the scoresheet . again , the materials of construction of the main body limit the degree of penetration of the projectile . after the archer has shot his arrows at the target , the scoresheet is removed therefrom and the scoring is evaluated . thereafter , a new scoresheet can then be inserted into the slot . because of the material of construction of the main body , per se , this may be consumed and need be replaced periodically . however , such does not detract from the efficacy of the present invention . it is to be appreciated from the preceeding that there has been described herein a new target for utilization by archers , dart throwers , or similar type competitors . the structure hereof enables the scoresheet to be hidden from the user thereby honing the skills of the user . it is apparent that many modifications and departures can be made in the practice of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope hereof . such alterations and modifications are within the ambit and purview of the present invention .
5
the dual flush capacity mechanism of one embodiment of the present invention may be utilized in a standard toilet tank having a water retention tank 12 and a conventional bowl 14 . as best seen in fig4 the dual flush capacity tank of the present invention includes a first water fill tank or bucket 16 and a second water fill tank or bucket 18 . the first tank 16 has more water capacity than the second tank 18 , as will be explained hereinafter . preferably , but not essential , tank 16 will have a capacity of 1 . 0 gallon as this has been found a sufficient quantity of water to effectively evacuate a bowl 14 in which a user has merely urinated . tank 18 preferably has a capacity of 0 . 6 gallons which , when combined with the 1 . 0 gallon retained in tank 16 would deliver 1 . 6 gallons per flush when both tanks are emptied , and this has been found to be a sufficient quantity of water to effectively evacuate bowl 14 in most instances even when the user has deposited a bowel movement in the toilet . both fill tanks 16 and 18 are pivotally mounted to tank 12 and pivotally mounted to each other so that the fill tanks 16 and 18 can pivot to discharge the water into the tank . the water is not directly discharged into the tank but is discharged into a plenum chamber 20 which narrows down as in a funnel from a wide open portion 22 which accommodates fill tanks 16 and 18 to a narrower funnel shaped portion 24 and an oval shaped discharge opening 26 . a receiving adapter 27 is provided to fit into the discharge opening 28 of tank 12 . adapter 27 , preferably of a plastic material , is provided with upwardly and outwardly positioned prongs 29 and downwardly positioned prongs 29 ′. the lower portion of plenum chamber 20 is received within prongs 29 in a snap fit fashion to securely locate and position the plenum chamber within tank 12 and prongs 29 ′ fit within discharge opening 28 to secure the adapter . the end of funnel shaped portion 24 is saw - toothed with a plurality of cutouts 30 , see fig7 a and 7 b as well , to provide a water flow through the bottom of tank 12 to fill the trap line so that odors from the out flow sewage line are contained . the depth of the cutouts 30 will increase or decrease with bowl design to assure minimum required water level above trap entry . a water fill tube 31 is provided which is appropriately connected to an opening 32 in the bottom of tank 12 and tube 31 rises within tank 12 . it terminates in a fill valve assembly 34 having a float control 36 which shuts off the in - flowing water when the water level in both fill tanks 16 and 18 causes float 36 to rise as is conventional in this art . reference is now made to fig4 , 6 a , 6 b , 7 a and 7 b for a description of the manner in which the two fill tanks 16 and 18 are cooperatively mounted so as to provide a dual flush capacity . the outer end portion 38 of fill tank 16 and the outer end portion 40 of fill tank 18 are each similarly pivotally mounted to the sides of tank 12 . a pivotal mount includes a spindle 42 fixed to a clip 44 by an appropriate bushing 46 and nut 48 . clip 44 is received through an opening in each fill tank 16 and 18 , in a cutout 50 after the opening to sit in a clip housing 52 within each fill tank 16 and 18 . spindle 42 is suitably journaled within the end wall of tank 12 to extend outwardly and receive an actuating handle 54 . this is because each fill tank is pivotly mounted within tank 12 and with actuation of handle 54 will cause fill tank 16 and 18 to pivot downwardly from the position shown in fig6 a and 7 a to the position shown in fig6 b and 7 b to empty the contents of the water held in each fill tank into the plenum 20 . the inner end 56 of fill tank 16 and the inner end 58 of fill tank 18 are also pivotly connected to each other . each end 56 and 58 is provided with a through bore in which is disposed a bushing 60 and 62 which receives a spindle 64 therethrough . as best seen in fig6 a and 6 b , as well as in fig4 the exterior surface of the inner end 56 of fill tank 16 and the exterior surface of inner end 58 of fill tank 18 are provided with cam surfaces which , by their position and cooperative relationship , determine which of the fill tanks rotate upon actuation of either the lever 54 connected to fill tank 16 or lever 54 connected to fill tank 18 . the exterior surface of fill tank 16 includes a cam member 66 which is complimentary to and mates with a cam member 68 mounted on the exterior surface 58 of fill tank 18 . cam surfaces 66 and 68 are preferably in the shape of a half crescent which abutingly mate with each other . with reference to fig6 a and 6 b , it is seen that when actuating handle 54 on the left side of fill tank 12 is depressed downwardly in the direction of the arrow , fill tank 16 will rotate to deposit the water contents into plenum 20 . thus tank 16 will rotate from the position shown in fig6 a to the position shown in fig6 b to deposit the water contents of fill tank 16 into the plenum leaving fill tank 18 in a stationary position and without emptying the contents of fill tank 18 . when lever 54 on the right side of tank 12 is depressed , as shown in fig7 a and 7 b , cam surface 68 which is positioned in abutting relationship in face - to - face contact with cam surface 66 will cause fill tank 16 to rotate along with fill tank 18 to empty the contents of both fill tanks 16 and 18 into plenum 20 . thus , rotation of the left handle 54 will result in only fill tank 16 emptying its contents into plenum 20 while rotation of the right handle 54 will rotate fill tank 18 and , by the interaction of the cam surfaces matingly engaging both fill tanks , will also result in rotation of fill tank 16 so that the contents of both fill tanks 16 and 18 will enter into plenum 20 to eventually be discharged through the bowl 14 to complete flushing of the toilet . the trough cutout 70 extending from fill tank 16 also pushes downwardly against the mating trough 72 in fill tank 18 and assists with rotation of the fill tank when handle 54 on fill tank 18 is actuated . to accommodate the selective rotation of fill tank 18 and the selective rotation of both fill tanks and 18 through the rotation of the selected handle 54 , a slightly greater clearance is provided between the inside back wall 69 of tank 12 and the upper lip 71 of fill tank 16 than the clearance between back wall 69 and upper lip 73 of fill tank 18 . this avoids any inadvertent movement of fill tank 16 when only fill tank 18 is moved . this is accomplished by providing an extending lip 71 on fill tank 16 and an extending lip 73 on fill tank 18 with lip 73 being slightly wider than lip 71 . after either fill tank 16 or both fill tanks 16 and 18 have been emptied on a toilet flush , water is allowed to enter through fill valve assembly 34 , as is known in the art . fill tank 16 , where float control 36 is positioned is filled first and , subsequently , water is directed to fill tank 18 through a trough member 70 attached to the upper end of fill tank 16 . trough member 70 fits within a trough cutout 72 in the top of fill tank 18 and extends into fill tank 18 . thus water flows from fill tank 16 into fill tank 18 . appropriate rubber or plastic seals 74 are provided in trough cut out 72 to prevent leakage of water passing from fill tank 16 into fill tank 18 . the seal is assisted by the pressure applied from the bottom surface of trough 70 acting against the trough 72 and its seals 74 . the pressure comes from the weight of the water in fill tank 16 which is always pressing downwardly due to the fact that the shorter extending lip 71 does not contact the rear wall of plenum 20 . the longer lip 73 extending from fill tank 18 does contact the rear wall of plenum 20 . the dual flush capacity toilet of the present invention works particularly well and is designed to be long lasting without the necessity of changing parts that wear out in time , such as flap valves or ball valves and the lift mechanisms associated with these valve structures . accordingly , the invention utilizes a plenum chamber 20 which by its shape and design provides a number of beneficial aspects . first , the plenum chamber in this invention enhances the ability to do without a flap or ball valve . second , by its shape , it initially holds the dumped water up high which then funnels downwardly in a taper , thus providing a pressure head for the water dispensed into the plenum chamber which maximizes the water pressure entering the toilet bowl so that effective cleansing action of the bowl sides and complete evacuation of the bowl contents results . the front wall 76 of plenum chamber 20 is at a much steeper angle to prevent splashing and sloshing of water as fill tanks 16 and 18 empty into the plenum chamber and to encourage more rapid transfer of water through the plenum . reference is made to fig1 for an alternative embodiment of the present invention where like parts as in the first embodiment are numbered the same . in this embodiment , the fill tank 80 may be a single tank or may comprise the two fill tanks 16 and 18 of the first embodiment . in this case the fill tanks 16 and 18 would be linked together . in this embodiment , the dual flush capacity is obtained by limiting the movement of fill tank 80 when one of the actuating handles are rotated . thus , for example , the right handle 54 is provided with a rotation stop 46 ′ which limits rotation of right handle 54 and fill tank 80 to approximately 65 % of its 90 ° rotation . thus only 65 % of the contents of fill tank 80 are deposited into plenum chamber 20 to accommodate disposal of only liquid waste . on the other hand , the left handle 54 is allowed to rotate fully so that fill tank 80 rotates a sufficient extent to deposit all of the contents of fill tank 80 into plenum chamber 20 to dispose of solid waste .
4
according to embodiments of the present invention , a power plug having leakage current protection function includes a body and neutral and phase ( hot ) conductor prongs extending from the body . the power plug is provided with a changeover mechanism disposed inside the body for making and breaking electrical connection , and a control circuit board for detecting leakage current and short circuit . the body is composed of a cover and a base . the cover accommodates a reset button . the neutral and phase conductor prongs extend from the base . one end of each of the neutral and phase conductors is exposed outside of the body , and the other end passes through the base and the circuit board into the body . stationary contact terminals are provided on the neutral and phase conductor prongs inside the body . the changeover mechanism includes a disconnect mechanism , a pair of moveable contact levers , and a coil having a disconnect core . the disconnect mechanism is located between the neutral and phase conductor prongs and the coil . the disconnect mechanism has a hole in the middle for accommodating a reset shaft that is coupled to the reset button . the disconnect mechanism has two side arms , and the two moveable contact levers are located above the two side arms . an l shaped lock member is slidably disposed through the disconnect mechanism . the top portion of the l shaped lock member has a hole , and the side portion of the lock member is coupled to the disconnect core of the coil . a moveable contact terminal is provided on one end of each moveable contact lever and corresponds to the stationary contact terminal on the phase and neutral conductor prongs , respectively . the other end of each moveable contact lever is fixed on the control circuit board and electrically connected to the phase and neutral lines on the board , respectively . the reset shaft is located under the reset button and a reset spring is disposed between the lower end of the reset shaft and the base . the reset shaft has a groove for engaging the l shaped lock member . one end of the disconnect core is coupled to the side portion of the l shaped lock member , and another end is located inside the coil with a disconnect spring disposed at that end of the core . the two terminals of the coil are connected to the circuit board , and are electrically connected to the output ( load side ) phase and neutral wires on the circuit board through a silicon - controlled rectifier ( scr ). the gate of the scr is connected to the output of a leakage current and short circuit detection circuit . the cover of the plug body additionally accommodates a test button . one end of the test button passes through the cover , and the other end is coupled to a test switch that is electrically connected on the circuit board . the leakage current and short circuit detection circuit includes the test switch , diodes , a photo coupler ic , the silicon - controlled rectifier scr and a reset switch . one end of the test switch is connected through a resistor to the phase wire of the load ( output ) side of the power plug ; the other end of the test switch is connected to the neutral wire of the load side through a light emitting diode at the input side of the photo coupler and a diode . a transistor at the output side of the photo coupler provides a trigger voltage to the gate of the scr . the anode of the scr is connected to the phase wire of the load side of the plug through the coil ; the cathode of the scr is connected to the neutral wire of the load side through a resistor . the input end of the photo coupler is connected to a shield line of the output ( load side ) wires of the power plug . the power plug additionally includes a ground conductor prong for connecting to the ground through conductors . a power plug according to embodiments of the present invention is now described in more detail with reference to the drawings . as shown in fig1 and 2 , the power plug includes a body , neutral , phase ( hot ) and ground conductor prongs 3 , 4 and 5 extending from the body , a changeover mechanism disposed inside the body for making electrical connection , and a control circuit board 13 for detecting leakage current and short circuit conditions . as shown in fig1 , the body is composed of a cover 1 and a base 2 . the cover 1 accommodates a reset button ( reset ) 7 and a test button ( test ) 6 . the three conductor prongs 3 , 4 and 5 extend from the base 2 . as shown in fig1 and 2 , one end of each of neutral conductor 3 and phase conductor 4 is exposed outside of the body , and the other end passes through the base 2 and the circuit board 13 into the body . stationary contact terminals 16 , 15 are provided on the neutral and phase conductors 3 and 4 , respectively . as shown in fig2 , the changeover mechanism includes a disconnect mechanism 10 , a pair of moveable contact levers 8 , 9 , and a coil 27 having a disconnect core 11 . the disconnect mechanism 10 is located between the neutral and phase conductors 3 , 4 and the coil 27 . the moveable contact levers 8 , 9 are located above two side arms 21 , 22 of the disconnect mechanism 10 . a moveable contact terminal 17 is provided on one end of the moveable contact lever 8 and corresponds to the stationary contact terminal 15 on the phase conductor 4 , and a moveable contact terminal 18 is provided on one end of the moveable contact lever 9 and corresponds to the stationary contact terminal 16 on the neutral conductor 3 . the other end of each moveable contact lever is fixed on the control circuit board 13 and electrically connected respectively to the phase and neutral lines on the board 13 . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the disconnect mechanism 10 is centrally located with respect to the neutral and the phase conductors 3 , 4 , the moveable contact levers 8 , 9 , and the coil 27 . the disconnect mechanism 10 has a hole 20 in the middle for accommodating a reset shaft 19 that is coupled to the reset button 7 . side arms 21 , 22 extend on two sides of the disconnect mechanism 10 , and the moveable contact levers 8 , 9 are located above ( as seen in the view of fig3 ) the side arms 21 , 22 . an l shaped lock member 23 is slidably disposed through the disconnect mechanism 10 . the top portion of the l shaped lock member 23 has a hole , and the side portion of the lock member 23 is coupled to the disconnect core 11 of the coil 27 . the core 11 can cause the lock member 23 to move laterally as viewed in the view of fig2 and 3 . the reset shaft 19 is located under the reset button 7 , and has a groove 24 for receiving the lock member 23 . a reset spring 25 is disposed between the lower end of the reset shaft 19 and the base 2 . one end of the disconnect core 11 has a slot to couple it to the side portion of the l shaped lock member 23 , and the other end of the core is located inside the coil 27 with a disconnect spring 28 disposed at that end . the two terminals of the coil 27 are connected to the circuit board 13 , and are electrically connected to the output phase and neutral wire on the board 13 through a silicon - controlled rectifier ( scr ) as shown in fig5 . one end of the test button 6 passes through the cover 1 , and the other end is coupled to a test switch 26 which is electrically connected on the circuit board 13 ( see fig5 ). fig5 is a circuit diagram of the control circuit of the power plug according to embodiments of the present invention . a shown , a leakage current and short circuit detection circuit according to embodiments of the present invention includes the test switch 26 , diodes d 5 , d 6 , a photo coupler ic , a bi - direction silicon - controlled rectifier scr and a reset switch 7 . one end of the test switch 26 is connected through a resistor r 3 to the phase ( hot ) wire of the load side ( load ) of the power plug ; the other end of the test switch 26 is connected to the neutral ( white ) wire of the load side ( load ) through the light emitting diode at the input side of the photo coupler and the diode d 6 . the transistor at the output side of the photo coupler provides a trigger voltage to the gate electrode of the bi - direction silicon - controlled rectifier scr . one end of the bi - direction silicon - controlled rectifier scr is connected to the phase ( hot ) wire of the load ( load ) side of the plug through the coil 27 ; the other end of the scr is connected to the neutral ( white ) wire of the load ( load ) side through a resistor r 4 and the diode d 6 . fig6 and 7 are circuit diagrams of alternative control circuits according to alternative embodiments of the present invention . since the structures of the alternative circuits are apparent from the circuit diagrams and their operation principle is similar to that of the circuit diagram shown in fig5 , detailed descriptions are omitted here . to detect a current leakage between the output phase and neutral wires of the power outlet into which the power plug is plugged , the input end of the photo coupler , i . e ., terminal 101 , is connected to a shield line of the output wires of the power plug ( see fig5 - 7 ). the operation principle of the power plug according to embodiments of the present invention is describe with reference to fig3 and 5 . as shown in fig3 and 5 , when the reset button 7 is pressed , the lock member 23 slides into the groove 24 on the reset shaft 19 . when the reset button is subsequently released , the reset spring 25 urges the reset shaft 19 upward , bringing the disconnect mechanism 10 upward . as a result , the moveable contact levers 8 , 9 disposed above the side arms 21 , 22 move upwards , causing the moveable contact terminals 17 , 18 to come into contact with the stationary contact terminals 16 , 15 on the neutral and phase conductors 3 , 4 . this electrically connects the input to the output of the power plug . when electrical connection between the input ( line ) and the output ( load ) side of the power plug is to be broken , the test button 6 is pressed to close the switch 26 . as shown in fig5 , a current path is formed between the phase ( hot ) and neutral ( white ) wires on the output ( load ) side of the plug through resistors r 3 , r 2 , terminals 101 and 102 of the photo coupler ic , and diode d 6 . the action of the photo coupler causes electrical conduction between the photo coupler output terminals 104 and 106 . this triggers the scr to become conductive , supplying a current to energize the coil 27 . the magnetic field generated by the coil 27 causes the core 11 to move the lock member 23 laterally , thereby releasing the reset shaft 19 that has been locked at the groove 24 by the lock member 23 . as a result , the disconnect mechanism 10 is lowered , together with the side arms 21 , 22 . the moveable contact levers 8 , 9 is also lowered , causing the moveable contact terminals 17 , 18 to separate from the stationary contact terminals 16 , 15 on the neutral and phase conductors 3 , 4 , thereby electrically disconnecting the input and output sides of the power plug . similarly , when the input of the equipment connected to the plug has a current leakage or short circuit at the phase or neutral wires , the leakage current on the shield lines form a current path through resistor r 2 , terminals 101 , 102 of the photo coupler ic , and diodes d 5 and d 6 alternately . the action of the photo coupler causes electrical conduction between the photo coupler output terminals 104 and 106 . this triggers the scr to become conductive , supplying a current to energize the coil 27 . the magnetic field generated by the coil 27 causes the core 11 to move the lock member 23 laterally , thereby releasing the reset shaft 19 that has been locked at the groove 24 by the lock member 23 . as a result , the disconnect mechanism 10 is lowered , together with the side arms 21 , 22 . the moveable contact levers 8 , 9 is also lowered , causing the moveable contact terminals 17 , 18 to separate from the stationary contact terminals 16 , 15 on the neutral and phase conductors 3 , 4 , thereby electrically disconnecting the input and output sides of the power plug . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modification and variations can be made in the power plug embodiment of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . thus , it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .
7
one exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides for a multi - rate memory , such as a ddr memory , having a self - timed data ordering mechanism in response to read operations yielding multiple data words . referring to fig1 , a block diagram of a ddr memory , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown . ddr memory 10 includes a memory device 12 which further includes a memory array 14 , logic circuitry 16 , interface lines 18 for providing an external interface with other systems , such as a microprocessor , and address and control lines 20 for electrically operably coupling the logic circuitry 16 with the memory array 14 . the memory array 14 includes memory cells 22 , 24 addressable by even and odd word addresses with the memory cells being accessed in response to address signals provided on address lines which form a portion of interface lines 18 . logic circuitry 16 includes input / output buffers , control circuitry , address decoders , ( all not shown ) and , particular to the present invention , data ordering logic 56 ( fig4 ) for tracking the specified ordering of the multiple data words retrieved from memory array 14 . interface lines 18 and lines 20 may also include control signals including , but not limited to , a clock ( clk ), a row access strobe ( ras ), a column access strobe ( cas ), a write enable ( we ), and a clock enable ( cke ), ( all not shown ). each addressable memory location in array 14 contains 2n - bit words with each addressable memory location having a unique address as a result of the combination of a bank address , a row address , and a column address . for a given read operation , data words are separated into two , n - bit data words . each of the n - bit words are transferred , one at a time , to data i / o ( dq ) terminals ( fig3 b ) of the device . the order of the transfer is determined by a data word ordering designator such as an address bit , one of which is commonly referred to as the column address zero ( caø ). by way of example , and not limitation , the specific word of the n - bit word pair selected by a zero logic level on caø is considered the even word ( i . e ., any address with caø = 0 is considered an even word address ). alternatively , the word selected by a 1 logical level on caø is considered the odd word ( i . e ., an address with caø = 1 is considered an odd word address ). fig2 is a timing diagram illustrating typical random read operations according to an embodiment of the present invention . individual read commands 70 , 72 , 74 are presented to the ddr memory . each read command 70 , 72 , 74 includes respective addresses 76 , 78 , 80 specifying the specific combination of a bank address , a row address , and a column address . additionally , the least significant bit of the column address , caø , 82 , 84 , 86 , respectively , specifies the output ordering of the retrieved multiple data bits . for purposes of explanation , the use of “ data bits ” and “ data words ” may be used interchangeably with the use of “ data words ” implying parallel arrays of memory cells cooperatively forming plural bit words . as shown in fig2 , read command 70 results in an output of data word pair 88 which is ordered according to caø 82 with even data word 90 preceding odd data word 92 . in a converse ordering , read command 72 specifies caø 84 to reverse the output ordering of data word pair 94 such that odd data word 96 precedes even data word 98 when output . similar to the ordering of read command 70 , read command 74 results in an output of data word pair 100 which is ordered according to caø 86 with even data word 102 preceding odd data word 104 . a more detailed diagram of a ddr memory , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , is shown in fig3 a and 3b . ddr memory 10 is illustrated , by way of example , as a 16 megabit ( mb ), high - speed complementary metal oxide semiconductor ( cmos ), which , by way of illustration and not limitation , is illustrated as an internally configured quad - bank dram with each bank 32 a , 32 b , 32 c and 32 d organized as 512 rows by 256 words by 32 bits . the exemplary ddr memory 10 is further illustrated to include an internal , pipelined ddr architecture to achieve high - speed operation . the illustrated ddr memory architecture , by way of example and not limitation , is a 2n prefetch architecture with an output interface for transferring two data words per clock cycle at input / output ( i / o ) terminals 34 ( fig3 b ). an exemplary read access of ddr memory 10 includes a single 64 - bit , 1 - clock - cycle data transfer at an internal memory core path 36 and two corresponding 32 - bit , one - half - clock - cycle data transfer as seen at output ( i / o ) terminals 34 . a bidirectional data strobe ( dqs ), part of the i / o terminals 34 , is transferred externally , along with data dqn , for use in data capture at a receiver . dqs is an intermittent strobe transmitted by the ddr memory 10 during read operations and by the memory controller ( not shown ) during write operations . dqs is edge - aligned with data for read operations and center - aligned with data for write operations . ddr memory 10 operates from a differential clock , clk and clk *, which form part of control signals 38 which further form part of interface lines 18 . for uniformity in reference , the transitioning of clk from a low state to a high state is referred to as the positive edge of clk . address and control signals of interface lines 18 , generally referred to as commands , are registered on each positive edge of clk with output data registered on both edges , the rising and falling edges , of clk at output ( i / o ) terminals 34 . read accesses to ddr memory 10 may occur according to various commands which cause accessing to start at a selected location and , in the case of a burst mode access , reading continues for a selected number of locations . in an exemplary embodiment , read accesses begin with the registration of an active command which is then followed by a read command . the address bits registered coincident with the active command are used to select the bank and row to be accessed ( ba 0 , ba 1 which select the bank ; a 0 - a 8 which select the row at bank and row pins 40 ) by way of bank and row logic circuitry 42 . ddr memory 10 is illustrated , by way of example and not limitation , as a pipelined , multibank architecture providing for concurrent operation , thereby providing high effective bandwidth by hiding row precharge and activation time . ddr memory 10 may , in one embodiment , be designed to operate in low - power memory systems and in auto refresh modes as well as other modes such as power saving and power down modes . all inputs of ddr memory 10 may be compatible with the joint electronic device engineering council ( jedec ) standard for sstl - 2 , as known by those of ordinary skill in the art . ddr memory 10 further includes an address counter / latch 44 which captures the address information provided externally on lines 46 during a read operation . column address counter / latch 44 further captures column address bit caø signal 48 . referring to fig3 b , ddr memory 10 further includes a read latch 50 which receives the 2n odd and even words , which in the present example are 32 bit words , from the respective memory banks 32 a , 32 b , 32 c , 32 d . the odd and even word addressing described herein applies to the logical circuitry and not necessarily to the memory array . furthermore , the term word address defines the complete address ( ca 7 - caø ) which is a logical address in the memory array and not necessarily a physical address ( i . e ., the 2n - bit words that are selected according to caø are not individually addressable or selectable within memory array 14 ). read latch 50 outputs on even data lines 52 the even n - bit word and on odd data lines 54 the n - bit odd data word . ddr memory 10 further includes data ordering logic 56 which receives the two n - bit even and odd data words and correctly orders the data words for output on data line 58 according to the even and odd data word ordering designator caø signal 48 . the odd and even data words are thereafter ordered and output on data lines 58 with dqs strobe lines 60 as generated by dqs generator 62 . the respective signals are received by a driver 64 which provides dq outputs dq 0 - dq 31 at output ( i / o ) terminals 34 . fig4 is a block diagram of data ordering logic 56 for interimly storing the odd and even data words for the specified output ordering according to the even and odd ordering signal caø signal 48 . fig4 is a detailed block diagram of the data ordering logic 56 according to one embodiment of the present invention . data ordering logic 56 receives addressing information , specifically data word ordering information , along with the data to be ordered and performs the prescribed ordering of the data words . in the present invention , the data ordering is self - timed with the latching of ordered data which resolves propagation disparities between data path latency and control path latency . in the present embodiment , control of the data ordering is allowed to change only after the preceding ordered data has been latched into the latency register . by way of example and not limitation , fig4 illustrates one embodiment for accomplishing the above - stated objective . in the exemplary embodiment , data ordering logic 56 includes a means for buffering a multiple data word ordering indicator , namely caø signal 48 , corresponding to a current valid read signal 66 . by way of example and not limitation , a means for buffering a multiple data word ordering indicator is illustrated as a caø register 106 which buffers caø 48 upon the occurrence of a valid read signal 66 and generates an ordering mux control signal 108 corresponding with the specified ordering of the data word pair presented to the ordering muxes 10 , 112 . the caø register 106 functions as a data word or bit ordering designator register configured to store , in a first - in first - out order , a data word ordering designator from each of the successive read operations designating a simultaneous read of a plurality of data words . the caø register 106 is also configured to generate an ordering control or mux control signal 108 according to a first - out one of the data word ordering designator . additional pipelining registers may also be implemented to buffer correctly ordered data word pairs pending the arrival of a specific clock cycle and the respective edge of the clock cycle . fig5 is a detailed functional diagram of caø register 106 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . while fig5 illustrates the functional operation of caø register 106 , implementation of logic circuitry from the illustrated functional operation is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art , and is not further described herein . returning to fig5 , caø register 106 includes a means for temporarily buffering the multiple data word ordering indicators when received during a valid read command until the corresponding multiple data words are retrieved from the memory array 14 ( fig1 ). the caø register 106 then generates the ordering mux control signal 108 . by way of example and not limitation , the means for temporarily buffering the multiple data word ordering indicator caø signal 48 in one exemplary embodiment implements is a first - in first - out buffer ( fifo ) 114 . those of ordinary skill in the art appreciate that a fifo may be implemented as a series of shift registers that include an indicator or pointer to the next vacant storage location for storing the currently received caø value as well as an indicator or pointer to the oldest stored ( first - out ) data as well . in fig5 , caø fifo 114 includes an input pointer 116 indicating the next available buffer for temporarily storing the multiple data word ordering indicator , caø , while the corresponding read command proceeds to retrieve the corresponding data word pair from the memory array 14 ( fig1 ). management of input pointer 116 preferably occurs in hardware that includes logic implementing input pointer control 118 which includes monitoring 120 for a valid read command that may include a corresponding multiple data word ordering designator or indicator caø signal 48 and latching 122 the corresponding caø into a location within caø fifo 114 as indicated by input pointer 116 . input pointer 116 is thereafter incremented 124 to accommodate a subsequent read command . caø fifo 114 also includes an output pointer 126 identifying the next value of caø to be used as the ordering value for ordering multiplexor (“ mux ”) control 108 . referring to fig4 , ordering muxes 110 , 112 each receive even data line 52 and odd data line 54 and appropriately pass , under the control of ordering mux control signal 108 , either the even data line 52 or the odd data line 54 to respective latency registers 128 , 130 . ordering mux 10 couples to a rising edge latency register 128 for receiving either even data words or odd data words , as specified by the corresponding caøs , and temporarily buffers the selected word for outputting on data line 58 on the rising edge of a memory clock . ordering mux 112 couples to a falling edge latency register 130 for receiving either odd data words or even data words , as specified by the corresponding caøs and temporarily buffering the selected word for outputting on data line 58 on the falling edge of a memory bus clock . management of the output pointer 126 occurs in a self - timed manner , meaning that the ordering mux control signal changes only upon positive feedback when the data word pair has been ordered and latched . management of output pointer 126 occurs in hardware that includes logic implementing output pointer control 132 which includes outputting 134 the next caø from the fifo as ordering mux control signal 108 to ordering muxes 110 , 112 ( fig4 ). also , output pointer 126 retains the current caø value on ordering mux control signal 108 until the even and odd data words are latched 136 , as indicated by latch signal 140 ( fig4 ), into registers 128 , 130 . thereafter , output pointer 126 is incremented 138 . referring now to fig6 , a diagram of a system 142 in conjunction with which embodiments of the invention may be implemented is shown . system 142 may include a computer , embedded systems or other electronic computational embodiments . system 142 includes a processor 144 , memory 10 , at least one input device 146 and at least one output device 148 which are operatively coupled to one another . while the invention may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms , specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described in detail herein . however , it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed . rather , the invention includes all modifications , equivalents , and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims .
6
fig1 shows a preferred embodiment of an optical module inspection circuit 100 . the optical module inspection circuit 100 includes an optical platform 110 upon which are arranged one or more optical inspection stations 120 at fixed positions . each optical inspection station 120 may be mounted in a fixed position on the optical platform 110 . in a preferred embodiment , the optical module platform 110 has a low - friction or virtually frictionless top surface . the optical module platform 110 top surface may be coated with a silicone based coating or teflon ®. also , the top surface may be made more frictionless by providing an air cushion . each optical inspection station 120 includes an optical inspection apparatus 130 having an optical interface 140 located a fixed distance above the top of the optical platform 110 . the optical inspection apparatus 130 may be , for example , a microscope or an electronic imaging device or camera . an inspector may use the optical inspection apparatus to inspect an edge or planar surface of an optical device . to inspect each optical device mounted on an optical module , the optical device must be aligned with the optical interface 140 of the corresponding optical inspection station 120 . in a preferred embodiment , an optical module is mounted on an optical module carrier 160 which conveys the optical module to each optical inspection station 120 in the optical module inspection circuit 100 . the optical module carrier 160 is designed to place each optical device on the optical module the same distance above the top surface of the optical platform 110 as the optical interface 140 of the corresponding optical inspection station 120 . this insures that the optical device is properly aligned with the optical inspection apparatus to prevent damage to the optical device . a preferred embodiment of an optical module carrier 200 according to one or more aspects of the present invention is shown in fig2 . in the preferred embodiment of fig2 the optical module carrier 200 includes a tray 210 upon which an optical module may be mounted . the tray preferably has a flat top surface , or it may have a raised edge or lip along its outer top surface for helping to align or maintain the optical module in a fixed position with respect to the carrier . in a preferred embodiment , the optical module carrier 200 also includes one or more vertically extending pillars 220 for securing the optical module into a fixed position on the top surface of the tray 210 . the pillars 220 may be clamps which hold an optical module to the tray . alternatively , the pillars 210 may include one or more slots for sliding an optical module into and thereby securing the optical module on the optical module carrier 200 . optionally , the optical module and the optical module carrier may each include threaded holes which are aligned with corresponding holes in an optical module when the optical module is properly placed on the top surface of the optical module carrier 200 . in that case , the optical module may be secured to the optical module carrier 200 by means of one or more screws or bolts . in a preferred embodiment , the optical module carrier 200 includes one or more rollers 230 which may be used to transport the optical module carrier 200 . in a preferred embodiment , the rollers may be balls ( e . g ., ball bearings ) which partially extend through holes in the bottom surface of the tray 210 . alternatively , the rollers may be wheels , cylindrical rollers , or similar devices mounted to the bottom surface of the tray 210 . in a preferred embodiment , the optical module carrier 200 includes loaders which are spring loaded to provide an additional degree of freedom in the vertical direction . by applying pressure in a downward direction , the springs may be compressed and the vertical position of an optical module mounted on the optical module carrier may be precisely adjusted . fig3 a shows a first preferred embodiment of a tray 300 for an optical module carrier . in a preferred embodiment , the tray 300 may consist of a top portion 310 and a bottom cover plate 320 which are attached together . the top portion 310 and the bottom cover plate 320 may snap together , or they may be attached by any convenient means such as by screws , solder joints , welding etc . in a preferred embodiment , the top portion 310 has a plurality of recesses 330 in its bottom surface 340 which may accommodate balls 350 . the recesses 330 also may be coated with teflon or packed with lubricant to help the balls 350 to roll more freely . corresponding to each recess 330 , the bottom cover plate 320 has a hole 360 having a diameter which is slightly smaller than the diameter of the recess 330 . the balls 350 are placed in the recesses 330 of the top portion 310 and the bottom cover plate 320 is then attached . thus the balls 350 extend through the holes 360 a fixed distance below the bottom surface of the tray 300 such that they freely rotate in the holes 360 . in this way , the optical module carrier may easily convey an optical module upon a top surface of an optical platform to one or more optical inspection stations while placing each optical device at the same distance above the top surface of the optical platform as the optical interface of the corresponding optical inspection station . in some cases , the optical inspection stations each may have an optical interface which is a different distance above the top surface of the optical platform . in that case , the optical devices on an module each may need to be placed at different distances above the top surface of the optical platform to be aligned with the optical interface of the corresponding optical inspection station . in a preferred embodiment , the optical module carrier tray 300 includes a spring 355 for each recess 330 and ball 350 . the spring 355 allows the vertical positioning of the tray 300 to be adjusted slightly for precisely aligning an optical module with an optical device interface of an optical module inspection station . fig3 b shows a second preferred embodiment of a tray 370 for an optical module carrier which may also accommodate the need to place different optical devices at different heights to align them with the optical device interfaces of corresponding inspection apparatuses . the tray 370 is similar to the tray 300 shown in fig3 a except that it includes a top cover 375 and one or more elevation mechanisms 380 . the elevation mechanism 380 may be used to raise or lower top cover 375 above the rest of the optical module carrier . in this way , an optical module may be raised or lowered so that each optical device on an optical module may be precisely positioned to match the distance above the top surface of the optical platform as the optical interface of the corresponding optical inspection station . although fig3 b shows a &# 34 ; scissors - type &# 34 ; elevation mechanism , one skilled in the art would recognize that many other elevation mechanisms could be incorporated into the optical module carrier to raise or lower the optical module . fig4 shows an optical module inspection circuit 400 with an optical module carrier 405 on an optical platform 410 having two optical inspection stations 420 . an optical module 460 is mounted on the optical module carrier 405 . the optical module 460 shown here includes a faceplate 462 and several bulkheads 464 which house optical device surfaces to be inspected at the inspection stations 420 . the bulkheads 462 may include an optical connector for interfacing with a microscope or electronic imaging device . the optical module carrier 405 includes two vertical pillars 425 having slots for holding the optical module 460 . the optical module carrier 405 also includes a tray 430 for conveying the optical module 460 along the top surface of the optical platform 410 . as shown here , the vertical pillars 425 are attached to the tray 430 by means of a plate 435 . in a preferred embodiment , the optical module carrier 405 may be fabricated of aluminum or another lightweight metal , plastic , or another appropriate material . as described above , in a preferred embodiment , the tray 430 includes a plurality of rollers such as ball bearings on a bottom surface for smoothly conveying the optical module to an optical inspection station 420 . also , in a preferred embodiment , the top surface of the optical platform 410 is made to have low friction using , for example , a silicone based coating . fig5 shows a preferred embodiment of an automated optical module inspection circuit 500 . the optical module inspection circuit 500 includes an optical platform 510 upon which are arranged one or more optical inspection stations 520 at fixed positions . each optical inspection station 520 includes an optical inspection apparatus 530 having an optical interface 540 located a fixed distance above the top of the optical platform 510 . the optical module inspection circuit 500 also includes a movable arm 550 extendable from a base 555 over the surface of the optical platform 510 . in a preferred embodiment , the movable arm 550 is attached to an optical module carrier 560 which conveys an optical module to each optical inspection station 520 in the optical module inspection circuit 500 . the optical module carrier 560 is designed to place each optical device on the optical module the same distance above the top surface of the optical platform 510 as the optical interface 540 of the corresponding optical inspection station 520 . this insures that the optical device is aligned with the optical inspection apparatus to prevent damage to the optical device . preferably , the movable arm 550 is mechanically controlled by one or more signals from a programmable processor 570 to automatically position the optical module at one or more optical inspection stations 520 on the optical platform 510 . in that case , the processor 570 executes a program which divides the top surface of the optical platform 510 into an x - y cartesian coordinate grid . the x - y coordinates for the optical interface 540 of each optical inspection station 520 are stored in processor memory , and the processor 570 executes a software program to automatically position the movable arm 550 at the x - y coordinates for each optical interface in order to inspect an optical device on an optical module . preferably , the processor 570 has one or more data entry devices such as a keyboard 582 , a mouse 584 , a graphics tablet 586 and / or a light pen 588 . the processor 570 also has a display device such as a monitor 590 . preferably , the processor 570 executes a first training routine for storing in memory the x - y coordinates for each optical interface 540 of the optical inspection stations 520 along the optical platform 510 . the movable arm 550 is steered to the proper location for each optical inspection station 520 either manually or under computer control . the arm is positioned so that an optical module on the optical module carrier 560 is properly positioned and oriented to align an optical device with the optical interface 540 for the corresponding optical inspection station 520 . then the corresponding x - y coordinate of the optical interface 540 is manually or automatically stored into memory by the processor 570 . this process is repeated for each optical inspection station 520 in the optical module inspection circuit 500 . the processor 570 also executes a second inspection routine for controlling the movable arm 550 to automatically position an optical device on an optical module to be inspected at the optical interface 540 of the corresponding optical inspection station 520 on the optical platform 510 . a user may enter an identification number for an inspection station 520 and the processor 570 retrieves the corresponding x - y coordinates of the optical interface 540 from memory . the processor 570 then supplies control signals to the movable arm 550 to move it to align the optical device to be inspected with the optical interface 540 for the corresponding optical inspection station 520 . this is repeated for each optical device and each inspection station in the optical module inspection circuit 500 . in a variation of the first preferred embodiment of an automated optical module inspection circuit , the movable arm may also move the optical module carrier in the z dimension above the top surface of the optical platform 510 . this may allow the movable arm to automatically place different optical device on an module at different heights above the top surface of the optical platform to align them with corresponding inspection apparatuses . in that case , during the training routine , the z coordinate for each optical interface 540 of the optical inspection stations 520 along the optical platform 510 is stored in memory along with the x - y coordinates . likewise , during the inspection routine the movable arm 550 automatically positions each optical device on an optical module to be inspected at the proper x , y and z coordinates for the optical interface 540 of the corresponding optical inspection station 520 on the optical platform 510 . fig6 shows another preferred embodiment of an automated optical module inspection circuit 600 . the optical module inspection circuit 600 includes an optical platform 610 upon which are arranged one or more optical inspection stations 620 at fixed positions . each optical inspection station 620 includes an optical inspection apparatus 630 having an optical interface 640 located a fixed distance above the top of the optical platform 610 . the optical module inspection circuit 600 also includes an optical module carrier 660 which conveys an optical module to each optical inspection station 620 in the optical module inspection circuit 600 . the optical module carrier 660 is designed to place each optical device on the optical module the same distance above the top surface of the optical platform 610 as the optical interface 640 of the corresponding optical inspection station 620 . this insures that the optical device is aligned with the optical inspection apparatus to prevent damage to the optical device . preferably , the optical module carrier 660 is mechanically controlled by one or more signals from a programmable processor 670 to automatically position the optical module at one or more optical inspection stations 620 on the optical platform 610 . preferably , the optical module carrier 660 includes an electrical motor for turning rolling means 665 which transport the optical module carrier 660 . the rolling means 665 may be wheels , cylindrical rollers , similar devices mounted to the bottom surface of the optical module carrier 660 . preferably , the top surface of the optical platform 610 is divided into an x - y cartesian coordinate grid . the x - y coordinates for the optical interface 640 of each optical inspection station 620 are stored in processor memory , and the processor 670 executes a software program to automatically position the optical module at the x - y coordinates for each optical interface in order to inspect an optical device on an optical module . preferably , the processor 670 has one or more data entry devices such as a keyboard 682 , a mouse 684 , a graphics tablet 686 and / or a light pen 688 . the processor 670 also has a display device such as a monitor 690 . preferably , the processor 670 executes a first training routine for storing in memory the x - y coordinates for each optical interface 640 of the optical inspection stations 620 along the optical platform 610 . the optical module carrier 660 is steered to the proper location for each optical inspection station 620 either manually or under computer control . the optical module carrier 660 is positioned so that an optical module mounted thereon is properly positioned and oriented to align an optical device with the optical interface 640 for the corresponding optical inspection station 620 . then the corresponding x - y coordinate of the optical interface 640 is manually or automatically stored into memory by the processor 670 . this process is repeated for each optical inspection station 620 in the optical module inspection circuit 600 . the processor 670 also executes a second inspection routine for transporting the optical module carrier 660 to automatically position an optical device on an optical module to be inspected at the optical interface 640 of the corresponding optical inspection station 620 on the optical platform 610 . a user may enter an identification number for an inspection station 620 and the processor 670 retrieves the corresponding x - y coordinates of the optical interface 640 from memory . the processor 670 then supplies control signals to the optical module carrier 660 to move it to align the optical device to be inspected with the optical interface 640 for the corresponding optical inspection station 620 . this is repeated for each optical device and each inspection station in the optical module inspection circuit 600 . in a variation of the second preferred embodiment of an automated optical module inspection circuit , the optical module carrier may include automatic means for elevation in the z dimension above the top surface of the optical platform 610 . this may allow the optical module carrier 660 , under control of the processor 670 , to automatically place different optical device on an module at different heights above the top surface of the optical platform to align them with corresponding inspection apparatuses . by the above - described system and process , optical devices may be quickly aligned for inspection without risk of damage . while preferred embodiments are disclosed herein , many variations are possible which remain within the concept and scope of the invention . such variations would become clear to one of ordinary skill in the art after inspection of the specification , drawings and claims herein . the invention therefore is not to be restricted except within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .
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in describing preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings , specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity . however , the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected , and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all equivalents . referring now to the drawings , fig1 shows an overview of the payment and control system 100 generally having primary dispensers 10 , secondary dispensers 20 , controller / interface 30 and a central facility 50 . the dispensers 10 , 20 can be any suitable single - or multi - product device , though preferably the primary dispenser 10 is a fuel pump and the secondary dispenser 20 is a vending machine . each of the dispensers 10 , 20 preferably has a processor 12 , 22 , card reader 14 , 24 and a display 16 , 26 . the processor 12 , 22 , card reader 14 , 24 and display 16 , 26 are only shown in a single dispenser 10 , 20 of fig1 for ease of illustration . however , it should be understood that each dispenser 10 , 20 of fig2 - 4 also contain a processor 12 , 22 , card reader 14 , 24 and display 16 , 26 . processors 12 , 22 control operation of the dispensers 10 , 20 , card readers 14 , 24 and displays 16 , 26 . the dispensers 10 , 20 are electrically connected to the controller / interface 30 so that processors 12 , 22 can communicate with the central facility 50 via controller / interface 30 . the connection can be a wired or wireless connection , and by a dedicated line or via a local network or global network such as the internet . the dispensers 10 , 20 and the interface 30 are preferably located at a local facility , such as a gas station , and the central facility is located at a remote location and connected to a plurality of controllers 30 . a regional facility ( not shown ) can optionally be provided between the central facility 50 and the controllers 30 which provide more of a localized operation of the local stations . as shown in fig1 each of the dispensers 10 , 20 are connected to a main communication line 5 . in the alternative preferred embodiment of fig2 a secondary dispenser 20 is connected to one or more of the primary dispensers 10 , which in turn are connected to the controller / interface 30 . here , the secondary dispenser 20 receives and transmits information and control signals via the primary dispenser 10 . still another alternative embodiment is shown in fig3 wherein the interface is integrated into the primary dispensers 10 , which are connected to the central facility 50 . thus , a single controller / interface is provided for each primary dispenser 10 . in fig2 and 3 , each primary dispenser 10 is associated with a secondary dispenser 20 , whereas in fig1 any primary dispenser 10 can operate with any secondary dispenser 20 . in the preferred embodiment , the primary dispenser 10 is a fuel pump and the secondary dispenser 20 is a vending machine . as illustrated in fig2 each secondary dispenser 20 can be associated with more than one primary dispenser 10 . likewise , each primary dispenser 10 can be associated with more than one secondary dispenser 20 . the different embodiments of fig1 - 3 can also be integrated in any suitable manner , as best illustrated for instance in fig4 . each processor 12 , 22 controls a dispensing process and other operation of each of the respective dispenser 10 , 20 and transfer data and control signals to and from the central facility 50 via controller / interface 30 . the controller / interface 30 can be configured to operate simply as an interface that transfers signals between the dispensers 10 , 20 and the central facility 50 . in this manner , the controller 30 coordinates control signals received from the central facility 50 and transmits the control signals to the dispensers 10 , 20 . the controller 30 also receives and coordinates data signals from the dispensers 10 , 20 and forwards those data signals to the central facility 50 . this is particularly advantageous when the primary dispenser 10 operates according to a different protocol than the secondary dispenser 20 or the central facility 50 . the controller / interface 30 can also be used to allow an attendant to control the dispensers 10 , 20 located at the local station and to send data signals to the central facility 50 . however , the controller 30 can also be eliminated , as shown in fig3 - 4 , so that the dispensers 10 , 20 communicate directly with the regional facility or central facility 50 . as further shown in fig1 - 2 , a register station 70 can alternatively be provided for use by an attendant . the register station 70 can be used where the customer decides to make payment by cash , for inside payment , or purchases products located indoors . sub - totals from the primary and secondary dispensers are transmitted to the register station 70 . the register station 70 determines a final total , taking into account any additional products ordered through the register station 70 . the attendant can then accept final payment for all products and services purchased by the customer . the station 70 can also be configured as a payment station 70 that is self - service , and accepts payment from the customer . operation of the processor 12 , 22 is shown in fig5 which begins by validating a charge card at step 32 via the card reader 12 , 22 . for illustrative purposes , the following description will take the example in which a customer uses the card reader 14 of the primary dispenser 10 . however , operation can also be at the secondary dispenser 20 . starting at step 31 , the system determines whether the customer will make payment by cash or credit . if a charge card is to be used , the card is validated at step 32 . once the card is validated by the card reader 14 , all of the secondary dispensers 20 associated with the primary dispenser 10 are made available for use by the customer . information is transmitted to the displays 16 , 26 to inform the customer that certain dispensers 10 , 20 are available for use by the customer , step 34 . if cash is used at step 31 , the system proceeds directly to step 34 . the cash is preferably received in advance of dispensing any product . optionally , however , the system can allow the user to defer payment until after the goods and / or services are dispensed . thus , for instance , the user can select to make payment by cash at an inside attendant after the product is dispensed . the totals from each of the primary and secondary dispensers would then be forwarded to the register 70 , which can be either attendant - operated or self - service . continuing to step 36 , information about the products available to the customer is displayed on one or more of the display devices 16 , 26 of the associated dispensers 10 , 20 . the display device 16 , 26 is used to indicate sale items , instructions , advertisements , promotional materials or the like . at step 38 , the customer selects one or more of the products through a touch - sensitive display 16 , 26 or a separate keypad ( not shown ). once a product is selected , step 38 , the product is dispensed from the appropriate dispenser 10 , 20 . if the secondary dispenser 20 is to dispense product , the primary dispenser 10 transmits a control signal to the appropriate dispenser 20 , causing that dispenser 20 to dispense the product , step 40 . thus , product from secondary dispenser 20 can be selected from the display 16 of the primary dispenser 10 . alternatively , product from the secondary dispenser 20 can be selected directly from the secondary dispenser 20 , which is automatically activated in response to the charge card being validated at step 32 . however , the secondary dispenser 20 can only be activated by one primary dispenser 10 at a time . if the secondary dispenser 20 is in use by another primary dispenser 10 or by a customer that is using cash / coins , that primary dispenser 10 indicates that the secondary dispenser 20 is in use and the customer must wait until the secondary dispenser 20 is closed out . certain primary dispensers 10 can be assigned priority of use to certain secondary dispensers 20 based , for instance , upon proximity and / or orientation of the dispensers 10 , 20 to one another . once the product has been dispensed , step 40 , the inventory for that dispenser 10 , 20 is updated , step 42 . the status of the dispenser 10 , 20 is also transmitted to the controller 30 . central facility 50 can poll each of the controllers 30 and / or dispensers 10 , 20 to determine current inventory and how much additional product is needed . in addition , the controller 30 or dispenser 10 , 20 can send an alert signal to the central facility 50 to indicate that additional supplies are needed . controller 30 can also be configured to collect additional information about each dispenser 10 , 20 , such as the volume of sales for a given period of time , whether the dispenser 10 , 20 is presently in use , and whether the dispenser 10 , 20 is fully operational or needs repair . controllers 30 or central facility 50 can also change pricing at the dispensers 10 , 20 , as well as the information that is displayed on the dispenser 10 , 20 . pricing can automatically be set based upon supply and demand information , or based upon when a next delivery can be made . once the product has been dispensed , step 40 , the primary dispenser 10 is closed out . after all of the associated secondary dispensers 20 are closed out , the total price for all products purchased is calculated , step 44 . if the customer uses the interactive display 16 of the primary dispenser 10 to order product from the secondary dispenser 20 , the price is known by the primary dispenser 10 and is combined with the price of the fuel . on the other hand , if the customer uses the interactive display 26 to order product from the secondary dispenser 20 , the price must first be transmitted from the secondary dispenser 20 to the primary dispenser 10 where it is combined with the price of the fuel . as noted above , the total can alternatively be determined by controller 30 . in this case , the primary and secondary dispensers transmit the subtotal to the controller 30 . the controller 30 then determines and forwards the total price to the primary dispenser 10 . once the total price is determined , the customer &# 39 ; s charge card is billed and a receipt can be printed at the primary dispenser 10 . alternatively , the sub - total prices from each primary and secondary dispenser 10 , 20 can be transmitted to the attendant station 70 . the attendant station 70 determines the total price and receives payment . the attendant station 70 can also be provided with a manual override to timeout any dispensers 10 , 20 that are still open . the station 70 can also be operated by an attendant , or can also be self - service . the station 70 also has a display and can control operation of the primary and secondary dispensers 10 , 20 . turning to fig6 the timeout period will now be discussed in further detail . upon validation of the charge card , step 32 , the timeout period begins , step 52 . if the customer is using cash , the timeout period can begin at the time the customer indicates cash will be used , or upon receipt of prepayment of cash . at block 54 , the primary dispenser 10 waits for the customer to make a product selection . once a selection is made , the timeout period is reset , step 56 , for the primary dispenser 10 and the associated secondary dispensers 20 , or only for the dispenser that contained the selected product . if the dispensing operation takes an extended period of time , such as for dispensing fuel , the timeout period for that dispenser is preferably set to expire once the dispensing operation is complete . an extended period of time can also be added following completion of the dispensing operation . the processor determines whether the timeout period has expired , step 58 , until such time as a selection is made , step 54 . if no selection is made at step 54 and the timeout period expires , step 58 , the dispenser ( s ) is closed out , step 60 . at this point , a secondary dispenser 20 that has been closed out becomes available for use by cash or by other primary dispensers 10 . once the charge card is validated at the primary dispenser 10 , the secondary dispensers 20 associated with the primary dispenser 10 are automatically reserved . after a secondary dispenser 20 is closed out , that dispenser 20 becomes available for use by another dispenser 10 or by cash / coin . on the other hand , if the primary dispenser 10 closes out , and the secondary dispenser 20 has not timed out , the primary dispenser 10 waits for the secondary dispenser 20 to close , step 62 , before determining the total purchase price , step 44 . optionally , the system may be configured so that the secondary dispenser 20 automatically times out once the primary device times out or finishes dispensing product . still yet , the timeout period for the secondary dispenser 20 can start upon the primary dispenser 10 being closed . regardless , once all of the dispensers 10 , 20 are closed out , step 62 , the total purchase price is determined , step 44 . thus , for instance , if the customer chooses to select to dispense fuel from fuel pump 10 , the primary dispenser 10 remains open until the product is dispensed . the vending machine 20 , on the other hand , would close out after a predetermined timeout period . the timeout period is preferably measured from the moment the card is validated , step 52 . however , the timeout period for the secondary dispenser 20 can also be measured from the time the fuel is selected , or when the fuel transaction is completed . thus , for instance , once the customer selects to dispense fuel , the consumer is informed that “ please make your selection from the vending machine . the vending machine will close in 30 seconds .” in addition , the customer has the option of closing out one or all of the dispensers . control and data signals are formatted in accordance with common protocols , such as the vending machine communication protocol multi - drop bus / internal ( mdbi ) communication protocol . of course , more than one protocol can be used . the system 100 is particularly useful to integrate different dispensers 10 , 20 that each use different protocols or machine languages . signals can be transmitted directly between the primary dispenser 10 and the secondary dispenser 20 , or through the controller 30 . the present system 100 integrates self - service devices of the primary and secondary dispensers 10 , 20 . only one payment or credit transaction is needed to purchase product from the different self - service devices , thereby facilitating multiple purchases by the customer and reducing transactional charges to the owner . in addition , the present system 100 preferably has the secondary dispenser 20 located adjacent to the primary dispenser 10 , thereby promoting consumer impulse buying . the system 100 is entirely self - service and individual purchasing transactions do not need interaction between the customer and attendant . although the present invention has been described as integrating payment by cash , credit or charge card , the system can also be used for payment by any acceptable monetary equivalent . in addition , although the present invention has been described for use where there are a plurality of different dispensers 10 , 20 , the invention can further incorporate the dispensers into a single machine that dispenses different product , such as a fuel dispenser that also dispenses vending machine items . the foregoing descriptions and drawings should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . numerous applications of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art . therefore , it is not desired to limit the invention to the specific examples disclosed or the exact construction and operation shown and described . rather , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the invention .
6
the operation of a apparatus and method for controlling an operation of an elevator car in accordance with the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig2 is a block diagram illustrating the apparatus for controlling the operation of the elevator car in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention . as shown therein , an elevator car 210 is connected to one end portion of the rope , and transfers passengers or cargo . a balance weight 211 is connected to the other end portion of the rope , and keeps a balance with the elevator car 210 . a traction machine 208 moves the car 210 in a vertical direction by winding or releasing the rope . a brake 209 brakes or releases the traction machine 208 . the three - phase alternating current synchronous motor 205 provides a driving force rotating the traction machine 208 in a clockwise or counterclockwise , and has a permanent magnet generating an electricity by rotating of a rotor due to a weight difference between the balance weight 211 and the car 210 during the power failure . the three - phase alternating current power source 201 serve to supply an alternating current of three phases , and the alternating current from the three - phase alternating current power source 201 is converted into a direct current by a converter 202 . an inverter 204 includes switching devices for each phase provided with a gate for switching control , respectively , converts a direct current from the converter 202 into a three - phase alternating current , and outputs it to a motor 205 . a condenser 203 charges , smoothes and outputs a direct current from the converter 202 during the normal operation , and receives generated electricity from the motor 205 through the inverter 204 , and charges , smoothes and outputs it during the power failure . a power failure detector 212 connected to the three - phase alternating current power source 201 , and detects the power failure . an output thereof is connected to a controller 213 . the controller 213 receives a power failure detection output from the power failure detector 212 , and generates a speed command signal and an excitation component current command signal id * of the motor 205 . an encoder of a speed and position detector 207 is connected to an output from the motor 205 , and outputs a pulse signal corresponding to a rotation angle of the motor 205 . a current detector 206 is connected to a supply path of the three - phase alternating current outputted from the inverter 204 to the motor 205 , detects the currents for each phase , and outputs them to an inverter controller 214 . the inverter controller 214 receives the speed command signal ωm * and the excitation component current command signal id * from the controller 213 , the current values for each phase from the current detector 206 , and the pulse signal from the encoder 207 , and outputs voltage command signals of pulse width - modulated three phases . a gate driving unit 215 drives a gate of the inverter according to the voltage command signal from the inverter controller 214 . fig3 is a detailed block diagram illustrating an example of the inverter controller 214 in fig2 . the operation of the inverter controller will now be described . a speed detector 307 computes a current speed of the car 210 based on the pulse signal from the encoder 207 , and outputs a detection speed signal ωm . a speed controller 302 outputs a torque component current command signal iq * for compensating a difference between a command speed according to the speed command signal ωm * from the controller 213 and a detection speed according to the detection speed signal ωm from the speed detector 302 . a first coordinate converter 301 converts and outputs current signals for each phase ia , ib , ic from the current detector 206 into an excitation component current detection signal id and a torque component current detection signal iq . an excitation component current controller 303 ( so called d - axis current controller ) outputs an excitation component voltage control signal vd * for compensating a difference between an excitation component current command value according to the excitation component current command signal id * from the controller 213 and an excitation component current detection value according to the excitation component current detection signal id from the first coordinate converter 301 . a torque component current controller 304 ( so called q - axis current controller ) outputs a torque voltage control signal vq * for compensating a difference between a torque component current detection value according to the torque component current detection signal iq from the first coordinate converter 310 and a torque component current command value according to the torque component current command signal iq * from the speed controller 302 . a second coordinate converter 305 converts and outputs the excitation component voltage control signal vd * from the excitation component current controller 303 and the torque voltage control signal vq * from the torque component current controller 304 in to voltage control signals of three phases va *, vb *, vc *. a pulse width modulator 306 respectively pulse width modulates the voltage control signals of three phases from the second coordinate converter 305 , and outputs them to the gate driving unit 215 . the operation of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to fig4 and 5 . the operation control process during the normal state operation is similar to the conventional art . the three - phase alternating current power source 201 is converted into the direct current via the converter 202 , smoothed through the condenser 203 , and supplied as an input power source of the inverter 204 . at this state , when the speed command is inputted from the controller 213 to the inverter controller 214 , the inverter controller 214 outputs the gate driving signal to the gate driving unit 215 . accordingly , the switching devices in the inverter 204 are switched , and thus the driving voltage is provided to the synchronous motor 205 . the rotation force of the synchronous motor 205 rotating at a speed corresponding to the inputted driving power source is transmitted to the traction machine 208 , and the car 210 starts to move to a destination floor . the gate driving signal outputted from the inverter controller 214 is a pulse width modulation signal having a predetermined pattern generated by receiving the output signal from the current detector 206 and the speed and position detector 207 . the pulse width modulation signal is amplified to a predetermined level through the gate driving unit 215 , and supplied to the inverter 204 . on the other hand , when the power failure is detected by the power failure detector 212 , and when the detection signal is supplied to the controller 213 , the driving of the inverter 204 stops . at the same time , the brake 209 of the traction motor is operated , and thus the car 210 stops at a current position . here , the auxiliary power source prepared for the emergency such as the power failure is supplied to the controller 213 . the controller 213 examines a safety state of a hoist way and a normal / abnormal state of each control circuit , and performs the emergency operation as follows , when there is no abnormality . firstly , the brake 209 is released , and thus the car 210 starts to move towards a heavier side between the car 210 and the balance weight 211 . that is , when the car 210 is heavier than the balance weight 211 , the car 210 moves to a lower direction . in the opposite case , the car 210 moves to an upper direction as described above , when the car 210 starts to move towards one side due to a weight difference between the car 210 and the balance weight 211 , the rotation force is transmitted to the synchronous motor 205 through a power transmission system between the car 210 and the synchronous motor 205 . thereby rotating the synchronous motor 205 . a stator of the synchronous motor 205 includes the permanent magnet , and thus a rotor cuts a magnetic flux from the permanent magnet . accordingly , the motor 205 is operated as a generator , thus generating an electricity . the electricity is charged in the condenser 203 through the inverter 204 . in case a charging voltage level of the condenser 203 is increased to a predetermined level , namely to a driving level of the inverter 204 , the inverter 204 is controlled by the inverter controller 214 and the gate driving unit 215 , thereby controlling the rotation speed and torque of the synchronous motor 205 . that is , when the charging voltage is increased to a predetermined level , the inverter 204 is controlled as in the normal operation mode , and thus the synchronous motor 205 can be driven . therefore , differently from the conventional art , the contractor and the resistance are not necessary . on the other hand , the inverter control operation of the inverter controller 214 will now be explained in detail with reference to fig3 . the control operation of the synchronous motor 205 is performed based on the rotation angle of the rotor and the synchronous coordinate system . here , an in - phase component in regard to the magnet flux of the permanent magnet , namely an excitation component is set to be axis d , and an orthogonal component , namely a torque component is set to be axis q . the first coordinate converter 301 converts the currents of each phase ia , ib , ic detected from the current detector 206 into the magnetic excitation current id and the torque component current iq on the synchronous coordinate system , centering around the rotation angle θm of the synchronous motor 205 detected by the speed and position detector 207 . the speed controller 302 receives the speed ωm of the synchronous motor 205 detected by the speed and position detector 207 and the speed command ωm * which is an output from the controller 213 , and outputs the torque component current command iq *. on the other hand , the magnetic flux is determined by the permanent magnet , and thus the d - axis current command id * is generally set to be ‘ 0 ’. however , in order to control the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet , it may be set to be a different value . the d - axis current controller 303 receives the current command id * and the current id converted in the first coordinate converter 301 , and outputs the d - axis voltage command vd *. the q - axis current controller 304 receives the current command iq * outputted from the speed controller 302 and the current iq converted in the first coordinate converter 301 , and outputs the q - axis voltage command vq *. the second coordinate converter 305 coordinate - converts the d - axis and q - axis voltage commands vd *, vq *, according to the rotation angle θm , and outputs the command values va *, vb *, vc * of a phase voltage . the pulse width modulator 306 computes a pulse width of the pulse width modulation signal to be supplied to the gate of the switching device of the inverter 204 according to the command values va *, vb *, vc * of the phase voltage outputted from the second coordinate converter 305 , and outputs a corresponding pulse width modulation signal . the switching devices of the inverter 204 are switched according to the pulse width modulation signal , the driving force is supplied to the synchronous motor 205 , and thus the torque is generated thereto , thereby controlling the speed of the synchronous motor 205 . when the car 210 reaches to a door zone of the nearest floor by operating the synchronous motor 205 at a low speed through the inverter controller 214 , the door is opened in order for the passengers to get off . however , the electricity generated from the synchronous motor 205 is slight at an initial stage of the emergency operation , and thus a level of the direct current voltage outputted from the condenser may be lower than a rated value . accordingly , the speed control may not be smoothly performed by using the speed controller 302 . thus , in order to smoothly control the synchronous motor 205 during the emergency operation , it is necessary to limit the torque component current command iq * below the rated value until the voltage is sufficiently charged in the condenser 203 after starting the emergency operation of the car 210 . that is , it is necessary to gradually increase a limit value of the torque component current command iq * which is the output from the speed controller 302 according to the rotation speed of the synchronous motor 205 or the time elapsed . also , the level of the charging direct current voltage of the condenser 203 may be lower than the rated value before the synchronous motor 205 is rotated and accelerated at a predetermined speed . accordingly , it is necessary to limit the output values of the dais and q - axis voltage commands vd *, vq * of the d - axis current controller 303 and the q - axis current controller 304 according to the rotation speed of the synchronous motor 205 or the time elapsed after the starting of the motor 205 . that is to say , the limit values of the d - axis and q - axis voltage commands vd *, vq * of the d - axis current controller 303 and the q - axis current controller 304 are gradually increased according to the rotation speed of the synchronous motor 205 or the time elapsed . as another example , to limit the command values va *, vb *, vc * of the phase voltage outputted from the second coordinate converter 305 obtains the same effect . as discussed earlier , the direct current voltage is charged in the condenser 203 by the back electromotive force generated according to the rotation of the synchronous motor 205 , and thus the direct current voltage supplied to the inverter 204 can not maintain a constant potential . in order to exactly synthesize the command values va *, vb *, vc * of the phase voltage in the pulse width modulator 306 , it is required to exactly know the level of the varied direct current voltage . as illustrated in fig4 it is possible to exactly measure the level of the direct current voltage to be varied , by adding a direct current voltage detector 401 measuring a direct current voltage charged in the condenser 203 , and outputting it to the inverter controller . the pulse width modulator 306 outputting the pulse width modulation signal to the gate driving unit 215 controls a pulse width modulation signal generating time according to the output from the direct current voltage detector 401 . that is , in accordance with the output from the direct current voltage detector 401 , when the direct current voltage charged in the condenser 203 is lower than the rated value , a pulse width of the pulse width modulation signal is controlled to be short , and when the direct current voltage is higher than the rated value , the pulse width thereof is controlled to be long , or to be gradually increased . as described above , in accordance with the present invention , when the emergency such as the power failure takes place , the car is not operated by the weight difference between the car and the balance weight , and the ground resistance value . that is to say , the low - speed emergency operation is operated by controlling the speed and torque of the synchronous motor through the inverter with the back electromotive force of the motor . accordingly , a special device is not required , which results in the reduced fabrication cost . in addition , the emergency operation may be stably performed . as the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof , it should also be understood that the above - described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description , unless otherwise specified , but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims , and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the meets and bounds of the claims , or equivalences of such meets and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims .
1
hereafter , the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . [ 0015 ] fig1 describes basic information of a connected component in region analysis of a document image in accordance with the present invention . the document image is inputted to a computer system through an image input device , e . g ., a charge coupled devices ( ccd ) camera or a scanner , and analyzed by a region analysis system , e . g ., a computer in accordance with a region analysis method which will be described . as shown in fig1 in order to generate a set of the merged length such as a connected component for image region ( m ), wherein a connected component is represented as y 1 , y 2 , x 1 , x 2 , x 11 , x 12 , x 21 , x 22 , respectively . here , y 1 and y 2 represent a horizontal expansion of an inscribed square , x 1 and x 2 represent a vertical expansion of an inscribed square , x 11 represents a leftmost point located in x 1 , x 12 represents a rightmost point located in x 1 , x 21 represents a leftmost point located in x 2 and x 22 represents a rightmost point located in x 2 , respectively . [ 0019 ] fig2 a to 2 c depict a type of connected component in region analysis of a document image in accordance with the present invention . as shown in fig2 a , in case of analyzing a region for document image ( m ), the upper line between two lines in a document image is defined as a parent line and the lower line is defined as a child line . and , the upper left point of the parent line is defined as r p left , the upper right point of the parent line is defined as r p right , the upper left point of the child line is defined as r c left and the upper right point of the child line is defined as r c right . as shown in fig2 b , a type which has the upper line ( patent line ) between two lines in a document image where more than two straight lines leave a space and the lower line ( child line ) locates longer is defined as a multiple father type . as recited in fig2 c , a type which has the upper line ( patent line ) locates longer and the lower line ( brother line ) where more than two straight lines leave a space is defined as a multiple brother type . the connected components types defined as above , in case that the reduced document region satisfied the following formula , two lines are connected each other and it ties up to one large connected components region . in addition , the region according to the multiple parent type and the multiple brother type between two connected components types is performed by the formula as above and is performed until satisfying a condition by repeating continuously the connection between two regions with respect to the result thereof . [ 0024 ] fig3 illustrates a method for calculating a space between the lines and a font size of a character in adjacent word or text in region analysis of a document image in accordance with the present invention . as shown in fig3 in order to analyze a text which arranged horizontally and vertically and separated irregularly , it calculates the space between the lines and the size of the character in adjacent word or text for each of nodes in replace of the whole document . that is , it searches another component coincided with x - axis direction in regard to the connected component and from the component , the smallest y - axis distance is defined as “ s ”. in addition , among several lines in the document image , in case that the present line and the next line do not exist with a regular space and skipping over one line is defined as “ s 1 ”. [ 0027 ] fig4 a and 4b are exemplary of segmentation result of document analyzed in region analysis of a document image in accordance with the present invention . [ 0028 ] fig4 a shows a document 50 for region analysis containing regions such as text , photo , bar and frame . referring to fig4 b , the document 50 of fig4 a is divided into text , photo , bar and frame region . in the document 50 , reference numerals 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 and alphabets a , b , c , d , e represent independent connected components , respectively . reference numerals 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 4 a denote sub connected components contained in the connected component 4 . reference numerals 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 represent sub connected components contained in the connected component 5 . [ 0030 ] fig5 shows a tree of page which is generated based on the segmentation result as depicted in fig4 b . as shown in fig5 the whole document page 70 is a root and each of internal nodes is defined as a meaning block such as table , text region , photo and bar . here , the terminal node is the connected component . first , in the construction of the initial tree from the connected component , the connected components having table , frame and photo are grouping into an independent node with the text pertaining to the components and the connected components in a text block surrounded by a space are clustered in a next step . next , in classifying the nodes roughly , the connected component which has a high height and a narrow width is referred as “ vertical bar ” and that which has a long height and large dimension is referred as “ vertical picture ”. similarly , it is classified into “ horizontal bar ” and “ horizontal picture ”. in case that the width and length of the connected component are larger than those of the largest character , it is non - text region and is referred as table , frame or picture . the other components are referred as text as far as possible . [ 0034 ] fig6 is a flow chart of region analysis of a document image in accordance with the present invention . as shown in fig6 first , to reduce an image before analyzing the connected component is for reducing a processing time of system by decreasing a number of components 61 . then , based on the reduced image , it searches the reduced image by one line and merges 8 - connected runs . at this time , it analyzes the connected component and defines the corresponding types 62 and 63 . here , the analysis of the connected component is analyzed by the formula as above . in case that each line is analyzed and the line is satisfied the formula , it is recognized that two lines are connected to each other , and tied up into one large connected component region . consequently , comparing with next line , finally , the type of connected component is defined by analyzing the connected components again and again . then , to generate the initial tree based on the connected component types defined as above , that is , in generating the initial tree from the connected components , the connected components having such as table , frame and photo are used to grouping into an independent node with a text pertaining to the components . and then , the connected components in the text block surrounded by a space are clustered in the next step and it classifies the components through the segmentation of the nodes 64 . grouping the text components is to process the complex documents having the text separated irregularly and arranged horizontally and vertically . in order for this process , in advance , it calculates an average distance between two lines in adjacent text and then , a distance between two lines from all of components . thereafter , it is possible to group the text components by removing a large value which is not coincided with space between adjacent lines . at this time , the grouping is that depends on the distance between two components . in case that the distance of two optional components is close to each other , it becomes grouping into one block . and the regulation of basic information is used to decide whether the component is near . in case that a vertical distance of a square surrounded by the component is smaller than that of between adjacent lines and characters , and it coincides with x - axis direction of two squares , the distance between the two is close to each other . then , in case that it is close to the optional connected component of the block , one connected component ties up it into one block . at this time , if a component is not adjacent to optional component , it designates a new block . here , since the block is formed , it reconstructs the text block by calculating an arranging line of text , a space between the characters and the size of the character . as described as above , the method of the present invention can be stored in computer readable medias , e . g ., a cd - rom , a ram , a rom , a floppy disk , a hard disk , and a photomagnetic disk , etc ., containing a program . as disclosed above , the present invention has an effect to extract connected components by the existed criteria , to group into the tree according to a spatial connection of the connected components extracted and to perform efficiently the analysis of the document structure by repeating segmentation and merge in the text region . although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications , additions and substitutions are possible , without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims .
6
in accordance with the present invention , there is provided therapeutic compositions comprising krill extract and conjugated linoleic acid for the prevention and / or treatment and / or therapy of diseases . a variety of treatments and compositions are possible pursuant to the present invention . the compositions can also be used prophylactically to prevent the onset of diseases as well as to maintain a healthy individual . it is believed that there are synergistic effects achieved by combining conjugated linoleic acid and krill oil extract in a single composition or treatment . these benefits are derived from the two oils that have different compositions but produce enhanced or synergistic benefits through shared eicosanoid mechanisms . these mechanisms include changing membrane composition through phospholipid incorporation , longer chain fatty acid incorporation and conjugated linoleic acid incorporation . in addition to these synergistic shared mechanisms the ability of conjugated linoleic acid to activate peroxisome peroxidation activation receptors ( ppar ), which are thought to be involved with glucose and lipid metabolism as well as adipocyte apoptosis produces a synergistic effect . these combined oils are believed to be beneficial in indications , applications and compositions listed below . various combinations of the oils can be used . the oils can be topically applied or , parenterally and / or orally delivered . by way of example , a daily dosage can provide as little as 1 mg of the oils or as much as 15 g of the oils ; in an embodiment , between 100 mg to 12 g of oil is provided daily . efficacious doses will depend on the condition being addressed . by way of example , combinations of either oil can be used in a 1 : 1 ratio or a ratio of 0 . 05 : 1 to 1 : 0 . 05 . these oils can be combined with other organic or inorganic compounds known to further enhance the conditions being addressed . with respect to the krill extract , a multi - therapeutic oil extract free of enzyme is derived from krill and / or marine , found in any marine environment around the world , for example , the antarctic ocean ( euphasia superba ), the pacific ocean ( euphasia pacifica ), the atlantic ocean , the indian ocean , in particular coastal regions of mauritius island and / or reunion island of madagascar , canadian west coast , japanese coast , st - lawrence gulf and fundy bay , and this oil extract is a free fatty acid lipid fraction . ( a ) placing marine and / or aquatic krill and / or marine in a ketone solvent , preferably acetone , to achieve the extraction of grease from the krill and / or marine ; ( c ) recovering a lipid rich fraction from the liquid phase obtained at step ( b ) by evaporation of the solvent present in the liquid phase ; ( d ) placing the solid phase in an organic solvent , which can be alcohol , preferably ethanol , isopropanol or t - butanol , or esters of acetic acid , preferably ethyl acetate . this in order to extract the remaining soluble lipid fraction from the solid phase ; ( f ) recovering a lipid rich fraction from the liquid phase obtained at step ( e ) by evaporation of the solvent present in the liquid phase . as set forth in pct application no . pct / ca02 / 00843 , the active components of the enzyme - free krill and / or marine oil extract are : the pct application states that in the preferred embodiment , the omega - 3 fatty acids are found in more than 30 g / 100 g as set forth in the pct application , the neutral lipids of the krill and / or marine extract also comprises : the pct application states in another embodiment , the krill and / or marine extract also comprises : the pct application sets forth that after characterization of the krill and / or marine oil extract , it was determined that the extract contains less than 25 ppm of solvent residue from the extraction process . pursuant to the present invention , the method and composition comprises administering krill extract and conjugated linoleic acid . if desired , the composition can include non - active ingredients and / or agents such as flavors , artificial sweeteners , excipients , etc . the product of the present invention is intended to provide a physiologically based means to aid in maintaining normal physiological homeostasis . conjugated linoleic acid refers to a group of dienoic derivatives of linoleic acid that occur naturally in milk and meat of ruminating animals . it can be synthesized in the laboratory and in commercial scale and is currently available commercially as a dietary supplement . conjugated linoleic acid is believed to be absorbed efficiently into the body in a manner similar to that of other fatty acids , e . g ., linoleic acid . the safety of conjugated linoleic acid has been demonstrated in detailed toxicological assessments and through extensive use in humans , both as a naturally occurring substance and as a dietary supplement . it is believed that conjugated linoleic acid is safe for human consumption . pursuant to the present invention , the conjugated linoleic acid can be conjugated linoleic acid such as that set forth in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 986 , 116 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . in an embodiment , the conjugated linoleic acid is either a pure isomer of octadecadienoic acid , or a mixture of octadecadienoic acid isomers selected from the group consisting of : cis - 8 , cis - 10 ; cis - 8 , trans - 10 ; trans - 8 , cis - 10 ; trans - 8 , trans - 10 ; cis - 9 , cis - 11 ; cis - 9 , trans - 11 ; trans - 9 , cis - 11 ; trans - 9 , trans - 11 ; cis - 10 , cis - 12 ; cis - 9 , trans - 12 ; trans - 9 , cis - 12 ; trans - 10 , trans - 12 ; cis - 11 , cis - 13 ; cis - 11 , trans - 13 ; trans - 11 , cis - 13 ; trans - 11 , trans - 13 octadecadienoic acid ; metabolites thereof , including but not limited to 18 : 3 cis - 6 , cis - 9 , trans - 11 ; 18 : 3 cis - 6 , trans - 10 , cis - 12 ; 18 : 3 cis - 8 , trans - 12 , cis - 14 ; 20 : 3 cis - 8 , cis - 11 , trans - 13 ; 20 : 4 cis - 5 , cis - 8 , cis - 11 , trans - 13 ; 20 : 4 cis - 5 , cis - 8 , trans - 12 , cis - 14 ; as well as precursors or derivatives thereof . pursuant to the present invention , the composition can be taken as a dietary supplement or a pharmacological product . by way of example and not limitation , contemplative examples of indications / applications that can be treated benefit from the present invention are as follows : anti - inflammatory reactions : both conjugated linoleic acid and krill oil reduce the adverse effects that occur when the eicosanoid pathway through cox - 1 and cox - 2 enzymatic reactions leading to prostaglandin synthesis , such as pge - 2 , pge - 1 , leukotrienes and thromboxanes , are extended beyond normal , physiological needs from those signals initially produced by stress or injury . the continuation of eicosanoid production leads to chronic inflammation as indicated in osteoarthritis , joint pain , cartilage breakdown , increased adipose deposition , bone breakdown . in addition , involvement of those eicosanoids ( proinflammatory ) known to increase platelet aggregation and eventual plaque formation when endothelial injury has occurred — all involved with cardiovascular disease . the most probable cause of the physical symptoms of pms seems to be the combined interaction of hormones and essential nutrients leading to an increased inflammatory response . the emotional symptoms of pms seem to be propagated by an exaggerated response of neurotransmitters to psychosocial stresses . reducing arachidonic incorporation or its release from phospholipids ( sn - 2 position ) decreases formation of prostaglandin e2 which when elevated continues inflammatory response . by increasing the ratio of omega - 3 fatty acids to omega - 6 ( as in the case of krill oil ): and by reducing the synthesis of arachidonic acid ( by decreasing linoleic acid , its precursor ) ( both conjugated linoleic acid and krill oil accomplish this by two different mechanisms ) will lead to reduced inflammatory responses . metabolic syndrome encompasses specific abnormalities such as elevated plasma tg &# 39 ; s , low levels of hdl , increased blood pressure , fasting glucose and increased abdominal adipose tissue . having three or more of these conditions constitutes syndrome x . conjugated linoleic acid decreases elevated glucose levels , decrease elevated tg levels and decrease high blood pressure . krill oil lowers elevated glucose and reduce plasma cholesterol , tg and simultaneously elevate hdl levels . the combination of these two oils should have a positive impact on those specific parameters involved with this syndrome . conjugated linoleic acid reduces fat accumulation in humans by decreasing lipoprotein lipase ( lpl ) synthesis , hormone lipase synthesis , decrease adipose cell number by apopotosis at early cell development , and increase fat as a fuel source ( beta - oxidation ). in addition , conjugated linoleic acid increases muscle mass ( lbm ) even under catabolic conditions such as calorie reduction via weight loss . krill increases energy level , feelings of wellness and energy levels , skin , hair and nails improvement , which combined with fat loss will give physical and emotional benefits in those using these oils . cardiovascular health can be improved via the present invention due to the ability of the compositions to achieve the following : increasing elasticity of endothelial lining and reducing platelet aggregation precursors ( anti - inflammatory response ) ( conjugated linoleic acid and krill oil ) reducing the chronic stress catabolic response and inflammatory response by intake of both conjugated linoleic acid and krill oil should dramatically favor an environment of bone synthesis and reduce bone degradation . the omega - 3 present in krill oil improves the ability of conjugated linoleic acid to increase bone mineral content possibly by conjugated linoleic acid &# 39 ; s ability to decrease inflammatory prostaglandins . krill oil also contains other compounds such as antioxidants and flavonoids that would likely improve the micro - environment surrounding bone cells and joints . conjugated linoleic acid increases antibody response to viral invasion . combined with the antioxidants , omega - 3 , vitamin and mineral profile and phospholipids present in krill oil , enhancing macrophage ability to respond to immune challenge . conjugated linoleic acid decreases elevated glucose and increase insulin sensitivity . krill oil decreases elevated glucose ; combining these oils will strengthen their ability to promote glucose utilization and favor a healthier glucose plasma level . conjugated linoleic acid is a naturally occurring anticarcinogen . krill oil protects against free radical damage from sunlight and environmental toxins . both oils will have a favorable impact in reducing risk of cancer , especially those cancers induced by free radical damage . significant improvement in female mood swings occur prior and during menstruation . this suggests that there will likely be overall benefit in reducing hormonal changes that naturally occur during each month by increasing the omega - 3 portion of triglycerides and phospholipids that are part of brain cells . increasing membrane fluidity by increasing long chain fatty acids ( omega - 3 ) enhances the ability of protein receptors to respond to substrate interaction and therefore , should be improved general cell health by the addition of krill oil and conjugated linoleic acid . in addition , cell membrane composition will be improved by the naturally occurring phospholipids existing in krill oil . the unique chemical composition appears to allow the molecule to be absorbed quickly and is easily incorporated into cell membranes , which could explain the neurological and hormonal aspects of the observed benefits seen in women taking this product . the existence of these unique phospholipids with a phosphate group in sn - 2 position , allows greater effects of conjugated linoleic acid to act as a cox - 2 inhibitor since the conjugated linoleic acid molecule would not have to be released by phospho lipases within the cell , thus more conjugated linoleic acid will exist in the free form and more should be available for either ppar activation or further synthesis of conjugated linoleic acid elongated and desaturated products . therefore , the combination of the two oils will have an enhanced and perhaps synergistic responses in reducing the ill effects of inflammatory eicosanoids , as well as increasing the fluidity of cell membranes . subjective data from clinical study supports the overall feelings of increased mental focus , more energy , less fatigue and less mood swings . the anti - inflammatory response of both conjugated linoleic acid and krill oil will reduce stress catabolic response ( hormonally induced reaction to stressors in life ) and will enhance the bodies ability to maintain homeostasis . krill oil improves women &# 39 ; s perception of healthier skin , hair and nails , which is likely do to the improved ratio of omega - 3 to omega - 6 fatty acids in addition to the antioxidant properties of vitamin a and vitamin b , flavonoids and astathanxine . conjugated linoleic acid may also help these factors by displacing arachidonic acid and allowing more omega - 3 to compete with cox enzymes and increase odd numbered eicosanoids . aging and many chronic diseases in humans is related indirectly if not directly to the ability of cells to reduce chronic inflammatory responses . thus , conditions such as asthma , rheumatoid arthritis , allergies , etc . could all possibly be improved by reducing the eicosanoids responsible for the continuation of inflammation and the cytokines involved in perpetuating those chronic disorders . both conjugated linoleic acid and krill oil are shown to reduce these inflammatory compounds . conjugated linoleic acid behaves as a weak antioxidant . krill oil is a potent anti - oxidant . thus , both oils will have a beneficial impact in cell &# 39 ; s ability to reduce free - radical damage associated with cell death , aging , neurological damage , and cardiovascular disease by specific reduction in ldl oxidation . it should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art . such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its intended advantages . it is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the claims .
0
first of all , however , the theoretical background is to be explained in more detail : as it was already mentioned above , the effect of the arithmetic coding relies on an estimation of the occurrence probability of the symbols to be coded which is to be as good as possible . in order to enable an adaptation to non - stationary source statistics , this estimation needs to be updated in the course of the coding process . generally , usually methods are used for this which operate using scaled frequency counters of the coded results [ 17 ]. if c lps and c mps designates counters for the occurrence frequencies of lps and mps , then using these counters the estimation may be performed and then the operation outlined in fig1 of the interval separation may be carried out . for practical purposes the division required in equation ( 1 ) is disadvantageous . it is often convenient and required , however , to perform a resealing of the counter readings when a predetermined threshold value c max of the overall counter c total = c mps + c lps is exceeded . ( in this context it is to be noted that with a b - bit representation of l and r the smallest probability which may be indicated correctly is 2 − b + 2 , so that for preventing that this lower limit is fallen short of , if necessary a resealing of the counter readings is required .) with a suitable selection of c max the reciprocal values of c total may be tabulated , so that the division required in equation ( 1 ) may be replaced by a table access and by a multiplication and shift operation . in order to prevent also these arithmetic operations , however , in the present invention a completely table - aided method is used for the probability estimation . for this purpose in a training phase representative probability states { p k | 0 ≦ k ≦ n max } are preselected , wherein the selection of the states is on the one hand dependent on the statistics of the data to be coded and on the other hand on the side conditions of the default maximum number n max of states . additionally , transition rules are defined which indicate which new state is to be used for the next symbol to be coded based on the currently coded symbol . these transition rules are provided in the form of two tables : { next_state_lps k | 0 ≦ k ≦ n max } and { next_state_mps k | 0 ≦ k ≦ n max }, wherein the tables provide the index m of the new probability state p m when an lps or mps occurs , respectively , for the index n of the currently given probability state . it is to be noted here , that for a probability estimation in the arithmetic encoder or decoder , respectively , as it is proposed herein , no explicit tabulation of the probability states is required . rather , the states are only implicitly addressed using their respective indices , as it is described in the following section . in addition to the transition rules it needs to be specified at which probability states the value of the lps and mps needs to be exchanged . generally , there will only be one such excellent state which may be identified using its index p_state . [ 0079 ] fig2 shows the modified scheme for a table - aided arithmetic coding , as it is proposed herein . after the determination of the lps , first of all the given interval width r is mapped to a quantized value q using a tabulated mapping qtab and a suitable shift operation ( by q bit ) alternatively , the quantization may in special cases also be performed without the use of a tabulated mapping qtab only with the help of a combination of shift and masking operations . generally , here a relatively coarse quantization to k = 2 . . . 8 representative values is performed . also here , similar to the case of the probability estimation , no explicit determination of q is performed ; rather , only an index q_index is transferred to q . this index is now used together with the index p_state for a characterization of the current probability state for the determination of the interval width r lps . for this , now the corresponding entry of the table rtab is used . there , the k · n max product values r × p lps , that correspond to all k quantized values of r and the n max different from the probability states , are entered as integer values with an accuracy of generally b − 2 bits . for practical implementations a possibility is given here to weigh up between the storage requirements for the table size and the arithmetic accuracy which finally also determines the efficiency of the coding . both target variables are determined by the granularity of the representation of r and p lps . in the forth step of fig2 it is shown , how the updating of the probability state p_state is performed depending on the above coded event bit . here , the transition tables next_state_lps and next_state_mps are used which were already mentioned above in the section “ table - aided probability estimation ”. these operations correspond to the updating process indicated in fig1 in step 4 which is not explained in more detail . [ 0081 ] fig3 shows the corresponding flow chart of the table - aided arithmetic decoding . for characterizing the current partial interval in the decoder the interval width r and a value v is used . the latter is present within the partial interval and is refined successively with every read - out bit . as it may be seen from fig3 the operations for the probability estimation and the determination of the interval width r are performed according to those of the encoder . in applications in which e . g . signed values are to be coded whose probability distribution is arranged symmetrically around zero , for coding the sign information generally an equal distribution may be assumed . as this information is one the one hand to be embedded in the arithmetic bit stream , while it is on the other hand not sensible to use a relatively compact apparatus of the table - aided probability estimation and interval separation for the case of a probability of p ≈ 0 . 5 , it is for this special case proposed to optionally use a special encoder / decoder procedure which may be illustrated as follows . in this special case the interval width of the new partial interval may be determined in the encoder by a simple shift operation corresponding to a bisection of the width of the original interval r . depending on the value of the bit to be coded , the upper or lower half of r , respectively , is then selected as a new partial interval ( see fig4 ). the subsequent renormalization and output of bits is performed as in the above case of the table - aided solution . in the corresponding decoder the required operations are reduced to determining the bit to be decoded using the value of v relatively to the current interval width r by a simple comparison operation . in the case that the decoded bit is set , v is to be reduced by the amount of r . as it is illustrated in fig4 the decoding is ended by the renormalization and updating of v using the bit to be read in next . an alternative realization of the coding of events with a uniform probability distribution is illustrated in fig5 . in this exemplary implementation the current interval width r is not modified . instead , v is first doubled by a shift operation in the encoder . depending on the value of the bit to be coded , then , similar to the above example , the upper or lower half , respectively , of r is selected as a new partial interval ( see fig5 ). the subsequent renormalization and output of bits is performed as in the above case of the table - aided solution with the difference that the doubling of r and l is not performed and that the corresponding comparison operations are performed with doubled threshold values . in the corresponding decoder of the alternative realization first of all a bit is read out and v is updated . the second step is performed in the same way as step 1 in fig4 i . e . the bit to be decoded is determined using the value of v relative to the current interval width r by a simple comparison operation , and in the case in which the decoded bit is set , v is to be reduced by the amount of r ( see fig5 ). every probability model , as it is used in the proposed invention , is indicated using two parameters : 1 ) the index p_state that characterizes the probability state of the lps , and 2 ) the value valmps of the mps . each of these two variables needs to be initialized at the beginning of the encoding or decoding , respectively , of a completed coding unit ( in applications of video coding about one slice ). the initialization values may thereby be derived from control information , like e . g . the quantization parameter ( of a slice ), as it is illustrated as an example in fig6 . a further possibility of adaptation of the starting distributions of the models is provided by the following method . in order to guarantee a better adaptation of the initializations of the models , in the encoder a selection of predetermined starting values of the models may be provided . these models may be combined into groups of starting distributions and may be addressed using indices , so that in the encoder the adaptive selection of a group of starting values is performed and is transmitted to the decoder in the form of an index as page information . this method is referred to as a forward - controlled initialization process . while this invention has been described in terms of several preferred embodiments , there are alterations , permutations , and equivalents which fall within the scope of this invention . it should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and compositions of the present invention . it is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations , permutations , and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . [ 1 ] t . wiegand , g . sullivan , “ draft text of final draft international standard ( fdis ) of joint video specification ( itu - t rec . h . 264 / iso / iec 14496 - 10 avc )”, jvt - g050 , march 2003 . [ 2 ] d . a . huffman , “ a method for construction of minimum redundancy code ”, proc . ire , vol . 40 , pp . 1098 - 1101 , 1952 . [ 3 ] i . h . witten , r . m . neal , j . g . cleary , “ arithmetic coding for data compression ”, communication of the acm , vol . 30 , no . 6 , pp . 520 - 540 , 1987 . [ 4 ] g . g . langdon , j . rissanen , “ a simple general binary source code ”, ieee transactions on information theory , vol . 28 , pp . 800 - 803 , 1982 . [ 5 ] c . e . shannon , “ a mathematical theory of communication ”, bell syst . tech . journal , vol . 27 , pp . 379 - 423 , 623 - 656 , 1948 . [ 6 ] p . elias , in “ information theory and coding ”, n . abramson ( ed . ), new york , mc - gra - hill , 1963 . [ 7 ] j . rissanen , “ generalized kraft inequality and arithmetic coding ”, ibm j . res . develop ., vol . 20 , pp . 198 - 203 , 1976 . [ 8 ] r . c . pasco , “ source coding and algorithms for fast data compression ”, ph . d . dissertation , stanford university , usa , 1976 . [ 9 ] g . g . langdon , “ an introduction to arithmetic coding ”, ibm j . res . develop ., vol . 28 , pp . 135 - 149 , 1984 . [ 10 ] a . moffat , r . m . neal , i . h . witten , “ arithmetic coding revisited ”, proc . ieee data compression conference , snowbird ( usa ), pp . 202 - 211 , 1996 . [ 11 ] j . rissanen , k . m . mohiuddin , “ a multiplication - free multialphabet arithmetic arithmetic code ”, ieee trans . on communication , vol . 37 , pp . 93 - 98 , 1989 . arps , “ an overview of the basic principles of the q - coder adaptive binary arithmetic coder ”, ibm j . res . develop ., vol . 32 , pp . 717 - 726 , 1988 . [ 13 ] p . g . howard , j . s . vitter , “ practical implementations of arithmetic coding ”, in “ image and text compression ”, j . storer ( ed . ), norwell ( usa ), kluwer , 1992 . [ 14 ] l . huynh , a . moffat , “ a probability - ratio approach to approximate binary arithmetic coding ”, ieee trans . on information theory , vol . 43 , pp . 1658 - 1662 , 1997 . [ 15 ] d . chevion , e . d . karnin , e . walach , “ high - efficiency , multiplication free approximation of arithmetic coding ”, proc . ieee data compression conference , snowbird ( usa ), pp . 43 - 52 , 1991 . [ 16 ] g . feygin , p . g . gulak , p . chow , “ minimizing excess code length and vlsi complexity in the multiplication free approximation of arithmetic coding ”, inform . proc . manag ., vol . 30 , pp . 805 - 816 , 1994 . [ 17 ] d . l . duttweiler , ch . chamzas , “ probability estimation in arithmetic and adaptive - huffman entropy coders ”, ieee trans . on image processing , vol . 4 , pp . 237 - 246 , 1995 .
7
the following detailed description describes certain embodiments and is not to be taken in a limiting sense . the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims . the magnetic recording tape includes a non - magnetic substrate , a magnetic layer , and a backside coating or layer . the various components are described in greater detail below . in general terms , however , the magnetic upper layer includes a primary magnetic metal pigment , and a binder for the pigment . the backside coating includes a pigment or mixture of pigments , and a binder therefor . the backside coating has a high ratio of pigment to binder , e . g ., at least about 49 weight % pigment of total solids , and is compressible . in one embodiment , the magnetic recording tape may be a dual - layer magnetic recording tape having a support layer coated on the front side of the substrate , with the magnetic layer being coated atop the support layer . back coat formulations of the invention are designed to have surplus porosity . this porosity allows high compressibility when the back coat is calendered during processing of the magnetic recording tape , but also provides a porosity reserve that remains after the calendering processes are completed , and provides extended stress relief to the entire tape pack by continued compression of the back coat for the full life of the tape . the back coat contains at least one non - magnetic particle material such as carbon black , iron oxides , titanium dioxide , alumina , tin oxide , titanium carbide , silicon carbide , silicon dioxide , silicon nitride , boron nitride , and the like . carbon black is widely commercially available . alpha - iron oxides are well known and are commercially available from dowa mining company , toda kogyo , sakai chemical industry co , and others . the back coat formulation preferably contains from about 2 % to about 6 % by weight percent carbon . the back coat preferably includes a mixture of pigments including carbon black , and from about 47 % to about 63 % by weight of alpha iron oxide , and from about 0 . 5 % to about 6 % of alumina , along with from about 13 % to about 25 % of titanium dioxide . back coat pigments are dispersed as inks with appropriate binders , surfactant , ancillary particles , and solvents . preferably , the back coat binder includes at least one polyurethane resin and one hard resin . the soft urethane resin generally comprises from about 4 % to about 12 % by weight of the back coat formulation , and the hard binder comprises from about 3 % to about 14 % by weight of the formulation . the percentages are weight percents of the solids in the formulation . the backside coating of the invention has a hardness which is less than the hardness of said magnetic layer . the pigment is present in the backside coating in amounts of from about 49 % to about 55 % of the coating composition . the backside coating has a pore structure which allows compression of the backside coating layer . this compression absorbs stress during calendering and winding of the tape and significantly reduces the amount of embossing of the magnetic layer by the back coat onto the adjacent front magnetic coating during such procedures . backside coating is subjected to radial stress of from about 100 psi to about 2000 psi during winding procedures . magnetic recording tapes of the invention have a back coat wherein the magnetic coating is at least about 5 % smoother than in an otherwise identical magnetic recording tape not having a compressible back coating ; in some embodiments , the magnetic coating is from 5 % to about 20 % smoother than such a comparative tape . the tapes of the invention are subject to an initial compression of from about 10 % to about 25 % during tape manufacture , and subjected to an additional compression of from about 1 % to about 5 % during winding . in accordance with the current invention , the magnetic recording layer is a thin layer , being preferably from about 25 nm to about 250 nm in thickness , preferably from about 25 nm to about 200 nm . the magnetic metal particle pigments have a composition including , but not limited to , metallic iron and / or alloys of iron with cobalt and / or nickel , and magnetic or non - magnetic oxides of iron , other elements , or mixtures thereof . alternatively , the magnetic particles can be composed of hexagonal ferrites such as barium ferrites . in addition to the preferred primary magnetic metal particle pigment described above , the magnetic layer may further include other particles such as carbon black . the magnetic layer also includes an abrasive or head cleaning agent ( hca ) component . one preferred hca component is aluminum oxide . other abrasive grains such as silica , zro 2 , cr 2 o 3 , etc ., can also be employed , either alone or in mixtures with aluminum oxide or each other . the binder system associated with the magnetic layer preferably incorporates at least one binder resin , such as a thermoplastic resin , in conjunction with other resin components such as binders and one or more hardeners . the magnetic layer may further contain one or more lubricants such as a fatty acid and / or a fatty acid ester . the incorporated lubricant ( s ) exists throughout the front coating and , importantly , at the surface thereof the magnetic layer . the lubricant ( s ) reduces friction to maintain smooth contact with low drag and protects the media surface from wear . in dual - layer media , lubricant ( s ) are generally provided in both the upper and lower layers , and are preferably selected and formulated in combination . in a preferred embodiment , the lubricant is incorporated into the magnetic layer in an amount of from about 1 to about 10 parts by weight , and preferably from about 1 to about 5 parts by weight , based on 100 parts by weight of the primary pigment . the binder system may also contain a conventional surfactant or wetting agent . known surfactants , e . g ., adducts of sulfuric , sulfonic , phosphoric , phosphonic , and carboxylic acids , are acceptable . the coating composition may also contain a hardening agent such as isocyanate or polyisocyanate . in a preferred embodiment , the hardener component is incorporated into the upper layer in an amount of from about 1 to about 5 parts by weight , and preferably from about 1 to about 3 parts by weight , based on 100 parts by weight of the primary magnetic pigment . the materials for the magnetic layer are mixed with the primary pigment and coated atop the lower layer . useful solvents associated with the upper layer coating material preferably include cyclohexanone ( cho ), methyl ethyl ketone ( mek ), and toluene ( tol ). alternatively , other solvents or solvent combinations including , for example , xylene , methyl isobutyl ketone , tetrahydrofuran , and methyl amyl ketone , are acceptable . the optional support layer of a dual - layer magnetic tape of the invention is essentially non - magnetic and includes non - magnetic powders , and a resin binder system . by forming one or more essentially non - magnetic lower layers , the electromagnetic characteristics of the magnetic layer are not adversely affected . an optional lower layer of magnetic recording media of the invention includes at least one pigment and a binder system therefor . such support layers are used in combination with an upper magnetic layer to form a magnetic recording tape having high quality recording characteristics and good mechanical and handling properties . the primary lower layer pigment material consists primarily of non - magnetic particles such as iron oxides , titanium dioxide , alumina , tin oxide , titanium carbide , silicon carbide , silicon dioxide , silicon nitride , boron nitride , and the like . in a preferred embodiment , the primary lower layer pigment material is a hematite material ( α - iron oxide ). conductive carbon black material provides a certain level of conductivity so as to provide the formulation with protection from charging with static electricity . in one preferred embodiment , the conductive carbon black material has an average particle size of less than 20 nm , more preferably about 15 nm . the support or lower layer may also include an abrasive pigment such as aluminum oxide . other abrasive grains such as silica , zro 2 , cr 2 o 3 , etc ., can also be employed , either alone or in mixtures with aluminum oxide . such pigments are frequently referred to as head cleaning agents ( hca ) due to the abrasive nature of the pigments . the binder system or resin associated with the lower layer preferably incorporates at least one binder resin , such as a thermoplastic resin , in conjunction with other components . the binder system may also contain a surfactant or wetting agent . known surfactants , e . g ., adducts of sulfuric , sulfonic , phosphoric , phosphonic , and carboxylic acids , are acceptable . the binder system may also contain a hardening agent such as isocyanate or polyisocyanate . additional components may include binders and surfactants used to disperse the hca . in one embodiment , the binder systems of the support layer contain a hard resin along with a soft resin . the soft resin has a tg of less than about 60 ° c ., preferably less than about 50 ° c . the hard resin has a tg of at least about 70 ° c ., preferably at least about 80 ° c . the support layer may further contain one or more lubricants such as a fatty acid and / or a fatty acid ester . acceptable fatty acids include stearic acid , myristic acid , palmitic acid , oleic acid , etc ., and their mixtures . the support layer formulation can further include a fatty acid ester such as butyl stearate , isopropyl stearate , butyl oleate , butyl palmitate , butyl myristate , hexadecyl stearate , and oleyl oleate . the fatty acids and fatty acid esters may be employed singly or in combination . the materials for the lower layer are mixed with the primary pigment and the lower layer is coated to the substrate . useful solvents associated with the lower layer coating material preferably include cyclohexanone ( cho ), methyl ethyl ketone ( mek , and toluene ( tol ). alternatively , other solvents or solvent combinations can be employed including , for example , xylene , methyl isobutyl ketone , tetrahydrofuran , and methyl amyl ketone . the substrate can be any conventional non - magnetic substrate useful as a magnetic recording tape support . exemplary substrate materials useful for magnetic recording tapes include polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate , polyethylene naphthalate ( pen ), a mixture of polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene naphthalate ; polyolefins ( e . g ., polypropylene ); cellulose derivatives ; polyamides ; and polyimides . in a preferred embodiment , polyethylene naphthalate ( pen ) is employed . the coating materials of the upper layer , lower layer , and back coat for a magnetic recording tape according to the present invention are prepared by dispersing the corresponding powders or pigments and the binders in a solvent . for example , with respect to the coating material for the upper layer , the primary metal particle powder or pigment and the large particle carbon materials are placed in a high solids mixing device along with certain of the resins ( i . e ., polyurethane binder , non - halogenated vinyl binder , and surfactant ) and the solvent , and processed . following this processing , the resulting composition is subjected to a sandmilling or polishing operation . subsequently , the hca and related binder components are added . following this procedure , the composition is processed through a filtration operation , and then the hardener component and lubricants are added . the resulting upper layer coating material is then ready for coating . preparation of a support layer coating material , when such a layer is used , entails a similar process , including high solids mixing of the pigment combination including the primary lower layer pigment , conductive carbon black material , and hca with the binder resins and solvent . finally , preparation of the back coat coating material preferably entails mixing the various components , including a solvent , in a planetary mixer or similar device , and then subjecting the dispersion to a sandmilling operation . subsequently , the material is processed through a filtration operation in which the material is passed through a number of filters . the substrate is coated with the back coating on one side of the substrate and the front coat layer ( s ) on the other side of the substrate . the coatings are dried , using suitable ovens . the coated substrate then proceeds to the calendering station . calendering provides a desired degree of smoothness to the magnetically coated side of the substrate . the coated , calendered substrate is then slit , tested for defects and wound into final product form . although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein for purposes of description of the preferred embodiment , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and / or equivalent implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention . those with skill in the chemical , mechanical , electro - mechanical , electrical , and computer arts will readily appreciate that the present invention may be implemented in a very wide variety of embodiments . this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the preferred embodiments discussed herein . therefore , it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof . the examples show three formulations with different levels of pigment loading . as can be seen , the high pigment back coats of the tapes of the invention exhibit high porosity . the high level of porosity is indicated by pore volume and surface area . the high porosity level allows for maximum compression . maximum compression produces the smoothest surface . example 1 has pigment loading of 75 wt %, pore volume is 0 . 00799 cc / gm , low compression , and surface roughness average of 15 . 1 nm . example 2 has pigment loading of 78 wt %, pore volume is 0 . 01300 cc / gm , medium compression , and surface roughness average of 14 . 9 nm . example 3 has pigment loading of 81 wt %, pore volume is 0 . 01493 cc / gm , high compression , and surface roughness average of 12 . 2 nm .
6
as illustrated in fig1 and according to a first embodiment , a device 1 of protection against transient electrical overvoltages comprises two voltage - limiting passive components . according to a first embodiment , the passive components are varistors 3 a , 3 b are plugged in parallel between the first terminal 5 and the second terminal 7 of the device 1 . each branch 9 a , 9 b comprises a varistor 3 a , 3 b . a disconnector of the current is joined in series on each branch , each disconnector being arranged to open a branch 9 a , 9 b . fault detectors are associated with the disconnectors for controlling the opening of the corresponding branch 9 a , 9 b . according to the first embodiment , the disconnectors are thermal disconnectors 11 a , 11 b . the fault detectors include each a contact 13 a , 13 b , with the varistor 3 a , 3 b . the fault detectors are arranged to react to the temperature of varistors 3 a , 3 b . according to alternatives of the first embodiment , the disconnectors can also be fuses or disconnecting devices provided with bimetals . the thermal disconnector 11 a , 11 b is in a closed position by default and opens when the temperature of the varistor 3 a , 3 b exceeds a limit value . whether the opening is final or not depends on the chosen technology . the increase of the temperature of the varistor 3 a , 3 b is related to the degradation of its properties . when a temperature limit value is reached , the varistor 3 a , 3 b is no longer functional . as illustrated in fig4 , the first 3 a and the second 3 b varistors have voltage - intensity characteristics c 1 , c 2 respectively different . the reference voltage uref 1 of the first varistor 3 a is inferior to the reference voltage uref 2 of the second varistor 3 b : the gap of these two reference voltage values is of delta uref = uref 2 − uref 1 . in a first portion of the graph i , the voltage u ( v ) is inferior to the reference voltage uref 1 and the characteristics c 1 and c 2 have an intensity i ( a ) substantially zero . in a second portion of the graph ii , the voltage u ( v ) is superior to the reference voltage uref 1 , the characteristic c 1 has an increasing intensity i ( a ) according to a substantially affine function of the voltage u ( v ). similarly , the characteristic c 2 has an increasing intensity i ( a ) according to a substantially affine function of the voltage u ( v ) from a voltage value u ( v ) equal to uref 2 . in the second portion of the graph ii , the characteristics c 1 and c 2 have a gap increasing with intensity , the characteristic c 2 having a voltage superior to the characteristic c 1 . as illustrated in fig1 to 3 , the device 1 has a plurality of functioning sequences according to a chronological order corresponding to fig1 and 3 . fig1 shows a device comprising the two varistors 3 a , 3 b adapted to function , since the thermal disconnectors 11 a , 11 b are closed . the display element reports this situation . according to the first embodiment , the display element comprises two visual indicators of green color . when the device 1 is subjected to an overvoltage the value of which ranges between uref 1 and uref 2 , the current flows through the device essentially by the branch comprising the first varistor 3 a . in fact , as shown in fig4 , the intensity of the characteristic c 2 is negligible compared with the intensity of the characteristic c 1 for a voltage ranging between uref 1 and uref 2 . similarly , for a voltage superior to uref 2 , the intensity flowing through the first varistor 3 a is superior to the second intensity flowing through the second varistor 3 b . thus , the solicitation of the first varistor 3 a is superior to the solicitation of the second varistor 3 b . on average , the first varistor 3 a is solicited by 90 % and the second varistor 3 b by 10 %. fig2 shows a device 1 comprising the first varistor 3 a unable to function because the thermal disconnector 11 a is opened . the second varistor 3 b is able to function . the display element reports this situation . according to the first embodiment , the display elements are two visual indicators , the first relating to the state of the first varistor 3 a being red , the second relating to the state of the second one 3 b being green . according to the first embodiment , the device is also provided with remote warning units of the number of the operational components . the remote warning units are arranged to transmit a message indicating the number of operational components to a remote receiver apparatus according to a wired and / or wireless communication protocol . fig2 shows the second functioning sequence , following the first one shown in fig1 . the first varistor 3 a is disconnected from the circuit and only the second varistor 3 b is able to be traversed by a current in case of overvoltage superior to uref 2 . the red and the green visual indicators signal to the user that the device 1 must be replaced by a new similar device comprising two varistors adapted to be traversed by a current . in this case , the new device has a functioning according to the first sequence , as shown in fig1 . if the device 1 is not replaced , a fault of the second varistor 3 b is likely to appear . fig3 shows a third functioning sequence succeeding the second functioning sequence shown in fig2 . the device 1 comprises the two varistors 3 a , 3 b unable to function . in this case , the two visual indicators are of red color , signaling the fault of both varistors 3 a , 3 b and the non - functioning of the device . the second varistor 3 b was little solicited during the first functioning sequence due to its oversize compared to the first varistor 3 a . the occurrence of a fault in the second varistor 3 b leaves a sufficiently long time for the user to change the device 1 before the device 1 goes from the second to the third sequence . fig5 illustrates a second embodiment , in which a resistor r 1 is attached to the first branch 9 a of the circuit and a second resistor r 2 is attached to the second branch 9 b of the circuit . the values of the resistors r 1 and r 2 are determined to allow an accurate adjustment of the imbalance of the branches . the adjustment comprises obtaining , for each branch , a characteristic of the intensity flowing through it depending on the voltage applied between the first terminal 5 and the second terminal 7 . thus , the addition of the resistors r 1 and r 2 to the device allows an adjustment of the curves c 1 and c 2 shown in fig4 , the new obtained curves ( not shown ) each characterizing a branch 9 a , 9 b . fig6 illustrates a third embodiment , in which a capacitor 15 is plugged in parallel to the first 9 a and the second 9 b branches between the first 5 and the second terminal 7 . the addition of the capacitor 15 to the circuit has the effect of limiting the formation of an electrical arc at a thermal disconnector 11 a , 11 b at its disconnection time . fig7 illustrates a fourth embodiment , in which each branch 9 a , 9 b comprises a capacitor 17 a , 17 b joined in parallel of the thermal disconnector 11 a , 11 b of said branch 9 a , 9 b . just like for the third embodiment , the presence of the capacitors 17 a , 17 b has the role of limiting the formation of an electrical arc at a thermal disconnector 11 a , 11 b at its disconnection time . it goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the sole embodiment of this device , described above as an example , it rather encompasses all the alternative embodiments .
7
referring initially to fig1 an overlay device in accordance with the present invention is shown and designated 10 . as shown , the overlay device 10 is being held on a page 12 of a book 14 . more specifically , the overlay device 10 is positioned over textual material ( text ) 16 that has been written or printed onto the page 12 . for purposes of the present invention , it is to be appreciated that the page 12 is merely exemplary of many types of substrata on which the informational material of the text 16 may be written , printed or otherwise presented . further , it is to be appreciated that the printed text 16 shown in fig1 is only exemplary . as envisioned for the present invention , the textual material ( text ) 16 may , in fact , be pictures , graphs , tables or any other type of presentation of informational material presently known . [ 0017 ] fig1 also indicates that the overlay device 10 may include highlight markings 18 , of which the highlight markings 18 a and 18 b are only exemplary . importantly , these highlight markings 18 are made on the overlay device 10 , and not on the page 12 . fig1 further indicates that the overlay device 10 , although normally flat , has a degree of flexibility that allows it to be slightly bent for purposes of positioning the overlay device 10 on , and removing it from , the page 12 . although the actual dimensions of the overlay device 10 can vary , it will preferably be rectangular shaped , with opposite sides defined by the edges 20 and 22 , with a top edge 24 and a bottom edge 26 . the actual construction of the overlay device 10 will be best appreciated with reference to fig2 . in fig2 it will be seen that the overlay device 10 includes a base member 28 that has an upper side 30 and a lower side 32 . both of the sides 30 and 32 have surfaces that are substantially flat and substantially parallel to each other . further , the surfaces of sides 30 and 32 are separated from each other by a thickness 34 that is in a range between one half and three millimeters ( 0 . 5 mm - 3 mm ). as stated above , the sides 30 and 32 are preferably rectangular or square shaped , and they will have a distance 36 between the top edge 24 and the bottom edge 26 that is preferably around three inches . thus , for a square shaped overlay device 10 , the overall dimensions are approximately three inches by three inches ( 3 in .× 3 in .). preferably the base member 28 is made of a material such as a polypropylene or a polyester . in any event , it is important that the base member 28 be substantially transparent ( i . e . clear or lightly tinted ) so that a user can see through the base member 28 . also , as indicated above , the base member 28 needs to be flexible , just like all other components of the overlay device 10 . still referring to fig2 it will be seen that the overlay device 10 of the present invention includes an adhesive 38 that is affixed to the bottom side 32 of the base member 28 . the adhesive 38 may be of any type well known in the pertinent art , such as a microsphere acrylic adhesive . importantly , the adhesive 38 , though permanently affixed to the surface of bottom side 32 , must be able to hold onto a substratum ( e . g . page 12 ), and able to be released from the substratum with a minimal application of force . stated differently , the adhesive 38 that is used for the overlay device 10 of the present invention must allow the overlay device 10 to stick to a substratum ( e . g . page 12 ) and to be removed from the substratum , without causing any observable damage or alteration to the substratum . despite the type of adhesive 38 that is used , it is to be appreciated that the adhesive 38 can be affixed to either the entire side 32 of base member 28 , or to selected portions of the side 32 . for example , in fig1 and 2 it is implied that the adhesive 38 extends along the top edge 24 , of the overlay device 10 , between the side edges 20 and 22 . with this particular location for the adhesive 38 , it would be typical for the adhesive 38 to have a width 40 that extends from the top edge 24 through a range of approximately one quarter inch to approximately one half inch ( ¼ in .- ½ in .). as will be understood by the skilled artisan , a protective strip ( not shown ) can be used to cover the adhesive 38 before the overlay device 10 is to be used . if so , in use , this protective strip needs to be peeled off to expose the adhesive 38 . as shown in fig2 a clear coating 42 is used to cover the entire surface of the top side 30 of base member 28 . preferably , this coating 42 is a material such as acrylic , urethane , polyester or saran . importantly , the coating 42 needs to be able to flex with the base member 28 , and it also needs to be clear so that the user of overlay device 10 can see through the coating 42 , as well as the base member 28 . fig2 also shows that the highlight markings 18 a and 18 b are placed directly onto the coating 42 . accordingly , it is important that the coating 42 be interactive with whatever liquid substance is used to make the highlight markings 18 . as envisioned for the present invention this liquid substance will be applied by an instrument such as a highlight marker 44 ( see fig3 ), and will be a quick drying fluid , such as a translucent , colored ink of a type well known in the pertinent art . also , though colored to allow the highlight markings 18 to contrast with underlying material , a user should be able to see through the markings 18 . further , it is important that the coating 42 be interactive with the dried residue of the liquid substance , because it is this residue that effectively constitutes the highlight markings 18 . specifically , this interaction should be such that the highlight markings 18 do not smear or otherwise unintentionally depart from the location ( s ) at which they are placed on the coating 42 . in the operation of the overlay device 10 of the present invention , the user first removes the protective strip ( not shown ) from the adhesive 38 , if one is incorporated . with the adhesive 38 exposed , the user then positions the overlay device 10 on a page 12 as desired . to do this , the adhesive 38 is pressed against the page 12 to hold the overlay device 10 against the page 12 . once the overlay device 10 has been positioned on the page 12 , the coating 42 is presented to the user , who then uses a marker 44 to place highlight markings 18 on the coating 42 , as desired . for purposes of the present invention , this allows the markings 18 to highlight certain underlying textual material 16 for future reference by the user . the overlay device 10 , with the highlight markings 18 can then be left in place on page 12 for as long as desired by the user . when the highlight markings 18 are no longer needed , the user merely lifts the overlay device 10 from the page 12 to remove the overlay device 10 from the book 14 . the highlight markings 18 can then be erased from the overlay device 10 for further use of the overlay device 10 , or the overlay device 10 may be discarded . while the particular repositional write - on transparency as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated , it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims .
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the present invention employs well - known components such as : cell phones and other wireless devices equipped with cameras , voice recorders and gps capabilities ; wireless and wired communications networks including internet and email services ; email software and inclusion list filtering ; internet browsers ; personal computers and servers ; database application software ; plug - ins ; macros , software programming and the like . presenting the details of all these well - known components and elements is not necessary to obtaining a complete understanding of the present invention as persons of ordinary skill in each relevant art , science or area will on review of the description of the invention understand the relevant component &# 39 ; s operation and details . fig3 and 8 illustrate one embodiment of the invention , an embodiment that illustrates the invention with a photographic image being the information object that is the basis of a new software record . item 410 is any object that a user desires to record in an inventory record . in the fig3 illustration a string of pearls is used to represent all image - recordable objects . in other embodiments of the invention item 410 may be a smell , a voice or sound or gps ( global positioning system ) data or other information that can be electronically captured , stored and transmitted , specifically but not exclusively , via email . communication protocols other than email can be employed by this invention and will be discussed later in this section . icd 420 is a cell phone equipped with a camera and gps capability . it is one type of information capture device ( icd ) within the scope of the present invention . in other embodiments of the invention icd 420 is any device capable of both transmitting information via email or other data transport and capturing or storing that information , information such as olfactory sensing data , sounds , gps data , photographs or videos . again referring to fig3 , icd 420 is equipped with both a camera and email capabilities . it is used to take a photograph of item 410 and transmit that photograph via communications network 430 to iad 440 using a unique email address , something like “ user 1 @ airsserver . com ” that is a proxy for and corresponds to a specific user &# 39 ; s inventory list and was created during initial service setup . initial service setup is illustrated in fig7 and will be discussed later in this section . within the scope of the present invention one option to a unique email address is to use a shared email address , something like “ inventory @ airsserver . com ” that is not assigned to a single user but rather is shared by multiple users of the service enabled by the present invention . in the shared - email - address embodiment of the present invention the user and the user &# 39 ; s specific inventory list is identified by other information contained in the email transmission , or other data transport protocol , such as the sender &# 39 ; s email address in the “ from ” field , special pre - defined content in the “ subject ” field , min , esn , ip address or similar identification information . returning to fig3 and 8 , iad 440 is a server that hosts the automated inventory recording system ( airs ) program . airs in this hosted embodiment has its own domain , for example airsserver . com , an embodiment that is especially suitable for a business model where a new company is formed to provide a service based on the present invention directly to users . in another business model , for example an existing banking corporation wants to add a personal inventory service using this invention to its customers and already has its own domain , the airs application would likely tie in and use that corporations &# 39 ; existing domain . building on the banking corporation example , assume the bank &# 39 ; s domain name was “ greatbankcorporation . com ”, a possible unique email address with the present invention would be “ inventoryuser1 @ greatbankcorporation . com ”. likewise , a possible shared email address in this banking corporation scenario would be “ personalinventory @ greatbankcorporation . com ”. in another embodiment of this invention , referred to as a stand - alone or home - based embodiment , lad 440 would be a personal or business computer loaded with the airs program but supporting just a single user or a limited number of users . in this stand - alone embodiment a separate domain is not required and although a unique email address is desirable in this situation the use of email information fields such as “ from ” and “ subject ” information could be used in place of establishing a unique email address to exclusively correspond to a single user inventory list . user access device ( uad ) 460 is typically , though not exclusively , a personal computer equipped with a web browser . uad 460 interacts with airs on lad 440 via the communications network 430 . in the server embodiment depicted in fig3 and 8 , 460 is the means by which service is initiated and set up as well as one means by which a user retrieves or receives list and record information , represented by user inventory list 450 , from airs . in other embodiments of the present invention airs would effect a copy of the user &# 39 ; s list be sent to the user via email , non - electronically such as traditional mail or via some other communications medium , without necessarily any specific prompting from the user . in a stand - alone embodiment of the present invention , iad 440 and user access 460 would be the same computer and user access 460 would not require a communications network 430 to interact with the airs application . the user would interact directly with the airs program . a list is a collection of one or more records generated with the airs program resident on 440 . user inventory list 450 is a representation of how a list might be organized and presented . there is nothing exclusive , unique or critical to the present invention inherent in the format , fields , programming or appearance of 450 . it is shown to illustrate the invention &# 39 ; s automatic generation of a listed record using a transmitted information object , in this illustration a photograph of an item , which is in turn represented in the illustration as a string of pearls , to any type of database program capable of including photographs as part of a record or as a table entry . it also demonstrates that programming within icd 420 to enable packaging of gps information along with the email transmission of the photograph , combined with complimentary programming within iad 440 to extract that gps information enables the present invention to automatically create a database record that includes a photograph of an item , the date and time the photograph was taken and the location of the item when the photograph was taken ( 450 ). other pieces of information regarding an item that it may be desirable to record are indicated with the “ value ” and “ . . . ” columns shown in 450 . all columns shown represent types of information that can be included in a soft vare record not required pieces of information within the context of the present invention . fig1 illustrates the process of creating a software record incorporating image information prior to the present invention . the present invention is not limited to the capture and recording of images but applies to any information that can be captured and stored on a computer , including recorded sounds and olfactory sensing data , and transmitted in an email attachment . in the prior art process depicted in fig1 the user directly manipulates two devices , an information capture device ( icd ) such as a digital camera and an inventory application device ( iad ), which is a computer equipped with inventory application software such as “ home contents inventory list ” ( http :// office . microsoft . com / en - us / templates / ct101172541033 . aspx ? av = zxl000 ) or liberty street software &# 39 ; s assetmanage home inventory software ( www . libertystreet . com / asset - home - inventory . htm ). steps 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 , 60 , 70 and 80 illustrate the four primary decisions a user must make and the seven actions a user performs in the process of creating a listed record steps 10 , 50 , 60 and 70 are decision points . steps 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 , 60 , 70 and 80 require the user to physically interact with the relevant device . steps 10 , 20 and 30 are associated with the icd , a camera in this illustration . in step 10 the user decides what item will be added to the user &# 39 ; s inventory list . in step 20 a camera is used to take a photograph of the item decided on in step 10 . transfer of the photograph to a repository accessible by the lad is shown as step 30 . the process now moves to the second device , the iad , which is a computer on which has been loaded or programmed an inventory application . the iad and the inventory application are powered on by the user in step 40 . within the inventory application a new list for storing records must be created or an existing list selected . the user does this in step 50 . after the correct inventory list is chosen the user decides in step 60 where the desired photograph of the item to be inventoried is located and accesses that location via the inventory application . after accessing the repository where the desired photograph is located the user finds and selects the photograph , step 70 , and in step 80 moves or copies that image into the user &# 39 ; s previously opened inventory list , step 50 , thereby creating a new record that includes the image . the new record may be image - based or simply a new record that includes the image . fig2 illustrates the process of creating a software record incorporating image information with the present invention . the reduction in decision and action steps to three from the eight steps illustrated in fig1 demonstrates one of this invention &# 39 ; s key benefits . additional benefit is evident in that creating a software record utilizing the present invention requires the user to directly manipulate just a single device , the icd , not two or more devices as with prior - art inventory systems . note that the icd in this embodiment of the present invention is both a camera and a communications device that is capable of emailing images . a typical example of such a device is a cell phone equipped with a camera with service from a wireless service provider such as sprint or verizon . also note that in instances where records incorporate representational images as opposed to captured actual images the icd can be any device capable of attaching images to an email message and emailing that message . with the present invention the user is not required to directly interact with the iad or to operate the inventory application resident therein in order to create a record of an item . that part of the record creation process is fully automated . in addition , the need for and use of image and other repositories to store recorded information , information used to identify or help define inventory items and intended to be used to create a software record , is eliminated . steps 10 and 20 in fig2 are identical to steps 10 and 20 in fig1 . in step 10 the user decides what item will be added to the user &# 39 ; s inventory list . in step 20 a camera is used to take a photograph of the item decided on in step 10 . step 38 in fig2 highlights a key component of the present invention which is the transmission itself contains sufficient information to not only route the information object , in this embodiment an image , to the desired physical location , a specific lad , but the transmission itself also contains or represents sufficient information to cause it to be directed to a logical location , such as a specific software application , and most significantly the transmission itself conveys sufficient information to indicate that the information contained therein is for a specific list or table within a software application . for example , in the preferred embodiment transmission is via email . in this email embodiment an email address not only serves to accurately route the information object to a location , an iad , but that same email address serves as both a proxy for a software application and corresponds to a specific user list within that application . in this illustration the user transmits an image , a photograph , directly to the iad . the iad is equipped with a software program herein referred to as the automated inventory recording system ( airs ) program . airs receives the email with the attached image , uses the proxy address , or in other embodiments different transport information , to determine the user listing in which a new record should be created , and then uses the image within the email to create that new record . fig4 , 5 , 6 and 7 illustrate one embodiment of the invention . starting with fig4 which shows the process at the icd , a user decides to add an object to an inventory list ( 100 ). the object may be any type of software recordable information or computer data used to identify , describe or define an item . in this embodiment the object is an image , a photograph of the item the user desires to record in an inventory list . the user captures the image by taking its photograph using any of a variety of wireless devices equipped with a camera and having the ability to transmit images ( 200 ). transmission of the object in this embodiment of the invention is via email therefore the wireless device is operated to send the photograph via email ( 302 ). in other embodiments transmission is via other communications protocols . during service setup either a unique email address corresponding to the user &# 39 ; s inventory list or a shared email address corresponding to the inventory application program within airs was established . using an email address as a proxy for and to correspond to a specific user list or specific software program is one means of implementing the invention . alternative means such as a menu selection programmed into a device , utilizing an ip address , ip or udp port number , mobile identification number ( min ), electronic serial number ( esn ) or the like , available with protocols other than email ( i . e . smtp ), are also viable and highlight other embodiments of the present invention . in the preferred , email embodiment illustrated , after selecting the wireless device &# 39 ; s email option the user either selects the previously stored proxy email address corresponding to the desired inventory list , perhaps stored in the icd &# 39 ; s contact list under a name such as ‘ home inventory ’, or enters that proxy email address ( 304 ). with the use of alternative protocols the wireless device or wireless service could include a menu option such as “ send to home inventory ” in addition to the currently available options ( e . g . sprint &# 39 ; s sanyo katana cell phone menu options for photographs include : send , upload , and prints by mail ) and the user would select the “ send to home inventory ” option instead of the send , email option . in the illustrated embodiment of fig4 the photograph has been attached to the email within the wireless device and is now transmitted via email to the iad where the airs program resides ( 306 ). the email transmitted in step 306 of fig4 is received at the iad in fig5 by the email server component ( 405 ) of the airs program . receiving email ( 405 a ), inclusion - list filtering ( 405 b ), and deleting filtered email ( 405 c ) are processes well understood by those skilled in the art . in embodiments of the present invention that do not utilize email as the means of transporting information objects , 405 is a comparably functioning component suitable for the communications protocol that is used . the present invention &# 39 ; s ability to identify only the specific icd permitted to submit objects to a user &# 39 ; s item list prevents unwanted records from being created . information to identify the permissible icd is collected and stored during initial service set up ( see discussion below especially regarding 620 in fig7 ). configuration of email server 405 includes the optioning of the inclusion list with this icd identification information . in the present embodiment of the invention , where email transmission is utilized , the data that identifies a permissible icd is the user &# 39 ; s normal email address from which the user transmits messages . typically this is the user &# 39 ; s personal email address ; however , it can be any email address dedicated to the user and identified by the user during initial service set up as the sole device ( s ) from which information objects can be accepted . in other embodiments utilizing alternative transport protocols instead of email the icd identification could be a mis , esn , ip address or other device identifier included in the transmission protocol . consequently , using inclusion - list or similar filtering process combined with a unique email address the present invention restricts data submission to a software application thereby preventing or greatly mitigating false record entries . during service set up the user may opt for interactive validation , meaning the user wants to check each email leaving the email subsystem ( 405 ) prior to the object being processed to create all item record . the present invention determines if the validation option was selected ( 415 ). if validation was not selected the object ( s ) attached to the email , in this illustration a photographic image , is detached , the inventory database application within airs is opened or accessed , the user &# 39 ; s specific list within that application is opened and the detached object is used to create a new record within the list ( 425 ). as noted previously , those skilled in the art will understand how a database functions and the various means of programming available to accomplish the operations of 425 . if during service set up validation is selected , the email is queued ( 505 in fig6 ) until such time as the user directly accesses iad 440 and the resident airs program via uad 460 ( 515 ). upon user access the present invention checks the user &# 39 ; s queue ( 525 ) and on confirming an object , in this embodiment an email , is present the invention notifies the user ( 535 ). if there are multiple objects in queue the invention prompts the user to make a selection ( 545 ), decide if the object should be retained ( 555 ), and if retained whether the object should be used to create a new record or to be otherwise processed ( 575 ). if the user confirms a new record should be generated the process returns to 425 . if the user decides the object should not be used to generate a new record but wants it for other purposes , for example to add that object to an existing record , then the object is handled otherwise ( 585 ). fig7 illustrates the initial service set up process for the email - embodiment of the present invention . on initial access , whether upon accessing the airs server ( 440 ) for the first time in the hosted embodiment or loading the airs program on the user &# 39 ; s computer ( 460 plus 440 ) in a stand - alone / home - based embodiment and launching it for the first time , the invention registers the user and initiates a database list that is aligned with the user ( 600 ). in the server / hosted embodiment the service provider , reflected by iad 440 , has its own domain ( e . g . airsserver . com ) and the invention generates a unique email address , e . g . user1 @ airsserver . com , as a proxy for and corresponding to the database list associated with the user ( 610 ). alternatively , a shared email address , e . g . inventory @ airsserver . com , combined with another identifier such as the user &# 39 ; s personal email address can be used to correspond to the user &# 39 ; s database list . in the stand - alone / home - based embodiment the airs program assists the user in setting up a new unique email address with the user &# 39 ; s email service provider . for example , many isps provide for at least 5 email addresses for personal or home use . assuming the user has not used all five addresses the user can readily open a new email address specifically for the airs application and to correspond to the user &# 39 ; s inventory list . a data base manager , residing as a software component within airs , maintains and manages the proxy email addresses corresponding to user lists that are stored on the airs database . as just discussed , at service set up the airs database generates a proxy email address that represents the corresponding user list . this database also stores acceptable - user - device identification information corresponding to each proxy email address . acceptable - user - device identification information , in the illustrated embodiment the user &# 39 ; s regular email address from which the user will transmit objects to be added to the user &# 39 ; s inventory list , is collected ( 620 ) and used to configure the inclusion filter ( 405 b ) within the email server component of airs to ensure that only user - selected information is stored and recorded ( 630 ). with the server / hosted embodiment the email server is resident within the airs server and therefore activation and configuration of the inclusion filter is less complex than with the stand - alone / home - based embodiment where different email clients and email servers must be navigated in order to perform the same activation and configuration . however , the means of performing this step is apparent to those familiar with email systems and programming . as with most database systems , the present invention permits use of various databases and database templates ( 640 ) as well as customization of a selected database template ( 650 ). although most installations of the present invention will embed a database application within the airs program there will be instances where airs incorporates a non - resident database application , where the inventory database is external to 440 . the final step in the set up process is to select options ; most notably the user must decide whether or not interactive validation is activated ( 660 ).
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